Buffy and Wes both felt the moment Faith started panicking. Buffy looked at Wes, Tara, Anya, Cordelia and her mother. Their group needed protection, but she needed all her known fighters.
"Quentin," Buffy turned to her right and watched the small man fake a smile. "What kind of offensive and defensive skills does your group of watchers possess?"
"They are capable." He answered her curtly obviously offended by the question.
"Capable of what? I need to know." Buffy glared at the man.
"They have all been trained to work with an active slayer."
"So, they are all like Wesley was when you first sent him here?" She looked slightly put out. "I need them, but I need to know what they can do."
Her eyes scanned the room as she felt a stab of pain from Faith. She turned to Wes, hoping to hold him with them for a few minutes more.
"Wes, can you evaluate them? Do you have enough time?" He shook his head and fell to his knees. Cordelia ran o his side and helped him back to his feet and half dragged him to the futon.
"Angel," she called.
"Already on it." He returned as he went to talk with the clutch of watchers.
She nodded her head and turned to see that Spike and Oz were busy getting weapons distributed. She grinned at her mate and he nodded at her. Turning her eyes back to Quentin, she squared her shoulders.
"Alright, this is going to be a bloody fight over dangerous terrain, so I'm leaving my home and some of my family here in your care. If they make it through unscathed, you will reinstate Giles and Wesley and pay them their back pay. You will get reports as Giles, Wesley, and the new guy see fit. Mai and her team will relocate to a new city. Faith and Wesley will handle LA with Angel. There are going to have to be some new ideas taught to the potential watchers. Are those terms acceptable?" Buffy looked calmly at Quentin.
"What happens if they do not come through this next battle unscathed?" He watched as her face went perfectly still.
"Then I'll be negotiating with your replacement." She stood and walked away leaving a bemused man in her wake.
Buffy walked back to Tara's room and found Willow tied to the chair. She looked at her best friend and smiled grimly.
"Sorry about the bondage. We have a bit oaf a situation, and I need to know if you are capable of helping or if you're still dark magic's bitch." Buffy started pacing.
"I think it's not an either or situation or you wouldn't be here." Willow felt her gut clench as she watched Buffy look at her, assessing her as a threat.
"You're right. I need you, but I need to trust you if I take you in with my team." Buffy ran a hand through her hair and stopped pacing by the window. "They are killing Faith and reviving her again and again to summon slayers. It's torture, plain and simple. I'm having to work all sorts of mojo myself, and I hate it. I haven't had any time with my mate, and that sucks in ways I don't want you imagining."
Willow smiled and shook her head at Buffy's rant. She looked at the vine Tara had drawn on her skin while Buffy was out, and it was glowing a soft green. She studied it for a moment and then looked at Buffy.
"Get Tara! Get her right now." Willow nodded at Buffy as she headed toward the door. "I think she can help."
Buffy opened the door and found Tara with her arm raised about to knock. Both girls grinned and turned to Willow.
"I didn't need to get her. Care to explain?" Buffy smiled at Tara and gently patted her arm with one hand as she pointed at Willow's glowing wrist with the other.
"It worked. I hoped it would, but I'd never tried anything like it before." Tara walked over to Willow and stroked her hair Before leaning in and kissing her forehead.
"So, so glad it's working, but what is it?" Buffy smiled and looked pointedly at Willow's wrist.
"It's like our pack marks, but on a smaller scale. I got the idea to try it after helping Wes." Tara looked down at Willow's decorated wrist and watched as the glow started to fade. "When her dark magic problem flares the vine pulls some of my light to bind it. I felt it being pulled, so I came back here to find out what was going on."
"It's brilliant, baby. I'm so proud." Willow smiled at her lover with open adoration.
"It's only a temporary solution. It doesn't take the darkness out of her, but it makes her safer for the rest of us to be around." Tara shrugged and looked at the floor.
"Is it strong enough for me to take her with the team?" Buffy started to bounce on the balls of her feet.
"Now that I know it's working, I can make it strong enough. There might be a problem with it though." Tara looked up at Buffy quickly. "I can't keep her strong and feed Wesley energy at the same time."
"Maybe one of the stupid watcher sheep can help out there, or maybe Anya?" Buffy looked at Tara and the other girl nodded.
"It'll have to be Anya unless you want to pull one of those watcher sheep into our pack." Tara and Willow smiled as Buffy shuddered.
"Anya it is. We are leaving in less than an hour, so I'll go tell Anya what's up and let you get going on this. It'll be good to have you guarding our backs again, and we will figure out some way to fix this permanently." Buffy smiled at both women and all but bounced out of the room.