It was a quiet night as far as nights go, two vamps dusted, one blue scaley demon beheaded, and four people saved from ritualistic slaughter. Bread and butter for a slayer of eight years. Faith shrugged her coat off and threw it over the banister. Being a 'good girl', or a Buffy clone as the others would have it, over the past few years had allowed her to accumulate enough wealth to actually purchase a home of her own. Y'know, rather than the little rented shit holes she had been used to before she went a little on the psychopathic side. It also helped that the watchers council had decided to pay their slayers.

She didn't bother locking the door as she travelled into her living room. Whatever was scary enough to kill her could get through a measly lock and anything else unlucky enough to stumble into her home would get everything they had coming to them. Kicking her Doc Martins off she slumped into the sofa. She was well and truly bored. Seeing as how every potential was now a slayer, the watchers council had divided the world up for them all. She supposed it was better than the previous attitude of 'you're lucky if you live in the same town as the slayer, if not then you're screwed, sorry.' Faith had current custody of New Orleans and although it did have a higher supernatural rate than most towns there was no 'big bad', not even a 'kinda scary', just your average run of the mill boogieman and Faith was downright fed up of it. She was a girl who liked living on the edge; the adrenaline was what got her through half the stuff she had witnessed and it's what kept her company on long lonely evenings when even the fire couldn't keep her warm.

Unfortunately, as some people would see it, this caused Faith to do some thinking. Something else had to be keeping the monsters off the streets. Or at least different kinds of monsters. Willow had done some research while battling the First on ancient demons and gods and what the actual religious structure of the world was. If you knew whose god was right than you had a better chance of getting your prayers answered. It was good in theory. Though personally Faith believed considering the state of the world whatever god was out there didn't give two shits about humans. Willow had come up with an interesting hypothesis; she had stated that everyone's god or gods were real, just as much as every culture's myths and ghoulies were. Which then began the question of who was the ultimate good if the first was the ultimate evil? The answer hadn't been discovered until after the great gaping hole had replaced Sunnydale. The answer was it was neither good nor evil but just a primal source of power even more powerful than the first. The first had been a god worshipped by the first humans as the personification evil, and as humans continued to believe in evil, his power as a god grew and never diminished like the other prehistoric gods.

So every god ever believed in over the course of the universe existed or at least, had at some point existed. Which then brought Faith the thought that the gods couldn't possibly have created all those monsters, vampires, ghosts, demons and zombies and expected one girl to fight it all? No the job description answered that, 'vampire slayer,' that must mean logically speaking there were other types of slayers out there for other evils. Willow had surmised as much when she had finished her research but none of them had really cared at the time. They had seen no evidence of such people when they were patrolling or saving the world and they had a lot of Slayers to train and brief so the topic was dropped. Of course, no one thought, that these other people didn't intervene because they knew the outcome would be favourable and that they were neck deep in trying to save the world themselves from something completely different.

Faith rubbed her head slightly as she thought it all through again. Something else had to be out there and she was determined to find it. She needed something to alleviate her boredom and since nothing else was being evil enough this would have to do. After the First issue they had been so busy training new girls and setting up new Slayer rules and new watchers council and new…well everything that her monotonous life had settled in only a year ago. But she was going to break it if it killed her. The question was how? She knew all the vamp hang-outs in town and they only provided vampires, which while it was what she was supposed to be doing didn't exactly find her out any info. She considered ringing Willow on the matter but she didn't want to scare the red-head into thinking she was going 'bad' again. As much as they acted like they were fine with her, she merely had to say she was looking forward to patrolling for them to be giving each other shifty eyes.

Faith opened the laptop on the coffee table and logged on to check her emails. The usual sort of rubbish was there. Buffy still sunning herself in Rome, her territory, though Faith couldn't think what evil would go on there considering it was the pope's residence. Buffy was happy and Faith supposed after being the only sane slayer for a very long time she did deserve a break. There was an email from Giles updating them on the new territory outlines which was done weekly considering Slayers could be really bitchy about where they were posted. Faith could opt for a new position but she didn't want to lose what little excitement she already had by being in New Orleans. There was an email from Xander asking how she was and she replied with the usual 'Five by five' answer. There was even an email from Angel.

Faith,

How's life down in the bayou?

A.

Man of few words as always. Maybe he could help her with her current predicament. After all, he never really said how he managed to make it out of the senior partner's army alive. Gunn was a vampire, Illyria had soul digestion issues but they were all alive. Faith considered Illyria as a link to what she was looking for but she was too old to know anything of the gods now. What if the mythical Powers that Be were gods? But surely gods wouldn't need anyone mortal to do their dirty work.

Faith once again rubbed her forehead as she felt a headache from all this 'thinking' coming on. Still she reckoned Angel may know something.

Angel,

Dull, dull and dull. And don't think I don't realise you're asking 'how is life' and not' how are you' in an attempt to bypass my usual answer. That aside, do you know that a new Slayer is heading up to L.A? Seems after taking over evil lawfirm Giles still doesn't trust you, go figure. Anyway, I don't know her very well, name is Sarah Devons, but I'd make sure you tell her you and Spike have a soul as I'm not convinced Giles will have done you the honour. Speaking of which how are you two? Screwing each other yet? Don't think I don't know you both want to. You can deny it as much as you want but it is more than plain to see. Believe me. Plus I think you'll both be a lot less grouchy for it. But that is not the point of this overly long email. I need to know what you know on current Gods, and are there other powers out there other than us that are protecting mankind. Don't play dumb, I know you know something. Peace out.

Faith.

Faith glanced at the clock on her computer: 04.00. There was a chance Angel would reply tonight but it wasn't too likely. Shunning her laptop she headed to the kitchen to make something to eat. Not one for cooking she placed some super noodles in a pan and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She was a girl of simple means if nothing else. She sighed leaning against the counter waiting for her food to boil. When was the last time she had taken someone home? She didn't like being tied to anyone so bringing someone into her bed when she had an itch scratch was always the best policy. It had always been the same way with her. She had been jealous over Buffy and Angel, what they had had. But that emotional lovey dovey stuff just wasn't for her. It made her itch just thinking about someone having that much control over her. Trusting people was something she was just not good at. She tried to find love, but it just did not exist in her world of death and horror. It wasn't that she was so cynical that she didn't believe love was out there, it just wasn't for a killer. Better off alone, sane and pain free, than with someone, insane and heartbroken.

Adding the flavour to her noodles she took a swig from her bottle, she really couldn't be bothered with bringing another person into her life. Even for a one night stand. Not that there was anything wrong with it, she often found herself getting frustrated over the way guys could sleep around and were dubbed players, she was a tiny bit promiscuous and she was named a slut. It was hardly fair. Yet, she was tired of it. Tired of taking strangers into her life just to have them walk out again leaving nothing but sticky sheets. It wasn't something she was interested in anymore.

Pouring out her noodles she dumped the pan in the sink and took her sustenance back to her laptop. She flicked on the TV putting it on to early morning episodes of C.S.I. just for some noise in the background. Sitting back in the sofa she turned her attentions back to her laptop. She actually had a reply from Angel. That was fast even with them both being nocturnal.

Faith,

Of course there are other things out there saving the world. You don't really think the evil guys conveniently aligned themselves so they would harm us all one at a time? For similar reasons to us they don't want to be found. Every monster has their own personal Slayer. What we call werewolves even have their own type of hunters, so do demons that prowl sleep as well as ones that devour the soul, or ones that just like plain eating humans. They are quite happy with Slayers and Buffites alike not going near them. But if you must investigate, and by the fact you are asking me for help I can tell you are desperate. Go to a bar called Sanctuary. But for heaven's sake do not start any fighting there. They have very strict rules and Slayer or not I have no doubt they could slaughter you very easily. Their numbers are far greater before you pout. Whatever it is you are searching for I shouldn't have to tell you to be careful, but I've lost too many friends recently to not. If you need me I'm only a plane ride away.

Oh and just so you know I am ignoring that comment about me and Spike. You are clearly still not fully sane.

A.

Ok. Half four was a stupid time to go out to find a bar. Time to the hit the sack. Tomorrow before patrol she'd go check out this 'Sanctuary', see if something there would interest her.

Atropos fidgeted nervously in front of her other two sisters.

'She is going to end up finding him,' she exclaimed.

'Well that is the point when we mate people sis. I know with free will and all that, 28 per cent of were's miss their mates, but the point in the beginning is for them to find each other,' Clotho pointed out to her worrying sister.

'We mated them at birth, there is nothing we can do about it now,' Lachesis added.

'I wish I could see our own fate. Sasha was and is Astrid's best friend. If our beloved sister finds out we mated him to a vampire Slayer she will not be best pleased with us,' Atropos explained to the others.

'But if they find each other won't she be happy he has found love. Like her and Zarek.'

'Not to a Slayer she won't be. You know their life expectancies. If they bonded it would mean Sasha has little time left and if not then he would be left behind heartbroken,' Lachesis explained to Clotho. She turned to Atropos, 'What is her future like if she mates with Sasha?'

'It's undecided. Slayer's futures are far from our grasp you know that. They are too unpredictable and take far too much liberty with their free will. Faith Lehane was supposed to have died by Angel's hand years ago. She was destined to kill Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and in response she died. Last minute she goes against her desire to kill him and changes her course completely. She alone has done this about five times. Right now I see her going to Sanctuary and dying because the bears believe her a threat when she uses her usual tactics for getting information. But that outcome is fuzzy. We need to make sure this one happens. Sasha must not find her.'

'How can we guarantee she uses violence in sanctuary?'

'Send in vampires.'

'Are you sure about this Atty? We're interfering in a way we're not supposed to. If Acheron finds out we're taking away people's free will again…' Clotho trailed off. She didn't need to finish. Acheron was the one person they were afraid of. Ok, maybe they were afraid of Apollymi as well, and Savitar and anyone else connected to the primal source. But Acheron was the only one with a vested interest in them.

'It's only some vampires. Faith will take care of the rest herself.'