Author's Note: Thanks for your patience and kind words everyone. Please remember to review the chapter, because it helps me to update sooner.
Chapter III
Faith slid off the table as the others left the library; she wanted to go confront the little redhead who had been giving her dirty looks. She grinned to herself, at least Xander liked her, granted it was probably due to her dark blue halter top and skin tight black leather pants but hey, who was she to complain. If Willow hadn't reminded him of his girlfriend, Faith was sure that she could have dragged the boy off into an alley somewhere and have her dirty way with him.
She sighed, I gotta get laid.
Giles coughed interrupting her thoughts; she turned her head and glanced at him, "What's up Giles?"
"What I am about to discuss with you must not reach the others, if they find out they might try to interfere."
"Whoa, big stuff huh? Lay it on me."
"I lied."
Faith blinked, "Huh?"
Giles sighed, "I was not entirely truthful when I reported that my trip to Los Angeles had been a failure."
"Look Giles, I ain't no Padre or anything, hell I'm not even Catholic so if your comin to me to confess-"she held up her hands and backed away.
Giles rolled his eyes, "Would you just listen, what I am trying to say is that my trip to L.A. was not wasted. I found Buffy."
"Okay, let me get this straight, you found Buffy even though you told everyone that you didn't?"
"That is correct."
"Why?"
"As I said, Buffy does not want to be found. We spoke and she has made it very clear that she has no plans to ever return to Sunnydale."
"So you came back and called the Council boys to drag her ass back here?" Faith laughed and shook her head, "I gotta say, you've got some balls."
Giles frowned, "You misunderstand, I had no choice in the matter. When Buffy first disappeared I thought that she would return. The council was supposed to come to Sunnydale to test Buffy's abilities as a Slayer but because she had not returned I was forced to inform the council of her absence. They requested that I keep them informed and call them the minute that I receive any news about Buffy." The watcher sighed again, "I've been trying to keep the council at bay, but the longer Buffy was absent it became more difficult to claim her absence as a vacation."
Faith nodded, "Okay, I'm following you so far but what does this have to do with me?"
"You will need to go to Los Angeles, find Buffy and inform her that the council is after her. If it is at all possible you might try to bring her back as well."
"Wait a sec, you want me to go after her?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you just go get her?"
"Because Buffy does not want to see me and because it is most likely that the council no longer trusts me. When asked if I had any idea where she might be, I was forced to lie to Travers in order to protect Buffy. Travers will do anything at all to capture Buffy and he is not above eavesdropping to get the information that he desires."
"Okay so if Buffy doesn't want to be found, how do you know she hasn't left L.A. she coulda figured you might try to come after her again and hightailed it outta there."
"I have a contact who will contact me in the event that Buffy decides to leave town, as I understand it Buffy has a job that involves a bit of traveling so it will be difficult."
"So in the meantime, we just sit tight until we hear from this contact of yours."
"That is correct; I will let you know when I plan to send you to Los Angeles."
"Cool."
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The air in the room was thick with smoke and smelled of alcohol, the occupants were demons seated around a large table.
One demon with a large snout and a pair of horns downed the rest of his beer before he leaned over and placed a little brown kitten in the basket at the center of the table, he glared at the vampire across from him but refrained from speaking.
The vampire leaned back in his chair, a smug grin on his face. He stared at the cards in his hands, as he tried to remember exactly which card he had stored up the sleeve of his leather duster.
The demon to the left of him placed a grey kitten on the table, and nudged him, "Hey Spike d'ya hear the news about the Slayer yet?"
The vampire gritted his teeth, Buffy. The bloody bane of his bloody existence.
"Can't say that I have mate, what'd the bitch do this time?" For godsakes please let this end with 'she died and everyone else lived happily ever after'
The demon laughed, "Word on the street is that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer is playin' for our side now."
Spike glared at the demon, "You pullin my leg?"
Another demon at the table grinned, "It's true, I heard she's been working for big guys like Buelgrador and Gaspo. She's sort of like a freelance slayer now, you gotta a problem with a demon and she'll kill him for a price, or lets say theres a spell book that you wanna get your hands on, the Slayer will steal it for you."
Spike shook his head, "It has to be a trick, the Slayer I know is too much of a goody white hat to lower herself to workin with demons."
"That's what everyone thought at first, but she's been working for Buelgrador for a year now and he seems to trust her, same with Gaspo. Sure when she first came to L.A. everyone thought she was trying to pull a scam but its been a year."
Spike frowned, "You don't know her like I do mate, Slayer's probably got something up her sleeve waitin for the right moment."
"When the Slayer's is in town she usually hangs out at this demon bar called 'Caritas' you should go check it out. I'm telling you Spike, the Slayer is on our side now."
"If the Slayer is marchin' to the beat of a different drum, you can be sure as hell I'm gonna see for m'self." He took a swig of his beer, "Bitchy the Vampire Slayer offin' humans, now that's something I'd like to see."
"Oh she doesn't kill humans, she's got this whole rule book of stuff she will and won't do. One rule is that she won't kill humans."
"So she's still on the side of humanity." Spike mused.
"I give it another year or so, once the offers really start to roll in, she'll be slaughtering people just like the rest of us." Growled the snouted demon.
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Quentin Travers hung up the phone and turned around to face the other members of the council, "I have just ordered the team to track down the rogue slayer, Buffy Summers."
"What about Rupert Giles sir, do you really trust him to train this new slayer."
"We will soon find out, I'm having the team first go down to Sunnydale and watch Mr. Giles. I believe he maybe withholding information about Buffy Summer's whereabouts."
"What are we going to do if Mr. Giles is protecting the rogue slayer?"
Quentin frowned, "If Mr. Giles is indeed protecting this slayer then we will be forced to deal with him accordingly, for now our priority is tracking down Buffy Summers. If Rupert Giles is protecting her, our team will soon find out."