Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Highlander.
A/N1: Nefret is ancient Egyptian meaning beautiful. The name is used for a character in the wonderful Amelia Peabody mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters.
A/N2: Source for history of Methos found at http/ SEVEN – Methos and Bella? Faith Asks the Hard Questions
Buffy and Duncan walked out of the kitchen and reluctantly moved apart.
"Okay people – sunset is in two hours. Duncan, Faith and Methos I want you guys to head over to Revello Drive. The house across the street with the high hedges has a good vantage point so I think you should be able to set up there and keep an eye on the comings and goings. Amanda, Spike and I will leave in the next hour. We can take Duncan's car to the vineyard and go in at sunset. Duncan, take your cell– we'll call when we get to the vineyard and again when we get out."
Faith grabbed the weapons she'd selected and called out to Duncan and Methos, "Okay boys! Head em up and move em out."
Revello Drive
Faith led Duncan and Methos to the house Buffy had mentioned and took up a position allowing them to watch the house but without being seen by anyone inside.
Faith decided now was the perfect time to grill the two men who seemed to know B so well. "So boys, how long have you two known B?"
Methos looked at Duncan and rolled his eyes. Duncan gave him a smirk and said, "Well you've known her the longest – almost since the time she realized she was Immortal – so that qualifies you as the expert."
"Dammit Duncan – you just don't want her mad at you if she finds out we were talking about her."
"I'm not stupid Methos. The woman has a right awful temper when she's angry. And I dinna want her anger directed at me."
"Fine…" and Methos proceeded to tell Faith how he'd met Isabella who was then known as Nefret. "I first saw her in the court of Cleopatra. She knew she was immortal but not much about The Game. That night she met me in a secluded courtyard. She was deadly grace. Her movements beautiful and lethal. A killing dance. I knew I couldn't defeat her. So I used all my skills as a master manipulator and threw myself on her mercy. I remember she laughed – it was one of the most beautiful sounds I'd ever heard."
Faith was amazed – to say the least – "You knew Cleopatra? Woah! B knew Cleopatra! Holy Shit!"
Methos and Duncan both laughed at the girl's reaction to Bella's story. Her amazement was pure, childlike and innocent. It wasn't something Immortals often saw and they both instinctively knew it wasn't something a Slayer often experienced either.
"Yes, we both knew Cleopatra. She was an amazing woman. The tactics she used against the Romans. She learned well from Bella. That woman could have a man begging for his own death."
"And did she have you begging, Methos," Faith said laughingly.
Methos who was normally so calm and collected began to stutter.
"Go B! Way to get the Immortal hotties!"
Then Faith turned her smirk on the handsome Scot. She wasn't about to let him off the hook. She could tell by the looks he and B had exchanged that there was something going on between them. B was being good to her and she was going to make sure that no one screwed with her.
"So Duncan, how long have you and B been doin' the deed?"
Methos snorted and Duncan blushed. Luckily for Duncan just after Faith's question the door to the Revello Drive house opened and a large group of people armed with various swords, crossbows and other weapons began to emerge.
"Shit, it's Robin, Willow, Kennedy and some of the potentials. God, I can't believe what their doing. Are they crazy?"
"Lass, what do you think is happening," Duncan asked.
"Before I left we'd gotten intelligence on a possible armory were the First had the bringers storing weapons. I was supposed to check it out today. I never thought they'd be stupid enough to go without me."
"Well, they were stupid enough to kick Bella out – it seems their running true to type," Methos snarked.
Faith gave a bitter laugh. "As soon as I heard about the armory I had my doubts. But Willow, Giles and Xander wouldn't let it go. Finally, I agreed to do a recon just to shut them up. I'd planned on going by myself with maybe Robin as backup – do a quick look see and if anything was there I'd lead a bigger team to take it out later. It looks like they threw the idea of a recon out the window."
"Should we follow them," Methos asked.
"Damn! Damn! Damn! We're going to have split up. We can't leave the house unguarded. They don't have anyone inside who can protect them. Giles and Xander just wont cut it if the Bringers or Turok Han attack once the sun goes down. God they are stupid leaving the house this close to sunset. I'd planned to do the recon early – give myself plenty of daylight. Ok boys, you two stay here and watch the house and I'll follow them. I know where they're going and it will be easier for me to follow them without being seen since I know the town."
"Sounds good," said Methos as Duncan nodded in agreement.
"Do either of you have an extra cell phone so I can let you know if I need backup?"
Methos took out his cell and quickly showed Faith Duncan's number on the speed dial. Then he passed it to Duncan who programmed in Buffy and Amanda's numbers as well.
"Ok, I'm gonna jett. I'll call and update you on the sitch as soon as I can."
As Faith went after the group that had just left 1630 Revello Drive Methos and Duncan settled in to keep watch over the people still inside.
1630 Revello Drive – Dining Room, Earlier that Day
Giles, Willow, Xander, Kennedy, Robin and Anya sat at the dining room table discussing Faith's disappearance.
"Do you think she went on the recon alone?"
"I don't think so – last night she said she wanted me to go with her," Robin said worriedly. "I don't think she'd go off and do something like this on her own."
Xander snorted, "You don't know Faith very well do you. Her motto was always Want, Take, Have. I don't think she's known for patience."
Giles pulled his glasses off and began to clean the lenses. "Your right, of course Xander. But after what happened with Buffy I think she'd have known better."
Now it was Willow's turn to comment, "God you think she'd be able to show a little restraint."
Giles glared sharply at Willow. "Perhaps she went in search of Buffy. Last night she did say she was worried about her being alone with the Bringers on the loose."
"You might be right Giles. Either way we need to decide what to do about the armory in case Faith doesn't come back," said Xander.
Anya sat listening to the conversation at the table. She knew she'd reacted harshly to Buffy the previous night. Since becoming human she'd found that often her fears would get the better of her. Not having immortality to fall back on could make life such a bitch. But as she listened she realized that she was wrong in her treatment of Buffy. She also knew that the others sitting at the table would never understand that asking Buffy to leave was probably the last mistake they'd ever make. Anya decided there was no point in trying to get them to change their mind so the only smart thing she could do was leave Revello Drive and go to Buffy. Luckily for her she had a good idea where she was – the Crawford Street Mansion.
Anya got up from the table and said, "I'm going upstairs. I've got a headache. It must be the lack of orgasms lately. I find it makes me cranky." She knew that talking about orgasms would have the others more than anxious for her to leave the room. They were such prudes when it came to sex – and now she was using it to her advantage.
She went up to Willow and Kennedy's room. Though she wasn't sleeping there it was where her clothes were. She began to pack a bag. She saw no reason she should leave anything she'd spent her hard earned money on in the house. As she looked out the window she saw Faith with two men approach and enter the house across the street. As she continued to pack she saw Willow, Kennedy and Robin lead a group of potentials from the house. Then Faith followed them.
Quickly Anya reached a decision. She'd take her bag and go across the street. Faith had obviously found help – very handsome help at that. And if she wasn't mistaken she'd recognized one of the men. He was an immortal and she didn't think it was a coincidence he was in town - Methos would only be here to help Bella. Maybe, just maybe she'd be getting some orgasms after all. A girl could always hope.