"That was fun," Spike says to me as we walk back to the magic shop. "Felt good to terrorize a human again."
I glance at him. "And I'm supposed to be the crazy one."
We walk in silence for a while, until Spike asks, "You doin' okay with this now? That someone's going to try and bring Buffy back?"
I shrug. "I don't know. I mean…I'd like nothin' more, but…doesn't seem like anyone thinks it's a great idea. Angel told me how Dawn tried to bring back Joyce…she probably would have come back all…"
"Non-Joyce," he finishes.
"Yeah. If we can't have B back the way she was…it's not worth it." He nods, then pulls a cigarette from his jacket pocket.
We walk a ways in silence. The streets are dead, not a vamp around. Guess they spread the word as they left Willie's. Finally, I turn to Spike. "What's your deal?"
He glances at me. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, you're a vampire. You don't have a soul. All I know is you've got some chip, and I don't even know what that's about."
He takes a long pull on the cigarette, offers it to me. I shake my head, no, but thanks. He looks surprised. People always seem to think I'm a smoker, I don't know why. "Well, the chip thing…Captain Commando…Riley Finn," he explains off my look, "and his little Initiative boys plugged me up with this chip in my head. I can't hurt or kill anything good. Only demons. Can't get the blasted thing out, I've tried."
"So you're hard-wired, great. But…hanging with the Scoobies? Doesn't seem like your thing."
He rolls his eyes, drags on the cigarette. "And God make it so it wasn't. But, I promised the Slayer…Buffy, that'd I'd watch over the little bit until the world stops. I intend to make good on that."
"You're protecting Dawn?"
He sighs. "There's no one else to do it. Angel's not here. Giles and the rest, they're okay, but she needs big protection. And you've not exactly been Ms. Making Her Presence Known. At least not among them."
"I've been watching out for them. I killed some big scaly thing the other night as it was about to suck the heart out of Xander," I say defensively. Of course, Xander didn't see me, or it, but still…
He raises his eyebrows at me. "Yeah, and that's all well and good, but you're not in the mix. You could be, but you aren't. I am. Whether they like me or not, they respect that I'm protecting the littlest Summers."
I want to argue this, but…I can't. He's protecting Dawn, and while doing that, he's making my job easier. Finally, I nod. "Thanks."
We continue to walk and round the corner to the shop entrance. "Why me?" I ask. "Why are you helping me?"
Spike sighs, grounds out the cigarette with his boot. "I've known three Slayers in my life. Killed two of them. Loved one. Now I know a fourth. I don't plan to let a fourth one die," he says, and walks inside the shop, leaving me standing, stunned. He loved Buffy. I stand, thinking about that for a moment, before I realize that I need to get inside, I have a rescue mission ahead of me.
I walk inside purposefully, to the table where the weapons the gang has collected are sitting. Everyone watches me pick up the crossbow and a few stakes. "He's alive, I think. The plan was to separate us, then lure me to him. I gotta go," I tell them. Angel starts loading up on weapons, as do Giles, Spike and Xander. Willow and the girls are holding some witch-looking stuff in their hands, a necklace and some spices. "What are you all doing?"
"We're helping," Xander says, holding an ax.
I shake my head. "Nuh-uh. This is my problem, you guys aren't getting involved."
Giles looks up from the table, where he's been collecting his own weapons. "Faith, you need back up. You have no idea what you're getting into. It could be quite dangerous."
"I can't let you do this. I've caused enough trouble in your lives, I don't need your deaths on my head too."
Willow steps up. "We're going," she says to me, sternly. I stop loading up and stare at her. Her eyes never waver from my own.
"They're holing him up at that old schoolhouse on Mill," Spike says, "and, there might be some truth to that bringing back Buffy thing."
Everyone turns to him. "Who's trying to bring her back?" Dawn asks, just a little hopefully.
"Willie didn't know. He heard some rumors, that's it. Something about it's prophesized. Buffy's supposed to be here until the end or something like that," Spike says gently.
"A prophecy?" Giles asks, intrigued.
Xander looks at Angel. "You two and your prophecies."
"That doesn't really help us…we still don't know who's trying or when they're planning to do this," Angel says.
"Look, I know this is really important, I do, but I've gotta go get Sloan," I say. "If you're coming, we gotta go. Now."
They exchange glances. "We're right behind you," Xander says, and we head for the door.
I let them lead the way, actually, as I don't have a real good idea where this old schoolhouse is. And as we approach it, I realize the picture I have in my head wasn't too far off. It's this rickety old building, made of wood, with huge windows on all sides. "Used to be a church and the school, like Little House," Xander tells me.
We stop outside and Spike walks around to get a look inside. When he returns a moment later he doesn't look happy. "He's alive," he tells me, "banged up a bit, but alive. There are twelve vamps in there, mean looking guys. A couple of them I know, good fighters, but dumb as bricks."
"Let me and Tara go first," Willow says. "We'll clear the way." Angel looks doubtful, but nods.
"Trust them," Spike says, knowingly.
"Fine, Dawn, stay with them. You too, Anya. Fight off anything that comes near you, but don't engage," Angel says.
"Nothing's getting near you," Spike tells them.
"The rest of us go in full throttle," I say.
We suit up, armed to the teeth, and Willow and Tara climb the steps to the front door. Me, Angel, Xander and Spike are flanking them, with Giles and the girls following. "Open sesame," I say, and kick the door in. I run in, just to make sure no one touches the witches; Willow and Tara follow me.
They clasp hands. "Separate," Willow growls, and the entire room of vamps fly into the walls, clearing the path to Sloan who's chained to a chair in the middle. And it's go time.
Spike runs in screaming, quickly followed by Angel and Xander. The vamps start to get up, but they're stunned. Good. One, two are staked before they even know what happens. A third gets up and sends me backwards with a punch. "Slayer," he hisses.
"Hi, I'm Faith," I say, delivering a backhanded punch to his face followed by a flying kick to his gut. I grab the crossbow that's hanging down my back and send a stake to his chest. "And you must be Dusty."
Three down, I glance at the boys. They're holding their own. The girls are huddled at the front of the room, by the door where we came in. Then I notice a huge hulking vamp heading straight for them, way outta my reach. Willow notices him too. "Desist" she shouts, and the vampire's frozen where he stands. I raise the crossbow and send a little flying fatality his way. He's dusted, and Willow throws a semi-appreciative glance my way. But, no time now for fuzzy feelings.
Spike's got two of them by the arms, swinging them around so they crash into each other. When they fall to the floor he dusts them quickly, only to be attacked from behind by a third. Angel rushes to help him, and I head for Sloan.
"Are you okay?" I ask him, grabbing the chains that hold him.
He nods wearily, his face completely bloodied. I notice a bite mark on his neck. "They fed," I say.
He nods again. "Just a sample. Get me outta here."
Spike's freed from his vamp and I call to him. After making sure everyone else is good he runs over. "You can't hurt good people, right?" He shakes his head. "What happens if you do?"
"Blinding headache," he says, winded as much as vamps can get winded.
"Hit him," I order.
He looks at me like I'm crazy, then I point out the bite mark. He stares at me, realization coming over his face. "Gotcha." He rears back and socks Sloan right in the gut. Sloan doubles over, as does Spike.
Good enough for me. "Sorry, Sloan, had to be sure," I whisper.
"Faith!" Xander calls from across the room. I look up just in time to catch a flying ax. Raising it up I break the lock on the chains and free my Watcher. Giles rushes forth and helps Sloan up and away from the action.
"Bloody hell," Spike moans, getting up off the floor.
"Help them…Angel and I can handle this."
"Like hell," Spike says and jumps back in the mix. There are four vamps left at this point, and I motion to Willow for the girls to get outside with Giles and Sloan.
"Xander! Go!" I yell to him, and he takes off outside with the rest. Angel and Spike are handling the four, and I'm getting ready to go help them when a chain is wrapped around my chest from behind me and I'm jerked up against someone.
"Slayer…." is hissed in my ear, just as teeth sink into my neck.
"Angel!" I scream and he turns to me, a look of horror on his face. He abandons the two vamps he's been fighting and runs to me.
"Duck!" he shouts, and I do, the vamps' teeth ripping my flesh as I bend over. He grabs the ax that's laying on the floor and throws it, taking the vamp's head off. He's dusted and I fall to the floor…blackness welcoming me.
***
I'm outside. It's dark…but I can make out big structures…I'm in a construction site of some kind. I walk around, noticing the equipment…a wrecking ball, some bulldozers…and a huge tower…with a giant metal staircase leading to the top. I look up, up…and stare at the upper-most ledge. I can't take my eyes off it. It's calling to me. Slowly, I head to the staircase and begin the climb up. My body feels like lead, like I'm walking through water. I climb, slowly, steadily, and when I reach the top, I find that it's a walkway of sorts, only at the end of the walkway there's a big hole in the floor. That, and Dawn's up here with me.
I walk over to her. She smiles. "Where are we?" I ask.
"You know," she says.
I nod, I do know. "What are we doing here?"
She produces a knife from out of no where. "Your blood," she says, taking my hand and slicing is down the middle. Blood slowly begins to trickle out. "My blood," she says, cutting her own hand. Then she places them together. The minute our hands connect I'm shocked to my core, a current runs through me so fast I want to step back, to let go. But Dawn has a firm grip on my hand. And then…from below there's a blinding light…white…more electric than what's going on in my body…and then….
I wake up suddenly, sitting straight up, gasping. Oh my God.