Hey, here's chapter 3 – thanks again to Faith Summers for beta-ing it! Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Faith's story

Cordeila had barely left when the doors opened again and Buffy entered the library. Her eyes were red and swollen, but other than that she seemed to have recovered her emotional balance... and maybe more than that: When Faith approached her; a hesitant smile on her lips, the blond girl didn't as much as look at her, but turned her attention to her Watcher. "Wes is out from under our feet, I guess?"

Giles nodded, just as surprised as anyone about the sharpness of her question. "We don't have to worry about him any longer."

"Good," Faith opened her mouth to say something, but Buffy cut straight across her. "Who's your guest?"

"Ah, right..." The Watcher almost seemed to have forgotten about the other man. "Buffy, may I introduce you to Prof. Lester Worth ... Prof. Worth, this is Buffy Summers, and these," he indicated the others, "are Willow, Xander, Oz and Angel." A general murmur of 'Nice to meet you' and 'My pleasure' was to be heard.

"And you brought him here because..."

A slight frown appeared on Rupert Giles face in reaction to his Slayer's rudeness, but he decided not to react to it ... they had more important things to do. "Why don't we sit down?" When they had – Buffy taking a chair as distant as possible from Faith – he continued: "The reason the Professor is here ... but Faith, maybe you should explain, you know much more about that part anyway..."

"Um ... okay..." Faith cleared her throat, obviously uneasy. All eyes were directed to her – well, all but Buffy's, who was busy examining her fingernails. The look of disappointment and hurt that flashed over Faith's expression didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, earlier today the Mayor told me he had a job for me," she began, not meeting anyone's gaze. "He wanted me to kill somebody ... to kill Professor Worth." She swallowed. "That's when I knew I had to get out. I mean, I've done jobs like that before, taking out demons, but this ... he wanted me to kill a man, a human, to murder him in cold blood..." The dark-haired girl shuddered. "I couldn't do it, especially not after what happened ... I just wanted out."

"I was about to call Rupert to tell him, when I started thinking … Why would the Mayor want me to kill some bookworm?" Willow flinched at the expression. Faith looked at her for a second, then at the Professor. "No offence. But it was odd, and ever stranger that he should sent me, not a couple of vamps … it had to be important. So I called Ripper anyway, told him that something was smokin', and that if the Mayor wanted this guy dead, we'd better save him and found out why."

Now Giles took over. "And I agreed whole-heartedly with Faith on both points: We had to save the Professor and she had to get out at once. So when I arrived at the Professor's home and met Faith, we decided to bring Prof. Worth here to find out what makes him so important – and we set up what will hopefully cover the true nature of Faith's … departure."

"What did you do?" Xander asked.

Faith smirked. "Tore the place apart – literally. Smashed furniture, punched holes into the walls, broke about everything that wasn't solid iron …" She saw Prof. Worth wince (the first reaction he had shown at all) and added: "Oh, yeah … most of the books didn't make it, either …"

"You left some blood, too?" Angel asked – it sounded more than a statement. "I can smell it."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, just to make the whole scene a little more convincing. I used my knife to cut myself", she indicated her lower left arm, "and left it there, all blood-stained …"

"I don't get it," Xander admitted. "Why the trouble? And what about the knife?"

"It's the one I used too kill one of that spidery-things that came out of the box." Faith looked at Buffy. "I kinda guessed ya would take it …" She shrugged at the blond Slayer's lack of reaction. Rupert had thought of bringing it … The Mayor gave it to me … when he finds it, covered with my blood in the middle of a completely trashed flat, he's gonna assume that B returned it … in the non-friendly way, that is. And that hopefully will have him looking for me as for an inured ally, not as double agent who has changed sides again."

"Good plan." Oz said, and the others nodded. "Might actually work."

"I hope it will," Giles remarked. "For if the Mayor assumes that Faith died, her appearance on our side in the Final Battle will hit him by surprise, which gives us an extra advantage."

"Let's not plan too far ahead," Buffy said coolly. "Before we congratulate ourselves on unexpected allies, we should find out if we actually gained something by all these hide-and-seek games and cover-ups." She turned to Prof. Worth. "What do you know that's so important the Mayor not only wants you dead, but sends his top-gun to do the job?" Everybody stared at the blond Slayer, surprised, almost shocked at her coldness and distance; Faith's shoulders slumped.

"I …" It came out a little squeaky. "I don't know", the Professor said. "Like Miss Lehane already mentioned, I'm just a bookworm … a volcanologist. I've never seen Mayor Wilkins in person and before tonight I have certainly not been aware of the existence of vampires and demons … I have no idea why he might be interested in me …"

"Whatever it is, it must've been somethin' that happened recently," Faith stated. "Otherwise, he would've taken care of it long ago, when he had time for things like that. He's got a tight schedule now, not much room for distractions."

"Which also means: Whatever it is must be important." Giles took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "And we have to find out, what it is … something you learned or saw recently …" He put his glasses back on and looked at the elderly man. "Professor, what have you been working on lately?"

The Professor started to describe his latest activities, and when he mentioned a giant skeleton he had discovered, Giles' attention was perked instantly, and his interest rose even more at the description of the structure of the bones. "Have you taken any pictures?" he asked. "I need to see them at once!"

"Most of them are in my office at the university," Professor Worth explained, "together with all the files and my notes …"

"I'll go and get them." Buffy rose from her chair, but Faith blocked her way before she could take a step. "No," she said. "Ya can't go out there, B. If the Mayor assumes you killed me, he'll have every human, vamp, and demon in his service on the street lookin' for you … and he won't play games any more!" She made a movement, almost like she wanted to touch the blond girl's shoulder, but then didn't. "Ya can't go out there," she repeated. "[It's] too dangerous."

For the first time since she had returned to the library, Buffy looked at her dark counterpart. Her expression was still impassive, unreadable, and her eyes cool, but at least she acknowledged her presence …

"I'll go." Angel offered. "I can't do much here anyway." He looked at Professor Worth. "Do I have your permission to enter the building and your office?"

The elderly man looked at him, clearly puzzled. "Of course you have …"

"He's a vampire," Willow explained after Angel had left, "he can't enter a house unless he's invited …" She turned to Giles. "But isn't a university a public place? I didn't know …"

"A vampire?" The Professor had paled visibly. "But … but …"

"A good one," the redhead added quickly. "He has a soul and fights the good fight now."

Lester Worth slowly shook his head. "Good vampires and …" He looked at Faith. "What did you say you were? And Slayers that pretend to turn evil … It seems the distinction between good and evil is quite blurry in your world …"

Buffy snorted. "Tell me about it!" Faith shot her a sharp look, but it seemed the older girl had gone back to ignoring her.

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I know this chapter is a little short, but I hope you like it anyway. And for those of you who can't await the Fuffy-action ... be patient! There are some things that have to be taken care of before we get there. Please review!