FIC: Episode 2 in T.C.P.S. "I Once Was Lost, But Now I'm Found." (8/8)

[Heather & Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Episode 2 in T.C.P.S. "I Once Was Lost, But Now I'm Found." (8/8)
AUTHORS: Heather (nerdgurrl@xxxxxxxxx) & ~~Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All recognizable characters from the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Any additional characters mentioned are the
property of the authors and may not be used without permission. This arrangement of words
in cyberspace is also owned by the authors and may not be displayed, copied, quoted from
or used without permission. This is a work of fiction done for enjoyment and the authors
who are in no way receiving monetary compensation for their efforts.
SUMMARY: Episode 2 in Heather and Kimber's "Convergent Paths Series". The alternate
universe version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
SPOILERS: Season one thru four including all season five speculations.
DISTRIBUTION: None. Lists only.
AUTHORS? NOTES:
Thoughts enclosed in <. . .>
Flashbacks enclosed in ((. . .))
Emphasis is denoted with *. . .*

----------

Buffy stood there a few moments and watched the three of them disappear down the docks.
"I guess we'll just, um. . " She put her hands up in exasperation and looked at Faith.
"Did I miss something?"

"Red's determined, that's for sure." Faith shrugged. "So, do we follow or go on a late
patrol?"

Buffy sat down on the bench. "I don't know." She mumbled and looked off distractedly.
Willow was rarely, if ever, short with her like that. Especially in front of other
people. Normally, she'd be congratulating Buffy on a slaying well done, but she wasn't
even interested in hearing about the information they got out of Willie other than where
the female bog-beast was.

"B?" Faith nudged her. "Did you hear me? Geez, snap out of it already."

"What?" Buffy looked up at her. "Oh, um, I guess we should follow them in case they run
into any trouble." Buffy got up and headed off in the direction of pier 96. As they
walked along, Buffy noticed that Faith kept looking over at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Faith looked around.

"What is it, Faith?" Buffy asked again.

"She really crawled under your skin, didn't she?"

"Who? Willow? No, she's just. . ." Buffy trailed off for a second. "Once Willow
decides that something needs to be done, you just gotta either help or get out of the
way." Buffy chuckled. "She's not a quitter and she's determined to help out that walking
pile of mulch. I guess the best thing to do is to help her out and stick close so she
doesn't get hurt."

Faith laughed quietly to herself and shook her head.

"What is it now?" Buffy glanced over at her.

"Nothing. You'll probably tell me I'm crazy." Faith stopped walking when she noticed
Buffy wasn't next to her anymore. She turned around and saw a very unamused Slayer
standing a few paces away with her arms folded across her chest. Faith walked up to her
and grinned. "You've got it bad."

"For who? What?" Buffy shook her head as if to clear some cobwebs. "Who?"

"For the incredible hulk! Who do you think, Blondie?" Faith's grin widened if at all
possible. "For Red, that's who."

"Willow? I have the. . .? For *Willow*?" Buffy started walking again. "That's just. .
.crazy talk. I'll have no crazy talk like that, I won't listen to it."

"Oh come on, B. I see that glint in your eye when you two talk. You want her, admit
it." Faith jabbed Buffy with her elbow. "Red's a looker. . .I would totally?"

"I can't believe we're having this conversation!" Buffy looked at her exasperated. "My
eyes do not glint, they've been glint free for a long time now, really. As for what you'd
do to her," Buffy visibly shuddered. "Let's not go down that very visual path, I've
noticed you have a great way of describing things in detail. Willow's love life is best
left where it is, with Oz."

"Oz, huh? So Red's doin the horizontal mambo with some guy. That's why you won't even
discuss it. You think it's all hands off with her." Faith slung her arm around Buffy's
shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially. "Life as a Slayer girlfriend. Want, take,
have. It's as easy as that."

"Faith!" Buffy's eyes went wide at the last comment ? Or was it the entire train of
thought? "I can't. . .I won't. . .I mean Willow is. . .and Oz? They've been. . .and I'm
not like *that*. . .how could you even?" Buffy ran her hands through her hair in
frustration. "Grrr, I'm not listening to any more of this." She put her hands over her
ears to demonstrate the point. "See? This is me, *not* listening." She started to hum
"The Song That Never Ends".

Faith put her hands up in surrender. She knew when to quit and there was no way in hell
the other Slayer was going to plant *that* annoying little tune in her head. "Okay, okay.
Relax, B." She reached over and pulled the other Slayer's hands from her ears. "Relax. .
I was just sayin. . ." Faith decided it was best not to finish that thought after seeing
the glare in Buffy's eyes. Suddenly she stopped short and grabbed Buffy's arm. "Demons."

Buffy looked in the direction Faith was looking and almost turned pale as a sheet.
"Willow!" She was half way to the group before Faith could blink twice.

By the time Faith reached them, Buffy was standing in between Willow and a disgusting gray
troll-looking demon. Clarence was standing in front of Belle, or who she assumed was
Belle, because she was a replica of Clarence; only a shade lighter and two feet taller.
Amy had the most amused expression on her face despite the circumstance. Over all it
looked like a volatile situation and getting worse by the second. Faith was pumped up and
had a stake ready and waiting in her hand when she stood defiantly next to Buffy. "So?
What's the what, B? This little Tolkien throw-back giving Red a hard time?"

Buffy looked over to the dark Slayer and smiled. "Well. . .actually?"

Just then, Willow made a sudden lunge toward the gray demon, which sent him skittering
back a few feet. What could only be described as a growl came from Willow, and both Buffy
and Faith looked at her with a 'deer in headlights' expression.

"Easy there, killer." Buffy tightened her grip.

"He was. . .and she was gonna be. . and the boat. . .for money? Oooh, just let me get my
hands on him for one second." Willow narrowed her eyes at the creature.

"Don't you wish." The gray demon croaked and jutted his chin out in defiance.

"Watch it pal or I'll let her loose on you again." Buffy shot him a look.

"Let *her* loose? I think I missed something." Faith dropped into a casual stance and
started flinging the stake up in the air. She looked over at the demon who was staring at
Willow, and could swear he visibly gulped.

Willow looked at Faith. "That little. . thing was gonna sell Belle into slavery in East
Asia! Can you believe it?!"

"It's my job." The demon said proudly.

"Slavery ended over 200 years ago you, you, little rug stain!"

"Uh, Will? I don't think Bog-Beasts are covered under the constitution." Buffy offered.

She looked at Buffy defiantly. "You're not helping." She said under her breath.

Faith decided to intervene. "Look, how about we strike a deal? You let her go and
everyone can live happily ever after."

"That doesn't sound like a deal to me. What do I get?" The demon took a step closer.

"You get to live and not be turned into shark food is what you get!" Willow lunged for
him again. She almost escaped Buffy's hold, but Faith grabbed her other arm. She wasn't
going anywhere.

"You've got three minutes, pal. Then we're sending Red after you. Got it?" Faith tried
to sound ominous, but it came off as sarcastic instead. She noticed Buffy suppress a
chuckle and winked at the blonde Slayer.

The demon considered this for a moment. Willow stomped her foot at him and he broke into
a run towards the woods. Willow shrugged away from the Slayers and turned to Belle. "Are
you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Belle looked at her with curiosity, then turned to Clarence for some signal. Clarence
nodded and Belle turned back to Willow. "I'm fine, thank you.? She said in a lilting
southern accent. ?Thank you for saving me, dear girl." She finished primly, as if she had
just walked off of the set of 'Gone With The Wind'.?

"As long as you're okay." Willow smiled at her then turned to Clarence. "See? I told
you we'd find her. And she didn't run away from you after all."

"Oh, yeah," Faith smirked. "I'm thinking we skipped a few chapters, B."

Buffy turned to her, smiled, then turned to Willow. "Care to fill us in?"

"Belle was kidnapped. We had a small argument and she had gone off to regroup her
thoughts." Clarence answered. "On her way back home, she was grabbed by that little. .
.pest and his friends. . and brought here to be sold." He made a disgusted face.
"Apparently, Bog-Beasts are a rather lucrative commodity in East Asia. He said they make
good, um, slaves."

"They were gonna sell her! Can you believe it!?" Willow looked to Buffy and Faith, only
to find both of them trying their hardest to suppress their laughter. She glared at
them. "What's so funny?"

"Rug stain?" Buffy asked.

"Shark food?" Faith added.

"Well, you know, as the Slayers, I'm sure you two always have a witty pun or funny remark
waiting to throw the baddies off their game and he was just so annoying with his eyes all
close together and his sharp little nasty teeth peeking out of his mouth and?" She let
out a heavy sigh knowing they weren't buying it. "Punning on the fly is very. .
.difficult and I didn't really have time to think about it. Okay? Geez."

"No, they were good. Really. I loved 'em." Buffy smiled at the Wiccan.

Faith smirked. "Don'tcha mean, 'I love you'?" She said dryly only to become immediately
acquainted with Buffy's elbow in her ribs. "Ouch."

"What?" Willow looked at both of them, confused.

Faith opened her mouth to say something, only to be cut off by a piercing glare from the
other Slayer. "Nothing." She said innocently. "So what now?"

"Now we say goodbye." Clarence walked over to Willow and crouched down in front of her.
Maribelle followed and stood behind him. "I cannot thank you enough, little witch. You
brought my love back to me and now I owe you a debt of gratitude. Anytime you need
anything, juts be sure I won't be far behind." He touched her face gently.

"You mean. . .you're going? Now? Just like that?" Willow cocked her head to the side
and looked at him imploringly. "I mean, you could stay a few days, take in the sights. .
.Oh! You could stay in the woods behind my house and. . ."

Faith leaned in close to the other Slayer and whispered. "If I'm not mistaken, I think
Red just asked them to be her pets."

Buffy's eyes went wide and she had to put her hand over her mouth quickly so as not to
laugh out loud.

"I truly wish we could stay." Maribelle said. ?But we are simply not able to stay away
from home for very long. The longer we are away from the swamp, the more uncomfortable we
get.? She finished demurely.

?What my little swamp flower is trying to say, ? Clarence said gently as he looked
adoringly at his mate, ? Is that we get slimier. He gestured behind him and Maribelle.

Everyone's gaze fell upon the trail of slime leading from where Clarence and Maribelle
were just standing.

"I see what you mean." Willow nodded. "But, I'll see you again? Both of you?"

"Count on it, little one." Maribelle smiled. "You reunited Clarence and I again." She
placed her light green hand on his shoulder. "I once was lost, but now I'm found. .
.thanks to you. Besides, we have to show you some of that fine Southern Hospitality that
we are famous for. ?I?ll make my famous swamp snake gumbo.?

With that, Clarence rose to his feet and took Maribelle's hand in his. They nodded to the
group and began their long journey home.

Faith watched them walk off hand in hand. She smiled inwardly at the female bog-beast's
choice of words. Maybe, just maybe, they applied to her too.

---------

"You say it was, um, afraid of Willow?" Giles took his glasses off and gave his Slayers a
befuddled look, and not for the first time in the past hour.

"Yeah, he was pretty twitchy when she growled at him." Buffy tried unsuccessfully to hide
her bemused expression from Willow, who was beginning to fume silently in her chair by the
computer.

"Willow. . .growled?" Giles closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. The tale the two
Slayers, and Willow were telling him would be unbelievable to most. Well, then again,
most people didn't live on the Hellmouth. He took a deep breath and turned his attention
to the redhead behind him. "Willow, I don't think I need to tell you that what you did
tonight was very dangerous. You could have gotten yourself seriously injured. You don't
know what Kellipat demons are capable of. Tiny and disgusting or not, they are very
dangerous."

"I know Giles." She gave him her best 'innocent' look. "But it just made me so mad!
They were going to sell her into slavery and she was so scared and alone on the boat and
he was all 'grr, you can't take her, grr' and I was all 'oh, yeah pal? Watch me.' Then he
tried to touch me and he was so gray and slimy and his eyes were all beady and close
together and, and. . ."

"Easy there, Will. Take a breath." Buffy came up next to her and placed her hand on the
hacker's shoulder.

"Yeah, Red. Take it down a few notches. You're liable to bust a vein or something." The
dark Slayer smirked at her from her casual perch on top of the library table.

"I know. . it's just," Willow pursed her lips tight and crinkled up her nose. "He just
made me so angry. He's lucky you and Buffy showed up when you did, otherwise he would
have made a nice little wharf rat."

The image of a tiny gray rat with it's eyes too close together and sharp, pointy teeth
must have passed through both Slayers minds simultaneously, because they both doubled over
in a fit of giggles.

"What?" Willow looked over at them with narrowed eyes. "You find this amusing?"

"I'm sorry, Will," Buffy managed.

"Yeah, me too, Red. . .but just the thought of a demon wharf rat. . ." Faith couldn't
finish the sentence as giggles overtook her again.

It was at this point that Willow looked to Giles for some assistance and she noticed that
the normally stuffy Watcher had a thousand watt grin plastered across his English face.

Willow rose from her chair. "Oh, you. . .three. I can't believe you." She stomped out
of the library with Amy trailing silently behind her.

After the three of them settled down, Buffy looked over to Giles. "I think we should go
after her. Maybe buy her some ice cream to make up for our, uh, lack of support."

Giles smiled at her. "Yes, that maybe a good idea. Have a good evening you two, and be
careful."

"We will, G-man. See you back at the pad." Faith waved at him on the way out the door.

-------

Giles had been hunched over his books for the past hour. Researching the spell Willow
found had proved to be a daunting task. She wasn't kidding when she said it wasn't used
much. It was going to take a lot of preparation to make it work correctly, effectively
and most of all safely.

"Hope I'm not disturbing you."

Giles turned around to find a woman standing behind him. "Um, no, not at all. Is there
something I can help you with?"

"No." She smiled. "But I believe there's *someone* I can help *you* with." She sat down
next to him. "And I believe her name is Faith."