"Wakey, wakey." Pike hung his head over Orin's and poked the boy in the upper part of his chest.

Orin jumped up a little with his arms twitching inward and squinted to the light to look at the older guy above him. 'What-?"

"Training." His voice was happy and pinched with a sense of hyperness. "101." He finished as he stood up away from the couch, throwing him some sweats. "Get dressed. We meet outside."

Orin watched Pike pad back out of the room and out to the back yard, then quickly sat up and stripped his pants off and slipped on the sweats Pike provided.

"You can take Pike, Caela. Angel and Ii will work over here." Buffy began to stretch in the far left corner, leaving Caela and Pike room to spar. "Giles?" His head perked up in her direction, still adjusting the arm and palm pads. "You got Orin?" Seeming on cue, Orin exited the house, his attention gained by the action going between Caela and Pike.

"Ah, yes, Orin. Why don't you go ahead and stretch out? Then we shall begin day one." Giles sat down his pads as he removed his glasses, setting them on a planter for safe keeping.

"O...Kay." Orin started with his legs, then his arms followed by his neck and hands.

Giles stood up and slipped on the pads, taking a defensive stance.

"Ready?"

"Umm, yeah. Where do you want me?" Spreading his arms from his side.

"There is fine." Giles nodded to a spot in front of him. Orin responded by standing in the indicated area "Now, lets see you give a punch." Giles encouraged him by settling his hands up for Orin's target.

Orin threw a hesitated punch with his right hand, the force, pushing Giles back a bit, obligating him to take a stronger and sturdier stance. Orin continued freely.

Caela and Pike continued without distraction. Caela ducked from a hard swing to the face that Pike gave, turning her left leg under him, failing to take his legs from under him as he jumped by instinct. Caela stood up and steadied herself, taking in small panting breaths.

'Aye." She laughed out. " 'Tis obvious dat ya have been practicing in yer free time." She swung at him, being blocked excellently by him, then took a step back and continued her mockery. " 'Cause, ain't it true dat ya'd be pulling yer face out of de mud right now?" In response he defended his honor by advancing on her harder with small giggles from both of them.

Angel and Buiffy's "exercise" was more of a dance rather than fun like the younger slayer's and her "brother's." Nothing was said, not even a laugh or a sarcastic note on the side. Only smiles, or a raised eyebrow here and there. Talk wasn't necessary in the slightest. Soul mates read one another so easily, that talk seemed like a waste of breath.

But it all was broken; Caela's joking, Pike's focus on dodging and blocking, Angel and Buffy's concentration on the "fight" itself, when Orin began to stutter out apologies to a fallen Giles.

"I-I-I'm sorry, man, Mr. Giles, Sir." He gave Giles his hand to help him up. "I don't know how to do this kind of stuff. I'm really sor-"

"No, no. Don't fret about it. You did excellent." He brushed off his bum and stood there while taking off his pads slowly, deep in thought.

Caela and Buffy now stood together, two first class students watching a Freshman pick up intermediate material, their arms crossed as they analyzed. Soon, Giles broke the silence again.

"Caela?" She looked at him. "Please, come and stand here." She followed where he gestured at, between him and Orin. She was confused and turned her head over her shoulder, whispering all too loud so that everyone could hear.

"What am I doing 'ere anyway?"

"Oh, yes, of course." He walked over to stand with Buffy. "Advance. Punch. Kick." He knew he was being too direct but he wanted her to leave full understanding of what he was aiming for.

Caela shrugged and took a given and easy to block punch to his face. He followed to her liking and protected himself by putting his arm up by his face. Pike was a little shocked, but kept his jaw up.

Caela stepped back, leaving four feet of space between Orin and herself, contemplating on her next move, while she took in nervous deep breaths and waited.

Deciding to take it a step up she rushed at him, her left hand going for his face, the other for his side, attempting to catch him off guard.

She succeeded, fearing she had truly hurt the boy. "I'm sorry. By the GODS, I'm such an amedon. 'Tis not right for me to fight withcha." She began to walk away from the "stage" and tried to stand by Pike as she recoverec with slight embarrassment)

Giles unfolded his arms, a bit flustered. "Just what are you doing, Caela?" He walked through the group and took her by the elbow, since she had her arms crossed, and guided her back to where Orin was standing and prepped for another round, stepping back and waving his hand to signal for her to continue where she left off.

"I can't. I'm stronger than he. 'Tis not a fair fight, Giles." She protested and turned her back to Orin to look at Giles.

"No." Orin caught her attention by cutting her off, a bit of anger pushing through his voice. "Do it again. Please." He resumed his position.

Caela rolled her eyes, half annoyed by his sense of modesty and half trying to make him change his mind. "Pffffff...You've been watching too much Jackie Chan's, as Xander would say." She was lashing out in only fear that she truly would injure him if she went with Giles and he. She did it with the best of intention, and Orin saw this, she knew it, which led to her giving him a disgusted look. She didn't like the thought that people could read her like he could. Pike only made it known to her when she and him, both knew that she was being unreasonable. Even then she hated him for it.

*Don't worry.* Orin was speaking in his mind. Not entirely to her, but more of willing her not to worry about what could happen and to just do it.

She reluctantly pulled back her right fist and took her stance, waiting a deep breath from both of them and advancing. Her right fist aimed for his face, the other, his side. He surprised her by blocking both attempts, while still holding his ground.

"By the gods." Caela whispered under her breath, stepping back, a bit confused, she looked to Giles who had an all too familiar smile on his face to Buffy's memory.

"Giles?" Buffy walked up and approached her ex-watcher.

"He's a sponge, Buffy. Well, exactly like one. He can only absorb so much."

"Why are you not surprised about this like the rest of us?" Buffy was upset that she was out of the loop about something as unusual as this.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Buffy. I did some research on all of this last night. Rung a few monks in Europe and a few priests in Ireland." He stopped then, feeling that he had given her all the information needed for understanding.

He was mistaken.

"Giles?!" Buffy gained his attention while everyone continued to watch him, trying to absorb the information. "Spill!" She demanded further of him.

"Oh, yes." He looked at the whole group, Caela and Orin included of course. "It appears that Orin is supposed to learn how to defend himself...to an extent." His expression began to fall.

"Extent? meaning what? That Orin's meant to fail at a point in staying alive? Because that's just ridic-" She realized what she was saying and looked to everyone, smiling sheepishly. They had all gotten somewhat past the painful thought of Orin's destiny.

"Oh, right." She tried to laugh and joke her way out but all her thoughts were jumbled, too confused to think of a clean whip up of sarcasm, instead just pleading the fifth and taking a step back, out of the human horseshoe that the audience formed.

Caela's mind was debating consequences and possibilities of continuing to spar with Orin, finally, she took up an outburst of energy and demanded of Orin to, "Hit me!"

"What? No! I'm not going to hit you." He put his arms at his sides.

"Why not? Is it not true dat I hit you not a minute ago?" She was pumped and ready, she wanted him to test her, in secret, testing his abilities as well.

"Yes, but- I- No!" He was holding back his real reasons for not hitting her.

"Orin, you will not hurt me." Her tone softer.

"How do you know? I'm not even sure what's going on here." He was taking in deeper and more rapid breaths.

"Orin, pretend I'm a vampire, big, ugly thing that has just attacked you." She wanted to continue, but Orin stopped her there.

"But- But, what if-"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Orin, just kick some vampire arse." She gave him a heartfelt smile and returned to her ready position.

Orin couldn't help but smile as he followed her moves to take his fighting stance, shrugging and began to come at her with punches of which she blocked and returned, of which he, too, blocked. He started to learn quickly, mimicking her every defense and advance.

Everyone stood in "awe" and watched, Pike's jaw now hanging low, his mouth gaping.

Part Thirteen

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