Watcher 12
At the tap on his bedroom window Xander staggered to his feet, grabbed a stake from his bedside cabinet and cautiously opened the window. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. "What are -." His words were cut off by the Slayer's lips pressing against his as she climbed through his window before releasing him.
"Nine weeks since the first time we did it," Faith whispered throatily into his ear. "I'm not waiting any longer."
Xander's eyes bulged. "G-man is in the next room."
Faith giggled. "Then you'll have to make sure you don't," he was unable to prevent a yelp from escaping when the Slayer squeezed his groin, "make too much noise." Brushing aside any more of his feeble protests, the girl pulled off her top to reveal her perfectly rounded and firm breasts. Smirking at his awed expression, Faith allowed him to fondle and kiss them for a while before tearing off his top and starting to kiss his scarred body.
Xander moaned as the Slayer slowly ran her moist tongue in a horizontal line across his chest while at the same time massaging his groin. Suddenly Faith pulled away, a grin on her face and pulled her top back on. "See you Xand."
His eyes bulged in disbelief. "You can't leave me like this," he hissed.
His girlfriend pouted playfully. "But Xand it's only your first night out of hospital. You're really hard to resist but I can't risk putting you back in there."
"That's a chance I'm willing to take."
"Ah," Faith grinned, "but I'm thinking of your health," the brunette kissed him on his forehead before making for the window. "That was just a welcome home present. Get your strength back and you never know what'll happen next time I visit."
Xander shook his head as Faith climbed out of the window before grinning slowly. "That's some incentive."
* * *
"Did you have any late-night visitors Xander?"
Xander stopped packing his locker and groaned. One day back at school and already a laughing stock. Forcing a smile, he turned to a grinning Buffy. "Just what would you be referring to Miss Summers?"
"Oh I think you know."
He glanced behind to see a laughing Willow. "Oh wonderful, now I-Humiliate- Xander is on speed dial," he repeatedly banged his head against his locker door before getting an even more disturbing thought. His face pale, he pulled away from the locker and glanced from girl to girl. "Tell me nobody's told G-Man."
Before either girl could reassure him there came a bone-chilling cry. "Xander! The library now! And bring Faith!"
He looked at the two girls, his heart pounding furiously. "You didn't? He'll kill me, there won't be enough left for a DNA sample."
Buffy laughed. "Relax Xander, we haven't said anything to Giles. Angel had a good laugh when I told him this morning though." The blonde's forehead furrowed. "I wonder why he wants just you two though?"
Xander relaxed slightly, well at least he wasn't going to die.
* * *
Xander looked from Giles and Wesley, both Watchers had highly forbidding expressions. He glanced at Faith, having filled her in on the possible situation she looked as worried as he felt. "Uh," he tried for innocent but failed, "what's up guys?"
"Have either of you heard of the Tower Of Babel?"
Xander, bit back a relived gasp before shrugging. "Not really, no," well that sounded Watcherish so it looked as if they'd got away with what happened last night.
"Yeah," he turned to look at a nodding Faith, "it's from the bible right? In the Old Testament the Babylonians decided to build a tower tall enough to reach heaven. God got pissed and made everybody speak different languages so they couldn't work together, then he scattered them all over the earth." Noting his surprised expression, Faith smiled sadly. "My ma remember?"
Xander winced before squeezing the brunette's shoulders. "Sorry Faith," he whispered in her ear, she'd told him about her mother being a bible-basher who forced her to learn long passages from the book, locking her under the stairs if she got the simplest sentence wrong, leaving her without food to 'starve the devil out of her'. "What's this got to do with us?"
"Yes well," god he owed Wes for saving his girl's life but if he didn't loosen up soon he was so going to kick his ass, "in point of fact the story of The Tower of Babel has some basis in fact."
"In the years that followed the first defeat of the demons," Xander glanced across at the now speaking Giles, his heart sinking. Not one boring Englishman but two, man they were in real trouble. They were tag-teaming them now. "One of the leaders of the army of man proposed that a monument, a great city, be built to celebrate their victory. The other leaders agreed and this huge undertaking was begun. Tens of thousands worked on it, whole forests were felled to supply the wood, and hundreds of quarries divested of the stone needed for its construction. According to records, the building took sixty-seven years but was nearing completion when-."
"Legion, the last of the demon lords, rose from beneath the city where he'd been slumbering," Xander raised an eyebrow, so it was Wes' turn to bore them stupid, "awakened by the builders' constant toiling. Such was his power it took the world's ten largest covens, over five hundred witches, warlocks, and mages in all, to imprison him. But by then the damage was done, the power of Legion was such that the knowledge of the one tongue, the language spoken by all mankind was lost, leaving in its place a multitude of languages, and the people of the world scattered to its four corners."
"Sounds interesting," from the disdain in his girlfriend's tone, he sensed she found it anything but, "but what's this got to do with us?"
"Yes quite, that is merely background for what I wish to talk to you about," Giles glanced down at the sheaf of papers in his hand. "Since Angel's return," Xander's interest quickened at the mention of his friend, "from hell I've been researching my library for any mention of him in prophecy."
"Why?"
Giles looked up at Faith's question. "Even in the admittedly strange field we work in, there is no precedent for a vampire, an ensoulled one no less, being banished to, and returning from hell. There had to be a reason for such a momentous event to occur."
"Eh?" Faith looked at him, her confused expression belying the twinkle in her eye.
"I think what Giles was trying to say is that for Angel to return from hell something big must be planned for him."
"Ah," Faith nodded in understanding, "why didn't he say that then?"
"Middle-aged," Xander winked at his grinning girlfriend.
"Ah," again Faith nodded before pointing at Wes, "what's his excuse?"
"English."
"Ha, ha, ha." Giles looked anything but amused. "Now back to the matter in hand. My initial studies did not unearth anything of real substance but Mr. Pryce's addition to our team," the older Watcher nodded to his counterpart, "brought with it a number of new texts including 'The Annals Of Zoroaster, a Persian scholar, holy man, and rumoured magician living between 630 and 550 Bc. In it he spoke of conversations he had with his god, Ahura Mazda or Lord Wisdom, and through these conversations, Zoroaster made certain predictions, one of which relates to Angel." Giles glanced across at Wesley, both of the Watchers' faces were haggard and weary, as if they'd suffered long sleepless nights - not unlike him after Faith's little visit. Although hopefully not for the same reason, ugh very scary visual place.
"And?" the Slayer in question impatiently prompted, "Jesus guys, stop fucking stalling!"
Wesley picked up a book from the desk separating them from the Watchers and began reading. "In the year 1999, Legion will escape his prison and arise at the Hellmouth," Xander felt his heart miss a beat, oh great, another huge demon to fight - for a change. "He will be thwarted by the demon champion of mankind-."
"Angel," he muttered.
"The Second Slayer." Xander glanced at Faith, that would be his girl- friend, "and," Wesley looked him dead in the eye, "the White Knight."
"Oh boy," out of the corner of his eye Xander saw Faith staring at him curiously. He tried for an innocent expression. "And who would that be?"
"I told them Xander," Xander started as Angel climbed out from the tunnel behind the Watchers, "they know what Angelus called you."
"Xman what's he talking about?"
Xander didn't move his gaze from the vampire as he spoke to Faith. "When I was guarding Buffy in the hospital, Angelus called me 'her white knight'." He intensified his glare at the vampire. "You know for a monosyllabic vampire you can sure babble."
"In point of fact," Xander resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Wesley's stuffy voice, "the word babble was derived from the biblical story -."
"Babble? You mean like you're doing right now?" Faith broke in, a familiar impatient note in her voice, "so what's the sitch with this demon? How and when do we kill it?"
"Ah quite," Giles glanced down at the paper-strewn table, "most importantly the others must be left unaware. Only the three of you are mentioned in the Annals -."
"Too late," Xander glanced over his shoulder to see Buffy leading the others out from behind some shelves at the back of the library, "we're involved and we're staying involved."
Giles groaned. "Bloody wonderful."
At the tap on his bedroom window Xander staggered to his feet, grabbed a stake from his bedside cabinet and cautiously opened the window. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. "What are -." His words were cut off by the Slayer's lips pressing against his as she climbed through his window before releasing him.
"Nine weeks since the first time we did it," Faith whispered throatily into his ear. "I'm not waiting any longer."
Xander's eyes bulged. "G-man is in the next room."
Faith giggled. "Then you'll have to make sure you don't," he was unable to prevent a yelp from escaping when the Slayer squeezed his groin, "make too much noise." Brushing aside any more of his feeble protests, the girl pulled off her top to reveal her perfectly rounded and firm breasts. Smirking at his awed expression, Faith allowed him to fondle and kiss them for a while before tearing off his top and starting to kiss his scarred body.
Xander moaned as the Slayer slowly ran her moist tongue in a horizontal line across his chest while at the same time massaging his groin. Suddenly Faith pulled away, a grin on her face and pulled her top back on. "See you Xand."
His eyes bulged in disbelief. "You can't leave me like this," he hissed.
His girlfriend pouted playfully. "But Xand it's only your first night out of hospital. You're really hard to resist but I can't risk putting you back in there."
"That's a chance I'm willing to take."
"Ah," Faith grinned, "but I'm thinking of your health," the brunette kissed him on his forehead before making for the window. "That was just a welcome home present. Get your strength back and you never know what'll happen next time I visit."
Xander shook his head as Faith climbed out of the window before grinning slowly. "That's some incentive."
* * *
"Did you have any late-night visitors Xander?"
Xander stopped packing his locker and groaned. One day back at school and already a laughing stock. Forcing a smile, he turned to a grinning Buffy. "Just what would you be referring to Miss Summers?"
"Oh I think you know."
He glanced behind to see a laughing Willow. "Oh wonderful, now I-Humiliate- Xander is on speed dial," he repeatedly banged his head against his locker door before getting an even more disturbing thought. His face pale, he pulled away from the locker and glanced from girl to girl. "Tell me nobody's told G-Man."
Before either girl could reassure him there came a bone-chilling cry. "Xander! The library now! And bring Faith!"
He looked at the two girls, his heart pounding furiously. "You didn't? He'll kill me, there won't be enough left for a DNA sample."
Buffy laughed. "Relax Xander, we haven't said anything to Giles. Angel had a good laugh when I told him this morning though." The blonde's forehead furrowed. "I wonder why he wants just you two though?"
Xander relaxed slightly, well at least he wasn't going to die.
* * *
Xander looked from Giles and Wesley, both Watchers had highly forbidding expressions. He glanced at Faith, having filled her in on the possible situation she looked as worried as he felt. "Uh," he tried for innocent but failed, "what's up guys?"
"Have either of you heard of the Tower Of Babel?"
Xander, bit back a relived gasp before shrugging. "Not really, no," well that sounded Watcherish so it looked as if they'd got away with what happened last night.
"Yeah," he turned to look at a nodding Faith, "it's from the bible right? In the Old Testament the Babylonians decided to build a tower tall enough to reach heaven. God got pissed and made everybody speak different languages so they couldn't work together, then he scattered them all over the earth." Noting his surprised expression, Faith smiled sadly. "My ma remember?"
Xander winced before squeezing the brunette's shoulders. "Sorry Faith," he whispered in her ear, she'd told him about her mother being a bible-basher who forced her to learn long passages from the book, locking her under the stairs if she got the simplest sentence wrong, leaving her without food to 'starve the devil out of her'. "What's this got to do with us?"
"Yes well," god he owed Wes for saving his girl's life but if he didn't loosen up soon he was so going to kick his ass, "in point of fact the story of The Tower of Babel has some basis in fact."
"In the years that followed the first defeat of the demons," Xander glanced across at the now speaking Giles, his heart sinking. Not one boring Englishman but two, man they were in real trouble. They were tag-teaming them now. "One of the leaders of the army of man proposed that a monument, a great city, be built to celebrate their victory. The other leaders agreed and this huge undertaking was begun. Tens of thousands worked on it, whole forests were felled to supply the wood, and hundreds of quarries divested of the stone needed for its construction. According to records, the building took sixty-seven years but was nearing completion when-."
"Legion, the last of the demon lords, rose from beneath the city where he'd been slumbering," Xander raised an eyebrow, so it was Wes' turn to bore them stupid, "awakened by the builders' constant toiling. Such was his power it took the world's ten largest covens, over five hundred witches, warlocks, and mages in all, to imprison him. But by then the damage was done, the power of Legion was such that the knowledge of the one tongue, the language spoken by all mankind was lost, leaving in its place a multitude of languages, and the people of the world scattered to its four corners."
"Sounds interesting," from the disdain in his girlfriend's tone, he sensed she found it anything but, "but what's this got to do with us?"
"Yes quite, that is merely background for what I wish to talk to you about," Giles glanced down at the sheaf of papers in his hand. "Since Angel's return," Xander's interest quickened at the mention of his friend, "from hell I've been researching my library for any mention of him in prophecy."
"Why?"
Giles looked up at Faith's question. "Even in the admittedly strange field we work in, there is no precedent for a vampire, an ensoulled one no less, being banished to, and returning from hell. There had to be a reason for such a momentous event to occur."
"Eh?" Faith looked at him, her confused expression belying the twinkle in her eye.
"I think what Giles was trying to say is that for Angel to return from hell something big must be planned for him."
"Ah," Faith nodded in understanding, "why didn't he say that then?"
"Middle-aged," Xander winked at his grinning girlfriend.
"Ah," again Faith nodded before pointing at Wes, "what's his excuse?"
"English."
"Ha, ha, ha." Giles looked anything but amused. "Now back to the matter in hand. My initial studies did not unearth anything of real substance but Mr. Pryce's addition to our team," the older Watcher nodded to his counterpart, "brought with it a number of new texts including 'The Annals Of Zoroaster, a Persian scholar, holy man, and rumoured magician living between 630 and 550 Bc. In it he spoke of conversations he had with his god, Ahura Mazda or Lord Wisdom, and through these conversations, Zoroaster made certain predictions, one of which relates to Angel." Giles glanced across at Wesley, both of the Watchers' faces were haggard and weary, as if they'd suffered long sleepless nights - not unlike him after Faith's little visit. Although hopefully not for the same reason, ugh very scary visual place.
"And?" the Slayer in question impatiently prompted, "Jesus guys, stop fucking stalling!"
Wesley picked up a book from the desk separating them from the Watchers and began reading. "In the year 1999, Legion will escape his prison and arise at the Hellmouth," Xander felt his heart miss a beat, oh great, another huge demon to fight - for a change. "He will be thwarted by the demon champion of mankind-."
"Angel," he muttered.
"The Second Slayer." Xander glanced at Faith, that would be his girl- friend, "and," Wesley looked him dead in the eye, "the White Knight."
"Oh boy," out of the corner of his eye Xander saw Faith staring at him curiously. He tried for an innocent expression. "And who would that be?"
"I told them Xander," Xander started as Angel climbed out from the tunnel behind the Watchers, "they know what Angelus called you."
"Xman what's he talking about?"
Xander didn't move his gaze from the vampire as he spoke to Faith. "When I was guarding Buffy in the hospital, Angelus called me 'her white knight'." He intensified his glare at the vampire. "You know for a monosyllabic vampire you can sure babble."
"In point of fact," Xander resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Wesley's stuffy voice, "the word babble was derived from the biblical story -."
"Babble? You mean like you're doing right now?" Faith broke in, a familiar impatient note in her voice, "so what's the sitch with this demon? How and when do we kill it?"
"Ah quite," Giles glanced down at the paper-strewn table, "most importantly the others must be left unaware. Only the three of you are mentioned in the Annals -."
"Too late," Xander glanced over his shoulder to see Buffy leading the others out from behind some shelves at the back of the library, "we're involved and we're staying involved."
Giles groaned. "Bloody wonderful."