Chapter 10- All Hallows Id

"Faith! Buffy!"

Faith opened her eyes to one heck of a sight.

Buffy was jumping up and down with a beer in one hand, looking out at the morning through the one window in the crypt.

"Faith! Buffy!!"

"Buffy what?" Faith croaked in her morning voice.

"Buffy got beer!! Beer good! Foamy!!" The foam was currently oozing out of the top of the bottle at a rapid pace, it started to spit from it as she jumped more rapidly. She was happy Faith was finally up, they could drink more beer and go find something to eat and of course, there would be kisses, she loved the kisses.

Faith couldn't help but laugh at Buffy's joy over the beer.

"Buffy drink beer, not spray."

"Floor need beer, too." Buffy said and then laughed a slow devolved laugh at her joke. "Buffy silly." She continued to giggle.

Faith cocked her head, her lips settled into a lascivious grin as she watched Buffy dance around naked. "Mmmm," She stretched her arms above her head. "Buffy sexy."

Buffy stopped dancing with the bottle of beer and looked at Faith. She suddenly felt shy, Faith's hungry-for-Buffy look usually had that effect on her, especially when she was doing something she didn't intend to be sexy.

"F-Faith want beer?"

"Yeah," Faith's grin didn't diminish as she gestured for Buffy to come to her. "Give Faith beer."

Buffy walked over cautiously to where Faith was lounging, the beer held in her hand outthrust from her body.

"C'mere." Faith winked. "Faith no bite." The dimples in her cheeks deepened as her grin widened. "Unless B want." She licked her lips and settled them into a smirk.

Buffy's eyes narrowed at Faith's lips, she was starting to feel less shy, more horny.

When Buffy got close, Faith sat up quickly and pulled her down onto her. The beer was now spilling onto Buffy's chest and she squealed and squirmed in Faith's arms.

"Faith! Buffy wet!"

"Mmhmm," Faith agreed as she started licking the beer that had been spilled between Buffy's breasts. "Buffy very wet." Her hand had made it's way to Buffy's center and her fingers slipped through the growing moistness they found there.

"Faith, no." Buffy gasped.

"No?" Faith said in between licks.

"No." Buffy said, more firmly. The motion of Faith's fingers had started stoking the spark of fire that she felt when Faith had looked at her like she was a big juicy steak as she walked across the room with the bottle of beer.

Faith pulled back a little and looked into Buffy's eyes. "No?"

Buffy shook her head slightly and reached down to Faith's hand, she pulled it up and sniffed her wetness from Faith's fingers. Faith's eyes narrowed with desire as she waited for Buffy's next action.

"Buffy need food." Buffy licked out at Faith's finger tips. "Buffy taste good, but Buffy not food." She winked at Faith and then stood up abruptly, the opened bottle of beer fell onto Faith and emptied itself of the little beer that was left in a rush.

Faith shrieked and jumped up, trying to catch her mischievous girlfriend. She picked up an unopened bottle of beer off the floor in her quest for the blonde.

Buffy had ducked down behind one of Spike's broken chairs. She was trying to contain her giggles and the heavy breathing that would give away her position.

"Buffy like foamy?" Faith sing-songed. "Beer gooood. Buffy want beery?" She continued as she shook up the beer. "Faith got what Buffy waaaaant."

"Buffy want!" The blonde charged out from her hiding place and tackled Faith who had her hand on the cap to the bottle, she quickly opened it and it exploded over both of them as they landed in a heap on top of their makeshift bed.

Both of them were laughing and trying to douse each other with the stream of beer coming from the bottle.

When the bottle was empty and they had laughed and wrestled themselves breathless, they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Their chests heaved from the intensity of their horse-play.

Faith was the first to speak first, "Buffy not food." She brought her hand up to her nose and sniffed her fingers, her eyes closing with obvious desire. "But Buffy smell good!" She groaned loudly and put her fingers in her mouth.

"Buffy know," The blonde said as she pulled Faith's hand reluctantly from her girlfriend's mouth and replaced it with her tongue. She pulled them up into a kneeling position and then to their feet as they continued to kiss with abandon. "Mom home." Buffy said when their kiss broke, she rested her forehead against Faith's and licked out at her lips.

"Mrs. S cook good." Faith said, sighing out. Her stomach growled with the memory of the food she had the other night at Buffy's house. "We go eat."

"Thirsty." Buffy lamented.

"Drink beer, then go eat." Faith reasoned.

"See Mom!" Buffy said, happily.

"See Joyce." Faith agreed as she opened one beer with a grunt and then handed it to Buffy, she popped open another one for herself, nodding at Buffy as they both downed them quickly, not caring that they were less than frosty.

Foamy was all that mattered, that and the fact that it gave them tingles after they drank it, and it made them want to drink more. But since those were the last two bottles of beer, they decided now was a good time as any to leave the worse-for-wear crypt.

So, without a shred of clothing on either one of them, they started on their journey to see Buffy's mother.

Giles was startled from his sleep by the phone ringing directly behind his head. For a moment he didn't know where he was or who was in his arms until he remembered researching with Tara and closing his eyes for a moment's respite as he looked at the book she was reading.

He jumped up quickly and regretted not putting a pillow in his place on the couch as he watched Tara flop onto the spot he just vacated.

`Too late now,' He thought, picking up the phone.

"H-Hello?" He said, quite embarrassed for himself.

"Mr. Giles! I thought you were going to call me?"

"Mrs. Summers, good morning." He tried to go with some pleasantries. "How did you sleep?"

"I didn't, I was too worried about my devolved daughter and her friend."

"I was just about to call you and tell you the news." He lied.

"You've found them?"

"Not as such no, but we've been researching all night, and w-we think we've come up with the cause of their devolvement."

"What is it?"

"An enchanted beverage."

"An enchanted beverage?" She repeated. "Like something Disney would make a movie out of?"

Giles hesitated a moment, he was puzzled, "Perhaps I'd better come over, we can explain it better."

"We?"

"A friend of Willow's has been helping me research, do you mind if we come over?"

"Not at all." Joyce was just about to say goodbye when another question popped into her head. "What did they drink?"

"Beer," Giles said without thinking. He cringed as he heard himself say the word.

"My eighteen year old daughter drank enchanted beer?!"

"Uh, we-we don't know that Joyce, she could have gotten it through another means entirely!" He was proud of his quick thinking.

"What other means?"

"Bodily fluids." Again, the words flew unchecked out of his mouth before his mind had a chance to censor them. He had to stop answering the phone in the early morning hours. In fact, he vowed to stop answering the phone at all. He added quickly, "Or-or a device of some sort, perhaps equally enchanted?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Have you seen anything suspicious around the house?"

"My daughter's the Slayer, Giles, can you be more specific?"

"Shiny objects?"

Joyce rolled her eyes and sighed before answering, "My daughter's a teen and somewhat of a girly girl, if you hadn't noticed."

Giles felt as though he were sinking into the floor of his living room. He wished it would swallow him whole.

"Perhaps if we came over and had a look…"

"I think you'd better."

"Right, we'll be over in less than an hour."

"Good, then maybe you could tell me why my daughter and Faith are RUNNING NAKED ACROSS MY BACK LAWN!!"

Giles cringed at the volume of her voice, and the visual that was currently popping into his mind. He heard Joyce drop the phone to the ground.

"Good lord." Giles muttered and then hung up the phone, "Tara? Tara dear, it's time to get up." He gently shook the sleeping girl and willed her to wake up. "Please, wake up. We need to go to Buffy's house to avert a killing."

"Wha? Who's?" Tara murmured, sleepily.

"Mine." Giles said with false optimism evident in his tone.

Buffy bent down to pick up the hose on the side of the house, she smelled herself under her arm again. "Need clean! Faith, help!" She handed the brunette the spray nozzle. "Spray."

Just as Faith shot the water at Buffy, Joyce came yelling out of the backdoor and around to the side of the house. Buffy started shrieking from the cold of the water, and the agitation in her mother's voice.

"BUFFY!! FAITH!!! PUT THAT HOSE DOWN AND GET IN THE HOUSE!!!"

Startled, Faith turned towards Joyce and ended up dousing her with a good blast of the cold water before dropping it and running around to the back entrance, Buffy followed quickly behind.

"OH MY, that was cold!" Joyce turned to follow the girls, but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed her neighbor looking wide eyed out of his kitchen window, his cup of coffee was still poised in mid-air on the way to his mouth. "What's the matter? You've never seen a wet nightgown contest before?" Joyce looked down at her chest and noticed her white nightgown had indeed become see-through. "Joyce Mariel Summers, turn around and get in that house!" She said to herself, not caring that she would seem crazy talking to herself.

There were crazier things in Sunnydale.

"You're where?" Anya winced as the words she was saying made her head pound.

"I'm in the slammer, the big house, el houso biggo, la grande…house…thing."

"Xander, please, my head hurts, can you tell me what I need to do?"

"Call Giles, he needs to bail us out."

"You're in JAIL?!"

"Where did you think I was?"

"Some big house!"

"Whatzat, luv?" Spike said as he was startled from his sleep by Anya's yell.

"Is that Spike?!"

"You're in JAIL!" Anya ignored his question.

"Is that Spike?!"

"Jail, Xander!"

"SPIKE, Anya!" Xander countered.

"It's none of your business!"

"What?! You're my girlfriend, it's 7am and I call my house and wake you up and I hear a guy's voice in the background who obviously just woke up too, how's that not my business?!"

"You're yelling at me, and I have a hangover." Anya said, carefully and evenly.

"You were drinking with SPIKE?!"

Anya held the phone out from her ear and looked at it, she was contemplating hanging it up.

"Times up, Buddy." The guard at the jail said to Xander.

He held his hand over the phone and spoke to the guard, "Just a minute, Sir." The guard nodded. "Anya?" He heard silence, "Anya?! Are you there?!"

"I'm here," She said into the mouthpiece, still holding the earpiece away from her head.

"Please, call Giles, I've got to go."

"Ok,"

He hung up without saying another word.

"Did you tell him?" Spike asked.

"Tell him what?" Anya asked as she still looked at the phone, stunned that Xander hadn't said `I love you', like he normally does at the end of a call.

"What we did last night, surely you didn't forget."

Anya punched Spike in the chest and the Vampire broke out into a laugh.

"Not funny Spike," She pouted. "I want my Xander-bear but he's incarcerated."

"Well you better call the watcher man."

"Right! I forgot!" She hit the talk button on the phone and dialed Giles' number.

Giles shouldered the bag full of the books he would need to explain the situation to Joyce, and held his arm out to Tara so that she could rest most of her weight on him as she walked; her ankle was still a bit tender.

The phone rang as Giles opened the door.

"M-Mr. Giles, the phone is ringing."

"Probably a telemarketer, let's go dear."

"Did you leave that note for Willow, Xander and Angel?"

"Yes, but we shouldn't worry so much, they probably spent the night at Xander's."

"Probably," Tara said, unsure as they walked out of the condo.

"March right up to that bathroom, both of you! Look at you both, filthy! You walked across town like that?!"

Buffy and Faith ran upstairs with Joyce hot on their heels.

When they got to the bathroom they just stood there as Joyce caught up.

"Well don't just stand there, go on, get clean." She gestured towards the shower but the girls looked at her puzzled.

Buffy noticed the sink and turned on the water, she made her hands into a receptacle and poured the water on her head quickly and made to do it again.

"No, Buffy! Not like that, get in the shower! The shower!" Joyce pointed again.

Faith finally got it and stepped backwards, pulling Buffy back with her, she clumsily stepped into the shower and hoisted Buffy up to stand in there with her. They both looked puzzled at Joyce as to what to do next.

"Oh, honestly, honey." Joyce sighed and reached in for the knobs on the bathtub. She made sure the temperature was satisfactory before turning on the shower head. Buffy and Faith were very fascinated by the water that rained out of the wall. "Can you girls wash yourselves?"

Two blank stares came back at her.

"You know, wash?" Joyce mimed washing and then pointed to the soap.

Faith looked to where she was pointing and picked up the body wash, she watched Joyce's actions for a little longer, her brow furrowed as she looked at the bottle. Buffy took great interest in what her girlfriend was doing, she also dutifully watched Joyce's instructions.

"That's right, honey." Joyce said to Faith as though she were talking to a child, "You wash with the soap, wash your body."

Faith grinned as the understanding bloomed in her brain and she started rubbing the bottle on her skin.

Joyce's face fell into a mask of disappointment. That seemed to agitate the slayers, they thought they were doing right.

"You…" Joyce realized her look was upsetting the girls so she smiled. "You're doing good. Yes you are, now pour the soap onto the scrubbing puff." She pointed to the object, then decided to just hand it to Faith and she flipped up the top on the bottle.

Faith took the puff from Mrs. Summers and looked closer at the top of the soap. Her nose wrinkled as she brought it closer to the top and took a tentative sniff of its contents.

"MmmMMmm," She moaned excitedly. "Smell good!! B smell!" Faith extended the bottle out for Buffy to smell.

"Oh, smell good!!" Buffy agreed happily, after taking a sniff of the bottle.

"Faith eat!"

Joyce jumped to action and snatched the bottle away just as Faith was starting to bring it to her mouth.

"No, Faith no eat!" She said quickly. "Faith wash with soap." She blushed slightly at the devolved speak she realized she was talking. But she soldiered on and took the puff from Faith, pouring soap onto it and working it into a lather. "See?" Joyce said as she showed the girls how it was done by washing her own forearm. "Wash. Get clean. See?"

"Wash," Buffy said, understanding the actions finally.

Faith's brow settled into a frown, "Eat." She grunted out as she continued to sniff the soap animatedly.

"No, no eat." Joyce said, continuing to demonstrate the washing. "If you eat, you get sick." She frowned and tried to relay that the soap wasn't good with her facial expressions. Faith didn't look convinced, so she decided to take a desperate measure, she licked some of the lather. A look of distaste immediately settled on her face, "Yuck!!"

The girls were somewhat startled, then they laughed as Joyce's face grew more sour.

"Icky! Blech!" She continued and wiped her tongue with her sleeve.

"Wash," Faith said with a nod, finally understanding that the delicious smelling soap wasn't for consumption.

"Yes, wash." Joyce handed her back the puff and watched as Faith turned Buffy around and began to wash her. She sighed out.

It was going to be a long day.

Giles pulled up to the Summers' residence and quickly engaged the parking break, he jumped out of the car and looked annoyed as Tara called him back. His face showed his discontent.

Tara's face held the look of someone who was sorry for having to say what she was going to say, "You left the car running and you forgot me."

"Oh, dear Lord." Giles ran around to the driver's side and opened the door, he quickly reached around to the ignition and switched the car off. Then he went around and helped Tara out of the car.

"It'll be ok, Mr. Giles."

"You-you don't understand. For Buffy's eighteenth birthday I did something I regret, and I've been trying to make things up to her and her mother. This will just…well it…it just won't do." He said finally as he practically carried Tara to the front door and rang the bell.

After the third try Giles instructed Tara to stay where she was and he slipped around to the back of the house, seeing the back door ajar and signs of disarray in the kitchen he became alarmed. He opened the front door and shouted at Tara to find a weapon and then ran up the steps.

"Joyce!!" He shouted. "Joyce! Are you up here?!"

There was no answer and he heard shrieks behind the bathroom door that was slightly ajar, he quickly opened it further.

"Oh, I beg your pardon." He blushed and immediately turned around, looking down at the floor. "I didn't see anything."

Joyce, who had stepped into the shower in her nightgown to help the girls wash their hair and had been laughing and singing songs to them, spoke surprisingly calm to Giles' back.

"We'll be done here in a few minutes, would you mind getting breakfast started, Mr. Giles? You'll find everything you need in the kitchen, only don't mention the f-word, they're getting very h and I fear there will be property damage and maybe even bodily harm if we don't have something ready soon." She spoke animatedly as she continued to wash and scrub Buffy's hair as best she could.

"Very well, I'll be downstairs."

"Thank you."

Tara who had finally managed to make it up the steps and had been standing outside of the bathroom watched as Giles left quickly to his task.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"Please, go in Buffy's room and find some clothes. Nothing too hard to put on. Thank you."

"No problem," Tara said. "Which room is Buffy's?"

"Right across the hall." Joyce said, her voice still trying to maintain a soothing quality, willing the increasingly hungry slayers to be calm. "We'll get you washed, and dressed. Yes we will, won't we girls?" `It's like having two year old twins,' Joyce mused, as she witnessed Buffy and Faith assisting each other with washing the shampoo out of their hair. Until she saw Buffy caress Faith in a way that no sister should touch another sister. "Time to rinse and get out!" Joyce snapped out of her reverie. She helped the girls get rinsed faster and called for Tara to help get towels on them.

"I'll take them in to get dressed, you should probably take a shower yourself."

"You're a dear, Tara. I won't be too long."

"Take your time." Tara smiled at Mrs. Summers, her gaze fell on Joyce's chest and her eyes went wide when she realized what she saw. "I-I'll be g-going now."

"See you soon."

"Mom!" Buffy suddenly yelled and ran back to the shower. Joyce was puzzled until Buffy threw her arms around her and hugged her close, resting her head on her mother's stomach. "Buffy happy. Mom no hurt."

Understanding bloomed in Joyce's head, "There, there honey. Mom's better now." Faith ran up and also hugged Joyce, she felt a little embarrassed by the state of her nightgown, but she was happy to feel the love from the girls. Especially after having to yell at them about running naked across town.

"You girls go, Tara will help you get dressed ok?"

"Ok," They both said as they released her and went dutifully with Tara.

Tara had picked out the simplest things she could find out of Buffy's wardrobe, shorts and tank tops and in a matter of minutes she had the slayers dressed. She stepped back and admired her handy work. Faith's clothes were slightly tighter on her, but not too bad since she had thinned out quite a bit in the chest and buttocks area from her coma.

"There you go, you guys look great."

She had them slip into the flip flops she found in Buffy's closet.

"Perfect." She smiled at them. Faith regarded her curiously for a moment or two. "Did you need something?"

"Girl nice."

"Thank you, I think you're nice, too." Tara said, politely.

Faith stepped closer to Tara and looked her over more carefully. The blonde witch was starting to get a little uncomfortable with the closeness.

Buffy had been watching this interaction with very close scrutiny and grunted in displeasure as she saw Faith take a big sniff of Tara's neck. She stepped closely behind Faith and took her hand, tugging on her arm.

"Faith?" She asked, curiously.

Faith didn't answer her or stop in her current task of sniffing Tara so Buffy pulled on her arm harder.

"What Faith want?!" Buffy said, starting to get very upset. "Faith want girl?!"

"Oh, no. Faith n-no want girl, r-right Faith?" Tara asked, nervously. She could sense Buffy's possessiveness and distress over Faith's actions.

"N-no? R-right?" Faith mimicked with a puzzled look on her face.

This made Tara more nervous and she blushed. Faith touched her hand to Tara's cheek.

"Girl's face red. Girl burned?"

Tara thought that was a good way to put how she felt. She had always been self conscious about her stutter, and for the most part she had been able to conquer it, but it was moments like these that made her feel like she was back in grade school and the kids were picking on her.

"N-no." She stopped at that, she could feel that every word after that was going to be stuttered or stammered so she didn't say  more.

"N-no?" Faith mimicked again and then stepped back in closer taking another sniff of Tara's neck. Again, Buffy looked concerned at Faith's actions.

"F-Faith?" Tara tried to push her away, but Faith only took her hand in hers and sniffed right down her arm to her fingers. She looked like she had just sniffed a line of some sort of drug.

"Girl smell like girl." Faith stated hungrily and her eyes flashed as she looked at Tara. At first she thought Faith's declaration was because she liked to sprinkle lavender on her pulse points, but looking into the devolved slayer's face and seeing the recognition in her eyes it dawned on her what, or rather who, Faith could smell on her.

"Uhhh," Tara said, inadequately.

"Buffy smell like girl!" Buffy declared, tugging again at Faith, trying to pull her back.

Faith's eyes and mouth settled into a knowing smirk, before turning back to Buffy and taking a sniff of her lover.

"Buffy smell like Faith." She said, and Tara could tell immediately where she was going with this line of devolved thought. "Girl," She pointed at Tara, "Smell like Red."

"Uhhh," Tara repeated and watched as Buffy's brow furrowed into puzzlement.

Before Buffy could work out anything for herself, Faith turned to her, and pulled her close. "Red no drive stick."

"Stick?" Buffy questioned.

Faith nodded and then smiled at the curious look on the blonde slayer's face. "B funny."

"Funny?"

"Yeah, and B pretty." She pulled Buffy closer, obviously feeling hot and bothered for her girlfriend.

"Uhhh," Was all Tara could manage to say.

"What about girl?" Buffy said, accusingly to Faith.

"Girl?" Faith stopped a moment and turned back to look at the stunned witch. She looked understandingly at Tara, "Girl got girl."

Tara realized Faith meant Willow and nodded.

"Faith got B." She turned back to Buffy.

"Faith got B?" Buffy said, skeptically, it was clear she was still a little perturbed at Faith's display of curiosity for the way Tara smelled.

"Yeah," Faith pulled Buffy impossibly closer and leaned in for a kiss.

Buffy thought to resist her, to make Faith suffer a little, but her id wouldn't let her and she captured Faith's lips in a hungry kiss.

"Oh my." Joyce said, startling Tara as she walked up behind her. "How long have they been at this?"

"Th-they j-just s-started."

"Call Mr. Giles, tell him to bring some bacon up here."

Tara went to do as she was told.

"Buffy?" Joyce tried to get her daughter's attention, but her question seemed to fall on deaf ears. In a moment, Giles was behind her with some bacon.

"Bloody hell." He whispered, stunned.

Joyce turned to him and took the bacon from his hands.

"Girls! Look, bacon, mmmm." She waved it near them and just as they turned to look she was off and running downstairs. Buffy and Faith stopped what they were doing, and followed her downstairs quickly.

Giles looked at Tara who still looked a bit shook up.

"Well, I uhhhh," Giles said.

"Exactly." Tara said and turned to follow the others.

"More!" Buffy said as she finished the piece Joyce had fed her.

"How much longer for the other pound of bacon, Mr. Giles?"

"Here it is," Giles plated it up as the phone rang.

"Can you get that, Tara dear?" Joyce asked, trying to make Faith and Buffy civilly reach for the food with little success.

"H-hello?"

"Tara?"

"S-speaking."

"It's Anya, remember me? From your dorm room? I told you how to get the tuna smell out of the air?"

"Y-yes, I remember you." Tara rolled her eyes.

"Giles wouldn't happen to be there, would he?"

"H-he's right here." Tara handed the phone over to the watcher who was standing shocked at the speed with which the slayers could get fists full of food in their mouths.

"Hello?"

"Giles, finally!"

"What's the matter?"

"Xander's in jail!"

He broke from his stunned state and snapped to attention.

"Jail?!"

"Yes, it seems that he's a criminal."

"Did he say why?"

"It runs in the family, I guess."

Giles sighed, "No, Anya, dear." He said, tightly. "Did he say why he was arrested?"

"No, we didn't get to that, he accused me of doing unspeakable things with Spike and then he had to go."

The watcher realized he wasn't going to get much information out of her, so he thanked her for calling and then hung up the phone.

"It appears as though Xander, and very possibly Willow and Angel were arrested last night."

Tara gasped.

"Angel's back in town?" Joyce asked, clearly not too happy to find out this latest news.

"Yes, he came in last night, to help with finding Buffy and Faith."

"How nice," Joyce said, sarcastically.

"Yes, well, I better go bail them out."

"The sun is up, Mr. Giles." Tara pointed out, helpfully.

"Oh yes." Giles looked at Joyce.

"You can't get them out until tonight," Joyce stated. Even though she felt Angel's presence was an ominous sign for her daughter and Faith's relationship, she was too much of a mom to hope that Angel would be released into the sunlight.

"M-maybe you could just get Willow and Xander and then go back for Angel tonight?"

Giles nodded, impressed with Tara's quick thinking.

"Very good, Tara. I'll put a call into a bail bondsman I know and arrange for his release after dark."

Giles left the kitchen and Tara and Joyce were left standing and watching the eating tornado that was taking place at the kitchen island.

"I better go get them new tops," Tara stated and left the kitchen, too. She was worried they'd finish the food and then Faith would start sniffing her again.

"Where do they put it all?" Joyce said, mystified as she watch Buffy stuff a whole pancake into her mouth.

"Tara!" Willow exclaimed as she saw her girlfriend.

"Will!" Tara said with a smile. She noticed Faith in the corner of the couch watching their hug and a knowing smirk settled onto her face, Tara's smile faded slightly. She was afraid of what the devolved girl would say about her and Willow in front of people.

"Giles!" Xander called out as he came into the house. He hugged the bewildered man.

"What happened last night?" Giles asked, trying to disengage Xander gently.

"Well," Willow started but noticed the two girls on the couch half sitting-half crouching. "Buffy! Faith! We're so glad you weren't in that crypt last night!"

Both girls looked a bit puzzled.

"What happened?" Giles asked, again.

"Riley and the council blew it up."

At the mention of the council both Buffy and Faith became very agitated, Joyce went over to soothe them.

"This was the crypt you were supposed to be searching?"

"Yep," Xander said. "The very same. But apparently the intelligence that Riley and the goons had was spotty, because thankfully," He said with a grateful look towards the girls. "Our girls weren't in there."

"They would have been slayercakes." Willow agreed, going over to the girls and giving them big hugs.

"Our girls?" Giles said, smugly. "I thought you were against one of them coming back."

"Oh, no. I've uhhh, I've seen the light." Xander said, sincerely. "No, the big house changes a man." He added thoughtfully.

Giles looked skeptical at that.

"Really," Xander said, trying to convince Giles. "I may have only been in there for 13 hours, but I'm a changed man."

"Did Anya say why Spike was with her last night?" Willow's question sounded innocent, but it's intention hit the mark.

Xander flinched and his eyes fixed narrowly on a point in the distance, "No," He said coldly. "But if I find out he touched her I'm going to light him up like a roman candle on the Fourth of July." The menace in his voice told everyone he hadn't changed much.

Willow grinned, satisfied with her experiment.

"What do we do now, Giles?"

"Well, we know what's causing them to devolve…"

"You do?!" Willow interrupted.

"Yes," Giles' looked at Joyce and then changed tack, "W-well, we think we have a possibility."

"What is it?"

"Now, mind you this is one possibility, we don't know for sure if it's how they got this way."

Willow looked expectantly at Giles as he tried to allay Joyce's fears.

"And?"

"Well, it might have been in some beer."

"BEER!" Buffy shouted jumping to her feet on the couch and effectively making Giles feel two feet tall.

"What about beer?" Xander asked, amused.

"Beer, foamy!"

"That's right!" He said proudly to Buffy," Then turned to Giles, "I guess you've got your answer there G-man," He turned back and praised Buffy. "Good Buffy, beer foamy." He noticed Faith's possessive look as she pulled Buffy back down to sit with her on the couch. He tried not to gulp as he smiled at them.

"Thank you, Xander." Giles said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "You are most helpful."

Xander slapped Giles a little too hard on the shoulder, "Anytime my man. Look, I'm going to go home and shower, and see about staking a certain bleach blond vampire, then I'll go check out the bar. Faith was there the other night, if it's tainted beer then that's probably a good place to start."

"Good," Giles said, his anger at Xander dissipated. "And we'll continue looking over the books to find a cure."

"What are Buffy and Faith gonna do?" Xander questioned.

They all looked to the girls who were currently standing in front of the TV, engrossed in watching a commercial for a steak house, as a juicy looking grilled sirloin came across the screen Buffy tried to grab it, and Faith licked the glass, jumping back as the static charge zapped her tongue. Buffy shook out her hand and looked puzzled at the screen. The commercial ended and a music video started playing, Buffy and Faith looked happy again and started to sway with the beat.

"I guess they've found something to occupy themselves."

"For now." Willow's thoughts turned to Tara and sex, which in turn turned to the question of how they were going to keep Buffy and Faith from molesting each other.

In Buffy and Willow's psychology class a few weeks ago, Professor Walsh had taught them about the id and the pleasure principle, and it was obvious that pleasure and satisfaction was principle in the devolved girl's minds. This was evidenced by the grinding Faith was doing into Buffy's backside and Buffy's equal fervor into grinding herself back into Faith as they danced.

"Research!" Giles stated, in an eureka fashion, complete with his forefinger pointed up to the ceiling.

Tara, Willow, and Giles gathered around the dining room table, each grabbing a book and trying not to notice the girls, while Joyce contemplated what she was going to do to keep them occupied.

"Weatherby, you told me they had moved into the crypt over in Restfield." Riley wasn't too pleased with the council man and his voice reflected that.

"I was told that by a good source."

"I thought you said you saw them?!"

"I didn't say any such thing." The agitated Englishman stated, his voice showing his displeasure.

"Look, we got you out of jail, you better show some gratitude." Forrest stepped up and said curtly.

"What's this then?" Weatherby looked around at the room he was in, all white with only a table and two chairs, "If not some other kind of jail."

"It's where we do our business." Forrest said, superiority showing in his posture and voice.

"I do my business in the loo." Weatherby sneered. "Looks like you boys like to mix business with business."

The lame joke didn't sit well with Riley and he pounded his fist on the table in front of Weatherby.

"Look! This is my girlfriend we're trying to find. What did your source say?!"

Weatherby looked stunned, "H-he said…he said they'd be at that crypt, last night, he had just left them."

"Who was your source?"

"I can't say."

Riley looked like he was going to except that answer and then nodded at Forrest who cold-cocked Weatherby.

"Can you say now?" Forrest asked.

"F-fuck you." Weatherby spit out his answer, along with a tooth and some blood.

"Throw him in a containment cell until we get some answers." Riley said, as he left the room.

"Xander!!" Anya said, excitedly as she saw him come into view. Then she realized she was still mad at him. "How do you do?" She added coldly and turned away from him very dramatically.

Xander felt as though he were in a soap opera, so he decided to play it up.

"I'm well, thank you." He pointed at Spike who was lounging on the couch. "Is this the man you're cheating on me with?!"

Anya's excitement was back as she thought of her next line, "Jail has changed you, I see." She said, haughtily.

"Yes," Xander smiled a little, pleased at the role-play they had fallen easily into. "It was tough, but I did my time and now I'm back for my woman."

"What if your woman doesn't want you back?" Anya questioned.

Spike sat curiously watching the couple as the scene played out before him.

"Is that true, Anya?" Xander asked, with heartbreak in his voice. "What about all we've been through together?"

"Yes, we've been through some experiences, but even though Xander Jr. needs a new heart and little Aly was born with a mustache, I have to move on without you."

"You. don't. mean…"

"Yes, yes, Xander." Anya's joy at the role play was becoming hard for her to contain. "I think it's best."

Xander grabbed Anya's shoulders and spun her around, dipping her back slightly and kissing her for all he was worth. When he pulled her upright and broke their clinch Anya let out a short "Oh my," And leaned up to be kissed again.

Xander leaned down as though he was going to kiss her then stopped short of her lips, "No, I don't think I'm gonna kiss you."

"No?" Anya asked, puzzled.

"No, even though you should be kissed often and by someone who knows how."

She broke out of her puzzled state and realized what movie he was quoting, they had watched it several times together, and always ended up making love by the time Scarlett was eating the carrots from the ground, that weren't quite ready.

"And I suppose you think you're that someone?" She asked with disdain.

Xander leaned in again and kissed her hard.

Spike still sat where he was, very entertained at what was transpiring.

When they broke for air again Xander choked out, "Get out, Spike." Anya was pulling him towards their bed.

"But it was just getting to the good bit!" Spike said, incredulously.

"Get out or I'll take that broken broom handle and stake you!" Anya shouted impatiently.

"Wait, was that my mom's broom?"

"Shut up, Xander." Anya punched him lightly in the stomach, "Goodbye Spike!"

"Alright I'm going, but only because I want to, not because you're making me." He said, as he got off the couch and walked towards the stairs, not taking his eyes off of the couple and their roaming hands. He looked back before ascending the steps and settled his mouth into a wry grin, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Get out!"

"Bloody couples," Spike grumbled, as he went upstairs to the kitchen. "Always throwin' it in my face."

"Tonight's Halloween, maybe we could take them trick or treating." Willow said, hopefully.

"Do you think that's wise?" Giles asked.

"What do you suggest?"

"Perhaps something indoors."

"A bedroom's indoors." Tara said, quietly while she watched the slayers caress each other as they sat on the couch, occasionally watching the TV and the tiny people they loved so much.

"Tara!" Willow scolded.

"Sorry," She said sincerely, she didn't realize she had said that out loud.

"I think they should stay here." Joyce said.

"But, they could end up…" Giles started.

"And so what would we do about it?" Joyce shrugged. "Are you going to be the one to try to pull them apart?"

Giles sunk down in his chair, defeated.

"M-maybe we could take them patrolling?" Tara asked.

"Too risky," Giles said. "If they wanted to run off to god knows where you wouldn't be able to stop them."

Buffy stopped what she was doing and looked over at Giles.

"Buffy home." She stated plainly, gesturing around the room. "Mom home."

"Y-yes, right you are, Buffy." Giles said, as though he was talking to a child. "Buffy's home."

"Giles," Willow said, "I think she's trying to tell you…"

"Buffy smart. Buffy go," She pointed at the door and made a gesture with her hand almost like she was flapping a birds wing, "But Buffy come home." She stopped flapping her hand and pointed to the ground. "See Mom. Bring Faith."

"That's right, Buffy." Joyce said, proudly.

"Eat food."

"Right," Joyce agreed.

"Be horny. Go to room." She pointed upstairs.

Giles coughed and the other girls looked away, embarrassed.

"B horny?" Faith asked, hopefully.

Buffy laughed at the question, she realized the play on words. Faith looked sad at her laugh and Buffy leaned in and whispered, "B always horny for Faith."

She stood up from the couch and pulled Faith with her. Without another word they walked up the steps to the second floor.

Giles shook his head from the thoughts of why they were going upstairs, but made no move to stop them.

"Perhaps we should…" He gestured towards the books.

Willow, thankfully helped him out. "Yes, we don't know when or how this condition will revert back to normal, yet, do we?"

"N-no," Tara confirmed, quickly opening the book she had found the information about the enchanted beer in and started reading.

Joyce finally tore her gaze away from the steps and announced. "I'm going to do the dishes and clean the kitchen, I'll be playing music very loudly."

"Very well," Giles nodded at her, slightly puzzled, until he heard the noises that started coming from upstairs. "Music would be good out here, too. Willow, would you be a dear and find the MTV?"

"Sure, Giles." She chuckled, "The MTV coming right up."

After Faith and Buffy had satisfied their horny, they ate again, twice and then tried their best to help research. Unfortunately, all they managed to do was rip a couple of pages in Giles' books and he banned them from that task.

They were starting to get restless.

"On second thought, maybe Trick or Treating isn't a bad idea." Giles stated as he tried to straighten out the ripped pages of his book, "Maybe they could even do a quick patrol, although vampires and demons traditionally take Halloween off, it wouldn't hurt for them to burn some excess energy."

"Sounds good," Willow stretched, "You up for it Tara?"

"My ankle feels a lot better, I just wouldn't be able to run."

"Don't worry, if they run off, I'm sure they'll come back here." Joyce stated.

"Very well then," Giles started but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Trick or treaters, this early?" Joyce looked at the clock that said 5:30. "Hmm, I guess this is about when they start," She made her way over to the bowl of candy and slapped Faith's hand lightly, "I told you these are for the kids, you had your own bowl." She pointed to the now empty one that was on the coffee table.

Faith grunted in displeasure, but she didn't argue with the older woman. Buffy leaned over and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek as consolation. Faith held her close as she did so and sighed, content.

Joyce opened the door and was startled, but not surprised at who she saw, "Angel, that's a very nice costume, you came dressed as a vampire, I see." She said with a dry smile.

"Heh, yeah." He smiled awkwardly, "Trick or treat?"

Joyce threw the candy back into the bowl. "Trick," She said as she set it down on the end table and walked away from the door. Angel still didn't pass the threshold.

"You may come in," Joyce said as she went to stand near her daughter and Faith.

"Thanks," He said quietly, then greeted the others, "Hi Giles, Willow," He looked questioningly at Tara.

"Oh," Willow said, "Angel, this is Tara, Tara, this is Angel, Buffy's…" She trailed off.

"Vampire!" Buffy jumped off the couch and stopped when she realized who it was. "Angel?"

"Hi, Buffy." Angel gave the devolved slayer a broody smile.

Faith stepped up behind her girlfriend. "Dead boy," She said in greeting to Angel.

"Faith." The vampire quirked an eyebrow.

"Why here?" Buffy asked.

"Um, well, I uhh," Angel didn't want to reveal why he had come to Sunnydale, especially since he heard about the strength the cave slayer's possessed. He didn't want to be reduced to little more than what would fit in a small trash can. "I came to see Faith." He smiled at the brunette girl.

"Faith mine," Buffy took Faith's hand in hers and pulled it around the front of her body. "Angel can't have."

Angel smiled a sad smile, "I see that,"

"Buffy no share!"

Angel was about to speak again, although he really had no idea what would come out of his mouth, but thankfully Giles saved him.

"Maybe you could escort them on their patrol, with Willow and Tara."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite. I can handle the research here and help Joyce with trick or treating duties." Giles smiled a hopeful smile at Joyce.

"We'll be fine." Joyce agreed.

"I meant are you sure about them going on patrol?"

"Yes, we've already established that no matter where they run off to, they know where home is."

"But what about Faith?"

"Her home is here, she knows that." Joyce said, there was no confusion in her voice and Angel got the point.

"Do you mind if I go over a few things with you first, Giles?"

"Very well."

"Privately," Angel said, as he looked towards the girls caressing each other and then at Joyce.

"Anything you have to say can be said here." Giles said.

"I think it's best we talk in private," Angel said, his patience starting to wear thin.

Giles finally conceded, but not before going to the weapons chest and picking out a stake and some holy water.

"Follow me," The watcher stated, very business-like.

Angel wondered what alternate dimension he had stepped into as he followed Giles into the kitchen.

Chapter 11- The Good, The Bad, The Buffy

"Giles, I'm not going to hurt you, you can put the stake down." Angel said, a bit nervous at the look in the twitchy watcher's eyes. It was a look that said `I don't trust you any more than I can throw you'. It also said, `I wish you'd never come back from hell.' 

But that was something Angel was prepared to deal with, especially when it came to the people who loved Buffy, which was the main reason he was in Sunnydale now. He was here for one person in particular that loved Buffy and it seemed to him that person loved her very much. Just going on the looks and caresses he witnessed between them when he came in, he would have said she'd been loving Buffy a lot, very well, and for a very long time. Just as he had suspected.

Giles finished his stare down and said coolly, "What did you need to tell me? Make it quick I have some research to get back to."

Angel sighed, this was going to be harder than he thought.

"The council, what do you know of their plans for Faith?"

"Let's stop playing games, what do you know?"

"I know they want to kill Faith."

"Are you sure?"

"They're not taking her back to England for rehabilitation, that was last year, it seems they feel she's beyond redemption, they want her dead."

Giles was stunned for a moment, he had thought they were just trying to capture her for rehabilitation, he felt a little naïve.

"But I believe she can be redeemed." Giles spoke truthfully.

"So do I. In fact, I think she should come back to L.A. with me."

"For what?"

"Redemption, Giles. It's not going to be enough that you guys forgive her. She's going to need to forgive herself, and for that she's going to need to do some work."

"But Buffy…" Giles stopped, he didn't know how much Angel knew of Faith and Buffy's relationship, it was evident they were girlfriends and that didn't appear to be changing any time soon.

"I know," Angel said, with an understanding nod.

"What do you know?"

"I know she and Faith have been intimate."

They stood looking awkward for a few moments and then Angel spoke again.

"It was the reason I wanted to get away from Sunnydale, I had planned on leaving earlier, but then Faith went evil and I had to help with thwarting the Ascension."

Giles was taken aback, "Th-they…before…together?"

"Giles," Angel started to worry, "Did you drink the beer, too?"

"What? No! I'm just…when?"

"After Gwendolyn Post, they became closer and then I'm pretty sure they were intimate, quite a lot."

"But Buffy didn't tell you…"

"No, she probably tried a few times, but she never could get it out."

Giles put the stake and the holy water on the kitchen counter and sat on the stool, still puzzled by everything.

"I know it's a lot to take in, you think you've got a handle on things and then…they get away from you."

The watcher looked at Angel and gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle. "You have no idea."

"So, do you think Buffy will let Faith come back with me?"

"Not if she's in her cave slayer state, I think if she's back to normal she could be better reasoned with." He said thoughtfully and then added, "But you're not only going to have to think about Buffy, Joyce and the rest of us are concerned with her well being now also."

"What do you think?"

"I think it would be wise to elude the council, I also think there are merits to her being brought to bear the weight of her actions and atone for what she did. Are you thinking of jail for her?"

"Her records have been fixed, I'm not sure who did that, but I looked into it, and no one is looking for a murderer, the authorities are looking for an escaped hospital patient. Although, with the hundreds of unexplained murders in Sunnydale, they're not really that concerned with her." Angel leaned up against the counter that was behind him. "This ROTC program in the college has a great deal of interest in her, do you know what that's about?"

"Buffy's boyfriend, Riley, is a member."

Angel's grip slipped from the counter and he slumped a little, then righted himself, trying to look unaffected.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes, w-well, ex-boyfriend I would surmise, given present circumstances."

"Does Faith know?"

"I'm not sure," Giles looked worriedly at Angel. "If she did, I think she would be very agitated."

"Not if she felt secure in her relationship with Buffy." He went over to the kitchen door and opened it slightly. The girls were standing arm in arm, laughing as Willow and Tara were telling jokes to them. "I think they're both pretty secure."

Giles looked through the crack in the door as Angel made way for him, "Yes, quite." He was awed by how at ease they were with each other.

It gave him hope.

"So, if we cut these old fluffy sweaters into cave woman tops, they'll have the perfect costumes!" Joyce exclaimed, clearly getting into the spirit of the unofficial holiday.

"That would be perfect!" Tara agreed.

"Who wore these, Mrs. Summers? They look like old bear skins."

"Mr. Summers. I don't know why I hung onto them, probably for spite, he loved to go hunting in them, I'm surprised a bear didn't try to mate with him." She laughed.

"I wonder what Giles and Angel are talking about?"

"Probably what's going to happen to…you know," Joyce nodded her head towards the girls.

"We really need to find a cure, and fast."

"I hope so, but that's not exactly what I meant."

"You think he's here to…you know…"

"Break them up?"

"Yes," Willow's cheeks colored slightly, she couldn't believe she was discussing Buffy and Faith's relationship with Buffy's mother.

"I don't think he'd be able to if he tried," Joyce's attention was drawn to a loud laugh from the Slayers. Tara had put a funny looking hat on. "They're good together." Buffy was now putting the hat on Faith and they were giddily laughing with each other. "Better than I ever thought they could be."

Willow nodded and laughed with them at Faith's silly face. She knew there would be a lot of work to do in bringing Faith back into the Scooby gang, but at least she didn't fear being killed by her any more.

That was certainly a start.

"All ready for patrol?" Angel said as he came out of the kitchen, the Slayers were in their Halloween costumes. "Cave girls, huh?" He smiled at them.

"Appropriate," Giles' smiled, clearly approving.

"Everything ok?" Joyce asked the men, getting down to the question on everyone's minds. Except possibly Buffy and Faith, who were playing a serious game of tag with each other around the dining room table.

"Yes, Angel was just briefing me on some important information." Giles assured Joyce.

"Does it have to do with my daughter and Faith?"

"Yes,"

"Well, why wasn't I briefed?"

"I…uhhh…" Angel started, he didn't know what he should tell Joyce of Buffy and Faith's relationship.

"I'll tell you when they leave." Giles advised her.

"Faith, Buffy!" Joyce shouted as she saw Buffy pick up her newly replaced center piece and made to throw it at Faith. They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard her tone. "Girls, you're going out now, out to patrol, and to get candy. Put the center piece down." Buffy did as she was told.

"Mmm, candy!" Faith said with glee.

"Candy!!" Buffy concurred.

"Go with Angel and the girls," Joyce fixed their tops on a bit better, "Be good you hear me?"

"Buffy be good, Mom." Buffy said, dutifully.

"Faith, too." Faith, agreed.

Joyce hugged each Slayer, as she gave them instructions, "Watch out for the others, yourselves, and each other." She looked at Angel as she said the last part, getting her point across.

Angel nodded at her, he wouldn't interfere with their relationship, but he would bring Faith back with him to L.A., that is if the Slayers and Joyce agreed.

The four girls and Angel left the house finally, after final instructions from both Joyce and Giles and of course, some supplies.

They packed things like stakes, a small cross bow, a couple of daggers and bags to save their haul of candy in, into a duffel bag that was carried by Angel. Tara was given the task of not letting them eat all the candy as they went. She felt honored by such an important task given to her, someone so new to the group. Willow was told she could use magic, if it was to protect them, but no fire spells were allowed.

As soon as Buffy and Faith got outside, their slayers were awakened, they went on alert and walked with a purpose. Until, that is, Faith spotted the house next to them giving candy to a group of trick-or-treaters.

"Candy!!" Faith ran off, taking Buffy's hand in hers as she went, and pulled her girlfriend along.

"Tara, quick!"

"I got it, Will." Tara said, as she took an empty Halloween bag out of the duffel and followed quickly behind the devolved girls.

The neighbor smiled as she saw the girls approach. "You're a little old to be out trick-or-treating, aren't you girls?"

"They're young at heart," Tara put on her best smile and winked at the neighbor, "And a little…"

"Horny," Faith said, helpfully.

The neighbor's face fell as she put the candy into their bags. Tara was gauging how fast she could run away as the neighbor surely would go in to call the police.

"Did they hit their heads? The poor dears, Joyce didn't tell me."

"Oh, y-yes, ma'am, it was an accident. It's all been very sad." Tara said, with a very serious look on her face and an animated nod of her head.

"Why Tara sad?" Buffy looked at the other blonde, concerned.

"Girl cry?" Faith asked.

"Oh, such a shame." The neighbor's heart broke for them, "Here you go girls, here's some extra and I tell you what, you come over tomorrow and I'll give you any left overs, you got it?" She gave a big understanding smile to them.

"Got it." Buffy said, not really getting it.

"Thanks very much, you're very kind." Tara said.

"Not a problem, have a good night." She smiled at her, impressed with the way she was with the girls. It gave her hope in the next generation.

Tara got in between the girls and linked her arms through theirs, escorting them back to the sidewalk where Angel and Willow were waiting for them.

"Oooh, Tara, you're such a good liar," Willow smiled at her girlfriend, ribbing her just a bit she said, "You're going to hell."

"Willow," Tara said, matter of factly, "I'm going to hell for more things than just that." She winked at her.

"I've been to hell." Angel said as they started walking to the next house, "It's not so bad." He shrugged.

"What was it like?" Tara said, intrigued.

"Hot." The vampire said, as if it were not big deal.

The witches nodded, satisfied with that answer, then ran after Buffy and Faith as they spotted the next neighbor and their magical bowl of candy.

The trick-or-treating went like that for an hour or so, until they got to the cemetery, and then the Slayers were all business.

"Angelusssss." A vampire hissed out a warning to his friends.

"He brought the Slayers!" Another vampire shouted as their little party was broken up by the commotion.

Faith quickly ran in and tossed one of the stunned, obviously newer, vampires to her girlfriend who had been thrown a stake by a quick thinking Willow.

As soon as he turned to dust, the smarter vampires started to run and Faith and Angel gave chase.

"Buffy! Behind you!" Tara yelled.

Buffy turned around and immediately blocked the punch of the vampire that had been trying to sneak up on her. She parried with a right cross of her own and he was momentarily dazed.

Changing into game face, he stupidly laughed and his voice took on a lascivious quality, "Oh, I'm going to have so much fun draining your petite, nubile body."

Buffy looked at him curiously, with a look of distaste on her face and then with a sound of a click and a whoosh he was gone.

Startled, Buffy turned around to look at an equally startled Willow, holding the small crossbow that had just felled the creepy vampire.

Buffy smiled at her friend, clearly impressed with her crossbow skills, "Willow good shot!"

"I can't believe…how creepy he was," The redhead's eyes were still wide and she shuddered at the memory of his creepiness.

Faith ran back up to the group, slightly out of breath and a little disheveled.

"Faith! Willow shot! Hit creepy guy!!"

The brunette gave Willow a big smile, "Good shot!"

Willow beamed proudly, slightly embarrassed at the attention, "Naw, it was nothing."

"It was great," Tara wiggled her eyebrows at her girlfriend and gave her a hip check. "You were wonderful."

"It was a lucky shot."

"It was more than lucky, Will." Tara rubbed her arm, her face showed pride and a bit of horniness.

Faith winked at Willow, "Willow get lucky later," She pointed to Tara and smiled knowingly.

"Uh, n-n-n," Willow started, but Tara pulled on her arm and brought her closer to her, boldly planting a kiss on her cheek. "Well, I guess, yes."

"You better believe, `yes'." Tara laughed.

"A world of `yes'?" Willow bantered and laughed until Angel ran back up to their group.

"The last one got away," He said to Faith, who looked disappointed at him. "Should we move on?"

"Sure," Willow said, Tara nodded, and Buffy shrugged.

Angel made to pick up the duffel bag but Faith stopped him, "No, Faith carry. Faith strong!"

"Angel strong, too." He said, a little embarrassed by the cave speak he was using.

"Dead boy let vamp go," Faith said condescendingly, "Let B go, too." She sounded genuinely disappointed in him at that.

"Faith," Angel tried to defend himself, but stopped as Buffy came into view. "You're right, but I did it for her own good."

Faith looked at him for a few moments, he went to speak again when he thought she hadn't understood but Faith stopped him before he started by pulling Buffy to her.

"Faith good for Buffy now."

Angel smiled a soft smile, "She is…"

"We should get going guys," Willow interrupted the touching scene. The quicker they got patrol over with, the quicker she and Tara could get back to the dorm.

"Where else should we patrol?" Angel asked, still looking at Buffy's contentment and Faith's pride.

"How about campus? We get vampires over there a lot. Oh I just bet they'll pretend to be dressed as vampires!" Willow said.

"How lame," Angel brooded as he watched Faith hoist the heavy with weapons-and-candy bag up on her shoulder with ease.

The group made their way over to the campus, unaware of the surveillance they were under.

"Oh, Xander, do that again!"

"Again? Really?"

"Yes, please!"

Xander took a huge drink of the soda he was holding and belched the opening bars of the Star Spangled Banner.

"That's so funny!!"

"Phew, the bubbles went up my nose." Xander laughed and sputtered.

"You're so talented," Anya said, dreamily.

"Yeah, how about that thing I did with my tongue earlier?" He wiggled his brows.

"Oh that was AMAZING! I didn't know you could roll it into a tube."

"Next, I'll show you how I can juggle."

"How about you show me how you can shoot me in the head?" Spike groaned, watching the couple's stupid antics as he had for the last couple of hours.

"Don't tempt me," Xander narrowed his eyes at Spike. "Why are you still here anyway? Shouldn't you be out not eating people?"

"Didn't you tell Giles you were going to the pub to investigate the beer?"

"Why do you care?"

Spike's jaw twitched at that, he didn't like Xander's attitude, "I just do. Now let's go, clown."

He got up from the couch and waited for Xander to stop glaring at him.

"Spike's right, Xander. You should go find out why your friends are devolved."

Xander finally conceded, "C'mon, Vampire LeStupid." He said in a huff as he got up from the couch, "I do all the talking got it?" He said menacingly then walked upstairs.

Spike watched him for a moment and then started up the steps. Anya put her hand on his arm, stopping him from going, he turned back to her a little surprised.

"Go easy on him, he means well."

"He's gonna get someone killed, namely me."

"Don't worry, he'll be there when you need it."

"I hope. Can't save anyone if I'm in a Hoover."

"You better go, he'll be wondering."

Spike looked at Anya with a mountain of respect, "You're a good woman, he's lucky."

She smiled shyly and slapped his arm, "Oh, I bet you say that to all the ex-vengeance demons."

"Only the cute ones." He winked.

"Hey! Am I going by myself?!" Xander yelled down.

"I'm comin'!" Spike grumbled, and mouthed a thank you to Anya who smiled. "Keep yer pants on." He called upstairs, "Although around men I know that's hard for you."

"Keep it up, dead man walking, I'm gonna make a lot of people happy when I stake you."

"Promises, promises."

Anya sat on the couch and looked around the room, shaking her head as she listened to them bicker. "It's hard being a hero." She said as she picked up a People magazine and started reading. "Tom Cruise did what?!"

Apparently, being a hero included a short attention span.

"Party got beer!" Faith said, pulling Buffy across the lawn to the frat house.

"Beer foamy!" Buffy said, excitedly as she picked up her pace and practically ran in front of Faith.

"Buffy, Faith! Wait!! Angel!!" Willow called out, and Angel ran after them.

"Hey, look at the hottie cave women." The frat boy at the door looked them up and down.

"Beer?"

"Yeah, we got beer babe, step inside." He stepped to the side, letting them pass and watched their asses as they went. When Angel finally caught up and made to go inside the frat boy stepped in front of him. "Hey, invite only."

"I uhh, my friend told me to come here," Angel tried to be nonchalant. "Dude." He added not so dude-like.

"Yeah, who's your friend?" The frat boy said, skeptically.

"Parker," Willow said quickly as she and Tara were walking up the steps.

"Parker invited you guys?"

"Of course," Angel smiled. "Who else? Park-man told us to check it out, ya know?"

The frat boy quirked an eyebrow and Willow took evasive action.

"We have invites, Parker told us to come, and you're going to step aside, now."

"Yeah, you have invites, Parker told you to come. Please come in," He stepped aside without another question.

Angel was a bit puzzled, "What was that?" He whispered to Willow.

"Jedi stuff, it's complicated."

Their attention was pulled to the girls standing around a keg and cheering a couple of party goers on in a chugging contest. One of the guys failed at his task and Buffy pushed him away from the keg.

Faith laughed and called after him, "Waste!" She quickly took his place at the keg and Buffy stepped closer to her, helping her lift the hose and giving her cheek a kiss for luck. Several of the guys and a couple of the girls wolf-whistled at the display of affection between the two of them. Faith grunted and gave a nod for the guy to pour the beer down the tube.

"Uh, Angel, do you think that's wise?"

"Are you going to go over and get it from her?"

"No."

"Then we wait."

"W-what kind of beer is that?" Tara asked. Coming up behind Willow, who was engrossed in the voracious chugging Faith was able to maintain without a breath.

"Huh? Oh, um, looks like Yeungling."

"Phew," Tara was relieved.

"How come, honey?"

"Black Frost is the beer that was enchanted."

"So, instead of getting more cave slayer like, they'll just be plain drunk?" Angel asked.

"I guess."

"Nice," He said.

"Comforting." Willow shrugged.

"So, he's just going to take her back with him?"

"I would suppose, he said he'd help her on her road to redemption."

"And we can't do that here?" Joyce said, clearly getting upset.

"We could help her, yes, but we don't know exactly what she's going through. How she'll react when she's not in her devolved state."

"I think she'll be fine, Rupert."

"I…" Giles started and then thought for a moment more. "I think it will be good for her to at least work with Angel for a little while."

"Why exactly?"

"He's been through what she's been through, a thousand fold."

Joyce looked at him and narrowed her eyes, she wasn't entirely happy that he was making sense and she wasn't about to give up that easily.

"So, because my daughter and I haven't killed anyone, we can't be of any help to Faith." Joyce threw her hands up helplessly and let them fall back to her lap with a thud.

Giles spoke calmly, "That's not what I'm saying at all, Joyce. You both have done a world of good for her recovery in the past two days than anyone else could have done. I daresay your forgiveness as well as Buffy's means more to Faith than we could hope to know."

Joyce nodded for him to continue.

"We also have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of Faith not remembering the past couple of days when whatever it is wears off, she might then be bent on taking her revenge."

Joyce sighed, she didn't want to believe it, but she wasn't a stupid woman, with a coma and enchanted beer in the mix anything was possible.

"And if that's the case?"

"We'll be ready."

"With what?"

"Tranquilizers and handcuffs."

"No, Giles! No tranquilizers, no needles!"

"But,"

"No buts either!"

"Well, then, what do you suggest?"

"Food."

"Food?"

"She loves my strawberry apple turnovers, I'll get her to listen to reason."

Giles chuckled and shook his head, Joyce's overzealousness and her confidence in her mothering skills were hard to try to argue against. But he certainly wouldn't abandon a cautious approach when it came to Faith and her inevitable change back to normal.

"Tea, Rupert?"

"That would be lovely." He smiled and watched as Joyce got up to put the kettle on.

He still had some solution the council had given him for Buffy's cruciamentum, and though he was very guilt-ridden about the time he last used it, he would do whatever he had to in order to keep Buffy and her mother safe this time.

"Some brownies?"

"Perhaps one or two."

And just like that, Giles was brought into Joyce's fold, although he didn't know it at the time.

"C'mon Tara, let's go dance."

"You think we should?" She looked over towards Buffy and Faith who were laughing at people who were bobbing for apples.

"They'll be fine, Angel's watching them." Willow pulled Tara gently and indicated towards the area that people were dancing. "It's a party, we should have a little fun."

"Angel," Tara called to him. "Don't let them bob for apples!"

He nodded his understanding and scanned the crowd for any potential troublemakers.

After a few more minutes, Faith and Buffy's attentions were caught by people bringing big trays of food out to the living room.

"Go ahead people, get it while you can!"

The girls immediately ran to the table the trays were set upon and started taking fistfuls of food, Angel tried to get them to stop as others were calling them greedy and yet others were fascinated with the lengths the two were going to be true to their costumes.

"Buffy?" A dark haired guy stepped closer to the table and tried to catch her attention.

Buffy stopped mid face stuffing and looked curiously at the person who had called her name.

"Buffy, I thought that might be you," He said, in the false caring-about-her way he had, "I'm so glad you came, I was hoping we could talk for a bit."

Recognition bloomed on Buffy's face and her eyes went wide, "Parker," She said, her voice a little muffled from the mouthful of food she still hadn't chewed, or swallowed.

"Yeah, it's me." He was dressed as a pirate and he picked up his eye patch, thinking she couldn't recognize him with it over his eye.

"Parker bad."

He laughed, "You're doing the cave girl thing so well, it's great!"

Faith was taking great interest in this conversation and tuned in on her girlfriend's mood, when Buffy had said `Parker bad' she remembered the stunted conversation they had about him briefly yesterday.

As Buffy stepped closer to him, he misunderstood her actions, "You wanna go somewhere quiet to talk?"

Faith took action and stepped in between them, she gestured for Buffy to stay calm and pushed Parker back into the dining area.

"Hey, what's up?! I was talking to Buffy."

"Buffy busy."

"Oh, you must be a friend of hers, you guys are really good with the cave stuff." He smiled suavely at her.

Parker had noticed her full breasts and firm ass as she walked in the house with Buffy earlier and hoped to get a chance to tap it. Maybe if he got lucky, after he bagged Buffy again, he'd get a chance with this one. She looked like she knew her way around a bed, especially bouncing up and down on someone on top of it.

"You hurt Buffy!"

Parker sighed, "Look, I know. I'm sorry for what I did to her…"

Angel who was watching the conversation stepped up close to Buffy's side, he could see her clenching her fists. "What's the matter?"

"Parker bad." Buffy said, somewhat forcefully.

"It looks like Faith is taking care of it."

"Faith good."

"Yes, Faith's good, she's been helping around here."

"Faith help Buffy." She looked at Angel a beat too long and then said, "She give Buffy happy."

"It's good that she makes you happy," Angel said, not understanding the double meaning.

"She give big happies. Bigger than Angel gave."

"Buffy…" Angel whined, his pride a little wounded.

Buffy stopped listening to Angel as she sensed anger building in Faith, she put her hand on his stomach, stopping him from making that `annoying talky noise'.

Parker was talking and Faith looked very engrossed in what he was saying, "Just for one night, can't two people come together…" Faith lifted her club and brought it down over his head.

Buffy was clapping excitedly, "Parker bad!"

Faith turned back to her girlfriend with an annoyed look on her face, "Parker boring."

"Faith good!" Buffy cheered.

Some of the people who had witnessed what went on rushed to Parker's aide, others thought they were kidding around and slapped Faith on the back, laughing and congratulating her. Buffy pulled Faith to her and planted a grateful kiss on her lips, the slayers quickly turned it hot and heavy.

As some of the hornier crowd around them tried to pull them onto the dance floor so they could gyrate around them and possibly join in on the loving, Angel stepped in and pulled them both to the living room, calling for Willow and Tara who seemed to be dancing in mid-air. It made him smile that they weren't being ogled by the others around them because they were dancing so close, it gave him hope in humanity.

Buffy and Faith grunted in displeasure as they let themselves be led out of the frat house.

"Hey, look at the army comin'!" The frat boy bouncer at the door announced to some others, "They're rad, that shit looks real!"

Angel and the girls had just reached the bottom of the porch steps when guns were drawn on them.

"Let the girls go and step back, Angelus."

"Who are you?" He couldn't tell because they had full riot gear on and their face shields were tinted.

"You don't need to know who we are, you just need to do what we say."

"Oh really?" Angel tried to buy time by asking inane questions, trying to gauge an escape route for them.

Willow and Tara gasped when they finally got out onto the porch.

"What's going on here?!"

"We're making a capture, stay back."

Faith launched into action and kicked out at the soldier closest to her. Buffy quickly matched her partner's moves perfectly and managed to take out the soldier next to the one Faith knocked down.

In one swift move that defied normal speed, two other soldiers stepped up and shot the slayers with tranq guns, the girls dropped immediately, passing out without so much as a shriek or a cry of pain.

Angel jumped off of the porch step and came face to face with a stake, another one was aimed at his heart through his back, effectively stopping his attempt to help the girls. At the same time two other soldiers had leapt onto the porch and held the stunned witches arms at their sides, stopping them from getting any spells off.

With a briskness only learned in law enforcement and ironically criminal operations, two vans pulled up and the gang was loaded into the back of one while the soldiers picked up their wounded and loaded themselves into it.

Four soldiers were already in the first van and trained their guns on Angel, Willow and Tara.

"Guns won't hurt me," Angel said, smugly. He felt helpless at the situation so he felt he would go with superiority.

"Wooden bullets," The soldier lifted his gun and nodded at Angel. Training it on the area over Angel's heart.

The vampire narrowed his gaze at the soldier and wished he could do something more that sit down and keep quiet.

The vans were gone as quickly as they had come and the frat boy and witnesses were stunned by what had just taken place.

"Dude," An obviously stoned guy dressed as Donald Trump ran up to the bouncer. "Todd just totally threw up all over your bed!"

"What the fuck?!" The bouncer quickly forgot all about the soldiers and the guns as he followed the stoned guy back into the house. The other people forgot too, as they laughed at the asshole who had been harassing them at the door all night.

Buffy woke up on a hospital bed in a white room, she was groggy and disoriented.

"I think she's waking up, my man."

"Thanks, Forrest, I got it from here."

"No problem, you need anything just call."

"I will, thanks."

Riley approached the bed cautiously, he bent down slightly and picked up Buffy's hand.

"Buffy?"

"Riley?"

"Yeah, it's me, are you ok?"

"Where…?"

"You're in the Initiative, in the hospital ward, we brought you here as a precaution. We didn't know how you would react to the antidote we gave you."

"Antidote?" Buffy's head pounded and she winced at the harsh lights over her head. Riley saw her discomfort and quickly moved to dim them.

"To counter the effects of the beer."

"Beer," Buffy said, remembering something good about the beer.

"Yeah, something was in the beer. Something that made you forget yourself."

"Beer."

"Exactly, do you remember anything else?"

Buffy looked off into the distance and tried to remember something, but the headache that was currently throbbing through her brain made it difficult.

"Foamy?" She said.

"Foamy?"

"Beer."

"I mean do you remember anything else besides the beer?" He said, slightly annoyed.

"Faith," She trailed off.

Riley nodded, "Exactly, the psycho who was after you, she…well, I won't say but she did some things that you're probably not gonna be happy about. What matters is you're back now, you're you and we'll work through everything together."

"Where…" The effort of the words made Buffy close her eyes and she stopped for a moment before asking, "Faith?"

"We've got her in a holding cell downstairs, she's being debriefed." He smirked at the code word for `getting the shit beat out of her'.

Riley usually was a reasonable man, but seeing his girlfriend holding another girl upside down and eating her out, it questioned his manhood and he just couldn't let it go without some sort of satisfaction in knowing that he was vindicated.

"Gotta go." She pushed the covers off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"I'll help you to the bathroom, do you think you'll be able to take care of things from there?"

Buffy nodded and stepped closer to him, getting right up close, his heart pounded with the anticipation of the grateful kiss he was about to receive.

He never saw what hit him and was out cold before his head hit the ground, knocking him further unconscious.

"Buffy gotta go find Faith." She looked at the heap of Riley on the floor and sneered. "Beefstick stupid. Buffy strong!"

She pulled open the door and snuck along the corridor that would lead her to her girlfriend.

"Buffy Buffy!" The blonde said proudly as she found the door to the hatch that went down to the containment cells. "Buffy love Faith not Beefstick," she said with a nod of certainty before slipping down the darkened tunnel.

Riley, who had misjudged the antidote and Buffy's reaction to it, still lay on the floor of her room, unconscious and alone.

Chapter 12- Troglodyte March

"They got you, eh?"

Angel looked up from his place on the floor, he'd been hit in the face a few times, and the harsh light and the white walls of the cell he was in, weren't helping his head any. He didn't recognize the man who spoke, at first, until he called him Angelus.

"You're from the Council." Angel said, disgusted.

"That's right, and when I get out of here, I'm going to be killing you and that bird over there who thinks she's still a Slayer." He sneered and nodded his head across the way, in the direction of Faith's cell.

Angel couldn't see her. She was huddled way back in the corner of the cell that was uncharacteristically dark.

Someone with a clipboard walked by each holding tank and made a tick mark as they went.

Angel waited until they were gone before trying to get Faith's attention.

"Faith?" He whispered.

There was no answer from her cell.

"Faith?" Angel called out a bit louder, still not trying to be heard by the guards or whatever they were.

"OI! ROGUE BITCH!!" Weatherby yelled out. "THE VAMPIRE IS CALLING YOU!"

"Thanks," Angel said, sarcastically. He then stared at him with his most menacing look.

"No worries, but I doubt she'll be waking up soon, if at all. They brought her in here, half an hour before you; looked like she'd been beaten to within an inch of her life." He then looked thoughtful. "Maybe I won't be able to kill her after all, but I'll still have fun killing you. You're nothing but a dead bug that crawled out of the earth. Your mother should have killed you at birth, ya no good bastard." His eyes narrowed, but his mouth settled into a decidedly vicious grin.

"What the fu…"

"Angelus!"

Another soldier coming out of a room called his name, stopping him from asking Weatherby where the fuck they'd dug him up from.

Angel just stared at the soldier.

"On your feet, vampire. You're coming with me."

"Where?"

"You'll find out when we get there, come on."

Angel stood up, he was hoping to get some answers, namely why they'd beat Faith. He didn't think this was that type of operation; the kind that captured and beat people for seemingly no good reason. He wanted to know what the hell was going on and why they were here.

He also wanted to know what the deal with the Council was, at first he thought they had been working together with the Initiative, but with Weatherby in the cell next to his he wasn't so sure now.

Angel followed behind the soldier who led him down a windy and sometimes uphill corridor filled with doors that he presumed were to rooms used for questioning, maybe they were going to grill him a little more. When they'd brought him in they had questioned him about his association with the Slayers. They were also very interested in the Scooby gang. He gave up little information, which is why he had been roughed up. Then when he gave the appearance that he had given in, he gave them some bogus stuff and things went easier for him after that. As he walked, he wondered what they wanted this time. Maybe they had checked out the information he gave them and found it was all lies.

The soldier finally stopped in front of a particularly big and heavy looking door. He took out a small walkie talkie from his pocket and said, "This is Private 187, I need door 7 opened, over."

Very loud clicking noises were heard and then the soldier twisted the latch on the door.

`Solitary,' Angel thought.

As the door opened, Angel smelled something vaguely familiar, but couldn't quite place it, the soldier gestured for him to go first and when Angel realized what the smell was, it was too late.

The soldier shoved him out into broad daylight and the door was shut quicker than it had been opened. Apparently he had been smelling the sun, but it had been so strong, stronger than he had ever smelled it since becoming a vampire, that he hadn't recognized it.

His survival instinct kicked in and he jumped behind a leafy bush, his skin was already starting to smoke.

Angel had hoped that his death would have been a heroic one, that he would have been involved in a great battle to save humanity when he was finally cut down.

He never thought cowering behind a big bush would have been the setting for his ultimate demise, but here it was, he was about to go up in flames behind an azalea bush. A pink one at that.

He pictured Faith laughing at him and calling him a `Namby, pamby fruity dead boy'.

He'd miss Faith; helping her, being frustrated by her and ultimately guiding her on the road to redemption.

And he'd miss Buffy.

Buffy, the once and always, love of his life. He didn't love her any less, but it was different now, now he wanted her to be happy with someone, even if that someone had once been her sworn enemy. He knew they could be good together, if only Faith was reformed. But it was all for nothing now. Now he could only hope that everything would work out.

As his hand bubbled and sizzled from the sunlight that was managing to stream through the bush, he said a prayer for his soul. He didn't even realize he had remembered it, and it was the last thing he thought he would ever be doing before dying. He guessed some things learned in childhood just became ingrained.

He was ready.

Angel heard a rush of air. `This is it', he guessed, `the end'. A sound like a car's engine being revved was getting closer and closer, he hoped the burning wouldn't last too long, but he welcomed it now. He thought of it as the last bit of penance he had to endure.

And still he prayed:

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

Nothing yet, still just noise. He continued, "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…"

The sound of squealing tires and a car door being opened, interrupted his prayer.

"Get in, ya ponce!"

Spike.

Angel opened his eyes, he could see an old beat up car with the windows blacked out. He was saved.

Although, having to listen to Spike and his infernal music would be a torture of its own. He briefly contemplated which fate was better: Spike or death.

"Oi! Angel, c'mon, get in, we're both gonna be toast if you don't hurry your arse up!"

Angel made his decision and ran quickly to the opened door. He jumped in and Spike peeled out, the momentum of the car careening off the campus lawn, closed the door with a loud thump.

Angel smiled at Spike.

"What?" Spike looked puzzled at Angel.

"Nothing." Angel shrugged.

"Not nothin', I see that look. I know you're thinking of somethin'."

"It's just that I always knew you had it in you."

"What?"

"Being a hero."

"Yeah, well hold onto that thought, I haven't saved you yet, Sweetcheeks."

Angel laughed and turned towards the windshield. He tried to keep his already burnt hand out of the way of any more sunlight.

"Where're we going?" He asked Spike after a few more minutes of hellish, almost two-wheel driving that made him seriously wonder if he'd have been safer back in the bush.

"Back to Mrs. Summers', the rest of the Scoobies are gathered there. Strategizin'."

"For what?"

"How to bust the girls outta the facility. We figured they'd toss you out, so I was sent to wait."

"Why did you figure they'd toss me?"

"You don't know anything, and besides, you and Buffy were sweethearts. Seems like the head of the operation there doesn't like his girlfriend's exes." Spike chuckled.

"This guy is out of control," Angel murmured.

"Well, we'll see what we can do about it, yeah?"

"Yeah," Angel agreed.

There were a few more moments of silence and then Angel spoke again.

"Spike, tell me something."

"Shoot."

"Why are you helping out?"

"Dunno," He shrugged as he struggled to see out of the windshield without his face burning. "Nothin' better to do, I guess."

"It's because it's the military, isn't it?"

Spike squirmed a little in his seat.

"No."

"Yeah it is." Angel said, smugly.

"You think you know everything don't you?! Maybe it's because I want to see good win out over evil. Maybe I wanna help because it's the right thing to do!"

"Yeah, and maybe I'll stop being so devilishly handsome." Angel laughed.

"You keep talking like you are and you'll be talking out of the other side of your face in a minute."

Angel just kept laughing as Spike simpered next to him. Still driving like a bat out of hell.

Or two bats out of hell, depending on which way you looked at it.

Weatherby watched with some sick satisfaction as the soldiers went into Faith's cell and brought her fully into view. Her one eye was swollen shut and there was dried blood that had obviously come from her nose, still on her face. Her lip was badly swollen and it too had been bleeding, although the blood was also dry now.

Her head lolled back as they brought her to where they could see her at all times and laid her back on the ground. She hadn't spoken a word through the whole maneuver; all she had done was whimper.  

"Stay where we can see you. Ya got that?"

When she didn't answer, one of the soldiers prodded her with his foot, "He said, `Ya got that'?!"

She groaned.

"I think she's got it, sir."

They both laughed and left the cell.

Faith's balled fist squeezed harder. Weatherby thought it was a sign that she was going to try to fight back.

"It's no use fighting it, deary. Death will come quicker if you don't fight." He said, in a false caring tone.

He didn't know in her balled fist there was a small piece of Buffy's costume. It had come off in her hand in the confusion of their capture, and she had been hanging onto it for strength.

Even as they had beat her without mercy.

Buffy was confused by all the different doors. She tried to pull each one open but some refused to budge even when used her slayer strength.

Finally, she came to one that looked paper thin, and when she opened it she found what she was looking for: the containment cells.

These weren't traditional cells, they were glass, or maybe some sort of highly polished plastic. There were no bars, just holes in the tops of them to allow the passage of air and sound.

Buffy could smell Faith, and more disturbingly, she could also smell her blood. She quickly made her way into the area, seeking out the cell that had her lover in it.

Weatherby took notice.

"Oh, look, it's the cavalry. Too late, girly, she's on her last legs." He looked at Buffy seriously, like he cared. "Only the Lord can help her now. But I think he's out to lunch." He laughed hard at his attempt at humor.

Buffy got down on her knees in front of Faith's cell and put her hand on the glass. She tried not to panic.

"Faith!"

"B?" Faith croaked out, the effort of talking made her wince, she had several ribs broken. She lifted her head and Buffy got very agitated. Faith's beautiful face was a bloody, broken mess.

"Buffy come, Buffy get you out."

"No, Buffy go. Be safe."

"No!"

"Yes, B. Faith dying." She said it so plainly and certainly that it made Buffy sob out.

"No! Faith leave with Buffy!"

Faith managed to turn towards Buffy with a great effort. Buffy could see every movement was causing her girlfriend enormous pain.

"Faith leave." She agreed and Buffy felt hopeful. "Leave in bag."

"No! Faith! No say that!" Buffy was crying in earnest, not caring now who heard her.

Faith looked like she remembered something, and Buffy waited as she gathered the strength to say the words.

"Where bag?"

"Bag?" Buffy asked, her voice strained with tears.

Faith nodded, "Bag with candy."

Despite the situation, Faith's question made Buffy laugh through her tears. Here they were, in a containment facility, God knew how many miles below the surface of the college campus with Faith near death and no good way to get her out that Buffy could see, and Faith was worried about their haul of Halloween candy.

"Mom buy Faith candy."

"Tell Mom, thanks."

"You tell her!"

Faith grinned at Buffy, her teeth were a pinkish red color, stained with the blood that had poured from the inside of her mouth as they'd punched her face.

"Buffy stubborn."

"Buffy get Faith out!"

"Faith know." She agreed finally because she knew there wasn't any use arguing with Buffy when she got headstrong like this. Besides, she knew Buffy would get her out eventually, it just probably wouldn't be while she was alive.

They were startled by a noise and Buffy looked around for an escape. There was a vent in the corner near one of the darkened cells.

Buffy kissed the glass, "Faith no die! Hear Buffy?!"

She waited for a response.

"Faith hear. Faith love B."

"Buffy love Faith, too!"

"Go now. Men coming."

Buffy turned back towards where she heard footsteps, she calculated they would be in the room in thirty seconds.

"No die!" Buffy waited for Faith to answer and when she didn't she said again, "NO DIE!"

"No die," Faith lied. "Thanks always, everything," she whispered and watched Buffy kiss the glass again and scurry over to the vent in the floor. She pulled the grate off of the opening and slipped through. Faith smiled relieved, Buffy would be safe. That was the last thought she had before slipping into a merciful unconsciousness.

Two soldiers made their way into the containment area.

"C'mon Weatherby, you're next."

"What?! Why me?!"

"You've got visitors."

"Who?!"

"Stop asking questions and just get up."

"I've got information! The bloody slayer just slipped through here and went down a vent!"

One of the soldiers looked at Faith's, decidedly bloody and unconscious form on the floor of her cell.

"Yeah, and pigs fly." He laughed, pulling Weatherby to his feet and making him march out of the cell not of his own free will.

"No, you don't understand…"

"Look, we can make this harder on you, if you like. We don't really mind, but you might."

"Yeah, and your face might too." The soldiers laughed and Weatherby gulped as they wielded their batons in front of him.

"Bloody barbarians," He muttered and then kept quiet as they walked the rest of the way to wherever it was they were leading him.

"If we put a lookout here, we can put charges on this outer door, blowing a hole big enough for Willow and Tara to slip through. Once in there they can use their Jedi mind tricks on the soldiers they encounter, and then make their way to Faith, and eventually Buffy." Giles said, while pointing to strategic places on a map.

"What about Riley?"

"What about him?"

"He'll want to stop you from getting to them. He'll have weapons and plans." Willow said, starting to get agitated.

"We'll have Spike and Angel taking care of him."

"How?"

"We have a very powerful solution that renders a Slayer helpless. It won't kill him, but it will substantially diminish his movements so that we eventually can learn…"

"Am I really worth all that?" Riley asked with a smile as he walked in from the kitchen.

Nearly everyone gasped and a few, like Spike, Angel and Giles picked up something to defend themselves with.

"I don't think you're worth the gum I've got stuck to my shoe. Why are you here?" Angel said.

"For the same reason you're here."

"I'm here to rescue two women who are being held against their will. One of whom you've beaten senselessly."

"I don't think it was so senseless. I'm surprised you of all people think so."

"What're you talking about?" Angel said, disgustedly.

"You're telling me Buffy being with Faith, in the biblical sense, doesn't make your stagnant blood boil?"

"What gets to me is the disregard for the law your operation seems to have."

Riley chuckled, "Disregard for the law, huh? What about Faith's indiscretions that seem to have been written with invisible ink?"

"What would you know about that?"

"Only that someone must have fixed her records with the police. Someone with powerful political contacts."

"I admit nothing, but if that were to have happened, what business is it of yours?"

"It's my business because my girlfriend seems to be under some spell of hers. I'm going to find out who's behind it," He looked over towards Willow and Tara, "and do something about it."

Willow looked down at her feet, Riley's eyes were burning a hole through her skull, but Tara didn't remove her gaze from his face. She reached out and took Willow's hand in hers, giving her some strength.

"What you should do, is release the Slayers from your facility at once." Giles stepped up and added his thoughts.

"And why should I do that?"

"There are no charges against them. They are citizens being held for apparently no reason and they should be released at once." He repeated, somewhat shakily.

"Your Slayers aren't exactly human, are they?"

"W-well…" Giles stammered.

"And as such, they are of great interest to my bosses."

"Which are?" Xander asked.

"That's classified." Riley smiled, and then added. "But trust me, they're very influential."

Tara continued to stare at Riley, not letting on what she was doing, but silently she kept right on doing it.

Once the soldiers had left with Weatherby, Buffy had come back up through the ventilation shaft and tried to look for something that would help her smash the barrier that was preventing her from getting to Faith. She had already tried her fists, feet and head, but all proved ineffectual and the latter had her seeing cartoon birdies for a few moments. Buffy hated to do it, but she was going to have to leave Faith for a few moments while she looked for something that would help break her girlfriend out of the cell.

Buffy walked down a long corridor, it seemed to have no doors until she reached the end of it. When it opened, too easily, she was horrified at what she saw: A large half man, half machine, who was apparently dissecting a vampire and taking great interest in his findings.

"Slayer, I'm glad you've stumbled upon me. I've wanted to meet you for quite some time. Please, come in."

Buffy stood there, looking at Adam with a very puzzled look on her face.

"Forgive me, I haven't formerly introduced myself," He held his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Adam."

The blonde didn't take his pro-offered hand since it had been covered in vampire's blood she just wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Madam, I'm Adam." The phrase seemed to have come from nowhere, and even though Buffy had said it, it puzzled her even further.

"Yes, that is a pretty interesting sentence. It's the same backwards as it is forwards. I'm very interested in language. You're very smart, Slayer." He looked at her a bit awed. "I assume that's one of the attributes given to you when you become a slayer."

Buffy shrugged, she hadn't a clue what he was trying to get at exactly, but she sensed he was going to try to dissect her like he had the vampire. When he tried to come closer to her she backed up and brandished a scalpel that had been on the counter, as a weapon.

"No need to be afraid, Slayer. I have no plans to harm you, yet." He smiled his most reassuring smile, which on his put-together haphazardly-face, was pretty disconcerting. Buffy stood her ground.

"I have a better plan, why don't we go get the other Slayer, I can study her instead."

Buffy's eyes widened and she lunged at him with the weapon she held. He dodged it and hit her in the back making her stumble forward a little.

"Now, Slayer, I do not wish to fight, I merely want to learn." Adam said, as he watched her recover her footing.

Buffy quickly spun around and caught him on the chin with her foot, knocking him back slightly.

Adam had the look of someone who was done fooling around, "I believe I have learned enough, now I just want to crush you like an annoying bug." His arm came up to punch her on top of her head, but she dodged the blow by jumping to the side and kicking his legs out from under him. He quickly jumped back up to his feet and a skewer came out of his hand.

"Prepare for death, Slayer." He sneered.

Adam swiped out at Buffy but she caught his arm and broke off the skewer, spinning around and imbedding it into his shoulder. He reacted as though someone threw a pillow at him, as if it were more of an annoyance then the serious wound it was.

"I'm through playing with you. Mother never liked me to spend too much time with my play dates, did you Mother?"

Buffy thought Adam might have hit his head, until she felt someone grab her from behind and place her in a choke hold.

"No, my dear Adam, I didn't."

"Willow, I don't think that was Riley." Tara said, as the Scoobies watched him leave.

"Why do you say that?"

"W-well you know how I can read auras?"

Willow nodded her head.

"He didn't have one."

"He didn't have one?"

Tara shook her head.

"Maybe he was masking it from you somehow…"

"Not possible, I would be able to tell."

"Could your aura-dar be broken?"

Tara shook her head again.

"No aura, huh?" Angel's voice startled the pair, they hadn't realized he had been listening in.

It was Willow's turn to shake her head.

"What's it mean?" Xander asked.

"It means that wasn't Riley." Giles said, understanding blooming on his face.

"Looked like Captain Cardboard to me; one of the bloody ponces that gave me this chip." Spike said, pointing to his head.

"What could it be, Giles?"

"The First."

"The First?" Xander asked, clearly growing more and more puzzled. "As in Ms. Calendar `The First'?"

"As in…" Giles started to say, but Angel finished it.

"Riley's dead."

Suddenly everyone burst into action, without anyone giving instructions. They all assembled in an orderly, albeit frighteningly quick manner, gathering everything they needed to infiltrate the Initiative. Once they had their gear, they piled in to the two cars that were parked in front of the Summers' residence.

"I can't believe it's the First!" Willow said, in horror.

"What's the First?" Tara asked.

"The First Evil."

Tara's eyes went wide and a look of determination supplanted the confused look on her face.

"Step on it, Mr. Giles!!"

Giles took her advice and immediately stepped harder on the gas.

"What was the First saying as it left the house?" Willow asked.

"Something about going to find a preacher." Xander said.

"What could that mean?"

"I don't know, I just thought he had missed church or something and needed to go do confession," Xander looked a bit sheepish at his explanation. "Or some churchy thing like that." He added when it was clear the others were still looking at him.

"No, I have no idea what that could mean." Giles said, rescuing Xander.

"So we just concentrate on the task at hand," Willow said as she took out her laptop and opened it, punching something into the computer. "Got the layout up…just have to get past the security…done!"

"Done?" Xander said, disbelieving. "How done?"

"Done with computer." Willow said, in a cave slayer like voice, the mirth evident by the grin on her face.

Xander looked at her like she should grow up, "I meant, done as in done…or done as in we get there and we have to do something else. Like me distracting some guards while you two do your witchy stuff."

"I mean done as in, we go in there, kick ass, take names and we're out."

"What will I be doing?"

"Drooling," Willow winked at Xander as Tara leaned across the back seat and pulled her in for a kiss.

"So not fair." Xander narrowed his eyes at his friend, who was too engrossed in her girlfriend to care what his eyes did.

"Let's focus on the matter at hand." Giles reminded them, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"I wonder how the cold blooded brothers are doing." Xander nodded his head towards the back window indicating the car that Spike and Angel were following in.

"So you're absolutely ok with it?"

"What else can I do?"

"Fight for her."

"I'm not gonna to do that."

"You're a fool."

"What's it matter to you?"

"I just thought you were all about the `happily ever after'."

"I am, but it doesn't always have to be about my happily ever after."

"You're name shouldn't be Angel." Spike said after a moment.

"I know, it should be Saint."

"No, it should be `dumb ass'." Spike laughed and concentrated on taking the curve ahead with as much speed as in-humanly possible.

Buffy pulled on the Professor's head, gaining enough leverage and momentum that she was able to flip her over. She stepped on her throat, keeping her down.

"Do it, Adam." She commanded.

"I can't Mother, I don't know where it is."

"Find it, you idiot!"

Buffy eyed the remote that the pair were talking about. Adam picked up on the look and he smiled.

"Not as smart as I thought." He then looked down at Professor Walsh. "Or as ruthless." Something in his eyes showed conflict and he spoke the next sentence softly, "Get out of here, Slayer. Let me have a moment with Mother, alone."

Buffy ran out of the room, she needed to get back to Faith. As she walked swiftly through corridor after corridor for what seemed like an hour, but was probably closer to 15 minutes, she finally spotted the door she was looking for. With a big smile on her face, she opened the paper-thin looking door and pulled it open.

Her face fell when she realized she was outside, on the campus grounds. She quickly turned around, but a big door closed right behind where the small door had been. Only now it looked like it was cemented over.

Buffy began to beat wildly on the door. Her second punch seemed to resonate louder than should have been possible.

And then, instinctively she turned around and ran faster than she ever knew she could as the door she'd just been standing in front of exploded open and a fire ball blazed out.

The force of the blast pushed her to the ground. She'd gotten far enough away preventing her being hurt by the explosion. Not that she cared about herself.

With her ears ringing, she looked back at the ruined earth that had been above the Initiative.

Tears streamed down her face, her mouth opened in a silent scream.

Then everything went black for Buffy and her march was over.

Joyce came out of the kitchen carrying a big plate of cookies.

"Gang, the cookies are ready…" She trailed off, looking around the now empty dining table. "Gang?"

"What're you gonna do, Buff?" Willow's voice echoed through Buffy's head; the blonde looked back at her friend, puzzled. She went to speak but found she couldn't and Willow continued, "You know…about Faith."

`Faith go boom.' Buffy thought and then started crying.

"Awwww, what's the matter, B?" Faith asked her. Concern and mischief were evident in her eyes.

`Faith! You're here, but I thought…'

"There you go, always messin' shit up by thinkin'." Faith winked and smiled the devilish smile that Buffy loved to see. "Don't you know the best thoughts are left unthought?"

`What?'

Faith's grin grew bigger. She liked flustering Buffy. A lot.

"Exactly."

`Faith!' Buffy yelled, frustrated.

"Buffy!"

`Angel?'

"Buffy!"

`Stop yelling! My head hurts.' Buffy thought, but couldn't say it. The fog in her brain was lifting slightly and she tried to speak.

"C'mon, Slayer! Wake up!"

That did it, Buffy was mad. Spike's shout was like a sledgehammer being brought down on her head.

"Spike, no yell!"

"There she is our lovely, yet devolved, Slayer."

Buffy slowly opened her eyes; the first thing she noticed was that Angel was cradling her in his arms.

"Angel,"

"Buffy,"

In another time and place he would have leaned in to kiss her, but he held back. He was a reasonable man; not particularly subject to impulses, but that didn't mean he didn't hope she would lean up and kiss him.

"Faith!"

"Shhhh, Buffy, she's…"

"Dead! Faith dead!"

"Buffy…"

Buffy had sat up quickly and bumped her head on the roof of the car. She was clutching at her skull.

"Buffy, calm down! You've probably got a concussion and you're not helping it any by banging your head around."

As Buffy listened to Angel she noticed a blanket draped over something that looked like a body lying across the back seat. Her eyes went wide.

"Buffy, that's not what you think…"

"Faith!"

"Well, that is what you think but…"

Buffy didn't wait for what he had to say, she was already scrambling over the front seat to get at the body in the back.

"Oi! Watch where you're swingin' yer feet, Slayer. I'd like not to have a concussion, thank you."

"Shut up, Spike." Angel scolded.

"Oh, sure, take her side. A minute ago you were all, `Spike you're such a hero,' Now it's…"

Angel cut him off, "Spike, I really appreciate what you've done but…"

He was cut off by the wailing he heard from Buffy in the back seat. She had removed the blanket from Faith's face and was clutching the unmoving girl to her chest.

"Buffy, everything's gonna be ok."

"No! No! NO! Faith dead, Faith DEAD!"

She rocked back and forth with Faith in her arms, crying uncontrollably and stroking Faith's hair.

"Buffy, no!"

"Faith, Buffy said `No die!'" She cried to her lifeless girlfriend. "Faith lied to Buffy! Faith lied." Buffy buried her face in Faith's neck and sobbed.

Angel meant to say something else, but the scene that played out in the backseat made him take pause, his eyes welled up with tears.

"Buffy gonna kill Faith." A scratchy voice croaked out and Buffy immediately stiffened. She pulled back and looked down into Faith's face. "No squeeze hard. Pop head." Faith continued.

Buffy reared up in surprise and banged her head on the roof. Angel winced and Spike ducked down in shock.

"What the bloody hell was that?!"

"Buffy hit her head again."

"Her devolved brain is gonna be like porridge if she doesn't quit it."

"Shut up, Spike." Angel said with a smile on his face as he watched Buffy's reaction to finding out that Faith was still in fact, alive.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Faith not dead?" Buffy asked quietly as she grabbed at the top of her head.

"No, B. Faith alive."

"Faith!" Buffy threw herself on top of her girlfriend and squeezed for all she was worth.

"Oof!" Faith cried out in a bit of pain, but she managed a smile. "Yep. Buffy gonna kill, Faith."

"No, no." Buffy protested. "No, Faith. No more. No more kill, Faith." The blonde placed small kisses around Faith's still badly bruised face.

"Buffy, be gentle, she's still very hurt."

"Hurt, not dead."

"Yes, but…"

"Buffy no kill Faith with kisses." She smiled at Angel and then looked down at Faith. "With orgasm maybe…"

Spike laughed out and Angel turned around and sat fully on the front seat, he was slightly stunned.

"Don't you just love the uninhibited…"

"Shut up, Spike." This time his tone was less cheery as he stared at the blacked out windshield. "How long until we get there?"

Spike slammed on the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt.

"We're here." Spike winked at Angel who was recovering from trying to prevent himself being flung out of the windshield.

Looking over into the back seat Spike said, "Oops, looks like the lovebirds ended up on the floor."

They weren't bothered in the slightest by it as they passionately, but gently made out. Well, as gently as possible for two devolved and horny beings.

"Let's get them inside." Angels said, quickly.

"I think you might need to give them a minute."

"Then let's get out." Angel opened the car door.

"I think you might need to give me a minute too."

Spike protested as Angel hauled him out of the car with him.

After a few moments Angel braced himself and then opened the backdoor. To his relief they had stopped making out, they now looked like they were whispering to each other. He could hear terms of endearments and devolved, but grateful declarations.

It made him smile.

"We'll get the spell ready, Buffy will be first." Giles said, placing the mayor's device on the table in front of him.

"Is that the thing that made them this way?" Joyce asked. "I thought it was some kind of S&M device."

Giles looked at her surprised and then she realized she was in a room full of people.

Anya snickered, "I don't think they needed anything for that besides their clubs."

"An, don't help." Xander said, trying to shake his head of the memory of Mrs. Summers saying `S&M device'.

"W-well, don't you have a spell to do, Mr. Giles?"

He still looked at her slightly stunned, "Y-yes, Yes! Willow!"

"Giles, don't shout, I'm right behind you."

Giles spun around and then pointed for her to stand in front of the table, "Really, Willow!" He said flustered. "Don't sneak up on people like that. Especially, when I have the Orb of Xeres in my hand. I could've dropped it."

"Put it on the table, Giles." Angel instructed. "Buffy, you should stand over here." He directed a thankfully compliant Buffy.

"Tara, are you ready?" Willow asked.

Tara, who up until this point had her eyes closed trying to block out the noise, opened her eyes and smiled placidly at Willow, "I'm ready, darling."

Willow looked more pointedly at Tara and smiled. "Me too." She winked confidently.

Anya gave Xander a jolt in his side, "See I told you."

"Oof, shhh, stop." He scolded her, then whispered. "And I told you…"

Xander stood, mesmerized by the mysticism taking place in front of the table. And just a little bit by the close proximity that Willow and Tara stood with Buffy in between them.

Anya gave him another jolt in his side and narrowed her eyes at him when he looked at her. "What?"

"You know what." She smiled naughtily at him. "Sinner."

"Shhh." Giles scolded, he then nodded at Angel. They both started chanting in Latin.

Willow and Tara recited the spell in English.

"Air, Fire, Water, Earth," The air kicked up around them and a swirl of mist started to form. "Elements of astral birth, I call you now; attend to me!" The wind grew stronger and the candles flickered making the light dance around the room as they continued, "In the Circle, rightly cast, safe from curse or blast, I call you now, attend to me!"

The mist solidified and swirled faster around the three girls, "From cave and desert, sea and hill,"

Anya started chanting, not even knowing she was doing it, "By wand, blade and candle, I call you now, attend to me!"

"Uh, An…" Xander whispered, nervously.

"Shhh, look." Spike said to him and pointed to the circle.

The mist seemed to be coming out of Buffy, it was swirling slowly, like a tornado in slow motion and as the women around her chanted it became more defined.

"Well, look at that," Spike said, awed.

Giles spoke in English, "We call for the light to remove what should not be, I call you now, attend to me! This is my will, so mote it be!"

The mini tornado became solid white, and everyone who was not chanting the spell looked at the devolved slayer that had been removed from Buffy. She looked puzzled.

"Buffy scared."

"Don't be dear, they're helping you." Joyce said, awed.

Mist Buffy smiled at her mother and then nodded. She spotted the plate of cookies on the server next to the table.

"Cookies!" She looked around quickly and then looked confused as she asked, "Where Faith?"

"This is my will so mote it be!" Giles yelled and pointed the wand he had in his hand at the cave slayer.

The yell was final.

Cave Buffy's solid white, bewildered appearance suddenly shattered into a thousand misty shards and disbursed.

Willow and Tara fell away from Buffy, onto pillows that were set out for this eventuality. Joyce stepped up and caught Buffy before she, too, fell.

"Ooh," Buffy murmured. "Dizzy."

Joyce walked her to the armchair and helped her to sit. Buffy hunched forward and put her head in her hands.

"Is everything ok, honey?"

"Head hurts, a bit."

Giles stepped up cautiously, "That's a side effect," He nodded to Joyce. "B-but I wonder…"

"It worked, Giles." Buffy answered her watcher's thought. "No more Cave Buffy."

Everyone sighed relieved.

Willow and Tara were being attended to by Xander and Anya, they helped them both to their feet.

"Wow, that's like the best or-" Willow stopped talking at Giles' hasty cough.

"Or what?" Anya asked.

"Uhhh, the best…Or…" She fumbled and looked to Tara in vain because Tara could only provide her with a shrug. Finally, something came to her, "Orville Redenbacher's popcorn!"

"The spell is like the best popcorn?" Anya asked, skeptically. She thought maybe Willow had hit her head.

"Sh-she loves her p-popcorn." Tara said, with a shy smile.

"And tuna apparently," Anya said with a nod, "How did the Glade work out?"

"Uhhh…."

"Tuna?" Spike asked with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

Thankfully, for Willow and Tara, the doorbell rang. Joyce went to answer it but Giles stepped up quickly and blocked her.

"Wait," He said gently and then nodded at Willow who went to the window and peered out.

"It's The First." Willow said, in a harsh whisper. "And it's brought the Army."

"The Army?" Buffy asked, her voice low.

"Why would The First ring the doorbell? Doesn't it just…" Xander did something with his hands to mime the word `appear'.

"Just what?" Spike asked, with a bemused look on his face. "Tie ribbons in hair?"

Xander narrowed his eyes and started to step towards Spike, but this time it was Buffy who stepped in to provide a block.

"Cut the macho-crap," Buffy said, annoyed.

The doorbell rang again and she looked at the door.

"I'll get it," Angel said.

"No, Angel. You and the others go downstairs and wait. You might need to come out swinging."

"I'll stay with you, Buffy." Joyce said, concerned.

"Thanks, Mom." She smiled at her gratefully.

"Buffy, I daresay, I don't think this is such a good idea."

"You stay here too, Giles. Willow and Tara will be in the kitchen, just in case they need to bring the fire power."

"What do I do, Slayer?" Spike asked, suddenly serious.

"You go with Angel, Xander and Anya downstairs, if we fall, you guys provide the protection."

"For what?" He asked, his brows knitted in confusion.

"For Faith." She said quietly, with a glance up to the stairs.

Willow smiled, she thought maybe Buffy had forgotten. She stepped up close behind her friend and whispered into her ear.

"You remember?"

Buffy nodded, "Everything."

"Are you ok with…"

Willow didn't get a chance to finish her question, the door was now being pounded on and someone shouted for them to open it or it would be broken down.

"You better get going." Buffy said to everyone except Giles and her mother.

"What will our signal be?" Angel asked.

"Screaming?" Buffy said, and then winked and gave him a smile.

"Don't worry, Slayer. The old man and me'll be waitin' to bring the smack down." Spike said, a little too anxiously.

Buffy just looked at him, a little puzzled.

"C'mon Mr. I-don't-deal-with-jealousy-well." Xander said, as he slapped Spike on the shoulder and led him and Anya to the basement door.

"Be safe," Angel said to Buffy.

"You too." She smiled.

After she watched them disappear downstairs, she nodded to Willow who nodded back and then closed the kitchen door.

"Ok, here goes." She said to her mother and Giles.

"Ms. Summers?" A man in a uniform asked as the door was finally opened.

"Buffy." Riley corrected.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Elizabeth Anne Summers?"

"Yes, that's right. Can I help you?"

"You're wanted for questioning."

"For what?" Giles and Joyce asked simultaneously as they stepped up to stand behind Buffy.

"Are you her parents?" The man asked.

"I'm her mother, and he's," She looked nervously for a moment at Giles, "He's my boyfriend."

The man nodded. "She's wanted in questioning for the destruction of military property."

"Who says?"

"She was seen in the area of the…" Another soldier butted in but then stopped when he saw the look on the man in charge's face.

"Of the what?" Giles said, clearly amused at what they couldn't say.

"Of the campus." The man said, finally.

"But you said it was military property, not school property."

"Whatever it was is classified."

"Look," The other soldier said, "Finn saw you…"

"Baker, shut up!" The man in charge shouted. "Ms. Summers, we need you to come with us."

"Riley?" Buffy asked, looking into his eyes.

"I uh…I kinda saw you outside the facility before it went all destructo."

She could see it was actually Riley, and now she was really confused.

"Is she being charged with anything?" Giles asked.

"Not yet, but her records don't help her in this case."

"My records?"

"It seems you like blowing things up, especially schools."

"Hemery wasn't blown up, it was burned down, and you can't prove…"

"Buffy, I think it's best you don't speak just now." Giles said, with a tight grin. "Perhaps her mother and I can go with her, for this questioning?"

"That's fine with us."

"Can you gentlemen wait a moment? I think I've forgotten to shut the stove off." Joyce said.

"Very well, we'll wait."

They all stood around looking awkwardly at each other. Giles and Buffy were mostly interested in how this could be Riley standing in front of them.

"Nice night out for October, no?" Giles said, trying to make small talk.

"Mmm." The soldier grunted.

"Uh…"

"It's…"

"Yes, quite." Giles agreed.

"You girls will take care of her if she wakes up, won't you?"

"We will, I'll go up right after you leave and make sure she's ok." Tara said.

"Good, I have no idea when we'll be back."

"We'll take good care of things here, Mrs. Summers." Willow assured her.

Tara peaked out at the people standing near the doorway.

"Oh Gaia," She gasped. "Will, that's Riley!"

"How do you…"

"He's got an aura!"

"Is it evil?"

"N-not…no. It's a bit…" Tara trailed off as she searched for the right word.

"Fractured?" Willow tried to help.

Tara shook her head.

"Blue?" Joyce added.

Both witches stared at her a moment.

"Are-aren't auras colored?" The older woman suddenly felt self conscious.

"Yes, but I was looking for something more like…"

"Confused?"

"Conflicted!" Tara smiled, happy to have thought of the word, finally.

"Hmmm."

"Can you do anything to find out?" Joyce asked.

"I don't know." Willow said.

"Well, there is a ritual that-that we can perform."

"A ritual?" Willow's face perked up.

Tara nodded, "There's a passage…

"A passage?" Willow practically groaned out.

Tara nodded slowly, "To…to the nether realm."

"The nether realm." Willow sighed.

"Keep it clean, girls, adult present." Joyce put on her mom voice.

Both girls blushed.

"W-well, no, not like that Mrs. Summers, it-it's a spell we can use to find out whether Riley is himself or not. It's like Astral projection."

"Well, as long as it doesn't do any physical harm or property damage."

"No, ma'am." Tara said, dutifully.

"Good. And you'll look after Faith?"

"Absolutely!" Tara said and Willow nodded in agreement.

Joyce nodded her approval and then went out through the kitchen door.

"Does this involve anything as good as old Orville's popcorn?" Willow asked with mirth evident in her voice.

"A kernel or two." Tara winked and smiled devilishly at her girlfriend. She then realized that they were actually supposed to be finding out about Riley and his aura. "But it will definitely tell us if that's Riley or not."

Willow got serious too, "You think we should tell the others?"

"Yes, but I think we'll need to be alone for the actual ritual."

"That intense, huh?"

"Very." Tara smirked.

"I can't wait!" Willow practically skipped as she went to the basement door, while Tara went out of the kitchen to go upstairs and see Faith. "C'mon guys, the coast is clear!" The red-head called down to the others very excitedly. "Tara and I are gonna do another spell!!"

Anya looked at her boyfriend and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Xander asked.

"You're not in the least bit jealous they're going around having Astral sex while I sit here and continue to get nothing."

"They're doing spells, Anya. Not having sex." Xander said to her from the step as he followed Spike and Angel back up to the kitchen.

"You believe what you want. I'm gonna become a leswiccan." She reluctantly got off the cot she was sitting on and started towards the stairs.

"A what?"

"You heard me…"

Tara sat down next to Faith on the bed. She could see the Slayer's dream was not a pleasant one and reached out to smooth her furrowed brow.

"B?" Faith called out and grabbed Tara's arm, pulling her down on top of her. Tara couldn't stop her momentum and fell forward, fully laying on top of Faith.

"Uh…"

"Mmmm, B. Smell like…" She took a big sniff of Tara's neck.

"Faith,"

"No, not Faith…" Faith's eyes flew open as she suddenly realized who was with her. "Girl?!"

"Faith!"

"Tara?" Willow asked, hesitantly.

"Willow!" Tara exclaimed.

"Red!"

"Faith," Willow said, questioningly.

"Where, B?" She asked, letting go of Tara. "Why Girl in my bed?" She asked, accusingly. "Girl got Red, Buffy be mad!"

Willow looked at her girlfriend with her eyebrow raised.

"What? No! I-I was just checking on her, she grabbed out at me and pulled me down with her." Tara explained, flustered.

"Hmmm," Willow pondered the explanation.

"Will, cut it out, or…

"Or?" Willow smirked, she loved being in the driver's seat when she was driving Tara to distraction.

"Or! We won't do the ritual together." Tara's tone brooked no argument. "I can always do it with Anya."

Willow's smug look changed in an instant, "Hey, I was only kidding! No need to withhold rituals!"

"Where, B?!" Faith started to get very agitated.

"She…" Tara started.

"She's…" Willow also tried to explain.

"She's helping Giles with something." Angel startled the witches as he came up behind them.

"Fang." Faith said in greeting.

"Hey, Faith." He smiled at her. "How's the head?"

"Good. Faith go help B."

"No, she said you should stay here. Rest."

"Faith rested." She started to get out of bed and Willow grabbed her around the shoulders. "Red, no. Leave Faith alone."

"No, go Faith, stay there, get rest."

Faith backed down into the pillows and looked at the others, "Buffy said Faith need rest?" She finally asked after a few moments.

"Yes." Tara said quickly. "Buffy said, Faith need lots of rest."

The others nodded their agreement.

"Faith rest then."

"Good," They all said in unison, clearly relieved.

"Faith hungry." She decided. "Smell cookies?"

"Yes, chocolate chip. I'll go get them!" Willow said and quickly went out of the room.

"Where bleach boy?"

"Spike?" Angel asked.

Faith nodded.

"He's downstairs."

"Faith want talk."

"To Spike?"

She sighed frustrated, "Angel get Spike!"

Tara looked impressed, that was the most un-devolved thing she had heard her say to this point.

"Ok, ok! Sorry, I just…"

"Yeah, yeah." She dismissed him and pointed at the door. "Zip lip. Go."

"Ok, I'm going."

Tara smiled at him, "She's `in-charge girl', huh? Just like Buffy."

"Slayers." He agreed shaking his head and left the room.

Tara went back and stood near the bed. Faith looked at her for a few moments then patted the bed.

"Girl sit, Faith no try jump bones."

The blonde witch laughed and sat on the bed.

"B still…" Faith started but then trailed off.

"Be still? Like not rock the bed? Sorry, I…"

"No, Girl shhh," Faith stopped her. "Buffy still…" She tapped at her temple. "Like Faith, or Buffy…Buffy now?"

"Oh, you mean Cave slayer-like?"

Faith nodded.

Tara didn't know whether to tell her the truth or not.

"No lie to Faith. Please."

Tara's heart broke at the look on Faith's face and she nodded, "Yes, she's Buffy."

Faith looked relieved.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Tara asked, "How did you know?"

"Felt spell. Felt B go." She pointed outward, then down to the floor. "But stay. Felt cold." Faith looked troubled.

"You wanted to see me, luscious?" Spike interrupted Tara's next question.

"Spike," Faith smiled at him.

"At your service."

"Sit." She said to Spike, then looked at Tara expectantly.

"Ummm, I'll just check on the thing…" Tara got up from the bed. She could sense Faith wanted to speak to him in private.

She met Angel and Willow out in the hall.

"What did she want Spike for?" Angel asked.

Tara shrugged.

"So, you had no prior knowledge of this explosion?"

"No, I was trying to get back into the facility, if I knew about it why would I be trying to get back in?!" Buffy asked, clearly frustrated. They had been at this line of questioning for almost an hour.

"We've heard the Slayer has a death wish."

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Our sources."

"Yeah, well your sources are wrong, I like living. I've been doing it pretty well for 18 years and I intend to keep doing just that for many more years, if you and your goons weren't trying to kill me all the time."

"What about the other Slayer?"

"What about her?" Buffy stopped, clearly puzzled.

"Can you say she doesn't have a death wish?"

The blonde stared into the woman's face for a long time.

"Well, can you?" The man who was also questioning her, asked finally.

"No."

"We thought so."

"I meant `No' as in `No, she doesn't have a death wish'."

"You really believe that?" The woman looked down at Buffy, over her glasses.

"Why don't you tell me what I believe? You two seem to think you know so much."

Buffy folded her arms and sat back with her feet propped up on the table, waiting.

"We know you believe Riley Finn to be dead."

Buffy's hard glare faltered for a moment but she recovered quickly, "And?"

"And we know you have been cheating on him with the other slayer."

"What is this?! The relationship police?!"

"No, we're part of the Initiative, we want to make sure we have all the facts before we start doing…" The man paused and looked at the woman.

"What it is we do." She finished for him.

"And what is it exactly that you do?"

"I have no fucking clue!"

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah! No fucking clue what you're on about!"

"Spike saved Faith!"

"I did no such thing! I'm a vampire I don't go around saving slayers, I try to kill them!"

Faith folded her arms and fixed him with a mean glare. It looked even meaner with the deep bruises that she still had on her face.

He got up from the bed and walked over to the window.

"I mean, really! Where do you get off accusing me of a thing like that?!" He turned around to look at her and his incredulity failed him. "I-I mean…well…you know…"

Faith smirked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You…you won't tell anybody will you?" He looked at her pleadingly. "I-I'd be the laughing stock of the town." He kneeled down by the bed next to her. "They'd say `There goes Spike, he's soft.' or `Look at him, he saves the very thing that turns us into dust, let's give him a taste of it!' Ya know?"

Faith looked into his eyes for a moment or two and he silently prayed she would agree.

"Faith know."

"You're a beaut! Thanks!"

"Know you love Faith…and Buffy."

"What?! Me?! In love with you and the skinny blonde bint?!" He laughed incredulously. "They must have given you a great big concussion, you're out of your bleedin' head, Slayer."

She fixed him with the same gaze, and again, he faltered.

"W-well…I…I…" He sighed. "I need a smoke." And with that, he left the room, leaving Faith to smugly watch him go.

"What did she want?" Angel asked him as he stormed out.

"None of your bloody business. Grandpappy." He shot the last part over his shoulder as he rushed down the stairs.

"Grandpappy?" Willow asked.

"It's a long story."

"Probably not. You know you just don't know until you tell it. Like this one time when we were at the Bronze and we just met Faith. She asked about Oz being a werewolf and Cordelia, wait that's not right. Well let me start over…"

"Fang!" Faith called out.

"Sorry, I better get in there. She sounds like she needs me." Angel looked sorry but was actually grateful for the interruption; Willow looked like she was getting ready to start a really long story illustrating how something could actually turn out to be a short story when you first thought it was going to be a long story.

Or something like that.

"So, do you have anything on me or not?"

"I think we have enough."

"Good, then I'll be getting back home."

"Not so fast, we said we have something on you."

"What?"

"Stealing government property."

"What?!"

"Did you or did you not steal Riley Finn's camping gear?"

"Uh…well…"

"Just what we thought,"

"So?"

"So, you'll be with us for at least 24 hours."

"WHAT?!"

"You'll be held for 24 hours."

"On what grounds?"

"Stealing, kidnapping, destruction of property,"

"Kidnapping?!"

"We have footage of you and your accomplice running with a girl out of the forest."

"We were saving her!"

"That's not what it looks like on the tape."

"Show me the tape!"

Just then the door opened and a man looking like a general came through it into the room.

"Melo." He nodded to the woman, in greeting. "Marsh." He then nodded to the man.

Buffy chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"What's so funny?" The woman asked.

"Marsh. Melo." She looked at them as if to say `Duh!'. "I thought it was funny." She mumbled and shrugged to herself.

"Be that as it may," The general slid his gaze from Buffy and back to the others. "That's enough for now, take her to the cell." He said to the two soldiers who had come with him into the room.

"Hey, you can't hold me! You have nothing on me!"

The general waited for them to lead Buffy out of the room.

"What have you got, Sir?" Marsh asked, lowering his voice confidentially.

The general leaned in and said slowly and surely so both Marsh and Melo wouldn't miss any of his information.

"Absolutely. Fucking. Nothing."

"What?! But…"

"But nothing, everything's dried up. The tapes are dust. Finn isn't exactly cooperating, and don't even ask me about the other so called eyewitnesses."

"So what now?"

"We hold her for a day, we'll see if we can drum anything else up in the meantime."

"What about the other Slayer?"

"What about her?!"

"Won't she come looking for her?"

"And if she tries to break her out, we've got something!" The general slapped Marsh on the back a little too hard. "Marsh. Melo." He said to the interrogators. "You've done good work here."

Marsh tried to recover from the slap, he coughed before thanking the general.

"Hey, you know something? That is funny!"

"What?" Melo asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Marsh Melo." He started chuckling. "Marsh. Melo. Marshmellow!" He was laughing in earnest now.

As she was led to her cell, Buffy could hear him practically screaming with laughter and bellowing out.

"MARSHMELLOW!!"

"Oh, now he thinks it's funny." She said with an eye roll as the bars clinked into place.

"Where's Buffy?" Angel asked as he opened the door to Giles and Joyce.

"They held her for more questioning."

"They can't do that!" Xander exclaimed.

"Apparently they can, and they are." Giles took off his glasses and loosened his top collar button as he sat on the couch.

"They said only for 24 hours and then they'll let her go." Joyce said.

"Why?!"

"We don't know, Xander. Now will you please keep your voice down, Faith will hear you."

"Faith hear you."

Everyone in the living room looked up at the top of the steps. Faith was standing there with a guilty looking Anya slightly behind her.

"She…she wouldn't stay in the bed." Anya said in her defense.

"Where are Willow and Tara?" Giles asked.

"Astral projecting." Anya said it like an accusation.

"Why?"

"It's like they can't get enough of each other."

"Anya!"

"What?!"

"It's a ritual performed when one is looking to see if one is who they say they are!"

"Oh," She said and then added quietly, "You don't have to yell. Not deaf, you know. And besides, they can't fool me."

"Faith, honey. Let's get you back in bed, you need more rest." Joyce said concerned, as she climbed the stairs.

"Where Buffy?!"

The front door opened and Faith's face lit up.

"B!"

Buffy looked up at Faith and her face fell. Riley stepped up behind her and looked to where she was looking.

Time seemed to have stood still. The only noise in the room was a low whispered, "Uh oh." But no one knew who said it.

Faith could see the look in Buffy's eyes and she immediately turned around and headed for her room.

Buffy's room.

"Faith, wait!" Joyce called out. "Oh, Buffy, really!" She ran the rest of the way upstairs after Faith.

"What?" Buffy looked around, puzzled.

"You're going to break her heart." Anya said, matter-of-factly.

"My mother's?"

"No, Faith's." The ex-vengeance demon said haughtily and crossed her arms.

"Why would I want to do that?!"

"You're back to normal and you're with him." She nodded to the man behind Buffy. "Two completely boring things."

"Anya, don't speak when you don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, are you going to go after her?"

Buffy looked back at Riley, then to the ceiling as she heard her mother scream, "No, Faith!"

She was up the steps before anyone knew where she went.

"Faith no!" Joyce yelled again.

Faith was trying to get out of the window and Joyce had a hold of her leg, desperately trying to keep her inside.

"Mrs. S, let go!"

"No, I won't!"

"Faith no want hurt you!"

"Faith won't if she stops trying to get out." Buffy said.

Mrs. Summers let go of Faith's leg and Faith turned to look at Buffy.

"B."

"Faith."

Faith turned and slipped out of the window before Joyce had a chance to say anything.

"Elizabeth Anne Summers!" Joyce got up from the floor and got right in Buffy's face. "I cannot believe what I just saw!"

"What?"

"You let her go!"

"Mom,"

"Don't `Mom' me young lady, if you weren't too big I'd put you over my knee!"

"Mom,"

"She's hurt, Buffy. Inside now as well as out, thanks to you!"

"Mom!"

"What?!"

"I love her, why would I let her go?!"

"Why didn't you tell her that?!"

"She didn't give me a chance to explain!"

"Oh, Buffy! She's probably to Borneo by now!" Joyce looked out the window.

"You just get a big dinner ready, I'll go deal with Faith." She went out the window and then turned back to her mother. "And tell Giles and the others to get the spell ready."

"What spell?"

"The de-cave slayer thingy."

"Ok, honey. Be careful!"

"I will."

"And be gentle with her."

"She's a cave slayer, Mom. I couldn't hurt her with the atom bomb."

"No, but one look from you drives a wedge through her like no one else I've seen."

"Can you maybe lecture me when I'm not hanging out of a window?"

"Go, dear. Get your girl back."

"Thanks, Mom!"

And then Buffy was gone.

"Riley," Angel looked like he was trying to figure him out.

"Angel," The marine nodded at him.

"Anya,"

"Xander?"

"Anya,"

"What?!"

"I don't know," Xander shrugged. "I was just getting in on the drama." He threw up his hands.

"Why are you here?" Giles asked Riley.

"I got Buffy out and brought her here."

"Why?"

"I'm a little surprised…"

"Why?"

"Well I thought there would be a little more gratitude coming my way."

"Well, you thought wrong…"

"You and your goons beat up Faith!" Angel accused.

"It wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

"I don't know, exactly. That's what I was hoping to come here and find out."

"What do you mean by exactly?"

"Ooh, ooh! Is this like what your definition of is, is?!"

The men in the room looked over at Anya.

"What?"

"You know, from the President? The definition of is…is…oh Christ on a pony, forget it." She walked into the kitchen and called out. "I'll be making more cookies, Xander ate the others."

"Are you saying I'm fat?!"

"Fatty!" The door swung closed and Xander stared at it for a second.

"As long as you're not calling me stupid."

The word stupid was heard faintly through the door.

"I'll be right back."

"Yes, do take your time." Giles smiled at Xander and waited for him to leave. "Now where were we?"

"He was just about to tell us why he and his men beat the shit out of Faith."

"Angel, please."

"I did no such thing. I don't remember anything after the fire in Miller's woods."

"Do you know how the fire was started?"

Riley nodded, "Adam."

"Oh thank the goddesses!" Willow exclaimed from the stairs.

"It wasn't Willow?" Tara asked.

"No, Adam set the blaze in order to create chaos."

"Why?" Giles asked again.

"He wanted to see how people reacted."

"But, the…the First."

"The what?"

"The First Evil…it's able to take on the persona of anyone who has died." Giles explained.

"Oh, yeah," Riley smirked. "I died."

"When?"

"Last year, during a routine training exercise, if it weren't for Graham I wouldn't be here."

"Well then…"

"You still haven't explained why we were kidnapped and brought in for questioning."

"The council was behind that."

"You really expect me to believe that?! I saw one of their own men in the cell next to me."

"He was expendable to them. They weren't satisfied with his work. The other two that came here are in jail; no one is bailing them out." Riley looked at Giles, "Your Council doesn't really look out for their own, does it?"

"They are not my Council any longer." 

"So that's it then, all wrapped up in a neat little bow?" Angel sounded bitter.

"Not really," Joyce said as she descended the stairs.

"What's wrong?" Giles asked.

"Faith's run off."

"Where's Buffy?"

"Going after her."

"Good." Riley said.

"You're really ok with Buffy and Faith being together?" Angel asked, skeptically.

"Yes, actually, Buffy explained everything to me and I'm good with their relationship." He narrowed his eyes at Angel. "I don't think you're ok with it though."

"No, I'm fine with it." Angel said with a smile.

"Sure."

"You have something to say?"

"Ladies and gentlemen," Giles addressed the rest of the group. "I believe we should let them talk this out alone."

"Yeah, let's go watch Anya burn cookies." Willow lamented.

Giles held his arm out for Joyce who smiled at him and took it, walking as though they were in a parade.

Willow did the same thing, holding her arm out to Tara who laughed and kissed Willow boldly on the cheek. They followed the others into the kitchen.

Spike looked at the two men for a few more moments, then pushed off the wall he was standing up against and went out the front door. He wanted to make sure the girls found each other ok, although he would never admit that.

And still, Riley and Angel postulated in the Summers' living room.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Faith visibly stiffened as she looked out at Sunnydale's skyline from the rooftop of the condo the mayor gave her.

"Faith, it's not what you think…"

"Faith stupid."

"No, you're not…"

"Go, B. Be with Beefstick…Faith understand."

"No, you don't understand, but you're right."

"Faith knew it," She turned around and looked accusingly at Buffy. "B already back with Beefstick!"

"No, B not with Beefstick!"

"B cave slayer again? Drink beer?" Faith's eyes narrowed.

"No, it's just that kind of talk gets in your head and I meant you're right about you being stupid!" Buffy stopped suddenly and shook her head, smiling.

"What?" Faith was curious now.

"You remember when we…" Buffy was full on blushing now and Faith started smiling, too.

"What?"

Without realizing it the brunette was starting to walk away from the ledge, towards Buffy.

"When we, ya know…" Buffy wiggled her eyebrows.

"Buffy wanna…ya know with Faith?" Faith winked.

"Always." Buffy reached out and grabbed her girlfriend, sweeping her off her feet and looking down into her eyes. "Don't you know that by now?"

"Faith getting it."

"You better, or you'll really be getting it." Buffy warned as she carried her down the stairs and onto the street.

A man walked by and stopped in his tracks.

"You need help with her, little lady?"

"No, I've got her, thanks."

"She looks like a handful."

"You have no idea." Buffy smiled and thanked him again, better securing Faith in her arms and continuing on their journey home.

Faith was silent on their walk until they got near the Summers' house.

"Buffy mean it?"

"What?"

"Buffy love Faith?"

"Of course, I mean it. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"Good, bring Faith to bed. Faith need rest."

Buffy smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"No, B."

"What?"

"Faith good girl now, no give kisses to anyone."

"Oh, so now I'm just anyone?"

Faith opened the door to the house and they walked in, not taking notice of the Vampire and Marine who were now arm wrestling at the dining table.

"Buffy smell something?" Faith asked as Buffy carried her up the stairs and down the hallway.

"Cookies burning?"

"No, smell like tuna."

Buffy shook her head and brought Faith into her room.

"Well at least someone is getting something." She pouted and shut the door.

"No lip, B. `member?"

"Yeah, I remember." Buffy nodded.

"Good. Now gimme kisses." Faith patted the bed and Buffy quickly jumped on top of her. "Oof! Faith hurt!"

"Faith hurt, but not dead. Right?!"

"No, not dead. Faith listened to B. Besides, Faith get no rest if Buffy yelling at grave."

"Shut up," Buffy scolded and leaned in for a kiss.

"Kay." Faith smiled as she captured Buffy's non-pouty lips in a passionate kiss.

"Always gotta have the last word, huh?" Buffy said when the kiss broke.

"Yep." Faith winked.

"You know I don't think I'm gonna let Giles do that spell, I think I like you better this way."

Faith looked upset and Buffy immediately retracted.

"I was only kidding!"

Faith's pout turned into a wry grin, "Faith need kisses. Make better."

Buffy laughed and leaned in again.

"Ow! No bite!"

"I'll show you how bad my bite can be if you keep messing with me."

"No, Faith done messing with Buffy." She looked into her eyes sincerely. "Honest."

"Good. Me too."

"Done messing with Buffy?"

"What?" Buffy asked and then groaned realizing she had fallen for it again.

Not one to take teasing lightly, Buffy proceeded to tickle Faith until she was begging and pleading for mercy.

Spike jumped down off of the roof.

"Those birds are daft," He said looking back up at Buffy's window. "I'd be using the vibrator in the side table by now, if I were them."

Chapter 14- L.A. Woman

Faith flopped down on her bed, exhausted. She hated this bed, not that it wasn't comfortable, but it was very big, currently messy, largely empty and in a room in L.A, not in Sunnydale.

What was also troubling to her was that she had been at Angel's for the past three weeks, and in that time she had only spoken to Buffy twice.

Twice.

And though it wasn't from lack of trying on both their parts, they were just constantly missing each other, it still sucked. She loved to get the voicemails from Buffy, but of course, she would have rather spoken to her real time. Not only for the phone sex they could have been having, but because she just loved talking to her. It was her time to be herself, really herself. No bullshit walls. Even if she had them, Buffy would see right through them. She always could.

That was another thing she loved about Buffy, she just got her. She knew what it was to be like Faith. She knew how close she lived to the darkness. Knew how close she came to being part of it, and knew what kind of a struggle it was to not succumb to it completely.

Although, Buffy couldn't know what it was to be exactly like Faith, not having grown up with or like her, Faith had done something she never thought she would, she'd let Buffy see into her past. Not with magic, but with stories. For the few weeks that Faith spent convalescing at the Summers' home after she was turned back to normal, she and Buffy spent most of their time together.

To their dismay however, they couldn't sleep in the same room. Joyce had laid some ground rules.

The main one was when they were in the room together the door didn't have to stay open, but they couldn't lock it, and no loud music. Apparently she was hip to that being used to mask the sounds of sex.

The ground rules didn't stop them from having sex, but they sure hindered them considerably. And the funny thing was, they really didn't care. The sex was always so much better because they had to wait for it, or it had to be done quietly, or quickly. The very thought that they shouldn't be doing it in the house while Joyce was at work, made it so intense they were surprised the windows didn't blow when they climaxed.

But the other reason they didn't mind not being able to have sex whenever the mood struck them, was because they got to act like a real couple around people, which was something they didn't do when they were together before. They also went on dates, alone or with the gang, hung out and watched movies or TV, and talked.

A lot.

Buffy was pleasantly surprised that Faith liked most of the shows she did, with the exception of Dawson's Creek, although, for Buffy's sake, she would tolerate it when it was on. Mostly because she would lie down on the couch with her head in Buffy's lap and catch a cat nap while Buffy gently massaged her scalp.

They were both pleased to know that talking still came easy to them. There were few awkward pauses and usually when they were done, there were grateful kisses and words of encouragement about their future being better than their past.

But all that was starting to seem so long ago. Faith didn't expect redemption to be so easy, but she didn't expect it to be this long. She had to keep reminding herself that time was a curse. The young thought things took too long, and the old thought they went too quick.

"Hey, it's not nap time, Psycho. You've got a meeting to be in."

Cordelia.

That was a curse of its own.

Lately, Angel was busy and he would leave her to be looked after by Cordy.

Neither one loved the idea, especially because Faith always found a way to rub Cordy the wrong way and vice versa. Like now.

"Did you hear me?!"

"Cordy, I think San Francisco heard you. It's like you're on banshee frequency."

"Just get up, and do what you're told, or else. Lazy."

Faith rolled over languorously and let her shirt ride up on her stomach a little.

"Or else what?" She smiled a particularly dimpled smile.

The move wasn't lost on Cordelia and she forgot herself for a moment. And even though she knew it was happening, she didn't quite have the strength to stop it. Right away, anyway.

Her gaze narrowed at Faith, "Cut the shit, slutbag. You know I could out seduce you any day."

Faith laughed and jumped up.

"It'd be nice to see you try."

"Oh, and the `Or else' was `Or else I'll call Buffy and tell her we've been having a torrid affair'."

"You forget Cordy, Buffy has a bullshit-o-meter built in, she can detect it a mile away."

"Then how'd you slip past her radar?"

"Guess I'm not as full of it as you think."

"Yeah, well I think you stink. So go shower and then get to your meeting."

"Yes ma'am." Faith straightened up and saluted.

"You wish we were in the Army don't you?"

Faith invaded Cordelia's personal space and drawled out, "You're dying to give me `special orders' aren't you?"

Cordelia again was sucked in by the suggestiveness in Faith's voice, and the devilish smile that settled on her face after she said what she did.

Accepting defeat, but vowing silently to get revenge, she threw her hands in the air and walked out of the room, listening to Faith laugh her way to the shower.

"You're meeting's in there. Bring a notepad." Cordelia said, pointing but not looking up from her place at the desk.

"Thanks, Cor." Faith said, and dropped a hundred dollar bill on the desk.

"What's this for?" Cordelia asked as she picked up the crisp new bill and held it up to the light.

"For those shoes you've been going on about. You should get `em."

"Where'd you get this? You knock off a bank or something?"

"Nope, got paid, finally." Faith said, as she looked through the box of donuts. "Sent most of it back to Sunnydale and kept a little for stuff. But since you've been stuck with me a lot lately, I thought you should have something too. Ya know, for putting up with me." Faith shrugged.

Cordelia looked skeptically at Faith and her mouth settled into a wry grin.

"What?" Faith asked.

"How much are you paying Buffy?"

Faith laughed, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Cordelia folded the bill and put it in her bra, "Well, this'll be a start, but if you think my services come this cheap, then you've got another think coming, Slayer."

Faith looked at her stunned. "That's weird," She mumbled then picked out three of the tastiest looking donuts.

"What is?"

"That's the first time you've called me anything but Psycho, Slutbag or Freak."

"Really?"

Faith licked off the powdered sugar from her fingers and gave a big pinch to Cordelia's cheek.

"Hey! Hands off the face, bitch!"

"There's my girl!" Faith grinned and took her notepad and donuts into the room.

"You just better hope that doesn't leave a mark!" Cordy yelled at Faith's retreating back as she fumbled in her purse looking for her compact. "Thinks she can just touch the face. She's fucking gone nuts again, Angel!"

 "Faith, why do you have to rile her up?" Angel whined from behind his desk as he listened to Cordelia rant and rave about her face.

"Because it's there?" She looked at him like he was crazy and plopped down in the armchair across from him.

He looked at her for a few more moments and then let out a huge sigh.

Faith wondered how he could do that, when really he didn't even need to breathe. It was one of those mysteries she was hoping to never have to research. She hated research.

"I got a call from the Council." Angel said, seriously.

Faith's donuts and notepad fell to the floor as she sat bolt upright in her chair.

"You got a what from who?"

"Well, Wes got a call from the Council."

"What'd those fuckfaces want?"

"To make amends."

"With who?"

"You."

"Fuck them! You told them that right?!"

Angel looked down at his desk for a moment and back up at Faith.

"Oh Christ, Angel!" She got up out of her chair and went to the window.

"Faith,"

"No!"

"Faith, be reasonable."

"What?! Reasonable?!"

"Yes,"

"They fucking broke into Mrs. Summers' house, shot her up with sleeping drugs, tried to kill Buffy to get to me and you're telling me to be reasonable?!"

"Yes,"

"WHY?!" She turned back away from the window and walked to his desk, looming ominously over it.

"Because somebody has to."

"Has to what?!"

"Be reasonable."

Faith brought her fist up to strike his desk but suddenly stopped herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath letting it out slowly.

"This was a test, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"How did I do?"

"How do you think you did?"

"I fucking failed." She opened her eyes and looked at him sadly.

"Yeah, real bad." Angel smiled and winked at her. "Until the end there. That was good, you stopped yourself."

Faith sighed relieved and sat back in the arm chair, she bent down and picked up the now ruined donuts and her notepad.

"Damn, what a shame. Those were some good lookin' donuts." She lamented as she threw them one by one into the trash. "Score!"

Angel waited until she was done.

"The test wasn't all bullshit though, Faith." He handed her a napkin across his desk. "They did call."

"And?" This time she was calmer when she spoke.

"And they wanted to cut a deal."

"A deal?"

"They'd stop trying to capture you for going rogue if you stopped trying to have them captured and beaten."

"What?!"

"Whatta ya mean `What'?"

"They're sayin' I'm tryin' to capture and beat them?!" She looked incredulously at Angel. "I'd fuckin' love to, but I've been here all this time. You, Wes and Cordy have been shoved so far up my ass you're starting to make a new Mount Rushmore out of me."

Angel smirked.

"You're on the level with me?"

"Angel, why would I ruin my shot at bein' with Buffy for good on those bastards?"

"I'm glad to hear you say that. But now the question is who's after them?"

"Who isn't? From what I've read in the watchers diaries Giles had me study, they weren't high up on people's Christmas lists. Ever."

"Well it's someone who's got a hell of a grudge against them." Angel looked into Faith's face and the lightbulb went off for both of them at the same time.

"Buffy!" Joyce called up the stairs for her daughter. "Buffy!!"

Silence came back at her.

Joyce took her hand away from the mouthpiece and spoke into it, "Sorry, honey. She's not here. I thought she was studying up in her room. She must have gone out patrolling."

"Thanks anyway, Mrs. S."

"How are things going? Will we get to see you soon?"

"They're goin' real good. And I hope if my warden lets me," She quickly stuck her tongue out at Angel who rolled his eyes back at her. "I'll be able to get a furlough and come see you guys. Maybe next week."

"Good, Buffy's been practically climbing the walls here not being able to be with you."

That knowledge made Faith's heart swell and break simultaneously.

"Well, I uhhh," She closed her eyes and gathered strength. "It's been the same for me too."

"And she's driving me nuts with the `I wonder what's'."

"The what?"

"'I wonder what Faith's doing right now?' or `I wonder what she's saying about me' or `I wonder what she's wearing today'."

"I get it Mrs. S." Faith laughed at the woman's imitation of her daughter's voice. "And Angel is probably gettin' just as nuts as you are."

"Well, has he said when you'll be all done there?"

"It's up to me I guess. Ya know, can't have me goin' off the deep end again."

"We'll all help with that."

"I know, but I have to learn to help myself, too. Can't always rely on people to do everything for me."

"That's very grown up of you, Faith. But just don't grow up too much. Remember, you're still a young woman, with a whole life of living left to be done."

"I know and I intend to do it."

"Good, now let me get back to folding these clothes. Buffy apparently hasn't had the same amount of growing up that you've had. She still won't fold and put away her own clothes."

Faith laughed. "Oh geeze, don't even talk about the state of my drawers. Cordelia had a heart attack when she looked in my room."

"Oh, honey. Not you too?"

"Whatta ya gonna do?" Faith shrugged.

"Well, be good. I'll tell Buffy you called."

"Good, and please have her call me back tonight. Doesn't matter what time she gets in, just have her call me."

"I will, dear. Goodbye."

"Bye."

Faith put the phone down and shook her head at Angel.

"We've got to get in touch with her." He stated.

"What happens if it's not her?"

"Then we've got nothing to do with it."

"But they'll still think it's me and gettin' kidnapped by the Council is not my idea of fun anymore."

Angel leaned forward and put his elbows on his desk, he let out another deep sigh and put his head in his hands.

"This is not going good. I didn't think this was going to be this hard."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chief."

"No, Faith. Not you, just everyone else. You try to do some good in the world, and all you get is trouble."

"Isn't that always the way?" A familiar voice came from the doorway. Angel's head reared up and Faith's snapped around. They both gaped at Buffy who was leaning up against the doorjamb with a soft smile lighting up her face.

"Buffy!" Angel exclaimed.

"B!" Faith stood up, but didn't run to her.

"Don't rush me or anything." Buffy said, sarcastically.

"But why? How?" Faith asked, shocked.

"Because I couldn't stand another day without you, and Xander, he drove."

Xander waved from behind Buffy. "Hey!" He said cheerfully.

"Were we crashing something?" Buffy started to get nervous.

"No!" Faith finally came to her senses and ran to Buffy, picking her up and twirling her around. "I just can't believe you're actually here!"

Angel got up and waited until Faith was done twirling Buffy and giving her a needy kiss. As soon as she was back down on the ground he gave her a hug.

"It's great to see you Buffy."

"But…" She looked at him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"No buts, it's good to see you." He shrugged.

"Yeah right." She said, looking like she was trying to read his mind.

"Thanks for bringing her, Xand." Faith gave him a quick hug.

"You're welcome, Faith." He turned around and narrowed his gaze at Cordy. "Always good to see old friends, and I do mean old."

"You're just jealous because I still look gorgeous and you can't touch this anymore." Cordy said as she smoothed her hands along the sides of her sweater accentuating her chest.

Buffy watched as three sets of eyes threatened to pop out of their heads.

"Ow!" Faith said, rubbing the back of her head and looking contritely at Buffy. "Sorry."

"Why do you fall for that lame move?" Buffy asked.

"I was just amazed at how she fits it all in that teeny sweater."

"Have you tried hard to figure it out?"

"No!"

"You better not, or else."

"Or else what?" Faith smirked.

"Oh, God, here they go again." Cordy moaned from her desk. "Circling each other like sharks around chum."

"Xand, go keep her busy." Faith muttered.

"Why me?"

"We've got something to talk to Buffy about." Angel said seriously.

"Is it `end of the world' type stuff? Because I'm getting pretty good at that. I can help." He said earnestly.

"No, it's relationship type stuff." Faith said and Buffy looked at her confused.

"Ok, I'll just be out here hearing about how necklines are plunging for the fall season. Feel free to come out and shoot me in about an hour."

"Thanks dude, we owe you one." Faith slapped him on the shoulder.

"Big time." He pointed at them and then winced as he rubbed his stinging shoulder.

They closed the door after he went to get caught up with Cordelia.

"So, what's the what?" Buffy asked and flounced into the armchair previously occupied by Faith.

"Angel?" Faith indicated for him to do the honors as she took her place, beside Buffy.

"We've gotten a call from the Council."

Buffy visibly stiffened but didn't give anything else away.

"Oh, really? How's the weather in jolly old England? Cold and grey per usual? Did the Queen trip on one of her dogs?" She asked, with a light hearted lilt in her voice.

"No, they've asked to cut a deal."

"With who?" Buffy could hear Giles' voice in her head correcting her. "Whom? Who? Whom?" She tried out the different words.

"B." Faith stopped her.

"Sorry," She looked at Faith sheepishly. "Who do they want to cut a deal with?" She  asked Angel.

"Faith."

Buffy looked up puzzled at Faith and then back at Angel. Faith sat on the chair's arm.

"For what?"

"They'll not capture her and take her back to England, if their men aren't captured and beaten."

"Is that right?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

Angel nodded.

"Who called?"

"Travers."

Buffy reached out for one of Faith's hands. Faith sat in awe of the calm demeanor Buffy was displaying, but when she took her hand she could feel the silent, shaking rage that was just bubbling under the surface of her girlfriend's skin.

"Tell him, no fucking deal."

"Buffy, they'll capture her and take her back to England."

Buffy closed her other hand over Faith's.

"I'll take care of her."

That perturbed Faith slightly, "B, I'm not some little woman that needs rescuin'."

"No, but I'll take care of things."

"Buffy, you're being reckless. These guys can be dangerous."

She scoffed, "They're bumbling fools, besides who said it was me that was trying to kidnap them?"

"They've got an old Chevy Impala on a surveillance tape," Angel explained.

"Remind me not to bring Xand on a stake out." Buffy mumbled.

"It brought attention to itself by jumping the curb and popping a tire." Her ex continued.

"Remind Xand not to let me drive again."

Faith couldn't help but laugh.

"B, what the fuck are we gonna do with you?"

"What'dya mean by that?" Buffy looked up at her annoyed.

Faith sighed.

"You can't go around trying to kidnap and beat people."

"Since when are you the spokeswoman for the non-violence movement?" Buffy said a little too quickly. Faith stood up from the armchair. "I didn't mean…"

"Forget it, B. I got it. I'll never be anything…"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Buffy commanded, she got up and stood close to Faith, trying to take her hand again.

"But a murderer to you."

"That's not true, Faith!"

"Buffy," Angel tried to get her attention. "Calm down."

"Angel, please…"

"Buffy, you don't know what we've been doing here." He said in Faith's defense.

"Fang, can you give us a minute?" Faith asked calmly.

He nodded at her and left the room without another word.

Buffy and Faith stood in close proximity to each other, just looking into each other's eyes, both trying to find the love they knew to be there, but only one of them trying to find forgiveness.

"Faith, I didn't mean it."

"Doesn't matter what you meant, B. What matters is it was a knee jerk reaction, and that's what hurts. But hey, it's not like I don't deserve it."

"You don't, I'm sorry."

Faith moved away from Buffy and took a seat in Angel's chair. She thought of something he had taught her last week, "You know what Ghandi said?"

"'Extra pickle, hold the meat.'?" Buffy asked, without hesitation.

Again, Faith couldn't help but laugh, her girlfriend was just too damned funny and cute.

"No," The brunette said chuckling. "He said `An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.'"

"And?" Buffy didn't want to give anything away, she was still trying to deny any wrong-doing.

"And what's this business about trying to kidnap the Council?"

"You're really against it?"

"You're really trying to muscle `em?"

"They beat you Faith." Buffy said calmly, but Faith knew she was boiling with anger inside. "Broke into my house, drugged my mother. Hit me on the head."

Faith looked guiltily away for a moment, but then looked back at Buffy.

"I know that, B. And don't think I'm not just as mad as you about all that."

"Then why are you upset about me trying to even the score a little?"

"Because you're doing it out of revenge, out of anger, and that could get you hurt or worse. And what if you killed one of them?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"No, but what if it happened by accident?" Both Faith and Buffy immediately thought of Finch. "Could you live with that for the rest of your life?"

"But they beat you Faith…they almost killed you!" Buffy got up and stood over the desk like Faith had earlier. Suddenly Faith felt what Angel must feel when dealing with her.

"Almost, B. But I'm still here, alive and kickin'." She smiled at Buffy and winked. "Livin' to tell the tale."

"The tale of what?" Buffy asked, skeptically.

"The tale of how a little beer made Miss Prim and Proper get so crazy she walked stark naked across town."

"Hey, you did too!" Buffy shot back at her accusingly.

"Yeah, but you remember, I've done that before. You think my story of the Baptists breakin' down in Southie and me savin' them in the buff wasn't true, Buff?"

Buffy blinked as the memory of Faith's naked body bloomed in her brain. "Well, I, uhhh…"

"That so?" Faith sat back, satisfied.

Buffy snapped out of her mini-trance, "Yeah, well, I read a study done recently, they said the average person lies three times in the span of a ten minute conversation."

"C'mere." Faith instructed, holding a hand out to Buffy. The blonde hesitated, but finally gave in and walked around to Faith, taking her hand. Faith pulled her down to sit in her lap. "So what three lies have you told?"

"I'm not the average person."

"No…you're above average, that's for sure…" Faith looked at Buffy and let the love she had for her show in her face before she spoke again, "So what six lies have you told?" She winked and struggled to keep Buffy in her lap as the blonde tried to fake being appalled and angered at the question.

Faith snaked her arms fully around Buffy and pulled her closer, Buffy stopped struggling and they sat there both basking in each other's strength and warmth.

"I love you, Faith." Buffy sighed out and kissed the side of Faith's head.

"Right back at ya, babe." She squeezed Buffy a little tighter to her.

"I just wanted to…"

"I know, but I don't want you to do that. It's reckless, and risky, and it's just not you, Buffy."

"No, but it's you, right?" She pulled back and looked into Faith's eyes. "You'd get reckless if it were me they beat."

Faith stiffened and Buffy had her answer.

"I…"

"Faith, you can't think like that, any more than I should."

"Think like what?"

"Think that my life is worth more than yours, that you should sacrifice your life or freedom if it meant protecting me."

"But Buffy…"

"No, no buts, except well, you know…" Buffy lifted Faith's face to hers and wiggled her eyebrows, the brunette laughed loudly.

"You never stop amazin' me, you know that?"

"Good, `cause if I do then we've got a problem."

"No, we've got no problems, baby. Except maybe extreme horniness."

"Easily remedied…" Buffy started to undo the buttons on Faith's shirt.

"Not in Angel's office!" Faith scolded and stood up from the chair, effectively pushing Buffy away enough for her to get a hold of the situation and re-button her shirt.

"You've done too much restraint training. I don't like it." Buffy pouted.

"What did I say about the lip, B?"

"Faith said no lip."

"Oh, God, not the cave slayer bit again."

"No like Cave Buffy?"

"You know I do…"

"You like no clothes Buffy?"

"I love no clothes Buffy…"

"You think we should break it up in there?" Cordy questioned.

"They're not gonna do anything." Angel stated surely.

"That's what you think, but when you're spending your hard earned cash on steam cleaning the furniture, don't come crying to me."

"You wouldn't have any surveillance cameras running in there?" Xander asked. "Ow!" He said rubbing the back of his head from Cordy's well placed slap.

"Sicko." She scolded.

"Buffy! I thought you were out patrolling, you're in L.A.?!"

"Sorry, Mom, I should have told you I was coming here, I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

"You're not skipping class are you, young lady?"

"No, I've got a late class tomorrow, I'll be back in time. Oh, and you better get some cookies and a big dinner ready, Faith told me to tell you she's got a weekend furlough."

"Really?!That's wonderful, honey! I'll stop by the store and pick up her favorites. Anything you want in particular?"

"How about some Death by Chocolate?"

"Oh, that sounds heavenly, I'll pick up the stuff to make it. She's coming back with you tomorrow?"

"Yep, and she'll be staying the weekend." Buffy said excitedly.

Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter, Cordy? You get so jaded you can't stand to see young love?" Xander asked in a whispered tone.

"No, I can't stand to see she still hasn't improved her fashion sense."

Angel and Faith came out of the office, arm in arm.

"You'll leave after your shift at the clinic tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll come back here and do some meditation and then we're outta here."

"When will you be back?"

"When do I have to be back?"

"That's up to you."

"You mean I don't have to if I don't wanna?"

"You're not being held prisoner here, Faith."

Faith looked nervously around the room then back up at Angel. "I don't…"

"You don't have to decide, just play it by ear. And you're doing great, don't be so unsure of yourself."

"But my job…"

"They have those clinics in Sunnydale, too. You can transfer if you want, maybe even get your G.E.D or something?"

"Studyin'?"

"Don't say that with such distaste. What've you been doing here all this time?"

Buffy hung up from her call and smiled at her former and current lovers, she was proud that they were able to get along so well.

"I've been waitin'."

"For what?"

"For me to grow up."

"You're doing that just fine, you'll be fine, Faith."

"Yeah she will." Buffy said with confidence.

Faith gave her a grateful smile.

"So…we good here for now?" Faith asked Angel, never taking her eyes off of Buffy's.

"For now," He agreed.

Buffy made a break for the stairs and Faith was hot on her heels.

"We're ordering out tonight, so if you want to eat, let me know what you're having!" He called out to them.

"Bunch of sickos," Cordy said in passing as she left the office.

"What?" Angel looked at Xander.

"'Eat out'…'let me know what you're having'."

"Huh?" The vampire looked puzzled then heard the bumps and bangs and muffled squeals from the basement. "Oh…" He shook his head.

"Guess it's just you and me, huh, big guy?" Xander said, getting up from the couch and picking up his jacket.

"I guess." Angel thought for a moment as he heard another loud bang. "Hey, the Lakers are in town, you wanna go?"

"Who're they playing?"

"New York."

"Awesome!"

They left the office talking about L.A.'s chances of making it to the playoffs.

"It's not weird for you?" Faith asked after a particularly heated round of sex. She had waited until Buffy popped her head back up from underneath the covers and gotten comfortable.

"What, being at Angel's and doing this?"

Faith nodded at Buffy.

"It's not weird for you?" Buffy countered.

"Completely!" Faith said and rolled over onto her back. Buffy rolled over and draped herself over the front of her girlfriend.

"Then why'd you do it?"

"You really need me to answer that?" Faith raised an eyebrow at her.

"No," Buffy said and lightly tickled Faith's sides.

"Stop!"

"I like to live on the edge."

"You're right at the precipice, ready to fall right in. Quit it with the tickles!"

Buffy stopped her fingers, "I just love that you're actually ticklish."

"Yeah, but don't think my revenge clause can't be revoked for `em."

"You'd do that to little old me?"

"In a frickin' heartbeat."

They laughed and cajoled each other for the next few minutes before Buffy finally looked into Faith's eyes holding their gaze for a few more moments and asking softly, "Faith love Buffy?"

Faith's mouth settled into a soft grin, "Faith love Buffy." She nodded.

"Faith never leave?"

"Nope, never."

"Good." Buffy leaned in and captured Faith's lips in a passionate kiss.

"Buffy not do something stupid like get revenge on the Council?"

"Your cave speak needs work."

"B…"

"Ok, ok, I won't."

"Slayer's honor?"

"Slayer's honor!"

"Good." This time it was Faith who leaned in to capture Buffy's lips in a passionate kiss.

Buffy squealed as Faith's hand snaked down her front and found its way into her soft, moist folds.

"Oh, Buffy like!" She said loudly as Faith found her spot almost instantly.

"Yeah, Buffy like?" Faith asked with mischief evident in her voice as she slid two fingers into Buffy and massaged her clit with her thumb.

Buffy breathed out, "No, Buffy no like, Buffy love!"

Faith's grin threatened to crack her face as she worked her fingers in and out of her girlfriend. She loved watching the faces and hearing the sounds Buffy made when she was getting close to coming. She knew it was going to be a quick one because the blonde hadn't gotten any release for the past half an hour, the pleasure had all been thrown Faith's way.

"You're doing good, that's it, grind on me." She encouraged Buffy as the blonde found the right rhythm and angle, bearing down on her hand. Faith twisted her fingers slightly and added more pressure to her g-spot, watching as Buffy's mouth formed an `O' and her eyes glazed over, looking like she was silently screaming.

"Oh, fuck!" Buffy finally called out as she came in a rush, her chest heaved against Faith's as she twisted and turned in an effort to draw out her pleasure. Then, when her body had nothing more to give, she collapsed in a boneless heap against Faith. "Damn, I didn't…that was…" She attempted to speak while she caught her breath. "I came so fast…so hard."

"See, told you it was always more intense when it's taboo."

"It sure is." Buffy agreed in an awed whisper before laying her head on girlfriend's chest.

"Let's catch a few Z's," Faith said as she placed kisses on the top of Buffy's head.

"Kay," Buffy said, giving a kiss to the area over Faith's heart and trailing off to do as she said.

"The targets are in place." A voice crackled into the earpiece of a masked figure.

"How long until capture?"

"Any minute, the double agent is making contact with the subject now."

The door to the motel room opened.

"Why Smithy, I thought you'd gone back to England!" Collins exclaimed, happy to see his old friend.

"No, I've just recovered, pretty much got the feeling back in my leg."

"Bad business that, sorry we had to leave you." Collins stepped aside and let the stocky man into the room.

"No hard feelings, mate."

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Collins turned his back to Smithy and picked up one of the beers he had in a cooler. "Here's to Weatherby, poor old bugger." He said gravely as he handed the bottle to Smithy. "May he rest in peace."

Smithy nodded and accepted the beer. "Cheers."

Just then a figure in black stepped in from the side and stuck a needle in Collins' neck depressing the plunger. In an instant the man was rendered unconscious.

Smithy put his beer down on the table after watching Collins slump to the ground.

"May he rest in pieces." He said bitterly, thinking of Weatherby's fate in the Initiative and the justice he felt had been done. Weatherby had always been extremely harsh, with Collins' blessing, to any of the subjects they had to subdue and he'd been a huge asshole to Smithy. He looked up at the masked man finally, "I've done my bit, can I have my ticket now?"

The figure reached in his pocket and pulled out an airline ticket.

"Happy trails, Smithy. Don't forget, you check out before 11am and the cab will pick you up here to take you to the airport, Collins."

"Got it, thanks! I can't wait to get back to blighty." He said excitedly, clutching the expensive ticket in his hand.

"Whatever that means."

"It means England, you berk." Another masked man with an English accent said, disgusted.

"What's a berk?"

"Graham!" The earpiece in the first masked figure's ear crackled.

"Yes?"

"Stop the chatting and finish the mission."

"Yes, sir, Riley sir." Graham said into his microphone, sarcastically.

"Remove the subject for chip implantation, now!" Riley bellowed.

"Oh, this is precious." The other masked figure said gleefully, as they picked up the unconscious Collins and carried him to the back window.

"Kind of poetic justice, huh, Spike?"

"Not until every one of you has one in his head as well, but this is a start."

They lifted the Council man through the window into the waiting, red BMW.

"This is a bloody great start." Spike said, vindicated.

"Spike just shut up and get in." Giles said in a harsh whisper, waiting until he, Graham and their prey were in the vehicle before driving off.

"Oh sure…tell the vampire to shut up…that's bloody rich…I thought a fellow countrymen would at least afford some sort of courtesy…"

The End