Watcher 14
In an instant Faith was beside her boyfriend, only managing to restrain herself from pushing the redhead out of the way. "W..what happened?" her voice trembled as she stared bleary-eyed at her boyfriend keeping her eyes fixed on his face, god he looked peaceful, not dead just peaceful, unable to focus on the blood pooling out of his back. Realising she hadn't received an answer to her question, she repeated it. "What happened?"
"A demon got him from behind," Angel replied shakily. "I killed it a half- second later."
"You were meant to be protecting him!" she screamed, Faith's head snapped up, the rage in her eyes causing the vampire to take a step back. "He trusted you! I trust-"
"FAITH!" She started at Wesley's bellow, turned her gaze towards the Watcher, and opened her mouth to shout an angry reply only to close it at the twin cold looks in both her Watchers' eyes. "Angel is a member of our team," the Watcher said, his tone cooler but still angry. "I'm sure he did everything he could to ensure Xander's safety, moreover Xander knew and accepted the risks when he decided to help us did he not? And surely the most important thing is not blaming one another but helping him?"
After a second the logic of Wesley's words permeated through her grief. Using the back of her hand she wiped her teary eyes before nodding. She looked up at a squeeze on her shoulder and smiled up at Oz's calm face, man that guy had ice water running through his veins, before speaking. "Five by five," she ignored the hoarse tremble in her voice. "So what we gonna do?"
"First," Giles crouched down beside her boyfriend's body. The Watcher bit down on his bottom lip as if steeling himself. "First-."
"Just what have you and your band of thugs been up to! The school board will hear of this outrage I can assure you!"
Faith's head snapped towards the door, a hateful snarl exploding from her mouth at the sight of a sneering Snyder stood just inside the library entrance, his disdainful gaze sweeping the battleground. "Leave. Now," she ordered, her voice low and dangerous.
Snyder's eyes focused on her like a sniper's laser-sight. "Oh look, it's Faith Lawson, of course I'd-."
"I'd close your mouth right now," Wesley moved between them and the Principal.
Snyder's face paled. "Who do you think -."
"Are you a complete idiot?"
"Now see hear-."
"Because," the younger Watcher overrode the voice of Sunnydale's headmaster. "I'm sure that despite all appearances to the contrary you're not a complete idiot. Surely you must know Miss. Summers and Miss. Lawson are not run of the mill."
"I know they're the two worst troublemakers-, ugh!"
The headmaster's voice was cut off when Wesley slammed a forearm into the teacher's throat and drove him into the wall. "Well maybe," the Watcher's whisper cut through the hushed library. "You are even more of a simpleton that I imagined. In that case, I'll spell it out to you. Both Buffy and Faith are supernatural warriors who, despite your best efforts at sabotage and obstruction, have executed their duties with amazing diligence. Now one of the immensely brave children who have helped them conduct their work has been injured. I'd thank you to leave us to take care of him." Wesley released his grip.
Snyder looked up at the Englishman, his eyes filled with disbelief as he massaged his throat. "You'll hear about this I'll -."
"You'll do what?" Wesley demanded. "Your sponsor the Mayor has been slain by one of his many rivals. Without his protection the organisation I work for could end your employment with a single phone call. And," Wes took a step towards the principal. "I could do rather more personal damage. Now get out."
His face pale and sweaty, the headmaster rushed out of the room, leaving the double doors swinging behind him. Faith shot Wes a grateful glance before looking at Xander then, forcing his gaze away at Giles. "What's the plan G?"
"First," the older Watcher smiled reassuringly at her, but the smile didn't make it into his worried eyes. "We have to roll him over and see how bad the damage is. Buffy?"
"Sure Giles." Her blonde counterpart eased her boyfriend over onto his side.
"How strange," Giles muttered.
"W...what's up G?" Faith couldn't see much through the tears misting in her eyes.
"The wounds don't seem deep at all, certainly not enough to cause such blood loss or knock Xander out. Perhaps magic is involved."
"It is."
Giles' head snapped up to stare at a haggard looking Angel. "You smell something?" the middle-aged Englishman demanded.
"I smell something, but it's more than that," the vampire gestured towards the rapidly decaying demonic bodies scattered through the wrecked library. "I knew I recognised them when they came in but it's only just hit me." The former Scourge of Europe sighed wearily. "It was the 1830s-."
"When you were Angelus?" commented Wesley, a note of scholarly interest in his voice.
"Yeah, Darla and I were running low in funds so we did a deal to supply four virgins to a demonic cult for sacrifice, two males and two females. Whenever we did one of these deals I always researched the other party for safety and interest's sake. They were Seguidors-."
"Followers," breathed Wesley.
"What!" Faith cried her never-long patience snapping. This history lesson was all very interesting but it didn't help her baby.
Giles turned to her. "These demons are Legion's minions, the scouts of his return. Wesley, the book."
"Ah here it is. The Seguidors although physically quite dangerous are little more than drones, the embodiment of their master's will on this plane before his return. Good lord," Giles looked up, his face paling. "Although quite deadly to normal humans, anyone of the 'Trinity'," the Englishman's gaze took in her, her baby, and Angel, "cannot be physically harmed by them-."
"Physically harmed!" Faith screamed. "He's in a fucking coma!"
"Faith," the Englishman's expression remained calm in the face of her outburst. "Look at his injuries, they're hardly extensive enough to cause such a reaction. Moreover, the book refers to a time where one of the Champions would be weakened by the Seguidors and his best friend and love would have to travel into his subconscious to rescue him. That means Faith and Angel."
"Wait!" Willow protested, her face pale. "I'm Xander's best friend!"
"Yes," Wesley interrupted. "However the prophecy indicates that the 'Mind- Quest' is completed by one member of each gender. Besides we need you to execute the 'Ritual Of Transference'."
"Will," Buffy commented. "It makes sense, if they need muscle Angel's better equipped anyway."
"Oh," Willow nodded. "Okay then."
"Xander's subconscious," she heard Angel mutter. "And I thought hell was scary." The vampire sighed. "What do we do?"
Faith shot the vampire a grateful glance as she clung to her boyfriend's hand. God, he felt so cold – he could almost be dead. She shuddered at the thought. "Willow," Giles nodded towards the red-headed witch. "Will under our supervision do a spell that transports yours and Faith's subconscious into Xander's subliminal minds where it will be up to you two to encourage him to come back-."
"I'll just flash him," Faith's feeble attempt at a joke failed to raise her spirits.
"Well if you need to practice."
This time she chuckled as she flipped Wesley the bird. "In your dreams tea drinker," she jibed before smiling weakly, appreciative of his attempt to raise her spirits.
"But," Giles' tone turned even grimmer. "If you fail, you'll be trapped inside Xander's mind, unable to return to your bodies."
"Shit," Faith muttered, she had to do it, but she couldn't force the vamp. She looked up at the former Scourge of Europe, her liquid brown eyes pleading. "Angel?"
"He's my friend," Angel replied simply.
"Thanks Fang," she nodded gratefully to the vampire before turning her attention back to the older Watcher. "How does this go down?"
"We'll draw a mystic circle around Xander. Then you and Angel will have lie on either side of Xander-."
"Hey Fang, me, and Xman in a threesome. Jealous B?" Faith babbled, desperate for any humour to take away her worry.
"Very amusing Faith," Giles sighed. "And then Willow will recite the spell."
"That it?" the older Watcher nodded. Faith turned to Angel. "You ready?"
* * *
Buffy bit back a gasp when her boyfriend's body went limp and the light left his eyes. If he'd have been human she'd have believed he was nothing but a corpse. "What next?" she was surprised when her voice didn't shake.
"Next," Giles hefted his crossbow. "We must ensure that nobody attempts to breaks the circle."
"Is there nothing more we can do?" Willow demanded.
"All we can do is wait," Wesley replied.
In an instant Faith was beside her boyfriend, only managing to restrain herself from pushing the redhead out of the way. "W..what happened?" her voice trembled as she stared bleary-eyed at her boyfriend keeping her eyes fixed on his face, god he looked peaceful, not dead just peaceful, unable to focus on the blood pooling out of his back. Realising she hadn't received an answer to her question, she repeated it. "What happened?"
"A demon got him from behind," Angel replied shakily. "I killed it a half- second later."
"You were meant to be protecting him!" she screamed, Faith's head snapped up, the rage in her eyes causing the vampire to take a step back. "He trusted you! I trust-"
"FAITH!" She started at Wesley's bellow, turned her gaze towards the Watcher, and opened her mouth to shout an angry reply only to close it at the twin cold looks in both her Watchers' eyes. "Angel is a member of our team," the Watcher said, his tone cooler but still angry. "I'm sure he did everything he could to ensure Xander's safety, moreover Xander knew and accepted the risks when he decided to help us did he not? And surely the most important thing is not blaming one another but helping him?"
After a second the logic of Wesley's words permeated through her grief. Using the back of her hand she wiped her teary eyes before nodding. She looked up at a squeeze on her shoulder and smiled up at Oz's calm face, man that guy had ice water running through his veins, before speaking. "Five by five," she ignored the hoarse tremble in her voice. "So what we gonna do?"
"First," Giles crouched down beside her boyfriend's body. The Watcher bit down on his bottom lip as if steeling himself. "First-."
"Just what have you and your band of thugs been up to! The school board will hear of this outrage I can assure you!"
Faith's head snapped towards the door, a hateful snarl exploding from her mouth at the sight of a sneering Snyder stood just inside the library entrance, his disdainful gaze sweeping the battleground. "Leave. Now," she ordered, her voice low and dangerous.
Snyder's eyes focused on her like a sniper's laser-sight. "Oh look, it's Faith Lawson, of course I'd-."
"I'd close your mouth right now," Wesley moved between them and the Principal.
Snyder's face paled. "Who do you think -."
"Are you a complete idiot?"
"Now see hear-."
"Because," the younger Watcher overrode the voice of Sunnydale's headmaster. "I'm sure that despite all appearances to the contrary you're not a complete idiot. Surely you must know Miss. Summers and Miss. Lawson are not run of the mill."
"I know they're the two worst troublemakers-, ugh!"
The headmaster's voice was cut off when Wesley slammed a forearm into the teacher's throat and drove him into the wall. "Well maybe," the Watcher's whisper cut through the hushed library. "You are even more of a simpleton that I imagined. In that case, I'll spell it out to you. Both Buffy and Faith are supernatural warriors who, despite your best efforts at sabotage and obstruction, have executed their duties with amazing diligence. Now one of the immensely brave children who have helped them conduct their work has been injured. I'd thank you to leave us to take care of him." Wesley released his grip.
Snyder looked up at the Englishman, his eyes filled with disbelief as he massaged his throat. "You'll hear about this I'll -."
"You'll do what?" Wesley demanded. "Your sponsor the Mayor has been slain by one of his many rivals. Without his protection the organisation I work for could end your employment with a single phone call. And," Wes took a step towards the principal. "I could do rather more personal damage. Now get out."
His face pale and sweaty, the headmaster rushed out of the room, leaving the double doors swinging behind him. Faith shot Wes a grateful glance before looking at Xander then, forcing his gaze away at Giles. "What's the plan G?"
"First," the older Watcher smiled reassuringly at her, but the smile didn't make it into his worried eyes. "We have to roll him over and see how bad the damage is. Buffy?"
"Sure Giles." Her blonde counterpart eased her boyfriend over onto his side.
"How strange," Giles muttered.
"W...what's up G?" Faith couldn't see much through the tears misting in her eyes.
"The wounds don't seem deep at all, certainly not enough to cause such blood loss or knock Xander out. Perhaps magic is involved."
"It is."
Giles' head snapped up to stare at a haggard looking Angel. "You smell something?" the middle-aged Englishman demanded.
"I smell something, but it's more than that," the vampire gestured towards the rapidly decaying demonic bodies scattered through the wrecked library. "I knew I recognised them when they came in but it's only just hit me." The former Scourge of Europe sighed wearily. "It was the 1830s-."
"When you were Angelus?" commented Wesley, a note of scholarly interest in his voice.
"Yeah, Darla and I were running low in funds so we did a deal to supply four virgins to a demonic cult for sacrifice, two males and two females. Whenever we did one of these deals I always researched the other party for safety and interest's sake. They were Seguidors-."
"Followers," breathed Wesley.
"What!" Faith cried her never-long patience snapping. This history lesson was all very interesting but it didn't help her baby.
Giles turned to her. "These demons are Legion's minions, the scouts of his return. Wesley, the book."
"Ah here it is. The Seguidors although physically quite dangerous are little more than drones, the embodiment of their master's will on this plane before his return. Good lord," Giles looked up, his face paling. "Although quite deadly to normal humans, anyone of the 'Trinity'," the Englishman's gaze took in her, her baby, and Angel, "cannot be physically harmed by them-."
"Physically harmed!" Faith screamed. "He's in a fucking coma!"
"Faith," the Englishman's expression remained calm in the face of her outburst. "Look at his injuries, they're hardly extensive enough to cause such a reaction. Moreover, the book refers to a time where one of the Champions would be weakened by the Seguidors and his best friend and love would have to travel into his subconscious to rescue him. That means Faith and Angel."
"Wait!" Willow protested, her face pale. "I'm Xander's best friend!"
"Yes," Wesley interrupted. "However the prophecy indicates that the 'Mind- Quest' is completed by one member of each gender. Besides we need you to execute the 'Ritual Of Transference'."
"Will," Buffy commented. "It makes sense, if they need muscle Angel's better equipped anyway."
"Oh," Willow nodded. "Okay then."
"Xander's subconscious," she heard Angel mutter. "And I thought hell was scary." The vampire sighed. "What do we do?"
Faith shot the vampire a grateful glance as she clung to her boyfriend's hand. God, he felt so cold – he could almost be dead. She shuddered at the thought. "Willow," Giles nodded towards the red-headed witch. "Will under our supervision do a spell that transports yours and Faith's subconscious into Xander's subliminal minds where it will be up to you two to encourage him to come back-."
"I'll just flash him," Faith's feeble attempt at a joke failed to raise her spirits.
"Well if you need to practice."
This time she chuckled as she flipped Wesley the bird. "In your dreams tea drinker," she jibed before smiling weakly, appreciative of his attempt to raise her spirits.
"But," Giles' tone turned even grimmer. "If you fail, you'll be trapped inside Xander's mind, unable to return to your bodies."
"Shit," Faith muttered, she had to do it, but she couldn't force the vamp. She looked up at the former Scourge of Europe, her liquid brown eyes pleading. "Angel?"
"He's my friend," Angel replied simply.
"Thanks Fang," she nodded gratefully to the vampire before turning her attention back to the older Watcher. "How does this go down?"
"We'll draw a mystic circle around Xander. Then you and Angel will have lie on either side of Xander-."
"Hey Fang, me, and Xman in a threesome. Jealous B?" Faith babbled, desperate for any humour to take away her worry.
"Very amusing Faith," Giles sighed. "And then Willow will recite the spell."
"That it?" the older Watcher nodded. Faith turned to Angel. "You ready?"
* * *
Buffy bit back a gasp when her boyfriend's body went limp and the light left his eyes. If he'd have been human she'd have believed he was nothing but a corpse. "What next?" she was surprised when her voice didn't shake.
"Next," Giles hefted his crossbow. "We must ensure that nobody attempts to breaks the circle."
"Is there nothing more we can do?" Willow demanded.
"All we can do is wait," Wesley replied.