Chapter 55

Faith followed Principal Wood through the darkened streets of Sunnydale. She kept looking for ambushes or the glint of a weapon from Wood. Speaking of, he turned into a dark alley and watched her as she reluctantly followed.

"This isn't right." Faith said as she stopped walking.

"I know it doesn't look promising, but I swear this place is great. It's the best kept secret in town. It's just right down this way." Wood said.

"Well, it is one of the nicer dark alleys."

"I promise you, it's just a little bit further."

"Ok.." As they walked down the alley, a vampire stepped out in front of them. Then two more stepped up behind them, growling. Faith started fighting them immediately. There was a horde of them now. She managed to punch them and kick them away from her one by one until she had an opportunity to get her stake out of her pocket. She staked one, then another, then another. "You set me up you son of a.." Faith looked at Wood and found him fighting off two vampires without her help. "What?"

Principal Wood overpowered one of the vampires and staked him. Then he knocked the last one to the ground, staking him too. He flipped the stake in his hand, then returned it to his belt holster as he walked back to Faith.

"I guess we should talk." Wood said, holding his hand out to Faith. She accepted and stared at him. "The restaurant's right there." Faith nodded and followed him in. Once they were seated and had their orders done, Faith shot right into it.

"This place is nice. How the hell did you do that?"

"I've had a little practice." Wood chuckled. "Never took on two at once before, but I have taken out a vamp here or there. And some demons."

"So, you're freelance?"

"Hmm.. Freelance. I guess that's a good way to put it."

"And you know who Buffy and I are then?"

"You're the Slayers."

"Right."

"There's only supposed to be one though."

"Yeah, long story. Short version: Buffy died for a minute, Kendra was called. Kendra died, I was called."

"This is a first right?"

"As far as we know, yeah." Faith took a sip of her wine and then looked back at Wood. "Ok, um, so I'm guessing that you don't work in an office 15 feet above the Hellmouth because you enjoy educational administration?"

"Well, I actually do enjoy the work, but yeah. Yeah, you're right. I maneuvered myself into that school, that office.. just like I maneuvered you there. The Hellmouth draws the bad things in close, and now we're headed for something big, Faith. Really big, and I need to be here when it happens. I want to help."

"So, y-you didn't hire Buffy for her counseling skills?"

He laughed and Faith glared at him. "Sorry. She's good."

"Wh-why didn't you tell us about you?"

"I wasn't sure about things yet."

"You didn't think you could trust us."

"No, no. No, I wasn't sure I was ready yet.. ready to jump into this fight."

"And now you are?"

"Well, now the fight is starting, or starting to start, and I don't have time to worry anymore. I have to do something."

"So, you knew who Buffy and I were before you even came here."

"Yes."

"How? How do you know about Slayers?"

"Right. Ok. See, when I was a little boy, my mother was one. The one, actually.. the Slayer."

"Your mother.. Wow, I didn't know that any slayers had children. Except Buffy."

"Well, I don't know of any others." He paused. "Wait, Buffy?"

"Yeah. You didn't know about that huh?"

"No. Did the kid die or something?"

"No.. No, you know him actually."

"I do?"

"Connor isn't her cousin. He's her son. Her and Angel's son."

"Wait, he's 17 years old. She had to have been.." He paused to count on his fingers. "Four when she had him."

"No, she was 21 actually."

"Now I'm confused."

"It's a confusing story. The gist of it is: Connor was taken from her when he was a baby earlier last year. This vampire hunter named Holtz was after Angel, looking to get revenge I think. He took Connor into a hell dimension and less than a week later, the kid came back a full grown 17 year old complete with raging hormones and parental distrust."

"A vampire hunter was out to kill Angel? Why? He seems like a normal Joe."

Faith started to laugh. Wood stared at her. "Sorry. Just, Angel's not normal at all. He's a vampire, but a good one. He has a soul.. Had technically. He's currently without one in LA and being held up in a cage downstairs. That's a whole other story. Anyways, he also had this ring that allows him to go in the sun and be indestructible. I'm hoping B took that little toy away from him before he became Angelus again."

"Angelus?"

"That was Angel before he go his soul back. The Scourge of Europe. He was the most vicious vampire ever to walk. That is until he got his soul back. Now he atones for his past sins and is married to Buffy."

"Vampires can't have kids."

"Tell that to the PTB. They're the ones who set that up! It's all in a big prophecy. But what about you? You and Connor have something in common. What's with your mother? She was a Slayer so that means.."

"She was killed when I was four. I still remember her, but it's a little.. fuzzy? You know?"

"Um, something got her.. a demon?"

"A vampire. Oh, man, I went through this whole 'avenging son' phase in my twenties, but I never found him. So, now I just dust as many of them as I can find. I figure, eventually I'll get him. That's probably why we got jumped outside. I'm not very popular with the bumpy-forehead-ed crowd, and I bet you and Buffy aren't either."

"No. Not most of them. Um, so, do you have any slayer powers?" Faith laughed. "I'm sorry, I-I'm just so floored. I-I have no idea what to ask."

"No, I don't have powers. No super-strength or mythic responsibilities. I'm just a guy with a few skills cause her watcher took me in and raised me. Does Connor have any slayer powers?"

"Slayer powers and vampire powers. Super strength, super speed, super hearing.. That one's a bitch. Can't say anything bad about him without him hearing about it. But that proves it! Buffy will be so psyched!"

"Why?"

"She's always had this theory that Slayers and relationships never go hand in hand! Hell, even I had the same theory! But ha! She'll be floored when I tell her! She's not the first Slayer to have a kid!"

"Connor and I will have to start a club then. I can't believe this!"

Faith nodded. "But, you decided to tell me?"

"That's right."

"In a darkened, little romantic French restaurant?"

"Um, yeah.. Yeah, I'm not really sure how that happened, but yeah." Faith laughed. "What's your story? I know Buffy's story, but I don't know yours."

"It's not that interesting."

"Impossible. Just watching you hints that you've had an interesting life."

"Actually, I'm afraid that if I tell you, it'll scare you off."

"I'm the son of a Slayer and I fight demons and vampires. My office is over the Hellmouth. Bring it on."

Faith smiled and blew out a breath. "Ok. I won't give you the sob story about how my dad was never there and my mother was an alcoholic. I'm from Boston. That's where I first found out I was a Slayer. It was an easy out for me. I hated who I was and then WHAM, I'm something so powerful that not even the normal world could handle me anymore. Less than a year into it, I pissed off a vampire named Kakistos. He killed my Watcher in front of me and was planning on doing the same to me. So, I ran. Came here to Sunnydale where I had heard that Buffy was residing. She helped me out of that mess and Giles became my watcher. He was already Buffy's watcher and she had this whole little cadre we so fondly call the Scooby Gang and she had Angel, so I felt way out of place. I was really wild back then. And then one night, I uh.. I killed a guy. It was an accident, but it scarred me for life. He jumped out of nowhere and I thought he was a vampire. Buffy tried to stop me, but it was too late. It was all downhill from there. I hid the body and pretended like nothing had happened. Buffy and her gang tried to help me, but I refused help. I went to the Mayor and asked him for a job because his vamp lackey had been dusted."

The waitress came with their food. Wood thanked her and then turned back to Faith. "The Mayor had a vampire lackey?"

"He was evil. Had a lot of vamps actually. He was the one who built Sunnydale."

"So he was old. Was he a vampire?"

"No. He just sold his soul to a demon so he could ascend into a demon 100 years later. Buffy's high school graduation. But that's further on in the story. Anyway, the Mayor took me in and he was like a father to me. He knew just what to say. I did all his dirty work. I killed demons and the occasional human if he needed it. I tried to take Angel from Buffy and make him Angelus, but it didn't work. They just tricked me into telling them what I knew about the Mayor's ascension. Well, it came, but I wasn't there. I had poisoned Angel with a drug called the Killer of the Dead. The only cure was Slayer's blood and Buffy had been determined to make it mine. We fought and she stuck a knife in my gut. I fell off the roof and landed in a 6 month coma. While I was gone, the school was blown up with the Mayor in it, Angel had skipped town, and Buffy and her friends had gone on with their lives. It pissed me off. When I came back, I wanted to hurt Buffy and her friends for forgetting me. I took over Buffy's body and wreaked as much havoc as I could on their lives. I even went as far as sleeping with Buffy's then boyfriend Riley. Buffy got her body back and I went running to LA where a demon law firm hired me to take Angel out. I couldn't do it, so he put me on a path of redemption. Buffy got wind that I had tried to kill her ex-honey and she came running. We got into it and I ended up turning myself over to the cops."

"Why?"

"I was wanted for some murders that the police knew I had committed."

"Isn't that 25 to life?"

"Yeah, but that law firm I told you about? They sprung me two years later. I don't know why and I don't know how, but they did. I came back here looking for Buffy and found a guy that I ended up in a serious relationship with. We had a nasty fight and he tried.. It got rough and we both left. That's also the year Buffy was pregnant and having Connor. He was born in late June last year. And now, here we are. Buffy's mostly forgiven me and she's helping me with my redemption. She's like my sister."

The waitress came back up with their desserts Wood had ordered when she had brought their main course. Wood watched Faith take a bite of her dessert. "What do you think?"

"Oh, my God! Mmm. Oh, my God. That might be the best thing I've ever had in my mouth." Faith said.

"Isn't it good? They soak the pears in brandy. Here, you need a bite with sauce." He lifted his fork to her mouth and hand fed her.

She looked up as a shadow was cast over their table. "Mmm.. What are you doing here?"

Spike stood there staring at her. Wood looked confused. "Is there a problem?"

"It's Xander." Spike said.

Faith's scowl melted into one of worry and she stood up quickly. "Uh, we need to go."

"Ok." Wood left some money with the check and they ran out to his car.

"What's wrong with Xander?"

"His date is evil." Spike said with a slight grin.

Faith just rolled her eyes. "Everybody's squeeze is evil lately."

"Where're we going?" Wood asked.

"The high school." Spike said, climbing in back.

As they peeled out, Faith looked at Spike. "You sure he's in the high school?"

"Willow did a locator spell. Usual stuff."

"I'm not surprised. That school's at the center of everything." Wood said.

"How much longer till we get there?" Faith asked.

"Ten minutes." After a small, uncomfortable silence, Wood glanced in the rearview mirror. "So, how do you two know each other?"

"He works with me. Uh, you know, in the struggle against evil." Faith answered all too quickly.

"Mm, cool."

Again with the uncomfortable silence. Faith almost wished that this date had never happened. Or at least, Xander's date had never happened. That way Spike would never have interrupted HER date with this guy who genuinely liked her. Why? She was still sorting that part out. She hadn't been around Wood much. Only when she decided to go to work with Buffy and spend time with Spike to make sure he was ok. In fact, they hadn't ever talked that much. The only time she had talked to him before she took over Buffy's job was when she had run into him in the hallways on her way out from seeing Spike. Faith had made up the excuse that she was going to see Buffy and he had asked her how she was. That was it. It hadn't been more than a five minute conversation. Of course, five minutes was all it took sometimes.

When they reached the high school, Wood unlocked the front door and they were all at a dead run. Faith figured that if Xander's date was evil and at the high school, there was only one place they could be: over the seal in the basement. Faith was the first to slam through the door. Xander was strung up to the wheel Spike had been on and there was a girl standing next to the seal.

"Xander!" Faith yelled. He looked over groggily. Instead of going to cut him down, Faith attacked the girl. They went down in a tangle of limbs, punching and kicking.

"Faith!" Xander croaked.

Spike and Wood burst into the room. The girl jumped away from Faith when Spike grabbed her around the waist. She attacked Spike and kicked Faith away, knocking her to the ground. The girl pushed Spike down and started strangling him. Suddenly, Spike's face changed into his demon countenance.

"He's a vampire." Wood said.

"Oh God! Hurry!" Xander said.

Wood stopped staring at Spike and went to help Xander. He cut the ropes that held Xander's hands to the wheel, but the seal was already beginning to open. Across the room, Faith knocked Xander's date off of Spike. She looked over just as a Turok-Han was reaching out of the seal as it opened. Wood escaped its grasp as he finally got Xander down from the wheel. The seal slammed shut, cutting off the arm of the Turok-Han that was reaching out. Wood set Xander down against a wall.

Faith and Xander's date were still fighting, struggling over possession of a sword. The girl knocked Faith across the room, but Faith held on to the sword. Spike engaged in fighting the girl, but he was getting his butt kicked. Faith pulled the girl away from Spike and cut off her head with the sword. As the girl's head was separated from her body, the demon's true form was revealed as a gruesome pinkish creature with hairy shoulders and stitches all over its head and nasty black shark teeth on its lipless jaws.

"Hey." Faith said, walking over to Spike's side to make sure he was all right. She held his hand, but saw Wood staring at them as she comforted Spike. She stood and went to Xander. Wood and Spike followed.

"I think your friend's going to be ok." Wood said.

"Hey Xander, I'm here." Faith said.

"So, how's your date going?" Xander asked, leaning heavily on Faith.

Faith looked at Wood, who was staring at Spike. Spike glanced from Faith to Wood. Faith looked back at Xander. "Not so good anymore."

When they got back to Buffy's house, Faith led Xander inside. They had taken him to the emergency room to get him stitched up. Anya, Willow, Andrew, and Dawn were all sitting in the living room.

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"What do you think happened?" Xander asked. "Another demon woman was attracted to me. I'm going gay. I've decided I'm turning gay. Willow, gay me up. Come on, let's gay."

"What?"

"You heard me. Just tell me what to do. I'm mentally undressing Scott Bakula right now. That's a start, isn't it?"

"Captain Archer.." Andrew said wistfully.

"Come on, let's get this gay show on the gay road. Help me out here."

"What if you just start attracting male demons?" Faith asked with a smirk.

"Clem always liked you." Dawn said.

"It would serve you right." Anya said.

"Children, enough." Giles said from the corner of the room.

"I'd need some stylish clothes." Xander said.

"Enough! Have you learned nothing from tonight's assorted chaos? There isn't time for fun and games and quips about orientation." Giles held up some gruesome flashcards. "These.. these aren't a joke. This.. this happens. Girls are going to die. We may die. Buffy's not here. She's dealing with Angelus and another apocalypse in Los Angeles. All we've got right now is Faith and the girls waiting for her to die. It's time to get serious." Giles huffed out of the room.
Later that night, Faith sat alone on the living room couch. Spike walked in and sat next to her. "Did anybody tell you about what happened around here tonight?"

"Willow did. The first is back in the mix." Faith said.

"It, uh, it talked to the little boy. Said it wasn't time for me yet. I should move out. Leave town before it is time for me."

"No, you have to stay."

"You've got another demon fighter now."

"That's not why I need you here."

"Is that right? Why's that then?"

"Because I'm not ready for you to not be here."

"And the Principal? How's he fit in?"

Faith stared at him. "I don't know." With that, the dark haired Slayer stood and walked out of the room.