Watching Your Back (Part 8 - Slayer Pride version)

Previously ...

Faith has returned to Sunnydale, intent on reconciliation with Buffy and her friends. Initially suspicious of the brunette slayer, the gang has slowly accepted her again. Faith's return could not have come at a better time: Buffy has begun to act erratically whilst Spike has been plotting to cause a flood of demons to come to Sunnydale.

During the desperate attempt to thwart Spike's plan, Buffy's erratic behaviour came to a culmination: as a consequence, Spike's plan succeeded and Riley Finn was killed. The cause of Buffy's strange actions was also revealed: she has been possessed by the first Slayer.

In a desperate battle where the gang called in every ally they could find, Buffy was restored and Spike's demon cohorts were dealt a serious defeat. However, the British vampire's own plans are far from finished, and he has now abducted Willow …

Chapter Twenty Two

Buffy toweled her hair vigorously, then stared critically into the mirror. Even after thirty minutes in the shower and three doses of shampoo, she looked like she'd been sleeping in a cave for a week. Which she had, but that didn't make her like the look any better. Pulling a mournful face, she wished for another hour in the shower. But the others would be worrying about her by now. Plus, the hot water had run out.

Ducking quickly through the hallway to her room, the blonde slayer pulled on a pair of faded jeans and an oversized T-shirt. She was tempted to take her time and dress to kill, but at four in the morning it hardly seemed worth the effort. Still, a little something extra wouldn't hurt.

Checking her jewellery, Buffy's eye fell on a simple gold bracelet. She sighed and picked it up slowly. Riley had given it to her on their six month anniversary. She missed him, in a quiet, gentle kind of way. There was pain, but it wasn't the raw ache she had felt when Angel died. She wondered why that was. She hadn't loved Riley any less.

There was a soft knock at the door,

"You okay in there, B?"

The blonde slayer smiled slightly and gently laid the bracelet back on her dresser. Sometimes questions answered themselves. When Angel died, she had felt utterly alone. After what he friends had done for her tonight, she doubted she could never feel that way again.

Buffy half-turned to the door, then stopped. Slowly, she took down the plain silver cross and fastened it around her neck.

"Yeah, Faith. I'm coming."

Anya sat beside Xander's bed, lightly holding his hand. The young man was lying face down in the hospital bed, his back covered with gauze bandages.

"Geez, looks like Will and Tara have run off on us." He joked feebly, "Just me and my gal, now."

Anya didn't answer, her expression distracted. Concerned, Xander squeezed her hand,

"What's the matter?"

"Do you want to have sex with Faith again?"

Xander's eyes widened. For a few moments, he was genuinely speechless.

"Huh?" evidently the speechlessness still mostly applied.

"She wants to have sex with you." Anya continued, almost thoughtfully.

"Anya? What -"

"I can see why you would want sex with her. Faith is very attractive."

Xander squeaked inarticulately. Don't think that. Don't think about them together. Oh damn. He breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't lying on his back.

"Anya. Why -"

"Faith told me about your kiss, Xander."

He felt his stomach lurch. Faith told her? What was the slayer playing at?

"Look Anya, I don't know what Faith told you, but I stopped that kiss -"

"That's what she said." The ex-demoness nodded, "she said it was all her fault and that you stopped it straight away."

"Oh." He couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice.

"You stopped her because you were afraid of what I would do, didn't you?" there was a bleak note to Anya's voice that Xander had not heard before.

"No!" he protested, "Well … not just because of that. I didn't want to hurt you, Anya."

"I think we should break up."

"Huh?" Xander's vocal skills went AWOL again. He struggled to form an actual sentence, but was distracted when the door burst open and Tara ran in, obviously distraught.

"Willow's gone!"

The phone rang just as Buffy and Faith were walking past it. The blonde's heart sank. Phone calls at four in the morning were never good news, particularly when you were the slayer. She picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Summers residence." She answered evenly, aware that the low noise of conversation in the next room had stopped as soon as she picked up the handset.

"It's me." The caller said, unhelpfully. After a moment, Buffy placed the voice.

"Hi, Anya." She glanced at Faith, surprising a guilty look in the brunette's eyes. What's that about? "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah." The ex-demoness paused, "Willow's missing. Tara's hysterical. And Xander and I are breaking up."

"You broke up? Willow's missing?" the slayer refocused her mind on the most important piece of news. Talking to Anya could be a surreal experience.

"Yeah. Tara thinks that Spike must've grabbed her."

The blonde swore under her breath. I should have known Spike was up to something when he didn't turn up at the warehouse.

"Do we know where his base is, yet?"

"No. We were too busy trying to save you." Anya sounded disapproving. "Hang on." Buffy winced as the other girl dropped her handset with a clatter.

"Buffy?" Tara's voice was hesitant and overwrought as she came on the line.

"Hi, Tara." Buffy did her best to sound confident as well as concerned.

"I can find Willow." The blonde witch mumbled, "but we've got to go now. Spike could kill Willow. Or…"

"I know." The slayer said gently, "I'm not sure who's still here, but we'll come by the hospital and get you straight away. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to Willow."

"Mornin', ducks." Spike patted Willow gently on the cheek as she slowly recovered consciousness. "time for all good little witches to help out their old mate, Spike."

The redhead looked around slowly, obviously scared but keeping it in check. She was sitting on a large bed in an underground room. Her hands were bound behind her back, whilst her feet were hobbled together with a length of rope perhaps six inches long.

"Buffy is so gonna kick your ass." She said suddenly, almost smiling at the prospect.

"She has to find me first, pet." The vampire reminded her, winding his hand in her hair and pulling her head to one side, "Now, I just need a little spell out of you. Cooperate, and you might get to live. Give me any more lip, and I'll just turn you. I could use a witch on my team."

Willow paled,

"W-what spell? I'll need you to get ingredients!"

Spike shook his head,

"Not this time, pet. I have everything you need. I just need someone with the skill to use them." he tapped her nose with his finger, "and you fit the bill quite nicely there."

The redhead glanced nervously between Spike and the gently smiling Darla, then sighed.

"What's the spell?"

"It's called the Harvest."

"The Harvest?" Willow looked appalled, then frowned, "I thought that needed to be on a special night … one that only came once a century."

"That's the thing about mystical conjunctions," Spike smiled nastily, "you go a hundred years without one, then get three all at once. It's like the buses."

Willow looked confused. Spike sighed. Californians.

"I'm kidding, pet." He smirked, "there's more than one ritual known as the Harvest."

"Do people still die?" the redhead asked suspiciously. Spike shrugged,

"Just one."

"Then I won't do it." Willow swallowed, scared but resolute.

"Listen here, ducks." Spike gripped her by the throat, tightening his grip just enough to make breathing difficult, without cutting it off completely. "I wouldn't need this ritual if you and your slayerette army hadn't interfered tonight. Killing the slayers would have been enough to win Dru back. But since you stopped that, I'll just have to go with my back-up plan."

"Uh stull wunt do ut." The redhead choked the words out in spite of Spike's grip on her throat.

The British vampire swore and raised his fist.

"William." Darla interrupted gently, laying a hand on his arm. "A word?"

The two vampires moved out of Willow's earshot, but remained between her and the only exit.

"Why don't you just turn her?" the blonde asked Spike, her fingers still resting on his arm. "She'll cast the spell willingly enough, then."

He shook his head slightly,

"Can't. I want her to cast Varizhin's Harvest."

Darla's eyebrow quirked,

"I thought the knowledge of that ritual had been lost."

"So was the Gem of Fey'R." Spike reminded her, with a smug grin. "You like the plan?"

"William, it's delicious." Darla breathed, and kissed him firmly on the lips, "her blood is sweet already, but filled with the power of the Harvest -"

"Manna from Hell." Spike agreed, "The only problem is convincing the little witch to do it. This isn't a love spell I'm asking her to cast: it's black as they come. She'll see that straight away."

"It is a problem." Darla mused, glancing at Willow, who glared back. "Even if you could convince her to do it, she might make a mistake. Or deliberately sabotage the ritual."

Spike nodded,

"I just want Dru back." He complained, "even arranging the death of one slayer would have been enough for that. But no, they both had to live. After the disaster tonight, I need something special to win her back."

Dimly, they heard a furious voice bellow Spike's name. Tor'Kol of the Jeneth was back from the night's battle, and he sounded far from pleased.

"Go see to your demon friends." Darla licked her upper lip gently, " Leave the witch to me. What she needs is a woman's touch."

"Trouble?" Angel asked as soon as Buffy and Faith came into the living room. The blonde slayer nodded,

"Spike's taken Willow. Tara thinks she can use a spell to find her, but we need to get up to the hospital straight away." She glanced around the room, "That is, if you are all willing to help."

"I'm in." Faith folded her arms confidently, "What about you, Katie?"

Detective Lockley shot an exasperated look at the brunette slayer,

"You take a lot for granted, Faith." She grumbled. "I've already risked my neck for your friends once tonight. What makes you think I want to do it again?"

"Why'd you become a cop?" Faith grinned insolently at the Detective's filthy look.

Kate sighed,

"All right, I'm in."

"We shall of course, assist." Wesley volunteered, while Gunn merely nodded silently.

"Amy?" Buffy asked, turning to the last person in the room. Giles had already left to take Jonathon home. Privately, she was glad. This was likely to get rough. "I don't want you to get in the thick of things again." Faith and I will have words about the risks she let people take. "But you might be able to help Tara with her spell?"

The blonde sighed, lifting her hand to chest height. It was trembling visibly.

"I'm scared out of my mind." She admitted, "But Willow's my friend. I'll try to help Tara."

"What can I do?" a new voice spoke from behind the slayers.

Buffy turned. Joyce Summers stood at the entrance to the living room, wearing her dressing gown.

"Mom." The blonde said weakly. "I thought you were asleep."

"The phone woke me." Joyce replied, "Now, there must be something I can do."

Buffy opened her mouth, trying to think of some way to dissuade her mother. But before she could say anything, Faith spoke up.

"Actually, Mrs S., would you be willing to go to the hospital? Xander's hurt, and it would be good if someone could be there with him." The brunette flicked a sideways glance at Buffy, "Since Anya will probably come with us, yeah?"

"Maybe." The blonde slayer smelled gossip. Big gossip. But she had more important things on her mind, and this seemed a safe option for occupying her mother. "That would be a big help, Mom."

Joyce looked unconvinced, but nodded after a short hesitation.

"Okay." Buffy nodded in satisfaction. "Mom, you've got two minutes to get dressed. We need to get out to the hospital as soon as we can."

"Your vampires were useless." Tor'Kol rumbled belligerently at Spike. "And you did not even fight. This betrayal invalidates our agreement. I should kill you where you stand."

"No need to be hasty, mate." Spike said soothingly, "I promised you the Gem whatever happened, didn't I?"

"True." The Jeneth rumbled, "But after your duplicity tonight, I did not expect you to keep that promise, either."

"The slayers surprised me with their reinforcements." Spike admitted, "and once it was obvious that they were well-prepared for our ambush, I felt it wisest to cut my losses. I regret the casualties your people suffered as a consequence."

"A pretty lie." Tor'Kol said disdainfully, "you care nothing for the deaths of my followers."

Spike shrugged an admission of his insincerity.

"At least your consort was not in any danger." He remarked, "It would have been unfortunate if she had been hurt before you could take her to the demonic planes."

Tor'Kol's lip curled,

"Drusilla was once your consort, was she not?"

"Ancient history, mate." Spike shrugged, "She's with you, now."

"I am not the fool you think I am, Spike." The Jeneth sneered, "You know as well as I that Drusilla cannot journey to the demonic planes. They are habitable only by true demons and our victims. You hope to make her your consort once more. Perhaps, if you had not run from battle tonight, she would have accepted you." The demon's tone made it clear he did not think it likely, "But she will have nothing to do with one so lacking in courage as you have proved to be."

Spike's eyes narrowed, but he restrained his anger. His followers had suffered just as much as the Jeneth in the recent battle, and were unlikely to feel any great loyalty toward him in the aftermath of the defeat. Besides, after the little witch does the ritual, I'll be so strong that Dru will have no choice but to love me.

Aloud, he said merely,

"I'm more resourceful than you might think, Tor'Kol. After all, I found the Gem, not you." He lit a cigarette calmly, "Speaking o' which, why don't I take you to go get it?"

"Hi, Tara." Joyce greeted the blonde girl as she got out of the car. Behind her, Buffy climbed excitedly into the driver's seat.

"Hi, Mrs Summers." Tara answered in a subdued voice, then hurried around to get into the front passenger seat, which Buffy had just vacated. Joyce turned to watch her, feeling sympathy for the blonde. She's obviously frantic about Willow.

"Isn't Anya coming?" Buffy asked Tara as she over-revved the engine.

The blonde shook her head,

"She and Xander were too busy arguing."

"Drive carefully, dear." Joyce interrupted nervously. Buffy was by now actually a fairly competent driver, but she did have a tendency to get a little enthusiastic.

"Love you, Mom!" the slayer called back cheerily, roaring away from the curb. Her mother caught a brief glimpse of several pale faces in the back seat before the car was out of sight.

Suppressing the concern she always felt whenever Buffy went out to do her slaying, Joyce headed quickly inside. After four years in Sunnydale she could navigate around the hospital almost without thinking. Just another of the skills intrinsic to being a 'slayer mom'.

As she approached the room she could hear raised voices inside. Evidently Anya and Xander's argument was still continuing. Deciding that it would be wise to give them some warning, Joyce knocked and waited for a count of five before entering the room.

By then, Anya was perched sullenly on a chair as far away from the bed as she could get, whilst Xander was scowling into his pillow.

"Hi, Mrs Summers." The boy mumbled. A moment later, Anya echoed his greeting.

"Hello, both of you." Joyce paused, wondering if she should ask any questions. Neither of the two young people seemed to have a good relationship with their parents, but it might be better not to pry. Then again, sitting here in silence wouldn't be very comfortable either. "Are you two having problems?"

For a moment, they were both silent, and Joyce regretted asking the question. It'll be something about vampires, or slime demons, or a magical plague.

"Xander kissed another girl." Anya announced in sulky tones.

"I did n-" the boy began instinctively, then broke off, "Okay. I did. But it was just the once. And I put a stop to it straight away."

Joyce's eyes gleamed. Most things in her daughter's life confused her. Even Buffy's romances were a minefield of vampires and monster-hunting commandos. But this was classic Mom territory.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, hopefully.

"Now, my sweet." Darla sat behind Willow and gently caressed the witch's arms, causing the redhead to flinch slightly. "Spike tends to get a little angry sometimes. And when he's like that he doesn't explain himself very well."

"And you think you can do a better job?" Willow asked nervously.

"Let's just say that I couldn't do worse." Darla answered, a throaty chuckle underlying the words. She saw a little of the tenseness ease in the back of the girl's neck and moved her hands higher, rubbing gently over the knotted muscles. It was always best to be pleasant at first. It makes the later stages more exciting.

"Now." She said calmly, her fingers still massaging, "All William wants is to get his Drusilla back. For that, he just wants you to perform a simple little ritual."

"Someone will die!" Willow objected, some of the tenseness returning to her back. "And would you stop doing that?" she shifted her shoulders.

"Why? Doesn't it feel better?"

"Well, yeah." The redhead admitted, "But it's also really creepy."

The blonde vampire laughed softly and stopped the massage.

"Well, we can't have that." She paused, then continued. "It's just one person, you know. And then Spike will be out of your life forever. If you say no, he'll turn you instead. And then you'll end up doing the ritual anyway." Darla told the lie smoothly, with no hesitation to give her away. "William would just prefer not to have to wait for you to rise."

"Why?" Willow asked curiously, "He's waited months to get her back already."

"Yes, but the lady in question might leave town at any time." Darla murmured into the redhead's ear.

"She's here?" the witch squeaked, horrified.

"Oh yes." Darla smiled, "the mad little slut's here, all right."

"I take it you don't like her." the redhead's tone was dry.

"You're coping very well with your abduction." Darla changed the subject.

"I've had practice." Willow answered shortly.

"Yes. Being the slayer's best friend must be a dangerous business." Darla agreed. "So now you know why William is in a hurry. But think of all the people who will be hurt if he has to turn you, instead. Your sweet little girlfriend, for starters. Probably your parents, too. For some reason the children of my line tend to have issues with their human forebears."

"So what you're saying is that if I kill one person, Tara gets to live." Willow said quietly.

"Exactly." Darla nodded slowly, "Surely she's worth more than a single stranger?"

"Not to the stranger's family."

The blonde vampire sighed softly.

"Am I to take it that your answer is 'no'?"

"I won't do it."

"Good." Darla smiled, burying her teeth into the witch's neck.

Willow cried out, arching her back, but Darla gripped her arms tightly, holding her in place. The blood was sweet and strong. Not as potent as that of a slayer, but rich with magic and power.

And then there was a burst of shouts from outside the room, followed by the sound of running feet and fighting. Darla moaned in frustration, drawing her bloodied mouth away from the girl's neck.

"Why is it always in the middle of dinner?" The blonde complained plaintively, then slid off the bed and stood, letting her face revert to its human appearance.

"Don't go anywhere." She smiled sweetly at Willow, then backhanded the redhead roughly, knocking the girl unconscious. Her expression calm, Darla went to see what had gone wrong.

"There ya go, mate." Spike gestured at the dark wooden box which sat in the secluded underground chamber. "Your precious gem. As promised."

Tor'Kol stalked forward and reached out for the chest. His hand inches away from the lid, he suddenly paused.

"Lor'Dok." The Jeneth leader addressed the only bodyguard he had brought with him. "If this is a trap, ensure that our host survives a long time before his torture ends."

The Jeneth named Lor'Dok nodded silently, moving to stand just behind Spike.

"That's not very trustin' of you, Tor'Kol." The British vampire shook his head, "I'm ashamed to think that your opinion of me is so low."

"You have only your own actions to blame for that." Tor'Kol replied calmly, putting his hand on the lid of the chest and opening it.

For a few seconds, the Jeneth stood utterly still. Then slowly he turned, and the look in his eyes spoke of pain and death.

"Is this some kind of joke, vampire?" each word was thick with venom and fury.

"What are you talkin' about, mate?" Spike asked, surprised and a little nervous, "It's the Gem of Fey'R, as promised."

"This box is empty!" the Jeneth roared, hurling the chest against the wall with a sweep of his arm. The box shattered on the stone, fragments of wood exploding in all directions.

Spike's mouth worked silently, in shock and horror. Lor'Dok's strong hands grabbed him from behind, preventing any chance of escape.

"Where is the Gem?" Tor'Kol demanded, towering over the vampire. "Our seers confirmed that it was in your possession, vampire. What have you done with it?"

"Mate, I swear I thought it was in there!" Spike couldn't take his eyes off the debris that had once been the chest. Where the hell is it?

Tor'Kol reached out and grabbed the vampire's forearm. Taking a long look into Spike's eyes, he wrenched sharply, snapping bone and cartilage.

Spike howled, his knees sagging. Only Lor'Kol's iron grip on him prevented the vampire from falling to the floor.

Tor'Kol leaned forward, his massive face coming within inches of Spike's own.

"That answer is not acceptable, vampire." His voice was a low rumble of menace. "I suggest you think of a better one."

Chapter Twenty Three

Amy watched with a mixture of fascination and nervousness as the girl named Tara put the finishing touches to their locating spell. Before spending two years as a rat, she had considered herself a pretty powerful witch. But the other girl was something else entirely: she used techniques Amy had never seen before, and worked with a speed that was dizzying.

And she was Willow's girlfriend. That was a weird thing to deal with. Willow and I used to share a bed when we slept-over! Okay, they had only been ten at the time. And it wasn't like she had anything against Willow's choice. Plus, Tara seemed very nice. It was just really unnerving to spend two years 'away' and come back to find something like that had changed.

Focus. She scolded herself mentally. What Willow did was absolutely none of her business. And it was obvious that the two girls shared a connection.

She frowned, her mind replaying the incantations Tara had used.

"You and Willow are joined, aren't you?" she whispered.

Tara nodded slowly, blushing,

"It's why I can find Willow, though we could never locate Spike's base." She explained shyly, keeping her voice too low for the others to hear. "The link between us lets me get through the barrier spells he has up to hide himself."

Amy rocked back on her heels, glancing over at the others. There had not been enough room to perform the ritual inside the car, and so the two witches were crouched by the side of the road, having just completed the locating spell.

She didn't know much about spells which affected the casters' own souls, but she knew they were very dangerous. Tara and Willow must have cared very deeply for one another to have risked performing such a ritual. If I had someone who loved me that much, I wouldn't care what sex they were either.

She leaned over and laid her hand on the other girl's arm.

"Don't worry. We'll get her back."

Giles swore mildly when he saw the blinking light on his answering machine. A message this late at night could only mean trouble of some sort. He hurried over and pressed 'play', already shrugging back into his coat as he did so.

"Hey, G-man." Faith's voice bellowed. There was a lot of background noise for her to shout over. It sounded to Giles like she was in a car, talking on a cell phone, "Spike's got Red. We just swung by the hospital to pick up Tara. She says she can find Willow. Mrs S. is staying there with Xander. He's in room 324. B wants you to go check on them as soon as you get this message. Y'know, you bein' the man of the house, 'n all."

There was a squawk of outrage in the background, prompting a smoky laugh from Faith, before the message came to an abrupt halt.

Giles hurried out of the apartment, taking time only to carefully lock the door behind him. He drove to the hospital without thinking about it: the route was so familiar it was almost automatic. Instead, his mind kept turning back to Faith's message. They had only just managed to get Buffy back, and already the next crisis had appeared. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, then relaxed slowly. During his training, it had always been emphasised that there should be no personal relationship between the Slayer and her Watcher. At the time, it had seemed to make sense, as had the requirement for the Slayer to operate in secret. His failure to abide by those rules had ultimately cost him his position as Buffy's Watcher. For a long time afterward, he had questioned his role and value in Sunnydale. He had even come close to returning to England on a couple of occasions.

As he drove through the streets, the Englishman felt an strange sense of calm. Naturally, he was deeply concerned for Willow's safety. But Buffy, Faith and the others were already going to the redhead's aid. If she could be saved, they would be do it. Because they were working together. That was their strength.

Now, as Giles thought about the times that things had seemed bleakest; Buffy's disappearance, Faith's alliance with the Mayor, the last days before they defeated Adam; he realised that each had been brought on by a sense of isolation and dissent within the group. Buffy had fled Sunnydale because she felt alone. Faith had turned to the Mayor for much the same reason. And Spike had turned them all against one another at Adam's behest. During those times, they had been at their weakest.

These young people took on so much responsibility that he often forgot just how young they were. If he did nothing else in Sunnydale than remind them that they could always rely on his friendship and support, he would be doing more than could be measured.

Whistling tunelessly, Giles parked at the hospital and hurried inside. It was well outside visiting hours, but the hospital staff had given up trying to enforce that rule with their group. It was another part of the town's tacit acknowledgment that things in Sunnydale were far from 'normal'.

As Giles arrived at the doorway of room 324, he paused. All three occupants were silent. Xander was staring moodily at the wall, whilst Anya looked like she had been crying. Only Joyce seemed relatively relaxed as she came over to give him a welcoming hug.

"Is everything all right?" he asked softly, kissing her cheek.

"I think so." Joyce answered, her eyes creasing briefly in concern. "They've just had a little fight. They've got some things sorted out, now."

"Quite." Giles nodded, feeling a deep sense of relief that he hadn't arrived any earlier. Offering his support and friendship was all very well, but meddling in romantic liaisons was best left to a professional, in his opinion.

Tor'Kol hit Spike again. He was swinging his fists easily, not unleashing the full power of his arms, but each blow still sent a shudder through the vampire's entire body.

"You expect me to believe that the Gem has disappeared from the depths of your own stronghold?" he growled at his semi-conscious victim. "Without your knowledge? How could this be?"

"I … don't … bloody … know." Spike gasped slowly, his eyes not quite focused. "Maybe … that eerie bastard … Hansard. Maybe he took it."

"Hansard?' Tor'Kol frowned. It was not a name he had heard before.

"Spy." Spike muttered, slumped in Lor'Dok's grip. "C'n make himself … invisible."

"Did he know about this chamber?"

Spike laughed harshly, then winced.

"Christ knows. Wasn't … supposed to … but was a spy."

Tor'Kol scowled. Now that his anger had cleared, he was beginning to believe that the vampire genuinely did not know what had happened to the gem. Had Spike planned treachery, he would never have come alone to this room with two Jeneth.

"Very well." He rumbled slowly. "I accept that you have acted in good faith in this matter."

As Spike smiled in relief, Tor'Kol nodded to Lor'Dok.

"Kill him."

Incompetence could no more be tolerated than betrayal.

The two vampires on guard died without ever realising that an attack had started.

Tara had been as good as her word: not only had her and Amy's locating spell led their group straight to Spike's lair, but she had also protected the slayers from detection until they got close enough to surprise the guards.

Now, as wards concealing them fell away, Buffy and Faith plunged into the lair, the others close behind them. Four vampires and one Jeneth died within seconds, taken completely by surprise. Others fled, spreading the alarm.

As soon as the room was secure, the attackers split into three groups. Screaming like a Banshee, Faith led Buffy deeper into the lair. The two slayers had a mission to be as loud and visible as they could be, shouting abuse and taunts at the vampires and demons they encountered. It was up to them to distract as much attention as they could away from the others.

As soon as the slayers had gone, Tara and Amy cloaked themselves and Wesley in protective wards. Sweat appeared on their faces within minutes, showing the strain the spell was placing on them. But while the spell was in effect, they would be overlooked by those who did not know they were there to look for them.

"How long can you hold it?" Wesley asked Tara in concern. He had been designated to 'protect' the two witches, but they all knew that if they were discovered the best he could do was buy them some time to run.

"As long as we need." Tara grimaced, "Willow is this way." She pointed, and the three set off. It was their job to find the redheaded witch and get her safely back to the entrance of the lair.

Left in the first chamber, Angel, Gunn and Kate prepared calmly for the fight to come. The demons would send guards to seal the entrance, trying to trap the attackers within the lair. It was up to them to keep the group's escape route open.

Spike's head jerked up at Tor'Kol's words. The sudden movement caused his vision to blur.

"Now wait a minute, mate …"

Keeping his grip on Spike's left shoulder as strong as ever, Lor'Dok released the right and reached for a stake. As he did so, the war cries of two battle-ready slayers echoed through the lair. For a moment, the sudden noise caused the Jeneth's grip to relax slightly.

Spike threw himself forward, jerking out of Lor'Dok's hands. He felt weak and dizzy, dangerously close to passing out, but years of instinctive survival stood him in good stead. The British vampire ducked under Tor'Kol's reaching arms and ran out of the room.

Lor'Dok moved to follow, but Tor'Kol shook his head.

"There will be time enough for Spike." He said slowly, "Go to protect Drusilla. I will find the slayers. It is time to take revenge for those we lost at the warehouse."

Tara stumbled and sagged against the wall, panting for breath.

"Are you all right?" Wesley asked, glancing around nervously.

The blonde shook her head,

"Too many spells." She whispered, her eyes closed. She was very pale and covered in sweat. Wesley pressed a hand to her face, feeling how cold her skin was. "I can't …"

"I can." Amy said quietly, wiping a sheen of perspiration from her face. "Draw on me."

"No." Tara whispered, "You're just as tired."

"No, I'm not." Amy's voice was firm. She was proud of that. In truth, she was bone weary, her reserves all but exhausted. But Tara had borne far more of the burden than her. I have to take some of the load off her, now.

For a moment, Tara looked like she would refuse. Then she nodded tiredly, releasing the wards she had bound around them.

Amy staggered as it fell to her to support all the wards alone. It felt like an enormous rock had been lashed to her back, secured with straps which were too tight to let her breathe. But she held it. Maybe I could have been a powerful witch, after all.

Tara pushed herself off the wall, pointed down a tunnel.

"This way." She said quietly.

Buffy and Faith burst into a new chamber, then skidded sharply to a halt.

The vampire they had been chasing now dangled in the right hand of the largest Jeneth they had seen: a huge, broad-shouldered monster a good seven feet tall.

"Nice outfit." The blonde slipped her hair back, eyeing the demon's tailored suit.

"Thank you." The Jeneth rumbled, hurling his captive into the wall. The vampire crumpled to the ground, knocked unconscious by the impact. "My name is Tor'Kol. I am Clan Chief."

"Thanks for sharing." Faith nodded, "we'll make sure it goes on your headstone."

The Jeneth laughed, the sound a deep bass rumble.

"Such confidence. Which of you will fight me first?"

For a moment the two slayers looked at one another, then Faith smirked.

"What's this 'first' crap?"

They leapt forward together.

Tor'Kol swept out his arms, slapping aside their blows. He was strong and fast, and his size gave him a huge advantage of reach. Both slayers dropped back quickly, getting out of range of those big, powerful hands. The two stood together, not more than a yard apart.

"He's good." Faith muttered.

"Yeah." Buffy agreed. "Big, too."

"They all look big to you, B."

"That better not be a height gag, you floozy."

"I had expected more honour from the slayers.." Tor'Kol rumbled, "and less foolish chatter."

"Honour?" Faith snorted, "Even with my sidekick here, you outweigh us by a hundred pounds."

Tor'Kol charged.

The slayers leapt apart, ducking under the wide sweep of his arms. One of them even landed a glancing blow on his shoulder, but it had no effect on his thick, leathery skin.

"The hell with this." Buffy muttered, dashing forward as Tor'Kol turned.

"B!" Faith cried out in surprise. The Jeneth's mouth broadened into a wide smile as he swept his arms wide, grabbing at the slightly built Slayer.

Buffy ducked.

Tor'Kol's hands clutched at air as the blonde slid between his legs and leapt to her feet, smashing a spinning kick into the demon's back.

He stumbled a half step, roared and started to turn.

Faith leapt forward, wrapping herself around one of Tor'Kol's arms, keeping the demon sufficiently distracted that Buffy was able to dodge his blow.

Snarling, the Jeneth grabbed Faith's jacket with his free hand, hauling her off him and dangling her in the air.

"Now." He rumbled, shaking her roughly. The brunette's teeth rattled. "I have you -"

Faith twisted, stabbing her knife into the arm that was holding her. Tor'Kol bellowed, but held his grip. The brunette stabbed again, and the Jeneth reached for her with his free hand.

Buffy hammered her foot into the demon's knee, following up with two more quick kicks to his side. The sudden barrage of blows distracted him for a moment, and Faith wormed out of her jacket with a speed born of practice.

Landing lightly on the floor, the brunette smashed a roundhouse kick into the demon's face, then followed up by slamming her knife deep into his stomach. Tor'Kol grunted and back-handed her. Faith was knocked back a dozen feet, but rolled and came to her feet with smooth grace. A dark bruise began to form on her face.

Buffy struck at the Jeneth again, her feet and fists connecting with his back and side. Ducking left of Tor'Kol's reaching hand, she aimed a kick at it, her boot smashing bones in two of his fingers.

The brunette struck from the other side, keeping up the barrage of blows.

Tor'Kol fought back, his huge fists sweeping through the air. Several times, one or the other slayer was knocked from her feet by a glancing hit. But try as he might, the demon could never land a solid blow. And the constant impacts of the Slayers' blows, together with the injuries he had sustained, slowly began to take the edge off his speed.

The two girls landed blows more and more readily, but the demon kept fighting, some of his blows coming dangerously close to ending their lives. All it would take was one lucky hit.

"Any ideas?" Faith panted, as they fell back after another flurry of blows. The fight had only lasted a few minutes, but they needed to finish it before any other demons or vampires turned up.

"Just one." Buffy nodded. "You go for his legs."

The brunette nodded and charged in, striking low and hard, concentrating all her blows on Tor'Kol's left leg. Buffy kept to the demon's front and right, doing enough to distract him from catching Faith.

And then a blow landed with enough force to drop the Jeneth momentarily to one knee. Instantly, the blonde slayer saw her opportunity. She stepped in and kicked up, her boot driving into the softer skin of Tor'Kol's throat. There was a soft, wet crunch as the bones of his neck gave way under the blow.

Slowly, the huge demon toppled to the floor.

"How'd you feel?" Faith asked.

"Let's get back to the entrance." Buffy winced. Even Tor'Kol's glancing blows were powerful: she was certain she had at least two cracked ribs. "And you're the sidekick here, by the way."

"Me?" Faith looked set to argue, then grinned suddenly. "Okay. You can be the Green Hornet and I'll be Kato."

"Who?"

Kate fired her last four rounds into the snarling face of a Jeneth, thankful that the demons could be killed with bullets. In most other ways, they were far tougher than vampires.

Beside her, Gunn stood ready with a knife and a stake. He had lost his crossbow when the second group of vampires attacked.

Holstering the handgun, Kate suppressed a yelp of surprise when a cold hand clasped her shoulder.

"Sorry." Angel apologised. "You two okay?"

"Yeah, man." Gunn actually sounded as if he were enjoying himself, despite the bloody cut on his left arm. "Cop-lady here's been gettin' down with the hand artillery."

"Good." Angel replied calmly, "the others should be back soon. Their time is up."

The sound of running feet reached them suddenly.

Gripping her stake tightly, Kate hoped grimly that it was some of their group, rather than another wave of demons.

Moments later, the two witches burst into the chamber, closely followed by a heavily-laden Wesley, who had Willow draped across his shoulders in a firefighter's carry.

Angel took the unconscious girl from the purple-faced Englishman, who wheezed an expression of gratitude, then sank to his knees and sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.

"How is she?" Kate asked Angel, her eyes not leaving the tunnel she was guarding.

"Alive." He answered shortly, then turned to Tara, "Was she like this when you found her?"

The blonde nodded,

"She had been left in a room. It was locked, but Wesley picked it."

"W's noth'n." The Englishman was still to out of breath to form complete words.

With a pounding off feet, Buffy and Faith rounded the nearest corner of the tunnel and charged into the room. Both were dishevelled and bruised, but appeared to have avoided serious injury.

"Is she okay?" Buffy's face had paled at the site of Willow.

"Yes." Angel nodded, "she's been bitten, but hasn't lost enough blood for it to be life-threatening."

"Then let's get gone." Faith suggested, "The fun's all over, here, anyway."

"Oh dear, Miss Edith." Drusilla whispered, "Daddy's asleep."

Lor'Dok stared down at the sprawled body of his former Clan Chief with a mixture of satisfaction and regret. Satisfaction that he would now be Clan Chief; regret that he would never have the honour of taking Tor'Kol's life himself.

"It's time to leave." He growled, taking Drusilla's arm.

"No." she said, shaking her arm free. "Daddy's still asleep. We mustn't wake him."

The Jeneth sighed. He had never understood what Tor'Kol saw in the vampiress. He reached out for her again, not sure if he would kill her or not.

He never got to make the choice.

Spike's blade sank deeply into the back of his neck, driving up into the demon's brain. Lor'Dok blinked slowly, a soft noise of surprise coming from his throat, then toppled to the ground, his shocked face staring at the ceiling.

The British vampire smirked, cradling his injured arm against his chest.

"Not so much fun when I'm behind you, is it mate?" he muttered, then gave Drusilla his most charming smile. "It's time to go, love."

"Can't go." Drusilla cradled Miss Edith tenderly, "Daddy's still asleep."

Spike glanced at Tor'Kol and sighed. Walking over to the body, he kicked it twice.

"He's not asleep, pet. He's dead."

"Dead?" the dark-eyed brunette repeated slowly.

"That's right, pet. Dead as he can be." Spike demonstrated by delivering another pair of kicks to the Jeneth's body.

"You killed him." Drusilla whispered.

"What?" Spike smiled nervously, "No, pet. Not me. The Slayers killed him."

Drusilla crouched and put Miss Edith on Lor'Dok's chest. Gently, she arranged his arms so that he was cradling the doll.

"Dru?" Spike reached out carefully with his good hand.

She screamed and sprang at him, her nails raking like claws.

Spike fell back before the onslaught, vainly trying to protect himself with one arm. Drusilla's nails racked his arm and face. He swore and tripped, falling against the wall. Unhurt, he could have knocked her out and forced her to come with him. As badly injured as he was, there was little the British vampire could do to fight off the furious brunette.

"You killed him." She repeated mournfully, drawing a stake from inside the folds of her robe.

Spike raised his arm in a futile attempt at self-defence, knowing that he could not stop the blow from falling.

A pale arm snaked under Drusilla's upraised arm, then reached back to grab her by the hair. Darla's face appeared over the brunette's shoulder. As always, she seemed calm and composed.

Drusilla struggled, but the blonde was too strong, wrenching back on the brunette's hair.

"Now." Darla said thoughtfully, "What to do? William wants you back, Drusilla. I really don't know why."

"I love her." Spike said in a surly voice, struggling to rise to his feet.

"Stay there, William." Darla's voice was sharp, but it was the stake she pressed to Drusilla's chest that really got his attention. Slowly, the British vampire subsided.

"William loves you." The blonde mused softly.

"Spike loves me." Drusilla murmured, her face dreamy. Then her expression grew hard, "Spike killed Daddy!"

Darla moved her lips to Drusilla's ear, whispering softly.

"I never understood what Angelus thought he was doing when he turned you." Her voice was sour, "We were a happy family. Strong and powerful. You … you were a disgrace. An embarrassment to us all."

The blonde thrust suddenly with the stake, driving it deep into Drusilla's heart. A moment later, the woman Spike had loved was nothing more than dust, drifting slowly to the ground.

The British vampire stared up at his great-grandsire, fear evident in his eyes.

"What about me, luv?" he asked quietly, "Am I an embarrassment as well?"

Darla sighed,

"Just get up, William. And stop feeling so sorry for yourself."

Chapter Twenty Four

Faith sat on the Summers' staircase and took a sip of the beer she was holding. Normally she was more of a 'slug it back' kind of person, but it had taken over fifteen minutes of coaxing to get Giles and Joyce to let her have even one beer. At that rate of effort to reward, she planned to get the most she could out of each bottle.

"Hey." Buffy came down the staircase and perched on the step next to Faith.

"Hey, yourself." Faith replied quietly, offering the bottle to the blonde. Buffy wrinkled her nose.

"No thanks. The last time I drank beer was … not good."

"Major hangover?"

"That too, but it was mainly the evil magical curse which gave me the wiggins."

Faith smiled tightly and Buffy frowned,

"What's the matter?" she asked quietly, "you're the hero of the hour. Last night you saved me and helped save Willow. Mom and Giles just wanted to say 'thank you' for that. And believe me, from the way Mom keeps hugging me every ten minutes, they're going to keep on thanking you."

"We got lucky with Red." Faith took another sip from the beer, listening to the soft sounds of conversation in the next room. Giles and Joyce were playing gin rummy with Willow and Tara. "Most of the vamps bolted as soon as we went in. It was only the Jeneth who stayed to fight."

"Okay, what's up?" Buffy touched her arm, "I'm not going to go away until you spill."

"I'm leaving." Faith blurted the words out, then took a deep mouthful of beer to stop herself from saying any more.

"What?" Buffy looked stunned, "but -"

"But nothin', B." Faith shook her head, "I'm going to go back to Boston. The East Coast needs a slayer, too."

"The East Coast doesn't have a Hellmouth." The blonde reminded her, "We need you here. We want you here."

"Not all of you." Faith realised she was out of beer. Typical. Just when I could really do with another slug of it. "I kissed Xander, B."

"Oh." Buffy's eyes widened, "Mom said he and Anya had a fight."

"Yeah." The brunette nodded, "I told Anya. I didn't want her to hear some other story. And I promised her I'd bail after we got you back. I … it didn't really anything, when I did it … I was just so lonely … but I don't want to come between Xander and Anya."

"I'll talk to her." Buffy said firmly.

Faith couldn't stop a flicker of surprise showing in her eyes. The blonde saw it.

"We need you here, Faith." She repeated, "Spike did one of his disappearing acts last night. Besides, this is the Hellmouth. I guarantee the world will need saving again before we get to finals."

Despite herself, the brunette smiled, but she still shook her head.

"You don't need me, B. You've got a whole team to help you."

" And if you go to Boston, what will you have?" the blonde's voice was quiet. Faith shrugged uncomfortably.

"I'll have me. That's enough." Even to her, it sounded false.

"Faith, I want you to stay." Buffy lightly gripped the brunette's hand in her own, "After all we've been through … you're like … a sister to me." She paused, "Except that I don't have to worry about you borrowing my clothes."

Faith snorted,

"That's for sure."

"Please stay." The blonde repeated. Faith sighed,

"I wish I could, B. But I made a promise. I won't go back on it, no matter how much I want to."

Buffy let go of her hand.

"So that's it, then?"

"Yeah." Faith nodded, her voice rough. She stood, wiped her hair back with her hand. "Look at it this way, B. The old Faith would have blown off the promise and stayed. But would you have wanted her to?"

The brunette walked away, leaving the blonde to sit with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Oh for goodness sake, Cor." Harmony scowled, "I'm not going to bite you."

"That's right." The brunette nodded, "You aren't. Because I've got this cross." She brandished it aggressively, making the vampire take a half step back.

"Look, I'd have to be pretty stupid to pick a fight with you. Because when Spike works out that I took this thing, he's going to be really pissed. So I'm gonna need your friends' protection. Now, do you want the damn Gem or not?"

"Give it to David." Cordelia jerked her head at the man standing diffidently to her left.

"You're the rich guy, huh?" Harmony smiled flirtatiously, offering him the bundled blanket she was holding. "You sure you can make this thing disappear again?"

"Um. Yes." He nodded nervously.

"Of course we can." Cordelia snapped, "that's why you came to us, isn't it?"

"Why did you?" David asked suddenly, "Um … come to us?"

Harmony sniffed,

"That bastard Spike was just using it to get back with Drusilla."

"Oh great." Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Spike's plan for world domination is foiled because you're a jealous little cow."

Harmony snarled at the brunette, the ridges of her vampire face forming instinctively. Cordelia thrust the cross forward immediately,

"Just give me an excuse, Harm." The brunette smiled sweetly.

"You don't have your ghost friend to protect you this time." The blonde growled back.

"You're beautiful."

"What?" Cordelia and Harmony exclaimed in unison, whirling to face David. The multimillionaire blushed in surprise, but repeated his words.

"You're beautiful." He reached out tentatively and stroked one of the hard ridges on Harmony's face. The gesture shocked her so much that she dropped back into her human face. He was sort of cute, in a geeky kind of way. And he has all that money.

"Oh, good grief." Cordelia pressed her free hand to her temple, "didn't your thing for demons get you in enough trouble already, David?"

She got the distinct feeling she may as well be talking to herself.

Spike leaned against the car, fumbling one-handed with his cigarettes. The arm Tor'Kol had broken was now bound in a sling. It would heal in a week or so. In the meantime, he was getting grouchy due to a lack of smokes.

"That's a filthy habit, you know." Darla stepped out of the gas station, daintily wiping her mouth. She was carrying a white plastic bag in one hand.

"How much did we get?" Spike ignored her comment.

"Only eighty from the till." She patted her coat pocket, "Maybe a thousand from the safe. And four cartons for you. Assorted flavours." She rustled the bag.

"Thanks, princess." He grinned. "How 'bout we knock over the next station, too? I could do with a little something to wet my whistle."

"You could have had some of this one."

"Nah." He shook his head, "I don't like left-overs."

Darla laughed,

"Did you fill up?"

"Yeah. And I waited until I'd finished to light the smoke, too. I'm not a complete fool."

"Except about Drusilla." Darla smiled sweetly.

His eyes narrowed.

"Well, you put a stop to that didn't you, pet?"

"Oh, poor William." Darla teased, plucking the cigarette out of his mouth to kiss him, "One of you was going to die, either way. Would you have preferred it to be you?"

"Guess not." He breathed, and kissed her again, savouring the taste of fresh blood in her mouth.

After the better part of a minute they parted lips.

"Time to go." She whispered.

"Yeah." Spike took back his cigarette and slid into the passenger seat. He watched Darla walk around to the driver's side, admiring the smooth movement of her body. He wondered if he would kill her once he was back up to full strength. She did kill Dru, after all.

On the other hand, she was great in the sack. And a lot less emotional than Drusilla had been. And she had saved him from being killed. He'd give it a couple of weeks to make up his mind.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked, climbing into the car.

"Just that this is another one I owe those bitch slayers." He pointed back over his shoulder. By now, Sunnydale was a good fifty miles behind them.

"You thinking about going back, one day?"

"Go back to Sunnydale?" he laughed, "Every time I'm there I get my ass kicked by the slayers and go within an inch of being dusted." He paused and laughed again, "You bet I'm gonna go back. But for now, let's go shake up Vegas. I feel like making a killing at the casinos."

Faith packed her belongings for the second time in a week. The single bag looked small and alone on the bed, but she tried to think of that as a positive. At least I travel light.

"Faith?" it was the last voice she had expected to hear.

"Anya." The brunette slayer turned to look at the ex-demoness, who stood at the open door of her dorm room.

"Can I come in?"

"So long as you're not a vampire, yeah."

Anya came into the room almost gingerly, glancing around as she did so.

"Buffy's a slob, huh?"

"She's not too bad." Faith shrugged. It was hard not to be messy when you owned as much stuff as Buffy seemed to. "What do you want, Anya?"

"I came to see if you'd left yet."

"I was just going." Faith said shortly, shouldering her bag. What else did I expect from her? A tearful farewell?

"Wait!" Anya put out her hand. The slayer stopped with a scowl. She had picked this time to leave because Buffy was in a class. If the ex-demoness delayed her too long, she would have to endure another tearful scene with the other slayer.

"What is it?" she didn't bother to keep the edge of hostility from her voice.

"I didn't mean it like that." Anya waved her hands in a gesture of confusion, "I just … say stuff … the first thing that comes into my head, y'know?"

"So what did you mean?" Faith sighed, dropping the bag; and herself; back onto the bed.

"I meant that I'd come to make sure you hadn't gone yet." Anya shifted uncomfortably, "I just wanted to tell you that it's okay for you to stay. I know you won't try to take Xander from me. It's not really him you want, is it?"

Faith blinked. She had to give Anya credit: the girl was direct.

"So you and Xander worked things out?" the brunette chose the less confronting topic.

"We spoke to Buffy's mom a couple of nights ago." Anya shrugged, "And she was really helpful. Besides, I really like sex with him."

Faith coughed in surprise. Anya did tend to boil things down to the bare bones.

"So you're cool with me staying in town?"

"Yes." Anya nodded, "After all, you're not going to try and steal my man when you're with Buffy, are you?"

The brunette slayer felt a wave of surprise. Is it that obvious?

"Anya -" she paused, unsure what to say, "Buffy … she doesn't know that I -"

"Yes, she does." The other slayer's soft interruption caused Faith to start with surprise. The blonde was leaning against the room's door, her books under one arm.

Anya slipped out of the room silently, leaving the two alone. It was a long time before either of them moved or spoke again.

Epilogue

"So how are things in LA?" Faith asked as Buffy hung up the phone. The brunette was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a pile of books in front of her.

"Good. Angel says hi -"

"How did he take the news?" the brunette tried to keep the tension out of her voice.

Buffy laughed wryly,

"He said 'It took you both long enough'."

"Oh." Faith blushed slightly, "Anything else goin' on out there?"

"Harmony's still around. She got her hooks into some guy called David."

Faith frowned,

"A vamp and a human. That's just freaky." Faith realised what she had said and blushed, "I mean … where the vampire doesn't have a soul. You and Angel was totally different." It was time to clamp down on the babbling before she started to sound like Willow. "He was really that cool with it? I thought, with the chance of him becoming human again, you two might have …"

The blonde brushed her hair back,

"He was fine. More than fine. I think he is really settled in LA, now. And I think he knows how happy I am."

Faith felt a bashful smile spread across her lips, despite her efforts to quash it.

"You're happy, then?" by an effort of will, she kept her voice neutral.

Buffy grinned playfully,

"You know I am." She murmured, moving behind the brunette and wrapping her arms around her. The blonde's lips brushed Faith's ear as she spoke.

The dark slayer settled back against her lover, gently stroking Buffy's arms as she did so.

"Me too."