"They all know we're here, but what are we going to do? I'm not exactly useful plan girl," Willow asked, glancing nervously at Xander.

Xander placed his hand on the small of her back. "Don't worry, Will. We have two Slayers and a souled-vampire on our team. There's got to be a prophecy about that somewhere."

Willow smiled tentatively. They had been through a lot; she would've thought it would get easier over time, but it didn't.

"They're not going to do anything until they hear from me, though. That's what I kinda told them," she said.

"Someone's got to do something." Xander looked further into the cavern. "Now being a good time, since pucker face doesn't seem to be around at the moment."

"She's going to be mad."

"Who?" Xander asked, obviously confused.

"Faith."

XXXXX

"Faith?"

Faith jumped. Some people listen so well.

"What now?"

"You need to make the first move."

"Which would be what exactly?"

"You need to distract them so Spike can get Buffy out."

Faith laughed aloud… quietly.

"And I thought it was going to be something tough."

"Do you know what to do or how to do it?"

Faith wasn't sure, but she thought she could actually sense Willow starting to panic.

"Willow, being a distraction, not a stretch for me. Don't worry, I'll think of something."

"I'll let the others know."

Willow was gone.

Faith knew it this time; she didn't even need to ask. She hadn't realized it before, but right before Willow's telepathy kicked in, there was a slight tingling in her brain that spread out, running rampant through her entire body.

"Not so bad the second time," Faith mumbled as she made her way towards the main cavern.

Peeking around the corner, Faith saw that Buffy was still in the cage. Spike had to be close by, him being the one to bust her out and all. Willow and Xander were in the main entrance's tunnel. From what Faith could tell, there were only five or six undead guys lurking around the main cavern. She couldn't see any others, but she could sense them.

Six vamps? She could take on six of them.

Faith looked in the pillowcase and checked out her stash. Gas lantern. That gave her some ideas. She took out the lantern and snatched the lighter from her pocket. The lantern's glow soon illuminated the area around her.

Faith then grabbed the remaining stakes from the pillowcase and tossed it to the floor. There should be plenty of stakes; at least she hoped there were.

"Now or never," she said.

Faith crept into the cavern, sticking to the outlying shadows. She still hadn't spotted Spike. Buffy was still in the cage, glancing around nervously from time to time. B had to be waiting for something to happen and Faith was that something.

Faith knew their reveal connection was long gone, but still, she felt connected to Buffy. She didn't know the real reason why, although Faith had her suspicions. The fact that they both were Slayers; the fact that they had known each other for so long. How about that one time they had switched places, remnants of that? Spike… why did she go there? She so didn't want to go there, especially now. Thank God she and Angel had never done the deed… that would be too bizarre even for Faith to deal with. Faith stopped in her tracks. She was thinking of sex? Now of all times? Why the hell not? If she was going out, she was going on a happy thought… she grinned, a very, very, very happy thought.

"Uh, Faith?"

Faith jumped. She thought the warm-n-fuzzy feeling was from her daydreaming; now she wasn't so sure. Total wiggage was taking over.

"How long have you been here?"

Faith heard Willow giggle. This couldn't be good.

"Not too long. Just a second or so. I stopped listening after Angel… can I add a 'Eww' by the way?"

"Willow after today? No more in my head… you could get hurt in there."

"Seeing your point."

"What did you want?"

"Just making sure you're okay. Been kinda quiet."

"'I've been busy."

"Yea, I noticed."

"Willow…"

"Going now."

Faith saw that a group of demons had gathered directly outside Buffy's cage. Her best bet was to take out as many as she could as fast as she could. Toasting a group would be the best way to go. Too bad they had to be so close to B. She was trying to take focus off the cage, not bring it under closer scrutiny.

"Damn it," she said, working her way further into the cavern, and then her luck changed.

Faith noticed another group emerging from a tunnel from the farthest side of the cavern. The Master wasn't with them. They could make a nice distraction.

Faith maneuvered herself closer to them, holding the lantern behind her back, trying to keep the light to a minimum. She wished that she hadn't lit it so soon, but it was done and she'd need to deal. There was no going back now.

"Anyone need a light?" she asked as she flung the lantern into the group of demons. First, two went up in flames. By the time the others caught on, they'd already, well, caught on. It was a flame induced domino effect that wound up being a pile of ash.

"Thought you might," Faith said as she made her way to the vamps that had gathered around Buffy's cage. So much for not making her the center of attention. "Sorry, B," she yelled. "Was supposed to get them away, not bring them to you."

"Just get me the hell out of here," Buffy said, glancing around nervously.

"'Spect I can help with that," Spike said, coming out from his hiding place.

"Us too," chimed Willow.

Faith could see Willow's lips moving. A ball of flame was quick to appear on her hand.

"Careful where you aim those things," Faith yelled as she made her way closer to the cage containing Buffy.

"Not a problem," Willow said, the concentration evident in her voice.

Spike beat Faith to the cage. "Ready to get out of there, love?" he asked Buffy, gripping the lock.

"More than," Buffy said. "I don't know if you'll be able to break…"

Spike snapped the lock in two, opening the door. "As you were saying?" he said with a mischievous grin.

"Nothing," she said, jumping out. "I was saying nothing."

"B," Faith yelled, tossing her a stake.

Faith couldn't tell how many vamps they had dusted. Willow was toasting them left and right; B was taking out more than Faith had ever seen her do; Spike was holding his ground too. After the tenth one Faith had dusted, she stopped counting. They just kept coming. Faith went on auto-slayage.

"Didn't we just do this?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Faith," Buffy yelled. "Less talking." She took out another vamp. "More slaying."

Faith laughed. "It's what I do best, B."

She wasn't sure how long they had fought, but the vamps numbers began to dwindle. Faith knew they wouldn't have stood a chance without Willow's magic. She could take out a gang of them in record time.

"Okay, mojo maybe not a bad thing," Faith said.

"What?" Spike asked, his vampire hearing picking up her every word.

"Not important," Faith said, taking out the last vamp that was close to her. She glanced around, noting that there weren't anymore she could see. "Anyone else find this weird or just me?" she asked.

"This can't be good," Xander muttered.

"Where'd they all go?" Willow asked.

"How can they all be gone? Where's The Master?" Buffy asked as she walked towards Faith. "This was too easy. No way The Master would let us get away."

"We're not away yet," Spike said. "Granted, not making much sense that we've got this comfy place to ourselves, but we're not out yet."

"What we didn't dust, took off," Buffy said. "That's the only thing that makes sense."

"Don't think they so much took off," Spike began. "We just didn't get any new joiners."

"What now?" Faith asked, but she knew what B was going to say before she even said it.

"We need to find The Master. Finish this once and for all. Make sure he doesn't come back." Buffy said with conviction in her voice, "Again."

"How you suggest we do that?" Xander asked.

"There is no we," Buffy said. "You and Willow are leaving. Not taking any chances with The Master. Faith, Spike and I will stay here and take care of it."

"Buffy," Willow said. "I can help. So can Xander. We're not leaving you."

Faith hopped up into the cage and sat down, her legs swinging back and forth, watching the scene unfold. She wondered how many times this group had this same conversation? Probably too many times to even mention.

"Will, I can't fight him and protect you at the same time," Buffy pleaded.

"Ah, Buff. In case you hadn't noticed, we did okay," Xander said. "It may be The Master you're dealing with again, but it's like a decade later and Will and I have learned a few things since then."

Faith could see the realization dawn on Buffy's face. She wasn't sure, but she suspected Buffy had reverted, if only briefly, to the teenage girl who had faced The Master alone.

"He's got a point, B. They did hold their own," Faith said. "Not sure about you, but when I'm dealing with the baddies, I'd rather have more people helping out than not." Faith stopped. Did she just actually admit she like working with them? She quickly continued, hoping no one had noticed. "Besides, we don't even know how many are left. The Master is going to be a threat himself, can't deny that, but what if he has like a hundred bodyguards? Little Miss Light My Fire will come in real handy about then."

"Little Miss Light My Fire." Willow snorted. "Xander she just called me Little Miss Light My Fire."

Xander looked at Willow and then quickly glanced back towards Faith. "Its okay Faith... not needing to know what you call me."

Faith smiled wickedly. "Are you sure?"

"More than sure," Xander said. "So more than sure I can't even see sure anymore. Sure is some teeny-tiny dot," he pointed, "way over there."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, redirecting the conversation to the more serious side of hanging out. "Not sure what I was thinking." She looked around the room and met each of their gazes individually. "You can handle yourselves can't you? Okay, we need a plan."

Faith wondered if Buffy had even heard any of the lighter conversation the rest of them were having, but she didn't ask. Faith could take a hint, well, when she wanted to.

"Surprisingly enough, B," Faith began. "I may actually have a plan." Faith saw the surprised look on everyone's face. Everyone except for Spike. He had seen Faith execute plans she had come up with and successfully too, she might add. Wouldn't be the first time he would tell her to go with her gut. She just hoped he wouldn't say it out loud. Faith couldn't help it. When B was around, B was in charge. It just worked out that way.

Faith jumped down off the cage and turned to Buffy. "Can you sense him? Can you tell where he is?" She couldn't actually see where The Master was; it was more of a feeling. Somehow Faith knew which tunnel to take and which direction to go to find him. She was hoping B had the same vibe.

Buffy stared unseeingly, not saying anything. Faith was wondering if she was ever going to answer.

"I can," she finally said. Buffy turned towards the tunnel where the previous group of vamps had come through. "He's down that way. Not far either from what I can tell." She turned back towards Faith. "Is that what you feel too?"

Faith smiled. "Damn straight, B. We must live right; someone's showing us the way. What we do when we get there... that's something else." Faith motioned for all of them to come closer.

Using a stake, she began drawing her plan in the sand.

Once everyone knew their part; and once she made sure that no one had any questions, they set off for one last time; to the heart of the hellmouth; for one last hurrah against The Master.

They hoped.