Note: I know things are moving a little more slowly, but bear with me and keep reading. And to Steph—I would like to spice up Faith and Wesley too, but I was trying to keep it R rated. Not easy to do. I'll think about archiving it somewhere else. Any ideas, anyone? Also, thanks for the reviews. I know this is a long story, but I love those of you who can stick with it. Now, on with the show.

Quote of the Chapter:

Snyder: "Where you from, Harris?"

Xander: "Well, the basement, mostly." ---"Restless"

Chapter Six – Baby Slayers

"Dammit, why do I have the feeling that this is a very bad idea," Faith said out loud to no one. She had felt the need to greet the brats that morning. They were partially her responsibility. Wesley stood beside her, motionless. "You OK?"

"If you ask me that one more time."

"When you clear your mind, I get worried."

"It's a good thing, my love."

Did he just say my love?

Riley walked out to join them on the tarmac, waiting for the new slayers to disembark.

"Hard to believe there are hundreds, maybe thousands of you running around the world," Riley mentioned to them.

"Only one Faith," Wesley interjected. Thank God, he added silently. Faith elbowed him playfully.

"Where's Giles?" Riley asked.

"Talking with Willow on the phone, I think. He's coming." Faith wanted to scream though, "Get off the plane already."

The door finally opened and the girls filed off, all fifteen of them. Then Xander came down the stairs.

"Oh, fuck," Faith murmured. Not him. It was bad enough Riley was standing next to her. She'd have to keep Wes away from Xander.

"Something wrong, Faith?"

"Nah, no prob."

The girls aged in range from fifteen to twenty-one. God, they were so young. But she'd been that young once too. When she'd made all those horrible mistakes. Wesley touched his fingers to hers.

Giles made his appearance as the girls walked towards them. Xander waved as he approached. "Xander, ladies, I hope that you had a nice flight."

"Giles. Long time, no see." Xander shook Giles' hand, then turned to Riley. "Hey man, didn't think I'd see you here. Thought you were in South America."

"Not anymore," Riley answered back.

"Where's Sam?" Riley flinched. Who's Sam? There must be a story there, Faith wondered.

"She left. Xander, we'll get all of you settled before we get started."

Xander turned to Faith. "Faith, looking as lovely as ever. Who's the guy who looks like he wants to rip my head off?"

"Xander, look again," Faith suggested.

"Faith, the man has at least one eye to see me," Wesley pointed out, putting his hands behind his back. Oh man, he knows about him too. No fair, Faith wanted to shout.

"No, it can't be. Will said you looked like an insane Marlboro guy, but this?"

"There's that analogy again. I don't get it," Faith said to the others.

"You know, the guy in the cigarette ads," Xander started to explain, Wesley stepping closer. "And hey, when'd you start looking so pissed off at the world. New look for you."

Xander backed up to stand next to Riley. "You ought to have seen him, Riley. Giles, the next generation before, but without the annoying tweed."

"Xander, I don't think that's a good idea," Riley said to him, obviously remembering the fight the night before.

"What? It's just Wesley."

Faith held onto Wesley's fist as hard as she could, to hold him back. Several of the slayers saw this and stepped back.

"Xander, it's not nice to taunt Wesley. He's a little different right now." Faith tried to warn the man.

"Yeah, being that demon hunter and all," Xander replied sarcastically.

"Xander, if you know what's good for you, you'll stop taunting him. Because you wouldn't like to see his other side," Giles told him.

"Yeah. Whatever. Brought the girls for you. Robin was worried that they needed an escort."

"Great. Is he going to pop out also?" Wesley growled at Faith.

"No," Xander answered. "He's still in Cleveland, the lucky dog. Too much demon activity happening."

"Well, let's get the girls settled and then we'll all talk. Xander?" Giles pointed to Riley, who motioned them all to follow.

"I knew I had a bad feeling about this," Faith mumbled.

One of the girls bumped into Wesley as they headed inside. The girl smiled at him. "Sorry. I'm Brianna. And you're . . . ?"

"Taken. Get lost, Bri." Faith had stepped in between the two. "That girl causes more problems," Faith told him as the girl walked away.

"Kind of like someone I used to know," Wesley added.

"Well, at least I know her kind. You and Giles had no idea."

"I think I do now."


Giles set up in a large conference room. Wesley stood against a wall, willing his mind to clear out. When he did this, he seemed to have more control over his emotions. It was getting easier for him. He knew it would take time to be able to focus better. He'd find a way.

"You talked to Willow?" he finally asked Giles as they waited for the girls to arrive.

"Yes, I did. I had to tell her more though. I hope you don't mind. She had too many questions that I couldn't answer. She says hello."

"How much did you tell her?"

"The basics. She doesn't know of any spell offhand to break the bond. It'll take some time to research it."

"We'll both live."

"I'm sure you will. But the one thing I don't understand is why you're having such a hard time controlling yourself? Faith seems to be fine."

"Lots of things happened in the last couple of years. Taking on some of Faith's traits, I've barely been able to hold myself together. It was hard enough before this happened."

"Willow didn't tell me much after she visited you in Los Angeles. She did tell me that Angel turned into Angelus again, which must have been horrendous. I know. I remember the torture."

"She must have left out the part where it was my fault."

"What happened?"

"We needed Angelus' knowledge to defeat the Beast, a killing machine. I miscalculated and he escaped."

"Why on earth man would you do such a thing?"

"Good idea at the time, Giles," Faith interrupted, walking into the room. "This Beast creature was unstoppable. It almost pulverized me, but Angelus knew how to kill it."

Giles pulled off his glasses in anger to glare at the two. "And you went along with all of this Faith?"

"Hey. It was the only way. It turned out fine."

"But you could have been killed."

"Yeah. Not once, but twice. Angelus was one tough, mean son of a bitch."

"You purposely let her go up against that thing." Xander had entered the room in the middle of the conversation.

Having both Giles and Xander beat up on him was like old times. The only one who never did was Cordelia. And that was because she had the hots for him. Until he had kissed her. Blew his chance with her big time. He was glad he had. She ended up being his best friend, if only for a little while.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not have this conversation at the moment." Wesley had seen the slayers start to enter. Xander had not.

"You put her in grave danger, for what? One of your many screw ups?"

"Xander, you need to back off," Faith told him.

Dawn and Connor entered too, hearing the almost fight taking place. Connor quickly made his way around the girls to stand beside Wesley.

"I don't know why you're defending him, Faith, since you had to clean up his mess."

Connor took Xander down with one punch. "Ow, damn. Shouldn't have hit him with that hand." Connor had used his newly uncasted arm, not thinking that it might hurt.

Dawn pushed the slayers aside and stepped over Xander to get to Connor.

"Dawnie," he called, but was ignored for the teen.

"Oh, baby. Are you OK?" she asked Connor. Dawn checked out Connor's arm.

Wesley stood there, motionless. It was like he was watching through a lens, not there, but seeing in from the outside. Is this how Faith felt when she was around the Scoobies? Like an outsider? Like she'd never fit in, never do the right thing?

"Didn't take his head off. I'm proud of you," Faith leaned into him to whisper.

"I didn't see the point. It was all true."

"You did what you had to do."

"As I always do. Doesn't make it right."

"That hurt. Who's your bodyguard, Wes? And why is Dawn fawning over him instead of me?"

Dawn had led Connor over to the other side of the room, one to look at his arm, and two, to get him as far away from Xander as possible. Two of the girls helped Xander up off the floor. They all had gathered around, wondering what all the commotion was for.

"Xander, this is not the time or place. Ladies, if you could please find a seat," Giles started, exasperated at the whole situation.

"You with us here?" Faith asked Wesley. "You seem so far away right now."

"Controlling myself if you must know takes a great deal of energy."

"Yeah. I imagine it does. We need you here though. You can work some of that aggression out with me later." Wesley smiled a little.

"That's not what I was thinking." He loved frustrating her. He moved in close to whisper in her ear intimately.

"After this, we do need to talk." Wesley could smell her hair, wanted to run his fingers through it. As he pulled back, Faith rubbed her hand from his shoulder to his hand.

"You can count on it," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes.

TBC

Oh, God, there are so many characters in this fic. What have I done to myself?