Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

Switcheroony

Part Five

Rating: NC17

Disclaimer: They’re not mine, I wish they were, but I know they’re not and nobody gets anything for writing or posting, except Wiffy goodness.

Feedback: Yes, please.

Authoress' Notes: After a brief relationship with Willow, Tara dropped out of college and went back to her family, so Willow is Out to the Scoobies. Buffy & Willow sharing a College Dorm room. Giles & Anya (ex-demon & Xander’s girlfriend) run the Magic Box. Faith is post coma.

Credits: Beta, translation into American and editing by Lilly.

Chapter 23

"Okay now?" Buffy had asked softly, still holding her Willow tightly and gently rocking her.

"Okay now," Willow had whispered, her eyes still closed in an attempt to keep back any remaining tears. She thought their lips had touched with the barest feather-light contact.

"I'll hold you until you fall asleep, okay?"

"Yes," Willow said, drowning in the gentleness of her Buffy.

Her body felt almost inconsequentially slender in Buffy’s arms. Willow held her face against Buffy’s throat, feeling strands of hair brush against her cheek. As she calmed her breathing, she was surrounded by the intricate and delicate fragrance of their lovemaking, exuding from their very hair and skin.

Buffy lay quietly, aware of pliant breasts that pressed softly against her with every breath from her beloved Willow. This had been the last thing she could remember as she drifted of into a dreamless sleep.

* * * *

Giles came to with a jolt. Harsh bright light assaulted his senses. Quickly closing his eyes he tried to center himself. A myriad of memories flooded his mind. He had been talking to someone? Yes … Faith. She’d been helpful, answering questions. They were attacked …

He mentally reached back to retrieve more information. He’d felt a sharp pain … been drugged. Faith had been fighting vampires … no men … she was protecting him? Xander? Water … stumbling … a car drive. Xander, helping him to bed … something about Anya and Faith??

Shaking his head, he reached for his glasses but his hand found a bare bedside table. His mind was still very foggy, thick making every mental step laborious. Slowly he began to piece together last night. He realized that it must have been well after midnight when Xander had helped him to bed so that neither of them had noticed that the curtains had been left open. That explained why his bedroom was now blindingly bright.

Throwing back the covers, he placed his bare feet into his slippers but they wouldn’t fit! Standing he slipped, suddenly realizing he had stepped into his cold shoes with no socks which were still bunched inside them, stopping him from actually wearing his shoes. Where the hell were his slippers? “Xander!” he bellowed. It was bad enough that he had needed Xander to help him to bed, taking every opportunity to remind him of just how much older he was but the boy could be such a disorganized, if well intentioned, jackass. “And where the hell are my glasses?” he yelled.

As he made his way downstairs, carefully feeling his way, Giles recalled the occasion when Willow had inadvertently removed his sight with a magic spell. He had walked into so many pieces of furniture that his thighs and toes had complained for a week afterwards. Carefully making his way to the kitchen, he put the teakettle on.

Opening his cookie tin, Giles reached in but a frown crossed his brow. Retracting his arm, he held the piece of paper he had found before him. Bringing it in and out of focus, he read <Sorry, you had nothing in the fridge. Xander>. “Cheeky beggar,” Giles muttered, crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the trash.

* * * *

Willow could feel the fresh grass beneath her bare feet as she ran towards their picnic basket. Plopping onto the blanket, she laughed out loud.

“No fair,” Buffy called to her as she caught up and collapsed beside her. “You go on three … not two.”

“Yeah, yeah. Rules. I read about them once. Bo-o-oring,” Willow smirked in reply.

Buffy laughed and gently placed her forefinger onto the tip of the Wiccan’s nose. “I think I’m teaching you some bad habits.”

“Oh goody,” she replied wiggling her nose beneath the Slayer’s finger.

Buffy smiled and gazed lovingly into her eyes. Then leaning forward she replaced her finger with her lips. “Teacher’s pet.”

“What can I say? I love learning,” Willow replied, reaching to draw Buffy back to her. She loved this kind of dream world.

* * * *

Giles pushed his glasses up onto his nose as he turned the page of Bolton’s Celestial Emporium. He had finally found his glasses beside the telephone along with another note explaining that Faith had called Xander and directed him to the keys and the Magic Box. This had surprised him and filled him with a strange form of pride.

But his main concern this morning was to find a backup plan. The attack last night had left him in no doubt that they had an unknown factor to deal with and he could no longer risk placing all their eggs in one basket. If Willow and Buffy couldn’t break the original curse, which appeared to be what their mysterious opponent was counting on, then he had to find another way to stop the eclipse.

He had been wracking his brains for the past hour searching every text he had on heavenly bodies, trying to find some glimmer of how he could prevent the eclipse that was due in just three days time. What little he had learned only made him more and more concerned.

* * * *

Buffy was sure that, for a moment, she had felt lips touching her neck. A melting softness washed over her, drawing her from her slumber. She tightened her arms and tilted her face down, brushing her lips over Willow’s forehead; brushing her cheek against the silky smooth softness of her hair. As she felt Willow’s gentle breath against the hollow of her throat, her pulse seemed to rise. How did Willow do this to her? How could she wake up and immediately be aroused by the nearness of her?

Last night should have been more than enough for her but it appeared that the Slayer lust had not switched with her body as her strength had. As she basked in the warmth of Willow against her, Buffy regretted the darkness of their room last night. She quickly glanced at the closed drapes. She had wanted so much to look down and see her secret love. She had wanted to watch those beautiful green eyes open and that unforgettable smile shine up at her. She had wanted to watch her Willow - the one she had been picturing all night. Sighing, she made a promise - ‘we will do this again my sweet darling. In the light of day, in our own bodies and then I will know that tonight was real.’

A small sigh escaped from Willow and Buffy broke into a smile. Then it seemed so very easy … so natural for her to lift the chin of her slumbering Willow … to raise her face and by doing so offer her lips.

She could see the shadowed outline of her beloved, a thousand memories filling her mind. Unable to help herself … giving in to the swell of emotions that she felt, Buffy lowered her lips, allowing the warm softness of Willow’s mouth to melt against her own. ‘Heaven.’ She felt Willow stir and her mind vibrated with alarm. ‘Oh no.’ She started to pulled away. But Willow's mouth moved to meet hers, tenderly searching and reaching for her, causing her heart to dance in joy.

Their lips met again and again with such tender brief kisses; then lingering and still more tender ones as Buffy gently held her dearest close. Willow felt so warm in her arms, her body so soft as she melted into Buffy’s morning caress.

Willow yielded as in a dream, her lips parting as Buffy’s mouth became her wakening world, the most exquisite velvet, as they kissed deeply … slowly … endlessly … tenderly.

* * * *

The shrill ring of the telephone broke into the minds and hearts of the two women. It felt like the warmth they had been sharing was being doused by a cold shower, causing them both to pull out of their embrace and fully open their eyes. The harsh reality of day shattered the tender moment they had shared.

Buffy’s eyes were full of apology and sorrow as she left their warm bed and threw on her nightgown, moving towards the ringing phone. “What?” she almost yelled as she answered the phone.

“Sorry, grumpy head. Did I wake you?” Xander’s almost apologetic voice asked.

“YES. Yes, you did. So is the sky falling?” Buffy replied.

“Nope. More like a light shower. Giles came across Faith after Willow and he finished patrol,” he explained.

“Oh hell! Is he okay?” Buffy demanded, suddenly filled with the urge to track down Faith and give her exactly what she deserved.

“Nothing that a large pot of his stinky tea won’t cure,” Xander assured her. “It seems they were attacked by some Commando type guys … and Faith rescued him.”

“She what?” Buffy exclaimed incredulously.

“I know. I’m big with the unbelievable too. But from what I can make out, that’s exactly what happened,” Xander assured her. “She got him back to the Magic Box, made him comfortable and then she phoned me. Really didn’t enjoy explaining that call to Anya.”

“I’ll bet. So he’s home? And safe?” Buffy inquired, not really wanting to break into her time with Willow, after last night, unless absolutely necessary.

“Yup. He’s gonna be fine. I’ll ring him in a bit and check up on the old chap,” Xander said breaking out into his best ‘British’ accent.

“Cool. Well, I’ll leave ‘Giles watcher duty’ to you. Let me know if anything changes,” Buffy instructed Xander.

“I’m on it,” Xander agreed, although somewhat surprised that Buffy wasn’t heading out immediately to check on her Watcher. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Why?” Buffy asked before she could stop herself.

“Oh, I just figured you’d be on the fast train to Gilesville, especially with Faith being involved. That’s all,” Xander commented.

Buffy sighed; she should have so seen that one coming. “You got him home safe and you’ll check on him – Right?”

“You bet. I just thought …” Xander trailed off, not sure what else to say.

“I trust you, Xander. If you say he’s okay…”

“Ahhh …” Xander exclaimed as he realized what was going on. “You don’t want to leave your dorm room right now, do you? Willow’s there too, isn’t she? Why didn’t you just say so? I’m cool. You guys have stuff to … discuss … You know ... have your whole … ‘Beaches’ moment ...” Xander blathered on.

“Thank you for understanding, Xander,” Buffy replied through gritted teeth. ‘Could Xander be any more foot-in-mouth guy?’ She took a deep breath and cut his chatter short with “I’m thrilled that Giles is safe and I am grateful that you’ll keep an eye on him for me. Good-bye Xander,” Buffy stated as she resisted the urge to slam the receiver down.

Turning back towards Willow, she shrugged. “Xander,” she said simply as if that alone would explain everything.

Meanwhile, Xander smirked at the phone. He really loved it when he hit the mark. The gooey and icky buzz of knowing that right now his two favorite little love bunnies were finally sorting this stuff out was just a little more than his manly persona could cover up as a silly puppy dog smirk crawled across his face.

* * * *

There was still a slight chill in the air as Cordelia had walked to Angel Investigations. She’d put off coming in for the past two days. Without the guys around it seemed pretty pointless. Besides, she’d figured she was due some vacation time. But the pile of mail and number of telephone messages had almost made her wish she hadn’t held off coming in.

Cordelia stared at the telephone. She was somewhat uneasy at the thought of speaking to Giles before she could talk to Faith. But his message had been very insistent and she really had put off calling as long as she dared. If she wasn’t careful this could go very wrong. She wanted to speak to Faith. She’d hoped for a phone call today, as she had begun to everyday. It unnerved her that when Faith did call she could feel a swelling of happiness. She’d never really needed a female friend before but faith had somehow become important to her. Cordy’s high school clique had had a purpose. They’d been her buffer but she’d never been really close to any of them. She’d never cared about any of them.

The concern and worry that was beginning to build within her was new. She worried about the guys all the time. But this … this was different. It wasn’t fear for Faith’s life. It was fear for her very soul, for the precarious cliff edge the woman walked everyday, for all the future hopes and dreams that the brunette slayer had chosen to tie up and risk in doing this thing for Buffy and Willow.

These feelings disconcerted her and so she shook them aside. Now was not the time to get all ‘Thelma and Louise’. She just needed to think clearly. She needed to concentrate on finding out what Giles wanted and then work out what best to do or say to Faith the next time she called. Just like Angel, Faith hadn’t liked modern technology much, let alone cell phones, so Cordelia had been happy to let the dark slayer do the calling. She was beginning to wish she’d insisted on at least a beeper.

* * * *

Buffy stood staring at herself. Well, not her self so much as her body. At Willow. It always took her a moment in the mornings to remember that her body was no longer her own. ‘You’d think by now I’d be over what she looks like.’ She knew that she should say something. But what? This was some kind of weird ‘morning after’ block. The ‘morning after’ with a stranger was one thing but this wasn’t a stranger. This was her Willow.

With Willow she couldn’t reinvent herself. She couldn’t present her best foot because Willow knew both her best and worst feet equally well. She opened her mouth … but nothing came out. So she closed it again. ‘Oh, get a grip, will you? She’ll think your brain damaged,’ she scolded herself. Taking a deep breath she dove in. “Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” Willow replied. ‘Oh goddess I’m staring at her.’ Dropping her eyes, she collected herself, grateful that Buffy had begun their ‘morning after’ conversation in a familiar area that she could cope with. After that good morning kiss she was fairly certain that she couldn’t have recited her two times tables. “Wha’d you have in mind?” Willow asked unable to lift her eyes and look at the woman and the lips she hungered for, knowing they were her own. ‘Today’s weirdness exists on so many levels.’

Buffy also broke her stare. Dragging her mind back to the memory of how she had awakened Willow and how eagerly Willow had responded … she needed to remember that it had been Willow … that the body before her was but a shell. Seeing herself clutching the sheet to cover her nakedness was really throwing Buffy. She shook her head as she struggled to remember what she had asked. “Oh right. How about mochas, danish and donuts?” Buffy smiled to herself as she recalled the many mornings that they had gone through this very conversation. It was so familiar … so comfortable.

“Why change a good thing?” Willow automatically responded, beginning to sit up pulling the bed sheet up with her. “So shall I do the run or…”

“No way. I’m already up. You stay put,” Buffy responded heading for her clothes. “You’re all warm and comfy. How about we do breakfast in bed? I love eating in bed …,” she commented before she could stop herself, freezing as the words left her mouth. ‘Geez! Why did I say that? Okay, do I have to say everything I’m thinking when I’m around her?’

“Oh … I … That sounds …” <gulp> Willow dried up, suddenly feeling as if someone had taken all of the air out of the room. ‘Did she just … yes, she … ’

Buffy let out the lung full of air she had been holding. “Okay … <swallow> I won’t be long,” she said throwing off her nightgown and climbing into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. “Chocolate sprinkles?” she threw in, as her mind filled with images of sharing breakfast in bed with … ‘Oh, I’ve died and gone to heaven.’

“Uh huh,” Willow confirmed as she watched Buffy rush for the door. “Buffy?”

“Yes,” she replied, turning back nervously, her still tousled hair falling over one eye.

Willow laughed quietly before asking “Shoes?”

Buffy looked down at her feet and immediately felt a rush of heat to her cheeks.

“What? … oh … aaah … ” She searched around her and, seeing Willow’s loosely tied sneakers, slipped her feet into them. “Not awake yet, I guess. Won’t be long.” She offered by way of excuse as she bolted out of their dorm with urgent intent and purpose.

* * * *

Willow had become a complete coward and within just a few minutes of Buffy heading out on the breakfast run, she’d pulled on a large t-shirt. So now she sat back under the covers wondering why the hell this morning was so different from yesterday.

Yesterday she’d been in a strange kind of denial for most of the morning and then the shock of what they had done had hit her like a sledgehammer. But this morning none of that seemed to matter. What concerned her was how different Buffy had been. The way she had kissed her awake. Her mind was lost in the need to ask a thousand questions, and yet the same very real fear of the answers prevented her from asking them.

She could have put last night down to need, desire, sex, curiosity or all of the above. But that kiss … It had been so tender, so sweet, so without motive. Buffy had taken her time; tasting and caressing … She had seemed so assured, so still, so with her. No one had ever kissed Willow like that. It was as if a thousand words had been spoken without a sound. And yet here she sat trying to translate a language she had never heard before.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the door handle being turned. Buffy burst through the door, kicking it shut behind her. As she gazed at the bed and Willow, her face momentarily dropped. ‘She’s disappointed … because I’m dressed?’ Willow wondered and a flutter coursed its way through her heart.

“Breakfast has arrived,” Buffy announced, quick to hide her disappointment in the fact that Willow had dressed. She kicked her shoes off and placed the tray of mochas and danish onto the bed.

“Looks yummy,” Willow noted, as she saw that Buffy had practically crammed the tray full of all of the Wiccan’s favorite pastries. Carefully she pulled the tray towards her to allow Buffy to get back into bed without creating a mocha shower.

Lifting the covers Buffy noticed flesh … bare legs … ‘It’s only a t-shirt.’ A smile crossed her face and a tingle shot down her spine. She quickly scooted out of her sweats and under the sheet. Pulling it back she scooted closer to Willow and breakfast.

“Hey,” Willow yelped as she felt Buffy’s cold leg brush hers. Surprised by the alarmed look that had crossed Buffy’s face, she quickly added, “You’re … legs … they’re cold.”

“Sorry,” Buffy apologized, moving back slightly and feeling somewhat foolish for rushing to be close to Willow. Putting her hands under the covers she began to rub her thighs vigorously, not sure how she would manage to reach her feet.

Willow smiled at her efforts and moved the breakfast tray to the floor.

Buffy tried so hard not to turn and look at the small of Willow’s back and rear as she moved the tray but the evil eye took over. ‘Ohhhh! Shouldn’t have looked,’ she realized dragging her eyes back. ‘I’m staring at my own ass. What kind of freak have I turned into?’

Willow turned back to help Buffy. Unable to make eye contact, she moved her own hands under the covers and firmly began rubbing Buffy’s cold lower legs and feet. “There you go. We’ll have you all warmed up in no time. Then we can get back to the hot pastries.”

Buffy felt herself freeze as Willow’s hands suddenly ran over her inner thighs - so close, so warm. Buffy closed her eyes. ‘Ohh Willow … You’re killing me here,’ she screamed to herself. But reopening her eyes, she caught a small smile at the corners of Willow’s mouth and she realized that Willow, her shy sweet Willow knew exactly what she was doing … ‘Oh! The little vixen! Willow Rosenberg, you’re so gonna pay.’

Leaning into Willow slightly, she lowered her voice and moaned in appreciation, “Mmmm … Willow … I think I’m ready for something warm and wet … if you are?” Buffy stated in her sultriest tone while slowly pulling back a loose strand of hair from Willow’s cheek.

<GULP> “What?” Willow squeaked, quickly bringing her hands back above the covers as panic washed over her … ‘she … oh my …’ and slowly she turned to stare questioningly at Buffy, her heart in her mouth.

Buffy plastered a saintly and innocent smile upon her features and replied “I’m all warm now. Thanks. Time for breakfast. Chocolaty mochas and sweet goodies?”

* * * *

Giles perused the chapter on celestial transits, frustration building with every new ‘this won’t help’ piece of information he came across. Suddenly the telephone burst into life, making him jump slightly. Reaching for the handset, he expected to hear Xander’s voice. The young man had already called him twice to check on his condition. The Watcher was really becoming most irritated by the distractions that were plaguing him today. All he wanted was to fix this and get everything back to normal.

“Hello?”

“Hi Giles, I’m returning your call,” Cordelia announced.

“Ah yes, Cordelia,” he acknowledged. “Thank you. I was beginning to think no one was ever going to ring back.”

“Sorry. The guys are out of town and I just got back myself,” she stated, stretching the truth a bit.

“Ahh I see,” Giles noted, realizing he was being put off with a somewhat less than truthful response. “Well in any case, I appreciate you getting back to me. I need some answers, which it would seem only you can provide,” Giles explained, drawing his mind back to the several questions he had been waiting to have answered.

“Gee, when did I become miss ‘know-it-all’?” Cordelia asked, trying to make herself sound, at least, a little surprised by his call. “So …What’s up?”

“Faith.” Giles stated, seeing no reason to beat around the bush especially as he was able to hear the slight hesitation in Cordelia’s tone. He really didn’t have the patience or the time to deal with a prima donna right now. His frustration at events and his inability to do anything or find anything to help matters was rising to the surface. “It would seem that you were, at least, partially responsible for her current visit to us.”

“Ahh huh,” Cordelia non-committally responded, so casually that Giles could almost see her ‘so what’ posture.

“She appears to be trying to get Willow and Buffy together,” he stated.

Cordelia swallowed, “Really?” Her feigned surprise fooled neither one of them.

“Indeed,” he stated, his tone harsh and brokering no argument. “She has placed a curse on Buffy and Willow, effectively swapping their bodies. It would seem that the only way they can return to their own bodies is to … declare their mutual … to show their … to say they are in love,” Giles summarized.

“Aww, how cute. Who knew Faith was so into ‘lonely hearts’? Personally, I think she should have picked a less socially challenged couple to practice on,” Cordelia giggled.

“Young lady, this is no laughing matter,” Giles responded in an annoyed tone. “Events have somewhat … escalated to a dangerous situation.”

“Well, fire away and I’ll see what I can do to help,” Cordelia advised him.

“Where to begin … let me see … oh yes. Why did you send Faith here? Why not send Angel or Wesley? Why, on earth, was a curse was necessary? Why didn’t you contact me first? I refuse to believe there wasn’t a better way of dealing with this. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?” Giles barked into the phone, unable to hold himself back any longer.

“Oh boy, that English reserve really is only a cover, isn’t it? Underneath you’re just a rude old man,” Cordelia proclaimed. “Listen up Giles, you may be the mega-hot watcher of the demonology library or whatever, but when it comes to dating – I’m the slayer … the total expert. So trust me when I say that sending some lame-brained guy to sort out two women in love – so not an option! Despite what you may think, we thought this through … and Faith was the best choice.”

“I find that somewhat hard to believe,” Giles commented, if with a little less certainty than he would have had just a few days ago. Faith had really surprised him last night. Hearing the lack of conviction behind his assertion, Cordelia laughed. “Oh right, you really think sending some love sick vampire or a sexually immature British guy … Geez, get real. This is about women … two women … two very special women. I didn’t need some fantasy-ridden guy screwing it up. Faith has no sexual hang ups about two women. She’s honest … a straight talker, pun most definitely intended. PLUS … she really wanted to help,” she stated with complete certainty.

Giles fell silent, not quite sure how to respond to Cordelia’s comments. He tried to picture Angel or Wesley talking to Buffy about her feelings. ‘Awkward, ridiculous, painful’ were the only words that came to mind as he recalled his own stumbling efforts. “You may be right that a man … though I’d like to know where your absolute certainty on this subject originates. But really, a curse?”

“Talking just wasn’t going to do it. Trust me on this. Big hidden love - not gonna be dragged out of the closet by a late night chat over hot milk and cookies. Those two are so totally screwed up about what they mean to each other. They always have been. Something major was needed, something that could shake them up and force them together. They hold it all in everyday. They’re really very good at the hiding, Giles. But the mutual attraction, the affection, loyalty, devotion and the love are all there. You’ve seen it, we all have. That’s why any relationship that tries to overshadow or interfere with their friendship implodes sooner or later.”

“But, and I hate to repeat myself, … a curse?” Giles questioned, still unable to see how and/or why they had chosen to use a curse.

“Oh right. I remember now --- you’re the guy who’s always against any one but you doing the magics. How does Willow put up with you anyway? So go on then. Had you even noticed what was going on? Would you even know what to look for?”

“I’m sure that had I been looking … I mean … had someone raised it as an issue … I would have noticed … probably that they were … that the classic symptoms … of unrequited … secret … ” Giles struggled mightily to recall what the symptoms of unrequited love were. It had been so long since he had made himself vulnerable by investing his heart in the unknown. “Eating too much chocolate … impulsive retail therapy … driving too fast …” Giles dryly commented, realizing he was struggling and clearly out of his depth.

“Are you kidding? That just about describes the perfect day for everyone I know,” Cordelia smirked. “You’ve just proved my point. Unless someone had pointed it out to you, you’d have brushed over the signs. And considering your damn English reserve, you probably would’ve ignored them or more likely kept your thoughts to yourself.”

Giles was getting just a little sick of women telling him that his English reserve was a bad thing. “A little reserve from your end and I wouldn’t have to be ringing you, let alone be forced to trawl my books for solutions to the additional problem you’ve created,” Giles irritably advised her. “I know that your ‘Vision’ of the future really scared you but to run to magic for a solution … well, that shows a level of shortsightedness that I find incredible to believe.”

Cordelia’s world was suddenly very focused. ‘How the hell does he know about the ‘Vision’? However, all she could say was “Huh?”

Giles continued, “With Magic, there are always consequences …”

* * * *

Willow had never been so nervous and yet happy all at once. She’d felt like a kid, all giddy and almost sick - like she had eaten too much of her favorite candy and cake. Every sweet consideration or kind word from Buffy plunged her into excited confusion until they had run down a bit and fallen into a nervous silence.

Willow’s mind was a babbling mess. ‘What’s going on exactly? Is she just being kind or trying to avoid the wiggins we had last time? No. I mean there was that … kiss. The way she … oh heavens … I need to just slow down … stop analyzing. Don’t over-think this. She’s just being nice, Buffy-nice. I’m just wanting this to mean more. That’s my fault. I mean we had a … we had to … Oh god, what we did last night!! She thinks I have the cutest giggle. Wait. When, when did I giggle? Oh, OH! No, she can’t have meant …’

“I suppose we should get up,” Buffy said finally, breaking into Willow’s thoughts. She had run out of small talk, the delicious mochas were finished and she just couldn’t face another donut. “I’m sure I could do with a shower,” Buffy reluctantly admitted, all the while wishing that she could think of a way to delay the inevitable. She was enjoying her time alone with Willow - there had been so little of it this semester.

“There’s one thing I’d love to change about dorm life,” Willow said wistfully.

“What?” Buffy asked, as she started to leave their bed.

“A private bathroom,” Willow declared longingly. “What I’d give for a long hot soak right now.”

“Deal!” Buffy almost snapped, as her brain kicked into high gear. “Mom’s at an exhibition in Seattle this week. The house is empty. We could enjoy a real bath …” Buffy froze as she realized what she had said. ‘Oh no, not again … Quick, fix it. Fix it.’ “I mean we could get out of here and you could … have first dibs,” Buffy explained falling over her words.

Willow beamed. “Great idea.” She felt herself flushing slightly and her breath catching at the thought of sharing a bath with Buffy, whose slip of the tongue had presented Willow with several images and the wish that she had been brave enough to jump at the idea. ‘Shouldn’t I have … like … Slayer courage or something?’

* * * *

“What?” Cordelia was clearly shocked.

“I am fairly certain you heard me, Cordelia,” Giles chided. “I need to know. What will happen to Buffy? What did you see happen to her … in your vision?”

“I … I …” Cordelia stumbled. “How did you…?”

“That isn’t really relevant right now. Cordelia, what did you see?” Giles insisted. “I need to know. What could happen if they are not able to work through Faith’s curse?” he asked in a quieter tone.

“I … Okay. But your not gonna … Are you sitting down?” Cordelia asked trying to delay having to remember, let alone recount one of the most disturbing visions she had ever had to Giles of all people. “I’m not sure you …”

“Cordelia,” Giles said gently yet firmly in his most reassuring manner. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t feel that it was vital, absolutely necessary that I know exactly what you saw.”

“Okay,” Cordelia agreed, sighing and taking deep breath before she began. “Spike - remember that sweet, oh so helpful, guy? Well Spike was … he was using her … forcing her to … to … to be intimate with him. Buffy was being blackmailed by him. He was using his knowledge about how she felt about … Willow … to make her … He … he raped her, Giles … and she let him.” Cordelia finished, as a sob escaped her lips.

* * * *

Now at the Summers house, Buffy had very quickly excused herself and headed downstairs as Willow prepared for her bath. There had been a brief moment when their eyes had met but even though she could have sworn she could see straight into Willow’s soul, the sudden realization that she was staring into her own eyes connected to her own body made her pull back yet again.

And so Buffy found herself standing in the kitchen when the totally irrational thought struck her. “I’ll cook lunch”, she said aloud to herself. “That’s a ‘what good friends, best friends do for each other’ kind of thing that can’t be misunderstood as … I mean she should be able to cope with that.” Buffy was trying so hard to make Willow comfortable with her. She didn’t want to scare her. She didn’t want to rush headlong into how she felt, throwing everything at her Willow. She had to be very careful.

‘Just take it easy. Woo her. Did I just say woo her? Just let her warm to the idea that … this could work … that we … Oh please let her … I mean after last night and this morning … I thought … I was so sure … She kissed me back, didn’t she?’ Buffy asked herself, as self-doubt began to rear its head yet again. This self-doubt was so unlike her. But this was just too important and she had to get it right.

She shook her head to clear it and moved to the fridge, opening it to search the contents for a clue as to what she could make. Deciding to allow her heart to revel in the joy at having Willow all to herself, she thought ‘This is what it could be like. Always … just us … Willow and me.’

* * * *

“What difficulty?” Cordelia asked.

“The difficulty being that it … Buffy and Willow haven’t … that is they … ahh humm <cough> what has been tried didn’t work and I’m not sure that … In any case, let’s set that issue to one side, shall we? It has become evident during the course of our investigations that hidden within the curse, apparently without the knowledge of Faith … and I am now quite certain that it was indeed done without Faith’s knowledge,” Giles added, uncertain why he felt the need to assure Cordelia of this. “There appears to be another curse embedded within her curse which could bring about an apocalypse, to be triggered by the upcoming eclipse, unless the original curse is broken.”

“And this became evident how?” Cordelia asked suspiciously.

“During our own vision quest. Thanks to a moment of Xander’s inspiration, we managed to use a vision rod to focus the Slayer’s … that is to say Buffy’s … natural ability to have visions,” Giles explained.

“Xander? Well I never would have believed it,” Cordelia commented.

“I agree it was something of a surprise,” Giles agreed. “But the results were very enlightening. That’s how we found out that you had a vision about possible future events and that Faith was, indeed, sent here at your behest.”

“And these … ‘vision rod’ visions … they told you that there’s a curse hidden within our curse?” Cordelia demanded, “How? What did you see? Who was it? How did they do it and when?”

Giles sighed, realizing that this call could take far longer than he had expected. “Cordelia, I really don’t have time to go into the detail that I am sure you deserve. Trust me when I say that the visions were detailed enough to assure me that this is the case. If I may ask - were you aware that Faith was using a firm of lawyers to help her acquire the elements necessary to place the curse?”

“No. She said that she knew a contact that could provide what she would need. I hadn’t realized she was dealing with – ‘Suits’,” Cordelia stated, somewhat surprised that Faith even knew a lawyer. She stopped mid-thought as her memory suddenly opened a door. “Why?”

“One of the visions showed her talking with a firm of lawyers who wanted her to kill Angel. Then we saw the same lawyer requesting the hidden curse and organizing the specifications of the curse with the wizard,” Giles explained.

“Geez,” she sighed in exasperation. ‘What kind of idiot would take a curse from … Oh hell. Why didn’t she say that was where she’d gotten it? Because I didn’t ask! Angel will blow a fuse when I tell him,’ she mentally cursed herself for not having quizzed Faith over the acquisition of the curse. She should have realized that Faith still hadn’t quite sorted out where certain lines existed. And she had been so caught up in how to prevent the events in her vision that she had dropped the ball. She hadn’t followed up. She should have taken more time to talk to Faith about this … about other things as well. “We’ve come across a group of lawyers but only briefly,” she advised Giles. “They’re into the … you know … the representation of the big and bad of the underworld, so to speak. And I don’t mean human criminals.”

Giles couldn’t prevent a laugh from escaping as he asked, “Are you serious? Demons need lawyers!? Only in LA.”

* * * *

Willow lay happily in the tub, her mind drifting back to last night until she heard movement downstairs and then a beaming smile swept its way across her face as she recalled the last thing Buffy had said as she had headed into her bath. “While you’re in there turning all prune-like, I think I’ll scrape together a nice lunch for us.”

Down there in the kitchen was a Slayer with the cooking talent of … well … of Snoopy. Her rock hard cookies and burnt popcorn were almost legendary, only to be surpassed by Xander’s sheer acting ability when it had come to eating Buffy-fare with gusto. ‘Geez, what he would do in the hopes of winning her heart,’ Willow recalled. ‘Would I try that hard? Just watch me.’

She sank back, lowering her ears below the bath water, blocking out the sounds of the world. She needed to find her center, her courage and confront the fear that was beginning to build once again. Last night had been so wonderful, as had this morning, but knowing that at some point she had to keep her promise to Xander and risk ruining everything … that just plain invited the fear in.


Hearing a movement upstairs, Buffy jumped guiltily. Then looking back at the sink, she realized that her furious scrapings of the burnt toast had turned everything in the sink a motley brown. At least the pile of un-toasted bread was greater than the pile of toast still waiting to be scraped.

Buffy grimaced. She’d thought that since the bread was still partially frozen, it would take a lot longer to brown. As she surveyed the sink, she took a deep breath “I know I’m cursed but give me break,” she pleaded. Then collecting herself, she glared at the toast and stated “Damn it, I can do this.” Picking up her burnt offerings, she unceremoniously tossed them in the trash and moved back to the remainder of the thawing loaf. “Okay, second time lucky.” She took four more slices and moved them into the still warm toaster. “You guys just thaw for a bit,” she instructed them.

Glancing at her watch, urgency filled her as she focused on the bacon, turning each strip. “Bacon and Eggs,” she continued aloud. “Who can’t cook bacon and eggs? – EGGS!” She hadn’t done the eggs. The bacon was almost half cooked but the eggs were still standing totally untouched by the side of the toaster. “Oh, great! How much more ‘not potential girlfriend’ material can I be? Cereal. I should have done cereal. Nice and simple. Cereal and milk. Maybe a little fruit. But Oh, No. I had to try to be little ‘miss apprentice homemaker’. I should have applied for the position of ‘girl least likely to get a second date with a certain gorgeous red-head’”

She turned the last of the bacon and focused her attention on breaking the eggs into a bowl. Miraculously, she didn’t have to extract the usual shell fragments. Sighing in relief she seasoned the eggs and proceeded to whip them together. ‘Okay. That wasn’t so hard. Now I just need to fry … A pan? I need another pan!’ she realized. Turning back to the counter, she was relieved to see that she had already taken out two pans.


Willow could smell cooking and it … well it smelled good? She reemerged from her prone position, a slightly puzzled look forming. “Buffy?”

Realizing that her toes were starting to crinkle up, Willow began to wash her hair, rubbing the shampoo in with renewed vigor. She had made up her mind. Today she would say something. She would find a way … make a moment. It was worth the risk and this morning had to be a sign! Didn’t it?


Buffy found herself shaking as she placed the plates of food next to the coffee and juice that she had already added to the large tray she had prepared. She surveyed her handy work unable to believe that she had made the food she was looking at. She had really done it.

An idea occurred to her as she heard the bath water emptying and grabbing a pair of scissors she quickly rushed to the back door. Opening it, she reached out and cut one of her mother’s lovely red roses. Closing the door she moved to the nearby cupboard and removed a single stem vase and, filling it carefully with water, she placed the rose into it and carried it back to place on the corner of her tray. “Perfect.”

Buffy picked up the overloaded tray and carried it uneasily as she made her way to the stairs. She hated not having her usual slayer balance and coordination. But that wasn’t important. What was important was that she really wanted to revisit their early morning togetherness and just maybe her little gift of a home cooked meal would result in that.

Willow wrapped a towel around her hair and stepped out of the bath. Reaching for the bath towel, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Momentarily she lost her center as anger threatened to fill her. ‘Why? What did I ever do to her?’ Willow demanded, focusing her thoughts on Faith, the cause of all her woes. Pulling the bath towel about her, Willow moved to open the bathroom door. As she did so the aroma of bacon and eggs wafted up to her, removing all thoughts of Faith and her revenge. She smiled and secured the towel about her as she moved down the hallway.

Buffy was nearly at the top of the stairs when Willow appeared before her in nothing but a bath towel. Their eyes met and Buffy stared transfixed by the warm feeling that those eyes brought to her heart. Losing her concentration, she missed the last step and, as if in slow motion, she saw the landing quickly moving up towards her.

Willow was about to speak … to say something when she saw Buffy start to fall. The cups of hot coffee flew towards Willow who instinctively reached out to stop Buffy’s fall, dropping her bath towel.

Buffy continued to fall forward, her face turning into a picture of horror. “No!” She had prepared it all. And it was edible! But her train of thought was broken by the sight of Willow’s bath towel falling to the floor!!

Buffy, who had been vainly trying to catch up with the falling tray, froze in her tracks. But its contents hurtled towards Willow as she headed towards Buffy oblivious to her nakedness and the distress she was causing. The hot coffee landed first followed by the juice, bacon and eggs … and a single rose in a bud vase.

“Woahhh. Ahhhh…. What th… Ooowwww,” Willow screamed as her skin was assaulted by the myriad of temperatures.

* * * *

Xander had taken his lunch break early, concerned that he hadn’t been able to reach Buffy or Willow. He had telephoned them four times in the past hour. He just knew that something was wrong. Giles had been fairly insistent that they needed to get together this evening. As he walked towards their dorm room it occurred to him that it was probably best that he knock first. Just in case.

Stopping just outside of the door he did his best to wipe what he was sure was a silly grin from his face as he raised his hand and knocked on the door firmly. Hearing no response he tried again. “Oh well, can’t say I didn’t try to warn them,” he stated as he reached for the handle. “It’s Xander,” he said loudly as a last courtesy before pushing the door open.

Suddenly he was pushed from behind and falling forward he thought he heard the sound of several feet following him. Turning he was confronted by two masked men, with several more right behind them.

* * * *

On all fours at the top of the stairs Buffy couldn’t move. She knew she should be rushing to Willow’s aid but the vision before her was her own naked flesh, even though it was on her best friend. Somehow she just couldn’t get past the thought that Willow had just washed that body … her body. She had probably run her soapy hands over every inch. She dropped her head embarrassed by the thoughts filling her mind.

Willow finally reached Buffy and fell to her knees. “Buffy, are you okay?” she asked, trying to make eye contact.

Hearing her own voice, Buffy raised her head. Mistake!

Chapter 24

‘Damn I look good with wet hair,’ she mused as she stared at the naked figure before her. Buffy gulped, her eyes suddenly drawn to the softly swaying breasts before her. A strange chill ran over her but she wasn’t sure why. The body before her was her own. She’d seen it a thousand times. The hand now touching her shoulder was her own. Yet the warmth was unfamiliar. The eyes that were looking at her with such concern were … No … There … she was … that look. Those half thoughts … that was Willow … her Willow. She was on her knees before the woman she loved and the only thought she could come up with was – I look good with wet hair??? She shook herself mentally as those intently caring eyes searched her face.

Then her eye caught the distinct yellow of scrambled egg perched within the still damp hair of her beloved, and flame rushed to her skin, reflecting the intense confusion, embarrassment and wracking knowledge that she had let them both down again. ‘Wrong! Again! I did it wrong again. Oh, why can’t the Hellmouth just open up and swallow me?’ Buffy silently screamed to herself as she closed her eyes and shook her head in despair.

“Buffy?” Willow questioned. “Are you okay?” Her mind was unable to translate the look she had just seen. ‘Is she okay? Has she hurt something? Why won’t she look at me … I’m standing right in front of her and she can’t even look me in the ey … OH MY GO …!!! … NAKED … I’m NAKED.’ Willow’s hands flew to cover, to hide, moving like windmills unsure what to cover first. ‘Need bigger hands or smaller body or just not to be … Towel! Where is that … how did … when did … NAKED …’ Dropping to her knees, she felt a squelch and then a crack as she landed knee-first on half a plate of scrambled eggs.

Buffy’s eyes flew open at the sound and before her she saw Willow vainly attempting to cover herself with her hands, turning herself away from her. Concern for Willow immediately overrode her own discomfort and she raised herself up, stepping past the now almost frantic body of her best friend. She retrieved the bath towel. Turning back towards her best friend, she was presented with the unforgettable image of a single piece of bacon attached firmly to Willow’s ass.

* * * *

Xander lay on the floor, blood pouring from his nose, as he listened to the footsteps of his attackers. The fist had appeared from nowhere. One minute he was staring at a pair of piercing blue eyes, the next minute he felt as if he had been shot in the face. If he’d seen it maybe he could have – ‘who am I kidding!’ he berated himself as he stayed crouched on the floor holding his nose and listening intently.

“Where is she?” one man asked, his voice like cold steel.

“Well, she’s not here,” another sarcastically responded. “So much for ‘under surveillance.’ What happened? You get distracted by the College short skirts again?”

“She was here, I tell you,” a quieter voice responded in self-defense.

Xander began to move slowly towards the door, inching ever so slowly although his mind was screaming at him to run. But from years of avoiding vampires and demons as well as his parents, he knew that quick movements just caught the eye. He had to just let them forget he was there, blend into the carpet. He could feel his nerves crawling around inside him, scratching at him, pushing him to hurry up before they noticed him.

“Sure,” the sarcastic voice noted. “Well, she’s not here now. So where is she?”

Silence followed and Xander stopped his movements. He could see the corner of Willow’s desk before him; he knew that the door was not far now.

“Why don’t we ask him?” the hard voiced man suggested, sending panic through Xander’s entire body.

Realizing he had to go and go now, Xander pushed off with his feet and stood, making a lurching attempt to reach the door and freedom. But his collar suddenly tightened around his throat as he was pulled back towards the group. “Going somewhere?”

Coughing as he tried to regain his breath, Xander shook his head, dropped his hands from his nose to his throat and, in an attempt to loosen the stranglehold on his collar, pushed his fingers beneath the fabric to stop it from cutting into his throat. But whoever had hold of him simply lifted his collar, causing him to stretch onto his toes. Fighting to get a breath and hanging like a rag doll, Xander tried to reach behind him.

The man behind him laughed at his attempts to release himself. “Looks like I got me a live one.”

“Reminds me of a flapping flounder out of water,” laughed the man to his right.

“So flounder, where is she?” the man behind him asked, shaking him by the collar before loosening his hold slightly.

“W … who?” Xander managed as he fought to regain his natural breathing pattern. Glancing around, he began to make out more detail, his eyes having become accustomed to the dim light. There were six of them, all dressed in black. ‘These are the guys who attacked Giles,’ he suddenly realized.

“Awww, he wants to play games,” the sarcastic man commented.

“Sweet, but I’m not in the mood for 20 questions. Where is she?” the steel voiced man demanded.

“Who?” Xander asked in his best ‘I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about’ voice.

“The Slayer, numb nuts. I’ve seen you hanging around with her. You’re one of the Slayer’s groupies. In fact, you’re the Slayer’s boy. So, where is she?” the man holding him demanded.

Xander felt a cold chill run through him, but he pushed away the urge to tremble. These guys were ex-military - he was sure of it. What could they want with Buffy? “Why?” he asked before he could stop himself. Suddenly he was pulled back up onto his toes and a knee was jammed up between his legs. “Heeeyyy, god daaaaaaaa!”

“We’re asking the questions here, boy. Where is she?” the steel voice asked, just inches from his now streaming eyes.

Xander gasped for breath and dropped one hand to the now inflamed area between his legs, desperate to just curl up on the floor. “I thought she was here … you heard me calling … for her. Why would I call … out if I knew she … wasn’t here? I don’t know … where she is,” he gasped as he began to feel a red hot throbbing, replace the numb pain of the initial assault on Anya’s private play zone.

“He could be telling the truth,” the quiet guy noted.

“Yeah, right,” Mr. ‘Sarcastic’ responded. “He has to have an idea of where she could be. I say we make him tell us.”

Xander swallowed his fear as he braced himself for the onslaught he knew was coming. These guys were just looking for an excuse to beat him up, to make him pay for the fact that they hadn’t found Buffy. He had to do something, make an opening. Then he could run … well, ‘okay maybe crawl’ out of here … What the hell did these guys want Buffy for? He was damned if he’d be the one to let these maniacs anywhere near her, especially in her current condition. “Well, since you asked so nicely …” he threw at them. “I think there’s a shoe sale at the Mall.” At the same moment he raised his left arm, throwing his elbow backwards with all the force he could summon.

He felt bristle meet the back of his upper arm as he connected with the throat of the man holding him, closely followed by a guttural wretch and gasp as his upper arm assaulted his keeper’s windpipe. Suddenly his collar was released, allowing him to drop onto his feet. But the momentum of his attack sent him forward, directly towards the closed door. His heart leapt in relief, then alarm and then surprise as without warning – it opened. Unable to halt his progress towards the silhouetted figure that now stood before him, Xander resigned himself to the collision, dropping his head instinctively.

Strong arms prevented him from toppling them both over and his cheek came to rest on a somewhat familiar pert bosom.

“Gee lover, did you bring all these guys here just for little ole me? Remind me to thank you later,” Faith commented as she moved Xander to one side, patting him on the head, before dropping him gently to the floor. Xander collapsed with relief, all pretence at preserving his dignity abandoned, as he curled up into the fetal position and cupped his crown jewels.

* * * *

Willow returned to the bathroom to start cleaning herself up. Buffy followed closely behind her, apologizing with every breath. But Willow couldn’t hear a word. All she could think was ‘I dropped the towel … I flashed Buffy … I flashed at her … her naked body … at her. Is that even possible? Well I did it. What must she be thinking? I don’t even undress in front of her … let alone … Ohh Goddess!’ She was positive that her cheeks were aflame as she could almost feel the heat radiating from her skin.

She found herself in front of the mirror, watching herself gently removing fragments of egg and bacon from her Buffy-hair. Then turning, she found the shower curtain pulled open and the water running. “I’m so sorry” she heard herself … no as she heard Buffy with her voice say as she was purposefully maneuvered towards the shower. It was as if she was watching it all happen to someone else.

Buffy was so full of guilt as she could see the sheer embarrassment emanating from Willow. Her dear friend had reverted to her old shy, self-conscious persona. And all because she didn’t have her usual Slayer control of her limbs. Why had she tripped? How could she have tripped? She had forgotten about her injured Willow-knee. Why had the sight of Willow in a bath towel … NO … the sight of herself in a bath towel caused her to lose control of her legs … to stumble and throw her lovingly-made offerings all over Willow. Was there some evil invisible force determined to make her feel clumsy and awkward whenever Willow was around?

Is this what true love did to you? Did it turn you into a bumbling fool, incapable of the most common normal everyday functions? Did it prevent you from saying anything that made any sense at all? Did it make you paranoid about everything you did manage to say or do? Or was this just more of Faith’s idea of a joke? Was she watching them somehow, laughing at them? She, herself, wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation but one look at Willow and she knew that laughter right now was the last thing her dearest friend needed to hear.

She needed to get Willow cleaned up. She needed to remove all evidence of her ‘stumble and drop’ episode. She had decided to run the shower rather than another bath. Otherwise they’d be here forever. As much as she was enjoying having Willow to herself, she really didn’t like the idea of spending the next few hours in awkward silence very much.

Moving Willow towards the shower, Buffy turned her and made gentle eye contact. “It’s okay, Willow. Honestly, I’ve seen myself naked a thousand times and that’s all I saw, me – no big. Okay?” she advised her best friend, smiling as encouragingly as she could. Then instinctively her hand moved to gently cup Willow’s cheek, her thumb brushing absently as she held eye contact for just a moment longer and for a brief moment she lost herself.

There before her, she could see Willow, her beautiful Willow. She had often heard people say that a person’s eyes were the windows to their souls. And right here and now she truly believed that, she knew exactly what they meant as she stared at the insecurity and questioning in those eyes.

Nothing else seemed to matter but the need to soothe her beloved. Slowly Buffy removed her hand and leaned forward and to place a soft and fleeting kiss of assurance upon the lips of the woman she loved. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready,” she informed her before turning and leaving Willow to stare after her.

The gentle tender touch of Buffy’s hand so simply followed by that all too brief kiss did nothing to calm Willow. Instead she was filled with guilt at the sudden flash of desire that swept over her while she watched Buffy leave. ‘What am I? Some kind of flasher sex freak?’ She needed to get a handle on this and she needed to talk to Buffy.

* * * *

Giles stared at the fragments of the broken plate as his mind continued racing to control his anger and the outburst that had sent the offending dish crashing to his kitchen floor. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to lessen his urge to batter someone, anyone to within an inch of his life. Ideas ran through his head as the veins at his temples pulsed; each idea more impossible than the last and yet each seeming to promise him the revenge he sought.

Irrational though it was, he would have given anything, in that instant, to have Spike before him; to be nose to nose with that twisted sod. He’d take his chances. His mind searched for the tricks and maneuvers he could use to succeed in such a mismatched contest. He needed to know, he needed to believe that he could do what was expected of him, what he expected of himself. His fatherly feelings outweighed his Watcher instincts, telling him that it was his right, his duty to avenge Buffy and that he was prepared to die trying if necessary. She had risked her life so often, given up so much to protect the world as well as her friends and him. It was time for him to protect her. After all, Cordelia and Faith were already trying to do just that.

Giles shook his head as he tried to work out if it was reasonable or even possible to need revenge for something that hadn’t happened yet and that wouldn’t happen now that he knew about the possibility of it happening. But his mind had no place for logic. The old Ripper seemed to have surfaced and his primitive need to protect what was his told him that what he was feeling was natural, honorable and that Spike’s second death would simply be natural justice.

Cordelia hadn’t wanted to tell him and now he realized why. It had taken him quite a while to calm down before their conversation was finally able to move beyond the content of her vision and foolishly he had thought his anger gone. However once he ended the call, the only thoughts running through his mind were of those of the vision she had described.

And then there was Willow. He smiled as he thought about his favorite young protégé - so shy and sensitive as well as intelligent and talented. But his smile vanished as he thought about how devastated she would be if the vision ever came to pass. Who knows what she might do? She was like a daughter to him as was Buffy. His family was being threatened.

He needed to do something, hit something. Suddenly the light in his head came on. Grabbing his coat he headed out of the door, pulling it closed behind him. Turning left he headed for the Magic Box and its training room where a punching bag with Spike’s name on it was probably going to make him pull a few muscles.

* * * *

‘Oh my goddess … Buffy kissed me!! On the lips!! She …and we’re not even … you know … doing … Why??? I mean … Was she feeling sorry for me? She’s felt sorry for me before and she’s never … Was she trying to … it didn’t feel like a ‘sorry’ kiss. What if she meant it as …? Who am I kidding? I just want it to mean she … that she feels something … that she just gave in to the urge to kiss me. Oh, please! What urge? Who am I fooling? I’m standing here splattered in breakfast, with coffee nose and eggy hair, and she gets the inexplicable big ole urge to kiss me? Which dimension am I living in?’ Willow argued with herself as she stepped into the shower.

Reaching for the shampoo, she couldn’t help laughing at herself. ‘Who the heck do I think I am? Buffy is wonderful, sexy, beautiful, loving, strong, powerful, brave and full of life. And she’s straight … isn’t she? Of course, she is. She makes me a wonderful breakfast … hey it really did look pretty good too. Then she kisses me … because I look so pitiful? But it was such a sweet kiss. And it wasn’t on the cheek. Heck, after the last two nights, I guess kissing me on the cheek would be a bit … The things we’ve done would make a kiss on the cheek… Right, it’s because she felt comfortable kissing me … I mean, she kissed me this morning and that … Oh … OH!!’ She froze as the inescapable fact that Buffy had kissed her thoroughly this morning and then sweetly just now sank into her brain. ‘OH, MY! Is it possible? Am I just letting myself hope … duh! No … no, she … There was feeling … I felt a connection…’


“I kissed her!” Buffy reminded herself as she headed down the stairs, her arms weighed down with the remnants of her failed attempt at a romantic meal. ‘Way to go, Buffy. That’s not what they mean by taking it slow. But she looked so lost … and she didn’t pull away, did she? Maybe she was still in shock. First I drop food at her feet and all over her because she’s wearing a bath towel and, then I make a pass at her when she’s feeling vulnerable and upset. Really showed the self-control there, didn’t I?’ she thought, growing angry with herself as frustration mingled with the need to get this right. Buffy had never had to charm and woo anyone. She was beginning to think that it was a good thing she’d never had to before because so far all she had managed to do was confuse her best friend and turn herself into a gibbering fool.

As she placed the proof of her physical limitations into the sink, her shoulders drooped and her knee ached again. Hanging her head, she tried to figure out how to fix things. She needed to make it clear that she found Willow attractive and that she wanted more than their current “best friends who have sex because it was necessary to prevent yet another apocalypse” relationship. It was becoming obvious that when it came to romantic gestures, she was like a mime artist trying to perform in a straight jacket.

* * * *

Giles had no idea why or how he found himself standing outside Buffy’s mother’s house. He had walked for what seemed like an age, trying to pull himself together, trying to figure out how best to deal with the anger he felt and the fact he had nowhere left to direct it.

Somehow in the last half hour his mind had wandered to Joyce. The woman had raised the extraordinary daughter he often thought of as his own. He had always admired Joyce. Maybe she, as the only person with an unhindered parental link to Buffy (who he knew would always put Buffy first) would know what he should do with the knowledge he now had. He cringed at the thought of telling her about the vision but Giles had learned through bitter experience that Joyce was far stronger than she looked. When it came to her daughter, the woman was formidable.

As he stared at the house, he realized that it was past midday and the curtains were still drawn? He wondered if Joyce was ill. It was so unlike her to leave the curtains closed. Moving up to the front door, he experienced a moment of doubt but shaking it off, he raised his hand to knock on the all too familiar front door.

* * * *

“Sir, I assure you that we will find her,” the man’s steely voice guaranteed him.

He liked hearing the underlying dread in his subordinate’s voice. He took that as a sign that he was being taken seriously and feared as well. “I certainly hope so. I am sure it will not come as a shock to you that it is not in my nature to tolerate failure.”

“There will be no need for tolerance, sir. The operational failures inherent in dealing with this particular target will be resolved. We will adapt and overcome as we always do,” the other man replied, attempting to infuse a level of certainty into his words.

Standing up, the lawyer smiled knowing he had made his point. He liked instilling fear and he especially liked doing it to tall, physically fit, ‘jock’ types. “I’m sure you will. I will be very pleased to relay your personal assurance to the Senior Partner.” He could almost hear the mental gulp.

“Thank you, sir,” the steely voiced man responded. The more than distinct coldness coating his words indicated that he was well aware that he had just been forced to guarantee this mission with his own life.

* * * *

Xander had always enjoyed watching Faith kick ass and take down the bad guys but today had been more fun than he had ever remembered. As the last of his battered and bloody attackers ran past him, his wicked side took over and with an evil grin he stuck out his leg. He was extremely pleased by the sheer slapstick moment as the escaping man tripped with all the grace of sumo wrestler walking on marbles. Watching his victim stumble onto his face before clambering back up to follow his comrades, Xander smiled with childish satisfaction.

“Great party. How can I ever thank you?” Faith’s sultry tone licked at Xander’s mind, suddenly making him very nervous. He had heard that tone before and it hadn’t ended well. The memory of that cold night standing outside her motel room in his boxer shorts reminded him exactly with whom he was dealing. He had always been out of his league with this woman.

Raising himself up, he leaned against the door frame and wiped the latest drops of blood from his nose. “No problem. So you saving the knights in distress now too?” he asked.

“Certainly seems that way,” Faith commented as she moved towards him, feeling the surprising need to check that he was okay. She couldn’t believe that yet again she had found herself in the position of having to save another Scooby from the guys in black. This seemed to be turning into a habit. But somehow she couldn’t help but feel that this payback was long overdue. If she was honest, she owed Xander and Giles at least this much. Maybe now she was beginning to make it up to them and maybe someday she might even be able to move on with all of them as she had with the group in LA.

“You okay?” she asked sincerely.

Xander furrowed his brows and stared at the ex-Slayer. “Okay, who the hell are you? And what have you done with Faith?” he asked, trying to gauge her level of sincerity. The half smile and raised eyebrow that he received in response was, however, again quickly replaced by a look of genuine concern. He was surprised but his manners and common sense took over and he replied to her initial inquiry. “Yeah, I’ll live,” he replied, offering her a small smile before adding a sincere “Thanks.”

The moment’s awkwardness was broken by the shrill ringing of the telephone. Faith turned from Xander, having taken his assurance of well-being at face value only, and reached for the handset. Raising it to her ear, she smiled a bit wickedly before answering. “Hello. Buffy and Willow aren’t home at present but if you leave your message after the moan, I’ll make sure they get back to you … Aaarrrhhh.”

* * * *

Willow sat on a stool in the kitchen, her still damp hair refusing to stay behind her ear as she tried to concentrate on what Giles was telling them. But concentrate as she might, she just couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from Buffy. Yet each time she looked she could swear that Buffy had just looked away.

‘Why can’t she look at me?’ her mind screamed, again missing something Giles was saying.

“… and it would appear that our original belief that this was all some ill-conceived plan on Faith’s behalf, some vengeance-satisfying fest was indeed way off the mark. It would seem that Faith was, indeed, attempting to act in the best interest of … That is … it would seem, from what Cordelia has led me to believe, that Faith is actually trying to help,” he stated awaiting the expected barrage of assaulting exclamations that did not occur. “However,” he continued, somewhat unnerved by their silence, “doubt has been cast upon her judgment concerning certain facets of the plan and I have to say that Cordelia did not appear to be fully aware of the contacts that Faith had chosen to use to acquire the curse. And so I now truly believe she was duped into delivering the curse within the original curse,” Giles concluded.

“Cool. Faith, the dupe. Now she knows what it feels like. I still don’t believe that she has done any of this because she’s trying to help,” Buffy observed, as she leaned back against the sink, feeling that she should be saying something more. But for the last few minutes all she had been thinking about was how to get Giles to leave. She wanted to talk to Willow; she needed to talk to Willow. She knew that they had unfinished business. A nagging feeling was telling her this was their time. And Giles was invading it.

She cast another quick glance at her beloved, wishing she could talk to her, wishing she could whisper how special today … no, last night and today … no, how special every day with her was and how many more she wanted.

Buffy had never felt so strongly about anything. She was in love and she knew it. She wanted to scream it from the hill tops. She wanted to drag her beloved away from the world and hold her close forever. It had never been like this with Angel. But Giles was still talking … still filling their time with stuff about Faith and Cordelia.

“So Xander went to look for you at your dorm and I came hear in the hope of speaking to your mother,” Giles explained, now very unnerved by the girls’ continued silence. “Are you listening to me?” he asked, staring Buffy in the eye, forgetting that it was actually Willow to whom he was giving his best ‘I know you are not’ look.

“Sorry,” Willow mumbled, breaking eye contact. She felt like she used to when her mother caught her daydreaming. But this time it wasn’t a lecture on the importance of networking with those who might be useful in the future or her appearance and manner. No. This time it was Giles talking about the fix they were in. “You said something about Xander going to our dorm…” she offered.

“Yes but that was some half an hour ago,” Giles commented glancing at his watch.

Buffy stood. “How about I give him a ring and get him to come over here? Then he can give you a lift home.”

“I’ll do it,” Willow said swiveling on her stool and reaching for the phone.

* * * *

Cordelia stared at the telephone before her - willing it to ring. She needed to speak to Faith. She didn’t want to believe she had been so stupid, so reckless. She also wanted to tell her off for leaving it so long between calls.

‘Angel’s going to blow’ she realized. She really didn’t want to be the one to tell him that his apprentice had royally screwed up especially after she, herself, had convinced him that Faith was the best person to help Buffy and Willow. She could just see that pained and angry but ‘holding it back’ look, hear the sigh and see the disappointment in his eyes. Faith didn’t need to disappoint someone else besides herself. She needed a kick. A good hard stiff kick … and a hug….

‘A hug??? Where the hell did that come from? What am I? Dr. Ruth?’ Cordelia shook her head. ‘Yeah, right. I can just see me giving Faith advice on … Heck, I can’t even recall … Has it been that long?’

* * * *

“Will … Will … WILL! Breathe,” Xander instructed, hearing the tone of his best friend’s voice, which was quickly turning into gasping whispers.

“But how … I mean when … how could you? That woman! I thought you had more self-control, more sense … Anya will be so … Xander I can’t believe you’re …What is she doing th … did you two …? When …”

Xander caught a movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Faith shrug smugly and move towards the door. He nodded acknowledging that she was ready to leave and, though he really couldn’t blame her, he did want to talk to her. As she passed him, he turned around to see her swaying hips swing with that devil may care Faith-swagger as she moved towards the doorway. A smile crossed his face as he couldn’t deny the admiration he had for the sight of her retreating form.

“Giles said you had gone to look for us. How could you take … how could you bring that woman to our …? You let her into our room, Xander!”

“If it helps any, to be honest, I didn’t let her into your room, and it wasn’t just me, there were six other guys,” Xander replied, a dozen images flashing across his mind, all of which would probably require knowledge of Yoga, which he clearly didn’t have.

“What!!! You had an ORGY in our dorm …” Willow’s mind scrambled to catch up.

“More of a rumble, really. Where are you any way?” he asked, changing the subject. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day!”

“We’re at Buffy’s. Giles came by and found us here. So I … you, Faith and six guys?” Willow cried out, obviously unable to get past the images now swimming in her head.

“I’ll be right over,” Xander advised her, eager to end this call and talk to Faith, who he could see from the corner of his eye, was slowly inching out of the door, even though she was clearly enjoying his end of the conversation with Willow.

“Damn right, you will!” Willow exclaimed, as she heard the receiver drop.

* * * *

Cordelia stared at the notes she had been writing. Wolfram and Hart? How on earth had Faith imagined that she could pull the wool over a firm like Wolfram and Hart? Did Faith think she was like a magic tree, walking ninja or something? Was she really that cocky? ‘Huh, yeah,’ she assured herself with dry sarcasm, realizing that Faith was probably just as cocky and self-confident as she was. She was surprised at the disappointment that rose to meet her thoughts. She hated feeling like this. Being made to feel like an unobservant fool was so not on her list of favorite pastimes.

She had begun to think of Faith as a friend, as someone who would be honest with her, who would let her help and help in return, someone she could rely on. Not that she ever intended to ask for help. She had never anticipated needing help with anything, especially from Faith. But as it turned out, it had just kinda happened. They had seemed to fit - so Faith had her help with no agenda, nothing asked in return and she had accepted. Faith didn’t get on her nerves like most other women did. Cordelia knew that she’d pretty much shunned the friendship of women, even Fred, dear sweet Fred.

The fact was that men were just plain easier. She knew their agenda pretty much of the time and steered her course accordingly. She didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s self esteem ever again, to have things expected of her, to be a surrogate sister. Oh hell, why couldn’t she just leave the “queen bitch” behind her? Because that’s exactly what most women brought out in her. Mainly because she knew that if she gave them half a chance, they’d read through her armor and then she’d have no where to hide. She’d have no power. So there was only one way to protect herself - she’d hit out first and hardest.

But Faith. Well, she was the same. That is kinda the same but not. Actually, she was really different from the rest of them. Cordelia so knew that the dark-haired slayer was way up the ladder on the feminine looking and acting flirty temptress thing. Plus hello, she had way better social skills and, oh yeah, there was the fashion thing. But Faith – well, she had the “don’t mess with me, I’m more than you can handle” sex thing going on, the “dark and bad to know, but you’ll never forget me” thing, the “no one really knows or can understand me” …

Cordelia sighed. She’d thought she was getting to know her. She’d thought … ‘Damn it all to hell. Face it, you haven’t got a clue.’

* * * *

“What is it honey? You wanna hug?” Faith suggestively offered as Xander moved to block the door way. “Shouldn’t you be running to hide behind the skirts of your women? It must be tying your cherry stalk into a knot to have to stop yourself from asking if you can watch, imagining Willow teaching Buffy how to … you know … KISS and … well, you can imagine what all… woman on woman. You guys just get all hot and bothered over that …” she smirked briefly lowering her eyes to just below his waist before grinning at Xander while raising one eyebrow in challenge. The adrenalin was still running through her veins and she was really itching to let loose. She’d taken it easy on those guys and she knew it.

Xander winced at the comment, immediately regretting his instinct to talk to her. ‘Why don’t I just let her go? What good is talking going to do?’ He had tried talking before and, well … let’s just say - not the most encouraging memories came to mind. If there was one thing he knew about her - it was that Faith was definitely not into sharing her feelings. But years of Anya’s sharing was beginning to make him wonder if maybe that was such a bad deal. “I thought you’d want to … you know - gloat, savor the moment. Make me say ‘Thank you’ again. But hey, if you have a big old ‘more fun place to be’ - don’t let me get in your way,” he ended stepping aside.

“Right,” Faith said, suddenly feeling more than a little silly for pulling at his chain. ‘What do I expected him to say?’ But as she moved to step through the doorway, he leaned forward to say “No problem. It was fun. We must do it again some time.”

“Felt good didn’t it?” he continued.

“What?” Faith responded.

“It felt good, didn’t it? Getting back in the game, the Slayer groove … here at the Hellmouth?” he ventured, this time leaning back against the door frame to place a little distance between himself and the now glaring ex-Slayer. “Figured.”

“Just what do you mean by that?” Faith asked, leaning towards him.

“Nothing,” Xander assured her innocently. “I mean, you do the big reform act for Angel. He stands up for you against the woman he loves, and then he lets you come back to good old Sunnydale, a place full of so many good memories for you, to save the very same woman he loves.”

“It’s all good,” Faith threw out as she turned her back on him beginning to stride down the corridor, now suddenly eager to make her self scarce.

“Then you disarm the woman he loves … for her own good -- I understand --inadvertently placing her and her best friend in danger,” he sighed dramatically, for effect as he saw Faith pause. “You know, anyone who didn’t really know you would be, could be forgiven for assuming that you simply cursed the woman because she put you in a coma. Not that I’m saying that you understand,” he commented as Faith slowly began to turn. “I mean, I hear you singing ‘I’m really here to be save the girl … to help them both’. Honest, I do. But people … that is some people not standing within striking distance … they’re gonna figure now that you’re officially the only big bad real Slayer in town, reaping all the glories … well, it has to feel good.”

Faith stilled, pushing down the disappointment and anger, attempting to drown out the blood pumping into her ears. She wanted to turn and hurt him, to pummel him and every accusation he’d just made into next week.

“And who could really blame you? Anyone with half a brain can see you still have issues …” Xander continued. “But you say it’s all intended to help them and, hey, I’m big with the great, if that’s true …”

Faith turned fully to glare at him. “If ???” she questioned threateningly.

“I’m just saying ...” Xander stated, raising his hands in imaginary defense.

“You talk too much,” she commented.

“So I’m told,” he agreed. “I’m just wondering why, if you are only here to help, why are you so big with hiding in the shadows?”

She glared and then broke into a grin. “Works for me.”

Chapter 25

“There is no way around this. We need to speak to Faith and we need her to tell us everything she knows,” Giles stated firmly.

Buffy nodded, pleased with this answer. “Oh, I’ll make her talk. Trust me,” Buffy stated, before annoyingly recalling that right at this moment she couldn’t seem to make herself tell Willow how she was feeling, let alone get her best friend to admit to any feelings of her own. With that in mind, what hope did she have of getting Faith to tell her anything the other slayer didn’t want to? Surely she couldn’t do it physically – at least not yet. Glancing at a still angry Willow for support, she received a shy but supportive smile and nod. Smiling back, she wished she could impart the thousand and one things she wanted to say into just such a smile but somehow she knew that given her current apparent inability to verbalize her real feelings and thoughts and the fact that Giles was still there and Xander was on his way, she didn’t hold out much hope that she had just invented the new ‘smiley’ language of love or gained the power of telepathy.

Willow could see that the wheels in Buffy’s mind were turning. The expression on her best friend’s face was somewhat familiar but she hadn’t quite gotten the hang of seeing Buffy’s thoughts on her own facial features. The nagging feeling that she was missing something important crept up her spine like an unwelcome admirer. She really wished that everyone would just go away so that she … no, so that they could talk. She really missed the talking, the being, the way they were. Would they ever be that way again? She was so afraid that they would not. And that possibility really upset her. It seemed that her life had just become one great big confusing mess. Here she was feeling as if no one would ever understand what she was going through or how brave she was about to become. But all everyone was talking about was Faith; interfering, back-from-the-past Faith. Maybe she would just help Buffy make her talk … hurt her just a bit … well, more than a bit … maybe a lot. The now-familiar rage began to rise within her and she allowed the frustration she felt with herself to pour into it. Maybe she could hold the dark-haired slayer down and let Buffy … ‘Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?’ Willow thought, pulling herself back.

“Whilst I agree that I would like to learn far more from Faith, I’m not sure that an aggressive approach will be necessary,” Giles continued.

“Oh yeah, because she’s been so straightforward and easy to reach so far. You have her number right? You know where she’s staying?” Buffy asked sarcastically.

“Well, no. I mean, she has been keeping a somewhat low profile. What I meant to say is that we could catch more bees with honey. Although I can understand that you might be tempted to derive a certain satisfaction from causing her pain …”

“You think?”

“I don’t feel that allowing your natural desire to reap revenge on Faith to take priority would be a good thing for you, or any of us, right now. I know you don’t want to hear this but right now you wouldn’t be much of a match for her,” Giles declared apologetically.

* * * *

Xander gingerly touched his eye socket. He could feel the puffiness starting to form. It was gong to be a wonderfully rich dark shiner. He smirked slightly in satisfaction and a little pain. ‘Yep, Faith hasn’t changed. She still thinks she can win any argument with her fists.’ Maybe he had baited her. But, hey, she had been pretty big with the baiting herself. He reassured himself that he hadn’t said anything that someone somewhere wasn’t probably thinking.

Faith did seem to be enjoying the whole “I’m back being a Slayer” scenario, what with the whole “I’ll save Giles and Xander” thing. Did she really think she could come back? That she could play the big heroine and all would be forgiven? She’d killed a man and then she’d tried to help the mayor kill them all after trying to convince Giles that Buffy had killed the mayor’s assistant. How could they ever forget that? How could Cordelia have forgotten that? Did she really believe Faith had changed? That was just plain weird. The Cordy he knew didn’t do “gray”. It wasn’t one of her colors. His two ex-girlfriends, if you could consider Faith as an “ex”, seeming to be friends just set his nerves on edge. It was like being in a room where the only thing the other people have in common is you.

Okay, Faith did seem different. But all people change. It didn’t necessarily follow that she had actually changed for the good. And, oh boy, had he hit a sore spot when he had asked if there was something more going on between her and Cordy than just friendship. That really seemed to upset her. She had become awkward, defensive and … he could have sworn she blushed. He didn’t think he had ever seen her blush before.

He still couldn’t decide if he believed Faith was really trying to help just because Cordelia was involved or because of the way she had been when she visited his apartment. He thought testing her would give him some answers but all it seemed to leave him with was more questions and a black eye.

Speaking of questions, he was about to go eighteen rounds with the quiz master general. He didn’t relish having to explain how Faith had saved his butt, let alone how he had then caused her to give him a black eye. Stepping up to Buffy’s front door, he took a deep breath he opened it.

* * * *

The frustration just wouldn’t go away. She’d lost it. And she’d lost it over something … no, over someone she didn’t have the right to lose it over. ‘What had he meant by that? Why had he said that? Cordelia was just a friend nothing more. Wasn’t she? She was just like any other friend. Okay, so I don’t have any other friends but if I did she’d be just … she’d be my first friend. No. There’s Angel. Well, he’s kinda like a friend, isn’t he? In a kinda sponsor-type killers anonymous way’.

She crushed the now empty can in her hand and threw it across her room in total frustration. Did it really matter what other people thought of their friendship? Wasn’t she just being protective of a friend? Wasn’t this how you were supposed to feel about your friends? She wracked her brain for a memory, any memory that she could compare this too. She’d kinda been friends with Buffy. Well, she’d tried but it had been hard to break into their gang – the Scoobies. She’d felt protective of Buffy even back then, hadn’t she? She still did and sometimes thought that she always would.

* * * *

“Xander!” Willow exclaimed in concern as she saw the puffiness around his left eye. Her irritation at their earlier telephone conversation was momentarily forgotten as she guided him towards the sofa. “Are you okay?” she asked, reaching towards his swollen eye with her hand, only to have Xander pull away from her.

“Yeah, I’ll live,” he said smiling as reassuringly as he could manage and slowly lowering his aching body into the sofa.

“What happened?” asked Buffy, folding her arms before her.

“I was trying to find you guys. Giles said you weren’t answering your phone,” Xander grinned devilishly, only to receive a glare in return. “Anyway, I was going into your dorm room when of bunch of guys jumped me. I’m guessing it was the same bunch who jumped Giles,” Xander explained. “They were all in black fatigues and big with the military lingo.”

“What did they want?” Giles queried, moving forward in his seat.

“Same as me - to know where you guys were,” Xander replied looking at Buffy and then Willow.

“Why?” Willow asked. “What do they want with us?”

“Funny, I never really got the chance to ask,” he replied, recalling how just keeping upright had been almost impossible. “Too busy getting beaten up. Something to do with you being the Slayer, I guess. Same as always.”

“Yeah,” Buffy grinned momentarily, before sobering again and asking “But military types though? Not used to the big bad employing mercenaries … not of the human variety anyhow.”

“It would seem to imply that on this occasion ‘the big bad’, to use your own terminology, may not actually be a demon,” Giles reasoned.

“No. It couldn’t be. You killed him. I saw you,” Willow mumbled absently. “And last time we thought she was on our side too. Well, some of us did. Others of us became personally involved … Gee and that’s not happening again, is it? … Then there’s the lawyer working for him … The wanting to believe she wouldn’t do that. I never realized how it’s all so familiar. Don’t you see?

“I think I speak for everyone, Will, when I say – No. Not really getting where you’re going … or even where you are,” Buffy commented.

“Faith! Don’t you see?? She’s doing it again. She’s setting us up for a fall. It’s revenge … or the Mayor’s not dead … or this was his dying wish … or …” Willow finally took a breath before continuing. “She tries to make us think she’s helping us … that she’s gotten past killing someone … just like last time. She has us running around every which way. She suckers Xander in,” she throws him an apologetic look, “… just like last time …”

Xander jumped in, unable to stop himself, “And then it turns out that all along she was working for some human evil sick-o magic freak/wanna-be a god.”

“I think we’re in a time looping story loop thingy,” Willow stated, recapturing her point, “sort of repeating the same thing with the same people … well some of the same people … the major players. Like bad Karma or a bad penny coming back to make us learn something we didn’t know or a curs …” She stopped dead in her tracks, as she realized what she was about to say.

Glances were shared and frowns quickly followed. Giles pushed his glasses up in concern at Willow’s ramblings and the thoughts they provoked. And for a moment, he was seriously considering that maybe he had misread the curse. Rising he coughed nervously.

Buffy saved him from having to say it. “Giles, you hit the books and take another look at that curse. Willow and I are going to track down Faith. We need to get some answers. Xander, I need you to tell me everything you can remember about your encounter with Faith and then I need you to go home and rest so that you can heal.”

* * * *

‘Since when do I hit and run?’ Faith asked herself as she stormed through the graveyard, eager for some big bad, or even moderate-sized bad, to kick the crap out of. How had Xander managed to bait her so easily? When had her buttons become so easy for people to see and push? ‘What am I? Some kid playing games? I’m a Slayer! A fighter against evil! And hello - I finally have a gig doing the good stuff.’

She lashed out at a drooping branch, tearing it from its tree and tossing it behind her in disgust when it offered little or no resistance to her attack. Her forceful steps sent out a signal to anyone who bothered to notice, or who hadn’t already left the area, that this was a mightily pissed off female, carrying toxic mojo. So Faith continued her internal rant, crossing paths with nothing that could distract her mind from its inner debate.

‘Okay. “Sunnyhell” was supposed to have been my town but B didn’t really die so I became a spare wheel and got kicked out of Oz. But only after I deserved it. But that’s old hat … water under the bridge … I’m through with going out of control. All I want to do is make up for my mistakes, especially here in this town with all of them, especially B and Red. So where does any of that give Xander the right to get all “you’re just the understudy to her Royal Buffy-ness. Careful your head doesn’t swell too much.” And “what’s the deal between you and Cordy? You two more that just friends?” Where the hell does he get the stones for that?’

‘Like he gets me … like anyone really gets what I’m about … gets why I have to do this. None of them ever got me. Okay, so I wasn’t exactly big with the clues and sharing and stuff. But did they ever try? Did I ever give them a chance?’ she berated herself. ‘Willow tried to tell me … she told me that B wanted to be my friend … but I blew her off … there’s a shocker. Hell, I tried to kill her.’

Shaking her head to clear it, she got back to Xander. ‘But why would he say … What the hell did Cordelia ever see in him? Jeez!’ She paused, taking a moment to measure the discomfort that Xander’s words had created. ‘Could he be right? Am I enjoying myself? Has sliding back into Slayer mode felt good? Duh … sure. And why shouldn’t it? I am a Slayer. What’s wrong with it feeling good especially if you’re trying to do some good?’

* * * *

“So she saved you?” Giles asked.

“You could say that ...” Xander hedged.

“And after you thanked her, you tried to ask her some questions but she hit you and ran away?” Giles queried, his eyes doing that ‘I know there’s something missing here’ frown.

Xander nodded sheepishly. “That’s pretty much how I remember it. She wasn’t real big on the curtain call.”

“Really?” Giles commented. “How strange.”

“Strange? What’s strange? She’s lost it again. Whatever Angel may have thought and hoped would happen to his protégée, she’ll never reform. A leopard can’t change its spots,” Buffy stated, somewhat irritated by Giles’ apparent inability to just see things for what they were. “Faith still doesn’t mix well with others.”

“I just meant that I didn’t find her at all unreceptive when I asked her questions. She was reserved but not reticent,” he recalled. “Are you sure you didn’t say something that could have triggered that kind of response?” he asked Xander.

“Hey, do I look like foot-in-mouth guy? Don’t answer that!” Xander said, throwing Willow a goofy grin. “I mean, what is it G-man? Since when is Faith suddenly the new knight in shining armor? Did I miss a plot twist somewhere along the line?”

“No, I didn’t mean to imply…” Giles fell silent as he became aware of the disapproving glances from Buffy and Willow.

“Right.”, Xander responded taking advantage of the Watcher’s hesitation, “Because you were in no way trying to justify the way she’s been behaving. Look, I’m right with you on the ‘she’s not her crazy-assed’ former self but she’s not the poster child for total sanity either. The girl has major issues and her biggest hasn’t changed in my opinion. She’s still not dealing with playing second fiddle to the real Slayer.”

* * * *

There had to be a thousand and one really good reasons why Faith found herself staring into her own reflection outside the Magic Box but she just couldn’t put her finger on any of them. Her apartment was just across the street but here she stood.

Ever since she had lost her temper with Xander over those silly remarks, she had been unable to think about anything but Cordelia … unable to drag her mind into the here and now. Even at the height of her slayer anger stomp across the graveyard, the only lucid thought had been about how Cordelia would have gently laughed at her and pulled her out of her anger with one well-aimed quip.
 
So here she stood, mere inches from the Magic Shop window, trying to see something in her own face but she had no idea what or why.

This had been … was supposed to be … her turf, her town. This had been where she thought she was meant to be … what she thought she was meant to have. She had battled for it, had clung on to it, had almost lost herself for it. But now all she really wanted was to leave here … to go back … back to see a friendly face … share a smile and stare into the beautiful face of a woman with dark hair and piercing eyes, not unlike her own and yet so very different.

* * * *

Willow nervously settled herself into the back seat of Xander’s car. She was careful not to gaze longingly at the back of Buffy’s head because she knew that Xander was covertly checking her out in his rear view mirror, just as the true Slayer settled into his passenger seat.
 
Willow wondered why she had accepted Xander’s explanation of events far more readily than Giles. She suspected that she was allowing her instinctual animosity towards Faith and what the other Slayer had done to them to cloud her judgment. ‘Oh yeah, I so know I am. But she hit him! No matter how much of a pain in the neck, runaway-hormone train with a brain he’s being, no one hits my Xander. Well, when I say no one I mean no one but us … that being an “us” without Anya in it. So that means no one but Buffy, Giles and I - who can hit him when he’s being a pest or total nut. No matter how you slice it, Faith is so not on the list’, she reasoned. ‘And why would she want to be on that kind of list anyway? You have to really care to be on that kind of list and she’s never worried about anyone but herself … never cared about anyone but herself … never been obligated to anyone but herself. Oh why does he always attract women who are always nothing but trouble?’ She paused in her internal babble and considered ‘But he used to be attracted to Buffy too, didn’t he?’ She shook her head to clear her mind of that thought.

* * * *

Buffy was really thankful that Xander had agreed to leave this to them, that he wasn’t joining their ‘Faith hunt’. He was going to drop them off on campus, where Faith had been last sighted. ‘Then he’s going home and following orders’, she smiled momentarily satisfied with herself for having protected him, at least him from further harm. She frowned at the thought that she had let him get hurt at all by the mystery men in black, as well as by Faith.

“Need any help there, little lady?” Xander asked, as Buffy struggled to fasten her seat belt.

“No. I’ll get it,” Buffy said, looking up at him. As she did so the clip fell between their seats. Turning, she saw Willow reach forward to rescue the clip in one swift ‘slayer-like’ movement, and move to hand it back to Buffy, with a gentle smile upon her lips. Their hands touched for only a moment but it was as if she had been hit by lightening. “Thanks,” Buffy managed in a partially strangled tone, before then dropping the clasp.

Xander smiled in amusement at his two favorite friends before taking the clip, retrieving the clasp and ramming them together with a satisfying click. “There you go. And if you’re a good little girl, I’ll let you out too,” he smirked, tightening the belt.

Buffy threw an angry glare at Xander and then smiled weakly at Willow before turning to sit back in her seat. ‘Jeez, get a grip!’ she demanded of herself, closing her eyes in despair. ‘This is about catching Faith and keeping Xander out of it. Talking with Willow will just have to wait,’ she told herself, as the car pulled away allowing Xander to hit the main thoroughfare before Buffy opened her eyes. She forced herself to quietly stare at the road before them.

‘Somehow I don’t think getting Faith to tell me what we need to know is going to be as easy as getting Xander to follow orders,’ she decided. Soon Xander would be home safe and sound in the arms of his beloved Anya - she’d long given up trying to figure that one out – but he’d be out of harm’s way.

Suddenly three unbidden thoughts immediately flooded into her mind – Orders; Anya; and for some reason a black silk scarf! Buffy went from smile to gape in only seconds.

She mentally shook her head and closed her eyes, only to find the damned woman before her. ‘What the hell would Anya need a scarf for … Oh! … why on earth would I be thinking about … Oh, OH! The woman before her wasn’t Anya. This woman was leather-clad … flame-haired … standing by a pile of books and a leather chair … a black scarf swinging from her hand as she glared at Buffy … Telling her off for something she … hadn’t done … No … something she hadn’t said! She could feel the excitement rising within her and her inner muscles clenched as a thousand images flew through her mind.
 
“Buffy, you OK?” asked Xander, puzzled by the strange look that he saw crossing her face. “Should I slow down?”
 
“Nope,” she replied in a high pitched tone. “No, I’m fine. Just get us there.”
 
“No problemo. Your wish is my command,” he smirked, throwing her a wink with his uninjured eye before accelerating.

Buffy forced a tight smile across her face, sinking back into the passenger seat as the car leapt forward. She really needed to keep her mind out of the gutter. She needed to get herself under control.

* * * *

Buffy knew she was working on instinct alone. She knew that she had nothing else left as she moved through the campus with all the determination she could summon. She needed to do this, she needed to find Faith, she needed to get this resolved before she had to … ‘What? Before I have to what?’ she asked herself. ‘Before I have to take the bull by the horns and ask Willow how she feels about me? Tell her how I feel about her? See if she thinks we could have a future together? Or if she hates me after I’m finished talking? If she’ll ever talk to me again? And what if I end up losing my best friend? I guess I haven’t just lost my Slayer strength, I’ve lost my nerve as well.’

Shaking her head, she tried to throw off her innermost fears. Those days and nights – ‘oh god, the nights’ – those nights they had spent together. They were something she would never forget, something she didn’t want to lose -- not now, not ever. But now was not the time to sink back into her far too intense feelings. She needed to focus, to concentrate; she needed to forget that the beautiful woman following her actually meant more to her than anyone in her life, especially a wayward and quite possibly insane ex- slayer with a grudge.

As Willow silently followed Buffy, she struggled to suppress her need to speak, her desire to voice the fears and hopes swelling within her, the need to touch. ‘I could just reach out, thread my fingers into hers, touch her.’ Every moment that she had shared with Buffy over the last few days was indelibly seared into her mind and her soul. But now the wonderful woman before her seemed to have only one purpose and talking wasn’t it. Now was about trust, about backing her up. And that’s exactly what she would do.

Buffy could feel something pulling within her. It was as if her very core had become a compass of some sort. The harder she focused her will on finding Faith, the stronger the pull became. “This way,” Buffy stated, turning off the main drag and into the cemetery.

“Ahh, the cemetery. Can I just say how totally shocked I am – NOT!” Willow mumbled as they moved across the Slayer’s main arena. She never, for even a moment, doubted one turn or change of direction, somehow knowing that Buffy was right, mainly because she usually was. But also because she, herself, instinctively felt that Faith had come this way. Willow didn’t even find it strange that Buffy was acting as if she was on a scent, somehow tracking the ex-slayer down. She knew that, although she might have Buffy’s Slayer powers on loan, Buffy still seemed to be able to tune herself into Faith on another level. You might be able to take the powers out of the Slayer, but it seemed the Slayer still remained. Many years of following her beloved had taught her when to question and when to accept -- this was definitely a time for the latter.

As they emerged from the other side of the cemetery, Willow drew in a sharp breath because standing before them was the Magic Box and on the ground before it lay most of the display window. They had no doubt who had broken it. The ‘why’ wasn’t important; the fact that they were on Faith’s trail was.

“Oh is she so going to pay for that,” Buffy vowed, flexing her shoulders and setting her jaw.

* * * *

‘Why did I let my jealousy blind me to what I was losing back then? Why have I been … hell, why can’t I ever ask for help when I really need it? I can’t even bring myself to call Cordelia and she never offers unasked for advice.’ Faith laughed. ‘I guess I’m hoping that she wouldn’t consider helping me a waste of her breath. But hell, the girl can really ask a question.’ Faith had found all of Cordy’s questions irritating at first. However, although some of the answers had proved unsettling, others had helped her to figure a lot of things out. Faith smiled as she fondly recalled their last late night chat. She really missed her friend. She missed having someone who actually listened and cared.

Faith couldn’t help herself as she blew hot air onto the cold glass of the shop’s window and, with her finger, drew a heart pierced by a stake. While she stared at the image before her, a memory dragged her back to that hot summer day not so long ago when she had been standing outside Buffy’s class and had drawn the same image on the window pane and lured Buffy out to play hooky … and stake some vamps. It had all seemed so right, so comfortable. She has thought back then that the blonde Slayer would care and listen and be a real friend and… That had been how they were, how two slayers were meant to be, but now … ‘Hell, I wonder how it all went so wrong? How did we manage to screw it all up so bad?’

Faith felt such frustration at having lost so much. She had let it slip through her fingers while she stupidly craved more, unable to be content with what she had, the companionship and friendship of the other Slayer, something unheard of, rare and, therefore, precious. And, who knows, maybe even her eventual acceptance by Buffy’s Scoobies. Faith would give anything to go back and give herself a good shake; let her younger self know just how much she had given up, how much she could have had.

As anger flooded her mind, Faith swayed and lost her balance in her attempt to regain control of her emotions, pitching violently against the shop window which surrendered to the sudden impact of her body weight, shattering at her feet. She felt the inane desire to laugh but instead she simply turned and walked away, crunching broken glass beneath her boots.

* * * *

“Do I want to ask how our other project is progressing?” Angel mumbled, his tone implying that he’d rather not know but that if there was something he needed to know he’d be able to deal with it. He couldn’t begin his return trip to LA until sundown but had felt the need to check in on Cordelia, especially since she had seemed unusually reserved the last time he had spoken to her.

“No. Everything’s okay,” Cordelia responded, swallowing the lie down with far less guilt than she had expected and coating it in a matter-of-fact and dismissive tone. “So how’d it go there? How did Mr. Escolatti feel about our… service?”

Angel laughed, as he knew exactly what she was really asking. “We got paid. Wesley has the cashier’s check for our set fee plus a healthy bonus.”

“Bonus! Ooh, I love that word … just how big a bonus? Are we talking ‘take-out’ or a ‘new three-piece ensemble’? Because I could go for the take-out, but you know and I know that nothing quite says ‘thank you’ like a new outfit,” Cordelia piped up, her spirits lifted at the thought of some much needed retail therapy.

“More like maybe … a new coffee machine,” Angel suggested, relieved to hear the Cordelia he knew so well, although he hated to send her crashing back down to earth with what the true size of their bonus would be when their costs were taken out.

“Great. I saw one on sale over on Beverly Blvd. last week,” Cordelia gushed.

“Good. Maybe you could take Fred with you.” He really had dropped Faith on Cordy without warning or discussion, but she’d done a great job. He’d seen such an improvement over the past few weeks. So maybe he’d throw Cordy a little … what did she call it … ‘retail pleasure’ … no … ‘retail escapism’ … no, that wasn’t it … ‘retail orgas’ … oh, what did it matter? “Fred needs to get out more and so do you. I’m not really big on the whole shopping for office supplies thing but I know you women like it.”

“ ‘Us women’? And just what do you mean by that?” Cordelia fumed, even though she knew she was being teased. It was a strange, affectionate kind of teasing; the kind she’d seen brothers and sisters doing a lot of in school and, although she would never admit it, she’d been slightly envious.

Angel smiled to himself in satisfaction as he was sure that Cordelia was about to happily make him the gift of one of her ‘I’m telling you for your own good … you’re so out of date, so out of touch and I can’t believe you don’t know it’ lectures. It always amused him that the woman who had fallen for that Iron Age oaf, ‘Groo’ was in reality a modern woman, a closet feminist, and he thoroughly enjoyed reminding her of it whenever he got the opportunity. Preparing himself for an ear full, he sighed in satisfaction, deciding that all was right in his world.

“I’ll have you know that ‘us women’ have been holding this world together for far longer than you ‘spotlight-stealing’ men realize, and another thing …”

* * * *

Suddenly looking up, Faith glanced about her, realizing exactly where she was. It was Angel’s old stomping grounds. ‘Figures. Even here he’s trying to get in on the action,’ Faith thought to herself, smiling for the first time. ‘When did this all get so complicated? It was supposed to be so easy. Get them to walk in each other’s shoes … in each other’s bodies and they would realize how they felt about each other … stop lying to themselves and each other … finally really be happy. They would see how much they need each other … see how good they are for each other. So why was everything so complicated?’

* * * *

Buffy caught a glimpse, just a flash … there. She sped up, only to fall over her own feet and straight into the arms of her beloved.

“Buffy! I’ve got you,” Willow said, stating the obvious, for want of words that escaped her.

“Thanks,” Buffy grumbled, feeling suddenly vulnerable and off-balanced. The arms lifting her back to her feet were so tempting, so warm, so … ‘NO! Damn it, woman, you need to keep your mind focused ... not to be going off on some starry-eyed detour. You had your chance this morning and you blew it,’ she firmly reminded herself, as she regained her footing and reluctantly moved out of Willow’s arms.

Having Buffy pull away from her sent a shot of insecurity and doubt through the young witch/temporary slayer, shaking her recent determination to talk to Buffy and open her heart. ‘Maybe now isn’t the best time,’ she reasoned, stepping back and giving Buffy even more room.

“I think I saw her,” Buffy explained, gesturing towards a wall beyond a group of trees.

“I don’t believe it!” Willow exclaimed.

“What?”

“That’s the side entrance to Angel’s old mansion. You don’t think this could be where she’s being staying, do you?” Willow absently questioned, caught up by the somehow circular pattern of recent events.

“Okay, that would be just a little too weird,” Buffy agreed. She had been concentrating so much on her pursuit of Faith that she hadn’t realize where they had ended up. Moving towards the side entrance that she had used a thousand times to visit Angel, she was reminded of all that had occurred here between her, Angel and Faith. Her memories disturbed her.

“Buffy? Are you okay?” Willow asked quietly. She didn’t like the distant and troubled expression that had just crossed her true love’s face one bit. It reminded her of someone and something that she had never really come to terms with – Angel. ‘Why did I have to mention him? Why did we have to end up here? Is he ever going to be out of her life?’

* * * *

“Giles, are you sure this is necessary? Angel and the guys will be back tonight. I could wait and leave in the morning,” Cordelia reasoned.

“I do not believe that we can really wait. Every hour that passes just brings the eclipse closer and closer. I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t consider it prudent to act quickly,” Giles assured her. He wanted someone here who had been in at the inception of the curse, and someone with a direct route to TPTB was an additional bonus he could not afford to ignore.

“Kinda figured that. I mean, asking for my help - not normally in your repertoire; let alone doing it twice in one day,” Cordelia declared. “Okay,” she relented. “Angel has the car, so I’ll pack light and get my indispensable self on a bus. Can you have someone pick me up? I don’t really like the idea of being single white female returning to ‘fangy’ town. Been there, seen it, done it and have the T-shirt.”

“Just let me know what time you expect to arrive and I’ll make sure you’re safely picked up,” Giles agreed, eager to get Cordelia to Sunnydale as soon as possible. He was very keen to have her help them track down Faith and have a reasonable, extended, informative and civil conversation. He needed answers and his investigations so far had led him to believe that answers would be best served by having all parties to this mess in one room, talking as honestly as possible.

It had taken him almost half an hour to persuade Cordelia that returning to Sunnydale was in everyone’s best interests. He found it somewhat amusing that no one who actually left Sunnydale ever seemed to want to return.

* * * *

Faith heard the all too familiar footsteps behind her. She smiled ‘So finally the scene we’ve all been waiting for.’ As she turned, the faces of the two women before her did nothing to surprise her. “So, here we are, eh B? You and the super-charged girlfriend, all stony-silent and wicked disapproving. Shucks honey, the more things change … the more they stay the same.”

“I wish I knew where to start. But it feels like I’ve said it all before,” Buffy exclaimed, raising her eyebrow in an attempt to mimic the look her mother often threw her.

“I would've thought so B, but you can’t forgive let alone not forget, can you? Oh no, not you. Too way out on a limb for you. Careful you don’t throw that cold, cold shoulder out. Remember, you can’t heal like you used to. Still 'Better-than-Thou Buffy' … even after all this time,” Faith commented. Seeing a flicker of doubt momentarily cross the features of the now red-headed former slayer, she paused. “Only now I guess something’s finally knocked you off your high horse.”

Buffy stood in icy silence, unable to believe that after all she had put them through, Faith was still the cocky-mouthed, major league bitch she had always been. Nothing had changed. She really shouldn’t have been surprised, let alone allowed the unexpected growing disappointment she could sense building.

“Is the view good from the cheap seats?” Willow piped in, unnerved by Buffy’s silence.

“Awww sweet cheeks, I paid plenty for my Front Row seat to this one,” Faith noted, winking before stepping back to let them come all the way into the mansion and to give herself a little more room for maneuvering.

“You really have no idea just how much trouble you’re in, do you?” Buffy asked, moving forward carefully while keeping Willow just within her line of sight. She was more than aware of her present limitations but she needed to take the lead with Faith. She needed her to know … to believe that she was more than just her Slayer powers, even though it might not be really true.

“B, did I go and make you mad?” Faith asked, leaning against the fireplace with a nonchalance she really didn’t feel. ‘Why the hell am I feeling like I’ve done something wrong? I’m the good guy this time. Step it up girl.’ She took a slight breath. “So how’s your willpower holding up? I mean, now that you have a taste for gingerbread girl?” Faith asked, raising a questioning eyebrow and tilting her head towards Willow.

“What?” Buffy demanded, her cheeks flaming.

“You know. What with the undercurrent you two have, I just wondered how you were managing to hold yourselves back,” Faith smirked. “All the ‘wicked hot and spicy’ tempting you?” she taunted, as Buffy grew crimson. “Guess this whole sitch is beginning to show that Red has more of a dark side than I figured. And we all know how hard you find it to avoid the dark and wicked. Pity she’s not a reformed sinner too. That would just float your boat.”

“If you kissed your mother with that mouth, I’m not really surprised she left. Hell, I’m not surprised that you have no one at all,” Willow stated rather nastily, stepping in front of Buffy and squaring her shoulders, as anger and the need to hit someone … no, make that the need to hurt Faith quickly built within her.

Buffy stared at her dearest friend in surprise. Not a week ago, Willow would have been unable to form any response to such a remark, let alone prevent herself from turning bright red and going into full babble mode. But today she was standing up to Faith and, ‘oh my goddess’, actually threatening her. While Buffy stood crippled by her inability to say and do what she actually wanted to, instead blushing furiously.

* * * *

Buffy moved slowly around Faith and towards the back of the mansion. Although silent, she never removed her fixed gaze from Faith, while drawing the dark-Slayer’s eyes to herself as she traveled. Meanwhile, Willow stood very still, taking a page from Xander’s book and trying to make Faith forget she was there.
 
Willow’s eyes were drawn to the bag over Buffy’s shoulder. She wondered when she was going to produce any of her weapons, how long would she continue to toy with Faith. It was like watching two cats, with their strange preparatory dance. Each sizing the other up as they prepared to launch a short but sharp and vicious attack.
 
The strange thing was that Faith seemed to have accepted her fate. She was watching Buffy with an almost fatalistic, dispassionate attitude. Not her usual devil-may-care, I-can-get-out-of-anything, damn-the-world arrogant air. No, this was almost disconnected, as if she knew what was coming, as if nothing could surprise her, as if she was resigned to whatever was about to happen. Willow couldn’t help finding this change in Faith’s manner just a little disturbing. She had been prepared for venting, anger, bravado, some kind of show, some kind of spectacle. She wasn’t sure if her uneasy feeling was nerves or just a strange sort of disappointment.
 
“Looking good there, B,” Faith commented, as she changed her relaxed her position to lean on the fireplace and spread both her arms along its almost neck-high ledge. “You been working out?” she asked raising an amused eyebrow.
 
Buffy clenched her teeth, biting back her response as she continued to silently glare at her nemesis. Lowering her shoulder bag onto the stone table to the right of the fireplace, she smiled slightly.
 
“You had to know this would end here,” Buffy stated.
 
Faith laughed, “Can’t say I’m suffering from shock and awe.”
 
“So why begin it?” Buffy asked, watching Willow slowly inch to place Faith firmly between them.
 
“Something needed fixing and I guess I’m just a fix-it girl at heart,” Faith replied.
 
“I thought destruction was more your style,” Buffy commented.
 
“You really need to take your blinders off, B. Not everyone and everything in this world rotates around your opinion of who or what they are,” Faith commented, almost sighing in frustration. “Other stuff happens while you’re busy saving the world, you know. Things change. People change.”
 
“Good verses evil, black verses white, Hagen-Dazs verses Ben & Jerry’s. Some things just don’t change,” Buffy stated, feeling just slightly disconcerted by the fact that Faith was continuing to talk to her. She had expected the violence to have begun long before now but not a discussion.

Faith felt as if she had been here before, so many times that ‘deja vous’ just didn’t cover it. “Whatever, B. You’re right. I mean you’re always right, aren’t you? When are YOU ever wrong? When have you ever taken a wrong turn? When have you ever chickened out or taken the easy option? OH! OH!” Faith turned meaningfully to glance at Willow, “Let me think.” Then shaking her head she turned back to Buffy. “Nope you’ve never taken the easy option. You’ve never run away from something rather than face it head on... have you?”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Buffy declared, anger welling within her. She stepped forward. “And why would you? All you’re interested in is dishing out your revenge, getting some payback and reclaiming what you think should have been yours,” she spat, a bit of guilt flashing within her, as she recalled plunging the blade into Faith. “But you don’t have what it takes. Maybe you never did. You certainly don’t know what sacrifice is,” Buffy stated, unable to look at Willow as she attempted to justify her actions. She stepped forward to subconsciously allow Faith’s body to block Willow from her line of sight. “Do you even know what an obligation, what a duty, what a responsibility it is to be the chosen one? All you’ve ever been interested in is kicks and cheap highs.”

“Oh yeah, I’m getting a way wicked high from saving slayer Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum, and playing your little gay cupid. Kinda always had my heart set on becoming a fruit fly to the two biggest closet oral gymnasts ever,” Faith stated sarcastically, turning to face Buffy.

Willow chose this exact moment to make her move, throwing her arms out as she prepared to surround Faith from behind and capture her upper arms in one swift motion. But her timing was off and as she propelled herself forward, she saw Faith begin to drop to the ground. Following her target down, Willow missed seeing the small pale white fist that then proceeded to hit her square in the face. “OOOOAwwwww,” she screamed, more from shock than anything else, as Buffy’s upwardly moving fist caught the tip of her nose before bouncing into her right eye socket.

Faith stepped to her right, under the out stretched arm of the now mostly powerless slayer. She had seen the punch coming and avoiding it was child’s play. The yelp of pain from Willow had surprised her though. Faith hadn’t heard Willow move, let alone come up behind her. ‘Damn the girl’s good. I’ll have to keep an eye on her.’

Moving quickly she took advantage of Buffy’s shock and concern for Willow to step behind the former slayer and pull her left arm behind her back, locking it in a vice-like grip before throwing her right arm around Buffy’s throat. “Whoa there B, you’re gonna get some one hurt,” Faith stated. Glancing at Willow’s now eye-watering face, she checked out the new Slayer. “You okay there, Red?” she asked.

“Let her go!” Willow commanded, shaking her head to clear the slight fog that the punch had caused in her right eye, as she moved towards them.

Faith tightened her grip on Buffy’s left arm to produce a grunt of pain. “Back off now. We don’t want anyone getting hurt here, do we?” Faith teased.

“Oh, I think there’s going to be a bit more than hurt happening if you lay another hand on her,” Willow stated, moving forward again.

This time Faith gave Buffy’s arm a stiffer jolt, pulling her neck back as she did. The yelp elicited just the response she was after as Willow froze. “That’s better. Pity Giles’ training appears to have made you deaf. I said Back Off!..... Nice move though, coming up behind me. Shame Buffy, the retired Slayer, messed it up for you.”

“Why are you doing this?” Willow asked, fighting the desire to just rush forward. All she could see through the red haze that was beginning to overtake her was Faith hurting her Buffy. Swallowing and taking a deep breath she tried to focus on the best course of action, rather than allowing her new Slayer instincts to take over.

“Oh, like you’re interested. You’ve both made your minds up,” Faith stated, the resignation evident in her tone.

Buffy was momentarily caught by the tone of Faith’s voice, before the pain in her arm returned to remind her just who was holding and hurting her once again. “Yeah, because your behavior is doing so much to prove us wrong,” she managed to gasp.

Faith swallowed as something inside wished they would just give her a chance. “Like you’d listen.”

“We might,” Willow offered.

“Yeah right, because you snuck up behind me to hear better,” Faith sarcastically commented. “Do I look like an idiot?”

“I plead the 5th,” Buffy commented under her breath.

Faith couldn’t help tightening her grip a little bit to elicit the sharp intake of breath from Buffy that she needed to feel vindicated. But that was all it took to make Willow lose her resolve and snap. Before Faith could smile in satisfaction, Willow was upon her, like a crazy woman, reigning blows down on the somewhat stunned Slayer.

Buffy was tossed to one side as Faith tried to remove herself from Willow’s reach. ‘Where the hell did she learn to… Oaaawwww… Jeez, that really hurt… Red, you’re gonna be in a world of pai… pain when I… Ooooowww,’ Faith stu