"It's not fair." Andrew grumped, as he trailed behind Kennedy.  Kennedy risked a quick glance in his direction. He looked like a character from Southpark thought Kennedy. She looked away irritated at the distraction as she tried to keep her attention on her team, her eyes scanning the edge of the nearby cemetery for any hints of danger.

 

"What's not fair Andy," replied Kennedy, not bothering to turn back to look at the little twerp otherwise he might see the grin on her face. Still she had an idea what he was talking about even before the words came tumbling out of his mouth.

 

"You know we should be there. Even if it was only as negotiators like Picard in Darmok," replied Andrew his tone wistful.

 

"What?"

 

"You know like observers,” said Andrew. “Don't you think we should be more involved? Aren’t we also stalwart warriors who fought at the battle of Sunnydale?"

 

"Welcome to the B list or in your case the Z list," grumbled Kennedy.

 

"Hey not fair," complained Andrew.

 

"Sorry Andy, but hey what exactly would we get to do? Besides it’s likely to be pretty boring. Wouldn't you rather be out here, playing the part of the unsung soldier of the Council's growing army," she teased. She dropped back to trudge through the snow alongside Andrew as they trailed the other Slayers on the way back after a nights patrol.

 

"But?"

 

"No ifs or buts. Look if there were anymore people involved then nothing would get done. As it is Willow sometimes wishes that she could get rid of everyone else and make all the decisions," explained Kennedy.

 

"I don't believe you, not after her brush with the dark side she would never do such a thing," scolded Andrew.

 

"Believe what you want but she can be quiet domineering when she wants to," replied Kennedy. She smirked knowingly back at Andrew.

 

"I'm not sure I get....oh." Andrew trailed off going a bright shade of red, his blush visible to Kennedy even through the depths of his hood.

 

"So you up to anything whilst you’re in Cleveland, seeing anyone?" asked Kennedy, kind ofinterested despite herself.

 

"No,” he replied. “Actually I was hoping to catch up with Xander. Maybe watch some of the DVD’s I brought back from London."

 

"Ah," replied Kennedy. She shrugged giving Andy a comforting smile.

 

"But he's not been around; he's been like Tom Bombadil in Fellowship of the Ring." Andrew sighed, rubbing his hands together in an effort to warm out the cold. Unlike her he hadn’t really had a chance to get involved in the small amount of action that had gone down that night.

 

At Kennedy's look of incomprehension he added, "Missing!"

 

"Well you know how it is with a new relationship how all consuming it is," replied Kennedy.

 

"Yes," said Andrew. "It's like when I saw the X-files for the first time and the heavenly form of..." Andrew trailed off causing Kennedy to look to the heavens in exasperation.

 

"So he's spending all his time with Faith. He won't forget his buddy. I mean this is Xander we’re talking about," said Kennedy. She winced, promising she would make it up somehow to Willow.

 

"I suppose so,” mused Andrew. He looked contemplative before suddenly grinning. “I guess Xander is like Luke Skywalker to her Mara.”

 

"What?" asked Kennedy mystified and not for the first time at one of Andrew's geeky references.

 

"Leading her back from the dark side, the love in his heart like a beacon in the darkness," explained Andrew. He fixed her with such a quizzical look that she felt like she was a nerd missing something obvious.

 

"Only without the light sabre of course."

 

"Not from some of the stories Faith tells," said Kennedy. She smirked over at Andrew.

 

This time it was Andrews turn to be lost.

 

*******

 

Xander barely registered the half cry from Dawn. There was just a moment of dizziness, a sense of burning heat and the shadow of a thumb and then he was falling, slumping forward his head making a rather satisfying thunk as it hit the highly polished table before rebounding sending him tumbling to the ground in a tangle of chair legs and arms that grasped just that fraction too late.

 

He could hear voices, cries of alarm and shouts, then the cool smooth caress of trembling fingers across his cheek.

 

"Xander?"

 

The words seemed fuzzy, distant somehow and they needed to be repeated before they entered his befuddled brain, worming their way in to merge with the throbbing pain emanating from his eye and the feel of cold wooden floor against his skin.

 

"Willow," he groaned, attempted to twist to one side and only succeeded in getting his legs tangled in the legs of an expensive chair sending it clattering to the floor. He prised his eye open, ignoring the sudden flaring of painful light and forced himself to concentrate, forcing the blurs to resolve into things he could recognise. Worried faces, Willow leaning down her red hair falling forward to frame her face and to her left Dawn crouched, the worry clear on her face and beyond them he caught a glimpse of Hartford as he hurriedly poured water into large glass.

 

"Here," said Hartford. He held the glass out to Willow his hand trembling until she took it with a smiled thank you. She held the rim to Xander's lips.

 

"Hey you scared us there," said Willow. Xander could hear the hitch in her voice as he sipped ice cold water from the glass.

 

"You scared all of us," said Dawn. The tears still clearly visible in the corners of her eyes she reached out and gave his knee a gentle squeeze.

 

"Sorry," answered Xander. He winced slightly as fresh tendrils of pain seemed to lance outward from the hollow of his eye socket. It felt like someone was probing his brain with hot needles as he levered himself to his feet.

 

"Maybe we should take a break," suggested Slazenger sending an apologetic look in Xander's direction.

 

"Hey guys I just fainted that's all," explained Xander. He tried unsuccessfully to shrug off the ministrations of Willow and Dawn. Not that he minded, his mind was still trying to parse what the hell had just happened and his legs still felt like jelly. Last thing he remembered they had been arguing about, Faith.

 

"Are you sure Xander? You do look kind of ropey," said Robin. He leaned forwards with both hands planted on the table. His look showed genuine concern and Xander had to bite down on the wisecrack that he felt bubbling up.

 

"I agree, you did take rather a heavy bump to the head," said Giles.

 

"No, I'm fine thanks besides I'm used to it. Look I probably really just need to get something to eat," replied Xander. He looked meaningfully at Willow hoping that she would take the hint. Luckily for him, by happy coincidence, his stomach chose that exact moment to rumble.

 

"What am I your waitress?" Willow grumbled with a half smile.

 

"Yep, I kind of missed breakfast so some pancakes would good. Make sure to drown them with plenty of maple syrup," replied Xander trying, he hoped, to stop the pain he felt showing on his face as he grinned over at Willow.

 

"Me too?" asked Dawn. She looked at Willow with puppy dog eyes before giving Xander a quick surreptitious wink.

 

"Actually that may not be a bad idea," suggested Giles looking at his watch, "in fact I was planning to break for lunch soon anyway."

 

"Good so we're agreed then," said Slazenger looking rattled as he settled back down into his chair.

 

And just like that the atmosphere cleared.

 

********

 

Faith took the stairs two at a time, pushing her way roughly past a couple of probies ignoring their complaints.

 

"Where is he?" she asked, bursting through the door panting, her heart pounding in her chest. She whirled to find him, with his mouth full of pancakes, maple syrup dribbling down his chin.

 

Fucking unbelievable!

 

"What the fuck is going on here?" she snapped, fixing a spluttering Xander with a look. Well, let’s just say he knew she was pissed. She didn't remember much of the run from the derelict warehouse. Just one second being there the next being here confronting the High Council. The in between was just a blur of fear, worry and anger , anger that even now bubbled beneath the surface looking for a new outlet.

 

"Faith, Xander fainted," said Giles. Her Watcher was getting to his feet a troubled smile on his face. He glanced quickly over at Willow drawing Faith's attention to where Red was sitting just beyond Xander.

 

"Hey collapsed," complained Xander. He glanced at her with mock indignation before catching Faith's look, he gulped, “I’ll be quiet now.”

 

"Faith, look I..." said Red. She trailed off with a guilty look.

 

Oh yeah Red knew she had fucked up.

 

"Is there anything else Miss Lehane?” asked some tweed suit on the other side of the table.

 

"No I think we're done here," snapped Faith. She turned on her heel and strode out of the room.

 

******

 

"Faith," called Giles starting after his Slayer as she stormed from the room.

 

"No this is my fault," said Xander scrambling to his feet and running after Faith.

 

He caught up with her whaling on a punch bag in the training room, and from the look of the savage beating his girlfriend was giving it he was pretty certain she had somehow found time to paint his face on it before his arrival. He edged round, certain despite her giving him the cold shoulder treatment that she knew he was there. So he just propped him self against the wall of the gym and watched her take out her frustrations on the bag. He toyed for a moment with leaving her to work out her anger, to talk to her later when she had calmed down. Yeah that would work; he settled back for what he figured would be a long wait and just drank in the sight of Faith's toned form as she beat the shit out of whatever it was.

 

She stopped; it might have been five minutes might have been ten. Xander wasn't sure and he hadn't been counting. He just grinned wryly as Faith her chest heaving in a very distracting manner fixed him with an angry look that told him she was ready to talk to him.

 

"So you want to tell me what the fuck is going on? As all I know is that I'm dusting some Vamps and then Red is screaming in my head wicked loud that there's something wrong with you. So guess what I come running and what do I find...you making happy with the pancakes," said Faith. Her voice crackled with such anger that Xander would have taken a step backwards if he hadn't been backed against a wall.

 

"Well I did collapse," admitted Xander. He attempted to smile in what he hoped was the correct manner to disarm the enraged predator in front of him.

 

She paused then, some of the heat and tension going out of her. She slumped down besides him her hand reaching up to gentle trace the outline of his patch.

 

"So what happened then?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft.

 

"Not much to say we were discussing something and then I collapsed," replied Xander. He wasn’t ready, at least not yet, to tell Faith that they had been talking about her, knowing her she would somehow think that she was to blame.

 

"Fine don't tell me then," growled Faith. She clambered to her feet, her absence leaving a sudden cold void at his side as she stalked away before turning to regard him with a conflicted expression a few steps away.

 

"Hey look what am I supposed to say? Other than sorry, but you know what I was in blinding pain. Besides how was I to know that Willow had sent out a SOS," snapped Xander, trying to ignore the throbbing again, remembering that he had left his medication back in their room.

 

"Yeah, well she had and I..." Faith paused still breathing heavily and for the first time he could see the moisture in her eyes, their dark pools drawing him in, captivating his soul like they always did.

 

"Hey, I'm okay. Look I'm an idiot, well you know that already," he added with a wry grin feeling a little warm inside when there was an answering twitch at the corners of Faith's mouth.

 

Then she was there pressing him back against the wall, her mouth hungrily seeking his. He could taste the salt, sweat mixed in with the taste of her skin.

 

She snorted snot coming out of her nose before stepping back, "look at me anyone would think I'm B, must be going soft."

 

"Well I'm known to have that effect on the ladies." Xander grinned turning Faith's snort into a belly laugh. Despite his hurt male pride he let her get on with it before she grinned back at him.

 

"Yeah right, that bang to the head must have done more damage than we thought. Maybe you need some medical attention?" She fixed him with a predatory look that made him feel like a gazelle confronted by a lioness with a hunger to feed.

 

"Much as I'd love to unfortunately we've still got that High Council badoba to settle," grumbled Xander. He stepped into her, his arms snaking around her waist, marvelling when she leaned into him rather than pulled away. Her body, all softness and steel, the hammer of her heart beating into his chest.

 

"So tell them to take a hike, not like they can make a big deal of it or anything what with your girly fainty thing" said Faith, her tone half serious half teasing her hand moving places he would rather not think about. Not here, despite the gym being empty.

 

"Actually it was kind of important," he replied steeling himself for the explosion to come.

 

Faith snorted. "What how many pencils you're going to buy for the Slayer house in London?"

 

"No, we already dealt with that and it was six I was angling for seven but had to cut a deal with Willow in exchange for the pancakes." He teased breathing in her aroma, sweat, arousal all mixed in a complex cocktail of emotions.

 

"So what's so important you’re ready to blow me off." Faith grinned at her obvious innuendo.

 

"You actually," admitted Xander.

 

He felt her go still in his arms, her look was quizzical rather than angry, her tone though.

 

"What about me?" Faith asked.

 

"About you being offered the vacant Slayer seat on the High Council," said Xander.

 

"Your spazzing right?" Faith laughed, stepping away before turning and smirking at him. "Me and this Council thing not going to happen."

 

"You mean Giles hasn't spoken to you about this," asked Xander astonished. He could feel the ground shifting dangerously under his feet.

 

"Nah me and the G-man, no..." answered Faith trailing off. She shrugged, "probably knew what my reaction would be."

 

"But he proposed it," explained Xander.

 

"Well no offence babe but it’s not exactly my thing. Besides in case you hadn't noticed I'm not exactly winning any popularity contests around here recently. Plus me and B whilst we're sort of trucey don't think it would really be a good idea to lock us in the same room for a long time."

 

"I think you should take it, if it’s offered, which it will be," he hastened to add when Faith's eyes narrowed and not wishing her to start too far down that road.

 

"You’re kidding right? I'd be bored out my skull. Hell you fell asleep and banged your head," she teased, reaching up to brush a strand of sweaty hair out of her eyes.

 

"Yeah, yeah. Look I'm being serious Faith, I really think you should do this, or at least talk to Giles about it. He's got to have his reasons, don't you think," said Xander.

 

"No I don't, and don't you get it. I don't want to do it," growled Faith.

 

"What is this? Some stupid hang-up about you paying your debt, about punishing yourself,” snapped Xander. So angry with her for failing to see how great she would be, how much they needed her, how much they owed her, how much he owed her. Sure it was only a crappy title and a boring job. She was a hero after all but she deserved some recognition not spending her life skulking in the shadows looking for atonement. She deserved more than that, why couldn't she see it.

 

Faith's eyes darkened, the light in their depths winking out, the smile disappeared from her face giving it a curiously blank look. Like one of those perfect china dolls, no anger, no rage, just silence.

 

"If that's what you think then fuck you as I certainly won't." She turned her back on him and resumed her pummelling of the punch bag.

 

"Faith, Faith look I'm sorry," said Xander. He wanted to reach out, to soothe away his fucked up attempt to baulk her into something she didn't want to do. But he was aware of the risk if he did so. He did anyway his fingers brushing lightly against her shoulder.

 

She stopped turned and he could see the tears running down her face.

 

"Go away Xander," she said, her voice quavering.

 

He ignored her reaching for her but she interposed her fists between them and ever so gently pushed him away.

 

"I said go," she said. She turned her back again.

 

He watched her pummelling the bag her shoulders quivering until he felt his heart crack and the implications of the words they had exchanged forced him to flee.

 

*****

 

They all looked up as he wandered back in to the High Council room. Willow's welcoming smile died as she caught glimpse of his face. Giles welcoming hand fell unused to his side as Xander brushed past him and slumped down into his chair.

 

"Where's Faith?" Dawn’s question was so whispered he almost didn’t hear it as he buried his head in his hands.

 

"I don't know," he sighed.

 

"So are we ready to resume?" asked Hartford. He seemed oblivious to the undercurrents flowing around the room. "That is if Mr Harris is okay to resume?"

 

"Yeah I'm fine, let’s just get this over with," replied Xander.

 

"I think that maybe we should just move onto other matters," suggested Robin sending a concerned look in Giles' direction.

 

"No, we have been putting off the matter of Faith's membership of this Council for too long," said Giles sitting down again at the head of the table he sent Xander a pointed look.

 

"There's no point, she'll not accept anyway," said Xander.

 

"Hey we don't know that? Do we?" asked Willow hesitantly, stealing a look at Xander, “Do we?"

 

"Well that settles it then, there's no point voting on it if Miss Lehane is only going to throw the offer back in our face," said Slazenger.

 

"I hardly think that's what would characterise Faith's response," replied Robin a little of the earlier heat creeping back into his voice.

 

"So shall we put it to a vote then," suggested Hartford.

 

"Well if we must," groaned Slazenger.

 

"We must," said Giles not meeting Xander's eye. In fact he seemed to be making a show of cleaning his glasses.

 

"Okay so all those in favour of offering Faith Lehane the Council post of Slayer secundus raise your hands and say aye," said Giles.

 

And just like that by a vote of seven to one the High council of the Watchers council agreed to offer Faith the role and all Xander could do was feel sick to his stomach and judging by the look on Slazenger's face he wasn't the only one.

 

"Good," said Giles.

 

*******

Faith could feel the bag shudder; it had become almost like a constant companion. The repetitive jab, kick followed by the shuddering giving response.

 

As for her fists she felt nothing other than a dullness. In fact the only thing she could feel was the deep pleasant ache in her arms that came courtesy from a really good workout.

 

There was movement in the corner of her vision and for the first time she became aware of something outside of the reach of her arms and the confines of the mat. A group of probies and ex potentials amongst them Caridad and Rona were engaged in a gentle limbering up obviously in preparation for a more vigorous training session. Faith ignored the glances sent in her direction and the whispered words exchanged. Oh they had her pegged and catalogued alright, one of the originals a mixture of awe and a need to test their measure colouring their exchanges.

 

She bent her will back to beating the shit out of the bag. The problem was it wasn't really working. She was still pissed and it didn't seem to be getting any better. Fuck it who was she kidding, not like it was the first fight they had had but...she threw a final punch sending the bag spinning like little Jo had at the end of that rope.

 

Her breath was ragged, the bag swinging in ever decreasing elliptical circles as she watched, gradually coming back to herself, feeling the cooling sweat on her skin. Speaking of which she reached for her towel ignoring the gentle clapping that came from her left where Rona stood a akimbo, sneer on her face, the clapping so obviously an obnoxious commentary on the current state of their relationship.

 

"What do you want?" asked Faith, towelling down her arms.

 

"Nothing, just finishing up," replied Rona. She gestured to where her group was clearing out of the gym. Faith caught a glimpse of Trudy and Mary limbering up beyond them on one of the other exercise mats.

 

"That all?" Faith grunted in response. She really didn't want to deal with Rona at the moment. 

 

"Yeah that and proving that your really can fuck your way to the top, at least from the way I heard the news," said Rona.

 

Faith ground her teeth together and just smiled at the bitch resisting the urge to smack the little smirk offof Rona's face.

 

"Course you know what's really great," said Rona. "That really you’re just a convenient fuck. You'll never be more than a murderer to him!"

 

Crack!

 

Her fist connected with Rona's jaw sending the Slayer spinning to the ground. Faith surged forward kicking the legs out from underneath the girl before she could get to her feet her other hand snaking around Rona's throat.

 

Faith squeezed causing Rona to choke as she struggled to break free.

 

"Yeah and don't you ever forget it," she snarled, releasing her grip even as she felt hands pulling her away.

 

"Leave it Faith, it’s not worth it," said Trudy pulling Faith up and then man handling her towards the doors and pushing her out into the corridor even whilst Mary blocked off the shocked Rona.

 

Faith shrugged the red head off.

 

"Jesus Faith what is up with you," said Trudy. "Look if what she said is getting to you don..."

 

"Don't you get in Trud," snapped Faith

 

"No," replied Trudy clearly none the wiser.

 

"What she said is true," snapped Faith turning and leaving the stunned Slayer standing in her wake.

 

********

 

Robin found her in the kitchen nursing a beer, not the first place he had looked not even the second and although he liked to think he would have found her on his own eventually; in fact he'd had to ask around to eventually track down his Ex.

 

She was sat alone at the breakfast bar, the bud in her hand barely touched, the bottle top lying face down on the faux marble surface occasionally vibrating as her breath caught and tipped the light metal.

 

She was looking good in fact she was looking mighty good. The stained sweats and bedraggled air somehow enhancing rather than detracting from her beauty and once again Robin cursed himself for being such an idiot for somehow contriving to screwthings up between them. Still that was ancient history and he needed her to see that the mission was more important than any qualms she might have about taking greater responsibility. She had been hiding from what had happened in New York for too long.

 

Robin retrieved a beer from the cavernous fridge stacked to the rafters with all the delicacies needed to feed a house full of teenage girls. The only response Faith gave him was a slight grunt of acknowledgement as he settled down on the opposite side of the bar from her, cursing for once his height that had his legs mashed against a wine rack filled with bottled water for the Slayer's workouts.

 

Faith took another swig of her beer before fixing him with an unwelcoming stare.

 

"What do you want Robin?" Her tone was tired and for the first time he could see the telltale signs that she had been crying.

 

"Just came to talk, see how you were. We’ve not had a chance to catch up since I arrived," he replied gently removing the cap of his own beer and setting it on the table.

 

"Yeah right," sneered Faith. "So what are you really after Robin? Your little buddies upstairs send you, or did your hear that Xander and I are on the skids so you came down here sniffing around. Do you still wanting a piece of this?"

 

She grinned saucily but it didn't reach her eyes and Robin had to bite down on the hot retort that bubbled up. Why did she have to make this so hard? They weren't the same people anymore and whilst her barb hurt he had more important things to deal with. It was all about the mission.

 

"No, I was being honest Faith, I just wanted to talk. Giles filled me in on what happened in Dover and I wanted to see how you were," he replied. Robin took a small swig before setting his bottle back down on the worktop.

 

"I'm fine is that what you want to hear me say, that every thing is hunkey dory, top of the world," snapped Faith.

 

"If it's true yes, but it isn't is it," said Robin.

 

"What the hell do you know," growled Faith taking another gulp this one longer from her beer.

 

"Well, enough," replied Robin.

 

"You don't know me, remember! Or are you still all twisted up inside about..." Faith paused then started to study the label on her beer as if it held the answer to her innermost secrets.

 

"Fine, I know betterthan to try and talk to you when you're like this," snapped Robin. "Look whatever you think I do care about you Faith. I'm sorry about how things ended between us but that doesn't mean I stopped caring."

 

Faith looked a little contrite and seizing the opportunity Robin sat down besides her. When she didn't tell him to take a hike he took a deep breath and started to talk, “Look I know how you feel about taking up this responsibility, but you needn't fear it Faith. You’re strong enough. We all think so, well not all as Hans voted against."

 

Faith snorted. "At least one of you had still got his head screwed on straight."

 

"We need you Faith, the council needs you and I'm not just saying this, but because it’s true. Look it’s none of my business what is going on between you and Xander," said Robin.

 

"Damn right," snapped Faith before subsiding.

 

"I just thought you would like to know that he still voted for you. I don't pretend to know what happened. All I know is he looked like someone had given his favourite puppy a good kicking," said Robin.

 

"You finished?" asked Faith.

 

"Yeah," replied Robin getting to his feet chucking his bottle in the recycling and turning to leave.

 

"Thanks." The word was almost inaudible but in the quiet of the kitchen Robin had no difficulty picking it up.

 

"No problem," replied Robin. He gave her a tight smile. “You want some advice?"

 

"No," said Faith. But her reply was accompanied by a wry twitch of her lips.

 

"Well you're going to get it anyway," replied Robin. "Talk to him Faith. Don't make the same mistake I did and throw something away because you were too scared of what you might find on the other side."

 

*******

 

Faith twisted the knob on the door to their room, stifling a grimace as the damn bolt squeaked as it slid back on the other side.

 

She needn’t have worried though, Xander was waiting, she immediately made out his hunched up form sitting on her side of the bed. He looked up when she slipped through the doorway, the light from their bedside lamp danced across his face, throwing shadowed planes across its contours. He looked like shit she thought, tired, worried but still her heart skipped a beat when a welcoming smile creased his face and he struggled to his feet.

 

She couldn’t move, her legs seemed to have locked up and then all the pain disappeared. His kiss was gentle, not passionate just filled with something else that still felt alien even after these two months.

 

Care.

 

He pulled back his hands resting on her shoulders whilst he searched her face, his eye seeming to trace every contour, every inch of it.

 

“I’m sorry,” he apologised his fingers reaching out to trace a line down the side of her Jaw. Faith couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips or that she leant into his hand.

 

“About earlier I was a jerk, what I said.” Xander grimaced and she could see the hurt in his eye, which was freaky, scary and kinda nice at the same time.

 

“Look…” He started again with that need to explain everything. Sometimes Faith thought he was such an idiot.

 

“Sssh,” she hissed leaning forward cutting him off with her mouth.

 

The kiss started tender and then his arms were pulling her close and it deepened into something more passionate, deeper, tinged with the hurts of the barbs they had inflicted earlier in the day. Then she was stepping him backwards, a laugh escaping her throat as he tripped on the edge of the bed and landed flat on his back completely at her mercy. But the idiot just grinned and laughed back and all the hurt dissolved away. She stripped off her sweaty tee tossing it to one side, the rest of her sweaty clothes followed and she saw his eyes widen. She unbuckled his pants and with a quick tug pulled them off.

 

“Ah burn,” he squeaked.

 

“Shucks,” she growled. She pulled off his boxers and clambering onto the bed after him, then he was inside her and she lost herself in his heat.

 

Later, she lay there whilst Xander’s fingers traced lazy circles on her stomach, trying to stop the smile that kept threatening to break out on her face as he circled towards and then away from where she was ticklish.

 

“I heard you had a run in with Rona today.” His tone suddenly serious as his fingers moved from tormenting her stomach to tracing a tingling line down her neck.

 

“Where’d you hear that?” she asked, glancing worriedly over at Xander.

 

“From my spies,” replied Xander with such an exaggerated wink that Faith snorted.

 

“Little Red been telling tales,” said Faith slightly piqued but still too lost to languid pleasure to make a big deal of it.

 

“Actually Mary told me,” said Xander leaning on his elbow and blowing teasing wafts of air across her face.

 

Faith rolled her eyes and glared at him, “will you cut that out.”

 

“Okay,” said Xander. He shrugged. “So do you want to talk about it?”

 

“No,” grumped Faith wondering why the hell Xander always had to pick, why couldn’t he just relax and enjoy the aftermath of makeup sex and it had been great sex Faith admitted.

 

“Okay,” agreed Xander causing Faith to roll herself up onto her side, the covers falling away. She studied Xander as he smiled back at her all the while his fingers did wickedly distracting things.

 

“That it,” she asked surprised he was giving up so easy.

 

“No,” he admitted. “Look you know she was wrong right.” He smirked at the pun and Faith could see the little boy that lurked within.

 

“About?” she asked. She stilled as his fingers stopped and instead he reached up his thumb smoothing a hair from her cheek.

 

“About us,” he said. His teeth gently nipping her lower lip as Faith could feel her self becoming aroused again.

 

“What…” She groaned.

 

“About how I see you,” said Xander leaning back a slightly sad smile on his face.

 

“And how’s that,” she asked, her breathing heavy with the hints of arousal and her heart paused between the here and now, and then.

 

“Not with this,” replied Xander indicating his eye. “But with this.” His hand reached out enfolding hers, pulling it unresisting towards him and placing it over his heart.

 

******

The steady rhythmic throb kept on intruding and no matter how much Robin tried to ignore it, it wasn’t going away, something was interrupting his dream and the damn thing seemed to be getting more insistent.

 

Robin groaned, forcing himself awake, hand snaking out to grab a hold of his cell.

 

“Wood,” he growled.

 

“Oh thank Hecate,” the quiet reply was followed by a strangled half sob which jolted Robin fully awake.

 

“Wilhelmina, what is it?” asked Robin, the worry that had been troubling his sleep curdling into a full blown dread.

 

“It’s Jez,” replied the Witch confirming his worst fears and then she went further crystallizing the dread into horror.

 

“We’ve lost touch with Monica and Lecksi as well.”

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