“Who said anything about being a potential?” the woman replied.

“Isn’t that why you’re here?” asked Kennedy from behind her.

Smirking… the woman responded. “I told you why I was here… to kick some ass. Some evil ass at that. Now…who are the slayers? I know there are two… Faith and…” she laughed a bit “Buffy? Is that right? A slayer named Buffy?”

“Yeah…that’s right.” Nobody had noticed that Buffy had returned to the house through the back door with Giles and Willow. She forced her way through the gaggle of girls to stand beside Faith in front of this apparently rude woman. “I’m Buffy. And you are?” Buffy asked with arms crossed.

The woman smiled… “You’re shorter than I thought you’d be. So if you are Buffy then that makes….” She turned her attention to Faith. “You… you must be Faith.”

“And we still don’t know who you are.” Said Faith starting to get annoyed.

“I’m sorry… I wanted to make sure I had the right people in front of me first.” Wiping her hand on her shirt she extended it to Faith. “I’m Tala.” She said as she took Faith’s hand in hers. Faith couldn’t help but feel a slight jolt at the strength and warmth in Tala’s hand. She was surprised at her reaction when Tala’s eyes met hers with a gleam that Faith had only seen in her own eyes after a good slay. ‘No way…she’s a chick! Get those thoughts out of your head.’ thought Faith.

“So…Tala… since I came in at the end of this conversation, why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what you want here.” Breaking her contact with Faith, Tala turned and extended her had to Buffy as well.

“I’m here to help with The First. I was in Belize and I received a call telling me to drop what I was doing and get up here as soon as possible to help…”

“Kick some evil ass,” Kennedy piped up. Tala turned and smiled at Kennedy making the girl blush with its warmth and suggestive nature.

“And just exactly how can you help us? You obviously aren’t a potential.” Buffy said slightly ticked off. ‘I wish she would just get to the point. I don’t have time for all this beat-around-the-bush stuff,’ she thought to herself.