Banner by Selene
Banner by Selene
Chapter 2
The death of Genevieve so close on the heels of her having to put down the vampire children in Cleveland, and Faith was more than ready for a little down time. Thanks to Giles, she had a few pounds in her pocket and the whereabouts of a nearby pub. Maybe if she drank enough, she would sleep untroubled by recurring nightmares.
She hoped that was the case, anyway, as she pushed open the door and took a seat at the bar.
“Gimme a beer,” she told the bartender as she slapped one of the bills from her pants pocket onto the countertop. The note was snatched away and a mug of beer quickly replaced it. She liked that the man didn’t hang around to make small talk; she really wasn’t in the mood.
Drunk was her aim, and barring that, pleasantly buzzed would do. Conversation would just get in the way of her plan. Though, as she finished half her glass and glanced around the room, taking in the men nursing their own sorrows, maybe she’d add a no-strings fuck to her list. Getting laid always did leave her loose-limbed and relaxed.
She spotted a likely candidate in the far corner of the pub. He was alone and seemed interested enough when she caught his eye and quirked her brow in question; his mouth eased into a slight smile that hinted at teeth.
“Hey,” she greeted the nameless man as she slid in the booth across from him. “Looking to get lucky?”
“Are you?”
“Sweetheart, luck’s got nothing to do with it. Want. Take. Have’s my motto. I’m just trying to decide if I want to.”
Even as she said it, though, another image superimposed itself over the guy before her. Xander, in his dark Army issue-like clothing – which looked really good on his slimmed down frame, she had to admit.
Post-Sunnydale life appeared to be agreeing with Buffy’s boy – she couldn’t really think of Xander as her ex, or even being remotely hers, given their all-too-brief time together. But they did have a history of sorts, and maybe, just maybe, she could capitalize on that. Worst case scenario, Xander left London in a tiff and went back to Buffy and Willow, leaving her and Giles alone together in their pact.
Something akin to regret threatened at that thought, and she pushed it back to the far corners of her mind as she stood and muttered, “Never mind,” to the guy sitting at the table and returned to the bar and her lone seat.
She was definitely going to need some more liquor in her to wash away the bitter taste in her mouth before she went back to Giles’.
~*~*~*~*~
It was dark when Amy and a de-skinned Warren were met at the door by the blond.
“Are you crazy? Why did you come here?”
“Because here would be the last place they would look, you twit!” Warren snapped. “Now let us in.”
The blond stood back and just barely managed to keep the revulsion off his face as Warren and Amy crossed over the threshold. He took a quick look about the grounds to make sure no one was watching before shutting the door and sliding the bolt home.
“Come on. You can stay below. No one ever goes down there, and I’m sure Amy can set up a ward or something to keep it that way.”
The three descended the steps, the only sound breaking the eerie silence was their footfalls on the stone surface. They walked by several closed doors along the darkened hallway, but paused before the one emanating a green glow beneath the door’s bottom edge.
“How’s our guest doing?” Amy enquired.
“See for yourself.”
Amy opened the door and smiled in satisfaction. Ethan hung limply from magically-enhanced chains, his body drained of a good portion of his magic.
“You think the Slayer bought the false vision you planted in her head?” the blond asked.
“Of course she did. She’ll see the door and burst in to save the day, only to find Ethan already dead. Willow will be too weak to see through the glamour.”
“And the soldier that supposedly shot him?”
“Just as clueless as the others.”
“I hope you’re right. I don’t know why we’re keeping him alive anyway. Twilight wanted—”
“We’ve been over this before,” Warren hissed. “Amy needs his magic. Keeping my cells enervated takes a lot of resources; Ethan provides that. At least he will until I can get my hands on Willow again.”
The blond snorted but wisely held his tongue. When Twilight thought Warren and Amy’s usefulness was at an end, he’d deal with the two. Truthfully, he was surprised the man had let them live after the botched attempt stateside – Buffy should have been dead and buried by now.
Something he was none too pleased about himself.
Still, he wasn’t running things yet, and until a few key players were eliminated from the playing field, he had to sit back and play the bumbling idiot.
“Fine. Whatever. Make yourselves at home. Just stay out of sight. I don’t have to say what will happen if you’re noticed by the others…”
The blond turned and walked off, leaving the two to their own devices. He had to be up early in the morning and needed his rest.
~*~*~*~*~
Xander was fast asleep when Faith let herself into the room he was using. She’d gone through the money Giles had given her and was feeling the pleasant euphoria a decent amount of alcohol usually brought about. A good, hard ride – courtesy of Xander – and she knew she would be able to sleep without the image of Genevieve’s betrayed expression haunting her dreams.
She slipped out of her clothes, letting them fall where they may, and crossed naked to the bed. Xander looked just as good without his clothes as he did with, at least what she was able to see above the sheet. Her body tingled in memory of their first time together. Though he’d been a virgin at the time, he’d definitely risen to the challenge – literally; the sex had been fantastic.
Faith felt him stir as she climbed on the bed and straddled his hips. His eye opened and he stiffened in shock to see her looming overhead, a slight smile on her face.
“Faith? Wha—?”
His question was cut off as Faith ground her lips into his, determined to override any objections he might have. She thrust her tongue inside his mouth, heard his moan of… something… before he gave up and began kissing her back. His hands gripped her arms then moved to her back. She delighted in his strength as he tugged her down on top of him; her breasts smashed into his bare chest causing them both to groan.
It went on for several minutes, the thrust and grind of hips, hands that seemed everywhere at once, mouths swallowing down moans of desperation and need. Then suddenly their roles were reversed and Faith found herself flat on her back, Xander’s face a hairsbreadth apart from hers.
“What are you doing, Faith?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” she purred and went to reach for him again.
“Using me for sex.”
“Do you mind? I’ll make it good for you. We can do whatever you want…” Faith smiled sweetly in the hopes of swaying him. Though, judging by the thunderous look on his face, all she’d done was piss him off more.
“What I want is for you to get your drunken ass outta my bed. I’m not some dog that comes when you call it, Slayer or no. We’re not going down that road again.”
“Please, Xander. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I could tell you wanted me earlier. What’s the harm of having a little fun?”
“First off, you’re a beautiful woman, and I’d have to be dead not to respond to you. It doesn’t mean anything. Second, I want more than a casual fling from the woman I take to my bed. I’ve done the wham. Bam. Thank you, ma’am, and it doesn’t quite suit my taste.”
“Oh.” Faith turned her head to the side, anything to escape the condemning look in Xander’s eyes, and whispered an apology. She’d obviously made a huge mistake, and the drink, combined with her feelings of guilt over the senseless death of her sister slayer, made it difficult to hide behind the thick outer shell she normally presented to the world.
His next words made her believe that all was not lost and she found herself tearing up over the unexpected gesture. And for once, she gave in to the need to be held and comforted. Clung to him as he soothed her with soft touches and quiet words until she eventually drifted off to sleep.
For the first time in what felt like years, her sleep was untroubled.
~*~*~*~*~
Breakfast the next morning wasn’t nearly as awkward as Faith thought it might be. She’d woken alone in Xander’s bed, with no sign of him anywhere in the room. Dressing quickly, she’d darted into her own room to shower and change. Had walked downstairs and into the kitchen to see Xander frying up eggs while Giles had his nose buried in the morning paper.
“Ah… good morning, Faith. I trust you slept well?”
There was no hint of derision on Giles’ face, no smart remarks from Xander either.
“Uh… yeah,” she replied as she slid into the seat on the watcher’s left.
“Eggs, Faith?” Xander asked her. Again his tone was carefully neutral – like last night had never happened.
“Sure.”
“Good. It’s about the only thing I know how to make,” he teased then gave her a wink.
For some reason, that made her smile, and she relaxed and told him, “Hey. You’re one up on me. I usually order out… if I remember to eat, that is.”
“Guess this means that Giles gets K-P duty.”
Both Faith and Xander snickered when Giles flipped his wallet on the table, never bothering to look up from the paper.
“Ordering out it is then,” Xander announced as he walked over to the table with skillet in hand and doled out scrambled eggs onto three plates.
Giles put the paper away as Xander sat down, and the next few minutes were spent eating.
“These are pretty good, Xan,” Faith complimented around a mouthful of food.
“Well, my motto’s always been, pick one thing and do it well. Eggs are my thing.”
“I have to agree with Faith. Fluffy. Moist. Just the right amount of seasoning. Very delicious, Xander.”
“The secret’s the milk,” Xander confided. “Adds a touch of buoyancy to the eggs— And can I sound even more girly?”
“Yeah…” Faith laughed. “But your secret is safe with us. Promise.”
Giles finished his breakfast and laid down his fork. “Speaking of secrets,” he began, causing Xander and Faith to start and look guiltily at each other. “I’ve got word of a slayer in New Orleans that may be in over her head.”
“When do we leave?” Xander wanted to know.
“Xander, are you sure you wouldn’t rather—?”
“No.”
“I gathered as much,” Giles sighed. “Our flight leaves Heathrow at noon. I suggest you two go pack. I’m not sure how long we’ll be away, so several days’ worth of clothes would probably be best. I’ll clean up here.”
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