Buffy met the dark haired woman in the eye, and knew that she
was telling her the truth. Whatever else Faith might be, she was a
vampire Slayer. "Would you care for a drink?" she asked, gesturing her
towards a seat by the bar.
"Wouldn't mind," Faith smiled as she sat down.
"Ah, well," Giles blinked in surprise, then the Englishman
shrugged slightly. "Why not," he sat down as well.
"What can I get for you?" Tara asked coolly. The brown haired
wiccan bartender seemed a bit on edge, looking at the two of them
warily.
"Whiskey with ice," Giles surprised them slightly by ordering.
"Rum and coke," Faith smiled wryly.
Buffy waited until Tara served the drinks before the slim
blonde asked, "So why am I being graced with a meeting by a rep. of
the Watchers Council and another Slayer?"
"The Watchers Council is very concerned by your recent
behavior," Giles said a bit uncomfortably.
"Why?" Buffy said pointedly, "I'm slaying more vampires now
than ever before."
Faith smiled wryly, "They figure you've gone over to the dark
side because you teamed up with that vampire."
"Then if you have a problem with me," the woman emerged from
the shadows, "you should take it up with me." Willow smiled slightly,
her reddish brown hair flowing around her pale face, a paleness
intensified by the black leather overcoat she wore.
"Back, spawn of darkness," Giles held up a cross.
Willow seemed completely unfazed, "I used to be Jewish." She
looked over at Buffy to gently ask, "Are you all right?"
"Better now that you're here," Buffy smiled.
Willow moved forward to take a seat at the bar, nodding to
Tara. Keeping a careful eye on Faith she asked Giles, "So?"
Giles still seemed a bit stunned that the cross didn't work.
"How did..." he asked weakly.
"I suppose it's a matter of belief," Willow took a seat beside
Buffy. "I was never a Christian, so the symbols of it don't bother
me."
Giles nodded thoughtfully, about to open his mouth to ask
another question when he suddenly remembered why he was there.
"Right," he reached up to push his glasses into place, "the Waters'
Council is growing concerned over your interaction with our Slayer."
"Our?" Willow gave him a dangerous glare as she growled out,
"I do not recall Buffy ever being your property!"
Giles winced under her glare, as well as seeing the displeased
expressions on both Buffy and Faith's faces. "Oh, for a better choice
of words," he sighed.
"Way to go, G." Faith muttered to Giles. She turned to look at
Willow and said, "Look, I have no problem with you being a vampire, I
worked with Angel up in LA."
"But?" Willow asked, knowing there was more coming.
"You have one hell of a reputation," Faith said bluntly, "one
of the worst vamps of a generation. The Council's got reason to be
worried."
"She's not like that any more," Buffy scowled.
"That has yet to be determined," Giles said dryly.
"And how do you plan to test her?" Tara spoke up, surprising
them. She shot a glare at Giles, "The same trials the Council used on
witches in times past?"
Giles winced, "That was a different time, madam, long ago."
"Not that long ago to me and my people," Tara crisply replied.
She looked over with a frown at Willow, "I have absolutely no reason
to like this vampire, but I'll fight tooth and nail to prevent you
from taking her."
"Me, too," Buffy agreed, all the while wondering what had gone
on between Tara and Willow. 'Tara certainly doesn't like her much,'
she mused.
Faith had an odd smile on her face as she watched Willow,
"Most vamps would have started a fight rather than be in the middle of
this sort of discussion."
"Tempting, but no," Willow answered her quietly as the debate
raged on beside them. She looked at Faith, trying to read her as she
asked, "Disappointed?"
"A bit. I enjoy the Slaying, mostly," Faith shrugged.
"I don't," Willow admitted, "the taking of a life, even one
twisted by a demon's presence, is always something to regret."
Faith nodded to herself thoughtfully, then she turned back to
the three-way fight going on and loudly yelled, "HEY!"
All three turned to look over at her in surprise. "I beg your
pardon?" Giles asked.
Faith nodded to Giles, "You don't trust that Willow's
reformation is genuine." She looked over at Buffy, "And you don't
trust the Watchers' Council to treat Willow fairly." She paused to ask
the two of them, "Am I right?"
Both Giles and Buffy nodded, while Tara glared suspiciously.
Faith continued, "So let's try a compromise. I'll stick around here
with Giles, keep an eye on you two. If Willow reverts, we'll be here
to help, and Willow gets a chance to prove she's a good girl."
Buffy was about to open up her mouth to argue when Willow put
her hand on her partner's arm. "It's not a bad plan," she offered.
"And I'll be keeping an eye on you two," Tara gave Giles a
look that made him go bone pale, "if you try to pull anything
underhanded, I'll have to take steps." With that, she strode off to
serve the other customers.
"She really doesn't like you," Buffy looked at Giles
curiously, "why?"
"What she mentioned was mostly accurate," Giles said, "in
times past the Watchers' Council was overzealous in our pursuit of
demons, and many followers of the craft paid the price."
There was a long moment of silence, the group of four sitting
there, finishing their drinks. "Do you want to stay?" Willow asked
Buffy softly.
"It's been a long day," Buffy shrugged, "to be honest, I'd
rather head home."
Willow met both Giles and Faith's eyes steadily, "Then I think
we'll see you later." With that, both young women left the bar
together.
"They make a cute couple, don't they?" Faith mused once they
were gone.
Giles looked at her in shock, "You don't think they're...?"
Faith wiggled her hand in the air, "I dunno. That's the vibe I
get from them, though."
"Oh dear," Giles groaned softly
The city was quiet as Willow and Buffy walked together down
the street. "I thought that you were going to lunge at Giles when he
said that 'our' comment," Buffy laughed.
Willow actually blushed a bit, "What can I say, he pissed me
off."
"He's a bit... inept, isn't he?" Buffy agreed.
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