Feedback: LaconicThought you're right that Faith was somewhat quiet. But, that was on purpose. Gotwolfy, Aaron Yep, Xander on AS5 would have made the series a lot better. Even if it was for one episode. Someone who pushes and stirs. Andrew could only make lame jokes and that's it. Which Xander can do too. He has not even a history with Angel or the others. Only a lust obsession for Spike. Although Damaged is my fav ep of the season. But, is the Casix Thistlebane Thanks. It's one of the most important reasons why Spike and Angel are in the regular cast category. Rob Clark The who 'Xander hates the most' is a plot bunny that's in my mind ever since AS5 started. Finally it's out. angel2db, DAVIDE PICCININI, Layce74, DarkLights Thanks. Mia Thanks. Personally I don't care for whomever Buffy ships with, B/X, B/A, B/R or B/S. Hell, I have even read B/G. However, my Beta HATES B/X, so don't worry ( And Cordy will stay dead. I love her, she is my fav char. of the entire Angel series, but it's the way it is.) Gijsbrecht Thanks. The once a month pace is pretty fast for me. But, I'll do my best.
Marcia: Thanks. I'll see what I can do. Angel and Spike are regular, because of the long plotline through the series. However, I like Wes/Fred very much. Faithwth Thanks. Yeah, Xan is off. Nice suggestion, which I expect from a true X/F shipper :) eddy29456 Thanks. Xander becoming a Watcher had to do with Buffy. More than 7 years of helping Buffy isn't something he can't switch off. That he became Faith's Watcher was Faith's pull. Lochar thanks. Playing with the Devil has always the a price. Question is: who's the Devil?
Part 2 Seeing things
Angel's office
The ancient vampire just came back from the conference room. He hoped that Lorne could be here, because something didn't seem to fit with the one eyed man sitting on the edge of his desk. Ever since they had worked together on the bomb to destroy the mayor they never had the chance to talk in private. Standing in the door opening he quietly noticed how the ex-carpenter examined his office with much interest. "Knock, knock."
"Nice office, Deadboy," Xander said motioning around the room. "All expensive and shiny. Necro-tempered windows." He grinned, "You don't want me to fix them." He knocked with his fist on Angel's bureau a couple of times. He looked closely, inspecting it while he let his hand roam over it's surface. Angel watched him and noticed a glimpse of appreciation in his eye. A small light showing a sparkle in his otherwise lifeless eye. "Massive oaken desk. If you want I can make you a massively reinforced book cage. Might make you look like you're an intelligent man in the evil community. Or a cool weapon's chest. All beautifully made from the best vampire kryptonite. Don't worry, would fit perfectly with the rest if I place it over there," he said as he pointed to a corner.
Angel took a few more steps inside and stood in front of him, blocking in his sight. Xander's continuing shit towards him made the vampire forget his growing worry for the young man and forced him to cut the bull shit. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked, frustrated.
Xander frowned. "What do you mean? I have explained everything."
Angel snorted. "Buffy in a mental institution? You, Faith's Watcher? C'mon, I'm not an idiot."
Xander's eye widened. "You don't believe what I said?"
Angel rolled his eyes. "A banner which says it's a trap and Buffy goes in? And I have to believe that?"
"Why didn't you question me earlier?" Xander asked puzzled, "Why in private?"
Angel folded his hands across his chest. "I thought it was a cock and bull story to piss Spike off."
Xander sighed. "I wish," he whispered.
Angel noticed the bitterness in his tone. All the time, he seemed off. Very off. Calm, relaxed and strong. Yet, at the same time very sad and full of sorrow. A contradiction. He thought about it, remembering some of the stories they told him right after Sunnydale had collapsed. "What has really happened last year? Why was Spike with Buffy?"
"I think you better repeat that question and change a year into two years," Xander corrected, "Troubles started then."
"Why?"
Xander looked down, scanning the surface again. This time the sparkle of admiration stayed away. In the contrary. Angel wondered if it was possible for someone to look even more lifeless than a corpse, a real corpse. Xander proved the theory right at this moment. "In short? Spike got himself a soul. He didn't do that for nothing."
Angel didn't miss how his words were void of any emotion. "I see," he acknowledged.
Xander sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you what happened between Spike and Buffy. I've stopped blaming him the moment I found out that she has had sex with him."
Xander swallowed, but Angel interrupted his words in the wrong way. "You're NOT blaming Buffy, aren't you?" he bristled.
"No! No, of course not," Xander protested. He paused a beat and sighed deeply. "It was my fault. Willow revived Buffy and I agreed. We ripped her out of heaven. And buried her with our shit . . . I was blinded by my own problems and I trusted Spike too much."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angel growled, afraid of what Xander implied.
Xander did imply. "You know how Buffy is with men. Or did you forget that?" Angel calmed down a few notches and nodded. "I was supposed to make sure that she was okay. I failed."
Angel walked over to the window and stared through the tempered glass over the LA skyline. "Why did you agree to revive her?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Xander rolled his eye away as he swallowed. "I was selfish. I missed her."
Angel could vividly hear the young man's self-loathing. But he could also still hear the desperation echoing from the moment the boy took that decision two years ago. He couldn't blame the young man for that. He would have agreed within a second. Shit, he would have gone to Hell to free demons, only to get her back. He did it with Cordy after all. "Why did you trust Spike?"
"I never trusted Spike, I trusted him with Buffy. I thought that there was some part in him that cared for her. The Spike I had learned, would rather die than that something would happen with Buffy. He risked his life to protect Dawn from Glory, even when he would gain nothing from it. Nobody knew what he had done. He did it for Buffy."
"How did you know?" Angel inquired, not trusting this at all, but amazed to hear this from Xander.
"I see things."
"That's too cryptic-"Angel stopped in mid sentence as he remembered how Xander always seemed to know precisely what was going on.
"His whole body was battered," Xander explained curtly. "And that was not all he did. Suffice to say that I trusted him too much." He paused. "Look, can we stop this questioning? Spike got himself a soul, came back and turned to ashes to save the world only to get back here."
"No."
Xander sighed. "What do you wanna know?"
"I want to know what made Buffy ending up in a mental institution. Why did she fall for that trap. Why did she behave like she did?"
Xander's eye widened. "Have you ever paid attention to her, or did the testosterone completely blind you?" he sneered, "No, wait you were too busy stalking her instead of helping her." Xander paused for a beat. "Too busy to break her heart." All the loath Xander had bottled up through the years burst out in one sentence. It made Angel want to go on vacation to nearest alley again, say for another eighty years. Murdering half Europe couldn't top the sorrow he felt at this instant. Xander sighed. "She constantly falls for the obvious trap. Let me see. The prophecy, The revival of the Master . . . Kendra." Angel winced by the mention of the Slayer's name. Hell suddenly seemed like a nice place this time of century. "She fell for Caleb's trap. She wanted to go back, we disagreed with her, "Xander explained, "And pushed her out of her own home," he added without waiting a beat.
"Except for Spike," Angel added, suddenly realizing the full story.
"Except for Spike."
Angel nodded. He didn't know what to think of this. That they had pushed her out of her own home made him furious, but he could understand it. But, still he could hardly believe it that Xander would have allowed it.
"She was acting like she was the Fuhrer, Angel," Xander said, answering the vampire's unsaid question. "She said to me that she was The Law." Angel heard the hurt in Xander's voice. He knew perfectly what Xander meant. He had faced the same situation when Buffy came to LA for Faith. He had barely saved Faith from her. Angel walked behind his desk, but was stopped in his tracks as Xander added, revolt thick in his voice, "Like my father. Only without having an original SS dinner plate behind her weapon's desk."
Angel blinked, he suddenly realized how much he didn't know about the boy. He wondered who else knew. Willow? She was Jewish after all. "Okay, I know enough. So, you're Faith's Watcher?"
Xander flashed a grin. "Yeah."
The vampire studied him. He never really thought about what the boy would become. He knew Xander had enough talents, but he had never cared for him. "Never saw you as the Watcher type."
Xander shrugged. "I see things."
Angel couldn't help to give up his broody status for a small smile, but he restored himself quick. "Never saw Faith as wanting to be watched."
Xander didn't went into the obvious joke and responded immediately and without any hint humor. "She needs one."
Angel thought about it. Faith could handle herself, but she did need someone who she can trust. His plans with W&H made sure he couldn't play that role anymore for her. And then there was this Robin Wood. He probably would be good for her, but he didn't even like the guy after the minute he had been introduced. "And you're the lucky one?"
"Some luck was involved, yeah," Xander said with a mystified smile.
"You think you can handle her?" Angel asked after a moment of contemplation.
"Yes."
The tone with which Xander spoke that word, surprised him. He was full of self-confidence. At least in this department. When it came to relationships his self-esteem suddenly dropped to zero. He opened his mouth to ask the next question. The question was in Xander's case not really necessary, but as Faith's caretaker he felt obliged to ask.
But Xander was quicker as he answered the unsaid question. "I know that Faith's your protégé and all, but I don't give a damn. Before you ask if I can take care of her or whatever, the answer is NO. She can take care of herself. I don't need or want your approval for becoming her Watcher. I am her Watcher."
Not quite expecting this answer, Angel took it as it was. "Fair enough. But, if you hurt her, I'll know where to find you."
Xander ignored his threatening tone as he stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye. "I don't give a damn. She does her work as a Slayer and she listens to me."
"And if she doesn't?" Angel countered in worry.
"Then I'll have to stop her."
Angel blinked at him in astonishment. The seriousness in his tone scared him. This was not the Xander he remembered. The caring, sweet goofy guy he had learned to appreciate and tolerate. This was the Xander that Angelus had faced and himself in his own lair. Hard and cold. But those were exceptions as the young boy had been faced with extreme cases. Now it was . . . standard. Now it was an innocent Slayer instead of some asshole of a vampire. He couldn't think of any reply, but Xander continued. "We can't tolerate disobedience. Faith's a role model to younger Slayers. She's second in the Slayer command structure and with Buffy now gone she's first." He paused. "We can't have a second Buffy."
Angel shook her head. "You're still too harsh."
"Slayers want to be the first. All of them. When I've twenty of them under my command, they need to know that I am the boss."
"They are not dogs," Angel growled.
"No, they are not. They are soldiers drafted into this shit war," Xander snarled, "I can't help it, I can only deal with it. Faith understands. She will do the same with the Slayers under her. But, this is not the only reason, more importantly, if I make a mistake than Faith doesn't have to take the blame. I do. She doesn't have to slip away under pressure or guilt."
"And you take orders from Giles?" Angel argued, "Like in the military."
"Yes."
Angel nodded in agreement. "And in the military, soldiers who don't listen get shot too," he added for Xander.
"They don't." Xander sighed. Angel noticed a crack in his hard armor. Hope was rising. "Look, it's a last resort, okay."
"No, it's not," the vampire countered harshly.
"She has Slayer strength. How else can you expect me to stop her?" Angel stopped with his questions and simply stared at him, flabbergasted. Xander looked puzzled. "What?"
"What the hell has happened with you?"
Marcia: Thanks. I'll see what I can do. Angel and Spike are regular, because of the long plotline through the series. However, I like Wes/Fred very much. Faithwth Thanks. Yeah, Xan is off. Nice suggestion, which I expect from a true X/F shipper :) eddy29456 Thanks. Xander becoming a Watcher had to do with Buffy. More than 7 years of helping Buffy isn't something he can't switch off. That he became Faith's Watcher was Faith's pull. Lochar thanks. Playing with the Devil has always the a price. Question is: who's the Devil?
Part 2 Seeing things
Angel's office
The ancient vampire just came back from the conference room. He hoped that Lorne could be here, because something didn't seem to fit with the one eyed man sitting on the edge of his desk. Ever since they had worked together on the bomb to destroy the mayor they never had the chance to talk in private. Standing in the door opening he quietly noticed how the ex-carpenter examined his office with much interest. "Knock, knock."
"Nice office, Deadboy," Xander said motioning around the room. "All expensive and shiny. Necro-tempered windows." He grinned, "You don't want me to fix them." He knocked with his fist on Angel's bureau a couple of times. He looked closely, inspecting it while he let his hand roam over it's surface. Angel watched him and noticed a glimpse of appreciation in his eye. A small light showing a sparkle in his otherwise lifeless eye. "Massive oaken desk. If you want I can make you a massively reinforced book cage. Might make you look like you're an intelligent man in the evil community. Or a cool weapon's chest. All beautifully made from the best vampire kryptonite. Don't worry, would fit perfectly with the rest if I place it over there," he said as he pointed to a corner.
Angel took a few more steps inside and stood in front of him, blocking in his sight. Xander's continuing shit towards him made the vampire forget his growing worry for the young man and forced him to cut the bull shit. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked, frustrated.
Xander frowned. "What do you mean? I have explained everything."
Angel snorted. "Buffy in a mental institution? You, Faith's Watcher? C'mon, I'm not an idiot."
Xander's eye widened. "You don't believe what I said?"
Angel rolled his eyes. "A banner which says it's a trap and Buffy goes in? And I have to believe that?"
"Why didn't you question me earlier?" Xander asked puzzled, "Why in private?"
Angel folded his hands across his chest. "I thought it was a cock and bull story to piss Spike off."
Xander sighed. "I wish," he whispered.
Angel noticed the bitterness in his tone. All the time, he seemed off. Very off. Calm, relaxed and strong. Yet, at the same time very sad and full of sorrow. A contradiction. He thought about it, remembering some of the stories they told him right after Sunnydale had collapsed. "What has really happened last year? Why was Spike with Buffy?"
"I think you better repeat that question and change a year into two years," Xander corrected, "Troubles started then."
"Why?"
Xander looked down, scanning the surface again. This time the sparkle of admiration stayed away. In the contrary. Angel wondered if it was possible for someone to look even more lifeless than a corpse, a real corpse. Xander proved the theory right at this moment. "In short? Spike got himself a soul. He didn't do that for nothing."
Angel didn't miss how his words were void of any emotion. "I see," he acknowledged.
Xander sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you what happened between Spike and Buffy. I've stopped blaming him the moment I found out that she has had sex with him."
Xander swallowed, but Angel interrupted his words in the wrong way. "You're NOT blaming Buffy, aren't you?" he bristled.
"No! No, of course not," Xander protested. He paused a beat and sighed deeply. "It was my fault. Willow revived Buffy and I agreed. We ripped her out of heaven. And buried her with our shit . . . I was blinded by my own problems and I trusted Spike too much."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angel growled, afraid of what Xander implied.
Xander did imply. "You know how Buffy is with men. Or did you forget that?" Angel calmed down a few notches and nodded. "I was supposed to make sure that she was okay. I failed."
Angel walked over to the window and stared through the tempered glass over the LA skyline. "Why did you agree to revive her?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Xander rolled his eye away as he swallowed. "I was selfish. I missed her."
Angel could vividly hear the young man's self-loathing. But he could also still hear the desperation echoing from the moment the boy took that decision two years ago. He couldn't blame the young man for that. He would have agreed within a second. Shit, he would have gone to Hell to free demons, only to get her back. He did it with Cordy after all. "Why did you trust Spike?"
"I never trusted Spike, I trusted him with Buffy. I thought that there was some part in him that cared for her. The Spike I had learned, would rather die than that something would happen with Buffy. He risked his life to protect Dawn from Glory, even when he would gain nothing from it. Nobody knew what he had done. He did it for Buffy."
"How did you know?" Angel inquired, not trusting this at all, but amazed to hear this from Xander.
"I see things."
"That's too cryptic-"Angel stopped in mid sentence as he remembered how Xander always seemed to know precisely what was going on.
"His whole body was battered," Xander explained curtly. "And that was not all he did. Suffice to say that I trusted him too much." He paused. "Look, can we stop this questioning? Spike got himself a soul, came back and turned to ashes to save the world only to get back here."
"No."
Xander sighed. "What do you wanna know?"
"I want to know what made Buffy ending up in a mental institution. Why did she fall for that trap. Why did she behave like she did?"
Xander's eye widened. "Have you ever paid attention to her, or did the testosterone completely blind you?" he sneered, "No, wait you were too busy stalking her instead of helping her." Xander paused for a beat. "Too busy to break her heart." All the loath Xander had bottled up through the years burst out in one sentence. It made Angel want to go on vacation to nearest alley again, say for another eighty years. Murdering half Europe couldn't top the sorrow he felt at this instant. Xander sighed. "She constantly falls for the obvious trap. Let me see. The prophecy, The revival of the Master . . . Kendra." Angel winced by the mention of the Slayer's name. Hell suddenly seemed like a nice place this time of century. "She fell for Caleb's trap. She wanted to go back, we disagreed with her, "Xander explained, "And pushed her out of her own home," he added without waiting a beat.
"Except for Spike," Angel added, suddenly realizing the full story.
"Except for Spike."
Angel nodded. He didn't know what to think of this. That they had pushed her out of her own home made him furious, but he could understand it. But, still he could hardly believe it that Xander would have allowed it.
"She was acting like she was the Fuhrer, Angel," Xander said, answering the vampire's unsaid question. "She said to me that she was The Law." Angel heard the hurt in Xander's voice. He knew perfectly what Xander meant. He had faced the same situation when Buffy came to LA for Faith. He had barely saved Faith from her. Angel walked behind his desk, but was stopped in his tracks as Xander added, revolt thick in his voice, "Like my father. Only without having an original SS dinner plate behind her weapon's desk."
Angel blinked, he suddenly realized how much he didn't know about the boy. He wondered who else knew. Willow? She was Jewish after all. "Okay, I know enough. So, you're Faith's Watcher?"
Xander flashed a grin. "Yeah."
The vampire studied him. He never really thought about what the boy would become. He knew Xander had enough talents, but he had never cared for him. "Never saw you as the Watcher type."
Xander shrugged. "I see things."
Angel couldn't help to give up his broody status for a small smile, but he restored himself quick. "Never saw Faith as wanting to be watched."
Xander didn't went into the obvious joke and responded immediately and without any hint humor. "She needs one."
Angel thought about it. Faith could handle herself, but she did need someone who she can trust. His plans with W&H made sure he couldn't play that role anymore for her. And then there was this Robin Wood. He probably would be good for her, but he didn't even like the guy after the minute he had been introduced. "And you're the lucky one?"
"Some luck was involved, yeah," Xander said with a mystified smile.
"You think you can handle her?" Angel asked after a moment of contemplation.
"Yes."
The tone with which Xander spoke that word, surprised him. He was full of self-confidence. At least in this department. When it came to relationships his self-esteem suddenly dropped to zero. He opened his mouth to ask the next question. The question was in Xander's case not really necessary, but as Faith's caretaker he felt obliged to ask.
But Xander was quicker as he answered the unsaid question. "I know that Faith's your protégé and all, but I don't give a damn. Before you ask if I can take care of her or whatever, the answer is NO. She can take care of herself. I don't need or want your approval for becoming her Watcher. I am her Watcher."
Not quite expecting this answer, Angel took it as it was. "Fair enough. But, if you hurt her, I'll know where to find you."
Xander ignored his threatening tone as he stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye. "I don't give a damn. She does her work as a Slayer and she listens to me."
"And if she doesn't?" Angel countered in worry.
"Then I'll have to stop her."
Angel blinked at him in astonishment. The seriousness in his tone scared him. This was not the Xander he remembered. The caring, sweet goofy guy he had learned to appreciate and tolerate. This was the Xander that Angelus had faced and himself in his own lair. Hard and cold. But those were exceptions as the young boy had been faced with extreme cases. Now it was . . . standard. Now it was an innocent Slayer instead of some asshole of a vampire. He couldn't think of any reply, but Xander continued. "We can't tolerate disobedience. Faith's a role model to younger Slayers. She's second in the Slayer command structure and with Buffy now gone she's first." He paused. "We can't have a second Buffy."
Angel shook her head. "You're still too harsh."
"Slayers want to be the first. All of them. When I've twenty of them under my command, they need to know that I am the boss."
"They are not dogs," Angel growled.
"No, they are not. They are soldiers drafted into this shit war," Xander snarled, "I can't help it, I can only deal with it. Faith understands. She will do the same with the Slayers under her. But, this is not the only reason, more importantly, if I make a mistake than Faith doesn't have to take the blame. I do. She doesn't have to slip away under pressure or guilt."
"And you take orders from Giles?" Angel argued, "Like in the military."
"Yes."
Angel nodded in agreement. "And in the military, soldiers who don't listen get shot too," he added for Xander.
"They don't." Xander sighed. Angel noticed a crack in his hard armor. Hope was rising. "Look, it's a last resort, okay."
"No, it's not," the vampire countered harshly.
"She has Slayer strength. How else can you expect me to stop her?" Angel stopped with his questions and simply stared at him, flabbergasted. Xander looked puzzled. "What?"
"What the hell has happened with you?"