Chapter 55: A Slayer’s Work is Never Done
It was dark when Faith set foot into Council Headquarters. Most of the employees had gone home, and by all appearances, those left behind weren’t on high alert to report any sign of her. The secretary smiled at her and offered her a cup of coffee, which she quickly declined.
“Do you have an appointment with Mr. Travers?”
“Uh, no. I just left something behind.”
“Oh. Alright, dear. I’m on my way out, and I’m supposed to lock up. I can wait for you.”
“Ok,” Faith said uncertainly. “Uh, thanks.” The woman smiled and nodded. Faith headed up the stairs, the knot in her gut pulling tighter with each step she took. The knife in her sleeve chafed against her arm, and she closed her eyes, taking a few steadying breaths. When she retrieved the weapon, she felt her stomach lurch at the thought that she was actually prepared to kill Travers or anybody else if they were harming her fellow Slayer.
For the first time in years, the thought of killing actually scared the hell out of her. She had to pause for a moment, holding onto the stair railing to gain her composure. Whatever it was they were doing to Dana, she had to know, and she had to protect her.
When she reached the correct floor, she took a few more shaky breaths before tucking the knife back into her sleeve. She then exited the stairwell and began her slow journey toward Travers’ office. But, before she could even get close, she heard hushed voices from another corridor. Swallowing hard and licking her dry lips, Faith turned in the other direction, making her way closer until she could hear the words better.
“It’s too much, Mr. Travers. With all due respect, we should stop.” Faith didn’t recognize this voice. “Dr. Owens, don’t you agree?”
“I…Mr. Travers, I don’t think it’s wise. Too much of the drug could do permanent damage. She could lose more memories than…”
“More, damn it!” Travers barked. “I know she’s been snooping around, and I don’t want word of what she’s found getting out.”
“And then what? What do you want to do next?” Dr. Owens asked impatiently.
“Next we deal with Miss Lehane.”
“Good luck catching her. She’s brutal, Mr. Travers.”
“We won’t have to do anything. We’ll send Dana.” Faith held her breath as she strained to hear more. “Oh for God’s sakes. Give me that.”
“No, Mr. Travers!” But at the immediate hushed silence, Faith knew he’d given more of whatever the hell that drug was to Dana.” She clenched her fists at her side and pressed herself up tightly against the wall, trying to force back the emotions flooding her. What the Hell did Travers think he was doing, playing with Dana’s mind like that? Now he was coming after her?”
“Thank you for your cooperation, gentlemen,” Travers said calmly. “Are those the specifics? The…the amounts and everything?”
“Yes, sir, but it’s not a drug to be tested lightly…”
“That’ll be all, gentlemen. I do believe I can take it from here.” Faith’s eyes widened and she strained harder, and that was when she heard a low grunt, followed by a gurgling gasp, and she peeked around the corner to see the two shapes surrounding Travers fall to the floor. For a moment longer, she let fear grip her, but then she hardened her gaze on Travers.
“Where am I?” the soft voice cooed from the chair she sat in. Faith felt sick to her stomach. “Who are you?
“What do you remember, Dana?”
“Remember? I don’t…I don’t remember.” Faith could hear her voice cracking. “Why am I here?”
“Do you know who you are?”
“Dana Mullens.”
“Do you remember what you are?” There was silence for several minutes.
“I can’t…there was…I don’t know. It’s blurry. I can’t think.”
“Think, Dana. What are you?” Faith watched as Travers crouched down in front of the chair, eyes full of compassion and patience. It was all she could to not to stick that knife right between his ears and watch the blood flow.
“A…a Slayer,” she breathed.
“How do you know that?”
“You told me I am.”
“Right.” He smiled and patted her hand. “Do you know why you’re here?”
“No.” She was on the verge of tears.
“I brought you here, Dana. You’re here to work for me. To stop the evils of this world.”
“I’m so confused.”
“I know, dear. Just rest now,” he assured her. “You’ll feel better after a little sleep.”
“Mr. Travers?”
“Yes, Dana?”
“Who’s Faith? I remember…I remember her face, but…”
“Faith,” he hesitated. Faith’s eyes narrowed. “She’s your first mission, Dana. She’s a rouge Slayer. She’s been working against the Council.”
“I feel…I feel like maybe…”
“That you were too?”
“Yeah.” She let out a little whimper.
“It’s alright, Dana,” he assured her. “Your first mission will be your redemption.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Dana. Just rest now.” Dana nodded, and the rage boiled inside of Faith. As much as she wanted to go in there and knock heads, she also wanted to help the young woman who had absolutely no power over herself anymore. She knew the smart thing to do would be to run, but she was going to get Dana away from those brainwashing motherfuckers, and she was going to find a way to fix the mess they’d made.
***
They had just gotten out of the shower and were settling in to go to bed when Buffy heard the screams from down the hall. She and Spike looked at each other, and without words, pulled on their clothes. Buffy grabbed her stake out of one of her bags and they rushed down the hall.
The screams grew louder, and they were definitely not of the pleasurable kind. Pinpointing the exact door, Buffy gave it a hard kick in the middle, and it swung open. Right away, Buffy saw the problem. A half-naked woman lay across the hotel bed, and a vampire was about to sink his fangs into her.
“Help!” the woman screeched, as soon as she saw Buffy. The vampire turned his attention to the Slayer, snarled, and then bolted toward the door. Buffy grabbed him and slung him against the wall, leaving a nice crack in the drywall.
“Spike!” Buffy nodded for him to help the woman, and he rushed over to her, getting her up and out of the room.
“What’s wrong with his face?” the woman bawled as he ushered her out of the room.
“Uh, he must’ve slipped you something, luv. Let’s go get you some coffee, yeah?” The woman pulled her robe around her and held onto Spike’s arm, while Buffy continued pummeling the vampire in the face.
“What’s the big idea, lady?” the vampire asked, baring his fangs.
“The big idea is that you’re ruining my romantic weekend with my honey, and I don’t really appreciate it!” She delivered a swift roundhouse kick to his jaw, and he flew backward into the bedside table.
“Who do you think you are?”
“Me? I’m the Slayer.” She smiled sweetly at him as she kicked him in the nose. He groaned as the blood spurted forth and trickled down his lips. He licked at it, and Buffy grimaced.
“The Slayer?” Anger flickered in his yellow eyes.
“I take it you’ve heard of me?”
“This’ll be fun. I’ve heard Slayers taste better than any other,” he snarled.
The vampire pulled himself up and lunged at Buffy, pushing her back into the wall. He started to go for her jugular when he felt something strange against his stomach. He looked down at then back up into her eyes. Buffy kneed him in the groin.
“You’re…should you really be fighting in your condition?” Buffy spun, kicking him hard in the chest. He fell onto the bed and rolled off onto the floor, clutching his stomach.
“Doctor says it’s ok to keep doing whatever it was I did before the baby,” she shrugged. “That includes beating the crap out of scum like you.” The vampire chuckled as he lunged toward her again, and she tightened her fist around the stake.
“Wait’ll the boys hear the Slayer’s having a kid!” Buffy frowned again and punched him hard in the side of the head.
“Now why’d you go and say that? You know…that’s only gonna get you killed.” At his perplexed expression, she plunged the stake into his chest and backed out of the range of the dust cloud. Wiping her hands and blowing dust particles off of the tip of her stake, she sighed and left the room.
Before she went in search of Spike and the young woman, she deposited her stake in her and Spike’s room and then headed down to the lobby. A couple of policemen were talking to the girl. Spike caught Buffy’s gaze and nodded to her. She nodded back to let him know everything was taken care of.
“That’s her! She came in and…and she helped me.”
“Did you see the man, Miss?” the officer asked, hurrying over to her. Buffy nodded her head.
“Yeah, I did, but he got away. I kicked him a couple of times, and he ran off. I don’t think he’s gonna bother her again.”
“You kicked him?” He glanced down at her tiny frame and pregnant profile and then looked back into her eyes. “She said he was awfully strong.”
“Yeah…well, I take self-defense classes at the Y.” She looked over the policeman’s shoulder and at the young woman. “You ought to enroll.”
“Oh…ok. Um, thanks. Thanks for…for helping me.” Buffy nodded.
“Well, can we get a statement from you, Miss? What’d he look like?”
“He…uh…he was tall. Brown hair. I didn’t get a good look at him. He was…uh, hiding his face.”
“Oh…well, uh, what direction did he go?” Buffy pointed but shrugged.
“I really don’t…it happened so fast.” The last thing she wanted to do was have some poor sap who was in the wrong place at the wrong time get busted for something he didn’t do.
“Alright, well, thank you for your help, Miss.” The officer turned back to the younger woman and offered her a ride to another hotel, as her room for the night was obviously trashed. She quickly accepted and headed out with the officers. Buffy turned back to Spike and frowned.
“A Slayer’s work is never done.”
“C’mon, Pet. We’ve got the rest of our weekend to get back to.” She smiled a little and linked her fingers with his.
“You know, it’d be so much easier if we could just tell the world vampires existed. At least then they could teach classes. Like: How to Spot a Vamp 101 or The Art of Staking.” Spike chuckled and squeezed her hand.
“Would be easier, but maybe not too safe for a certain vampire you know and love.” Buffy frowned.
“Good point.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “He knew.”
“What?”
“About the baby. It’s gonna get out. Really soon, Spike. Then we’re gonna have a lot more to worry about than just a bunch of vamps wanting to get their hands on the Slayer’s baby.”
“Don’t think about that now, pet. This weekend? It’s about you and me. Nothing else, ok?” Buffy nodded, still a little concerned. He leaned in and brushed his lips over her ear.
“Trust me, pet. You and me? We’re the best protection our little bit’s ever gonna have. Nothing’s gonna happen to her, ok?” Buffy nodded a little and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling a little better now.
“I trust you, Spike.” He smiled a little at that and led her back into their room, shutting and locking the door behind them.
***
Faith paced her apartment. Every few minutes, she’d pause and look at the phone. Her gut told her that she needed to call Giles and tell him what had happened. But another part of her told her that they would have no reason to believe her. No, she had to do this on her own.
Her door was chained shut. She knew she should leave. They could find her here. But right now, she needed to sleep, and this was the only place she had to go. After she had a good rest, she was going to figure out how to get Dana out of Travers’ clutches.
She settled down on the couch and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds surrounding her little apartment. She could hear a baby crying in the apartment to the left of her. A dog barking in the one to the right.
She couldn’t think like this. She had to sleep. She had to prepare herself, because tomorrow, more than likely, she was going to not only come up against Quentin Travers, but she was going to have to face off against a fellow Slayer, and she decided then and there that she would not let herself lose this time.
She threw herself off the couch and headed into the small bedroom, closing the door and locking the door. She flopped down on the bed and buried her head under her pillow, trying to block out the sounds of the night, and for the first time, worrying not about what was out there in the dark but what would happen when the sun came up.
But just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a loud banging at her door. Jumping up out of bed, she grabbed her knife let herself out of her room and rushed to the door.
“Faith! It’s me! Please…help!” Dana? Faith shook her head, wondering what the hell had happened. Maybe the drug hadn’t worked on her after all. “Let me in! They’re after me!” Knife at the ready, Faith slowly unchained and unlocked the door. When she opened it up, a frantic Dana burst in and closed the door behind herself.
“Dana?”
“Please. They’re…they’re coming after me.”
“I thought they…Jesus, look at you.”
“I’m so scared, Faith,” she cried, hands shaking against the doorknob. “They want me to kill you. They…they say you’re trying to destroy the Council. That you’re using me.”
“Well fuck them,” Faith muttered. “They’re the corrupt ones.” She turned to find a bottle of whiskey she’d stored in one of the cabinets. But just as she turned to grab for it, she felt something blunt strike the back of her head. Groaning, she fell to the floor, hitting her head on the side of the counter in the process. Dana stood over her, her previously frantic eyes now dull and lifeless.
“What the…”
“Sorry, Faith. This is my redemption.” She reached back and then powerfully swung her fist into the side of Faith’s head, and the Slayer felt darkness surround her, putting all of her senses under as she was dragged from the room.
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Chapter End Notes:
Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that I have written the wedding chapter. YES it's the next chapter, and yes, there will be some surprises. But, it's a happy chapter, so don't fret! :) Please leave me some feedback. I'd love to hear what you thought of the chapter! I also hope that you'll find the next chapter so sugary sweet that your teeth will ache, because that's pretty much what happened when I wrote it today. LOL. Anyway...enjoy! Let me know what you thought! ;) Thanks!