Disclaimers, etc, see part one.
Faith.
* * * * *
We didn't keep much in touch. I send the occasional message out of obligation, and I scan the general school updates Willow sends. I have managed, though, to keep regular contact with Faith. She, Robin, and their two kids came through a couple of years ago, tracking a group of Vampires.
I just opened the door one to day see Faith's bright and happy face. Describing Faith as bright and happy might have been strange at one stage, and it was certainly a surprise to see her grinning. She looked real in a way she hadn't before. She knew who she was and what she was about. And she liked it.
"Hey! Xan-man, seen any vamp activity in this neck of the woods?"
I glanced quickly over my shoulder to make sure none of my family was around to hear her. She knew they didn't know. Behind her I could see the knocked about Traveller. Something was good that day. I smiled at her.
"Tea?" I asked.
"Gone Watcher on me, Xander? Yeah, sounds good. There's still four of us though."
She gestured behind her to the van and I could see Principle Wood and their two gorgeous children. Nikki was twelve, and a Slayer, although her expression said that it shouldn't be an excuse for the number of bags she was carrying. She was carrying a lot of bags.
Faith must have seen my look.
"We aren't staying," she said quickly, "it's just the van doesn't lock properly at the moment. There's a locksmith Robin knows on the other side of town, he'll help us out."
She took Andrew from his father and they followed me through into the kitchen, sitting themselves around the table. I put the kettle on.
"We could 'adjourn' to the living room," I offered.
"I don't hold with anything fancy, Xan-man," Faith said.
"Our disreputable selves wouldn't suit it, I don't think, Xander," Robin said.
I hadn't gotten over him being the principle. His faint disappointment cut me. Buffy had said that he had declared himself the best principle Sunnydale High had ever had. He was alive, so I agreed.
"I got in when my best friend died. I got out when Anya died. I haven't lost any family since then."
"He doesn't have superpowers, Robin," Faith said, "It's his choice."
'As it's yours,' was the silent addition. I did not want to be anywhere near that when it broke. Robin chuckled, struck by something I think it was Faith's intuition. The whole issue disappeared.
"These brutes are nasty," he said. "We though you might have heard something."
"No," I admitted. I tried to keep as far out of it as I could. "But there's a bar two blocks over, the Clarinet, it's our local demon haunt. We don't have much here, so they should have made a noise. Are you safe in your van?"
"Yeah," Faith said. "It's brilliant, portable, always close to the fight. It's home, so the vamps can't come in. Willow did some things to it to keep out other nasties. I think that's when the locks broke. But Robin's contact's a warlock, so he'll be able to steer around it."
"So, tea for Faith, coffee?" I asked, not knowing what to say to that.
"I'll have tea," Robin said, "I'm officially acting in a Watcher capacity, it does well to fit the stereotype."
I raised an eyebrow at his two kids, but he only shrugged. I got a sudden image of kid who was obviously Buffy and Giles's and I freaked.
"Don't tease the boy, Robin," Faith said.
"You are two years younger than me Faith. And while you might have been much less innocent, I am now forty one years old!" I said, pulling cups out of the draw.
Faith laughed wholeheartedly. "And claiming every single one of them, aren't you?"
"Coffee, Faith?" I asked, knowing she probably didn't drink tea.
"Please."
"Nikki, Andrew?" I asked the kids.
Andrew was still sitting in his mother's lap. He was eight, but I don't suppose he got to do it often. They made an odd group. I would never have thought Faith would be so good at the close and happy family thing. But it suits them well. Robin finds it amusing most of the time, I think. Why they called their son Andrew I will never fathom.
The kids both had orange juice. I got out the container of biscuits Angie bakes regularly for drop ins and we were able to have a real conversation. Nikki got bored when the conversation turned away from demons and vampires so I sent her into the living room and she settled down to watch When Summer Comes, or some other chick's flick. Andrew insisted in participating, or at least listening the adults.
Robin was questioning me about Lizzie's school when Angie and the girls got home.
"Hello," Angie said cautiously, looking into the kitchen.
She brightened when she saw Faith, recognising her. They had stopped by about four years before. And I passed on the regular updates I got. She was still a little suspicious of Faith. Faith tended to give people that impression, and I had never been able to satisfactorily explain how it was that I knew her. I tried the first time Faith caught up with me. Angie and I had only been married about eighteen months when we bumped into Faith and Robin in New York.
It was one of the strangest meetings I've been a part of. All of them actually involve Faith, so really, I shouldn't have been surprised. Angie had Sarah tied on her hip, she was almost one. Angie and I were walking along Broadway discussing what it would be like to live in a musical. She was telling me that I had thought too much about it when I heard my name.
I stopped slowly. I don't turn around immediately when people say my name because it's one of the oldest tricks. I didn't see that it was Faith until she had thrown her arms around me. She held me at arms length, grinning and checked me out.
"You look good," she said, approvingly.
"Thanks. How are you?" I asked, because Faith demanded quick, straightforward conversations. And Angie had raised an eyebrow at me. I could feel it.
"Pregnant," she said. She nodded sideways at Sarah. "Is that what they look like?"
"Yeah, she's almost a year old."
"Faith," Faith said, holding a hand out to Angie. Angie took it slowly.
"Angie," she said.
"I heard that Xander had gotten married. I'm glad to see it's too as nice a person as you."
"Faith!"
"What? I can't be a little complimentary to your wife."
"You and complimentary aren't a usual combination, Faith," I said.
"What can I say, I grew up. Found me a man who understands. Actually, I think he found me, but hey, all's good now. Five by five," she added with a sly grin.
"We're you in the Scooby gang, too?" Angie asked.
I'm not really sure what she thought about the strange women who appeared out of nowhere and hugged me. Willow had mentioned Scoobies as well. I think it was that Faith knew I had gotten married.
I was struck then that it was the only sure point she had about my past, that I had been part of something called the Scooby gang. The fact that so far she had met one very bright and warm woman must have softened her view of Sunnydale. I don't think she thought Willow was the one who had 'thrown rocks at shop windows and beaten the shooter pretty bad.'
"Nah," Faith said. "I was a rebel. I helped them in the last fight, that's how I met Robin."
"That would be me," a smooth voice said. It was followed by the man himself.
Faith grinned at him.
"Look who I found," she said.
"Xander, good to see you again," he said.
We shook hands and I was able to properly introduce Angie and Sarah. Sarah smiled at him shyly when he made faces at her. Angie seemed relieved that he was obviously able to look after Faith.
"What brings you to New York?" Robin asked.
"We're on the way to Hershey," I said. "The long way round," I added.
He nodded.
"You?" I asked.
"My mother," he said. "And Crowley. They're both buried here. I wanted to tell them about the baby."
I nodded. Faith quirked an eyebrow at my acceptance. But she was doing more than going along with it. I could see that. She just didn't want it publicised.
"We were about to get something to eat," Angie said. "If you wanted to catch up some, you could join us."
