Love, Lust, and Life in L.A.: Catching Up
by faith_slayer89
Chapter One: Catching Up
I hate summer vacation. In all fairness to the brainiacs who declared July and August to be summer vacation, though, I didn't always hate it. When I went to school and had homework and tests and exams and things and had some semblance of a normal life, I adored two months of kick-back time. I lived in New York City next door to my best friend David Harris and up the block from another friend of mine, Venus Rosenberg. And, okay, Mom was a Slayer and was in charge of the North American Slayer school. But -and a very big 'but'- she tried as hard as she could to keep my twin Celia and myself from becoming too involved in the supernatural. We went to regular public school and started training with her when we were thirteen, only because after that first vampire attack, she didn't want us defenseless. So, we lived as normal a life as we could, considering our parentage and the fact that Willow was a goddess and William was an ex-vampire-with-a-soul and Aunt Dawn used to be a big ball of universe-destroying energy.

Then Celia discovered some prophecy (those things are always screwing up lives) and realized that the two of us weren't supposed to have been born as twins, and that there's some big save-the-world-or-damn-it power that one of us will get. She was always kind of jealous of me (don't ask me why; she was the popular cheerleader with half the school trailing after her, while I only had Venus and David) and I guess the prophecy made her go a little loony.

That was when we were sixteen. About a year later, both Venus and David were dead, as well as their parents, our parents, Mr. Giles, Aunt Dawn, and pretty much everyone left over from the original Scooby Gang. Celia used magick to give her a little power boost, making her as formidable as any Slayer. After a little trip to the Oracles, I discovered the existance of the prophecy and who our father was. For some reason, Mom forgot to mention that he was the original vampire with a soul. Also that he went evil and hunted her down when she was pregnant with us and killed David's mother after Mom and him had sex. Gotta love those Gypsy curses.

New York City was in ruins and vampires pretty much ruled the Big Apple, with Queen C as their leader. The group of Slayers who's survived the bomb attack on the school went up against her. I never found out what happened to them. Celia and I had our confrontation, and as humiliating as it is to admit it, she kicked my ass good and proper. Then she worked some spell and opened up and gateway to place or other. In one of my less-intelligent moments, I followed.

I wound up in the Los Angeles of twenty years ago, and got my ass kicked yet again, this time by a couple of badass-wannabe vampires. I even got staked. Despite the potential fatality of what happened, I still appreciate the irony. Plus, I got to meet a cute guy. Cute guys are always a plus. Especially when they're not fangy and don't consider you a midnight snack.

Angel and Gunn found me in the park and took me back to the Hyperion Hotel for recuperation. I later learned that Angel was the original souled vampire, the one destined to be my father and go all evil. I haven't told him about the evil part yet. Don't wanna burst his bubble of atonement and redemption.

The cute guy that I met, it turns out he worked for Wolfram and Hart, the evil law firm that also had my sister as a client. Grey (said cute guy) got Angel Investigations out of the way and tricked me with pretensions of going to save some innocent people from vampires. One drugged Sprite later, I'm in Wolfram and Hart, being threatened to sign over my claim to the aforementioned prophecy. I refused. Mainly to piss Celia off. Petty reasoning, I know. But you try watching helplessly as your best friend is killed in front of you. You'd be feeling a little animosity, too.

Around the same time, Cordelia got a vision from the Powers-That-Be, which led Angel Inc. to find Lorne's cousin in this dimension. I should probably mention that Lorne is an anagogic demon from another dimension, called Pylea. Wesley and everyone worked this spell to send Lorne's cousin back to Pylea, only Cordelia got suck through, as well. Facing a tough decision (note the sarcasm), Angel decided to let the person who'd put me in Wolfram and Hart rescue me. Not one of his brighter ideas. Plus, the whole damsel-in-distress bit doesn't really suit me.

So, anyway, while the gang was having a grand old time in Pylea, I helped Grey. I discovered that Wolfram and Hart was blackmailing him; if he didn't do what they said, his entire clan would die. I should probably also mention that he's a demon. Albeit a hot one.

I worked a gateway spell similar to the one Celia did and sent Grey and his clan to a happier dimension. I will admit this nowhere but here, but I was sad to see him go. Grey, I mean. It's not like I forgot the Wolfram-and-Hart bit, but I get why he did it. And he was a decent guy, probably the only friend I'll ever have again. And did I mention the hotness?

Wolfram and Hart agents busted in just as the last of the Eros demons were going through the portal. I was half-dead, because working the spell took a lot out of me, but not long after, the carless cavalry returned from Pylea and came to my aid.

I think it was Newton's laws of physics (or some other scientific-y guy's priniciples of whatever) that said for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Cordelia, myself, and an entire clan of Eros demons were saved from the evil clutches of Wolfram and Hart. The flip side? Angel Inc. arrived at the Hyperion to find Willow. Why did she come? Because Buffy died.

So I've spent my summer going back and forth between Los Angeles and Sunnydale. I stay on the Hellmouth during the week, and head back up to the city for the weekend. It's non-stop slaying, boys and girls. I haven't had a kick-back day in forever, and I sleep all day and slay all night. Personally, I don't think it's fair to me, because I'm not even a Slayer. I don't even have the slightly-enhanced abilities I used to have, not since I went through the portal.

But everyone's been pitching in more since Buffy died (I can't think of her as 'Mom'. Parentage might have been in the cards for her once upon a time, but she's dead now, because Celia and I came and fucked up everything. Excuse me if I seem testy. Lack of sleep will do that to a girl.), and Angel decided to take his stupid retreat. Both of the Champions are effectively gone, and I'm here wondering why the hell everyone doesn't just get Faith to come. From what William (oh, excuse me, Spike) used to tell me, she was called as a Slayer long ago.

So, yeah. Angel's on his retreat. Let's dwell on that for a moment, shall we? He volunteers me for this commuting back-and-forth gig, then leaves town and doesn't tell me. I hear it from Lorne. Personally, I feel like I had a right to find out about his leaving from him. Or maybe I don't. Maybe I'm reading way too much into this. Angel isn't my father yet. With Buffy dead, doesn't look like he will be. We are two strangers. Glad I figured that out. ...Except, after I found out who he was, and all the times he saved so many people, well, I practically hero-worship the guy.

But at least that's better than pining for a guy that's in a whole other dimension. I haven't been able to get Grey off my mind. Dawn even took me to the Bronze one night. Forget that the one guy who thought I was cute had fangs, and that that other cute guy was a cultist. I think I just have bad luck with guys. I wonder if it runs in the family.

So here I am, looking as pale as a vampire, sleeping the days away when I should be getting a tan. I'm on the beach, too. You would think the Powers-That-Be would have some sympathy, but I heard they're not very forthcoming with that stuff. The least they could do is team me up with someone else when we go group patrolling.

For some reason, whenever the pairs are called, I always get the Buffybot. I think it's because no one else can stand to have something that looks so much like Buffy be so close to them. And I think that I also remind them a little of Buffy. Spike (who's still a vampire in this time) caught the scent of my blood when I came home one night. Then he had a talk with Willow and the others. They've all been avoiding me, except Dawn and Tara. And Giles. He trains me, but he also gives me this weird lab-experiment look. It's freaky.

Sigh. It's a Friday. My least favourite day. After I make rounds around Sunnydale, I'll come back to Revello Drive to see Cordy or Wes waiting to drive me back to Los Angeles. Then, oh joy, I get to go and patrol around Los Angeles. Will the action never end? Seriously. I need a break. Maybe Vegas.

More than anything, I want my mommy. I want her here with me, to show me what to do, to show me how to fight. I nearly got killed one night in Weatherly Park, and if Mom had been there, I know I wouldn't have. I want her to be here so I can talk to her and tell her everything that I'm feeling, how alone I am. But she's not here. Dawn's a good listener - up to a point. I mean, she understands all the teenage angst-y stuff, but I can't tell her about the real important parts, like where she's my aunt, for instance. The only person I can talk to is in Nepal or Tibet, or some other cold place.

I hope he runs into demons.

I'm being petty again. I know.

But I'm used to being alone, so I guess I can't really blame Angel for not being here.

And anyway, less people I have to worry about, the better. I can concentrate on keeping myself alive longer.

Now if I keep telling myself that, and not think about the fact that a lonely life, albeit a long one, is worthless, I think I can get through the night all right.

And if that works, that'll be a first.

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