She’s Gone 6 – Everyone’s Someone

Faith listened from behind The Magic Box’s counter as Anya and Xander bickered good-naturedly, hidden from view by the shop shelves, her bland expression giving no hint to her inner pain.  Prison and Angel’s counsel had combined to teach her she deserved more than just being a notch on a succession of smooth-talking bastards’ bedposts, she wanted a relationship.  Trouble was sensitive guys were wimps, smart guys dorks, and tough, edgy guys pricks.  What she wanted was an Angel or, or an Xander.

Faith frowned down at the dusty shop floor lost in thought.  Since that night in Spike’s crypt she’d hung a lot with Xand, shared shit she’d only ever told Angel before, enjoyed cracking wise with him and loved his gentle consideration.  If she’d maybe paid more attention back in the day, trusted him, perhaps things would have turned out better.  She smiled sadly as Xander appeared from behind the shelves, wiping Anya’s lipstick from his crimson face as he walked towards him.  Back in the day she wouldn’t have hesitated to steal Xander from the ex-demon but she didn’t want to live her life by the philosophy of ‘Want, Take, Have’ anymore.  She wanted, needed, to be better than that.

“Did you bring a coat?”  Faith shook her head at Xander’s question.  The male Scooby grinned at her mute reply before producing a denim jacket.  “Lucky I brought a spare then.”  Faith smiled wanly.  That was what she loved about Xander; she’d never known such a thoughtful guy.  Her friend’s brow furrowed.  “Are you okay Faith?”

“Five by five Xand,” she one-hand vaulted over the counter to land beside the Scooby.  Nodding her thanks, she took the jacket and shrugged it on.  “We off on patrol then?  Kick some bad guy ass?”

Xander stared worriedly at her for a second before nodding.  “Sure Faith,” Xander glanced towards where G was busy assisting Tar and Pip on some ancient language or other.  “We’re off G-Man!”

“Be caref-,” Giles’ voice trailed off.  “Oh bollocks.”

Faith turned to the opening shop door, the blood draining from her face as she recognised the figure stood there.  “Red.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Willow smirked at the frightened expressions on the others’ faces.  Oh yes, she wasn’t the meek bookworm anymore, she was the true power.  Once she’d finished her spell memories of the past few weeks would be removed, with her being the only one with their memory intact.  She could manoeuvre Tara back into loving her and Xander into following her lead, she needed her to guide him, he wasn’t smart enough to cope on his own.  And then, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Faith, she could push the slut out of the group.  And if the spell went wrong she had the fail-safety, a power crystal in her back pocket –all she had to was break it and the spell would be broken.

Seeing Xander and Faith move towards her she quickly uttered the spell she’d found.  Her eyes widened as she realised that in her haste she’d missed a part out.  “Oh balderdash!” she screamed before falling flat on her face.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“How many boys we got?” Strike asked.

“Nine boss,” replied Carver, his second-in-command.

Strike nodded in satisfaction.  “Here’s the situation, that new Slayer has to be shown who runs this town-.”

“I don’t know boss,” interrupted Kevin, a small, weasely looking bastard, god knows what the vampire who’d turned him was thinking of.  “I worked for Mayor Wilkins when she was in town last, she’s one crazy bitch.  Maybe we should just avoid her.”

Strike nodded before slamming a stake into the vampire’s chest.  “Any more questions?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Fuck my head.  Must have been a hell of a party last night,” she muttered.  She looked up, a smile creasing her face as she realised she was laid across a hunky guy’s chest.  “Nice, I wonder what his name is,” her mouth dropped open.  “I wonder what my name is?”

Her head still throbbing she looked around.  It looked like they were in a shop, her forehead furrowed, a magic shop?  At the back of the store a middle-aged man and two girls young enough to be his daughters sat slumped at a table while at the front door there lay a red-headed woman.  She started at a groan from the man beneath her.  “You five by five?” she shook her head.  What the fuck did that mean?  “You okay stud?”

The man flashed her a lop-sided grin that made her go all tingly.  Oh yeah, he was hers alright.  “I’m fine-,” the man’s face creased in consternation, “who are you?  Who am I?”

“Oh,” she forced away a feeling of disappointment at the hunk’s question.  “I was kinda hoping you knew.”

“What the bloody hell’s going on?”  She glanced over her shoulder to see the wrinkly and the two girls with him rising.  From his accent him and his daughters were English.  “Who are you all?” the man glanced around him.  “And what the bloody hell are we doing in a magic shop?”

“Yes I’d like some answers too.”

She started at a voice behind her.  Turning she saw a bedraggled-looking blonde rising from behind the counter.  “I’ve got a plan,” she beamed at the man beside her.  “We must have some ID on us?”

“Ah,” the Englishman’s face brightened.  She realised he was kinda good looking for an old guy.  “Splendid idea.”

She began rummaging through her coat pockets but found nothing.  Next she tried her jeans and grinned in triumph as she found a wallet.  “My name’s Faith Cook!”

“I’m Alex Harris,” the young man beside her announced.

“Hey!”  Faith beamed at the man.  “I’m wearing a jacket with your name on the inside pocket.  You think we’re dating?”

The man returned her grin with interest.  “I hope so.”

“I’m Willow Rosenberg,” the red-head timidly proclaimed.  

“I appear to be Rupert Giles-,” the Englishman was interrupted by the blonde behind the counter.

“I’m Anya Jenkins and,” she pointed to the sign hanging over head, “we own this shop.  And,” the blonde beamed proudly as she held her hand out towards the Limey, “we’re engaged!”

“Oh really?” the Englishman looked smug.  “I’m a rather lucky fellow.”

“Or a dirty old bastard?” her boyfriend glared at the Englishman.  Faith groaned what had it got to do with him?

The older man bristled.  “Why you cheeky bugger!”

“Shit,” Faith stepped between the two men as they started towards one another.  “Let’s ease up on machismo guys,” she glanced towards the two pale-faced girls still at the table.  “Who are you?”

“T…Tara,” replied the older of the two.

The younger girl shook her head, her entire body trembling and her eyes wide with fear.  “I..I haven’t got any ID, I’m nobody.”

“Shit,” Faith hurried over to the younger girl and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders.  “Everyone’s someone.  I think it’s pretty wicked not having a name, means you can choose your own.  So how about it?”

“I like Chloe,” the girl said tremulously.

“Chloe?  That’s a wicked name,” Faith smiled at the newly-named Chloe before glancing at the others.  “Any idea what’s happening gang?”

“Well,” Rupert looked deep in thought.  “I would hazard a guess that we do all know each other seeing as we’re all here together.  The only question is why?  Given we’re in a magic shop,” the Englishman looked around. “Perhaps whatever happened is mystical in origin.”

Alex snorted.  “Magic.  Somehow I doubt it.  I bet,” Alex pointed at the vent, “the government, the military maybe, are conducting some sort of experiment.  They must have pumped some sort of gas through the vents to make lose our memories.”

 

“Poppycock!”

“Look guys!”  Faith broke in before the two of them started arguing again.  “What’s important is getting help.  I figure we should all head for a hospital.”

“Good idea,” Alex praised.  “Brains as well as beauty.”

 

Faith reddened.  “Whatever.  Let’s hit the road.”  She pulled the door open only to gape at the three monsters stood there.  “Shit!”  Her legs suddenly weak she fell backwards       into the shop.  She heard Alex shout and saw him charge past her sprawled body and towards the figures.  Alex grabbed hold of one of the demons but he was thrown off and into the wall.

Snarling protectively she bounded to her feet and charged forward.  Grabbing hold of the nearest creature she flung it against the wall before snatching up a wooden spike off a table by the shop front and thrusting it through the beast’s chest.  “Fuck!” her eyes widened as the beast exploded into dust.  Feeling hands on her shoulders she shrugged off her shock and snapped her head backwards propelling it into her attacker’s face.

Free of her attacker’s grip she spun round and drove her heel into her attacker’s knee shattering bone.  Off balance, the monster fell forward onto her weapon and exploded into ash.  The surviving beast’s eyes widened in terror before turning to flee.  A grin on her face, Faith hefted her stake like a javelin and threw it through the beast’s back.  An instant later and it joined the other two as ash on the floor.  “Wicked cool!” she jumped up and down on the spot, her heart bursting with happiness.  “I’m a fucking super-hero!” her happiness died at the wary looks on the others’ faces.  “Hey guys I’m on your side,” her voice trembled, for some reason she knew there people’s approval was very important to her.

“Faith’s right guys,” she relaxed as she felt Alex’s arm around her shoulders.  “She just saved us from those ugly things.  And she’s wearing my jacket so I obviously know her well.  Let’s just get to the hospital and get this mess sorted out.”

 

“There’s just one problem,” the red-head pointed out of the window, “there’s four more of those monsters heading this way.”

“Damn,” Faith looked around seeing the table was filled with stakes, she guessed that was what they were, and pointed at them.  “Grab them and we’ll make a run for it.”

“Or we could go through the trapdoor I found behind the counter,” Anya suggested.

Faith nodded, a plan forming in her head.  “Five by five, Rupes,” Faith glanced towards the magic shop owner.  “You take the others through the trapdoor. I’ll lead them away-.”

“No way,” Alex shook his head even as he picked up a stake.  “I’m not letting you go out there alone.”

Faith opened her mouth to argue then, seeing the determination in her boyfriend’s eyes, nodded.  It felt good to have someone care for her like that.  “Five by five.  Let’s go.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Shit.”  Faith looked behind her, she’d made a mistake.  She wasn’t even straining as she raced away from the shop, the four vampires in hot pursuit, but Alex was puffing heavily, the lead they had being rapidly eaten up.  She should have left him with the others, she’d have had more chance escaping the monsters and he’d have been safer on his own.  Coming to a decision she turned to face her pursuers and forced a grin for her boyfriend.  “Time to make a stand Alex.”

“Okay.” Alex took a stance and hefted his stake.  Faith nodded approvingly; well at least he’d obviously used one of them before.  Focusing her attention on the approaching enemy Faith glided forward, at the last second she sidestepped the nearest vampire’s charge, leaving her leg behind to sweep the demon’s feet from beneath him and knocking him to the ground, helpless to prevent her stake from tearing through his back and into his heart. 

As she turned her attention back to the other vampires she was caught by a two punch combo to the face that knocked her flat on her ass.  She looked up to see a sneering African-American with a weight-lifter’s physique.  “Name’s Strike and you’re my first Slayer, bitch!”

Faith’s forehead creased in puzzlement, what the fuck was a Slayer?  “And you,” pushing away her confusion, Faith kicked at the vampire’s ankles, knocking him off-balance.  “Talk too much!”  Seizing advantage of the distraction, she slid outside of Strike’s clumsily executed overhand right before driving a knee into the vampire’s groin.  The demon croaked in pain and began doubling up.  Instantly Faith’s stake hand thrust upwards, slamming her wooden spike into the vampire’s heart.  “Fuck.”  Noting Alex pinned to the ground by the fourth vampire, he must have handled one on his own – not bad at all, Faith hurried over to her boyfriend.  At the last second the vampire registered her presence and began to rise to meet her but Alex halted the beast’s motion by grabbing its legs, hooking it under its knees.

The monster got loose with a back-handed slap to Alex’s face but the delay gave her enough time to rush over and slam a stake into its chest.  “You five by five Alex?” she asked as she helped her battered looking boy-friend to his feet.

“I think I need the healing touch of your lips,” Alex grinned at her.

Faith winked.  “All you had to do was ask.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles looked with confusion at the four girls he was herding down the tunnel.  What the bloody hell was going on?  First he awakens to find himself in a magic shop surrounded by a group of youths.  Then they’re attacked by monsters.  And then one of the girls reveals herself to be some sort of super-hero.  Still, he grinned, at least he was engaged to a gorgeous young blonde half his age.  Every situation had its compensations.

His grin faded as the girls before him stopped as they turned a corner and were confronted by two vampires.  “Down!” he roared, raising the pistol crossbow he’d found behind the shop counter and firing.

His shot flew true, hitting one of the vampires in his chest.  The second vampire let out a roar and lunged at Willow but his fiancée, magnificent girl, pushed the red-head out of the way, knocking a crystal out of the girl’s backpack.  A protective snarl on his lips Giles charged forward.  He winced as he blocked a punch to his head on his left forearm before kicking his adversary on the shin.  The demon howled in pain before catching him in the head with a left hook to the ribs even as he slammed home his take.  As he staggered backwards, his foot crunched down onto the crystal that had fallen from Willow’s backpack.  Suddenly a fog cleared in his head and remembered everything.  Glaring he turned to face a pale-faced Willow.  “I can exp-.”

“You bitch!”  Anya’s fist snapped in a practiced right cross, connecting with thudding force to Willow’s jaw.  The red-head’s eyes glazed over as she fell to the ground, unconscious.  Anya glared down at the fallen witch, her eyes gleaming with fury.  “You made Xander think he was dating Faith and I was engaged to Giles!”

Giles raised an eyebrow.  “And what’s wrong with being engaged to me,” he muttered in an injured tone.  Giles glanced down at Willow’s crumpled body, he supposed he better take her home.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith plunged her tongue hungrily into Alex’s waiting mouth, enjoying the moist warmth she found there.  Even as she pressed her lips to his she pulled at his hair and his hands began gently roaming her body.  Faith found herself smiling inwardly, god Alex was a good, no great, kisser.   A sudden pain exploded in her head, forcing her apart from Alex.  Her face ashen, she looked up at her companion, the memories flooding back, to see a look of horror on Xander’s face. Yeah, ‘course he’d be horrified kissing a skank who’d tried to murder him.  Seeing his mouth begin to open, Faith spoke quickly, anxious to head off any embarrassing apology.  “Hey Xand,” she was pleased to find she managed to keep her tone casual, “no harm, no foul.  We were under a spell right?” Oh yeah, when she saw Red again serious damage would be done.  “I’m going to crash at Dawn’s tonight, give you the night alone with Anya.”  Faith forced a wink.  “This will be our little secret, good work with the lips by the way.”  Turning she hurried off before Xman could say anything, damn it had been so nice having someone who cared for her.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Willow groaned, feeling gingerly at her jaw as she struggled to wakefulness. Someone had punched her, punched her hard.  Giles, Tara, and Dawn had been too far away it must have been – Anya.  Willow growled, first the bitch steals Xander from her and then she punches her.  Oh she’d pay.

Willow looked around her, her eyes narrowing.  Someone, Giles probably, had brought her home.  It wasn’t fair; she needed someone to share the magic with, to love her.  She turned at the rattling of the exercise wheel and smiled.  “Amy.”

Seconds later the girl was sat naked on her bed.  Willow beamed proudly, her most difficult spell yet.  “Hello Amy.”

“H…hello,” her fellow witch’s trembled with fear as she stared at her.

“Calm down,” Willow stroked Amy’s brown hair, it wasn’t Tara’s but it felt nice.  “I’ve returned you to human form.  Are you grateful?” her fellow witch nodded nervously.  “Good,” she pushed the witch’s arms away from in front of her body and smiled.  Oh yes, Amy would most definitely satisfy her needs.  “Then,” cupping Amy’s head in her hands, she lowered her head to kiss the witch, “maybe you should show me how grateful.”

She’s Gone 7 – Doublemeat Danger

“You’re firing me?”  Faith couldn’t believe how hurt she felt.  First that fuck-up with Xman that had them scurrying to avoid one another.  And now G was giving her the push from The Magic Box.

When she’d first returned to Sunnyhell she’d hated the idea of working in such a boring position as a shop assistant but now she took pride in a job that didn’t involve her dancing either on a table or round a pole.  And she was fucking good at it.  “What have I done wrong?”  She wouldn’t cry, she’d been rejected plenty of times in the past.  But this was different, she thought G really gave a shit about her.

“Faith,” G made to put his hand on her arm but at a look in her eyes wisely decided against it.  “You’ve done nothing wrong; your work has been exceptional.  No,” the Watcher passed her a folder.  “This assignment is strictly undercover.”

“Uh?”  Now her anger had changed to confusion. 

“Over the past three months ten employees and five customers have disappeared in the vicinity from Doublemeat Palace.  I’d like you to work undercover to see if a demon’s preying on the fast food establishment.  I understand you’re starting college in two weeks but by then I’m sure you’ll have solved the case.”

“You wanna me to go 007?”  Faith grinned.  This sounded kinda cool.  She frowned as a thought struck her.  “How can you be sure they’d hire me?”  It wasn’t like she had masses of legit work experience.

The Englishman smiled mysteriously.  “Read this.”

Curious, Faith took the proffered piece of paper and began reading.  “Quick to learn, hard working, enthusiastic, punctual, trustworthy, and good with people.”  Faith’s spirits lifted for the first time in over a week as she realised the letter was her reference.  “Fuck G.  I am going deep in undercover,” she joked to hide her emotion. 

“Every word is true,” the middle-aged man smiled.  “And given the employee turnover they’ll be dying to hire you.”

“Oh yeah G,” Faith snorted.  “You’re a regular laugh-riot.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Maybe they died of boredom,” Faith muttered as she watched the Doublemeat training video.  She’d got the job; the interview with the chronically nerdish Manny had been a cake-walk.  She’d just smiled and pretended an interest in Doublemeat products and regulations.  But this video – if the restaurant had been on the fourth floor of a skyscraper she’d have been convinced that the employees had committed suicide by leaping out of the window to escape it.

“And now we’ll take the tour,” Manny beamed.

“Oh joy,” Faith muttered before forcing a smile and dutifully following the manager out of the darkened office.  Her tour continued the theme of absolute boredom but she did note that many areas were off-limits to all but the most senior staff.  “Wicked weird.”

Finally Manny led her into the break-room.  “And these two gentlemen are Phillip and Timothy.  They’re on the Doublemeat fast-track, you work hard missy and you could be too.”

Now there’s an incentive Faith mused.  “I’ll certainly try Manny,” she promised with all the sincerity of a double glazing salesman.  God, she was so wishing she was still psycho.  This place needed wiping from the face of earth.  Once Manny the manager had left she turned to her co-workers.  “So boys,” she fluttered her long eye-lashes.  “You gonna steer me round the curves?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Three hours later and she was convinced there was something off.  Three hours and neither of her trainers had made a pass at her – they were like fucking Doublemeat Drones.  “Faith!” a voice called from the back of the fast food establishment.  “Your break-time!”

“Five by five,” she turned away from the grill, her nose wrinkled in disgust.  She stunk; she thought the stench would never wash out.  Sometimes she hated Slayer senses.

On her way back from her break she saw a freezer door in one of the no-go areas.  “I wonder.”  She’d barely taken three steps towards the freezer when Manny appeared by her side.

“Now missy,” the pimply-faced manager scolded.  “A multi-national conglomerate only prospers if all its employees stick to its rules.”

“Sorry Manny.”  Faith replied dutifully.  G, you are so fucking dead, she silently promised.

Apparently accepting her apology Manny nodded.  “That’s more like it missy,” he praised.  Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes, Jesus Christ she had a fucking name-tag on and he couldn’t think to use it.  She could tell why he was a fast-food employee.  “With this new attitude its obvious you’re ready for more training.”

“Can hardly wait.”

Manny’s brow furrowed at her mutters comment.  “What was that?”

“I said I could hardly wait,” Faith beamed.  Her jaw was beginning to hurt from all this smiling.  God, she’d rather go back to pole dancing than work here for the rest of her life.

“Oh yes, you’ve definite management potential.”  Faith shuddered at the thought as Manny turned away.  “Follow me.”

“You want me to grill?”  

Manny beamed at her.  There was a smile that showed all the evils of a high sugar, teeth rotting diet.  “An integral part of being a Doublemeat employee missy.  Phillip will show you how to do the business.”

Faith entertained herself with thoughts of introducing Manny’s face to the grill as Philip explained how it worked.   “You put the beef on the grill, you hit the button, and then it beeps. You flip the beef, hit the other button, then it beeps. You put it on the bun,” Phillips paused.  “There's not a button for that.”

 

“You’d think they’d build one.”

Philip either didn’t hear or ignored her muttered comment.   Instead he dropped some meat patties on the grill.  “Every burger at every DoubleMeat Palace is the same. People don't like variation.”

 

Faith nodded obediently.  “Got it. Variety is the spice of bad.”

 

”Mm.”   Philip had his arms crossed as he stared at the meat. Steam rose as the meat cooked.

“So ...” Faith nudged the man with a hip.  “What's the secret ingredient?”

 

Phillip’s eyes didn’t shift from the grill.  “It's a meat process.”

Faith’s brow furrowed.  “What does that mean?”

 

“It's a process they do it to the meat.”

 

Faith fought back her impatience.  “But, what *is* it?”

 

“It's just the name of the process.”

 

Faith gave up.  “Thanks, it’s a lot clearer now.”

The grill beeped. Philip picked up a metal spatula and passed it to her.   Faith looked distastefully at the grill.  “So, I ... guess we're gonna get ... kinda greasy, huh?”

 

Phillip nodded.  “Skin, hair, eyelashes, nostrils.”   Faith felt bile rise in her throat.  “Inside your ears.”  The fast food employee looked at her. “You wanna look inside my ears?”

“No. No, that's okay.”

 

“Once I noticed I couldn't hear and went to the doctor. He said it was grease ... that made a plug.”  Phillip smiled.  “They gave me a kit. Kit for cleaning my ears. It's got this little bulb mechanism”.

 

Faith groaned.   “Oh yeah,” she muttered.  “Prison was definitely better than this.”

                                                *                                  *                                  *

“Faith.”

Faith bit back a curse.  She was wrong, after two hours on the till things couldn’t get worse.  “Xander,” she hissed.  “What the fuck do you want?”

“A smile and service would be nice,” Xander replied, his own smile fixed.  “We need to talk and as you avoid me at home and ignore me on pat-.”

“Fuck this!”

“Is there a problem Faith?”

Faith grinned at Manny’s voice, an evil idea germinating.  “Yeah Manny,” she put a tremble in her voice and forced tears to well in her eyes.  “This is my ex.  He won’t take no for an answer, home, the gym, and now here.  He won’t leave me alone!”

Manny fell hook, line, and sinker for her scared little girl act.  His chest puffed out, the fast-food manager shouted imperiously.  “Gary!  Timothy!  Phillip!  Please remove this man from our establishment!”

“Fai-.”

Faith pointed at the fuming man as he was herded out of the building, barely able to prevent from giggling.   “You’re barred mister!”

                                                *                                  *                                  *

“I don’t believe she did that!”  The house shook as Xander slammed it shut.  “That was -.”

”What has Faith done now?”

Xander slowly turned to face him as he met the youth in the lounge doorway.  “G-Man.  Shouldn’t you be at work with Anya?”

“I told her I had some errands.  Filched your house-keys from her handbag and came here to see you.  Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and Faith?”

“Nothing.”

Giles sighed.  “Xander, I have rarely met a more unconvincing liar.”

“Fine,” the male Scooby’s eyes hardened.  “Then try this.  It’s none of your business!”

“Now bloody hold on!”  Giles roared.  “Faith’s well-being is of paramount importance to me!  She is my charge and I am not going to allow her fall into hard ways again.  Now are you two having an affair?”

“What?”  Giles was relieved to see a look of horror on the younger man’s face as he slumped down on the lounge sofa.  “No.”  Xander shook his head.  “Nothing like that.”

“Then what?” Giles pressed.  “You two have been like scalded cats for the past two weeks.”

”Eleven days actually.”

“Pardon?”

“It was the memory spell,” Xander explained.  Giles groaned, oh bloody hell.  “We’d just finished slaying four vampires.  And,” the young man glanced down to the floor.  “We were kissing when the spell broke.”

“Oh bollocks.”  Giles took a second to collect his scattered thoughts.  “And what did Faith say about it?”

“That’s the problem,” Xander shook his head.  “She won’t talk about it.”

“Oh.”  Giles steeled himself for his next question.  “And what do you feel about it?”

There was a long pause before Xander raised his head and began to speak, his expression troubled.  “That first night I met her outside the Bronze I started to fall for her.”  Giles blinked, he’d never suspected.  “I think I cheated on Cordy with Willow to push away my feelings for Faith, how warped is that?  Then she turned bad,” Xander’s eyes filled with pain.  “I could tell she’d been abused as a kid.  It takes one to know one and I knew the anger she’d feel.  The night she tried to kill me in her motel room – nothing, the Master’s Tunnels, Spike, Angelus, the Judge, Graduation, or Glory scared me like she did.”

“She’s changed,” Giles commented softly.

”I know.  When you told me she was returning I was terrified, angry that she of all people was replacing Buff,” Giles flinched at the mention of his surrogate daughter.  “But I also hoped she’d managed to beat the past -.”

“And she has,” Giles broke in.  Xander nodded.  “You haven’t answered my question?”

“Faith’s everything  a guy could want.  She’s sexy, funny, smart, and energetic.  And that night-.”

“Please.  No details,” Giles said shakily.  At his time in life he didn’t think he could cope with the images.

“But she’s not Anya.”

Giles released the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.  The one thing he didn’t need was an angry former vengeance demon trying to kill his son and his Slayer.  “You’ll have to speak to Faith.”

“I’ve tried.  She just got me thrown out of the Doublemeat Palace!  And I love that place!”

Giles hid a grin at Xander’s out-raged look.  At Xander’s age he’d been thrown out of far more exclusive places.  And less lofty establishments too.  His amusement died as she realised what he had to do next.

                                                *                                  *                                  *

Giles winced as the shop door crashed shut and a volcanic looking Faith stormed in.  “Do.  Not.  Say. A.  Word!” The Bostonian Slayer barked.

At that moment Dawn walked in from the training room at the back.  “Hi Faith!  Want to spar?” the teen’s beaming smile slipped to be replaced by a grimace.  “Oh maybe after you’ve cleaned up a little-.”

“DON’T!” her face contorted in fury, the east coast native stormed past the ex-key and into the gym.

Giles cast the bemused looking teen an irritated glance.  “Oh thank you Dawn.  Have you considered a career in the diplomatic service?”  Muttering expletives under his breath he hurried after the brunette bombshell.

When he entered the gym he found the raven-haired Chosen One pounding the practice dummy with a ferocity that made him wince.  He did so hope she wasn’t visualizing the unfortunate mannequin as either him or Xander.

At his arrival Faith turned towards him, her dark eyes smoldering with rage.  “There better be something up at Doublemeat Palace,” she growled.  “Otherwise the Council will find themselves short a stuffy former librarian.”

Giles decided to treat Faith’s words as hot air, otherwise he’d been booking a ticket back to the motherland.  “We need to talk about you and Xander,” he declared, pushing the door shut behind him.

In an instant Faith’s expression changed from furious to wary.  “There is no Xander and me.”

“Faith, I’m aware of your kiss.”

“Xander’s got a big mouth,” Faith shook her head.  “It’s none of your business.”

“I’m afraid it is,” Giles allowed a hint of steel to enter his voice.  “You are my responsibility.  And Xander is your back-up.  More than that,” Giles softened his tone.  “I worry about you.”

All sign of rebellion left the brunette’s face, softening her beautiful features.  “Fine,” she sighed before slumping down on a bench.  “You know that since I went to prison I haven’t got any?”  Giles groaned a sex talk?  This wasn’t in The Watcher Manual. “First morning in prison, five bulls surrounded me in the showers.  Decided I was going to be their bitch.  Lucky for them I managed to stop myself from killing them just hospitalised them.  A few days later I was in the laundry and found three dykes holding this girl down.  They were gonna rape her with a broom handle.”  Giles felt his stomach clench as the Slayer shrugged.  “I stopped ‘em.  I started a gang – first-timers, kids, just protecting them from the predators.  It wasn’t Slaying but I was helping.  Point is, any one of my girls would have gone down on me, some because they actually wanted me but some just to keep me sweet.  But while I was inside Angel and the prison shrink made me realise that I was worth more than just being somebody’s quick fuck.  Prison isn’t real conducive to long-term relationships and besides I’m not a muff-diver.”  Oh there it was again, Giles hid a grimace at the images.  “And I wasn’t going to fuck a guard,” Faith’s expression took an expression of distaste.  “So I figured I wasn’t going to get any again,” Faith winked at him.  “Lucky I had my fingers and memories.”

This time he groaned.  “Fascinating,” he said dryly.  “Can you hurry to the point?”

“When I got released I was terrified about a ton of shit.  Could I stay good?  How would you guys react?  Did I still have the moves in a fight?  Would I be able to resist going back to being a nymho?”  Faith paused.  “At first things were rough.  Then after I staked Spike, me and Xman started to talk.  I kinda liked Xan, but back in the day me and steadies didn’t mix.  But now I started to think about him as a potential, he had all the goods – he’s pretty decent in the sack,” Giles rolled his eyes, the girl was sex-mad.  “Funny, kind, loyal, honest, and brave.  But he’s got a girl-friend,” Faith shrugged.  “So he’s off-limits to the new Faith.  And I was five by five with that.  But after that kiss-.”

“Faith, Xander is exceptional,” Giles commented.  “But he is not unique.   There are plenty of good-.”

“What decent guy’s gonna want a murdering former jailbird?” Faith interrupted with a shake of her head.  “Besides, I don’t want anybody else.”

“Faith, Xander worked with Buffy for years while harbouring feelings for her.  And he’s your friend, you more than most know how precious friends are.”

Faith nodded slowly.  “I’ll talk to him.”

“Good girl,” Giles paused.  “Faith if you have problems.  Of any nature you can talk to me.  That’s what I’m here okay?”

His words were rewarded with a small smile.  “Thanks G.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Where’s Gary?” Faith asked as she shoved her gear into her locker.  She’d hoped he was working today; he was the only vaguely human staff member.

“Hasn’t turned up today,” Manny replied.  “He’s definitely not management material.”

And I bet he’s heart-broken about that, Faith mused.  Another employee missing.  And nobody knows what is in a Doublemeat Medley burger.  Suddenly Faith made a horrifying connection.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“G,” the Watcher looked up at her entry.  She nodded towards the Englishman before sauntering over to the table, dropping her package on the table in front of Xander, and hurried back over to the shop counter.  “I think I’ve solved our mystery.”

“Oh really?” the Englishman looked excited.  “Do tell.”

Faith nodded obediently, G was going to be so stoked.  “The ingredients that created a DoubleMeat Medley are this big secret right?  And all the people have disappeared around Doublemeat.”  Faith paused.  “I figure that burger isn’t animal meat, it’s people!”

“Oh crap!” Faith spun round to see Xander coughing up part of the burger she’d brought, his back being patted by Anya.  “Why did you bring it back with you?”

Faith hid a smirk at Xander’s distress.  “I figured Pip could run a chemical analysis on the burger to see if I’m right.”

“Good idea,” the middle-aged man praised before turning to Pip.  “Can you do that Dawn?”

The teen looked at the burger with distaste before nodding.  “I’ll get right on it.”

“What will you do Faith?” Giles asked.

Faith grimaced.  “I’m going back, maybe I can catch them in the act.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“You’re sure that’s the result.  There’s no meat in the Doublemeat Medley?”  Xander couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  God he felt so violated.

Dawn nodded.  “I’ve run the tests twice.”

Xander looked at Giles.  “You realise what this means?”

Giles nodded.  “That if there is something going on at Doublemeat it might not be someone human and internal at all, Faith might be caught by surprise by a demonic attack.”

Xander grimaced.  “I’ll head over there.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Is that you?  Oh,” Faith looked across the deserted restaurant to see an old woman she’d seen last two lunchtimes.  “Hello.  Sorry, I thought it was a friend.  What can I get you?”

For a few seconds the elderly woman stared at her and then smiled kindly.  “Just you dear.”

“What the fuck!”  Faith’s eyes widened as the woman’s blue wig flew off and her neck lengthened to giraffe proportions, her old lady’s head still sitting on top.  Shaking off her shock, Faith vaulted over the counter and charged the demon.

As she neared the demon it vomited a white gunge at her.  She dived to her right but was caught on the left leg by the liquid, her mouth drying with fear as she felt her legs grow numb and sudden lethargy overcame her.  She was screwed.

Suddenly the fast food joint’s outside door swung inwards.  Oh shit, Faith forced a desperate scream.  “Xan!  Run!”

Before the male Scooby had chance to move, the demon hit him with some of its milky white liquid.  Without even a whimper Xander hit the floor.  The demon’s head bobbled from Xander to her, its eyes widening with delight.  “Not one but two tasty treats?  Oh such service!” Faith tried to move, but nothing.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Clem hummed merrily as he hurried through the night towards his destination and his new friend.  He liked Faith.  At first he’d thought her brash but then he’d realised that beneath her brittle armour there lay a longing to be loved and to belong.  Just like him in fact.

And even better she’d promised him food.

Shoving the restaurant doors open he walked in and stopped dead at his two friends lying motionless on the floor, a long necked figure stood over them.  Even as the demon turned towards him Clem forced away his shock to race forward.  Ignoring a white fluid that hit him square in the face he grabbed his friends’ attacker by her elongated neck and waist, lifted the writhing demon over his head and threw it into the meat grinder behind the counter.

Racing over to the grinder he punched the demon in the mouth as it attempted to climb out, knocking it back down.  After turning the machine he hurried back to his friends, relieved to see that Faith at least was moving.  “So Faithy where are those burgers you promised me?” he asked eagerly.

“Trust me Clem,” Xander said dryly.  “You so do not want to eat them.”

“Hey!  I make good burgers!”

She’s Gone 8 – Addicted

“Whoee!  What a night!” 

Willow felt like she was dancing on air.  She’d spent the whole night club-jumping and the spells they’d done….   It was only when she thought of Amy that her mood darkened.  It should be Tara who stood beside her with unquestioning love in her eyes.    

Willow stumbled, suddenly exhausted from all the spells she’d cast.  In an instance, Amy was by her side.  “Mistress!  Are you alright!”

Willow smiled wearily, luxuriating in the concern she saw in her toy’s eyes, before roughly pressing her lips to her slave’s and lunging down into the other witch’s mouth.  Amy pushed back, their tongues entwining in a warm, wet embrace.  She allowed her hand to drift down her fellow Wicca’s back and cupped a buttock.  She squeezed firmly and pulled Amy to her, Tara always liked it when she did that.  At the thought of Tara, Amy’s taste soured and Willow pulled away.  “I’m better now!” she lied.  Only when she had Tara back and Faith on her knees begging for mercy would she truly feel better.

“Is mistress tired?” 

Willow fought back a sneer.  The pleading in Amy’s eyes was that of a puppy desperate for its master to pat and praise it.  One day that Slayer tramp would know her place too. 

“Sorry dear,” Willow stroked her pet’s hair.  “I was miles away.  What did you say?”

“If you’re tired mistress,” oh the respect, the eagerness to please she saw in Amy’s eyes made her tingle.  “I know a mage who can help us.  Give us a pep up.”

The promise of more power pricked Willow’s interest.  “Oh really?” she enjoyed the sight of Amy recoiling slightly at her suddenly commanding tone.  “Do tell!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Willow stared around the shabby waiting room with its peeling brown wallpaper and rickety wooden chairs.  For the first time since she’d thrown off the Scoobys’ shackles she felt uncertain.

By contrast, her pet was bouncing on the spot with excitement.  “It’s been a long time mistress,” Amy babbled.  “Such a long time since I saw Rack.  Let’s go through.”

All of a sudden, Willow felt like she wasn’t the one in control.  It wasn’t a feeling she ever liked.  Noting her toy moving towards the waiting room’s inner door, she grabbed her by the elbow.  “What about the others?” she nodded towards the room’s other occupants, a mixture of humans and demons.

“Them?”  Amy giggled.  “Rack sees his clients on an order of power basis and you are the most powerful person here.  Come on.”  Willow growled, immediately Amy’s face fell.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-.”

Satisfied by her fellow witch’s show of remorse she nodded and patted her on the head.  “Let’s go through.”  Time enough for disciplining her later.

The room within was small and sank.  At the far end there sat a tall, muscular slightly Hispanic looking man with a decent build that Willow guessed was aged somewhere from his mid forties to early fifties.  Upon their entry the satanic looking man stood, his face brightening at their arrival.  “Ah Amy, where have you bee-,” the dark arts mage’s grin widened.  “A rat!” the man laughed before turning to her, his eyes widening.  “Strawberry, there’s power in you.”

“This is Rack,” Amy muttered, her eyes taking on a look of worshipfulness that Willow had only previously seen directed at her.  “He’s the best.  After you,” she hurriedly added.

Rack’s smile broadened.  “Always good to have a new disciple.”

Disciple?  Willow blinked, she didn’t like that, the only person she followed was Buffy, everybody else was beneath her.  “He’ll give us the stuff now,” Amy whispered.  “In returned for a travel of our minds.”

“O..okay.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Wow!”  Willow  jumped up and down on the spot, the buzz from Rack’s magic was amazing.  Even after an hour she was still on a high.  By contrast Amy was wiped out and she so wanted to have some fun.  But Amy was her only friend.  Willow grinned as an idea occurred.  Maybe not her only friend.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Oh no.”

“What is it Summers?”  Janice looked left and right, it was still daylight, just after school had finished in fact.  But although vampires couldn’t come out during the day, some demons could.

Demons.  Even as Janice’s mind rebelled at the thought, she also reeled mentally at the other revelations her friend had made.  How scholarly Mr. Giles was a former black arts mage, how clownish Xander was a demon-hunter, how Xander’s girlfriend was a former demon, how Summers’ older sister had died saving the world. And how the cocky brunette bombshell who’d just moved into town was a former jailbird with the same powers as Dawn’s sister.

“That’s Willow.”

Janice’s heart dropped as she spied the waving redhead down the road.  She remembered what Dawn had told her about the Wicca, how she was the most powerful of them all and that they’d fallen out over Faith’s return.  “What do we do, run?” she whispered.

Her companion had a fixed smile.  “Too late, she’s seen us.  You leave casually and go tell the others that I’ve gone with her.”  Her friend’s smile slipped an inch.  “Wish we luck.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Red’s got Pip?” Faith felt the beginnings of a battle-fury pulsate through her veins.  “What the fuck we gonna do about it?”

“This first thing we do is calm down,” Giles reproved.  “Willow would never hurt Dawn.  What we need to do is find Willow’s address.”

Faith hid her doubts about Dawn’s safety behind a curt nod.  “Five by five.  Tar-.”

“18 Elswood Apartments,” the blonde interrupted before reddening at her questioning look.  “I…I like to keep track of her.”

Faith’s heart went out at the forlorn look on her friend’s face.  Red was one dumb bitch, she’d be so happy if someone, anyone, loved her like Tar loved Red.  Why couldn’t the dumb bitch just be happy with that.  After giving the blonde Wicca what she hoped was a reassuring smile Faith stood.  “I’ll go get her.”  Turning, she made for the door.

“Wait!”  she turned to see Xander hurrying after her.  “I’m coming with you,” she opened her mouth to argue but her companion overrode her.  “You need someone to keep things calm.  Besides,” he jangled his car keys.  “We’ll get there quicker in my car.”

Faith started to shake her head but then nodded.  “Five by five,” she grunted gruffly.  She doubted she could take Red in a fight and she couldn’t risk Dawn’s safety.   Maybe Xman could talk her round.  Suddenly she thought of something.  “Hold on,” she ordered before hurrying back into the house.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“This the place?” Faith asked, her eyes smouldering.

“Ye-.”  At the slight nod that accompanied Xander starting to speak she kicked the door at the handle, tearing it from its hinges and propelling it halfway down the hallway.  “Faith, what are you doing!”

“Not waiting!”  Faith stormed into the hallway, her eyes flicking left and right as she searched for any sign of Pip.  Seeing a door to her right begin to open and then quickly close she surged sideways and shoulder-charged it.  The wood splintered under her assault, knocking it open and the person behind it to the ground.  Seeing the woman’s mouth open and remembering Tar crying on her shoulder about Red having a new Wicca girlfriend she lunged forward, and grabbed the room’s other occupant around the throat, cutting her air supply off with a quick squeeze on her steel-hard fingers.  “No fucking way!”

“Amy?”

Faith glanced behind her to a shocked-looking Xander.  “You know her?” she enquired, nodding towards the woman on the floor.

“Amy Madison.  She was in my year at school.  Turned herself into a rat in her senior year.”  Faith raised an eyebrow, only in Sunnydale!  “Will must have turned her back into a human.”

 

“That right?”  Amy nodded, her face terrified.  Ignoring the uneasy feeling she always got when humans were scared of her, she pressed on.  “Do you know where Willow is?”

“M…maybe,” Amy gasped.

Realising the Wicca was turning blue she eased up on her grip.  “Talk.  No tricks.”

“W..we went to see a magic dealer last night, Rack.  After the buzz wears off she’ll need another hit.”

Faith shook his head in disgust.  Any addiction – sex, drugs, drink, whatever, they all had the same result, they all took away your power to control your own destiny.  “Where’s this Rack?”

“His base moves around.”  Faith groaned at Amy’s answer, of course it would.  Fucking Sunnydale!  “Only a mage or demon can sense it.  I…I could take you to it,” the woman grovelled.

”Gee, let me think.”  Faith considered the offer for a half-second before head-butting the wicca.  It was bad enough to go up against Red without having another black arts mage at her back.  “Thanks, but no thanks.  We can’t trust you.”

“Oh that’s great Faith,” Xander snapped.  “And how are we supposed to find Rack now?”

“Clem.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Dawn gazed warily around the dingy room.   At first, things with Willow hadn’t been too bad, she’d had to listen to Willow’s rants about Faith’s return, and Tara and Xander’s disloyalty but as long as she agreed things had been tranquil enough.

But then Willow had suddenly changed, becoming morose and listless.  She’d been tempted to run but fear had held her fast.  She decided to trust in Janice to get a message through to Giles and the others.

After two hours in the drab waiting room she was beginning to regret her decision.  Dawn gasped in relief when the door swung open and Willow walked out, a contented, almost dreamy expression on her face.  “Ready to go home Dawnie?” Willow trilled as she skipped across the dusty floor.  Not trusting herself to speak Dawn just nodded.  “Then let’s get you home,” Willow scowled suddenly even as she ran a feverishly hot finger down her cheek.  “Not that they deserve you after the way they’ve behaved.”  Again Dawn bit her lip to avoid an angry retort as she followed Willow outside.  They’d barely left when Dawn heard growling behind her.  Turning she was faced by a grey skinned creature bounding towards them.  “WILLOW!  Kill it!”

Her companion turned, her eyes widening in fear.  “I…I can’t.  My magic isn’t back yet!  Run!”  Seeing the creature near them, Dawn moved into a spinning backfist that Faith had taught her, catching the beast on its knotted forehead, staggering it backwards.  “In here!”

Dawn followed Willow into a car that the witch had broken into.  “What is that thing?”

“A Mandruz!  It’s escaped from my hallucinations!”

“This is your fault?” Dawn screamed. 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“No sign yet Clem?” the demon sat on the backseat shook his head, Faith growled in frustration.  Clem had been all too eager to help but they’d been looking for nearly two hours.  Suddenly she heard something.  “Turn left Xan!”

Xander looked questioningly at her.  “Seen something?”

“No, heard something though.  There’s been a car crash over there.”

“Fai-.”

“Damn it Xan!  People might need help!” the young man glared at her for a second before nodding and spinning into a u-turn, speeding down Sunnydale’s deserted roads.

“Shit!” Faith cursed as she saw the car crashed into a tree and recognised Willow and Dawn sat dazed inside it.  Her mouth dried as she saw the monster racing towards the two stunned women.  “Xan, you and Clem get them out of the car.  I’ll deal with Creature-Features,” she ordered before opening the door and leaping from the speeding vehicle.

The impact of her collision with the ground jarred her entire body and tore several holes into her leather pants and denim jacket.  “Oh crap!” Ignoring the pain she charged the beast, drawing her short sword as she raced towards her rival.

The monster swung a claw at her but she swayed away, like a nimble limbo dancer sliding beneath a particularly low bar, avoiding the blow shredding the air just inches from her face.  Straightening, Faith thrust her sword at the beast but it stepped inside of her attack and punched her face, her mouth filling with blood.

Knocked off balance by the blow, Faith was helpless to evade a claw raking across her stomach.  Howling her pain Faith slammed her sword’s pommel into the monster’s face, shattering bone before swiftly decapitating the monster.

Her body aching, Faith ran over to the others.  Seeing a dazed-looking Dawn she spoke, her voice soft, dangerous.  “Red.”  As soon as the redhead began to turn she shot out a right, catching the Wicca on the point of her jaw.  Red’s eyes glazed over instantly and her legs buckled, sending her plummeting to the ground.  Moving forward, she grabbed the redhead just inches from the ground.

“Faith, there was no need-.”

“Wasn’t there?” Faith couldn’t deny she’d derived a certain glee from punching Will out but she had other reasons too.  “I’m not taking any chances.”  She pulled out a pill box and forced two tablets down the witch’s mouth.

“Faith!  What are you doing!”

“They’re painkillers from Joyce’s medicine cabinet.  Real strong shit too, should give you and Clem enough time to get her home before she wakens,” she explained before turning to Dawn, her eyes softening.  “Come on kiddo, let’s get you home.”

She’s Gone 9 – Murderess Again

“It’s finished,” Warren proudly declared as he preened for his two subordinates, endeavouring to impress them with his brilliance.  “The Cerebral Dampener is ready!”

He grinned at the awed looks that greeted his words.  Obviously, his attempt was successful.  “Really?” Jonathan babbled, his eyes wide.  “We can get any woman we want?”

“We could have that new Slayer,” Andrew suggested eagerly.  “I’ve heard rumours about her!”

“Or how about that Tara?” Jonathan broke in.  “Being with a lesbian.  What a turn on!”

Warren smirked at the others’ reaction.  They’d been working together for a few weeks, so far their plans of wealth, power, and women had come to nothing.  But now with The Cerebral Dampener they had the power to make any woman they wanted their slave.  And he knew just the woman to start with.  He could hardly wait.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Warren grinned as he looked around the crowded bar, practically drooling at all the gorgeous women in their skin-tight, skimpy outfits.  All easy, tempting their men with their bodies and then pulling away with a taunting laugh or a sneer.  But now, with the Cerebral Dampener, he could have his choice.

He made his way through the packed club, his eyes flicking left and right, as he both drank in the beautiful dancers around him and search for his ultimate target.  His grin widened as he saw her.

“Hi babe,” he attempted to put an arm around the brunette’s shoulder but she pulled away, a look of disgust on her face.

“Warren,” the girl spat out.  “I thought I made it clear I didn’t want to see you again after that business with the robot?”

“Hey Katrina,” he tried for his best smile as he pulled the Cerebral Dampener and turned it on.  “Are you sure about that?”

A half-second later and the anger left his ex’s eyes, leaving behind a pathetic eagerness to please.  “Hi Warren, what do you want me to do?”

“First,” he reached up and stroked the girl’s face, loving the submissiveness he saw there.  “You can call me master.  He laughed at the woman’s dutiful nod.  “Let’s go.”  He was going to party tonight.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Wow!  This is great!”

Warren hid a smirk at the look of worship on his partners’ faces.  They were so pathetic, not real men like him.  The adoration he saw in their eyes only matched that of Katrina’s and at least she had the excuse of being brainwashed.

Ah Katrina, Warren looked at his girlfriend.  As instructed she’d changed into a frilly French maid’s outfit that was barely mid-thigh in length.  A grin on his face, he ran his palm up the back of her leg, revelling in the feel of her thigh-length black stocking before slapping her ass, making his slave start.  “Serve them their drinks.”

“Yes master,” the girl agreed robotically before walking over and serving the other two their drinks, their hands roaming her body.

Suddenly jealous that his property was being touched in such a manner Warren hurried over and knocked his accomplices’ hands away.  “Look don’t touch!” she scolded.  “She’s mine.  Remember that!” she grabbed Katrina around her tiny waist and began guiding her to the basement’s side room.

“When do we get a go with the Cerebral Dampener?”

Warren’s eyes rolled at Jonathan’s whining.  “Later.  Katrina and I have some business to catch up on.”

Slamming the door to the others’ protests, he began eagerly kissing Katrina, his lips slobbering across her face.  After a few minutes, he pulled away and grinned.  “Tell me you enjoy that,” he ordered.

“You’re the best kisser in the world, master.”

Warren’s smirk widened.  He knew what she could do next, she’d refused to do it in the past, had always said it was disgusting.  Well she’d do it now.  “On your knees,” he ordered, closing his eyes in anticipation.

“Yes master.”  The girl obeyed instantly.  But then.  “You bastard.”

Warren’s eyes flew open and his head snapped down, his mouth drying with fear as he noticed the glassiness that had been in Katrina’s eyes just a half-second ago had been replaced by its usual intelligence.  “Kat I can - ugh!”  His world exploded in pain as the knelt woman drove a fist into his groin.

Eyes watering he crumpled to the ground.  Above the roaring in his ears, he could hear the woman screaming.  “You bastard!  I’m leaving!  But don’t worry, I’ll be back!  With the police!”

Spinning on her heel, Katrina stormed out of the room.  Lungs heaving, he followed as quickly as he could, crawling to the doorway.  “Stop her!” he croaked.

After exchanging shocked stares, Andrew and Jonathan dropped their Sci-Fi magazines, sprang up, and raced towards Katrina.  Warren groaned as the incompetents fouled up as they always did.  Katrina knocked Jonathan down with a straight right and kicked Andrew in the nuts.  Realising that if he wanted her stopping he’d have to do it himself, Warren snatched up the champagne bottle that Katrina had poured them drinks from by the neck and limped after her.  He caught up with her half-way up the steps that led to the ground floor, grabbed hold of her arm, spun around her around, and brought the bottle down hard on her head.

The impact of the blow reverberated through his arm but the effect on his target was even more dramatic.  Her eyes glazed over and she pitched forward, falling past him to land on the basement floor with an almighty crack.  Jonathan ran up to the girl and felt her neck before looking up at him, his face ashen-grey.  “W…warren she’s d…dead.”

Warren’s knees almost buckled, his world tilted on its axis.  The room sun round for a few seconds before slowly settling, legs trembling he stumbled down the stairs.  “She can’t be.”

“She’s not got a pulse.  Try for yourself!”

After a second he reached out a shaking hand.  He tried desperately to find a pulse but nothing.  In the background he could hear Andrew hyperventilating and Jonathan sobbing.  “Both of you shut up!”

“Oh god!”  Andrew babbled, seemingly oblivious to the shout.  “I’m going to be sharing a cell with a guy called Bubba!”

“The Slayer’s going to kill us!” Jonathan added.

“The Slayer!”  An evil smile twisted Warren’s lips as an idea occurred.  He turned to Jonathan.  “She’s done time for murder right?”

“Manslaughter,” Short-Round corrected.

”Whatever.  Let’s,” Warren tore away from the limp body.  “Kill two birds with one stone.”  He ignored Andrew’s dry heaving to continue talking to Jonathan.  “Do you know a spell we can use to make the Slayer think she did it?”

“I don’t have that sort of power-.”

“Damn it!”

“But I know someone who does.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Willow’s face remained impassive but she smiled inwardly as she heard the plan out-lined by the leader of the three snivelling worms before her.  Although it had only taken a simple spell to heal her battered jaw the humiliating memory remained.  But this would be sweet revenge.  Grabbing hold of Amy’s hair, she pulled her slave’s head back and plunged her tongue into her toy’s mouth, crushing her lips to her toy’s as she pushed a hand down her pet’s jumper, roughly groping her ripe breasts.

Deciding she’d given the three panting wimps before her enough of a show she pulled away, releasing her grip before smiling at their lecherous expressions.  “I’ll do it,” she agreed.  Sending the trailer-park trash back to prison for another murder, one she hadn’t even committed, how delicious.  She’d pay for de-flowering her Xander, for trying to take Buffy away from her, and for attacking her.   Putting her back in a prison cell, broken, a failure in everybody’s eyes.  The only thing that would make it better was if she found a way to take the whore’s powers away, leaving her defenceless against those who wanted her sluttish body.   “I’ll do it,” she repeated.  Her smile widened at the trio’s grovelling thanks.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith strode through the hushed graveyard, her eyes flicking left and right as she checked but failed to find any sign of trouble lurking in the night’s inky darkness.  She was alone, Xander having taken Anya out for a romantic dinner, she pushed aside the jealous part of her that wanted it to be her, and G banged up from a brawl two nights ago.

Not that she minded.  She enjoyed hanging with Xan and G, but she wasn’t B, she didn’t need the security blanket of others.  After all she’d been fighting alone since birth.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a scuffle to her left.  Turning she hurried towards it, her blood already beginning to pound in anticipation.  Soon she forced herself in a clearing occupied by two eight foot demons accosting a female maybe 3 – 5 years her senior.  A grin on her face, Faith charged the monsters.

And then things got weird.

It seemed as if everything went into slow-motion.  One of the demons moved towards her, then disappeared only to re-appear behind her.  “Fuck!”  Faith spun around to face the demon but it had vanished again.  Heart thundering, she spun back around.  Her head exploded in agony when she was punched in the back of her head.  Stunned, she stumbled away from an expected follow-up and kicked out as the second demon grabbed her. 

The next few minutes were a bizarre hell as she was battered and pummelled at will by the two teleporting monsters, always she was a little too late with her attacks and defences.  Then suddenly they disappeared. 

Faith’s relief died when she looked down at her feet and saw the body lying there, its neck bent at an impossible angle.  “Oh no,” she whispered as she fell to her knees.

For what seemed an eternity she knelt there staring at the body, willing it to move but knowing what she’d done was irreversible.  She tensed at the sound of approaching feet and leapt up.  Tears rolling down her finely-sculptured cheeks, she hurried into the shadows.  She’d done it again.  She’d killed a human.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith laughed as she propelled her stake into the woman’s chest.  Pulling out her weapon she released Tara’s limp body, allowing it to fall the ground.  An evil grin twisting her usually gorgeous features she viciously kicked the body at her feet in the ribs, her smirk widening at the sound of ribs splintering and the blonde’s wheezing.  Blood bubbled out of Anya’s mouth and her eyes closed as death took hold.  Finally she turned to the battered and bloodied figure tied to the room’s only chair.  “Every girl’s dream,” she swayed over to the body and ran a finger down her prisoner’s stubbly cheek, glorying in his trembling.  “Her own little Xander-bear!”

Faith bolted upright, the bed-sheets falling off her sweat-soaked body.  It took her a few minutes to get her rapid breathing back under control.  Given the power of Slayer dreams…  Her heart tight she laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.  She knew what she had to do.  It wasn’t fair.

                                    *                                 *                                  *

“G,” Faith kept her voice low as she looked around the shop.  The others were at the back of the shop while her and her Watcher were behind the counter.  Not ideal but she had to tell the Englishman now, all day they’d either not been alone or she hadn’t been able to muster the nerve for a confession.  “Can we talk?”

The Watcher smiled.  “Of course we can.”

Faith took a rattling breath before starting her story.  By the time she’d finished the middle-aged man had his arms around her, pulling her into a comforting hug.  She allowed herself to be comforted for a couple of minutes before reluctantly pulling away, she didn’t deserve it.  “I’m gonna turn myself in,” she whispered.

The former librarian looked alarmed.  “Faith,” he attempted to soothe her.  “You can’t do that.  If you go back to prison, the Council will have you killed.  Let us help you.”

“It’s too risky,” she shook her head.  She wanted to believe the Watcher but she couldn’t risk hurting anyone but most of all, she glanced towards Xander, him.  “I might go psycho again.”  Her decision made she vaulted the counter and hurried towards the door, ignoring the Englishman’s cries ringing in her ears.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

”Oh bollocks!”  Giles cursed as the Bostonian raced out of the shop, if she just trusted him to help her… 

”G-Man, what’s up?”

He turned at his surrogate son’s worried voice, seeing the others’ anxious faces as they all rose from the table.  “Dawn, get the coroner’s office reports up on the computer.”  Seeing the girl’s mouth open he snapped.  “No questions, just do it.  Find me the autopsy reports from two nights ago for any females around Riverview Graveyard.”

Thirty seconds later the pale-faced teen passed him a print-out.  As he scanned its contents his grief turned to blistering rage.  “She didn’t bloody do it!”

“Do what G-Man?”

Giles forced his eyes away from the sheet of paper and towards Xander.  “Somebody cast a spell on Faith to make her believe she killed this girl last night.  But she died two nights earlier and had been killed by a blow from a taller person while Faith is several inches shorter.  Also the police believe the body had been moved from where it was originally.”  Remembering himself he nodded at Dawn.  “Thank you for your help.  I apologise for shouting at you.  The question is who did kill her?”

“Remember that girl who’s boyfriend who made a robot of her last year?” Dawn asked.  Giles nodded slowly.  “That’s her, I recognise her.  And her name was Katrina.”

Giles nodded again, a cold fury building within him.  “And what was her boyfriend’s name?” he grated, it made a sickening sense, he didn’t believe in coincidence.

“Warren Mears.”

“Dawn, get me this young gentleman’s address.  Xander, have you got the car?” the youth nodded.  “Good, get to Faith before she reaches the police station.  If she confesses with her record..”

“I’m on it.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith trudged through Sunnydale, her head bowed and heart breaking.  Two months ago she’d been so excited, scared too, but thrilled at getting a second chance.  And she’d blown it.  She’d killed again.  The Council were going to kill her for sure this time, they’d only let her live last time because they had B and they were frightened of Angel.  But now with B dead, they couldn’t afford to have their only living Slayer out of action in the big house.

“You’re not doing this Faith.”

She looked up to see Xander blocking the alley.  For a second she stared at him, remembering every detail, a sort of photo to keep her warm on the lonely prison nights.  Then she spoke.  “Xan, get out of my way.  I’m doing the right thing,” she started to walk part him, determined not to cry.

“No Faith,” her patrol buddy grabbed her shoulder. “Lis-.”

Spinning round she snatched hold of Xander around his throat and slammed him against the wall.  “Damn it Xan!” she snarled.  “Just let me go!  It’ll solve all your problems, no-one to remind you of the kiss that never was!”

Despite her anger Xander didn’t flinch.  “Are you going to finish off what you started in your hotel room?” he challenged.  “Or are you going to listen for once?”

“Fuck!” Her fist smashed through the brick to the right of her companion’s head as she released her grip.  “So talk!”

Instead her patrol mate passed her a sheet of paper.  “Read this.”

Her forehead furrowed in concentration Faith slowly read the document before looking up.  “I..I didn’t kill her?”  Faith felt her spirits lift and then.  “Who set me up?” she grated.

Xander grinned.  “Oh don’t worry about that.  G-Man’s taking care of them.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles took a deep breath to calm himself.  It didn’t work.  What this cowardly shit had tried to do to a fine young woman, his charge, who was struggling like bugger to put her life back together after terrible setbacks made his blood boil.  He was going to pay.  Raising a foot he slammed it into the door.

The door splintered with a crack and flew open.  “You bastards!”

The trio of youths inside the basement began to turn towards him.  He darted down the stone steps, grabbed the rail and vaulted over it to the floor.  Seizing hold of the nearest youth, the only one he didn’t recognise, by the back of the head he shoved him nose first into the rail.  The bone shattered on impact and the wailing youth tumbled to the ground. 

“You can’t come in here-.”

Giles cut off Warren’s bluster with a well-placed knee to groin.  The geek doubled up and joined his companion on the ground.  “Don’t,” he slammed a boot into the man’s stomach, “you bloody well tell me what to do!”

Giles turned his cold eyes on the shaking midget cowering in the corner.  “Mr. Levinson, after all we’ve done for you, you ungrateful bastard.  Buffy should have let you blow your damn brains out.”  Striding over to the youth he grabbed hold of Levinson’s shirt collar and flung him into a cluttered table, knocking the young man and the table to the floor.  “I suppose you’re the one who,” he stamped on his rival’s left hand, breaking fingers.  “Cast the spell?”  The weeping man nodded.  “Well if you know what’s good for you -.”  Sensing Warren on his hands and knees behind him, he turned and kicked the nerd’s hands from underneath him.  “This is what you’ll do.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Why didn’t you tell Mr. Giles about Rosenberg doing the spell,” Warren demanded in a whisper as he looked around their prison cell.  “We could have used that as leverage!”

Jonathan couldn’t believe what an idiot he’d been for getting involved with Warren.  “A Slayer’s scary,” he replied.  “But the power I could sense coming off Willow,” he shook his head.  “Not even she wants to mess with that.”

She’s Gone 10 – Deepest Fears

The unshaven figure watched from the shadows as his fellow countryman closed up his magic shop, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists.  “Soon Ripper.  Soon you’ll pay for the last two years.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith hid a grin at the excitement on Tara and Pip’s faces as they left the cinema.  Watching a romantic-comedy wasn’t exactly her idea of a great night out, a night at a club knocking back the JD and going home with a few well hung studs was more her speed.  But, she reminded herself, that was the old Faith – and it wasn’t like she hadn’t had fun.

Faith stopped as her senses went crazy.  Her heart pounding as she looked around the crowded car park but couldn’t see anything out of ordinary.  “We’re gonna have to deep six the pizza,” she said finally, her voice tight with tension.  Damn, she’d been looking to chowing down on a Hawaiian.

“Oh why?”  Dawn whined.

“Hush Dawn,” Tara rebuked softly.  “Trouble Faith?”  Tara looked at her, the happiness of seconds ago replaced by worry.

”I don’t know,” she looked side to side as they hurried towards the bus stop.  Damn it, she had to pass her driving test.  Tara could drive but her car was in the shop meaning they had to reply on Sunnydale’s haphazard public transport system.  “But something feels -, shit!”  Faith leapt backwards, keeping herself between her attacker and the others.  Her assailant was a huge, furry shape with gleaming claws that sliced through the air, causing her to bend her knees slightly to allow the blades flash over her head.  “Fuck!  I don’t need a haircut!”

She swallowed as the full impact of her attacker’s appearance hit her.  The creature stood maybe eight feet tall, its massively muscled body and covered entirely with long, thick brown fur.  Its single green eye shone with menace while the horn on its forehead curved upwards to the sky and its wide mouth was filled with what seemed to be dozens of jagged teeth.  “Oh shit,” Faith swallowed.  King Kong had come to town and all she had was a stake.

“Incindeire!”

A wall of fire erupted, running from alley wall to alley wall and impeding the monster’s progress towards them.  Faith cast Tara a grateful glance.  “Let’s get to G’s.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“How do you think Faith’s doing?”

Xander looked up from locking his car to his fiancée.  That was the question wasn’t it?  That was the reason they were outside the Summers’ house – Giles had asked them to come round to discuss the Bostonian Slayer’s progress.

When Faith first returned to Sunnydale he’d been terrified.  Then, as they’d grown closer, she’d taken the courageous step of confiding facts from her pre-Sunnydale life in him.

Xander resisted the urge to shudder.  His home life had been tough but next Faith’s it had been like the Brady Bunch.  Ignored by her mother for as long as she could remember, bullied at school.  Raped by one of her mother’s many boyfriends at the age of 12, forced into prostitution a year later, and a street runaway for eighteen months before her first Watcher had taken her in.  Then came the hammer blow – being forced to watch as the first person who’d ever returned her love tortured to death. 

He realised Anya was speaking and smiled in apology.  “Sorry, I was miles away,”

“I was saying Faith seems lonely.  She needs a boyfriend, someone limber and athletic enough to keep up with a Slayer.” 

Xander shoved aside the wave of jealousy that hit him at the former demon’s suggestion.  “Don’t match make sweetie,” he counselled.  “Give Faith time to adjust to life outside.  Maybe she’s not ready for a relationship yet.  Let her take things at her own pace.”

Before the kiss he hadn’t thought of Faith as anything but a friend.  Of course he’d noticed she’d blossomed from knockout babe to a beautiful young woman, he wasn’t blind but he’d been more than happy with Anya.  Since the kiss though he’d been remembering how it felt the first time they’d been together, how her ass had fitted perfectly into his hands, how it had felt to suck on her long nipples, and how it had felt to slide -.  “Xander!”

He looked up to see his girlfriend staring at him strangely.  “Let’s go in.”  He wouldn’t, couldn’t, cheat on Anya.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

The unkempt man watched as the boy and the blonde bimbo he’d seen at Ripper’s shop enter his old comrade-at-arms’ house.  According to the rumours circulating the town the blonde Slayer had died and the redheaded Wicca no longer worked with them.  But that didn’t matter, dealing with Rupert ‘Ripper’ Giles was the important thing, dealing with that bastard had consumed his every waking moment for the past two years. 

After smiling he began muttering in an arcane language, the ingredients he’d spread around the house during his earlier break-in creating a magical trap.  Once he’d finished he stalked over to the house and peered through the lounge window.  A twisted grin spread across his face.  “Excellent.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith looked both ways as she climbed out of the car, relieved when her senses didn’t indicate any near-by demonic presence.  “Coast’s clear,” she muttered to the car’s other occupants.  “Get inside.”  She hurried inside, herding Dawn and Tara ahead of her.  Once in the hallway she opened the lounge door and stopped, her heart thundering in terror.  “What the fuck!”

She made to step into the lounge, towards the trio of figures slumped there only for Tara to grab her arm.  Turning she looked into the pale-faced Wicca’s wide eyes.  “D..don’t, there’s a magical trap.”

“How do you know?” Dawn demanded, her voice trembling..

“P..pentagram,” the honey-blonde explained.  “I..I can see the markings on the floor.  T..they must have been hidden from Giles before they were activated then it was too late.”

“Red,” Faith growled.  That was is, the bitch was going to get her ass kicked.  She was gonna find out why her fellow prisoners had dubbed her ‘The Boston Bulldozer’.

Her plans were interrupted by Tara shaking her head.  “N….no this isn’t Willow’s work.  Her aura isn’t here.”

“Who then?” Dawn asked, Faith watched Tara with narrowed eyes.  If her friend had any flaw it was the way she refused to believe Willow could do wrong.

“I..I don’t know.”

“How do we break it?” Faith interrupted.

Tara turned back to her.  “Either we get the spell caster to break it.  Or as we don’t know who cast it I’ll have to do a counter-spell.”

“So do it.”

“I haven’t got the ingredients I need.”

“Five by five,” Faith nodded before snatching up a pen and paper from the hallway desk.  “Tell me what you need and I’ll go get it from the shop.”  Tara recited a list.  Faith groaned.  “Shit!  I sold the same fucking stuff to an English guy just after G left for dinner.  He must be the slimy bastard who did this!”

“Faith,” Dawn had a troubled expression.  “Will you have the man on tape at the shop?”

“Yeah, why?”

“If he waited for Giles to be out of the shop before coming in to buy his ingredients he probably knows Giles and didn’t want to be recognised.  Maybe one of us will recognise him.”

Faith looked doubtfully at the younger girl.  “That’s a hell of stretch Pip.”

“You’re going there anyway,” Dawn countered.

“Five by five,” she replied.  It was worth a try.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Got it,” Faith ejected the video.  She’d found the footage of the guy who’d brought the stuff.  She remembered him now, a real slimy bastard.  Given her past it took a hell of a lot to creep her out but that lecherous shit managed it.  She now wished she’d given into her first impulse to introduce his face to the shop counter.  Customer is always right – bullshit!

Suddenly she heard the sound of the front window shattering.  Looking up she saw the demon who’d attacked her earlier charging towards her.  “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me!  I so do not have time for this!”

Twisting round she snatched up the tv, tearing it out of the wall, and flung it at the monster.  The demon roared in agony as the set smashed into its forehead, knocking him into a set of shelves that swayed and crashed down onto the furry creature, pinning him to the ground.

Faith stared at the snarling beast.  She should really finish it off but she didn’t have the time and couldn’t risk the ingredients not getting back to Tara.  Her decision made she picked up her bag and video before hurrying past the snarling monster.  “Been fun!  Call me!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Xander looked around, he was in the old family lounge.  Oh the happy memories.  He looked at his father, the old childhood fears returning.  “Dad.”

His father’s lips parted in his trademark sneer.  “Well if it isn’t my worthless son.”

Xander flinched at the scorn in his father’s voice.  “I’m not worthless.”

“Aren’t you?”  His father chuckled.  There was little warmth in the sound.  “That blonde bimbo and your yid friend never listened to you.  That limey bastard barely notices you.  Your first girlfriend left town to get away from you.  You’re so good in bed the first girl you fucked tried to kill you.  Your fiancée?”  Harris Snr. Snorted.  “She’s a freak.  An ex demon for god’s sake!”

Xander bowed his head, the weight of his father’s mockery hammering down on him.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Ethan Rayne!”  Dawn stared at the frozen picture.

”Uh?” Faith raised an eyebrow at the younger teen’s exclamation. 

“He’s an old friend of Giles’, a chaos mage.  During your bad-ass working for the Mayor phase,” Faith winced at the reminder.  “He kidnapped me, Xander rescued me.  It’s a false memory of course, but that’s his face.”

“Five by five,” Faith gathered her thoughts.  “Try the hotels Pip.  Tar, you get to work on the spell.”

Ten minutes later Dawn looked, a triumphant expression on her face.  “Here’s a likely address.  An Edward Rain – spelt different but..”

Faith glanced at the address and nodded.  “Well done,” she praised before grabbing Giles’ car keys.  Time was too short to walk, they didn’t know what the spell was doing.  “I’ll go get the prick.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles stared at the grave, his heart shattering as it always did when he was confronted by Buffy’s resting place.  He reached up to wipe away a welling tear.  “Oh you pathetic bloody pillock!”

Giles’ blood chilled.  Forcing a calm expression, he turned to face the figure behind him.  “You.”

Ripper grinned at him and shook his head.  “You arse.  You should have stayed away from the Council like I wanted.  But no, you had to do the honourable thing and what happened?”  The younger version of him looked over his shoulder.  Giles fought back the urge to vomit as he turned to find Buffy’s grave had been joined by Jenny Calender’s, Kendra’s and Faith’s.  “Four beautiful young women, cut down in their prime because of you.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“You bastard!”  Faith stared through the ruined hotel doorway to the cowering man inside.  One look was enough to confirm that the snivelling shit was the person Dawn had identified as Giles’ old running mate.  Her lips parted in a sneer when she noted the duffle bag on the bed.  “Figuring on running out where you?”

“Good lord, if you’re the girl from the escort ag-.”

“Nor funny,” Faith cut off the mage with a punch to the gut.  “Wanna tell me what you did to G and the others?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” the doubled-up sorcerer wheezed.

“And yet I’m not convinced.”  Picking up the warlock by the scruff of his neck she flung him into the far wall.  After the man had slid to the floor she drove the point of her boot into the wizard’s groin.  “Think I should warn ya,” she backhanded the man across the face, splattering blood to on the wall behind him.  “I’m not lilly-white like B was.  I’ve killed before and,” grabbing the man’s right hand, she bent it back to breaking point.  “I’ll do what it takes to help my crew.  Talk!”

“I cast a spell to Morpehus, god of dreams, forcing the three of them to continually face their greatest fear until either they or the spell is broken.”

Faith felt a stab of her own fear, fuck what where they facing?  “And how do I break the spell?” she grated.  The Englishman stayed silent.  “Either the spell gets broken or you do.  Into little bits.”

“You need to break the bust on my bedside -,” her foot shot sideways, the heel smashing through the plaster, “table.”

Grabbing hold of the man by the front of his shirt she dragged to his feet.  “Let’s go.  I’m betting G will be real pleased to see ya.”

“I’d like to decline your -.”

“Wasn’t asking.  Move it!”

Faith had barely crossed over the motel room’s threshold when she was hit in the side of her face by a furry paw that lifted her off her feet propelling her halfway across the parking lot.  Head spinning she staggered to see the huge furball from before charging her.  “Can’t he take a fucking hint?” Faith muttered before leaping onto the roof of a near-by station wagon.  Once there she launched herself into the air and into a sin-kick that smashed into the advancing monster’s face, staggering it backwards.

Upon landing Faith launched a barrage of punches into the beast’s stomach.  The monster grunted before backhanding her to the ground.  The creature went for a stomp but she caught the foot inches from her head.  “Hey a girl’s looks are her fortune don’t ya know?” The monster let out a roar when she twisted its captured foot while kicking at its grounded leg.

The furry bastard hit the gravel but was back to his feet a half-second behind her.  The thing shot out a right that Faith slid under and grabbed hold of its arm by the wrist, both her hands together barely covering its thick forearm, and threw it into a near-by wall, shaking dust from it.  “What the fuck is your problem!  Why are you trying to kill me!”

“Wolfram & Hart,” the beast snarled.

Faith’s eyes widened.  Oh just great, they hadn’t forgotten her.  The beast bounded towards her.  At the last second Faith leapt forward, grabbed the monster behind its knees and threw it onto its back.  The monster collided with the ground with a bone-shuddering impact.  Before the demon could recover Faith tore a steel railing out of the near-by fence and drove it through the monster’s eye.

For a second she crouched over the demon exhausted by the fight and its accompanying adrenalin rush.  Then she looked up, cursing when she realised Rayne had fled.  “Best see Xan and the others are five by five,” she muttered as she hurried to her car.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Hello Anyanka.”

Anya tensed at the appearance of D’Hoffyrn by her side.  “It’s Anya now,” she replied stiffly.

“Are you sure?” D’Hoffyrn muttered something arcane under his breath.  “This is you eighteen months in the future.”

“I’m fat!”

“No fat dear,” the Arch-Demon corrected with a roll of the eyes.  “Pregnant.  In two years you’ll be the mother of twin boys.”

Anya suddenly felt scared.  Her, a mother?  She didn’t know if she was ready for that.  Suddenly the picture changed to her Xander in bed thrusting into a shapely brunette moaning and shrieking his name.  “Four years from now, you’ll be too interested in your two children to pay much attention to your husband’s needs.  So he sought solace in Faith’s arms -.”

“FAITH!” She gives that bitch a place in her home and she steals her husband from her!

“A Slayer has an allure that no normal woman can match, the power, the energy.  And the current one is more sexual than most.”

“I’ll kill them both!”

“And then,” the picture changed to an elderly woman sat in armchair.  “There’s sixty years from now.  Little Anyanka’s all alone in a retirement home.  That’s the human experience – heartbreak, loneliness, losing your health, death.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Xander looked his dad in the eye.  “You’re wrong.  I’ve saved lives, helped people.  I’m not a worthless drunk and I never will be.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Giles laughed.  “These past few years have been wonderful.  I’ve got to know a group of wonderful, self-sacrificing young people that I’m proud to call my friends.  I’ve helped saved the world numerous times.  And what would I be if I’d continued being you?  A drunken lech chasing women half his age!  Do us both a favour and piss off!”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Tar,” Faith looked across the living room to the drunken man sat rocking on the couch.  “I need you and the others over here now.  Yeah,” she lowered her voice to a whisper.  “Whatever Anya saw in her vision freaked her out.  She got home, slapped me across the face, packed a bag, and left to be a demon again.  Xan’s a mess, I don’t know what to do.  I need help bad.”

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