A/N: Hello to all of our readers! Sorry it has been awhile since our last update, due to college and work schedules we were not able to update as quick. So please stay tuned for more updates they will be getting more frequent we promise. Again thank you to all that are reading this story. Now on with the next Chapter. Toodles Ya'll!!!!

Chapter 4

Buffy Summers stood in the kitchen of her Rome apartment with her cold coffee in her hands. Her thoughts directed towards Faith. Her mind working over-time and multi-tasking as she was figuring who would want to abduct her. Faith's well being foremost on her mind.

The time was 10:23 p.m. A little over twenty-four hours had passed since the abduction. An act that shook the Watcher Council and the Slayer Army to the core. Faith was one of them. A statement that Buffy was proud to admit.

If anyone had told her that she would be this concerned over the rogue slayer before their climactic battle at the Hellmouth, she never would had believed them. She would have written them off as suffering from wishful thinking.

Over the three years, the bond between Buffy and Faith had strengthened. She never would have believed that anyone could truly change as Buffy had seen Faith accomplish. She was proud of her, and ever more proud that Faith had accepted the offer of being Buffy's number one slayer. Whenever Buffy was away from operations in Rome, Faith always filled in.

As Faith's abduction was still fresh, she could not imagine what Faith was being put through. She would no doubt question her decision on bringing Faith into the mix if anything was to go wrong, but Faith knew the dangers, but that was the worst scenario. The best scenario would have Faith being rescued and they would all save the day. Just like they always did, but even Buffy had wondered when their luck would run out.

No, I can't think like that, she said in her mind as she tossed the cold coffee in the porcaclin sink and forgetting to wash the coffee down with water. No doubt Dawn would get on to her for that, but she wasn't thinking about stains. Her thoughts were on something far more important.

Dawn looked away from her laptop screen as she sat cross-legged at the living room's central oak coffee table as she felt her back stiffening from her research that she had been scrolling through. The time on her laptop screen said it was 7:12 the last time she looked. Now it was three hours later. Time flies when you're in a critical situation.

Standing up, she looked as her sister poured the coffee down the sink. She knew she would forget about rinsing the coffee down before it stained. The little sister always had to remind her of that but she would let it fly this time as she approached the kitchen when Buffy found out that there was no more coffee.

Buffy sighed as she started to put another pot on as Dawn watched silently.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a Sunkist.

"Fine," she replied as her mind was elsewhere.

"Want to go t the café around the corner? They've got this new frapacciano I've wanted to try. And you've been in this kitchen for four hours."

"I've got to be by the phone."

"It's called a cell phone. Welcome to the 21st century."

Dawn thought back to the last time when she saw her sister moping around, Spike's death. She never thought she would get out of her room, but she had little choice. The whole leader of the new Slayer army responsibility helped her control her mourning.

And let's not forget a certain individual called the Immortal. What Buffy saw in him Dawn and everyone else in the Scooby Gang couldn't figure out.

A light bulb ignited in her mind. Buffy was acting like they got word that they had found Faith's body in a ditch some where. This wasn't like her.

"What do you say? My treat?"

"Another time, Dawn. Thanks."

"What' wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look like you've given up hope on getting Faith back. This isn't like you. You weren't even like this when I ran into that trouble a year ago."

Buffy looked away from the coffee machine that she hated. All the digital options on the machine. Everything a going high tech these day. Buffy hated technology.

"You ever think our luck's ever going to run out?"

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked puzzled as she emerged from the fridge with a carton of chocolate ice cream.

"We've gone against the armies of hell, been through numerous apocalypses. We've lost a few friends in the battle. I've just been wondering when our luck's going to run out."

"I don't know, sis'. But we'll get Faith back. We've always gotten through the toughest scrapes. We always will."

"I hope your right."

Dawn went over to the cabinet and removed two bowls. "If I can't buy you coffee, how about ice cream?"

A smile broke out on Buffy's face. A smile that Dawn had missed.

"Sure," Buffy said as she took a seat at the bar next to Dawn as the telephone rang from the living room. Both their hearts jumped as they both feared bad news.

Buffy's soft heart-felt smile faded away as she entered the living room with Dawn behind her. The telephone ringing on the coffee table next to Dawn's laptop.

Taking a breath, Buffy activated the speakerphone. "Hello?"

"Buffy, this is Andrew."

"What have you found out? Anything?"

"We know for sure that whoever took Faith is heading to LA."

"Why? What's in LA?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Dawnie. But I've got in touch with Angel and-----the others. I'm on my way now to the airport we will be taking off shortly after I arrive and be on our way to Rome where we'll whisk you away in the luxurious Watcher airline."

"We'll be ready. I'll notify the gang."

"See you in a few hours. Ta'ta."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Andrew was a peculiar character if ever she had seen one.

"Who are we taking?"

"You're not going."

"I'm sorry? I don't think I heard you right. It sounded like you said I wasn't going."

"I want you in Rome."

"And I'm going. You may be the slayer general, and my older sister, but I'm going."

"We don't know what's involved with Faith's abduction. We don't know what we're walking into."

"And you'll need everyone, don't try to protect me."

Buffy sat on the arm of the sofa that she thought totally clashed with the interior décor of the living room but never got around to shop for another one. Shopping. Something she hadn't done in years.

"You, Willow, Xander, Giles, Andrew and I've assigned Shane and Kelli. They're the top of their class. They're the only ones that can handle whatever this is we're walking into."

"Sounds fun," Dawn smirked. "I'll get everyone---."

The sound of a knock on the oak-wooden door distracted Dawn's thoughts as Buffy stood up and walked the few steps to answer the door. Standing at the front door: Willow, and Xander who had been her best friends since high school at Sunnydale. Giles stood next them who had been a mentor and a father to her. Shane and Kelli stood with their duffel bags over their shoulder. They were the best and brightest of the Slayers that Buffy and Faith had been training since organizing the Slayer army.

"I guess you heard?" Buffy asked as she noticed that everyone had bags.

"When did you find out?" Willow asked as she noticed there weren't any packed bags in the living room.

"Sixty seconds ago."

"Yes, well Andrew has never been the punctual type," Giles spoke as he placed his bags on the floor.

"Andrew, not punctual?" Xander smirked, "No way!"

"We'll be ready in a minute," Buffy announced as she and Dawn stepped away towards their room. The Scooby Gang taking up in the living room as Xander grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Scrolling through the station guide until falling upon the only thing that interested him. Despite the several hundred stations.

"Hey, its Star Wars," Xander stated as the scene taking place was when Master Yoda was showing everyone why he was called a master. "And it's in Italian! Wow!"

Willow rolled her eyes as she headed towards the kitchen. Shane and Kelli went over to the window seat conversing with them obviously feeling like the outcasts. The group they were associated with were one of the few that had fought to save the world and succeeded.

"Really?" Giles said as he sat next to Xander. "I never saw this before."

"You never saw Attack of the Clones?" Xander said in awe. "What is wrong with you? And you call yourself a fan. Shame! Shame on you!"

"Yes well, there was that little thing: endless threat of evil conquering the world. Nothing big."

"It's great. Lot better than 1. Not as good as the original."

"I indeed enjoyed the original. They had soul. These, have computer effects."

"Yeah well, creativity is rare these days. Fanfiction can be better that what rolls out in Hollywood"

Giles looked away from Star Wars as he looked around the room. Appreciating the calm before the inevitable storm.