Three Slayers 10B - Enemies
"Well hello Angelus," the Mayor beamed at the sneering vampire, Faith had done it, brought back the vampire that had dominated the Summers Slayer the previous year. "Tell me," must be polite, "do you prefer Angel or Angelus?" "Well actually," Angelus began to stride the office floor, his eyes never leaving his face, "I'm thinking more along the lines of you calling me Master." Mayor Wilkins shook his head before waggling his finger at the vampire. "Ah. Angelus you need to park that attitude mister. We're all team players here, isn't that right Faith?" the brunette nodded dutifully. "And I am the one responsible for your new attitude." Angelus nodded thoughtfully before picking up a letter opener and dragging it across the desk surface. "So you're the reason I'm back?" He nodded. "No problems with the transition?" he did like to get value for money. "No side effects? " Angelus shrugged. "Had a soul, it's gone." The vampire started throwing the letter opener from hand to hand. Wilkins beamed. "Not having a soul, that must be liberating!" "Whatever," Angelus raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I don't mean to rush things here but are you trying to get to some kind of point? " "Tut, tut, tut," the Mayor shook his head, "I'd have thought with your immortality you'd have learnt patience. Well the point is Angel, you're a very powerful young man, with plenty to offer, and there may just be a future for you in Sunnydale if you're co-operative. I see you're admiring my letter opener." Angelus smiled. "Well, actually, I was thinking of stabbing you through the heart with it. " "Violence, violence. Why is it always violence with you vampires?" He shook his head in disappointment before spreading his hands. "Be my guest. " Angelus threw the letter opener at him. At the last second Wilkins brought his right hand in front of the projectile and the blade embedded itself up to the handle though his palm. "Nice shot. Tickles a little. " After smiling at the vampire's stunned expression, he pulled the weapon out of his hand and held up his palm so the vampire could watch it heal in seconds. "You see, I'm what you might call impervious. Can't be killed, or harmed in any way," he wiped the blade with a tissue. "And that's just a cornerstone in my plans for this great town of ours." For a second the vampire looked shaken then he smirked. "Mmmm. Can't be killed, but you don't like germs? " Wilkins shuddered. "Uck, eew, awful things, unsanitary. But my question is, now
that Faith has brought you back, what are your intentions? I trust they're strictly dishonourable?" "Well gee sir, I thought I'd take care of some unfinished business and find Buffy," Angelus' smirk widened, "trouble and torture, maim, and kill her." The Mayor beamed. "Ah you're the industrious type, not like those slackers, school drop-outs and bums. Torture Buffy. Killing her's fine, just make it a slow one." "My favorite kind of death," Angelus replied. "Good to see we're on the same page," Wilkins beamed. "Now have fun." Faith was almost bouncing with eagerness. "Let's do it." "Ah," something important struck him, "Angelus, try to have her home by midnight." He shook his head at the girl's pout. "There's no need to pull a face young lady, rules are there for a reason." He smiled as Angelus and Faith left before wiping away a tear. "She's not a little girl anymore."
* * * "Hi B." Buffy looked up from packing her bag, careful not to let her disdain for the traitor show. If not for the mage contacted by the Mayor being an old friend of Giles she'd be walking into a trap. She always knew Faith was trash. "Where have you guys been? " "Been looking for you. Good thing we found you before we left." Angel bent down and kissed the top of her head. "We've found some information on the ascension; I'm storing it at the mansion." "We'd take 'em to Giles ourselves but," Faith shrugged, "Fang thinks strength in numbers is the way to go. Come on." Buffy reached for her weapons bag but Angel grabbed it before her and smiled. "Let me get those for you." Quarter an hour later and they were in the mansion. "So where's this information," she demanded, this plan was scary very scary.
"Actually," she turned at Angel's tone, her blood chilling as her ears picked up the subtle nuances in his voice that separated Angel from Angelus, "there's been a slight change in plan, Buff." Buffy let out a not wholly feigned gasp. "Buff? You just called ... What's the matter with you?" "Nothing," Angel vamped out. "Matter of fact, I haven't felt this good in a year." "Angel? " "Guess again." "No." Angel grinned. "Yeah, and I'm just wondering where do I start? Card? Fruit basket? Evisceration?" her boyfriend grabbed her arms. "No," she shook her head. Angel's grin widened. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Maybe there's still some
good deep down inside of me that remembers and loves you. If only you
could reach me. Then again, we have reality where I'm a murdering vampire and you're a bimbo." Buffy pulled away from him, deciding to give Faith one final chance to follow her rightful lead. "I will kill you before I let you touch me. Faith, we need to get out of here, now." "Speak for yourself, B. Me, I like it here." Hearing Angel's growl she turned towards the vampire only for him to knock her out with a roundhouse blow.
* * * Buffy groaned her way to consciousness to hear Faith cheerfully taunting her. "Hey B, bondage looks good on you, B. The outfit's all wrong, but we can work with that!" "You don't know what you're doing," Buffy attempted to reason with the skank Slayer. Faith gave her one of her trademark smirk. "Really? Weird, because something about all this just feels so right. Maybe it's one of those unhappy childhood things. See, when
I was a kid I used to beg my mom for a dog. Didn't matter what kind. I just wanted something to love. A dog's all I wanted. Well, that and toys. Got some now though," the bitch lifted a blanket to reveal torture instruments. "But mom was so busy enjoying the drinking, screwing, and passing out parts of life that I never really got what I wanted, until now." Buffy licked her lips, even though it was still Angel, a bad Slayer was far from more dangerous than a Master Vampire, even one with the reputation of Angelus. "Faith, listen to me very closely. Angelus is a killer. When he's done with me, he'll turn on you." Angelus laughed, the sound chilling her even though she knew he was really Angel. "She's right. I probably will." Faith raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Hunh. Guess we'll just have to keep you around for a
while then. Before we get started, I just want you to know, if you're a screamer, feel free. After all, the longer you last, the longer before we start on the rest," Faith grinned, "we'll save Red for last." "Why, Faith? What's in it for you?" "What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale," Faith began to stride the floor, " I'm the Slayer. I come here for help, what do I get? A sneering bitch who looks down on me 'cause I never got the great mom, the chances she had. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. I try and fit in, but you and Willow just sit there whispering behind your hands. Well I'm sick of taking your shit." Buffy's mouth dropped open, it wasn't her fault, she was the lead Slayer Faith should follow her. "Faith, listen to me!" "Why?" the fiery rage in Faith's eyes was frightening. "So you can impart some special Buffy wisdom, that it? Tell me you think you're better than me? Do you? Say it, you think you're better than me." "I am," she sneered. "Always have been." A snarl on her lips, Faith backhanded her. Ignoring the blood in her mouth, she glared at her counterpart. "You had to tie me up to beat me. There's a word for people
like you, Faith. Loser." Her eyes gleaming, Faith stepped towards her. "Faith," it was Angel. After a second the brunette stepped back and shook her head. "Uh huh. You're just trying to make me mad so I'll kill you. I'm too smart for that. Stick around." "For what? Your boss's lame Ascension. Like I couldn't stop it." Faith laughed. "Let's see. The Master killed ya, Spike ran rings around ya until me and Ken offed him, Angelus killed G's one steady and treated you as his personal bitch, you've got a wicked record there B." Buffy reddened at the brunette's recounting of her record, it wasn't like that she was the best Slayer ever! "I will." Faith sniggered. "Keep dreaming. No one can stop the Ascension. Mayor's got
it wired, B. He's been around for a century, built this town for demons to feed on and come graduation day, he's getting paid. And I'll be sitting at his right hand. Assuming he has hands after the transformation." Her rival tilted her head to the side, a quizzical look on her face. "I'm not too clear on that part. And all your little lame ass friends are going to be party nibbles. Think about that when your boyfriend's cutting into you." Buffy shook her head, she never realized she'd treated Faith so badly. Her, Kendra, and Faith could have all been friends if she hadn't treated them both so badly, looked down on them. "I never knew you had so much rage in you. " "What can I say? I'm the world's best actor." "Second best," Angel spoke up from behind the brunette causing her counterpart to spin round. "Graduation day. You think we missed anything?" Angel replied, a sad smile on his lips. "I think we know everything she knows." "May I say something?" Buffy pulled her hands free. "Psych!" "You played me. You played me!" Snarling ferally, the brunette leapt for the window, Buffy rushed towards her, but somehow Angel got in the way, knocking her to the ground.
* * * "So what are we going to do about that bitch?" Buffy growled impatiently, she didn't understand why they were meeting at the Bronze instead of the library and why Jonathan had grabbed Willow and dragged her away to check out some hacking software he'd written, Willow needed to be here. Her blood froze as Xander stared her dead in the eye. "We're doing nothing Buffy, nothing at all." "But -." "Miss Summers," it was Wesley, "Mr. Harris came up with a plan whereby one of the Slayers would be secreted into the Mayor's operation to gain details of what he had planned. Today's charade was undertaken with Angel's full knowledge beforehand. It was merely a way of ingratiating Faith further with Wilkins as well as getting some information out without risk to Faith." The Watcher nodded at a stern-faced Xander, "a plan that worked most admirably." Her counterpart was a double agent? "Why wasn't I told!" she demanded. "Loose lips sink ships," at her confused expression Xander continued. "Because I decided that the fewer people knew, the less danger Faith was in." "Fine," Buffy nodded, "so why are we meeting here rather than the library? And why isn't Willow here?" "We're meeting here because there's a chance the library and other places we meet might be bugged by the Mayor. Here is impossible to bug. As for Willow," Xander hesitated, "I didn't want to tell either you or Deadboy but you had to be told because of your part in what happened today." "You can't leave Willow out of this!" "We can and we will," Xander's eyes hardened even further. "I don't trust either of you," the man's gaze took her and Angel in, "but you have to be told. Willow doesn't have to be, and if she was she'd just 'forget' and babble it at the wrong time to get Faith killed." "How dare you!" Buffy began to rise only to stop at Angel's hand on her shoulder. "G-Man, tell her what Willow was doing when we were kidnapped by Spike," Xander's eyes didn't shift from her face. Buffy's mouth dropped open at the Watcher's recital; Willow had tried mind- control? But then again, Kendra and Faith had stolen Xander from them. "So she made a mistake! That's no reason to cut her out!" Suddenly Xander smiled, causing her to break out in a cold sweat. "Fine, tell her. Oh and by the way, if Willow blabbers and gets Faith killed, then it's your responsibility. And because you cost me my best friend and Jonathan his girlfriend. I'll kill your best friend and," Xander looked at Angel, "your boyfriend." The teen turned to Giles, his gaze softening. "I'm going to see Kendra. See you there."
* * * "How dare he talk to me like that! I'm his best friend!" Buffy wiped at her eyes. After delivering his own warning Giles had left taking Wesley back to his apartment, leaving her behind with Angel. "Are you?" "Of course!" "Buffy if you had a little puppy who adored you but you neglected and ignored it, what would the puppy do?" Buffy's forehead furrowed. "What's that got to do with it?" "Just answer me," her boyfriend's tone was gentle, coaxing. "It bites you." The vampire nodded. "Think puppy = Xander. For two years you and Willow treated as an add-on as nothing. Then first Kendra, and then Faith come to town. One girl loves him, the other hero-worships him, giving him the respect he's always craved but never got from you -." "That's so not true!" her protest sounded weak even to her own ears. "Is it? I remember the dance you used to humiliate a man who'd brought you back to life just months earlier," her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the reminder, "how you put Angelus' life above that over your friends-." "Now hold on!" Angel appeared not to hear her protest. "And how you threatened him when he was angry about my return from hell. What do you expect?" Suddenly the realisation of what she'd done came crashing in. "Do you think we could ever be friends again?" Angel shrugged. "I don't know, but things will never be the same. Kendra and Faith have taken your places in his affections. You ready to patrol?" Buffy nodded numbly. Whatever it took she'd make Xander understand how sorry she was. She'd make it up to Kendra and Faith too.
* * * "How is she?" Jonathan turned at his whispered question, his face drawn not only with worry for Kendra but also Faith. "Sleeping," his friend replied, "how did the meeting go?" Xander grimaced. His temper had got the better of him but he was getting sick of Buffy's self-centered Weltanschauung. "Buffy understands," if she didn't then she'd signed her own death warrant.
* * * The Mayor smiled. "Well, you win some, you lose some. From where I'm sitting,
it's batting average that counts. So you lost some friends." Faith shrugged. "I wouldn't exactly call them friends." God she hoped G and the others were five by five. "Well, what are you worried about? Chin up! You don't see me looking disappointed. Heck, no. You know why? Because I know you'll always have me, Faith. I'm the best, the most important friend you'll ever have. Besides, you know, once the Ascension starts, the 'in' crowd you're so concerned about? Whoo! They'll be lucky if there's enough left of them to fill a pothole. Promise." Once the Mayor had left Faith looked around her new apartment. It was fancy, real fancy, far plusher than the makeshift room she had at G's. But, but it wasn't home.
"Well hello Angelus," the Mayor beamed at the sneering vampire, Faith had done it, brought back the vampire that had dominated the Summers Slayer the previous year. "Tell me," must be polite, "do you prefer Angel or Angelus?" "Well actually," Angelus began to stride the office floor, his eyes never leaving his face, "I'm thinking more along the lines of you calling me Master." Mayor Wilkins shook his head before waggling his finger at the vampire. "Ah. Angelus you need to park that attitude mister. We're all team players here, isn't that right Faith?" the brunette nodded dutifully. "And I am the one responsible for your new attitude." Angelus nodded thoughtfully before picking up a letter opener and dragging it across the desk surface. "So you're the reason I'm back?" He nodded. "No problems with the transition?" he did like to get value for money. "No side effects? " Angelus shrugged. "Had a soul, it's gone." The vampire started throwing the letter opener from hand to hand. Wilkins beamed. "Not having a soul, that must be liberating!" "Whatever," Angelus raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I don't mean to rush things here but are you trying to get to some kind of point? " "Tut, tut, tut," the Mayor shook his head, "I'd have thought with your immortality you'd have learnt patience. Well the point is Angel, you're a very powerful young man, with plenty to offer, and there may just be a future for you in Sunnydale if you're co-operative. I see you're admiring my letter opener." Angelus smiled. "Well, actually, I was thinking of stabbing you through the heart with it. " "Violence, violence. Why is it always violence with you vampires?" He shook his head in disappointment before spreading his hands. "Be my guest. " Angelus threw the letter opener at him. At the last second Wilkins brought his right hand in front of the projectile and the blade embedded itself up to the handle though his palm. "Nice shot. Tickles a little. " After smiling at the vampire's stunned expression, he pulled the weapon out of his hand and held up his palm so the vampire could watch it heal in seconds. "You see, I'm what you might call impervious. Can't be killed, or harmed in any way," he wiped the blade with a tissue. "And that's just a cornerstone in my plans for this great town of ours." For a second the vampire looked shaken then he smirked. "Mmmm. Can't be killed, but you don't like germs? " Wilkins shuddered. "Uck, eew, awful things, unsanitary. But my question is, now
that Faith has brought you back, what are your intentions? I trust they're strictly dishonourable?" "Well gee sir, I thought I'd take care of some unfinished business and find Buffy," Angelus' smirk widened, "trouble and torture, maim, and kill her." The Mayor beamed. "Ah you're the industrious type, not like those slackers, school drop-outs and bums. Torture Buffy. Killing her's fine, just make it a slow one." "My favorite kind of death," Angelus replied. "Good to see we're on the same page," Wilkins beamed. "Now have fun." Faith was almost bouncing with eagerness. "Let's do it." "Ah," something important struck him, "Angelus, try to have her home by midnight." He shook his head at the girl's pout. "There's no need to pull a face young lady, rules are there for a reason." He smiled as Angelus and Faith left before wiping away a tear. "She's not a little girl anymore."
* * * "Hi B." Buffy looked up from packing her bag, careful not to let her disdain for the traitor show. If not for the mage contacted by the Mayor being an old friend of Giles she'd be walking into a trap. She always knew Faith was trash. "Where have you guys been? " "Been looking for you. Good thing we found you before we left." Angel bent down and kissed the top of her head. "We've found some information on the ascension; I'm storing it at the mansion." "We'd take 'em to Giles ourselves but," Faith shrugged, "Fang thinks strength in numbers is the way to go. Come on." Buffy reached for her weapons bag but Angel grabbed it before her and smiled. "Let me get those for you." Quarter an hour later and they were in the mansion. "So where's this information," she demanded, this plan was scary very scary.
"Actually," she turned at Angel's tone, her blood chilling as her ears picked up the subtle nuances in his voice that separated Angel from Angelus, "there's been a slight change in plan, Buff." Buffy let out a not wholly feigned gasp. "Buff? You just called ... What's the matter with you?" "Nothing," Angel vamped out. "Matter of fact, I haven't felt this good in a year." "Angel? " "Guess again." "No." Angel grinned. "Yeah, and I'm just wondering where do I start? Card? Fruit basket? Evisceration?" her boyfriend grabbed her arms. "No," she shook her head. Angel's grin widened. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Maybe there's still some
good deep down inside of me that remembers and loves you. If only you
could reach me. Then again, we have reality where I'm a murdering vampire and you're a bimbo." Buffy pulled away from him, deciding to give Faith one final chance to follow her rightful lead. "I will kill you before I let you touch me. Faith, we need to get out of here, now." "Speak for yourself, B. Me, I like it here." Hearing Angel's growl she turned towards the vampire only for him to knock her out with a roundhouse blow.
* * * Buffy groaned her way to consciousness to hear Faith cheerfully taunting her. "Hey B, bondage looks good on you, B. The outfit's all wrong, but we can work with that!" "You don't know what you're doing," Buffy attempted to reason with the skank Slayer. Faith gave her one of her trademark smirk. "Really? Weird, because something about all this just feels so right. Maybe it's one of those unhappy childhood things. See, when
I was a kid I used to beg my mom for a dog. Didn't matter what kind. I just wanted something to love. A dog's all I wanted. Well, that and toys. Got some now though," the bitch lifted a blanket to reveal torture instruments. "But mom was so busy enjoying the drinking, screwing, and passing out parts of life that I never really got what I wanted, until now." Buffy licked her lips, even though it was still Angel, a bad Slayer was far from more dangerous than a Master Vampire, even one with the reputation of Angelus. "Faith, listen to me very closely. Angelus is a killer. When he's done with me, he'll turn on you." Angelus laughed, the sound chilling her even though she knew he was really Angel. "She's right. I probably will." Faith raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Hunh. Guess we'll just have to keep you around for a
while then. Before we get started, I just want you to know, if you're a screamer, feel free. After all, the longer you last, the longer before we start on the rest," Faith grinned, "we'll save Red for last." "Why, Faith? What's in it for you?" "What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale," Faith began to stride the floor, " I'm the Slayer. I come here for help, what do I get? A sneering bitch who looks down on me 'cause I never got the great mom, the chances she had. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. I try and fit in, but you and Willow just sit there whispering behind your hands. Well I'm sick of taking your shit." Buffy's mouth dropped open, it wasn't her fault, she was the lead Slayer Faith should follow her. "Faith, listen to me!" "Why?" the fiery rage in Faith's eyes was frightening. "So you can impart some special Buffy wisdom, that it? Tell me you think you're better than me? Do you? Say it, you think you're better than me." "I am," she sneered. "Always have been." A snarl on her lips, Faith backhanded her. Ignoring the blood in her mouth, she glared at her counterpart. "You had to tie me up to beat me. There's a word for people
like you, Faith. Loser." Her eyes gleaming, Faith stepped towards her. "Faith," it was Angel. After a second the brunette stepped back and shook her head. "Uh huh. You're just trying to make me mad so I'll kill you. I'm too smart for that. Stick around." "For what? Your boss's lame Ascension. Like I couldn't stop it." Faith laughed. "Let's see. The Master killed ya, Spike ran rings around ya until me and Ken offed him, Angelus killed G's one steady and treated you as his personal bitch, you've got a wicked record there B." Buffy reddened at the brunette's recounting of her record, it wasn't like that she was the best Slayer ever! "I will." Faith sniggered. "Keep dreaming. No one can stop the Ascension. Mayor's got
it wired, B. He's been around for a century, built this town for demons to feed on and come graduation day, he's getting paid. And I'll be sitting at his right hand. Assuming he has hands after the transformation." Her rival tilted her head to the side, a quizzical look on her face. "I'm not too clear on that part. And all your little lame ass friends are going to be party nibbles. Think about that when your boyfriend's cutting into you." Buffy shook her head, she never realized she'd treated Faith so badly. Her, Kendra, and Faith could have all been friends if she hadn't treated them both so badly, looked down on them. "I never knew you had so much rage in you. " "What can I say? I'm the world's best actor." "Second best," Angel spoke up from behind the brunette causing her counterpart to spin round. "Graduation day. You think we missed anything?" Angel replied, a sad smile on his lips. "I think we know everything she knows." "May I say something?" Buffy pulled her hands free. "Psych!" "You played me. You played me!" Snarling ferally, the brunette leapt for the window, Buffy rushed towards her, but somehow Angel got in the way, knocking her to the ground.
* * * "So what are we going to do about that bitch?" Buffy growled impatiently, she didn't understand why they were meeting at the Bronze instead of the library and why Jonathan had grabbed Willow and dragged her away to check out some hacking software he'd written, Willow needed to be here. Her blood froze as Xander stared her dead in the eye. "We're doing nothing Buffy, nothing at all." "But -." "Miss Summers," it was Wesley, "Mr. Harris came up with a plan whereby one of the Slayers would be secreted into the Mayor's operation to gain details of what he had planned. Today's charade was undertaken with Angel's full knowledge beforehand. It was merely a way of ingratiating Faith further with Wilkins as well as getting some information out without risk to Faith." The Watcher nodded at a stern-faced Xander, "a plan that worked most admirably." Her counterpart was a double agent? "Why wasn't I told!" she demanded. "Loose lips sink ships," at her confused expression Xander continued. "Because I decided that the fewer people knew, the less danger Faith was in." "Fine," Buffy nodded, "so why are we meeting here rather than the library? And why isn't Willow here?" "We're meeting here because there's a chance the library and other places we meet might be bugged by the Mayor. Here is impossible to bug. As for Willow," Xander hesitated, "I didn't want to tell either you or Deadboy but you had to be told because of your part in what happened today." "You can't leave Willow out of this!" "We can and we will," Xander's eyes hardened even further. "I don't trust either of you," the man's gaze took her and Angel in, "but you have to be told. Willow doesn't have to be, and if she was she'd just 'forget' and babble it at the wrong time to get Faith killed." "How dare you!" Buffy began to rise only to stop at Angel's hand on her shoulder. "G-Man, tell her what Willow was doing when we were kidnapped by Spike," Xander's eyes didn't shift from her face. Buffy's mouth dropped open at the Watcher's recital; Willow had tried mind- control? But then again, Kendra and Faith had stolen Xander from them. "So she made a mistake! That's no reason to cut her out!" Suddenly Xander smiled, causing her to break out in a cold sweat. "Fine, tell her. Oh and by the way, if Willow blabbers and gets Faith killed, then it's your responsibility. And because you cost me my best friend and Jonathan his girlfriend. I'll kill your best friend and," Xander looked at Angel, "your boyfriend." The teen turned to Giles, his gaze softening. "I'm going to see Kendra. See you there."
* * * "How dare he talk to me like that! I'm his best friend!" Buffy wiped at her eyes. After delivering his own warning Giles had left taking Wesley back to his apartment, leaving her behind with Angel. "Are you?" "Of course!" "Buffy if you had a little puppy who adored you but you neglected and ignored it, what would the puppy do?" Buffy's forehead furrowed. "What's that got to do with it?" "Just answer me," her boyfriend's tone was gentle, coaxing. "It bites you." The vampire nodded. "Think puppy = Xander. For two years you and Willow treated as an add-on as nothing. Then first Kendra, and then Faith come to town. One girl loves him, the other hero-worships him, giving him the respect he's always craved but never got from you -." "That's so not true!" her protest sounded weak even to her own ears. "Is it? I remember the dance you used to humiliate a man who'd brought you back to life just months earlier," her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the reminder, "how you put Angelus' life above that over your friends-." "Now hold on!" Angel appeared not to hear her protest. "And how you threatened him when he was angry about my return from hell. What do you expect?" Suddenly the realisation of what she'd done came crashing in. "Do you think we could ever be friends again?" Angel shrugged. "I don't know, but things will never be the same. Kendra and Faith have taken your places in his affections. You ready to patrol?" Buffy nodded numbly. Whatever it took she'd make Xander understand how sorry she was. She'd make it up to Kendra and Faith too.
* * * "How is she?" Jonathan turned at his whispered question, his face drawn not only with worry for Kendra but also Faith. "Sleeping," his friend replied, "how did the meeting go?" Xander grimaced. His temper had got the better of him but he was getting sick of Buffy's self-centered Weltanschauung. "Buffy understands," if she didn't then she'd signed her own death warrant.
* * * The Mayor smiled. "Well, you win some, you lose some. From where I'm sitting,
it's batting average that counts. So you lost some friends." Faith shrugged. "I wouldn't exactly call them friends." God she hoped G and the others were five by five. "Well, what are you worried about? Chin up! You don't see me looking disappointed. Heck, no. You know why? Because I know you'll always have me, Faith. I'm the best, the most important friend you'll ever have. Besides, you know, once the Ascension starts, the 'in' crowd you're so concerned about? Whoo! They'll be lucky if there's enough left of them to fill a pothole. Promise." Once the Mayor had left Faith looked around her new apartment. It was fancy, real fancy, far plusher than the makeshift room she had at G's. But, but it wasn't home.