A Soulless Slayer

Ch. 24 The Buddy System

A/N: Your comments make my weeks. <3

"Mornin." Faith said walking down the stairs. Everyone was in the living room with coffee or orange juice. "Coffee?" 

"Kitchen," Willow answered sleepily.

Faith came back with a giant cup of black coffee. "Haven't slept that well since I killed the deputy mayor."

"We noticed." Wes groaned at her.

"You didn't tell us you snored," Gunn said pointedly.

"Didn't really know. No one's ever been in the position to tell me." She shrugged it off. "Well, except Bertha my cell mate, but I haven't heard her complain. Yet." she smirked into her coffee.

"Wait what?" Xander asked suddenly awake and alert.

"So..."Fred said changing the subject. "What exactly is our plan?"

"First we take out Angelus, make him the docile pussy cat we call Angel. Then we take out Big Bad B." Faith said taking charge while taking a big sip of coffee.

"Won't be easy, they are hardly apart." Spike mentioned from the shadows.

"And B won't be easy to keep down and out. Plus she's too smart to distract." Faith took another sip.

"Tara and I could probably do a sleep spell." Willow said cuddling closer to Tara.

"Cool. You might need to up the dosage. I want her out cold not a little sleepy." Faith advised.

"B-before bed I looked a bit closer at the vile. There's enough energy to make an antidote, well not an antidote per say but it should get her her soul back." Tara told the group.

"Perfect. If everything's five by five we'll go tonight." She finished her coffee and put it on the table. "No one leaves this house alone. Not even to the backyard. Buddy System only. That goes for everyone here, me and Spike included."

"Alright. I could use a shower. Do I need a buddy for that?" Gunn asked sitting up.

"That reminds me." Faith sprinted up the stairs. "Dibs on shower."

~~~

"We need more food." Dawn sighed throwing away an empty bag of chips.

"Then go get some." Faith said while she poured a bag of chips in her mouth. "Take Fred and Gunn with you."

"Fine." Dawn sighed while she went to find them in the living room. She was listening to Faith's orders, for now. Fred was reading a book of demons while Gunn sharpened his axe.

"Hey, Fred. Wanna go get some food with me?" Dawn asked cheerfully. She had only known Fred for a little while but she already liked her.

"Well sure. Where are we going?" Fred put down her book.

"The grocery store."

"Sounds good. I'm game for some food shopping. This is a bigger group than I'm used to shopping for but, I think we can do it." Fred stood up and started to get ready to go. "Gunn, you wanna come with?"

"Nah, I'm good. Just gonna work with the weapons." He answered while he sharpened.

"No you're not." Faith walked in holding a box of cereal. "You're goin with them."

"What? Why?" Gunn asked standing up.

"What would happen if these two Barbie Dolls ran into the gruesome twosome?" Faith asked meeting his gaze.

"Fine." He waved his axe at her. "But I'm takin my axe."

"What ever. Spare when you get back?" She left before he could answer while Spike passed her.

"Ya going out?" He asked the room.

"Yeah. Want us to pick you up some blood." Dawn asked moving towards the door.

"Well, yeah. But I'm going with."

"Why?" Fred asked confused as he grabbed his blanket.

"Left some stuff at my place in the rush. I'll be quick and I'll run home by myself like a good little vampire." Spike explained.

"We could just grab it for you." Gunn offered while Spike ran out of the house. "Or you can come with."

  ~~~  

"Hurry up, Spike." Dawn yelled down the stairs to Spike. She, Fred, and Gunn had reluctantly gone with him at Faith's orders.

"Yeah, yeah. Won't take but a minute luv." He sighed. "Where the hell did I put ya?" He muttered going through his things. He stopped when he heard a match light followed by the smell of fresh cigarette.

"Did you mean these?" Buffy asked coming out of the shadows and crawling onto the bed. " Or these?" She held up the handcuffs with a seductive smile across her face.

"You don't smoke, pet." Spike chided.

"Yeah, but I'm not evil either... oh, wait." She took another drag.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked leaning against his dresser.

"Well, you see, I got all these fun ideas. But Angelus is annoying me. He doesn't want to have fun." She pouted for a second before she stood up with a smile. "But I know you do."

"Where is the pounce?" Spike asked avoiding Buffy's come on.

"At the mansion, sleeping." She walked over to him. "So, wanna have some fun?"

"I think I'll pass, luv." Spike sighed. "For now."

"For now? Why doesn't anyone want to play with me?" Buffy pouted again. Spike couldn't help but hug her.

"I want to play with you. The real you." Spike whispered but she pushed him away.

"Well, I wanna play now." She growled.

"Spike, the hell is taking so long?" Gunn shouted impatiently.

"Can't bleeding find it." He called back.

"Well hurry the hell up." Gunn barked back.

"Was I right?" Buffy asked sitting back on the bed.

"Yeah. I came for the smokes, some blood. Maybe some clothes." He leaned back again.

"Clothes?" Buffy asked skeptically.

"Or some booze." He smiled. "And that picture of us, from that night we went to the beach." He picked it up off his dresser.

"I loved that one. I have a copy in my dresser." Buffy said looking at it over his shoulder.

"You were so happy that night." Spike smiled.

"We both were. And we could be again if you played with me." Buffy tired again as he took his cigarettes from her and went up the stairs.

"I will soon, luv. I will soon." He sighed.

"You will soon what?" Dawn asked confused.

"Tell you at home. We need to get the hell outta here." Spike sprinted home with the others hot on his tail.