"Ladies, gentlemen and gentle being, welcome to the first annual hero strip poker competition," a human appear woman said as an introduction. "I am Erin your host for this little event."

"Now I know you're wondering what exactly is hero strip poker," Erin said as she hit a switch. A wall ascended reviewing a room in which a number of good looking men seem to trying to find a way out. "As you can see I have collected a number of the best heroes from across the global for our competition. We have the loyal and fierce Xander Harris, the fiery Hornito Caine of Miami, the brave Colonel Jack O'Neill and so many more."

"Can they see us?" one of the competitors asked.

"No. The viewing wall is made up of a one way viewing matter," Erin explained. "So we can look in and they think it's a regular wall."

"So how exactly is this hero strip poker?" another competitor asks. "I mean we are the ones playing poker, so how are they going to strip?"

"I'm glad you asked that," Erin said with a smile as she signed her men to remove a box reviewing very life like dolls of the heroes. "Now what we have here are some life like dolls that are connected to our heroes."

"Are the dolls anatomically correct," one of the competitors giggled.

"Very," Erin purred. "The dolls are so exact that you can tell if your hero is cut or not or if they have any pierces anyways"

Those gathered for the game broke out into giggles.

Erin continued on. "And before you ask, yes the dolls to send back to the hero limited feeling. You can't hurt them but you can touch them"

Erin demonstrated this by stoking the hair on a silver head doll, the room the men were being held, Special Agent Gibbs touched his hair, his eyes wide as he looked around for whoever touched him.

"Now when you checked in and exchanged your quarter of a million dollars for chips you received a number," Erin explained. "Very shortly we will be pulling number out of a hat and that person will be able to choice their hero. Now don't worry if you don't get the hero you want because you'll have the chance to win him later."

"We are following standard strip poker rules in which clothing, their clothing will count as bets. See the rules that were handed to you for how much each item of clothing counts for," Erin said.

"So let me get this straight, we're playing poker with chips and dolls," a competitor said.

"Not exactly. Let's say you bid the pants from your hero and you lose," Erin said. "Not only do you lose the money you had in the pot but your doll and the hero the doll represent," Erin turned towards the men that was being held captured, "loses their pants."

"So they'll end up naked," a competitor said with a smirk

"Only if you're a bad player," Erin replied. "The first day will weed the competitors down to the top five players. The next day will be a winner takes all. All the cash and all the heroes."

Xander and Faith forming a strong bond of friendship as one emotional-mental-physical-sexual abuse victim recognizing another when faith comes to sunnydale earlier - leads to them getting some mutual unconditional platonic love, affection, honesty, respect, comfort, acceptance and training leading them to being happy and healing.

Together they = Patrol sunnydale poorer areas & the underground, = earn top scores on their GED, = improve their Self Defence & supernatural knowledge, = make contacts through the kitty poker circuit, = loot caches, = pickpocket vampires, = hustle pool/darts & cards, = learn some necessary life skills, = undergoes a in-depth cleansing ritual, = get gifted in heavily warded Lapis/Koa rings from a truly peaceful race, = live/squat together, = proactively take out several threats before they become active threats in inventive ways such as Judge/Dru/Rack/Doc/Spike/Sisterhood/Belthazar depending on when Faith arrives,

Rings: warded against being taken off, unwilling teleportation, physical & spiritual possessions, harmful/malicious & shoddy magicks, tracking, impersonation,  mental & emotional compulsion/influence & tampering, unwilling magical & psionic bonds...

Also leads to Xander revealing some secrets such as = squatting/camping at Jesse abandoned house, = living out of a dufflebag, = his parents & willow illegally changing his name/birthday/various records to either get him out of the house sooner/later or mold him to be dependent.., = having legal & accurate records which show his true talents/aptitudes/health.. as well as a healthy bank account under his birth name outside of town without anybody in sunnydale knowledge, = being a single parent to a son due to sexual assault, = taking online classes..

How would things possitively change for Xander with someone at his side like a true sister who saw & accepted all of him as he is?