Part Three-

Moments before, they had heard fighting outside of the brick walls. Angel had warned no one to step outside. He knew who was out there. The First. He could feel the dark magic calling to him like the fresh blood of a virgin. He shook his head slightly and kept watch over the front door. If the heavy steel failed then, well, there'd be a hell of a battle waiting for them.

But then, the sounds of fists hitting flesh and booted feet hitting the pavement died down. Angel heard the key slip into the lock once again. He tensed. The door opened.

"Um. Hi."

"Yeah. What up?"

Four figures stood in the doorway. Two women. Two men.

"Damn." Gunn murmured, looking dazzled by the women. "Damn fine."

"Gee." The raven haired girl smirked. "A girl would break outta prison more if she gotta welcome like that."

It was Faith.

But, Angel didn't notice. His eyes were captivated on the golden haired beauty in front of him. Dressed in khaki prison pants and a white tanks top, she avoided his eyes, looking at her boots.

"What the hell?" An angry voice yelled, breaking the spell.

Xander and Willow had walked into the room, glaring at the two Slayers with hate in their eyes.

"You said you were going to get help." Willow said.

"And, we did." Wesley said firmly.

"No." Xander laughed hollowly. "No, I don't think so. We're not desperate enough to accept help from two killers." He said vehemently.

Buffy eyes cooled to ice and she pursed her lips in distaste. "You make it sound like we want to be here. We don't." She said. "You don't want our help? Perfectly fine with us." She turned on her heel and Faith followed her.

They started to walk out of the door.

"Wait." Angel said softly, strongly.

He knew Buffy heard him. She stopped but didn't turn around.

"Look, this is awkward. We all have our differences." He paused. "We need your help. "

Faith whipped around, a deadly look in her eyes. "Personally, we don't care if ya'll rot in hell. With a few exceptions, of course." She said looking at Wes, Giles, and Angel. "But, we will not stay here and be degraded and disrespected. Ya'll want our help? Fine and dandy. But, keep your mouths shut, or we walk and you die." Faith smirked, looking straight at Willow and Xander.

Buffy shut the door and locked it slowly. She turned around and kept her face unemotional. The scar on her lips turned a bright pink.

"First, I think Faith and I need to be filled in on what's going on." She said slowly, leaning against the wall, her hair falling in her face.

"The First is back." Angel said, leaning on a desk, his eyes willing Buffys' to meet his.

"I gathered that much." She said, her voice still soft.

A young girl stepped up. She was tall with short cropped blond hair. "Are you really Buffy?" She asked.

Buffy looked at her warily. "Yes." She said slowly.

"We've heard so much about you." She said hurriedly, gesturing to the mass of girls behind her. "It's an honor to meet you, really. And Faith too."

Buffy and Faith met eyes. Faith snorted. Buffy shook her head.

"I'm nothing special." She said.

"Did you really kill a man?" Another girl asked., with brown hair and dark eyes.

Buffy stiffened and clammed up.

"Kennedy, shut up!" Someone hissed.

"Yeah." Faith said defensively. "We killed someone. What of it? You feel this rush like none other, like you can control anything you touch." Her expression was almost dreamy before it crashed to something like shame. "When the truth is, you're not powerful and your whole life is out of fucking control."

"Faith, stop it." Buffy whispered.

Faith continued "The blood stays on your hands and it never washes off. It's always there. Always staining your hands. You see his eyes every time you close your eyes. He haunts you, his face, his blood, and his eyes. He's always fucking there! Always-"

"Faith, stop!" Buffy yelled, her voice haggard and booming.

Faith froze and her breath caught.

Buffy looked around the room, her eyes ice cold. "I don't know any of you. You don't know me. Or Faith. I'm sure, though, everyone has their own secrets they're not comfortable talking about. We have ours." Buffy stood up straight and Angel caught a hint of a wince in her face. "You don't have to like us, or even get to know us. If nothing else, please just give us our privacy."

Giles cleared his throat. "I believe that I will fill Faith and Buffy in on what's going on. We'll be in the kitchen if needed." He said and motioned the two girls to follow him.

*

Angel watched Giles lead them away. Buffy caught his gaze briefly as she walked past. She averted her eyes and sucked in a breath.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Xander started.

"Can you believe Giles got them out? As f we need killers on our side." He scoffed.

"They were on our side before and even after…what happened." Cordelia said softly.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Kill-ers. Convicted killers, at that. We turn our back, and the two of them will hack us to death."

"Xander, shut up." Angel sighed. "She was your friend once. Just…shut up."

Xander complied, but not without another eye roll.

*

"We shouldn't have come." Buffy said softly. "They don't want us here. I don't want to be here."

"Aw, c'mon, B." Faith chided. "It's our chance for redemption." She said,

Buffy snorted and rubbed her scar agitatedly. "Yeah, right."

Giles had filled them in on everything. The First was back, duh. The Council was basically destroyed and whoever was left, was hiding. Potential Slayers were making their way to Sunnydale, for help and protection. None of which were available at the moment. Sunnydale was falling apart. Three earthquakes in the span of two weeks.

All was not well.

The potentials were untrained and arrogant. No one could train them as well as the real Slayers. Problem was, the real Slayers were under trained themselves.

"Giles, you don't have any qualms about me patrolling, do you?" Buffy asked.

Faith snorted. "Why is it when you use words like 'qualms', I feel like a dumb shit?"

Buffy chuckled. "With you, one can never know."

Giles looked on at the girls with respect. They were all they had. It was clear they had a true bond of strong friendship between them.

Giles was proud.

"None at all." Giles said, smiling.

"Yeah, B. If anyone can handle this 'First' bastard, it's you." Faith smirked.

Buffy nodded, then yawned.

"Why don't you take a rain check on the patrolling, girls? You've had a long, tiring, confusing day. The demons will be there tomorrow night." Giles suggested with a smile.

"Yeah." Buffy said softly.

"Where are we going to crash?" Faith asked.

Giles didn't appear to have an answer. "I suppose your house could do…" He murmured, looking at Buffy.

"Kick whoever's using it, out of my room." Buffy said. "They better not have touched anything."

Giles smiled a secret smile,

"Who's using my room?" Buffy asked, suspiciously.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon." Giles smiled, chuckling.

Buffy just gave him a look.

Things almost could have been normal.

*

Giles led Faith and Buffy back into the store. Once again, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them. Buffy looked at the floor and Faith met every stare. Head on, making every one of them look down.

Kennedy met the stare with ignorant defiance. She didn't care who the hell these girls were. They were nothing. Less than nothing, to her. They were weak, too weak to be considered Slayers. If only someone would finish them off so someone else, someone strong, like her, would be called.

Faith's eyes burned into Kennedy's. She took a step forward. Stupid child, she knew nothing of the world. Of the hell that leaked in the shadows. Faith took another step. She would show this girl pain, fear, suffering, and sorrow. She would show her what it was like to only survive. To never know what was going to come next. To struggle to keep breathing minute after minute.

Buffy could see a fight brewing between the girls. She didn't want Faith to hurt her. Faith might go too far. Faith might lose control. Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and Faith whirled around on her, her stance defensive. Her lip curled into a snarl and everyone stepped back.

Angel stepped foreword, not knowing what to do.

Buffy held up a hand to ward everyone off. Only she knew how to deal with this. Only she knew.

"Faith, look at me." Buffy said softly, her body tensing. "Faith. It's me. We're safe. No one wants to hurt you. Faith!" Buffy whispered, her voice firm and serious.

Faith's eyes cleared and she shook her head. She blinked rapidly and seemed to know where she was again.

"Great!" Kennedy muttered loudly. "We get some psycho killers to help us."

Buffy whipped her head toward the girl. She walked past Faith and backed Kennedy into the wall behind her. Kennedy tried to hit her, but Buffy caught both of her hands and held them tightly.

"Listen to me, little girl." Buffy hissed in a deadly cold voice. "You know nothing about this life. There is no way to make it through every day with your snippety bitch attitude. Believe me, girl, if you were to be called at this instant, you wouldn't last a week. Those vamps, those demons you so badly want to beat, they feed off of your anger, your fucking bitchiness. You need to learn how to control it. Get a hold of your hormonal emotions." Buffy bit out.

"You crazy bitch." Kennedy spit out.

"Maybe. Maybe I am crazy. But, I'm still alive. Would you be?" Buffy asked.

"I wouldn't have killed that man!" Kennedy hissed.

"Hm." Buffy shrugged. "We'll see, won't we." She let the girl go and started to walk away.

Kennedy grabbed a ceremonial dagger off of the counter and rushed at Buffy.

"Kennedy! Stop!" Willow screamed.

"Buffy!" Angel yelled, rushing through the girls, but not making it.

Buffy turned right at the last second. The dagger was right above Buffy's heart. Buffy let the girl go. "You want to kill me?" She taunted, spreading her arms. "Do it." She dared. "Go ahead and gut out my heart, like I'm butter." Buffy said softly. "Do it!" Buffy screamed.

Kennedy just held the knife there, her eyes smoldering.

Buffy nodded to herself. "That's what I thought." She said. "You had your chance, girl, but if you ever ambush me again, you won't live. I've killed before. Don't think I won't do it again." She said, her voice low and calm. She then turned on the heel of her boot and walked out, Faith and Giles following her.

"Buffy?" A voice called out.

Buffy stopped and slowly turned around.

Cordelia stood in the doorway, a warm, and welcoming smile on her face.

"Welcome home."

TBC