Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

Switcheroony

Part Eight

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 32

Buffy could hear movement and sighing. Someone was outside, no - behind her. She was disappointed to realize that it was only her guard and not the person she so longed to see. This forced solitude was really beginning to get on her nerves. It had her totally on edge, mainly because she knew she wasn’t truly alone. There was a group of heavily armed men out there determined to keep her company, if at a distance. But she couldn’t see or hear them, she didn’t know what they were doing, she couldn’t do anything help herself or her would-be rescuers. She hadn’t felt this powerless since her parents had decided to divorce.

She was somewhat surprised at how much she missed having others around her, especially since she’d spent so much of her life feeling as if she was alone even in a crowd. If it hadn’t been for Willow and Xander, she was pretty sure she would have ended up with Cordelia’s crowd which would surely have left her on her own once they realized she was different and not quite normal - by their standards. What did she ever do to deserve two such loyal friends? She’d have turned into a real loner, more of a weirdo than she probably seemed to most of the outside world. ‘Oh yeah, and my life’s so normal now.’

But who was she kidding? She would have been dead long ago if it hadn’t been for Willow and Xander. They kept her steady, sane, informed, okay Xander wasn’t big with the research she needed, but he’d fought by her side. They both had, they’d been on the front lines with her and helped her to remember that she was a human being, a person, as well as the Slayer. Giles may have simply been her watcher at one time but he now mattered more to her than she’d ever really thought her watcher could or would; although a simple look, would always tell her exactly what he was thinking or expecting from her, it was the absolute faith he had in her intentions that she treasured. And Willow, her dear sweet Willow always gave her a reason to survive, to come back, and to believe in herself.

She had long ago given up worrying about what other people thought of her. At least she thought she had. For years now the only opinions that had mattered to her were those of her small self-made family. And it was their feelings, opinions and safety that now occupied her thoughts as she sat awaiting her rescuers, that very same family with, apparently, a few unexpected additions.

Buffy was more than a little upset that everything that had recently happened between her and Willow had effectively taken place under their eagle eyes. Was she to have nothing that was purely her own? No privacy at all? Plus they seemed to have had their own ideas, for quite some time, about how things were or should be between them. She wasn’t sure if the easy acceptance of Xander and Giles pleased or annoyed her. Anya’s opinion was pretty much a given; as far as the ex-demon was concerned it was about sex, and nothing about sex was anything but good.

Just as she was starting to focus on her thoughts, she heard the noise of a radio as it burst into life.

“Zero one. Contact on my two,” the radio crackled.

“Zero four, affirmative. Contact on my four. Back up requested.”

Something was happening. ‘Was this it?’ Buffy wondered as she shifted her attention to the reports blaring from her guard’s radio.

* * * *

Faith could feel the laughter building inside her at the sight of Xander towing the wrecking ball. That in itself wasn’t as funny as the sight of the stoic Englishman sitting … how could she describe it? Yeah, yeah … sitting regally in the cab with his arms crossed in lordly expectation as if he was a king anticipating a crowd of worshipping subjects.

Meanwhile, Anya followed with the kind of lack of patience that the Dark Slayer had come to expect from the ex-demon. It was obvious that she was trying to gun the earth digger, to get some speed going. ‘What was it with ex-immortals and the need for speed?’ Faith wondered, recalling a discharged Sretka Demon she’d once met at a drag race. She turned her head to share her amusement with Willow, only to be confronted by a look of complete shock.

Hoping that the humorous scene before them might offer some light relief that would help remove the distressed expression from Willow’s Buffy-face, she voiced her own amusement. “The Saturday morning Wacky Races ‘toons have nothing on this,” she blurted out. ‘Maybe Will just needs help to see the funny.’

But Willow seemed to simply stare at her as if she was missing something.

Faith turned back to examine the scene before her more closely. Okay, three major boy-toys under the control of a man-child, a grown man with far too much reserve and an ex-demon with far too little. “What?” she exclaimed because she just didn’t get what the hell it was that Willow was seeing.

Willow stared at Faith. ‘Couldn’t she see how ridiculously dangerous this was going to be?’

* * * *

“Zero one, I have some building machinery heading towards the fence at two o’clock,” Slim stated, his trigger finger itching as he awaited instructions. Then he saw the Englishman raise his arm and throw something, which landed on the other side of the fence creating a ripple in the air as it landed.

“Zero six and eight move to back up Zero one,” he heard Dorgan instruct but his relief was short-lived as he saw the air ripple expand. It was coming towards him!

“Zero one, they’ve thrown … something. We’re under attack. Permission to respond?” he requested, raising his rifle into his preferred firing position.

“Denied. They have --n’t b –r-o-k-e-n o-u-r b-o-u-n-d-a-r-y . c-o-n-t-i---n---u----e t---o r-e-------p-o-r--------t .”

‘What the hell was that?’ Slim wondered as Dorgan suddenly sounded like someone playing a recording at half speed.

* * * *

Willow watched as the ripple moved towards them. It was too late to worry now. The clock was ticking.

“We’re on,” Faith stated, moving towards the edge of the loading bay. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Willow responded shaking aside her reservations. Stepping forward she locked eyes with Faith and nodded.

“Okay, then. We’re heading for that storage trailer, hanging a right to that gas pump, up and over, across the gas pipe and in through the skylight,” Faith said, repeating the instructions she knew she had already given but feeling that she needed to push Willow back into the game. “Keep it tight, okay? We have to move fast.”

Willow nodded, not sure what lay ahead but certain that everything she had ever wanted in life was waiting for her inside that building.

The Slayers headed off at breakneck speed, launching themselves from the loading bay and shooting from the deep shadows that had hidden them from the eyes of their enemy.

* * * *

Cordelia sat in the car tapping her hands on the steering wheel. She’d been volunteered by Xander, of all people, to be the get-away driver; much to the very vocal annoyance of Anya, who had been calmed down only after Xander told her how much he needed her to operate one of the construction vehicles.

Giles had helpfully agreed with Xander and pointed out that Cordelia didn’t have nearly as many hours battle experience, nor the knowledge of the area. After all, Anya had been the one to discover the site of Buffy’s imprisonment.

It had taken all her willpower to hold her tongue but the pleading looks from both Giles and Xander had told her all she’d needed to know. They trusted her. She couldn’t quite figure out why they didn’t trust Anya with the job but apparently they didn’t, and that was enough for her.

So here she sat, listening to the beginnings of the battle. She wondered how far along Faith and Willow had gotten, and if the Barder time ball thingy had worked.

* * * *

Giles kept himself low as Xander cut through the fence like a sharp knife slicing through butter. Releasing Giles and the wrecking ball, the young man quickly headed to the right as Giles slowly rolled to a halt and Anya came up on his left.

Xander had been very insistent in reminding them that the cabs of these construction vehicles might look impregnable but they were definitely not bulletproof. Anya had, therefore, raised the forked shovel of the earthmover, lifting it level with her cab. However, what concerned Giles was the very real possibility that she’d been driving all the way here with it up.

Throwing aside his momentary musings, he peeked above the rim of the window to take a quick look at his position before ducking back down and reaching for the controls. ‘Oh Colin, I wish you were here,’ he thought, recalling the childhood chum with whom he’d shared so many construction site misadventures.

He heard a crunch to his right and realized that Xander was already putting his bulldozer to effective use against the walls of the warehouse. Then he heard it. Something whizzed past the door of his vehicle, like a fly on speed. ‘They’ve started shooting.’ Revving his controls into gear, he let the already pre-suspended wrecking ball fly. The moment of release was filled with all of his pent-up frustrations at events and his apparent inability to see further than the end of his nose where the love life of his charge, his slayer, his surrogate daughter was concerned.

The long pause followed by a resounding crash made him giddy and he smiled childishly. ‘Wanton destruction is greatly underrated,’ Giles mused, as he drew the ball back for another swing. ‘This is better than conkers.’

* * * *

“Z—er—o O—n—e R—p—o—r—t,” Slim’s radio crackled, as another part of the warehouse wall was pushed inwards.

“Oh great, we’re being smashed in and Dorgan’s gone all slow mo. Figures.” He yanked his earpiece from his ear before glaring at it and throwing it to the ground.

“H –e -y, T –e -x. Y-o-u g-o-t a-n e-y-e-b-a-l-l y-e-t?” he yelled across the warehouse. Suddenly aware of the fact that his voice sounded an octave lower, he clutched at this throat. “W-h-a-t t-h-e h-e-l-l….?”

The rippling waves of the Barder ball were causing time to slow and then quicken each time they passed through the walls of the Warehouse. Each slow wave becoming longer than the fast ones, as the Barder ball began to settle. Very soon time would slow completely.

“N-a-h,” his colleague replied, apparently ignoring their vocal difficulties “t-h-e-y-’r-e k-e-e-p-i-n-g t-h-o-s-e d-a-m-n b-u-c-k-e-t t-h-i-n-g-s s-o h-i-g-h, I c-a-n’-t g-e-t a c-l-e-a-r s-h-o-t. W-h-a-t’-s w-i-t-h D-o-r-g-a-n----?”

“D-u-n-n-o, h-e-’s o-u-t-t-a i-t,” Slim replied, deciding some communication was better than none. “W-h-a-t a-b-o-u-t t-h-e t-i-r-e-s?” he asked, just as his window and surrounding wall began to rapidly move towards him. “W-h-a-t t-h-e….?”

“Zero eight, we have a breach,” reported Tex, watching the wall crumble and fall on top of Slim, as a large wrecking ball blasted its way through the wall.

* * * *

Buffy could hear orders being shouted as if underwater, but the final order came through to her so fast and high-pitched that she couldn’t make it out.

She could the sound hear metal against metal, heavy machinery and arms fire coming from the far side of the building. ‘Oh, no! What’s the gang thinking? These guys have guns!’ Straining against her bonds, she only managed to cut off the circulation to her wrists. But she barely noticed. All she could think was -- ‘Have to help.’

Then she heard her guard move. He was coming closer. ‘Why is he …’ But her unfinished question was answered when she heard him cock his weapon. ‘He’s going to kill me.’

“Willow!!” she screamed, unable to help herself.

* * * *

The satisfying noise of metal falling to the ground and glass shattering fueled Xander’s adrenalin as with every impact they began to move the walls inwards. As Anya was hugging the side of the building, feelings of pride welled within him as he realized that his little sex kitten had used her brain. Anya had obviously figured out that she would be harder to hit if she reduced their angle of fire.

Meanwhile, Giles appeared to have turned into a whirling dervish. Somehow he was able to cause more destruction than Xander. He was managing to get the ball back and re-strung faster than many a professional. But what really caught his attention was the twinkle he could see in the Watcher’s eyes every time he chose to peep over the edge of his cab. “Watch it, G-man – Snipers!”

And just as he said that, he saw a bullet puncture and shatter the glass of Giles’ cab. “G-i-l-e-s?!!”

* * * *

“Flipping hell,” muttered Giles, as glass showered down on him. Hitting the release he fired the ball back, having aimed just to the left of his previous contact point. His brief glance at the warehouse had given him the impression that the wall was beginning to look like a depressurized canister.

He pondered the early medieval origins of the wrecking ball. The largest one he had ever seen had been some 30 tons, with an arch of 75 feet and the ability to impact with a momentum of 300 tons. Although the one he was operating now was probably half its size, he drew a childish pleasure from the sheer destruction he was able to inflict.

This time, in recognition of the bullet that had just shattered his cab window, he attempted a quick glance out of his door. He saw Anya and her earthmover, wheels spinning against the ground as she tried to wedge her shovel into and push against the frame of a locked door. The ex-demon was crouched low in her seat peering just over her cab rim and underneath her shovel. Her leg was fully extended and Giles realized she was probably at full throttle. However, the doorframe seemed to be successfully resisting.

He wondered where Willow and Faith were at this moment. He had no way of knowing if the Barder ball had done its job. If it had worked, there should be multiple time interruption ripples moving throughout the warehouse causing communication and reaction problems for Buffy’s kidnappers. Whether the ripples caused slowing down or speeding up, the time disruption should help Willow and Faith get to Buffy. Eventually time would slow everywhere for about half an hour, which would further aid their escape.

* * * *

Buffy could feel the beads of sweat slowly building up on her forehead as she continued to strain against her restraints. Ignoring the noise of the radio crackle and garbled messages, she could hear the footsteps of her guard approaching.

She found herself clenching and unclenching her fists in anticipation of a fight. But just how was she supposed to fight - bound and tied as she was. She was not accustomed to being so helpless. She didn’t know how to deal with it. ‘Oh Willow, where are you my darling? Please come now before it’s too late,’ she pleaded. She was not just worried about her own well-being – her real fear was of what would happen if her beloved was to come across her dead body. She knew that Willow would blame herself for not reaching her in time.

She was astounded as the footsteps passed behind her and then stopped again. ‘What is he doing?’ she wondered, cursing him for the torrent of fear that he had just caused. She hated being afraid; fear was another thing she was not accustomed to and really couldn’t tolerate in herself. She wanted to know what was happening; she needed to know … Maybe if she tried to turn around.

The bars at the base of her suspended steel cage had made any movement almost impossible and her legs had long ago grown numb at the insistent pressure from the unyielding and inflexible steel bars as they dug into her shins and sides whenever she had tried to move. So she had resigned herself to the view across the warehouse. Below her the skeleton of the suspended ceiling prevented her from seeing what was occurring directly underneath. Occasionally she had heard running feet and raised voices.

But swallowing deeply, she drew what little strength she had left as she tried to turn herself. Each movement seemed to drag one of the steel bars across her various already blackening bruises. “Oh great, wonderful … just look at what I’m doing to Will’s body. Ughhh … well, whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. Right?” she announced to no one in particular, as she jarred her shoulder in between two bars.

* * * *

Faith pulled herself up and onto the skylight. Sitting backwards on its rim she reached down to give Willow a hand up. The journey across the gas pipe had been a bit hairy. She could put up with heights, but that didn’t mean she liked them.

As Willow’s head appeared by her knees, the Slayer took a look at the interior of the warehouse. There was nothing below the skylight but a good 10-foot drop to the suspended ceiling. ‘Damn it.’ She shouldn’t have listened to Xander. She should have taken a closer look herself. How the hell were they going to get down there without falling through that rickety looking ceiling?

Willow pulled her waist up to the rim of the skylight and allowed her body weight to pull her upper torso forward, rocking into the building to take a look for herself. It felt good to have Buffy’s strong and fit body to work with. But she would much rather be admiring it on Buffy and the sooner the better. After a moment, Willow raised an eyebrow then she turned to look at Faith before glancing back towards the drop. “Do you trust me?” she asked quietly.

“Every time someone asks me that question I end up wishing I’d been somewhere else,” Faith commented, following Willow’s gaze, before letting their eyes meet in mutual determination. Each recognizing the Slayer within and the need they both had to see this through to its natural end, whatever that might be. “But right now I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be … or anyone I’d rather be doing this with. So the answer’s a great big – Yeah,” she winked.

Willow nodded in recognition of the compliment. “I need you to link with me and we’re going to have to jump together. Once we have momentum, I’m going to alter our relative density in relation to the air surrounding us so that when we land on that ceiling we won’t weigh enough to break through it. The dimensional ratio is a bit tricky but as long as I make allowances for the temperature differential inside the building and natural drag … Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand until I tell you. Okay?”

“Sounds wicked cool,” the brunette responded, dismissing the somewhat disconcerting babbling and stuff she didn’t understand before offering the Wiccan her hand. “Thelma & Louise it is,” Faith quipped.

* * * *

Xander was growing increasingly concerned as he glanced at his watch. ‘Jeeze how long have they been … oh, wait … the time thingy. That means that they’re going at normal speed and we’re going at what … half speed. So if it’s been ten minutes for us, it’s been half as … five minutes … no twice as … twenty minutes. Damn it, Willow! You should have left me a cheat sheet.’

Glancing to his right, he watched as Anya reversed her earthmover with most of a door frame attached to her shovel. The remaining door simply fell forward as if in slow motion sending a plume of dust from its sides as it landed on the dry dusty ground.

The spotlights surrounding the warehouse were throwing weird shadows. He thought for a moment that he saw red hair through the now open door and he was suddenly filled with fear. Faith and he had assumed that Buffy would be held somewhere near the rear of the building where a large concrete wall jutted onto the dockside. They’d figured that would be the easiest area to defend against an attack. But what if they were wrong? What if she was on the other side of this wall?

* * * *

Once again Willow allowed herself to forget the history of the woman whose hand she was now gripping tightly. Who would have ever imagined that she and the “Dark Slayer” would be willing partners in such an important mission? Who would have believed that she would ever trust her life … and Buffy’s … to Faith?

She needed to focus and find the calm. Aware that calm seemed to be an impossibility amid all the noise and tension; she nevertheless knew it was there … within her.

Faith stared towards the far end of the warehouse thinking that she’d caught a glimpse of something metallic in the dark shadows that covered the rear of the roof space.

There it was! Willow could almost touch it -- its calm blue essence beckoning her, calling to her. Willingly she mentally stepped forward into that calm.

Faith’s chest became tight and her head light as she felt it wash through her as well. If only she could live with this feeling of calm forever. It was so true, so real, so balanced. It almost filled her with the need to cry and laugh all at the same time. Boy, she was really going to miss this.

Willow drew and gathered the magics around herself like a warm cloak, her normal nervousness and fear of failure, for once, completely absent. She could do this. She knew it. She believed it. This wasn’t the borrowed slayer part … no … this was her. “Now,” she said, leaning forward and allowing her rear to leave the skylight’s rim.

Faith followed her, not with conscious will but just because. It was as if she herself had moved forward. Then she felt it … something dragging her back. No, something holding her! “What the hell?” she yelped as she came to a sudden halt, her neck shooting forward and air being forced out of her lungs by the jolt.

“Sorry,” Willow muttered. “Too soon,” she offered apologetically.

No sooner had Faith commented, “Ya think?” and they were off again … downwards.

At first, the ceiling seemed to shoot towards them but then, imperceptibly, they seemed to slow. ‘That’s more like it,’ Faith thought just as her eyesight and brain were beginning to question the sudden change in acceleration. It was like staring at one of those optical illusions, in which you couldn’t tell if you were falling or rising. Her stomach seemed to rise into her chest in complaint. But damn … it was working!

* * * *

Dorgan made his way towards the back of the warehouse with three of his men in tow. He knew what was going on and he was damned if he was going to let it work. Sunrise would be in about two hour’s time. All he had to do was to hold them off.

He wasn’t sure what he feared more --- Hyatt Ramu’s anger or the Slayer and her wannabes. Both were unpredictable. But at least he understood Ramu’s motives. These damn do-gooders just plain baffled him.

He thought he heard something above him as they attempted to sprint down the corridor. Every two or three paces he could feel himself going into slow motion. He was fairly certain that any security tape would make him look like the two-million dollar man. They must have cast a spell, some weird kind of slow-mo thing that was messing with time, but he had no way of countering that. For some reason, better known to the senior partners, black ops didn’t contain a shaman or wizard.
He’d never questioned the wisdom of that decision before; he didn’t have much use for the pebble casters. But right now he’d be happy to see one of those mumbling freaks. This wasn’t what he did best -- running from someone, no matter how strategically sound.

* * * *

Willow had never felt so in control and yet at peace. This was her calling, her true talent and skill. She just knew it. It felt so right. She wondered if the magics had always been around her, inside her, just waiting for her to call on them.

The ceiling was approaching, and mentally she ordered their molecules just that fraction more, lowering their mass, just as their feet touched down.

She felt Faith begin to loosen her hand. “Not yet. Let’s make our way to the edge,” she suggested, nodding towards the far wall and the slightly wider supporting rim of the ceiling skeleton.

Faith nodded and reaffirmed her hold on Willow’s hand. “You’re the boss.”

As they moved across the ceiling, a sudden shaft of light broke across their path as a portion of the far wall peeled away. Glancing towards the dockside end of the warehouse, they both froze, waiting for a movement, a noise but none came and glancing at each other, they moved forward again.

* * * *

The wrecking ball ripped into the side of the wall, this time separating the two sheets of steel that had recently been joined by rivets. As it continued its arc, it caught part of the interior wall and ceiling.

However, Giles had no idea of the damage his new best friend was causing. He was still sitting hunched like a naughty school boy with a huge grin of satisfaction and enjoyment plastered across his face.

Glancing to his left, he could see the top of Xander’s machine as it once again accelerated towards the warehouse. He had little doubt that they were doing serious damage but he couldn’t help a small moment of doubt. Were they truly causing the distraction Willow and Faith would need?

As if to answer his question, a hail of bullets winged their way over his head.

* * * *

As they made their way down the wall of the warehouse, the deafening thud of the wrecking ball and metal against metal echoed throughout the cavernous loft. Faith thought that she heard gun fire and, glancing behind her, she hoped that the guys outside were okay.

Yet again she thought she saw a glint of metal. ‘What is that?’

The Wiccan hadn’t released her hand yet and she was, therefore, leading her along the edge of the suspended ceiling like two children playing follow-the-leader, as they skipped over the intermittent joists of the suspended ceiling.

Willow suddenly slowed and crouched. Faith came to a halt behind her. “There,” she gestured.

Faith followed her out stretched hand and forefinger … it was a box, no a cage and there was something in it – Buffy! Glancing at Willow, she saw the look of concern and an eagerness that worried her.

“Buffy, I’m coming. Hold on,” Willow whispered under her breath, forgetting that Faith was behind her.

“There’s gotta to be a guard,” Faith commented, unusual caution coming over her as she realized that this was it. Then she saw him. He was partially hidden by the cage but she could just about make him out … and the large gun barrel was plain to see. “There … to her right. And he has a gun.”

Willow simply nodded and reached into the small bag around her waist. “I came prepared,” she stated, drawing out a dark blue crystal.

As Faith glanced at the odd collection of items, anxiety and concern suddenly reared their heads as she began to doubt that they were all going to make it out of this alive. She trusted Willow but the truth was that despite everything, the Slayer in her trusted a good sharp knife more than the mojo.

“Can you grab hold of that support? I’m gonna try and split my concentration and I need you to make sure that if our mass shifts we don’t sink through this ceiling,” Willow advised her, as she placed the crystal between her lips and settled herself. She removed the dispelling pouch from about her neck and placed it over Faith’s head. “Oder w-ys she h--e wo--nd ear m--i pro—pe—rl--y,” she explained, her lips still holding the crystal firmly, its tip pressing down on the tip of her tongue.

Faith nodded, grinning at the sudden change in Willow’s voice. She drew their still joined hands over the Wicca’s head, placing her forearm firmly around her waist, in anticipation of a sudden change in their weight. “Okay. Ready.”

* * * *

Relief washed over Buffy as she began to hear the familiar and now very welcome buzzing … ‘Willow. Oh thank goodness.’ She’d actually feared they wouldn’t let her know what was about to happen.

‘—fy I c-n se- yo-. Oh go-d--s, wh-t ha-e -hey done t- yo-? I’m cl-se by. –f –ou can he-r me……. fo-get tha-, I kno- you can he-r me……….’ Buffy heard, as the words began to clear. The sound of her dearest darling babbling was the most wonderful and welcome sound she could have ever imagined. She could feel tears beginning to well in the corners of her eyes, as the thought that she would soon be with her beloved swelled within her heart. ‘I’m coming, my dar-ing. Bu- I nee- you to distract y-ur g-ard. Okay? I need yo- to dis-ra-t the g-ard.’

Buffy glanced over her left shoulder and, for the first time, she was finally able to actually catch a glimpse of her guard. ‘You so don’t know the world of pain that’s coming your way,’ she thought with satisfaction.

‘We’re going to shut off the lights in a bit,’ Willow advised her.

‘We?’ She wondered who was with Willow.

‘But the moonlight from the skylight means he might see us, so I need you to distract the guard. I will get you out of there,’ Willow promised, just as a warm feeling seemed to envelope her.

* * * *

One final wiggle had allowed Buffy to see that her guard was holding his semi-automatic rifle and pointing it at her! No, he was looking past her, over her, out into the warehouse.

‘He’s waiting for something. Oh great, just great. He knows they’re coming to get me. Anyone that tries to approach us is going to be filled full of lead.’ She wracked her brain for something to do, some way of distracting him. She needed his attention on her, she needed him to … ‘Aw hell, since when has distracting a man been that hard?’

“Hey handsome,” she yelled, in her best coy little girl voice. “Give me a break will ‘ya? These bars are doing some serious damage to my arms … legs … my whole body.”

But he simply looked at her, smiled and then looked away.

“Oh come on. I’m not asking you to release me. What harm would a little friendly massage do?” she tried, almost gagging on the words as they slipped from her lips.

Her guard huffed and smirked “Do I look that stupid? Shut it already.”

Buffy bit back her initial response and continued in the most pleading and sexy tone she could manage. “Oh come on, what do you expect me to do – tied up like this. I really could do with a rubdown.”

He regarded her with suspicion but she could see that glint of ‘what the hell’ forming in the corner of his eyes, as he slid them over her body. She had him and she knew it. Now she just needed to keep his focus on her. They’d be here soon.

Then she heard the clatter and stomping of feet. ‘Willow! Oh, god! The lights! What about the lights?’ Her mind raced, sure that the commotion she could hear was coming from her would-be rescuers. As if in agreement, her guard changed his posture, stepping back from her.

Suddenly they were thrown into darkness and the stomping feet halted. Buffy couldn’t make out anything. It was as if she’d gone deaf. She turned her head vainly as if doing so would help her regain her senses. Something clicked to her left and her guard fired. She was so close that she heard and saw the barrel explosions, just feet from her, and the screams and whistles of bullets, as they flew out into the darkness.

“Willow! Nooooooo!” she screamed, just as she heard a body drop to the ground. But the firing didn’t stop. An awful image of her beloved filled her mind; Willow lying on the ground, her hand still out stretched towards Buffy, an expanding red stain on her favorite green top and a clear glaze of surprise in her tearful eyes. She felt sick. “W-i-l-l-o-w?!!!?”

Chapter 33

Wesley made no attempt to hide his eagerness to leave and get on with his research. But Angel didn’t take it personally. Instead he had encouraged him. The vampire had other things on his mind and at this moment solitude was what he needed. A plan … no … more of an instinctual desire had been forming ever since he had regained consciousness, maybe even before. Grabbing his keys he had headed for the rear of the hotel and the underground bay that held the means to his plan.
 
Angel knew he shouldn’t be heading where he was going. Willow had refused his offer of help; but his failure to capture Maclay had shaken him and something had happened while he was under the man’s control. Even after resting, during the drive back to their base of operations, he still felt as if something had been removed, something he needed to get back. And he knew that there was only one place he could recapture it.
 
His desire to regain whatever that was, to fill the hollow that now resided within him; the unexplainably unnerving need to contact Buffy had simply kept growing. It was almost like a hunger, a craving, greater than any he had previously known. It was all too overwhelming for him to ignore. He could feel it calling him, beckoning him back to where he felt his life had begun again.
 
Heading down the highway he tried to reason with the need, the calling. Why was he so driven to return? Something had happened to him ... Had changed things. Was he only doing this because he needed to or were his strings being pulled by Maclay? A part of him suspected that he was walking into a trap and yet he couldn’t do anything to avoid it.

* * * *

Giles saw the lights go out and swallowed hard, as he realized exactly what that meant. The girls were about to attempt their rescue of Buffy. His stomach tightened as he glanced through the shattered window of his cab towards Xander, hoping to see the same look of realization on the young man’s face. He knew that he was not alone in his concern. This was the moment when everything rested on Willow and Faith.
 
Out here he could do nothing but keep the remaining three men in front of them busy, hopefully so busy that there would be no chance for them to attempt to retreat and add to the difficulties he was sure his young charges were facing.
 
It was a little strange that all his years of training as a watcher never truly prepared him to just watch. His natural instincts still pulled at him, urging him to get in there and help. Maybe his father had been right; maybe he didn’t have what it took to be a proficient watcher; at least the Council’s definition of a watcher. He cared too much.

* * * *

The darkness really shouldn’t have been so much of a surprise but it was. All of her senses scrambled to adjust to the sudden pitch-blackness. She froze, taking in her surroundings and allowing her memory of where they were to settle within her mind. Willow’s hand was still within hers and she instinctively squeezed reassuringly. “This way,” Faith stated before leading Willow along the wall towards the sounds of gunfire.
 
The muzzle flashes stood out in the darkness, like a grisly fireworks display. But never the less, they continued towards them. She mentally paced out how far from Buffy’s cage they were and in her gut she prayed that she was right. If they went too far before turning right, they’d walk straight into the firefight.
 
She could feel the tension within Willow as they moved forward and it was obvious that the Wiccan was struggling to handle having one of her major senses removed. Faith threw aside the instant desire to comfort her. They didn’t have time for the touchy feely stuff right now. They had to get to Buffy before the guards realized that they were firing at each other.

* * * *

Giles would have preferred to move his rig closer. He felt so very far away from the action. Maybe it was just the darkness that made sounds seem closer and the distances greater. The last he’d seen of Anya, her rig was almost halfway into the warehouse but now he could hardly make it out at all.
 
Glancing at his watch, he realized that it was almost time to make their final move. “X-a-n-d-e-r” he called out, hopeful that the two young people were still unhurt despite the plethora of shots that had been launched at them.
 
“I k-n-o-w. Can –y-o-u s-e-e A-nya?” Xander replied over the din of machinery and gunfire.
 
Casting a quick look, Giles found himself seeking out a flash of the lime green top that she had chosen to wear but he could not make it out. “N-o I c-a-n n-o-t,” he responded, more than a little unnerved at not being able to reassure himself and Xander that she was all right.
 
“O-k-a-y. W-e’-ll w-a-i-t f-o-r t-h-e s-i-g-n-a-l f-r-o-m C-o-r-d-y,” the young man yelled, “T-h-e-n m-o-v-e t-o-w-a-r-d-s A-n-y-a.”
 
“O-k-ay,” he replied, wondering if Xander could hear the hesitation in his voice. The thought of leaving the cab that had been his only protection for the last twenty minutes went totally against his better judgment but he just had to hope that the darkness that now engulfed the warehouse would be enough to secure their escape.

* * * *

As she was striding forward, blindly following Faith and allowing herself to trust that the dark Slayer knew where she was going, Willow acknowledged that this was like nothing she had ever experienced before, or had ever expected that she would experience. She momentarily wondered when it was that she had allowed her life to be changed so completely. What was it that had stopped her from being happy to just live in denial like most of her classmates, happy to doubt that there was anything different about Sunnydale? She smiled recalling the first occasion when she’d let her curiosity loose and asked her father why there was a light in their fridge, but not in their freezer. His answer ‘because that’s the way it is’ had convinced her that she hadn’t gotten her inquisitive nature from him. Although she’d laughed at Xander’s explanation that frozen food was ‘harder’ and therefore not afraid of the dark, she’d investigated the matter for several months before resigning herself to the fact that no one really knew why.
 
Maybe it was just in her nature, she’d always wanted to know why things were the way they were. It had seemed to annoy most of her early teachers, but eventually even they had finally just accepted her thirst and need to know. She’d imagined herself working in some research capacity, maybe in a large university or government facility. But this … No. She had never imagined this.
 
She’d never imagined that her curiosity about the limits of so-called Wiccan magics would lead her to this. Or that when a pretty newcomer to Sunnydale had been nice to her, for no other reason than it was how you should behave … that this time and this place was where that first meeting would eventually lead them both.
 
No one would have ever believed her if she’d told them that one day she would be so in love with a woman that she would risk her life and the lives of just about everyone she cared about to rescue that very woman. “Old Reliable, Wall-Flower, Nerdy, Nose-Always-In Her-Books, Geeky” Willow play the heroine, saving her love, helping to save the world? No one would have believed it. She wasn’t even sure that, right at this very minute, she believed it as she felt the cold beads of perspiration building on her brow.
 
As they rushed towards the exchange of gunfire, she tightened her grip on Faith’s hand and swallowed. No! She would soon need to form the shield, the only protection they would have from the countless bullets flying about the warehouse. “Faith, slow down a bit.”

* * * *

Cordelia glanced at her watch for probably the thirtieth time. ‘Almost there.’ Nodding to herself she checked up and down the road, not at all sure what she was looking for. Or what she could do if she did see something.
 
She’d been sitting here for what seemed like … forever. No one who knew Cordelia Chase, would have hesitated in telling you that she hated waiting for anything. Her need to move, to do something was like an itch she had been unable to scratch for the past three quarters of an hour, while Xander and his rejects from the Goonies had headed off to collect what was probably just a load of scrap metal by now. And all she’d done was watch time slowly move on and wait.
 
She’d heard the sounds of metal on metal and of gunfire. IT had begun and she’d felt her pulse increase in anticipation. She felt the perspiration. Her head felt like it was going to explode. Somewhere out there … Faith was risking her life, putting herself in harm’s way and that thought worried her more than she cared to admit. The sick feeling in her stomach and the dryness in her throat were physical signs she couldn’t dismiss – she was worried, she was afraid. And not for herself ... but for someone else. Someone who had, unexpectedly, become very important to her.

* * * *

Buffy had never felt so afraid. It was as if her throat was being constricted. She gulped for air as her eyes fought to see something, anything in the pitch darkness, through the hail of bullets and muzzle flashes. Willow, her Willow was out there and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t protect her. She had never felt so powerless, so helpless. It made her sick.
 
There was nothing that could describe the sheer black hole of terror and despair that filled Buffy, as she lay bound in the darkness unable to stop the nightmare visions running through her mind. She wanted to scream. She wanted her slayer senses back, her slayer hearing. Damn it, she wanted, needed her slayer strength; anything that would stop the sickening feeling in her stomach as it clenched and unclenched. Buffy yanked angrily at her restraints. She was the slayer, damn it. She should be doing the rescuing not being rescued.
 
This couldn’t be happening to them. It was so unfair … after all they’d been through, after all they had discovered. How could she be allowed to have just a glimpse of how wonderful her life could be and then have it taken away? To know how she felt, how she smelled. Well okay, there was the whole body switching freaky thing but she knew who was who, she had felt what was what. She had understood, hadn’t she?
 
To never hold Willow again, to never hear her breathing so close and, oh, those stifled sighs. She couldn’t believe it. Willow was the soul mate she had been longing for all of her life. But instead of that making her safe, it had put her true love in danger, the kind of danger that no one but Buffy should ever have to face. What had she done? What had Faith done? She felt the anger rising within her. She had a target for the rage and despair – Faith. And she was going to make her pay.
 
Just as she began to let her imagination run wild, she felt it, a touch. No, it was a hand, a warm reassuring hand, a familiar hand – “Willow?”

* * * *

Xander couldn’t hear anything but gunfire as he drove his machine back towards the warehouse, towards the muzzle flashes he had seen just moments ago. The warehouse wall was beginning to resemble a tin can, squashed, buckled and creased by the continual bombardment and impacts of their battle.
 
Glancing at his watch he cursed. It was too dark and he couldn’t even see the face let alone the hands. ‘Mental note – get a watch with a luminous dial.’ Cordelia had to be on her way. They needed to get moving.
 
The last collision sent him tumbling into the back of his cab, wedging his shoulder into the side of the driver’s seat. The old plastic bucket seat had been replaced and Xander found himself thanking the Powers That Be for the original driver who obviously liked his comforts. Jumping down from the cab he headed towards the outline of the wrecking ball, hopeful that his collision and the darkness of the compound would provide him with the cover he needed to make it safely to Giles.

* * * *

Angel gazed down into the warehouse although at first he could see nothing, as it was pitch black. Adjusting to the lack of light he tried to make out the shapes he knew would correspond to the muzzle flashes. There was a fight going on below and from up here it looked like the small explosions from sparklers but down there he knew it probably didn’t look at all pretty. Although guns were not weapons he feared, he knew slayers were never trained to face them.
 
Buffy was somewhere down there, somewhere within that hail of bullets. Throwing aside his promise to Willow and his intention to keep his presence unknown, he leapt onto the rafters of the warehouse, traveling quickly along the underside of the roof, using his speed and strength to take advantage of every hand and foothold that the ceiling allowed him. He rushed forward, swinging onto the crossbeams occasionally before leaping up again onto the unforgiving underside of the roof in his eagerness to reach Buffy.
 
Decades ago he had returned to Romania, the supposed homeland of all his kind, in the hope of finding his origins, of connecting with his roots. He had left disappointed, though not at all surprised at finding nothing extraordinary. But today he was heading towards the woman who had become the root of who he now was, the reason he had opened his doors to humanity despite all his misgivings.

* * * *

Cordelia started the engine and pulled forward, relieved to be doing something. Now all that concerned her was that she had timed it right; otherwise the car would quickly become Swiss cheese and so would her intended passengers. Then something caught her eye, a movement on the warehouse roof. Were they out already?
 
Glancing into the darkness, which was only occasionally pierced by the moon as it poked out from behind a cloud, she couldn’t quite make out what was happening. The engines of Xander’s uber large Tonka toys were still running. They couldn’t be out already. It must have been one of the guards.
 
Glancing around for some reason, she looked down the alley to her right as she passed and there parked in the shadows of yet another warehouse was a car that she knew far to well. “Figures,” she muttered. “She’s gonna be mega pissed.”

* * * *

Willow didn’t want to admit it out loud, but she never thought they’d get this far. She had doubted that she’d ever be able to touch her beloved again. But that wasn’t what sent her heart soaring; it was the realization that Buffy had recognized her touch. “Yes, baby. Hush. We’re here,” she assured her beloved as joy exploded from within her. She pulled Faith to her side. “If I spring that lock, can you lift her out?” she asked.
 
“Can do,” Faith responded.
 
Upon hearing the voice of the woman that she believed had caused all this, Buffy desperately wanted to ask Willow what the hell she was doing here. But she bit her tongue. Her Willow was safe and appeared unhurt. And that was all that really mattered but confusion took over as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening. There had been the sound of running footsteps, then the lights had gone out, the shooting continued, the loud thundering noises, the violent shuddering of the building, and … No, she didn’t have a clue as to what was going on.
 
For the first time Faith could feel Willow drawing energy from her. She’d never felt anything like it before. It was like a punch in her gut, she winced at the sensations but upon hearing the padlock release and open, the pain was gone. ‘Rocking wicked. Red’s really got a handle on this Hocus Pocus stuff.’
 
Reaching up she pulled the cage door open, cringing and freezing as the hinges creaked. The sound seemed to travel through the darkness like a cannon shot. A cold chill ran down her spine but realizing that it was now too late; she opened the door completely and began to reach inside.

* * * *

Landing by the back wall, Angel observed all that he could before moving forward to pick off the closest of Buffy’s attackers. He could feel the heat of the hunt rising within him, as it always did before a fight. As he had a thousand times before, he instinctively balanced his inner demons, setting aside the ever-present hunger. This wasn’t about feeding. Why did he always have to feel that urge? Even after all these years, he couldn’t just dismiss it or ignore it. When would it ever end? Would he ever truly be free?
 
Reaching out he vented his frustrations by grabbing the attacker’s gun. He used the rifle butt to knock the guy out. The thud of contact followed by the sound of a crumpling body falling to the ground did nothing to subdue his internal rage and exasperation. Then hearing creaking metal, he froze.

* * * *

Buffy recognized the voice of her guard as he yelled. “S-o-m-e-o-n-e’s b-y t-h-e c-a-g-e.”
 
“Willow?” Faith questioned, as a bullet zipped past her ear and into the cage. “Buffy? Red, turn on the lights so I can get her or they’re going to hit her!”
 
Grasping Faith’s hand, Willow released her hold on the lights and the sudden blinding brightness momentarily halted the hail of bullets. “Don’t let go of me. You’ll have to get her out with one hand. Let me know when you’ve got hold of her,” Willow instructed, as she turned to face their attackers.
 
Transferring the energy from their bond, she raised her free hand and muttered “Compello Contego.” A faint light blue shield began to form in front of her, spreading with speed to surround her, Faith and the cage within which Buffy was still trapped. But as the shield increased in size, she allowed herself a momentary look at the two groups of armed men. And for that moment Willow thought she’d lost hold of that charm in her rush to protect them, as a bullet seemed to almost drill its way through the shield before dropping harmlessly to the floor.

* * * *

Giles made room for Xander as the young man climbed up beside him, making the cab feel even more like a sardine can than it had before. Drawing the wrecking ball back and securing it, Giles altered the trajectory, using his best guess for the location of the various muzzle shots he had seen but ignored until now. “Ready?” he asked.
 
“Whenever you are,” Xander responded, just before being blinded. “What the he …”
 
Giles instinctively shut his eyes against the sudden explosion of lights going on within the building and let go of the wrecking ball. “Now! We have to go now! With any luck they’re just as blind as we are.” Grabbing Xander by the scruff of the neck he essentially dragged the confused young man toward Anya, heads down as they tried to regain their sight.

* * * *

As Faith tried to pull Buffy’s dead weight out, she suddenly met resistance. Something was holding Buffy securely. “What the …?” She pulled harder, only to elicit a grunt and mumbled curse from Buffy. Without thinking, she let go of Willow’s hand and reached into the cage with both hands.
 
“Faith!” Willow screamed as their shield dissolved and a bullet flew past her ear. However what she didn’t see were the two other bullets that struck the rope from which the cage was suspended, splitting its fibers.
 
Realizing what she had just done, Faith quickly fumbled to recapture Willow’s hand as they both instinctively ducked the hail of bullets. She felt so stupid and now she’d lost track of where Willow’s hand was. Suddenly she felt it graze hers and latched onto it.
 
Willow threw the shield flew back into life, her remaining frustrated anger pushed her to take the lights back too and somehow she knew that Faith knew she was sending her a murderous look.
 
“Sorry. But she’s stuck,” Faith offered by way of explanation.
 
“Stuck?”
 
“Yeah, she won’t budge. Something’s got hold of her,” Faith went on. Desperate to make up for her lapse, she followed her explanation with another attempt, oblivious to the fact that Willow had no way of seeing that she was again pulling at Buffy’s bound form.
 
“Hey!” Buffy complained.
 
“Sorry,” Faith pleaded, letting go of the tethered woman she was supposed to be helping to rescue. Her frustration building, she thought ‘Give me a break; even the Mayor wasn’t this much trouble. But – this – this I can’t afford to screw up.’
 
Bending down to look under the cage, a flash of moonlight briefly gave Willow the light she needed to discover the problem. “One of the ropes is caught around some kinda hook under the cage.”
 
Buffy internally cursed, knowing that her earlier wriggling had probably caused this. ‘Great if I’d just stayed put instead of trying to get a better look at that ugly butt-faced guard ...’
 
“Can you get to it?” Faith asked.
 
“I think so,” Willow replied, leaning out over the ceiling to reach under the cage. As she did so, there was a deafening creak and crack as the splintered ropes stretched and broke. For a moment Willow thought a bullet had made it through the shield, but then she realized that she still had hold of Faith’s hand.
 
“Willow!” Faith yelled as she felt the cage begin to drop, instinctively pulling back the Wiccan with all her might resulting in Willow only just avoiding being hit by the cage as it plunged downwards. Faith, unable to reach Buffy, grabbed for one of the cage bars, missing at first but then grasping another securely. “Brace yourself!” she shouted at Willow.
 
“What?” Willow questioned, only just realizing what was happening and reaching out as the first few bars slipped through her hand. Her heart sank until she too was able to get hold of one of the bars just as base of the cage crashed into the suspended ceiling. “Buffy?!??”

* * * *

Angel couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Suddenly all his concern that Willow shouldn’t know he was here flew out the window as he sprang over their attackers and toward the struggling duo, only to collide with the shield. “Uhhhgggg!!” He fell to his knees, glaring at the shield. He could only stare as the cage plunged through the ceiling, while Willow and Faith tried desperately to halt its fall.
 
“Willow?” he called out as he watched. Despite having braced their legs, the two young women were pulled to their knees just before the cage was halted by their sheer strength and determination.
 
The two women strained to hold their ground and in doing so something had to give. Willow released the lights again, resulting in their plight being illuminated for all to see.
 
“WILLOW!” Angel yelled in frustration, as his body was pelted with bullets.
 
When Willow was finally able to steal a quick look behind her, Angel could see that her face was filled with shock, confusion, stress and momentary fear. “Let me through. Now!!!” he insisted.

Now besides physically struggling with Faith to hold on to Buffy’s cage, Willow tried desperately to understand what else was happening. She threw confused and baffled glances from Angel to Faith to Buffy in the desperate hope that one of them, any of them would just take over. But they all seemed to be looking at her, all with looks of anticipation and she realized that they were expecting her to know what to do. When had she become the decision maker? But with one more glance at the pleading yet trusting eyes of her beloved, she recovered.
 
As yet another bullet struck Angel, throwing his shoulders forward, she made her choice. “Faith?” she asked, realizing that if she let Angel through the shield Faith would be the most likely to catch a stray bullet. Receiving an understanding nod from the other Slayer, she turned and concentrated on the shield, opening a doorway.
 
Angel fell through the door and Willow closed it as quickly as she could. Glancing back at Faith, she sighed as the dark slayer winked “Not a scratch.”
 
Within seconds Angel was beside them, reaching over to grab onto the cage. “We have to pull it up,” he stated unnecessarily, staring down at the bound form of Buffy … no Willow … no Buffy.
 
“On three,” yelled Faith.

* * * *

As Cordelia drove towards the corner of the yard, the sound of gunfire became clearer. She couldn’t quite get over just how loud gunfire really was. Most of the time the battles that she was part of were fought with close range weaponry. Thankfully twentieth century man-made weapons were something that most demons and nether-world types seemed to avoid.
 
She’d expected to see the terribly terrific trio waiting for her signal, but there was no sign of Anya’s vehicle. Concern filled her as she slowed the car, flashing on and off the headlights as she approached the corner of the yard. She held her breath.
 
‘Where the hell are they? What’s been happening? Why are the lights back on? What’s gone wrong?’ Her mind swung from one unexpected and unwelcome thought to another and the last picture to form in her mind was the image of Faith running from a hail of bullets. Cordelia felt sick and, for a moment, she thought she was going to be physically ill. But suddenly a movement caught her eye.
 
Three figures were moving towards her. ‘Why aren’t they running?’ she wondered as one of them gestured to her, beckoning her to join them. One of the others was carrying a gun! The larger figure appeared to be limping … no … they were dragging him. OH GOD! They were dragging Giles, trying to carry him.

* * * *

Buffy stared up at her ever-increasing group of rescuers. Here were the two people who had caused her more pain and heartache than possibly anyone or anything else in her life, more than all the demons and monsters she had faced, more than her father. Actually, him she’d kinda understood. He couldn’t deal with her being different, but then he probably wouldn’t have been able to deal with her as a regular girl for much longer than he had either. For a long time she’d given herself the label of ‘Distructo girl’, pretty certain she’d been the cause of the implosion of her relationships with both Angel and Faith, as well as her parents’ break-up.
 
But here and now with these two, was the one person she never wanted to feel that way about and knew she never would. Yes, SHE was the one. Buffy knew that now, everything she was feeling, having her so close, was so sharp, so real, so raw and that it frightened her. How could she not have known it, not have realized it before?
 
Shaking her fears aside, she recognized the fact that getting out of here anytime soon was quickly becoming less of a given and more a matter of keeping everything crossed, hoping for some good luck and maybe even getting a little into that religion thingy. She’d never been big on the whole Powers That Be, supreme deity/god fest, but right now she’d consider just about anything if it would guarantee that Willow and she made it out of here alive.
 
The determination on her true love’s face was just so glorious to see, even if it was like looking in a mirror. It almost made her forget the fact that she’d brought Faith with her. But then she remembered and confusion reigned again. Did Willow really believe they might have a future together or was she only here to get their body switch thing sorted out? NO! She’d asked Willow for a date and Willow had said yes, hadn’t she?

* * * *

Angel glanced down at the fragile and bound woman below him. He was more than a little thrown by the reality of it all as well as his reaction to it. It had been one thing to know that they had swapped bodies but it was quite another to actually see the evidence right in front of him. He couldn’t quite identify or reconcile what had been wrong about her stance, her posture, her actions. Plus she smelled all wrong. Even though he knew that he was dealing with Willow/Buffy and Buffy/Willow.
 
But below him were the eyes of the woman he knew and loved staring up at them in complete confusion and … could it be fear? This wasn’t what he had expected to find, then again he wasn’t sure exactly what he had expected. He wasn’t even sure why he was here.

* * * *

Giles stared at his watch for the third time in as many minutes as he tried to ignore the numbness in his lower leg. Damn, that tourniquet was tight. Xander was headed back towards the warehouse with Cordelia in tow. He hadn’t even tried to stop them.
 
Maybe because after what Xander had just done, he didn’t feel he had the right to interfere with the young man.
 
Killing the man would have been easy but not killing him, even though he had the young man’s girlfriend in his gun sights --- that took something beyond the normal human response and reaction. Giles had suddenly realized that he was watching them all grow up before his eyes. He truly hoped that he would have the opportunity to watch them all continue to grow and mature for many more years to come.
 
True that man with the gun wouldn’t be walking or breeding anytime soon, but he was still alive. The sudden illumination and then loss of light had been all that Xander had needed.
 
Anya was still a wreck, so much so that against all of his expectations she was actually sitting in silence, allowing his thoughts to continue to wander.
 
Giles had almost missed the clue that Xander was about to take drastic action but as he suddenly saw that unmistakable look of determination cross the young man’s face; that same look that he had seen so many times on Buffy’s face and occasionally on Willow’s … oh, what did they call it … oh, yes … on Willow’s ‘Resolve Face’. He’d quickly moved to drag Anya away. That’s when he’d finally been caught by one of those infernal projectiles. ‘Bullets and guns! Where’s the honor in a gun? Now, fencing --- that was a duel of skill … for gentlemen.’ Where the second man had come from, he had no idea.
 
His memory of what had followed was a blur. He was almost certain that there had been biting involved from the gunman’s screams of protest and Anya’s bruised jaw. He recalled swinging a pipe and Xander telling him to duck, but the rest was terribly foggy. But they had survived, to emerge with two semi-automatic weapons and a hand grenade. And it took quite a bit of persuading to convince Anya to give up the weapons to the others.

* * * *

Watching the tied and bound figure below her, Willow swallowed her fear. “Buffy, oh Buffy, I’m so sorry,” Willow exclaimed as she looked at the confused and frightened face of her beloved. Straining to keep hold of not only the cage but also of Faith’s hand, she solemnly swore “We’ll get you out of there, I promise” as she held back the tears of frustration she could feel building; not realizing that Buffy’s look of confusion was more because of Faith and Angel’s presence, as well as the possibility of her soul mate being injured during this rescue attempt than the partial dropping of her cage.
 
Seeing the sheer emotion in Willow’s eyes and hearing her voice almost crack, Buffy was momentarily lost. How could she ever be mad or doubt her wonderful sweet darling Willow? Drawing on all her years of waiting, she threw her true love a brilliant and encouraging smile, “Any time your ready.”
 
“On three,” Angel reminded them, ignoring the annoyed look that Faith was throwing him. “One – Two – Three,” he called and heaved with all his might, pulling the cage up. Elation filled him as he saw it rise, but the feeling was short-lived as the cage caught on part of the suspended ceiling it had crashed through.

* * * *

As Xander moved stealthily toward the front of the warehouse, Cordelia was close on his heels. Glancing over his shoulder he took note of the car’s location. “Keep it low, Chase. I’m sorta figurin’ whoever’s left in there … they’re either trapped in the part we tin canned or they’re part of the AK49 show going on in the back. So we’re taking the front door option,” he stated, cocking the semi he had recently acquired. “I can’t believe he’s here. She specifically told him to stay away. So I suppose dead equals deaf now - huh? It’s no secret - Angel may technically be our friend, but I don’t like the guy. If he’s in there messing with the Wiffy smooches – I may need to plead the 5th later.”
 
“Keep your dislike under wraps, Xander. I’m sure he’s just here to help,” Cordelia asserted, although she was more than a little unsure that this was actually true. What came as less of a surprise to her was that Angel wasn’t really her main worry right now; concern for the dark haired slayer was at the front of her thoughts. “We’re just going in there to do the same – Okay?”
 
“I’m big with the seventh cavalry theme. But let’s go more with the Johnny Wayne, not the General Custer! Okay?” Xander stated, as he blew off the lock. Pulling Cordelia behind him, he stepped to one side before throwing open the door.

* * * *

Faith could feel the muscles in her arms beginning to stretch, strain and tear under the weight of the cage. They weren’t going to be able to hold this much longer. “Willow, can you do that ‘light as a feather’ thing again?” she asked.
 
“What?” Angel asked, glancing at the inappropriate person beside him. He couldn’t help feeling that neither this dark-haired former failure of a slayer nor the false temporary slayer should be here rescuing the woman he loved, the only real slayer in his mind. This should be his job and his job only. He was trying to lift the cage, but these two didn’t seem interested in helping him.
 
“Maybe. But I’m not sure I could hold it for long without you,” she honestly replied, assuming that Faith wanted her to float down and release Buffy.
 
Seeing Willow glance down at Buffy, Faith realized she had been misunderstood. “Not us – the cage!”
 
“What – oh – uhh … Yes … yes. I could do that. But - the shield?”
 
“Oh? Not enough juice for both?” Faith stated answering her own question. Then she glanced at Angel. “What about dead boy?”
 
Angel glanced at Faith, for once allowing that infernal nickname to get under his skin. He gave her his best glare of annoyance.
 
“You wanna be useful or what?” Faith asked, with barefaced bravado.
 
Glancing at Angel, Willow let Faith’s idea sink in. Releasing her bar of the cage, she quickly moved her hand to overlap one of Angel’s. “Don’t move your hand,” she ordered, switching her attention to the cage below them.

* * * *

Buffy so wanted to be up there, not down here. She wanted to be holding Willow, whispering, telling her everything that she felt, risking all that she had, all that she was. She wanted to shower her lovely brave witch with kisses, smooth her deeply frowning brow and make life simple again. Had their lives ever been simple? But instead she was down here, tied up like some sacrificial offering, being stared at with looks of concern by her ex-lover and the woman who had caused all this to happen.
 
Somewhere deep inside she realized that this, here and now, was when it would have to happen. She was going to have to open her mouth, speak up and let out the scream of truth that had been building within her for so long.
 
‘My life stinks. And not just with that “milk gone past its best by date” smell. Oh no. This is the “stinky week-old rotting fish” smell especially reserved for slayers who try to have a life. Why couldn't we have like a balcony moment or a romantic dinner and moonlit walk? Would that be too run-of-the-mill? Okay, what about a beautiful ring in a glass of lemonade or would that be too corny? I guess even a “hey babe, what about it?” written on a dirty napkin’s probably more than I could hope for.’ Buffy laughed to herself at the sheer predictability that was the high drama of her life.
 
Willow, her dear shy Willow would never do it first. She would never be the one to put herself out there and risk everything, risk their current relationship, their bestest friendship status. It had to be Buffy and she knew that. In the twisted script that was her life, she was going to have to declare her feelings first. And she was going to have to do it now. Only that, would un-switch this weirdness and end this Freudian nightmare. But to get everything back as it should be; she was going to have to do it with an audience!

* * * *

Cordelia followed Xander down the corridor, testing each door as they passed. But they were all locked, which seemed to be unnerving Xander, who kept throwing her confused glances like she had a clue what he was on about.
 
‘Not cool. Why would they lock doors? They'd want access, free and easy access,’ Xander fumed in his head. ‘Forget it!! We need to get to the back of the building. That’s where the action is,’ he thought, listening to the distant rattle of gunfire.
 
Reaching the end of the corridor, he tested the last door and the handle moved. He froze! He could hear movement; no - voices from behind it and he threw Cordelia a warning look. She dutifully stepped back, bracing herself against the opposite wall, and hesitantly raised her weapon.
 
Looking at her, he mouthed ‘one – two – three’ before turning the handle and throwing the door open.

* * * *

Watching the scene below him unfold, Angel caught the look in Buffy’s very new and different eyes. She was staring with hope and … longing … at … at Willow. It was a look that he had never seen aimed at him. He didn’t fully grasp what a shock to his system it was until his sixth sense forced him to look at Willow, only to see the same shy hope in her eyes.
 
‘Damn it, you knew this!’ his demon reminded him. ‘Cordelia told you. Did you honestly believe it wasn’t true? What kind of fool are you?’ He could almost hear the laughter. ‘But it doesn’t have to matter. Feelings just get in the way. You could take her. She could be yours forever … until the end of time,’ the demon suggested, calling on the memories of loss that flew back into Angel’s mind as he recalled having to leave her.
 
Angel shook the thought away, guilt-ridden that it had somehow been possible for the darkness that haunted him to draw on even his most sincere feelings and memories, and turn them against him, against her.

* * * *

Willow began to concentrate on the cage when suddenly the door of the room below them burst open. Her heart leapt into her mouth and she held her breath. She could feel Angel and Faith tense in anticipation of the worst. But then Angel strangely relaxed, causing Willow to throw him a questioning glance.
 
The muzzle of a gun peeped into the room, doing nothing to lower her blood pressure. But then a familiar figure came into view and looked at up at them with a stupidly grinning face.
 
“Gee, Will. Extreme dating or what?” Xander smirked.
 
As Cordelia followed him into the room, she elbowed him in the ribs and muttered under her breath, “This from Mr. ‘Anya Honey, I can beg if you need me to’.”
 
“Hey!” he protested half-heartedly, before moving towards Buffy’s cage. Looking up at her, he asked anxiously “You still with us?”
 
Buffy simply nodded, a lump forming in her throat as she realized that almost everyone was here. ‘Is this how it will always be? Is this what Willow would, hopefully, be saying yes to? Never having complete privacy, everyone assuming they know our business, because they feel like they know everything about us.’ She looked up at Willow, only to see a combination of amusement and annoyance on her face.
 
Angel coughed, finding it almost impossible to hide the discomfort at the emotions he could feel flowing between them. “Willow?” he questioned looking at their joined hands.
 
“Oh … yes … Yes. Xander, Cordelia, please stand back,” Willow instructed as she tapped into her physical connection with Faith and Angel, preparing for whatever energy she could draw. But she was caught unawares by the darkness and sheer force of the power from the vampire that charged at her, not into her as much as at her. It was so base, so nether-worldly, so ferocious. ‘What the…?’ It was too much for her to take. It seemed to batter down her controls, her center vanished and then she was flying.
 
“Willow?” Faith called as their hands were torn apart.
 
Away from Faith and Angel, she flew towards the cage, which also seemed to be dropping. Towards its open door and down inside it, towards … Buffy! ‘Oh no, I’m going to crush her!’ was all she had time to think of as she threw her hands out in front of her. Maybe if she could just support her fall, cushion the landing ...
 
“Uuuuugggghhhhhhhmmmmmmmffff!!!” was all that Willow managed as every last ounce of air was forced from her lungs by the impact, first into Buffy and, then mere seconds later, as the cage hit the ground. The matching grunts of protest that escaped her beloved did nothing to make matters any better.
 
“Buffy? Willow?” Xander yelled, as he hurled himself towards the plummeting cage and his two oldest friends. But something caught him and pulled him back.
 
“Whoa there, cowboy,” Cordelia exclaimed, as she pulled him back, pretty certain that Anya would skin her alive if she let Xander get crushed. But as soon as she had stopped him, she threw a concerned look up at one of the two figures standing over the hole in the ceiling.

* * * *

Through his confusion at what had just happened, Angel realized that the shield had fallen as a bullet whistled past his ear. Reaching out he grabbed Faith and pulled her in front of him, using himself as a bulletproof vest to absorb the hail of bullets that flew at them. “You’ve got to get out of here,” he stated, as his body shook in response to the bullets peppering his body.
 
“No kiddin’,” Faith stated, glancing down into the room below. Seeing Cordelia’s concerned face, she grinned and forced her way out of the vampire’s embrace, stepping over the edge and launching herself to land just clear of the cage. As she plunged through the plume of dust thrown up by the cage’s landing, she yelled. “Geronimo!”
 
Angel huffed at the infantile approach Faith had to fighting and just about all threats to her mortality. Then another bullet pieced his back and he felt it tickle its way into his body, causing him annoyance. Growling, he turned to face the men who just didn’t seem to understand that they couldn’t kill him. The best they could manage was to piss him off and, boy, were they doing a good job of that.

* * * *

Buffy tried to regain her breath despite the weight pressing down on her. Gasping, she couldn’t help feel emotions building at the closeness of her precious witch. She was here, they were together, well kinda. All her wishing, all her hoping that Willow was still alive, that she could finally tell her how she felt was almost a reality. She'd been hoping she would have the chance to speak to Willow, to admit all that she had in her heart, but now that she was finally here … Buffy just couldn’t seem to gather her thoughts, let alone find the perfect words. It was like an impulsive reaction as forced out the first thing that popped into her head, between gulps for air, “So … did ya’ … miss me?” Buffy managed with a desperate grin.
 
The sound of her own voice threw Willow for a split second but the sympathetic panting from the body below her left her in no doubt where the question had come from. Willow laughed nervously, feeling Buffy gasping for air below her, before realizing the truth of the question. Raising herself up she stared at the woman she loved. Looking sincerely into her beloved’s eyes she responded “More than you’ll ever know.”
 
The look of hope and joy that appeared in Buffy’s eyes … her own eyes … Buffy’s eyes was all that she needed. Finally giving in to the longing and the relief at being this close to the only person she had ever truly loved, Willow leaned down, her eyes wide open. Their eyes locked, Buffy was staring deep into her very soul as Willow repeated “More than you’ll ever know.” Throwing all that she felt, all that she’d prayed for into it, she placed the most heartfelt and sincere kiss she had ever attempted onto the lips that visibly shook as she approached.
 
Buffy was lost in that moment, her surroundings disappeared and all she could feel was Willow, her dear sweet Willow. Truth flowing into her, filling her up, warming her and dispelling her fears. But it was so much, almost too much and a sob broke from her throat as she kissed her back, with every bit of longing, every dream she’d never dared dream, all of it. As they both closed their eyes, the sound of gunfire vanished and even breathing was forgotten, as they poured themselves into the kiss.
 
Neither one seemed able to pull back or stop. It was as if they were joined, as if they were one, as if they had finally and truly found each other. Barriers fell, emotions took flight, questions silently asked and answered. Without words they had the conversation that fueled the kiss. The honesty and truth released left them feeling like they were rushing towards a canyon. Willow sensed the edge as they approached it and only her natural instinct to protect the woman she loved allowed her to pull away.
 
Buffy opened her eyes to protest the interruption but the look of genuine care and concern from Willow relieved her frustration. Buffy’s heart seemed to lift into her throat as she attempted to voice her feelings. “I … I kinda … no, I absolutely … I mean I think I always kinda knew that I … This is always so easy in the movies. Babbling? I’m babbling!” Buffy realized, as she looked at Willow’s patient face. “Is it still cute … when I do it?” she asked nervously.
 
“Unh huh,” Willow admitted, blushing as a lump grew in her throat.
 
“What I’m trying to say … and doing a pretty crappy job of it, is … I think I … No, <gulp> … I know that I do … I mean I didn’t know, but I do know now. Damn it, Willow! I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!” Buffy declared loudly for all to hear, her heart and soul wide open.
 
Willow caught her breath before releasing a heart-bursting sob and beaming a smile of disbelief and relief. Leaning forward she kissed Buffy’s nose. “I … I know …” and then moving on to her lips before adding “I love you too. I always have.”
 
Above them, below them, all around them a light began to build, a glowing intense amber as if from their hearts, growing until it was blinding and Willow, still in slayer mode, threw herself back on top of Buffy, shielding her newly-admitted love’s face with her free arm. But even through her closed eyelids Willow could still see the bright, strangely familiar amber light that had suddenly appeared around them.

Chapter 34

Cordelia instinctively reached for Faith’s crouching form as the amber light began to spread towards them. Gripping the dark Slayer firmly by the scruff of her neck she pulled both her and the dumbstruck Xander towards the still open doorway. She wasn’t too sure what the light meant, but she was pretty damn sure that letting it wash all over you was just taking an unnecessary risk.

Faith allowed herself to be drawn away by her wanna-be watcher Cordelia since she didn’t really want to have that light switch her with anyone else’s body. She liked hers just fine.  ‘Switching with Xander – yeeeccchhhh; or Cordelia – ‘mmmm interesting’ she thought staring at the cage and its very intimate contents. Faith just couldn’t take her eyes off the vision before her. Buffy and Willow – together, soooo together and, damn it - she’d been right - in love. Any other time she’d have barfed at and made fun of the ‘lovey dovey’ scene that was playing out before her eyes. But seeing them bathed in the same light that orby thing had thrown out back at the Bronze that first night, after all these two had been through… And here they were - tied, battered, hurt, scared, but fighting to be together. It just made her swell with pride and satisfaction. ‘I’m getting soft in my old age.’ The hand that had been at her collar released her, moving to turn her head away from the light as if she were a small child.

Frustrated she looked up at the hand’s owner, “Hey?”

Cordelia’s face was full of concern and annoyance. “I am not itching to switch with either of you guys, so let’s just keep our distance and not take any risks. Okay?”

* * * *

Buffy could feel her heart bursting as she held onto her Willow - her dear sweet, gentle, passionate and loyal Willow. ‘Oh my … I’m holding her! My arms are holding … My arms! These are my arms … that’s her face …’ Buffy’s mind rambled as she opened her eyes slightly to squint through her eyelids at the face of her true love. ‘We’ve switched back! I’m me, she’s her.’
 
Then she felt it - the instinctual knowledge of power, the restrained muscles, the heightened and anticipatory senses of a slayer. And that slight knot in her stomach that told her that a vampire was near – Angel? Why had he come? Had Willow asked him to help?
 
Willow moved below her, only slightly but she felt it. “Willow?”
 
“Buffy?” Willow mumbled as she suddenly found herself thrown about in her own body, trying to reconnect physically and magically. She squinted. “Dizzy … kinda bright.”
 
“S’okay … I’m here,” Buffy assured her, as every corner of her heart screamed out to protect and comfort the unique and beautiful woman below her. As she tried to raise herself up, an overwhelming spinning began. ‘Whoa’, her mind, still believing she was bound, rejected the idea of movement while her body attempted to obey its orders to move.
 
Willow was faced with a new overwhelming impulse to cry. Swallowing noisily, she raised her head in an attempt to show Buffy just how much her words meant. But a surge of heat suddenly shot from her toes to the top of her head as the Magics welcomed her home.
 
Buffy felt it too. Her reacquired slayer senses picked up the surge of good as Willow once again became a Magic emitter and the blast of warmth almost made her release her true love.

* * * *

Hyatt Ramu drummed his fingers on the desk beside his telephone, impatient for news, yet at the same time preferring that there be none. No news was good news. Yeah, right. Since when? Not since the 1900’s when international communications really took off. That would have been the era for him; he would have thrived during that boom time.
 
But reality came crashing back as without warning his office door flew open allowing a rather pretentious version of Maclay to burst through. “Now this is what I’ve been talking about, this is what I was born to know,” he declared, brushing his hands affectionately over his proudly protruding chest, as he threw back his shoulders and strode into the room with total self-assurance. He showed no regard for the fact that Hyatt was occupying it.
 
Hyatt instinctively made a move to stand, causing his chair to creak, thereby drawing the sharp-eared attention of his visitor.
 
Glancing at him with a look of surprise as if he’d just that moment realized that someone else was present, Maclay raised an eyebrow. “Not that I owe Wolfram & Hart anything since I lived up to my end of the bargain. But for some reason despite having purchased a ticket back to Hicksville, I felt I needed to be here. So here I am.  What’s your excuse?”

* * * *

Xander stood in complete awe, unable to stop the whoop of elation that escaped his lips at the realization that he had just witnessed not only one of his all-time fantasies but that his two best friends had finally found each other. He felt the lump in his chest rise to his throat, stop and swell, just as a dangerous dampness rose within his tear ducts. The urge to cough, to sniff, to do something to hold back the unmanly emotion he could feel building overwhelmed him and he forced a trilogy of coughs in the vain attempt to prevent tears.

Glancing at Cordelia to check that she hadn’t noticed his predicament, he was shocked to see a tear beginning to fall down her own cheek. ‘I don’t believe it - the ice queen is melting.’

Faith simply grinned the widest possible grin she had ever grinned, but although her eyes were also shiny and moist, she was damned if she would cry in public. She had never imagined how good it would feel to do something like this for someone because it was the right thing to do without expecting anything in return - no money, no shiny new knife, not even forgiveness – okay maybe a little forgiveness. Hell, it felt great.

She threw a good-natured punch at Xander’s arm, which elicited a howl. “Owww! Hey, slayer strength. Watch it.” Ignoring the young man, Faith turned to Cordelia, picked her up and happily swung her around. Cordelia’s yelp of surprise shocked Faith who stopped short and looked deeply into the other her friend’s confused eyes. Blushing for the first time that anyone could remember, the Slayer gently put the Seer down and mumbled “Sorry.”

It was Xander’s turn to grin as he looked from Buffy and Willow to Cordelia and Faith. ‘Oh yeah, my fantasy life has just improved soooo much.’

* * * *

Although Angel knew he should be enjoying himself, throwing these mercenaries around like rag dolls wasn’t helping to lower the heat that was rising in his blood. He had lost her. She would no longer be the perfect love he had surrendered. She had moved on. When had she given up on him, on them? When had she stopped believing in their love? When had he lost her? Vainly he searched his memory to try to pinpoint the exact moment, the pivotal event that had caused their love to die. No – her love to die because his feelings hadn’t changed and they never would.

Two men launched themselves at him. Kicking one away to his left, he curled into and threw the other over his shoulder. But what he didn’t notice or remember was that he was standing just in front of the hole in the suspended ceiling. When the satisfying thud of a body didn’t follow, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the man falling to earth, just short of the cage holding the two clinging women who were torturing his thoughts. He was momentarily frozen by the image before him, bathed as it was in a residue of amber and by the look of them as they clung to each other.

She had been the one to change. Her one-time declaration of unending desire and love had obviously been false. She had lied to him. She had led him to believe that she would wait for him, that theirs was the love that would never be denied. He had placed himself in danger to protect her, given up his roaming ways, even helped her to vanquish his sire and the Master. Had she simply been playing him all along… to ensure his help?

A torrent of doubts suddenly invaded his total being, feeding the heat within his blood and weakening his hold on the demon within. He could feel it crawling into the corners of his mind, picking at his weakness, his love for Buffy. ‘You’ve really got it bad for that girl. You think you’re over it, you think you can just walk away, just let her go. But she’s under your skin, in your blood. You’ve tasted her and yet she lives! She made you feel human and that’s not the kind of thing I can forgive,’ his demon murmured into the mounting insane emotions he could feel building.

* * * *

Willow couldn’t take her eyes off the face before her; the amber light that had surrounded them just seemed to draw her even closer towards the woman she loved. “Do you know you’re doing that thing you do with your mouth that boys like? Oh! I didn't mean the bad thing with your mouth that boys like … the other thing that I like … the nice thing that you do with your mouth that I like. I should just stop speaking now,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

Buffy found herself bathing in the sheer Willowness of the woman before her, so sincere and lacking in guile; and then there was the Willow-babble that she had missed so very much. The amber light had taken quite some time to dissipate and it seemed that while it was still present that time had stopped to allow them the briefest of moments to themselves. But an unconscious mercenary suddenly flying past the cage had quickly brought Buffy back to reality.

Glancing over her shoulder Buffy realized that she needed to get Willow out of this cage. She could hear gunshots above them. “Will, it’s okay. I think I know what you mean but if you really need to you can explain it later, when we’re … alone. Right now we need to get you out of this cage,” she explained, sensing that the sudden re-acquaintance with her Magical self had made Willow forget where she was and the danger that surrounded them.

Pulling herself onto her knees Buffy moved her hands under Willow, careful to ensure that she didn’t touch a “no-go” zone. She was pretty damn sure that Willow was finding this ‘close, but not close enough’ thing just as hard as she was, having an audience and all. They certainly didn’t need to make it any harder. She could wait – as if she had a choice.

She couldn’t feel anything holding Willow and so she attempted to lift her true love. But only half way to straightening her back, something pulled Willow back! “What the….?” Buffy questioned.

“She’s still stuck. The rope’s caught beneath the cage,” Faith yelled helpfully.

Buffy threw Faith an instinctive ‘thank you’ look before she realized what she was doing. For some reason she didn’t want to think about right now, the most bizarre grin was plastered across Faith’s somewhat blushing face. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ she wondered, before turning her attention back to her beautiful Witch. She lowered Willow and rolled her onto her side so that she could take a look at the ropes binding her.

* * * *

“And you really think that’s going to help? Okay, okay, if that’s what you want and I can’t talk you out of it. Not that I’d bother trying,” Maclay quipped, disbelief apparent in his tone. “Right now?”

“No, not right this minute,” Hyatt stated, and recalling his many previous meetings with this man, reminded himself ‘be careful with the words – talk about literal.’ He could almost imagine himself reappearing still seated, but with no chair beneath him. “I’ll let you now when and where.”

Maclay huffed in annoyance, raising one condescending eyebrow before retorting. “Take your time. I’ve waited two decades, what are a few more hours? You’d think that I’d learn patience during that long tiresome build up to my birthright, huh, wouldn’t you? But I never understood what the big deal was about patience.”

Hyatt tried to ignore his comment and pulled open his desk drawer but annoyance got the better of him. “You think this is over, don’t you? You think you’re now free of the firm but I have news for you. No one is ever free. Once you sign on, they have you – forever.” There was no bitterness in his tone, just a matter-of-fact statement. However the hollow, empty feeling at his core was in distinct contradiction to his calm exterior as he pictured just what punishment would await him if this all fell apart, which it seemed to be doing.

Standing he nodded, “This isn’t over. Despite your lackluster performance, this plan will work. Even if I have to finish things myself,” he stated as he moved towards the source of his annoyance. “Why is it that only I can see the bigger picture? You just can’t see it, can you? And you most definitely cannot figure it out.”

Maclay threw his head back and laughed. “Oh trust me, sonny, we’re not talking M.I.T here. Talk about a “paint by numbers” performance. A fourth grader could have told you why this wasn’t going to work,” he stated, scratching his ear. “You based all of this on one ill-conceived homophobic notion and that’s what let you down. I, however, provided you with a fall-back based on some very real male norms. But do I hear a thank you, do I hear any appreciation? No. Why is that I wonder?”

“Indeed, a ‘thank you’ would just be good manners wouldn’t it, Mr. Ramu?” the Senior Partner, standing in the doorway, interjected.

* * * *

Xander moved forward eagerly, gesturing for Cordelia and Faith to join him. “C’mon. We need to tip the cage over.” Realizing that he was right, Faith and Cordelia quickly moved to grab the bars of the cage nearest to them. “Buffy, try to hold her steady,” he instructed before nodding to his companions.

Pushing with all their might, they felt the cage slowly begin to move, only to rock back. Confused, Xander stared at the problem through a deep frown. Glancing towards his two best friends, he threw Buffy a look of apology.

A quiet voice broke the momentary silence. “Pull it towards us,” Faith offered, only to have Xander raise an eyebrow in her direction. “If we use our own weight….”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Xander acknowledged, bracing himself. “Ready? Go.” This time the cage didn’t seem to need much persuasion to tip towards them. “Okay, now step back. Come on or we’re waffles.”

Throwing an amused glance at Faith, Cordelia quipped “There’s just no part of this that isn’t fun for Doughnut Boy, is there?” as she quickly stepped clear of the now turning cage.

* * * *

Giles was starting to get more than a little upset. They had been gone far too long. He could sense Anya’s temple twitching, as even the ex-demon began to exude her concern. Tapping the steering wheel with his thumb, he began to chew the inside of his lip while the throbbing of his leg grew worse and unwanted images of what might be going on began to form in his mind.

“How long has it been?” Anya asked.

“Longer than I’d like,” Giles replied, casting her a concerned glance.

Anya raised a questioning eyebrow. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“What am I going to do about it?” Giles mouth fell open as he raised an eyebrow and glanced towards his wound. “Exactly what are you expecting me to be able to do?”

“Something … Watcher-like,” she stated unhelpfully before sighing, “Watching isn’t really very action-packed, is it? No wonder you’re putting on weight.”

“I …” Giles mumbled, losing the ability to speak in the face of Anya’s tactlessness. Subconsciously, he tensed his stomach muscles and glanced at his midriff. ‘Is it visible?’ he wondered as he recalled the entire very large bread and butter pudding he’d absent-mindedly consumed only the other day, while researching the other watcher chronicles for anything useful.

Anya sighed heavily, before adding in her all-to-familiar “ex-vengeance demon” reminiscing tone, “Men just stop trying when they reach a certain age. Why is it okay for a man to let everything sag and wrinkle? What’s really sad is when they somehow manage to surround themselves with young nubile women, forcing them to hang on their every word. If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a thousand times.”

Giles could feel his blood beginning to boil and the only thing that kept his hands from her throat was the thought that somewhere in another dimension, Anya was really being strangled and people were cheering.

* * * *

Angel, oblivious to the joyous events below him, allowed the rage to rise as two of the remaining mercenaries tried to box him in, one from the left, the other from the right. ‘Oh Please! Is this the best they can do?’ he wondered. His eagerness for a real challenge was obviously not about to be satisfied.

Okay, so he’d known what they were sending Faith to do, Cordelia had been pretty clear on that issue. He’d known that it was the right thing to do, that Buffy and he could never truly be. He’d known how much Willow loved Buffy. He’d known he could trust the Witch to never hurt his Slayer, but he hadn’t been prepared for the reality of acknowledging that this was what Buffy wanted too, that Buffy was deeply in love with the woman, that his role had been taken. He was no longer the greatest lost love of Buffy’s life. He was no longer the one she would compare all others to, the only one who had truly shared the Slayer aspect of her life, the only one she would always regret losing.

Buffy hadn’t thrown him anything more than a confused look. There had been no happiness at seeing him. There had been no request for his approval. Why should he have expected one? She’d always challenged him, always fought to be true to herself and he’d respected that. But he’d been her confidant, her confessor – and she’d never confessed this, not even an inkling!

And now he and Buffy were truly finally done.

* * * *

As Buffy untied Willow, she allowed herself to look around, concerned that she had no idea where they were, let alone which way was out. She didn’t like not knowing exactly where she was or how they had gotten to her. Were they going to have to fight their way out? As she glanced towards the open doorway, she couldn’t help wondering with concern where Giles and Anya were. Finally releasing Willow’s hands, she suddenly became tense as they flew back towards her.

“Buffy?” Willow questioned, reaching for her beloved’s face. Concerned by the look of doubt that she had just seen, Willow drew the Slayer’s face towards her own. “Hey, it’s okay,” the Wiccan assured her beloved.

Realizing that Willow was the reason she was free and that this had all been part of a plan made without her did little to quiet her nerves, as she tried to recapture her self-confidence and calm. Her newly reacquired Slayer strength and power did nothing to remove the feeling that she had somehow lost control.

Willow offered her beloved yet another reassuring smile before turning to their audience. “Xander, where’s the car?”

“Out front, engine running,” Xander replied, trying to hide his concern at the silence that had suddenly overtaken Buffy.

When neither on of them appeared ready to start moving, Cordelia sighed and raised an impatient eyebrow. “I’m not sure how long Angel will be able to hold them back,” she pointed out in her best ‘annoyed and know-it-all’ voice. “We need to get moving. NOW!”

* * * *

“So you want me to take you right to her, no matter where she is or who’s with her?” Maclay asked the young man. His questioning arched eyebrow supported by a glint of mischief helped to cover his inner irritation at having orders barked at him by this upstart. There was something about this cocky young man that almost reminded him of himself, all those years ago, eager for quick success, ready to take risks, ready to skim the edge. Time and his family had taught him a painful lesson, one he’d never forgotten. And for some reason a lesson he was itching to pass on – ‘someone always wants it more than you do – so get rid of him or her first.’

Watching Hyatt Ramu with the same interest he usually reserved for his thoroughbred Arabian stallion, Holland Manners wondered if instinct or arrogance would win out. “I believe that’s exactly what this young man’s after,” he asserted, somewhat amused by the almost manic determination in the eyes of the man. ‘How quickly will the seams appear to split; no one tailors young suits like they used to. So unless I’m gravely mistaken, he will have to be rebuilt like all the others.’ But perhaps this would be the one who would be worthy of his position, perhaps this one would not have to be rescued and restored by him.

“Just make sure I’m facing her and there’s no one between us,” Hyatt ordered. “Give me twenty seconds, then pull me right back,” he reminded the Mage as he reached into his desk drawer for the equalizer before moving towards Maclay and nodding.

Holland Manners hid his grin at the cocky tilt of the young man’s chin and the dismissive way he ordered Maclay around. Having no fear was one thing, thinking that you will never need someone you’ve just walked over was quite another. He liked what he saw.

But Maclay didn’t seem bothered, as he nodded in return and gestured briefly, speaking under his breath. There was no immediate discernable change to their surroundings and Hyatt Ramu stared at him in irritation for the briefest of moments, then the shimmering began.

* * * *

Just ahead of them Cordelia and Xander shot through the exit as gunfire broke out somewhere nearby, but Buffy was unable to tell where it was coming from. She ground to a halt and pulled Willow back from the exit, her instincts taking over. The look of surprise and annoyance on her true love’s face shook her slightly. “Sorry, Will.”

“Giles and Anya are out there waiting for us. We have to hurry,” Willow declared impatiently.

“I know, Will. But we don’t know who else is out there waiting for us,” Buffy explained, reaching out to hold Willow’s shoulders as if that would somehow make her listen more intently. “I’ve no intention of taking unnecessary risks when we don’t need to. You could cut the lights,” she suggested. But upon seeing the slight confusion still evident on the witch’s face, Buffy found herself adding “I don’t want to risk losing you, when I’ve only just… when we’ve only just… Will?” she pleaded, hoping that her true love would simply accept and understand what she was struggling to put into words.

The concerned appeal for understanding that was unmistakably apparent in Buffy’s loving face and voice forced Willow’s eagerness to dissolve. “Okay. I’m just scared that if we hang around any longer… I just want to get you away from here, away from them,” Willow explained leaning closer to her Slayer. “Somewhere less… precarious to our health, where we can… continue our… talk.”

Reaching up to gently stroke Willow’s cheek, Buffy smiled. “Talk, mmm… Okay but no fair if you’re gonna use big words, or even a lot of little ones.”

* * * *

Cordelia threw a look over her shoulder as they approached the fence and the waiting car. Anya had the rear door open and ready, a look of annoyance on her face that left no doubt she was pretty pissed at having been kept waiting. Realizing that no one was following them, the Seer slowed, allowing the bulkier, ‘not so much a sprinter’ that was Xander to overtake her.

As Xander launched himself over the car hood and towards the passenger side of the car, like something out of Miami Vice, certainly scratching his paintwork, Giles was too distracted to notice his actions. He’d been focused on Cordelia’s almost skidding halt. Looking past her towards the warehouse, he realized they were alone and his heart sank.

Xander dove into the front passenger seat, by lifting Anya onto his lap, leaving the back seat free, only to be greeted by a glaring Giles. “Where are they?”

The young man knitted his eyebrows momentarily confused until he realized that Cordelia wasn’t in the back seat and that no one else was arriving to board their getaway car. “They were right behind us.”

* * * *

Having stopped just behind Buffy and Willow, Faith shook her head and smiled warmly as she watched the brief tender scene before her. She knew that she should break them up; that this was neither the time nor place, but she just couldn’t. And she couldn’t believe the softie she was turning into.

Then she heard the click.

Faith instantly knew what it was and a shiver ran down her spine. Catching a slight movement to her right in that darkened doorway, she knew that she didn’t have time to warn them. There was only one thing that she could do. She had to protect them at any cost. She launched herself and flew through the air towards their mysterious attacker. Her arcing trajectory brought her between the loving couple and the would-be assassin’s hiding place, as a muzzle flash momentarily illuminated a familiar face.

Something ripped into her lower right thigh, like a searing red-hot poker, but her Slayer momentum kept her going. However, just as she almost managed to reach the dark shape of their attacker, certain that she could wrestle whoever it was to the ground, the shadowy figure seemed to shimmer and then disappear. “What the…?” she exclaimed as she hit the doorframe hard.

Hearing the gunfire, Buffy and Willow released each other and turned in shock as they witnessed the dark-haired Slayer’s actions. Once she had landed, they raced to her side. As Willow knelt over Faith searching for her wound, Buffy rushed through the darkened doorway.

Faith shook her head, trying to remember what she’d just done and why her thigh felt like it was on fire. Looking down she saw that she was bleeding profusely from her wound. Looking up at Willow and regaining her senses, she barked out her instructions, “Get Buffy and get out of here,” she ordered, “He may come back.”

“Let me take a look,” Willow insisted, attempting to determine the severity of Faith’s injury through all the blood.

Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, the dark Slayer’s brows knit together. “There’s no time. You have to get out now. I’ll only slow you down,” Faith insisted, as Buffy returned only to shake her head, indicating she hadn’t found their attacker.

Willow glared at Faith. “Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what Cordy will do to me if I leave you here?”

“And not just to you,” Buffy added, supporting Willow and now a little less concerned that staying here was really any safer than charging out into the open and sprinting for the car.

“Trust me, she’s not that scary. I’ll be… unnggh… five by… five. Just get outta here,” Faith ordered through gritted teeth. “I’ll be right behind you. OK?”

“Oh sure. And having you behind me is meant to be comforting? I don’t think so,” Buffy stated in a no-nonsense voice. But seeing the honest disappointment and hurt in Faith’s eyes, she realized that her attempt at humor had been badly timed. “Besides… we never leave any of our own behind.”

At that, Faith raised her head and gave Buffy an intense look filled with quiet amazement and gratitude. Willow cast a quick holding spell to slow the dark slayer’s loss of blood and then without thinking she tried to lift her. When she hardly managed to move the woman, she huffed in annoyance before remembering that she’d lost her borrowed Slayer strength.

“I think that’s my gig,” Buffy said, as she gently moved Willow out of the way. “Check the door and get that lights mojo-thingy ready. We’re gonna get moving the minute I have her,” she added as she squatted and raised Faith easily onto her shoulder.

Willow moved to the exit and taking a quick glance outside, located the car. “Okay, all clear.” Holding her hand out towards Buffy, she added “I’ve spotted where the car is, so I’ll lead the way.” Seeing Buffy stare at her hand in confusion, Willow added “I’m gonna need to draw a little Slayer magic for this.”

“A little slayer what?” Buffy questioned, still gazing intently at her extended hand. For a moment she’d thought Willow was just being really sweet, if a little inappropriate, considering their current circumstances and the bleeding Slayer on her shoulder, but apparently she’d missed something.

“Watch out B. It kinda tickles and tingles the first time… in a nice way though,” muttered Faith from her less than dignified position on Buffy’s shoulder.

“It what?” Buffy exclaimed.

Willow thought that her beloved’s eyebrows were going to shoot up and off her forehead, and despite the gravity of the situation she smiled. “I need to draw Slayer magic to turn the lights off, and to do that we need to hold hands. And, Faith’s getting to weak with her injury.”

Casting her mind back to their arrival, Buffy remembered that she had seen Willow and Faith holding hands. She recalled how jealous it had made her, but now realization dawned. ‘Willow had been drawing Magic from Faith.’ “Wait! I have Magic??”

“Give that girl a prize. Yep B, you got Magic. I got Magic. We all got Magic. Yippee Deee. Who’d’a guessed?” muttered Faith, any patience for this explanation game having long since disappeared now that she was oozing blood and getting quite lightheaded. “Get over it and grab your girlfriend’s hand before some smart ass takes a shot at mine.”

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