The creatures came out of the darkness as a group, moving
forward in two bands to try and capture the vampire slayers in between
them. "Do you think they intended to set a trap," Giles murmured, the
brown haired Englishman pushing his glasses up, "or was it a
coincidence?"
"Doesn't matter," Faith flashed a smile, the black haired Slayer
ready to go..
"No, it doesn't," Buffy agreed, a dangerous sort of eagerness
coming over the smaller blonde, "it won't save them."
Willow kept eerily silent as she moved gracefully, almost
inhumanly fast as she easily dodged the vampire's first blow, striking
upwards in a smooth motion to rock him backwards. The stake was in her
hand as the reddish brown haired vampire struck, a fine cloud of ashes
blowing around her as he was reduced to dust.
"Fancy," Faith muttered, quickly staking another of the vamps
after hammering it down into the ground with a loud thump.
There was a flash of light and flames suddenly exploded to life
around a vampire that had nearly reached the startled Giles. Tara
gestured, the flames disappearing as fast as she called them up as she
coldly said, "Watch yourself, Mr. Giles."
"Ah, thank you," Giles stammered.
"You two get along," Buffy chided them with a amused smile as
she kicked the final vamp against the wall, stepping in to stake it with
remarkable ease.
"Looks like a good night's haul," Willow noted, the vampiress
stepping up beside her lover. She smiled at Buffy, "You all right?"
"Just fine," Buffy smiled black, her blonde hair falling into
her eyes.
"That was so cool," Dawn gushed, the brown haired younger girl
emerging from the shadows where she had been hidden.
"Tara, G-man," Faith smiled wryly at the two, "I don't think
you've met Buffy's younger sister, Dawn Summers."
"Hello," Giles said stiffly, then he looked over at the three
women, "Who's bright idea was it to bring her on patrol?"
Tara looked at Dawn thoughtfully before saying, "You have to
admit it's not a good idea to leave her alone all night."
"Well, yes," Giles grit his teeth, "but still...."
"It's nice to meet you Tara," Dawn smiled up at Tara winningly
with the unerring ability of any young woman had to find a possible
ally.
Tara smiled wryly, the brown haired woman chuckling softly. "You
too, Dawn," she agreed, shaking the girl's hand.
"G. looks like he's going to have kittens," Faith muttered to
Buffy and Willow, the three young women watching with amusement.
"That kind of stress can't be good for him," Buffy said with an
impish smile.
"You too are terrible, you know that?" Willow fought back a
smile.
Giles had to smile slightly, shaking his head at the girls'
behavior. "All right," he said, "but the child's welfare is important,
you know."
"I'm not a child," Dawn frowned, "I'm nearly fourteen."
"I strand corrected," Giles murmured.
Faith looked over at Dawn thoughtfully for a moment, then she
suddenly kicked out at the smaller girl. Drawing on self-defense courses
from her school Dawn blocked the strike instinctively, though with a
soft gasp of effort.
"What was that for?!" Buffy blurted.
"Kid's got potential," Faith shrugged, "she may not be a slayer
but we can get her trained well enough to take care of herself."
"So who's going to train me?" Dawn blinked, absorbing this.
"B. and I," Faith shrugged, "ably assisted by the G-man and
Willow, I figure."
"You mind?" Buffy asked Dawn thoughtfully.
"As long as you two aren't too tough on me," Dawn managed a weak
smile.
They resumed their patrol, Dawn and Giles standing safely in the
center of the formation. Willow studied Faith thoughtfully, taking a
moment to quietly ask her, "Why did you decide to include me in these
training sessions?"
Faith tossed her a slight smile, "I wouldn't want my girlfriend
spending time with another lady, even with Giles and Dawn chaperoning."
By the look on her face Willow hadn't been expecting that
answer, and Faith chuckled softly. "Thanks," Willow said with a wry
smile, moving over towards Buffy again. At Buffy's questioning glance
she said, "I have to remember not to underestimate her."
"We Slayers are full of surprises," Buffy smirked as she
murmured, "do you remember when I turned the tables on you the other
night?"
"Buffy!" Willow scolded, Dawn listening eagerly.
"You two are really in love," Dawn murmured. She smiled, a bit
of a blush appearing on her cheeks as she added, "You might want to keep
it down, though."
It took Buffy and Willow a moment to get what Dawn was saying,
then both of their cheeks went different shades of rose. "And what were
you doing listening in, little sis?" Buffy finally managed to get out
past her embarrassment.
"I wasn't doing it intentionally," Dawn said with wounded
dignity, "the amount of noise you were making could have waked the
dead."
Not far away Tara studied Dawn thoughtfully, the oddest look on
the woman's face. "Is there something amiss?" Giles ventured
tentatively.
"No," Tara gave him a withering look, "at least, I don't think
so."
"Ah, right," Giles backed away quickly.
Faith smiled wryly, moving over to be nearer to Tara. "You mind
not spooking the Watcher?" she said dryly. "He has enough problems, I
think," she added.
"Maybe," Tara replied stubbornly.
"You really don't like him, do you?" Faith asked.
"I don't like Watchers," Tara said firmly. She looked at Giles
thoughtfully and added, "I haven't decided if he's any better than the
usual type."
"And what do you think of Slayers?" Faith asked curiously, a
dangerous little smile lingering for a second on her face.
Tara looked at her, honestly confused. "I have no problems with
Slayers, " she finally said, "even though Buffy seems to be showing poor
judgment."
"You opening up the Bronze later?" Faith changed the subject,
not sure if she really wanted to hear the evil Willow rant again.
Tara smiled, "Of course." She hesitated, looking over at Faith
as she asked, "Are you going to be stopping in tonight?"
"Of course," Faith said casually.
Even Tara seemed a bit surprised as she said, "I'm glad."
Faith walked beside her a moment, watching Tara as she took in
Willow, Buffy and Dawn talking together, Giles keeping an eye on them
all. "Maybe you'll let me buy you a drink or something," Faith offered,
"you have to go on break sometime."
"Maybe," was Tara's noncommittal answer.
Faith clearly wanted to ask for more, but decided not to push.
"Thanks," was all she said, noting Giles was waving to her. She sighed,
"Duty calls."
"Have fun," Tara smiled wryly.
Faith walked over to Giles and sighed, "Your timing sucks, G."
"Huh?" Giles looked confused.
"Never mind," Faith shook her head, "what's up?"
"The vampires went after us in a coordinated way tonight," Giles
said seriously, "I fear that someone may be leading the vampires of
Sunnydale again."
Faith looked at him thoughtfully, "We don't know for sure, of
course. Do you have any idea of who might be leading them, assuming it's
true?"
"The Master sired many powerful vampires," Giles sighed, "and
there are other old vampires out there, it could be anyone."
"Lovely," Faith sighed.
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