Insurgency

by Shamrock

An Uber Buffy story, set in a future where Vampires have the upper hand, and the fate of the Resistance lies in the hands of The Slayer.

Title: Insurgency

Author: Shamrock

Rating: R just to be safe. Faith's in it after all.

Disclaimer: still don't own 'em, still wish I did.

Archive: want, e-mail, take, have.

Feedback: it brightens up my otherwise drab existence. let me know what you think, constructively of course. shamrock_50@xenafan

Notes: okay folks, it's an uber story. if you read xena fanfic you'll probably be familiar with the term, if not it means that it's basically the same characters, or at least the essence of the characters, but in a different time or setting. There's probably a better way of phrasing that but I can't think of it. Anyway, as you read it should be clear. Let me know if it works or not.

Thanks: To everyone who put up with the really, really long waits between chapters and read it anyway. To Gareth for kicking my ass into finishing it, and for his ever so helpful morphing abilities. HetSlutBoy Rules!

Dedication: For Niall O'Callaghan, RIP. Sin?ad, we love you and we're thinking of you.

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Prologue:

//Into every generation there is born a chosen one.
She alone will fight the demons and the forces of darkness.
She is the Slayer.//

The world that the Slayer for this generation was born into was unlike anything her predecessors faced. The battle waged by vampires and demons against the forces of good was one that had been fought for millennia, but over the course of the last few centuries, the vampires had gained the upper hand.

The human race were now divided into four groups. The slaves were kept in internment camps, forced to work the mines until they grew too weak, too tired, too old. Then they became part of the second group - the food, held for the vampires to feed on at will.

The third group was one led by the Slayer. They were the Resistance, a collection of men and women who had managed to stay free and therefore alive. Under the leadership of the Slayer they were the human race's only chance for survival and for freedom. Throughout history the Slayer had worked alone, under a shroud of secrecy, her identity known only to the Watchers. Now she led an armed force who all looked to her as their best hope. No longer an enigma working from the shadows, but a symbol for the hope the Resistance fought with.

Working in the daylight they fought the vampires at every opportunity, engaging in guerilla style attacks on internment camps, on holding centres, on vampire nests. The vampires couldn't fight them in the open during the day, which is where the fourth group came in. They were the mercenaries - free humans who worked for the vampires against the Resistance. They were the ones who could track rebel activity, who worked guard shifts in the daylight, and more often than not they were the assassins the vampires relied on to do their dirty work.

One such mercenary now sat, booted feet propped against a solid oak desk, in the office of Thomas Leone one of the most powerful master vampires in America. She had been called here especially, flown in from eastern Europe where she had been on assignment. She knew this was important, and the more important the job, the more money she got. Her interest was piqued. But she wasn't going to let him know that.

With an air of nonchalance she flicked through the folder Leone had given her, pausing a second to let her gaze linger on the picture enclosed. Then with a bored sigh she tossed the folder onto the desk.

Leone paced back and forth, waiting for her to say something. He had worked with Taylor before, and he knew her to be reliable. She never failed to get a job done and she was one of his most important contacts. But at times her attitude really annoyed him and he wondered if she was worth the trouble she gave him.

As though reading his thoughts, Taylor's hand strayed to the stake protruding from her belt. He read the message clearly, she would have no second thoughts about dusting him on the spot. There was no love lost between the majority of the mercenaries and the vampires they worked for. But there was a whole lot of money involved.

"So you want me to kill her or did you just call me here to catch up on my reading?" Taylor asked, tossing her long brown hair back over her shoulder, feigning an air of indifference.

"Not exactly." Leone paused in his pacing to look at Taylor. "You do know who she is?"

"Lee? She's the Slayer, right? Chosen One, Resistance leader."

"Yes. And she's proving to be a whole lot more troublesome than her predecessor."

The previous Slayer had been captured soon after she was called and kept imprisoned in one of the holding centres. They made sure she was kept alive so as to prevent the next Slayer from being called, until six months ago when she managed to commit suicide and pass her powers on to the next Slayer.

"I heard you've been taking some pretty heavy losses." Taylor smirked. "Looks like you're slipping Tommy Boy."

Leone ignored the barb. "The Resistance movement is growing stronger. They've managed to release too many prisoners and slaves. That's where you come in."

Leone could see the wheels turning in Taylor's head.

"You want me to get inside the Resistance."

"Exactly. And once you have all the information we require and have gained her trust enough to be able to get close to her, you will be expected to kill that Slayer bitch."

Taylor had to admit it sounded more interesting than the run of the mill assassinations she had been taking on lately. It was amazing how many vamps were unwilling to get their hands dirty in the power struggle that was going on. There was a lot of work for people like herself.

Getting inside the Resistance, that could be dangerous. But then again, danger was what she lived for. The adrenaline rush, the knowledge that in the next few seconds you'd live or die depending on your actions - she loved it, loved going into a fight knowing that she was gonna win and they were gonna lose. And she really loved the pay cheque at the end of it all.

"How much."

"$1,500,000." Leone replied.

Taylor looked at him in practiced disbelief. "$1,500,000? Oh I get it, this is a joke right?"

Leone merely held her gaze, having expected this response. "It's a fair offer."

"You want me to get inside the Resistance, get close to the Slayer... the Slayer, the Chosen One, the one that you guys shit yourselves about when you hear she's in your neighbourhood, you want me to put my life on the line to take her out... all for $1,500,000? I don't know whether to be offended or unbelievably fucking amused."

Leone said nothing.

"Try six million, then we'll talk."

"Three million."

"Five."

"Four."

She considered. It was about twice what she'd normally get for a high profile hit, but worth it considering who the target was.

"Deal."

Taylor picked up the folder again and glanced at the picture of the blonde Slayer. She was really something to look at, almost a pity she was gonna have to waste her. Then again, $4,000,000 doesn't leave much room for pity.

"We'll get you a chance to get inside the movement, after that you're on your own. When you feel you've gathered as much information as you can on the Resistance, eliminate Lee and get out."

"Consider it done."

"Is there anything you'll need?" Leone asked. "Weapons? Technology?"

"Nah." Taylor said as she stood and went to leave his office. "I'm five by five."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The small group of men and women crept silently through the undergrowth, weapons drawn and ready for trouble, eyes scanning the forest around them. The advance scouts had reported an outer ring of mercenary guards around the holding center and Lee knew it was just a matter of time before they ran into them.

She held up a closed fist in the signal to stop and Erin came to stand beside her, her shoulder length red hair reflected the rays of sunlight that came through the canopy of trees overhead. Her face was grim as she turned to Lee.

"Are we just gonna make a break for it?"

"Yeah. Through that ring of trees there's a clearing, probably guarded, and on the other side of that is the ventilation shaft."

The air duct was their best hope of getting inside the centre, but they'd have to be quick. There was a ten minute interval between each venting and if you were caught inside the duct when the extractors went off, the heat from the waste gases would roast you alive.

Lee could see the worry in her friend's eyes and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll get them out, Erin. I promise."

The redhead nodded and tried to put on a brave smile, but inside she couldn't help but fear for Sam and Rhys. Her lover and her best friend, both captured while on a scouting mission, and until they got inside the centre where they were being held, all Erin could do was pray they were still alive.

"Ready?" Lee questioned. Everyone in the group nodded an affirmative and with another quick hand signal they moved out. The two guards were caught by surprise and killed silently and effectively. Two of the Resistance members stayed outside to keep sketch while the others made their way through the ventilation shaft.

The metal was still hot underneath them, but not unbearably so, and soon the entire group was in position over the cells. from where she crouched, Lee could see the cell with her people in it, along with other humans and some lesser demons. She would get as many people as she could out of here, but her first priority was that cell.

With a glance over her shoulder she saw everyone was ready and gave the signal to attack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taylor sat in the corner of the cell, drumming her fingers on her thigh. She had been here three days now, brought in in chains just like any other prisoner. The people she had been put in with were the ones Leone knew were Resistance members and they were the ones that she had to get close to.

Sam was a somewhat shy girl, about her own age, but Taylor could sense that she had a lot of power. Either she had some demon blood in her or she was a mystic or something, but Taylor made a note to watch her carefully - the quiet ones were usually the most dangerous.

Rhys was obviously someone high up in the command structure. And Taylor had made good progress in winning him over so far. He seemed to be beginning to trust her, he had even dropped a subtle hint that a rescue might be on the cards soon.

Of course, Taylor knew exactly when that rescue would be coming, along with what route they would be taking and how they'd get inside. She knew because Leone knew, and this was her chance to get inside the Resistance. The guards were under orders that, whoever managed to escape, Taylor was to be among them.

The sound of a metal grille crashing to the floor alerted both guards and prisoners that the cavalry had arrived, and within seconds about twenty-five Resistance members were engaged in hand to hand combat with the guards.

In the cells the prisoners were on their feet, waiting for an opportunity to join the attack. Erin fought her way over to the cell and, using a keycard she took from an unconscious guard, she opened the door. Sam hugged her briefly.

"You guys took your time." Rhys said, grabbing the stake and vial of holy water Erin tossed to him.

"Good to see you too," Erin replied, rolling her eyes. "Now what say we get the hell outta here?"

"I say it sounds like a plan."

The prisoners now emerged from the cells, joining in the fight. They had to get the guards out of the way before backup had time to arrive.

"Head for the ventilation shaft!" Lee called over the sounds of shouting and gunfire.

She spun and dropped one guard with a vicious roundhouse, only to be grabbed by another two from behind. She struggled as they held her arms, kicking out at the one approaching her from the front. He stepped back out of her reach and smiled, raising his gun.

Taylor grabbed a gun from a body on the floor and covered the distance between them in three long strides. With a resounding crack she brought the gun down straight on his head, dropping him on the spot. She followed up with a stake through his heart.

One of the guards holding Lee broke off to face this new threat and ran at Taylor. She ducked under his swing and brought the stake up, running it through his chest and dusting him. Meanwhile Lee had broken the other guard's hold and, grabbing his gun, used all her Slayer strength to put it through his heart.

With the vamps out of the way, Lee turned to Taylor.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem." Reinforcement guards started pouring down the stairs into the room. "And might I suggest that now would be a really good time to leave.

"I completely agree."

There were only a few people still left in the corridor, and Lee quickly ushered them into the duct. Rhys waited until everyone but Lee was in and then followed the rest, his leader bringing up the rear.

Once they reached the clearing it was a mad rush for the safety of the trees. The newly released prisoners had to be helped along, their eyes unused to natural light after days of being kept in the almost absolute darkness.

The guards didn't catch up with them until they reached the skimmers they had hidden in the bushes. The light aircraft were the main vehicles used by the Resistance and though they were cramped, they got as many people into each of the small craft as possible.

Taylor found herself in the gunner's chair of Lee's skimmer.

"You know how to fire these things?" Lee asked as she started up the engine.

The guards outside dived for cover as Taylor sprayed the trees with bullets. She turned to Lee and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll take that as a yes." the Slayer lifted the skimmer and joined the others that were breaking out from the trees.

They covered the terrain quickly, heading for the system of caves that served as a base for this Resistance cell. The guards didn't pursue them, for which Lee was eternally grateful.

As she guided the skimmer, Lee glanced over her shoulder at the girl behind her. She wasn't anyone who had fought with her before, but that's not to say she wasn't part of another cell. She certainly seemed quick enough to throw down with the guards back there. She made a mental note to find out later.

Meanwhile, Taylor was studying Lee as well. There was something almost familiar about the blonde Slayer, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. But when the two of them were fighting the guards it had felt... right, somehow.

Taylor shook her head, trying to throw those feelings of familiarity off. There was no point in reflecting on things too much, especially when the person you were reflecting on was one you were going to be killing soon.

The skimmers touched down outside the entrance to the caves. Once she had made sure all her people were back and safe inside the caves, Lee approached Taylor.

"Thanks for the assist back there."

Taylor shrugged, "Not a problem."

"Name's Lee, by the way." she said, extending a hand.

"Taylor," the mercenary replied, returning the handshake.

"So are you part of the Resistance?" Lee asked.

Taylor smirked at her with an attitude that bordered on challenging.

"Not yet."

Then she turned and followed the others into the caves.

Erin came to stand beside her leader.

"What was all that about?" the redhead asked.

"I think we just got a new recruit." Lee replied.

Erin looked at her quizzically but Lee just smiled to herself. She had a feeling things were about to get very interesting.



Chapter One:

After a few days, Taylor was settling into Resistance life quite well. It had been a fairly simple matter once she made it clear she wasn't gonna leave unless they made her, forcefully. And the Resistance were always looking for new members, it's what kept the movement strong. Besides, Lee thought to herself, there was just something about that girl, something almost unnervingly familiar at times. Like now for instance, as she sat grinning at Lee insolently yet so very seductively at the same time.

"See something you like?"

Lee dragged her attention back to the present and looked away while mentally slapping herself for being caught staring.

The small scouting party were camped in the thick of the forest. It was unwise to travel at night, it was unwise to be out at night at all, but the Holding Centre they were returning from scouting out was three days away from the base and so camped they were.

Some of the cell members were asleep already, some were on watch around the perimeter of the camp and others, like Taylor and Lee were sitting round, checking weapons or supplies.

"If we push hard we can be back at base by tomorrow," Lee said, purposefully avoiding Taylor's question."

The dark haired girl just grinned and made a final check on her weapon before holstering it. Some part of herself, a very loud part of herself, was telling her to quit flirting with her intended victim and keep her mind on the damn job. Then again, she had collected a lot of information, subtly of course, on the deployment of Resistance cells, on their weaponry, their tactics, and on Lee herself.

She was what held the movement together, Taylor noted. They all looked to her, not only for leadership, but for reassurance. To them she was invincible, indestructible, infallible. And as of yet she hadn't seen Lee even flinch under the pressure of any given situation. She was always the model commander. It was almost inhuman.

Part of Taylor admired that kind of composure, another part pitied her. She had seen men and women in that sort of situation before. Semi-revered by the people who relied on them. She had seen them try to balance on that pedestal only to inevitably fall in the end.

The only truly successful leaders Taylor had worked with or under, were the ones who ruled by fear. That was why the world belonged to the vampires, they had the game plan all worked out. People like Lee on the other hand, they were the ones who became heroes and martyrs. Dead heroes and very dead martyrs.

Taylor was drawn out of her musings by the sound of loud crashing coming from the trees to their right. Everyone immediately dived for weapons just as something came flying into the clearing, landing on the ground with a thud. It was one of the perimeter guards.

Her body was followed by a group of vampires who strolled into the clearing almost nonchalantly. The vamps parted to make way for a tall, dark figure who strode to the front of the group and stood facing Lee.

"Hello lover."

He stepped from the shadows into the moonlight so Lee could see his face.

"Ty?" Lee's voice was barely above a whisper. Taylor noticed that most everyone else in the group wore a similar look of recognition and shock.

"Miss me?" he asked, his demon visage grinning.

Lee shook off the memories, the feelings and focused only on the situation and how to get out of it alive.

"Sometimes." she replied, grabbing a stake, "But my aim is getting better."

Tyris laughed and nodded. "Still trying to keep the bravado up, eh lover? Very admirable, very noble. Very good way to get yourself killed."

Lee assessed the situation. There were too many vampires for them to be able to fight their way out and surrendering to Tyris would get them all killed. There was only one other option she could see.

Reaching behind her back slowly with the hand not holding the stake, she grabbed a thick, round cylinder and pulled the pin out. Counting to herself, she waited until she'd reached eight.

The vamps started to move and Lee chucked the cylinder at their feet. Almost as soon as it landed there was a vast explosion of light.

"Run!"

The Resistance members didn't need to be told twice. As soon as they had seen the light bomb land they were ready to run and now they did so, scattering into the forest.

The vampires snarled and growled, blinded by the sudden light. Tyris was the only one unaffected, having recognised the object Lee had thrown at them and covered his eyes before it exploded.

Leaving his posse to recover he charged into the trees, hot on Lee's tail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee was running hard, dodging through the trees as best she could. She knew they were at a disadvantage here, the vampires having better night vision and agility. But if they had stayed in that clearing they would have been slaughtered, at least this way the light bomb bought them some time and some were likely to survive.

She tried not to think about the ones who wouldn't. She also tried not to think about the man who was leading the vampires, but that was suddenly made much harder when he appeared in front of her, game face on.

"Now now, you know playing hard to get doesn't work with me." he grinned.

Lee stopped short and looked around for an escape route. There was none. Producing a stake she brandished it in front of her.

"I'll kill you."

"Will you?" Tyris questioned, his vampire face suddenly disappearing to be replaced by a human looking visage. "Can you?"

Lee looked at the man in front of her, the face that had haunted her dreams and her nightmares for the last couple of months.

"I mean, you let me die once, but can you kill me yourself?" he said quietly, sincerely.

No, Lee told herself, this wasn't the same face, wasn't the same man. His eyes were colder, harder, inhuman.

"I didn't kill Ty." she said. "You did. And I will kill you in a heartbeat."

"Oh you think there's a difference?" His expression was mocking now. "Between the man I used to be and what I am now."

He approached her slowly and Lee gripped the stake harder.

"Maybe you're right, but I still look like him, don't I?" Tyris said, his voice low and snarling. "And do you really think you can kill someone who looks exactly like the man you love?"

He was close to her now, too close. He was within striking range but yet she just stood there, frozen to the spot, unable to move. Her knuckles were white around the stake she held. His gaze held hers, drawing her in and she could only shake her head as silent tears ran down her face.

"Maybe she can't." A voice came from behind him. "But I got less than no problem with the idea."

Tyris turned to see Taylor standing, stake in hand, aimed at his heart, bottle of holy water by her side. He snarled and dropped into game face again.

He turned to Lee and smiled a fanged smile.

"This isn't over, lover."

And with that he disappeared into the trees.

As soon as he was gone, Lee broke down, dropping to her knees and crying. Taylor approached slowly, unsure of what to say. Instead she remained silent, placing a reassuring hand on Lee's shoulder.

The Slayer looked up, wiping furiously at the tears coursing down her face.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"'S cool." Taylor replied, and after a pause. "Who was that guy?"

Lee sniffed. "His name's Tyris... Ty. He used to be part of this cell. They turned him a couple of months ago."

"You two were... close?" Taylor surprised herself with the twinge of jealousy she felt saying that. Jealousy wasn't good... oh fuck.

"Yeah." Lee replied, somewhat subdued. "We were."

She started to cry again, the emotions she had been bottling up so tightly finally overwhelming her. Taylor put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, letting her cry herself out.

This was ridiculous, Taylor told herself, to feel so damn protective of someone you were going to be killing soon. Lee buried her head in Taylor's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." The mercenary said quietly.

The part of Taylor that still remembered what it was she had been hired to do was banging it's head repeatedly off the wall.

"D'you wanna head back to base or what?" Taylor asked after a few minutes.

Lee considered. "We should probably stay here for tonight, head back in the morning."

Taylor shrugged out of her jacket and rolled it into a headrest. Lee lay down beside her and almost instinctively, Taylor wrapped an arm around her waist, spooning Lee against her.

Once again, Lee was hit by how familiar this felt and she relaxed into Taylor's hold. She hated that she had broken down back there, it was something she had been fighting for months not to do. But sometimes it was so damn hard, being the one that everybody looked to, having all that responsibility on her shoulders, it wore her down. Especially since she lost Ty.

She hadn't been able to share the pain with her best friends, or with her watcher, her most reliable advisor, but she had with Taylor. She had only known the dark haired girl just over a week and yet sometimes it felt like a lifetime. Lee almost felt it should be disconcerting, but all it was was familiar.

Her last thought before sleep claimed her was how safe she felt in Taylor's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taylor lay awake long after Lee had fallen asleep in her arms. She kept trying to convince herself that she wasn't feeling anything, that she was detached as she should be.

She had known she'd have to gain Lee's trust, she had told herself that was all she was doing. The casual touches, the flirting glances here and there, just trying to gain her trust, that's all.

Fuck it, she couldn't pretend any more that she was emotionally uninvolved. For the first time ever in her life, she was among people where she felt at home. The Resistance looked out for each other, they were like family, and they had accepted her into that family, into their lives.

All her life she had been part of this struggle, part of this war. Only she had never fought for ideals or convictions, only for money. To be perfectly honest, if the Resistance could have paid her better than the vampires did, she would've worked for them. Vampires, rebels, she couldn't really have cared less who won, once she was on their side. And one thing Taylor had always been good at was picking the winning side.

Until now. Nothing had changed, the vampires were still likely to eliminate the remaining Resistance cells, even if they did take some losses doing it. So why wasn't Taylor getting the rest of the information, killing her target and hauling ass outta there? Why, instead, was she starting to question all that she'd lived by, all that had kept her alive over the years? And mostly why did it feel so damn good to have Lee in her arms?

WIth a disgusted sigh she tried to shut her mind off and catch some sleep. Morning would be here soon enough and she could worry about things then.



Chapter Two:

Taylor lay sprawled out in the Resistance camp, her back propped up against the boulder that Rhys was sitting on.

"So that was a damn close run-in with Ty you guys had." he commented.

"Very." there was quiet for a moment. "He's gonna be back."

Rhys nodded in sombre agreement. "He always was the persistent type."

Taylor looked up and across the camp to where Lee was bent over a map with Erin and her Watcher, Dane.

"Lee and Tyris, they were really close, weren't they?" she asked.

"Yeah, they really were."

The somewhat jealous tone of Rhys' voice made Taylor look up at him. He was watching Lee as well, with a look that just screamed "unrequited love".

'Oh great, coz things aren't complicated enough.' Taylor thought to herself.

Lee looked over at them then and smiled. Rhys immediately composed himself to smile back. The blonde rolled up the map, handed it to Dane and walked across the camp to them.

"Everything ready to go?" Rhys asked.

"Just as soon as we meet up with those traders and get the new weapons." Lee replied. "You two wanna come with me and Erin?"

"Sure." Rhys and Taylor chorused as one.

"We leave tonight. It's a three day trek to the meeting point."

"Best get packed then." Rhys said and moved to do just that. When Taylor went to do the same, Lee stopped her with a hand on her arm and drew her to one side.

"Um... I just wanted to thank you. For not making a big deal out of how I lost it the other night."

Taylor shrugged. "No problem, we all gotta go a little crazy now and then."

"Yeah, but to everyone here, I'm..." Lee trailed off, looking around the camp at the various men and women whose lives she was responsible for. "Gotta keep up appearances, y'know?"

"Yeah well... appearances can be-"

"Deceptive." Lee finished.

Taylor heaved an inner sigh. 'You have no idea.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The heat was nothing short of oppressive as the four of them made their way through the trees but their mood was light. The territory they were passing through was about as neutral as anywhere you could find.

Up ahead, Lee laughed at something Taylor had said. From where they were bringing up the rear, Erin noticed the look on Rhys' face and sighed inwardly.

She had known Rhys all her life and he was one of her best friends. Soon after they had joined Lee's cell it was obvious that he had fallen for the blonde Slayer. He was devoted to her, only he had never worked up the nerve to tell her. And of course there had been the whole Tyris factor.

Now, reading the body language of the two up front, Erin guessed there would soon be a Taylor factor. It seemed that Rhys was slowly coming to the same conclusion.

"I haven't seen her laugh like that since they turned Tyris." Rhys said.

"They do seem close, her and Taylor."

"Yeah," he agreed, "They do."

"Maybe it's just a passing thing." Erin said with false brightness that Rhys saw right through.

"You think?"

The silence that followed answered his question.

"Yeah." he sighed. "Didn't think so."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made camp that night, rotating the watch in shifts between them. In the very early hours of the morning, in that brief period before dawn, Taylor woke. Rhys and Erin were asleep on the other side of the camp so she assumed it was Lee's watch.

She got to her feet and moved to the edge of the camp. Lee was sitting with her back against one of the larger trees. The Slayer looked up as Taylor approached.

"Can't sleep?"

"Nah." Taylor settled herself cross-legged beside Lee, resting her elbows on her knees.

"It's a nice night."

"S'pose so."

Lee looked at Taylor questioningly. "You don't think it's nice? The trees and the moonlight and everything? Don't you find that beautiful?"

Taylor shrugged. "It's a forest at night. They're all pretty much the same."

"Where's your sense of romance?"

Taylor grinned. "I'm not exactly the 'wear your heart on your sleeve' type of person."

"So I've noticed. What is your deep dark secret anyway?" Lee asked in a mock suspicious tone.

The irony of her words wasn't lost on Taylor. She wrenched her self-control back into place and put on her best 'who me?' expression.

"What? Little ol' me? I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh c'mon. Every time I ask you about your past you go all monosyllabic on me."

Taylor dropped the pretence. She could tell Lee wasn't going to let it lie.

"Yeah well... some things I'd rather not talk about." she said, picking idly at the grass beside her.

That remark led to a somewhat uncomfortable silence between them for a few moments.

"I'm sorry." Lee said quietly. "I didn't mean to pry."

Taylor looked up and saw the genuine concern in the Slayer's eyes. She was torn. It had been so long since anyone gave a shit about her and here was this beautiful, amazing, caring woman trying to get inside the defenses she had spent years building so carefully. A woman that she had been hired to kill. A woman who, essentially, she had already betrayed.

"But... if you want to talk... I'll listen."

A woman who she was seriously starting to fall for.

Lee placed a half comforting, half reassuring hand on Taylor's knee.

Starting to?

Taylor had a perfectly good backstory prepared. Leone had helped her concoct it, he had even altered records to verify it if anyone checked. So, for the life of her, she had no idea why she told Lee the truth. Or at least as much of it as wasn't going to get her killed.

"I grew up in the New York Internment Camp. Me, my mom and dad and my sister. When I was about seven, Mom got sick. She tried to hide it, to keep working..."

Lee nodded in understanding. She knew what happened to people who were unable to work the mines, and it wasn't pleasant.

"But she got worse, and one day they came for her. Five guards... Dad tried to stop them... to protect her."

In her mind's eye, Taylor saw the scene replayed. Standing with all the other workers, holding Liz back to stop her from running to their parents. The feeling of complete helplessness, of her inability to stop what was happening.

"They took him, and Mom. Next day they tossed the corpses back into the sleeping cells."

Lee's hand squeezed her leg lightly in silent sympathy.

"I tried to look out for Liz as best I could. But she had already caught whatever it was Mom had. She died three weeks later. After that it was pretty much 'do what I could to survive'." Taylor finished.

"I'm so sorry."

Taylor shrugged. "Plenty of people worse off than me in those camps."

"Yeah." Lee agreed. "Sometimes that's the only thing that makes all this worthwhile."

"You mean the war?"

Lee nodded. "Seeing some of the kids that come out of the camps we've liberated, knowing that they're going to have a better life coz of something we did, it's what reminds me why we bother. I mean, don't you feel that?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're part of the Resistance, you're taking a stand. Doesn't that feel good? To know that you're fighting for something you believe in.?"

Yeah, cold hard cash - great belief system. $4,000,000 worth of values in one clean payment. Fuck it.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Wow," Lee looked at her quizzically, "Don't rush too sound too enthusiastic there."

"It's just... there's always gonna be more. No matter how many kids you free from the camps, no matter how many holding centers you liberate, there'll always be more. The vamps have the power."

"Power's not everything. We know that what we're fighting for is important. We have hope."

Taylor smiled wryly and humourlessly. "Hope."

"Don't you?"

Taylor looked at the Slayer sitting beside her. The sun was starting to creep over the horizon, casting golden streaks across the forest floor, picking up the darker blonde strands of her hair, reflecting in the emerald green of her eyes.

Taylor gave that question due consideration, and for the first time in a hell of a long time felt something stir inside her.

"I guess I do."

For a brief second Lee got to see Taylor with her defenses down, and the vulnerability there touched her. On impulse, she reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair back from Taylor's face.

Taylor was mentally kicking herself. This was all so very very wrong. Lee was her target, the one she was going to kill before betraying everything Lee had fought so fiercely to defend. They were on opposite sides, even if Lee didn't know it. Taylor knew all this.

So she knew she definitely wasn't leaning in to capture Lee's lips with her own. No, that wasn't happening at all.

And she certainly wasn't wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist to pull her onto her lap. Oh no, not her.

Lee pulled back slightly, smiling in a way that was sweet and seductive at the same time and traced the line of Taylor's jaw.

"You are hopeful, aren't you?"

Taylor grinned her trademark grin. "Call it... quietly confident."

Lee cocked an eyebrow. "Oh well then... I can't argue with that, can I?"

A half-hearted pang of conscience reared up and Taylor suddenly felt the need to give the Slayer an out.

"You could." she said quietly and seriously, all trace of teasing gone.

Lee picked up on the change of mood and her expression sobered.

"I'm not." she said, and then to dispel any further doubt, leaned back in to kiss Taylor deeply.

Whatever part of her was still a professional mercenary with its mind on the job, threw its hands up in disgust and went home.

The sun dawned on a new day.



Chapter Three:

The trade with the arms dealers had gone without a hitch and now the mood in the Cell was buoyant. Things were looking good for the Resistance, they had a string of successful battles under their belts and more and more pockets of resistance were springing up world-wide. The vampires still had the upper hand, but gradually the humans were starting to take back some of the control that had been lost to them for centuries.

This was sparking a reaction within the vampire element. Many believed that extreme actions had to be taken to stamp out the Resistance. Others believed that moderation was the best way to control the situation. All of which was leading to a division in the ranks of leadership.

The power struggle amongst the vampires was intensifying and Lee intended to take full advantage of this.

In the cave system that served as a base to the Slayer's cell, a meeting of the most important Resistance commanders was taking place. Gathered around a makeshift table with a map of the surrounding countryside before them, Lee outlined her plan.

"It's risky." One of the lieutenants said, running a hand through his short cropped hair.

"Can anyone show me a plan that isn't?" Lee asked.

She took the silence that followed that statement as an acquiescence to her plan.

"I realise it'll be difficult to pull off. Jace is one of the more brutal Master Vampires, and he has strong forces to back him up."

Stepping back, she began to pace around the table, occasionally making eye contact with one of her people. It was at times like these she had to exude as much confidence as possible. Her tone became more firm, more sure as she continued.

"But if we take him down - and we can take him down - we'll have taken out one of the strongest vamp factions in this area. It'll demoralise them, and make our hand all the more powerful."

From where she stood on guard by the door, Taylor couldn't help but admire the way Lee played the Resistance fighters. She had the attention of every person in the room and she was using it to her full advantage. They were practically spellbound.

"They're afraid of us. And they have good reason to be. We've been weakening them, slowly but surely, and they're about ready to crack." Lee placed both hands on the table and leant forward.

"This is our world... and it's about time we took it back. Yes, it's risky," she looked at the lieutenant who had spoken before. "But these are the risks we have to take if we want to win this war. So do we have a plan?"

Everyone around the table nodded an affirmative and Lee looked down at the map that laid out the battle plans. When she looked back up everyone's face was turned to her, waiting for her orders.

"Then go get your people ready."

Everyone filed out of the room, leaving Lee to mull over her plans. She was so engrossed in examining the map that she didn't realise anyone was still in the room until she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. With a small sigh she leaned back into Taylor's embrace.

"Has Rhys got everything ready to go?"

"When you give the word." Taylor's lips grazed her shoulder.

Smiling, Lee turned and sat up on the table, pulling Taylor to her. Looking into the brunette's eyes, Lee marvelled once again at how expressive those brown depths were, while at the same time being able to conceal so much emotion. Her thoughts were cut off as Taylor leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, then gradually deepening as Lee wrapped her arms around Taylor's neck and pulled her closer.

An apologetic cough from the doorway announced Dane's presence. Sighing, Lee turned to her watcher, an upraised eyebrow indicating that whatever he had to say had better be damn important.

"Um... Quinn is here to see you." Dane announced.

Lee groaned and stood up. "Send him in."

"Quinn?" Taylor asked when Dane left to fetch the visitor.

"He's one of our informants. Reliable guy."

"Lee," the bleach-blonde young man greeted the Slayer as he walked into the room. Stopping he looked Taylor over once and turned to Lee.

"Quinn, Taylor. Taylor, Quinn." she made the necessary introductions before getting down to business. "So what's up?"

"Got news on Jace."

"Really?" Lee tried to hide the worry in her voice, but Taylor could see the nervous look that flickered across her face.

Quinn's face was impassive as he delivered his news.

"He's teamed up with Finn. They've got a substantial army and they're headed this way. You guys had better get out or get ready."

Taylor tried not to let her recognition of Finn's name show. Finn was one of, if not the most powerful mercenary leaders there was. She had had more than one run in with him in the past. Apparently, Lee knew how dangerous he was too.

"This changes things." The blonde Slayer said as she perched on the edge of the table. Her expression was almost unreadable as she mulled over exactly what this meant for the Resistance and their plans. "Do we have time to pull out?" she asked Quinn.

"Not everyone. Not completely."

Lee was silent for a moment, then she stood again.

"Then we fight."

For the first time since he had entered the room, emotion passed across Quinn's face.

"Lee, they've got one hell of an army out there. If you-"

"We've got old people out there, Quinn, and young kids. They'd never be able to keep up with the pace of a forced evacuation. And I'm not going to leave my people - any of my people - behind."

She and Quinn locked eyes for a long moment before he eventually looked away.

"Then it's just as well I brought reinforcements." he said.

Lee looked at him quizzically then headed out the door, the other two following behind. In the large clearing in front of the caves, where many of the other lieutenants had gathered their people, Quinn had five squadrons of a hundred men and women each. They were all well-armed and looked ready to go.

When Lee turned to him Quinn just shrugged. "I know how damn stubborn you can be."

Lee smiled and shook her head. "Thank you."

He shrugged again, looking decidedly embarrassed. "I owe you." And then he went to make sure his people were ready.

Taylor and Lee looked at each other.

"Think we can do it?" the brunette asked.

Lee stepped up to her and wrapped an arm around the mercenary's waist. Looking at the warriors all massed together, she leaned her head against Taylor's shoulder.

"Yeah. I think we can."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what's in it for you?" Finn addressed the man sitting across from him in his tent. Despite himself, he was somewhat nervous. Outside, the sounds of battle preparations filled the allied camp. Jace's vampires and Finn's mercenary guards were working together in the dusk to get weapons and gear ready. They would march tomorrow night on the Resistance camp. And now it seemed like they might have unexpected help.

"The Slayer."

Finn looked at him questioningly.

"I'll give you six hundred men, in return, I get the Slayer."

Turning things over in his head, the mercenary shrugged mentally. If they got more manpower and got rid of the Slayer bitch, did it really matter who actually killed her?

"Deal."

"Shouldn't you check that with Jace?"

Finn bristled at that remark and it's implications. "Jace will go along with what I decide," he snapped. "I don't answer to him. I say you're in, so you're in."

Tyris grinned, with just a hint of fang. "Finn, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

The mercenary just stared at him. Tyris sighed, some people had no appreciation of the classics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee sighed contentedly and burrowed deeper into Taylor's embrace. As she held the blonde close, Taylor picked up on the underlying sense of uneasiness emanating from her lover. Gently she placed her hand under Lee's chin and raised her head so she could look in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Hmmm? Oh, it's nothing." Lee tried to smile reassuringly but failed miserably.

"You're worried about tomorrow."

Lee sighed a little. "It'll be a big battle. I hate knowing that we're gonna lose people."

Taylor held her tighter, trying to convey physically what she couldn't in words. There was no clich?d reassurance that could make Lee feel better. Tomorrow she was going to lead her people into battle and a lot of them wouldn't be coming back again. There was nothing Taylor could do to make that any less gut wrenching.

"They're fighting for what they believe in, and they know the risks."

"Doesn't make it hurt any less when they don't come home."

"'Course not, it's meant to hurt. When it doesn't, that's when you should worry."

Lee nodded. "I suppose. It just never gets any easier."

Making a conscious effort to lighten the mood, Taylor rolled them both over so that she had Lee pinned underneath her.

"Is there anything I could do to take your mind off things?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

Running her hand down her lover's face, Lee smiled. "You know, I think you might just be able to distract me."

Taylor proceeded to do just that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rhys' eyes scanned the computer screen over Erin's shoulder yet again.

"You're sure?"

The redhead nodded, as though she wished she wasn't.

The young man sighed. "We need to tell Lee."

The two friends looked at each other and then rose to go find Lee, leaving the screen displaying Taylor's profile and history of service for some of the most notorious vampires.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the security team burst in through the door, Lee was pissed off to say the least. Grabbing a sheet to wrap around herself she turned on Rhys.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Erin looked past Lee to Taylor, who started pulling on clothes, looking equally as pissed. "Lee... there's something you should know."

Lee turned to her, suddenly worried. "About Jace?"

"No." Erin shook her head and took a deep breath. "About Taylor."

The Slayer looked extremely confused. She turned to the brunette who froze for a second then shrugged, trying to remain outwardly calm, and then back to Erin. "What about her?"

Rhys jumped in, addressing Taylor. "You wanna tell her?"

Taylor's mind was racing. They knew. And she was standing there, unarmed, nearest weapon half a room away. She was fucked.

Her lovers silence and her friends' apparent outrage, neither of which she understood, were beginning to get to Lee.

"Look! Will someone just tell me what the hell is going-"

"She's a mercenary!" Rhys shouted, cutting the Slayer off.

The silence that fell over the room settled like lead.

"Taylor?"

Taylor knew her chances of getting out of this situation alive were growing less and less by the second. Rhys had his weapon drawn and she knew that he was a split second away from firing on her if she gave him a reason to. Her body was tensed, ready to run or fight, depending on what happened in the next few seconds.

"Taylor?" Lee's tone was half-accusatory, half-disbelieving. Reluctantly, Taylor met her gaze and saw the hurt in her expression, saw the look that begged her to deny it, to say it wasn't true.

She couldn't.

Taylor's posture relaxed, the fight going from her stance. Whatever Lee decided, she would abide by it. She wasn't going to run any more.

The hurt in Lee's eyes hardened in an instant once she understood the admission. Erin and Sam now had their weapons trained on her as well.

"How much?" Lee demanded quietly, evenly.

Taylor couldn't answer the question. Her heart was breaking more with every second that passed. How could she tell the woman that she loved how much it had cost to buy her life?

"I..." Taylor looked away, unable to bear the accusation in Lee's look.

"How much, Taylor?" The Slayer stalked forward until they were practically nose to nose. "How much was I worth?"

"Lee-"

The punch came hard and fast, snapping Taylor's head back, but she was just about able to stay on her feet. Lee was hurt and she was angry and this was not a good combination.

"How could you?" Lee advanced on her again.

Taylor tried to meet the Slayer's eyes but couldn't.

"I never meant to..."

"To what? To get on our good side? Earn our trust? You didn't mean to do that?!"

Lee went to hit her again but Taylor blocked her swing and pushed her back, feeling her own blood rising.

"I couldn't do it, okay?" Taylor was shouting now. "I couldn't screw you over, no matter how much they were paying me. And I should have been honest with you, but I never expected to fall-" she stopped herself when she realised what she had been about to say. "I never expected it to get personal." she finished quietly.

"Well that's not something you have to worry about any more."

Lee turned to Rhys. "Take her prisoner. After the battle tomorrow I'll decide what to do with her."

Rhys moved across the room and grabbed Taylor none too gently. It pissed her off but she held back. As he led her past Lee, the brunette stopped and looked at her, opening her mouth to speak.

"You apologise to me and I will beat you to death." Lee said coldly.

Taylor just stared at her, contrition obvious in her eyes, until Rhys dragged her along again, taking her to the small caves in the rear of the system that they used for holding prisoners.

After they had left, Erin turned to her friend. "Lee... I'm so sorry."

Lee snapped her attention back from the doorway. "How did you find out?"

"One of the new members in the cell thought he recognised her from somewhere. I ran a background check and noticed her records had been tampered with. When I traced the original we found out that..." she trailed off, not needing to finish that sentence. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Lee assured her, unwilling to drop her defenses, even in front of one of her closest friends. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Reluctantly, Erin and the rest of the team left the room, closing the door behind them.

After a few moments Lee walked back to the bed and sat down. She couldn't believe it and yet she appreciated all too well that it was true. Without her realising it, the tears started to flow freely and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Lying on her side and tucking her knees up to her chest, Lee thought of Taylor and cried herself to sleep in sheets that still held her scent.


Chapter Four:

Lee sighed and ran a hand across her face, wincing as she re-opened some of the small cuts there, and scanned the cell once again.

Sunnydale interrogation center was one place the Resistance had never been able to break into or out of. It was Jace's main headquarters and consequently more heavily guarded than any other installation. The row of cells that she and the rest of the Resistance members were being held in had no windows, just bars that stood between them and the corridor outside. Bars that, even discounting the electric current running through them, Lee doubted she would be able to remove, Slayer strength or not. Eight mercenary guards stood watch outside, and nothing she could think of would draw all of them from their posts at the same time.

The battle had been all too brief. Jace had employed a team of sorcerers and the limited magical protection the Resistance had was no match for the concerted efforts of highly skilled magic users. Witches and sorcerers had found that in the current world climate, magic could be extremely profitable - and the vampires were the ones with cash.

Lee had found herself in a small knot of fighters who had managed to stay together and keep their heads after the magical blue fires broke out in the ranks of soldiers. The ethereal flames didn't burn, but the distraction was enough for the vampires to use to their advantage. Terrified men and women were left defenseless as the vampires and mercenaries moved in to kill and capture.

The Resistance fought bravely, and desperately, but the outcome of the battle was decided before the first blow was exchanged. Lee had ended up being separated from the others and the last thing she saw before a fist collided with her head was Tyris grinning at her, secure in his victory.

He was the first thing she saw, too, when she awoke in the cell. As many Resistance members as possible had been taken alive, and Tyris had taken great pleasure in explaining to Lee, in detail, how her execution was going to be the public event of the century. The members of all the cells, as well as every vampire in the area, were going to be brought to witness the crucifixion of the Slayer. And Tyris was going to have a front row seat.

Lee tried to remove these thoughts from her head, but every time she tried to formulate an escape plan, she ran herself into a mental dead end. For the first time since she took command of the Resistance, Lee felt a real sense of hopelessness settle on her.

Settling on the floor, the Slayer tried to make herself as comfortable as possible. Tomorrow night, when it was safe for the vampires to come out and play, Lee would be crucified. She had until then to think of something.

As sleep claimed her, something ancient and primal stirred in her Slayer blood...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not so many miles away, in another cell, Taylor was mentally berating herself. She should never have let herself get that close. If she had just kept her mind on the job she could have killed Lee and gotten out of this whole mess weeks ago. And now it wasn't only her who was fucked.

She had heard the reports from the few survivors who had made it back to the camp. The Resistance had been soundly beaten and now the vampires were on their way to clean out the rest of the underground's cells. Taylor knew it wouldn't be long before they arrived. As a mercenary, she was under no false impressions that her fellow soldiers would treat her well at all once they found her. She had failed an assignment... by choice, and that didn't go down well in the circles she moved in.

The worst she had heard though, was that Lee had been captured and Jace was planning a public execution. Taylor knew her own situation was dire enough, but when she thought of Lee being nailed to a cross... Taylor had witnessed crucifixions before, it held a certain ritualistic fascination for most vampires, and though she would never admit it, the sights and sounds of the dying victim were something that made even her hardened stomach turn.

Trying to clear her mind of everything, Taylor leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping for oblivion to claim her quickly. No such luck. When sleep did come, it brought with it a memory, and a message that Taylor couldn't ignore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are we?" Taylor asked, scanning her surroundings.

Lee also looked around her, noting the old fashioned building, late 20th century maybe, that they were standing on. They were dressed in clothes from that period too. There was shattered glass all over the ground, apparently having come from the large window above them through which something - or someone - had made a forceful exit. A wicked looking knife lay on the ground between them, light reflecting dully off the crimson stained blade.

Lee glanced up to see Taylor also staring at the knife. A disturbed look crossed the mercenary's face as the knife stirred an almost physically painful memory in her.

"No."

The longer Lee stood there, the more familiar the setting seemed to be to her. And with the familiarity came an overwhelming sense of regret. Without knowing how, Lee knew that she and Taylor had been here before, not just physically, but at a point where a decision had to be made. And the choices they made now, just as before, were irrevocable. Her eyes strayed back to the knife, it's blade stained with the memory of the previous outcome.

"We can't let this happen again."

Taylor looked up as Lee spoke and their eyes locked.

"We can't." the blonde repeated.

"I swear I never meant to hurt you, Lee."

"I know." She took a step closer to Taylor. "But that's something we can deal with later. If there is a later," she amended.

"There will be." Taylor took Lee's hand, a determined look in her eyes. "You're in Sunnydale, right? I can be there in a couple of hours if I can get my hands on a skimmer."

"It's too dangerous." Lee said quietly. No one can get into the Sunnydale center, and even if you could, we'd never make it out alive. You're better off getting as far away from here as you can. I'll do what I can to get us out but you can't-"

"I'm not leaving you." Taylor cut her off. "For the first time ever there's someone I care about more than money, more than anything else. I'm not just gonna leave you there to die."

"So you're gonna get yourself killed instead?"

"If that's what it takes-"

"No, Taylor! Please... just get as far away from Sunnydale as you can. Please."

Taylor looked down at the ground and then back up to meet Lee's gaze. "I can't do that. I can't."

"I don't want you to do something stupid." Lee pleaded. "If you storm in there, all guns blazing, you're liable to get yourself killed."

Taylor grinned humourlessly. "24 hours ago I woulda thought you'd be happy with that idea."

Lee shook her head. "I was hurt, I was mad, but I could never want you dead." She paused for a moment, making sure she had the brunette's full attention. "I need you, Taylor. I love you."

Taylor smiled, genuinely now, and squeezed Lee's hand a little tighter. "I love you too. That's why I can't just leave. I could never live with myself if I did."

Lee sighed, realising how futile it was to argue with the other girl when she had so obviously made up her mind.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Always." Taylor promised, leaning in to kiss Lee lightly. "I'll see you soon," she said, stepping back.

Lee looked down at the knife on the ground. The blade was clean.

"Soon."



Chapter Five:

In the end it didn't prove too difficult for Taylor to break out of the Resistance cell. The only guards that had been left were those who were injured or otherwise unable to fight, she hadn't needed to be a trained mercenary to disable the guard outside her cell and avoid being detected by the others.

Keeping low in the sparse undergrowth, Taylor made her way to where the skimmers were hidden. Pulling off the camouflage, she opened the hatch and climbed into the cockpit. A brief check of all her systems showed that she'd have just about enough fuel to make it to the Sunnydale center but not a lot to get away after that.

Well, Taylor thought to herself, she was just gonna have to fly this one by the seat of her pants. Right now, getting out of Sunnydale was secondary to getting in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erin stopped to get her breath back. Sitting down with her back against a tree she unwound the makeshift bandage from her leg. The wound was still bleeding but she couldn't afford to stop for long.

She was one of the few Resistance members that had escaped capture, but she knew the mercenary guards were on her tail and gaining with every stop she had to make. With that in mind, she pushed herself up into a standing position and started to move again.

She knew she was getting closer to the Sunnydale camp but she was damned if she knew what she was going to do when she got there.

Erin froze in her tracks as she heard someone approaching from behind. The guards couldn't have caught up with her this fast... not unless there were other troops in the area she didn't know about. She tried to run for it, but moving at anything more than a hurried limp was beyond her and that wasn't going to be fast enough.

Moving, hindered as she was, Erin tried to push deeper into the trees but whoever was behind her was gaining fast. She didn't turn to look over her shoulder - she was going as fast as she could and nothing she could see would make her go any quicker. Giving up any attempt to move quietly, Erin fought on.

She was brought to a stop when her pursuer grabbed her from behind and pulled her down to the ground. One hand clamped over her mouth as a voice growled in her ear, "Jeez, Red, ya wanna let the whole country know where ya are?"

"Taylor." Erin spat the name out as the mercenary removed her hand. The brunette was crouching beside her and put a hand on her arm as Erin tried to pull away.

"Look, I know I'm not your favourite person right now-"

"You think?" Erin looked at her scornfully. "What are you doing here, Taylor? Come to watch your friends crucify Lee?"

"You think that's what I want?!" the mercenary tried to keep her voice down but she couldn't keep the anger out of her tone.

"You tell me!"

Taylor bit back the sharp reply and paused for a moment.

"I know what you think of me, and for the most part you're right, but I honestly care about her."

"Enough to kill her, yeah."

"If I had wanted to kill her she'd be dead and I'd be long gone. It's not like I haven't had plenty of opportunities."

That was true enough, Erin mused. Sleeping next to someone did make it incredibly easy to put a knife in them. Still, she wasn't going to let go of her distrust of the mercenary simply on her say so.

"You probably wanted to collect more information on us before you killed her."

Taylor sighed. "Think what you like, Red, but you have two choices right now."

Erin just looked at her.

"You can sit here and play the blame game with me while Lee gets nailed to a cross or you can believe me when I say that I'm on your side and we can get your friends out of there."

"And what exactly is in it for you?"

"Lee doesn't die."

Erin studied the woman in front of her. She had that look in her eyes, the same look that Lee sometimes had when she was psyching up the troops. It was the look that inspired confidence, dispelled doubt and left you believing that you were capable of anything. It was the look of someone who wasn't going to be easily dissuaded.

"What's your plan?"

Taylor squirmed a little. "Uh..."

"You don't have a plan?"

"Not... yet."

Erin sighed. All her misgivings aside, the people in that center weren't just her friends, they were her family - the only family she had ever known. And like it or not, Taylor was their best hope right now, plan or no plan.

"Okay... first thing, we need to get inside."

"We?" Taylor looked hopeful. "That mean you're with me?"

"I'm with Lee. Which means, for now, that I won't kill you for lying to her and breaking her heart... for now." The mercenary managed to look suitably subdued while Erin pinned her with a glare which, if looks could kill, would have put Taylor six feet under.

"Let's move." Erin said and struggled to stand. Taylor put a hand under her arm to help her up and noticed the blood-stained bandage on her leg.

"You okay?"

"Fine." Erin returned through gritted teeth.

"Let me take a look."

Reluctantly, Erin let Taylor unwrap the cloth and examine her wound. The brunette winced as she glimpsed the stark white of bone that was all too visible where the leg was gashed across the shin. The deep purple swelling around the edges of the wound wasn't a good sign either.

"Let's move." Erin repeated as she rewrapped the bandage, not willing to let her injury become an issue.

Taylor nodded and they resumed their trek to the center. They moved as silently as possible, still aware of the fact that they were being tracked. After a half hour or so the walls of the center loomed in front of them.

The center was completely secure, there were only two ways in or out, both heavily guarded. The square courtyard in the middle of the center was roofed to protect the vamps from sunlight, but the cover could be withdrawn to launch skimmers if needed. The only windows anywhere were those that faced onto the courtyard from the offices and barracks that surrounded the square. Erin turned to Taylor.

"You've been in here before?"

"Once or twice."

"Think you know the layout?"

"Well enough. What do you know about their security systems?"

"It's all controlled from a central computer, which is bound to be heavily guarded. All the holding cells are on the one circuit - which could work to our advantage except for the fact that the system is virtually unhackable. But even if we can get them out of the cells, how do we get out of the center? The guards'll be on us in seconds."

Taylor turned sharply to look at the trees to their left.

"I haven't quite figured that bit out yet," she said, somewhat distractedly. "First things first, I need a weapon. Wait here."

"What-" Erin began but Taylor had already disappeared. There was silence, then the sounds of a brief struggle nearby, then Taylor was back. She had a rifle slung over her shoulder and a couple of pistols tucked into the back of her trousers. Tossing another pistol to Erin she crouched back down beside the redhead.

"There are five unconscious mercenaries back there that ain't gonna be unconscious for long and I reckon they're not gonna be too happy when they wake up. We better move fast."

"Okay... still one question though."

"Yeah, I know." Taylor nodded. "How we gonna get in, right?"

"You have a plan now?"

"I might... but you're not gonna like it. The only way I can think of to get us inside and to the holding cells without arousing suspicion is for you to come in as my prisoner."

Erin's look went far beyond scorn.

"You are kidding, right?"

"Told you you wouldn't like it." Taylor shrugged, "But if you've got a better plan I'm all for it."

Erin debated for a few moments. There were very few things that could convince her to trust Taylor with her life like this... but Sam and Lee were two of those things and they needed her right now. Time was running out.

"If I suspect even for a second that you're gonna double cross me..."

Erin didn't even have to finish her sentence, the look in her eyes spoke volumes. Taylor nodded.

"I know this is hard for you, but please believe me, I just wanna get Lee out of there safely."

"You think she's even gonna be happy to see you considering the last time you two saw each other?"

"I don't know," Taylor said as she stood, "but I'd like a chance to find out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two guards at the rear entrance quit lounging as Taylor and Erin approached and stood to attention, bringing their guns up.

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Erin muttered as Taylor led her towards the gate.

"Halt!" One of the guards called out as they reached the gate, leveling his gun at them as he spoke. "State your business."

Taylor suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at his over eagerness.

"Found one of the Resistance wandering about in the woods. Figured your boss'd appreciate me dropping her by." Taylor tugged Erin forward by the short length of rope she had used to secure the redhead's wrists.

"Alright," the second guard spoke, "just turn her over to us, we'll take it from here."

Taylor snorted, not releasing her grip on Erin's bonds. "You kidding? I'm not letting her out of my sight 'til I get paid."

The first guard sneered at her. "Mercenary scum."

"Oh right," Taylor shot back, "and you're working for Jace coz of his excellent benefit scheme, right?"

The second guard shrugged. "We all gotta make a living," he said to his companion, motioning to a soldier sitting inside the guardhouse. She came outside, rifle at the ready.

"Take these two through to the holding cells," he ordered, "then see that the mercenary gets paid."

The woman nodded and started to lead Taylor and Erin into the center. The buzz of anticipation throughout the compound was familiar to Taylor. She had been in this situation more than a few times before, though always on the other side. Before the barely suppressed eagerness for someone's blood would have stirred her own, now it just sickened her.

Taylor looked towards the central courtyard. There was a podium in the very center, on which a team of guards was erecting a large wooden cross. She tried desperately not to picture Lee being nailed to that cross as they passed it. Fighting down an involuntary shudder, Taylor turned her attention back to Erin.

'Be ready,' she mouthed silently, behind the guard's back. Erin just nodded as they were lead into one of the square buildings that surrounded the central courtyard. The two guards at the door nodded to the woman escorting them and they passed into the first section of the holding cells.

The room was steel and concrete, with no windows to allow sunlight in. Behind a steel counter that ran along the length of one entire wall, three vampires stood ready to process any new arrivals. Two doors on one of the side walls led to the actual holding cells, and those doors could only be opened by the panel of switches on the wall behind the counter.

"Mercenary brought in one of the stragglers from the 'Resistance'," their escort said to the vampire behind the counter. He sneered at Erin. "Make a run for it, did ya?" Erin remained silent, though Taylor could see the muscles of her jaw clench. "Never mind," the vampire continued, "Now you get to die with the rest of the little human sheep."

He punched a few buttons on the panel and the left door slid open. "Take 'em to cell four." He jerked his thumb towards the now open door. "And enjoy the entertainment tonight!" he called after Erin's retreating back. The sound of his laughter followed them down the corridor.

Erin started getting nervous as the three of them progressed further down the corridor. On either side of them were electrified bars, holding various members of her own cell and the others that had come to join in the fight. The men and women in the cells stared at her with dull eyes, devoid of any hope now that the crucifixion of their leader seemed imminent and unstoppable.

They stopped outside a particular cell and their escort nodded to two guards standing outside.

"Open the door," she ordered.

As one guard moved to comply, Taylor caught Erin's attention. With a subtle movement of her head, she directed the redhead's attention to the rifle that their escort had slung over her shoulder. Erin nodded to show that she understood and was ready to act.

"Go!" Taylor stepped aside, tugging at the loose knot on Erin's bonds to free the other woman's hands while she raised her own rifle to take out the second guard. Before he had even hit the ground, Erin had the escort's gun in her hands and used the butt to knock her unconscious. Taylor fired at the guard who had been opening the door, but he rolled to one side, coming up with his rifle at the ready. Before he could shoot, though, Erin took aim and dropped him on the spot.

"Quickly," Taylor grabbed the swipecard that he had been using and started unlocking the various cell doors. Erin moved to the other guard, rifled through his pockets until she found his card, and began opening cells on the opposite side of the corridor.

The men and women in the cells seemed to spring to life as they saw what was happening. By the time reinforcements showed up to investigate the sound of gunfire, the corridor was filled with enough Resistance members to take them out without much struggle. The Resistance then poured through the doors into the first section, effectively securing the building.

In one of the last cells that Erin opened, she found Rhys and Sam waiting for her. Rhys gave a grim smile by way of greeting.

"I guess next time it's my turn to bust you out, right?"

Erin nodded. "I'll hold you to that." She embraced Sam briefly, checking to ensure her lover wasn't hurt. "Is Lee with you?"

"No," Sam's expression fell. "They've taken her already to prepare for the crucifixion."

Erin looked back over her shoulder, beckoning for Taylor to join them. When the mercenary appeared in the doorway, Rhys and Sam bristled, hands automatically straying for weapons that weren't there.

"It's okay," Erin stalled them, hardly believing herself that she was standing up for Taylor, "she's with us."

"I hope." she added as an afterthought, but the comment lacked the bitterness she had intended.

"Where's Lee?" Taylor asked, trying to ignore the daggers that the cell's occupants were shooting at her.

"They've taken her to the cross. We don't have much time," Erin told her. "Too much to hope that you've come up with a plan?"

Taylor tried to dispel the fear that was eating like acid at her guts, she needed to keep a clear head now for Lee's sake... Lee. Focusing on that thought she turned to Rhys.

"Take as many Resistance members as you can and have them ready to storm the courtyard as soon as I get Lee off the cross."

Rhys drew himself up to his full height. "Since when do I take orders from-"

"DO IT!" Taylor rounded on him, her patience rapidly running out. "Or do you like the idea of seeing Lee nailed to that cross?"

Not waiting for a reply, Taylor turned to Erin and Sam. "I'm gonna work my way through the crowd, get as close to the cross as possible. As soon as you see me by the podium, I'm gonna need you to create some sort of diversion so I can get up there. Think you can handle that?"

Erin nodded and Sam reluctantly indicated her agreement. "Just get her out of there safe," the redhead said, her tone less hostile than before.

Taylor held eye contact for a long moment, trying to convey her sincerity in a way she couldn't do with words.

"Plan to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mercenary stood a few feet away from the podium, behind Lee's back, having fought her way through the thronging masses. They already had the Slayer tied to the cross, and the vampire executioner was preparing the nails on a table to one side of the dais. There was almost a carnival atmosphere amongst the crowd that grated on Taylor's nerves as she waited for Erin and Sam to create their diversion. And the waiting was starting to get to her.

The black robed executioner took the nails and his crude stone hammer and began to ascend the ladder placed in front of Lee. A hush began to fall over the crowd in anticipation of the first blow. The executioner placed the nail over Lee's left hand and brought the hammer back in preparation.

Taylor's heart was thudding painfully in her chest. What the hell was taking so long?!

Without warning, a loud splintering noise reverberated throughout the courtyard. Taylor, along with the executioner and the rest of the crowd, looked around to try and locate the source of the noise. Taylor looked at the cross, and then did a double take.

A foot long section of the vertical beam had detached itself from the rest of the cross and was hovering in the air over Lee's head. As the crowd watched, the improvised stake began to rotate lazily, end over end, until the jagged end was pointing directly at the vampire perched on the ladder before Lee. Realisation dawned on him at just about the same time as twelve inches of wood pierced his heart and sent his ashes scattering into the crowd.

"Some diversion." Taylor muttered to herself as she sprang into action, taking advantage of the panic spreading throughout the crowd.

Within seconds she was on the dais and ascending the ladder, knife at the ready to cut Lee down. The blonde Slayer managed a small smile as Taylor started sawing at her bonds.

"You cut that very close."

"I have a flair for the dramatic." Taylor grinned.

In the crowd around them, there were angry shouts and curses as they saw their victim being freed. One or two tried to climb onto the podium, but more planks started to break away, flying at anyone who got near to the cross.

"Sam's really outdoing herself," Lee muttered as she watched a wooden beam knock one vampire back into the crowd.

"Sam?" Taylor helped Lee onto the ladder as Rhys led the Resistance members into the fray. The element of surprise was on their side and they managed to overpower many of the guards and vampires before the rest could get organised enough to fight back.

"Sure," Lee jumped the last few rungs of the ladder, landing on what was left of the podium just in time to engage one vampire who had managed to avoid the flying beams. She grabbed his weapon and shoved him backwards, sending him careening into another guard who was trying to clamber onto the dais. "She's got some pretty damn powerful Wicca working for her."

"You don't say." Taylor jumped from the podium down into the crowd where Rhys and Dane were fighting a path towards her and the Slayer. They met halfway across the courtyard, in an area relatively free of fighting.

"Good to see you, Lee." Even though they were in the midst of a battle, fighting for their lives, Rhys couldn't help but be overwhelmed by a sense of relief that his leader was still standing.

"You too, Rhys. Oh and hey, next time I want to take on a huge vampire force against near impossible odds, you have my full permission to kick some sense into me, okay?"

The young man grinned. "Any time, boss, any time." And then he turned to engage one of the guards who was getting too close for comfort.

Taylor aimed her rifle at a group of vampires who were rushing at her and Lee. The bursts of gunfire slowed them down enough for her to be able to take up a better defensive position. Back to back, she and Lee stood their ground against the vampires that rushed them.

Dane looked up from the vampire he had just staked to where he could see Sam and Erin. The blonde Wicca was sitting, legs crossed, eyes closed, as she methodically dismantled all the surrounding wooden structures. Erin stood over her, fiercely defending her lover from any of the guards that came close enough to pose a threat. Sam continued working her spell, secure in the knowledge that Erin could defend them both.

The battle was on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We have to get out of here!" Finn yelled at Jace.

The tide of battle had turned in favour of the Resistance, and the vampire and mercenary leaders had been pushed back towards the hangar where their skimmers awaited.

Reluctantly, Jace nodded his agreement. He hated the thought of abandoning one of his most important centers to this rabble of fighters, but there were very few other options if he wanted to remain in one, non-ashy piece. He turned and ran with Finn, reaching the hangar just ahead of the human.

Yanking open the door to his own glider, Jace impatiently shoved Finn in and then climbed in himself. He was about to slam the door closed when a hand appeared, stopping the door's downward motion with preternatural strength, a face then appeared to go with the hand.

"Weren't planning on leaving without me, now were ya?" Tyris growled in full game face.

"Get in." Jace snarled, not even attempting to hide his displeasure at having Tyris accompany them. The dark vampire seated himself in the back of the glider, lounging comfortably, almost arrogantly in the chair.

"So what are we waiting for?" he asked.

Jace snarled again, gunning the engine, and taxiing into a better position to take off from.

"Go!" Finn yelled at him, seeing a small group of Resistance fighters running towards the glider. Other vampires and guards had, apparently, had the same idea as Finn and they were hurriedly boarding the gliders in hope of escape.

With a throaty roar from the glider's engine, the three men took off, leaving the increasingly one-sided battle behind.

Taking one last look back, Tyris could pick out the blonde figure in the midst of the battle and he sneered to himself.

'This is far from over, lover,' he promised silently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The captured vampires and human guards glared hostilely at the Resistance members who stood with their weapons trained on the group of prisoners.

They were a few hundred yards from the center where the bodies of the mercenary soldiers who had died in the battle still lay. The dead Resistance members had been collected by their comrades to be buried back at their old Resistance Cell. They'd be leaving the caves soon, now that the vampires knew where they were, but they'd leave the graves of the fallen as a testimony to what they had achieved that day.

Once Lee was certain everyone was outside of the center, she lit a match and dropped it on the fuel from the skimmers that she and the Resistance members had sprinkled liberally all over the compound. As the flames caught, she turned and walked back to where her friends awaited, the skimmers and gliders they would use to leave standing at the ready.

"What say we go home people?"

She was met with loud cries of approval from her followers as they waved their rifles in the air. The jubilation in the air was palpable as they called out her name.

She held up a hand for silence and waited 'til they had quieted down enough for her to be heard.

"We did good today. I know we lost a lot of people... family, friends, but it wasn't in vain. What we achieved today is gonna stand as an example to every Resistance cell out there. They," Lee looked towards the group of prisoners, and then back to her people, "are not invincible. We've won the battle today, and we will win the war."

The confidence her words inspired rippled throughout the assembled Resistance members as they turned to board the various aircraft.

"What about them?" Rhys jerked his head towards the men and women he still had his rifle trained on.

"Leave them." Lee ordered. "They've no leader, nowhere to go, and by the time they get out of those bonds we'll be long gone. They can spread the word about what happened here."

Rhys nodded and motioned to the Resistance members standing guard to start moving out.

Lee and Taylor were the last to board a skimmer. Once Lee was inside, she turned to see Taylor standing a little uncertainly outside the door.

"You coming or what?" Lee asked.

Taylor couldn't meet her gaze. "You sure you want me going with you? I mean after-"

"Taylor."

The mercenary looked up to see Lee standing there, hand extended towards her.

"Shut up and get in," she said with a smile.

Taylor grinned back and took Lee's hand, closing the door of the skimmer behind her.

As they took off, Lee circled once over the now-raging inferno that had previously been one of the most powerful vampire's strongholds and smiled with grim satisfaction as she watched it burn.



Epilogue:

Eight days later, Lee and Taylor stood side by side as they overlooked the new Resistance camp. A cave system on the shore of a fair-sized lake provided adequate comfort and protection for the new base. Men and women were still working on the construction process - hewing out living quarters and generally making the caves more habitable.

"They're really taking to this place," Taylor commented, watching the activity below them.

"They really are." Lee's tone held more than a note of pride. "They've adapted to these new circumstances better than I could have hoped."

"Well you've been an inspiration for them," Taylor pointed out. "The way you've handled this past week or so... how could they not believe in what you're doing here?"

Lee shrugged a little uncomfortably. "Maybe... I can't help but wonder though, what'd happen if I hadn't made it. If I was gone, what would happen to all these people?"

"They'd go on. If not under your leadership, then for your memory, and for all that you stood for." Taylor turned to face her. "That's not gonna happen though. Not as long as I have anything to say about it."

"Really?" Lee had to shade her eyes from the glare of the sun as she looked up at Taylor.

The former mercenary shifted uncomfortably. While tensions between her and Lee hadn't been exactly strained over the past few days, they hadn't been anything near to the closeness they had shared before either. Taylor wanted desperately to broach the subject, but she didn't know how to start.

"Lee... you know I'm on your side, right? I mean, God," she ran a hand through her hair distractedly, fumbling for the right words, "I'd die for you, Lee, I'd-"

Lee stopped her by placing two fingers over her lips.

"Well don't," she said quietly. "Because I'd die without you."

Standing on tiptoe, Lee replaced her fingers with her lips, kissing Taylor softly before pulling the other woman into a tight embrace.

"I need you, Taylor." she whispered.

Taylor held onto her almost desperately. "I'm so sorry, Lee," she said, her voice choked with tears.

"I know, I know," Lee soothed, stepping back and brushing a few errant strands of dark hair from Taylor's face. "It's gonna be okay."

And standing there, looking down at the people below rebuilding their future... her future, Taylor really believed her. Things were going to be better than okay.

"I love you, Lee."

"Good." the blonde Slayer smiled, "I'd hate to think this wasn't mutual."

Lee wrapped her arm around Taylor's waist, turning to watch her people working on the caves, splashing in the shallow waters of the lake, starting to live again.

"So... you wanna stick around and fight the good fight against our demon oppressors?"

"Ah," Taylor shrugged. "Why the hell not?"

~~~THE END~~~