She's Gone 12b _ Lightness & Darkness
"Fuck, where is he?" Faith glanced at her watch, precisely thirty seconds after she had last looked at it. "He should have been home by now!" The brunette continued to pace the lounge floor as she had for the last hour, wearing a well-trodden path across the carpet.
"Quite," Giles agreed with a nod. Shoving away his own feelings of trepidation, he attempted to calm his companion. "Faith, there's no need to panic. Perhaps he's working late?"
"Yeah," the Slayer nodded. "That'll be it, should have rang, the inconsiderate bastard." Picking up the phone, the supernatural warrior dialled a number. After a few seconds she threw the phone back down with a curse. "No answer! I swear if he's gone out drinking, why so help me I'll- ."
"Faith," Giles decided it was best to cut off the young woman's tirade before it got going and she incriminated herself by describing some eye- watering acts of violence she'd like to perpetrate on Xander's body. He really didn't want to have to testify against her in open court. "Perhaps you could try his mobile."
"Yeah," the brunette nodded in approval. "Good idea G. I knew there had to be a reason we kept you around. It sure as hell ain't for your looks."
"That's not what you said on the event of our first meeting."
Faith grinned at him as she dialled the phone. "Girl had to make an impression. I was lying."
His chuckle died as the colour drained from the Bostonian's face as the phone was answered and the phone fell through her nerveless fingers. Instantly he was up. "Faith, what's wrong!"
"A..a woman answered," the Slayer replied through heaving breaths. "Said she had her kitten, and that he and the pretty blackbird Slayer had to pay for hurting her William."
"Oh no," Giles barely breathed. There was only one vampiress that he knew of that talked like that. "Drusilla."
* * *
Drusilla trilled happily as she disconnected the phone. "Now big bad Slayer knows the price she has to pay," grabbing hold of Harmony's arm she dragged her to the bedroom. "Let's go see our handsome guest, oh such a pretty smile!"
* * *
Xander's blood froze as he awoke to find himself laid on a four poster bed, flanked by two naked female bodies – normally a situation to savour he imagined, only not when one of them was the vampire formerly known as Harmony Kendall and the other was the queen of all looney-tunes, Lectar's slightly less sane older sister, Drusilla. "Oh you're going pay Harris," suddenly Kendall vamped out before sticking her claws into his side. "I'm going to, ugh -."
Drusilla's hand shot across him to grab Harmony by her throat. "Be nice to Alex," she scolded. Releasing her hold on the blonde vampire, Kendra's killer began to run her hands over his torso. "Cute Alex with his nice smile. Funny Alex with his jokes. Poor Alex with his nasty daddy who drank too much and hit him," Xander flinched at the reminder of his childhood. "Brave Xander who stopped daddy from turning poison dwarf Slayer." The vampiress' eyes darkened. "Naughty Alex who helped the bad girl Slayer get away with killing my sweet William. Dirty Alex who has crude thoughts about Blackbird Slayer when he's betrothed to another."
From somewhere deep inside Xander managed to find his voice. "Now we've been through my personal history I'll be leaving. Which reminds me Dru, I ever make the big time, you're my biographer. It's been fun but-."
He attempted to rise but the wildly giggling vampiress pushed him down on the bed, grabbed him around the neck, and pulled him into a hug, pressing her icy cold face to his. "Oh my kitten I've missed you and the silly things you say. I was so worried about you growing old, but now you're all grown-up I can turn you and we'll be a happy family, just like me and my William."
Xander gulped. "Delightful. However I'd like to take a rain-check."
Suddenly Drusilla pulled away from him, a look of petulance on her ethereal features. "It's impolite to refuse kitten," she scolded. "And rude boys have to be punished."
* * *
"Faith! Faith! Faith!" At his third bellow of her name the Slayer looked up at him, her eyes teary. "Pull yourself together woman," he snapped. Firm was definitely the way to go, of course if he annoyed her too much... Well his medical insurance was fully paid up, although how which part of the policy covered beatings from distraught Slayers... "All these hysterics aren't helping Xander," he scolded, his resolute tone giving no hint of his own terror. "What we need to is round up the others and find Drusilla."
After a second the East Coast native nodded slowly. "Five by five," she wiped at her eyes. "Willy's?"
"Willy's," he confirmed.
* * *
Willy's heart dropped when his bar's double-doors crashed open and the raven-haired Slayer strode through into his suddenly hushed drinking-hole. It wasn't fair, why did all Slayers have to be such babes? If they were ugly it would make hating them so much easier. The supernatural demon hunter looked left and right even as her companions, the two girls with crossbows, the Englishman with a shotgun, and the floppy-eared demon hanging to the back, his expression uncomfortable yet determined, entered. Suddenly the raven-haired beauty moved, her shapely form a blur as she lunged forward, the point of her sword tearing through the nearest demon's head. A second later her kill hit the ground. For a second there was hushed silence as the babe surveyed the body then looked up. Willy bit back a groan at the intense flicker in her eyes. "Our business is with Willy. Anyone who's not out of here in thirty seconds is dead meat. G?"
"Thirty," intoned the Watcher.
By the time the Englishman had counted down to 'five', the bar was empty. That dangerous gleam still in her eyes, the brunette started over to him. "Hey Slayer, given any more thought to that centrefold work?" Willy tried for a smile, the effort spoilt by the sweat pouring down his face. It was a crime against humanity, beautiful women shouldn't be so frightening. Instead of replying the hottie grabbed a chair and flung it into his jukebox. "Hey!" Willy yelled, not even stolen jukeboxes came cheap.
"Here's the situation," the Englishman explained, his courteous tone at odds with the bedlam being dealt out by his charge who was now busy snapping his pool cues and driving them through the walls. "We require some information. If we get it, we leave peacefully," Willy winced as a chair was flung through a window. "If we don't," the Watcher shrugged, his expression vaguely regretful. "Then once she's finished with your bar, we'll leave, and she'll start with you." The limey leaned forward and whispered, his tone conspiratorial. "She has anger management issues."
"W..What do you want to know?"
Suddenly the Slayer hurdled the counter to land next to him. "Where's that bitch Drusilla?"
Drusilla? Willy swallowed, he didn't think it was possible for anybody to scare him more than the woman in front of him but it was a close run thing between her and the mad vampiress. "I don't-, ugh."
His words were cut off by the Slayer picking him up by his throat. "Once," the hottie said, her tone conversational but the look in her eyes anything but. "I nearly strangled a guy to death, and I really liked him. You, you're a piece of scum, now talk before I get real inventive."
The brunette dropped him onto the floor. "Y..yeah Drusilla," he gasped. "She's running with a gang of maybe ten vampires down at the docks, the old Saeborn's factory."
"Thanks, and Will," he looked up at the Slayer. "Next time I ask a question, just answer it, okay?"
* * *
"You know the plan?" the others nodded at her question. Faith took a breath, he had to be alright, he just had to be. If he was dead or turned.... Faith swallowed. B thought she had it bad when Angel went bad but at least she had a ton of people who cared for her – Joyce, Dawn, G- Man, Xan, and Willow. She'd never had anyone who made her feel like Xman did.
"He'll be alright."
Faith smiled weakly at her Watcher's whisper. "Sure he will." Raising a foot, she slammed a heel into the front door, the force of her attack splintered the rotting wood and propelling the door open. Forcing a look of confidence on her face, she sauntered in, flanked by Giles and Tara, Dawn bringing up the rear.
Bile rose in her throat at the sight that greeted her, Xander dangling by his arms from the roof, his naked chest criss-crossed with whip-marks, his eyes glassy with pain, and blood dripping from his mouth. But, her heart leapt, he was still alive.
In an instant the two females by her suspended room-mate turned towards the invaders, and another eight moved from the back of the warehouse. "Almost three to one," Faith muttered. Not good odds, especially as one of her best fighters was hung unconscious from the ceiling. She'd have to stall until her secret weapon was in position. "So you're Dru uh?" she gestured towards the raven-haired woman, kinda pretty she guessed, scrawny though. "You're the big bad vampiress who killed the Slayer before me uh," Faith smiled. "Guess I got you to thank for the kick-ass powers. Thanks, shame you had to come to my burgh, I'm queen of the castle, can't be two of."
In answer, the vampiress began to trill hysterically, oh yeah definitely a few sandwiches sort of a picnic. "Note to self, thank Fang for this one when you see him," Faith muttered.
"Ah, it's sweet like Romeo and Juliet it is." The brunette commented, her accent distinctly cockney. "Kind Alex, too scared of using pretty lost girl won't admit his feelings. Beautiful Raven, so scared of all her pain inside won't open her heart to let another in."
Faith felt her cheeks flame. "Well this is fucking embarrassing," she muttered before raising her voice. "Didn't realise you were the undead version of Dr. Ruth." God, she hoped Clem got his ass into gear, if this nutjob started detailing what exactly she'd like to Xander, well Dru wouldn't have to kill her, she'd probably die on the spot.
The vampiress giggled. "Could almost feel sorry for star-crossed lovers," Drusilla's face fell and her eyes hardened. "'Cept nasty Slayer killed my William," Faith's heart stopped at Dawn's choked sob behind her, she was so in the shit now, "and mean Alex helped her cover it up."
At that second Clem burst through the rotten wood at the back of the warehouse, about ten seconds too fucking late for Faith, but she'd just have to deal with the sitch afterwards. Bursting forward she grabbed hold of a swinging arm, pulled its owner into a knee to the gut, and, as the vampire doubled up, drove her sword downwards through her opponent's neck. Another vampire stepped in front of her, blocking her path to her Xander, Faith feinted with a sidekick, then, when the vampire dodged to the side, smoothly decapitated him.
Even as she charged the last few feet separating her from Xander, Drusilla stepped in front of her and slammed a tooth-loosening right into her jaw, knocking her right on her ass. Shaking the cobwebs from her head, she leapt to her feet, and, realising she'd dropped her sword, dipped a lightning fast hand into her jacket and pulled out her stake. Leaping forward, she plunged her stake downwards.
Only to be grabbed by her arm and flung to the ground again. Hitting the floor on her shoulder, Faith rolled up to her feet, ducked a hook, and came up inside her adversary's defences only to stop dead when she looked into the insane woman's mesmerising eyes. "Pretty Slayer," Drusilla murmured, her soft tone hypnotic, from somewhere Faith heard the unimportant sound of her stake rattling to the ground. "So beautiful, even more gorgeous than the first. Will your blood taste nicer I wonder." Faith leaned her head over to the side to give the vampiress easier access to her artery. "Oh thank you my sweet," the vampiress whispered. Faith wanted to tell the vampiress it was fine, she wanted to be eaten by her but buddenly the vampire exploded in dust, shaking her head clear Faith saw Dawn stood behind her, a pistol crossbow in hand and a grim unreadable expression on her face.
"Thanks, ow!" Faith rubbed at her jaw when Pip slammed a fist into her chin, those boxing lessons she was giving the kid were obviously paying off, unfortunately for her. "Dawn, I can explain-."
"You killed him!"
"Dawn," a stern-faced Giles interrupted. "Our priority is Xander and his injuries. We'll discuss this back at the Magic Box," the angry teen opened her mouth only to snap it closed at a look from Giles. Somehow Faith got the idea this wasn't over.
* * *
"How could you kill him! You say you've changed but you're still the bitch you always were!" Dawn screamed at her, tears streaming down the teen's face as they sat in the training room of the Magic Box. Why G hadn't let her take Xander straight home Faith had no idea.
"I was only-."
"What was it? Jealous that Buffy actually liked him?" Faith felt a stab of hurt. That was so unfair she'd done it to protect them all. Spike was like a mad dog whose leash could fail at any time. "Thought he was worth more than a murdering sl-."
"THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Dawn jumped at her Watcher's roar. The look on her face defiant, the pretty brunette spun around to face the Englishman. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded. "They killed Spike!"
"Yes," Giles nodded. "Faith killed Spike. She killed a highly dangerous vampire who had slain two of her predecessors."
The teen's mouth dropped open. "You're on their side? He'd changed!"
"Had he?" Giles demanded, the Englishman rubbed furiously at his glass lenses before continuing. "When did he get his soul? The memo relating to that must have been misplaced."
"He cared about us!" the teen protested.
"Oh he cared alright," Giles sighed. "Wait there," the Englishman disappeared out of the gym leaving behind a tense atmosphere while Dawn glared whole-heartedly at them. After a few minutes G thankfully returned, clasping a handful of papers. "Read these."
Dawn's expression of confusion changed to one of horror as she read the sheets. After she'd read three sheets, Giles gently took the papers out of the girl's hands. Faith shared a confused look with Xander, what was on those sheets? "T..that's sick."
"Yes it is," Giles tore the sheets up and threw them in the bin. "After Faith killed Spike she came across them when clearing his crypt out. I kept them as evidence should you ever find out , of the sort of creature you were defending. It was quite apparent that should his chip have failed you were to be his first target, if he couldn't have your sister he would have at least have you. Tara could you take Dawn home?"
Faith waited until the door had shut behind the two women before speaking. "What were they G?"
"B..but we cleaned the place out," Faith commented. "No poetry about Dawn."
"Poems written by Spike detailing what he'd like to do to Dawn."
Giles nodded. "I faked them as insurance in case Dawn ever found out about your actions. I've seen enough of the doggerel that Spike called rhyme to forge some."
Faith raised an eyebrow, but it was Xander who spoke. "Showing them to Dawn was a little harsh G."
"Was it?" Giles said hoarsely. "I have little doubt that should Spike's chip have failed he would have returned to his old ways, with us as his first targets. I didn't like what I did, but I'd rather Dawn read such things than experience them first hand. I always disagreed with Buffy keeping Spike around, especially after the Angel situation," Faith tensed slightly, she couldn't blame her Watcher for loathing her mentor, not after what Angelus had done to G's girl, but she hated the disdain in the Englishman's tone. "My only regret is that you acted unilaterally rather than consulting with me beforehand. Seven o'clock tomorrow?"
"Five by five G." Once the Watcher had left, Faith turned to Xander, her heart pounding nervously. "Xman, what Dru said it was true right?" Xander nodded. "I'm interested too, so if you wanna we could go back, break your bed?"
Xander chuckled. "I'm sort of not in the condition for that besides," her friend hesitated. "We've done the wild monkey sex thing before. How about we start off the right way, with a date?"
Faith smiled, her body filling with a warm glow. "Yeah, I'd like that."
* * *
Willow smiled as she entered the dingy basement, she'd heard that one of her childhood tormenters was back in town and using a simple tracking spell had traced her prey to the basement of a house in Sunnydale's less exclusive neighbourhoods. "Time for some payback bitch." Sensing a presence in the shadows to her left, she spun round, bringing up her hand. "IMMOBILISE!"
Instantly the blonde vampire came to a halt, held fast by bands of air. "H...hi Willow."
Willow's shark-like smile widened. "Why hello my old nemesis."
Harmony looked insulted. "Nemesis? I'm not your nemesis, I just hated you is all."
Willow's rolled eyes back. It seemed being undead hadn't improved Harmony's intelligence. Still, Willow smiled cruelly, Harmony still had that body. After muttering a compulsion spell she released the vampire and uttered an order. "Undress."
The next few hours were an ecstasy for Willow and an agony for her childhood bully. First came the bull-whipping with the whip dipped in holy water, next a crucifix was pressed into the wounds, next the vampire was compelled to eat garlic while being beaten with baseball bat, and finally a blowtorch was applied to her hands and feet.
Willow stepped away from the crumpled vampire, pleased with what she'd achieved. She'd actually made a vampire sob for mercy, Buffy would have been so proud. Next was Faith, next she'd pay for her deeds, then her deceased friend would be really pleased. Reaching down she started to examine the vampiress' body, a wicked thought occurring as she realised that Harmony's injuries had already begun to heal. She had to be made to suffer like she had – a simple killing was too easy. Willow smiled as the solution hit her, oh yes eternal torment.
"It occurs to me that you never showed the slightest remorse for what you did to me."
"I'm sorry," the blonde sobbed.
"Hush," Willow lifted a bottle filled with holy water. Instantly her former class-mate fell silent. "I think there's something lacking in bullies, people like you. So I'm going to be generous, I'm going to give you that something. Now what do you," she allowed a ball of fire to appear in her left hand. "Say?"
"T..Thank y..you."
"Good girl." Willow nodded in appreciation as another thought hit her. "I always admired your hair, so beautiful and golden. Pull it out at the root." After a second the spell kicked in and the blood-sucker began tearing handfuls of her hair out. "From now on, you'll have a soul, but only in the hours of day like now, at night you'll be able to hunt freely, but at dawn, you'll have to hide. Not to glory in the carnage you've created but to wallow the guilt and self-loathing of the lives you've ruined." Willow smiled at the blonde's look of horror, even as the former cheerleader continued to pull out her hair. "Let's start right about now."
Willow walked out of the dingy basement, the blonde's horror-ridden screams sweet music to her ears.
"Fuck, where is he?" Faith glanced at her watch, precisely thirty seconds after she had last looked at it. "He should have been home by now!" The brunette continued to pace the lounge floor as she had for the last hour, wearing a well-trodden path across the carpet.
"Quite," Giles agreed with a nod. Shoving away his own feelings of trepidation, he attempted to calm his companion. "Faith, there's no need to panic. Perhaps he's working late?"
"Yeah," the Slayer nodded. "That'll be it, should have rang, the inconsiderate bastard." Picking up the phone, the supernatural warrior dialled a number. After a few seconds she threw the phone back down with a curse. "No answer! I swear if he's gone out drinking, why so help me I'll- ."
"Faith," Giles decided it was best to cut off the young woman's tirade before it got going and she incriminated herself by describing some eye- watering acts of violence she'd like to perpetrate on Xander's body. He really didn't want to have to testify against her in open court. "Perhaps you could try his mobile."
"Yeah," the brunette nodded in approval. "Good idea G. I knew there had to be a reason we kept you around. It sure as hell ain't for your looks."
"That's not what you said on the event of our first meeting."
Faith grinned at him as she dialled the phone. "Girl had to make an impression. I was lying."
His chuckle died as the colour drained from the Bostonian's face as the phone was answered and the phone fell through her nerveless fingers. Instantly he was up. "Faith, what's wrong!"
"A..a woman answered," the Slayer replied through heaving breaths. "Said she had her kitten, and that he and the pretty blackbird Slayer had to pay for hurting her William."
"Oh no," Giles barely breathed. There was only one vampiress that he knew of that talked like that. "Drusilla."
* * *
Drusilla trilled happily as she disconnected the phone. "Now big bad Slayer knows the price she has to pay," grabbing hold of Harmony's arm she dragged her to the bedroom. "Let's go see our handsome guest, oh such a pretty smile!"
* * *
Xander's blood froze as he awoke to find himself laid on a four poster bed, flanked by two naked female bodies – normally a situation to savour he imagined, only not when one of them was the vampire formerly known as Harmony Kendall and the other was the queen of all looney-tunes, Lectar's slightly less sane older sister, Drusilla. "Oh you're going pay Harris," suddenly Kendall vamped out before sticking her claws into his side. "I'm going to, ugh -."
Drusilla's hand shot across him to grab Harmony by her throat. "Be nice to Alex," she scolded. Releasing her hold on the blonde vampire, Kendra's killer began to run her hands over his torso. "Cute Alex with his nice smile. Funny Alex with his jokes. Poor Alex with his nasty daddy who drank too much and hit him," Xander flinched at the reminder of his childhood. "Brave Xander who stopped daddy from turning poison dwarf Slayer." The vampiress' eyes darkened. "Naughty Alex who helped the bad girl Slayer get away with killing my sweet William. Dirty Alex who has crude thoughts about Blackbird Slayer when he's betrothed to another."
From somewhere deep inside Xander managed to find his voice. "Now we've been through my personal history I'll be leaving. Which reminds me Dru, I ever make the big time, you're my biographer. It's been fun but-."
He attempted to rise but the wildly giggling vampiress pushed him down on the bed, grabbed him around the neck, and pulled him into a hug, pressing her icy cold face to his. "Oh my kitten I've missed you and the silly things you say. I was so worried about you growing old, but now you're all grown-up I can turn you and we'll be a happy family, just like me and my William."
Xander gulped. "Delightful. However I'd like to take a rain-check."
Suddenly Drusilla pulled away from him, a look of petulance on her ethereal features. "It's impolite to refuse kitten," she scolded. "And rude boys have to be punished."
* * *
"Faith! Faith! Faith!" At his third bellow of her name the Slayer looked up at him, her eyes teary. "Pull yourself together woman," he snapped. Firm was definitely the way to go, of course if he annoyed her too much... Well his medical insurance was fully paid up, although how which part of the policy covered beatings from distraught Slayers... "All these hysterics aren't helping Xander," he scolded, his resolute tone giving no hint of his own terror. "What we need to is round up the others and find Drusilla."
After a second the East Coast native nodded slowly. "Five by five," she wiped at her eyes. "Willy's?"
"Willy's," he confirmed.
* * *
Willy's heart dropped when his bar's double-doors crashed open and the raven-haired Slayer strode through into his suddenly hushed drinking-hole. It wasn't fair, why did all Slayers have to be such babes? If they were ugly it would make hating them so much easier. The supernatural demon hunter looked left and right even as her companions, the two girls with crossbows, the Englishman with a shotgun, and the floppy-eared demon hanging to the back, his expression uncomfortable yet determined, entered. Suddenly the raven-haired beauty moved, her shapely form a blur as she lunged forward, the point of her sword tearing through the nearest demon's head. A second later her kill hit the ground. For a second there was hushed silence as the babe surveyed the body then looked up. Willy bit back a groan at the intense flicker in her eyes. "Our business is with Willy. Anyone who's not out of here in thirty seconds is dead meat. G?"
"Thirty," intoned the Watcher.
By the time the Englishman had counted down to 'five', the bar was empty. That dangerous gleam still in her eyes, the brunette started over to him. "Hey Slayer, given any more thought to that centrefold work?" Willy tried for a smile, the effort spoilt by the sweat pouring down his face. It was a crime against humanity, beautiful women shouldn't be so frightening. Instead of replying the hottie grabbed a chair and flung it into his jukebox. "Hey!" Willy yelled, not even stolen jukeboxes came cheap.
"Here's the situation," the Englishman explained, his courteous tone at odds with the bedlam being dealt out by his charge who was now busy snapping his pool cues and driving them through the walls. "We require some information. If we get it, we leave peacefully," Willy winced as a chair was flung through a window. "If we don't," the Watcher shrugged, his expression vaguely regretful. "Then once she's finished with your bar, we'll leave, and she'll start with you." The limey leaned forward and whispered, his tone conspiratorial. "She has anger management issues."
"W..What do you want to know?"
Suddenly the Slayer hurdled the counter to land next to him. "Where's that bitch Drusilla?"
Drusilla? Willy swallowed, he didn't think it was possible for anybody to scare him more than the woman in front of him but it was a close run thing between her and the mad vampiress. "I don't-, ugh."
His words were cut off by the Slayer picking him up by his throat. "Once," the hottie said, her tone conversational but the look in her eyes anything but. "I nearly strangled a guy to death, and I really liked him. You, you're a piece of scum, now talk before I get real inventive."
The brunette dropped him onto the floor. "Y..yeah Drusilla," he gasped. "She's running with a gang of maybe ten vampires down at the docks, the old Saeborn's factory."
"Thanks, and Will," he looked up at the Slayer. "Next time I ask a question, just answer it, okay?"
* * *
"You know the plan?" the others nodded at her question. Faith took a breath, he had to be alright, he just had to be. If he was dead or turned.... Faith swallowed. B thought she had it bad when Angel went bad but at least she had a ton of people who cared for her – Joyce, Dawn, G- Man, Xan, and Willow. She'd never had anyone who made her feel like Xman did.
"He'll be alright."
Faith smiled weakly at her Watcher's whisper. "Sure he will." Raising a foot, she slammed a heel into the front door, the force of her attack splintered the rotting wood and propelling the door open. Forcing a look of confidence on her face, she sauntered in, flanked by Giles and Tara, Dawn bringing up the rear.
Bile rose in her throat at the sight that greeted her, Xander dangling by his arms from the roof, his naked chest criss-crossed with whip-marks, his eyes glassy with pain, and blood dripping from his mouth. But, her heart leapt, he was still alive.
In an instant the two females by her suspended room-mate turned towards the invaders, and another eight moved from the back of the warehouse. "Almost three to one," Faith muttered. Not good odds, especially as one of her best fighters was hung unconscious from the ceiling. She'd have to stall until her secret weapon was in position. "So you're Dru uh?" she gestured towards the raven-haired woman, kinda pretty she guessed, scrawny though. "You're the big bad vampiress who killed the Slayer before me uh," Faith smiled. "Guess I got you to thank for the kick-ass powers. Thanks, shame you had to come to my burgh, I'm queen of the castle, can't be two of."
In answer, the vampiress began to trill hysterically, oh yeah definitely a few sandwiches sort of a picnic. "Note to self, thank Fang for this one when you see him," Faith muttered.
"Ah, it's sweet like Romeo and Juliet it is." The brunette commented, her accent distinctly cockney. "Kind Alex, too scared of using pretty lost girl won't admit his feelings. Beautiful Raven, so scared of all her pain inside won't open her heart to let another in."
Faith felt her cheeks flame. "Well this is fucking embarrassing," she muttered before raising her voice. "Didn't realise you were the undead version of Dr. Ruth." God, she hoped Clem got his ass into gear, if this nutjob started detailing what exactly she'd like to Xander, well Dru wouldn't have to kill her, she'd probably die on the spot.
The vampiress giggled. "Could almost feel sorry for star-crossed lovers," Drusilla's face fell and her eyes hardened. "'Cept nasty Slayer killed my William," Faith's heart stopped at Dawn's choked sob behind her, she was so in the shit now, "and mean Alex helped her cover it up."
At that second Clem burst through the rotten wood at the back of the warehouse, about ten seconds too fucking late for Faith, but she'd just have to deal with the sitch afterwards. Bursting forward she grabbed hold of a swinging arm, pulled its owner into a knee to the gut, and, as the vampire doubled up, drove her sword downwards through her opponent's neck. Another vampire stepped in front of her, blocking her path to her Xander, Faith feinted with a sidekick, then, when the vampire dodged to the side, smoothly decapitated him.
Even as she charged the last few feet separating her from Xander, Drusilla stepped in front of her and slammed a tooth-loosening right into her jaw, knocking her right on her ass. Shaking the cobwebs from her head, she leapt to her feet, and, realising she'd dropped her sword, dipped a lightning fast hand into her jacket and pulled out her stake. Leaping forward, she plunged her stake downwards.
Only to be grabbed by her arm and flung to the ground again. Hitting the floor on her shoulder, Faith rolled up to her feet, ducked a hook, and came up inside her adversary's defences only to stop dead when she looked into the insane woman's mesmerising eyes. "Pretty Slayer," Drusilla murmured, her soft tone hypnotic, from somewhere Faith heard the unimportant sound of her stake rattling to the ground. "So beautiful, even more gorgeous than the first. Will your blood taste nicer I wonder." Faith leaned her head over to the side to give the vampiress easier access to her artery. "Oh thank you my sweet," the vampiress whispered. Faith wanted to tell the vampiress it was fine, she wanted to be eaten by her but buddenly the vampire exploded in dust, shaking her head clear Faith saw Dawn stood behind her, a pistol crossbow in hand and a grim unreadable expression on her face.
"Thanks, ow!" Faith rubbed at her jaw when Pip slammed a fist into her chin, those boxing lessons she was giving the kid were obviously paying off, unfortunately for her. "Dawn, I can explain-."
"You killed him!"
"Dawn," a stern-faced Giles interrupted. "Our priority is Xander and his injuries. We'll discuss this back at the Magic Box," the angry teen opened her mouth only to snap it closed at a look from Giles. Somehow Faith got the idea this wasn't over.
* * *
"How could you kill him! You say you've changed but you're still the bitch you always were!" Dawn screamed at her, tears streaming down the teen's face as they sat in the training room of the Magic Box. Why G hadn't let her take Xander straight home Faith had no idea.
"I was only-."
"What was it? Jealous that Buffy actually liked him?" Faith felt a stab of hurt. That was so unfair she'd done it to protect them all. Spike was like a mad dog whose leash could fail at any time. "Thought he was worth more than a murdering sl-."
"THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Dawn jumped at her Watcher's roar. The look on her face defiant, the pretty brunette spun around to face the Englishman. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded. "They killed Spike!"
"Yes," Giles nodded. "Faith killed Spike. She killed a highly dangerous vampire who had slain two of her predecessors."
The teen's mouth dropped open. "You're on their side? He'd changed!"
"Had he?" Giles demanded, the Englishman rubbed furiously at his glass lenses before continuing. "When did he get his soul? The memo relating to that must have been misplaced."
"He cared about us!" the teen protested.
"Oh he cared alright," Giles sighed. "Wait there," the Englishman disappeared out of the gym leaving behind a tense atmosphere while Dawn glared whole-heartedly at them. After a few minutes G thankfully returned, clasping a handful of papers. "Read these."
Dawn's expression of confusion changed to one of horror as she read the sheets. After she'd read three sheets, Giles gently took the papers out of the girl's hands. Faith shared a confused look with Xander, what was on those sheets? "T..that's sick."
"Yes it is," Giles tore the sheets up and threw them in the bin. "After Faith killed Spike she came across them when clearing his crypt out. I kept them as evidence should you ever find out , of the sort of creature you were defending. It was quite apparent that should his chip have failed you were to be his first target, if he couldn't have your sister he would have at least have you. Tara could you take Dawn home?"
Faith waited until the door had shut behind the two women before speaking. "What were they G?"
"B..but we cleaned the place out," Faith commented. "No poetry about Dawn."
"Poems written by Spike detailing what he'd like to do to Dawn."
Giles nodded. "I faked them as insurance in case Dawn ever found out about your actions. I've seen enough of the doggerel that Spike called rhyme to forge some."
Faith raised an eyebrow, but it was Xander who spoke. "Showing them to Dawn was a little harsh G."
"Was it?" Giles said hoarsely. "I have little doubt that should Spike's chip have failed he would have returned to his old ways, with us as his first targets. I didn't like what I did, but I'd rather Dawn read such things than experience them first hand. I always disagreed with Buffy keeping Spike around, especially after the Angel situation," Faith tensed slightly, she couldn't blame her Watcher for loathing her mentor, not after what Angelus had done to G's girl, but she hated the disdain in the Englishman's tone. "My only regret is that you acted unilaterally rather than consulting with me beforehand. Seven o'clock tomorrow?"
"Five by five G." Once the Watcher had left, Faith turned to Xander, her heart pounding nervously. "Xman, what Dru said it was true right?" Xander nodded. "I'm interested too, so if you wanna we could go back, break your bed?"
Xander chuckled. "I'm sort of not in the condition for that besides," her friend hesitated. "We've done the wild monkey sex thing before. How about we start off the right way, with a date?"
Faith smiled, her body filling with a warm glow. "Yeah, I'd like that."
* * *
Willow smiled as she entered the dingy basement, she'd heard that one of her childhood tormenters was back in town and using a simple tracking spell had traced her prey to the basement of a house in Sunnydale's less exclusive neighbourhoods. "Time for some payback bitch." Sensing a presence in the shadows to her left, she spun round, bringing up her hand. "IMMOBILISE!"
Instantly the blonde vampire came to a halt, held fast by bands of air. "H...hi Willow."
Willow's shark-like smile widened. "Why hello my old nemesis."
Harmony looked insulted. "Nemesis? I'm not your nemesis, I just hated you is all."
Willow's rolled eyes back. It seemed being undead hadn't improved Harmony's intelligence. Still, Willow smiled cruelly, Harmony still had that body. After muttering a compulsion spell she released the vampire and uttered an order. "Undress."
The next few hours were an ecstasy for Willow and an agony for her childhood bully. First came the bull-whipping with the whip dipped in holy water, next a crucifix was pressed into the wounds, next the vampire was compelled to eat garlic while being beaten with baseball bat, and finally a blowtorch was applied to her hands and feet.
Willow stepped away from the crumpled vampire, pleased with what she'd achieved. She'd actually made a vampire sob for mercy, Buffy would have been so proud. Next was Faith, next she'd pay for her deeds, then her deceased friend would be really pleased. Reaching down she started to examine the vampiress' body, a wicked thought occurring as she realised that Harmony's injuries had already begun to heal. She had to be made to suffer like she had – a simple killing was too easy. Willow smiled as the solution hit her, oh yes eternal torment.
"It occurs to me that you never showed the slightest remorse for what you did to me."
"I'm sorry," the blonde sobbed.
"Hush," Willow lifted a bottle filled with holy water. Instantly her former class-mate fell silent. "I think there's something lacking in bullies, people like you. So I'm going to be generous, I'm going to give you that something. Now what do you," she allowed a ball of fire to appear in her left hand. "Say?"
"T..Thank y..you."
"Good girl." Willow nodded in appreciation as another thought hit her. "I always admired your hair, so beautiful and golden. Pull it out at the root." After a second the spell kicked in and the blood-sucker began tearing handfuls of her hair out. "From now on, you'll have a soul, but only in the hours of day like now, at night you'll be able to hunt freely, but at dawn, you'll have to hide. Not to glory in the carnage you've created but to wallow the guilt and self-loathing of the lives you've ruined." Willow smiled at the blonde's look of horror, even as the former cheerleader continued to pull out her hair. "Let's start right about now."
Willow walked out of the dingy basement, the blonde's horror-ridden screams sweet music to her ears.
