Willow could feel it, an odd sensation from the back of her
skull. She yawned as she said, "The sun's going to be coming up pretty
soon." She got up from her seat and with a slight smile asked, "You
mind if I go catch some Z's?"
"Yeah, you stayed up most of the day yesterday, when you
helped me clean out those tunnels beneath this place," Buffy agreed.
Willow paused in the doorway of what they both thought of as
her bedroom, "Do me a favor, and don't go down into those tunnels just
yet, all right? I want us to do another sweep down there together,
just in case."
Buffy smiled, "You know I can take care of myself, Will."
"Maybe," Willow agreed, "but just let me worry about you,
too."
"Thanks," Buffy said fondly. The sunlight began to come inside
weakly through a upper window so she softly urged Willow, "Good
night."
"Good night," Willow smiled a bit sadly as she closed the door
behind her, retreating into the pitch darkness once again.
Buffy made her way down the hall, entering her own room. It
was a bit messy, but nothing compared to the sort of places she used
to live in. Willow had taken her firmly in hand, reminding her to
clean up after herself. The drawers slid open, and Buffy pulled a
fresh T-shirt and jeans out before walking to the bathroom to shower.
As the slim blonde scrubbed away all the grime from the night
slaying, she thought of how different this was from what her life had
been like over the past few years. Since her mother's death from
cancer she had been all but raised by the Watchers' Council, her
entire focus on her vampire slaying. Ordinary things like clothes,
food, had all been taken care of by the Watchers, and she had been
encouraged to disregard them.
Willow, on the other hand, had taken all the beat up clothes
she had been wearing and tossed them. Together they had bought Buffy
an entire wardrobe, clothes that were comfortable and suited to
slaying, but still pleasing to the eye. Then she pestered Buffy about
washing them, taking care of her clothes, and also on taking care of
herself.
Buffy had to laugh to herself softly, remembering how Willow
had reacted to the sort of take-out foods she ordered. Burgers, a box
of greasy fries, a fatty milkshake, all off them guzzled down as fast
as she could manage. Food had always just been Slayer fuel to her
before, she hadn't really cared what she was eating. Willow hadn't
converted her to vegetarian eating yet, but she was having Buffy eat
better, healthier food.
After toweling herself off Buffy slipped the fresh set of
clothes on, then she pulled her boots and leather jacket on. From a
drawer she drew stakes, a vial of holy water and garlic, hiding them
in her clothes. After checking to make sure Willow's bedroom was
locked from the inside she made her way out, locking the front door
behind her.
Standing out in the warm sunlight Buffy took a deep breath,
smiling. "It's going to be a good day," she sighed happily.
Later that afternoon in the Sunnydale high school, the library
was cool, dark and oddly dry as Faith sat at one of the many tables,
quietly drinking down a reviving cup of strong coffee. She looked up
at Giles as he took a seat beside her at the round table, fixing him
with an questioning gaze.
"I noticed from how you said it that you're not entirely sure
that she's a rogue slayer. Why do you think so?" Faith asked him
pointedly.
Giles sighed, "Because she has allied herself with a vampire."
Faith's lips twisted in a slight smile, "I hope that's not the
only reason you've got, considering I've done the same thing myself."
Giles' glasses actually slipped down his nose a bit as he
looked at her in honest surprise, "You're not serious, are you?"
"A vamp who called himself Angel, along with his crew up in
LA," Faith explained to him patiently, "it seems he was cursed with a
soul centuries ago." She frowned slightly when Giles reacted to the
name, "You've met him?"
"He was here," Giles reluctantly admitted.
"He was dusted?" Faith asked him. When Giles nodded grimly she
sighed softly, "He always was a bit fatalistic, saying that his true
destiny was twisted, somehow. Hope it wasn't the Slayer you mentioned
that did him in."
"No, he was slain in the middle of a battle," Giles reported.
He took his glasses off, wiping at them absentmindedly, "How were you
able to tell that Angel had a soul?"
"Well, he didn't try to bite innocent people for one thing,"
Faith said dryly. She tilted her head to the side, "You think this
vamp who's hanging with the Slayer is ensouled too?"
"Willow," Giles murmured, "and from what you've told me, along
with her behavior I suppose that it could be possible."
Faith sat up in her chair, "Willow Rosenberg?!" She shook her
head, "Man, that vamp had quite a reputation! Playing with her food
and everything." Her voice dropped a bit, "If she's still her typical
vamp self, it could be trouble."
"That was the primary reason I called you," Giles agreed. He
slipped his glasses back on, "With the sun up, the vampire is confined
to her lair, but Buffy should be out and about. This could be the
perfect opportunity to attempt to contact her."
"Sounds like a plan," Faith got up, stretching.
"Then the only difficulty is going to be in determining where
she might have gone," Giles frowned, deep in thought .
"You have any nightlife in this town?" Faith asked as they
stepped out into the hallway.
"The Bronze, I suppose," Giles offered, "why?"
"The first place I'd go if I got a day off was to get a drink
and then dance a bit," Faith shrugged, "so we'll go try there first.
If that's a bust, we'll start searching."
"Oh, right," Giles followed her, shaking his head slightly.
Buffy paid the cover charge cheerfully, then headed into the
Bronze itself. Because of how early it was there wasn't much of a
crowd, and she was able to sweep the place pretty quickly. 'No vamps,'
Buffy thought, feeling a bit of relief.
"Slayer," the brown haired woman behind the bar nodded.
"Tara," Buffy nodded to her in return. She didn't know too
much about the slightly heavy woman who was currently running the
Bronze, just that she had a lot of knowledge, both about the
supernatural and the demonic worlds.
"Heard you and your partner were busy last night," Tara wiped
a glass out, setting it on the bar before pouring a whisky.
"Somewhat," Buffy agreed. She sipped a bit, letting the booze
burn it's way down. Drinking was one of the few bad habits that Buffy
tenaciously held onto, even with all of Willow's good natured
meddling. "Any trouble here?" she asked.
"Nothing I and the coven couldn't handle," Tara answered her
serenely.
'And she's a wiccan,' Buffy amended the list of things that
she knew about Tara. Originally she hadn't wanted to believe in
witchcraft, but after seeing that power in action, well, she changed
her mind about it very quickly.
"I understand that the Watchers Council has sent someone out
to investigate the situation here," Tara remarked casually.
Buffy made a face. "Willow told me not to tell off the
Watcher, I just didn't listen," she sighed. Buffy looked hopeful, "You
wouldn't know about who they sent?"
The sound of a door opening behind Buffy, and Tara's eyes
narrowed slightly. "Looks like they just arrived," she said
regretfully.
Buffy turned casually, and instantly recognized the librarian,
Giles. Beside him a dark haired young woman met her gaze frankly, a
strength and determination in her stance. The two crossed the Bronze,
heading right for her. Tara tensed behind her, and she remembered her
mentioning a feud between the coven and the Council.
'Great,' Buffy thought grimly, "she can take Giles, I get the
girl.'
"Are you Buffy?" the dark haired girl asked with an easy grin
on her face, "My name's Faith, the Vampire Slayer."
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