"And don't forget to take out the trash!"
"Alright already!" Xander yelled back at his father. I gotta get out of here, he thought. Maybe I should've taken Storm's offer and joined the team.
"Hey Xand." Xander froze and looked over at his bed or, more to the point, the person laying on it. "I was wondering when you'd get in. Don't you have a Scooby meeting later or something?"
"Faith." Emotions he thought he'd buried began to resurface. Now was not the time for him to go all weak kneed at the sight of the girl that had gone crazy and tried kill him, so he did the only thing he could. He shut down his emotions and went into what he had started to call 'Sage mode'. His mind became a living super computer, processing data at inhuman speeds. No signs of break and enter, his parents hadn't mentioned anything though, and they were still alive, so he had to assume she wasn't here to kill him. Besides that, there were no weapons of any kind that he could see. "What are you doing here?" Weapons chest still locked, and on the other side of the basement. She didn't look psychotic. "When did you wake up?"
"Two days ago." She told him. First sign in two days. Hmm. "I had a talk to Buffy. She told me…" That last piece was all he needed. All the other clues snapped together suddenly, forming the picture he had suspected, but hoped wasn't right.
"She's leaving." He said shortly. "Her meetings with the Initiative were prepping them. Translating Giles' books onto their computers so they had all the relevant info. Introducing Agent Finn and the other squad commanders to the informants so they knew who had what info. All so there wouldn't be too huge a gap. Except for the gaping hole left by the Slayer. You." Faith nodded. "That's why she's been visiting you. That and the fact that she blames herself for what happened to you." He said it coldly, in an almost monotone voice that made Faith shiver.
"What happened to you?" She whispered. "You don't sound like you anymore."
"A long story I can't really go into right now." He said guardedly. "You still haven't answered my first question." Faith looked at him for a moment, and then got up.
"I'm sorry, this was a mistake." She said, heading to the laundry door. "I shouldn't have come here." Xander watched for a moment.
"You seem almost apologetic." He said suddenly. "Not like you at all, so the question should be, what happened to you?" Faith stopped and turned to him.
"I realized I made some mistakes." She said. "I realized that someone I spent the entire time I was comatose hating, someone who has an excuse to hate me back, actually cares. And that the one guy I wish didn't hate me, does."
"Don't say that." Xander said, his cold façade finally breaking. This wans't how he'd pictured Faith re-entering his life. "It isn't true. I've been beating myself up about my feelings for you since that night. I…" The words caught in his throat for a second, then, "I love you, Faith." Faith stared at him. Did he just say…?
"You…" Xander gave a sideways grin.
"It was easier to say that while you were comatose." He admitted.
"You…" Faith was still stuck on what he had said. Xander stepped up until he could hold her.
"I've been wanting to do this a while." He muttered as he leaned in. I'm going to faint, Faith thought as he kissed her. I'm going to make an absolute fool of myself. Xander pulled back and saw a strange smile on her face. "You alright?"
"Can I get back to you on that one?" She said, dizzily. Xander grinned.
"So, are you coming to the Scooby meeting?" He asked.
"I…don't know if I should." Faith said. "I mean there's a lot of things…"
"Buffy told us to meet her there, right?" Xander asked. Faith nodded. "Then you're coming with me. And if anyone argues, they can deal with her."
"Not going to stick up for me yourself?" She teased.
"What, with the power that's in that group now, I'd prefer to stay alive. Willow'd probably zap you, or me, before I get a syllable out. Oz…well, let's just say, if it was day, or not a full moon, he'd still go wolf and attack us."
"I think you'd better explain the power upgrades to me." Faith said. "But first, let's get…reacquainted."
Veruca sat outside the dorm as Willow left. Good. No Oz, and no freaky friends either. Once the red head was gone, nothing would stand between her and Oz. She grinned as Willow walked past. "Hello, dinner."
Xander smiled as he looked over at Faith. He was glad she was back, and that she seemed to be over what ever had happened between her and the Scooby Gang. He pulled his 'glasses' on, and did a quick scan of Sunnydale. His smile almost instantly disappeared.
"Oh shit." He muttered.
"Problem?" Faith said, sitting up. Xander nodded.
"Veruca." He said. "She's following Willow, and I'm willing to bet that she's not going to ask her over for dinner, unless Willow's dinner." Faith was up and getting ready. "I'll call some back up. This bitch is going down."
Veruca grinned as the sun began to go down. It was time. "Hello, Willow." She said, stepping out. Willow spun.
"Veruca." Willow was slightly panicked. She was too far away from the mansion to run for it, and the sun was about to go down. "Can I help you?"
"You can step aside." The wolf said. "Let Oz come home, to where he belongs."
"He doesn't want to." Willow said nervously.
"Because you're holding him back." Veruca growled. The transformation had begun, and poor Willow was all alone. "He thinks he's in love with you. I'll prove his feelings wrong, if I have to kill you to do it." Fur sprouted over her body, but her transformation would not get a chance to complete itself, as she was thrown backwards by a blast of energy.
"Mangy creature." The shooter said, stepping out. He was dressed in a suit, with dark hair. "They should all be exterminated."
"Their not all bad." Willow told him. "That one's just…misguided."
"No." The man said. "That one's dead. I hit it with enough power to kill a dinosaur."
"Wow." Willow said. "So, what kind of mutant are you, natural or man-made?" The man grinned.
"Man-made." He said. Suddenly, a cloth was pressed against her face. "Like your friend, who, hopefully, will be joining us shortly." Willow began feeling tired. Her limbs felt like lead and eventually she drifted off into sweet oblivion.
"Uh oh." Xander muttered as he and Faith ran towards Willow.
"Trouble?"
"Big trouble." He activated the com link. "Shal, problem. That GSA agent's back, and he's got Willow. Tell Buffy what's happening. Yeah, me and Faith'll follow them to make sure she's safe."
"I gotta get me one of those." Faith muttered as they raced off.
Oz moved quietly through the bushes. If he was going to stop Veruca, it had to be tonight. He just hoped Willow was all right. Of course she is, he chided himself. She's with Buffy and the others they can handle it. You just do what has to be done…
He stopped when he came across Veruca's dead body. He moved silently, using his enhanced senses to figure out what had happened. He wasn't very happy when he had. "Willow." He whispered, heading off in the direction of her scent. If whoever had her hurt a hair on her head, he was going to rip them to pieces, slowly and painfully.
Buffy, Shalimar and Angel moved with all the speed their new mutant abilities allowed them. What's with this guy, Buffy thought. Was his skull so extraordinarily thick he couldn't get a hint?
"We're almost there." Shalimar said. "Xander and Faith aren't too far away…" She stopped a moment, listening to what Xander had to say. "Oh boy. Oz's moving in fast."
"Assume he knows what's happened." Buffy said. "That means we get there before he does. He may have control of the wolf, but not its temper or its instincts. He'll be going in there to do two thing; rescue Willow and hurt whoever grabbed her." They came to a halt outside an old warehouse. "Why do they always hide out in warehouses or mansions?" Angel shrugged.
"Cheap and easy to booby trap." He said.
"Great." Buffy muttered. She looked around. "Okay, this is eerily familiar. Isn't this where we fought the Judge?"
"Yes." Angel said, not liking the memories it stirred. "This is the place."
"Of all places, why here?" Buffy muttered. Angel moved up behind her.
"What happened last time will never happen again." He told her. "I'll be with you forever. Promise."
"I know." Buffy said. "Just got a case of the wiggins."
"Alright." Angel accepted that. This wasn't the usual snatch and grab, not for Buffy anyway. She was used to demons and vampires, not living beings. Being here didn't help either.
"Go time." Shalimar muttered as they moved in.
"Shal, go around back." Buffy ordered. "Angel, take the left. Shal, tell Xander and Faith to come in the right. Don't move until we don't have a choice. I want to try and get Willow out of there first." They nodded and moved out. Buffy took a breath. The last time she was here, she'd lost Angel. Was she going to loose Willow this time, or her freedom? No, she refused to let that happen. She set her jaw and walked in. This ended here and now, and it ended her way.
