Chapter 3

"Well, well, well. I *do* run into the most interesting people," Cheri said with a yawn. "Oops. 'scuse me. Sorry about that. Long night - or something."

"Quite." Giles turned his attention to Buffy who was practicing her innocent *who me?* look. "Buffy?"

"Yeah? Oh, well. Uhm - there was - this - thing. And it - uh - well, it kinda whirled and made a lot of noise and wind stuff and - well, uhm - it was kinda, like, totally gross, y'know."

Giles made that sound that meant he wished she'd learn to communicate in English instead of teenager. His penetrating gaze was cutting through the layers of "distract Giles" she was attempting to put between herself and her Watcher. She looked at Cheri for inspiration.

"You know Giles?" she asked brightly.

Cheri grinned. "Well, sort of," came the response. "We've - met. A long time ago. A very long time ago," Cheri added, feeling that this needed to be expanded upon. Only, then there was the slight problem with her not looking as old as he did. So, how long ago is "a very long time ago" when considered in the light of - Cheri stopped that train of thought while it was still steaming at the station. Buffy had been there when she mentioned the immortality thing. Yipe.

"Buffy, don't you have something else to do?"

Buffy looked around, checked her watch and stared at it in incomprehension. How did it get so early? If she ran, she might just get home in time for - her mother to wake her up. Ugh. Such is the life of a high school student and slayer. She grinned at Cheri and Giles impartially and ran home. This left Cheri and Giles to stare at each other and wonder just where to start this conversation.

"Well."

"Yeah."

"Are you all right?"

"Seems so. No bones broken or misplaced. No holes - " She stopped as she noticed that concentrated look focussing on her left arm. She looked down. "Oh. My. Look, a hole. Whoops." Admittedly, the slash across her wrist was only oozing at this point, but it was soaking through the bandage so thoughtfully provided by Siro.

"Perhaps you should - um -"

"Giles. The sun is up. The likelihood of my being a vampire is kinda slender." She refrained from pointing out that even if she was a vampire, she could walk into his house without an invitation as her immortality would over ride her vampirism. Somehow, this did not sound like the kind of reassuring thing to tell him. She followed him into his home.

She was pleasantly surprised at the practiced ease with which he ministered to her hurt. The bleeding stopped. Gauze was applied and taped into place. She inspected the work with a critical eye.

"Very nice. So, what've you been up to?" She smiled up at him in a cheery manner. She was hoping to defuse him. It wasn't working. His eyes, that strange greeny hazel color that had intrigued her when Ethan Rayne introduced them to each other, were practically opaque behind his glasses.

"I'm - a librarian," he said slowly, watching her like the proverbial hawk.

"A librarian. Sounds - rather - " A bubble of laughter demanded to be freed. Cheri giggled. "Actually, it sounds rather out of your line, if you don't mind my saying so."

"And just what would be *in* my line, " he asked softly, the soft tone making him sound no less dangerous.

"Oh - world saver, watcher of the slayer's back? Watcher?" she ended with a puzzled frown. "Now where have I heard that before? It's official, isn't it?"

"Is it?" He turned away abruptly, removing his glasses, cleaning them and replacing them on his face before looking at her again.

"Oh, dear. I've thrown you off balance, haven't I. I am sorry, and I will try to stop giggling." She primmed up her face, only to be set off again. "Shoot. Maybe I won't stop giggling. I'm hungry."

"Breakfast?" he offered with a sigh.

"Let me help?"

He regarded her oddly for a moment, then nodded. His kitchen was set up for his own use, but she seemed quite content to be the assistant and not the head cook. They rapidly turned out eggs, toast, bacon and tea. He was a little concerned over the amounts. The concern turned into understanding as Cheri wolfed down the larger portion of the breakfast. She caught him watching her and grinned. "Time travel does that to me."

"Time travel?"

She screwed up her face in thought. "Well, close enough for government work - of course, I haven't worked for any governments lately, so that could be a problem. I think it was a time vortex. Buffy got scooped up and dumped there too - who had the gall to name that girl "buffy"? I mean - yeek. What kind of a mind comes up with a name like that?"

Giles shoved away his own wonders about that and pointed out that Buffy's mother was a very nice person and apparently got carried away with the current vogue in names when she had her first and only daughter. Cheri looked at him like she questioned his sanity. Then she grinned at him.

"OK. I'll accept that." She gave an artistic shudder. "I don't understand it, but I'll accept it."

"So, what happened?"

"Well, Buffy discovered what happens when you turn a virtual immortal into a vampire and met a very nice storm god and helped save a potential combatant in a "win and you save the world" fight and - that's about it."

Giles blinked. "Could you elucidate?"

"Probably. Let's see. The vortex snapped me up - today's Saturday?" Giles nodded. "Thursday, I think. Dumped me in what looked kinda like a somewhere between Roman and Medieval period town in the mountains. Tanya was already there and I knew something was up, so I followed my - whatever - to find her."

"Who is Tanya?"

"My - cousin. Sort of."

"She's a vampire?"

"Not any more."

"She's - immortal?"

"Virtually."

Giles was getting the feeling that Cheri didn't want to go into detail here. He also wanted to know a whole lot more. He started asking questions. By the time Cheri was finished eating, he knew a great deal more about both Cheri and immortality of the genetic variety. He also knew more about what Buffy had spent the night doing. Part of the night - He'd unscramble that later.

Back with the Mortal Kombat crew, Rayden was keeping an eye on Siro for the time being. Something about the man had changed and Rayden was curious. Kung Lao was busily looking for warriors to train. Taja was running the trading part of things which was keeping food in the larder. Siro was sitting on the roof staring out into space. Siro not being one for deep introspection or putting a lot of thought into things, this was odd. He was not asleep. He was not annoying Taja. He was not working out. He was just sitting there, frowning at the horizon.

Siro was trying very hard to put the events of the past few days into perspective. He was not having an easy time of it. He could not think of the woman who had helped heal him with out feeling heart sore. He knew what he felt for the vampire, the monster, was false. He could put that aside. Magic was magic and a man was not responsible for what magic could make him do or be. Yet the other one had given of herself, without hesitation, to keep him alive. A part of her was within him. Her blood had made him whole again, had kept him alive. He needed to thank her, to make her understand that his life was different now because of what she had done for him. How could he do that when she was gone?

He became aware of a presence behind him. Rayden was startled with the swiftness of Siro's movement. Was he faster? Rayden regarded the man before him calmly. Siro relaxed and nodded respectfully.

"Lord Rayden. I did not know you were here."

"I did not announce my presence. You are troubled?"

"No. Yes. I'm not sure."

"Let me guess. The woman Cheri."

Siro nodded. "Yes. She - I expect Kung Lao and Taja to care what happens to me, to a certain extent. We have - we have become friends. Friends support each other. I knew her - sister? - whatever the thing was, but I did not know her."

"And she gave of herself to save you. This puzzles you."

"Yes. The monks dedicate their lives to helping others. That is their way. But she is not a monk. She is not a friend - is she?"

"Isn't she?"

Siro pondered this. "Perhaps. Still, I did not get a chance to really thank her. I would like to have done so."

"And, perhaps, find out if what you feel is friendship or something more?"

Siro colored slightly. Sometimes perspicacious gods could be embarrassing. He nodded in agreement. "Yes. I know she said it was left over from what - from the spell woven by the other one."

"But you would be certain."

"Yes. I - I don't think I would enjoy living the rest of my life never knowing - especially if there is never anyone else," he said simply.

Rayden nodded his understanding. Yes, that would leave one feeling unfinished and unsatisfied. Briefly he wondered why he was concerned. He looked at Siro and knew. Siro, for all his faults, was a good man and a good companion for the Mortal Kombat Champion. Friendship has its price. Now, how was he going to get Siro to Cheri so he could figure things out?