Disclaimer: I own Alexia, Aurelius, and Hope, the other's belong to Joss, and the cool kids.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Last time. . .our heroes were having some complications. . .well, at least Wesley was. Now, they're preparing for battle. Are they ready? Will sparks fly? Probably, but that could be the wiring and stuff, old wineries aren't really safe. I mean, uh. . .read on!

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Laying on the bed, Cordelia stroked her pregnant belly, absentmindedly. Thoughts were zooming through her head at the speed of light. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't have her friends meddling in her affairs, and Wesley was bound to figure something out sooner or later. Of course, if she could just keep them busy long enough, she would be able to have her baby, and then, there would be no stopping her.

"Hey, I brought you some ice cream, like you asked."

Looking up, she saw Connor standing in the doorway, a carton of double-chocolate ice cream in one hand, and a spoon in the other.

"Thanks, I was getting hungry."

"I know."

"How?"

"You're always cranky when you're hungry."

Smiling, Cordelia took a bite out of the ice cream. Poor Connor. She had to admit, the kid was easy to manipulate. After all, he didn't know what real love was, so, when Cordelia took notice of him, he thought nothing out of the ordinary, but rather jumped at the chance to please someone. After all, Daddy Angel didn't seem too thrilled with his son at the moment.

"What are they doing, downstairs?"

"Planning. That girl, Buffy, wants to attack the place where this First Evil is."

"She does?"

"Yeah, my dad and all the others are going."

"Aren't you?"

"I need to stay here, with you."

"No, you don't."

Looking up at Connor, Cordy could tell her sharp words had wounded him, and tried to make up for it by stroking his cheek.

"I mean, no, I'm fine here. The others need you more than me."

"But. . ."

"Connor, I wouldn't want anything to happen to those poor girls, because you weren't there to help protect them. I'd feel awful. Do you want me to feel awful?"

"No. . .I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about. . .I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay, you didn't understand. I love you, Connor, but I'll be fine."

Leaning in, she kissed him, softly, then stroked her stomach.

"You, and our baby."

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Downstairs, Buffy was withdrawing a sword from the weapons cabinet. A million thoughts raced through her mind, however. Was now the right time? Was she putting these girls in danger? Why did she question herself, so much? Wasn't the Slayer just supposed to know? Faith always seemed like she knew the right answers. Of course, Faith had been in trouble so often, Buffy knew better than to assume all of Faith's decisions were correct.

"Are you okay?"

Looking up, she discovered Wesley had come into the basement, and apparently, her face was showing a little too much of what she was feeling inside.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just. . ."

"Confused."

Taking out a crossbow, he gave her a sideways glance.

"Yeah, I mean, no, I'm not. . ."

Cutting herself off, Buffy watched him. He seemed to be thinking about the right thing to say, though she wasn't sure if he was going to find it, or if she'd even like to hear it. Taking the sword, she began to walk away.

"You have every right to be, you know?"

Turning, she found he had found what he needed to say, and now, she had to hear it.

"Yeah, I know."

He took a step towards her, and she felt like his blue eyes were cutting into her, into her face, then into her brain. Did he know what she was thinking?

"But I don't think you do, Buffy. You're the Slayer, the Chosen One. . ."

"Yeah, we've been through this, Wes, not really wanting to. . ."

"But not just Slayers have to make hard decisions. You're a woman, Buffy, barely, but still. You're human. You have a heart and a conscious, and you know what you have to do. That's something I've always admired about you, even in Sunnydale, but I must ask, are you agreeing with yourself, now?"

"You know. . .I mean, we have to our stand, they're ready."

Looking up at him, she felt something different inside her, they were ready, she was ready, it was time they did this, it was time to fight.

"They're ready. We're all ready."

"Good, I'm glad."

Walking past her, he gave her an approving nod, then disappeared up the stairs, stopping halfway up, but not turning to face her.

Following him a moment later, Buffy discovered that her troops were assembled in the kitchen, armed and ready to fight.

"Lets go, then."

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Half an hour later, they were all divided into three groups. Buffy and Spike headed the first group, which would be storming in first, then, Faith, Wesley, and Angel with the second group that would be following them, and Xander, Giles, Gunn, and Connor in the last, which would be a safety if things started going horribly wrong.

Standing next to Faith made Wesley so much more nervous. He could feel her warmth against him, and then, the cold stone wall he was leaning on his other side. Her brown eyes watched as Buffy and Spike's group filed into the winery, and Wesley could tell she was preparing herself for the sight that would greet them when they rushed in.

"Are you okay?"

"Five by five, why do you ask?"

He could hear the ice in her voice, and knew pushing his luck would probably be unwise, but still, he had been feeling regret for what he said to her in the bathroom at the hospital. She wasn't some animal, she was Faith, she was his. . .well, he was a little confused at the time as to what exactly she was to him, but he knew it was more than an animal or one-night-stand.

"I just wanted to make sure, we'd get through this, together."

Looking at him, she squinted her eyes.

"Why?"

"I don't know, probably because I don't want you hurt."

"Looking for a little more action?"

Narrowing his eyes, he felt the ice return to his veins. Why did she insist on saying the worst possible things at the worst possible times? Couldn't she tell he was being genuine?

"Maybe."

"Thought so."

Suddenly, she began running at a sprint towards the winery. Stunned for a moment, Wesley realized they were on, and went racing after her, some of the potentials behind him.

When he entered, the sight that greeted him almost sent him on all fours. He could smell the blood, and there were bodies strewn all over the dirt floor, both sides had casualties.

"Wesley, watch out!"

Turning just in time to dodge a blow from a robed-man, Wesley drove his sword through his assailant's chest, and then turned, slashing at anything that came at him.

He could see his friends all around, some were fighting two or even three of the hooded men at a time, but he wasn't interested in them, they were all doing fine, it was Faith he was looking for, and a moment later, his eyes found her.

She was fighting a priest, but Wesley knew by the symbol on the man's ring, he was the one who had wounded the girl in the truck. Hurrying across the battle, he was stopped when he picked up a fallen potential's battle. The next time he looked up, he couldn't find Faith.

A moment later, however, he realized that some of the girls were starting to run. Turning he saw Buffy heading his way, then, she ran right past him. Turning, he saw the priest Faith had been fighting now had Xander by the throat, and the boy seemed to be missing an eye.

Panicking, he pushed through the fleeing girls, passing Connor and Gunn as well, but not stopping. He had to find her! Suddenly, he slipped on something, crashing to the floor with a sharp pain shooting up his back.

Rolling over, and trying to recover, he came face-to-face with the person he had been looking for.

"Faith."

She was bleeding but he couldn't tell where the wound was. All he knew was that he had to get her out of there, now! Putting his arm under her, he lifted her, cautiously.

"Shh, it's going to be alright."

"Wes."

Collapsing against him, exhausted, she was glad he hadn't abandoned her. Hurrying into the pale moonlight, Wesley rushed to the cover of the woods. The others, what was left of their small army, must have retreated to Buffy's house. He had lost track of Buffy in his hurry. Was she alright? Groaning from beside him brought him back to the matter at hand.

"Faith, where are you hurt?"

"My back, one of those. . .hooded guys. . .damn, it hurts."

Taking a deep breathe, and knowing what he had to do, Wesley took off her jacket then lifted her shirt. She had been stabbed, but the wound wasn't too deep, he could mend it with stitches. Lifting her, again, he took off for safety.

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Half an hour later, when he stepped through the threshold of Buffy's house, he knew something was wrong. The house was empty, no one was to be seen. Though, he didn't have time to dwell on this, Wesley could feel Faith's blood soaking through his shirt sleeve, and knew he had to do something about it, right now.

Taking her upstairs, he gently laid her on Buffy's bed, and then hurried into the bathroom, grabbing a warm washcloth and the First Aid kit. Upon returning, though, he found her standing, and putting her jacket back on, although pain was written clearly all over her face.

"Faith, you shouldn't be. . ."

"I have to find B, and the others, they need m. . ."

"You're injured."

"I'm fine."

"If you go out there, you'll be killed!"

Narrowing her eyes, and forgetting his act of friendship, she pushed him out of her way, roughly.

"Why the hell do you care?"

Surprised when he grab her, forcefully, Faith spun around, looking into his deep blue eyes, then, the stars came crashing down on her as he pulled her close and kissed her so passionately she could feel the heat in both their bodies and forgot all about the pain in her back.

"Because I love you."

Taking advantage of her stunned state, he sat her on the bed, retrieving the First Aid kit, and stripping off her jacket and shirt, only pausing when he got to her bra, which he needed to remove in order to clean and mend her wound, but for some reason he found this incredibly awkward.

"You. . .you love me?"

Looking down to discover she had finally snapped out of her daze, he sat down beside her, and looked at the floor, then into her big brown eyes.

"I. . ."

"Cause, I mean, what the hell happened to one-night-stand, friends, or people who can barely stand each other, with benefits? Of course, I'm not saying I miss that, but love? Wes, I. . .you. . .we. . .we're really screwed up people. There's no way we could. . .love one another."

"Perhaps, but then why do I feel like I need you? I've been thinking about you, and watching you, and. . .dreaming about you. . .I can't stop, and it's driving me absolutely insane, which might actually be an improvement compared to the state I'm in now."

"You. . .dream about me?"

"It's a long. . .embarrassing. . .yes, yes, I do!"

Pausing a moment, she looked away from him and began fiddling with her hands. Turning back to face him, she found something that resembled need in his eyes, then, she took the plunge. Kissing him, softly, completely aware of her back, she ran her hands through his hair, and down his back. When she pulled back, she kept her face inches from his, not being able to bear not being close to him.

"Well, that's a little screwed up."

"We're screwed up people, though, Faith."

"This is true, but doesn't that make the sex all the better?"

"Mm, it does. It makes the sex better, the kisses better, the touches better, and the every waking moment I spend with you better."

Pausing to kiss her between each of these statements, Wesley unfastened her bra.

"But I don't think that will be happening, tonight, you need to rest, and I need to stitch that wound."

Complying, and lying down on the bed, Faith rested her head on her arms, and thought about what had just happened, the revelation of what had just happened sinking in fast. She and Wesley, Slayer and Watcher, lovers. Smiling to herself, she turned her head slightly, so she could see him cleaning the blood off her back with the washcloth.

"What about the dreams? I wonder if they'll be better."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be ten times better, now."

Kissing her shoulder blade, Wesley smiled, then went back to his task.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aw, so they're a couple, now! How will this effect the rest of the gang. I'm glad they didn't do anything on Buffy's bed, or maybe Faith will heal before morning, who knows. Oh, and what is Cordy planning? Where is she?