CHAPTER THREE
"How'd I get stuck with you?" Faith asked as she and Spike loitered on campus. There were a few kids around, not as many as Faith figured would be there had it been a weekend but more than she expected for a school night.
"I asked for you." Spike lit up.
"Why?" Faith took his cigarettes.
He handed over the lighter. "It was you or Harmony."
"Good choice."
"I thought so." He leered. "'Sides, you and I need to talk."
Faith gave him a suspicious look, thinking she was still too tired to deal with any weeping and wailing over Buffy. She just didn't see what it was about B that attracted amorous vampires. "About what?"
"Things."
"Do you really want to go back over that day?" She hoped her tone would put him off.
He took a long drag. "Not really. It hurt enough the first time around and you've already given me the 'they're doing great' speech. I was thinking I never got the chance to say it was bloody good fun fighting with you and I'm glad you made it out alive. And that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. We've already said all we need to about the past. I wanna know why you're here, Faith. I know about the dreams. You could have told them over the phone, provided anyone would have talked to you. I just thought it might be uncomfortable for you here. I know what you did to Wes and how you ended up in jail."
"Me and Wes are five by five," Faith grated out, shocked that Spike would even bring it up.
He waved her off. "I figured you and he had settled things since he was the one who broke you out of jail but I wanted to say if you were feeling out of place, you could talk to me because, trust me, I know the feeling." He glanced away. "It's not good."
She was touched by his concern because she believed it was genuine and he wasn't playing an angle. Of course, she kept in mind that he might be since this was Spike, after all, but Robin had been teaching her she could trust. "Thanks."
"And I was more curious about that Orpheus trip. Not too many mortals survive the high doses it had to take to bring down Angelus."
"I'm not telling you the inner workings of Angel's mind," Faith said quickly, wishing she knew where Spike was going with this. She knew Buffy trusted the bleached blond but she was not about to hand him anything to hurt Angel. She owed Angel far too much.
"I wouldn't want to know." Spike shuddered. "I want to know...forget it. You two nearly died together and I just don't understand...."
"You want to know what it is about Angel that gets people to make that kind of sacrifice," Faith said, thinking she finally got what he wanted.
Spike nodded. "People willing to die for him, to sign up on his say-so with a law firm known in dozens of dimensions for its evil, all this for a vampire while a real hero like Buffy can't even keep people from tossing her out of her own house."
"I didn't have anything to do with that." Faith braced for a fight. She didn't want to remember that. She wanted to keep the lid on the painful past.
Spike held up a hand. "I wasn't thinking of you, Faith. You were an outsider and the only other Slayer with experience. I know why they turned to you. I was thinking of her closest friends and family who almost weren't there in that cliched darkest hour shite."
Faith drew in a deep breath. This was something she didn't want to get into. Deep philosophical stuff gave her hives and when it was this close to the heart it was that much worse. Spike sent his cigarette arching away in a glittery shower then shook his head.
"Forget I brought it up. Neither of us have any answers." Spike turned to her with a faint smile on his handsome face. He brushed her hair back out of her eyes. "And you've got enough on your mind worrying about Peaches."
She nodded, relieved beyond words that he let it go. "I was thinking that Buffy did have the same support through most of her time as a Slayer, Spike. Xander's just a plain old human and he's always been there, even if he did try to get between you and her and her and Angel. Cordy was human then, too, no visions, nothing. Willow became a witch because of Buffy. I can't explain what happened there at the end. I don't even want to think about it."
"Fair enough."
Faith cracked her knuckles, watching some football player types roam by. "I had another dream about Angel today when I took that nap, same dream. I tried to tell him but he just didn't seem interested. I don't get it."
Spike snorted, looking around at the pack of young feminine flesh passing him by as he and Faith patrolled. "Angel's got something on his mind. Damn, I'd love to ditch this and find a frat party. You can practically taste the hormones out here."
"I'm with you on that," Faith said, grinding out her cigarette stub underfoot. "The drinking bit. Tasting hormones, that sounds nasty."
"Oh, like you haven't enjoyed the taste of a little baby gravy from time to time." Spike smirked.
Faith made a face. "You're gross."
Spike smoothed out his hair. "I'm a man."
Faith shook her head watching him preen. He could be such a peacock. "Yeah, guess that is the same thing."
"As for Angel, he hasn't been himself since I came back from the dead and I don't think getting stuck with me is the reason." Spike shrugged. "It's like he doesn't care any more, like he's given up."
"That's not the Angel I know," Faith said, watching a pair of young men skateboard by.
"He's not the Angel anyone knows and I've known him for a long time, Faith." Spike leaned against a tree. "This reminds me of when he first lost his soul. He gave up then, too, found us in China. He was all dirty and stinky and scared of me cause I had just bagged me my first Slayer."
"I know. The Orpheus trip came complete with alley life and eating dumpster rats. I don't want to see him end up there again." She slung back her hair. "Especially since I don't see any reason for it. Buffy made it out of Sunnydale alive. He has all you guys so why the sudden change? It can't be Cordelia's coma, can it?"
"Don't know and I don't want a return of the homeless Angel either," Spike said, surprising Faith. "Only because I'm related to him and it looks bad when your grandsire is running around munching rats. I have a reputation to maintain."
Faith snorted, taking in his cock of the walk strut. "A rep as what? Never mind. I don't want to know how you see yourself. I'm not ready for that kind of terror."
A scream in the night cut off any answer Spike might have had. Faith was faster off the mark than Spike but she knew he was right behind her. The kids that were still in the quad whipped past them, running in the opposite direction of the screaming.
People really won't get involved, she thought bitterly as she honed in on the screams. Around the corner and into one of the garden areas the college had set aside for beautification purposes, Faith saw three girls hugging onto each other, squealing, making her embarrassed to share a sex with such scream queens. Granted the circle of vampires around them were fairly scary. What fascinated Faith more was the skinny boy with them. He was kicking vamp ass like a Slayer, clearing a path through the vampires but the girls wouldn't take it, not even with a man at the far end trying to wave them on. The girls seemed scared of the crossbow the man was using to keep their path clear of vampires. Faith saw he was a fair shot.
She suddenly realized Spike hadn't joined her in the fray. He was staring at the man. The man tipped back his hat as Faith spun into a pack of vampires, a stake in one hand and a knife in the other. She saw he was watching Spike. The man turned and stalked off, calling over his shoulder, "You know where to meet me, son."
In a shower of dust from the vampire he had just torn the head off of, the boy paused . He cocked his head to the side like a dog trying to do a logic problem then went right back to killing vampires. To Faith's surprise, Spike cautiously went after the man. She helped the odd boy, noticing the girls had finally fled. Between them, they made short work of the bloodsucking pack.
"Good work, kid." She clamped a hand on his shoulder.
He knocked her hand away with an inarticulate growl as he backpedaled.
"Whoa, kid, I'm on your side. You saw me dusting them, didn't you?" Faith said, noticing his eyes didn't leave her knife. "I'm not one of them, okay? I just move like they do. I'm not going to hurt you." Her brow furrowed. "You've got blood all over you."
Faith went to put up her blade but he took it as something else entirely and charged her. Faith grunted as his fist caught her in the gut. She barely ducked under the incoming stake. She put away her weapons and went after him barehanded. The strength in his twiggy arm was incredible as she tried to hold him at bay. His legs swept under hers and Faith hit ground.
He was on top of her in a heartbeat and she knew she probably should call for Spike but she didn't want his help, not yet. He'd never let her live it down. Faith twisted, getting up on the kid's side, trying to hold him down. He kicked and mewed and she realized he was terrified or something because he didn't seem all there.
"Feel it, kid? My warmth? I'm not one of them," she shouted.
He bowled her over and as she rolled in the grass, Faith ended up on eye level in the wet turf with red latex, a balloon and she'd lay odds the wet was holy water. Was this who had surprised Angel? She knew it could have been. The kid was a handful and a mystery to boot. Nothing human was as fast as he was or hit as hard, well nothing that had goolies. Maybe she was wrong about him being a boy, in spite of the big hands. He did have a feminine face.
As he tried to pin her, she reached down and gave things a tug and a twist. He shrieked. Yep, it's a boy, she thought but it didn't explain how he moved like a Slayer. She went to grab him and he bit her.
"Fuck! Stop that, I'm trying to help you up, you dumbass." She hauled him up by the hair this time. "Now, just calm your ass down. I'm not going to hurt you if you just settle."
Grunting, he shoved her back. Faith's fingers tore out a clump of his thin, silky hair. She managed to snare his arm and they ended up in a wrestling match again. Faith tried to put some distance between her and him, hearing a ripping sound. He stumbled back then landed on the little thing passing as his ass. In his hand was the whole front of her shirt. As ludicrous as it was, Faith paused to look down at herself. Her breasts were bare to the breeze.
Her opponent was gone like a flash. She chased after him, her unrestrained flesh bobbling back and forth almost painfully. He went up the side of a dormitory just like a vampire might. Faith cursed and started climbing. This was never her best skill. The brick grated her bare nipples and when she got to the top, the brat kicked her in the face. Faith plummeted and nearly tore out her shoulder catching onto a sill. By the time she got back, the kid was in a panic. Obviously he hadn't thought she could mimic his moves or he wouldn't have cornered himself.
He dived off the building and was out in the parking lot before she recovered from her own jump. She was quite sure her head popped off when she landed. He caught hold of the passing shuttle bus and was gone before she could catch up. Faith wrapped her arms over her breasts and jogged off to find Spike.
"Spike! Where the hell are you?"
"This way, pet!"
She found him staring into the manicured bushes. "Did you catch the crossbow guy?"
Spike turned showing three bolts in his torso. "He's handy with that thing. I'm just glad he was running too fast to aim."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Don't those hurt?"
"Like a bitch but I got distracted." He gestured at the bushes.
Faith stepped up to him and looked over the hedges. Two bodies were arranged there, one male, one female, each cut into segments and interlaced on the ground. The sight made her stomach roil. "Damn...think crossbow guy and the Boy Slayer did this? The kid had blood all over him."
"The guy ran right past it." Spike shrugged, giving her a long look. "Where's your shirt?"
"Most of it went with the kid. Give me your coat," she demanded.
Spike spread his arms in a Christ pose. "It's pinned to me."
Faith groaned and started pulling arrows out of him.
"Nice view," he said and she slapped him.
"Eyes in, perv."
"So long as that rule doesn't go for all body parts."
She feinted with the arrow at his crotch. Spike danced back then surrendered his coat.
"You might want to call Wolfram and Hart then the police," Spike said as she wrapped herself in his leathers.
"I'm in no hurry to deal with cops." Faith made a face.
"Me either. Call the boss and see what they want to do about this then we can call the police anonymously from a pay phone," Spike said.
"Better idea." Faith placed a call to the law firm. When she clicked off, she looked back at the horrible scene. "Fred and her team are on their way. They'll call the cops. They just want us to see if we can keep away other prying eyes until then. They want to scan for demon energy and all the stuff forensics can't do."
"Whatever."
"So, who was crossbow guy? You recognized him," Faith said, gauging Spike's expression.
He gave her a cautious appraisal. "I don't know him. He met with Eve earlier today and I'm sure no one is supposed to know that."
Faith nodded. "I think they're the ones who jumped Angel. I saw broken balloons where all the vampires were, more holy water bombs, I'll bet. The older guy had a backpack. He was probably carrying them."
"That's just devious, turning a kid's game into warfare," Spike said, disgust on his thin face.
"I like it." Faith rocked back on her heels. "Xander came up with the idea of using holy water squirt guns. I've been itching to try it."
"Just don't point it at me," Spike said, wagging a finger. He moved closer to the bushes, licking his lips at the blood smell. "You lost the kid."
"You lost the guy," she shot back.
"He did shoot me three times," Spike said in his defense.
"The kid ripped my shirt and kicked me off the top of the dormitory." Faith's eyes went back to the dead bodies. "He could have done this."
Spike nodded then mugged her for his cigarette pack, just enough to get another good look at the flesh she was trying to keep hidden. He lit up then passed the cigarettes to her. "Take your butts with you. Don't want to leave anything for the crime scene guys to find."
She looked at him curiously.
"You missed the part where I confessed to watching CSI."
"Yeah, Giles told me about your Passions addiction, too." She grinned.
"Bloody wanker." Spike glanced around to see if any kids were heading their way. "For what it's worth, Faith, I think you're right. Those two were the ones who surprised Angel. I know there's something between Daniel, that's the guy with the crossbow, and Angel. I heard part of the conversation he had with Eve, and don't you dare repeat that to anyone. If Eve knows I have ways of overhearing her, I won't get the chance again."
"So, what do we do about it? If Angel knows them and isn't saying anything, then that means he doesn't want us looking into it," Faith said, puzzled.
"And you know he's gotta know who he's dealing with or he would have said 'I got jumped by a guy with a crossbow and a kid who can dust vamps like nobody's business'." Spike took a long drag. "He isn't going to thank us for meddling."
"Screw that. Angel's getting our help whether he likes it or not," Faith grumbled. "But I agree, this stays between us. Wes and the others might feel obligated to tell Angel and not go behind his back."
"That's what you get for being too honest." Spike grinned. "You and I got a little more room to play in the morals department."
She scowled at him. "So what now? Wes wants us to describe the guys we saw to a sketch artist."
"So we do it honestly and make sure Nancy boy is there so we can see his face. Angel's not good at keeping his feelings hidden, not any more," Spike said. "We'll know if he does recognize them and then we go from there."
Faith nodded yawning. "All I really want is a nap."
Fred and her team arrived quickly enough. Faith and Spike didn't wait around for them to do their thing. They met back up with Gunn and Wes and a young man with pretty green eyes that Wes introduced as Simeon. Faith had taken the time to change into a new shirt and returned Spike's punctured, bloody coat to its owner and in return had to bandage him up.
"Simeon will draw the two men you saw," Wes said.
"Don't you think Peaches should be here?" Spike said. "He oughtta be healed enough by now to at least sit up in a boardroom."
"We probably should let him rest," Wes said.
"You ain't a vampire, Winding-Pryce," Spike said. "You have no idea how hard it is just to lie around doing nothing."
"Wyndham," Wes corrected, his eyes hot. "You call him if you think you must."
Spike did while Faith started describing the boy she had seen. By the time Simeon had whipped two sketches into shape, Spike had annoyed Angel into attending and Gunn was back on the phone with Fred.
Gunn snapped his phone shut. "She found no signs of any real demon activity, maybe a ghost of it or something she's not sure. It's entirely possible that the two people you saw are the murderers."
Faith shrugged. "I'm not sure the kid is human. I mean, he moved like a Slayer and was as strong as one. He can't be all human, can he?"
"He could be half-demon, like Doyle...oh, right, you never met him," Angel said, looking a little sad at least as far as Faith could tell through his bandaged face.
"Maybe. The guy I chased smelled human," Spike said. "But he sure as hell knew a vampire when he saw one. I have the arrow holes to prove it."
"The kid looked familiar somehow. I wish I knew why," Faith said.
"Someone you shagged once?" Spike suggested, grinning wickedly.
"Spike," Angel snapped.
"What?" Spike's blue eyes narrow. "It's Faith, it's possible."
"Thanks a lot. And I wish I could say you were wrong." She shoved him. "He could have been a one night stand or something but with strength like that, you'd think I'd remember."
"Yes, that is most curious. I wish you would have been able to hold onto him. I would have liked to have seen him," Wes said, rubbing his stubbly chin.
"Well, this will have to do." Simeon turned over both pictures.
Faith watched Angel's face. The eye that wasn't covered by gauze went wide, not at the picture of the kid but at the one of the man Spike called Daniel. So, he did know the man and she could see Spike saw it, too. Angel passed the pictures to Gunn.
"Never seen them before," he said, sounding convincing. Faith still thought it was a lie.
"Me neither." Gunn turned them over to Wes who also shook his head. "We'll start a file on them but for now it stays in-house."
"And if you'll excuse me, I'm still kicked in the ass from the long flight not to mention getting kicked in the ass by the Boy Wonder. He was worse than the pack o' vamps," Faith said. "I need a nap."
"Go catch some sleep," Angel said. "We have things covered here."
"Thanks." Faith caught Spike's eye on the way out. She could tell he had something in mind and for now she was willing to let him play his hand. He knew Angel well, after all. Probably she and he knew Angel best. Spike, by sheer number of years spent with him and she by the Orpheus trip. Buffy would probably die to know what they did about Angel. All she had to do was be sure Spike wasn't playing her just so he could use whatever he knew to hurt Angel.
Heaven help him if he was.
