Things that go bump in the night

The drive to Angels was already proving to be a nightmare in itself and they had been on the road barely three hours. Skylar had proven to hate the way the bus seemed to hit every pothole and had been screaming her head off for the last two hours. When Faith had finally calmed her down enough to sleep Andrew had made a new high score on his game boy and shrieked like a girl…waking the baby up for another round of screaming.



Kennedy looked about ready to shove said game boy down the nerd’s throat when Willow put a halting hand on the new slayers shoulder. Asher and Dawn were somehow passed out, leaning against each other and Buffy and Horus were at the front of the bus in deep discussion about something.



Sighing Faith nearly cried in relief when Skylar nodded off again, carefully she laid the baby in her car seat and covered her with a thin blanket. She looked up when B came and crouched down beside her.



“Were going to stop at the next hotel more the night, were running low on gas so it will give us a chance to contact Angel and refill. Okay?” Faith didn’t know why B was asking her anything but she nodded anyway. Turning away she stared at the endless span of desert, ‘God I can’t believe it’s finally over. Really wish Raya were here to see this.’



She had found out shortly after getting together with the wolf that she adored deserts. Stating that she would never live in one, she thought they were beautiful anyway. No doubt reminded her of her ancient homeland.



‘God I could really go for a drink right now.’ Looking down at the sleeping girl she knew she couldn’t because she was breastfeeding. Looking across the bus she saw Xander was passed out, his head hanging over the backs of one of the seats, smiling when she saw one of the girls carefully reach up and plug his nose, jumping away when he sputtered and woke up.



‘Maybe the world had not ended after all.’…just my world. Finally it seemed she fell asleep. Exhausted from the days trials.



******



Raya followed the manservant down the halls of the palace, taking in the old familiarities, the tall limestone pillars, scattered statues of the Gods and Pharaohs that came before her father. Turning down a long hallway she stopped as the guards opened the massive double doors that led to her father’s throne room.



Looking up at the man sitting in the throne she realized how old and so human he was. The large crown nearly overwhelmed his head, he was still a giant that she remembered from her childhood, but the lines on his face had deepened making his face seem more refined. Her mother stood at his side, there were tears in her blue eyes and Ray’s chest felt heavy realizing that Skylar truly did have her mother’s eyes.



Off to her fathers right stood the High Priest and before him was a small boy in princes clothing. The boys head was shaved except for a small knot off to the side. He was slender but showed the beginnings of having warriors build. ‘So this is my replacement.’



Surprised to feel only a fraction of the hostility she had prepared herself for when she looked into the Priests eyes. She couldn’t suppress the growl, pleased when he protectively pulled the child closer to him.



Dropping to her knees and bowed her head waiting for acknowledgement from her Pharaoh.



“Rise.” Pharaoh’s voice boomed across the walls of the room. Standing she looked her father in the eye.



“You claim to be High Prince Raya-Talsen. What proofs have you to these claims?” The Pharaoh knew this was his heir but after so many imposters he had to ask for sake of mind.



“Pharaoh, I bear the marks, I am Skin-Walker. What proof do you require” God it was strange talking this much Egyptian in one sitting again. But what’s more being talked back too was in a way like coming home.



“My Queen Brigitte is mother to Raya-Talsen. She is Skin-Walker as well, I require you to change into the animal the Gods have blessed you with.” Smiling, her father was a smart man. Skin-Walkers were not just wolves; there were also tigers and bears as well as other species. Her mother was tiger, and most imposters must assume she was as well. Only few knew she was to be wolf.



Undoing the hooks to her toga she let it drop to the ground. Stepping out she shifted, savoring the feel as her sense that were higher than average no matter what all but tripled as the change took over her. Moments later the Pharaoh was looking at a large wolf, more black to its fur than anything but its underbelly and legs were checkered with gray and white hair. Nearly heady with joy at having his child return to him he stood; presenting his hand to her mother he led the blonde woman down the steps towards the wolf.



“Welcome home my child.” He spoke looking to his wife to find her face wet from tears and the makeup she had on ruined beyond repair. Letting go of her hand he waved the guards out of the room. It would not do to have them see the Pharaoh and Queen as anything less than godly.



*******



As they pulled into the parking lot of the Eldorado Inn everyone wearily climbed off the bus. Giles did a head count and turned to Buffy telling her they would need five rooms. Looking around the parking lot Faith saw three other cars, two mini vans and one piece of junk that looked beyond repair. Adjusting the car seat she followed Horus and Asher into the lobby. Ignoring Giles as he said they should all wait outside. ‘Yea right G-man, I’m going to stand outside in that heat with a week old baby. Dream on.’

Okay so the sun was setting but it was still pretty hot outside.



She turned to see Dawn walking towards her with an envelope she knew contained a fraction of everyone’s lumped sums of cash they had on them. She knew that in a little blue duffel in the back of the bus there was wads of cash that yours truly had stolen from the ATMS, ‘Hey everyone bitched at me and look what happened…Sunnydale’s a giant hole in the ground and there a couple thousand dollars richer.’



Faith turned and saw Dawn making puppy eyes at a good looking kid about her age. Judging from the way he was dressed as yet another wannabe rock star she guessed he owned that piece of shit in the parking lot. Watching as he smiled and walked out to the…HA she was right…and B says to never judge a book by its cover.



Taking the room key from Horus she walked down to there room. Five B, ok then…stepping into the room she saw to queen beds, a small TV that was missing a few buttons, a rusted fan and the sheets had some sort of mystery stain on them.



‘Home sweet home’ Walking to the bed closest to the door she laid the car seat on it and when she was satisfied it wouldn’t suddenly fall off she set down her duffel and looked over to Horus.



“Hey can you watch her so I can help the others with the bags?” Horus nodded mutely. Obviously still pissed at Asher about some unknown thing he had done on the road. Probably when the kid had dumped a milkshake over the roof of a car of stupid little punks that had flashed the girls the ‘goods’, she had thought it was perfectly justified but Horus as Asher’s parent, not her.



Heading out the door she looked down at the parking lot when she sensed some pretty pissy vibes from B; see the cause she saw Dawn flirting shamelessly with the wannabe rocker. She had to give it to the kid, she had good taste. He had a goatee, cargo shorts and vans, wore out tank top that at one point probably had been black but now was gray and his hair she could tell had been a few different colors in its day but was dyed black.



“Cant wait to see where this one goes” Faith said to no one as she turned and jumped down the stairs two and a time and went to help the SIT’s with the bags. Breaking into a run when Andrew asked for a volunteer to walk with him to refill the gas can. Laughing outright when she heard Kennedy pulled the metaphorical short straw.



She knew there was justice in the world.



******



~That Night~

Standing at the window, she lit her cigarette and stepped outside Leaning over the rail she stared out over the open desert. What town there was was visible on the other side of the hotel. Turning when she heard a door open she saw Red walk out pulling a small blanket over her shoulders. Walking towards her she let the Redhead stare at her for a full five minutes before acknowledging her.



“What’s up Red.?”



“Nothing much Faith, just came out for some air.” Looking pointedly at the cigarette Faith smirked and offered her one which surprisingly sent the witch to about ten different shades of red. Why she had no idea.



“How are you doing Faith?”



“I’m five by five, or I would be if everyone would stop asking me that.”



Willow studied her…friend? Yeah why not, she hadn’t been the only one to notice how the fight seemed to go out of the girl when Raya died. There was a light in her eyes that had gone out. Her steps weren’t as cocky or confident and she was more reserved than Willow had ever seen her. But she was putting on a good show.



“Okay Faith, if you want to talk you know ill listen” Willow continued on down the path and down the stairs.



Stabbing her cigarette against the railing she turned and went back into her room and collapsed heavily on the bed. Praying she could forget about Raya for one night. Rolling away from the sleeping wolves she buried her face into a pillow and stopped fighting the tears as they seemed to fall like rain.



********



The next morning Horus was walking back to the room where Faith was waiting with Skylar. He stopped listening to make sure the woman wasn’t crying again. He knew she wouldn’t be grateful for his comfort because of the pride that she seemed to have in spades so when he heard tears he made sure he made enough noise to alert her of his presence, knocking softly he opened the door and went in after he heard her say ‘ come in’



Looking up at his mothers mate, he noticed her face was wet. ‘She washed it…’ looking over to the baby who was sleeping soundly on her stomach he went over and picked up food wrappers and left again to dispose of them, oddly enough they were the only ones with a baby and the only ones without a trash can.



Walking past Dawn and Buffy’s room he stopped when he thought he heard whimpering. Leaning into the door he heard Dawn tell someone to ‘stop’ and ‘please leave’ looking down at the bus he saw Buffy standing there talking with Xander and Giles.

Opening the door he saw the boy Dawn had been flirting with yesterday holding her wrists and trying to kiss her, without thinking Horus strode into the room and grabbed the boy by the shirt yanking him across the room where he landed with a loud crash.



“What the fuck man, she wanted it!” Enraged Horus stalked over to the boy and grasped him by the ankle and pulled him off the ground and hung him over the railing above the parking lot.



“HORUS STOP!” Dawn yelled running to him. She was relieved he had taken Seth off her but she didn’t want him to kill the boy.



“He was trying to hurt you Dawn, he must pay.” Horus turned to the boy and remembered something he had heard on the TV. “Apologize to her”



“No way man had she wanted it.” The boy squeaked when Horus loosened his grip enough for him to slip few inches.



“I did not you stupid asshole.” Dawn was seething now. At this point she was trying to figure out how far away Horus could get if he DID drop the kid.



“Apologize and say ‘no means no’….I am not a patient man.” Horus lowered the kid some more. Pleased when he heard him whimper.



Faith stepped out of the room when she heard Horus talking to someone. Freezing at the sight she wanted to laugh and yell at the wolf.



“Okay…no more cable for him” Faith said to Red before walking over to Horus.



“Horus put the boy down.”



“I intend to if he doesn’t apologize for assaulting Dawn.”



Glaring down at the kid, she knew she would let Horus beat the pulp out of him if it wasn’t for the fact that he would go to prison. And on paper Horus and Asher didn’t exist so that would not be good.



“Horus let him go. I think has learned his lesson.”



“Not until he apologizes” Horus was determined.



Sighing she turned to the kid who was starting to look pretty red in the face and close to passing out.



“Just apologize and you can go”



“FINE….IM SORRY” Horus yanked the boy over the railing and the kid landed in a thud. Picking up the trash he looked back at Dawn to see she was being comforted by Buffy and so he went to finish throwing out the trash.



TBC



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