Chapter Thirteen

Me and B kept up the steady patrolling, as well as the rest of the  routine, for the next coupla weeks. Things were going great, and B  was doing really good. She was still a little off in some way, but it  wasn't something you'd spot unless you were looking really hard for  it. Of course, I was.

I was thinking it had something to do with her doubting her ability  as a Slayer who could get the job done, no matter how tough it got.  It seemed to me that Spike's death had made her lose her trust in  herself. If that was really the deal, she was gonna have to come to  grips with it for herself. No way could anybody do it for her, not  even me.

We were midway through a less than exciting patrol, and I felt like  ramming my own head into a tombstone. I was so fucking bored, suicide  sounded way better than hours more of this shit. It was shaping up to  be one of those nights that were so slow, they made me feel like I  was going nuts again.

B looked less than thrilled too, so I decided to liven it up with  some fascinating conversation. I was just gonna ignore that we'd  already shot our wad on that, like twenty minutes ago.

"Hey B, did Red get the chance to ask ya about…"

"Ask me what, Faith?"

Her tone sounded a little on the aggressive side to me.

"Whoa, trying to tell ya. Wanna not jump down my throat, and maybe  let me have a chance here?"

"I just want to know what you and Will have been discussing."

"And I just wanna tell ya, if you'll shut the hell up."

"Why don't you shut up?"

Okay, I had no clue what was happening, but I decided to be the  mature calm one:

"I could, but then that'd make it pretty tough to tell you…"

"You know what? I don't care, keep your secret."

"Did I miss something? Feels like maybe a page or ten's blown right  the fuck by me. I don't know what `secret' you're…"

"Just how many secrets do you have, Faith?"

What in the hell?

"B, there's no secret, okay? How the hell could it be a secret when I  brought it up in the first fucking place? I'm just trying to tell  you…"

"Hey, if it's so hard for you, do us both a favor and don't even  bother."

"What in the fuck is…Are you goin' nuts? Just shut up and let me…"

"Make me."

"Huh?"

"Make me shut up, if you think you can."

Did I already say, "What the hell?"

"Buffy, I don't want you to `shut up' shut up. Just want you to shut  up so I can ask you if…"

"Well I don't care what you want. All I know is that you and Willow  feel the need to keep secrets from me. That's just fine then, keep  all the secrets you want to. I'm not going to beg you…"

"B, this is crazy!"

"Oh, so now I'm crazy? Gee, thanks a lot."

"I didn't say `you' were crazy! What the hell is…Are you crazy?!  Listen to me: there is no fucking secret, okay? I don't want you to  shut up, and I sure as hell don't wanna fight it out with you. I  just…"

She burst into laughter.

"…Uh…B? You okay?"

She tried to talk, but I couldn't understand a fucking word she said.  I started kinda laughing myself, but it was a nervous laugh for sure.  I mean, how the hell do you commit a Slayer to the nuthouse?

"Ha,ha,ha…Oh God…Faith, you should have…seen…your face!"

"…My face?"

"I can't…believe how…funny that…ha,ha,ha…how funny that was!"

"Funny?"

Alright, so I could understand her words now, but I still didn't  understand a thing she was saying. I guess that's why I kept  repeating stuff.

"God, I need to…calm down. Okay…Will was thinking we should just go  ahead and repaint the entire dining room and kitchen."

"…Yeah, that's what I was trying to ask you about."

"I definitely agree. Xander's had to do way too many repairs, so I  don't think we can just do a touch-up. Too many temper tantrums for  that. I'm all for another color too."

"Red suggested yellow `cause…B, what the fuck was that?"

She started laughing again, but she got control of herself.

"I was just kidding around. It was so funny how confused you were,  the look on your face was just hysterical, and I couldn't seem to  stop."

"Jesus B, I thought you'd gone bonkers."

"Sorry. Let's just `call' it a little payback, F.

"Yeah? Well `call' it what ya want Blondie, but payback swings…"

Both our heads turned at the same time.

"What was that?"

B whispered, so I did too:

"No clue, but didn't sound…"

We heard it again.

"Was over there."

"Okay, you sneak over that way, I'll go this way. Whoever ends up on  the backside, holds off."

I grinned at her, she sounded just like she was supposed to.

"Not the boss of me, Slayer."

"Faith…"

"Following the plan."

"Be careful."

"Middle name."

We slid into the darkness, and moved without any noise. Turns out, I  was the one bringing up the rear. The thing I was standing behind had  to be Red's demon, the one she'd been bitching about pretty much from  the moment I arrived.

Me and B had never seen it, even when we were really looking. The  attacks had stopped, so we figured it'd split or hopefully dropped  dead. Both those ideas were way off base because the bastard was  right here, right now.

I wasn't used to the fear I felt running through me, at first I  couldn't make sense of it. Not trying to say I never get scared, but  this wasn't my normal reaction at all. I was freaking out, and I had  to fight with myself not to turn tail and run. Then he swung around  sideways, kinda facing towards me, and I got what the deal was.

He looked a lot like that Beast thing that had almost killed me in  L.A., when the Fang Gang got their bright idea to let Angelus loose.  Son of a bitch almost beat me to death, and although I could see this  guy wasn't him, he looked like a real close relative.

Okay, I had to focus on something else. He was like eight feet tall  with these huge ass claws and big sharp fangs on display. His hide  looked thick, but not made of stone like The Beast's. See? Knew if I  tried hard enough, I could find some good news.

Red had told us some shit about it, like how it shot out some kinda  paralyzing spit to hold its victims in place while it chowed down. I  hoped B remembered the info, especially the paralyzing spit. Wouldn't  be good at all if she didn't.

Bastard was holding some guy who was obviously dead, just recent  like. Fucker'd ripped a good-sized chunk outta him, and I pulled my  eyes offa that area before I blew my cover by blowing my dinner back  up. B was standing right in front of him, about twenty feet away.

That meant she did remember `cause Willow'd said the spit could fly  about ten to twelve feet. Had to admire B's style, she didn't look  nervous or scared at all. She just looked like she was gonna deliver  death, then head on her way.

She started off all smartassed, but no surprise there `cause that's  her way.

"Generally when we do takeout in this town, it's pizza or Chinese.  This isn't what anyone likes to see."

"Who dares to interrupt me? Ah, Slayer."

"The one and only."

"There are two of you."

"Sometimes, but tonight it's just me."

"I have heard the flesh of the Slayer is sweet."

"Well I do moisturize, but who really knows?"

He dropped the guy's body without another glance, and turned to face  B head-on.

"I shall soon know."

"Sorry, but I don't think so. See I'm kind of choosy about who I let  eat…taste…There's just no good way to finish that sentence, is there?"

He lunged at her with spit flying, but she managed to clear him. She  spun in the air and landed facing his back, her stake at the ready.  She moved really fast and slammed it into him, right about what you'd  guess was heart high. It hurt him but it didn't kill him, and she had  to somersault through his legs as he spun around way too quick.

He was pissed off now, and his back was turned towards me again. I  was waiting for just the right moment to jump in, hoping I'd know it  when it came.

"Enough of your games, Slayer."

He spit at her again, and when she dodged, he connected with his  hand. His nails sliced her open on the side like she was made of  butter, and the impact sent her sailing back. When she hit, she  rolled with no delay. Good thing too `cause his spit hit right where  she'd been.

Blood was pouring down her side, already soaking her shirt and  spilling onto her pants and the ground. I could see it hurt like  shit, but she was still moving good.

"Soon Slayer, you will tire or bleed to death. I will wait, and then  I…"

I landed on his back hard enough to bring him down, `cept he didn't  go down. He tried to pull me off, but the angle was all wrong and he  couldn't quite reach me. I was yanking and punching everything I  could get my hands on, and he wasn't too pleased. He started slamming  me into a crypt wall, and after the third time, I was in trouble.

B rushed in and stood toe to toe with him. She musta hit him five or  six times, actually staggering him before he could respond. But then  he kicked her right into the base of a tree, and when I heard the  crack, I knew it was on her and not the tree. She was out cold.

Now it was my turn to be not so pleased. B's stake was still poking  outta his back, so I smashed it in just as hard as I could. It sunk  in all the way to the hilt, and I pounded on it again. It went in so  far, it was gone.

The fucker roared with the pain, and threw me offa him. I had just  pulled my own stake, and it went flying from my hand as I hit hard  against a tombstone. All the air went rushing outta my lungs, and I  knew I musta hit my head hard `cause for a few seconds I was too  dazed to move. Even when I saw him coming, I just stayed where I was.

His foot stomped down on my leg, and it broke…a lot.

"Slayer # 2, I presume?"

"…In the…fucking…flesh."

He picked me up, making me yell 'cause bones hurt when they rub  together.

"Two Slayers in one night. A bountiful feast to remember. I believe I  will enjoy you tonight, and keep the other for later."

I sucked it up, put all my weight on my broken leg, and kicked him  right in the face with my other foot. Ya can't beat steel-toed boots,  and one of his fangs busted right off. He started screaming bloody  murder, but it didn't matter to me. I was back on the ground doing my  own screaming.

"Thiss you will wegwet, Swaya."

I started laughing:

"That's what…they all…say. Course most ain't…got the…sissy boy lisp… you got goin'…AAH!"

Bastard broke my leg again, and I almost passed out.

"They's no nwed to pawawyze you, Swaya. The tasth will be eben  sweetah, the pwain moe fow you."

"Fuck you…you…fuckin'…"

He jerked me up, and I looked for any weapon or a way to break loose.  I couldn't reach B's stake, and mine was gone too. Not that they did  all that much good anyway.

I couldn't reach my knife either, and I was thinking my hand to hand  skills were pretty fucking limited or more likely, non-existent. All  I knew was that if he killed me while B was unconscious, she was dead  too. Either or both of us dying didn't sound real good to me.

I couldn't see her from where I was, but I started hollering anyway:

"B! B! Buffy Summers!"

That got me a smack in the face that almost knocked me out.

"Shh, leth not dithurb ha. Mmm…you will bwe dewicious, Swaya."

Then his head was spraying like the world's grossest piñata.

B was swinging what looked like a redwood at him again and again, and  by the time she stopped, he didn't even resemble a bloody pulp. I was  back to laying on the ground, and my leg was killing me.

"Think ya…got him…slugger."

"I'm just making sure. I'm going to take your knife, okay?"

"Fine, but...what..."?"

Before I could get the question all the way out, B was busy sawing  off his head.

"Uh……B?"

"Either I'm not taking any chances, or I'm working out some issues."

"Got my…blessing."

She wiped the blade on the grass to get it clean.

"Besides, I don't want him coming back to life like in every stupid  horror movie."

"Yeah well…not much…chance of that…now."

She stuck my knife into her waistband, then bent down to examine me.

"Can you walk?"

"Sure, just not…anytime…soon."

"Okay, I'll carry you."

"B, gotcha a…nasty cut…Lost a shit…load of…blood plus ya…got two… three ribs busted."

"He must have had some of that paralyzing stuff on his claws because  it's not hurting that much yet. I'll carry you on my other shoulder."

"No…I'll just…hang here…while you…go get help."

She looked at me with this teasing kinda smile, but I could see she  was serious too:

"Excuse me, no way am I rolling the dice tonight. There's not going  to be any blood on my hands, especially not yours. You see Faith, I'm  all about doing the right thing."

Oh fuck, did that ever make me laugh.

"Truer…words have…never been…spoken."

"You're damn right they haven't. Okay now, this is going to hurt."

"Don't it…always.

She lifted me up onto her shoulder, and it did hurt. Both of us.  Every step she took jarred my leg and had her grunting and groaning,  but she kept on moving. Can't say I minded a bit when I passed  out.

I woke up in B's bed with her sleeping right next to me. The whole  room smelled like antiseptic, blood, and Buffy, and though I'd be the  first to admit it's pretty far from normal, I just couldn't imagine a  better smell than that.

I looked over at her and wondered how it was possible to be a real  person, and still be so fucking beautiful. Guess it was `cause she  was. I snuggled in closer to her, cursing the homemade splint on my  leg because it kept me further away than I wanted to be.

Still I made it close enough, and as I drifted back to sleep, I  breathed in deep. Now all I could smell was her, and that was by far  the best goddamn smell in the world.

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