Lady Killer
by JaHo
Rating: NC-17
"Question." Buffy said, snuggling into Faith's arms to enjoy her post sexual snuggles.
"Answer." Faith retorted looking down at her bedmate. Buffy giggled.
"You don't even know the question yet."
"Well, whatever you ask I'll probably have an answer for ya." The brunette grinned.
"Earlier.. when you said you'd never been with a Slayer before." The small blonde began "Does that include potentials?"
"Why?" Faith's brow furrowed.
"Just curious. I'm opening up and growing. You don't have to tell me if you really don't want."
"Well, if ya gotta know. Then yeah it does include Potentials."
"So you and Molly. You guys never.. ?"
"Nah." Faith said, thinking back about Molly. She hadn't even heard the girl's name mentioned in close to a year. Poor kid, she didn't know the girl all that well but it was never a good time to lose a comrade in battle. Regardless of the circumstances.
"That was a largely exaggerated rumor that I started myself."
Buffy looked at her strangely. "Huh?"
"It wasn't to bolster my ego if that's what you're thinking. See, that Chinese girl..what the fuck was her name again? Chow Time?"
"Chao Ahn."
"Yeah her. She had a bit of a crush on Molly, but the girl wasn't down with the whole girlie vibe. So I started a rumor that me and her had a thing ya know? Chao Ahn was fuckin' piss scared of me."
"You know. That was kinda nice of you." Buffy lifted her head from Faith's breast and looked at her lover intently.
"What?"
"Just thinking about you. How much deeper you are than I thought before."
"Gee thanks a lot." Faith grinned at her.
"I mean it. You have like.. layers. Like that green ogre guy said in that one Disney movie."
"Uhh. That would be Shrek, B." Faith shrugged. "Guess that's me. Layer Girl."
"Mmm.. I like the sound of that." Buffy said pulling the brunette's face to her own and shifting her weight so that Faith was brought on top of her small form. "Stamina.. remember?"
"Uh huh."
A Killer's Mind-
"Hello again." She had passed out earlier, and I have waited patiently for her to regain consciousness. "You don't like me very much now, do you?"
Her head shakes vigorously. "That would be a no, now wouldn't it?"
She nods, her voice muffled by the layer of duct tape that covers her mouth.
"Let me tell you a story dear." Reaching down I stroke her hair lightly. "A long time ago, when God created this giant shithole we live on. He gave dominion of it to man, which could be one of His greatest mistakes ever considering all he had created was a glorified chimp."
I lay the cold blade against the soft flesh of her stomach, and she jerks violently from the contact.
"You see there was myth back then. Magic and myth. And from that time, in each generation there were born champions of light and champions of darkness. The wars that they fought throughout generations were the stuff that legends were made of, as they waged the epic struggle between good and evil. Then one day our foolish race abandoned magic and wonder for reason. But I think.. I think that I've found a champion of light Emily. I met her last night.. and we're gonna have a hell of a dance."
Her eyes go wide as I sink the tip of the blade into her flesh.
The Detective stood on the corner of Welsh and 112th, leaning against a currently unlit lamppost. It was 3:23 in the afternoon, and his snitch Rodney was 8 fucking minutes late.
Rodney was an ex career criminal and current slimy pervert. After doing a few years on the inside, he had decided to get a career other than chopping automobiles apart and selling the pieces. However, he was still strongly in the information loop. A fifty-dollar bill here and there had been known to loosen his tongue.
"Hey there lawman." He heard and looked behind him and to his left.
"You're late, Rod." He said looking at his watch.
"Got hung up. Whatcha need man? I got a 4-midnight shift at the warehouse to get to."
"Over here." Holland said, motioning to a nearby alley. "You know a stripper named Vanessa or a hooker named Tianna?"
"Don't do the strip club scene man, as for the hooker what'd she look like?" He shrugged.
"Dark hair, tight little body, about 5'3" petite, young. Some people said she worked the walk south of the Boiler Room."
"How young?" he chuckled.
"Over 18." The investigator said, an even contempt growing in his eyes. "So she was probably a little old for you."
"Ah.. Tianna, Juanita, Maria. Their fuckin' names all run together after a while you know. But yeah, I think I know who you're talkin' about. What about her?"
"The what is she's fucking dead." Rodney's face fell noticeable at the announcement. "You gotta pick up a newspaper or watch the evening news every once in a while. I got a fuckin' psycho carving people up and leaving them scattered all over the city."
The snitch's eyes grew wide. "Oh fuck. That guy. L-look man I don't know nuthin' I gotta go."
The Detective stopped him with a hand on his chest and pushed him back against an alley wall. "Do I look fucking simple to you Rodney? Who did Tianna work for?"
"Look man, she.. she worked for a guy I used to know named Jimmy. Connected guy, runs a lot of girls."
"Connected to who?"
"Ya know connected.. he knew the man."
"Who's the man? And why don't you tell me what's got you so shaken Rodney."
"Look man, I don't know much. All I've heard is stories, ok? I don't know shit for sure."
"Go on."
"Everybody who runs girls or drugs in this town does it under a guy they call Pick. I don't know a real name, hell I've never even seen the guy almost no one does. But believe me when I say that he runs his shit with an iron hand."
"Okay what does that have to do with the dead girl?" Holland interrupted.
"Lemme finish, okay? Rumor is Pick had an enforcer. A real bad ass. When Pick wanted someone taken out, this guy was the trigger he pulled. A.. a real dangerous fuck who took a lotta pleasure in his work. Real smart too, a regular brainiac. He took out over a hundred people for Pick in just a few years, they said there was no place he couldn't get into and no one he couldn't kill."
"Okay this guy was a pro hitter. If he was that good why doesn't he still work for Pick?"
Rodney backed against a wall and slid down to his butt, nervously running his hands through his grungy hair. "See that's where the stories come in. People are sayin' that a few months ago.. the guy started getting into some really weird shit. Even weirder than he was before. Every time he saw Pick, he'd drone on and on about this weird, pseudo-spiritual, whacko shit. He started um.. getting even more into his work. Playing weirdo games with the people he had a hit on. Then he started finding other people to play with. People that Pick hadn't given the go ahead on. But ones that he chose at random. So one day Pick just.. let him go."
"Just let him go? What the fuck, this guy is some kinda monster and this Nose-Pick just lets him go?"
"That's the thing. Everybody thought that Pick shoulda taken his ass out. Put him down like a rabid dog, yunno? But he didn't. Some folks say it was because he knew he couldn't get the job done."
"So you think this is the same guy?"
"I don't know for sure. But some of us in the loop.. whenever we see another killing on the news. We just look at each other. Nobody says shit, but we all just kinda.. feel it."
Holland looked down, processing all that he had been told. He had no idea whether any or all of what Rodney had told him was true. Hell Rodney didn't even know it was true. But one thing was for sure. If they were dealing with who the street smart informant speculated they were.. it damned sure wasn't going to be easy to take him down. Even if they did figure whatever game he was playing. However, if that were the case, he also had his first lead.
"I want you to get a hold of your friend Jimmy. I need to know if this guy Pick keeps tabs on his former boy."
"Hey man. I hardly talk to him any more. And Pick doesn't like people asking questions about his business. If I ask that and Pick finds out it's me, then my ass could be in some serious fuckin' trouble man."
"Just do this for me, ok?" Holland said, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a small wad of bills. He tossed a 50 toward his informant's chest, who grabbed it from the air. Then considering for a moment he tossed the guy another. "That's for the extra risk. I'll be in touch."
"Alright man. I gotta go. Anything else?"
"Nah. I'm just looking for something to use to draw him out when he calls me tomorrow."
Rodney stopped dead in his tracks. "Say what?"
"Ah nothing. The fucker's been calling me everyday, giving me fuckin' clues and shit."
"Dude.. he's toying with you. Playing one of his fucked up games."
"Yeah and if he wins, we don't catch him and he gets to keep killing girls at whim."
"No way man. If it is the same guy you don't know how he is." Rodney's face fell noticeably. "He only toys with people he considers prey. If he wins.. he kills YOU."
A Killer's Mind-
From my tailing of both the Detective and his protégé', I have surveyed and taken mental note of quite a few things. One is the fact that Rupert does not have an actual home. He stays at a motel.
Not really that remarkable I guess, considering that the police, as inept as they tend to be, do on occasion call in outside help. People such as personality profilers, experts in different fields of study, hell even psychics. Which, as shoddily as they've handled this particular investigation, perhaps they should call in a damned psychic. Maybe Dionne Warwick could give them a clue. Hell I know more about the two of them, than they know about me.
I wonder which of those categories that Rupert fits into.
So, sitting in my car, about halfway back in the parking lot of the single story, strip motel I let my eyes lazily drift back and forth between the office and the room that I know is occupied by the Englishman. Room 143.
A door opens, four doors down from Rupert's, and two young ladies exit. Young and pretty both of them. A blonde and a brunette. The blonde.. she looks vaguely familiar. I may have seen her around town. But the taller girl, dark hair, the way she moves. The confident swagger as she places both hands into the back pockets of her jeans as she walks.
Body language. I'm a master of it. My eyes widen as the realization hits me. It's her. I may not have gotten a clear view of her last night, but I know the walk and the strident gait.
Now the two are knocking on Rupert's door.
Of course. It's too simple. It's almost as if this confrontation is meant to be.
4:45 pm
There was a knock at Giles' motel room door.
He got up, leaving the group who was circled around the cursed laptop to open the door for whoever was on the outside.
"Hey.. " Buffy said. "What's up?"
"Ah. Girls, come in." He said stepping to one side to allow the two Slayers entrance.
"Hey." Faith said, entering the room and taking immediate note of the magic marker grid that now overlaid the map of the city. "What's with the tic-tac-toe board, on crack?"
"It's not a tic-tac-toe board." Giles said. "It's a chess board."
"Boring game."
"Uh, yes well our friend doesn't think so."
They both looked at him. "Huh?"
Giles gave them a brief outline of what he had come up with, then expanded.
"All the best chess players use techniques or maneuvers, pre-arranged movements that either open your opponent or lead them into the moves that you want them to make." He explained, motioning between the city grid and the chessboard on his table. He had reset the pieces on the physical board to convey the moves that were marked by blue thumbtacks on the city map.
"I had begun to wonder about the precise placement of the bodies when they are discovered. The locations of the young girls are moves on a giant chessboard." He continued. "In chess, white always moves first. That's why all of his 'moves' have been on the north side of the city. He's using the Kasparov maneuver, used by Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov. There have been five moves so far, all of them pawns except for the young lady found in the lake."
"What about her?" Willow asked, looking up from her laptop.
"She's in the King position. That's what settled for me what exactly he was doing."
"Wow." Faith said looking between the map and the chessboard. "The fuckhead has a pattern, huh? What does that mean? You know what he's gonna do next?"
"Not exactly. But I do have a strong idea. I know what my reaction would be to this maneuver, then what his probable next placement would be. The good players anticipate their opponent's maneuvers two and three steps in advance."
"That's good right?" Buffy asked.
"In a way. I don't know where he's to strike next, only the probable location of the next drop-off point. At least that's something to go on."
"Ok. So we stake out that area and wait for him." The blonde said confidently.
"It would seem so. But I need to do a bit more reading. Would you and Willow go to the bookstore for me again?"
"So, what's it like being with Faith?" the redhead asked.
Buffy looked down and smiled as Willow drove. "Faith is.. intense. But then I already knew that."
"Finding out anything.. " The witch hesitated "that you didn't already know?"
"A hell of a lot."
Willow looked over at her best friend, who seemed deep in thought. "Like.. ?"
"Like.. did you know she got her GED in prison? I didn't," the blonde hesitated "I used to think she was so superficial, but it's totally the opposite. She's like a big ball of unfocused energy. She lives her life like there's no tomorrow, Wil. Do you know how badly I'd like to do that?"
"I can imagine."
"Yeah.. I guess you can." Buffy smiled at her longtime friend who had been with her through so much over the past 8 years.
"So umm.. what's IT like? With her?"
"God, Wil!" Buffy looked at her with a certain awe. "I've never asked you for bedroom secrets!"
"Come on Buffy, this is a whole new area of conversation for us. So I wanna hear. God, you don't have to get explicit. I just wanna know in general."
"Well, I don't have any other experience with women to compare it to. But it's.. totally amazing. The girl's got technique, that's for sure." The blonde smiled deeply as her best friend looked over at her. "Faith is.. I can't even describe it."
"That must be the reason for your total disappearance for the past day."
"Well, there was that. Plenty of that." The petite Slayer smiled. "And I was worried about her too, you know?"
"She's a big girl Buffy, and a Slayer to boot."
"I know. I was just concerned. I.. "
"You what?"
"I dunno. It's like.. in every relationship I've ever been in, it started really slow and worked into something else. With Faith though, there is no such thing. She has two speeds. Fast and full speed ahead."
"And.. ?"
"I think I love her, ok? God Wil, you always zero in on me."
Willow just smiled. "I just wanted to hear you say it Buffy. I've known for a while. It's about time you admitted it to yourself."
He entered his house slowly, closing the door behind him. Reaching to his right he clicked the switch, causing the living room to be sparsely illuminated.
Walking into the lighted area, he took a seat in the large grey lounge chair that was directly in front of his television and turned it on switching to the local news channel. For a few minutes he sat and watched the current goings on, which meant little to nothing to him. A vague interest here and there. But for the most part he was detached from this world.
Finally the local anchor's face appeared again with a small report between weather updates. Boring stuff mostly, but when they made mention of his latest acquisition he paid special attention to it.
He loved to see his work on the news. This was all a show after all. Something for the public to see and wonder about and perhaps lead them toward an awakening of their own.
He laughed quietly as he got up to walk toward his basement. The young lady that he had so diligently given so much attention to was still down there. She was so different from any of the others. Regardless of what he had done to her, it was as if she refused to die. Her spirit and will to live infused him with a strength that he had not yet known.
He would need that strength when he faced the champion of light. That would happen soon. Very soon.
A Killer's Mind-
"It's time to expand your spiritual horizons my dear." I say as the overhead light clicks on. She snaps awake immediately. "The pain that you feel now is only an illusion. What you feel now is an experience to be embraced. "
I retrieve my knife that I left sitting on the end table.
"Trust me. The very intensity of this experience bonds us to each other and widens the gulf between us and those who have not shared it." My knife sinks into her flesh, spiraling its design into her body and marking her forever. "We have transcended the normal experience."
She's still close to unconsciousness, but her body is vaguely responding to the experience.
"What you're crossing now is called, in some Native American terminology, the Vasae Barrier, the point that they endeavor to reach when the young braves go through the manhood ritual. This is the point where your body ceases to feel the pain and it only becomes experience."
The surgical steel slices through the epidermal layer of flesh once again, separating the flesh from itself in an intricate design. Her body spasms slightly. This is the point that I know all too well.
"Your awakening is at hand."
"This would be so much easier if I didn't have to keep sending the girls to the bookstore." I hear G-man say, pacing back and forth across the room. "The council had an incredible library."
"Hey I appreciate bein' homesick G. But you're not gonna get all 'god save the queen' on us are ya? Though I got no problem with the concept of a ruling class. Especially since I rule."
"Faith.." He opens his mouth to say something else, and I just stand there grinning at him. "I think you may be even stranger than Buffy."
"Just now figuring that out? Where you been?" Then I let him go back to his pacing and I head back to my game of Pac Man on Willow's laptop. That's the only thing she lets me mess with, is the games.
"So are you and Buffy an item now?" Kennedy asks me, as I'm playing.
Damn I like this girl, but she and I have too much in common to exist in the same room for more than a few minutes at a time.
"Guess so." The grin on my face is hard to hide.
"What's that like?"
"Awesome." I keep my answer short and sweet, just like I like to have them.
"Thought so." When I was gone, I guess Kennedy thought she'd be the new tough girl in town. My ego, being what it is, didn't like that too much.
Ok, at least she's not after B. That much is intact. I'm surprised that she's hooked up with Red though. Willow always seemed like such a tight ass to me. Of course she was the only one to give me a chance when I came back to Sunny-D, so I guess time changes a lot.
"I love her." I hear the words escape from my mouth too quickly for me to stifle them. Fuck, what am I saying?
"I know." The other brunette says flatly. "It's hard to miss."
"G-guess so." Thank god there's a knock at the door.
"Hey girl." Faith said as she opened the door, happily finding Buffy on the other side.
"Hey." The petite blonde said producing the bag of books for Giles and giving Faith a short hug. "Wanna get something to eat?"
"Hell yes, I'm starved."
"Cool. Then we could maybe get a movie after?" Buffy smiled and the brunette's heart skipped a beat the way it always did when Buffy smiled at her.
"Sounds like a plan. There's a place around the corner and they have the best junk food."
"Now this is the shit." Faith lifted the chili-cheese burger and took a big bite, then spoke through the layer of food that filled her mouth. "This is what I call food."
"You're a pig." Buffy laughed.
"Yeah but I'm a happy pig."
"Ok. I'll accept that." Buffy smiled up at her girlfriend. "You know what? Pretty darned amazing too."
Faith looked to her right then left. "Who me?"
"Yeah you."
"Think you can handle me?"
"Hope so."
"Way cool." The brunette smiled. "So I was thinking about stuff."
"Like what?"
"Everything. Us.. the gang." She took another huge bite of her burger, chili and cheese running down her chin. "Being near death makes you think about shit."
"What you said the other night.. about not being my only friend." Faith continued. "I kinda believe it now. I mean everyone really seemed concerned about me when I got zapped. New experience ya know?"
"Maybe. We're like that. `Bout time you figured that out."
"And Xan. I know I talk tough but he really saved my ass." Faith picked up a napkin and wiped her chin before taking another bite. "I was thinking I should do something to say thanks."
"Like?" the blonde said, cutting off another piece of her steak and lifting it to her mouth.
Faith shrugged. "Dunno. Just something.. Hey he seems to be into the whole girl on girl thing. Maybe we could let him watch sometime."
Buffy looked up at her. "I'm going to delete from my memory, the very thought of you saying that."
"Hey, he doesn't have to be there. You have a video camera right?"
The blonde put up a hand, cutting Faith off. "Completely delete.. ok?"
Faith broke into a huge grin. "God, B. You're so serious all the time. And I love making you blush."
"So what DVD did you rent?" Faith asked.
"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." The blonde answered. "It's supposed to be funny as all get out. Plus, ooh see. The one girl in it looks kinda like you."
Faith surveyed the back of the DVD that housed the summary and captioned pictures from the movie, including the aforementioned actress. "No way. I'm alot hotter than that bitch. She's got nothing on me, plus I can kick her ass."
"Stop critiquing the actors and put the darn movie in ok?"
"You couldn't even make it to the end of the movie could you?" Buffy gasped against Faith's lips.
"Not with you sitting next to me." She felt the brunette's mouth against her skin and the sensation was too much to bear. "Stop the damn movie. We'll finish it later."
The soft lips on her collarbone, trailing down to each breast. Each nipple was taken into the dark Slayer's mouth and covered with sweet sensation, and then the feeling moved lower.
The brunette's mouth was drawn to her center, licking and sucking at her. Drawing every drop of wetness that she was able to give. Mmm, yummy. Faith thought as her tongue sank deeper into her lovely companion.
She held the small blonde around each thigh, tasting her.. savoring her. Then rolling onto her back without relinquishing her hold, Faith found herself on her back with her prize above her.
"Mmm." Buffy found herself on her knees looking down at Faith's face between her legs. "Hey down there." She groaned, her hips bucking involuntarily against the feeling in her sex.
The dark Slayer took long enough to wave and wink, not willing to let go the contact between her mouth and her lover, before Buffy was sent screaming over the edge.
11:38 a.m.
The detective answered the phone and punched up the speaker on the first ring.
"You should know that I hate tardiness."
"No hello? I get a little tied up and you go all impolite. You don't want me to be sad do you?" the voice streamed from the speaker.
"No offense, but I couldn't care less about your feelings. Do you have anything good for us today or are you just gonna babble about nonsense?"
"Well I was thinking of asking a question of my own. Have you figured out the game yet?"
"Not yet." The detective said "But I will, you can count on tha.. "
"Chess." Giles said flatly.
"Ooh. I'm impressed. I should have figured you for a real aficionado, Rupert." The voice said as the sound of hands clapping together in mock applause could clearly be heard. "Very good."
"Huh?" Holland looked up at Giles who just shrugged.
"I meant to tell you."
"If it's one thing I love," the voice said "It's an intellectual challenge. You sound like this is going to be a wild ride Rupert."
"As wild a ride as you had in your days as a contract hitter?" Holland threw out what little bit of bait that he had at his disposal.
"Hmm. Seems like you've found some things too. Tell me Detective, has my checkered past come back to haunt me? I've moved so far past that point in my life. My horizons have been.. broadened shall we say? I'm mostly into awakening spiritual awareness now."
"What's so spiritual about cutting young girls to pieces?"
"If you need to ask me, then you're even more clueless than I thought, Detective. Oh and Rupert, the next move is yours."
Buffy awoke slowly, her eyes gradually opening and gaining some focus. She lifted her head from Faith's sheet covered breast and looked up at her still sleeping girlfriend, admiring her.
She's just so sexy, Buffy thought. Why didn't I ever see it before? Oh hell, her inner dialogue continued, I've always seen it but never bothered to notice.
Buffy thought back over all the time she'd know Faith. From the time she first made her appearance all the way up to her escape from prison and her return to Sunnydale. She'd thought about Faith a lot while she was gone, both good and bad thoughts about her brunette equal.
There were times when she felt legitimate hatred for Faith. But over time that had changed. Most of all what she felt was hope. She hoped that Faith would find what she needed to be right again, and now here she was. Her girl.
Life is so strange. Just a short while ago, she couldn't even imagine being friends again with Faith. Much less being in a relationship with her. But here she was, in the arms of the woman she once thought she despised.
Slowly the realization hit her. In every relationship she'd ever been in, she'd searched for her equal. Someone who knew her, could identify with her and the crazy world she lived in day after day.
Angel couldn't do it. As much as she loved him and he loved her, he could never know what she went through. He was a vampire, and she loved him. She was the Slayer and he loved her. But in the end, he would never be able to identify. They were destined to be apart, as painful as it was.
Riley.. did she love him at all? She thought so at the time. After all they were on the same side, and he was a good man. But was that enough? For Riley, fighting demons was what he was trained to do. It wasn't a calling. He could stop anytime he wanted to. Buffy was chosen. She had no choice in the matter, and the only person who could know what that was like was another chosen.
Chosen Two. That's what Faith had called the two of them so many years ago. Even though they weren't the only two anymore, the connection between them never really faded. Even through all the bullshit that she didn't care to think about anymore.
As Buffy watched, Faith's head moved from one side to the other. Slowly adjusting herself in her sleep. Just that small motion was enough to send a small vibration of excitement through the small blonde.
My God, she thought. Everything she does is sexy, even in her sleep.
Staring down at her raven-haired bedmate, Buffy smiled. She ran her hand gently up Faith's body, very lightly. Not enough to wake her. She just wanted to touch her.
She felt the heat growing between her legs as she cupped Faith's face in her hand. She leaned down, planting a kiss on those soft lips. Groggily, Faith awoke and reciprocated bringing her hand up behind the blonde and holding her close. Their tongues gently played with each other.
"Good morning." Faith said, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"Hey you." The blonde smiled and winked. "Is that an acceptable way to be woken up?"
"Mmm.. awesome." Faith brought her petite lover to her, feeling her heat against her thigh. She lifted her leg to give Buffy just the slightest hint of friction between her legs.
"My girl's all keyed up this morning huh?" Faith asked between kisses.
"Mmmhmm." Buffy moaned, "I've been wanting this all morning."
The blonde kissed her way down to Faith's breasts, licking and sucking at each nipple before dipping lower.
"Oh God, B.. " the words barely escaped her mouth before the sensation of Buffy's tongue on her took over, and she wasn't able to focus enough to even speak anymore. Only moans and gasps came after that.
Buffy moaned into her lover, savoring the taste of the sexy brunette that lay beneath her. In her wildest dreams she never thought that she'd find herself here. But right now, she couldn't imagine any other place to be.
She licked slowly and gently along Faith's opening, spreading her lips to reveal her prize. Her mouth moved to Faith's center, sucking the hardened nub into her mouth and applying constant suction while strumming it up and down with her tongue.
**Just do what feels good to you** Faith had instructed her the first time she had done this.
Faith was in heaven. She had awakened to find Buffy's beautiful face above her, kissing her. Now she was getting the sweetest pleasure and looking down at the blonde's beautiful face pressed between her thighs. The most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.
Her left hand moved behind Buffy's head while her right clenched the sheets of the hotel bed that they shared.
"B.. Baby. Don't stop.. I'm gonna.. Oh God!!!" Faith let herself cross the edge, letting Buffy's mouth bring her to the brink of satisfaction, then into the abyss of sensation.
"God.. " Faith said as she finally regained her senses. The small blonde was snuggled closely, smiling up at her. "Where'd you learn that?"
"Just going on instinct."
"Well, your instincts are fuckin' awesome. C'mere." The brunette said, pulling Buffy's small form over her. She wiggled her position until the blonde was firmly centered over her face and Faith was looking up at her.
"I love this position." She said before sinking her tongue into Buffy's core and looking up into her eyes. "I can see every bit of how hot I make you."
"You're fuckin' dynamite." Buffy said, feeling the pressure between her legs. The sucking sensation, alternated with soft licks up her passage. Finally Faith gave her what she needed.
"Yes, baby.." She groaned as Faith centered on her clit. "More.. "
Buffy's flavor flooded into her mouth as she came, the sweet juice pouring out of her. Faith dutifully licked up every drop, and wiped her chin, which was covered and slick with sweet juice.
"Do you think you'll ever get tired of me?" Buffy asked, snuggling against Faith's shoulder again.
"With an experience like that, hell no."
The brunette lay for a while feeling Buffy's face against her shoulder.
You should tell her, she thought. Just say the fucking words already.
"I love you, B."
"I love you too, Faith." Buffy smiled as she went to sleep again next to her happily satisfied counterpart.
A Killer's Mind-
I've been awake for almost 48 hours, and my senses are starting to waver in and out for lack of sleep. Not that my body doesn't need rest, but I can't bring myself to sleep yet. I have so much to do.
For the past two days, I've poured every fiber of my being into the young lady that has finally expired. She's crossed the barrier, and finally the last drop of her life's blood has drained from her body.
Now, extra care needs to be taken. Cleaning and wrapping her beautiful form so that she may be placed in just the perfect spot. My bishop on the chessboard we live on.
If Rupert is as smart as I believe he is, he'll in a certain spot, waiting for me. But I have a trick or two up my sleeve. Besides, he's not my real target, his daughter is. And he may be the perfect bait to draw her to me.
11:42 a.m.
The phone rang, and Giles picked up this time.
"Hello."
"Ahh.. Rupert. This is a pleasant surprise." The voice streamed from the small speaker box.
"Yes well.. " Rupert intoned. "I'm always happy to please."
"And where is our never-pleasant detective?"
"Honestly, I don't know. He hasn't come in yet." Giles said.
"That's fine." The killer said. "I'm more than happy to talk to you. I've done some research on you, you know?"
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, like the fact that you were European chess champion from 1974 through 1976. That's quite impressive."
Giles was taken aback. "It seems like you know quite a lot about me."
"Well, when you throw your name around, people tend to run a search or two. Your resume in the game is quite impressive. I didn't find much on you after that, however. It's as if you disappeared from the face of the earth until you became a school librarian. I'm still wondering about that."
"I'd say thank you for your interest, if I respected you. But right now, I have a problem with that."
"Rupert, you should be more respectful of your enemies. Especially when they know your name and address you know?"
A current of both anger and fear began to rise in the Englishman, as the realization hit him that the person on the other end of the line didn't only know details about his life. He knew where he was staying too. "You're the worst kind of monster you know that?"
"Am I?"
"Yes. A part of me thinks that you're a rabid dog, and you do know what they do with rabid dogs don't you?" uncharacteristic anger was beginning to rise in Giles' voice.
"Oh yeah.. they put rabid dogs down. But you see I'm much more than you think I am Rupert, much more. Time to make your move." The voice said.
There was an audible click, and the line was disabled.
Detective Holland walked into the police station roughly fifteen minutes after the killer had hung up. Giles saw that his face was pale and he was visibly shaken after he sat down in his chair.
"Are you alright?" Giles asked.
"No. I'm a far fuckin' shot from alright." He shakily reached for the cup of coffee that he had brought with him. Drinking deeply, he sat the cup back down. "One of my informants is dead. I got the call early this morning."
"I uh.. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. He wasn't a close friend. But what it means is that this bastard is a lot closer to us than he seems. I just came from the crime scene."
The Detective and Giles had exchanged information on the way to the evidence room. Holland filled Giles in on what he had found out from the dead man only the day before, and Giles reciprocated by giving the details of this morning's phone call.
"This was found on the body." It was a cellular phone that he carefully extracted from the evidence bag with his rubber-gloved fingertips. After turning the power on, the small green, illuminated window showed one unanswered voice mail.
"This could be something interesting." Holland said, punching up the necessary combination of buttons on the phone to bring up the voice message. Then both he and Giles leaned down to listen into the speaker.
~~~ "Rodney, this is Jimmy. The pers.. thing we talked about earlier. Go see Mister Fillian at the Boiler Room. He should have what you need to know. Oh, by the way, now I don't owe you a fuckin' dime! We're square now. Know what I mean?" ~~~
Giles was taken completely aback. "What does that mean?"
"It means I asked too many of the wrong questions. Now my informant's dead. His body was found in an alley, not 6 blocks from here." The detective said angrily. "Fuck!! Not only have I been totally incapable of stopping this fuck from killing young girls, now this kid's dead because of me."
"No." Giles said "He's dead because of a rabid dog. At least now you have something to go on."
"Boiler Room." He said through clenched teeth. He would go to the heavy metal nightclub, tonight.
"And what exactly is this?" Buffy said, holding up the thin piece of pink material.
"It's a g-string, B. It'll show off that cute little ass of yours for me." Faith smiled happily.
"It hardly covers anything."
"I think that's the point." The brunette replied, giving a sly grin. "It accentuates, but leaves nothing to the imagination. Well, maybe one little thing."
"And you're giving this to me because.. ? You don't even wear undies."
"Nope. Too constricting. But I'd like to see my girl in it. If you really wanna make me happy you'll wear it." She said with a mock pout, playing the act to its hilt.
"Oh yeah. Nothing says love like cramming a strip of Lycra right up your ass." Buffy said sarcastically.
"Fuckin' A, baby." The brunette smiled and winked.
Finally the blonde acquiesced. Standing up she slipped one leg, then the other into the thin material and pulled it up and adjusted it in a way that she felt was correct. "You like?" she said, looking back over her shoulder.
"Mmm. I love it." Faith reached up to caress one of the lovely bare cheeks and found her hand playfully slapped away. "Hey!"
Buffy looked down at her, pointing to her butt. "You get this later." Turning around, she leaned down to capture the darker girl's lips with her own. "We need to check in. Now. Get. Dressed."
The older Slayer stood up to retrieve her scattered clothing, and the younger girl sighed.
"Ok. I'm gonna hold you to that, part ya know." Faith grumbled. But she knew Buffy was right.
"I hope you hold me to alotta parts. Now get a move on."
"If you weren't so friggin' cute, I'd spank your ass."
"Yeah." Buffy laughed. "I'd like to see you try."
Maybe I will, Faith thought, smiling as a very naughty image entered her mind. Let's see how far you're willing to let me go, B. Guess I'll find out tonight.
She stood up to get dressed.
1:22 pm
"Hey G." Faith said as they entered Giles' room.
Giles looked up. "Good afternoon girls."
"It's 'good morning', G-man. I think I've infected B here with my sleeping habits." She grinned and lightly elbowed Buffy who only grinned.
"So, anything new Giles." Buffy said, crossing the room to her one time Watcher who sat scribbling a few notes into a steno pad. As much as Willow had talked to him, he still couldn't bear to type his notes into her laptop. So she had agreed to copy them down whenever he did research on anything, supernatural or no.
"A little." He said. "On the phone this morning he said it was 'time to make my move'."
He got up from his chair and walked to the divided city map. "So," he continued "I have a strong feeling that his next placement will be on the South side of the city. Either here.. or here." He pointed to one grid, then another.
"Why would he do that?" Faith asked "Isn't it supposed to be your move?"
"Well yes. But he's going to make it for me."
"How do you know that?"
Giles gave her his classic quizzical look and answered her. "Because I don't chop people up and leaving them around like chess pieces."
The two girls looked at each other then back at Giles.
"Ok, so what's that mean? Stakeout?"
"Cool a stakeout." Faith said, punching her left palm with her right fist. "Can't wait to feel like one of the cops instead of one of the crooks for a change."
"See anything yet?" Buffy asked for the thousandth time.
"You want the binoculars girl? Because I'm kinda sick of getting asked that every five seconds."
"Fine. I'll shut up." The small blonde *harumphed*, crossing her arms over her chest and settling down into her driver's side seat pouting. Faith looked over at her and just grinned.
She's so fuckin' cute when she pouts, the brunette thought. She raised the binoculars to her eyes again, surveying first one alley then another. "To answer your question, not a friggin' thing. God, stakeout sucks. I thought it'd be all kinda 'Magnum P.I.' and shit."
"Anybody for a rousing game of 5 Card Draw?" Xander leaned up from the back seat, breaking out a pack of cards. He was obviously used to this.
"Trying to cut down, X-man." The dark Slayer said. "But thanks, babe."
"Hey, do you guys hear an engine racing?"
They all looked up just in time to see a pair of headlights careening over the side of the parking garage that they were parked in front of.
A Killer's Mind-
They think they're so clever, but the majority of their group is just as clueless as the majority of the morons that walk the face of this giant shit ball. I've been watching them for over an hour now. And to think that they've been staking ME out. I can't help but laugh.
I must admit, the Englishman is quite intelligent. I didn't underestimate him at all. He picked the spot perfectly. So here I am, sitting in my car. Frankly feeling a little bit bored. I'm not without my tricks though.
I'll make the move tonight don't worry about that. I'll just have to wait for a while. This little cat and mouse game is getting a little tedious. Perhaps I'll up the stakes just a bit. Maybe a bit more daring is just what I need to get my adrenaline going.
Taking one last look down from the parking garage that I'm in, I make my move. Getting behind the wheel of the stolen car, I start the engine. Then I firmly wedge the tire iron on the gas pedal, and loop my belt around the gearshift, hearing the engine roar. This should fly quite nicely.
Closing the driver's door I yank my belt, sending the car sailing over the side, crashing approximately where I had planned. Right on the hood of the their car. I take my last look, just in time to see the two girls dive out either door.
Guess they saw it coming.
Oh well. The body's in the trunk. Drop successful. I laugh to myself as I turn to leave.
"Move now!" Buffy shouted as she dived out the driver's side door. Only because of their Slayer's reflexes were she and Faith capable of scrambling out each side before the car came crashing down on top of theirs.
Recovering from the initial shock Buffy looked around. Faith was ok, slowly getting to her feet.
Oh shit, she thought. Xander?
She scrambled to the back door of her once Buick convertible, pulling it open. "Wow. That was an experience." He said, slowly crawling out of the car and finding his balance.
The detective slowly made his way up the stairs, to the manager's office.
He had walked into the club, earlier, paying the cover charge and walked to a table. When the waitress finally came he ordered a drink. Then he sat for a while surveying the place and didn't see anyone that he thought to be in charge. So finally, he motioned for one of the bouncers to come over.
The big man approached, leaning down to hear over the loud music.
"Is Mr. Fillian here?" The big guy just looked at him.
"Who the fuck are you?" he said, a huge amount of attitude in his voice.
Holland pulled the tri-fold that housed his police badge from his coat pocket. Holding it out, he let it flap open to reveal said badge. "I'm THAT guy."
The bouncer stood slowly, obviously showing a little more respect. "I'll get him." He said, walking off.
He sat for a short while longer, sipping on his drink. Finally he heard a voice from behind. "You're not a familiar face around here."
The man he saw when he turned around wore dark jeans and a leather jacket, nothing more. It revealed a small pot gut. He had black hair and a severely pock marked face, most likely from a roaring bout with teen acne.
He stood up to face the man. "Are you him? Are you.. Pick?"
He grinned. "You flatter me. Don't try to get on my good side. What do you want?"
"Just a little information."
"You can do whatever you want. I ain't sayin' shit about Pick." The guy said.
"That's not the information I want. I'm a little curious about someone who used to work for him though." The biker's face fell noticeably. He knew exactly whom the Detective was talking about.
"Follow me." He said, leading him down a long hallway that ended in a flight of stairs.
So here they were, sitting in the manager's office. The biker sat in his desk chair, propping his feet up on the desk like some type of king. He was obviously in on a hell of a lot of dirty deals, but he had a stone confidence that told the tale of many successful run-ins with the law.
"You know who I'm talking about then?" the detective asked.
"Yeah I know. Not much, mind you, but I do."
The officer assessed the man who sat across the desk from him. "So does the boss, still keep tabs on his pet dog?" He inquired.
"He watches the news, yeah. That and a few other things. I'm not necessarily 'in the know' with the big man, know what I mean? I just do a few odd jobs that I ain't sayin' shit about."
"Didn't ask you to." He hesitated, knowing that the sacrifice of busting this piece of trash was far outweighed by the information he could provide. "So what do you know about this freak?"
The biker chuckled. "He's one sick fuck, is all I know. And he doesn't work for the boss anymore."
"So I've heard. So.. If I was to go looking for him, where would I look?"
"Not a friggin' clue nowadays. He used to rent a warehouse down at the docks. Said he 'liked the space'."
"That it?"
"All I know." He smiled sarcastically. "Cross my heart. Always happy to help a man of the law."
Fuck I hate this guy, Holland thought.
"Thanks." He said taking a long drink and finishing off his Long Island Iced Tea. He turned for the door.
"Hey.." the biker called to him. He turned back around. "Catch this fucker, ok?"
"Do my best." He turned and headed out the door.
Faith turned the key in her motel room door.
They had spent over two hours explaining to the police, their version of what had happened. Basically it was a 'Hey we don't know anything. We were just driving along and this fucking car came sailing down at us' kinda deal. Then they had checked in with the gang.
She was just happy that none of the cops had asked for her ID. First, she didn't have one. Second, if she did and they ran a check on her, it would be an automatic trip back to prison.
Thankfully, they were all ok. Well Buffy's car was pretty smashed up, but at least none of them were hurt. At least Willow still had a car that was usable, so they had transportation. She felt bad though. Buffy's poor car. The blonde loved that little thing, and now it was totaled.
Stepping to the side she let the older girl walk through the door.
"Glad nobody got hurt." The brunette said, closing the door behind them.
"Me too. It was all weird psycho moody thinking that he was so close to us." Buffy was obviously still shaken. Faith moved over and sat next to her on the edge of their bed.
"Hey.. It's ok. Nobody was hurt, and we're gonna get this guy ok?"
Buffy nodded slowly. "Part of me is sorry that we ever got into this thing." She pressed her head against the younger Slayer and wept lightly.
Fuck, Faith thought. I'm the one that got us into this.
"No you're not." Buffy said, reading her thoughts. She lifted her hand, bringing her girlfriend into a soft kiss.
A Killer's Mind-
My poor detective friend is so clueless. He believes everything I tell him. I bet he would stick his head in a fire, if I told him that he could see hell.
Rupert, on the other hand. He seems to be right on the ball. He's almost a step ahead, giving what few clues I've given. So I'm here in the parking lot of the motel that he's staying at again. Just watching.
It wasn't hard to steal another car. Hell, car jacking was one of the first things I learned in my little stint in organized crime. I got another vehicle so quickly; I was here in plenty of time to see the girls come home from their little excursion of giving their statements to the police.
Faith awoke slowly, feeling the weight of her lover's body pressed over her. The initial adrenaline rush of the traumatic experience they had experienced had lapsed and they had both succumbed to the natural body reaction of sleep.
She didn't know what time it was; only that it was still dark and way too early to be awake and functional. But here she was, feeling Buffy's intermittent breath against her t shirt covered breast.
She angled her position just a bit and pulled the blonde closer, just drinking in the presence and feel of her sleeping companion and staring down at her blonde head. Faith had never been one for the long time relationship thing, but with this little shit her feelings had always been different.
Get some, get gone. That was gone. She held the culmination of 5 years of wanting and never believing she could have. She just hoped that her own stupid brain wouldn't wake up one day and say, that she was tired of it and move on to something else. Right now that was the most impossible event on earth, but she knew and feared her natural impulses.
Why do I doubt myself so much? She thought. Can't I just be happy?
After a while Buffy stirred a little, staring groggily up at Faith. "Hey you.."
"Hey back. What's up?"
"You apparently. Can't sleep?"
Faith shrugged. "Not tired anymore. Go figure. Just didn't wanna leave you."
"You better not. I need my snuggles." She cuddled back against her lover and nuzzled at her collarbone. Faith responded by wrapping her arms tighter around her girl. She leaned down lightly, placing a kiss on the blonde's forehead, the tip of her nose, then finally her lips.
"Mmmm.." The blonde moaned into the kiss, feeling a familiar heat trickling down to her center. "Faith don't start. I'm tired."
"Don't start or what?" Only the streaming light of the cracked bathroom door illuminated her face, but Buffy could clearly see a not so innocent grin on Faith's face. Just looking at her with that sexy grin made the heat grow even more.
"Or.. you'll have to finish." She leaned up to kiss Faith again, this time with more passion and fervor than before. Knowing that each night may be your last night on earth brought out a passion in every Slayer. Passion to grow, to experience.
Their embrace became a dance of exploration. "Thought you were tired." Faith pulled back.
"You made me un-tired. So you need to tire me out again." She pressed herself back on top of her girl, slipping her hands under Faith's shirt and guiding it up and off.
Sliding her hands down Faith's body to cup her breasts, she strangely found herself stopped abruptly.
"No."
Buffy raised her head. "Huh?"
Faith gripped her wrists, guiding them down to her own sides. She had promised herself that she would give Buffy a spanking earlier, and the mischievous side of her nature wanted to see just how far she could go Domme on the older girl.
"You're fine." She assured the blonde Slayer "Just want you to know who's in charge here. You know what I like by now."
Buffy grinned and moved her body up over her lover's, Faith planting nibbles and kisses as she went. Finally she was kneeling just above Faith's grinning face.
"Ok. Here's lesson one. I'm the top, and you're my girl. Got it?"
"Uh huh." Buffy nodded, eagerly awaiting Faith's tongue in her.
"Good. Just so you know." Then the blonde was met with a hard swat on her ass. She tried to lurch forward but was held firmly in place.
"Faith? What the..?"
"Don't ask!" The brunette replied sharply. "Just feel." She sank her tongue deeply into her lover, simultaneously delivering another hard smack to the other cheek. Buffy's body spasmed at the odd mixture of pleasure and pain that flooded through her. She found herself strangely aroused, feeling Faith's hands on her in any way as she was worked with the finely skilled tongue.
"Oh Faith.. Oh God!" She screamed as her arousal began to reach its peak. Her juice flooded into Faith's mouth as she licked and sucked at the blonde's clit.
My God. B is really hot from this, Faith thought. Hot Damn!
She continued her gentle assault on Buffy's little ass, as the blonde grunted and ground her hips against the dark Slayer's face. Finally, Faith was met with a warm gush and long scream as Buffy went over the edge when she finally centered on the blonde's clit.
"Oh Faith.. Oh Faaaaiiithy." The blonde gasped still kneeling over her lover's face, her weight supported by one arm as she caught her breath. She looked back over one shoulder, then the other. Her ass was beet red. "Faith.. that was.."
"Shhhh.." The brunette silenced her, from her prone position, and Buffy stopped. "This is lesson two. Watch but don't touch."
She summarily flipped Buffy onto her back, finally gaining her position of straddling the blonde's waist. "Will you be a good girl?"
Buffy wasn't quite sure what to make of this. This was a side of Faith that she had never seen, but it was still a turn on. The blonde nodded her head. "Uh huh."
"Good girl. Don't touch, k?"
Buffy nodded and used all of her willpower to lie there and resist the overwhelming urge to reach up and caress Faith's lovely body. The brunette continued to straddle Buffy's waist as her hand snaked down to her own soaked sex. She began to rub along her slit, moaning as she gained the lubrication that she needed then slaking up to her clit.
She rubbed back and forth, slowly at first and then slowly increasing in pace and rhythm. Buffy lay beneath her, beginning to grow wet again at the sight of Faith pleasuring herself. The brunette's head was thrown back, her eyes closed. Occasionally leaning down to grab a quick kiss as she worked at her center.
"Oh Fuck.. Oh fuck!!" she groaned, feeling herself getting close. Buffy could literally feel her lover dripping on her stomach as she strummed herself. Buffy drank in the sight of Faith in the throws of passion. The beautiful breasts.. the taught little tummy.. the incredible face she made when she hit just the right spot.
The blonde gasped as Faith grabbed her head with her free hand, looking right into her eyes as she came. Then Faith collapsed on her lover, gasping for breath. Buffy lay for a while, content with Faith's body against hers before she finally spoke.
"Um.. can I touch now?"
"Oh.. sure. Sorry babe."
She moved her arms up around her lover, holding her close. "God Faith. That was intense!"
The brunette raised her head. "Yeah, wasn't it? I didn't think you'd let me take you that far."
"I didn't think you were into that whole dominatrix gig."
Faith leaned down for a kiss. Pulling back and smiling. "Just wanted to see how far you were willing to go for me. You're my girl."
They held each other for a bit longer. "You thirsty?" Buffy asked.
"I could go for that. A soda maybe? Lotsa ice." Faith rolled off of her and settled back against her pillow, watching as Buffy retrieved her clothing and got dressed.
"Don't be gone long, ok?" Faith said, watching the blonde approach the motel door.
Buffy ran back to the bed, pouncing on her girl and giving her a long kiss. "I won't. Back in a jiff."
Then the blonde turned to run out the door.
Buffy exited the motel room, closing the door behind her. Walking down the long hall to the soda and ice machines, drawing change from her jeans pocket to get both her and Faith something to drink.
Passing her was a gentleman with closely cropped brown hair. "Excuse me?" He said.
She turned. "Huh?"
"Um.." he said sheepishly "Do you know where the pay phone is?"
She thought for a second. "Umm, sure. Keep going that way and it'll be on your left."
"Ok." He smiled "Thanks."
"No prob." She turned continuing to walk toward the soda machine when she felt herself grabbed from behind. Reflexively, she began to spin only to find her face covered with a coarse material.
Chlorophorm. She knew the scent. It had been used on her by her own mother.
Normally she would have had the strength to fight, but the initial inhalation had shaken her head and equilibrium. She pushed and struggled, even holding her breath until finally the need for oxygen gave way and she took the second breath. By that time she was unconscious.
A Killer's Mind-
I admit that this time, I may have let my own impetuousness get the better of me. But when I saw my opportunity I had to take it.
I've had enough of the games, enough of the cat and mouse. This is bigger than the police. Bigger than some stupid game of chess. This is destiny. It's time to end this game, one way or another.
Looking down at the still sleeping blonde that's tied to one of my chairs, I smile. And here I thought they were sisters. But when I took a closer approach to their motel room and heard the muffled moans and cries, I knew that the blonde was just what I needed to draw the champion to me.
"Who can resist the cry of a lover in peril?" I ask her as I pace back and forth in front of her, not really expecting an answer. She is unconscious after all. She's still clothed, of course. Just tied to a wooden chair, with a small strip of duct tape over her mouth. My interest in her is only as bait.
Satisfied that she will be asleep for a while, I walk to my phone.
Faith sat up in bed and lit a cigarette, just after Buffy left.
Damn if that little blonde didn't amaze her even more every day. She sat back against the headboard, closing her eyes and letting her mind drift. She was still rolling on the afterglow of, if she said so herself, was some pretty amazing sex.
Finally, she finished her smoke and stumped it out in the ashtray next to her bed. She looked over at the small alarm clock that sat next to the ashtray, casually. Damn, Faith thought. B's been gone a while, just to get some sodas. 15 minutes.
Perhaps she had borrowed Willow's car to go to the corner store to get some snacks too. That would be nice.
When 15 minutes turned into 30, Faith got up and slipped on her jeans and black tank top. She headed for the door, locking it behind her and strolled down the hallway that led to the snack machine. She didn't find any trace of Buffy. Then she walked to the pay phone, finding nothing there either.
Faith had seen Willow's car still in the parking lot, so Buffy should still be somewhere around. Perhaps she had checked in on her little sister.
She knocked on Dawn's door. After a while the young brunette finally answered. "Is B over here?" Faith asked.
"Nuh Uh." Dawn answered. "She's been staying in your room. Why?"
"Um.. I can't find her, she's been gone awhile."
"Well.. " Dawn said sleepily, "did you check with anyone else?"
"Not yet. But I'm about to."
One by one, she had roused the whole gang. No one had seen Buffy and she had been gone for over an hour. Finally, they all went and knocked on Giles' door. He answered, wearing the most ridiculous pair of pajamas that any one of them had ever seen.
"Giles, have you talked to Buffy?" Xander asked.
"Um.. excuse me? Yes. Earlier."
"No!" Faith spat. "Lately. She's missing G!"
Giles could see the concern in the young girl's face and welcomed the whole gang in, turning on the light. "Could someone explain this for me? Buffy's missing?"
"Yeah." Faith paced back and forth across the room. "We were talking and.. stuff. Then she said she was gonna get us some sodas. So I waited, and she never came back."
"Well.." Kennedy offered up "Do you think she ran across some vampires? I mean it's possible."
"Dunno. I'd think she would come and get me though."
Just then, Giles' phone rang. His head snapped to the phone, surprised because no one ever called him. And only the police knew this number, supposedly. His heart sank as he walked to the phone, a frightening realization washing over him. Slowly he picked it up.
"Hello Rupert." The familiar voice sang.
He took a deep breath, clenching his teeth. "What have you done with Buffy?"
"Oh she has a name. Excellent. I'll know what to call her when she wakes up."
"You bastard!" he said, feeling the adrenaline rise in himself. "What do you want from me?"
"I want nothing from you, Rupert. Calm down. I have no interest in young Buffy. I only want the brunette."
"Faith?" Giles said. Faith looked up adamantly at the mention of her name.
"Ooh. She has a name too. I'd like, very much, to meet her. Just her. Any police, and little Buffy dies in her sleep."
Giles straightened. "Alright. Where?" Giles grabbed a small pad of Post-It notes and scribbled the warehouse number that the killer gave him.
"Oh and Rupert.. make sure she's alone." An audible click signaled the end of their connection.
He turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, we need to.." He stopped abruptly.
Faith and the small piece of paper he had scribbled the warehouse number on, were gone.
"Bugger!"
Holland had returned to the precinct that night, after leaving the club.
"Hey." The nighttime desk receptionist said. "Working late?"
"Kinda." The urgency was hard in his voice as he approached his cubicle and booted up his computer. After that he accessed the city's public record system. He searched through the filings of all the dock-side warehouses, and found only one that was registered to a private individual instead of a company or subsidiary.
"You son of a bitch." He said aloud. "I think I got you."
An hour later-
"Wakey wakey.." Buffy heard the voice inside her head, echoing back and forth as her eyes opened. Her vision was fuzzy and her hearing muddled. Slowly her vision cleared slightly and she opened her eyes fully. She tried to speak but found that her lips wouldn't work. She didn't know yet what was prohibiting her from making any more than senseless mumbles.
As her head slowly cleared, she saw the killer's face in front of her.
"Hello Buffy." He said. Her heart began to beat quickly and she struggled against her bonds. However, her strength wasn't quite what it should be, and her equilibrium was off. She couldn't break free.
"Calm yourself please." She heard the fuzzy figure's voice say. "I won't harm you. As a man of my word, you can trust me on that. Your girlfriend will be here soon."
Faith? What does she have to do with.., Buffy's lazy thoughts strummed through her head.
"You see.. This is what I've been working for." He paced back and forth before her. "The final showdown. Who is going to win, in this generation."
Buffy had no idea what he was talking about. She felt as if she was incredibly drunk, and knew from experience that it would be quite awhile before those affects wore off. Her heart beat a bit slower, now that she was actually having a 'conversation' with the psycho.
He paced back and forth in front of her, clenching his fists over and over again. He wore black pants, and his upper body was totally exposed revealing a tightly trimmed musculature that was covered with the same ritualistic scars that were present on the bodies of every victim that had been found.
"You see.. Life has a way of drawing you to the place that it wants you to be. To your ultimate battleground." He continued to pace back and forth. "Your own choice.. is whether or not you choose to fight or run away."
He rushed forward grabbing Buffy by the hair. "Your girlfriend and I? We're gonna have a hell of a fight."
The voice came from behind him. "Freeze! Step away from the girl!"
The killer stood slowly, turning around to face the voice. "Detective.. I'm impressed. I must admit that I wonder how you found me here."
"Asked a few questions. Then did a search on the web. This is the only warehouse licensed to a private individual." The detective smiled as he advanced, his gun drawn and pointed at the killer. "Mr. Jason Hendricks, if I presume? Seems that now I know your name?"
"One of them." Jason held his arms out to each side. "It must be easy for you.. Standing there with your weapon of mass destruction. It's easy to be tough while standing behind your momma's skirt."
The killer was clearly challenging the detective's manhood. Detective Holland thought a moment, then stood straight and ejected the clip from his 9mm.
"Is that what's bothering you, Jason? My gun?" he threw both the gun and clip aside, then took a cocky stance. "Know what Jason? Underneath all your spiritual rhetoric, you are nothing more than a bully. You pick on those that are weaker than you. Then you run.."
"Hey!!" The killer cut him off. "If that's true, how about I beat the shit out of you?"
The detective raised both hands out to his sides. "What's stopping you?"
Jason rushed the detective, meeting a fist to the face followed by a right cross. The detective moved in for a right cross that was blocked and followed with a kick to the ribs. Then another.
Fuck! That's the hardest I've ever been hit by a man, Holland thought briefly.
The detective doubled over and the killer moved to his side, grabbing him by the hair and pulling his face up to meet his own. "First you bleed, detective. Then you die." Then he was met with a hard knee to the face that dropped him to his knees.
There were hands around his throat, squeezing tightly and cutting off his air supply. He struggled, swatting against the arms that held him. Eventually weakening from lack of oxygen, his arms fell to his sides limply. He vaguely saw the killer's face lean into his own.
"Goodbye, Samuel.." the face said, before his world faded to black.
He stood, catching his breath. Well, he thought. That was a good warm up. He looked down at the dead body at his feet, then at his captive blonde who was still struggling to get out of the bonds.
"Don't worry sweety. Your girl will be here soo.." He stopped abruptly, feeling the touch of sharp steel against his back. Slowly he turned, keeping the contact of the knife against him. It cut a sharp line all the way around his body, until it reached the center of his chest.
Now he faced her. The Champion.
Faith held her knife against his bleeding flesh. "You know, I'm trying really hard with this 'not killing humans' thing. But for you, I think I'll make an exception."
He stood, blood running down his back, arm and chest. Defiantly staring Faith in the eye, he grinned.
"So.. whatcha gonna do now, hero?" He said, looking her up and down.
"Gut you like a fuckin' fish for touchin' my girl." Faith said, rage burning in her eyes. He held his gaze steady and confident, not wavering a bit.
Then he slapped forward with both hands, one catching Faith at the inside of her wrist and the other on the back of her hand. The move sent the knife flying from her hand and spiraling across the room until it landed, clattering on the concrete floor.
Faith looked down at her empty hand and immediately struck out, hitting him with her right fist. Right again, left, and then she kicked him in the stomach. He went sailing through the air, his weight shifting, and he landed squarely on his face.
Faith stood her ground, looking over to make sure Buffy was ok. The blonde was groggy but regaining her consciousness.
He picked himself up from the floor, shaking his head a little to jar away the spiders. "Oh I knew you'd be a challenge." He rushed at Faith, tackling her square in the stomach. They both fell and rolled to the ground, rolling around. Each tried to gain an upper hand on the other.
Faith struggled to regain her breath after having the wind knocked out of her from the shoulder to the gut. She pushed away, using her training to finally gain some leverage and they both scrambled to their feet again.
"Round 2, you son of a bitch." She said before kicking at the inner thigh of his front leg, sending him down to one knee. He responded by upper cutting her in the jaw, putting her on her back and vulnerable to further attack.
Buffy shook her head again, finally gaining her bearings. She looked around, gauging her surroundings. She saw Faith fighting and her adrenaline rose.
The blonde struggled to get free of the ropes that held her, feeling her strength return. She pulled with all her might at the ropes, feeling each individual fiber break in turn until her hands burst from the bonds. She immediately struggled with the bonds that held her legs to each chair leg.
She couldn't let Faith face this guy alone again. Not again.
Finally she stood, ripping the duct tape from her face and advancing on the man who had just send her girl sailing to the ground.
"Hey." She said, making him turn around. He was completely surprised. "You forgot me." She front kicked him square in the jaw. He careened back, trying to regain his footing. It gave Faith the time she needed to gain her senses as well.
The two Slayers stood, back to back, in fighting stance. Buffy looked over her shoulder. "Let's kick his ass."
"Agreed." Faith spat, as they both advanced on him now.
The two of them threw punches and kicks at him until he was hunched on the ground, doing his best to block what few strikes they continued to throw.
One Slayer, he would have perhaps been able to contend with. With the two of them, there was no chance. He was having the living shit beat out of him.
The two girls heard the familiar 'clack-clack' of a shotgun being chambered.
They stopped, slowly turning around. There were three dark figures facing them. The outer two wielded shotguns. The middle figure had no weapon, at least not in his hands.
"Step back ladies." The middle figure said, all of them still masked by shadow. They did so, in turn. Neither was sure what to make of this. They backed away, both holding their hands up and at the same time formulating a battle plan in case they needed to fight their way out of this.
"Step behind us." The middle figure spoke again. The girls reciprocated, stepping behind the three gunmen. The middle figure stepped forward in front of the bleeding man.
"Sit up." He said. "I said sit up!"
Buffy and Faith just looked on, as the kneeling and bloody figure moved to his knees.
"The boss sends his regards." The middle figure said, looking down at him. Then he laughed. The killer laughed.
"I knew it.. I knew he still cared." He said, raising his bloody face to the three gun men.
"Yeah. He still cares." The middle figure said, quickly drawing a silenced pistol from his waist and firing it in one smooth motion.
Both girls winced as they watched the serial killer's brains splattered against the far wall. His body slumped to the ground with a grotesque thud.
After the two girls had gotten over the initial shock, the middle figure turned to them.
"You girls have nothing to do with this. We have ways of making this disappear." His voice was flat, void of emotion. They both backed away and walked out of the warehouse.
Outside, they held hands.
"B.. I was so worried about you." An unusual tear fell down the brunette's cheek. They turned to face each other, Buffy rubbing the tear from Faith's face.
"God I love you." Buffy grinned and winked before bringing her girl into a long embrace. Finally, when she let go, she looked at her girl. "Let's go find some nice and ordinary demons ok?"
"You got yourself a deal, girlfriend." Faith said, kissing her again. "Let's go get the gang."
Neither of them knew where they would go next. But wherever they'd be, they'd be together.
"Let's go check in, and get the fuck outta here." Faith kissed her girlfriend deeply.
"Agreed."
"B..?" She said, leaning her girlfriend against the outside of the building.
"Huh?"
"I've never been much for religion.. But if there is a God.. I'll thank him for every day that I wake up with you." The brunette turned and walked back to the hotel, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.
Buffy smiled, following her girl.
Gimme a chance girl, she thought. I'm gonna bring it out of you, yet.