That Could've Been Me

Chapter Four: Dust and Ice Cream

The two slayers peeked around the corner of the abandoned warehouse to look at the front entrance. Two vampires were guarding the front door.

“Whatta ya think?” asked Buffy. “Sneak in the back or bust in the front?”

“I bow to your superior wisdom, Obe Wan,” answered Faith, her voice tight with tension.

“Front door it is then. I never was very good at subtle,” Buffy informed Faith as she headed towards the front door. Faith trailed after her silently sending thoughts of love to her mother and her watcher.

Buffy walked right up to the lackey door guards and said, “We’re here to see His Mighty Ugliness.”

The two vamps exchanged a glance. Finally, one asked, “Aaaaand… who should we say is calling?”

The two slayers exchanged a glance and Faith said, “The Chosen Two.” On tacit cue, they each pulled out a stake and plunged them into the dead hearts of the vamps.

“Fuck yeah!” grinned Buffy as they drifted into dust. She lifted her foot and kicked in the door.

“What the hell?!”

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Kakistos and Mr. Trick blustered at the interruption. Mr. Trick saw Buffy and said, “My, aren’t you delectable! And I was just telling the master how hungry I am when such a tender meal kicks in the door. I like this town!”

Buffy ignored his banter and spoke to Faith. “You take Pimp Boy, I’ll take Goat Boy.”

Faith bit down her protest and beaded in on Trick. His eyes widened in surprise as she bore down on him. “Faith!” Then, what the other slayer said, registered. “Wait a minute! I don’t look like a pimp!” he said indignantly in Buffy’s direction. Faith took advantage of his distraction and lifted her stake. He noticed in time to block her strike. They exchanged a few punches and parries until Faith managed to punch him on the jaw. He flew back a few feet onto a pile of dusty drop cloths. When he came up, he had on his game-face. “Well. I may as well make you my bitch and feed you to the master.” He came at her snarling and hissing.

Buffy strode over to Kakistos. “Well, c’mon, Tiny. Let’s rumble.”

“Who are you?” he boomed.

“One of the last two people you’re gonna see.” He laughed a great big booming laugh and chills ran down Buffy’s spine. She understood now why Faith was so preoccupied during their sparring session.

“You smell like a slayer,” he said with a condescending, almost friendly tone. “No matter. When I am done with you, I will have my Faith.”

Buffy had had enough. She attacked, starting with a flurry of fists and elbows. He blocked most of them easily. The ones that landed seemed to bounce off of him with no effect whatsoever. Buffy started to get nervous. Clutching her stake, she kicked high and got him in the face. His head moved to the side a little from the force of the blow and Buffy took the chance to bury the stake in his chest.

He stayed solid and terrifying.

Buffy yanked her stake out of his chest and received a brutal punch to the head from the ancient vampire. She stumbled from the force of the blow. He punched her again and she fell to her hands and knees, blood dripping from her mouth and nose. He walked past her towards Faith.

Faith was in a fearsome clinch with Trick. He’d managed to get his hands around her neck and was squeezing the breath out of her. As her vision started to gray, she jabbed him in the eye with a fisted thumb. He let go of her to slap his hands over his injured eyeball. “MotherFUCK!” he screeched in pain.

Faith took a deep breath through her sore throat lifted her foot and kicked him in the sternum. He flew back, right into the approaching Kakistos. Faith’s eyes widened in fear as he pushed Trick out of his way. Trick’s head slammed into a bunch of loose wooden beams, breaking one of them in half.

“It’s just you and me, my dear little girl. Your blood will taste sweet, seasoned with slayer strength and vengeance.” He smiled with brutal affection, his scar puckering around his cruel glee. Faith backed away, her heart pounding with fear and dread.

Buffy struggled to her feet, her vision doubling and tripling, before it finally settled. When the world came back into focus, she saw Kaksitos gripping Faith’s throat with his gruesome appendages. He lifted her off the ground and spoke lovingly into her terrified, weeping face. “Your fear smells so good.”

Buffy ran up to him and kicked him viciously in the back of the knee. His leg buckled and he dropped his prize and whirled around. Seeing Buffy he bellowed in rage and came at her. Faith was on her hands and knees coughing and dragging air into her lungs. She watched Buffy and the huge vampire exchange blows. Kakistos pounded Buffy’s head yet again sending her toppling and rolling across the dirty warehouse floor.

Kakistos turned and came at Faith again. She stood and backed away from his slow advance. “Faith!” Buffy shouted. “Don’t die!” Her retreat faltered when she tripped over the unconscious Trick. Kakistos got close enough to start pounding on Faith. She did little to defend herself. Buffy ran at him in a rage.

Deterred, yet again, from his goal, Kakistos and Buffy traded fierce and angry blows. *I have to get him this time. If I don’t, he’s gonna kill Faith.* She gripped her stake and started another round of fierce fighting. Catching another opening, she slammed her stake into his chest.

He backpedaled and stared at the stake sticking out of him. Buffy held her breath and waited for the inevitable tumble of dusty vamp.

He stayed solid and terrifying.

*FUCK!*

Then he started to laugh. “Looks like you’ll need a bigger stake ‘slayer!’” and he laughed even louder.

Cold dread froze Buffy in her tracks. Kakistos started towards her when Faith appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere, holding a broken wooden beam. She stood in his blind spot as he laughed. Her jaw was set as she plunged the beam all the way through the enormous, ancient, and surprised vampire.

His dead heart skewered by the huge piece of wood, he crumbled into dust.

The two girls stood panting in the aftermath. Buffy pulled out a worn handkerchief and wiped the blood from her aching face.

“You hungry?” she asked when she caught her breath.

“Starved,” gasped Faith.

===========

Fifteen minutes later found the two battle-weary slayers at the downtown ice cream parlor. They each had a huge banana split in front of them. They were silent as they worked. Buffy watched her counterpart surreptitiously. Faith’s face was flushed and her eyes were glittering, almost black.

When she felt Faith’s foot touch hers under the table she glanced up. Faith was still working on her ice cream. *Does she not notice?* That restless foot slid along the inside of Buffy’s, past the arch and to the heel. Buffy kept her foot still and waited, her stomach curling with heat.

Now Faith’s foot was slowly rubbing her heel. Up and down, up and down. Buffy’s ice cream ceased to have any flavor. All her attention was on that foot. The heat and desire in her belly had moved further south. Buffy looked up at Faith again to find the girl’s gaze fastened on her mouth as she ate her ice cream.

Buffy couldn’t help it; her eyes dropped to Faith’s mouth. She’d just tucked a spoonful of fudge covered vanilla into her mouth and was slowly, sensuously pulling the spoon out. And Buffy’s southern heat was turning into a brushfire. *Goddamn! I think my pants’re gonna catch fire!* She jumped up from her seat almost tipping the tiny little table over. “I gotta use the loo,” she said, desperately trying to keep her cool amidst all the heat.

“Yeah, ok,” replied Faith, distracted, her voice husky and thick.

Once she was in the bathroom, Buffy took a deep breath. She ducked into one of the stalls and rested her hot forehead against the cool metal stall wall. The deep breath turned into desperate sighs. Her clit had started to throb. She put her hand between her legs over her jeans in an effort to curb her desire. It didn’t work, of course. It just got worse. *Damn it all! I can’t believe I’m gonna do this.* Buffy frantically opened her jeans and put her hand down her pants. Her sex was wet and slick and swollen. When she touched her clit, her hips jerked and her head tilted back. She managed to swallow the grunt of lust as she pressed her clit against her pubic bone and rubbed in earnest. She panted and pressed the back of her free hand to her mouth and bit down. Luckily, it didn’t take long for relief to pour over her. When she came, it was to the vision of Faith right after she killed Kakistos as she stood triumphant and untamed. And, of course, panting and sweating. *Oh, I’m going to Hell.*

And, wouldn’t you know it, the subject of Buffy’s fantasy chose that exact moment to walk in. “Buffy?”

She struggled for her composure. “Yeah?” she answered with a, hopefully, undetectable quaver.

“Your ice cream is melting into a lake. Are you gonna eat it?”

“No. You go ahead. Enjoy the spoils of war.”

“Ok, thanks. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” *Yeah. I just rubbed off in a public toilet while fantasizing about a slightly too young oblivious sexpot. I’m just peachy. Did I mention I’m going to Hell? Goddamn fucking slayer horniness.*

Buffy came out of the stall after Faith ducked out. She washed her hands and splashed water on her still heated face. When she emerged from the bathroom, Faith was just finishing the last of the ice cream.

“We should really get goin’,” she said to the younger girl. “Giles and everybody still think khaki-dust is still kickin’. If we’re gone too long, they’ll start to worry. Besides, you’ve got some gloating time comin’ to you.”

Faith’s eyes got starry and far away. “I really did it, didn’t I? I killed him. Kakistos is gone.”

Buffy couldn’t help the smile of pride and indulgence that stretched her lips. “You sure did, kid. You did your watcher proud.” They walked out of the parlor and to the sidewalk.

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Buffy. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Well, don’t then,” she said, frowning. “I don’t do sappy. Not my thing. I’m happy with the little pile of dust.” Her half smile turned into a big smile. “You know we’re gonna hafta party, right?”

Faith’s starry eyes got wide and excited. “Oh hell yeah! Can we go to The Bronze? Willow and Xander told me about it earlier today while you were napping.”

“Well, The Bronze is the only place in Sunnydale that isn’t an over-21-shithole. It’ll do nicely for an impromptu party.”

“Yesss!” Buffy smiled as Faith danced around.

===========

When they walked into Giles’ flat, everyone looked up. “How was patrol?” asked Giles closing his book on a bookmark.

“It was fine,” said Buffy casually. She turned to Faith. “Don’t you think so, Faith?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Faith took her cue. “Yeah. I think so.” Giles and Maggie relaxed a little. “Oh,” said Faith, as if she’d just remembered something, “umm, Kakistos came a little early, so I dusted him.”

The two slayers smirked at the silence. “Wha—what?” stuttered Giles.

Faith smiled proudly. “Kakistos is dust. Gone.”

“Well,” said Giles still at a loss for words, “congratulations. Well done, Faith. Well done.”

Suddenly uncomfortable with the praise, Faith was quick to add, “I couldn’t have done it without Buffy. She kept him busy so I could stake him.”

“Busy?” said Buffy incredulously. “I staked him twice and it didn’t do anything. Faith comes along with this wooden beam, bigger than a Buick, and shoves it all the way through him. It was cool!”

“He’s really dead?” asked Maggie. “It’s really over?”

“Yep,” answered Buffy. “Saw it with my own eyes. Neatly swept under the rug. Now is the time that I drag your daughter out to party.”

Willow’s eyes widened with excitement. “Ooo! Bronze time?”

Buffy grinned. “Oh yeah. Time to dance ‘til dawn.”

“Excellent,” said Xander rubbing his hands together.

“I must insist on debriefing first,” said Giles sternly.

“Absolutely,” Buffy acquiesced. “Whatta y’wanna know?”

“Kakistos likes to have an entourage of vampire lackeys wherever he goes and lately, Mr. Trick has been his right hand man.”

“Yeah,” said Buffy. “We overheard the two of them talking about that before we busted in on them. Seems like Kakistos ran off in such a hurry that Trick didn’t really have time to get a gaggle going.” Buffy paused to consider. “Faith? Did you get a chance to dust Trick when you were fighting him?”

“No. I was too busy getting pummeled by Kakistos.”

“Damn. The little weasel must’ve slipped out when we weren’t looking.”

“Ah,” said Giles. “So Mr. Trick is still at large then.”

Buffy frowned. “Crap. I forgot all about him. In our defense, Goat Boy was one big mother. He was very distracting.”

“Yes, well, you were right to focus your attention on Kakistos. That was the mission The Council had given you. I’m sure that Mr. Trick will not wish to engage you anytime soon, given that you have defeated his undefeatable master. He’ll probably lay low for a while.”

“We’ll keep an eye out though,” said Buffy. “He seems to be more of a behind-the-scenes type, anyway.”

Giles nodded and hmmmed. “His modus operandi is usually to latch onto the biggest source of power in the area. If you do find him, I would suggest attempting to find out who he is working for and report back to me.” He took off his glasses and proceeded to clean them. “You two did very well tonight. The Council will be very pleased to hear of Kakistos’ demise.”

“So a good report to The Council means we can go party, right?” asked Xander hopefully.

Giles smiled and nodded. “Yes, I think a celebration is perfectly appropriate, given the circumstances.”

“I have a question,” said Maggie tentatively. All eyes turned to her as she fidgeted and looked unsure. “Now that Kakistos is gone—,” she paused as she searched for her words, “is Faith still a slayer?” At the confused looks she pressed on, “I mean, Faith has completed her ‘destiny,’ right? Does she still have to be a slayer? Can’t she retire or something?”

“I’m afraid not,” Giles said gently. “Once a slayer is chosen, it’s for life. She will always be a slayer and there will always be something for her to fight.”

Maggie looked stricken and Faith’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry Mama,” she said, her voice thick. “I have to fight.” Faith seemed to want to say more but her mother interrupted.

“What kind of life is this for a little girl?” she said desperately, her voice strident and angry. “Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to send teenaged girls after huge man-eating demons?”

“It has been like this since before recorded history,” said Giles firmly. “The magic that governs the choosing process is ancient. So ancient that The Council has no record of how it works. It cannot be changed.”

“Of course it can!” Maggie shouted back, tears falling down her cheeks. “It already has! When was the last time there were two slayers?”

Giles looked uncomfortable. “I admit that this is entirely unprecedented but it was not The Council’s design. Two active slayers required the death of one before the other could be activated.”

Maggie blanched and stared at Buffy. Buffy stared back, pointedly not denying her watcher’s words. “You died?” ventured the agonized mother. Buffy nodded solemnly.

“Drowned,” said the battle hardened teen. “Luckily for me, Xander knows CPR. I’d stopped breathing long enough for Kendra to be called. When she died, Faith was called.”

“How did Kendra die?” asked Maggie faintly.

“Killed by Drusilla about two months ago. Drusilla is old and dangerous but not as dangerous as Kakistos,” said Giles. “I think Faith is turning out to be and exceptional slayer. I think she and Buffy have the potential to be a very effective team. Which will, of course, extend their lives by a great deal.”

“Well, that just makes me feel a whole lot better!” said Maggie sarcastically. “God! This is like a nightmare.”

“Kendra was killed because she didn’t run when she should’ve,” said Buffy. “Faith is a good fighter. She’s also a smart fighter. She’s already proven that. Each time she walks away, or runs away, she’ll come back an even better fighter. That’s how a slayer survives.” Buffy glanced over at Faith who stood, still stricken by her mother’s anguish. “She doesn’t have cancer or some incurable disease, Maggie. She’s a slayer. And as long as she has you, she has someone to live for; fight for. She has a chance.” She grinned ruefully at the distressed woman. “She just killed one of the deadliest demons to walk the earth. She’s gonna be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” countered Maggie.

“Actually, I do. I’ve been doing this for three years now. I know what I’m talking about.”

Maggie opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind and looked pensive.

Buffy filled the silence. “As the senior slayer, I say it is now time to blow off steam and celebrate our hard-earned victory. Any objections?” The silent chorus of shaking heads provided her answer. “To The Bronze, then.”

“Faith,” said Maggie in a subdued, auto-pilot mom voice, “home by midnight.” Faith nodded.

“We’ll bring her home safe and sound,” said Willow.

Buffy grabbed Faith’s elbow and dragged her upstairs. “Let’s go get gussied up, Beautiful. Time to work off that ice cream.”