Chapter 1

Welcome To The Hellmouth

Figures that you would arrive in a place called 'Sunnydale' when it was dark and raining.

Rupert Gile's car pulls to a halt sometime around midnight. He hasn't said a word to you for the last hour or so, which suits you just fine. Somehow, even the silence feels thick with judgement.

"This your pad?" you say. "Alright for some." He nods awkwardly. It seems like he is trying to edit a sentence in his mind for least offense. God, could he be any more English?

The clicks of the engine cooling. The dull patter of rain against metal.

"Yunno, ain't too late, I could stay at a motel or something. We passed one back along the way."

"I wouldn't dream of it Faith. You are my guest."

"Uh huh." you say and let your gum pop. A light flickers on inside the building. A girl's silhouette peers out from behind the shades.

"That her?" you say, but the tingle down your spine tells you all you need to know.

Giles nods curtly.

"You know, maybe I had you pegged wrong." you say, to which he looks confused. "A watcher brave enough to have two teenage girls under his roof? Super power's or not, I gotta give you cred." You unbuckle your seat-belt and pop the door. "Hope you got more than one bathroom dude."

The silhouette watches you from the window.

The room he leads you to is on the lower floor. It is small and square and stinks of house paint and plastic wrap. Against the wall to the left is one of those cheap fold out beds you get from hardware stores; the sheets are still creased from the packaging. To the right, a small desk and dresser, both freshly assembled, the alan key, instuctions and ripped little plastic baggies tossed in the wire waste paper bin that still has the price tag on.

You dump your bag on the chair and take a long, deep breath.

Time to meet your replacement.

She isn't at all what you imagined. Mexican, perhaps, a shade shorter than you. She stands defiantly, her sharp, thick brow arched and intelligent. Lips chiseled. Groomed to perfection. Nails short and neat. Her clothes try to say 'street', but the cut and quality instantly show the lie.

Neither of you say anything. Your bodies say a lot, though.

Giles's little cough breaks the silence.

"Uhh, yes. Well, Kennedy, may I introduce Faith Lehane. Faith, this is Kennedy."

"This is weirder than I imagined." she says. Her accent stinks of New York money. The awkwardness stretches on. You wonder if she feels the tingle in her spine, like a magnet pulling tiny fragments in the bone, drawing you towards her.

"So hey Giles" you say "I figure this is a historical moment, right?"

"Oh, well, yes, quite. The first time in history two slayers have ever met. Quite the moment indeed." You nod. Kennedy nods.

Aww hell, history was never your best subject anyway.

"Who do I have to screw around here to get a drink?" you say, and Giles practically chokes.

Kennedy arches a brow and against her best efforts, cracks a smile.

It's way too early the next morning when you get your first look at Sunnydale High. It's hardly love at first sight.

You decide there is something decidedly off about the place before you even get out of the car, though you can't exactly place it. The sun bleached walls sag just so, giving the windows a sort of sneer. The arches across the courtyard, maw like, threatening to swallow all who dare enter. The back of your mind is tingling like a bitch with fleas- Kennedy feels it too. You nod to each other as she leaves you to go to her class. You expect to head back to the car, but Giles leads you through the bustling quadrangle.

'Come along Faith, the Library is this way'.

As the lights flicker on, you find yourself somewhat in awe of the scene before you; An octagon of polished wood with a vaulted ceiling, set about by stacks of books. Leather and book dust assaults your nostrils. You feel a flicker of excitement, and dash to the center of the room, swinging around to take it all in.

'This is pretty rad G.' you say, slipping your gum to the side off your mouth. 'So, what we doing here?'

'This will be our, uh... base of operations, if you will. I have one of the finest occult book collections in America housed here.'

'The school cool with that?'

'Well, no." he says, removing his glasses, "Not exactly. As far as they are concerned I am merely The Librarian.'

'So why here?'

'Do you feel anything out of the ordinary?' he says, his eye glinting with excitement.

You shrug.

"Hmmm. Well, as it happens… beneath our very feet is a Hellmouth." he says gleefully. "Sealed- thankfully, from what we have learned about it, however it still acts as a sort of… focii... a mystical magnet for evil, if you will."

'School is the mouth to hell? Figures.'

'Well…' he adjusts his glasses. 'quite'.

You shrug. Whatever. You have seen weirder things.

'And I have to say, it is awfully convenient, what with you and Kennedy both attending the school. We can...'

'Whoah, whoah, whoah-there Jeeves. No one said nuthin' 'bout goin' to no school.'

He seems rather baffled by this, slipping his glasses back on like you are a book to read. You let the expression drop from your face.

'But Faith, you are only sixteen. You must attend school or...'

'No way G. Hell no. Me an' school we don't mix see?'

This Giles guy can really load a simple gesture like polishing his glasses. You feel it in your gut, a greasy, twisting sensation that you swallow back down before it reaches your face. He gestures for you to take a seat. You do.

'Faith, you are my Slayer. My job is to give you everything you need to meet your destiny, to give you the best chance at everything. A solid education will prepare you for the world. For your duty.'

'And there was I thinkin' my duty was to punch things really hard. Dunno how much economics or the reading about some assholes in wigs writing consitutions and shit is exactly gonna help with that.'

'Faith, listen to me. Contrary to what anyone has told you, you are a bright young girl. You deserve a future.'

'A future? Oh really? So tell me, how's Kendra's future comin' along?'

You immediately wish you could take it back as Gile's face pales. That sensation is back in your gut again. He takes a deep breath, and puts a book away under the desk. You are almost on the verge of apologizing when he speaks, quietly and softly.

'I am not going to lie to you Faith. The life expectancy of a Slayer, as a general rule, is short. But that is the general rule. I am guessing, Faith, that you are not a girl who likes to play by the rules, are you?'

There is a wicked sparkle in his eyes that you dig. Despite yourself, a faint smile crawls across your face.

'Would you like to look at the weapons cabinet?' he says.

Now you're talking.

The doors burst open. A girl staggers through, breathless and wild eyed.

'Mr. Giles! Something terrible has happened!'

You jump to your feet, ready for action, but Giles' hand is on your shoulder. Soothing. Firm. The girl is at the desk now, only just noticing you. Her horror filled face switches to one of confusion.

'Who's this?' she says.

'Faith, allow me to introduce you to, and apologize somewhat on behalf of, Miss Harmony Kendall.'

'Charmed.' she says, rather smugly as judgmental eyes trace you over.

'Harmony. Focus. The terrible thing?' Giles says calmly.

'An absolute horror show! She's going to kill me!'

'Who?' You say.

'Why, Miss Calendar! I kinda, sorta spilled nail varnish over this book she lent me. I need to replace it.' The girl's brain hits the breaks suddenly and she turns to look at you.

'Are you, like what? The new girl in school or something?'

'I'm something.' you smile coldly.

'Faith is my ward. She has just arrived in town, and is thinking of joining Sunnydale high this year.'

'Oh, a charity case? That is just so cool of you Mr. Giles. Isn't he the best?' she flashes perfect white teeth at you. You resist removing them with your fist. Like Kennedy, she stinks of money. Apple candy breath. Not a hair out of place, make-up immaculate and understated. Not much going on upstairs except drama. You don't do drama.

'We are going to be such friends!'

Oh yeah, Hellmouth confirmed.