“Sure.”

“Have him go to the Green Bay motel outside of town, I’ll reserve a room for him there, tell him to wait for my call. And Tom I want a human for this job, understand?”

“Human?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow night.” Faith hung up and slouched back into the chair. It had begun, how it would turn out she didn’t know, but something inside told her she had finally chosen the right path, the weight on her shoulders already lightening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faith stared at the food on her plate as she pushed it around with her fork, finding this easier than looking at the blonde sat opposite her.

“My cooking that bad?”

“What?” Faith looked up into the green eyes “Oh, I’m just not that hungry.”

Buffy smiled “You should eat Faith, you need to keep your strength up. Are you having second thoughts?”

“No. Not second thoughts. Third, fourth and fifth maybe.” Faith smirked “This thing we’re gonna get into B, maybe we should let the authorities deal. It’s a slayers job to protect. Not harm.”

Buffy eyes narrowed as she stared at Faith “To protect the innocent Faith. These are not innocents.” Buffy got up from the table “Tell me what you found out, then I’ll go it alone.”

Faith dropped her fork to the plate “No, I said I’m in. It’s just lately you’re changing B, this revenge thing? I can see it in your eyes, they used to be bright full of hope, like now you’re staring straight at me yet you’re not there. There’s none of that spark, just emptiness”

Buffy blinked, and turned her head away from Faith. “I have to do this, not just for Alex. Something inside me, it’s like there’s a bigger plan. I don’t know what it is but I’m sure fate will let me know soon enough. Till then I’m doing what I feel is right.”

Faith dismissed the guilt and fear inside, that Buffy knew more about than she was letting on. “Ok then, The Green Bay motel outta town. I got it on good authority that there’s a guy staying there that knows all about what happened that night in the alley. Been bragging round town in the club that he got one over on the slayer. Word is he’s a wannabe vamp.”

“Wannabe vamp?”

“Yeah. He works for a gang of vamps doing the jobs they can’t do in the daytime, and if he’s a good boy the head vamp’ll turn him. You never met one before?”

“No. Known of people who get off letting vamp do suck jobs on em, but they never get turned.”

“Fresh take out for vamps eh?” Faith chuckled “So we got a plan?”

“Yeah go in and talk to him.”

“I don’t think he’s gonna play the ‘rat out my friends to the slayer’ game.”

“Me neither, but lets hope he does play. I got a whole lot of anger in here that is just itching to be free.” Buffy tried to smile her way out of her fears. That she could let the darkness go then cage it back up with no consequences.

TBC…

Jx