full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
Brave New World by JamesMFan
 
The Chosen Two
 
<<     >>
 


Faith was slouched against the doorframe making bad posture look good. Buffy had the distinct impression that she would make a very appealing silhouette. Not that she spent a lot of time thinking about Faith’s silhouette, but maybe more than she should. As it was the Slayer in front of her wasn’t shrouded in shadow but was rather more bathed in sunlight from the office’s window. The rays glinted off her wavy dark hair.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt her look was a lot more understated than it had been the last time Buffy had seen her. Her arms were toned with sinewy muscle, just enough for it to look killer. Buffy had always had ridiculous beanpole arms that she found very unbecoming. Buffy looked down and saw that Faith wore flip-flops on her feet and what looked like an anklet. Buffy looked back up to meet the Slayer’s eyes, an eyebrow raised.

The most shocking thing wasn’t the flip flops, however, but rather the fact that Faith didn’t seem to have aged.

“Faith,” she said.

“Buffy,” was the reply.

The dark-haired woman straightened up and stepped into the room. She glided around Norman and Spike, acknowledged Cain with a glance, and then came to stand directly in front of Buffy. Her eyes ran over her a bit more intimately than Buffy thought she liked. Then Faith smiled and held a hand out to her. Buffy looked down at the hand, hesitated, and then took it.
Faith’s hand was cold and smooth and as they shook hands Buffy could feel that the other woman’s strength hadn’t waned at all with years gone by, in fact it may have grown.

“Aw, hell,” Faith pulled on her hand and wrenched her towards her. “C’mere, B.”

Buffy just about stopped herself from decking the brunette instinctively. When Faith drew her into a tight hug, slapping her on the back, her eyes widened considerably. She smelt of soap.

A moment later she’d stepped away grinning. “Heard you were back. Shoulda guessed I couldn’t get rid of you.”

“Yeah, well,” Buffy took a step back, awkwardly. “You’re still around after all these years. Thought you’d be vamp bait a long time ago.”

Faith tilted her head. “I was.”

“Huh?”

She laughed then and turned to Spike. “Told you! I told you she wouldn’t be able to tell. I’m good.”

Spike mumbled something to himself and then cleared his throat. “Nice to see you again too, Faith.”

“Spike,” she nodded, slugging him casually on the arm.

Buffy looked at then each in turn. “Wouldn’t be able to tell what? What’s going on?”

“Buffy,” Spike said carefully. “Faith is a vampire.”

Buffy went rigid suddenly, taking a step backwards away from the Slayer. The Slayer…vampire? The Vampire Vampire Slayer? The Vampire Slayer Vampire? She didn’t know and didn’t much care at that moment. All she knew was that Faith had been turned and it hurt. It hurt her to lose somewhere who, if not exactly a friend, had been on the right path to redemption.
Buffy turned away, trusting Spike to watch her back.

“Oh, cheer up, B.” Faith huffed. “It’s not bad. And chill, ’cos guess what? I’m…a vampire with a soul!” she said in a melodramatic voice.

Buffy’s head whipped around quickly. “What?”

“Yep, I’ve got a soul and fangs. Hey, I guess that makes me your type.” Faith smirked.

Spike arched an eyebrow. “Missing a certain other criteria she likes.”

Faith looked him over. “Sometimes a girl can get a hankering for something different.”

“Hey, do you mind not discussing my preferences right now?” Buffy demanded trying to collect her thoughts. “You’re a vampire.”

“…with a soul!” Faith added in her best Vincent Price voice again, then cleared her throat when she saw the look on Buffy’s face. “Yeah, I’m a vamp. Got bit one night on patrol, woke up and found myself chained to Spike’s bed. Not as fun as it sounds.”

Buffy turned her death glare on to Spike. “Oh really?”

“I found her and chained her up to stop her hurtin’ anyone,” Spike explained.

Faith folded her arms. “And then the bastard cursed me.”

“Cursed…like Angel’s curse?”

“The same one,” Faith nodded. “But I was never a good girl, even with a soul. So it didn’t stop me slugging him the moment he set me free.”

Spike shot her a look. “And nicking my car.”

“It’s the least you could do,” Faith replied.

Norman flounced up to stand in front of her blocking her view of Buffy as he said enthusiastically. “I’m Norman Wagner. You know Miss. Summers?”

“Hi Norm,” Faith looked him over, amused. “Yeah, I know her. We were the Chosen Two. Girlfriends.” She looked over at Buffy with that look that the other Slayer had always tried to not read too much into.

Cain waved a hand to attract attention from where he was sitting. “You know, this is really touching and everything, but will you all get out of my office?”

“Aww, Cainy not liking the world not revolving around him,” Faith pouted at the boy and blew him a kiss. “I’m about ready to blow this scene anyway.”

Buffy scowled and muttered to herself. “You’re always ready to blow something…”

Faith locked eyes with her and grinned before striding out of the room. Buffy cursed her new vampiric hearing abilities. She looked at Spike who shrugged and started for the door.

“Uh, Buffy?” Norman stood in the middle of the room looking very lost.

Buffy sighed. “Apparently I signed a contract that means the Council are all bastards. They won’t help me. Probably.”

Norman turned to Cain. “May I see this contract?”

“Oh, must you?” Cain griped.

“Yes, he must,” Buffy said sternly then looked at Norman. “Get to work, Norm. I’m proud of you. Go team Buffy! Etc.”

He looked flustered and Buffy gave him the thumbs up and then turned and fled the room to find Spike.

He was waiting just outside the door with Valerie who was giving him a lecture on ‘his Slayer friends’ traipsing mud all over the floor. Spike rolled his eyes and told her he’d see her around and then started off. Buffy jogged to catch up with him and resisted the strange urge to link arms. Faith was no where to be seen. So it was about that time.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Buffy berated.

Yes, it was Buffy shouts at Spike time.

“Because,” was all he said.

“Oh, well, great.” She groused and walked faster, jabbing her finger at the elevator button several times.

Spike came to stand beside her. “You have to find these things out in your own time, Buffy. If I told you everything in one go your head would probably explode.”

“Right, cos I’m stupid. I’m stupid Buffy.”

“No, because you’ve had a massive shock,” Spike said softly. “And there are more to come.”

“Like what?!” Buffy threw her hands up and stepped into the elevator. “What more could there be?”

Spike stepped in after her. “Like I said, you’ll find out in your own time.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t my own time. I’m never going to be in my own time ever again,” she sulked.

The elevator doors swished shut and the silence filled the small space as they moved down. Spike, as usual, was the first to crack and he started to whistle to break the lack of sound. She bumped him with her hip in her way of telling him to shut up. He didn’t.

“What was Faith doing here anyway?” Buffy asked sullenly.

Spike stopped whistling. “Handing in reports, I expect.”

“Reports?”

“Yeah, Slaying Reports,” He told her. “In some cases Slayers are still used to kill vampires. Vampires who have no intention of abiding by the laws. They get the order from the Council and H.U. – then they slay, and then they write up a report. Same goes for other demons.”

Buffy gaped a little. “There’s paperwork now?!”

Spike laughed a little. “’Fraid so.”

“Great,” Buffy groaned, rubbing her forehead. “Wait. Faith still works for the Council, even though she’s a vampire?” the doors to the elevators opened.

Spike nodded and they stepped out. “She’s a valuable asset to them. A vampire with Slayer strength? They weren’t going to let that one pass.”

“Oh, so Faith is ‘special’ now. Excellent,” she stomped through the lobby. “And I bet you two get on like a house on fire. What with chaining to the bed incidents and your…lack of scruples!”

Spike feigned shock. “I have plenty of scruples, thank you. And yeah, Faith’s alright.”

“Alright? She tried to kill me a bunch of times!”

“So did I and I’m alright too,” Spike pushed the door of the lobby open and motioned her through.

Buffy shoved past him. “She tried to seduce my boyfriends! She did seduce one!”

Spike paused. “Okay, I never did that.”

“Yep. First Angel, then Riley. And I bet she tried it with you too!”

Spike shook his head. “No, she never did. I feel almost insulted, actually.”

Buffy scowled at him and strode across the parking lot to his car. She had always sort of wondered what would happen if Spike and Faith ever met. They were so similar in so many ways. It was bound to have been interesting. She didn’t like that she had missed it. That Faith had known Spike longer than she had. It was so wrong on so many levels.

And speaking of…

“Fancy an adventure?” Faith asked, head stuck out of the driver’s side window of Spike’s car.

The vampire’s eyes widened. “Out. Get out of my car. Now.”

“Down boy,” she smirked, eyes twinkling. “I was thinking B and I could use some catch up time. Girls only.”

Buffy gave the woman a look. “What makes you think I’d go anywhere with you?”

“’Cos I’m going slaying. And you look about ready to pop.”

Buffy had to admit the idea of pummelling something’s face in did sound like a really good idea. Then again, slaying had got her in a hell of a mess recently. And the prospect of slaying with Faith again wasn’t on the top of her ‘Ten Thing Buffy Wants to Do’ list. Especially not a fanged Faith. Just as she was about to speak Spike beat her to it.

“Sounds like a good idea,” he said.

Buffy looked at him, surprised. “It does?”

“Need to get some aggression out. And I’d rather it was on some bad guys then me.”

“You have changed,” Buffy said wryly.

Faith grinned. “Well, alright then. Get in, B. Let’s go find us some naughty demons.”

“Here. Take this.” Spike dug a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “It’s a slaying permit.”

Buffy looked at the card. “Could have done with this earlier.”

He shrugged and Buffy tucked the card in the pocket of her jeans. A little warily she walked around the car to the passenger door and slid in. Faith immediately revved the car loudly.

Spike managed to yell, “Bring her back in one piece!”

And then the dark-haired Slayer pressed down hard on the accelerator and they shot off at breakneck speed. Buffy’s eyes widened and she gripped the door handle hard. This suddenly seemed like a bad idea.

 
<<     >>