Chapter 21

Tara was broken out of her musings when Dawn opened the door to the workout room.

"Hey." Dawn said softly before walking into the room closing the door slightly.

"Hi." Tara said smiling tiredly.

"Are you okay? You guys kinda passed out after the spell was finished."

"Yeah, just a little tired. I feel like I could sleep for weeks. I can only guess what Giles' and Willow must feel like."

"It was pretty intense huh?"

"Yes…"

"Do you wanna go home? You really look tired."

"No it's okay. We better let them rest for a little while. When they wake up we can all go home."

"And what if they wake up tomorrow." Dawn asked.

"Then you'll have to sleep on a book case." Tara said teasingly heading out. "I'm kidding." She said lacing her arm through Dawn's before leaving the workout room. "If they don't wake up in a half an hour we'll just have to wake them up."

"Oh! We can draw mustaches on them!" Dawn said excitedly before Tara went to sit in Faith's abandoned seat.

"As fun as it sounds, I don't think Giles is going to be too happy about it. He might make us do more research or memorize a book and test us about it." Buffy said standing next to Faith legs who was on the counter. "How are you Tara?"

"I'm fine. Just really tired."

"So we see." Faith said smiling slightly before starting to twirl her stake again.

"Have you opened the trunk yet?" Tara asked yawning a little bit.

"Nope. We decided its better if we wait for Giles. He would flip if we open the trunk without him." Buffy said.

"Plus we don't know what's inside." Faith said. "So Tara-girl, any chance you know what's inside the trunk? I dunno, like, can you feel what's inside or something?"

Tara smiled briefly. "Actually I can. If you're asking if there's a creature in there, then the answer would be no."

"But…?"

"But there's something strong there. It might be another spell. It might even be a spell that casts a creature or a poltergeist or something like that when the trunk is opened."

"So we better wait then… How do we open it? You guys gonna cast a protection spell or some shit like that?"

"Language." Buffy scowled slapping Faith's knee.

Faith just looked at her weirdly. "Whatever Girlfriend."

"Uhm, yes, we should cast a spell." Tara said answering Faith's question.

"Do you think Giles is gonna want to do it today? I mean, I'm tired, you're tired, and the two back there are still out so…It's better we do it tomorrow." Anya said resting her head on her arms and mumbling into the table.

"Yes. How do you feel about doing a last spell?" Tara sheepishly asked Anya. "We should – and yes I know we just undid them- but be should cast a protective incantation or a clouding spell."

"Ughn! You're right. Let's wait fifteen minutes and then we try 'kay?" Anya said groaning. "You people are like bunnies. Evil!"

Tara shrugged. She was in no rush to cast the spell.

Faith gave Buffy a weird look and poked her. "Evil? Bunnies? Care to explain B?"

Buffy sighed. "Anya thinks bunnies are evil. She even wore a bunny custom in Halloween. She's absolutely afraid of them."

"Really? How come?"

"I have no idea. That's just who she is."

Half an hour later Anya and Tara finished the clouding and protective spell while Giles and Willow gulped down water and ate some cookies.

"All done. Can we go home?" Anya whined sitting on Xander's lap resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yes hun don't worry."

"I believe that's a good idea. Girls…" He looked at the slayers.

"Yeah, yeah, move the trunk." Buffy said shuffling her feet in her way towards the trunk. "C'mon Faithy."

Faith's cringe at the nickname went unnoticed by the blonde slayer. She definitely didn't like it. It wasn't because she considered it bad. It just brought memories. Bad memories.

"Sure B."

The slayer moved the trunk to the basement and put it behind some boxes and crates.

"So, patrol?" Faith asked once they were back in to main room.

"Yes. Patrol the docks again but it doesn't have to be a priority. Do try to found out about what or who this 'Boss' is and whatever you find out report to me tomorrow. Unless, you know, it's of extreme importance." Giles said sipping from his recently brewed tea.

"Same old, same old." Buffy said. "Can you drive yourself home? If you can't, I'm totally available for driving duty." Buffy said with a hopeful tone.

She loved to drive. People just didn't seem to like it.

Giles looked panicked.

"Er-"

"I can drive you there." Faith said. "B can walk her sister and the wiccans home and then I can meet B somewhere." She looked at Xander and Anya. "Do you guys need I ride?"

"We have my car." Anya said.

"How come I get to walk while you drive?" Buffy said pouting.

"Uhm, thanks Faith but I don't..." Giles trailed off.

"Relax G, I can drive. Pretty well as a matter of fact. Not like B over here."

Buffy glared at her.

"Look, we'll give them a ride and you two take Giles home." Xander said getting up.

"So...?" Faith asked.

Buffy scoffed "Forget it Faith he's not gonna-" She opened her eyes wide when Giles handed his car keys to her sister slayer. "What? How come she – and I- this is so not fair! Why don't you let me drive? You never let me drive." Buffy huffed, pouted and crossed her arms.

"I'm afraid it is because you're driving abilities are more like… driving disabilities." Giles said already heading out to the store's entrance.

"For all you know she could be terrible!" Buffy said walking next to him and huffing.

"I guess we'll find out." Giles said holding the door open for everyone to leave the Magic Box's before safely locking it.

"Bye guys, take care." Xander said holding open the passenger's and copilot's doors for Anya and the tired Wiccans before getting in and starting the car driving away.

"Bye." Buffy said. She turned to look at Faith glaring at her and getting into the back seat.

The rogue slayer just wiggled her eyebrows leaning in and bragging "He likes me better." She said before getting into the driver's seat.

"So not true."

Finally the brunette started the car. "Let's get you home Giles."

Giles looked a little skeptical at first but then he relaxed when he didn't have to grab onto a surface and pray to God for it to be over.

The brunette slayer drove pretty well. She wasn't going too fast but she wasn't going slow either. A steady rhythm. It actually lulled him to sleep. That, and he was too damn tired.

Bloody spell…

He woke up when the car stopped at his place.

He yawned and got out of the car.

He thanked Faith who passed him his car keys and bid goodnight to them.

"So not fair…" The blonde slayer spoke after a couple blocks away from her ex-watcher's place.

"Oh c'mon B! I heard stories about your lack of driving skills. They tell me it's not pretty."

"Well it's plenty pretty! People just aren't used to such amazing driving skills."

Faith raised a single brow. "Whatever Princess." She said draping an arm over the blonde's shoulders. "Let's go patrol the graveyards."

Buffy stiffened at in the embrace first before relaxing.

"I can drive." She said looking down and pouting.

Faith looked at her. "Mmm… how about some ice cream to cheer you up, B?"

Buffy's eyes glinted with excitement when she looked up at Faith. "Really?"

"Really really." The dark slayer said smiling and gently squeezing the girl's shoulders and pulling her a little bit closer.

"You're spoiling me." Buffy said licking her ice cream cone.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. My diet is ruined with you here. I mean, wings, ribs, beer, pizza and now ice cream… are you planning to get me all fat?"

"Hahaha me? Nope." Faith said eating from her ice cream cup.

"Ha! Anyway, no activity today? It sucks." She said swinging her legs while sitting on a grave marker.

"Give them some time. They must be getting ready to roam the graveyards. And if they're not here we could always go to checkout alleys and stuff."

"But the graveyard is soo much cleaner!"

"Right there with ya."

After a finishing her cone Buffy stared at the brunette.

I wonder…

"What?" Faith asked clearly confused. "Do I have something on me cheek?" She said rubbing at it.

"What? Oh no. Nope. Nothing. No, I was just thinking if you remembered Dawnie or not."

"I… I don't know. I mean… I don't but, I feel like I do. I mean, like, she feels familiar or something." She looked at Buffy. "Gotta say, I don't care if she used to be a ball of energy or whatever, but she is a Summers' girl. She has balls. Must be a Summers trait or something."

"Yeah." Buffy smiled fondly. "She does. Guess we got that from mom."

Faith nodded.

"Hey so how come Anya used to be a vengeance demon and is now with you guys?"

"Well, she used to be THE vengeance demon. Like totally adored; pretty good at her job, which consisted of maiming men and such. She used to be the' Patron Saint of Scorned Women'. So basically she granted wishes -you know the kind of angry wishes you make when you are extremely angry and upset- dark wishes to women who were really pissed at their boyfriend or husband. She granted the wish but added her own special modifications or just made it extremely bad, which in the demon-y sense would be pretty good. And she is pretty old. Like a thousand and something old."

"Wow. So how did she end up stuck with you?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow to which Faith just shrugged. "Whatever. So yeah, she came here and enrolled in Sunnydale's HS so she could easily grant wishes. So anyway, I think she granted a wish and anyway her amulet got destroyed and lost her powers. Anyway after a while she left Sunnydale but then came back because she was attracted to Xander and then, well she thought that if she, yunno, with Xander, then she would stop feeling the way she did, it didn't happen so they been together for a while now, and now she is part of the group."

"Huh... very… peculiar."

"What is?"

"Well you know. You guys can't seem to… I don't know, relate with normal people. Or yunno people."

Buffy seemed offended.

"At least we have friends."

"What? Oh no, don't take it the wrong way. I mean, I meant that yunno, Xander's girlfriend used to be a demon. Willow's girl is a Wicca, and yunno, Willow too and… well you know. You…"

"Well you ruined the only normal relationship I had when you slept with my boyfriend in my body."

Faith sighed. "I'm sorry. Really I'm."

"Whatever. Plus he wasn't really 'normal' either." Faith looked at her weirdly. "He used to be part of secret military organization that captured demons for research and experiment with them."

"Bleached boy's chip." Faith added.

"Pretty much." Buffy twirled her stake while she walked through some tombs. *sigh* "Can you blame us? I mean, we're far from normal, so it would make sense that our acquaintances, and relationships lack that normalcy as well. It's dangerous to involve someone who is oblivious to all of this." She said gesturing with her stake at the graves.

Faith hummed in response.

They walked in silence out of the cemetery and through the streets for about fifteen minutes before they heard the terrified cry for help of a girl in close to the campus.

"Let's go!"

The girl was being tormented by three vamps.

"Hahaha, I love it when the scream!" The vamp said poking her and getting close to her face with his game face on.

"What's the matter baby? You don't find me attractive anymore?" The girl whimpered. "That's a shame cuz I still find you very pretty."

The girl started crying again. "Please don't hurt me please!"

"Oh don't be such a baby! We're gonna have fun." The second vamp said before going for her neck.

The girl closed her eyes and suddenly felt the strong hold on her arms disappear.

She opened her eyes to see a brunette girl with a stake in her hand retreating her arm back and a blonde girl with her arms crossed. She looked around. Only two disfigured guys left.

"Yep, we're gonna have fun." Buffy said punching a vamp.

"Slayer!" Faith's adversary said

"Vampire!" Faith mimicked punching him.

Buffy turned to look at the girl. "You run! Go somewhere safe!"

The girl nodded before running away in shock.

The slayers slew the vamps in synch. They turned to look at each other and almost high fived when suddenly the hairs in the back of their necks stood up.

Vampires

They stood back to back when ten vamps came into the alley. Five from each side of the alley.

"Faith!" One vamp said making the slayer frown.

"Faith? Well, well, well. If it isn't the Mayor's kid. Came back to join us?" A very strong looking vamp spoke.

"Faith? The Rogue Slayer?" one dumbfounded vamp asked.

"Oh goody I'm famous!" Faith said feigning enthusiasm.

"Though she was dead."

"I heard she was in prison."

"I heard she joined Angelus."

"What? I heard she was leading a pack of demons in New Hampshire."

Faith frowned. Buffy shook her head. "Okay, where do you get these stories from?" The blonde slayer asked. "Read my mind B."

"I heard she was death too!"

"I heard she killed her!" One vamp said pointing at Buffy.

"Well one thing about slayers is that they don't seem to stay dead." The leader spoke again before lunging at Faith.

"Right back at ya!" Faith said dodging his attempted punch and grabbed it's neck pulling it down and kneeing him on its stomach hard.

A vamp grabbed her shoulders from behind and another approached from her front. She used the vamp behind her as support when she raised her legs to kick the approaching vamp on its face breaking its nose, before head butting his friend.

The vamp released her and she took advantage of the vamp in pain staking him swiftly and turning to stake the one behind her.

The leader grabbed her ankle and pulled making her fall on her back. He straddled her immobilizing her arms with his legs punching her in the face.

"What you gonna do Faithy? You're daddy is no longer here to protect you! And now you're back with the slayer. How pathetic is that!" Faith angrily shook him of and decapitated him with a hell of a kick on its head.

Fucking asshole.

She smirked with amusement and pride, before getting to her feet and kicking a stupefied vamp.

"Hey you gonna fight or what?" She asked the vamp.

The vamp looked at her and seemed to rethink whether he should fight her or flee.

Faith looked at the vamp that looked like he wanted to flee before rolling her eyes and staking it.

She turned to her last vamp and danced with it for a while before getting bored and staking it. She then turned to look at the blonde slayer fight her last opponent.

The blonde slayer went in for the kill before Faith stopped her.

"Wait B! Let's try to get some info out of him."

Buffy shrugged and pinned the vamp. "Who's the boss?"

"I don't know!"

"Wrong." She said punching him on the face. "What do you know about the boss? What does it want here?"

The vamped shocked his head. "You're gonna kill me anmyway."

"You tell me and I make sure it won't hurt. Much." Buffy shaking him a little bit. "What does 'The Boss' want with a trunk?"

"I don't know who 'The boss' is!"

Faith rolled her eyes. Time to scare him a little bit. "You know who I am?" She asked the vamp.

The vamp turned his head towards her. "Y-yes. You're Faith. The dark slayer."

Faith nodded smiling coldly. "Then you know what I like to do."

The vamp actually started shaking. "Y-yes."

"You know I like to make it last…" She said lowering her tone adding to her already husky voice a sensual and dangerous purr, trailing her stake down his jugular to his heart.

The vampire actually whimpered. "Okay okay! I'll tell you!" Buffy raised her eyebrows and stared at Faith. Faith didn't look at her but shrugged. "H-he, he used to be a wannabe witch. He got turned but didn't stop practicing and learning about dark magicks." Buffy shook him again. "Okay! Then uh well I don't know the drill but I think he wants to open the hellmouth or cast a spell to isolate Sunnydale so nothing can go out but everything can come in, attracting demons or something like that! It's lame!"

"Where you working for him?" Buffy asked.

"No no, Jonas was." The slayers looked at him blankly. "Yunno? The bigger one? The one who thought himself as the leader?" He looked at Faith. "T-the one y-you kicked his head off?" Faith smirked and nodded. "Well he was trying to get us to join Mark, but nobody knows who he is so nobody is joining. So they're recruiting baby vamps and Mark goes out himself and turns people so they stay with him."

"Mark?" Faith ask incredulously and rolling her eyes.

"I know. He likes to be called Markuz." The vampire said rolling his eyes. "So… can I go now? I'm gonna be late for poker night."

"Is he powerful?"

"I don't know. I haven't met him yet, but I heard he has a vast knowledge of dark magic."

"How old is he?"

"Mmm… I think I heard he was like eighty or something." He said nodding. "So… can I go?" He said flashing his fangs in an attempted smile.

"Yeah just one more thing…" Buffy said before staking him. "That'd be all." She turned to look at the brunette girl by her side. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "I've heard stories about me, yunno, this wicked kick ass dark slayer that tortures every vamp, demon or human just for fun."

"Aha." Buffy said and started walking towards the warehouse district.

"Seriously. The thing is that, when I first got here, some vamps got reckless and they tortured a couple of demons and then spread the word saying that it had been me. These demons were friends with Kakistos. They had helped him throughout the years and stuff and they were like his favorite pets or something like that. So it only worked to piss Kakistos even more. And then when I, when I was with the Mayor well, yunno, bad place and stuff so… then the L.A thing…word got out I was out of control."

Buffy nodded absentmindedly and kept walking.

"You kinda were out of control." Faith looked at her with a raised brow. "Okay, you were totally out of control."

"I know…B I-"Faith said stopping and turning to look at the blonde.

"Don't." Buffy said turning her head away.

"I need to B." Faith said running a hand through her locks.

"Faith…"

"I know you don't wanna hear it, but-"

"I know you are. I just don't wanna know you are. I don't wanna hear it."

"That is not gonna stop me from saying it or feeling it."

"I know. I know. I just really don't wanna hear those words right now in any context."

"Okay B. You said you know I am, so… that's something right?"

"I guess…" Buffy said once they reached the warehouse.

"Good. Okay so… surveillance mission again?" Faith asked climbing the stairs.

"Yeah, but just for a little while." The blonde said following suit.