part 4

Joey the vampire had been turned by Angelus himself. And he was very good at what he did.

Which was expecting things.

Or at least making sure that they happen the way he wanted them to. He had paid off the bus driver and the Station clerk, to make sure the Buses got to Sunnydale after dark, and that had gone as expected. There was always one rider that would walk off into the night and not want to wait for a cab, that was to be expected. His prey would have to walk through some of the darkest streets in Sunnydale, thanks to him and some rocks, and that was expected, too.

When he closed in on the young girl, though, things started to get a little unexpected.

He jumped at the girl, and just as his hands closed on her, she moved. She grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Pulling a stake out of her jacket pocket, she drove it into his heart.

Joey's last thought was, That's unexpected.

Faith stood there looking at the pile of dust.

Man, some Vamps at just plain dumb.

Looking around, she thought, Need a place to stay, then start looking for Buffy. Then grinned to herself, What was her Mom on to name her that?

She walked up the street some more, to find a local no-tell motel.

Well, it'll do for a while. Just hope the walls are thicker than the last place. I really need some sleep, what with all that moaning and groaning at the last place. Some people just have no consideration for anyone. And she was starting to wear out her fingers.

She had no problem with the noises like that, just that after a while, she wished that she could be there making them. But since she was Called and was found by her old Watcher (She still couldn't believe that she was dead. And wouldn't even think about her too much because of that...) It caused her too much pain. She had been the one person that she had met that ever gave a damn about her.

And now, someone else had saved her, someone that also had not asked for anything, but just ran away. Someone who had had a hard life, maybe not as hard as hers, but it was hard.

And he had saved her. And he was from here and knew the Slayer, Buffy.
Would she know him? She thought so. The flashes she had gotten while he was healing her had shown Buffy and the guy talking. Buffy would know where to find him, and then she would talk to him. How could someone with that power just walk away? He had been terrified when he had healed her; she had felt that, but he did it anyway. That he would do that for someone else was beyond her. It was like she was compelled to find him. When he had healed her, it was the first time in a long time that she felt safe.

The Bronze, that night

"All right, rack 'em up," Xander called to his blonde friend.

The Scoobies were together tonight. Just the three of them. It had been a long time since they had just gone out as friends. Between school and the Slaying, there was no time. And with Xander visiting his dad at night, it really cut into their time together.

Though, he did see him at the Hospital a lot, too. He would drop by when he knew that Max would be on shift, but he missed the family feel that he got when he stopped by his home, After he had just had a dinner with Max and Liz.

And with Buffy or Willow following him, he had to be very careful when he did visit his second home. Not that the first was that great. His adopted parents were drinking more and more lately. His father had almost hit him last night, but had backed down from the look in Xander's eyes. He had someone that cared, so he would not just take it from them anymore. He felt sorry for them, and would help them, but he was not going to just take the abuse from them. He had some good memories of them but not too many.

"Ok, Xan, I am going to win this time!" Buffy said. "But you're going to tell me how you got so good at this."

"Just Physics and geometry, Buffster. I started to figure out that life is about the Math, and I need to get to learning about it."

"Huh? Who are you and what did you do my Xander?"

"Well, You see I am Prince from another star system," Xander said with a smile looking at both Buffy and Willow.

Buffy laughed it off, but Willow looked at him. She had known Xander her entire life, and could tell when he was lying or joking. He was doing neither. And that just threw her in a small spin.

"Earth to Will," Xander called out.

"Hmmm... Yeah?" Willow asked.
"Could you get me a cold beverage? I'll help you with your home work," Xander said smiling at his oldest friend.

"You help me? I SO don't think so. But I will get you one. Be back in a second."

As Willow walked off, she noticed a Dark haired girl sitting a in a booth watching Xander bend over the pool table to make a shot.

Well, He does look good in those jeans. HEY, with Oz now, no thinking thoughts that could lead to Fluking. But he still does look nice. Hey, I could invite her over, maybe Xander could get a hook up.

On her way back to the pool table, Willow saw that the girl was still watching Xander, so she walked over to her.

"You know he's single."

"He is?" the girl started. "What's his name?"

"Xander. Why don't you walk over with me and talk to him."

"Just who are you?"

"Best friend," Willow told her, looking over the girl. From watching Xander over the years she had figured out what type of girls were Xan's type. She fit to a T. "He's not see anyone, so come on. Just meet him."

"Maybe later, my father is waiting for a call."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Kara."

"We're always here, so just drop by."

"I just might do that."

Kara got up and walked out the door. Once outside, she moved into a nearby alley and pulled out a small stone. The stone started to glow.

"I found the prince, Father. What do you want me to do?"

"Just watch for now. We might have a use for him."
"Yes, father."

Hundreds of light years away

Kivar sat on his stolen throne, thinking. The Prince was showing signs that he was coming into his powers. That should not have happened. All the scientists at his command had told him that his Human side outweighed his Antarian side and that he would never have an powers at all.

But from the reports, it seems like his powers were growing. Now there were whispers in the court that he could become the next King. All he had to do was come back.

I will either have to kill him, or arrange for something else to happen to him.

And he really didn't want to do that. When all was said and done, he did love his daughter.

But she was a tool, a useful tool, but a tool nonetheless. And if she could keep him on the Throne, he willing to use it.

The next day at school.

Faith walked the halls, looking for her man. Well, not her man... maybe her teenager. Maybe not even that. The guy that saved her. That would do for now. The books she had read on Buffy said that her Watcher worked here. Didn't go in much detail thou. But if she knew Watchers, they were always around books, so its off to the Library.

On her way there, she saw students clearing the way for a tall girl in a cheerleader outfit.

What in the Hell is that about? she thought to herself.

A short student next to her saw the look on her face. "Stay out of her way," he advised, "she kinda went crazy the last couple weeks."

"What happened?" She really didn't care, but who knows - could be demon related.

"Well, she broke up with her boyfriend for cheating on her, and then he kinda had everything fall into place for him."

"What does that mean, shorty?" she asked, looking down at him. Which for her was something unusual.

With a small gulp, he answered. "Well, he went to LA and ended up in a party with super models, and slept over with them. Then he went to Boston, and ended up spending the night with Maria. You know, the singer."

"Just what is this studs' name?"

"Xander."

Could that be his name? He was in Boston. But he didn't sound like the guy who had saved her. He was not a user, Faith knew that from the flashes.

She turned and walked away from the student without another word, heading for the Library.

Stopping just outside the library door, she could hear a group of people talking inside, and looked through the window in the door. Nope, only two guys, one old and one young. This Xander guy wasn't there.

"He has gotten it, and when he figures out how to open it, it will be the end," Giles was telling everyone. "Hell on earth."

"Hey, where is Xander?" Willow asked. She had not seen him since this morning.

"Where else? With his new favorite teacher," Buffy said, looking around. "Guys, there's something about Xander I need to tell you."

"What?" Giles asked. Buffy had seen something last night about Xander on her patrols, but wouldn't talk about it. After her patrol last night, she had said she wanted to think about it.

"Last night," she began, "I found Xander walking on the streets, so I followed him. He had just left the Evans home when a Vampire moved in on him."

Willow let a small gasp.

"The Vampire sniffed him, then left him alone."

"Well, he has smelled different lately," Oz said.

To which both girls said, "EWWW..."

"It's a Werewolf thing," he added in explanation.

"I know. But still, Ewww. Do you have smell everyone?"

"Yep."

To which the girls let out another heartfelt "EWWWW!"

Out in the hall

So this Xander is in a classroom. Evans. How do I find that room? Faith wondered.

Later, after she had walked most of the halls and dodged the short principal (who reminded her of a toad), she found that this Xander and her mystery guy were one and the same. Of that, she was glad, since she didn't know if the flashes she had gotten were real or just something was made up in her mind.

And seeing that he was standing there, they had to be real. But she didn't know if she should just walk up to him or not. After thinking for a little while, she decided she would wait.

She wanted to know if the flashes were the real him, or if what the student in the hall way said was true. If the latter was true, she was out of here. If the first was, she may just stick around for a while, but he was not cute enough for her to put up with some bullshit.

As she watched, most of the girls in the hallways were watching him when he wasn't looking. Some, like they had never seen him before. And the guys watched him, too. Watched him REAL close when he got around any of their girlfriends. Not that he ever did anything; just talked to a few, before a boyfriend would come along and pull her away.

It was kind of funny, but he didn't seem to notice it at all. He would get this almost hurt look before walking away. She didn't know how much he knew of her. She had a feeling that the flashes went both ways, and that he knew stuff about her. She REALLY didn't like that. But he was fun to watch.

All day, Xander felt like someone was watching him, but he never could see who. He had thought it might be Buffy or Willow, but he had the feeling when he was with them for lunch so it couldn't be them.

Buffy noticed how on edge her male friend was.

"Hey, let's Bronze it tonight."

"Don't you have a test tomorrow?" Willow asked.

"No studying tonight will change the grade tomorrow," Buffy said to her friend, with a small shake of her head.

"You mean?"

"Yep, going fail it anyway. Why do I need to know about the Battle Of New Orleans? I mean I'm never going to live there. Do they still go around talking about it?"
"That my Buffy, always thinking," Xander said. "Yep, I will Bronze tonight with my favorite ladies."

Later that night.

Buffy and Willow were sitting at their usual table, watching as Xander maneuvered thought the crowd to bring the cold beverages. The last couple of days had seem like old times. Xander was around more. But he still would disappear from time to time. And he had started to eat and drink some very unusual things.

"What's with the Hot sauce lately?" Willow asked as Xander pulled out a bottle and poured some in his drink. He had gotten one of the sickly sweet specialty drinks that the Bronze makes here. Buffy had thought it was for some of the demon clients that come in from time to time.

"Nothing. Just like the taste," he said with a shrug.

That shrug told Willow a lot. The big thing was that Xander was lying and that he wasn't at the same time. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw there was another dark haired girl watching Xander.

"Here we go again," she said,

"What?" Xander asked as he looked at his best friend.

"You have a fan," the redhead said. "One last night, now this one. You're on a roll," she said with a grin.

Xander looked across the room. Two sets of eyes meet at the same time with one word between them both.

"Shit."

Xander felt that way because she had found him and a whole lot of trouble could be heading toward him and his family.

Faith felt that way because she wanted to meet him on her terms. Now that she was found out, she did the only thing she could think of, the thing most Slayers do when something falls apart: she moved in for the kill.

Getting up, she stalked toward him. The way she moved reminded Willow of someone. And Buffy could feel something coming off of her, a feeling of Family, of Sisterhood.

Xander could only think that he was so dead.
As Faith approached, a smile grin was growing on her face. Xander was getting more and more jumpy.

"Hey, long time no see," she began.

"Uh, HEY," Xander said. Then thought to himself Real smooth.

He took a glance at both Buffy and Willow, who were looking between the both of them.

"Xan, you going to introduce us?"

"Umm. Uhn. Buffy, Willow, this is, uhhh."

"I'm Faith. The last time I saw old Magic Hands here, I couldn't say much."

Both Willow's and Buffy's eyebrows went up at that.

"Magic Hands?" both asked, at the same time.

"Oh, look at the time," Xander said as he stood up. "Faith, Let me walk you home."

Xander stood up, grabbed Faith by the arm, and came to a stop as Faith didn't move, just looked at his arm where he held his hand was on her.

"I'll go with you. But just to let you know, if you touch me again without asking, you'll only have a stub there."

Xander quickly dropped his hand.

Faith turned to the two females.

"We'll talk later."

"You can bet on that,." Buffy said to Faith as she walked away with Xander. To which Xander let out another groan, thinking again, I am so dead.

Once outside.

"How did you find me?" Xander asked.

"Had flashes from you, saw Buffy," Faith said, looking him in the eyes.

"Did you tell the Council?" Xander said, looking at his feet.
"What? That I was coming to Sunnydale?"

"No, about me."

"Why should I? You saved me. And I wanted to find out more about you. So, here I am."

"You don't have a Watcher?" The sudden thought that there were groups of men in tweed running through the woods looking for her ran through his head.

"Nope, no Watcher. At least not 'til they find me."

"Huh?" She had run away from them?

"Nope, you saw my last Watcher," Faith said in a small voice.

"God, I'm so sorry," Xander began. Only to be cut off fast by Faith.

"Hey, we both knew this is a short time gig. She was the first to give a damn about me in a long while, but this lifestyle kills you fast. At least, that's the hope. I sure as hell don't want the slow death."

"Not if I can help it," Xander began. O, shit did I say that out loud?

After a fast glance at Faith, he thought, Yep, I said it out loud.

"Well, with those magic hands of yours, I can see that." It was one of the reasons she had came. If he had healed her, then he can heal her again.

"So what are going to do, now that you have found me?"

"Just kick around for a while. Slay stuff. 'Til I get a new Watcher."

And 'til I get you to follow me, she thought to herself. It would give her the edge, and a Slayer needed all the edge she could find.