Greetings and Salutations. Another chapter (like you didn't know). Thanks for all your reviews. Please keep it up.
Six months later.
It was a week after the battle against the Master. The vampire was now a pile of dust scattered into the wind. That was the good news. The bad news was the Buffy had died. Temporarily, thanks to Xander's knowledge of CPR, but long enough for another Slayer to be called. Ironically, that Slayer was Faith. She now had the pressure of being, at least in the Council's eyes, the Chosen One, added to Joyce's training. This also meant Buffy was now riding below the Watcher's radar, which suited her just fine.
"You sure about this?" Xander asked. Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes.
"This is the only time we're going to have a chance at this, Xander." She said. "Look, the Council's sent their observers to see if Faith's a; trustworthy and b; any good. They're bound to have some files or something with them that'll give us a better idea of what they're really here for. Let's face it, they never really checked on me after Merrick died. They waited til I got here before they appointed Giles. I wanna know what's really going on."
"Yeah, I get all that." Xander said. "I was just asking if this was a good idea."
"You didn't have to come." Buffy reminded him.
"Yeah, I know." Xander replied. "But better me than Deadboy." Buffy hid the grin that spread over her face. Definitely better than Angel. Xander had two things going for him; he was cute, plus the added bonus of a pulse. "They're on the move." Buffy looked over at the hotel as the Watchers left.
"Alright, got the walkie talky?" She asked. Xander held it up. "Right, keep a look out. Radio me if they come back."
"Right. Hey Buff." She looked back at him. "Be careful." Buffy looked at him a moment. What the hell, she thought, as she bent over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"For luck." She said, before taking off. Xander watched her go.
"Good luck." He muttered.
Buffy scaled the drainpipe easily and tried the window. Unlocked. "Do these guys think the only things around here are vampires?" She muttered as she climbed in.
"What do you think you are doing?" Buffy looked at the young man as he walked in form the next room.
"Oops." She said as he drew a gun. She called the Force and waved her palm. "Drop it." The man obeyed. "Why are you here?" She asked, waving her hand again.
"There must be only one Slayer." He said in a monotone voice. "We were sent to kill Buffy Summers and, if necessary, the current Slayer to clear the way for a more worthy Slayer." Buffy held her anger in check. Those bastards.
"Where do you keep your files?" She asked, waving her hand once more. The Watcher shuffled off, leading Buffy to the lounge room. On the coffee table was a computer. The watcher sat down in front of it. "I need copies on anything you have." She commanded. He took a container of blank discs and began copying the files. Once finished, he handed the discs to her. "Thanks. Now listen carefully. I was never here."
"You were never here."
"You never saw me."
"I never saw you."
"When I leave, you will forget everything that happened tonight."
"When you leave, I will forget everything that happened tonight." With that, Buffy left. Once she had, the Watcher blinked a couple of times. Why was he in front of the computer? He shrugged. It must have been important, whatever it was.
"That was fast." Xander said, as she came down. Buffy shrugged.
"They left someone in there." She said. "He was kind enough to give me all the information I need." Xander grinned as they headed back to the Library.
"How many broken bones did you give him?"
"None." Buffy said innocently. "He was just very helpful. And a big chicken. Anyway, I think I'm beginning to support Doyle's thoughts on the Watchers Council, though."
"Why? What's going on?"
"I'll explain at the Library." Buffy said. "Come on. Let's go."
"He told you what?" Faith asked. The tone of her voice was dangerous, and bordering on lethal.
"N-now, now Faith." Giles said soothingly. "I'm sure there's a reason for this."
"Yeah." Faith nodded. "The Council are all total assholes that need to have their heads examined. With one exception." She looked over at Giles.
"Well, thank you." Giles couldn't help but smile. "I thought this day would never come."
"What day?" Faith asked. Buffy grinned as well.
"The day you'd actually trust him." She told her. "We still have to deal with the Council. I don't care what happens to me, but threatening my family is a serious no-no."
"Ditto." Faith agreed. She'd never really had a family save Doyle growing up. Now she had her sister and mother beside her, she wasn't going to let them down. She just wished dad wasn't such a jerk. "What are we doing about hem, anyway?" Buffy dug into her pocket, pulling out some discs.
"Here's a start. Wills, could you check these out? Just see what you can find." Willow nodded eagerly as she took the discs.
"Got it. I'm sure I can find a few things. As long as it isn't too heavily encrypted." Buffy grinned. Willow was always putting herself down. In reality, if she needed the extra power, she could probably hack the FBI computers for help.
"Right. Faith and me'll keep patrolling." Buffy said. "We'll take Angel just in case." Faith noticed a crestfallen look on Xander's face. I'll have to do something about that, she thought. "Xander, can you watch the Watchers?"
"The Watcher watcher?" Xander quipped. "How's that for irony." Buffy smiled. Thank the heavens for those one-liners of his. They were the only things keeping her sane right now.
"Giles, keep us updated." Buffy continued. She looked over at him. "I know this'll be hard for you. By the sounds of things, more dangerous than anything you've faced…"
"You mean besides the combined tempers of Faith and yourself?" Giles asked.
"Giles?" Buffy asked, with a look of shock on her face. "That was actually funny. Are you all right? I mean I know it hurts at first." The other teens doubled over in laughter at the comment. Giles went red in the face. "Don't worry, we'll help you through it."
That week, there were several attempts on Buffy's life. Most of them happened on patrol, and only her combination of Slayer and Force born skills had kept her alive. Angel, Xander and Faith became hyper protective of the Jedi trained Slayer, never leaving her alone for a moment. With the exception of Faith, it was starting to get a bit annoying.
"I can take care of myself, guys." She said one night in the Library.
"These attempts are getting serious." Angel had told her. "We're just trying to keep you alive."
"Appreciate the thoughts, Deadboy." She said. "Just wish you guys'd give it a break. Faith and me can handle it."
"Can you blame us for wanting to keep you safe?" Xander added his piece of mine, almost saying 'can you blame me'. "Our lives would be less for your absence." Faith grinned. Time to get this show on the road.
"Can we get a move on, please?" She begged. Angel arched an eyebrow. She was up to something. "I'm gettin' bored. Somewhere out there, some poor vampire is waiting for me to end his miserable existence. I don't wanna be late."
"What are you up to?" Buffy asked.
"Who, me?" Her sister asked innocently. "What would I possibly be up to?" Buffy looked at her suspiciously, trying to probe her mind through their link. Faith diverted her probe to a less than appealing thought.
"Please tell me you're joking?" Buffy demanded.
"Am I missing something?" Giles asked. He, along with the others, believed the link between the two had something to do with there now being two Slayers, thankfully
"Nothing you really need to know." Buffy said.
"That'll teach ya." Faith said. Buffy looked at her and shuddered.
"I can't believe you even thought of that." She said. She then switched her glare to Angel. "Keep it in your pants, Deadboy." Angel glared at Faith.
"What did you show her?" He demanded.
"Maybe one day if you're good, someone'll turn you into a real boy." Faith said sweetly. "Then I'll show you." Buffy and Xander gagged. Giles took his glasses off and muttered something about 'bloody teenagers'. Willow buried her face behind the computer screen to hide her embarrassment.
"You really have to do something about your sister, Buff." Xander said.
"I blame Doyle." Buffy said. "And I will bring this up with him." Faith's face fell.
"Great." She mumbled. "More drills. I swear, sometimes he's worse than a Watcher."
"Uh, speaking of." Giles said hesitantly, replacing his glasses. This was going to hurt, but they wanted to know. He just hoped they wouldn't kill him. "The Council has passed down orders concerning the two of you. They, uh…Well, you see…"
"Giles, spill." Faith said. "What's going on?" The Watcher took a breath.
"There is a test that is administered on a Slayer's eighteenth birthday." He began. A slight hiss escaped from between Angel teeth.
"The Cruciamentum?" He growled. "What's that got to do with this?"
"You've heard of it?" Giles asked, not all that surprised.
"The tried to use me for it once, during World War II." Angel told them. "I helped the girl escape instead. They hunted her down about six months later. Not worthy, they said."
"What is this thing crucial mental thing?" Buffy asked.
"The Slayer's administered a drug that robs them of their powers." Angel explained. "Then, on their eighteenth, they're locked up with a vampire, forced to fight, without their abilities, to prove their worth. If they survive, they're worthy. If not…"
"They're dead." Faith said, deadpan. "Doyle never told me about that. What's it got do with us? We're not eighteen." Giles cleared his throat.
"They're ordering you to administer the test early." Buffy guessed. "To see if Faith's 'worthy'." The last word was dripping in sarcasm. Both girls were having trouble controlling themselves.
"Not just Faith." Giles said. "They think the test will give them a chance to get rid of you."
"Those bastards!" Faith's temper finally exploded.
"Faith, calm down." Buffy said. "This isn't going to do anything about it." Buffy struggled with her own temper.
"Buffy? You okay?" Xander was behind her, gently rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. Buffy closed her eyes, trying not to show how much she enjoyed it.
"Magic hands?" She said. Xander grinned.
"You should see what I do in other areas." He said mischievously. Buffy's grin mirrored his. Maybe I will, she thought. "So, you okay?"
"Yeah." She said. She looked over at Faith. Xander's act had given her something else to worry about. "So, what now?"
"Might I suggest you cancel patrol for a while?" Giles said. "We can handle it."
"Uh uh, no way, not on your life." Faith said. "After what you just dropped on us, I need to vent. But we probably shouldn't go alone." That's it, Buffy thought. She is up to something. I know it. "So, Xander with Buffy and Angel with me. Now that's settled, bye." She dragged the souled vampire out before anyone could make any objections.
"She's either up to something, or Deadboy's got her hypnotised." Buffy muttered. "If that's the case, he's dust." She sighed and looked over at her patrol partner. Xander and her alone. Wonder if he'll ask me out, Buffy thought. "Well, let's go. One sweep of the east cemetery, and then bed. I want to be awake and alert when the Council starts piling crap. Let's go Xander."
"Yes boss." He said, following obediently. Willow watched them leave, and then looked over at Giles.
"How long do you think those two are going to dance around like that?" She asked him.
"What? Oh, I don't know." Giles said. "Though, I think Faith's rather obvious plan might have some effect on matters. In any event, they may even be good for each other." Willow looked at the door wistfully.
"Yeah, maybe." She muttered, before returning to the computer.
"What are you up to?" Angel asked once they were a safe distance from the school.
"Wadaya think? I want some private time with you alone." Faith said rolling her eyes. "Trying to get Xander and my sister together. They'll never do it on their own."
"I knew that." Angel said. "But did you have to be so obvious about it? If Buffy doesn't guess, she'll be suspicious at least."
"Is that reason or jealousy?" Faith teased. "Relax, Deadboy. Why do you think I distracted her with a less than possible thought about us?"
"Us?" Angel was taken aback by the Slayer's abruptness. "There's an us?"
"Not now or ever." She said, almost sadly. "I talked to Doyle about you. There's a clause in this curse of your's. A moment of true happiness, Angelus makes an encore appearance. Hence, no us."
"A clause?" Angel's face fell. "What kind of curse has a loop hole like that?" Faith shrugged.
"The only emotions vampires run on are the most basic and instinctive there is." Those emotions also lead to the Dark Side of the Force, she thought to herself. Probably not a coincidence. "Those basic instincts run their very existence. The clause means you can't…relieve yourself, in any way. I think that's the way Doyle explained it." Angel thought for a moment.
"Now it makes sense." He said. "But how'd they know I wouldn't just keep doing things the way I was?"
"Do you know any living person who would actually want to exist like you did?" Faith asked.
"True enough." Angel said. "Wonder how the other two are doing?"
Wonder if I should ask her out, Xander thought as they walked through the cemetery.
"Come on." Buffy muttered. "You'd think they'd be bursting at the seams with left overs from the Master."
"They're probably scared of meeting one of two very pissed off Slayers." Xander said hopefully. "That, or you and Faith have already taken care of them all." A hand burst out of the ground right next to him. Buffy shoved him out of the way, moving forward quickly, stake ready. The fledgling pulled itself out of the ground, only to meet the Slayers foot with its face.
"Man, you guys have lousy timing." Buffy said. "I mean, I'm just walking past and you decide to pop up just at that time. That's really stupid." She moved forward quickly, intending on finishing it quickly so she could check on Xander.
"I have a message from Spike." The vamp said suddenly. Buffy hesitated. "Told me tell you…nothing can save you, your sister or your mother." Buffy hesitation gave way to fury as she charged savagely and shoved the stake through the vamps chest.
"Take this message back." She snarled as the vamp burst into dust. She looked down at it disgustedly. So, Spike was threatening her family, was he? Well, she'd have to do something about that. When she got her hands on him, she'd…
"Buffy?" Xander walked closer to her. She was shaking, why he didn't know. He hadn't heard the exchange, but he knew there was trouble. "Buffy, are you…?" She spun around with a snarl, stake ready. "Buffy settle down. It's me, Xander. Remember, magic hands?" Buffy blinked looking at him.
"Xander…what…?" She looked at the stake, still pointing at him. She dropped it in horror. "Oh my…what am I doing? What…?" Xander moved forward, catching her as she fell to her knees.
"Its okay." He whispered soothing, running his hand through her hair. "Its alright. You were jazzed that's all. Nothing at all for you to worry about."
"There is." She muttered into his chest. "I almost killed you. I almost let it take me."
"What?" Xander asked. Caution flew out the window.
"The Dark Side." She said, instantly wishing she hadn't opened her mouth.
"The what?"
"Please, Xander, don't ask." Buffy begged. "Just…just take me home, okay?"
"Alright, Buff." He whispered, soothingly. So much for asking her out. "We'll get you home, but I want to know what just happened, okay, 'cause whatever just happened there wasn't normal." Buffy nodded as she felt Faith's awareness flare in her mind.
"Alright." Buffy whispered. "Just…don't leave tonight, 'kay?"
"'Kay." Xander answered. "No argument from me."
Stay tuned
Doc.