"Hey, Gunn," Xander said, exchanging their handshake yet again. "Thanks for your help earlier. We really couldn't have done that without you."
"Yo, for a minute there, I thought they were gonna keep me locked up."
Xander shrugged. "For a minute, they were, but Hondo had enough pull to get you out. And now, we're all out," he said, dropping his bag and Angel's daggers on the check-in counter.
"What do you mean?" Gunn asked.
"We've been suspended, all of us," Xander said. "For acting outside of the chain of command."
"That's bullshit," Gunn said.
"Yeah," Xander agreed. "I mean, there's a chain for a reason. I know that, we all do. But come on, we got the thing pulled off, and nobody got hurt but the bad guys."
"Here," Angel said, tossing Xander a small piece of folded up paper as he walked out of his office. "That's for you."
"What is it?" Xander asked, unfolding the paper.
"It was at the building," Angel said. "I took it because it would raise questions you don't want asked."
Xander unfolded the paper and read the message aloud. "A.L.H., your time is coming. Wow. That's cryptic. Is this –"
"Blood," Angel said. "That's how I found it."
"Hondo said something about the terrorists claiming they were influenced by a voodoo priest, although I'm fairly sure they meant shaman. Said that he, the priest, wanted to test the warrior. Any bells?"
"Nothing comes to mind," Angel said. "I'll ask Wes to look into it."
"Thanks," Xander said. "And again, for the help tonight. You did a great job."
"And you kept my name out of it," Angel said.
"Yeah, absolutely," Xander said. "Don't worry, we took credit for all your work."
"Well, good," Angel said. "Did I hear right? You said you got suspended?"
"All of us," Xander said. "So, I'm free to help around here."
"Good," Angel said.
"Uh, the other thing, though," Xander said. "The rest of my team wants in as well."
"They what?" Gunn and Angel asked together.
"They want to help out," Xander said.
"Xander, there is no way –"
"Look, they can handle it," Xander said, interrupting Angel. "They're cops because they want to make a difference. Well, copping went away for now, so what else are they going to do? Sit on their asses and wait for the review? That could take weeks."
"Not everyone can handle it," Angel said.
"I know that," he said. "And I'm not saying we should get all apocalyptic on them, but what could it hurt for them to have a little training, to be able to protect and serve better. Right? And if they can't handle it, I'll deal with it. I'm not asking for them to be coddled. Just involved."
"Bro's got a point," Gunn said. "And it never hurts to have a few more people we can trust."
"Fine. But minimal involvement." Angel said. "You know, it's just like you people to team up." He shook his head and walked back to his office.
"'You people'?" Gunn asked. He'd been called 'you people' before, and didn't care for it.
"I think he meant humans," Xander said, frowning.
Gunn sighed. "You wanna do the usual?" he asked, holding his fist out for a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
"Nah, I got this one," Xander said.
Xander walked into Angel's office and sat in a chair across from the vampire. Angel didn't acknowledge his presence, and Xander, for his part, seemed content to just sit there. Finally, Angel gave in.
"What?" he asked, abruptly.
"Oh, I'm just wondering what crawled up your ass," Xander said. "You were in a bad mood earlier, you're in a bad mood now. What's up?"
"Go away, Harris," Angel said.
"Oh, so it's Harris now, is it? Good, I was worried you were getting too used to being nice to people. Can't have that, gotta be a brooding son-of-a-bitch."
Angel glared.
"Hey, don't pull that crap on me," Xander said. "I've known you longer than every single other person in this city, and hated you almost half that time. You stopped scaring me a long time ago, pal. Now what. Is. Up?"
"It's not your problem," Angel said. "Just leave it alone."
"Actually, you're wrong. It is my problem. Everything that affects you affects someone I care about, and that makes it my problem. So whatever it is, either spit it out or get the hell over it. I won't have you treating Dawn like you did everyone else a couple years ago. Got me?"
Angel looked down at his desk and began writing something again.
Xander rolled his eyes and got up to leave.
"She's dating someone," Angel said.
"Who?" Xander asked, turning around again. "Dawn?"
"No. Her."
Xander understood. There were only two people that 'her' would ever refer to, and one of them was in no condition to be dating anybody.
"I know," Xander said.
Angel's head shot up, angry. "You know? You knew?"
"Will told me she was on a date last night."
"And you didn't say anything? To me?" the vampire asked, rising from his chair.
"It's none of my business," Xander said. "And it's none of yours, either."
"How can you say it's none–"
"Because I know the girl, Angel, Christ! This guy isn't 'the guy', you know that as well as I do. This is some good looking guy who makes her feel better about herself. She's still reeling from Sunnydale, from everyone turning on her like they did, from Spike dying, though God alone knows why. She needs someone who can help her feel good about her, not someone who needs, or even expects her to be strong. Everything in her life has fallen apart, and all the people she relied on, she's not sure of anymore."
"And because of you," Angel said, softly.
"You're damn right because of me!" Xander said. "You think I haven't stayed up some nights wishing I could just take it all back? That me and Buffy could be best friends again, that I don't miss her? Well I do, okay? It's not easy on anybody, least of all her. So just back off all the brooding right now, because she needs time to… cook, or whatever it was she said to you. You'll get your chance, or not, that's up to her. But either way, now is not the time."
"How do you know?" Angel asked. "How do you know this guy isn't 'the one,' that he's just there to make her feel better?"
"Because he's doing the same thing."
They both turned and saw Faith at the door. "I heard arguing... couldn't stop droppin' some eaves."
"What do you mean he's doing the same thing?" Angel asked. Xander turned to Faith, interested in her answer.
"Well," she started. "It's… like you said. I think. You've kinda lost one of your best friends. Red's farther away than she's ever been, and your hometown dropped into the Earth, with you not there to be a part of it. Been worried about Dawn since before the whole guardian thing came up, and even with the SWAT upgrade, you're none too sure of yourself. Lara likes you. She's a pretty one, that's easy enough to see. She ain't the one, though. I don't know who it is, but it ain't her."
"She's not?" Xander asked.
Faith shook her head. "You were single for, what, two years? Three?"
"I've had dates here and there," Xander said. "But uh. Yeah."
"And then, you and B have a big bust-up, and all of a sudden you pick up a chick in a bar and get it on in one night?" She shrugged. "Just doesn't fit, to my view."
Angel and Xander stood, silent. Faith frowned, her face thoughtful.
"I just realized I have to make a phone call," she said. Faith turned and left them. Angel and Xander collapsed into their chairs.
Angel started laughing, quietly at first, but it grew louder and heartier quickly. He was soon joined by Xander.
"We're pathetic," Angel said, still laughing.
"I know," Xander replied, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh, god. That's just…"
Angel shook his head, a genuine smile gracing his features.
"Um. I have to go," Xander said, still smiling. "Your daggers are on the counter. People will be here at two, tomorrow."
"Yeah," Angel said. "I'll set up the basement."
Xander nodded and waved, still chuckling at himself. He got home and called Lara, to set up a dinner date for the next night. He called Buffy. She was out again, but he asked Willow to tell her yes, of course he would be Dawn's co-guardian. Xander went to bed that night feeling better than he had in weeks.
"That's not safe," Xander said. He had walked into the Hyperion a few minutes after two and saw Dawn playing with Sanchez's daughter, Eliza, while Sanchez and Boxer talked.
"What, is she not responsible?" Sanchez asked, very serious.
"No, it's not that at all. Dawn's one of the most responsible kids I know. You just might not get your daughter back, is all. Dawn might want to keep her. Willow was here, you wouldn't stand a chance."
Sanchez breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey!"
Xander turned and saw Deke and Street walk into the hotel, both carrying gym bags, both wearing shirts that showed off their muscles. Dawn looked up from Eliza and stared for a minute, then caught her self, subtly wiped her mouth, and went back to playing with the little girl.
"Hey, guys," Xander said.
"So, we about ready?" Boxer asked.
"Yeah, just need to wait for Hondo…"
"And that's pretty much the nickel tour," Xander heard Angel say as he saw the vampire and Hondo coming down from the second floor.
"Or, he's here before everyone," Xander said.
"I am impressed with this place," Hondo said, looking around again.
"Hey," Xander said, walking up to the pair with a smile.
"Harris, this place is nice."
"Yeah, I know," Xander said. "We about ready?"
"Sure," Angel said, with a wicked grin.
Xander's face immediately fell. "What?" he asked.
"I changed my mind from last night. None of this minimalist crap."
Xander looked the vampire right in the eyes. "Deep end?"
"Went on a recruiting trip last night," Angel said, smirking.
"Wow. Uh, okay. Downstairs then?"
Angel nodded.
"All right guys, let's go," Xander called out. The team grabbed their gear and followed Angel to the basement.
"Dawn," Xander said, walking over to where she was playing with Eliza. The young woman looked up at him. "You gonna be okay up here?"
"Xander, this is the cutest little girl I have ever seen. I want one," Dawn said, an adorable pout gracing her features.
Xander shivered involuntarily. "Don't ever let your sister hear you say that," he said. Xander knelt down, kissed Dawn on the forehead and went downstairs to join his team, and found them all stretching as Angel stood to one side, watching. Xander dropped his bag and did a quick stretch on his own.
"Hey," Deke said, as he was stretching out his legs. "How come your friend ain't stretching? We gonna work out aren't we?"
"Sure," Xander said. "But trust me. He'll be fine."
"Actually, I'm not training with you guys," Angel said. He shoved off of the wall, walked across the room and opened a door. A moment later, a vampire struggled its way through the door, a collar around its neck and Faith holding a chain leash.
The team scrambled away from the door.
"You got him?" Angel asked.
"No problem," said Faith. "Guy's got nothin' on a croc."
Xander smiled dopily remembering Faith's stories, but was shaken out of it as Angel launched a staggering punch at the vampire, dropping it to the floor.
"Stay," he said. "Got me?"
The vampire growled in response, but stayed on the floor.
"Here's the training for today," Angel said. He stuck a thumb out at the vampire. "He tries to kill you. You try to kill him right back. He's faster and stronger than anyone you've ever met, excepting me and Faith."
"We're just supposed to kill this guy?" Deke asked. "Ain't that murder?"
"Self defense," Xander said. "Trust me, if you don't kill him, he'll kill you. Isn't that right, Sparky?"
The vampire merely growled at him.
"Jesus, Angel, this guy's not even vocal. What, did you get a feral one?"
"No, just a stupid one," Faith said. "Who likes to growl."
"Well, what are we supposed to kill him with?" Street asked.
Angel smiled and walked over to a table. He pulled a blanket off and revealed –
"You're kidding," Boxer said. "Sticks?"
Angel shrugged. "Right tool for the job," he said. "Now, once we release this guy, me, Faith and Xander are going to be upstairs. You're going to kill him, and you're not going to come up until you have. Everyone grab a stake. Remember: they go in his heart."
"Why am I not with them?" Xander asked as the rest of his team grabbed their weapons.
"Because you could kill this guy yourself," Angel said.
"That new?" Xander asked.
"Two days," Angel said, holding up the requisite number of fingers to indicate the same. "Dawn could probably kill him."
"That little girl?" Deke asked.
"Yeah," Angel said. "Vampires, young ones, aren't that hard to kill, but you have to know how. Dawn's got a lot more experience than you. She'd have a tough time of it though."
"Harris, and a little girl can kill this guy, and we can't?" Hondo asked.
"Xander could beat any one of you in hand-to-hand combat, probably without breaking a sweat," Angel said.
"Even me?" Street asked.
Angel raised an eyebrow. Xander leaned over towards him and muttered something about the Navy SEAL's. Angel nodded.
"Yes," Angel said. "But he might sweat it some."
"I'd like to see that someday," Street said.
"Maybe you will," Angel said. "But not today. Everybody ready?"
The team nodded.
"Faith?" Angel said.
Faith walked up to the captive vampire. "You know what I am?" she asked.
The vampire nodded.
"Move before I'm out of the room, I'll come back and kill you myself," she said. "And I'll make it slow."
The beast's eyes widened, and Faith unhooked the chain from its collar.
"Collar, too," Angel said. "He's got enough weapons."
Faith nodded, removed the pin from the iron collar, then took the collar itself from the vampire's neck.
"Remember," she said. "Move, and you get me."
"One last question," Hondo said. Faith put her foot on the vampire's chest. "You said that Xander could beat all of us. So how good are you guys?"
Angel smiled. "I could kill Xander with a bit of effort. He's pretty good, one of the better fighters I've ever worked with. A fight between us would last two minutes, maybe a little more. Maybe three, if Xander got lucky."
"And her?" Deke asked, inclining his head toward Faith.
"We're not really sure how strong a Slayer can get," Xander said. "But it's a safe bet she could kill me with one punch."
Deke, Street, Sanchez and Boxer all let out long, low whistles.
"All right. Xander, Faith upstairs. Gentlemen. Lady. Good luck."
Angel, Xander and Faith marched up the stairs, all eyes following them. As soon as the door shut, the SWAT team looked to the vampire.
He grinned.
-----------
End Chapter 18