Disclaimer: still don't own any of it.

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Chapter 4:

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Faith ran upstairs to check the other rooms. They were empty. "She's gone. Harry is too."

"Harry?" Spike asked with a bit of fear in his eyes. "Harry Potter, you mean?"

Faith shrugged. "Never got his last name. He's pretty tight with B though."

"Pale kid? Messy black hair? Green eyes? Scar on his forehead?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

"Oh, bloody hell."

Faith gave him a curious look. "What'd you do to get him so pissed off at you?"

Spike gave her a startled glance. "Before I got my soul, I- I hurt Buffy; could've hurt her more if she hadn't knocked some sense into me. Big brother didn't take too kindly to that." Spike shook his head. "May not have Slayer strength, but that punch definitely runs in the family."

"They're related?"

"You didn't know?" Spike looked surprised at that. "It's bloody obvious, really. They look a lot alike."

Faith shook her head. They didn't have time for this. "They went after Caleb."

He tossed her an axe from Buffy's weapons chest. "Well, what are we waiting for, pet?"

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"You're sure about this?" Harry asked as they watched the Vineyard from the cover of the trees. They had counted over twenty Bringers, but it was difficult to get a real count when they were constantly coming and going.

"Where's that legendary Gryffindor courage?" she teased with a small smirk.

"Left it back at the house along with your Slytherin cunning," he muttered. Buffy shot him a glare.

"Liz, we don't know how many there are. You don't need to do this just to prove a point. Only if you're sure about this."

She nodded slowly. "I am. I can't really explain it… everything… all my Slayer senses… my past experiences… everything's telling me that this is right."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to explain it. I'm with you all the way, no matter what you decide. That's what family's for, right? Merlin knows you went along with all of my crazy plans."

She sent him a relieved smile.

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"Now, wait just a moment," Giles said blocking the doorway. "We're coming with too. We don't need you two going off on your own as well."

"Rupert," Spike said in a low voice, "Get out of my way. You lot are staying here. You're all next to useless in a real fight."

"Hey," Kennedy spoke up, offended. "You can't tell us what to do. Faith's the leader, not you."

That made him pause. He slowly turned to look at the Potential. "What was that?"

Kennedy swallowed a bit at the look on his face, but met his stare. "You heard me. Faith's the leader, now, not Buffy. So, I'd watch my step a bit more carefully, Vampire. Buffy may put up with you, but the rest of us won't."

"Spike, it's not what it sounds like-" Giles tried to calm the vampire.

Spike wasn't in the mood for their excuses. "I'm sure it's exactly what it sounds like, Watcher," he spat the word out like a curse, causing Giles to flinch. "I don't know why Slayer puts up with you all when you're so bloody quick to turn on her. Not only does she put up with you, but she continues to put herself on the line to save your traitorous hides. She-"

"Spike," Faith cut him off, "forget about them for now. B'll explain everything later. Buffy. Remember her? Slayer that has a tendency to get herself killed?"

Spike didn't comment. He just grabbed the front of Giles's shirt and shoved him out of the way. Faith shook her head and followed him out. What was it with vampires always having to be so damn dramatic?

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Buffy tightened her grip on her sword. The smooth emeralds embedded in the hilt dug into her hand, but it was far from uncomfortable. Wet blood on the polished steel blade glistened in the moonlight as the dance slowed to a stop. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as her eyes searched her surroundings for any sign of more Bringers.

Beside her, Harry leaned lightly on his large axe, catching his breath. The fight had been intense. What had started off as only a few Bringers, quickly escalated into a small horde. They didn't have much trouble cutting through the enemy's larger numbers though. With Harry and herself back to back, the Bringers hadn't had a chance. You'd think that they'd get smart and run, or at least go for backup, but apparently the apparently they were dumb after all.

"You think that's all of them?"

Buffy scanned the area for any more of the black-cloaked priests. " I hope so. We've got a preacher to find, and I really don't feel like wasting the entire night with his pawns."

Harry groaned, "You just had to say it, didn't you? Now there's going to be more inside waiting for us."

Buffy shrugged. "Makes sense. It would be pretty stupid for them to all rush us without leaving some behind to hold down the fort."

Harry readjusted the grip on his axe with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

Buffy shot him a glance and smirked. "Someone sounds like they're in a bit of a hurry to get back to a certain someone," she teased.

"Am not," he grumbled as he picked up his pace towards the Vineyard, leaving Buffy behind.

Buffy grinned as she watched him stalk off. She had caught the blush creeping across his face as he'd blown past her. "Oh, yeah," she chuckled, "big brother totally has a crush." He wouldn't be in denial for long, she knew. Knowing Faith, even with Buffy's threat, the younger Slayer would be pulling Harry into the first empty room she could find.

Buffy stopped and made a face. "Okay, I completely grossed myself out with that one." She shook her head to ward off that line of thinking and ran to catch up with Harry.

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Caleb's attention shot to the door as it was kicked open. The Slayer strode in, followed by someone Caleb didn't recognize. She must have called in reinforcements. He smirked. It didn't matter who she called. No one was powerful enough to stop the First.

"Hey! I heard you've got something of mine," the Slayer called down to him as she quickly descended the stairs.

Caleb's eyes widened slightly as he noticed the blade she carried. Slytherin's sword. His gaze moved to the man behind her who was smoothly drawing it's widely recognized twin. Gryffindor's sword. According to the legend, the two swords were forged by their original owners' combined magic and used against each other. Even the First feared what those swords, once reunited, could do - which was why his Master had driven Gryffindor and Slytherin against each other.

His fear turned to confusion when he recalled that the swords could only be used by the descendants of Gryffindor and Slytherin. That would make the wielder of Gryffindor's sword, Harry Potter, but the Slayer wasn't of either bloodline. It wasn't possible for her to wield Slytherin's weapon.

"Hey, Liz, I think he recognizes me," Potter said in a mocking tone.

The Slayer snorted. "I'm shocked," she said sarcastically and sent a teasing grin to Potter. "Someone actually recognizes Mr. I'm-a-celebrity."

Potter shot the Slayer a glare. "Yeah, well it looks like he's still in the dark about you."

The Slayer nodded in agreement. "It's a shame, really. Apparently omniscient evil beings aren't as all-knowing as they used to be."

Potter looked thoughtful for a moment. "Either that or his master decided that he wasn't worthy of the knowledge."

She appeared to consider that. "You're probably right."

Caleb leveled a glare at them. "The First is in me, and I in him. He fills me with his power and knowledge." He edged towards a pole resting against the nearby wall.

"So, it is just a lack of knowledge then," Potter quipped.

Caleb picked up the metal pole and gripped it like a staff. Wordlessly, he charged the closer of the two. Potter.

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to be continued...

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