Loss of Faith

Chapter 6: Slayer, Slayer, Come out to Play

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters contained within.

That would be Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc….

Faith's POV –

Not even a chance to lay my bags down and already the shit is hittin the fan. Oh yea, a big rousing welcome back to SunnyD. Xand and me are creepin down the alley, kinda huggin the shadows. I can hear the sounds of a fight comin from farther back in the darkness and get a glimpse of two bodies throwin down at the back wall. As we get closer I can see the smaller one is a girl with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Must be that Shannon chick. The other one is kinda big, about six feet and hairy. Its long arms are bulging with muscles and end in long fingered claws. It keeps takin these big swipes at the girl, but she's too quick for it and it doesn't get any good hits in.

She's actually not too bad. Nowhere near as good as me or B, but still not too shabby. She's ducking the swings everytime the demon tries to claw her and as she comes up on the inside of the swing, she lands a coupla hits. Every once in a while I can hear the sound of bones breakin and the slayer in me is startin to get itchy to jump in on the fun. I start movin forward without even thinkin about it and only stop when I feel Xand's hand on my arm. I look at his hand then up to his face and he's got that grin on his face that tells me he knows exactly what I was gonna do. He shakes his head a little and I let out a sigh. Yea, he's right. I gotta let her finish this herself. There's no sense getting into it with her already. We can hang for a while to make sure she's got it covered, then duck outta sight when she's done.

I go back to watchin the fight and can't help thinkin about the times when I was first called. I'd jump into the fray and just wail away on whatever I was fightin until there was nothing left but a pile of pulp. No finesse just a whole lotta power. This slayers style is a lot different than mine was. She's got some really good moves, but no power or imagination to back them up. The Council musta been trainin her right out of a martial arts manual and not bothered to put her up against any serious competition. She's telegraphin her moves so bad ya coulda read them in the dark. Sure, the arm locks and foot sweeps are text book perfect but she's not usin any in close moves to follow them up. No elbow or knee strikes that woulda ended this fight ten minutes ago. I hope G gets his shit together and starts really trainin her or they'll have another slayer called in no time.

The demon finally makes a fatal error and leans too far into a front punch. Shannon slips around behind it and grabs it in a choke hold. She has to jump to get up on its back, but that's alright. She's small, not as small as B, but then who is? She's got her arm locked around its throat and is usin her other arm to get leverage enough to stretch its neck. Then she gives its head a sudden twist and it's all over. You can hear the snapping of its neck all the way over where we're standin. Slayers one, demons zero. Let's hear it for the home team.

I can still feel my body hummin with the itch to do some damage of my own and Xander starts pullin me slowly back down the alley. We can leave the clean up to Mighty Mouse there, after all it was her kill. If it's like most of the demons around here, it's gonna dissolve away to nothin anyway.

As we exit the alley and get back in the car, Xand says, "Well I was going to ask if you wanted to get cleaned up or patrol, but I guess I know the answer to that now. Let's head over to the other side of town and find you something you can beat on, okay?" He starts the car and can't hide the huge grin he's wearin.

"Yea, it might take more than one to get rid of the rush I got goin on," I say to him. I'm practically vibratin in the seat and Xand is settin a speed record getting me over to the graveyard.

"What did you think of the new girl?" he asks.

I think about it a minute then answer, "She's got some skills, but whoever did her trainin left out the whole section on real combat. She shoulda had that thing down and out in like three minutes, not the fifteen it actually took. When ya see Giles ya oughta clue him up on that. She needs some intensive in close trainin with someone who could give her a run for her money."

"You volunteering?" he asks me with a grin.

"Nah, not my thing, ya know? I'm here strictly for B. Not to play mentor to some wannabe," I tell him. "Sides, she's more likely to turn me into the Council than to let me teach her anything. If what ya were tellin me is true." I finish lookin over at him.

"It's true Faith," he says, "If we can get her to listen to us, training with you would be a big help to her. I'm not saying it's going to happen, in fact it probably won't, but it'd be nice if you could give her some tips. It just might let her survive long enough to realize there's more to life than following orders."

"Great Xand, why not try and guilt trip me with the whole 'she may not survive if you don't help her' thing," I say to him. "Tell ya what, you get her not to try and get me iced then I'll show her how to stay alive, 'kay?"

"Deal," he says. "I'll start warming her up to the idea tomorrow. In the mean time, here we are." Then he says with a smirk, "You want me to tag along or you think you can find your way around by yourself?"

What a smartass. I start to get outta the car and say, "I think I can handle it. Ya know, been there, done that and all. Unless ya need me to play bodyguard for ya or something?"

"I think my body will be safe for now, thanks anyway Faith," he says. "Listen, there is one other thing I need to tell you before you go and get your slay on."

I sit back in the seat. I'm dyin to get out there and start dustin some vamps but his serious tone told me I should listen to what he has to say. I close the door and look over at him. Xander's forehead is wrinkled like he's tryin to find the best way to tell me whatever it is he has to say, so I sit there waitin for him to begin. Finally I can't take it anymore and I start teasin him, "Ya know ya coulda just said ya wanted me to sit here and stare at ya. I mean, yea its weird, but if it gets ya off I'm game."

That brings a smile back to his lips and he gives a short shake of his head before he begins, "Thanks, but I can think of better ways for you to get me off." He looks over at me with his lopsided grin so I know he's kiddin. Then he continues, "What I wanted to tell you is that after we found out that Buffy was turned, after we read your journal, Willow started looking around on the net to try and trace where she was staying. She was trying to figure out how she was staying off the radar."

I nod my head and say, "Yeah, and?"

"Well, what she found is that Buff had gotten someone to make her a new identity. That way she was able to open several bank accounts, buy property, pretty much be able to take care of all the day to day stuff, you know?"

He's got my full attention now, but I still don't know where this is goin. "Yeah she said something about that to me. So what?"

"Did she happen to tell you whose identity she was using?" he asks. I don't think I like the look in his eyes now.

"No, she never got around to it. Why what's the dif?" I ask.

He nods his head and tells me in a calm, steady voice, "It seems that all her bank accounts and Angel's old mansion that she bought belong, legally, to a Ms. Faith Lehane. She kinda used reverse identity theft on you. Instead of using your ID to take all your money, she used it to give you all hers. So, if you were worried about where to stay or how to live, I figured you should know that you have your own place and money and who knows what all else."

That little revelation left me reelin. She left me everything? She told me that there was a huge amount of money layin around at the criminals homes she had 'taken care of'. In a strangled voice I ask him, "How…how much?"

"We don't know for sure, but Will figures a couple of million at least," he says.

I start coughin and my throat goes dry. "Million?" I ask. "How is that possible in only a coupla months?"

"Buff must have been a busy girl, I guess," he says. "Anyhow, I wanted you to know before you go out there on a rampage. If you don't want to stay at the mansion, you're welcome to stay with me. The rest we can start figuring out tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks Xand," I answer him, "But, I think I'm gonna stay there tonight. It'll give me a quiet place to try and figure out where to start lookin for B."

"Whatever you want, Faith," he says. "I'll swing by and drop your stuff off. And here's my cell number. Call me whenever you get up and we'll get started on finding out what's going on."

I get outta the car and close the door. Before he can drive away I lean back in the window and say, "Xand?" When he looks over to me I continue, "Thanks a lot, man. I mean for coming to get me and telling me about B and all. It means a lot to me."

He smiles at me again and says, "No problem Faith. That's what friends are for." Then he drives off.

He's right ya know. That is what friends are for. Lookin out for each other. Havin someone to talk to. I just wish I had figured that out before. I turn and walk into the cemetery with all this new information chasin round in my mind. Now I got about a million more questions for B when I find her.