Title: Into The Mirror
PART TWO - Early To Bed...
Sitting in her car across the street Kate watched Angel leave the apartment building. She decided not to follow him, just as she had decided not to follow Cordelia when she had left earlier. She took another sip from her now cold coffee, almost gagging but needing the caffeine. It had been a long night but the day promised to be very interesting.
Suddenly Wesley came running out of the building, yelling Angel's name. The two men turned and ran back inside. Kate sat there for a moment and then reached for the binoculars on the seat next to her. Raising them to her eyes, she sighed, frustrated that she couldn't see past the closed drapes.
*****
As soon as Angel entered the room the vampire glared at him, its face a conflicting agony of terror and hatred. She was violently pulling against the chains, trying to break free, but they were holding her firmly down. Spittle flew from its mouth as her head snapped back and forth.
"Faith."
Angel's voice was low but firm. The creature only struggled harder.
"Faith," called Angel, this time louder. He couldn't tell if it heard him or he was being ignored.
Angel glanced at Wesley but he was staring at the bed, his face quite pale. Angel walked slowly over to the bed and sat down. The vampire snarled at him, hopelessly throwing her head towards him in an effort to bite Angel. The bedspread beneath her hands was shredded as she tried to claw her way free.
Angel placed his hands on her shoulders, pressing her down.
"Faith, relax! It will pass!"
It growled at him and desperately struggled, shaking so violently the bed moved across the floor. And it showed no signs of tiring. Angel stood and saw Wesley staring at him, fear in his eyes.
"It can be a little disorientating at first," shrugged Angel.
Wesley opened his eyes just a little wider.
"Angel, is it Faith? Is it?," he asked, no hope in his voice.
Angel looked back at the vampire, its body brutally convulsing against its bonds.
"I don't know. Not yet. Let's go into the other room. Maybe she'll calm down."
"Maybe?," repeated Wesley, his eyes drifting to the stakes on the dresser.
*****
"Angel, why don't you go lie down for a while? You haven't slept and it is, well, daylight. That kinda tires you out too, you know?," added Cordelia. "You're going to need your strength for...for later."
Angel only shook his head. Wesley and Gunn were sitting at the kitchen table with them; Wesley was watching Angel while Gunn stared at the closed door behind them.
"She's been quiet for almost an hour," said Gunn. "Maybe she's finally exhausted herself."
"Or maybe it's just regrouping," suggested Cordelia.
"She," said Angel.
"Hmm?," asked Cordelia.
"You keep referring to her as it. That's Faith in there," said Angel.
"Or not," glared Cordelia, taking a gulp of lukewarm coffee.
"Angel, you have to accept the possibility that it might not be her," warned Wesley.
"No!," snapped Angel, standing up. He made his way to the refrigerator and took out another large cup of blood.
"Angel, there's one thing I'm not understanding here. Any newborn vampire should be craving blood when it first awakens, right?," asked Gunn.
Angel nodded.
"So why is she refusing it? You've tried three times now and, well, it just seems like she shouldn't be able to control herself. If I'm hearin' right, the hunger should be consuming her by now," said Gunn.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before. She rose too soon, the scent of blood doesn't..."
Angel didn't finish, suddenly lost in thought.
"Doesn't what, Angel?," asked Wesley.
"It's almost as if the thought of drinking blood repulses her. It is Faith! She just won't accept what's happened!," said Angel excitedly.
They all stared at him, unconvinced.
"She's fighting the demon. And she's not going to win. But we'll have Faith back," said Angel confidently.
As he made his way to the door Cordelia stood up. Angel stopped and looked at her.
"I'm going in there with you," said Cordelia.
"Cordy, you haven't been in there yet. Are you sure about this? You don't have to..."
"Angel, I need to know if it's her. We all do."
Angel glanced back at the other two.
"I'm fine. Call me if you need me," shrugged Gunn.
"Good luck," added Wesley, quickly looking for something to do.
Cordelia took a deep breath and stood by Angel's side. He reached for the door knob and pushed the door, holding it open for her. She took one step and stopped, scrunching her nose. The room reeked of vomit, urine, sweat and blood. Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Cordelia, are you sure..."
Cordelia walked past Angel and Angel shut the door behind them.
The vampire turned her head towards them, her eyes nervously darting back and forth. Blood flowed from her nostrils as if she had hit her face against something. Her hair was damp and clung flat to the sides of her face and her skin was slick with perspiration. A dark colored vomit had dried on her neck and shirt.
"Oh, Angel," cried Cordelia softly, raising one hand to cover her mouth.
Angel ignored her and sat down on the edge of the bed. The vampire bared her teeth and hissed at him. He held the cup of blood up towards her and she immediately turned her head away and growled.
"You need this. I know you do. It's the only way for you to get better. Faith...you have to trust me. Please," said Angel, his voice pleading.
The vampire feebly began to struggle but even Cordelia could see how exhausted she was. Soon it simply closed her eyes. Angel slowly lowered his head in defeat.
"Alright, enough of this cute touchy-feely-let's-be-friends crap. Give me that cup!," commanded Cordelia.
Without even thinking about it Angel extended his hand, eyes wide open. Cordelia grabbed the cup, spilling some of the blood over the edge.
"Grab her face and force her mouth open," snapped Cordelia.
Angel hesitated and Cordelia glared at him. He pushed his hand down on Faith's forehead and gripped her jaw with his other hand. Faith struggled but was too weak to put up much of a fight. Angel forced open her mouth, careful to avoid her fangs. He felt her go absolutely limp.
Cordelia leaned forward but suddenly stopped, frozen by the look of terror in Faith's eyes. A single tear escaped from Faith's eye, moving slowly across her cheek. Cordelia bit her lower lip and let some of the blood splash onto Faith's tongue.
Faith's body stiffened as if she had been punched in the stomach. Cordelia tilted the cup some more, the blood oozing over Faith's lips and chin. And finally she swallowed.
Instantly Faith struggled against Angel's hand, eager to reach the cup. He removed his hand and she frantically gulped the blood as Cordelia helped her drink. She moaned and Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. The cup was quickly emptied and Faith rabidly bit at it, desperate for more.
"Faith?," whispered Cordelia.
Faith lashed out with her teeth and Cordelia barely pulled her hand away in time. She stood up and Faith again began to push against the chains. Cordelia slowly turned her head to face Angel and he returned her stare.
"Bastard," sneered Cordelia, her voice full of venom.
Angel glanced down but quickly looked up again, no readable expression on his face. Cordelia left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Wesley and Gunn both looked up at her but didn't say anything. Wesley slowly stood.
"It...she...drank some blood. If that thing has a soul I'll kiss Buffy on the lips," grimaced Cordelia.
Gunn raised one eyebrow and Cordelia noticed.
"Men! Is that all you think about?," she sighed, shaking her head.
"Um...who's Buffy?," asked Gunn.
"You've got to be kidding me," sighed Cordelia.
Before Cordelia could explain there was a knock at the door. Cordelia shot Wesley a questioning look and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't look at me, I didn't order pizza," said Gunn, trying to lighten the mood.
Cordelia gave him a threatless glare and walked to the door, opening it just a crack.
"Kate! Well, this is a surprise."
"Is Angel here?"
"Yes, but it being daylight and all, he's, uh, sleeping. And I'd hate to wake him up. You should see how grumpy he gets without his beauty sleep."
"Can I come in?," asked Kate.
"Uh, well...no. We, um...a case. We're reviewing a case and it's kind of confidential in a very private...confidential way," frowned Cordelia. "So, if you'd like to leave a message, I'll make sure Angel gets it. When he wakes up, that is."
The sound of the bed shaking behind Cordelia made her eyes open wider. There was a growl or two and then it was quiet again.
"He tosses and turns a lot," smiled Cordelia nervously.
Kate tried to peer into the room behind Cordelia. Wesley and Gunn each leaned in towards the middle of the table to see who was at the door, eventually bumping heads.
"You're right, I wouldn't want to wake him. Just wanted him to know that Faith hasn't turned up at any of the local hospitals yet. If he hears from her..."
"You'll be the first to know," interjected Cordelia. Kate smiled.
"Cordelia?"
"Yes?," asked Cordelia, flashing a wide smile.
"Why do you have blood on your hand?"
"Oh, that. I got Angel a snack. Before bedtime. Anything else?," asked Cordelia, with just a hint of nervousness. She put her hand behind her back.
"Oh, yeah. Here's your morning paper," said Kate, handing Cordelia the newspaper. "You might want to read the story on the front page."
Cordelia nodded and took the paper.
"Bye," announced Cordelia, shutting the door.
As Kate turned she noticed a trail of dark spots on the rug. Kneeling down, she lifted up the welcome mat. Having been at countless crime scenes in the past, she knew dried blood when she saw it. With a smile she walked back to her car.
Cordelia opened the paper and her jaw dropped. There was a picture of Faith on the front page. The two men patiently waited while she read.
"Well?," asked Gunn, getting restless.
Cordelia tossed the paper onto the table.
"Seems our dead Slayer killed a guard during her escape from prison last night. I'm going to wash this blood off my hand. Gunn, I suggest you follow Kate. It seemed like she thought we were hiding Faith here," frowned Cordelia.
"No, ya think?," said Gunn sarcastically.
Wesley picked up the paper and began reading.
"Oh, and do I have to say it?," asked Cordelia.
"Only if you want to insult my intelligence," replied Gunn, standing up and heading for the door.
Wesley looked up from the paper with a quizzical expression.
"She means don't be seen," explained Gunn, looking back over his shoulder.
"Oh. I knew that," answered Wesley.
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"I did!," protested Wesley.
When Cordelia came out of the bathroom Gunn was standing there, waiting.
"That was...quick," said Cordelia, more confused than surprised.
"Didn't have to go far. That Lockley woman is sitting in her car across the street."
Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head with a loud sigh. And then she smiled.
*****
The phone had only rung twice before Quentin picked it up. A glance at his alarm clock confirmed that this could not be good news.
"Yes?"
"A new...are you absolutely sure? You have no doubts?"
"No, of course not. I, I'll have to ring you back. There's one or perhaps two calls to place. By the way, who's been assigned to her?"
"Oh dear."
"Agreed."
He hung up the phone and again looked at the clock, doing a quick calculation in his head.
"Eight hours...almost seven thirty. Well, Rupert, at least I won't be waking you up."
*****
Kate slid lower down into her seat. Angel had come outside and gave a quick glance up and down the street, looked at his watch and then went back inside. She wasn't worried about him recognizing this car because it was a rental. Kate exhaled, suddenly realizing that she had been holding her breath.
Angel came back outside and Kate sat up straight, no longer caring if Angel saw her. He was carrying something in his arms, something that was wrapped up in blankets. And the way he was holding it...Kate knew it must be a body. Angel opened the back door of his car and gently placed his bundle onto the seat. Kate did slide down a little lower again out of habit but Angel seemed to be in a hurry as he got into the driver's seat and he never looked in her direction.
Her hand was on the key in the ignition and the moment Angel started his car she started hers, not wanting him to hear. Angel pulled away from the curb and Kate let him build up a short lead before following. After a few minutes she knew where he was going.
Angel pulled up in front of his office and got out of the car, quickly walking inside. Half a block behind him, Kate got out of her car and practically ran to his car. She opened the back door without even looking in first, only hesitating for a moment before wrapping her fingers around the edge of the blanket. Kate lifted the blanket up, revealing the face...of Cordelia.
"Cordelia!"
"Kate!"
"What the hell are you doing here!?," yelled both women at the same time.
"Well, Angel is trying to sneak me into a surprise birthday party. What's your excuse?," demanded Cordelia.
The look of shock on Kate's face turned to one of anger. She turned and stormed off.
And Cordelia smiled.
*****
Giles squinted, his eyes straining to make sense of what was happening in front of them.
"Giles, we're running out of time!," yelled Buffy, only glancing at him. She shook her head, the frustration on her face revealing that she was as hopelessly lost as her Watcher.
Giles sighed and shook his head. Looking at Buffy, he shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"Somehow, this is just...wrong," said Buffy, throwing up her hands.
"Times up!," announced Dawn, looking at her watch.
"Blast!," snapped Giles.
Behind the couch Buffy and Giles were sitting on Willow and Tara tried not to laugh. In front of them stood Xander and Anya. Back to back and bent over, with their hands on their knees, they gyrated their hips, moving their bottoms against one another.
"Trying to make ends meet!," yelled Xander with a smile as he stood up.
"Giles, I thought you said you were good at charades!," complained Buffy.
"I, well, um..."
He raised both arms palm up towards Xander and shrugged.
"Good point," admitted Buffy.
"You know, making ends meet is fun, but it's even more fun making..."
"Anya!," warned Xander, nodding towards Dawn. Anya pouted and rolled her eyes.
"So, who's next? Willow and Tara?," suggested Xander.
Willow smiled but Tara seemed reluctant. Just then the phone rang.
"Saved by the bell," whispered Tara.
Giles picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello Rupert."
Giles immediately knew who he was talking to.
"Quentin. This is a...surprise."
The room became quiet. Everyone was staring at Giles except Dawn. She kept her eyes on her sister.
"Rupert, is Buffy alright?"
"Um, yes, of course. In fact, she's right here," replied Giles, glancing at Buffy. "Why do you...Quentin, what's wrong?"
"That's a relief."
Giles waited but Quentin didn't say anything else.
"Quentin?"
"Rupert, another Slayer has been called. I don't have to tell you what that means."
"No. No, of course not. When did..."
"I was just informed. I'm going to call Wesley, but find out what you can from your end. You're closer to the situation...in more ways than one. I'll be in touch."
"Yes, of course. I..."
Giles heard the phone disconnect. He slowly hung up the phone and turned to face the group.
"Giles? Care to share?," asked Buffy.
Giles looked into the eyes of his Slayer and had to look away.
"Giles!"
"A new Slayer has been called."
And now Buffy slowly lowered her gaze, not focusing on anything as his words took meaning. The room seemed even quieter than before and only Xander and Willow avoided looking at Buffy. Willow walked around the couch and stood next to Buffy but didn't say anything.
"So Faith's dead?," asked Anya.
Dawn winced.
"Yes," said Xander softly.
"Oh," nodded Anya. "And that's bad?," she asked innocently.
Buffy glared at Anya in disbelief.
"Shh," whispered Xander, putting a hand around Anya's waist.
"Buffy...you okay?," asked Willow, touching her shoulder with a hand.
Buffy shrugged.
"Giles, did he have any...details?," frowned Buffy.
"No, not as yet. He just found out himself."
Buffy inhaled, slowly and deeply.
"You know, I think I'm going to go for a walk," said Buffy. She looked up and saw Giles staring at her.
"Want me to come with?," offered Willow.
"No, that's...you know, I think I would," nodded Buffy.
"I'll get our coats. Xander, if it gets late..."
"We'll see Tara home safely," finished Xander.
"Thanks," said Willow. She smiled at Tara and Tara smiled back.
"Call me. If you're going to stay with Buffy tonight, I mean," added Tara.
Willow nodded and went to get the coats.
"When?," said Buffy, looking at Giles.
"Most likely it happened within the past twenty four hours. I'll call Wesley."
Willow came back and handed Buffy her coat.
"Ready?," asked Willow.
Buffy nodded and slipped into her coat.
*****
Cordelia parked her car, got out and walked up to her door, a light bounce in her step. She laughed to herself, remembering the expression on Kate's face not one half hour ago. Fumbling with her keys she dropped them and, with a sigh, knelt down to pick them up. And then she noticed that the door was already open just a crack.
Slowly standing up, she gently pushed the door open. The room was dark. Cordelia reached in from where she stood and flipped the light switch. Nothing happened. The room remained dark, illuminated only by a flickering candle on the kitchen counter that she had lit before she left to help freshen the air. Without even looking Cordelia knew the door to her bedroom was open as the stench from within overpowered any scent from the candle.
"Wesley?," whispered Cordelia.
Cordelia took a step into her apartment.
"Gunn?," she whispered again.
She became aware of a sound and soon realized that it was the dripping of the faucet in the kitchen sink. The slow rhythmic plop of the water echoed loudly in the empty room. Taking another two steps, Cordelia searched her apartment with her eyes, too nervous to turn her head. She dropped her keys into her pocketbook and set it down on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Cordelia silently crept to her bedroom.
Peering inside, the first thing she noticed was that the bed was empty, the chains broken and scattered across the floor. The mirror behind the bed was not only shattered but torn from the wall. Lying still on the floor at the foot of the bed on his side was Wesley. Cordelia fought the urge to run to him.
"Wesley!," whispered Cordelia, her voice cracking.
Cordelia slowly backed away from the room and reached for the phone. Her hand was trembling so badly she could barely hold it. She held it to her ear and then stared uselessly at it. There was no dial tone. Looking down she saw that the cord had been wrenched from the wall. Needing both hands, she managed to place the phone back onto the cradle.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop from shaking. Slowly backing up, she bumped into the table behind her. Hearing a noise she snapped her head around and saw a cross slowly sliding across the table. When it reached the middle of the table she lunged for it and held it up in front of her.
"Thank you, Dennis," said Cordelia, mouthing the words instead of saying them.
Still shaking, Cordelia swallowed once and tried to slow her breathing. And then she noticed a shadow next to the refrigerator that didn't seem to belong there. A moment passed before her mind accepted that this shadow was Faith.
Faith stepped forward, now outlined by the dim candle light. Her mouth was covered in blood, her forehead ridged, changing her features so that the vampire hardly resembled the girl it once was. Cordelia tried to move but simply couldn't. And then she noticed that Faith was trembling too, almost as if she were as terrified as Cordelia herself. The vampire took another step closer.
"F-Faith," whispered Cordelia dryly. "Faith, it's me. Cordelia."
The vampire stood still, slightly tilting her head.
"That's right...Cordelia. Remember? Let me help you," said Cordelia, her voice louder but lacking any confidence.
The vampire took another step forward, kicking an empty white cup that once had blood in it.
"Or not," frowned Cordelia.
Another step and Cordelia raised the cross up higher in front of her. The vampire growled in anger and Cordelia slowly lowered the cross. The growling ceased.
The room was silent except for the dripping of the water in the sink. With incredible speed the vampire rushed past Cordelia and ran out the door. Cordelia didn't even have time to scream. Without hesitating she ran into her bedroom and knelt down beside Wesley.
"Wesley!"
Cordelia rolled him over onto his back, shocked to see that there were no bite marks on his neck. There was an ugly welt above his left eye but Wesley was still breathing. She grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, cross still in one hand, and began to shake him.
"Hey! Wake up. Wesley...please. You're scaring me," whimpered Cordelia.
In the next room the door slowly creaked open. Cordelia closed her eyes, unable to hold back the tears. Gripping the cross tightly, she stood and walked briskly to the bedroom door.
"That's it, bitch! Get the hell out of my apartment! Now!," screamed Cordelia, both hands holding the cross out in front of her. She heard footsteps and braced herself for Faith's attack.
And then Gunn was standing in front of her, holding up his own cross and eyes very much wide open. He caught Cordelia as she fainted.
END OF PART TWO
PART TWO - Early To Bed...
Sitting in her car across the street Kate watched Angel leave the apartment building. She decided not to follow him, just as she had decided not to follow Cordelia when she had left earlier. She took another sip from her now cold coffee, almost gagging but needing the caffeine. It had been a long night but the day promised to be very interesting.
Suddenly Wesley came running out of the building, yelling Angel's name. The two men turned and ran back inside. Kate sat there for a moment and then reached for the binoculars on the seat next to her. Raising them to her eyes, she sighed, frustrated that she couldn't see past the closed drapes.
*****
As soon as Angel entered the room the vampire glared at him, its face a conflicting agony of terror and hatred. She was violently pulling against the chains, trying to break free, but they were holding her firmly down. Spittle flew from its mouth as her head snapped back and forth.
"Faith."
Angel's voice was low but firm. The creature only struggled harder.
"Faith," called Angel, this time louder. He couldn't tell if it heard him or he was being ignored.
Angel glanced at Wesley but he was staring at the bed, his face quite pale. Angel walked slowly over to the bed and sat down. The vampire snarled at him, hopelessly throwing her head towards him in an effort to bite Angel. The bedspread beneath her hands was shredded as she tried to claw her way free.
Angel placed his hands on her shoulders, pressing her down.
"Faith, relax! It will pass!"
It growled at him and desperately struggled, shaking so violently the bed moved across the floor. And it showed no signs of tiring. Angel stood and saw Wesley staring at him, fear in his eyes.
"It can be a little disorientating at first," shrugged Angel.
Wesley opened his eyes just a little wider.
"Angel, is it Faith? Is it?," he asked, no hope in his voice.
Angel looked back at the vampire, its body brutally convulsing against its bonds.
"I don't know. Not yet. Let's go into the other room. Maybe she'll calm down."
"Maybe?," repeated Wesley, his eyes drifting to the stakes on the dresser.
*****
"Angel, why don't you go lie down for a while? You haven't slept and it is, well, daylight. That kinda tires you out too, you know?," added Cordelia. "You're going to need your strength for...for later."
Angel only shook his head. Wesley and Gunn were sitting at the kitchen table with them; Wesley was watching Angel while Gunn stared at the closed door behind them.
"She's been quiet for almost an hour," said Gunn. "Maybe she's finally exhausted herself."
"Or maybe it's just regrouping," suggested Cordelia.
"She," said Angel.
"Hmm?," asked Cordelia.
"You keep referring to her as it. That's Faith in there," said Angel.
"Or not," glared Cordelia, taking a gulp of lukewarm coffee.
"Angel, you have to accept the possibility that it might not be her," warned Wesley.
"No!," snapped Angel, standing up. He made his way to the refrigerator and took out another large cup of blood.
"Angel, there's one thing I'm not understanding here. Any newborn vampire should be craving blood when it first awakens, right?," asked Gunn.
Angel nodded.
"So why is she refusing it? You've tried three times now and, well, it just seems like she shouldn't be able to control herself. If I'm hearin' right, the hunger should be consuming her by now," said Gunn.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before. She rose too soon, the scent of blood doesn't..."
Angel didn't finish, suddenly lost in thought.
"Doesn't what, Angel?," asked Wesley.
"It's almost as if the thought of drinking blood repulses her. It is Faith! She just won't accept what's happened!," said Angel excitedly.
They all stared at him, unconvinced.
"She's fighting the demon. And she's not going to win. But we'll have Faith back," said Angel confidently.
As he made his way to the door Cordelia stood up. Angel stopped and looked at her.
"I'm going in there with you," said Cordelia.
"Cordy, you haven't been in there yet. Are you sure about this? You don't have to..."
"Angel, I need to know if it's her. We all do."
Angel glanced back at the other two.
"I'm fine. Call me if you need me," shrugged Gunn.
"Good luck," added Wesley, quickly looking for something to do.
Cordelia took a deep breath and stood by Angel's side. He reached for the door knob and pushed the door, holding it open for her. She took one step and stopped, scrunching her nose. The room reeked of vomit, urine, sweat and blood. Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Cordelia, are you sure..."
Cordelia walked past Angel and Angel shut the door behind them.
The vampire turned her head towards them, her eyes nervously darting back and forth. Blood flowed from her nostrils as if she had hit her face against something. Her hair was damp and clung flat to the sides of her face and her skin was slick with perspiration. A dark colored vomit had dried on her neck and shirt.
"Oh, Angel," cried Cordelia softly, raising one hand to cover her mouth.
Angel ignored her and sat down on the edge of the bed. The vampire bared her teeth and hissed at him. He held the cup of blood up towards her and she immediately turned her head away and growled.
"You need this. I know you do. It's the only way for you to get better. Faith...you have to trust me. Please," said Angel, his voice pleading.
The vampire feebly began to struggle but even Cordelia could see how exhausted she was. Soon it simply closed her eyes. Angel slowly lowered his head in defeat.
"Alright, enough of this cute touchy-feely-let's-be-friends crap. Give me that cup!," commanded Cordelia.
Without even thinking about it Angel extended his hand, eyes wide open. Cordelia grabbed the cup, spilling some of the blood over the edge.
"Grab her face and force her mouth open," snapped Cordelia.
Angel hesitated and Cordelia glared at him. He pushed his hand down on Faith's forehead and gripped her jaw with his other hand. Faith struggled but was too weak to put up much of a fight. Angel forced open her mouth, careful to avoid her fangs. He felt her go absolutely limp.
Cordelia leaned forward but suddenly stopped, frozen by the look of terror in Faith's eyes. A single tear escaped from Faith's eye, moving slowly across her cheek. Cordelia bit her lower lip and let some of the blood splash onto Faith's tongue.
Faith's body stiffened as if she had been punched in the stomach. Cordelia tilted the cup some more, the blood oozing over Faith's lips and chin. And finally she swallowed.
Instantly Faith struggled against Angel's hand, eager to reach the cup. He removed his hand and she frantically gulped the blood as Cordelia helped her drink. She moaned and Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. The cup was quickly emptied and Faith rabidly bit at it, desperate for more.
"Faith?," whispered Cordelia.
Faith lashed out with her teeth and Cordelia barely pulled her hand away in time. She stood up and Faith again began to push against the chains. Cordelia slowly turned her head to face Angel and he returned her stare.
"Bastard," sneered Cordelia, her voice full of venom.
Angel glanced down but quickly looked up again, no readable expression on his face. Cordelia left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Wesley and Gunn both looked up at her but didn't say anything. Wesley slowly stood.
"It...she...drank some blood. If that thing has a soul I'll kiss Buffy on the lips," grimaced Cordelia.
Gunn raised one eyebrow and Cordelia noticed.
"Men! Is that all you think about?," she sighed, shaking her head.
"Um...who's Buffy?," asked Gunn.
"You've got to be kidding me," sighed Cordelia.
Before Cordelia could explain there was a knock at the door. Cordelia shot Wesley a questioning look and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't look at me, I didn't order pizza," said Gunn, trying to lighten the mood.
Cordelia gave him a threatless glare and walked to the door, opening it just a crack.
"Kate! Well, this is a surprise."
"Is Angel here?"
"Yes, but it being daylight and all, he's, uh, sleeping. And I'd hate to wake him up. You should see how grumpy he gets without his beauty sleep."
"Can I come in?," asked Kate.
"Uh, well...no. We, um...a case. We're reviewing a case and it's kind of confidential in a very private...confidential way," frowned Cordelia. "So, if you'd like to leave a message, I'll make sure Angel gets it. When he wakes up, that is."
The sound of the bed shaking behind Cordelia made her eyes open wider. There was a growl or two and then it was quiet again.
"He tosses and turns a lot," smiled Cordelia nervously.
Kate tried to peer into the room behind Cordelia. Wesley and Gunn each leaned in towards the middle of the table to see who was at the door, eventually bumping heads.
"You're right, I wouldn't want to wake him. Just wanted him to know that Faith hasn't turned up at any of the local hospitals yet. If he hears from her..."
"You'll be the first to know," interjected Cordelia. Kate smiled.
"Cordelia?"
"Yes?," asked Cordelia, flashing a wide smile.
"Why do you have blood on your hand?"
"Oh, that. I got Angel a snack. Before bedtime. Anything else?," asked Cordelia, with just a hint of nervousness. She put her hand behind her back.
"Oh, yeah. Here's your morning paper," said Kate, handing Cordelia the newspaper. "You might want to read the story on the front page."
Cordelia nodded and took the paper.
"Bye," announced Cordelia, shutting the door.
As Kate turned she noticed a trail of dark spots on the rug. Kneeling down, she lifted up the welcome mat. Having been at countless crime scenes in the past, she knew dried blood when she saw it. With a smile she walked back to her car.
Cordelia opened the paper and her jaw dropped. There was a picture of Faith on the front page. The two men patiently waited while she read.
"Well?," asked Gunn, getting restless.
Cordelia tossed the paper onto the table.
"Seems our dead Slayer killed a guard during her escape from prison last night. I'm going to wash this blood off my hand. Gunn, I suggest you follow Kate. It seemed like she thought we were hiding Faith here," frowned Cordelia.
"No, ya think?," said Gunn sarcastically.
Wesley picked up the paper and began reading.
"Oh, and do I have to say it?," asked Cordelia.
"Only if you want to insult my intelligence," replied Gunn, standing up and heading for the door.
Wesley looked up from the paper with a quizzical expression.
"She means don't be seen," explained Gunn, looking back over his shoulder.
"Oh. I knew that," answered Wesley.
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"I did!," protested Wesley.
When Cordelia came out of the bathroom Gunn was standing there, waiting.
"That was...quick," said Cordelia, more confused than surprised.
"Didn't have to go far. That Lockley woman is sitting in her car across the street."
Cordelia closed her eyes and shook her head with a loud sigh. And then she smiled.
*****
The phone had only rung twice before Quentin picked it up. A glance at his alarm clock confirmed that this could not be good news.
"Yes?"
"A new...are you absolutely sure? You have no doubts?"
"No, of course not. I, I'll have to ring you back. There's one or perhaps two calls to place. By the way, who's been assigned to her?"
"Oh dear."
"Agreed."
He hung up the phone and again looked at the clock, doing a quick calculation in his head.
"Eight hours...almost seven thirty. Well, Rupert, at least I won't be waking you up."
*****
Kate slid lower down into her seat. Angel had come outside and gave a quick glance up and down the street, looked at his watch and then went back inside. She wasn't worried about him recognizing this car because it was a rental. Kate exhaled, suddenly realizing that she had been holding her breath.
Angel came back outside and Kate sat up straight, no longer caring if Angel saw her. He was carrying something in his arms, something that was wrapped up in blankets. And the way he was holding it...Kate knew it must be a body. Angel opened the back door of his car and gently placed his bundle onto the seat. Kate did slide down a little lower again out of habit but Angel seemed to be in a hurry as he got into the driver's seat and he never looked in her direction.
Her hand was on the key in the ignition and the moment Angel started his car she started hers, not wanting him to hear. Angel pulled away from the curb and Kate let him build up a short lead before following. After a few minutes she knew where he was going.
Angel pulled up in front of his office and got out of the car, quickly walking inside. Half a block behind him, Kate got out of her car and practically ran to his car. She opened the back door without even looking in first, only hesitating for a moment before wrapping her fingers around the edge of the blanket. Kate lifted the blanket up, revealing the face...of Cordelia.
"Cordelia!"
"Kate!"
"What the hell are you doing here!?," yelled both women at the same time.
"Well, Angel is trying to sneak me into a surprise birthday party. What's your excuse?," demanded Cordelia.
The look of shock on Kate's face turned to one of anger. She turned and stormed off.
And Cordelia smiled.
*****
Giles squinted, his eyes straining to make sense of what was happening in front of them.
"Giles, we're running out of time!," yelled Buffy, only glancing at him. She shook her head, the frustration on her face revealing that she was as hopelessly lost as her Watcher.
Giles sighed and shook his head. Looking at Buffy, he shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"Somehow, this is just...wrong," said Buffy, throwing up her hands.
"Times up!," announced Dawn, looking at her watch.
"Blast!," snapped Giles.
Behind the couch Buffy and Giles were sitting on Willow and Tara tried not to laugh. In front of them stood Xander and Anya. Back to back and bent over, with their hands on their knees, they gyrated their hips, moving their bottoms against one another.
"Trying to make ends meet!," yelled Xander with a smile as he stood up.
"Giles, I thought you said you were good at charades!," complained Buffy.
"I, well, um..."
He raised both arms palm up towards Xander and shrugged.
"Good point," admitted Buffy.
"You know, making ends meet is fun, but it's even more fun making..."
"Anya!," warned Xander, nodding towards Dawn. Anya pouted and rolled her eyes.
"So, who's next? Willow and Tara?," suggested Xander.
Willow smiled but Tara seemed reluctant. Just then the phone rang.
"Saved by the bell," whispered Tara.
Giles picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello Rupert."
Giles immediately knew who he was talking to.
"Quentin. This is a...surprise."
The room became quiet. Everyone was staring at Giles except Dawn. She kept her eyes on her sister.
"Rupert, is Buffy alright?"
"Um, yes, of course. In fact, she's right here," replied Giles, glancing at Buffy. "Why do you...Quentin, what's wrong?"
"That's a relief."
Giles waited but Quentin didn't say anything else.
"Quentin?"
"Rupert, another Slayer has been called. I don't have to tell you what that means."
"No. No, of course not. When did..."
"I was just informed. I'm going to call Wesley, but find out what you can from your end. You're closer to the situation...in more ways than one. I'll be in touch."
"Yes, of course. I..."
Giles heard the phone disconnect. He slowly hung up the phone and turned to face the group.
"Giles? Care to share?," asked Buffy.
Giles looked into the eyes of his Slayer and had to look away.
"Giles!"
"A new Slayer has been called."
And now Buffy slowly lowered her gaze, not focusing on anything as his words took meaning. The room seemed even quieter than before and only Xander and Willow avoided looking at Buffy. Willow walked around the couch and stood next to Buffy but didn't say anything.
"So Faith's dead?," asked Anya.
Dawn winced.
"Yes," said Xander softly.
"Oh," nodded Anya. "And that's bad?," she asked innocently.
Buffy glared at Anya in disbelief.
"Shh," whispered Xander, putting a hand around Anya's waist.
"Buffy...you okay?," asked Willow, touching her shoulder with a hand.
Buffy shrugged.
"Giles, did he have any...details?," frowned Buffy.
"No, not as yet. He just found out himself."
Buffy inhaled, slowly and deeply.
"You know, I think I'm going to go for a walk," said Buffy. She looked up and saw Giles staring at her.
"Want me to come with?," offered Willow.
"No, that's...you know, I think I would," nodded Buffy.
"I'll get our coats. Xander, if it gets late..."
"We'll see Tara home safely," finished Xander.
"Thanks," said Willow. She smiled at Tara and Tara smiled back.
"Call me. If you're going to stay with Buffy tonight, I mean," added Tara.
Willow nodded and went to get the coats.
"When?," said Buffy, looking at Giles.
"Most likely it happened within the past twenty four hours. I'll call Wesley."
Willow came back and handed Buffy her coat.
"Ready?," asked Willow.
Buffy nodded and slipped into her coat.
*****
Cordelia parked her car, got out and walked up to her door, a light bounce in her step. She laughed to herself, remembering the expression on Kate's face not one half hour ago. Fumbling with her keys she dropped them and, with a sigh, knelt down to pick them up. And then she noticed that the door was already open just a crack.
Slowly standing up, she gently pushed the door open. The room was dark. Cordelia reached in from where she stood and flipped the light switch. Nothing happened. The room remained dark, illuminated only by a flickering candle on the kitchen counter that she had lit before she left to help freshen the air. Without even looking Cordelia knew the door to her bedroom was open as the stench from within overpowered any scent from the candle.
"Wesley?," whispered Cordelia.
Cordelia took a step into her apartment.
"Gunn?," she whispered again.
She became aware of a sound and soon realized that it was the dripping of the faucet in the kitchen sink. The slow rhythmic plop of the water echoed loudly in the empty room. Taking another two steps, Cordelia searched her apartment with her eyes, too nervous to turn her head. She dropped her keys into her pocketbook and set it down on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Cordelia silently crept to her bedroom.
Peering inside, the first thing she noticed was that the bed was empty, the chains broken and scattered across the floor. The mirror behind the bed was not only shattered but torn from the wall. Lying still on the floor at the foot of the bed on his side was Wesley. Cordelia fought the urge to run to him.
"Wesley!," whispered Cordelia, her voice cracking.
Cordelia slowly backed away from the room and reached for the phone. Her hand was trembling so badly she could barely hold it. She held it to her ear and then stared uselessly at it. There was no dial tone. Looking down she saw that the cord had been wrenched from the wall. Needing both hands, she managed to place the phone back onto the cradle.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop from shaking. Slowly backing up, she bumped into the table behind her. Hearing a noise she snapped her head around and saw a cross slowly sliding across the table. When it reached the middle of the table she lunged for it and held it up in front of her.
"Thank you, Dennis," said Cordelia, mouthing the words instead of saying them.
Still shaking, Cordelia swallowed once and tried to slow her breathing. And then she noticed a shadow next to the refrigerator that didn't seem to belong there. A moment passed before her mind accepted that this shadow was Faith.
Faith stepped forward, now outlined by the dim candle light. Her mouth was covered in blood, her forehead ridged, changing her features so that the vampire hardly resembled the girl it once was. Cordelia tried to move but simply couldn't. And then she noticed that Faith was trembling too, almost as if she were as terrified as Cordelia herself. The vampire took another step closer.
"F-Faith," whispered Cordelia dryly. "Faith, it's me. Cordelia."
The vampire stood still, slightly tilting her head.
"That's right...Cordelia. Remember? Let me help you," said Cordelia, her voice louder but lacking any confidence.
The vampire took another step forward, kicking an empty white cup that once had blood in it.
"Or not," frowned Cordelia.
Another step and Cordelia raised the cross up higher in front of her. The vampire growled in anger and Cordelia slowly lowered the cross. The growling ceased.
The room was silent except for the dripping of the water in the sink. With incredible speed the vampire rushed past Cordelia and ran out the door. Cordelia didn't even have time to scream. Without hesitating she ran into her bedroom and knelt down beside Wesley.
"Wesley!"
Cordelia rolled him over onto his back, shocked to see that there were no bite marks on his neck. There was an ugly welt above his left eye but Wesley was still breathing. She grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, cross still in one hand, and began to shake him.
"Hey! Wake up. Wesley...please. You're scaring me," whimpered Cordelia.
In the next room the door slowly creaked open. Cordelia closed her eyes, unable to hold back the tears. Gripping the cross tightly, she stood and walked briskly to the bedroom door.
"That's it, bitch! Get the hell out of my apartment! Now!," screamed Cordelia, both hands holding the cross out in front of her. She heard footsteps and braced herself for Faith's attack.
And then Gunn was standing in front of her, holding up his own cross and eyes very much wide open. He caught Cordelia as she fainted.
END OF PART TWO