Cordelia's Rebound Girl

Author's note

This story takes place during season 3 of Buffy when both the characters and actresses were over 18.

***

Faith's POV

Man, what a waste of a perfectly good night. There are barely any vamps in this town, what am I even still doing here? Ok, stupid question, I know why I'm still here, but it's a total waste of time cause I know she ain't going for it. Been dropping hints for weeks so either she's not interested or she's blind, either way I should just hit the road and get out of here already. There ain't no happy ending for me here. But, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna stay, but I don't want to go either. God dammit sometimes I get so frustrated I just want to scream.

Yet just like that. Wait, that wasn't me, that was an actual scream.

Finally, maybe I'll get some action for once.

I start running fast in the direction of the scream.

Just before turning a corner into a back alley I silently plead, don't let it be a false alarm, don't let it be a false alarm, don't let it be a false alarm.

It isn't a false alarm.

As I ran into the alley I'm greeted by four daemons, who all turn their attention to me. As I approached, the one clutching the still screaming hottie is nice enough to let go of her and join his friends in charging at me.

I can't tell whether there saying something in some daemon language or their just snarling, but I don't really care. I don't know what type of daemons they are and I don't care about that either. I've been just itching for a good slay all night long and now I'm finally getting it.

The first one lunges at me but he was clumsy and I was easily able to avoid his blow and plunge my favourite knife deep into his chest. He's dead before he hits the floor.

Very disappointing.

Luckily his friends are more of a challenge. They even knocked me down at one point, that hasn't happened in months. Must be a little off my game from all this easy living.

I'm up before they can do any damage and after jumping right over one of their shoulders I stuck my knife in deep into the back of his head while still in mid air, using my momentum to cut the line from the back of his head down half his back in what must have been a painful death. Unfortunately this causes his weird assed green blood to spit out over me on the way down.

The third kill wasn't any cleaner. Right after pulling my knife from the second body one of the demons jumped me, grabbing my arms and pushing me downwards, his teeth going for my neck. To bad for him I tore my hands from his grasp and plunged my knife deep into his chest. This would have been fine except it was to late to stop the momentum and I ended up falling backwards, the son of a bitch's body falling on top of me. Pulling my knife from him I got even more blood on my top, which is just what I needed.

I heard another scream and I turned to see the last daemon running towards the hottie who it seems was too stupid to get out of here when she had the chance.

Pushing daemon number three off me I ran after the demon, catching up to him just as he grabbed the hottie by the neck, jumped up onto his back in the headlock position and used my blade to cut his throat. I almost laughed when the hottie screamed louder than ever when his blood sprayed her in the face. She should consider herself lucky he let her go and clutched at his throat during the last few seconds of life he had left rather than to tear her apart. I stabbed him in the chest one more time for good measure and he fell to the ground like deadweight.

God I needed that.

"What the hell did you do that for?" a familiar voice demanded.

"Cordelia." I said turning to Queen C herself Cordelia Chase, Sunnydale's resident rich bitch girl.

I'm so shocked to see her in this part of town I actually use her full name for once, and I almost never call people by their full names.

"God, do you have any idea how much this costs?" Queen C bitched, before glancing at my clothes and giving me this really snobby look, "No, I guess you wouldn't."

"Would you have preferred I let them eat you?" I asked, ignoring her comment.

C paused for a second, and then said, "Well you could have killed them without ruining my clothes."

"I'll try and remember that in future." I said, wiping my knife off on my jeans and putting it away before beginning to leave, "Don't save C unless you can save her clothes too."

"Hey, where you going?" C complained indignantly, "This is the part where you escort me home so nothing happens to me."

"Don't see how that's my problem." I said with a shrug, "You wanna go home, go home. Just try an avoid any shortcuts."

"I'm serious Faith, I need to get this gunck off me." C said.

I sighed, turned and looked at her. She did look quite the sight, Queen C with her face and top dripping with green daemon blood. It was actually quite funny, but I got the feeling if I just leave she'll follow me and bug me until I help her, and besides, I guess it would be the 'right' thing to do so I begrudgingly decide to help out, knowing I'm probably going to regret it.

"Got a shower back at my place." I stated.

"Your place, as in your place in that fleabag motel? I'd rather drop dead." C said in disgust.

"Well," I said, a wicked smile crossing my face, "We don't exactly know what that blood will do to you, but yeah, I guess that's possible."

C was silent for another second and then said, "Fine, lead the way."

Such wonderful gratitude, I thought sarcastically to myself as I turned and headed in the direction of my motel, C following close behind me.

Cordelia's POV

Well that was certainly a waste of a perfectly good evening.

I don't know what I was thinking spending my night in that dark and dingy run down hell-hole.

I'm surprised the Hellmouth wasn't based there instead of under the school library would have been much more approriote.

Why did I even go to that bar?

Don't say it.

Do not say it.

I know why.

I went there because I couldn't handle going to the bronze and possibly seeing Willow or Xander or for that matter any of my former friends or should I say followers like Harmony and co.

I still can't believe they didn't take me back immediately once I told them that I was Xander free AGAIN. But no they're still treating me as if I'm still with him. Well they'll see, I'll bounce back, I always do. I'm Cordelia Chase God dammit, and mark my words, Harmony and the rest of those sheep will be following me around like nothing ever happened in no time.

"Hey there sweet thing."

I suddenly hear a voice not too far behind me say which causes me to stop dead in my tracks.

I'm so not in the mood for this.

I slowly turn around and face who it is that just called me "Sweet Thing" determind to give him a piece of my mind.

However as soon as I have turned around the words get stuck in my throat due to the fact that the "he" in question isn't really a he.

He is more of an "it" and it isn't alone it has about three of it's friends with it.

This is another reason why I shouldn't have come into this part of town.

Because there are DEMONS!

I turn and go to run however as soon as I turn I feel big strong powerful arms grab me as if I am a Barbie doll.

My instinct takes over and I scream my head off as three of the four demons enter my line of vision and seround me.

I stop screaming my head off and simply look at them wondering what they are going to do to me.

Are they going to kill me?

Are they planning on sacrificing me? because I have had that happen to me before.

Or are they going to do something humanly evil and gang rape me?

As these questions run through my head I keep eye contact with the three demons in front of me struggling at least I feel like I am trying to struggle out of the grasp of the demon who has me in what feels like a vice grip hence the reason why I am not sure weather I am struggling or not.

All of a sudden the three demons in front of me turn their attention to something behind them.

I manage to see in between two of them a figure a short distance away walking towards us.

"Buffy."

I mentally say to myself with great relief.

All of a sudden I am freed from the vice like grip I was just in as the demon who had me in the grip turns his attention to the still unidenfied figure emerging from the shadows.

Part of me feels like telling them who it is however I decide to simply stay where I am and watch to see what happens even though a small part of me knows I should take the opportunity to run like the wind.

All of a sudden a four of the demons charge the unidenfied figure.

The first one the one that had me in the vice like grip lunges for her but clumsily misses as Buffy easily avoids his blow and plunge a knife deep into his chest.

"Wait a minute."

I mentally say to myself.

"Since when does Buffy use a knife on her patrols?"

I ask myself mentally.

"Maybe she has been hunting these demons and she needs the knife in order to slay them."

I sensibly mentally answer.

As I continue to watch Buffy get knocked down to the ground by the remaining three demons.

"An since when does Buffy where those types of clothes?"

I then mentally ask myself able to see clearly now her attire which isn't her usual slaying attire.

It's more something.

I suddenly stop and realise that my savior isn't my usual savior.

It isn't Buffy "The Vampire Slayer" Summers.

It's Faith "The Vampire Slayer" whatever her surname is!

I continue to watch not really sure why I am still standing here when what I should be doing is leaving and letting Faith get on with her slaying.

However for some reason I stay and continue to watch as Faith is back on her feet almost as soon as she hit's the ground jumps right over one of the demons shoulders and sticks her knife into the back of his head while still in mid air and uses her momentum to cut the line from the back of his head down half his back.

"Even I had to admit that was impressive."

I mentally say having never seen Buffy do something like that.

However something Faith evidently didn't count on due to the look on her face after it happens was for the demons blood to gush from the wound onto her.

However it just get's more "bloody" from there as the third demon jumps her from behind grabbing her arms and pushing her downwards his teeth going for her neck.

Part of me feels compelled to help her however for some reason I am rooted to the spot maybe it's fear I don't know but for some reason I can't move my body is as stiff as a board as I continue to watch as Faith tears her hands free of the third demon's grasp and plunges her knife deep into his chest.

Again she evidently wasn't expecting for the demon's blood to explode out of the wound and land on to her.

"You would think that being a Vampire Slayer for so long she would have learned. Vampires turn to dust. Demons bleed."

I mentally say to myself which causes me to smirk as I watch the now dead third demon fall on top of Faith.

I then turn my attention to the last demon who has now turned his attention from the fallen Slayer back to me.

I scream at the top of my voice again as the demon makes a run for me.

Why I am not running for my life is beyond me however my body still continues to respond to my brains commands.

Jesus I really have fallen to the bottom of the barrel.

If I was my old self I would either be running or trying to defend myself.

An yet here I am screaming for somebody else to save me and unfortunately for me the only one around to do the saving is Faith.

"Although she has done a good job so far."

I mentally tell myself a point which I can't argue with don't get me wrong I've seen Buffy in action and she can certainly kick some butt.

"Not that I would ever tell her of course."

I mentally say to myself.

However it just seems as though the slaying comes more naturally to Faith.

My thoughts quickly return to the present as I feel the demon's hand wrap it's self around my neck.

Luckily for me he isn't able to apply any pressure due to Faith managing to free herself from the death third demon and jump up onto this last demon's back and put him in a headlock and uses the knife to cut his throat.

I scream again at the top of my voice however this time it isn't out of fear it's out of shock as the top of my outfit is covered in green.......... blood I assume.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

I snap, Faith's previous good deed momentarily forgotten as I become furious that she ruined my clothes.

"Cordelia."

Faith says in shock as she turns around and faces me.

"God do you have any idea how much this costs?"

I ask her giving her a look up and down and checking out her cheap and skanky attire which is also covered in green blood, making her outfit look even worse, if that's possible.

"No. I guess you wouldn't."

"Would you have preferred I let them eat you?"

Faith asks me ignoring my remark which pisses me off even more due to the fact that I wanted her to respond to my remark like Buffy would have.

After a minute I think about what she has just said and although I really, really don't want to admit it out loud I do owe her my life.

"Well you could have killed them without ruining my clothes."

I tell her.

That was me thanking Faith by letting her know that I'm letting her off for ruining my clothes.

"I'll try and remember that in future."

Faith says wiping her green covered blade on her jeans and putting it away and once she has done that she begins to walk out of the ally.

"Don't save C unless you can save her clothes too."

Faith says as she continues on her way.

"Hey, where you going?"

I ask her.

"This is the part where you escort me home so nothing happens to me."

I tell her partly feeling like telling her that that is what Buffy would do however I'm not going to point it out and insult her, not until I've got her escorting me back home. I'm in the wrong part of town and even though I'm not going to say it out loud I do have to admit I would really, appreciate her help.

"Don't see how that's my problem."

Faith responds with a shrug still continuing on her way..

"You wanna go home, go home. Just try an avoid any shortcuts."

She adds.

"I'm serious Faith, I need to get this gunck off me."

I tell her looking down at my top wondering what the devil will get green demon's blood or whatever this is out of an expensive top like this one.

Faith finally stops turns around and looks at me.

"Got a shower back at my place."

She then says.

"Your place."

I say feeling sick to my stomach at even the suggestion that I go to her place.

"As in your place in that fleabag motel? I'd rather drop dead."

I tell her matter of factly.

"Well,"

Faith says smiling a ear to ear smile at me.

"We don't exactly know what that blood will do to you, but yeah, I guess that's possible."

She says.

I look back down at my top and think about the possibilities if this is not just demons blood but something worse.

"Fine lead the way."

I tell her.

Faith looks at me and then turns and heads out of the ally and I follow close behind figuring that if there are anymore nasties or big bad's lurking in the shadows they might think twice about attacking me if I stick close to A slayer.

To begin with neither me nor Faith say anything which I like due to me not having anything to talk to her about nor do I really want to talk to her.

I just want to get home go to bed and pretend like this night never happened.

I wish I could pretend that me and Xander never happened.

Eventually though given time I will be able to forget about him.

I will eventually get back to how I used to be.

I'll go back to being the old Cordelia Chase.

I'm awoken from my thoughts when I suddenly noticed out of the corner of my eye that Faith is looking at me with a weird expression on her face.

"What?"

I ask her a tad defencivly.

Faith simply rolls her eyes.

"I said what where you doing on this side of the tracks?"

Faith says and asks me at the same time.

"What's it to you?"

I ask her.

"It doesn't mean anything to me."

Faith tells me.

"I'm just trying to make the time go. An besides I don't like uncomfortable silences."

She adds as she turns her head and looks back at me while still walking straight ahead.

"Why aren't you at the Bronze with Xander and Willow and Buffy and the others?"

She asks me, the way she says Xander's and Willow's and Buffy's names it's almost as if she is taunting me with them. I don't know for sure whether or not Buffy has told her what happened and I don't really care, but I refuse to be talked down to by someone like Faith.

"Because I move in bigger social circles than those three."

I tell her defensively.

Faith sniggers as she turns her head back around and faces the direction she is going.

"What?"

I ask her wanting her to explain the snigger.

"How come you aren't at the Bronze in your bigger than Buffy and Xander and Willow social circle?"

Faith asks me.

On this question she has me however I think fast in order to try and stop her from thinking that she has me.

"I felt like a change of scenery."

Faith this time laughs.

"A demon bar."

She says.

"Nice change of scenary a really uptown place to hang out."

She adds.

"I was not at a demon bar!"

I snap at her willing to admit that the bar may have been seedy but that doesn't mean it was a demon bar it just means that it's the type of bar you expect to find on the bad side of town.

Faith looks at me with a amused expression on her face.

"Oh really."

She says.

"Then how do you explain the four dead bodies back in that alley way?"

She asks me.

I look at her stunned figuring out what she is saying in her own way.

"You mean those demons followed me all the way from the bar to that alley?"

I ask her in shock.

Faith simply looks me up and down.

"I don't know what type of demons those guys where. However I am pretty sure that they're hunting pattern doesn't revolve round random pick ups. They all seemed very interested in you. Like they had picked you out or something."

Faith says.

"Great."

I say instead.

"The only male attention I can get is either from a looser who cheats on me or a bunch of green blooded demons that want me for dinner."

I add.

"I knew this was about Xander."

Faith chuckled condescendingly.

This makes me angry. Not so much at Faith, but at myself for having let slip the true reason why I was in that, apparently, demon bar.

However despite the fact that I know I have been caught out a part of me refuses to give Faith the satisfaction of knowing the truth.

"This has nothing to do with Xander."

I tell her matter of factly.

"Whatever you say C."

Faith says as she turns her back on me with a confident smile on her face and walks away.

"However hanging around demon bars isn't the way to get over Xander or what he did to you."

Faith then says after a brief silence.

"Oh no."

I say acting like I'm not really interested in her opinion.

"Nope."

Faith says matter of factly.

"An I suppose you would know the best way to get back at Xander. That is if I wanted to."

I say to her doing my best to try and make it sound like I don't want to get back at Xander for what he did to me when deep down I really do.

"It's so obvious I would have thought anybody could have figured it out."

Faith says as she turns and looks back at me.

"Even you."

She adds.

I look back at her doing my best to control my anger towards her.

"Come on then oh knowledgeable one. What is or would be the best way for me to get over or back at Xander?"