She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, going through a box of stuff
her cousin had sent her from England when someone knocked. "Come in." she
called.
"Hey," Faith said. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I went to the post office box today. There was a letter for you from Giles, and look – Xander sent my stuff."
Faith leaned against a wall. "Yeah – I'd forgotten how many lumberjack shirts you have."
The girl looked up, stuck her tongue out. "Whatever. We can't all run around in leather pants and sparkly tank tops."
"Why not? If you got it, flaunt it." She pushed off the wall, poking around in the box. She pulled out a thick book. "Don't you get enough monsters in real life? Salem's Lot – what's that about?"
"Vampires." Caitlin said with a grin. "I like it. It makes me feel like maybe some of the scarier stuff isn't real. Maybe I'm just stuck in a book or movie."
"Uh huh." She threw the book on the bed. "I just wanted to tell you I'm going out tonight. Spike's got this bar he wants to show me. Like I've never seen a bar before."
"Yeah. Okay. I was just going to hang out up here for a while."
"What's that about?" Faith asked. "You haven't been around down there much the past few days."
"I don't know. I've been tired. I was thinking – maybe I should get my own place, if I'm going to be here a while."
"Yeah? With what money?" She shook her head. "I don't know kid. You should check with the boss. But enough hiding. At least come down until I leave."
Caitlin couldn't think of a good reason not to, so she followed the older Slayer downstairs, where Angel, Spike, and Connor were going through the weapons. "There you are." Angel said. "Have either of you seen Illyria?"
"No." Faith answered. "Saw her this morning, but as soon as it got dark, she took off."
"I wonder where she's going." He mused.
"Hi, there," Connor said to Caitlin as she came up to the pile of swords.
Distracted, she muttered, "Hey," as she pulled an ax out of the pile. "Nice." She ran her finger just over the sharp edge, marveling over the detailing in the gilted handle.
"We went back to Wolfram and Hart and grabbed Angel's weapons." Spike announced. "Checked out my flat, too, but the place was trashed."
Faith grinned. "You gonna stand around all night polishing your sword? I thought you were going to show me a good time?"
"Best time you've had in a while. Let's go."
But he stopped dead five feet from the door. Connor tapped Caitlin's shoulder and she looked up from the broadsword she was currently admiring to see a woman standing in the doorway. She must be a vamp, Caitlin thought, since she was so pale. Her eyes were black, cold and hard. Her lips were blood red, matching the tight, low cut dress she wore, so long that it trailed behind her. She held out her hand to Spike, and with a little smile, said, "Hello, darling. Haven't you got a kiss for Mummy?"
"Hey," Faith said. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I went to the post office box today. There was a letter for you from Giles, and look – Xander sent my stuff."
Faith leaned against a wall. "Yeah – I'd forgotten how many lumberjack shirts you have."
The girl looked up, stuck her tongue out. "Whatever. We can't all run around in leather pants and sparkly tank tops."
"Why not? If you got it, flaunt it." She pushed off the wall, poking around in the box. She pulled out a thick book. "Don't you get enough monsters in real life? Salem's Lot – what's that about?"
"Vampires." Caitlin said with a grin. "I like it. It makes me feel like maybe some of the scarier stuff isn't real. Maybe I'm just stuck in a book or movie."
"Uh huh." She threw the book on the bed. "I just wanted to tell you I'm going out tonight. Spike's got this bar he wants to show me. Like I've never seen a bar before."
"Yeah. Okay. I was just going to hang out up here for a while."
"What's that about?" Faith asked. "You haven't been around down there much the past few days."
"I don't know. I've been tired. I was thinking – maybe I should get my own place, if I'm going to be here a while."
"Yeah? With what money?" She shook her head. "I don't know kid. You should check with the boss. But enough hiding. At least come down until I leave."
Caitlin couldn't think of a good reason not to, so she followed the older Slayer downstairs, where Angel, Spike, and Connor were going through the weapons. "There you are." Angel said. "Have either of you seen Illyria?"
"No." Faith answered. "Saw her this morning, but as soon as it got dark, she took off."
"I wonder where she's going." He mused.
"Hi, there," Connor said to Caitlin as she came up to the pile of swords.
Distracted, she muttered, "Hey," as she pulled an ax out of the pile. "Nice." She ran her finger just over the sharp edge, marveling over the detailing in the gilted handle.
"We went back to Wolfram and Hart and grabbed Angel's weapons." Spike announced. "Checked out my flat, too, but the place was trashed."
Faith grinned. "You gonna stand around all night polishing your sword? I thought you were going to show me a good time?"
"Best time you've had in a while. Let's go."
But he stopped dead five feet from the door. Connor tapped Caitlin's shoulder and she looked up from the broadsword she was currently admiring to see a woman standing in the doorway. She must be a vamp, Caitlin thought, since she was so pale. Her eyes were black, cold and hard. Her lips were blood red, matching the tight, low cut dress she wore, so long that it trailed behind her. She held out her hand to Spike, and with a little smile, said, "Hello, darling. Haven't you got a kiss for Mummy?"