Setting - Angel. After Season5.
Characters - Faith, Angel, Spike, Illyria, Willow and Buffy.
(5132+miles away - Scotland - 15 minutes earlier – 10.15am GMT)
Willow bustled around the room, opening drawers and taking out certain items of clothing, and then returning to the bed to place them in the open hold all. Buffy stood in the center of Willow's bedroom, arms crossed with a somewhat perplexed expression on her face while she spoke, "I don't see why you have to go now. Is it really that important?" Willow paused, her concentration broke as she dropped a shirt into the hold all before turning, "The seers are very concerned. They don't know why this has happened, or how much of a time difference has passed. It could have been hours. It might not even have happened yet. Which is why I have to go now, and be there for when they arrive," and she furrowed her brow slightly, "that's if they're not already there." The panic could clearly be seen in Willow's eyes as she thought more on that, and turning abruptly she zipped up her hold all before swinging it up and onto her shoulder as she turned around again. "But Faith? Why her?" and Buffy paused for a second before blurting out blankly in a harsh tone, "She tried to kill me."
Willow looked at her friend, her feelings torn as always on the subject of 'Buffy and Faith' and breathed out shallowly, setting her jaw slightly as their hour long conversation started to wear a bit thin, "You barged in on her undercover mission. A mission in which she was trying to prevent you from getting killed, and where she had to go along with pretending to hate you. She acted quickly in the hope that you didn't blow her cover, which you did." Willow paused as she took in a deep breath, Buffy looking at her blankly as she spoke through gritted teeth, her anger rising slightly, "She tried to drown me." Willow sighed as she breathed out, taking a few steps closer until she was level with Buffy, "And she stopped. She didn't even know why she was sent there until after she arrived." Willow started to feel uncomfortable. She knew Faith wouldn't have gone if she had known beforehand that the mission was to save Buffy's life, and that was the only reason Giles had sent her. She forced a smile onto her lips, hoping it would reach her eyes, trying to lighten the mood, "Besides. I teleported you back in time. And you missed the whole death match where Faith nearly ended up dead." A slight pang of guilt worked its way into Buffy's system, knowing she had been the root cause of Faith's near death experience yet again. A pout formed on her lips as she looked at Willow, uncrossing her arms and letting them drop to her sides, letting the defeat set in for the argument she knew she was going to lose. "I don't see why you have to go," she said more quietly, which was a complete lie. She knew Willow was one of the most powerful witches out there, and she was the only one they could spare that would be able to travel to the hell dimension where L.A now resided.
Willow softened the look on her face, placing a hand gently on Buffy's shoulder as she started to speak, "I won't be long. I'll be back before you know it." Buffy smiled softly back, moved forwards quickly and wrapped her arms around one of her bestest friends, "You better. I need you here with me." Willow closed her eyes as she hugged her back tightly, her smile growing even more, quelling the fear inside of the unknown that was yet to come, "I will. I promise." They both stepped reluctantly back, breaking their embrace, Buffy trying not to look more worried than she actually was, and Willow trying to hold back a few tears as she readjusted the strap of her hold all on her shoulder. Buffy smiled a little, her eyes gleaming slightly from the worried tears that threatened to spill as she looked at Willow noticing her eyes were also gleaming slightly. They both smiled still as they choked out a hoarse goodbye. Buffy watched her friend closely, taking another step back so she wouldn't be pulled into the silent spell Willow was about to perform. Willow balled her fists gently at her sides, inwardly concentrating with all her strength and picturing Faith clearly in her mind, willing her body and mind to be where the dark haired girl was at that moment in time. Slowly Buffy blinked and Willow faded before her eyes, leaving her alone in the now empty room, worrying how long it would take before her friend would return. She turned, hearing someone approach the door, then nodded after they spoke, requesting her assistance in the main Security office. Standing up a little straighter she sniffed lightly, pushing down her feelings as she started to follow the Slayer briskly out of Willow's bedroom.
(Scotland to L.A. – 10.45pm PDT )
Willow let her eyes unfocus as she looked at Buffy, feeling and seeing the room swirling around her as the spell began to work. She breathed in deeply, balling her fists that much tighter, picturing Faith even more clearly in her mind, praying she would end up where she thought she was. Breathing out slowly she felt everything shift more around her, the room around her changing, the dark walls of her room fading and being replaced by white ones that were that much further away. She closed her eyes, bringing a hand up to her head as the spinning of her surroundings slowed down even more, trying to focus on where she was; she hoped it was somewhere moderately safe. Unballing her other fist she breathed in shakily, feeling drained as she tried to find her center and balance out the turmoil she felt within. Slowly she opened her eyes, her shoulders sagging, and letting her holdall bag fall down off of her shoulder and onto the floor. It landed with a soft thud, and seconds later two sets of eyes opened to reveal bright yellow ones. Their gazes shifted up and they locked eyes, awareness beginning to slowly set in through the thick fog that enveloped their minds and the woman in their embrace. Willow, whose head had dropped, slowly lifted hers up as she looked around her, her whole body shaking and trying not to sink to the ground. She glanced around the foyer from where she stood on the top steps, just inside the main front door of the Hyperion hotel. Her eyes swept quickly back to the middle of the foyer, and her eyes grew slightly wide as her jaw dropped, slowly trying to process what her eyes saw but not quite believing it.
Spike and Angel both sniffed, trying to smell the scent of the intruder without taking their mouths away from Faith's skin. It was useless, as all they could smell were their three scents combined. Slowly Spike and Angel retracted their fangs from beneath Faith's flesh, tightening their grip on her slightly as she swooned in their arms. Their eyes stayed locked, as if silently conversing what to do, until they heard a quiet, "Oh my," come from the direction of the door. Turning their heads they both emitted a deep throaty growl as their lips curled and their eyes deepened from a bright yellow to a dark orange. Willow watched, her eyes wide, as her gaze shifted rapidly between the two vampires, taking in the small trail of blood that seeped down from the corners of their mouths. Suddenly Willow's mind became clear and her body spurred into action, and bringing her arms up she brought them swiftly out to the side, both vampires being forced across the foyer and in opposite directions from her spell. Willow shot forwards, running down the steps, her eyes on Faith as the Slayer slumped heavily to the ground, her eyes opening on impact. Willow skidded to a halt, glancing at both vampires as she squatted down next to Faith, as the Slayer lifted her head and said a quiet, "Damn," bringing her hand up to the back of her head that had been hit for a second time that night. She slowly sat up, taking no notice as Willow tried to help her, shaking her head slightly in search of those that she had lost contact with while addressing Willow, "What the hell?" Her head turned, looking from left to right, not being able to decide who to settle her eyes on, Spike or Angel, who laid unconscious on the floor, each about twelve feet away.