Foreword: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and/or David Greenwalt. Also, I think I've gone crazy, because this is not something that I normally write. Anyway. This takes place in Buffy's seventh season, and Angel's fourth, up through both's third episode, (except for where Cordelia comes back and Angel's in love with her, because I don't like her) which is as far as I've seen. Old characters will be returning. The pairing situation is complicated, so I'll leave it a surprise. Enjoy. Shouldn't be too many spoilers, if any at all. Also, events from the Buffy books do factor in.
For Kathy, who doesn't even get it, but at least she's there to put up with it.
The Darkest Hour before Dawn
NineBuffy tried to get her feat underneath her to get whatever it was off of her. Her fingers sank into flesh, but the monster did not yield. She could hear the whistling of air around Connor's axes and knew that he was the only one still on his feet, from the sound of fists and Spike's grunting.
The demon clamped it's hands around Buffy's neck before the blonde slayer could do anything. She managed to work a stake out of her pocket and stab the demon with it, her eyes locking on the yellow irises of a vampire. A very old, disgusting looking vampire. It didn't dust, and red and white spots started flashing across Buffy's vision.
Something brushed over Buffy's face and the vampire's face moved away from hers as though something was pulling it back. Its hands left Buffy's neck and scrabbled at its own as Buffy drew air into her lungs. The vampire turned to dust.
As the dust settled to the ground, Buffy's chin dropped.
"Lucky I was here to save you ass, B."
"Faith," Lindsey said.
"Hey Lawyer-Boy. You're lucky this vampire here was able to save your ass, or you'd be worm bait right now." Faith said.
Buffy stared. She knew that the other Slayer had been in prison for murder, so she wondered how the other girl was standing before her. Faith had a bruise across the top of her cheekbone, just under her eye, and a trickle of blood running down her chin. Other than that, she looked none the worse for wear, not like she'd broken out of prison and was on the run. She wore all black, a high necked sweater covering her entire upper body, in a very un-Faith-like manner Her dark hair was pulled back, and she wore no makeup. She grinned.
"You know, you can say something, B," Faith said. "I mean, sure, I tried to kill you, I tried to kill your boyfriend—he was a good lay by the way, but forget I mentioned that—and I was in jail, but I'm here now to help save the world—thanks to the council—and all you're doing is staring at me."
"How?" Buffy asked.
"You'd be surprised how quickly the Watcher's Council is able to get someone out of jail, especially after they've convinced the state and the wardens that they're all going to die if they don't do what the Council wants." Faith explained.
"Not to mention they probably used threats and a little blood letting to get her out," Spike said. He was sitting on the sidewalk, blood trickling from his nose, He flicked his tongue out and licked some of it away.
"That's disgusting Spike." Buffy told him. Spike shrugged. Buffy turned back to Faith as Lindsey walked over to stand next to the dark-haired Slayer. "Did the Council happen to mention to you what was going on?"
"Something about the First, whatever the hell that is. Actually," Faith said, "now that I think about it, didn't we fight something called the First once before?"
"Yeah, my Senior year of high school. At Christmas. It was appearing to Angel as Jenny Calendar and some other people, urging him to kill—oh shit," Buffy said, slapping herself on the forehead. "This is going to suck."
"Oh really?" Spike asked, sounding interested.
"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" Connor broke in. "What's the Council? Who's she?" He pointed at Faith. "Who's this Jenny?"
"In short, the Council watches over the Slayers," Buffy said.
"We used to work for them, don't anymore." Faith said.
"They're people like Wesley, except more… evil. And old. And more British." Buffy said. "This is Faith. She's the other slayer, the Slayer after the Slayer after me. That makes a lot of sense."
"I was called when the slayer after Buffy was killed," Faith explained.
"The slayer after Buffy?" Connor asked.
"Buffy died for thirty seconds, Xander resuscitated her, but another Slayer was called." Faith said.
"Jenny Calendar was Giles's girlfriend. Your father killed her when he reverted to Angelus," Buffy said, answering the last of Connor's questions.
"His… father?" Faith asked.
Buffy sighed. Lindsey answered for her. "Connor was born to Angel and Darla, apparently. He was taken into another dimension, where time passed faster than it does here. Thus, the much older Connor, when really he's only been alive for say, a year."
"I think we should continue patrolling," Buffy suggested.
"I think we should go inform Wesley of what we just found out," Lindsey said.
"Oh wait, you're telling me Watcher boy is back?" Spike asked.
"Spike—" Buffy began.
"Shut up or my stake's going to find a new home in your heart," Faith said. "Because guess what, you're a vampire. I'm a slayer. You know what that means, right?"
"Faith," Buffy said.
"I just wanted to put the fear of the Slayer into him," Faith said.
"Soul," Buffy said.
"No way," Faith said.
"Way," Buffy replied.
Faith checked Spike out. "He like Angel? With the whole, perfect happiness thing?" she asked.
"I don't' know. I haven't tested it out," Buffy said.
"Can I?" Faith asked. She smiled at Buffy.
"Can I just say, ew?" Buffy said.
Faith's laugh rang out as she threw her arm around Buffy's shoulder. Buffy vividly remembered her dream that day, when Faith had tried to kill her. She tensed, but didn't move the other Slayer's arm. She just started walking.
Spike stood and started after them. "Hot stuff, that slayer," he said, as he walked past Lindsey and Connor.
Lindsey shook his head in disgust and kept the crossbow, a fresh bolt notched into it, trained on Spike as the group headed back to the mansion.