"What does?" Wesley asked. The pompous ass walked into the library as if he ran the place.
"Replacing the cards in all of the books with bar codes," Giles said. "Not a task to be undertaken lightly."
"Mmm," said the only actual watcher in the room. "Yes, I suppose it would. Fortunately, some of us have more important things to do with our time."
"Yeah," Xander said. "Like sending my friends out on missions, without offering them cookies."
Giles smiled. With Xander's energies focused on annoying the new watcher, he found the lad to be not nearly as trying as normal. "Was there something you wanted, however?" he asked of the boy. "As much as my already fragile ego would like to believe it, I cannot fathom that you came here on a Saturday merely to talk about library sciences."
Xander smiled at him. "Can we talk in your office?"
"Certainly," Giles said. He turned to Wesley. "If you need anything… get it yourself." Giles saw Xander stifle a laugh, and he followed the boy into his office, shutting the door behind him.
"What can I do for you?" Giles asked as he sat down across from Xander. It was, in truth, rare that Xander would come to him – or anyone, for that matter – for help. He hoped he was up to the task.
"I need to borrow some money," Xander said.
"Beg your pardon?" Giles said. This was certainly not what he expected.
"I need to borrow some money," Xander said, "and I need for you not to ask questions. Just know that it is extremely important."
"Xander…" Giles started.
"It's not illegal," Xander said. "And it's not dangerous. I swear. But I just…" he shook his head and fell silent. Giles looked into his eyes and saw determination, fear, and desperation.
"Of course," Giles said softly. "How much do you need?"
"I'm not sure yet," Xander said. Giles looked confused. "It's just, the pricing on the thing, I'm not sure. I just, I needed to know, otherwise I'd have to pursue other, you know, avenues."
"How –"
"It shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred, though," he said. "And I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
"It's all right, Xander," Giles said, soothingly. The boy seemed to be, at the same time, relieved and more jittery than ever. "Don't worry about it. You say it is important, and I believe you. Take care of what you must, and inform me of what you need."
Xander nodded. "Thank you," he said.
"Of course," said Giles.
"No, really," Xander said. "I mean it. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Xander," Giles said.
"Okay," Xander said, standing up. "I should uh, get to working things out."
"Of course," said Giles. He watched as Xander stood and left the library. Something was important enough to make Xander come to him for help – for money, no less, something he was certain that Xander was not comfortable talking about. At least, that was the impression he'd gotten from the way Cordelia had always brought it up.
Giles sighed. He'd just have to pay closer attention for a while, to see if he could find any clues as to what it was Xander was caught up in.
"I really do think there is something going on," Buffy said. Willow was barely paying attention.
"Huh?" she asked. Yes. That was the best way not to arouse any suspicion, play dumb.
"Xander and Faith," Buffy said. "Where are you today?"
"Just… distracted," Willow said, holding up one of two small black pouches for Buffy. "Oh, but look. Smell this."
"Mmm," Buffy said as she took the bag and smelled it.
"You like it?" Willow asked, her tone much perkier.
"It smells good," Buffy said. "What is it?"
Willow smiled. She was always happy when she got to help out with the Slaying, especially something important, or something new. "Just a little something we witches like to call a protection spell."
"Good deal, protection," Buffy said, sniffing the bag again. "I'm surprised, though, 'cause
usually spell stuff's more..."
"Stinky," Willow finished. It had taken her hours just to get the mix right. "Yeah. That's why I added lavender. Give me time, and I may be the first Wicca to do all my conjuring in pine fresh scent. So what's the plan?"
Buffy looked at her, as if seeking more knowledge.
"For tonight's slayage," Willow prompted. "We're going, aren't we?"
"Yeah," Buffy said. But she was getting all avoidy, and that never meant happy-fun time.
"Great!" said Willow, hoping that there wasn't more to say, but knowing there was.
"But..." Buffy said. Yeah, here it came. Another disappointment coming down the line for Willow. "There's a 'but'. And that's 'but you shouldn't come... tonight.' Is that cool?"
Willow was hurt. It felt crappy to know someone thought you couldn't handle yourself. She wondered, idly, if Xander had ever felt – oh God, he had. And that must have been the night that – the timing added up, too. Oh no, what if they had driven him to – Buffy was still waiting for an answer. "Well, sure. Makes sense. You know... You'll be facing big, hairy danger."
"Uh, b-biggest and very hairy," Buffy said. Willow knew she was reaching.
"You'll be risking your life," Willow said.
"Right," Buffy said. "And why risk yours?"
"Because I'm your friend?" Willow suggested. Did Buffy really not get that she – and Xander, she felt compelled to add, were willing to risk that? For her, and for the things that needed to be done?
"I know, Will, and that's exactly why I don't want you going. It's, it's too dangerous."
"But I-I've done this sort of thing before! Like, a million times, and I can totally handle myself. Besides," she said, holding up her own black pouch, "minty fresh protection. So?"
There was a knock at Buffy's bedroom door, and Faith walked in.
"Ready? Time to motor," Faith said. She visibly glanced over and saw Willow on the bed, looking sad. "Hey, Willow."
"Hi," Willow said, unenthusiastically. She turned back to Buffy. "Uh…"
"You comin' with?" Faith asked, taking a step back towards the door.
"What?" Willow asked. She was confused. Faith gave a crap what she was doing?
"She, uh… wasn't," Buffy said. "I thought it was too dangerous."
Faith shrugged. "Whatever, she's been doin' this longer 'n I have. More the merrier, I say."
Buffy looked as confused as Willow felt. Why was Faith defending her? What did she ever –
"Besides," Faith said. "Maybe she'll keep Xander outta trouble or something."
Oh. Xander. Right.
"Xander's not coming," Buffy said. She seemed so certain.
"Yeah, tell him that," said Faith.
"He's not coming," Buffy insisted. Her eyes narrowed. "What were you doing with him, anyway?"
"I was walkin' over here," Faith said. "His place is between mine and yours, he must have seen me, or something, I don't know. Anyway, he said he's coming. It's not my job to tell him no."
"He can't come!" Buffy protested. "He could get hurt!"
"And what are you?" Xander asked, stepping into the room, "Invincible? Or was that someone else I gave the breath of life to?"
"Xander, it's not the same," Buffy said. "I just… I worry."
Xander smiled goofily at her. "Well think of it like this. If we come with, you can look out for us."
"Yeah!" Willow said. She had gotten over the shock of actually seeing Xander and Faith together – and no, she wasn't buying that 'I ran into him on my way over' story – and was now prepared to join in the argument. "Where would we be safer than with two Slayers as protection."
Xander shifted his grin to her, and she happily returned it.
"Fine," Buffy said. "Fine. But if either of you die, I'm gonna kick your ass."
Xander and Willow smiled, as Buffy thrust her black pouch towards Xander. "And you're taking this."
"Wow, is it this quiet every night you two slay together?" Xander asked. "Because I gotta admit, I imagined a bit more, you know… lip-lock." He withered under the glares of three women. Willow's was especially harsh.
"You guys stay here for a minute," Buffy said to Willow and Xander. She pointed to a small alcove. "I just want to check out this alley first."
The two non-Slayers rolled their eyes as Buffy and Faith entered the alley.
"So, why were you really with Faith?" Willow asked, quietly.
Xander sighed. "The home test came back positive," he whispered. "I refused to let her patrol when I'm not around. It may be chauvinistic of me, but I'm not going to –"
"It makes sense," Willow said, a half-hearted smile on her face. "You're really taking this seriously."
"Of course," Xander said, a little offended. "It's a child, I'm not going to –"
"No, I know," Willow said. "I just, I'm impressed that's all. You're going to be a great father, Xander."
Xander smiled down at his best friend. "Well, we're going to the doctor soon – I made an appointment for Monday, and got an estimate on the lab work. Giles said he'd give me the money –"
"Oh, thank God you told him," Willow said. "He's really the one who should –"
"I didn't tell him, Will," Xander said. "I can't face that yet. I just, I asked him for the money, and his trust. He said yes."
"Oh," said Willow. "Well, it's good he trusts you."
Xander smiled, and a loud noise echoed out from the alley, along with a growl and a couple of grunts. The two exchanged a look and went running into the alley, Xander out pacing Willow even over the short space.
As he ran up, Xander saw Buffy stake a vampire on top of a bunch of crates. She and Faith were both breathing heavily. They moved forward in the alley, and a man in a suit stepped out of the shadows. Buffy instinctively grabbed him and tossed him against a dumpster at the end of the alley, just as Xander caught up to her. He realized at the same time as Buffy that the guy in the suit was a human.
"Faith, NO!" Buffy yelled as Faith raised her stake. Xander allowed his momentum to carry him forward and tackled Faith before she could stake the man, making sure to roll in midair so he would cushion her fall. Her stake came down awkwardly, scraping across his back and ripping his shirt as he took her to the ground.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!?" Buffy yelled at the man by the dumpster. He was rubbing his head. "You don't just jump into a frigging war zone and tap someone on the shoulder! Jesus!"
"Buffy, calm down," Willow said, panting from the run. "There could be more baddies around here."
"What the hell were you doing?" Xander asked angrily, as he and Faith disentangled themselves… but stayed close to each other. Faith seemed shaken from the incident.
"I… I work with the mayor," Finch said. "I have information."
Buffy's eyes bugged out, and she smacked him on the head. "Well what the hell are you doing approaching us here? Next time, try using your brain! Now get up, we've got to get out of here."
Xander stood and helped Faith up off the ground, just as Willow came over to check his wound. He winced when her finger ran over the scrape, but he was okay, otherwise.
"Buffy," said a voice from the shadows. Xander rolled his eyes, the same, he noticed, as Faith did. That creepy-stalker-from-the-shadows thing was really getting old.
"Angel," Buffy said, in that tone she saved only for him. Xander was always jealo – except wait. He wasn't, this time. "What's up?"
"Balthazar's guys, they got Giles. What happened here?"
"This jackass almost got himself killed, is what," Xander said. Faith was eerily quiet.
"Okay," Buffy said, taking charge of the situation. "Angel and I will go get Giles. Faith, you take Xander, Willow and mister Brainiac here back to my house, and we'll deal with him later, okay?"
"Buffy," Xander said, "we should be helping –"
"Look, Angel and I can handle whatever Fatty McDemonoid has to offer, okay? But that guy might have serious knowledge, and we need him safe."
"Fine," Xander said. "We'll get him out."
"Good," Buffy said. She turned to Angel. "Let's go."
"Buffy!" Xander called as the two of them ran off.
"What?" she yelled back.
"Be careful," Xander said. She smiled at him, and ran off into the night. As Xander helped suited-guy up off the ground. As they began to walk back to Buffy's house, he heard Willow muttering behind him.
"Fatty McDemonoid?"
"Is everything all right?" Joyce asked as much of the group – not, however, Buffy – trudged back into her house.
"Pretty much," Xander said, with a comforting smile. "Buffy and Angel just went off to rescue Giles and the boy wonder from a vampire cult that worships a not-as-dead-as-we-thought demon. Wacky hijinks are sure to follow."
"The boy wonder?" Joyce asked.
"New watcher," Willow said. "Giles' replacement. Only Giles isn't leaving."
"And who is this?" Joyce asked, indicating the suited guy.
"Deputy Mayor Alan Finch, apparently," Xander said. "Also known as the idiot who likes to almost get himself killed. We don't know what he wants yet, but it's something to do with badness. We're waiting for Giles."
"I see," Joyce said. Xander could tell she was trying very hard not to worry, or maybe even panic.
"It's okay, Mrs. Summers," Xander said. "Buffy will be fine. She and Angel are pro's."
"Yeah," Willow said. "They've done stuff way worse than this. This probably won't even be all that bad. Right Faith?"
Faith looked up from the chair she had sat in. "What? Oh. Yeah. Shouldn't be any problem."
"Well," Joyce said. She seemed slightly mollified. "Can I get you kids something to drink? Or you Mr. Finch?"
"Um… water," Finch said. A chorus of agreements from the 'kids' followed, and Willow volunteered to help bring the glasses. Finch seemed not to be paying any attention to his surroundings. He looked like he was in shock. A look, Xander noticed, that wasn't too far from how Faith looked.
"Hey," Xander said to her. He cocked his head toward the door, and she nodded, and went outside. He followed, shutting the door behind her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said. "Nothing happened. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I dunno," Xander said. "Maybe cuz you almost killed a guy?"
"Hey, it wasn't –"
"It wouldn't have been your fault," Xander interrupted. "I mean, the guy was an idiot, and you were being attacked from all around. It wouldn't have been your fault."
"But I almost… I almost killed him."
"Yeah," Xander said. "But you didn't."
"Thanks to you."
"Look," Xander said. "It's gotta be… disconcerting, knowing what could have happened. But it didn't. So don't worry about it."
"But what if I had?" Faith asked.
Xander shrugged. "Then we'd talk to Giles. I'm willing to bet that it's happened at some point before." Faith nodded, quietly, hugging her arms to herself, to protect against the unseasonably cool night. She didn't, he noticed, take any exception to the word 'we'.
"What do you think about Finch?" Faith asked.
"Other than his complete idiocy? I don't know. He's the deputy mayor. Maybe he's got some insight into what the actual mayor is doing. Or maybe he likes to attack pretty girls in alleys late at night. Either way, there's about zero chance we let him out of here without Giles picking his brain."
Faith nodded. The door opened behind them.
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End Chapter 7