A/N: Sorry this story is taking so long. I've gotten out of the writing rhythm and am having a hard time getting back into it. Anyway, here are the next two chapters. Also, much thanks to those of you who've left reviews. Your encouragement really helps.

Chapter 4 - Surfacing

Faith squinted at the two figures battling in the dark alley. She was almost there. Just a few more steps.

She had to move fast. Hope Mason was faring surprisingly well against the Angel look-alike. Exceptionally well-for a slayer with a death wish. But then again, Hope's opponent didn't seem to be fighting back.

The younger slayer had started with an off-balanced roundhouse kick to the vampire's solar plexus. She'd landed on her heels, nearly falling backward. Such a mistake could've been costly. But the vampire failed to respond. He stood there as if frozen. This gave Hope time to steady herself and hit the demon with a series of tentative jabs to the jaw, causing his head to jerk back in a staccato-like motion.

He backed away from her, toward Faith, his hands raised to chest level, indicating surrender.

Despite herself, Faith was a little disappointed.

She would've expected more from him.

He was two steps ahead of her. She stepped forward. He stepped back. She had him.

Her arms tightened around his chest. He started to struggle, fighting to get out of her grasp. She held firm until he shifted his weight suddenly, causing both of them to lurch to the side and fall to the ground.

They continued to wrestle on the cement sidewalk. Keeping one arm secured around his chest, Faith lowered her other hand in the vicinity of the vampire's coat pocket. Her hand came into contact with a thick roll of bills. Her fingers tightened around the money and she plucked it out of the vampire's pocket.

'Got it!'

She released her hold on the vampire and sprung to her feet. He leapt up with matching agility. They faced off and she looked into his face, meeting his eyes for the first time.

They were almost black. Sinister. Evil.

Despite herself, Faith took a step back. She stared at the vampire, fully expecting him to attack. But he didn't.

He took off running, disappearing around a street corner.

Surprised, Faith turned to Hope Mason, who was standing on the sidewalk five feet away from her. Clearly, the girl was equally astonished.

Faith wasn't sure if it was the vampire's cowardice or her own actions that caused the young slayer to gawk at her like a retired waitress who'd just seen Elvis. She was guessing that it was the latter.

* * *

"Who are you?" Hope's words sounded braver than she felt. The woman standing in front of her had just taken on a vampire-and would've bested him if he hadn't fled.

"I'm." Faith looked uncertain. Her eyes darted back and forth, and her muscles tensed, giving her the appearance of a cornered animal getting ready to bolt. She glanced at Hope, meeting her stare for a split-second before turning away.

"Who are you?" Hope asked again, adding a threatening tone to her words that almost hid her fear; deep-down the fifteen-year old slayer was shaking.

Faith shifted her weight from side-to-side then squared her shoulders. She scanned their surroundings before settling her gaze back on Hope. Her lips curved up into a tight knowing smile.

"I'm like you," she said finally.

Hope frowned and took a step back. "You're."

"I'm like you," Faith said again. Her stance seemed to relax a bit with the admission and she let out a deep breath. "I'm a Slayer-like you."

"But." But there was only supposed to be one. Besides Buffy Summers-who was a fluke, really-there was only supposed to be one slayer. The Chosen One. And that was her. Or was it?

Faith snorted derisively. "Thought you were the only one?"

"I.They told me."

"They told you wrong. Obviously!"

"But-"

"Slayer lesson number one-" Faith paused and licked her bottom lip. "The Watchers' Council is a bunch of lying, old men who can't be trusted."

Hope was silent, digesting Faith's words. She thought about the man who had first approached her about being the Slayer: Cameron Grey, her Watcher. He was the new vice principal at her high school. That was his cover. But as it turned out, he was, in her opinion, probably one of the best V.P.s that Lincoln High had ever had.

He was smart, understanding, level-headed-and he kind of looked like Ewan Macgregor. She trusted him completely.

"I don't know who you are," Hope said quietly, "But-"

"Listen," Faith said, looking the girl in the eye, "I've been watching you. You're not going to last long-the way your going."

Hope eyed her warily. "What do you mean?"

"The way you fight. Like you wanna die."

Hope shook her head. "I don't-"

"Yeah, you do. It's pretty obvious-you're looking to get killed. It'll happen, too-before you know it. Unless, you do a complete three-sixty."

"You're wr-"

"Look, I know what you're going through. I was there once. But I got over it. I can help you."

Hope took a step back. She knew there was some truth in what this girl was saying, but she didn't need help. She didn't want it.

"I can help you," Faith repeated.

"No." Hope continued backing away, then turned and fled.

* * *

Faith's hands were shaking as she fumbled with her keys and unlocked the door to her apartment.

Stupid! That's what she'd been that night. To let Hope see her. To talk to her. What had she been thinking?

The Council was sure to find out now. Put two and two together.

She took a deep breath. At least she had the cash. Hopefully, it would be enough to get her out of the city and sustain her for a while; until she set up shop somewhere else. There were vampires to rob in every major city in America. She could take her pick.

Faith tossed her keys on the small wooden table next to the door and shrugged off her coat, letting it fall carelessly onto the floor. She pulled the thick wad of bills out of her jeans pocket and dropped herself onto a worn, brown sofa. Carefully, she unfolded the money and began to count it. They were all big bills: mostly hundreds, some fifties, and a few twenties. There had to be at least three thousand dollars there.

Why had the vampire been carrying around so much money?

A small piece of paper wedged between the bills slipped to the floor. Frowning, Faith bent over to retrieve it. She held it up to the light, reading a phone number and a name she'd never heard of before.

She traced the name with her finger, whispering it softly.

"Cameron Grey."