Part 3 - Truth

She sat huddled on a chair in the office, hands wrapped tightly round a mug of steaming coffee. A lamp glowed beside her on a low table. Wesley paced from one side of the room to the other; Cordelia perched on the edge of a table and idly watched a slim, tanned foot swing backwards and forwards. She held a crossbow in one hand, the bolt loosely trained on Faith. Angel sat to one side, to give Cordy a clear shot if it was needed, and listened carefully as Faith haltingly told them what had happened. That there'd been – a switch. Why she'd come to them. That she was really Buffy, not Faith.

Cordy had raised her eyebrows at that one. "Well, you sure look like Faith to me," she'd commented. Angel had glared at her. "Alright, alright! I was only saying," she'd added, waving a hand idly in the air.

They'd ripped the vampire off her, Cordy and Wes forcing it back with crosses. It had taken Angel only moments to stake it, leave it as a drifting cloud of dust. They'd half carried her back to the car, and then into the office, where she sat now.

"Giles didn't know it was me," she added bitterly, after she'd finished her story. "He couldn't see beyond Faith's face. I knew it was him, when he changed into – into that thing, that demon. I could still see him in its eyes. But he just didn't see." She sighed. "And neither did anyone else."

"Why didn't you kill the vampire?" he asked.

She looked at him wearily. "I told you. I couldn't. Not strong enough. I'm – the Slayer part of me has gone. I felt it. Dreamed it. Didn't know what it was, though, till I tried to use it tonight." She paused. "Angel, you have to help me! Faith's – she's in Sunnydale. With Mom and the others. They don't know her, they don't know what she can do. They don't know that she isn't me! I have to stop her. Somehow!" Her voice broke on a sob, and she dropped the mug on the floor, hot coffee soaking into the carpet, covering her face with her hands. "Please………"

Angel twisted to look at Wesley, who'd cleared his throat, nodding at him to speak. "I believe there is a spell which we can do………it will show us if she is Buffy and not Faith, if indeed such a switch was carried out," he looked doubtful. "We have the ingredients for it here. We could do it now," he offered. "Always best to be on the safe side, don't you think?"

Angel looked back at the young woman on the chair. "You understand, that we have to be sure, don't you?" he asked gently. She nodded, dark eyes dull and tired. He helped her up, glancing at the others, and they descended into the lower part of the building, where Angel lived.

* * * * *

Cordelia and Angel watched while Wesley finished the spell, ignited the last candle, and peered closely at Faith. He could see the aura shivering round her, an outline that flickered uncertainly, spilt here and there in places. A poor fit, wrong colours for the body it inhabited. He looked more closely. And missing something – a portion of itself. He glanced at Angel and nodded. "She's right. It's – she's Buffy. I wonder how such a switch was achieved…… And you were right - there's something else missing, the Slayer part of you. It's just," he shrugged helplessly, " – gone."

Buffy turned to him. It was unnerving to see Faith's face, hear Faith's voice and know that it was Buffy talking to him. "She had – a device of some sort. She put it on and grabbed my hand ……… it was done. She stomped on it. Made sure I couldn't use it to switch back," she said. "A golden thing, she wore it – it fitted into her hand."

Cordy looked at her, sympathetically. "Bummer," she said. "So now what, Mr-I-help-the-hopeless?" she added, turning to Angel.

Buffy managed a slight smile. Typical Cordy. "Bummer? Yeah. You could say that," she answered.

Angel frowned briefly at Cordelia before looking at Wesley. Cleared his throat slightly. "Is there a way to reverse the switch? Get them back where they belong?"

Wesley looked at him steadily for a long moment, shrugged and beckoned to Cordelia, who sighed, standing up slowly and reluctantly. "There must be a way. But it will involve research and books. I can't say how much time it will take," he hesitated. "Or how, if, there's a way to return Buffy's Slayer powers. I've never heard of a spell that will remove them." He nodded to Cordelia. "Come on. We'd better get started." They passed Buffy on their way out of the room, Wesley pausing to lay his hand for a moment on her shoulder.

Cordy stopped before she left, thoughtfully looking at her boss. "Angel? You know the – thing we were talking about earlier?" He nodded, head tilted as he looked at her. "Well, doesn't that mean, that if this," she indicated Buffy, "is actually Buffy, then the real Faith, wearing her Buffy-suit, must be in town? Coz we know that Buffy wouldn't do – those things. So Faith can't be in Sunndydale. She could have followed – Buffy. She must be here. Someplace."

"You're right," Angel said slowly. "But we'll talk about that later. When she's stronger. Let's just get started on the books first, OK?" Cordy nodded and followed Wesley, leaving Angel and Buffy alone.

* * *

She hurried after Wesley, where he was patiently waiting for her.

"Do you – do you think anything will happen?" she asked slowly.

"Like what?" he replied, looking at her, puzzled.

"Well, you know. What happened last time, when – you know. With Angel. And Buffy. It's still there," she said pensively. "You can see it in their faces. Even though she's Faith now, it's still in her eyes. And when he looks at her. I hope to God they don't – get too close. 'Cause, you know, if he changes? We're dead. All of us."