Author: Lucinda

similar to the series, with chances of violence and moderate sexuality

main characters: Riley, Faith, also featuring Graham and Steve

Faith and Second Chances 16: Brothers

disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do own Steve.

distribution: Wic, Paula, Cat - anyone else ask first.

set in season 4, just after the body-switching has been reversed.

Faith decided to start by dragging Steve out of the basement. Not literally, but when he had free time, he could often be found, watching one of his sci-fi movies. He might be able to help decipher the disks, and failing that, he could probably help keep Riley from going into betrayed shock.

Not that she could blame him for feeling that way. He had every right to feel shocked, appalled, and betrayed. They'd already known that someone had built a monster out of pieces taken from demons and at least one human. The fact that it had been someone that he'd trusted though...

By now, the sound of the Babylon 5 title music was easily identifiable. "Hey Steve, change of plans. Turn off the sci-fi, you've got a project to help us with."

"Help who? It's going to be the first appearance of the Shadows, and..." He paused, looking at her face. Clicking off the movie, he muttered, "This is serious, isn't it?"

"Someone made a patchwork monster out of spare parts." Faith decided to try to keep her description as low on the emotional pain ratio as possible, and tried to stick with the disgusting factor. "Riley found some info, and we're hoping that your scientific genius can help us figure out how to get rid of that bad boy monster before he turns some people into spare parts."

"That's..." For a moment, Steve was silent, and he scrambled up from his couch. "How could they keep the parts working? What about tissue compatibility? Organ rejection?"

"That's the science part. I only got halfway through high school biology, so I don't have the first idea, since it looks like they used science and not big evil magic. That's what you're for."

"You only drag me out of the basement to pick my brains..." He shook his head. "But it does sound big. More important than watching B5 on DVD."

"Well, it's certainly not your cooking." Faith put her hand on his back, pushing him along toward the room where Riley was supposed to be waiting with the disks. "You need to help me keep Riley from freaking out and going silent again."

Riley had placed the disk on the desk beside the computer, and he was pacing back and forth over the floor. His fingers kept rubbing over the bandages over his palm. Overall, he looked terrible, but not too bad for someone who'd just learned that someone he'd trusted completely had screwed him and a bunch of other people over.

"Those are the disks, science-boy." Faith pointed, and gave Steve a gentle push towards the computer. Well, gentle for her, he only staggered a few steps. "Riley, why don't you call Graham, see if he can help figure out something."

Riley nodded, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and then just stared at it for a few moments, as if he had completely forgotten how to use it. He sank to the chair, and pushed a few buttons, getting the impatient listening expression of someone listening to the phone ring, wondering if the person on the other end would pick up.

"Graham? Yeah, today has been something. I was wondering, could you come over and... umm... pizza and movies or something. Science Fiction."

"Everybody's been a bit out of it today. I thought you could use a change of scenery."

"No, I'm not secretly trying to set you up on a date." Riley had a small smile at that.

Faith sighed and leaned against the doorway, wishing that she could actually hear what Graham was saying on the other end. She could hear noise, but not clear enough to understand him.

Snapping the cell phone closed, Riley looked up. "He'll be here soon. I just... This whole thing..."

"The whole thing never should have happened." Faith finished for him.

"Yeah." He looked so sad, flushed and drooping in the chair. So much for military posture from the good soldier.

"I'll just start printing these out, and then we can all look at stuff, okay?" Steve spoke nervously, his fingers moving to make it so even as he asked. "This is just... Well, it's technically amazing, but..."

"Horrible." The word came from Riley, a single hollow word.

Faith could only spend so much time reading over the files before she wanted to kill someone. Walsh, even though she'd never met the woman, would have been her first choice, but almost anything would do. The urge to do violence frightened her a little, made her wonder if she was slipping back to the cold killer that she'd become before her coma. She shivered, knowing that if that happened, she would probably hurt a lot more people this time.

"Guys? Let's put these down for a while and go on a patrol. I need to find something that I can hurt." From the way they'd been muttering, fists connecting to the table, she hoped they'd understand.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Riley's voice was still flatter than normal, as if he was trying not to let himself feel.

It felt like no time at all before she was out with Riley and Graham, armed to the teeth and looking for some unlucky demon or vamp. All three of them were tense, alert for the slightest sign that they weren't alone.

Even with that, they weren't expecting what happened.

A pair of vampires stepped out from behind the mausoleum, their fanged grins a clear sign that they did not come in peace. Really, between their weapons, the fact that both guys knew how to fight and Faith being a Slayer, the pair of vamps didn't have a chance.

There was the sound of someone clapping as the vampires fell to dust on the ground.

Adam stood there, his patchwork face terrible in the moonlight. In a half circle behind him were almost a dozen vampires and demons, watching them. "Very good. I see that you are not so weak, my brothers."

"Brother?" Riley repeated the word, his back going stiff and straight as he glared back.

"Mother hadn't done as much work on you yet, but she intended to. I was the first, and I was not intended to be the only one." Adam paused, and his head tilted to the side. "Didn't she tell you?"

"Personally, I don't see the resemblance." Faith quipped, looking at the waiting minions.

"It's all inside for him." Adam smiled, the expression lopsided and chilling on his face. "The same chemicals flow inside him as me."

Riley made a noise, not quite words. It was an effort of denial, hopelessly futile.

"Are we going to kill them now?" A vampire asked, lurking to the right.

The bone spear shot out of the demon arm, impaling the vampire. As the minion fell to dust, his shocked expression lingering, Adam shook his head. "They are not ready, and I need to make more preparations. Until then, have a pleasant evening, brothers."

Faith stood there, one hand gripping Riley and the other supporting Graham as Adam and his entourage left. The guys were too stunned, too horrified by the implications of what the monster had said to be steady on their feet, and Faith found herself oddly glad that Adam wasn't ready yet.

"The arms don't match." Graham's voice was low and uncertain. "On the last demon in line, they don't quite match."

"He's following her plans." Riley's voice was harsh, thick with the emotions that he'd been suppressing. "He's altering them, putting on different parts."

"You know, it's so much easier when the monsters are dumb." Faith sighed, trying to pretend that she wasn't terrified and appalled and angry. "Then they just want you to die, maybe be dinner. This... This is worse."

"How do we fight him? How could we fight him and all his followers, when he can just... make more?" Graham whispered, still staring into the darkness where Adam had gone.

Faith shivered, and started to pull them back towards the jeep. "I don't know."

The question played in all their minds as Riley drove them back to Steve's house.

end Faith & Second Chances 16: Brothers?