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Chapter 20: Separation Anxiety

"Satsu," Buffy greeted tensely. "How are you?"

She was making a token attempt at keeping things civil. The last thing she wanted was to cause more problems for the two of them. She studied the other woman's face for a moment,slightly concerned at the amount of strain visible lining her features. Then she inwardly rolled her eyes, irritated.

She's someone else's problem now. I have enough issues of my own without worrying about her. She gave the other woman an impatient look.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Satsu growled,stepping closer to the blonde.

Buffy was peripherally aware of Kennedy and Willow's movement as they got up from the table and came to stand behind her. She ignored them for the moment and gave Satsu a confused look. The aggression coming from the younger Slayer didn't worry her in the least. She'd dealt with Slayers far worse than Satsu could even dream of being.

Trying not to smirk at the thought of Faith,Buffy asked slowly,"At which time? 'Cause just now I was wondering what Faith's going to bring back for me from her trip."

The younger Slayer's eyes narrowed and she swallowed hard. She opened her mouth to speak and then clamped her jaws shut. Then she exhaled sharply and shook her head incredulously.

"Cut the crap,Buffy," Satsu finally managed to growl. "Did you request a transfer for me from Giles?"

"What?" Buffy asked,her eyes widening. "No!"



"I cannot believe the nerve of that woman!"

The exasperated exclamation was the first thing she said as she entered the den. Faith simply raised an eyebrow in response and settled more comfortably on the couch. She watched Buffy pace the floor in front of the entertainment center for a few seconds and then sighed silently.

"B,get over here and sit down so ya can tell me who pissed ya off this time."

Buffy growled in frustration and then turned to face the brunette. She put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot.

"I don't want to sit down! I want to smack the Hell out of Satsu," She whined.

Fuck,I'm gonna miss her. Faith tilted her head slightly in concession and scratched absently at her eyebrow. "I totally get it,'cause I get that urge often,but what I don't get is why now."

"She fucking accused me of requesting a transfer for her," Buffy muttered,crossing the room to flop down on the opposite end of the couch.

She blinked and asked,"Ya didn't,right?"

"No! That's why it has me so pissed off," She explained in exasperation. "I don't think she believed me when I told her,but I'm not so sure I care. I'm thinking it's actually a good idea,to tell you the truth. Not because of me,but because of her!"

"Can't blame ya there," The brunette said,chuckling softly. "God was I ever grateful when Wood requested a transfer to NY."

"That's not it. I don't want her gone just 'cause our relationship's over with," Buffy said sadly. "If it weren't for her behavior,I'd probably be able to deal with her on a professional level. But she can't accept the truth about anything I say and I doubt she ever will."

Faith gave her a knowing look. "B,you've forgiven your exes for a lot of shit,but I doubt even you can forgive the fact that she cheated."

She winced and shrugged sheepishly. "Okay,so I probably would've been a complete bitch to her whenever I had to face her alone,but still."

Faith chewed the inside of her cheek as she considered her. The blonde was stressed,that was for certain. There was also a hint of dejection there too and that needed to be taken care of before it got out of hand. She smirked and stood,holding out a hand to the blonde.

"C'mon,let's get ya into a hot bubble bath while I'm cookin' dinner. Then ya can come down here and I'll tell ya all about the debriefin' G-man gave me."

Buffy looked up,considering her. Then she put her hand in Faith's and allowed her to tug her up. A gentle hand nudged her toward the door and she moved slowly.

"Get a move on,B. And I better not see ya before I get dinner done."

She looked over her shoulder at Faith and gave a half-smile. "Thanks for this,Faith."

She shrugged. "I ain't done anything yet,but maybe I'll give ya a massage later so you'll have a reason to thank me."

"Okay," Buffy agreed easily before she left the room.



"Okay,so are you going to tell me about your mission?"

Faith looked up from her plate and quickly finished chewing the bite she'd just taken. She swallowed and then chased it down with Pepsi. Then she set her glass back by her plate and shrugged.

"First,tell me what you're gonna do about short-shit's transfer and then I'll help ya get your mind off her."

Buffy rolled her eyes and muttered,"Nothing. Obviously Giles thought it was necessary and I'm not going to argue with him about that. I'll bitch him out for getting into my business,again,but I'm not going to try to change his mind."

"Aight,that's completely understandable," Faith replied,nodding.

"Why didn't he mention any of this when we were in his office?" Buffy asked,furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

She smirked. "I can only guess that he didn't wanna hear ya bitchin' about him meddlin', and he wanted someone else to be blamed for interruptin' my vacation."

"So what did he tell you about it?" Buffy asked,absently twirling her fork around in the spaghetti on her plate.

"You remember that kid,Shawna Nocona?" She mumbled around a mouthful of garlic bread.

The older Slayer's eyebrows furrowed. The name was familiar,but she just couldn't recall why. She shrugged in answer.

"Not really. Is she a Slayer?"

She nodded. "Yeah,she is. I think it was like four,maybe five years ago when Red and her geeks located her. A couple caseworkers went out to explain her status to her parents,and they ended up refusin' to let us anywhere near the kid."

Buffy's eyes widened as the memory cleared up. She leaned forward and said, "Yeah,I remember that now. Like three months later they were out late and were attacked by vamps. It was just by luck that one of the older Slayers happened to be in the area and she got there just in time to save the kid,but her parents were all ready dead."

They shared a sad smile and then Faith continued with her explanation. "Yeah,that was her. Well,she refused to come to the academy,but agreed to be placed with a watcher. We put her with an older one who could train her the way we were trained."

"Okay," She said slowly. "So what's the problem?"

The younger Slayer winced. "She's actin' out,gettin' into all kinds of trouble,y'know? Sorta like I was when we first met,but she's more of a delinquent than nuts."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You weren't nuts,you were just out of control."

"Yeah, yeah," Faith drawled. "However ya wanna put it,it doesn't change the fact that this thirteen year old kid is headin' for disaster. They've tried everything,but she won't cooperate,and she barely socializes. She responds better to her teammates than she does watchers and caseworkers,but even that's dicey."

"They want you to go in as a teammate,right?" She asked,recalling the information Willow had given at lunch.

"Yeah,'cause it'll put me in a position to get close to the kid and figure out what makes her tick," The brunette replied,her shoulders slumping slightly.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked,looking at her in concern.

Anguished dark brown eyes lifted to study her. Then Faith exhaled sharply and shook her head.

"I hate havin' to deceive these kids. In the world most of 'em come from, secrets and lies are usually part of their biggest problem." She shrugged. "I guess I just feel like such a fuckin' bastard 'cause I'm doin' almost the same thing the people who fucked 'em over did."

"No you're not," Buffy objected,realizing what it was Faith was getting at. "You're lying to actually get somewhere you'll be able to help them from. Those other people were doing it for their own sick, twisted gain or protection."

"Hmm," Faith murmured noncommittally and then she sighed. "Anyway,Giles has a flight set up for me at nine AM."

She studied her for a moment,considering whether she should argue the point further. Then she decided she'd wait until the mission was over. It would be easier to convince Faith she wasn't a bad guy when the kid was safe. Or at least she hoped it would be.

"Have you packed yet?"

"Yeah,I did that as soon as I got back."

Buffy stood and started clearing the breakfast bar of their dirty dishes. She gave Faith a brief smile as the brunette joined her and they quickly had the breakfast bar cleared. As they were washing the dishes,Buffy kept glancing at the brunette. Then she sighed.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"It could be anywhere from three months to a year," Faith muttered,wincing slightly.

Buffy's heart clenched painfully in response and she bit her bottom lip. Tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed hard,fighting to maintain her composure. She set the plate she was cleaning back into the sink and retrieved a hand towel to dry her hands. Then she leaned against the counter and finally forced her gaze back to Faith's.

"That long,huh?"

Faith gave her an understanding smile and reached out to pull the blonde into her arms. She immediately burrowed into her embrace and Faith nuzzled her ear. The blonde shivered and she tightened her hold,rubbing her hands over the tense back.

"C'mon,let's go upstairs and I'll give ya that massage I promised."

Buffy pulled back slightly and shook her head,wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I don't think that's a good idea," She mumbled,letting out a shuddering breath.

Trying not to whine,Faith asked,"Why not?"

"We both know what's going to happen if we go up there right now. I'm not strong enough to pull away and neither are you."

Faith gave her a half-grin in acknowledgement. Neither of them was ready for a repeat of what had happened at the club. With the neediness we're both feelin',it wouldn't take too much for it to spiral out of our control again.

She brushed a tear from Buffy's cheek and sighed. Fuck, it's too soon to be leavin' her like this. She's still dependin' on me so fuckin' much every day.

 


 

Chapter 21: What's My Age Again?

San Francisco

Faith paused with her fist prepared to knock on the red oak door in front of her. She dropped her hand and her gaze fell. There were two approaches to choose from. The first was as a team player, someone who could and would play by the rules.

She grimaced. The very thought gave her shivers, and not the good kind. That type had never been her. The second, it was only slightly better. It involved being the badass she hadn't truly been in a very long time.

She wasn't certain she could stomach either one, but at least the latter didn't have her feeling as if she were seconds away from crawling out of her skin. It simply bothered her for reasons she'd never been able to comprehend. This was far from the first time she'd had to use her old defenses and armor to help with a mission. For now, she'd just have to steel herself to the best of her abilities and do what was necessary.

As Buffy had so helpfully pointed out, she was doing this to get somewhere to help the kids. A faint smile twitched her lips briefly and then she shook it off. And for that, she'd do damn near anything. At that reminder, she squared her shoulders and rapped her knuckles firmly against the door three times.

Then she stepped back and leaned against a support post on the porch. She studied the fresh coat of brownish-yellow paint covering the house as she waited. What the fuck drives a person to paint their house a color that reminds me of bird shit?

She heard steps approaching the front door from inside and then sighed as she took on an impassive expression. Maybe I'll ask them if I get bored enough. Her left eyebrow twitched faintly, the only outward sign of her amusement.

The door swung open and she tilted her head as she came face to face with the house's assigned watcher. She took his appearance in with the rapid precision of a Slayer and came to the conclusion that Giles' original assessment was correct. `Pompous' was the only word that could describe this man.

From Italian loafers, pressed black slacks, a stuffy white button-up shirt, and wire-rimmed glasses to thinning dark hair slicked to the side, Aaron Graves screamed `Old Council'. He vaguely reminded her of an older version of Wesley Wyndham-Price at his arrival in Sunnydale. Giles had informed her that Aaron had been a staunch supporter of Quinton Travers and that he'd only kept him on-staff because they'd been sorely in need of experienced watchers. That in and of itself would make it easier to stomach the attitude she'd get to display.

"May I help you, miss?"

Judging from the expression on his face, the Brit had performed his own inspection and she'd been found lacking. She smirked, though the humor didn't follow to her eyes. She was beginning to suspect something and she couldn't wait to find out if she was right.

"You're Aaron Graves of the New Council."

"Ah, yes. You must be Faith..." He trailed off pointedly.

"You gonna let me in?" She asked impatiently, not filling in the blanks.

Giles had informed her that it might be best to keep her identity hidden. She'd objected initially, but quickly saw the light. It would be easier to interact with Shawna if she didn't have a watcher trying to kiss her ass. It had happened before because of her relationship to Giles and she doubted not at all that Aaron Graves was just that type.

Without waiting for an invitation, she brushed past him into the house. Then she turned and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited. The next couple of minutes would define how their interaction would go for the duration of her stay. She had to admit she was curious to see just what kind of watcher he was.

"Please, do come in," He muttered with a sickly smile as he turned to face her.

"I did, thanks," She quipped.

"Yes, well, let's take this to my office," The watcher said dismissively. "I need to tell you the rules and work out your place on the training roster."

Training roster? She mused silently. Her eyebrows furrowed and she shot him a look.

"What the fuck's the trainin' roster?"

"I give each a few two hour slots during the week to train," He answered. "That way I can concentrate on their skills individually and keep the competition to a minimum."

Her only outward reaction was a slight twitch of her lips. Inward, however, her Slayer was growling. Ain't no fuckin' way they're gettin' enough trainin' that way. There was something else irritating her just a little more.

"But the competition's half the fun," She commented, curious to hear his reply.

His expression hardened and he lowered his tone, "That may be, but this isn't meant to be fun. It's deadly serious, and should be treated with caution and reverence."

"Whatever," She growled, letting loose her temper for a moment. "Where's my room?"

"There are things we need to discus before you get settled."

"They can wait. I'm tired, and trust," She said, giving him an evil grin. "Ya don't wanna deal with me if it gets any worse."

That was true, but that wasn't the reason for her sudden need to get away from Aaron. She just didn't want to rock the boat too soon. There would be plenty of time to let their views clash down the road. For now, she'd just keep her mouth shut on the topic.

She was there to help Shawna, not to tell him that there was no place in the New Watcher's Council for someone with that view. She knew all too well what happened when the girl wasn't allowed her humanity to combat the darkness of the Slayer. If Shawna had been in Aaron Graves' care since her parents had died, it was no wonder she was getting out of control. Faith just hoped she wasn't too late to reach her.

He studied her warily for a long moment and then capitulated. "All right, we'll table our discussion until this evening after dinner."

"Glad ya see it my way," fucker. We won't be discussin' anything if I get my way.

He gave her a sickly smile once again as if he could hear the unspoken ending. "Allow me to give you a tour of the house before I show you to your room."


 

"And this is your room," Aaron said, knocking briefly before opening the door.

Faith gave him an incredulous look. Motherfucker won't be doin' that shit again, I guarantee it. He'll learn to wait for a Goddamn invite if it's the last thing he does.

"What do you want?" A low, musical voice demanded.

She smirked at the typical irritated adolescent greeting. She'd heard it numerous times over the years from countless teenagers. It was even occasionally directed at her.

Least it ain't me this time, She mused as she followed the watcher into the room.

"Glad to see you're actually here, Shawna," The watcher noted with a smug tone. "This is your new roommate, Faith. Faith, this is Shawna Nocona."

He stepped away and Faith was given her first impression of her charge. The watcher slipped from the room as they stared, closing the door behind him. Faith stepped further inside and dropped her bag on the foot of the second twin bed. Then she returned her attention to the younger Slayer.

Shawna was sprawled on her belly on the bed, a book open in front of her. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail, two stray blue-tipped locks curling on either side of her face. She was comfortably clad in a pair of well-fitting blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Leather wrist-bands adorned both wrists and a pair of headphones was half-hidden beneath one hand.

Faith lifted her eyes to meet the reluctantly curious dark hazel ones watching her. Then she lifted an eyebrow in question and gestured between them.

"What's with this? I thought they were supposed to keep roomies close in age-range."

Shawna smirked faintly and asked, "How old are you? And before you ask, I'll be thirteen in two months."

"Uh..." Her mind momentarily blanked and then she stammered, "I'm t-twenty-four."

Way to go, brain-trust, Faith's inner voice snickered. Damn near gave yourself away.

Giles had explained that he'd thought Shawna might respond better to someone closer in age. Faith didn't think she'd ever felt her age as much as she had at that moment. Is it really such a fuckin' crime to be thirty-one? The only thing that had kept her from complaining was that she didn't want to reveal just how touchy she was about it.

She was just glad that she at least looked twenty-four. Hot chicks with superpowers have all the luck. When we ain't gettin' beat down, at least.

"You're the same age as Di," She commented absently.

Faith's eyebrows furrowed momentarily and then her expression cleared. She'd gotten the lowdown on the other members of the team during the debriefing. The team leader was Diana Rolland, a twenty-four year old Slayer from Florida. She was apparently the closest to Shawna in the household from what little Aaron had told Giles.

"Yeah, so why didn't they put me with her?"

The girl studied her again. Seeing that she was merely curious and not upset, Shawna's eyes dropped and she sighed. Then she glanced back up and their eyes met. Pain darkened her expression and then a familiar look of defiance hardened her features.

"The others won't room with me `cause I'm something of a trouble maker."

Faith felt her heart clench almost painfully. Understanding softened her eyes as she nodded. Then she turned her attention to unpacking. She knew better than most that pushing any further just yet would kill any chance of future success.


Cleveland

"Do you realize how much damage you could've done, Giles?"

Rupert Giles loved this particular Slayer like his own daughter. There just wasn't any getting around it. But there were times when she irritated him as almost no one else could. This was one of them.

"I was doing what was best," He answered, pulling his glasses off to clean the lenses.

And he had been--even if it did make him a meddling old fool. He replaced his glasses and then lifted his eyes to meet hers. His expression softened and he could see her resolve wavering.

"Everyone's going to blame me. You do realize that, right?" Buffy asked, exasperated.

"They won't," He answered. "I spoke to several Slayers and even a few of her friends before I decided on a course of action. They are in agreement that her behavior as of late is abhorrent."

"Why didn't you just use the normal disciplinary actions?"

"Do you not recall what sort of effects antagonism between senior Slayers has on the Slayers-in-Training? I'm well aware it wasn't their first fight and I doubt it will be the last, but something had to be done. It was you, Faith, or Satsu, and the two of you have far more important roles here than she does."

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, and then Buffy's shoulders dropped. Her eyes darkened and she nodded. It was obvious that she recalled it more than she wished to. Then again, it was hard to forget when they were still suffering the repercussions of it.

Once Giles and Faith had finally settled in with them in Scotland, their past had somehow made the rounds in the gossip mill. Of course, the tension between them had been obvious all ready. The confirmation of their troubles had divided the junior slayers, which of course led to arguments, fights, and disrespect. It didn't calm down until Giles had forced Faith and Buffy to confront the younger Slayers about it.

There were still the occasional arguments, but it hadn't gotten violent since they'd spoken to the Slayers-in-Training. Buffy sighed and pouted.

"Couldn't you have at least warned me first?" She whined.

 


 

Chapter 22: Rules Are Made to Be Broken

San Francisco

"So what are we supposed to do for fun around here?"

Shawna looked up from the book she was reading and regarded the Slayer lounging on the bed opposite hers. There was something about the woman that didn't quite fit the image she was trying to present,but Shawna couldn't tell what it was. She honestly didn't care enough yet to try to puzzle it out yet,either. She raised an eyebrow and met Faith's gaze with a sardonic smile.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? We aren't allowed to have fun."

Faith paused and her eyes flickered to the door and back. She'd noticed during her tour that most of the rooms on the lower floor had an unlived in feel to them,the exception being the library. She'd also noticed that there wasn't a TV or a computer to be found. I can tell this is gonna be one of those assignments.

She snorted and gave a careless shrug. "So far this whole Slayer gig's been fuckin' boss to me."

She waited to see what the girl's reaction to that statement would be. It would be telling,of that she was sure. There were three general responses she was used to getting from the girls she worked with. There were those who thrilled at the power,those who were frightened of it, and those who were careful with it.

The response would tell her how to handle the girl along with her Slayer. That was one of the biggest problems the old watcher's council had. Either they dealt with the Slayer and neglected the girl,or it was the other way around. It couldn't be done that way because it was guaranteed that the Slayer never forgot about the girl and the girl couldn't forget about her Slayer.

"I guess," Shawna muttered,shrugging as she turned her attention back to her book.

Only years of experience kept the grin from breaking out on Faith's face. Shawna's uneasy expression gave her all the answer she needed. The girl wasn't frightened of the power,but she wasn't high on it either. There was still hope for her,and Faith was determined that she'd help Shawna in any way that she could.



It was entirely too quiet. Faith took the last bite of her dinner and then set her fork down on the plate. She glanced around the table at the others and grimaced internally. It was unnatural for Slayers to be this subdued.

She noticed that two of the other girls were finished eating and her eyebrows furrowed. Then she rolled her eyes and slumped down in her seat. The anal-retentive prick probably has some kinda rule about not leavin' the table ‘til everyone's finished.

The tension in the room was making Faith edgy and had her wishing she were elsewhere. She picked up her cup and took a gulp of water as she tried in vain to keep from fidgeting. Then she set the cup aside and crossed her arms over her chest as she considered what she knew of the other Slayers.

Diana Rolland sat to her left,the redhead being the oldest in the group. The file Giles had given her had portrayed a Slayer with great potential and skill. She'd grown up the oldest of four,which was most likely the reason she was successful in her role here. There was something in the Slayer's eyes that reminded Faith of Willow.

It took a moment for Faith to recall the brunette on her right's name. Janice Martin was a plain name,which seemingly matched the seventeen year old girl's appearance. Her pale brown hair matched the shade of her eyes and she was of average height. The one thing Faith remembered clearly from Janice's file was the statement that the only notable thing about her was her fighting style.

On the other side of Janice was Corrine Novoa,a sixteen year old born and raised in Havana,Cuba. Most of everyone at the Council's headquarters knew her story. She'd been abused for most of her life and the night she came into her powers would probably haunt her for the rest of her life. Willow had had to use magic to make all traces of Corrine disappear from Cuba to keep the authorities from coming after her.

Faith shuddered. She'd gone through some awful times,but at least she had the cold comfort that it hadn't been at her own father's hands. The sound of a chair scooting back on the hard wood floor of the dining room dragged her from her thoughts. She glanced up to see that everyone had finished dinner and were gathering their dishes.

She pushed her chair back and stood,grabbing her plate and cup. Then she followed Diana into the kitchen and set her dishes in the sink before escaping the small room. She walked towards the dining room door that led to the living room and froze when she heard her name called. She sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Aaron.

"What?"

He frowned at her tone and went on,nonplussed,"I need to see you in my office."

Faith ran her hand through her hair and then gestured him ahead of her. "After you," She muttered.

As she followed him from the room,the brunette rolled her eyes. Fuck it,the more rules I learn,the more I can break with a smile on my face.


 

Faith's head lolled back on the seat as she stared up at the ceiling of Aaron's office. His voice droned on in the background,but she'd tuned him out after fifteen minutes. She could only stand to listen to just so much bullshit before her short attention span caught up to her. She blinked as something he said broke into her daydreaming.

"Electronics are not allowed on the premises,and any found will be taken. If you must have any form of entertainment,there are books in our library. No outings are allowed unless they are pre-approved and I must accompany you. There will be no exceptions."

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me," Faith sputtered,sitting up and glaring at him.

Aaron's expression hardened and he leaned forward,"No,I am not kidding. I don't care what they allowed at the Slayer house in Boston. I will not allow anything to distract you from your duties as a Slayer."

Her nostrils flared faintly as she took a deep breath,allowing it to calm her as he continued on. This mission wasn't just about saving Shawna any more. Something had to be done before they lost a Slayer because of this man's attitude. Oh,she was going to enjoy taking him down a few notches.

She smiled,and it wasn't a nice one. He faltered in his speech for a moment and she forced her features to impassivity. It wouldn't do to give him any warning of just what he'd started. No,she wanted it to be a nasty surprise.


 

Faith had discovered something she hated more than Aaron Graves. She should've known it would happen,but she hadn't really thought about it. Being new,she wouldn't be allowed to patrol until the Watcher had the chance to evaluate her abilities. If she were in Cleveland,that wouldn't be so bad because Buffy would be there.

But here,the only thing to distract her from the urge to hunt was her thoughts. Unfortunately,her thoughts left her with an intense longing. In the last several weeks,she'd gotten used to a certain amount of physical contact and social interaction. Now here she was without it and she didn't know what to do with herself.

The disturbing part for her was realizing that she was only faintly disgusted by that. There's a fuckin' clue I ain't the same bitch I was way back when. She snorted.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bedroom door opening. She glanced up to see Shawna enter the room.

"Yo,what's up?"

"Patrol's back. They found a nest."

She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. "Somebody get hurt?"

"No," Shawna drawled.

Faith's eyebrows furrowed and she asked,"Then why the fuck did they come back early?"

The younger Slayer smirked,"You didn't listen when Aaron went over the rules,did you?"

She snorted,"Fuck no. He lost me after about fifteen minutes."

"Well, one of the rules is that any time patrol finds a nest,they have to do recon and then come back to the house to fill the rest of us in. We make a plan and then the entire team goes to clean it out the next day."

Huh,Faith mused. Makes sense if there's only three in a patrol.

"Aight,let's get down there and see what's what," Faith said aloud as she got up.


 

"We followed two of the vamps back and they led us to that system of caves inside the park on Westbridge Avenue. We had to stay hidden for a while because they stood outside talking to the two lookouts. As soon as they went inside,we spread out to see what we could find."

"And what did you find?" Aaron asked impatiently.

Faith rolled her eyes and watched as Diana shifted from foot to foot. She felt a strong desire to suggest the Slayer smack him around a little, and only barely resisted it. As amusing as it would be,it would just delay the information longer. And she wanted to go Slay more than she wanted to see the annoying Brit hurt,but only just.

"There's about fifteen or more vamps nesting there," She answered. "Depends on how many were out at the time."

"Hmm,and you're certain they weren't aware of your pursuit?"

"Yes," Diana answered stiffly.

"How well do we know that area?" He asked,glancing around at the other Slayers.

"Pretty well," Janice piped up. "We frequently have to clear out some demon or another from there."

"I see," He answered. "Do you have a set battle plan yet?"

Diana leaned forward in her seat and it was then that Faith realized what it was about the younger woman that reminded her so strongly of Willow. There was an obvious intelligence there that even the most oblivious of people couldn't miss. It made Faith wonder why she was here instead of positioned at their headquarters. That was something else she would have to work on rectifying.

"I thought that I'd have Janice circle around to the back entrance to the caves,taking Faith and Shawna with her. Then I'd go in through the front with Corrine,taking the heat off them by drawing the vamp's attention. Then once they hear the fight,they'll come in and distract them so that we can get any captives that might be in there out. When we have them clear,we can rejoin Janice's team and take out the rest."

"Mmm," Aaron murmured. "I don't much care for sending an untested Slayer in,but I suppose there's no other option at the moment."

Faith smirked. She'd let his comment about untested Slayers go for now. She was more focused on the fact that she'd get to go Slay something soon.


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