Title: Starting Over
Rating: R (For Language later)
Relationships: X\F
Story: Action\Adventure
Feedback: In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters just worship at their altar.
Starting Over 1 - Decisions
"Another Scooby meeting, another meeting of the How Wonderful Is Riley, How Useless Is Xander Club. I can hardly contain my joy." Xander slouched as he walked up his drive. "Still anything's better than a night in with dear old dad. Better pick up my stakes and go."
The young man sighed as he heard sounds of fighting from inside the house. His mom must have got home from the 7-11 early, usually the fights didn't start until much later. "You want my boy, girl? Let's see what a real man can do for you!"
An acid fear filled the young man at the sound of his father's voice coming from inside the house. Which one of his friends was in there? He realised it must be Anya, either Buff or Will had the power to handle the old bastard. Hitting the front door at a charge, he ran into the living room to find his dad crouched over a wailing figure lying on the couch. Xander's eyes widened, it couldn't be. "Dad, let her go," his voice shook both with fear of his father and the girl laid on the couch. Not even she deserved that.
After slapping the girl across the face, the bigger man looked over his shoulder at him and laughed dismissively. "Go and make yourself some dinner, boy. By the time you've eaten, I'll have finished with this cutie. You can have what's left." His father turned back to the girl and began pulling her pants down.
For a moment Xander stood where he was, rooted there by his terror of the man who had beaten and bullied him for all of his eighteen years. Then the girl whimpered. "Xand."
That one word was enough to break the icy grip on his heart. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on his father's burly shoulder. "Dad."
The older man snarled, spun round and threw a left hook at his jaw. Years of fighting vampires and demons had honed Xander's reflexes to a fine point and he slid smoothly beneath the clumsy attack before straightening and ramming the point of his elbow into his father's forehead. Smirking slightly at his father's surprised expression, 'til now he'd never fought back but then again he'd never been fighting for anybody else before, he followed up with a fist into his father's gut. As his dad doubled up, Xander grabbed his head and pulled it down, face first, onto his rising knee before smashing a right into the crumpling man's jaw.
Before his father's body had hit the carpet, Xander was crouched over the girl. "Faith, why didn't you stop him?"
"No," the pale-faced brunette shook her head wildly. "Can't hurt anybody. Can't kill anybody. That's wrong."
Seeing the girl was about to go into hysterics, the youth pulled her jeans back up and began fastening them. "Listen, I'll go and get the others."
"No! No!" The girl's voice raised several octaves and her already panic- stricken eyes widened still further. "You can't, B wants to kill me."
"That's not -," Xander's voice trailed off. Buffy did want the dark Slayer dead, particularly after she slept with Riley. "So why did you come here?"
The girl gazed up at him, desperation in her liquid brown eyes. "Because I knew you'd help me. Won't you?" The brunette's voice was small, child- like.
Xander hesitated. He realised that he was stood on the edge of a precipice. He could side with the girl who'd tried to kill him. Or he could side with his friends. With Buffy, Willow, Giles and Riley who ignored him, and with Anaya who somehow managed to make him feel cheaper than Faith had ever managed. Or he could do what he always did and help the person who needed him. Finally he nodded, there was only one decision he could make. He started to stand only for the Slayer to pull him back down, her eyes frightened, desperate. "No, please Xand. I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you want, just don't leave me. I'm sor -."
The pain he saw in her face and heard in her voice tore at his heart. Xander forced a smile. "Hey, hey," he soothed. "We can't stay here, it's not safe. I just need to get some things in a bag. Then we're leaving."
Faith's expression went from scared to terrified. "I can't see them."
"No, not to see Buffy," Xander replied. "To see," he really hated this idea but unfortunately it made sense. Who else could stand up to Buffy or knew more about redemption? "To see Angel."
"Angel?"
"Yeah," he gently brushed some stray hair strands off the girl's face. "It'll be okay. Just give me a few minutes."
"Take me with you."
"Faith -."
"If I let you go, you'll run away from me, everybody does."
The young man ground his teeth together in anger. What sort of life had made her so frightened to trust? "All righty then." He cradled the girl in his arms and lifted her, cringing inwardly at her gauntness. She'd never been a big girl and eight months in a coma combined with her Slayer metabolism had left her seriously under-weight. He winked. "I've seen your bed, now you get to see mine, it's only fair. Come on Faith, it'll only take a few minutes to pack and then we're off. Five by five?"
The brunette smiled weakly at her catchphrase and nodded. "Five by five."
* * *
Xander glanced across to the sleeping Slayer sat beside him as he reached L.A.'s outskirts. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered leaving his home for positively the last time. He'd cleaned out his dad's wallet and the money remaining from his summer stripping job as well as stealing his dad's pick-up. Somehow he doubted the old bastard would report the theft.
"Xander."
He smiled at the wakening raven-haired beauty. "Yes Faith." The girl looked exhausted, but then he guessed eight months in a coma followed quickly by a nervous breakdown would do that to a person.
"How long?"
"Not long now," he promised. Seeing Angel really wasn't something he was looking forward to but he needed the ensoulled vampire to provide a level of protection that he couldn't hope to. Besides Deadboy would understand what Faith was going through better than anybody he knew except perhaps G- Man, and he wasn't a feasible candidate. "See, that's his offices right there. Cordy sent me a card and everything, her working for Deadboy can you bel -."
The Slayer's tremulous voice cut through his babbling. "He'll help me?"
Xander smiled at the brunette with a confidence he didn't feel, even as he discreetly checked the safety on his Desert Eagle .50. "I'm sure he will." If he didn't, Xander was prepared to shoot and run. Bullets didn't kill vamps but they sure as shit slowed them down. "If he won't we'll go onto whatever city you want."
"Five by five, but you won't leave me?"
"I'll stay for as long as you want me to."
* * *
"Xander!"
"The same, Deadboy in?"
"Angel!"
"Cordelia what have I told you about scream -," the vampire finally registered the sight of the biggest pain in his ass stood in his office. "What do I have to do to get rid of you? Move states, countries?" He sighed in frustration. "What are you doing here?"
"They're going to kill her." The exhausted-looking man's face twisted in anguish as he glanced down to the slight figure clinging onto him for support.
The vampire's eyes widened. "Faith?"
"Who's going to kill her? Can't Buffy help?"
At the mention of Buffy's name, Faith whimpered in terror and the young man holding her grimaced. "It's her we're running from."
Angel's mouth dropped open. "How? Why? What? When?" Last thing he knew, Buffy had felt tremendous guilt over the circumstances leading to Faith's coma and was hoping desperately for her return to health, for a chance to help her brunette counterpart.
The young man let out a weary laugh. "Hold on Big & Broody, Faith needs to rest. Have you somewhere she can rest?"
Angel nodded dazedly. "Through here," he gestured towards his living quarters.
Xander nodded at him before glancing down at the pale, thin girl holding onto him. "Come on Faith."
* * *
Once the girl was settled in the room, Xander returned. "So what's been happening?" the vampire demanded.
Angel listened in disbelief as the story of Faith's body-swapping experience came out and her ordeal at the hands of Xander's father. "Your dad tried to -."
"I know," Xander flushed red. "Let's not get into my wonderful parents right now."
"Okay, sorry." Angel looked at his team. "What do you say? Help Faith or not?"
Wesley shrugged. "I was a failure as her Watcher maybe I can do better as a friend."
Angel nodded. "Cordy?"
Cordelia grinned. "Hey, Princess Buffy's pissed at her, Faith can't be all bad. What about you boss?"
The vampire paused in thought. On the one hand he was enraged at Faith for what she had done, to him, to Buffy, even her attack on Xander - although maybe not so much that. On the other hand, he'd done far worse. He closed his eyes as his torturing of Drusilla and his massacre of his own family flashed before him. If he believed that he deserved a shot at redemption then surely a misguided child deserved the same. "We'll help protect her, Xander."
"Thank you." The young man's shoulders slumped in relief, as if releasing a great weight. "Is it alright if I go sit with her?"
Rating: R (For Language later)
Relationships: X\F
Story: Action\Adventure
Feedback: In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters just worship at their altar.
Starting Over 1 - Decisions
"Another Scooby meeting, another meeting of the How Wonderful Is Riley, How Useless Is Xander Club. I can hardly contain my joy." Xander slouched as he walked up his drive. "Still anything's better than a night in with dear old dad. Better pick up my stakes and go."
The young man sighed as he heard sounds of fighting from inside the house. His mom must have got home from the 7-11 early, usually the fights didn't start until much later. "You want my boy, girl? Let's see what a real man can do for you!"
An acid fear filled the young man at the sound of his father's voice coming from inside the house. Which one of his friends was in there? He realised it must be Anya, either Buff or Will had the power to handle the old bastard. Hitting the front door at a charge, he ran into the living room to find his dad crouched over a wailing figure lying on the couch. Xander's eyes widened, it couldn't be. "Dad, let her go," his voice shook both with fear of his father and the girl laid on the couch. Not even she deserved that.
After slapping the girl across the face, the bigger man looked over his shoulder at him and laughed dismissively. "Go and make yourself some dinner, boy. By the time you've eaten, I'll have finished with this cutie. You can have what's left." His father turned back to the girl and began pulling her pants down.
For a moment Xander stood where he was, rooted there by his terror of the man who had beaten and bullied him for all of his eighteen years. Then the girl whimpered. "Xand."
That one word was enough to break the icy grip on his heart. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on his father's burly shoulder. "Dad."
The older man snarled, spun round and threw a left hook at his jaw. Years of fighting vampires and demons had honed Xander's reflexes to a fine point and he slid smoothly beneath the clumsy attack before straightening and ramming the point of his elbow into his father's forehead. Smirking slightly at his father's surprised expression, 'til now he'd never fought back but then again he'd never been fighting for anybody else before, he followed up with a fist into his father's gut. As his dad doubled up, Xander grabbed his head and pulled it down, face first, onto his rising knee before smashing a right into the crumpling man's jaw.
Before his father's body had hit the carpet, Xander was crouched over the girl. "Faith, why didn't you stop him?"
"No," the pale-faced brunette shook her head wildly. "Can't hurt anybody. Can't kill anybody. That's wrong."
Seeing the girl was about to go into hysterics, the youth pulled her jeans back up and began fastening them. "Listen, I'll go and get the others."
"No! No!" The girl's voice raised several octaves and her already panic- stricken eyes widened still further. "You can't, B wants to kill me."
"That's not -," Xander's voice trailed off. Buffy did want the dark Slayer dead, particularly after she slept with Riley. "So why did you come here?"
The girl gazed up at him, desperation in her liquid brown eyes. "Because I knew you'd help me. Won't you?" The brunette's voice was small, child- like.
Xander hesitated. He realised that he was stood on the edge of a precipice. He could side with the girl who'd tried to kill him. Or he could side with his friends. With Buffy, Willow, Giles and Riley who ignored him, and with Anaya who somehow managed to make him feel cheaper than Faith had ever managed. Or he could do what he always did and help the person who needed him. Finally he nodded, there was only one decision he could make. He started to stand only for the Slayer to pull him back down, her eyes frightened, desperate. "No, please Xand. I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you want, just don't leave me. I'm sor -."
The pain he saw in her face and heard in her voice tore at his heart. Xander forced a smile. "Hey, hey," he soothed. "We can't stay here, it's not safe. I just need to get some things in a bag. Then we're leaving."
Faith's expression went from scared to terrified. "I can't see them."
"No, not to see Buffy," Xander replied. "To see," he really hated this idea but unfortunately it made sense. Who else could stand up to Buffy or knew more about redemption? "To see Angel."
"Angel?"
"Yeah," he gently brushed some stray hair strands off the girl's face. "It'll be okay. Just give me a few minutes."
"Take me with you."
"Faith -."
"If I let you go, you'll run away from me, everybody does."
The young man ground his teeth together in anger. What sort of life had made her so frightened to trust? "All righty then." He cradled the girl in his arms and lifted her, cringing inwardly at her gauntness. She'd never been a big girl and eight months in a coma combined with her Slayer metabolism had left her seriously under-weight. He winked. "I've seen your bed, now you get to see mine, it's only fair. Come on Faith, it'll only take a few minutes to pack and then we're off. Five by five?"
The brunette smiled weakly at her catchphrase and nodded. "Five by five."
* * *
Xander glanced across to the sleeping Slayer sat beside him as he reached L.A.'s outskirts. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered leaving his home for positively the last time. He'd cleaned out his dad's wallet and the money remaining from his summer stripping job as well as stealing his dad's pick-up. Somehow he doubted the old bastard would report the theft.
"Xander."
He smiled at the wakening raven-haired beauty. "Yes Faith." The girl looked exhausted, but then he guessed eight months in a coma followed quickly by a nervous breakdown would do that to a person.
"How long?"
"Not long now," he promised. Seeing Angel really wasn't something he was looking forward to but he needed the ensoulled vampire to provide a level of protection that he couldn't hope to. Besides Deadboy would understand what Faith was going through better than anybody he knew except perhaps G- Man, and he wasn't a feasible candidate. "See, that's his offices right there. Cordy sent me a card and everything, her working for Deadboy can you bel -."
The Slayer's tremulous voice cut through his babbling. "He'll help me?"
Xander smiled at the brunette with a confidence he didn't feel, even as he discreetly checked the safety on his Desert Eagle .50. "I'm sure he will." If he didn't, Xander was prepared to shoot and run. Bullets didn't kill vamps but they sure as shit slowed them down. "If he won't we'll go onto whatever city you want."
"Five by five, but you won't leave me?"
"I'll stay for as long as you want me to."
* * *
"Xander!"
"The same, Deadboy in?"
"Angel!"
"Cordelia what have I told you about scream -," the vampire finally registered the sight of the biggest pain in his ass stood in his office. "What do I have to do to get rid of you? Move states, countries?" He sighed in frustration. "What are you doing here?"
"They're going to kill her." The exhausted-looking man's face twisted in anguish as he glanced down to the slight figure clinging onto him for support.
The vampire's eyes widened. "Faith?"
"Who's going to kill her? Can't Buffy help?"
At the mention of Buffy's name, Faith whimpered in terror and the young man holding her grimaced. "It's her we're running from."
Angel's mouth dropped open. "How? Why? What? When?" Last thing he knew, Buffy had felt tremendous guilt over the circumstances leading to Faith's coma and was hoping desperately for her return to health, for a chance to help her brunette counterpart.
The young man let out a weary laugh. "Hold on Big & Broody, Faith needs to rest. Have you somewhere she can rest?"
Angel nodded dazedly. "Through here," he gestured towards his living quarters.
Xander nodded at him before glancing down at the pale, thin girl holding onto him. "Come on Faith."
* * *
Once the girl was settled in the room, Xander returned. "So what's been happening?" the vampire demanded.
Angel listened in disbelief as the story of Faith's body-swapping experience came out and her ordeal at the hands of Xander's father. "Your dad tried to -."
"I know," Xander flushed red. "Let's not get into my wonderful parents right now."
"Okay, sorry." Angel looked at his team. "What do you say? Help Faith or not?"
Wesley shrugged. "I was a failure as her Watcher maybe I can do better as a friend."
Angel nodded. "Cordy?"
Cordelia grinned. "Hey, Princess Buffy's pissed at her, Faith can't be all bad. What about you boss?"
The vampire paused in thought. On the one hand he was enraged at Faith for what she had done, to him, to Buffy, even her attack on Xander - although maybe not so much that. On the other hand, he'd done far worse. He closed his eyes as his torturing of Drusilla and his massacre of his own family flashed before him. If he believed that he deserved a shot at redemption then surely a misguided child deserved the same. "We'll help protect her, Xander."
"Thank you." The young man's shoulders slumped in relief, as if releasing a great weight. "Is it alright if I go sit with her?"