A/N Takes place two days after chapter 9 and is a bonus chapter. This chapter is only so you can get a better feel for Kendra and Xander's relationship together. Just a filler episode really. It's also going to lead over to the next chapter Bad Eggs. I really want Kendra to have realistic emotions, instead of just what we saw on TV. So she'll act a little differently around Xander, then she would around the others.
Chapter 10
Brothers and Sisters
Harris Manor
Night
Xander let out a low wince as he sat down on the couch next to Kendra. Most of his injuries were healed, but they still hurt like a bitch. He had just made it home that morning, but he had already called Giles and told him that he needed to explain to him and the group what had happened with the release of Lord Ahriman.
Giles in turn told him that it would be more prudent for him to get some rest. Not having much else to do, he spent the day with Kendra. Since they were living together he decided to tell her all about the mistake that he had made by letting Lord Ahriman loose. To his relief, Kendra wasn't mad at him, but just rather dissappointed that he would fall for such an obvious trap.
Not wanting to spoil the time he had with his new friend, he quickly changed the subject. They had spent the whole day watching movies and old cartoons. As Xander reached over to get the bowl of freshly popped popcorn, that was out of his reach, he let out another wince and grabbed at his aching ribs. Taking pity on him, Kendra grabbed the bowl and passed it over to him.
"Thanks." Xander said as he sent a nod.
"No problem." Kendra replied as she absent-mindingly started to touch the cast for her broken finger. As she turned her attention back to the Evil Dead marathon movie, her large nightshirt rode up and her outer thigh was exposed. Before she could cover up, Xander looked at her leg and saw a large whelp mark on it.
"Ahriman, must have gotten you better than I thought." Xander said as he threw some popcorn in his mouth.
"Yeah." Kendra replied as she finally succeeded at covering up her legs. That was when Xander knew that something was wrong. There was a certain look on Kendra's face, even though it only lasted a second, that spoke of old memories.
It was a look that he knew that he had always given, when he lied to his friends about the bruises that he used to get because of Anthony Harris' abuse. When he was younger, before he met Buffy, he would just tell Jesse and Willow that he fell down and hurt himself. He knew that Jesse bought it, but he alway's suspected that Willow knew the truth. Snapping himself out of his own musings, he looked over at Kendra's beautiful face and saw a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"Who really gave you that?" Xander asked as he wiped her tear away with his thumb.
"What?" Kendra asked as she looked at him with mock-confusion.
"That whelp mark." he clarified. Even though she had already covered up her leg, she still self-consciously pulled down at her shirt.
"What do you mean?" she asked as she finally met his gaze. She noted that his eyes seemed to be burning into her own, as if he were looking into the depths of her very soul. Just the look that he was giving her was a sad one, but also one that said that he understood her pain.
"I've known you for less than a month and you've become very close to me." Xander started. "I've told you things that I haven't even told any of my other friends, well all except this." he said as he stopped for a second so he could collect his thoughts. Kendra just looked at him deep in her own thoughts, but still she hung on to every word that he was saying.
"When I was young my dad...Anthony..." he clarified. "..used to beat me and my mom. I remember that there were so many bruises." he said reminising of memories past. Before he knew what was going on tears came to his own eye's and he found that Kendra was gently holding and squeezing his hand. "When I got older and bigger the beatings got less and less, but still he beat me. That was until one day, I just looked at him in the eye and he just knew that I wasn't a victim anymore."
"Why are you telling me dis?" Kendra asked.
"Because my mom told me who you pretended to be at the hospital." Xander said as he managed a smile. "And to be honest with you, that's how I feel about you. I feel that you're like a little sister to me. And as an older brother I feel responsible for you..." at her look he hurried to continue. "I know...I know you're the Slayer and you can take care of yourself, but you're still just fifteen years old. You shouldn't have to deal with the pressure's of the world, especially not alone. That's why I don't like the fact of somebody hurting you. Now please tell me who did that to you?"
"I...I..." Kendra stammered at a lost for words. All her life she had never felt as though anybody cared for her. Not even her Watcher Mr. Zabuto. She had always just felt like a tool. She knew that being the Slayer was important, but she never admitted to anyone that she would kill to have family and friends. Even if it was just for a second. "Do you promise dat you want become angry when I tell you who it was?"
"I can't promise that." Xander said as he gave her a look. 'Especially, if I can make sure it never happens again.' he added silently.
"It...it was me Watcher Mr. Zabuto." Kendra told him. Xander had a feeling that it was him anyway, because Kendra told him that Mr. Zabuto was mostly the only influencing force in her life. Before Xander could say anything Kendra started to break down and cry before his very eyes.
"All, I wanted was some friends. Dare was dis girl dat lived near me and Mr. Zabuto when I was young. I used to sneak out when, Mr. Zabuto would fall asleep, and I would play with her. When he found out what I was doing, he took his cane and he...he..."
"Shhh...it's going to be okay." Xander whispered to her as he pulled the trembling girl into a hug. He knew the tough girl act she would pull off, was just that, an act all along. He didn't know how deep her pain went though, until now.
He sat there with her, not knowing how long, but just holding her as she cryed and trembled into his chest. Her tears came out in ragged sobs, as he just pat her on the hair and on the back, as he whispered nothing into her ear. Finally, what he saw that was troubling her had came out and since she had friends now, a family structure, she could be helped.
After what seemed like hours, Kendra's tears finally subsided and she fell asleep on Xander's chest. As he was about to close his eye's himself, he felt someone watching him. Looking up he saw Trish standing at the doorway to the living room, watching them. Putting up his fingers in a "Shhh" motion he silently layed Kendra down on the couch and walked out of the room to Trish.
"Hey." Xander whispered to her, as to not wake up Kendra, as he walked down the hallway with Trish and into another room.
"Hey, your mom let me in." Trish greeted back. "Um you and Ken seem to be getting close?" she asked hesitantly.
"What's wrong are you a little, J?" Xander asked with a grin.
"A little J?" Trish asked with a raised eyebrow. "Who are you supposed to be, Ice Cube?" she said causing both of them to chuckle. "But seriously, is there something wrong with Kendra? She was asleep when I saw her, but it looked like she'd been crying."
"She's going through some things right now." Xander said after a few moments. Trish saw a certain look on his face that lasted only a second. It was the same look that she saw in Kendra's eye's from time to time and she silently promised herself that she was going to find out what was going on.
"Well can I help?"
"When she's ready to be helped, I think you and I are the first one's that she'll come too."
"Alright." Trish said with a sad smile. "Now for the reason I'm here. Well there are two reason's. Firstly do I look any different to you?" she asked as she twirled around.
It was then Xander's turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow. He looked at her hair, there was nothing new there, he looked at her clothes no... then he looked at her breasts and his eyes stopped there. Noticing what he was looking at, she slapped him hard on the arm.
"Xander!" she yelled out.
"What...what?" Xander said snapping out of his daze.
"That's not what's different. Look a little bit deeper than that." And that's when Xander noticed it. It was a golden colored aura that surrounded her body. Then he knew what was going on.
"You decided to get your powers?" Xander asked, only for Trish to blush at him and to grin.
"Yeah you doofus." she replied.
"So what powers did you get?"
"Well, I have powers just like yours, but just not as powerful." so her dad explained to her. "Oh... and I can fly."
"You can fly?" Xander asked with a pout. "I want to fly." he muttered only for Trish to roll her eyes at his antics.
"Theres also something else I wanted to talk to you about. Something you asked me a while back." Trish said getting Xander's full attention. "I think we should date. We can start off slow and then..." she stopped herself as she was about to pull him into a kiss. As there lips were about to touch, they both heard somebody open up the door causing them to pull away from each other.
"Xander." they heard a voice call out. Looking up towards the door, they saw Kendra wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
"Later." Trish whispered to Xander.
"Oh, yeah." he replied as they turned to look at Kendra.
Flash Forward to the next day the end of the school day
Sunnydale High
Xander and Kendra walked into the entrance of the highschool, laughing at a joke he had told. In actuality he was nervous about the meeting with his friends, because today he was going to tell them of the mistake he made with Ahriman. ' I'm glad that I have at least one person on my side.' he thought to himself as he looked over at Kendra. Then he thought about something.
"Hey Ken, I'll meet you at the library." Xander said as he moved over to a group of lockers which students were banging open and shut as they put stuff in and took stuff out. As he put in the combination to his locker, somebody put a beefy hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw that it was Larry.
"Hey Harris." Larry started as he leaned against some lockers. "Who was that hot babe I just saw you with?"
"She's a friend of mine." Xander said as he gave him a look. "Why?"
"So you're not dating her then?" he asked as he turned around and stared at the retreating form of Kendra as she dissappeared into the library.
"Alas, no."
"Do you think she'd go out with me?"
"Hmm...let me think." Xander said as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "No not a chance, no way."
"Why not?" Larry asked with a grin. "I heard that most black chicks are fast anyway." Before Xander himself knew what was going on, he had his hand around Larry's throat.
"You ever talk about her like that again and I'll..."
"You'll do what Mr. Harris?" a familiar voice said behind them. Turning his suspicion was confirmed when he saw the troll, Principal Snyder along with one uniformed cop and a balding man with a suit on. "Now I hope you two weren't fighting?" he asked taking pleasure in torturing today's youth.
"No sir." Xander said as he let Larry go. He was unaware that he had lifted Larry, off of his feet so he was surprised when the jock fell to the floor with an audible oof. "We were just talking."
"Good, now I want to know something from you." Snyder informed him.
"What's that?" Xander asked, immediately going back to his goofball ways, as Larry stood to his feet and walked away.
"Who is that darkskinned girl I've seen you with? Undoubtedly a juevinille delenquent seeing as though she associates herself with the likes of you and your group."
"Oh, um her name is Kendra. Why?"
"Because she fits the description of the young lady, that attacked a baggage handler at the airport about a month ago." Detective Stein informed him.
"That's impossible for that to be her." Xander blurted out, trying to come up with a valid excuse.
"And why is that?" Detective Stein asked as he started to write some notes.
"Because she's my adoptive sister." Xander lied to him calmly. "And she's been here for over a month and a half." he said throwing off the time that she would have arrived.
"Alright." Stein said obviously buying it. "Snyder, don't call us again unless you have a real emergency." he said as he and the other officer walked off.
"He might be dumb enough to believe you." Snyder said with a sneer as he turned to look at Xander. "But I'm not buying it. I want that girls adoption papers and her school records by the end of the week. If you don't have them, I will know tha you were lying and I'll have social services and the police down here." the troll said as he turned to walk off.
"Ah Xander you've finally arrived." Giles said as Xander walked into the room and sat next to Kendra. The whole gang was there except for Trish, Miss Calendar, and Angel. "Now we can start our meeting. I've been studying a book that the council has given me and..."
"Before you get started with that, I have something to confess." Xander said cutting off the older man. "I'm the reason that Lord Ahriman is free."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Giles asked. "Why would you intentionally release a demon?"
"It wasn't like that." Xander hurried to explain. "He found out a way to kidnap that liitle girl, I told you about, Angela. He took her to some kinda hell dimension, so I went there and rescued her. When I was about to leave, I saw..."
"You saw what?" Willow asked, after a few moments of silence from her friend. Something about the look in his eyes just didn't seem right.
"I saw Jesse." Xander said, but the name was completely lost to Giles. But it did get the attention of Willow and Buffy, but for different reasons. For Buffy, it was a reminder of the first person that she had failed since coming to Sunnydale. To Willow it was a reminder of losing one of her bestfriends since she was little. She could do no more then sympathize with Xander as he told them the rest of his story.
"I see." Giles said as he sat back in his seat. "Xander I don't mean to sound insensitive, after what you've told us, but what did you expect from hell?"
"That's exactly what I would like to know?" a voice said from behind them. Looking back they saw a older black man, with a suit on and cane in hand standing at the door.
"Mr. Zabuto." Kendra said as she saw him.
"Yes." he replied as he walked into the room and scanned everyone's faces. He had heard the whole discussion and no one knew, that he was even standing there. "And I believe I know why he released Ahriman. It's because he's a demon, and all of them are evil and can't be trusted." before anyone could come up with a retort, Zabuto suddenly found himself in a strong grasp and he was lifted off of his feet. Looking up he saw the blazing eye's of one Xander Harris.
"Good Lord!" Giles bellowed at Xander's quick action. "Xander do put Mr. Zabuto down."
"No." Xander replied lowly, as he re-adjusted the grip on the older man's lapels. "He's the bastard that hurt Ken."
"Xander please." Kendra pleaded as she stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. With a sigh he released his grip on Mr. Zabuto and sat him down harmlessly on the floor.
"You see." Mr. Zabuto choked out. "That's all demons know...evil."
"I'm evil?" Xander asked the man. "Then why is it that you beat..."
"Xander no!" Kendra interrupted him, with a worried look on her face.
"Why?" Xander asked as he whirled on her. "After what this guy did to you, you..."
"Did what exactly?" Giles asked as he walked around the table and stared hard at Mr. Zabuto. Seeing that he was in hot debate with Giles, Xander grabbed Kendra by the arm and pulled her to the side.
"Kendra, come on you have to tell them what's going on."
"No." she said with a shake of her head. "I told you dose tings in privacy. I can't believe dat you're doing dis to me."
"Kendra, listen to me." Xander said as he grabbed her by the shoulder. "The environment that you're in with this guy isn't healthy. Trust me I know." he said thinking about his own father's/ Anthony's abuse.
"But it only happened one time." Kendra said defeated.
"What about the next time you disobey an order?" Xander asked. "Or the time after that. Listen if you stay here with us you get to have everything. You get to have friends and a family. Now you have to be my sister anyway because..."
"Xander can I have a word with you?" Giles asked as he waved them over. "I've spoken with Mr. Zabuto and he has no idea of what you're speaking of. Now I'm going to have to ask you to..."
"He beat me, Sir." Kendra interrupted.
"What did you say?" Giles asked as he took off his glasses to polish them.
"Kendra!" her Watcher bellowed in outrage. "Don't say anything further. Now come on we must go."
"No." Kendra said as she met his gaze. "Mr. Giles when I was a young girl..." she stopped for a second as tears stung at her eyes. But feeling Xander's hand on her shoulder gave her the courage to go on. "and I snuck out of de cottage dat we were living in and I played with anodder little girl that lived near by. When me Watcher found out, he beat me with his cane and..." not being able to go on with the story, Kendra ran from the library teary eyed, with Xander hot on her heels. As Mr. Zabuto went to follow them, Giles put a restraining hand on his chest.
"You, bloody pillock, she's just a girl, not an animal."
"You let me worry about her." Zabuto said angrily as he shrugged off Giles' hand. "She's my Slayer and she will be disciplined as I see fit."
"Then go ahead and get her then." Buffy said as she stood to her feet and walked up to them.
"Finally, someone with some sense." the old Watcher muttered to himself as he straightened out his suit.
"There's only one problem though." Buffy informed him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You have to go through me to get to her."
"What?"
"You heard me." Buffy said as she glared at him. "You want to take Kendra away from her friends then you gotta go through me."
"And me." Willow piped up as she stood beside Buffy.
"I should have known that you had no control over your Slayer." Zabuto accused of Giles. "Now order her to stand down."
"I'm afraid I want be doing that." Giles said as he moved over to stand by Buffy and Willow. Even Oz stood up in silent support.
"You people are insane, she's my Slayer and..."
"Not for long." Giles interrupted him. "I'm going to call the Council and inform them of your barbaric actions. I'm going to ask them that I take over as her Watcher. Now I do believe that your business is done here Mr. Zabuto."
"You haven't heard the last of me." Zabuto said as he turned to walk out of the door. "I have friends on the Council myself." and with that he was gone.
"What a jerk." Oz said startling the whole group. Usually he was so quiet that people would forget that he was even there.
"Yes, quite." Giles agreed. And to think he had actually respected the man's career as a Watcher. "Buffy, see if you can fetch Kendra and Xander. Tell them that I'm going to call the Council to have Kendra removed from under Mr. Zabuto's care and into mine."
"I'm on it, Giles." Buffy said as she bounded out of the room.
Later that night
Sam Zabuto waited at the bus stop of Sunnydale with a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe that his fellow Watcher, had turned his back on him. Slayer's needed to be disciplined and that was the Watcher's job to do so.
And it was clear to him then that the Slayer, Buffy, that Giles was training wasn't disciplined. It seemed that her and her band of friends were the one's in control, instead of the Watcher.
"No wonder she died." Zabuto muttered to himself, then suddenly someone bumped into him. "Bloody watch where you're going!" he growled out as he whirled on the pretty blonde that pushed up against him.
"Sorry, Sir." the girl replied back, almost lifelessly.
"That's more like it." Zabuto muttered as he turned back around. 'Damn americans.' As Sam went back to his mental debate, he didn't see the cute blonde reach into her backpack and take out a pinkish grey, spidery hatchling demon.
As she sat it on his back, he screamed as it dug into his flesh. The old Watcher reached around his back to take off the hatchling demon, but fell to the ground instead with a scream as the girl stared blankly off into space.
A/N 2 plus if you've guessed, the challenge that I had to make for this chapter was that I had to make Kendra and Xander sister and brother.
TBC...
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