"Oh, I think I have something," Buffy said, causing everyone to look up from their books. "Yeah, yeah, I definitely have something. Okay, the Mother was a blood mage, knew that one. . . yada yada yada. . . okay. It says in November, 1791 she was in Spain, and was linked to the deaths of four young girls. A week later about 9 people were massacred by flying demons, thought from descriptions to be harpies.

"Two years later, she popped up again, in London this time, and is thought to have made sacrifice of at least three kids, although possibly more, since London had such a large population of runaways. No direct events in London were linked to this, but a couple months later a pack of, and I'm quoting here, 'wild dogs with fire in their eyes, claws like a lion and a howl like something out of Hades' ran through, in the killing and eating people sense, a small village not far from there. The two events are thought to be linked. Giles, I don't like this woman."

"No," Giles said, "nor should you. She was very dangerous. Does it say anything else?"

Buffy scanned the text. "No, nothing in here."

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before checking his watch. "Okay, I think we've done enough for the night. Why don't we all. . . pack it in, back here tomorrow?"

Giles got consenting groans from around the table, and the Scoobies made their way out to Xander's car.

"Goodnight ladies," Xander said when he dropped Willow and Tara off at the dorm. They walked back towards Willow's room holding hands.

"S-so, is that what Scooby meetings are like?" Tara asked.

Willow nodded while yawning. "When there's a big bad around, yeah, although Xander really must have been tired cuz he only cracked, like, three jokes the whole time. Missed a perfect opportunity, too, when Faith snored, while she was 'reading'."

Tara smiled. "It. . . didn't seem very exciting. I mean, not that I wasn't glad to help, I was, but the way you always talk about it, it usually sounds m-more, um. . . violent."

Willow nodded again as they entered their dorm. "Well, we tend not to talk about the endless hours of research. That way we sound more exciting. Although, we can't really talk about the other stuff, anyway, except with the special people," Willow said, leaning into Tara.

"So, you did that all throughout high school?" Tara asked.

"Yup," said Willow. "We were the weird kids who always hung out in the library, cuz, of Giles? But it was fun, it was like our own little sanctuary when we had to get away from things."

"Demons?"

"That, and chemistry tests, or broken hearts, or, like, 2 years ago, when it snowed at Christmas? We had been spending Winter break researching why Angel was back. Buffy because she loved him, and Giles cuz, well, that's what Giles does. And me and Xander had nothing better to do because, well, neither of our families are particularly, um, attentive, and we were still dealing with. . . um, with the after effects of me and Xander." Willow pulled her keys from her pocket and unlocked her door.

"But, the library, it got to be just a place we would all go, whenever we had free time. We were kind of possessive of it too. I remember this one time, when Jonathan came in to check out a book, and Xander snapped at him like he was intruding on our private space."

"S-so, when the school blew up-"

"When we blew it up," Willow corrected, proudly.

Tara smiled. "Right, so, but you were okay with destroying the library?"

"Yeah," Willow said, lying down on her bed. "We graduated, it was time. To move on, I mean, not blow it up. And besides, now we have the Magic Box."

Tara sat down next to Willow. "That must have been nice, blowing up your school," she said.

Willow turned and looked at her oddly.

"N-not that I want to blow things up," Tara said. "But high school, it was always so... I mean, it was. . . I didn't like it."

Willow smiled and kissed Tara gently. "Well, I think Xander got a big kick out of it, but I was sad to see the place go. Not that I miss it, really, but there were memories. Did you have anywhere like that? Kind of a place to get away?"

"Yes. I. . . there was, in my attic, this place where my mom used to mix potions, kind of away from the rest of the family. When she. . . after, it was. . . I was the only one who ever went up there," Tara said.

"You miss her?" Willow asked.

Tara nodded. "She was. . . the rest of my family, they didn't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Anything. . . me. I just. . . after my mom died, it never felt like home. It was just the place that I lived."

Willow snuggled a little closer to her lover. "Well, where was home?" Willow asked through a yawn.

"I never really had one, then," Tara said softly.

Silence permeated the room for a couple of minutes. Tara watched the soft, yet steady rise and fall of Willow's chest. She kissed Willow lightly on the forehead before settling into the bed. Just before falling asleep, she whispered, "I think. . . I might now, though."

* * * * *

"Hey B," Faith said the next day when Buffy walked into the Magic Box.

Buffy tiredly waved at the younger Slayer, before sitting at the table and staring blankly at her coffee.

"You all right?" Faith asked.

Buffy nodded, yawning. "Tired," she said. "And I think I slept a little weird, my shoulder's all. . . wonky."

Faith smirked. "You and the X-man rockin' the casbah all night long, huh?"

Buffy laughed with a snort. "Hardly," she said.

"Thought you guys had some romantic, coupley shit planned last night," Faith said.

"Message on the machine last night waiting for us. They reopened Xander's site today, so he had to go in and help get caught up since they're behind schedule."

"But it's Saturday," Faith said.

Buffy shrugged. "They're behind, and he's in a position of responsibility. Besides, you're working on a Saturday."

"Yeah, but I usually work Saturdays," she said.

Buffy conceded the point with a nod. "How's Riley?"

"Busy, as always," Faith said, harshly. "Walsh used to keep him on a short leash, now the bitch has him on a fucking choke collar. It's worse since him and Xan got hurt fighting Robo-Baddie."

"That was like two days ago," Buffy said. "It can't be that much worse after two days."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, she's got someone screening his fucking phone calls now. I dialed his room and someone answered, like 'Captain Finn's room.' She's out of control."

"Harsh," Buffy said.

"I swear, I'm just gonna go over there, break in, and if they don't let me see him, I'm gonna bust some heads."

Buffy smiled. "Miss him, huh?"

Faith stared down at the counter. "Well, you know. You get used to. . . to people being around, and then they're not, and-"

"Faith, it's okay to miss him," Buffy said. "Hell, I miss Xander, and I saw him this morning."

"Yeah, but you're lame like that."

"Oh, thanks."

"No, I mean. . . shit. Look, I just, I'm not used to. . . " Faith sighed.

"Faith?" Buffy said, walking over to the counter. "It's okay. You're allowed to miss him, and you're allowed to not talk about it."

"I know. . . but last time, I didn't talk about things, and look what happened there."

"Faith the things that we, and I do mean we, didn't talk about last time are the exact opposite of 'I miss my loving and faithful boyfriend.' I mean, I was having major issues with Angel, and with me thinking you were trying to steal my life, and. . . "

"And I killed a guy, and didn't talk about it, or deal with it."

"Yeah," Buffy said. "So, I'm thinking that if relationship thoughts are the worst we don't talk about, we're okay."

"Thanks," Faith said.

"Which doesn't mean I won't listen," Buffy said. "All about the listening. . . ears in listening mode. . . "

"I get it, B. Thanks."

Buffy smiled at her. "Giles around?"

"Nah, he ran out to uh. . . somewhere. Pickin' up some books."

The bell over the door rang as a customer entered the shop.

"Guess I should get to reading," Buffy mumbled.

Faith nodded, put on her best smile, and went to work.

* * * * *

"Hey Jeeves," Faith said upon returning to the Magic Box after lunch.

"Hello, Faith," Giles said distractedly, while reading some musty old text.

"Buffy leave?"

"Hmm? No, I believe she's in the back, with Riley."

A smile forced its way onto Faith's face. "I'm just gonna. . . say hi," Faith said.

Giles nodded, not taking his eyes off the page. Faith made her way across the floor to the door of the back room, then was brought to a stop by what she heard.

"Ohhh, God. Oh, God, that's incredible."

She was pretty sure that was Buffy's voice. She turned back to Giles.

"You sure it wasn't Xander in on his lunch break?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Giles said, turning to her. "No, she and Riley just went back there a few minutes ago. He said he had been hoping to find you here, and when I told him you were just off at lunch he said he'd wait. They talked quietly for a few minutes, then went in back." Giles looked back down at his book.

Faith frowned. 'No way,' she thought. 'Riley'd never. . . and B would never. . . cuz Xander. . . right?"

"Oh yeah! Right there, Riley, just a little harder!"

"Did you say something Faith?" Giles asked.

"Uh. . . no," she said. She stood outside the door contemplating. She was sure that the two of them would never. . . but then again, she hadn't yet figured things out about how she felt about Riley. But Buffy would never. . . . Faith stopped thinking. There was no way to be sure except just to walk in the back room and see what was going on.

Faith steeled herself for pain and disappointment, then opened the door and walked in, ready for the worst. She burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," she said, causing the two people to turn and look at her. "You should hear yourselves."

Buffy cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Faith looked over the two of them. Buffy was sitting on the floor, her legs stretched out in front of her. Riley was sitting behind her on the couch, Buffy's back up against his legs. Riley was in the middle of massaging her shoulder.

"God, it sounded like the two of you were doin' the nasty from out there," she said. "Oh God, Riley, right there, harder!"

Both pairs of eyes widened in shock as Buffy and Riley realized who Faith was imitating. Riley's hands froze as Buffy scrambled to her feet.

"Well," Riley said, standing up and wiping his hands off on his jeans, "I hope your shoulder feels better."

Faith was barely containing her laughter at their discomfort.

"Yeah, um, it's a lot better now. . . I think I'm going to go grab Xander for lunch. . . I'll see you guys later."

Buffy ran out of the back room, flashing a quick, embarrassed grin at Faith.

"Hey," Riley said, walking over to Faith.

"Hey yourself," she said. "Mr. Magic Hands."

Riley chuckled nervously. "Yeah. . . she said her shoulder was bugging her. . . "

"Mmhmm," Faith said, leaning into him teasingly. "I just bet it was."

"Faith you didn't think that we were. . . "

Faith's smile broke for a split second, but it was long enough to send Riley the message.

"You did," he said, his hands dropping to his sides, and a frown covering his face.

"I knew in my head. . . I said 'no way,' you know. I mean, B's got Xan, and you. . . well, you're, you know. . . "

"In love with you," he said.

"Yeah, that. And I knew. . . but. . . "

"But you didn't believe."

Faith looked at the ground. "No," she said. "I was ready to come in here and find you and B gettin' it on, and havin' my heart broke."

Riley pulled Faith into a hug.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I want to trust you, I swear I do. You've never done anything that would make me not trust you but. . . "

"It's okay, Faith," he said.

"No, it's not," she said.

Riley said nothing for a moment. "No, you're right. It isn't okay. And it does hurt that you didn't trust me," he said.

She looked up at him. "I never meant-oh, God, I suck."

Riley smiled down at her and kissed her on the forehead. "I know," he said, leading her over to the couch where he sat her in his lap. "Listen, it does hurt that you don't trust me, but I know it's not me that you don't trust."

"Uh. . . it's not?" she asked.

"No. Well, it is, but not me specifically," he said.

"I'm confused."

"I'm confusing, so that works well."

Faith laughed a little, leaning into his chest. "You spend way too much time with Xander," she said.

Riley laughed a little as well. "Listen, it's not that you don't trust me, it's that you don't trust people. You've been hurt, Faith. People who should have cared for you. . . that guy Wesley who I need to hit, even the other Scoobies, including Giles. And before them, the last person you trusted was brutally killed in front of your eyes. I get you have trust issues."

Faith laughed a little. "My boy is wicked smart," she said.

"Hey, I'm a psych TA. Some of that crap has to rub off."

"You're too good to me," she said.

"No, I'm really not. Faith, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to abandon you, I'm not going to break your trust. Ever. That is my solemn promise to you."

"I believe you," she said. "I just. . . I don't know how to get past all this shit that's in my head. Stuff that keeps telling me I don't deserve. . . to have you love me."

"Bullshit," Riley said. "You do, or nobody does."

"I killed people," she said. "When I was outside the door, I thought. . . maybe this is my punishment. It's not just gonna ruin my life, but also Buffy's, and Xander's, and with them split, probably Red and Jeeves as well. I break everything I care about, Ri, how am I not supposed to think the worst?"

"What's gone bad for you recently?" he asked. "You've got your GED, a good paying job, friends who love you, a mentor who knows what the hell he's talking about and isn't an overbearing, slave driving, irrational monster- my issue, not yours-and, not to put too fine a point on it, you've got me."

"That's just it," she said. "Don't you get it? Things have been going good way too long, it's about time for fate to come bite me in the ass. I can't ever make up for what I did, not if I live for a thousand years. I killed people, Ri. I don't deserve. . . any of this."

"Faith, baby, you may not be able to make up for what you did, that's true. But all you can do is live life as best you can. You help people, Faith. You save them. You're a superhero. Let yourself enjoy it."

"I did that," she said. "And that lead to the killing."

"It's different this time."

"How?"

"Because this time, you know. You know what it's like, you've been through the darkness, and you pulled yourself back from it. And this time, if you fall, there will always be somebody there to catch you."

Faith looked deep into his eyes, gauging his words and the force behind them.

"Christ," she said softly, almost reverently, mesmerized by what she saw. "You really do love me, don't you?"

"I do," was his very simple yet honest reply.

Faith dropped her head, for a moment, then looked back up at him, her eyes full of fire. "I'm going to figure this out," she said. "I'm going to figure out how to trust you, and how to trust other people, and what the hell it is I'm feeling for you, and I'm gonna do it soon."

"There's no rush," he said.

"There is," said Faith. "It. . . it's not fair to you, me not sayin' anything. I'm gonna do this. It's the least I can do."

Riley smiled and very gently kissed his girlfriend.

"Ri?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"You don't have to be anywhere for now, right? Can you just hold me for a while?"

"For as long as you want," he said.

A soft scuffing noise caught Riley's attention, and he saw a bit of tweed through the crack in the doorway as the door quietly closed. Riley smiled to himself, then turned his attention back to the girl curled in his arms. He did the only thing he was capable of at that moment.

"I love you, Faith."

* * * * *

"Okay, let me get this straight," Pike said, "there's a big guy out there who, for whatever reason, is gunning for Faith, answers to someone named Mother, and can instill loyalty in vampires? And he's big and bad enough to beat the hell out of both Riley and Xander?"

"That's about the gist of it," Buffy said, flipping through the book in front of her. "Although, you also seem to be able to instill loyalty in vampires."

"Vampire singular. And he's not exactly normal as far as vamps go. Anyway, you have no idea who this Mother person is, or where she is, or what she wants, right?"

"Yup," Buffy said.

"Just so we're clear here, you understand that despite being a demon hunter, I think all of you are crazy?"

"Completely understood," Buffy said.

"Okay," Pike said. "Happens, I might know a guy who can help you figure this out."

Buffy looked up. "Huh?"

"Well," Pike said, "about five months ago, I ran into this guy, dressed real bad-ass, you know? But really, pretty tame, except he was a crack shot with ranged weapons. Not as good as me, but then, he doesn't have a nifty magic eye."

Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, he told me that not all demons can be killed by decapitation, or the normal means, whatever. Gave me a card with his cell phone number, and said if I needed help knowing how to kill something, to give him a call. Now, how I was supposed call him in the middle of a fight is beyond me, but. He seemed to know what he was talking about."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, no harm in trying."

Pike stood and went over to the Magic Box's phone and dialed.

"Hey," he said into the phone. "Yeah, it's Pike. Right, Seattle. Yeah. No, I got a favor. No, I think I've got all the back up I can handle, thanks though. Yeah. Information if you got it. Uh huh. Oh you are? Oh, that's great. He pay well? Oh. Yeah, I suppose that would. Uh huh. Right. Yes. The Mother. No, that's right. Witch lady. Yeah, we know, but there's some evidence she might not be dead. Uh huh. Right. Oh, you can call this number, pretty much anybody who answers the phone will be interested. Okay."

Pike read off the phone number, said goodbye and hung up. "He'll get back to us," Pike said.

"What's great?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, he got a solid job doing this type of work. Doesn't pay a lot, but it keeps him off the road and in the books, which is what he really likes."

"Cool," Buffy said.

"No," Faith said to Giles as they came up from the storeroom in the basement. "The newt eyes sell better, even if salamander are cheaper. People just think there's something more special about 'em."

"Not that I mind, as it does mean we have better profits, but some people are just snobs these days," Giles said. "Salamander eyes are a perfectly good substitute, they have exactly the same effect."

Faith shrugged. "What can I say, G. People got a thing about tradition."

"Odd," Buffy said. "He's usually the one talking about tradition."

"Any progress?" Giles asked.

"None," said Buffy, indicating the pile of books. "None of these have anything about the Mother, but Pike called some guy he knows, who's gonna call us back if he finds anything."

"Excellent," Giles said. "Well, you can all go home now, if you wish. There's not much more to be done."

Buffy and Faith exchanged a look.

"You're sending us home?" Buffy asked. "When there's research to be done? Who are you, and what have you done with Giles?"

"What?" Giles said. "I merely thought you might want the night off."

"I don't buy it," Faith said. "What've you really got going on?"

"What?" Giles asked. "I don't have anything going on."

He convinced nobody.

"Fine, fine. If you must know, I have am meeting a friend for drinks tonight."

"You have a date?" Buffy asked, incredulously.

"Way to go, Jeeves," said Faith.

"Brit-guy gettin' it on," Pike said.

"I can't believe you have a date!" Buffy said.

"Why? Am I not supposed to have a social life?" Giles asked.

"No!" said Buffy. "Because you're very, very old, and it's gross."

"Ah, come on, B. Let the old man have some fun," said Faith.

"I am not that old, thank you," Giles said. "However, I do like the fun aspect of that."

"Yeah, you sound like a partier," said Pike.

"Now, now," Faith said. "Let's not pick on him. Let's take the night off gratefully and run."

"I like your plan," Buffy said, quickly gathering her things. "Bye Giles, have fun on your date!"

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End Chapter 13