Chapter 1

…My Better Half…

Jonathon hung back with the crossbow and took care of any vampires that might get the drop on the others in his group. He frowned; he did not like the idea that he was split from Xander and Willow. He was used to fighting with them. He knew how they moved, how they thought during a fight and could easily trust them to keep him safe.

Amy stood, not too far away from him as she flung pencils at other vampires with her magick.

Adam Pierson was no longer content to be a passive bystander. He beheaded his vampire with one swift swipe of his Ivanhoe sword then dove at another vampire to continue the fight.

Faith spun her vampire around and threw it into a standing crypt. It bounced off the stone then skidded to a stop on the ground but popped up quickly and dove at her for round two.

Cordelia dodged the sloppy punches from the vampire she was fighting. She smirked as she spun into a roundhouse kick to the side of the creature's head.

Faith punched her vampire in the stomach and it crash landed to the ground.

Once it was on the ground, the dark Slayer sat on its chest and beat its head in with her fists.

A backhanded blow sent the Slayer sailing through the air to crash land against a headstone.

Cordelia punched her vampire twice more before she staked it.

The vampire dove at the new Slayer to continue their fight. It grabbed Faith and held on, but the young woman stepped down and back to flip it onto the ground. She did not waste any more time and staked it.

Gwendolyn Post sat on a bench and watched the scene as she sipped at the tea in her hand.

"So," Faith asked as she turned to the woman with her hands on her hips, "How was that?"

The Watcher blinked at the ragtag group and remained silent for a long moment.

She rose from her seat and frowned at them, "Sloppy." The woman proceeded to tell her what was wrong with every single move she had made nitpicking every little detail.

"Excuse me," Cordelia interrupted rudely, "Who died and made you boss?"

"The Watchers Council," the woman said firmly as she frowned at the other young woman. "And you other people should not be here," she said for the umpteenth time.

"Like it or not," Amy said with a frown, "We're staying."

"You could take it up with your council," Jonathon said quietly, "But we don't abide by their rules. We're independent Demon Hunters."

The others smirked and agreed.

"Hey, Cordy, do you copy?" Xander's voice quickly spoke into the group's sub-vocal communicators located in their ears.

"Yeah, come in," she responded as she tapped her ear to activate the mic.

"We need help in Sector 4," he said.

"Sector 4?" Faith snapped as she turned her attention on the other brunette.

"He means cemetery 4," Jonathon translated with an eye roll.

…I Don't Need no one …

"I don't need another Watcher, G," Faith protested as she followed Giles up the stairs to the second floor of the library.

They were the only people in the library at the moment and she was trying to get him to send Miss Bitch away.

"Unfortunately, Faith," Giles said as he cleaned his glasses, "it is not up to you or I."

Faith frowned as she followed him between two rows of bookshelves.

"Please, G, surely you understand…"

"If the council feels that you need someone else… I have to cooperate with their judgment."

"This is just plain mean," the young woman protested, deeply upset as she stormed out of the library.