Strictly Hush-Hush: Part One
by Willow2
I didn't create any of the major characters involved in this story. Buffy, Giles, Angel, Xander, and company all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I did, however, create the storyline these characters now inhabit. Additionally, thanks to Laur who originated the general idea for a "film noir" episode of Buffy. The story's title comes from the movie "LA Confidential."
***
Buffy could hear familiar voices coming from the library as she walked down the hall. She paused momentarily and listened. Giles and Faith were having yet another one of what seemed like an endless series of conversations about Faith’s fabulous slaying adventures. Buffy opened the library door and stopped silently in the doorway, just in time to see Faith leap off the table she had been sitting on and whirl around the room, pantomiming her speech for effect.
“...and then I jumped up from the drum set, skewered the vamp with one of the drumsticks, and was back at the traps in time for my solo. Of course this was the Whiskey A-Go-Go, right? So everyone’s so wasted, they never knew the difference!”
Giles smiled and shook his head. “Truly amazing,” he said, his voice full of admiration. He looked into space pensively for a moment, then he turned to lift a book off the counter and handed the formidable-looking volume to Faith. “You know, Faith,” Giles began hesitantly, “this archive of, ah, unusual slaying techniques just came in from one of my colleagues overseas. Perhaps you’d like to take a look at it?”
Faith raised an eyebrow and snapped her gum thoughtfully. “Hey, you’re the man, G,” she shrugged. “I’m up for anything.” The new slayer took the book from Giles and stuffed it into her black leather backpack. “Quiz tomorrow, right?”
Giles looked perplexed. “Um, no. No quiz. I just thought...”
“Kidding, G, kidding!” Faith scoffed goodnaturedly and thumped Giles on the back. “You know, funny ha-ha? Man, you gotta lighten up.”
Still watching from the doorway, Buffy stared incredulously at the scene that had just transpired. Well fine, she thought to herself, Giles would never let me call him “G.” Just then Faith bounced by on her way out of the library and nearly knocked Buffy to the floor.
“Geez, B!” Faith exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. “Lurk much? You’re sooo lucky I didn’t stake you just now!”
“Um, sorry,” Buffy managed weakly, but the dark-haired slayer was already halfway down the hall. Okay, Buffy thought to herself angrily, this has really got to stop. That first-initial business I can put up with, but the “much?” thing is definitely my line.
Shaking off her less-than-pleasant encounter with Faith, Buffy strode confidently into the library, ready for work. She would show Giles that she could handle any new, “unusual” techniques just as well as Faith-the-drum-playing-naked-alligator-wrestling...whatever.
She tossed her bag onto a table and turned to face Giles with her hands on her hips. “So, Giles!” she started. “What’s new in the wonderful world of slayage? Got any tips to help me battle whatever ick the hellmouth decides to dish out?”
Giles was cleaning his spectacles, and he looked decidedly uninterested in Buffy’s presence or her newfound enthusiasm. “Hmmm? Ah, no. Nothing like that. Why do you ask?”
That’s odd, Buffy thought to herself. “No reason,” she replied aloud. She tried a different tack. “So, anything special I should look out for on patrol tonight? Anything I might wanna do differently?”
Giles looked up from re-folding his handkerchief and weighed his words carefully before he began. “Yes, yes, patrolling. I wanted to talk to you about that. What do you say to taking the night off? I’m sure Faith can handle things alone this once.”
Buffy looked down. “Yeah,” she replied dejectedly, “I’m sure she can.” She paused, giving Giles one last chance to tell her about the new book. He didn’t.
“Well then,” Buffy started, slinging her bag over her shoulder, “I guess we don’t have anything to talk about, do we?”
Giles smiled wanly. “Not really. Enjoy your night off. See you tomorrow.”
As she walked down the front steps of Sunnydale High School and toward her house, Buffy thought about what had just happened in the library. Normally she would have been overjoyed at getting out of studying some musty old watcher manual and the prospect of a free evening. But the fact that both the book reading and the patrolling had been usurped by Faith truly disturbed her. Buffy felt vaguely like a deposed monarch, except that she couldn’t remember which one. (Stupid history class! What good is it if you only remember parts of facts?) Buffy sighed. Who did Faith think she was anyway? I’m the real slayer around here, Buffy thought. You’re just visiting.
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