Chapter Two

Second Calling

Faith slumped onto her bed, exhausted. She'd been in Sunnydale for about two days now, kicking vampire ass 24/7. There'd been only a one-day gap between when Buffy had died and she'd arrived in Sunnydale, and in that time, though Willow and Xander and the others tried, the town had sank even deeper into the darkness. The vampires had gotten more daring since word got out that two Slayers had died in one night. So, naturally, the presence of Faith wasn't all that threatening. At first.

Faith had quickly made a name for herself in the small Californian town, killing as many as fifteen vampires her during her first night out. Since then, vamps had been more cautious of her, though they still roamed the streets of Sunnydale without care. Faith was grateful for Paige's arrival. Two Slayers were better than one, and maybe now she could get some sleep, a luxury she hadn't been afforded in the last couple of days.

She snuggled into her soft pillow. One good thing could be said for living in Sunnydale: the accommodations. Joyce Summers had learned of her daughter's calling mere hours before the Slayer had gotten killed. She was grief-stricken when she'd received the news of Buffy's death and had never forgiven herself for giving Buffy such an ultimatum that night.

When Faith had arrived in town as the new Slayer on the block, Giles had given her an address: 1630 Revello Drive. She thought it was a motel or something. The feisty Slayer didn't expect it was an actual house. Joyce had taken her –and now Paige- in and given her room and board, three square meals, enrolled her in Sunnydale High, and treated her like her own.

All would be great in her life. Except for that one little nagging thought that creeped into her mind when she least expected it.

The only reason you have these things –the house, the clothes, the food, the mother, the friends- is because of her. They lost her, and they think you can fill her shoes, fill the hole she left behind. None of this is yours. It's all someone else's. You're just taking over the life of a dead girl. None of this is yours.

"Maybe I wasn't born with these things in life, but they're mine now," she whispered stubbornly. "I have a good life now and nothing is going to mess this up." Sighing satisfactorily, she closed her weary eyes and fell into deep slumber.

"Ahhhhhhh," Faith groaned, shutting off her alarm. She rolled over and squinted as violent red numbers spelled out the time. 5:30 AM. The one drag about Joyce was that she insisted Faith –who had dropped out in tenth grade- go to school everyday. Though Joyce always griped about getting a good education, she knew that it was Giles who really enforced this rule. Buffy had gone to Sunnydale High and had been first in line to act when things on the Hellmouth were getting screwy. It only made sense that she take up that mantle.

Faith considered sleeping in another hour. It would mean missing her one of her daily training sessions, however, and she knew Giles would have a fit. Besides, she wanted to see how Paige measured up to her. Faith had known of her possible calling for nearly a year. She'd trained everyday with her Watcher in case the she became the Chosen One. She was prepared. She had no idea if that was the case for Paige. Groaning again, she rolled out of bed and grabbed some clothes out of her closet. Maybe once Paige was trained up a bit more, she could catch a few more Zs.

"Oh, this is nice," she murmured. Faith had left the house before Joyce had even woken up, to get to the Sunnydale High Library on time. The sky was a gray overcast, and by the time she'd ran a block, warm Californian rain had begun to fall. Her dark hair was plastered to her head, and her tight black tank top and leather pants stuck to her like a second skin. No matter. The rain felt good, since she hadn't had the time to take a shower this morning. And it was nothing like the rain in Boston, which pierced through your clothes and chilled you to the bone.

Enjoying herself so much, the Slayer almost missed that prickling, warning sensation that always warned her of trouble. It came again, more insistent this time. And then she felt another emotion she thought she'd done away with: Fear. It shook her to the core and she stopped running, looking around wildly.

She was only a couple of blocks from Sunnydale High; she could see it in the distance. She made up her mind to sprint the last couple of blocks. Right now, all she had was a couple of stakes and a bottle of Holy Water in her knapsack. It wouldn't be enough. Giles had crossbows and maces and all kinds of fun things in the library.

The library; get to the library, she chanted in her mind. She ran around the school to the outside entrance to the library. Her heart began to pound a little slower as her hand closed upon the cool metal of the doorknob, and the horrible feeling in her stomach subsided. She was safe now. She'd get a nice big sword and come back out and hack whatever it was that had the audacity to scare her into little bitty pieces. She sighed, relieved and comforted at that thought, and turned the doorknob.

"Faith," a deep voice growled, and she whirled around, the heart-stopping terror coming back full-force, and then some. Faith stared into the demonic visage of Kakistos, the ancient vampire who had murdered her Watcher right in front of her, whom she had barely escaped from the first time in Boston. As if reading her mind, he growled. "Not this time," he promised, descending upon her. And for the first time, Faith the Vampire Slayer screamed in terror.

"G-man, what's the news?" Xander asked as he entered the library, his arm around Cordelia's waist. Willow and Oz followed closely behind in stony-faced silence.

"Xander, I've asked you time and again to desist with that ridiculous nickname."

"But it so suits you so very much."

"Giles, haven't you heard yet?" Willow asked anxiously, ignoring Xander.

"I- 'Heard'? Heard what?"

"We thought you'd know by now, seeing as the police are practically right outside the door." Cordelia pointed to the library exit that led into the school parking lot.

"Know what?" Giles asked, exasperated.

"Murder. This morning," Oz replied, somber.

"A student?"

"Seems so."

"It doesn't look like it was the work of a vampire," Willow spoke up. "Or at least, not a normal one. The blood was drained, but the body..." She trailed off, shuddering. Giles raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Slice n' dice," Oz filled in.

"How do you lot know all this?"

"Cordy did her...thing," Xander scowled.

"So we thinkin' deranged vamp, then?" Oz looked from person to person.

"W-well, any ideas as to who it could be?" Giles asked, sitting down.

"Hmmm. Let's take a stab at this. Deranged vampire, lurking around the library... Gee, I wonder who that could possibly be."

"Angel, obviously," Cordelia piped up, casting a withering glance at her boyfriend.

"Cor, it's called 'sarcasm'-"

"I know what sarcasm is-"

"People!" Willow yelled. Xander and Cordelia immediately stopped arguing. They'd only seen her like this once, and Take-Charge Willow was Scary Willow.

"If it is Angel," Oz began, "I'm thinkin' Slayers are our best bet to get some answers."

"We just passed Paige in the hall; Joyce was getting her enrolled."

"I don't want that girl going," Giles said adamantly.

"She'll be with Faith," Xander assured. "The two of them can handle him." He still couldn't bear to say the name of the monster who had murdered his best friend.

"Where is Faith, anyway?" Cordelia asked, peering into the window of Giles' office.

"She was supposed to have come at six this morning. Bloody awful punctuality," Giles muttered, feeling as though a boulder had dropped in his stomach. Faith had been nothing but punctual for their training sessions and nightly patrols.

"No, no she did come," Willow replied, a slight edge of panic hidden in her voice. "We passed Joyce, and she t-told us to tell Faith th-that tonight was spaghetti night. Faith left at quarter to six this morning. Joyce said she left!"

"But Faith's not here." Realization dawned in their eyes as they looked up. Only Giles worried about how to break the news to Joyce.

"Go to Hell!" Samantha Black screamed. She felt rage bubbling up inside her, so different from the normal annoyance she felt towards David. He was her older brother's best friend since grade school and a constant thorn in her side. With him, it was always snide remarks and witty insults. She could barely tolerate him on normal occasions. But she'd had the unfortunate luck to have him as her math tutor.

"I'm already there!" He yelled back. "After all, I'm stuck with you, aren't I?!"

"You're not stuck with me! You can quit whenever you want! Oh yeah, you need this, don't you? Short a couple hours of community service to graduate, are we?!"

"At least I'm not failing remedial math!"

"A, it's enriched math, all right?! And B, I'm not failing! Bs aren't a failing mark!"

"Then why the Hell do you need a tutor?!"

"Because trigonometry's screwing with my mind and I want As!"

"Then why don't you shut that big mouth of yours and sit down and listen to me?! Maybe then you could fill that empty head up!" Samantha wasn't sure why his remark hurt her so much. They'd traded worse insults than this before. Once, her brother Sam had even had to go so far as to kick David out and send her to her room.

But Samantha was hurt. So she acted on instinct. She slapped him. Or at least, she tried to. Her hand reached out quickly, with an almost inhuman speed, but he caught her wrist a just before she hit him. He must've known she'd had enough and would try something like that.

"Mind letting me go?" Samantha asked casually. She looked into his eyes and not for the first time, she had to admit that David was cute.

No, no, he's more than that, she corrected herself, blushing slightly. David had always been handsome, with his dark hair and intense eyes, but she'd never seen him look like this. His eyes were flashing dangerously, and for once she couldn't predict his next move. She was tall for a sixteen-year-old girl, at five-foot-nine, but David was a year older and half a foot taller. He towered over her and she felt more on edge.

"David, let go of my hand or I'll make you let go," she said slowly, making sure he got the point.

"Okay, then," he whispered into her ear. "Make me." Her eyebrows shot up.

"What are you playing at?" Calm David was more unnerving than Yelling David. At least with him, she knew where she stood. And then there was that ridiculously arrogant, smug half-grin he always wore when he would do something that would especially piss her off. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her so close to him that his aftershave was making her dizzy. He titled her chin up and kissed her softly at first.

Oh. Okay. Unexpected? Yes, very much so. Bad? ...Not so much.

The kiss deepened and she slung an arm around his neck. He raked a hand through her waist-long dark hair and tickled her with his free hand. She giggled, her lips still fused to his. He laughed and tickled her some more, enjoying the sound of her laugh.

Mmmm, make that 'not at all', she laughed internally. Her first kiss. With David, of all people. She was just really getting into it when her watch beeped for the hour. Reluctantly, she pulled away, leaving David puzzled.

"I – uh – dinner," she babbled, gathering up her books and stuffing them into her bag. "Dinner is what I eat – at dinner time." God! See foot. Insert mouth. Look like a fool. "So I have to go. To eat. Dinner." She backed out of the front door. David watched her, his arms folded across his chest, that stupid half-grin on his face. She blushed because she knew he was having fun seeing her like this.

"Tomorrow, Sammy," he reminded her, barely able to keep the elation he felt out of his voice. She waved a hand in reply, already closing the door. Samantha stared at the door for a few moments, then sprinted up the block. When she was sure she was out of earshot, she put a finger to her lips, then let out a loud squeal.

"Yes yes yes!" She laughed, barely aware of the rain that soaked her.

"Excuse me." She stopped her celebratory dance and looked up. A middle-aged man, around his forties, looked at her gravely.

"Can I help you?" She asked, feeling embarrassed.

"Samantha Hart?"

"Yeah," she replied without thinking. Then her common sense kicked in. "Um, I mean..." She fumbled to find a cover-up. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm Sammie Hart. Can I help you?" She asked again. David's house was exactly one block up that way. She could make it if she had to.

"I need you to come with me," the man said.

"Oh ho, I don't think so."

"You're needed."

"Buddy, the only place I'm needed is home. I'm late for dinner. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She tried to move past him, but he grabbed her hand.

"They need you in Sunnydale. ...Oh, I'm not foolish enough to think I could take you in a fight," he added, seeing the look on her face.

"Come again?" Samantha asked, feeling utterly confused. The man was twice her size, and he thought he couldn't take her?

"You were Chosen," he continued.

"Chosen for what?"

"To be the Slayer."