"A little tip from an expert," Xander said, drawing Faith's attention. He casually slouched back into his chair, his neck resting against his hands. "The covers are a great place to begin, but when you open up the books, that's where they hide the really good stuff." A warning look out the corner of Faith's eyes was all it took before he quickly backtracked, his confident posture melting away. "Or you could just carry on doing it your way." He quickly busied himself with his own book, suddenly paying it an awful lot of attention.
Almost another three hours had passed, sat in the magic-shop come library come detention centre, filling in so Buffy could go screw some loser, Faith thought. It's not that she was bitter; she just wondered what the hell she'd been thinking. She shoved the closed book away in disgust, and it stopped just short of sliding straight off the table, coming to rest alongside the numerous others she'd quickly become sick of. OK, so maybe a little bitter.
Her sigh must have been louder than intended as Giles was looking her way from an adjacent table. "Everything OK?"
"Great," she said, before muttering under her breath, "just freaking wonderful."
"Uh-oh," Willow uttered from nearby.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Giles asked, watching Faith carefully through his glasses.
"Err, guys," Willow said more loudly, that time catching the attention of the group. "Uh-oh?" She shook the book laid in front of her, and Giles quickly made his way to peer over her shoulder.
"I've seen this marking before," she said, pointing out a finger. Faith watched them with minimal interest, not caring enough to go and see what they were looking at.
"The mark of Shek K'zar," Giles said, his eyes shifting back and forth as he read the page. "Where?"
"Jacob. He had it on his shoulder."
"Who's Jacob?" Giles asked, his puzzled look focusing in on Willow.
Willow's eyebrows lowered, and a glum look spread over her face. "Buffy's party host."
Faith perked up instantly, her heart giving a small jump. "He's evil?" she asked, her excited tone drawing questioning looks from everyone in the room. "I mean... that's... damn." She brought her fist down across the table, but struggled to keep her lips from flickering upward.
Giles continued to stare at her for a short time, and then he shot to life, moving swiftly for the shop counter. "We have to warn her right away."
"Chill, Giles. I'm pretty sure B can handle some chump on her own. The guy's probably down and out already."
"Unless he's not working alone." Giles' index finger prodded at the buttons on the shop's telephone. Faith watched him as they all waited, her smile wavering more and more as Giles stood in silence. "Blast it. She's not answering."
Up on her feet, Faith's eyes bore into Willow. "Address," she demanded.
"Umm, Buffy said he lived out past Jefferson Hall on..." Her brow furrowed and she quietened for a moment.
"Willow!" Faith pressed.
"I'm thinking."
"Think faster."
"Ooh, on 34th street," Willow all but shouted, her hands coming up excitedly.
"Got it." Faith grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and began to slip it on as she headed straight for the exit.
"Wait," Giles called after her. "It might be best if we all go. We don't know exactly who or what we'll be dealing with."
While that might have been true, she wasn't about to risk letting anyone slow her down. "I'll meet you there," she replied over the small bell that rang out as she pushed through the front door.
----------
As she moved swiftly along the corridor, Faith kept an ear out as she passed each apartment. The building seemed suspiciously quiet in general, though that only made the combination of multiple voices behind one particular door stand out distinctly. Not waiting to find out if they said anything telling, or even bothering to try the handle, she thrust her foot out with enough force to take it straight from its hinges. If it happened that it had belonged to some ordinary, everyday students – well, not really her problem. She marched in, stepping straight across the downed door.
"Who the hell are you?" one of the occupants asked, getting to his feet from a three seater sofa, one of several chairs that surrounded a wide, low table filled with various bottles, glasses and snacks. Quiet background music, a handful of people, and a serious lack of a dance floor; not what she'd personally class as a party, but it seemed like the place.
"Oh, don't mind me, I'm just looking for someone. Blonde chick. Short. Cute. Kinda hard to overlook." She shrugged, casting her eyes over the remaining males that sat staring at her in confusion. "Unless this is a boys only club, if you catch my drift."
The guy who had gotten to his feet swaggered straight up to her, his wide grin oozing with confidence, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath when he brought his head close. "You're too late. She's already dead."
"Yeah?" Faith asked. "Huh." She looked up in thought for just a second, and then her arm shot out, grabbing hold of a generous handful of hair. Leaving him with no time to protest, she mercilessly drove his forehead into the wall beside the open doorway, hard enough to elicit a wail of pain that easily drowned out the preceding thud. "Wanna try that again, or do I need to get violent?"
The rest of the group – four more in total – were all quickly to their feet and heading her way. Not that they would have stood a chance on a typical day, but Faith had neither the time nor the patience to play nice. She tossed her current captive to the floor before stepping forward and unleashing a torrent of kicks and punches across the group. While she didn't put her full strength behind the attacks, each and every one hit its mark, and in only a matter of seconds unconscious body's were strewn across the chairs and floor.
Having not learnt his lesson, the original welcoming committee swung a large, glass bottle toward her head, but she had to do nothing more than lean to the side to avoid the contact. First she brought his stretched out arm down across her knee, and then after the bottle spun from his hand she grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him down on to the table. He landed back first, knocking bottles and glasses aside and sending the contents of a large bowl of chips catapulting across the room. Keeping him pressed in place by his neck, she leaned close. "One more time – where's Buffy?" she demanded.
"Go to hell," he replied before the grin crept back over his face. "That's where she'll be."
Faith's eyes narrowed for just a moment, but then slackened again as she gave an understanding nod. If he wanted to play games, then they could play games, she decided. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out her stake. "Here's how this is going to work. You're going to tell me where she is, or I'm going to show you what I can do with this," she said, her voice remaining far more calm than she felt. She had no proof that Buffy would still be fine, but she tried not to consider the alternatives.
"I'm not a vampire."
"Wasn't gonna aim for the heart." Still holding him in place with one hand, she used the other to dangle the weapon down over his face, letting the tip sway back and forth straight across his left eye.
"You're bluffing," he said.
His thinning voice didn't carry the same certainty as his words, and Faith's mouth crept into a small, sly smile. "But that's the thing. I'm in a bit of a conundrum right now, and I know we've just met but maybe you can help me out here. You see, I'm trying to move on, trying to start over, and I'm thinking killing someone else would really put a dampener on that. But on the other hand, I'm already screwed up. Probably always will be – a girl can't change her stripes and all that. So the way I'm looking at it, if I don't get to see what I want, you don't get to see what you want. Fair is fair, right?"
As the stake moved down, he quickly closed his eyes. She applied the smallest amount of pressure, the tip of the stake pressing over his eyelid, and a desperate whimper gurgled from his throat. "What was that?" she asked, tilting her head to bring her ear closer to his mouth. "Don't be shy, tough guy; I'm really eager to hear what you've got to say."
Faith saw his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed. "S-s-she's in the basement. D-down the hall."
The fear in his shaky voice and the tears beginning to descend from his closed eyes gave her more than enough confirmation. "See, now that wasn't so hard."
His mouth opened, but Faith's fast-moving fist sent him into a slack-jawed slumber before he could utter a sound, and his limbs slumped down to hang over the edges of the table.
----------
For the second time in recent weeks Buffy found herself waking up somewhere completely different to where she'd lost consciousness. She didn't particularly appreciate either one, but the first time had definitely been more comfortable. As it stood, her arms hung helplessly above her, the thick, iron chains wrapped around her wrists keeping them raised, and a pair of ropes tied tightly around her ankles and knees kept her legs firmly pressed together. All in all, she'd been left with little scope for any significant movement.
A pair of long, cuboid lights ran in parallel overhead, offering the only source of light in the windowless room. The closest of the two occasionally flickered on and off, generating an annoying clicking noise as it did so. The mould growing around the edge of the ceiling had left the air smelling dank. Bare, brick walls and a concrete floor did little to hold any warmth in, and that may have been part of the reason Buffy found herself releasing a shiver.
The other part had more to do with the sight in front of her. Jacob had turned the table to her side into some sort of altar. A series of bones had been placed around the edge, and she watched as he finished lighting the last of four large candles stood in-between. The creepy set-up looked at odds to the frilly, white tablecloth that lay underneath, giving Buffy a temporary pause.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He took his time to respond, first shaking his match until the flame went out and then idly tossing it to the floor before turning to face her. "Just someone interested in helping bring along a new age."
"What, the age of psychopathy? If it's all the same to you I think I'll just hold out for the new millennium."
"Ah, well I'm afraid you won't be around to see either one. It's nothing personal though. In fact I've been watching you and Faith for some time now, and I have to say I'm glad it's you here. You seem a little more – what's the word – grounded than the other one."
"And I'm flattered, really," Buffy began whilst she pulled at the chains, trying to loosen them from the wall with no tangible result. "But you shouldn't overlook Faith. She's actually quite nice once you get to know her. I could give her a call for you. Set something up?"
"Oh no, it would be rude of me not to finish now," he replied casually before turning his attention back to the altar. His hand disappeared down into a dark grey rucksack sat by the side of the table, and he pulled out a tall, brass goblet, taking his time to carefully position it dead centre. Two more times he reached into the bag, producing first a clear bottle that contained a substance that looked very much like blood, and then Buffy's eyes widened as he pulled out a short, serrated knife.
"I don't remember that being on the UC Sunnydale recommended inventory list," she said, unwilling to let her worry slide into her voice.
"Probably not, but then I doubt it mentioned stakes and holy water either. Besides, I'd say my work there is done, and I find the place a little bland to be honest. This town has its uses though. To think we wasted months trying to open the portal in Santa Barbara and all that time there was enough mystical energy to open a thousand portals a couple of hours away."
"Big with the magic, huh? This is just a hunch, but I don't suppose you were the one messing with our heads by any chance?"
A small, seemingly mocking laugh left his throat. "Me? I wish I had that kind of power. I did my part though. Getting close to you was enough. She needed a link – someone to channel through – as she couldn't exactly stroll onto campus without drawing a bit of attention. The three of them don't really blend in that well; trench coats and shades not really going to cut it."
It wasn't the answer Buffy had expected, but she was more concerned with stalling, and in that respect she'd gotten what she wanted. He had stopped pouring the liquid into the goblet and given her his full attention again.
"And how'd they get to Faith? You've never met her."
"I had someone follow her home. He didn't even have to get that close. I'm told her mind was all over the place. Fractured was the word they used. Apparently that makes getting in easier." He moved closer, smiling at her. "Not that you held out for long either. Or maybe you just really wanted to give her a good beating."
Buffy's fists clenched and she pulled angrily at her chains, the loud clanging and sudden movement causing him to visibly jump. "That was nothing compared to the beating she's going to give you when she gets here," Buffy warned sinisterly.
He smirked back at her. "You don't honestly think she's going to come, do you? After what you did, I'm betting deep down she'd be pleased to have you gone."
"I guess we'll see about that," she shot back defiantly, keeping up the brave façade. While she truly didn't believe Faith would voluntarily leave her hanging, so to speak, she was also well aware that nobody would be expecting her.
"I guess we will," he said before returning to the table. Buffy started to scan the room, though the bare area offered nothing that could help her, even if she could have actually moved anywhere. As her eyes reached the stairwell they lit up, and she breathed a sigh of relief, her fear evaporating in a second.
"Well I was wrong, B; the guy's definitely not boring. This is some pretty kinky stuff you two've got going on."
"Is now really the time?" Buffy asked, her voice rising all the way.
Faith wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but then shot forward quickly when Jacob grabbed the knife from the table. He hadn't even managed to turn toward Buffy before she had him by his wrist, and she twisted hard until he gave a small yelp and let the blade fall from his hand. "Come on now, when are guys gonna learn there's no sacrifice on the first date?"
"Still not a date," Buffy chimed in. She hadn't noticed until it was too late, but Jacob's free hand had crept its way around the half-filled goblet, and he threw the contents straight in Faith's face.
Both her hands shot up to try and push the layer of thick, red gloop away. "Son of a-"
"Faith, he's getting away!" Buffy shouted, and her chains jangled as she tried to free herself to help. At the speed Jacob was moving, he obviously knew his health depended on it.
"Little busy here, B." Faith rubbed at her eyes, and her face contorted in an impressive variety of ways as she tried to spit out the taste from her mouth. "I think I'm gonna hurl."
"Is it... blood?"
"Yeah."
Buffy winced, and Faith licked at the back of her hand before making another disapproving face. "He's all kinds of dead when I get my hands round his throat."
"Before we get to that, you think maybe we could do something about these chains? This really isn't as comfortable as it looks."
Faith ripped the tablecloth free from underneath the candles and bones, sending a good number of them rolling across the floor. She wiped it over her face a couple of times before discarding the stained material and casually strolling over to Buffy. She let her hand run down the chain before noisily sucking in a mouthful of air. "I dunno. What do you think it's worth?"
"How about I don't tell Giles you let a human get the drop on you?" Buffy offered sweetly.
Faith looked around both ways before shrugging. "Hey, I'm not the one chained to a wall." Buffy had barely finished narrowing her eyes when Faith U-turned. "Just messing, B. Chill... You know, I always thought you'd be a little more fun tied up."
Buffy gave a confused shake of her head. "What does that even-"
"Nothing," Faith interrupted. She yanked at one of the chains, offered Buffy a small, "huh," and then tried again. "Sturdy. Don't suppose you've got the key?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Try his bag."
After rummaging through the rucksack, tossing aside another bottle of blood, a four pack of beer, and a rolled up t-shirt, Faith held up a small, metal key. "Guess it's your lucky day."
A disbelieving laugh croaked from Buffy's throat. "Really not."
----------
"I thought you were going to sell that thing?"
"Was. Didn't."
"Oh." Buffy stood looking at Faith's motorcycle as if it might suddenly grow an array of limbs with which to attack her. The red, black and silver design may have looked sleek, but she considered that there was just something about the surrounding walls of a car that made her feel a whole lot more comfortable.
The two of them had ran into the rest of the gang after leaving the basement, only to find out that Jacob's group had already high-tailed it out of there. Giles had offered Buffy a lift home, but she had declined on the account of needing to talk to Faith about something. It was a decision she was currently regretting; his car may not have been the fastest moving thing in the world, but it did have those aforementioned walls.
"You getting on or what?"
Buffy took the helmet from Faith's held out hand. She looked it over, quickly decided that it didn't go with her outfit, but reluctantly pulled it over her head before cautiously mounting the seat.
The engine came to life, and suddenly unsure what she was supposed to do, Buffy tentatively wrapped her arms around Faith's waste, her hands lingering lost in the air for a short while before she allowed them to rest lightly against the girl's stomach. She felt she might be invading Faith's personal space, though the lack of a seatbelt didn't really leave her another safe option. If that was the case though then Faith didn't let it show.
"So when did you get your license?" Buffy asked, hoping some light conversation would make her feel a little less awkward.
"License?"
Her eyes slowly widened. "Oh God." It was too late for a change of heart, and her awkwardness was left in the dust as the vehicle shot forward. Her arms tightened around Faith's waist as she held on for dear life.
"I think there's a speed limit around here somewhere," Buffy said, raising her voice so she could be heard over the roar of the engine. It was an optimistic comment more than the imparting of any actual knowledge, and she couldn't spot a sign to back up her wish. Of course it would have been extremely easy to miss given how fast they passed the surrounding scenery. Buffy was quietly thankful that the roads were empty, at least barring the unfortunate and unsuspecting cat that ended up down one of its nine lives as it barely scrambled out the way.
"Wouldn't know," Faith shouted back, her complete lack of concern made evident when she barely slowed down to take the sudden right turn.
Thankfully the journey didn't last long, yet Buffy was still equal parts relieved and surprised to find herself in one piece when they pulled up outside the building to her dorm room. Though while Faith may have driven like a lunatic, Buffy did note that she'd also done so with a surprising amount of skill for someone who shouldn't technically have been on the road at all. Despite clinging to Faith as if she was hanging from the edge of a cliff, she realized she hadn't felt all that unsafe after the initial block or two. Or maybe three.
After dismounting and handing the helmet back, Buffy raked her fingers down through her hair, hoping to undo whatever damage it may have caused. She only stopped her primping when she caught sight of Faith's smirk in the side mirror. "What?" she asked innocently.
Faith simply shook her head. "Nothing. So are we Giles-ing tomorrow? I figure he'll be all kinds of desperate to spill some new info by then."
"Let's hope so," Buffy agreed. "Hey, but before you go, I just want to say thank you."
"Sure thing. It's on my way back anyhow."
"No, I mean for showing up before I got all hack and slashed."
"I wasn't exactly gonna leave you to those creeps."
Buffy hesitated for a moment, unsure whether it might be best to leave it at that, but she still felt a little guilty for ditching Faith. "I don't know why not," she said quietly. "You'd have every right to after I bailed on you."
"You're being a little harsh on yourself, B. Don't worry about it."
"But I did. All night in fact. I'm supposed to be your friend – I am your friend – and we're in this together. I shouldn't have taken off without you like that."
It was Faith's turn to hesitate. "Then why did you?" She didn't sound at all angry or bitter about it, though her smile slipped, leaving her looking much more sombre, and that had the result of making Buffy feel that little bit worse about herself.
"It's just – I guess ever since getting to Sunnydale I've never really fit in. And I know this probably sounds like some really lame excuse, but I thought college could be my chance to change that. I thought I could just be a normal girl sometimes, and I was so eager to go to a party or – or just go on one simple date. Maybe even make it through a whole week of lectures without some impending crisis getting in the way. But apparently I'm destined to be the freaky loner girl forever..."
Her voice trailed off. She was struggling to direct her words around to the point she wanted to make, and it was beginning to leave her feeling a little exasperated.
"Well if it helps any, you're a pretty awesome freaky loner girl."
"Gee, thanks," Buffy returned flatly, though she was left smiling and buoyed enough to try again. "The thing is, I realize now I was taking for granted the people I do have. I have Giles, and I have Willow and Xander." She offered Faith a hopeful smile. "And I felt more lonely tonight in a room full of people than I ever have when it's just you and me. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, you mean more to me than some guy or some stupid college party, and I really am sorry if I haven't always made that clear."
"Me too. I mean... you mean a lot to me as well."
Buffy smiled shyly in response. She'd expected some sort of backlash after her admission, or at the very least a stony reception, but instead she was left wondering how and when things had become so easy with Faith. Perhaps not always straight forward – no surprise given neither of their lives could honestly be described as that – but definitely something she could get used to. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
"You bet."
Buffy gave a small wave before heading toward her dorm building.
"Hey, B?"
"Yeah?" she asked, turning back to Faith.
"I really like your dress."
Buffy let out a laugh that was as short as it was happy. She glanced down and was pleased both that it seemed to be in one piece and that she'd managed to at least get one compliment on it that night. "Thank you, Faith."