"And Giles actually let you go with them?" Caddie asked, her dark eyes wide with astonishment. Micah nodded, unable to keep the smug grin off her face. The sisters were crammed into the top bunk, a blanket pulled over their heads so they could whisper together without being overheard by the four Potentials sharing their room. "I didn't even see you leave."

"Well, you were slightly occupied at the moment," Micah said dryly. Her ability to sense thermal energy told her that Caddie was blushing.

"Andrew was teaching me to dance," Caddie mumbled. "What was it like? The slaying?"

"I think I prefer sober vampires over drunk ones," Micah said. "Even if drunk ones are easier to kill. These ones seemed as intent on making lewd comments about Cordelia and I as killing us."

"I still can't believe you actually killed a vampire," Caddie said, her voice halfway between awe and disapproval. Micah shrugged. She had made her first kill at the tender age of fourteen during an attempt to kidnap her and Caddie. Her second kill had been her adoptive grandfather, who had orchestrated the attempt.

"They're harder to kill than I thought they would be," Micah admitted. "But easier than attacking a Turok-han."

"Mother is going to be furious when she finds out," Caddie warned.

"She isn't going to," Micah replied. "Giles said she didn't need to know. He said she has enough to worry about." There was a slight edge to her voice, and she shot her younger sister a hard look.

"I won't tell," Caddie promised immediately. She chewed on her lower lip, and then leaned over to whisper, "Next time, do you think I could come, too?"

Micah smiled. "I don't see why not," she said.

*****

Buffy sat up with a stifled gasp, confused momentarily by the darkness. Then she remembered it was night, and she had been asleep. Dreaming.

"Buffy?" She twisted to see Angel blinking sleepily up at her. "Is something wrong?"

"I-I don't know," she whispered. "I had a dream."

Angel lifted himself onto his elbow, looking suddenly more awake. "A Slayer dream?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn together.

"Maybe. I think so. It was about Faith."

"Faith?" Angel looked startled. Buffy's sister Slayer had been serving her sentence in prison for the last two years. Buffy went to LA to visit occasionally, but in the last several months, she hadn't been able to make it. "What about Faith?"

"The Bringers, Angel. They've been going after the Potentials. Why wouldn't they go after Faith, too?" Buffy said. "I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. We have to warn Faith." Buffy threw back the covers and started to climb out of bed, but Angel grabbed her arm.

"You can't do anything about it until morning," he told her. "Then you can take one of the Scoobies to LA. In the meantime, you should try to go back to sleep. You haven't been getting much rest lately."

"There's been too damn much to do," Buffy muttered, reluctantly lying back down. Angel wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"You have a lot of people to help you, beloved," he told her. "Especially Giles and Wesley. You don't have to do all the work."

She sighed. "It's just…I've seen how this could end, and sometimes I feel as if I'm the only person who knows just how badly everything can go."

"You aren't the only one," Angel told her softly. "Believe me, I do know."

*****

Breakfast was a chaotic affair as the twenty-plus inhabitants of the Summers' house all attempted to claim the rapidly dwindling contents of the breakfast buffet. Micah got the last slices of bacon by growling at Andrew, who instantly backed off.

Buffy surveyed the dishes piled in the sink with weary alarm, but Vi corralled Amanda, Rona, and Chloe to help her clean up. Angel pulled Buffy aside before he, Dawn, and Micah left for the school.

"Are you still going to LA?" he asked.

She nodded. "I owe it to Faith to warn her," she insisted.

"I agree. But I want you to take Doyle, okay?"

"Doyle?" Buffy repeated. Though the half-demon had been getting better, he wasn't Buffy's first choice if it came to an ally in a fight. "Why?"

"He knows Los Angeles better than you'd think. He'll know how to get in and out unnoticed."

"Okay," Buffy said, leaning forward to kiss him quickly. "Have a good day, you know, on the mouth of hell."

He smiled tightly. "I'll try. Good luck."

Buffy waited with mounting impatience for the others to arrive despite the fact it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. She told the Potentials to start warming up on the back lawn; they'd run through drills before lunch. She remembered what Angel had said the night before and she truly was grateful she had two Watchers with her.

Wesley, who was staying with Giles, came through the front door burdened with a large stack of books. Buffy quickly went to help him with it. "Where's Giles?" she asked as they set them down on the dining room table.

"He was still pursuing a line of research when I left him," Wesley said. "Apparently he thinks his home is more suitable for reading than yours, though I can't imagine why." Wesley cocked and eyebrow and surveyed the mess that was the Summers' residence. Buffy laughed ruefully.

"I banished the lot outside. They're doing warm-ups but you can start drilling any time."

"You won't be joining us?"

"I'm going to visit Faith," Buffy told him. He nodded and headed for the back door. Cordelia and Doyle chose that moment to arrive, much to Buffy's relief.

A car trip with Doyle was hardly unpleasant, as the man could charm a smile out of a gargoyle. Caddie accompanied them at Cordelia's suggestion. "She needs to get out of the house," the witch had told Buffy. "She needs to spend some time with her mother." It was unusual for Cordy to be so perceptive, so Buffy took her advice to heart. During the drive to Los Angeles, Doyle made it his mission to keep the girl in stitches with his jokes and stories, a few of which Buffy wasn't entirely certain she wanted her daughter to hear.

"Hi, I'm here to see Faith Lehane," Buffy told the receptionist/guard at the prison. The uniformed man checked something on his computer.

"You're right on time," he said off-handedly. "She'll be out any minute."

"Out?" Buffy repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Yo, B. Didn't think you'd show for my release," said a very familiar voice behind Buffy. She whirled around and came face to face with her sister Slayer. Faith wore a white tank top under a black leather jacket and a pair of low-slung jeans, a far cry from the orange jumpsuit the inmates wore.

"Release?" Buffy squeaked, caught completely unaware.

Faith nodded and grinned, spreading her arms a little. "Out on account of my good behavior. I've got a parole officer waiting in Sunnydale and everything." Her smile slipped a little. "Wow. You could look a little more thrilled, B."

"S-sorry," Buffy stammered. "It's just that—" She cut off, realizing she had just gained another ally in fighting the First. She bounded forward and startled Faith by wrapping her in a tight hug. "Trust me, I'm thrilled."

*****

"So what you're saying is, this First Evil deal is gonna send the whole world to hell and we're all that stands in its way?" Faith asked as they crossed the parking lot.

Buffy nodded. "Yup, pretty much."

Faith grinned, her brown eyes sparkling in anticipation. "Bring it on, sister. I'm so ready for a fight. You would not believe how boring the slam can be."

Buffy returned Faith's smile. During Buffy's periodic visits, she had watched Faith's attitude change from desperate and sullen to truly repentant for her actions. As they approached the car where Doyle and Caddie were waiting, Doyle looked up and frowned at the sight of Faith.

"Um…" Doyle shifted ever so slightly so that he was between Faith and Caddie. "Is she supposed to be out here?"

"She's been released on parole," Buffy told him. "Erm, you two haven't officially met, have you? Doyle, Faith. Faith, Doyle."

"Pleasure," Faith said, sticking out her hand. Doyle hesitated for only a second before shaking it. Faith turned her attention to Caddie. "Who's the kid? Damn, she looks like you, B."

"She should," Buffy said with a dry smile. "She's my daughter."

Faith's eyebrows skyrocketed and she stared at Buffy, her mouth falling slightly open. "No shit?" she said after a minute.

Buffy winced. "Watch the language around the girls, please, Faith. And yes, I'm serious. It's a long story."

"Yeah? Well, you can tell me over burgers," Faith said, climbing into the car. "I'm starving."