Title:  Faith: The Series

Rating:  R (For Language later)

Relationships:  X\F

Story:  Action\Adventure

Feedback:  In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.

E-Mail:  KeithColl@gmail.com

Disclaimer:  I don’t own the characters just worship at their altar.

Summary:  What if Faith had been the Sunnydale Slayer?

Faith:  The Series 1 Ep 1

 "I don't see why I have to-."

 Her Watcher's sigh interrupted her in mid-tirade.  "Faith, you are an intelligent young lady and it will do you good to mix with others your own age."

 Faith pouted.  "There's clubs in this shit-hole ain't there?" she scowled at her Watcher.  "I can do all the 'mixing' I need there.  'Sides this girl knows all she needs to know.  The moves to get a guy and the moves to kick his ass when he gets too eager," Faith shrugged.  "Don't need to know much else."

 The middle-aged Englishman pinched the bridge of his nose.  "Faith, you have a brain and you will learn to use it.  Moreover, surely you can appreciate how it would look, for I as school librarian, to have a foster daughter who didn't attend the school he worked at?"

 "You know what I think," Faith leaned forward, displaying the contents of her low-cut top.  "If you want me to go to school, I could just get a Catholic school-girl-."

 "Faith," the now reddening foreigner interrupted.  "You are going to school and that is final!"

 "Whatever!"  Furious that her final throw of the die had failed, Faith threw the pink CV's door open and leapt out, closing it with an enraged swing of her hip.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Giles sighed as his adoptive daughter bounded up the school steps.  There was so much anger and pain in her it tore at his heart. 

 But then who wouldn't be that way after the life she'd endured?  The only child of a woman with over twenty convictions for prostitution, drugs possession, and violence, and her father probably a nameless client, she'd been a ward of the court from the age of ten.  When he'd found her, just under eighteen months ago at the age of fourteen, she'd been mistrustful and suspicious of his motivations for adopting her, clinging to the emotions that had fuelled her life.

And still clung.  The first night after he'd moved her into his apartment, Council contacts having speeded up the usually laborious process, he'd heard her crying in her sleep in the next room, and had gone to see that she was alright.

For his pains he'd got a switchblade pulled on him at a speed that would have impressed a Slayer and a coldly delivered warning that if he tried anything she'd cut him bad.  He'd been confident of his ability to disarm her, but mindful of further denting their fledging relationship he'd attempted to soothe her by explaining that he'd heard her crying and had merely been attempting to check up on her to which the adolescent had defiantly stated she wasn't a baby and didn't cry for nothing, ignoring the drying tears.  After that, he'd retreated from the potential's room, his stomach clenching in pain as he heard the door slam behind him and the tell-tale sound of something, probably her chair being dragged in front of it. 

And the thing of it was he loved her as if he was his own child.  Her spirit, bravery, intelligence, and wit made it impossible for him not to.  There were rough edges yes, but with time and caring they'd have been worn away.  But time was the one thing a Slayer, with a life expectancy of roughly a year, didn't have - he'd never get to see the exceptional young woman he was sure she'd become.  Faith was exceptional yes, but even so, no Slayer had ever lasted longer than four years.  And then there was her Cruciamentum to contend with.  It had broken his heart when the powers had chosen her.

On the other hand, Faith had been 'buzzed' by her Calling, vowing that nobody would ever take advantage of her again.  If nothing else it had made her more confident in her dealings with him, but she still didn't trust him, just didn't feel the need to put her chair against her bedroom door.

But the way she'd dealt with Lothos, Giles allowed himself a proud smile as he pulled into the car park - or 'parking lot' as these butchers of the English language called it.  The vampire had been over 12 centuries old, the killer of no less than five Slayers.  But his Slayer had dealt with the demon and in the amazingly resourceful way of trapping him and his cohorts in the school gym and burning it down.  Wonderful.

Unfortunately the Boston High School Faith had attended hadn't shared his view, understandable really considering the fact nobody was ever going to accept they'd been battling vampires.  And that had necessitated their move to Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, somewhere he'd wanted to keep his young charge away at all costs.  Still, at least the move had got her away from Pike.  The boy had a good heart but the drop-out reminded him just a little too much of 'Ripper' in attitude for him to be wholly comfortable with his daughter mixing with him. 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Coming through, coming through!" Xander wailed as his skate-boarded up the school path, weaving expertly between the throes of students and tutors littering the sidewalk.  Reaching his destination, he glanced to his left hoping to catch a glimpse of his buds.

And saw instead the tightest, most perfect leather-clad behind waggling its inviting way up the steps.  Mesmerised, he continued to watch the ass as it went on its way.  Right until he ran chest-first in the steps' railing, propelling him to the ground, knocking the air from his body, leaving him groaning on the ground.

"Geez," a pair of exceptionally shapely legs stepped over his fallen body.  "First day at the school and I'm already climbing over slavering dorks."

"Hey Cordy," he forced a grin as he peered up at the mocking cheerleader.  "Thanks for the view.  I mean, I know I wasn't the first, but still.  Those aerobics classes really work."

The rich girl's eyes widened in horrified understanding.  "Ah!" her skin paling beneath her tan, she rushed off.

"Xander!"  twisting his head, he saw a concerned looking Willow hurrying towards him, flanked by his other two, far less worried-looking, friends, Jonathan and Jesse.  "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he waved away his friend's concern as he struggled to his feet, glimpsing around for the leather-clad goddess who'd distracted him.  He was disappointed to see she'd disappeared, probably oblivious to the damage her exit had caused. 

"Did Cordelia happen to mention me while she was insulting you?"

Xander hid a groan at the hopeful gleam in Jesse's eyes.  Another year, the same old hopeless crush.  "Sorry bro," he apologised.  "Say, either of you guys see the new girl?"

"Oh yeah!"  Jonathan and Jesse exclaimed, their eyes lighting up in stereo excitement. 

"And?" he prompted.

"Defnite drool-worthiness," commented Jesse while Jonathan nodded enthusiastic agreement.

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Come on guys," the red-head urged.  "We'll be late for class."

Xander grinned.  "And that's bad why?"

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Well missy," Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the principal's use of the word 'missy'.  I've read your record, quite a career."  She blinked when the well-fed educator tore her permanent record into quarters.  "Welcome to Sunnydale High Miss Giles," the teacher beamed at her.  "I believe in fresh starts," the high school head lifted the pieces of paper.  "This record is of no impor-."  The principal's eyes widened.  "You burnt your school gym down?"

Faith grinned ruefully.  "Cig break?"

Flutie tutted.  "Smoking will be the death of you missy!"

"Not fucking likely," she muttered under her breath.  Cancer would have to get in line behind vampires, demons, zombies, and black art mages.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said it's not likely I'll be smoking again," she lied with the ease of long practice.  "I gave it up after the gym.  It scared me off them."

"Excellent," the principal looked less than convinced as he began to stick her record back together.  "Not to worry.  Any other school they might say 'watch your step', or 'we'll be watching you'... But, that's just not the way *here*. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs."  Faith wondered idly if there was a point to all this. "And if your needs and our needs don't mesh..."  The chubby head placed the tattered sheet back in her file and slammed it shut. 

Faith managed not to laugh at the tutor's attempt at a forbidding expression.  After facing her Ma's sleazy exes, pissed off bikers, and vampires, he didn't even register.  "Got ya boss, we done?"

The head stared at her for a second before nodding.  "We're done."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith strode out of the office, hips swinging and holding back a laugh at Flutie's pep-talk.  Lead a school?  Asshole probably couldn't lead a horse to water. 

"Hey watch it!" her good mood soured when a giggling girl stumbled into her, knocking her rucksack to the floor, spilling out its contents.  After throwing the senior a scorching glare, she crouched down and began picking up her stuff.

"Can I have you?"

Faith glanced up at the male and grinned.  The speaker was a tall, black-haired kid, probably her year, decent build, nice eyes and smile, but with the dress sense of Stevie Wonder and kinda geeky for her tastes.  "Kinda forward ain't you?"

The youth reddened and chuckled nervously as he squatted down opposite her.  "Sorry, I meant can I help you?"

Faith's grin widened.  "Thanks."

"I don't know you do I?" her companion asked.

"Nah," she shook her head.  "Got bombed out of my old school, so my foster-dad brought me here."

"Well I'm Xander," the boy offered her a hand.  Faith raised an eyebrow, guys usually wanted her to do other things with her hands than shake their's.  After a second she took it.  "Wow," Xander winced.  "Strong grip.  If you need anyone to show you around..."

Faith winked.  "Thanks stud, but I usually find my own way around."  Grabbing the last of her stuff she strode off, leaving the kid gaping in her wake.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Rosenberg, your mommy still buying clothes for you?" There was a girlish laugh.  "I mean no wonder all the guys are falling over themselves to get away from you!"  Faith's eyes narrowed as she noted the three well-dressed girls  stood around a dowdily dressed red-head.  She hated bullies, she'd been bullied all her life 'cause of her mom and it wasn't right.  She started forward.

"H..hi Harmony," the red-head's cheeks flamed.

"Did I say you could speak?" The blonde moved towards the red-head. 

"Tell you what blondie," Faith stepped between the red-head and the trio taunting her.  "I'll do you an one-time only deal.  You back the fuck off right now, and I don't introduce your face to the wall."  She glowered at the girls, after a second they backed off and left.  A triumphant smirk on her face, she turned to the geek.  "Hi, I'm Faith."

"Hi I'm Willow, thanks for helping."

Faith shrugged.  "No big.  You could stand up to them yourself."

Willow's eyes widened.  "I couldn't.  They run this school, they're the Cordettes!"

Faith's brow creased in puzzlement.  "What the fuck's a Cordette?"

The other girl flinched at her swear-word, shit she'd have to get used to them.  "One of Cordelia's gang," the red-head pointed over her shoulder, Faith twisted her neck to see a stunning brunette stood across the corridor by the lockers.  "No-body crosses them!"

Faith grinned.  "'Til now."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Cordelia had to fight back a laugh as she watched the biker chick back off the Cordettes.  She might be their leader but she despised every one of them with their drone like ways and vapid stupidity.  She didn't like Rosenberg either, she had too little spirit for her taste, but there was no need to bully her.  When Harm and the others started on one of their targets she just left them to it - put-downs for the likes of Harris sure but defenceless sheep like Rosenberg?  Not her style.  She straightened as she realised the leather clad teen was heading straight for her, an unfriendly glint in her eye.

"You call your pets off Red and I won't have to kick your ass all the way 'round this damn school," the girl snarled.

Cordelia bristled, taken aback by the intensity in the smaller brunette's eyes.  "Listen Miss Leather," she hissed.  "You might have been queen of whatever inner city dump you came from," she was pleased when the other girl blinked.  "But you're on my territory now and nobody, but nobody gives me orders!  You get?"  Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith stared open-mouthed at the cheerleader as she strode away from her.  No-body had dared to speak like that to her in years.  She smiled slowly.  "I think I'm gonna like her."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Hey Red!"  Faith dropped onto the bench seat opposite Willow.  "Word is you're some sort of brainac right?" the other girl nodded.  "Wicked.  My pa," Faith rolled her eyes, "has this thing where he thinks grades are important and -."

"Your dad's the new school librarian isn't he?" Willow interrupted, her tone excited.  "What's he like?"

The simple question threw Faith.  All her life, her mom and bitter experience had taught her that men only wanted women like her for one thing - sex.  But Giles was different...  At first she'd thought he was like all the rest, a rich bastard with enough money to make the social services turn the other way while he had a little fun.  But apart from the first night he'd never tried anything.  At first she thought her pulling the blade had scared him.  But when he'd started training her before she was called, she knew that wasn't it, he could have taken the out-of-condition smoker she'd been back then without breaking a sweat and yet he hadn't.  And apart from training, patrolling, and school, he pretty much let her do her own thing, gave her a hefty allowance to spend on what she liked.  Sometimes, a small part of her wondered if he really cared about her.  But that was just dumb, if not for the Slayer stuff he wouldn't give a shit about her.  Finally she shrugged.  "He's okay I guess."

An awkward silence was broken by the arrival of Xander and two other guys, one about the same height but skinnier, the other, a short stocky dude.  "Hi Faith!" Faith hid a grin at the enthusiasm of Xander's welcome, next thing she knew the guy would be drooling.  Totally uncool.  "This is Jesse," the youth nodded towards the boy about his height, "and this is Jonathan. And this is yours."

Oh crap, Faith stared at the stake for a second before snatching it from the youth.  "Thanks, self-defence," she explained.  "Boston schools, pepper spray just won't cut it."

"Say," Xander smiled nervously.  "We're heading to the Bronze tonight, you wanna hang?"

Faith shrugged.  "Sure why not?"  She'd probably have to get to know the teen haunts for Slaying anyhow, might as well mix business with pleasure.

"Oh look it's the nerds and the skank."

Faith turned to face the unwelcome intruder.  "Hey lookee," she drawled.  "It's 'Miss I'm So Rich My Daddy Can Buy Me My Friends Rather Than Find Some Real Ones'."

Chase glared at her a second before turning to Willow.  "Not that I want to be seen talking to you," Cordelia sniffed.  "But gym's cancelled, Aura found a body in her locker."

First day and there's a freaking body.  Just great, Faith tensed.  "Any marks on the body?"

Cordy's nose crunched up.  "Ugh, gross!  Like I'd look."

Jesse stepped forward.  "You need a shoulder to cry on.."  Faith had to fight back a laugh at the scornful look on the cheerleader's face.  Boy was so out of his league.

"Yeah," Faith stood.  " Gotta jet guys," she purposely ignored the Chief Cordette while looking at the others.  "Remembered some stuff I need out of my locker."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"This month's National Geographic has got some pictures of naked tribeswomen," Xander crouched in the stacks as he searched through the library's shelves of periodicals for the right issue.

"Completely?" Jesse asked in a whisper.  He nodded.  "But double-biology?" his best friend commented.

"Hey," Xander retorted.  "Naked ladies, if that ain't biology what is?"

"Yo G!" Xander looked around at the shout of the new love of his life and begun to stand, ready to go out and greet her.  "Heard about the dead body on campus?"

"Faith," he heard the librarian sigh.  "Please have a little decorum."

"I'm talking about dead bodies," Faith laughed.  "And you wanna talk etiquette.  Priorities G!"

"Yes," the Englishman sighed again.  "First day and trouble already."

"Well you said this was the Hellmouth."  Xander and Jesse exchanged puzzled glances.  Hellmouth, what was a Hellmouth?

"Yes," retorted the Englishman.  "Well trouble does have a habit of following you everywhere.  Was he killed by a vampire?"

"A-," Xander clamped a hand over Jesse's mouth, silencing his friend.

"You hear something G?" Xander swallowed at Faith's question.  If these two nut-cases heard them....

"I can't say I did, now was this young vagabond killed and turned by a vampire?"

"Killed yeah, but he won't rise, no blood drunk."

"Well that's something," some of the tension left Giles' voice.  "Now, other than that how are you settling in?"

"It's five by five I guess, met a couple of interesting possibilities as friends.  Had a run-in with the school bitch," Jesse's eyes widened in outrage, "which was wicked fun."

"Faith it's good that you're making friends, but remember -."

"I know a Vampire Slayer's identity must stay a secret."  Xander and Jesse exchanged another set of puzzled glances.  What the hell was a Slayer?  "Anyway gotta jet.  Already late for class."

"Quite," there was a pause.  "You'll be here after class for training?"

"Sure G."

A few seconds later and Xander heard the office and library outer doors shut.  Letting out a sigh of relief he released his hand over Jesse's mouth.  "Did you hear what she called Cordelia?"

Xander rolled his eyes, man this Cordelia obsession of his best bud's, hadn't Jesse heard of the law against stalking?  "Focus Jesse!" he hissed.  "Vampires, hellmouth?"

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Jesse strode towards the Bronze, casting nervous looks each way as he went.  Every unfamiliar face or mysterious sound making him start slightly.  The new librarian and the hottie his bud was drooling over had to be crazy.  Vampires, they were both nuts.  And yet, Jesse stopped for a second.  There was all the kids that growing up had mysteriously disappeared, supposedly run-aways but now he couldn't help but wonder.

A thoughtful expression on his face, Jesse continued on.  And stopped again at the sound of a struggle in a near-by alleyway.  Taking a nervous breath, he stepped towards the alleyway, clinging to the makeshift stake he'd made this afternoon in his right hand, his left clutching a cross he'd bought on the way home from school.

"Oh crap," his blood chilled as he crept into the alley to find Cordelia struggling with a lantern-jawed man in his early thirties.  If the massively-muscled man was just a mugger or rapist he was spending the night in hospital, if he was a vampire, he was dead.  Either way he was screwed.  Forcing his fear down down deep, he stepped forward.  "Back off buster."  He was chagrined at how much his voice shook.

The lantern-jawed hulk pushed Cordelia to the ground with a laugh before turning to him.  "Two for the price of one."  Jesse's heart stopped as the creature's eyes flashed yellow.  God, he hoped that whatever caused that was drugs because otherwise he was in deep do-do.

"I said," he raised his cross to arm's length.  "Back off!" 

The vampire snarled at the cross before leaping forward, knocking the cross aside, grabbing him by the throat, and flinging him into the wall.  Dazed, he tried to rise only to catch a crunching right to the ribs that drove the air from him, sending him back to his knees.  "Leave him alone!" Cordelia hit his attacker over the head with a trash can lid.  It looked to be a good blow, with a human it would have probably ended the fight there and then, but the vampire just caught Cordelia with a savage backhand, knocking his crush to the ground.

"And now," the vampire grabbed him by his throat.  "The Master will be pleased indeed if I bring two back instead of just one.."

"Now you're nicely warmed up, how about a little Faith?"

"Ugh?" the demon began to look up, only to catch a heel in his face.  Jesse watched in amazement as Faith darted into the alley, rocking her much larger adversary with a flurry of lightning-fast blows before finishing with an uppercut that lifted the vampire off his feet and sent him plunging to the ground.  In an instance, the battered demon was on his feet.   "Just wait until the Master rises at The Harvest Slayer!"  In an instance, the vampire had leapt onto and over the wall at the back of the alley.

"Damn it!" Faith exploded.  "I hate it when they pull that run for the hills shit!"  After a second the Slayer turned back to them.  "You guys five by five?"  Jesse nodded as he helped Cordelia to her feet.  "Wicked," the brunette looked at them both.  "You crazy kids best head home now."

"What's a hellmouth?"

Faith blinked.  "Ugh?"

"Xander and I overheard you this afternoon in the library-."

He swallowed as the supernatural warrior stepped towards him.  "Eavesdropping in can be seriously bad for your health."

"If I hadn't be, I wouldn't have been carrying a cross, it gained me a couple of seconds, otherwise we might have been dead."

The transplanted Bostonian stared at him, uncertain as to what to say.  "Jess, take me home."

Jesse stared at the dazed cheerleader.  "There you go stud," Faith glanced out of the alley, clearly grateful for the subject change.  "You've got an in now, I'll walk you to her car and you can work your magic on the way home.  Or not."

Faith S1 Ep 2

"She defeated you? A mere girl?"

Luke dropped onto one knee before his Sire, the Master.  He'd been a vampire for 200 years, but he didn't think it would matter if he lived to be a thousand, seeing the Master with his bald head, black suit, golden eyes, and ever-present fangs would always fill him with a feeling of dread.  "She was strong, stronger than any mortal I have faced.  I think she was a Slayer."

"Um, the last time a mortal faced you and lived was Madrid 1843, and you were young then, barely four decades old," the Master glanced around the huge candlelit cavern, his expression thoughtful.  "Could it be, that she was a Slayer?"

"Let me bring her to you Master!" Luke didn't have to look behind him to know the shout came from Darla, a beautiful blonde who his Master had turned almost four hundred years and but for an indiscretion two hundred and fifty years ago would be his superior in the Master's court. 

The Master looked at the former whore, his gaze searching, for a few seconds before shaking his head.  "No," the eight centuries old demon declared.  "When I am free from my prison," the Master rapped his fist on the invisible wall encasing him.  "The Slayer is mine.  It is too long since I fed on that richest of blood.  Until then the priority is the Harvest."

"When Master?" Darla demanded eagerly.

The Master's mouth parted in a chilling smile.  "Tomorrow night."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"They know who you are?"

"The broad strokes yeah," Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she accompanied her Watcher and guardian through the school corridors towards the library.  She'd avoided breaking the news last night about her identity being discovered, hoping that breaking the news somewhere more public would lessen the reaction.  As a strategy it really blew.  Four times in the ten minutes since they'd arrived he'd given her the 'the Slayer must work in secret' lecture.  Pointing out that Xander and Jesse had overheard them both hadn't helped either.  "But you -."

Faith and her Watcher stopped dead as they walked through the library doors to find Xander, Jesse, Cordelia, Jonathan, and Willow sat at the library desk.  "Why didn't you tell us about the vampires?" demanded Cordelia her tone strident.

Giles turned to her.  "Three people you said, there's five!  What did you do put a bloody announcement on a poster and stick it to the school bulletin board?"

"God no," Xander chirped in.  "Nobody reads that!"

"Posters?' Willow.  "If you need posters making I've got some great softw-," the red-head's voice trailed off at her Watcher's glare.

 "Look," Cordelia stood and strode over to them until she was standing just a foot from the Englishman.  Faith hid a smile, damn the cheerleader had heart.  "I want some answers now mister!  How can there be vampires and how come she," the cheerleader pointed at her, "fights them?"

 Giles stared at the tall brunette, apparently stunned that anyone would stand up to him like that.  Finally the Englishman caved in.  "Very well.  The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return."

 "And a hellmouth?" Willow’s voice was timid.

"My, you do have flapping ears don't you?" Giles grimaced.  "When the Spanish settled here they called it 'Boca del Infierno'."

"Ah, the mouth of hell!" All eyes turned to Cordelia.  "What?  I have a Mexican maid."

Giles stared at the girl for a couple more seconds before continuing.  "It's a sort of a portal between this reality and the next."

"Okay," Xander broke the long silence that followed her Watcher's pronouncement.  "Now next question.  What's the Slayer?"

"For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One who hunts the creatures of the night,"  Giles explained. "Faith is the current one."

"Her!" Cordelia's eyes widened in disbelief.  "She's meant to protect us all?  We're doomed!"

"Hey!" Faith bristled. 

Giles ignored them as he continued.  "Alright. The Slayer hunts vampires, Faith is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need."

Xander and Jesse exchanged glances.  "Except how to kill them," Xander commented.

Faith rolled her eyes. "Hey guys, hate to break it to ya, but you two going all Butch & Sundance  will only get you both killed."

"They've killed before," it was the first time she'd ever heard the terminally shy Jonathan speak.  "We've all lost friends to them.  Every month at least one of us will go to a funeral for a friend who's gone missing."

Suddenly Faith had an idea.  "G, they could help-."

"Faith, I am not sending defenceless children in to fight vampires."

Faith decided not to point out she was hardly approaching retirement age.  "No I didn't mean that.  I meant they could help research," the part of the job she hated the most.  "Help me train when you're banged up and cover for me when I have to skip class for Slayer stuff."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles hesitated.  This was hardly Watcher procedure but then there had never been such a situation before.  And the assistance would come in handy and judging from the look of desperate hope in his daughter's eyes, she was obviously fearful that by pushing these other children away from her Slaying she would lose them completely as friends.  "Very well.  But no patrolling."

His agreement was rewarded with a beaming smile that was a million miles away from Faith's usual smirk that swept away his misgivings in an instant.  "Thanks G."

He nodded at his charge before turning back to the others.  "Now, our first order of business is to find out all we can about the Master and this Harvest he's planning."

"Great!" Cordelia's face fell.  "Say, this researching doesn't mean we have to wear tweed right?"

"No Cordy," Xander reassured the anxious girl.  "You can keep on wearing hooker wear."

"Especially the short skirts," Jesse leered up at the shapely brunette.  "I really like them."

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Luke approached the Master and knelt before him. A smile on his face, the Master offered his hand. Luke lowered his lips and kissed the proffered appendage. The Master turned it over to offer the underside of his wrist.  Luke opened the cuff of the Master's sleeve and pulled it back before sinking his fangs into the Master's wrist, drinking some of the blood before releasing the wrist.

 The Master beamed, apparently unfazed by having his blood drunk.  "My blood is your blood. My soul is your soul."

 Luke replied. "My body is your instrument."

 The Master stepped down to his childe and drew a three-pointed star on Luke's forehead with the blood still flowing from his wrist. "On this... most hallowed night... we are as one. Luke is the Vessel!  Every soul he takes will feed me. And their souls will grant me the strength to free myself. Tonight I shall walk the Earth, and the stars themselves will hide!"

 Darla glared from the shadows.  By rights as oldest childe she should be the Vessel, one mistake over two centuries ago and still she hadn't regained the Master's favour.  One day though, she silently promised, one day she and not Luke would be the Master's right hand!

                                     *                                  *                                  *

  "Oh dear, oh dear."

 Faith glanced up, her heart clenching in fear.  The last time she'd heard Giles use that tone was when he discovered who Lothos was.  "What's the sitch G?" she kept her tone light even as her blood began to race.

 "It appears the vampire Luke was a young adventurer turned two hundred years ago by the Master."

"Who is?" Cordelia prompted.  "Jeez, hurry it up I've a nail appointment tonight!"

Her Watcher cast the Queen of Sunnydale High an irritated glance before continuing.  "A German by the name of Nest who was turned approximately eight centuries ago."  Faith winced, bad but not as bad as it could have been.  "He disappeared around sixty years ago.  I now believe from tonight's research that he attempted to open the Hellmouth to unleash the demons-."

"Doing that would make this world open season for demons then?"

"Indeed," Giles nodded at Jonathan's quietly asked question.  "But something went wrong.  An earthquake struck the town, swallowing up half of it, killing hundreds.  However, a fortunate side-effect of this earthquake was that whatever ritual the Master was attempting backfired, trapping him in the Hellmouth."

"And this Harvest is to set him free?" Faith guessed.

"Precisely,"  Giles nodded.  "It comes once in a century, on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free from his prison. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol."

"I'm betting the Vessel will be Luke."

"Maybe," Giles jumped up and drew a three pointed star on the whiteboard.  "But to be certain that you are getting the right vampire, you must kill whoever is sporting that on their forehead."

"Dust the vamp, no Harvest?" Faith queried.

"Simply put yes," Giles replied.  "The next question though is where the Harvest will take place?"

"That's easy," commented Xander, she noticed the teen's eyes were suddenly serious, suggesting a depth she hadn't believed he possessed.  "They're goin' to the Bronze."

"And," Giles stared at the young man.  "How can you be sure?"

"Come on."  Xander rose.  "All those tasty young morsels all over the place?"

Faith nodded and jumped to her feet.  "Makes sense.  Well thanks guys I'll see ya -."

"No way," Xander shook his head.  "You're not cutting us out."

"Look," she spoke slowly, enunciating every word for the special needs amongst the audience.  "Me Slayer, you not so much."

"Actually Faith," she sighed at her Watcher's voice.  "I might need to evacuate the place."

 "K," after a second she nodded.  "But no John Wayne crap, got me?"

 "Now that's settled," Cordy beamed.  "Who's coming with me?"

Jesse's face paled.  "Oh crap," Faith's enhanced hearing heard him say.  "I'd rather fight a vampire."  Finally the youth raised a hand.  "I'll come with you."  Faith had to fight back a laugh at the sickly look on the boy's face.  If that was what love did to you, you could keep it.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Donny looked up from his position at the door of the Bronze and smiled.  His life was good, his position as bouncer having two advantages over any other club in town.  One, all the young talent, no over-the-hill hags in here.  And two, the teenage boys didn't know enough about fighting to give him any trouble if they got rowdy.  All in all, he was on easy street.  Hearing the sound of approaching feet he looked up to see a very hot blonde leading a gang of six guys to the club.  " I need ID," the blonde was past him and in the club before he had time to react.  " Hey! Nobody gets inside until I get some sorta..."

His voice trailed off when one of the men, a hulking giant even bigger than him, growled in his face.  "Inside now."

                                   *                                  *                                  *

"Guard the door," Luke ordered as he shoved the doorman before him.  "No one in or out. Larry," he turned to one of his childes, a former LA. Cop he'd turned in the early thirties.  "Find the power and turn it off.  I really hate this music."

Once the music was turned off Luke climbed up on the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen! There is no cause for alarm. Actually," he paused and vamped out, "there is cause for alarm. It just won't do any good." Luke roared with laughter as the crowd began to scream, glorying in their terror.  "This is a glorious night! It is also the last one any of you shall ever see. Bring me the first."

One of his minions dragged out the doorman.  "What do you guys want, man, huh? You want money? I got money," the bouncer stuttered.  Luke stared at his victim, enjoying his horror.  "Man, what's wrong with your faces? I know some really good skincare products." 

Tiring of his prisoner's ramblings, Luke snatched hold of him by his hair, pulled his head back and plunged his fangs into his neck, drinking him dry in seconds before flinging the body to the ground.  "Next!"

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Yes!  Oh yes!"  The Master looks up to the ceiling as he feels the power his vessel has sent him course through his veins.  Soon he will have the strength to escape.  Soon.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Damn it!" Faith glared first at the locked front door and then at her Watcher.  "What have I told you before, we need a new car.  I could have run here fast than that scrapheap!"

"Now," Giles looked faintly injured.  "Hold on.  That car is a classic young lady."

"Guys, focus," Cordelia broke in.  When they'd arrived the cheerleader was already in the parking lot filing her nails as Jesse attempted to keep his last month's meals down.  "They've already started.  Can you break the door down?"

Faith stared at the door for a second before shaking her head.  "Take too long.  I'll go in through the skylight.  You guys go in through the back way and get everyone out.  No heroics," she shot a warning glance at Xander.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Climbing to the club's flat roof took a matter of seconds, unpicking the skylight lock even less. Man, cross her B&E skills with her new powers, she'd be the best thief ever, Faith mused as she dropped onto the shadowy landing above the stage.  Pushing aside thoughts of what might have been, she looks down, eyes narrowing when she noticed Luke stood below her..

"I feel him rising. Every soul brings him closer! I need another! Tonight is his ascension. Tonight will be history at its end! Yours is a glorious sacrifice! Degradation most holy.  What? No volunteers?!"

"Fuck," Faith vaulted over the landing railing and onto the pool table opposite the stage.  "Long-winded bastard aren't you?"

Luke's eyes widened. "Get her!"

Two demons lunged at her, one from each side.  Instantly Faith snatched the cue up from the table and thrust it left and right, staking them both in quick succession before somersaulting off the table to land on the floor.  "Really lame," another vampire lunged at her.  She sidestepped the attack, leaving a foot behind for the vampire to trip over.  The moment the vampire hit the floor, she thrust her stake through its back.  "They don't make vampires the way they used to."

She turned to face Luke only to catch a thunderbolt right to her jaw, lifting her off her feet and dumping her to the ground.  Shaking it off, she rolled to her feet, a half-second before a stamp to the head.  "K, so big guy wants a little one on one with the champeen does he?"  Faith gestured towards the vampire.  "Come get some."

                                                *                      *                      *

Giles' heart stopped as he forced the back door open, using larcenous skills learnt in his pre-Watcher past, and saw his tiny girl fighting a vampire easily twice her size.  "It's not right," he whispered, in front of his very eyes he saw the very reason why he'd resisted becoming a Watcher in the first place.  Young girls shouldn't have to fight demons, it was a job for adults, the inhumanity of it all.

"G-Man," Xander whispered from beside him.  "What do we do next?"

"Yes," shaking off his self-disgust, he turned to the young man and his companions.  "Get them out, quietly now!"

Xander nodded before approaching the dazed crowd, Jesse by his side.  "C'mon! Let's go! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!"

As the youths reached him, he guided them out of the door, whispering exhortations even as he kept one eye on his girl.  "Hurry up! Come on! Through this door! Come on! This way!"  Suddenly a snarling weight hit him in the back, knocking him to the ground.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

A snarl on his face, Luke charged her.  Faith retaliated with a full spinning hook kick that sent her rival stumbling into a pile of chairs only for the vampire to spring up immediately and come at her swinging wild haymakers.  A grin on her face, Faith ducked beneath the clumsy attack, coming up behind her adversary and planting a powerful elbow in his kidney. 

"Argh!" Luke roared in pain before attempting a backhand punch that she grabs at the wrist, holding the arm tight as she plants a rapid trio of kick in her rival's midsection.  "Noo!" the vampire screamed as he pulled loose and slammed a solid right into her mouth, bloodying it. 

Faith grinned.  Damn, these vampires thought they hit hard?  They wanted to try getting thrown across the room by their Ma at five years old, this wasn't shit!  "Have a taste," she taunted before spitting the blood welling in her mouth at the vampire, snatching up her stake and lunging at her rival.  "Shit!" Faith cursed as Luke grabbed her wrist just inches from the target and lifted her into the air, throwing her into a pile of boxes by the stage.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

The moment she saw the Watcher hit the floor, Cordelia started forward.  Gathering her courage, she planted a foot in the blonde vampire's stomach.  "Hey!" the instance the vampire looked up, she flung the holy water bottle into her face.  The demon screamed in agony, the right side of her face blistering, but her satisfaction was short-lived as the vampire leapt to her feet and back-handed her to the ground.

"You little bitch!" screamed the wounded demon as she advanced on her.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith looked up to see Luke towering over her supine form, a vicious grin on his face.  "I always wanted to kill a Slayer."

"Yeah well," her foot shot up to catch the demon between the legs.  "I always wanted to make a vampire sing soprano."  She rolled backwards to her feet.  "Shame only one of us gets our wish."

"Bitch!"  The doubled-up vampire charged her.  Caught by surprise, she was only partially able to get out of the way of the on-rushing monster, being caught across the face by a bulky shoulder, knocking her off balance and into the wall behind.  Dazed, she grabbed a musical stand.  "Metal cannot harm me child," Luke sneered.

Faith flung the stand into the light above her, shattering the glass.  "Sunlight can."  The shocked vampire looked up into the darkness.  Faith used the diversion to draw her stake and plunge it into the vampire's heart.  "In about eight hours dumbass."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Darla smiled to herself as she strode towards the stunned girl.  Oh she was a pretty one alright.  But she wouldn't be for much longer, not after she'd flayed her face off, inch by torturous inch.

Suddenly two youths were between her and her prey, holding crosses in their shaking hands.  "Back off!" ordered one of them.

Darla glared at them.  It would only take a second to take all three of them.  She glanced to her left to see Luke explode into dust.  A second she didn't have.  After a final snarl she raced out of the back door.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

The Master fell to his knees, the walls of his invisible prison growing stronger just as he'd been about to break free.  "No!" his eyes glowed with an even greater intensity than normal.  "That bitch!  You'll pay!"

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"So no Master rising then," Faith smirked as she led her dazed Watcher back to his car.

"For now anyway," Giles looked at her.  "You did well tonight Faith."

"Uh, thanks."  Faith looked down at the ground, as confused as always at the praise.  G was always saying nice stuff to her, how hard she trained, how smart she was, weird shit like that.  She didn't get it, guys would compliment her sure, when they wanted to get her on her back, but G didn't try anything.  "Say, your head took a pretty bad bang right?"

"Yes," her Watcher winced.  "Indeed it did."

"So, maybe you need someone to drive us home.  Say me?"

"No it does bloody not!" Giles' eyes widened in horror.  "Once being driven by you was quite enough!"

"Hey, I was a wicked car booster back in the day!"

"You drive with all the grace of a blind elephant!"

Faith: Season 1 Episode 3

Faith stared in disbelief at the clothes and then at him.  "You have gotta be shittin' me!"

Giles sighed.  This wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for.  "Faith, it was my intention when I adopted you to give you as normal a life as possible."  He ignored his adoptive daughter's unladylike snort.  "And to perhaps give you some of the things you have not had in the past.  Part of that is you integrating yourself as much as possible in school life."

 Again Faith looked at the clothes on the bed.  "You're out of your fucking tree," the Slayer retorted with the absolute certainty of the young.  "No.  Fucking.  Way."

 "Yes you are," Giles retorted firmly.  "With your Slayer abilities you'll be excellent at it.  Have a good time, make some more friends, after all Cordelia will be doing it won't she?"

"I fucking won't."

"Faith, your life to this point has not been good, correct?"  The Slayer nodded unwillingly.  "All I am attempting to do here is give you some of the childhood that you never had.  I want you to have a life outside of Slaying and school.  And doesn't every American girl want to be one?"

"They're Barbie dolls!"

The last of his temper snapped.  "Just bloody go and try out!   If you don't like it fine, but at least try!"  Turning, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 Faith looked down at the uniform on her bed, still unable to believe the evidence of her own eyes.  "Me a cheerleader?" she shook her head. 

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 "Wow!" Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Cordelia hurried up to her.  "Try-outs today!"

 "Yeah," Faith nodded.  "I know.  I'm trying out too."

 "Really?" her best friend's eyes widened.  "With your athletic ability, you're a shoo-in!  Just follow my lead.  But remember Missy, I’m on that squad."

 "Great."

 "Fair Faith," she glared at a grinning Xander.  "Pray tell.  Are you not enthused with the idea of being a cheerleader?'

"I'd rather have nails hammered into my eyes," she spat. 

 "That's a no then?" Xander sighed.  "All those short skirts and tight tops going to waste.  Seems like a crime to me."  Eyes narrowing she stepped towards the youth.  He took a backwards step before producing something from his back pocket.  "In that case you won't want your good luck gift?"

 "What," Faith stared open-mouthed at the gold bracelet, noting the words 'Eternally Yours' etched on them.  She looked up at the youth, nobody had ever bought her anything like that before.  "Thanks Xan-."

She was interrupted by Cordelia grabbing her elbow.  "Hurry up, we'll be late!"

 "And wouldn't that be a disaster?" Faith muttered as she allowed the taller girl to pull her along.  Her eyes narrowed as she realised the two boys were following.  "What the hell are you two coming for?" she demanded.

 "We're coming along -," Jesse began.

 "To perv?" Faith queried.

 "I was going to say offer moral support but," Jesse shrugged.  "Why fight it? Yeah, to perv."

Oh great, Faith scowled, it was bad enough that she had to prance around like she'd been stung in the ass by a giant bee.  Now her friends had to see her humiliation too.  She was still grumbling when Cordelia opened the gym door and pulled her unwillingly inside.  Her heart dropped when she saw in amongst the stretching and practicing girls there stood Willow and Jonathan talking to a pretty brown-haired girl.  "A full house."  Now all her friends would see her ritual humiliation.  There had to be a way to get Giles back for this.  She looked around in bewilderment.  “I really feel like ‘The New Guy’ around here,” she muttered self-consciously.

"Uh, uh!" Willow was jumping down on the spot.  "Xander!  Jesse!  It's Amy!"

"We know," Xander replied, his tone deadpan.  "Got eyes.  Didn't expect to see you trying out for cheerleading on account of the weig-," Xander's face reddened as his voice trailed off.

"The weight?"  Amy nodded enthusiastically.  "Yeah, I know.  My mom's kicked my loser dad to the kerb and I've been in training, no more cookies for me.  Six hours a day, three before school, three after."  Faith blinked, she only trained maybe three hours a day tops for Slaying.  Amy's Ma sounded like a freaking Nazi.

"Oh hello Cordelia."  Faith rolled her eyes, oh great Harmony was here, her misery was complete.  "Still continuing your slide into Nersdville?"

"Hi Harm," Cordelia said, her voice filled with fake brightness.  "Still saving for that lobotomy reversal?  Oh no," her friend looked down at their tormenter's feet, "I see you spent the money on those revolting shoes."

Eyes flaring, Harmony opened her mouth to retort, now there was a mismatch - Cordelia vs. Harmony.  Unfortunately for Faith, Harmony was saved from any further humiliation by the arrival of Joy, the lead cheerleader.  "Anyone not trying out, please head for the bleachers. Amber," Joy glanced towards a hot-looking brunette.  "You're up first."

Once the gym floor was clear, Amber began her routine.  "Damn," Faith breathed, impressed despite herself.  "She's good."  The try-out began with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides were followed by a single spin. Maybe there was something to this cheerleading lark after all, maybe they weren't just show-ponies, 'cause if Cordy and the rest were like this they could really go. 

"She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

Faith tore her eyes away from Amber to look at Amy.  "They have cheerleading coaches?"

Before Amy could speak, Xander broke in.  "She's really on fire."

Faith glanced up at the youth behind her and grinned.  "Xander, Xander," she shook her head.  "You buy me a bracelet and already you're looking at other girls.  I ought to cut your balls off -."

"No," Xander pointed a shaking finger.  "Actual flames!"

Faith turned back to see the potential cheerleader's hands ignite.  Amber screamed, dropping the pom poms immediately.  "Crap!"  In a half-second Faith was on her feet, charging down the bleachers to snatch a school banner and leap on top of the shrieking cheerleader, knocking her to the ground before using the banner to put out the flames.  "Chill babe," she held the still sobbing cheerleader in arms, uncomfortable in the role of comforter.  What the fuck was happening?

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"I ain't never seen shit like that before," Faith commented as she paced the library floor, try-outs being postponed for obvious reasons.

"Yes," Xander nodded sagely.  "I have never seen anyone turned into a crusty critter before."

Faith shook her head.  "You really got the market cornered in tasteless comments haven't you Xan?”

"I hope they put the try-outs back on tomorrow," Cordelia broke in, a worried expression on her face.  "I feel like I'm in the groove right now."

"K," Faith stared at her best friend in disbelief.  "I was wrong, that was even more inappropriate."

"Hey!" Jesse defended.  "My girl's got goals."

Faith turned to her Watcher, leaving the others to bicker amongst themselves.  "This is mystical, right?"

The librarian nodded, a scarily enthusiastic look on his face.  "Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is rare and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes."  The Englishman's expression brightened.  "But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth!  There's a veritable cornucopia of fiends, devils and, and ghouls to engage."

By now the entire gang were staring at the middle-aged man in disbelief.  "You need medical help," Faith stated.  "You're nuts."

Giles pouted.  "Well pardon me for finding the glass half-full."

Willow broke in.  "Surely we have to find out what causes this.  Is there a common denominator?"

"Rage normally," Giles replied.  "We need more information on Amber specifically and human combustion in general."

"Red," the shy hacker turned to her.  "You and Jonno do your computer hacking thing and get Amb's records up.  The rest of us," Faith sighed.  Suddenly the try-outs were looking a hell of a lot more attractive.  "We research."

                                                *                                  *                                  *

Faith groaned as she entered the gym the next morning.  They'd spent almost the entire night revising but nothing, Amber was so normal it was frightening, no childhood trauma, history of psychotic illness, nothing.  And the general research on human combustion hadn't been much help either, the best Giles could come up with was that Amber's anxiety about the tryouts and close proximity to the Hellmouth had combined to cause the toasting.  Which sounded pretty damn thin to her.  Even worse to her thinking it gave her no concrete reason to get the try-outs cancelled.

"Why do my hands sweat when I get nervous?"

"Uh?" while she'd been thinking about Amber's fists of fire, Amy had sneaked up beside her.  "Be grateful they just sweat."  She glared impatiently at Joy.  God, she wished the head cheerleader would hurry up and get this damn thing over with.

"Five!  Six.  Seven. Eight!" Joy began chanting.

Immediately they started the group routine, Faith tonelessly repeating the words of the chant before moving into the cartwheel.  Her eyes widened when Amy blew the cartwheel and fell into Cordelia bundling both girls to the ground.  Leaping to her feet she hurried over.  "You saw that wasn't my fault?" Cordelia exclaimed, looking at Joy.  "She bumped into me."

Seeing her friend take a step towards Amy, Faith grabbed Cordy's elbow.  "Chill C," she ordered in a firm whisper.  "Just an accident.  Not sabotage."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Hey Ams."

The other potential cheerleader started at her greeting and looked away from the trophy cabinet to her.  "Hi Faith!" the other girl beamed proudly at her before pointing at a trophy.  "That's my mom!  Her nickname was 'Catherine the Great'. She took that team and made them tri-county champions. Y'know, no one's ever done that before, or since. She and my dad were Homecoming King and Queen. They got married right after graduation."

Faith smiled sadly.  Must be wicked cool to have a Ma you were proud of.  "That's kinda romantic," she offered.

"Well, he was a big loser. Never made any money. Ran off with Miss Trailer Trash when I was twelve."

"Okay, that's less romantic," Faith commented.

Amy didn't appear to have heard her.  "He left my mom with nothing. She put herself through cosmetology school. Bought me everything I ever wanted. And never once gained a single pound.  I've got to do this for her!"

"Yeah," Faith opened her mouth to comment on Amy's mom pushing her too hard but realising she didn't have any frame of reference closed it again.  "She sounds amazing."

"She was the best!" Amy looked almost panicked.  "And I can't get my body to *move* like hers! I choked in there so bad!"

Faith opened her mouth to try to comfort the other girl but before she had chance Amy turned and ran towards the changing rooms.  Faith took a step after the wanna-be cheerleader and then stopped.  All that pressure.  "Maybe, just maybe."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

"Faith what you are offering is a suspect but no actual methodology."

"English?"

Giles sighed at his adopted daughter's confused expression.  Faith had burst into his library shouting to all and sundry, alright the place had been empty but it might not have been - there might have been that rarest of creatures - a literary American, about how she knew who'd caused Amber’s hands to ignite.  "Given what you've told me, it's possible that Amy is our perpetrator, but where is your evidence?  Moreover how did she do it?  Pyrotechnics?  Science?  Magic?"

"Damn it G!" Faith cursed.  "I'm the muscle, you work it out."

He sighed again.  "Stay close to Amy.  Keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Five by five," his daughter nodded.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“The names are up, are you nervous?”

Faith grinned at the anxious looking girl beside her.  “Sorry Ams, don’t do nervous.  You Cordy?”

“No, I’m a shoo-in.”

“Hey girls,” Faith glanced over to see Xander behind them.  “Cover me I’m going in.”  Faith raised an eyebrow as Xander charged into the crowd around the notice board, grinning slightly at his pained yelps.  What a wuss.  Finally the boy fought his way out, rubbing his arm as he came out.   “One of those girls hit me really hard! You should test for steroids. Okay, not only did Cordy make the team, but you, Miss Giles, are the first alternate, and Amy's number three.”

“No!” Amy let out a strangled gasp and sped away.

“Dumbass!” Cordy punched Xander in the arm as they both glared at the youth.  “Alternates aren’t starters!”

“Ow!” Xander rubbed at his arm.  “Say Cordy, do you pee standing up?  ‘Cause after that punch I gotta ask.”

Shaking her head, Faith started after Amy and caught her up by the cafeteria.  “X really suffers from foot in mouth uh?” she joked.  “Look Ams, at least it’s over, uh?  And maybe next year-.”

“It's just how many more hours a day can I practice?”  Amy had a desperate look in her eyes.  “Y'know, how much more can I do? This would never happen to my mother. Never.”

Faith felt her patience fray and her temper snap.  Here Amy was pissing and moaning about not being able to dance around for a bunch of jackasses to leer at while there were kids all over the world without food, shelter, or even a parent who loved them.  “Hey so you blew cheerleader try-outs,” she snapped.  “Big fucking deal.  Not the end of the end of the world.”

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA!”  The intensity of the other girl’s scream made her take a step back and by the time she’d recovered Amy was just a speck in the distance.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Xander felt his palms begin to sweat as he saw Faith strut into school like she owned it.  “If Jesse can get to first base with Cordy then I can do this,” he muttered.

His words sounded hollow even to himself.  There was something about Faith that affected him like no other girl before her.  It wasn’t the curves don’t quit body, the cupid-shaped lips that he longed to kiss, the so silky black hair, or even her husky voice that sent shivers through him.

It was her eyes.

He’d gladly drown in those chocolate brown eyes, but it was more than that.  Sometimes, he’d be watching her and he’d see her carefully-constructed defences drop for a second and see the scared, lonely kid inside and he’d ache to sweep her into his arms and tell her how much he cared, how amazing he thought she was.  That he’d be holding the best body outside of the Playboy Mansion wouldn’t hurt either.  Taking a breath, he stepped towards the Slayer.  “Faith, I was wondering if you’re, ugh, that is to -.”

“Is that even C’s locker?”

“What?” he looked over his shoulder to see Cordelia struggling with a locker thirty feet away.  “No,” he knew that Jesse was meant to be meeting Cordelia by her locker by the science labs which were three corridors over.  “Say Faith, I was going to -.”

The Slayer gave him a distracted look.  “Xan, I’ll catch up with you later, k?”  Without waiting for assent, the Slayer hurried off.

“Boom,” Xander muttered, his shoulders slumping.  Crashed and burned.         

*                                  *                                  *

 "Saved me there C,” Faith muttered as she hurried after Cordelia.  She liked Xan, he was funny, and wicked smart, not in the books, but good to talk to, but there was no way she was going to ruin the relationship by getting down to it with him.  You didn’t fuck friends, they only left you hurt afterwards.  Her brow furrowed as the cheerleader headed out of school grounds.  “Yo C!”

 Her best friend began to turn, but stumbled, her usual dancer’s balance deserting her, and fell into the road.  “Shit!”  Faith darted forward, grabbing the other girl by her shoulder and dragging her back onto the pavement, just in time to save her from an on-rushing lorry.  “Damn it Cor, are you blind-,” Faith’s voice trailed off as she registered the brunette’s completely white eyes.  “Okay, I withdraw the question.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 “How do we reverse this G?”  Faith continued to pace the ground.  Her best friend in a hospital bed, sedated due to hysterics.  Not that doctors could do anything, she knew who was to blame.  The bitch. 

 “Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them is, it's classic!”  Giles looked positively buzzing.

 “Hey Watcher Guy!” Jesse snapped.  “This is my girl-friend you’re talking about!”

 “Yes quite,” Giles looked crestfallen.  Still fuming, Faith headed towards the library door.  “Faith, where are you going?”

 “To beat Amy into a coma,” she snapped.  Nobody hurt her friends, nobody.

 “And what if it isn’t her?” 

 Faith stopped.  “She’s the only one freaking out about being on the squad!” 

 “Uh,” Willow broke in, her voice tentative.  “That’s not true, I heard two other girls complaining in gym about some of the choices, especially you.”

 Faith’s eyes widened.  “ME?” she was beyond outraged and into pissed off territory.  “I’m a wicked dan-.”

 “So there are other suspects,” Giles interrupted.  “Although I would agree the pressure from her mother makes Amy the prime candidate.”

 “So how do we find out for sure?” broke in Jesse, his eyes anxious.

 “Yes,” her Watcher beamed.  Faith groaned, she knew that look, it was his ‘I’ve had a jolly spiffing idea look’.  Sometimes they worked, other times they caused even more trouble than there was before.  “Ever since Faith mentioned her suspicions I’ve been researching.  And I’ve found a spell that identifies witches!”

 “Yeah?” Faith smirked.  “Tell me more.”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “Those of you in track one may begin your dissections... now.”  Dr.  Gregory gestured to them to start cutting.  “Those of you in track two take your hydrochloric acid and your ammonium hydroxide and carefully pour them into your beakers.”

 “I can't do it,” Xander hissed.

 Shaking her head Willow grabbed the frog and took it out in one smooth motion.  “Wimp,” she whispered before dropping the eye into the beaker. 

 “I’m worried about Faith,” Xander defended.

 “Can’t take your eyes off her ass more like,” Willow shot back.

 As they bickered Xander saw Faith get up from her place beside Jesse and walk over to Amy, dropping a pencil on the ground.  Instantly the Slayer crouched down and picked up the pencil but also pulled some hair off a brush peeking out of the top of Amy’s bag.  A smile on her face, Faith stood, nodded at Amy and sauntered over to them, dropping the hair onto the their desk.  Willow took the hair and dropped it into the brew Giles had given them the recipe for.  After a few seconds the mixture was ready and Willow poured it into a test tube.  Faith reached for the test tube but Xander got there first.  “I’ll do it.” 

 “Damn it Xan-,” Faith hissed.

 “It would be too coincidental if you did it after what you just did, besides,” Xander grinned goofily.  “Klutz right?  If I do it, it’ll be more realistic.” 

 After a second Faith nodded.  “Makes sense, only be careful.”

 Xander grinned as he stood, Faith was worried about him.  Definite grounds for future eternal bliss.  “Sure.”

 “Harmony,” Dr. Gregory had walked over to one of the tables at the front.  “What can you tell me about your experiment results?”

 Heart racing, Xander approached Amy.  Taking a breath he looked over to Jonathan.  “Playstation night at yours Jonno?” he said in a probably too loud voice before deliberately stumbling over his feet and throwing the mixture onto Amy’s arm.  “Ow!” he shouted as he hit the floor, his heart dropping as the potion turned blue on impact and then disappeared. 

 “Harmony?” Dr. Gregory repeated.  “Are you... Oh, my God!”

 Xander turned towards Harmony.  “Oh my god,” he croaked.  The blonde was shaking her head wildly, her mouth somehow sealed shut.  He glanced towards Amy, the witch was shaking, a look of horror on her face.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “I don’t get it,” Faith declared as she paced the floor.  “The spell worked, Amy’s the witch, so why was she so freaked by what happened to Harmony?”

 “Maybe there’s two witches.  A bad one who hates cheerleaders on principle, ‘cause let’s face it anyone who hates cheerleaders has got to be evil, and a good one who just hates Harmony,” Jesse declared.  Everyone turned towards the youth.  “Oh come on, tell me you’re not all relieved that Harmony can’t talk anymore!”

 “Leaving aside the relative merits of Mr. McNally’s argument,” Giles broke in.  Much as he was loathe to admit it, the boy had a point, anyone who could silence Miss. Kendall wasn’t all bad.  “Perhaps we should consider the possibility of Amy’s magical use being caused by stress.”

 Faith stopped and looked at her.  “You’re saying that Amy’s Ma has got her so freaked that she doesn’t know she’s doing it?”

 “Exactly.”

 “Then after cheerleading practice,” Faith grimaced.  “We go and see her.”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “Wowee! Cheerleading practice!” 

 Xander was puzzled, while watching Faith bounce up and down on the spot was doing interesting things to his libido, it was very odd to see Faith acting so – giddy.  “Are you okay Faith?”

 “Okay!” Faith treated him to a smile so dazzling he thought he might be blinded.  “I’m wicked.”  In a second she’d pushed between him and Jesse, and linked arms with them.  “Let’s go buds,” she cried.  “Practice awaits!”

 “Um, okay Faith,” Xander exchanged a puzzled look with Jesse.  Something was definitely wrong.

 “Hi guys,” Willow greeted them as they climbed up onto the bleachers.  “Is something wrong -, oh crap!”

 Xander blinked.  Willow never swore.  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Joy hit the floor in a heap, apparently thrown there by a dazed looking Faith.  He glanced across at Jesse.  Thank god he was still there, he’d never be able to restrain Faith on his own.  “Let’s get her out of here before she kills someone.”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Faith giggled as she looked at the stunned cheerleader.  “I’m sorry, it’s part of being a Slay-.”

 “Singer!” Xander interrupted her, his had over her mouth.  Which was rude.  “Build up the diaphragm and all kinds of muscles!”

”Get her out of here!” Joy screeched.  “She’s off the squad!”

Faith’s eyes hardened.  It was an accident, she hadn’t meant it.  She started forward only for her muscles to fail to respond.  Panic set in when she realised her body was like a lump of powerless jelly.  She looked up at Xander and saw he’d felt it to.  In an instant he had her in his arms, which kinda felt nice, and was carrying her to the library.

                                    *                                  *                                  * 

“We've gotta get her to a hospital!”

Giles glanced at a panicked Willow.  “They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. Hits the body hard like a, a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system.”

“A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Faith?” Xander put in.  “She knows that Faith knows she’s a witch!”

Giles nodded.  “The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um...”

“Kill?” Faith put in.  “How much time do I have?”

Giles swallowed.  “Couple of hours... Three at most.”

“But we can stop this right?” Xander asked.

Giles stood.  “If we get out hands on Amy’s spell book we can reverse all the spells.”

“All the spells?” Jesse had a sick look on his face.  “Even Harmony’s?”

“Focus Jess,” Xander glared at the other youth.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

After ordering Jesse and Willow to go back and keep an eye on Amy at the practice, and leaving Xander to look after Faith, Giles hurried out to his car, a tight knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat making it difficult for him to breathe.  “Oh god Faith,” he whispered.  Until this moment he hadn’t realised how much she meant to him, how sometimes they’d have a moment where she’d start to let her defences down, let him in before wariness would cause her to withdraw.  Nobody was hurting her.

In minutes he was at the Madison household, Willow having hacked the address off the school computer, breaking every speed limit in the process.  Not bothering to knock, he simply shouldered the door open and strode in to see a fortyish but still attractive woman sat on the couch.  “Mrs. Madiso-,” his voice trailed off as he registered something.  The school books on the table before the woman, the cookies, Willow had mentioned Amy had a fondness for cookies.  “Good lord,” this must be what it felt like to be hit by a lightning bolt, “you’re Amy aren’t you?”

 "W..what are you talking about?” the woman stuttered.  “G..get out of my house right now!”

 “She stole your body,” suddenly the pieces of the jigsaw fell into space.  “No wonder she was always talking about how great her mother was.  She is her mother!” She looked at the woman.  “We can get your body back but I need her spell things.”  The possessed teenager stared at him.  “Now!”

 Minutes later they were back at the school.  Xander rose as they entered the library.  “Why did you bring her here?” he demanded, an angry gleam in his eyes. 

 Giles had to hide a smile, Faith had largely dismissed the boy as well-meaning but ineffectual but there was mettle there, it was merely a matter of shaping it.  “She’s Amy,” seeing the boy’s mouth open, he shook his head and scooped up Faith into his arms, marvelling at her lightness.  How could someone so tiny have the world’s fate resting on her shoulders?  “No time.  Go back to the others, I’ll have to do a spell.  When Amy senses it, I want you to delay her, understand?”

 “Yes,” the boy nodded and hurried out. 

 Once the youth had left, he carried his Slayer through to a near-by lab, uncomfortably aware of how shallow her breathing had become, Catherine following close behind.  “Come on my girl,” he pleaded softly.  “Hold on.  I know you’re a fighter.”  After placing his charge on one of the desks, he quickly began arranging spell ingredients.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “What’s going on?” Willow queried, her voice anxious. 

 “Well apparently, Catherine’s Amy and Amy’s Catherine.  My opinion, G-Man’s watched too many re-runs of Vice-Versa,” Xander joked to ease the pounding of his heart.  It didn’t work.  “We’re meant to watch her in case something happens.”

 “Something like that?” Jesse commented as Amy stumbled, glared up at them and charged from the hall.

 “Something like that!” he confirmed before jumping back to his feet.  “Let’s get her.”

 They made the corridor just seconds from the hall.  “Catherine!  Wait!” Amy spun around to face him and Willow.  “What do you know, G-Man was right,” Xander kept his tone soft, determined not to allow his rage and fear show.  “How about you give up?”

 “Never!” Suddenly he and Willow were flying into the far wall.  Even through his dazed eyes, he saw Jesse rise up behind the witch, fire extinguisher in hand.  And fall flat on his face when the sorceress turned and made a fist, causing Jesse’s eyes to roll back and dim.  “Pathetic!”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Giles turned from his chanting when the door flew open and a fire axe-wielding Amy strode in.  Swallowing slightly, he continued with his spell, placing himself between the enraged girl and his charge.  “This has to end Catherine!”

 Amy lifted the axe only for her and her mother to be consumed by two flashes of white light.  The girl staggered and looked around, an expression of confusion on her face as she lowered her weapon.  “What happened?”

 “Interferers!” Suddenly a great force hit Giles in the chest, sending him cart-wheeling into the far wall Catherine laughed before turning to face Amy.  “You! You little brat!”

 Amy’s voice trembled as she raised her axe.  “Mom!  Please!”

 Catherine held out her hand and the axe flew over to her.  “How dare you raise your hand to your mother! I gave you birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? You've never been anything but trouble. I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again!

 Giles smirked as his Slayer jumped up.  “Bring it on, bitch!”  Catherine started to turn to face the Bostonian only to catch a clubbing right to the jaw.  The punch lifted the witch off her feet and flung onto a table that collapsed under the impact. 

 In an instance the sorceress was up, her eyes gleaming black.  “Move!”

 Suddenly Faith was flying through the air to crash down beside him.  Immediately she was up and striding towards the witch.  “That all you got?” 

 “I shall look upon my enemy!“  The instance the witch raised a finger, Giles was moving.  “I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul!”  His weight caught Faith in the side, knocking the Slayer to the side and into the pole holding up the mirror above them. “Corsheth, take her!”  The spell leapt from Catherine's hands – only to be reflected back by the descending mirror, the spell enveloping the screeching witch before disappearing in a roar, taking her with it. 

 “Guys!” a battered Xander stumbled in, followed by Willow and Jesse.  “Are you okay?”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 "I'm five by five guys," Faith nodded at her friends as she pushed a still dazed Amy towards them.  "Can you give me a minute?"

 "Sure Faith."  Xander smiled at her before following the others out.

 She turned back to the room's other occupant.  "You saved me." 

 Her Watcher looked up from packing his mojo stuff and turned towards her, an embarrassed look on his face.  "You are my Slayer."

 "Yeah, but you risked your life to save me."  Faith swallowed, more scared than she could ever remember.  Taking a rattling breath, she looked up into the Englishman's eyes.  "Y...you really care about me don't ya?"  Seeing the librarian's mouth open, she hurried on before she lost the courage to finish what she'd been about to say.  "About me, Faith?"  God, he had to.

 The middle-aged man smiled fondly.  'Faith, at times you infuriate me more than I've ever imagined possible.  But at others, you make me so proud to be part of your life.  So, yes, I ca-."  Before her Watcher could finish she was pressed against him, her head resting on his chest as the tears poured out, all the pain coming out in wracking sobs as a lifetime's defences crumbled.  After a second her Watcher's arms enveloped her.  "There, there, Faith," he muttered, his voice soft in her ear, his hot breath against her face strangely comforting.  "Let it all out."

 Faith S1 Ep4

 “Hey Jack!” Lou grinned as he threw pebbles at the high school window.  He’d always hated school, getting thrown out by Flutie was no big deal.  Except, no-one told the Molasky twins what to do.  “Bet I can get this one right through this window.”

 When his brother didn’t reply, he glanced over his shoulder.  His mouth dropped open to see a cop stood over his brother’s crumpled body, bloody leaking from his sibling’s mouth.  “What the -, argh!”

 His curse was cut off by a night-stick to the forehead knocking him to his knees.  “Wrong-doers must be punished,” the cop intoned, his voice lifeless before bringing the weapon down on him again and again until all there was nothing but pain for him. 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 “Hey G!” Giles winced as his foster-daughter barrelled into his place with a speed that left the double doors flying with enough force to turn them into deadly weapons in the unlikely event of someone being stood behind them, her bellow loud enough to make the windows murmur in protest.  All this in his soddin’ library.  “You heard about the Molaskys?”

 “Yes I have,” Giles was unable to prevent a smirk.  Those little bloody hooligans.  After he’d caught them selling speed behind the bleachers, he’d dragged them to Flutie’s, while all the time having to listen to their crude remarks about, and threats to, Faith   Not that his girl couldn’t look after herself, but it was the principle of the thing, he might not be able to protect her from vampires and the like, although he'd do his damndest.  But two little sods like the Molaskys – in his book they’d got exactly what they deserved. 

 “Was it a vampire?”

 He cast his daughter a disapproving look.  “Faith, what have I told you?”

 His Slayer rolled her eyes.  “Look at the evidence.”

 “And?”

 “No bite-marks and they’re both alive.  In comas but alive,” Faith nodded.  “It was something else.”

 “Correct,” he beamed proudly

 “Supernatural or natural?”

”Not that’s a little more tricky,” Giles paused.  “The methodology used was more than likely mundane, but the force considerably more than a normal human could exert.”

“Jeez,” Faith looked exasperated.  “Couldn’t you just say you didn’t know?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

He sighed as his phone, the private line, rang.  His skills had gained him some very nice privileges – a private office, the extra money, and the satisfaction of a job well done, but sometimes the demand his boss made.  Swallowing slightly, he picked up his phone.  “Yes sir?”

“Ah,” his boss’ voice boomed back at him, almost deafening him with his heartiness.  “Splendid job your men did last night.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Now, as to your next job.”

His heart sank at his employer’s next words.  “Sir, he’s not a criminal.”

“No of-course not.  But he’s a root cause, far too soft on the juveniles in his charge.  Can I rely on you?”

His paymaster’s tone hadn’t changed one iota and yet he heard it, the certain knowledge that to refuse would only lead to him taking his prospective victim’s place in the morgue.  Finally he managed to speak.  “Of course sir.”

“Wonderful,” his boss’ beam could be heard even over the phone.  “After all, remember-.”

“Spare the rod, spoil the child,” he finished obediently.

“Quite.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Ah hello officers!” Flutie beamed as the two policemen approached.  His parents, god-fearing folk that they were, had brought him up to have a healthy respect for the custodians of the law.  And living in Sunnydale with all its attendant unexplained disappearances had only increased his appreciation of the role of the police in society.  “It’s good to see y-,” his eyes trailed off as he noticed that one of the officers was missing an eye, a bullet hole drilled through it.

“You have failed in your duty.”  He began to back away from the two advancing officers, his earlier pleasure turning to terror.  “The price is death.”  He turned to run, only to fall over an upraised pavement stone.  As he reached his hands and knees something smashed into his head, knocking him back down.  “Resisting arrest will not help.”  Soon blow after blow was reigning down on him.

                                    *                                  *                      *

“You heard about Principal Flutie?”

Giles looked up from the paper he was barely able to focus on to see his daughter and her friends stood before him, sombre expressions on their faces.  “I heard,” he confirmed.

“Sounded the same as the Molasky twins,” his charge commented.

“Perhaps,” he was non-committal, unsure as to where the conversation was going.

“Maybe we could check out, see if something supernatural did it?”  Cordelia broke in.

Ah, he understood it now.  His children, yes in just a few short weeks he’d begun to think of them all as his extended family, were desperate to find something less than human to blame Flutie’s brutal murder on.  Understandable, even though Faith with her torrid childhood should know better.  “What a splendid idea,” he forced a smile.  He doubted there was anything, but if they researched, immersed themselves in study, some of the shock might wear off – sometimes doing something, anything, was the best way to ease pain.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“What do you think got Flutie?” Jesse queried.

“I don’t know Jess,” Xander shrugged.  All night they’d studied until Giles had shooed them out of the library stating it was time for him and Faith to patrol.  He’d offered to go with, but Faith had brought up that ‘no civilian’ rule so he’d gone off with the others to the Bronze.  And now it was time to go home.  “Hey,” he pointed at a mesh fence.  “Remember using Tonk’s Timber as short-cut home when we were little?”

Jesse grinned. “And that time we made a slide out of some scrap wood and Jonathan got splinters in his ass.”

Xander laughed.  “Oh yeah,” he winked at his friend.  “Shall we?  For old time’s sake?”

His friend nodded.  “Great idea.”

Ten minutes later they’d crossed the timber yard with much giggling and were climbing out of the timber yard through another hole in the fence.  “Trespassers are criminals.”

Xander groaned when a police officer stepped out of the shadows in front of them.  Busted, his dad was going to kick his ass.  “Sorry off-,” his voice trailed off as he noticed the huge chunk missing from the side of the cop’s head.   “Jes-,” at the last second he saw the night-stick come up and blocked it on his forearm, pain reverberating through his arm.

“Hey!” Jesse stepped forward only to catch a right to the stomach.  Even as his friend doubled up, the cop cracked the night-stick down between his companion’s shoulder-blades, sending Jess to his hands and knees.  His friend groaned, but his attacker was relentless, slamming a foot into the side of his friend’s head.  Heart racing, Xander leapt at the cop, tackling him around the waist.  The officer just grunted before driving something, an elbow maybe, into Xander’s back.  A half-second later he glimpsed Jesse make it to his feet, grab a loose plank and thrust it into the side of the police officer’s head.

That was enough to stagger the creature.  “Thanks!” Xander grabbed hold of Jesse.  “Now run!”

“He’s gaining!”

“I know,” Xander replied through pained gasps, god his arm hurt.  “Who’s nearest?”

“Faith!” 

Xander nodded, that was something.  Turning a corner, he saw his friend’s house.  “Go get her!  I’ll hold him off!” Seeing his friend’s mouth open, he bellowed.  “JUST DO IT!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith looked up from her TV at the banging at the door.  Turning MTV off she raced down to see G hurrying out of the front room, poker in hand.  “Is that-?”

”Jesse?” her Watcher nodded.  “It would appear so.  But one can never be too careful.”

Faith flung the door open only for her friend to fall at her feet, not the first guy to do that, but they weren’t usually oozing blood at the time.  Immediately she was crouched down beside him.  “Jess!  What’s wrong?”

“Demon Cop,” the youth gasped, viscera dripping onto the carpet, “attacked us.”

Faith’s heart stopped.  ”Us?”

 “Xander-.”

 Faith didn’t wait to hear the rest, leaping over Jesse’s body, she charged out of the house and raced down the street, the sound of a struggle filling her ears.  Her heart stopped as she turned a corner to see a bulky cop stood over a crumpled Xander. “Hey!” she screamed.  “Head’s up!”

 Leaping into the air, she caught Xander’s attacker with a two-footed dropkick to the chest.  To her surprise the blow didn’t lift her rival off his feet.  Instead he just grunted and took a step back.  Rallying quickly, she slammed a fist into the side of his head with a chunk missing, hoping for a weakness.  Nothing.  Next she leapt into the air, executing a flawless hook kick to the back of her opponent’s head only to be scooped out of the air and thrown to the ground.  Dazed, she was helpless to prevent the cop from grabbing her by the throat and start choking her.  She flailed out at him, punching and kicking desperately but to no avail, a stray blow caught his shirt, tearing his badge away and sending it clattering to the floor.  A half-second later, something akin to intelligence appeared in the demon’s dull eyes.  “Thank you,” the creature said before exploding into dust, sending her crashing to the ground, only the badge and Xander’s battered body remaining as evidence that he’d ever been there.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“What the fuck was that?” Faith hissed as she paced the corridor outside Xander and Jesse’s room.  The two boys only had superficial wounds, bruising and shit, but if she hadn’t turned up….

“It would appear,” her Watcher looked as worried as she felt.  “That someone has been raising zombies.”

“Of course they have,” Faith rolled her eyes.  “How come it exploded into dust when I tore its badge from it?”

Her guardian didn’t answer for a second.  “I would suspect that the zombie’s sense of duty was used to drag them back to this life, the badge was a mystical symbol of that so to speak.”  She nodded to indicate she was with the Englishman so far.  “When you tore it off.”

“I broke the link,” she finished.

“Precisely.” 

Faith hid a grin at the librarian’s proud smile, she loved it when he looked at her like that, no one had ever been proud of her before.  “Question is how come they didn’t have guns?  And are there any more?”

“My guess would be that they, as re-animated corpses, have poorer than human co-ordination and reflexes and whoever summonsed them didn’t want bystanders to be shot.  As to the other,” Giles paused, “I’m not sure.  You did well tonight.”

Faith nodded, this praise resting slightly less comfortingly on her shoulders.  Jess and Xan had still got hurt though.  “G, I was thinking.”  Always a dangerous thing for her to do, she generally used her head for butting shit with.  “Maybe we should train the guys, Red and C if they want to too.”  Seeing her Watcher’s mouth open.  “There’s bad shit out there G, even if they don’t patrol with us I can’t be there 24/7.”

“A good point,” Giles nodded unwillingly.  “But for their own defence only.”

She nodded in agreement.  She didn’t have a problem with that condition.  “Sure G.”

She paused.  “It takes guts don’t it?”

“I beg your pardon?” her Watcher looked confused.

“Caring about people.”  Her next words came at a rush.  “I ain’t never cared about anyone like I do you and the others and it’s wicked scary.  I thought caring meant you were a wuss but it doesn’t does it?  Means you’re strong.”

“That it does Faith.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“But they’re going to be alright?”

Seeing Faith’s eyes flicker impatiently, Giles spoke up before his charge put her foot in it.  “They’ll be fine Willow,” he smiled at the red-headed hacker.  “Now why don’t you-.”

He groaned as the library doors flew open and Cordelia strode in.  “Why wasn’t I informed that my boy-friend had been beaten up?”

Giles winced.  Cordelia was a wonderful young lady, spirited and brave, a fine friend for his daughter, but sometimes….  “Faith, please,” he pleaded.  The Bostonian nodded before hurrying over to speak to the cheerleader.  He turned back to Willow.  “If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Um, reports of police brutality in the past year.”  His eyes furrowed as the computer screen  changed to a picture of the Sunnydale Police Department and within seconds, the red-head  was leafing through what appeared be the records of their Internal Affairs Department. “I say, this is legal?”  Willow gave him a sickly smile.  Oh dear lord.  “I wasn’t here,” he muttered.  “I knew nothing.  Was an innocent dupe.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he looked up to see Faith stood behind him, shaking her head.  “Corrupting minors, who would have guessed behind that mild-mannered librarian act there hid a crim’s heart.”

He glared at his grinning daughter.  “Oh do belt up.”

“Got it!”

He turned back to Willow.  “Got what?”

“There’s been nine complaints of police brutality in the last year-.”

“That doesn’t seem a lot,” Miss. Chase commented.

”Actually it is,” Faith broke in.  “For a burg this size least-ways.  Most people who beaten by the pigs don’t bother to report.  I’d say there’s been at least fifty attacks.”

“But that’s not the interesting thing,” Willow continued, her annoyed expression clearly indicating Miss Rosenberg did not appreciate being interrupted.  “The interesting thing is five of the cases were dropped when badge numbers were given that matched those of dead cops.  Twice the cop,” the hacker held up the badge Faith had taken from the zombie last night, “who attacked Xander and Jesse last night.”

“Only twice?” Cordelia queried just before him.  “What about the other times?”

“Just checking,” Willow tapped a few keys.  “One cop died nine months ago, four months before the attack he was meant to be involved in. The other died ten months ago, three and six months before the attacks before he was accused of.”

A dozen swear-words rushed through Giles’ head.  “So there’s more than one zombie?”

He nodded at Faith’s question.  “It would appear so.  Willow, how many officers have died in the past year?”

Willow tapped at her keyboard at a bewildering rate for a few seconds.  “Seven, one through blood-loss, one in a convenience store shooting, one of heart attack, one from suicide, two in car crashes, and one from drowning.”

Giles grimaced.  “Could you note down where each one is buried, excluding the one Faith slayed last night of course.”

“Two were cremated,” Willow looked at him for guidance.

“Discard them too please.  We only need to check those that were buried.”

“So tonight we’re going grave inspecting?” Faith scowled.  “I fucking love my life.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Snyder glared around the corridors surrounding them.  “May I speak freely Mr.  Mayor?”

“Please do.” Mayor Wilkins beamed at his prospective principal candidate. ”I like to encourage free and frank exchange of views between myself and senior public officials.”

“There’s the stench of indiscipline around here,” Snyder’s face wrinkled in distaste.  “The last administration was lax, oh so very lax.”

Wilkins beamed.  This was his man.  “Oh, I couldn’t agree more.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith stared around the hushed, shadowy graveyard.  “That the last one?” Giles nodded.  Faith sighed, thank god, sometimes her Calling really sucked.  “What’s the results?”

“Of the four, three graves appeared to have been tampered with,” her Watcher replied.

“So three more zombies?”

”Possibly, there could have been body-snatchers, demons.  It’s really quite fascinating -.”

“G, you ever wonder why you ain’t got a girlfriend?” Faith crunched her nose up.  “Us female types really don’t like guys with a fascination for worm-food.  Ain’t healthy.”

“Yes very amusing,” Giles slammed his note-book shut, an injured expression on the librarian’s face.  “I have all the information I require.  What we need is to see Willow tomorrow and get her-.”

“There isn’t going to be a tomorrow.  For either of you.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Darla beamed at the Slayer and the Watcher, a handsome devil he was.  All refined and proper on the outside, but inside.  Um, she almost shivered at the hidden delights before turning her attention to the business at hand.  The Slayer.

She was a pretty little thing with smouldering eyes and a curvy body.  But dangerous, Darla reminded herself, she should never forget that.  “You know,” she stepped towards the hunter of her kind.  “I’ve never killed a Slayer before.”

The brunette laughed huskily.  “Hey bitch, you ain’t gonna do tonight either.  Who the hell are you anyhow, just out of interest, I like to keep a list.”

“My name is Darla,” she smiled at the Englishman’s shocked expression.  He’d heard of her.

“Be careful Faith,” the Watcher called, such a strong voice.  “She’s an old vampire, favoured of the Master.”

 

“Shit G,” the Slayer sounded amused rather than frightened.  “I killed Lothos remember?  The blonde hag ain’t shit.”

Darla stopped her advance, rage battling with wariness.  Blond hag?  How dare she?  But she’d killed Lothos?  She remembered him, had met him in the early 1900s.  Even the Master walked lightly around him.  But she needed this little bitch’s head to regain her sire’s favour.

Gathering her courage, she leapt forward, the nails of her right hand raking the Slayer down her left cheek.  The Slayer staggered backwards, her cry combining pain and shock.  Anxious to follow up her advantage, she snapped out a left heel kick that her rival sidestepped, stepping inside her guard, and driving a knee at her groin.

Darla twisted away from the blow, catching it on her thigh.  Even so, her opponent’s power sent a shock through her entire body.  She only just managed to stumble away from her rival’s follow-up stake thrust, slapping the blow away just inches from her heart, but was helpless to prevent a headbutt cannoning into her nose, breaking it.  “Argh!”

“Yes!”

Seeing the blurred image of the Slayer leaping at her, Darla leapt into the air, catching the supernatural warrior around the waist in a scissors and driving her to the ground.  She slammed a fist into her rival’s mouth, the viscera that spilt out almost enough to drive her insane with lust.  “Look who’s on top,” she gloated.  “Something I’m sure you’re used to.  Ah well,” she vamped out, “all good things etc, etc.”

“I think not.”

 

She screamed as the Watcher pressed a cross into her cheek, her flesh burning instantly. Leaping to her feet, she backhanded the man to the ground.  “I’ll flay every inch of skin off your body!” she vowed as she advanced on the crumpled body.

“Like hell.”  Darla turned her head to catch a jaw-cracking right that knocked her off her feet and propelled her over the top of a near-by cherub.  “No-body messes with my Watcher!”  The moment she hit the ground, she was up again and racing away, there were other ways to curry favour with the Master!

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“You alright G?” Faith helped the middle-aged librarian to his feet.  “Thanks for the save by the way.”

Giles smiled then winced.  “I rather think that’ll bruise,” he muttered.  “And thank you for your reciprocation.”

“No problem,” she smiled blandly.  It would help her communicate with her guardian if she knew what he was saying for more than half the time!  “Who’s that Darla chick anyway?”

“A four hundred year old whore,” Faith nodded sagely.  She thought she’d seen some lines.  “She was the favoured of the Master until she turned a notorious vampire Angelus in the 1750s.  The Master disliked Angelus on sight, and the two fell out.  She ran away with Angelus.”

“Well baby she’s back,” Faith sighed.  As if her life wasn’t complicated enough.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Wow,” Jonathan’s eyes widened as he stared at Willow’s furiously typing fingers.  “Your technique is amazing.  Could you teach me?”

Faith chuckled.  “This is like a nature programme,” she whispered to Cordy as they stood in the stacks behind the working duo.  “Mating rituals of the nerds.”

Cordy giggled.  “Do you think we could do a paper for Sociology, get some extra credits?”

“Finished!” Willow beamed as she looked around proudly.  “We have a winner!” the red-head looked uncertain.  “Well a prime suspect anyhow.”

Immediately Faith’s manner changed from jovial to businesslike.  One hand vaulting over the rail she hurried over to the two computer hackers.  “What’s the sitch?”

“All four zombies have one thing in common, the same Watch Commander, Sebastian N ‘Veyro.”

“Oh good lord.”

Faith looked up to see her Watcher hurrying into his office only to return seconds later carrying a leather-bound book.  “What’s the sitch?”

“Oh dear,” Giles looked up from his book.  “N ‘Veyro is a famous name in the field of Voodoo, many of its Haitian high priests bear that name and are feared for their skill in necromancy.”

“Ladies, gentleman,” Faith pronounced.  “We have a winner.”

“Not necessarily,” Giles stared at Willow and Jonathan.  “We have one more test to do to make sure.  I’ll need you both.”

Willow gulped.  “Okay.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Thank you for your help sir,” Captain N’Veyro smiled as they all stood, signifying the end of his interview with Mr. Levinson and Ms. Rosenberg on the causes of youth crime.  He was of the firm opinion if all children were like Ms. Rosenberg and her friend there wouldn’t be any youth crime.

His smile slipped as she shook the young woman’s right hand and a small but identifiable bracelet slipped out from under her jumper.  Pretending not to have noticed, he nodded.  “Always a pleasure to help two fine young people like you,” he gushed.  “If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Miss Rosenberg nodded.  “Thank you sir.”
 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 “Well?” Jonathan demanded in a hiss the moment the Captain closed the door behind them.  “Is it him?”

 “It’s him,” Willow replied with a nod.  Mr. Giles had sent them undercover to interview the suspect, all the while wearing a specially made bracelet that caused its wearer’s arm to itch when in the presence of a black arts mage.  It had even itched slightly when Giles had put it on, although it had stopped almost immediately.  She guessed it had been nerves, psychosomatic maybe, because it had itched much more in the cop’s presence. 

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 N’Veyo scowled as he watched the two teens walk away.  It appeared his men would have a special assignment tonight.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 Giles paced the library floor, the quarterstaff he’d been using with his companions still in his hand.  “She’ll be fine Giles.”  He glanced at Cordelia and smiled weakly.  He had ‘faith’ in his daughter’s abilities, but breaking into a police station was a tall order even for a Slayer.

 Suddenly he noticed the two girls and Jonathan had paled.  “What’s wrong?” his voice trailed off as he registered the three police officers striding into his library.  “Get in my office and lock the door!” he ordered.

 “Gil-.”

 “Now Cordelia!” he roared before turning towards the zombies and cracking his neck.  “Come on then you buggers,” he growled, the dark side of his personality rippling to the surface.  “Let’s be having you.”  Hurry up Faith, he silently pleaded.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Faith dropped through the third floor window, into an utility closet, relieved that she hadn’t entered right into a squad room or a cell.  That would have made things tricky.  Getting access to the building was the easy part, now she had to find the damn cop without being noticed.  “Hope Red’s directions are cool.”  And she hoped the asshole was in.  Careful to stick to the shadows, she set off.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 The moment one of the trio got in range, Giles thrust one end of his quarterstaff into the zombie’s throat, knocking the undead back a step.  Conscious that his one advantage was his greater range, Giles didn’t follow up, turning his attention to the next zombie, catching him with a blow to the back of his leg that sent him down to one knee.

 “Oh bugger,” he muttered as the creature immediately rose.  Stepping back, he allowed the three re-animated corpses to soundlessly advance on him before suddenly attacking, swinging his weapon at the head of the leftmost zombie.  The blow struck home with a satisfying crack and snapped the resurrected rozzer’s head to one side but otherwise had no effect.

 “Well this is demoralising,” Giles commented dryly as he stepped back again.  One of the zombies swung his nightstick up in an uppercut motion, Giles blocked the attack but winced as the blow’s impact reverberated through him and grunted as a blow from another of his attackers caught him on his elbow, knocking his quarterstaff to the ground.  A half-second later, another blow hit him on the side of the head, knocking him on his back.

 “Hey!” his heart sank at Willow’s voice.  “You were sent for me!  Willow Rosenberg.  You want me?” He heard the sound of an arrow being fired and grimaced.  Oh bloody marvellous, it wasn’t enough he was being threatened by a trio of zombies, now he had to contend with a novice archer too.

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “Hey, you N’Veyo?” N’Veyo looked up to see a lithe brunette with sultry eyes and sensual lips stood in the doorway of his office.

 “Young lady,” he didn’t bother to hide his disdain.  “Vice is on the second floor.”

“Funny,” the girl smiled.  There was little humour in the facial gesture.  The raven-haired temptress strutted into his office.  “You know every time a cop would pull me in for pick-pocketing, boosting a car whatever, it would be ‘Faith you’re just like your mom, you’re worthless, a slut, a whore’.  That was before they got rough,” the girl smiled.  “Guess what?” his eyes widened as the teen grabbed one corner of his desk and flung it into the right wall.  In an instance she had him by his throat held at arm’s length.  “Worm’s turned.  Now,” she flung him into the wall opposite his desk, “I could just ask my question.  But payback’s a bitch and whadda ya know?” the juvenile grinned.  “Pigs always said I was a bitch.”

 His scream turned to a wheeze when the girl drove a foot into his groin, followed quickly by a right that shattered his nose.  “Tut, tut,” he moaned as the woman stomped on his right hand.  “No respect for authority, always been my trouble.  Now Flutie was a wuss but a decent guy and you got him killed.  So you get one chance,” suddenly he was in the air again, the girl’s incredibly strong hand wrapped around his throat.  “How do I break the spell?”

 “B..by breaking the statue on my filing cabinet.”

 The girl beamed.  “Thanks.”  Suddenly he was flying headfirst into the filing cabinet, his collision knocking the ceramic ornament to the ground.  “Bye now,” the brunette stepped over him.  “Do this again and I’ll be back.”

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 Giles sighed with relief as the zombies exploded into dust.  Faith had done it.  After Willow and Jonathan helped him to his feet, Cordelia saying there was no way she was getting dust on Versace, he glared at the red-head.  “I thought I told you to stay in the office?”

 Willow blushed.  “They were after me.  I knew if I distracted them, we’d have a chance.”

 “Bloody kids,” he sighed.  No discipline.  

                                     *                                  *                                  *

 “Captain N’Veyo-.”  The officer shuffled round to face him.  Wilkins hid a wince at the policeman’s battered condition.  Whoever had attacked him had really gone to town on the Haitian.  “You failed me.”

 Panic entered the policeman’s eyes.  “Sir-.” 

 “No excuses needed,” he looked over his shoulders.  “Kill him.”

 The police officer’s hand dropped to his gun but his three vampires were on the law enforcer before he had a chance.  Wilkins winced as he watched the carnage.  He didn’t like to kill his subordinates, but the man had failed him.  He just hoped the new principal did a better job.  “Otherwise….”

 FIC:  Faith: The Series: Season 1 Ep 5

 “Tut, tut,” Faith smiled as she and her adversary circled one another, the vampire’s eyes glowing in the dark.  “Why can’t I meet any non-dentally challenged boys?” She shrugged.  “Ah well,” she sidestepped a lunge, grabbed the vampire’s wrist and flipped him onto his back.  “Gotta work with what ya get.”  Spinning ‘round she drove her stake at her enemy’s heart only for the demon to roll out of the way and leap to his feet.  Undaunted, she shook her head.  “Damn, ain’t that just like a man – difficult?”

 Again the vampire charged her, he was definitely getting zero marks out of ten for originality.  This time Faith didn’t try to dodge, meeting the vampire with a leaping backfist that snapped her rival’s head back.  Taking advantage of the vampire’s dazed condition, she moved into a leg-sweep taking the vampire down onto the ground.  “Hell,” Faith leapt on top of the vampire.  “We haven’t been introduced and you already want me on top.  Ah well,” she smiled.  “I can work with that.  Stake,” she shoved her stake into the demon’s heart, “meet blood-sucking creature of the night.”  The vampire exploded into dust.  “What?  No second date?  I’m crushed.”  She shook her head sadly.  “They never call.”

“Faith,” G walked out from behind the crypt he’d been sheltering behind.  “I do wish you focus more on the Slaying and less on the punning.”

Faith shrugged.  ”Helps pass the time, keeps things from getting boring.”

“Boring?” her Watcher let out a strangled gasp.  “You were struggling for your life.”  Faith shrugged.  Her philosophy was the last couple of months had been pretty good, hell ever since G had adopted her even though she hadn’t realised it then.  If she died now at least it would be doing something worthwhile – not from being beaten to death by an angry boytoy, in a hot-riding crash, or from an overdose in a crack den or some shit.  Anything else was a trade-up.  “Wait a moment,” Faith watched curiously as the Englishman crouched down produced a pen and picked up a ring with it before straightening.  “What do we have here now?”

“Nice,” she peered at the ring.  “Now if we were back in Boston, I could line up maybe three fences who would give us a good price for that.  What?” she protested at Giles’ trademark exasperated look.  “Just saying.”

After a second her Watcher shook his head.  “This could be something.”

Faith picked up on the librarian’s troubled tone.  “Something big?”

“Perhaps I better consult my books.”  There was an eagerness in her Watcher’s eyes that made her groan, him and books – wicked weird.

                                                *                                              *                                              *

Darla winced at the sound of her sire slamming a hefty leather-bound volume down on his reading stand and inwardly groaned at the icy look in his eyes.  It was when he was deathly cold like this, and not when he was in one of his flaming rages, that her sire was at his most deadly.  “'And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into Hell.' As it is written, so shall it be.”  The eight hundred year vampire picked up the book and started to pace.   “Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny.'”  The Master stopped by one of the nervously fidgeting vampires before him.  “As it is written, so shall it be. 'And one of the brethren shall go out hunting the night before and get himself killed, because he couldn't wait to finish his job before he ate.' Oh, wait.”  Even though the Master wasn’t looking directly at her, Darla felt her spine crumble at the intensity in her sire’s eyes.  Suddenly his hand lunged out to pick up the unfortunate minion by the throat.  “That’s not written anywhere.”  His hand slammed into the struggling demon’s chest, there was a sucking sound and then he pulled his hand out holding the vampire’s heart. A half-second later and his victim exploded into dust.  “The Anointed will be my greatest weapon against the Slayer! If you fail to bring him to me, if you allow that girl to stop you...”

Quelling her own terror, Darla stepped forward.  “I’ll bring him to you Master,” she declared boldly, foregoing the downcast stare of the others, she looked her sire in the eye.  She was the oldest childe, she had the right.

“Ah sweet Darla,” she managed not to shudder when the eight hundred year old demon ran a dry finger up her face.  “My favourite creation.  But,” she forced herself to stay still when he grabbed her around the throat.  If she resisted he would kill her for sure.   “You have disappointed me twice before.  Once, by siring that Irish whelp, and second, by failing to bring me the head of that Slayer bitch as you promised.  A third time, and it would go better for you if you never returned.  Am I understood?”  She nodded.  “Good.  But succeed, and when I rise you will sit on my right hand side.”  Again Darla nodded.  She was playing for the highest stakes of all.

                               *                                            *                                            *

“The symbol,” Giles peered at the ring through his magnifying glass.  “I believe it’s a druidic fertility rune.  But I don’t recognise the sect.”

“Fertile vamps, ‘cause that’s all we need.”

Giles ignored Faith’s comment as particularly unhelpful.  ”What’s this?” he peered inside the ring.  “A sun and three stars. Haven't we seen that somewhere?”

Faith shrugged.  “You’re book guy, I’m kick-ass girl.”

“Oh of-course, the Order of Aurelius,” he muttered.

“Great G,” Faith said, her tone conveying her complete disinterest.  “I got class.  Gotta jet.” 

“Fine.”  He waved his charge away, engrossed in the enigma of the ring.  “Don’t forget practice.”

                               *                                            *                                            *

Faith chuckled as she strutted out of the library.  Put a puzzle in front of G and she could walk around the library bare-ass naked and the dude wouldn’t even notice.  “Hi sexy.”

She turned to see herself being regarded by a six foot tall, ripcord lean figure slouched against the wall, a cocksure grin on his lean face.  Faith smirked at the greasy-haired biker.  All edge, just how she liked them.  “Hi,” she swayed her way over to the man.  “You a senior?”

The student shrugged.  “Repeating, failed last year.”  Faith nodded, very cool.  “Wouldn’t be but my social worker says I have to finish school otherwise…”

“Bummer.”

“Seen you around,” the older teen leered at her.  “Hard to believe a cool babe like you can have the librarian as your pa.”

“Adopted out of juvie hall,” Faith ignored the insult to her Watcher. 

“Ah,” the biker nodded in understanding.  “I’m Luis Cruz, they call me ‘Snake’ on account of how fast I am.”

”Faith.”

“Hi Faith,” the man shot her a grin.  “Say there’s a party going down at The Vault on Friday, wanna come?”

Faith grinned.  She’d heard of The Vault, a real wild place, the sort of place she’d spent the year before G had adopted her partying in.  “Love to,” time to visit her roots. 

“Great,” the youth smirked at her as if the decision had never been in any doubt.  “See ya later.  K?”

“Later,” Faith agreed. 

The moment the youth sauntered off, Cordy walked around the corner.  “Faith,” she hissed.  “You can’t date him,” her best bud had a disapproving look on her.  “Faith’s he’s been suspended twice, last time he threatened a tutor!”

Faith felt her good mood evaporate.  “You know C, I ain’t never been good at being told what to do!”  Fuming, she turned and stormed off.

                               *                             *                                            *

“You ever find anything interesting in those books G-Man?”

Giles shot Xander a scathing look.  “No Xander, I tend to stay away from the ones with naked engravings, unlike someone I could mention,”  Her Watcher smirked at Xander’s reddening before turning to her, his expression growing serious.   “According to my research, a disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled.”

“That vampire Order you were talking about earlier?” Faith guessed.

“Yes,” Giles nodded.  “I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself, and he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed.”

“Who's that?” Willow put in.

“Well, I don't know exactly, but it says he will rise from the ashes of the Five on the evening of the thousandth day after the Advent of Septus.”

“We’re after some guy called septic?”

Giles shot Jesse an irritated look.  “According to my calculations that’s on Thursday.”

“Then we’ll stop it,” Faith smirked, ignoring Cordy’s worried look.  Leaving her free to party on Friday.

                                              *                             *                             *

“You owe me Snake!”

“Hey man,” Cruz’s heart pounded at the look in his gang leader’s face.  “Just wait to you see the girl I’m bringing on Friday, she’s hot!”

“She better me, otherwise I’ll be breaking bones.” His leader shoved him to the floor.  “Get me?”

“I get,” he nodded obediently.  If Faith wouldn’t come across there was always drugs, but she had to pay off his debt for him.

                       *              *              *

Giles sighed as he looked around the empty graveyard.  It would appear he’d been wrong.  “It would appear that my calculations were incorrect.”

Faith shrugged.  “No prob,” the brunette grinned at him.  “Got me out of chem homework.  Say, does this mean I can go to a sleepover at Red’s tomorrow night?  I need to catch up on some homework.”

“Yes I’m sure plenty of work will be undertaken,” he said sarcastically.  “In-between talk of boys, make-up, pop music, and whatever other ungodly subjects you rot your brain with.”  He sighed at his daughter’s expectant face.  It wasn’t like she got much time off.  “Very well.”

Faith beamed at him.  “Thanks G.”

                                              *                             *                             *

“That day's gonna bring fire.”  John Crenshaw, bus driver for fourteen years, looked up warily at the heavily tattooed figure striding the bus aisle, screaming his tirade  “Fire comin' down! Judgment! Don't think you're ready, ready to look upon him. If

there's sin in there, there's sin all around. It's a liquid. On that day there won't be anybody tellin' us what to do or why we're doin' it. You can't prepare. On that day...”

Gathering his courage, John shouted to the muscle-man.  “Hey, you gotta sit down. Okay?”

Instead the weirdo moved to the front of the bus.  “Are you willing to stand with the righteous?”

Distracted by the nutcase’s rantings, he doesn’t see the man until too late, slamming into him.  The bus swerved wildly, ran through a sign and hit a pole before halting.

“Damn it!” John has strength to glare at the idiot who caused all this before turning to the other passengers.  “Is everyone okay?”

Satisfied that nobody was seriously injured, he hurried out to check on the man he’d hit.  Not that there was much hope, the bus must have flattened him.  He hurried over and knelt by the man.  “Are you all right?”  Suddenly the man’s hand shot up, grabbing him around the throat and choking him.  The last thing he heard was a southern belle’s soft lilt.  “Kill them!  Kill them all!”

                               *                                            *                             *

“Faith, this is a mistake, you shouldn’t go with him.”

“I think the universe is about to end on account of me agreeing with Cordelia,” Willow broke in.  “But this is wrong.  Lying to Giles.  Using me as a cover.  But most of all dating Luis Cruz, he’s a major sleaze.  Wrong!  Wrong! Wrong!”

Faith rolled her eyes.  “Gee, you two are like mother hens.  No demons to slay tonight.  I go out to a party, if he tries anything – super-powered right?  Just chill.”

She turned to leave only to find Xander blocking the Rosenberg front door.  “You can’t go until we know where you’re going.”

She raised an eyebrow.  She was getting wicked sick of X’s stalker fetish.  “How do you plan to stop me tough guy?” she challenged.  “You don’t get to tell me who I date, get that?”

“I get that,” Xander didn’t flinch.  “What if there’s an emergency?  Giles turns up here needing you for stuff?”

Faith grimaced, he had a point.  “Fine, I’m at The Vault.  But if it’s anything less than world-ending, I’ll end yours!”

                               *                                            *                             *             

Giles smirked in delight as the sound of Cream’s ‘I Feel Free’ filled his lounge.  He adored Faith but one night free of her ‘Skid Row’ and ‘Motley Crue’ rubbish was heaven.  His eye caught the local paper.  “'Five Die in Van Accident'?”  Giles groaned as a sickening realisation hit.  “Oh good lord.”  Out of the ashes of five shall rise the one. He’d better get to Willow’s as soon as possible.  This was not good.

                               *                                            *                             *

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Giles glared at the squirming youths.  Even Cordelia, who he’d never seen anything other than utterly confident looked guilty. “This is important.”

“She went to a party!” Willow blurted out before blushing and turning to the others.  “Sorry, he broke me with the librarian stare of doom.”

“Where?”

”The Vault,” Cordelia replied after a disgusted look at the red-head.

”Sounds positively delightful,” he sniffed.  “Do you know where it is?”  He grunted as the kids told him, the opposite end of town, he didn’t have time.  “You go and get her, I’ll go on to the Funeral Home and hold the fort.”

“You want us to go to-,” Willow’s squeak died down at his glare.  “Yes Giles.”

Xander shook his head.  “Jesse, Jonathan, you go with the girls, I’ll go with G-Man.”

Giles was about to argue, then realising he’d need back-up nodded.  “Very well.  Well?” he snarled.  “What are you bloody waiting for!”

                               *                                            *                             *

“See Joey,” Luis glanced towards Faith gyrating wildly on the packed dance floor.  “Don’t I always come through in a pinch?  Is she hot or what, I mean the way she moves man, you know she knows how to drive a guy wild.”

“Oh yeah she’s the bomb,” Joey agreed.  “She doesn’t come across though and I’ll break you.”

“Hey boss, relax.  Couple of pills and she’ll be swinging from the chandeliers.”

His boss stared at him.  “We don’t have chandeliers.” 

“It’s a saying Joey.”

                               *                             *                             *

“We’re here,” the Watcher declared as they pulled up outside the Sunnydale Funeral Home.

“Oh Giles,” Xander tittered in a girlishly high voice.  “You take me to the nicest places.”

“Oh do bloody belt up!” Xander flinched slightly, expecting the violence that always followed one of his father’s sudden outbursts.  Instead the Englishman sighed.  “I’m sorry Xander,” the school librarian apologised.  “It’s just Faith’s behaviour has disappointed me.  I thought she’d calmed down enough to stop acting so irresponsibly. Shall we go in?”  Xander nodded mutely, still shaken by the older man’s explosive temper.

The moment they stepped out of the car two vampires stepped out of the darkness to surround them.  In an instant, he and the Englishman had their crosses out, although Xander noted to his chagrin that the Watcher’s hand shook rather less than his.  Taking advantage of the vampires’ distress, they rushed inside.  “This isn’t good is it?” he commented.

“No it isn’t,” a faint note of fear had entered the Watcher’s eyes.  “One can only hope Faith gets here before too long.” 

Xander looked around.   “The morgue, this way!  God I feel just like Quincy!”

“Splendid idea,” Giles smiled tightly at him.  Once inside, they slammed the door shut and pulled a filing cabinet, table, and couch in front of it.  “That should hold them. For now.”

                               *                             *                             *

“Look,” Cordelia was getting sick of repeating herself to the dumb ox on the door of the club.  “Do I look like the sort of girl that frequents a dingy pit like this?” her nose wrinkled in disgust.  From the smells wafting out of the place, there were more drugs than in her mother’s bedside cabinet.  “All we want is to get our friend.”

The ape leered at her and Willow.  “Babes like you two are welcome,” the bouncer glanced towards Jesse and Jonathan.  “But the geeks can fuck off.”

“Where they go, we -,” Jesse’s words turned to a croak when the bouncer slammed a right into his gut, sending her boyfriend to his knees.

“Hey!” Jonathan leapt towards the doorman only to be grabbed around the throat.

“So girls, are you coming in or what?”

“How about you let him go and I forget to rip your arm off?”

                               *                             *                             *            

Faith glanced towards the door.  C, and the others minus X were there.  Fuck, had the boy scout decided he should patrol on his own and got hurt?  Cursing, she started towards the door only to be grabbed around the shoulder.  “Hey Faithie,” she glanced into Snake’s leering face.  “Where ya going?”

“Some friends are here,” she explained.  “I just wanna see everything’s five by five.”

“But I have some friends who wanna meet you.”

Faith’s skin prickled at some indefinable thing she saw in the Latino’s eyes.  Oh, it was like that was it?  “Sorry bud, not interested.” 

She tried to move away only for the prick to increase his grip on her shoulder.  “Maybe I wasn’t asking.”

“Oh you just had,” her hand snapped up to grab the offending arm at the wrist, “to bring it out,” she twisted hard enough to sprain the wrist before yanking the arm hard enough to dislocate the shoulder, “into the open didn’t you?”  Dropping the screaming man to the rapidly emptying dance floor, she strode out of the club, the look in her eyes backing off all club-goers.  “See you, like never.”

“How about you let him go and I forget to rip your arm off?”  The bouncer started to turn to face her.  “Ah screw it.”  She slammed a fist into the bouncer’s jaw, knocking him out.  “I haven’t the time.”  She turned to Cordelia.  “What’s the 411?” her heart sank as her friend explained.  Oh no, what had she done?  “You got wheels?” Cordy nodded.  “Let’s motor.”

                               *                             *                             *

Faith leapt out of the still slowing car and raced into the funeral home.  Oh god, he had to be alright.  She couldn’t have just caused the death of the only person to ever care about her.  “G!  G!” she tried several rooms in quick succession only to find them empty.  Finally she reached the last door and tried to open, only to find the door blocked.  Now she was fighting back tears of dread.  He couldn’t be dead.  She pushed against the door again.  Still nothing.  “Let me in!” she screamed in frustration, her shoulder smashing into the door, splintering the wood and tearing the door off its hinges. 

Pushing the furniture stacked behind the door aside, she strode in and looked around.  Nothing.  But the shit behind the door, unless…  She looked up at the windows, maybe the vamps had got in through them.  She spun around at the sound of two of the body storage drawer doors flying open and the sight of Giles and Xander rolling out on slabs.  “Oh you’ve come.  Finally.”

“Yeah.”  Only her Watcher’s disapproving look, the presence of Xander, and her own  self-image prevented her from flinging herself into his arms.  “G, I’m -.”

She was interrupted by the others rushing through the door behind her.  “You’re alright!” exclaimed Willow.

“Yes Miss Rosenberg,” Giles shot her another scorching glance before turning to the others.  “I haven’t been able to ascertain whether the brethren found what they were looking for.  So I would suggest we split into two groups and search for it-.”

”I’ll go with you,” Faith interrupted.  No way she was letting G out of her sight again.

”I rather think our experience would be best served with us splitting up,” Giles replied coolly.  Faith nodded reluctantly.  He couldn’t even bear to be in the same room as her.  “Faith, Xander, and Willow in one group.  I’ll,” her Watcher sighed long-sufferingly, “take Cordelia and the others.”

                                              *                             *                             *

“Nothing in here Faith?”

“No,” she shook her head listlessly.  “Nothing.”

“Hey, Giles is just angry.  He’ll be cool in a couple of -.”

”Think I’m worried about some Limey!” she snapped, her anger making Xander back off.  She didn’t do feelings, they made you weak, gave you openings for them to hurt you. 

“My mistake.”

“Oh guys!”

Faith shot an irritated glance over her shoulder at a pale-faced Willow.  “Oh crap.”  A tattooed muscleman had just jumped off the viewing table  “I guess we found him.”

“I have been chosen!” the newly-risen vamp roared.

”To be vamp-dust?”  Faith pulled out a stake.  This she could do.  “Always a pleasure to oblige.”

“She’s known for being obliging.”  She shot Xander a glare.  “That didn’t come out how I -,” her glare intensified.  “Shutting up now.”

“Smart move.” Faith cocked her head at the advancing vampire.  Way he babbled reminded her of the priest at her detention hall.  “We gonna get this done?”

Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into action, her lead foot smashing into the giant’s jaw, staggering him back a step.  Before he had chance to right himself, she sent her stake plunging to his heart.

Only for the demon to grab her wrist just inches from her target.  “Damn!” she thrust a knee at the vampire’s groin but he blocked her attack on his thigh.  Next she ducked his right to her head before trying with headbutt to his chest.  This time her attack was successful, staggering the demon.  She moved immediately into a spin kick that the demon caught before flinging her into the far wall.  Dazed, she could only watch as Xander tried and failed to get in the way of the rampaging vampire who contemptuously brushed him aside.  Seeing that Willow had pulled open the furnace door behind the vampire she decided to take a chance, leaping to her feet, she darted into a dropkick to his knees, staggering the demon.  Before the vampire had chance to steady himself she feinted with a spin kick to the face.  As soon as the monster’s hands moved to block her attack, she changed to a thrust kick to the chest that lifted her opponent off his feet and into the furnace.  Instantly the screaming vampire sat up and started to climb out, but an ashen faced Willow slammed the door shut on his shrieks.

“Yes!”

Her elation was short-lived.  “Well done,” she turned to face a grim-faced Giles.  “Now I think it’s time we went home to discuss tonight.”

Faith’s shoulders slumped.  “Yes G.”

                                              *                             *                             *

“Faith, what are you doing?”

“Getting my shit together,” the girl didn’t look up from her packing.  “If you give me the key to the library I’ll sleep there. You won’t have to see me ‘cept for patrol and training.  I’ll stay out of your way.”

Good lord, Giles blinked.  The poor child thought he was going to throw her out.  Stepping forward, he placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.  “Faith, look at me,” he demanded firmly.  After a second the young woman’s head slowly turned to face him.  His heart cracked at the desolation he saw in her eyes.  “Faith, this is your home.  I’m not going to throw you out.”

Confusion entered the Slayer’s liquid brown eyes.  “B..but I nearly got you fucking killed!”

“Yes,” he nodded before guiding the Slayer to her bedside chair and sitting her down.  “You made an awful mistake and extra chores will be handed out.  But I’m not going to chuck you onto the streets because of it.”

“Really?” Now hopeful disbelief replaced the hurt and confusion in his young charge’s eyes. 

“Really,” he confirmed.  “Although I would like to know what possessed you to act in such an irresponsible manner?”  the ashamed brunette looked down at her feet.  “Faith?” he put a firm note in his voice.  “I’m waiting.”

“I don’t deserve all this,” the Slayer whispered.

“I beg your pardon?” now Giles was really confused.

After a second Faith looked up.  “The great home, you, having all these wicked powers, and the good friends.  Guys like Cruz are my level.”

“Now listen here,” Giles only just managed to keep his voice steady.  If Faith’s mother ever had the dire misfortune of crossing his path, well he’d never hit a woman, but he’d gladly snap that damn bitch’s neck without a second thought.  “You are a fine young woman who deserves all this and more than I could ever give you.”  Including a long life, he added silently.  “Do I make myself clear?”  His charge nodded silently.  “Good girl.  Now, I’d help you to unpack.  Except,” he shuddered, “there is no power on earth that could compel me to touch your frillies.”  His remark gained him the hoped for laugh.  “Now, are we,” he sent up a silent apology to Webster’s dictionary, “five by five?”

Faith grinned.  “We’re cool G,” his Slayer’s grin widened.  “We got him uh?”

“We got him,” he confirmed with a smile.

                                              *                             *                             *

“I’ve got him.”

The Master looked up at his oldest surviving childe’s musical voice and smiled.  “And in this time will come the

Anointed. And the Slayer will not know him. She will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell.” Placing the

 ancient tome back on his stand, he crouched down beside the child the blonde beauty had led in. “Welcome, my friend.  And what is your name?”

“Colin.”

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