It was ten minutes till sunset and Faith Summers and Xander Harris stood outside of Manny's Pizzeria awaiting Dawn's return with dinner. The two friends were joking and having a very good time. Soon the conversation changed to Xander's intentions towards Faith's baby sister. Xander laughed as Faith emphasized the word "baby".

"I don't need details on what you two do Xander, I just want to know exactly where you stand and how you feel about her." Faith explained.

"The only reason you don't want the details is because the two of you discussed almost every aspect of our personal lives last night." Xander replied in a very exasperated tone.

"Hey, a girls got a right to know what her sister's up to and make sure she's being SAFE!" Faith stated emphasizing the word safe.

"Before Dawn and I became intimate we both got tested to make sure neither of us had contracted anything harmful due to our multiple encounters with the supernatural. That and my two sexual relationships." Xander stated.

Faith didn't touch the last part because she had been one of those two relationships. She was his first, and once she got her head on straight always regretted the way she'd treated him.

"Once we were given a clean bill of health Dawn, being the responsible person she is, got her doctor to place her on birth control and she then bought a months supply of condoms."

"Better safe than sorry huh." Faith asked rhetorically.

"Exactly." Xander adamantly stated.

"Dawn told me about Cordy making it clear that you loved her... when exactly did you start falling for Dawn?" Faith asked sincerely curious when Xander noticed that little Dawn was no longer little.

"The first time I noticed that Dawn was truly a woman was after she found out that Amanda, not she, was the potential slayer. Dawn showed a remarkable level of strength and maturity and I took note of that. As to when I started to fall in love with her... if I'm honest with myself it was shortly after I lost my eye. She was the only person that had the time to be with me and help me through it. I don't fault any of you for being preoccupied with other things but Dawn made it a point to always be there for me... and that's when I started to fall for her."

"That's very deep Xander. Dawn's very lucky to have your love." Faith said. As soon as the words had left her mouth she'd immediately regretted saying them. They brought back the memory of how he'd offered her his help, and pretty much his heart and she had almost killed him for it.

"No Faith, I'm the lucky one. I don't know where I'd be today if it weren't for Dawn."

"Probably in Africa." Dawn stated holding the pizza and side orders as she walked up and kissed her lover on the cheek. She then turned to her sister and stated playfully, with a hint of serious ness, "Back off sis, he's taken."

Faith smiled, held her hand out like a cat claw and upon making a slashing motion made a "reowr" like sound imitating a cat.

"I'll meet you guys back at your place, I want to see if that video store has a movie I'm looking for." Faith called out as she started to cross the street.

"Don't take too long, food doesn't last long at our place." Xander yelled.

"I don't find any food when I get back I'll be coming for you Harris." Faith joked as she gripped the door handle and opened the door to the store.

Fifteen minutes later a depressed Faith Summers exited the video store empty handed. Not only did the store not have the video but also they didn't know anyone in the area that might carry it. It wasn't even that old a movie, nor was its content inappropriate for younger viewers... it was simply out of print. Oh well, E-bay here I come. Faith thought to herself.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" A passing girl inquired as she neared Faith. Noticing the position of the sun and the feeling that her senses were telling her Faith already knew that they hadn't met.

"I sincerely doubt it. I'm new to the area and only know two people here." Faith calmly replied as she started in the direction opposite from her home. The last thing she needed were any supernatural baddies that might be here to follow her home.

"Nooooo I know you." The vampire insisted.

"Listen it's been a rough welcoming, if you want to fight let's go into the alley and get it done with, so I can go home and relax." Faith said sighing and pointing to the alley.

"You see really eager to die, how did you defeat Mo, Lar and Curl all by yourself?" The vampire inquired as she walked side by side against Faith.

"Easy, like this." Faith replied. Before the vamp had even take three steps Faith had drawn the stake she kept sheathed inside her coat and jabbed it into the vampire's heart faster than the vampire could register the movie.

Faith watched as the vampire screamed and burst into dust.

"Anyone else want to have a little chat before I go home?" Faith inquired. As if to answer her question three vampires rushed her from behind while two eagerly awaited her in the alleyways.

Dawn and Xander were sitting at the kitchen table looking at the pizza box that had remained closed since Faith had made their idle threat. Xander was about to risk death when he heard the electric motor of the elevator and sighed. His stomach was a rumblin' and he was eager to sate the sensation. He and his ladylove watched as Faith, looking worse than when they'd left her not too long ago, walked into the dining area with a purpose. She opened the box of pizza and noticed that not only was there pizza for her but it was still whole and intact.

"You're lucky." A disheveled Faith uttered as she removed a piece of pizza and began feasting on it.

"Ummm sis... what happened?"

Faith just looked at the girl. "What happened you ask?" Faith repeated.

"I'll tell you what happened. It seems this cozy little community, while not a hot bed of supernatural energy, is a sort of staging area for Vampire's, demons and other things to that go bump in the night. While the death toll is no where near that of Sunnydale it is not exactly the Mayberry either." Faith retorted.

"A fact that the computers at Wolfram & Hart should have damn well known."

"Yeah... we kinda noticed that about a week and a half ago." Xander stated.

"And you didn't tell me this because..."

"We were hoping that once word got out that a slayer was moving here things would calm down... apparently that is not the case." Dawn informed her sister.

"This just sucks on sooo many levels." Faith stated and returned to eating her pizza.

"I bring news and information for you my master." Joshua said as he kneiled before the female vampire.

"Rise and show me what you have." The vampire master ordered.

"We lost six of our newer converts to the slayer. There is no doubt what so ever to this fact." Joshua stated and began replaying the video.

The Master watched as the slayer, whose features were hidden by the shadows lashed out and dispatched her minions in relatively quick fashion. Faith had grabbed the collars of two vamp's behind her and tossed them against the brick wall before her. The third vampire behind her had wrapped his arms around her slim waist and heaved the girl into the air. Faith lifted her legs all the way up then swung them down using the momentum leaned forward causing the vampire to flip with her. The vampire found himself on his back and forced to release Faith who'd Drawn a stake and rammed it into his chest. She then tossed the same shard of wood at an approaching vampire and the adversary screamed and dispersed into dust.

The last of the standing minions, a brunette female, grabbed the slayer by her hair and managed to toss the girl over her shoulder. When the minion moved to pounce on the slayer the young woman grabbed a nearby garbage lid and tossed it at the vampire's chest with superhuman strength. The lid dented on the vampire knocking the vampire off balance and allowing the slayer to return to her feet, pick up her weapon and dispatch the vampire. Faith then walked over to the two unconscious vampires and staked them before they awoke. The master watched as the camera zoomed in on the slayer. The brunette girl looked straight ahead and in the light her features were more evident.

"Stop." The Master ordered as the camera held on the picture of Faith's face. Her hair was covering the left side of her face but the angle of her head clearly allowed the camera to record the unhidden part of her face.

"Faith." The Master Vampire uttered.

"You know this slayer my Master?" Joshua inquired.

"A long time ago it seems. Yes, we will definitely need to get more footage of her fighting style. In the new Slayer hiarchaey she is second only to Buffy Summers. She is the slayer of Kakistos as well as several of Baltazar's brood. She is a force to be reckoned with and I will not be caught unaware where this particular slayer is concerned." The Master declared.

"I will make it my purpose in life to become the slayer's second shadow my lady."

"Joshua... summon Argos. Tell him I have a need of his special abilities." The Master commanded.

"Thy will be done." Joshua stated.