SUNSET

Chapter Two


A strong gust of wind entered the room, but there were no open windows and the door was closed. The cape started to billow and vibrate, and then there was a brilliant flash of light. The slayers felt an electrical charge run through their bodies, as they were transported through a dimensional doorway.

They were falling through the dark void, all sense of balance or gravity lost to them. Instinctively, they reached out to the only thing that mattered, each other. Fingers clutched in desperation, hoping for an anchor of security and comfort. Grasping hands gained purchase, and the terrified women managed to cling to one another. In the midst of the chaos, they found solace in each other’s arms.

The darkness was brutal, and disorienting as they tumbled and swirled; for what seemed like hours. Faith held Buffy tightly against her, with her hand cradling those blonde tresses, pressing her face into the hollow of her shoulder.

She was protecting her from sights and horrors yet unseen, content in the awareness that this might be the end for them. Her only comfort against the uncertainty facing them was Buffy’s warm breath on her neck. Faith pulled her closer, accepting the end; holding her love.

The impact when they fell to earth was startling, and the wind was knocked from them both. The rubbish heap that broke their fall was of little
comfort. Faith came to first, with Buffy sprawled atop her, the cape
and her body having absorbed most of the shock from the landing. Buffy lay unconscious.

The dark slayer surveyed her surroundings, and sensing no imminent danger, began to shake the petite blonde snuggled against her.

“B…Buffy, wake up; sleepy time is over!”

Buffy’s eyes opened and her nose wrinkled at the stench, she was still a little confused, but happy to see Faith.

“Ewwww, what is that smell? Faith, you need a shower.”
*Yep, B’s just fine*, Faith thought to herself as she smirked.

“Any other time, I’d love to have that sexy body on me, but right now you way a ton, take a load off B.”

Slowly, Buffy extricated herself from Faith’s soft cushioning and stood painfully upright. There were scraps of garbage in her hair and what seemed like a battalion of flies circling her. It was only when she attempted to brush off her clothing; that she realized; she wasn’t wearing any!

She looked down at Faith who was clad only in the cape, she vaguely remembered, before they were swept away. Her memory was jogged by something else far more menacing, the perfect canine incisors displaying themselves prominently in Faith’s mouth.

“I know the body’s all that, but damn B, ya just gonna stand there gawkin’ at me, give a girl a leg up; will ya?”

Buffy’s slayer intuition was activated and keen, causing her to look immediately at the horizon. The sun had just set over the hills, accounting for the reason why Faith wasn’t harmed. It also meant whatever vampire attributes Faith had taken on, including the extra strength and hunger; would start to assert themselves sooner than l.
\r.

Preparing for any suspicious movement, THE slayer reached down and grabbed the brunette’s hand, helping her to her feet. Faith recognized the stance and the tension in Buffy’s body language; they were in tune with each other, having shared so many battles. Faith glanced around quickly, on alert.

“What is it B, don’t tell me we’ve got to deal with a freakin’ vamp right now?

“Kinda sorta, Faith; checkout the extra dentage.” Buffy pointed to her own mouth for direction, and then pointed at Faith.

The taller girl wriggled her lips over the slightly protruding canines, and reached her hand up to confirm; what she thought, she’d just felt. Her eyes stretched wide with disbelief and she whimpered incredulously. Upon further examination, she found the usual bumps and ridges were absent.

“Ok, I realize that I dressed up like a vamp for Halloween, but whatever mystical force is yanking my chain, I’m not feelin’ the ha ha’s, OK!”

Buffy looked at Faith standing there naked, but for the cape; shouting up into the night sky at some unseen force, and broke down in laughter.

“C’mon B, this shit isn’t the least ways funny. I’m standing here almost buck naked, in a gotdamn cape, vamped out, and you’re just waiting to kick my ass.”

“Whatever gave you that idea Faith?” Buffy snickered in between words.

“B, from one slayer to another, cut the bullshit. I’ve seen you like that a hundred times, that’s your ‘I’m gonna kick some vamp ass’ stance.”

“Alright Faith, you’ve made your point, but don’t give me a reason. We’ve got to get some clothes and find out where the hell we are.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Closer observation revealed the slayers were in a secluded alley hidden behind a row of Shoppes, situated on a main thoroughfare. Faith kicked in the first door she came to, and they ran inside.

She felt along the wall for a light switch out of habit. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the layout of the room, and she noticed a lantern mounted on the wall instead. Once Faith was satisfied they were alone, she and Buffy looked for clothes and food.

As luck would have it, they had broken into a haberdashery, which solved the clothing dilemma. They grabbed the first things they came across that fit. The only thing available to them was men’s clothing, but they made due with a set of trousers, shirt and jacket for each of them.

Besides the obvious men’s clothing, the Shoppe was adorned with dusted wigs, snuffboxes, walking canes and other items that were the fashion of the day, in the early 1700’s. Buffy thought to herself, that someone had gone to an awful lot of trouble to recreate everything so authentically.

There wasn’t a trace of anything modern in the whole place, there were even quill pens, inkwells, proper stationary and emblem seals complete with accompanying wax. Now that she paid closer attention, even the air smelled differently.

“We’ve got to get out of here Faith, whoever owns this place will probably be back in the morning. Obviously, you can’t move about during daylight, and then there’s the problem of uh…food.”

“Now that you mention it B, I could do with a little swig.” Faith playfully flicked one of her canines and wiggled an eyebrow suggestively.

THE slayer looked at her with purpose, “You’ve already had everything you’re going to taste from me baby. Make no mistake, try anything and I will send you to dustville.”

“Oooo, gonna get dusted by the slayer, does that mean I can’t fuck ya anymore either B?” Faith winked flirtatiously and licked her lips.

There was no question that Faith had her number, and Buffy felt a familiar pull from her loins at the sight of those full, moist lips; but the sharp incisors brought her back to reality. Her lover was a vampire and she couldn’t be trusted, no more, no less.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


It was when they finally stepped out into the cool night air that Buffy figured out how much trouble they were in. The street was cobble-stoned and busy with the traffic of people going about their lives. There were several horse-drawn carriages lining the streets, and the lights beckoning from the well-lit establishments were welcoming.

“Faith, big trouble brewing here.”

“Why B? I never pictured you for butch, but the duds look cool on ya.”

The blonde became more exasperated, shaking her head, “No, Take a good look around, it’s all Amadeus around here.”

Faith looked around puzzled, “Amadeus, B?”

“Riiigt…you probably didn’t see that movie…ok.”

It reminded Faith of one of those Christmas Towne models, people liked to decorwithwith around the holidays; only this was eerily real. The cape was tucked securely under her arm as she nodded at Buffy affirming that she was ready. She was strangely excited and a little captivated by all the activity going on around them, the sights and smells seemed more vivid to her.

Buffy looked down the street at a building, the sign hanging in front read Grundle’s Inn: Fine food and Lodging est. 1773. She tapped her companion on the arm, shaking her from the temporary stupor.

“Faith, there’s an Inn down the street, we can go there and get a room for the night.”

“And who are you gonna blow to pay for it B, no cash; remember?”

They both heard screaming off in the distance, the fearful cries of a
Woman. The slayers ran through the street, their supernatural hearing
guiding them to the source of the wailing.

He was beating her brutally, the drunkard was, raining blow after forceful blow on the woman, pummeling her like she was a rag doll. Faith became enraged at the sight of it; the woman was a helpless victim against the drunkard’s flailing fists. Before Buffy could act, the dark slayer bounded across the alley with eye-blurring speed.

“Son of Bitch, you like beating on women, huh? She screamed as she pounced on the dumbfounded man, lifting him by his collar and throwing him across the alley!

“Ugh…ugh…fucking coward, beat on me.” She growled as she slapped at the man’s face and shoulders, “Look at ya, scared like a little bitch now, aren’t ya!”

Buffy hesitated briefly, shocked at Faith’s violent reaction; before she helped the battered woman to her feet.

“You should get on home now, and take care of that face, we’ll …uh…see to him forthwith Ma’am.” Buffy tried to deepen her voice, conscious that she was dressed like a man, albeit a small one.

The shaken woman didn’t protest, but offered thanks to her unlikely saviors, as she looked once more through tear-filled eyes at Faith and her terrible rage before running to safety.

Buffy turned her attention back to Faith, wondering just how far she would have to go to stop her from beating the man to death. The worst-case scenario came into play as she watched Faith’s mouth open, exposing those fierce canines; and her eyes glaze over with something so feral; it scared her. *Oh, my God, she’s going to kill him. *

The feeble, terrified man screamed in pain, begging for his life as Faith held him by his arms with such power, that the sickening crunch of bone was audible. He watched as death approached him, in the form of this beautiful, vicious creature. Faith sank her teeth deeply into his jugular, tasting the warm, salty elixir of his life force.

She moaned as she drank, clutching him in a sick parody of a lover’s embrace draining him an inch from death. The passing of his life into her body was exhilarating and iate ate beyond anything she’d know in
life. Now she felt a kinship with all the vampires she’d ever slain.

Buffy looked on in horror as Faith ravaged her victim, finally discarding his body like a crushed beer can she had drained, showing no remorse or regard for the life she’d just taken. The blonde was instantly saddened by the implications of what lay ahead for her. Before her very eyes, she had watched her love turn from protector, to predator. A predator she was chosen by fate, to hunt and kill.


TBC