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Chapter 9

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A cold, callous hand firmly covered her mouth and a strong arm snaked around her waist, dragging her silently back into the shadows.

She twisted and writhed in the iron grip as she was hauled up the steps. Her arms were pinned by her side and she began to panic when they passed the door. Grunting with the effort, she dug her heel into her attacker's shin. His grip momentarily loosened and it was enough for her to pull one arm free and elbow him in the stomach. Twisting from his grasp she smashed her fist into his face and watched him fly into the wall of the tunnel. He slammed into the rock violently but managed to stay on his feet. When he raised his head, she gaped at her assailant.

"Spike?" she gasped.

"Bleedin' strong punch you got there, Slayer." he replied dryly, rubbing his cheek.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

"Stopping you from making a big mistake."

"What do you mean?"

"They would never let you out if they find out you've been eavesdropping on them."

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" she protested indignantly. He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh no? What was that then? You accidentally made a wrong turn and ended up outside a hidden chamber beneath the school?"

"I was going to train!" she replied, "They weren't helping me so I decided to do it myself."

"Fair 'nuff."

"Yeah...wait!" her eyes sharpened, "What do you mean they won't let me out? And what are they keeping me from?"

"Look, pet, we're caught right in the middle of a war. Trying to protect a school of helpless kids while saving the world is a bloody big job."

"A war?" Buffy asked incredulously. "What's that got to do with me?"

He glanced at the door uneasily, then grabbed her arm and pulled her further into the tunnel, "You heard of the Council?" he asked. She nodded in confusion. "And you heard 'bout Kendra? Well, five months ago she quit the Council."

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise. "Slayer's are allowed to quit?"

"No, they aren't. But she didn't quit slaying, just the Council. 'Ya see, she fell in love with her Watcher and they didn't approve. The Council fired him and sent a replacement. Kendra wasn't happy and she escaped the country with her Watcher. They got married a couple of weeks later."

"Romantic. Now what's the point?" she asked irritably.

"Wait on, I'm getting to it. Fiery, aren't 'ya?" he quickly continued when he received her glare, "Anyway, the head honcho decided if they couldn't control the Slayer, what were they good for? He went insane and decided to have Kendra killed so another could be called. Half of the Council were against it and the Council fell apart. The director began hiring demons and such to kill Kendra, and eventually, he succeeded in killing her and her husband."

Buffy stared at Spike in horror. The Council killed Kendra? The Council that was supposed to guide and help her? The Council that stood between the Slayer and her death? Buffy couldn't fathom the horror that she had been dragged in to.

"But Giles..."

"Is good. Only a few followed their insane boss to the dark side. The others, well most of them went back to living a normal life. But a few, like Giles and Miss Kirly, are now working against 'em."

"My God..." Buffy whispered in disgust.

"Got that right. But listen..." he trailed off, his head snapping towards the staircase, "Bloody hell. Get going, quick."

"What..." But she heard the approaching footsteps and took heed to his warning. With one more glance at Spike, she turned and fled back down the tunnel. Slipping back into the library, she released her breath and strode across the room. As the huge doors shut softly behind her, she heard the wall slide open once more. With stealth that even a vampire couldn't execute, she rushed down the empty corridor.

When she glanced over her shoulder, it was due to her improved senses that she managed to stop seconds before she bowled into one annoyed potential.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" Faith snarled.

"Jeez, sorry."

"So you should be." she replied, pushing past her roughly.

"Faith!" Buffy called. The brunette stopped but didn't turn around.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

Faith hesitated at the unexpected question, but quickly recovered her sneer. "Just five-by-five, B."

"What the hell is your problem?" Buffy demanded. She was sick of the dirty looks, the shallow insults and all round bitchiness.

"My problem?" she asked.

"I'm sick of the way you treat me. I want to know what I've done." Buffy stood waiting, her hands on her hips. Faith smirked, but after a few moments her harsh glare faltered, then crumbled.

"You wouldn't understand," she replied quietly.

Buffy was shocked at how easily the brunette had broken. She thought it would take at least a few minutes of yelling and accusing before Faith would even relent. But apparently, the other girl was already at boiling point, and she was ready to cool.

"Try me," she replied gently.

"It's not you," she began, "It's who you are."

"Um..." Buffy said, unsure of what the brunette meant.

"You're the Slayer," she stated simply, as though that remark explained everything, "You have strength, you have power, you have.... an identity. All I ever wanted..." she trailed off, and Buffy gaped at her. The silence thickened.

"Are you crazy?" Buffy asked incredulously, causing Faith to start with her outburst. "You actually want this? To be the Slayer? 'Cause if there was a choice, I'd give it all to you in a second."

"But you have power..."

"Power? Does power disqualify the fact that I'll more than likely be dead in a year?"

"Dead?" Faith blinked in confusion.

"I will have to risk my life every night, fighting demons and vampires, and save the world every time there's some big bad until the day I die. Love, marriage, kids and a life all gets thrown out the window, Faith. It ain't all slays and smiles. It's death and pain and grief." she finished off the small speech with surprise. She didn't even know she felt those things, and as she spoke them she realized how true it all was.

"That's better than nothing." Faith replied bitterly.

"Nothing?"

"That's all I've ever had, B," she spat, "Nothing. No parents, no friends, no school, no life. Then Angel saves me and tells me I may have something, something important. Something that can make a difference in this hellhole. But then you're called, and I'm left back in the dirt."

"You're not left in..."

"Yeah, I am. What's left for me, huh?" she asked sharply.

"Faith." Buffy answered.

"What?"

"You are what's left. You, Faith. You don't need to be the Slayer to fight evil and help the world. You're already training to help the world."

Faith didn't look convinced and rolled her eyes. Buffy tried a different approach. "Why don't you train with me, then one day I'll take you patrolling?"

Faith glanced at her in confusion. "But you're the Slayer..."

"So? Who said you need super powers to hunt demons? You already have some power in you since you're a potential. All you need are the skills. I could teach you."

"You...but why would you do that?" she asked suspiciously.

"'Cause you want to fight, and I want some help. Make's sense doesn't it?" Buffy smiled as she could see Faith trying to comprehend what she was being asked.

"Well, yeah, kinda." she replied finally.

"Then it's settled. Once I've learnt the ropes, I'll teach you and we'll be slaying sisters. How's that?"

For the first time since laying eyes on the brunette, Buffy saw a genuine smile, "That'd be five-by-five, B."

"Good. I'll see you later?"

"Sure, whatever." Then Faith turned and strolled down the corridor, but Buffy saw the extra bounce in her step.

Buffy shook her head at the strange conversation and slid into the recreation room. Her heart was still racing from her quick escape and from the horrifying story that she had just been told.

As she thought over what she had been told, she shivered. What scared her the most, was that humans were the motive behind it. Not It was because of these humans, insane or not, that the last Slayer had been killed and her life had been turned upside down.

"Buffy."

She jumped in fright when Angel materialized in the doorway.

"Angel...hi." she said nervously.

"How are you?" he asked, searching her eyes for her answer. She knew he didn't mean how she was, but how she was coping.

"Uh, not bad." she answered carefully.

"Good," he murmured, and she could see he didn't believe her for a second. "And classes?"

"Great!" she breathed with fake cheerfulness. "Your lessons are really interesting."

"Nice to hear," he smiled knowingly, "I thought maybe they weren't when Mr. Harris decided to sleep his way through the last one."

She chuckled a bit too loudly, "Nah, he does that in every class."

He nodded and Buffy realized just how handsome he was. He couldn't be any older than twenty and Buffy was amazed at how someone so young could carry the responsibility of so many students.

"If you ever want to talk, you know where my office is." She nodded and he gave her one more piercing glance before retreating from the room. She sighed in relief and made her way to the television where her friends were watching Burgo's Catch Phrase.

"In over your head!" Xander shouted at the same time as Cordelia yelled, "Top's the cake!"

Oz smirked and said, "Don't bite off more than you can chew."

The contestant buzzed and said, "Don't bite off more than you can chew."

"Correct!"

Oz sat back into the chair as Xander and Cordelia scowled.

"Me and Oz are winning by seventeen!" Willow announced.

"'Ya think?" Cordelia grumbled sarcastically.

Buffy slumped onto the floor in front of them.

"Buffy! Come and help us!" Xander moaned in hello.

"Sorry guys, but you're on your own," she said, "I'm the worst at this game."

They continued to play; well Willow and Oz continued to play while the other two persisted in saying the first thing that came to their minds, no matter how ridiculous. Once it ended, Willow grabbed the remote and surfed through the channels.

Buffy couldn't join in their fun; she was too stunned and horrified. Spike hadn't managed to tell her the whole story and she was itching to find out. Despite the awfulness of it, it was something that involved her and she needed to find out what it was.

"God, that's so sad." Willow announced as she stopped on one channel. Buffy raised her head to the television and froze when she saw a very familiar face. The woman was crying and speaking into the camera.

"Baby, I love you so much and I won't stop looking for you. Please whoever has my baby bring her back to me. Buffy, I love you."

"Hey, Buff, that woman's daughter has the same name as you! Ain't that weird..." Xander stopped when he saw the shocked look frozen on his friend's face. "...Buffy?"

Buffy stared at the screen, frozen in shock. Once the news went back to the weather she could only choke out one word.

"Mom."