Dominion
by Liz M
Rating: R

Disclaimer: BtVS, Angel, chars and show references belong to J.Whedon, Mutant Enemy, WB, UPN, etc.
Season: Post.
Notes: Takes place after 'Prey'. Faith steps forward to take her place and meets opposition.

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PROLOGUE

I'd been hunted, forced into running for my very life, a trophy for the sick to mount, stuff and hang on the wall, given over to them by one who'd been tricked, by one who'd rather believe the worst of me than to give in to what was meant to be.

I survived. The hunters didn't. I'd made peace with myself, come to terms with who and what I was, where I was meant to be and finally stood up for myself and paved the way for my future.

With time on my side, new training and finally a sense of belonging I still wasn't ready to step forward and claim my place but… I didn't have a choice, my once hero and my biggest failure was forcing my hand. I had to go, had to stop the new government before all was lost, before we slayers became a dying breed… or worse, someone's bitch.

3 months later.

"Any news on Angel?" Oz asked as he came into our home base.

I shook my head no, sighed and looked down. I thumbed through a few files, thinking back to an earlier time. We'd finally settled in after the big hunt, just relaxing, taking in odd jobs, healing, dealing, the usual stuff right.

Anyway, Spike returns from his trip to Rome, crying and slobbering over Buffy. She'd started up with some 'thing' calling himself the immortal. Some kind of living, breathing, thing that'd been walking around, watching humans and messing with the natural order of things. If you ask my opinion, he was just another walking talking corpse.

I listened to Spike and Angel from afar, each trying to deal with the hurt in their own way. I got to tell you, it burned. It dug right into my core. I mean, I felt the pull towards her and I know she felt the pull right back… and still she kept choosing dead guy after dead guy…instead of choosing me.

Did I want her after these creatures had touched her, well yeah I kinda did. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was pretty much gonna boil her in water before I got down and dirty with her… but I was miles off from that goal.

Even an ocean apart and she still drove me nuts. Dead or dumb… that's how she liked her guys. Good thing she liked her girls, hot, brunette and stacked… cause I certainly don't fall into the dead or dumb category… well…I'm pretty much dumb around her…always made the shit choice I did. I'm hoping to change my odds on that one though.

In the here and now, the A team consists of me, Oz and Illyria. Angel took a powder. He disappeared about 3 weeks ago. I looked all over, couldn't find him…then I looked for Spike, who'd disappeared too.

Did I know for sure where they went? No. Did I feel where they were? Yeah…and that's what scared me. I was feeling waves or something off the slayer line. I wasn't feeling Buffy…it was from the newly called line of slayers.

Something was going on, something was about to happen and I couldn't really place my finger on it yet. Buffy was blocking my connection to her or something else was blocking me from her….either or, I didn't like it and I sure as hell didn't trust it.

I picked out a few strong slayers and connected to them, getting a bead on what was happening…but even so, interpreting the dreams wasn't always so easy.

My feelings of unease and unrest grew, building up inside me, haunting me, making my blood and heart run rampant, making me sweat and dread what was to come.

My mind, my feelings, called out to me to go, to stop what was happening, to end it before it was too late.

I called Oz and Illyria, told them I was going to Rome, asked them if they wanted to come. They declined, but said they'd be there if I needed them, told me that they felt a strange shift of power too and that I needed to hurry and to watch my back.

I hugged Illyria, and took joy in her confusion. I smiled as I hugged Oz, and shuddered at his whispered words. "The enemy is always closest to you." I nodded, dreading just who my enemy was, or worrying that my enemy would turn out to be the one I not so secretly wanted.

I got on a flight under a false name and flew unannounced to Rome. I'd called ahead to Kennedy, begged her into secrecy from the scoobs or any of the other slayers. She promised she'd tell no one of my arrival and meet me privately at the airport and I was hoping she'd be good to her word. I just hope that Red didn't suss her out.

We arrived under cover and stayed quiet. I couldn't really tell Ken what was up, cause I really didn't know myself. I donned a hooded jacket, pulled the hood over my head and casually strolled into the middle of an already set in motion meeting.

The newly slayers, moved away from me, giving me room, parting the big parquet floor like the red sea. It was as if they felt the waves roll off of me and parted. I eased into the middle of the room and looked up to the podium, to the big table at the center, looking like some kind of table from the King Arthur era. I had to suppress a laugh, at least until I got a look and a feel for who was sitting in positions of honor. Giles, Red, Angel, Spike and some other guy, but even though I didn't know, I knew…. It was the new guy, that immortal, whatever the hell his name was. He had a different feel to him and I was wary of it.

I finally shook off my stupor as I realized what B was up there spouting off. My mouth fell open slightly and my brow furrowed slightly and I started to get pissed. She was starting a new council and I didn't really have a problem with a new council, it was more along the lines of who she wanted ruling over the newly called, line of slayers… and that was a huge problem… cause there was no fucking way I'd just stand by and let that happen.

I watched as she waved her hand towards the new council, the one she had planned on and I pushed my way forward. She was just about to induct them, or set things in motion by introducing them. I pushed harder through the crowd, the slayers moving out of my way at an alarming speed. She started to introduce the first inductee into the limelight.

I sucked in a deep breath and bellowed loudly for all to hear. "No!" My voice echoed through the meeting area, causing everyone to part further and become deathly quiet.

I peeled off the hood and ripped off the jacket, throwing it to the floor and glared up at Buffy. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see that Angel, Spike and the new guy had stood up, readying themselves for a fight.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I stared up at her and she stared down at me. I stepped forward, my face red with anger, my teeth gritted together in fury. "No demon will hold sway over the line of slayers." I ground out flatly.

She started to speak. "No demon will ever rule over the slayer nation!" I stated louder, my voice rang through the room.

"You don't understand." She said, trying to deflate the situation.

"I understand enough." I spat back. "You don't understand. They will not hold council over us." I pointed back and forth between us, adding. "Or over them." I waved my arm in the direction of new slayers.

"Ahem." Giles stepped forward, getting our attention. "Perhaps you two should convene somewhere privately."

I looked up at Giles, looked deeply into his eyes. "This meeting is over." I said. "How could you allow?" I questioned. He lowered his eyes and I continued. "Is your love for her so great that you'd sit back, keep your mouth shut and allow everything to fall to hell?" He took a cautious glance toward Buffy and it only infuriated me more. "You know it's wrong. Right?" I yelled. He nodded yes, turned and walked away.

Angel moved towards me, trying to act all civil and concerned. "Faith, once we've explained…"

I cut him off. "Oh shut up… I don't want any of your explanations. If it were all on the up and up, there wouldn't have been so much secrecy about it. You'd of let your team know where you were and what was up… so don't play me. I'm not into you, your kind and I'm not as gullible."

He stepped closer to me. "I wouldn't." I warned. "I'm taking you as a threat right now… so back off."

The slayers were all lagging behind, not wanting to miss anything. That new guy stepped forward, strolling up behind Buffy, looking at me.

"And you are?" I questioned.

"I am The Immortal." He offered, adding. "The decision's already been made, you're just prolonging it." He smiled at me.

"The Immortal?" I questioned, laughing in his face. I looked to B. "You ever wonder why all these dead guys keep coming after you? Huh? Do you attract the dead? Do you like dead men? You should open up your eyes, close your legs and let the blood flow back into your brain."

Okay that got her. She squinted up her eyes and glared at me. "They're good men Faith." She growled out.

"No!" I screamed. "They used to be men but they died. Now all they are is walking, talking, reanimated corpses being driven around by a demon, you take out the demon and all you have is dust."

She looked at me. "You know I'm right. Somewhere in that mind of yours, you know I'm right." She looked down at the floor. I stepped forward. "You need to quit lying to yourself Buffy. You always say they're good men but the truth is they're not men anymore… They used to be men, now they're demons. You just tell yourself that they're men to make yourself feel better about what you've let them do to you." I looked up into her eyes. "It's time to wake up and quit pretending."

Spike moved forward threateningly. "Make a move and you'll be blowing in the wind." I stated calmly.

"Stop." Buffy moved forward. "Stop it now." She pushed her way between us, trying to defuse the situation. She looked at me, trying to avoid another outburst. "Can we go somewhere and talk." She asked lowly, not wanting any more newbies to see the dissention. I nodded and followed behind her, wary of the dead behind me. I turned and eyed them, casually stating the facts.

"You won't rule over us." And then I walked through the door, following behind Buffy, my gut eating away at my insides, threatening to spill.

She went into a room off to the side, waited for me to enter and silently closed the door behind us.

We silently stared at each other, until she ran her fingers through her hair and took in a deep breath.

She looked up at me again and sighed. "I'm trying to do what's best for all of us here, Faith." She walked over to the window and peered out. "Alain has the funds needed to make all of our jobs easier."

I stepped forward. "That the new dead guy?" I asked.

She sighed. "He's not dead…. He's …."

"What B? He's what?" I sighed, trying to back down my anger. "He a God?" I waited for an answer, not receiving one I continued. "What is he really then, if not dead? He's either a God or a dead man, walking around with a demon stuffed up his ass." I glared at her. "Wake up and smell the decomposition."

She looked up at me abruptly, defiantly. "Yeah, that's right, I said it and you know what…. I meant it." I nodded at her. She started to get angry but suddenly became sullen and looked down at the floor.

I walked closer, getting her attention. "B." I waited for her to look at me. "I can hardly feel our connection anymore." I paused trying to put things into context, make myself understood. "You used to be such a strong current flowing through me. When I was first called I felt you everywhere, then it dulled just a bit but it was still there, when we closed the hell mouth, you were still there, only more sullen, different, barely audible but still there… and now… now I don't feel you at all… it's like our connection's been severed… you feel off, like you've changed."

"I haven't changed. I'm still me." She stated.

"Maybe not on the outside… but on the inside, you've changed. I can feel the difference. You've tainted yourself B… let them put their evil inside of you, and you need to fix it while there's still time."

She laughed at me. "I guess you'd know all about letting evil inside, huh?"

I looked at her and nodded, allowing a slight smirk to grace my features. "I know about siding with evil, but I never spread my legs and let it crawl up inside of me."

She looked up at me, offended, angry. I raised my hands up in placation. "Hear me out, okay." I looked into her eyes. She relented.

"You need to keep what we say private, don't tell them, I'm not sure what's going on but you have to know that it just doesn't add up."

She shook her head, asking. "What doesn't add up?"

I paced a bit. "Any of it. Think about it. What are the odds that in one's lifetime you'd have three lovers…. All of them dead and they all end up about to be granted rulership over the line of slayers. All in one place, at the same time and you, setting them up on their newly found throne of power." I looked at her.

"I didn't really think of it like that." She said lowly, her brow furrowed.

"Yeah, well think on it real hard, cause you're not only playing with my life here… but the whole slayer line. Something's not right here." I looked at her. "You have to feel it?" I almost questioned. "And what's with Giles being all placating? It's like he doesn't want to say anything… What's he got to worry about? You?" I looked hard at her, her downcast eyes told the tale. I shook my head. "No… say it ain't so." I ran my hand through my hair and looked back up at her. "You chose those … 'good men'…. Over the man that's practically raised you and Dawn?"

She breathed in deeply and glared at me. "You don't know what you're talking about Faith, best just to keep your mouth shut." She folded her arms over her chest, a firm indication of her stubbornness. I forced myself not to let loose the howls of sarcastic laughter that were just dying to break through.

"You can't put them in charge, B." I glared right back at her.

"I'm doing what's best for the line. It's done, you can't stop it." She stated flatly.

I did finally let a gasp of laughter slip out. "Like hell I can't."

She stepped towards me, threatening me with her posture. "Don't you dare make any waves here."

I stepped forward. "Or what…. You gonna kill me? Huh? Or are your dead guys gonna do it for you?"

She laughed but I saw a glimmer of doubt cross her features, she recovered her composure. "We'll leave the killing up to you."

I nodded at her. "You keep telling yourself that. Make up any kind of lie you want to help you sleep at night." I stepped forward and drove my index finger into her chest, tapping against the flesh with each spoken word. "Cause I'm gonna make trouble and you're the one that's gonna have to make up the lies to cover my disappearance and death."

I stepped back from her. "Just think, all this time you've made me feel like such a shit… and now… now you're about to make me a martyr." I smiled, backed away from her, adding. "Remember that old saying. When you dance with the devil, you don't change the devil, the devil changes you?" She stared at me blankly. "How bout, keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

I grabbed the doorknob, turning it, opening the door. "Are you keeping them close or are they keeping you?" I stepped through the door and closed the door behind me. I peered around the hallway, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and wide open. I glanced around one last time, and quickly made my way out of the hallway and up the back stairs, searching out Giles.

Surely he'd know what the hell was going on. The big question was… would he tell me? Would he betray the girl he loved like a daughter.

It's time to find out.

PART 1

I eased into another corridor and looked up a vast, narrow staircase. A door closed somewhere behind me, footsteps echoed. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I went upwards, taking the steps two at a time, not really wanting to see what could be coming after me. The only thing I knew was that I was feeling creeped out… and I'd learned and seen enough in my time to know that when your guts says to go… you go and you go fast, without looking back.

The footsteps grew closer, faster, echoing all through my head. I turned ran through a door and up another flight of stairs, the passageway growing tighter with each upwards step.

I was grabbed from behind, stopped in mid-flight. I swung around, ready to fight, gasping out of the build of adrenaline that was suddenly overflowing. Fight or flight and I was ready either way. "What's wrong with you?" Buffy asked. "Why are you running?"

I looked at her disbelievingly. "Something's really wrong here." I stated, out of breath. "Don't you feel it?" I looked at her and looked around the stairwell. "Don't you feel me anymore? Can't you feel it? Something's here, surrounding us, watching us."

She looked around, listening, shook her head no and looked back at me. I shook my head at her. "Then you're a fool…cause you don't even know when you're drowning."

"You're just paranoid." She offered as she continued to look around, listening to our surroundings.

I touched her hand, asking. "No one's said anything? Made any kind of comment, voiced any type of opinion?" She looked up at me. I asked again. "No one?"

She licked her lips, her voice automatically going to a lower level. "A few of the new girls mentioned something feeling off and they were scared."

I furrowed my brow. "The new girls?" I almost laughed. "You should be telling them, training them and here they are, trying to let you know that something's wrong."

She sighed. "I don't think anything 'is' wrong here. You're acting as if you're losing it."

I nodded and looked at her hard, trying to read into her emotions or lack of. "That would be the easy answer to all of this wouldn't it?" She looked at me blankly, so I continued. "It'd be easier to swallow if that's all this was… me losing it… its always easier if its about me and me taking what I've got coming to me…but when it's you or yours… well it's not so easy to dispense justice then… is it?" I asked lowly, waiting for an answer.

She ignored the question and blew out an aggravated breath. "Tell me then…what is it that you think is going on?"

I looked at her pointedly. "If I told you what I thought, would you tell the others? Would you betray me?"

"I've never betrayed you Faith." She stated.

"Never?" I asked and watched as she lowered her eyes.

I grasped her shoulders, shook her slightly and made her look at me. "You're blind B. When it comes to me, you've always turned a blind eye. It made it easier for you and that's what it comes down to with you. You always take the easy way out."

She pushed my hands off of her, pushed me back. "Easy? I take the easy way out? I've never chose the easy way out of anything. My life, everything has been one big ball of chaos, hurt and loss… and… and you have the nerve to call it easy."

"Yeah… I do." I spoke softly. "I'm not saying that what you've went through wasn't ever hard or heartbreaking… cause I know it was… but when it came to me… you chose always chose the easy way… the higher road; Always, at my expense, at my pain, at my loss. You never, ever, once chose me or put me before any demon… you always put my life, my feelings below them, stomping on them and making me feel like nothing."

She looked up at me, not wanting me to continue. "Why do you do this Faith? Why? Why do you always make this rift between us about that?"

"Because… everything that happens between us, good or bad, always has something to do with our past, it leads us, makes us act certain ways, and pushes us to behave the way we do now."

She looked down at the floor, silent.

I forced the tears back in my eyes. "I was just a kid. Alone, scared. I fucked up and you… you just threw me away." I wiped a stray tear that had fallen. "I didn't understand and I reacted badly. I thought I meant something to you, to them. I learned different" I looked back up into her eyes. "The truth's a real bitch." I said lowly.

"I was just a kid too. You think I meant for that to happen between us?" She asked, biting her lip. "I didn't mean to abandon you. I didn't mean to leave you all alone. We never should have left you alone." She stated lowly, tears starting to build up in her eyes.

"You killed me in more ways than one and you still do." I whispered and turned to leave her. She put her hand on my arm and I jerked my arm out of her grasp and continued up the staircase, leaving her staring after me, my tears flowing freely and my heart breaking, again.

I heard her sigh behind me, then follow in behind me. She touched my back, not trying to grab hold of me, just get my attention. "Faith…" She whispered. I turned and looked at her. "This way." She pointed and waited for me to agree or say something but I just looked at her. "You were looking for Giles, right?" I nodded and watched as she looked at me, nodding back. "His room is this way." She reached out, took my hand and lead me back down the stairs and out into another corridor, along the hallway, through a library and up to a door. She knocked and we waited.

The door groaned as it opened and Giles peered out at us. He pushed the door open the rest of the way. "Come in." He gestured us through and gently closed and secured the door behind us. The lock clicked and I startled, turned and looked at the door. "I'm no threat." He stated flatly, turned and walked further into his room, gesturing for us to sit. I walked over and gingerly sat down and looked up at him. "Would you like a drink?" He asked.

I nodded no. He nodded at me as if he were reading my every thought, eased his way over and sat down, looking at me, waiting for me to start with the twenty questions. I looked at him and voiced the only thing that came to mind. "Why?" I questioned. He looked up at me pointedly, sighed and lowered his eyes.

He got up and poured himself a drink, taking a huge swallow, relaxed into the burn and faced me. "You have to understand Faith, Buffy and Dawn are my family, my only family and truth be told, I don't want to lose them and it's been made very clear to me that I make no choices, no decisions, that I'm not needed in any capacity beyond that of a parent… and if I can't abide by that… well then… I'm not needed in any capacity." He looked down while I took a hard look at B.

I shook off my anger, still glaring at B. "So you blackmailed him?" I asked her, my voice full of venom. "Keep your mouth shut and you can stay around or you can just go to hell with the rest of those who don't matter?" I stood up, anger flowing rampantly. "Is that it? Huh?" I walked closer to her. "Tell me B. Is this what you've become? Is this all you're about?"

She stood up, glaring back at me. "I didn't mean it the way it sounds." She glanced over at Giles, feeling guilty. It was the why's of the guilt that was eating away at me though. Was she feeling guilty because she was wrong or was she feeling guilty because someone found out?

"Faith." Giles intervened, calming me. "Do sit down and lets discuss this rationally."

Buffy gasped, looking back and forth between Giles and me. "What's to discuss? There's nothing wrong." She protested, adding. "I'm doing what's best for the line."

Giles slammed his hand down on the table, his drink spilling forth and running over the wood. "No." He spat out. "You're doing what's best for 'them'…" He hesitated slightly, before adding. "And what's easiest for you."

She stood in front of him defiantly. "You agree with Faith?" She asked, waiting for a response that wouldn't come. Her mouth fell open slightly in shock. "There's nothing wrong. I haven't changed. I've hardened, yeah, but I had to make those changes, just to be able to do the jobs that I've been faced with." She looked at me, and then turned back to Giles. "There's nothing wrong with me." She stated again.

He took another swallow of his drink and looked into the glass afterwards, muttering. "Then you won't mind going through a purification ritual… just to prove your point?" He stated more than asked, watching as she stepped closer to him. "And." He waited, drawing her attention back to him. "You'll keep it just between us, possibly Willow and no one else?" He added onto the challenge.

"If that's what it takes to prove to both of you, that things are on the up and up; then, yes." She turned and looked at me. "And when I prove that I'm right…" She hesitated as if making a point. "Then I want you to back off and quit with all the accusations."

I laughed, appalled at her candor. "Not gonna happen B." I stood up, smirk still in place. "But I'll tell you how it's gonna play out… just so you know." I crossed my arms over my chest, placing my body weight on one foot and looked deeply into her eyes. "Either way, right or wrong, these girls won't be ruled by them. If you're so dead set that they're in control, I'll tell you what." I put myself into a ready stance unconsciously, continuing to look at her. "You stay with them and any of the newbies that wanna stay and follow the dead can. I won't interfere…but the others, those that don't want to be lead by a bunch of demons, well they can go with me… and I'll fight for their right to choose… to the death if need be."

She smiled. "You threatening me?" She asked, stepping closer. "You never could beat me, try and you'll go down."

I laughed, mocking her. "I never really tried to beat you and I've already been…" I looked her up and down, arching a brow, adding. "Down." I licked my finger slowly, leering at her.

She tried to glare at me, tried to back down the blush creeping over her features. I could see she was remembering the body swap. I smiled, continuing to look at her. Giles cleared his throat. I turned, fixing to leave them, casually throwing words back at them before I exited. "Trust me… regardless of what you may think about yourself…. You're not all that."

I smiled back at her, noticing that her face was full of fury. I grasped the door handle and opened the door. She grabbed up a glass and flung it at the door, missing me by a foot or two. I smiled at her again and winked closing the door, listening to her as she threw a fit inside the room.

I turned to go and froze, listening to my surroundings. I heard a whoosh, and jerked my head to the side. Something hit against the wood door, splintering the wood. I looked around frantically for somewhere to go. There was nowhere. I looked back to the door, now riddled with holes and dove for the door. I grimaced, holding back the hiss as my arm was punctured. I opened the door, fell inside and slammed the door shut with my foot.

I felt B moving towards me fast. "What…" Her words died off instantly and she froze in place.

"Gun." I shouted to Giles, who looked stupefied. I guess he noticed the red running down my arm, cause he finally moved to retrieve some kind of revolver, I don't know from the 1800's. I leaned back against the wall, eyeing the weapon. "Don't you have anything current?" I questioned.

"I… I, no, I don't." He confessed. "What's going on?" He questioned.

"Waves." I answered, looking at B. "Believe me now?"

She nodded her head no, disbelieving. "No… why would someone attack you. It makes no sense." She stated, nodding her head no.

"Really." I shot back, adding. "You might be in charge B, but you don't hold the line. I do. What better way of ensuring that you stay in charge than by offing me. I'm the only threat to the demons taking control of the slayer nation." I watched her face for a reaction. "Think about it, come on… I'm the only one that can threaten their hold. Without me, you'll follow blindly, just like you've been doing and the rest will follow you."

I looked to Giles for confirmation, for him to agree with me, to voice something but he remained quiet. I sighed. "Haven't you ever heard of the blind leading the blind?"

I became angry. "You're acting just like I did when I messed up my entire life, and the lives of you and your friends." I shouted. "I listened to others, didn't think for myself and went into battles half cocked and half aware of what was really happening."

I grabbed my arm, trying to stop the flow of blood. I eased closer to B. "If nothing else… at least learn from my mistakes. Don't make the same one's that I did."

She looked up into my eyes. "What was your biggest mistake?" She asked me.

I stood up to my full height and looked directly into her eyes. "Denial." I stated lowly.

She looked up at me, her brows furrowing in confusion. I sighed and looked her dead in the eyes. "I lied to myself… about you, about everything… told myself so many lies to make sense out of confusion…. So much so that I started to believe them."

She stared back at me, her eyes boring into mine, hunting for truth, trust and reason. "What lie did you make up about me?" She asked.

I smiled and looked down, breathed in deeply and faced her again. "You were all that, and a bag of chips."

She stared into my eyes.

"Good lord." Giles exclaimed, adding. "No wonder the world is riddled with homosexual men, it's because of women like you… you're enough to turn the entire world gay."

We smiled at him, momentarily before we realized that I was still bleeding like a stuck pig. "Oh, yes." Giles stated, before heading to retrieve a first aid kit.

I looked at Buffy, who half smiled as she looked up at me. "All that and a bag of chips, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah." I breathed out. "Salt and vinegar."

I smiled as she hardened her eyes.

PART 2

I tried to relax while Giles tended to my arm but I just couldn't. I looked at the old relic he'd give me to fight with and looked back up at him. "This is all you had?" I questioned, disbelievingly. He cleared his throat and went back to dressing my wound.

I looked over at B, who was pacing back and forth, glancing at me from time to time. She finally stopped, looked directly at me and asked. "What do you want? Really? What will it take for you to just go back to the States?" She looked at me again, waiting.

"You want me gone?" I questioned looking back up at her, continuing, not giving her a chance to answer my rhetorical question. "Well… how bout, you give the newbies a chance to make their own decisions? You tell the deal, the whole nasty deal and let them decide. Those who want to stay with you can, they can spend their whole lives doing the dirty work for those demons or they can separate from you and them and be all that they can be." I looked back up at her, challenging, adding. "How bout that?"

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "What are you… pro Army now?"

"Are you pro demon?" I shot back.

"Can we not do this?" She asked, becoming angry.

"I don't know? Can you shut up?" I questioned. She glared, stepped forward and moved towards me quickly. "Guess not." I muttered.

"Can you two not do this?" Giles asked, becoming frustrated.

Buffy continued towards me. Giles sighed out, in exasperation. "I refuse to watch this barbaric pissing contest." I watched as he exited the room, leaving us behind.

She drew back her fist and thrust it forwards, hitting me square on the jaw. My head racked backwards from the impact, and I turned my head back towards her abruptly and stood up, glaring, features etched in stone. "I really didn't want to fight with you on this." I stated lowly. She looked at the blood now staining my lips and lowered her eyes, sighing, ashamed.

"I know… me either. I just feel so threatened by you." She sighed.

She tried to step away but I touched her arm. "Look, I don't want your position, okay, you can be top dog, I couldn't give a shit about that… it's not about who gets to lead, you want it, I don't… it's as simple as that… it's about doing what's right for the line, not what's easiest. I get that you're tired, I get that you want a life, a normal life… but not at their expense, please."

She nodded up at me, tired, wary. "Look, I know you're right. It should be a council ran by the slayers, for the slayers… I know, I get that… I don't know why I just gave in." She stated, shaking her head.

"Who wanted it?" I questioned.

She furrowed her brow, thinking. "You know… I'm not really sure who mentioned it. I guess I did." She looked into my eyes, slowly bringing her fingers up to touch my busted lip. She traced the small cut. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

I nodded and pulled out something from my pocket. "We're alone, right?"

"Yeah." She nodded, looking at me quizzically. "No camera's, no watchful eye of whatever?" I smiled, easing the tension. She nodded no, looking around.

I went over to the wet bar, got a couple glasses, dumped the contents of the bag into the glasses and added water. I mixed the drinks and walked over to her. "Just between us." I said as I carried the drinks over to her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's something that will cleanse our minds, bodies and spirits." I stated, adding. "It'll have no affect if yours or mine is clear."

She looked up at me, asking. "And if it's not clear?"

"Then you'll feel heavy, maybe like something's being pulled away from you… but it'll pass and all that'll be left is us, just us, no strings, nothing but us." I looked deeply into her eyes and downed the liquid. She looked at me hesitating. "I've got nothing to be scared of." I stated, arching a brow, challenging her. She raised the glass to her lips and drank.

"I thought we were gonna let Willow do this." She stated. "And I thought we were gonna keep it between us." I answered.

She looked at me; a thin line of perspiration was now covering her lip and nodded. I took in a shaky breath, feeling my own affects. We locked eyes and grasped each other's hands, falling down onto our knees, breathing heavily.

"What was that?" She asked, closing her eyes, slowly leaning towards me.

"A little magic." I whispered, leaning against her before crumpling to the floor.

We woke up to loud banging on the door. "Buffy! Buffy, are you all right? Open the door."

I slowly pushed myself up off the floor and stumbled. I rubbed my head and took a few deep breaths.

"Faith?" She questioned.

I could only grunt in response. Next thing I know, I'm pulled towards the window. She points and I follow her line of site. "See that path." She asks. I nod and stare out the window, still confused, rubbing my head.

She grabs my face and looks into my clouded eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked, worriedly.

"Memories, lots." I whispered, rubbing my temple. She pointed back out the window, making me look.

"The path, see it." I nodded. "Follow it. There's a place about a mile in… I'll meet you there later." I nod, and exit clumsily through the window, the banging on the door getting louder and louder. I drop to the ground, fall, stumble to my feet and take off running for the path.

B (pov)

I watched Faith hit the ground and stumble onto her feet. I took in a deep breath and that's when I felt it. Her. She was flowing through me, strong, deep, and then I felt the faint lines of the newly called. I breathed outward and relished the power.

The door finally gave way. It cracked and bashed back against the wall. I turned and saw Angel, Spike and Alain, each coming through the door, weapons in hand.

"Where is she?" Angel growled out.

I looked up at him, confused like and shook my head. "What? What are you talking about?" I asked.

They stepped towards me, causing me to take a hesitant step back. "What did she do?" Spike asked, continuously moving forward. I continued to stare at them, shaking my head slowly back and forth.

"She didn't do anything. She's going to leave. There's not gonna be any fighting." I said, trying to deflate the ill feelings.

"Really?" Alain questioned.

I nodded. "Yeah, the slayers that want to stay with us can and those that don't… well they'll go with her." I looked at them again, slowly becoming more and more lucid. "No muss, no fuss." I stated, watching them.

"She won't take any of our girls, you can bank on that." Alain looked up at me, almost promising. "I'll see to it."

His words caught my attention and not in a good way. I looked up abruptly at them, the glamour fading and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. "They're not your girls." I stated, annoyed. They each looked at me in shock. I tried to play it off, so I moved closer to them and that's when it hit me. The stench of death and decay, it came off of them, subtly but surely. Oh my God… I'm gonna be sick. I ran for the bathroom and threw up in the basin. I couldn't help it; I felt so… I didn't have words to describe how I felt… I was just at a loss. I splashed cool water over my face and steeled my resolve. I took a few deep breaths and walked back out to face them.

"You okay?" Angel questioned. I nodded, looking directly at Angel, asking.

"Can I talk to you privately?" He nodded.

We waited patiently as the other two left hesitantly. I pushed the door to and unconsciously rubbed my upset stomach. "You're sure you're okay?" He questioned, moving closer to take my hand. I nodded and stepped back, taking my hand with me. I looked at him.

"Faith?" I hesitated, stood still and finally looked Angel in the eyes. "You're like a brother to her, right?" He nodded, agreeing. "Why'd you just up and leave her, your group, without so much as a word?"

He stepped forward. "You or them… not really a choice." He stated, still looking intently into my eyes.

"Is that really it?" I questioned, getting angry, adding. "Or is it more that I'm easy pickens?" I started pacing, watching him out of the corner of my eyes. "She wouldn't go along with you, would she?"

"What?" Angel stated, confused.

I stopped abruptly and faced him down. "She wouldn't follow you…. Would she?"

He stared at me in shock.

"Would she?" I asked, louder than I intended.

His eyes hardened. "She's not as trusting as she used to be. You killed her trust, she's just now starting to get it back." He stepped closer, anger now fueling his words. "Is that what you want to hear. Huh? Does it make you feel any better? Any worse?

He walked closer; grasping my shoulders with both hands and shook me slightly, his voice echoing off the walls. "Do you want me to say it?" He smiled at me, shoving me backwards. "I'm the one that helped her live again. Not you… she doesn't trust you anymore, not really."

I stared up at him, becoming pissed off beyond reason.

He looked up at me, silent, waiting. "Leave." I stated, my voice flat and emotionless. "Leave Rome." I clarified.

He smiled. "Not gonna happen Buffy. She's gonna need me and I'm gonna be here to pick her back up."

I looked up at him, standing my ground. "I've got her back this time. I won't let her down."

He laughed. "Tell her that next time you run off with your new boyfriend." He stepped closer, confronting me. "Do you really think that I'd hurt Faith? After all we've been through? I'm trying to keep her alive." He stated, agitated.

"How? By abandoning her?" I asked disbelievingly.

"No?" He stated. "By keeping her out of the way and keeping them busy, on the wrong track. The first chance that they get her alone, they're gonna take her out. She won't even see it coming." He added, lowly. He opened the door, walked through it and pulled it closed.

I stared at his retreating form, stupefied, thinking about Faith and how I'd sent her out alone.

"Faith." I whispered to myself. I ran over to the window and looked out. Quickly I moved to the weapons cabinet grabbed up a short dagger and ran out.

F (pov)

I was running blindly, not really sure of what I was feeling. My whole body was tingling, as if it was asleep and was trying to wake up. Millions of needles prickled underneath my skin, giving me this euphoric feeling of being alive.

"Faith! Faith." The voice called.

I slowed, leaning over slightly to catch my breath. I turned slowly as they caught up with me. I started to smile. I looked into their smiling face and grimaced as something sharp pinched me. I looked down, shocked to see the blade embedded in my gut. Almost in slow motion, I looked at the hand covering the hilt and brought my eyes up slowly. "Giles." I gasped out.

He brought up a stun gun and ran some current through my body, causing me to drop down to one knee. He pulled the blade out and pushed it in again. I looked up at him, half dazed.

"I'm sorry. I had no choice." He shot another line of current through me. "They said I had to get rid of you, or they'd kill her and Dawn. They're like daughters to me." He said, his voice full of sorrow and regret.

I looked over his shoulder and saw Kennedy slowly coming into view, her face a mask of confusion. Giles turned and faced her. "Did they send you to clean up the mess?" He asked. She nodded at him and looked at me again.

"Yeah." She whispered. She leaned down and punched me in the temple, I finally lost the battle, losing consciousness.

Kennedy hoisted me over her shoulder and followed Giles as he led them to an old mine shaft, the cover worn and broken over the years of neglect. Kennedy hoisted me up and onto the cover, shattering it and plunging me deep into the dark cavern.

I hit the rocks with a thud, groaning slightly from the jarring. I heard laughter echoing all around me, and then fading as I fell back into oblivion.

Kennedy looked down into the darkened hole, sighed and watched as Giles left. She waited for him to get out of site, looked back into the darkness, and steeled her resolve. She started to climb into the darkness, stopped and looked around for some rope.

"Damn it." She muttered to herself. She looked down and noticed blood covering her shirt. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her, not feeling anyone or anything, she ran to the only person she could trust.

PART 3

B(pov)

I was running along the path when suddenly I felt winded. I stopped abruptly, dropped to my knees, gasping out from the pain I suddenly felt. I sat there a few minutes, just until I got my bearings again. I righted myself and looked around. I started walking slowly, on autopilot, moving surely, one foot in front of the other, keeping watch. I sped up my pace.

I heard birds and looked up into the sky, watching as they slowly circled something not too far up ahead. I ran, slowing as I neared them. I walked slowly, watching the perimeter. Eyeing the ground before me, I saw something ahead, something off, not quite right.

I moved forward, sighing, closing my eyes momentarily, as I saw the tell tale signs of an attack. It wasn't a fight though; it was surprise, sudden and trusting. I squatted down and touched the wet dirt, lifted my fingers up and looked at the blood. I looked around and saw the bent grass; something or someone went this way. I studied the trail closer, noticing droplets of blood splattered along the marked trail. I followed the path, right up to the broken cover.

I peered down into the hole, leaning over to get a better look. I felt something wet and sticky on my palms, I looked at them and noticed they had blood over them. I was in the right place.

"Faith?" I called down into the darkness. I knew she was there and I knew she was hurt. I looked around, not knowing what to do. I patted my body down, thanking God that my cell was attached to one of my belt loops. I called Wills and got no answer, so I left a message telling her the sitch, my where and why and that I needed first aid stuff, heavy on the big and to keep it quiet but hurry.

I crawled over the mine entry, placing myself so I could drop down into the dark without getting hurt, got set, took in a deep breath and let myself drop.

I hit the bottom with a thud and rolled over onto my knees and up on my feet. I peered through the darkness. Something moved ahead and I stepped backwards and stumbled, falling backwards, over something.

I righted myself and got a better look at what I'd fallen over. "Faith?" I questioned. I rolled her over gently, trying to see what was wrong. I felt her body, felt the wet gush of liquid at her stomach and cringed. I pulled off my shirt, wadded it up and pressed it against the wound.

Faith whispered but I couldn't make out what she said. "What?" I asked, leaning over, trying to hear her.

"Giles." She stated, raspy, her voice barely audible.

"Giles did this?" I shook my head back and forth, not wanting to believe it. "Why? Why would he do this?" I questioned.

I pulled Faith against me, trying to warm her. I looked into her eyes, half slit, just visible in the darkness. Her eyes started to close. "Stay with me." I pleaded, trying to get her to open her eyes. I patted her face lightly. "Faith." I looked at her, patting her face lightly. "Faith?"

I heard something coming down through the opening. "Buffy?" Willow called out.

"Over here." I answered, watching and waiting as they repelled through the opening. Willow moved over towards me, followed closely by Kennedy.

Willow opened her bag, pulled out a couple of light sticks and broke them, illuminating the area. I watched helplessly as she went about looking at Faith's injuries. "It's just like you said." She looked at Ken, who nodded.

I looked disbelievingly at Ken, shaking my head, not getting it, not really wanting to. "Wait, you knew she was hurt? You didn't try to help her?" I let go of Faith and stood up, accusing her. "Why? Why did you let him do this to her? Why?" I yelled out.

Ken sighed. "I was shocked and I couldn't believe what I saw..." She ran her hand through her hair. "Giles, he... he turned, asked if they sent me to clean up the mess... and I didn't want to end up like her. Hell, I didn't even know who was behind it or who I could trust. So I nodded and did what I had to do, then ran to Will for help. She was getting the supplies together when you called."

I pulled in a harsh breath and looked back to Faith. "Why... Why would Giles do this?"

Kennedy sighed and moved closer to me, touching my shoulder. "I'd be more concerned about who was behind this whole mess, cause that's what this is really all about."

I nodded and looked back to Faith as Willow worked on her. "She's not gonna care about the who and why's..." I muttered to myself, adding. "She's gonna kill him."

Kennedy laughed, almost sarcastically. "Are you kidding me, she's gonna kill them all." She looked at me pointedly. "And I'm gonna be standing at her side."

I arched a brow and looked at her, scoffing. "Yeah, if she doesn't cut you to pieces for your part in all this."

Ken laughed. "Yeah." Then she realized the implications, her laughter dying out. "Yeah." She muttered as she furrowed her brow.

"Okay." Willow said. I looked at her, questioning. "I'm ready, come here." I nodded and walked over, looking, waiting to be told what to do. "I've done all I could manually. Each of you kneel, take her hand and clasp your hands together, make a circle."

I knelt, took one of Faith's hands, entwining my fingers with hers, reached over and grasped Kennedy's hand. "What are we doing?" I asked.

Wills sighed. "Well, we're gonna jumpstart her like a battery, heal her up, quick like or... " She looked at the ground, continuing. "... Blow you all to bits." Her voice trailed off on the last part.

I looked at her, thinking, 'well that's comforting.' She muttered some words and I felt this warmth envelope me. I closed my eyes, relaxing into the feeling.

Some time later, I felt myself being shaken. "Buffy. It's getting late, we need to go." Willow said.

"What?" I rose up, looking around. I saw Faith, still lying over to the side. I stared at her, waiting to see her chest rise and fall. Finally, she breathed and I blew out the breath I'd been holding. "Why isn't she awake?" I asked.

Willow looked at Faith. "Will?" I asked again, my voice leaving no room for compromise.

"I don't know." Willow finally answered.

I stepped closer to Willow, looking at her, wondering what she was thinking. I shook off the feelings, trying to change the subject. "We took a purification... thing."

Willow looked up at me, her eyes widening slightly. I continued. "Yeah, Faith had this spell and herb thing... and we just kinda took it." I hesitated slightly before continuing. "It packs quite a punch... I got all these feelings and flashes, memories or something swimming in my head." I ran my hands through my hair and looked at Faith.

Kennedy stepped up beside me, half smiling at me, getting my attention. "Why don't you two go on, find Giles, and try to sort this mess out. I'll stay here, look out for her." She smiled again, trying to comfort me but it was too late. Her smile made me uneasy and I instantly lost my confidence in her, meaning I didn't trust her anymore. She lost her smile, as if she had just read my mind and tried to look hurt and offended. "Really, I'll keep her safe." She added, trying to ease my distrust.

I looked at her, then back to Willow. "Tell you what... You come with me, Willow will stay here and look out for Faith."

Ken nodded. "I'm not the bad guy here, but okay, we'll play it your way." She started towards the opening, glancing back at me, adding. "It's more likely that you're the one behind all this. You've got more reason to kill her than any of us do. It's your place, your title that's in jeopardy." Kennedy smirked at me and started climbing the rope.

I looked at Willow, sizing her up, noticing that she had on two shirts. "Give me a shirt." I said. She looked down as if she'd forgotten she had on two and instantly, took one off, handing it to me.

I grabbed the shirt, pulled it over my head, quietly, not really knowing what to say. "Thanks." I muttered, glancing Willow's way.

I looked back at Faith, walked over and knelt down beside her, my fingers, moving her unruly locks behind her ear.

"What is it with the two of you?" Willow asked from behind me.

I sighed, continuing to look at Faith. "I don't know, but I think I'm starting to remember." I blew out a nervous breath and stood up, walking to the opening. I looked back at Willow. "Don't you let anything happen to her." I stated, waiting for her to nod in agreement.

I looked back one last time, grabbed hold of the rope and climbed up and out of the shaft, where Kennedy was waiting for me. We looked around and ran back toward the mansion.

W (pov)

I watched as Buffy cleared the opening. I looked around, muttered a spell and illuminated the area, casting a bluish light over everything. Picking up the bag off the floor, I rambled through it, frantically removing some herbs and a few other needed items, muttering to myself. "You can't remember." I steeled my resolve, turned and started to walk back towards Faith and stopped.

She was gone.

"Faith?" I asked loudly. "We can talk about this... There's no need to do anything... drastic." I stilled, watching the immediate area.

Faith's voice filtered through the darkness, lilting, haunting, taunting. "Did you think I'd never remember?"

"I'd hoped." I muttered to myself, already starting to draw up the magic through me.

I looked around frantically, jumping at every sound I heard. I dropped the bag and summoned all my magic up through me. The light dimmed all around me. Something fell behind me; I turned abruptly, the magic glowing through my hands and cast a ball of energy, sending it crashing against the wall. I was primed and ready. "Faith?" I questioned. My eyes searched through the fading light, seeing nothing. I turned and looked right into Faith's face.

Her hand was raised, palm up and she was grinning at me. She blew on her hand, misting a powder all around me. I tried to bring my hands up, tried to use my magic to knock her back. Just as the spell was about to hit her, she pulled out a crystal, said something and pulled the spell into the stone. Only it didn't stop with the spell, it kept pulling at me, kept pulling my power away.

I fell to the ground, weakened, watching as the power filtered through the darkness and into the crystal. Faith stood firm, holding the crystal, watching me as it grew and glowed to a bright hue.

I felt the last of my magic, leave my body and I slumped to the ground and watched as the last wisp of power entered the stone.

Faith stepped back from me, breathing heavily. She gave me a sorrowful look, a look that said she was sorry, but she had no choice.

I looked up at her, disgust in my eyes. "You planned this." I accused.

She looked at me. "Yeah, I planned this, although... I didn't plan on it being you. Kinda caught me by surprise there." She looked around the mine, searching for something. I saw her nod, approving of a plan or something. She turned and smiled at me, allowing me to see what she was gonna do.

I raised myself up, weakened and glared at her. "Payback's gonna be a real bitch." I growled out.

She laughed as she walked over to a raised slab of stone. She looked over at me and smiled.

I pushed myself up further, worry etching my face. "What are you doing?" I questioned.

She smirked, stating. "Taking the witch out of the bitch."

"No!" I yelled as I watched her place the crystal on top of a rock.

She ignored me, leaned over and picked up a stone off the floor of the mine. She looked at me in anger, disgust and regret, raised the stone and crashed it down against the crystal, destroying it and relinquishing my power.

I put my head into the dirt and started crying.

She went to the opening and climbed up and out, leaving me there alone and worried. I lay still, staring out into the dark.

B(pov)

Ken and I walked into Giles' room and looked around. He was over at the wet bar and by the looks of him he'd had several already.

Kennedy walked over to the couch and flung herself onto it, propping up her feet, while I walked up in behind Giles.

"Why?" I questioned.

His shoulders slumped and he turned slowly to face me. I waited, patiently for him to get up the nerve to talk. Finally, he pulled in a deep breath, exhaled it, stating. "Lot's of reasons, really." He paced a bit, and then poured himself another drink. "It started in Sunnydale, you and her, well, you got too close." He hesitated and looked at me, judging me for a reaction. "It got complicated... and choices had to be made and we made them."

I looked at him. "Who and what choices?" I asked.

He sighed, ignoring the question. "They said I had to get Faith out of the way, or they'd kill you and Dawn, it really was no choice, it was always you, it'll always be you."

Kennedy scoffed and I looked at her pointedly. She brought her index finger up to her head and moved her finger in a circle, mouthing the word, senile.

I shook off the visual of Ken and looked back at Giles. "They... you mean, Angel, Spike and Alain?" I questioned.

He nodded. "Is wasn't just the threats of them hurting you and Dawn though, She was going to usurp you. I couldn't allow that. You're the slayer."

I stopped, my brain trying to wrap around what he was saying. I scrunched up my forehead, not really understanding.

"What?" I stated, more than asked. I sighed out frustrated, looking at him. "Why is it any of your business if..." I hesitated, becoming more frustrated and tried to continue. "If we want to use syrup, well that's our business." I looked at the ground and started fidgeting a bit, moving from one foot to the other, continuing my rant. "Granted, it's a little... sticky, kinky maybe, but it's our business...."

Giles interrupted. "Are you daft?" He slammed his drink down on the bar and looked at me. "I'm talking about your place, your life and you're talking about the two of you using condiments on each other." He scoffed in disgust.

I mustered up my own indignation, glanced over at Kennedy again, who arched her brows and smirked at me. I pulled in a deep breath and tried to make another point. "You brought this up, not me and now you're saying that..." I stopped, getting a visual in my head, my brows furrowing again. "Wait, we need condoms?" I looked down at my hands, trying to act out the how, why and where and got absolutely nothing. I looked back up, my face lost in its current train of thought. "How..."

Kennedy laughed out loud, interrupting. I glared over at her.

Giles took that moment to step forward, stating. "You're missing the point Buffy."

I looked back up at him. "Nah, I got the point. The point is that you tried to kill Faith."

"I had no choice." He tried to defend his actions.

"Like hell you didn't!" I yelled, adding. "You could have told us, me, Ken, Willow, hell even Dawn and Xander. We would have helped."

"No, I couldn't." He stated. "I'd already involved them before and things turned out badly." He muttered.

"What did you do?"

He was silent. "Tell me. We already took that purification thing, so tell me before I remember on my own." I stated loudly.

He looked up at me, shock playing over his features. "We?" He questioned, adding. "Faith?" I nodded; confirming that yes, she took it too. "My God." He sighed, ashamed. "I never meant for this to happen." He stated, defeated. I stared at him, waiting for him to take the hint. He looked up at me, pulled in a deep breath, sat down and faced me. "You two were... close. You'd lost trust in me after the test and you clung to her. Things developed. The new threat showed itself and we discussed a way to intervene, shake up the ascension."

I held my hand up, stopping him, closing my eyes. "You did something to Faith." I stated.

He cleared his throat. "We took away your memories of her, made you turn your back on her, deny what you two had become. It hurt her that you denied her and we magnified that, added in a few extra things and sent her spiraling, we gave her a push toward the mayor and you and Angel pushed her the rest of the way. It didn't unfold the way we wanted it to. I didn't know that Willow was jealous of her, didn't know that her feelings would affect the spell and I had no idea that Xander would go to her..." He shook his head, reeling from everything.

I looked up at him, tears in my eyes, still not believing, still trying to understand, but slowly piecing it together. I stepped forward, fury just below my surface. "You're saying that you broke us apart. That you made me use her, abuse her and throw her away like she was nothing... and let me take the high moral ground when she fell apart. That Xander knew what you had done... and still slept with her, that Willow took away my memories and filled Faith's head with crap. You're saying that you sacrificed her, so the mayor could be taken down." I stopped and glared up at him. "You're saying you let me gut her to feed her to a vampire."

He sighed, whispering. "Yes."

I looked over at Kennedy, who was sitting quietly, looking down at the floor. I looked back up at Giles, asking. "Is there anything else?"

He nodded, withheld a gasp and exhaled before looking me in the eyes. "She... she was pregnant when you stabbed her."

I looked up at him, silent, not knowing what to say. I turned away from him, silently letting tears stream down my face. Thoughts ran rampant through my head. I finally turned and faced him again.

"And now?" I stepped closer. "What's going on now? Why do they want Faith gone?" I asked.

He sighed, removed his glasses, toying with them. "Whoever controls the line of slayers will control just about everything. It's a power play, nothing more, nothing less."

I almost laughed. "And I was the one willing to follow them." I nodded, scoffing at the absurdity of it all.

I looked back up at Giles. "She's gonna come after you, you know."

He nodded, stating. "I expect she'll come after all of us when she remembers."

I looked over at Kennedy, who stood up and stared back at me. "Willow." She stated.

We ran out the door, leaving Giles behind.

He watched the door as they ran through it, walked to the wet bar and poured another drink, muttering to himself. "God help us all."

PART 4

B (pov)

Kennedy and I ran back towards the mine, our breaths shallow, hearts beating in our chests. I had an almost surreal, tunnel vision thing going on. One thought, one goal, get to Faith, get to Willow and after that I was a blank. What would I say? What could I say? Hell I was still confused over the whole thing... but at least I knew what'd happened, so I was one up on Faith.

I pushed the thoughts out of my head and pushed my body harder, faster. I saw the mine ahead and fear started flowing through my pores. I saw a blur off to my left and I looked, hesitantly at first, and then took a second closer look.

Faith was sitting at the base of a tree, just staring off into the distance. I slowed down, finally coming to a stop. I saw Kennedy slow and look at Faith, then move on to the mine.

Slowly, I walked towards Faith, easing my way closer and closer. I stopped abruptly when I saw tears streaming over her face and it hurt me. I wiped a few of my own tears away, eased the rest of the way to her and kneeled beside her. "Faith?" I asked, just trying for a response.

She looked up at me, her eyes watery, face flushed, brow furrowed in concentration. "What's going on?" She questioned, her voice small and shaky.

I reached over and touched her hand; trying to find some way to grasp hold of her, keep her with me, here, now. She pulled in a shaky breath and entwined her fingers with mine, squeezing. "It's all jumbled together. I don't know what's real anymore. Is this real?"

I closed my eyes, breathing out a sigh of relief. I wrapped my free hand around her neck and pulled her close to me, clinging to her, holding her fast and tight, and hoping that she'd cling to me.

Hesitantly, she raised her arm to envelope me and pulled me tightly against her. I put my lips against her ears, whispering. "It was the gang. They did a spell but it's over now... we're both remembering things forgotten but Faith..." I pulled back to look at her, making sure I had her attention before continuing. "But right now we have something else to worry about." She nodded, agreeing and leaned into me, her tears starting to flow. We sobbed together, trying to pull comfort from each other, not knowing what to say or what to do.

I heard Kennedy in behind us. I pulled back from Faith, continuing to hold her hand and looked at Ken.

Ken had Willow next to her, holding her as she sobbed uncontrollably. I looked at Wills, not knowing whether to hate her or feel sorry for her. I felt numb, mad. I looked at Ken, who didn't know what to think either.

"She okay?" I asked Ken, who shrugged and looked confused.

Willow raised her head up, glaring. "Okay? Okay?" She pushed herself upright and stood looking down on me. "No. I'm not okay." She stepped closer, anger coursing through her body and features. "That... bitch stripped me of my powers." She ground out between her teeth.

I looked at Faith, who looked back at me blankly and shrugged, stating casually. "I didn't kill her."

Her flippant manner caught me off guard and I laughed. "No... you didn't." I couldn't help but smile at her.

Willow stepped away from Kennedy, moving closer to me. "You think this is funny?" She asked.

I stood up, pulling myself away from Faith, my hand slowly slipping from hers. I looked at Willow, anger rapidly filling my body and mind. I stepped closer to her. "I find nothing you did to us funny. What you did to us was no better than rape." I took another step closer. "You had no right to help Giles cast any kind of spell on us. You abused your power, numerous times and not only on us." I saw her lower her head, remembering her use of power over Tara and I hesitated in my steps. She looked back at me.

Kennedy looked confused and scoffed, asking. "Who else besides you two, what else did you do?" She looked at Willow, who looked at her, fear slowly edging its way to her surface.

"What else did you do?" Kennedy asked, louder this time.

I sighed, deciding to answer for her. "She took some memories away from Tara."

Kennedy's mouth fell open slightly. "Tara? Your big love?" She looked disbelievingly at Willow, stepping forward. "Have you did anything to me?" She questioned.

"No... I never..." Willow's voice trailed off and she looked at the ground.

Kennedy scoffed, shaking her head. "Well I don't know whether to be relived that you didn't lojack me or offended that I wasn't good enough to lobotomize."

"I'd go with relieved." Faith stated lowly, running a shaky hand through her hair.

Willow made a lunge at her. I stepped over and blocked her path, letting her bounce against my body and back. I shook my head no. "Not gonna happen." I eyed her pointedly, adding. "Ever again."

Willow looked at me, shocked. "You're protecting her now?" She asked, disgusted.

I looked at her, set my feet, crossing my arms, daring her almost. "Yeah, bout time too."

Willow laughed, her voice getting louder and louder. "You hate her." She accused.

I licked my lips, thinking before I spoke. "I thought I did, but I get that it wasn't me who hated her... it was you."

Willow laughed hysterically. "She took my powers!" She yelled.

I turned and held my hand out for Faith to take, pulling her up next to me, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at me. I looked deeply into those clouded eyes, whispering. "Come on, let's go." I wrapped my arm around her, leading her away and back to the house. I turned, hesitating slightly, looking at Willow, stating without emotion. "Good, saved me the trouble."

I watched the look of shock cover her face and I turned away from her, gripped my arm around Faith tighter and moved us away from the area and hopefully to somewhere more safe, calm, where we could get a grip on everything.

K (pov)

I looked at Willow hesitantly, not knowing what to say but finally curiosity got the better of me. "What happened down there?"

Willow looked at me, almost laughing, almost screaming, her look saying, are you fuckin serious? She stood upright, her eyes shooting daggers. "She was ready for me. She pulled out a crystal and absorbed my powers and... and then she crushed the catalyst." She became silent; waiting for me to understand, choose her side.

I blinked a few times, cracked my neck from side to side and planted both feet firmly on the ground. I looked back up at her, my brows furrowed in concentration. "So... you were about to use magic on her, you did use magic on her and she absorbed your spell into a crystal and pulled your power along with it?" I looked back up at her, watching as her face contorted with anger.

I pulled in another deep breath. "Listen Will... I know what that crystal Faith had was capable of. When she got into town, I took her to the local witchery... that crystal couldn't have hurt you unless you pulled your mojo on her. So now tell me the truth." I said the last part a bit louder than I'd intended, but the reaction was still the same.

She stood stock still, seeming to think. I watched as she closed her eyes and rounded her shoulders. She seemed to take a long break before finally pulling in a deep breath. "I turned and she was gone and I got spooked, she was scaring me... so I pulled a spell, heard a noise in behind me and cast it. She stepped out and I was ready but she blew some kind of powder at me so I took the magic up a notch or two. She just stood there watching me, waiting, but... but I cast the spell anyway and she took my power."

I breathed out a heavy sigh, my nerves dancing underneath my skin. "Jeeze, Will... She could have killed you." I looked at her again, adding. "You really messed with them, hurt them... and I understand you being all up with the getting Faith, but Buffy, ... she was your friend."

I looked down at the ground, kicking the dirt around with my toe and pulling in another deep breath. "You know what makes it worse?" I asked, waiting for her to look at me. We made eye contact. "You knew you hurt them but you said nothing about it... you could have fixed this years ago but you didn't. Why? Why did you let this keep building? Was it because you didn't want Faith close to Buffy?"

She stood there silently, her head hung shamefully, not saying anything, just nodding, agreeing to my every word.

I turned and walked away just a bit, looking out over the vast expanse, feeling the sun against my face. I looked up into the sky, thinking, knowing what I had to do.

I kept my back to her. "I don't see Buffy standing by your group anymore, not after what you've all done and if the slayer line goes separate from you... well..." My voice trailed off and I turned around to face Willow. "I love you, but I'm bound to them, to Faith and I will not allow you or anyone else to fuck with them... so if they go from you, so will I."

She looked up at me, shocked and hurt and then finally despondent. I pulled in another deep breath and crossed the ground to her. "Hey." I said lowly, getting her attention. "You've got to fix this, okay? I don't want to lose you and I can't lose them. So fix this."

She nodded, causing me to nod along with her, my insides all tied up. I blew out a nervous breath, wrapped my arm around her torso and led us back to the house. I only hoped that they could be salvaged.

B(pov)

I walked Faith into my room, and eased her over to the bed, watching as she lied down and curled up into a ball. I sat down behind her, pushing her locks around, touching her, not wanting to let her wallow in all this mess alone.

My eyes traveled her body, looking for injuries but came to rest on her hips, noticing her low cut jeans, riding well... very low, her position only accentuating that. It was what I saw there that really hurt me. There on her lower back, to the left was a scar, a long slit, old but still prevalent.

I turned her over and saw the same scar on the front of her abdomen; only this one was thicker and a little bit bigger. Realization's a real bitch. She pulled on her waistband, adjusting her jeans, trying to cover the scar, trying to hide the ugly reality between us.

"The blade went through?" I stated more than asked, half dazed.

She kind of sat up and pushed herself away from me and leaned against the headboard. She nodded, adding. "It was a twelve inch blade and you pushed it to the hilt." She eyed the bedspread, refusing to look at me.

I nodded, knowing already... I was just too blind to see it. That was always my problem, turning a blind eye to what was right in front of me.

I couldn't hold the pain in anymore. I openly sobbed, gasping for breath, crawling towards her, begging to be held, to be comforted, begging for her to touch me and to allow me to touch her.

I wrapped my body around her, leaning into her and cried for everything that I'd done to her, for everything that she'd done to me, for everything that was taken away from us and for everything done to us.

She finally wrapped her arms around me, allowing me to sink further into her and cried with me, stroking my back and hair. We lay together, wrapped up tight, telling everything that we remembered, things that we thought happened until I mentioned the baby.

That pulled us apart. She moved from the bed and walked towards the window and stared out.

"Did you know?" I asked, concerned, watching as she nodded yes.

She turned slowly, looking at me, asking. "Where did they put her?"

"Her?" I asked, looking up at Faith with tear filled eyes.

She kind of shrugged, lowering her eyes to the floor, thinking. She finally looked back at me. "I don't know. I just assumed, slayer and all." She hesitated slightly, adding. "What happened to ... the baby? Did they even bother to bury my baby?" She looked at me intently, her voice wavering as she waited.

I furrowed my brows, wanting to go to her, but afraid to and ashamed to boot. I shook my head back and forth. "I don't know." I said lowly, adding. "I just found out today... I didn't know... " My voice trailed off as I watched her nod and look back out through the window.

I edged towards her, standing just behind her, closing my eyes slightly, relieved that she'd let me get close to her. Slowly I reached out and touched her arm, hesitating slightly to see if she'd allow me to touch her. She sighed at my touch and I slowly enveloped her, pulling her back against me tight, holding her firm. "We'll find out... everything." She nodded at my words. I looked out the window, holding her against me, adding. "I promise."

She turned in my arms and looked directly into my eyes. "I'm sorry about when I woke up." She sighed and tried to pull away from me. I grabbed her hand at the last moment, refusing to lose what little contact we'd made. She gave into my demand, wrapping her hand around mine, squeezing and sat on the windowsill. She blew out a harsh breath. "I thought ... well I thought he was my father... and all those months you'd chased us, killed us... over and over." She rubbed her head and glanced back out the window. "I guess I didn't realize it was just a dream, not until later. It just seemed so real. I was full of grief and fury... and I wanted you to pay." Her voice trailed off.

I nodded, trying to let her know that I did understand. I moved over next to her, leaning against her. "Let's just start over, forget about everything. It wasn't us."

She laughed and turned abruptly to look at me, her voice sarcastic. "Wasn't it?" She questioned, adding. "Granted, we had a push... but we still did all those things. We still chose what we did." She looked at me disbelievingly, standing up and moving away from me, turning to confront me. "And I don't want to forget." She ran a hand through her hair, deep in thought and faced me again. "You know, back then, I probably would've freaked out about the baby.... But now.... Well... I've got to admit that the only thing I've ever wanted was a family... someone to love, who'd love me back... and what if that was my only shot. What if a slayer only gets one shot at that. What if I never get that chance again?" She looked up at me, hurt filling her eyes, tears building up to the brink of overflowing.

I sucked in a painful breath and tried to stifle my own building tears. "I'll be your family and... and if you never get that chance again, if you can't, then I'll try for the both of us." I moved towards her slowly, my tears finally breaking free, my voice cracking. "I promise you.... You'll have that family, you'll have the love." I reached out to her, placing my hands on her sides, moving closer as I looked into her eyes. "All you have to do is let me. We won't forget, ever... but we'll move ahead and make things better." I enveloped her in loose hug, pushing myself against her, hoping that she'd accept me. "Please." I whispered against her neck.

She cried, trying to stifle her pain, hold it back. "You killed my baby." She rasped out between sobs.

My tears flowed openly, without fail, hurtful wails erupted and I collapsed against her, sorrowful, taking us both down to the floor, me holding onto her tightly, clinging, begging, apologizing, trying to make things bearable. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry."

Her arms slowly came up and pulled me against her tightly. I cried, pushing my face into the crook of her neck, squeezing her against me, whispering. "We're gonna be all right. It's all gonna be okay. We'll get through this. Please let us just get through this."

I felt her nod against me, hopefully agreeing that she'd try. She finally relented; giving into what little comfort I offered her and gripped me tighter, asking. "What about the others? I'm not sure I can deal with them."

I nuzzled against her neck, not wanting to think about them, not yet but wanting to give her a moment of peace. "You won't have to deal with them. I'll handle them."

PART 5

F (pov)

We sat on the floor, clinging to each other for what felt like hours. A loud commotion sounded just outside the door. I looked up just in time to see Kennedy burst through the door, hesitating slightly as she looked at us, making sure everything was okay.

Silence seemed to echo off the walls, reverberate and get louder. She finally stepped forward, making sure to look both Buffy and me in the eyes. "Something's going down. You need to come to the library, discuss strategy."

Buffy pushed herself to her feet, wiping at her eyes and offered her hand to me. I took it and stood up, taking a few deep breaths to steady myself. My emotions were all over the place and I was about three seconds from flipping out. I felt Buffy's hand rest on my hip, squeezing, trying to keep my mind from snapping. I put my hand over hers, wrapping my fingers around hers, keeping contact with her, no matter how small.

"What's happening?" Buffy asked, unconsciously stepping in front of me, putting herself between Ken and me.

Ken saw the small movement but didn't make anything of it, instead she stepped forward, serious, getting down to business. She looked directly at Buffy. "It's your boys. You must've talked to them already or earlier, something, cause they got scared, distrustful of you." She paused looking at Buffy before continuing. "They went to the newbies, told them God knows what and started dissention in the group."

I sighed, blew out a frustrated breath, wiped the tears from my eyes and half laughed. "So, they're undermining me and B, trying to lead the new slayers to them, without us." I did laugh then, adding. "Typical."

"Typical?" Kennedy asked, adding. "You do know that with all the crap playing out around you two, you've left yourselves wide open, right?" She looked at me, waiting for a figurative light bulb to go off over my head. She shook her head and stepped closer to me. "They've not only undermined you... they've successfully drawn slayers over to their team. The majority of them, with the stories they've told about the both of you, now pretty much think you're both bent."

I rubbed my face, thinking and taking in a few deep breaths, blowing them out harshly. I looked to B, who remained quiet and turned back to Ken. "I'm guessing they did the whole, I'm a killer, she's a killer, wouldn't ya like to be a killer too thing?"

Kennedy arched her brows, looking at me and sighed. "Pretty much, that plus add the temptation of all the immortal's money and you've got yourself about up to the page we're now on."

I nodded and looked at Buffy, who stepped closer and grabbed my arm. "What do you want to do?" She asked.

I looked at her, shaking my head back and forth. "Nothing."

Buffy's eyes widened at my response. "Nothing?" She asked amazed, adding. "Are you serious? They're trying to take over and you want to do nothing?"

I glanced up at Ken and back to Buffy. "Well, I don't think we should speak out in our defense... we can't make them follow us but we can open their eyes... and just in case it's not going our way... I do have a card up my sleeve and I'll need the both of you to pull it off. You'll have to cover me while I make it happen."

"What about the gang? They're waiting?" Kennedy asked.

I turned around and looked to B. "You still gonna handle them?" I asked.

She looked at me, her eyes hardening, automatically stepping closer to me. "Oh yeah, no worries there. I've got them. You won't need to say or do a thing." She turned and headed towards the door, pulling me behind her.

I sucked in all my emotions, putting off all the hurt until a later time, readied myself for what had to be done, turned and looked at Ken, arching my brow, stating. "She's so butch."

Ken smirked, allowing her features to lighten and followed in behind us.

B(pov)

I pushed our way into the library, my heart beating wildly in my chest, trying to act more in charge than I felt. I felt the tension inside of Faith reach a new height and tried to calm myself more, hoping it'd help to ease her apprehension.

I looked at the faces staring up at us; Giles, Xander, Willow and I froze, glancing back at Faith, who'd found something interesting on the floor to stare at, her ears and throat becoming flushed as anger started to course its way through her body. I had to admit to myself that anger wasn't what I was thinking she'd be feeling... I was thinking she'd be subdued, hurt, not wanting to acknowledge them at all... but with the way she was starting to cut the circulation off in my hand... well I knew she was ready to bust a few heads.

I cleared my throat, whispering. "Faith, sit over there." I saw her cut her eyes up at me, looking at me through her bangs. She nodded slightly and sat on the chair, raising her head to look at me and then past me, her face etched in raw concentration, just waiting to erupt. I pulled in a slow deep breath, eyeing Faith, trying to reassure her, praying to God that she didn't explode, tear off their arms and beat them to death with their extremities.

I turned, steeled my resolve and faced them, feeling Kennedy stepping up next to me. "Don't try to explain." I stated, adding. "There's no excuse... and I don't want to hear one anyway."

I walked closer to them, absently fingering a book laid open on the table. "What's so important?" I questioned, giving them an opening.

Faith scoffed from her place on the couch, stood up and glared at them. "No, wait." She interrupted, adding. "I wanna hear the excuse... as a matter of fact, there's a hell of a lot I'd like to know, starting with where'd you put my child? Huh? Did you just throw her in the trash or what? Bury her in the back yard. Where is she?" She glared at Giles, standing firm, unmoving, her face full of anger barely hidden below the surface of her skin.

Giles looked at her and stuttered over his words, shaking his head back and forth. "I don't know.... I wasn't listed as next of kin... it was... uhm..." He hesitated and looked to Buffy for support, then to Kennedy, then to Willow and Xander before sighing and lowering his head. "The mayor was in control. He was listed as your next of kin." He pulled off his glasses and toyed with them, hesitantly adding. "I assume He arranged for the care of the ...remains."

F(pov)

I pulled in a deep breath and held it, unable to think, to feel, knocked off kilter and left helpless. I turned away from all of them, trying to suck in the fear, the horror; I looked out the nearby window, trying to wrap my arms around myself in comfort.

The room turned icy cold. Everyone froze, afraid to speak, watching, waiting for me, their breaths held as the seconds ticked by.

"Come on guys, can't we just all get along?" Xander spoke up, carefree, casual, trying to play mediator, his usual unfunny self.

I turned abruptly, my anger boiling over and sprinted across the room, lunging at him, shoving him back up against the wall, my forearm catching just under his throat and lifting him up off the ground.

"Faith. Faith." Buffy spoke, getting my attention. She walked up behind me, her breathing slightly erratic. "If you're gonna kill him, do it quickly." She stated, sounding as casual as she could. I know she was just trying to appeal to me in a way that would bring me back to earth and she did. Got to admit though, later on it would hilarious, right now it just what it was... a lifeline to come back from the killing ground.

I released the breath I was holding, cutting my eyes to look at her, thinking of her hidden meaning. I suddenly threw him off to the side, turning as he landed and slid over the floor.

"Maybe later." I stated, walking towards the door, glancing back at Willow and Giles, repeating my words as they watched frozen. "Maybe later." I smiled at them and stepped through the door.

I pulled the door closed behind me, and fought to keep my body from falling apart. I sucked in ragged breaths and pulled back the building tears. Leaning against the wall for support, I ran shaky hands through my hair, wiping harshly at my face, trying to get my breathing calm enough to actually pull some air into my lungs. I finally blew out a cleansing breath and closed my eyes, trying to get some kind of composure going again when something fell up ahead of me.

I stilled, listening, searching out with my senses. I looked up the hallway and saw Rhona standing off to the side, motioning me toward her, telling me silently to be quiet, that something was here and was happening now.

I eased toward her; goose bumps prickling my skin told me that we weren't alone, that I wasn't among friends. I looked into Rhona's eyes and saw lust, pure unadulterated lust and not just any kind of lust... the lust to consume.

I looked deeper at her as understanding dawned upon my face. "Oh shit." I muttered, stepping backwards and felt someone move behind me. I turned and barely ducked a cudgel to the head. I kicked out, snapping a vicious front kick to the solar plexus of another slayer, blocked a hit by pushing both hands up between hers and pushing her back. I stepped in, grabbed her neck and twisted my body taking her and me down to the ground. More slayers appeared. I pulled in a deep breath, looked at the slayer still within my grasp and twisted her neck, snapping it, discarding it and standing to face another.

They moved in quickly, surrounding me. Everything became a blur of arms, fists, feet, blood and guts. A shot echoed in the hallway, ceasing all movement. I remembered thinking, 'damn, that was loud', then I looked down almost in slow motion, noticing the crimson stain now filtering through my shirt, showing a deep red color.

I looked right into the eyes of Spike, still holding the smoking gun. I growled and lunged.

B (pov)

I turned to face everyone after Faith left and found myself lacking words. We all just stared at everyone, not knowing what to say. It was Xander who finally broke the silence by scoffing and moving towards me.

"Can you believe the nerve of her? To attack me like that?" He shrugged his shoulders, looking to me for some kind of agreement.

I turned facing him, looking up at him. "You knew we were together, didn't you?" I questioned him, not waiting for him to answer. "And you knew that they..." I motioned around the room to Giles and Willow, continuing. "Did something to her, to me.... And...." My anger started growing rapidly. "And you slept with her, knowing, didn't you?" My voice continued to rise. I looked at him, his face blank, and his mouth struggling to form the words that I already knew.

The slap echoed around the room. I eyed him pointedly as he palmed his reddened face, still not offering up any excuses, not offering to tell anything, just standing there, quietly and still.

A shot echoed in the hallway. We all turned abruptly towards the doorway. I took two steps towards the door as it crashed back against the wall just as Spike came barreling through it, landing on the floor with a heavy thud and slid.

Our eyes were glued to spike, watching him as he slowly lifted himself up off the floor. Suddenly his body jerked, again it jerked and finally the gunshots reached my ears. I turned to follow the sound and saw Faith stepping through the door, gun in hand, stalking towards Spike mercilessly. A slayer appeared in the door, carrying some kind of weapon. Faith turned quickly and popped a cap into her shoulder area, taking the slayer down. Another slayer appeared in the door, looked at Faith and backed out, pulling the fallen slayer with her. I looked back at Faith, who was still moving quickly towards Spike.

She reached him, grabbed him by the nose and lifted him up off the floor, his skin smoldered where she was touching him, causing him to yell and strike out at her. She instantly put the barrel of the gun into his mouth and fired. The gun dry clicked and she laughed; laughed at his body as it flinched, laughed as she continued to pull the trigger, dry firing.

She leered at him, taunting. "I've got something special for you." She reached into her back pocket and withdrew something, holding it up for him to see. She smiled, making him and me, uncomfortable.

"Railroad spikes." She offered. "Turn about is fair play." She stated then threw him up against the wall, pushing herself against him, holding him still. She brought back the spike and thrust it forward, into his body and into the wall, pinning his hand to the wall. She continued, until he looked like a twisted monarch, punished by crucifixion. She smiled grabbed his face, her hand seemed to cause his skin to burn. I watched in horror and fascination as his face blackened, as she finally stepped back, surveying her work.

Spike looked up at her, his eyes glowing in fury. He spat blood towards her, growing. "You'll die for this." His face changed into the visage of the demon. "I'll have your head."

She sighed, fingering her side, stating casually. "Promises, promises."

I finally got a good look at her and noticed that blood was pooling on the floor around her feet. I looked back up into her face, which was pale, and sweat soaked. She smiled up at me, her eyes glazed over, her voice raspy, gravely. "Bastard shot me." She offered as an explanation.

My heart dropped and I glared at the demon, letting my inner slayer take over. I looked back to Faith, who took a step and stumbled. I lunged to catch her, cradling her in my arms.

I looked over at Kennedy, motioned my head towards Faith, instructing. "Take care of her." I watched as Kennedy made her way over and gently took her from me and then I looked back at Spike.

I looked around the room; opening drawers, I found a pair of Giles' pruning shears. I looked to Giles. "Get me some holy water." He nodded and instantly brought me what I wanted.

"Tell me." I stated, watching as he refused, resisted. I smiled, brought the shears up to one of his fingers and cut it off, dousing the wound with the holy water, watching as it smoked and withered. I made him look at me. "Tell me." I stated again, adding. "You've got twenty more things to cut off." I raised the shears to finger number two, waiting.

He glared up at me blankly. I pushed the shears together, cutting off another finger, again dousing the wound with the water, taking satisfaction in the hissing sound.

"Bitch!" He growled out, fighting to pull himself away from the wall. I put the shears at his groin, pushing the point against him. "Easy... you don't want me to skip numbers, do ya?" I watched as he stilled, his face contorting back to his human visage. "You gonna tell me?" I asked again.

He laughed, stating. "You're gonna kill me anyway... so why should I help you?"

I nodded at him. "Yeah, I'm gonna kill you, just cause you shot Faith... but... I'm not gonna kill you until after I've cut off all your fingers and toes and your other extremity." I glanced down at his groin, smiled and looked back into his eyes, enjoying the way they widened. "It's your choice, you can die with or without your bit."

He scoffed at me, not believing what he was hearing or what I was doing. "You'd do this to me?" He asked, adding. "Over that?" He shrugged his head towards Faith.

I looked over at Faith, who was now lying down on the couch, being tended to by Kennedy and looked back at Spike. I nodded. "Yeah, let's just say my eyes have finally been opened." I put up the shears to another finger. "You gonna tell me now, huh, what's the big plan?"

He remained silent, staring at me. I clipped the shears together, taking off another extremity, instantly drizzling the holy water over the nub, causing it to hiss, smoke and burn.

He gritted his teeth together, his brow etched in concentration, the sweat beading over his forehead giving away his torment.

I looked at him. "No?" I asked, shaking my head slightly. "Not ready to talk." I pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning over, whispering. "Wait till I get to your balls." I winked at him, smirking.

I heard Faith gasp out. I turned and looked, instantly moving over towards her, watching as Kennedy applied pressure to her wound. Kennedy looked up at me, stating. "Bullet went through, looks like it missed everything important." I nodded and looked to Giles.

"Well?" I questioned, still looking at Giles.

His eyes widened, shocked that I'd asked him anything at all. He instantly stepped forward, looking at the wound. "Hmmm, well ..." He prodded the opening in Faith's side, causing her to groan. He nodded. "Yes, we could just seal the wound." He left and started rummaging through his things; coming back with several shot gun shells, alcohol and a hollowed shaft. "Hold her." He stated as he went to work. Kennedy pushed down on Faith's shoulders, pinning her to the couch. I turned, not able to watch her pain, instead I focused on Spike, intent on making her pain, his.

"Amytal" Willow's small voice filtered through my subconscious.

I turned, looking at her, waiting. She finally got up the nerve to talk. "Amytal. We could just administer it to Spike. He'll talk, tell you everything." She looked down at the ground.

I breathed out harshly, looking at her, feeling conflicted. "Get it. Do your thing."

She nodded and left to her quarters, followed by Xander. I watched them leave, picked the gun that'd been discarded on the floor and checked the chamber. I looked to Giles. "You got any .38 ammo?" I asked. He nodded, pointing to a drawer and went back to pushing the hollowed shaft into Faith's wound.

I opened the drawer, pulled out the brick, loaded the gun and pocketed a handful of ammo.

"Buffy." Kennedy's voice broke the silence. I turned and looked at her. "Help me hold her down."

I nodded and walked slowly over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and the other on her arm, pushing my body weight against her, watching as Giles filled the small shaft with black powder.

"You're gonna have to do it." Giles instructed. "One of you'll have to hold her from behind while I light the powder and on my say the other will have to pull the shaft out quickly."

Kennedy and I pulled Faith up into a half sitting position, Her holding her from behind, while I moved in front, grasped the shaft and placed my hand on her shoulder for stability. We waited for Giles to give the word. I heard the match strike, heard the hiss as the powder ignited.

"Now." Giles stated.

I gripped the shaft and pulled it out of her body, watching as the wound smoked and sealed together. I closed my eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief, watching as Kennedy slowly, gently laid her back down on the couch. I brushed a wet ringlet of hair out of Faith's unconscious face and silently nodded at Ken, glad that she was okay.

"Let's clean up the wound." Giles stated as he started rubbing alcohol over the now bruised and reddened flesh.

I looked back at Spike, still pinned to the wall and slowly walked over to the chair and sat back down, automatically picking up the pruning shears. I stared at him, waiting and listening for Willow to return.

Spike eyed me warily and I smiled.

PART 6

B (pov)

I sat there, thinking, trying to ignore Spike, trying to just block out everything. I mean look at me; two weeks ago... would I be here, doing this? I don't think so. So much was happening so fast. It was like a huge roller coaster that kept growing in momentum and I was trapped, unable to stop it, unable to get off the damned thing; just falling, falling hard and fast.

I heard Faith groan over to my side and it brought me out of my currents thoughts, my so-called depression. I had the answer right there in front of me. She was the key, she'd always been the key, and everything good or bad was always because of her. I knew right then, that whatever I had to do, in order to get back what was stolen from us, I'd do. Who ever, what ever I had to go through, I'd run over them like a bat out of hell, just to get back what I was now remembering we had.

Spike must've felt my shift of thought, my resolution, cause I looked up and found him staring at me, his eyes glinting against the glare coming in through the window.

"What's taking Willow so long?" I questioned out loud, to no one in particular.

I turned and looked at Kennedy, who was apparently thinking the same thing. She rose up from her position next to Faith and looked towards the door. I looked at the revolver in my hand, gripped it tighter and walked to the door, peering out. I looked back at Ken and mouthed. "Protect her." Waited for her to nod in agreement, pulled a sword out of the umbrella stand and eased out into the hallway.

I edged along the hallway, inching my way to Wills door, constantly checking my surroundings, paranoid. I eased myself by the side of her door, listening, hearing nothing I turned the knob and pushed the door open. I stood on the outside of the door, off to the side out of the danger zone, waiting, hoping to get a feel for something or someone.

I jumped into the doorway, peering into the room, yelling as Willow and Xander mirrored my actions, each of them jumping into the opening, brandishing weapons, screaming with me.

We all took just a minute to realize that we were okay, nodded as if saying, 'yeah, okay, we're fine, but damn that scared the shit out of me'. I looked at Wills hand, eyeing the stuff she was carrying. She nodded, letting me know she had everything. I motioned up the hall, watching our backs as we quietly made our way back to Giles' room.

I slowly backed myself into the room and closed the door, securing it with a nearby chair. I glanced around, making sure Spike was still attached to the wall, and making sure the others were doing what they were supposed to. That left Faith; I looked over at her and made my way over next to her.

I gently sat next to her and was surprised when she opened her eyes to look at me. "Faith." I questioned, smiling. "Are you okay?"

She looked at me and said something. I couldn't quite make it out. I leaned over, getting closer to her, listening intently. "Tell me again." I prompted.

She pulled in a shaky breath and rasped out. "They're vamps."

I pulled back from her, looking at her dumbfounded. "Who?" I questioned.

"Slayers." She breathed out, pulling herself upwards. I got up from the couch and turned, looking directly at Spike. I felt Faith stand up beside me and I wrapped an arm around her for support, my free hand gripping a stake from my pocket.

"Get him talking, now." I ground out. I moved Faith over to a barstool and gingerly sat her down and poured her a glass of water, giving her a couple of aspirin.

She picked up the pills, eyed them, stating. "Yeah, these should fix me right up."

I looked at her, momentarily stunned by her sarcasm and I laughed, adding. "Would you rather have a joint... for medicinal purposes only."

I watched her amusedly as she thought about it and shrugged. "Later." She reached over and touched my hand, pulling me close and into an embrace.

I melted against her, wrapping my arms around her gently, leaning into her body. I pulled back and looked at her, letting my forehead rest against her chin.

"We're ready." Giles stated, clearing his voice.

I moved over in front of Spike, watching as Giles found a vein and pushed the hypodermic in, delivering a huge amount of the drug.

We waited, watching, adjusting the amount of drug being given. It was time.

I pulled up a chair. "Is Angel involved? Alain? Who's leading and why?"

Spike laughed, not focusing on anything or us in particular. I gritted my teeth and slapped my palm across his face. "What's the plan?" I asked again.

Spike laughed again, spouting off nonsense. "He who has the most power wins."

I swallowed down my anger. "Who's winning?" I asked, waiting for a response.

"Tide's turning." He sang out, his voice, lilting.

Faith scoffed and moved over, putting a hand on my shoulder to brace herself. "You're asking the wrong questions B." She looked at Spike. "How many slayers have you turned?"

Spike shrugged. "Oh I dunno, a bakers lot." He seemed to think about it adding. "More to come, more to come."

"Angel, is he a leader?" Faith asked.

Spike started laughing. "Angel." His laughter echoed around the room. "There's no Angel." He laughed more. "Fooled you once, fooled you twice." His voice trailed off as he tried to remember the limerick.

"Angelus." Faith muttered, stepping closer. "Alain, is he a leader?" She asked.

"That ponce?" Spike sneered, his disgust evident, his voice carried. "Turned him the other day, he's doing nicely don't you think?"

I interrupted. "You turned Alain?"

Spike looked up at me, shrugging. "Wasn't my idea, that bloke's the one who started all this... incorporating me and Angel, taking our bloody souls from us." He hesitated, thinking, smirking. "It's not our fault that we turned his game against him." He laughed. "Served him right though, don't you think?"

Faith leaned over, looking into Spike's face. "Where do they and the turned slayers meet, hold up. Where's their base?"

Spike shrugged, hesitating. Giles increased the flow of amytal into his blood stream. We waited. Faith asked again. "Where's their base?"

"Warehouse district. 247. It's guarded, you'll never get in." Spike's head dropped forward, heavy.

Faith grabbed his hair and forced him to look at her. "When do they meet again?"

He tried to get away from her but she held on tight. "When?" She growled out.

"Tonight, round mid." He stated, tired.

Faith let go of his head and motioned to Ken, stating flatly. "He's all yours."

Kennedy nodded, smirked and cracked her knuckles, moving silently towards him. She pulled a stake out and flung it at him, instantly piercing his heart. Spike combusted into embers, his silhouette burned against the wall, leaving the stake sticking out through the plaster.

"Nice." Faith whispered, getting a grin from Kennedy.

Kennedy faced towards Faith, asking. "Now what?"

Faith smiled and rolled her shoulders and neck, turning to face me. "Call a slayer meeting. Get everyone there."

She turned and faced everyone. "You're either with us or against us... so what's it gonna be?"

Giles cleared his throat and looked at Faith. "I'd be honored to fight at your side... if you'll allow it."

Xander and Willow walked up next to Giles, each looking ashamed, and each stating lowly. "Me too. If that's okay."

I watched as Faith eyed them, her stance hard, unforgiving. She nodded, stating casually. "Fuck with me or mine again and I'll feed you to the monsters myself. Clear?"

They all looked up at her, Giles answering for all of them. "Crystal."

Faith nodded, eyeing them all suspiciously, adding. "But don't think I'm through with you, not by a long shot."

Faith turned to look at me and I couldn't help but smile at her. "I guess you have a plan?" I asked.

She smiled back at me. "You bet I do." She winked, adding. "I don't watch television for nothing." She turned to Giles. "You got some rosary beads? Holy water?"

I watched as Giles rounded up everything he had, placing it into a small bag. Faith smiled as she fingered through the items. She turned to face me, suddenly serious. "Call the meeting for five hours from now, that'll give us time to get everything together and still make the base a few hours before time." She turned to Kennedy. "I need your help to get these placed."

She turned towards the others, her leadership qualities shining through. "Get us some weapons, long bows, cross bows, wooden arrows, lots." She stopped and focused directly on Willow. "Flash bombs, lots of them, just like those in Blade. If you can't simulate the sun, then fill them will holy water, wafers, whatever the hell just as long as they'll hurt the targets."

Willow nodded, trying to regain her confident composure, speaking up. "There's a few chemicals that'll cause a flash, I could just change the components." Faith nodded at her and that was the end of that.

Faith turned to Giles and Xander. "I'm gonna need a big copier, lots of paper and toner, better yet fortify the copy room, we'll meet up in there in say, one hour."

Faith moved to the doorway, with Kennedy following right behind her, their weapons at the ready. Faith looked at me, smirked then faced the others. "You all stay together, do everything as a group." She opened the door and peered out before stepping through, calling out as she left. "Get the meeting set up."

I felt a wave of panic flow through me. "Faith." I called out, moving to the door quickly, stepping just inside the frame, and looking up at Faith, who'd stalled, waiting on me.

I licked my lips, anxious. "Are you okay?" I whispered, asking, watching, as she shook her head no. I stared up at her, my mouth dry, my heart beating in my head. "Be careful." I rasped out, watching as she nodded that she would and turned to leave.

I reached out, grabbing her arm, pulling myself towards her, my eyes cutting from hers to her lips. I leaned in, pushing my lips against hers, slowly, savoring her warmth, her flavor. I pulled back hesitantly and nodded at her, my breathing still erratic. She gave me a nod, squeezed my hand, turned and left me watching after her and Kennedy.

I entered the room, closing the door behind me and looked at the others, sighed and focused. "Let's do this."

F (pov)

I moved silently through the hall and to the stairwell passage. "You know how to get to the basement?" I asked Kennedy, who nodded, stepped in front of me and led us there, quietly and surely.

"I want the reservoir... all water supply ducts." I stated, watching as she smiled.

Kennedy nodded, her grin growing wider. "I think I saw the same movie." She moved further into the basement, with me following closely behind her, watching our rear and starting to feel a bit uneasy.

She pointed up ahead. "First aqueduct is up ahead and another every 100 foot."

I nodded and started towards it, whispering behind me. "Good, we'll drop a present off in each, head up, hit the well and the tank outside... but we need the emergency duct, the one filled with chemicals that leads to the sprinkler systems."

I looked around, noticing a cover off to the side, the big bold letters marking it, making it way too easy to be comfortable. I passed Ken half the rosaries, whispering. "Let's get to work." I walked over to the big event, broke the padlock and slid back the cover. I said a few blessings, drizzled in a few drops of holy water, followed by a rosary, crossed myself and closed the cover.

I turned watching as Kennedy slid the cement cover of the duct closed. We smiled at each other and ran towards the next duct, continuing the process over and over.

Forty minutes later, we went up the back stairs and exited outside, instantly crouching down, getting a bearing. "We've got twenty minutes to get to the copy room." I looked around again, sighed and shook my head. "We'll have to split up."

Kennedy nodded agreeing, stating. "I'll take the tank, you hit the well, the reservoir's just fifty feet straight on from there. We'll meet back here." She hesitated, and then looked at me pointedly, asking. "This will work, won't it?"

I shrugged. "Hell if I know."

We burst out laughing. Kennedy hit me playfully on the arm, asking. "Well what if it doesn't?"

I looked at her, my eyes full of mischief. "Well if it works, we'll dust a few of them, if it doesn't... we'll piss them off." I smirked, adding. "Works for me. The main thing is to distract them enough so that we can move in and dust as many as possible."

Kennedy laughed. "This whole thing is a rouse?"

I shrugged, stating blandly. "Well, we are being watched and if they think our big plan is to douse the auditorium in holy water, well that'll keep them off kilter when we move in and dust them by ground."

"Water guns huh?" Kennedy asked.

I looked at her, smiling. "You saw The Lost Boys too?" She nodded up at me, un-amused. I shrugged. "Got a few tucked away in my bag." I admitted.

We smiled, nodded and separated, each running away, hoping to accomplish the mission without being caught or without someone realizing what we were really planning.

I ran hard and fast for the well, not really stopping, just hesitating long enough to drop in a set of beads and bless the well, instantly running again towards the reservoir.

I looked out into the vast supply of water, pulled in a deep breath and flung a rosary out into the middle of the water, a bottle of holy water following in behind it. "I hope this works." I muttered to myself before turning to run back to the meeting place.

Kennedy was crouched down waiting for me, smiling as I ran towards her. I leaned against the wall next to her, brought up a cross and touched it to her cheek. She batted my hand away. "Hey. What's that for?" She asked, her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Just making sure." I shrugged, adding. "I am pretty bitable." I pushed off the wall and entered the building, taking the back stairs, with Ken following closely behind me.

"Yeah, you're a real mouthful." She stated sarcastically.

I stopped and looked at her, my brow arched. "And don't you forget it." I stated. We laughed, easing the tension. I looked at her seriously. "Where'd you put my bag?" I asked.

"It's safe." She replied. "You need?" She asked.

I nodded and she led me to a false panel in Xander's room. I watched as she pulled out my bag. I took it, running my hands over it, feeling for what I wanted. I smiled and nodded at her. "Copy room?" I asked.

She agreed and we headed to the meeting place, surprised by the ease at which we accomplished our goals.

We made it to the room and found everyone there, waiting for us. I surveyed the equipment, nodded my approval and looked around the area. "Block the door." I stated and opened my bag, pulling out a wrapped square shaped object. I gently peeled back the silk wrapping and exposed an old book. I handed the bag over to Kennedy, who started going through it.

Giles stepped forward, eyeing my book. "Back off... It's mine." I stated, wiping off the cover.

"What is it?" Giles asked.

I smiled. "It's a last gift from Wes. It's special. He... liberated it from the law firm." I held it up for all to see, opening it so they could see the blank pages inside. "He left me his belongings after his death, told me to take what I wanted but to make sure I took the book, that it'd make slaying a lot easier and safer."

I watched as they gathered around. I held up the book, concentrating, stating. "List Angelus', Spike's and The Immortal's crimes against the Slayers, the watchers, the potentials."

I waited, then slowly opened the book to reveal page after page of graphic onslaught done to our predecessors.

I walked over to the copy machine and started copying page after page. If the slayers wanted to follow in the footsteps of demons, then let them, but at least they'd know what they were choosing. It's the least I could do, I mean, if anyone knew what it was to follow a demon, it was me.

It took an hour just to copy every page. Giles took over, putting in the pages, printing them out, collating them, and making books for the slayer line to gaze upon.

I walked over to Willow, watching as She and Xander were busy making the flash grenades, some filled with a bright light, the others filled with some kind of religious shrapnel. It'd have to work.

I looked at the long bows and the large quivers of arrows and a new set of weapons I'd never seen before. I'd never seen them, but by the look I knew what they were capable of.

I felt Buffy move behind me, eyeing the weapons with me, her hand gently easing its way into mine.

"When everybody's in the auditorium... close the doors. Giles, Willow and Xander, you'll be in charge of shutting and locking the doors." I turned and looked at Buffy. "You'll be up front, keep their attention."

I looked at Ken, smiling. "You get to start the festivities."

She smiled, stating. "I love a party."

PART 7

B (pov)

We all took turns copying the pages from the book. Faith sat over in the corner, watching everyone quietly, just waiting I think, waiting to see who'd be the first to show their true colors.

In all honesty... I wish I knew what was up myself... I look at all these people, and realize that I never really knew them at all... and I couldn't shake the feeling that everything I thought I knew was a lie. It hurt. They hurt me, us... and I didn't think I could ever truly trust them again.

The tension seemed to build, everybody cautiously casting glances towards Faith and then me. Can't blame them really, I was half expecting Faith to come barreling in, bust some heads and leave body parts lying all over.

I glance over at Faith again, who's trying to hide her eyes, trying not to let the emotion she feels show at all. That's when it hits me. We're all waiting for what we made her into to emerge and in reality, without all our 'help', she's not really like that at all. Her not killing them is proof, right?

I catch her eyes and she half smiles at me, causing me to smile in return and move closer to her. I gently touch her face and lean into her, smiling when she accepts me. "You okay?" I whisper, relaxing as she whispers.

"Yes." I pulled back from her slightly, looking into her eyes.

"So what's the big plan?" I ask curiously.

Faith looked to Ken, stating. "You want to get this K?"

Ken looked up from the copied pages, her face clouded, furrowed with disbelief. She looked directly to Faith. "You read this? You know what they did to our line?"

Faith nodded slowly. Ken stepped closer to Faith. "You knew and you still helped him?" Ken asked, her face dead serious.

Faith sighed and stood up, looking directly at Ken. "I didn't get the book until about 4 weeks ago. Wes' Will didn't reach me until then."

Ken nodded, glanced at me, turned away and walked over to a corner, stating. "Spike's lucky, the other's won't fare as well."

"Good." Faith stated, her voice even, void of emotion.

I swallowed hard and moved towards the pages, cautiously picking them up, glancing through them, skimming. Suddenly it was as if the pages came to life, visually showing me the deaths of young children, their leaders, our line. The pages were filled with girl after girl, gruesome tales of death, horror and torture, each ending the same way, loss of a young life. I turned the pages, seeing name after name, which demon did the killing and how each and every one of them died.

I looked up at Faith, who remained quiet and then I looked to Kennedy. "One way or another, we end this." I stated, watching as each one of them nodded at me.

Kennedy stepped forward. "We put rosaries and holy water in each aqueduct. We'll fill the auditorium then set off the sprinklers."

Giles stepped over closer, getting our attention. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you can't use a blessed object, hoping that whatever it touches will also be blessed. It just doesn't work like that." He hesitated and looked to Faith. "You're from Boston. It's like the capital for Catholicism. I can't believe you'd not know that."

Faith looked up at him blankly, shrugging, infuriating him further. "Oh good lord." He muttered, turning, starting to pace, adding. "The water would have to blessed by someone ordained... or at the very least someone who'd earned the right and had been given the power."

Faith laughed. "Come on G, haven't you ever heard that people who go to prison get religion, find God?"

Giles scoffed, walked over the copier and starting putting pages together again.

"That's your big plan?" I asked, moving closer to Faith, watching in disbelief as she nodded. I couldn't help it. I started laughing. "You're gonna drench them all in holy water during the meeting?" I asked amused.

"Yeah or piss them off." Faith stated casually.

I shook my head, thinking, 'well isn't this just great.'

K (pov)

Time started moving fast, ticking on by. I emptied Faith's duffle, going through the contents; stakes, holy water, water guns and a small book filled with scribbled writing. I flipped through the pages a bit, looking at it blankly when Faith snatched it out of my hands. "That's mine." She stated, tucking it away in one of her pockets.

I got a glimpse of one of her hands, which she tried to conceal from me. I grabbed up her hand and turned it over and gazed at her palm. I looked at it in awe, noticing the intricately detailed crosses that now somehow seemed to adorn her hands, embedded, almost tattooed into her skin. I looked up into her eyes and met this gaze that was so sure, so strong, so calming that I relaxed and smiled back at her, releasing her hand.

I went to work filling up the water guns with the holy water and passing out the stakes. I felt good. I'd always preferred doing something over sitting passively by, waiting. I couldn't help but smile a bit, knowing that my life meant something, that I had a purpose.

It hurt to know that most of the slayers had turned their backs on the originals. They'd often ask me why I stayed true and my answer was then and is still now the same. It had to do with the First. They protected me when they didn't have to. They didn't like it; they just did it because it was what they did. How many people do you know who would put themselves in between you and some demon? I'm sure it's a low number. That alone was enough to keep me faithful. Sure, I didn't always agree with what they said or did but I get that you don't have to like what they do, but you have to respect the way they get things done. That, plus Willow was a big incentive.

As a matter of fact, most of the girls from Sunnydale had remained true and loyal. I remembered the attack from earlier when Faith was attacked, and more to the point, who was attacking... it was a few of the girls from Sunnydale. Oh my God... those who were resisting the new leadership, those would be the ones that would be turned.

I looked up at Faith, anxious, itching to get started. "The girls from Sunnydale..." I hesitated, watching as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I took a deep breath and swallowed. "They'll be the ones targeted to turn."

Quietness loomed over everyone. I turned to Faith, who appeared confident. She stood up straight and looked at everyone. "That's why we've got to take out the majority of them at the meeting." She made sure to look at each and every one of us. "There's no time for grudges, or getting even. These demons will be stronger, faster and more vicious that anything you've ever come across... but... We, will, win." She stressed the last few words, adding. "Plus, if we can make them change inside the auditorium, I'm betting the slayers will do what comes natural."

"What about the pages?" Willow asked.

Faith sighed. "Well, I don't want them getting wet. So we park them outside, and Giles and Xander will pass them out as everyone leaves." She hesitated, then added. "The pages are like a backup plan... just in case we don't win, in case the slayers still want to follow them." She smiled and looked at me. "Consider it our hail Mary."

Xander decided to add his two cents. "What about Dawn, do you think they'll go after her?"

Buffy stepped forward. "She's safe. I called and she's went somewhere with a few friends."

I smiled then, feeling a bit more confident. "Well let's get this show on the road then."

I picked up a few things and moved to the door, looking back at the others. I looked pointedly at Faith, who moved up next to me, whispering. "If it goes down in here, Angel's yours."

She looked pointedly at me, gazing at me intently, waiting. I nodded, understanding that she didn't want to have to kill him. She would, but she didn't want to after everything that'd went down between them. I understood and I'd step up to the plate.

She walked ahead of me and I followed, hesitating slightly to wait and watch the others.

What's that saying? Go big or go home.

F(pov)

I pretty much lead the way into the auditorium, stopping slightly, waiting for Buffy to catch up with me. "You keep their attention, make the announcements... whatever you have to say... give the vamps the floor, so that they'll be occupied."

She nods at me and makes her way to the stage. I look at Giles and Willow. "Put yourselves near the exits, close and lock the doors but don't try to stop them from breaking out."

They nod and move into position, leaving Xander and Ken. I look at Xander. "Get those big wind fans set up in that corner over there." He follows my line of site, nodding, so I continued. "You hit the switch when I say."

Xander looked at me confused, wanting to ask why but instead nodded and made his way towards the back room, immediately moving those huge fans out and onto the stage.

Kennedy looked up at me, waiting. "You set off the sprinkler system then get back down to the floor." I hesitated slightly before adding. "Get as close to the stage as possible, just in case we get a shot at them." She nodded and started to leave. I reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You might have to get the slayers started if we can get them to turn."

She nodded, adding. "Count on it." She turned and started to make her way into the room. I called out to her, again stopping her. "Listen, they're gonna stop the water, don't worry about it, just start the flow and get back fast. You'll be alone and they'll be all over you."

She looked up to the balcony area, surveying the place. "What you want me to do?" She asked still casing the area, adding. "Swing down from the curtains?"

I looked up at the area, smirking. "That would be so cool." I stated. We shared a brief laugh before she entered, leaving me alone.

I took a deep breath and walked in, checking the area. Willow and Giles were just inside the doors, newly copied books at the ready to disperse. Kennedy was heading upstairs so it'd be easier to start the flow of water. Buffy was on stage and Xander was hooking up the big fans. I patted my pockets, making sure I had what I needed and moved over behind a big curtain, right next to the fans. All we had to do now was wait for the slayers and the vamps.

K (pov)

I looked down from the balcony, looking at all the angles, taking in the exits, where everyone was placed. From my vantage point I could see weak spots all over but it was too late to do anything about them. I could see at least two more exits, we didn't know about them, but I'd laid odds that the vampires did. I tried to get Buffy's attention but slayers started to arrive so I eased back to my spot, trying to figure out what I was going to do.

The noise from all the arrivals carried upwards, hindering me from knowing what was being said below, it all just kind of muddled together and became a chaotic mess.

My body started to tingle. Vampires, they'd started to filter in with the slayers. I eased back against the wall and heard a low chuckle behind me. I jerked around quickly, instantly ducking a blow, pivoted, kicked out, trying to cave in its knee but missed as another pushed the demon out of the way. They righted themselves, placing me in the middle of them, edging around, looking for a weak spot.

"You're not gonna set off that sprinkler system." She taunted, adding. "Like it would really work anyway."

They moved in closer. I pulled out a stake and the water gun, watching as they arched their brows in amusement.

I pulled the trigger rapidly, repeatedly, watching as the water struck them and lit up in flames. "Fuck me." I muttered, watching in awe. "Liquid fire."

One of the vamps turned, facing me. "You Bit..." I sprayed a line of water into her mouth, almost laughing as she flamed up.

"You were saying?" I prompted, moving in, aiming the stake and plunging it into its chest, watching as it combusted, raining down embers over the floor.

I felt a blow to the back of my head and fell forwards, rolling over the floor and back up onto my feet. I raised the gun, ready, looking around frantically. Something sounded behind me; I turned, raising the gun, seeing nothing. "Stupid." I berated myself, feeling the vampire close behind me.

I turned abruptly and grimaced as I felt a sharp pinch, followed by a blinding blaze of fire and pain. I looked down, watching as the vamp pulled out the blade.

She brought her arm back, blade intact, readying herself for another stab. I went to raise the water gun just as she drove the blade forward. The water hit the vamp just as the blade met skin. I moved, shifting trying to displace the blade, trying to keep it from hitting anything major.

It worked. The blade struck the fleshy part and sunk in, cutting the flesh at the side. Still hurt like hell. I screamed and pushed at the vamp with my free hand, trying to hold it back, my other hand still gripping the toy gun. I pushed the nozzle into its mouth and fired, over and over, reveling in the way its head ignited. I pushed myself up and pushed myself on top of the vamp, still firing, filling its mouth. I dug my knees into its side, pinning it to the ground and covered its mouth and nose with my other hand.

I had to drop the gun to free up my other hand. I kept its mouth and nose covered and brought my other hand up to its throat, instantly hitting it, making it swallow the liquid.

Just as soon as I heart the gurgle, I got up, retrieving my gun and fallen stake. I watched as the vamp pushed itself up off the floor. I glanced around the auditorium floor, noticing the closed door and looked back at the vamp, whose whole body had started to ignite. It bolted right towards me.

I waited for it to get close, ducked down and lets its momentum take it right over the railing and onto the floor. It landed in a fiery heap, burst and sent embers flying, causing a riot down below.

I looked to the fire spigot, made a mad run for it and jumped, hitting it head on with my stake.

Instantly an alarm sounded, then the area was covered in a black sticky substance. I looked below and saw Buffy looking directly at me. She motioned behind me. I ran and dove for the curtains, trying to get away from the vampires behind me.

I hit the curtains, grasping for hold. The flimsy fabric tore and I plummeted down to the floor, landing with a thud. I groaned and pushed up from the ground, instantly grabbed by Buffy and pushed off to the side.

The water suddenly stopped. Alain and Angel stood alone on the stage. And then Faith stepped out, standing just in front of the fans, some kind of opened bags in her hands.

Angel moved towards her, gloating. "Did you really think you could bless the water by adding something to it?" He laughed.

She glanced towards Xander and then smiled at Angel, stating casually. "No... I just needed something sticky."

The fans suddenly whirred to life, filling the entire auditorium with a fast, hot breeze. Faith dumped the contents of the bags right in front of the fans; the wind force took the powder and dispersed it around the room, caking everyone in the white substance.

Screams suddenly filtered through the area as the vampires started to smoke, their demon visages showing through the façade of who they used to be.

I watched in fascination, made myself pull away from Buffy, instantly moving to the front of the stage, yelling. "Kill em all!"

The slayers, once shocked and still, suddenly moved, becoming a mass of screams and howls, punches and thrusts.

Angel and Alain stared at Faith, each waiting for the right moment to strike. Angel suddenly pulled a sword and attacked. Faith ducked the blow, pushed his striking arm, turning him around. She moved quickly behind him, grabbing his throat from behind, his skin smoking from the pressure of her tattooed palms.

He thrusted his head back, catching her squarely in the face, knocking her off and back.

Buffy and I moved in quickly. Alain turned, brought out some kind of device, flashing it, disorienting us. When we could see again, Alain was gone. I squinted trying to see Faith and Angel, knowing I had to get close enough to make the kill.

Faith had Angel on the ground, her legs and arms wrapped around him. He'd plunged his teeth into her arm and was attempting to drain her, trying to make her weak enough so he could pull free but she clung to him, refusing to give in.

I ran for her, noting her pale skin, watching as she screamed and bit into his shoulder, grinding her teeth against his flesh. He growled and dug his teeth into her arm deeper.

I aimed the water gun at his face, igniting it, making him pull away from her. She rolled, pulling him over with her, exposing his chest. I grabbed another stake from my belt loop and fell forward, pushing it into his heart.

His body combusted underneath me, causing me to fall right on top of Faith, our arms and legs entangling together. "Not tonight honey, I've got a headache." She rasped out.

I almost laughed but was cut short when Buffy ran over to us, and pushed me off of Faith, her hands moving over Faith's body, looking for injuries.

"Hey." I protested. "I'm hurt too." I added.

Faith looked at Buffy, pushing herself up off the floor. "Take charge." She motioned to the room full of shaken slayers and nodded again for Buffy to take the mic and put everything back in order.

I crawled back over to Faith and leaned against her, watching, listening to Buffy as she got things, people back in order and tried to help Faith stop the flow of blood from the bite on her arm.

"It's not over, is it?" I asked Faith.

"Not yet." She whispered. "It might get worse before we get through." She added.

I squeezed her, my arms enveloping her, pulling her tighter against me. "What could be worse than killing turned slayers?" I asked.

She sighed and leaned back against me, hesitating, causing me to become nervous. "Ken." She stated.

"Yeah?" I asked, my heart started to thud, my adrenaline rose.

"He was strong... super strong, they must be letting them feed off them."

I closed my eyes, thinking, about how hard it was just for Faith to subdue Angel, about how hard it was taking on those turned slayers and the injuries they were able to administer.

I squeezed Faith tighter, leaning my head against her.

Faith pulled in a deep breath, held it and exhaled it slowly. "He's immortal..." She let her words almost hang in the air, continuing. "And they're making him stronger."

I sighed. "We're not gonna be able to kill him are we?"

She nodded, whispering. "No, but we can make him rest in pieces."

She pulled herself away from me and pushed herself up to her feet. She started walking with intent, purpose. "B... Ken." Faith called out. She stopped abruptly and turned, looking at each of us, a glint in her eye, she smiled, laughed and strutted out of the auditorium, followed by Buffy.

I smiled to myself. "Hell yeah."

PART 8

B (pov)

"How many did we get?" I asked, walking closely behind Faith, with Kennedy bringing up the rear.

Faith stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into her. She waited for Kennedy to get close before she spoke. "If Spike was truthful... I'd say we have about six or seven more to go, give or take a few."

Kennedy nodded. "That sounds about right. I'd say there were seven dusted, not including Angel. It all kinda depends if more have been turned."

I interrupted the current train of thought. "Don't you want to bring in more slayers?"

Faith looked at me, her brow furrowed. "Who?" She ran a hand through her hair. "Who do you trust?" She hesitated slightly, continuing. "You two are the only ones I trust." She looked around the area.

I sighed, biting my lip, finally deciding to bite the bullet. "I'm sure... the gang would help." I waited quietly.

Faith turned and left me standing there, just walked away. I mean, I know that she didn't trust them, hell, even I didn't trust them, I wanted to but I was wary of them now, but regardless of that, who else were we gonna call?

Kennedy gave me a pointed look and followed Faith. "Great." I muttered to myself, running to catch up with them. Faith went straight to the copy room, picked up her bag and started shoving stuff into it, picked up a long bow and a super sized quiver of specially made arrows; wooden, weighted, not like those fiberglass ones you find today.

She waited while Kennedy grabbed up her gear and again turned to leave, her pace quick, sure, intent. She strolled outside and right up to Kennedy's car, patiently waiting for Ken to pop the trunk.

Kennedy finally made it over to the car, holding her side, trying not to show any pain. Faith looked at her, moving closer, whispering. "Let me see."

Kennedy raised her shirt up, while Faith gently touched her wounds before grabbing a small bag out of the trunk and motioned for Ken to get into the car.

I tried to see inside the car, tried to see what was going on but I couldn't, not really. All I could see was Kennedy lying across the seat and Faith hovering over her, touching her. I bit my lip, trying to relax.

"Bitch!" Kennedy screamed.

Faith laughed, nodding, agreeing with her, pulled out a roll of duct tape, tore it and stuck a strip across each of Ken's wounds.

"Duct tape?" Ken mouthed, disbelieving. "You're taping me back together?"

Faith raised up, lifting her shirt, showing her abdomen and the tape that was adorning her skin, stating calmly. "Hey, it was good enough for me." She got out of the car and gave Ken a hand up, pulling her up and out of the car. They made their way back to the trunk, side by side, each smiling, making constant eye contact.

I watched the easy fluid movements and understandings between Faith and Kennedy, their easy rapport, the trust, the camaraderie and to be honest, it kinda pissed me off. I pushed myself between them, looking to see what was going on.

Kennedy pulled out a long duffle. Faith grabbed one end and they laid it out over the trunk of the car, unzipped it and folded it back revealing swords, stakes, more holy water, grenades, throwing knives that were inlaid with wood, knives in general. If you could name it, they had it.

Faith strapped on a long sword, slipping the sash over her neck and securing it; clipped on another long knife at her side. She hooked on a utility belt, laden with grenades, knives, crosses, water. She finally donned the quiver of arrows, letting Ken notch it up in place, making it easy for her to draw the arrows as needed.

After Faith got everything she wanted. She helped Ken pick out her arsenal, which was almost the same, except for Ken carried a crossbow and bolts.

I looked over the pack. "Did you save me anything?" I asked, looking at the few items that were left.

Faith smiled and started draping me with weaponry, knives, and buzz saw blades to be more precise. She handed me a glove, told me to wear it so I wouldn't cut my hand, explaining that I had the best throwing aim of the three and they'd need me to clear the way just so we could get in unannounced. Next I got a sword and a small hand bow with bolts and the same utility belt as the other two.

I adjusted all the straps for comfort and looked at the others. What a formidable bunch we made. Kennedy was smiling ear-to-ear, happy to be able to do something, happy for the battle, just happy to be alive. Faith was all about the business, making sure she had everything, constantly patting herself down checking to make sure she didn't forget anything and me, ready and aware and looking like something out of T3.

F (pov)

I looked at both of them, nodded and searched through the duffle, pulling out a couple more bags of that special powder mix. "What is that?" Ken asked.

I shrugged, not really knowing how to explain it without pissing off her catholic roots. Realistically I knew I should know... but come on now... it's not like I really paid any attention when I was drug to church as a kid. And God forbid if I called those damned things tablets... She'd never stop bitching at me and we'd be arguing the semantics all frickin day. "Blessed dust." It's all she was gonna get out of me.

I got in the car, waiting for them to get in, surprised to see B crunch in the front too, making me scoot over. I kinda gave her a look, arching my brow. She looked back at me pointedly, daring me to say anything.

I smirked at her, amused. "Jealous?" I whispered.

She got this look and leaned in closer, relaxing against me.

Kennedy parked the car three blocks from our target. I grabbed the last duffle out of the trunk and took off running, with them following closely behind me. I got about a block and a half, slowed and looked up at the street sign, moving over into the shadows, waiting for the others.

Ken moved up behind me, pulling out a map, pointing to the paper and then to our surroundings. "It dead ends that way."

I nodded and looked at the area. "Good, that means we'll have to drive them toward us." I dropped that last duffle bag, opening it, dispersing the contents and giving each of them a bag of that special blend of dust. "Follow me." I whispered, moving down the alley, into the blackness of the night.

We moved quickly, quietly, along the walls, stopping when we reached the end. I opened up one of the bags revealing some webbing, drenched it in dust and attached the webbing from one building to another.

"Who are you? Spiderman?" Buffy asked quietly.

I stopped what I was doing, smirking, stalking towards her slowly, stealthy, grasped her hand and placed it low against my hip, asking. "Do you feel any man parts on me?"

Kennedy laughed, interrupting my fun and Buffy's full on blush. "Please don't tell me I'm gonna have to watch this."

"You know you like to watch." I stated, moving away from B, and dropping a few uv charges onto the ground, setting them. I headed over to the next alley and immediately set up another web, placing more uv charges onto the asphalt. I gave a few charges to the others, giving them the detonator. "They're all marked in order." I pointed to the charges. Kennedy nodded and pocketed the device.

"You two, go ahead, set up the webbing, leave them nowhere to run but right to us." I stated, as I started climbing up, continuing. "Stay between the warehouses. I'll go up ahead, and be ready, I'm gonna put the dust in the vent shafts...shit'll hit the fan then."

I climbed to the roof and waited for Ken and B to string up the webbing and get in place. I looked around, checking the area, pulled out an arrow, nocked it and took aim at a streetlamp, released the arrow and watched as the light went out, the small remnants of glass shattering against the concrete below. I took out the other surrounding lights, pulled out some smoke flares, broke them and tossed them, blanketing the area of the rooftops and the alleyway below.

I pulled a bag of dust, tore the end and let some of it flow into the ventilation shaft. The air suction pulled the dust in, filtering it through the building. I pulled in a sharp breath, gritted my teeth and ran for the building's edge, speeding up as I neared the drop off. I put my foot up on the ledge, pushed off and jumped, trying to reach the roof of the next building.

K (pov)

The lights crashed down to the ground, shattering. Smoke and faint red flares covered and lit up the area. I pushed back against the wall. Waiting. I looked over at Buffy, barely visible, who backed up in the shadows, motioning that something was moving.

Something shifted overhead. We both looked up and saw Faith leap towards the other rooftop. My mouth opened as she seemed suspended in midair, finally landing safely onto the other building. I heard loud footfalls above. I looked to Buffy. "We need to get ahead of them." She showed herself through the smoke and we backed up to the next block.

"Get her. She's on the roof." Someone yelled.

"Take the next block! Seal it!" Faith's voice called out through the night.

We started to back up quickly, me loading my crossbow, looking skyward. I pulled the detonator out of my pocket, pushing it into Buffy's hands and moved quickly, carrying another webbing kit, trying to get to the entrance of the two-block alley before any vamps beat me to it.

I started to hang the webbing and froze, turning slowly as I felt the air shift behind me. I looked directly into the eyes of two turned slayers. They lunged and I hurled the netting at them, tangling them up. I pulled the pin on a charge and tossed it at them, shielding my eyes as the ignition lit up the area, turning them into nothing but smoke, dust and burning embers.

I looked at the only way out of the alley, walked backwards, leaned against a utility pole and waited, they'd have to go through me to get away and I wasn't gonna let any of them by.

B (pov)

Some of the vamps ran out of the buildings, right by me, heading towards the nets. I waited until they hit the nets and then ignited the set charges. I heard screams filter through the alley, saw the flash of lights from the charges and saw red embers flitter through the darkness.

I heard footfalls up above me. I looked up squinting and saw Faith soar across to another building. I heard someone else right behind her. I grabbed up a saw blade, waiting for the vamp to take that leap.

She did. Just as I was about to throw the blade, an arrow whizzed through the darkness, catching the vamp in mid leap, dusting it in flight, its burning embers the only thing about it making that jump. I couldn't help but smirk and move backwards towards the mouth of the alley.

I knew that Faith would be dumping that dust in the next two warehouses. It was fixing to get exciting.

I pulled out a short sword with one hand and still clung to that buzz saw blade with the other, pushing myself back into the shadows of a building.

More smoke flares were tossed all around the area, giving me more cover to hide in. I looked up and watched as Faith leapt over to the final building, barely making it.

A window crashed up ahead of me. I pushed back against the wall, watching as two slayers edged out. I eyed the distance, gripping the blade. I stepped away from the wall, took aim and let the saw blade fly through the air.

It hit one in the neck area, the blade going clean through, dropping the vamp where she stood and nicked the other one in the face. I drew another blade, flinging it through the smoke and darkness, watching in amazement as the slayer turned vampire combusted, the blade clanging over the cement as it finally touched the ground.

A clearing opened up, giving me a good view of Kennedy up ahead. I headed towards her quickly, moving off to the side, trying to catch any stragglers or any 'thing' else that was trying to escape.

"How many did you get?" She asked.

"Two just now, not sure with the charges." I rasped out.

Glass shattered somewhere in the darkness. We looked back into the alley, hunting for Faith, both of us quiet, listening, waiting for any kind of movement.

F (pov)

Embers flared up ahead of me, casting a faint light against the smoke and surrounding darkness. Sounds of a scuffle somewhere echoed through the night.

I dumped some of the contents of one of my bags into the vent shaft and took off running. A vamp came out of nowhere, soaring across the chasm, trying to get to me before I could get to the last shaft.

I dropped everything, removed the long bow from over my shoulder, instantly pulling an arrow and nocking it. I pulled back, held my breath and released the arrow while the vamp was still in flight.

The arrow struck, instantly combusting the vampire, leaving embers flowing across to where I was. I leapt, gliding through the air, towards the other rooftop, the last vent left to treat. I landed with a thud, my feet sliding against the gravel, causing me to tumble and roll across the roof.

I pushed myself up, grabbed up the last remnants of powder and ran for the vent, quickly throwing some of the substance into the shaft, the pull of the generator instantly pulling the powder through the duct.

I felt a chill behind me. I pulled in a breath, holding it, listening for the tell tale signs of an attack. The gravel crunched. I dove and rolled across the roof, rolled up to my knees, to my feet and flung the last of the powder through the air, excited at the thought of combat and exhilarated at the sight of the vampire smoking from the dust that slowly drifted over and around it. I pulled a stake and a knife and lunged forward, kicking the vamp, knocking it back.

The vamp went down to the ground as I walked forward. Suddenly the vamp flung some gravel up into my face, causing me to wince and wipe at my eyes, temporarily blinded.

I backtracked, trying to get back, get some distance between the vamp and me but stumbled, falling backwards onto the grainy roof.

Laughter echoed. It moved forward, stalking me slowly, taunting me but making a big mistake. It was giving me enough time to get myself back together. I gripped the knife in one hand, feeling the blade laden with wood and squeezed the stake with my other hand.

I pushed up off the ground, smiling at the vamp. We stood still, staring at each other. I laughed and it caused to vamp to lose its confidence. I flung the knife straight at the vamp.

It watched the knife, getting ready to bat it away at the last minute.

I lunged forward, stake at the ready. The vamp looked up, saw me coming and forgot about the knife. It struck the knife a little too late, the blade stuck in its shoulder area, causing it to hiss.

The vampire looked up, right into my face. It pulled in an unneeded breath of air and I plunged the stake deep into its heart, watching as it literally crumbled in front of me.

I turned, ran towards the ledge and jumped to the fire escape, stopping only long enough to crash through a nearby window. I ignored the scratches from the glass and moved silently through the darkness.

I crouched down and watched as a vamp moved through the darkness, looking all around, put her back against the wall and scanned the area. It yelled out. "We can make a deal." She frantically scanned the area again, continuing. "What do you want?" She started to panic and started slithering back towards an upstairs doorway. "Name it. It's yours."

I moved closer, stalking, keeping in the shadows. I broke another smoke flare, tossed it and crept back into the shadows, inching my way closer to the vamp.

The vamp heard the flare, saw the smoke and made a mad dash for the door, finding it secure. She threw her body at the door, trying to crash it open but failed. Giving up, she turned and peered into the smoke and darkness.

I pulled a charge, pulled the pin and rolled it across the floor, right over in front of the vamp.

Her eyes widened as she saw the grenade, causing her to push herself further against the wall. The charge ignited, leaving the vamp screaming, her scream fading as she slowly turned into embers and evaporated.

Another vamp ran into the room and stopped suddenly, looked around and started to back out of the room. She hid amongst the shadows, waiting, trying to figure out what my position was. I held my breath, moving closer and closer. She started moving around the walls of the room, trying to spot me and keep out of view. She got near a window and turned to run, running straight into me.

She looked up into my face, her face showing fear. I glared at her; an evil smirk played over my face as I plunged the knife into her chest, making sure the inlaid wood penetrated her un-beating heart. She crumbled at my feet.

I turned to leave and ran right into The Immortal. He kicked out, snapping his leg, making the blow sharp, crisp, hitting me square in the face, lifting me up and back. I crashed through the window and fell onto the asphalt below; the glass hit the concrete all around me, shattering; the shards cutting up my skin.

He jumped out of the window, landing right in front of me and pulled a sword from its sheath.

He stood over me and laughed.

PART 9

F (pov)

I pushed myself up off the ground, my eyes cutting through the darkness to glare at The Immortal Asshole. I started to push myself up to my knees, getting ready to lunge but he stepped forward fast, quick and delivered a sharp, forceful kick, to my chin.

I rolled with the force of the blow, the asphalt tearing up my skin, my sword clambering off to the side, out of reach. I shook my head, trying to get my bearings, listening as he continued to laugh, slowly edging around me, mocking me, and pulling another sword from its sheath.

I glared up at him, watching as he fluidly pushed both swords through the air, cutting the atmosphere around him, causing a rift, a chasm of sound that produced a slicing, piercing scream of what was about to come.

I sat up on my knees, waiting, watching him continue to slice the blades through the air with precision as he performed some kind of ancient kata.

I heard shouts up ahead of us, heard footfalls bounding towards us. I got up to my feet and placed a nearby trashcan between us, watching as he smirked at my efforts to keep a bit of distance between him and me. I glanced behind him, causing him to cut his eyes briefly away from me.

I grabbed the top off the trashcan and flung it, Frisbee style at his head, hitting him right in the mouth. I jumped at him, thrusting out a vicious front kick to his knee, caving it inward, the sound of the snap echoing off the brick buildings. He swung his arm around, trying to hit me. I ducked the blow, used one hand to push his swing off balance and pushed my free hand up hard and fast at his elbow, bending the bone, snapping it. I batted his sword away and dove over the ground to retrieve it, instantly rolling to my knees and then to my feet, readying myself for him.

He growled and glowered at me and now... it was my time to smirk. He popped his knee back into joint and tested his weight before stepping towards me.

I inwardly cringed, cause lets face it, I should have moved in, took that fatal blow. Damn, forgot that immortal clause. Couldn't do fatal, I'd have to improvise.

I smiled as Kennedy and B came into view, each of them moving around him, putting him in the middle of us. "You okay?" B asked.

I nodded, and pulled out a vile of that liquid lava, opened it and flung it at him, watching as it covered him and ignited.

Kennedy pulled the pin on a UV charge and rolled it over towards him. It exploded, covering the area in a bright light, causing him to smolder.

He laughed as the light faded and the flames subsided. He inched forward and stopped, removing a small revolver from somewhere. He looked at me, smirking and quickly turned towards B.

I yelled and lunged, arching the sword upward though the air, catching him just under the arm, the blade slicing up through his upper torso and out the other side of his neck.

The gun clattered to the ground, the fall causing it to go off, releasing the bullet through the air, hitting Buffy, taking her down to the ground. I held my breath, watching, waiting for Buffy to let me know whether she was okay or out. She nodded and waved me on. Fury filled me.

I screamed and twirled around, gaining momentum, again arching the blade through the air, following through with the swing, hitting him waist high, entering one side and exiting the other.

He separated and fell to the ground.

I looked around, checking the area, watched as Kennedy kneeled by Buffy to help her. A vamp showed its face up ahead, turned and ran, trying to get out of the alley.

I pulled a throwing knife and plummeted it through the air, watching as the vamp combusted, the embers still racing to get away before they finally died down and floated away.

I looked to Ken, who nodded at me before we turned our attention back to The Immortal.

"It's kinda freaky him not being dead...and looking at us... don't you think?" Ken asked.

I looked down at the remains, nodded and sighed out. "Guess we'd best not let his parts touch, or..." I hesitated, pondering my thoughts. "Maybe we could switch out his legs, make him walk in circles."

Kennedy laughed, stating the obvious. "You ain't right."

I half laughed. "You didn't know?"

I walked over, looked down at Buffy, who was holding her thigh where the bullet grazed her. I breathed out a sigh of relief and shrugged, looking at Ken. "Tape her up."

I waited until Buffy got back up then reached down and grabbed up The Immortal's top part, complete with head, shoulder and arm. "Guess I'll go feed the fish. Lets dump him in different spots, make sure he doesn't reattach or whatever."

Kennedy nodded and picked up his upper torso. She looked back to B, smirking, stating. "Guess that leaves you the bottom part, since you're so familiar with it already." Kennedy laughed and walked off.

Buffy watched our backs as we left the area, calling out. "I guess you two think that's funny, huh?"

I glanced behind me, watching as she continued to rant while she picked up the legs.

"It's not funny at all." She yelled out.

Kennedy and I burst out laughing as we walked to the dock area, each throwing our body parts into a different area, a good distance apart.

Buffy finally made it and dropped what remained off into the murky water. "Do you think this'll work?" She asked.

I shrugged. "For now."

We headed, weary, tired and quietly back to the house, back to the others.

K (pov)

We rode quietly all the way back. I was trying to read Faith's mind, trying to figure out what was going to happen now. I caught Buffy's eyes from time to time and I could tell she was nervous as hell too. I mean, when you're fighting, you're focused, occupied and now that the fight was over, well that left everyone time to think on what had happened, what had been done, and without the distraction, all that was left was our family and right now, our family was a mess. I gritted my teeth together and pulled up next to the big house.

Faith hesitated before she finally climbed out of the car.

We walked in, with Faith bringing up the rear, into a waiting area of slayers. We pushed our way through them, not saying anything, right up to and towards the gang.

I stopped and Buffy walked up beside me. We looked at the gang and waited, our hearts sinking as Faith walked on by the gang, not stopping and not acknowledging them.

I sighed and was shocked to see my girl, Willow, step forward, trying to talk to Faith, trying to bridge the gap between them, trying to make things better.

"You won?" Willow stated more than asked, moving into Faith's personal space.

Faith stopped abruptly and turned to look at Willow. "Did we?" She questioned, adding. "Cause I don't really feel like I won anything." She stepped closer to Willow, continuing. "I kinda feel like I've lost, like things have been taken from me." She turned her back to Willow and started walking away, stating. "Stay away from me Red." She hesitated on the stairs, turning to look at the gang. "Does anyone ever really win?"

Everyone remained quiet, not knowing what to say, just watching helplessly as Faith turned from everyone, the gang, and the slayers and slowly walked up the stairs and out of sight.

I looked to Willow, who looked as if she were about to cry, standing there, helpless, wringing her hands together. I stepped towards the stairs about to go and talk to Faith.

Buffy placed her hand on my arm, stopping me. "I'll talk to her." She stated lowly.

I nodded and watched as Buffy made her way towards Faith. I looked towards the gang, who remained quiet and then turned towards the slayers, dispersing them.

The area cleared out, leaving me and the gang alone, them afraid that their time with us was over and me afraid of the same thing. If I were to be honest though, I don't think I could forgive them and I'm not so sure I want Faith or Buffy to forgive them or make it easy on them.

I sat at the bottom of the stairs and waited. It was all I could do.

F (pov)

I walked into my room and started throwing my things into a duffle, hesitating slightly when the door opened and closed. I glanced over at Buffy. "If you're here to make things better, don't bother, I'm not ready... I might not ever be."

She moved forward. "Faith, don't shut me out. What was done... well we were both victims."

I stopped and turned towards her, anger slowly building. "Were we?" I stepped closer to her. "Cause I got to tell you, from where I'm standing you didn't lose much of anything. You got it all. The family, the friends, the power... what did I get huh?" I stopped and glared at her. "Tell me? What did I get?" I stepped forward. "I'll tell you what I got. I got shafted, handed over on a silver platter, sliced and diced and left for dead." My anger built up and finally overflowed. "I lost my child!" I fought to keep from crying, my anger about to explode. "What did you ever lose?" I screamed.

"I lost you." She whispered.

Her words hit me right in the gut, deflating all my anger, leaving me open, exposed, like an open wound, waiting for someone to rub salt in it. I nodded, my mind and body overwhelmed with emotions. "I'm not sure I can get over it." I whispered, adding. "Not sure that I can forget your part, or my part."

She nodded, easing herself closer to me. "I don't want us to forget Faith. I just want us to realize that we were both hurt, that we're both victims. It wasn't us who did those things to each other."

"It was us." I cried out. "Don't you get that. It was all us."

She moved closer. "In a way, I guess it was but if we hadn't of been... tampered with, I don't think we would have made those choices." She moved closer still, soothing her way towards me. "I believe that. I have to believe that." She reached out and touched my arm, trying to connect, trying to reel me back in. "Deep in here." She placed her hand over her heart. "I know it." She slowly removed her hand and gently placed it over my heart, adding. "And so you do."

I looked into her eyes and nodded, all my anger and fight gone. She enveloped me in a tight embrace and held on, refusing to let go. "I can't stay." I whispered.

"I know." She answered, still clinging to me, before placing a series of light kisses on my shoulder and neck. "It's gonna be alright." She hesitated slightly, pulling back, looking directly into my eyes. "I promise."

I nodded. "I'll write when I get situated, let you know where I'm at and all."

She nodded up at me, quiet, a half smile fading from her face. She pulled away, looking at me with hurt and disbelief. "You're leaving me behind?" She stated more than asked.

I pulled in a deep breath and licked my lips. "Somebody's got to manage the new slayers and lets face it... I'm not equipped to do it, never was, never will be."

"But you did it." She interrupted, adding. "You led us and you did a great job."

"Because..." My voice trailed off, not knowing what to say, finally relenting. "I'm not ready... I've got things to do, hurts to heal, places to find..." I looked up at her and found her nodding along with me.

"So do I." She stated and turned leaving me alone in my room. I grabbed up my bag, slung it over my shoulder and made my way downstairs. Kennedy stood up and looked at me warily.

"You're leaving." She said.

I nodded and remained quiet. She shifted from one foot to the other. "I'll get my stuff." She stated, moving away.

"You don't have to go." I offered her a way out.

"You can't go." A voice stated from the top of the stairs.

Kennedy and I turned, facing up the stairs and looked directly at Buffy, complete with a duffle draped over her back. Buffy descended down the stairs, moving over beside me but looking directly at Ken. "You're in charge. You'll have to stay, get the slayers in order, get our family back together." Buffy looked pointedly at Kennedy, relaying her wishes through eye contact.

Kennedy nodded. "I'll be there just as soon as I'm done."

Buffy smiled and started towards the door. "Take your time. We're going home to heal." She smiled and tugged on my duffle, pulling me towards her, adding. "We'll call you when we're settled." She started to move again, but then stopped and looked directly at me, asking. "Are you coming?"

I looked at her, confused, baffled. "You don't have to come with me."

Buffy dropped her duffle on the floor and walked towards me. "I'm not letting you go. I won't lose you again."

I looked at her blankly, my brow furrowed, questioning her with my eyes. "I'm sure." She stated, smiling at me.

I nodded and followed her quietly out the door, away from everything she'd ever known.

B (pov)

We sat at the airport until we could get a flight back to the states. She wasn't offering up any explanations and I wasn't pushing her for answers. She was dealing with everything quietly and this time, I was willing to let her deal without me pushing her, or trying to get her to talk out everything.

The main thing was that she was allowing me to go with her, to be close to her and that right there said a lot. I figured she'd put up a big argument but she didn't. I guess when you got right down to the bottom of every thing; she was tired, defeated and left a little bit hollow. I knew that feeling well, I was feeling it myself.

Kennedy showed up, with food and presents. We sat together, talking, offering up advice on how to best handle the slayers that were left; Who to send back to the states, who to keep, each eating silently, thinking to ourselves. The time to go finally came and Kennedy pulled out her gifts, handing the large one to Faith and the small one to me. "Here Faith, why don't you open yours first." Kennedy stated, smiling.

Faith gingerly tore the paper off the gift and opened the box, revealing all kinds of different syrups... and condoms. She arched her brow and picked up one of the syrups, licked her lips, looking from Kennedy then to me. "Uhm...thanks?" She stated, shrugging. She looked to me.

My face flushed crimson as I eyed the box of syrup and condoms. I swallowed and looked at Kennedy, who had this evil smirk playing over her features. I gripped my gift tightly in my hand. "I think I'll open mine later." I stated.

"Go on open it." Faith stated casually. Kennedy joined in with her. "Yeah, go on, open it."

I looked at Faith, who was oblivious and then at Kennedy, who was enjoying herself.

I pulled in a deep breath, deciding to just open the damned gift and to hell with them and their thoughts. I tore into the gift and found a prepaid phone card and a bit of cash. I looked up at Kennedy, who was smiling with an, 'I got you,' look.

She leaned forward, whispering. "I guess I should be looking for payback... right?"

I hardened my eyes at Kennedy, promising a world of payback later on.

Kennedy laughed and waved at us as we boarded the plane. I laughed and settled in next to Faith, watching as she fingered through the box of syrup and other things. She finally set the box down and I relaxed, watching as she leaned back against the seat.

She turned and looked at me, smiling and in a sweet voice asked. "So that's our condiments?" She burst out laughing, watching as my face burned bright red. Damn that Kennedy, I'm so gonna kill her.

We got off the plane in California and took a bus towards Sunnydale, or what was left of it but ended up getting off a couple of counties from it. I still didn't question what was going on. I just followed blindly.

We grabbed a taxi and went to an alley. She hesitated momentarily, as if remembering the area, pulling it from her mind. She walked forwards a few feet, turned and walked toward a brick wall and started counting the cement blocks up from the ground.

She dug her fingers around the grooves in the block and pulled, dislocating it from the wall, reached inside and pulled out a small black bag.

She opened it, removing Identification cards and papers, some cash and a key. I followed behind her as she walked across town and entered into the local bank. I waited for her outside, pacing back and forth, unsure as to what was going on, worried that she'd go out the back and ditch me.

I ran inside and frantically scanned the area.

She emerged from the vault room and I let out a sigh of relief, watching as she came towards me, carrying a briefcase. She half smiled at me and I smiled back, fighting the urge to run at her full speed and wrap myself around her.

"You ready?" She asked.

I looked at her questioningly and nodded, again following blindly and quietly.

We went directly to a motel and silently made our way into our room. We ordered some take out and tried to relax. I watched as she slowly opened the briefcase, pulling the contents out onto the bed.

"I'm gonna shower." I stated, looking at her long and hard before I left her. When I finally came out of the shower, she was still going through the contents, reading documents.

She looked up at me and got up from the bed. "Food will be here anytime now. I'm gonna wash up." She eased by me and went into the bathroom, leaving me alone with nothing to do but stare at the papers and wonder what the hell they were.

I sat in a nearby chair, pulling on a comfy pair of workout pants and a T, curious to death to know what was going on but not curious enough to actually walk over and look through it. I bit my lip, waiting for Faith.

A knock sounded on the door. I peeked out and opened the door, took the food and forked over the money.

I opened a few cartons of the Chinese and smiled when Faith poked her head out of the bathroom. "Mmmm I thought I smelled something." She pretty much ran out, half wrapped in a towel, still dripping. "I'm starving." She offered as an explanation.

I smiled and pushed a wet lock of hair out of her face. We sat down and ate with her finally explaining what she was doing. Basically the Mayor had a backup plan put into place just in case something happened to him.

From what we could decipher Faith was now the owner of a small house and the contents of one storage building. There was an envelope stuffed with cash and a note to call some attorney. I was just grateful that it wasn't someone affiliated with the big W & H.

So she called and got the gist of everything. Did I like it? Hell no! But what was I going to say about it. I really couldn't say anything, I mean, she was looking for answers and how could I deny her that.

We both fell into a fitful sleep and woke way too early. We packed up our meager belongings and called a taxi, heading straight for the storage building.

I was scared of what we'd find in there and I could tell she was too. We stood in front of the bay door, each wary of what was behind it. She opened the padlock and stood still, staring at the door. Suddenly, like pulling off a band-aid, she flung the door open, revealing an old Ford Bronco.

She eased inside the storage chamber, looking at the truck. "You think it'll explode?" She asked.

I shrugged, cause I sure as hell didn't know.

She walked around to the driver's door, opened it and rummaged around, finally pulling out a set of keys and got behind the wheel. "You might want to step back." She stated just before pressing the gas pedal repeatedly. She waited for me to step away and inserted the key.

The truck fought against the quiet, trying to come to life, over and over the engine turned until finally it caught and roared.

It backfired, scaring the hell out of both of us. I just knew she was splattered all over the walls. I looked at her and she stared back, those same scared, wide eyes looking at me... and then we laughed, letting the built up adrenaline exit our bodies.

She drove the truck out and waited for me to throw in our bags and get in. We headed towards the house, stopping long enough to get some food and call ahead to the lady who'd been up keeping the place in Faith's absence.

Hours later we finally found the place and slowly pulled in the long winding drive. We hesitantly got out of the truck and eyed the old house, each of us looking around, searching for danger.

She sighed and started towards the house; going through the keys she'd been left and stopped just short of the door, staring off in the distance.

I moved up behind her and followed her line of sight. Off in the distance, on a small hillside, just underneath a weeping willow was a small cross-shaped marker.

Faith pulled in a shallow breath and held it. I reached out to touch her arm, my heart breaking in two as she slowly moved from my grasp and headed towards the cross.

I followed slowly, keeping a good distance between us. Wanting to be close but too scared and ashamed to not give her space.

She stared down at the marker and finally knelt before it, her hand hesitantly reaching out to touch the weathered stone.

A car pulling into the drive caught my attention. I watched as a woman got out of the car. I sensed no danger, saw no weapons and since we were expecting her; I lowered my guard and turned all my attention back to Faith.

Tears started streaming down her face and she fought hard to keep herself from openly sobbing. I watched her struggle, slowly losing her inner battle.

I suppressed a sob, ignored my now falling tears and ignored the woman moving toward us.

"Tell me again we won." Faith rasped out between sobs.

I lost it and started openly sobbing, unable to hold back any longer. I wiped my eyes and looked at the woman, my eyes falling to the little girl hiding behind her skirt.

I looked at the little girl, taking in her features, brown eyes, hair and those dimples. I looked up at the woman, my eyes questioning.

The woman nodded, confirming my thoughts.

"Faith." I said, trying to get her attention.

"Faith." I tried again.

She finally wiped her eyes and turned to look at me, her eyes trailing from me to the woman and then down to the little girl. I looked at Faith closely, watching her for any kind of recognition but she was blank.

The woman pushed the little girl forward, towards Faith, stating in a soft, calm voice. "See, I told you that your mommy would be coming home one day."

The little girl stood silently before Faith, her wide eyes looking up at her in awe and a little bit of fear.

Faith moved closer and crouched down in front of her, looking at her intently as if studying her, her mind starting to understand. "How?" She asked, her voice raspy, eyes full of newly building tears and never leaving the child's face.

The woman cleared her throat, getting Faith's attention, smiled and shrugged. "We've got the rest of your lives to have that talk, right now..." The woman's voice trailed off and she motioned to the little girl.

Faith looked back at the little girl, touched her face lightly, wrapped her arms around the child and sobbed openly. She looked up at me half smiling, half crying, and enveloped the child in a tighter hug.

I moved forward, kneeling beside them, wrapping my arms around the both of them, crying with them, whispering to Faith between kisses.

"We won. We finally won."

The End