Chapter 6

The gang scoured the town looking frantically for Willow as the mayor sat laughing. He had a large screen in his room witch clearly depicted each of them as they searched. "So how is Angelus doing with our girl?" He said spinning the pointer till it rested on them.

He watched as Angelus goaded Willow into using her dark magic but the wiccan wasn't budging. He watched as Angelus struck her hard in the face then began retorting sexual innuendo's at her. "No no this just won't do, Faithie will be to pissed to do anything with if he rapes her. Rape is such a monstrous occurrence anyhow and I've always prided myself on the more high class version of evil deeds." He rose from his comfortable seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stopped suddenly in a cemetery. "Angelus is here, I know his presence anywhere." She said at the same time as Tara said, "Willow is near."

This brought back pained memories for both girls of their respective lovers of course Buffy despised Angelus with a passion but him being in the same body as Angelus always made her hesitate, something she couldn't do this time she vowed if Willow was in danger.

Twenty vampires lunged at them both. "Oh God, Tara run!" Buffy shouted swinging the non-glowing scythe at them.

"I'm not leaving you here! You are a slayer but this is to many." Tara shouted back sidestepping one but being grabbed by another.

"A slayer is the key word!" Anya shouted from out of nowhere stripping Buffy of the scythe and throwing it to Faith who zinged it through the air cutting off two vampire heads straight away.

As the gang fought feverishly minus Xander and Anya who spent their time trying to protect one another Tara couldn't help but make a mental note as to how the scythe seemed to come to life in Faith's hands as she dusted one vampire after another. Buffy was doing well but Faith was killing two to her one.

Tara stepped back out of the battle as Buffy disappeared into a crypt leaving Faith to handle the remaining few vamps. "Anya," she looked at her questioningly.

"We've all got some talking to do." Anya said cryptically ducking from a near fatal blow by the last vampire. The scythe shot passed her head by about a quarter inch and dusted him. "That way," Tara said amazed at this weapon and what it did when in Faith's hands.

Faith raced into the crypt and through a dug out tunnel that she knew Buffy had gone through. She came to a door that looked to be in the floor of a badly built room and heard yelling.

Buffy and Angelus were in heated battle already when she burst in. Willow looked at her putting up her hands. She had been verbally beaten down by Angelus and the threat of how he was going to have her made it worse.

Angelus managed to get Buffy off her feet long enough to turn menacingly towards Faith. "Oh it's just you, the second rate slayer." He laughed in mock tone kicking Buffy in the chin for good measure. "You see all I had to do was make her think I was Angel for one split second. That makes you both second rate." He clapped his hands as she gave him an icy cold stare and Willow knew then he'd been lying to her.

The mayor entered the room swiftly. "Angelus, there is a big difference between you and I. You are into torture for fun. I am into planning carefully for the advancement of my cause." He looked over at Faith. "You made your bed Angelus when you threatened to rape her."

He stepped back knowing that should be enough to do it. To push Faith into the old rages he so enjoyed. He had no use for the vampire anymore plus just couldn't handle the thoughts of rape. Angelus, he decided, was pure sadistic which was a very different term than evil in his mind.

Faith jumped at him quickly. He countered with a fist to the stomach as Buffy stood now next to Willow and the mayor made a hasty retreat to watch from a more safe distance with certainty that if Angel came back out he'd remember nothing but the evil deed Angelus almost did to Willow.

"You know the hurt Faith's stomach deal is old!" She yelled fisting him in the face. He then tried a kick with the heel of his boot but she caught him in midair slamming him tot he ground kicking him in the side of the face then raising the scythe.

His eyes went wide when he saw the glowing weapon. He was transfixed on it then his body began to shake and tremble as Cordy entered the room. "Faith!" She yelled trying to get the slayer's attention.

"It's Angel!" Buffy yelled.

As the blood tears fell from his eyes Faith lowered the scythe stepping back to allow Cordy to go to him. "What the hell is this thing?" She asked after a few minutes of silence minus Cordy trying to calm her love down.

"It's some mystical thing that is supposed to help the slayer." Angel spat out trying to stop his crying. "Willow," Willow just hugged the broody vampire letting him know she understood as Buffy slipped out to tell the others what had happened.

"I don't know how you did that with that thing but maybe you care for me and willed it so strong that it made it happen." Angel said blinking his big eyes. He knew that wasn't true but couldn't help but tease his favorite redeemed slayer.

Willow however was struck hard by it because of what Angelus had told her and began to think maybe it was true. "C, you got your man, get him home we can clean the rest of this evil shit up." She took Willow's hand and ushered her out.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone was bunking at Buffy's house that night. It had been a long rough day to say the least and nerves were on edge. "We need to have a discussion about that scythe." Giles said promptly as everyone else was trying to relax with snacks and drinks.

"Giles that can wait," Anya said thoughtfully. "It's been a rough day for Willow and she probably needs some rest."

"Yeah I think she's right for once." Xander chimed in.

She did need rest yes but her mind couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Did Faith care for her? Was she evil or was she really after Tara. She had decided on the first but her ever-turning wheels made her run through it time and time again.

"I think we've all got several unresolved issues," Buffy added. "We need a fresh day to begin dealing with it all." She glanced at her best friend as she spoke knowing what must be running through her mind.

~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Tara stayed in Buffy's room that night. Nothing major happened but talk of Willow and how they both were proud of her. They both had realized Willow was beating the dark magic so far and doing it well. She had ample opportunity to use it tonight but did not. Tara also realized after Buffy pointed it out that maybe Willow loved her to much and that love, when she feared a problem with the two of them, fueled the magic. It was a sad conclusion, one that tore at Tara's soul so Buffy held her the rest of the night after they shared their first real kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith sat with Willow planning to do so till she fell asleep. The slayer wanted to be with her, to show her support and love but knew it would be to uncomfortable so had put that thought out of her mind. "Red, you know what?"

"What?" Willow said as Faith broke away from a mutual embrace.

"I'm so proud of you for beating the magic tonight." Willow's face lit up instantly. seeing as no one had ever expressed that to her before but Tara and certainly not over this.

"Faith?" Willow said in one of her high pitched tones that was so quiet you had to be a slayer to hear it.

"Yeah Red?" Faith stopped her walk to the door.

"I'm so proud of you for the changes you've made in your life and I'm so falling for you." Faith now was smiling too as she went back tot he bed, kissed Willow gently then snuggled in beside her where she hopped to be for a long time to come.