Authors note: hey might have moved too far ahead with this chapter but i promise that there will be some action coming up soon. oh and thanks for the reviews guys :-)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 8

When Giles arrived the next morning he was surprised to see Buffy and Faith cuddled together on the mattress, asleep. He sat the bags of food on the table and quietly walked over to them. He hated to wake them but Buffy had school and the last thing she needed was detention. As he neared them he reached out a hand to wake Buffy, but froze upon hearing a guttural growl. Looking up he saw Faith had woken. She was leaning protectively over Buffy growling and baring her teeth, he could see that her eyes where those of a wolf and knew that she wasn't in control. He slowly withdrew his hand and backed up towards the couch where the tranquilliser gun rested. Keeping his movements slow and calm, not wanting to provoke Faith any further encase she attacked Buffy.

Meanwhile Faith had shifted her position so that she crouching over Buffy, never breaking eye contact with Giles, ready to attack him if he tried anything. When she saw him raising the tranquilliser gun her growling became louder, waking Buffy. "Faith?" she asked groggily, when Faith didn't respond she followed her gaze and saw Giles aiming the gun at her. Realising what was happening she cautiously reached up a hand and cupped Faith's cheek. "Faith?…..baby, it's ok." She said gently. Faith didn't acknowledge her; her sole attention was directed at Giles, who still had the gun. "Giles, put the gun down." She said keeping her attention focused on Faith.

"Buffy-"

"Giles do it, I know what I'm doing."

"But Buff-"

"Giles do it! She sees you as a threat, she's just protecting me." She said more forcefully. She could see him hesitating out the corner of her eye. Reluctantly he lowered the gun and backed off giving them some space. Buffy cupped Faith's face between her hands and tilted her head so that she could look up into her eyes. "Faith, it's ok Giles is our friend, he's here to help." She whispered gently. Faith looked between Buffy and Giles. She reluctantly moved back from Buffy, allowing her to sit up. Placing a reassuring kiss against Faith's lips, Buffy moved to sit down behind her. She wrapped her arms round Faith's waist and gently pulled her back so that Faith was leaning against her chest. "Giles, it's ok, you can come closer."

Giles walked over to where they were sitting, and sat on the floor opposite. Buffy could feel Faith tense beneath her and whispered reassuringly in her ear "It's ok baby." She said rubbing Faith's arm gently and felt her relax slightly.

"How did you know that she wouldn't attack you?" Giles asked curiously.

"I don't know, gut instinct I guess, I just know that she would never hurt me." She replied squeezing Faith gently.

Giles watched Faith, he could see her nostrils flaring as she smelled something, following her gaze he saw her looking at the bagels he'd brought with him. Smiling he picked them up and offered them to Faith. Buffy and Giles watched as Faith froze looking warily between Giles and the food, before slowly leaning forward and taking them from him. She gave one to Buffy and waited until she took a bite from hers before eating her own. They all sat in comfortable silence and ate.

ONE WEEK LATER.

After that night at the mansion Faith's condition had deteriorated rapidly. She was feral most of the time, pacing up and down and straining against her chains. The only time she was still was when she was with Buffy, content to sit quietly in her presence. To say she was protective of Buffy was an understatement. If they where sitting together Faith wouldn't allow anybody close to them, and if anybody tried she would attempt to attack them.

Buffy spent most of her free time at the mansion with Faith, and would stay over after patrols as much as she could. Faith still hadn't progressed into her wolf form which meant that time was still on their side. Giles was unsure if Faith would still respond as well to Buffy when she changed into her wolf, but she just dismissed him claiming that Faith wouldn't hurt her, and that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Buffy was currently sitting in the library with the rest of the scoobies listening to Giles. They where no closer to finding a cure for Faith, but Giles had had a breakthrough on the vampires.

"It would appear that the vampires where not infected by a virus, as such, but they where bitten by a Drachna." He said placing a book in front of them and pointing to a picture. They all leaned over to take a look.

"Eeew, now there's someone who hasn't heard of skincare products" exclaimed Cordelia.

Clearing his throat Giles continued "A Drachna is a winged vampire. They where thought to be extinct as nobody has seen or heard from them in thousands of years. One of their main attributes is there ability to go out in daylight. They are stronger and faster than ordinary vampires and are immune to most conventional methods of disposal, such as holy water, crosses and such."

"What do you mean about the vamps being bitten? Do these things feed on vamps." asked Xander.

"No they cannot sire a new childe like normal vampires. If they feed off a vampire this will cause them to pass on some of their attributes."

"So that explains how the vamps can go out in the daylight." Buffy said. "but what about if they try to sire a childe using a human?" she asked.

"Nothing, humans are used simply for food."

"But these new vamps can't fly right?" they all looked at Xander then to Giles as he answered.

"No thankfully they can't. There was a report of an outbreak thousands of years ago, where Drachna's and vampires they had infected, attacked a city that was situated over a hell mouth. They were attempting to open it and unleash hell on Earth. The fact that we are all here now means that they failed."

"What stopped them?" Willow asked.

"Garou's." Buffy answered for him. They all looked at Buffy. "That's why they are after Faith and her clan isn't it." She stated looking at Giles in understanding.

"Yes, neither Garou's or Drachna's were heard of after that battle. It was thought that they had destroyed one another. However the arrival of Faith and these vampires proves otherwise. This is far greater than we had first thought, if these vampires aren't stopped it could mean the end of human kind." They all sat in silence, letting what Giles' words sink.

"So what's their weakness?" Buffy asked quietly already knowing the answer.

Giles looked at her in sympathy before replying. "The blood of a Garou."

Tbc.