I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work.

Bleep That

Sunnydale High

"Well, the Council has approved our request," Giles announced as he came out of his office. "Faith is to stay here indefinitely. I'm to look after you both until a new Watcher is assigned." It was still early so Xander wasn't here, too busy squeezing in a few more minutes of home-repair and if Xander wasn't here, Cordelia of course felt no need to be here either.

So only Willow, her boyfriend, and Buffy were there to hear the news. And it was to the latter that Giles now directed his question. "I am, however, somewhat mystified as to your motivation for this. It will be exceedingly hard to keep our secrets the longer Faith remains here."

"You weren't there, Giles. She's made progress, slaying Kakistos helped a lot, but leaving her on her own right now isn't what she needs. And I don't trust the Council to have a lot of interest in her well being, so that leaves us."

"That still leaves the question on how we prevent her from finding out what we are," Giles pointed out.

"We don't," Buffy simply said.

"What do you mean, we don't?" Willow asked, then her eyes widened. "You mean we tell her."

The blonde Aesir just shrugged as she half-turned so she could address Willow and Giles both. "Yep, we tell her. I already dropped several clues I was more than a Slayer just fighting Kakistos. I didn't mean to," she hastened to add. "But it happened and we can't hold back when the next big bad comes along just because we're scared Faith will find out. It's not worth people's lives."

"Yeah, but what if she tells the Council and they come and try to take you back to England so they can pick and prod at you and strap you to operating tables so..." Willow took a deep breath as Oz laid a calming hand on her arm. "Sorry, I'm just imaging the worst case there and... It's really bad."

Giles frowned as he tried to follow the redhead's logic. "Hmmm, but it would also be unlikely. Faith's sole means of contacting the Council is me and I obviously have no inclination to tattle on us."

Buffy's face scrunched up now. "Okay, that sounded dirty. You won't what us?"

Giles opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about when he realized what it was and instead he just sighed. "It means to gossip. Honestly, Buffy, it's a perfectly appropriate word."

"Uhu, maybe across the pond it is but here we bleep that stuff on TV."

Not wanting to get any further with that, Giles got back on topic. "Regardless, the Council won't find out we're Aesir from Faith and you make a strong argument. But this isn't just our decision, it's Xander's as well," he reminded her.

His charge was already nodding. "And I told Faith to come to the library after school so we got enough time to talk to him about this. And to figure out how we're going to break the news to her," Buffy finished obviously certain of the final decision.

Faith strode into the library to find the whole gang waiting for her. There was even a new addition, some adult Faith fingered as a teacher standing next to Giles. The rest was sitting around the table and she decided to follow their example. "So, what's the verdict?" she asked as she flung herself into a chair next to Oz and across from Buffy.

"Ah, Faith. This is Jenny," a flustered Giles corrected himself, "I mean Ms. Calendar. She is another member of our, uhm, group. She is also a member of the faculty."

"Yo." What more was there to say?

Nobody said anything after the teacher's "Nice to meet you" for a few seconds, then Buffy gave her Watcher an impatient look. "Well, I spoke with the Council and they've agreed to let you stay here and let me act as your Watcher until they've found someone to, ah, take over."

"Okay," the brunette said slowly. "That's... nice. But why did ya have the Avengers assemble just for that little announcement?"

It was obvious the reference flew straight over Giles' head but he forged ahead anyway. "Given that you will stay here, for the foreseeable future at least, there's something we must disclose to you. I-I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this..." And then he fell quiet, apparently mulling over how to approach whatever he wanted to explain.

Buffy took over when Giles showed no sign he was ready to resume his explanation. Standing up she held her hand up and the next thing she was holding a big-ass war hammer in her hand. "Faith, meet Mjöllnir."

The name sounded real familiar... "Holy shit!" Faith gave the blonde a wide-eyed look. She knew her comics and the surprise was enough to make her forget to act like she wasn't the comic geek that she was. "You got Thor's hammer?"

"How do you know that?" A frowning Buffy asked.

"I..." and there she shut up, not wanting to actually say she got it out of a comic. "I read it somewhere." Surprise wearing off, the Slayer realized a more likely scenario than comics becoming real life. "Are you shitting me?"

Buffy smiled and shook her head. "Nope. Me and my friends found these weapons about, oh, a year ago." Learning that her friends had something like that hammer, Faith looked at them trying to figure out what they had.

Xander turned into a silver figure that looked like the Silver Surfer, if he didn't have a mouth and wasn't bald. Willow returned her scrutiny with a wave of one of her braids, the lock of hair moving on its own. Giles was less spectacular, his cane just turned into a spear and then back into a walking aid.

"Holy shit." Faith returned her attention to Buffy. "You're actually the God of Thunder now? With the flying and being stronger than Superman and hurling lighting bolts?"

Buffy's hammer vanished and Faith now noticed the pendant hanging around the blonde's neck. Said blonde retook her seat before answering, "I didn't turn into the comic book character so no to the strength." She hesitated for a moment, then went on. "We got turned into Aesir and... and when that happened I stopped being a Slayer."

The Slayer blinked, but didn't know what to say to that. Luckily, Buffy had more to say. "We didn't tell you right away 'cause we don't want the Council to know. Giles thinks they might try and take out weapons away from us and... I wouldn't let them," Buffy finished with a hard look in her eyes.

"And now you want me to promise I won't tell," Faith added for her. She didn't need Buffy's nod to know she was right; nor did she have to think on her answer for long. "Okay, they won't hear from me," Faith said with a shrug.

"Thanks." Buffy's smile of relief showed she hadn't been sure of Faith's answer.

"No problem. Now, you denied having the strength but I noticed you didn't say anything about flying. So is that a yes to the flight part?" the brunette wheedled.

'I knew she had weird friends, but I had no idea just how weird they were,' Faith thought to herself as she left the library. Buffy's powers had been the least of her surprise, she was familiar with Thor's fictional abilities after all and the blonde's powers didn't differ all that much. The rest of them, however, were apparently superheroes in their own right.

'So now you're not that special anymore,' a nasty little voice whispered to her. 'But I got more unique too, there ain't two Slayers, it's just me,' she countered. And anyway, Batman didn't have any powers at all, but he was still badass.

She was already walking out of the school when Buffy caught up with her. "Hey, B. Want to start early with patrolling?"

"Hey, B. Want to start early with patrolling?" Faith asked her.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something else," Buffy stalled. She had waited with asking this because she knew Faith might get a little embarrassed if the others heard the discussion she knew was coming. In fact, Buffy was pretty sure Faith didn't want to talk about this with her either but someone had to. "It's about where you're going to stay now that you'll be here for a while."

Faith frowned. "What do you mean? I don't recall getting kicked out of the motel."

"I overheard the manager, Faith. Eighteen dollars a day and you don't have a job or family supporting you." As far as arguments went it was weak tea, but Buffy wanted to ease into this discussion. It had been Mjöllnir who had pointed out Faith couldn't stay where she was. That she needed a place where vampires couldn't barge in without an invitation, a place she didn't need to be on her guard all the time and sleep with one eye open.

"You'd be surprised how much cash vamps carry around. And it's not like they need it. So lay off, B. I'll manage," the brunette finished in a tone that signaled she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Buffy ignored it as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Good for you, but you still can't stay there. You might have noticed last night that it's not exactly vampire-proof and this is the Hellmouth. I'm not asking you to leave that place, I'm telling you."

"Oh," Faith said narrowing her eyes. "And just where am I supposed to go, or did your blondness not think about that?"

"You can go to Giles' place or you can stay with me and my Mom. I already talked about it with her and she's on board with that."

"Your place or Giles'?" Faith asked with a frown.

Buffy nodded. "It has to be a place vampires can't just waltz into, so that means a home. And it has to be with people that are in the know, which eliminates my friends since their families don't know about the supernatural. Even Willow's parents would notice a houseguest, eventually." She wasn't about to mention Xander's new place. For starters, Cordelia would not be pleased hearing her boyfriend was shacking up with a girl. "Of course, I'm not sure Giles has a guest-room and he, huh, spends a lot of time with Miss Calendar but, uhm, I'm sure he'll let you stay with him if you don't want to stay with me."

The brunette expression had turned unsure now. "You didn't tell your friends about doing this?"

"No, I thought you wanted to keep this as private as possible."

"Listen, B, your mom is nice and all but I can take care of myself. I don't need charity." Faith's voice gained some heat again at the end.

The Aesir just shrugged. "Fine, if you want you can haggle about rent with my Mom. Don't know if she'll go for it but you can try."

Faith opened her mouth, and then closed it again without actually saying a word.

Seeing the Slayer hesitation, Buffy upped the ante. "You'd be doing me a huge favor too. This isn't exactly the safest place on Earth and with you living with us my Mom would be a lot safer. Please?" Buffy added when Faith still didn't say anything. She even pouted just a little.

Hanging her head, Faith mumbled, "Fine, I'll stay at your place."

"Great!" Buffy beamed.

Revello Drive 1630

Faith still wasn't sure about all this as she lowered her bag to the floor of what was now her room. The only thing in it, besides carton boxes that lined several walls and obstructed access to one wall-closet, was a folded-out bed.

"I know there's still a lot of clutter here, but we have to clear some room in the attic first before we can put them there," Mrs. Summers remarked from the doorway.

Turning around, Faith raised a hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's fine like this, Mrs. S. If you get rid of the boxes too it would get kinda empty so don't bother, really."

"Oh, well, I was actually planning on taking you shopping tomorrow for some furnishings. Like a proper bed, nightstand, a vanity, some posters to liven things up."

"You really don't have to do all that," the brunette hastened to assure the older woman. "I mean, that's got to be expensive and I'm not even paying rent."

Mrs. Summers cut her off there. "Faith, we've been over this."

The Slayer couldn't help but sigh at that reminder. 'I am turning into such a wimp. First I cave to Buffy just 'cause of a pout and now I can't even argue with her mom.' She shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. But just helping out a bit around the house isn't worth all that."

Buffy's mother didn't respond to that right away, she just looked at Faith for a moment or two. "I disagree." Then she changed the subject. "Now, I'll have dinner ready early because I know Buffy wants to give you a tour of Sunnydale's cemeteries. How's your cooking?"

"Edible."

"Hmmm, alright then, you can help me out in the kitchen. Don't tell Buffy I said so, but cooking is not one of her strengths. She tries hard but she's even managed to mess up boiling water. Now, I'll leave you alone to unpack. Come down when you're ready."

With those words Mrs. Summers went downstairs leaving Faith alone. She took another hard look at her surroundings, and in the privacy of her own mind she had to admit, this was better than the motel room. Faith, however, had no intention of admitting that out loud. Ever. 'Now let's hope this time I can actually hold onto that resolve.'

TO BE CONTINUED