Chapter Three: Problems Arising

The black man with the vampire face was tapping wildly away on a keyboard as a cloven hoof landed on his shoulder. He looked up and grinned at his boss. Kakistos frowned at the screen, not looking to his minion as he spoke.

'Mr. Trick, talk to me.'

'Check this out. This town, this very street, wired for fibre optics. See, we jack in a T-3, um, twenty-five hundred megs per, we have the whole world at our fingertips.' Kakistos frowned down on him, his understanding more of the non-variety. He removed the appendage from Mr. Trick's shoulder and waited for a simpler explanation. Trick complied quickly. 'What I'm saying is, we stay local--where the humans are jumpin' and the cotton is high--but we live global. I mean, you know, you get the hankering for the blood of a fifteen-year-old Filipina, and I'm on the 'Net and she's here the next day, express air.'

Kakistos snarled, his patience wearing thin with the technology his servant was describing. 'I want the blood of the Slayer.'

Trick couldn't believe Kakistos' short-sightedness at the best of times and he looked away for a moment. 'On that note, there's good news and bad. Rumour has it that this town already has a Slayer, which makes two. I'm not real sure how that happened.'

The older vampire snarled, losing his temper quickly. 'I don't care if there're a hundred Slayers! I'll kill them all!' He emerged from the shadow, indicating his scarred and blinded eye. 'She's going to pay for what she did to me.'

The black vampire nodded. 'Yeah, she is.' A knock came at the door and he glanced towards it. 'I'm running a computer check on every hotel, rooming house and youth hostel in town.' He picked up a welders glove from the side and stood. 'Meanwhile, as soon as the sun goes down,' he pulled on the glove and headed for the door, 'we're out in force. Food's here, boys.'

He opened the door, hiding behind it from the bright daylight outside. The pizza delivery boy looked in. 'You guys order a piz…'

Trick lunged out with his gloved arm, grabbed the delivery boy by the shirt and yanked him in. The pizza fell to the floor, cheese and pepperoni going everywhere. The delivery man joined the mess as Trick slammed the door shut again. He turned and bent down for lunch.

Joyce Summers set the food down on the table, glancing to Faith. 'So you're a Slayer, too. Isn't that interesting?' She smiled. 'Do you like it?'

'God, I love it!' Faith exclaimed, piling her plate full of food.

Buffy watched her; impatient for the bowl she was currently emptying onto her plate. 'Uh, Mom?'

Joyce waved her off. 'Uh, just a second, honey.' She scooped broccoli onto Faith's plate. 'You know, Buffy never talks that way. Why do you love it?'

Buffy gave up and grabbed a pair of tongs to take some fries for herself. Faith smiled up at Joyce sweetly and Buffy cringed internally.

'Well, when I'm fighting, it's like the whole world goes away and I only know one thing: that I'm gonna win and they're gonna lose. I like that feelin'. She dug into her food with fervour, as if she hadn't eaten in months.

Joyce smiled at her reply and took her seat.

Buffy frowned and shrugged. 'Well, sure. Beats that dead feeling you get when they win and you lose.'

Faith ceased her shovelling to scowl at her sister slayer. 'I don't let that kind of negative thinking in.'

Joyce pointed at Faith and made a face at Buffy. 'Right.' She shook her finger. 'Right. That could get you hurt. Buffy can be awfully negative sometimes.' She looked to Buffy. 'See, honey, you gotta fight that.' She smiled positively. Buffy returned a weaker smile.

'I'm working on it.' She continued to take fries, avoiding eye contact with either party. Joyce looked from one girl to the other and then noticed Faith's empty glass.

'Oh, Faith, can I get you another soft drink?'

The brunette handed over the glass, smiling broadly. 'Oh, you bet.'

'Right.' She departed into the kitchen to refill the glass. Faith glanced over to Buffy with a mouthful of food.

'She's really cool, huh?'

'Best mom ever.' The blonde looked toward the kitchen and thought for a moment. 'Excuse me.'

She got up and left the room as Faith grabbed a bottle of hot sauce, shaking it. She sniffed and grimaced.

Buffy entered the kitchen as her mom opened a bottle of soda and placed it on the island. Joyce looked up as she walked in and smiled. 'I like this girl, Buffy.' She poured the soda into the glass.

The slayer frowned. 'She's very personable.' She sat on a stool, folding her arms. 'She gets along with my friends, my Watcher, my mom.' She leant back and looked into the dining room. 'Look, now she's getting along with my fries.' She leant forward again. 'Even Spike likes her. Spike doesn't really like anybody.'

'Now, Buffy...'

Joyce was interrupted. 'Plus, at school today, she was making eyes at my not-boyfriend and Spike. This is creepy.'

'Does anybody else think Faith is creepy?' Her mom asked, and Buffy frowned further.

'No, but I'm the one getting single-white-femaled here.' Joyce nodded.

'It's probably good you were an only child.'

Buffy pouted and uncrossed her arms. 'Mom, I'm just getting my life back. I'm not looking to go halfsies on it.'

'Well, there are some things I'd be happy to see you share. Like the slaying. I mean, two of you fighting is safer than one, right?'

'I guess.'

'Unless, I mean, you heard her. She loves the slaying.' Joyce leaned over the island. 'Couldn't she take over for you?'

Buffy sighed. 'Mom, no one can take over for me.'

'But you're going to college next year. I think it would be...'

Buffy interrupted. 'Mom, the only way you get a new Slayer is when the old Slayer dies.'

This quickly registered in Joyce's mind, and she straightened back up. Buffy realized she'd just said way too much.

'Then that means you...' Her mom got upset. 'When did you die? You never told me you died!'

The blonde quickly back tracked, tying to undo the damage. 'No, i-it was just for a few minutes.'

Her mom began to pace nervously. 'Oh, I hate this. I hate your life.'

'Mom, I...'

Joyce stopped pacing and faced her daughter. 'Look, I-I know you didn't choose this, I know it chose you.' She took a breath. 'I have tried to march in the 'Slayer Pride' parade, but...' Her tone became solemn. 'I don't want you to die.' Buffy lowered her eyes, shook her head and gave her mother a warm hug. 'Oh…'

'I'm not gonna die. I know how to do my job.' She released the hug. 'Besides, like you said, I've got help now.' She looked into the dining room again to see Faith picking at everything in sight and stuffing it into her mouth. Buffy raised her eyebrows. 'I've got all the help I can stand.'

Three shadows fell across the construction equipment and Spike moaned as Buffy twirled her stake experimentally in her hand. Faith sighed as the blonde teen decided to open his mouth and disrupt the peace.

'Didn't we, um, do this street already?'

'Funny thing about vamps. They'll hit a street even after you've been there. It's like they have no manners.' Spike winced at Buffy's harsh tone. He knew she was pissed off about the attention that Faith was getting but he wasn't expecting it to be directed at him.

Faith raised her eyebrows. 'Mm. You've been doing this the longest. Why did Spike have to come…not that he isn't improving the scenery…' Buffy rolled her eyes.

'Because he always does. He's pretty strong and a good fighter. It's always handy to have someone watching your back.'

'He can watch my back anytime, as long as I get a glimpse of his…' Faith wriggling her eyebrows suggestively at the leather clad blonde. He grinned and winked back. Buffy turned.

'Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?'

Faith looked to the other blonde cautiously. There was something there. 'Nothing.'

But Buffy had caught Spike's suggestive look towards the brunette slayer and felt jealousy surge through her. 'Well, I may not sleep in the nude and rassle alligators...'

Faith scowled. 'Maybe it's time you started, 'cause obviously something in your bottle needs uncorking. What is it,' she gestured wildly with her hands. 'The, the Angel thing?' She looked around, and Spike frowned. He knew he hadn't said anything, but obviously Xander hadn't kept his mouth shut.

Buffy stopped in her tracks, turning to face the other slayer. 'What do you know about Angel?' She shot a look to Spike and he raised his hands.

'Just what your friends tell me: big love, big loss. You oughta deal and move on, but you're not.' Faith had her hands on her hips now, attitude pouring from her.

Buffy stepped closer, her body rigid and cold. 'I got an idea: how about from now on, we don't hear from you on Angel or anything else in my life. Which, by the way, is my life.' Spike looked at her, trying to calm her down but it wasn't working. And Faith had decided to come up with a parting shot.

'What are you getting so strung out for, B?'

'Why are your lips still moving, F?'

Faith narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. 'Did I just hear a threat?'

'Would you like to?'

'Wow. Think you can take me?'

'Yeah.' She looked behind Spike and the angry look on her face dissipated. 'I just hope they can't.'

She shoved Faith aside as a vampire attacked, making her fall to the ground. Buffy punched the vamp in the gut, and he went flying over Spike, who ducked. A second one came in and took a swing at Buffy, but she ducked his blow. She middle blocked his wide punch and low blocked his next punch. She then punched him in the face and the gut. She took his head in both hands and twisted. His body followed the motion, and he log rolled down to the ground. Faith got back up and grabbed a nearby trashcan. A third vampire ran in and punched Buffy in the face. He moved around behind her and tripped her with his outstretched leg, making her fall to the ground. As she looked up, she saw Spike holding his own again the vampire that had originally attacked first. Behind the vampire attacking her, Faith crammed the trash can over his head, blinding him. She took hold of the can and pushed him through a sheet of drywall. The board broke and collapsed on top of him. The other vampire dives for Buffy and she rolled out of the way, getting into a crouch position. She thrust the stake into the downed vampire and turned to see Faith stake the other one. They both moved to help Spike and as they reached his side, he staked his vampire, turning to them, panting and a little out of breath.

'For Kakistos we live! For Kakistos you'll die!' Another vampire ran in with a shout, grabbing for Spike. Faith looked distracted and Buffy glanced to her for an instant before grabbing a sharp piece of wood.

She wrestled with the vampire, whilst Spike gurgled under his hard grip. He was growing paler by the minute. The vampire kicked out, sending Buffy flying and she looked around wildly to see where Faith had gotten to. Another vampire had apparently appeared while they were distracted. Faith currently had him pinned to the floor, pummelling his face into the pavement. The blonde slayer began to shout but a growl from Spike's captor brought her attention back to him. Spike was unconscious and the vampire was taking advantage of the situation to sink his fangs into the teen's throat. A swift kick to the head stopped him millimetres from completing his meal and he dropped Spike, who crumpled to the ground in a heap. Buffy aimed a few good punches to the vampires head, shouting at Faith to check on Spike. Her stake met its mark and she span round before the vamp had even dusted. Faith was still pummelling the vampire she had been on top of before, its face a bloody mess and it had stopped moving.

'FAITH!' Buffy yelled and the brunette shoved her stake home, getting to her feet and turning to the blonde. Buffy had knelt down at Spike's side and looked relieved to find him alive, just unconscious.

'What is wrong with you?' Buffy snarled, looking up at the other slayer. Faith shrugged.

'What are you talking about?'

Buffy huffed and motioned behind her. 'I'm talking about you 'living large' on that vampire!'

'Gee, if doing violence to vampires upsets you, I think you're in the wrong line of work!' Buffy narrowed her eyes.

'Yeah, or maybe you like it a little too much.'

Faith raised her arms defensively. 'I was getting the job done.'

'The job is to slay demons! Not beat them to a bloody pulp while their friends kill our friends!'

Another nonchalant shrug was aimed at her. 'I thought you could handle it yourself. Is he okay?'

Buffy let out an exasperated sigh. 'He'll be fine. Once he wakes up.'

'No harm, no foul then.' Faith said, turning to walk off.

The blonde slayer just scowled at her retreating form.

'What you must realize, Buffy, is that you and Faith have very different temperaments.' Giles sipped at his coffee, his eyes trained on the blonde teenager as they walked through the corridor of Sunnydale High.

'Yeah, and mine's the sane one. The girl's not playing with a full deck, Giles. She has almost no deck. She has a three.' Buffy raised her hands, as if trying to prove her point. Giles chuckled.

'You said yourself that she-she killed one. Sh-she-she's just a plucky fighter who got a little carried away. Which is natural. She's focused on the slaying. She doesn't have a whole other life here, as you do. Whereas the protection of the human race is her job as well as yours, I have warned you before about Spike's presence on patrols. He has a habit of getting into scrapes.'

'He's always handled himself before now. And she was no help. She went to town on that vampire and completely ignored me. Giles, she's completely unaware of anything but herself.'

'I think you're being a little...'

Buffy interrupted. 'No, I'm being a lot. I know that. But Spike could have been killed. The girl needs help.'

Giles sipped from his coffee again before nodding. 'All right. I'll see if I can reach her Watcher at the retreat. They're eight hours ahead now. I guess they're probably sitting down to a nightcap.'

Buffy walked on toward the library, but Giles just stood there and started to stare off into space.

'I wonder if they still kayak. I used to love a good kayak.' Buffy returned to him. 'You see, t-they don't even consider...' He stopped, realising that Buffy was currently raising an eyebrow in his direction. 'Sorry. I digress.' They both walked on to the library. 'The, um, vampires that attacked you, can you furnish me with some details that might help me trace their lineage? I mean, ancient or-or-or modern dress. Amulets, cultish tattoos...' He supped at his coffee again.

The slayer shook her head. 'Uh, no tats. Crappy dressers. And, uh... Oh, the one that nearly bit Spike mentioned something about kissing toast.' A spark of recognition appeared on Giles' face but Buffy did not notice. 'He lived for kissing toast.'

'You mean 'Kakistos'?'

Buffy furrowed her brow, trying to remember. 'Maybe it was taquitos. Maybe he lived for taquitos.' She looked at Giles. 'What?'

'Kakistos.'

Buffy frowned and followed him. 'Is that bad?'

Giles stormed into the library, Buffy on close tail. ''Kakistos' is Greek. It means the worst of the worst.' He moved behind the counter. 'It's also the name of a vampire so old that his hands and feet are cloven.' He moved out of the office with a book in his hand and opened it to a specific page.

Buffy placed her palms on the table, stretching experimentally. 'Now, this guy shows up two days ago, right? Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene.'

Giles looked up and considered. 'You think he and Faith are connected?'

The blonde rolled her eyes. 'Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidence and leprechauns.'

'Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived here by chance simultaneously.'

'Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?'

Giles thought for a moment. 'As far as I know, yes.'

'Good. Okay, you get England on the phone. I'm gonna talk to Faith, see if 'khaki trousers' rings...'

'Kakistos.'

'Kakistos rings a bell. Or an alarm.'

'Right.'

'Right.' She nodded and left the library. Sh strode toward the lounge, heading to round the corner to the exit when Scott approached her, a charming smile on his face.

'Hi.'

Buffy stopped, surprise on her face. 'Scott!'

'How are you?'

'Uh, o-okay. You know, I-I gotta...' She pointed in a direction, stammering.

He bit his lip and nodded. 'I know, be somewhere else, right? Think of this as my last-ditch effort. I realize that one more is gonna qualify as stalking. I've given it a lot of thought--some might say too much thought--to, to how I might be a part of your life. It begins with conversation. We all know this. Maybe over a cup of coffee, or maybe at the Buster Keaton festival playing on State Street all this weekend.'

Buffy smiled warmly. She took a moment to consider his offer. 'You know, come to think of it, I-I don't think I've given a fair chance to... Buster Keaton. I... I like what I've seen of him so far. I... I think it might be time to see a little more.'

'Keaton is key. Oh. Um, I got you a little present.' He pulled out a small box and held it out to her. 'The guy in the retro shop said that it represents friendship, and that's something I would very much like to have with you.'

Buffy took the box, looked up at him and back at the box. She took off the lid and looked at its contents. It was a Claddagh ring.

'You like?'

Buffy felt her chest tighten and she immediately had an anxiety attack, and dropped the box. The ring fell free of its padding and hit the floor with an echoing clink. As Buffy felt herself falling backwards, strong arms caught her and she knew exactly who it was. The black leather covering the arms was a dead give away. She took a quick breath as Spike held her up gently.

'I can't. I-I-I-I can't do this.' She attempted to hide in Spike's arm, but caught the look on Scott's face. He bent down to pick up the box and the ring. He looked between her and Spike.

'Okay, I get the message.' He left without another word.

'You alright kitten?'

Buffy looked up at him, feeling strength return to her legs. She held herself up, leaving a hand on his arm for the moral support he provided. He was looking at her in that way of his, concern penetrating his blue eyes.

'It was a…'

'I saw, pet. Not the best gift for an intended but then he doesn't know your past. Nasty coincidence. Speaking of nasty…have you been back to see him?'

Buffy shook her head and was about to reply when Giles approached them.

'Dear Lord, Buffy, are you okay?'

'She's fine, Rupes, just a bit of a scare. Turns out I never look where I'm going and she's in her own little world.'

'Quite…I assume you have recovered from last night's ordeal?' Spike nodded and Giles looked to Buffy again. The slayer looked up at him.

'Did you reach the retreat?'

Giles looked at the floor. 'Yes, I did.'

'W-what did her Watcher say?'

Giles removed his glasses and took a moment before giving the inquisitive teens an answer.

'Her Watcher's dead.'