In the Space of a Journey
Chapter Three
The Streets of Sunnydale
Angel had patrolled for hours without sighting a single vamp or minion of darkness. He checked his watch, and saw it was almost ten o'clock. Buffy had agreed to take over then.
"Should I pack it in, or keep patrolling?" Angel wondered aloud. He thought about it for a couple of minutes, and then realized something. "What would I do if I did pack it in? Sit at home in the dark?"
He decided to go by Giles's house, and see if the Watcher had any last-minute instructions for him before the gang left the next morning. Not that Angel always obeyed any order Giles gave, but Angel had a healthy respect for the man as a leader, and always tried to keep him in the loop.
As Angel made his way to the Watcher's condo, he kept his senses on the alert for any signs of danger. But it was quiet all the way.
It wasn't until Angel had almost reached his destination that he thought he heard something crackling in the underbrush. It was a very faint noise -- without his enhanced vampire hearing, he wouldn't have been able to discern it.
Angel whipped around, stake at the ready, and called, "Who's back there?"
There was no answer. He hadn't really expected one. Sliding the stake back into this pocket, Angel continued on his way. Maybe it had just been the wind, but in Sunnydale, Angel knew, all instincts for self preservation should be obeyed.
He kept walking and listening, but the noise didn't repeat itself. However, now he had the uncanny feeling that someone, or something, was following him. He kept going, ready if it rushed him. But it never did, and that made Angel all the more worried.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Amy asked for the forth time as they pulled up in front of the building where Giles and Sonya made their home.
"No," Buffy replied shortly. Seeing the look on her friend's face, she softened and said, "I'm really sorry, Amy, I just can't right now. There's too much stuff swirling around inside of me. I can't make sense of it all..."
"Talking might help," Amy tried one last time.
Buffy shook her head. "I can't. Not right now."
Amy reached over the gear shift and gave Buffy a hug. "Well, call if you need me. And have a wonderful trip -- if you can. Keep Giles safe."
"I'm going to try," Buffy vowed, returning the hug. "You keep Sunnydale safe while we're gone."
"We'll do our best," Amy replied.
"Good." Buffy found a smile for her friend, and then ordered, "Now, you go home and enjoy one last good night of sleep before you're on patrolling duty."
"All right," Amy agreed with a laugh.
Buffy got out of the car, and waved as Amy drove away. Then Buffy walked up to Giles's front door and knocked. It was a mild shock to her when her Watcher answered the door in his shirtsleeves. (He really *doesn't* wear tweed all the time) she thought, hiding a smile.
"Buffy..." Giles said in surprise. "Come in." He led her into his immaculate living room, where she perched on the edge of the couch. He sat down in an uncomfortable-looking wooden chair. "Is something amiss?"
(More than you know) Buffy thought, but she knew he meant something Slayer-wise. "Um... no," she said aloud, "but I just wondered if there was anything special I should do since this will be my last patrol before the trip."
"Ah, I see," Giles replied thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose you could swing by some places you don't normally patrol -- such as Spike and Willow's old lair..."
"I'll do that," Buffy agreed. "Anything else?"
"No, but be careful, Buffy," Giles warned. "I don't think anything untoward is going on there, but if you stumble upon a new vampire din, don't try and take it out by yourself. Call Angel or Sonya and I for backup. Or Xander."
Buffy involuntarily winced at Xander's name, but she tried to keep herself professional. "Right."
Giles's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he looked at her. "Are things quite... er... all right with you, Buffy? You've been down as of late."
She was a bit surprised that he'd even noticed. Around her, Giles was all business... Unlike the caring side she'd seen him exhibit with Sonya. Buffy tried not to care about it, but it was hard trying to forge a relationship with a Watcher who was already attached to a former Slayer. Buffy wondered if such a situation had ever existed before. Then she put that out of her mind. Of course not, all the Slayers before Sonya were dead -- that was why Giles had worked so hard to protect Sonya. This must be the first case in Slayer history when a Slayer and a former Slayer were alive at the same time, and in the same town. In any case, Buffy felt glad that Giles was trying, but she didn't feel comfortable enough with him to talk about her love life.
"I'm fine. I had to stake a vamp at The Cellar tonight. It went fine, but I wasn't expecting it. I guess it just unsettled me a little..." she told him.
Giles didn't look like he bought it, and seemed about to say something else, when suddenly the door to his apartment burst open and Angel came through it at a run. Once inside, he closed the door and turned the deadbolt. Buffy and Giles sprang to their feet.
"How did you...?" Buffy asked.
"He's been invited for months," Giles explained. Then he looked at Angel. "What's wrong?"
"Someone's following me," Angel answered. "Whoever they are, they're good. I couldn't find them."
"Then how did you know they were there?" Buffy asked.
"I could sense them, but I couldn't see them," Angel explained. "I figure I could probably take them, but I was headed here anyway, so I thought I'd check for backup, in case there are a lot of them."
Buffy was about to question Angel further when the window over the television broke with a loud crash, and a figure swung inside on a rope, high-heeled boots first.
The first to regain her composure, Buffy lunged for the figure in black, despite the shards of broken glass, but the figure darted away. Then Buffy recognized her. "Petunia?"
The girl paused and glared at Buffy. She was wearing the same outfit that she'd had on at The Cellar, but this time it was accessorized with a belt of weapons -- knives, stakes and even guns. "What kind of Slayer are you, anyway?" she demanded harshly.
Everyone froze at that comment. Buffy finally regained her tongue. "What are you talking about, and how do you know...?"
Petunia took advantage of their confusion, and leapt toward Angel with an extended stake. They could hear her saying, "What kind of a Slayer or a Watcher consorts with vampires?"
Realizing that Petunia really meant to kill Angel, Buffy launched herself toward the girl as Angel deftly moved out of her way. Buffy grabbed the girl's booted feet, and Angel took hold of Petunia's wrists, pinching a nerve so she was forced to drop the stake. Giles reached into his weapons cabinet (he had one in every room in the condo) and pulled out a length of rope. Working together, they had the girl tied to the wooden chair within seconds, and then removed her weapons belt so she couldn't try any tricks.
"Now it's our turn to ask you a few questions," Buffy said. "Who are you, and how do you know all this? And why have you been following us around."
"Us?" Angel looked at Buffy.
"She was at The Cellar tonight," Buffy explained tersely. "Dancing with Xander. She knew my name... And I assume she was the one following you just now..."
Angel looked at Petunia's scowling face. "She'll have to answer that one."
Petunia glared up at him. "I don't talk to vampires. I track them to their lairs and kill them while they sleep. Or I fight them -- that's even better."
"He's not your ordinary vampire," Giles said gently.
"What kind of Watcher are you?" Petunia demanded. "A vampire had access to your house and your Slayer!"
"Angel has a soul," Giles broke in to explain. "Due to a curse, his human soul is bound within his vampire body. He makes us a good ally, especially on the Hellmouth."
"Hellmouth, schmellmouth," Petunia muttered, darting another death-look at Angel. "There isn't a vampire on this earth that shouldn't be staked."
"Whatever," Buffy broke into the conversation. "What I want to know is why you're here, and how you know all this stuff about us. And you'd better believe that we are not letting you go until you tell us."
"You're just still bitter that I stole a kiss from your man," Petunia answered in a mocking tone. "Afraid Xander will want more of them?"
Buffy pulled her hand back and slapped Petunia across the cheek.
"Buffy!" Giles reprimanded her, shocked.
Angel grabbed Buffy's arm before the Slayer could strike another blow. A red welt was already forming across the other girl's cheek. "Don't do that again, Buffy. You have an unfair advantage."
Knowing Angel was right -- Petunia was bound and a non-Slayer, it was nothing like a fair fight -- Buffy relaxed her arm. When Angel let her go, she walked to the other side of the room to let Giles and the vampire conduct the interrogation.
"Tell us where you came from and why you're here," Giles tried again.
Petunia looked up at him with a calm stare, despite the mark on her cheek. "You are Mr. Rupert Giles?"
"I am." Giles nodded affirmatively.
"I will tell you, and the Slayer," Petunia darted a glare at the girl on the other side of the room, "but I will not tell you while the vampire is here."
"Tough luck, Toots," Buffy called. "Angel is part of our team, an invaluable ally. He's saved all our lives more than once, and he's fought side-by-side with us as we try to contain the baddies of the Hellmouth. Angel may be a vampire, but he's also a friend. He can hear whatever you have to say." Buffy walked back across the room, and stared the other girl down. "And if you don't level with us soon, you'd better get comfy in those ropes because you'll be here a while."
Petunia didn't look happy about it, but she didn't have much of a choice. "My name is Faith," the girl said matter-of-factly. "The Watcher's Council sent me and my team to monitor and patrol the Hellmouth while you and the Slayer are at the tribunal."
Giles, Buffy and Angel started at Petunia, now Faith, in shock.
"The Council sent you here?" Giles repeated incredulously.
Faith nodded. "Did you really think the Council would let the Hellmouth sit unguarded while you two go overseas?"
"Well, they needn't have worried," Buffy said sharply. She didn't have a good opinion of the Council based on what Giles had said, and more on what he had done. Any organization that would take a paralyzed girl's life to further it's own goals -- no matter how noble -- seemed sinister to her. She tried to hide such thoughts -- after all, Giles had come from the Council, and he was good -- but she had them nonetheless. To Faith, she added, "We have our own measures in place to hold down the fort while we're gone. Who are you, anyway, to get such a position? The Hellmouth is a dangerous place, especially for mere humans."
"Your Xander seems to have done all right for himself," Faith retorted.
"You're a potential Slayer, aren't you?" Giles spoke up.
Faith nodded smugly. "They said that if you hadn't interferred, I would have been the next called after Sonya. But since you did, I've been trained to do what I can on my own. I might not have super strength or supernatural healing, but I can take down a vampire by myself, and several varieties of demon."
"Uh... guys?" Angel said.
Buffy and Giles looked at him, concerned by the odd inflection in his voice. He was staring over their heads at the broken window.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.
"I think the question we should be asking her is 'what team?'" Angel didn't tear his eyes away from the window.
Buffy follwed his gaze and saw two young men and a young woman standing there, aiming crossbows into the room. Like Faith, they had on tight black clothing and weapons belts. They reminded Buffy of some kind of commando squad. "Looks like that's moot now -- they're already here."
"Terrance, Rio, Nicole," Faith said, grinning at her re-inforcements, "I'd like you to meet the Slayer, her Watcher and their pet vampire."
One of the young men -- he was tall, broad shouldered and muscular with blond hair and blue eyes -- jumped through the window. He landed lightly on his feet, and his aim on Angel's heart never faltered.
"Let her go," he said in a well-cultured, English accent.
Buffy stepped between the crossbow and Angel, figuring that minions of the Council wouldn't dare kill her in cold blood. "Terrance? Is that your name?" At his slight nod, she continued, "I think we can talk this out. We'll untie Faith, if you all put your weapons down."
"We must figure out what is going on here so all the best resources can be used to preserve life on the Hellmouth during Buffy's absence," Giles added.
The two remaining commandos jumped into the room as well. They all locked eyes with Faith, and she nodded at them. They lowered their weapons, keeping them in easy range. Giles stepped forward and let Faith out of her bonds. Angel handed her back her weapons belt.
"Let me make a phone call or two, and then we will get down to business," Giles said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Half and hour later, a sleepy Amy, an annoyed Jenny, a defiant Sonya, a calm Oz and an impassive Xander had joined the group in the living room of the condo. While waiting, Buffy and Nicole had cleaned up the broken glass while Angel boarded up the window. The newcomers seemed less hostile than before, though none of them seemed to trust Angel. However, they did seem to bestow some level of defference on Giles. Buffy assumed it was because he was a Watcher.
They discovered that the four young people made up an elite team, trained by every resource known to the Council -- supernatural and natural. They were all well-educated in fighting styles and book learning. And each of the four had a unique talent that could be put to good use in the nightly battle against evil on the Hellmouth.
Faith was a potential Slayer. She had an innate aptitude for the fighting arts, weaponry and strategy, and while she still had human (non-Slayer) vulnerabilities, training had enabled her to overcome them in many ways. Terrance, a native of England, had been destined to be a Watcher until his gift of telekenisis was discovered, and he became an asset in other ways. Rio, a slender, dark youth from Spain, was a budding warlock. Nicole, a lovely red head with soulful green eyes and milky white skin, had been born in France, but she had been abandoned to the Council at an early age when her talent for pyroteknics became obvious.
The two groups sized each other up uneasily, no one quite sure what to do now. Giles took charge of the meeting.
"Though there have been some new developments this evening, our main concern remains the same," he said. Sensing a speech coming on, Buffy and Sonya shared a smirk. Faith glowered at them. Giles continued talking, oblivious. "We must secure the Hellmouth while our main fighting force -- Buffy, and Xander and Sonya to a certain extent -- are overseas. Faith, Rio, Nicole and Terrance were sent by the Council, and Ms. Calendar, Amy and Angel are already here. Now, I know the two groups will have problems, but practicality insists that efforts be combined."
Heads around the room nodded.
"Good," Giles said. "Now, because of the length of time he has spent fighting on the Hellmouth, and because of his lack of other obligations vocation and family-wise, Angel is the unofficial leader of our team. It makes sense, therefore, that he and Faith work together to deploy forces."
Faith gave the vampire a black look. Angel ignored her, but looked none too happy about the pronouncement.
"The other alternative is that Ms. Calendar and another memeber of your team," he nodded toward Faith, "serve as go-betweens to eliminate any friction."
"No!" both Faith and Angel protested simultaneously. Then they glared at each other.
Finally, Angel said, "As long as she quits trying to kill me, I can work with her."
Everyone looked to Faith. "All right, I'll do it for now," she agreed grudgingly, "but you'd better believe I'm going to call this in, Mr. Giles. I don't think the Council is going to be thrilled that your big plan for keeping the Hellmouth safe during your absense rested on a vampire, a school teacher and a witch in training."
Amy gasped indignantly, but Angel and Ms. Calendar remained calm.
"Don't worry, Mr. Giles," Jenny said calmly. "I know *we* will not let petty jealousy and irrational, childish feelings get in the way of keeping the civilians safe from vampires and other assorted problems -- if there are any -- while you are all in England." She gave the four newcomers her most imperious teacher look. "And I'm sure Faith, Terrance, Rio and Nicole will realize the importance of this as well."
The four commando-teens, even Faith, had the grace to look abashed, but they didn't make any promises.
"Well, I guess that is the best I can hope for," Giles finally said. "I suppose we can call this meeting to a close. Those of us who are flying out in the morning need some sleep, and Buffy still has to make her final patrol."
Buffy stood up quickly, more than ready to get out of there. She'd had enough of these commandos to be glad that she wouldn't have to deal with them any more.
"Want me to go with?" Sonya asked the Slayer, as Buffy gathered her belongings.
"No, I can handle it," Buffy answered, carefully avoiding Xander's eyes. They hadn't said a word to each other since The Cellar, and she could feel the awkwardness between them. She didn't want to talk to anyone while she was out. She longed for some quiet time, alone with her thoughts and perhaps only a vampire or two for diversion. "But thanks."
"Buffy," Giles called before she could get out the door.
(Damn!) she thought. Turning back, she plastered a smile on her face and asked, "Yes, Giles?"
"I think you should take one of Faith's team with you. She can't go, of course, as she needs to confer with Angel, but if you take one of the others you can show them the places vampires like to frequent. That will help Angel and the others considerably, I'm sure." Giles looked to Faith and her companions.
Faith nodded. "Good idea, Mr. Giles. Nicole, you go."
Sonya noticed Buffy's slight sneer of distaste and stood up. "Are you sure you don't want me to come, Buffy? I know a lot of places from my time as Slayer that we might want to check out." (And it will probably be easier to deal with commando-chick if you have reinforcements,) she added to herself.
Buffy looked over at Sonya and smiled a little bit, relieved not to have to deal with one of the commandos all by herself. "Yeah, maybe you should come after all."
Sonya nodded and ran into her room to grab a few supplies. She came back into the living room outfitted with a backpack full of stakes, holy water, crosses, and other assorted items. She had a crossbow in her right hand.
Sonya walked over to where Oz sat on the couch and gave him a quick hug. "See ya tomorrow, bright and early," she said with a grin.
He nodded. "I'll be ready." He gave her a serious look. "Be careful."
Sonya shrugged. "Hey, it's me you're talking to here. I've only gone on patrol like a million times. No worries. I'll be fine."
The corners of Oz's mouth quirked up a little bit. "I was talking about Sheila."
Sonya pretended to be offended by that and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. Then she softened the blow with a smile. "Don't worry, Oz. Your van will remain intact. Promise."
Buffy smiled as she watched this exchange.
"Stop flirting with the crip and get going already," Faith demanded, an angry scowl on her face as she watched Sonya and Oz. "If you don't hurry up, all the vampires will have gone underground for the day before you even get out there!"
Sonya's spine stiffened, and she stood up slowly, facing Faith with a deceptively calm expression on her face. She walked toward Faith and, before anyone even knew what she was planning, she had grabbed the commando leader by the collar and pulled her forward roughly. In a low and dangerous voice, Sonya said, "Listen, Flower Bitch! I've been fighting vampires since before you even knew they existed, so don't you ever take that tone of voice with me or my friends again!"
"Oh yeah?" Faith sneered, ripping herself out of Sonya's grasp. "What are you going to do about it? You think you can take me on, Miss I-Used-To-Be-The-Slayer?"
Sonya didn't dignify the insult with a reply. Instead, before anyone could react, she leaned back and thrust her leg out in a side kick that landed on Faith's chest. The other girl flew backwards into one of Giles's bookshelves. It rocked back and forth for a second, and several tomes fell to the ground.
Looking down at Faith, Sonya said, "Life on the Hellmouth isn't as easy as you seem to think. You and your 'team' had better be ready for it. If I could knock you down with one kick, imagine what an actual vampire could do. I guess it's a good thing Angel's going to be around to show you the ropes."
Sonya picked up her gear and headed for the door. "Coming?" she asked Buffy and Nicole. The French girl slid Sonya a slightly-intimidated gaze as she went out the door. Buffy gave Sonya an approving grin. Sonya followed the two girls out, and shut the door to the condo firmly behind her.
Glaring at the closed door, Faith stood up and tried to regain her sense of control over the situation. Rio and Terrance moved to her side, asking if she needed any help. She turned her glare on them. "I'm fine. You two, go back to the motel. I'll be along when I'm finished with... *him*." She gave Angel a look, which the vampire ignored.
Amy and Jenny got ready to leave as well. And they were giving Oz a ride. Jenny said a quick goodbye to Giles, and then the trio began the laborious process of getting Oz and his broken leg into the car.
Xander paused by Faith. "So... Petunia... was this what you had in mind?"
Faith glared at him. Xander realized she must like to glare -- she did it a lot.
"Not in the slightest," she replied shortly.
"So, what were you doing coming on to me like that, anyway?" Xander asked.
"Reconnissance," she answered in the same clipped tone.
"Ah..." Xander quirked a lopsided smile at her. "I figured it wasn't because of my pretty face." He noticed Angel waiting to talk to Faith, and figured that Buffy, Sonya and Nicole were long gone by now, so Xander got ready to head for home. He looked down at Faith. "Well, so long, Petunia."
A few steps away, her irritated voice stopped him. "Stop calling me Petunia!"
Xander grinned back at her devilishly. This was the one fun thing that had happened to him all night, and he was going to enjoy it. "Not a chance, Petunia. In fact, I think Petunia suits you much better than Faith. I'm glad you thought of it." Her glare got even worse, but Xander didn't care. He said good night to Giles and Angel, and at the door paused and looked back at her. "Good night, Petunia! I hope life on the Hellmouth is as easy as you seem to think." Then he left.
"Well," Giles said, "I must finish my packing and get some sleep. You two have a nice chat." With that, he cleared out of the living room, leaving Angel and Faith alone.
Chapter Three
The Streets of Sunnydale
Angel had patrolled for hours without sighting a single vamp or minion of darkness. He checked his watch, and saw it was almost ten o'clock. Buffy had agreed to take over then.
"Should I pack it in, or keep patrolling?" Angel wondered aloud. He thought about it for a couple of minutes, and then realized something. "What would I do if I did pack it in? Sit at home in the dark?"
He decided to go by Giles's house, and see if the Watcher had any last-minute instructions for him before the gang left the next morning. Not that Angel always obeyed any order Giles gave, but Angel had a healthy respect for the man as a leader, and always tried to keep him in the loop.
As Angel made his way to the Watcher's condo, he kept his senses on the alert for any signs of danger. But it was quiet all the way.
It wasn't until Angel had almost reached his destination that he thought he heard something crackling in the underbrush. It was a very faint noise -- without his enhanced vampire hearing, he wouldn't have been able to discern it.
Angel whipped around, stake at the ready, and called, "Who's back there?"
There was no answer. He hadn't really expected one. Sliding the stake back into this pocket, Angel continued on his way. Maybe it had just been the wind, but in Sunnydale, Angel knew, all instincts for self preservation should be obeyed.
He kept walking and listening, but the noise didn't repeat itself. However, now he had the uncanny feeling that someone, or something, was following him. He kept going, ready if it rushed him. But it never did, and that made Angel all the more worried.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Amy asked for the forth time as they pulled up in front of the building where Giles and Sonya made their home.
"No," Buffy replied shortly. Seeing the look on her friend's face, she softened and said, "I'm really sorry, Amy, I just can't right now. There's too much stuff swirling around inside of me. I can't make sense of it all..."
"Talking might help," Amy tried one last time.
Buffy shook her head. "I can't. Not right now."
Amy reached over the gear shift and gave Buffy a hug. "Well, call if you need me. And have a wonderful trip -- if you can. Keep Giles safe."
"I'm going to try," Buffy vowed, returning the hug. "You keep Sunnydale safe while we're gone."
"We'll do our best," Amy replied.
"Good." Buffy found a smile for her friend, and then ordered, "Now, you go home and enjoy one last good night of sleep before you're on patrolling duty."
"All right," Amy agreed with a laugh.
Buffy got out of the car, and waved as Amy drove away. Then Buffy walked up to Giles's front door and knocked. It was a mild shock to her when her Watcher answered the door in his shirtsleeves. (He really *doesn't* wear tweed all the time) she thought, hiding a smile.
"Buffy..." Giles said in surprise. "Come in." He led her into his immaculate living room, where she perched on the edge of the couch. He sat down in an uncomfortable-looking wooden chair. "Is something amiss?"
(More than you know) Buffy thought, but she knew he meant something Slayer-wise. "Um... no," she said aloud, "but I just wondered if there was anything special I should do since this will be my last patrol before the trip."
"Ah, I see," Giles replied thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose you could swing by some places you don't normally patrol -- such as Spike and Willow's old lair..."
"I'll do that," Buffy agreed. "Anything else?"
"No, but be careful, Buffy," Giles warned. "I don't think anything untoward is going on there, but if you stumble upon a new vampire din, don't try and take it out by yourself. Call Angel or Sonya and I for backup. Or Xander."
Buffy involuntarily winced at Xander's name, but she tried to keep herself professional. "Right."
Giles's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he looked at her. "Are things quite... er... all right with you, Buffy? You've been down as of late."
She was a bit surprised that he'd even noticed. Around her, Giles was all business... Unlike the caring side she'd seen him exhibit with Sonya. Buffy tried not to care about it, but it was hard trying to forge a relationship with a Watcher who was already attached to a former Slayer. Buffy wondered if such a situation had ever existed before. Then she put that out of her mind. Of course not, all the Slayers before Sonya were dead -- that was why Giles had worked so hard to protect Sonya. This must be the first case in Slayer history when a Slayer and a former Slayer were alive at the same time, and in the same town. In any case, Buffy felt glad that Giles was trying, but she didn't feel comfortable enough with him to talk about her love life.
"I'm fine. I had to stake a vamp at The Cellar tonight. It went fine, but I wasn't expecting it. I guess it just unsettled me a little..." she told him.
Giles didn't look like he bought it, and seemed about to say something else, when suddenly the door to his apartment burst open and Angel came through it at a run. Once inside, he closed the door and turned the deadbolt. Buffy and Giles sprang to their feet.
"How did you...?" Buffy asked.
"He's been invited for months," Giles explained. Then he looked at Angel. "What's wrong?"
"Someone's following me," Angel answered. "Whoever they are, they're good. I couldn't find them."
"Then how did you know they were there?" Buffy asked.
"I could sense them, but I couldn't see them," Angel explained. "I figure I could probably take them, but I was headed here anyway, so I thought I'd check for backup, in case there are a lot of them."
Buffy was about to question Angel further when the window over the television broke with a loud crash, and a figure swung inside on a rope, high-heeled boots first.
The first to regain her composure, Buffy lunged for the figure in black, despite the shards of broken glass, but the figure darted away. Then Buffy recognized her. "Petunia?"
The girl paused and glared at Buffy. She was wearing the same outfit that she'd had on at The Cellar, but this time it was accessorized with a belt of weapons -- knives, stakes and even guns. "What kind of Slayer are you, anyway?" she demanded harshly.
Everyone froze at that comment. Buffy finally regained her tongue. "What are you talking about, and how do you know...?"
Petunia took advantage of their confusion, and leapt toward Angel with an extended stake. They could hear her saying, "What kind of a Slayer or a Watcher consorts with vampires?"
Realizing that Petunia really meant to kill Angel, Buffy launched herself toward the girl as Angel deftly moved out of her way. Buffy grabbed the girl's booted feet, and Angel took hold of Petunia's wrists, pinching a nerve so she was forced to drop the stake. Giles reached into his weapons cabinet (he had one in every room in the condo) and pulled out a length of rope. Working together, they had the girl tied to the wooden chair within seconds, and then removed her weapons belt so she couldn't try any tricks.
"Now it's our turn to ask you a few questions," Buffy said. "Who are you, and how do you know all this? And why have you been following us around."
"Us?" Angel looked at Buffy.
"She was at The Cellar tonight," Buffy explained tersely. "Dancing with Xander. She knew my name... And I assume she was the one following you just now..."
Angel looked at Petunia's scowling face. "She'll have to answer that one."
Petunia glared up at him. "I don't talk to vampires. I track them to their lairs and kill them while they sleep. Or I fight them -- that's even better."
"He's not your ordinary vampire," Giles said gently.
"What kind of Watcher are you?" Petunia demanded. "A vampire had access to your house and your Slayer!"
"Angel has a soul," Giles broke in to explain. "Due to a curse, his human soul is bound within his vampire body. He makes us a good ally, especially on the Hellmouth."
"Hellmouth, schmellmouth," Petunia muttered, darting another death-look at Angel. "There isn't a vampire on this earth that shouldn't be staked."
"Whatever," Buffy broke into the conversation. "What I want to know is why you're here, and how you know all this stuff about us. And you'd better believe that we are not letting you go until you tell us."
"You're just still bitter that I stole a kiss from your man," Petunia answered in a mocking tone. "Afraid Xander will want more of them?"
Buffy pulled her hand back and slapped Petunia across the cheek.
"Buffy!" Giles reprimanded her, shocked.
Angel grabbed Buffy's arm before the Slayer could strike another blow. A red welt was already forming across the other girl's cheek. "Don't do that again, Buffy. You have an unfair advantage."
Knowing Angel was right -- Petunia was bound and a non-Slayer, it was nothing like a fair fight -- Buffy relaxed her arm. When Angel let her go, she walked to the other side of the room to let Giles and the vampire conduct the interrogation.
"Tell us where you came from and why you're here," Giles tried again.
Petunia looked up at him with a calm stare, despite the mark on her cheek. "You are Mr. Rupert Giles?"
"I am." Giles nodded affirmatively.
"I will tell you, and the Slayer," Petunia darted a glare at the girl on the other side of the room, "but I will not tell you while the vampire is here."
"Tough luck, Toots," Buffy called. "Angel is part of our team, an invaluable ally. He's saved all our lives more than once, and he's fought side-by-side with us as we try to contain the baddies of the Hellmouth. Angel may be a vampire, but he's also a friend. He can hear whatever you have to say." Buffy walked back across the room, and stared the other girl down. "And if you don't level with us soon, you'd better get comfy in those ropes because you'll be here a while."
Petunia didn't look happy about it, but she didn't have much of a choice. "My name is Faith," the girl said matter-of-factly. "The Watcher's Council sent me and my team to monitor and patrol the Hellmouth while you and the Slayer are at the tribunal."
Giles, Buffy and Angel started at Petunia, now Faith, in shock.
"The Council sent you here?" Giles repeated incredulously.
Faith nodded. "Did you really think the Council would let the Hellmouth sit unguarded while you two go overseas?"
"Well, they needn't have worried," Buffy said sharply. She didn't have a good opinion of the Council based on what Giles had said, and more on what he had done. Any organization that would take a paralyzed girl's life to further it's own goals -- no matter how noble -- seemed sinister to her. She tried to hide such thoughts -- after all, Giles had come from the Council, and he was good -- but she had them nonetheless. To Faith, she added, "We have our own measures in place to hold down the fort while we're gone. Who are you, anyway, to get such a position? The Hellmouth is a dangerous place, especially for mere humans."
"Your Xander seems to have done all right for himself," Faith retorted.
"You're a potential Slayer, aren't you?" Giles spoke up.
Faith nodded smugly. "They said that if you hadn't interferred, I would have been the next called after Sonya. But since you did, I've been trained to do what I can on my own. I might not have super strength or supernatural healing, but I can take down a vampire by myself, and several varieties of demon."
"Uh... guys?" Angel said.
Buffy and Giles looked at him, concerned by the odd inflection in his voice. He was staring over their heads at the broken window.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.
"I think the question we should be asking her is 'what team?'" Angel didn't tear his eyes away from the window.
Buffy follwed his gaze and saw two young men and a young woman standing there, aiming crossbows into the room. Like Faith, they had on tight black clothing and weapons belts. They reminded Buffy of some kind of commando squad. "Looks like that's moot now -- they're already here."
"Terrance, Rio, Nicole," Faith said, grinning at her re-inforcements, "I'd like you to meet the Slayer, her Watcher and their pet vampire."
One of the young men -- he was tall, broad shouldered and muscular with blond hair and blue eyes -- jumped through the window. He landed lightly on his feet, and his aim on Angel's heart never faltered.
"Let her go," he said in a well-cultured, English accent.
Buffy stepped between the crossbow and Angel, figuring that minions of the Council wouldn't dare kill her in cold blood. "Terrance? Is that your name?" At his slight nod, she continued, "I think we can talk this out. We'll untie Faith, if you all put your weapons down."
"We must figure out what is going on here so all the best resources can be used to preserve life on the Hellmouth during Buffy's absence," Giles added.
The two remaining commandos jumped into the room as well. They all locked eyes with Faith, and she nodded at them. They lowered their weapons, keeping them in easy range. Giles stepped forward and let Faith out of her bonds. Angel handed her back her weapons belt.
"Let me make a phone call or two, and then we will get down to business," Giles said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Half and hour later, a sleepy Amy, an annoyed Jenny, a defiant Sonya, a calm Oz and an impassive Xander had joined the group in the living room of the condo. While waiting, Buffy and Nicole had cleaned up the broken glass while Angel boarded up the window. The newcomers seemed less hostile than before, though none of them seemed to trust Angel. However, they did seem to bestow some level of defference on Giles. Buffy assumed it was because he was a Watcher.
They discovered that the four young people made up an elite team, trained by every resource known to the Council -- supernatural and natural. They were all well-educated in fighting styles and book learning. And each of the four had a unique talent that could be put to good use in the nightly battle against evil on the Hellmouth.
Faith was a potential Slayer. She had an innate aptitude for the fighting arts, weaponry and strategy, and while she still had human (non-Slayer) vulnerabilities, training had enabled her to overcome them in many ways. Terrance, a native of England, had been destined to be a Watcher until his gift of telekenisis was discovered, and he became an asset in other ways. Rio, a slender, dark youth from Spain, was a budding warlock. Nicole, a lovely red head with soulful green eyes and milky white skin, had been born in France, but she had been abandoned to the Council at an early age when her talent for pyroteknics became obvious.
The two groups sized each other up uneasily, no one quite sure what to do now. Giles took charge of the meeting.
"Though there have been some new developments this evening, our main concern remains the same," he said. Sensing a speech coming on, Buffy and Sonya shared a smirk. Faith glowered at them. Giles continued talking, oblivious. "We must secure the Hellmouth while our main fighting force -- Buffy, and Xander and Sonya to a certain extent -- are overseas. Faith, Rio, Nicole and Terrance were sent by the Council, and Ms. Calendar, Amy and Angel are already here. Now, I know the two groups will have problems, but practicality insists that efforts be combined."
Heads around the room nodded.
"Good," Giles said. "Now, because of the length of time he has spent fighting on the Hellmouth, and because of his lack of other obligations vocation and family-wise, Angel is the unofficial leader of our team. It makes sense, therefore, that he and Faith work together to deploy forces."
Faith gave the vampire a black look. Angel ignored her, but looked none too happy about the pronouncement.
"The other alternative is that Ms. Calendar and another memeber of your team," he nodded toward Faith, "serve as go-betweens to eliminate any friction."
"No!" both Faith and Angel protested simultaneously. Then they glared at each other.
Finally, Angel said, "As long as she quits trying to kill me, I can work with her."
Everyone looked to Faith. "All right, I'll do it for now," she agreed grudgingly, "but you'd better believe I'm going to call this in, Mr. Giles. I don't think the Council is going to be thrilled that your big plan for keeping the Hellmouth safe during your absense rested on a vampire, a school teacher and a witch in training."
Amy gasped indignantly, but Angel and Ms. Calendar remained calm.
"Don't worry, Mr. Giles," Jenny said calmly. "I know *we* will not let petty jealousy and irrational, childish feelings get in the way of keeping the civilians safe from vampires and other assorted problems -- if there are any -- while you are all in England." She gave the four newcomers her most imperious teacher look. "And I'm sure Faith, Terrance, Rio and Nicole will realize the importance of this as well."
The four commando-teens, even Faith, had the grace to look abashed, but they didn't make any promises.
"Well, I guess that is the best I can hope for," Giles finally said. "I suppose we can call this meeting to a close. Those of us who are flying out in the morning need some sleep, and Buffy still has to make her final patrol."
Buffy stood up quickly, more than ready to get out of there. She'd had enough of these commandos to be glad that she wouldn't have to deal with them any more.
"Want me to go with?" Sonya asked the Slayer, as Buffy gathered her belongings.
"No, I can handle it," Buffy answered, carefully avoiding Xander's eyes. They hadn't said a word to each other since The Cellar, and she could feel the awkwardness between them. She didn't want to talk to anyone while she was out. She longed for some quiet time, alone with her thoughts and perhaps only a vampire or two for diversion. "But thanks."
"Buffy," Giles called before she could get out the door.
(Damn!) she thought. Turning back, she plastered a smile on her face and asked, "Yes, Giles?"
"I think you should take one of Faith's team with you. She can't go, of course, as she needs to confer with Angel, but if you take one of the others you can show them the places vampires like to frequent. That will help Angel and the others considerably, I'm sure." Giles looked to Faith and her companions.
Faith nodded. "Good idea, Mr. Giles. Nicole, you go."
Sonya noticed Buffy's slight sneer of distaste and stood up. "Are you sure you don't want me to come, Buffy? I know a lot of places from my time as Slayer that we might want to check out." (And it will probably be easier to deal with commando-chick if you have reinforcements,) she added to herself.
Buffy looked over at Sonya and smiled a little bit, relieved not to have to deal with one of the commandos all by herself. "Yeah, maybe you should come after all."
Sonya nodded and ran into her room to grab a few supplies. She came back into the living room outfitted with a backpack full of stakes, holy water, crosses, and other assorted items. She had a crossbow in her right hand.
Sonya walked over to where Oz sat on the couch and gave him a quick hug. "See ya tomorrow, bright and early," she said with a grin.
He nodded. "I'll be ready." He gave her a serious look. "Be careful."
Sonya shrugged. "Hey, it's me you're talking to here. I've only gone on patrol like a million times. No worries. I'll be fine."
The corners of Oz's mouth quirked up a little bit. "I was talking about Sheila."
Sonya pretended to be offended by that and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. Then she softened the blow with a smile. "Don't worry, Oz. Your van will remain intact. Promise."
Buffy smiled as she watched this exchange.
"Stop flirting with the crip and get going already," Faith demanded, an angry scowl on her face as she watched Sonya and Oz. "If you don't hurry up, all the vampires will have gone underground for the day before you even get out there!"
Sonya's spine stiffened, and she stood up slowly, facing Faith with a deceptively calm expression on her face. She walked toward Faith and, before anyone even knew what she was planning, she had grabbed the commando leader by the collar and pulled her forward roughly. In a low and dangerous voice, Sonya said, "Listen, Flower Bitch! I've been fighting vampires since before you even knew they existed, so don't you ever take that tone of voice with me or my friends again!"
"Oh yeah?" Faith sneered, ripping herself out of Sonya's grasp. "What are you going to do about it? You think you can take me on, Miss I-Used-To-Be-The-Slayer?"
Sonya didn't dignify the insult with a reply. Instead, before anyone could react, she leaned back and thrust her leg out in a side kick that landed on Faith's chest. The other girl flew backwards into one of Giles's bookshelves. It rocked back and forth for a second, and several tomes fell to the ground.
Looking down at Faith, Sonya said, "Life on the Hellmouth isn't as easy as you seem to think. You and your 'team' had better be ready for it. If I could knock you down with one kick, imagine what an actual vampire could do. I guess it's a good thing Angel's going to be around to show you the ropes."
Sonya picked up her gear and headed for the door. "Coming?" she asked Buffy and Nicole. The French girl slid Sonya a slightly-intimidated gaze as she went out the door. Buffy gave Sonya an approving grin. Sonya followed the two girls out, and shut the door to the condo firmly behind her.
Glaring at the closed door, Faith stood up and tried to regain her sense of control over the situation. Rio and Terrance moved to her side, asking if she needed any help. She turned her glare on them. "I'm fine. You two, go back to the motel. I'll be along when I'm finished with... *him*." She gave Angel a look, which the vampire ignored.
Amy and Jenny got ready to leave as well. And they were giving Oz a ride. Jenny said a quick goodbye to Giles, and then the trio began the laborious process of getting Oz and his broken leg into the car.
Xander paused by Faith. "So... Petunia... was this what you had in mind?"
Faith glared at him. Xander realized she must like to glare -- she did it a lot.
"Not in the slightest," she replied shortly.
"So, what were you doing coming on to me like that, anyway?" Xander asked.
"Reconnissance," she answered in the same clipped tone.
"Ah..." Xander quirked a lopsided smile at her. "I figured it wasn't because of my pretty face." He noticed Angel waiting to talk to Faith, and figured that Buffy, Sonya and Nicole were long gone by now, so Xander got ready to head for home. He looked down at Faith. "Well, so long, Petunia."
A few steps away, her irritated voice stopped him. "Stop calling me Petunia!"
Xander grinned back at her devilishly. This was the one fun thing that had happened to him all night, and he was going to enjoy it. "Not a chance, Petunia. In fact, I think Petunia suits you much better than Faith. I'm glad you thought of it." Her glare got even worse, but Xander didn't care. He said good night to Giles and Angel, and at the door paused and looked back at her. "Good night, Petunia! I hope life on the Hellmouth is as easy as you seem to think." Then he left.
"Well," Giles said, "I must finish my packing and get some sleep. You two have a nice chat." With that, he cleared out of the living room, leaving Angel and Faith alone.