The Paladin Project 13 - Holding Action
"How long is it going to take you to go through those books we retrieved from Wolfram & Hart?" Xander asked, his fingers tapping impatiently on the bullet-scarred table of the conference room. The battle for Eagle's Nest had been long and bloody but thanks to a combination of luck and Leo's healing skills they'd come through without using people.
"The texts are in a number of arcane languages including Saxony, Latin, Babylonian, ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Mayan, and Sumerian, as well as some dialects that Fred," the Watcher smiled at the shy scientist, "is endeavouring to work out a mathematical construct for. It will be a period of 2 - 3 weeks before we have the books fully translated and all relevant information cross-referenced and collated."
Xander sighed, as long as that? "Okay," (he) thought for a few seconds. "G-Man, you, Wes, and Lara concentrate on translating. Fred and Jonas you assist. Major Carter, you, Marshall and Andrew focus on getting this place's electronic defences on-line and the computer system more secure. Wood," the former principal raised an eyebrow, "I want you and Gunn to supervise Potential training. Colonel O'Neill, I want you and Teal'c to go through the house fixing any problems or weaknesses with the physical defences. The rest of us will patrol. Blade, Angel, and myself will each lead a three man patrol with Draven," he nodded to the Crow, "acting as roaming clean-up team. We'll attempt to keep normal demonic and the First's activities under control."
"Hey Xand," it was Faith, "I could lead a patrol."
"You'll be assigned to either mine or Angel's patrols." Best to keep her under the eye of himself and the man he trusted the most to control her. Ignoring the Slayer's hurt expression he turned to Piper. "Piper, I want you and your sisters to look through the Book of Shadows-."
"We've already done that," Phoebe interrupted.
"Do it again. And check the base's magical defences while you're at it, the attack might have damaged them. If not see if you can improve them. Any questions?" When there were none Xander stood. "Let's get to it," he hurried out of the room, anxious to have some time on his own, he hated the role circumstances had forced him into. He was a foot soldier not a leader damn it!
"Xander, can I have a word?"
He stopped and turned at O'Neill's voice behind him. "Sure Colonel."
"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others but why are me and Teal'c assigned house-sitting duties?"
"Because," Xander glanced down at the corridor's carpet. He considered a number of lies but decided the Colonel deserved the truth. "Because I couldn't bear to see you hurt."
"Xander," the soldier sighed, "I appreciate the sentiment but this is what I do -."
"Colonel," Xander struggled for the words for what he really wanted to say. "You're my father, the only proof I have that I'm not related to that worthless loser Anthony Harris. I'm not going to see you hurt."
O'Neill listened to him in silence before nodding. "I'll make you a deal. First, you don't try and cut me out of the showdown at the end," the soldier waited for his nod before continuing, "and second once this is over we take some down time and get to know each other."
"I'd like that," Xander grinned, "I've heard stories about your fishing trips. Can Murray come?" Turning he started to walk away only to stop at a shout from O'Neill.
"Xander! Don't worry about Tony Harris you'll never be a loser."
He smiled slightly. "Thanks Jac-, dad."
* * *
"Angel," he looked up at Wesley's drawn face, "may I have a word with you?"
Angel hesitated before nodding. There was still tension between them over Connor's abduction but he couldn't allow this to get in the way of their work. "Sure."
"I'd," the former Watcher grabbed him by his elbow. Apparently satisfied he wasn't the First the Englishman released his grip, "prefer to do it in private."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "My room alright?" his former friend nodded. "After you."
"Xander's behaviour towards Faith has been intolerable. I have spoken to him about it and he has softened his stance slightly but still he runs a considerable risk of alienating her again."
"You mean like you did when you were her Watcher?" he needled.
He was mildly disappointed when Wes didn't react to his jibe. "If anything his behaviour is worse. I acted the way I did out of inexperience and was impersonal at worse. But Xander," the Watcher shook his head, "knows Faith's history and yet he treats her like bloody rubbish!"
Angel was surprised by the raw fury in the Watcher's tone. "You really care about her don't you?"
"Yes I bloody care," Wesley looked up his face filled with guilt, "because of the way I treated her, that young lady was unable to trust you all. Because of my actions she ended up in the Mayor's clutches, spent eight months in a coma and three years in prison." The Watcher paused for a second before continuing. "One of the things I admire most about you was the way you managed to reach her. And I'm not going to allow that ignorant pillock to ruin your good work!"
Angel smiled, touched by the sincerity in the Englishman's words. "So how did this start?"
"The night we arrived in LA we, Xander, Faith, and I, cleared the air a little before heading out into the city," the Watcher chuckled, "we ended up in O'Malleys, your local. Faith arm-wrestled that big bastard Bryn O'Rourke down to the table when he objected to Lara and I being in an Irish pub." Wesley's eyes darkened. "And then the next morning it was a completely different Xander. He was the same with the rest of us but with Faith," the Englishman shook his head, "I was tempted to administer a horse- whipping." Angel chuckled. Wesley scowled. "What's so bloody amusing?"
"You're the Watcher, think about it. Why would anyone change over-night?"
Understanding dawned in his companion's eyes. "He's under a spell!"
"Close but no cigar," Angel stood, all jocularity leaving him. "He's had a visit from the First. Thanks for filling me in Wes, I didn't realise it was quite this bad."
"No problem," Wesley paused, "what do you intend to do?"
"Now," Angel replied, "Xander gets a visit from me."
* * *
"Xander have you got a minute?"
Xander glanced up from his notes. "Sure Angel," he noticed the vampire had an unusually intense expression, "always got time for you. What do you want?"
The vampire shook his head. "Not here, let's go the gym and spar. It's been a long time since we trained together. I want to see how much of Demonsbane is fact and how much is legend."
"Okay," Xander cast Angel a curious glance. What was going on? The vampire was definitely acting weird.
Five minutes later and they were in the deserted gymnasium. Xander moved onto the sparring mats and began his stretches, his eyes fixed on his friend opposite. "What did you want to speak about?" he pressed again.
"Spar first," Angel was expressionless, "talk later."
"Okay," he began to circle the motionless vampire, waiting for his adversary to make the first move. Seeing Angel's eyes narrow he was ready when the vampire snapped out a left jab, grabbing the vampire's arm at the wrist and elbow, he began to bend it against the joint only for his stomach to explode in pain when Angel slammed a right into his gut. Releasing his grip on the vampire's arm he back-pedalled quickly. "Nice shot, you been mixing MaxiMuscle in your blood again?"
Angel didn't reply, choosing instead to surge forward, leading with a karate chop that he blocked on his shoulder. Ignoring the bruising impact he shot out a right uppercut that caught Angel on the chin, knocking him back a step. Hoping to press his advantage he moved into a leg sweep, unfortunately Angel saw his attack coming. Leaping gracefully over his attack the vampire moved and into a flawless crescent kick that caught him on the right side of his chest, lifted him off the ground, and threw him six foot back.
Grunting with pain and embarrassment at being unceremoniously dumped on his ass, Xander rolled to his feet. "Shit Deadboy," he joked, "what happened, did I steal your favourite jacket or steal your last can of hair gel?" When the vampire continued to silently stalk him his eyes narrowed. He didn't know what Angel's problem was but if that was the way he wanted it. Time to kick it up a notch.
He lunged forward, accessing the Hyena inside him to speed up to inhuman levels, sliding beneath Angel's attempt at a right cross, hooking the vampire's arm at the shoulder and flinging him to the ground. He went for a follow-up stomp but his friend kicked at his grounded foot, knocking him off-balance.
Angel took advantage of the lull in hostilities to leap back to his feet and cover the distance between them in a single leaping backfist. The vampire's fist caught him above his left eye, staggering him and opening a cut that leaked claret into the eyes. "Shit Angel," he blocked a knee to the gut, grabbing the knee underneath the joint and pulling it upwards before releasing, "what is your problem?"
The vampire back-flipped to land on his feet some eight feet away. Xander charged forward, snapping an overhead right at the vampire. The punch connected with a thud, wobbling his adversary, attempting to seize advantage Xander moved quickly forward only for Angel to steady himself, sidestep his charge, and connect with a hook kick to his back and an elbow to his left ear.
Stunned by the dual attack, Xander fell to one knee. He instantly started to rise only to stop when Angel grabbed him in a chokehold from behind, his left arm wrapped around his throat and his right arm hooked around his right shoulder while one of the vampire's knees pressed into his back, immobilising him. His blood chilled as Angel spoke. "While you were gone I had a visit from the First," he struggled to rise but the vampire's greater strength and superior leverage pinned him into position, "he told me that you'd turn on me, that I should kill you."
Suddenly he was flying through the air, colliding with the far wall with a thudding impact, and sliding to the ground. Groaning with pain, he forced himself to his feet. "Fortunately for you I have the sense to ignore the First," Angel stepped back, "unlike you with Faith. Just what do you think you're playing at? You idiot, you can't believe the First. You're meant to be our leader, she's part of your team, don't alienate her!"
"Is she a part of our team, is she really?" he wiped the blood dripping down from his forehead. "Do you know the two times I've been hurt the most? When Buffy, my hero, beat me half to death. And when Faith, a girl I trust, had gone through the same sort of things as me, tried to kill me. My idol and a girl I'd shared so much with, they both tried to kill me. Can you imagine how hurt, humiliated, and helpless they made me feel? How stupid I felt for I felt for trusting them? The First might be lying but I can't, I won't, risk getting close and then being betrayed by a Slayer again!"
"How long is it going to take you to go through those books we retrieved from Wolfram & Hart?" Xander asked, his fingers tapping impatiently on the bullet-scarred table of the conference room. The battle for Eagle's Nest had been long and bloody but thanks to a combination of luck and Leo's healing skills they'd come through without using people.
"The texts are in a number of arcane languages including Saxony, Latin, Babylonian, ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Mayan, and Sumerian, as well as some dialects that Fred," the Watcher smiled at the shy scientist, "is endeavouring to work out a mathematical construct for. It will be a period of 2 - 3 weeks before we have the books fully translated and all relevant information cross-referenced and collated."
Xander sighed, as long as that? "Okay," (he) thought for a few seconds. "G-Man, you, Wes, and Lara concentrate on translating. Fred and Jonas you assist. Major Carter, you, Marshall and Andrew focus on getting this place's electronic defences on-line and the computer system more secure. Wood," the former principal raised an eyebrow, "I want you and Gunn to supervise Potential training. Colonel O'Neill, I want you and Teal'c to go through the house fixing any problems or weaknesses with the physical defences. The rest of us will patrol. Blade, Angel, and myself will each lead a three man patrol with Draven," he nodded to the Crow, "acting as roaming clean-up team. We'll attempt to keep normal demonic and the First's activities under control."
"Hey Xand," it was Faith, "I could lead a patrol."
"You'll be assigned to either mine or Angel's patrols." Best to keep her under the eye of himself and the man he trusted the most to control her. Ignoring the Slayer's hurt expression he turned to Piper. "Piper, I want you and your sisters to look through the Book of Shadows-."
"We've already done that," Phoebe interrupted.
"Do it again. And check the base's magical defences while you're at it, the attack might have damaged them. If not see if you can improve them. Any questions?" When there were none Xander stood. "Let's get to it," he hurried out of the room, anxious to have some time on his own, he hated the role circumstances had forced him into. He was a foot soldier not a leader damn it!
"Xander, can I have a word?"
He stopped and turned at O'Neill's voice behind him. "Sure Colonel."
"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others but why are me and Teal'c assigned house-sitting duties?"
"Because," Xander glanced down at the corridor's carpet. He considered a number of lies but decided the Colonel deserved the truth. "Because I couldn't bear to see you hurt."
"Xander," the soldier sighed, "I appreciate the sentiment but this is what I do -."
"Colonel," Xander struggled for the words for what he really wanted to say. "You're my father, the only proof I have that I'm not related to that worthless loser Anthony Harris. I'm not going to see you hurt."
O'Neill listened to him in silence before nodding. "I'll make you a deal. First, you don't try and cut me out of the showdown at the end," the soldier waited for his nod before continuing, "and second once this is over we take some down time and get to know each other."
"I'd like that," Xander grinned, "I've heard stories about your fishing trips. Can Murray come?" Turning he started to walk away only to stop at a shout from O'Neill.
"Xander! Don't worry about Tony Harris you'll never be a loser."
He smiled slightly. "Thanks Jac-, dad."
* * *
"Angel," he looked up at Wesley's drawn face, "may I have a word with you?"
Angel hesitated before nodding. There was still tension between them over Connor's abduction but he couldn't allow this to get in the way of their work. "Sure."
"I'd," the former Watcher grabbed him by his elbow. Apparently satisfied he wasn't the First the Englishman released his grip, "prefer to do it in private."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "My room alright?" his former friend nodded. "After you."
"Xander's behaviour towards Faith has been intolerable. I have spoken to him about it and he has softened his stance slightly but still he runs a considerable risk of alienating her again."
"You mean like you did when you were her Watcher?" he needled.
He was mildly disappointed when Wes didn't react to his jibe. "If anything his behaviour is worse. I acted the way I did out of inexperience and was impersonal at worse. But Xander," the Watcher shook his head, "knows Faith's history and yet he treats her like bloody rubbish!"
Angel was surprised by the raw fury in the Watcher's tone. "You really care about her don't you?"
"Yes I bloody care," Wesley looked up his face filled with guilt, "because of the way I treated her, that young lady was unable to trust you all. Because of my actions she ended up in the Mayor's clutches, spent eight months in a coma and three years in prison." The Watcher paused for a second before continuing. "One of the things I admire most about you was the way you managed to reach her. And I'm not going to allow that ignorant pillock to ruin your good work!"
Angel smiled, touched by the sincerity in the Englishman's words. "So how did this start?"
"The night we arrived in LA we, Xander, Faith, and I, cleared the air a little before heading out into the city," the Watcher chuckled, "we ended up in O'Malleys, your local. Faith arm-wrestled that big bastard Bryn O'Rourke down to the table when he objected to Lara and I being in an Irish pub." Wesley's eyes darkened. "And then the next morning it was a completely different Xander. He was the same with the rest of us but with Faith," the Englishman shook his head, "I was tempted to administer a horse- whipping." Angel chuckled. Wesley scowled. "What's so bloody amusing?"
"You're the Watcher, think about it. Why would anyone change over-night?"
Understanding dawned in his companion's eyes. "He's under a spell!"
"Close but no cigar," Angel stood, all jocularity leaving him. "He's had a visit from the First. Thanks for filling me in Wes, I didn't realise it was quite this bad."
"No problem," Wesley paused, "what do you intend to do?"
"Now," Angel replied, "Xander gets a visit from me."
* * *
"Xander have you got a minute?"
Xander glanced up from his notes. "Sure Angel," he noticed the vampire had an unusually intense expression, "always got time for you. What do you want?"
The vampire shook his head. "Not here, let's go the gym and spar. It's been a long time since we trained together. I want to see how much of Demonsbane is fact and how much is legend."
"Okay," Xander cast Angel a curious glance. What was going on? The vampire was definitely acting weird.
Five minutes later and they were in the deserted gymnasium. Xander moved onto the sparring mats and began his stretches, his eyes fixed on his friend opposite. "What did you want to speak about?" he pressed again.
"Spar first," Angel was expressionless, "talk later."
"Okay," he began to circle the motionless vampire, waiting for his adversary to make the first move. Seeing Angel's eyes narrow he was ready when the vampire snapped out a left jab, grabbing the vampire's arm at the wrist and elbow, he began to bend it against the joint only for his stomach to explode in pain when Angel slammed a right into his gut. Releasing his grip on the vampire's arm he back-pedalled quickly. "Nice shot, you been mixing MaxiMuscle in your blood again?"
Angel didn't reply, choosing instead to surge forward, leading with a karate chop that he blocked on his shoulder. Ignoring the bruising impact he shot out a right uppercut that caught Angel on the chin, knocking him back a step. Hoping to press his advantage he moved into a leg sweep, unfortunately Angel saw his attack coming. Leaping gracefully over his attack the vampire moved and into a flawless crescent kick that caught him on the right side of his chest, lifted him off the ground, and threw him six foot back.
Grunting with pain and embarrassment at being unceremoniously dumped on his ass, Xander rolled to his feet. "Shit Deadboy," he joked, "what happened, did I steal your favourite jacket or steal your last can of hair gel?" When the vampire continued to silently stalk him his eyes narrowed. He didn't know what Angel's problem was but if that was the way he wanted it. Time to kick it up a notch.
He lunged forward, accessing the Hyena inside him to speed up to inhuman levels, sliding beneath Angel's attempt at a right cross, hooking the vampire's arm at the shoulder and flinging him to the ground. He went for a follow-up stomp but his friend kicked at his grounded foot, knocking him off-balance.
Angel took advantage of the lull in hostilities to leap back to his feet and cover the distance between them in a single leaping backfist. The vampire's fist caught him above his left eye, staggering him and opening a cut that leaked claret into the eyes. "Shit Angel," he blocked a knee to the gut, grabbing the knee underneath the joint and pulling it upwards before releasing, "what is your problem?"
The vampire back-flipped to land on his feet some eight feet away. Xander charged forward, snapping an overhead right at the vampire. The punch connected with a thud, wobbling his adversary, attempting to seize advantage Xander moved quickly forward only for Angel to steady himself, sidestep his charge, and connect with a hook kick to his back and an elbow to his left ear.
Stunned by the dual attack, Xander fell to one knee. He instantly started to rise only to stop when Angel grabbed him in a chokehold from behind, his left arm wrapped around his throat and his right arm hooked around his right shoulder while one of the vampire's knees pressed into his back, immobilising him. His blood chilled as Angel spoke. "While you were gone I had a visit from the First," he struggled to rise but the vampire's greater strength and superior leverage pinned him into position, "he told me that you'd turn on me, that I should kill you."
Suddenly he was flying through the air, colliding with the far wall with a thudding impact, and sliding to the ground. Groaning with pain, he forced himself to his feet. "Fortunately for you I have the sense to ignore the First," Angel stepped back, "unlike you with Faith. Just what do you think you're playing at? You idiot, you can't believe the First. You're meant to be our leader, she's part of your team, don't alienate her!"
"Is she a part of our team, is she really?" he wiped the blood dripping down from his forehead. "Do you know the two times I've been hurt the most? When Buffy, my hero, beat me half to death. And when Faith, a girl I trust, had gone through the same sort of things as me, tried to kill me. My idol and a girl I'd shared so much with, they both tried to kill me. Can you imagine how hurt, humiliated, and helpless they made me feel? How stupid I felt for I felt for trusting them? The First might be lying but I can't, I won't, risk getting close and then being betrayed by a Slayer again!"
