Buffy X-overs 1. Default Chapter

**_Sequel to My Time To Live._**

**_Main Characters:  
Faith  
Spike  
Trish Stratus  
Angel_**

"So, let me get this straight… We're going to use that dumbass 'felt the hot' excuse to explain how Hunter managed to tear his quad. And people actually believe this? Well… of course, they do. They apparently believed some dumbass line about gangs doped up on PCP, but… Who is really going to believe that he did the same damn fool thing twice?"

From head to toe, Faith was covered in filth. Everyone else had managed to get out of the way in time, but she had to be the one johnny on the spot. She had to be the one that was less than a foot away when the bodies turned into ash. She could shake her head and the remnants of vampire would fall on her shoulders like dandruff.

They were all stuck in a hospital, thanks to the uncanny ability of Hunter Hearst Helmsley to get in the way. Stephanie claimed that she knew her husband, that she knew enough about his ability to leap tall injuries in a single bound to know that it was completely possible that he stepped wrong, again. She also knew that there was no way in hell that they would be able to claim that he hurt himself working out. It was evident to everyone that Hunter had stopped going to the gym a long time ago, and the only thing more stupid than the idea that he reinjured the same muscle, just in the other leg, was the idea that anyone believed that he'd done it working out.

"Trust me, Faith, it's a fool proof plan. We'll just say that some fans stepped up in front of him, he turned wrong and he messed it up. It's just an explanation, and it's one people will buy. He's going to be out of action for a while, but… What else can we do?"

Faith looked at Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley with more than a little skepticism. The heiress wouldn't admit it, but everyone close to her knew that she'd been looking for an excuse to get Hunter out of the ring, anyway. Faith wouldn't have been surprised to find out that Stephanie had shoved Hunter in front of the vampires just so she could move him to the side.

To say that Faith's happy family wasn't quite so happy anymore was an understatement. It was as though her own rise to the top as Slayer had given Hunter more ammunition to be at the top of everything else. His ego grew and everyone else's annoyance with him grew as well. The tension that had started to permeate through the group did nothing but start to tear them apart. Randy had already been jobbed out, and considering that she and Trish were the top two divas on the roster, that brought a strain to the relationship that, after Randy's injuries months before and Trish's tears, no one had seen coming. Ric was tired of sucking Hunter's balls, and more than that, tired of Faith constantly reminding him that he was a legend and therefore should not be on his knees whenever the hell Hunter wanted him to be. And Dave was one smart ass comment away from hitting Hunter in the jaw.

Then, there was Stephanie. Her eyes were finally opening, and as time passed, she started to realize that the man she laid next to at night was not the same man that she married. He was lazier, and he thought more of himself than was really there. He didn't seem to understand that she was the one who ran things behind the scenes, not him. She was tired inadvertantly holding others back because Hunter had to be at the forefront. She was tired of letting Hunter hold the reins of her horse drawn carriage.

"Tell the truth, Steph." Faith snorted and shook some ashes from her hair. "You're glad he's injured."

"I am not!" Her eyes widened with shock. "How could you even think something like that? Injuries are so severe and… you know how things have been the past six months. I can't believe you…"

"The last six months is what I'm talking about. Hunter's grown and the rest of us have taken the shit. Don't get me wrong… we're still a family, but that's the reason it's being said. A family sticks together and he's not been sticking with us."

"He hurt himself helping you Slay!"

"You pushed him, didn't you?"

"What!"

"Nevermind." Faith waved it off and sighed. "Whatever. You do your excuses and I'll do mine. As it is…" Her body slumped and she wished Dave were close enough for her to lean on. As much as everyone was starting to break apart, she couldn't say the same about her and Dave exclusively. There was something about a man spilling his blood to save her life that brought Faith even closer to him. There was something about having the knowledge that he was the reason she was alive… knowing that if he had died, she would have died with him. Knowing that the love she had for him and the rest of their band of Slaying misfits was what kept her in World Wrestling Entertainment…

And yet, sometimes, she almost wished that she'd gone back with Giles or Angel. It would have been easier. Yes, her heart would have broken to leave them, but she would have less to worry about. She wouldn't have to try and sneak out in order to do her duty alone, even though half the time, she ended up with at least one partner, if not an entourage. She wouldn't have to worry that her Slayer sense would fire up in the middle of the ring and cause her to screw up a match. She could focus on Slaying, and the rest be damned.

But, then again, she would have still worried. If she couldn't see them, she would worry that something would happen. When they separated, whether it be to go home for a few days or to do individual appearances, she called at least three times a day to make sure that nothing strange had happened. She gave constant warnings not to go out at night without a cross and a handy stake. If she were off with Giles or Angel, she still wouldn't have been able to focus on Slaying, because she would have been too busy wondering if Trish had been turned, Dave had been killed, and a million other things that could have happened.

"Your phone is broken."

Faith blinked and turned abruptly. "Huh?" Trish Stratus was handing her a cell phone, and Faith didn't even remember hearing one ring. "What are you talking about?"

"There's some guy with an accent on the line that says he called your phone and you didn't bloody answer… his words, not mine… so he called around until he found a bird… again, his words not mine… that would answer the ruddy thing. Again…"

"Yeah, yeah, his words not yours." She sighed and took the phone, stopping a second to look at the faces around her. Randy was tired, and from the distance he kept from Trish, Faith imagined that she had missed an argument where he'd come out on the losing end. Stephanie had walked away to talk to a doctor. Ric was making a phone call, and from the way he looked at Stephanie, she guessed that it was one she had asked him to make. Dave was staring at her. "What?"

"Is that Giles?"

"I don't know, Dave. I haven't talked yet." She sighed and looked at Trish. "Is it Giles?"

She shook her head. "Nope. This guy said his name was Spike. Kinda silly name, isn't it? But… I remember the redhead with the Keibler fetish talking about him wanting an autograph or something." She shrugged. "But yeah, he said his name was Spike."

"Great." Faith let out a heavy sigh. "Just what I need." She didn't fully remember her past life dealings with William the Bloody, so named for his bloody awful poetry, but from the glimpses she still got occasionally into her past, she was pretty sure that he annoyed the hell out of her. Coupled with the fact that she hadn't heard from anyone who had anything to do with Angel Investigations in at least three months, she knew that this was bound to be a call that she didn't want to take. But… "What do you want, Spike?"

"Bloody wonderful way to answer the phone, pet. Really. I thought Gel Boy was bad, but you, luv, take the cake. Where's this affection that the buggers around here claim you've picked up, huh?"

"Can the offended act, Spike. What do you want?"

"Bloody brilliant attitude there, pet."

"How the hell are you using the phone anyway? Last I heard, you were non-corporeal."

"Yeah, well, Fred's one bright bird and she fixed me all up. But, that's not the point. The point is that Angel left here to go see you three days ago and nobody's heard from him since."


	2. Chapter 2

Three days. Even as she was given her leave, Faith knew that wasn't enough time to find Angel, rescue him and kill whatever had captured him, and she was as certain as the members of Angel Investigations that something or someone was holding Angel against his will. He wouldn't have just disappeared without a trace, especially if he were on his way to see Faith.

It wasn't a social call he was paying on the Slayer. He would have called and told her that he was on his way. Faith thought that he was coming to check up on her. Giles and Willow were overseas, and Angel was the only one in the States that would have come to find her. She was annoyed that they still thought they needed to constantly check up on her, but she could bitch about that when she found Angel. At the moment, she was just worried about getting him before he was turned to ash.

"And you're taking Trish with you."

"What!"

Both women looked at Stephanie at the same time. Trish blinked. Her mouth dropped open and snapped shut twice before she was able to say something. "Wait a minute!" She shook her head. "What the hell do you mean she's taking me with her? I don't wanna go hunt demons or whatever."

"It's the only thing I can think of to get Faith gone for a few days without raising suspicion."

"Oh, bullshit! We all get a couple of days before the diva shoots to go shopping and get our stuff together at home."

"Yeah," Stephanie said, "a couple of days. This is three days. Besides, the two of you always travel together when Dave or Randy isn't there. So, her travelling without you would just seem off. So, I'm giving you both an extra day. You do your thing on Raw tonight, and then you head out right after the show. I want you both in San Tropé Friday morning, with or without Angel."

Faith growled. She didn't need the extra addition of keeping Trish safe. Granted, the former Women's Champion was able to take care of herself. Faith ahd personally seen her kick a vampire's head clear off. But, those were vampires and Faith had no idea what had Angel. It might have been more than Trish could handle, and Faith would have preferred to do this on her own.

At the same time, though, she knew that doing things "on her own" wasn't much of an option. Someone was always with her when she went on patrol, and considering they usually travelled in a large group after hours, they were a prime target for vampire clusters. It was almost enough to make her believe that they sent Trish with her just to stop Dave from going, because contender or not, he wasn't going to let Faith go out on a mission alone. "Buffy has her posse," he would always tell her, "so why shouldn't you have yours?"

Faith turned to Trish and sighed. "There's no point arguing with her. Just go with it, but remember this. When the shit hits the fan, and I'm almost positive it will, stay out of the way, alright? I don't wanna stand over you in a hospital like I did Dave."

Trish rolled her eyes. "Not a problem there. Unlike men who don't have enough sense to run, I get the hell out of the way when I can't handle something. You're the Slayer, not me."

"Yeah, well, you kick like one."

Faith snorted a laugh, then took a look around the room. She didn't know where the men of their faction were. She could only guess that it wasn't at the hospital with Hunter, unless Ric happened to be there. Despite his dissatisfaction, he was loyal to the core and if he thought Hunter a friend, then he'd be there. Dave and Randy were a little less amicable. Their tempers flared too high to listen to Hunter gripe. Dave had said as much hours before.

Evolution had disbanded on television. On screen, there was no one on Hunter's side but Ric, and that was soon to fade. As the new Women's Champion, Faith was in the middle of a battle with Trish and Molly Holly that it was a good thing that kayfabe had long since disappeared. These days, no one batted an eye when the two women got out of the same car in an arena. They batted even less of an eye when they were followed out of a car by Batista and Orton, even though they all knew that television told them that Randy was supposed to be dating Stacy Keibler and Batista was a man on his own, though he was being courted by either woman. On television, they could fight over the belt and the man. Off of television, though, they fought for each other.

Evolution was trying to hold itself together off-screen. They were determined to prove that friendships could last beyond storylines. Others had shown that to be the case, but never had a group of friends had so many egos within it. They clashed, whether they wanted to or not. At any time, they could be at one another's throats. At one point, the men even reduced themselves to bragging about Slaying related injuries, anything to get themselves on top. In the end of that argument, Dave always won. Not even the newly torn quad could compare to being sliced open from armpit to waist by smoldering, jagged rock.

Faith sighed. "If I'm leaving right after the show, I need to go and talk to Dave. If I can find Dave." She sighed and rose to her feet. "Ya know, this wouldn't have happened if I'd have gone back with Giles. They could have erased me just as easily as they erased Lita, Lawler, Ross and all those others. This wouldn't have happened because Angel wouldn't have had to come all the way out here to check up on me, and I wouldn't have to wait to go after him. I could have been right out there."

"It still would have happened," Stephanie told her.

"How do you figure that?"

"First, I've talked to Willow. She says the magic around a Slayer makes it harder to do the same spell on you twice. She did it the first time to get you out of jail. It wouldn't have worked the second time."

"You said first. What's the other reason?"

"Because you'd have missed us and been back within a couple of months."

She would have loved to tell Stephanie that she was wrong. She hated when the boss's daughter was right, and this time, she was definitely right. She wouldn't have lasted that long out there without them. Faith sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I need to get ready to get out of here. Spike's already halfway out. He left L.A. last night. By the time I make it to New York, he should be there with news. Last time anybody saw Angel, they spotted his Jag in Manhattan."

"Flying?" Trish asked her.

Faith smirked. "We gotta have wheels and I'm not driving around with Spike. I get this feeling that he used to annoy the shit out of me. We're taking the Mercedes."

Trish gulped and her eyes brightened. "Dave's Mercedes?"

"One in the same."

"Well… hell. I guess I don't mind going, then. But, remember, I'm gonna do some shopping while we're in New York. We do have a photo shoot to get to. So, I'll shop, you'll look for Angel, and on Friday, we'll parade for the pervy photographers."

"Uh huh." Faith sighed and headed towards the door. Trish and Stephanie could believe what they wanted, but if she didn't have Angel in her possession by Thursday night, they would just have to make up an excuse for her because there was no way in hell that she was leaving the East Coast without Angel.


	3. Chapter 3

"Take a left. Now another. And… there you are! Bloody brilliant, pet. You know how to find your way around a parking garage."

Faith pulled up beside the black Cougar that Spike leaned against and groaned. The more she talked to him, the more she was positive that she hadn't liked him in her previous existence. Looking directly at his face, she didn't think that she would like him very much in this existence, either.

"I don't have time for your games, Spike." She rolled her eyes and sighed. As nice as the car was that Spike had driven, the one beside it was even more eyecatching. She stepped past him and ran her hands over the sleek paint job. "This is Angel's car," she said, her brow furrowing. She walked around to the driver's side and peeked in. "Did you find Angel with it?"

"Would I be spending my time with a Slayer if I had?" He groaned. "Champion with a soul I may be, but I'm still a vampire, luv, and fundamentally, you being anywhere near me is wrong. I'd rather be back with the lovely science bird who knows just what to do to make a bloke grin."

"If I even believed for half a second that Fred thought you were anything but a science project, I'd actually laugh at that. Come on, Spike, spill."

Spike glared at her, and it was very obvious that he didn't like the Slayer anymore than she liked him. Faith was curious, though, as to why he'd picked one Slayer over the other. He could have just as easily called Buffy to come look for Angel. Faith was sure she would have jetted right back across the sea to find him. Spike's story about it being Faith's fault, since she was the one he was visiting didn't really jive with her. Neither did the idea that Spike cared all that much that Angel was missing. More than likely, Fred and the others had badgered him until he went to look for their fearless leader. There was still a lot that Faith didn't know about the past, and Spike was a very big part of that.

Before Spike could toss a witty barb, or not-so-witty insult, Faith's way, a closing car door made his head turn. Trish ran her hands through her hair as she walked around both cars. She took a look at Spike, then turned to Faith. "Um, yeah, what's going on? Did he find Angel without us? Because if he did, I'll be really upset that I was torn away from my impending photo shoot to come to New York. As you well know, I'm not in the best of moods."

Faith groaned and told herself that she was not going to hurt her. It wasn't Trish's fault that she was thrown into a situation that she really had no experience in while her relationship went spinning out of control. No, it was Stephanie's fault, and unless there was a really big present waiting for her when she got back, Faith would save the slapping.

"Trish, please. Spike found his car, but didn't find Angel. We're still all stuck here together."

"Wonderful." Trish sighed and turned towards Spike. "You're… interesting." She leaned against the Jaguar and looked at him from head to toe, then back up. He was dressed in all black, and on most it would have looked like he was trying to be tough, but he just looked comfortable. She had to remember that he was a vampire and didn't feel the heat, because her first instinct was that he should have been burning up in that leather duster. "Spike, I presume."

He grinned. For a moment, his smile brightened into what both recognized as a fan's insane happiness, but it quickly disappeared back into a lazy grin. "Champion of champions, luv. The greatest vampire with a soul that you'll ever see."

"Well," Trish said with a giggle, "I doubt Angel would agree with that."

"Angel can kiss my ass." He groaned. "Angel only gets to play boss 'cause he got his soul before I got mine. Hell with him, I say. If Fred hadn't made me come out here and look for him…"

"Aw, does Spike not like Angel?" Trish giggled again and patted his arm. "It's okay. He is a bit of a stuffed shirt, isn't he?"

"That he is, luv." Spike's lips turned up in a grin as he pushed himself off of the car. "The lovely Trish Stratus." He winked. "Just in case you thought I didn't remember the name of the hottest bird to ever step into a wrestling ring."

"Aw, you do know me. You know, I was starting to think you didn't know who anybody was besides Hunter. I remember you asking Willow to get you an autograph and well, you could have at least asked for mine, too."

"Ah, but luv, remember, I was livin' in a kayfabe world. I didn't know I had my very own WWE diva, let alone a diva Slayer, with connections. This time, I'll be right sure to get your autograph, as well."

Faith looked between the two of them and glared. On the one hand, it was good that someone was getting along with Spike. She was pretty sure that she would end up arguing with him, as it were. She didn't need Trish and Spike going at it like heels and babyfaces every minute that they were together. However, they had other things to do that were more important than flirtations between vampire and diva.

"She's taken, Spike." Faith stood up and sighed. "And Spike isn't allowed to hit on my friends."

"Since when do you have friends and since when am I not allowed to hit on 'em?"

"Spike…"

"Fine, fine." Spike grumbled and pulled a squashed pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He shook one short white stick up and caught it with his lips. He pulled out a Zippo and flipped the lid back. He lit the cigarette, took a long drag, then removed the cigarette from his lips with two fingerse. "I could kick Orton's ass, though, and you know it."

"Yeah, yeah. We're not here for you two to flirt. And Trish knows that she's not about to cheat on Randy with a vampire?"

"She does?" Trish looked up from where her fingers walked up and down Spike's arm. "I mean, I do?" She waved smoke out of her face, then took a step back and sighed. "Alright, so maybe I do know. But, Randy flirts all the time, so there's no harm in me doing it. Besides, I'm mad at him right now and would rather talk to someone who appreciates me."

"Randy does appreciate you, alright? There are just problems. Everybody's got 'em and right now, we have bigger problems than what's going on in our wrestling world."

"Yeah, yeah. Angel's missing." Trish sighed and stood up straight. She figured she might as well at least try to be helpful. She knew that she wasn't going to be any good when it came down to a fight, especially if it were something more than one or two vampires that they had to deal with, but she had an eye for detail. She could put her Type A personality to good use and at least try to find something.

Trish walked over to Faith and bumped her to the side, then peered in the window. "Well, whatever took him got him after he got out of the car because the keys would have been in the ignition otherwise. And…" She squinted, then put her hands up as a shield to see inside better. "There's something in there," she said, standing up. "A paper with some handwriting on it. I don't know if it's a clue or not, but that's not for me to figure out. That's for you to figure out. Just like figuring out how you're going to get in this car. Me? I'm going shopping, so…"

Trish put out her hand and Faith looked at her for a second. Her fingers waggled and Faith shook her head. "Oh no! I'm not giving you the keys to Dave's car!"

"I've gotta get around, Faith. What do you think I'm gonna do, take the subway? Not likely. Besides, I'm shopping for both of us because even if we do find Angel in time to make it to the photo shoot, you won't have anything to wear, and I don't wanna hear Stephanie's voice. I'll just pick out things that I wouldn't wear, and that'll work for you."

"Ya know, you're gonna get on my nerves."

"Yes, I know. It's a talent." She shrugged. "But I still need to get around."

"Take Spike's car!"

"The hell she will!" Spike looked at Trish and shook his head. "Sorry, luv, but my car's got the special windows. A bloke'll burn right up without 'em. It's the Animal's car or none at all, and I don't think the Slayer here wants to have to worry about what would happen to her gorgeous friend on the subway."

Faith glared at Spike and growled. "I hate you." Reluctantly, she dropped the keys in Trish's hands. "You be careful with that. If you break Dave's car, he's gonna break me, and then I'll have to break you."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got my phone, so if you need me, call me. But, you're the Slayer, so I don't expect you to need me." Trish smiled and waved at her as she moved to the driver's side of the Mercedes. "Catch ya later," she said, sliding in.

Faith watched her pull off and sigh. The whole point of bringing Dave's car was to avoid riding next to Spike. Now, she was stuck in the very situation she didn't want to be in. Too much time alone with Spike could end up with one of them dead, and more than likely it would be the vampire. She didn't know what was worse. Spike's impending dissertation on how much better he was than Angel, or Spike and Trish spending an afternoon flirting with one another.

"Alright, we've gotta get in this car, and I've got a photo shoot to get to, so let's find Angel so I can get out of here, huh?"

"You. On a photo shoot." Spike let out a harsh laugh. "I can't believe the Devil's Slayer will be in my next Divas magazine. There's somethin' wrong with that, luv." Spike threw his cigarette to the ground and squashed it, then pulled out a set of keys. He moved to the door and started testing keys. "That bird's right daffy, sometimes, ya know that? But she's hot as hell, too."

"And she's got a kick that's taken more than one vamp's head off." Faith leaned back against Spike's Cougar and growled. "Now, hurry up and get this door open. I'd really like to find Angel sometime soon."

"So you can play on the beach?"

"So I can get the hell away from you."

"Ah, if we could only have our wishes, luv."


End file.

Buffy X-overs, Adventure