Wild Horses
Part 15
By Jeconais
Xander sat with his feet on his desk, a piece of paper resting on his lap completely ignored.
All his attention was on the monitor in front of him as he stared at the still form of his childhood friend. He was tempted to leave her there, to walk out, but he couldn't. Not this time. Things had changed now, perhaps for ever.
He stood suddenly, the paper dropping unnoticed to the floor, fluttering in the breeze from the air conditioning.
Dawn was with Andrew - the boy was showing her around the monitors for the security cameras they had around Sunnydale, while he finished off the paperwork from last nights raid. As the boss, he had to check everything had been done according to the procedures he himself had laid down.
Running what was, in effect, an illegal paramilitary group was something that occasionally bugged him, and while he knew that if the Men in Bland Cars ever came for him, he'd be screwed - first financially, then figuratively, and finally, literally, in a high security prison - he was determined to do something about it, and show these people exactly what he had been doing.
With Molly and Kyle, there was even a chance that he might get away with it. The government might not like it, but when major politicians owed his friends major favors, things could happen.
"Open up," he told the guard casually.
"Are you sure you want to do this now, sir?" the guard asked.
"No, but I'm going to anyway."
"Okay, sir." The guard pressed a few buttons on the brightly lit console in front of him, and the heavy door opened. Almost as an afterthought, the guard ensured that the magic suppressor was on full.
"Xander! Oh god, Xander," Willow said, as she looked up and saw him enter the cell.
"Shut up," Xander whispered.
Willow did exactly that, staring at him, her eyes wide.
"You hurt me," he said quietly. "You've hurt me a few times. Emotionally, physically, it didn't matter. You were my Willow, my friend. I protected you, stood up for you, and loved you. I was there when you needed me. I was there even when you said you didn't. I forgave you. Every time."
"Xand..."
"I said, shut up." There was no fire in his voice, no emotion. "I might even have forgiven you for this, for attacking me. But you hurt Dawn. And I can't forgive that.
"I always thought you were so smart. So knowledgeable. So intelligent. I didn't realize that though you might be intelligent, you have no idea how the world works.
"You have no idea what life is really about, do you? You peer out from your Ivory Tower, secure in your power, and think that with a spell, everything will work out for Willow.
"You're still fourteen. You're still an adolescent girl intimidated by Cordy, mocked by others, afraid of her own shadow. You hide it better, but you're still living the fantasy. The same fantasy you had as a child.
"Do you remember, Willow? Do you remember when we would talk all night, about how I'd be a badass like Wolverine, and you'd be like Rogue, beautiful and powerful.
"I grew up Willow. I realized I didn't need super powers to be a man. I could look at what I was facing, and make an effort to face it with every resource I had.
"You're still there, using your powers as a crutch to hide behind."
"But..."
"This isn't the time for you to talk. At the moment, it's only what remains of the nice memories I have of you that are stopping me from treating you like we would anyone else who attacked one of our own, and executing you."
Willow gasped in horror, recoiling backwards.
"Shocked to hear it? Would you prefer it if I used a pretty euphemism?
"Welcome to XTech, Willow, where the people without super powers join together to fight the dark. Where we work to keep everyone safe - in as many different ways as possible.
"I told you to find out where I lived - I actually hoped that you would use that to find out exactly what I was doing these days. But you didn't, because you had your magic, and you were safe in your little world.
"I'm twenty two years old now. Over the last year, I've fought many battles, some physical, some spiritual, and some emotional, and I've started to make a success out of myself. I can't be friends with a fourteen year old. Not when that friendship risks the people I care about.
"If you'd just attacked me, who knows what I might have done?
"But you didn't. You attacked Dawn as well." He turned, and walked towards the end, before pausing.
He turned, and looked over his shoulder, taking in the tears running down his former childhood friend's face, and the devastated look in her eyes and for the first time in his life, the pain was only a minor dull ache - and not the agony that the idea of Willow in pain used to cause him.
"Goodbye, Willow Rosenberg," he whispered, and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him.
Dawn stared at the monitor, and slowly started to smile.
"Dawn?"
She turned, and raised her hand, brushing her hair back absently.
"Xander cares about me," she said simply. "A lot more than he is willing accept at the moment. I can feel it, I could feel it when he was talking to her. He won't forgive anyone that hurts me."
"And that's good?" Andrew asked.
"It is. It means he's on the right track. He is already putting me first in his mind, and soon he will realize that I can and do put him first."
"So you still have the bond you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes. I'll tell him about it when we go home."
"Home?"
"It's definitely home. I've not felt at home in my house since Mom died, but with Xander, I do. For me, home is wherever Xander is. Now, I'm going to go persuade him to come home with me, and you should go home as well."
Andrew yawned and stretched. "Yeah, I've got a test tomorrow I should at least pretend to study for." He paused and at Dawn's look continued, "Oh, it's only a little thing, I could do it in my sleep."
Dawn nodded, and leant over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for what you did." She turned on her heel and walked out, leaving behind a smiling boy who was marveling at his good fortune in at last finding real friends.
Her low heels clicked on the floor as she walked towards Xander's office, the sound echoing in a comforting way. She didn't bother to knock; she wasn't on duty now, as she walked in.
He was looking sad as he stared at the screen in front of him, showing Willow's reaction to what he had said to her. Without pausing she switched it off, and then perched on the table next to him.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For putting me first," she replied.
"There are too many cameras in this place."
"Maybe," Dawn agreed. "It just means that you find it more difficult to be quietly heroic."
"I said I'd look after you, Dawn, and I meant it. Buffy and Willow don't want me to look out for them, they made that clear, and I've finally accepted it."
"I do," Dawn replied. "And I want more from you."
"I know," Xander said with a sigh.
"I'll give you space, Xan, but not for long. I can feel you, you know, after what Willow did. I can feel your heart beating; I can feel what you feel. You're a little confused."
"Not even safe in my own mind?" he asked, a wry smile on his face. "You're still in high school Dawn, and I can't help but think that I'm taking advantage of you, somehow."
Dawn laughed, tilting her head back. "Do you really think that everyone would be so helpful if you were?"
"Huh?"
"Molly, Kyle. Your friends. Even Principal Wood. Haven't you noticed how everyone is encouraging you?"
Xander shook his head slowly.
"They're doing it because they know that it's what I want, and that I'm the one pushing for it. I know who you are, Xander, I know you better than anyone else. I know what you want, and I'm pretty sure that I am that person."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because things have changed, because Willow changed things. We have to adapt and move on, but we can't go back. I can't go back to wondering if you feel anything for me, when I know that you do. When I know that you are putting me first.
"But so you know, I put you first Xander. You. Not the head of XTech. Not the guy who hides behind the smiles. Not even the guy who's always so strong."
She paused, and then looked him straight in the eye.
"You've got five more weeks Xander, till my birthday. Then I'm going to demand what's mine. Your heart. Take your time; have your space. I've waited this long, I can wait for a few more weeks. And once I'm eighteen, a legal adult in every sense of the word, you will have no excuses left, nothing to hide behind."
She raised her hand slowly, and lightly cupped his cheek, moving his head up. With infinite slowness, she leant down and kissed him very gently, pulling back instantly. He didn't pull back, as she knew he wouldn't.
For the first time, her hatred of Willow diminished rapidly. Without meaning to, the witch had given her the knowledge she had wanted so desperately.
"Now," she said, breaking the spell. "It's time to go home."
Xander stared at her thoughtfully, shook himself a little, and picked up the phone. He dialed a speed dial number and waited.
"Robin, it's Xander."
He paused, listening to the other end of the conversation.
"Does everyone know what happens in my life?" he complained. He laughed at the reply. "I'm going to take Dawn to L.A. tomorrow. We need to get a Slayer."
"Okay... Thanks."
Xander hung up the phone and smiled slightly. "Robin thinks a day off will be good for you, after what happened yesterday.
Dawn nodded, suddenly nervous at the thought of meeting Faith again. She was worried that she'd have to defend her territory, and the thought of fighting Faith wasn't a good one.
Xander reached up and lightly touched her cheek.
"It goes both ways," he said softly with a small smile.
Dawn felt her eyes go wide as she looked at him. "The bond... or?"
He shrugged lightly. "Both. Come on, let's get out of here."
She nodded and jumped off the table. "What are you going to do with Willow?"
"Dunno," he sighed. "I'll have a chat with people on Tuesday and make a decision then."
"I'm going for some smokes, luv," Spike yelled, as he walked out the house.
"Can you get some chocolate as well?" Buffy asked, from the couch.
"Sure."
Spike sighed as he walked out and into the open air. There had been a strange smell around the house today, and he wasn't sure what it is. Things almost smelt new. He jumped into his car, and reversed into the road, spinning the wheels as he jammed it into first and the heavy engine roared into the still night.
He drove with no care for anyone or anything else - he didn't even bother with a seat belt. Being an immortal vampire kind of made it pointless.
Perhaps if he had worn one, things would have happened differently.
As it was, something stepped out straight in front of him, and he had no chance to stop.
The car hit the demon at forty five miles an hour, and the demon won. The hood of the car crumpled and collapsed as it came to an abrupt stop. It was like driving into an oak tree. Spike barely had time to mutter an epithet before he was thrown through the windscreen, and flew through the air for forty feet, before landing heavily on to the floor.
"Hello Spike," Simon said as he walked over to the vampire. "We were wondering if you'd join us for a little chat."
"Shit," Spike moaned, as Simon swung the sledgehammer in his hands down, catching him on the jaw, and sending him into oblivion.
With a nod of his head, a tow truck appeared to take Spike's car away, while a small ambulance came around the corner and pulled to the stop. Acting quickly, the team of attendants jumped out, strapped Spike firmly to a stretcher, and placed him in the ambulance.
Simon got in the back, and they drove off. The whole thing took less than a minute, and while there had been some minor magical assistance to get the car on the back of the truck so quickly, it had been remarkably easy to catch the arrogant vampire, while leaving very little evidence that anything had happened - even the glass had vanished.
The demon that had stopped the car was on his way home. He came from a dimension with a much higher gravity than this one. One of the consequent side effects was that he weighed slightly less than a Boeing 747, and seemed almost as dense as the core of the sun.
There had been no need for Simon to use the sledgehammer, when drugs would have done, but he liked to be personally involved whenever possible, and he wasn't above getting in a small bit of revenge for the demons Spike had killed. Especially for killing pacifists. It was disgusting.
Spike awoke, and instantly started to struggle. It was a little unfortunate for him that there wasn't that much room in the ambulance, as it meant Simon had to hit him quite a few times to get him unconscious again - he just couldn't swing properly.
They pulled up outside an abandoned warehouse. He was the first to admit it was a little clichéd, but sometimes you just had to go with the classics. With a smile, Simon helped wheel the vampire out of the ambulance and inside the building.
Inside was a small TV studio, and a small medical wing, where they delivered the still-unconscious vampire
Another demon, wearing a black robe, came around and removed Spike's shirt with a few slices of a scalpel.
"Wake him," the half Pockla/half Nahdra demon said quietly. Not for the first time, Simon wished he knew his name. It would make things so much easier.
Simon nodded, and punched Spike hard. It seemed to do the trick, as the vampire gasped, and tried to stand up.
"Scalpel," the demon in black demanded, as he took over.
"What's going on?" Spike demanded, looking wildly around as he struggled against the restraints. The bright light above him was designed to ensure that he couldn't see anything.
"Your punishment," the demon said simply. "You went against the Council, now you pay the price." With a delicate slowness, the demon pressed down with his hand, and Spike froze, looking at what was touching him.
As the first of the demons hands came into view, all that was revealed was a skeletal hand, with no flesh, no blood.
Another skeletal hand appeared into view, this one holding a scalpel, and moved with intractable slowness towards the pale vampiric skin.
"Wait," Spike cried. "What do you want?"
"You to suffer," the demon replied. "You in pain. I want the people who have died to hear your screams as I remove each of your major organs. But don't worry, you will heal, and I will start again. By the time I have finished with you, people will no longer talk about Prometheus, as your suffering will put him to shame."
"You can't," Spike cried desperately. sweat starting to pour down his face.
"Of course, I can," The demon's voice sounded amused - something that put Simon's teeth a little on edge. He was more than a little glad that this demon was on his side.
The demon cut smoothly across the vampires stomach, causing Spike to scream in agony.
"I once kept a vampire alive for fifteen years," the demon said conversationally. "He screamed so beautifully."
"I can tell you what you want," Spike shouted. He paused, as another cut made him scream. "Just tell me what you want. I'll do it."
"I told you," the demon replied, sounding vaguely amused. "I want you to scream." He peeled back some of the skin, and nodded. Spike's head was lifted up, so that he could see what was happening.
"I'm going to reach inside and grab your intestines," the demon said as if he was talking about ordering a mocha.
"No," Spike whined, trying to scramble away in fear, only the bonds were holding him too tightly.
"He could be useful," Simon said suddenly. "He could tell us things we need to know."
"I don't care," the demon said. "I want to show him what happens when you cross us."
"I'll tell," Spike shouted, "What ever you want. I'll tell."
"See," Simon said. "He's willing to be helpful, isn't that enough? Surely that makes up for his past mistakes against us."
"No," the demon growled, annoyed.
If this wasn't an act, Simon would currently have been contemplating running. Fast.
"He'll tell us the truth, won't you, Spike?"
"Of course," Spike yelled. As the hand moved towards the cuts in Spike's stomach, the bleached vampire begged. "Please."
The hand moved away with an almost visible reluctance. A syringe came into view, with a clear liquid inside it. Without any attempt at subtlety, the vampire was injected with it's contents. Spike immediately started to scream.
"Painful?" the demon asked. "It should be. It's Holy Water. You see, if you try and escape, you die. If you lie, you die. If you tell the truth, the water will be removed before it reaches your heart. Do you know what happens when Holy Water touches a vampire's heart?"
Spike shook his head violently.
"Nor do I," the demon said, adding a few drops of an unidentified liquid to Spike's eyes. The eye drops were to prevent him from seeing what was happening.
"I can't see," Spike yelled. "What have you done?"
"Blinded you," the demon said, a tone of sadness just barely audible. "Sadly, it's not permanent. It will wear off in a few hours."
Simon helped undo the terrified vampire, and carried him to a chair. The cuts had already healed. "Chin up, there's a good fellow," Simon said. "You answer the questions and everything is going to be okay. You'll be able to walk out from here."
Despite the temporary blindness, Simon couldn't help but smile as a light flashed in the vampire's eyes, and he knew the vampire was already plotting revenge.
"What has the Black Lady offered you, so that you work for her?"
"I don't..." Spike started.
"See," the demon growled. "I told you. Back to the table."
"No, wait," Spike cried. "She offered me Buffy, okay? Buffy."
"What do you mean?" Simon asked.
"I want the stupid bint, forever; she'll give her to me."
"How?"
"Make `er a freaking leech; she'll be mine for eternity, so I can do whatever I want with her."
"Just for the record, what is a leech?"
"It's a servant, she'll be totally reliant on me for everything, she won't be able to live without me. I'll be her everything, her world."
"And she will agree to this?"
"Oh yeah," Spike boasted, as if forgetting what and where he was. "I've been controlling the stupid bint for ages. A bit of hypnosis here and there, just to smooth things over. She loves me, just been improvin' on that. She'll believe anything I say, so I'll just tell her summat stupid like it being for the good of everyone and it'll make her more powerful, and she'll lay down."
"What about the Key?"
"Sad that, but the Black Lady wants her. Gonna open the Hellmouth with her. Pity she has to die, I almost like her. Innocent, you know, I bet she'd taste fantastic."
"With the Hellmouth open, wouldn't the Slayer be a major target?"
"'Course, that's why I'm having her attached to me. No one else will be able to `ave her, and I'll `ave her for life."
"Going back to the leech thing for a moment, what will she feel?"
"Doesn't matter," Spike shrugged indifferently. "I'll have what I want."
"I think I read somewhere that leeches can't really feel anything, that they are mindless creatures totally at their master's will, existing totally in limbo."
"So what? Don't matter in the slightest," he reiterated. "I'll have `er for ever, she'll be mine, and mine alone. I've taken away everything else that matters to her, and when her sister dies, I'll be the only thing left."
Simon frowned. "Release him."
Spike looked pleased. "So I'm free?"
"You are," Simon agreed. He turned away and looked at the demon. The demon nodded, and they both walked away.
"See to Spike's freedom," Simon said to a group of demons waiting.
As one, eager smiles appeared on their faces, and they moved in.
"Hey! What's going on?" Spike yelled. "Why haven't you released me yet?"
The demons waited for his eyesight to return, and as it did, the first word he yelled was, "Shit."
The fifteen demons were close friends of the Garloch demon that Spike had arranged for Buffy to kill, and they wanted some payback. And while they had promised not to kill Spike, it had been left unsaid that the next ten or fifteen hours would be very unpleasant for the bleached blonde vampire.
The sound of Spike's screams echoed around the building, as Simon and Demon looked at each other.
"I have never tortured another living creature," the demon said in a low voice. "I believe, however, that I am willing to start with that creature."
Simon nodded. "He is seriously warped. And people complain that we don't have souls."
"What do you intend to do with the videos?"
"Send one to the Carpenter, one to the Slayer, and one to the Tortured Soul."
"There are too many vampires with souls. They are not natural."
"Agreed. Humans put far too much value on them, useless things."
"The video should break the Betrayers hold on the Slayer."
"And if not, the Carpenter will deal with him anyway."
"An interesting evening's work."
"Can I ask a question?" Simon said nervously.
"You may."
"Your hand?"
The demon laughed under his breath and held out his hand. It was perfectly normal.
"A mere illusion, I felt it would be..." he paused, searching for the right word. "Chilling."
Simon nodded. "I was chilled," he mumbled.
The demon laughed softly. "I will see you later, my wife is waiting."
"You're married?" Simon blurted.
The demon seemed amused, despite his darkness. "My illusions are most... convincing. My wife knows who I am, but prefers a human form."
Simon nodded. "Thank you," he said, as he bowed formally.
The demon nodded and flickered, vanishing in an instant.
"I really don't want to know what he looks like," Simon tried to convince himself. "Really."
He turned and walked back inside the warehouse. People were already removing the surgery and the studio equipment. He walked over and acquired the video, and left. The smell of Spike's blood was turning his stomach.
At least the screaming had stopped, it looked like one of the demons had crushed Spike's larynx. It would heal.. Eventually.
With a shrug, he walked out to his car, and drove to a nearby shop. There weren't many video stores that would remain open this late on a Sunday night, but the owner was a demon nuts about technology, and had been happy to help when the Council had approached him.
Ian walked into the school, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses, searching for Chrissie.
"Morning," he said softly.
"Hey," the blonde said brightly, giving him a hug. "Where's Dawn this morning?"
"Xander's taking her to L.A. for the day, she needs some time to recover, and he's got some XTech business up there."
"Good," Chrissie said cheerfully. She waved suddenly. "Daryl, over here."
Daryl strolled over, a visible confidence in his stride. "Hi guys, fun weekend, wasn't it."
The other two laughed. "I guess," Chrissie said. "A little scary at times."
"Nah," Daryl grinned. "We're the good guys. But boy, did it feel good to be doing something important for a change."
"You did good," Ian said simply, clapping the smaller boy on the back.
"Everyone was amazing," Daryl said, ignoring the praise. "I think I've got a new hero."
"Xander?" Chrissie asked.
"Nope," Daryl said. "I could never be him. Andrew, on the other hand - that's what I want to be like."
Ian smiled, "Good choice. Andrew went through a bad patch. Just don't copy that."
Daryl nodded. "I won't."
"If it isn't the dweebs waiting for their poxy queen. What is she, shacked up with her boyfriend?" Porsche sneered, as she appeared in front of them, her lackeys beside and behind her.
"Haven't you learnt your lesson yet?" Chrissie asked with an audible sigh.
"You forget who I am," Porsche snarled. "This is my school, and I'm taking it back."
Daryl moved forwards, only to stop as Ian placed a hand on his shoulder. With an amused look on his face, Ian pulled out a cell phone, flipped it over, and dialed a number.
He waited for it to be picked up, and then smiled.
"Hey Molly," he said.
Porsche's face suddenly lost all its color.
"Got a question for you. How attached are you to your niece?"
He paused, and grinned at the worried girl in front of him, aware that the crowd was growing around them. He had no idea why the stupid girl was trying to regain control, but figured it was probably her mother pointing out to her how rich they were. Which, of course, meant that they were better than anyone not as rich.
"She is my niece, so I do have to be a little fond of her," he heard Molly reply.
"Really? I was thinking of breaking her nose; you know, as a lesson."
If possible, Porsche went even whiter.
"Do you know how much that would cost me in cosmetic surgery?" Molly's highly amused voice said.
"Don't pay for the surgery then," Ian replied nonchalantly, trying to make sure that the people listening understood what was happening.
"That is an option," Molly agreed. "Exactly what has she done to upset you this morning?"
"She's trying to regain control of the school, and with Dawn in Los Angeles for the day, I figured it would be a good idea to give an object lesson in what happens to people who try and usurp the queen."
"I'm afraid I can't let you hit her," Molly replied.
"Why can't you let me hit her?" Ian asked, frowning for added effect.
"Because it would mean you getting expelled, and you've got to get good grades."
"But Molly," he whined, hiding his grin. "I don't mind."
"No, Ian," Molly laughed. "I'm afraid my decision is final. But as my niece is there, why don't you put her on?"
"If you insist," Ian sighed. With a malicious little grin, he held out the phone to Porsche. "Your aunt would like a little word with you."
With a shaking hand, Porsche took the phone. "Hello?"
Porsche immediately moved the earpiece away from her ear - the yelling from the other end was almost audible.
"But..." Porsche said, and then stopped.
"But..."
"Yes, aunt," she said, dejectedly. "Yes. I'll see you tonight."
With a hate filled glance, she handed Ian's phone back to him.
"Hey, Molly," he said again.
"I've scared her a little," Molly laughed. "But it's time I reigned my sister in. I want a niece like Dawn, not a spoilt brat like Porsche. Porsche and her mother have been invited for tea tonight. I'm sure it's something they'll enjoy immensely. Or not."
Ian grinned, "I'd enjoy tea at your place."
"Good," Molly said. "In that case, you, Chrissie and Daryl can come around for dinner tomorrow at seven."
Ian blinked, "Tomorrow at seven?"
"Exactly. You do know where I live?"
"Yep," Ian replied. "Let me just check." He put the phone away from his mouth. "Molly's invited us for dinner tomorrow; you okay to make it?"
"Shouldn't be a problem," Chrissie replied.
"Yep, no problem here," Daryl agreed.
"That's not a problem, Molly," Ian said. "On one condition."
"What's that?"
"That you allow us to try and win back some of our poker losses with you."
Molly laughed loudly. "I'll be happy to empty your stash again," she replied.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Ian said, as he exchanged goodbyes and hung up. He completely ignored Porsche as he looked at his friends. "We're going to have to practice our poker tonight, she cleaned us out on Saturday and I don't want a repeat."
Daryl nodded. "Actually, I was doing some studying last night, I'll show you what I learned tonight."
"Cool," Ian grinned. He looked back at Porsche and sighed. "You just don't get it, do you?" He didn't wait for a response. "This school is Dawn's, because she is the only person here who won't take it. I know that's got to be a difficult concept for you to understand, but having power isn't about using it for yourself, it's about using it for everyone else. Everyone else in the school knows that it's a better place - that people are happier than they have been in a very long time, and it's because Dawn doesn't want the power.
"All she wants is to get through school as easily as possible, make friends with as many people as she can, so that she can be happy, and spend time with her boyfriend. If that means she is forced to take control of the school, then she will do that. She's got a deep need to help people, and she gets it from her boyfriend, who saved my life. I owe him more than I can ever pay back, and I owe Dawn as well. I will not let anything happen to her while I am still breathing."
His voice went lower, as he leaned into Porsche's face. "The only reason I am not making an example of you is because of the respect I have for Molly. But that respect does not outweigh what I owe Dawn's boyfriend. If I hear of you trying something like this again, or any of your idiotic friends, I will take action, and not even the best plastic surgeons will be able to repair what I do to that face of yours."
Ian straightened, and looked behind her - her entourage refused to meet his eyes. "And the same goes for you idiots as well. I tried to be nice about letting you know how things had changed, and you're too stupid to understand. If violence is all that you can comprehend, then violence is what I will give you. I am not Dawn. And I am not a nice person. I will act where she would show mercy."
He sighed, and turned his back on them in a gesture of pure contempt, and looked around at the silent crowd. "Let's go to class," he said simply to Chrissie and Daryl.
"Where is Dawn this morning?" Daryl asked, as they walked through the path that opened for them.
"After what happened at the weekend, her boyfriend is taking her to L.A. for the day."
"Good," Daryl replied. "Are you going into work after school?"
"Yeah, I've got to practice with the fighting instructor. You should come."
"Me?" Daryl laughed, "Fight? Have you really looked at me?"
"So you're under nourished," Ian laughed. "Let me change your diet and put you on an exercise routine and I guarantee you put on twenty pounds in the next six months."
"So you're a nutritionist as well?" Chrissy teased.
Ian laughed. "Of course, if you call steak and Guinness nutrition," he smirked.
"I don't," Daryl replied.
"Ian," Robin Wood called, as they reached the end of the crowd.
"Yes, Mr. Wood?" Ian said politely.
"Are you going to see Ms. Summers' boyfriend this evening?"
"Probably."
"Excellent. Can you stop by my office later, please? I've got some paperwork for him."
"No problem. But can I ask a favor?"
The principal raised an eyebrow enquiringly.
"Rumor has it that you're pretty good at martial arts yourself. Any chance you could teach Dawn and me anything?"
Robin nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'd be delighted to. Shall we say Wednesday at seven?"
Ian nodded in respect.
"I suggest you get to class," the principal continued. "You wouldn't want to be late."
"No sir," Ian said, and offered a jaunty salute. "I'll see you guys at lunch?"
"Damn right," Daryl agreed cheerfully.
"Yep, although I'm not looking forward to Math," Chrissie groaned.
"That's alright," Daryl said, "I'll explain as we go through."
"Cool," Chrissie bounced. She walked over and kissed Ian on the cheek. "See you later sweetie, and try and keep those homicidal instincts in check."
"I'll try," Ian agreed, trying desperately not to blush.
"Ready?" Xander asked, as he stepping into the living room.
"Yep," Dawn smiled. She was wearing a smart chestnut brown skirt that matched the highlights in her hair, and a slightly lighter colored shirt, and had put a touch of make up on to emphasize her eyes. She stood, and shook her head a little, letting her hair fall naturally around her face. She looked up as she felt a small rush of pleasure from Xander as he looked at her.
"Come on," he said simply, and walked out the door to the elevator.
"Still got the car?" Dawn asked, a little surprised.
"Yep," Xander replied, as swung into the low slung sports car. "Kyle insisted I use it today, said it could do with a longer run than around Sunnydale."
Dawn smiled and settled in comfortably.
"Hit it, Xand, let's see what this thing can really do."
Xander laughed and pulled out slowly, driving towards the interstate.
"This isn't exactly what I meant," Dawn muttered, she felt like they were about to be overtaken by a tractor.
Xander smirked at her, and kept at the same slow speed. As they pulled onto the Interstate, he suddenly floored the accelerator, and Dawn squealed as she was pushed hard back into the seat.
He kept the pressure on, as the car rocketed past a hundred, and kept going.
She felt completely safe, despite the fact she could see the needle heading towards the hundred and twenty mark; she knew he'd never let anything happen to her, and it was an exhilarating feeling.
The cars in the slow lane started to blur as he kept his foot down, till they approached a hundred and fifty. The car seemed to be purring its encouragement, glorying in being put to the use it had been designed for,
The feeling of being pushed stopped as Xander let of the accelerator. She turned to look at him, and for a second had a glimpse of him as a teenager again, as he laughed.
"Man, this car rocks," he grinned at her, reveling in the sheer power hidden under the engine.
Dawn laughed. "This is definitely what I meant," she shouted.
"That acceleration was killer," Xander agreed. A red light on the dashboard flashed, and he slammed on the brakes.
"Radar detector," he grinned.
"Cool," Dawn said. "Is there anything this car can't do?"
"If not, Kyle could probably get it added," Xander laughed.
"Yeah," Dawn agreed. At fifty-five she couldn't even hear the engine purring. "So, what are you going to say to Faith?"
"I'm going to tell her the truth. That we need help, that Buffy can't do it, and I'll give her a steady job."
"Do you think she'll want to come back to Sunnydale?"
"I hope so, if only because it's where the action is."
Xander engaged the cruise control, and settled in for the journey. "I'm kinda curious to see what the Hyperion is looking like. I've got one of my best crews in there, doing it up. When we've finished, we expect it to be one of the most exclusive, and safest, places in L.A. Cordy's ecstatic, as Angel put her in charge of Public Relations. It gets her invites to meet all sorts of people, with all the rumors that are floating around about it already.
"The whole basement is going to be a giant nightclub - well, two, actually. One human, one demon. Anyone found intermingling will regret it," he added. "We take human security more seriously than demon security. But as long as they're good, they'll have the coolest place in L.A. to play in."
"Cool," Dawn replied. "I can't wait to see it."
They talked for the entire journey, Dawn was deliberately pulling back from him, as she had promised, so that he had the space to get used to the idea that they were going to be a couple now.
Once inside L.A., he pulled into the new carpark inside the Hyperions ground floor, and climbed out, Dawn joining him.
"Let's go catch us a Slayer."
They walked into the front door of the hotel, Xander letting them through the security doors with a five-digit key code, and Dawn had to stop her jaw from opening at the luxurious surrounding. Everything was either marble or mahogany, and it looked incredibly expensive.
"Hey, Boss," a tall man in a suit said, as he walked up to them.
"Gary," Xander said. "How's it going?"
"Well we're actually ahead of schedule. They finished the lobby this morning. The first five floors are done, and we hope to start getting some business coming in next month. We've got the supplies to finish the other floors, and a helicopter doing deliveries."
"Excellent," Xander said with a smile. "I'll do a full inspection later this afternoon."
Gary nodded. "Your people are in the offices down there," he said, pointing to the left.
"Thanks. Come on, Dawn."
They walked down the marble hallway, to a plain door, with another keypad on the outside. Xander tapped another number, and opened the door. "All our doors have an XTech override," he mentioned casually.
They walked in, to find a large meeting room. The ceiling lights were on full, to compensate for the heavy duty blackout blinds covering the windows.
Angel was at the head of the table, Cordy to one side, Faith the other. Wes, Fred, and Gunn took up the other seats.
"Deadboy," Xander growled.
Angel turned and rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been killed yet?"
"You wish," Xander replied.
"I do. See how you like being a vampire," Angel growled back, stalking over to Xander. "You are still annoying."
Xander paused for a second, and then laughed. "Thank you, I try."
Angel grinned and held out his hand. "It's good to see you again, Xander."
"You too, Angel," Xander replied.
Dawn found herself breathing again, as she realized they had been teasing each other.
"Hi, Dawn," Angel said, smiling and looking a little curious as he took her in.
"Hey, Angel," Dawn replied, a polite smile on her face.
"Take a seat?" Angel offered. "We're about finished here."
"Wow, boytoy," Faith said, as she stood and slinked around the table. "Looking good. Been eating your Wheaties?"
Dawn tensed slightly, wanting to kick the raven haired girl’s ass immediately. The girl still oozed sex, as if it came out of her every pore. If Xander had even given the slightest mental hint of attraction, she would have tried Slayer or no Slayer. She clenched her teeth and tried to smile.
"Actually Angel," Xander said. "I came to have a chat with Faith, can we borrow an office?"
"Sure."
"Ooo," Faith purred. "Want me alone do you? Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, heading towards the office. "I want to see what else has changed in all these years."
Xander groaned and looked at Angel.
"With long practice," the vampire muttered in answer to the unasked question.
He nodded, and walked into the office after her.
"Dawn," Cordy said, standing. "We need to talk as well. Follow me."
Dawn blinked, and did as she was told. This wasn't at all what she had expected.
They entered an office next to the one that Xander and Faith were in, and sat opposite each other on two low slung leather seats. They were both wearing remarkably similar clothing, although Dawn's skirt was a little shorter, emphasizing her legs, whereas Cordelia's top was tighter, emphasizing her chest.
"Exactly why do you think you would be good for Xander?" Cordelia asked icily.
"What?" Dawn blinked.
"Oh, please," Cordy said with a sigh. "Don't try and hide from me. You looked like you were a second from laying the smack down on Ms. Skankiness next door."
"Xander's mine," Dawn stated.
"So you believe," Cordy replied. "And exactly why do you think that?"
"Because..." Dawn started. "Because I am what he needs," she eventually said.
"What he needs?" Cordy mocked. "Please. Xander needs someone strong, not a mouse wearing big girl clothes."
Dawn blinked, and shook her head. She'd heard rumors about Cordy acting like a Queen, but had never experienced it herself.
"But," Dawn started.
"Don't interrupt your betters, little girl," Cordy mocked. "You're still a kid playing at being grown up. Don't try and tell me you're what he needs. You're barely out of diapers."
"You..."
"Me?" Cordy interrupted again. "Don't be silly, you're no match for me. Never will be, you need to step away from Xander."
"Screw you," Dawn said, suddenly losing her temper, and at the same time, her fear.
"I don't give a damn who the hell you think you are, you stuck up bitch. I am what Xander needs in his life. Someone stable, who thinks of him as an equal, who puts him first, and isn't a Queen Bitch, a stupid witch, a slutty Slayer, a brain-dead Slayer, a nympho demon, a preying mantis, an ancient mummy, or any other stupid creature. I don't know, or really care what's up your butt at the moment, I've got enough to worry about with the stupid skank making a play for him in the next room without listening to you act like you're fourteen again and still in high school.
"Things have changed, and you've haven't been around to see them, so don't act like you know what the hell is going on in my life, or his. I want Xander, he wants me, and if it wasn't for that bloody nobility streak he's got, I'd probably be spending my nights finding out exactly what someone who's been with Anya can make me feel, instead of being alone in my stupid bed waiting for my stupid birthday so I can finally show him that the stupid laws don't apply any more, and he can't hide behind them.
"Now, if you have something interesting to say to me, say it! Otherwise, go back to what you were doing before you opened your mouth, you interfering shrew."
Dawn glared at Cordy, and then felt confused as the brunette threw her head back and laughed loudly. She blinked at the older girl.
"Cordelia?"
"You can call me Cordy," she said through her laughter. "Did you just call your sister a brain-dead Slayer?"
Dawn shrugged. "Those insults were interchangeable."
Cordy laughed harder, before stumbling to her feet and pouring a couple of glasses of water. She put one in front of Dawn and collapsed back down into her seat inelegantly.
"Maybe you are what Xander needs," she said cheerfully. "And it's good to know that I'm still a wonderful actress."
"What?"
"It was test, Dawn," Cordelia explained simply. "I wanted to see if there was anything inside that pretty exterior. If you look at that list of insults you reeled off, all of them had one thing in common."
"They were strong women?" Dawn said, slowly feeling her stomach unclench.
"Exactly. That's the only thing that big doofus needs."
"You do realize that `doofus' is the vice president of a construction company, and is very close friends to the Micheals'?" Dawn asked, not liking Xander being called that.
"Of course," Cordy replied. "Don't take me calling him that as a sign of disrespect; no one is prouder of what Xander has done than me. Look around you, do you think we'd have such amazing set-up if he hadn't been involved? Xander's done some amazing things over the past year, but we don't need to talk about him.
"Let's talk about you."
"Me?"
"Yes," Cordy said. "You've obviously got a good dress sense, let's see what else you know, Queen of Sunnydale."
"What?"
"You think I wouldn't know?" Cordy grinned. "You're a much better heir than Porsche. She's not fit to tie my elegant boots."
Dawn laughed. "Yeah, well, that was an accident."
"You accidentally punched her and accused her of blowing the entire football team?"
"She caught me at a bad time," Dawn mumbled, somewhat embarrassed that her comments were so widely known, now.
"Right," Cordelia drawled.
Xander walked into the office, to find Faith reclining on the desk, staring at him.
"So," she whispered, licking her lips slowly. "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Talk, yes," Xander said, and it was only by keeping a mental picture of Dawn in his head that he was able to stop staring at the body in front of him. He sat comfortably and crossed his legs.
"Sit down, Faith," he sighed.
"I like it here," she purred back. "Although, I could do with a neck rub."
"Couldn't we all," Xander muttered. "Faith, sit down and stop trying to seduce me."
"Ooo," Faith smirked. She rolled off the table, landing like a cat on all fours, and crawled her way towards him, swaying seductively. "Forceful now, are we?
"I've been a bad little girl, I need someone to take charge of me," she said in a little girl's voice.
"You damn well do," Xander agreed. "But it isn't going to be me. Look, you're still as sexy as hell, and probably more beautiful than when I last saw you, but I'm not going to sleep with you again, okay?"
"Who said anything about sleeping?" Faith asked, as she leant back and thrust her chest higher.
Xander shook his head. Even with everything else going on in his life, he had to admit the site of Faith like that was one that no male could ever not enjoy. He gathered all his will power, and twisted in his seat pulling off his jacket. He ignored Faith's triumphant smirk, and as soon as he had it off, he threw it on her.
"Now, please sit down properly," he said, as he regained full control. "I want to talk to you, not fuck you."
"Don't you find me attractive?" Faith asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"A corpse would find you attractive. Wait, bad analogy. You know what I mean."
Faith sat down on the edge of the chair. She shrugged. "So, you're cute as well, why aren't we doing it like rabbits on the floor?"
Xander groaned. "Is that all you think about?"
"There aren't any vampires or demons near by that need Slaying," she shrugged negligently.
"Yeah, well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Slaying?" Faith asked, looking at him with a pout.
"I don't know," Xander said. "I thought you'd changed. I thought you said that you weren't..."
"A slut?" Faith asked, looking up at him with her eyes wide, as she pronounced the last word with emphasis.
"If the boots fit," Xander said dryly.
"They don't," Faith said sitting back comfortably, placing his jacket on the side of the chair.
"You shouldn't leave that laying on the floor," she scolded. "It will crease."
"What?"
"So, you and the Slayer Sis, eh?"
Xander blinked. "What the hell is going on here?"
Faith ran her fingers through her hair and smirked some more.
"Please, if I'd gone any further in there, that girl was going to attack me." She paused. "Of course, she would have lost, but it would have been fun."
Xander stared at her, feeling more than a little lost.
"I have changed, Xander," the girl said cheerfully. "But not that much. I still like sex as much as I like Slaying, and I like yanking people's chains just as much as ever. When you two walked in, she was glaring at me before you even said `Hi'. She obviously thinks that I'm some sort of competition."
"I didn't think of that," Xander mumbled.
"Because you don't think of me that way?"
"Yeah," he shrugged.
"So, why aren't you showing her what you've learnt over all these years?"
"What?" There were times when Xander really felt like he didn't understand women at all, and this was one of those times.
"If you'd been doing her," Faith explained slowly, as if dealing with an idiot, "she would have been smirking at me, `cause she had something she thinks I want. And don't get me wrong, you're good for a quick lay, Xan, but you're the sort of guy that secretly wants a white picket fence, a wife that loves you, and 2.4 kids. Me, I want a quick fight, a long screw, and then a nice place to sleep off my hangover."
"She's only seventeen," he explained.
"And?" Faith prompted.
"And?"
"Oh Jesus, Xander. Don't tell me you're not tying her to the bed and ravishing that hot little body of hers because she's a little young?"
Xander stiffened.
"Ahh," Faith smiled. "You're worried because she's B's lil' sis, and that you're being a big bad Xander by falling for that innocent sexuality that she's got coming out of her pores."
"Well, yeah," Xander admitted.
"That's bullshit, Xan. The girl's nuts about you - she'd have to be to think of fighting me - and you can't be much short of nuts about her if you're turning down me for little Ms. Sexy legs."
Xander groaned. "Can we get on to what I came here for?"
"As it's not for a quick roll on Angel's desk with me, sure. Hey, you want to get Dawn in here, so you can do it on his desk anyway? I bet you'd get a kick out of that."
"Faith!" Xander groaned again. "Look, I want to offer you a job."
"Coaching Dawn to be Faith-like in bed?"
"No!" Xander said firmly. "Look, we need a Slayer. Most of the people at XTech are biting at the bit to start hunting Vampires. Our defensive technologies are kick ass, but it's not enough, there are still too many vampires hunting people in the night. We need to take the fight to them; we need to bring the whole thing into the 21st century.
"But, I won't let us go without a Slayer as back up. We were going to use Buffy, but that's no longer an option."
"What with her bending over tombstones for that vampire? Slayers are supposed to put the stake in Vampires, not the other way around."
"Quite," Xander agreed.
Faith laughed again, throwing her head back. "Quite? My god, you're becoming Jeeves."
Xander held his head in his hand. "I know, don't rub it in, okay? I realized the other day that I was acting as a mentor to a bunch of seventeen to eighteen year olds."
"Which didn't help your wanting to bend that girl over your bed?"
"In crude terms, yes," Xander sighed. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about."
"Sounds like you need to talk to someone," Faith disagreed. "But we can come back to that subject later. So you want me to come back to good ol' Sunnyhell?"
"Yes," Xander said simply. "Basically, I want to pay you to be XTech's resident Slayer. You'll be responsible for helping with the training, and patrolling with one of our teams at night. You'll also be on call for major emergencies.
"The pay is $100,000 a year, with full health cover, dental cover, paid sick leave, and twenty days holiday, and use of a PJH condo."
Faith blinked. She shook her head. She blinked again, and looked at Xander.
"Would you repeat that again, please?" she said in a voice he'd never heard from her before.
Xander obliged, suddenly feeling better about the situation.
"You know I'd come back for a chance to fight, and a semi-decent place to crash, right?"
Xander nodded. "That's not the way we work, Faith. You put your ass on the line, we have it covered. None of this stupid Sacred Duty crap. You have a job saving the world; you better believe that you're getting paid for it."
He enjoyed the way Faith was looking at him, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what he was saying.
"It's too much," she mumbled.
"Bullshit," he replied. "It's not really enough, but I've got a few budget constraints to work with. It's up to you Faith. If you want, you can even go to college. We'll pay for it."
"And you don't want to fuck me?"
"Nope," he smiled.
"Then why the hell are you doing this?"
"Because I need a Slayer. Because I can't work with Buffy. Because I know what it's like to be down and out of it. Because, when it comes down to it, I'd feel a lot better know that you will be backing us up, and that when we need you, you'll be there, fighting for us."
"But, I tried to kill you - kill you all," she muttered.
Xander smiled crookedly, "So have most of the people I know, at one time or another. People grow, they change. What happened in the past stays there. I'm offering you this chance, Faith. If you take it, you're gonna have to play by the rules."
"I do that these days anyway," Faith said absently. "Damn, Xan. Are you sure about this?"
"I've got a four bedroom penthouse; you've got a room there if you want it, till you can find your own place."
"What about Ms. Innocent?"
"I asked her, it's her home as well."
"You're living with her, and not banging her? What the hell is she playing at?"
"Faith!"
"Okay," the girl said. "Yes, I'll come with you, yes I accept. You can give me the rules and regs later."
"Excellent," Xander smiled.
"So, why is sweetcheeks living with you?"
Xander walked out, followed by Faith, and met up with Cordy, Dawn, and Angel who were sitting at the table, talking.
"Angel, I've offered a Faith a job," he said casually.
"Stealing my staff, Xan?"
He grinned. "I've got bigger pockets than you, call it poaching."
Angel nodded. "You're ready to start hunting then?"
"Absolutely."
"That's great news. You got time to inspect the hotel?"
"That's the other reason I'm here," Xander smiled. "I need to give the bosses a decent progress update on this project."
"And that's going to take you all afternoon?" Cordelia said.
"Yes," Xander smiled at her.
"Good. Faith and I are taking Dawn shopping."
"Cool," Faith grinned. "But first I need to have a talk to the uptight princess. Come on, Dawn." She turned on her heel, and slinked back towards the office, Dawn stalking after her.
Cordy laughed under her breath. "I pity you, Xander."
"You do?" he asked nervously.
"Dawn told me you were planning on inviting Faith to live with you."
"Yeah?"
Cordelia smirked, "You haven't got a clue, have you?"
"What?"
"There are some things we will never know," Angel interrupted. "Come on, let's go."
Xander sighed and looked at Cordy. "Dawn's got my card. Don't bankrupt me, but make sure she spends something."
Cordelia smirked at him once more. "Do you really think that will be a problem?"
Dawn marched into the office behind Faith.
Faith jumped onto the table, span around it, and stared at Dawn intently. "Good legs, but you don't have much upstairs."
Dawn blinked. "Look who's talking you top-heavy slut."
Faith smirked. "Relax kiddo. Much as I wouldn't mind giving Xander a quick roll for old times' sake, I'm not going to jump him."
"You're not?" Dawn asked warily.
"Nope. Xander's a settling down kinda guy. I'm about as ready to settle down as you are to film a Porno."
Dawn slumped down into a chair. "You're not after Xander?"
"Nope. He's yours. But I do have a question?"
"What?"
"You've been living with him for weeks. Why the hell are you still in separate beds?"
"Cordy asked me the same thing. I'll say the same thing to you. I don't want Xander like that, you know? I want him as me. I want him to want me as much as I want him, I want him for life, not just for a quick screw. I can't do that by being you, or by being Cordelia, or even by trying to be Anya. That's not who I am. All I can be is Dawn, okay? I know what's holding Xander back; I know how nervous he is about my age, and about me being Buffy's sister. He's got this idea in his head that he might be taking advantage of me."
Faith snorted.
Dawn smiled slightly, "But you know what? I wouldn't change him. He wouldn't be Xander if he wasn't like that."
"So, are you really five by five with me crashing with you?"
"Now that I know you're not after Xander, sure."
"You're not concerned about my little homicidal thing?"
Dawn grinned, "Who hasn't felt the urge to kill Buffy?"
Faith frowned. "That bad, eh?"
"What?"
"You're relationship with B?"
"Xander tell you what she said?"
She shook her head.
"She said that I wanted to be raped by Spike."
Faith scowled. "Bitch should try it before she talks about it."
"Err?"
"It was a long time ago," Faith shrugged. "I looked him up a few years later, he won't be doing it again."
Dawn nodded.
"I also tried to kill Xander."
"Are you going to do it again?"
"Hell no. I was in a bad, scary place. It was like being on a bad trip that wouldn't end. But you know, sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can come up again."
Dawn nodded. "I hope I never find out."
"Nah," Faith grinned. "You've got your head on your shoulders. We all looked past Xander, `cause you know, he was a norm."
"A norm?"
"Yeah, normal. Not a Slayer, witch, werewolf, vampire, demon, or anything else. Took us all a lot longer to realize that he was the strongest of the lot of us. But I've got a much more important question."
"Yeah?"
"XTech - how cute are the uniforms?"
Dawn laughed. "I really want to see Xander in one, but he hasn't yet."
"That good?"
"Oh yeah, take the best of the police, army, and navy, and you have the start of the XTech uniform."
"Would I look good in it?"
"Faith," Dawn said slowly. "You'd look good in a sack cloth."
"True," Faith grinned. "Does it bother you that Xander's been around a bit?"
Dawn shook her head. "He's not with them any more, and well, what would you rather have for you first time? A teenage guy who lasts thirty seconds, or a guy who could keep a nympho demon happy?"
"You know, D," Faith said with a grin, "we're going to get on fine. You haven't got a stick up your butt, and while you're a hell of a lot more patient than I am, you've got good instincts. Now, let's get Hotlips and go spend your money."
"Do you call anyone by their name?"
"Xander, mainly, but apart from that, not if I can help it."
They walked out again, to meet Cordy.
"Xander's bank card!" Cordelia demanded.
Dawn handed it over instantly, before she could help herself.
"Great," Cordelia grinned at Faith. "Let's go see how much money we can spend on Dawnie here. I'm betting that she put her own wardrobe together. Right?" she looked at the younger girl with an arched, but elegant, eyebrow.
Dawn nodded.
"Just you wait till you see what happens when you shop with some real shoppers," Cordy announced.
"Faith?" Dawn asked, looking a little surprised.
"Hey," Faith shrugged. "Just because I like to wear leather, doesn't mean I can't shop. And just wait till Xander sees those legs of your encased in something skin tight."
Dawn groaned as Faith and Cordelia smirked at each other. "Now come on. I've ordered a limo, `cause it's time to hit the shops!"
The last thing anyone in the hotel would have heard, was the resigned sigh of the younger brunette as she was dragged into the white limousine.