Two’s Company

“This is rather extraordinary,” Giles said, “Two Slayers here, in Sunnydale.”
“It is a Hellmouth,” Oz stated.
“Quite right, but still…this is definitely a first,” Giles stated.
“’Course it is. First time the Slayer, aka, Buffster, had me there to revive her,” Xander said proudly.
Buffy smiled, “Ah, yes, the wonders of CPR, key to my revival tour.”
Faith absently looked around the library. This was way different from what her Watcher had explained to her about being the “Chosen One”. This girl had friends, friends that knew her secrets and helped keep her alive. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, the Slaying. It was a kick, a pure adrenaline rush, not to mention a rush of other things. A wicked smile graced her lips as she thought of that second rush. Buffy seemed too innocent for things like that, but Faith was hoping she could help Buffy with that problem…lead her down the path that led to naked, willing men.
“So, Giles, why aren’t you at the Watcher Vacation Extravaganza?” Willow asked.
“Oh, um, the Retreat…there’s a Watcher’s retreat every year in the Cotswolds. It’s a lovely spot. It’s very serene. There’s horse ridding and hiking and punting and lectures and discussions. It-i-it’s…it’s a great honor to be invited,” Giles paused, “Or so I’m told.”
“Oh, it’s boring. Way to stuffy for a guy like you,” Faith said with a helpful tone.
Buffy appreciated Faith’s attempt to make Giles feel better, but she couldn’t help but make a sarcastic comment. “Uh, maybe I should introduce you again. Faith, this is Giles.”
Willow tried her hardest to repress a giggle, but it was just too funny. She really liked Faith, plus it helped that Buffy would have help with the slayage.
Faith shrugged, “I see him,” she looked at him appraisingly, “If I’d’ve known they came that young and cute I would’ve requested a transfer.”
Giles chuckled softly and ran a hand absently through his hair, “Well, um, uh, leaving aside for a moment my, uh, youth and beauty, I’d say that it was, um, fortuitous that Faith arrived when she did.”
“Aha!” Willow exclaimed as her finger shot up in the air.
The group stared at the Wicca expectantly.
Flushing slightly, Willow continued, “Sorry, I just meant, aha! There’s big evil brewin’…you’ll never be bored her, Faith. ‘Cause this is Sunnydale, home of the big brewin’ evil.”
“Anyone I know, Red?” Spike asked from the corner of the library.
“You’re late,” Buffy said casually.
“Had to catch dinner, pet. Wouldn’t want me to get peckish around your mates, would ya?” Spike asked, trademark smirk in place.
“Again, ew, and stay away from the blood of my ‘mates’,” Buffy demanded.
“What’s with blondie?” Faith asked, “Keeping a pet, B?”
“Who the hell are you?” Spike asked.
“Who are you?” Faith countered as she stood up from the table and approached the vampire.
Buffy quickly placed herself between the two and held her hands out as a barrier.
“Faith, this is Spike, Spike this is Faith,” Buffy said simply.
“She’s a Slayer?” Spike asked.
“Yeah,” Buffy said.
“How?” Spike asked. He didn’t like the idea of two Slayers. The one was already enough of a pain in the ass, even if she was cute. Make that very cute, and sexy, and very, very appealing. More so than he’d care to admit.
Spike’s question hung answered in the air. No one in the room wanted to reveal anything to the peroxide fiend.
“And the reason the undead is still…undead?” Faith asked. She was itchin’ for a fight, and blondie seemed more than appetizing.
Buffy looked at Giles, silently pleading for help.
“Yes, um, it is a rather complicated situation. There seems to be some supernatural force acting on Buffy and possibly Spike as well. They have images, flashes really of events that haven’t happened. There’s no lead on the source, so we must keep him around,” Giles said.
“This is one crazy operation you’ve got here, B. As long as blondie keeps his bumpies to himself, we’re five by five,” Faith said. She couldn’t help but shoot daggers at the vampire. Her Slayer sense was going haywire with his presence, not to mention the vibes she caught him sending Buffy.
Spike nodded to the dark-haired Slayer. He kinda liked the girl. She was nothing compared to Buffy, but he really didn’t think anything was, or ever would be. Faith had raw power, and she wasn’t afraid to use all of it in any way necessary. Where Buffy showed some restraint and kept a level head, he sensed that this girl was the exact opposite…kill now, ask later. He respected that, it called to his demon.
“Something occurring. Uh, now, you both kill vamps, and who could blame you, but, I’m wondering about your position on warewolves,” Oz directed to Faith.
Faith raised a curious eyebrow.
“Oz is a warewolf,” Willow answered Faith’s unasked question.
“It’s a long story,” Buffy said.
“I got bit,” Oz stated flatly.
“Apparently not that long,” Buffy said.
Faith considered for a moment. She had sensed something a bit off with the short guy, but he seemed pleasant enough. “Hey, as long as you don’t go scratchin’ at me or humpin’ my leg, we’re five-by-five, you know?”
Oz nodded, “Fair enough.”
“Can I go yet?” Cordy asked impatiently.
“Why are you even here, Cordelia?” Buffy asked.
“You know, I keep asking myself that same question,” Cordy answered.
“We need to help Buffy figure out what’s up with the Spike-o-Rama. That’s why you’re here,” Xander said.
Cordy shrugged her shoulders and sat down with a sigh. “The things I do for that looser.”
“Research?” Willow asked.
“Um, yes. However, I’m really not sure where to start. This is something new for the Hellmouth,” Giles said dejectedly.
“Now there’s something to celebrate. You don’t hear that everyday,” Xander joked.
“Why don’t we look at memory spells? I don’t know what kind of memory spell it would be, or even if it is a memory spell, but it seems like a good place to start…right?” Willow asked with uncertainty.
“Yes, I do believe that is a good idea, Willow,” Giles said.
“Well, while you all go researcy, I’ll take Faith out and show her the cemeteries, we’ll to a quick patrol and come back to help,” Buffy said as she stood up.
“Good. I could use some violence…makes me sleep better at night,” Faith said.
Buffy didn’t exactly know what to say to that. Secretly, having a good slay always made her sleep better at night as well…what did that say about her? Faith obviously didn’t have any problem with any of her Slayerisms, so they might not be as bad as she thought.
The two girls grabbed a few weapons from the cage and began to walk towards the door when Giles cleared his throat to gain their attention.
“You’ll be taking Spike with you,” he stated.
“Your precious girlies need a babysitter, Watcher?” Spike roared.
“No,” Giles said, “You do.”
Spike clenched his teeth. It was good of Watcher boy to remember that he was indeed an evil, not to be reckoned with, but to be sent off with not one, but two Slayers…that was just unnatural. He wasn’t worried about Buffy staking him, if she was going to it would have been last night after his little charade, it was this new bint that had him worried. She was a little too stake happy for his liking.
“Scared, Spikey?” Buffy cooed.
“Not on your life, pet,” Spike replied as he strode over to the pair.
“So, then, you are as dumb as you look,” Faith said with a grin.
Spike snorted. “Girls got stones. Maybe some if it will rub off on Buffy.”
They did a sweep of the first cemetery in relative silence. Buffy was happy to sit back and watch Faith release some of her pent up energy. She must be really wigged about the whole situation. Not that she’d ever admit it, but Buffy was impressed by Faith’s skills. She had to be recently called, and judging by her personality, Faith was caught as off guard by her “calling” as she was and that gave Buffy comfort. It was kind of nice to have someone to share the slayage with.
“You seem to have a grip on things. And since the gang is in research mode, I was thinking it might be best if we split up, took different cemeteries. I’ll take Spike with me, and then we’ll just meet back at the school,” Buffy suggested.
“Sounds good to me, B. Sure you want blondie with you?” Faith asked.
“Yeah. I’m not worried,” Buffy said.
Buffy grabbed Spike’s arm and led him out of the cemetery.
“So, I thought the only way to get a new Slayer was for the old one to be dead, and you’re far from it, pet,” Spike said.
“I did die. Remember?” Buffy asked.
“I do seem to recall Angelus telling me about your momentary departure due to our lineage head,” Spike said smoothly.
“Shut up, Spike,” Buffy snapped. She so did not want to get into a discussion about her death with the evil peroxide vampire. It was hard enough for her to discuss it with her friends, or Giles, there was no way she would divulge any information to Spike. Especially since most of her feelings about the incident were ones of absolute fear.
“I have to tell ya, Slayer, was kind of disappointed. Always wanted to be the one to drain ya,” Spike said casually.
“He didn’t drain me. I drowned,” Buffy said softly.
“You’ve got his bite marks on your neck, pet,” Spike said.
Instinctively, her hands covered the mark. While it was healed up, a slight scar still remained. It served as a constant reminder to Buffy about how close death really was to her. A Slayer’s life truly was short and brutal.
“I didn’t say he didn’t bite me, Spike. I said he didn’t drain me,” Buffy said.
Spike laughed, “The wanker bit you, but didn’t have the decency to drain you? He bloody well deserved to be put to a dusty end. Bitin’ the Slayer and not finishin’, what a bloody waste.”
“You’re a pig, Spike,” Buffy scolded.
“No, I’m a vampire,” Spike reminded her.
Before she could comment, she felt more tinglies on her neck. There were more vamps in this cemetery than the one who accompanied her. Bracing herself for a fight, Buffy surveyed the area around her. A vampire charged at her, sending her to the ground.
Spike stood back and watched the scene unfold. He had only seen this Slayer fight on a few occasions, and it was always good to learn how she moved. Prepare himself for when it was time for the two of them to dance. At least that’s what he tried to convince himself of. He wasn’t about to let on that he actually enjoyed watching the elegant sway of her hips, the power of her kicks, or the passion in her eyes when she plunged the stake through the unbeating heart of her adversary. In reality, he should be upset about her using her beautiful violence against his kind, but he couldn’t force that feeling to surface. Violence was violence. It wasn’t as if he’d never killed an insolent vampire before.
“Ahgh!” Buffy’s mumbled cry pulled Spike from his thoughts.
Before he even realized what he was doing, Spike threw himself at the vampire. He saw red as he continuously pounded the vampire.
Buffy looked up just in time to see Spike rip the vampire’s head clean off. He stood over the pile of dust and tried to regain his unneeded breath. Her mind was too fuzzy to make any coherent thought about what she just witnessed, so she resigned herself to lay her head back down on the cold ground.
Spike smelled blood and turned around to see the Slayer sprawled out on the ground, blood pouring from a gash in her side. He hurried to her side and knelt beside her. “Slayer?”
Nothing.
“Slayer?” he tried again.
Nothing.
Spike looked at her and noticed that there was blood coming from her mouth as well as her side. He leaned down and licked away the blood that was pooling at the side of her mouth. Even once the blood was gone, Spike continued to caress that spot with his tongue.
Buffy slowly opened her eyes. Her senses had been alerted by a cold, wet, something touching her face. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was Spike licking her face. Carefully, she turned her gaze to him and saw he had his eyes closed.
“Welcome back, pet,” Spike murmured against her face.
“What are you doing?” Buffy asked in a small voice.
“Cleaning you up. There’s right nasty gash on your stomach that needs seein’ to. Alright?” Spike asked. He held his breath as he waited for her answer. He didn’t know why he needed her permission to attend to her wound, but he didn’t question it either. After a moment of deliberation, he saw her nod her head in agreement.
Buffy felt a cool tongue lapping at the blood that had begun to accumulate on her lower stomach. Part of her, a small part, wanted to resist. The larger part of her was enjoying the sensations it was causing. The pain was receding, and his tongue soon began to gently caress her stomach along the gash line. She knew the blood was gone, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop…she didn’t want him to stop.
“Not that I’m complaining, because, still alive here, but why?” Buffy asked softly.
“Don’t know, Slayer. Heard you call out and didn’t think, just reacted. Made the demon happy,” Spike said as he lifted his face away from her tasty skin.
Buffy resisted the sudden urge she had to whimper from the loss of his touch and instead focused her attention to sitting up. As soon as she lifted her head, the world began to spin and she was forced to lie back down.
“Don’t go doing that, Slayer,” Spike said, “Give time for that Slayer healin’ of yours to kick in before you move, luv.”
“Spike?”
“Yeah, pet?”
“Why, with the licking of the wounds? It can’t be just the blood, can it?”
Spike took a deep, unnecessary breath. He knew she would ask, and he didn’t exactly know how to answer her. “Wanted to. Demon saw you fall, smelled the blood, wanted to protect you.”
Buffy allowed a moment for that to sink into her still fuzzy head. “Just your demon?”
“No, luv. I did too. Don’t go around tellin’ people about it either. Got my reputation to look out for. Big Bad and all,” Spike said with a smirk. He was glad to see her be alert enough to tease him.
“Won’t forget that,” Buffy said with a smile.
“Best not, Slayer,” Spike mock threatened.
“By the way,” Buffy said in a serious tone, “Thank you.”
All he could do was nod. He couldn’t believe that he just saved the Slayer’s life, and then got thanks for it. It was a bit much for him to handle. A wave of possessiveness hit him and he noticed that his demon accepted it, in fact, the demon encouraged it.
“Let’s find the other one and get you back to your mates so they can fuss over you,” Spike said as he stood up, taking Buffy with him.
“I can walk you know,” Buffy protested.
“No.”
Hearing the tone of his voice, Buffy decided it would be best to let him do the male thing. She snuggled into a more comfortable position in the strong arms that held her up and rested her head against his chest.
“I’ve got to work on that whole damsel in distress thing, B,” Faith said as she saw Spike carry Buffy into the cemetery.
“Yeah. Super natural endurance to carry me wherever I need to go,” Buffy said.
“Don’t get used to it, Slayer. This is only until I know you won’t fall over on me,” Spike said.
“You’re the one who picked me up,” Buffy retorted.
Spike snorted and fell into step with Faith as they walked back to the library.
“The Evil Undead hurt Buffy! Look!” Xander exclaimed as the group walked into the room.
“Xan, if he hurt me, why would he be carrying me back to my friends?” Buffy asked.
At the confused look on his face, Spike snorted and Faith rolled his eyes.
“B met up with a nasty little group. I got left with squat,” Faith explained.
“Are you alright, Buffy? Shall I fetch the kit?” Giles asked, choosing to ignore Xander’s concern for the moment.
“I’m good, Giles. Spike played doctor for me in the cemetery,” Buffy said.
As if to prove a point, Buffy began wiggling in Spike’s arms and he was forced to put her down before he did something he wasn’t ready to admit he wanted.
“Xander and I used to play that, too!” Willow exclaimed.
“You played doctor with Xander? My Xander?” Cordellia asked.
“Yeah. Serious doctor,” Xander said. When he caught everyone’s intrigued looks he quickly clarified, “No, she would tell me I had all these sicknesses, then give me prescriptions.”
Cordellia breathed a sigh of relief.
“What?” Willow asked with wide eyes.
“Nothing, Wills,” Buffy said.
“No one ever told me I did it wrong,” Willow pouted.
“It’s cute,” Oz told her as he scooped her up into his lap.
Suddenly, Buffy felt a wave of dizziness hit her and she slumped against Spike. Before she could hit the ground, Spike had her once again safe and secure in his arms. Instinctively, she snaked her arms around his neck and nuzzled his chest.
“I’m taking the Slayer home,” Spike said in a tone that left no room for argument.
By the time he had reached Revello Drive, the Slayer was sleeping peacefully in his arms.
“Gotta wake up, luv,” Spike whispered, “Can’t get you inside unless you wake up.”
Buffy nodded mutely as Spike gingerly set her on the ground. He stayed as close to her as he could with the barrier and waited for her to invite him inside.
“Come in, Spike,” Buffy said.
A feeling of happiness swept though him. He didn’t expect her to actually do it. She was the Slayer, she didn’t invite evil, soulless creatures into her house unless she trusted them. That unspoken trust meant more to him than he cared to admit. He was the Big Bad after all. He wasn’t supposed to go weak in the knees and sappy at some blonde girl inviting him inside. He should drain her dry as a lesson, but knew he wouldn’t…couldn’t. Seeing her hurt earlier this evening had stirred up serious emotions inside him. Even his demon wanted to protect the girl, almost like a mate. The part of William that was left in him relished in the feeling of saving a girl, even though he knew she would rarely need to be saved and would never admit to needing it. This girl truly was amazing. “Dru was right, mate. You’re lost to her, and you are now the lapdog of the Slayer.”