Defending myself against the one that I love, potentially...

[no_fear_justin]

The big, blond German vampire had dropped a bomb on Buffy and Faith, who had introduced themselves to me, and both had questions about how I knew about this, and also told me that they knew that I was a vampire...he had told them that, basically, they were going to repay him for him saving their lives tonight, by giving him their lives. He drove

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[powerless_scoob]

"I thought Angel was the only vamp that had a soul."

That was all that I heard as I ran up to Buffy and Faith, after going all of the way to the jailhouse and not finding them, but seeing that the cops were questioning the Daniel Boone lookalike.

I walked close to Faith, still feeling for her, and stood in between Buffy and Faith, looking at this guy, who was obviously a vampire. Vampires weren't at the top of my list right now, not that they had ever been, but here were Buffy and Faith having a conversation with a vampire, and like most others, he was a good-looking guy, and please tell me that this one doesn't have a soul too.

"Tell me that everyone is okay, the threat is over and that I'm not standing in between the two of you, looking at another vampire with a soul."

I looked at faith. She looked like she was ready to fight, had just gotten into a fight, or both, but Buffy didn't look the same way. I wasn't getting the Angel vibe from her, but I was getting something, and it was getting old. Angel had a soul and now he had lost it, killed Cordy, turned her into a demon and oh yeah, we had seen this before with him last year.

[buffyxsummersx]

"I thought Angel was the only vamp that had a soul."

Justin told us he had a soul. There was no way he was telling in the truth. I didn't want to believe it. Faith looked at me for answers. I looked at her with a confused face. I was looking for answers, myself. I thought he was actually here to help us, but it seems to be a joke.

"You're kidding me, right? Is this some kind of sick joke? There's only one...there was only one vampire that had a soul, and he was my ex boyfriend, Angel." I grabbed him by the neck and held him up against a tree. "Now, you're going to tell us who the hell you really are. No lies, Justin. Is that your real name?"

"Tell me that everyone is okay, the threat is over and that I'm not standing in between the two of you, looking at another vampire with a soul."

"Xander! I'm so glad you're ok. We'll talk in a minute." I gave him a small smile and turned my attention back to Justin. This wasn't what I planned. I started ti believe him. The soul thing didn't make any sense. Angel having a soul is a prophecy. I didn't hear about Justin. I mean, yeah, I'm not big with the reading, and I might have missed it, but Giles would have definitely told me.

Faith stood by me, with her guard up. It looked like she wanted to get another round in. Me? I had it with the games and lies.

[no_fear_justin]

"Hi, Justin. I'm Faith. I sorta like to ask questions later."

At least I had a name for the other slayer, now.

"Aight, lets cut the bull. You're a vampire. You killed a human. Who cares if he was bad or good. He was still a human. Yet, you're tellin' me you were helping us? How do me and B know that you're not working with them? Who were those guys, anyway?"

"So, there was this kill me and B mission, huh? Why would they go outta their way to try and kill us? Obviously, they don't know what they're up against."

"Is that really how you feel, Faith? You may be strong, but in case you didn't notice, they had machine guns. Slayers can survive bullets now?"

Okay, so it wasn't the time for sarcasm. "I thought Angel was the only vamp that had a soul."

Faith obviously had contempt for all vampires, and who could blame her? But still, I wasn't enjoying my time around her, and considering that I had just saved her life, regardless of how, her attitude was angering. Then the boy came up, eyeing me and standing in between Buffy and Faith and I wondered what his relationship was to either of them. I wouldn't have guessed, based on looks, that either woman would give this guy the time of day, but you never did know.

"Tell me that everyone is okay, the threat is over and that I'm not standing in between the two of you, looking at another vampire with a soul."

Must have been another reference to this Angel guy, who I had no idea about.

"You're kidding me, right? Is this some kind of sick joke? There's only one...there was only one vampire that had a soul, and he was my ex boyfriend, Angel."

Now, it was Buffy's time to manhandle me, and never before did getting slammed up against a tree by the collar feel so amazing.

"Now, you're going to tell us who the hell you really are. No lies, Justin. Is that your real name?"

I made no movements and just looked her in the eyes. My eyes were as honest as I could make them, and to be honest, this was an adjustment to what I was used to. She held on to me and kept me airborne, while she said hi to this Xander guy.

"Look, Buffy, Faith, there's no way that I can prove to you that I have a soul, but since you are slayers, I can tell you how I got it, and you can talk to your watcher's council aide..." I had heard about the Watcher's Council from Adria...a bunch of British types, stuffy and the like, who helped the slayers with information about demons.

"I was attacked by a vampire foe named Rory in London. He was the former lover of one of my two sires. He was stalked by demons called the Sofilar's, who kill vampires by biting them and filling them with a holy water injection, or by staking them with their sharp fingernails. Rory set me up, the demons attacked me, I fought them off, and killed them, just defending myself, but I was bitten and instead of dying from the holy water, for some reason, I woke with a soul, and with regret over the things that I had done for a decade. I don't know who Angel is, other then by reputation."

I wondered if Buffy would stake me or put me down. If she was to kill me, then it was appropriate. There was nobody else that I would want to kill me and I didn't fear death. I knew that I should already be dead.

[badass_faith]

Xander came up behind us. "Good to see you, Xan. You had us worried." I slapped him on the arm. "Don't do it, again." If anything happened to Xander, we wouldn't have known. We were interrupted by Justin.

"Is that really how you feel, Faith? You may be strong, but in case you didn't notice, they had machine guns. Slayers can survive bullets now?"

"No shit. Look it, here. Justin's a funny vamp, with a soul." I looked at B and rolled my eyes. He wanted to play games. "Yeah, they had bullets, but we coulda took them." I had a hard time believin' that myself, but he didn't have to know that.

B was still in shock about this Justin guy havin' a soul. It was wicked crazy, and we didn't know if it was true.

"You're kidding me, right? Is this some kind of sick joke? There's only one...there was only one vampire that had a soul, and he was my ex boyfriend, Angel."

She took him by the collar and pushed Justin against the tree. I smiled. That's what I'm talkin' about. I knew she wasn't gonna let this guy get away that easily. She would get the truth outta him in no time. B gave him a chance to explain himself. He made not attempt to get outta her grip. That was pretty interestin'.

"Look, Buffy, Faith, there's no way that I can prove to you that I have a soul, but since you are slayers, I can tell you how I got it, and you can talk to your watcher's council aide..."

I corssed my arms over my chest.

"I was attacked by a vampire foe named Rory in London. He was the former lover of one of my two sires. He was stalked by demons called the Sofilar's, who kill vampires by biting them and filling them with a holy water injection, or by staking them with their sharp fingernails. Rory set me up, the demons attacked me, I fought them off, and killed them, just defending myself, but I was bitten and instead of dying from the holy water, for some reason, I woke with a soul, and with regret over the things that I had done for a decade. I don't know who Angel is, other then by reputation."

"Holy shit! They actually have demons that are capable of that? You won't see any around here. These things really injected you with holy water and you didn't die?" He nodded. "You lucky son of a bitch." B and Justin looked at me. "I'll let B, here, tell you all about Angel. I didn't know him that well. All I know is he had a soul. And, he was apparently, the only vamp that had one. You've just proved everyone wrong. I guess you deserve a cookie for that."

[powerless_scoob]

"Good to see you, Xan. You had us worried."

"I was attacked by a vampire foe named Rory in London. He was the former lover of one of my two sires. He was stalked by demons called the Sofilar's, who kill vampires by biting them and filling them with a holy water injection, or by staking them with their sharp fingernails. Rory set me up, the demons attacked me, I fought them off, and killed them, just defending myself, but I was bitten and instead of dying from the holy water, for some reason, I woke with a soul, and with regret over the things that I had done for a decade. I don't know who Angel is, other then by reputation."

Yeah, yeah. That's thrilling, Faith, even though seeing her after what we had done earlier was hot. But...but, who's the vampire in front of us, talking about having a soul? We all know how good that's going to turn out, if it's true, but come on, there's no way that it's true. I mean, seriously? How easy was it for a vampire to get a soul? Was it a trend or something? He only knows Angel by reputation? Yeah, because they probably spent time together killing half of Europe, although he didn't have an accent.

Come on, Buffy. Come on, Faith. Start a-slaying. Cordy, turned, Willow dead. Shall I say any more to myself? Plus, this guy's story was like the oldest trick in the book. Make up a story that not even Giles and all of his books would be able to refute. Start a-slaying!

"Holy shit! They actually have demons that are capable of that? You won't see any around here. These things really injected you with holy water and you didn't die?"

Faith was buying this? Please. "You lucky son of a bitch."

Now, she's almost flirty with him. Okay, jealousy is good when we are talking about evil bloodsucking fiends. Wanting this thing dead was good, right?

"I'll let B, here, tell you all about Angel. I didn't know him that well. All I know is he had a soul. And, he was apparently, the only vamp that had one. You've just proved everyone wrong. I guess you deserve a cookie for that."

I can tell you about Angel. He killed my best friend and my girlfriend, and he's done both very recently, ruining all of ou lives. You see, whatever your name is, we don't like vampires in these parts. We kill them. Faith, Buffy, you are slayers, he's a vampire, once again, I think it's clear what needs to be done. This soul thing is a smokescreen. He's a demon. Demons lie."

I decided not to wait and attacked him, but he stopped me and let my momentum from my punch send me to the ground. The bastard.

[buffyxsummersx]

I can tell you about Angel. He killed my best friend and my girlfriend, and he's done both very recently, ruining all of our lives. You see, whatever your name is, we don't like vampires in these parts. We kill them. Faith, Buffy, you are slayers, he's a vampire, once again, I think it's clear what needs to be done. This soul thing is a smokescreen. He's a demon. Demons lie."

Justin wanted to know about Angel. Faith didn't help at all. She decided to let me do the actual talking. I guess I couldn't blame her. He was my boyfriend...ex. I'm the best person to tell him about Angel. Of course, Xander had to put his two cents in. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy with him at the moment.

"Xander!" He looked at me with a glare. "Let me handle this, ok?" I sighed and looked over at Justin. "Angel's my ex-boyfriend. He was cursed with a soul one hundred years ago. Before that, he was the most vicious vampire in Europe. He came, here, to Sunnydale to help me. Long story, short...we fell in love. We made love, and then he turned evil. We all found out about the "happy" trigger to the curse. My friend Willow managed to re-ensoul him. I killed him and sent him to hell." Justin looked down at me. "Recently, he's been sent back from hell. How? I don't know. He's killed my best friend and turned our friend Cordelia, all in the matter of two days. We can't find him. I-I don't think he's in Sunnydale at the moment."

Xander and Faith were looking on impatiently. They probably wanted me to dust Justin, but there was something about him that held me back. "Look, we're not going to kill you. It's just a bit of a shock that you have a soul, too. In the prophecies, it was always believed that Angel was the only vampire with a soul. But, I guess you wouldn't be in the books if this happened to you, recently." Way to stay cool, Buffy.

I was still confused as to who Justin was, and why he was here. There were too many things going on at once. My mind wasn't all here. I wanted to know everything about Justin. And, I had a funny feeling that we could use his help. I'm not sure if Xander and Faith were on the same page.