I still do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any mythology.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank Tammin for all his hard work.

Two to Tango

Sunnydale High

"You think those Germans already reached the nest," Faith asked Buffy as they neared the library's doors. The blonde shrugged before reaching out to push one of the doors open, when there was a brief sound of escaping air. Buffy reacted even before the sound registered with Faith, twisting herself around and bringing up Mjöllnir in the same motion.

Faith herself was still busy turning her head in the direction Buffy was facing when a plinking noise rang through the hallway followed by the sound of something small hitting the floor. Looking down for a moment, the Slayer saw a small tranquilizer dart at Buffy's feet. Then her eyes traced the projectile's likely path back where they found a man dressed in jeans and a brown jacket holding a gun in a two-handed grip. 'Vampire,' she amended as she put two and two together.

Said vampire barely blinked at the failure of his sneak-attack, nor did he start to speechify. Keeping his tranquilizer-gun steady he began to advance on them, firing rapidly now. More pings reached Faith's ears as Buffy weaved her weapon around to knock the darts out of the air before they could reach her. When the vampire came to a halt, the brunette thought for a moment it was because he was out of ammo.

"Crap," Buffy cursed. Started by the uncharacteristic word-usage Faith looked over and was dismayed to find three darts sticking out of Buffy's shoulder, abdomen and thigh respectively. "My dressss..." The blonde trailed off as she swayed on her feet. "Not good," she managed to say before collapsing to the floor.

Wide-eyed, Faith looked back at the vampire. It all had happened too fast, only now did Faith realize she was on her own. Worse, she didn't have a weapon on her and under no illusion she could fight off whatever was in those darts any better than Buffy.

"Just one dose is enough to knock-out an elephant for hours," the vampire commented as he relaxed his stance and held his gun at his side. "Three should have killed her," he went on frowning at Buffy. "Then again, I've never heard of a Slayer conjuring a weapon out of thin air." His gaze traveled back to Faith. "But you can't," he concluded. His gun went up in the same breath and he fired, causing Faith to belatedly try to jump out of the way.

She shouldn't have bothered because there was only a click. Looking annoyed now, the vampire didn't even bother to try again and simply holstered his gun. "Don't think that gets you out of this situation Miss. I don't actually need both of you alive. Or either of you, really," he mused as he pulled out a big-ass knife, looking very wicked with all its curves, from behind his back.

"I was planning on doing the actual cutting up elsewhere, but there's no harm in getting an early start," he joked as he began to advance slowly towards Faith.

Faith almost backed off, but the sight of Buffy lying unconscious and defenseless arrested that impulse. She couldn't abandon her, not while there was a good chance this guy would take a few seconds out to take care of the blonde more permanently before giving chase. She also dismissed the idea of trying to use Mjöllnir herself, if it was anything like the comics she wouldn't be able to lift it and she didn't have the time to try that out now.

There really was only one thing she could do. Stepping in front of the blonde Aesir, Faith assumed a fighting stance doing her best to look confident. "Big talk, big knife, big gun," she summed up. "Sounds like someone's trying to compensate for something."

The barb didn't seem the faze him, though, because he just gave her an amused smile as he took the final step to get her into his reach. Faith had kept an eye on the blade, she'd remembered how his expression hadn't changed even as he tried to shoot her and was guessing she wouldn't get a warning this time either. She was right; the blade flicked out suddenly, almost slicing open her stomach if she hadn't twisted out of the way.

Her right hand shot out to try and catch the vampire's knife-hand, but had to pull it back right away as the demon slashed at the hand even as he drew the knife back. Faith couldn't stop a grimace as she felt the fiery line across her palm, but she didn't let the pain stop her from balling that hand into a fist.

The vampire now kept his knife moving, never letting it fall still as he looked for an opening. Instinct screamed at Faith to go on the attack, to do something other than just waiting. But if she did that, she would just be asking to get some fingers sliced off. With nothing to block that knife, Faith's options were extremely limited.

The vamp didn't have that problem. Striking like a snake his arm flashed forward sweeping across the space Faith's chest had occupied a moment before. She just managed to lean back out of reach but still felt the air stirred by the weapon whisper across the skin of her bare arm. Taking a step forward the vampire tried again, but Faith twisted to the left and out of the path of the blade.

It also nicely set the demon up for a left cross to his face. Actually hitting him was immensely satisfying, but his reaction wasn't. Barely a grunt escaped his lips as his face was averted by the punch. He still wasn't looking at her when he reversed his grip and tried to stick his knife into her gut with an underhanded thrust. A palm-strike to his forearm stalled the move just long enough for Faith to move back and out of range but in her panic she forgot to pay attention to where she was going and her foot hit the sleeping form of Buffy.

Normally it wouldn't have been a problem, she'd have kept her footing without a single miss-step. If she'd been wearing her customary boots that is. Unaccustomed to even wearing heels let alone fighting in them, Faith found herself falling before she knew it and was only able to prevent herself from landing flat on her back by stretching our her arms to catch her fall a bit.

One arm landed flat on the empty floor, the other didn't. The vampire was already advancing on her and Faith's face still wore the surprised look at having fallen. That quickly turned to anger as she looked down at her shoes. "Fucking heels. This is the last time I wear those damn things!" she swore as her right hand slipped one shoe off and hurled it at the demon now looming above her.

She'd aimed at his face and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as the bloodsucker managed to shield his face with the hand not holding a knife. And blocking his own view of her at the same time. "Really..." the vampire begun in an amused voice before stopping abruptly. His expression went from amusement to shock as he looked down at his own leg and Faith's hand that had just finished sticking a tranquilizer dart into him.

"Made ya look!" the brunette crowed with an exuberant grin.

"Merde," he managed before his leg collapsed under him. Next came the knife, clattering to the floor followed a second later by the thump of the vampire's body.

Picking up the knife as she got up, Faith looked it over happily before gazing down at her downed opponent. "I think I'll keep it, if ya don't mind. Yeah, didn't think so," she said as she bent down and placed the knife on the vampire's neck. "Now, let's see how sharp this baby really is."

/\/\/\/\

"I don't feel so good," Buffy murmured with her eyes still closed. Nausea rolled around in her stomach threatening to surge up with every breath. 'No, not up. I'm laying on something hard... Wood? Yeah, it's wood. What happened? Last thing I remember is going to the library to get a weapon for Faith, then there was this vampire shooting at us... Faith!'

Buffy's eyes flew open just as Faith's relieved voice reached her ears. "B, you're awake!"

Sitting up made things worse and the blonde couldn't respond right away as she fought back the urge to vomit and the world to stop dancing so much. "Kind of wishing I wasn't," she croaked after she noticed they were in the library. 'Faith must have taken care of Mister Trigger-Happy.'

"I'm surprised you're awake at all! That guy said just one dose would put an elephant out for hours, you took three!"

Blinking, Buffy slowly swiveled her head towards Faith so she could give the brunette a suspicious look. Or squint at least. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

Faith smiled, but her eyes still looked worried. "Nah, I'm sure ya just got thick bones to go along with that thick skull of yours."

"I'll have you know I have a very fine bone-structure. It's just that they're sturdier than steel now."

"Whatever you say, B!" Then the Slayer's expression turned concerned again. "But are you sure you're fine? I thought poison didn't work on you guys."

"Actually, Mjöllnir used the word resistant. Guess this was too much for me."

"That's exactly what happened. If you were human, you'd be dead. As it was, there was just too much tranquilizer for your body to break down before it could kick in. You need to take some care in the future, you're not invulnerable," the war hammer cautioned.

'I wasn't exactly just standing there and letting him shoot me,' Buffy thought back irritably. Something of that must have shown because Faith's expression remained worried.

"You sure you're going to be alright?"

Nodding Buffy started to scoot off of the table. "I'm sure. What exactly happened with the Trigger-Happy vampire? He ran out of ammunition?"

That got a chuckle out of the brunette. "Yep, he did. That's when he pulled out this," Faith held up a knife and Buffy's eyebrows rose as she got a good look at it. It looked very unfriendly. "Didn't do him much good though, 'cause this is what I used to take him out. That, and this dart you knocked out of the air," she admitted then looked at the knife in her hand. "I'm thinking of keeping this. Maybe even give it a name."

"Oh yes, because giving your weapon a name isn't a sign of crazy at all." Buffy made sure to show Faith her smile to let her know she was just joking around.

"Hey, you named your hammer," Faith shot back.

"No, I didn't. He told me his name."

"Funny, I don't hear him correcting me."

"That's because I'm the only one that can hear hi-" Buffy broke off as she realized what she had walked into.

Faith shot the blonde a triumphant grin. "Yeah, because having a weapon talk to you in your head ain't a sign of crazy at all!"

Laughing, Buffy bowed her head in mock-surrender before getting serious again. "How long was I out anyway?"

"Hmm, fifteen minutes maybe?"

"Okay, then let's go to the Bronze. The guys must be getting worried by now and since that vampire should be the last one, it's safe now." Her expression turned unhappy. "But they managed to ruin this night. I can't have the rest of the school seeing me looking like this." She waved her hand over her ruined dress and messed-up hair.

"You sure?"

Buffy made to say yes when her eyes caught the sight of something on Faith's hand. Grabbing it, she pulled it closer so she could get a good look. "He cut you! Faith, why didn't say you were hurt?"

Looking uncomfortable, the brunette Slayer shrugged. "Dunno, it's not a big deal. Look, it's already stopped bleeding and it should be fine by morning."

The Aesir didn't think it was nothing though. "It's not tomorrow right now. That does it, we are going home after we've seen the guys so we can clean this wound."

Faith looked uncertain, then nodded. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But we could go out tomorrow. Find some studs at the Bronze and celebrate we got through this." She shrugged, a move that was made a bit awkward with the hold Buffy still had on one of her hands. "If ya don't got any other plans."

Buffy nodded in agreement after giving it some thought. "After we've paid Willy a visit," she amended finally letting go of Faith's hand.

"Willy?"

"Right, I haven't taken you there yet, have I? Willy runs a demon bar and he hears things. I'm thinking he might know where Trick is hanging out so we can go and thank him for organizing tonight's activities," Buffy finished with a bloodthirsty grin that was mirrored by Faith.

Alibi Room

'Oh no, not her again,' Willy lamented as the blonde Slayer entered his establishment accompanied a girl with brown hair in leather pants he'd never seen before. But he had a sneaking suspicion about who she was, or more precisely, what she was. 'Why can't she come around when it's not Happy Hour?'

He knew better than to actually say any of that, though. Or to repeat the mistake he'd made a while back that had cost him half his regulars. "What can I do for you kids?"

"Plenty," Buffy answered with a loud voice everybody in the bar could hear. It did nothing to sooth Willy's nerves. "But I'm also here to show my newest, bestest friend the sights." She laid a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Everybody, say hello to Faith the Vampire Slayer."

"Christ, Slayer, are you trying to start a brawl? Do you know how much the last one cost me? Half the customers you killed still had a tab!" Relieved, Willy noted that at least half of the demons that had stirred at the blonde's announcement sat back down and tried to look harmless after hearing his protest. Good, that was the main reason he'd opened his mouth in the first place.

The blonde Slayer just shrugged. "I was kind of hoping we could hold an object-lesson, and having volunteers for that would be better." Willy couldn't decide if Buffy was serious or actually playing along with him.

"But I'm okay with volunteering a few of the vamps here," the other girl, Faith, threw in. "Unless you know where to find some vampire we just happen to be lookin' for."

And there was the rub, because Willy had no idea what vampire they were looking for. He hadn't heard anyone wanting to try something big right now so he would have to fish a bit. "I hear a few things now and then. But I don't betray customers," he quickly added loudly. "This vampire got a name?" he went on in a lower voice.

"Trick," the brunette Slayer spat.

Willy mulled over that name, but it didn't spark any memories. "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

Buffy's smile was far too bright. "That's okay, but we'll ask some of your customers just to be sure."

"Finally," the other Slayer exclaimed as she started to crack her knuckles. "Now we get to the fun part."

The bartender couldn't see the fun in what was about to happen, since it would be his wallet that would get really hurt. 'At least they all paid for their drinks in advance this time,' he consoled himself as Faith slammed one of his undead customers against a table causing it to topple over. It didn't stop him from flinching at the sound of glass and wood shattering.

The Bronze

'Buffy sure doesn't dance like a good girl,' Faith mused as she studied the blonde through slitted eyes. They were celebrating now, even though their visit to Willy's had been a bust and with it they'd lost their last lead. They'd already learned of the death of the Germans that morning when they'd gone to the nest so for now Trick had gotten away.

Faith, at least, hadn't wanted to let that ruin her night and it seemed Buffy agreed. But where Faith was dancing with three guys at the same time, Buffy was dancing alone. Okay, maybe she was dancing with Faith a little, but the blonde was steering any men that tried to sidle up Faith's way. Which was fine with the Slayer, more choice for her.

'And speaking of choice, it's time to get Buffy out of my hair for a little while so I can scratch that itch I've been having.' She didn't really need to, but Faith felt oddly reticent to let Buffy know what she was going to do. The brunette didn't really know why, but there it was. Which left her with the question of how to slip out without Buffy noticing.

Fortune intervened then, with the appearance of Buffy's friends. "Hey, B, your friends are here."

"Huh?" Buffy's expression went from puzzled to happy as she turned to wave at them.

"Why don't you go over and ask how their night went," Faith urged. She couldn't mention patrolling with all these witnesses. And to help things along, Faith let her hands slide over a couple of her dance partners as she ground her back into a third. "I'll keep them warm for ya!" she finished with a suggestive smile.

That little show worked, getting Buffy all flustered and backing off to create some distance between them. "Uh, that's fine. I'm, uh, they're yours, I mean, I don't... You know what, I think I could use a soda. And say hey to the guys," she announced in an overly perky voice and equally fake smile.

Turning around, the blonde hastened to leave the dance floor. Faith tracked her progress until she was sure she was out of the blonde's sight. Giving the three guys dancing with her a quick inspection she picked out the one that would most likely go along with what she wanted to do.

Pulling him closer by the shirt she looked over at the other two. "Sorry guys, but I'm in the mood for a more private dance right now." Paying no attention to their disappointment, Faith wiggled her eyebrows at her choice who got the message loud and clear. After a last look to make sure the coast was clear, Faith started to lead him off the dance floor in the opposite direction Buffy had gone. 'There should be a backdoor around here, and the alley is good enough for this guy.'

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: This is it for 2013. I will do my best not to make you wait so long for the next part this time, but I'm still busy on the sequel to 'The Living Sword' and that has to come first.

Have a wonderful 2014!