They made it to their destination a few minutes before midnight. Faith parked the car next to
Spike's late model and killed the engine. Her passenger had fallen asleep. Angel kept
increasingly irregular hours and could be counted to fall asleep even when most vampires were
coming awake. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that his significant other was a human
woman and not a much better suited vampiress. Not that it bothered Faith, her life wasn't
exactly anywhere approaching normal.
The Slayer looked on at the house appreciatively. It was simple and understated but it held quite
a charm for her. It was a testament of what a man in love, or rather what a vampire in love
would do for his mate. William the Bloody had settled down. He had the house in the suburbs
to prove it. All this he had done for Buffy even if she wasn't a part of it yet. It said a lot for
vampiric loyalty and love.
Which she was counting on.
The vampire next to her stirred and blinked his eyes open. A yawn was followed by a rueful
smile that warmed her heart. There was passion in their relationship but also a warmth that the
Slayer had never experienced before.
"Should we knock or just knock the door down?" Faith asked softly
"Lets try politeness. Don't want to piss of blondie-bear anymore than we have to" the vampire
replied.
They exited the car together and headed towards the entranceway. The two figures clad in black
carried themselves as if the pitch black night was a familiar terrain. Faith pressed her hand
against the fragile looking doorbell. Angel smirked at the feminine looking device. You really
could not take the Victorian out of Spike even if you tried.
The door burst open a few seconds later. Spike's unruly curls were breaking havoc on his line of
vision and he had to slick them back before focusing on his 'guests'. He grimaced.
"Don't you people ever call? What the bloody are ya doing here in the middle of the night?"
grumbled the pissed-off vamp.
"Nice to see you too Spike. Didn't know that vampires were now considering midnight an
unsuitable time" Angel replied mockingly.
"Had an early morning today... not that's any of your business"
The two vampires stared at each other as if trying to size one another as it was their custom.
Faith rolled her eyes at them and stepped inside.
She felt it instantly... her one and only counterpart in the world was here. Buffy.
It was Buffy essence...but it was somehow heavier...darker. Faith turned to Spike questioningly.
The vampire sighed loudly, as it was to be expected one Slayer could always sense the other. He
could bet that Buffy had picked her up too.
Bloody hell, he so not wanted this for her now. She did not need the complication that was her
ex-ally and now replacement. He certainly did not need her ex-lover anywhere around either.
Well, there was little he could do about it now.
"Yes Faith, she is upstairs" he admitted stonily.
The Slayer looked at him incredulously. "But how? Her sentence was for ten years"
"Which she served to the last second. She's been a free woman since yesterday morning"
Angel finally caught on. His eyes shifted from confusion to something else. "Ten years... its
already been ten years" he stated quietly.
"Yes. Now she needs time to get re-adjusted so whatever you need from me is gonna have to
wait till she's better. I'm sure you can handle it" Spike said breezily as he shooed them out the
door.
Faith wouldn't budge but stared at the hallway leading to the rooms. "What does it mean?"
"What does 'what' mean?" Spike continued his efforts of dismissing them from his home.
"The disturbance that was picked up. That I am picking up now"
"What are you talking about?"
"She is here but there is something... It doesn't feel like her.." the Slayer turned towards the
hallway almost as if she was being pulled.
Spike blocked her midway. Buffy did so not need this right now. "Listen bint, you and the
wanker can get back in your vehicle and out of here. Whatever beastie you are chasing now, I
don't give a damn. Buffy can't handle it and I don't want her to get stressed over it" he stated
adamantly but Faith ignored him as her focus was solely on the darkened hallway.
"It's here. In her"
She wasn't asleep. She felt like she'd slept through a decade and she in a way had. Buffy sat in
her bed. The figure standing before her was familiar...in fact it was herself.
Her mirror image was dressed in the same gauzy nightgown. They were so similar but the Other
was stronger, she had not suffered like Buffy. She had not been belittled and violated. She had
always been free and strong.
Buffy understood that this Other deserved more than she. Officer Caleb Black had shown her
that, he'd taught her that. It was a honor that this greater being had chosen to take her form on
earth. He'd told her this and she believed it because his will was her own. Because she no
longer questioned his beliefs or his commands.
The Other vanished into the darkness after relaying her message. Buffy remained still. Ten
years ago she had been sentenced to a nightmare because a terrible mistake that had taken
someone's life. Now she had been ordered to take another.
Unfortunately it was no longer in her to question the First either.
TBC.
Sooo sorry for the delay. I had a long writer's block. Please R&R if you would like me to
continue this or just let it die.
Spike's late model and killed the engine. Her passenger had fallen asleep. Angel kept
increasingly irregular hours and could be counted to fall asleep even when most vampires were
coming awake. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that his significant other was a human
woman and not a much better suited vampiress. Not that it bothered Faith, her life wasn't
exactly anywhere approaching normal.
The Slayer looked on at the house appreciatively. It was simple and understated but it held quite
a charm for her. It was a testament of what a man in love, or rather what a vampire in love
would do for his mate. William the Bloody had settled down. He had the house in the suburbs
to prove it. All this he had done for Buffy even if she wasn't a part of it yet. It said a lot for
vampiric loyalty and love.
Which she was counting on.
The vampire next to her stirred and blinked his eyes open. A yawn was followed by a rueful
smile that warmed her heart. There was passion in their relationship but also a warmth that the
Slayer had never experienced before.
"Should we knock or just knock the door down?" Faith asked softly
"Lets try politeness. Don't want to piss of blondie-bear anymore than we have to" the vampire
replied.
They exited the car together and headed towards the entranceway. The two figures clad in black
carried themselves as if the pitch black night was a familiar terrain. Faith pressed her hand
against the fragile looking doorbell. Angel smirked at the feminine looking device. You really
could not take the Victorian out of Spike even if you tried.
The door burst open a few seconds later. Spike's unruly curls were breaking havoc on his line of
vision and he had to slick them back before focusing on his 'guests'. He grimaced.
"Don't you people ever call? What the bloody are ya doing here in the middle of the night?"
grumbled the pissed-off vamp.
"Nice to see you too Spike. Didn't know that vampires were now considering midnight an
unsuitable time" Angel replied mockingly.
"Had an early morning today... not that's any of your business"
The two vampires stared at each other as if trying to size one another as it was their custom.
Faith rolled her eyes at them and stepped inside.
She felt it instantly... her one and only counterpart in the world was here. Buffy.
It was Buffy essence...but it was somehow heavier...darker. Faith turned to Spike questioningly.
The vampire sighed loudly, as it was to be expected one Slayer could always sense the other. He
could bet that Buffy had picked her up too.
Bloody hell, he so not wanted this for her now. She did not need the complication that was her
ex-ally and now replacement. He certainly did not need her ex-lover anywhere around either.
Well, there was little he could do about it now.
"Yes Faith, she is upstairs" he admitted stonily.
The Slayer looked at him incredulously. "But how? Her sentence was for ten years"
"Which she served to the last second. She's been a free woman since yesterday morning"
Angel finally caught on. His eyes shifted from confusion to something else. "Ten years... its
already been ten years" he stated quietly.
"Yes. Now she needs time to get re-adjusted so whatever you need from me is gonna have to
wait till she's better. I'm sure you can handle it" Spike said breezily as he shooed them out the
door.
Faith wouldn't budge but stared at the hallway leading to the rooms. "What does it mean?"
"What does 'what' mean?" Spike continued his efforts of dismissing them from his home.
"The disturbance that was picked up. That I am picking up now"
"What are you talking about?"
"She is here but there is something... It doesn't feel like her.." the Slayer turned towards the
hallway almost as if she was being pulled.
Spike blocked her midway. Buffy did so not need this right now. "Listen bint, you and the
wanker can get back in your vehicle and out of here. Whatever beastie you are chasing now, I
don't give a damn. Buffy can't handle it and I don't want her to get stressed over it" he stated
adamantly but Faith ignored him as her focus was solely on the darkened hallway.
"It's here. In her"
She wasn't asleep. She felt like she'd slept through a decade and she in a way had. Buffy sat in
her bed. The figure standing before her was familiar...in fact it was herself.
Her mirror image was dressed in the same gauzy nightgown. They were so similar but the Other
was stronger, she had not suffered like Buffy. She had not been belittled and violated. She had
always been free and strong.
Buffy understood that this Other deserved more than she. Officer Caleb Black had shown her
that, he'd taught her that. It was a honor that this greater being had chosen to take her form on
earth. He'd told her this and she believed it because his will was her own. Because she no
longer questioned his beliefs or his commands.
The Other vanished into the darkness after relaying her message. Buffy remained still. Ten
years ago she had been sentenced to a nightmare because a terrible mistake that had taken
someone's life. Now she had been ordered to take another.
Unfortunately it was no longer in her to question the First either.
TBC.
Sooo sorry for the delay. I had a long writer's block. Please R&R if you would like me to
continue this or just let it die.