Who's the Better Slayer

by Nitrowugs

Willow is a slayer. Giles rejects Buffy and takes Willow for his slayer. Warnings: Giles, Willow and Xander are bad guys in this story; they are shown very much out of character and they meet very sad ends. If this offends you, you might not want to read this story.

2. Who's The Better Slayer Chpt 2

Who's The Better Slayer?

Author: Nitrowugs

Chapter 2

Part 1

When Willow got to Tara's hospital room, Xander asked, "Where's Faith?"

"I don't know," Willow lied, "she didn't answer her door. I assume she left for patrol before I got there."

An hour later Buffy got up to leave. "I'd better go; I have to patrol my half of Sunnydale. Good night all." She gave Tara a hug. "I'll see you at your dorm tomorrow night, Tara."

When she reached the place where she and Faith usually met up after each had covered her half of the city, Buffy was surprised to find that Faith was not there. 'I hope she didn't run into trouble; I'd better check her part of the patrol route.' Still not finding her, Buffy assumed Faith had decided to go clubbing without telling her as she had many times before, so she went home and straight to bed assuming that all was well.

Willow's bedroom door was still closed when Buffy passed by the next morning so she left and went on about her normal work day.

Half an hour later after practicing her routine Willow called Giles. "Giles, have you heard from Faith? You'd better get over here right away."

Fifteen minutes later Giles was knocking on the door at 1630 Revello Drive. When Willow answered the door a frantic Giles asked, "Willow what on earth has happened? What is the emergency?"

"Giles I woke up this morning feeling really strong and powerful. Giles I think I am a slayer. Has anyone heard from Faith since yesterday?"

Giles stood there speechless for a few moments, then he grabbed Willow and hugged her. "Oh dear lord, Willow, this is a miracle, a dream come true."

Willow pretended to be concerned about Faith. "Giles, what about Faith; where is she? We have to find her. We have to call Buffy."

Giles dialed Buffy's number at work and when she answered the phone he simply said, "Buffy, something has happened; you need to get home as quickly as possible." He hung up the phone before she could ask what had happened.

Buffy's first thought was that something had happened to Dawn who was spending the summer in Spain with their father. She broke every speed limit between her place of employment and her house.

When she rushed through the door she was greeted with, "Where is Faith? Did you see her on patrol last night?"

"No, Giles, I didn't. She wasn't at our usual meeting place so I checked her patrol route and when I didn't find her, I just assumed that she decided to go clubbing. She does that a lot without telling me. What is going on?"

"It seems that Willow was called last night. She's a slayer."

Buffy was jubilant at first; she grabbed Willow and hugged her. Then it dawned on her what that meant. "Oh gods no. Faith. We have to find her. Has anybody checked her apartment?"

"Shouldn't we check her patrol route? Maybe she went back after she left the club." The concern in Willow's voice seemed genuine.

"I didn't get home until almost four in the morning and she was not there then. The Bronze and all of the bars are closed by three. Let's check her apartment first; maybe she took someone home with her. If she's not there, then we'll go through the cemeteries."

"All right, let's go. Willow, you can ride with me," Giles said, completely ignoring Buffy.

When they reached the attendant's desk in Faith's building, Giles spoke. "We're here to see Miss LeHane. Is she in?"

The attendant checked his log. "The log shows that she checked in night before last and there is nothing here that says she has been in or out since then."

"Well she was here yesterday morning when I came by. You told me that her apartment number was 4B and said it was okay for me to go up to see her. Are you saying you don't remember?"

"Yes, I remember you," the attendant lied thinking he would get into trouble if he said he didn't remember. "I'm saying Miss LeHane hasn't signed in or out since the night before you were here."

"I'm her guardian and we're afraid something might have happened to her. We need to see her apartment," Giles said with a voice of authority.

"Yeah, okay." He called his assistant and told him to show them up to Faith's apartment.

When they reached the apartment the first thing the assistant attendant noticed was that the door was not locked. As he pushed open the door it hit something. He looked around the door and saw Faith's body.

"Call the police," Giles commanded.

Part 2

An autopsy revealed that Faith had been severely beaten and her body had been completely drained of blood. There were vampire bites, scratch marks and bruises all over her body and since she had no relatives that anyone knew about, the police suggested that the body be cremated. Giles did not disagree.

Regarding an investigation into Faith's death, the police would only say that she appeared to have been attacked by wild animals and then delivered to her apartment by some sick human being, probably the owner of the animals that attacked her. When Buffy asked, they offered no explanation for how the animal owner could have known where Faith lived and they closed the case immediately.

A brief memorial service was held for her attended by Giles, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara and Spike. Only Buffy spoke and only Buffy and Tara shed tears.

When Buffy spoke with Spike, she got the distinct impression that he knew more than he was saying, but he insisted that he didn't. When she spoke to Willy he assured her that he had not heard anything about an attack on the slayer. She believed him.

Part 3

For whatever reason Giles did not contact the Watchers' Council regarding Faith's death and no one questioned the fact that Willow had been called.

Actually a new slayer was called and was currently in the Orient. Since Giles had been fired by Quentin Travers and Buffy had quit the council, Mr. Travers saw no reason to contact Giles regarding the new slayer.

At first Buffy was happy that Willow was a slayer. She felt that together they could clean up Sunnydale and permanently close the hell mouth, but Giles and Willow had other ideas. When Buffy suggested that she and Willow could train together or she could take Willow with her on patrol, both Willow and Giles turned her down flat.

Willow's scathing reply to Buffy was a flat "No way.

"I always knew that I would make a better slayer than you are. I'm stronger than you. I'm smarter than you. And I have my magic. How can you help me?"

Buffy was stunned. "Willow?"

"It's true, Buffy. You're not needed here anymore. Oh, and don't bother running to LA. Angel doesn't want you anymore either. It seems that your vampire lover has replaced you with Cordelia of all people. (He He He). What does that say about your market value?"

Giles interrupted them before things got further out of hand. "Buffy, you should patrol. We will talk tomorrow. I need to speak with Willow."

He waited until Buffy closed the door before he turned to Willow. "I am taking you as my slayer. I will make you the greatest slayer to ever live, far surpassing Buffy. Since she really doesn't need a watcher anymore, I am sending her to Cleveland to get her out of the way. You should move in here until we can find a suitable place of your own. While Buffy is on patrol, we'll get your things so that you will be moved out of her house before she returns home tonight."

Willow gave him a wicked grin. "Giles you are a watcher after my own heart; and don't worry, in no time at all you will barely remember Buffy's name."

Part 4

Buffy left the Magic Box without saying another word. 'Something is not right here. Being a slayer has gone to Willow's head and since Faith's death Giles treats me like I'm in the way. Why didn't he tell the Watchers' Council that Willow had been called? As far as we know, other than the vamps that killed her, she was the last person to see Faith alive. Is Willow capable of setting Faith up to be killed by vampires? ...'

Before she could finish her musings she saw two vampires approaching.

"Hey, slayer, long time no see. Looks like you're next on the menu," one of the vamps said with an evil grin as his partner attempted to circle around behind the slayer. Buffy dusted his partner quickly and started to pummel the vamp that had spoken.

"What do you know about the death of the other slayer? Talk or you're dust."

"All right, all right, I'll tell you, but you can't say anything to the witch."

"Talk."

"Your friend, the witch, set the whole thing up."

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I lie, slayer? What would I gain by lying?"

"Go on."

"She came to us one morning; said she had a little proposition for us and she knew we were going to like it a lot. She laid the whole thing out. She would deliver a weakened slayer to us at 10 o'clock that night. All we had to do was take the body to the slayer's apartment. She gave us the slayer's address, told us what time the doorman wouldn't be there and that the slayer would have the key on her. How would I know all of this if I'm not telling the truth?"

Buffy considered what the vamp had said. She knew he was telling the truth. Then an idea hit her. "What did Spike have to do with this?"

"Spike? Nothing. The witch told us not to tell anybody and we didn't. I know he's our sire, but we didn't tell him, honest."

Buffy thought about what she should do. She groped the stake in her hand.

The vamp's eyes widened in fear. "You said if I told you everything you wouldn't dust me."

"All right; go. You and your friends get out of Sunnydale. If I see you again, you're dust."

The vamp took off running.

'He said that Spike was his sire; that means that they are probably still holed up in that old warehouse. I'll hit it just before dawn, but first I need to have a little chat with Spike.'

Buffy entered Spike's crypt without knocking and found him watching television.

"Can't you at least knock, slayer?"

"Tell me what you know about Faith's death."

"Haven't we been over this? I told you, I don't know anything."

"Then tell me what you suspect."

By the tone of her voice Spike could tell that Buffy was dead serious. "All right. I sneaked into the morgue to see Faith's body before they cremated her. I recognized some of the bite marks. Some of them were from a couple of vamps that I sired."

"And why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I don't know. It was kind of a loyalty thing I guess."

"Loyalty among demons? Yeah right." Buffy left slamming the door.

"I don't know why I tried to protect them; 's not like they let me in on the kill," Spike grumbled to himself.

After she finished her patrol Buffy went to the warehouse where she was sure Spike's minions were staying. She found a suitable lookout on the rooftop of a nearby building and waited. Sure enough as she expected vamps approached the warehouse. They had obviously been hunting and were drowsy and needing sleep. Three shots from her crossbow and they were dust.

Fifteen minutes later two others approached including the vamp that had told her about the part Willow played in Faith's death. She dusted the second one and waited until the informant could see her before she delivered the arrow that dusted him. She waited until it was completely light but no more vampires appeared. She crept into the warehouse to make sure, but it was completely empty.

'We got the vamps, Faith, now what do we do about Willow?' Buffy knew that she had to talk to Giles and postponing the inevitable would only make it worse. She went home to get a few hours of sleep.

Part 5

At eight thirty that morning Buffy knocked on Giles' door. He answered the door in what was becoming his usual annoyed tone when speaking to her. "What are you doing here, Buffy?"

"I need to speak with you Giles. I learned some very disturbing information last night," she said as Giles stepped aside and let her into his house. "Where is Willow?"

"Willow is at the magic shop, training; she is very dedicated to learning her craft." The implication was obvious, but Buffy let it slide. She had more important things to talk about. She also was not aware that Xander was standing in the kitchen listening.

She tried to tell Giles what she learned from the informant and from Spike, but she was interrupted by an irate Xander who called her a lying jealous bitch. Giles agreed with Xander and told her that Willow was incapable of what she was suggesting.

"Willow is everything I ever wanted my slayer to be; you on the other hand have been nothing but a headache and a disappointment since you came here.

"I am not your watcher any longer. I am Willow's watcher now and I want you out of Sunnydale. There is another hell mouth in Cleveland. As of this moment that is your assignment. I will be notifying the Council immediately of your relocation. I suggest that you not dawdle. If they do not find you performing your sacred duty in Cleveland, I can assure you that a Council Elimination Squad will be after you within two hours after you are reported missing."

Giles' face twisted in a vicious sneer as he escorted her to the door.

"Giles, why are you doing this?"

"Goodbye, Buffy. I would say good luck, but I'm sure you won't need it," he said as he slammed the door in her face.

Part 6

Buffy couldn't stop the tears as they cascaded down her face. She sat in her car and sobbed; her eyes were so blinded by tears that she couldn't find the car's ignition. Once she had herself under control, she drove home.

'I may be down, but I am not out; not yet anyway. My watcher and my friends may have deserted me, but I won't let them break me.'

As she packed her things to take to Cleveland, she formulated a plan in her mind. She didn't need to write it down; she knew exactly what she was going to do. She contacted her travel club and told them where she was going, what she needed and when she needed it. Within two hours the information was faxed to her.

She contacted the garage where she had her car serviced. The owner had been trying to get her to sell him her mother's old car and had offered her a decent price for it. She had been keeping the car for sentimental reasons, but now she needed the money. Another two hours and she had sold him the car and transferred ownership and plates. 'Who says that DMV doesn't come through in a pinch?'

Online Buffy opened a checking account at a Cleveland bank and transferred into it the money she had in her checking and savings accounts in Sunnydale, what little money there was. Once she saw that the money had been transferred, she closed her Sunnydale accounts. She also entered a change of address authorization online for mail for herself and Dawn. She used general deliveries at a post office located in the same zip code as the hell mouth in Cleveland. That should work until she could get a permanent address. 'Wow, the things you can do online.'

She contacted a realtor who jumped at the chance to sell her house and all of its contents. She had long ago taken care of her mother's personal belongings, now all she had to do was get her mother's artwork to her father's house in LA. There wasn't much, but the pieces that were left had been important to her mother and she didn't want to lose them. She rented a small van to transport what she needed to LA.

Buffy made plane reservations for the trip from LA to Cleveland for the next morning leaving herself enough time to make the drive to LA and to store her mother's art. This would be the last night that she patrolled in Sunnydale and the last night that she spent in her house at 1630 Revello Drive.

She contacted her place of employment and resigned her position. She told them she would call them with an address for them to forward her last pay check once she found a place to live in Cleveland.

Her last action was to contact her father in Spain and explain the situation to him and the fact that Dawn would have to stay with him longer than expected until she got settled in Cleveland. He told her that he and Dawn had discussed the possibility of her staying with him in Spain on a permanent basis and Dawn liked the idea, but she didn't want to leave Buffy alone. Buffy was going to miss her sister, but she knew that this was the best alternative for Dawn.

Hank really came through for Buffy as well. When he found out what little money she had, including what she got for the car, he voluntarily wired money into her Cleveland account with a promise that he would send money every couple of weeks until she could get on her feet. She knew that she had her sister to thank for that; there was no doubt in her mind that Dawn had told their father all about her being the slayer.

Part 7

Through her travel club Buffy had reserved a room for a week in a decent hotel in Cleveland and she had maps of the city. 'This hotel is kind of pricey, but hopefully I'll only be here a week. I should be able to find a small apartment by then.'

After getting settled at the hotel Buffy reviewed the maps of the city, noting all of the cemeteries, night clubs and bars, any place where people were likely to gather after dark. Cleveland didn't have anywhere near as many cemeteries as Sunnydale and it was a much larger city. It did however have many more bars and night clubs. She mapped out a tentative patrol route, went out to get something to eat and walked around the city briefly before returning to the hotel.

Mid-morning the next day Buffy was ready for her next important step. She had to call Angel Investigations and speak with Wesley. She specifically chose this time of day because Angel would be asleep and the mere thought of hearing his voice brought such pain to her heart; she felt that she could not take any more right now, not after the pain that her watcher and friends in Sunnydale had caused.

Cordelia answered the phone with "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. How can we help you?"

"Hey, Cordy, it's Buffy. How are you?"

"Good, Buffy, what's up? Are you calling for Angel? 'Cause if you are, he's sleeping this time of day."

"Actually, I'm calling to speak to Wesley. Is he there?"

"Sure, hold on, I'll transfer you to his office."

Buffy and Wesley spoke for over an hour, and she was more than relieved when he had readily agreed to join her in Cleveland as her watcher.

"It won't take me more than a couple of days to close up my apartment here and join you in Cleveland. I need to pack up my books and weapons and have them ready so that when we find a permanent residence they can be sent to me. Buffy, I suggest that you not try to patrol before I get there. We don't know anything about the city and I think it would be wise to wait. You have my cell phone number; call me at any time day or night. I'll see you in a couple of days. Take care, Buffy."

When she hung up the phone after speaking with Wesley, Buffy felt better, lighter than she had in many months, since before her mother got sick, before Dawn showed up. 'With Wesley as my watcher, maybe I can succeed in Cleveland after all.'

Part 8

True to his word Wesley arrived at Buffy's hotel room two days after they spoke on the phone.

"I reserved a room in this hotel for you for the rest of the week. Your room is right across the hall; here's your key. Why don't you get settled and we'll talk. There are still some things that I need to tell you."

An hour later Wesley and Buffy were sitting in the lounge area of her hotel room. She had just finished telling him about the events that led up to her being sent to Cleveland starting with the way Willow had treated Faith when Faith was first released from the hospital.

"We have to contact the Watchers' Council, Buffy. Now."

Buffy started to protest, but Wesley said, "It's the right thing to do."

Wesley was quiet after he hung up the phone from speaking with Quentin Travers.

Buffy started to get worried. "Wesley what did Travers say?"

"He said that they know nothing about Miss Rosenberg being a slayer and that it's true a new slayer was called that night but she is in the Orient. Since they no longer get reports from Mr. Giles, they had just assumed that Faith had died without ever coming out of her coma. He also said that we should not say anything to Mr. Giles about what we know."

The mention of Giles' name brought tears to her eyes and before she could stop herself she was sobbing in Wesley's arms.

"It's all right, Buffy," he soothed, "I don't know what happened to Mr. Giles either, but together you and I are going to clean up Cleveland and permanently seal the hell mouth and we are going to do it with the support of the Council. Mr. Travers assured me that we have the Council's support anytime we need it."

"It just hurts so much; the things that he said to me were so hurtful, things that I never expected to hear him say to anybody. He knows how much I love him; he has been the father figure that I never had ever since he became my watcher.

"Sure I complained about some of the stuff he had me do, but I still did it; not because he was my watcher, but because he was Giles. I trained, I patrolled; I can count on one hand the number of nights that I did not patrol and that includes the nights that I spent in the hospital. I just don't know why he would turn on me like he did."

"Buffy, I'm going to ask you something. I know that you have thought of it and just don't want to consider it a possibility." Wesley hesitated then continued. "Do you think that Miss Rosenberg could have put a spell on Mr. Giles without his knowledge to make him reject you?"

"I suppose it's possible; Willow has become a very powerful witch. I didn't want to believe that she had anything to do with Faith's death either, but now … "

Her voice trailed off. Even though she had told Wesley everything that happened in Sunnydale, she was still not able to accept what the evidence pointed to regarding someone she had considered her best friend.

"Well, enough of that for now."

Buffy smiled briefly. Wesley was back in watcher mode.

"One more thing," Wesley said, "I am being reinstated as watcher at full salary including living expenses for you and we have been given permission to use the Council residence here in Cleveland. I haven't seen it yet, but it should be suitable for the two of us with space for a training room and a library. We should have access in a couple of days."

End of Chapter 2