The Archer

Xander held Faith against the wall. He could feel her fear and her anger and her confusion. He knew all too well what she was going through.

"Because I've killed before," whispered Xander.

She stopped moving, stopped breathing for a moment. Xander let her go and walked over to the bed. He sat down and took a calming breath.

"Before Buffy came," he began, "I was the second best archer in the nation. The first best was my teacher. We were a team. Then, just a month before I joined this world of demons and vampires…I was walking to Willow's to spend the night. Beforehand, I was practicing with my bow. I had it with me, along with my quiver.

"While I was walking, there was a drive by. I remember ducking down behind a car. I knew that I didn't stand a chance if I didn't fight back, and I knew that they'd kill me without a second glance. So, I fought back. I got out an arrow, put it in my bow, took aim, and let it sing. A lullaby come from wood.

"It hit the first one in the heart, then passed right into the second's head. I let another one sing, and it struck the third in the chest, near the lung. The driver stopped the car, got out, and started to fire at me. I remember…lying on the ground, praying to God for it to stop. Then, it did. I looked up and I saw him. He was shaking his gun, hitting it. It was jammed.

"I remember seeing him drop it. He went for the other gun he had in his jacket. I…loaded up my longbow and let it sing. He fell to the ground, dead, an arrow sticking through his neck. I remember dropping my bow, my quiver. I sat against the car I was hiding behind. I just…sat there, the dead all before me. I remember the police showing up.

"They took me away…in handcuffs. They tried to call my mom and dad, but no one was home. I remember them…questioning me. I told them the truth, all of it. I…spent the night in a cell. It was a little after seven in the morning when my teacher, Dom, showed up. A friend of hers in the police force had called to tell her that her student was in jail. I remember her…telling the police that she was my mother.

"It was true. Not my birth mother, but my mother in spirit. She talked to them, and they told her what I had told them. They said that they weren't pressing charges and that I could leave now that someone had shown up. She took me home, to her home, and to the home I have now. We talked for a while. She told me that what I did was honorable. She told me that to fight for your life is amongst the most honorable things a human being could do, but she told me that…every time you kill, you feel a rush. That rush that comes from knowing that you just extinguished a life. It can be the biggest high ever…or the worst feeling in the world. For me, it was the worst.

"I hated myself. I wished that I was dead so many times after that, and she said that that was good. If I felt no guilt, no responsibility for it…I would have ended up using the gifts that I was given for the wrong reasons. She told me that I was a born fighter, but for what cause, she didn't know.

"I told her that day that I'd never fire a longbow again. Then, I got into this fight. I committed myself to this fight to make amends for my deeds and to save lives. I killed four people that I had never even met before, and not long after that, I ended up having to slay my best friend."

Xander sighed and laid down on the bed. He had just finished telling a woman that he hadn't know but three months that he was a murderer, and that was something he swore he'd never tell anyone again. Xander sighed and took a deep breath. He felt the bed get lower as Faith sat down next to him.

"Are you OK," she asked.

Xander looked over at her. He knew what she meant, and he also knew that she was wondering it she'd end up going through that.

"No," Xander answered honestly, "It kills me every day of my life. Why do you think I chose to do this? I started it for redemption. Then, I killed Jesse. After that, I realized that redemption wasn't important. What was important was saving lives. I didn't need, didn't want, to be redeemed. I wanted to suffer so that someone else wouldn't have to suffer in my stead."

Faith sat on her bed as the boy…no, the man next to her confessed something that must have torn him up inside for years. She had no choice now but to respect him. She knew that she had been acting out-of-character with him, but she knew that he had been through something hard. She wondered if she herself would be able to do what he did.

Xander sat up and looked Faith directly in the eye.

"Faith," he said, "Don't make a joke when I say this. I want you to come and live in my house."

"What," she asked, "Why?"

"Do you want to learn more about that vision?"

"Yeah, but why can't I just come over every now and then?"

"You aura is corrupted, and mine too, by us being here! This place is home to death, torture, and chaos divine. In order to meditate, one must cleanse the aura and be at peace, and peace for you will never be obtained if you live here. And I'm betting you don't have anywhere else to go, so I'm offering my place."

"…Alright, Xander. I'll go. But, don't expect any privileges."

"I wouldn't want any," said Xander.

"What," asked an angry Faith.

"I don't do that, Faith. A while ago, I would have leapt at the chance, but not now. As of right now, I'm trying to help you to avoid a path that could lead you to your death. Our relationship needs to be pure so that that can be done. If not, then the answers will never be found."

"So, it's not because of me?"

"Faith, don't think so little of yourself. You are more than you sell yourself for."

Xander smiled at Faith, who returned the smile.

"So, it's still a yes?"

"Yeah, Xander. It is."

"Cool. You want some help packing?"

"No, it's cool. I only got a few things. Give me a few minutes, then we'll be five by five."

"Cool."

Xander sat down on the bed as Faith started to get her things together. Then, there was a knocking on door.

"I'll get it," said Xander.

He walked over to the door and answered it. Standing there was a fat, balding guy with a mustache.

"Can I help you," asked Xander.

"If you're living here, that's double," said the man.

"I'm helping Faith move out," said Xander.

"She owes me rent."

"How much?"

"A hundred and forty. It's ten dollars a night."

"Fine. I'll give you the money tomorrow."

"No. I've heard that too many times already. I want it now!"

"Listen, Tony," said Faith as she came in, "I don't have your money right now, but if you give me a few days, then-"

"No! If you don't give it to me now, then I'm calling the cops."

"For what?"

"Failing to pay off debts, and threatening me."

"When did she threaten you," asked Xander.

"Just now."

"You'd be lying," said Xander.

"What's it matter to you? You're just another of her boyfriends."

"I'll give you a choice," said Xander, "You can let me pay for it tomorrow, or you can go to jail tonight."

"How would I go to jail tonight?"

"One, you got a switchblade in your pocket. Two, fraud; the sign outside says six bucks for a room, you're charging ten. Three, the conditions here are so bad that the fire and health inspector would agree to condemn this place before anybody could get hurt. So, you can get your hundred and forty tomorrow, or lose your hotel tonight!"

"…Fine. I want it tomorrow by five, got it?"

"Sure thing, Tony. And after that, we can have a nice little chat about twenty you just stole of the table."

"…What twenty?"

"When you came in here, I had a twenty there. Now it's missing."

"…A hundred and twenty."

"We're gone."

"Did you really have a twenty there," asked Faith as she and Xander walked down the street.

"Yeah," said Xander, "I put it there when I heard the knocking."

"Why?"

"I sensed greed."

"So you tested him?"

"Yeah."

"You're kinda conniving, you know?"

"It's part of my personality."

Xander led Faith down the street until he saw his house. He pointed at it for Faith.

"That's it," he said as he led her up the walkway.

"Wow," she said, "You've come up in the world. Man, I can't wait to get inside. I'm burning up out here."

"There's not much difference inside. I don't have electricity."

"What? How come?"

"My teacher didn't want any, and I can survive without it."

As Xander opened the door, he made room for Faith to go first. He heard her gasp as she looked at the living room.

"Wow, X. This is wicked!"

"I know. At least I won't ever need a weapon."

Faith practically squealed when she saw all the weapons he had. She walked over to the nearest wall, which contained daggers. She started to mess with them, but Xander put a hand on her shoulder.

"Not now," he said, "Sleep."

"What? It's only…never mind."

"Right. That bedroom through there is yours now. All of the drawers are filled with my stuff, so you can just toss your stuff into the closet. It's empty."

"Man, X. I-"

"Don't, Faith. Let's just get some sleep."

"Cool. Wait, where do you sleep?"

"Upstairs in the meditation room."

"Isn't that a little cramped?"

"It's big enough for two people."

"Oh. Hey, do you do that meditation crap while you're sleeping?"

"Yeah, I do. See, my mind and body sleep, but my spirit goes wherever it wants to. While I'm meditating, my spirit splits apart and the other three parts train the original. When I wake up, I have all these skills that I didn't know when I went asleep."

Xander handed Faith's bag back to her, then walked over to the study. He began to put all his weapons away. He put his quiver and bow on the wall, but kept the gauntlet on.

He walked back outside the study and closed the door behind him. Before going upstairs, he looked into the bedroom to check on Faith. She had blown out all the candles in the room, so he couldn't see her.

"Faith," he called.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Do you want me to get it cooler in here?"

"How?"

"Ice fire from one of my crystals. Gives off light and cool at the same time."

"I got it covered."

"OK. Goodnight, Faith. Oh, turn on the clock in there. It'll go off at seven."

"Alright. By the way, it's three thirty. Goodnight, X."

"Night, Faith."

Xander settled himself into his position and began to let his mind drift off. As he felt himself separate, he felt his spirit leave him to begin the travels again. When Xander became…spiritually aware of the world again, he expected to find himself in some field like always. Instead, he was in a bar, standing with a pool stick in his hand.

"You break, Kid," said a voice behind him.

Xander turned around and saw his other three forms. The soldier was sitting on a barstool, twirling his pool stick in the air. The hyena was sitting on the bar itself, holding a pool stick and drinking a bear. The vampire was playing on a pinball game, cussing it out for being rigged.

"Go on, Kid," said the soldier, "Break."

"What's happening," asked Xander.

"We want to play pool," said the hyena, "So, we're playing pool."

"But, why?"

"After what you did tonight, you need a break," said the soldier.

"But, why pool?"

"Because every man should have a good bit of experience in both pool and poker," said the vampire as it punched the machine one more time.

"Yeah," said the hyena, "Larry The Cable Guy couldn't have said it better."

"Git R Done," said the vampire in his best country accent.

"Why are you mentioning Larry," said soldier, "I mean, Ron White's the best!"

"Oh, yeah," said hyena, "'They call me…tater salad!'"

"No, no, no," said Xander, "You're both wrong! Bill Engvall, now that's a comedian!"

"What," screamed vampire, "You're not telling me that Bill's better than Jeff Foxworthy!"

"Wait," said hyena, "Isn't that the guy that does all the redneck jokes?"

"Yeah," said Xander, "But Bill does the 'Here's Your Sign' jokes."

"Oh, yeah," said soldier, "I remember that one. But, if I had to pick between Bill and Jeff…I'd pick Jeff."

"Hah," screamed vampire.

"Redneck," screamed hyena.

"Fine, fine," said Xander as he set up his shot, "I still think Bill's better, but Jeff Foxworthy's redneck jokes are good."

"Ooh," said soldier, "I just thought of one. If you've ever heated up a sandwich on your truck engine, you might be a redneck."

The other three stared at him.

"Let's just play," said vampire.