Past the Point: Dracula
by Lowdeen
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
and Mutant Enemy. The story contains love between two women, so if
such things offend you, don't read it and upset yourself.
Spoilers: Major, major spoilage for the fifth season episode "Buffy vs. Dracula". There's
some dialogue lifted straight from the show so bear with me.
Author's Notes: Sequel to "Passing Indifference". I'm ignoring the Dawn and Glory storyline.
No. Your craving goes deeper than that.
You think you know ... what you are ... what's to come.
You haven't even begun. Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature.
--Dracula
It was a picture perfect day in Sunnydale which kind of made up for last night in Sunnydale when the slayers had to get rough and dirty with six vamps who refused to die. You'd have thought they'd be smart enough to get the hell out of town while they still could now that the slayers were back together and working as a team again. Already, the bloodsucking population in the 'dale was at an all time low and getting lower by the night. It was unreal how effectively the tandem of Buffy and Faith were wiping a wide swath of death and destruction throughout the demonic underground. But, at the moment, death and destruction weren't exactly at the forefront of their minds...not if you didn't count a friendly game of touch football on the grounds of UC Sunnydale between two slayers who hated to lose.
"Ha! Touchdown!" Buffy shouted in triumph as she caught a laser of a pass. "Oh yeah. Go team me." A victory dance ensued as she shamelessly celebrated in her girlfriend's face.
Faith shook her head in mock disgust but a hint of a smile edged the corners of her mouth. It was an undeniably cute display but, to Faith, anything Buffy related was melt worthy. She caught the football as the blonde tossed it back. "Anybody ever tell team you the quarterback throws like a girl?" She couldn't just let the defeat go without a bit of retaliation for a bruised ego. She threw the ball back, putting a perfectly tight spin into the rotation.
Buffy frowned as she caught the pigskin. "I do?"
Faith shrugged with one shoulder as if to say 'If the shoe fits...' That's when the ball came ripping back, straight at her head. And if her hand didn't come up just then, she'd have more than a bruised ego to worry about. "Sensitive much?" She asked as Buffy stuck her tongue out and folded her arms across her chest in a clear pout. "Awww, c'mon B. I didn't mean it." Faith grinned once more as she added under her breath, "Not really." She began to laugh as Buffy tackled her to the ground and they started an impromptu wrestling match.
They were no doubt attracting attention with the display but both girls were used to that by now so neither one stopped until Buffy ended up on top, sitting on Faith's waist and smugly grinning down. "Well?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow, waiting patiently for an apology.
"Well...I think I like you in this position." Faith ran her hands lightly up and down Buffy's waist.
"That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear," the blonde said smiling. "But keep going." Faith chuckled as Buffy leaned down to give her a chaste kiss on the lips before reluctantly pulling back. "It's 4:30---time for class." They both nodded but neither girl moved the slightest inch, preferring to gaze into each other's eyes instead.
Faith finally sighed. She hated being responsible. "You'd better go. Your mom will hunt me down if you get another incomplete." She watched as Buffy gave her a little grin before hopping up and running off to class. For a few more minutes, she just laid there, looking up blankly into the sky, trying to decide on what she'd do for the next forty-five minutes before Buffy's class ended. She rooted through the pocket of her jeans and came up with two wrinkled dollars and three cents. That could probably get her a can of coke and some chips but then she'd have to move and she didn't feel like moving.
Shoving the money back in her pocket, she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun across her body. This was nice. It wasn't *as* nice as spending some more time with Buffy but it was still nice. Faith found she'd been doing that a lot lately, just enjoying herself. And why shouldn't she? Life was good. Buffy was her girl. Slaying was fun again. Buffy was her girl. Most of the Scoobies weren't openly hostile anymore. And Buffy was her girl. So, even if, deep down, she thought she didn't deserve it nor that it would last, she was still going to enjoy it. Damn straight, life was good.
As she continued to lay there, footsteps approached, softened by the cushion of grass. They stopped next to her right side and she sighed in irritation cause whoever it was was blocking her sun.
"Faith?"
The voice sounded familiar but it wasn't anybody she could definitively place. Opening her eyes a crack, she looked up, still not able to make out any features with the sun behind his back as it was. "Yeah?"
"It's me, Jim. We, uh, met a couple of weeks ago?"
This was a surprise. Faith got up, finally getting her first good look at the guy she'd met briefly after she'd first come back to Sunnydale from her west coast trip. Before Buffy had dumped his ass. "Yeah, Jimbo...what's up?"
"My master would like to meet you."
Faith's eyes widened as she took in the strange statement. She eyed him more closely, noticing that in addition to his usual dark ensemble, he also had dark circles under his eyes and a strange facial tic going on with his eye. "Say again?"
"My master. He's very eager to talk with you."
Faith looked around, wondering where the guys with the straitjackets were hiding. "And who's your 'master'? Dr. Frankenstein?" She smirked in amusement.
"No," Jim said, his face screwing up in distaste. "His name is Dracula."
If it was at all possible, Faith's eyes widened some more.
Buffy tossed her stake in the air, catching it with one hand as it came down. She did it a couple more times trying to burn off the excess energy she was feeling as she waited for Faith. Coming out of class earlier that afternoon, she'd expected to find Faith waiting for her like she usually did and was disappointed to find nobody there. Now, as she looked at her watch, she saw that it was coming up on nine and still, Faith was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't like she and Faith had to be together 24/7. It wasn't like they couldn't take time off from each other for some quality time alone. But she was missing her Faith fix and it was making her anxious.
Catching the stake one last time, she continued walking through the cemetery, automatically scanning the area for vamps and demons and even though her mind wasn't exactly on the job, her patrol went uneventfully. She returned home around midnight, having cut it short and anxious to see if Faith was there. Unfortunately, her tentative smile quickly disappeared when she walked through her bedroom door and found it empty. She casually took off her shoes and stripped out of her pants and since no one was there to see her, Buffy did a 'Scarlett O'hara', theatrically twirling around and flopping down heavily on the bed to put an arm across her eyes.
That's how she was still laid out when she heard a tapping at her window a while later. Getting up immediately, she went over and saw Faith smiling back at her from the outside.
"Faith!" She raised the window and pulled the other girl inside.
"Sorry B. Forgot my keys," the other girl said, taking off her jacket.
"Good thing I'm used to you sneaking into my bedroom then." The blonde turned the girl around and gave her a welcoming kiss. "Where were you? I missed you during patrol."
Faith massaged the back of Buffy's neck with one hand for a couple of seconds before answering. "B...remember when we had that little talk about what you'd been up to when I left that time?"
Buffy frowned, not really getting what this had to do with anything but nodded nonetheless.
"Then how could you leave out your beat down, drag out brawl with the big D?"
"Who?"
"Dracula!' Faith said, her eyes lighting up. "Hands down the most famous vampire of all time. So famous, they made a muppet out of him." She stared with something akin to awe down at the blonde. "...and you staked him."
Buffy shrugged it off with a modest smile. "Well, y'know, once you get over all the smoke and mirrors, he's just like any other vamp who can turn himself into a bat. But why are you bringing it up now?"
"Cause," Faith moved off to sit on the bed. "I just met the guy."
Buffy was caught speechless for a couple of seconds before the shock wore off enough for her to take a seat next to Faith who was busily taking off her boots. "What?" She asked, hoping she hadn't heard right.
"His flunky came to see me right after you went off to class." One boot was tossed to the side. "So I went along with him cause, y'know, it's friggin Dracula. And, anyway, I wanted to burn off a couple hours." The second boot soon joined its twin. "Funny though, I always pictured him a lot taller." A pair of pants joined the heap.
"How did he come back to life? I mean, I staked him...twice."
Faith laid down, pulling Buffy with her so the blonde's head was resting on her shoulder. "Yeah, he told me. Said it was wicked painful too. That was right before he laid this spiel on me. Talking about how I had this darkness in me and how he could help me discover that part of myself---yeah, right. Like I need to be going there again." She felt Buffy's arm tighten around her waist.
"What happened then?"
"We fought. He changed into a bat---the big cheater. Anyway, he got away."
Buffy snuggled closer to the warm body next to her, feeling a drowsiness start to creep in. "We'll get him."
"I know we will," Faith mumbled back.
The entire Scooby Gang and their significant others were gathered in Giles' shop, otherwise known as the not-so-secret slayer friends' headquarters. Faith watched as Anya handed back the change to another customer and wondered if this was such a great place to openly discuss what had happened yesterday. She mentally shrugged off the idling thought as Xander spoke up.
"You mean the Dark Prince is back?? He who made me into a spider-eating man-bitch is back? This is great!" He looked at the surprised expressions popping up on everyone's faces. "No, not great great but...I want to see him get staked this time. You see my point, don't you? That would go a long way to resolving a lot of issues for me."
"Cheap therapy. We get it." Buffy leaned back against Faith's chest. "But it might not be that easy. I've already staked him twice and he's still not dead. What do your books have to say about it Giles?"
Giles folded his arms across his chest as he pondered the question. "Well, uh, as I've already told you, there's a lot of myth surrounding Dracula and there are almost as many ways written on how to kill him...some of them rather silly if you ask me but the only real recourse we can fall back on is to--"
"Research, research, research," Buffy finished for him, smiling fondly at his predictability.
"Well, uh, yes," Giles admitted, already taking a book off the table and leafing through it. "But I would've gone with just that one research."
They were well on their way to the half hour mark and compiling a lengthy list entitled "How to Kill Dracula" when the front door to the shop opened and a stout, middle-aged man in a three piece suit walked in. At seeing him, both Buffy and Giles immediately stiffened, significantly raising the tension quotient in the room.
The ex-watcher rose and walked right up to the newcomer, preventing him from advancing any further. "What do you want?" He asked without the slightest preamble.
"Giles, I don't think this hostility is warranted. I'm not your enemy man." He spoke with an English accent as he glanced around to peer at the rest of the room.
Buffy remained silent as she briefly returned the man's stare before walking past him to lock the front door and to put a 'Closed' sign behind it. Xander broke the silence as he asked, "Forgive me for intruding in this maelstrom of tension but anybody want to clue me and the rest of us who don't know into what's going on here?" He looked from Buffy to Giles since they seemed to be the only two people who actually knew the stranger.
"My name is Quentin Travers. I'm with the Watcher's Council," the man said, walking adroitly around Giles' still rigid form. "And I'm here to see you." He stopped in front of Faith who looked torn between the twin desires of wanting to beat him to death and running as far away from him as possible. Luckily, she was saved from making a decision as Buffy roughly pulled Quentin away to stand between him and Faith.
The blonde openly glared at the representative of the organization she'd learned to loathe so much and made her allegiances clear. "You can't take her. You can't kill her. And if you try, you'll all die. Do you understand?"
Quentin seemed taken aback by the words but he quickly recovered his composure. "That isn't what I'm here to do. Quite the opposite actually. I intend to give her her life back, to help her find her inner strength, that which will make her all the stronger--"
Faith cut him off, speaking for the first time since his entrance. "How are you gonna do that?"
Quentin's eyes seemed to light up and a smile crept onto his face. "The Cruciamentum."
It took a few seconds for what he'd just said to sink in for everybody and Buffy was the first to react. "You've got to be kidding me. Don't you remember what happened when you tried to pull that on me? In case you forgot, I'll refresh your memory. You lost control of your pet vamp and he killed your two assistants and kidnapped my mother. If you think I'm going to let that happen again..."
"The Cruciamentum--"
"Is an ancient barbaric ritual which pits an innocent girl against a monster," Giles cut in from behind him.
Quentin eyed his former associate blandly. "It's a rite of passage that has been performed for centuries. Not only does it weed out the strong from the weak, but in the process, it helps to shape the slayer into a stronger individual---an ideal blend of mental and physical prowess." He paused to gauge the reactions he was getting and saw they were far from convinced. "I see my explanation doesn't satisfy you but maybe this will. The Council is very aware of your 'exploits' Faith and we could easily send another team to try to take you down but that's already proven fruitless on two separate occasions. We grow tired of this rift that's divided us. Our priority as Watchers has always been to guide and train slayers but, somewhere along the way, we have lost sight of that. Many of us in the Council agree that it is better to reconcile our differences while we still can. And I am here to extend the olive branch, so to speak."
"And how does the Crucia-what-em fit into this?" Xander asked, stumbling over the word.
"As I said," Quentin continued, "Most of the Council is in agreement but some are still not too sure about your..." He struggled to find the right word.
Faith helped him out. "Sanity?"
"That's one way of putting it. They don't believe you're made of the right stuff to be a slayer. Therefore, it's been proposed that you go through the Cruciamentum even though your eighteenth birthday has already passed some months prior. If you get through it, then nobody can doubt you anymore."
"And if I don't, then you'll get yourselves another slayer," Faith said, expressing what was already on everybody's minds. "It seems that no matter what, you have a win-win situation for yourself Q-man...so tell me, what's in it for me?"
Quentin nodded as if he knew this question was going to come up all along and he smiled smugly. "We know about your relationship with Buffy. We also know that you're unable to consummate that bond." He had both slayers' undivided attention by the second sentence. "If you get through this test, we can see to it that this problem is resolved."
"How?" Faith immediately asked.
"The Council has contacts and friends you can't even imagine. We can appeal to the Powers that Be concerning your predicament and we're reasonably sure--"
"That's not good enough." Buffy adamantly shook her head. "You want her to risk her life for a reasonably sure? And what makes you think we're even going to believe you now? After everything you've done, you want us to trust you?"
"I understand your misgivings Ms. Summers but the Council is firm on this point. We have already tried the hard sell and that hasn't worked. Now, we just want to mend these burnt bridges but we also need solid proof that you're willing to meet us halfway. Having Faith go through the Cruciamentum will give us that reassurance beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Faith quickly said, "I'll do it" before Buffy could object any further. She ignored the blonde's look of complete surprise, instead steadfastly holding the Englishman's gaze until he nodded, thus completing the deal.
"The preparations are almost ready. I'll let you know when it's done. Rupert..." He reached into his breast pocket, taking out a slim, black case. "I'm sure you know what to do with this." And with that, he nodded one last time to the assembled group and walked out the door.
As soon as the door closed shut again, Buffy took Faith by the arm and dragged her into the back where they'd converted a room into a training center.
"I know what you're going to say B," Faith began to say.
"Oh, really?" Buffy's voice was edged in equal parts sarcasm and anger. "Well, I'd like to know Faith. What did you think I was going to say?"
Faith backed up a step before turning around, unable to meet the other girl's eyes. "You don't want me to do it," she quietly said. "Do you think I can't handle it?"
Buffy's voice came from right behind her as the other girl spoke. "That's not even an issue. I know you can handle yourself." She turned the other slayer back around and then grasped the girl's head gently between her hands. "Faith, the only issue I have is you risking your life to prove some inane point to a bunch of starched shirts sitting on their high horse. We don't even know if they can deliver on their promise and even if they can...is it worth it?"
"To be with you, B? It ain't even a question." Faith took Buffy's hands in her own and brought their joined hands down to her side. She hesitated as if trying to find just the right words to get her point across. "I want to be with you. I want to make love to you---I've never said that to anybody in my life cause nobody's ever been as important to me as you are. And it just kills me that I can't show you that."
"Faith..."
"I want to do this B. Are you going to back me?"
Buffy sighed as she let her head fall forward into Faith's chest. "Of course I will. But I'm *not* going to let you die again."
Faith wasn't sure she wanted to know what the blonde meant by that so she let the statement slide without comment, instead choosing to wrap her arms loosely around the petite figure of her girlfriend.
Faith tried not to flinch as Giles prepared to plunge a needle full of poison into her arm. Just knowing that this shit was going to make her weak and powerless put her in a cold sweat. She was a slayer. Without that, what the fuck was she but some used up little whore like her mom was so used to saying? But she had to take solace in the fact that whatever should happen from now on, it--this wouldn't matter in a few days cause things would either work out or she'd be dead.
"All done," Giles said, breaking her away from her moody thoughts as he used a moistened cotton ball to wipe the area. He sighed as he put away the syringe and drugs Quentin had provided him. "I hope this works out for you Faith."
She grinned at his heartfelt sentiment. "Yeah, me too."
"You'll soon feel a dizziness which will be the first indication that the drug is working after which, your strength will start to disappear."
"Giles, are you sure it's the same drug you gave me before?" Buffy put a protective hand on Faith's shoulder. The three of them were in Giles' apartment a couple of hours after Quentin's visit.
"Yes, it appears so. I've run a few tests and the chemical components are the same."
Buffy still didn't look assured by that fact but she hadn't looked too assured all night. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" She asked for about the hundredth time.
"Trust me B, I'm sure." That was a bold-faced lie if ever there was one. Faith was scared. As a slayer, when she was up against a vamp, she knew she'd win no matter what cause she was stronger, faster, and deadlier than them. She couldn't say that anymore. How was she going to win this fight when all she had was the strength and stamina of an eighteen year old girl? "Like I said, this'll be nothing," she said, lying through her teeth yet again.
Giles left the girls alone on the couch shortly after that to turn in for the night. Resting her head on Faith's lap, Buffy gazed up into her girlfriend's face with a worried expression still showing predominately on her features.
Trying to break up the somber mood, Faith asked with a grin, "So, are you going to give me any pointers?"
Instead of answering, the blonde pulled Faith down, meeting the girl halfway and kissing her soundly. Seared into that kiss was the absolute love and adoration they felt, only separating when the need for air overrode their passion. "There's no way you're going to lose to some pathetic vamp," Buffy said, placing a softer series of kisses on Faith's lips as her arms looped around the brunette's neck.
"Yeah?"
Buffy pulled back just enough to look her directly in the eyes. "Yeah," she said softly, smiling at the way Faith's face lit up.
The younger slayer pulled Buffy into a comforting embrace as she buried her head into the crook of the other girl's neck. "I love you B," she mumbled, absorbing the scent, feel, and presence that *was* Buffy Summers.
Quentin Travers looked around appraisingly at the abandoned two story building he'd personally scouted over two weeks ago. He'd phoned back to the Council to tell them that the slayer had accepted the terms and they were most pleased indeed. The vampire they'd obtained for the test had also been very carefully picked so that the slayer would have a near impossible task of coming out of this ordeal alive. It wasn't that they didn't like Faith...well, actually, that was a big part of it too but what they couldn't see past forgiving was the relationship the two slayers had developed. The Council saw it as a weakness as did he and if Faith died in this test, so much the better.
If however, by some miracle, the slayer *did* survive the test, they were also fully prepared to go through with their part of the bargain. He was sincere when he'd said the Council wanted to regain the good graces of Buffy and her group. In his eyes, the Council needed the slayers, just as much as the slayers needed the Council whether either group was willing to admit it or not.
He glanced at his watch again, noting that it was 9:20 in the morning. Nicholas and James, the two young Watchers he'd taken under his wing for this mission were late. They were supposed to meet the ship which was delivering the vampire and drive him back here to Sunnydale. If everything had gone according to schedule, they should've been back an hour ago. He was just about to call Nicholas' cell phone and inquire about the delay when he heard the jangle of keys and the turning of the lock as the front door opened.
"Nicholas," he greeted, seeing the young man poised in the doorway. "Did everything go all right?"
"Yes sir," Nicholas responded. "James is unloading the coffin right now. There was a horrid traffic accident on the highway which kept us from remaining on schedule."
"No harm. As long as you have him. Why don't you go help James now?" Quentin watched as the young watcher nodded and went back outside. The two men soon returned, carrying a wooden coffin between them. They gently placed it in the middle of the room after which James quickly went to close the front door, effectively shutting out the sunlight. As soon as the door closed, the top of the coffin was thrown off and whoever was inside sat up. Quentin backed up in horror as he looked to James and Nicholas for help but the young watchers looked on in nonchalance. "What's going on here?" He asked, trying hard not to let the quaver in his voice crack his words.
The man in the coffin turned towards him, smiling as a corner of his lips quirked up. "A change in plans," he stated with a slight accent. "Your other vampire couldn't make it."
Almost as if on cue, James and Nicholas walked over to stand at either side of Quentin's body, taking hold of his arms and forcing him towards the stairs to the basement.
The man stood up from his confines, brushing the dirt off his shirt sleeves and stepped out of the coffin. "Bring me the slayer," he said when the other two came back. "She'll have her test."
Faith jogged down the stairs as the doorbell rang again. She glanced at the clock on the wall as she walked past, seeing that it was only around ten. Usually, she'd still be asleep this early in the morning but with what had happened last night, she had barely gotten a wink of sleep in the last few hours. It still felt strange and not in a good way. Feeling weak and powerless totally sucked.
There were two guys standing outside when she opened the door. From the looks of them, she'd guess them to be watchers. "Come with us, slayer," one of them said in lieu of a greeting. "We need to take you to the site of the test."
Faith eyed the speaker suspiciously. "Isn't this a little quick? I wasn't expecting you guys to be here so soon."
The other guy fidgeted as he stated, "Slayers aren't even supposed to know about the test. The fact that this is unexpected will somewhat make up for that --- evening out the factors so to speak. Now come with us, we don't have much time."
"So I guess you guys wouldn't want me to leave a note or something like that, right?" They both shook their heads in tandem and even though Faith was still leery about the suddenness of the visit, she let them lead her to their car. Throughout the ride, the two men didn't say a word but Faith wasn't in too talkative a mood either so that didn't bother her, at least not as much as not leaving a note for Buffy did. She was really starting to regret that. What if she didn't come back from this test alive? She'd be leaving her girlfriend without a word and that one hurt more than anything else.
"Hey! Wait up, stop for a second!" She yelled, causing the driver to slam on the brakes and screech to a halt. "I'll be right back. I just need to get a snack." They'd just driven past a convenience store and she jumped out of the car before they could object. The sound of car horns forced the watchers to keep driving until they could find an available parking spot while she stepped through the store's automatic doors. Making a grab for a package of snack cakes that were prominently on display in the front, she then walked towards the refrigerated section to snag a can of coke. As she came back up front to the check out counter, she saw that the watchers were already walking towards the doors. "Here," she said, giving the guy a five and a wink. "Keep it." Right before she left, she took something else off the counter and stuffed it into the front of her pants pocket. Making a beeline between the two men who had just then entered, she asked, "Where'd you park the car?"
Buffy was on autopilot as she walked back home, her steps precise and her eyes on the ground. In a world of her own, she didn't hear the sound of a car's horn until it combined with the screech of tires as the van came to a sudden stop a couple inches from hitting her. A string of obscenities came from the driver's side window as she stepped back onto the sidewalk, allowing the vehicle to move on. Buffy frowned as she watched the car going up the street and just when she was about to turn back and resume her walk, she caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance.
She jogged towards the man, only yelling out his name when she got within earshot. "Jim! Jim!"
He turned around with a look of surprise on his face. "Buffy? Uh, hi, how are you?" He looked different from the last time she'd seen him...more worn out, older.
"I'm fine...Are you all right?" She wasn't quite sure how to ask the question she really wanted to ask. 'How are you feeling after Dracula turned you into a blood craving lackey with an insect predilection?' just didn't make it past her lips.
"Yeah, actually," he said, looking embarrassed. "I'm not even sure what happened to me. I think I got mixed up in some cult or something but everything's fine now. They were really into some weird stuff too."
"Really?" Buffy said, nodding along. "That sounds...horrible."
"Yeah, it was," Jim stated emphatically. "And the head guy, the leader had me running these crazy errands."
"Errands? Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. He had me checking a lot of records and logs for ships coming in, the kind of cargo they held, apartments, houses, and buildings that had just been bought."
"What were you looking for?"
"I'm not sure. But he seemed to be particularly interested in this rundown building in town...anyway, I don't even want to think about it. It was a real nightmare."
"Well, I'm glad you got yourself out but...can you tell me more about this building you were talking about?"
Jim looked confused by the request but obliged nonetheless.
They drove until they reached a dilapidated building in the more rundown section of town. The watchers looked pissed about her earlier foray for food but they didn't say anything about it. Faith was just finishing up the last of the soda when they pulled to a stop.
"Go in," the one with the glasses said, gesturing her towards the door as they all got out.
She took an audible breath, trying to psych herself up before walking towards the building's door. As soon as she walked in, the door swung shut behind her and she could hear a clatter, almost as if they were barring and chaining it. The room she was in was almost completely dark and unfurnished. She took a halting step forward, trying to get her bearings and letting her eyes adjust. Her heart was hammering in her chest, making it almost impossible to hear any faint sounds that could've been made so she tried as hard as she could to calm herself down.
Making her way as stealthily as possible towards the far wall, she pressed her back against it as her eyes searched the darkness. "Okay Faith," she muttered to herself. "Get a fucking grip. It's just a vamp. Just another pile of dust when it comes down to it." She reached behind her and grabbed the stake tucked in the waist of her pants. "Just a fucking vamp," she muttered again, walking slowly towards the stairs. Her grip on the stake felt all wrong, as if it were a tool instead of an extension to her own arm as it usually did. She tried not to take notice, tried not to think too much as she cautiously climbed the stairs, wincing at the creak of each step.
By the time she reached the second floor, her jaw was sore from all the tense grinding she'd put her teeth through. She found herself in a hallway with a door on each end. Left or right? The question seemed monumental but she had to move sometime. Pushing herself off to the right, she carefully approached the door, placing her hand lightly on the knob. She silently counted to three before turning the knob and pushing open the door to reveal a room, dimly lit by a bank of florescent lights that kept flickering on and off.
She walked in, her arm with the stake raised in the ready position. The windows were boarded up, not even letting in a glimmer of sunlight. She approached one of them and quickly inspected it, finding that the boards were tightly nailed into the wall and she'd probably have to get a crowbar if she hoped to remove them. Turning around to inspect the rest of the room, she saw that there were a couple pieces of paper littering the floor as well as a metal folding chair in the corner. Aside from that, there was nothing else there, nothing she could use.
She turned back around towards the doorway, intending to check out the left side of the hall but there was already someone standing there, blocking the exit. She tried to keep the surprise and fear off her face as she took in who it was that she had to face. Never did the thought even enter her mind that the Council would have hired Dracula for their little test. She suddenly felt silly holding the stake in her hand, trying to face down the most famous vampire in history but she fought the urge to just drop it. Only the sound of wood hitting the floor let her know that it made no matter what she wanted or what she thought cause her hand had lost its grasp on the weapon without her consent.
A small grin tugged at one corner of the vamp's mouth as he took a step into the room. "Why do you try to resist me?" He asked in a soft, curious voice. "Your darkness is crying out for me yet you turn away."
"You must be hearing things," Faith barked out a short burst of laughter. "I don't hear anything crying out but your pathetic ass which I'm about to kick."
"Then why don't you move?" He immediately asked. "I'm standing right here."
Faith bit her lip, feeling all her muscles straining to carry her forward but something kept her back and she impotently watched as Dracula walked directly to stand in front of her.
His smile grew ever so slightly as he smugly answered his own question. "You cannot resist because a part of you doesn't want to. A part of you craves to know the Source, to embrace the power that you've drawn on but which you do not understand."
"You're wrong." The words sounded hollow and empty even to her because there was a truth in what he was saying that she couldn't deny anymore. Dracula seemed to know it too as he ran his fingertips in a sensuous pattern along the side of her neck.
"You can say what you want but I know what's in your heart."
His head began to descend towards her neck but she didn't notice because his last sentence was still ringing around in her head. He knew what was in her heart? *He* knew? Like hell the bastard knew. There was only one thing in her heart, one person. And that was Buffy. Focusing on that, her right hand reached into her pocket just as she felt the first stabs of pain as Dracula bit down. Her hand immediately clutched onto the only weapon she had remaining and she brought it out. "You think you know what's in my heart?" She whispered. "Think again asshole." Her thumb flicked the wheel on the lighter and a flame came shooting out, licking like a tongue across the vampire's shirt.
Dracula backed up with a perplexed expression on his face before he realized what was happening. Screaming in agony, he backhanded Faith a few feet back into a wall and then he tried to put out the growing flames by swatting at it with his arm. That only served to spread the flames to his other arm. The slayer watched as he stumbled, falling onto the ground and writhing in obvious pain until the fire completely engulfed him and turned him into a pile of dust.
"Stop, drop, and roll," Faith muttered as she tried to get up. Her chest hurt from where he'd hit her but aside from that she didn't feel anything broken or out of place. She walked over and reached down for the stake she'd dropped before moving towards the soot covered outline on the floor. Was this it, she wondered? Did this mean she passed the stupid test? She sure hoped so cause she wanted some Buffy loving. Even in the aftermath of a near death experience, her mind was totally focused on that--maybe it was *because* she'd just survived the aftermath of a near death experience but whatever, she needed to find those damn watchers and hold them up to their end of the bargain.
She scuffed the toe of her boot across a sooty line on the floor and then proceeded to walk out of the room. When she got back to the first floor, she found three men there, Quentin and the two guys who had brought her here. The old man looked like he'd been roughed up a bit as he pressed a handkerchief to the small cut on his forehead. They turned as one as she came down the steps but not before she overheard one of the young men apologizing. Her curiosity was piqued as she waited for one of them to say something.
"You...killed him?" Quentin finally asked like he was short of breath.
"Yeah. What's left of him is upstairs. Room on the right. Can't miss him."
They all looked relieved which only made her stare at them all the more strangely.
Quentin finally took a deep breath as he walked up to her. "Splendid job Faith. Splendid job. The Council will be...most pleased and I'm sure they will start immediately on solving your problem."
Faith still stared at them strangely but she nodded anyway, glad at least that it was over, and started walking past them to the door of the building. Her hand was already on the knob when the door came flying in, knocking her back for the second time that day. She pushed the door off of herself, rubbing a hand across her forehead and the red mark she was sure was there.
"Oh God, Faith. I'm so sorry."
"No worries," Faith said, accepting Buffy's help up. "Just a little...concussion."
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know you were here." Confusion crossed the blonde's face. "What *are* you doing here?" She looked across the room to stare in open hostility at the other three men. "And what are *they* doing here?"
"Big test." Faith turned her around and took her hand. "And I kicked its ass."
"Test? You mean, you just took the Cruciamentum?" She turned angrily towards the watchers. "How come I didn't know about this?"
Faith held her back before she could do anything rash. "Chill B. It's taken care of. But if you weren't here looking for me, what were you here for?"
"Dracula, I heard from Jim that he might be here."
"Oh, he was, until he burnt into a pile of soot."
Buffy turned towards the watchers again as she addressed them in a disbelieving tone, "You hired Dracula? Of all the vampires you could've gotten, you had to go for one of the oldest and most dangerous?"
The one with the glasses spoke up in their defense. "We didn't hire Dracula. He had us under his thrall -- "
"James!" Quentin barked, shushing the younger man. "That's enough."
His interruption came too little too late though as Buffy's face lit up in mocking laughter. "This is too funny. Here you are criticizing Faith for her abilities and you're all Dracula's little helpers. I really hope you put everything into your report cause I'd like the Council to know what incompetent morons they've got working for them."
Faith watched as Buffy went on chastising the three men and she was kind of enjoying it too seeing her girlfriend all fired up like that but she really wanted to leave that place already. Much as she hated to break it up, she grabbed Buffy around the shoulders and forcibly guided her out the doorway.
"I was on a roll," Buffy protested, wrapping one arm around Faith's waist as they continued walking down the street. "Why'd you stop me?"
"I've been battered. I've been bruised. I've been tasted and I've had a door flying into my face. I'd really just like to lie down and get some rest now."
Buffy wiped away the blood on the other girl's neck with a finger. "Do you think he'll stay dead this time?"
"I sure hope so," Faith wearily answered. "At least I hope he stays dead until I get my strength back. Otherwise, we'll have to try beheading next time."
"Don't worry," Buffy said grinning, "I'll protect you until then."
Faith smirked at the blonde's smugly confident expression. "Oh I'm counting on it B. You're my knight in pastel colors."
"As long as we got that clear. But you know I'm really proud of you, right?" Buffy smiled up at the other girl as a blush started to creep across Faith's face. And there was nothing but love and adoration in both slayers' eyes as they looked at each other.
Dear Diary,
It's been awhile since I've written in you, hasn't it? But it's not like I can talk about this with Willow or Xander. They still have issues with Faith. Basically, they still think she can't be trusted and that, the first chance she gets, she's going to go all evil again, which is *so* not going to happen. But, sooner or later, they'll have to accept that Faith isn't going anywhere and that we're happy together. Ecstatic, totally head over heels happy together. But sometimes, when I can't sleep and it's three in the morning and Faith's arms are wrapped around me, I'm scared that it won't last. I know it's silly worrying about something like that but...
Anyway, the Council came through --- I was as surprised as everybody else. And that's partly the reason why I'm floating on cloud nine. It seems like I've loved Faith for so long, it's amazing to think that we'd never *made* love. That first time...I've never felt anything like that before. It was like she was a part of me. I gave myself entirely to her and she gave herself just as much. I can't explain it any better than that but I guess I don't need to because that's something between us...something just the two of us share. Faith completes me. She makes me feel like I'm not alone in the world.
I know, I know. Willow, Xander, and Giles have always been there to back me up too but it's like comparing apples to oranges. Faith is someone I know I can share the rest of my life with. To share myself with. Well, that's about all I have to say for now. Faith should be back soon from getting the groceries. I hope she remembers the whip cream.