A/N: I know I've changed canon here, work with me gang.
Watcher 6 - Their Gravest Challenge
Xander slid under the vampire's left hook only to be grabbed around his throat and flung effortlessly into the air. Landing on his side, he rolled up onto his feet only to catch a side kick to the gut that sent him back down to one knee. Seeing his chance, he snatched at the vampire's grounded foot and pulled sending the vampire crashing to the ground.
"Hi Xand, Angel."
The teen turned to grin at the brunette. "Hi Fai -, ow!" he rubbed at the back of his head where the vampire had slapped him. "No fair!"
Angel grinned at him. "Remember what I told you, keep your focus."
Xander glared good-naturedly. Over the past few weeks, the dislike he'd always felt for Angel had changed to respect for the vampire's fighting skills and sense of honour. Standing he turned to the laughing brunette. "And you don't need to laugh missy," he mock-scolded, "treat your Watcher with a little more respect young lady."
Faith snorted. "Oh yeah, 'cause that tone works so well for Wussley and G," her face turned serious. "It's been four weeks since you became my unofficial Watcher, right?"
"To the day," Xander exchanged a puzzled glance with Angel
"Yeah, eh," the brunette looked down at the floor, her cheeks reddening. "Mrs. S. says that if you still want to date me." The girl looked up, her eyes worried. "You still want to, right?"
Xander grinned. "Well I haven't been snatched up by any super-models so I guess I'm going with a hearty yes."
The Slayer beamed. "Wicked! Joyce says that before we start dating you've got to come round for dinner so," Faith giggled. "She can check your intentions."
"Oh right," suddenly Xander felt very nervous. Hearing Angel's strangled chuckles he glared at the vampire before turning back to his prospective girl-friend. "Tell me she doesn't know we, you know?"
Faith winked. "I haven't told her that we you know, don't know about B though."
"Ever heard the one about walking into a lion's den Xander?" Angel whispered unhelpfully in his ear. Xander groaned.
"Oh did I forget?" interrupted Faith, an evil gleam in her eye. "Mrs S. wants you to come as well."
The vampire's face fell. "Oh shit, not good."
Xander laughed at the vampire's distressed expression. "When does she want us to come round?"
"Tomorrow night at seven," the Slayer grinned. "I can't wait to start dating."
Xander grinned. "You wanna stay and train," he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, "on the mat with me."
Faith's face took on a look of mock outrage. "What sort of young lady do you think I am?"
Xander exchanged a puzzled look with Angel. "You're a young lady, when did that happen?"
Angel shrugged. "I know things move fast on the Hellmouth, but still."
The Slayer flipped them the bird. "Bite me," she turned serious, "me and B patrolling tonight?" At Angel's nod, Faith sauntered out of the door.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Xander dropped on the mats as soon as the door slammed shut behind the Slayer," Joyce is one scary lady."
"At least she likes you."
"Likes me?" Xander threw his hands up. "She once chased me with a meat cleaver."
Angel's eyes widened before he chuckled. "The love spell?" Xander nodded in confirmation. "Buffy ever tell you about the time her mother backed Spike off with a fire axe."
"Oh brother we're," Xander glanced at his friend, "correction, I'm dead."
"It gets worse," Angel looked deathly serious.
"Worse?" Xander felt close to hyper-ventilation. "How is that possible?"
"We'll need suits."
"SUITS!" Xander screamed; he was definitely teetering on the edge of a panic attack. "Aren't you going over the top?"
The vampire smiled. "Don't you want to impress Joyce?"
"I thought I'd go with witty and charming," he ignored Angel's chuckle to groan. "I guess, but I don't own a suit. And there's no way I'm borrowing one of Giles' tweed."
The vampire grabbed his jacket. "Then we'll have to go shopping."
Xander flushed with shame, Giles gave him an allowance, way more than his dad ever had, but still... "I can't aff-."
"Don't worry about it. I'll pay," the vampire waved away his protests. "Can't have you showing me up now can I?"
"Thanks Angel."
"No problem," the vampire smiled at him. "And we can have a talk about etiquette while we're out."
Xander's shoulders slumped. "I really, really hate you." The vampire laughed. "Another sign of the apocalypse, a laughing Angel."
* * *
"Xander! Angel! Don't you both look smart?"
Xander forced a smile. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he'd seen the price of the suit Angel had picked out for him, but it did look good - although he'd always held suspicions about men who were so knowledgeable about fashion. "Thanks Joyce," he held out his contribution to the meal, a bunch of flowers. "You're looking pretty divine yourself."
"Why thank you Xander," Joyce beamed as she took the flowers. "As charming as ever. Come in both of you."
Angel nodded politely before kissing the woman on the cheek. "Thank you for the invitation Joyce." The vampire passed the woman a bottle of red wine. At her doubtful look, Angel smiled. "Don't worry, it is wine not blood."
The woman smiled nervously. "Go through, the girls are in the lounge."
"Okay," Xander smiled before falling in step beside the vampire. "I suppose making out's not allowed?" he muttered.
"I'm flattered Xander but you're not really my type."
"Oh, two and a half years and you choose tonight to develop a sense of humour. Not when we're taking on a minor-leaguer like the Master or Spike, oh not it's got to be when we're doing something really dangerous."
Xander opened the lounge door. A split-second later, he was hit in the chest by a brunette whirlwind. "Xander! You're here!"
The young man grinned before picking up the small girl and hugging her. "Did you ever doubt, Dawn Patrol? Sure, there were a couple of trolls trying to stop us, but me and Angel fought our way through."
"Oh you brought him," the girl glared disdainfully at the vampire.
The vampire shuffled from foot to foot. "Hi Dawn," he smiled weakly.
"Hi Angel, come to kidnap me again?"
"Not tonight no."
"Good, 'cause Faith's been teaching me some moves and if you try anything I'll kick you right in the -."
"Dawn!" Joyce's voice boomed in from the kitchen. "We don't speak to guests like that!"
The small girl continues to glare up at the vampire for a few seconds before turning away. "Sorry mom."
"She really hates me," Angel muttered to Xander.
"You kidnap her, try to kill her sister. She really is a spiteful girl," Xander muttered in reply before grinning. "Just give her time. I mean look at me, I tolerate you now." Xander smiled at his girlfriend sat nervously on the couch beside Buffy. "Hi Faith."
The girl stood and grinned uncertainly. "Hi Xand," the Slayer looked down at her ensemble. "Do I look good?"
"Not good exactly," Xander took a second to drink in Faith's knee length black silk dress. "More like devastating. You wouldn't need a stake to slay tonight."
"Pretty smooth Xand," Buffy pulled away from hugging Angel to wink at him.
Xander returned the wink. "Years of practicing in the mirror does that to a guy." Turning to his giggling girlfriend, he took her hand and smiled. "May I have the immense honour of escorting madam to the dining room?"
"Why sir," Faith fluttered her long eyelashes at him, "I'd be honoured."
"What about me!" Dawn was jumping on the spot excitedly.
"Well it's lucky I have two arms so that I can have the pleasure of escorting two ravishing young ladies at once."
"Very James Bond, Xander," Buffy laughed.
"I've been teaching him," Angel interrupted proudly, "he's all grown up now."
"Bite me, Angel."
"Well maybe for dessert. Thanks for offering though."
* * *
"So how's the training going X-man?"
"He's doing well Faith," Angel broke in. "Physically he's nowhere near us of-course but technically he's better than any of us."
"Oh really, we'll have to get some practice in soon. So good in just one month."
Xander felt the blood drain from his face at the quiet menace in Buffy's voice. After glaring at the grinning vampire, he definitely preferred him broody, he spoke. "Actually I've got way more than a month's training. I started training in Judo & Aikido when," he was about to say Buffy ran away but decided to err on the side of diplomacy,"when we broke up from school last year. Plus, remember when I was soldier guy?"
"And Buffy was a noblewoman?" Dawn let out a giggle.
"That's right," Xander's grin died at Buffy's glare. "Anyway working with Angel every night has re-surfaced a lot of the memories. Sgt. Greg Thomas served in the Green Berets in Nam from '68 - '72, and was decorated five times, even got the Congressional Medal of Honour," seeing the females' blanks looks, he sighed, "it's our country's highest military honour. After leaving the military in '73 he spent the rest of the seventies touring the Orient, learning a variety of Martial Arts. Then in 1980 he came home and became a demon hunter until -."
"I'll make a start on dishes."
Xander flinched inwardly at the set look on Mrs. Summers as she walked past him to the kitchen. He leaned across and muttered in Faith's ear, "I just need to step out for a minute, okay?" after eliciting a nod from his Slayer, he kissed her gently on the cheek before rising and following Joyce into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry for talking shop, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce turned towards him, her face tearful. He tore a tissue off the near- by roll and wiped her eyes. The woman smiled at him. "It's nothing you did Xander, I just wish Buffy and Faith were just two normal girls, talking about boys, music, and make-up. And that you and Angel were just two normal boys. I wish we'd never come here that she'd never been chosen, I hate it all."
"I don't know what to say, me and words having a poor relationship but here goes. I'm glad Buff was chosen. And maybe Buffy is too," at Joyce's look he hurried on. "From what she says she was pretty shallow before she was chosen, not at all the great person she is now. If she hadn't moved here, she wouldn't have met the best dad she's ever had in Giles, or the best friend she's ever had in Willow, or Angel," his words trailed off. He was fine with joking, but serious stuff, he didn't do serious.
Buffy's mother smiled. "Or you. I'm not altogether convinced but thanks for trying. I just wish Buffy had taken up with you instead of Angel."
Xander chuckled. "I'm flattered I really am. But you shouldn't dismiss Angel; he's a good guy - not as witty and charming as some, but still. He'd never let anything happen to Buffy."
"Angelus would."
Xander acknowledged the point with a nod. "Yeah, but that won't happen again, he loves Buff too much. Angel's an honourable man; he'd lay down his life for her without a second thought."
"So would you."
Xander shrugged, his cheeks flaming. "I'd do it for any of my girls," he grinned. "Including my Joyce."
The woman laughed. "It's been a long time since I've been called a girl."
"Not that long," he winked, "besides I've got to look after my girl's new mom. I shudder to ask, but how's she been anyway."
Joyce's eyes rolled. "She's settling in fine, Xander. She likes to test the boundaries, but it's mostly just for show, she's doing well. She gets on great with Buffy and especially Dawn. One thing though?"
Xander groaned. "What's she done now?"
"She keeps boring everyone, well except Dawn who loves it, with tales about a certain wonderful Mr. Harris. I do believe someone's quite taken."
"Really?" Xander grinned. "That's always good to know."
* * *
It was just past eleven and they were on their way home after dinner. Faith had wanted to go clubbing but Joyce had very firmly told her that if she didn't have to patrol, she had to go to bed. But still, all in all, a fun night. "Thanks for what you said to Joyce."
Xander's lips tugged up in a smile. "You heard? Damn those bat ears."
Angel chuckled. "I'm glad you've got over your feelings for Buffy. That we can be friends now."
His companion shook his head. "You don't get it do you Angel? It was never about Buffy, not really, I won't lie, I always thought it was wrong that she was with a vampire. But before then, when I first saw you, before I knew you were a vampire, when you were just this GQ model with the muscles and fancy wardrobe I knew I was batting out of my league."
"Nobody's out of your league," Angel said softly, his eyes betraying none of the anger he felt. For all his many qualities and newly acquired skills, years of abuse had left Xander with serious self esteem problems. He just hoped they were solved as the teen got older.
"Whatever," Xander shrugged. "No I started hating you when I discovered you were a vampire sired by the same bitch who turned my best buddy Jesse who I had to stake to save Cordelia."
Angel glanced across at the boy in shock. He'd never realised the youth's hatred for him hadn't been the petulant jealously of a jilted suitor but something far more. "Jesse?" he said cautiously, "I don't think I ever met him."
"You didn't," Angel heard the teen beside him choke back a sob, "I knew him even before I knew Will. He was the only person who knew about my dad," the youth's face flickered in shame, "about my dad beating me. I staked him at the Harvest, the day after he'd been turned. When I found out about you being a bad ass vamp who knew about the Harvest, was supposed to be a good vampire, but did nothing to help, I hated you."
Angel nodded in understanding. "I don't blame you. When Whistler sent me to help Buffy, I was far from convinced that I could make a difference. It was that night in the Master's sewers with you that taught me different. I'm sorry about Jesse."
"Life moves on," Xander sighed, "I hate that he's dead, I really miss him but he wouldn't have wanted me to stand by and let him kill his family and friends. I just wish it had been somebody else who stopped him."
"I'm sorry," Angel reached across and squeezed the youth's shoulder.
The youth nodded gratefully, before looking up at him, a puzzled expression on his face. "Angel, why did you agree to train me, I mean we get on okay but back then."
"Oh, I call you my penance," he chuckled at the teen's glare, "you've always had my potential. The Master's Lair, that night in the school with Spike, backing off Angelus, the Zombie Gang, and confronting Faith all took nerve-."
"Faith wasn't nerve that was idiocy."
"But on the plus side, you got a hot girlfriend out of it. I knew you were loyal to Buffy and that if you were trained that would mean there was another capable fighter to help protect her and the others. All you had to do was show the maturity to ask and to admit what you did the night Buffy sent me to hell."
"About that -."
The vampire waved his companion to silence. "Three vamps coming up from behind, two in front."
The boy's eyes flickered, changing in an instant from warm and humorous to hard and dangerous. "You back, me front?"
"Gets my vote."
Watcher 6 - Their Gravest Challenge
Xander slid under the vampire's left hook only to be grabbed around his throat and flung effortlessly into the air. Landing on his side, he rolled up onto his feet only to catch a side kick to the gut that sent him back down to one knee. Seeing his chance, he snatched at the vampire's grounded foot and pulled sending the vampire crashing to the ground.
"Hi Xand, Angel."
The teen turned to grin at the brunette. "Hi Fai -, ow!" he rubbed at the back of his head where the vampire had slapped him. "No fair!"
Angel grinned at him. "Remember what I told you, keep your focus."
Xander glared good-naturedly. Over the past few weeks, the dislike he'd always felt for Angel had changed to respect for the vampire's fighting skills and sense of honour. Standing he turned to the laughing brunette. "And you don't need to laugh missy," he mock-scolded, "treat your Watcher with a little more respect young lady."
Faith snorted. "Oh yeah, 'cause that tone works so well for Wussley and G," her face turned serious. "It's been four weeks since you became my unofficial Watcher, right?"
"To the day," Xander exchanged a puzzled glance with Angel
"Yeah, eh," the brunette looked down at the floor, her cheeks reddening. "Mrs. S. says that if you still want to date me." The girl looked up, her eyes worried. "You still want to, right?"
Xander grinned. "Well I haven't been snatched up by any super-models so I guess I'm going with a hearty yes."
The Slayer beamed. "Wicked! Joyce says that before we start dating you've got to come round for dinner so," Faith giggled. "She can check your intentions."
"Oh right," suddenly Xander felt very nervous. Hearing Angel's strangled chuckles he glared at the vampire before turning back to his prospective girl-friend. "Tell me she doesn't know we, you know?"
Faith winked. "I haven't told her that we you know, don't know about B though."
"Ever heard the one about walking into a lion's den Xander?" Angel whispered unhelpfully in his ear. Xander groaned.
"Oh did I forget?" interrupted Faith, an evil gleam in her eye. "Mrs S. wants you to come as well."
The vampire's face fell. "Oh shit, not good."
Xander laughed at the vampire's distressed expression. "When does she want us to come round?"
"Tomorrow night at seven," the Slayer grinned. "I can't wait to start dating."
Xander grinned. "You wanna stay and train," he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, "on the mat with me."
Faith's face took on a look of mock outrage. "What sort of young lady do you think I am?"
Xander exchanged a puzzled look with Angel. "You're a young lady, when did that happen?"
Angel shrugged. "I know things move fast on the Hellmouth, but still."
The Slayer flipped them the bird. "Bite me," she turned serious, "me and B patrolling tonight?" At Angel's nod, Faith sauntered out of the door.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Xander dropped on the mats as soon as the door slammed shut behind the Slayer," Joyce is one scary lady."
"At least she likes you."
"Likes me?" Xander threw his hands up. "She once chased me with a meat cleaver."
Angel's eyes widened before he chuckled. "The love spell?" Xander nodded in confirmation. "Buffy ever tell you about the time her mother backed Spike off with a fire axe."
"Oh brother we're," Xander glanced at his friend, "correction, I'm dead."
"It gets worse," Angel looked deathly serious.
"Worse?" Xander felt close to hyper-ventilation. "How is that possible?"
"We'll need suits."
"SUITS!" Xander screamed; he was definitely teetering on the edge of a panic attack. "Aren't you going over the top?"
The vampire smiled. "Don't you want to impress Joyce?"
"I thought I'd go with witty and charming," he ignored Angel's chuckle to groan. "I guess, but I don't own a suit. And there's no way I'm borrowing one of Giles' tweed."
The vampire grabbed his jacket. "Then we'll have to go shopping."
Xander flushed with shame, Giles gave him an allowance, way more than his dad ever had, but still... "I can't aff-."
"Don't worry about it. I'll pay," the vampire waved away his protests. "Can't have you showing me up now can I?"
"Thanks Angel."
"No problem," the vampire smiled at him. "And we can have a talk about etiquette while we're out."
Xander's shoulders slumped. "I really, really hate you." The vampire laughed. "Another sign of the apocalypse, a laughing Angel."
* * *
"Xander! Angel! Don't you both look smart?"
Xander forced a smile. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he'd seen the price of the suit Angel had picked out for him, but it did look good - although he'd always held suspicions about men who were so knowledgeable about fashion. "Thanks Joyce," he held out his contribution to the meal, a bunch of flowers. "You're looking pretty divine yourself."
"Why thank you Xander," Joyce beamed as she took the flowers. "As charming as ever. Come in both of you."
Angel nodded politely before kissing the woman on the cheek. "Thank you for the invitation Joyce." The vampire passed the woman a bottle of red wine. At her doubtful look, Angel smiled. "Don't worry, it is wine not blood."
The woman smiled nervously. "Go through, the girls are in the lounge."
"Okay," Xander smiled before falling in step beside the vampire. "I suppose making out's not allowed?" he muttered.
"I'm flattered Xander but you're not really my type."
"Oh, two and a half years and you choose tonight to develop a sense of humour. Not when we're taking on a minor-leaguer like the Master or Spike, oh not it's got to be when we're doing something really dangerous."
Xander opened the lounge door. A split-second later, he was hit in the chest by a brunette whirlwind. "Xander! You're here!"
The young man grinned before picking up the small girl and hugging her. "Did you ever doubt, Dawn Patrol? Sure, there were a couple of trolls trying to stop us, but me and Angel fought our way through."
"Oh you brought him," the girl glared disdainfully at the vampire.
The vampire shuffled from foot to foot. "Hi Dawn," he smiled weakly.
"Hi Angel, come to kidnap me again?"
"Not tonight no."
"Good, 'cause Faith's been teaching me some moves and if you try anything I'll kick you right in the -."
"Dawn!" Joyce's voice boomed in from the kitchen. "We don't speak to guests like that!"
The small girl continues to glare up at the vampire for a few seconds before turning away. "Sorry mom."
"She really hates me," Angel muttered to Xander.
"You kidnap her, try to kill her sister. She really is a spiteful girl," Xander muttered in reply before grinning. "Just give her time. I mean look at me, I tolerate you now." Xander smiled at his girlfriend sat nervously on the couch beside Buffy. "Hi Faith."
The girl stood and grinned uncertainly. "Hi Xand," the Slayer looked down at her ensemble. "Do I look good?"
"Not good exactly," Xander took a second to drink in Faith's knee length black silk dress. "More like devastating. You wouldn't need a stake to slay tonight."
"Pretty smooth Xand," Buffy pulled away from hugging Angel to wink at him.
Xander returned the wink. "Years of practicing in the mirror does that to a guy." Turning to his giggling girlfriend, he took her hand and smiled. "May I have the immense honour of escorting madam to the dining room?"
"Why sir," Faith fluttered her long eyelashes at him, "I'd be honoured."
"What about me!" Dawn was jumping on the spot excitedly.
"Well it's lucky I have two arms so that I can have the pleasure of escorting two ravishing young ladies at once."
"Very James Bond, Xander," Buffy laughed.
"I've been teaching him," Angel interrupted proudly, "he's all grown up now."
"Bite me, Angel."
"Well maybe for dessert. Thanks for offering though."
* * *
"So how's the training going X-man?"
"He's doing well Faith," Angel broke in. "Physically he's nowhere near us of-course but technically he's better than any of us."
"Oh really, we'll have to get some practice in soon. So good in just one month."
Xander felt the blood drain from his face at the quiet menace in Buffy's voice. After glaring at the grinning vampire, he definitely preferred him broody, he spoke. "Actually I've got way more than a month's training. I started training in Judo & Aikido when," he was about to say Buffy ran away but decided to err on the side of diplomacy,"when we broke up from school last year. Plus, remember when I was soldier guy?"
"And Buffy was a noblewoman?" Dawn let out a giggle.
"That's right," Xander's grin died at Buffy's glare. "Anyway working with Angel every night has re-surfaced a lot of the memories. Sgt. Greg Thomas served in the Green Berets in Nam from '68 - '72, and was decorated five times, even got the Congressional Medal of Honour," seeing the females' blanks looks, he sighed, "it's our country's highest military honour. After leaving the military in '73 he spent the rest of the seventies touring the Orient, learning a variety of Martial Arts. Then in 1980 he came home and became a demon hunter until -."
"I'll make a start on dishes."
Xander flinched inwardly at the set look on Mrs. Summers as she walked past him to the kitchen. He leaned across and muttered in Faith's ear, "I just need to step out for a minute, okay?" after eliciting a nod from his Slayer, he kissed her gently on the cheek before rising and following Joyce into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry for talking shop, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce turned towards him, her face tearful. He tore a tissue off the near- by roll and wiped her eyes. The woman smiled at him. "It's nothing you did Xander, I just wish Buffy and Faith were just two normal girls, talking about boys, music, and make-up. And that you and Angel were just two normal boys. I wish we'd never come here that she'd never been chosen, I hate it all."
"I don't know what to say, me and words having a poor relationship but here goes. I'm glad Buff was chosen. And maybe Buffy is too," at Joyce's look he hurried on. "From what she says she was pretty shallow before she was chosen, not at all the great person she is now. If she hadn't moved here, she wouldn't have met the best dad she's ever had in Giles, or the best friend she's ever had in Willow, or Angel," his words trailed off. He was fine with joking, but serious stuff, he didn't do serious.
Buffy's mother smiled. "Or you. I'm not altogether convinced but thanks for trying. I just wish Buffy had taken up with you instead of Angel."
Xander chuckled. "I'm flattered I really am. But you shouldn't dismiss Angel; he's a good guy - not as witty and charming as some, but still. He'd never let anything happen to Buffy."
"Angelus would."
Xander acknowledged the point with a nod. "Yeah, but that won't happen again, he loves Buff too much. Angel's an honourable man; he'd lay down his life for her without a second thought."
"So would you."
Xander shrugged, his cheeks flaming. "I'd do it for any of my girls," he grinned. "Including my Joyce."
The woman laughed. "It's been a long time since I've been called a girl."
"Not that long," he winked, "besides I've got to look after my girl's new mom. I shudder to ask, but how's she been anyway."
Joyce's eyes rolled. "She's settling in fine, Xander. She likes to test the boundaries, but it's mostly just for show, she's doing well. She gets on great with Buffy and especially Dawn. One thing though?"
Xander groaned. "What's she done now?"
"She keeps boring everyone, well except Dawn who loves it, with tales about a certain wonderful Mr. Harris. I do believe someone's quite taken."
"Really?" Xander grinned. "That's always good to know."
* * *
It was just past eleven and they were on their way home after dinner. Faith had wanted to go clubbing but Joyce had very firmly told her that if she didn't have to patrol, she had to go to bed. But still, all in all, a fun night. "Thanks for what you said to Joyce."
Xander's lips tugged up in a smile. "You heard? Damn those bat ears."
Angel chuckled. "I'm glad you've got over your feelings for Buffy. That we can be friends now."
His companion shook his head. "You don't get it do you Angel? It was never about Buffy, not really, I won't lie, I always thought it was wrong that she was with a vampire. But before then, when I first saw you, before I knew you were a vampire, when you were just this GQ model with the muscles and fancy wardrobe I knew I was batting out of my league."
"Nobody's out of your league," Angel said softly, his eyes betraying none of the anger he felt. For all his many qualities and newly acquired skills, years of abuse had left Xander with serious self esteem problems. He just hoped they were solved as the teen got older.
"Whatever," Xander shrugged. "No I started hating you when I discovered you were a vampire sired by the same bitch who turned my best buddy Jesse who I had to stake to save Cordelia."
Angel glanced across at the boy in shock. He'd never realised the youth's hatred for him hadn't been the petulant jealously of a jilted suitor but something far more. "Jesse?" he said cautiously, "I don't think I ever met him."
"You didn't," Angel heard the teen beside him choke back a sob, "I knew him even before I knew Will. He was the only person who knew about my dad," the youth's face flickered in shame, "about my dad beating me. I staked him at the Harvest, the day after he'd been turned. When I found out about you being a bad ass vamp who knew about the Harvest, was supposed to be a good vampire, but did nothing to help, I hated you."
Angel nodded in understanding. "I don't blame you. When Whistler sent me to help Buffy, I was far from convinced that I could make a difference. It was that night in the Master's sewers with you that taught me different. I'm sorry about Jesse."
"Life moves on," Xander sighed, "I hate that he's dead, I really miss him but he wouldn't have wanted me to stand by and let him kill his family and friends. I just wish it had been somebody else who stopped him."
"I'm sorry," Angel reached across and squeezed the youth's shoulder.
The youth nodded gratefully, before looking up at him, a puzzled expression on his face. "Angel, why did you agree to train me, I mean we get on okay but back then."
"Oh, I call you my penance," he chuckled at the teen's glare, "you've always had my potential. The Master's Lair, that night in the school with Spike, backing off Angelus, the Zombie Gang, and confronting Faith all took nerve-."
"Faith wasn't nerve that was idiocy."
"But on the plus side, you got a hot girlfriend out of it. I knew you were loyal to Buffy and that if you were trained that would mean there was another capable fighter to help protect her and the others. All you had to do was show the maturity to ask and to admit what you did the night Buffy sent me to hell."
"About that -."
The vampire waved his companion to silence. "Three vamps coming up from behind, two in front."
The boy's eyes flickered, changing in an instant from warm and humorous to hard and dangerous. "You back, me front?"
"Gets my vote."