Chapter 4

Previously….

Faith delivered a spinning kick to the mayor's face, knocking him out cold. "Ascension's cancelled." She told his limp form. She turned to Buffy. "You guys all ok?" She asked. Buffy nodded, the others just looking confused. Faith shrugged, "What? You really think I'd roll with that loser? He wanted me to wear a flowery dress!"

Buffy cracked a smile, hugging the other slayer like a long lost sister.

"God I missed you." She murmured.

"Sorry 'bout that B."

"You. All of you …" Snyder stammered, "Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?" He left, along with his security guard escort, and Buffy nearly laughed out loud.

"Er, Buffy? I think I speak for all of us when I say, huh?!" Xander exclaimed. The two slayers looked round at the group, most of them utterly confused, but Willow with a look of interested near-understanding.

"Oh, damn." Faith said. "I forgot I hated these bits."

Buffy smirked.

"It's a long story."

"I was pretending." Faith said shrugging, just to annoy Buffy. She dodged Buffy's nudge, and suggested, "Should we go to the library… or somewhere else even… he's not invincible anymore, but the mayor will wake up soon, and he could still get us all arrested."

"Shoot. I didn't even think of that." Buffy cursed. "Is he really human? I mean if he's been around for a hundred years…" She was cut off by Willow's squeal.

"EW!" The witch cried.

"Oh god!" Both slayers agreed, turning to that which Willow was pointing at. Namely the mayor.

"It seems your breaking of the ritual chain of events has also thwarted his immortality." Wesley said in far too many words.

"His age has caught up with him." Giles verified, grimacing at the withered body before them. A rattling breath started them all.

"Jeez!" Faith gasped, "He's still friggin' alive!"

"You… You will…all…die for this…" he managed.

"Uh-huh." Buffy said, "I'm shakin' in me boots."

But Faith's face remained solemn as things worked over in her head.

"If I remember my peek at the books right… I'd forgotten about this bit… the effects will take a while… he wont die for hours… even though he's… well look at 'im. He must be in so much pain."

"Faith…my Faith." He gasped.

"I ain't your's." she spat back.

"Please… end this." The mayor's words shocked 'his' slayer. She glanced at Buffy, wondering if the blonde slayer would have done what she'd just decided to do. Faith knelt beside the dying man, and snapped his neck in an almost dismissive gesture. Faith glanced again at Buffy, who nodded, a forced smile on her face.

"Now explanations." Faith sighed. "Great." She grimaced.

FLASHBACK

Buffy stretched, sitting heavily on her bed. Faith had not seemed too happy when she'd left the docks. Buffy wished she knew how to get through to the other slayer, but she knew that her government trained instinct was to retract as far back into her shell as possible. If it bothered her that she'd killed Allan Finch, then she wasn't allowing herself to feel it.

"Hey B."

Buffy jumped off the bed as Faith's voice sounded behind her. She was leaning against the window sill. She'd made no sound when she entered- another super-soldier trait.

"Fay." Buffy called her by this name as she thought the latter. Fay smirked. "You…"

"I'm fine. And really sick of being asked."

"Sorry." Buffy said with a half smile. "So what is it?"

Fay did not meet the other slayer's eyes as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I need your help B." She said quietly. Buffy was stunned. It was the last thing she'd ever expected from Fay. When Buffy still said nothing, Fay looked up in question.

"Well, sure." Buffy managed. "What can I do?"

"It's complicated." Fay told her. "See, to fight the mayor, we're gonna need inside info." Buffy frowned, she'd thought Fay meant help with dealing with the murder. Fay saw her look, and sighed. "I'm not takin' back what I said, B. I'm sorry about the guy, really… but I'll get over it. Right now, we got bigger fish ta fry, and that whole sit. will actually make it easier."

"How d'you figure?" Buffy asked stiffly.

"With trick gone, the mayor needs a new right hand guy… or gal. I just applied for the job." Buffy paled,

"What?"

"Cool it, B. Like I said, inside info." Buffy nodded slowly in comprehension.

"But for that to work…" The blonde slayer said,

"Everyone has to believe." Fay confirmed. "So it comes to military tactics. Deep cover. I'm tellin' you cos I need you to know I got a plan. But everyone else has to think I'm 100% bad guy, consumed by the dark side, and all that."

"Everyone? Angel wont take it that easy."

"I know. That's the other reason I need you in on it."

"What do I do?"

About an hour later, the plans were laid.

"So you got it, right? Not the slightest sign."

"I know. I haven't seen you since we got back from the docks. Me an' Angel are playin' you, not us playin' him."

"You got it. An' try not to take it too personal, k?" Fay seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'll be fine. Make it realistic. Angel isn't dumb."

"I know. Good luck on the scooby end."

"You too Faith." Buffy said, squeezing the other girls hand. "I thought I'd lost you." She added the latter quietly.

"No way, B. I may be a genetically engineered killin' machine, but I got a thing against government." She winced. "I hope the mayor ain't friendly with Lydecker, cos then, sorry B but the whole plan goes down the drain when I try to kill 'em both."

Buffy smirked now.

            "I'll help, if it comes to Lydecker."

            "Hey, you don't wanna get involved in my family probs B."

            "Can't help it. You an' me, there's no one else like us in the whole damn world. If that doesn't make us family, I don't know what does." She smiled softly, and her heart leapt when Faith returned it, completely genuine.

            "Take care, B."

            "You too." Faith vaulted the window sill and dropped into the night. Buffy sighed. This would not be easy.

Back to the present.

            "Then what about the demon selling the books?" Willow asked. "I thought you killed him and took the books."

            "Ah, yeah, that was a major screw up. See, I was sent out with a group vamps…

FLASHBACK

            "So, you got the books?" Faith drawled, flouncing into the apartment.

            "I-I-if you've got the money." Skyler stuttered, looking round at Faith and the three vamps. Faith tutted,

            "Uh-uh. We ain't payin'. You're gonna give us those books, now." She ordered. He swallowed, and backed into the room, allowing them entry.

            "I'll get them." He said, but seemed frozen to the spot. Faith wandered round the room, taking a look. Hearing a yell, she turned to see one vamp covered in blood, Skyler falling to the ground.

            "No!" Faith yelled. "What the fuck do ya think you're doin'?" She cried at the vamp.

            "Hey, we got the books!" called another of the vamps, who'd gone to look through Skyler's wardrobe. Faith controlled her breathing.

            "Ok, then. You're damn lucky though, what if he'd hidden them, morons?"

            "Who you callin' morons, slayer?" He spat the words. "I don't know what the boss was thinkin' but I really don't like bein' bossed around by a killer of our kind! You're scum. What do you think boys?" He looked to his friends, "Why don't we just take her out and be done? I mean, it's not our fault if the nasty demon killed her is it?" His cocky tone wilted a little in the slayer's gaze. She was smiling very broadly. There was a glint in her eyes, and the vampire had to do a double take, remembering that the girl was merely human, and that her eyes definitely shouldn't look so cat-like. "We… we're gonna take you down slayer."

Faith bit her bottom lip, almost purring,

            "Oh, I would love to see you try."

The vamps ran.

Present

            "And of course there is always the question of- why the hell did ya kidnap Will!?" Xander exclaimed. Fay frowned defensively,

            "Well I was with vamps, wasn't I! An' I still hadn't gotten my hands on all the books yet, so I wasn't givin' the game up yet. Sorry, Will, didn't have a choice."

            "But what about the threatening me bit?" Willow squeaked.

            "Had to keep you thinkin' I was bad too, right?" …The slayer caved, "An' I love to see you squirm, ok?" Buffy cracked a smile, while Willow still looked unsure. "Sorry." Faith said.

            "So all this time… you've been under cover?" Xander said softly.

            "Yup."

            "But when you nearly strangled me… that was before the under cover?" he asked. Faith winced.

            "I was… to say tense is an understatement. I was in a… stage." She glanced at Buffy. "I'm sorry, Xand, I freaked…" There was not one person in the room, not even the dark haired slayer herself that wasn't at least slightly shocked by the utter sadness and defeat in her voice.

            "Hey, its ok." Xander said.

            "No…" she said, shaking her head, "It's not. I'm sorry, all o' you. I really did screw up."

            "We all screw up now an' then." Buffy said quietly. "S'what makes us human." Only Giles and Wesley missed the significance of the comment. Fay smiled at her fellow slayer.

            "Thanks B… hey, you reckon I'll be able to keep my sweet crib?" This triggered the usually care-free banter, and Giles smiled, the worries of the recent weeks rolling off like water. Faith was back in the fold, the threat of the mayor was no more… he could deal with explaining the mayor's death later.

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