Chapter One: The Chosen Two

Buffy the Vampire Slayer sat on a rock wall next to one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries smoking a cigarette. After spending a couple of months in LA as a waitress, she was ready to get back in the swing of things. She took another drag and blew a few smoke rings into the night air.

She actually missed Giles' little Scooby gang. The virgin Willow with her funny-talk and Xander's nerdy lustful gaze. Oz's quiet coolness was comforting amidst the frenetic adolescence of the others.

She even missed Cordy. Go figure.

She sighed. See Giles first, or patrol? The dark figure strolling down an alley made up her mind. Besides, she'd been in town for hours already and hadn't quite worked up the nerve to go see Giles. This whole guilt and lacking balls thing was new to her. Staking vamps was so much easier than facing your watcher after a two month long hiatus. Especially if you left without an explanation or a good bye.

Fuck. I hate guilt.

Ok. Kill this vamp then go see Giles.

She flicked her cigarette away and headed into the alley. As she advanced on the vamp she accidentally kicked a soda can. The vamp turned fast and brandished a wooden stake.

Since when do vamps carry wooden stakes?

"Buffy?"

"Hey, Xander."

Cool and nonchalant. Good girl.

She was grabbed from behind by warm human hands.

"No, no!" shouted Xander. "Stop! Leave her alone. Look who it is."

"Omigod! Buffy?"

"Hey, Will. How ya been?"

"Well—," she began.

"Umm, you might want to step aside," said Buffy.

"Huh?" This was said right before a vampire grabbed Willow and dragged her towards his open mouth. This vamp must be a newbie. No finesse. No skill.

"Nighthawk, Nighthawk!" came a tinny voice. As Buffy was grabbing the vamp by the hair and dragging it away from Willow, she turned towards the voice. Xander was pulling a walkie-talkie out of his coat.

"There's a vamp coming your way!" Is that Cordy's voice?

"Yeah, we got it," he answered.

Buffy neatly staked the vamp and turned back to Xander. "We? Nighthawk?"

"Well somebody has to take care of this town. Where the hell have you been!? Giles has been all over California looking for you!"

"Well, I had to get away for awhile. You know how it is."

"You could have let us know, Buffy," said Willow in a chiding tone.

Buffy snorted a laugh. "Since when have I ever reported to you guys?"

Willow pouted. "Well, you should've told Giles, then. He's been really worried."

Buffy waved a dismissive hand. "Jeeves knows I can take care of myself. I've been doin' it since before I was The Slayer."

A pattering of footsteps announced the arrival of the rest of the Scooby Gang.

"Well. Look who finally decided to show her face." Cordelia's derisive tone made Buffy's jaw clench.

"Fuck off, Cor," she snarled.

"Haven't lost your talent for the witty comeback I see."

"So." Buffy paused for effect. "Have you given Xander," she chuckled. "'Scuse me, Nighthawk, a ride on the snail-trail yet?"

Cordelia grimaced at the crude remark. "God, Buffy. Don't you have any class?"

Buffy grinned at her reaction. They were so fun to bait and goad.

"Speaking of class," interjected Willow, eager to avoid the verbal conflict that always seemed to erupt between Buffy and Cordelia, "have you been to school yet?"

"Geez, Will. I just got back this afternoon. I haven't even seen Giles yet. Besides, I'm probably on permanent detention, or something. Principal Snidely's got it in for me"

"Last I heard," sneered Cordelia, "you were kicked out. As in expelled. Y'know. Permanent-like."

"If I ever want your opinion, Cor, I'll just beat it outta ya."

"Violence is your only solution, huh?"

"No, but it is my profession. You're looking very demon-like these days. Y'know. The horns and the tail. It suits ya, but I will have to kill ya."

"Okaaayy," said Xander. "I think it's time for the second string to head home." He put an arm in front of Cordelia and herded her away from the irritated slayer. "Hey Buff, can you finish the patrol while I escort this fiery young woman home?"

"Sure, no prob… Nighthawk."

"Do you want us to tag along while you finish patrol?" asked Willow.

Buffy could see the reluctance in the redhead's eyes. "Nah. You two head off and bump uglies or whatever. I'll take care of the patrol tonight." That way I can put off seeing Giles.

Patrol turned out to be a nice stress release. The Hellmouth always had a steady supply vampires and demons to put a stake in. After about an hour of scuffles and fisticuffs Buffy decided to bite the bullet and go see Giles. She didn't want to wait until too late and wake him up. Fuck. Let's just get this over with.

She found herself at his door in too short of a time. Taking a deep breath, she knocked, loud and confidently. She heard voices inside, a man and a woman. Oh shit! Don't tell me Giles is getting it on with some chick! What a time to come back. Maybe I should have called first.

The door opened and a shocked Giles stood staring at Buffy.

"Good God! Hello!"

"Hey Giles."

He backed up a step to allow Buffy entry. "Please," he gestured a welcome.

She ducked her head a bit and walked into her watcher's flat. The woman he'd obviously been talking to was standing by the kitchen with her arms crossed. Her dark hair and dark, dark eyes reminded Buffy of Jenny Calendar, the gypsy.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, feeling awkward.

"No, no. of course not," he said hurriedly. To the woman he said, "This is Buffy Summers." The way he said it made it sound as it he'd just been talking about her.

The woman's eyes widened and she stepped forward towards Buffy extending her hand. "What a coincidence!" she said. "We were just talking about you! I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you. You're back for a while I hope?"

"Uh, yeah. Prob'bly," said Buffy, at a loss. She tentatively shook the offered hand. As she did, a girl appeared from the hallway.

Buffy's heart stopped. This girl was beautiful. The most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. Her dark hair was pulled back in an untidy ponytail. She wore no make-up but she didn't need any. Those dark soulful eyes were rimmed with dark lashes that needed no embellishing mascara or liner. They were a bit puffy and red, though. Had she been crying? Buffy was ready to slay demons and dragons; anyone or anything that had made her gypsy princess sad or scared. Buffy's mouth went dry and her hands got clammy. She could feel blood rushing to her face. Oh crap! Say something! Anything! Oh please god, please don't let my mouth be hanging open!

The earth resumed its rotation without anyone noticing Buffy's tilting axis. Giles spoke, thankfully before Buffy had a chance to put her foot in her mouth. "Buffy, this is Faith the Vampire Slayer."

"No shit!" She definitely wasn't expecting that. Faith smiled faintly at Buffy's expletive.

"Indeed," said Giles, dryly. He gestured towards the woman. "This is Faith's mother, Margaret Lehane."

Buffy stared at the woman whose hand she was currently grasping. "Wow. I've never met a slayer-mom before. 'Cept mine, of course. I don't think she counts, seeing as how she died before I was called." She delved deep and found some long-forgotten manners. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Lehane."

"Please, call me Maggie," she said with a laugh, squeezing Buffy's hand in greeting before letting go.

"So, what brings you to Sunnydale?" Before anyone could answer, Buffy added, "You're not here 'cause the Council sent you?" Her heart pounded with mortification. "Because I took off for a while?"

"No, no," said Giles reassuringly. Then he leveled his best admonishing gazed towards Buffy. "Though the thought had crossed my mind. This town needs a slayer, Buffy. I had no idea where you were or when you'd be back, if ever."

Buffy's flush was about to burn a hole in the ozone. "Yeah, well, I'm real sorry about that, Giles," she murmured. Giles' eyebrows raised in disbelief at Buffy's uncharacteristically contrite behavior. "I was just trippin' about the whole Angel thing. I couldn't deal." She glanced furtively at Faith. "I'm here to stay."

"Well. Yes. Excellent, Buffy. I'm glad you're back," he said awkwardly. The watcher and the slayer never were very comfortable showing any emotional attachment.

"So. My room still available?"

"Yes of course. Where are your things? We'll get you situated."

"I left them at the bus station in a locker." She cleared her throat, feeling embarrassed for the first time in years as she hurriedly explained herself. "I wasn't planning on leaving again soon. I just didn't want to carry my bag around town." She wiped her clammy hands on her jeans.

"That's fine Buffy. We can pick it up tomorrow."

There was an awkward silence.

"So," said Buffy. "If you're not here 'cause of the Council, what's the sitch?" She looked at her watcher and then at Maggie.

"My watcher was killed." Faith's quiet voice filled the room with the emotion it carried. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She was still standing in the doorway of the hall, her arms crossed over her stomach.

"Mary was tortured and killed in front of her," said Maggie quietly. Her obvious concern for her daughter and the grieving girl moved Buffy. A lump formed in her throat as a bloom of something unrecognizable started in her heart. She wanted to go to her and wrap her arms around her and comfort her and shelter from all the bad things in the world.

"That's really rough." Her voice was soft with sympathy even as she cringed at the inadequacy of the statement.

She cleared her throat and directed her next statement to the adults. "That doesn't explain what they're doing here.

Maggie had walked over to her daughter and put a comforting arm around her. "We're here for you, Buffy," her eyes bored into Buffy's beseechingly. "We need your help."

"What do you need me to do?"

Giles stepped in for the exposition. "Faith's watcher was killed by a vampire called Kakistos."

"Khaki-who?"

"Kakistos," bit out Faith, her voice filled with venom and hate.

"He's Greek. The name means the worst of the worst," added Giles.

"So he's a badass."

"More than that. He is so old, his hands and feet are cloven. No slayer has been able to kill him. And they've tried. Repeatedly."

Buffy looked at the mother and daughter. "So you thought maybe two slayers might be able to kill this khaki guy."

"That's what we're hoping."

Faith was starting to look a little more animated. "I got a good shot on him. I caved his face in with an axe."

"Nice," said Buffy appreciatively.

"Not so nice, really," said Giles.

Faith hung her head. "That's why he killed her," she said quietly, her voice filled with shame and tears. "He tortured her and killed her for revenge. And I ran."

"Hey!" said Buffy firmly. Faith's head shot up and she stared at Buffy. "The first rule of slaying: don't die. You did the right thing. You didn't die." Encouraged by the spark that started to burn in Faith's eyes, Buffy continued her pep-talk. "We're gonna find this asshole and then break out the dust-buster, 'cause that's all that will be left of him when we're done." She smiled at the young slayer. "We're the chosen ones. It's what we do."

"The Chosen Two," said Faith softly, smiling a real smile for the first time since the death of her watcher.

Buffy's heart just about burst at the sight of that smile. "The Chosen Two," she agreed, smiling back.