Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, just borrowing!

Chapter 7

Buffy groaned as the vampire she was fighting snapped of a kick to her chest and sent her flying into a headstone, the breath rushing out of her. Had she been anyone but the slayer she probably would have to contend with a couple of broken ribs, but quick healing came with the slayer package. Buffy regained her balance just as the vampire was advancing on her. She quickly got into fighting position, and when the vampire got close enough she did a roundhouse kick, hitting him in the side of the head and knocking him to the ground. She jumped on him her stake poised and ready to hit its mark.

" He will rise and bring about the end of days, and no one will be able to stop him." The vampire told Buffy, as she thrust the stake into his heart.

" Did anyone tell you that you talk to much?" She quipped as the vampire turned to dust underneath her. Buffy stood up, brushing off her pants. She glanced over to see how Faith was doing and saw that the other slayer was getting ready to stake the vamp that had jumped her.

Buffy had been living in Sunnydale for nearly four months now and this town was without a doubt the weirdest she had ever lived in. Giles, Dominick and Angel weren't wrong about the Hellmouth weirdo vibe. It seemed like every night there was a different oogly-boogly to deal with and always a massive amount of research to be done. But it wasn't like LA, she wasn't fighting alone. She had Willow and Xander, who although they had just met her and had no power or special skills, had thrown themselves into the fight against the forces of darkness without even a moment's hesitation. Then of course there was Faith, Buffy's sister slayer and girl who wasn't unlike Buffy herself, Buffy had spent countless hours wondering whether or not Faith could be her twin, the twin who was taken from Buffy and her family when she was a child. Just thinking about that possibility was nearly killing Buffy, and now that she had become closer to Giles she knew she could ask him to help her figure out whether or not it was even possible. Buffy had gotten close to Giles in the few months that she had been here and respected him immensely, although she liked to give him a hard time. To Buffy he was like a surrogate father, now that her own father was in LA. He was always there to aid Buffy whenever she needed him. And of course there was Angel. Angel, who had shown up with his cryptic wise guy act to tell her about some new big, bad evil and then, disappeared. Angel, who no matter how hard she fought she found herself falling for. All those feelings had culminated one night after a particularly hard battle, in a kiss they shared, a kiss which had ended in Buffy finding out Angel was all that she hated, a vampire. His sire, Darla, had attacked her mother and when Angel tried to save her, he was left behind to take the blame. No matter what Buffy felt for Angel, she knew she had to kill him. But just as she was about to Darla came, and revealed everything that had really happened, forcing Angel to stake her. Buffy found that Angel was not only a vampire, but also a vampire with a soul, a curse put on him by some gypsies. They had shared one last kiss that night, and then he had disappeared.

" Hello, Earth to Buffy," Faith was saying waving a hand in front of Buffy's face. Buffy shook her head, not realizing just how far in her own thoughts she had been. "Whoa, what planet were you on? Did that vamp say something to make you wig?"

"What?" Buffy asked still half in her own thoughts, "I was just thinking."

" Oh, did it hurt?" Faith asked smirking.

"Huh, no it didn't hurt." Buffy said missing the sarcasm in Faith's tone.

"Wow, B, you are really out of it, you sure that vamp didn't say something?" Faith asked a look of concern on her face.

" Nope, promise, just the usual witty vamp banter about a new big bad rising and basically he just was being cryptic." Buffy told Faith.

" Cryptic huh? I thought the whole cryptic guy thing was Angel's deal," Faith said thoughtfully noticing Buffy flinched at the sound of Angel's name, " Still no word from him huh B?" Buffy just shook her head sadly. "Don't worry B I'm sure he's fine, probably living it up, kicking some undead ass." She looped her arm through Buffy's and Buffy managed a wan smile.

" Yeah, your probably right, its just so weird."

" Hey B, no offense but Angel, not exactly the poster child for normal." Faith said and Buffy knew in a way Faith was very right. Angel's cryptic guy act was the farthest thing from normal.

" And what exactly are two lovely ladies like you doing in a place like this?" Buffy and Faith heard someone behind them say. They spun around stakes in hand, poised and ready to attack.

" Whoa, back off karate kid, its just me." Xander said, holding his hands up as if in surrender when he was confronted with the two pissed off Slayers, stakes pointed at his heart.

" Xander Harris, didn't anyone ever tell ya not to sneak up on people in a graveyard at night?" Buffy asked letting her stake drop and giving her friend a smile.

" Nope they must of left that out." Xander said.

" Ya know she's right Xand, every time you show up like this you risk a staking not to mention maiming or mutilation." Faith said in mock seriousness, throwing Xander a stake.

" I think I'll take my chances." He said following the girls through the graveyard.

" So Xand, not that I'm not happy to see ya, but did Giles send you?" Buffy asked.

" What, I need an excuse to hang out with my two bestest buds?" Xander asked, slinging his arms around the two girls' shoulders, and the girls just rolled their eyes, "Okay, I was bored and no Giles didn't send me."

" Well thanks for stopping by Xand, but we were just getting ready to call it a night," Buffy told him noticing the disappointment that crossed his features, " But if you feel like being helpful you can umm walk Faith home, I'm going to stop by the library to talk to Giles about our cryptic vamp."

" Oh Angel stopped by?" Xander asked.

" No, Angel didn't come by just because a vamp was being cryptic doesn't mean it was Angel." Buffy exclaimed and Faith mouthed "drop it" to Xander.

" So umm I guess we'll get going." Xander said.

" Yep, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Buffy said waving bye to her friends.

" Bye, B." Faith called as Buffy walked away. Buffy walked the five blocks to the high school, deciding once and for all that she would tell Giles about her suspicions that Faith could be her twin and hopefully he wouldn't think she was completely nuts and he would try to help her research it. She pushed open the doors to the library and found Giles sitting at the table in the middle of the room, books open around him.

" Giles." Buffy said approaching the table.

" Oh, hello Buffy, did something happen on patrol?" He asked. Buffy shook her head and sat in a chair across from him.

" Nope, no big deal only 2 vamps showed up, but one managed to give me a cryptic warning before I dusted him." Buffy told Giles.

" And what exactly did he say?" Giles asked removing his glasses and cleaning them.

" Umm end of days, big bad evil, yada yada." Buffy said, " I really didn't like him."

" Yes, but did he say anything about what the big bad evil would be?"

" Nope, his exact words were he will rise." Buffy said.

" Hmm, well I better research, see if we can narrow it down." Giles said.

" Giles, that's not why I'm here." Buffy told him and Giles raised his eyebrows at her.

" Did something else happen?" Giles asked concerned.

" No, nothing evil, but Giles is it possible for sisters to become slayers?" Buffy blurted out.

" Huh? Well its never happened before, not that I know of at least. Buffy do you think Dawn could be a potential slayer?" Giles asked.

" No, not Dawn," Buffy said taking in a deep breath before she began her story, "I had a twin, her name was Faith, when we were five she was kidnapped and to this day we don't know where she is. Like the old cliche she vanished without a trace."

"So you think the slayer Faith, might be your twin Faith?"

" Uh-huh, you think I'm crazy right? But I need to know, I don't even know if it is possible, or if I'm just getting my hopes up for nothing." Buffy said, her gaze concentrated on the table and she absentmindedly was picking at the corner.

" No, Buffy you aren't crazy, you have every right to be curious," He said placing a comforting hand on her arm, " I'll help, I will go through all the books of slayer prophecy, see if there is a prophecy relating to twin slayers, and Buffy don't tell anyone about this not until we know more." Buffy nodded getting up from the chair.

"Thanks Giles." She murmured as she left the library.

The next morning when Buffy woke up she had a feeling of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. She had barely slept at all, she was tossing and turning all night wondering if maybe Giles had found something, maybe Faith was her long lost twin.

When she reached the school, she didn't even bother looking for any of her friends, she just went straight to the library. Giles was in his office, a book open on his desk. His arms were crossed on top of his desk and his head was on top of his arms and Buffy knew he had fallen asleep at his desk last night. Buffy walked over to him and shook his shoulders gently.

" What?" He said groggily fumbling around his desk for his glasses, when he put them on he saw Buffy standing next to him hands on her hips, an amused look on her face. "Buffy what are you doing here, didn't I tell you to go home?"

"Umm, Giles hello, morning equals school, which is why I'm here. Are you always this grumpy when you wake up?"

" Oh dear lord, I must of nodded off." Giles said getting up to make himself a cup of tea.

" Hmm, ya think?" Buffy asked sarcastically, placing her feet on his desk and sitting in his desk chair.

" Yes, very humorous, but don't you have class?" Giles asked walking back to his desk and tapping Buffy's feet to get her to move them from his desk.

" Geez, you really are grumpy in the morning, did you find anything?" Buffy asked choosing to ignore his comment about class.

" I've found out quite a lot actually. The prophecy, the one Dominick used to explain why there are two slayers, it never existed. At least not in any of the books I have." Giles explained.

" So, you mean one of us isn't the slayer?" Buffy asked cutting him off.

" Buffy if you would let me finish, there is a prophecy that fits both your story and Dominick's. The prophecy is a time will come when two children born from the same womb will be chosen and together they will fight the forces of darkness." Giles said, but he left out the part about one going towards the side of good and right and the other going towards the side of darkness. Buffy's jaw dropped and neither one of them said anything for the longest time, both just letting the information sink in.

" So she really is my sister?" Buffy asked in a tiny voice.

" Yes Buffy, I believe so, if what you told me is true, then yes the prophecy is coming true."

" The council, they knew, they knew all along. They took her, oh god Giles, did you know?" Buffy asked her disbelief quickly jumping to hot-blooded anger.

" Of course I didn't know, even when I was training at the council, I never met Faith, I didn't know that the council was getting that active in training potential slayers." Giles explained.

" But Dominick he knew right?"

" I assume he did, but I don't believe there is any reason to assume he knew about the kidnapping." Giles told her, knowing she was angry, but Buffy had heard enough and was storming out of the library.

" Buffy, wait, where are you going?" Giles asked.

" Away from here, I just can't deal with this right now. I'll be back at the end of the day; we can talk to Faith then."

" Okay, but Buffy don't go to Dominick's just yet, let Faith talk to him." Giles told her, and she nodded walking out of the library and nearly running right into Willow, Xander and Faith.

" Hey Buffster, starting your morning off with some research?" Xander asked, but fell silent when he saw the look on Buffy's face. "Buff, what's up?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.

" Nothing," Buffy said averting her gaze from her friends, "I just kinda want to be alone." She shook Xander's hand off of her shoulder and walked away. The other three kids exchanged looks of concern and Willow decide to go after Buffy.

" Buffy, wait!" She called running after Buffy and grabbing her arm when she caught up to her, "What's wrong?"

" Will, its nothing, I'll be fine." Buffy told her friend, patting Willow's arm and doing her best to smile.

" Buffy, you clearly have something face."

" Will, don't worry about me I promise you I'll be fine." Buffy said, Willow studied Buffy's face for a moment and then slowly nodded, walking back to Faith and Xander.

Buffy honestly had no idea where she was going, but she was fighting every urge in her body that was telling her to run to Dominick's house and kick his ass, for hurting her, her sister and her family. She just wanted to go somewhere to get comfort without having to explain what was wrong with her. The only place she was able to find that comfort was Angel's and the urge to find him was strong. She knew where he lived, she had followed him there one night after a big battle and now her legs like they had minds of their own were taking her in that direction. His mansion came into view and she walked up to the door and into his house without even knocking.

" Angel?" She called when she entered the house. Angel emerged from somewhere in the back wearing a rumpled white tee shirt, and a pair of jeans, his hair sticking up in places as if he had just woken up.

" Buffy?" He said quizzically when his eyes adjusted to the light and he saw her standing in his doorway. "What are you doing here?"

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't of come here, I'll go." Buffy said turning to leave, but he came to her, putting a hand on her arm in a gesture to keep her with him.

" Did something happen?" He asked turning her to face him. Her green eyes were full of tears and she quickly looked away from him, shaking her head. " " "Then what is it?"

"I just.." She began but the tears she had been holding back began to spill down her cheeks, a sob coming from some where deep within her throat. Angel didn't ask any questions just pulled her to him, feeling the tiny slayer's body tremble with sobs, letting her cry against his chest. She relaxed against him, her face buried in his shirt and she became painfully aware that there was no exchange of air, no soft soothing sound of his heart beating. Angel stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. Buffy didn't even know why she was crying, or why she was here. She was happy she had found her sister. But somewhere all the pain and frustration of not knowing where her sister was all these years, whether or not she was even still alive had been unleashed and she couldn't stop the tears from falling. They were not only tears of pain but also tears of anger, anger that someone could do something like this to her family.

Buffy didn't know how long she had cried, whether it was five minutes or five hours, but finally the tears wouldn't come any longer. She pulled away from Angel and he bent down wiping the stray tears from her dampened cheeks and only then did he venture to ask her what had happened and why she was so upset. He grabbed her arm and led her to his bed, she sat down and Angel sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned against his chest. She spilled out the whole story, barely taking a breath through it, and he sat listening to her silently running his fingers through her golden blond hair.

" I'm so sorry." Angel said when she finished her story, it sounded incredibly stupid, but he was 242 years old and had no idea how to comfort the girl.

" Thank you," She whispered, "For everything, for listening." She turned and faced him, placing her lips gently on his, kissing him. He kissed her back and Buffy felt shivers run up and down her spine at the passion that was now unleashed. As time went on their kisses became more fevered, more passionate. The wanting and longing between the two of them was immensely powerful. Buffy thought it would be odd to make out with him, his hands were so cold and so were his lips without the blood pumping through his body, but it felt natural, and the passion between the two of them was enough to warm them both. She realized just how much she had fallen for him in the short time they had known each other. Angel pushed Buffy onto the bed, his kisses becoming deeper and more passionate, one hand sliding under Buffy's shirt.

" Angel." She said, pulling away from him, " We can't do this, not now." He moved from on top of her and sat at the edge of his bed, his head resting in his hands. He couldn't believe what he had done, she was 16 for god sake, but she was just so beautiful and he wanted her more than he had ever wanted another person. Buffy slid off the bed and stood in front of him.

" I'm sorry." She murmured softly, pulling his hands away from his face, "I have to go, I have to tell Faith what we found out." He nodded, wishing he could go with her, that he could be the one to help her stay strong, to be her champion. But it was still daylight out and that wasn't something he could risk, not if he wanted to be with her. Buffy bent down and kissed him again one last time before she left.

As she walked back to the school, her head was swimming. Angel's kisses were still burned in her mind, the wanting that she felt, she mentally scolded herself for having stopped him. She wanted to run back there again, find solace in his arms anything to help her keep her mind off of what she was about to do. She had to tell Faith something that could break her, or even worse Buffy could lose her again. But she had to take her chances; she had to get her sister back.

*TBC*