Note: This is the start of the end, if that makes sense. Thanks to all who have stuck with this. I hate when people start fics and don't finish them. This will be finished!

Chapter Thirty-One -- Three, Not Two

Faith sat in the middle of the roadway, looking at the two dead demons Connor had eliminated. Their cycles lay at the side of the road. If just one of them worked. She staggered over to the first, noticing its tires were shredded. The second one, she lifted up and tried to start.

"Dammit, just start."

"Lost cause, Faith," Wesley said behind her. "Demons must not have swerved as I did. Sorry I . . . ."

"Damn, Wes. If you say you're sorry one more time, we're gonna have words."

Faith was testy, and she knew it. She had every right to be. Wesley just sighed and turned away.

"I need your help," he called as he started back down the hill. His voice sounded hollow, defeated. Maybe he was in shock. She followed him down to the SUV. Dawn still lay on the backseat, Connor tending to her.

"Wes. Let me look at your arm." Wesley stepped back out of her reach. "It might be broken."

"The wrist is. Don't worry, I can take care of it." He quickly moved away from her.

Faith gathered up the weapons to load them into a backpack. She grabbed her jacket and tied it around her waist.

"How much ammo do we have left?" she called to Wesley.

"Not much," Wesley groaned as he put his arm in a makeshift sling, which he was having a hard time tying.

Faith walked over to help, but he jerked away. "What is your deal? Let me help."

Wesley had a way of looking at Faith that said "back off". She'd only seen it a couple of times since she'd known him. He had that expression, so she did as she was told.

"Yeah. I'll pack whatever is left."

She nervously walked around, gathering the weapons and thrusting them into a backpack. Wesley was doing the same with some food and water.

"Hey, kid. Doing OK?" Connor just nodded, not taking his eyes off of Dawn. "Make sure you grab her jacket. It'll get cold later."

"Let's move," Wesley said to the others.

Faith helped Connor place Dawn over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Tell me when you need a break. I'm good to go."

"Thanks, Faith," Connor acknowledged. She helped Connor maneuver up the hill to the road.

"Should be another six miles or so," Wesley told them, voice still with no emotion.

Faith looked around at the scene of carnage. She saw the smoke in the distance from the gas station. They must have been twenty, thirty miles from it now. And all they had was a measly six miles to go. Connor started walking past the semi in the roadway. He didn't turn back to see if they would follow.

"Why didn't you tell me we were so close?" Faith asked Wesley as they started walking. She stepped over the two demons without a thought.

"I didn't think it mattered."

"We could have made it there with the gas we had. We didn't need to stop."

Wesley whirled around and glared at her. "What, and have us arrive there and something go wrong, like say your transmitter not working or any number of scenarios. I didn't want to be stranded."

"Don't you trust me?"

"It's not you I don't trust."

"Then what, huh?"

"Faith, everything that could go wrong in the past six months has for me. We couldn't afford to be stuck."

"So you almost get yourself fried and Dawn gets shot. Just for a little gas."

"You're not looking at the big picture," Wesley started to turn around to walk again.

"You need to tell me things, so I can be prepared. I don't like being left in the dark."

"I didn't leave you out in the dark."

"Then next time tell me your plan."

"There wasn't a plan other than to get there. I just don't like being blindsided."

Faith grabbed a hold of his good arm, which he promptly jerked away. She felt in that instant the considerable amount of pain he was in, felt it in her wrist, her arm. The pain shot all the way down her body. He walked to catch up with Connor.

Faith threw her arms up in despair. The man could test the patience of a saint. Since she wasn't one, well it was much easier to get under her skin. Then she stopped. A thought went through her head, going over the scene of the crash on the roadway. Two demons. There should be three. She took off at a run to catch up with the others.

"Connor, how many demons did you kill?" she asked as she jogged up to him.

"Two. Why?"

"One more out there."

"We'll travel through the woods. It'll give us some cover." Wesley pointed to the side of the road.

"What did you mean by blindsided, Wes?" Faith questioned him as they stomped through the woods at the side of the road. "Do you mean what's happened between us?"

"Not every day a watcher gets linked physically and mentally with a slayer."

"No. I would say never. But, hey, not my fault here."

Wesley quieted for a moment. Oh God, she hated it when he thought out every response. At least if he was spontaneous, he'd say his true feelings, not speak with his mind.

"No. I do not believe that this was your fault at all. It's just frustrating."

"We'll crack the books when we get out of this mess. Figure out how to stop it or cure it or whatever."

The woods were getting a little denser alongside the road. Connor marched onward, expression grim.

"What if we can't reverse it? Stop it, I mean." The watcher was worried?

"Then we'll go from there. We haven't crossed that bridge just yet. Don't get your panties all in a bunch."

"We'll see."

"Oh, and Wes?"

"Yes."

"I can take the pain."

"I didn't want to burden you with it." He still hadn't moved any closer though.

They made good time, even though they stopped several times to check on Dawn. Unfortunately Faith couldn't physically carry Dawn since the girl was much taller than she was. Faith was strong enough, but the height caused a problem. So Connor had to bear the burden alone. Wesley wanted to, but Connor declined.

"We within a few miles yet, Wes?" Faith inquired as they stepped over logs.

"Should be close. But wait until we are because . . . ."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Something could go wrong. And I thought that I was paranoid."

When they were within two miles by Wesley's guess, he signaled her to switch it on. She did and it flashed on and off green instead of red.

"Did they describe where you were supposed to meet?"

"Not exactly. There should be a big field when we get there. Big enough for a helicopter to land."

They trudged on for another hour, noticing the sun setting.

"Should be around here somewhere."

"Let's keep going. It'll appear." Faith was the one who spotted it first. And it didn't happen but two minutes later.

"Connor, let's set Dawn here, under cover of the brush. Take a look at her leg."

Connor gently set Dawn on the ground. She was still unconscious, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. It just scared Faith that the girl was so still. Dawn was never this still. Wesley gave Dawn the once-over, nodding to Connor along the way.

"Where was your rescue coming from?" Wesley asked her as he sat down on a rock next to her.

"Fort something or other, in Colorado. That's the forward base of operations. I have no way of knowing exactly what they're sending to pick us up. Just to be ready. Want me to look at that arm now?"

"No. I'll live."

"Listen, my watcher. We'll figure this out if that's what you're worried about."

Faith wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel his skin beneath hers. She just wished she was a better mind reader than he was so she could figure out what to do next with him.

"No, you don't," Wesley pointed out.

"How are you doing that? We're not even touching."

"Don't know. And I can't turn it off. It's getting worse."

TBC