AN: I'm trying to work through some writer's block right now. I've been doing an OK job of trudging through it but I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it because I have another story in mind and I'm leaving for school on Wed so basically, let me know if you want me to keep working on this, please.
"Hate to break up your little pow-wow," Spike announced as he entered the Magic Box, "but I think we've got an issue." Willow, Xander and Dawn sat around the table in the middle of the store. The table was covered in books as usual but instead of the typical "Demon's 101" and "Vampires-R-Us" there were Calculus and French texts laid out.
"Can't it wait Spike, we're so close to figuring out this problem, and it's a doozy." Dawn continued to stare down at the notebook in front of her.
"Yeah, Mr. Peroxide, we're busy learning, what's more important than that?" Xander asked as he looked up from Dawn's homework.
"Learning what, how to pretend to be useful while other's do the work? I think you've already mastered that skill."
"I'd like to reply to that with a 'Hey!'" Xander sounded insulted.
Willow rolled her eyes at the men, always at each other's throats, figuratively speaking of course. "What is it Spike?"
"Seems we have a little visitor from out of town. Has a history of body-snatching and the like; I believe you call her 'Faith.'"
"The loony girl who stole my Xander's innocence?" Anya asked, stepping out of the back room and into the conversation. "What about her?"
"She's here?" Willow asked incredulously. "She can't be here, she's all maximum security girl. No! No Faith! You're wrong Spike you have to be wrong. Faith can't be here, she has to be not here." Willow's words began getting faster and more high-pitched as she spoke.
"Well unless you know another super girl who goes by that name, I'm 'fraid she is, Red." Spike interjected before Willow could go on; if he'd let her keep talking her head would have started spinning around and billowing smoke would have poured out of her ears.
"I...I...I" Willow stammered.
"Where is she Spike?" Xander asked with a cool voice but the look in his eyes was anything but calm.
"Yes, we have to find her so we can make her pay for what she did to Xander." Anya, walked over to the table and stood beside her fiancé.
"She's at my crypt, all tied up tight. I ran into her in the cemetery. We fought a glurban demon but he did a real number on the nutter and she passed out before I could get anything out of her."
"I...I...I" The red in Willow's cheeks was almost as bright as the hair on her head.
"So we don't know why she's here? What if she's here because she wants Xander back?" Anya said with a deep concern. "She can't have him, he gave me a ring, we're getting married!"
"Don't think that's it love," Spike assured her. "I know she has a history of crazy but I doubt she's that wonked in the head."
"I'll kill her." The words finally escaped Willow's mouth.
"We need to find out what she's here for, what her plans are." Dawn finally spoke up.
"I know." Doublemeat stench filled the room and the group turned to see Buffy standing by the back door in all her stripey-uniform glory. "Why she's here. Guess you guys found out, huh?"
"You knew she was here and you didn't tell us?" Willow's wounded voice sent a pang of guilt down Buffy's spine.
"How long?" Xander asked coldly.
"Last night. Will and Dawn were already asleep. She came by with her new watcher."
"So she's good then?" Dawn asked, skeptically. "She's got a watcher, so she's all 'kill demons, help people' now?"
"So it would seem. Apparently they let her out of jail when I died and she's been slaying bad guys ever since."
"So she's not after Xander then!" Anya was delighted.
"Were you ever going to tell us?" Willow looked at Buffy with eyes than burned.
"No." Buffy answered truthfully. "She was looking for you Will, she didn't even know I was alive. She needed a witch, but I wouldn't let her see you, I told her we'd find another way. I thought it was the right thing."
"She was looking for me?" Willow's eyes widened in disbelief. "What, did she need someone to magick her head in?"
"Someone's after her...a witch; all big with the uber-power. She didn't know where else to turn, I guess."
"I don't know, how bout...anywhere but here. Or here's a thought, she could have just died and saved us all the trouble."
"Willow!?" Dawn was shocked at the red head's outburst. "You don't mean that, we all hate her but...but you're not like that."
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean..."
"Back on track guys," Xander reminded them. "We've got a head case with super powers back in town who could go evil at any time and this witchy woman must have followed her here, this is sounding pretty much bad."
"The Glurban! So that explains it." Spike thought out loud.
"Explains what Spike?" Dawn asked.
"The big bad we fought wasn't supposed to be very strong but he took out Faith and me without even breaking a sweat."
"So you think that this demon was related to the witch that's after Faith?" Buffy asked.
"Well, is our Big Bad Du Jour called med Liz?" Spike asked. "Because the demon sent some lovely wishes from a gal by that name."
"Yeah, I think so. Duchess Liz Bath or something."
"Countess Elizabeth Bathory?" Willow asked, eyes widening?
"Yeah, that's it."
"Oy!"
"I don't like the sound of that 'Oy'." Xander commented. "I'm guessing you've heard of our resident evil."
"She's a pretty famous historical figure Xander." Willow told her best friend.
"Yeah I think they mentioned her in school once." Dawn added. "She was all blood- sucky; people thought she was a vampire."
"That's the word from the watcher. Uber evil, liked to drink blood but wasn't a vamp, big with the black magick, wants Faith dead."
"You guys, this is bad. I mean, that doesn't sound like anything new for us but really, this is bad. From what I know of Elizabeth Bathory, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, and that's pretty much the case here. I think we need to help Faith."
"But how Will? You're all magick wagon-ing it and this pretty much sounds like a fight fire with fire kinda deal." Buffy explained.
"Yeah, I get that, I think we're going to need to bring in some help on this one." Willow explained and Buffy knew what her friend was thinking.
"Are you going to be all right with that Will? I know how things are between you two right now, it won't be too much will it?"
"I'm sure it will but this is bigger than that Buff."
"Alright then, you and Xander should go get Tara and bring her back here. Spike and I will go get Faith and her watcher, he's been doing some research so hopefully he can brief us. And Dawn, you stay here with Anya until we get back, OK?"
"Oh that's right, I'd almost forgotten that I was too delicate to be do anything useful, that's alright, calculus is much more important." Sarcasm dripped from Dawn's words.
"You know that's not it Dawn, you heard Willow, this is even more dangerous than the usual slayage, Buffy just wants to keep you safe, we all do." Xander tried to comfort the girl.
"Yes, now please get out of my store before you scare the customers away with all of your blood-sucking talk." Anya shooed the group.
"Better get started guys, it looks like we've got out work cut out for us."