Chapter Eighteen – Psycho Ex-Watcher

The knife clattered loudly to the ground. Dawn couldn't believe her ears.

"You're, you're dead," she stuttered.

Gunn patted himself. "Very much alive and I intend for it to stay that way."

"He said that you were dead."

Gunn stopped to stare at her. "Who?"

"He'll freak when he finds out. If he finds us that is. Not that he isn't already a little psycho, but Faith can calm him down."

"Wait a sec," Gunn said, grabbing Dawn's arm. "You know Faith. I only know one Faith. About yay high, dark hair, killer body, calls herself a vampire slayer. That Faith?"

"She's in jail," Lindsey added.

"Got out. Wes broke her out because of some stupid ass problem he created. Then she went and helped that other girl save the world."

"Buffy." Dawn wished Buffy were there right now.

"So, who are you?" Lindsey asked.

Dawn heard a familiar growl over the two men's heads.

"Behind you," she screamed.

Gunn was prepared, bringing out a stake to dust the first vampire to charge. Lindsey took out the other one quickly and efficiently.

Gunn took Dawn's hand to run. "Time to leave. What's your name?"

"Dawn Summers."

Gunn gave a look of recognition and shook his head. As the three ran as fast and as quietly as they could, Dawn couldn't believe her luck. She'd run into people who could actually help her.

"Where would they take prisoners?" she whispered, panting from all the running.

"They don't take prisoners."

"Well, they do now, because those vampires have Faith and Brianna."

"Dammit, they must be going to do the ritual again. Faith fell right into their hands," Lindsey said, clearly angry.

"Girl, let's move a little faster. We have a long way to go."

Dawn drew to a halt. This was not happening. They wanted Faith for some ritual. And it always meant blood would be spilled. Just like her blood had been spilled before to open the gates of hell.

"You need to tell me what's going on? Faith is back there somewhere. We have to rescue her." Dawn started to turn back, but a hand caught her.

"They're not ready for the ritual yet. We have time. We just can't go charging in."

Which is exactly what Wesley would do. If the number of vamps at their little reception was any indication, he'd be walking into a huge army with no backup.

"We need to figure this out. He'll go charging in without a plan and they'll all die."

"OK, the suspense is killing me. Who the hell is he? Kind of sounds like that dumbass vampire I work with. Who, by the way, when I catch up with is gonna get his ass kicked."

"He's dead. Angel's dead." Dawn had heard the story enough to know he was.

"Nah. Weirdo priest needs him for the ritual too."

Dawn smiled. Gunn was alive, Angel was alive.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Buffy is, by any chance?"

"Yeah, she's at our base. I swear," Lindsey answered.

Buffy was alive. Not being able to scream her joy, she kissed Lindsey on the mouth instead.

"This is so not happening," Dawn finally said as she came up for air.

"You know, that was just not right, man. The slayer sees you hittin' on her sister, you're dead."

"But I didn't." Lindsey was flustered. Dawn felt great about herself that she had been able to fluster at least three men in her life.

"Don't worry. Wes will kick your ass for her."

"What did you say?" Gunn asked her.

"He's alive. And coming for us as we speak. If he doesn't get himself in trouble first. That man attracts trouble like flies."

"This is the same guy we're talking about. Skinny, English, about my height."

"Yup."

Gunn hugged the girl tightly, swinging her around. "Can't breathe here. What is it with you people? Too much touching."

Gunn chuckled. "Let's get the lead out, people." He directed them to keep moving.


A pain in his chest jolted Wesley out of his slumber. He tried to establish a better link with Faith to see what was happening with her. She forcibly blocked him from seeing but he could still feel each blow to her body.

"Stop the car," Wesley growled out. Hit, pummel, slay raced through his mind.

"We can't stop now," Xander told him from the backseat.

Wesley turned around in his front seat to punch Xander in the nose. Riley slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop.

It had become dark outside, the moon casting long shadows on the broken roadway. Wesley knew deep in his mind they shouldn't stop. They'd be targets for any vampire or demon out that night. But the urge to hurt something so overwhelmed him, there was no control at the moment. Because as soon as Riley slammed the vehicle to a stop, he was hit with a flying fist too.

"What the fuck?" Riley screamed at him.

Before Riley could do anything else, Wesley had his hands on him, trying to rip him out of his seat. The other vehicle pulled up beside them to see if there was a problem. Seeing the commotion inside, Connor leapt from the other vehicle, throwing Wesley's door open. A fist soon crashed into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Riley managed to get his seatbelt undone so he could defend himself against the crazy Englishman beside him. Three of his men reached in to pull Wesley out, but Riley came out also since Wesley's hand was attached to his throat.

Pure, unadulterated violence pored through Wesley's veins like he had been infused with some magic potion. He wanted to pummel Xander for all of his cruel remarks about Faith and the fact that he had slept with her. He wanted to choke the life out of Riley because of his indifference to Faith. Hell, he would have noticed that Buffy was not acting right. The man took advantage of her.

They finally pried his fingers from around Riley's neck and sent him to the dirt. Then he saw Giles. Better late than never to ask the older man about his relationship with Faith.

"Wesley, get a hold of yourself," Giles urged him.

"Be careful. He's not himself," Lorne yelled from the other car.

Wesley laughed at Lorne's comment. "Oh, I know who I am, Rupert. So, you have a go at her too. Seems I was the only male in Sunnydale who didn't."

"You're not in your right mind," Giles calmly told him.

"Oh, that's right. You got your jollies by ridiculing my every move instead of helping to rein those girls in. Faith killed that man and all you could think about was Buffy. Why was that, Rupert?"

"I was worried about Faith also."

"And I was left to clean up the mess." Wesley slowly arose from the ground and moved closer to Giles.

"None of what happened was my fault or your fault for that matter. Faith was responsible for her own actions."

"Oh, Rupert. You were so wrapped up in Buffy, you left Faith out in the cold. It wasn't Faith you were shagging."

Giles landed a blow that took Wesley down to his knees. "Ow, that hurt. You bloody well knew what kind of situation I was coming into. Did you and Buffy have a good laugh at my expense?"

The next blow knocked him over onto his back and out for a few moments.

"If you really hurt him, Giles, you'll have to explain to Faith what you did," Wesley heard Xander say. Wesley shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Back to the land of the living, again. You know, maybe we should just tie him up and throw him on the roof rack. What'll you say?" Lorne laughed, wanting to lighten the situation.

Wesley had no idea what Lorne found so funny. His jaw felt like it might have been dislocated.

"Don't tempt me," Riley growled from a distance.

Giles bent down to look at Wesley. "What happened, Giles?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. All I remember is waking up. Faith was fighting, I think. I'm not sure. Then nothing."

"Great. Amnesia too. Look around you, bub," Xander pointed out.

Wesley looked around at Xander's bloody nose, to a bruised Riley to Connor sitting in the dirt.

"I did all of that? Oh dear."

"Yeah, and you just ranted at Giles. OK, how unfair is that, huh?" Xander said, cleaning up the blood.

"Handcuff him. You're not going ballistic on me again," Riley sneered at him.

"It's perfectly fine now. They knocked her out."

The three men who pulled him out of the vehicle in the first place moved in.

"I'll take care of him. Put him with me. He'll be OK. He's not going to freak out with your soldier boys Riley." Connor stood in front of Wesley now, ready to protect him.

"Good plan, Connor. Just keep him under control until we get there," Giles agreed.

"What did I say?" Wesley asked Connor as they climbed back in their vehicle.

"Something about shagging the other slayer, Buffy."

"You're lying. What on earth would possess me to say something ludicrous like that?"

"Not lying."

"Well, he'll never speak to me again, that's for sure."

"I'm not so sure I'd want him to. They must have really done a number on you in Sunnydale."

"Well deserved. I was a pompous ass to the nth degree."

TBC