Chapter 12: Shadows to the Wall

Uriah's breath flagged and she had to stop, centering herself before she could hone in on the Slayer's power echo. That bit of majick nearly drained her and she had to let go of her woman-shape to do so. Two blocks away, the Slayer's power pulsed and throbbed like a heartbeat.

With her demon side fully exposed, she felt stronger and the speed she'd indulged in earlier was back. Quick strides and she was in front of the glittery motel the Slayer was hiding out in. Gathering her muscles, she lunged to the second floor and scampered onto the balcony in front of the Slayer's room.

*****

"Shh..." Faith said as she stepped out of the bathroom fully clothed. Wesley stopped what he was doing and looked her up down, wondering what she was listening for.

"What?"

"There's something there...." She said, crossing the room and sliding the curtain that lay across the window to the side. "Well if it isn't our little party crasher."

Uriah smiled smugly at them through the glass, her black lips dripping with thick saliva, her purple eyes glowing in the midnight darkness. "Slayer." The demon said, her body sliding back into human form. Wesley recognized the pink hair and his breath caught in his throat as the sliced hands had a gun leveled at Faith.

"That's me. Are you going to use that thing, or what?" She asked nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared through the glass at the Sister.

A beat and then there was an explosion of power. The glass shattered inward as Uriah changed back into her demon form, the gun going off at the same time. Faith ducked the shot and rolled, hooking Wesley's legs with her own and pulling him down to the floor.

"Get us a car! Meet me in back of that nightclub across the street!" She screamed in his ear as she rolled by.

"Come back to me!" Wesley whispered to her; her gaze met his for a moment and she smiled, then nodded. He got up and crawled out of the front door, past the crouching, scaly demon, who had her eyes on Faith. He looked over his shoulder as he ran down the stairs, but her attention had turned back to the Sister, her eyes hard and her fists harder.

"You going to bring it on or what?" Faith asked the scaly, purple-eyed demon in front of her. Uriah threw the gun down and smiled an impossibly sharp smile. "So, you got teeth where your sister didn't, eh? Big damned deal."

Uriah snarled and launched herself at Faith; Faith swung her leg out, roundhousing her onto the bed. Uriah rolled off it and hit the wall, launching off of it with her powerful back legs. She landed smoothly on her feet and swiped at Faith. The Slayer jerked out of the way of her razor sharp claws and grabbed for the tall floor lamp, jabbing the end of it at the demon.

She knocked it out of Faith's hands and the Slayer grunted as her fingers stung from the blow. She threw a punch at Uriah and her fist cracked across the demon's scaly brow. Another kick followed and yet another punch, but the demon countered, knocking Faith backward through the shattered window.

Faith landed on the balcony outside and skittered across the pavement a few steps before her head slammed against the wrought-iron railing. She bit down on her tongue and tasted coppery blood; she spat it out and her fists rose in defense as the Sister jumped at her. One strong kick of her foot and the demon flew over the railing, landing on the hood of a car below them.

Faith leapt to her feet and jumped down after her, booted feet landing solidly on the roof of the car. "This is fun, ain't it?" She asked with a sneer, reaching for the demon's throat.

Uriah shifted back into her woman-shape, making her a smaller target. Faith missed her and Uriah kicked out her leg, knocking the Slayer off the roof of the car and onto the dry, cracked pavement of the parking lot.

Faith hit the ground and rolled, coming up on her feet and whirling, sensing the blow that was about to come. Her foot connected with the demon's hand and she heard a muffled cry as something snapped. She looked back over her shoulder at the glinting metal of a gun as it arched in the air and skittered across the parking lot.

"Lose your toy?"

"Got another." Uriah said, her human lips smiling despite the blood flowing from her teeth. She pulled another gun from the folds of her ripped clothing and pointed it at Faith. She had just enough warning to duck behind the ruined car before she fired.

Faith drew out the gun she'd taken from the demon earlier from its nest in the back of her boot, forgotten until now. She checked the clip and then rolled out from behind the bullet-riddled car and fired as she went. A lucky shot caught Uriah in the shoulder and the demon went down.
Faith took that moment to leap up and run as fast as she could, hearing a shot fired at her heels and grazing her own shoulder. She winced and kept going, dodging the cars that were milled in the street and heading for the nightclub.

She searched frantically for Wesley, but she didn't see him. She hazarded a glance behind her saw Uriah struggling to her feet. "Shit. Where are you Wes?" She hissed as she ducked into the nightclub, pushing past a group of ravers.

If the music was loud from outside, it was deafening in here and she was hit with waves of sound and bodies. Everywhere ravers dressed in brightly colored outfits waved glowsticks and danced out of sync to the beat. She rolled her eyes and went for the back exit, hoping to find an alleyway out of there. She hoped to whatever God was listening that Wesley was out there.

*****

Uriah was losing and she knew it. But still didn't mean she was giving up. Right shoulder uselessly hanging at her side, she used the only bit of power she had left to change back into her woman-shape. She watched the Slayer disappear into the crowded nightclub and knew she'd never have a chance of finding her if she looked like a demon. That meant she couldn't track her using her power echo. But some things couldn't be helped.

She crossed the street, hand pressed to the wound on her shoulder. She entered the club, her gun tucked in the folds of her shirt. Three shots left and it'd be useless. Three shots was all she needed.

*****

Faith peered into the darkness and found the back door, pushing a spiky-haired raver out of the way as she opened it. He screamed something at her, but she ignored him and entered the...crowded alleyway.

"Fuck! Damned ravers!" She cursed under her breath at the milling party goers making out in the "secluded" alleyway. She searched through crowd for some signs of Wes, but she didn't see him. But she did catch a familiar head of bright pink hair, burning violet eyes sweeping the crowd for her.

Faith started and ducked behind a tall guy dressed in leather, cutting off the stream of obscenities that spilled from her mouth. Uriah's burning eyes got closer and she looked for some escape route, desperation making her heart beat a million times a minute. And then, something grabbed her, pulling her back into a sheltered, heavily shadowed alcove under the catwalk that ran the side of the building.

"Shh..." Wesley's voice hissed in her ear and she relaxed in his arms. Wesley turned her, his arms still about her shoulders.

And suddenly, Uriah's blazing violet eyes shined into the darkness and Faith grabbed Wesley, her lips reaching for his. He was too surprised to move as she pushed him against the wall, her lips crushed to his. A second later, he responded, kissing her back fervently, his hands running back through her hair and turning her to the wall, so that the demon couldn't see her face.

Uriah smelled the sexual smell of the alcove and caught the glimpse of the two humans crushed against each other, just shadows to the wall, and her eyes slid over them. Not who she was looking for and she kept moving.

Faith watched her go out of the corner of her eye, half her mind on the hunt and the other half on the man pressed against her. She kissed him hard, that half of her mind fully reveling in the fact that her stuffy Watcher was a hell of a good kisser and he knew what to do with his tongue. A moment later though, he pulled back and let her go, leaving her feeling a bit...frustrated that the moment was over so soon.

"She's gone." He said breathlessly, running a hand trembling hand through his hair as he tried to avoid eye contact. She frowned and nodded, her hand rising to her lips to feel the moistness he had left behind. "We'd better follow her."

"Right." Faith said, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him out of the shadows and back into the throng of ravers. Across the crowd, she spotted Uriah disappear around a corner and she followed, Wesley a step behind.

They rounded the corner and Faith ducked, knowing the blow was coming before it was given. Wesley followed up behind her and short punched the demon in the face, knocking her down onto the dirty ground.

"You're like a cockroach!" Faith exclaimed, stepping into the alley and glaring down at her. Uriah's hand snaked to her shirt, shoulder protesting as she moved. Quick as lightning, the gun was brought out.

"Three bullets. One more than I need." Uriah spat, her form shifting once more. She fired before they could move, catching Faith on the shoulder once more. Blood sprang from the flesh wound and Faith smirked down at her.

"I said you were a lousy shot."

"Warning shot." Uriah said, leveling the gun at Wes. Faith saw what she planned on doing and she dived at her, wrestling the gun from the downed demon. Another shot rang off and Wesley ducked as it ricocheted off the brick walls.

"Wes!" Faith called, tossing the stolen gun at him. He caught it and kneeled, pressing the end of the pistol under Uriah's chin. Her form wavered once more and the true demon stared back at him.

"Where are your other sisters?" He asked in a cold voice, the cold metal pressed hard to her throat.

"I won't tell you. Kill me." She spat, staring at them with pure hatred in her demonic eyes.

"Gladly." Wesley said, a macabre smile stretching over his features. He pulled the trigger and winced as they were both splattered with demony bits.

"Nice shot." Faith remarked, letting the dead demon fall to the ground in a pulpy mess. "You think this one's dead?"

"I'm fairly sure she is. Not even a demon can survive getting their head blown off. I don't think." He said with a tilted head, appraising the bloody mess on the pavement before him.

"I think we should motor."

"I agree."

"Did you get us a ride?" She asked, pulling him out of the alley as he threw the gun down at Uriah's lifeless feet.

"Yes." He answered with a grin. "You're a bad influence on me, you know that?"

"Good; I'll make a bad boy of you yet." She said with a smile, sticking to the shadows against the wall. He chuckled and slunk alongside her.

"Perhaps, love. Perhaps."

*****

"I'm sorry Lorne, but I don't know what to tell you. I cannot read you and find out someone else's path." Aggie said, pushing chocolate brown braids from her face.

"But I have to know what went wrong. I was so sure!" Lorne pleaded, his red eyes intense as he stared at his friend. She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of coffee.

"Things aren't always set in stone. You used to know that better than anyone Lorne. You've gotten attached to these people haven't you?" Aggie said through slitted eyes, her smooth jaw set.

"Yes I have. They've been through a lot Aggie and this is going to kill them. I just don't...Wesley can't be dead. Faith wasn't supposed to do anything to him." He kicked Aggie's fern off its perch and scowled at the scattered dirt.

"Tell you what. I know someone who can help you out. He does soul-finding; I send all my clients to him if they're looking for a lost loved one. Works every time. He'll find your rogue Slayer for you." Aggie said as she fished into her desk and pulled out a card. He took it and thanked her with all his heart.

"Sorry about your fern." He called over his shoulder as he left.

Chapter 13

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