Hero
"So, Soulboy, what's the deal with those nasties we just melted?"
Faith and the team at Angel Investigations had just been attacked by three scaly green demons, after leaving a downtown club on a rare group outing. The grotesque demons had been strong with razor sharp claws protruding from their slimy arms, but with the help of Tara casting fireballs, and Faith's superior slayer strength, the group managed to overpower and kill their attackers who promptly melted into a puddle of brown slime.
"Well we haven't got any bodies to work with, since what's left of them are all over my new shoes" Cordelia grimaced. "Can I get that back as expenses?"
"Oh Princess, don't cry", goaded the slayer, "Now they match the rest of your skanky wardrobe." The seer glared back at Faith as they went through their usual routine of provoking each other. The pair privately had a mutual respect, but neither wanting to admit it, found much more fun in aggravating each other until Angel lost it at one of them.
"Ah'll have a look on the Internet, Angel, and see if ah can find out what those demons are." The Texan brunette did her best to take Wesley's place on the research side of the business, knowing that without the watcher that it was up to her now to be the 'brains' of the group.
Angel had settled into his usual brooding pose behind the lobby counter, deep in thought.
"Thanks Fred. We need to work out what the attack was about. It didn't feel random, they may have been sent after us."
"Well if more come, then we'll finish them off, just like their friends."
Faith was now back on active slayer duty at Angel Investigations, firmly on her path to redemption with Angel and his team's help. She was definitely on the side of the good guys now, but hadn't dropped her tough-girl faŤade, despite knowing those close to her could see right through it.
Faith had only served two years in prison, and was currently out on early parole for good behaviour. She had decided to stay at the Hyperion, in order to repay Angel for helping her save herself when she'd come to LA self-destructing. The slayer felt that the TPTB wanted her to redeem herself by fighting Cordy's visions alongside Angel, and besides, she couldn't bring herself to return to Sunnydale just yet. She knew facing a resentful Buffy would be her biggest challenge, one she wasn't ready for just yet.
The arrival of Tara at Angel Investigations at the same time as Faith had helped the brunette to feel less isolated from the already bonded and coupled group, and the slayer had quickly become close friends with the shy witch, despite their differences.
"Ah found it Angel," Fred called out, walking across the lobby, Gunn ever present behind her. "They're called Gluklar demons, and they're mercenary soldiers."
"So they were sent after us. Three guesses by which evil lawyers?" commented Gunn.
"What d'ya wanna do boss? We gonna return the favour?" The slayer was constantly eager to patrol and fight now, after being confined and forced to conceal her abilities for so long.
Angel was silent for a while.
"No Faith, not yet," He at last replied quietly. "We wait until they come to us. I doubt they'll try again tonight though, so for now we'll rest, and tomorrow we'll prepare for any possible attacks."
Everyone quietened in contemplation for a moment. They hadn't gone up against Wolfram and Hart since Wesley betrayed them, taking Connor. At least now that Angel led a group with a slayer and a powerful witch as allies, they would have a better chance up against such an immense enemy.
"Well tomorrow we fight, so lets have fun tonight. You guys comin' to watch movies?" Asked Gunn, wrapping his arms around a smiling Fred.
"Nah, you guys go ahead," replied Cordy. "I think this vamp's bout ready for bed." The brunette raised her eyebrow suggestively at Angel, pulling him up the hotel's stairs.
"Ah, ah'm so glad those two finally got together." Fred drawled, happy that her broody boss had at last realised his feelings and found happiness with his seer.
"Yeah, it's sweet in a gross kinda way, I guess." Secretly Faith thought the couple were perfect for each other, but wasn't about to let her hard-girl image be ruined. "I'm still pretty hyped. You up for some training blondie?"
Although Tara was a powerful Wiccan, her fighting abilities on arrival in LA left something to be desired, so Faith had offered to train her, just as Angel was with Cordelia. Although the noises emanating from the vamp's sessions with Cordy tended to be less violent and more... pleasurable, leading the rest of the crew to imagine that little fighting ever actually took place down there.
Tara loved training with Faith. Although she got on well with everyone at the hotel, the slayer was the one that she could really connect to. The witch had heard so many unpleasant stories about the rogue slayer from the Scoobies, not to mention their one previous encounter, when Faith had humiliated the Wiccan in Buffy's body, that when Faith was released from prison soon after Tara arrived in LA, the witch dreaded meeting the mouthy slayer again.
But two years in prison and Angel's influence had reformed Faith. She claimed to others that she had changed, that she wasn't the same person she was, but Tara knew that it was untrue. Faith had always had good inside her, Tara could tell from her aura, even when she was within Buffy. Scars from her childhood however, and twenty years of neglect, betrayal and abandonment had suppressed her true nature under a hard shell of bravado and attitude.
Over the months that Tara and Faith had spent together, that armour had broken down, and they now had a close and trusting relationship. There was an obvious spark between the two girls, and the rest of the group were sure that with time that their attraction would grow into love.
Faith and Tara made their way to the old ballroom that the crew had converted into a training room, and began their usual sparring. Tara was careful never to use her magickal abilities when training; she only used them now when necessary to fight enemies, conscientious of abusing her powers. The witch's greatest fear was that her power would corrupt her and she would turn to black arts, just as Willow had done. Tara had left her girlfriend for that very reason; she couldn't deal with Willow's addiction to her power, and had been unable to remain in Sunnydale after their painful breakup.
In return for Tara's help in their relationship, Buffy and Spike had contacted Angel, asking that she joined the team in LA. Tara had never considered for one moment returning to her own family after their treatment of her, and so decided a transfer to UCLA would best allow her to rebuild her life without Willow, whilst still fighting vampires and demons.
"Wow, Tara your fighting's really getting good." The slayer puffed after the witch flipped her onto the floor with a move Angel had taught her.
"Yeah, well I'm hardly good compared to you, now am I?" The witch spun, deftly avoiding Faith's fist.
"Just so we all know whose best," shot back Faith cheekily, sweeping Tara's legs from beneath her, and throwing her off balance. The blonde however, kicked back on her way down, leaving her partner to collapse on top of her. Faith braced her fall with her hands leaving the girls face to face, breathing heavily.
"Compromising position," smirked Faith not moving from her pose, staring down at Tara. She could hear the witch's heartbeat thumping below her, and watching her flushed face guessed that this was going to be as good as time as any to break the building sexual tension between them.
The younger girl dipped her head catching the blonde's lips with hers, hearing Tara's quiet gasp as she brushed her lips against the witch's.
Suddenly, their tentative kiss was broken, as the skylight above them shattered, showering them with glass, as group of Gluklar demons on zip lines crashed into the ballroom. Faith rolled over the couple on the floor to shield them from the falling glass, and as the demons landed, the slayer rose, ready to battle.
"Well Faith, I see you're once again masquerading as a warrior of good."
"Wesley?!" Faith yelled in shock, as her ex-watcher stepped to the front of the troop of demons flanking him.
"That's right, long time no torture, wouldn't you say Faith?"
"Look Wes, that was a long time ago, and you know that I've had a whole lot of punishment since then. I'm sorry for what I did, but judging from this, you're the only one on the side of the unrighteous now," retorted the slayer.
"You could say that I'm on a slightly different team now, I suppose, but that tends to happen when you're betrayed by your own friends. But I won't bore you with the details Faith, I'm sure you already know enough about treachery," shot back Wesley pointedly, eager to remind the slayer of her misconduct in the past.
"In fact I'm really hoping you remember the finer points, because I'm sure that we could use a slayer on our side." The renegade watcher stepped towards Faith speaking to her quietly.
"We can help you Faith, with us you will have power and influence. Do you remember what that feels like? You don't need Angel and his weaklings, you need us."
Pensively, the brunette turned to glance at Tara and winked, before twisting round to punch her ex-watcher full in the face.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Wes. I'm sure tempted, but I got a pretty wicked gig right here, and I don't think I need some traitorous deserter telling me what to do."
"Well I'm sorry you feel that way Faith, because now we going to have to do this the hard way. My sword, Ithnarad." A huge demon handed Wesley a glinting broadsword, while the rest of his men gathered around Faith and Tara.
"God Wes, cliched much?" The slayer and the witch stood back to back ready to fight their attackers, but there was more demons than Faith could handle, and Wesley soon held the upper hand in the battle, pinning the slayer to the floor with his blade, while two burly demons held Tara.
"They've obviously got you all trained up, English. Didn't think you had a pair," Faith goaded her ex-watcher trying to distract him enough to gain an advantage.
But the defector was unwavering on his position, refusing to let Faith divert him.
"If I were in your situation right now slayer, I certainly wouldn't be trying to irritate me. But it makes no odds, you're coming with us anyway, and now I have the perfect opportunity for some payback," Wesley gloated in a threatening manner. Another of the demons pulled Faith to her feet at his leader's command, and while Faith struggled to escape, Wesley swiftly sliced her throat with his sword.
"No!" Tara screamed seeing her friend gasp for air, "Circumveni tutela! Spagere!" Having gathered her power whilst being held, the Wiccan sent a stream of brilliant white light to encircle the fallen Faith in a protective shield, while at the same time scattering their assailants across the ballroom.
"So, the new girl is a witch, is she" remarked Wes, picking himself up, as the Gluklars moved towards Tara. Before they had even got close though, Tara began chanting, praying for help from the God and Goddess.
"Deae inferi, creavi flammas!" As she finished her plea, the witch raised her hands to the ceiling, while her fingers sparked with crackling light. "Incendere!" The gifted witch lowered her arms and huge fireballs exploded from her body shooting into the six demons stalking towards her. As the flames struck them, the demons roared in pain, while their scaly bodies melted into pools of sludge around Tara.
"Well, well, well," Wesley walked towards the blonde, clapping slowly. "Maybe we've been trying to recruit the wrong girl. But I'm afraid it's time for my departure, so until next time." The air in the ballroom began to roar and whirl, and a black helicopter began to lower into the room behind Wesley. "Think about it, witch. You and your slayer girlfriend." Throwing Tara a card, the ex-watcher turned and climbed into the aircraft as it took off through the broken skylight.
Tara looked down at the ivory business card reading its words in disbelief.
- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
- Associate Member
- Wolfram and Hart ~ Attorneys at Law
Wesley worked for Wolfram and Hart now?
"Tara, Faith! What happened?!" Angel and the rest of the crew burst into the ballroom to see the witch standing over Faith, still floating in her shining bubble.
"W-W-Wesley was here. He and some demons tried to take Faith to w-work for Wolfram and Hart. He, um, cut her throat" Tears welling in her eyes, Tara silently cursed herself for her nervousness - she hadn't stuttered for months now, but she was just so worried about Faith that it had surfaced again.
"Oh my God," Cordelia murmured. "We should get her to a hospital."
"No," protested Tara at once, "Faith hates hospitals, you know, because of..." She stared down at the brunette, willing herself to be strong. "No, I can heal her, but you'll have to help me. To channel enough energy to cure her, I'll have to draw on all of your power."
"Of course Tara, we're all here to help Faith. Whatever you need us to do," Angel spoke kindly to the shy Wiccan, knowing the pain of seeing a loved one wounded.
"Um, you need to form a circle around us, so that each one of you takes a quarter and an element." The group obediently did as she requested, prepared to do anything to save their friend. Tara stood over the floating Faith, her feet blood-spattered where the slayer's blood had fallen from her open wound. Placing her hands over the injured girl's neck, she began to chant, whilst invoking the power of her friends around her.
"I call upon the angels of the East, South, North and West to aid me in this healing. Lend me your love to this ritual and gift me with your magicks. Goddess Diana, Lady of the Moon, I call upon you. Great spirits of the sky, this is my will. Surround her, enfold her, heal her, hold her. Convalesco!"
As the Wiccan spoke, the light encompassing Faith glowed a dazzling gold, and her wounds began to rapidly heal. Within a minute, there was no sign of them at all on her pale skin, and she was gently lowered to the ground, still unconscious. Tara, completely drained from channelling so much energy, slumped next to the slayer on the hard floor, too weak to retain her grip on consciousness. Angel and Gunn gently picked up the sleeping girls, and carried them to Faith's room, where they laid them out on her bed to recover.
Later the next morning, Faith awoke to find Tara spooned against her, asleep with the dawn light shining on her golden hair. The slayer rolled over to see Fred watching them from the bedside chair.
"Hey," drawled the Texan beauty, "You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I feel great," replied the slayer yawning, "What happened?"
"Um, Wesley attacked you and Tara."
The memories of the night before came flooding back to Faith as she reached for her throat.
"Yeah, Tara healed you and we brought you here to sleep it off. Um, ah should go now ah guess. We've been watching you in shifts, waiting to see if you were alright. Ah'll leave you two alone now." The brunette moved towards the door, before turning back to the lethargic slayer.
"Faith, she really cares about you, you know. Take care of her."
"Thanks Fred, I will," the Boston slayer answered, as the timid girl left the room. Faith turned back over, and propped herself up on her arm to watch Tara sleep.
"Faith, I can feel you looking at me," Tara protested drowsily, eyes still closed. Faith brushed the stray blonde strands out of the witch's face, as she began to wake up.
"Sorry, I was just thinking how beautiful you looked," the reformed slayer apologised.
"Yeah, right Faith, cos I'm such a hottie," The Wiccan shot back sarcastically lightly hitting the brunette's arm. The slayer caught Tara's hand with hers, and pulled it down between them.
"Yeah actually, you are," seeing the surprised look on Tara's face, her voice softened. "I wish you could see what I do when I look at you." Seeing Tara's flushed face, Faith hooked their clasped hands over her friend's back, pulling her nearer while a shy Tara tried to change the subject.
"Does it hurt?" She asked softly, touching Faith's healed throat.
"Nope," Faith replied. "Not thanks to you saving me. You're my hero." Tara looked down at the bed embarrassed, trying to hide her blushes. Tenderly, Faith raised the witch's chin, so their lips met, in a chaste kiss.
"Is this what you want?" Faith asked when they parted, anxious Tara wasn't ready to move on.
"Y-You're everything I want Faith," the witch whispered in reply. "I thought I'd lost you last night."
"Tara." The slayer tilted her lover's head to look straight into her eyes. "You're my best friend, and I love you. Don't think I'm letting go of you that easily." She watched Tara's sapphire eyes melt at her words, and bent down to meet her soft lips with hers.
Tara moaned against the brunette's full lips as she kissed her back forcefully. Surprised but aroused at the urgency of her lover's passion, Faith rolled them over to straddle Tara. Their lips never parted, exploring each other with eager fingers, desperate to complete each other.
The slayer lavished attention on Tara, grazing her sensitive skin with tender fingers, revelling in the luscious lips crushing hers. On hearing her lover's soft sighs, Faith's sensual lips flickered across Tara's throat and neck, the witch writhing beneath her in pleasure. The fingers dancing over her torso moved underneath her shirt, and she willingly assisted Faith in removing the obstruction, as it was thrown to the floor alongside the slayer's hastily discarded top.
Tara threw her head against the pillows, arching her back and softly whimpering as Faith assaulted her bare chest with her baby kisses. Her hot tongue drifted to her rosy nipples, lightly biting and sucking one while she twisted the other.
"Faith, please," the blonde cried out as Faith moved lower, licking and kissing the sensitive underside of her stomach. Faith ground her hips suggestively against Tara's, teasing her, before she wriggled down in between her lover's thighs, pulling off the jeans she found there.
Tara grasped Faith's hair, locking her thighs around the brunette's neck, as the slayer moved her mouth to the witch's aroused core, ravishing her swollen clit with her tongue.
Tara bucked, raggedly gasping for breath, as she was flooded with sensations. Her whole body was twitching and arching as the slayer's searing lips assaulted her. She felt giddy, close to the edge, knowing she couldn't hold on for much longer. She moaned Faith's name, over and over as she felt her senses explode. Her entire body shuddered and jerked, and Tara gasped for air, until at last she came down to earth, breathless from her orgasm.
"You okay?" Faith whispered, kissing her way back up to Tara's lips.
"That was more than okay Faith," Tara murmured, still dazed. "But there is one problem, though."
"What?" The slayer asked panicked, worrying what she'd done wrong.
"Well, it's just these leather pants you've still got on. Though they are pretty hot, I really think they're far too concealing..."