Chapter 7 - Choices
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Mayor's Office.
Faith was sitting at the Mayor's desk with her eyes closed. A present is lay on the desk in front of her, the Mayor stands smiling by her side.
"Alright, you can open them up now." The Mayor said with a grin.
Opening her eyes, Faith sees the present and smiles up at him. "Fab. What's the occasion?"
"Faith! As if I need a reason to show you my affection. Besides, you handled yourself very well with the problem's that arisen with Mr. Harris. You have proven yourself capable of running a small errand at the airport for me."
"Airport?" Faith asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's next? Gonna want me to help a buddy of yours move a sofa?"
"This isn't a free ride, young lady." The Mayor stated. "You know, I'm beginning to think that somebody's getting a little spoiled. Maybe I should take this back."
Faith clutched the present protectively. "Sorry... Sir."
"That's my girl." The Mayor chuckled as he reached for the plate of cookies. "Another cookie?"
Faith takes one and says, "Thanks."
"Now. A package is arriving tomorrow night from Central America. Something, and I can't stress this enough, something crucially important to my Ascension. Without it ... Well! What would Toll House cookies be without the chocolate chips? A pretty darn big disappointment, I can tell you." The Mayor continued as he giggled. "Open your present."
Faith gladly opened the present, and a look of delight passes over her face. "There. That look on your face is my reward."
Inside the present was a knife with an intricate design. It had the image of a skeleton like dragon on it. "This is a thing of beauty, boss."
"Well, it cost a pretty penny. It's called the Shadow Dagger, can easily take out a dragon, so, you just take good care of it. And you be careful not to put somebody's eye out with that thing, until I tell you to, okay."
Faith grinned wickedly. "Any particular eyes in mind?"
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Daylight on campus.
Xander was sitting at a nearby tree reading Jack Kerouac's, 'On the Road'. "'Everything in life is foreign territory. Kerouac'." Xander read. Putting down the book, he said. "He's my teacher. The open road is my school."
Buffy looked at him from her seat on a bench with Willow and Oz. "Making the open dumpster your cafeteria?"
Xander looked at her with a straight face. "Go ahead, mock me."
"I think she just did." Oz pointed out.
Xander: We Bohemian anti-establishment types have always been
persecuted.
"Well, sure." Oz stated, before pointing out, "You're all so weird."
"I think it's neat, you doing the backpack, trail mix, happy wanderer thing." Willow added.
"I'm aware it scores kinda high on the hokey-meter, but I think it will be good for me. You know, help me to find myself. The inner Brood and all that." Xander said with a grin. He didn't miss the slight wince in his girl's eyes as they heard him use that phrase. Their relationship had been kind of strained due to Xander's lack of normality. But they were managing.
Cordelia had walked between the table and Xander's tree in time to catch the last bit of their conversation, and couldn't resist cutting into Xander. "And help us to lose you. Everyone's a winner."
Xander stood up, seemingly unfazed by her remark. "Well, look who just popped open a fresh can of venom. Hey, did you hear about Willow getting into Oxnard?"
"Oxford." Willow corrected.
"Oxford." Xander corrected himself. "And M.I.T. and Yale and every other college on the face of the planet. As in your face I rub it."
"Oxford? Whoopee! Four years in tea-bag central. Sounds thrilling. And M.I.T. is a Clearasil ad with housing. And Yale is a dumping ground for those who didn't get into Harvard." Cordelia insulted.
"I got into Harvard." Willow pouted.
"Any clue on what college you might be attending so we can start calculating minimum safe distance?" Xander asked.
"None of your business." Cordelia stated. "Certainly nowhere near you losers!"
"Okay, you guys, don't forget to breathe between insults." Buffy joked.
"I'm sorry Buffy. This conversation is reserved for people who actually have a future." Cordelia huffed before leaving the group.
"An angry young woman." Oz stated.
"Oh Buffy, she was just being Cordelia, only more so. Don't pay any attention to her." Willow reassured the Slayer.
"She's definitely got a chip going." Xander added, looking at the retreating form of his ex.
"Maybe if you didn't goad her so much?" Willow asked.
"I can't help it. It's my nature." Xander said, adding one of his dopey grins.
"Maybe you need a better nature." Willow said.
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Night, at the airport.
A small plane taxies to a stop and a man leaves the plane carrying a box. A vampire waits by a limo with a briefcase.
"Is he in the car?" the man asked.
"No, I'll take you to him." The vamp said as he opened the limo door.
The man kicked the limo door shut and held the handcuffed box close to his chest. "The Mayor was supposed to be here in person with the money. Well, the price just went up. I don't like surprises."
An impact sound was heard, and an arrow appears through the front of
the man's shirt
"Surprise." Faith says, stepping from the shadows of the roof of a building, a crossbow in hand. She climbs down and approaches the body.
"You killed him." The vamp stated in surprise.
"What are you, the narrator? Keys to the cuffs?" Faith said impatiently, holding out her hand.
The vampire searches the man's clothing. "Nothing." Faith pulls out her flashy new knife. The vamp looks at her as if she's crazy. "That won't cut through steel."
"No, but it will cut through bone." Faith said as she set to work cutting the flesh. Neither her nor the vampire notice as the eyes of the dragon design seem to glow a blood red for an instance before returning to black.
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Mayor's office.
Faith kicks in the door and carries the box inside.
"Hey ho! There it is! Hahahaha!" the Mayor said excitedly. "Ah, what happened to the
courier? I was supposed to pay him."
"Huh. Made him an offer he couldn't survive." Faith said as she took the money from the Mayor's hand.
The Mayor chuckled. "You are one heck of a girl, you know that? I mean geez, the initiative, the - the skill."
"Go on, go on." Faith said with a grin as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"I will. You know, I'll tell you, if Buffy ... Hey hey hey hey," The Mayor said as Faith propped her feet on his desk. Faith drops her feet. "If Buffy Summers walked in here and said she wanted to switch to our side, I'd say no thanks, sister, I've got all the Slayer one man could ever need."
Faith sighs, thinking about all that had happened between her and the Scoobs since she killed Finch.
"What?" The Mayor asked in a caring voice.
"Nothing." Faith answered in a glum voice.
"Oh, it's cause I used the B-word, huh?" The Mayor asked. "Don't tell me you're still sore about that whole Angel-Buffy thing. "
"No, I'm over it. She can have him." Faith answered. And it was true, she couldn't give a damn about Angel or Buffy. Lately her mind had been turning towards one Xander Harris.
"Better believe she can. She deserves that poor excuse for a creature of the night." The Mayor continued. "You, on the other hand, can do better."
Faith began fidgeting and begins to toy with the clasp of the box. The Mayor slams his hands down on top of the box.
"Don't do that."
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Night
The limo pulls to a stop in a parking lot. The vampire driver hears a noise and looks back through the rear window.
Buffy smashes the driver's side window with her fist and pulls his upper body out of the window.
"So, what's in the box?" Buffy asked with a peppy voice.
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Library
Buffy sits at the table looking at a book while Xander and Wesley look on.
"The Box of Gavrock. It houses some great demonic energy or something which
His Honor needs to chow down on come A-Day." Buffy read.
Giles and Willow enter, Giles carrying some large drawings.
"What's that?" Wesley asked, nosily.
"Maps. And stuff." Giles answered mysteriously.
"Plans for City Hall." Willow answered more clearly. "They were in the Water and Power mainframe."
"The box is being kept under guard in a conference room on the top floor," Buffy said pointing to a map sheet. "There. Unfortunately, that's all I could get out of my informant before his aggressive tendencies forced me to introduce him to Mr. Pointy."
"Well, now, here's what I think we should do..." Wesley began, trying to take charge of the situation.
"I figure we can enter through the skylight." Buffy interrupted him. "I'll take Angel with me."
"Agreed." Giles said.
"And there's a fire ladder on the east side of the building," Xander said, pointing to the map, "here."
"Yes, yes, fine, but we still need to consider whether the Mayor..." Wesley once again tried to regain some control.
"It won't be enough to simply have possession of the box." Giles interrupted this time.
"Right, we have to destroy it." Willow added. "Not just physically - ritually, with some down and dirty black magic."
"Hang on. We don't know what such a ritual would require." Wesley tried again.
"I think the Breath of the Atropyx is standard for this sort of thing. Fairly simple recipe.' Giles sated after flipping through a book. "Xander?"
Wesley attempts to read over Giles's shoulder but Giles hands the book to Xander. "I know. I'm ingredient getting guy."
"Alright, stop! I demand everyone STOP this instant!" Wesley yelled, causing everyone to look at him. "I'm in charge here and I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper and strategic stratagem."
"Wes, hop on the train or get off the tracks." Buffy commanded.
"The Mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the box." Wesley continued. Seeing that he was greeted by silence, he continued, "Oh, we all forgot about that, did we?"
"Looks like a job for Wiccan girl. What do you say, Will? Big time danger." Buffy said looking at the red-head.
"Hey, I eat danger for breakfast." Willow said smiling.
"Yet, oddly enough, she panics in the face of breakfast foods." Xander quipped.
"Let's get to work." Buffy said.
The gang files past Wesley, Giles pushing a map into his hands before leaving. Wesley mopes for a moment, then turns to follow like a kicked puppy.
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Daylight
Xander walks along a street and pauses at the window of a shop. He cannot believe the sight that greets him. Faith, holding a stunning black velvet dress to her belly–shirt and leather pants, covered body in front of a mirror. He watches as she heads out of the shop after probably giving the woman behind the counter directions to her new home. He follows her as she takes the back alleys towards her destination.
As she disappears behind a building, xander follows, only to almost walk in to her foot as she aims a kick at her pursuer.
"Why is it that every time we meet, I usually end up getting hurt or unconscious?" Xander asked as he took a few steps back from Faith.
"Well, boy-toy, I do like to play rough, but you already know that, don't ya." Faith answered with a smirk.
"Ha, ha, ha," Xander mocked laughed. "Very funny."
Xander stepped forward and tried a snap kick towards her midsection. She blocked it with ease and stuck out with a three-punch combination and then followed up with a sweep kick that tripped Xander to the floor. Xander reacted with a quick flip to his feet and caught Faith's incoming punch. Twisting it her behind her back Xander grabbed her other arm and held it around her neck, keeping Faith in a body lock that her Slayer strength could not break.
"Damn Xand," she said, "When the hell did you get all Hercules on me. Or is this part of your new dragon gig."
"Long story Faith." Xander laughed. He suddenly realized that his hold on Faith was affecting him in a way that could not be helped. His pants were already beginning to feel a little tighter and he could not get her scent out of his mind. It was driving him crazy.
Little did he know that the same was happening to Faith. The mere feel of his body pressed up against her was driving her senses wild and making her legs shaky.
Finally Faith had had enough and slammed her foot into Xander's instep.
"Ah, shit!" Xander screeched as he released Faith. He regretted it instantly as he felt himself pushed against the wall, both hands secured by Faith.
She pushes her chest closely against his body and he can't help but moan a little at the feel of her body. He looks into her eye's expecting to see that killer look that he had seen that night he had gone to see her after the whole Finch incident. Instead he sees nothing but pure, raw lust.
His lips were crushed by hers as they kissed with a fiery passion. Faith's hands grabbed at his shirt as she dragged him towards her apartment.
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Faith's Apartment
They stumbled through the door permanently attached by the hip and lip. Faith suddenly pulls away and gives him a wicked grin, as she reaches her hand toward his zipper, leaning forward to run her tongue over his lips lightly. Her grin widened as she heard him growled ferally.
He pulled her closer, crushing his lips to hers. He has no fear of what he's doing because at this point, he couldn't give a shit what anyone else thought. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies, both knowing the other would not push them away.
Xander knew he shouldn't be doing this, especially with her. Not when she turned on them, and tried to kill him. He really should just pull away and try to capture her...
All these thoughts left his mind as Faith pulled off her top, revealing her naked chest and pulled him on the bed.
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Night
A dark van stops in a parking lot near City Hall. Wesley is driving, and Giles is riding shotgun. Buffy, Angel, and Willow get out from the back.
"Now remember, if anything should go awry, Wesley and I will create a diversion." Giles informed the three as he leaned out the window.
"Let's synchronize our watches. I have twenty-one four..." Wesley began holding up his hands. He stops as he sees Buffy and Willow holding up their bare wrists.
"Yes, typical." Wesley sighed.
"Maybe we could just count." Willow suggested. "One-one thousand, two one thousand
..."
"Be careful, all of you." Giles interrupted.
As the trio marches off, Giles turns to Wesley, "Tea?"
Back with the group, Angel pulls down the fire escape and waits as Willow starts climbing.
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Library
Oz places a large ceramic pot on a pedestal. He looked back towards the doors, waiting for his blue-haired friend to enter with the ingredients he had said he would get.
Oz looked at his watch. "Where are you, Xander?"
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Faith's Apartment
Xander awoke, his arms surrounding a sleeping Faith. He smiled down at her before looking around at his surroundings.
'So this is Faith's apartment.' Xander thought as he looked at the spacious apartment. Before he could continue his examination, his attention was captured by the groan coming from the sleeping form next to him.
"Damn, boy-toy." Faith said as she sat up, the thin sheet covering her pressing chest on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You've gotten better since our last roll." She began to gently suck kis earlobe.
"Uhhh." Xander got out as he leaned into her mouth. His eyes widened as he noticed the digital clock right by her bed. "Oh shit!"
Xander was up in a flash, collecting his rumpled clothes off the floor and dressing quickly. "They're going to kill me." He continued to mutter.
"What's the hurry, Xand. " Faith asked as she stood up in all her naked glory. She sauntered up to his hurrying form and forced him to look at her. "I don't plan on kickin' you out in your boxers this time." She pulled him into another kiss.
Xander was almost tempted to stay, but the images of the gang's faces was enough for him to pull himself together. "I...I can't. Believe me, I want to but I have to help out the gang..." Suddenly the full impact of what they had just done hit him like a steel wall. "What we just did...?"
Faith's smile seem to disappear. "It was a one time thing."
Xander looked at her with surprise. "But...I...I mean we..." He was stopped by her fingers on his lips.
"Listen boy-toy. We won't work. You're a good guy and I'm a black hat." Faith told him, trying to keep her tears from falling at the fact that after he left this room, they would be enemies. "Let's just pretend that tonight never happened, and move on, okay.":
Xander looked like he was going to protest, but then nodded his head in defeat. "Yeah.":
Faith smiled sadly. 'Oh God, I'm in love with Xander. When the Hell did this happen.'
Both dressed in silence, and then Xander left out the door, trying not to think about the girl in the room he had just left that he would eventually be fighting.
Inside, Faith was sitting on her bed a single tear falling as she dropped her facade for this one moment.
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In the wrecked conference room.
The Mayor surveys the damage done by the Slayer and her pet vampire while his vampire guards stand with their heads down.
"Well, this is very unfortunate. I just had this conference room redecorated, for Pete's sake. At taxpayers' expense. And, oh yeah ...," The Mayor said as his anger was released and with a burst of rage smashed a chair to pieces. "They've got my box."
"Yeah, but looky what we got." A vampire said as he entered the Mayor's office with a bound Willow in tow.
The Mayor's face broke into a huge smile.
R&R Soon