Fic: "Dead Souls" Part 3 (Faith, Xander, Sunnydale)
Title: Dead Souls (3)
I don't know where this came from. It assumes that the Hellmouth was never opened, and that Orpheus ended differently. This takes place immediately after Dead Souls (2)
"Faith," Buffy said, from the door of the Magic Shop.
"B.," Faith replied, still holding one of Xander's old Sandmans, and hey, was Anya selling them? Xander shot a quick look at Anya, who moved away to re-arrange some jars of glowing goop.
"So, I keep hearing from my old boyfriend," Buffy said. "Which is really strange."
"Which old boyfriend?" Faith asked, her eyebrows arching.
"How many of them have you slept with?" Buffy asked.
"Damn, B., you're no fun any more," Faith said. "As if I'd sleep with Angel." She leaned back in her chair at the reference table and crossed one booted ankle over the other. "But no business of yours if I did. You act like he's supposed to be celibate forever, when you, if I remember correctly, couldn't wait to tie up again." She looked up, showing her smile, very white against her red lipstick.
She didn't look dead, Xander thought. He could see that Buffy thought the same thing, because her shoulders dropped and her feet moved out of fighting stance.
"This is why you can't have two Slayers in the same town," Xander observed. "Thank God the new one isn't here."
"Oh, yeah," Faith said. "Robin found her yet?" she asked casually.
"No," Buffy said. "So it would be nice if you and I could work together."
"You started it, chick," Faith said, and tossed the novel aside. She cracked the knuckles of one hand. "But I'm all about the helpfulness. Isn't it, like exam time or something? Don't you want to be studying for them? I came up to help out, but hey, if you'd rather have a C in Chemistry or whatever..."
Buffy looked like she wanted to believe her. "I wouldn't mind studying this week instead of slaying."
Faith spread her hands, smiling. "That's all I wanna hear," she said. "I'll handle it this week. Me and Xander."
"Hey!" Xander said. "How did I get roped in?"
"There's gotta be someone making sure I don't bite anyone," Faith said. "Right?"
"I may have some trust issues," Buffy said. She put her hand on her pocket. "My cell," she said. "Faith?"
Xander looked around. Faith had disappeared down into the basement.
"It was Angel," Buffy said, resignedly. "He'll just call again."
"Maybe this is her way of getting you two over each other," Anya suggested. "I mean, forced contact with an ex? Works every time."
Xander's mouth dropped open. "An? Are you trying to say something?"
Anya looked surprised. "No."
Buffy began backing out of the store like a cat who had stepped into a puddle. "Uh, I'll let you two talk. Tell Faith I appreciate the help. Seeyoubye."
"Xander, we're not exes," Anya said. "I'm living with you! I'm your life partner!" She folded her arms. "Of course, if you're going to be out slaying all the time---and what about the online venture?"
"It's only for a week," Xander said. "This business is mainly online, and all we have to do is verify receipt of the money and ship it out on time. The Espresso Pump is your real baby. Remember, you like being tipped?"
Anya looked thoughtful. "It's true, people are a little freaked out by how often this place gets broken into."
"Often! It gets broken into more than Mulder's apartment on the X-Files!" Xander said. "And hey, remember---only a week, until finals are over."
"Oh, you're so naive," Anya sniffed. "Faith overheard Dawn talking about it. She didn't come here just to help out."
"True enough," Faith said, re-emerging from the basement. "But, like I told Xander, sometimes I gotta get away from LA and Wesley pretending to be all guilty about me."
Anya made shooing motions with her hands. "Please don't discuss your personal problems in front of the money."
The front door opened. "Hey, Anya, I'm not closing tonight, right?" Dawn called. She scowled. "What's she still doing here?"
"She's staying for a week," Xander said. "Patrolling for your sister."
"Now, now," Faith said. "Don't get your hackles up."
"If we have to have a vampire, why can't we have Spike?" Dawn asked.
"Because he's crazy," Xander said.
"So's she, " Dawn muttered.
Faith cocked her head. "But I'm the Slayer vampire. Your sister's the vampire Slayer. See? Yin and yang. And, it helps me to, you know, make amends with people I've wronged. What? I learned it in murder rehab."
"Oh, I thought there was a twelve-step program for vampires," Dawn said.
"Nah, they only have two steps. I see my job as helpin' them to make it to the third step." Faith mimed a short upward stab. "But first, I gotta make a stop at Willy's."
"Ew," Dawn said. "So, like I said, I'm done, right? Amanda has to close. I'm starving, too. And there's nothing at home."
Xander patted his pocket for his keys. "We could go out for something. Anya, Dawn? Chinese? Mexican?"
"I'm closing at the coffee shop," Anya said. "Just take Dawn."
"And not tacos," Faith said. "I'm kind of tired of them."
tbc
I don't know where this came from. It assumes that the Hellmouth was never opened, and that Orpheus ended differently. This takes place immediately after Dead Souls (2)
"Faith," Buffy said, from the door of the Magic Shop.
"B.," Faith replied, still holding one of Xander's old Sandmans, and hey, was Anya selling them? Xander shot a quick look at Anya, who moved away to re-arrange some jars of glowing goop.
"So, I keep hearing from my old boyfriend," Buffy said. "Which is really strange."
"Which old boyfriend?" Faith asked, her eyebrows arching.
"How many of them have you slept with?" Buffy asked.
"Damn, B., you're no fun any more," Faith said. "As if I'd sleep with Angel." She leaned back in her chair at the reference table and crossed one booted ankle over the other. "But no business of yours if I did. You act like he's supposed to be celibate forever, when you, if I remember correctly, couldn't wait to tie up again." She looked up, showing her smile, very white against her red lipstick.
She didn't look dead, Xander thought. He could see that Buffy thought the same thing, because her shoulders dropped and her feet moved out of fighting stance.
"This is why you can't have two Slayers in the same town," Xander observed. "Thank God the new one isn't here."
"Oh, yeah," Faith said. "Robin found her yet?" she asked casually.
"No," Buffy said. "So it would be nice if you and I could work together."
"You started it, chick," Faith said, and tossed the novel aside. She cracked the knuckles of one hand. "But I'm all about the helpfulness. Isn't it, like exam time or something? Don't you want to be studying for them? I came up to help out, but hey, if you'd rather have a C in Chemistry or whatever..."
Buffy looked like she wanted to believe her. "I wouldn't mind studying this week instead of slaying."
Faith spread her hands, smiling. "That's all I wanna hear," she said. "I'll handle it this week. Me and Xander."
"Hey!" Xander said. "How did I get roped in?"
"There's gotta be someone making sure I don't bite anyone," Faith said. "Right?"
"I may have some trust issues," Buffy said. She put her hand on her pocket. "My cell," she said. "Faith?"
Xander looked around. Faith had disappeared down into the basement.
"It was Angel," Buffy said, resignedly. "He'll just call again."
"Maybe this is her way of getting you two over each other," Anya suggested. "I mean, forced contact with an ex? Works every time."
Xander's mouth dropped open. "An? Are you trying to say something?"
Anya looked surprised. "No."
Buffy began backing out of the store like a cat who had stepped into a puddle. "Uh, I'll let you two talk. Tell Faith I appreciate the help. Seeyoubye."
"Xander, we're not exes," Anya said. "I'm living with you! I'm your life partner!" She folded her arms. "Of course, if you're going to be out slaying all the time---and what about the online venture?"
"It's only for a week," Xander said. "This business is mainly online, and all we have to do is verify receipt of the money and ship it out on time. The Espresso Pump is your real baby. Remember, you like being tipped?"
Anya looked thoughtful. "It's true, people are a little freaked out by how often this place gets broken into."
"Often! It gets broken into more than Mulder's apartment on the X-Files!" Xander said. "And hey, remember---only a week, until finals are over."
"Oh, you're so naive," Anya sniffed. "Faith overheard Dawn talking about it. She didn't come here just to help out."
"True enough," Faith said, re-emerging from the basement. "But, like I told Xander, sometimes I gotta get away from LA and Wesley pretending to be all guilty about me."
Anya made shooing motions with her hands. "Please don't discuss your personal problems in front of the money."
The front door opened. "Hey, Anya, I'm not closing tonight, right?" Dawn called. She scowled. "What's she still doing here?"
"She's staying for a week," Xander said. "Patrolling for your sister."
"Now, now," Faith said. "Don't get your hackles up."
"If we have to have a vampire, why can't we have Spike?" Dawn asked.
"Because he's crazy," Xander said.
"So's she, " Dawn muttered.
Faith cocked her head. "But I'm the Slayer vampire. Your sister's the vampire Slayer. See? Yin and yang. And, it helps me to, you know, make amends with people I've wronged. What? I learned it in murder rehab."
"Oh, I thought there was a twelve-step program for vampires," Dawn said.
"Nah, they only have two steps. I see my job as helpin' them to make it to the third step." Faith mimed a short upward stab. "But first, I gotta make a stop at Willy's."
"Ew," Dawn said. "So, like I said, I'm done, right? Amanda has to close. I'm starving, too. And there's nothing at home."
Xander patted his pocket for his keys. "We could go out for something. Anya, Dawn? Chinese? Mexican?"
"I'm closing at the coffee shop," Anya said. "Just take Dawn."
"And not tacos," Faith said. "I'm kind of tired of them."
tbc