Brothers in Arms

Disclaimer: own nothing you recognize.

$£#

Xander sat inside his math class the next day, carefully retracing the plan throughout his mind. Jimbo had found Trick's address and was currently tracking him. Remy was doing the same, but for the Mayor. From what the Cajun thief had told him over the fun a few hours ago, the Mayor was just having an ordinary day: greeting scouts, attending union meetings, all that jazz. It was weird, having an enemy that also did 'good' things. He unconsciously sighed and came to grips with what was about to happen. Wherever the ritual to turn him into the final stage of his evolution in Olvikan was taking place, that was where he and his friends were going to be. Faith and Buffy (it didn't slip his mind either, how he had unconsciously placed Faith ahead of Buffy) were going to be taking the demon Balthazar tonight, alongside Angel, most likely. Wesley had researched all night and they knew that time was of the essence. They had to destroy him before midnight, or it was too late.

"Why is it always midnight," he muttered to himself aloud.

"That's a very good question, Mr. Harris," he heard Mister Goldman say with a surprised grin, "The answer is, as you said, midnight."

He felt eyes on the back of his head and turned around, noticing immediately that both Willow and Buffy turned away. He had noticed that Buffy had never mentioned the joyride and had taken it as her realizing what her actions had done. Either that or, she had been too shocked by the car. He couldn't care less. After the way she had acted to him and his friends when they had saved her ass, he had pretty much come to the conclusion that any friendship that they had had was basically destroyed and, by extension, so was his with Willow. Though, she had also noticed Buffy's behavior and was trying, though not half as hard as a stranger could, to change it. The main thing was that Buffy was trying to bury the issue. She wanted it forgotten, in spite of whatever feelings she had had or conclusions she had come to, she couldn't get over herself. Fine.

He sighed in content as the bell rang, freeing him from the horrendous thing known as school. Long before anyone else was ready, he was out the door. He reached his locker quickly and withdrew his folder filled with all the research they had done. As he took the folder out and closed his locker, he felt eyes on his shoulder.

"Xander," the voice belonged to Willow, "We need to talk."

He sighed and turned his head to his lifelong friend, grateful that she was alone.

"What'd she tell you," he asked immediately.

"That you and your friends saved her and Faith last night," she answered, making him feel better instantly as he realized that maybe things weren't so strained, "Then, that you all made fun of her."

He felt his hope die.

"We did," he answered without hesitation, "After she started talking down to us and ordering us around, like she was a general or something."

"I figured," that took him by surprise, "I'm her best friend, Xander. I have to be on her side about a bunch of things, even when I don't agree."

"Angel?"

She nodded, her face grim.

"I went with her to end it all," she stated coldly, "I knew, just as you did, that she wouldn't ever be able to kill Angel…Angelus. So, I did the only thing that I could do. I'm not like you, Xander. I'm not brave enough to take the fight to him."

"I didn't," he countered.

"You wanted to," he looked down, knowing she was right, "And the only reason you didn't was because you didn't want to lose Buffy as a friend. I get that, really. I feel like I've lost her, and…worst of all, to herself. And Faith and Angel but, I knew I couldn't compete with either. I feel so…replaced."

"How do you think I felt when I was told to keep away," he asked her, his eyes filled with pain.

"I know," she said with a grimace, "I wanted, so badly, to stick up for you, but…I couldn't. I don't even know why, really. I just…thought that Buffy was right. I see, now, how it is on the other side…and I wouldn't wish it on you."

He smiled at her, a look of understand gracing his features. He wordlessly drew her into a hug, ignoring the looks of his peers and his teachers as he did so. He could feel her smile.

"I missed you," he told her.

"I missed you, too," was her answer.

Across the hall, a blonde girl watched the exchange, her features unreadable.

$£#

Buffy stared across her bed at her friend, uncertain as to what to say. She had intended on keeping her out of this fight but, she didn't know if she could. In her mind, before she had heard Willow's confession, she had believed that only those with a duty deserved to be in the fight. At first, she had identified her duty to powers: Slayer, werewolf, Watcher, witch, ensouled vampire, Zeppo. In her mind, the Zeppo, being powerless and, therefore, useless, should be let go. Oddly enough, she had had no problem doing so. Then, she had identified those deserving as those who had a true reason to be in the fight. Neither Willow nor Oz did, in her mind, so she had attempted to keep them out.

As she sat down beside her friend, she realized something very important. She was slowly, almost unnoticeably, eliminating her friendships. A part of her believed what Merrick had taught her, all those years ago, that a Slayer must work alone, even after what happened with Pike. That she alone was the one to bear the weight of the world on her shoulders, especially after what had happened with Angel. She had had to do it…alone.

No weapons…no friends…no hope. Take all that away…and what's left?

…Me.

Her mind played the dialogue between herself and Angel…no, herself and Angelus, and realized just how seriously she had taken him. She truly had believed that she had lost her friends, and that loss had driven her away from Sunnydale. It was in that moment that she came to terms with herself…she had come to the belief that she was all that stood between Hell and Earth, all due to Angelus's words. He had truly screwed with her mind. But, no…it wasn't all his fault. She could have realized the truth, realized that there were people out there, willing to listen and help. But, she didn't. She had stubbornly obeyed his call as she told herself 'I'm the Slayer!'

"So," Willow's voice erupted her out of her thoughts, "What's the plan? For tonight's slayage. We're going, aren't we?"

For a moment, Buffy opened her lips to say 'no' or to avoid it but…she knew she couldn't. She had to make herself realize that she still had one friend left, one friend who was more than willing to help her out, to take some of the load…to remind herself that she wasn't alone.

"Yeah," she said after a moment.

Willow sat there, surprise echoing throughout her mind. She had expected something more…avoidy, or a flat-out no, like Xander had received…though, in reality, everyone had just not informed him. But, she could tell that Buffy meant it.

"You ok," she pressed for more information.

Surprisingly, the blonde Slayer began to sprout small tears from her eyes. She laughed slightly and tried to blink them out, but to no avail.

"What's wrong with me, Wills," she asked, though she obviously knew, "I mean, I try and keep you out of the fight and, you only get hurt because of it. What's worse is, I did the same to Xander, after all he's done for me, and he does the only thing that can hurt me more than any demon can…he leaves. I push him away and, I act all surprised to find out that he's left, and I try to bring him back in, only to end up doing the same thing again. Why did I do that?"

"…I don't know," she answered, "Why do you keep us all away, we're your friends?"

"…I don't want to be alone," she whispered.

"So, you push us away," she was shouting by now, "What the Hell kind of logic is that?"

"So you won't die," she stated sourly, "I don't want you to die because…I don't want to be alone," Willow, shocked to the core, moved to embrace her but, Buffy held up her hand to stop her, "Look how well that's turning out! I already lost one friend, and nearly lost you…who's next, Mom?"

"…It's not too late, Buffy," Willow tried, "You can still fix things."

"Can I," her response was so filled with sadness that the redhead had to keep herself from crying, "With you, maybe, but…Xander's gone. I wanted him out, and I got my wish, and it's tearing me apart. I couldn't face myself, couldn't realize that I was to blame. I was scared that I really had done it, and it was so easy to pass the blame off to his friends."

"His friends," she asked, her curiosity piquing, "Who were they?"

"A British spy, a Cajun paintball player, and a brunette girl," was the bitter answer, "And they took…see," she collapsed into another fit of tears, "I'm doing it again! Blaming them for what I did."

Willow sat there, uncertain as to what to do. She wanted to comfort her friend but, she wasn't sure what kind of comfort the blonde Slayer needed. She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts and took in a breath, wondering if Buffy would stand for this.

"Buffy," she said in a tone that demanded attention, causing the young girl to look up from her tears, "I appreciate your being able to admit this and, I forgive you but…you need to be having this conversation with Xander, not me."

Outside the door, a raven haired Slayer heard the entire conversation. She held a slight frown on her face and nodded her head, almost as though she had just convinced herself of something. She turned away from the door and down the hallway.

$£#

"He's setting up a ritual inside his conference room," Remy said.

Xander nodded in understanding. He, Remy, James, and Kate were gathered inside Kate's camper, weapons all over the area. James had a schematic of City Hall on the table and they were discussing what they had seen.

"We can use that thing you put in the window to get inside," Xander motioned to James to indicate his meaning, "For this one, we need to divide our forces. James and Remy, since you two have already come in through this entrance, I want you two to be the first wave. Go in and take Trick out, your shotgun blast'll be our signal to move in."

"Wait," Kate asked, "Where do we come in?"

"Through the front," he answered, "Armed with tranquilizers filled with a mixture of acid and actual tranquilizers. Don't kill any civilians, unless they take up an arm against you."

Kate nodded in understanding. She, too, had met people, Seth and his brother amongst them, who more than fit the bill of an evil being. Before the conversation could continue, however, there was a knock on the door to the camper. Everyone shared a look and, after a moment, Kate stood up and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she was met by a very surprising, though not unwelcome, sight. Faith stood there, her face serious.

"Faith," she greeted pleasantly, "Come inside, please."

"Shouldn't you know better than to do that," the Bostonian asked glibly.

"This is a camper," Kate answered, "Vamps don't need invites."

Faith nodded with a wry smile, showing that she understood. She took a quick look around and found the object of her search.

"X," she said to him, "Can we talk for a moment?"

Xander looked at her in surprise. Never before had the woman before him asked anyone anything, it was always 'take.' He stared into her eyes for a moment, not lost, but searching. He felt himself affirmed in the fact that he would be alright by the end of it, and that this was important to her, so…he nodded. She smartly turned around and walked outside, the Zeppo right on her heals. He followed her outside and closed the door, partially insuring that no one would hear them but, then again…

"Listen, man," Faith said to him, her gaze intense, "I know there's some bad blood between you and B, but…she was at home, crying her heart out to Willow when I left her. She's really torn up about this, man. She wants to make it better."

"…Why are you here," he asked of her, causing her to become nervous.

"I just…don't want to see two buds fight, that's all," her tone portrayed that she wasn't being honest but, there was something in her eyes that made him believe her, "And, I kinda like you," her nervousness seemed to multiply before his eyes and she looked down to the ground.

Xander, in a move that he swore he never once saw coming, gently lifted her head up by the chin to where she was looking in his eyes. He smiled at her.

"…I kinda like you, too."

He leaned in and gently brushed her lips with his own, an almost non-existent kiss that held a fire all its own. Faith found herself unsatisfied and, to that end, she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him into her. The kiss rapidly grew in passion as the two continue on. They were stopped, however, in their throng before it could escalate, by a loud, clapping noise, along with a 'WHOO!' The two broke apart to see James, Gambit, and Kate clapping for them, whooping and hollering in maniacal glee.

"Right on, Xand," Remy shouted with a thrust of his fist.

Xander and Faith blushed, unused to this sort of attention. After a moment, Xander recovered and decided that now was the time for business. Plenty of time for closet hops later.

"Faith," his voice was tight in barely constrained feeling, "Go on and help Buffy…tell her to talk to me later. We've got something we need to do. Meet us in the library after this is done, ok?"

She nodded in understanding and was about to take off, only to be stopped by the young man's hand on her arm.

"One more for the road?"

$£#

Wesley stood in the background as Mr. Giles held back the door, blocking the vampires' entrance. It wouldn't last long. He reached down to the phone and picked it up. He dialed in the mobile number to one James Bond, hoping that his young friend would be able to help them. Unfortunately, they were already at the City Hall, preparing their coupe.

All he received for his troubles was a voice saying 'leave a message.'