It was night, time for patrol. For Xander and Faith, patrol meant beating up a few hapless demons and vampires, then going to the nearest bar for a drink. Gunn and Doyle usually came along, though more for the drinking than the beating up of vampires. They split up, to cover more ground, traveling in pairs.

Faith and Xander were strangely silent, looking about apprehensively at the familiar surroundings. Too familiar it seemed sometimes. They were in a cemetery, one of Sunnydale's many. It looked no different than any other, but Faith and Xander had no idea that this one held a very special inhabitant.

They walked through the cemetery, unhurried, but somehow managing to appear as if they just wanted their time there to end quickly. Then Faith sensed something that quickened her pace, and Xander knew her well enough to follow without asking any questions. She headed unerringly for a crypt, a look of single-minded determination on her face. She felt something powerful in that crypt and wanted it out of her way as quickly as possibly.

She kicked open the door, vaguely surprised to find that it swung open smoothly, unlike the usual rusty creak. Immediately following the loud bang the door made came a loud British voice, cursing, " Oh, bloody hell!"

Faith moved in, gave herself just enough time to see a peroxide blond vampire standing in front of her before charging. The vampire reacted with admirable reflexes, first slapping her stake away with the back of one hand, and sending the other crashing into her jaw. She reeled slightly from the blow, then heard a loud cry of pain. It wasn't Xander, it hadn't been her so it had to be…

The vampire was clutching his temples, eyes screwed shut. Faith stepped back, confused, but knew enough about vampires to draw another stake from her jacket. Xander came up beside her, giving the vamp a puzzled glance. They'd only seen one other person act this way, and that was Doyle. But that only happened when he had a vision(migraine). So this vamp either had a migraine, or was another seer.

When the worst of the pain finally passed and he had recovered from the throes of his migraine/vision, Xander managed to get a good look at him. "Spike?"

Spike blinked at the young man, squinting. " Oh, its you. Haven't seen you around in a while. How's it going?"

Xander didn't know whether to be puzzled or scared at the vampire's casual attitude. Faith didn't take any chances, and her bruised jaw was pissing her off. She slammed Spike against a pillar, pressing her arm against his throat. " He's Spike? I expected someone taller,"

" Hey!" the indignant vampire exclaimed.

" And less wimpy," Faith continued.

" Hey!"

" Spike, what just happened to you?" Xander asked, shoving his face inches away from the vampire's. He had a lot of garlic earlier for dinner, and his breath was definitely unpleasant. Considering vampires' heightened senses, it had to be unbearable for the bleach blonde.

Spike winced as the smell hit him and resolved to stop smelling. " Migraine,"

" Take some aspirin,"

" Shouldn't we just stake him?" Faith asked, weapon already poised.

" Oy, waitaminit!" Spike protested. " I have a reason for these bloody migraines,"

" Oh, yeah? Do tell,"

" I got a chip in my head, can't hurt humans. Every time I do, it hurts," he explained, eyeing the wooden stake nervously.

" I don't believe you," Faith challenged. Spike sighed and his hand shot out to punch Xander firmly in the nose. The young man grunted in surprise and pain, but it was drowned out by the vampire's cry. Faith pouted. " I don't believe you," she said, when Spike had recovered enough to understand her.

" What more do you want? Ask Bitchy, ask her beefstick boyfriend ask anyone!" Spike shouted desperately, angrily. " I'm not faking it! You think I can't handle you, Slayer? I killed two of you!"

" Yeah, yeah, I know. But why shouldn't I just stake you, you know, just in case you get the chip out?"

" Cause, it would be the right thing to do?" the peroxide blonde offered weakly. Faith laughed, a throaty chuckle that was mocking and sensual all at once. She released him, pocketing the stake.

" Does Buffy know?" Xander asked. Spike nodded resignedly. Faith laughed some more.

" At least we know why she keeps him around," she remarked. Spike's blue eyes lit up in fury, futile though it was.

" Oy! I'll have you know that the Big Bad has come in very useful to her plenty of times before,"

" How? By making her laugh?" Faith responded. Spike opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when Faith's soft hand tapped him on the cheek lightly, twice. " You're a riot, Spike,"

" See you 'round," Xander added, as they both left.

++++++

Gunn and Doyle exchanged playful banter as they strolled down the cemetery, barely paying attention. Gunn had decided against his axe, sticking to stakes and crosses instead. Doyle never needed weapons; he was one himself.

" It's not like any of us really mind," Doyle was saying.

" Speak for yourself, bro. I for one do not like sharing one shitty motel room with two slobs," Gunn poked his elbow into his friend's ribs, and received a small shove in response. " It's bad enough I gotta sleep on the floor, but the notion of cleanin' up is practically alien to you guys,"

" You didn't seem to mind the mess in your crib. Anyway, we can only afford two rooms," Doyle said. " And the moment you step foot in Faith's room is the moment you get tired of living,"

" Man, that girl has some serious issues, you get me?"

" No, not really,"

Gunn offered the Irish half-demon a withering glare. " She brings a different guy home every night, but she won't let us crash in her room. It ain't like she's shy or anything,"

" And that's important, how?"

" It's weird, dude. No one acts like that without a good reason,"

" Thus, she's got issues,"

" Exactly," Gunn pumped his fist into the air in agreement.

" Ask Xander, then. He should know what it is,"

" Hey, Doyle? you ever feel kinda jealous of Xander? You know, 'cos Faith spends so much time with him?"

" No. They're good friends. It's expected," Doyle replied. Then he frowned. " I think,"

" Don't get me wrong, it's not like I mind or anything—"

" Shh!" Gunn's words were cut off by Doyle, who held out a hand in front of the young man to stop him. He leaned forward, listening closely. Gunn looked in the direction Doyle was staring at; torn between making a wisecrack and keeping silent and serious. Before he could make up his mind, Doyle was moving, motioning Gunn to follow him.

Silently, the two crept forward, grass barely making a sound as their feet bent and crushed them. Gunn could hear it before he saw it, though he was unsure what 'it' was. It sounded like a scuffle, but no fight was this silent. They got closer, until their eyes were able to pierce the mists and make out the source of the noise.

It was a slim, dark-haired girl, fighting off three vampires at once. Gunn blinked, and then there were two left. He frowned as the girl whipped around, hair flying about.

" Faith?" he hazarded. Doyle shook his head.

" Too short, too thin,"

The words had barely left the Irishman's mouth when another vampire dusted, followed a second later by it's last companion.

" Wow," Gunn breathed, not quite sure why he was keeping his voice quiet.

" You can say that again," Doyle was whispering also, so Gunn decided to remain unheard.

" Wow," he repeated.

Doyle vaguely wondered why Gunn was whispering, but he shrugged it off and followed the younger man's lead. They crouched behind a tombstone, eyes peeking over the cracked marble like two schoolboys peeping into a girls' shower. Apparently, the girl- whoever she was- didn't notice them. She lingered a short while, brushing dust off her jeans and pullover before walking away. The two men waited until the girl had disappeared from view before standing and exchanging puzzled worried looks.

" Who was that?" Doyle asked, not expecting an answer.

" The Slayer," Gunn replied, a note of finality in his voice.

" But there's only two, right?"

" Not since 99," Gunn replied.

" What happened then?"

" Ask Faith. it's her story to tell,"

Doyle looked sidelong at his friend, wondering what he was keeping secret. Finally, he nodded and turned away.

Only to come face to face with a short, large-eyed, dark-haired girl.

++++++

Slumped in his armchair, a bottle of wine dangling carelessly in one hand, cigarette hanging from two fingers, Spike was the spitting image of a dejected man. Or vampire, in his case.

He was pissed, incredibly so. Bad enough that bitchy had to come here every once in a while and get her jollies off smacking him around, now he had that new bint of Xander's. He didn't mind- much. The girl, whatever her name was, was pretty enough and she was everything Buffy wasn't. He hoped that Xander wasn't her boyfriend or anything; that would be unbearable. Bitchy had Captain Cardboard, do not let this other Slayer have that wuss Xander as a mate. A boytoy maybe, but not a mate. She deserved better.

He took a long swig from the bottle, accompanying it with a deep drag of his cigarette. The other Slayer was hot, he couldn't deny that. A hint of underlying darkness in her playful eyes, with a hidden vulnerability deep within the core of her soul. He understood why the Mayor had taken a liking to her, and maybe why she had gone to him in the first place. Any idiot with a myopic eye could see that the girl needed affection big time, like his Dru did.

Thinking about his ex soured his mood considerably. He took another drink and was in the process of bringing his cigarette to his lips when there came two polite raps on the door. Spike flicked the cigarette away, frowning. Who the in the bloody hell knocked on a crypt door? He corked the bottle, sighed and got up to answer it. Vampire or no, he still kept his manners.

He flung open the door and looked out angrily, an angry remark on his tongue. It never made it out.

In front of him, looking back imperturbably at Spike's angry visage, was Tristan Cole.

++++++

This was his second night here, and still Kaine had no idea what he was supposed to do. Soveliss was little help; the sentient weapon had been strangely silent the past few hours. Currently, Kaine was lying down on a stone coffin in an old crypt. The unyielding stone surface was a little uncomfortable, but the young warrior stoically tolerated it, considering he had no funds to rent a room.

Or get food for that matter. He was starving.

/Soveliss? Soveliss?/

/What is it?/

/Why are you so grumpy?/

/You almost got yourself killed last night and you ask me that?/ the weapon sounded angry.

/I didn't know you cared/ Kaine injected a little sarcasm into the thought.

There was a snort. /Not for you. I just don't want to be stuck here/

/And here I thought we were best buds/ Kaine decided enough was enough and forced a serious tone. /What am I doing here, Soveliss? Why did you bring me here?/

/I don't know. But whatever it is, you'll find it soon. Go out to the cemetery/

Kaine slid off the coffin and stretched, working out the kinks in his muscles. Sleeping on a stone slab is really uncomfortable sometimes. He padded silently to the door and creaked it open, peeking out to make sure no one could see him. He had brought the victim from last night to her home and left her by the doorstep. No doubt by now she'd dismissed him as a mere dream. He hoped it was a pleasant one.

He stepped outside and closed the door. No sense in leaving clues to his passing. The grass made no sound at all as he walked south, a direction picked at random. His eyes roamed the graves, searching for one that might hold a fledgling. His eyes focused on one thing, but his nose and ears were searching for others. Good thing too, because he heard something that brought his hand to his sword hilt.

Someone was walking in the cemetery, obviously not caring to keep hidden judging by the noise he made. Kaine crept towards the sound, blending into the shadows seamlessly and using the tombstones when he needed to. His efforts brought him to a crypt, one of many that dotted the cemetery. But this one was special, as the someone he had been following stopped before it and knocked on the door. Soon, the door swung open, revealing a bleached blonde man. It was plain to the young warrior that the man was a vampire and he crept closer.

Then, the stranger entered the crypt and the vampire closed the door behind him. Kaine sneaked up to the side of the crypt and pressed his ear to the cool stone, listening intently.

++++++

" That's the second time I've heard her name tonight. Is she really that popular?" the girl asked, head tilted to one side, eyes fixed firmly onto Doyle's. Gunn jumped a little and peeked over the half-demon's shoulder, then shuddered when he realized that girl had somehow managed to sneak up on them totally unnoticed.

" Umm, not really. She's just a friend of ours," Doyle choked out, after taking some time to regain his composure.

" Either of you named Xander?" she asked again. When there wasn't an answer, she answered her own question. " Didn't think so,"

" Excuse me, but who are you?" Gunn asked, taking cover behind Doyle's frame. The fact was not lost on the girl, as she smiled slightly, evilly.

" What about your names first?" she retorted, taking a step forward. Reflexively, both Gunn and Doyle took a step back. They'd seen the girl fight; they didn't want to end up on the receiving end.

" I'm Gunn, he's Doyle,"

Again the smile appeared on the girl's lips, disappearing so quickly it might not have been there at all. " What, were you late when they were giving out sidekick names?"

Both men knew better than two take offense to the insult. Both smiled sickly, as if appreciating the joke. The girl snorted, then tossed her head, dismissing them. " My name's Dannielle. As 'Pistol' there pointed out, I'm a Slayer,"

" It's not Pistol, its Gunn," he said, almost automatically, not realizing the words had come out of his mouth until too late. Dannielle smirked.

" Imaginative,"

" It ain't a nickname. My full name's Charles Gunn, spelled with two N's," he replied, a little exasperatedly. He was getting slightly pissed at the girl's superior attitude and it was rubbing raw on his hoodrat nerves, not to mention his ego. Dannielle was silent, and both men shrunk back, fearing the worst. Unexpectedly, a wide grin broke out on her face.

" I like you," she admitted. " You're cool,"

Gunn smiled back, reluctantly. The girl's cheer was infectious, and he found himself liking the girl as well, despite her attitude. Maybe it was because of the attitude. " Thanks. You're cool too,"

" Is he always like this, or is he just always like this?" Dannielle asked suddenly, jerking her thumb at Doyle, who had been gaping slightly the whole time.

" He always like this,"

" I take it you guys know Xander and Faith?"

" Yep, that we do,"

" Good. I need to see them. Can we go now?"

++++++

" Would you come in?"

Tristan smiled, a smile devoid of any humor whatsoever. Spike stepped aside, allowing the other man freedom to enter. He glanced outside for telltale signs of other vampires or Slayers before closing the door.

" Nice to see you again, Spike,"

The vampire walked over and collapsed in his recliner, picking up his wine bottle once more. He tilted it, but found that it had been thoroughly drained. With a dramatic sigh, he set the bottle on the floor and finally regarded his visitor.

" I'd say the same to you, but I would be lying, mate. So I'll just tell you to speak your piece and sod the fuck off,"

Tristan's smile grew ever wider, and his cold blue eyes twinkled. " Spike, don't swear,"

" Yes, mum," Spike responded automatically. Tristan chuckled.

" I like you, Spike,"

" Wuzzat say 'bout you, mate? Now what d'you want?"

" Have you heard of Faustus, Spike?"

The vampire frowned and took a closer look at Tristan, trying to break his impenetrable calm. " Can't say I have. Why?"

" Faustus has something planned for the Slayers," Tristan began.

" Something unpleasant, I hope," the vampire characteristically interrupted.

" Of course. Anyway, he has… recruited me to help him carry out his plans and I, in turn, would like to recruit you,"

Spike blinked. " Where'd a nice Yankee bloke like you learn to speak like a tight ass Watcher?"

" I keep bad company, I suppose,"

" Yeah, supposedly. What do you want me to do?"

Tristan smiled. This was going easier than he'd thought. " I want you spy on the Slayers, do some reconnaissance work for me. Find out their movements, their plans, their weaknesses. Then you'll tell me,"

" What do I get?"

" Why are you still here, Spike?"

The peroxide blonde snorted. " You know that,"

" Right. The chip in your head that renders you ultimately harmless. You're worse than a fag, Spike. You're fangless," Tristan's voice dropped into a snarl and he leaned forward threateningly.

" I take offense at that,"

" But you can't do a thing about it, can you Spike?"

Spike glowered at the man, his demon itching to be let loose. But he knew as well as Tristan that to do so would be futile. " What's your point, Tristan?"

" How would you like the chip taken out?"

The widening of Spike's eyes was answer enough. He shook himself and regained his composure, changing his expression to one of suspicion and distrust. " You know I can do it," Tristan said before the vampire could make any arguments. He was stunned into silence for a while, then settled on nodding.

" What're the details?"

++++++

Xander and Faith had barely walked away from Spike's crypt when his cell phone rang shrilly, breaking the tense silence that had re-enveloped the two. He fished the small object from his jacket and frowned at it, trying to remember how it worked again. Faith groaned at his puzzled expression and grabbed the phone, jabbing the talk button so hard the plastic casing cracked.

" What?" she barked.

" Is this a bad time?" Doyle's voice sounded tinny in her ears. She softened her tone immediately.

" Sorry, Doyle. Kinda edgy, I guess,"

" That's okay. Umm, I got something really important to tell you, but I think you should see for yourself. The motel?"

" Okay. Is everything alright Doyle?" she detected the note of slight trepidation in the half-demon's voice and her concern was almost instinct.

" Yeah, it's fine, good. Umm, we'll see you at the motel, okay?"

" Okay, Doyle," Faith replied dubiously, but before she could continue, he hung up. She did likewise, looking up to see Xander directing a puzzled look towards her. " Doyle. He wants to show us something, says we should get back to the motel,"

" Is everything okay? Nobody's injured, are they?"

" He said it was, but I think we should motor either way. He sounded tense,"

Xander nodded. The normally laid back Doyle never sounded tense, unless something bad just happened. Without any other words, the pair turned and headed back for the motel.

++++++

Doyle paced the floor in front of his bed, occasionally shooting strange looks at Dannielle. Gunn sat in a nearby chair, staring unabashedly at the bed, where Dannielle sat. She stared back at them, seemingly unperturbed. Finally, " What?" she asked, injecting a tone of exasperation into her voice. Both Gunn and Doyle shook their heads quickly.

" Nothing," Gunn said. Dannielle huffed and crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. Before the uncomfortable silence could resume, the door opened and in walked Xander and Faith. They raised their eyebrows at the unexpected silence that greeted them. Whenever Gunn and Doyle were in the same room, they were never silent. This was probably an unprecedented event in the history of mankind.

" What's the sitch?" Xander asked, slamming the door closed. His two friends turned to Dannielle, letting her presence be answer enough. " Who's she?"

" Ask her," Gunn replied.

" Okay. Who are you?"

" Dannielle Hayle, vampire Slayer," she introduced genially. Xander and Faith exchanged worried glances. This obviously ran deeper than it seemed.

" Watcher?" Xander continued.

" Dead,"

" Uhh, okay," he nodded slowly and briefly wondered if the girl was pulling his leg. " What brings you here?"

" My Watcher told me to, right before she died. I ain't one to deny someone's last wish," Dannielle shrugged. " Your pals told me your business with the vision and all. I'm figuring we're on the same side,"

" Hope so," Faith muttered under her breath. Dannielle's gaze shot to the other Slayer and their eyes locked.

" You're Faith," It was a statement, not a question.

" Yeah. You got any problems with that?" the taller girl asked, bracing herself for impact. There was none. Dannielle shook her head, then stood and stuck out her hand.

" None whatsoever. It's nice to finally meet you,"

Faith stared at the offered hand for a long while before accepting it and giving it a limp shake. " Yeah, likewise," she greeted uncertainly. " What's your story?"

Dannielle resumed her place on the bed and recounted her tale, basically the same one she told Buffy. To her surprise, and relief, none of the four objected when she mentioned the necessity of killing the Ravagers. " Buffy must've had a fit," Xander remarked. Dannielle's sly grin was all the confirmation and explanation he needed.

" We've met the Ravagers before," Faith said.

" Please, don't remind me," Gunn said, wincing.

" Bad?" Dannielle asked. Gunn lifted his shirt to reveal a long ragged scar than ran across his abdomen. Dannielle couldn't help but wince herself, and gain a newfound respect for the hoodrat. He was tougher than he looked. " And you all escaped alive. Excellent,"

Faith's mouthful of beer spewed all over the floor. " Escaped?" she choked out. " We beat their asses all the way to Missouri!"

" And spent two months at the hospital after," Doyle noted. Dannielle couldn't help but laugh. This group wasn't as uptight as Buffy's. They were actually pretty cool.

" Hey, you got a place to stay?" Faith asked.

" You offerin'?" Dannielle asked in return.

" Hell yeah. You can crash in my room,"

" Are they gonna have sex?" Doyle whispered to Gunn.

" Probably. Everyone who crashes in her room ends up having sex with her," the younger man whispered back. " We should find out later tonight,"

" Yeah, Faith grunts really loud doesn't she?"

++++++

" I don't know, Riley. I get what she's saying, but this is…is…"

" Murder?" the young soldier finished for the stuttering Slayer. She nodded resolutely and her jaw clenched in determination.

" Right. Murder. She's telling us to kill men, Riley. That goes against everything a Slayer is,"

The two were doing some late night patrolling, trying to let off some steam. Dannielle's words had obviously upset Buffy, apparent by her spaced out behavior. She would babble, then trail off into silence, much like the one she was in currently. Riley draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. She readily accepted his embrace, clinging onto him with both arms, head resting lightly on his chest. They looked like a normal couple, out for a very late night stroll- which probably led to the five vampires appearing suddenly to block their path.

" Lookee what we have here," the blonde vamp in the center said. His companions sniggered, and none more loudly than the bald one at the far right. Buffy's eyes immediately fixed onto him, marking him out as her first target. Riley raised his arms in mock surrender, backing away slightly.

" Hey, we don't want any trouble," he said, as if reasoning with the vampires. The lead vampire laughed again, then morphed into game face.

" Good. Easy pickings for us then,"

" I get the blonde," said the vampire with the long hair. Buffy sighed and slipped a stake out of her pocket. Sometimes she wondered if she should re-dye her hair. Being a blonde singled you out somehow. With a yell, she leapt forward, straight into the blonde vampire. It was caught off guard, and its heart accepted her stake without resistance. A second later, it was dust.

Riley didn't really expect Buffy's sudden charge, so he didn't move until Buffy had thrown her stake into the chest of the long-haired vamp. Then, he ran into the fray, tackling one vampire to the ground. They rolled around a bit, but he came up on top. Two sharp jabs to its face and a quick stake thrust to its chest. Riley was no longer straddling the vampire.

Buffy didn't dust the bald vampire straight away. She needed to vent a lot of negative emotions and baldy was a perfect outlet. She snapped off a right hook to its jaw, following up with a straight left into its ribs. Even as it staggered back she was backhanding it in the face, then using her shin to break two of its ribs. An uppercut to the nose and it shattered. Then she wrapped her fingers together and swung upwards, as if hitting a baseball. Her clubbed fists connected solidly with its jaw, and baldy practically flew upwards several feet, landing some distance away. Then, Buffy ran forward and staked it.

Riley didn't waste time with the last vampire. A quick exchange of blows, mostly from Riley to the vampire and it was softened up for a stake. All Riley got from it was a cloud of dust in his hair. That gave him free time to watch Buffy's virtuoso performance with baldy, and fully realize exactly how pissed off she was.

" You feeling any better?" he asked, while she brushed dust off her jacket sleeves. She busied herself with the act, continuing even though there was nothing left to brush off. Riley knew better than to press, opting to wait instead. Finally, she sighed and looked up at him.

" What do I do, Riley? I'm… God, I don't know what to do anymore," she complained. With a forlorn wail, she smothered her face in her hands and dropped onto a tombstone. Riley knelt down beside her, hand on her shoulder. " I understand what she's saying. These men are dangerous, they killed her Watcher for Chrissakes! But they're still men, and I can't kill men. I'll end up being just like Faith, and I don't want that. Never,"

" So don't kill them," Riley suggested, just to make her continue her tirade and let it all out.

" Will anything else work? Even Giles agreed, they have to be killed,"

" So if Giles agrees, then it's justified. He's a Watcher. Your Watcher,"

" But I can't do it! It's a Slayer's duty to protect humankind, not kill them!" Buffy countered.

" But these Ravagers, they've set themselves apart from mankind. Their actions prove it. And if they really are coming here, shouldn't you protect this town and its people, too?" Riley argued patiently, but urgently. Buffy lifted her face and met Riley's gaze, eyes puffy and teary. " Your duty is to them first,"

She nodded, hesitantly, but she nodded. " Anyway, I'll be there with you," he finished. She smiled through the tears and allowed herself to be engulfed in his warm embrace.

++++++

Kaine, his ear still pressed to the crypt wall bolted to his feet as the door abruptly opened. He stopped breathing completely, and melted into the shadows. He saw the stranger, Tristan, he learned from his eavesdropping, leave the crypt. He gripped the hilt of his sword so hard that it hurt his knuckles. He took a step forward, intending to enter the crypt and slay the vampire.

/Where do you think you're going?/

/I'm gonna kill the vampire. He's a danger to the Slayers. Must be the reason why I'm here/

/No/ The disapproval was plain. /One of the reasons. Anyway, you heard them. He's harmless as long as he has the chip/

/So, I should go after Tristan instead?/

/No. Be careful Kaine. He's dangerous/ Soveliss paused. /Go find the Slayers instead/

/How do I do that?/

/Pay attention, Kaine. Your answer is directly behind that wall/

There was an indication towards the wall of the crypt Kaine was leaning against. He grinned and shook his head wryly. /Thanks/

/Don't mention it/

Kaine rose to his full height, six feet one inch, and strode purposefully to the door. Then he kicked it open. The door flew off its hinges, traveling a few feet through the air before falling to the stone floor with a loud clang. Spike the vampire was on his feet, squinting at the entrance. Kaine had the notion that the vampire had bad eyesight.

" Bloody hell! Doesn't anybody knock anymore?" he shouted, livid in his fury. Dawn was barely a few hours away and he was going to have a hard time putting that door back together.

" Wouldn't want to seem polite," Kane replied dryly, lips pressed together in a thin smile. Spike turned from the fallen door towards his latest visitor. When he saw Kaine's form of dress, his lips parted in a toothy smile.

" What's this? Missed the superhero convention?" he quipped. Kaine strode in, hand resting on his sword hilt.

" Something like that," he replied, giving the crypt's interior a cursory glance. " Tell me, Spike wasn't it? What do you know about the Slayers?"

" How'd you know my name?" the vampire retorted, suspicious. He didn't like imperious type people, coming into the Hellmouth like they owned it, trying to usurp the title of Big Bad from him.

" Heard you talking with your friend earlier," Kaine waved towards the general direction of the door, and the direction Tristan had come from. " Interesting conversation, don't'cha think?"

" What d'you want with the Slayers?"

Kaine drew in a sharp breath. " Spike, you're testing my patience. What I want with them is none of your business,"

" I'll make it my business," Spike replied menacingly, allowing his demon side forth. He rushed forward at Kaine, who sighed. There was a sudden burst of movement, and Spike thought he heard a whiplash. Anyway, the next thing he knew, he was pressed against the wall, a forearm pressed against his throat and a sword-point tickling his belly.

" Now, if you want to continue living, or un-living, you tell me what you know,"

/That was very good, Kaine. You're getting better/

/Thanks/

" Alright, alright. The original Slayer is usually at a magic shop, her Watcher owns it. I can give you the address. The rogue Slayer, I have no idea where she stays," Spike forced through a constricted throat.

/Watcher? Rogue Slayer?/

/Magic isn't as advanced in this dimension as it is ours, Kaine. My role is served by normal humans, called Watchers. Its fallible, but serves its purpose well enough, I suppose/

/What's this about a rogue Slayer?/

/You don't think that concept exists solely in our world, do you Kaine?/

Kaine loosed his grip and let Spike fall to the floor. " About the offer you were made earlier," Kaine used his sword to lift Spike's chin, so he could look into his eyes. " I don't suppose you'll be accepting it,"

" Oh, why not?"

" Cause I'll be making you a better one," Kaine answered. " Protect the Slayers, make sure they come to no harm at all, and if you do a satisfactory job, I'll let you live. Or un-live,"

Spike growled, extremely pissed. He moved with all the speed that he could muster, driving his fist upward into Kaine's groin. Only Kaine wasn't there anymore. He had somehow evaded Spike's fist and replaced his sword blade exactly where his groin had been. It resulted in Spike driving his knuckles through a few inches of cold steel.

" Aaargh!" he shrieked, wrenching his hand free and cradling it to his chest. He was lucky not to have lost any fingers. Kaine regarded him with a slight smile and shook his head slightly.

" I'll be watching you, Spike. Don't do anything stupid,"