Things that go bump in the night

Faith stared slack-jawed as the stranger continued to stare at her, waiting for her to react. But all Faith could do was stand there pissed as all hell and utterly struck dumb. Apparently Buffy wasnt in the same boat. At this moment she was bent over at the waist struggling to catch her breath from laughing so hard.

"Oh my god faith...maybe next time i tell you not to touch a statue in the middle of a tomb...you fuckn listen." Buffy stood and wiped tears from her eyes. "So...Raya-Talsen?Is it?"At the womans nod she continued"Well umm...are you a demon or anything that popped outa evil?"


Buffy looked the girl over. She was taller. Probably taller than Faith. Her body was tanned and fit. There was an almost animal quality about her. She didn't miss the pointed ears, or the darkened fingernails. She seemed to look like Oz before he went all wolfy.


"Look first off...who the fuck are you? And what're you talking about...'mate'...lady i am soooo not mate material. Your better off with princess over here"Faith jerked her head. Relieved more than anything to be able to utter a word instead of standing there like an idiot.

"I will tell you who i am. I swear it. But I wish to dress myself first. All you need to know right now is i am the Great Pharaohs prince." At that she walked between them and continued to the entrance of the cemetery.Turning once to look back at the slayers.
"You coming?" She asked as an eyebrow arched perfectly.

The girls began walking toward the stranger. Each lost in there own thoughts. The woman gave no evil vibe. But she didn't seem...'normal' course why would she...she popped outa a wrecked tomb.

"Hey B" Faith looked at the blonde "Now i know i haven't been to school in awhile...but aren't princes male?" The blonde nodded and turned to look at Raya-Talsen.
"She most certainly isnt...male...well she is your 'mate' so you ask her" Buffy finished this in a sickly sweet voice.

Growling Faith sped up past her and caught up to the woman.
"Hey Ray...so umm...you said your prince?" Faith watched as the woman nodded.
"Well correct me if i'm wrong but aren't princes men?" Faith looked up into the womans face.
"Yes...but my father could not name me heir if i were woman. So i was raised as a son. There for seen as a man." Raya looked down at the girl. Wondering how much time had passed during her slumber.

This place seemed so alien but she knew it well. The smells, the sounds were so different. Turning to look one last time at the pair of girls. She sniffed the air catching there scent. Now she could find them anywhere.

"Come on Faith. Lets just get her home and see if Giles can think of anything." Buffy walked up to Raya...'God it was bad enough with Faith, now i gotta nearly strain my neck to look her in the eye. "You coming? I can get you food and clothes at my place." Raya nodded and looked back to Faith.

"You know what B you and Ray-Ray here go on back to your place im just gonna go crash." Faith turned and started walking before B could light into her about ditching her with the woman. Instead B was silent. Turning slightly she saw that Raya was following her. And B just stood there. God didn't this woman wanna be a hostess or some shit. The one time Faith was gonna let B have her way and run the show she just lets it follow her.

"We are mates now. I go where you go." Raya said when she caught the flash in the dark ones eyes. She was really fighting to be patient. God she was terribly hungry and these two girls were taking forever to bring her to food. She didn't want to hunt because she was to weak to fight anything were she to come in contact with a demon or blood-rat.

"Look lady i am so not your mate. I don't play for that team. I was in the minors. Never went pro. So PLEASE just leave me alone." Faith looked back at Buffy, seeing she wasn't gonna be any real help. She just threw her hands in the air and turned to stalk off but instead she nearly hit her head on a tree trunk as Raya grabbed her and threw her over her shoulder and turned back towards B.

"We are ready to come to your home."She said so seriously that Buffy couldn't help but nearly piss herself from laughing so hard.

"Yea come on then. Its this way. You can put her down you know?"Buffy watched as the tall stranger narrowly dodged a knee and she could hear Faith punching and hitting her back.
"No, shes more likely to comply this way."

"Okay just sayin."Buffy turned and led the way to her house. Neither woman listened as Faith swore and cussed so badly that nearby vampires decided to find a meal elsewhere.

***********

At the Summers resident. A wide-eyed Dawn sat on the sofa. Staring at the woman dressed in sweats and large t-shirt finishing off her fifth helping to the leftover lasagna. She could hear Buffy and Faith fighting upstairs about what to do with the new stranger and knew the stranger could too.
Turning towards the TV she picked up the remote and flipped it on.
Jumping at the sound Raya vaulted over the side of the couch and sat in a low crouch, staring at the box.
"Dawn...why are there people in that box?"Raya turned and looked at the child.She dare not call the girl a child again after the reaction it had gotten earlier.

"Umm...well see the thing is they do it by...shit...BUFFY!"Dawn didn't mind the womans questions. She just didn't wanna get stuck with the hard questions. Willow and Tara walked into the living room with a large old book. As Faith and Buffy came downstairs they all took there seats except for the couch. Which it seemed by silent omission was the strangers.

"So let me get this straight. Faiths blood woke her up. Made the tomb collapse and now shes saying your her mate?"Willow turned to look at everyones face making sure she wasn't wrong. Turning to Raya she asked" How did you end up here? I mean where are you from?"

Raya nodded."I am the youngest child of the Great Pharaoh. Before my birth there was a plague throughout Egypt. Many of my sibling died. Those that did not die were not capable of bearing heirs. So when I was born it was decided that even though I am woman I will walk the path of man. I am also skin-walker. I was sent here by my fathers High Priest. He was a gifted priest but when i was sent here i was not meant to awaken until the call of my mate summoned me. But i have woken once before. I do not know the year. But i do know that it was ten years before i ever saw a 'Spaniard'...the first white man. I was known among them as Spirit Wolf. When the white man came so did there demons. After the Chief's daughter was turned into a blood sucker i was cast out. So i returned to my tomb and slept." Raya looked them each over. She did not feel it was important to mention that the Chief's daughter was her mate before. She didn't feel like going into detail about her curse. Or the difference between her old mate and her new one.

"Thats quite a story. Well this has been fun.Goodnight everyone."Dawn said after catching the pointed look from her sister, she rose up and stepped over everyone and went upstairs.

"So whats a skin-walker?" Willow asked. She had heard the term before but wasn't to clear on it.

"I am not as a werewolf. It does not take over me. I was born a skin-walker i will die a skin-walker. I change at will. I am not a monster. But a true wolf."Hesitating she looked over at Faith and the two young witches." I am cursed. Her blood woke me but unless she accepts me. I will remain cursed. To walk this earths days as wolf and nights as man."Raya didn't like sharing so much with these strangers. But she didn't smell evil or malice on any of them.

"So what your saying is unless Faith accepts you as a mate your a wolf during the day and human at night?"Tara asked. Intrigued by what the woman said and the strength of the aura surrounding her.

"Yes. That is correct." Raya felt her ears turn towards a sound outside.What was that smell...'vampire' growling softly she went and opened the door. Standing there a second before launching off the porch into the bushes. She pulled the blonde vampire into the house. And presented him to Faith.

"I am a worthy warrior. I will protect us and our cubs, no harm will come to you. Accept me as your mate."Raya was certain that display of prowess and strength would win the brunettes affections. The brunette seemed stunned into silence at the declaration. Trying not to preen Raya was certain that it was amazement. So she wasn't prepared when the vampire turned and shoved her away.

"What the bloody hell is this. Where'd you dig this one up at?" Spike fixed his hair. And looked at the stranger.

"Hey Spike. This is Raya...shes a...friend."Faith stared at her hard. She must be stupid that must be it. Nothing else seemed like a good reason at the moment.

"Come on Raya. Ill show you where you'll be sleeping." Faith turned and nearly tripped when Raya grabbed her around the waist and glared at the vampire in a way that screamed 'mine'.

Taking a deep breath Faith counted back from ten. Praying that she would just pass out and wake up to find all of this a dream.

"Will you accept me tonight Faith?"Raya asked.

"Yea yea sure why not."Faith hadn't been prepared for the wave of exhaustion that swept over her. Leading Raya to the guest room she walked in and pulled back the covers and climbed in.

Closing the door softly she looked around at the room. There were many things she would investigate later. But right now it seemed her true-mate would accept her. So she stripped off her clothes and climbed into the bed behind her mate. Nipping at the flesh in her shoulder and running her hand down Faiths ribs she was unprepared when Faith vaulted her off the bed. Okay she was getting annoyed. But she knew she would never be accepted if she scared her mate.

So instead she lay down and curled into a ball. Sleep came quickly. Thank the Gods.

*********

Carefully opening her eyes and letting them adjust to the bright morning sun, she turned and looked around, forgetting for a moment where she was and why. Then looked to the floor, expecting to see 6 feet of the tall Egyptian wacko she was surprised to see instead a dog.

It was laid on its side. Its fur was black with shocks of gray going through it. Then she noticed it was a wolf. The snout wasn't as long as a wolfs and the paws were bigger. Realization hit like a storm.

"Raya?" Faith whispered. As the wolf stirred and looked up at her with the same eyes. And the same almost arrogant stare.

"Well shit"Was all she could think to say

TBC

Again comments?