The house was a disaster. Glass was everywhere. Tables reduced to splinters, blades lay scattered among the debris on the floor. Buffy stood staggeringly up, and tried to take stock of her surroundings. Her forehead was cut up and she had injuries that were in no way physical. They had hit here. Here, the one place that had started to really feel like home. Willow and Tara were due to arrive tomorrow. Scratch that, later today, now. Dawn, as her daughter now, had her own room and was content. And the dark haired beauty to her, somewhere was finally at home, living with her. Where was Faith? For a moment, Buffy felt panic rising, until her other, more violent half, walked around the corner and ran to Buffy. "Hey Twinkie, are you okay baby?" Faith cupped Buffy's face in her hands and then kissed her cut, gently. She ran her fingers through Buffy's hair and shared a relieved look with her, until Dawn spoke. "Who the crap, were they?" She got up off the floor, a little shaken maybe, but otherwise alright. "Did anyone die?" Xander asked as he came down from the upstairs floor. "I only ask because in this scenario, I usually end up resurrecting Buffy." He finished with some nervous laughter. Buffy wiped some nonexistent dirt off her hands on her pants as a way to gather her thoughts. "I don't think so." She began, now taking a more thorough look around, noticing the dead priest on the floor. Buffy crouched down and lifted his head, exposing the strange patterns of stitching across his eyes. Faith crouched down to get a better look too. "Do you know these robed guys, B?" Faith's hands shook as she asked her, not from fear. Faith just wanted to badly get vengeance. Buffy stared at the stitching. "Something familiar," She asked herself. As she stared, the years rolled back in her mind to that day. The day Angel had almost committed suicide. "Evil priests in black robes, ghostly visits from dead people, from beneath you, it devours." She checked off each item verbally as she got back up, putting it horrifyingly at last, together. She reached down and grabbing Faith's hands, she pulled her up, "I know who we're fighting. It's all connected guys. Wait? Where's spike?"

After a thorough search of the house, top to bottom, it was decided that Andrew was still tied up, but Spike was nowhere to be found. Buffy was letting Faith hold and support her, in the basement. Faith held her calmly while Buffy shuddered, crying slightly. Faith knew this had nothing to do with caring romantically for him, and everything to do with her sympathy. Who knew what the first would be putting him through? Faith rubbed her hands up and over Buffy's shoulders, brushing her lips against the back of her soft neck, trying to mentally whisper thoughts of comfort and love. After a moment of just basking, just a moment of letting down her guards, Buffy stood up straight, and all her guards went right back up. Save the romance for later. As they walked back up to the main floor, hand in hand, the doorbell rang and Dawn opened it. In came Cassie Newton, (Refer to my story, Human Nature) followed by Willow, Tara, a slightly confused Giles, and three young women, one of whom was clearly a little too interested in Willow and Tara. Everyone sat around and started taking turns filling each other in on current events. Anya accused Giles of blowing up the watcher's counsel, and Cassie shared some more of her dream poetry with them all, none of it really helpful. Also, she asked if she could taste Andrew. After some serious thought that took several minutes, Buffy and Faith agreed this was probably not to be.

"I'm just saying if my William got to have a taste…." Cassie mentioned with a lopsided smile. Dawn put up a hand. "Okay Cassie, I just got to ask this. Is Will., Spike, your father, or your boyfriend? He turned you and all, and we are and always will be friends, but that whole thing confuses me." Dawn shook her head in confused laughter. "He's my boyfriend silly." Cassie answered. "We'll both live for centuries more, and in just thirty years, who cares if he looks a decade or two older than me? Plus, he's British and hot! He's got a real Billy Idol thing going on. It's sexy, what can I say? As for parents, Willow and Tara are my parents. Same way Buffy and Faith are yours. They restored my soul before I even had the chance to do anything horrific. How much more maternal can you get? Silly Dawn, I hope that clears things up." "Umm, Yea, thanks." Dawn said, thinking over what Cassie had explained. It did make sense. "Not to interrupt the family tree chronicle explanations here," Giles suddenly added. "But can we get back to this invading Evil?" "Yea, what is up with that?" Kennedy asked. "Well we, do you mind Buffy?" Faith asked her, she shook her head and Faith continued. "Well we don't have anything specific yet, but as soon as Andrew wakes up, we should be able to get at least a few new facts out of him. In the meantime, we research. Knowledge is our best friend in times like this." "Huh." Giles spoke up. "I always thought you were never paying attention Faith. Good to know." They both smiled. "Until that happens, err, Andrew's awakening I mean, didn't you say you had faced the First before, Buffy?" She snapped to. "Oh, yea! I can lead the way, with a little backup. Faith, will you watch the household?" "Of course B, I'll keep the runts busy sweeping up, and Xander can patch up these windows." "Good! Then let's get a move on then." Giles said, and then they went out.

"Buffy!" Faith thundered down the stairs to meet Giles, dragging a beaten, bruised, barely conscious Buffy behind him. "A Turok-Han, I actually thought they were a myth." He said, handing Buffy to Faith, who swung her up into her arms, placing one arm under her legs, and the other, supporting her back and cradling her head. "Yea, well Buffy looks like proof they're pretty fucking real to me!" Faith yelled back down, already halfway up the stairs, Buffy's head pressed to her breast. Faith got her up to the second floor, and was ambushed by Kennedy. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Yes. Open that door." Faith replied. Upon opening it, Kennedy was greeted with a quick view of a room that in her rich and spoiled opinion looked like a cross between a junky room and a drunken sex pad. She smiled. "What do you think you can do to help her, before nightfall?" Kennedy asked, as Faith lay Buffy down on the bed. Before slamming the door in her face, she answered. "Look, just trust me, us slayers, have a few tricks to speed up the healing process." Faith wasted no time in tearing off Buffy's clothes. Faith rummaged through the dresser. She pulled out a bottle of massage oil and a soft clean, warm hand towel. "Faith?" Buffy called from the bed, unaware that she was even naked. "Don't leave me, please?" Faith leaned over Buffy, and began stroking her soft tongue up and down over her face, licking her cut, stroking her cute nose, massaging her lips. "No worries Twinkie. Faith will bring you back to us. Make you all better. Five by five." Faith rubbed on some oil then took Buffy's hands into hers. She gently kissed her fingers one by one. Buffy moaned and smiled at the sensation. "You like that huh?" Faith smiled and moved on to Buffy's wrists, then her arms, slowly moving up her arms to her neck and then to her lips. Buffy's breath began to even out, then pick up speed. Faith moved her lips and tongue down over Buffy's breast, finding her nipple with her tongue. Buffy was breathing harder now. Her hands had stopped shaking, her skin was regaining color. "Mmmm." Buffy moaned, as she moved her hands through Faith's hair. Faith meanwhile, was moving herself down Buffy's stomach to her navel. "Oh god, Faith!" Buffy said quietly, as Faith made one final move down to Buffy's clit. Buffy panted as Faith moved her tongue in and out, up and down, pulsing inside her. Buffy clenched her thighs around Faith's head; she made claws with her fingers and dragged them violently through Faith's hair. Faith smiled more and more, as she enjoyed Buffy's sweet taste, finally, pulling out and moving up to kiss Buffy again, letting her taste her own natural flavor. "Mm mmm." Buffy enjoyed it, and licked Faith's face slowly, before moving down to her neck. "See, I brought you back to me." Faith said smiling as Buffy pulled open Faith's shirt with her teeth. Buffy could feel the adrenaline and endorphins flowing and could feel the many other sex related chemicals taking over in her brain. The pain was fading, her muscles were flexing, her senses were returning. That little bitch. That vampire had been strong sure, but he had mostly caught her by surprise. As Buffy slid her tongue inside Faith's clit, she knew one thing for sure, it wouldn't happen twice. As Giles and the scoobies planned the defense downstairs, Buffy and Faith were screwing each other righteously, the adrenaline flow increasing until it felt like living lightning flowing through their veins.

Downstairs, everyone was planning, getting ready. THUMP! All heads turned, and saw Buffy standing tall, dressed and ready for war. "How?" Kennedy asked as her mouth literally dropped open. "How? You were barely conscious when you came in, like an hour and what, forty minutes ago only!" Willow and Tara smiled at each other. "Kennedy." Willow said, Kennedy turning at her name. "Some secrets can only be taught from slayer to slayer." "How're you feeling baby?" Faith asked. She was properly dressed, but was still showing some major cleavage as she rebuttoned her shirt as she made her way down the steps. 'I'm feeling ready. Let's kick some ass!" she said, smiling.