A/N: I managed to get this chapter done earlier than I planned, so here it is! Thanx to; rubi-elektra, adpi24, Celestria16, Freezyboncoolipants, Angelscribe, AraelMoonchild, ms trick, kori hime, Mizia, samica, hells child, fischer girl, Moluvsnumber17, malfeus, aphelant, Kari Mouke, Hieiko, Spike the Dragon, Bunny, Lozza, Moonglow13, Rachel, Bridget, vee, Willow Fireheart, MaidenRo, Spuffyluvr, helaine, Ann, Semajyrrah, for the reviews. I am still totally stunned that this fic is so popular, but of course I am so totally grateful for the support of those that are reading - you guys are great! :-) Now here's the next chapter...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 6

"I can't believe this is happening" said Buffy as she strode down the street towards Giles' apartment. Spike was amazed at how fast the Slayer could move when she put her mind to it, especially in her present condition. He was only glad he didn't have to breathe because at this speed he didn't think an ordinary human being would cope.

"So, this Faith bird" he asked tentatively, "Is she tough?"

Buffy really hadn't said much after her phone conversation with Giles, mostly just that her mother shouldn't worry and that she'd fix it like she always did, but in the mean time to keep the doors and windows bolted and not let anyone into the house. Spike felt totally out of the loop, since he barely knew anything about the Rogue Slayer and all of Buffy's attention was understandably on Joyce.

"She's worse than tough" the blond Slayer replied flatly, "She's psychotic" she continued, not breaking her stride, even when she added, "and she wants me dead"

The vampire stopped walking then, even when she kept accelerating away. There was a deranged woman out there, gunning for Buffy, not a demon or an otherworldly force, a human woman. If they turned around the very next corner and found Faith there, she might kill her sister-Slayer and the unborn child within her, and all Spike could do was stand and watch her die.

"Are you coming or not?" Buffy stopped and turned back, calling to him to 'move his ass if he was coming with her'. For a moment he stopped and stared, trying to identify a strange feeling he was getting inside of him. Somewhere in his gut and also in his chest, a tightening, he was sure it'd be more worrying if he was alive, but even undead he was confused by it.

'Buffy and her child could die' that was the thought he'd had right before it happened, 'they could die and I can't stop it' his mind sang again, the strange feeling cutting deeper. If the man with the demon within didn't know better he'd say it was fear and loathing at the idea of these two beings deaths.

"Fine, I'll go alone" he heard Buffy huff before she disappeared around the corner. After a moments hesitation he ran after her, but as he turned the corner he found she wasn't there. That strange fear-pain was back, mostly where his un-beating heart resided. Where the bleedin' hell was the Slayer?!

On the breeze he caught her scent and tried to figure out where she was. Off to the side was a park, and Spike sensed Buffy had gone that way...but why? The Watchers apartment was straight down the next road. Confusion made the vampire angry. He liked to know what was going on, liked to be in control of the situation. Tonight was getting decidedly out of hand.

"Slayer?" he called, crossing over the road and trying to find her. Through some bushes, round a couple of trees, trying to sense which way she'd gone from here, but the scent seemed to be leading him round in circles.

"Lookin' for me?" said a voice behind him suddenly and he spun around to find Buffy leaning on a tree behind him, arms folded over her chest and a smile on her face.

"What bloody game are you playing here, Slayer?" he complained, angrily, "Lead Spike a merry bloody dance?" he guessed.

"Spike" she repeated his name slowly as she looked him up and down in a way he was sure he'd never seen her do before, a lot of other girls had looked at him that way but never Buffy - he wasn't entirely comfortable with it right now.

"Are you feeling alright luv?" Spike asked, taking a step forward and reaching out a hand to feel her head for a fever. She stepped back sharply.

"I'm fine" she snapped, "Just keep your hands off me"

"Okay" Spike drew out the word, "Like I'd wanna touch you that way anyway" he said grumpily as he walked past her and made to cross back over the road, "Must be a bloody hormones thing" he said to himself as he looked back over his shoulder and realised Buffy wasn't following him but instead looking herself over, as if she'd never seen her own body before!

"Are we headed to your Watcher's digs or not?" he complained, "I thought you wanted the 411 on this Faith bint?"

"Oh yeah, sure" she smiled uncertainly as she crossed over the street to walk beside the vampire.

- - - - - - - -

"Buffy, thank heaven" Giles sighed in relief as he opened the front door to find his Slayer there, he was less thrilled to see Spike at her side, "and Spike, why on Earth are you here?"

"Seems you got yourself some trouble, Rupes" he smirked annoyingly as he followed Buffy into the Watcher's home, "Figured my services might be required...for a reasonable fee of course" he added as a sort of after-thought. Truly he found he just wanted to be there for Buffy, but no-one needed to know that, not even her.

Xander scooched himself and Anya over on the couch to make room for his best friend. Giles took the far chair and Willow remained in the other, leaving Spike to hover in the background as usual.

"So, what's the big deal with Faith?" Buffy shrugged and Willow frowned slightly at her attitude.

"Buffy, she could do anything" the red-head panicked, "She's dangerous and she almost killed you before"

"Yeah, she did, didn't she?" there was a strange look on her face as she seemed to zone out and come back within a few moments, Spike noticed more than the others seemed to, "Of course we have to stop her, she's bad and dangerous and we can't risk you guys getting hurt"

"It's okay, Buff" Xander put a hand over hers, "We can stop her, we always stop the badness" he assured her, "We'll ride her bad-ass right out of town, no problem"

"Wouldn't be the first time you took a ride with Faith, would it Xan?" she replied with a smirk, shocking the entire room.

"Buffy!" Willow gasped at the words as soon as they'd fallen from her friends lips, as the Slayer herself tried not to giggle at her joke. Giles was about to speak, in an attempt to bring the conversation back to the point, but he didn't get the chance.

"Xander what is she talking about?" Anya exploded, getting to her feet, "Have you had sex with the other Slayer?" she demanded to know and Spike couldn't help but smirk as the boy squirmed in his seat.

"Ahn, I..." he began but the ex-demon was already half way to the door, "Ahn! Anya!" he called after her to no avail as she strode out of the front door, leaving it swinging on it's hinges in her wake.

"Go after her Xan, we'll deal" Buffy told him, making no attempt to apologise for the upset she'd just caused. Xander nodded absently before running after his girlfriend, still calling her name.

"Now Buffy" Giles sighed as he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Between his unofficial Watcher-ly duties and being father figure to these often complex young people, Giles found he had an almost constant headache on occasion, "We need to have some sort of plan in place" he explained, "there really is no telling what Faith might do"

"Can't we just have her arrested?" Willow tried, "She's a criminal after all, a murderer"

"Police couldn't hold a Slayer, Red" Spike pointed out, pacing slightly behind the couch. That feeling was back in his chest, the one that meant he was worried about Buffy and the fact she might face death at the hands of this obnoxious little chit, Faith.

"Faith is very strong and cunning" Buffy nodded, "There's no way the cop's could deal...I'll have to take her out myself" she concluded, about to get up from the sofa when Spike's hand hit her shoulder and kept her down.

"You don't mean kill her, do you?" he asked, quite surprised by the switch in the Slayers attitude. Didn't her and her little Scooby Gang come down on the side of not killing the human beings? Of course these days he was forced to comply but that didn't mean he didn't still love the idea of snapping human necks and draining the life from the innocent - he was still evil after all!

"Of course I wouldn't kill her" Buffy back pedalled fast, as she looked around the group, "I just, I need to deal with her before she...ow!" her sentence was interrupted as a hand went to her stomach and she winced slightly.

"Is something wrong, Buffy?" Giles said worriedly as Willow moved to sit beside her friend, who now looked more puzzled than pained.

"I-I'm fine" she smiled once more, "Just gas I guess" she added none to delicately and Spike rolled his eyes. She wasn't the worlds best liar, that was for damn sure.

At this point the phone rang and Giles got up to answer, Spike taking the opportunity to steal his chair, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

He watched Willow fuss about Buffy and her get this look in her eyes as the red-head talked. He couldn't figure out what it was but something was not right about his Slayer... 'Woah, back up there!' he told himself, 'When the hell did she become your Slayer?!'

There wasn't time to wonder as Giles returned, barely noticing that his seat had been taken and walking around to sit in the other arm-chair.

"That was a contact of mine" he said, gesturing toward the phone and all eyes turned toward him, "he has, shall we say, connections to the police" meaning of course they weren't exactly legal connections, "anyway the fact is there was an anonymous call made earlier this evening, informing them of a sighting of Faith"

"So the police have got her?" Willow asked hopefully but Giles shook his head.

"Actually yes and no" he told them, "they found a young woman fitting her description in a park not far from here, she was unconscious and there was bruises...in short she's at the hospital but with police guards obviously"

"So, the Slayer here, she's still not safe?" Spike realised.

"It depends how badly injured Faith was, how sedated she might be, and how much security that have surrounding her" Giles sighed, polishing the lenses of his glasses, "but given past experience..."

"Our survey says" Buffy interrupted "show's not over"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : Still like it? Let me know! :-) I'll try to update again soon!