DISCLAIMER: Joss' lawyers tell me these characters are his. I tell them that no souled human could treat so badly his characters; thus they can't be his. They tell me 'Who says Joss has a soul?' I tell them he still shouldn't treat them so. They tell me he can do whatever he pleases. I tell them it's not fair and they should be mine. They tell me they'd sue me. I tell them to go to Hell. They tell me they've just come from Joss' office. (AN: I just knew that sulfuric scent wasn't my last failed chemistry experiment!) I tell them 'We'll continue this discussion in my next story'. They agree. So, it's still not decided if the characters are HIS or MINE.
DISTRIBUTION: Want. Take. Have. An e-mail to let me know would be nice, anyway.
TIMELINE: After 'The Gift'
SUMMARY: Whistler has a new mission.
AN: I need a BETA READER. Anyone interested?
FEEDBACK: *pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssse* It would be nice.

Welcome to L.A

City of Angels.

City plagued with traffic and smog and lawyers and demons - though the last ones could be considered the same thing quite literally. (AN: See disclaimer)

I never thought I would be here so soon after the Slayer's death. It's been less than a week and the Powers had already reached an ultimatum.

Whoever said that the bureaucracy wasn't fast enough?

So they dragged me from this cozy demon-pub back at home and sent me here. I really hate it when they do that. But well, I'm a demon with a mission in L.A... *again*. Sigh. You would think that with all the power those High Beings possess They would at least find another messenger and not let ol' Whistler do all the dirty job. Not such luck for me.

Anyway, so I'm here looking for the key to a peaceful and happy future... or so They say. The instructions are bright clear this time. I just have to go in there, convince the chosen victim to agree with me, then do some little errands and finally go home, sweet home.

I need a drink.

I mean, why did they chose me for this one? There are *hundreds* of demon co-workers in my jurisdiction, you know. Do I seem a jail-lover? I'm not. I've have enough 'contact' with the goody- do human forces to last me two lifetimes - and considering I've lived just one that's a lot of contact, believe me.

But hey, this time lucky me doesn't get to give a cryptic message to one of these dumb officers and leave. Oh no. I get to visit one of the prisoners. They really love me up there, don't you think? And who is the even luckier pal who gets a visit from little me? Nothing more and nothing less than the Slayer herself. No! Not the one who died, you doofus! Didn't you know that there have been two Slayers for the past years? Of course, with that crap about 'There's ONE girl in each generation. She is the Chosen One... yada, yada yada' anyone could be confused. But well, things happened and as a result we were stuck up with two cheerleaders. Only that this one doesn't cheer that much. Must be the whole 'I'm.in.jail.because.I.killed.a.guy' and 'I.was.in.a.coma.because.I.tried.to.murder.my.brother-in-law' thing. What? She doesn't have a sister? What does it matter! Yeah, ok, so maybe she didn't try to kill her true brother-in-law. But the blonde was her Sister Slayer, wasn't she? And considering the history between that one and my boy I still think that the term is fitting.

Anyway, so I'm here, in prison -at least I got one of my Wiccan friends to make me enter without anyone noticing- and I don't like it. But I don't have to, do I? I'll just do my work and get the hell out of here. Not literally, of course. I near the Slayer's cell cautiously. No need to awaken her before I have to. She looks so peaceful laying on her bed -if that thing could be actually called a bed. Nobody would ever think that this girl has the weight of the world and her own sins on her shoulders...

"Faith..." I whisper.

And what was a quiet girl sleeping like the dead now is a very awake and deadly Slayer wanting *me* dead. Not a good thing in my book. Especially considering my demon-y looks.

"What do you want?" She snarls. Suddenly there's this wooden stick in her hands and it's pointed towards me. Definitely not a good thing. Wonder how she hides it from the guards?

"Hey, calm down, lass. I just want to talk." My peaceful introduction isn't calming her. Repeat me: Why oh why am I the one who gets always sent to young, dangerous Slayers who always seem to be PMSing? "Look. I'm Whistler, a friend."

She lowers the stake and looks at me amusedly from head to toes. "You? You are Whistler? Angel's friend? THE Whistler?"

"Yeah." I said while wondering what the hell is so funny.

She laughs quietly. "Oh my God! B. told me you were a fashion-challenged annoying demon but she never told me you were *that* bad-dressed."

I roll my eyes. Yeah, of course, make fun of the good demon, why don't you? "Let me tell you that I'm quite the ladies-man back at home..." I say with as much dignity as possible. So the blonde has been gossiping behind my back, huh? Let's see what will she say once I'm done with this job.

"I- I believe you." Faith says wiping the tears. I have never been so humiliated in my whole life. I SO do not like my job. "but tell me, Whistler. What are you doing here? At...two in the morning? What!" She shots me a deadly look. Gulp. "Look, buddy, Yesterday I had a bad day and it is TWO O'CLOCK in the morning and I was hoping to catch a good sleep so believe me when I say I have no patience for your games -whichever they are. Cut the crap and tell me exactly what.are.you.doing.here."

Groan. It's always so nice to meet such 'polite' people... *Why* *me*?

"I want your blood." Wait! That didn't come out as I wanted it to...

The look in her eyes and the stake in her grip tell me the same.

"Wait.wait.wait.wait" I ramble before an accident occurs. And by 'accident' I mean a big, nasty stake through my heart or any other vital organ. After this I'll ask for a BIG raise...

"You have ten seconds. Use them wisely." Pause. "Nine. Eig-"

"Well, as you know Buffy is dead and the-" Her eyes widened. Oops. Guess she still doesn't know that bit of information. Damn it! Now I'll have to play storyteller for a while. And I wanted to end this as soon as possible! There is a redhead waiting for me in that pub, you know.

"What?!"

"Buffy is dead. She passed on. Went meet her master. That whole dead thing." I explain.

She sits on the bed abruptly. Suddenly she is only a girl again. "What happened?" She asks in a whisper.

Oh crap! Story-time, here I go. "There was this goddess, Glorificus something, I think. She wanted to go home and needed a portal to do so. But the portal could only be opened and/or sealed by the Key's blood- namely the Slayer's sister's. The whole gang actually believed all her blood would be needed in the process and that the little sis would end up dead..." 'Damn fools'- I add for myself. "Of course Buffy wouldn't have any of it. Conclusion: She ends up 'saving' the day and her sister by sealing the portal with her own blood. That damn girl didn't even stop a second to think it rationally and see that *not* all the blood was necessary. She died for nothing." I ended my story to encounter myself facing a very angry brunette. There was something fierce in her eyes and I actually pitied whoever bothered her - in this case myself.

Gulp.

"Don't *ever* say that about B again. Do you understand me?" She hissed with a tone that implied serious bodily harm. I SO do deserve that raise. "She died doing what she thought was the best. Respect her for that."

Hey dude, we are talking about Blondie here, remember? Does 'comatose-for-six-months' ring any bells? The girl who stuck a knife in your belly for a guy and then sent you to sleep for some months? Remember any of it?

There was fire in her eyes.

If she does remember she doesn't care. Wow. Guess these girls are pretty protective about each other. It's something I had never witnessed. Not that there ever were two Slayers at the same time, that is.

I loosen up a bit. That girl surely has tensed me with the silent threats. All my muscles feel stiff... wonder if that redhead knows how to give a massage...

"Well, what are you doing here, then?"

"Huh?" Oops, guess I spaced out for a while wondering about that redhead's talents. And let me tell you that she has many. Faith regards me impatiently and flips the stake in her hands. Nice, LARGE, pointy stake. *That* does the trick. I recover my sense of time and space rapidly. "Well, as I said I need something of yours."

"My blood." She states calmly.

"Uh-huh." I nod. Well, this is *finally* going somewhere.

"What for?"

Oh no! There goes another story-time. Why can't she just give the blood and let me go home? I SO hate my job. "You see, the Bosses up there aren't that content with the Slayer's demise. Broken promises, unfulfilled destiny and all that mush. Else, they need her to keep their other Warrior walking and kicking. Especially kicking. And-"

"That would be Angel." She said.

"Yup." I agree somewhat annoyed. Jeez, girl, if you want to know the story the least you could do is not to interrupt me! "Yeah, well, *as I was saying* They don't like the idea of Blondie in her grave so They have decided to bring her back and sent me to do the job." Her eyes widen. Ha! Now I have your complete attention, don't I?

"And what do they need my blood for?" She asks before I can go on.

Cut it with the interruptions, girl, I was getting just there! "Well... you are a Slayer, she is... er... was one. But you two are a special case - as always. Yours is not the normal case where one Slayer dies and her essence passes onto the one who will be Called. Nope. You two *share* this Slayer-essence. It is the same spirit living in both of you. And this Slayer-essence for a Slayer is well, important. *Very* important."

"And I guess that 'essence', as you call it, is in my -our- blood."

Hey! It is *me* telling the story here! It is good to know that you do have some brains but would you mind shutting up and letting me do my job? "Yes. So if we can capture even a little bit of this spirit and then add a lot of magick and some amulets we can call her back. Willow and that cute girlfriend of hers had already agreed to collaborate, do you agree, too?"

Faith seems pensive for a moment. I wondered for a second if she would refuse to do it. It would be catastrophic. The blood had to be given freely. If not... well, let's just say that the spell would have *bad* consequences.

"Yes."

Some minutes later I have the blood I need in the blessed recipient. Mine is a bad job, I'm telling you, it has proved to be not only boring and demanding but also absolutely *icky*. Why is blood always the matter with these Slayers?

"Are you sure that that is enough?" She asks looking somewhat worried at the little amount of blood. "I don't want annoying demons disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night, you know." She continues nonchalantly, as if it really didn't interest her. She would be such a bad actress.

"Yeah. That's enough. I have to go now, Faith."

"Oh well, bye." Pause. "Oh and Whistler! Tell her... tell B. I said 'Hi', ok?"

"Ok, I'll do it."

I leave the building and after some hours we are in Sunnydale again. Yup, *WE*, as in Angel and me. The boy insisted in 'protecting' me. Ha! The only thing he has in mind is to witness the spell and then never let his girl go again. Not that I can blame him, you know, especially when I have my own redhead at home; but it would have been nice not to fear for my life in every curve. I'm still mortal, you know, and this vampire drives like a demon, no pun intended.

Well, as I was saying we are here in Sunnydale and it is only a matter of time until Blondie is among the living again. The witches are doing their mojo and after some chants and stinky herbs a portal opens. Why is it always about portals in the Hellmouth? Oh well, some seconds more and a body appears. A *nude* body. Wow. The boy certainly knows how to choose them...

Laughs, tears, smiles, sobs... I'm SO out of here. I never was one for such displays of emotions anyway... I give a last look to the shaking body in Angel's arms and notice that he is whispering something to her. Sweet nonsenses, surely. Oh well, there they go again with their famous star-crossed romance... only that this time I know for sure that everything will go right from now on. Third time is the charm, isn't it? Let's hope that it is so. These two have avoided their common destiny so many times that it wouldn't be a surprise if they did it again... and I SO do not want to be sent to make things right again!

I make sure that the portal closes again and then I say my good-byes. There's a redhead back at home and I can't keep her waiting, can I?

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