She jerked awake as they came to a stop. For a few blessed moments she forgot what had happened and saw the man she loved by her side. Out the window she saw his family home, dark and imposing in the night. She moved to reach for the handle to open the door and saw blood, dried brown and sticky, streaked across the back of her hand. The reality of the world came crashing back down around her again, causing a fresh wave of nausea and agony to overwhelm her senses. The guard from the front seat opened the door for her as the other opened the one opposite for Ripper, who looked up at him as he got out.

"You know what to do."

The blond guard nodded and moved around to the driver's side. He pulled away as the gate was opened for the both of them.

"Home again, home again." He intoned, reaching into his pocket to remove the key. He unlocked the front door and breathed in heavily as the three of them entered. Nothing had changed in the interior. She hadn't been there since her pregnancy scare and liked how she felt less now than she had then.

"You're familiar with this place, aren't you my dear?"

"Yes."

Her eyes moved to the right and down the hall toward the library, remembering the distant past with Ripper and the more recent past with Rupert.

"We'll be occupying the master suite. Yes, that will be fitting. Please draw a bath for my lovely companion."

The guard left them in the foyer. She prayed that Willow would sense their return. Prayed the gang wouldn't make the foolish mistake of trying to ambush the warehouse where his militant followers waited. Faith had very little of it to go around but in that moment she prayed to whatever benevolent god might be listening that she could make it through this to the other side and that her friends would not come to any harm.

"You did well," he praised, a delayed sentiment from the slaughter he called a test.

"You promised me answers."

"After your bath, and some sleep. You're in no condition to discuss topics of importance just now."

"You're a demon," she guessed, making as educated a guess as she could given how slowly her brain was processing everything. "You got your in when he cast that spell to make him young again. You're freeloading in his body like a parasite."

"You clever, wicked thing." His eyes widened and he laughed. "Though I didn't much try to hide it, did I?"

"You came from the Hell."

She needed more information if she hoped to correct what had been done. He wagged a finger at her, smiling.

"Ah, ah. What did I say? You're in no condition for this conversation. The first one's free, but the others will cost you."

The guard appeared at the top of the stairs to announce her bath had been run and was waiting.

"Go upstairs my dear and enjoy yourself. You've earned a treat, I'd say." She moved to go before he caught her hand. "I hardly think I need to say this but if you try to escape something dire will happen. I will remove something you will miss."

She shuddered and said nothing. Moving upstairs, she felt him following but he stopped next to their guard. She heard him speaking to the other man in hushed tones but could not make out what was being said. She didn't linger to try to find out, either, not wanting to provoke him. His threat echoed in her mind and she didn't want to see if he would follow through or what exactly he would take. She didn't want to find out because she rather strongly suspected he could maim her and would not hesitate should she displease him.

Instead she opened a few doors until she found the master suite and then the bathroom just beyond. The tub was more like an ocean liner and she tested the water with her hand. God damned if it wasn't the perfect temperature. She let out a low moan of anticipation and quickly shed her clothes. Stepping into the bath she shuddered and submerged her body. The world disappeared beneath the water, blurred and quiet. She held her breath and stayed below, letting the warmth and luxury of it wash through her. The water began to tinge with the blood on her body and she finally rose up, taking a deep breath as she surfaced.

"Better?"

She let out a yelp and turned toward the door, sloshing water over the side of the tub with her movement. He chuckled, clucking his tongue as he watched the water spread on the white tile.

"You shouldn't make such messes."

"Get out! Holy shit! What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Come now, Faith. It's nothing I haven't seen before. I have memories of every inch of your body."

His lascivious gaze slid over her body making her stomach turn.

"You told me to take a bath. I'd like some privacy." Calm, measured. She didn't dare outburst again.

"Let me help. The blood is truly everywhere."

He put down a towel to mop up the water and then knelt by the tub, lifting a cloth from the corner. He dipped it in the water and indicated for her to turn around as he lathered it with soap. She turned, facing the opposite wall. There was a small window there and out it she could see a full moon. To her surprise, the cloth moved down her back gently and deliberately. If she imagined it to be Rupert it actually felt amazing. But it wasn't him and she was acutely aware of that. He doted on her, washing her back first and then moving to her arms and chest. She stopped him as he tried to drift lower and he didn't press. He watched as she finished her bath, a violation that took whatever enjoyment was left. Once she was bathed and hair washed he got up to grab a towel and offered it to her.

"Wasn't that nice?" He nodded toward the towel and smiled expecting gratitude, she suspected.

"I feel clean." It was the most truthful honest answer she could muster. She took the towel and wrapped it tightly around her body. "I don't have any clothes here."

"That's no trouble at all," he promised.

Magic sizzled in the air as he murmured a few words that sounded terribly guttural to her. Clothes appeared on the counter next to the sink, something a little more daring then she would have wanted, but mostly in her vein. The old her would have been all too comfortable in them. She picked them up and frowned. These were not clothes to sleep in. He noticed her hesitance and left the room, coming in a short time later with an undershirt.

"I have no idea if it fits. I found it in another room."

"It's fine."

She dressed, unhappy not to have something to cover the rest of her but at the moment she could not be choosy. The master bedroom was gorgeous and stately, somewhere she did not feel she belonged. His bedroom was further down the hall, she'd seen it while trying to find this room. She'd have been much more comfortable there, a reminder of the man she needed. The bed, however, made any defiance flee. She sat on the edge of it and sank into the welcoming mattress. It felt like heaven and she allowed herself to feel just as bone weary as she was.

"Sleep." A command, perhaps a spell. She settled in and did just that, dropping off before she could be properly covered.

When she woke she was alone. A blanket had been laid over her body sometime while she slept. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but it was the sunlight of afternoon and not morning. She spotted and picked up the phone on the bureau across the room. No dial tone. She cursed and moved back to the bed. The door opened and a strange woman came into the room.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Emily, miss."

"Ok. Why the fuck are you here?"

"Oh, ah, Ripper asked me to look after you."

"Like a guard?"

"Oh! No! I'm a companion, miss. He wanted me to help you. It's a little silly, I think, but I guess I'm supposed to be a lady's maid, or something of the like."

"A, a maid?" She was struggling to wrap her head around it.

"I guess. I've been told to help you dress and bring you downstairs for something to eat."

"I don't need help getting dressed, thanks."

Faith moved into the bathroom and locked the door, thoroughly confused. She got dressed and looked at the woman in the mirror. Everything felt wrong but looked almost right, like a copy of the real world, only slightly off. She brushed her hair and came out to find that Emily had not gone. Instead, she was tidying the bed.

"You're out!"

"Why are you here?" She repeated.

"Why, I've just told you."

"No, that's not what I mean. Why are you working for him?"

"I've seen the kind of magic he does. My mum's sick. He said he'd heal her if I worked for him."

"You know that's a lie, right?"

The other girl shrugged. "I have to try. It's better than no hope at all."

That shut the slayer up and she nodded sympathetically. Being led downstairs she heard the bustle of activity below. He'd wasted no time settling in and people were everywhere. She was taken to the library and saw him at his father's desk, books piled around him. She knew of what variety and didn't make comment. Emily left them and closed the door. Only once it was closed did he acknowledge her presence. He gestured idly to the table across the room. She saw food and coffee laid out on it.

"I'm sure you're hungry."

She was and could not deny it, even if she wanted to. She'd burned through calories the night before and could not stop herself from immediately piling eggs and toast onto her plate. She ate quickly, refilling her plate once one had been finished. Only once that was gone and after two cups of coffee did she stop, leaning back and satisfied. She felt strong again.

"Quite the appetite on you, isn't there?"

"Where did all the merry men come from?"

"Ah, them. They come out of the woodwork when you have true power."

"I don't want to live in a fish bowl." Not to mention it would be less people to fight through if she could escape.

"We can't always get what we want; isn't that how the saying goes?"

"I want answers."

"You're incorrigible."

"I've earned them."

He nodded and gestured to the chair opposite him at the desk. She took it, leveling her gaze at the demon in her lover's body. Her life had become a dark parody and only she remembered what the real world looked like.

"You admitted you're a demon occupying his body, that much I guessed."

"You did."

"Where do you come from?"

"Somewhere you can't conceive of. Believe me when I tell you that you don't wish to try."

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious? Freedom. Somewhere to rule. A body capable of performing every wicked little whim I have. I would say I'm succeeding rather admirably on that end, wouldn't you?"

She couldn't disagree. Giles was the perfect vessel for a power hungry demon with no conscience and plenty of ambition. The amount of magic he possessed was staggering on its own, without the knowledge of a demon to add to it. He had a slayer as reluctant recruit and a growing army amassing. All in all, the situation looked daunting. Still, there had to be a weakness.

"You have me,but you know Buffy won't stop trying. She won't stop until she stops you."

"She won't hurt this body, she loves it too much." The same snare he had her trapped in. "And you have to know where I come from to try to put me back."

"They can. They will. You'll never be safe."

"Are you suggesting that I kill them to protect myself? I could, if they prove to be a threat."

"No!" She jumped up and leaned over the desk to look him in the eye. "If you hurt them I'll have no reason left to be here with you. I won't hesitate to attack in full."

"I'll kill you if you try."

"Then you kill me but that means you won't have your favorite toy to play with."

"Yes, that would be unfortunate." He nodded, closing the book in front of him. "But there are others."

"Not like me and you know it. They'll all bore you and you know that too. They're weak, not like me."

"You have a point. What do you propose?"

"Let me talk to them. Let me explain, try to make them stop hunting." Tell them everything she knew. "Let them see me alive and well and I can make them back off. It'll make all your plans that much easier."

He leaned back and looked thoughtful for a few long moments while she held her breath. She kept her expression completely neutral before getting a terrible idea. Crossing around the desk she placed herself in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him hotly. He made a pleased sound and pulled her closer to his body, giving in to the kiss effortlessly. When she pulled away he groaned, bringing her head down to kiss him again. Finally parting, he sighed.

"I suppose a quick meeting shan't hurt anything. Monitored, of course."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."