The Three of Us

My beta reader was interrupted by life, so I hope this isn't full of errors.
Reviews are welcome.
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Buffy reached out to knock on Giles' front door. She paused for a second, lowered her arm and turned to Faith. "I really want to say thanks again. I did have a good time patrolling with you and would like to do it again. At some point Giles will ask me and I'd like to tell him you're okay with it?"

"No problem B." Faith said as she reached past Buffy to knock on the door. Buffy could feel the sparks run up her spine as Faith's arm came into contact with her own. ‘If she ever figures out what she does to me, I'm going to be so embarrassed.’she thought.

"You ok?" Faith asked, looking at Buffy. Buffy blushed slightly.

Giles opened the door on the two slayers, "Who's not okay?" he asked looking back and forth between them. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah," Faith replied, "B's just spacin' again."

"Faith!" Buffy sniped as she smacked Faith in the shoulder, "I am not 'spacing', I was just thinking of something else."

"Sure." was the sarcastic reply as Faith brushed past her and into the living room. Giles was worriedly looking at Buffy. She sighed and shook her head, "I'm fine, really, I'm okay." She stepped past Giles and into the living room.

When she entered, Spike was sitting on the couch and Faith was leaning against the opposite wall. Both were trying to stare the other down. "Yes, well, here we are." Giles said to try and dispel the tension. "How did everything go tonight?"

"We got four vamps," Faith replied, "and it looks like a possibility to make it five."

Spike started to growl and lift himself off the couch. Buffy plopped herself down next to Spike and placed her hand on his shoulder. "No fighting in the house. Remember? That's both of you." Spike slowly sat back onto the couch, not taking his eyes off of Faith. She smirked at him and replied, "More than willin' to take it outside."

"That's enough!” Giles snapped. "You're behaving like children! Spike you were leaving for Willy's?"

"Be glad to." Glaring at Faith, he got off the couch and turned to go. "I'll ring you tomorrow and let you know what I find."

"I'm going with Bleach-boy." Faith said as she started to follow Spike.

"Sod off, I'm flyin' solo. I don't need to worry about bein' your nanny."

Faith smiled at him, "I'm sure I can handle anything we find."

Giles sighed. "Faith, it's a bar, you're not of legal age, and it's a Demon bar! Spike will go and report back to us later."

"You don't think I can get into a bar? No, this is my problem and I'm goin'.” She pushed Spike towards the door. "Come on, we ain't got all night." Spike pulled the door open and stomped out into the night, muttering to himself. Faith sauntered after him with a large smirk on her face.

Giles shook his head as the door closed. "Do you think either one of them will make it back?" he asked Buffy as he returned to the living room.

"Actually, I hope they both make it back. I think my life would be very different without both of them in it."

Giles picked up his pen and journal, as he made himself comfortable in his chair. "Tell me what happened tonight will you?"

Buffy curled up in the corner of the couch and relayed the events of the night to Giles. "That's interesting," he said after Buffy told him about Faith being surprised. "I wonder what she was trying to hide."

"I don't know, but she became a lot cooler until we reached your place, then she seemed to warm up some. I think she will patrol with me again. I hope she'll train as well."

“That would be very beneficial for both of you. What of your ummm, Slayer connection? How did it affect you when you were fighting?"

Buffy fidgeted for a few seconds before replying. "I knew where she was, and I could feel something while she was fighting. The best way to describe it would be 'joy'. She just seemed to be so happy while she was fighting. I actually had more fun because of what I could feel coming from her."

"I see," Giles said as took notes. "It seems that you have an emotional connection, as well as a physical one. That is very interesting."

Buffy blanched as she realized what Giles had said. ‘An emotional connection? God, if she can feel my emotions, she's going to kill me. Or what if she shares them?’ A warm feeling started to creep through Buffy as she thought of Faith sharing her feelings. She shook her head again, and looked at Giles. “I’m kinda tired and I promised Willow I’d call her, so I’m gonna head home. Is there anything else?”

“No, I think we’ve covered everything. Thanks Buffy, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Giles was still making notes in his journal as Buffy let herself out.

“So, Bleach-boy, where we headed?” Faith asked as she walked beside Spike.

“Willy’s Bar.”

“And that’d be where?”

“Bad part o’ town, down by the docks.” Spike hadn’t looked at Faith since they’d left Giles’. “Could be a rough night for a bint like you. If you wanna sod off, you can.” Smirking at her, he said “I won’t tell anyone if you do.”

Faith laughed at him. “Why don’t I believe you? I need to see and hear whatever we find for myself. It ain’t that I don’t trust you, but I don’t. At least not yet.” Spike shrugged his shoulders.

“Suit yerself.” The two of them walked in silence through the deserted streets of Sunnydale. Faith could smell the change in the air and hear the sounds of the waterfront increase. “We gettin’ close?” she asked Spike quietly.

“Next alley past that warehouse.” He pointed up the street.

“Okay.” Faith replied. “You wanna ask the questions and I’ll be the muscle?”

Spike stopped and stared at Faith. “Why?”

“Cause you know who to talk to and I won’t have to kick the ass of everyone in there to find out.”

“Makes sense for me to be in charge.”

Faith laughed again. “Not in charge, just ask the questions. You’ll live longer.”

Spike chuckled as he started to walk again. “Don’t think spendin’ any time with you will add to my longevity.”

“Hey,” Faith said in a serious tone, “thanks for your help, and I do got your back in there.”

“That makes me feel so much safer.” Spike muttered as they turned into the alley. Faith followed Spike as he walked up to the bar. She slowly looked around. Her slayer senses were screaming. She saw several species of demons and a number of vampires. Some looked at her then turned away, others seemed to be paying closer attention. She ignored them all and turned to look at Spike.

“Willy, come down here and talk to yer old mate Spike” A short balding man with long greasy hair, looked up from the far end of the bar. He sneered at Spike and finished wiping down the end of the bar. He pulled a couple of beers out of the cooler and served another customer, then he slowly walked to where Faith and Spike were standing.
“What brings you here Spike? Didn’t think I’d ever get to see you again.”

“I need some info on where to find Kakistos. So, naturally I thought I’d start with you.”

“Ahh,” Willy nodded his head. “I see. Problem is Spike, since you had that chip put in your head, you don’t scare me anymore.”

“Hmm, you’d be right Willy, that is a problem for me...” Faith’s arm shot out from behind Spike and she grabbed the top of Willy’s head and bounced it off the bar. Willy’s head snapped back with the force and he collapsed on the floor. Spike leaned over the bar and looked down. “But it don’t seem to be a problem for 'er.” Faith leapt over the bar and picked Willy up with one hand. Holding him by his throat with his feet just off the floor, she arched an eyebrow at Willy, then turned to Spike. “You were sayin’?”

“Right, we’re lookin for info on Kakistos. Anything you’d care to tell us?” Willy gurgled and clutched at Faith’s hand on his throat. “Maybe you should put him down so he can answer us?” Faith shook Willy a couple of times and his eyes widened in fear. She suddenly opened her hand and he dropped gasping to the floor again. Faith stood him up, crossed her arms and levelled a cold hard stare at him.

“I don’t know nothin’.” Willy sputtered and looked to two vamps sitting in a horseshoe shaped booth at the back. Faith growled at him, lowered her arms and leaned into Willy.

“Now Willy,” Spike said, “I’m sure you don’t want to deal with my friend 'ere.”

“Honest!” Willy yelped, “I don’t know nothin’!” Again, he looked at the booth in the back. Spike looked at Faith, who gave her head a single nod and stepped back a bit from Willy. “If you’re sure Willy, we’ll leave. But if I find out different, me and the bint will be back.” Faith leapt over the bar and stood next to Spike. “We’ll go out the back.” he indicated with his head. They walked towards the back entrance, ignoring the two vampires in the booth until they were next to them. Spike and Faith slid into the booth, blocking the two vamps in.

“What the fuck do you want?” one of them asked.

“Just some answers to some simple questions.” Spike answered.

“She’s human!” the one blocked in by Faith said. She pulled out a stake and drove it into his chest. Faith then slid around to the second Vampire and smiled at him. “We’re lookin’ for Kakistos, and we heard you could help us.” The vamp looked down at the stake on the table, then at Spike and then to Faith. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “Too bad.” Faith replied. She picked up the stake and looked him in the eyes. “You’re a vampire. You’re already dead, but you can still feel pain. And pain will make you talk.”

He laughed at Faith. “You think you can cause me enough pain to talk? What, the two of you are going to hit me with your purses?” Spike growled and Faith held up her hand to quiet him. “No, see in my travels I’ve learned some things about vamps and pain.” She drove the stake into the vamps chest, just far enough to barely touch his heart with the point. As he reached to pull it out, Faith and Spike restrained his arms. With her free hand, Faith rested her palm on the blunt end of the stake. He groaned as the point moved against his heart. “Now, there’s two ways to do this. You’ve already chosen the hard way, so is it goin to be quick, or long and slow? Your choice.”

“Fuck you.” was the response. Faith moved the stake a little more and the vampire groaned.

“I’ve never seen a vampire sweat before.” Spike said.

“Wait,” Faith answered, “by the time I’m done he’ll have peed himself and he’ll be crying like a five year old girl.”

“Remind me not to piss you off. Back to the matter at hand mate. The little lady asked you a question.” The vampire groaned, “Fuck off.”

Faith shrugged her shoulders and slowly rotated the stake in his chest. He screamed. The rest of the patrons in the bar came to the sudden realization that discretion was the better part of valour and bolted for the exits. “Looks like none of your mates want to help.” Spike mentioned to the vamp. “Shall we try again?” The vamp just gasped. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now, where is this Kakistos bloke?”

“Blow me.” Faith jiggled the stake this time and the vamp almost passed out from the pain. He was leaning against the back of the booth gasping, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. “You won’t fuck up and kill him will you?” Spike asked.

“Nah,” Faith shook her head. “This ain’t the first time I’ve done this. It did take awhile ta perfect it though.” Spike waited till the vamp had regained his senses, “I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t bother me as much as it’s bothering you mate. Just help us out a little and no one will ever know you did.” The vamp looked at Spike and growled. Faith reached for the stake, “NO!” he croaked, “You can find him on the east side of town, old warehouse, Scrooge Trucking.”

That’s my boy,” Spike patted him on the chest and the vamp whimpered. “Sorry old chap. How many vampires and demons are with him?”

The vamp gasped a little bit, “There’s only four now, plus Kakistos. He doesn’t like big groups. Harder to control.”

“That’s bloody swell, how do we get in?"

The vamp gasped, “Loading dock, next to the railroad tracks.”

“That’s all I need. You?”


Faith shrugged her shoulders, “Nah I think that about covers it. Nighty-night.” She pushed the stake through his heart and he exploded into dust.

“I wish you would warn me before you do that.” Spike coughed.

“What? It ain’t like you breathe.”

“No, but I did have my mouth open.”

“I’ll try and remember that.” Faith laughed, “You’re okay for a vamp. I could get to like you.” She slid over and gave Spike a shove. “Let’s get outta here.” Spike grinned at her, “Like me hmm?” he sidled up next to her and dropped his arm around her shoulder. “How much ‘like me’ are we talkin’?”

Faith punched him in the chest knocking him to the floor. “Not even fuckin’ close Bleach-boy.” She spun on her heel and headed out the door.