FicWad

Chapter three - Actions and Reactions
#15
Dave's Bar, Los Angeles


Faith grimaced as she spotted Xander behind the bar.
How did he manage to talk me into this? she wondered.
She had just kicked out a wonderful guy - prime material
for some fun in the sheets and a quick feeding later on.
Though, she couldn't complain of needing blood.
In the fridge up in the loft and down here they had all
that they needed. She even had a big bed here and a real
room again. With a new playstation and all the hottest
games.
"Damn," Faith said as she saw him change verbal abuse
with some striking blonde in a black gown...and now she
was about to get jealous.
Not that she would have disagreed if he had decided to
take the girl into the private area and bang her. She
had her men and they were no issues. If the girl was
game she would have climbed in bed with them...Faith
so much liked to play.
But this girl wasn't just a nice piece of warm flesh.
This one was a vampire! And he had not dusted her or
anything.
It was enough to know that there was a woman in town
whom Xander might consider being with. Since she vamped
and her powers grew she began to have more apt dreams
than before, and in some of them she saw Xander and the
bitch again. Fucking on the bed that should be theirs.
She would not let him slip to Cordelia Chase.
In others it had been the blonde slut over there.
She would let that happen over some dead body and it
wouldn't be hers. As much as let him take some weakling
like that blonde into their life...she would not loose
control of that.
She would not let Cordelia hurt them again.
Or anyone else...for that matter.
Faith threw a few dark glares around and then she
followed the pair through the door into the backroom.
Dave's bar was Xander's idea. He had worked at a bar
in Sunnydale for some months before they left there.
So when he came up with a plan on how to stay invisible
he had them become silent partners to Dave. Stealing hot
money from a few druglords and killing them afterwards
was no real challenge.
It made them rich enough to start building on a legal
existence. And that was where Dave came into the play.
He could launder their money and set it up so that it
couldn't be traced directly.
It got them this bar and the loft on top.
It also got them a stable supply of blood and all the
clothes and toys she always had wanted. Though it was
nowhere as rich as what the mayor had been it worked
for her. She liked the idea to own money and be rich one
regrettably very far away day.
In a lot ways it was becoming more like Angel. Next
thing she'd start to sit around and brood - but Faith
knew she didn't look good doing it.
Xander didn't, either. Or not in her opinion.
Anyway, he worked as a bartender and she as a bouncer.
They even had legal IDs and all that sort of crap. He
was serious about building up a legitimate existence.
Kinda boring.
Still, she was too much hooked on him to let go. They
also had their very own sparring grounds upstairs. One
they used very much.
And she liked the club - even if it was a bar.
Didn't even have to make money. So they could go for a
great club. Faith liked the athmosphere and she liked to
get so many hot bands in here...Dave's nephew made a
great job at the managing job of this place. Still, she
had to hang out here and work as the bouncer.
They had a couple of walking shelves, the usual types of
brutes in suits, for the public eyes but if there was
any real troubles it was her job to kick them out. And
better before they happened.
With their kind of customers that was the only way. They
also had some amount of staff - waiters and cooks and
replacements for them. Many personnel. The manager did
all that job and he was good at it, even if he hung out
and smoked chain and seemed like a small poof with that
beard of his. Guy had some character act to him.
And Faith knew he was a ladies' men, he had even tried
to seduce her already. Not that he got very far with it.
And he wasn't all to happy to know his own show was
directed by them - but with enough money and a few
promises that was smoothed over.
It was still his show and Faith knew that she didn't
have what it took to step in for their manager. Guy was
some kind of genius.
Maybe she had to get more money in a year or two, which
was so damn far away. Faith was a bit edgy and longed
for a fight, a real fight...she longed to kill a demon
or two. Or have an hour long sparring session.
She wasn't in the mood to put up with vampire lowlife.
Unfortunaely they were a part of society that was also
attracted and Xander made use of his bartender job to
sell blood and other things.
He probably even had a good time at it. Well, as long
he had managed to keep them out of troubles - more than
three weeks since she had to dust her last vampire.
Three weeks without killing.
"Girl, you're loosing your touch," Faith gloated as she
slipped into the back and wondered whe she would find
them. In his bed or on the floor?
Surprisingly neither. They were in the office. And if
she had any idea there wasn't even any sexual tension
hanging in the air.
"Xander?" Faith asked as she came in, looking the blue
eyed blonde up and narrowing her eyes. "What's up with
that one?"
Faith grinned as her demon put the weakling in place -
she was surprised the girl didn't vamp out and retreat
into a croner. Growling and bowing in a gestue of
submission and defiance born of pride.
Anyway, the blonde winced and looked very scared.

"An old friend," he said lightly. "I guess you never
wasted your time hanging with us in school, F? Or
watching Cordy's former friends? The Cordettes. Biggest
bunch of sheeps in Sunnydale." He laughed and Faith
noticed how the girl's face darkened a bit. But she kept
the words down. "I wonder..."

"Of course!" Faith said surprised, now she came to
recognize her. The style was a lot different but still.
"Ain't you our Cordy's little lovetoy? Darmnoy or
something."

"You...! The name's Harmony and, hey, how do you know
that anayway!" Harmony chocked out. In a vamp manner.
None of them was alive enough to draw a breath - well,
besides Xander. He came to try that and sometimes he
imitated it for hours. He even managed to eat a bit of
solid food albeit he threw it up a while later. Faith
was very jealous of the ability. She was down to the
solid feeding as ervy normal vampire. "It was supposed
to be a secret! Especially from YOU!"

Xander smirked, his eyes begged Faith not to spill the
secret. "Oh comeon. You never wondered why the Queen
Bitch of Sunnydale High, the woman you sheeps adored
because she had what you'll never get in a hundred
years, went with me, Harmony?"

"I did," Harmony said. "I thought she just used you as
a cover or a fluke...but when she went public with you
I was lost." She looked at Faith and him and the place
and groaned. "Seems like there was more to the story
than just Cordy playing with you, huh?"

"I tend to get what I want," Xander informed her as he
leant back. With his trademark black clothes and the all
new confidence into himself he looked like a totally
different person...and one person Faith liked very much.
"And I like to be where the action is, Harm...I bet you
heard a lot after you got to see the reality outside of
your mall and fashion journals."

"Say that again," Harmony croaked blushing. "I must say
I envy you that - and I have heard about you...the
Slayer's lapdog they claled you."

"Ain't I am that, Faith?"

"Faith?" Harmony winced. and moaned. "You're the...the
Slayer gone psycho..."

"Distant past, ain't it, Xan?" Faith smiled sharklike
and cracked her knuckles. "We all moved on."

"Shit. Care to tell me how you got that powerful in such
a short time? You aren't even as old as me!" Harmony
asked, quite frankly. She laughed. "Looks like there is
a lot more to you than that stories..."

"Whatever," Xander cut her babbeling short. "How did you
get a soul, Harmony?"

"Willow. Blasted witch cursed me right at the time you
vanished," Harmony answered with a lot of bile. She had
all the usual problems...like loosing her place in the
foodchain, gained as one of the few brain-active undead
in all of Sunnyhell. She got kicked out of her lair, she
had no friends left, she had that big guilt thing going
for all the suckers she killed before and then there was
the sun going up. She got the nice old, tried and true
happyness clause curse...and, girl, was she pissed at
the Scoobies for doing it. She would have liked to kill
Willow but had been to scared of them to try.
So she had used Willie to stay alive, found a new hole
to crawl in and withered the storm. And had gotten into
contact with the Scoobies after a while just to learn
she was cursed and with what. Except that to Harmony
true happyness meant being alive again and a mom with
a well to do husband and the top dog in the social
foodchain. In short, she wasn't anywhere near it and
never would be.
And the Scoobies weren't very happy to learn she had
not so many problems to follow her demon and play the
little vamp. Harmony never had many problems with a
guilty conscience when her hunger came.

"Ain't that good old sex and an orgasm?" Faith asked
amused. At least that it had been for Angel.

"If it were, I wouldn't sit here anymore," Harmony said
annoyed. "But nowadays Sunnydale isn't a safe place to
be anymore, much less for a loner like me. What with all
these Scoobies and the commandos and that pissed demons
after me..." She shook her head. "So I thought: LA's just
a jump away, big pond and a nice girl like me could go
far in there, or can't I?"

"Dream on," Faith said, "they eat sheep like you for
breakfast here, Harm-baby." And she meant that. She
certainly could do it.

"Don't I notice!" Harmony wailed pained. "Damn Angel is
making anyone pissed at me...last thing I ever want is
risking my hide for some stupid hero quest or hinder
anyone's business." She shook her head wildly to show
how disgusted she was with the situation. So she just
wanted a hole to crawl in and be safe and live, like
they all. Except that she was a vamp as well. And one
not to hesitant about picking people for food.

"And what do you want here?" Faith asked. It could not
be what she thought it was, or could it be?

"Am I that away? I want a job!" Harmony said and waved
a hand. "I need some money and there's no way I'm gonna
spread my legs for anyone...and once I even start to go
hunting the Scoobies or that blasted nancyboy drop on
me and dust my nice butt!" She squirmed at the image.
"I thought you might have some...sympathy."

"You didn't hear much about us, or did you?"

"Aside from that you don't leave anything alive once you
start to enjoy a fight?" Harmony answered. Girl had a
bit more guts than Faith had her credite with. "I know
what you two did. And that the Scoobies are all pretty
graphic about taking you down when you show your hide in
Sunnyhell again." She sighed. "Listen, I could go out
and tell half the demons and vamps that you two are the
crazy whirlwinds gunning for everyone else and have that
placed crashed." Damn, she had us! Faith thought. "But I
won't do that."

"Not if we help you," Xander surmised, eyeing her.

"Do I look that stupid?" Harmony laughed bitterly. "If
Slutty and her gang are that hot about you, you'll rip
these farts to shreads and then do really nasty and bad
things to me...and I don't want to go down."

"So what's your offer?" Faith asked. "You pretend to be
a spy with the Scoobies?" They were after her if she
had left Sunnydale, or had reasons to do so.

"Humor me, Faith," Harmony begged as she adjusted the
skirt hse wore. "I know I can do three things - kill
people, look very good and pick up gossip. Besides, I
can be very loyal...if I have to be."

"Mhm...you could be useful," Xander grinned and gave her
some piercing looks. She almost sweated. She knew that
she either got a deal or left the room in a dustbuster.
"You really could be useful in here. To keep me abreast
of what goes on here and...help me keep this place as
clean as it right now is."

"What?" Faith groaned, snorting. "You think that little
slut can be of use to us?" She looked Harmony over. And
grinned viciously. "Besides giving us a happy...that is,
if you learnt anything since Cordelia..."

The look Harmony gave her was not one to feel safe. It
bordered on murder. On the other hand, she was seizing
Faith up and seemed almost considering the hint.

"Oh, she'll be of use," Xander told her, resting his
chin in his hands while bowing on the desk. And glancing
leisurely at the scared Harmony. "You will keep your
mouth shut and be our fancy little spygirl...you get a
job in here, pay attention to people staying alive and
what happens around you. I'll give you blood and money,
get yourself a place to crash down at...and please make
it a secure one."

"Thanks."

"Better be greateful. And if you fail us, Harm, it'll be
hell for you. I mean it. Ask Angel how it is down there.
Especially if you got a soul!" Xander told her calmly,
very much amused at her uncomfortable shifting in her
seat. Now she was really scared, and it pleased him. "Is
that deal okay with you?"

"Why bother asking?"

"If I mess up I expect you to tell me your mind, Harm,"
Xander answered with a crooked smile. "I might not like
it or follow your advice but I will try to listen. You
never know who's got a good idea."

Faith laughed, hard. That sheep and getting a good idea?
Not in a thousand years! But, the way she stared at him.
Faith stopped to laugh and began to reassess this scene.
Harmony got a lot less scared and much more submissive.
She thanked him and then he sent her off to the manager,
so that she could get herself a job. To show him what
she could do.
She was actually grateful to hide here...wow.
"Why did you do that?"

"Just some idea," Xander mused as he took a look to a
few papers on that desk. "First thing, someone working
for you just because he's scared ain't gonna be of much
use. He'll try to give you what he thinks you want and
stay out of harm's way for the rest. And, the instant
something scarier shows, you're on your own butt."

"Loyalty," Faith nodded, that she understood. Though she
had a hard time to imagine something coming along to be
scarier than them. "That your deal?"

"Half of it. No, a third," Xander said with his mind
being somewhere else. "Secondly, F, a motivated employee
is a good employee. Didn't work at Mickey Dee without
ever learning something."

And he wasn't referring how to serve burgers and order
a milkshake, Faith thought. Maybe he had an idea there.
Except, what could he gain from that one? Harmony was a
damn nothing.
She summed herself up real good - she was looking good,
she was a talking sheep and she was...what had she said?
Good at killing people? They were better at it, didn't
need her.

"And last but not least, I actually have sympathy for
her...," Xander stated. "Makes me feel good."

Faith groaned, shook her head, "that sort of emotional
liability is going to get us killed. As you know."

"Then take a look at our situation, F," Xander answered
frankly. Looking at her with his mind on the iusse once
again. "She's a soulgirl, she got nowhere to run to and
she can't get rid of her soul." He chuckled. "I bet the
instant she got what happened she tried to fuck her soul
away and failed."

"So what?"

"Don't you see? WE are the only ones she can run to,"
he said softly. "You of all people should understand it.
Whatever, F, she's not that dumb if she survived in the
old town for so long...and since she's not cocky enough
to backstab us, she's gonna be very loyal. And useful."

"I don't doubt her motivation that much," Faith sighed
as she stepped behind him and laid her hands on his
shoulders. Began to rub them and his neck. "I just doubt
that she can be useful."

He laughed, called her stupid and blind. Which she did
not like so much. "So what am I missing? We'll send her
to Angel to bore him to death? Or fail seducing him?
she's a fucking social animal, a damn sheep."

"Why mess with him at all?" Xander asked drily, as his
hands caught hers and he led one hand in front of his
lips. Kissed her fingers softly. "And you just had the
point to all this."

"What?" Faith gulped, ignoring how he sucked at her
fingertip and smiled his best cheshire cat grin. Even
if she couldn't see it she knew he had that lame smirk
on his face, being male and all. "You want Angel to die
of boredom?"

"Oh Faith, you're just so lost to it, with there being
only us for you," Xander purred. He turned around and
pulled her closer, into an embrace that she could feel
his breath on her skin...had he had one, of course.
"She's a social animal. Neither one of us is, remember?"

For a moment Faith failed to understand and when he
kissed her she lost all interest to the question. If
he wanted to say he wasn't interested in touching the
sheep he certainly did a good job. And after the frantic
action on his desk (how cheesy could they get?) she got
the point by a look at the monitor showing what was
going on in the club. Masses of people mingling and into
talking, dancing, laughing and drinking...interacting.
A social animal, indeed.
She was there at the bar, serving drinks and laughing.
Talking with the guests.
Now that became clear.
When she later met their manager he thanked her for that
fantastic girl they had sent him...they didn't need some
poor sob to serve drinks, they needed something the
guests wanted to look at. Someone to hang out and hoot
things into a party atmosphere fitting to the music on
stage.
Which, like it or not, Harmony was damn good at. Within
only a few moments she had the in-girl-pack at her back
and call...a bunch of sheeps them all.
But good-looking sheeps that people came to look at and
dance with. Which made them buy a lot of drinks. And
have talks.
"Geez," Faith said with an arched eyebrow. Within less
than an hour Harmony made four girls act stone drunk,
take most of their clothes off and dance at the tables.
"What is it that makes people go crazy for the dumb as
straws chickens?"

Whatever it was, Harmony had it in spades.
Faith came to find her practically kissing their feet
for giving her some way back into real life, as she had
it labeled. Well, she ought to be grateful. Few people
got paid just to go clubbing, look good and throw their
own parties...and listen to gossip by the way.
The most surprising thing was that half a dozen vamps
followed the lead as wall and hung out with the blonde
soulgirl. Obviously they fell to her charm as well.
Faith felt almost like at the Bronze again.
She wasn't that surprised to learn that Harmony had a
way active sexlife (one just had to observe her to know
she was a bitch, not that Faith was at odds with this
attitude) or that she had some catfights as well. And
that she managed to hold her own with the fledgelings.
And she had a biting habit.
Faith knew it was just going to be a question of time
until one of the boys and girls Harmony took away to
places would end up in a morgue...she took her aside and
told her that when the time was she better made certain
that a) there were no witnesses to blame her and b) the
body disappeared discretely. Meaning that she had to
call Faith and get the shit disposed of professionally.

And then the world was well again. Or sort of normal, if
it weren't for her dreams.
Faith knew she had to face it - sooner or later Xander
would run into Cordelia Chase. And then something was
gonna happen.
But what was it going to be?
Her decision to stop Xander meeting her seemed to be a
lost cause. Not to mention that she wasn't sure about
Harmony. Could they trust that little minx? He did.
She wasn't sure, just yet.
Faith hated to sit back and have to do serious thinking.
She also hated those incomplete visions - just like the
dreams, she never came to make sense of those either.
Gave her a headache to try.
Should she trust Xander, her Xander? Or should she go
and rip Cordelia to shreds before she got to him again
and he fell for the bitch again.
She was virtually certain he had not many feelings for
Buffy left that would hinder him, and Willow was of no
importance whatsoever anymore. But Cordelia got to him.
Would get to him, from all she had seen.
Faith liked to blow steam at their sparring, and she let
herself launch at him like a fury. Trading furious blows
and mean kicks and using every last dirty trick she had
ever picked or made up...and he was right up there with
her. The sessions ended with her making love to him like
mad after the alarm said their hour was over.
She hoped it was enough.
For she couldn't survive to loose him anymore.
She just could not...there would not be anything else
but her demon left, and that one was no real fun.


#16
Angel Investigations office, LA:


"Doyle," Cordelia Chase stated in a disdainful sneer
as she spotted the irish half-demon friend of Angel.
"Don't tell me you got another headache. Please don't.
We're busy more than enough."

"'m sorry, gal," Doyle announced with that apologetic
shrugg. What could he do if top level decided to send
him the vision? Saving bit of grace, otherwise Cordy
would have done something to him. She wasn't sure what
but it would have been something. "Wha's up with our
ol' broody?"

"News from home," Cordelia answered. Something about
Buffy and her new gang running with the Council because
they expected some nasty customers come calling at the
hellmouth. All they found out so far was that there was
a secret government operation catching demons and vamps
for doing experiments. Though they said they didn't even
know what they were. "Guess it's pretty bad."

"That kind of bad, 'Delia?" Doyle groaned while he fell
into a chair besides her desk. In the office Angel was
heard as he slammed something down so hard it broke.
"Meow. Must be serious."

"Guess so," Cordelia answered. she was not that much
interested to learn of the nightside life of her old
hometown. She got more than close enough with too many
demons there anyway. She really wasn't about to keep up
to date on shifting alliances and moves and stories, but
Angel kept himself abreast of what happened there. Cordy
figured it was about Buffy, however he said so he was
not over her. Seemed she was, since she had heard she
was moving on. And there wasn't even such a dangerous
low after Xander's...well, demise. "What's up?"

"Woman in need of a rescue," Doyle answered awkwardly.
"Some nice blondie's gonna meet up with a sword through
her guts tonight..."

"A sword?" Cordelia inquired, estranged. Far as she knew
demons didn't use weapons - most of them, and if they
did it was something crude...a hammer or a mace. Not
that they needed swords and blades, their own spikes and
claws made up for that in spades. She laughed. "That's
a new one...only time I ever heard of swords was when
Buffy and Angel, er, Angelus went at it..."
She remineded herself not to even go there.
Too many bad memories attached. And that event also led
to her spending summer - half a summer - driving around
the Scoobie gang doing sweeps. And have them mess up in
their attempts of slaying.
Well, most. One time she saw Xander get jumped and after
a furious fight he managed to stake his attacker. After
that he had his arm rebroken and looked so bad he had
all the reasons not to go out hunting by himself again.
Which, in a way, was to her advantage...Cordy smiled as
she remembered their makeout sessions and smooching.
"Whatever, you got any idea where and when?"

"Surprisingly I do," Doyle said and told her it was, for
a change, a place he knew. An alley besides one of the
clubs - Dave's bar. Sometimes around midnight.

"How would you know?"

"Because," Doyle answered in a sober voice for a change,
because he had been filling up in there for a while. He
said the owner had some good stuff hidden under that
table and there were a few demons around. Place was in
sort of a limbo between the territories of a few baddies
and, so far, they didn't dare to stirr up troubles with
the others. Okay, not too many troubles.

"A demon bar," Cordelia chocked out. Great. "Tell me
one thing - is it just half as bad as Willie's?"

"Last time I was there they threw some party," Doyle
replied amused. "'s a club, 'Delia. Mostly people in it,
an' the live sort a people."

"Oh," Cordelia made. And then Angel came out of his
office, looking worried. Said some kind of nasty had
shown up in Sunnydale and Buffy was in troubles and she
wanted his help taking it out. Really great way. "What's
the deal?"

"Someone said Faith was sighted in Sunnydale and Buffy
got a fit," Angel answered uneasily. He gritted his
teeth. Looking awfully pissed, in his dark way. "And
there is some rumor of a master vamp teaming all the
lone guys again."

"Sounds sick," Cordelia commented. She knew only that
Faith had been the one to turn her former boyfriend.
She was supposed to be some kickass vamp now, one that
angel had been rambling about for a while. "And I DO
speak of sick. Think it's serious?"

Angel threw Doyle a look, who raised his hands and said
he wasn't here because of that. "I got to go. Which
means I will be away when our swordsman...?"

"Well, gal and me could take care of it, 'lad," Doyle
offered. "He's just a human, ain't he?"

Angel grimaced, knowing better than to underestimate
any opponents. But he had promised Buffy to be there.
Not to mention that she would need his help, according
to all his sources Faith and her childe were as bad as
Spike and Dru at their worst. Totally psycho and with
no regards to any sort of traditions. If they were in
town he had to be there. "Be careful. I mean it!" And
then he grabbed his coat and ran out of the office
into the dusk.

"Thanks for volunteering me," Cordelia sniped. She was
not exactly thrilled at the idea of playing Slayerette
again - at least not on the frontlines. She got there
often enough, anyway. "Remind me to reapy that little
favor."

"Whad kin ah zay?" Doyle grinned back. His leer very
clear and suddenly Cordelia knew what he had been up
to. He had just gained a date with her, and in a place
where his pals hung out... "Gonna be fun, gal, ya'll get
it..."

"I know I am so going to regret this," Cordelia answered
numbly. She knew she was. An entire evening with Doyle
and even in a demon bar, great. Another damp dark hole
with the freaks in the back and no idea if she got out
alive again...great. And she was going out with Doyle.
With DOYLE! "God, this is gonna be such a comedown for
me...!" She glared at him. She would get back for this.
But if she had to go to hell, she could at least get
dressed appropriately. And pack a few essentials, like
crosses and holy water spray and a stake. "And Doyle,
if you just look like you leer at me or something, I
will kick your ass right then and there!?"

"Really?" the demon boy asked with enthusiasm. "Would
you kick me in the butt, right in public view?"

"I didn't think about your butt, baby," Cordelia said
with a cruel look to her. She looked at his step and
he actually gulped. And then surprised her with his wide
smile. "Indulge me, Doyle, but ain't we supposed to be
all malely, uh, disturbed by it? Or is this another of
your demon things?"

"Got it in one, gal," he chuckled. "Make it a good one,
okay? And throw a drink at me, too. And all that other
stuff, with putting me down in public?"

Cordelia made a disgusted face. "Demons! I just KNEW
this was going to be...sick!" she muttered. "You fucks
get off on that?"

"'Delia, whadda ya think why everyone's after ya?" he
gloated. "You're just too tasty, for a human."

"Someone please shoot me," Cordelia answered with a
wide-eyed stare. Someone really, really shoot her to
spare her that humiliation. "What I don't do to pay my
bills...the lot of the common soldier and all."

"I'll pick ya up at nine thirty, okay?"

"Better be there," Cordelia snorted. And he could bet
she would let him wait at least half an hour, too. Just
to make Mr. Slimyass get nervous a bit.