Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction ❯ A Knight's Companion ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fyrloche 
Non Anime: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Occult | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 01.29.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 948 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Occult | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 01.29.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 948 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Two
A/N: You guys blow me away! Man! Thank you for the kind reviews and for all the people who have put me on their favorites list with this story. My Inuyasha stories always got great reviews, but not as many as quickly as this one. I’m glad you guys are enjoying it. I hope that I can keep you entertained. Now, on to the story. I don’t own Buffy, Xander, Faith, or Albriech.
Xander stared in gaped mouth shock at the white horse. ‘No,’ his mind corrected, ‘Companion.’ He wondered briefly if he had gone completely around the bend.
“Yo, Boy toy.” came the slightly pained voice of Faith, bringing him back out of his daze. “Stop staring at Silver there and give me a hand.”
“Damn.” he said, as he turned back towards the slayer. “Geeze, I’m sorry, Faith. Let me look at your arm.” He inspected her shoulder. “It does look like it’s dislocated. I’d better get you to a doctor.”
Faith bit back a groan. “No need for that. Just get me to my hotel and you can put it back in its socket.” She gave him a pain laced grin at the shocked look on his face. “It ain’t that hard to do, stud. Then slayer healing will kick in and then, baddabing, baddaboom, I’m good as new.” Her grin took on less pain and more of something that made his heart tighten in his chest. “Then I can thank you for saving my ass.” That said, she leaned into him and grabbed the back of his head with her good arm and pulled him in for a fierce kiss.
“Strong she is. A warrior’s spirit she has.”
Xander broke the kiss and spun to face the Companion. “Cut that out!”
“Well, excuse me for trying to be nice!” came an angry voice from behind him.
‘Oh, shit!’ Xander spun back to look into the face of a very pissed off and slightly hurt slayer. “No, Faith! That wasn’t directed at you. I definitely didn’t want you to cut that out. No cutting out with the kissing.” He held up his hands in a placating manner. “It’s this damn horse’s…” he started to say, making a gesture towards the decidedly amused looking stallion.
“Companion.” Albriech said firmly in his mind.
“Alright, dammit! Companion’s fault! He keeps talking to me!”
Faith gave Xander a strange look and edged back slightly from him. “No offense, X-man, but he looks more like Silver than Mister Ed and I don’t hear him talking.”
“That’s because,” suddenly what he was saying caught up with him. He visibly deflated as he finished his sentence, “I hear him in my head.”
“Mindspeech it is called, Chosen. How I speak to you it is.”
“Mindspeech, telepathy; I don’t care what it’s called, you’re still talking in my head! “ Xander glared at his Companion. “And you sound like Yoda!”
Albriech stomped his foot and shook his head. “Small and green, I am NOT. My speech my own is.”
Faith started to back away from Xander. “Look, Boy toy, you are obviously having a moment with your horse here so I’ll just be going.” She started to turn to walk away when Albriech swung his head to look directly into her eyes. The sapphire blue of his eyes caught her sight for a moment when a voice announced firmly and with no preamble, “Horse, I am not! Alexander’s Companion I am!”
Faith abruptly sat down on the ground. “Whoa.” was all she could say for a moment. Xander came over and knelt beside her.
“Are you okay, Faith?” he asked in concern.
“He really is talking in your mind, isn’t he?”
Xander grinned at her. Then he laughed a little before looking back at the impatiently waiting Companion. “Yeah, he is.” He looked thoughtful. “It’s actually pretty cool, in a wigsome kind of way.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Faith looked at Albriech in sudden suspicion. “Are you sure he’s not a demon?”
Her words brought out an unforeseen reaction from Albriech. His rueful mind speech reached out to both of them. “Unbelievable, this is. Centuries pass and for demons are Companions still mistaken.”
Xander stood and helped Faith to her feet. “So, you’re saying that you’re not a demon.” The Companion nodded his head. “What proof do we have that you’re telling the truth?”
Albriech looked at him in something that seemed to be approval. It was hard to tell since Xander wasn’t used to reading a horse’s (Companion’s!) expressions. “None, save my word.”
“Well, you did pull my butt out of the fire.” Xander conceded.
“What the hell, X-man, let’s give him a chance. I don’t feel any bad guy vibes off him.” Faith paused before she smiled, widely. “Besides, if he turns out evil, I can make with the slay.”
“No easy task that would be, Slayer Faith.”
Faith sneered at him playfully. “Confident, are you? I like that in a man, or whatever you are.”
Xander rolled his eyes at Faith flirting with the Companion. “Okay, we’ve got to get Faith taken care of and then I have some questions for you. Can you carry both of us?”
Albriech looked at his Chosen and Xander could feel the approval radiating off the Companion. “Easily.”
Faith looked at Albriech in delight. “I’ve always loved horses!” she gushed. “I always wanted a pony when I was a little girl!”
Xander grinned in delight at Faith’s reaction. In that moment she seemed a sweet, innocent little girl instead of the tough, sexy slayer. He helped her swing up onto the Companions bareback, and then he swung up behind her, exhibiting more agility than most people thought he had. “All right, Faith. Tell Al where we’re going.”
Albriech slowly turned his head back to look at Xander with one of his eyes. “Al?” came the slightly incredulous query.
Xander grinned at his Companion. “Yeah. It’s short for Albriech.”
Albriech snorted in disgust and turned his head to face the road. “Aware of that I was.” His mind voice was clipped. “Discuss this we will.” he promised. He swiveled his ear back to listen to the directions that Faith began to give him and then set off at a slow walk so as not to unnecessarily jostle his injured passenger.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 888888888888888888888888888888
Xander dismounted in front of the flea bag motel that Faith had directed them to. He didn’t really pay attention to the place as he helped her off Albriech since he was more concerned with her injury. When he had Faith on the ground, he turned towards the motel and started to ask, “Which room?”, but stopped, appalled by the appearance of the place.
“Faith?” he started speaking softly. “Please tell me you are NOT staying here.”
Faith shrugged with her good shoulder. “It’s a place to flop. I’ve lived in worse.”
Steel entered his voice. “Not anymore.” He stepped in front of her and looked her in the eyes. “After we get you fixed up, you’re packing and I’m going to the office and checking you out.”
Faith glared at him. “And what makes you think that you can come in here and order me around? I’m my own boss and I can decide where I stay myself. Besides,” she paused and looked around her, “maybe I like it here.”
Xander and Albriech snorted at the same time. Xander shared a look with his Companion before looking back at the slayer. “I’m sorry, Faith. I’m not trying to order you around, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a friend of mine stay in a place like THIS.” He expanded his arms in a gesture to encompass the motel and its courtyard. “I’ve seen dumps that were cleaner than this place.”
“I don’t need a White Knight!” Faith shouted.
“I’m not being a White Knight! I’m being your friend!” Xander shouted back.
“And what kind of benefits do you expect being my ‘friend’?” Faith shot back.
Xander’s mouth hung open in shock at her suggestion. “What?” he finally managed.
Faith rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, boy toy. You can’t tell me that you don’t want something to be my friend. Guys always want something.”
Xander could feel his anger rise, but he quickly quashed it. Faith didn’t know him and apparently had not had many trustworthy guy friends. “Fine, Faith. You’re right. I do want something from you.”
“Uh-huh. I knew you did.” Her face had a very brief flash of disappointment on it before she stepped past him to the door of her room. “Get in here and help fix me up and I’ll thank you for pulling my butt out of that jam.”
Xander put his arm across the door in front of her, blocking her from going in. “You haven’t let me tell you what I want yet.”
Faith sneered at him. “I doubt it’s anything that I haven’t done before.”
He took a quick breath before blurting out, “I want your friendship and your trust.”
Now it was Faith’s turn to have a jaw drop. “What?”
“Your friendship. And, eventually I hope, your trust.”
Faith looked at him for a second and then started laughing. “You had me there for a second, X-man.” She grimaced. “I don’t do the trust thing and friends slow me down.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Besides, can you honestly tell me that you don’t want my body?” She ran her good hand up her body suggestively.
Xander shuddered and turned beet red. “I meant what I said, Faith. I want to be your friend. So, I guess I had better try to prove it to you by telling you the truth.” He paused and ran his hands through his hair while searching for the right way to say what he was going to say next. “Look, part of me does want you and wants to take what you’re offering, you wouldn’t believe how bad, but, damn it, another part of me”, he sighed, “well, that side thinks that we are a good team and wants to have you for a longer time than one night. And that means getting to know you better. And I hope you getting to know me better.”
Faith looked at him in disbelief. “You’re not joking, are you?” She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re asking for X. I got a lot of baggage.”
Xander smirked and jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards his Companion. “Then it’s a good thing that I’ve got a hor…Companion to carry it all.”
“So, pack mule have I become?”
Xander shot a look at Albriech. “Well, you’ve got the legs for it.” Then he grinned at the Companion. “Besides, I’ve got the feeling that you could teach a mule a thing or two about being stubborn.”
“Sound like Selenay you do.” Albriech replied in a rueful tone.
“Selenay?” Xander asked.
“Someone from a previous life. Perhaps tell you one day I will.”
“Okay, will you two stop that?” Xander and Albriech turned their heads to look at Faith, who was watching them with a frown on her face.
“Stop what?” Xander asked in puzzlement.
“He’s talking to you but I can’t hear him.” She shot an accusing look at Albriech. “I could hear you earlier, why can’t I hear you now?”
“Only to their chosen do Companions usually speak.”
“Uuhhh…. That doesn’t make me one of these ‘chosen’ now, does it?” Faith looked at Albriech uneasily. “’Cause I’ve already got this whole chosen destiny, slayer thing going on here.”
“Speak to more I can, Slayer Faith. Easier to speak to chosen only though.”
“Just call me Faith, Silver.”
Xander listened to the exchange in silence. “So, it’s easier to speak to me. Why?”
“Mindspeach gift you have. Easier for you to receive my thoughts it is. Easier for you to broadcast your thoughts to me it is as well.”
Xander’s jaw dropped. “So you’re saying that I can talk to you with my mind? I don’t have to speak in order to talk to you?” Albriech nodded. Xander’s jaw clenched. “Can you read my thoughts?”
“Only if you wish it, Chosen. Your privacy I will respect.” Albriech’s mind voice paused for a moment. “Only if there is a time when your life depends on it will I ever try to enter deeper into your mind.”
“That’s good to know. So I have this mindspeachie type gift.” Xander groaned. “Figures more Hellmouth weirdness for the Xan-man.” He gave his Companion the fish-eye. “Does this explain why I’m trusting you so easily? You haven‘t got into my head and made me think you’re friendly, have you?”
“No, Chosen. A special bond there is between Companion and Chosen. Almost like two halves of one soul are we.”
Xander turned white as he thought of the implications of that statement. “What do you mean?”
“Your Companion I am. Felt you the bond when in my eyes you looked?”
“Yes, and I heard you say that I would never be alone again.”
“Yes. For life is the bond.”
“And if I don’t want that type of bond?”
Albriech stood silent for a moment. “Broken it can be this early. YOU would be free.”
Xander frowned. Something didn’t sound right there. “I hear a big but in there, Al.”
Albriech wouldn’t look at Xander. “Cease to exist I would.” His voice was very quiet in Xander’s mind.
“What?!” Xander was appalled. “Are you saying that being separated from my mind will kill you?”
“Yes.”
Xander had a minor explosion. “Great! Just great! So now I HAVE to keep this bond or else I’ll kill you. Some choice there. No pressure at all!”
Albriech’s mind voice took on a rueful tone. “Understand your problem I do. Happened to me this did.”
Faith listened to Xander’s half of the exchange. “Wait a minute, Silver.” she interrupted, as she realized what was going on. “Your life is bound to Xander’s. Is his life bound to yours? If you die, will it kill him?” This idea didn’t set well with her and she wanted an answer, fast.
“Survive it he would. But,” Albriech’s mind voice paused slightly. “Damaged in mind he might be.”
Faith and Xander swore rather creatively for a few minutes. After they wound down, Xander stood in silence for a few seconds and then drew a deep breath. “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it right now.” He looked at Faith. “Let’s get your arm fixed, you packed, and then we’ll find the others.” His face hardened. “I don’t care what Buffy and Willow have to say, I need to talk to the G-man about this and get his advice.”
“Sounds like a plan, X. G should be able to figure something out.” Faith went into her room.
Xander groaned. “Nothing is ever easy on the Hellmouth.” he stated to the air as he followed Faith into her room.
Albriech stood outside the room and stuck his head into the door. In his years he had seen worse places while patrolling Exile’s Gate, but the place was still appalling. He shook off his observation and projected his thoughts to Xander. “Sorry, I am, Chosen. To burden you with myself was not my wish.”
Xander sighed as he prepared to help Faith relocate her shoulder. He decided not to disturb her with a conversation with Al so he tried mind speech. “It’s alright, Al. I just don’t like having choices like that made for me. It’ll take some getting used to.”
“Understand this I do. Much the same happened to me one time.”
“Get on the bed, Faith.” Xander ordered the injured slayer. “That’s the third time that you have made reference to your past. When will I get to hear about it?”
“When things have quieted down, talk we will.”
“Cant’ wait, can you stud?”
Xander did a double take. “Duhhh!” he said blankly, before he shook his head as she started laughing at him. “Faith!” He heard Albriech chuckle in the back of his mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head at her little joke. “Just get comfortable, will you? This is going to hurt.”
As Faith settled herself, she asked him a question. “So, X, how come you know how to relocate a shoulder?”
Xander shrugged. “Just something I picked up.” He really didn’t want to get into how he knew since it involved telling her that he learned by having his shoulder relocated a few times courtesy of his father. The first time his father had dislocated his shoulder, they had taken him to the hospital. The administration at the hospital finally bought his story of how the shoulder had gotten hurt, but not before they had asked a lot of questions. The next time his father dislocated his shoulder, instead of taking his son to the hospital, he had relocated the injury himself to avoid the scrutiny of the authorities. This had happened several times while he was growing up so the knowledge of what to do was pretty well ingrained into his head. He sat on the bed near her feet. “You ready?”
Faith licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah, Boytoy. Let’s get this over with.”
Xander nodded in response before he brought his leg up and planted his foot firmly against her collarbone near the shoulder. He reached down and gripped her hand with both of his. “This is going to hurt. I’m going to pull on three, okay?”
Faith nodded. “Just do it.”
Xander took a deep breath. “One…” he said, and suddenly leaned back, yanking on the slayers arm with all his strength. He felt the joint crack back into place and let her hand go before she crushed it.
Faith yelped and then swore. “Damn you, Xander! You said three!”
He grinned at her. “Sorry about that, but if I had waited until three, you would have tensed up and it would have hurt worse.”
Faith growled under her breath and flexed her shoulder. “Huh! I guess you know what your doing, Boytoy. It feels like normal.” She suddenly reached out and grabbed his shirt front, pulling him in for a kiss. “I told you that I was going to reward you for saving my ass out there, X.” Her lips locked on his and she fell backwards onto the bed, dragging him with her.
Xander mentally gulped, let his morals fight the losing battle with his hormones, and then let the kiss deepen.
An amused sort from the door brought everything to a sudden halt. Two heads turned to glare at the Companion in the door. “Privacy do you require?”
Xander blushed and looked at Faith sheepishly. “I guess we kinda forgot about him, didn’t we?”
Faith just smirked at him. “Nope, didn’t forget, just didn’t care.” That said she kissed him again.
“Children.” Albriech said, in amused disgust. He withdrew his head from the door. “Outside I shall be, Chosen. Close the door behind me, you might wish. Have no hands to do so.”
Xander disentangled himself from Faith and closed the door, locking it behind him. As he turned, he was suddenly slammed into the wall with the dark slayer pressed hard against his body.
“Now, Boytoy.” she said in a husky voice. “Where were we?” She didn’t wait for a reply as she began kissing him again. Her hands went to the bottom of his shirt and tugged it up running them under it and over his skin.
He gasped into her mouth at the sensation and felt his own hands follow her lead. Just as his hands ran up her sides and reached the bottom of her bra, fate decided to intervene. A blue flash appeared behind his eyes and suddenly, he no longer saw Faith. Instead he saw O’Toole setting up a bomb; then a flash to Buffy and the gang fighting more of the VUB in the library; then an explosion that left all his friends dead in its wake and an open Hellmouth with the demons it contained pouring out. His body stiffened as the visions started and then went almost limp when they ended. Faith felt the change in him and grabbed him to keep him from falling.
“Dammit, X! What’s wrong with you?” Faith demanded, half in concern and half in disgust. “You aren’t that quick on the draw are you? Because if you are, you are going to seriously piss me off!”
“Huh? What?” was about all he could say as the images that had entered his mind conflicted with what she was saying for the most attention. He shook his head to clear it and repeated what Faith had said. “Quick on the draw?” he asked in a slightly stunned way. Then the meaning of what she said caught up with him. He turned red and began stammering. “N,n,no! Nothing like that!” He freed his one of his hands from her shirt and wiped his eyes as she looked at him impatiently.
“Alright,” she said in an angry tone, “then what just happened?”
“I’m not really sure.” he admitted. “One second I’m all into the kissing and everything and the next I get this weird vision of the library being blown up and the Hellmouth being opened.” O’Toole’s face flashed in front of his eyes and the words about fireworks replayed in his mind. Everything snapped into place. “Shit!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got to get to the school.”
“What?” Faith protested. “Why?”
“Because that zombie O’Toole is going to blow it up.” He reached for the door. “Al! We got trouble!” he yelled with his mind. He looked back at Faith who was following him. “If we don’t get there soon, he’s going to kill Buff, Wills, and the others in the explosion and the Hellmouth is going to open.”
“Damn!” Faith exclaimed. “Okay, Boytoy, I’m in. Now, how do we get there?”
Xander grinned as Albriech came out of the darkness to stand before them.
“What is wrong, Chosen?”
Instead of answering his Companion, Xander quickly swung up onto his back. “I’ll fill you in on the way, Al.” He turned and offered a hand to the waiting slayer. “By Companion express.” he said, answering her earlier question, as she gripped his hand and swung up behind him. “Al, get us to the library as fast as you can.” He projected the directions directly into the Companions mind.
Albriech reared slightly and took off like a shot, carrying his two passengers to the waiting battle.
A/N: Done! I hope that you like it. I know that there is a fairly substantial break between updates but RL does tend to get in the way. Work, family, and other fanfics that I am writing get in the way. And, sometimes my muse gets amusement by taking vacations without prior warning and I’m just left twisting in the wind with a case of writer’s block. I know what I want to write, but I just can’t seem to get it down right. Again, thanks for all the reviews. I would write this without them, but they sure do make writing this more fun. Later.
A/N: You guys blow me away! Man! Thank you for the kind reviews and for all the people who have put me on their favorites list with this story. My Inuyasha stories always got great reviews, but not as many as quickly as this one. I’m glad you guys are enjoying it. I hope that I can keep you entertained. Now, on to the story. I don’t own Buffy, Xander, Faith, or Albriech.
Xander stared in gaped mouth shock at the white horse. ‘No,’ his mind corrected, ‘Companion.’ He wondered briefly if he had gone completely around the bend.
“Yo, Boy toy.” came the slightly pained voice of Faith, bringing him back out of his daze. “Stop staring at Silver there and give me a hand.”
“Damn.” he said, as he turned back towards the slayer. “Geeze, I’m sorry, Faith. Let me look at your arm.” He inspected her shoulder. “It does look like it’s dislocated. I’d better get you to a doctor.”
Faith bit back a groan. “No need for that. Just get me to my hotel and you can put it back in its socket.” She gave him a pain laced grin at the shocked look on his face. “It ain’t that hard to do, stud. Then slayer healing will kick in and then, baddabing, baddaboom, I’m good as new.” Her grin took on less pain and more of something that made his heart tighten in his chest. “Then I can thank you for saving my ass.” That said, she leaned into him and grabbed the back of his head with her good arm and pulled him in for a fierce kiss.
“Strong she is. A warrior’s spirit she has.”
Xander broke the kiss and spun to face the Companion. “Cut that out!”
“Well, excuse me for trying to be nice!” came an angry voice from behind him.
‘Oh, shit!’ Xander spun back to look into the face of a very pissed off and slightly hurt slayer. “No, Faith! That wasn’t directed at you. I definitely didn’t want you to cut that out. No cutting out with the kissing.” He held up his hands in a placating manner. “It’s this damn horse’s…” he started to say, making a gesture towards the decidedly amused looking stallion.
“Companion.” Albriech said firmly in his mind.
“Alright, dammit! Companion’s fault! He keeps talking to me!”
Faith gave Xander a strange look and edged back slightly from him. “No offense, X-man, but he looks more like Silver than Mister Ed and I don’t hear him talking.”
“That’s because,” suddenly what he was saying caught up with him. He visibly deflated as he finished his sentence, “I hear him in my head.”
“Mindspeech it is called, Chosen. How I speak to you it is.”
“Mindspeech, telepathy; I don’t care what it’s called, you’re still talking in my head! “ Xander glared at his Companion. “And you sound like Yoda!”
Albriech stomped his foot and shook his head. “Small and green, I am NOT. My speech my own is.”
Faith started to back away from Xander. “Look, Boy toy, you are obviously having a moment with your horse here so I’ll just be going.” She started to turn to walk away when Albriech swung his head to look directly into her eyes. The sapphire blue of his eyes caught her sight for a moment when a voice announced firmly and with no preamble, “Horse, I am not! Alexander’s Companion I am!”
Faith abruptly sat down on the ground. “Whoa.” was all she could say for a moment. Xander came over and knelt beside her.
“Are you okay, Faith?” he asked in concern.
“He really is talking in your mind, isn’t he?”
Xander grinned at her. Then he laughed a little before looking back at the impatiently waiting Companion. “Yeah, he is.” He looked thoughtful. “It’s actually pretty cool, in a wigsome kind of way.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Faith looked at Albriech in sudden suspicion. “Are you sure he’s not a demon?”
Her words brought out an unforeseen reaction from Albriech. His rueful mind speech reached out to both of them. “Unbelievable, this is. Centuries pass and for demons are Companions still mistaken.”
Xander stood and helped Faith to her feet. “So, you’re saying that you’re not a demon.” The Companion nodded his head. “What proof do we have that you’re telling the truth?”
Albriech looked at him in something that seemed to be approval. It was hard to tell since Xander wasn’t used to reading a horse’s (Companion’s!) expressions. “None, save my word.”
“Well, you did pull my butt out of the fire.” Xander conceded.
“What the hell, X-man, let’s give him a chance. I don’t feel any bad guy vibes off him.” Faith paused before she smiled, widely. “Besides, if he turns out evil, I can make with the slay.”
“No easy task that would be, Slayer Faith.”
Faith sneered at him playfully. “Confident, are you? I like that in a man, or whatever you are.”
Xander rolled his eyes at Faith flirting with the Companion. “Okay, we’ve got to get Faith taken care of and then I have some questions for you. Can you carry both of us?”
Albriech looked at his Chosen and Xander could feel the approval radiating off the Companion. “Easily.”
Faith looked at Albriech in delight. “I’ve always loved horses!” she gushed. “I always wanted a pony when I was a little girl!”
Xander grinned in delight at Faith’s reaction. In that moment she seemed a sweet, innocent little girl instead of the tough, sexy slayer. He helped her swing up onto the Companions bareback, and then he swung up behind her, exhibiting more agility than most people thought he had. “All right, Faith. Tell Al where we’re going.”
Albriech slowly turned his head back to look at Xander with one of his eyes. “Al?” came the slightly incredulous query.
Xander grinned at his Companion. “Yeah. It’s short for Albriech.”
Albriech snorted in disgust and turned his head to face the road. “Aware of that I was.” His mind voice was clipped. “Discuss this we will.” he promised. He swiveled his ear back to listen to the directions that Faith began to give him and then set off at a slow walk so as not to unnecessarily jostle his injured passenger.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 888888888888888888888888888888
Xander dismounted in front of the flea bag motel that Faith had directed them to. He didn’t really pay attention to the place as he helped her off Albriech since he was more concerned with her injury. When he had Faith on the ground, he turned towards the motel and started to ask, “Which room?”, but stopped, appalled by the appearance of the place.
“Faith?” he started speaking softly. “Please tell me you are NOT staying here.”
Faith shrugged with her good shoulder. “It’s a place to flop. I’ve lived in worse.”
Steel entered his voice. “Not anymore.” He stepped in front of her and looked her in the eyes. “After we get you fixed up, you’re packing and I’m going to the office and checking you out.”
Faith glared at him. “And what makes you think that you can come in here and order me around? I’m my own boss and I can decide where I stay myself. Besides,” she paused and looked around her, “maybe I like it here.”
Xander and Albriech snorted at the same time. Xander shared a look with his Companion before looking back at the slayer. “I’m sorry, Faith. I’m not trying to order you around, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a friend of mine stay in a place like THIS.” He expanded his arms in a gesture to encompass the motel and its courtyard. “I’ve seen dumps that were cleaner than this place.”
“I don’t need a White Knight!” Faith shouted.
“I’m not being a White Knight! I’m being your friend!” Xander shouted back.
“And what kind of benefits do you expect being my ‘friend’?” Faith shot back.
Xander’s mouth hung open in shock at her suggestion. “What?” he finally managed.
Faith rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, boy toy. You can’t tell me that you don’t want something to be my friend. Guys always want something.”
Xander could feel his anger rise, but he quickly quashed it. Faith didn’t know him and apparently had not had many trustworthy guy friends. “Fine, Faith. You’re right. I do want something from you.”
“Uh-huh. I knew you did.” Her face had a very brief flash of disappointment on it before she stepped past him to the door of her room. “Get in here and help fix me up and I’ll thank you for pulling my butt out of that jam.”
Xander put his arm across the door in front of her, blocking her from going in. “You haven’t let me tell you what I want yet.”
Faith sneered at him. “I doubt it’s anything that I haven’t done before.”
He took a quick breath before blurting out, “I want your friendship and your trust.”
Now it was Faith’s turn to have a jaw drop. “What?”
“Your friendship. And, eventually I hope, your trust.”
Faith looked at him for a second and then started laughing. “You had me there for a second, X-man.” She grimaced. “I don’t do the trust thing and friends slow me down.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Besides, can you honestly tell me that you don’t want my body?” She ran her good hand up her body suggestively.
Xander shuddered and turned beet red. “I meant what I said, Faith. I want to be your friend. So, I guess I had better try to prove it to you by telling you the truth.” He paused and ran his hands through his hair while searching for the right way to say what he was going to say next. “Look, part of me does want you and wants to take what you’re offering, you wouldn’t believe how bad, but, damn it, another part of me”, he sighed, “well, that side thinks that we are a good team and wants to have you for a longer time than one night. And that means getting to know you better. And I hope you getting to know me better.”
Faith looked at him in disbelief. “You’re not joking, are you?” She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re asking for X. I got a lot of baggage.”
Xander smirked and jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards his Companion. “Then it’s a good thing that I’ve got a hor…Companion to carry it all.”
“So, pack mule have I become?”
Xander shot a look at Albriech. “Well, you’ve got the legs for it.” Then he grinned at the Companion. “Besides, I’ve got the feeling that you could teach a mule a thing or two about being stubborn.”
“Sound like Selenay you do.” Albriech replied in a rueful tone.
“Selenay?” Xander asked.
“Someone from a previous life. Perhaps tell you one day I will.”
“Okay, will you two stop that?” Xander and Albriech turned their heads to look at Faith, who was watching them with a frown on her face.
“Stop what?” Xander asked in puzzlement.
“He’s talking to you but I can’t hear him.” She shot an accusing look at Albriech. “I could hear you earlier, why can’t I hear you now?”
“Only to their chosen do Companions usually speak.”
“Uuhhh…. That doesn’t make me one of these ‘chosen’ now, does it?” Faith looked at Albriech uneasily. “’Cause I’ve already got this whole chosen destiny, slayer thing going on here.”
“Speak to more I can, Slayer Faith. Easier to speak to chosen only though.”
“Just call me Faith, Silver.”
Xander listened to the exchange in silence. “So, it’s easier to speak to me. Why?”
“Mindspeach gift you have. Easier for you to receive my thoughts it is. Easier for you to broadcast your thoughts to me it is as well.”
Xander’s jaw dropped. “So you’re saying that I can talk to you with my mind? I don’t have to speak in order to talk to you?” Albriech nodded. Xander’s jaw clenched. “Can you read my thoughts?”
“Only if you wish it, Chosen. Your privacy I will respect.” Albriech’s mind voice paused for a moment. “Only if there is a time when your life depends on it will I ever try to enter deeper into your mind.”
“That’s good to know. So I have this mindspeachie type gift.” Xander groaned. “Figures more Hellmouth weirdness for the Xan-man.” He gave his Companion the fish-eye. “Does this explain why I’m trusting you so easily? You haven‘t got into my head and made me think you’re friendly, have you?”
“No, Chosen. A special bond there is between Companion and Chosen. Almost like two halves of one soul are we.”
Xander turned white as he thought of the implications of that statement. “What do you mean?”
“Your Companion I am. Felt you the bond when in my eyes you looked?”
“Yes, and I heard you say that I would never be alone again.”
“Yes. For life is the bond.”
“And if I don’t want that type of bond?”
Albriech stood silent for a moment. “Broken it can be this early. YOU would be free.”
Xander frowned. Something didn’t sound right there. “I hear a big but in there, Al.”
Albriech wouldn’t look at Xander. “Cease to exist I would.” His voice was very quiet in Xander’s mind.
“What?!” Xander was appalled. “Are you saying that being separated from my mind will kill you?”
“Yes.”
Xander had a minor explosion. “Great! Just great! So now I HAVE to keep this bond or else I’ll kill you. Some choice there. No pressure at all!”
Albriech’s mind voice took on a rueful tone. “Understand your problem I do. Happened to me this did.”
Faith listened to Xander’s half of the exchange. “Wait a minute, Silver.” she interrupted, as she realized what was going on. “Your life is bound to Xander’s. Is his life bound to yours? If you die, will it kill him?” This idea didn’t set well with her and she wanted an answer, fast.
“Survive it he would. But,” Albriech’s mind voice paused slightly. “Damaged in mind he might be.”
Faith and Xander swore rather creatively for a few minutes. After they wound down, Xander stood in silence for a few seconds and then drew a deep breath. “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it right now.” He looked at Faith. “Let’s get your arm fixed, you packed, and then we’ll find the others.” His face hardened. “I don’t care what Buffy and Willow have to say, I need to talk to the G-man about this and get his advice.”
“Sounds like a plan, X. G should be able to figure something out.” Faith went into her room.
Xander groaned. “Nothing is ever easy on the Hellmouth.” he stated to the air as he followed Faith into her room.
Albriech stood outside the room and stuck his head into the door. In his years he had seen worse places while patrolling Exile’s Gate, but the place was still appalling. He shook off his observation and projected his thoughts to Xander. “Sorry, I am, Chosen. To burden you with myself was not my wish.”
Xander sighed as he prepared to help Faith relocate her shoulder. He decided not to disturb her with a conversation with Al so he tried mind speech. “It’s alright, Al. I just don’t like having choices like that made for me. It’ll take some getting used to.”
“Understand this I do. Much the same happened to me one time.”
“Get on the bed, Faith.” Xander ordered the injured slayer. “That’s the third time that you have made reference to your past. When will I get to hear about it?”
“When things have quieted down, talk we will.”
“Cant’ wait, can you stud?”
Xander did a double take. “Duhhh!” he said blankly, before he shook his head as she started laughing at him. “Faith!” He heard Albriech chuckle in the back of his mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head at her little joke. “Just get comfortable, will you? This is going to hurt.”
As Faith settled herself, she asked him a question. “So, X, how come you know how to relocate a shoulder?”
Xander shrugged. “Just something I picked up.” He really didn’t want to get into how he knew since it involved telling her that he learned by having his shoulder relocated a few times courtesy of his father. The first time his father had dislocated his shoulder, they had taken him to the hospital. The administration at the hospital finally bought his story of how the shoulder had gotten hurt, but not before they had asked a lot of questions. The next time his father dislocated his shoulder, instead of taking his son to the hospital, he had relocated the injury himself to avoid the scrutiny of the authorities. This had happened several times while he was growing up so the knowledge of what to do was pretty well ingrained into his head. He sat on the bed near her feet. “You ready?”
Faith licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah, Boytoy. Let’s get this over with.”
Xander nodded in response before he brought his leg up and planted his foot firmly against her collarbone near the shoulder. He reached down and gripped her hand with both of his. “This is going to hurt. I’m going to pull on three, okay?”
Faith nodded. “Just do it.”
Xander took a deep breath. “One…” he said, and suddenly leaned back, yanking on the slayers arm with all his strength. He felt the joint crack back into place and let her hand go before she crushed it.
Faith yelped and then swore. “Damn you, Xander! You said three!”
He grinned at her. “Sorry about that, but if I had waited until three, you would have tensed up and it would have hurt worse.”
Faith growled under her breath and flexed her shoulder. “Huh! I guess you know what your doing, Boytoy. It feels like normal.” She suddenly reached out and grabbed his shirt front, pulling him in for a kiss. “I told you that I was going to reward you for saving my ass out there, X.” Her lips locked on his and she fell backwards onto the bed, dragging him with her.
Xander mentally gulped, let his morals fight the losing battle with his hormones, and then let the kiss deepen.
An amused sort from the door brought everything to a sudden halt. Two heads turned to glare at the Companion in the door. “Privacy do you require?”
Xander blushed and looked at Faith sheepishly. “I guess we kinda forgot about him, didn’t we?”
Faith just smirked at him. “Nope, didn’t forget, just didn’t care.” That said she kissed him again.
“Children.” Albriech said, in amused disgust. He withdrew his head from the door. “Outside I shall be, Chosen. Close the door behind me, you might wish. Have no hands to do so.”
Xander disentangled himself from Faith and closed the door, locking it behind him. As he turned, he was suddenly slammed into the wall with the dark slayer pressed hard against his body.
“Now, Boytoy.” she said in a husky voice. “Where were we?” She didn’t wait for a reply as she began kissing him again. Her hands went to the bottom of his shirt and tugged it up running them under it and over his skin.
He gasped into her mouth at the sensation and felt his own hands follow her lead. Just as his hands ran up her sides and reached the bottom of her bra, fate decided to intervene. A blue flash appeared behind his eyes and suddenly, he no longer saw Faith. Instead he saw O’Toole setting up a bomb; then a flash to Buffy and the gang fighting more of the VUB in the library; then an explosion that left all his friends dead in its wake and an open Hellmouth with the demons it contained pouring out. His body stiffened as the visions started and then went almost limp when they ended. Faith felt the change in him and grabbed him to keep him from falling.
“Dammit, X! What’s wrong with you?” Faith demanded, half in concern and half in disgust. “You aren’t that quick on the draw are you? Because if you are, you are going to seriously piss me off!”
“Huh? What?” was about all he could say as the images that had entered his mind conflicted with what she was saying for the most attention. He shook his head to clear it and repeated what Faith had said. “Quick on the draw?” he asked in a slightly stunned way. Then the meaning of what she said caught up with him. He turned red and began stammering. “N,n,no! Nothing like that!” He freed his one of his hands from her shirt and wiped his eyes as she looked at him impatiently.
“Alright,” she said in an angry tone, “then what just happened?”
“I’m not really sure.” he admitted. “One second I’m all into the kissing and everything and the next I get this weird vision of the library being blown up and the Hellmouth being opened.” O’Toole’s face flashed in front of his eyes and the words about fireworks replayed in his mind. Everything snapped into place. “Shit!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got to get to the school.”
“What?” Faith protested. “Why?”
“Because that zombie O’Toole is going to blow it up.” He reached for the door. “Al! We got trouble!” he yelled with his mind. He looked back at Faith who was following him. “If we don’t get there soon, he’s going to kill Buff, Wills, and the others in the explosion and the Hellmouth is going to open.”
“Damn!” Faith exclaimed. “Okay, Boytoy, I’m in. Now, how do we get there?”
Xander grinned as Albriech came out of the darkness to stand before them.
“What is wrong, Chosen?”
Instead of answering his Companion, Xander quickly swung up onto his back. “I’ll fill you in on the way, Al.” He turned and offered a hand to the waiting slayer. “By Companion express.” he said, answering her earlier question, as she gripped his hand and swung up behind him. “Al, get us to the library as fast as you can.” He projected the directions directly into the Companions mind.
Albriech reared slightly and took off like a shot, carrying his two passengers to the waiting battle.
A/N: Done! I hope that you like it. I know that there is a fairly substantial break between updates but RL does tend to get in the way. Work, family, and other fanfics that I am writing get in the way. And, sometimes my muse gets amusement by taking vacations without prior warning and I’m just left twisting in the wind with a case of writer’s block. I know what I want to write, but I just can’t seem to get it down right. Again, thanks for all the reviews. I would write this without them, but they sure do make writing this more fun. Later.