Part 7


Los Angeles, California

"I can't feel my legs!" Emma moaned as she and Faith excited the club.

"From the booze or from the dancing?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Emma confessed, as she stumbled slightly and Faith caught her.

"Whoooaaa, Nellie. You've had way too much!"

It was amazing what beer and a night on the town had done for Wesley's uptight and sheltered little sister. Emma had shed her school uniform for a pair of rainbow colored leather pants, a silver top and strappy red sandals that they'd picked out at the mall. She'd danced her little ass off at Le Cirque De Lune and after much prodding from Faith, tried alcohol. Faith herself had knocked back a few, but not gotten carried away. Just enough to have fun, not enough to lose control.

She'd actually gotten to like the English girl, after having all day to talk and get to know her better. They were polar opposites in terms of temperament, life experience, and goals. But Emma had some hilarious stories about her older brother, and Faith served as an All American tour guide (as well as introducing her to other, more universal things such as fake ids).

"Itsh funny," said Faith. "All the other Washers I met are all show uptight."

"It's 'cause I haven't shtarted Academy yet. They inshert the shtick up your arse after you join."

" 'Splains it." Faith nodded sagely.

"Hello, ladies." A big man was blocking their path. "Miss Wyndham-Pryce, if you wouldn't mind coming with me, please."

Emma backed away, her big blue eyes frightened.

"Who the Hell are you?" Faith demanded belligerently. "Some kinda perv?" Planting herself protectively in front of the younger girl.

"I am a member of the Watcher's Council of Britain, Miss. And this young woman - OOOF!" He doubled over in pain as Faith socked him in the stomach.

"Don't you morons ever learn?" She asked in disgust.

Three more guys came out of the shadows; Faith downed one with a flying roundhouse kick to the chest. AS SHE flipped number two into a trash can, Emma got in a timid punch at number three. Faith finished him off by hurling him into the street. Then they both ran like heck.

"That was incredible!" Emma gasped as she ran.

"I know, an' I ain't even shober," Faith said proudly.

******

The next morning, Gunn heard the sound of furious pounding on the front door and went to open it. On the other side stood a short blond man and a short blonde woman and a girl who looked about 14.

"Where's Angel?" the blonde girl asked urgently.

"You lookin' for Angel Investigations?"

"No, we need Angel," the blonde man said.

"Spike here thinks Angel's in trouble. He wouldn't stop bugging me until I agreed to come with him."

"Oh, like you weren't freakin' out, too."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Spike leaned in towards her with a flirtacious grin.

"YO!" Gunn barked to stop the bickering. "What was that about Angel being in trouble?"

"I got a special connection with me Grandsire," Spike boasted. "I can tell when there's something wrong."

"His ex girlfriend, Drusilla, called and told him," Buffy explained.

"I'm so proud of her - She figured out how to use the phone!"

"Charles?" Emma asked, padding down the stairs. "Do you have any aspirin? I've got the most frightful headache."

She stopped and flushed when she saw Spike.

"Oh, Hello." She ducked her head shyly.

"Hey, it's the little girl from the street!" said Spike. "I thought you were looking for Giles?"

"I-I was, but he suggested I come here instead." She smiled nervously at Buffy. "I'm Emma Wyndham-Pryce, Wesley's sister. And you must be Buffy Summers?"

Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing at the mere idea of Wesley having siblings. Although, this girl was not what she would have pictured, had she thought about it at all. Supermodel thin, with legs up to her ears, long dark hair, and gigantic blue eyes. And she was wearing a nice set of cloud pajamas and fuzzy Lion King slippers. Not the picture of Watcherly stuffiness.

"I-I thought it was really cool the way you stood up to the council like that," the younger girl said in a soft, accented voice. "You've always been one of my heroes."

"Thanks!" Buffy felt genuinely flattered. She'd never had an honest-to-goodness fan before. And judging from the enraptured way Gunn was staring at Emma, the British girl had a fan of her own.

"DUDE! Gunn, you got any aspirin? I got a wicked headache!" Buffy winced at the loud Boston accent seconds before her former Slaying partner entered the room.

"B."

"Faith."

Faith jerked her head in the direction of Spike.

"Still hookin' up with vamps?"

"We are not hooked up!" Buffy said indignantly.

"Whatever you say," Faith smirked.

******

"She managed to elude you, yet again?" Richard Wyndham-Pryce demanded.

"She had a companion - a young girl like herself. We believe she may have been a Slayer. We have pictures, your Lordship."

"She's dressed like a whore!" Wyndham-Pryce spat. "I did my best to raise her to be a lady and a proper Watcher, and instead she's run away to Los Angeles and is running around with rogue slayers who dress like harlots!"

"I understand that you wish to have her home, and safe, but you won't find her unless she wants to be found."

"I've lost a child already, and a wife. My second child is disobedient and incompetent. I don't claim to understand what is going on with my Emma, but I fear what will happen if she does not return home."

*You don't like her to leave the house without an escort.* His employee refrained from mentioning.

"She is 17, Sir. How much longer could you have kept her hidden away?"

"You aren't suggesting that I give up searching for my only daughter, are you?" the Watcher asked icily. "She will be brought home--by any means necessary."

******

"So, he's not your boyfriend?" Emma asked Buffy as she stuffed her few belongings into her bag again.

"EWWW! No. NO WAY," Buffy laughed.

"Buffy thinks Spike is disgusting," said Dawn.

"Spike is a hot bag o' sex," said Faith. "Go out with him, Buff. I mean it."

"Nobody asked your opinion, Faith."

"Methinks she doth protest too much?" Emma giggled.

"She definitely doth." Dawn agreed, holding up Emma's school kilt. "You actually wear this?"

"I go to a public school." She seemed mildly embarrassed by this fact.

"In England, public schools are actually private schools," Dawn explained to Buffy, who looked confused.

"I knew that," Buffy snapped.

"Better bone up on this crap, if you're gonna date an English guy." Faith snickered.

"I am not now dating Spike, never have dated Spike, NOR will I ever date Spike!"

"You shorties ready to go?" Gunn asked, appearing in the doorway. Spike was right behind him, and he looked vaguely hurt at hearing Buffy's words.

******

An English Forest (located somewhere near The English Countryside)

Wesley looked over at Cordelia, perched on the boot of Angel's rented red convertible. The midday sun filtered through the green trees and highlighted her chestnut hair in a way those store-bought blonde streaks never did. Cordelia kicked her Nine West leather boots against the side of the car. They were sitting guard duty, while Angel and Darla napped away the sunlight in a small tent.

"I can't believe I let you guys drag me on this trip," she said out loud.

Taking Wesley's silence for agreement, she continued.

"Really. I hoped that, you know, it would be fun or something. I didn't know I'd end up playing Robin Hood. The real dorky one with Richard Green, not the cool, violent one with Kevin Costner. Not that I like violence, but at least that Maid Marion had some backbone."

"I don't believe anyone is having that much fun anymore," said Wesley finally.

"At least we're together." Cordelia seemed flustered for a second, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking away, then reasserted her normal personality.

"There isn't anyone else I'd rather be on the run with," Wesley confessed. Wesley opened his mouth to add a sarcastic remark before Cordy managed to find one for him.

"Me neither," She said softly, and when he turned his head his lips collided with hers.


Go to Part 8