The blows that she rained down on the practice dummy were usually reserved for the real thing, but the blond Slayer wasn’t holding anything back. Her hair was pulled back sloppily, loose strands flying about her face. Tamika could see the sweat that ran down the other girl’s face...and the shuddering of the dummy under each of her blows.
Buffy gave a particularly vicious kick to the mock opponent’s head. The sound that she got in response was definitely not a good one for the continued life of the dummy. It was creaking loudly under the strain.
“You know, some people might want to use that when you’re done beating it to a pulp,” Tamika said loudly.
Buffy’s punches did not hesitate or slow. “What of it?” she asked breathlessly as she slammed into the dummy again. The creaking was louder this time.
Tamika rolled her eyes even though the other Slayer had not turned to look at her. “Only if you keep going like you are the rest of us are going to have to do battle with a pile of scrap metal.”
Buffy stopped fighting the dummy at last, stepping back a couple of steps. She flashed a glance over at Tamika and an odd look crossed her face. Tamika didn’t know her well enough to interpret it, nor did she have any desire to.
“Too bad you didn’t do that to an actual demon,” she said coldly. “You might actually have done some damage for once.”
Buffy’s gaze snapped back to the modern Slayer. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
Tamika fought to keep herself from smirking. “Just that I don’t see what the big deal is,” she said. “Strongest Slayer ever, are you? And yet I could have beaten you easily yesterday.”
The other Slayer shot her a disdainful look. “The point of sparring isn’t beating your opponent,” she said. “It’s just practice.”
This time, Tamika did smile slightly. “You only say that because you could not beat me.”
Buffy let out a long sigh. “You know what?” she said, standing and not making eye contact. “I don’t need this.” She made her way quickly for the door.
“Is that how you always survived?” Tamika called out. “By running away?”
The blond Slayer spun in the doorway, her eyes flashing angrily. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she practically snarled. She stepped right up close to Tamika, invading her personal space. Still, Tamika did not back away or back down. She met the anger easily. “I gave my life,” Buffy hissed in her face, “willingly, so that my sister and my friends could live. I did not run away.”
She stepped back then, shaking her head slightly. “So don’t talk about things you know nothing about,” she finished. “I, however, know a bit about what’s going on with you right now.”
Tamika was still glaring. “Oh, really,” she said a touch sarcastically.
Buffy’s expression wasn’t friendly, but it wasn’t exactly hostile either. “Are you going to tell me you’re this rude to every person you’ve just met?” she asked.
The truth was, Tamika wasn’t rude, or at least she didn’t think so. Not usually. Still, she said nothing.
“I died once,” the other Slayer said after a moment’s silence. She crossed the room slowly and sat on a bench beside the wall. “Not the time I just told you about, but another, just briefly. I was brought back by one of my friends. And then, months later, I found myself in the same position as you – there was another Slayer.”
When Tamika still said nothing, Buffy continued. “I hated it,” she said. “I hated that there was someone else in my place, who was everything I wasn’t...and apparently everything a Slayer was supposed to be.” She took a deep breath. “We had to work together, though. And instead of hating each other, we found we had something in common. We were Slayers, and there was a bond in that.”
“So, what?” Tamika said tiredly. “Since we’re both Slayers we’re supposed to be all sisterly and love each other now? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” the Slayer from the past replied. “I’m just saying that I’ve been there. I’ve had another Slayer show up where she wasn’t wanted. And the one that came after her...we weren’t friends. We could have been, but...I don’t know. Maybe it was her. Maybe both of our anger at not being the Chosen *One* anymore ran too deep. We became enemies instead of friends.” Her expression was dark at that, and Tamika couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had happened between Buffy and that second Slayer. “Still,” she continued, “I didn’t wish on her...not really...” Her voice trailed off.
“What?” Tamika asked, finding herself caught in the story and the other Slayer’s surprisingly open manner. She sat beside her intently. “What happened?”
Buffy looked at her as if startled by her interest. She probably was. There was a long, thoughtful moment before the story continued, her expression remaining dark and tense.
“She was in prison, last I’d heard,” she began.
Tamika could not help her startled gasp.
Buffy’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, she deserved it,” she said certainly. “You’re supposed to go to prison for murder. And she wasn’t sorry... It was the safest place for all concerned for her to be.” She paused, and if possible her voice got even tenser. “I just found out what happened to her after I died. You see, I’d already died once before. I’d already been replaced. So this time, there was no Slayer called after me.” She gave a bitter laugh. “One Slayer dead or missing, the other in prison. Can’t have that, now can we?”
Tamika stared at Buffy in confusion. “I don’t understand....”
“She died,” Buffy bit out. “Killed by another inmate. At least, that’s what everyone said. But we have another idea – the Watchers.”
Tamika sprang up from her seat. “How dare you?!”
Buffy did not rise, but looked at her. “Think about it,” she said. “What do you really think they’d do if neither you nor I could fight? Would they just sit idly by with no Slayer to do what they command?”
“They would not...would never ...kill one of us,” Tamika practically hissed out. The audacity of this disgrace for a Slayer to even suggest such a thing! “They could have facilitated her release....”
“But they didn’t,” Buffy replied. “Didn’t even try. Besides, Faith was out of control. She never would have listened to them...”
“Sounds like you had something in common, then,” Tamika snapped, interrupting.
Buffy’s face twisted in anger, her mouth opened to retort...and she closed it with a snap. “Yeah, I guess we did,” she said in a more controlled tone. “But that’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
Buffy sighed. “They’re not the caring people you think they are,” she said. “We’re nothing more than tools to them. Never will be.”
“You lie!” Tamika practically screamed. “They help us...”
“For their own devices, damn it!” Buffy finally snapped, rising abruptly to her feet. “When are you going to understand that....”
Tamika was absolutely livid. “I understand that you are trying to turn me against them. It won’t work!”
“I’m not trying to turn you against them!” Buffy yelled back. “If you would only open your eyes....”
“Perhaps you should take your own advice!” She had really, truly had enough of this. This ungrateful excuse for a Slayer.... “You would not be alive if it wasn’t for them! You should be thanking them, not talking against them!”
“You think I asked for this?” Buffy asked, her arms wide. “I don’t even remember my supposed death! I just remember the same old routine after I was brought back for the second time. The Watchers could have been there to support me then! Instead, they brought me here, with no thought for all the friends I was leaving behind...except one. One that they hold hostage to keep me here.”
“The vampire,” Tamika said with a sneer.
“Angel, yes,” Buffy replied, a bit more calmly. “It all comes back to him. Because, you see, the reason I stopped working for them in the first place.... Faith was working for the other side, and poisoned Angel. He was dying. And the Watchers straight out refused to help us save him.”
“Why should they?” Tamika replied coldly. “He’s a monster.”
“Don’t talk about him like that,” Buffy hissed. “He has a human soul. He has as much right to their help as anyone. More so - I wouldn’t be here a hundred times over if it wasn’t for him.”
“He’s a vampire,” Tamika said again. “You are a Slayer! A vampire Slayer! Don’t you get how wrong that is?!”
Buffy’s eyes went wide. “God, you’re like Xander at his most stubborn!” she said, frustrated. “That doesn’t matter!”
“Yes, it does,” Tamika enunciated in turn. “A Slayer destroys vampires. You should have done so long ago. And if you cannot...”
Buffy moved so quickly it caught Tamika completely off guard. The smaller Slayer suddenly had the collar of her jumpsuit clasped in her fist. “Don’t you dare try it,” she hissed. “If you have anything to do with anything happening to him, I’ll forget about not being here to get in your way. I’ll do the same thing to you as I did to Faith when she tried to kill him.”
“What was that?” Tamika gasped out.
Buffy brought her face even closer at that. “I gutted her with her own knife,” she hissed.
She released Tamika so suddenly that the dark haired girl stumbled back several steps. Regaining her footing, she glared at the other girl.
“How could you,” Tamika choked out. “To hurt a human being for the sake of a vampire...”
Buffy’s expression was cold. “I love him,” she said. “That’s enough.”
“But...he’s a monster,” she managed again, revolted by the whole idea.
“Don’t ever talk about him that way,” Buffy replied. “He’s a man. A good man. He just happens to be dead.”
“A good man wouldn’t have the blood of hundreds on his hands,” Tamika retorted, sure that she had the upper hand this time. “You see, I have read all about Angelus...”
“Then you know nothing,” Buffy retorted. “Let me tell you for a second about a man forced to suffer for crimes he had no control over, who bears centuries of needless guilt. About someone who has done nothing but try to make up for all of those things in his past, who has fought evil for centuries.” She stepped forward again, her face serious and intent. “Let me tell you about what happens after those records end.”
Despite herself, Tamika felt herself calming long enough to listen.
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