Buffy didn't come out of her room for the rest of the night and in the morning, when Oliver went to knock on her door with the express intent to apologize for his behavior and what happened the previous evening, he found her room empty.

In fact her bed didn't look like it had been slept in at all.

He had relayed such to Tommy, who's own expression of sad disappointment and then abject worry had Oliver feeling even a bigger heel.

By the time nine o'clock in the morning rolled around, all three men found themselves sitting down for breakfast that had been delivered by one of Wolfram and Hart's employees.

Malcolm, who never missed much, noted the tension between his son and best friend and asked pointedly, "Where is Miss Summers this morning?"

"Don't know." Tommy frowned. "She left at some point last night, but she didn't say where she was going."

Malcolm only hummed at that, as it was clear there was more to the story and as he'd been with Mr. Angel for most of the evening prior, discussing Ra's and the tactics of the League, he hadn't returned to the Penthouse until sometime after eleven.

As they were finishing up their breakfast, the Penthouse elevator dinged and out walked Angel with Bruce Wayne and Faith.

"Morning." Faith chirped, her dark eyes immediately noticing they were short a person. "Where's Buffy?"

"She wasn't at the Manor?" Tommy asked, his frown deepening and Faith glanced quickly at her husband before saying, "She did come by before dinner to talk to Dawn. But left soon after. Did she not come back here?"

Faith gave Angel a questioning look, but the vampire shook his head.

"I didn't see her last night."

"She came by with dinner," Oliver offered, "but..."

His voice fell away and by the stern glare from his best friend, Faith knew something was up.

"What happened?"

"She and Oliver had a disagreement."

Faith's eyebrows lifted, but it was clear by the stoic resolve on Queen's face, he wasn't planning on sharing what happened. Bruce folded his arms over his chest and decided to table the topic of Buffy for the moment.

"Angel shared with us the intel you offered Merlyn. You seem to think Ra's is still in Nanda Parbat? Why?"

"The pits are there and he has a mountain lair, where they are located. It's heavily fortified and has only one entrance in or out."

"So, virtually impenetrable." Faith groused, and Merlyn nodded.

"He sent you here in the hopes of what exactly?" Bruce prodded further, as he stared down the older man.

"He sent me here to do recon it's true, but he's more interested in the Slayer than in you, Wayne. Although I'd imagine ruining you would be an added perk."

Bruce glowered, while Malcolm just smirked.

"Do you have to be such as ass?" Tommy hissed at his Father, and Faith grinned at the younger Merlyn.

"Does he really know how to be anything but?" Faith quipped and Tommy chuckled and shook his head.

"No."

"Well, there you go." Faith replied with a wink before her darkened gaze leveled at Malcolm once again. "Is Ra's planning on sending another recon team? Or will he eventually venture out of his hidey-hole and do his own dirty work?"

"If he sends another team, his daughter Nyssa will lead the charge."

"And is she as annoying as her older sister?"

"Nyssa is a warrior. She doesn't allow what she calls petty emotions, to hinder her endeavors."

"How much time before we can expect another visit?"

Merlyn shrugged as he took a bite of his eggs and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments before he answered.

"A month at most. Ra's is used to playing the long game. He won't rush into battle unless he knows he holds the upper hand."

"That didn't work out so well for him the last time." Bruce grinned malevolently, and Malcolm sneered in reply.

"He underestimated you. He won't make that same mistake twice hence, why he will go after what you care about."

"Faith."

"Yes."

"Good luck with that." Faith snarked, as she rolled her eyes.

"Your overconfidence is misplaced." Merlyn offered. "Ra's has eyes and ears, everywhere."

"Perhaps that's true, but our inner circle is loyal and trusted."

"You're sure about that?" Merlyn taunted and Faith scoffed.

"Reverse Psychology won't work on me," she shot back, "and frankly, it's a weak diversionary strategy. I'm kinda disappointed you'd try that play here. Trying to distract us by looking for phantom enemies is unoriginal. Try something better next time."

Merlyn chuckled, his eyes alight with what probably passed for appreciation but he wisely chose not to comment.

Tommy grinned at his best friend, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide his own smug smirk.

"Tell us about the pits. Can they be destroyed?"

Merlyn frowned, but nodded. "They can, but to my knowledge only Ra's is privy to that information."

"Talia might know." Oliver admitted with a frown of his own. "Knowing her as I did, she wouldn't have used them if she didn't know everything there was to know beforehand. That's how she works...usually."

The pause wasn't missed by Bruce, and a thought came to him.

"You returned home not too long ago, but Talia was here three years ago. Did you know of her plan?"

"No. She never shared much with me, even then. The only one she trusted implicitly was Bane. And I wasn't on Lian Yu when Talia came here."

That brought everyone up short, and Faith's gaze narrowed.

"Where were you."

Oliver sighed, and then pulled his T-shirt down, exposing a tattoo on his upper left chest. Bruce and Merlyn both blanched, but it was Bruce who spoke.

"You're a Captain in the Bratva?"

Faith's head whipped in shock at the Queen Heir, and watched as the younger man nodded.

"I am."

"Oni pechal'no izvestny svoyey zhestokost'yu." (They are notorious for their cruelty)

"Da i bez obid, no ya ne khochu rasskazyvat' etu istoriyu pryamo seychas." (Yes and no offense but it's not a story I wish to share right now)

Bruce nodded, and even Malcolm seemed to be eyeing Oliver with a new found wariness.

"Did you join them at Talia's insistence?" Faith asked lowly and Oliver sighed as he nodded once.

"She felt it would advance my training. I wasn't given a choice in the matter."

Faith's eyes narrowed and then her face cleared in understanding. "Your mom and Thea? She threatened them?"

Oliver glanced at Merlyn, and the older man bristled uncomfortably but Tommy, who didn't miss it barked out, "Oh come on! More secrets?"

Sighing heavily, Oliver ran his hand down his face and both Bruce and Faith felt bad for the younger man as he said in a tired voice, "Tommy, there are just some things that are better left alone."

"You don't believe that bullshit anymore than I do, Oliver!"

And Oliver didn't know what to say to that assertion, because Tommy was right and belatedly—he realized that Buffy was too.

Secrets always had a way of coming out when you least expected it or wanted them to. He then glared at Merlyn and said in a weary voice, "this should probably come from you, don't you think?"

Malcolm didn't reply, but when he met his son's eyes, and noticed Tommy's expression that was just bracing itself for another disappointment, he realized himself too late—that after today, it was likely his son would never speak with him again.

"Dad?"

"I'm sorry Son, truly. I hadn't ever wanted you to find out like this."

"Like what?" He gazed up at Bruce, Faith and Angel and Tommy could see that whatever this big revelation was, everyone but him were privy to it.

When no one spoke up right away, Tommy stood up and yelled, "someone had better tell me!"

"Robert Queen had been working with Ra's for a time. Laundering money for the League." Oliver's face paled heavily, and Tommy turned to his friend and saw his ashen expression. Both Faith and Bruce realized too late, that perhaps there was more to all this with Ra's then even they'd suspected.

"You're lying." Oliver hissed and Malcolm shook his head.

"I'm not."

"Did my Mother know?"

"No." Malcolm's voice was hard and sure, and Oliver at least in this instance, believed him.

"Queen Industries hit a rough patch during the recession in the late 80's as did Wayne Enterprises?"

Bruce nodded, but didn't elaborate.

He didn't need to as it was widely known that the death of his parents inadvertently shocked Gotham out of its apathy and saved the city and Wayne Enterprises from bankruptcy.

"Robert was having a hard time salvaging the business, and my contacts within the League at that time when I was gone, afforded him some much needed help. He didn't know what I was involved in exactly, and he never asked where the capital came from. It wasn't until he discovered Thea's parentage and confronted me that I told him the truth. Nothing with the League ever comes without a hefty price and when Robert's bond came due, he refused to pay it."

"What was it?" Oliver slammed his hands on the table, causing Tommy to flinch while everyone could see the murderous rage behind the green archer's eyes.

"He was required to launder money and he did, like I said, for a time. When it became clear that Ra's wanted more...and your father refused...he tasked me with sabotaging the Queen's Gambit."

"What?!" Tommy screamed in fury. "You were responsible for that?" He crumpled onto the couch, breathing heavily with his head gripped into his hands. "How am I supposed to tell my fiancée that my own father was responsible for the death of her sister?"

No one had an answer for that and Faith's heart went out to Tommy, as he looked utterly destroyed.

"What was the more?" She asked quietly.

"What?" Oliver blanched, as he'd not picked up on that subtlety, but Faith had.

"There was something else?" Tommy whispered and Malcolm nodded slowly.

"Yes. Ra's sees himself as a benefactor of sorts. He wanted Queen Industries and while he supposed my loyalty was a given, he wanted the one thing that would assure my devotion to his cause as well as giving him control of Queen Industries."

"Thea." Faith said flatly and everyone stared at her, but Malcolm just bowed his head in acquiescence.

"You truly are a warrior, Mrs. Wayne. Yes. Ra's figured if Thea was trained as a loyal soldier of the League, when the time came she would take over both Queen Industries and Merlyn Global."

"He used Thea against you too."

"Yes. I didn't know Oliver was going to be on the Queen's Gambit, nor Sara Lance."

"Would you have changed your mind, had you known?" Bruce challenged and Merlyn shook his head.

"No. I would've done anything to protect my children."

Tommy scoffed.

"It's true, Son. When your Mother died I was lost and broken. Angry at her death and those who had took her from us. I'm sure Mr. Wayne knows what it feels like to be consumed by that kind of blind rage. Until all you're left with is the poison of the one you love in your veins as you wish more than anything you could change the past."

"But you can't." Bruce nodded.

"No. Ra's offered me a very similar deal to what I'm sure he offered you, Wayne. It's not unreasonable to comprehend how I might've been lured into such a thing? I wanted vengeance for my wife's death and I could not see beyond my own pain." He then turned saddened eyes to his only son and said emotively, "even at the expense of my relationship with my son."

Tommy glared at his father, but inside his stomach was clenched in bitter despair.

How in the world was he supposed to forgive his father for this?

"What is his play now?" Faith asked seriously.

"That I'm unsure of." Merlyn answered honestly. "Ra's covets power and control above all else."

"Does he know there is more than one Slayer?"

"Not to my knowledge. The old Tibetan texts that he has are very specific on Slayer lore. Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a Chosen One. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers."

Oliver listened to the words with a heavy feeling sinking into his gut, and before he could stop himself, he asked, "Is Buffy the Chosen One? Or are you, Faith?"

Faith tilted her head in consideration at Oliver, but her voice was clipped when she replied, "Buffy."

"I don't understand," Tommy admitted, "why does it matter?"

"It usually doesn't, because never more than one has ever existed at a time. When Buffy died the first time, a Slayer Kendra was called and she was killed not long after. Then I was called. Back then it was very clear that there is a very good reason no more than one Slayer exists at a time."

"You and Buffy were on opposite sides?" Oliver questioned, but based on the look on his face as well as Tommy's, Faith realized that they knew more about her past with Buffy than she was comfortable with.

"Buffy's and mine history is very complicated. My Watcher was killed in front of me in Boston, weeks after I was called. I eventually made my way to Sunnydale..." Bruce gabbed her hand instinctively and Oliver had to wonder just how bad things had gotten for Faith when she was younger. "Anyway, when I got here I was given a new Watcher, Gwendolyn Post. She was after something called the Glove of Myhenegon, but for a time she was the closest thing I had to a parent."

Angel gripped Faith on the shoulder and finished the story.

"I had the Glove in my possession. After I was brought back after my death, Buffy kept me hidden. She didn't tell anyone I'd returned. When Faith's Watcher came to my home and tried to take the glove, we fought and Faith walked in on me transformed. Not realizing whom I was, she attacked me and defeated me but as she was about to stake me, Buffy stopped her. They fought and Faith's Watcher was killed. It was this incident that severed Buffy and Faith's relationship for years. Faith didn't feel she could trust Buffy, and blamed her for the loss of her Watcher. She blamed me too."

Faith gripped Angel's hand and sighed as she gazed at Oliver.

"I'm not proud of my past, Oliver. Much of it is ugly and something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I was young, impetuous and angry at the world. It took me years to temper my baser instincts and the love of someone who accepts me regardless of my past." Faith smiled at Bruce, and he pulled her into his side and kissed her temple lovingly. "Buffy hasn't had that in her life. She's been disappointed time and again by those she's loved because being the Chosen One means that the calling comes first."

"But she mentioned that since you defeated Danthalzar, things have been better." Tommy admitted and Faith nodded.

"They have. But how do you tell that to someone who has died for the world more than once. How do you tell someone to learn to trust when everyone, including myself, has broken that trust?"

"She showed us that." Oliver clarified and Faith sighed in dismay.

"How much did she show you?"

"Pretty much all of it."

"And what memory stood out the most?"

Oliver thought for a moment on all he'd seen in Buffy's memories, but there was one thing that had touched his heart in a way that he wasn't sure he'd ever forget.

"The look on her face when she'd realized she'd need to sacrifice herself to save the world."

"And what was her look?"

"Acceptance. Peace. There was absolutely no hesitation...none. She told her sister that she would be okay, and made Dawn promise to live. For her."

Faith nodded firmly as she felt Bruce pull her tighter into his side. "And that is why she's the Chosen One. She's the hero. She always has been. She always will be. Buffy was twenty when she sacrificed herself for the world. I don't know about any of you, but I know myself well enough to know that I couldn't have made that choice at twenty. Could you have?"

"No." Oliver replied with a heavy heart.

Faith gazed up at her husband. "I need to find her."

"Where do you think she is?"

"She wasn't at the Manor when we left, so that leaves very few places she could've gone."

"Maybe the Penthouse?" Bruce wondered. "She still has access."

"Wouldn't security have alerted you?"

"Not if she accessed the garage elevator. She's still scanned into the system." Whipping out his phone, he dialed Lucius who answered on the second ring.

"Mr. Wayne?"

"Lucius, can you check the Penthouse access codes and see if Buffy entered last night?"

"Give me a minute." There was several heartbeats of silence and Lucius replied, "No Sir, she didn't access the property."

"Thanks Lucius." Bruce hung up and shook his head. "She didn't go there."

"Then where is she?"