Watcher 8 _- A New Player In Town
Spike was nervous. It wasn't a feeling he was used to and he didn't like it. Ever since running from Sunnydale things had gone to hell for him, his Dru had left him, and he'd become a laughing stock in the demonic community - behind his back, no-one was stupid enough to laugh at him to his face. Sighing, Spike glanced around him. Of the other five vampires in the darkened room with him only one had less power than him and two of them were older than the poofter. He was in the big leagues. "Bloody marvellous," he muttered.
The door swung open. Spike groaned as he recognised the vampire stood in the opening. "Dalton," he'd been wrong, he wasn't in the big leagues, he was knee-deep in the shit and sinking fast. "Bloody marvellous."
* * *
"G, what's wrong with Xander?"
Giles looked carefully at the brunette Slayer sat opposite him. Three days had passed since the 'incident' that had become the talk of Sunnydale High. "Faith, this is your counselling session. We're here to talk about your problems, not Xander's."
"I know but," the teenager glanced down at the floor. "He's helped me a lot and I want to help him too. I'm worried about him."
The Watcher kept his face impassive but inwardly he rejoiced at the change in the Slayer. Faith, concerned about someone other than herself? "Very well," it would be a shame to waste this break-through by refusing to discuss the matter; the brunette would only become convinced that he didn't trust her. He plunged into an explanation of Xander's behaviour omitting the part about Xander's hyena considering Faith his mate for fear of 'freaking her out', he believed that was the yank teenager vernacular.
"So this all the fault of Xand's pa?" Faith asked quietly.
"In large part, yes."
"Maybe I should pay him a visit."
"No, Faith. Violence is not the answer!" Giles glared at the Slayer until she dropped her gaze.
"So how do we help him?"
The Watcher sighed in relief, his own reaction to Xander's father had been angry but controlled but Faith always had a problem with control and if she confronted Mr. Harris it could well end in the buffoon's death and while the bastard's death didn't worry him one iota, the affect it would have on his Slayer did. "We have to show Xander that he is loved by us all and that he is worthy of our regard."
The Slayer smiled slowly and nodded. "I can do that."
* * *
"Faith, what are you doing here?" Xander's eyes narrowed. "More to the point, what are you wearing?"
The brunette twirled. "One of B's summer dresses. You like?"
"Well Buff never filled it like that ow!" Xander rubbed his arm where the Slayer had punched his arm. "Not that I'm complaining but what are you doing here? And what's in the hamper?"
"Duh. What do you usually put in a hamper?"
"Knowing you, S & M equipment? Ow! That really hurt." Xander rubbed his shin where the Slayer had kicked him.
"Serves you right, I'm trying to be all lady-like and you keep jerking my chain," Faith leaned forward and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Get your coat; we're going to the park for a picnic."
"I still think the S&M idea was a valid choice," Xander muttered before grinning and kissing his girlfriend on the forehead. "You planned this with Giles last night didn't you? That's why he told me to take the day off school."
"Busted," Faith blushed.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what's the big fuss?"
"Just wanted to show my guy that he's special." The Slayer squeezed his hand. "So come on, grab your coat. Time's a wasting."
* * *
"So you want anything else, Xand?" Faith asked as she draped her arm across her man's chest.
"Just a kiss from my favourite Slayer."
"Can do," Faith reached up and pressed her lips against her guy's for a few seconds before expertly working her tongue into the man's receptive mouth. After a while she pulled away and dropped back down beside the teen. "Xand, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, you are the best looking girl in Sunnydale."
"Only Sunnydale?"
"Yeah, but look at the competition."
"Listen buster, there is no competition," Faith nudged her boyfriend in the ribs before turning serious. "Xand, don't you think you over-reacted a little with West and his goons?"
"Not you too," Xander's voice hardened, became angry and betrayed. "What was picnic for? Soften me up for the big lecture?"
The Slayer forced down her hurt at the suspicion in her boyfriend's voice. "No, Xand, no lecture. I appreciate you trying to protect me, I really do, nobody's looked after me before. I'm just worried," her voice caught and trembled. "I've never had a guy care about me like you do. I don't want to lose you, for you to stop being the sweet, funny guy I've fallen for. I don't want you to stop being the guy who cared enough about a scared kid to stop her from running."
Xander raised a hand and started to stroke her hair. "Faith, I'm sorry I snapped at you," the teen's tone softened. "You don't have to worry about me changing. You know why?"
"No, why?"
"Because changing might cost me you."
The Slayer beamed. "Good answer," she reached across and kissed Xander on the cheek. He'd be five by five; she'd make sure of it.
* * *
"Damn it," Xander ducked beneath the vampire's swing before thrusting his stake into its undead heart. He sidestepped another's head-long charge before tripping the vampire and slamming his stake through its back. Wiping the resulting dust off him, he turned to Angel and grinned. His friend was facing off against a vampire nearly a foot shorter than him, this should be over quickly. "Hurry up Angel. We've got a double date to make. You know how antsy the girls get if we're late."
"Xander, run for it," came the terse reply.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I'm not leaving you bud. Besides, there's only one vamp."
His friend's head snapped towards him, showing him his demonic face. "Xand go! Get Buffy & Faith, and warn Giles that Lee Cheng's in town. Go!"
Compelled by the firmness in the ensoulled vampire's tone, Xander hurried away, his heart pounding furiously. He could almost have sworn the ensoulled vampire was scared. He'd barely run two hundred yards when two shapes stepped out of the shadows in front of him. He swallowed as he recognised one of the figures. "Hi Spike, good to see you're back raising property prices again," he smiled weakly. "So Dru ever come to her senses and leave that slime demon?" he gulped at the vampire's answering growl. "I'm guessing that's a no then?"
"Bloody hell whelp, you never did know what to keep your trap shut did you?"
"That's what it says on my school reports," Xander admitted candidly as he edged his hand into his jacket. "So who's your friend," he nodded towards Spike's companion, an African-American in a sharp business suit. "Decided to try your luck with guys now? Here's a quick tip Willy, you should have waited for a personality transplant first."
Spike's face darkened. "His name's Mr. Trick, he used to work for a master vampire your bird killed," the vampire grinned evilly. "He's looking forward to getting his hands on her hot little body."
"Like hell," Xander snarled. Surging forward, he ducked beneath a right cross only to charge onto a left hook to the jaw that sent him staggering backwards. As he tried to regain his balance, Mr. Trick grabbed his stake arm and twisted, ripping the stake from his hand. His yell of pain was cut off by a body shot from Spike that drove the air from his lungs and cracked a rib. Legs buckling, he fell to his knees and then into unconsciousness as Spike's fist collided with his jaw.
* * *
Faith glanced at her watch worriedly. "They're nearly half an hour late B."
"I know. I'll phone Angel, you see if they left Giles'."
The brunette nodded. Her fingers shook as she dialled the phone number. After fourteen rings she hung up. "No answer."
Buffy shook her head. "None at Angel's either."
"That means they left but," god, Faith couldn't believe how fast her heart was beating, "never got here."
"I know," her friend swallowed hard. "We know that Angel was meeting Xander at Giles' before coming here. Let's re-trace their steps and see if we can find any clues."
Faith nodded before standing on suddenly unsteady legs. "Sounds like a plan B."
* * *
"Damn."
"What have you found Faith?" Buffy ran over to her sister Slayer. "Oh no."
The blonde crouched down beside her sister Slayer, her heart pounding with fear. In the middle of the Sunnydale Superior Cemetery there lay two groups of tell-tale dustpiles, one of two, another of five. The Slayer took a breath before glancing across at Faith.
As scared as she felt, Faith looked terrified. If god forbid she lost Angel she still had her mom, sis, Giles, and Willow. But Faith, part of Faith still believed that only Xander truly cared about her. She reached across and hugged the younger Slayer. "Faith, they'll be fine." She forced a laugh. "They know what we'll do to them if they aren't. Let's get to the library."
The other Slayer nodded slowly before stumbling to her feet. "Sure B."
Spike was nervous. It wasn't a feeling he was used to and he didn't like it. Ever since running from Sunnydale things had gone to hell for him, his Dru had left him, and he'd become a laughing stock in the demonic community - behind his back, no-one was stupid enough to laugh at him to his face. Sighing, Spike glanced around him. Of the other five vampires in the darkened room with him only one had less power than him and two of them were older than the poofter. He was in the big leagues. "Bloody marvellous," he muttered.
The door swung open. Spike groaned as he recognised the vampire stood in the opening. "Dalton," he'd been wrong, he wasn't in the big leagues, he was knee-deep in the shit and sinking fast. "Bloody marvellous."
* * *
"G, what's wrong with Xander?"
Giles looked carefully at the brunette Slayer sat opposite him. Three days had passed since the 'incident' that had become the talk of Sunnydale High. "Faith, this is your counselling session. We're here to talk about your problems, not Xander's."
"I know but," the teenager glanced down at the floor. "He's helped me a lot and I want to help him too. I'm worried about him."
The Watcher kept his face impassive but inwardly he rejoiced at the change in the Slayer. Faith, concerned about someone other than herself? "Very well," it would be a shame to waste this break-through by refusing to discuss the matter; the brunette would only become convinced that he didn't trust her. He plunged into an explanation of Xander's behaviour omitting the part about Xander's hyena considering Faith his mate for fear of 'freaking her out', he believed that was the yank teenager vernacular.
"So this all the fault of Xand's pa?" Faith asked quietly.
"In large part, yes."
"Maybe I should pay him a visit."
"No, Faith. Violence is not the answer!" Giles glared at the Slayer until she dropped her gaze.
"So how do we help him?"
The Watcher sighed in relief, his own reaction to Xander's father had been angry but controlled but Faith always had a problem with control and if she confronted Mr. Harris it could well end in the buffoon's death and while the bastard's death didn't worry him one iota, the affect it would have on his Slayer did. "We have to show Xander that he is loved by us all and that he is worthy of our regard."
The Slayer smiled slowly and nodded. "I can do that."
* * *
"Faith, what are you doing here?" Xander's eyes narrowed. "More to the point, what are you wearing?"
The brunette twirled. "One of B's summer dresses. You like?"
"Well Buff never filled it like that ow!" Xander rubbed his arm where the Slayer had punched his arm. "Not that I'm complaining but what are you doing here? And what's in the hamper?"
"Duh. What do you usually put in a hamper?"
"Knowing you, S & M equipment? Ow! That really hurt." Xander rubbed his shin where the Slayer had kicked him.
"Serves you right, I'm trying to be all lady-like and you keep jerking my chain," Faith leaned forward and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Get your coat; we're going to the park for a picnic."
"I still think the S&M idea was a valid choice," Xander muttered before grinning and kissing his girlfriend on the forehead. "You planned this with Giles last night didn't you? That's why he told me to take the day off school."
"Busted," Faith blushed.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what's the big fuss?"
"Just wanted to show my guy that he's special." The Slayer squeezed his hand. "So come on, grab your coat. Time's a wasting."
* * *
"So you want anything else, Xand?" Faith asked as she draped her arm across her man's chest.
"Just a kiss from my favourite Slayer."
"Can do," Faith reached up and pressed her lips against her guy's for a few seconds before expertly working her tongue into the man's receptive mouth. After a while she pulled away and dropped back down beside the teen. "Xand, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, you are the best looking girl in Sunnydale."
"Only Sunnydale?"
"Yeah, but look at the competition."
"Listen buster, there is no competition," Faith nudged her boyfriend in the ribs before turning serious. "Xand, don't you think you over-reacted a little with West and his goons?"
"Not you too," Xander's voice hardened, became angry and betrayed. "What was picnic for? Soften me up for the big lecture?"
The Slayer forced down her hurt at the suspicion in her boyfriend's voice. "No, Xand, no lecture. I appreciate you trying to protect me, I really do, nobody's looked after me before. I'm just worried," her voice caught and trembled. "I've never had a guy care about me like you do. I don't want to lose you, for you to stop being the sweet, funny guy I've fallen for. I don't want you to stop being the guy who cared enough about a scared kid to stop her from running."
Xander raised a hand and started to stroke her hair. "Faith, I'm sorry I snapped at you," the teen's tone softened. "You don't have to worry about me changing. You know why?"
"No, why?"
"Because changing might cost me you."
The Slayer beamed. "Good answer," she reached across and kissed Xander on the cheek. He'd be five by five; she'd make sure of it.
* * *
"Damn it," Xander ducked beneath the vampire's swing before thrusting his stake into its undead heart. He sidestepped another's head-long charge before tripping the vampire and slamming his stake through its back. Wiping the resulting dust off him, he turned to Angel and grinned. His friend was facing off against a vampire nearly a foot shorter than him, this should be over quickly. "Hurry up Angel. We've got a double date to make. You know how antsy the girls get if we're late."
"Xander, run for it," came the terse reply.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I'm not leaving you bud. Besides, there's only one vamp."
His friend's head snapped towards him, showing him his demonic face. "Xand go! Get Buffy & Faith, and warn Giles that Lee Cheng's in town. Go!"
Compelled by the firmness in the ensoulled vampire's tone, Xander hurried away, his heart pounding furiously. He could almost have sworn the ensoulled vampire was scared. He'd barely run two hundred yards when two shapes stepped out of the shadows in front of him. He swallowed as he recognised one of the figures. "Hi Spike, good to see you're back raising property prices again," he smiled weakly. "So Dru ever come to her senses and leave that slime demon?" he gulped at the vampire's answering growl. "I'm guessing that's a no then?"
"Bloody hell whelp, you never did know what to keep your trap shut did you?"
"That's what it says on my school reports," Xander admitted candidly as he edged his hand into his jacket. "So who's your friend," he nodded towards Spike's companion, an African-American in a sharp business suit. "Decided to try your luck with guys now? Here's a quick tip Willy, you should have waited for a personality transplant first."
Spike's face darkened. "His name's Mr. Trick, he used to work for a master vampire your bird killed," the vampire grinned evilly. "He's looking forward to getting his hands on her hot little body."
"Like hell," Xander snarled. Surging forward, he ducked beneath a right cross only to charge onto a left hook to the jaw that sent him staggering backwards. As he tried to regain his balance, Mr. Trick grabbed his stake arm and twisted, ripping the stake from his hand. His yell of pain was cut off by a body shot from Spike that drove the air from his lungs and cracked a rib. Legs buckling, he fell to his knees and then into unconsciousness as Spike's fist collided with his jaw.
* * *
Faith glanced at her watch worriedly. "They're nearly half an hour late B."
"I know. I'll phone Angel, you see if they left Giles'."
The brunette nodded. Her fingers shook as she dialled the phone number. After fourteen rings she hung up. "No answer."
Buffy shook her head. "None at Angel's either."
"That means they left but," god, Faith couldn't believe how fast her heart was beating, "never got here."
"I know," her friend swallowed hard. "We know that Angel was meeting Xander at Giles' before coming here. Let's re-trace their steps and see if we can find any clues."
Faith nodded before standing on suddenly unsteady legs. "Sounds like a plan B."
* * *
"Damn."
"What have you found Faith?" Buffy ran over to her sister Slayer. "Oh no."
The blonde crouched down beside her sister Slayer, her heart pounding with fear. In the middle of the Sunnydale Superior Cemetery there lay two groups of tell-tale dustpiles, one of two, another of five. The Slayer took a breath before glancing across at Faith.
As scared as she felt, Faith looked terrified. If god forbid she lost Angel she still had her mom, sis, Giles, and Willow. But Faith, part of Faith still believed that only Xander truly cared about her. She reached across and hugged the younger Slayer. "Faith, they'll be fine." She forced a laugh. "They know what we'll do to them if they aren't. Let's get to the library."
The other Slayer nodded slowly before stumbling to her feet. "Sure B."