Chapter 1

"Hey Giles? What's "The Sentinel" besides a failed show from UPN?" The Watcher turned to face Willow Rosenberg as he answered her question. "The what?" She pointed at the book she was in the process of scanning, and started reading a passage. "The Sentinel, the light's guardian at the mouth of Hell until the end of days." He straightened his glasses and moved to read over her shoulder as she continued. "I mean since we live on the mouth of Hell and all I figured it might be something we should know about." "What should we know about?" Both Willow and Giles looked up abruptly at the appearance of the slayers. Giles then looked at Buffy. "I believe you should learn how to knock." She just grinned at him as the pair tried to squeeze in and see what they were looking at.

He then took a breath. "Well, according to this book The Sentinel is "A champion of light sent to stand guard at the gates of Hell until the end of the world." Faith then spoke. "Well he must be asleep at the wheel when you think about how many times we've had to keep the Hellmouth from opening." Giles shook his head as he continued to read. "No, it says that the darkness learned of his mission and fielded an army to stop him, yet "No claw, nor fang, nor blade, nor burn could fell him." In the end they had to chain him up and seal him in stone." Buffy scrunched in closer. "He kinda sounds like The Judge." Giles shrugged. "Well perhaps he was his counter part, a being of similar age and power. Either way I believe this deserves more research. To start I believe we should go through the books we managed to recover from Dracula's lair." Willow smiled. "After Faith suggested it." Faith smirked. "Well I like to think of it as a kinder, gentler version of "want, take, have" I mean it's my job to dust them anyways. So I see no reason not to take their stuff. Bastard should have known better then to try for my girl. No one nibbles on B's neck but me."

Buffy smiled at Faith. "Yeah, yeah. Well he wasn't able to get into the mansion, and Spike was a great help in tracking him down, and between us we finished him off nicely." Willow then quirked her brow. "Speaking of Spike, where is he?" Faith smirked once more. "Well when I last saw him he was in the chick pit with the Brides of Dracula." Giles gave Faith a surprised expression. "Didn't you help him?" Faith laughed at that. "I believe his exact words were. "Bugger off, or I swear chip or no I'll kill you." Buffy smiled. "Well I'll trust that Spike will do the right thing, eventually. I'm more worried about Xander, even as Dracula's "man-bitch" he was still pretty dangerous with a gun." Willow was entering commands into her laptop computer as she spoke. "I think he's ok. I mean he and Anya are already out apartment hunting, and he's signed up for the guard." Buffy nodded. "Still, let's try him anyway, if he brings Anya that's another set of eyes."

Faith seemed to think. "Should we get Spike too?" Buffy nodded once more. "Yeah, I mean Spike was one of those reassembling The Judge, so he might know something, and even if he doesn't he is another set of eyes." Faith laughed. "It will be worth it just to see Spike helping with research." Willow then looked up. "I'll call him." The other three people in the room looked at her wide eyed and she smiled. "I set Spike up with phone service." The all seemed startled when Buffy then spoke. "All right, then will you call him?" Willow smiled. "I'll call Tara, Xander, and Anya too." They nodded as a group and as Willow moved to the phone Giles picked up several books and stacked them as he moved to a fresh tabletop. "So B, you really trust Spike to help us?" Buffy grinned. "TRUST is probably a little strong, but you do, and I trust you."

Faith rolled her tongue inside her mouth. "Great, so my good word is at stake." Buffy slid closer and gave Faith a hug. "Nah, you just got me whipped." Faith pressed into the hug. "You saying you've been a naughty slayer?" Buffy inched up and gave Faith a kiss. "I thought you were the naughty slayer." Faith pressed harder into the kiss. "I am, very, VERY naughty, but I picked up a case of responsibility somewhere along the line. I guess I should have used protection." Giles looked up and spoke dryly. "Don't worry. It seems to be a mild case." The two girls stared at him for several beats as Buffy spoke. "Right, research." Faith spoke right after her. "Research." The two girls sat down at the main table and cracked open books. Buffy then whispered to Faith. "Still, if Whistler could go good maybe Spike could to." Faith arched a brow. "Right."

Buffy grinned and then Faith did as well and the two fell silent, the only sound in the room being the turning of pages and the sounds of Willow on the phone. Once she had finished making the calls a total silence took over until it was broken by the arrival of Xander and his girlfriend Anya, who also did not knock. Something Giles felt the need to comment on. "It seem that all the expense of putting in a knocker was a waste." Buffy gave her Watcher a confused glance. "Didn't it come with the house?" The Englishman stammered as he looked back down at his book. Xander smirked at Giles and then looked at Buffy. "So what's the what? All new baddie? Or a classic on their comeback tour?" Buffy shook her head. "Neither, it's... well what is it exactly?" Giles seemed ready to answer but in her excitement Willow beat him to it. "Well, you know all those dark evil things trying to open up the Hellmouth and let all the demons back in?"

Xander nodded. "I seem to remember half a dozen or so." Willow had already been smiling. "Well this is something to counter that." He looked confused. "So what? It will close the Hellmouth?" This time Giles was the one to answer. "Not close it, but ward it, bar evil from opening it." Xander clapped his hands together. "All righty, let's find ourselves the deadbolt of the gods." Anya then spoke up. "You mean The Sentinel?" They all looked up rather abruptly and Anya seemed startled by the scrutiny as Giles spoke to her. "You've heard of it?" She shrugged. "Well ya. That's what took out my predecessor if you know what I mean." Giles seemed confused. "Why would a vengeance demon challenge the guardian of the Hellmouth?" She then shook her head. "Didn't challenge as much as was ordered to." I mean to hear it there were forces getting together every demon they could find to take down the big bad, or big good...thing."

Giles got up and led her to the couch as the rest of the Scoobies that were present followed. As he sat her down and sat next to her he spoke quietly, yet urgently. "Ok Anya, we need you to tell us EVERYTHING you can remember about The Sentinel." She nodded slowly as she started to speak. "Well, I mean it's not that much. But basically there was talk of the gates of Hell finally being sealed. I mean really sealed not just the normal barrier between dimensions kind of stuff. Needless to say most of the bigger demons were mad, the smaller ones, well they pretended to be mad but they were mostly scared. So all the big ones got all the little ones together and they all marched to meet this Sentinel who was going to stand over the Hellmouth and guard it. I never did hear any exact numbers, but I think that's because they didn't want anyone to know just how many demons died in the fight. I just know that the world's population of demons declined. Still they fought, they died, he didn't. So they managed to chain him up and seal him in this big obsidian block."

Giles was the first to speak. "All right, you identified it as him. Are you sure it was a male? Also, there was no mention it was obsidian, are you sure that's what they sealed the Sentinel up in?" Anya nodded as she spoke. "Yeah he was real clear on the obsidian part, bragging really. As far as The Sentinel being male, it was actually referred to as it. I guess I just pictured it as male." Everyone seemed to be digesting that, except Faith who spoke. "I dunno, I guess I was thinking a girl." Xander smirked. "That's not suprising." Faith grinned and blew him a kiss, but then Buffy spoke as well. "No, no, I thought of it as female too." Xander then shrugged. "Again, I say not suprising. What's the point?" Giles let out his breath slowly before he spoke. "It may be nothing, but we know the first evil transcended physical form and simply took on what ever shape that suited it. While I doubt this Sentinel would be on THAT level it may be of similar power."

Willow spoke up then, her face scrunched up in thought. "So instead of dealing with an ancient evil were dealing with an ancient good?" Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "I believe so, and it's an ancient good that needs our help." Buffy held up her hands. "Wait, wait. How do we know that it's just not something worse?" Anya was the one to answer as she shook her head vigorously. "Oh no, no. Demons considered this... guy just short of a demonic apocalypse. I mean like a manifest divine wrath sort of thing." Faith supported Anya as she spoke. "I believe it B. I mean Angel told me all about these "Powers That Be" guys." Faith's words seem to jar the entire group silent until Buffy spoke. "Angel?" Buffy then took another breath before speaking. "You said he has a direct connection to them." Faith grinned at her partner. "I wouldn't say "direct" I mean it IS Cordelia, but yeah they do seem to have a direct interest in the big guy."

Buffy then spoke. "Maybe we should call him." At that precise moment the phone rang, and then gathered Scoobies fell silent. As it continued to ring they looked at each other with wide eyes until Faith walked over and picked up the receiver. "Hello? Wesley? Ok, that's just wicked creepy. What? Well we were literally just about to call you guys. Oh she did, and it said to call me, but nothing else? Ok..." As Faith went into the details with her former Watcher they Scoobies looked at each other, and Xander broke the silence. "Wow, these Powers That Be don't play around." They all nodded and waited quietly while Faith finished talking with Wesley. As she came back she sat down. "Well, the big guy is on his way, and he'll be bringing Wesley, Queen C, and some guy named Gunn." They all seemed surprised at this and Faith continued. "With two N's." They then nodded.

Giles then took the lead. "Until they arrive I believe we should get back to research. So we can have as much ready as possible for when they do arrive." They all nodded and settled back to their research, but instead of sitting back down by her girlfriend Faith, Buffy slid over by her best friend Willow. "Hey Willow, don't worry. Tara will be here." Willow gave her friend a grin. "Am I that obvious? I'm just worried I mean after she got kidnapped..." Buffy noticed her friends pause and laid a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. "After she got kidnapped by Riley. I mean it wasn't Riley, but it was." Willow nodded. "I mean before if she was in danger at least I was there to protect her... well except for when Oz wolfed out." Buffy then smiled at her and twisted her head to meet Willow's eyes as they looked at the floor. "But don't you see Willow? She handled all that on her own. I mean it's like a Scooby right of passage, and now she's an official one of us. Would you worry about Xander, or Giles? I mean you might worry about them being hurt, but you know they can take care of themselves, right?"

Willow nodded slowly as Buffy smiled. "And so can Tara." Willow continued to nod. "It's just that I love her..." Buffy smiled and looked over at the silently reading Faith. Willow followed her eyes. "Yeah, but she a slayer." Buffy smiled sadly. "Yeah, but that means that she'll be looking for danger." Willow smiled subtly at her. "Well so do you." Buffy returned the smile. "Yeah, but I don't love me like I love her." Willow's smile grew into a grin and Buffy continued. "You're not understanding the whole irrational love thing." Willow shook her head, and then nodded as she spoke. "Oh no, I understand." "Would you like me and Faith to go looking for her?" Willow's response came right away. "No, no, it's one thing for me to worry irrationally, but I don't want her to think that I don't think she can take care of herself." Buffy grinned. "So ten minutes then Faith and I go out looking?" "If you wouldn't mind?" The two friends grinned at each other as they started reading again.

The slayers stayed in because Tara arrived not more then five minutes later, a polite knock that was greeted by Giles. "Finally, one of us knows how to knock." Tara smiled shyly at that and slipped by the Watcher. She stopped in front of her partner who had stood up smiling. The two Wiccan's held hands and leaned in to share a light kiss in a brief bush of lips. Tara's expression changed to a questioning one. "You were worried." The fact it was not even a question caused Willow to blush even deeper then she would have normally. "Well a little." "I...I'm sorry I took so long. I just wanted to check our library for anything on this Sentinel." Willow looked surprised. "We had something on the Sentinel?" Tara shook her head. "No, but I wanted to check." Willow smiled broadly and Tara's smile was shy. Giles was the one who broke the moment, but he did it gently.

"Well, that's not suprising. It was only when we were looting Dracula's castle that we found the books pertaining to the Sentinel." Tara nodded. "So, a...are these it?" Giles nodded and Tara looked for a place to sit. Buffy grinned at her and stood up. While Tara's answering grin seemed a bit unsure it was there as Buffy moved over to sit by Faith. "Well hello stranger." Buffy first answered Faith by giving her a kiss. "Well hello yourself." "Doing the best friend thing?" Buffy smiled. "Yeah. You know you need to get yourself a best friend. I mean besides me of course." Faith chuckled, then paused. "I do have a best friend... well I don't know about "best" but we hang when you and I aren't." Buffy smiled widely. "Really? Anyone I know?" At that Faith's attempts not to grin failed. "It's Spike." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah right Faith, you hanging out with Spike." When the dark slayers expression didn't flinch the light slayer's eyes widened.

"Come on, your kidding. Aren't you?" Faith shook her head. "No, I mean he's in the know. You know so he knows the full pressures of being a slayer." Buffy's jaw had been slightly open before she spoke. "Yeah because he's killed two of them." Faith shrugged as her expression darkened slightly. "Yeah, but with Spike I know what ever I have done he's done a million times worse. It's strangely comforting." With out a word she stood up, picked up the books they were looking at and carried them to the couch. As Faith and everyone else in the room looked on confusedly she walked back and took Faith's hands. Pulling Faith to her feet she led her over to the couch. She then sat down and pulled Faith to sit between her legs on the couch and rest her back to Buffy's chest. While Buffy was entirely calm doing this Faith was blushing like crazy, and when her partner handed her the book she wasted no time burying her nose in it.

Not only did Spike not knock when he entered Giles apartment but he swung the doors open wide. "My, my, my what a wonderful night it is!" Xander smirked at the vampire from his chair. "Lemme guess, made time with the Dracie babes?" He smiled widely back at Xander. "Made time? I didn't even have to stake them. The poor things got so hot and bothered they turned to ash on their own." Suddenly another voice spoke from off side. "Some how I doubt that." Spike turned and grimaced at his sire, a grimace that turned into a smirk. "Well now, you wouldn't know would you? I'd suspect that falls into the memories of Angelus." Angel growled and stepped forward. "You wouldn't know anything about that!" Spike smirked. "Maybe not, but I know one thing. You're not human." He punctuated the statement with a short jab to Angel's face.

He didn't get to follow up because Faith caught the arm before it retracted and pinned it behind his back. She kept it behind his back as she swept his legs out from underneath him and slammed him face first into the floor. Angel seemed ready to start kicking his childe while he was down when Buffy wrapped her arms around his chest and pushed him back. "What's a matter sire? A little wound up that you ruined your slayer for all other men?" "HEY!" At his words Faith tightened her grip on Spike's arm and the bleach blond vampire growled in pain. "Sorry luv, just a slip of the tongue." Faith tightened her grip slightly and it showed on Spike's face. "You want to keep that tongue you better keep a better hold on it. Now you think you've learned your lesson?" "Yeah, wait till Angel and I are alone!" She tightened her grip even further and he had to bite down a yell. "ALL RIGHT, All right. I'll leave the poof alone. Just let me up!" She seemed to consider for a moment, and then climbed off of him.

Spike got up rubbing his shoulder and glaring at his sire, something that caused a rare grin to appear on Angel's face. "I bet that hurt. Of course I bet not being able to fight back probably hurt even worse. I mean I might not kill like I used to, but at least I have a soul as an excuse." Spike growled and seemed ready to lunge again when Faith stormed in close to Angel. "Look big guy! I can't even begin to tell you how much you have done for me, and I love you for it, but if you can't play nice I WILL drop you on your ass too!" Angel seemed shocked at Faith's outburst while Spike grinned triumphantly. As they all simmered down Giles stepped forward. "Now that we have that out of our system, perhaps we should get down to the matter at hand?" His fellow rogue watcher Wesley stepped forward. "Quite right. Now, from what Faith told me over the phone we are trying to free an ancient force of light that has been imprisoned by the forces of darkness?"

Spike scoffed. "Well then, what the hell am I here for?" Buffy answered that question. "I suggested it. I figured that if you knew about the Judge you might know something about the Sentinel." He shook his head. "The big blue bastard was Dru's idea. You'd have better luck asking Nancy Boy over there." Angel growled as his childe again. Spike refused to flinch and lit a cigarette. Giles seemed ready to say something, but Spike noticed and the look he gave Giles showed it was pointless. So the Englishman simply sighed as Angel started to speak. "It's old. Older then me, even older then Darla. I think I heard the Master speak of it once, but that was only because he was grateful that it wouldn't be there to stop him from opening the Hellmouth." Buffy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. With out even thinking about it Faith lightly touched Buffy's arm and the two girls smiled at each other.

When they looked up they saw Angel had looked away while Spike was grinning viciously. Guilt seemed to stab through the two simultaneously, but Angel spoke before they could. "Don't ever feel guilty for being happy." They both nodded sadly, and perhaps true to form Cordelia broke the tension. "Ok Angel's gone from angry to angsting. Now that things are back to normal we might want to get on to freeing this gatekeeper guy." They all nodded and started to find chairs in the rapidly filling apartment. Faith slid closer to the well-built African American that had arrived with the rest of Angel Investigations. "So you Gunn?" He nodded once. "Yeah." She smiled at him. "Nice to see they finally have someone with a sense of style on the payroll." He was smiling back as Cordelia let out an outraged shriek. "Hey, what about me? I have more style then those three guys put together!" She smirked at the former cheerleader. "No Cordy, you have fashion. Fashion is wearing what's in. Style is wearing whatever you want, but making it look good."

She let out an injured huff as Xander spoke. "Um excuse me, but maybe we could continue the House of Style AFTER we unchain Prometheus?" Giles appeared shocked. "Xander, that's a classical literature reference." He seemed to shrink down a bit. "Actually I saw it on Xena." Giles let out a sigh. "Here is what we have so far. The forces of light decided to send down a guardian to stand guard at the mouth of Hell until the end of the world. The forces of darkness learned of this and tried to stop him, but they learned that they could not destroy him. So instead they imprisoned the Sentinel in a giant block of obsidian." "Obsidian?" Everyone looked at Angel when he made his surprised exclamation, and Giles was the one to speak. "Yes Angel, obsidian. Do you know something about it?" "I've seen it." All eyes focused on him as he spoke.

"In the crypts underneath Wolfram and Heart." Faith was the one to ask the Question the Scoobies all wanted to ask. "You mean the guys who blew up your old offices?" All of Angel Investigations nodded the affirmative. Xander asked another question. "So, what's the deal with Wolfram and Heart?" Cordelia looked at her old boyfriend. "Well Xander, you know all the jokes about evil lawyers? They aren't jokes when it comes to Wolfram and Heart." Buffy moved closer to her ex-boyfriend. "Do you think it's still there?" He nodded. "It should be. I mean it was huge. Not the kind of thing you move very often, and by the spells they had lain on it I don't think they would want to move it at all." In a rare bit of assertiveness Tara then spoke up. "Do you remember what kind of spells they were?" Angel shook his head. "Not exactly, but they seemed protective, and they looked like they were trying to keep something in, instead of something out."

Willow put her hand on her partner's knee and it caused Tara to look at her. "You think it's trying to escape?" Tara nodded, though it was more a gentle dipping of her head. "It might explain the powers that be sending Cordelia's vision, and they might have even led Dracula to Buffy." Both slayers seemed offended at the idea, but chose to remain silent, Willow however did not. "So if we broke the spells...." Tara finished her sentence. "It could break free on it's own." Both of the Wiccan's smiled at each other until Gunn decided to add some reality to the situation. "Well, this seems real important to all of ya, and since Angel's footin the bill I'll help, but hasn't anyone else noticed all the "ifs"?" The rest of them nodded slowly as Wesley then spoke. "We need more information." Spike then stood up. "Well, well, best of luck with the great escape, or big heist or whatever else you end up doing."

Faith stood up right after him. "You? Nah uh Spike. We." Spike held up his hands and shook his head. "Oh no. I was happy to help you track down my own rogue brat, and Drac...well like I said he owed me money, but there's no way I'm going to help you lock up the Hellmouth." Before Faith could reply Buffy stood up and walked to close to Spike. "But you helped me keep it shut before." He shook his head. "I helped you waste my sire, and I'll help you again if that's what you had in mind." Angel seemed ready to reply but Faith motioned him to stay silent as Buffy continued. "We both know it was more then that. You said you liked this world." "That was before it shoved a damn microchip in my head to keep me from killing humans." Angel did speak then, grinning evilly as he did so. "Well then you'll be coming with us either way. Sitting up front, or riding in the trunk."

Spike growled as he spoke. "Fine, but we better stop along the way, I need some fresh fags." Gunn seemed shocked and Faith bit her lip to keep from laughing. "He's British." "Ohhhhhhh, and in England a fag is a cig, I get ya." Spike lit up a fresh one as he glared at Gunn. "Sorry junior, your not my type." Angel again went to stick a barb in his childe's side. "No one's your type anymore now are they?" Spike blew a cloud of smoke in his sire's direction. "Yeah, but not by choice. Not just because I'm some sort of sissy." Before it could escalate Buffy stepped in. "Well I think if we want more information on a LA law firm we need to go to LA. So who's up for a road trip?" The Scoobies that had once known Wesley Wyndam Pryce seemed shocked at the clear confident tone. "Buffy's right, from what we already know about Wolfram and Heart anything they want imprisoned or destroyed is probably a potent force for good, and we can't learn anything here in Sunnydale."

They all agreed with that and started shuffling out of Giles apartment. Angel was the one who spoke as the rest of his team climbed into his convertible. He handed Buffy a card. "It has our new address on there. We'll go and get things started." Buffy nodded, and then as Angel turned to leave she spoke. "Angel, wait!" He seemed confused, but he turned back around. She arched up and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear as she did so. "I really am happy." He smiled at that. "I'm glad." The former lovers shared a look and then Angel went down to the drivers seat and started the engine. As the car pulled away Buffy felt a familiar set of arms wrap around her from behind. As a soft set of lips kissed the top of her head Buffy sighed. "I know B, I'm hurting for him too." The two slayers sighed in unison as Xander cleared his throat. As the Scoobies looked him he spoke to Giles. "See, you just have to do it right." Giles gave the young man a harsh look as he started to speak.

"Well, while Giles has his flashy new wheels we still have twice as many people as we should." They all seemed to consider that until Faith spoke to Buffy. "Your mom?" "My mom?" Faith shrugged. "Well, after your coming out you told her ALL about being a slayer. So while she may not be in the thick of things I have to think that makes her like the slayer reserve." Buffy shook her head. "No, her car, ok, but they don't make liability insurance for moms. Giles, you, Xander, Willow, and Anya get your stuff. Faith, Spike and I will get the car from mom. Meet at the mansion in two hours." They all nodded as Giles went inside to quickly pack books with Tara and Willow helping him while Xander and Anya walked off to go to his parent's basement.

"Ok, I'll pack a few things and we will be on our way." Buffy shook her head emphatically. "No, we need a car, not a driver." "I don't know, I've seen you drive." Joyce Summers shared a smile with her daughter's girlfriend who was already smiling. "But there'll be danger, big, hairy, fanged, clawed danger." Joyce nodded. "All the more reason for you to have a good driver to get you away from all that danger. We'll even stay at your fathers. I will keep him off of your back." Buffy shook her head, but gently. "No, we'll be staying at Angel's he said his new place is big enough." Joyce started walking to her bedroom. "That's great. I'd love to see it." Buffy let out a muffled shriek and then glared at her girlfriend. "And would YOU stop encouraging her?" Faith held up her hands and tried to look shocked.

Buffy managed to catch up with her mother as she was getting out a suitcase. "What about Dawn?" With those words her mother stopped short. "I didn't think of that. You might have to fight demons, but we can't expose your sister to that." Dawn had heard them as they passed where she was staring wide-eyed at Spike as the vampire was pointedly ignoring her. "It's ok. I can spend a few days by myself." Her mother and sister looked up with similar expressions, and actually spoke in unison. "Oh no you can't." Faith laughed at that, and Dawn's sorrowful face. "Sorry kid, but Xander's coming with us anyways." Dawn gave Faith a pleading look that was missed by both of the elder Summers women. Joyce seemed to miss it because she was coming to a decision, and it caused her to sigh. "I can't come with, but I also can't be with out the car." They both seemed caught up in that as Faith spoke up. "There's always Spike's car." He seemed to hear that from where he was sitting in the living room. "Fine! But I'm driving!"

Buffy's shoulders slumped. "Spike's car it is. By the way...why does Dawn let you call her kid? She HATES it when anyone else does." Dawn answered as Faith exaggerated her grin. "That's because there was obviously a slayer mix-up and Faith was supposed to be my sister while you were just supposed to be her girlfriend." Buffy just shook her head at her younger sister, and over her younger sister's puffed up shoulders at her still smirking girlfriend. As they all walked to the living room Buffy whispered to Faith. "Reformed or not, you are still a trouble maker." "Not to worry B. I have you to keep me on the straight and narrow... well on the narrow anyway." Buffy shook her head, but playfully as she sped up her pace. Both slayers were still smiling, and when they got to the living room they found Spike smiling as well. "So ladies will I be your chauffeur?"

They both nodded and he got up and offered an arm to each lady. Faith was the one to comment. "Your mood seems to have improved." He smiled broadly at her as she took his arm. "I've just been thinking of potential "accidents" that might happen to Angel. I mean it IS a dangerous situation we will be getting into." Buffy strode up and grabbed his other arm rather forcefully and his smile grew. "Don't worry pet. I said I was just thinking of them." The smaller slayer began pulling him out of the door as Faith spoke over her shoulder. "Love ya...mom, Dawn." Joyce smiled at that, and then Buffy spoke. "Love you guys." First Joyce responded. "Love you too." When Dawn didn't reply she nudged her youngest. "Yeah, try not to get Faith hurt." As they got out of the door Spike spoke. "Ah, reminds me of my family, and why I'm glad they are all long dead. Right. Meet you two at the mansion?" The slayer's nodded as the vampire took off towards his lair in the ruins of the Initiative.

Chapter 3

"Why don't you just sit in her lap! I mean she's your girlfriend any way, and it would give me so much more room." Willow didn't quite glare at Anya, but she did glare at Xander who was grinning at the three girls from his position in the front passenger's seat of Giles convertible. Tara looked over at Willow. "W...well. I sup... suppose it would be ok." Willow smiled at Tara, but before she could answer Anya spoke up again. "That's it! Stop this car!" Giles didn't even bother speaking as he eased the car over to the shoulder of the road. As soon as it came to a complete stop she almost leapt from her seat and stormed over to the front passenger side door. Yanking it open she glared at her boyfriend. "Get out!" He looked up at her." What?" She put her hands on her hips. "You heard me, get out. You stole that shot gunning seat before the rest of us had a chance, and now I am taking it back."

He seemed ready to speak, but her glare kept him silent as he slunk to the back of the car. She had a smug little smile on her face as she slid in beside Giles and put on her seat belt. "That's much better." While that was happening Xander was attempting to get comfortable in the back seat. As the jostling continued Tara looked over at Willow. "You still could." Willow looked confused. "Could what?" "Sit in my l...l...lap." Willow was smiling until she saw Xander was as well and settled for giving the young man a shove. Giles sighed as he pulled the car back onto the road. "Now settle down back there!" Xander, Willow and even Tara suddenly grinned at him, Xander being the first to speak. "Or what? You'll turn this car around?" The teasing continued in a similar vein as they continued down the road to Los Angeles.

Now ahead of them, Buffy had turned in her seat to see why Giles car had stopped. "You think something's wrong?" Faith smiled and shook her head. "Nah, look Anya is just yelling at Xander, business as usual. We have more important things to worry about." As she finished her sentence she leaned forward from the back seat to the front, and the radio while Spike slapped her hands away. "My car, my radio." Faith sat back in a sulk. "Can't we listen to something that's not older then I am?" When Buffy turned back around from Spike saw the concerned look in her eyes. "Don't worry slayer. They have the address. Xander's just going to get pussy whipped a bit and then they'll be right behind us." Faith arched her brow. "Oh, and you are one to talk about being whipped?" Spike scowled into the rearview mirror he was using to keep an eye on his passengers more then the road.

Faith smirked back into the mirror. "Dru just has to do that loony sing song voice and you'll be all over her." Spike grinned at the dark haired slayer. "Don't be so shocked. I'd bet shed make you melt with her baby doll voice too...that is if you didn't already have your own baby doll." His words were said as Buffy turned around again from looking out the back window. "Yeah, whatever girlfriend." He jerked his head. "What?" She smirked at him. "Come on now Spike. You and Faith hanging out, talking about stuff, you're her Willow." The bleached blond was confused at that until Buffy grinned at him. "It's a good thing... if you like being a girl's best girlfriend." Faith rolled her eyes at her own girlfriend. "Take out the girl part and you got it." Spike smiled at that and squared his shoulders. "Why thank you Ducks." Faith smiled and nodded at him.

Buffy decided to continue. "Yeah, who would have thought a vampire could become best friends with a vampire slayer?" Spike smirked at her. "Probably the ones who thought a slayer would shag a vampire." Buffy frowned at him as he continued. "Still, it's not like I bother with most of that crap. I mean I wasted the annoying one, I stopped the mouth of Hell from being opened.... when I became a vampire I got rid of rules. I didn't just trade one set for another." Buffy arched her brows at him. "So you'll do whatever you damn well please and to Hell with the consequences?" Spike smiled rather evilly. "Now you're getting it pet." "I'm not your pet, but I do have a better understanding of why you and Faith get along." As she spoke Spike got out a cigarette and lit up as he replied. "And why is that?" She smirked at him. "Because she's is a good girl with a bad side, and you are a bad boy with a good side."

Spike blew out a puff of smoke. "That's a horrible thing to say about a guy!" Faith seemed to be looking at the vampire closely. "No Spike, she right, and that's your strength." He looked intrigued. "How so?" "You feel, and I mean more then hate, rage, or lust like most vamps. You feel things like love, tenderness. Things like that are normally thought to be part of a soul, but somehow your demon remembered them." Spike exhaled again, but this time he drew it out. "Can't argue that." The car seemed to lapse into silence with Spike watching the road, and Buffy resting her head to Faith's shoulder, and Faith resting her cheek against the top of Buffy's head. It stayed that way until they entered the Los Angeles City limits.

Most of the Scoobies were staring slack-jawed in the lobby of the new offices of Angel Investigations, but Xander was already talking as he walked up to Wesley. "I say Boy! Carry my bags up to my room and there will be a nice tip in it for you." That seemed to break the silence that had fallen over the Scoobies as Wesley replied. "I'll give you the tip Xander. Carry your own bags." His fellow rogue watcher stepped forward and in front of Xander. "He does make a good point though. Perhaps we should settle into our rooms and then meet in some central area to make plans?" Wesley nodded and turned to get keys. As Angel exited his office Spike spoke far louder then was necessary. "Nice place Angel, it suits you, big and useless." An elbow powered by the slayer strength of Buffy Summers cut off anything else William the Bloody would have said and turned it into a muffled grunt of pain.

While everyone stepped forward to get keys Gunn stepped near Faith and the dark haired slayer gave her partner a nod. While Buffy went to get there key Gunn started speaking. "So you two getting the honeymoon suite?" Faith smirked at that and arched a brow. "Probably, any problem with that?" Gunn grinned. "Nah, I think it's a beautiful thing." Faith laughed out loud. "We get that a lot, but I have a feeling that you're not here to talk to me about my girlfriend... of course I could be wrong." Gunn shook his head. "Nah, it's this Spike guy. When Angel talks about him he is a bad ass or a pain in the ass. I mean I'm already working with one vampire, but at least Angel has that whole curse deal. What's keeping blondie in line?" "You mean besides regular beatings from me and Buffy?" Faith took a considering breath before she continued.

"There is a microchip imbedded in his brain that keeps him from being able to hurt any human being." Gunn was shocked at that. "For real? Why aren't there more vamps like that running around?" Faith shook her head. "It was this big top secret government project, and the whole point of the chip was keeping the vamps from attacking them. The fact it keeps him from his typical maiming and killing ways is just a bonus." "So what, Uncle Sam was recruiting bloodsuckers?" Faith nodded. "Them and any other demon they could get their hands on. They had this big idea that they could control the demons, but demons got out, place got trashed, and now Spike's chip is just a relic of our tax dollars at work." The conversation broke up as everyone started picking up their bags and heading towards their rooms. As Buffy and Faith climbed the stairs the petite blonde smiled at her partner. "Make a new friend?" Faith grinned back at her.

When they had gotten to the room Faith chuckled and looked at a blushing Buffy. "It was Cordelia's idea." Faith looked around the honeymoon suite and laughed more openly. "I'll have to thank her." Faith's voice then started to deepen. "Of course this IS our first night in the honeymoon suite." Buffy's smile grew playful as Faith stepped away from where they had set their luggage and advanced on Buffy. The smaller slayer was backing away, but smiling all the while. The two slayers stood eyeing each other, Faith seeming to look for an opening to grab Buffy and Buffy looking for an opening to get away. "Come on B, you going to let a honeymoon suite go to waste?" Buffy put on a fake pout. "You didn't even carry me across the threshold." Faith smirked. "Let's fix that." With those words she lunged and got her hands on Buffy's hips. With no seeming effort she lifted her straight up and held her. From that position Buffy wrapped her legs around Faith, at first they were under Faith's arms, but she slid down the dark slayers body until they caught at Faith's hips.

There she tightened her legs hold and leaned into press her lips to Faith's. Buffy's arms wrapped around Faiths head to cradle it while her fingers played with the wild curls of soft brown hair flowing from Faith's head. Faith's arms wrapped around Buffy's waist while her hands slid to support the smaller slayer's shapely behind. They barely broke for air as their kisses continued, tongues meeting in yet another passionate form of contest between the pair. A contest that neither could gain an advantage in, it could have went far longer if their slayer senses had not indicated the presence of a vampire. Faith still held Buffy aloft as they broke the kiss and turned to look at Spike. He looked back blankly and continued to do so as Buffy and Faith let go of each other and Buffy slipped to stand on the ground again. They continued to stare at him for a long beat until he seemed to shake himself. "Sorry to interrupt but they're planning the big powwow in the lobby."

The two girls nodded and sighed as they walked out past a smirking Spike. Buffy walked ahead of them as Faith dropped back to walk next to Spike. "Enjoy the show?" His grin grew. "How could I not? Even with out the shapely bodies you two still have enough chemistry between you to burn up any vamp." Faith nodded. "Yeah, it's suprising it took as long as it did for me and B to hook up." Spike shook his head. "You two didn't just "hook up" she hasn't had that look since Angel, but it's missing that doomed expression." Faith made a sound that seemed to both laugh and scoff. "That's probably why we didn't fall in love before. I was so fucked up I would have hurt her more then Angelus." Spike shrugged. "Big deal. The little thing obviously adores you as much as you do her, and that's that." "Better not let her hear you calling her the little thing, but yeah. I guess you're right."

While they shared a smile his was larger. "I usually am." "This coming from the guy that turned Harmony?" His expression quickly soured. "I said usually." Faith laughed at him as they entered the lobby. Cordelia looked up at the pair as they walked up to the main seating area. "I'm glad you're happy." Faith slid in to share a larger padded chair with Buffy. "Why, what's up?" Cordelia blew her bangs out of her face. "It's a matter of what's down, but I'll let Xander explain since it's his dumb idea." Alexander Harris frowned at his ex-girlfriend as he started to explain. "Well we were going over Wolfram and Heart security, and practices." When Faith seemed confused he explained. "Practices is like their hours, if they get a lot of deliveries and stuff like that." Faith nodded. "So security is tight?" All of Angel Investigations nodded as Angel spoke. "That, and they are geared to deal with the supernatural. So they have things like vampire detectors."

Xander nodded. "So what we are doing is trying to find holes in the system." Cordelia then piped in. "Actually we're making them. Go ahead! Tell them!" Xander didn't seem phased and actually seemed exasperated by the former cheerleader. "They are going to have every point of access guarded so we are going to make one, and since we are talking about subterranean chambers there's going to be some digging." Anya was smiling proudly. "With all of Xander's construction work and living underground he is perfectly suited for the job." He smiled as his face got red from his girlfriend's praise. While Faith was grinning along with most of the group she poised a question. "So? Wouldn't they detect that too?" Angel was the one to answer. "Not in LA." Buffy was snuggled so close that when she spoke Faith actually felt it where her chest was against Buffy's back. "Of course." Faith arched her neck around Buffy. "Well you ARE the brains, care to explain to the looks?" Buffy scrunched up her face as she smiled. "LA geology is kind of like Jell-O with all the quakes and stuff. So it would be a waste of time and money for them."

Xander nodded again. "So except for some thick walls there's not much they could do, and we've got the gal pals and the father and son team to take care of that." Buffy, Faith, Angel, and Spike all frowned at him as Willow spoke. "But that still leaves the cameras and stuff. I have been trying to hack their system, but the stuff connected to the net is no good." Buffy considered that. "So all the important stuff is all inside." Willow nodded, and as she did Tara's discomfort seemed to visibly increase. Silently she laid her hand on Tara's leg and rubbed just above the knee. When Tara looked up she saw Willow smiling at her and she relaxed, but the concern on her face never faded. While all this was happening Gunn seemed rather stilled, he was looking at Willow and Tara, then he looked at Buffy and Faith. Faith winked at him. "Something in the water." He then looked at Cordelia and she squealed. "Noooooo!" At which he simply shrugged.

Angel shook his head. "Ok, Willow needs to get into Wolfram and Heart. Now they are going to know my face and the rest of Angel Investigations." Faith suddenly looked downcast. "They'll know me too." She then found her hands being taken by Buffy, and held by Buffy in front of her in her lap. "They'd know both of us. We ARE the slayers after all." Faith just nodded. Spike then grinned. "We'll they'd be hard pressed NOT to know me. You have to figure that applies to the world's luckiest Watcher as well." Giles straightened his glasses at that. "I beg your pardon?" Spike smirked. "Oh come on. I can just imagine what it would be like to watch Faith and Buffy... in fact I think I will." Spike then closed his eyes and got a wicked grin on his face.

Chapter 4

Willow continued to fidget and muss with her suit jacket. Next to her in the elevator Xander Harris was standing ramrod straight and looking directly ahead. With out turning he spoke to her. "Something wrong mam?" The meaning of his words was clear and she stood still. Because while they had been costumed by the aspiring actress Cordelia they were now in the offices of Wolfram and Heart and had to stay in character. In her case that was a technician for a non-existent computer company that had a business plan on record, but no offices. Xander had the more difficult role because he was posing as an actual Wolfram and Heart security guard which meant if they were questioned the questions would be directed at him. All the same she reviewed their story. That she had been called in to repair the computer system.

Of course there was always something wrong with the computer system so the figured that no one would question a consultant being called. Of course they had no real paper work to back up their story so if worse came to worse they would end up relying on the 9mm pistol Xander had strapped to his hip. As he pushed a floor number at random she was praying to every deity she could think of to keep them concealed. Of course they would try to find a nice out of the way terminal since any office this size would be connected in a network. Once there she had three objectives, first to get all the information they could on the bock of obsidian in the basement. Second she would try to get all the information possible on their security measures, and finally she would try to put her own password into the system so that she could an easier time hacking them again if she had to.

The reason Xander was there was just to make sure she was able to do it and live to tell the tale. Angel, Wesley and Cordelia had all seemed skeptical about their decision until they saw Xander break into his luggage and break out an assortment of military hardware any SWAT officer would be proud to call their own. The doors finally opened and they stepped out to see the floor's receptionist, and it was with a shock Willow realized they were on a high traffic floor. What startled her even further was the way Xander nonchalantly walked right up to her. "I'm escorting the computer consultant and we need an empty office." The receptionist first looked at Xander, and then at Willow and the hacked tried to give her a smile. "Where is her visitor id?" Xander's face had been rather cool, but he allowed his expression to look a little embarrassed. "Being printed, security took 45 minutes just to confirm my id since I am a new hire." The receptionist nodded sympathetically.

"Ever since that Angel guy managed to break in things have went from paranoid to insane." Xander's eyes seemed to get harsh and he threw a meaningful look at her and then at Willow and the receptionist clamed up. "Right, Lindsey is on some big project so you can use his office." Xander flashed her a smile. "Thanks, we'll be out of there in no time." Willow wanted to run into the doorway that the receptionist pointed out, but she let her pace be dictated by Xander. All the while she was inwardly amazed at his composure because they both knew if they were caught being arrested was the least of their concerns, but he had what she called his "soldier face" on. She had first seen it when they had become their costumes on Halloween, and it had shown up every other time Xander was required to use the military skills imparted to him by Ethan Rane's spell. While most of the time it kinda creeped her out it was comforting in this kind of situation.

With out either of them speaking a word Xander motioned her to Lindsey's desk and she slid into his chair. Of course they both had been told who he was before they had ever set foot into Wolfram and Heart, and Willow was already taking advantage. She hooked her own laptop into Lindsey's terminal so she would have something to work on while she cracked his password. While she worked she was already starting to sweat, W&H had top-notch computer security, and while she might have greater system access with Lindsey's computer she had to get into it first. Which she was able to do, but it left her worried enough that she first focused on the security and shut down the security cameras. Wolfram and Heart may be irredeemably evil, but she knew they were also lawyers and would have the law after them in no time if they had enough evidence. When she saw the camera lights flicker and go out she smiled and her typing increased.

Multi-tasking she knew the computer recognized a system failure and used it to gather information on the security system. Telling the machine to check over its system she backed up a copy of its actions to her computer, making Wolfram and Heart's security detail it's own defenses to her. While their computer and her computer talked she started looking for information on the Sentinel. Since she figured it would have been here for awhile she checked the oldest files using parameters provided by Angel, Anya, and their research. She was so focused on her task she barely registered Xander picking something up on the radio he was carrying. They had spent some of Angel's money to get a radio scanner that they had used for several hours until they had the radio frequencies that security used. Frequencies that had been programmed into a police walkie-talkie that a sullen faced Angel had managed to acquire. That radio was now reporting some difficulties with the security cameras.

His eyes first darted to the now dead cameras and then to Willow. She silently apologized to the accusation in his eyes and redoubled her efforts. Finally locating files, not in the past, but in the present about the time of Angel's break in with a concern by security about how close he had gotten to the Sentinel. That reference led her to other files that she started downloading as fast as she could as the door to Lindsey's office opened and two security guards entered. Willow tried not to look scared as they turned to Xander and started questioning him. "I've never seen you here before." Xander nodded. "Yeah, I was hired after the break in." The guy's eyes narrowed. "They make sure they introduce all new hires to the rest of security. So why don't I know you?" They both saw that both guards' hands had dropped to the guns at their waists. Xander shook his head. "I don't know. Have you taken time off or something?" He shook his head. "I got out of the hospital not three days after that fucker put me in there and I haven't missed a day since.

Xander nodded. "That explains it. I was literally hired the next day. With you guys already in the hospital they didn't want themselves left vulnerable." The senior guard looked suspicious while the junior one turned to look at Willow. "Hey, you stop whatever you are doing." Xander immediately stepped in. "She's trying to get the cameras back online." The senior guard spoke up again. "They hadn't gone down until you two got here." Willow was the one to speak up this time. "Yeah, but they still weren't working. They were showing footage from several days ago, but with the office not being used nobody had noticed until today." Both still seemed suspicious, but also looked a little more relaxed. The senior officer spoke. "Be that as it may mam you are tampering with our security, and I can't allow that until I know for sure that you are supposed to be here." The hand that he had resting on the butt of his pistol allowed no room for argument as he took the other hand and reached for his radio.

The look on Xander's face begged Willow for a distraction and she gave an almost invisible nod. "Ok, just let me save my work." She then reached up and hit several keys. Suddenly the lights went out and all Willow heard was the sounds of a scuffle and something that sounded like an aerosol can, that was followed by some pained shouts. When the emergency lights came on Xander was standing over the unconscious forms of both the security guards with the can of mace from his belt now in his hand. He turned to Willow. "All right Wills, time to go." She nodded. "Just five more seconds." Then she immediately began entering her own alphanumeric password into the system. Xander had first stooped down and relieved the guards of their pistols. "I don't think we have five seconds." He then peeked out the door and quickly ducked back in. He tucked one guard's pistol into the front of his pants while he took the other one in hand. "You have three left tops."

She unplugged her cord from Lindsey's computer. "Don't need them. I'm done. Now let's get out of here." He nodded and she slid up to stand behind him. "Easier said then done. They have their weapons drawn. So when we get out of here stay down and keep right behind me. We're heading for the stairs because the elevators are not an option." She nodded. "And out of order. I locked them down, and I shut off all the lights in the building." He smiled. "Good work. Now let's go." With out another word he flung the door wide and fired a shot into the emergency light box. That threw them into deep shadow while it put the approaching security into sharp focus. Almost looking like cardboard cut outs at the National Guard firing range Xander treated them as such as he raised the pistol and fired once at the dark blob above the forms shoulders. Though the cardboard cut outs didn't scream and fall to the ground as the guard did. Xander ignored that fact as he saw the other two duck for cover and he grabbed Willow's hand to pull her towards the stairwell.

The guards had not managed to return fire until they had gotten to the stairs and even then they just hit the stairwell doorway. Willow had pulled a freestanding ashtray from where they passed a smoking area and used it to wedge the door closed. She had a horrified look on her face when she turned to him. "You, you killed him!" Her grabbed her by the shoulders. "Willow! Did you see those stake things on their belts? They know what Wolfram and Heart do, and they don't care. Vampires don't have a soul, but these guys do and they are selling out the rest of humanity. So yeah I'll kill them. I'll do what I have to in order to get this done and get back to Anya." His voice then softened. "Willow, he had his gun out too, and he could have kept you from ever getting back to Tara. I didn't like killing him, but I know I'll like dying even less. Now we need to run." She nodded and they started flying down the stairs. "I'm sorry Xander." He shook his head. "No need to be. I'm probably going to throw up once this is all over, but not before we're safe."

As they ran Xander unclipped his radio and changed the frequency. "Bring the car around." That was the signal to Charles Gunn to move his pick up into position to pick them up. Neither of them had ever worked with Charles Gunn before, but their friends seemed to trust him, and they just had to hope that was enough. When Xander switched the radio back they heard security say that they had managed to open the door they had wedged shut, and security beneath them had started up the stairs. With out a second thought Xander kicked open the door at the next stairwell they reached and marched out with Willow one step behind. At first all they saw were the law office workers cowering in fear of the unknown gunman, but those people were then ignored as they ran for another doorway to another set of stairs. Xander kicked that door down too, but as he did several pullets tore through and struck him squarely in the chest and knocked him on his back. While on some level Willow knew that he was wearing a bulletproof vest the sight still made her scream in fear.

Xander however was already reacting as he pulled the other guard's pistol from his belt and emptied both into the doorway. He cast both pistols aside and grimaced as he stood up, drawing his own pistol at the same time. His eyes frantically darted around until Willow suddenly pointed to the fire exit. He nodded once as they both ran towards it. Willow spoke as they ran. "Doesn't that hurt?" Xander replied as they reached the door. "It will when the adrenaline wears off." He raised his pistol and fired three shots into the fire door at the halfway point. With no response he pushed that door open and added the sound of the fire alarm to the chaos. Of course it didn't seem that much in the steady ringing that had started after the exchange of gunfire between Xander and the team behind the door. As the hit the fire exit they ran at dangerous speeds down the stairs until Xander pulled her to a stop where they saw the fire door beneath them opening.

As a foot clad in regulation footwear stepped through Xander pulled a egg shaped object from his pocket and pulled a pin, which let the spool drop away. She was shock when he actually held it another two seconds, but he then dropped it over the edge. Knowing what was going to happen Willow clasped her hands over her hears, bit they still started ringing when the explosion went off in the confined space of the fire escape. With out looking behind him Xander grabbed her hand with his free one and pulled her along behind him. Willow closed her eyes as they passed the blast site and she allowed Xander to guide her past. It actually was after they had passed Willow slipped and fell hard on one knee. She saw the footprint she left when she had slipped and realized it was because she had blood on her shoe. She was about to throw up when Xander looked back at her. His "soldier face" slipped for a second and he looked concerned. "Are you ok Willow?" She took a breath and brought up Tara's face inside her mind. The image of her lover seemed to bring a calm over her and she nodded as she got up. Xander's face had slipped back into its solider expression but it actually seemed calmer as he gave her a hand up.

"Can I have the mace?" He nodded again, and she thought that if they weren't in combat he would have smiled. As he handed her the can of mace they sped up, knowing they were almost to the ground floor. However when they got out the door they found Gunn, and half a dozen security guards. Of course four of the six were laid out in front of, or underneath the grill of Gunn's pickup. The fifth was laid out by the driver's side door. The problem was the sixth had his gun out and pointed that the black man's shaven scalp. Xander slid one way while Willow slid the other. Harris had his gun out and pointed at the guard while they both stared each other down. "Put down your weapon or I'll shoot him!" While the guard seemed almost panicked Xander was far more calm. "You do and you die once second after." "Put down your weapon and surrender!" Xander shook his head. "Not happening. You know as well as I that we'll never see a jail cell." The guard looked even more panicked as Xander continued to look calm, nothing in his expression betraying that he could see his friend sliding closer to the guards position.

He also knew that Willow was getting close and he had to make sure that the guard was distracted. "Drop the weapon and you'll live to collect your pension!" When Xander started yelling the guard tightened his grip, but as he started to draw in the breath to speak Willow sprang up and sprayed the can of mace into the guard's face. Gunn might not have realized what had been happening, but there was no way to know it was he ducked underneath the guard's pistol and forced it up with both hands. As he drove his knee into the guard's crotch he took one hand from the guard's gun and hit him underneath the chin. The combined hits knocked the guard unconscious and he fell back, connecting with Gunn's pickup before he hit the ground. Before he had hit the ground Gunn was running to the drivers side while Willow climbed in the passenger seat. As they did that Xander leapt into the bed of the pickup.

They had started peeling out, but when Willow let Gunn know that the cameras weren't on and their pictures hadn't been taken he slowed down so they wouldn't attract any attention. As they started back towards the Hyperion Gunn turned to Willow. "Did I hear a bomb go off?" Willow smiled nervously. "Ummm, Xander used a grenade." Gunn shook his head. "Great, I'm working with Timothy McVeigh." Willow looked back over her shoulder and laughed. While in another part of LA the slayers were having problems of their own.

Chapter 5

After his centuries of experience Angel knew there were few things that could shock him, and yet he couldn't keep himself from being wide-eyed with a combination of shock and fear. Looking over his shoulder he could see Cordelia and the two slayers were in a similar state. The slayers seemed as frightened as he was as they held hands. As he turned back to the stage he tried to block out the sight of his childe Spike in the middle of his rendition of the Billy Idol song "White Wedding" singing with an alarming abandon. Cordelia was the first to regain the power of speech. "Shouldn't that chip be going off?" Buffy couldn't pull her eyes from the stage as she responded over her shoulder. "I guess it only applies to him hurting humans physically." A voice that Buffy didn't recognize replied to her questions. "Meeeow, I don't suppose you would care to take a shot? Of course I'm talking to a slayer so I suppose I should be more careful with my words."

A taller, green skinned demon in a sharp white suit took a drink from his drink as he sat down at their table. "Welcome to Caritas. While I had always thought a slayer might stop by I never thought it could be under such pleasant circumstances." Angel then turned to him. "Actually it's not all that pleasant. We need information." He gave the vampire a smile. "What more do you need? The lawyers have the guardian wrapped up in red tape and it needs your help to get out." "So the Sentinel is there?" He nodded simply and both Cordelia and Angel looked skeptical as Cordelia spoke. "You don't normally GIVE information away." He smiled at her. "Consider it a gift. Though if the slayers would be good enough to grace us with a song?" The question was left hanging at the two girls looked at each other while he spoke again. "I'm personally curious to see what I pick up when I look at two slayers when there is only supposed to be one." That got the girls attention as he stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me it looks like Billy the Bloody is finished."

They all looked at each other as Faith spoke. "I just realized that. I mean not only does he have the hair and the accent, but his first name COULD be shortened to Billy." They all shuddered as they forced themselves to drop the topic and look back at the stage. "William, William, William, that was fantastic! You have the soul of a poet!" Spike first looked alarmed and then nudged his way in front of the microphone. "That's Spike, and I don't have a soul." There was a round of laughter at that from the rest of the room. The slayers didn't see Spike walk off stage because a spotlight was shined in their faces. Faith leapt to her feet and took a defensive posture but the light moved so it shone on the table in front of them instead of in their eyes. "Now we have some VERY special guests with us here tonight. I'm sure we've all heard that this generation has doubled up on its slayers." At that the rest of the room seemed to start taking defensive postures but the host held up his hands. "Now, now, remember our policies. The slayer have agreed to them." As the room started to settle back down he continued. "I'm just wondering if the slayer's would honor us with a song?" His voice then got both soft and sly. "A duet perhaps?" The girls looked at him, and then at each other. They kept looking at each other until Buffy sighed. "I'll go." Cordelia and Angel were both grinning along with Faith, but Buffy turned back and smiled sweetly at her girlfriend. "You're next sweetheart." Faith's smile soured while Angel's and Cordelia's grew.

The smaller slayer got a determined look on her face as she walked up to the stage and began searching through the song lists. She pointed at a title and nodded once. The host had already walked over to share a both with Spike so one of the human employees entered some commands into a machine next to the stage. Buffy took some breaths to steady herself and then stepped up to the microphone. She gave Faith a shy smile, which surprised everyone at the table. When she heard the song started she smiled softly thinking Buffy was singing her a love song, and while in a way she was the dark slayer found her eyes getting wide as the song continued.

"I watch her from my balcony."
"As she dresses for their fantasies."
"Men come to see her demonstrate,"
"Her skills of pleasure."
"Seal their fate."

"I can believe in pain,"
"As leather bound they fall."
"They seem to go insane,"
"In ecstasy they call."
"She lets them know,"
"That she's a mistress of the night."
"As they submit to gain primitive new heights."

"She's cruel and unusual."
"If she could only see how she's getting to me."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"I've gotta give her a sign cause I've got danger on my mind now."

"I watch her from the balcony,"
"As she plays them like a symphony."
"They all bow as she makes them wait."
"I want her, but I hesitate."

"But she deceives them all,"
"As girlfriends sometimes call."
"But if they only knew the ladies she pursues."
"Then her emotions stir as twilight girls arrive."
"They range from butch to femme,"
"And they play all night."

"She's cruel and unusual."
"If she could only see how she's getting to me."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"I've gotta give her a sign cause I've got danger on my mind now."

"I passed her on the street to day."
"She brushed by me and looked my way."
"There was a breath of innocence."
"I knew this girl was different- oh yeah."

"Cruel and unusual."
"Cruel and unusual."
"Danger on my mind."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"If she could only see what she is doing to me."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"I've gotta give her a sign cause I've got danger on my mind."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"I wanna play all night."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"What she's doin to me."
"She's cruel and unusual."
"Danger on my mind."
"She's cruel and unusual."

Since everyone's attention was focused on the singing slayer they didn't what Spike was saying or what was being said to him. "They make a cute couple don't they?" Spike shrugged. "Sexy is more like it, but yeah they do go well together." "Doesn't mean you're not needed." Spike's head pulled back. "What's that mean?" A smile was Spike's first response, but the demon elaborated. "Don't be coy now. You've fought three slayers, but only managed to kill two?" He made a scoffing sound. "Yeah, but that's just because of her poor taste in men." "So what? She isn't dating men anymore." Spike took a drink from his beer. "Yeah and I can't kill anymore." "Are you saying that you would if you could?" He laughed as he took another drink. "Are you kidding? I could get a two for one!" This time Spike was given a smirk. "Sure you could William."

The smirk remained and Spike started getting aggravated. "I could, kill one, make the other so distraught she wouldn't even care when I ripped her throat out." The host got up. "Who are you trying to convince?" As he turned and walked away Spike spoke to his back. "I could I tell you. Just two more to me... nothing special bout her, bout either of them." He didn't notice Spike as he stepped on stage as Buffy finished her song. "Wow, wow, wow! That was HOT! Let's get a round of applause for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" There was applause and they were surprisingly enthusiastic. For her part Buffy smiled and actually blushed slightly though it was nothing compared to the way Faith was blushing as Buffy sat back down next to her. Cordelia chose that moment to speak. "Wow is right." Angel seemed uncomfortable, but he still spoke. "You reconsidering that whole girlfriend thing?"

"Well..." Cordelia's answer was cut off abruptly. "Now, can we get a song from your sweetheart?" Faith found herself hauled to her feet by Buffy. "Yes, yes you can." Buffy then kissed Faith on the cheek. "Your turn honey. "Spike had gotten back to the table at that point but his expression seemed haunted as he spoke to Faith. "Careful there, you're looking paler then I am." Spike managed a grin as Faith glared over her shoulder at him. She then took a breath, clenched her fists and strode up to the stage. She was able to pick her song right away and stepped up to the mic just as quickly, but when she started singing she added her typically seductive dancing with the microphone stand as her partner.

"You think you're in love."
"Like it's a real sure thing."
"But every time you fall,"
"You get your ass in a sling."
"You used to be strong,"
"But now its "Oh baby please."
"Cause falling in love is so hard on the knees."

"We was making love when you told me that you loved me."
"I thought ol cupid, he was taking aim."
"I was believing when you told me that you loved me,"
"And then you called me someone else's name."

"There ain't gonna be no more begin your please."
"You know what I want and it ain't one of these."
"Your bad to the bone and your girlfriend agrees."
"That falling in love is so hard on the knees."

"Chip off the old block and your so much like your sister."
"My fantasizing must be out of luck."
"My own libido has been blowing a transistor."
"I feel like I have been hit by a fuck."

"I'm jonesing on love."
"Yeah I've got the disease."
"You say that we will,"
"But there ain't no guarantees."
"I majored in love,"
"But in all minor keys."
"Cause falling in love is so hard on the knees."

"What are you looking for?"
"It's got to be hardcore."
"Must be some kind of Nevus Riche."
"Is this your only chance?"
"Or some hypnotic trance."
"Let's get you on a tighter leash."

"You ain't that good." is what you said down to the letter."
"But you like the way I hold a microphone."
"Sometimes I'm good,"
"But when I'm bad I'm even better."
"Don't give me no lip,
"I've got enough of my own."

"There ain't gonna be no more begin your please."
"You know what I want and it ain't one of these."
"Your bad to the bone and your girlfriend agrees."
"That falling in love is so hard on the knees."

"I'm jonesing on love."
"Yeah I've got the disease."
"You say that we will,"
"But there ain't no guarantees."
"I majored in love,"
"But in all minor keys."
"Cause falling in love is so hard on the knees."

As the song ended Faith was left flushed, smiling from ear to ear and panting ever so slightly. The host quickly walked up and took the microphone. "Now wasn't that great!" Under his breath, but close to the mic he spoke to Faith. "The censoring is there for a reason." Faith then laughed. "What, murderous demons are afraid of the f word?" "Yes" She shrugged. "Whatever." Then she walked from the stage and back to a widely grinning Buffy. "I know it got me thinking of my f word." Faith slid her arms over the smaller slayer's shoulders and then leaned in and whispered in Buffy's ear. "Would that word be...Faith?" Buffy pulled back and grinned at her. "That too." Faith grin matched Buffy's as they sat back down and Buffy spoke. "Let's just say we'll be testing your theory, and those knees."

The sound of a chair scraping across the floor turned all eyes to Angel who was on his feet and back towards the exit. "I... I gotta go." The host was there at almost the exact same time. "Maybe you should go with him Cordelia?" The secretary turned seer nodded and quickly followed her boss out the door. The slayers looked about ready to do the same as the host held up a hand. "Don't, he's a big boy, and he has to learn to deal with it." Spike sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll go help the poor guy out." Buffy shook her head. "The only help you would give is twisting the knife." He nodded. "Your right there. Fine, I'll go help myself to another beer." As Spike got up and headed to the bar the three were left alone. "I know you girls are worried about him, but it's the nature of his curse. He has to earn the right to happiness."

Faith was looking down at the table. "I didn't." "Ah, but there's a difference there. That's what I saw. You two know that you are each halves of the slayer power right?" The girls nodded in unison, and he smiled. "Part of that is that you share your karma. So Buffy, when Kendra died you shed your slayer duties. You thought it was just because you couldn't handle it, but on an instinctive level you knew that there should be a new slayer." Buffy seemed to consider that. "After I... died I had this whole bad girl phase." Faith seemed to pout. "And I missed it?" They all seemed to laugh at that. "Actually "you" probably were the cause of it." The slayers locked their eyes back on him in a silent question. "Well Buffy as you know your power fractured at that point and the darker side of the slayer powers passed on to Kendra. On a subconscious level you knew they were missing and your acting up was a way to try to make up for the loss."

Faith was confused. "So what's that got to do with me?" He smiled at her and reached out to pat her hand. "I'm getting to you precious. When you were doing what you did you wanted Buffy to stop you didn't you?" Faith nodded. "I just figured that was because I still had some trace of a conscience." He nodded. "I'm sure you did, but Angel was trying to stop you to. You wanted Buffy to do it because you knew she was the only one. She mitigates your darkness, and you give her the fire to keep fighting. Without you Buffy losses the fire for the fight, with out her you..." Faith interrupted. "Flip out?" "Not exactly. Your slayer instincts tend to think in terms before the development of things like laws." The girls continued to look at him and he sighed. "When you first took a life your slayer instincts thought "threat" and reacted. Now in this case it turned out to be wrong. Now Buffy's verified what he was, but if he had turned out to be a threat she could have died while making sure."

Buffy's lip curled. "So what? We're both flawed?" He shook his head. "No, you're linked. You need each other to be at full strength." Faith was looking back down at the table. "She was with me when it first happened." He stared deeply into her eyes. "Was she?" The girls looked at each other for a long time and then back at the demonic lounge singer. Buffy then spoke in a quiet voice. "You mean to be together we have to be "together"?" He grinned at the girls. "Not exactly, but the connection has to be on a deep, primal level. Rites of passage, ritualistic combat, vision quests, things like that. Sex is just one of the things that connect on that level that is still popular nowadays. So the stronger your love the stronger your slaying."

Chapter 6

"I must say, you have an extraordinary talent for the supernatural." Wesley noticed that Tara seemed uncomfortable with the compliment, but he just assumed that it was because of the girl's shy nature. She did however smile. "T...thank you." He smiled as he sat down next to her. The two Watchers were working with the Wiccan and the former vengeance demon while the rest of the combined team was out doing legwork. They were responsible for going through Wesley's library as well as looking over the books they brought with them in greater detail. "Though I understand you are actually practicing?" She nodded as he continued. "That was forbidden back in England, not at all proper you know." She looked at him with an odd look. "You mean you spent all those hours in the library with the books you loved but were never curious about what was inside?"

Wesley seemed rather uncomfortable. "Well... yes. I mean I assume most experimented at one point or another, but not to the point or finding a partner or working spells on any regular basis. I mean an exorcism here or there as needed, but we were taught to stay well away from it." Tara's expression grew sad. "That's sad. I mean if you have an aptitude for magic... I mean I do and the magic I work with Willow... well I've never been happier." He seemed to look serious. "And the Watcher's Council would condemn you for it." Then he smiled. "Good thing I'm no longer a Watcher." She smiled back at him as Anya came bursting in. "You can talk about Wesley's hang ups later." He stood up. "I beg your pardon?" Anya waved a hand at him. "You can beg me later. Your library has reference to the Sentinel!" Tara stood up on impulse as well as the three of them moved to look at the scroll Anya was holding. As Wesley got close he took off his glasses.

"I recognize that. Angel managed to bring it back with the prophecy." The two girls looked at him and nearly spoke in unison. "Prophecy?" Wesley looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but he shook himself immediately. "Nothing, just an unrelated prophecy that's part of an ongoing investigation." The blondes looked skeptical, but seemed willing to drop the issue as Tara spoke. "We should tell Mr. Giles." Wesley nodded. "Quite right." He then led the two over to where Rupert Giles was pouring through an ancient tome, which was lying next to a rather large pile of similar books. As they approached they were not at all quiet about it and Giles looked up at them. "Did you find something?" Tara was smiling. "Yep, we found something. Well Anya found something. What did we find?" At that she tried to look over at the scroll but Anya was unrolling it on the table that Giles was working at.

"I found the spell that they used to bind the Sentinel." Giles took his glasses off and began reading the scroll, and as he got more and more amazed Anya looked more and more pleased with herself. "Yes, yes that's exactly what you found, and with this we will be able to figure out how to counter it." Wesley looked over the scroll at the same time. "Does that mean that we will still need to penetrate the Wolfram and Heart offices?" Giles nodded "I'm afraid it does. What this scroll does is guarantee that if we can get to the Sentinel we can free it and quite quickly I might add." Tara had managed to squeeze into a spot close enough to look at the scroll. "Willow and I can start working as soon as they get back."

At that precise moment the doors opened to admit Xander, Gunn and Willow. Giles, Wesley and Anya all locked at Tara with shocked expressions. Tara seemed shocked as well, but she was smiling as she laid eyes on Willow. When Willow laid eyes on Tara she sped up her pace and quickly wrapped Tara in a hug. A tight one if Tara's grunt was any indication. Anya seemed ready to do the same, but when she got close to Xander she stopped. "Xander, you stink. Why do you stink?" He shrugged slightly. "Cordite." She looked confused. "Cordite, what's cordite?" Giles stood as he heard that. "Cordite? What happened?" Anya interrupted Xander's reply. "What happened? What's cordite? And why does your shirt have holes?" Xander sighed warily. "Cordite is the blue smoke left after gunpowder ignites." Anya grabbed Xander and started running her hands over him to look for wounds, something Tara started to do to Willow. "Gunpowder! You were shot?"

Xander nodded. "Several times, but the vest stopped em." Willow caught Tara's hands and then kissed her. "I'm fine. Xander protected me." She smiled over at her friend as Tara clutched her to her chest, also smiling at Xander but her face was pale while she mouthed the words "thank you". He smiled back at the two of them. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to sit down." Willow agreed. "Yes, sitting, sitting is good." As they all moved to the couches in the lobby Giles and Wesley looked at Gunn, for his part the man shrugged. "Don't look at me. I was just the wheelman. It was those two going Wild West in there." Both Anya and Tara were thinking alike as they refused to let go of their respective lovers while Xander resumed the narrative. As he finished their listeners all seemed shocked. Giles was the first to express it.

"You killed human beings?" Xander looked directly into his eyes. "I killed the enemy." Giles shook his head. "But they were still human beings." Xander kept the gaze locked. "So? Should we let them keep this Sentinel imprisoned? Or maybe we should have just let them catch me and Willow and then take us someplace private to put a bullet in the back of our heads?" Anya spoke up. "I don't like that idea." Xander actually grinned and gave her a kiss. "Me neither, and that's why I killed them. I wasn't willing to die, and I wasn't willing to let them keep doing evil. That's the thing Giles. We are not talking dupes or pawns, they were not innocent. They went into this with their eyes open and CHOSE to serve the forces of darkness, and when I last checked that's who we were fighting."

Giles looked sad. "Yes, but where's the line?" "The line is that I didn't like it. In fact I hated it, I know full well I am going to loose sleep over this, but I will be around to loose that sleep." Tara was rubbing up and down Willow's arms. "What about you?" Willow sighed and snuggled against Tara's shoulder. "I didn't have to do anything, not really. It was just a matter of seeing what Xander had to do." Xander looked ready to apologize, but she raised her head and shook it. "It's ok Xander. It's like you said. We had to stop them, and the only way we could do that was killing them. I'm going to loose some sleep too, but living with it still has that whole living part." With that she snuggled back against Tara who actually seemed to be rocking her slightly." Xander had been looking at Willow, but he looked back at Giles.

"And that's the best way to say it. We'll learn to live with it, but we have to be alive to do so, and just because their human doesn't mean they can't do evil." Giles nodded. "That is true." "That's all true, but you'll still need to see how well you live with it." The gathered group looked over to see Angel and Cordelia entering. Xander shrugged. "I feel bad about having to kill, but I don't feel bad about surviving. If they had given me another option I would have taken it." Angel was sullen but he nodded as Giles asked Angel and Cordelia a question. "Where are Buffy and Faith?" Both seemed to get a soured expression as they answered in unison. "With Spike." That seemed to spread the soured disposition to everyone in the room. Willow looked absolutely shocked. "You left them, in LA, with Spike?" The two looked abashed, but nodded.

Giles looked sickened while Xander spoke. "I'm not sure who we should be more worried about, Spike, or Faith. Either way I think Buffy is in trouble." Giles nodded. "Either way I think it is safe to say they will not be back till the early morning. Shall we retire?" They all nodded and began standing up. The Scooby gang nodded and started heading for the stairs while Angel investigations moved towards the doors. All of them saying various goodnights. As Willow and Tara got to their room Tara seemed to keep examining Willow with her eyes. "Are you sure you're ok?" Willow nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm ok. I just want a shower." Tara's voice was quiet as she spoke. "Want some company?" Willow smiled uncontrollably as she blushed and nodded.

Both of the girls undressed and put their clothes aside. Both naked, they padded into the bathroom and stepped into the shower stall. Tara stood behind Willow and reached around her to turn on the water. As the spray started hitting them she took the sponge and lathered it up. Running it over Willow's shoulders and down her spine she felt Willow shudder as she sighed happily. "So what happened?" Willow's head slumped forward and Tara stepped closer to wrap a free hand around Willow's waist. She wasn't sure if she was going to get an answer until Willow started to speak. "It's hard to remember. I mean it all happened so fast. I mean first Xander maced to guys and beat them up in the office we were using. Then we got out in the hall and they started shooting at us, so Xander shot back." Tara kissed Willow's shoulder in silent support as she continued speaking.

"Then we heard them over the radio saying they were entering the stairs so we tried getting out of them, but that was a trap cause they shot Xander." While her first shudder and been one of pleasure at the soft touches the one that went through her this time was at the pain of the memory. "I thought he was dead Tara. I thought they had killed him. I thought that I was all alone and I would never get out there." Tara set the sponge aside and pulled Willow into her arms. She nestled Willow to her bosom and stroked the red head's damp hair. At first all Willow was able to do was cling to Tara and try to calm her breathing. She managed to do that and looked up into Tara's eyes. "I love you." Tara's eyes looked back into Willow's. "I love you too." A statement that she punctuated with a kiss. Willow turned back around and Tara resumed scrubbing her back.

"But he was wearing a vest and he was ok. So he shot them." At this point Tara had finished with the back and moved to scrub Willow's front. Starting at the top she ran the sponge around Willow's breasts, something that caused an abrupt stop to the story. She stopped. "Sorry." Willow's voice seemed dreamy. "No... it's all right." The small grin on her girlfriend's face appeared on Tara's as well. While she started making gentle circles on Willow's abdomen the story continued. "So he shot them, and we made our way to the fire stairs." There was a pause and a deep breath. "But they found us there too, and Xander used a grenade." Willow shuddered again. "Before it was just people falling. I mean we were running and so I never really looked at them, but there, there I slipped in the blood. That caused Tara to look and she noticed the nasty bruise on Willow's knee. She scrubbed the abdomen another couple times and then knelt down.

There she began scrubbing Willow's legs, paying extra special attention to the injured area. "I, I asked Xander for his can of mace because I didn't want to just put it on him. I was going to fight to get back to you." Tara tossed her hair back over her shoulder as she looked up and smiled at Willow. Smiling back at her Willow kept speaking. "We managed to get down to the parking garage, and Gunn was there, but a security team had tried to stop him. He had managed to get five of them, but the sixth had his gun at Gunn's head. So Xander kept him distracted while I snuck up and maced him. Gunn hit the guy and we all got in his truck and headed back here." Tara had reached the point she was scrubbing Willow's thighs and had her other hand at the small of Willow's back to brace herself as she looked up. "You came back to me." Willow had seemed to stop breathing as the muscles in her thighs tensed. "Tara? Can we go to bed? I... I need you." Tara stood up and shut off the water. Taking Willow by the hand she led her from the shower. "Let's go to bed."

In another room in the hotel a similar process was going on. "What's that? I thought you said the vest stopped the bullets?" Xander nodded and ran his hand over his chest, which carried roughly half a dozen quarter-sized bruises. "It did stop them, but they were going very fast when they stopped." Anya looked at him with her face twisted in a pout. "I don't like this Xander. I don't like you being in situations that could take you away from me." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I don't like being in those situations, but I've been fighting evil for five years now, and I don't see myself stopping." She turned from him and crossed her arms over her chest. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Think of it like this. The Xander you fell in love with fought evil. If I didn't fight evil would I still be your Xander?"

She turned around and kissed his bare chest. "You smell much better after your shower, and you will always be my Xander." His hands rubbed up and down her back. "Yes, but would I be the Xander you fell in love with?" Her face scrunched up. "Well... I guess not." He smiled. "Go take your shower. I'm going to get ready for bed." She smiled at him and went into the bathroom. After she left and he heard the water start running he allowed out the groan he had been holding back. Sure the vest kept the bullets from entering his body but they still felt like supersonic punches to the chest. He had already taken off the vest and had determined it was still useable, but he decided that after this mission was over he was going to have to look into procuring another one.

The vest was already soaking to remove the combined stinks of his sweat and the cordite so he started taking the guns apart and using the cleanser on them. He had managed to score a position in logistics, and with the help of Willow's computer skills and the overall cumbersome bureaucracy he was able to siphon off the supplies he needed. Now he was trying to think of where a vest could go missing with out being missed. All the while he kept maintaining his equipment with an efficiency that went beyond his conscious thoughts. Yet he didn't think it was all because of Ethan Rayne's spell. It felt too right to just be the magic. Of course maybe that was part of the spell, he DID become an entirely different personality, but he didn't when he used the skills. Sure the knowledge got dumped in at once, but it felt like it was his. Of course maybe the spell just took over his personality more then it did Buffy or Willow.

He shook his head and forced his mind off that train of thought. The fact was he had assimilated the skills, and he was putting them to good use. Maybe Ethan made him into a killing machine, or maybe he had just unlocked Xander's inner solider. The fact was that he was a solider, literally now a member of the United States Armed Forces. Even more then that he was part of an operation that saw action almost every night and was fighting for a great cause, all of humanity. The one thing he did know is that whatever Ethan had done to him it had went far beyond some supernatural Halloween prank. As he finished assembling his gear he loaded a clip into his pistol and thought that the next time he saw Ethan Rayne maybe he could show the evil wizard just how far it had gone. He got under the covers and let out a huge sigh of contentment. Anya had yet to return from her shower, and while she didn't like it when he fell asleep with out her he thought the battle with his fatigue was one he was going to loose.

Chapter 7

As Buffy slipped out from under Spike's arm she gave him an elbow to the ribs. While he grunted from the pain Faith slipped out from under his arm but gave him a grin as she did so. The vampire rubbed his ribs and gave the slayers an injured look. "Can you blame me, LA, to unbelievably hot women with me? It's what dreams are made of." While Buffy cocked a brow at him Faith nodded thoughtfully. Upon seeing that Buffy turned her brow on Faith and the dark haired slayer grinned at her partner. Buffy shook her head and hid her eyes behind her right hand. "Oh great, there's two of you." Spike and Faith shared a grin. Then both of them went to one of Buffy's arms and held her hands. While Buffy allowed her girlfriend to continue she yanked her hand free from Spike. "Only those I'm dating can hold my hand." Spike then smirked and reached for her hand again but got his foot stomped on by Faith. He leapt back on his uninjured foot and growled.

Faith simply grinned. "Sorry Spike, but you only hurt the ones you love." Spike shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, love you too, and if it weren't for this chip I'd show you how much. So what do you want to do? I mean you're finally out of smallsville." Faith nodded. "He's got a point B. We've finally got some decent clubs, and a realistic nightlife." Buffy kept holding hands with Faith as she swung her head back and forth between the two. "Need I remind you both that we are here to work?" Spike shrugged. "Then let's go beat up some lawyers." Faith gave him a smirk. "You mean Wolfram and Heart lawyers right?" He shrugged again. "Whatever." Buffy shook her head. "Yeah, then they give our descriptions to the police. I'm surprised they haven't already." Faith shook her head. "Nah, Angel's got SOME pull with the LAPD. Not much, but enough to keep us from getting false charges trumped up." Buffy nodded. "But if we give them something real to charge us with..."

While they had already left Caritas they had not even gotten a full block away when the sounds of a fight reached their ears. The slayers looked at each other and then at Spike. Buffy started to speak to him, but Faith was already running back towards the club. "Spike, something's wrong!" "So?" But Buffy had already taken off after her partner, and with a grumble Spike followed. Buffy had only been a few steps behind Faith and had caught up easily. When they surveyed the scene they saw half a dozen men in long black coats and suits they all had guns out, and had apparently used them because the bouncer at the door was on the ground bleeding. Another had his gun trained on the green skinned host and when they saw how that was keeping security at bay they knew where to start. Faith dropped to a crouch and Buffy reacted instantly. With a short hop she was landing on her partners shoulders. A partner who stood up at the same time so Buffy had practically doubled her momentum for the jump kick she delivered to the man who was holding the host at gunpoint.

Her foot landed squarely between the man's shoulders and he hit the ground face first at the feet of the host. Buffy had flinched when she felt bone crunch but he was still breathing as he lay on the ground. Though the fact he wasn't moving unsettled her. "Get em boys!" As security was unleashed by the hosts words Buffy spun around. 3 of them had been tackled to the ground by Spike who now seemed torn by the pain in his head and the pain in his chest from two bullet wounds. That still left Faith fighting two of them, and while the dark slayer had managed to disarm one of them the second was aiming his pistol at her. Reacting without thought Buffy caught a chair with her foot and kicked it in the shooter's direction. While it only connected with his legs it was enough to make the shot go wild and bury itself in the ceiling. Faith didn't miss a beat as she drove both her fists into the man's chest as he fell backwards, causing him to hit the ground with enough force to bust the chair underneath him.

She then turned to face her second opponent, but one of the bars security guards had tackled him to the ground and was taking great pleasure in beating the man in the face and shoulders. Part of Faith wanted to do something because the guard was a demon and the other guy was not, but for the most part she didn't care. The larger part won out and then she looked to see that the rest of the team was currently suffering a similar fate at the hands of the Caritas security staff. The host still was recovering as he walked up to the slayers. "Man, lawyers, first they send someone around to kill you. Next they'll probably sue me." Faith was confused as she looked at the demon. "So what they were after you?" He shook his head. "Nah, they were after you, but they seemed to think that the rules only applied to the regulars and when I didn't tell them everything they wanted to know they got violent."

Faith got angry at that. "And what did you tell them exactly?" He held up his hands as Buffy turned to her girlfriend and laid a hand on her chest. Buffy's actions seemed to soothe Faith more than anything, but whatever the cause she settled down as he replied. "Just that you were here. Same thing they could have gotten from anyone who was here when you were." Buffy was turning back to him as the Host continued. "However I'll give you a little free advice, of course you know what they say about that, but you better be ready slayers. They've sent in the goons. While they may have to sit in the big ol building it doesn't mean they'll just sit around and wait for you to come to them." The girls were nodding thoughtfully as Spike walked up, his fingers dabbing at his bullet holes. "Very nice! Should have known better then to try for a night on the town with a couple of slayers." Neither turned to look at him as the girls spoke in unison. "You'll heal." They both seemed to reach a conclusion as Buffy spoke up. "I'll call the hotel. Faith, you and Spike bring the car around."

Faith nodded and walked up to the groaning blond vampire. She scoffed at his pain and then put his arm over her shoulders in an all-to abrupt motion. He shouted again and she just put her arm around his waist and started pulling him out the door. "We need to get you a new car Spike. Its one thing to be seen it in back in Sunnydale, but in LA it's just embarrassing." He growled. "You're free to walk." Whatever reply she may have made didn't make it back through the doors as Buffy first made her way to a pay phone, but the Host shook his head and motioned for her to use the one behind the bar. She gave the demon a smile and did exactly that. It was picked up on the first ring and when it was Angel's voice on the other end it made her wince. She knew he was sitting in the dark brooding, and she was sure it was about her. She still loved Angel, and she knew that part of her always would, but whatever it was that made them first fall in love was gone. At least for her it was. She knew Angel loved her as deeply and passionately as she once loved him and it killed her as much as it did him that she couldn't return it.

"Hello?" She realized she didn't respond right away. "Angel, its Buffy." "Are you all right?" Some part of Buffy cursed him for caring as much as he did. Her future was with Faith, but her past made it all the harder by being as wonderful as he was. It was almost as if she could let go, forget about Angelus, God help her even forget about Faith and slip back into who she was when she was with him. However it didn't fit, not anymore. It was like some old shirt pulled out of the back of a drawer. It held scents, and feelings, and memories, but it never fit like it once did. "I'm ok, we're all ok. Even Spike, but you wouldn't know it by listening to him." "So something did happen?" She looked out over the bar and saw the bouncers dragging off the Wolfram and Heart thugs. She didn't let herself wonder what condition they were in or what Caritas security would do with them. "Yeah, something happened. Wolfram and Heart sent out some thugs to find us, and while they didn't find us they got to Caritas just after we had left."

She took a breath at that point and Angel filled the space. "Damn! I should have known they wouldn't sit still." Buffy shook her head even though she knew Angel had no way to see it. "WE should have known Angel." "Was anyone hurt?" She switched the phone to the other ear as she replied. "Well the thugs were, and one of the bouncers was shot. Spike was too, but I think he was more upset about getting bullet holes in his jacket." "Do you need me to come get you?" Buffy closed her eyes and forced down her sigh. "Nah, it's ok. Faith and Spike are getting the car and we'll be back soon." "Ok, I'll see you when you get here." She allowed the sigh after her reply and as she put the phone back on the hook. "Bye." When she looked up the Host was standing there. "It's tough, I know. Heck I feel for the big guy too, but if he's ever going be human again he's gotta pay penance, and the heart break is part of that." Buffy's face had gone pale and she had stopped breathing. "Angel's going to be human again?'

The Host's eyes got wide. "And you didn't know that...awkward." Her voice was shaky. "How?" He shook his head and his voice was respectfully hushed. "Nobody knows how, or even when. There is just a prophecy that talks of a vampire with a soul regaining his humanity, and were not talking on merely a karmic scale. It's going to be pulse and everything." "So what does he have to do?" The demon shrugged. "There's no set finish line. Once he regains it on a karmic scale he'll get it in the literal fashion." His eyes suddenly narrowed. "What are you thinking?" Before Buffy could answer they heard Spike's car pull up. Hearing that they both looked up and moments later Faith entered and smiled at Buffy. "We'll have to ride up front. Spike claimed the back seat so he could lie down because he's one of the walking wounded. I told him he's already one of the walking dead, but he didn't budge." When neither of them responded Faith muttered to herself. "Well I thought it was funny." Buff had walked up to her girlfriend. "It was." She mustered a weak smile. "It was hilarious."

Faith grinned and gave Buffy a kiss. "Thanks B. Nice of you to say any way." The Host spoke up from the bar. "It was spectacular. I'll see about getting a comedy night in here." The dark slayer gave him a grin as the pair turned to walk out the door. As it closed he spoke quietly. "I just hope you still have a sense of humor come morning." As he heard the car pull away he wondered what was happening inside. From the drivers seat Faith looked over at Buffy. "Something wrong B?" Buffy was staring out the window, but she laughed at that. "Wrong? Nope, not wrong." Faith looked confused, but she reached out her hand and just touched Buffy's shoulder. The smaller slayer put her hand on top of it and smiled. "You know you can tell me anything B." Buffy shook her head. "Not this." Faith was about to argue, but she saw Buffy cast her eyes in the direction of the back seat. From that back seat they saw a match flare and a cigarette light. "Oh just tell her already!"

Faith quickly stomped on the breaks and the car screeched to a halt. From that back seat Spike cursed. "Damn it! Watch the driving!" She shouted back over her shoulder. "Watch the mouth!" She then lowered her voice as she looked over to Buffy. "Later?" Buffy nodded. Faith then looked into her eyes. "Love you." Buffy's voice was still weak, but she looked right back into Faith's eyes. "Love you too." Both still looked shaken as they sat back into their own silences with only the sounds of Spike's smoking and the laboring engine of his car. It remained until they parked at the Hyperion. From the back Spike started to sit back up. "So who's helping me get inside?" Buffy was the one to answer. "Neither, the bullets went clear through. So you should be fine by now." He seemed ready to argue, but then he got a look at the slayer's eyes and nodded. All three got out of the car, but while Spike went inside the two girls stayed with the car. Faith stepped closer to Buffy. "So B, what's up?"

On the surface Faith appeared her normally cool, detached self, but it was just a front and it no longer worked on Buffy. She could see that Faith was worried, and she was scared. Buffy had been feeling the same way, but seeing Faith like that seemed to quiet her own fears. With out answering she pulled Faith into a tight hug, and held the embrace so she could just rest in Faith's arms, which had already gently wrapped around her. She felt Faith kiss the top of her head and whisper. "I meant it when I said you could tell me anything." Buffy lifted her head from Faith's should and smiled at her. "I know, it was just a shock, and I had to digest it." Faith seemed comforted, but Buffy could tell she was still weary. Buffy looked deeply into her girlfriends brown eyes. "Do you trust me?" Faith responded immediately. "With my life." Buffy smiled, but she also took Faith's hands in her own. "Yes, but do you trust me with your heart?" Faith paused and then slowly nodded.

Buffy smiled and then took a deep breath. "Then trust that I love and that this has NOTHING to do with us. This will not affect us in any way." Faith actually got a genuine grin at that. "That sounds bad. You going to tell me you think we should see other people?" Buffy sighed and shook her head. "No, but I'm going to say I could." Faith's face twisted up in pure confusion as she waited for Buffy to continue. "There is a prophecy that says Angel will become human again." Buffy waited for Faith's response, and waited, and waited. "Faith?" Faith shrugged. "Is that all?" Buffy seemed taken back. "What do you mean is that all? My first love who I lost to a curse will have that curse broken and be free to love again." Faith shrugged again. "We'll try to find him a nice girl... B, when you and Angel were together you would look at him and it was like the rest of the world was in black and white. That's what drove me so damn crazy. I couldn't take being so meaningless to you. I wanted to the be the one you would look at that way."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Faith. "And now?" Faith grinned at her. "And now I am." Buffy smiled and leaned against Faith, resting her face to Faith's chest. "I love you." Was actually spoken into Faith's chest as Buffy felt Faith run her fingers through her hair. "I love you too. So you're probably going to want to talk to him right?" Buffy lifted her head slightly and nodded. Then she rested her cheek back to Faith's chest. "That's cool B. I'll just go get ready for bed and wait for ya." They held hands as they walked to the doors. As they got inside they saw Angel looked at them through his open office door. They both gave him a look and then Faith leaned in and whispered in Buffy's ear. "But if you take too long I'm grabbing my stake and coming on down here." When Faith pulled back Buffy could see she was grinning and Buffy grinned as well. A grin that was lost as she walked into Angel's office. The vampire looked up at her. "Won't Faith be joining us?" Buffy shook her head. "Nope, I'm the one who needed to talk with you."

Chapter 8

"You sure you're ok?" Buffy's expression was tired, but it carried a hint of a smile. "Yeah, I'm ok." They were both silent then, and as the silence remained it grew more and more uncomfortable until Buffy finally decided to break it. "So when were you going to tell me?" Angel was obviously confused at that. "Tell you what?" Her features were sad, but softened and her reply was almost a whisper. "About the prophecy." His eyes got wide and he seemed to get even paler, he seemed capable of speaking only one word. "How?" Buffy shook her head. "The Host let it slip. He didn't realize that I didn't know." Angel turned away at that, and even though she couldn't see his face she could see that he seemed tired, his body sagging where it stood. "Angel? Why didn't you tell me?" He turned around slowly. "Because." She started to narrow her eyes, but she could see he was trying to find the words to express himself.

"Because I didn't just loose you, I had to leave you. For both our sakes, and if this turned out to be wrong... I couldn't go through that again." Buffy took a ragged breath, and then another and another, each one getting steadier and stronger. "It's not like that Angel, not anymore. I'm with Faith." He met her eyes and saw how peaceful she was as she said it. He knew there was no way he could conceal his pain so he closed his eyes tightly. While he didn't realize it he had started shaking, but Buffy had and she responded by wrapping her arms around him. He didn't even struggle as he breathed in the scent of her and finally let silent tears fall. For her part she stood there silently and actually rocked the 200-year-old vampire gently. He was the one to stop the motion and pull away. When their eyes met again Buffy whispered. "I'm sorry Angel. I'm not sorry I love Faith, but I'm sorry you're hurting."

He shook his head and whispered as well. "That has nothing to do with you." She shook her head and seemed ready to contradict him, but he interrupted. "I'm sure she's waiting for you." Buffy had already taken a breath, which she let out and then paused. Taking another breath she spoke again. "Please, try to be happy Angel. I am." She turned and slowly walked out. After she had disappeared into the elevator he slid down into his chair and spoke to the empty office. "But I can't." Even with her slayer hearing Buffy could not hear him from her position at the door to the honeymoon suite. Letting herself into the darkened room she smiled as she saw Faith sleeping on the bed. While Faith was now able to sleep soundly through the night she seemed to be restless right now; the look on her face was like she was concentrating. Buffy knew that it was because she was missing the feeling of her fellow slayer lying there next to her. Of course Buffy knew full well that she was a cuddler and so she usually ended up on top of Faith was much as she did next to her.

The smile was still on her face as she reached out and caressed Faith's cheek. The action seemed to soothe Faith and her expression showed it. Buffy's smile grew and she leaned in to kiss Faith on the forehead. That woke Faith up and as she pulled back Faith was looking up at her and blinking. "Hey." Buffy brushed a lock of Faith's hair back. "Hey." Faith smiled shyly at Buffy's gentle touch and then her expression sobered. "So how'd it go?" Buffy frowned and laid down, resting her head on Faith's shoulder and Faith put an arm up and on Buffy's shoulders. "Not great. He's hurting so much Faith." She felt Faith nuzzle her hair and kiss the top of her head. "Nothing you can do about that B." Buffy sat up, but her head hung down. "Is that supposed to help?" Faith put her hand on Buffy's knee. "Like I said, nothing that can be done about that. He loves you, and there's no way to change that." Buffy's guilt was obvious on her face and Faith shook her knee. "Hey, that's not your fault. I mean wasn't it SEEING you that got him fighting evil in the first place?"

Buffy nodded slowly as Faith continued. "So he had a choice B. He had that point where he fell in love with you sure, but he had the point where he had to act on it." Buffy smirked at Faith. "When did you get so wise?" Faith grinned and laid back into the blankets. "Part of the whole redemption thing. When I started to understand why I did what I did I kinda got an idea why others do what they do." Buffy nodded, but even as she did her eyes were lidded. Faith pulled back the covers, exposing how she was sleeping in her normal style, and patted the bed next to her. "Come on, you look wiped out." Buffy continued to nod. "Probably because I am, but I'm going to go take a quick shower." Faith spoke to Buffy's back as she was walking into the bathroom. "Want some help?" Buffy just laughed as she started getting undressed. While it was probably because her mother raised her that way Buffy didn't think about it as she folded the clothes she was taking off. Then she saw where Faith had tossed all her dirty clothes into a separate pile and flipped her folded ones in there to join them.

As the warm spray of water hit her face and soaked into her hair she let out a groan. She accented the groan by stretching her muscles, while her slayer healing had taken care of any bruising her muscles had been tensed up with the fight, and then with the whole deal with Angel. She had been able to start unwinding when she got back to their room, and now under the nozzle of the shower she was finally able to relax all those muscles she hadn't even realized were tensed up. She grabbed the shampoo with one hand and uncapped it with the same putting some in her other hand she started lathering up her hair and really thought about what Faith said. Not just then either, she remembered soon after Riley had been turned Faith had said something similar, about how the people in Buffy's life had made their own decisions and Buffy couldn't hold herself responsible for them. In Riley's case he had enlisted in the Army and signed on with the Initiative long before he ever met Buffy Anne Summers.

Of course he might not have been given any choice in joining the Initiative, but the fact was he was dealing with demons long before he ever met a certain slayer. The problem with that idea was that he didn't get turned until after he had left the Initiative entirely. Not until after he left and then decided to recruit a demon to murder the one he thought was his competition for Buffy's affections. Ironically it was his own actions that pushed Buffy closer to Faith. Even with the dark topic Buffy couldn't hide her smile. Thinking about Faith always did that to her, and when she thought about Faith, about her dark reflection she realized that she and Faith had already been close. All the Riley did was force them to rebuild that bridge a little faster. Then there was Faith, slayer, lover, natural disaster, she tore into Buffy's world like a hurricane and Buffy ran for the nearest shelter she could find, but what if? What if Buffy had just seen those dark clouds gathering, seeing that downward spiral.. actually she had, but her idea of dealing with it was treating Faith like dirt. Probably like everyone in her life had treated her.

Buffy had been action on autopilot, lathering up and rinsing off as she sighed. She knew that if Faith knew what she was thinking about she would probably grab Buffy by the shoulders and give her a good hard shake. That or pull Buffy in an embrace and cover her lips with kisses that left Buffy with no doubt about Faith's feelings. She had failed Faith, and Faith had failed her. Of course she never thought about what Faith did because she was too busy hating herself for... She suddenly realized there was nothing left for her to wash so she settled for a quick rinsing to make sure all the soap was gone. Then she turned off the water and grabbed the towel. She dried herself in front of the mirror and looked closely at her reflection. Older, wiser, a lot more mature, there was a certain hardness around the eyes, but being the slayer will do that to you. Then she remembered when it was Faith's reflection staring back at her. That was the point Buffy didn't come down from her high horse, it was knocked out from underneath her. It was one thing for Buffy to take the moral high ground when she had the friends, the family, the life.

Yet again when faced with the screaming dose of reality named Faith, Buffy again ran and hid. This time behind a wall of anger and righteous indignation, all the while refusing to consider why her fellow slayer was able to get under her skin in a way that it took Angelus to do. If Angel hadn't helped Faith find herself Buffy probably never would have gotten over herself and went to her grave never knowing why she always felt empty. Angel had completed her for a time, and even Angelus couldn't destroy that, but Angel could. He knew that he had to earn the right to happiness and Buffy was more than he deserved. As she started brushing out her hair she closed her eyes. Angel had made that choice, Buffy would have done anything to be with him, to keep him in her life. In a way sharing his curse with him, but Angel would never allow that. It still didn't change that he made the choice to leave. The thought gave Buffy a sense of resolution, and the feeling a weight had been lifted. Once that weight lifted the more familiar feeling of fatigue pulled down on her.

Now dry she padded back into the bedroom naked. Faith looked up as Buffy walked in. While she pulled back the covers Buffy climbed in and lay back against Faith's chest. As Buffy let out a contented sigh Faith spoke. "You've been thinking again haven't you?" Buffy looked up at Faith. "How could you tell?" Faith grinned and kissed Buffy's forehead. "You have your drama scowl." Buffy arched both her eyebrows. "My drama scowl?" Faith nodded. "Yes it's the expression you get when you're having all those deep, moody thoughts." "Well one of us has to be the thinker." Faith chuckled as she pulled the covers up higher and eased them both down to rest on the pillows. "I'll leave that to you then ok?" Buffy was already falling asleep as she replied. "Kay." "Love you B." Buffy's eyes were already drifting closed as she replied. "Love you too Faith."

When her eyes opened again she sat bolt upright and clutched the blankets to her chest. "Spike! What are you doing here?" The vampire had seemed dazed. "Are you naked under there?" Buffy then felt the blankets rustle as Faith lifted the blanket enough to peek her head underneath. She then looked up at Spike and nodded. Buffy glared at Faith, and then at Spike. "Spike? Was there anything you had to say before I staked you?" "Oh, right. Well, Gunn's back and he's found us a place to start digging. So we're all getting ready." Her shoulders slumped as she nodded. In the meanwhile Faith had already climbed out of bed and was picking out her clothes. Buffy shouted at Spike. "Turn around!" Faith smirked back at her partner. "Chill B. It's nothing he hasn't seen before." Spike smirked back at the dark slayer but then he turned around and Buffy slipped from the covers and grabbed clothes, though she seemed more rushed then Faith did.

Finally they slayers were dressed and followed the vampire out to the main hall. As they walked down the stairs Buffy whispered to Faith. "Do I want to know?" Faith turned to her. "Don't worry B. I'd never cheat on you." Buffy smiled. "I know that." Faith smiled back, and then lost the smile. "It was back when Riley turned off his chip outside the mansion." Buffy frowned slightly too, but instead of pulling away from Faith she stepped a little closer. When they got to the hall they saw Angel and Gunn, Giles, Willow and Tara. Angel was the first to notice them. "Buffy, Gunn's found us a site we can use to burrow into the offices." He then seemed to step back to allow Gunn to speak, which he did. "All right, most of the property around Wolfram and Heart is owned by Wolfram and Heart, but I found a burned out warehouse that the cops thought was a torch job. They were blaming the owner, but he was blaming someone else." Buffy finished for him. "Wolfram and Heart." "Check it. Seems the warehouse was in this guy's family for generations and he straight up refused to sell to the lawyers. All of a sudden he takes out a big insurance claim and the place goes up in smoke. But the problem is HE never took out the claim."

Faith seemed confused at that. "Well why didn't they just torch the place?" Angel answered the question. "Probably because they want him in jail, or at least tied up in defending himself from a arson charge. Otherwise he might try to rebuild. Or even just let the burned out warehouse sit there." Faith then started nodding. "But if he's in jail he won't have much chance of holding on to the land." Gunn nodded. "Right. So when I told him we were out to the firm dirty he said we could have the place to ourselves. Even offered to let us use the equipment he brought in for demolishing the place." Giles was smiling. "So their double dealings..." Gunn finished for the Englishman. "Are coming round to bite em on the ass." Giles didn't seem entirely comfortable with the choice of words, but nodded nonetheless. Buffy then clapped her hands together once. "All right, lets get Xander, Anya, Cordy and Wesley and let's get going." Faith nodded. "I'll got get Xander and Anya." Angel then spoke. "I'll page Wes and Cordy and tell them where to meet us."

Faith couldn't help but smirk as she strolled to Xander and Anya's room. She reached for the handle then paused. Laughing quietly to herself she knocked and then walked in. When she got in she could see Xander and Anya were in the process of waking up, while she smiled at them they blinked at her. Smiling brightly she continued. "Xander, Anya." She allowed her smile to slip away. "Gunn found us a place to start digging. Get dressed and lets get going." She then turned around to leave but heard Anya speak to Xander. "Xander? Was she trying to catch us having sex?" Faith couldn't see it but Xander was shaking his head. "No, I'm sure she just wanted to let us know it was time to wake up." Faith figured Anya could see the edges of her smirk because she disagreed. "I think she was. I think she was trying to walk in on us having sex!" Faith turned around, allowing her smirk to remain. "That's not a problem is it?" Anya seemed to consider that and then shook her head.

"No, it's all right. Xander is really good at sex... but I guess you know that." Faith smiled. "Yeah." At which Xander blushed. "But I'm a one woman, woman." Anya smiled and nodded. "So should Xander and I walk in on you and Buffy having sex?" Faith's grin grew. "Well I wouldn't mind, but B probably wouldn't like it." An even redder Xander held up his hands. "Please, stop. Let's not go there... no matter how pleasant the territory." Faith laughed. "All right. We're gathering in the hall. So get your shit and lets get going." She then did turn and leave. When she got back to the main hall Buffy saw her smirk and arched a brow. "What did you do?" Faith's jaw dropped. "What? Why do you assume I did something?" Instead of answering Buffy just kept looking at her girlfriend from under her uplifted brow, but she did have a small smile on her face and Faith got one as well. Faith just settled for quietly walking up to Buffy and putting her arm around the smaller slayer's waist.

Out in the main hall the group was gathered except for the just woken Xander and Anya and Wesley and Cordelia who were going to meet them there. Angel looked around and stepped forward and Buffy did the same. The two seemed to give each other a nod as Angel started speaking. As he did so he gestured everyone to a map unrolled on the counter but even after they gathered he took a few minutes so that Xander and Anya were able to make it from their room. Once the group was assembled he started. "Ok, our starting point is an area five blocks from the Wolfram and Heart offices." As he pointed most of the group seemed to groan except Angel, Buffy and Gunn. While he continued Angel shook his head. "But we'll only have to dig through two of them. The city has been installing new drainage systems for rainwater, and since Wolfram and Heart is in an upscale area they got some of them first. Now from what Gunn was able to gather and what Willow pulled from the security system they haven't gotten the clout together to start messing with city property."

Xander shook his head. "Doesn't mean they haven't." Angel nodded, but Willow was the one to provide the answer. "I still didn't find anything down there... security wise." Angel then did continue. "Still, that's where you and you come in Xander, even if they don't have anything set up I wouldn't be surprised if they had a few things down there. You'll be looking for booby traps while Willow looks for security devices. The biggest problem will be the space. The drains are big enough to walk if you crouch over a bit, but there will be no natural light." Xander paused. "You and Spike. I'll work with Spike and you can work with Willow and you'll use the vampire night vision to try to pick out anything we might miss." Angel nodded and Spike shrugged. Angel then continued to point out various features on the map as he kept speaking. "That will get us to their wall, but then we have to find a way to get in undetected. We'll be able to get through the wall, but the second we step inside they'll see us."

Willow was the one to shake her head at that. "I have a map of their electrical system. We'll just burrow in at a junction point and I can use the password I put in to shut them down." Xander looked skeptical. "That didn't work too well last time Will. You'd probably be better off having the cameras display old footage." Willow blushed slightly, but nodded. Tara then spoke. "Then I