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DISCLAIMER: Matthias and Donna are mine, mine, MINE!!!! Mwhahahahah!! (and
then you wonder why I always use OCs?)
TIMELINE: A year and something after Chosen. I'm not using the references
made in AtS about the Scoobies.
SUMMARY: PG-13. They are together and everyone else looks from the outside in.
Faith/Xander
WORDCOUNT: 2651
THANK YOU: to Sharon, because she's a lovely beta always there for my wacky - and
the wackier too - ideas. And to Ducks, because her After the Fire showed
me the other side of the Faith-spectrum and I simply needed to write Faith after
reading it.
DEDICATION: to Heidi, because she asked for F/X (plus dreamcatcher necklace!) a
long, long, looooooooooooooooooong time ago. Sorry for the delay, sweet. Hope you like
this one.
FROM THE OUTSIDE IN
by Leni
Robin's eyes widened as he saw her entering the room. Beautiful as ever, he couldn't help
but stare as she came in.
Faith had changed in the last months. Her smile was no longer weary and she had stopped
standing on the edge. Robin had seen those changes come gradually, most of them in their
private rooms. Their relationship had grown from the fickle affair they'd had in Sunnydale
to something that actually resembled a serious commitment.
Of course, somewhere along the line, that hadn't been enough. Robin had felt it as Faith
withdrew from him, spending more time with her fellow Slayers, going hunting on her own.
Soon enough the hours they'd spent together were vastly outnumbered by hours where he
waited for her, hours discussing their new destination with Giles, hours watching the
Slayers train as he carved stakes.
Then, suddenly, Faith'd begun smiling again.
With a deep bitterness in his throat, Robin now saw that precious smile in Faith's face.
He wasn't the only one to notice her loud entrance. Willow, Giles and Donna looked up from
the books they'd been researching in. Dawn and Xander stopped their endless E.R. vs Third
Watch debate and Kennedy stopped beating on a padded Andrew as the boy sighed in relief.
Robin noticed all of this even as he tried not to react to her presence.
She had been smiling exactly like that five days ago. He had caught it before it
disappeared in a millisecond when she had noticed his presence. What could distract a
Slayer so much that she wouldn't sense him? Robin had had the answer as his lover said the
dreadful phrase: "We need to talk."
Now, finally coming back from the personal trip he'd indulged in, he saw as the smile
blossoming in Faith's lips was answered by her new lover's. Robin wanted to turn around as
she practically ran into the tiny living room and launched herself into Xander's lap, but
his pride wouldn't let him. He watched as they kissed and noticed the pitying looks in his
direction.
Thing would change, Robin told himself. True, they were too many in such enclosed spaces
to allow for real privacy and the Slayers didn't stop being young girls whose eyes widened
at the promise of good gossip. But, things had to change. The one thing he'd learned in
his time alone was that he wanted - needed - to fight the good fight.
He glanced at the people around him. These were the people fighting it and damned if he
let his private life interfere with his life's mission. It was just a matter of time,
Robin knew, sooner or later they'd forget he and Faith had been a couple and stop walking
on irritating shells around him.
Yes, he thought as he looked at the couple on the couch, he'd always wanted to fight for
what he believed.
But someone should have warned him that broken hearts were just another casualty.
---
It had been a week of silence, Willow remembered. Seven days of stiff good mornings and
avoiding glances.
It had been easy at first. They were wrong; she was right. That was all that mattered. But
as minutes, hours and complete days dragged by and there was still no word between them,
Willow decided that she missed him too much.
After all, they'd known each other the longest and in their eighteen years together
forgiveness had always come easily to them. She hadn't intended to walk in on them. Maybe
it was Karma getting back at her. Maybe it was a cosmic joke and she was sure that
Cordelia had to be laughing somewhere. Maybe it was simply her curse to always discover
his illicit affairs with brunettes she hated.
But then, who was she to talk about illicit affairs with Xander? Willow still blushed
slightly everytime she thought of the months they spent hiding.
After the seventh day had come and gone with no sign of improvement, the redhead finally
decided to take matters into her own hands. She'd go to Xander and tell him that it was
not her business, that she cared for him, loved him and she was so scared he'd only
be hurt that she hadn't been able to accept his new relationship. She'd say that she was
not sorry, but she would never interfere anymore unless he asked.
Of course, before making that promise, Willow had to interfere one last time.
She knocked three times, then paused, and then knocked again in rapid succession. Andrew
had only thought it cool when he proposed a code, but the rest of them had seen through
the juvenileness of it and recognised its importance. Who knew what could have followed
them to their current headquarters?
When the door opened, the room's occupant's eyebrows shot upwards. "Good morning,
Will," Faith greeted her.
Willow nodded in response, letting herself in even when the Slayer didn't invite her. Long
past was the time when she'd feared the brunette. They were equals now, as Faith had
learned in the last months.
Face to face, Willow wondered idly what attracted his best friend so much. Faith was
beautiful, she'd give her that. Her hard looks and half-smiles strangely added to her
mystique. The mad fury in her eyes was now replaced by a veiled scream for acceptance.
Willow knew that look too well, it was the same she bore after the debacle of '02. She
finally understood one reason of Faith's involvement with Xander: her best friend had
always needed to play protector, even - or was it especially? - when his partner wouldn't
acknowledge it.
"You here to threaten me?" asked finally the Slayer, leaning casually against
the doorframe.
Yes, Willow had planned to say. She'd wanted Faith to know that she wouldn't let Xander be
hurt again. Damn the consequences. But a look around the room told her that many changes
had been done in a week. Gone was Robin's mathematical precision and in its place reigned
the orderly chaos Willow had whined about since she was old enough to remember. His socks
peeked from under their bed and she could almost hear herself grumbling that it was the
grossest thing ever. She smiled faintly at the memory of Jesse and Xander grabbing a sock
each and chasing her around the house with them.
"Stinky odious things, aren't they?" Faith asked, noticing where her gaze had
strayed.
Willow nodded absently, captured in her memories. Her nostrils picked the smell of
Xander's aftershave and she could almost swear it was the same brand they'd bought
together when the first shadow of a beard had made its apparition. "He's
ticklish," she finally confessed, still not looking at the brunette. "Left foot,
right in the middle of his sole."
Faith looked surprised.
Willow was surprised too, especially when she kept talking. "Right side too, right
below the kidney, that one will grant you anything. From permission to use his skateboard
to the promise of doing his homework alone." She chuckled. "Of course, if he
discovers your weak point, you won't stand a chance. He'll never forget it." Why,
only two weeks ago he'd tickled her mercilessly in the lonely Blockbuster until she'd let
him rent Die Hard. An amused smile appeared on her lips and then disappeared quickly when
she remembered why she was here. "I'm not sure I like this," she said
truthfully, gesturing around her, at the life they'd build in the last days. Then stopped
when she noticed Faith fingering her necklace nervously, tracing the tiny dreamcatcher
with her thumb.
Willow stared at the necklace. Of course, she'd seen Xander buying it some weeks ago, in
their last stop before this town. Her friend had even asked her what she thought about the
little blue and red threaded gift. Willow had grinned, foolishly thinking that it was for
her, and had said that it was beautiful. Now she felt a pang of bitterness when she had to
admit that it looked perfect on the brunette's throat. But she recovered quickly, after
all, she still had to say what she'd come here to say. "You hurt him bad once and I
never forgave you."
"You loved him," the Slayer reasoned, still touching the necklace as if it gave
her strength.
Willow shook her head. "I love him, there's no past tense for love between
us." She looked as Faith's eyebrows raised. "Not like that." Pause.
"You hurt him. Maybe we did hurt you back then too; but all I can remember is a
broken best friend."
Faith's eyes lowered. "I am s-."
"No, I'm not here to hear apologies. I know you have changed, Faith. Just as Xander
changed and." She gestured at herself. "There's no doubt I changed too. Maybe
you'll make a good couple, maybe not." Her shoulders shrugged and Willow went back to
the open door, walking past the silent Slayer and into the aisle. She turned around to
face Faith again. "Hurt him again and I won't care how much you've changed."
Faith smirked. "I knew that one was coming."
Willow smirked back and left.
Half hiding behind a nearby column, Xander smiled.
----
Matthias was known for his stealth. No vampire would ever survive a hundred and some odd
years without learning some tricks on the way.
The vampire advanced silently behind the woman. Careful enough to leave a healthy distance
inbetween. He had heard of the Slayer's advanced senses. The stories told that she could
sense a demon within blocks of distance. Matthias snorted, they could feel vampires, true,
but not if they were far enough.
He had been in this town for the last five years, after the failure than had been his
brief stance at the Hellmouth, this quiet town had seemed like the perfect choice for a
nice long unlife. Of course, that ended the night the Slayer Parade decided to stop here.
Matthias had heard about them going through the country, the wildest rumours said that
their group was now filled with girls who had a Slayer's strength. Nobody could explain
it. It was against all laws and rules. In each generation there was one girl.... Matthias
knew that phrase, he also knew that during centuries the stress had been on the one
part. Then, how could there suddenly be more Slayers than he cared to count?
The only explanation he found - and more than explanation, it was just a wild theory - was
that the freaky end of the Hellmouth had had repercussions. He still didn't understand how
one thing could lead to the other but there it was. All those Slayers and nothing could
have prepared him for the sight of them together... Of course, it was common knowledge
that there'd been two Slayers. But that had been logical. Gossipers from Sunnydale told
that the first girl had died at the Master's hands, then resurrected. Matthias could
understand a new Slayer rising while the other was dead. But so many of them and
the older ones still alive? It blew his mind.
Dismay hadn't covered it when he'd confirmed the dreaded news. Indeed, all the girls fit
under the description of 'Slayer' and, to his complete disbelief, the only one who didn't
was so adept in magic that he'd felt a chill through his dead flesh as he witnessed her
burning a vampire into ashes with just a flick of her wrist. Matthias would never admit
that he'd dreamed of black eyes that day. But the truth was, they had scared him more than
the golden-yellow ones he'd last seen when alive.
But then, what had he expected?
After tales of Slayers consorting - in the very literal sense of the word - with vampires,
was it really that unbelievable that suddenly this happened? There were even rumours of
the White Hats causing an Apocalypse themselves. The Slayer's headquarters had been known
as Demon Central instead, what with the continuous influx of assorted demons... Of course,
Matthias knew that not all those things could be true. He chuckled as he thought that the
last one was only an exaggeration. The Slayer having a wishing demon under her roof?
Ridiculous! Everybody knew how depraved and merciless they were.
But now he had his own contribution for the gossip mill.
Some nights ago he had watched, unable to believe his eyes, as the couple kissed on their
way to their temporary headquarters. Then, sure that he was at a safe distance, he had
laughed at the situation. Matthias understood a vampire-Slayer liaison. That was blood
calling to blood, hunters coming together on their own right. But the Slayer with a
eye-patched cripple? What had the world come t-?
In that last second Matthias understood that the last laugh had gone to Alexander Harris,
even if the latter would never know it.
---
"Faith?"
Faith turned around and smiled as she saw her lover.
"You had a vampire following you," Xander half-scolded her.
The brunette just shrugged. "Yes, I knew. Creepy vampire, that one, he's been
stalking me for days."
"And you let him?"
Faith laughed. "Tiny town, not much to do. It was good to know I had a vampire to
stake if things got too boring."
Xander shook his head. "You're crazy." Finally reaching her, he kissed her
briefly before dropping his eyes in a mock apology. "And I'm sorry for staking your
vampire."
Her playful smile told him immediately that there was nothing to forgive. "I'm sure I
will be able to think of something to pass time," she cooed.
Xander laughed. She was as bad at subtlety as Anya had been. Strangely, the thought popped
in and retreated again without hurting him. Not too much, at least. Xander still missed
Anya, especially in those silent moments where his ex fianceé would have been gushing
about new - one crazier than the last - ways to earn money. But over the last weeks it had
gotten easier. Faith was so loud and vibrant that she filled all the empty places. In
return, Xander liked to think that he acted as the anchor she had always been looking for.
"What are you doing here?" Faith asked once the silence stretched for too long.
She knew that Xander had his moments, there was that 'I'm remembering Anya' look in his
eyes and Faith couldn't truly begrudge him. What did she know about long-term
relationships? Xander had once wanted to marry Anya, and even if he'd walked out from the
wedding both Buffy and Dawn seemed to think that he had never not wanted to be with
her. Faith gripped her weapon a little tighter. She'd walked out of her longest
relationship to date because of Xander. True, sometimes he needed to retreat to his own
space. But damned if she didn't need him to come back. "Xander?" she insisted.
"Dawn? Kennedy? Weren't you supposed to go patrol with them tonight?"
Xander reacted instantly and Faith couldn't help but smile when his eyes suddenly didn't
speak of any woman but her. "Yep," he nodded, "but you forgot this in our
room." He searched in his pocket. "Couldn't let you go out without your lucky
charm, could I?" Xander said as he handed a blue and red bundle to her.
Faith smiled. "It must have fallen when I took a shower." She swiftly swept her
hair aside. "Want to put it back to its place?"
Xander smiled too as he threaded his arms around her neck, his fingers fighting to fasten
the necklace lock. Tiny little slippery thing... How did women manage to do it all the
time?
Faith chuckled.
When failure was obvious, and the sounds of Faith's giggles turned louder, Xander Harris
didn't find a better way to distract his lover than by kissing her.
Somehow, they managed not to drop the forgotten necklace to the ground.
The End.
13/03/04
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