Title: A Slayer's Team

Author: Kate R.

abelard950@aol.comabelard950@aol.com

Disclaimer: not mine. DS belongs to Dan Curtis, Buffy and them belong to Joss.

Rating: PG-13 to R

Pairings: Wes/Barnabas, Giles/Ethan

Summary: Faith takes an injured Wesley to the one person she knows will help them both after Sunnydale. Then, it gets weird.


A Slayer's Team
by Kate R.

Prologue: Boss

"Hang on, Wes," Faith said as she stumbled towards the old house on the hill. She was bearing most of his weight and she was tired but she was
determined to get there, get to Him before her strength gave out. He would help them. He would keep them safe. He'd kept her safe after Kakistos had killed her first Watcher after all. He'd helped her get to Sunnydale and he'd helped her survive before then. He'd opened his home to her and now she was in need of his help again.

"Please, be here," she whispered as she pushed against the door.

It swung open and she shouldered it wider, half dragging her burden inside the house.

"Damn the watcher's Council," she growled. "Damn 'em all for this!"

She carefully laid Wes on the floor in the big room where she saw wood for a fire. Faith remembered how to do this but her hands were shaking from cold and she kept dropping the kindling stick. She didn't know if it was exhaustion or cold but it was making her clumsy and she hated it.

Wes moaned from where he was lying on the floor and she immediately went to his side. The bruises evident from the beating he'd taken were visible on his pale skin and Faith found herself growling again. They'd done this to him because of her and it hurt her to know that.

"I'm sorry, Wes," she said as a few tears escaped and she realized she was upset and crying about this. "I'm sorry this happened to you. It's going to be okay now, though. I've got ya and you're safe. Yeah, safe with me. Safe."

She went back to trying to light the fire and her shaking got worse as she felt more tears falling. She knew she was crying because she felt safe. This had always been a safe place for her. He had always made it safe.

"Dammit!" She cried. "Dammit, dammit, Dammit!"

"Faith?" the voice, His voice, said.

She hadn't heard him approach which was odd but then she realized he wasn't carrying his cane. She looked up at him with tears running down her face and her make up running and he crouched down next to her, taking the tinder and kindling and easily starting the fire. He looked down at Wesley and the condition he was in and then he looked back at Faith and she gave him a helpless look.

"Willie!" He called loudly.

Faith saw the man who worked with Him come into the room and then immediately leave to return again with a first aid kit. She watched as He went to work tending Wes' wounds and then, once that was done, Willie brought several blankets and He wrapped two around Wes and then draped one over Faith's shoulders. He had not said anything beyond her name and she realized he was waiting for something. Finally it hit her what it was.

"Hi Boss," she said. "I'm home." And then, she collapsed against him sobbing.

She was aware of him holding her as she cried for everything that had gone wrong in Sunnydale. He didn't know why she was crying and she didn't want to say yet. He'd never turn on her and he'd help her but she was just too tired to deal with it.

"Rest," she heard him whisper. "It can all wait until the night. It's all right. Rest."

She vaguely remembered her last words to him being: "Night, Boss" but she remembered nothing after that until the sun in her eyes woke her.

She woke up and looked to Wesley immediately. He was looking around confused and he looked at her and she shrugged.

"This is Boss' Place," she said. "Bathrooms are this way."

Wes followed her to the bathroom and used it. He was still weak so he required some help getting back to the make shift bed and when they did get back, Faith saw Willie waiting with breakfast.

"Barnabas said to make sure you two ate," Willie said. "He said he'd see you tonight since well, you know him and daylight don't mix."

"Me and daylight don't usually mix, Willie," Faith said. "Thanks though. You're still an A-1 Chef."

"Thanks, Faith," Willie said. Wesley looked at her and she sighed.

"You wanna know about Boss huh?" she asked. He nodded so she sighed and flopped on the couch.

"Okay, after my first Watcher died, I was running and I ran into him one night. Kakistos was afraid of him. His minions are all afraid of Boss. They call him The Vampire Who Is Not A Vampire. I think it's because he was cursed, not turned. Anyway, I stayed with him for a while but I...well, something was pulling me to Sunnydale. I think it was the Ascension thing. Uh, well, Boss got me on the bus and he was turning to leave when one of Kakistos' guys came after me. Boss jumped him and fought him and then the bus pulled out. I knew Boss wasn't dead though. Boss is way too powerful for a minion to kill him. Anyway, Boss told me if I ever needed him or a place to go I could always come here and Wes, I had to get us away from the Council so I brought you here. Boss took care of you. He'll help us, Wes. I know he will."

"I trust you, Faith," Wesley said. "You know that. Now, when do I get to meet Boss?"

"When he wakes up," Willie said. "When Faith is here that's usually around 3:00 pm so we need to close the drapes around then."

"Can do," Faith said a she and Wes finished their food.

"Barnabas said you could look upstairs and take any of the rooms you want. We'll get 'em cleaned up and everything for you once you pick them. Uh, he said your new Watcher might like the library so you can show him that and I'll be around if you need me."

"Thanks Willie," Faith said as he left he room with their plates.

Wesley looked at her and she shrugged again. "Boss takes care of me," she said. "He'll take care of you too." She looked at Wesley waiting, hoping for the words she needed to hear from him and she stared at him, hoping he would say...

"I believe you, Faith."

And everything was right with the world.


END PROLOGUE