A/N: Thanks Koos for his input into the Christmas scene. Thanks to
Zimmo67 for the idea for the scene at the end of this. Hope I do it
justice.
Three Slayers 7A - Sisterhood
Faith grinned at Kendra as they made their way through the packed shopping mall, her hand darting constantly in her pocket to feel the thick wad of notes there even as she stared with wonder at the decorations adorning the shops around them and revelled in the sound of carollers. She'd never had a Christmas before, to her mom it had just been another day to get drunk and tell her what a worthless bitch she was. Kendra was in the same boat, her Watcher hadn't beaten her but treated Christmas as just another training day, but this year was going to be different. There was going to be a tree, a turkey, presents, decorations - everything, she even had gifts planned for G, Ken, Johnny, and Xander, saved for from her Council stipend.
She stopped. "Ken?" she turned back to see her friend staring at the window of a camping store. Cursing, she hurried back to her friend. "Ken, what's the sitch? I gotta get to the record store before they sell that Cream box-set I want for G! It's too damn cold to be thinking about camping."
"I know," Kendra looked troubled, "so why is Xander buying a sleeping bag?"
Faith's eyes widened as she glanced across at the store. "Let's find out."
Kendra nodded. "Let's."
"Hey Xand! What you doing buying a sleeping bag in the middle of winter?"
The youth stiffened and turned to face them before smiling weakly. "Uh, I noticed my old one needed replacing."
"Why would you be looking at your sleeping bag in the middle of winter?" Kendra demanded, "and why do you replace it the middle of winter?"
Xander shuffled from foot to foot. "Ken-."
"Answer me!"
Both Faith and Xander flinched at the coldness in Kendra's voice. After a second, Xander spoke, his voice hushed and his eyes fixed on the ground. "My parents get rowdy on Christmas Eve, I sleep outside to avoid the trouble."
Faith's eyes filled with tears, this wasn't right, her friend shouldn't have to go through this, not when she was so happy. She glanced at Kendra and nodded. Reaching forward, they grabbed hold of their friend's arms. "G will know what to do," seeing Xander's mouth begin to open she snapped, "don't argue!"
* * *
"So you're telling me for the past six years, three of which you've known about vampires, you've been sleeping outside on Christmas Eve?"
"Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve too. It just seemed easier."
Giles couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sometimes he wondered about Xander, he really did, why the boy hadn't come to him about this earlier? "Giles?"
"Yes Kendra?"
"C..can Xander stay here over Christmas?"
"No-."
"What!"
He turned his gaze on Faith who instantly quietened but continued to return his glare with interest. "I was about to say not just for Christmas, Xander I have a cot in the study you can move in there to stay for as long as you ne-." He was cut off by being buried beneath two squealing girls. "Oh bloody hell, get off!" Being hugged by two super-powered young women at once was hard on the old bones. Although deeply pleasurable
* * *
Giles slumped against the hallway wall of his house, exhausted beyond measure. "What a bloody day," he muttered before taking his glasses off and rubbing the lenses as he walked into the lounge. It had been Buffy's Cruciamentum today, the arcane test given to Slayers on their 18th birthday, robbing them of their powers and forcing them to face a vampire, to test their worthiness. At the last moment he had refused to go through with it, he might no longer have the regard for Buffy that he once had but he had no intention to partake in the murder of a young girl. Together they'd just barely managed to kill the vampire sent to test her but he'd been fired by the Council.
"Well they can piss off," Giles snarled, nobody was taking his charges away from him. "Let the buggers come -." He started as he registered the presence of Xander sat on his lounge couch, an unusually intense expression on the young man's face. "Oh hello Xander, not patrolling with the others?"
"No Giles," the young man skewered him with an intense glare. "I think what went on today is more important."
"Oh," for the first time ever the teen was making him nervous. "So you've heard?"
"I've heard," the youth confirmed with a nod. "What you did to Buffy was wrong but you already know that and she's no longer my concern. But Kendra and Faith are, Ken's eighteen in six months and Faith in eleven. What are you going to do then?"
"I won't test them but," Giles' eyes flared, "the Council won't like that."
"Then we'll just have to deal with them when they come," Xander started to stand.
"Xander," Giles hesitated, "I've been fired by the Council."
"Then we'll have to deal whoever they send," Xander finished standing.
Giles' eyes narrowed as he noticed a bulge in Xander's jacket. "What's that?" he pointed.
"This," Giles' blood chilled as the youth opened his jacket to reveal a shoulder holster containing an automatic, "this is Ken and Faith's insurance."
* * *
"Damn it!" Xander flew into the wall, thrown there by a hideous blue- skinned demon. Seeing the monster advance, he rolled away only for Kendra to leap out of the alcove she'd been hidden in, her sword slicing through the monster's heart. The beast let out a scream, its mouth opening to reveal its pointed teeth. Its red eyes bulging in pain the demon fell to its knees before slumping face-first to the cave floor.
Xander glanced up at his smirking girl-friend. "You know," he let out a protesting groan as Kendra pulled him to his feet, "I hate being the bait."
"But you said you liked us working together," Kendra attempted to look innocent but failed.
"Yeah, but why do I have to be the bait?" Xander winced as a pain shot through his head. "You fall so much better than me."
"And yet you've had so much more practice."
Xander glared at his girl-friend. "Yep, Faith's definitely a bad influence on you. What happened to the sweet, shy girl I met in the library all those months ago?"
"Like you said she got lucky," Xander turned to see a grinning Faith coming through the adjoining cavern mouth, "and met me."
"That's not exactly what I said," Xander corrected before glancing at a dazed-looking Jonathan, "you okay Johnny?"
"Fine," the youth's smile was less than reassuring.
"Okay," Xander gazed at a suddenly worried looking Faith, "maybe we should get Giles to look him over."
* * *
Faith glanced around the hushed library, the importance of the occasion giving her goose pimples and causing her mouth to dry with fear. This was the big one, the one for all the marbles. According to what G had said the demons they'd fought were the Sisterhood of Jhe and were planning to open the hellmouth and if they succeeded the world would be overrun with demons. She glanced behind her, what sort of fucking idiot built a school directly over a hellmouth anyway? She turned at the sound of the library doors open, her heart dropping at the figure entering - damn he wasn't supposed to be here.
"Hi gang what's happening?" Jonathan asked cheerfully. "Training, patrolling or research?"
Giles cast her a glance before standing, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his tweed jacket. "Ah, Mr. Levinson. We won't be needing your services for the next few days."
"Uh, why not?" Jonathan looked perplexed.
"We are facing a considerable crisis in the next few days," G began, "it's simply too risky for anything but the super-powered amongst us."
"Xander isn't super-powered," Jonathan pointed out.
"No," G nodded in agreement, "but Xander has considerable experience fighting demons as well as the memories of a 'Nam Green Beret. You on the other hand -."
"Are useless!" Jonathan interrupted, the hurt written across his face as he spun around to leave.
"Oh well done G!" after shooting her Watcher, fuck what the Council said 'cause that what he was, an angry glance, she leapt to her feet and hurried after Jonathan. Grabbing his arm, she spun him round to face her. "Johnny let me explain!"
"Go on then!"
"You see," she swallowed, god this was so hard to say. She reached out to stroke her furious boyfriend's face, but he pulled away. Hurt, she let her hand drop to her side, "before I met you, I just fought for the buzz of winning. But now I fight to keep you safe, you mean the world to me, the way you don't care about all the bad shit in my life, make me feel special. If you're here I won't be able to concentrate, be on my game."
"But-."
"Please."
"Fine!" his face red, Jonathan turned and stormed out of the library.
"Johnny!" tears blinding her she started after him only to stop at a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice in her ear.
"Let me try Faith," she nodded gratefully at Xander. She couldn't lose her Johnny, he was the best guy she'd ever had.
* * *
Giles came out of his inner office, his face as expressionless as normal but inside he was raging, those bloody idiots in the Council were going to let politics get in the way of saving the world. Bunch of wankers, he couldn't believe he used to work for them. "Any luck Giles?"
"No Kendra," he smiled at the dusky-skinned beauty. "I'm afraid not," his smile died as he saw a devastated looking Faith. He'd have to do something about this, if nothing else he needed her 'on her game' for the fight coming up, and for her own sake.
The girl started as he put his arm around her shoulder only to relax as she realised it was him. "Hi G."
His heart broke at the weakness of the brunette's smile. "Don't worry Faith, Jonathan will come round."
"You think? He seemed awful pissed."
"Of course he will," he soothed, "after all whatever Jonathan is he isn't an idiot and he'd have to be a bloody idiot to give up a chance with a marvellous young woman like you." His remark was rewarded with a slightly widening smile. "Besides if he doesn't come to his senses, I'll have to introduce him to my horsewhip."
The girl giggled. "A horse whip? Didn't know you were kinky G."
He winked at the brunette. "There's a lot you don't know about me."
Straightening, he looked at the sparring Kendra and Buffy. "I'm going to try and contact the spirit guides." He paled as he realised something. "You've eaten all the jellied donuts!"
"Training takes a lot of calories Giles."
He shook his head at Buffy's comments. "My bloody jellied donuts, the world's coming to an end and I don't even have a bloody jellied donut." He turned to leave. "Bloody marvellous."
"Wait Giles," he turned back to see Xander rising out of his seat. "Want some company?"
"What about the research?"
"There's nothing in these books, I might as well go with you, watch your back."
Giles nodded. "Very well."
* * *
Kendra stepped away from her sparring. "Wait," she requested before glancing towards her best friend sat slumped by the desk. Whatever Giles had said to her had temporarily raised Faith's spirits but now her sister Slayer had fallen back into her depression. There had to be something she could take her friend's mind off Jonathan. "Faith!" her friend raised her head off the desk. "Want to go to Willy's, see if we can scare up some information?" after a second her friend nodded. She turned back to Buffy. "Want to come?" she asked, it was only polite to ask.
To her relief Buffy shook her head. "I'll wait for Angel to get back from the magic shop with Willow."
"Okay," she glanced to Faith. "Ready?" her friend nodded. "Let's go."
* * *
"Why do all these spirit guides have to hang out in graveyards?"
Giles glanced across at Xander. "Where do you suggest they should be? Perhaps frequenting the Doublemeat Palace?"
Xander glared at him. "Don't get all uppity British with me." The teen's expression turned serious. "Do you think Faith and Johnno will be alright?"
"I'm sure Mr. Levinson will see sense," he smirked, "even if we have to sit him down and make him see sense."
"Oh playing big brother, I love that," Xander grinned at him. "Can I be the bad cop?"
"I was rather thinking we could both be bad cop."
Xander chuckled. "Works for me."
"Oh bloody hell," Giles shoved his equipment back into his holdall as he stared balefully at the mausoleum. Why couldn't something go right, just for once?
"No luck G-Man?"
"None," he confirmed with a grunt.
"See I told you we should rely on brute -," suddenly the youth's voice deadened. "Oh shit, got company. Got your sword?"
Giles swallowed. "Ye-."
"Good." His eyes widened as the youth pulled a shotgun from beneath his overcoat and began firing, the boom of his shotgun destroying the night's silence as the buckshot tore through the two demons advancing on them, sending them both crashing to the ground.
"A bloody shotgun!" Giles exploded when he got his breath back. "What the bloody hell are you doing with your shotgun!"
"After the first incident in the cavern I thought I best get out the big guns so to speak. Aren't you going to chop their heads off before they recover?"
"Um yes," pulling out his sword Giles started towards the injured demons, he was beginning to wonder who was more dangerous the demons or Xander.
* * *
"Fuck," Faith let out a breath as she surveyed the devastated ruin that was Willy's, "I haven't seen a mess like this since a bike bar back in Boston I used to hang in got trashed in a gang war. Willy really knows how to throw a party." Despite her flippancy she was thrown by the state of the demon bar, unmoving bodies lay crumpled everywhere - not that she was exactly worried about the state of demons, while several colours of blood decorated the walls, floor, and ceiling, and looking around she doubted there wasn't one piece of furnishing that hadn't been broken.
"Faith!" she looked up to see her sister Slayer behind the bar counter. "Over here!"
Rushing over, she hurdled over the bar, careful to avoid the shattered glass lying there. She let out a gasp at the sight that greeted her. "Shit Willy, what did they do to you?" The bar owner was lying on the floor, his head and shoulders propped up against the cabinets. Blood was flowing freely from several cuts in his head, his nose appeared to be broken, his eyes were filled with pain, and his face covered in bruises.
The bartender smiled weakly. "So girls, come to audition for those lap- dancing jobs."
Faith chuckled despite the situation. "You in love with pain Willy?"
The bar owner laughed then winced. "Oh no tonight's cured me. It's going to happen before sunrise. That's what they said."
"Why did they do this?" Kendra asked, the two Slayers exchanged worried glances.
"Because they can," suddenly the man doubled up, "oh man."
Kendra crouched down beside the man. "I've phoned for an ambulance."
"Look, kids," Willy let out a pained gasp, "my clientele ain't exactly nuns and orphans, but I... I never seen anything like these demons."
Faith bit her bottom lip. "We're gonna stop them."
"That Hellmouth opens," Willy let out a groan, " they're gonna be the least of your problems is my train of thought." He winced in pain again and coughs, then swallowed again. "If I were you two, I'd grab your gang and run. Have one last blow-out to say good-bye to the world."
"Ken," Faith couldn't tear her eyes away from the battered man, "you head back to the school to tell the others, I'll wait for the ambulance."
* * *
"But Oz is tranquilised?"
Willow nodded. "He's locked in the basement."
"Very well," Giles took a moment to think his strategy through. "Willow will cast the spell under my supervision, Xander provide cover for her, Kendra, you and Faith will fight the demon that arises, Buffy you and him," he wouldn't dignify the vampire's existence with a name, "will guard the double doors from the sisterhood. Xander, I would suggest you stick to using your axe rather than your shotgun, given how fraught the situation is likely to get."
"Xander's brought his shotgun!"
"Buffy," Giles replied wearily. "Now is not the time."
"But he killed someone with that!"
Oh bloody hell, not this old chestnut again, Giles felt his temper snap under the strain. "Yes, and considering the man concerned not only attempted to stave my head in, was trying to kill both you and Kendra at the time, and had plans to use a black arts weapon of considerable power for god knows what, I'm not exactly saving up for flowers for his funeral. And let's not forget," he gazed significantly at the vampire stood beside the blonde, "how flexible your morals is this area can be."
Buffy flinched at his words and the vampire started forward. "Giles -."
In a second he was flanked by his two Slayers. Realising he'd caused a confrontation he sighed. "Calm down everybody, let's concentrate on the situation in hand."
* * *
"Oh boy, how do I get myself into these situations?" Xander stared in horror at the multi-headed beast snapping at his girl-friend and her best friend. Realising that there was little he could do if the monster managed to get past the two Slayers he turned his attention to Buffy and Angel battling the Jhe demons.
Even as he did, one of the demons got past the battling pair. Xander cursed as he glanced quickly at Giles and Willow; they were in the throes of spell-casting. "Looks like I'm up." Hefting his axe he leapt to meet the charging demon only to veer away to the right at the last second, his axe swinging to tear into the demon's side.
The demon let out a high-pitched screech and blood spurted out of the wound but despite its terrible injury the beast shot out a back-hander that he just managed to duck under only to be grabbed around the throat and flung into a near-by bookcase. The bookcase collapsed under the impact, burying him under an avalanche of books. "One way or another G-man's going to get me close to his books." Ignoring the pain pulsating through his body, Xander scrabbled desperately for the shaft of his axe, his eyes fixed on the demon advancing on the Watcher and Witch. Finally his hand found the axe, lifting it he aimed, and threw it.
The axe flew threw the air to hit its target, tearing through the beast's hamstring, the monster let out an anguished howl before plummeting to the ground. "He shoots, he scores!" After struggling to his feet he hurried over to the still screeching beast, picked up his axe and decapitated the monster. Xander grinned as he turned to watch Buffy and Angel fight the remaining demons. "These things are so ugly not even Snyder would date them."
* * *
"Night everybody."
Giles smiled at Kendra. "Kendra you did amazingly well tonight."
The girl reddened and glanced down at the floor. "Just doing my job Giles."
"Yes you were," he agreed placing a hand on her shoulder. "And you did it exceptionally well tonight, all of you did."
"Thanks Giles." He smiled as the girl hurried off upstairs and Xander disappeared into the bedroom\study..
"We going to watch that film you said you wanted to?"
He turned to face Faith. "'Reach for The Sky' you mean?"
"Yeah," the brunette nodded, "you said it would be good for history class."
Noting the weariness in the brunette's posture and feeling tired himself he opened his mouth to decline only to also notice the eagerness in the young girl's eyes. Seeing the enthusiasm on her face only made him wonder what sort of horrors she'd endured as a child to make sitting with him watching a British fifties movie such a joy. "Certainly Faith, it would be a pleasure."
The brunette grinned at him. "Wicked, you get the coca and I'll get the marshmallows, five by five?"
"Oh yes," he replied dryly, "wicked."
Thirty minutes later and the girl had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Her defences down, Giles couldn't help but think how innocent and childlike she looked. "How anybody could want to hurt you is beyond me my dear," he muttered. Standing he turned the television off before lifting the girl into his arms, marvelling at her slightness, and carried her up stairs to the room they'd turned into Faith's after she'd been living there for a few weeks. After gently placing her beneath her sheets he turned to leave.
"Thanks pa."
Giles stopped at the muttered comment, a lump forming in his throat, taking a step back he kissed the girl on her forehead before moving back to the door. "You're welcome my dear," he whispered before turning and exiting the room, wiping furtively at his eyes.
Three Slayers 7A - Sisterhood
Faith grinned at Kendra as they made their way through the packed shopping mall, her hand darting constantly in her pocket to feel the thick wad of notes there even as she stared with wonder at the decorations adorning the shops around them and revelled in the sound of carollers. She'd never had a Christmas before, to her mom it had just been another day to get drunk and tell her what a worthless bitch she was. Kendra was in the same boat, her Watcher hadn't beaten her but treated Christmas as just another training day, but this year was going to be different. There was going to be a tree, a turkey, presents, decorations - everything, she even had gifts planned for G, Ken, Johnny, and Xander, saved for from her Council stipend.
She stopped. "Ken?" she turned back to see her friend staring at the window of a camping store. Cursing, she hurried back to her friend. "Ken, what's the sitch? I gotta get to the record store before they sell that Cream box-set I want for G! It's too damn cold to be thinking about camping."
"I know," Kendra looked troubled, "so why is Xander buying a sleeping bag?"
Faith's eyes widened as she glanced across at the store. "Let's find out."
Kendra nodded. "Let's."
"Hey Xand! What you doing buying a sleeping bag in the middle of winter?"
The youth stiffened and turned to face them before smiling weakly. "Uh, I noticed my old one needed replacing."
"Why would you be looking at your sleeping bag in the middle of winter?" Kendra demanded, "and why do you replace it the middle of winter?"
Xander shuffled from foot to foot. "Ken-."
"Answer me!"
Both Faith and Xander flinched at the coldness in Kendra's voice. After a second, Xander spoke, his voice hushed and his eyes fixed on the ground. "My parents get rowdy on Christmas Eve, I sleep outside to avoid the trouble."
Faith's eyes filled with tears, this wasn't right, her friend shouldn't have to go through this, not when she was so happy. She glanced at Kendra and nodded. Reaching forward, they grabbed hold of their friend's arms. "G will know what to do," seeing Xander's mouth begin to open she snapped, "don't argue!"
* * *
"So you're telling me for the past six years, three of which you've known about vampires, you've been sleeping outside on Christmas Eve?"
"Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve too. It just seemed easier."
Giles couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sometimes he wondered about Xander, he really did, why the boy hadn't come to him about this earlier? "Giles?"
"Yes Kendra?"
"C..can Xander stay here over Christmas?"
"No-."
"What!"
He turned his gaze on Faith who instantly quietened but continued to return his glare with interest. "I was about to say not just for Christmas, Xander I have a cot in the study you can move in there to stay for as long as you ne-." He was cut off by being buried beneath two squealing girls. "Oh bloody hell, get off!" Being hugged by two super-powered young women at once was hard on the old bones. Although deeply pleasurable
* * *
Giles slumped against the hallway wall of his house, exhausted beyond measure. "What a bloody day," he muttered before taking his glasses off and rubbing the lenses as he walked into the lounge. It had been Buffy's Cruciamentum today, the arcane test given to Slayers on their 18th birthday, robbing them of their powers and forcing them to face a vampire, to test their worthiness. At the last moment he had refused to go through with it, he might no longer have the regard for Buffy that he once had but he had no intention to partake in the murder of a young girl. Together they'd just barely managed to kill the vampire sent to test her but he'd been fired by the Council.
"Well they can piss off," Giles snarled, nobody was taking his charges away from him. "Let the buggers come -." He started as he registered the presence of Xander sat on his lounge couch, an unusually intense expression on the young man's face. "Oh hello Xander, not patrolling with the others?"
"No Giles," the young man skewered him with an intense glare. "I think what went on today is more important."
"Oh," for the first time ever the teen was making him nervous. "So you've heard?"
"I've heard," the youth confirmed with a nod. "What you did to Buffy was wrong but you already know that and she's no longer my concern. But Kendra and Faith are, Ken's eighteen in six months and Faith in eleven. What are you going to do then?"
"I won't test them but," Giles' eyes flared, "the Council won't like that."
"Then we'll just have to deal with them when they come," Xander started to stand.
"Xander," Giles hesitated, "I've been fired by the Council."
"Then we'll have to deal whoever they send," Xander finished standing.
Giles' eyes narrowed as he noticed a bulge in Xander's jacket. "What's that?" he pointed.
"This," Giles' blood chilled as the youth opened his jacket to reveal a shoulder holster containing an automatic, "this is Ken and Faith's insurance."
* * *
"Damn it!" Xander flew into the wall, thrown there by a hideous blue- skinned demon. Seeing the monster advance, he rolled away only for Kendra to leap out of the alcove she'd been hidden in, her sword slicing through the monster's heart. The beast let out a scream, its mouth opening to reveal its pointed teeth. Its red eyes bulging in pain the demon fell to its knees before slumping face-first to the cave floor.
Xander glanced up at his smirking girl-friend. "You know," he let out a protesting groan as Kendra pulled him to his feet, "I hate being the bait."
"But you said you liked us working together," Kendra attempted to look innocent but failed.
"Yeah, but why do I have to be the bait?" Xander winced as a pain shot through his head. "You fall so much better than me."
"And yet you've had so much more practice."
Xander glared at his girl-friend. "Yep, Faith's definitely a bad influence on you. What happened to the sweet, shy girl I met in the library all those months ago?"
"Like you said she got lucky," Xander turned to see a grinning Faith coming through the adjoining cavern mouth, "and met me."
"That's not exactly what I said," Xander corrected before glancing at a dazed-looking Jonathan, "you okay Johnny?"
"Fine," the youth's smile was less than reassuring.
"Okay," Xander gazed at a suddenly worried looking Faith, "maybe we should get Giles to look him over."
* * *
Faith glanced around the hushed library, the importance of the occasion giving her goose pimples and causing her mouth to dry with fear. This was the big one, the one for all the marbles. According to what G had said the demons they'd fought were the Sisterhood of Jhe and were planning to open the hellmouth and if they succeeded the world would be overrun with demons. She glanced behind her, what sort of fucking idiot built a school directly over a hellmouth anyway? She turned at the sound of the library doors open, her heart dropping at the figure entering - damn he wasn't supposed to be here.
"Hi gang what's happening?" Jonathan asked cheerfully. "Training, patrolling or research?"
Giles cast her a glance before standing, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his tweed jacket. "Ah, Mr. Levinson. We won't be needing your services for the next few days."
"Uh, why not?" Jonathan looked perplexed.
"We are facing a considerable crisis in the next few days," G began, "it's simply too risky for anything but the super-powered amongst us."
"Xander isn't super-powered," Jonathan pointed out.
"No," G nodded in agreement, "but Xander has considerable experience fighting demons as well as the memories of a 'Nam Green Beret. You on the other hand -."
"Are useless!" Jonathan interrupted, the hurt written across his face as he spun around to leave.
"Oh well done G!" after shooting her Watcher, fuck what the Council said 'cause that what he was, an angry glance, she leapt to her feet and hurried after Jonathan. Grabbing his arm, she spun him round to face her. "Johnny let me explain!"
"Go on then!"
"You see," she swallowed, god this was so hard to say. She reached out to stroke her furious boyfriend's face, but he pulled away. Hurt, she let her hand drop to her side, "before I met you, I just fought for the buzz of winning. But now I fight to keep you safe, you mean the world to me, the way you don't care about all the bad shit in my life, make me feel special. If you're here I won't be able to concentrate, be on my game."
"But-."
"Please."
"Fine!" his face red, Jonathan turned and stormed out of the library.
"Johnny!" tears blinding her she started after him only to stop at a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice in her ear.
"Let me try Faith," she nodded gratefully at Xander. She couldn't lose her Johnny, he was the best guy she'd ever had.
* * *
Giles came out of his inner office, his face as expressionless as normal but inside he was raging, those bloody idiots in the Council were going to let politics get in the way of saving the world. Bunch of wankers, he couldn't believe he used to work for them. "Any luck Giles?"
"No Kendra," he smiled at the dusky-skinned beauty. "I'm afraid not," his smile died as he saw a devastated looking Faith. He'd have to do something about this, if nothing else he needed her 'on her game' for the fight coming up, and for her own sake.
The girl started as he put his arm around her shoulder only to relax as she realised it was him. "Hi G."
His heart broke at the weakness of the brunette's smile. "Don't worry Faith, Jonathan will come round."
"You think? He seemed awful pissed."
"Of course he will," he soothed, "after all whatever Jonathan is he isn't an idiot and he'd have to be a bloody idiot to give up a chance with a marvellous young woman like you." His remark was rewarded with a slightly widening smile. "Besides if he doesn't come to his senses, I'll have to introduce him to my horsewhip."
The girl giggled. "A horse whip? Didn't know you were kinky G."
He winked at the brunette. "There's a lot you don't know about me."
Straightening, he looked at the sparring Kendra and Buffy. "I'm going to try and contact the spirit guides." He paled as he realised something. "You've eaten all the jellied donuts!"
"Training takes a lot of calories Giles."
He shook his head at Buffy's comments. "My bloody jellied donuts, the world's coming to an end and I don't even have a bloody jellied donut." He turned to leave. "Bloody marvellous."
"Wait Giles," he turned back to see Xander rising out of his seat. "Want some company?"
"What about the research?"
"There's nothing in these books, I might as well go with you, watch your back."
Giles nodded. "Very well."
* * *
Kendra stepped away from her sparring. "Wait," she requested before glancing towards her best friend sat slumped by the desk. Whatever Giles had said to her had temporarily raised Faith's spirits but now her sister Slayer had fallen back into her depression. There had to be something she could take her friend's mind off Jonathan. "Faith!" her friend raised her head off the desk. "Want to go to Willy's, see if we can scare up some information?" after a second her friend nodded. She turned back to Buffy. "Want to come?" she asked, it was only polite to ask.
To her relief Buffy shook her head. "I'll wait for Angel to get back from the magic shop with Willow."
"Okay," she glanced to Faith. "Ready?" her friend nodded. "Let's go."
* * *
"Why do all these spirit guides have to hang out in graveyards?"
Giles glanced across at Xander. "Where do you suggest they should be? Perhaps frequenting the Doublemeat Palace?"
Xander glared at him. "Don't get all uppity British with me." The teen's expression turned serious. "Do you think Faith and Johnno will be alright?"
"I'm sure Mr. Levinson will see sense," he smirked, "even if we have to sit him down and make him see sense."
"Oh playing big brother, I love that," Xander grinned at him. "Can I be the bad cop?"
"I was rather thinking we could both be bad cop."
Xander chuckled. "Works for me."
"Oh bloody hell," Giles shoved his equipment back into his holdall as he stared balefully at the mausoleum. Why couldn't something go right, just for once?
"No luck G-Man?"
"None," he confirmed with a grunt.
"See I told you we should rely on brute -," suddenly the youth's voice deadened. "Oh shit, got company. Got your sword?"
Giles swallowed. "Ye-."
"Good." His eyes widened as the youth pulled a shotgun from beneath his overcoat and began firing, the boom of his shotgun destroying the night's silence as the buckshot tore through the two demons advancing on them, sending them both crashing to the ground.
"A bloody shotgun!" Giles exploded when he got his breath back. "What the bloody hell are you doing with your shotgun!"
"After the first incident in the cavern I thought I best get out the big guns so to speak. Aren't you going to chop their heads off before they recover?"
"Um yes," pulling out his sword Giles started towards the injured demons, he was beginning to wonder who was more dangerous the demons or Xander.
* * *
"Fuck," Faith let out a breath as she surveyed the devastated ruin that was Willy's, "I haven't seen a mess like this since a bike bar back in Boston I used to hang in got trashed in a gang war. Willy really knows how to throw a party." Despite her flippancy she was thrown by the state of the demon bar, unmoving bodies lay crumpled everywhere - not that she was exactly worried about the state of demons, while several colours of blood decorated the walls, floor, and ceiling, and looking around she doubted there wasn't one piece of furnishing that hadn't been broken.
"Faith!" she looked up to see her sister Slayer behind the bar counter. "Over here!"
Rushing over, she hurdled over the bar, careful to avoid the shattered glass lying there. She let out a gasp at the sight that greeted her. "Shit Willy, what did they do to you?" The bar owner was lying on the floor, his head and shoulders propped up against the cabinets. Blood was flowing freely from several cuts in his head, his nose appeared to be broken, his eyes were filled with pain, and his face covered in bruises.
The bartender smiled weakly. "So girls, come to audition for those lap- dancing jobs."
Faith chuckled despite the situation. "You in love with pain Willy?"
The bar owner laughed then winced. "Oh no tonight's cured me. It's going to happen before sunrise. That's what they said."
"Why did they do this?" Kendra asked, the two Slayers exchanged worried glances.
"Because they can," suddenly the man doubled up, "oh man."
Kendra crouched down beside the man. "I've phoned for an ambulance."
"Look, kids," Willy let out a pained gasp, "my clientele ain't exactly nuns and orphans, but I... I never seen anything like these demons."
Faith bit her bottom lip. "We're gonna stop them."
"That Hellmouth opens," Willy let out a groan, " they're gonna be the least of your problems is my train of thought." He winced in pain again and coughs, then swallowed again. "If I were you two, I'd grab your gang and run. Have one last blow-out to say good-bye to the world."
"Ken," Faith couldn't tear her eyes away from the battered man, "you head back to the school to tell the others, I'll wait for the ambulance."
* * *
"But Oz is tranquilised?"
Willow nodded. "He's locked in the basement."
"Very well," Giles took a moment to think his strategy through. "Willow will cast the spell under my supervision, Xander provide cover for her, Kendra, you and Faith will fight the demon that arises, Buffy you and him," he wouldn't dignify the vampire's existence with a name, "will guard the double doors from the sisterhood. Xander, I would suggest you stick to using your axe rather than your shotgun, given how fraught the situation is likely to get."
"Xander's brought his shotgun!"
"Buffy," Giles replied wearily. "Now is not the time."
"But he killed someone with that!"
Oh bloody hell, not this old chestnut again, Giles felt his temper snap under the strain. "Yes, and considering the man concerned not only attempted to stave my head in, was trying to kill both you and Kendra at the time, and had plans to use a black arts weapon of considerable power for god knows what, I'm not exactly saving up for flowers for his funeral. And let's not forget," he gazed significantly at the vampire stood beside the blonde, "how flexible your morals is this area can be."
Buffy flinched at his words and the vampire started forward. "Giles -."
In a second he was flanked by his two Slayers. Realising he'd caused a confrontation he sighed. "Calm down everybody, let's concentrate on the situation in hand."
* * *
"Oh boy, how do I get myself into these situations?" Xander stared in horror at the multi-headed beast snapping at his girl-friend and her best friend. Realising that there was little he could do if the monster managed to get past the two Slayers he turned his attention to Buffy and Angel battling the Jhe demons.
Even as he did, one of the demons got past the battling pair. Xander cursed as he glanced quickly at Giles and Willow; they were in the throes of spell-casting. "Looks like I'm up." Hefting his axe he leapt to meet the charging demon only to veer away to the right at the last second, his axe swinging to tear into the demon's side.
The demon let out a high-pitched screech and blood spurted out of the wound but despite its terrible injury the beast shot out a back-hander that he just managed to duck under only to be grabbed around the throat and flung into a near-by bookcase. The bookcase collapsed under the impact, burying him under an avalanche of books. "One way or another G-man's going to get me close to his books." Ignoring the pain pulsating through his body, Xander scrabbled desperately for the shaft of his axe, his eyes fixed on the demon advancing on the Watcher and Witch. Finally his hand found the axe, lifting it he aimed, and threw it.
The axe flew threw the air to hit its target, tearing through the beast's hamstring, the monster let out an anguished howl before plummeting to the ground. "He shoots, he scores!" After struggling to his feet he hurried over to the still screeching beast, picked up his axe and decapitated the monster. Xander grinned as he turned to watch Buffy and Angel fight the remaining demons. "These things are so ugly not even Snyder would date them."
* * *
"Night everybody."
Giles smiled at Kendra. "Kendra you did amazingly well tonight."
The girl reddened and glanced down at the floor. "Just doing my job Giles."
"Yes you were," he agreed placing a hand on her shoulder. "And you did it exceptionally well tonight, all of you did."
"Thanks Giles." He smiled as the girl hurried off upstairs and Xander disappeared into the bedroom\study..
"We going to watch that film you said you wanted to?"
He turned to face Faith. "'Reach for The Sky' you mean?"
"Yeah," the brunette nodded, "you said it would be good for history class."
Noting the weariness in the brunette's posture and feeling tired himself he opened his mouth to decline only to also notice the eagerness in the young girl's eyes. Seeing the enthusiasm on her face only made him wonder what sort of horrors she'd endured as a child to make sitting with him watching a British fifties movie such a joy. "Certainly Faith, it would be a pleasure."
The brunette grinned at him. "Wicked, you get the coca and I'll get the marshmallows, five by five?"
"Oh yes," he replied dryly, "wicked."
Thirty minutes later and the girl had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Her defences down, Giles couldn't help but think how innocent and childlike she looked. "How anybody could want to hurt you is beyond me my dear," he muttered. Standing he turned the television off before lifting the girl into his arms, marvelling at her slightness, and carried her up stairs to the room they'd turned into Faith's after she'd been living there for a few weeks. After gently placing her beneath her sheets he turned to leave.
"Thanks pa."
Giles stopped at the muttered comment, a lump forming in his throat, taking a step back he kissed the girl on her forehead before moving back to the door. "You're welcome my dear," he whispered before turning and exiting the room, wiping furtively at his eyes.