A/N: Faith might seem a little OOC here, but bear in mind her confidence has taken a hell of a knock since Wood, the man with which she thought was having her first serious relationship with, betrayed her.

Actions & Consequences (10/?)

"After everything that's happened," Xander glared irritably at the corridor's other occupant. "Faith, will you stop it with that damn pacing, you're making my head spin."

"Sorry." The Slayer leaned against the opposite wall, her arms crossed and expression anxious.

"After everything's that happened I'm pretty set up financially, I'll be getting 100 K for my eye, seven hundred for Anya," he winced, the love of his life's death, how do you put a price on that? "She played the stocks and apparently there's one hundred and fifty K in our joint bank account. And G-Man," Xander shook his head in amazement, this was the weird part. "Has told me the Council owes me about 400K for the past seven years working as an unpaid Operations troop. So I was figuring I could buy a house for me and the kids and look after them properly-."

The brunette let out a pained gasp. "Please X, I know I screwed up," the Bostonian babbled, her eyes filling with terror. "I know I hurt you a lot, I know I deserve to punished, but not this. Please don't take my babies away. They need me, I need them."

"Just wait," he interrupted. "Not finished yet. I was thinking you could move in with us, if you wanted. There'd be conditions."

"Anything X, anything you've ever wanted to do to a girl, I'll let you do it and I'll enjoy -," the Bostonian moved closer, her eyes pleading as she cupped his face in her shaking hands. "I'll take wicked care of-."

"Whoa!" Xander stepped back. "Not those sort of conditions. I just lost the woman I love, why in the hell would I want you?"

The Slayer looked confused. "What then?"

It took him a second to get his mind back on track after Faith's admitably attractive offer. "First you get your GED, it'll be hard teaching them about the value of education when their mom hasn't finished high school."

"Got it in prison."

"Okay," Xander was momentarily surprised. "Well done. Second, you stop Slaying, teach self-defence or just stay home, but I'm not explaining your death to them, not after their other mother and father's. Three, you stop smoking. You can't get lung cancer but they can. And four, what you do with guys is your own business, but you hire a motel room or do it in a car backseat, you don't bring it into our home."

"I..I'm not like that anymore X."

"Whatever," he snorted. A leopard couldn't change its spots or a slut her ways. He'd learnt that with Faith the hard way.

"I'm not," the brunette insisted. "They're my priority now, not getting laid or partying, looking after them. Where would we live?"

Xander shrugged. "I haven't worked the details out yet. Well, what do you say?" he hoped his indifferent tone conveyed his complete lack of interest either way.

Faith nodded. "It sounds like a wicked offer," the Bostonian smiled weakly. "Me and you, a fresh start, like buds. I really appreciate thi-."

"Don't bother," he interrupted. "I don't like you, but you are good with them and I'm not going to take you away from them. I'm doing this for them, not you. Right now, I'd rather do Deadboy a favour than you." Turning, he headed back into the room.

Faith stared with frustration at Xander's back as he strode back into the room, her heart clenching with pain at his attitude. If he'd just give her a chance to show him how much she'd changed. Even more than a proper mom or dad she'd wanted a big bro, some one to hang with, look after her, and tell secrets she couldn't tell her parents. She'd been an only child, fuck an unwanted one at that, and guys had never wanted to be her friend just get her on her back, but Xand, he'd tried to be her friend but she'd blown it. "Fuck," she muttered. "Living with him's going to be a barrel of laughs." But she could it for her kids.

She smiled unwillingly as she re-entered the room and saw her babies shrieking with joy as Willow showed off her magical skills by levitating the two kids in the air. "Look Mummy!" Lex yelled. "Auntie Willa's making us fly."

"I can see baby," she called. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, auntie Willa's the best!"

"And," Hope broke in. "Auntie Buffy's as strong as you. She lifted us both over her head! It was wicked!"

She chuckled to hear one of her catchphrases from her daughter's mouth. "I bet baby."

"They really are wonderful children, a real credit to you."

Faith flushed at Giles' whispered praise. "I didn't do nothing 'cept supply an egg," she muttered.

"So far," the Watcher fixed her with a piercing look, the sort that made her feel sixteen and back in the library that he'd made his domain. "But now you have to take on the responsibility of being a parent."

"I'm scared G," she admitted in a whisper. "I love 'em and want to be a good ma, but my ma was a pretty lousy example. I've fu-, screwed up everything I've ever done. Maybe-."

"Maybe nothing," the Watcher interrupted, his tone firm, the sort that in more innocent days had always had her diving for cover. "You have a good heart Faith, and I'm sure that you have plenty of love to give those two children. I'm positive you'll make a fine parent."

"Doubt Xander sees it like that."

Her mutter was picked up by the Watcher. "Xander is very angry Faith, and you can hardly blame him for that. Give him time and he'll come round. If not, then I will have a word with him. He can't go around creating a bad atmosphere for your children." The Englishman's tone lightened. "You'll have plenty of support, built-in babysitters with all their aunts and apparently," she giggled at the Watcher's injured tone. "Their grand- father." She was surprised when the middle-aged man put an arm around her shoulders. "They'll doubtless be times when you do or say the wrong thing, that they'll disappoint, scare, or hurt you-."

"Not exactly filling me with a confident glow there G."

"But they'll also be school plays, prize-days, track meets, dances, and other moments you'll savour forever Faith. You've missed out on their first three years. Cherish the rest of their childhood."

"Thanks G."

"You're welcome Faith, and remember I'm only ever a phone call away."

"Granpappy! Come tell us a story!" Alex shouted excitedly as Willow lowered the levitating infants to the bed.

"Granpappy, bloody marvellous," Giles groused. "I swear Caleb should have ripped Xander's tongue out rather than poke out his eye." She giggled again. "And you don't need to laugh young lady. Now," the newly named grandfather turned his attention to her children. "Have you heard the story of Ali Baba?"

"No!" two voices chorused.

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah!" the two voices exclaimed.

"Excuse me," Giles glanced away from his two grand-children sat on his lap, he was going to enjoy getting to know them, help their parents do the best job possible, to his fellow Englishman in the doorway. "Angel's feeling better, we're ready for the council."

Giles felt the joy evaporate from the room as its occupants were returned to the grim reality of their situation. He started to stand only for Alex to grab his hand. "Granpappy tell us another story!"

"And finally," Xander muttered. "He finds somebody who enjoys his stories."

"Daddy," Hope looked shocked. "Granpappy tells the best stories!"

"My mistake," Xander looked around. "Who's going to sit with them?"

"I am," the green-skinned demon friend of Angel entered.

"Lorne! Lorne!" instantly Alex released his hand and rushed over to the demon, followed by the boy's sister. "Are you going to sing for us, please?"

Laughing, the stylishly dressed demon scooped up the boy. "If that's what you and this pretty one want!"

"Ah," Xander sighed and looked at him. "G-man, so easily replaced."

Remembering the children Giles resisted the urge to tell Xander to piss off. "Shall we go down?"

He was surprised when Hope rushed back to him and grabbed his hand. "Don't go granpappy!"

He crouched down by his newly discovered granddaughter. "I'll come back later," he replied.

"With more stories?" the pleading look in the girl's eyes made his heart catch. How many times in her childhood had Faith looked up at her mother with those eyes and been either ignored or hit?

Finally he managed to speak. "With more stories."

"Got a fan there Giles," Xander commented as they walked down the corridor to the meeting room.

He looked at his surrogate son. "They're wonderful children," he enthused before resorting to a darker tone. "They're a credit to you, to both of you. You're both very lucky to have them." His point made, he continued on.

Upon entering the room, Angel stood. "You want to take this meeting Giles?"

After blinking in surprise he nodded at the vampire and sat. "As I see it, we have three adversaries – W&H, the Kalian Order, and The Blood Brotherhood'."

"What about those others?"

Giles turned to Dawn. "What others?" his brow creased. "Oh yes, when we were being questioned, I overheard one of Wood's," Faith grimaced at the mention of her former love. "Companions discussing a group known as the Apocalypse Foun-."

"Oh bloody hell," Wesley groaned. "Their leader is Archibald Trent. He was three years ahead of me at Watcher School, a bully and lech who got thrown out of the Council for experimenting with dark magics. He founded the Apocalypse Foundation to further his powers in the occult world."

"Very well," Giles re-ordered his thoughts. "Angel, I need you to come with me into the Wolfram & Hart building."

"Wes knows his way round there best," the vampire interjected.

"Very well," he nodded. "And then I want -."

"I'm coming with you."

After a second he nodded, knowing full when that when Xander got that expression on his face it was pointless arguing. "Very well." He turned to the African-American. "Gunn will take Buffy and Faith to find any trace of these groups, while Fred," he nodded at the shy girl, "will take Willow, and Kennedy."

"And me!" Giles opened his mouth to disagree but Dawn pre-empted him. "They're part of my family too."

He sighed, he never won any of his arguments. "Go with Gunn's group. Neither Gunn's nor Fred's group are to engage any of our enemies, only find out where they are and what numbers they have." He saw Buffy's mouth open. "I'm not risking a pre-emptive strike that allows some of the enemy to escape. The other Slayers will be split between both teams, with the exception of Vi and Rona who will stay here with Lorne to guard the children." To his surprise instead of the expected anger at being left out, the two Slayers looked excited. Mind you, you needed the bloody energy of a Slayer to keep up with those rug-rats. "Any questions?" When there were none he rose. "Tomorrow night people."

He turned towards the door. "Giles, can we speak, alone?"

He turned to the vampire and nodded. "Certainly." Once the others had disappeared to get armed, he spoke. "Well?"

"You realise that Wolfe has to die don't you?" Giles nodded, that was why he hadn't put any of the Slayers in their group. "And?" the vampire pressed.

For a moment he saw Alex and Hope's smiling, laughing faces before him. "I don't have a problem with that." No one was hurting his grandchildren, no- body. And if he had to tear W&H down with his own two hands then that was – how would Faith put it? Ah yes, five by five by him.