Title: Truth Hits Everybody (Chapter 19 of Don't Stop the Dance)

So sorry for the late update! I promise to give you two chapters today with a third to follow soon.

This is the last one before the AU really kicks in. It takes place during 'Dirty Girls'.

I needed to re-hash some, but not all, of that episode because I have changed some dynamics.
I also do a bit of summarizing. Only necessary for setting up what's to come.

Author: Xionin

Rating: R

Pairing: B/S; Other major characters included.

Feedback: Pretty please!

Lia – Thanks so much; that means a lot. Tulip Wicca – Awww shucks, ain't nothin'. Uh oh, I sound like Caleb! Tracy – Thanks for reviewing. I'm so glad you're having a good time. Wolf116 – I promise lots of Spuffy goodness to come. Shadowschild – Thank you, that's quite a compliment! Albie – As always, your kind words uplift my muse and push me to write even more. Aeneas – Wow…I don't know what to say. *blush*

Disclaimer: So I'm walking around the UPN lot, looking at the deserted streets of Sunnydale. A lone tear slips from my eye. So many happy memories. I round the corner and see a door marked 'Costumes'. How could I resist. I poke my way through piles of KY covered latex, stylish Anthropologie clothes and tons of denim when I spot it. Hanging reverently in the corner, it shimmers in the filtered sunlight from the window. I slowly approach, my finger shaking as I run my hands along the worn leather. Slipping the garment from its hanger, I gingerly tug it on over my shoulders. Inhaling deeply, I am greeted by the distinct smell of herbal cigarettes, fake blood, Red Bull and a musky scent that I cannot place. I reach my hands into the pockets and discover a piece of paper. I pull it out, open it up and read. "Xi – Hold onto this for me. Spike"

'Hell yeah' I say, walking out of the room with a new swagger.

Thank Yous: Miss Kitty a/k/a La Grande Beta!

Truth Hits Everybody

Faith has been in the Summers home for all of 10 hours and 47 minutes.

That's 10 hours and 47 minutes too long for her, but she's determined

to stick it out. There are so many of them. She hadn't really thought

about what that meant when Willow told her that the remaining Potentials

were living there. She anticipated being uncomfortable around the usual

gang plus a few extras. But this is more than a few and these girls

look at her like she's a freak. 'The Other Slayer' is what they whisper

when they think she isn't in earshot.

She wonders how much they've been told. And also what's up with the little
scene she'd witnessed earlier.

Definitely something going on with B and Giles. Spike said not all of that
was about me, but that I could tell…something nasty must've gone down.
I know what Icy Buffy looks like, and she was full-on icy with G-man.

A bunch of the slayer-ettes are gathering in the living room,

chattering away like schoolgirls. Someone's made coffee and the girls have

downed it, citing the need to stay alert in case the First decides to

strike. Faith wanders around downstairs, looking around for a place to

hide…or…get some peace and quiet. Being around this many people has her on

edge. She's desperate for a cigarette.

Spotting the basement door, she looks around quickly to see if anyone's

watching her. Certain that no one is, she slips inside and closes it

behind her as she descends the steps. When she reaches the bottom, she

pulls out a cigarette and lights it, inhaling the smoke like a drown

victim inhaling oxygen. It's a lifeline. She slouches against the basement

wall, closing her eyes and shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.

Her. Out of jail. Helping the people she'd once tried to kill save the

friggin' world.

Priceless.

"Canna bum one?" A voice from the shadows startles her. She recognizes

it though, and instantly her mask comes on. "Or are you looking to be

alone in the dark?"

Faith peers under the banister to find the platinum blonde lounging on

a cot against the wall. He is shirtless. What little light there is in

the room enhances the contours of his musculature.

Hot. Damn.

She allows herself a moment to absorb the vision before she gets up

and saunters over to him offering her own cigarette. When he accepts it,

she lights another one for herself. She walks back to the staircase, an

exaggerated sway in her hips, and leans against one of the support

beams facing Spike.

"This where they're keeping you?" She asks with a curl of her lips,

indicating the room with a wave of her hand. Spike exhales a plume of

smoke and sits up, leaning his back against the wall to face her more

fully.

"You could call it that. I do feel…kept." He smirks. Faith snorts.
There's a long silence as they size each other up.

"How'd you get roped into wearing a white hat; your chip?" Faith levels

her gaze in his daring him to lie.

"Know 'bout that, do ya?" He rolls his eyes and reaches over to a milk

crate to retrieve his makeshift ashtray. Faith nods. "Chip's out," he

says tapping off some ashes. He doesn't look up to see Faith's reaction.

"Hunh. And I take it B knows and approves?" She raises her eyebrows.

"Yeah, she's the one 'ad it taken out." He studies her out of the

corner of his eye.

"Really. Well, wonders never cease. What brought on that bout of

goodwill?" Faith's curiosity is infinitely piqued.

Hmmm...William the bloody without his leash.

"Was killin' me." Spike's voice quiets and he lowers his eyes to
the blanket in contemplation. "Slayer was given a choice. She chose me."

It still amazes him that Buffy places her trust in him. Faith notices the change

in his demeanor and crosses over to him. He looks up as she approaches

and, seeing that she intends to sit, moves over to give her room.

"Well bully for you, Spikey. Finally got B to cut you a break." She

smiles at him, taking a drag off her cigarette. He smiles back noting how

different Faith is from His Slayer. He watches her devour the cigarette

with full, red lips. They study each other for a few moments, both with

ever-widening smiles.

"Y'know...Buffy's told me a lot 'bout you. Last I heard, you

were…away." He says, breaking the silence. Faith snorts and puts out the last of

her cigarette in the ashtray.

'Yeah. Got sprung. Time served. Needed for the big fight and all." She

roams her eyes around the room before coming back to Spike's.

"Ah, but you were never really locked down to begin with, were you?

Could've gotten out anytime." It's Spike's turn to dare her to lie.

"Yeah, well..." Faith squirms a little until the scrutiny. "Figured I

had a coolin' off period coming to me. Got a little wild for my own

good...or anyone else's for that matter."

"Yeah...know what that's like." He tips his head towards the chains

hanging from the wall. Faith smirks seductively.

"Ohhhhh...and here I thought those were for...recreation." She grins,

biting her bottom lip. Spike laughs and shakes his head.

"I got...dangerous...for a while. Not anymore, though." She tips her

head in tribute. "So…" He doesn't want to let her get off that easily.

"I'm not the only one on a reprieve?" She shakes her head slowly at his

question. "And how's it workin' out for you?" Faith pulls her legs up

onto the cot and crosses them under her.

"I'll let you know later. I have some...tension...to work off first."

She gives him a wicked smile as she rolls her head around on her neck.

"Bein' around a bunch of girls all the damn time does things to ya." He

smirks and laughs under his breath, watching her out of the corner of

his eye.

"Yah, I guess it would." He smiles, his eyes downcast so that he cannot

see the blood pumping at the base of her neck at a furious pace.

"You have no idea. Man, God help the dude that takes a crack at me

first. He may not be able to walk for weeks!"

Spike laughs with her, noticing how flush her skin has become. He can

smell the beginning of her arousal. Faith pulls back a bit though, not

sure whether she wants to toy with him or not. She decides to change the

subject and see if she can get any information out of him about the

situation upstairs.

"Things seem pretty tense around here, and I'm not talkin' about the

end-of-the-world kinda tense." Faith is itching to get the dirt on Buffy

and Giles. The last time she'd seen them, they'd been more like father

and daughter. Now they seem like they can barely stand to be in a room

together. Spike groans and finishes his cigarette, stumping it out in

the ashtray.

"That is a long story an' I think I'd better let Buffy tell you." He

brushes some stray ashes from his lap.

"Oh c'mon. I won't tell anyone…spill.' She playfully runs her tongue

along her teeth. Spike wonders if she uses sex for everything. She's a

beautiful girl and a dangerous one. It's a refreshing combination. It

would be tempting if his heart weren't spoken for. Still, his lips curl in

response.

"Let's jus' say…a lot's happened since you've been away." He smiles

knowingly.

"Yeah well some things don't change." Faith leans back on her arms

which causes her chest to push out a bit and exposes a bit of her toned

stomach. Spike's eyes dart to her…endowment…and then back to her face and

his smile widens. She tilts her head to the side, grinning.

"Some changes would surprise even you, I think." His eyes glitter in

the low light and his voice lowers a few octaves.

"Yeah?" She breathes. "Name one. Looks to me like not-so-little

Dawnie's still a brat, Giles is still made outta tweed even with the change to

corduroy, Xander's…Xander and Willow…well Will is a surprise. She's

filled out nicely. Probably got a few tongues wagging her way." Spike

laughs out loud this time.

"Oh, you have no idea!" His shoulders shake. Faith arches an eyebrow.

"So spill. You've been here for all the chapters, right?" Spike nods. "So what's the dilly?"

"Again, waaay too much for me to be the one t' tell ya, luv."

"O…K," Faith tries a different approach. "How about this: I saw

somethin' interesting before we left LA. You just tell me if I'm barking up

the wrong tree, deal?" Spike nods, his eyebrow arching. "Will and Fred,

this chick back in LA…helps Angel out…anyway, either I've really been

inside the joint too long or there was some serious flirtage going on

with them right before we left." Spike just smiles. "Nooo WAY!" Faith

laughs and Spike does too. "Wow…damn, girl. You go."

"Yeah, 'ave to say I was pretty surprised when I found out m'self, and

I didn't even know Red then…not really." Faith is still shaking her

head.

"Well, that's it for me. My whole shit is blown away. If someone had

told me 4 years ago that she'd be into chicks, I would've died from

laughin' so hard." She shakes her head again in disbelief. "She got a girl?"

Spike stops laughing slowly and his mood darkens a bit.

"I think she's got something wiv' the bossy chit…you'll meet 'er

later." He lowers his voice and Faith catches it.

"Whassup? You don't like the S.O.?"

"There…was another... Her first, I think. Sweet bird too." Spike smiles

a little as he plays with a bit of the blanket. It's pained. Faith

lowers her voice and her eyebrows knit a little.

"So...what happened?" She asks softly, her eyes darting to the steps to

make sure they are still alone.

"Some asshole shot her. Right 'ere in the house. In front of 'er. Red."

Spike's jaw clenches as the anger over such a senseless death still

haunts him; especially the knowledge that he hadn't been there to help

prevent it, as well as why he hadn't been there. He takes a deep,

unnecessary breath.

"Shit." It's a whisper. "Wow…man, that's...harsh. Maybe you're right.

Maybe I don't want you to tell me." Faith shakes her head again, tossing

her dark hair and runs her hands down her arms as if fighting a chill.

"Yeah." Spike smoothes his hair back roughly. "Got pretty scary from

what I gather."

"What, you weren't around?" She looks at him confused. A dark cloud

passes over his face.

"No." He doesn't elaborate. Faith doesn't push it.

"So…it can't all have been doom and gloom. Anything delicious happen?"

She smiles mischievously. "Something I can use against B? She get drunk

at a party and finally let her hair down with some guy?" Spike laughs

unexpectedly and Faith grins confused.

"You have been away." Spike smirks knowingly to himself.

"Wait, you mean miss high-and-mighty gets down-and-dirty with someone?"

She feigns shock.

"Well…not so much lately…but yeah." He picks some lint off his jeans,

his smile growing.

"Fuuuuck." Faith laughs. "I missed all the good shit." A comfortable

silence settles between the two of them, though they don't take their

eyes off one another. Spike is enjoying the brunette's company and Faith

is wondering whether or not to tell him about their other encounter. She

decides to brave it.

"Y'know..." she leans towards him, resting her elbows on her knees.

"We've met before." Spike arches an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah...met your fist a few times." She laughs, but leans in closer.

"No, I mean before that." She studies him, inches from his face and

watches as the realization dawns on him.

"The body swap." He squints his eyes at her, but his lips are curled in

a smile. She nods and pulls back.

"So you remember that, do ya?" She grins.

"Not somethin' a bloke's likely to forget, pet." He slips away from the

wall, leaning forward to meet her at eye level.

"Oh yeah?" She whispers a bit anxiously.

"Somethin' about riding me at a gallop till m' legs buckle and m' eyes

roll up." Faith unknowingly moistens her lips as she watches the words

tumble from his. "Somethin' about 'avin' muscles I've never even

dreamed of that could squeeze me 'til I pop like warm champagne...if I recall

correctly."

Spike's gaze has darkened as he watches the effects of his voice and

the words wash over her. His tongue curls to the edge of his teeth

playfully. He lets his eyes drift to her mouth, noticing the slight tremble

of desire in her lower lip. There is a beat before he leans back against

the wall and smirks at her.

"Gotcha," he says and issues a grovel-like laugh. Faith exhales with a

hiss and smiles, slapping him on the arm and returning his laughter. 

They're both still laughing as the basement door opens and Buffy comes

down the steps.

"Spike, you-" she stops when she sees the pair sitting cozily on the

cot. Spike shirtless; Faith in a wispy tank top and jeans. Faith leans

back on her hands again, arching for Spike's sake, as she turns her head

to the newcomer.

"Hey, B. Spike's been filling me in a bit on what's been going on

around here." She smiles coyly. Buffy crosses her arms. She feels the

jealousy rising and fights to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks.

So what Faith is here. So what she's sitting on Spike's bed and he's half-naked.

Spike sees the Slayers squaring off and silently enjoys the show. The dark one is using every trick in the book to get his attention. The light one is about to explode.

Neat.

He smiles at Buffy.

"Aren't you usually at work 'bout now?" He tilts his head at her.

"I…uh…thought I'd cut back on my hours. Stay around here to-" she looks

pointedly at Faith. "-keep an eye on things." Faith doesn't miss the

barb. She swings her legs over the side of the cot and stands up,

stretching her fit body for Spike's appreciation. She winks at him and heads

towards the steps.

"I'm gonna go stretch my legs. Catch ya later Spikey...B" Faith brushes

by Buffy as she heads upstairs. Buffy glares at Spike. He grins at her,

but notices the blood rushing to her cheeks and ducks his head.

"Glad to see you two are getting along, Spikey." She practically spits

out the word. He has to refrain from chuckling.

"Jus' talkin', luv. She's feelin' a little lost in the herd." He scoots

to the edge of the cot and reaches for a t-shirt, roughly pulling it

over his head. "Somethin' you need?" Buffy's breathing calms as her anger
dissipates. She uncrosses her arms and walks over to the cot plopping down

next to him. She watches the planes of his back move beneath the taut

t-shirt. She drifts into memories momentarily, before his voice brings

her back down to earth. "Luv?" He turns towards her, concern showing in
his face. "We really were jus' talkin'."

"I know." I'd hoped. The basement door opens and Dawn appears at the top of the steps.

"Buffy...the girl – Shannon – she's awake." Buffy looks Spike in the eye,
silently thanking him, heads out to get information.

-----------------

Later that evening, Spike and Buffy sit on the back steps discussing

their newest enemy...

"I wouldn't worry too much about the seal, luv. Doesn't seem it's

attention 'as been over there lately."

"It's not that...it's this preacher guy. Caleb. I'm not sure what to do

here. What could he have that's mine?"

"Whatever it is, Buffy, we'll get it back. Buffy stands up and begins
pacing back and forth. "Do you have a plan?"

"I want to go over there, but it's obvious that he's waiting for me to

do just that." Spike stands up to interrupt her pacing.

"Whoa..." He takes her by the shoulders. "You really think that's wise,

goin' over there not knowing what sorta set-up he has?" Buffy exhales

deeply.

"I dunno, Spike...I mean...we might have the element of surprise on our

side. And if we take only the best with us, divide into two fronts..."

"I see...well...I'm in, if you're gonna do this. Who else were you

thinkin' of takin'?" He releases her and stands with his arms folded

watching her assume her general's role.

"Let's see...you, me...Kennedy, um...the sorta blonde one...God, I

don't even know their names!" Buffy plops down on the steps in frustration.

Spike sits beside her. "It must seem so harsh of me, not knowing their

names. But- I-"

"Don't wanna get too close? 'fraid you're gonna lose some of 'em?"

Spike's voice is soft, empathetic. He's seen the way she distances herself

from the girls. He also believes this is the reason so many of them

resent him now, especially Kennedy. He's the right hand man.

"You're my Number 1, Spike. I trust you. I know you can take care of

yourself, but it doesn't mean that I don't worry; that I'm not scared."

Spike nods. "But these girls...they're not ready. Not at all. How can I

lead them to their own deaths?"

"Buffy..." He turns to her and takes her hands. "Pet...you're not

leading them to their deaths. You're giving them a chance at survivin' this

whole mess. I mean- they were bein' picked off one by one by those

Bringer blokes 'cause they're a threat to the First, right?" Buffy nods.

"So innit good that they're here together, with you, to help turn this

thing around? Gives 'em a fightin' chance. And they need you to lead

them, luv. You're the Slayer." His fingers draw soft circles on the backs

of her hands. She looks down at them, but she is lost in thought.

"I barely knew Chloe, Spike." She looks up at him. "I mean I barely

knew her name, even. There are a dozen Chloes in that house and I-

can't..." Spike takes her head in his hands and rests his lips in the hair

just above her forehead.

"I know, pet...I know. You're strong. You'll do wha's right. You'll

win. It won't be easy and not all of us will make it, but you gotta

believe, luv. You gotta." He lets her go and she attempts to smile. "Let's

call everyone together and we'll figure this thing out."

---------------

Later that night Buffy takes a small army to the vineyard to confront

Caleb. The result is a disaster as several Potentials lose their lives

and Xander loses an eye. Buffy seems powerless against this new threat.

And Caleb seems to take immense joy in toying with her.

Surveying the wounded at the hospital, something churns inside of

Buffy. She hovers in the ward, seeing the injuries, hearing the moans and

she feels...nothing. Empty. She walks over to the bed of her best friend

and he looks at her with one eye. One eye!

Willow is sitting on Xander's bed, holding his hand and Buffy wonders

why she doesn't feel the need to go sit on the other side. She...just

doesn't feel anything.

Nothing.

She had been wrong, leading them in there like that. They weren't

prepared. And they'd all followed her like lemmings. Like lambs to the

slaughter. And who the hell is she anyway?

The slayer?

A slayer. And not the only one.

I'm fucking making this up as I goes along!

Turning down power from the shaman that started the slayer line!

Pushing everyone away!

Taking wrong turns left and right!

The truth is I don't know what the hell to do. The truth is...

She wants the tears to come, but they don't.

The truth is I failed and everybody else got hit with the payback.

She walks past Xander and heads out of the double doors, out of the

hospital and out into the night.

Alone.

TBC

Next Chapter 20: Canary in a Coalmine.