FIC: A Murder Of Crows (2/?)
Oh god and bollocks.
Giles stared at the battered man sat on the opposite side of his desk, unable to believe what was happening. Just a few hours ago, Faith had been a complete enigma, a girl that he knew very little about indeed. But now, now, she had a father. He glanced at the man sat opposite again. Jack piggin' Crow, the Vatican's top gun, a man whose demon-hunting exploits were legendary, a man who even the Council walked carefully around. Watching, the career that just kept on giving. Ulcers mostly.
"Let me at him B!" the Vatican demon hunter shifted uncomfortably in his seat at Faith's cry from the other side of the door. "I'm gonna make regret the day he ever got his thing on with my ma!"
"I think he sorta already does Faith."
And he'd originally thought Buffy was hard work.
Oh bloody hell.
He glanced down at the thin file lying on his desk, the few facts that Faith's first Watcher had managed to glean from the suspicious teenager and official records. It was the story of a child taken into the dubious safety of foster-care at the age of ten, running away three years later, and living with a street gang for eighteen months until her Watcher had discovered and taken her in just under two years ago. Little enough information, but one only had to turn on the idiot box to see what happened to children in foster-care and on the streets. Add the fact that said child had made a pass at him, a man almost three times her age, on their first meeting….
Finally he spoke. "I suppose you'll be staying in Sunnydale to be with Faith," he commented, his tone neutral. Faith's happiness had to come before the Council's wants and needs.
"Why? So I got a kid," Crow shrugged. "Way I get about there has to be more than one Crow Kid running about."
Giles' eyes narrowed at that remark, the first smouldering embers of his temper lit. If his guest didn't watch out, he'd be receiving his second beating of the evening, this time at the hands of a rather genteel-looking Englishman. "Perhaps you should read this," he said through gritted teeth. He passed the report over.
He noted the demon hunter's slight blanch at some of the salient facts in the report. It appeared the man had at least some conscience. Finally the Catholic Church's hired gun dropped the report onto the desk with a shake of the head. "This won't work. She hates me."
"Is it any bloody wonder?" Giles half-growled. "Sixteen years of hell without having her father around, I'd say she was entitled. Be a bloody man for once in your soddin' life, live up to your responsibilities."
The American's eyes flickered dangerously before let out an unamused laugh. "You've got some stones ain't ya?"
Stones? Oh splendid, another American seemingly incapable of speaking the Queen's English. He, an Englishman with Classical degrees from some of the world's finest universities stuck in a land filled with illiterate barbarians. If there was a god, he had a bloody warped sense of humour. Quelling his distaste, Giles leaned over the desk and stared challengingly at the man. "If you wish, I'm sure I could magic you up some."
"Nah," the man sniffed. "Pair I've got have done me fine so far."
Giles resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. He was beginning to wonder if maybe Faith was better off without this pillock. "So," he leaned back in his chair. "You intend to leave her. A man with your demon hunting experience are going to desert his daughter for the second time in her life, when she needs you the most. When she herself has received the same calling as yourself."
The man stared at him for a second before sighing. "I'll give it a go."
"No," Giles corrected with a shake of his head. "You'll do more than it give it a bloody go. That girl has wanted for a parent her entire life judging from what little I've seen of her."
The demon hunter's mouth twisted up into a warped caricature of a smile. "Let's go see my girl."
Faith tensed as the inner office door opened and Jack Crow exited the room. She began to rise, only to sit back down at a warning glance from her fellow Slayer. "Jack has decided he'll be staying in Sunnydale," G announced as he followed the demon hunter out of his office. "Therefore it has been decided that you move in with him-."
"You smoking Crack G?" Faith laughed even as she shook her head. "Chasing the dragon or some shit? No fucking way!"
"I told you this wouldn't work," muttered Crow.
"Faith, my office now." She ignored the Watcher to glare at the bastard who was her father. "Faith!"
She blinked at the Watcher's hard tone. Before she knew it she was sat on the seat, that, judging from the heat, her father had just vacated. Giles sat down opposite her, staring intently at her for several seconds before speaking. "Buffy has informed me of your less than salubrious environment-."
"Say what?"
"Your grotty hotel room," Giles explained. "I was going to offer you a room at my home-."
"Why G," Faith fluttered her eyelashes. "You need a girl-toy?"
Giles gritted his teeth. "No Faith, I wouldn't think of treating a girl your age in such a manner. But now your father is here-."
"No way am I moving with that prick!"
"FAITH!" She jumped when the Watcher slammed his fist onto the desk surface, shocked by his sudden rage. "Will you bloody please listen?" Stunned by the Englishman's snarl, she stayed silent. G continued, his tone softer. "Faith, I have read your previous Watcher's report." Faith bristled, how dare he? That had fuck all to do with him. "From what I understand you have never had a parent worthy of the name. And yes, before you say anything, I am more aware of Mr. Crow's short-comings. However, he is also the Vatican's top demon hunter," Faith's mouth dropped open, "and would be an asset in our fight, giving you and Buffy more of a chance of surviving. If however you are not satisfied with your new living arrangements, you can move in with me."
Faith pursed her lips in thought. If nothing else she was a survivor. She stared at the librarian, surprised at the sincerity she saw in his eyes. Finally she came to a decision. "Deal." She spat on her hand and stuck it out for the Englishman to shake.
The Watcher stared with disgust at her hand. He sighed. "Delightful." After spitting on his hand he shook hers. "Deal."
"You have the bed," Crow glanced around the small hotel room. "I'll sleep on the couch. I'll look for an apartment in the morning."
"Five by five," Faith glared at him. "And for the record, you try and get in bed with me and I'll cut it off and feed it to you."
"What the fuck do you think I am?"
"The sort of asshole who pays hos," Faith stepped towards him, forcing him backwards, he had to admit she was more than a little frightening. "Maybe you got a motherdaughter kink too."
"Listen missy," he growled. "I get you don't like me and I guess you got reason. But I'm your father and I'm not going to touch you. Now get to bed and I'll take you to school in the -."
"SCHOOL!" Faith's eyes widened. "No fucking way!"
"You are getting an education!"
"So your dad's this bad-ass demon hunter right?"
Faith looked away from her locker to glance across at the clearly uncomfortable kid stood to her left. She sniffed. "B's got a big mouth."
"Not really," Xander hurried to defend his friend. Big surprise there, guy spent the entire day kissing each of the three girls' asses in turn. She reckoned he might be gay. Or angling for an invite into the girls' locker room. "She was just worried." Xander hesitated. "If you need someone to talk to I'm available."
Faith arched an eyebrow. Ah, it was the 'befriend you into bed angle'. So not gay, just corny and unoriginal as hell. "You remember you got a girl-friend right?"
"What?" Xander's eyes widened and he shook his head so hard that she thought it was going to come off. "N…no, I meant as a friend. I mean you're hot and everything, but I'd never cheat-."
"X," she patted the youth on his cheek before slamming her locker shut. "'Course you would, you can't help it. I'm Faith and you're a guy." Spinning round, she sauntered towards the door.
"Uh, excuse me."
Faith turned to see a boy that came up to just above her chest standing to her right. Which was lucky cause that where his gaze was centred. "Yeah?"
"Uh, hi," the kid stuttered. "My name's Jonathan. Principal Snyder said I'm meant to tutor you for your make-up classes." The boy looked down at his feet, which made for a change.
Faith groaned, Crow had mentioned she had to have a tutor. "You're shittin' me, you're my fucking tutor?" the boy's eyes widened at her language even as he nodded. "Ah fuck. I get a fucking munchkin. Say kiddie, does your ma even know you're out on your own?" The boy flinched as if she'd hit him, Faith's heart fell. Life had let her with edges, but she wasn't a bully. She'd been bullied too much by other kids about her clothing, no-good ma, and other stuff to ever pick on someone. "I'm sorry Jonno, wanna try again?"
The youth looked at her, suspicion warring with hope in his eyes. "Sure."
The two of them started towards the nearest empty classroom. "So, what music you into?"
"Pop I guess."
Faith rolled her eyes. "I see I got a lot of work with ya."
"Work?" her companion queried.
"Yeah, if we're gonna be buds I can't have ya humming MMMBop at me can I?"
Jonathan stopped and stared at her. "You wanna be buds with me?"
"Why not? Ya seem like a pretty cool guy."
Jonathan's surprised smile only lasted a second. "Whoo! Levinson!" A beefy kid knocked Jonathan's books to the floor. "What have I told you about talking to hotties? They belong to -."
In a second she had the teen pinned against the wall, her hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing with enough pressure to make the youth gasp as he flailed desperately at her hand. "You don't fuck with my friends," she snarled. "When I finish talking, I'm gonna let you go, and when I do that, you're gonna pick up those books," she glanced at the books scattered on the floor, "give 'em to JL and apologise for being a prick. You do anything else and I will break something. And," she stepped closer to the bully, "'case you think I'm like Summers, I ain't. She's sunshine and light, I'm the darkness. You hurt JL again and I will hurt you. In fact, your continued good health depends on him being in tip-top condition, so anyone else hurts him, and I'll come looking for you. You dig?" The bully nodded, his eyes bulging with fear. "Cool." She released her grip.
Immediately the youth grabbed the scattered books off the floor and thrust them into JL's hands. "I'm sorry Jonathan," the thug muttered before running off.
"Wow! Thanks!" Faith smirked at Jonathan's look of worship. Oh yeah, a girl could get used to that.