"Let me guess," Faith looked away from the torn apart body and at Spike who stood at a safe distance next to her. The vampire's behavior was something she didn't understand. She knew that he knew they were both on the same side and she had promised her stake wouldn't be finding its way near him. Still, Spike seemed unusually cautious around her. Added to the fact that she had barely seen him during the past three months, made her curious as to what was going on in the vampire's head. "You found me and told me so I wouldn't think you did it when I read about it in the paper tomorrow."
Spike took offense. That was indeed the main reason he had sought her out to tell her about it but it was still rude of her to assume such a thing. "And what makes you think I would have been worried about you assuming it was me?" His defense banked on the assumption Faith didn't know much about his past. "Ripping people apart from the inside out isn't exactly in style for a vampire. Much too much wasted blood."
She smiled almost flirtatiously with him, causing him to take another step back as he feared she was either about to jump him or stake him and neither was a pleasant thought. "Come on now William the Bloody, just because I dropped out of Slayer school doesn't I don't know a little bit about your past."
"William the Bloody," Robert quietly mused, recognizing the name from some reading he had done on vampires and other demons during his travels. "Spike," he commented, further making the connection with other readings of his and with the brief lowdown Angel had given him on Sunnydale before he came.
"What, you've been telling your little friend about me?" Spike asked, glaring at Faith. Faith not answering, Spike decided to return to the matter at hand, ignoring Faith's new friend. "Even if it does vaguely resemble something I might have enjoyed doing in the past, it definitely doesn't fit the whole vampire with a sole motif I've got going."
"I know it wasn't you Spike," Faith dropped the game, Spike seeming to actually think she was being serious.
"Good," Spike's voice dropped as he realized he no longer needed to defend himself. "'Bout tired of this whole having to prove I'm not evil bit."
Faith smiled and shook her head. "Oh, it's not having the soul that makes me sure you didn't do it." Spike raised an eyebrow in curiosity; Faith stepped closer to him, smile disappearing. "I know you didn't do it because you know what I would do to you if you did."
"You threatening me Slayer?" Spike said grimly, taking a step closer to Faith, standing close enough to feel her breath upon his face.
"Promising," Faith cocked her head and glared at him.
"Talicar demon," Robert said, kneeling near and examining the body, again breaking the silent tension between Faith and Spike. Spike, unlike Faith, had heard of that particular type of demon. He had of course considered the possibility when he first saw the body but ruled it out, the last sighting of Talicar demon being more than one hundred years ago; most assuming they had been killed.
"Don't be a nitwit," Spike responded, his feelings toward this newly arrived companion of Faith's quite clear in his voice. Robert did not acknowledge Spike's insult, merely continued with his examination of the body, prompting the vampire to continue. "Talicar demons haven't been seen or heard from for over a hundred years, they're extinct." Spike paused and thought for a moment. "How do you know about Talicar demons anyways? Let me guess, books, always books."
Faith looked at Robert who did not seem deterred by Spike's quick dismissal of his theory. "You know something?"
"They're not extinct," he answered, slowly standing and making his way towards the Slayer. "At least three I ran into a month ago looked pretty lively at the time."
"You're serious?" Spike's voice was grave. If the Talicar demons were still alive and had come to Sunnydale, bad things were bound to start happening and Spike wanted nothing to do with it. "You're sure they were the Talicar?" He was not willing to accept so simple an explanation so quickly. "I mean the demon world is full of posers." Faith shot him a glare. "Just saying," the vampire gave a defensive shrug.
"I tracked one of them to a small village just across the border in Mexico," Robert explained. "They had a contract there, some local witch doctor that'd pissed off a big wig in the underworld. They got to him before I did. I managed to kill one but the other two got away."
"Contract?" Having never heard of this particular breed of demon, Faith didn't grasp that part. "Demons that kill for money huh?"
"Obviously you've never heard of the Talicar, Slayer," Spike masterfully stated the obvious. "Before they disappeared they were considered to be the worst hired guns of the demon world. You give them a mark, they do whatever they have to and go through whoever they have to in order to kill that person and as you can see," Spike waved a hand at the body. "It's not a pleasant way to die." The vampire turned to Robert. "And what the hell was going through your head, tracking one of those things. Not to mention trying to take them on. Only three of those things in history have ever been killed.
"
"Four," Robert wryly corrected him.
"So," Faith tried to connect the dots in her mind. "Someone hired a group of demon assassins to come to Sunnydale and take out miscellaneous sailor number three. Don't buy it," she said, shaking her head.
"I doubt this was the mark," Spike's voice was cold, referring to the dead person as if he weren't a person at all, merely a piece of a puzzle. "He either made the mistake of seeing one of the Talicar's when they arrived or they were just hungry. Either way, no one wanted him dead; they just had fun with him."
"Meaning we better find out who it is they're here for before we end up with another body on our hands," Robert's initiative took both Faith and Spike by surprise. Neither had seen such enthusiasm for tracking down demons from any normal person before.
"Oh wake up," to Spike, the answer was obvious. "You don't send the best demon assassins the business to a town with a Slayer for any other reason than to take out the Slayer." He looked Faith in the eye. "Somebody wants you dead little lady."
"Lots of people want me dead Spike. Being a Slayer means people or demons, especially demons, want you dead."
"Yeah, but you've never been hunted by the Taricals before." Spike said grimly, remembering the only other time he had seen this particular brand of demons in action before. "They don't just kill you, they make you suffer. They make you watch your family, friends, everyone you care about die before they kill you in the most painful way possible." Spike indicated the body in front of them, ripped apart from the inside out. Faith, taken aback by his comment, did not respond. "They take away every reason you have for living before you die."
"Good thing I don't have anything to live for," both Spike and Robert were caught off guard by Faith's sudden statement. Though neither knew her well, it was not something they had anticipated the Slayer saying, knowing that she had her new life in Sunnydale if no other reason to live.
"Don't worry Faith, we'll stop them," Robert offered the only attempt at reassurance.
"Hope you're not counting me on this we train," Spike seemed more than eager to quickly distance himself from the situation. "The last thing I need is for those demons to start thinking I'm some part of your life and they decide to rip me apart from the inside out to get to you." Spike reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Gotta look out for number one you know."
With Faith not responding to Spike's deliberately insulting comment, Robert took the lead. "I'd think you'd be a little bit more interested in stopping these things Spike," he took a purposeful step towards the untroubled vampire. "After all, I think there are more than a couple rather hefty bounties out on your head. You know, after the couple years of helping the Slayer defeat demon gods and kill countless vampires and, oh yeah," the sarcasm in his voice grew thicker. "That whole little thing where you helped to beat down the First. I imagine there are more than a few characters in the underworld who'd pay good to see you taken out."
Spike tossed the cigarette aside, not willing to let the implied challenge given to him go unanswered. "I don't know who the hell you are, aside from a self-proclaimed demon hunter with delusions of grandeur but you've got a thing or two to learn if you're going to be hanging around this town for very long."
Robert grinned, glaring at Spike with a surge of rage running through his eyes. "Despite what you might think Spike, I do know a little bit about this town and despite what you might like to believe, you're not the big bad anymore."
Spike gave Robert a large smile. "I'm getting the feeling you think you can take me." The vampire was laughing on the inside at the thought of a petty human trying to kill him or even fight him when the human didn't have a death wish.
"Anytime you want to find out," Robert countered, taking another challenging step towards the vampire.
"Now boys," Faith sarcastically commented, stepping in between the two, hoping to prevent them from coming to blows. "As exciting of an idea as it is to see the two of you go at it for a couple rounds, just wouldn't work." Both Robert and Spike gave her quizzical expressions as they looked away from each other and towards her. "After all, both of you still have your shirts on and we don't have any oil handy to rub you down in before the fight starts so why don't we put it on hold for now. You know, until I can get the oil and Dawn and popcorn."
Sharing another brief, tense glance with each other after looking away from Faith, Spike and Robert both started laughing, the childishness of their attitudes sinking in with both of them. "You'd better keep this one around Slayer," Spike extended his hand to Robert who grasped it strongly and shook it. "I think I like him." Spike again pointed to the body. "Not much we're going to be able to do tonight, they've fed and they won't be looking to make another kill until tomorrow at the earliest."
"Sure about that?" Faith wanted to make absolutely sure, the last thing she wanted was one of these demons going off and killing someone else because she let her guard down.
"I know enough about these guys to be pretty sure. We'll meet up tomorrow, go and look for them, bring weapons, lots of weapons," Spike concluded as he turned around, heading for the door to the Drunken Fisherman he was tossed out of earlier.
"And where are you headed?" Faith already knew the answer.
"I'm all of a sudden in a good mood," the vampire cocked his head as he answered. "And I think these guys tossed me out before I finished my beer." Spike kicked in the door and strode inside with all the confidence Faith had seen disappear from him when Buffy left.
"Well he seems better," the Slayer remarked to Robert who remained silent. "You have a place to stay tonight?" She turned to focusing on other matters. It was getting late and she had an early appointment tomorrow herself.
"I'll manage," Robert turned and began walking out of the alley. "I'll see you tomorrow night Faith."
"Be careful," she raised her voice but received no reply when before he disappeared into the shadows. Hearing what seemed to be a rather large ruckus in the bar and not wanting to become involved in it herself, she became resigned to the fact that her night was winding down. No kill for the evening, she believed tomorrow would make up for it.
***
"And the band nerds," Dawn pointed out another group of students gathered at a picnic table in the quad, all brandishing black instrument cases of various sizes. Kennedy, walking beside her, listened somewhat attentively as Dawn gave her the run down on various high school social clicks and the rules governing their interactions with each other. "And the football jocks."
More than listening though, the potential simply took in her surroundings. The bright California sun, reflecting off the freshly cleaned walls of the still new school made this place seem a lot more hospitable than Dawn had been making it sound the past three months. Indeed, after listening to Dawn ramble on about the evil of high school, Kennedy was all but prepared to go on her own search for demons around the world, the Slayer finally convincing her she should stay in Sunnydale.
Dawn came to an abrupt halt, pointing her finger at a group of tall, mostly blonde girls in designer, or believable knockoff, clothing, crossing the walkway like they owned not only it but all of the space immediately surrounding it. "Those right there," her voice was a low whisper as she leaned close to Kennedy. "Those are the 'popular girls'," Dawn made quote marks with her fingers for added emphasis that she did not think too highly of Brooke, Alyssa, Amber and their crowd. "Snobs," she added. As they passed, Kennedy simply stared at them in a needing to be staked manner, knowing from their appearance she wasn't likely to think any better of them.
"Hi Dawn," Brooke, a short blonde in a tight blue dress, gave her a wave and bubbly tone as they passed Dawn and Kennedy.
"Hey Brooke!" Dawn enthusiastically responded as the girls continued to pass. "Love the dress," Brooke waved a thank you to Dawn's compliment over her back as the group of girls continued past them.
"I thought you didn't like them," Kennedy was confused, not accustomed to the complexities of high school politics.
"Hate 'em," Dawn answered with a perky smile.
"Then why," Kennedy tried to make sense of it.
"You'll figure it out," Dawn reassured her.
"I'm beginning to think memorizing the weaknesses of over one hundred species of demons will be easier than this," Kennedy and Dawn resumed their strolling through the quad, books in hand, making their way to the halls, classes set to begin in less than ten minutes.
"You know the weaknesses of over one hundred demons?" Dawn was not sure even Buffy could come up with such statistics from memory. In fact, she was sure Buffy couldn't come up with such things from memory alone.
"Gotta be prepared for the job," she answered with a shrug.
"Indeed you do," a deep voice came from behind the two girls. Both quickly turned around, smiles adorning their faces, to see Principal Wood standing behind them, hands held in the pants pockets of his light gray suit. He walked up to them, a smile on his own face. The last time he had seen the two young girls was in the spring, when they were all in mortal danger and it was a pleasant change to see them under more normal circumstances. "How are you two?"
"Good," they answered in unison.
"Adjusting all right?" He turned to Dawn, obviously asking how her new Buffy-free, Faith-full life was treating her. As different as things felt, the sister of the Slayer couldn't tell a lie.
"So far so good," not lying but also not wanting to make things so too perfect.
Satisfied with the answer, the principal looked at Kennedy, silently asking the same question. "Five by five," she answered. "As Faith would say."
"Don't start talking like her," Dawn raised her eyebrows and shook her head.
"Speaking of Faith," Wood asked, looking around the quad at the risk he had somehow missed the Slayer. "Did she give you two a ride to school this morning? I called her yesterday and asked if she would meet with me this morning but I haven't seen her."
"She was out late last night," Kennedy jumped to the answer.
"You know all that sacred calling stuff," Dawn's voice did not hide that she was still put out about Faith sending her home while she ran off with an old friend, no doubt partying for all hours of the night.
"I'm sure she'll show though," Kennedy added.
"Yeah, well, guess I better be waiting in my office then," Wood concluded, knowing he had things to do, regardless of if the Slayer came and also knowing the two girls would soon have to get to class. "Look, if either of you have any problems or need anything or just want to chat, don't hesitate to pop in." He turned around and walked away.
As the bell indicating that classes would begin in five minutes sounded, the two girls proceeded into the hallways. Their schedules, no doubt conveniently arranged by a friendly principal, had them taking the same classes at the same times, making it easier for Dawn to show the new girl around. Taking a seat at the back of Mrs. Feazell's trigonometry class and listening to the start of the lecture with a degree of interest, Dawn breathed a sigh of relief, thirty minutes into the school year and nothing evil happening et.
***
Faith hated being late. She never used to hate being late; she never used to care what time she showed up for something or even if she showed up at all. Growing accustomed to life in Sunnydale the past three months, looking out for Dawn in particular, had her gaining something of a responsible streak however.
She was also slightly more than curious to hear what it was Principal Wood wanted to talk to her about. On the phone, all he said was he had a proposition she might be interested in. Her first reaction was to comment she wanted to stop being that kind of girl; he insisted that wasn't what he wanted to talk about, though jokingly admitted she could do worse.
Walking into the school, struggling into her dark blue denim jacket, two teachers made the mistake of telling her she needed to hurry, that classes had already started and she didn't want to be late. One even offered to "show her the way" in case she was lost. Faith scoffed at the idea she could possibly look that young, not with how old she felt. It didn't take her long to locate Wood's office. Stepping inside, she stood awkwardly scanning the room, feeling out of place as the eyes of the principal's secretary fell firmly upon her.
"Can I help you miss?" The stern faced old woman also seemed to believe she was another lost student, trying to find her way on the first day of school and ending up in the place most hoped they would never see.
"Uh … yeah," Faith felt as out of place as she looked. "Got an appointment."
"Your name?" She opened her appointment book, tapping a pencil against it.
"Faith."
Not seeing anything in the book, the secretary picked up the receiver to her phone, pressing the button that connected her to the principal's office. "Principal Wood, a young lady here to see you, name of Faith." A moment of the silence, Faith unable to hear his response. She replaced the receiver and made a not in her book before looking back up at Faith. "Go on in ma'am." Faith did not offer a thanks, simply walked to the door, turning the handle and pressing open.
Seated at her desk, the principal gave a half-smile when the Slayer entered. "Faith, good to see you," as with Dawn and Kennedy, it was better to be seeing her under normal circumstances than the last time they met. He stood and shook the Slayer's hand, feeling the hesitation it. "Can I get you something," he motioned to a chair in front of his desk, Faith sat down as he took his seat. "Coffee? Tea?"
"No thanks, five by five," she answered with a shrug.
"How've you been doing?" Wood decided it best to ease into the conversation rather than coming straight to the point, wanting to get a feeling on her frame of mind before he got to the real reason he had asked her here.
"Good," Faith didn't seem to be much of a conversationalist.
Wood struggled, remembering that holding casual conversation with people used to be easier. "Good summer?" He thought that an open-ended question might do more to open the lines of communication.
"Not bad." Faith paused. "Slaying. You?"
"The usual I guess, took a trip. You know, after everything that happened last spring, needed a little bit of time away from everything to clear my head. It was good for me I think."
"Yeah," Faith popped a bubble with her chewing gum. "Time away can help." Wood hadn't thought of her colorful past before making that comment, pleased to see that it didn't seem to offend her.
"Well, down to business I suppose," Wood concluded he wasn't going to get very far with small talk. Faith, paying more attention that it seemed, popped her gum again. "I know you're going to be around Sunnydale for a while so I thought I might try to help you out a little bit."
Though Faith knew the principal was talented and had killed a demon or two in his time, she didn't feel inclined to accept his offer. "Look, as far as the slaying goes, I've got it under control you know? Besides, hasn't been too much to worry about lately, just the usual bunch."
Wood laughed softly, Faith instantly realizing she had misinterpreted his offer for help. "I'm not talking about that Faith, though, if you ever do need a hand in that area, I'll be glad to pitch in what I can. Look, as far as I know, you don't have a job and Buffy was one of my best counselors here. I had to let her go so she could handle the First but now –"
Faith cut him off, a genuinely stunned expression gracing her face. "You're offering me a job?" She all but sprang from the chair, suddenly feeling the need to be ready to get out as soon as possible. "Look, Principal Wood, I'm flattered really but –" Wood now cut her off.
"You haven't gone to college, dropped out of high school, have spent the last few years in prison, just received a mysterious pardon from the governor and used to be evil." Faith's expression grew to quizzical, wondering why he had bothered to learn so much about her life. "Did I miss anything?"
"Think you got it all," her voice grew soft as she settled back into the chair.
Wood walked around his desk to be closer to her, sitting on the surface of it and looking down into the Slayer's eyes. "Look Faith, these kids here, they're going through a lot of problems. I'm not going to say the same type of problems you went through but I think it might do them some good to have some to talk to that has been through the worst of life, lived through it and now wants to make a positive difference in the world."
"Yeah, well, wanting to make a positive difference by killing evil things isn't the same as letting kids spill out their problems and telling them what to do. I mean, what if I told them the wrong thing?"
Wood smiled, wanting to break through her reluctance and seeing it wavering. "Look, if that's all you're worried about, just think of what you would have done in their situation and tell them to do the opposite." The Slayer laughed slightly. "Look Faith, you don't have to take this job but I think it would do the kids some and you some good to." With no response from Faith, Wood went to his last reason. "And besides, the school board is telling me I better hire Buffy's replacement soon, threatening to do it for me if I don't and you're about my only candidate. Now you'd have to pass a high school equivalency exam and have an interview with a psychologist before you could begin but –"
"I'll do it," Faith conceded. She would need the money soon enough and the principal was right, it might be good for her, something to take her mind away from her own problems and help her face them at the same time.
"Good, good. Now, how about that cup of coffee?"
***
"Andrew my man," Xander dug his fork into another bite of the five cheese omelet his roommate had cooked this morning. Quickly chewing and swallowing the food, washing it down with a swig of coffee, he smiled. "This is quite possibly the most awesome breakfast I've ever had." He took a bite of the bacon, not too crisp but not soggy either, quickly followed by a sampling of light brown toast.
"Well," Andrew replied shyly, shoveling another helping of hash browns onto Xander's plate. "I just wanted to do something to make you see that having me around here might not be a totally bad thing."
Xander all but ignored his comment as he flipped through the pages of the morning paper, switching between eating and drinking coffee with his free hand. "Man, I'll tell you, you keep this up, you might not have to pay rent."
"Really?" The jobless, former self-proclaimed super villain, enthusiastically took Xander's comment as being serious.
"No," Xander replied dryly.
There was a heavy knocking sound at the door. Andrew was quick to volunteer to answer it, not wanting to disturb Xander from his breakfast or paper reading. "You expecting company?" He asked, discarding his white apron in a corner as he approached the door.
"No," Xander answered, still barely paying attention. He was engrossed a story about a cat saving someone from a burning building, suspecting that a cat with that kind of strength and intelligence could possibly be up to something. "Probably a salesman or you know, a demon sent to kill us." He made the comment to jokingly refer to the noticeable slump in demon activity since the First was defeated.
Andrew laughed, opened the door and was stunned in silence. A large figure, easily seven feet tall, with a snout shaped mouth, glowing red eyes, black scales covering its entire body and long pointed claws at the end of its fingers was standing in the doorway. Andrew shrieked as the demon grasped his neck, squeezing the life from him.