" Where'd they go?"

Buffy looked at Faith as if she had grown a horn in the middle of her forehead. Faith held the shattered remnants of Kaine's blade in her hand, turning to Buffy, to Giles, to anyone who might have an answer.

" Where'd they go? Someone tell me," she repeated, her voice gaining an edge of desperation. Faith tossed the hilt on the ground, then gripped Buffy's shoulders. " B? Giles? Where are they? Where's Xander?"

" Faith…" Buffy gently took the other Slayer's hands, removing the crushing grip she had on Buffy's shoulders. " Calm down, I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,"

" Are you really, B? Then tell me!" Faith suddenly shouted, then burst into tears. " Please, Buffy, don't let him be dead. Please?"

Buffy gathered Faith into her arms, letting the taller girl sob into her chest. Everyone else looked on in silence, embarrassed and unsure at the Slayer's sudden breakdown.

" What the bloody hell happened here?"

Buffy looked up and saw Spike standing there, a grievously injured and bleeding Doyle leaning on his shoulder.

++++++

They settled the half-demon into the living room, mindless of the destruction of the kitchen. Doyle was barely coherent, his eyes unfocussed and darting about. Buffy glanced at Spike, who shook his head sadly. He wasn't going to last long. Only his demon side had allowed him to live this long. Both turned to Faith, who knelt by her friend's side, gripping his hand and stroking the hair away from his forehead gently, like a mother tending a sick child.

" Doyle?" she whispered, barely audible. " How're you feeling?"

" Like I've been impaled,"

She offered him a weak grin and Doyle tried a chuckle, only to cough up a mouthful of blood.

" I'm not gonna make it," he declared weakly, his face deadly pale from blood loss. Faith shook her head, her features somewhat resembling her old steel.

" Don't say shit like that. You'll be fine,"

" I won't. I'm not gonna lie to ya, Princess. I've only got a few minutes left,"

" Doyle, no. And don't call me Princess,"

" What're you gonna do about it? I'm gonna die anyway, right?" he quipped, smiling. Faith shook her head and opened her mouth to protest again, but he cut her off. " Tell Gunn not to be too sad, alright? And Xander… tell him it's not his fault,"

" But… you're the messenger. You can't die," Faith argued, shaking him slightly.

" Damn well, I can. Don't worry, they've already found a new one. You'll meet her soon," he replied, then coughed up another mouthful of thick, brackish blood. Faith wiped it away with her sleeve and cradled his head in her arms.

" Her? Doyle?"

But he was silent, because he was dead. Faith looked in disbelief at his still face and closed eyes, then shook him, gently. " Doyle? Doyle, wake up,"

She shook him harder, but there was no response. " Doyle? No, don't go! Come back!"

She hugged him, lifting his body into her arms effortlessly. Like a lifeline she clung to him, rocking him back and forth like a child. Her body heaved with sobs and she cried silently, into Doyle's dirty leather jacket.

Buffy stepped forward, kneeling down by her sister Slayer. She placed an arm on the girl's shoulder, because that was all she could do.

No one noticed as Gunn entered through the front door, Dannielle lying limp in his arms.

++++++

" Gone? What do you mean gone?"

The vampire shook visibly underneath the lich's burning gaze. He licked his dry lips and swallowed the thick lump in his throat before answering. " They disappeared, sir. There was a bright flash of light and then they were not there anymore,"

Faustus glared balefully at the vampire, cracked lips drawing back o bare his rotting teeth. " I heard you the first time, imbecile. It was a rhetorical question,"

" I'm sor—" the vampire began but he could not finish his sentence as he burst into flames and a pile of ash. Faustus grimaced contemptuously at the mess and turned away, resting his chin on his gnarled fist.

" Clean this up. Send Lucifer to me,"

Several vampires scurried to complete the given tasks, fearful of the lich's wrath. Faustus was liable to destroy each and every vampire in his presence if something displeased him, an event that had happened more than most of the vampires cared to count. And since all undead loved to hang on to whatever semblance of existence they had, most were disgustingly fawning and servile in the lich's service.

The vampire sent to retrieve the Master vampire reluctantly re-entered the chamber to bring Faustus the bad news. " Master… I'm a-afraid th-that Lucifer is no longer… anymore," he reported clumsily, tongue stumbling over words that refused to leave his lips.

" What are you talking about?" Faustus asked irritably, turning to address the minion.

" He-he was… destroyed, s-sir. B-by… other v-vampires, sir,"

" Destroyed? You mean he's dust? How did this happen?"

Now it was this vampire's turn to shake. " I don't know, sir,"

" I do,"

Faustus' head snapped towards his right, where Azhael had entered through one of the side chambers unnoticed. The lich's eyes narrowed dangerously, suspicion filtering through distrust and anger. Azhael seemed unperturbed and uncaring even, as he swayed into the room, licking his lips free of blood.

" He was crucified, his body torn limb from limb, his head chopped off his shoulders. Then he crumbled into dust. Was that clear enough for you?"

" Who did it?" Faustus growled, one clenched fist breaking off a small piece of his armrest. " I want to know all their names,"

" There were about two or three dozen of them and most have already left the tunnels. It wouldn't do you any good,"

" I'll say if it does me any good!" Faustus thundered, making every vampire but Azhael cower in their pants. The latter merely shrugged and hooked his thumbs into his belt loops. " Tell me their names,"

" I forgot," Azhael replied, looking straight into the lich's eyes. The two undead continued the staring competition, both willing each other to look away first. Faustus was worried. What secret did Azhael have that made him so bold? What did he own that made him so confident of himself?

By the time two vampires marched into the room, Faustus still didn't have his answer.

++++++

" Where the hell are we?"

Xander looked around and cocked a raised eyebrow at his nemesis Tristan. They stood facing each other, on their guard. Kaine lay unconscious between them.

" I think you just answered your own question,"

Tristan nodded tersely and pursed his lips. " Hell. Sounds like a good description of any,"

It was, in fact, a very good description. The place was entirely made of lumpy red stone, like a huge cavern with no visible roof, or bottom. They stood on a ledge, a chasm roughly fifty feet wide separating them from another cliff. Lava flowed in between the chasm, sending occasional gouts of flame and magma spewing up into the air. The heat could be felt from here and Xander felt beads of sweat forming underneath his clothes.

" Are we dead?" Xander asked, conversationally. Whatever enmity with Tristan was put aside; continuing their battle here would be of no use.

" I didn't think this was where I would end up,"

" Oh? Where then?"

Tristan had wandered over to the lip of the cliff and was currently looking down, leaning precariously. He gestured for Xander to join him and take a look. " Down there, maybe," he said. Xander cautiously peeked and saw a multitude of what seemed to be human bodies, roasting in the river of lava below. They screamed and flailed as they were swept away by the slow, burning current, before disappearing down a waterfall.

" You've been a bad boy," Xander said.

" What about you? What great sin did you commit?"

Xander shrugged exaggeratedly and walked over to the limp body on the floor. There was a pulse and the breathing was slow and steady, though shallow. " He'll be fine," Xander commented, to no one in particular.

" Did you hear him scream? It was like his body was being torn apart," Tristan remarked, a tinge of interest in his voice. Though that might have been because of the poor fools drowning in a river of liquid fire.

Xander gave him sidelong glance and saw the man looking at him and Kaine. " You sound like you care,"

" I do," Tristan replied, with full honesty. " Don't get me wrong, Xander, I would rather be fighting alongside you than against you,"

" Then why do it?"

Tristan gave a thin smile, a sad smile. " An old promise that needed to be kept,"

++++++

" We lost two people today. Four if you count Xander and Kaine,"

Riley draped an arm around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her close, holding her tight and warm. " I know. How's Faith?"

" She's crying. Faith. Crying. Never thought I'd see the day," Buffy shook her head wryly and laid it on Riley's broad chest. " Gunn's with her, as you'd expect,"

" I hope she doesn't do anything rash,"

" So do I," Buffy said. " But this is Faith we're talking about. Part of the reason Gunn's with her is to keep an eye on her,"

" Are you sure Gunn won't do anything rash?" Riley pointed out. " He and Doyle seemed pretty close,"

" I don't know. He looks like a level-headed guy,"

" Assumptions can be dangerous," Riley warned.

" And appearances can be deceiving. Can we stop with the old clichés already?"

" They're only cliché cause they're true,"

Buffy smiled and nuzzled her forehead into his chest, wrapping both arms around his waist. They sat in her bedroom, as everyone had decided to relocate after the wreckage Giles' apartment had been reduced to.

The others were in the living room, trying to pull themselves together. Faith was having a harder time than anyone else and still refused to stop crying. No one was going to make her though.

" Wanna go downstairs?" Riley suggested tentatively. Buffy shook her head and they both fell silent, grieving in each other's arms.

++++++

" So you are… were a Knight of the Round Table. The Sir Tristan? The one who fell in love with Isolde?"

" It was a spell, though neither of us knew at the time," Tristan clarified. He sat next to Xander, watching over Kaine, waiting for him to awake.

" Didn't you guys end in a tragedy?"

" I wouldn't be here otherwise,"

" What happened? I'm not a follower of ancient history," Xander said. " Or should that be literary classics?"

" The truth has gotten so muddled up that you might as well call it a Greek tragedy for all I care," Tristan said, with the barest hint of a smile. There wasn't even humor in his voice.

" Okay… so shoot,"

" Isolde died, to put things simply and I wanted revenge on her killer. So I went to a wizard, who agreed to help me. In return, I would have to help him. I was so angry, I didn't bother to get details,"

" This wizard, Faustus?" Xander wanted to know. Tristan nodded.

" It turns out that he's a lich and the one thing he wanted was his humanity back. Unfortunately, he had to wait several hundred years so he gave me eternal youth. I… wandered the world, doing nothing of note, until he contacted me, a few days ago,"

" And then the shit hit the fan," Xander concluded. " What does he want with us?"

" Not you. The Slayers. He needs the blood of three Slayers, hence having to wait until now,"

" Because there are three Slayers," Xander mused. " Wait a sec, why are you telling me all this?"

" We're dead aren't we? Won't hurt anyone," Tristan replied with a shrug.

" We're not dead," came a croaking, sore voice. It was Kaine, struggling to push himself up.

" Come again?" Xander asked. " We're alive? Where are we?"

" What happened to you?" Tristan interjected before Kaine could answer Xander's queries. The half-elf gave the man a suspicious glance, then looked away, one hand on his head.

" It's complicated. You wouldn't understand,"

" Something to do with the sword, right?"

There was a tense pause, then Kaine nodded. Tristan nodded as well and stood. " Do you know where we are? How to get out?"

" We're in Carcerus. Demon dimension,"

" How do you know we're not dead?" Xander frowned.

" No one here can die, unless one of the demons here decides to eat them," Kaine answered somberly. He rose to his shaky legs but found that he couldn't stand still, let alone walk.

" We're not going anywhere for a while," Xander announced, sitting back down. " Can we get out of here, or should I keep my mouth shut?"

" If I had my sword, we would be out already, but I don't so…" he trailed off with a shrug. " Unless we can find an alternate means of planar travel, we're stuck here indefinitely,"

There was a silence as everyone took the time to digest he information they had been fed. Xander fought hard not to vomit it back out, then wondered why he bothered. So, " Does anyone know a good real estate agent round here?"

++++++

" I can't stay here. I need to go out,"

Faith abruptly stood, dried her tears and marched for the door. The sun wouldn't rise for a few hours yet, which left the Slayer plenty of time to hunt down some random vamp and beat the crap out of him. Gunn was right on her heels and actually reached the door before her.

" You're not coming," she commanded, planting one hand on his chest and giving him a light push. A push from a Slayer meant that Gunn was driven back to the stairs, tripping over his feet. He gave her a betrayed look and opened his mouth, but she was already opening the door.

To reveal a bedraggled looking Spike reaching out for the knob. He squinted at her, cocking his head to the side. " You psychic or somethin'?"

Faith frowned at him and stormed past, knocking him roughly aside. Spike looked at her retreating back until she turned the corner and disappeared out of view, then went in, closing the door behind him. Gunn made to leave the house, but Spike pushed him back.

" Oh no, you don't. You're staying here and you're gonna talk about our lovable demon friend, Doyle," Spike said. He brandished a brown paper bag, which turned out to be a bottle of tequila. " I even came prepared,"

" I don't have time for this, Spike,"

" She's the Slayer, she can take care of herself," Spike argued.

" Yeah, but can she protect herself from herself?" Gunn shot back.

" Can you?" Spike countered with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. Gunn pressed his lips together and shoved Spike out of the way, then ran out of the house. Spike shook his head and walked deeper into the house, muttering under his breath. " Wonder if Giles would join me,"

++++++

" I can take this Tara. I found him, then I lost him again. Why does everything in my life have to happen twice?"

" C'mon, baby, you know that isn't true," Tara whispered into her girlfriend's ear as the redhead sobbed into her shirt. " Even if it is, it means that Xander will come back,"

Willow raised her head to look up into Tara's puffy eyes. Neither had gotten much sleep in the past few days, and it was beginning to show. Willow's puffy eyes were because of the tears had been shedding, no less than the ones Faith had. But Willow lacked the energy to stay on her feet, much less go out Slaying. Unlike Giles, who was still tending to Doyle and Dannielle. It was amazing, how much energy that man could gain, from one simple cup of tea.

As if he was a genie or a mind-reader or something, the aforesaid Watcher burst out into the living room, with the same expression Archimedes had had when he shouted 'Eureka'. Tara straightened, and Willow tiredly raised her head to look blearily at the Watcher. " What is it, Giles?" Tara asked.

" It's Dannielle, she's fine, apparently," he said with a wide smile. Willow sat up, eyes widening in surprise and pleasure. " Gunn told me that the vampire had fed from her, so I'd assume whatever poison had been sucked out as well,"

" Like using leeches?" Tara prompted, seeing as how Willow was too stunned to say anything.

" Exactly. Her heartbeat is getting stronger and her wounds are beginning to heal. It wouldn't be long before she regains consciousness, though she will still be weak,"

Giles sat down on the couch across from them and took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. A thought suddenly occurred to Tara and she couldn't help but bring it up.

" Giles… would another Slayer be called?"

Giles looked up, eyebrows raised. Then he calmed and shook his head. " No, I believe not. You see, her heart was still beating when Gunn brought her in. we were all simply waiting for it to stop,"

" But it didn't,"

Giles shook his head, smiling beatifically. " No, it didn't,"

++++++

Faith didn't know if she was taking a stroll or patrolling, but decided that she was doing a mixture of both. She wrapped her arms around her body, her battered leather jacket suddenly feeling inadequate in keeping out the cold. With Xander gone, nothing would be able to keep out the cold anymore.

He was everything to her. A best friend, to joke around with. A training partner, a Slaying companion. He was also the person she loved most in the world, only she wouldn't be able to let him know. She realized it too late, in the end. What was that tired old line?

'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'. That was it. Only this time, the fondness was never going to find a useful outlet. No way was she gonna replace Xander for some boytoy she picked up. That was behind her now, she was a changed person. Xander made her change and she was damned well gonna stay that way.

Speaking of feelings for Xander, Dannielle shared them. Faith knew that the new Slayer had a thing for Xander and now, all Faith could feel was regret for treating Dannielle the way she had. She would never have the chance to apologize now, it was too late to do anything. That was the way it always was for her wasn't it? Too late to do anything about it.

A scream broke her from her reverie and she took off before the sound fully registered. It was amazing how Slayer reflexes could move faster than thought. And here she was thinking only Superman could do that.

The scuffle, attack, whatever it was, came from behind a crypt and Faith rounded it so fast she was leaning to one side. Four vamps, one girl, barely fifteen years old. Faith had a stake in her hand even as the vamps came into view and had already sent it on its way when she was on a straight path towards them.

The stake buried itself square in the heart of one vampire, turning it into so much dust. The other three snapped to attention, the distraction allowing the victim to scramble back a few feet. Smart girl, Faith thought, then launched herself at the first vampire.

Her boot caught it in the stomach and she rolled away from the impact, somersaulting in the air. Her landing was perfect and she smacked a fist into the vamp's cheekbone, quickly following with an elbow into another one's gut. A roundhouse kick took out the third one, but it left her back open for the other two to capitalize on.

They didn't.

Faith was slightly disappointed by the lack of challenge, but whipped around, delivering a spinning back hand into the first vampire's face. " Stupid dumbshit motherfucker," she snarled, kicking it in the groin. An idea formulated in her mind and she acted before she could do a thing about it. She kicked it again, this time, the toe of her boot hitting it directly in the pit of its stomach. It bent forward, and she spun, grabbing her head in her hands, its chin resting on her shoulder.

Then she leapt down, letting her weight pull the vamp down with her and snap its neck like brittle twig. " Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!" she called out in glee. Just then, a boot sole slammed into the side of her face, drawing blood. Faith tumbled away, coming to her feet.

She momentarily forgot about the third vampire and only remembered it when it grabbed her in a bearhug from behind, crushing her arms to her sides. It lifted her off the ground and Faith grunted as she felt something crack under pressure. She was tired from fighting the demons and rescuing Buffy, never really getting enough rest, but there was no way in hell three measly vamps were gonna beat her. " Not a chance in hell," she whispered hoarsely.

She snapped her leg up, her shin slamming into the nose of the vampire behind her. the vamp let her go. The crotch of her jeans tore at the sudden stretching and Faith swore loudly. " I liked these jeans!" she shouted, punctuating the remark with a back thrust kick at the vampire, sending it sprawling. Xander gave me these jeans, she suddenly recalled.

She drifted, snapping back to her senses when a fist flew into her jaw. She reeled, falling to her knees. Head down, she spat out a mouthful of blood. " That's it, motherfucker!" she said, leaping at the vampire once more. " You're fucking gonna pay!"

Her first punch slammed into its chin, snapping its head up. Her second broke its nose. Her third shattered its jaw. Her fourth connected with its Adam's apple, drawing a hoarse scream.

Her fifth was an uppercut into its chin, sending it flying upwards. Her sixth was a snap kick straight into its chest, while it was still in mid-air. The vampire was flung away, landing on its back on a tombstone. Faith knew, by the way it hung limp, that it back was broken.

The vamp with the broken nose tried rushing her from behind, but Faith knew he was coming even before he did. She met him with a roundhouse kick to the jaw, snapping its head to the side. Then she rushed forward, ducking her head under its flailing left arm, her own left arm draping over its chest, her hand latching onto his right shoulder.

She lifted the vampire several feet into the air and slammed him back down into the ground. " You just hit rock bottom, you candy-ass," she growled, then left it twitching on the grass. She rose and brushed dust and grass from her jeans and jacket, then fingered the hole in her pants. " Xander always liked wrestling," she said to herself, lost in thought.

A whimper broke her musing and she looked to see the girl cowering near a tree. Taking on the most 'I'm a good gal' expression as she could muster, she strolled over to the girl, hunkering down near her.

" Hey, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

The girl shook her head, her clenched fists unconsciously protecting her chest and face. " Where are your parents? Do they know you're here?" Faith continued. Another shake. " Can I take you home?"

The girl shook her head again, this time more forcefully, more fearfully. Faith frowned. " Why not?"

" My parents… they killed my mom and dad," the girl said. The words came out softer than a whisper, but Faith's enhanced hearing picked it up without problem. Her heart softened for the girl, recognizing some of her own former self in the girl's terrified form.

" Alright. I'll take you back home with me, how does that sound? Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Faith suggested, softening her voice and reaching a furtive hand out to the girl. " Do you want to come with me?"

The girl nodded, without hesitation, letting Faith's hand touch her shoulder gently. " I have to. I saw you… in a dream,"

" A dream?"

The girl nodded, eyes wide. " It hurt my head,"

Faith frowned. " Were you sleeping?" she asked. The girl shook her head and Faith's eyebrows flew up into the branches of the tree. Doyle said the new seer was a female. " What's your name?"

"Dawn, my name's Dawn,"