Buffy was perched atop a gravestone. Her legs absently swung back and forth as she eyed the freshly dug grave across from her. She knew she could count on Giles for many things, but she also knew she could count on the undead to rise even more. She had planned on taking his advice of a night off, but after spending several hours tossing and turning in bed, and having checked her alarm clock one too many times, late night slayage seemed like the best way to ease her tension.
She willed the vampire up from the ground as her boredom grew. She used to spend most of her nights there alone, though Giles, Willow and Xander would occasionally tag along, and there was a time when unplanned make-out sessions with Angel were a regular occurrence. Mostly though, it was just her and the undead. It wasn't exactly the pinnacle of late night entertainment, but she had gotten used to it.
Over the past month she had been sharing slaying duty with Faith, and right then she missed the company. Conversation with Faith was peculiar. She'd heard energetically told tales of slain foes in gory levels of detail, and been told more about the girl's private life than she had ever needed to know. Yet somehow Faith had managed to not really tell Buffy anything about herself. Buffy was no stranger to the notion of secrecy, but Faith was a closed book. The antique journal type that came with a lock but no key. Then again, she thought bitterly, perhaps that's how people acted when they were spying for the enemy.
That single thought was enough to raise her anger level considerably, though the sound of scratching from beneath the ground still brought a small smile to her face. About time, she thought, as a hand shot up through the dirt. A second hand followed, and soon the vampire had pulled itself free from its grave. It had the appearance of a college student, and a frat boy at that. Buffy found it odd that the guy had been buried in a flowery shirt and long shorts, but she'd seen all kinds. Its long bleach blonde locks had easily picked up the dirt, which really put the boots in to its over-thought surfer look.
It noticed her instantly, looking her up and down hungrily as a grin spread over its face. "Gnarly. Breakfast's here already."
"Not so much," Buffy replied as she jumped to her feet.
She pulled her stake from her waistband, and the grin left its face instantly. "Woah there, wait, I was just kid-"
A front kick cut off the vampire's words as she sent it flying into the side of a nearby crypt. It hit the stone hard and flopped straight down to the floor. "That was way uncalled for," it said as it gingerly made its way back to its feet.
"Oh, it was called for," Buffy said as she strode toward it. "You know what's not called for?"
It swung a hand at her, but she easily avoided it, and retaliated with a punch of her own, twisting its head to one side.
"Sneaking around behind people's backs," she said angrily, throwing her other fist into the vampire's stomach.
"Betraying your friends." An uppercut snapped its head backwards. "Stealing other people's boyfriends."
Its eyebrows rose questioningly. "Huh? But I'm not even-"
A roundhouse kick sent it flying again, this time into a gravestone, and the momentum took it straight over to land face first into the soil.
"This is totally a case of mistaken identity," came its complaining voice after a moment, muffled by the ground.
Buffy closed the gap before it had a chance to do anything else, pulling it onto its back and gripping it around the neck. She raised her stake in the air.
"Whoa, wait, wait!" it pleaded against her grip as its hands raised defensively. "I think I know what's going on here, and I can totally help you deal."
Buffy raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused, but she gave it a moment to explain itself. After all, she had nowhere else to be.
"Yeah," it began again, its voice sounding more confident. "You and your friend had a falling out, right? Well I know this guy. He can totally score you some weed, and I mean the good shit. Then you two can get together, chillax, and like, talk this stuff out."
Buffy raised the stake higher.
"Whoa, OK, no weed, no weed. That's cool, I get that. Maybe you just need to like..." Its voice trailed off for a moment. "I dunno, maybe count to ten or something?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. That was a trick that had really never worked for her. She plunged the stake down through its heart, and its eyes opened wide.
"So not cool," it managed before it turned to dust.
Buffy stood and patted her trousers clean. That had made her feel a little better, though the adrenaline was still rushing through her, and she wished she had seen more fresh graves when she had done the rounds. Unfortunately she was left with little else to do but return home.
Or was she.
An idea was fast forming in her head, and she knew instantly that it was a bad one. She knew that Giles would definitely not approve. She also knew that had never stopped her before.
Besides, the vampire hadn't been completely wrong: there was definitely some stuff that needed a good talking out.
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It was approaching two in the morning as Buffy found herself creeping down a dimly lit hallway. She walked softly, trying to no avail to suppress the squeaks of the old floorboards, and she winced each time one cried out. This place is actually more depressing than the graveyard, she thought. She had been there before, but had never paid much attention to the surroundings. Taking in the details for the first time – as many smashed lamps as lit ones, a sickly smell rising from the remains of the carpet beneath her feet, dark stains adorning the walls – she wondered how Faith could live there. It took a moment before it occurred to her that there had probably been little choice in the matter.
Faith had shown up in Sunnydale alone. No family, no watcher, and nowhere to go. In comparison, Buffy had a caring mother, a place to stay, and friends she knew she could count on. She pictured Faith there, all alone, as she recalled her temporary flight to Los Angeles. She remembered how hard it had been to drag herself out of bed to go to work every morning when she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and forget everything. She remembered how draining it had been, even as her café shifts ended, knowing she would return to nothing but a grotty motel room where no one would be waiting for her.
Was that Faith's life in Sunnydale? It hadn't crossed her mind before, but now she questioned why she had never invited Faith around for dinner and a movie, or to The Bronze with her friends. She loved her friends and family; they gave her the strength she needed in her endless battle. Without them-
She didn't even want to consider the notion.
Buffy was stood at her destination, only a single, scratched-up wooden door standing between herself and Faith's room. The last time she had been there she had found Faith on her knees, furiously scrubbing blood from her clothes. This time she didn't know what to expect, or even how to make her entrance. Her first instinct was to put her foot straight through the door. The noise would probably wake any neighbours, but the place didn't seem the type where people would investigate. It would also leave Faith with no time to prepare an ambush or escape. On the other hand, it was almost guaranteed to put Faith straight on the defensive; not a good idea if Buffy wanted to talk.
Is that what she was there for, she asked herself. Her plan had pretty much boiled down to 'Go to Faith's place'. It wasn't the most cunning idea ever concocted, but it had seemed good enough at the time. As she stood in front of the final barrier though, she had no idea what to do next. Violence was not the intention of her visit – even if Faith had deserved at least one solid punch – but she was unsure of how to confront her. Would Faith even listen to her? Or would fists start flying before she got the chance to speak? She found herself questioning just how easily it could get out of hand, and she considered turning around whilst there was still time.
One way or another it was going to happen though, she realized. Whether it was then or in a week's time. Sunnydale wasn't huge, and they wouldn't avoid each other forever. At least the late night visit was on her own terms, and she didn't have to worry about the mayor interfering or her friends being caught in the crossfire. It was probably the best chance she was going to get.
Feeling sufficiently reassured, she cast aside the idea of a forceful entry and instead took a firm hold of the doorknob. She took a deep breath and then slowly turned the grip. Her pulse quickened as the latch clicked. The door crept slowly open. Her eyes scanned the interior as dim light from the hallway flowed into the room.
Nothing, she thought. Not literally empty, but close enough, and certainly no Faith. She moved her arm up the wall until her fingers found the light switch. Her eyes squinted as a much brighter light shone into them. It took a few moments to adjust before she was able to give the room a more thorough going over. The bed was not in use; nothing but rips left covering the single mattress. Empty hangers were all that remained in the open wardrobe. A single knee-high bedside cabinet was the only other piece of furniture in the room, and Buffy made her way over to it.
Pulling the solitary drawer open revealed a bottle opener and an Italian takeaway menu. Beer and a pizza struck her as typical Faith food – not that she was a master chef herself – but she had hoped for something a little more revealing; a forwarding address wouldn't have hurt. She angrily shoved the drawer shut again, and it gave a small, uncaring thud in reply. She had fully expected to find Faith waiting, and she had given no consideration to any other outcome. Maybe it really was for the best, but for some reason she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"Damnit, Faith," she said out loud. "Where are you?"
----------
Giles clearly did not understand the importance of sleep, Buffy thought to herself as she pushed open the library door. She had made it to bed just after three that morning, returning home straight from Faith's old room. It had been later still when she'd finally drifted to sleep, and it hadn't lasted nearly long enough. Giles called her before seven, and he was adamant that they spoke before school began. So there she was, her mind split between what news Giles might have had and just how bad the bags under her eyes must have looked. She suspected neither answer would provide a comforting start to the day.
No sooner had she stepped inside, Giles appeared from inside the book cage. "Ahh, Buffy. Thank God."
"You know, Giles," she began, before he had a chance to bombard her with information. "Even Slayers need the occasional lie in." She didn't receive a smile or a comment back, and she noted his solemn look and tired eyes. "Say, you weren't by any chance up all night as well were you?"
"I wish that were the problem," he replied dryly before speaking with more energy. "Listen. I found something about our extinct-"
"We found something!" came a voice from the cage. Significant emphasis had been placed on the 'we', and Buffy instantly recognised both the voice and the source of Giles' new found pain. His eyes portrayed a beaten man as Wesley stepped out beside him. Looking far more perky than Giles, Wesley offered Buffy a wide grin which she didn't return, though it had no effect on his obvious joy.
"Last night we begun our research into the Zhegia Demkim." Wesley began, his voice filled with the level of drama usually reserved for reading a child a bedtime story. "As the hours passed it began to look bleak. Giles was on the verge of giving up for the night, but being the younger watcher I was wide awake-"
"Giles," Buffy interrupted, diverting her gaze from Wesley. "What did you find?"
"We find!" Wesley piped up, once again emphasising the collaboration.
She noticed Giles clench his fists, and she offered him a sympathetic look before trying again. "What did the two of you find?"
Wesley stayed silent, seemingly contempt with her alteration, and Giles used the opportunity to explain. "Wesley found a reference to a set of crystals thought to have been in the hands of The Keepers. I cross-referenced the accompanying sketch, and it seems they are The Shards of Ursula. They were created by a powerful witch coven, and each individual crystal is thought to possess significant mystical energy."
"Not good," Buffy surmised.
"Very much not, but it gets worse."
"Of course it does." Yep, really not a great start to the day, she thought.
"With all three crystals, any adept owner would possess the power to perform just about any spell they please. Psychokinesis. Regeneration. Transmutation."
"They'd be pretty much unstoppable?" Buffy asked, though she knew the question was unnecessary.
"It would seem so."
"OK, well, no biggie. So we just find them first?" she asked hopefully.
"Ideally, yes. Unfortunately The Keepers did a rather good job of hiding the shards. They haven't been seen for quite some time. However-"
"I found one!" Wesley declared, bringing an exasperated sigh from Giles. "Hidden in plain sight, as it were, at Sunnydale's very own Natural History Museum. Handily transferred in from a place in Montgomery just last night."
Seeing how pleased Wesley looked with himself, Buffy wondered just how hard he had fought with himself to keep that information quiet until then. "So it looks like I'm going on a pre-school trip." She frowned as she considered her poor choice of words.
"I think it would be best if you waited until after dark," Giles said, obviously aware of her intended meaning. "The museum will be well populated during the day, and a failed burglary attempt could bring the item to the attention of the mayor."
"Then it's a plan!" Wesley said. "Tonight Buffy shall go to the museum, extract the shard, and then return it to us straight away. Meanwhile, we shall remain here and find a method to destroy it."
"We?" Giles asked, his voice strained.
Buffy took that as her cue to split. "Well guys, I better get to class. But have fun." She aimed the final words at Giles, whose eyes widened in alarm.
"B-B-But class doesn't start for at least another hour. Perhaps you should stay a-a-and h-help." He gave her a pleading look.
"What can I say, Giles? When it comes to schoolwork, I'm an eager beaver. Besides, you two have totally got this covered." After taunting Giles with a purposefully over-enthusiastic smile, she turned and headed for the exit.
"Righty-oh then, a cup of tea before we begin?"
Buffy heard Wesley's enthused words as she made her escape. She wasn't sure if it was only her imagination, but she could have sworn she also made out a soft whimper as the library door swung shut behind her.