Xander gathered Hunter Burgess that night. "Most of the local council meets at night because they have day jobs. This is one of the bigger demon clubs, which the girls are allowed to go play kitten poker at, and one bartends there sometimes to give the bartender a relief. The local council is waiting to talk to you. They're peaceful, but two can eat people if they're threatened. They choose to eat kittens."
"I get that," he agreed with a nod. "Thank you for the introduction."
Xander looked at him. "I don't want them hurt. They're peaceful and plenty of them have been here longer than people. I know you, as a religious sort, could have that holy fit reaction. Not saying you would but we've seen it happen and we hate that. I hated like hell having to kick two nuns that tried to destroy a preschool they used. So this way you can talk to them, get the information you need to pass back to your people, and then you guys can see how peaceful they are."
"I get that, kid, and it's a good instinct. I'd hate it if my people hurt peaceful beings too."
"Cool." He grinned, driving him off. "I'm going to play some kitten poker. I need another wish to be owed for later on. I use them to help rescue the girls if they're snatched by the military and things. Or if I need higher weapons." He drove him to the bar and parked, getting out and walking in. He stared at the being in there then stabbed it in the neck, making it scream as it fell down. "Why the fuck are you here?" he demanded. "This is not Montreal! Or Myanmar!" He stared at the guy. "Are you bothering the peaceful community?"
"No," he whined. "They have my minion."
Xander snorted. "Is that the minion I was going to take the dick off of and feed it to him or the other one?"
"Other one," he said as he sat up. "You're mean tonight, Xander."
"The girls were thinking about doing a car wash to get their bi-monthly donation." The guy shuddered. "Guys, was he bothering you? If not, I'm sorry I overreacted," he told the guy, staring at him. "But we all know I'm going to protect the peaceful community and the girls."
"I know. Which I appreciate." He stood up and looked at Xander. "You're sexy when you're so mean."
Xander grinned. "I'm sexy all the time. You should see me when I'm doing dad duty for the girls. I got called a DILF the other day." He smirked and took a quick kiss. "Be a good boy." He walked Burgess around him. "Head of the local Council, this is Hunter Burgess. He's from the non-bloodlined but normal hunters that got brought and a bit religious but not bad. Silly made sure earlier." He gave him a slight nudge. "Let me go play poker for a bit. We have two girls who are dating soldiers." He walked off with a sigh.
Hunter Burgess nodded. "Ma'am."
She stared at him then smiled. "Xander's highly overprotective, Hunter Burgess. We appreciate that often because it does keep us safer but sometimes he's as bouncy as a tiny slayer. Which is why he's not allowed to have Mountain Dew unless there's a battle coming up."
That bad guy shuddered. "Don't wish that on us!" He shuddered again. "The last time he had Mountain Dew, spree candies, and then took out half a battle on his own with a sword by bouncing through it. We never want to see that again. Please?"
"The girls locally appreciate that."
"That's because they're bouncy," Hunter Burgess said.
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, they can be." He smiled and nodded back. "Sometimes that's a very good threat though. He's run off two very nasty higher level demons who wanted to start something by showing up drinking Mountain Dew. They decided they did not want that and humanity wasn't going to be easy to conquer so they're making better plans."
Hunter Burgess laughed but nodded. "I would too." He sat down to go over things with her. She knew more about the peaceful community than the Council people had given over, including how they had started. The bad guy got a napkin to control the bleeding and went to talk to the one he needed to talk to. And possibly talk Xander into his bed for the night.
***
Burgess called his people to come see him at a diner's back room. He put information in front of them, staring at the upper level ministers in the hunting community. "The realm merge."
One leaned back. "How did that happen?"
"Witch with a magic addiction but it was slightly prompted." He put that information down. "On magic addictions. There's a coven in England that handles witches with problems apparently."
"Addiction to what?" that one asked.
"Her magic. Not drugs, but how the magic ran through her. She grew up on a hellmouth apparently." He put that information down too. The ministers went over it, a few grimacing. "We can't help those spots. As one of the slayers described it, it's a stretch mark into the universe. It means power gathers there, the peaceful ones show up to hide in plain sight, and some things try to use it to power their plots full of stupid and greed." He shrugged. "The Council here, they studied a lot of that but nothing too recently scientific on the energy streams."
"The peaceful ones, they're actually peaceful?" one asked to make sure.
"Yeah. A lot ran here to get away from worse hell realms. Some were here when the original demons were here and bred down." He handed over that book to him. "They're *peaceful* and stay that way. They just look funny. If we hunt them, we're the evil fucks."
"I get that," he said, looking at the book. He frowned. "Their history started with demonic ownership but not hell demons. Huh."
"Oh, they have those." Burgess grinned at one, who shrank down. "As someone found out, they're having a strike among the lower hell lord sort of demons. They wanted to quit being treated so poorly."
That one nodded. "I asked why they were protesting a spot with signs about demons. They told me why. It's a good reason. I'd strike for that too if I was one. And," he said, looking around. "When I was there, one had to take a call. The succuba was a social worker. She gets her feeding in from bad parents she has to remove kids from or should but can't do it yet legally. Not enough to kill 'em but enough to slow them down if they're assholes to their kids."
The others all looked confused. "They have normal jobs here?"
"Many do," Burgess agreed with a nod. "Not like they can live in their victim's houses. Most of of them seem to have some sort of job, though a few work in demon oriented and safe places. One I know works in a diner that's mixed population but safe and the cook, who is another sort, is an excellent cook. Better'n my wife was." They all stared at him oddly now. He grinned and nodded. "Yeah. His kind immigrated."
"Wow," a few muttered, going back to the information.
One passed on the information about the Devon coven and magic addictions. "The witch who did it?"
"Is probably about healed from her concussion. Hunter Xander couldn't get to her in time to stop her so he knocked her upside her head with his axe." He snapped. "By the way, the slayers here, like our marked ones but different, have nicknames but not use names and the rest don't. At all."
"That puts them in danger," one said.
Burgess shrugged. "He's never learned that and no one wants to really take him. A few would if he offered but the only ones who hate him are other humans. Though one of his poker buddies is mad at him for winning his dinner the other night.
"The peaceful community plays poker for kittens and puppies, which takes the place of flesh for those sort. Some buy out of medical waste. Some use animals. They have a full grown hellhound at the local slayer compound who lives on the back porch because he stinks. They feed him a dead chicken every few days. Still dead flesh." He shrugged but grinned.
"That's a bit weirder than the one I heard of in Nevada."
"Samia and Cyril, from Varna's clan camp and she runs the training camp, know her. Elmira came up with Samia. The little thing's real protective of their camp's kids and the family. Helps her hunt." He grinned. "It's weird but he's apparently a good dog."
Minister Morgan nodded. "I met with her and her dog. Toto's a cute little yorkie who can sometimes grow up. Helps her hunt. He's damn helpful since she took out a ton of Dark Ones at that one event we got lied to about by Roberts. And that's the girl he lied about too."
The others nodded at that, making notes. "The one he told us about?"
"She died. She didn't *participate*. She was kidnaped and died as well. They found her a few days later." That got a few winces. "Her name had been Candace."
"So he was rabid against the female marked ones. He'd hate these girls."
"He would," Morgans agreed. "He and others were highly against women doing the job." He looked at Burgess. "These ones?"
"They get all sorts of shit. Harris had to go out to stop some middle aged woman who was driving past and screaming at the young girls at the bus stop the other morning. He told the girls to block their hearing and shouted back about her faulty bullshit and when she got out, he stopped her and let the cops handle it, though they tried to side with her until Xander produced video from the camera they had up at the bus stop.
"She got arraigned, pled guilty, got a big fine of five grand for trying to harm the girls, and told if she did it again it'd be a year in prison. She huffed, her husband huffed, and she went home." He rubbed his face. "The Pope said he wanted them killed when they came out of closet. After an invasion."
The ministers nodded and went back to the new information. This was not quite what they were used to but they knew about female hunters.
Xander leaned in. "The demon strike is in mediation tonight and they've asked that we all not interrupt that," he said with a grin. "Their traditional meeting spot is about sixty miles away." He pointed. "So can you guys not go that way tonight? I'm going to monitor and make fun of two of the higher ones that think I'm useless again." He closed the door and walked off.
"That was Xander," Burgess said dryly. "The slayers could use more training help. A lot of the watchers are book guys. Cyril and Timothy are both amused at the bouncy little girls who're a bit vicious. They start out with plastic swords and they'll whoop you good with them. Any of the tiny girls there are in foster care so taken in to be raised by the other slayers."
He grinned. "I helped with one of their self defense classes. They knocked me down and claimed victory then used it to go talk their housemother guy Andrew into cookies for winning. Then Cyril took it over and the girls listened and did well while finishing their cookies. Samia's all soft over them."
"They're too young."
"They're happy little girls who get self defense and nothing else. They may see the older girls having injuries but no one tells them why. They don't hear about anything bad outside the normals hating them so they're warned not to get trapped. One got tried on the teenage girls at the mall and one cried but the rest nagged the cunt back. She stomped off crying. They told her she was a worthless sperm storage device." A few laughed at that. "Yeah, the girls are real firm and self protective because they have to be. They could use all the support they can get from people who understand."
"The hunters would probably enjoy letting the girls grow up happy," Morgan said quietly. "What about the sexual differences?"
"The slayers are not very casual about release or comfort. A few of the older girls are but they keep it hidden. Most of them are also sterile. Something about the calling does that. Though they're all on birth control to take out the bleeding since they hunt biters most of the time." He put their vampire chart down with a grin.
"They've got various types of biters. Some you can stake, some you can behead, so not much different for us. A few are really not helpful that way." The ministers sighed but nodded and went over this other information. They had to tell others and spread the news. The hunting community was going to be very amused at all this.
Though that witch should probably hide from every single one of them.
***
Xander walked up to the demons, earning a groan. "Not here about you guys. I supported the strike. I'm here to see which head vampire masters we need to talk to about the ones here so they don't start a war my girls get in the middle of. Again. They tried in Cleveland already. It was *fun* to stake and behead over thirty vampires on trainee patrol but *really*." He looked at one demon, who was wincing. "Do they have a council like in some novels or masters that may gather somewhere? Some bar? Something?"
"They may have email lists. I'm not sure, Harris." Xander grinned and handed over the vampire training chart. "Oh, no wonder. Yeah, they don't have that level." He looked at one of the new demon lords, who shrugged. "Do they have email and stuff?"
"I don't know. I can ask a few. Most of our older ones are in packs and have some feeders in for use instead of hunting. I can make sure some of ours hears that too."
Xander grinned. "Thank you. Will my slayers need mithrill too? Because we'll have to make a wish or something for that and then train them."
"No. Our marked ones can do that," he said, frowning. "Do slayers react?"
"Buffy said it felt creepy but she could use it to workout with."
"Good to know. Why did they send you?"
"No one sends me anywhere. You know that. Giles just went 'go ahead and let me know how the negotiations go for the chronicles' with a hand wave." He shrugged. "So I'm keeping normals from bothering you guys too." He grinned as he walked off. "Let me know, dude. Please."
"I can do that, Harris." He frowned at his back then looked at the others. "I realize why Dracula thought he was odd and offputting. Though I'd never make him eat bugs for me." He shook his head quickly, going back to the negotiations. They were having to do too much work while the minions were on strike.
***
Buffy looked at Xander when he got back. "Are you possessed again?" she demanded quietly.
He took his sunglasses off. "No, I had a vision about twenty miles back." She groaned. "So I have a *charming* headache. Let Samia run the mini self defense time while I go take something and warn Giles that the PTB are having fits about the new hunters?" He went to the office once he had some of his painkillers, leaning in. "The PTB are worried that the new hunters are too good."
Giles sighed but nodded, looking at him. "I seriously got a vision telling me how to send them back home by going back in time to stop the witch by taking her out so she's no longer a problem." He took the pills. "When I pointed out that would've meant that their next battle was lost they got pissy and the pain got worse, but their plot was stupid and I got a slight second one of them trying to get Whistler to go back to take us both out that night."
He grinned. "It was pointed out by Cordelia that it would mean they all died in a few days when their betting pals show up." He grinned. "So we'll have a battle within two weeks." He walked off, going to mini self defense class. "Ladies, battle within two weeks. The PTB are trying to go back to remove Willow so she couldn't wish." He took another sip of water. "The visions are still sucky but hey, it happens. We know what we're to do?"
"Go hide in the safe areas," the girls said together.
He grinned and nodded. "Exactly. And remember to hit the special button this time, ladies. Now, let's work on avoidance today so I don't have to hurt as much when you guys beat me up." He waved and showed them how to get out of a grab attempt.
"Can they do that?" Samia asked.
"The PTB hate that there's so many of us and we don't do things that they want," one of the older minis told her with a grin. "They hate that we get told we have choices instead of having to go on patrol and stuff. They bet a lot with other higher beings and we keep making them lose. But they want balance instead of us winning. So they suck and we hate them for it."
Xander grinned and nodded. "Yes we all do." He grinned at Samia. "A lot. We can go over that later. Let's get them able to avoid arm grabs." The girls squealed and came up to get taught how to get out of the hold and then Samia taught them another one.
The girls went to check their safe room to make sure it had stuff they wanted. It had some food but not stuff they'd want to eat. They didn't have anything to do for hours. They trooped some of their favorite stuff and the sleeping bags down there to use. Two of them went to tell Andrew what they needed to eat for snacks. He went with those two to pick them up. They enjoyed helping him shop. Not carry stuff into the house, but shopping they liked.
Xander walked into the senior watcher and girl meeting. "The PTB said we're all fucked up. Again. The vision is charming." Faith moaned and shook her head. "They're trying to get someone to go back to take me and Willow out that night so she couldn't wish and me so I can't make them lose the newest bet when their buddies show up in a few days. So we've got two weeks at the most probably, ladies."
They nodded, making notes on what they'd want to have happen. "I have not had a vision of that. Mine was them trying to get me to go back to end Willow myself. Then I saw bleedover from them trying to make Whistler going to end us both and Cordelia laying some truth on them." He grinned. "So.... The girls are prepping their safe room."
"Is that day a special one somehow?" Faith asked. "Their buddies showing up, not the battle."
"We have an eclipse in two and a half months," the watcher in charge of the meeting said. "This upcoming week, we don't have much. We have noted a vampire master's birthday."
"They're having a celebration," Buffy said. "We're not going near it. If they come out of it drunk, they're fair game." That got a nod and a few of the girls made their notes on that. "Anything else of note coming up date wise?"
"Hilary's wedding," Xander said dryly, grinning at her. "We're livestreaming it from Vegas?" They nodded. "The next day is Giles' birthday. The next week after that is Willow's birthday." Buffy winced, making a bigger note about those two. "Otherwise...will the PTB ruin a birthday? Probably. Is it certain? No. Someone go play some poker tonight?" A few of the girls nodded at that. "Thanks, ladies. Remember to call me. I'll be there with weapons. Like usual." He walked off before Buffy could pout about that. Again.
Buffy looked at the watcher in charge, who nodded. "Dear, I'm not of any use in a battle beyond being bait."
"I know but it sucks." She frowned at Cyril, who shrugged. "Are there more locally?"
"If we had a firmer date."
"Point. I'll see if we can find out." She looked around. "Did Xander ask them to talk to their type of vampires?" Cyril nodded at that. "Great. Will that make it harder on us?"
"No. Might make them less happy. Most of ours, if they're older, they have a feeding slave that's a volunteer. Most of the time." He leaned on the table. "The whole pack of them share a house or something and a few feeders. Who tend to be well taken care of so they don't die too soon. It's disturbing to watch but if they volunteer not a lot we can do about it."
"I had a boyfriend who did feeder things," Buffy said with a grimace. "Eating him close to death but not that close."
"No, ours feed gently on them and not nightly, but they're there for many uses." She blushed, shaking her head quickly. "They volunteer though."
"That's just...weird," Buffy said.
Faith shrugged. "They're getting happies and not out eating in the clubs. If they're not hurting someone against their wills, plenty of goth kids would volunteer for ours."
"Some terminal patients too," Cyril agreed. "To make it an easy going at their chosen time."
Buffy nodded. "I've heard but I'm a bit freaked out about that."
He nodded. "That's reasonable. You were raised a nice, happy young woman until you got Chosen." She nodded with a grin. "A lot of hunters, bloodline hunters, aren't raised with that same standard of happy, but are usually pretty realistic. We also tend to have a lot looser definition of comforting actions."
Buffy blushed. "I was taught boyfriend and only serious ones. My mom was fierce about that with me and my sister."
He grinned. "We realize that, Buffy. It's not a problem. But you'll probably be hearing some things that're going to border on that and make you blush even more."
"Probably." She looked at Faith. "Then again so do you."
"Yeah. I was raised a street kid. I knew more people who sold themselves than ones that didn't. Them being freely comforting and sexual is okay with me. Though I may still blush at some of that. Hearing and doing, bit different."
Cyril grinned and nodded. "It can be. We all started out innocent too, Faith. I grew up with cousins who were assholes but we taught each other a lot. And the younger one."
"You guys train at home," Buffy said.
"At thirteen or so, we go to a different camp than the one we're raised in so our parents aren't training us to be hunters. My clan has set up a schedule for who gets kids each year. The ones born this year are going to Uncle Reggie in Oklahoma. If his camp has kids to be farmed out for training there's a list for who they go to. When I came up, I had eight others in the training camp with me.
"Two of those are still there and then one that came in younger because he was partially marked but he was a weird case so they sent him to Uncle Marl to train." He grinned. "He and one of the older ones share a wife. They're fully married by our standards and they're happy. That would be Elmira. The same as Samia's my wife and John has Sarzi. The marked kids all go to a training camp when they're about ten to be protected while they go through puberty."
"That makes sense to me," Buffy said with a nod.
"But a lot of the hunters don't have wives so it's up to the wives to say if they're going to help comfort anyone else in the camp." She blushed bright red and ducked her head. He grinned, patting her on the hands. "If Samia and I were the only couple or there were a lot of single hunters in our camp, it'd be up to her to offer to cuddle or anything else the others that may need the comfort from the hunting. Some hunters are bad about that. A few joke about community property wives but we like to educate those about manners," he said with a smirk.
She nodded. "I'd like my girls to find a real, good, serious relationship of some kind. Someone to help them and back them up and all that."
"It's what we all want, girly. Every single one of us. Though most hunters would like kids some days."
Buffy nodded. "Plenty of us might but the calling kinda ruined that on us. Though we have a whole lot of girls who're scared to death of kids."
He grinned. "Kids can be mind warping. Mine is."
"You didn't bring him?" she asked.
"He's with his cousins at home. Uncle Marl is protecting him until we let the local camps come help and spread the information around. We'll probably switch in and out among the various hunter camps and training camps." He grinned. "We even have some marked guys who might like to meet your girls."
"That might be nice," Faith said quietly. "I could use a guy who knew what they were doing and I didn't have to worry about."
Cyril nodded. "Many girls do. Hopefully some day my nieces will find one too."
Buffy nodded. "I hope my sister does too but I'd like her to find one outside all this and retire to safety." Faith swatted her. "I do!"
"D will make her own choices, Buffy. She's told you that and told you off a few times."
"Yeah but I'm older and my word is law. Mom would want that for her."
Faith nodded. "She's going to turn you into a toad the next time. Or the princess in a tower."
"I might not mind that," she admitted. "At least I'd get a vacay."
Faith tipped her head then frowned and sighed. "Yeah, I'd stand the hair for the vacay." She huffed. "We're all messed up." Buffy nodded. The watcher in charge was shaking his head but looking up and praying for patience probably.
"Don't make wishes," Xander said as he walked past the doorway. "You know damn well some being might enjoy that. It'd mean fewer of you available. And the vision of trying to find your true love to kiss your dumb ass awake was not pleasant, Buffy Summers."
"Oops," she called back. "Sorry, Xander. Did Faith have one?"
"Yes. And it took Groall and his father Goreman to rescue her from that enchanted tower. Two years later. By accident on their pot road trip."
Faith nodded. "Yeah, I don't need the vacay that much. We'll do an all slayer beach time and get the usual attack out of the way." Buffy nodded, making herself a note to look up this year's vacation spot.
The head watcher sighed loudly. "Let's not hope for such events, ladies. Shall we?" They nodded and got back to work making plans.
***
Xander met a few of the incoming hunters, shaking hands. "Hey, guys, I'm Xander." He nodded behind him. "The slayers are over there nagging each other and making bets about how they're going to torment each other if they're too injured. Two of them should not be here, they're too young, and I'm going to go knock them out.
"Cyril is with Timothy," he said with a point in the other direction. "Talking with Minister Burgess and a few others about how to handle the extra evil thing that praying at may help. Let me go nag the girls to handle things." He walked off. "We're going to have the battle in the green area by the parking lot so might want to move the cars unless you need them there to get the weapons from them. Oh, and normal bullets will work for the red things. The others take beheading or major weapons."
The hunters shared a look and went to find Cyril to get their information and spots. Cyril nodded with a grin. "Ran into Xander?" he guessed. They nodded. "He's going to go knock out the two young things. Okay, we've got this going on," he said, handing over the notes they had. "Unless they totally blow what information that was overheard." They nodded, going over it. "And I'd move the cars from that lot unless you'll want more weapons."
"We can do that," one of them agreed. He looked at his cousin, then shook his head. "Samia?"
"With the girls." He head nodded. "Though I'm about to knock her out too." He hugged John. "Sarzi?"
"Home. Sitting on Elmira so she doesn't show up too."
"Good!" They shared a look. "Xander and the slayers are a bit bouncy today. But it'll lead to energy later on."
John snorted but went to arm himself for things and then move his car. The other hunters did the same thing, coming back as the portal opened. John stared then nodded once. "This is going to suck," he decided. He stepped in to shoot at the red things. Bullets did work. And then a few decided to bite someone and grow.
Xander shot one with a higher caliber weapon. "Fuck the hell off back home, people. Before I show up there to take the fuck over!" The demons tried to run from the slayers cheering for that but they had swords and other weapons. The other hunters would run too. Xander pointed at two girls. "Guard the back area. We don't want them near the weapons." They nodded, going to handle that and get the agents away from them.
The agents tried to interfere but Xander turned and shot one in the leg. "I said leave the weapons the fuck alone unless you're going to use them, assholes. Are you deaf?" They ran for it instead of dealing with the demons trying to get over there. Faith fell back to help them. Xander moved forward with his part of the girls.
Buffy pushed her braid back over her shoulder. "This sucks and they need to go home," she complained. "Would magic work?" she called.
"No."
"Damn it." She got another few of them with her sword and kept moving forward. "This is worse than the invasion was." The girls with her nodded at that. A few demons tried to get free of the group. "Sarah, go after them." She pointed and moved over to take her spot.
Xander pointed. "Mina, go with Sarah, Telly, go take her place with Buffy's team." That young one hopped in. The other was ready in case they needed a relief slayer. Xander sighed but moved forward with his team. He finally had a fuck it moment. "Get me something," he called. "Something huge, let me take that damn portal."
The girls with the weapons ran over a huge case for him and he used it to blow the portal and the demons around it. It dented a hunter but they evacuated him easily, he was barely on the side of the blast radius. Not even more than shaking his head. The girls got him moved and fussed at. "Ladies!" Xander bellowed. Buffy echoed it.
"Let the nice hunter guy be, ladies," Faith yelled. "Now!" They let him recover by himself and stepped back in.
Cyril looked around, spotting his wife, who was amused at least. The cousin was on the other side of the battle, shooting at little red demons.
Then a huge one showed up. Xander blinked. "I could've used that weapon for him." He dropped the sword and sprinted back, beating Buffy to the weapons. He handed her two, took one, and went to fire on that one. "Take his sisters, Buffy. It takes a woman."
"Yup." The three female demons showed up and she looked. No other weapons. "Great." Xander hit the guy and it died. Buffy got two of the three other ones. She nearly missed one too by trying to get them both. "Xander, can we get something from the house?" she called.
He shook his head. "Nothing that can be used in the vault. Someone grab my battle vest." A girl went to get it and he looked then put together a quick explosive and let her have it to attach to a crossbow bolt and fire it at that demon. It went off a second after it hit her, making a mess. Two slayers got injured, making him swear. They got moved out of the way by Andrew and his minions.
Xander pulled his sword out and sighed, but dove back in with a deep breath. He was really aching a lot today. The girls were slower too. It was already a long battle. Xander was wincing as he swung, getting an odd look from one of the hunters. He shrugged with a wince and went back to it.
Another higher level demon showed up. Buffy looked. "Girls, move," she ordered. "Back, now! Right now! He's poisonous!"
Xander looked then ran to handle it. "He's only poisonous to slayers." He took a wild swing when he got there and the demon laughed as he leaned back.
"I look forward to avenging my brother's death," the demon sneered at him. "You're not so good now, are you, Harris?"
Xander smirked. "I made your brother beg as he died while I had malaria. You sure about that?" He took another swing, which made the demon move back. He used a holy water grenade to get the tree behind that demon, making him scream as the wood embedded. "What? No comment about me using holy water?"
He stepped in to cut that thing until he could behead it. The demon had little biting things on his skin that were trying to stop him. They died with him. Xander stepped back with a sigh, nodding as he headed back to help the girls. That battle had stopped to watch his. He smirked and bowed, with the sword salute. "So, you were going home?"
The demons screamed and tried to attack again. Buffy had relented and picked up a shotgun. She hated guns but oh well. It worked this time. Xander picked up his own to help. The other slayers did the same thing with the hunters helping them.
Buffy killed the last one and huffed. "Finally! I'm ready for a long soak!" She put the gun down and pouted, looking around. "Ladies, let's clean up and head home. We could all use a brownie and a long soak."
"I baked earlier," Andrew called with a wave. "Medical, ladies?" They trudged that way. "You hunters too. Medical this way. The paramedics are set up over here." They went that way. He looked at Xander. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"
"Arthritis. The same as it is most days?" He shrugged with a wince. "And probably a muscle strain." He checked himself. "I'm good enough. I can handle the rest. We have stitching packs, right?"
"I think we're out."
Xander nodded, going that way. A paramedic spotted him and winced. "Stitching packs?" The guy looked him over, gave him what he'd need, and let him hike off. "Thanks." He went home to treat his injuries, take something for his shoulder, and then take a shower.
Buffy looked at the one treating her. "How many are in the ER already?" she asked quietly.
"Ten, Slayer Buffy. Another three may have to go. Only one of those guys. Whoever they are."
She grinned. "Willow made a wish that got us more hunters by joining us to their world."
"Oh, dear."
"But they're all hunters. So huge help there."
"I'm sure it will be. I'll pass that around. Just another realm?"
"No, we had a full world merge. Their world and ours are kissing and stuff."
He nodded. "I'll pass that on." He finished treating her. "There you go. Go and don't soak those stitches."
She looked at her arms. "They can stay out of the water. Is Xander walking? I know he's got something wrong somehow."
"His shoulder's apparently bad, he needed some stitches. They gave him stuff to do that."
"Oh, good. Thanks, dude." She let another one take her place so she could be brought home. She paused in front of Cyril, who stared back. "Can you talk to Xander about whatever injury thing he has this time? I know they won't treat him because he got exposed to demon blood stuff but he'll never let us check because we'll nag."
He nodded. "I can do that."
"Thanks." She walked off. "I miss us having our docs," she complained as she trudged. The others girls with her nodded they did too. "The paramedics need to handle the rest of the city." She looked around. "Did any get free?" she called.
"Nope," Faith called back from where she was getting stitches. She suddenly heaved. "Oh, fuck. I need the anti-toxin and I hate that stuff. It always makes me puke." She took some and kept it down, barely, for now. It needed ten minutes or she'd have to take more.
Cyril looked at his wife on the next bed, then at John across the area. John was sighing and shaking his head. Samia was grinning at him. "So that was weird," he said. "For us to handle that...that's huge."
"Yeah," she agreed with a nod. "And it sucks."
"Yes it does." He got up when they were done, helping his wife sit up. "She's my wife," he said when the paramedic stared at him.
"That's wonderful, sir." He let him take her over to where John was. He wouldn't ask if they were together too. It wasn't really his business.
John looked at them. "I texted Uncle Marl we were done and he's having a fit. A holy, throwing things in the woods fit according to Marcus, who's watching the kids." He looked at Samia, who grinned and patted him. Then at Cyril. "Is this common?"
Cyril looked at the nearest slayer. "Real common?"
"Every spring something huge happens and sometimes around the holidays in the fall. Maybe one now and then if you have an eclipse or something. This is top ten level." She sighed. "We need to play some kitten poker for weapons again. Xander's going to be mad at himself for not having more."
John stared at her. "Really?"
"Really. Not like the agents would've given us some to use. They hate us and our asses." She pouted at the paramedic. "Can I shower?"
"You don't have anything but steristrips. You can shower but not soak, Slayer Mina."
"That's nice then. Thank you." She hopped up and he got the one on her thigh cleaned up. "Thanks." She hugged him and went to get taken back home.
John looked at Samia and Cyril, who grinned at him. "Yeah, they just handle it and then pout sometimes," Samia told him. The girls around them all nodded. "But they are mostly nice girls."
John nodded. "Sarzi is going to want to mentor someone." He stood up with a wince. "Let me go find a motel room."
"I've got one, you can have the floor," Cyril ordered, handing him the keys. "It's run by a member of the peaceful community, and she's a great soup maker." He walked off with Samia to check on the other hunters. Who got told where the motel was. The couple went to have 'thank god we survived' sex in the car on the way back to the motel.
***
Buffy looked at Xander when he came down for dinner, staring at him. "Why are you injured?"
He pointed with his good hand. "Battle earlier? Did you already forget when you redyed your hair?" He got a plate and settled in to eat. And take something.
"Are those pills?" she demanded.
"It's aleeve, Buffy. I have sixty stitches." He glared at her. "Quit nagging." She huffed but pouted at him. He went back to dinner. He looked at Giles as he came in. "Did the usual complaining start?"
"Yes," he sighed. "Including the president wondering who those others were. We'll have a meeting with him tomorrow sometime, children. Buffy, do not start a fight. Xander, please be more kind."
"Make her quit nagging. It was old when we were teenagers."
"It was." He looked at Buffy, who pouted but nodded. "Make sure you have something nice to wear to the meeting, Buffy. You as well, Xander. He wanted you there." Xander gave him an odd look but nodded and dug in again. Andrew had made stew so it was easy enough to eat while sore. Plus the crock pots cooked while they were all busy.
Giles looked at his staff. "Did we let the minis out yet?" One went to do that. "The battle," he said. "What needs did we not have?"
"More weapons," he said. He looked at Xander.
"Hey, go learn to play poker," he said dryly without having to see that look. "I play half the time." That one grimaced but nodded.
Buffy nodded. "The rest of us need to do that too."
"We could let the agents give us weapons," Giles offered.
"And let them hurt the girls? Fuck no," Buffy said firmly. "Hell no!"
"I agree, we can work that out. That may have just been that group."
Xander shook his head. "No. There's memos stating they want to break the girls up by any means possible."
"That was from the last president, Xander."
"Who had the current one as his VP," Xander shot back. "I'll go have sex for weapons again, thanks."
"Fine. We'll probably have to talk about that tomorrow."
"Great, he can pay us back for the medical bills," Xander said, staring at him. Giles nodded at that. "Does he realize I'm the firm one of us, Giles?"
"No, probably not. I think he thinks you're just young."
Xander hummed but smiled. "We'll see about that. They still have my file *so* wrong." Buffy moaned and shuddered, shrinking down as she inhaled dinner and went to hide. He grinned and waved at her back. "Take your plate with you. Quit making Andrew work. It means you get seconds." She did that and ran up to her room to hide. He grinned at Giles, who was shuddering a bit. Xander hummed at that.
***
Xander paused next to an agent the next day on the way to the oval office. "Have you guys ever looked on that christian minority website? The one run by the heretics who hate us?" The agent blinked then slowly shook his head. "Maybe you should. They've been mocking our battles again." He grinned as he walked off. "Or ask General Morwani? He's still pissed at me just like you guys are."
He let the agent look that up and then start to have a fit behind him. He grinned at Giles. "I found out those right wing icicle people are making fun of our battles again by putting up uncut videos to get us all attacked and our addresses. Which is why I had the Dallas house move."
"Oh, that's charming." He nodded once. "How many videos?"
"You wanted to deny," Xander said happily, grinning at him. Buffy stared at him from Giles' other side. He grinned at her too. "Not like it's not on youtube."
"I don't look, that way I can't yell at you."
"You do and I get to nag back, Miss Went To A Battle In A Hoochie Skirt."
She pushed down her current skirt. "It was not."
"Really?" He pulled up that video to show her. "You sure? Because it looks like you borrowed from the middle school girls. Again."
She winced. "Um, yeah, I needed to do laundry." She turned it off and the phone then handed it back with a grin for Giles. "Patrol?"
He sighed, but nodded. "I do not wish to know but you are both adults, children."
"Of course we are," she agreed, staring at Xander. "What did you do to your shoulder?"
"Broke the clavicle and cracked the ball joint part last year."
She winced. "So that's still sore?"
"Arthritis, Buffy. It happens with injuries."
"Oh, dear. So you need to retire sometime?"
He snorted. "Yeah, like that'll happen for either of us."
"Point." She nodded with a sigh. "I'm not going to retire. They'll bury me after something." Giles swatted her. "Hey!"
"They will," Xander agreed. "Her, me, Kennedy maybe, Sophina, a few others. Mina's not. Faith's not, but some of the girls are prompted to that by the slayer spirit." He got swatted too. "Yeah, well, I have to keep proving I'm not normal." He grinned at him. "And I can't have kids so until I find someone to mentor...."
Giles shook his head. "I'd hate to see that, Xander." He smiled. "We'll have x-rays taken." Xander snorted, giving him a dirty look. "Not in Cleveland."
"Fine. Whatever. I have an aleeve habit thanks to it."
"We'll fix that hopefully as well. There has to be something better." He nodded politely at the agent he wanted to rip up.
"You know, we could help."
"It's guys like you that made Willow wish for another world with hunters to join ours," Buffy said coldly but with a smile. The guy flinched, stepping back. "You still owe us for the medical bills for the girls your people tortured and if you come near us again I'm going to repay that favor. The slayer spirit only breaks if I kill you but Xander doesn't have that problem once I'm done torturing you the same way you did a five-year-old girl." He fled. "Bye now," she called, wiggling her fingers after him. "Have a great life before you end up in hell!"
"Not even Hell wants that slime," Xander quipped. "And who said you'd get there before me?"
"Point." The president opened his office door to stare at them. She smiled. "One of the agents who you sent that tortured some of our girls. We didn't think we needed their *help* today, Sir." She stood up. "Are you ready for us? Giles promised us a real tea time."
He nodded, letting them into the office. Xander nodded at the guard in there that was glaring at him. He stared back. The guard backed away slowly. Xander sighed, looking at the president. "Is your doggy rabid?"
"He saw a video with you in Africa fighting a huge battle, Harris."
"Yeah, there were a few. I was down there for nearly two years, Sir. Did you expect them not to have problems on a whole continent?"
He blinked a few times. "I didn't consider that."
Xander nodded. "They have three hellmouths starting down there and one fully formed one. They have battles now and then just like we do on ours." He shrugged. "It happens, but at least they decided they didn't need a little girl to save them so took over that duty themselves."
The president looked at him. "I know you don't like me, Harris."
"No, I don't really like people who sign orders to have peaceful beings tortured, or mini slayers." He shrugged a bit, staring at him. "Did you expect me to act like we're friends?"
"No." He looked at Giles. "Your boy is mad."
"He's truthful," Giles said plainly. "None of us are pleased with that former problem some of your agents had." He stared at him. "So, is this meeting about the battle yesterday?"
"Yes. A few things caught our attention. Sit, please." They sat down, staring at him. "Who were those other men?"
"Hunters." Buffy smiled. "Willow made a wish to bring another world with hunters on it to mate with ours. It was slightly prompted by the Powers That Be, but they're very handy. They're well trained, have their own training programs, and they're good enough to work with us. The ones presently sharing information with us have helped us with training classes and self defense for the baby slayers.
"They're excellent and even taught Xander a few things. I can't beat their female called huntresses or their male called ones. Or their normal ones." She smiled. "It's great to finally have good, strong, knowledgeable backup. Ones I trust around my girls. They even have religious hunters who don't hate hunting."
The president nodded. "When did that happen?"
"About three weeks ago." She crossed her ankles. "She made the wish while on patrol one night with the trainees. She was frustrated with the lack of others who're decent beings stepping in."
"All right. I know she's had problems with magic."
"That's why she went back to Devon with a concussion from Xander knocking her out when he felt her starting to wish," Giles said.
"That's fine. I'd probably do the same thing." The president sat down, staring at them. "What are we going to do about these new people?"
"Celebrate having them," Buffy said.
"Did they add to our world beyond the people that weren't here?" he asked.
"Some training camps," Xander said. "All over North America. Not sure how the foreign ones are yet. We haven't talked to them, even the girls in that area. Though we do know their systems merged with ours so they're in them."
"All right," he said with a nod. "How do they support themselves?"
"I didn't ask," Xander admitted. "That's not really something I consider important right off. Letting them know the threats to their lives came first, sir."
"I can understand that." He nodded. "What if they brought threats?"
"We already talked about theirs," Buffy said. "Three types of vamps, one's mythical and rare. The other two are beheading and staking so normal. Cyril said that their older biters tend to live in a pack house sort of situation. They often have a volunteer feeder for the group." The president winced. "As pointed out, we have goths who'd do the same thing, sir."
"True. I hate them."
"They probably say the same thing."
"True." He looked at his guard, who was listening to his earpiece then looked at them. "What was yesterday?"
"That was the Powers getting mad that their prompted wish didn't get them what they wanted and the ones they bet against showed up to chat. So they held a battle for a new bet. We did have visions and told the ones we usually tell, plus put the knowledge up online where we tend to leak information."
The president looked at his guard, who looked that up and nodded. "So apparently we didn't pay attention. That's charming to know." He looked at Rupert. "We have asked to be kept informed."
"We email it to a few people, sir. Why haven't they told you?"
"I do not know. Still, you should be emailing us directly."
"You blocked us from emailing," Buffy said. "Willow said you put us on a blocked list." He grimaced at that. "We do what we can with what we have. I'm sorry you don't think that's good enough but we're a bit busy with training and stuff. The girls have school daily and all that as well."
"I can give you more agents," he decided.
"And you'll get them back in a box," Buffy said cheerfully. "Because no one needs *that* sort of help, sir. I won't let anyone harm my minis. Or Xander or any of the other watchers. Or the new hunters. As the ones you send cannot live by those simple, basic rules we don't think it's a good idea."
"They can bring weapons," he said with a smirk.
"Or I can buy them on the black market," Xander quipped. "People like those agents made sure I knew how to do that." The president glared at him. He stared back. "I can and they did. If it wasn't for them deciding two African countries could die off, I wouldn't have found anyone to help down there." He shrugged.
"I can have you arrested for that," the president offered with a smile.
Xander smirked back. "You can *try*," he reminded him. "You tried that before and the judge told you to have some sense, and heard about those agents you sent us last time, sir."
"Why are you here, Harris?"
"You asked me to be here, sir."
"I did?"
"Yes," Giles said patiently. "By name."
"I suppose I wanted them to arrest him here then," he said happily, waving at his guard.
"Sir, there's no warrant for his arrest," the guard said impatiently. "Even if we do want one or wish for one."
Xander looked at him. "Watch me use an owed wish if that one gets granted." The agent went pale and backed away. He grinned at Buffy, who was shuddering. "I could always wish I wasn't at that one battle last year." He smiled at Giles, who swatted him. Xander shrugged. "If they want me out the way that much... That's an option for them."
"What would happen then?" the president asked.
A demon appeared, staring at his minion. "You'd be dead. You'd all be dead. The whole eastern seaboard would be dead. And probably in the ocean." Buffy was staring at Xander oddly. Giles was cleaning his glasses. He looked at Harris. "Didn't tell them?"
"No, I didn't." He grinned. "Are those new hunters causing you guys problems?"
"Not a bit as long as they take out those dank, gothic monstrosities they had on their own world. Those Dark Ones and Ancient Ones? As long as they go, we're all going to be happy, Harris."
Xander grinned, then waved a hand. "Go ahead and unclassify that battle if you want them to know. I can escape the nagging."
The demon took Buffy's phone to call up that file on it. Then handed it to Giles with a smirk before disappearing. He'd talk to his minion later.
Giles watched it then nodded once and let the president see it. It unfroze him and his guard, and they watched it then the guard had a fit that made him stomp outside to swear. Giles looked at Xander. "Why was that hidden, young man?"
"Ask a certain redheaded hacker," he said dryly. "Her program made it so. The same as it does most of the others."
"I've got to yell at her about that," Buffy muttered, then sighed and sucked in a deep breath. "I can talk to her tonight. She should be without the headache." She accepted her phone back with a smile for the president. "Thank you." She tucked it back into her purse. She looked at Xander. "Was that the that broke your shoulder? I noticed the weird swing with your axe."
"No, that was right after it. That was about three weeks afterward so I was recovering."
Giles stared at him again. "We're making sure we get x-rays and you have appropriate medication for the arthritis you're starting. And for any other injuries that will lead to the same problem," he said quietly. Xander nodded at that. "You will not fuss."
"Unless they decide I'm a thing," he said dryly. "Like our local ER in Cleveland does."
"I can ask those new hunters if they have one." He looked at the president again. "So." The president shook his head, sipping some water. "The battle yesterday was fairly smooth considering so many of the new hunters stepped in, at our request. And we were without larger weapons that would have made quite a difference. And we had to move the agents away from what few weapons we had before they tampered and we were well and truly screwed."
The president nodded. "We'll see what we can do to support your people better. Will those new hunters leave?"
"No, the realm merge is permanent," Buffy said with a smile. "It's very handy. They're generally realistic, sensible people that we've seen."
He nodded at that. "Fine. Have a good day, people."
"You as well," she quipped, getting up. Giles and Xander stood up, walking out around her. Agents wanted to take her out because of who she was. They wanted to take Xander out for helping her be who she was. Giles they didn't want to touch because they knew he had magic. Once they got outside, Buffy looked at Xander. "I'm going to beat your ass for that battle."
"Were you there?" he asked.
"I could have been."
"I doubt that. You were in Dubai."
She blinked then huffed. "Fine. You're still in trouble for handling that."
"I'm going to ask those hunters to flirt with you."
She shrugged. "I could use a boyfriend, Xander. We both could use a boyfriend."
He smirked. "I'm not that picky actually." He walked off, heading for the car. "Let me start the rental. Just in case."
"No," Giles ordered. "We have a keyless start, Xander." Xander nodded, waiting while he started it and let it run for a minute.
A guard glared. Buffy stared back. "You guys all hate us and we know that. I wouldn't put it past any of you to try to blow us up in the parking lot of the white house or anywhere else." She walked past him. "Tell whichever agent you have flirting with my sister to stop it before I have Willow make every agent a lizard."
Xander giggled. "She probably couldn't do them all in one day. Doing a curse to whoever comes near Dawn would be easy enough for any witch to do."
"Good point, Xander." She swatted him on the arm, getting a wince. "Sorry. Stitches?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Why did you do that battle that way?"
He stared at her. "Did you see another option?"
"Calling us?"
"Not in time."
"So you just got there?"
He pulled up the real copy of that battle video for her. It was longer, covered the ten minutes before it started, and why the girls hadn't been called. Giles watched over her arm. Then he slapped Xander hard on the head. Xander shrugged. "What did you want me to do?" He waved a hand so they went back to watching it. Giles moaned by the end and sighed, heading for the rental. Buffy put her phone up but was sucking in deep breaths. "Did you want me to call the girls to that?"
"No. I kinda was hoping it was one you could've scared them during."
"I think I did. That one said I did." He followed Giles.
Buffy rewatched it and huffed. "Why did you scare him?"
Xander smirked at her. "He realized what sort of asshole I am." He grinned. "And that I was there with broken things."
She nodded. "We're all a bit broken." She sent that battle video address to Faith, who sent back it wasn't a file. Buffy copied the file down and sent the whole thing to her. She watched it, making the mistake to watch it with the other senior girls in their meeting. With Hunters Timothy, Cyril, Samia, and John, and Hunter Burgess coming in when Mina started to complain about that one. The girls broke out in complaining.
The watcher in there made them shut up so they could hear what the demon said. Then he rewound it and made them watch it that way. It made the girls groan instead. Samia was still mad. Cyril and John were both amazed Xander was still alive. Burgess was praying for God to help those people who were slightly insane. Timothy was laughing. That was almost exactly like what he would've done when he was that age.
The watcher looked at the girls. "So he could not call you, ladies." They all glared at him. He shrugged. "You heard it." They nodded. "He handled a major battle on his own but it was somehow covered up."
"B's first message said Red hid it," Faith said.
The watcher nodded. "I have no doubt she did. She does not appreciate anyone but you ladies doing the duty. As do some of us." He smiled at them. "He handled a major battle and didn't even scare them by being bouncy. I'm amused at that. I'll have to show the others." He sent a page to bring them. And the few missing others who may need to watch it.
Including Andrew. Who complained that he could've sent him some robots to help. The other watchers gave him funny looks. So did the slayers. The senior watchers went to have a bitching fit in a sealed room so the tiny slayers couldn't hear. By the time the trio got back they were all wanting to beat Xander, who had went to the poker hall instead. He realized some of them would be whiners.
Andrew looked at his phone then nodded. "Xander said we're welcome for him winning that one and if we complain at him he's going to offer a few of you to the vamps to eat." Everyone scowled but they wouldn't bitch at the boy for that. He had won. He had won a hard battle. It had been important. He had broken bones - Buffy told them that. They could settle in to be pouty about that and make sure it didn't happen again.
Buffy got the idea to go looking to see if any of the foreign slayers had the same sort of hidden battles. What she found made everyone forget about Xander again. Even though he had been in a few of the videos.
The hunters met to talk about that boy and how much he was like some of them. Though they wanted to straighten out his thinking for that battle plan. It had worked but it was wacky.
***
One of the younger hunters looked at Xander on their training patrol, about a month after the hunters had gotten sent to their realm. "So, you and any of those girls?" he asked.
Xander shook his head, looking amused. "Not even if it would save humanity, dude. I'd literally go make a wish to save humanity instead of that. Even if half of them aren't underage, they all have the feeling I'm very normal and that makes me inferior." The hunter winced. "You guys are getting a pass on that. If you want to date a slayer, just be respectful."
He shrugged. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't touch them. They're like little sisters and I really, just some days, want to prove to them that men aren't inferior species just there to get them stuff off tall shelves. Some of them are nicer than that but they're not in this house here. Girls like Faith, she's fun and nice and a great friend.
"Girls like Buffy...she needs someone particular and she's into guys who're dangerous." He shrugged. "But even if I wanted they'd never see me that way." He clapped him on the arm. "You hunters are getting passes on that. They see you as about equal but without the gifts. So if you wanna hit on them, just be respectful.
"Realize the girls are a bit uptight. Most of them raised by the former council were taught that sexual relations are unworthy and will get them killed in the field." The hunter guy winced but nodded. "Playing around, some will. Not all of them but some. Ask. Be clear when you ask. And if you break someone's heart be aware that Buffy will ruin you. A lot. Plus probably punish you by making you shop with the minis."
"They shop that often?"
"The slayer download has a piece of every slayer that's ever been called. Including Buffy because she died for a few seconds but CPR did happen." That got a nod. "She was raised by her mom, not the Council, and she had been a popular girl in an LA school system and a cheerleader. Some of the foreign girls are actually very flustered by Buffy's skirt problem."
He grinned. "Buffy shops because she's got nothing else to take her attention. She's had boyfriends in the past. They were dangerous and shitbags, but she's had some. She's raised the other minis to be the same way she is though, so they all shop for any occasion that may ever exist.
"There's a slayer in at least one mall every single day as far as I've seen in the last year. Giles just sighs and tells them to spend less or get a job to pay for their own clothes, mostly because he can't make rules about what they wear if they bought them."
The hunter nodded. "We're raised more practical."
"We want the girls to remain girlish and happy as long as possible. We know that girls shop sometimes, especially with Buffy's essence in them. We'd like the girls to be practical yet happy." He grinned. "If you want to help with that, more power to you. Just don't make them cry, dude."
"I have sisters, Xander." He grinned. Xander grinned back. "Sure, I can introduce them to some female hunters. Who would agree that them being happy young girls is a great idea. Most of us were too. Even though some of us were raised in a hunting camp." He patted him and they went on. "So, your biters tonight?"
"Mostly the normal kind. So staking or beheading if you want to get fancy." He shrugged. "If we have more than that, I'd never be shocked but a bit amused at least."
The hunter nodded. "Me too. We're not used to the unusual things. Or the marked ones handle them."
Xander nodded. "The slayers are meant to handle anything that shows up. From minor things to hell gods." He grinned. "So those of us who work with them handle the bigger things. We only get a pass on things that take speciality weapons."
He nodded. "I can understand that. Most of the marked ones can use mithrill and we can't."
"Exactly. Otherwise, we're there so it's our job. Though let's hope for no hell lords tonight. I only brought one gun with silver. Nothing better for them." He grimaced but shrugged. "I'll get more bullets blessed soon I guess."
"I heard our type are more amusing than yours?"
"I think that may depend on the being." He smirked. "Some are really neat to talk to or to taunt. A few....they're very much the sour, lemons sucked their assholes up into their heads sort. And a few are just evil. Those...they're harder to kill." That got a nod. "But there's four in town who give us no problems. We play poker with their minions too. And sometimes them.
"One of them owes me a blowjob for cockblocking me a few weeks back. I warned him and he did it anyway so he owes me that." He considered it as they walked. "I think I owe one five bucks too from a poker game. Not sure on that." He hummed but shot his crossbow at a vampire. It went to dust then tinkled down. "Whoosh goes the biter." The hunter snickered but followed him around to get his own vampires for the night.
***
The hunter looked at John, Cyril, and Samia that night. "The girls shop."
Samia nodded. "Yes they do. A lot. It's their stress relief and they learned from Buffy." She looked at her outfit then at him again. "They found me this."
Cyril grinned at her. "It's cute and a bit practical."
"It's hard to tear and I can fight in it," she said with a kiss to her husband's cheek. He smirked back. "They found me lingerie I can fight in too if I need to." She winked at John. "I found a few in Sarzi's size and two in Elmira's size too." She grinned at the other hunter. "If you want to date the girls, ask them. They could all use good boyfriends but they are uptight. They're more uptight than we are.
"They do not believe in comforting and sharing. They got warned that a few of you guys thought about one wife per camp sort of problems and they were all grossed out by the very *thought* of having more than one or two boys at a time." He winced but nodded. "But yeah, if you want to date one, date one! Please! They could use good men to date. Especially Buffy, who could use some stress relief. Her and Faith, though Kennedy's with the witch."
"That's fine. I know a few of the guys were thinking they were cute." She smiled and nodded, patting him on the cheek. "Harris said he wouldn't even try, he'd go use a wish instead of sleeping with one to save humanity."
"He's known Buffy since he was sixteen. And those girls all nag him like being a guy is a lesser state."
"They tried that with me and I whooped ass during sparing them told them that's what guys who hunt can do. They went to pout to ice cream and left Xander alone again. Oh," he said, looking at John. "What did you find them doing?"
"Two of the younger teen girls were talking about feeders." Samia grimaced at that word. "About how a few of the younger slayers should do that and maybe they'd convince someone to take Xander. I asked one of the watchers about them and they said it wasn't a bad idea, but they'd never do it. Xander would show back up after being turned and decimate the slayers. He reminded the girls of that and they quit."
"No, that you tell Faith about," she said happily. "Which two, John?" She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek when he produced a picture of them. "Ah, those two. One of them got it for picking on her niece." She went to tell Faith that. Faith had patrol tonight. She ran into her group and one of them was that girl. "Faith, let's go get a coffee?"
"Sure, I could use something caffeinated and sweet." They walked off together. "Girls, head home." They pouted but went to do that. One did try to stop at the coffee shop with them but Faith stared and she ran off instead. "Which ones?"
"The little blonde thing that was picking on her niece and her buddy, the dyed redhead with the attitude that she's a goddess? John caught them planning and looking up how to get some of the younger slayers to be feeders. Like our feeding volunteers. They wanted to do that to them and Xander."
"Oh, fuck," she muttered. "Xander will destroy them. The younger girls...." She ordered her coffee and paid, then got it and came back, handing Samia hers. "I'm going to let the girls have that issue themselves. I really am." She smiled. "I'll warn B and Tweedies so they can talk."
"John said he talked to one and that one said that Xander would be turned and come decimate you girls."
She nodded. "Yeah, probably." She took a sip and they went to talk to the head tweeds with Giles and Andrew. "Guys," she said when she walked into the meeting. "Someone got reported to them that some of the girls are going evil." One winced. "Something about feeders?" she asked that one.
"No, that wasn't it. I stopped Emmie from suggesting that Sophie and Demi take out the same boy?"
"No," Faith said. "And if they want to share that way, at least it's a dick that'll solve their stress. They're not related so boo-yah! Dick cures slayer stress." She looked at the others. Giles was looking at a few. "I can go ask her cousin who he talked to," she offered. One sighed but nodded. "So, what were they doing?"
She took a sip. That one explained what they had been wanting to do and what he had done. Giles glared and hit him for that. Faith held up a hand. "This is an ongoing problem with those two and a few others. Not just against Xander but against the younger girls too. So what are we doing about it?"
"They're going to therapy," Giles said firmly. "While grounded and without any privileges. Though I may just beat their arses."
"Can we let the younger girls pounce them to prove they're bad?" Faith asked.
Giles stared at her. "That probably won't work in this case. We've seen watchers who had that same sort of problem. Most of them crossed over. I'd dearly love them to not do that but I cannot assume the slayer spirit will prevent it."
Faith nodded, finishing her coffee. "How many are there really?"
"Four in that little pack with a fifth that may be a shared victim," the head librarian said. "I've caught them picking on her in the library a few times and put a stop to it." He looked at Rupert. "Would Sylvia do good with them?"
"No," Giles said. "She's got young children and I don't want them warping them. She's an ideal one to handle that little group as their personal parent though." He considered it. "I have no idea who else could."
Samia grinned. "We've got a few hunters who could. Hunter Timothy's niece is a fierce old bitch who went into the Navy instead of hunting for a bit. It did her good. She's got a firm backbone. We can talk to him about asking her if you want."
Giles smiled. "That could be good, Samia. Thank you, dear. I want them to be good women. Healthy women. If I could block the slayer spirit from them for going evil I would but we do not have that ability and it'd be finding some way to negate the skills or their freedom if they go that wrong."
She nodded. "Let me talk to Timothy. If not, maybe John has an aunt." She grinned. "A lot of hell going on with that type of problem but his cousin Mike came up with two kids who were so feral they tried to bite a few people. They got given mandatory therapy for it then to an aunt." She walked off calling Timothy about that group.
She found one listening and nerve pinched her to knock her out. Faith went to gather the others for them when Timothy agreed they could wake up with his niece. Their fifth wasn't in good shape so Faith got to take her to the ER for the injuries she had. Some were given to herself but not all of them.
Giles talked with the others about how to handle those sort of issues. They really had to make sure the girls didn't slip to the wrong side.
Buffy ran into Xander out in the hallway. She hit him on the face, making him glare at her. "How dare you rather make a wish to save humanity!"
He snorted. "You and the thang with red hair have pretty well turned me gay, Buffy. You two have made *sure* that all the stuff I learned from Anya is going to go to waste because I don't think I ever want to deal with another woman again. I almost had that solved and then I had to come back here." He sipped his coffee. "You ever hit me again and you're going to get it back." She tried to slap him so he punched her and knocked her down. "I'm not your punching bag, bitch. Don't do that. I've had enough. Fully had enough." He stared down at her while he sipped. "Am I clear?"
"Xander," Giles called.
"I got tired of being hit."
He walked out there to stare at his slayer then at Xander. "Who started it?"
"She did. Walked up to me and slapped me for no reason." He shrugged. "I warned her if she tried it again I'd hit her back and did when she hit me again." He stared at him. "I've had enough."
"I can understand that. I feel much the same way with the attitude problems." He stared at Buffy. "You and Willow were enough to nearly turn me back toward gay sex too, Buffy." She got up and huffed off. He looked at Xander. "You fine?"
"I'm fine. Someone told her that I told the hunter I had with me tonight that I'd rather make a wish than save humanity by fucking one of them." He shrugged. "It's the truth."
"It is," he said, patting him on the arm, getting a wince. He looked. "What bruised you?"
"That thang earlier during sparring."
"Oh, dear."
"That's sparring and she got it back but I'm not putting up with that, Giles."
"No, you should not. We're going to remove the ones who are going so very wrong, though not Buffy."
"Have fun with that. I saw Faith walking the one girl out for an ER trip. They should probably check Silvia's back too. She's got some strange scars for some reason she won't talk about."
"Yes, I believe I shall and talk to the other girls as well." He walked off. "Go get dinner, Xander. You missed it."
"I was going to do that before she stopped me." He went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Andrew had nicely saved him a plate in the fridge so he gave him a one-armed hug as he gathered things and went to hide in his suite.
Giles walked in and stared at him. "Have they been giving you the same level of problems?"
"They mostly ignore me and sneer when I do things. So I don't anymore for them. The other girls get extra." He smiled. "I learned how to be just as vindictive as the girls have."
"Good point. Let me know about such things so I can stop them sooner, Andrew." He went back to figure out where those girls would wake up with a permanent caretaker of their very own. The aunt suggested was in the Northern Territories. The girls would *adore* having nothing but snow and training to handle he was sure.
***
Not Quite The Same