Chapter Eleven: Side Dishes


(Thanks for all the feedback. I knew that last chapter was going to upset some people. But don't worry. I won't leave it that way. Keep reviewing I really appreciate it.)


Fred paced back and forth. She had just analyzed the blood Wesley had given her. The blood was human all right. The strange thing was that the cells had all deteriorated in a matter of minutes. She had heard the alarms go off earlier and knew it had something to do with Angel and who he was keeping in the infirmary. Fred, herself had heard stories of Sunnydale and about Buffy from Cordelia, but it was all very vague. Her stories mainly started out "Oh! And there was this one icky looking demon." or "This vamp with absolutely no fashion sense grabbed me," or "Buffy was always getting us into trouble". Wesley wasn't as talkative about it. Apparently, they hadn't liked him over there. He was, stuffy.

But now, Buffy and her friends were here. The first week went smoothly. She heard that Angel and Buffy got into an argument, which wasn't uncommon, she guessed. She talked books with Willow, and Xander the guy without an eye, was really funny. She also liked Dawn, she was smart and real good at languages. But she hadn't really gotten a chance to hang out with any of them, she skulked around in the Library and Laboratories. She had grown a lot since escaping Pylea, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to come out of her shell. She missed her friend. She missed Cordelia.

She'd go to see Cordelia. Not to check up on her, just to talk to her. She'd tell her about her day and ask how she was doing even though it was stupid but a force of habit. She told her that they were staying at Wolfram & Hart, and that she missed the Hyperion. She talked about Wesley, and his mysterious demeanor, and how Charles was different, and Lorne's new projects. She'd also tell her how Angel was, because she knew Cordelia would want to hear about him. She thought maybe hearing about Angel would rouse her, but it never did. Fred was so mad at Angel for not visiting Cordelia. She'd ask him about it, but he was like a brick wall, all cold and emotionless. Well, more than normal.

Wesley came at least once a week, just to look at her, trying to figure out how to wake her. Charles had also come by a couple of times. She had run into him once, and it was slightly uncomfortable. Lorne came too, sometimes with Fred, but he stopped after the fifth or sixth time. He said he couldn't bear "not seeing his Cordelia-puss's high wattage smile and not hearing that annoyingly wonderful voice", plus that "all the emotions that were whirling around in there was giving his noggin major neuralgia". Charles' visits also ceased and Wesley's became less frequent. But Fred kept going. Once, she caught Angel brooding outside Cordy's room, he didn't go in, he just paced back and forth, wearing out the tile.

She debated going down to the infirmary, to tell Angel and Wesley what she found. She grabbed the sample and went out the door. She kind of hoped Charles wasn't down there. Ever since that night with her old professor, their relationship just kind of petered out. They weren't together anymore, but it didn't mean she didn't care about him very much. She rounded the corner to the elevator when she collided with a small blond boy.

"Oh!" She said landing hard on her elbow.

"I'm so sorry," he exclaimed with a slight lisp. He boy fumbled to help her up.

"It's okay," she said dusting herself off and checked her pockets to make sure the blood was still there.

"Oh, good," he was a nervous little thing and he walked away quickly. Fred looked after him, puzzled, trying to place him. He must've been Xander's friend. She saw him with Dawn earlier too, when the slayer's sister came by to say hello. She brushed it off and continued to the infirmary.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Andrew scurried away from the girl he just ran into. He couldn't believe what had just happened downstairs. He had to tell Lilah what he saw, or rather who he just saw. It was only a glimpse but there was no mistake. He pressed the elevator button and impatiently shifted from right foot to left foot. What did it mean now? Spike was back and Buffy would be happy, right? A scenario played in his mind of a toga clad Buffy waiting on a balcony when a gladiator dressed Spike burst into the room, sweaty and blood on his clothes, Buffy ran to him and ripped off his pallet and he swept her up in a passionate kiss while white doves ascended from the ground. He had a dreamy look on his face and snapped himself out of it. He tapped the button repeatedly, anxious. The bell dinged and the door opened. He stepped inside and hit the button for the ninth floor.

"Why so nervous, Mighty Mouse?"

Andrew spun around to see Lilah leaning against the wall of the elevator. "Lilah! I- I was just c- coming to see you," he smiled weakly.

"I know, thought I 'd beat you to the punch," she smirked.

"So," Andrew said trying to regain what little cool he had. "Do you have what I want?"

"Do you?"

Andrew nodded, "Yeah, and you're not going to..." He stopped. He wasn't going to tell her till he saw what he wanted. "Show me first. Then we'll talk turkey," he said.

Lilah threw up her hands, "No argument here, kid. Let's go to my office." A few minutes later Andrew was sitting in a leather upholstered comfy chair across from the She-devil who sat behind a grand mahogany desk. "Now," she smiled at Andrew, " You wanted to negotiate. Negotiate."

He cleared his throat. "Did you do what I asked?"

She shook her head and crossed her legs like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. "Tsk Tsk, I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Andrew took a deep breath. "Fine," he knew he wasn't going to win this one. "Angel's been hiding Spike in that room."

Lilah's eyes widened, "Really," she grinned. "William the Bloody himself?"

"And he has a soul," he continued.

"Another souled vampire? Oh my," her dark green eyes glittered with fascination. "Another champion."

Andrew nodded, "But here's what I don't get. He died."

"He what?"

"He died back in Sunnydale. Buffy gave him the amulet and he used it to break a hole in that cavern to kill all those Uber-vamps. The sunlight killed him too."

Lilah started to breathe hard. She was beside herself. Andrew crinkled his brow. Why'd she look so excited? "This calls for a toast," she pressed the intercom on her desk. "Janet? Bring some Cristal and two glasses, please."

"Right away, Miss," the intercom buzzed. Not two minutes went by before a tall, shapely raven haired woman walked in. She poured the caramel colored liquid into the glasses. She handed one to Andrew and smiled at him. Then she left.

Lilah lifted her bubbly flute of sparkling champagne and raised it. Andrew did the same. They clinked.

"To the start of a fruitful partnership," she said. Andrew put the glass to his lips and faked a smile. He hoped this was all worth it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Faith pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She changed out of those awful hospital duds. Whoever designed those needed to be taken out in front of the firing squad. She ran her hands down her head, rubbed the back of her neck, over her chest, and to down to her hips. She smiled at the mirror. She liked her body. It was athletic, lean, but womanly enough to make the boys stop and stare. She loved doing that. Walking down a street with a pair of tight leather pants, a slight midriff-baring tank top and a jacket she wore off kilter, on her forearms and exposing her toned shoulders. She flexed her legs, they were awesome, strong and shapely. She turned, her ass was nice too, just enough lift. She ran her hands over her stomach. She had a nicely defined pack of abs. She touched the area below her bellybutton. It was right there, growing. She couldn't believe something would grow in there. Inside her. She shivered, it was too strange. But still, it seemed fitting. Her eyes watered.

"Knock knock," Xander said coming into the room. "How's my tough little slayer?"

"Get out of here, Harris," she said turning before he saw her weepy face. But it didn't help, he saw her reflection in the mirror.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He said in his caring tone.

"Nothin', go," she replied wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"I'm not going to go until you tell me what's wrong. So spill," he said firmly standing in the middle of the doorway.

She rolled her eyes. It was no used making him leave now. Well, she could still make him leave, but she didn't want to waste the energy. "Fine, but shut the door."

He closed the door behind him and watched her sit on the hospital bed. "So, you wanna tell me what's up? Or you gonna make me play 20 questions?" She gave him a Look. "Right then," he clapped him hands together. "Are you happy?" She gave him the finger. "Okay, check not happy, Nineteen left."

"Stop it," she said.

"Are you going to tell me why you were crying?" He asked. She didn't say anything. He nodded, "eighteen, now."

"Xander, can't you ever be serious?" She asked.

"Well, yeah," he said sitting next to her. "But then it's not as easy to talk. Serious Xander's kind of a pain, always worrying, upsetting people with his stupid remarks."

"As opposed to regular Xander?" She joked.

"See, a joke. You're feeling better already," he pointed out.

She shook her head, and placed it in her lap. Her shoulder started to shake and tiny whimpering noises were coming from her. "God damnit!" She shouted. "Damnit!"

"What is it? Faith, you can tell me," he said as she looked up into his brown, sympathetic eye.

"I'm dying, Xander," she said.


(Did I just kill off Faith? Maybe. Read on to find out.)