Day Four
Wednesday, February 17, 1999
4:41 A.M.

Faith was wandering aimlessly through Sunnydale. If things had gone according to plan this night, Willow was dead. Faith wasn't sure how she felt about that. It was one thing to hate Willow (which she did), and to want her gone (that too). But to know that someone had been going after her, and yet do nothing... that had felt strange. It wasn't like she was suddenly feeling fluffy bunny feelings for little Willow or anything, but still....

She walked up the street that fronted the High School. It loomed threateningly in the darkness, and she stood, arms folded, staring up at it. She felt the strangest mix of dread and anticipation, and she suddenly realized why she was uneasy about Willow's death: Buffy. When Buffy came to school in a few hours --and Faith knew she would, if only to see Giles-- She would be devastated. If Buffy had been on the brink of tears over that worthless Allen guy that they'd accidentally killed, how much worse would it be when it was one of her friends? Faith began to pace along the sidewalk, looking down as she scuffed her shoes along. She would be torn apart, Faith knew, but that wouldn't last long. Once the grief had been acknowledged, there would be rage. She smiled faintly. Oh yes, Buffy was going to be seriously pissed, and god only knew what kind of damage she would do. She would go after the vamp that had killed her friend, and every single bloodsucker in the town would be shaking in their boots.

And of course, Faith would be right there, helping Buffy with her revenge.

She smiled wistfully.

"That'll be *so* sweet." She whispered to herself.

Buffy and Faith, fighting vampires, just like it should be. Buffy, cutting loose, letting go of the restraint that she wrapped herself in, that was so much a habit now that she didn't even realize she was doing it. Once all that fell away, she would be free, whole, and Faith wanted to be there to see it happen. And when they found the vamp that had actually done the deed, Faith would make sure that it died before it could say anything about the Mayor sending it on its mission. Case closed. And afterwards, without the little witch-girl whispering in Buffy's ear, Faith could be part of Buffy's life again.

Pretending to work for the watchers, if that was what the older girl wanted, letting Mayor Wilkens know what they were up to.... And keeping Buffy out of trouble. Faith turned to pace back in the other direction, nodding to herself. The Mayor hadn't yet filled her in on his plans, but she had the impression that given a couple of more months, there would be no need to fear what the Slayer and her gang were up to, anymore. So, until then, Faith would keep Buffy busy with small, harmless fun. Killing Vampires, beheading the minor demons that managed to sneak into town, little things like that.

And maybe she could even get Buffy to come with her to a party or two, in the meantime. A laugh escaped her lips, and she danced a few steps down the sidewalk.

Yep, she thought to herself, once Buffy got over it and moved on, things would be better than the other Slayer dreamed they could be.

All that remained now was to get through today without showing her true feelings about poor, poor Willow.

* * * * *

Three hours later, Faith sat under a tree on the School's west lawn, waiting. She hadn't slept during the night; she'd been too excited to even close eyes. That was no problem for her, though. She didn't sleep more than four or five hours a night anyway, and she'd skipped a night of sleep plenty of times. She dug into the bag beside her and retrieved the last of the donuts she'd gotten a short time earlier. Working her way through it in huge bites, she wadded up the bag and snapped it at a garbage can thirty yards away. It zipped through the air and bounced off the rim, dropping to the dewy grass. She shook her head ruefully and let it lay.

"I always miss the easy ones." She murmured to herself.

Students were beginning to arrive, walking past where she sat, packing their loads of books, homework, and whatever other gear they felt they needed to survive the schoolday. Faith watched the steadily thickening flow, looking for one blonde head in particular.

Finally, she spotted her. Faith came to her feet as Buffy got out of her mom's car, waved goodbye to her mother, and turned towards the school. Faith walked to meet her, trying to act casual as she searched the other girl's face. Buffy noticed her, and managed a smile that looked only slightly forced. Faith nodded back as they met, and she altered course to walk alongside as Buffy moved towards the school. Buffy looked sideways at her, shifting her backpack on her shoulder.

"Well... You're here early." She grinned. "Are you that eager to run Wesley into the ground again?"

Faith slowed for a moment as she stared back at Buffy.

"She doesn't know...." The realization hit her, making her hesitate before lengthening her stride to keep up with the other Slayer.

"Um, yeah. You know me, tormentor of watchers, kicker of puppies and corrupter of small children," She looked down at the ground. "Evil incarnate. That's my gig." Her voice was quiet. "Wouldn't want to disappoint my public."

Buffy frowned at her. "Wow, you're in a weird mood today. Tough night?"

Faith nodded. She'd thought about this part. "Yeah, like you wouldn't believe. Remember those little piky demon things we fought during new year's?" Buffy nodded, and Faith smiled at her, gesturing widely. "Well, early last night I found another big nest of them, way out along the I-Five. They'd taken over this abandoned farm, and there must have been ten or twelve of them." She shook her head. "I'm telling you, it took me all night to track them all down, and another hour this morning to get the dirt and straw off of me."

Buffy winced in sympathy, recalling their earlier encounter with the weird demon beasties. Faith blew out a breath, relieved to have gotten through her story without stumbling. It looked like she would have to wait till someone told Buffy about Willow's death before she could start acting all sorrowful. Meanwhile, they had made their way along the side of the main building, and now entered the paved courtyard that held the fountain, and lots of stone benches. She was about to say goodbye when she heard an all-too-familiar voice calling.

"Buffy! Wait for me!"

Faith felt her stomach fall away as she turned to see Willow coasting towards them on her bike.

The red-haired girl gave her a strained smile, and Buffy a genuine one, as she pulled up beside them.

"Merry meet!" She beamed at Buffy. Glancing at Faith, she added. "Hi Faith."

Faith stared at her. She felt all the blood leave her face, and her entire body was tingling with the need to smash something... or someone.

"Hey... Willow." She got out in an almost normal tone. She took a step back. The fantasy she had built in her head was shattered, and she felt like someone had clubbed her, leaving her dazed and uncertain. She had to get away, had to think. "I-I'm going to get gone, now, B." She cleared her throat.

"See you later on." She turned and walked quickly away. Behind her she heard Buffy call after her.

"Um, 'kay then. Bye?" Her voice went softer as she turned to Willow. "What was that, Will? You give her the evil eye or something?"

Willow's response was even softer, but Faith's hearing had sharpened without conscious effort, and she caught the words anyway. "No.... But I *am* wearing a charm I made that's supposed to drive away evil, so it just stands to reason...."

Faith gritted her teeth and kept walking.

"Willow! That is so mean!" Buffy's voice conveyed her smile. "Anyway, you don't have room to talk, little 'Leather-clad Sexy-Willow'!"

She turned the corner and paused, breathing deeply. Wiping her eyes with her fingers, she tried to think. Something had gone wrong, but exactly how wrong? The Vamps hadn't killed her, but had they even tried? Had Buffy been there to save her, or had they just not managed to find her last night? She frowned, watching a last few students walk past her. If that was the case, then it was just a question of waiting until tonight. But, that gave the girl all day long to work on hacking the Mayor's files, and if he didn't know she was still alive.... She turned and began walking quickly. She'd call him, and let him know. Maybe he would have a line on what had happened on the vamp front. Moments later she caught sight of someone in her peripheral vision and whirled, hand raised.

Wesley recoiled from the look in her eyes. "My Word!"

She lowered her hand, tossing her hair back irritably. "Hi Wes. Bye Wes."

She started off again, but he stepped in front of her. "Hello? Where are you going?" She stopped and stared at him. He was wearing that stupid sweater again, and carried a shoulder bag stuffed with athletic gear. She groaned inwardly.

"Listen Wes, I've gotta go do something, okay? I'll catch up to you later." She tried to move past him, but he was having none of it.

"No, Faith. We have more of your testing this morning, in addition to beginning your training with weapons." He put his hand on her shoulder and tried for a fatherly smile. "You promised to obey me, Faith. It is time you learned to keep your promises."

She stared at him, and literally shook with the struggle inside her. The blood was singing through her veins, charging every muscle in her body with energy that screamed for release. If she gave in, even for an instant, Wesley would be dead before he even knew she was in motion. She closed her eyes, and took a step back.

"Wesley," Her voice was a whisper, but it was steady. "I have to go to the bathroom." She took a moment to breathe, and continued. "Would it be all right if I caught up with you in a few minutes?" She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, puzzled.

"Of course. I'll await you on the tennis courts behind the school." He turned and walked away, leaving her to stare at his back. Her mind was a black, humming void, and several long moments passed before she was able to turn and begin walking, looking for a payphone.

* * * * *

Faith stood on the tennis court, looking at where Wesley stood a few feet away. The courts actually made a good training area, since the fence that enclosed them was covered with black tarps, preventing anyone from looking through. Xander had mentioned a few weeks ago that Snyder had ordered them put up after a particularly good-looking female exchange student had made the tennis team. The resulting crowd of male onlookers had, in the Principal's opinion, been 'disruptive'. And now, with the team at a tournament out of state, the Watchers had it to themselves. Faith was standing in a spot marked off with masking tape, and a plywood barrier to her left kept her from seeing what Giles was doing on the far side of the court. Wesley peered to his right, watching, and fiddling with a clipboard and pencil.

"Ready?" He called out.

"Nearly." Came Giles's response, from out of sight. Wesley looked across at Faith.

"Very well. This test will measure your reaction speed, and coordination." He pointed at her with his pencil. "Mr. Giles will use the machine over there to fire tennis balls past you. Since you cannot see them fired, you will have to react and catch them once they pass into your field of view." He gave her a condescending smile. "This will prove extremely difficult, even for you. Do not be concerned if you do not catch every ball, this is merely a test. There is no failing grade here." He paused to adjust his glasses, and gave her a stern look. "However, I do expect you to try your best, and to improve as we go along. This is, after all, for your benefit."

Faith looked away, focusing on the pile of gear they had left piled off to the side. The last couple of hours had been hard for her to take. She had expected to kick Wesley's ass when it came to weapon practice, and to a point, she had. In hand to hand she could take him without even trying; her speed and strength easily overcoming any advantage his training might have given him. But she had gotten a surprise when the Watcher, battered and bruised, had taken out the thrown weapons. Knives, throwing stars, even little solid wooden balls for braining vampires, he had them all. And Faith was stunned to discover that, when trying to use them, she basically sucked.

She knew that she should be able to hit damn near anything, using anything, but she could not get her body to cooperate. Her aim was erratic, and she did well to even hit the target, much less the spot she was aiming for. What was worse, after a few tries, and Wesley's disapproving looks, she started getting frustrated, and then angry, and her performance got even worse. After she had thrown a knife THROUGH the fence, Wesley had called a halt. She wasn't sure, but it almost seemed like he was secretly happy that she had screwed up at something. Whether or not that was true, he had only acted disappointed, saying that they would have to work hard to overcome her 'deficits'. And now this. She was only going to see the tennis balls coming for a few feet before they went past her, and that air-cannon thing threw them pretty fast. She flexed her fingers and waited. Wesley nodded at his fellow Watcher, and glanced at Faith.

"Ready. Begin by using your right hand only. There will be fifty balls, catch as many as you can. Keep your feet in the box we've marked out at all times. Understood? Very well."

She heard Giles start the machine, and a moment later he came into view, standing just behind Wesley. She held out her right hand and stared at the edge of the barrier, waiting. There was a *SHOOMP* sound, and the first yellow ball whipped past her face. She grabbed at it, but it was already gone, striking the tarp off to her right and dropping to the ground. She carefully avoided looking at the Watchers, and waited for the next one. A moment later it came, and this time she at least managed to reach it, but it rebounded off of her hand, flying off to the side.

"Fuck!"

She worked her stinging fingers, more upset than hurt. Wesley made a disapproving sound, but she ignored him. She waited, hand ready, but LISTENING now as well. She couldn't see the balls coming, but she could hear the thing fire them, which should at least let her know when they were on the way. The next one came through lower than the others, and her grab was late again. She started breathing faster, and hopped up and down a couple of times, trying to keep from screaming out her anger. Fire ran through her blood, and she narrowed her eyes, waiting. She knew she fought better when her blood was up, when she didn't just want to beat her opponent, she felt like she could *hate* him to death. Well, she was starting to hate these goddamned tennis balls. When the fourth ball came by, she snatched it out of the air cleanly. With a fierce grin she held it up to show the Watchers, but Wesley merely made a mark on his clipboard. Giles nodded thoughtfully. With a feeling of disappointment she tossed it aside and readied herself for the next. By the time they ran out of tennis balls, Faith had raised her average to one ball caught out of every two fired past her. Repeating the process with her left hand, she managed to catch one out of three. Giles went through the motions of praising her, but Wesley just scribbled on his clipboard.

And then Buffy was there. She nodded to Faith, and went to speak to Giles. Faith LISTENED in, but their brief exchange didn't make any sense. Who was this 'Anya' person, and why was Buffy making a big deal out of her showing up for classes? Faith sat off to the side, sipping from her bottle of water and trying to calm down, as Giles reloaded the air cannon. They lined Buffy up, ran through the rules, and started shooting tennis balls past her. Or at least, they tried to. Faith sat and stared in disbelief, as the other Slayer grabbed ball after ball out of the air. It was like they were moving in slow motion, as far as Buffy was concerned. She didn't get angry, she didn't even get excited. She just stood there, her eyes and hands working together to turn her into some kind of ball-catching machine. This time Giles had the clipboard, and his smile grew with each ball fired. Wesley's frown grew at the same rate, and he threw occasional glances over at where Faith sat. Four balls made it past Buffy's right hand.

It turned out that she shared Faith's problem with her left, though. She missed a whole seven on that side.

Afterwards, Buffy walked over to where Faith sat. Giles and Wesley were comparing notes over by the ball cannon. Faith looked up at Buffy, watching as the other girl reached out idly with one foot to roll some of the balls off across the court.

"You made that look easy." Faith ventured.

Buffy shrugged, looking down at her. "It kind of was. Didn't you think so?"

Faith leaned back against the fence and crossed her legs at the ankles. "It gave me some trouble, I guess." She looked down at her hands, massaging the fingers that had been stung more than once by mishandled balls. "I guess once I've gotten in some practice, I'll get as good as you."

Buffy crouched to retie her shoelaces. "I've never done this before either," She said, not noticing Faith's surprise. "I think this is one of Wesley's ideas. Giles ran out of new training ideas a while back."

She looked at the dark haired girl, noticing her expression for the first time. Faith looked confused, and hurt.

"Wow," Faith whispered. "I guess I really am Slayer number two, huh?"

Buffy reached out to touch her leg. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way." She smiled encouragingly. "Remember, I've been doing this almost two years longer than you have. That's bound to make a difference."

Faith nodded, staring across the court and combing her fingers absently through her dark hair. "Yeah. I suppose."

Buffy nodded. "Your hand-to-hand is good, as good as mine." She gave Faith a strained smile. "And we know that from experience."

Faith winced, and Buffy continued. "And after all, I've had two watchers that trained me like crazy, who...." She trailed off uncertainly, and Faith smiled bitterly.

"Who paid attention to you? Yeah." She looked away. "Lucky you."

Buffy sat down facing her, and leaned into her line of sight, waiting until Faith met her eyes. "Faith. Don't get mad. Things will get better, they're getting better now." She waved at the two men standing off to the side, talking quietly. "You've got Wesley now, and he's serious about taking care of you." She smiled. "And Giles is here to keep him in line." Faith nodded reluctantly, and Buffy bounced in place. "See? And I really think there's something to this idea that the more bad guys we fight, the stronger we get. It's like working out, but with monsters instead of weights!"

Faith nodded again, but gave the other girl a sullen look. "Yeah, but you guys usually forget to let me know when there's a bad guy around to fight. How am I supposed to get a chance to do anything?"

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. But last night, well, we just didn't---" She cut herself off abruptlyand winced.

Faith stared at her, eyes widening. "What? What happened last night?"

Buffy looked away guiltily, but was saved from answering by the arrival of Xander, Willow and Oz. Buffy looked relieved to see the others, but Faith found herself unable to look at any of them. From the corner of her eye she saw Willow and Oz sit down by Buffy, while Xander picked up three loose tennis balls and began juggling them. Faith noticed that he kept his distance from her, and took care to avoid even looking in her direction.

"So, what are you guys doing out here?" Willow asked, looking at Buffy. Xander missed a catch, and had to chase down a ball.

"Yeah," He called over his shoulder. "This doesn't look much like training to me." Buffy opened her mouth to answer, but Faith beat her to it.

"B was just telling me about last night. You guys had a wild time, huh?" Buffy gave her a plaintive look, but Xander was quick to respond.

"Oh, yeah! We saw a part of Willow that we never dreamed was in there, huh Will?"

Willow flushed red with embarrassment, and Oz stroked her hair reassuringly. "I thought she was cute. Even as a vampire."

Xander leered at Willow. "You mean, 'Especially as a vampire'." He shook his head at the memory. "Wow. What is it about bad girls and leather." He froze, glancing furtively at Faith, but she was ignoring him, staring at Willow. He sighed in relief, and continued. "And the way that other Willow had those vamps eating out of her hand...."

Faith raised her hand. "Wait, stop." Looking at Buffy, she tilted her head slightly, and her voice was deceptively light in tone. "Could someone fill me in on the details, here? 'Cause right now I have no idea what you people are saying."

Reluctantly, Buffy described the events of the previous night, with Xander jumping in occasionally.

"And did you see me and Giles take down the guy by the back door?" He demanded, hopping back and forth and miming a punch. "I decked him, and Giles was on him and *poof*! Nothing but dust."

Faith looked at Buffy in disbelief. "You took on ten vamps by yourself?"

The older Slayer shrugged uncomfortably, but Xander broke in. "Hey! She wasn't by herself! Did I not just describe my assist on a vampire kill?" Faith gave him a withering look, and he lost his smile. "And besides, Angel was there." He admitted.

"Angel was there." Faith repeated.

Xander nodded.

"Yep. You know, I'm not exactly deadboy's biggest fan, but last night he pulled out one gigantic can of whoop-ass on those guys."

Faith glanced around to see the others all nodding agreement.

Oz looked thoughtful. "I didn't see a lot of it, since the other Willow sort of threw me and Devon across the stage," He didn't seem especially disturbed at the notion of being so easily beaten by his girlfriend's vampire double. "But from what I saw, he did almost as much damage as Buffy."

Willow started describing how she had taken out her evil twin earlier in the night, using the dart gun, with the others breaking in occasionally to tease her, something about "Hands! Hands!"

They babbled on and on among themselves, and seemed to have forgotten that Faith was there at all. No one said anything to her, no one looked at her. She hugged her knees to her chest, overcome by a feeling that she was getting smaller and smaller. That soon, she would cease to exist at all.

She was alone, sitting with four other people. The others didn't need her, they had Buffy. Buffy didn't need her, she had Angel. A sob tried to escape her, but she strangled it in her throat. After a couple of minutes, Xander looked at his watch and proclaimed it lunch time. The others all got to their feet and headed for the school, still giggling over the previous night's adventure. Buffy hesitated, looking back at where Faith sat.

"Faith?" She sounded concerned. "You got quiet. Everything okay?"

The dark haired girl looked up. "No. It's not." She narrowed her eyes. "Did you even try to call me last night, when you knew what was going down?"

Buffy sighed, looking away and gesturing helplessly. "Hey, you already said that you were out on the edge of town! I couldn't have gotten in touch with you---"

"---If you tried!" Faith snapped, finishing the sentence. "Well, maybe not, but it would be nice if you made the effort every once in awhile!"

Buffy stared at her, and her green eyes grew cold. "Look. We had to go stop this Willow vamp, and you weren't around. If you had been there, then maybe things could have gone differently, but you weren't. And even if you were, Xander and Willow aren't exactly comfortable around you right now, which is not their fault: it's yours." She held Faith's gaze with her own. "Now, if you can keep yourself under control, things will change. I promise." She paused, and her voice softened. "Please Faith, give us some time."

Faith looked away. There was so much she could say right now, and all of it would be bitter. She could ask her fellow Slayer how she felt about setting a vampire free to kill again, just because it looked like her friend. She could ask how it was safer to take Xander and Giles into a battle like that than to call Faith. She could ask Buffy how long she thought she could keep playing 'girlfriend' to Angel before they gave in and did the nasty, releasing Angelus to kill once again.

She said nothing. There was really nothing *to* say, after all. She was beginning to understand that, finally.

From halfway across the field, Xander turned and yelled for Buffy to come on. The blonde Slayer said something, but Faith didn't hear. She was inside the dark, empty place inside her mind. She sat there, not thinking, not feeling, as Buffy walked away to join her friends.

Faith jogged up to city hall, slowing as she reached the wide steps leading up to the entrance. The bright sunlight glared off of the white stone of the steps, and it was at least eighty degrees. Faith trotted up to the main doors, wondering what it was like in Boston. February there usually meant a foot of snow on the ground, and a temperature of around zero. She was surprised to find herself missing it. She shook that off. She had a place here now, even if it wasn't one she had ever dreamed of. The interior of the building was cool, a large, echoing place.

She bypassed the elevators, taking the steps up three at a time. On the third floor, she found the Mayor's outer office, where a woman sat at a large desk. They had never actually met, but this was Karen, his secretary. She was beautiful, Faith thought. Long, intricately styled hair of a dark brown, a trim body in expensive business clothes, a face that wouldn't look out of place on a fashion magazine. She might have been twenty-five, or ten years older. Her eyes looked out through fashionable eyeglasses, cool and appraising. She looked Faith up and down, and Faith stiffened as she felt herself being judged.

"Yes?"

That voice was smooth, dismissive while remaining ever so polite. Faith walked forward to perch one hip on the edge of the desk. She smiled as she leaned forward. "Hi. I need to see the Mayor."

Disapproval flitted across the woman's face, and she started to respond, before she was cut off. "I'm Faith." The Slayer watched, laughing inwardly, as the woman swallowed what she had been about to say. Instead, she gave the girl a false smile and nodded. "I see. Please have a seat," She pointedly glanced at where Faith sat perched on her desk. "Over there. I'll tell Mayor Wilkens you're here." Faith slid off the desk and strolled around the office, ignoring the seats. Occasionally individuals would hurry past on some errand or other, some of them glancing curiously at the attractive girl wearing running shorts and a midriff-revealing top. She glanced at the wall clock. Wesley and his tennis balls had taken up the whole morning, and she'd had to stop on the way here for some food. The hamburgers she'd eaten lay heavily in her stomach, but at least she'd been able to get them fast, and they answered her body's demand for fuel to recharge after the morning's activities. It was after one o'clock, and Willow was probably sitting at a computer somewhere right now. "Miss?" Faith turned to look at Karen. The older woman gestured to the hallway."He'll see you now. I believe you know the way." Faith nodded, walking quickly past her. "Yeah, I know the way." When she opened the door to his office, she found the Mayor standing at the window, looking out at the street. She pulled the door closed behind her. The soft click it made was the only sound in the room. Faith stood, feeling suddenly uneasy. Mayor Wilkens finally turned to face her, expression was faintly disapproving.

³What was so important that you had to see me in the middle of the day?²

Faith stood, wondering what she had done wrong. He wasnıt angry, but he sounded... disappointed, and that was almost worse, somehow. After a moment, he stepped away from the window and stuffed his hands in his pockets, his face serious.

"It won't do to have my staff see you coming here to meet with me, Faith. You don't exactly blend in, you know." He shook his head. "I thought you knew better. People talk. They gossip, spread rumors, and if your friends find out you're coming here, well then." He shrugged. "They might just get a bit suspicious of you, don't you think?"

She looked down at the carpet, his displeasure making her feel all of five years old. "I'm sorry." Her voice was low, uncertain. "I just thought you should know that Willow's still alive." She looked up, and her voice strengthened slightly. "Your vampires missed the mark last night. If you don't want her digging through your stuff, you'd better go ahead and move it."

He turned to pace slowly across the office. "Vampires. They aren't the most reliable employees in the world, are they?" He shook his head sadly. "Actually, I know what the problem is. It's me. I'm just not intimidating enough to make them follow orders." He looked up at her and smiled. "And it's not that I couldn't kill them, either. If I wanted, I could kill vampires by the boxcar load. The problem is, I don't LOOK like I could." He shrugged helplessly. "And sometimes appearances are all that matter." He leaned down and opened a mini-fridge, revealing something that looked very much like a human head, though the cellophane that was wrapped around it made it difficult to be sure. He eased the head to one side, then retrieved a small bottle of spring water from the rear of the fridge, handing it to her. He watched her open it and drink, and his gaze became thoughtful.

"You know, I think it's time you met the vampires working for me. What's left of them, anyway." He sighed. "With Mr. Trick gone, and no other Master vampires in town, they're a bit befuddled. That might explain the trouble they had last night." He smiled at her, reaching out to grip her shoulder gently. "I'm glad you were worried about what the girl might find out, but that's being taken care of. Now, I think you should go home and rest. I'll send Eddie to your apartment tonight, and he'll take you to where the vampires lair." He looked into her eyes. "Be sure that they understand: They take orders from you. If they need convincing, then do whatever you have to do." He chuckled. "After all, there's always more where they came from, right?"

Faith nodded, and turned to go. After she had left, Richard Wilkens folded his arms and nodded thoughtfully.

"She's a good girl. I just wish she would find some better friends."

* * * * *

The knock on the door made Faith jump. She'd been sitting in front of the television, playing one of her PlayStation games. It was a fantasy adventure, and she had discovered it to be incredibly engrossing. Nearly seven hours had passed since she started, and she'd not even noticed. She quickly saved the game and rose to her feet, turning off the television.

The knock came again, and she padded to the door, her bare feet silent on the pale carpet. She pulled the door open to find the Mayor's vampire limo driver standing there. He was in human guise, but a Slayer was seldom fooled by such things. Besides, he was wearing a polyester leisure suit straight from the seventies, which gave him away to anyone with eyes to see. He smiled at her.

"Hi. I'm Eddie. The Mayor sent me."

She looked back at him. "No kidding. Well, hang on a minute Eddie, I've got to get my shoes." She turned away, leaving the door open behind her. He watched as she crossed the room and sat on the floor to pull on her Nikes.

Shifting anxiously back and forth on the threshold, he called out. "Were you going to invite me in while you did that?"

Faith leaned forward to tie her shoelaces. "Do the words 'No Fucking Way' hold any meaning for you, Eddie?"

He scowled, but didn't answer. She bounded to her feet and walked back to the door, checking to make sure she had her keys. Closing the door behind her, she gestured for him to precede her. "Okay tiny, let's roll."

* * * * *

Faith climbed out of the Limo, looking around cautiously. "Geez. Doesn't he own a smaller car?"

She was talking to herself, Eddie was already walking towards a modest building. They were in an old part of the business district, where everything had a shabby, worn look to it. She followed the vampire around to the side of the building, amused to discover that it was a laundry. For some reason that seemed slightly absurd. She sighed, watching as he knocked on a heavy, unmarked door. It opened, to reveal a narrow set of stairs leading down.

Brushing past the heavyset vamp that stood there, she moved down the steps. It was dim, but her eyes were a match for even the night-loving orbs of a vampire. At the bottom, she found a wide, cluttered room. Old washers and dryers lined the walls, piles of dusty sheets and old clothes were scattered about. The smell of death was strong, and she saw a pair of vamps hunched over the body of a young boy, feeding. She strode over and kicked them away, leaning down to touch the child's face. He was already dead, and she stood, disgust filling her. He looked to have been nine or ten years old. She looked up to see Eddie staring at her. She glanced around her.

A few low-wattage bulbs hanging from the ceiling were the only illumination. Around the edges of the room, shadows moved, indistinct in the dim light. She turned slowly in place, giving them a good look. She was wearing her black jeans, and a loose, dark-blue blouse that fell past her waist, concealing what she carried there.

"All right. Who's in charge of this shit-hole?"

There was a stirring around the room, but no reply. She shrugged. "Well then. I guess I'll have to start pulling off people's arms until someone volunteers to tell me." She pointed at a figure crouching next to a maytag washing machine. "You'll do." Striding forward, she got a better look at some of them. Puny, mostly.

Skinny, small, clumsy (for vampires). It was a sad fact that what you were before you were transformed played a large part in determining what you were afterward. If you turned a skinny little geek into a vampire, you got a skinny little vampire geek. Slightly scary, certainly dangerous to a normal person, but still the bottom of the vampire food chain. And then you had the tough ones. Angel, Spike; even as mortals, they had the makings of dangerous men inside them. The move to being vampires had brought it out fully, but it had already been there.

Faith looked down at the vamp she had trapped in the corner and grimaced. This guy looked like the stereotype of an accountant. A short, thin, weasely type, staring up at her with vicious, beady little eyes. He snarled, fangs gleaming in the dim light. She yawned. He leapt, hands reaching for her throat, and she backhanded him out of the air, sending him flying back into the wall. He bounced off the concrete, stunned. She turned and looked around.

"I'm still waiting for an answer. Who is in charge?"

From the far side of the room strode another vamp. He was fair-sized, with thick arms and a small beer gut. "Alphonse runs the place, now." His voice was hoarse, but there was no fear in his eyes. That was stupid of him, Faith thought to herself. She smiled, walking slowly towards him.

"Fair enough. And are you this Alphonse?"

His nostrils flared, and he licked his lips as he looked at her. "Nope. He hasn't come back from last night, yet. But you and me can get started without him, right now." Behind him, half a dozen others were creeping forward, all of them staring hungrily at her. She put one hand casually on her hip and gave him a pitying look.

"Guess what, moron. Alphonse isn't coming back. He's dust." She scanned the room, checking the position of every threat. "And if you don't do what I say, you'll be blowing in the wind right alongside him."

He glared at her. "You're nuts, girly." He morphed, his grin now showing lots of fang. "No, I'm wrong. You're meat. And I'm hungry." He moved forward, but she stopped him with a laugh.

"Riiight. I'm meat." She smiled back at him, pulling a stake from the back of her belt. Twirling it in her hand, she continued. "I'm also a Slayer." He took a step back, suddenly uncertain. She leaned forward slightly and whispered. "But most important: I'm your new boss. So quit fucking with me."

He looked behind him, seeing the others hesitating, watching him. He turned back to face her, and forced a 'tough-guy' firmness into his voice. "You're not the Slayer. We've all heard what she looks like, and you ain't it."

She sighed. "Well, I know I've not made as big a dent as Buffy, but I'd think you would have heard of me. I'm Faith, also the vampire slayer. And I'm running out of patience with your bullshit, dude."

He stared, then laughed. It was loud, with just a trace of nervousness. "Faith. Somebody told us about you." He waved his hand. "And I think all of us can take out a second-string Slayer." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I can't wait to get me a taste of you, little girl."

Faith felt her heart beating faster, and her body tingling in anticipation. This might not make the Mayor happy, but it would certainly help HER mood. She bounced up and down on her toes a few times, then walked forward.

"Let me see. I killed that Trick guy a few days ago, along with what were probably his meanest soldiers. Then Buffy and her pals killed ten more of you, plus your new leader, last night." She slapped the stake into her palm a couple of times. "So I guess that makes you and these pathetic freaks the third string, huh?" She was only a few feet away from him now, and he had only seconds to live.

She shook her hair back and rolled her shoulders, loosening up. "Here's some bad news for you, friend. I've decided that you, and everyone else here, is too stupid to be allowed to live." He started to deliver a comeback, but she cut him off with a gesture of her stake.

"Nope. Enough talk. It's time to party."

He brought a length of iron pipe up from where he had been holding it close to his side. Bringing it up over his head, he prepared to smash her---and she was across the gap and on him, plunging the stake though his heart. She looked into his unbelieving eyes, pursing her lips at him in a kiss before whirling away, leaving him to explode into dust. There were roughly a dozen vamps in that room trying to kill her, but they were pathetic. There was a reason why they weren't sent out on the tough missions, and that was painfully obvious as Faith tore a swath through them.

They were weak, they were stupid, they were dust. She got hit a few times, mainly because when they came at her four at a time she wasn't quite able to kill them faster than they could punch, claw and kick. Still, it was quickly over, and the worst she had gotten was a bite on the ankle from one she had crippled, but not staked in time. She propped her foot up on one of the washing machines, checking the wound. The bleeding was quickly slowing, but her shoe squished with blood.

"Oh man!" She rubbed at the red-stained fabric. "Damn. I'll bet that never comes out."

Eddie stared, wide-eyed, at the dust billowing about in the silent chamber. "You killed then all!"

She looked up. "Thank you, Mr. Obvious. I hadn't made the connection." She dropped her foot to the ground and tested it, carefully. It held her weight, and she dusted off her hands as she turned back to him.

"Go on back to the limo, I'll be out in a minute."

He backed away, then hurried up the stairs. Faith leaned back against the washer and crossed her arms. "You can come out now. I know you're there."

Silence held in the room for a long moment, before a figure stepped out of a nearly invisible alcove in the far wall. Faith turned her head to look. A young woman, with golden blonde hair hanging to her waist, stood under one of the lights. Her blue eyes were wary, her hands clutched a thick object that Faith recognized as some sort of textbook.

Faith narrowed her eyes appraisingly. "You're a vampire."

"Yes." The voice was a whisper, but it was steady. Mostly.

Faith smiled thinly. "You don't seem as stupid as the rest of this bunch was. Am I wrong?"

The blonde vamp shook her head, her gaze never leaving the Slayer lounging so casually before her. "You're not wrong." She clutched her book to her belly. "I know I can't fight you. Will you let me go?" She didn't sound hopeful. She cringed when Faith shook her head.

"No way." Seeing her reaction, the Slayer laughed. "No, I don't mean it like that." She unfolded her arms and walked up to the vampire girl. "I need you. See, vamps are, as a rule, pretty stupid." She grinned at the hostile look the blonde couldn't quite stop in time. "As a rule, like I said. But they can fight okay, and they're easy to get. But I need someone to help me get some that are worth the trouble of me teaching some manners." She looked the girl up and down.

"And I think you can help me with that. If you're smart, you will." She brought out her spare stake, toying with it while delivering a meaningful look. The girl nodded slowly.

"I can see that working for you is the right career move for me, at this point in my life." She managed a weak smile. "When do I start?"

Faith gestured at the door. "How about right now?" They moved towards the stairs. "By the way, I'm Faith. What's your name?"

The vampire shook her hair back and gave her a sideways look. "I'm Dawn."

Faith laughed in disbelief, looking at her with wide eyes. "You're kidding, right?"

Dawn shook her head solemnly. Faith shrugged. "Okay.... A vampire named Dawn."

They climbed up to ground level, and Faith was struck by a thought.

"Hey, you got a car?" She got an answering nod, which made her grin with delight.

"Beauty. Tell you what. Those losers downstairs got me going, but they didn't last long enough to matter. I'm gonna tell tiny over there to take off, and then you and me are gonna find us a couple of young studs to use, abuse, and lose."

Dawn smiled, showing a glimpse of delicate fangs as she half-morphed, then caught herself and went back to her human seeming. Faith whistled. "Well, I guess yours might have it rougher than mine. Unless he's an asshole, and I decide to give him a 'Xander'". She looked thoughtful.

Eddie looked more confused than usual as Faith told him to take off, and then walked towards the parking lot with her arm linked with Dawn's. Her voice trailed after them.

"You know any good places to find a party? I'm not really in the mood to go to the Bronze, and you should stay away from there too, if you want to live long enough for me to get attached to you...."