Title: More or Less 8- Disarm

Author: Strange Bint

Rating: R (for language and violence)

Web page: Faith/Spike, Willow, Riley, Angel, Other

Summary: Pick up reading this Series now! (Post S7, AR ATS S5) This takes place after Faith and the gang found a damaged experimented on Spike. They assume Spike is yet again the victim of The Initiative. The government seems to be coming to reclaim Spike. Faith is not about to let that happen, but in this war many things happen one can't expect.

Warnings: Very loaded chapter about war and morals and ya know, stuff. Angst & cliff-hanger warning. Willow gets some time in the spot-light here. Feedback at or, the "review" box.

"Disarm you with a smile and leave you like they left me here, to wither in denial.
The bitterness of one who's left alone. The years burn. I used to be a little boy. So old in my shoes, and what I choose is my voice. What's a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you."- Smashing Pumpkins

Disarm- More or Less 8

Faith felt the familiar sound of the helicopter circling and then landing as she was armed with her gun. Fucking helicopters. She liked it better when her experience with them was only through movies about wars and bad "Magnum PI" reruns. She had a few helicopters after her in her day, and then, Angel's had rescued her and Spike from the ocean not that long ago. Still, it seemed fitting it would end this way, all "Scar Face" with a helicopter. She was going to hit as many government guys as she could, which she hoped would be all of them, and then she really hoped, she prayed, that after these dudes shot her to death Connor would be able to keep it together enough to run to Angel with Spike. She knew that Harris would try to hold things together as much as possible, but she wasn't sure how fucked up everyone else was going to be after this. The others didn't realize how big this was. Just because this wasn't a demon didn't mean that they shouldn't fight, kill, or run, or do anything they had to in order to survive.

Faith knew she was wrong when she said years ago that the world needed her to survive and she wasn't going to cry for some innocent by stander. She knew now that the world didn't need her alive at all, and that she should cry for the innocent by stander. But, there wasn't going to be any innocent by stander here now. Faith demanded that Harris and Kennedy take Connor to the hospital, and they did. Red was in the house fixing Spike's hand. The witch hadn't figured out how to fix his mind, not yet, but she would. Red would fix Spike, and Faith would make sure no one would get him again.

The helicopter shut down in the suburban street with a few house lights lighting up to see what was going on. But, what could the people of the re-risen Sunnydale do about a helicopter or any other weird shit? Nothing and they had accepted that the first time the town went down. The wind of it stopped stinging her eyes as she hid on the side of the little white house she had actually lived in for the past few years, although not as peacefully as a girl should. Faith was surprised when only one person emerged from the helicopter. She saw the figure dressed all in black walking stiffly up to the door.

"You!" Faith said as she jumped out with the gun.

"Faith," he said like he knew her and she held a gun to him every day.

She was so fucking pissed that this almost put her over the edge. The only reason she didn't shoot him was because he actually knew enough to stop and raise his hands.

"I should have known," she hissed at him as the edges of her anger scraped along her throat, "Shoulda known there was no such thing as a good cop. The only reason you got those grunt soldiers off our ass that time before was because you wanted to come back and fuck with Spike yourself."

"No," Riley Finn said, "Faith, put down the gun. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

His stupid saucer like round eyes stayed right on Faith.

"Oh, but I do want someone to get hurt, namely you, and see, I can't do it without the gun anymore. I'm sure you got the memo that I'm just a weak little girl now."

"I was briefed on those circumstances, yes," he said.

"You were briefed on those--God!" Faith felt her body shake with dry laughter now, "I can't believe I slept with you. You know that was just to keep the whole 'I'm Buffy' rouse going. You know if I had stayed in her body a day longer I would have kicked you to the curb, right?"

"I know Buffy was a wonderful person, and in the end she forgave you for all the things you did to her. She jumped dimensions trusting you to do the right thing. Now, give me the gun."

Faith knew he'd play the B card, but she didn't think he'd pull it out so early. She made sure she kept her gun right on him.

"Yeah, well," Faith said, "We both know that B is a little too nice. She trusts the wrong people, and we'd never do that right, Finney? We don't trust a soul. We can't afford to, we're the soldiers-- the grunts--the battle fodder. The one's who lay down their lives so the real heroes can go on."

"Speak for yourself," he said, "There's a lot I trust in and believe in and I have no intention of laying down my life because of someone like you that doesn't believe in anything."

"Oew," Faith grinned and her face ached, "Do I detect a note of bitterness in there, soldier? You may have no intention of dying here tonight, but guess what? Sometimes our intentions fall by the wayside when we get caught up in something bigger than ourselves. Like, I 'm sure you had no intention of becoming a sadistic murderer whose job it is to strip down a man piece by piece so you could use the best of his parts as your own."

"I'm not--"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I don't care what you think; I know you'll never understand. I know that to all your army-of-one buddies I'll just look like some crazy bitch that killed a good soldier and not even my friends will cry for me because they'll think I was wrong. But, you have to die…people like you who violate---"

Faith stopped and looked up briefly almost wishing a soldier would come in now as a vain attempt to save Finn. She was sure even if they did, the bullet in her readied gun would still end up hitting Finn in his boy-man face. She wished he looked older, harder.

"---See, I was going to say I was you, but I never was. I always knew what I was doing was wrong. I was just so mad that I didn't care. You do care, and you think your right doing the things you do. I don't know if that makes me better or worse, and I don't give a shit. You couldn't kill a man, you had to control him, you had to destroy him--"

"You do all of those things to demons everyday, Faith. What The Initiative did to Spike-"

"Was something that you were a part of with no regrets--"

"Riley?" a girl's voice said, "Is that you? Oh, thank God, Riley! We thought you were the people coming to take Spike back, and Faith was all: 'I'm gonna kill those M.Fers.' and I was all 'Oh no.' and then she came out here, and then I came out here and now I see that she has a gun pointed at you and, oh no."

Faith could feel Red freezing after she said all this in one breath, even though she couldn't afford to look over at the girl. Faith knew she could never get Willow to see what was really going on here. It was clear the Scoobys weren't wired that way, and why should they be? With all the apocalypses they fought they never had to face this kind of evil. One that really said they were a friend and believed it, one that really thought they were doing the right thing, one that was created out of shit way bigger than themselves. One that was human. Of course, the Scoobys had fought Faith herself, and someone could say that Faith had been all those things, but she never was. Faith knew she was on the wrong side, the easy side, back when she was with the mayor. She never tried to lie to herself or B about it. Maybe that was the one right thing she did. She knew killing Finn wasn't right, but it wasn't wrong either.

"This is totally wrong," Red said, "Tell her this is wrong, Riley. You're not the person that did this to Spike. You're not the person that did this to Spike, are you?"

"Of course not, Willow. When I found out what was going on I came here to stop it. I think Faith is still a little mixed up about who's on what side," Finn said as he didn't take his eyes off Faith.

"I'll tell you what I'm not mixed up about," Faith said, "I know this isn't a college reunion. Hands back up, Finn."

"Faith--" Red began

"Red, I'm sorry, but your friend's the bad guy and he's not getting anywhere near Spike and in order to make sure he doesn't I have to make sure his torso isn't anywhere near his limbs."

"Faith, what do you mean? Spike's torso is fine, right near his limbs. They did something funny to his body, but I figured out how to get him to stop attacking people. Oh, you mean Riley's torso and limbs. Oh. Well, I can't let you do that," Red said.

"Willow, I'm here to help," Finn said, "I found out what was going on. An operative broke away from my group with some agents and has been conducting experiments with out my permission. I clear all special projects now, and I didn't realize--"

"Fuck you! You didn't realize," Faith screamed, "You were the one behind the whole first chip thing, and now you're just pissed someone upgraded on you and you want a better look at it."

"Faith, Riley wasn't the one behind the first chip thing," Red explained, "I mean he was in front of it maybe, but not behind it. He didn't know--"

"In front of it, behind it, he was still the force that kept it moving, and he'll keep moving it and it's wrong! He'll keep killing Spike, so he has to die, "Faith explained or she tried to.

Her words were coming out in angry grunts.

"Why didn't you tell me she was still psychotic?" Finn asked Willow with some kind of indignantly polite tone.

"She's not psychotic. She's just in love with Spike, "Willow explained.

"In love with Spike?" Finn sighed with his hands still up, "Yeah, she doesn't sound psychotic at all."

"You're damn right I'm not!" Faith yelled.

She really wanted to kill Finn right then, but she had to make the bastard at least see something of what he had done.

"You put something in his head--in his head! I know from experience it's easy to lose your head in this line of work, but he never did. His decisions always belonged to him. Whether he got vamped or fucked over or got a soul, he always had his head, even after you fucks tried to take it. So you thought you'd come back and do it right. Big mistake, because this time I'm here, college boy, and I'm gonna splatter your brains before you can get to his again."

"Faith, listen to me very carefully. I'm the only chance Spike has of surviving right now. I was the one that had them remove the chip the first time and I'm the one--"

"No!" Faith said and she hadn't meant it to come out like a gasp.

"You're just saying that to confuse me or you want to believe it yourself. All that brainwash training and shit. You just want to fuck him up some more. You're part of it--you're the one that-- Red can fix him. She's some kind of fucking genius. He doesn't need you," she said.

God! He was good. He was inside her mind now. He had her thinking it would be so much easier if the things he was saying were true.

"But he needs you, Faith," Red said softly.

Faith hadn't forgotten the girl was there. She hadn't forgotten she was going to have to kill Red's friend in front of her and end up dead herself. Faith wasn't sure what would happen after that, but she was sure Red wouldn't be stupid enough to trust any of these other guys with Spike. It was Finn, he got inside somehow.

"Spike needs you to be there for him when he gets better and if you do this that won't happen. You'll go to jail," Red said.

"I'll go to Hell! They'll shoot to kill when they find me, but they won't get to save Finn," Faith snorted at the girl's naivety, "I'm a sharp shooter. It's one of the things I kept after I lost my Slayer power, 'cause it's something I got in my brain. It couldn't get taken away. You know all about that don't you, Finn? You had to keep part of Spike's brain going so he could be the killer you wanted. "

"Riley would never--" Red began.

"Red, you have a lot to learn. Human people do these things, evil things. You can't tell me that Mr. Law and Order here doesn't want Spike dead or even me, after what we did to him," Faith said.

"I think it's you that could learn some stuff here," Red said haughtily, "I do know that human people do evil things. A human person killed my girlfriend who I loved more than anything. Then, I, a human person killed her killer doing an evil thing. "

"Felt good. Didn't it?" Faith asked.

"Yes," Red said, and Faith actually looked away from Finn to look at her.

She hadn't said it with her mousy guilt or given some kind of stumbling run-on answer.

"…but it was wrong."

"Oh!" Faith grumbled, "You were doing so good there for a minute, Red. Why don't you drop the act? B doesn't live here anymore. Was it wrong? Was it really? Didn't what's-her-name deserve some justice? Didn't you have to do all you could for her?"

"Do you think this is what Spike would want, Faith? For you to become a killer, again, after you've worked so hard?" Red demanded unmouseily.

"Spike isn't some snow white Wicca murdered by some actual college boy, Red. Our situation is a little different than yours. We're at war. A war they declared on us. The people who did this to him won't ever get what they deserve. They'll call them heroes."

"You think me and Tara never had to fight wars? I guess now I really know you were never a lesbian. Do you think this is how Spike wants you to fight that war? Is this really going to help him?"

"Yes, Finn is connected to Spike. He has knowledge of him the others don't have. This is the only way to stop them. They'll keep coming for him, no matter what. They'll keep coming. You have to see that!"

"I do see that the world won't ever be safe for you guys, and you have to protect yourselves, but I don't see how killing Riley, a person that has done more good than harm and can help Spike will---"

"What if it's too late?" Faith demanded now as she turned away from Finn fully.

She knew she was doing it. Looking like the crazy hostage taker that had finally broken down into hysterics. Now Finn had a clear shot at her with no threat to himself what so ever.

"What if he's already gone? Then what? Someone has to pay! Someone who did this! He didn't deserve--"

"You don't deserve to die over it, because you couldn't protect him!" Red said firmly.

"But, there's nothing else for me to do. There's nothing else I can do. I'm powerless! Totally fucking powerless, and I will be forever, if I don't do something," Faith said.

Now she really was the hysterical hostage taker who backed down. She was pleading with Red, crying. She liked to believe she wanted to go hug Red, but what she really wanted to do was go beat the shit out of Finn. To feel his bones cracking under her fists. She wanted to go out like that.

"Killing people, yourself, it's not doing something--it's the path to doing nothing. The easy way out. A path that I know has its good points when the person you loved most is not only gone but taken in a way that was wrong. There are other people here that need you--"

"No one--"

"Don't even start!" Red snapped, "I don't care that you don't have any more Slayer power. You're still a Slayer whether you like it or not, and that's important! My girlfriend is the strongest Potential and she looks to you. Angel's son is something we've never seen before, something amazing, and he looks to you. Even if how you feel about them is nothing compared to how you love---There's a life here beyond this war, beyond Spike, even if it's a hard one. You owe it to the people who need you."

"I don't think they really need me," Faith said.

Now she was sitting on the steps of her house, which was really Kennedy's house, everyone knew that. She had her gun by her side and she was really surprised Finn wasn't diving to take it away.

"Kennedy has you, even if you're off somewhere else half the time. It's not like I'm not. And like you said, Connor, he's amazing," Faith said to Red.

"That's bullshit!" Red said nastily as she sat next to Faith.

Faith saw Finn's eyes widen at the idea of the witch swearing. She thought of Wilkins. Had she really felt for Wilkins--that evil fuck? Did she still?

"You know they need you. You say you're not a Champion, but you help them--so do it," Red said.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's not that easy," Faith said and her voice came out soft and tired, "I have Uncle Sam's bitch standing over me here who says he wants to help Spike but I don't trust him at all. He works for the people who did this, people I have no idea how to fight off."

"I'm not working for the people that did this. I told you, I'm in charge here, but some people made some unilateral decisions without me and---, "Finn began.

"I have no idea what unilateral means, but I don't think I have to. I think I know how this works better than you do. You want to think you're all large and in charge--go ahead. But, it's clear you're not X-file boy, you have some smoking cigarette man behind you and I'm not going to let him puppet you around Spike," Faith closed her eyes in frustration.

"What is she talking about? Something about the 'X-files?' You know, people make those 'X-file' and 'Star-Gate' jokes all the time, and I don't watch TV so--Is 'X-files' still on TV? Weren't they FBI? I'm not FBI … "Finn said to Red.

"She's just saying what she said before about you being Uncle Sam's bitch, and she doesn't trust you," Willow said back to her old cheerful tone.

"Willow!" Finn gasped, "You trust me, don't you? I am no one's---I'm not government. I 'm military."

"Of course I trust you Riley, even though I never got the difference of being military instead of government. Can you explain that again? Anyway, this isn't my call to make," Willow said.

"I'm the only chance Spike has," Finn insisted.

"Get out," Faith croaked before she put her face in her hands.

"You know, if you were anyone else I could put you in jail for life for threatening mine. If you were anyone else you'd already be in jail. I'm the reason Spike stayed alive this long. I'm the reason that LA terrorist kid didn't go away forever too," Finn said.

With that Faith no longer felt at all tired, she bolted up so fast she saw Finn reach for some little weapon he had on him.

"If me or Spike or Connor were anyone else we'd all be having a couple of bong hits watching 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' now," Faith said as she pointed nothing but a finger in his face now, "and the only thing we'd know about demons and war would be from the sci-fi channel and the news."

"You'd be watching water sports?" Finn asked letting go of his little weapon and putting it back in his pants, "Everyone has to deal with demons and war; it's when you start thinking you're special and the rules don't apply to you that you become those things."

"Fine," Faith turned away from him so fast she made herself feel a chill in the Southern California night, "You go back to your secret missions and your mind and body raping soldiers, Mr. Rules, and keep pretending you don' t think you're more special than me."

"If Buffy were here she'd want that ass-faced vampire---"he began.

"If Buffy were here she would think you were one of the good guys. She'd let you in; let you believe you were doing good. But, I won't let you live the lie, and that kills you," Faith felt herself smirking with bite as she turned back to the Boy Scout.

"The only one that's dying here is Spike, but see if I care," Finn said looking down.

"You really do care, don't you?" Faith called to him as he began to turn away,
"Even though B's not here and you'll get zero cred. You really think you're gonna help Spike, and that's what's right."

"He did save the world, if the reports are correct," Finn grimaced as he put his hand on the back of his neck.

Faith would never figure him out; she wished she didn't have to in order to trust him.

"How would you help anyway? You may be a college boy, but I can tell you're still a grunt like me. You wouldn't know the first thing about tinkering around in his brain…his body," Faith sighed.

"I brought the operative that did the work on him out to deprogram him, and I'll have you know that I do have a very advanced understanding of--"

"You brought the person out who did this to undo it?" Faith felt her laugh sting her nose, "Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck are you thinking? They went to a lot of trouble to get to him; they went to even more to fuck him up. They broke away from your marching orders to do all that, what makes you think they're gonna listen to you now?"

"The person who did this had their reasons, but I've spoken to them at length about the unique situation here, and now they understand," Finn said, like it was all so simple.

"The only thing they understand is how to make a person suffer and they're gonna understand it from the other end if you bring them around," Faith told him, because it really would be all that simple.

"That's not true. They thought Spike was a demon--a monster, and I can't say they are entirely wrong, but now they understand, and they'll reconstruct Spike," Finn assured--himself.

"I wish I could live in Never-land like you, Finn. Anyone who can do something like that to another person doesn't give a shit about souls, and if I see them they're dead. You think someone who did that to him will just turn on a dime and help out?" Faith said.

She could feel herself come to life. She was going to have another show down with Finn and she wanted it. She didn't want him dead anymore, but she wanted to feel alive, and she was going to find a way to show this guy just how stupid he was.

"Faith, if anyone can understand how someone can turn on a dime to help, it's you. I know you're angry but sometimes there's not really some true big bad you can kill. It's not like we're the Justice League and we have crazed super-villains after us, well at least not all the time," Willow said.

Okay, Red was back to being annoying now.

"The Justice League! I know what that is. Superman is in it, right? Superman, now there's a straight forward hero. Nothing like--" Finn was all proud of himself, and then Faith felt her guts dance around in her skin because she saw…

"Spike! Spike!" she called to him.

He looked almost normal again accept for the shaved head and the lack of shirt in the middle of the night. Actually, that was kind of normal. He liked to go around with no shirt. He also liked to walk around with little blonde girls too, accept Faith hadn't seen him do that in forever and she had never seen this particular little blonde before. She didn't look like anything special. She could have been any girl. Accept she wasn't because Spike was following her in the middle of the night.

"Slayer, gonna ride you hard before I break you," Spike said.

Faith would have smiled, would have laughed even, but as she saw Spike get closer to her and come into the porch light she saw he wasn't smiling at all. The girl was smiling instead. Her teeth were too white and too perfect and she had a nasty smile. She had a white coat like the people who drag mental patients away.

"You fucking son of a bitch! You were distracting us the whole time so you could get one of your lab rats to take him. Well, you're not getting him," Faith roared to Finn.

"I didn't---" Finn's flat mid-western face looked so confused, Faith stopped going for her gun, "Shel--Dr. Walsh, what are you doing? I thought you were back at----You've been ordered to stop this--to deprogram Hostile 17. I'm ordering you to give Hostile 17 to me."

"Sorry, Captain. I don't take orders besides, aren't the Nazis your enemy? Shouldn't you be given me a medal for draining this bastard dry," Spike said.

Spike said these words. He said them with feeling but his face was lying dead. He reminded Faith of a serial killer that said they were so sorry, but you just knew they didn't mean it. It wasn't him. It was the things he would say, but it wasn't him. Faith swallowed feeling like something was going to jump out of her throat that wasn't words. She wondered if that was what Spike felt like as he was saying these things, or if he could feel anything at all.

"Oh great! Now you have him like Hostile 67. He's going all hay-wire," Finn said.

Faith didn't understand what he was saying but she knew she hated him, and she should hate him.

"You're damn right the 'bot is going haywire, Red. Make it stop saying those things about me or I'm outta here," Spike said.

Faith had the strangest idea. She wanted to kick Spike in the shins because at least then she'd know he was feeling something and he wouldn't have that blank face.

"Spike, Spike this isn't---"Willow was at a loss too, "Shelley? Shelley? Is that you? You look a lot different without your glasses. What are you doing? Oh---"

Red knew this girl. This prim looking thing with the nasty smile seemed like someone Red might be friends with at the college.

"Stand down, Hostile 17," was the first thing that the girl said and Spike shut his mouth and his eyes, "This is nothing like Hostile 67, General. I just have it echoing things and sometimes it goes to the Broca's area of the brain and it verbalizes what it thinks it's living in its mind. It's the only way---It's been a useful way of controlling it while I'm still working on it."

"You're the bitch that did all of this to him!" Faith snapped.

She felt stupid after she said it. She had no idea what this chick really did to Spike, but it should have been obvious right away that she was the one who did it.

"And she's the one that's going to make it right," Finn said.

Well, at least Faith wasn't the stupidest person here.

"Sorry, General, but I was never military. I'm special ops outside military--government, and I never answered to you. In fact, I don't answer to anyone anymore," the girl said and she smiled again.

"That's funny 'cause I don't either. Let him go. Release whatever hold you have on him--fix him," Faith said as she pointed her gun again, this time at the real power.

"I know you're not known for your intelligence with all the blood baths you've caused in your little independent quest to save people," the girl never stopped smiling, "So, I'll make this as simple as possible. I already have fixed this murdering demon. I've fixed it to right all it has wronged, and if you even think about killing me like you did my mother, I'll push this button and he'll be dust in a matter of hours. You're little brain knows all about staking, right? Well, this is a stake from the inside out."

The girl showed Faith something that looked like a little silver MP3 player that Kennedy had. Faith wanted to jump the chick and grab the thing. She wanted to think that the girl was lying. Faith wasn't that stupid.

"The only blood bath I'll cause is yours if you don't let him go," Faith demanded trying her hand with the gun.

"Blood bath? What blood bath? Faith you killed Shelley's mother? Faith would never do that! I mean, accept maybe in the time she did that. Oh no. You have a past together," Red said.

"I've never seen this bitch before in my life and I know I never killed anyone's mother," Faith said through gritted teeth.

"I knew that's just what someone like you would say. You Slayer demons are so dangerous because you don't realize you're all exactly the same. What one of you has done the next one might as well do. You're all symptoms of a ravaging disease. It's just why you have to be killed. I didn't really want to be here to see it. War is so gross up close, but that's life," the girl said.

She had this peaceful way of talking like she was in some horrible boring war movie. Faith would give her a fucking war movie.

"Dr. Walsh, Shelley, we talked about this---" Finn began.

"Shut-up, general!" Walsh spat with anger, and Faith was relieved that she finally sounded pissed," You don't know how lucky you are that I don't have you killed too. You were a part of it. You all were apart of it. Everything was going fine with my mother's work until The Slayer came along. She was an out lying variable that created chaos. She allowed Hostile 17 to escape. She harbored him. I've read the notes. That was when everything started to disintegrate and you found my mother dead. Then, the demons took over and we lost even more of our own."

"Oh. That blood bath! Oh my god!" Willow gasped, "You're Maggie Walsh's daughter. I should have known you have the same eyes, and you're both known for your strict grading, but Walsh is such a common nam---Oh Shelly, you have it all wrong. Faith had nothing to do with that blood bath. She was off creating a totally different---that was Buffy, the other Slayer--and--and it wasn't like that. Buffy tried to help your mom. Buffy liked your mom; I don't think she could have passed your Mom's class but--"

"You were a part of it too, Willow? I guess there's no one to trust in this town," the girl said, "Maybe it's due to the experiments they did in the water. A side effect makes people think being friends with the Slayer, a half-demon, a killer, is a great idea."

Faith wished the chick would go back to talking in her tight assed way. She sounded too familiar now.

"Buffy isn't a demon or a killer! She is an amazing hero, and that was the Slayer that tried to save Maggie, and the one who saved me," Finn said.

"So, this little trashy thing isn't the one that you were into? I did think you had better taste, General," the girl was glaring at Faith for the first time, "It doesn't matter. Haven't you been listening? They're all the same. This may as well be the one that killed my mother. Don't you see, General, they attract demons, death, anarchy."

"Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. She really wanted it. Every Slayer has a death wish. Even you," Spike had opened his eyes again and said this to no one but the night itself.

"The Slayer demon girls; they're freaks. They have demon in them that no one can sense. You can test their blood and the demon in them doesn't show," Walsh hissed,
"They are the embodiment of it all. That's why I had to recapture the greatest half-demon of them all, Hostile 17. He was the one that always got inside of The Slayers. I knew if I could get control of Hostile 17 I could destroy the Slayer. I have inside information that this Slayer's death will destroy the line, once and for all."

"You're a crazy bitch!" Faith roared, but she wasn't pointing the gun anymore.

She knew a crazy bitch when she saw one and she knew pointing the gun would do no good. The bitch would kill Spike with that MP3 looking thing before Faith's shot could kill her.

"Crazy like a fox, love," Spike snickered, "No, I'm the one that's gonna get you once and for all, Nikki."

Faith literally felt her ears begin to ring as she felt her chest thump. Nikki. Robin's mother. Spike was in his past. His voice sounded like he meant it, but his face, his body, didn't seem to feel it. There was this chick that was a social worker in the clink. She was a flake that talked about the mind-body-soul connection. Spike had said something about being "separated" before. Faith felt like such a bitch now because he thought he had meant he had been separated from her, not himself.

"Got an ace up my sleeve, but I'm not cheating not like I did with Sophie," Spike said with no grin on his face,

"I can't count her as a kill because I had too much help, you see. She was a decent Slayer, not as long in the tooth as you, not as confident; I love them like that. Slayers. You're all so different, but all the same. Lost little girls in a world that you think's beneath you fighting the good fight. I'd almost admire you if I didn't have all this seething hatred for you. You're the one I've seethe for the most so far. You're such a foxy lil' Mama. That's why I made sure…"

"Shut-up!" Walsh spat.

Faith was actually startled. She was listening to what Spike was saying. What he had said to Nikki Wood.

"I mean, Stand down, Hostile 17. Disarm," Walsh said in her proper war movie voice now.

Spike stopped. He shut his eyes. Faith never hated a person more than this girl.

"Listen, Shelley, we just need to talk about this. Whatever you think happened was not what happened, and a Slayer isn't some kind of half-demon killer. Even though now it may look like…You probably want answers, and if we just stop all this Quentin Tarintino meets The Manchurian Candidate stuff and talk, I can give them to you," Willow said.

Red may be smart about some things. Faith totally admitted that she had underestimated her in the area of life-smarts before. But, Red still couldn't see when someone wasn't going to listen. It was a good thing it didn't matter anymore. Faith had spotted something the others didn't see. Salvation, in the usual form it comes in for her. Faith smiled.

"I have all the answers I need, Willow," the girl said," The answers to make this world everything that real human beings deserve. It'll be a world free of all demons, of course, there will be some necessary evils, but, with the Slayer gone and Hostile 17 and the LA childe controlled by us things will be the way they are supposed to be. The terror will end."

"The LA child? You mean Connor? That's Connor!" Faith stopped smiling for a second, but then she started up again, "I knew you were gonna try to make Spike kill me, but Connor? Why? Forget it. It doesn't matter. You can't, bitch. There's a little outlying whatcha-ma-call-it--that you forgot about that we have on our side."

"What's that?" the girl smiled back at her, "Your stupid little home-made weapons?"

"No, a father who cares, who's really strong, and I have a jet that's way bigger and faster than your helicopter," Angel said and he hit Finn who fell like a sack.

"I knew you'd come. I knew it!" Faith said as she swallowed to sound normal.

She didn't want to sound like some little teeny-bopper Veronica Mars whose Daddy came to get her. So she made sure she didn't. She made sure she didn't hug him either.

"I got a very garbled message from a very hysterical Harmony, so I'm not really sure what's going on, but it looks like I was right to come," he said.

"Angel! Wow, you're as stealthy as ever. You hit the wrong person though," Willow said.

"Are you sure? I don't think so. I mean, the Riley guy's the muscle, right? I didn't want to hit a regular girl. She is a regular girl, right? "Angel asked.

"Don't be so glum, mate!" Spike said, "The way you tell it, one Slayer snuffs it, another one rises. I figure there's a new Chosen One getting all chosen as we speak. I tell you what... when and if this new bird does show up; I'll give you first crack at her."

"Whoa. What's wrong with Spike?" Angel said and he actually jumped back as of Spike had really spooked him, "I couldn't even sense he was here, and I always sense him. It's almost like a part of my curse. Where's Connor?"

"I don't know where your sodding doxy is. All I know is she's been a lot more interested in me than you as of late. You know what I think? I think it's this something Dru's going on about-- some curse? There's something different about you. Something off--weak. I can smell it. Smells like fear," Spike said and he almost did seem to smile a little.

He looked like he was getting ready to jump Angel too. Angel looked like he was getting more than ready to jump Spike.

"Angel, don't! He's not Spike, not really," Faith said.

"I kind of got that part," Angel said as he stopped and looked at her, "although it sounds like Spike, the old Spike, and I got the part that he's programmed to kill you and Connor. Not happening. Gotta take him down, just for now."

"You can't. She put a machine in him and he's super-strong," Faith explained.

Though, she didn't feel like she was explaining any better than the average eleven year old. She just wanted this to be over.

"We'll see; I'm used to taking on Spike when he's being simple-minded," Angel said.

"Don't touch her!" Spike yelled now, and he really was yelling, and he really looked pissed…at Angel.

Faith would almost be relieved if it made any kind of sense, and if the blonde bitch wasn't smiling.

"Why did you...?" Spike demanded, "You knew. You knew she was mine. You knew bloody well! Unh-aaaugh!"

Spike was gonna charge Angel. He was gonna kill him and the blonde bitch was gonna smile.

"Disarm, Hostile 17!" the girl said firmly.

The way you would to a puppy, and Spike stopped. Faith hated herself for breathing a sigh of relief.

"So you're Mr. Angel," the bitch smiled, "My goodness, I had no idea it could get so volatile around other demons. It's supposed to kill them methodically."

Faith thought the girl had every idea about why Spike was getting so "volatile".

"Oh, I hope I didn't offend calling you a demon. I know you're different. You have influence. Apparently, you even have some kind of influence over Hostile 17. Impressive. Hostile 17 has some unresolved past issues with you. Don't worry. We have no intention of harming you. We've been watching you for a while and we like your work," she said to Angel.

"I wish I could say the same. If you really have been watching me you'd know that there's no way we could have a civil conversation after what you've done, let alone that you just threatened my son," Angel said.

"Oh, Mr. Angel, don't listen to the Slayer. You of all people should know how they really don't do anyone any good. We have no intention of harming your son. We are completely sticking to the original agreement that you had with Wolfram and Hart. Actually, part of the treaty I made was to ensure that the original agreement with your son was honored."

"I read the fine print, several times, and in the original agreement it said nothing about Spike being sent out to kill him," Angel folded his arms.

Faith really wished that Angel would start beating the girl. She wasn't some lawyer Angel could negotiate with. Although, Faith knew that if Angel wasn't going to negotiate with her Spike would be dead.

"Right," Walsh said, "In fact, what you wanted was for your son to have nothing to do with…Spike…or the Slayer or any ugly business like that. You wanted him to be a normal happy good person, right?"

It looked like it physically hurt Walsh to say "Spike." It hurt her to not call him prisoner number 17, or whatever. Faith looked at Willow who was on the ground helping the groaning Finn. Faith wished her natural instinct was to help people sometimes.

"That's right," Angel said, "and that didn't happen, so why would I trust anyone who even knows about what I wanted again, even if they didn't turn Spike into a raving assassin?"

"Because, we were never going to have Hostile 17 kill your son; we were just going to have it collect him and neutralize---make him cooperate for a moment being that Hostile 17 proved to be affective in making your son cooperate in the past."

"You were going to send Spike out like this thinking Connor wouldn't know something was wrong. He's not stupid," Angel said.

"Of course not," Walsh smiled and she kind of did look like a lawyer, "There are still bugs in the system. It escaped before I---Hostile 17 would have been under my full control. I would have programmed him to say what was needed or do to get your son to me."

"You cun--" Faith began.

She had her own way of negotiating with lawyers or anyone like them, but Angel wasn't having it. He cut her off.

"And then what? You'd have Spike threaten him to go back to his old life or he'd kill him?"

"Mr. Angel, I can tell you've been working with demons and their crude methods. Isn't it nice to think that you won't have to do that much anymore? I'd make sure Hostile--Spike--would never hurt your son. You're son is just going to be brought in for some effective cognitive therapy this time. I personally don't know what Wolfram and Hart was thinking using magic. Sometimes they can be so old-school, like those Watchers. They really should get with the times. Well, that's neither here nor there. Were just going to make sure your son never wants to leave his happy life again. He'll never get back his undesirable memories. He'll never want to go rolling around in the streets with older whore-ish women and murdering ---"

"You bitch; Connor doesn't find those memories undesirable-- you do!" Faith said.

She knew this was Angel's business, Connor was his kid, not hers, but she had to say something. Faith got why these people wanted her and Spike, right or wrong, but they had no right to be even thinking of Connor. He was innocent.

"I think Mr. Angel finds them undesirable, and that's what matters," the bitch said.

"No, that's not what matters. If I let you do what you just said you would be making him into some mind controlled zombie," Angel said.

"Let me?" Walsh smiled like Angel told a joke, "What I'm doing is exactly the same as what you asked Wolfram and Hart to do for him, only I'm doing it right. You know he'll be happier. You've seen it."

"This is Connor's life, his choice," Angel said.

"And trust me he's making the wrong one. What if I told you I have inside information that if he doesn't get out of this life, horrible things we'll happen to him? He'll change back into something worse than what he was before," the bitch said.

Was she threatening something? Why wasn't Angel just ripping her head off?

"Connor wants to be in this mission for a chance to do something good, after the mistakes he made. There's no way he'd ever go back to the destructive way he was. I know that," Angel said firmly.

"Do you really? Don't worry, Mr. Angel. He'd be able to fight in the mission again. In fact, in a year or so the military has every intention of approaching him with his special skills. I'm sure he'll get everything he wants. If he fights with them he'll be a true a hero. You know he'd always be doing the right thing, fighting on the right side."

"You mean he'd be like him!" Angel swiveled his head to Finn and back to the girl so fast that it was almost funny.

Finn was talking quietly to Red now. He sounded like he was saying something about Angel being dangerous. Faith really wished Angel was the only one that was dangerous. Then the world would be perfect. Spike wouldn't be standing there like some shut down action figure with a shaved head that Faith didn't even have the guts to look at now.

"The only thing I can think of that would be worse was if you did to him what you did to Spike here. Tell me you weren't thinking you were going to do to my son what you did to Spike here. Please tell me you aren't that stupid to think I wouldn't kill you and everyone involved with you for even trying that," Angel said to Walsh.

Faith smiled. Finn seemed be holding his hand at towards Angel in a-see-my-point-gesture to Red. It would all be a laugh riot if the evil white-coat bitch wasn't smiling too. Faith didn't know if it was her imagination, but Angel seemed to avoid looking at Spike too.

"Mr. Angel, please!" the girl smiled sanctimoniously, "We just did this to Hostile 17 because it was the most efficient thing to---"

That's it, Faith had fucking had it! The girl looked more insulted that Angel thought she was stupid enough to cross a power like him other than at the fact that he just threatened to kill her. Angel had power, mad people around him, and Spike didn't so the bitch could do this to Spike, and she was trying to work her way in to do it to Angel --to Connor. Any idiot could see that, but what pissed Faith off is that she wasn't full on admitting what she had done and why she had done it. She really wanted to believe she was the good guy, and Angel was her "necessary evil."

"Efficient way my ass!" Faith roared, "You wanted Spike to suffer, he's still in there and he knows he's being made to kill me. You wanted me to suffer, 'cause in your fucked up head you think we killed your mom. Who I bet was an arrogant bitch that got what she had coming just like you!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Angel," the girl said after her eyes popped out at Faith and she took a gasp of breath in for too long.

"You won't like this, and I won't either" she seemed to say in a sweet way that reminded Faith a little too much of Red, "But, I have to kill the demon girl now. I know you'll understand in time. We're on the same side."

"Huh?" Angel asked, "Demon girl? What are you--"

"She means me," Faith said.

"Oh really," he said as he started walking up to the girl, "Well, I don't think--"

"Angel, don't!" Faith grabbed at him, "She has something that will kill Spike and she'll set it off…and I think she's the only one who can get him back to good."

Faith's voice trailed off into a whisper as the girl just stood there confirming it all with her silence.

"Wait," Angel said, "I thought she wanted Spike and Connor."

"She wants my people, my boys. She's trying to take them so she can have me," Faith explained as she walked up to the girl, "The Slayer. She sees me as the thing that causes all the demons 'cause I fight the demons--"

"You are the demon. I've been researching you for years. You have no idea what you really are, how evil you are. Through out time wherever there was a Slayer there was terror."

Red and Finn placed there verbal disagreements to this idea, but Faith knew that the girl had heard them as much as she had. The girl was glaring at Faith now, clenching her jaw. Faith couldn't help but think that this was way better than when she was calling her stupid trash.

"See," Faith turned back and smiled at Angel, "I got it. I wasn't sure if I got it because it's kinda a tweeked out idea, but I got it."

"You don't get it at all, you illiterate whore. You're nothing but a drone. You were supposed to be something humanity used to protect themselves. Those men built a whole system of higher education around you, a low-grade soldier, as if you were something of value. They never had a hold on you--not once. Well, that's about to end," she said.

"There's a system of higher education built around Faith?" Red asked.

"She means the Watchers," Faith explained as she looked back at the lack-jawed Red.

Faith felt herself lick her lips. It was a habit she had when she was trying to explain something right. A few hours ago she wouldn't have given a shit if Red, or anyone, understood anything, but now she wanted everyone to know, even the confused looking Finn whose face was looking bruised.

"See their little world of books could never control me or B or Nikki or even Potentials like Kennedy," Faith said, "I bet we're all bitches. So, now weird science girl wants to kill me, so she can rebuild from scratch or some shit. It's like the opposite of what she did to Spike because she needed Spike to be Spike in some way."

"Why would anyone want Spike to be Spike in some way?" Angel asked, "If they were going to mess with him like this, I mean."

"Yeah?" Finn asked.

None of them knew the simple answer, and Finn and Red had been here. Wasn't anyone listening? Faith looked at the closed eyes and shaved head of Spike now and clenched her fists.

"To kill the Slayer, of course," Walsh stated simply.

"And to suffer, you tight assed ugly bitch. Don't forget the suffering," Faith echoed back her simple tone.

She wasn't really ugly now that Faith saw her up-close. She looked a little like a blend of B and that waif girl, Fred. She had that annoying perky cute face accept her eyes were a little too dead for it. The perfect golden blonde dye-job helped liven it up. She could be any girl really, accept there was something about the way she looked that would make anyone see she was a college girl.

"There always has to be some unpleasant stimuli if you want to truly condition an animal, but you won't have to worry about pain yourself, at least not for too long," she smiled.

"No Shelley!" Red said sharply, "It's over. I got it--I got Spike to stop responding to all the operant conditioning by using extinction."

"That--that's impossible. There's no way you could have done that this fast. It would take months---You're lying! It still wants to kill. If I didn't shut it down it would have killed Mr. Angel," Walsh said.

"Yeah, well, Spike still may be confused, or maybe not that confused, he and Angel fight sometimes," Red said, "There's no doubt he's still in a bit of a positive schizophrenic episode due to whatever hypnotic suggestions or hallucinogens you put into him, but I was able to shut down those adrenal advancers you put into his system too."

Faith moved closer to the girl as she stood with her mouth open.

"How could you shut down the adrenal enhancements? They were in its nervous system. You'd have to shut down the central nervous system to do that, and it wouldn't survive that," she said.

"Number one you're wrong a human wouldn't survive that, vampires don't need constant blood and oxygen getting to their heads. You should know that vampires have a different central nervous system, and number two, I'm Willow Rosenberg. I'm a wiz."

"So--so what? The Initiative never dreamed of the technology I used and they were still able to put a simple trigger in its head. It'll still kill the Slayer the second I trigger it," the girl said

Faith only recognized the word "trigger" other than that, she had no idea what they were saying, but it seemed good. Red was already on her way to fixing Spike. Faith got even closer to the girl.

"Oh yeah and the trigger is gone. He won't kill Faith. You really should have secured it more. Apparently, no one's perfect, Shelley," Willow said.

"You---" the girl began but before she could get any further Faith jumped on her.

She was quicker than Faith thought. She grabbed for her little device that would kill Spike and held it tight in her fist as Faith wrestled her for it. It felt like it took Faith forever to claw her way into the girl's fist. Maybe it was because she kept getting distracted by the eerily still Spike. She didn't think his eyes were closed anymore, but it was hard to tell in this light. She struggled to get up with the device that could kill Spike as she left the weird mad science girl panting on the ground.

"You said the trigger was gone, Red? Doesn't that mean I can touch him? His eyes are open, but he doesn't know I'm here, does he? It has to do with brains and systems and all those things you were saying. I can't even begin to get it. All I want to know now is if I take his hand will he come with me?" Faith said.

"I think so," Red said.

"Come with me," Faith said and then she sucked in too much air into her nose because she realized she was using the voice she used to talk to her senile Grandmother whose brain had rotted away long ago.

"Did you find a good hiding place?" he asked and his voice slipped back into the Watcher accent, " Maybe we should split up. The dumbwaiter is a perfect place for you. You're such a niblet."

"No, no more splitting up! No more hiding. I just want to go home," Faith spat at him her voice breaking as she took his hand.

She hadn't meant to yell at him or freak out. There was no point in it. The drama was over and he had no idea she was even there.

"Fine!" he said, "You don't have to get so cross."

"Do you think he heard what I--" Faith began

"Tell you what, William," Walsh said as she got off the ground, "If you want her... come and take her."

Faith didn't get it. Why was the chick suddenly talking to Spike like he was a person? Before she had a second to think about it Spike was pulling her into him by her wrists. He bared his teeth. His eyes and face didn't have that silver shit in them anymore, but he still didn't look like him. Nothing about him looked like he was enjoying being in vamp face, or like he was going to enjoy what he was going to do next which was kill Faith.

"Apparently, no one's perfect, Willow. You should know that we always give vampires a back-up trigger," the girl said.

Faith felt herself being pulled back so fast she didn't know where her feet were and it felt it took a second for her gut to come with her. She realized it was Angel, who pulled her back from Spike, and he just saved her life as usual, but she felt like she was forced to leave everything she needed behind.

"You bitch!" Angel yelled in demon face as he was fighting off Spike.

"Oh, Mr. Angel. Come on now," the girl answered.

Faith didn't realize he had been talking to Walsh. Faith thought maybe Angel was yelling at her for being so stupid or maybe even Spike. It wasn't like Angel to call someone a bitch he just met, even if that person was trying to kill his friends. In order for him to call someone something like that he had to be taking it personally.

"You're nothing like the demon he was. You always know how to use your past to make things right," the girl said.

"The only thing I'm going to make right about the past is to make sure someone like you can never use it against me again," Angel managed to say as he got thrown by Spike.

"Angel!" Faith yelled.

This wasn't supposed to be the way he'd come and help. He was supposed to come and bash down soldier guys that wanted Spike, but instead the bitch had Angel fighting Spike in a vamp fight after she made him into a soldier. Angel crashed into the side of the house and chunks of painted white house came with him. Faith saw a huge blood stain where Angel had fallen away from the house with the chunks of it. Spike came towards her and Faith couldn't help but feel relieved because it looked like the machine part wasn't working in him anymore, but it was just his demon. Pure and nothing else.

"Angel, don't. He'll kill you!" Faith said as Angel managed to throw Spike off a second time.

"She's right," the girl said.

She was observing happily as Red and Finn just watched in shock. They knew now they were out of their league.

"She can't hide behind you forever, vampire, and when she dies the world that you want for your son can happen," she said to Angel.

"I don't really think you know Jack about what I want, lady," Angel managed to say after Spike just hammered him in the face.

"Angel, I know how this bitch is trying to convince you different, but this shit is about her and Spike and me--The Slayer, and I don't want you dying over it," Faith pleaded as Angel was losing the fight to Spike.

Of course he was, no one could fight pure demon, not even if it was you fighting your own. Faith hoped that everyone could convince Spike of that after Red fixed him. Faith knew in the end that this bitch couldn't really win. Not when there were really good people here to help like Red, Angel, Connor and Kennedy. They'd be the ones that could really guide people that needed it, like Finn, the stupid shit, who probably really wanted to be a good person, but wasn't sure how. Faith could relate. She'd almost killed him for letting this happen.

"She wants me," Faith said, "Let her have me and be here to fight the rest of it. I know you won't let her get anyone else. You tell Spike that goes for him too when he gets better. You be sure to tell him he wasn't the one who really killed me, and you explain to him all the complex evil and shit that did. How it wasn't just this bitch either, even if she was the one that made it all happen."

Faith bent down and said this to Angel who was hurt bad but was still gripping on to Spike who was doing a good job of kicking his ass to get free. Angel was grunting human grunts of pain while Spike was just growling and gnashing. Then all of a sudden Spike just stopped and stood still.

"Spike, Spike, can you hear me!" Faith yelled.

"I'm sorry baby. I'm a rude bad man," he said as Angel still lay on the grass recovering.

"No, special Ed," Walsh laughed now, "He can't hear you. Anybody who knows anything about past hallucinogen hypnotic induced states would know that. He just needs to be retriggered again. The back up trigger can be a bitch, but I'll have plenty of time to work it out. Go over his most traumatic painful events over and over."

"Ill show you a traumatic painful event over and over," Faith said and then charged at the girl screaming.

"Tell you what... William. If you want her... come and take her," the girl said calmly as Faith had just about grabbed her.

Then she felt herself being pulled away from the girl as she struggled just to hit her once. Spike had gotten his hands around her head. At least it would be quick. He'd break her neck.

"Hostile 17, Disarm," Walsh said and Spike let go of her and stood quietly.

Faith looked up at him as she was down on her knees. She really thought she hated his standing around like a Ken doll more than when he was a pure monster.

"I just want to make one thing clear," the girl said, "I don't want you--you stupid bitch. I already have what I want. Control, and unlike my mother I knew, I knew I had to bring down the whole system of chaos. I had to bring every thing that made it work…and when I looked back it was always the Slayers and always him."

She gestured to Spike with a fierce waive and a grimace.

"Before him, those pointless intellectual idiots had enough control, but it was when he came around a hundred years ago things started to unravel. He'd kill the Slayers, toy with them, have se--doing other disgusting things with them, and control was lost," she said.

"You really are a mad scientist, little Betty," Faith spat, "All that shit was forever ago, now he's good. He helps the Slayers, he saves them, he saves the world."

"What world? This one, with all its disgusting demons like you? No one decent wants this world. Of course I know how Hostile 17 is acting out his obsession with Slayers differently now. I know about--about all the disgusting things you do, and how you think it's all so wonderful and different. But, it's not different! It never mattered if he was trying to kill the Slayers or join with them. It's all the same! You're still the two things that can't be controlled, setting each other off, and then you joined and you killed my mother!"

"Wow!" Faith laughed, "I thought I used to be a crazy ball of misdirected anger, but I never had anything on you. I thought college was supposed to be a place where you found yourself and worked on your issues. I didn't think they'd let a real nutter in. I guess you had really good scores on the STTs or whatever."

"1600," the girl smiled at Faith and she had no clue what she just said, but she got what the next thing was by now.

"Tell you what... William. If you want her... come and take her."

"No!" Faith heard Angel yell as Spike went to attack her again.

Faith knew he must be hurt real bad if he couldn't get over in time to fight some more. She really hoped he'd get there wasn't really a way to win this one without her dying at some point.

"Disarm, Hostile 17!" someone yelled behind Faith.

It was Red, but she sounded funny. Spike went back away from Faith and just did that spooky peaceful waiting thing.

"No!" Walsh yelled and she actually looked scared too.

"I'm sorry," Red said, "I am so so sorry. I was really trying to figure out what to do. I was working every spell through my head. I was trying so hard to put a bubble around you but it doesn't work outdoors really well. And there was no getting through whatever Shelley did to Spike's brain, and then finally--finally--it occurred to me I could just make my voice like hers and use the disarm code. Duh. I know I should have thought of it way sooner, but it was really hard to think with all these surprises and homicidal rage."

Faith looked over at Willow as it took her a few seconds to figure out what she had said as usual. At first Faith thought she was apologizing to her little college friend for messing up her experiment.

"I'm really sorry," Willow said again as Faith looked at her.

"That's okay, Red," Faith grinned as she got up, "Sometimes it takes a while to realize the best way to attack a problem."

"I think I need to make an arrest here tonight," Finn said.

"If you come near me I'll kill your precious vampire, General," the girl said.

Faith didn't think that Finn was talking about arresting Walsh. Then she realized that she had dropped the device that could kill Spike and Walsh had got in again. Fuck!

"Not that you'll ever be able to undo the psychological damage I've done to him, Rosenberg. He really is the walking dead now," Shelley said.

"No!" Faith yelled, "You're lying. You'd just say anything to hurt us, you twisted bitch!"

"People did say you were something impressive, an individual that stood out, Willow," Walsh seemed to be ignoring Faith again, "But, I'm actually really disappointed that all you have is your stupid magic tricks that we both know don't last."

"Tell you what... William--" Walsh began with the trigger again.

"No Shelley, don't!" Willow gasped, "The spell probably threw everything you did out of whack. If you set off the trigger there's no telling what Spike will do."

"Oh, Willow," Shelley said, "That's the difference between you and me. In my field I always know what my subjects will do," she said, "Tell you what, William…"

Spike's fangs came out and they actually dripped with pure animal rage. Maybe she was right and there was no coming back for Spike. This animal that was stalking its pray looked nothing like him and it was screwed up. He wasn't stalking Faith anymore but Shelley Walsh.

"Disarm Hostile 17," Walsh grumbled.

When Spike only slowed down for a moment and then kept walking towards her she said it louder.

"Disarm Hostile 17!"

Again Spike slowed but kept walking towards her. Finn jumped on him and Spike merely had to shake like a dog getting out of water to get Finn off. But, Finn was giving it the college try and jumping on him again.

"Keep giving the command, Shelley. It's slowing him down. Just keep saying it and we'll get him under control," Finn said.

Instead of doing that Walsh pushed the button on her little device that she promised would kill Spike. Faith watched Spike fall and hold his head. He was back to being human.

"It's the chip, Buffy," he said, "I think it's gone wonky."

"Now it's under control, but only for about an hour. Then it'll be dead and all of this was for nothing," Walsh sighed.

Faith saw a frown on her she hadn't before. It looked sorrowful, like she had truly lost something. Faith thought nothing else could piss her off more than Walsh's superior smile, but she was wrong.

"You're wrong, Walsh." Faith hissed, "This is all gonna be for something. Something you wished you never started. You're wrong about everything. Spike is gonna rise up outta this and be even more of the uncontrollable bastard force you said he was, but he's not gonna be your problem. He's gonna be too busy fighting the good fight. I'm the one that's gonna be your problem. This illiterate drone whore is gonna track you down. This isn't over, bitch!"

"Oh no, it's over, for him anyway. No one can stop the destruction mode, not even me, and I'm guessing that means its over for you too," Shelley smiled.

All Faith could do was not look at her as she held the back of Spike's head as he was curled up in a ball. She wasn't sure if he was in pain or not anymore. The way his hand was sewn on to his wrist made him look like a rag-doll, but he wasn't a rag-doll because his hand was working like Red said it would. When Faith held it, it squeezed back.

"You thought you were so special," Walsh said and Faith was surprised she was talking to her and not Willow, "That you could just kill people and then just pay it back to the world when you felt like it. But you're wrong. It's me. I'm the one who gets to decide, because I've worked hard. I've earned this. You've earned nothing. Now your demon lover is worse than dead, and he deserves it. You all deserve it, and people like me will make sure you get it no matter how long it takes. We'll make sure we get it all under control. You won't get anything in the end, because once all your tricks and anarchy stop working they'll be no where to run."

Suddenly, Spike jumped up with a growl and lunged for Walsh. Finn quickly tried the disarm code with no success. There was a lot of screaming and yelling. Faith just wished it would stop. Then, the shots came…one…two…three. Faith remembered her gun had three bullets left. One through the head and two in the chest-- that stopped him. Spike sunk to the ground again with no yelping or talking, he didn't seem to have pain.

"Maybe you're right," Faith said as she looked down at Shelley Walsh, "But, I do have something you don't to fight the things that piss me off. Really good aim."

Shelley Walsh lay dead on the ground with three bullets in her. Her face held no expression as there was a huge hole in her forehead. The blood that flowed from her chest looked very bright against her white coat even in just the porch light. Faith still felt the heat in the gun she was holding. Then Faith sat down next to Spike and put one hand on the back of his neck, and with the other she still held the empty gun.

"God Damn it!" someone yelled. It was Finn.

"You didn't have to kill her. Blood didn't have to be spilled tonight. I guess that's something you can't understand."

"Red," Faith said totally ignoring Finn, "She was right. There's nothing we can do. We only have an hour and he's dead."

"Well, we can try, but I don't think there are any spells for dying vampires since most of them just, ya know, just die," Willow said.

"You're a total idiot," Angel said weakly as he still sat injured on the ground.

"I'm sorry Angel," Willow said a bit snippily, "I know you've been in the 'near death' category a lot, but most vampires--"

"Not you, Willow," Angel said, "I'm talking to The Peace Officer over here. It was your friend that was out for blood, not Faith. I've been around the world now---saving it over and over, and there's always some moron that thinks they can save it once and for all and make it just the way they want it. And what they don't see is that will only end in blood, and they'll be the ones making people bleed."

"She wasn't my friend she was-- How can she be the one that was wrong here with her blood spilled?" Finn insisted.

"Blood is life, lack-brain," Spike shot up his head and said suddenly "Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going. Makes you warm. Makes you hard. Makes you other than dead. 'Course it's her blood.""

"You don't--" Finn began.

"He's not talking to you, farm boy. He's just echoing something in his past you triggered with all this talk of blood," Faith snorted.

Faith knew she was beyond caring, let alone joining some debate club of the wounded. She was sitting and holding her dying man, and he was too fucked in the head to even know what was going on. This wasn't the first time she wished B had killed her to save Angel when she poisoned him, but this was the first time she really felt it from B's side. Suddenly, Faith smiled as she felt her pulse quicken, her blood rush through her body. She could almost laugh as she heard B's voice in her head: You always were a little slow.

"You guys," Faith said as she got out her knife from her pocket, "Tell Connor and Kennedy and Dawn and Amanda too--Tell them I'm sorry."

She was only looking at Spike as she lifted his head up.

"Sorry love, I don't speak Chinese," he said.

"You want blood, baby. Well, you were the one that said I was still a Slayer, we'll see if you're right," Faith said as she cut her neck just enough to get the smell of blood out.

"Hey, I don't think your playing fair," he said with that blank look on his face.

"Damn straight," she said and knew it was asking too much to wish he'd really look at her one last time.

"Faith, don't!" Angel yelled as he caught on.

"Tell you what... William," Faith breathed, "If you want her... come and take her."

Faith was surprised that it didn't really hurt that much. Maybe it was because Spike bit down so fast. It did start to feel painful as he sucked but in a right kind of way. She couldn't even think of fighting because he was so latched on to her and inside of her in a way that he had never been even when his soul had been inside of her to save her. Now she was saving him, and it was the most basic stripped down way to save someone that had shit to do with metaphysics and souls. Metaphysics. She understood what that meant now, she understood everything as she was drowning, floating, dying.

TBC… Feedback at or, there "review" box.