TITLE: When A Vampire Meets A Transgenic
DISCLAIMER: Joss owns Angel and Buffy, James Cameron owns Dark
Angel, I'm just playing with them. Tari is mine. (Pronounced Tar-ee)
PAIRING: Tari/Angel
RATING: G-R for now, may get a higher rating as progresses.
SPOILERS: Dark Angel is set at the beginning of season 2 when Max is
escaping. Angel set later in season 5 when Spike is made Corporeal, he's
still a vamp and he still has his soul but his is secure so he can get
some.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This had been swirling around for a while. Tell me what
you think.
MANTICORE: Gillette, Wyoming.
I lay there, in the barracks. The only home I've ever known, and I
wondered if my siblings had the right idea after all. Out of my unit of 17,
2 died, 2 stayed and 13 escaped. I am one of the two who stayed along
with Jace. Jace was too afraid to leave here. And I was in a coma at the
time. I wish they'd waited for me.
And then I was the only one out of my unit who was still at Manticore,
Jace went on a mission to get 452 and never came back; as a result I
was given her position of CO. Brin came back but they don't trust her
like they trust me.
I got out of bed and walked to the barred window, Tonight is just like
the night they escaped ten years ago, and if I really wanted to I could
easily do it right now. The thing is, I still don't know what is out
there for someone – no something like me. I thought.
Fuck it. I'll look up my sibs, Faith especially. This unit isn't my
family. Plus 494 would love to get rid of me so he could become CO and be
the official leader of Manticore.
Before I could lose my nerve I walked over to the door and tapped on it
gently, the door opened and white light floods the room, I noticed a
lot of empty beds. 494 is missing, breeding partners. I thank whatever
powers out there I never had to do that. I walked past the guard and out
into the hall, only to be knocked on my ass by an X series flying down
the hall. I pulled myself to my feet as the other person – a girl also
stood.
"Watch where you're going Soldier." I snapped. Her head shot up at the
sound of my voice.
"Tari?" I knew that voice, it was one of my sisters, I just didn't know
which one, it had been ten years.
"She died ten years ago, I am X5-439. Who are you?" I asked in a softer
tone.
"Max! Are we going?" 494 yelled from down the hall.
"452?" I asked hating the catch in my voice. I'm supposed to be a bad
ass, hard as nails soldier.
"It's Max in the real world Tari, come with me." I nodded once and she
handed her gun over to me.
"494, take point, help the others move and shoot the enemy. 452 you
take the rear and protect our asses, I'll …" Max gave giving me a strange
look. 494 merely did as he'd been told.
"Tari, I told you my name is Max. And that is Alec." Max said to me I
just looked at her blankly. Then Max looked down the hall to see Alec
doing what I told him.
"What the hell?" she asked shifting her gaze to me.
"I am the Commanding Officer of my unit, of which 494 – Alec is a
member. And I am sorry if I refer to your designation, ten years of habits
will die hard." I said. Max nodded in understanding, I guess and moved
to do as I told her.
494 had a large group of X-6 and X-7's as well as most of my unit.
"Okay. Here's how we're going to do this. We have 15 X-5's not
including 494, 452 and myself, so each of you are going to take a group of four
to five of the younger kids. Go to ground and ignore any communication
that doesn't come from 494 or myself. Clear?" I asked my unit.
"Ma'am, yes Ma'am." They said and saluted me, I saluted back and motion
494 to divide up the children. He is a good second, even if he is
somewhat reluctant.
"Wow, when did that happen?" Max asked watching 494 work.
"What?" I asked confused.
"You giving the orders. I thought Alec was CO." Max said.
"I was given the position when Jace disappeared. Alec was sure he was
next to get it even though I was Jace's Second." I said to Max. Alec had
the groups assembled and they're all ready to move out.
"Okay, this place will be in total chaos outside so go one group at a
time and all go in different directions. Keep as a low a profile as you
can in the real world." I said by way of a dismissal.
"So, what's the real world like?" I asked Max while the other X's take
off.
"It's different, but you'll get used to it." Max said to 494 and me. I
wasn't lying, old habits do die hard.
"Have you heard from any of the others?"
"Yeah, Jondy and Zane are in California. Brin is here somewhere. Jace
is in Canada, I had to get her out, she was pregnant. Krit and Syl where
with me when I blew up the genetics lab, I don't know where they are
now. Zack, Ben and Tinga are dead. I don't know about the rest or Faith."
Max answered.
"What happened to Tinga, Ben and Zack?" I asked looking around, my gun
at the ready to protect my unit. There are four teams left.
"Renfro got Tinga, it was some whacked out experiment. Ben was on the
run from Lydecker, he'd been shot so he was gonna get caught, he asked
me to kill him instead of letting 'dad' take him. Zack killed himself
for me, gave me his heart. Renfro was using the rest of him for organ
harvesting." Max said. It was our turn to go. We run to the fence where we
were confronted with a Nomlie. 494 and I raised our weapons.
"NO! He's with me." Max yelled jumping in front of him.
"He's a Nomlie." 494 said in a bored tone, I admit I felt the same way.
"His name is Joshua. He's harmless." Max said in his defence, to prove
her point the Nomlie who looked like a huge dog smiles. Then he ripped
out a portion of the high fence so we could just walk right through.
"Good job big fella." Max said on her way past patting him on the arm.
"No big lil' fella." Joshua returned with a big smile.
494 and I were still cautious.
"Careful of the 8's." I said as we make our way to the surrounding
forest. They were more animal and had been trained to kill any X series on
sight.
We ran through the forest swiftly for most of the night.
"We should split up." I said. I hated the idea but I knew it was better
than getting caught being all together.
"Okay, here." Max said handing me a slip of paper and a small plastic
box. I looked down at it, the paper had a 14-digit number written on it.
"What are these?" I asked confused.
"It's a number for a friend of mine. He knows all about us and if you
need me just call. That's a beeper, so people can get in contact with
ya. And remember, we're not digits out here. If you don't wanna be Tari
anymore then find another name." Max told me, I smiled at her and shook
my head.
"I'm keeping my name, Tinga picked it out for me." I said. Max pulled
me into a hug, and after a moment of hesitation I hugged her back. I
looked to 494.
"Take care soldier." Ever the soldier he saluted me. I could only
return the favor. I turned my attention to the Nomlie.
"Be sure to keep low, I don't want to loose anymore members of my
unit." I said and extended my hand, which he shook. With a brief nod to Max
and Alec I took off to try and find my twin.
Los Angeles, California.
I found myself in LA. With my strongest lead about Faith yet. A cop I
met in San Diego actually thought I was her, even arrested me. So when I
had him convinced that I was her twin sister he showed me her APB from
4 years ago on my promise to never tell anyone. Apparently it's some
major infraction.
My sister's in Jail. So first I'm going to go and see her. Then see
what I can do about getting her out.
"Faith? What are you doing here still, I though you went with Willow?"
I turned at the voice.
"No, I'm her sister." I told the handsome stranger.
"Her sister?" he asked.
"Yes, we're twins." I said, he extend his hand. I looked at it a second
then I grasped it. I surprised to find his hand quite cold. I gasped
and snatched my hand back.
"What are you?" I asked shifting my stance to defend myself if I have
to.
"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" he asked. I was reluctant to
go with him. I could have taken him out in an instant but I didn't want
to draw attention to myself. So I did the only thing I thought I could.
I ran away.
"Hey! Wait a second." I heard him yelling behind me. I used my full
abilities to evade him, but he kept up with me only a few paces behind. I
still didn't know this town very well yet, and to show it I ran into an
alley he followed me and had me cornered. Now what does an animal do
when it's cornered? Fight.
Now that we were semi private I didn't have to worry about civilians
seeing me. I took a few steps forward and got into a comfortable stance
and prepared to defend myself. He just stood there. But I was still
cornered so I attacked him with a roundhouse kick aimed at his stomach. But
he blocked it. Now I was getting annoyed. So I went again punching and
kicking, some found their mark, most didn't.
He just stood there, he didn't move to go on the offensive just
deflected my blows. Then he stepped forward and just looked at me. I aimed a
punch at his head, but he caught my hand about an inch from his jaw.
With a quick fluid motion, he had my arm twisted up behind my back almost
to breaking point. I struggled to get free and tried to punch him with
my free hand, but I couldn't reach him. I felt his hand close around my
throat and squeeze. I couldn't breath and I started to see spots, just
before I slipped into the nothing of unconsciousness I heard his voice
whisper in my ear.
"I am sorry." Then I surrendered to sleep.
I woke up on a bed in a sparsely decorated room. There was a huge king
size bed, a dresser and a desk, and sitting at the desk chair was… who?
My abductor? I jumped out of the bed and raced to the door, but it was
locked. I probably could have broken it but I decided I had already
given enough away when I fought him, he didn't need to know I wasn't
human.
"Let me go." I said to the man, now I felt like a cadged animal, again
not a feeling I like very much.
"Who are you?" he asked but I didn't say anything. He stood and walked
towards me. I actually flinched away; he stopped for a second then
continued to where I was standing by the door. I backed away from him until
my back hit the wall and I had nowhere else to go.
"Please. Don't hurt me." I said quietly, I feared this man he bested
me. No one has bested me in ten years. He looked at me with something
akin to pity and apprehension in his eyes.
"I am Angel. I won't hurt you, I just wanna talk." He said in a soft
voice.
"Where am I?" I asked. I sound pitiful, I really don't like this
scenario.
"A hotel in LA. Why did you come to my city?" he asked backing away
from me about three steps. I slid down the wall until I was sitting. I
pulled my knees up close.
"To find my sister, Faith. I found out in San Diego that she was in
prison here." I said he nodded, I see out the window that it's still
night. He stood up and offered me his hand, which I refused, so he grabbed
me by my upper arms and forced me to my feet. Then he unlocked the door.
"I can help you find your sister." But I shot out the door in an
instant, he chased me and before I even get past the parking lot I felt his
arms go around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground and carrying me
back to the hotel.
"You can trust me." He said loudly as I struggled to get out of his
grip.
"I don't trust any ordinaries." I yelled trying to break his hold. We
were back in the hotel room and he locked the door before releasing me,
dropping me onto the bed.
"What's an ordinary?" he asked picking up the desk chair and placing it
in front of the door before sitting in it.
But I refused to answer. So he pulled out a cell phone and hits a
number on speed dial, from the sound of the tones I now know the number-
949-555-1686.
"Wes it's Angel, I need you to bring over a tranq to the hotel on
highway 12." He said into the phone.
"I'm not sure, she tried to escape just now. She called me an
ordinary." He said after listening to the guy on the other end.
"I think she might be, better bring Gunn, she's strong for a little
girl." I glared at him.
"I don't know, could she be one too? Faith is, though I've never heard
of one having a twin before."
"Yes, I'm sure she's not Faith, they are identical, but this one's more
flighty." He said into the phone. I looked around the room for an
escape. I didn't find one. The window had bars on it and Angel was sitting
in front of he door.
"Okay, thanks." He hung up and put the phone back into his jacket
pocket.
"I have some associates coming over, if you be good then we won't have
to tranquilize you. Can you do that?" he asked me. He talks to me like
I'm stupid. I jumped to my feet and stand in front of his chair. He
stands up I guess to look intimidating. I do a spinning kick aimed as high
as I can get, he moves to deflect it, just as I thought he would, I
duck and with my other leg sweep his legs out from under him. I scramble
onto his chest and pull out the hidden knife from under my black pants.
"One move and I'll decapitate you." I said the blade pressed tight
against his throat. He stills all movement.
"Why did you kidnap me? Did you plan on selling me?" I snapped pressing
the blade as close as I can without breaking the skin. I wasn't lying,
with a flick of my wrist this guy will be headless.
"Sell you?" he asked.
"Don't play dumb, is it Lydecker?" I asked in a softer tone.
"I don't know anyone called Lydecker. And why would I sell you?" he
asked again. He seemed genuinely confused.
"Obviously you know what I am, I know for a fact that I'm worth at
least 10 million. How much did he promise you? Did you sell Faith to him?"
I asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Faith went to Sunnydale to
help out." I tried again, he sounds so sincere.
"How do you know what Faith is? Did she tell you?" I asked.
"Yes she told me she's a slayer and I could feel it." He answered.
"What's a slayer?" I asked, maybe he doesn't know about Faith and me.
"You don't know?" he asked, he sounds surprised. "Aren't you one too?"
he asked. I shook my head. What's going on, nothing is making sense.
Suddenly I am on the floor, he half lays on me with my knife in his
hand. Which he presses into my throat.
"Okay birdie, time to start singing." He said. I lay there looking
straight into his dark eyes.
"Bite me." I said and looked away.
"I will cut you." He threatened me. I don't like being threatened, but
there's not much I can to just now.
"You can do anything you want to me and I still won't talk." I said
defiantly, I'm a soldier now.
"Angel?" there is a banging on the door.
"I'm going to get up slowly to unlock the door. You're not going to
move a muscle." He said slowly moving off me. I decide to do as he said;
he has the upper hand at the moment. A young black man comes in and
hands Angel a small box.
"Thanks, you'd better get back, we'll be along soon." Angel said
closing and relocking the door.
I slowly get to my feet eyeing Angel and the box that guy gave him.
"Don't inject me with that, please. I'll do whatever you want, just
don't give me that." I said and I mean it. I've had bad experiences with
injections.
He's still distrustful of me as he eyes me suspiciously. And puts the
box into his duster pocket.
"If you don't do exactly as I say, then you get the injection, clear?"
he asked, he sounds just like Lydecker, and like the soldier I am I
reply like I would to him.
"Yes Sir." Angel raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything.
"Okay, let's go to the car." He said and none too gently grabbed my
wrist pulling me along. The threat of injection stops me from wrenching it
free.
He takes me to an office in the CBD of Los Angeles; the sign says this
is Wolfram and Hart. Attorneys at Law.
"What? You're a lawyer? Are you the one who lost my sisters case and
got her put away?" I asked glaring at my captor as he drove past the sign
into the underground garage.
"No, I'm not a lawyer, I just own the building. Do you know why your
sister is in jail?" he asked in a quiet tone, I think that if I had just
regular human hearing I would have missed it.
"No the cop in San D wouldn't tell me, said that if he did and anyone
found out he'd be fired…do they really light people on fire?" I asked
him not understanding the term. He ignored the question and answered
instead why Faith was in jail.
"Murder. Faith killed people, with no remorse." Angel said. He stops
the car in a parking space next to an elevator and turns face me. I keep
looking out my window. He put is fingers on my chin and forced me to
look up at him I make my face look bored. Not hard to do because I am
bored.
"It's what we were trained to do. 10 years on the outside is not going
to make genetic encoding go away." I said to him wrenching my face
free. He opened the door to the car and pushed the elevator button before
coming around to open my door. I think he is in shock. I tend to have
that effect on people. I wonder why? I step into the elevator while he
just stands at my door.
"Coming? Cause I sure as hell don't know where to go." I said a smirk
on my face that I copied form my memories of Zack being CO. Lydecker and
the guards really hated that smirk, and I can tell Angel does too on
his first inspection of it.
"Trained? Genetic encoding? What the hell are you?" he questions me.
"Are there camera's in here?" I asked looking around and straining my
ears to pick up the sound of one. At Angel's negative response I turn my
back to him and lifted my long dark brown hair off my neck where he can
see a barcode.
"A tattoo? That doesn't answer my question." Angel snapped out at me.
"You don't know about –" I stopped at the hissing of the doors opening.
We stepped out and Angel grasped my elbow quite tight. I wince and
twist my arm to break the hold, just as I was taught. But his grip is like
iron, and when I try to punch him with my free hand at my heightened
speed he still deflected it. I can't believe it. Is he like me?
"Harmony, hold my calls from everyone." Angel said to his assistant as
he stalked past dragging me along. Once the door is closed Angel
dropped his vice like grip and none to gently shoved me into a chair in front
of a huge desk.
"What the hell was that for?" I yelled, using my anger to hide my fear,
which wouldn't be squashed. I rubbed my elbow and knew that there would
be a bruise in a couple of hours.
"I don't like being played. Tell me the truth about Faith right now."
Angel growled at me his eyes changing color to a feral yellow. Now I
don't like being threatened as I mentioned before. So I jumped out of my
seat and sent it flying across the room.
"Don't tell me what to do," I ground out. "I can kill you with just one
punch." I said I blurred away so we weren't so close, now I am behind
his desk, and he still hasn't turned around. I can tell by the way he's
moving his head he's looking for me.
"Over here." I said and he whipped around surprised to see me here.
"How did you do that?" he asked sitting in the other chair.
"I was trying to tell you." I said and sit in his big chair leaning
back and putting my feet up on his desk, I ignore his disapproving glare.
"I thought that you would know by the barcode, everyone else does.
Faith and I are genetically engineered soldiers. We are part human and the
rest is made up of different animals. Ten years ago 13 of my unit
escaped after 2 of our siblings were killed just so they could be
experimented on. I stayed behind at Manticore with one of my sisters Jace,
everyone else left."
Angel just looked at me; I can tell he is having a hard time believing
me.
"Look, you've already seen me do things that other people can't do." I
said to help him believe me.
"It's not that, I thought you were going to tell me you and Faith were
demons or something." Angel said standing and walking over to the mini
bar to pour himself a scotch. He offers me one and I nod.
"What's a demon?" I asked gulping down the strong drink. Angel too shot
his back and brings the bottle over to the desk an incredulous look on
his face. He smiles at me when he sees I seriously don't know what one
is.
"I'll get you a book." Angel said pouring two more drinks.
"Why did your eyes turn yellow? Are you a Nomlie?" I asked drinking my
second drink more slowly.
"What's a Nomlie?" Angel asked.
"They are what we called the first four generations of the X series at
Manticore." I said.
"X series?"
"It's what I am, an X5. Tell me what you are." I said. I spot a pack of
cigarettes on the desk and pick them up. "You mind?" I asked sliding
one out.
"They aren't mine, they belong to my childe Spike, but go ahead." I
nodded thanks and light one up.
"So…" I try to prompt him. He seems reluctant to talk.
"I can make you spill everything." I said, it's a bit of an empty
threat, but it gets him talking.
"There's no easy way to say this… I'm a vampire." I looked at him
waiting for more.
"Well?" he asked, I just keep looking at him smoking.
"What to do expect me to say? This world is still new to me. What's a
vampire?" I asked and pour myself a third scotch. I put my smoke on the
ashtray and using two pencils off Angels' desk I put my hair up.
Angel watches me closely, his dark brown eyes, much like my own darken
to almost black. Then they are yellow and his whole face changes. His
brow juts out over his golden eyes and I can see sharp teeth in his
mouth. He growls at me, like he's trying to scare me. I stand up, drink and
smoke forgotten and I walk around the desk to stand in front of him.
His face ripples like it's going to go away.
"No. Not yet." I say and his face stays. I raise my hand and reach to
gently touch his brow, but he pulls away. I try again and this time he
lets me and to my surprise he leans into my hand. I trail my fingers
over his ridges then he reaches up and gently takes my hand holding it
loosely in his own.
"You are the first person to not scream the first time they see my real
face." He says softly. He tugs on my hand and pulls me into his lap.
"Thankyou." He says, and then he's kissing me. After a moment I return
it and I gotta say this guy is a great kisser. I've only ever kissed a
couple of boys at Manticore so Angel's kiss blew me away, I got so
caught up in it I didn't even realize I sliced my tongue open on his fangs,
then Angel moaned.
"My god, you taste so good." It takes me a moment to understand what he
said. Then I pull my head away to catch my breath and I notice the
metallic tang in my mouth. I reach up and touch my tongue, my fingers come
away bloody.
He's so tall that even with me sitting on his lap I still have to look
up at him. But now I am looking at his human mask. I am so confused,
still learning things. Then this man… vampire shows up. And says things
about vampires and demons. I'm still getting used to humans.
"What are you?" I say again jumping of his lap and snatching up my
drink. I shoot it back, the alcohol stings my cut tongue but I ignore it
and pour myself another drink.
"A vampire…"
"What is that?" I yell. "You talk of these things like I'm supposed to
know what they are. I've only been free a few months and I didn't
really have a chance to learn human myths and legends!" He stands up and
walks over to me. He stops in front of me and once again I have to look up
at him.
"Did I scare you?" he asks putting my drink on the desk and gently
grasping me by my upper arms
"Not really. It takes a lot more than that to scare me. I'm a trained
soldier." I say leaning back on the desk.
"Do you drink blood? Is that what you meant by my taste?" I ask willing
myself not to just lean in against his chest, and have him hold me.
"Yeah, I do drink blood. But I didn't kiss you just then so I could
have a taste of transgenic blood. I know I only just met you and I kind of
held you captive for a while but I feel something for you. Do you know
what that is? To feel something for another person?'" Angel asks me.
For a second I feel insulted, am I a bad kisser or something? Well, you
know what they say, practice make perfect.
I don't say anything. Instead I splay my hands over his chest and give
him a quick shove. He falls backwards into his desk chair and I climb
onto his lap again.
"I may be new to the world, but I do know what it feels like to like
someone. And I'm pretty sure I'm feelin' somethin' for ya. Where I come
from violence is a form of foreplay, you had me freaked out cause you
bested me. No ones ever done that before. And I was angry that you beat
me when I thought you were an ordinary." I say running my hands over his
face, down his neck to the buttons of his blue work shirt. I trail my
index finger down the buttons and back up again. I smirk at him again
and reach down to my leg to pull out the knife strapped under my black
leather pants.
"Didn't I take that?" he asks staring at the blade.
"You think that was the only weapon I had on me?" I counter.
"So if we're going to make out, do I get your name?" Angel asks. I
bring the knife up and use it to pop off his buttons exposing his toned
chest. I turn briefly and put my knife on his desk and pick up my scotch.
I turn back to face Angel and dribble the scotch down his chest and
drop the glass.
"Tari." I say before I dip my head and start to lick the alcohol off
his body as his arms close around me.
"Tari, there's something you have to know." His voice is rough in my
ear.
"Mmmmm?" I mumble against this chest.
"I can't." he whispers against my ear. I raise my head and look at him
in confusion.
"Feel's like you can." I say and move against his groin where he is
quite ready.
"No, I have a soul, and if I have a moment of perfect happiness – which
I am sure I would get with you – then I would loose my soul. I'm not a
very nice person without it."
"So let's not go all the way until we find something to make it stay."
I say and kiss him. "What you said before about feeling something for
me… well I feel it too. I do…I've never felt this about anyone before."
I say smiling at him, he smiles back and kisses me again.
We kiss for ages, and sometime during the night I guess I fell asleep.
I don't need much, but I haven't had a decent sleep since I got out of
Manticore 6 months ago. Never felt safe enough to sleep deep, something
about Angel makes me let my guard down. A sharp rap on the door wakes
me up, to my sleep-addled mind it sounds like a gunshot and I jump to my
feet. When I turn around with my knife from Angel's desk in my hand
there's a middle-aged man standing there. Looking down at a book.
"Angel. I found this short passage about – " he looks up and stops. I
recognize him immediately, and I think he knows who I am.
I jump over the desk, dropping my knife. I don't need it and rush him,
knocking him over. I start punching him in the head and chest.
One for Eva.
One for Jack.
One for Max.
One for Zack.
One for Faith.
One for every member of my first unit. My family
Angel jumps to his feet and I feel him trying to pull me off him, but I
am too angry to register his efforts. Then I feel another pair of
strong hands grip me on one arm while I feel Angel's arms around my waist
and together they pull me off.
Angel stands and keeps his vice like grip on my waist while a young
black man checks on Dr. Wyndam. I am struggling to get out of Angel's grip
but he wont let me go. Instead he tries to distract me by kissing the
back of my neck and murmuring against my barcode. Unfortunately Angel's
distraction works and I go limp in his arms. He leads me back over to
his desk chair and sits us in it.
"Gunn, take Wes down to the infirmary while I talk with Tari?" He asks
the black man.
"Who is she? Besides Faith's twin obviously?" Gunn asks helping Dr.
Wyndam to stand.
"Tari, she's looking for Faith. Tari, this is one of my employee's
Charles Gunn." Angel introduces us. I ignore Gunn and keep my gaze on Dr.
Wyndam.
Gunn and Dr. Wyndam leave and Angel finally releases his hold on me. He
stands us up and sits me back in the chair so he can sit in front of me
and see my face.
I reach around him and pick up Spike's smokes. I look down at my hands
and see they are shaking I am so angry. I try and light the damn thing
but my hands are shaking too much. Without saying a word Angel takes
the lighter from my hand and lights it for me.
"Tari? What was that?" he asks after I take a couple of deep drags on
the cigarette.
"He used to work at Manticore, he was a sadistic bastard. He ordered
Eva and Jack be killed so he could experiment on them. He tested all
these drugs on them and then when they died from them he cut them open. He
was most of the reason the others escaped." I tell him, I can tell he's
having a hard time believing me.
"Why didn't you leave then?" he asks. I jump to my feet and pace around
the room, Angel only turns his chair around to watch me.
"You look like a caged lion." He says watching my progress.
"I feel like one." I reply. Angel stands and stops me; he takes the
cigarette off me and drops it in the ashtray. I fall into his arms.
"Tari?"
"I just want to feel." I say then I step away and start pacing again,
Angel tries to stop me again but I shake him off.
"Tari? Why did you stay?" He asks from where I left him.
"I couldn't leave. He'd put me in a coma from one of his experiments.
When I woke up and was sent back to my barrack everyone but Jace was
gone. She told me they left. I wanted to go but they stepped up on
security. He left four years ago." I kept up my restless pacing while I told
him walking past him several times. He didn't try to stop me again.
"Come on." He says and extends his hand. I stop on the opposite side of
the room.
"What?" I ask.
"We're going out." He walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a new
black shirt and a black duster. He strips out of the shirt I ruined and
puts on the black one then the duster. He walks over to me and once again
extends his hand. I take it and he leads me out of the office to the
elevator.
"I'm surprised you still want to be around me let alone trust me." I
say as the doors hiss shut. Angel doesn't say anything for a moment, and
then he turns and faces me.
"I understand you had a different life and seeing Wesley gave you a
shock. I am not going to hold that against you." He tells me pulling me
into another hug, I don't know what it is but something about this man
has totally changed my whole demeanor. Don't get me wrong I will forever
be on guard around ordinaries but Angel is different. He's safe, he's
superhuman, he's a lot like me. I guess that's why I like him so much.
"Thankyou." I say and mean it. The elevator comes to a stop and there
is a black stretch limo waiting for us. Angel opens the door and we get
in.
I feel the car move off and I know that Angel's original idea was for
me to see LA as well as get out of the office. But instead of looking
out the windows I pull Angel down on top of me on the huge backseat and
continue our earlier activity.
FAITH:
We defeated the First. There are now millions of slayers in the world;
I don't think that the world will miss one.
"You're leaving?" I turn and Dawn is standing at the door to my room
where I am packing my things.
"Yeah, gonna go find some of my fam." I tell Buffy's younger sister.
"Will you keep in touch? You're like half my big sister too." Dawn
says. Giles found out during the whole Glory thing that Dawn was made out
of both slayers at the time – Buffy and myself – but they gave her to B
cause of the whole mom thing. Plus I was in jail, not the best
environment for an impressionable teenaged girl.
"Sure, I'll write." I say in my usual non-committal way. I pick up my
bag and pat Dawn's shoulder on my way out.
"Later brat." I say. Everyone is in the living room, makes this easier.
"So, I'm gonna take off." I begin. Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, Wood,
Andrew and Kennedy are there.
"What?" Buffy asks, she doesn't look too pleased.
"You got it covered B. Don't need me around."
"How do you know? I was counting on you to help train the slayers."
Buffy says jumping to her feet.
"First mistake. You should know by now not to count on me. I'll be in
touch. If there's another apocalypse beep me." I pick up my bag and walk
out of the big empty house we moved into when Sunnydale went back to
hell.
"Faith." I stop but don't turn around.
"Do you have to go?"
"No. But I want to. It's time for me to face my past, and to do that I
gotta find my sibs." I turn to face him. The old principal of Sunnydale
High. The last one too. The first man I ever really got close to.
"Can I come with?" he asks. And I actually want him to.
"Sorry, solo mission." I walk up to him and kiss him softly.
"I'm still prettier than you." I say laughing and walk away.
LOS ANGELES: California.
The next day I walk along the fence looking for a secluded spot so I
can jump it. I'm probably stupid for coming back here, but I decide I at
least owe it to Angel to tell him my plans. Once over the checkpoint
fence I head over to Angel's hotel but it's empty. I do a complete sweep
and there isn't anyone here. I decide to stay here in Angel's office
when I hear the front door open.
I hide behind the door and wait for whoever it is.
"Somewhere over the rainbow…" I know that voice.
"Lorne." I say coming out of my hiding place.
"Faith! God don't do that." Lorne yells at me. I can't help but smile
at him.
"So. Where's Fang and the gang?" I ask getting to business.
"Oh, right. They're over at the Wolfram and Hart – "
"What?" I ask incredulous.
"It's okay sugar buns they own the LA branch. Come on I'll take you
over there." Lorne says and we go out to his car.
"When did that happen?" I ask as he speeds down the road to the CBD.
"About 3 months after you left. Lilah came back from the dead, and as a
reward for killing a demon that W&H really wanted gone they told Angel
cakes that he won and they were turning over the LA building. We all
have our own mini sections. I'm in charge of our famous clients." Lorne
boasts on our way there.
"Well here we are sweetling, Angel's on the 23rd floor." Lorne says and
leaves me. I step into the elevator and push number 23.
When I step out of the elevator there is a guy sitting behind a desk
reading the paper, I run past at my full abilities and I am in Angels'
office before he even realizes the doors have opened.
It was all for nothing though, the office is empty. I drop my bag and
take a seat on the sofa to wait for him to return. After an hour the
door opened and a familiar blonde man appears.
"Spike?" I ask like my eyes are playing tricks on me.
"Slayer." Spike says looking around the room. He then walks over to
Angel's desk and picks up a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He opens
them and stops.
"Bloody hell. Have you been into these?" he asks. I shake my head. He
walks over and flops down next to me and offers me one. I take it and
even let him light it for me.
"How are you alive?" I ask. Buffy told me that amulet Angel gave her
dusted him.
"Dunno, I just sort of appeared in front of Fred one day and haunted
her for a bit. Then she and the watcher did some spell and I'm me again.
Soul included." Spike says taking a puff.
"Why didn't you ever call? Tell Buffy?" I ask. Buffy told me over
tequila shooters the night after that she told Spike she loved him and she
actually meant it.
"Buffy don't need me." He says.
"Bullshit. She told me, when she said she loved you just before you
dusted she meant it." I tell him, even though I told her I wouldn't. Her
second mistake.
"Well being dead put things into perspective for me. I don't think I
ever really loved her as a person. It was what she was, a slayer." Spike
says. I shrug, and finish up my smoke.
"What you doin' here slayer?" Spike asks me I roll my eyes.
"I have a name you know."
"I know." He says with his ever-present smirk.
"Just came to tell Angel I'm going to look for my family. I figure I
kind of owe him." I say and Spike nods. We sit in silence for a while and
it's a comfortable one.
Then I hear the elevator doors open and Angel gets off. He's not alone
either.
"He's back. With someone." I say and I stand, Spike follows. The door
to the office opens and Angel walks in with a girl in front of him. His
arms wrapped around her waist he's smiling and kissing the back of her
neck.
"Sire?" Spike asks. Angel's head snaps up and he turns to look at us.
Which give me a front on view with his new girl.
She has my face.
"Tari?" I ask. I can't believe it. My twin, my real family.
"Faith." She says. Angel lets go of her but she stays where she is.
"What are you doing here?" we ask each other in unison.
"I thought you were still at Manticore." I say she nods and sits down
on the sofa Spike and I vacated.
"Manticore is gone. Max helped me get out." Tari says.
"Max's alive?" I ask, I always wondered and Zack would never tell me
anything.
"Every one who escaped is alive except for Zack, Ben and Tinga."
"Zack's gone? Who's CO?" I ask. Ben was next in line.
"I am. Jace and I were put into our twin's unit. Jace was CO first then
Max got her out last year when she got pregnant." Tari said
"So was it just you that got out?" I ask.
"Everyone is out, even the Nomlies. Max got them all out, and Alec.
He's Ben's twin."
I don't know what to say, I'm shocked. I look at her we are so
identical, but so different. She is every inch the leader. I thought I was a
bad ass, but compared to my sister I must look like Britney Spears.
"What's with you and Fang?" I ask quietly, Angel and Spike are on the
other side of the room.
"Who?" she asks confused, I forgot she's only been out in the real
world for a little while.
"Angel?" I clarify for Tari, she looks over at him and smiles.
"I like him. He's very different to Manticore boys; he's an amazing
kisser. We spent the night making out and sleeping in his desk chair."
Tari says and I am happy for her.
"Do you know he's a vampire? And about the curse?" I ask, I'm happy for
her but I don't wanna see him hurt her. Ten years apart and I fall back
into the big sister routine so easy. She and I were the youngest of our
unit, and now she's in charge of it.
"Yeah, he told me. He even tasted my blood." She says she's still
staring at him.
I guess he's hot. Spike is too for that matter.
"Have a nice reunion girls?" Angel asks coming back over. Tari stands
and nods her head. She actually lets him pull her into his arms. She
smiles up at him and they share a tender kiss.
Maybe she does still have some innocence. Spike comes over and flops
down next to me again, this time he has a tumbler or scotch to go with
our cigs.
"Sweet ain't it?" Spike drawls out sarcastically. I take a big gulp of
my drink.
"Oh yeah." I reply, my tone identical to Spikes.
"Angel told me she beat the crap out of Wes. Took him and Gunn to pull
her off him." Spike says.
"No way!" I say, "My baby sister beating up Wes? Why?" I ask.
"Peaches said he was a doc did some bad stuff to her and her sibs. You
remember him?"
"Oh god. How did I forget that?"
"Forget what love?" Spike asks I look at him, can I tell him the truth?
"Tell him Faith, Angel knows about me. They're trustworthy." Tari says
from Angel's arms. I nod and turn to face Spike.
"Tari and I aren't human, we're transgenic." I say and show Spike my
barcode. Tari turns and shows him hers.
"What's that? A transgenic?" Spike asks confused.
"Transgenics are hybrids. We're part human and the rest is different
animals. For example, Tari and I are mostly made up of feline and shark
DNA. It makes our senses of sight, sound and smell much more advanced.
Even more than vampires. And the shark means we don't really need much
sleep. The barcodes are so the people who made us can always find us and
they're our identities."
"Identities?" Angel asks.
"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you, we named each other, Lydecker and the
other military personnel at Manticore called us by our designation. I'm
X5-439 and Faith is X5-438." Tari tells Angel and Spike.
"So how does Wesley fit into all of this?" Spike asks getting back to
the initial question.
"He was a doctor at Manticore years ago. He terrorized us for ten
years." I start.
"16." Tari says quietly, I don't understand at first.
"What?"
"16 years, he only left four years ago." Tari says to the three of us.
I see her shudder at the memories and lean more into the security of
Angel's embrace.
"Oh god, I am so sorry 'Ri. I wanted to wait, so did Max and Ren, Zack
said no." I say stricken. I left my twin sister behind and hardly
thought about her in the last ten years.
"It's okay. I understand. I didn't wake up until 2 months later anyway,
plus I had Jace." Tari tries to assure me. I can see in her eyes she
only half means it.
"Back to Wes?" Spike asks. I roll my eyes and turn to him.
"He tortured us when we were kids, just cause he could." I say shortly
and get up from the sofa. I walk over to Angel's big desk and drink
that last of the scotch.
The door opens and Gunn walks in. I turn to look at him over the rim of
my glass.
"Wes is okay considering, she only broke his nose, and gave him black
eyes." Gunn informs Angel.
"Too bad it wasn't his neck 'Ri." I say for only here to hear.
"I can't believe I forgot him." I yell throwing the tumbler at the wall
where it smashes.
"Faith, it's okay. You were only a kid, it's normal to forget traumatic
events. You could've even made yourself forget. Remember that? They
taught us how to forget things." Tari tries to calm me.
"He has been in my life for the last four years." I say quietly to my
sister. She moves to stand in front of me and I pull her head in to
touch mine.
"Sisters forever." We whisper, an old comfort thing from Manticore.
"Don't worry, we'll have our revenge." I say just to her. She smiles at
me.
"Yes we will, we owe Eva and Jack that much." She replies.
ANGEL:
I watch Faith and Tari's reunion. It looks strained. I don't think Tari
ever got over being left behind, especially with Faith being her blood
sister.
I think back on this afternoons limo ride, we drove around for hours,
and then parked. I want her so badly, and for once Angelus is in total
agreement. But I won't let him out. Angelus hates emotions and he would
kill her. I'll call Willow later and see if she can look into it for
me, the only obstacle will be Buffy. Especially seeing as how I want a
permanent soul so Faith's twin and I can be together.
It's amazing seeing the two of them together. They're so identical, I
can only tell them apart because they have on different clothes. Gunn is
watching them with distrust in his eyes. Until he can tell them apart
he won't trust either of them. Maybe I can convince Tari to tell Gunn
and Fred the truth about them and their past with Wes.
Which after seeing Faith I believe with all my heart. Tari may be a
hard as nails soldier and Commanding Officer of her kind, but she wouldn't
just go after a human for no reason. And she was really upset about
what he did to Eva and Jack.
I look to Spike, who is sitting on the sofa smoking and watching Faith.
He's going to give up one slayer for another. So like my childe.
"So Fang. Got anything to eat?" one of them asks. I smile.
"Upstairs in my apartment, and I'd appreciate if you don't teach that
particular nick name to my girl." I say. My eyes fly to meet Tari's she
looks as surprised as I feel. 'My girl?' I've only known her for a two
days, held her against her will even but I'm falling in love with her.
I wonder if she'll ever love me? Maybe she's like Faith and is more of
a use 'em and loose 'em type.
"Your girl!" Gunn asks incredulous. "Your girl just about killed Wes
this morning!" he yells in my face, his eyes flick to Tari and Faith who
both look impassive, it seems to anger him more.
"Yes, my girl. And there were extenuating circumstances regarding that
incident."
Tari walks over to me. "I'm your girl?" she asks.
"If you want to be." I say. She steps up to me so we are touching, then
she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls my head down to her level.
"Only if you're gonna be my man." She says in a teasing tone. I smile
at her and pull her closer and kiss her, which she returns with vigor.
The door slamming breaks us up. Gunn is gone and Spike and Faith are
standing there with big grins on their faces.
"What's his problem?" Tari asks and tries to kiss me again, I move
away.
"I don't know but I'd better go find out. Spike can you take the girls
up to our apartment?" I ask my blonde childe. He nods and picks up
Faith's duffle bag. I kiss Tari again then leave the office in search of
Gunn,
"Okay ladies, if you'll follow me." I hear Spike say, he'll take them
up via the elevator in my office.
I pull out a walkie-talkie and press 1.
"Infirmary."
"Is Gunn there?" I ask as I step into the lift.
"No sir, he was about ten minutes ago."
"Thanks." I say and disconnect. Then I push 2.
"Gym."
"Gunn down there?" I ask. Pushing floor 12.
"Yes sir."
"Good don't let him leave until I get there." I say and hang up.
"Gunn." I say, he's punching a bag and he looks pissed.
"What?" he snaps.
"Tari had a good reason to reacting the way she did when she saw Wesley
this morning. They have a history." I tell him. He stops punching the
bag and takes a swig of water.
"What is it?" he puffs out.
"Not for me to tell, but I'll tell you right now, don't mess with her."
"Or what? You'll mess with me?" he spits out.
"No, Tari is quite capable of taking care of herself. She'll take it
personally if you try anything with her or Faith." I say. I want to tell
Gunn the truth, but it's like I said, not for me to tell.
"Fine then, just keep her away from me." Gunn says and returns to
punching the bag. I guess that's it, so I leave. I pull out the comm. and
press 7 for the penthouse.
"It's me." Spike says.
"I'm going out for a bit, are the girls okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, Faith empted out the fridge and is now running out all the hot
water, and Tari is taking a nap in your bed." I can hear in Spikes voice
that he's smirking at me.
"I'll be back later, beep me only if it's important." I say and
disconnect the comm. I give it to the young woman running the front desk, and
leave the building. The sun set 20 minutes ago.
I walk to the park two blocks from the office in the hope I'll find a
stray vamp. I can hear the sounds of fighting when I enter the gates to
the park and jog off in the direction. I stop at nearly the center of
the park and see Gunn fighting five vamps on his own. I step in to give
him a hand.
"Go away, I got this." Gunn says to me the minute I join him.
"You're outnumbered." I say and kick one away from me, with a flick of
my wrist I am holding a stake and I plunge it into its heart. It
explodes to ash.
I only get to kill the one Gunn kills the rest. Then without a word he
turns and walks away, back towards the gate closest to the office. But
that's okay; I didn't come to talk to Gunn. I came here to think. Not
brood.
Think about how to tell Willow I want a permanent soul. And how it's
not so I can be with Buffy. Maybe I should try and find someone else,
Willow and Buffy are really close, I can't ask Willow to lie. Giles is out
to because of his connection to Buffy too. Can't ask Wes either after
this morning.
Willow it is. I pull out my cell phone and hit the speed dial for
Willow's cell.
"Hello?"
"Willow, it's Angel. I need you to do something for me and Buffy and
Giles can't know. Just say yes or no, I won't hold it against you." I say
quickly before she can say my name.
"Yes." She says simply, and I know I can trust her.
"I need you to find me a permanent soul Willow." I tell her, I see a
bench and sit on it.
"Do you mind if I ask why?" Willow asks, she's gotten better at the
cloak and dagger, she sounds really calm.
"Well I've met someone, and Buffy can't know just yet." I say running a
hand through my hair.
"Why not?" she asks and I sigh and lean back.
"It's Faith's twin sister that I've fallen for, we met a couple nights
ago," I say but Willow interrupts.
"Twin? She has a twin? And you wanna be able to get happy with her?"
Willow asks surprised.
"Yes Will and that's why Buffy can't know yet, Faith and Tari have just
met again after ten years apart, I can't ask Wes to look because he had
a bad past with Tari, she beat him up this morning. Giles is out
because he's like Buffy's father, can you do this Willow?" I ask, explaining
why I am asking her to do it.
"I'll see what I can find. And your secret is safe…for now."
"Thank you Willow." I say and click off.
I stand up and continue my walk.
SPIKE:
"Did you leave any hot water?" I ask Faith as she comes out of the
steam filled bathroom toweling off her wet hair.
"There might be some left." She says coyly flopping onto the sofa,
remote in hand.
"Tari still asleep?" Faith asks flipping through the channels. I walk
over to the sofa and hand Faith a can of coke and a plate of nachos.
Back in the kitchen I have a mug of blood for myself, I drink it quickly
and put the mug in the dishwasher.
"Yeah, she is. I thought you didn't need to sleep?" I ask, looking at
Faith. She turns off the TV and turns to face me.
"We don't, but if it's been a while she'll really need it, and I'm
guessing it probably has been. This will last her four to five days." Faith
says munching on her nachos.
"So when will you need to sleep again?" I ask. Faith looks at me with a
devious smile.
"Why? Are you offerin' somethin'?" she asks. I think it over a second.
Am I? Do I want to get involved with another slayer?
"Would you accept?" I ask. Now it's her turn to think.
"If ya wanna have some fun I'm game, but I don't do relationships." She
answers, maybe a casual thing would be okay, but now that I think about
it, maybe now isn't the time.
"Now's not a good time anyway, still getting used to bein alive again."
I say, Faith shrugs and turns back to the TV where she puts on MTV.
We sit in silence, but it's not tense.
TARI:
I wake up surrounded by his scent and I smile. I don't know how long I
slept for but I'm still tired. So I roll over and try to sleep again.
"Want some company?" I smile in my sleep and moan a yes.
I feel his weight on the bed then his arms wrap around me pulling me in
tight against his hard body. I am naked because I only have the one set
of clothes and Angel is in his boxers, but he doesn't do anything
except for kiss the back of my neck. Such a gentleman.
I fall back asleep and continue my dream, I am back in Manticore during
a training session when Lydecker comes into the gym followed by two men
who are dragging Faith.
"X5-439." Lydecker snaps and I snap to attention.
"Sir?" I ask respectfully.
"We have captured X5-438, as punishment for escaping she is to
executed." He says and hands me a semi-automatic weapon. I accept the gun and
without a moments hesitation I shoot my sister in the head. With the
sound of the gun shot ringing in my head I bolt up in bed breathing hard.
"Are you alright?" Angel asks me a hand resting gently on my back I
shake my head.
"I killed her. I did what he wanted and I killed her without…I didn't
even care." I say starting to sob. Angel sits up and embraces me.
"Faith?" he asks, I nod once. "It's okay, it was only a dream and I
know that you wouldn't really do that." He says I want to believe him.
"How? How can you know?" I ask slipping out of his arms and getting out
of the bed. I am not fazed by my nudity.
"What do you want me to say? I will say whatever will make you feel
better. Truth is you're right, I don't know. Could you sleep some more?"
he asks.
I shrug and climb back into bed with him. He pulls me into his arms and
kisses me.
I guess I fell back to sleep because when I woke up again from another
less violent dream Angel wasn't there just his lingering scent, which
was just as comforting after my dream.
"Hey sis." I look for the voice and find Faith sitting in a wingback
chair shrouded in shadows. "Nightmares?" she asks.
"Just memories, though they probably would be nightmares for you." I
didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. I sounded angry. I guess I
am holding a grudge.
"What's that meant to mean?" Faith asked getting defensive.
"Nothing." I say shaking my head.
"No. you got something to say, say it. You've been weird since we met
in Angel's office. What's wrong with you?" Faith asks jumping out of the
chair and standing at the foot of the bed. I sit up and cover my chest
with the sheet.
"Nothing." I say again.
"That's bullshit Ri." Faith yells at me.
"You want me to talk about it Faith? Think it will help me to get over
it?" I yell back losing my temper, again something I don't do very
often. She nods her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"Well it won't. Every day in that place was torture made worse be the
fact that my twin sister wasn't there."
"I apologized…" Faith began.
"And that makes it all better?" I ask incredulous.
"I had it hard as well you know. I was alone too." Faith said.
"At least you were free. I still had Lydecker and Wyndam. I still
belonged to the government." I say getting out of the bed and pulling on my
clothes.
"I couldn't stay anymore. Not after what happened to Eva and Jack… to
you." She says.
"But you could leave me, your true blood relation." I say tears welling
in my eyes, but I forced them back. I am not going to let her see how
much it affected me.
"I didn't have a choice. You still had Jace." She says like she's
trying to make me feel better. It's not working. I quickly zipped up my
boots and stood.
"You had a choice. You could've stayed." I say and begin strapping
several knives to my body
"I didn't –" she stops, not knowing what to say I guess. I walk to the
door and place my hand on the knob.
"Please don't leave." Faith says.
I turn and look her right in the eyes. I push open the door.
"Why not? You left me easily enough." I step over the threshold and
gently pull the door closed behind me. I can hear Faith crying softly.
"Which one are you?" I jump at the sound and spin around to see Spike
sitting in the sofa with the TV on.
"The bad one." I say stalking him, I reach over the back of the sofa
and pick up his pack of smokes.
"Faith?" he asks while I light it.
"She's not the bad one." I say and saunter out the front door, Spike's
pack of smokes and his lighter still in my hand. With a smile I jam
them into my pocket and take the elevator down to the lobby.
I walk out the front door into the bright sun wishing I had some
sunglasses. I turn left and walk into the city, looking for a mall. When I
got free I set up an account for myself and I have a charge card to go
with it. I need to get some new clothes and weapons. Maybe some
transport.
It is almost dark when I get back to the firm. I brought myself a cute
black zippy convertible BMW roadster, very swish. The trunk and the
backseat are filled with bags.
"Id miss?" a voice says at my head. I look up and see a guard manning
the car park booth.
"I don have one. I am a guest of Angel's." I say pushing my new
sunglasses up into my hair.
"Sorry miss, but no one gets in here without id." The bulky guy said. I
contemplated knocking him out and just driving on but I resisted. I had
a feeling that Angel wouldn't like that.
"Look if you just call up to his office or the penthouse he'll tell
you. I walked out the front door this afternoon to go shopping and I
hadn't seen him yet so I couldn't get an ID or anything. Will you please
just call up to him." I asked I knew I sounded pushy but I was tired and
cranky.
PART 2:
"All right I'll call up, just wait here." He guard said I nodded and
turned up the rock cd I put on before pulling into the parking garage.
"Ok . Go through. Get a pass next time." The guard said from the booth.
I drove in and got a parking space next to the elevator. I reached
behind me to get the bags from the back seat then I put up the soft top
roof of my new car and got out. I opened the boot and pulled out my new
weaponry. I heard the ting of the elevator and I looked over. The doors
opened with a hiss and Angel was in there leaning against the wall.
"Hey Baby, have a good day?" he asked as he walked over then bent down
to kiss me. I grinned and indicated to the bags at my feet and still in
the boot.
"Did Spike give you my credit card?" Angel asked me suspiciously.
"Nope, I'm an independent transgenic, when I broke out I set up a bank
account for myself. I created a virus that steals a few hundred bucks
from millionaire accounts all over the world everyday then deposit it
all into my account." I said.
"Sneaky, I like it." Angel said with a devilish smile in his face. I
returned it, turns out they're infectious.
"Spike told me you had a fight with Faith?" Angel asked lightly as we
stepped into the lift. I felt my smile leave my face.
"I still have issues with her. I didn't mean for it to happen but she
was there in the room when I woke up from another dream. I wasn't like
the other one, it was just a memory, she took it the wrong way when I
said that my memories would be nightmares for her." I said. Angel nodded.
"I guess she has some issues too. She's locked herself in Spike's room
and is refusing to come out." Angel said. I looked at the light on the
wall lighting up as we crossed each floor. Anywhere except his face.
"I can't just make peace with her, I can't just forgive her. I…" I
stopped. 'I'm afraid.' That's what I was going to say, and I don't even
know why. I'm not afraid of anything anymore. As CO I couldn't be, and I
wasn't. I was the best damn CO at Manticore.
"Tari? What is it?" Angel asked shaking me out of my thoughts. I looked
up into his dark chocolate colored eyes they were full of sympathy. I
don't want his sympathy so I drop my bags and pull his head down to me.
I kiss him like I need it to live, and he returns it in kind. I break
away needing to breath and I smile up at him.
"Can we just forget it?" I ask, my beeper going off cuts off his reply.
I unclip it from my waist and look at the number. It's the number that
Max gave me when we left Manticore.
"Who is it?" Angel asks. I guess I lost my smile.
"Max." I say and rush off the lift when we reach our floor. I pick up
the cordless phone and take it into the bathroom locking the door behind
me. I dial the number from memory and wait for an answer.
"Logan Cale." The male voice says as a hello.
"Where's 4- Max?" I ask forcing myself to say her name, not her
designation. There is silence on the other end.
"Who are you?" the man who answered asks me suspiciously. I roll my
eyes even though he can't see me.
"She paged me. Tell her it's Tari." I snap.
"Max didn't. Must have been Alec, hang on." He says and I hear him
talking to someone else. "Alec's not here. Have you got pen and paper?" he
asks.
"Just tell me, I'll remember." I say and he rattles off another number.
I hang up and dial the new number.
"Yeah?" he asks after the third ring.
"You paged me." I say getting straight to the point.
"We're in trouble and in need of a CO. Everyone knows and respects
you." He says. I run my hand through my long hair and examine my reflection
in the vanity mirror.
"What sort of trouble?" I ask. I am already there; I just want to know
what I'm getting myself into.
"We've been compromised, all of America knows about us." This I knew
and I tell him so. It's been all over the news, the biggest hotspot being
Seattle. I tell this to Alec.
"We need a CO. Will you come?" he asks.
"You don't need to ask, I planned on leaving today. Can you get my
papers? LA isn't like Seattle, there's no checkpoints here except when you
enter the city." I say, then as an after thought, "Double 'em up. I
need two identical sets, one for Tari another for Faith." I say. No doubt
Angel and Spike will accompany us too, but they have their own.
"You found your twin?" Alec asks.
"Yeah. Can you do it?" I ask, more to tease than to actually insult his
intelligence and resources. I chuckle and he does too.
"See you soon." He says and I disconnect. I walk out of the bathroom to
find Spike and Angel quickly looks away at stare at the TV.
"I know you were listening and you're both coming." I said without
breaking my stride as I went to Spike's closed bedroom door. I twist the
doorknob and it's still locked. I look over at Angel who was watching me
the whole time.
"How much do you like this door?" I ask with a smirk on my lips. His
lips twitch.
"It can be fixed." He says simply. I nod once and kick the door in with
a brutal roundhouse kick. I see Faith sprawled on the floor glaring at
me. I smile sweetly.
Spike laughs. "Fixed? That needs to be replaced mate." He says clapping
Angel on the shoulder.
"Looks like." Angel agrees.
I look in and see Faith rising to her feet.
"We're going to Seattle." I say and leave her standing there. I hear
her storm after me.
"What!" she yells after me. "Tari, you can't just order me around.
You're not my CO." she says tartly and I spin on her.
"I am everyone's CO. Alec called, there's trouble in Seattle. I am
going to help them set up a place. You don't wanna come fine. But don't be
here when I get back to LA." I snap. My beeper goes of again, I glance
at it and ignore it for now, I don't recognize the number.
"So what, this is my chance to prove how sorry I am?" Faith yells.
"No. It's a chance for us to work together and work towards being
sisters again. If you don't take this opportunity that's your choice,
because now, you do have one. And if you choose to stay then we will be
sisters in blood and looks only." I say, she's speechless which is good. I
can answer this page then make arrangements to leave for Seattle.
ANGEL:
That's the first time I've seen Tari go off. I gotta say I love it. I'm
infatuated with her, I love her more than Buffy, but more than that my
demon loves her too. Angelus wants her, wants to try and tame her. I
like her wild.
She goes into my…our bedroom and gently closes the door. I'm amazed she
did that. Even I would have slammed it. Spike is still snickering. And
Faith is still standing speechless in the living room with her mouth
hanging open.
"Take care of Faith. I'll go see Tari." I whisper to Spike. He nods and
I get to my feet. I squeeze Faith's shoulder as I pass her and she
jumps at the contact.
Spike gets up and guides her to the sofa and sits her down. Hi
disappears for a second then he's back with a can of soda. I knock on the
bedroom door then slip in.
"Tari?" I ask closing the door softly behind me. She's standing in
front of the big windows bathed in the golden sunlight. I move in behind
her and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back into my chest.
She leans back with all her weight-which isn't all that much I brush her
hair away to one side and begin to kiss and nip her throat.
"I suppose I overreacted in there?" she asks caressing the side of my
face. I slip my hands under her tank top and massage the taut skin of
her muscled abdomen.
"No. You probably could have found a better way to tell her." I
murmured against the flesh of her throat. Then her damned beeper went off
again.
"Oh, shit. I forgot that." She muttered looking at the display and
frowning
"I don't know this number." She said. I pulled on to my hands out from
her top and reached into my pocket pulling out my cell phone.
"It's got a scrambler and it can't be traced." I said understanding.
She didn't want to give herself away to her enemy.
"Thanks." She said and dialled the number.
TARI:
"439." It was who I feared. Lydecker.
"What?" I asked sharply.
"Is that any way to speak to your commander?" he asked.
"You're not my Commander anymore." I snap. He chuckles.
"Was there any reason for your page? Or did you just want to torture
me?" I ask.
"Are you going to Seattle?" he asks deciding to ignore my question.
"Yes." I say simply falling back into old habits. I scowl at my
reflection in the window.
"I want to help." He says and I can't help it…I laugh.
"Why?" I am blown away. Lydecker wants to help us we want to be free.
"They wont go for that. They want to be free." I say.
"You need me." He says. I snort.
"You need us you mean." I counter. Lydecker had been out of the loop
for a while.
"Maybe. Can you help them without my help 439?" he asks, I hadn't even
asked myself that yet, but I don't hesitate to answer.
"Yes. I am their Commanding Officer, they want me there." I say and
it's the truth.
"You were summoned then?" he asks. I think he expected as much.
"Yes I was. By 494." I say.
"I'm in Seattle. I'll be looking for you." He says.
"I'll be on guard then." I say and disconnect. I look out the window
silently fuming. We're going to be sitting ducks I just know it. He's
going to get us back. I put the cellular phone and my beeper on the
windowsill. I run through in my mind different ways I can help my fellow
freaks.
"What's going on up there?" Angel's voice reminds me he's still here.
"Lots and lots." I whisper leaning back into the security of his
embrace. He's all I trust out here in the world.
"Do you wanna come to Seattle?" I ask trying another tactic, asking for
something. He takes a long time to answer and I'm prepared for him to
say no.
"I'd follow you anywhere." He whispers. I turn in his arms and pull his
head down. The first kiss is sweet, but it quickly changes. He leads us
over the bed and we fall onto it, I quickly yank his shirt open,
buttons flying. Yet another shirt I have ruined. He doesn't care; he merely
slips it off his shoulders. I run my hands all over his torso lightly
scratching my nails over his nipples. He moans into my mouth.
FAITH:
I am still speechless. Spike's sitting next to me not sure what to do
and I am just siting here staring at the wall with nothing to say for
once.
"Faith?" Spike says. I look at him silently.
"Are you all right?" he asks holding out a glass of water. I put the
water on the table next to the can he got for me first and nod my head.
I can hear moaning in Angel's bedroom, I hope they're not actually
doing it. I can't go up against Angelus again. Angel's voice goes from
pleasure to worry.
"Tari?" I hear him ask her franticly over and over. I jump up and try
the doorknob but it's locked so figuring I owe them I kick it in. there
on the bed Tari is convulsing against Angel's chest.
He's brushing her hair off her face and calling her. I walk over to the
only bag she had when she first came and dig around. There in the
bottom is the bottle of pills she needs.
"Milk." I say to Spike who rushes off to fetch it. I take two pills out
and kneel on the bed in front of my sister.
"Tari, open your mouth." I say but she is beyond hearing me so I force
her mouth open, slip in the pills and close her mouth quickly holding
my hands over her mouth and nose so she has to swallow it. Spike returns
with a glass of milk, which he hands to me.
"Here drink this slowly." I say to her holding the glass up to her
lips. She takes a sip then turns her head away.
"What was that?" Angel asks. Tari is reclining against him now her eyes
closed in deep sleep.
"It's a flaw we have. Epilepsy. It's an X5 thing." I say placing the
glass on the bedside table. I touch her forehead and she doesn't have a
temperature so I walk out back into the living room.
"Will she be alright?" Spike asks following me out. He goes to close
the door then shrugs when he remembers that it is broken half hanging off
its hinges. I am not as powerful as Tari, she kicked mine clean off.
"Yeah. She's had it all her life. I assume doctors at Manticore looked
after it then. She'll be ok soon." I say. Spike nods, I know he was
asking for Angel, but he doesn't bother to go and repeat what I told him.
With the broken door wide open Angel heard it all. I walked back over
to the sofa and sat down, Spike sat down next to me and draped an arm
around my shoulders.
"You okay luv?" he asked quietly. I nodded mutely. He didn't say
anything else so we sat in silence.
SPIKE:
She's so different from the girl who came to Sunnyhell when we were
fighting the First. Half the time I think Tari is Faith; Tari seems to be
that girl more than Faith right now. I know why Tari is the way she is,
she had to be in that place, and Faith had to be as well while in
prison. But I can't help but wonder, which one is more stable?
Tari has the determination of a soldier, Faith of a Slayer. They are so
alike but all these years apart have made differences, which is to be
expected I suppose.
"Are you going to Seattle with her love?" I ask trying to break her out
of her dark mood.
"Yeah, I think I need to do this, show Tari that I'm different." Faith
said I nodded. I knew what she meant; she wanted to prove to her sister
that she wasn't the same scared child who ran. Just like me. I had to
prove to Peaches that I wasn't here to torture or maim him.
"I understand luv, and if you ever wanna talk or punch, I'm here." I
said. Faith nodded but said nothing.
"Um… wanna head down to the gym?" I asked, maybe a good fight was what
she needed right now.
"Yeah, that would be awesome." She said. I nodded and stood up; I
looked in on Tari and Angel. Tari was still sleeping and Angel was just
holding her.
"Taking the slayer down to the gym for a while. I got a talkie thing."
I said quietly. I saw Angel nod.
When we got to the gym the slayer went straight to the punching bag,
not bothering with gloves she pounded on it punching and kicking until
sweat dripped into her eyes and her hair was matted to her head.
I watched her silently; working through her anger, fear. At least I
think that's what the emotions were… afraid for Tari perhaps, and angry
with herself for feeling said fear. That's just my interpretation anyway.
The little com unit in my pocket chirped to life. I fished it out and
pushed a button, not sure it was the right one.
"Spike?" a soft female voice asked. Huh it was the right one.
"Yeah Fred?" I asked.
"Um, I really need to talk to Angel about some tests he was having me
do. But he's not answering his phone, any of them." Fred said sounding
flustered.
"Ok, we'll get Peaches and meet you in your lab. 20 minutes ok with you
pet?" I asked.
"That's great Spike. Thanks." Fred gushed and hung up.
"You wanna come with or stay?" I asked the slayer.
"I'm with you Blondie." Faith said walking towards the lift to Angel's
apartment. I followed, and yeah ok, I looked at her arse. You gotta
admit though…Slayers have nice behinds.
We walked quickly back to the penthouse. Faith went straight to the
shower while I stopped in the doorway to Angel's room. Tari still slept in
his arms and Angel looking down on her, I saw then that it wasn't lust
he had for the girl. This was Buffy and Angel Part 2.
ANGEL:
I sensed my childe in the doorway watching us but I didn't look away
from Tari, I couldn't. I monitored her breathing, listened to her heart.
I couldn't reassure myself enough that she was going to be okay.
She stirred. Mumbled something and curled herself closer to me, as if
seeking comfort from me. I held her tighter and kissed her head. She
turned her head up and looked at me. She smiled.
"You scared me to death." I whispered my fear audible in my tone. Tari
looked surprised. Then she smiled.
"Is that a good thing?" she asked sitting up. I gently pushed her hair
away and kissed her.
"That's a very good thing." I said with a chuckle and kissed her again.
A knock at the door broke us apart.
"Fred needs you mate." Spike said from the doorway. I nodded and turned
to Tari.
"Want to come with me to the lab?" I asked getting up from the bed.
"Sure." Tari said taking my hand and following me.
When we got back to the penthouse it was dark. After Fred gave Angel
her reports Gunn showed up and I convinced Tari to tell Fred and Gunn her
past and her history with Wesley. Gunn still didn't trust her but he
had a better understanding for her reaction.
"I should really do a patrol, I haven't been out for 2 days." I said.
Tari looked over at me.
"Patrol? For what?" she asked, sometimes I forget just how little of
this world she knows about.
"Demons, vamps, anything evil."
"Can I come along?" Tari asked. I smiled.
"Of course you can come, then we can plan the Seattle trip." I said.
"My papers should be here by morning, after that we can jet over
there." Tari said zipping up her black cotton jacket. I looked at her and
almost had to restrain myself. Standing there all dressed in black, wild
curly black hair up in a messy pony tail she looked to sexy.
"Let's go, time to show you what a demon is." I said picking up the bag
of weapons.
Tari's first demon encounter was a huge yellow and green thing, all
claws and teeth. She didnt even flinch, just went in with the sword i gave her weaved for a bit and then sliced its head clean off. i was very impressed.
FAITH
my sister went out on her first patol with Angel