***
“You need to contact the Powers, Angel,” Spike says, his voice low and
angry.
Angel starts to answer when the door to the shop opens and in rush Willow, Tara
and Dawn. They stop short at the sight of me.
“What’s going on?” Willow asks, glaring at me, then at Xander.
Everyone exchanges a glance. “Will…we need to ask you about something.”
Her expression changes to one of confusion. “What?” she asks, moving near
Tara.
“What’s Faith doing here?” Dawn asks huffily from behind them.
They ignore her for the moment. “Willow, are you attempting to bring Buffy
back?” Giles asks softly.
She stunned. “What? No! Why would I…no!”
Xander looks at her. “Are you sure?” he asks gently.
“I’m sure I’m sure,” she says, her voice a little angry. “I mean, I
wish I could, but I know that’s not possible, not a good idea, not
after….” She glances at Dawn.
Xander looks back at Giles. “If it’s not her….”
“What’s going on?” Willow demands, brushing past me to sit on the other
side of the table. “And yeah! Why is Faith here?”
“She’s here,” Spike steps in, “because she’s the Slayer now. And
because she helped knock out five vamps that wanted to turn Angel into a small
pile of dust.”
“So what’s with the bringing Buffy back questions?” Tara asked, taking a
seat.
“The vamps mentioned that they had to stop us from resurrecting Buffy,”
Angel says.
“And you automatically thought it was me,” Willow says to him, hurt.
“We only thought that because you’re the only one strong enough to.”
“Oh. Well, thanks then,” Willow said, a little sheepishly.
“So, it’s not Willow, and Dawn?” Xander asks, turning to the only
remaining Summers.
She shakes her head no. “I swear. I’m not doing anything. Not
after…mom,” she says softly.
We all just sit here, looking at each other. Finally, Giles says, “Angel, are
you sure these vampires said they had to stop us from bringing her back?”
Angel nods, impatiently. “Yes, I’m sure. I know what they said, what I
heard. They said they had to stop us, all of us, before we could bring the
Slayer back.”
“Maybe they meant me,” I say softly. Everyone turns to me. “Maybe they
didn’t mean Buffy…maybe they meant they had to stop you all before I could
come back here.”
They’re all still staring. It makes me uncomfortable, so I look down and play
with my hands. Maybe that’s wrong. Maybe that makes me sound like I’m
all-important. And then, it hits me. I look up in horror. “Sloan,” I say, my
voice barely above a whisper. I bolt out of my chair and head for the door.
Rushing outside I take off for Sloan’s apartment, full speed. I don’t know
how long it was before I noticed that Angel and Spike were at my side, running
with me.
We’re at his apartment in a matter of minutes, Xander, Giles and the rest all
trailing behind us. I start banging on the door. “Sloan! Sloan!” No answer.
“Screw knocking,” I say, and kick the door in. Rushing inside I look around
as quickly as possible. The room’s a mess. His stuff is everywhere, drawers
turned inside out, books knocked to the floor, pictures off the walls, broken.
Oh God, oh God. I turn around to see everyone walking inside.
“He’s dead,” I say. I know it.
“No, he’s not,” Angel says from the doorway. He and Spike are still
outside. “We can’t come in. He’s not dead.”
“What?”
“If he were dead we could come in…the invitation’s still required as long
as the person’s alive,” he tells me. It’s not much relief.
“I knew it. I knew something was wrong. I always check in with him. And he
wasn’t here…didn’t tell me…” Damn it. I can feel the tears coming,
rushing up inside me, hot and quick.
“Faith,” Giles says, “we’ll find him. Mr. Sloan is…well, he’s a
capable man. I’m sure he’s fine, where ever he might be.”
“I’ve gotta find him. He’s my Watcher,” I say, not caring that the tears
are streaking my face. “He’s my friend.”
The girls are staring at me. Finally, Dawn steps up. “We’ll find him,” she
says gently.
“Damn right we will,” Spike says, “and we’ll find him now. Come on.”
He turns and heads out. We all stare at each other for a moment, then follow
him.
“Spike, where are we going exactly?” Xander asks as we run to keep up.
He turns around, walking backwards. “Faith and I are going to Willie’s. You
and the rest are going back to the magic shop to wait for us. Get your supplies.
This won’t take long.” He turns back around and starts running.
I throw a glance at Angel and Giles, then run to catch up to Spike.
“This stops now,” he says as we run the few blocks to Willie’s. When we
reach it, Spike bursts through the front door, causing several vamps to jump and
move back. He strides to the bar, leans over and picks up Willie by his collar.
“What do you know?” he hisses.
Willie’s about to relief himself he’s so scared. “Spike!” he laughs
nervously. “My man! What’s going on?” Then he notices me behind Spike.
“Hey…new policy. No Slayers. Especially crazy ones.”
“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” Spike threatens. “Now, we can play this the
nice way or…no, come to think of it, I forget how the nice way goes. What do
you know?”
Willie starts coughing. “Come on Spike, let me down. I don’t know
nothing!”
Spike cocks his head. “You think I’m a little pissy right now? You should
see all the pent up energy she’s got. Couple years in prison, back in town
again…and well, maybe she is crazy…”
I step up to the bar and pick up a bottle, then break the neck off with my hand.
“Do you think this would fit down his throat?” I ask Spike.
He glances at me, interested. “I’d like to find out. If he’s dead, I can
eat ‘im.” He turns back to Willie, whose color now rivals the vampires. The
bar has all but cleared out.
“Ok! Ok!” Willie says hoarsely. “Whaddya want to know?”
Spike drop him onto the floor. “I think you know.”
Willie straightens his collar. “The Watcher…right?” he smiles, weakly.
“Yeah, ok…some vamps were in here the other day, talking about this new
Watcher in town, and the new Slayer. Well, the new-old Slayer.” He glances at
me, smiles nervously. My look wipes the smile off his face. “So…anyways,
they’re going to try and kill her…get you distracted with something, then
ambush you.”
Spike rolls his eyes. “Been there, done that. The kidnapping the Watcher
thing? Luring the Slayer? Yeah…doesn’t work out so well. Really, it’s
trite.”
“I’m bored,” I say.
“Look, that’s what they said. Not my plan,” Willie says.
“Where is he?” Spike asks.
“That old schoolhouse on Mill Road. The one-roomer…I think.”
“What’s with the talk of resurrecting Buffy?” I ask, my voice tensing.
He glances at us both, really nervous now. “I du-dunno.”
“That’s a shame,” Spike says, reaching over the bar and grabbing his shirt
again.
“You—you can’t hurt me…I know…that chip thing,” Willie stutters.
Spike smiles, this sick smile. “Yeah, but I can hold ya for her.”
Willie glances at me and I smile, tossing the broken beer bottle between my
hands. “I’m chip-free…and well, you know…crazy.”
“There’s a rumor…really, nothing more…that someone’s going to bring
her back…that it’s a prophecy that she’s the one…she’s supposed to be
there until the end…but I don’t know who! Really! I don’t!” Willie
shrieks as I step closer to him, wielding the bottle.
Spike and I exchange glances. “So it is about her,” I say softly.
“But it’s also about you,” he reminds me. He turns back to Willie.
“That’s it? No names, no descriptions? You don’t know when this is going
to happen?”
Willie shakes his head, frantically. “No, I don’t, I swear.”
Spike and I turn back to each other. “Ok,” I say simply, and we turn and
walk out of the bar, me tossing the bottle over my shoulder as we go.