Let’s Dance

“You found my box?” The Mayor said a joyful tear in his eye.

“Yes. With all the kids at the prom, the box was just lying around. Rather foolish of them. They know the box is important to you,” Anya said.

“Well, this is just…swell. You really have done a very good job, Anya,” The Mayor praised. Perhaps the former demon would work out after all. Good thing too; it was too close to the Ascension to be interviewing new help.

“I have a way to incapacitate the Slayers,” Anya announced, “I know what their weakness is now.”

“You have my undivided attention,” The Mayor said as he leaned forward across his desk.

“The claim. It’s their weakness. I thought it was what made them so strong initially, but they are so linked that only one part of the chain needs to be broken to tear apart the whole unit. I can do it, but I need a spell,” Anya said.

A smile slowly spread across the Mayor’s face. The idea had promise; such ingenious…must be the luck of youth. He really only needed the Slayers and their merry band occupied for the duration of his Ascension, but if he could destroy them simultaneously…well then, so much the better.

“What do you need from me, Anya?” The Mayor asked.

“Some of the ingredients will be difficult to get. The sooner I get the ingredients, the easier it will be for me to attack them,” Anya said.

“I’ll have the ingredients for you tonight. We wouldn’t want the high schoolers to get into any after-prom trouble,” The Mayor said.

“What is so important in the box?” Any asked curiously.

The Mayor patted the box fondly. “The Box of Gavrock is going to help me perform the Ritual of Gavrock. I have to ingest several of the inhabitants of this box.”

“Ingest?” Anya asked.

“Eat.”

“I have been stuck in this ridiculous high school body for too long. Because, that, is gross,” Anya said.

The Mayor chuckled, “You don’t need to watch. I’ll send the boys with the supplies you need within the hour. Just leave me your list.”

Anya nodded and quickly left the room. Honestly, she thought that after being a vengeance demon for 1120 years she’d be less squeamish about things. Ritual ingestions of sacrificial box inhabitants always upset her. Even for a demon, it just wasn’t natural.

* * * * *

Buffy and Faith dominated the dance floor. It had been too long since they’d been able to go dancing at the Bronze. Had that really been the first time she’d met Faith? It seemed like a lifetime to Buffy; in most aspects it was…at least a different life. The night Spike tried to kill her friends because Dru left him, Buffy had gone to the Bronze to do a quick sweep and found more than just a fledge to keep her mind off Spike and his crazy emotions. She’d followed Faith into the Bronze and they’d danced the night away. Faith hadn’t been all with the explanation giving or the girl bonding thing Buffy thought would happen. Faith’s thoughts circled scarily close to Buffy’s. something about the whole “slumber party, braid my hair” friendship the girls had just didn’t seem normal to Faith. Which, weird because she was totally down with B. God, when she’d landed on SunnyD she’d been in a bad place. B had taken her in, shown her a good time and let her be herself. That’s not what happened though. Buffy stumbled into some random guy as images flashed through her head, just as Faith fell over with images going through her head as well.

“The whole summer it was like the worst heat wave…So I waste the vamps and then the pastor comes up, and he’s hugging me like there’s no tomorrow, when all of the sudden, the cops show and arrest both of us,” Faith finished her story.

“They should film that story and show it every year at Christmas,” Xander said.

“God, I could eat like a horse. Isn’t it crazy how slayin’ just always makes you hungry and horny?” Faith asked Buffy as she reached for another muffin.

“Well, sometimes I-I crave a non-fat yogurt,” Buffy added lamely.

Scenes flash faster.

“So you’re a Slayer, too. Isn’t that interesting! Do you like it?” Joyce asked Faith.

“God, I love it,” Faith answered enthusiastically.

“Buffy talks that way. Why do you love it?” Joyce continued.

“Well, when I’m fighting, it’s like the whole world goes away and I know only one thing: that I’m gonna win and they’re gonna lose. I like that feelin’,” Faith answered.

“Well, sure,” Buffy said, “Beats that dead feeling you get when they win and you lose.”

“I don’t let that kind of negative thinking get in,” Faith said.

“Buffy can be awfully negative sometimes,” Joyce nodded, “Honey, you’ve gotta fight that.”

Scenes fast-forward again.

“For real now, I’m scared. Scared of what I am, what I’m turning into. Cold-blooded straight up killer. Like you,” Faith said to Spike.

“No like me. I didn’t have a choice. But you do. You can stop this,” Spike said.

Faith goes to kiss Spike…

“Whoa, Faith, I, look, I can be here for you but not like that. I’m with Buffy,” Spike said.

Buff watches from outside as they almost kiss.

More blurry pastoral…

“Why Faith,” Buffy asked, “What’s in it for you?”

“What isn’t?” Faith began, “You know, I come to Sunnydale. I’m the Slayer. I do my job kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about everywhere I go? Buffy. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. And who’s everybody thank? Buffy.”

“That’s not my fault,” Buffy answered.

“You get the watcher, you get the mom. You get the little Scooby gang. You get the undead boyfriend. What do I get? Jack squat. This was supposed to be my town,” Faith continued to rant.

“Everybody always asks, why can’t you be more like Buff? But did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me?” Faith asked.

“Faith, listen to me,” Buffy pleaded.

“Why? So you can impart some special Buffy wisdom to me? You think you’re better than me. Say it. You think you’re better than me,” Faith said.

“I am. Always have been,” Buffy answered.

Weeks pass in a blur…

During the middle of their argument, Spike fell to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

Buffy watched helplessly as Spike slowly succumbed to the poison.

“It had to be Faith,” Buffy announced.

“We found a cure…Slayer’s blood.”

“Good,” Buffy said.

“Thought I’d stop by,” Buffy announced.

“Is Spike dead yet?” Faith asked with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.

“He’s not going to die. It was a good try though. You’re plan?” Buffy asked.

Faith nodded, “Mayor got the poison, said it was wicked painful.”

“There’s a cure,” Buffy said.

“Damn,” Faith began, “What is it?”

“You’re blood,” Buffy answered, “As justice goes, it’s not un-poetic.”

“You gonna to feed me to Spike? You know you won’t take me alive,” Faith said a bit concerned.

“Not a problem,” Buffy said. Without further explanation, Buffy jumped up and kicked Faith across the face.

Giles and Spike were pulled from their conversation when the occupants of the room quickly dispersed to reveal two slayers facing off. Spike blinked his eyes rapidly as he watched Buffy kick Faith across the room. As Faith hit the ground, Spike braced himself to feel her pain. It never came. Spurred to action, Spike dashed towards the two girls; if he could just get them separated they could suss out what the bloody hell was going on with them. As if entering a house without an invite, Spike rebounded against an invisible barrier.

“Bloody hell. Watcher,” Spike snapped, “What the buggerin’ fuck is going on?”

Giles did not answer the obviously irate vampire. He had no answers.

“What’s with the sideshow?” Xander asked.

“Oh my god,” Willow exclaimed.

Inside the circle, Buffy and Faith were exchanging brutal blows. Obvious to anyone who observed them, they were each trying to kill the other. The un-obvious part was the why part.

“Poor.” Punch. “Faith.” Kick. “I tried to help you out, let you eat at my house and hang with my friends,” Buffy said.

Punch. “Lucky.” Duck. “Me.” Uppercut. “I got to be a Buffy hero-worshiper, too!” Faith retorted.

“I smell Mayor,” Oz said as he held Willow tightly.

“It would make sense,” Giles conceded.

“I’m going to bloody kill him. I’m going to rip his soddin’ head from his body and drink from his brain stem,” Spike seethed.

“Ew. And you so can’t do that,” Cordy said, “He’s invincible. No torn head, no brain stem. And again, ew.”

“Why can’t we feel them?” Willow asked in a small, scared voice.

“Prolly the same reason we can’t get to ‘em,” Spike said, “Spell. Bloody magic.”

“Anya,” Oz offered, “Had a yen to hurt us. As we took her power, vengeance as a human not far fetched.”

“Not at all. We know she has aligned herself with the Mayor. He certainly possesses the power and knowledge to acquire anything required for any spell. It is also possible that they invented their own spell as there would be numerous factors to overcome,” Giles said thoughtfully.

“How do I keep m’girls from killin’ each other?” Spike asked. Even without the connection of the claim, he could feel the pain the girls were inflicting on each other.

Buffy, watching as Faith eyed the exit, quickly pulled a set of handcuffs out and latched one side to her right arm.

“Stick around,” Buffy said as she cuffed Faith to herself.

“Uh, guys,” Oz said, “Where’d she get those?”

“Bloody hell,” Spike roared.

Faith and Buffy threw each other around with the handcuffs ensuring they never strayed too far from the other. Faith spun Buffy and used the wall as leverage to break the handcuffs. Both heard the snap of the metal and fell to the ground.

“What’s the matter, Faith? All that killing and you’re afraid to die?” Buffy asked.

Spike, and the rest of the Scoobies, watched in horror as Buffy pulled a wicked looking knife from, again God knows where, and spun it around the palm of her hand.

“Where’s she gettin’ the soddin’ weapons from? She’s in a bloody prom dress,” Spike yelled.

“I am sure the magic is conjuring all elements needed to play out the scenario. The hard magic is being used to block the claim and restrain you from reaching them,” Giles replied.

“That’s mine!” Faith yelled.

“Yeah, and you’re about to get it back,” Buffy answered.

“Well, look who’s all grown up and wearin’ big sister’s clothes,” Faith said as Buffy plunged the dagger into her abdomen.

Buffy stared, wide-eyed as Faith stumbled on her feet.

“Look at that,” Faith said as she looked down, “You killed me.”

A bright flash of light filled the room as Faith hit the ground. No one moved. No one breathed. No one could believe what they had witnessed.

“FAITH!” Buffy screamed. She looked down at her hands. They were covered in blood; Faith’s blood. She dropped the knife to the floor and heard it fall like a gavel. She had killed Faith. “Oh God.”

Spike flew to the center of the room and caught Buffy just as she fell.

“Watcher, get Faith. Gotta get ‘em both to the hospital,” Spike said.

“Both?” Giles asked.

“Both bleedin’, Watcher,” Spike choked out.

As Giles drew nearer to where the girls were laying, he hastily brought a hand to his face. “Dear Lord.”

Willow and Cordelia both began to cry. Oz and Xander, unsure of what to do, awkwardly held their girls and whispered what they hoped would be comforting nothings into their ears. The two couples staggered out behind Spike and Giles. Luckily, since Sunnydale was a one Starbuck’s town, arriving at the hospital took little time.

“We need a doctor,” Giles announced, “These girls need blood.”

“Oh my God,” one of the nurses said, “Doctor!” She looked over at the men carrying the girls and asked, “What happened?”

“We don’ know. Jus’ found ‘em like this,” Spike answered, “Now, are you goin’ to help ‘em?”

Two hospital beds came whizzing down the hall. Spike carefully placed Buffy on one while Giles placed Faith on the other. Both men turned to follow the girls when a nurse blocked their path. Instinctively, Spike morphed into game face growling the whole time. He’d been blocked from his mate by the spell and now that he wasn’t, he had no intention of leaving her side for the next eternity or so. The nurse screamed, but as a testament to her time in Sunnydale or her foolishness, did not back down. Not wanting to upset Spike further, but knowing it was necessary, Giles placed his hand on Spike’s shoulder.

“We need to let the medical professionals do their jobs, Spike,” Giles said gently.

“’M not leavin’ ‘em,” Spike growled.

“No one is making you. Just wait outside the operating room with the rest of us. Willow and Cordeila have yet to stop crying; they need you now. Buffy and Faith are strong, they will come out of this,” Giles said.

Looking over his shoulder, Spike saw the two weeping girls. Guilt wracked through his body. He’d been so preoccupied with his other two women that he didn’t even notice the distress the other two were feeling through the claim. Spike nodded to the watcher, and with a last growl at the nurse tucked his demon back and headed to tend the two girls he still could.

* * * * *

Buffy walked around the loft apartment. The place looked as though a fight had never occurred, as if she had not thrown Faith out the window. She looked down at the dagger in her hands; it was still covered with Faith’s blood, proof that she’d killed her sister Slayer. The background faded to the ballroom which was still decorated with prom stuff. Now this room looked as though there’d been a fight. The lights were dimmed and everyone had gone home.

“It wasn’t supposed to go down like this,” a man said from the shadow of the doorway.

“Who the hell are you?” Buffy demanded.

“Whistler,” the man replied, “It wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

“It’s not going to end,” Buffy said, “I’m going to make sure Faith gets better. I can fix this.”

“You really think so?” Whistler asked. Buffy followed his eyes as they landed on a hospital bed. Faith lay there looking more dead than alive. Her entire face was black and blue and she had tubes coming from a machine to her nose. There was a bandage on her forehead and an IV in her arm.

“A-A spell did this,” Buffy whispered, “I’d never want this to happen to Faith. S-She’s my sister.”

“Ah yes, you’re little sister claim. Really put a jinx in the whole plan. No one saw that coming,” Whistler said.

“You know,” Buffy said as she turned to face the small man, “I’m so getting tired of the PTB’s and the Council and the stupid Mayor trying to control the events of my life. All the prophecies, and spell and end of the worlds…it’s not fair. You can’t take her from me like this. I won’t allow it.”

“Look, sugar, I know this is hard, but you’ve gotta make a choice,” Whistler said, “No one expects this to be easy or fair or even reasonable. It’s just the way it is; spells and magic and prophecies are part of your life, kid.”

“Not any more they’re not,” Buffy said.

Whistler looked up at the girl and the look he saw on her face was far from comforting.

“She dies, I’m done. The Mayor can eat the whole damn world for all I care. I’m through fighting the fight that never ends and only ever gets worse and takes away from me all the things that I want,” Buffy said.

“So, what is it you want, B?” Faith asked.

Buffy’s tear stained eyes looked from Whistler to Faith and back again. She couldn’t close her eyes, afraid that if she did Faith would vanish and once more be absent from her life.

“I don’t want you to die,” Buffy answered.

“Nah, that’s not what you really want. I’m all full of joy at you not wanting me all dead, but me being alive is only part of what you want,” Faith said.

“I don’t know,” Buffy answered.

“Sure ya do. God, the part of you that cast that spell knew exactly what you wanted,” Faith continued.

“Spell? I cast a spell so that I’d kill you?” Buffy asked.

“No, the spell that made you try to kill Faith was triggered by the spell you did cast,” Whistler said.

This time both Buffy and Faith looked at him blankly. Whistler rolled his eyes and looked heaven word as if it would help.

“They’re not going to like this, but I’ve gotta make you understand. Didn’t you wonder why you knew so much about Spike? Why you seemed so drawn to him? Why you let him help you even when it went against all your instincts that were screaming evil, stake, destroy?”

“At first, yeah, but then with it all feeling so normal and the whole evil Mayor and Council…I kinda forgot to care,” Buffy admitted.

“Now we’re getting somewhere. The Council’s little test send you and Faith to the same place…just as you were going to jump off Glory’s tower. Now, you weren’t supposed to survive that jump. Faith was meant to stay in prison. In fact, that reality that you two were sent to was meant to be this reality here,” Whistler explained.

“Oh my God,” Buffy moaned, “So, all those flashes with Spike and then when me and Faith were fighting…all that was real?”

“Yes and no. It was real to you before you cast the spell, but you did cast the spell and it worked – sort of, so now this is your reality. But, by casting your little spell, you created a parallel world that wasn’t meant to be there. You’ve thrown the entire everything into chaos.”

“And so now you’re, what, punishing me by taking away Faith?” Buffy accused.

“We’re not punishing anyone. We’re just fixin’ the mess you caused,” Whistler answered, “Look, I ain’t in charge here, I’m just he messenger if you will. And now it’s time for you to make a choice.”

“What choice?” Buffy asked.

Whistler looked at Faith.

“Look, B, they’re not just gonna let us both walk here. Instead of making us both dead, they’re lettin’ you choose how this thing plays out. You can either wake up and be all Super Slayer and stop the Mayor and go back to Spike, or you can wake up and return to when and where you cast the spell and just not cast it,” Faith said.

Buffy glared at Whistler and then Faith. “How dare you! You can’t just expect me to choose between you dying or you dying! I can’t! I won’t! Obviously I cast the spell for a reason and if everyone would have just left me the fuck alone, all of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Come on now, B. You don’t know that,” Faith said.

“What if I don’t choose? Did you and you’re precious PTB’s ever think of that? What if-if I never wake up and I stay here?” Buffy asked.

“Then people will die,” Whistler said.

Buffy looked down at her hands and saw the blood. She then looked up at Whistler.

“People are always going to die,” Buffy answered.