For a moment all Xander and Dawn could do was to stare open-mouthed, and with at least a little fear, at the First. It was Dawn who broke the silence.

"Hey Xander, do you remember the time we were at home, taunting Harmony only I got carried away and basically gave her permission to enter the house?"

Xander blinked and turned his gaze from 'Kennedy'. "Oh yeah, I doubt that any of us will forget that in a hurry, Dawn. Why do you ask?"

The young woman shrugged. "It just occurred to me that the moment I realised what I had done, I was terrified... What does it say about the First Evil when it's less scary than Harmony?"

Xander couldn't help but grin back at the woman who was desperately trying to stifle giggles. "You have a really good point, Dawnster - what's it going to do to us anyway... Bore us to death? Glare us to death?" He turned to look at the apparition. "Ooh apparently going for the second option. Good choice."

Kennedy growled. "Laugh it up when you still can - I will soon be standing over your dead bodies and-."

Dawn cut it off. "Well yeah, that kinda goes without saying - you're immortal or something, right? You're gonna outlive us all... Well, maybe not me in a sense but probably the human part of me. Doesn't mean it'll be any time..."

With an angry scream and a stomp of its non-corporeal foot, the First disappeared. "-soon." Dawn pouted. "See I just don't get the respect - if I'd been Buffy, it would have stayed to hear my speech."

Xander grinned and patted his friend's shoulder. "That's why they're the bad guys Dawn - no manners."

Dawn snorted. "Well, that and the fact that they usually want to kill, enslave or eat all the humans. Hey, do you think my blood would taste different to a vamp - being the 'Key' and all?"

eieio

The First pondered its next move - it could of course go and taunt Buffy but wasn't quite in the mood yet. Kennedy's form smirked and headed for its new target, changing forms as it went.

eieio

As per the agreement of the Scooby Gang, Faith had stayed behind while the majority of the group went and patrolled - Buffy's idea... Hoping that taking time to be 'human' would keep the younger Slayer grounded. Something like that anyway. The old Faith might have kicked up a fuss at that but, during her time in prison, she had come to enjoy spending time by herself, doing nothing more stressful than a bit of meditation.

That was how 'The Mayor' found her, sitting in an abandoned candle store in the mall. She sighed as she was snapped out of her tranquil thoughts. "Everything okay, Daw-" the Slayer's eyes widened as she saw the form of her old boss. "You're not him."

"Oh come now, Faith - you know that's not how it works. There is a part of each person in me... Or rather, there's a huge part of me in each person." It laughed in a way that was purely her old mentor and she found herself relaxing just a little, despite her best intentions so when she spoke, her tone was terse. "What do you want?"

Richard Wilkins III frowned. "That's no way for a young lady to address her elders - especially when said elder is there to warn her."

Faith sighed softly. Most of her knew she shouldn't listen to the other being but she had been trained to react to the man and she couldn't help doing so right then. "What's the problem, boss?"

At her much more polite question, the Mayor appeared appeased. "Much better - the problem is the same as it's always been. Buffy Anne Summers... Here you are, working with the very same not-very-nice-young-woman who not only killed me but who stabbed you with your own knife. You can't trust her!"

Although guilt gnawed at the Slayer, she shrugged it off. "Things change. People change. Even me."

The Mayor shook his head. "Oh, you don't change, Faith. Not you... Not ever."

Faith frowned. "Whether you like it or, I have - I don't want to be remembered as a rogue Slayer who got the definition of 'enemy' wrong!"

"But you already have, Faith - you're fighting against me when you should be fighting with me."

Faith snorted. "And end up like Caleb and the rest of your dead minions? I don't think so."

The First scowled and changed back to its stolen form of Kennedy as the Mayor clearly wasn't working. "If nothing else, be honest with yourself - you couldn't even save this one Slayer, why do you think you can save any others?"

Kennedy smirked suddenly. "But of course, it's not about the other girls, is it? Or saving the world... It's about the same thing it's always been about - you want to get into Angel's pants! Gross, by the way."

Faith glared at the apparition before her. "No, I don't!"

Kennedy laughed cruelly. "Of course you do! Shame though - he'll never see you as anything other than the murderous Slayer who tried to kill his 'soulmate' a time or two. Guess you could hope for a pity fu-"

Faith snapped then. "That's enough - I won't listen to this crap any more! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Her attention was taken away as the door to the store was loudly banged open as Robin rushed in. "Heard your shout..." He frowned as he noticed that the Slayer was visibly shook up. "What's... Who was here?"

Faith managed to tear her gaze away from the space that had been so recently filled by the First. "I... The First was here."

Robin whistled lowly. "You're really in the game now, Faith. What did it say to you?"

Faith wrapped her arms around herself before shrugging and trying to brush it off. "Said I couldn't trust Buffy and that I want to bang Angel." She snorted. "Which just goes to show that no matter how many characteristics of the dead it can get spot on, it doesn't know everything - I look up to Angel the way that Buffy looks up to Giles."

The brunette frowned as she looked down at her hands. "Look at me - I'm shaking."

Robin moved closer and patted her shoulder. "That's exactly what the First does. Finds your Achilles Heel."

Faith frowned. "No, it just talked to me. What, it does a heel thing too?"

For a moment, Robin could only look perplexed but he mentally shook it off. "Um, it's a... it's a phrase - your weak spot."

Faith relaxed a little but managed to look slightly uncomfortable. "Oh. The school thing... I was kinda absent that decade."

Robin shrugged it off. "Point is, when the First came to me, it WAS my Mother - right down to her perfume. It really knows how to freak you out but the important thing is that there's always a grain of truth somewhere. Do you think we need to worry about Buffy?"

The Slayer sighed. "Since I've met her, I've spent most of my time worrying about B. I think, for a change, I'm going to trust her - she has given me no reason not to, after all. She's been very upfront. I mean, I guess we could keep any eye on her but I'm certainly not going to try and do something as stupid as trying to get rid of her and take over."

Robin could honestly think of worse things - especially given the older Slayer's obsession with the evil vampire who had killed his mother... Then again, Faith had the other vampire in her sights. "And Angel..?" He winced a little, had never intended to put it so indelicately.

In response to his question, Faith leaned in and kissed him.

eieio

Buffy sighed with dissatisfaction - she and the rest of the group had been patrolling for the last few hours and there had been nothing to Slay or even threaten a little - even Willie's bar had been completely deserted. For anyone else, that would be a good thing but that left a Slayer, a couple of vampires and a load of Potentials very restless indeed.

She stopped walking and it was only a pure fluke that Rhona, who had been walking behind her, managed not to careen into the blonde. "Clearly there's nothing doing tonight."

Spike sighed. "Which is a great shame - 'cause I've got an overwhelming urge to beat something up." He cast a sideways glance at Angel who glared at him.

Buffy sighed, was about to tell them to cool off when a better idea hit her: "You know what? The Potentials could do with a demonstration of a normal vampire's power..." She eyed the two vampires. "No killing, slaying or staking or generally making either of you unpretty but, yes, let's see you fighting."

She smiled a little at the look of delight on the face of both of the men's faces but was distracted by a suggestion by Rhona. "Buff, as fascinating as this will be, you think they could remove their shirts? Solely for research purposes of course."

Buffy laughed at that. "Sure, why not." She turned her attention back to the vampires. "Shirtless please guys - and remember, no slaying or maiming or I will be forced to intervene."

Spike laughed at the look of reluctance on Angel's face but he certainly had no problem following Buffy's orders - he was shorter but knew he had a hot bod and was more than happy to show it off. "You sure you don't want us to strip off completely, luv?"

Buffy grinned and took the jacket and top he passed to her. "Only if we can find some mud."

Angel had to settle for allowing Willow to take his clothes. Fine - he would settle for beating the crap out of Spike instead.

eieio

An hour later saw the Slayer, two worn out vampires, two witches and a group of equally pumped up and terrified Potentials heading back to the mall. Neither vampire had been willing to end the fight but, the oncoming sunrise and a ratty Slayer convinced them to do just that.

When they returned to the mall, Angel realised that he was a little tired of all the noise that so many young people in one place made so made his excuses and cleared off to an unoccupied shop to relax a little. "Call me if you need me."

Buffy was a little too distracted fussing over Spike to really register his words. "Uh huh." She guided the other vampire off to their 'room'. Angel sighed, shook his head and walked off.

eieio

When the First appeared to Angel, it was in the guise of Darla. "Angel, what are you doing? Didn't I teach you to want more than this feeble life?"

Darla frowned. "See? You used to worship the ground I walked on but that damned Slayer has you wrapped around her little finger - all because of sex which, if I'm not mistaken, was mediocre at best."

Angel sighed. "Look, can we not do this right now? You're not Darla - you're the First. Last time we met, you tried to make me kill myself. It almost worked but, here I am... 'Alive' and well and battling evil. You won't convince me to kill myself this time or to change sides and you can't take my soul so please... Just go away. Go annoy Spike or something." He pulled off his duster, rolled it up and set it on the ground then lay down, using it as a pillow.

Not quite ready to admit defeat, the First changed forms to that of Jenny Calendar. "It seems you no longer feel guilty about my death. How could you imagine you're forgiven."

The only sign from Angel that he had registered the change was a twitch at the sound of a familiar voice. He didn't even bother to open his eyes. "I will never stop feeling guilty about the fact that I killed her. Sadly, she's just one of many. I'm doing what I can to atone even though I never can. Go away now." He turned on his side, facing away from the ghost of his painful past.

With the realisation that it was not going to get any satisfaction from the group, the First decided to go check up on its minions.