"No," Wesley immediately said. "Too reckless. We're at a distinct disadvantage. We know absolutely nothing about the Ascension."

Sounding thoughtful, but still supportive, Giles chimed in. "No, I think she may be right."

"Really?" Buffy couldn't believe he'd backed her up. He was usually so conservative.

Giles gave a little half smile before continuing. "I believe we need to go on the offensive. Perhaps," he glanced at Buffy, "we should try a more direct approach in gathering information."

The Slayer frowned. What is he trying to tell me? The blonde stared hard at her ex-Watcher.

The older man noticed her confusion. "I'm sure, if you were to keep a watch on City Hall, you might feel a little more proactive, my dear."

"OK," Buffy said, still not getting the point. Then, eyes widening, "Oh! Yeah, Giles. I get it. Good plan. I'll grab Angel, and we'll head over there tonight. We'll find out what they're up to."

"So, Will, I never got to tell you about how the spell worked," Buffy said.

The redhead looked up from her lunch, and grinned. "Did it work? I wanted to ask but then the whole Ascension research thing and the Aspect… So, how does Angel feel? You seem OK, so that must mean…"

Laughing at the babble, the Slayer cut in, "Breathe, Will." When her friend had calmed a bit, she continued, "It worked. It really worked. When we were in the mansion, and I was all tied up and everything; I touched the charm and did the chant."

"Didn't they notice?" the young witch wanted to know.

"They might have, but they were too busy making out," Buffy mumbled.

It was obvious Willow didn't know how to respond to that. "Um. OK. I guess."

The Slayer shrugged. "I was freaking out. Faith was going all out, and Angel wasn't fighting her off."

"So you used the spell to see if he really wanted Faith," the redhead stated.

"Yeah." The Slayer drifted off into private thoughts for a moment. After a long silence, she looked up to see Resolve Face staring back at her. "Oops! Sorry, Will. Can you back off on the command presence just a little?" She relaxed slightly as the young witch smiled a bit. "Anyway, watching the floor show made me think it was time to do the spell. I really needed to know it was just a show and not Angel responding to Faith.

"After I incanted the spell, it was weird. I felt like I was in two different places at the same time. You told me I would sense his emotions like an echo, really faint and far away. But it was like we were in the same body."

Willow looked concerned. "That shouldn't have happened."

Tilting her head, Buffy asked, "But it's OK, right? It wasn't like the Aspect. I only felt his emotions. Come to think of it, I think I felt Faith's emotions, too, when I was in her apartment."

"Whoa! Buffy, that shouldn't have happened."

"Will, I'd feel a lot better if you'd stop saying that." The blonde was more than a little freaked by the young witch's response. "Can we check to see if the spell worked right?"

Nodding slowly, Willow said, "Yeah. Maybe. I'll have to look into it." She blushed. "I'll have to wait until Giles leaves, though. The spell is in one of the books he keeps locked in his office."

"Will! You didn't tell me that."

"I know. I know." The redhead bounced in her chair, obviously upset. "I had to help. The spell isn't dangerous or anything. It's just some of the other stuff in the book that Giles is afraid I'll see."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy commented, "Alright. Can you check to see if there's some kind of side effect of something? 'Cause feeling Angel's emotions is OK, but Faith's? Not so good."

"Sure, Buffy. I'll look, I promise." The redhead met the Slayer's eyes. "So, since I can't do anything about this until later, you wanna tell me what you felt from your boyfriend?"

Laughing, the blonde pelted her best friend with French fries. "Willow Rosenberg! That's so bad!"

"Maybe, but I still want to know. So, spill, besty friend. I want all the juicy details."

Sitting back in her chair, Buffy thought back to the night in the Manor. "Well, after I whispered the spell, I got really hot. Not 'I'm touching Angel' hot." The blonde smiled at Willow's giggles. "More like 'someone turned my blood to lava' hot. Then, I felt his thoughts. It's hard to describe. Feelings don't always fit words. He and Faith were in a clinch, and he was - almost repulsed. He didn't want her touching him."

"So, not even a tiny hint of desire for her? I mean, she is kinda sexy in a slutty sorta way," Willow said.

"No," the Slayer replied. "They came back over to me a few minutes later. And I could tell he was nervous. I mean, I was strapped down and there was a table full of sharp and pointy things waiting to be used. I was nervous, too. But," the blonde smiled through a bright blush, "he definitely liked what he saw."

"Wow. So are you going to tell him about the spell tonight?" Willow wanted to know.

Buffy hesitated. "I probably should."

Looking thoughtful, the witch said, "You know, Angel's been around a long time. If you tell him about sensing Faith's emotions, too, he might know what happened."

Faith lay in bed considering all her options until exhaustion dragged her into sleep. Thanks to Slayer healing, the turmoil in her mind didn't affect her slumber. Waking hours later, the brunette pulled herself into a sitting position. The Mayor's disappointment in her performance cut deeply. Whatever else he might be, Richard Wilkins III cared for her. He was her family. The Slayer knew she had to stop questioning her loyalties. It was time to choose a side and hold to that choice.

Getting out of bed wasn't as painful as she'd expected. The ribs ached, but the sharp stabbing pain had gone. Purple bruising now just looked yellowed. She rushed through a shower, grabbed some clothes, and headed for city Hall.

The Slayer burst into Sunnydale's administrative hub, sparing only a glance for the woman behind the security desk. Human, this one. The Mayor still maintained the façade of normalcy during daylight hours. Striding quickly down the twisting hallways, Faith kept her mind focused on what she had to do. It was time to prove her commitment to the cause. A quick knock prefaced her entrance into the Mayor's office.

"Afternoon, Boss," she greeted the man behind the large desk.

His entire face lit up as he smiled. "Faith!" He stood and came around the desk. Stopping short of hugging her, he examined her closely. "You look much better than last night. Are your ribs better? I could always get a doctor down here to make sure."

The Slayer smiled, a real smile, not her usual smirk. "No, I'm good." She let the slight man lead her to the chair sitting opposite his own.

"Now, I think it's time we had a little talk about your future with the City." He sat down and placed his elbows on the desk. Watching her reacting intently, he continued, "I'm sure you're aware that your performance has been, shall we say, less than expected."

Faith started to interrupt, but the Mayor leveled a cold glare in her direction. "Now, Faith, I think it's time to prove you're worth the salary and benefits you've been receiving. Your continued employment depends on how well these little errands are carried out."

The Slayer knew, with absolute certainty, the older man didn't mean the tasks would keep her on the city payroll. Failure this time meant her death. "Whatever you need, Boss, I'm your girl."

That quirky smile returned to the older man's face. "I just knew you'd see it my way. Now, first, I need you to run out to the airport and take care of some business for me."

Surprised at the simplicity of the request, Faith smiled, "No problem. What kinda business we talkin' about?"

"There's a package arriving tonight from Central America by a demon courier. It's something, and I can't stress this enough, something crucial to my Ascension. Without it, well," he hesitated and then continued with a smile, "it's not anything I need to worry about. I know you'll ensure it gets here."

"You know it, Boss." The Slayer stood up.

From her vantage point on top of the hangar, Faith watched the small plane taxi up to the limousine on the edge of the runway. She'd had the limo's driver drop her off before they'd entered the private airstrip. Now, adrenaline surging, she tested the pull of the bow in her hands. A soft whir resulted as the pulley assembly turned on the modern weapon. Satisfied, the Slayer moved forward slightly, leaning against the waist-high concrete wall. She pulled an arrow from the quiver at her side and waited for the right moment.

The plane stopped, and a greasy demon climbed out. He held a large metal box in his hands; Faith caught the glint of a handcuff on one wrist with her Slayer-enhanced eyesight. Moving quickly, the courier approached the vampire leaning against the limousine on the tarmac. Straightening to attention, the brunette knocked the arrow, feathered shaft and bowstring resting lightly on her right cheek. She tracked the demon carefully and listened to the conversation going on below.

The vampire pushed away from the car and picked up a briefcase. "He in there?" the courier asked as the vampire opened the nearest door on the long car.

"No, I'll take you to him."

The box-carrying demon reacted badly to the news. Kicking the car door with his left foot to close it, he hissed, "The Mayor was supposed to be here in person to deliver the money."

This is it, Faith thought from her post above the interaction. Checking her aim, she concentrated on dropping her fingers from the bowstring smoothly.

The demon had paused for effect. "Well, the price just went up. I don't like surprised."

Well, how about this surprise, pal? Faith grinned at the look of confusion on the tattooed face of the delivery man. He stared down at the shaft poking from his chest before crumpling to the ground. Loosening the string, the Slayer slung the bow across her body, picked up the quiver, and jumped off the roof to the tarmac.

The vampire hadn't recovered from his own surprise – the arrow had flown inches from his head on its way to the eventual target. His yellow eyes glared at the cocky brunette strutting his way. "You almost killed me," he growled.

"Yeah, so? One less vamp in the world," the Slayer mocked. "Get the keys to the cuffs."

Roughly searching the dead demon's pockets, the vampire looked for the requested item. "Nothing," he said, after several minutes.

Sighing impatiently, Faith reached for the knife sheathed under her jacket. The vampire smirked at the blade. "That won't cut through steel."

"No," the Slayer agreed. She let her lips lift in a cold smile. "But it will cut through bone."