Thanks to my reviewers. A record number for me! I promise to update sooner, since I'm back in college with ready access to a computer. Thank you so much to my reviewers. Please, review again. Pretty please?
Standard disclaimer: don't own 'em, wish I did.
"Are you sure this is where the reports came from?" Wesley asks.
"Yup," Aliana scans the area thoroughly.
"Smell a demon," Spike says tersely.
"Alright," Aliana nods. The three family members split up to search the warehouse, keeping the other two in sight. Aliana sighs happily. There are benefits to working with people for long time. She notices movement off to the side. Ah ha, just what she was looking for. Some fun. She coughs loudly and her uncle and brother meet at her back. She assesses the soon to be dust piles calmly, her family doing the same. She checks her weapons quickly. Her sword slung over her shoulder, the water pistol in its holster at her side, and the spring-loaded stake sheathes on her wrists.
"Well?" she whispers to her family.
"Looks like fun," states Spike.
"Let's do it," Wesley replies.
"You boys looking for some action tonight?" calls Ali.
"What are you princess?" one of the vamps asks.
"Looks like dinner," another one replies laughing.
"Not a princess, luv, but you'll figure that one out soon enough," Ali replies.
"What's he doing with you?" a third vamp asks eyeing Spike.
"Looking for a party," Aliana replies. "Now, what about coming down here and showing us a wild time?" The vampires descend in a roar. Aliana laughs as she wades into the battle, her heart telling her exactly what move to use when, knowing that she has people she can trust at her back. She takes the opportunity to be more daring because of it. It had been to many years since she had been able to unleash everything on a demon without the fear of another one getting her back. With a howl of fury, she descends on a vamp trying to kill Spike from behind. She stabs it to dust then descends on one who is trying to kill her.
"Who do you think you are little girl?" it asks. "A Slayer?"
"Yes," she plunges her stake into its chest, pulls it back out and whirls around to face yet another opponent.
Wesley watches with pride as he battles his own opponents. It had been too many years of watching immature Slayers fight their own battles. He can't help but notice, as usual,that Spike and Ali's style is quite similar. Both have a certain flair that makes what seems like a simple fight into a gorgeous dance. Her skills do not seem to have suffered from the lack of constant battle for a few years. She seems to have actually improved in certain areas, though she reaches often for something on her thigh that isn't there. He shudders at the carnage the two relatives can create, and returns to his part of the battle. One thing he enjoyed about Ali's fighting style was that she never felt the need, after the opening remarks had been exchanged, to fire off witticisms. For Ali's style said enough for itself without dressing it up in pretty words.
One of the reasons the other two slayers had not liked him was that he was not impressed with their fighting. He felt no need to make them feel happy by complimenting them. If they were alive, that was good enough compliment. Ali understood that. Ali didn't need the compliments of 'well done' to tell her she had done well. She understood that complimenting her for killing vampires was rather like complimenting a lawnmower for cutting the grass. It was merely a function of who they were to kill vampires and he would only compliment them when they truly deserved it. Any other time was merely superfluous and unneeded.
"Wes, back," Ali calls out sharply.
Spike watches the two sibling fight, smiling softly while taking a breather. Aliana had turned into a little hoyden fighter, bouncing around wildly. Wesley had turned into a good fighter as well. Hopefully they would be friends again, now that the ruse that they'd never met each other was finished. He had been something of a wimp the last time Spike had seen him. Aliana had really matured in the years away from being a full time Slayer. She moves from kick to block with a grace she hadn't had the time to develop fully when her life meant the next move every time she fought. Spike also sees a verve to live that hadn't been there, even six months ago. He makes a note to talk to her about this young man of hers as soon as possible, and even make a trip to talk to him about things. He'd given her the sex talk when she was only twelve, as her watcher probably wouldn't even think to do so.
Aliana responds to the music of her body, as she works on the toughest of the night's opponents. She covertly watches proudly as her brother takes on his share of the fight. He wasn't that hot with a kick or blow the last time she'd seen him; self-defense only and only until she could get there. Each move comes naturally, as she literally flies through the fight grinning ferociously. She hadn't been this alive since she first became a Slayer. She doesn't know how this grin causes even the most deadly of her opponents to stop for a moment. Nor frankly, would she care either. As a slayer, it was her duty to make the enemy shudder in their shoes, or claws, or fins or whatever their personal get-arounds were. She flings one of her stakes at a vampire, dusting it instantly, and shudders as she hears Jack in her head.
'You don't throw a weapon at the enemy,' Jack would say. 'That leaves you down a weapon that your enemy could use.'
She works towards finishing the vampire she had been battling and finally catches it off its guard by doing something so stupid that she could almost here her ex-Watcher yell at her about it. Luckily, it works and she finishes it off, it rapidly aging then turning to dust before her eyes. Wesley and Spike finish their own off at the same time and they turn to each other, doing a mental check up on each other before heading back to Wolfram and Hart.
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