Chapter Ten: You're gonna need a bigger stake.

For a native Californian the frigid winter air of London was unwelcoming and uncomfortable. Buffy shivered as she dug her hands deeper into the thick coat she was wearing and suddenly wished she had taken Mrs Weasley up on the offer of an extra pair of gloves which she had declined as they would've clashed with her stylish yet practical outfit. The Bostonian next to her was practically skipping, her cheeks rosy from the cold and the excitement of prospective slaying. While Faith's memories of Boston had been far from pleasant the one time of year she always looked forward to was winter.

Winters in Boston were freezing and long but Faith had never felt safer than when the streets were blanketed in a thick layer of snow. The streets were always deserted when the icy air blew strongly and she had been able to relax despite the frosty conditions knowing that the usual creeps would not be around to bother her. She felt safer out in the cold and bitter streets than she did in her own home with her mother and the cold London air reminding her of some of the few happy times from her youth.

"Are my fingers still attached?" Buffy asked holding them in front of the other Slayer's face.

"Hard to tell through all that pink," Faith said, "Looks like you've dipped your hands in cotton candy."

"As opposed to you with your predictable black leather," Buffy grumbled.

"I look good in leather," Faith said wiggling her own gloved fingers, "You still grumpy that I bested you with the spell and shit?"

"No I'm not mad about you being better at the spells and shit," Buffy said rolling her eyes.

"Are you sure? It kind of seemed like you were when you pushed me into that wall earlier."

"I'm not mad at you," Buffy sighed stopping to face the other girl. Her heart rate picked up as her eyes travelled over the Bostonian's leather covered figure and she felt her cheeks redden as a sudden image of the two of them lying in the snow with a lot less clothing on flashed into her mind.

"Yo B, you in there?" Faith's hand waving in front of her face snapped her back to reality.

"Sorry, I think my brain is turning to ice," Buffy said shaking her head to clear it, "Can you still see Sirius?"

"I can still smell him," Faith said screwing up her nose, "You would think for someone who wasn't a realy dog he would come without the doggy odour."

It had been decided back at the house that Sirius would stay a little in front of them so as not to derive suspicion about the two girls walking with the large black dog. Word had gotten round the most powerful of wizarding circles that the former Azkaban resident was an animagus and those seen with one were instantly put under instant suspicion by those in the know. Lupin who had originally been set to join them on patrol had been called away on urgent business for the Order but no one had been willing to share exactly what that was so it was only the two Slayers and Sirius in his dog form that braved the icy winter night.

"Is that his tail up there?" Buffy asked squinting into the dark night. They were patrolling a park near to the Order Headquarters were more than half of the street lights had blown plunging the area into darkness.

"I dunno, I'm itchin' for a fight though," Faith said stretching her arms above her head making Buffy's eyes travel to the strip of skin between her jacket and jeans that were revealed with that action, "I can feel all this energy inside of me just waiting to me let out ya know."

"Uh huh, energy," Buffy nodded dumbly.

"What's with you tonight B? You go get friendly with Mary Jane while I wasn't looking or something?" Faith asked.

"I don't think there's anyone called Mary Jane at the house is there?" Buffy asked blinking and returning her gaze to Faith's face, "Unless we're suddenly in a Spiderman movie or something."

"You're something else ya know that Twinkie," she laughs her eyes glittering with amusement, "Tell ya what, soon as we get out of this mess you and I we'll go light up and have ourselves a good time."

"Light up? Are you talking about smoking? 'Cause I don't smoke and you shouldn't either it'll make your teeth go yellow and gross."

"Relax B, there's far worse things in this world that will kill me quicker than smoking will," Faith said, blowing her breath out like she would if she were smoking, the cold air making it visible.

"Well I don't want you to die," Buffy said the tips of her ears reddening, "I-I mean then I'd have to get to know the new Slayer and that just wouldn't fit into my schedule."

Faith looked at her funnily and Buffy had to advert her eyes from the feelings she thought she saw flickering below the surface of the other Slayer's dark gaze. Her insides were in turmoil as two sets of soulful brown eyes seemed to permeate themselves into her brain. She thought she would never feel love like she felt for Angel but there was something about Faith that made her stomach churn and heart race. The other Slayer drew her in with an intoxication she couldn't describe and made her feel things she had never felt before. These feelings only added to her confusion and the guilt over the building and overwhelming attraction she felt for the Bostonian Slayer was only making her inner turmoil worse. She could feel Faith looking at her and when she finally lifted her eyes to meet the brown of her counterpart she felt a shiver run down her spine as the world seemed to slow around them.

Sirius' howl penetrated the otherwise silent night and the two Slayers and they dragged their gaze away from one another to look over to where the large black dog was situated. They could see seven vampires approaching from the south, all who looked to be holding various weapons.

"Guess it's show time," Faith smirked licking her lips in anticipation, "You ready to show these ugly British fuckers what we Americans can do?"

"She didn't mean you Sirius," Buffy called hurriedly as the two Slayers reached for the stakes they carried and charged into the fray, "We don't think you're ugly."

"Just these ugly bastards," Faith said slamming her fist into the face of the first vampire that approached her.

Buffy could hear Sirius growling as he joined the fight and Faith's taunts as she fought three vampires at once. While she herself would usually be throwing quips as well as punches she found herself having to concentrate harder than usual as these vampires were coordinated and skilled with the weapons they wielded. Buffy ducked a knife strike and punched the approaching vampire in the neck, appreciating the way she could feel bone crunching under her knuckles. She used the fallen vampire as a shield, throwing him into the other vampire she was facing causing them both to fall to the ground in a tangled heap. The third rushed her with a snarl and landed a kick to her stomach driving her back into a nearby tree. Using a branch just above her head Buffy pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around the vampire's neck, flipping herself over his head and pulling him down in the process. With a quick downward thrust she plunged her stake into his chest, not waiting to see him turn to dust before whirling around to face the other two who had regained their footing and were rushing at her, their yellow eyes glowing in the moonlight.

She could see that Sirius was still fighting his vampire and Faith still toying with the three who circled her. The dark slayer's eyes were alive with the fight and she was giving as good as she got. Buffy could see that her lip was split and there was a nasty gash above her eye were a vamp had gotten lucky with a knife but Faith looked to be having the time of her life. She smiled feeling the other Slayer's excitement through their connection and used this to grab hold of the blonde haired vampire's shoulders bringing her knee up into his face, snapping his head back and driving her stake into his chest, seeing her last opponent's angry face through the disappearing particles of his friend.

"You're going to pay for that," the vampire said in a thick Welsh accent.

"And you're going to pay for wearing that," Buffy said pointing to his brightly coloured paisley shirt.

With a growl the vampire lunged at her driving his shoulder into her stomach and forcing her to roll with the impact. She felt winded and gasped for air as she fended off the blow he sent towards her head and grappled around for the stake she had lost when he had smacked into her. The vampire smirked as he kicked it away from her and ran his tongue of his teeth.

"I told you you were going to pay for that," he said leaning over her menacingly. Buffy felt his teeth prick her neck for a split second before he disappeared in a cloud of dust. Coughing she pulled herself up to a sitting position and wiped a hand over the front of her coat.

"She may be better than me at the spells and shit but I'd like to see her do that," Buffy said pocketing the wand she had used to stake her last vampire.

Hoisting herself up to her feet she jumped when a loud crack echoed through the night and she felt someone grab her around the waist and something hard pressed into her temple. Sirius' howl turned into a scream as the vampire he was fighting plunged his knife into the dog's belly forcing the man to revert back into his human state. In the sudden flurry of activity Faith had managed to stake the vampires she had been fighting and her head swivelled between the injured man being held around the throat by a snarling vampire and Buffy who had a wand held to her head by a man dressed in black robes whose long white blonde hair blew in the cool breeze.

"Buffy," the dark haired Slayer cried moving towards her counterpart.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the blonde haired man sneered, "One wrong move and your friend here will be dead in a second."

"It's okay Faith," Buffy said trying to sound comforting but feeling fear creep along her spine.

"Lucius," Sirius gasped as blood poured from the large wound in his stomach.

"Sirius," the blonde haired man sneered.

"You need to stand back and let her go," Sirius gasped as the colour drained from his face.

"That choice is unfortunately not up to me," Lucius smiled cruelly, "Our young Faith here must choose who is to live."

"What," Faith said and Buffy could see her bravado falter.

"It is a simple choice really," Lucius smirked, "Should you chose to kill the vampire than Buffy lives but if you don't then she dies."

The vampire holding onto Sirius grinned as he held tightly to the quickly weakening man. Buffy could see the wheels turning in Faith's head as she looked over at Sirius. The vampire was holding the injured man so that his back was pressed tightly to the vampire's chest so the only access to his heart would be to go through Sirius. Buffy watched as Faith's whole body seemed to shake as realisation of exactly what Lucius meant hit her.

"I-I can't do it," she said turning to face the blonde haired wizard.

"Then she dies," he shrugged easily raising his wand.

"NO!" Faith shouted, "Don't kill her. Take me instead."

"That's not how it works," Lucius said pushing his wand painfully into Buffy's temple, "It's her or him, you must chose, you after all the Slayer aren't you? A Slayer kills Faith and you must make your choice as to who lives."

"Faith," Sirius wheezed, "You must do it. Buffy is far more important in this fight than I am. I'm dying, I can feel it. You must save her."

"Sirius," Buffy said feeling tears beginning to stream down her face as she looked at the resigned face of the older man and the tortured one of her fellow Slayer.

"It's alright Buffy," he rasped, "You were brought here for a reason and my purpose in this world has already been served."

"So Faith, what is your choice?" Lucius asked, "Do you kill a man you hardly know or do you kill the girl who has always made you feel inferior?"

"I'm so sorry," Faith whispered looking into Sirius' eyes.

"Tell Harry I love him," the dark haired man said closing his eyes.

The stake seemed to move in slow motion as it soared through the air and Buffy fought back the scream that got stuck in her throat as it embedded itself so deep in the man's chest that it pierced the heart of the vampire behind him. The horrible sucking sound it made as it penetrated through his body seemed to echo into the still night and Sirius didn't even have time to scream before he was dead.

"He will be pleased with your choice," Lucius said, disappearing with a crack before Siruis' body had even fallen to the floor.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Buffy said hurrying over to the prone man on the ground and placing her hands over the man's wound even though she knew it would do no good.

"He's dead," Faith said staring down at the two of them, "It's not going to do anything B he's dead."

"I know it's just," Buffy trailed off and reaching with a shaky hand to close his eyes, "It was too fast. It happened too fast."

"Yeah, it did," Faith said.

Buffy looked up at the other Slayer then sharply, the gravity of their situation hitting her like a tonne of bricks. Faith had had to kill someone to save her. Faith had been forced to take a human life. She didn't even know how she was going to help the other Slayer through this, or how they were going to explain to the other's back at the house what had happened.

"Oh god Harry," Buffy thought suddenly her stomach lurching. Sirius had been the only family the dark haired boy had and he was gone.

"We gotta go," Faith said suddenly, "We can't stay here, the cops might come."

"We can't just leave him Faith," Buffy said tears still dripping from her eyes, "W-we'll have to get him back to the house."

"You think no one is gonna notice us walking around with a fucking dead body," Faith yelled, "We have to leave him," she said grabbing for Buffy's hand that was slick with blood.

The dark Slayer half pulled half carried the protesting other Slayer back the way that they came until they were well out of sight of the park. Once clear she stopped panting as she doubled over against a brick wall and Buffy could only hold her hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the sidewalk.

"I had to," Faith rasped, gasping for air, "I didn't want to, I had to."

Buffy nodded because there was nothing more she could say. It was because of her that Sirius was dead, because they were brought here that Harry had lost the closest thing he had felt to family in fifteen years. It was because of her that Faith had been forced to kill somebody and would forever have to live with blood on her hands.

Sirius had said that they had a purpose for being here, but at that moment she couldn't see what on earth that would be.