Operation Slayers and Non Essentials, the Second Coming:

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

"How is she?" Giles asked.

"I gave her enough sedatives to stop the heart of a rogue bull elephant, but it's like she is having nonstop nightmares. Rupert, she should be barely breathing with the amount of drugs I had to give her. Her affliction is definitely mystical and I saw the symbol burned into her stomach, it looks familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it." The doctor told Giles as she was checking her medical supplies.

As Buffy's hand landed on her shoulder, Faith stopped instantly.

"That shoulda been me B, she stepp't in da way ta save me."

"Faith, baby, you can't blame yourself for what she did. Ken chose to.."

"STOP B!" Faith yelled.

"Just stop. You got to have your guilt trip and now it's my turn a'ight?" Faith spoke to Buffy as she sighed, her back turned and shoulders hunched over.

"What happened, happened Faith and we have to focus on healing Kennedy, training the rest of the girls and running Slayer central. Baby there's nothing you can do…."

Staring back at Buffy was an enlightened Faith, a Faith that just now, had an epiphany.

"Yes I can"

All of team Kennedy fell silent as they stared at the person in the doorway.

"That evil son of a masked bitch got one of ours, I'm go'in out to find him and shove his dick up his ass til he fixes what he did. If anyone wants to watch, I'll be on the porch in ten."

As soon as Faith turned and walked out of the library, all members of team Kennedy got up without saying a word to each other and made their way to the weapons tent.

'CRASSSSH!'

Without warning, the door to the bar suddenly hit the floor and 5 wounded and bloody humans stood where the door once was.

And like a scene out of a movie, from left to right Rona, Vi, Faith, Dawn and Andrew walked along an empty street with a building on fire behind them; the only other sound other than wood cracking and burning, being the music coming from the speakers within the burning bar.

'No, no, no, ya know….he ain't gonna die..ie ie'

For several minutes Xander held and rocked Willow, stroking her hair. His shirt becoming soaked as the red head's tears fell freely. However, as the two pulled away, Willow did something that shocked Xander almost out of his eye patch.

The emotionally wrecked witch suddenly latched her lips onto her oldest friend's and pressed her body into his, eyes closed.

Chapter 5

"Ok guys, here's what we got. All the walls that cover the good electrical and plumbing are re-dry walled, so obviously the basic plumping and electrical is done. We still need heating and cooling, the floors have to be redone and re-carpeted, all the windows need to be replaced and I pray to God one of you is a sixteenth century mason, because I don't know how to build stone castles for the life of me. And two more things, there will be no questions about the eye patch until were drunk and done for the day. Lastly, there will be absolutely no fooling around with any of the underage or slightly over age women around here. I don't need Buffy or Faith kicking your asses for whistling and hollering at the Slayers during the day….but some allowances can be made at night and when they come back from patrols hungry and hor… Soar. Now you all have the plans for your department. Let's move!"

Just as the London council's construction crew were about to disperse and get to work on repairing and rebuilding Scotland's Slayer central, Dawn and Vi walked by the crew with arms full of books.

"Hey baby! Why don't you drop the books and give me a reason to work hard today?" One of the younger crewmen hollered towards the two Slayers, only to be knocked on his ass by a book to the face.

"Oh for the love of God, were never gonna have enough people to finish this." Xander sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Have the construction crew begun yet?" Giles asked Dawn and Vi as they entered the room, arms full of books.

"Oh yeah, they're here," Dawn said as she and Vi shared a smile.

"Alright then let's get to work, shall we?" Giles stated as he began to fill his own arms with grimoires, watcher journals and other demonic lore.

While Giles and Vi started to sort out and alphabetically file all text that are and are not relevant to curing Kennedy's condition, Andrew and Dawn were researching through a stack of demonic literature that Giles had already put aside for them; in hopes of finding anything that could aid in their team leader's recovery.

It has been two days since Willow and Xander have been in the same vicinity for more than five minutes or even alone. Both couldn't bring themselves to talk about what happened between them… yet again. Finally, after sitting by Kennedy's side for over five hours and feeling nothing but guilt, Willow got up and exited the medical tent in search of her favourite Nick Fury look alike.

"Yeah John, were gonna put cross beams in the walls this time, use double steel studs instead of singles." Xander explained to his temporary foreman.

"Sir, don't you think that having the most powerful witch on this side of the planet to magically reinforce the inside of the walls and the floors before we finish them would be a good idea? I mean were using a lot more material then you originally used, the structural integrity of this castle could be a huge risk."

"John, I know it sounds like a good idea on paper, but Willow is way too busy training herself and our own watcher's and Slayers in basic mystical stuff to….or she could suddenly be available," Xander said with a sigh as he saw Willow walk up towards the two men from behind John.

"Miss Rosenberg," John greeted the witch as he tipped his hard hat to her.

"Hi John, your sister still floating pencils or did my advice move her up to chairs yet?" The witch questioned.

The castle site's Foreman chuckled before explaining, "oh if only you knew the half of it. There are pencils stuck in every wall of her training room, and some in the tree's outside."

"Well tell her she needs to be calm and neutral when she tries it, not happy or sad and she should be able to control it." Willow retorted.

"I was wondering if I could borrow Xander for a few minutes?" The witch asked out loud.

"Sure, I can manage on my own for a few minutes, just bring him back capable of thinking straight," John winked and then received two hard punches to his shoulders.

After a few minutes of walking to a more secluded part of the castle grounds, Willow turned to face Xander and they both had an embarrassed look upon their faces.

"You know Will we really have to stop doing this, if word gets out people will think you're doing time magic and were in high school again." Xander smiled after he mused.

Willow looked at her best friend solemnly for a few seconds before she laughed and embraced him in a brief hug.

"Oh my Xander, what would I do without you?...Other than not make with the guilty smooches"

"So you still love her then?" Xander asked.

Willow looked up at Xander after his question with tears brimming in her eyes and replied, "Yes…No…It's complicated. I think I finally realize how you felt about Anya after the wedding. I know it's over, but she will always be in my heart. I feel so guilty after kissing you, even though I know were done. I feel like I betrayed her somehow…A-aand kissing you was wrong of me. I tried to use you when I was hurting, I'm sorry Xander."

"Hey no complaints on my end, I got a lesbian to kiss me…Oh yeah, I'm baaaddd," Xander again mused as he wiped the tears off of his best friend's cheeks with the clean side of his thumbs.

"Xander!" Willow embarrassedly shouted as she nudged him.

After Xander smiled and laughed he replied to Willow, "Will I think I understand how you feel. You love Kennedy but you're not in love with her. And I accept your apology. Now how about we get back to making this place into the Hall of Justice so we can go back to being the Super Friends? Unless of course you want more Xan man love?"

Willow smiled at her best friend before hugging him tightly again and kissing him tenderly on the cheek as she pulled away and held his hands.

"Umm... Will is that a yes?"

"Xander!"

"Just checking," the man replied with a smile as he and his best friend since grade school walked back to Slayer Central side by side.

"Just so were clear, you're still gay right? I mean that was just a fluke before and there is no way when this is all over and things are supernaturally normal again, that on those long, lonely nights in the war room... or camera room?" Xander asked without looking at Willow.

"Remember on our little vacation, we were drunk and we…played baseball while we had smooches? Well I wasn't as drunk as you".

"Wait" Xander said as he stopped.

"That was you! I thought that was a woman who worked at the resort night club! You mean that that was your boobs and pus….um stuff that I...and that was you I did body shots off of!... And out of?" Xander exclaimed in disbelief as he started to tremble forwards getting weak in the knees from the flashbacks of fondling a red headed woman.

Willow couldn't hold back her giggling and smiled at him before she blushed and admitted, "No it wasn't me Xander, but after a few drinks and seeing you both cream your pants, I wanted it to be."

Xander merely blinked a few times while looking at her and then smiled after a few dozen blinks, "Oh yeah….llooooovve poems "

"Xander! Don't make change my slowly Bi turning mind," Willow warned with a finger pointed towards him.

"Sorry"

As most of the day came and went and sun set took its rightful place in the sky, the Slayer Central library now housed all of the Scoobies minus Satsu and Olivia. Most of the books and scriptures were filed properly with the exception of any literature related to the demon which cursed Kennedy and its mark.

"Guys," Dawn instantly leaped to her feet and sent the chair she was sitting on flying backwards.

"Guys!" Dawn suddenly shouter as her gaze was fixated on an open page of a volume of 'The Demonic Codex'. A set of books the Vatican published to be viewed by only its highest members.

"Dawn? Found something?" Giles asked as his and everyone else's gaze fell on her.

The younger Summers woman picked up the open book she was reading from and planted it on the middle of one of the many brand new library table's Slayer Central received that morning, pointing to a picture.

"This thing look familiar to any of you?" She asked.

"Son of a bitch! That's it! That's the demon that fucked up Ken!" Faith excitedly and loudly exclaimed.

As Giles, Vi, Rona, Dawn, Andrew, Buffy, Faith, Xander and Willow huddled around the opened book, Giles read out loud.

"Ethros demon, known for its robed figure in combination with a metal ballroom mask to hide its only physical demonic features. For more information, see volumes E through F in the Demonic Codex Explicatus".

As Giles finished reading, everyone looked up at each other and then started throwing books off the table that weren't labelled 'The Demonic Codex Explicatus, English Translation', until Andrew found the very thick book in question.

"Ethros, Ethros…. Here we go!" The young watcher exclaimed as he turned the pages.

"Ethros Demon: Usually dresses in hooded robes and is part of an advanced humanoid weapon wielding race. Their skin color may vary but the most recognizable demonic trait of an Ethros demon is its traditional metallic ballroom mask the demon uses to hide its facial demonic features. Most Ethros demons prefer to dwell close to beaches as the salt air naturally increases all magical elements in this breed of demon's species blood. Thus, empowers any demonic rituals, kata's, mantra's or spells performed. Although deadly with their martial arts that have been passed down from generation to generation, the most devastating weapon in Ethros demon's arsenal is it's magical mark known as the 'vomica of Ethros'; roughly translated to the curse of Ethros."

"Christ almighty, these texts are always so useless til the last sentence! Andrew, skip ahead will ya?" Faith asked in frustration.

"Alright, alright…..blah blah blah, once roamed free until the crusades and since then must be summoned…blah blah blah… Ah, 'vomica of Ethros'. The curse of an Ethros demon attacks the victim's mind. Not only tricking the mind into thinking that the body is filled with pain, but ensnares the victim in constant night terrors while still conscious. If the 'vomica of Ethros' is placed upon any magical creature, any number of side effects can occur; The most common side effect being the slow disintegration of that creatures power and that of its closest blood. The only way to remove the curse is by performing the ritual of Ethros with the blood of the Ethros demon that originally cursed the victim."

"Good Lord," Giles stated.

"Yeah, there within lies the problem. We need to somehow find this demon and fast or else there may not be a Kennedy to eventually bring back," Buffy stated.

"Closest blood," Dawn thought out loud.

"What was that Dawn?" The eldest Summers sister asked.

"Closest of blood…closest of blood…I'm getting an idea, it's on the tip of my….OH!... FUCK!"

"Dawn! Language!" Buffy scolded.

"Screw the language! Buffy, do you have any idea what this means!" Dawn asked her older sister.

"Holy Crap!" Andrew exclaimed when he came to the same conclusion as his lover.

"Sorry," the young watcher apologized as the Scoobies gave him a scolding look.

"Someone want to explain why everyone is swearing to the super powered blond please?" Buffy asked out loud.

"Buffy, there's a chance that the longer Ken is out of commission, we may slowly loose our Slayer powers." Dawn explained.

"Wait a sec, the book said blood and she ain't one of the originals. So unless momma never told me about my long lost kid sister, we should be fine." Faith commented.

"Unless…Good Lord," Giles exclaimed while taking off his glasses and cleaning them.

"Ohhhh boy, Giles took off his glasses, what giant revelation did we discover this time?" Xander asked from his seat.

"Unless Ken…was the next chosen one," Willow explained to the room with her eyes wide open in shock.

"The Slayer essence would have passed through her, the whatever powers that decide this crap mystically chose Kennedy to carry the line. She could be connected to all of the Slayers as much as Buffy or Faith is." Dawn spoke out to her family and friends as she explained her theory.

"Girls, do any of you feel any different since this mess occurred? Mental or physical? Anything at all that you think may alter your Slayer abilities?" Giles asked as he put his glasses back on.

"Nah G, nothing out of the ordinary. Guys? Anybody?" Faith asked as she scanned the room and looked at all her sister Slayers present.

After a room full of no's Andrew spoke up, "Um…"

"Andy, don't even try to start. Unless you're a very ugly and anatomically incorrect woman, your non superness doesn't count hommie." Rona said to the young watcher with a hardy chuckle.

"No not me silly, I mean you guys…Ah… girls…I mean beautiful woman?"

"Nice save baby," Dawn said as she smiled at her watcher and rubbed his arm.

"Andy's learning," Faith smiled at the young man as she put up her hand for a high five.

"Annnywayys…" Andrew trailed off.

"I know that you think that I'm just the ranged support and that I just look at your butt's on normal patrols while I'm in the back…"

Xander suddenly smiled and stared into space before yelping as Willow pinched his arm.

"…but I see things…notice things. Giles told me that the most obvious and crucial aspect of being a watcher is…well to watch. And a few nights ago when we went looking for clues to help Ken, you guys were…well less you're your best. You all lacked focus and near the end of the night blindly swung at anything that moved, even Faith"

"Come again son?" Faith spoke up, arching her brow towards the young watcher.

"Well it's true. I had to actually chuck my bolts at vampires…me! Manually throw and stab the bad guys with ranged projectile ammunition! Plus you all came home with way to many cuts and Dawn had ugly purple bruises on the inside of her…"

"Andrew!" Dawn screeched as she cut her boyfriend off while getting looks from everyone around the room, especially Faith.

"My point is, I think that the curse might be affecting you all now as we speak. Maybe it's not nearly as strong as it's supposed to be but after a while, who knows what could happen."

"Andrew, I think you're just being paranoid. It's sweet but you're worrying over nothing. I haven't felt anything out of the ordinary at all" Buffy told the young man.

"Regardless, all patrols from here on out will be divided into three teams. Buffy and Faith will each lead one and the remaining Slayers we can spare will form a bigger group to counter their inexperience. Am I understood?" Giles asked.

"Oh you got to be kidding me G! Just because the boy wonder says he took a few seconds to stop looking at our asses and actually see what Slaying is, you get worried?" Faith complained.

"Faith, you know I don't wish you undermine your skills even when you're not at your best. However it is imperative that we use precaution while we are still rebuilding and our most talented Slayer next you and Buffy is unable perform." Giles commented.

"Giles I know being careful is always good, but were only laying out theory's here. Were all close to Ken and Andrew most likely saw pissed off Slayers rather than technical Slayers." Buffy replied.

"Buffy…while I understand your reasoning I ask you to not only trust me and do as I say for once, but to trust in all of your friends, sister Slayer's and family. Need I remind you that Andrew was pivotal in defending our home while we were away? I have trained him myself to act as these women's friend and confidant, and above all else, to do whatever it takes to keep his Slayers alive. Thus, I expect everyone to respect his thought out decisions and educated comments as if they were my own. Understood?" Giles asked again as he scanned the room, observing everyone's dumbstruck faces.

After a few seconds of shock Buffy finally spoke with a pout, "You used to give me a cookie when I understood…"

Andrew then chose that moment to innocently walk up to Buffy and offer her his Fibre One bar.

Before anyone could laugh their heads off, Faith spoke to her lover with a wink, "Who's your daddy?"

"Alright, everyone got their gear?" Buffy asked.

"Umm… why do we look like Charlie's Angels?" Vi asked.

"Those angels have nothing on all of you," Xander said as he smiled and tilted his head to get a better look at the women in front of him.

"Xander!" Willow scolded the man as she backhanded his chest.

"Because, I ordered black Kevlar suites from neck to toe for all of you as soon as Giles told me about the London Council sending aid." Andrew answered.

"And this has not'in to do with da way these outfits make our titts and asses look better then when were naked Andy?" Faith asked the young man.

"Um…..no?"

"Annnny-ways…" Buffy began.

"These outfits came with a batman belt, put whatever you want in it. I suggest a small flashlight, batteries, some first aid, a stake, a dagger, a map of the city and a cell phone."

"Can't forget about these kick ass steel toe's," Faith said as she pointed down to her feet.

"As simply as Faith put it, she has a point, Andrew…" Buffy asked as she turned to face him.

"Why does it feel like I'm wearing nothing at all? Even with the steel toe shoes?"

"Xander don't even start!" Willow warned.

"But…but…oh c'mon, she practically gift wrapped that one for me."

"It feels light because all of your gear is imbued with a levity spell I did. Not only is it light weight, but it will make you float in water." The young watcher explained.

"Brilliant, good work Andrew," Giles praised.

"Ok, Dawn can thank Andy for us later. Everyone have their stuff?" Faith asked as she received a campsite full of nods.

Buffy suddenly stepped forward from Faith's side and spoke to the group,
"Right now we have every available Slayer and watcher on guard duty and damage control. Were the Slayer Special Forces. There are two main hot spots we think the Ethros demon may be hiding out at, marked on a map both Faith and I have. Faith will be leading team Kennedy and I will take Satsu's team to the other hot spot. We will meet by the giant statue of Michael in the Springfield cemetery in exactly two hours from now. No vehicles will be taken to ensure we are not spotted or attacked all at once. Stage one is strictly recon, we will engage after we collaborate our information when we meet at the cemetery. People, We are all Kennedy has to rely on. We are her family and she needs us. Failure is not an option. We do not come back home unless we drag that Ethros demon by the balls and bring him back here so we can bleed him dry. Am I understood?" Buffy asked after her speech.

After receiving only confident nods Buffy asked again in a thunderous tone,
"AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

"Understood!" Every non senior Slayer member of the Slayer Special Forces task group screamed.

"Let's go get us some balls girls!" Faith cheered as she and Buffy lead team Kennedy and team Satsu to out into the night.

"Xander, would you stop looking at their asses for once?" Willow asked.

"I know your looking to," the man replied as both he and his best friend looked at the female bodies leaving the area with their heads tilted to the side.

"…Shut up…and why does it have the letter's AA on the back of their Kevlar's?" The witch asked.

Before the only man to accompany the Slayer Special Forces walked by the side of his fellow members, Andrew leaned close to Xander and Willow and whispered.

"Xander's right, Charlie's Angels have nothing on them."

Both Xander and Willow looked stunned at the young man, not believing the implications of what AA stands for and that Andrew had those initials magically stitch in. That it is until the two best friends offered the young watcher their hands in the air for a triple high five as they both said in unison,

"Nice," smiles plastered on their faces.

"Damn it, looks like a bust." Faith announced as she and her team were lying belly first on the hill overlooking a rocky beach.

"But look at all the beer cans," Vi pointed out.

"This looks more like a teenage or frat party site then an evil lair to me. Look at the clothes hung over the volleyball net and…all the discarded condoms." Dawn said with a blush.

"Looks like it's a bust," Faith sighed.

"Let's head to the cemetery and wait for B, maybe get Andy to grab us some ice cream on the way".

"Wait!" Andrew warned.

"Fine you can pick up a pussy Zima drink on the way if you want Andy." Faith mocked.

"No not that…ok well thanks, but something isn't right here. There are some lit wicker candle stalks around the beach sure but look at the cave'ish opening to the left, there are no torches there and nobody is around. Look at the water to, way too many jagged rocks to go swimming around here. Something isn't right here" Andrew pointed out, reaching into the back of his utility belt.

"Ando's right girls, this isn't a …"

"Shhh," Faith hissed as she halted Rona's speech with a finger in the air.

Faith closed her eyes and did something very few humans can do. The eldest Slayer of the group focused her mystical Slayer senses to feel out the area for any magical anomalies, an ability Buffy taught and is still teaching Faith to do; Angel being the one to teach Buffy herself back in Sunnydale.

After a few minutes Faith opened her eyes and her upper body wobbled back and forth slightly, as if an invisible hand pushed her.

"Andy's right sometin is definitely out of place here".

"I knew Willow should have made more of these," Andrew complained as he held a small vial of what looked like mystical perfume in the air and then threw it at the campsite below them.

When the vial shattered, so did the air around them. The entire facility looked like it was in a glass dome that was cracking all around them.

"I knew it! It's a glamour!" Andrew shouted excitedly over the sound of glass cracking.

"Way to go Andy!" Faith shouted back to the young man and slapped him on the back.

After mere seconds, millions of magical barrier shards started to rain down on the immediate area and dematerialized as they hit the terrain. Normally de-cloaking a camouflaged opponent was a good thing, but one may not consider this particular situation as being a good thing. As the glamour started to crumble, the real terrain and all who inhabit it started to be revealed, with all of its inhabitants on high alert and looking all around their crumbling protection spell.
Once the glamour was completely broken, two dozen armed vampiric guards with melee weapons and two with crossbows looked a top the surrounding hill.

"Slayers!"

"Everyone! Back up!" Faith screamed to her team.

As the entire team started to waddle backwards on their stomach's, out of the vampiric archer's view, Faith addressed team Kennedy as they stood to their feet.

"We can't stay here, they might run up here and push us off of the hill. We need to take out those archers and make sure they don't just keep replacing them or running in the cave to let them know were coming."

"Andrew, I need ya to create a barrier for us so we can get closer without worrying about the archers." Faith continued as she looked towards the young watcher.

"I can't do moving barriers, but I can…ok I have an idea. Faith, in 5 seconds punch the air in front of you like your trying to punch a hole in a wall." Andrew told Faith before he started to chant and a hand in front of Faith.

Faith shrugged and punched the air in front of her, only to have her fist stop as if she punched a concrete wall. As Faith punched the invisible barrier, Andrew made a fiercely pained and concentrated face until his facial features returned to normal seconds later.
As the group looked on confused, Andrew continued, "Ok…that is gonna give me a redtardly bad headache later but it works. If you can make it to where the bottom of the hill meets the sand, I can put a barrier around you and around the mouth of the cave. That should stop any projectiles from hitting you and stop the vampires from running into the cave. But if the vamp's fire at you and turn around and start wailing at the cave barrier I won't be able to hold them both. And I think it would be a good idea to have one of you stay here to fire at them while I'm keeping the barriers up."

"Andy, ya next Zima is on me. Dawn, lead the pack and take those fuckers down. I'm gonna fire at dem from here. Move girls! Move!" Faith commanded.

As Dawn and her team ran down the hill, Andrew looked just over the hill to see when his Slayers were in position. Meanwhile, Faith rammed her cross bolts into the earth.

"Ok Faith, here weee…. Now!" Andrew shouted as he raised both of his hands and chanted.

The elder Slayer took aim and then fired….missing her target completely. With inhuman flexibility, Andrew tilted his head to the right and looked wide eyed at Faith with an expression that said, "What…..the….fuck?"

"What the fuck?" Faith wondered.

"Reload damn it! Reload!" Andrew was screaming as his barrier near the front of the hill was taking crossbow bolt hits.

As Faith heeded the young watcher's advice, the two vampiric archers were able to reload their weapons and fired in the two's direction just before Faith was able to get one of them in the neck; One bolt just missing Andrew's head and the other skimming his right shoulder.

"OOOOWWCH!"

"Andy…you didn't get a Charlie's Angel's suit for ya self, did ya?" Faith asked as she reloaded her weapon as fast as possible.

"They refused to give me one cause then other watchers would bug them for one and I would look horrible in the outfit minus the shoes, now kill the last one! The vamps are about to run into our Slayers!"

With a nod, Faith loaded Andrew's crossbow and took aim at the last vampiric archer who was pounding on the young watcher's barrier behind him. The elder Slayer then fired the crossbow bolt right into her targets….shoulder?

"For the love of marvel! Faith, just go help Dawn and the others while I take care of him." Andrew shouted in disbelief.

As Faith ran down the hill, she couldn't believe how she missed the mark twice. The elder Slayer pondered if perhaps Kennedy's ailment is indeed messing with hers and the other's Slayer powers.

Meanwhile, the force of over fifteen vampires smashing face first into Andrew's barrier caused it to shatter almost instantly; However, this collision caused the front lines of the attacking vampires to stumble backwards in pain and confusion.
With very little effort the band of Slayers decapitated or staked their stunned victims, decreasing their enemy's numbers by seven in several seconds. Unfortunately, the next batch of undead would prove to be most difficult to kill. Whereas a normal staking would kill the monsters, the Slayer's were missing the mark by a fraction of an inch. Thus wounding their opponent's but not killing them. A mistake that would not be forgotten as both sides of the gang war were taking casualties. Vampires were being dusted, but Slayers were falling to injury as well.

By the end of the battle, all Slayers were cut in various places by vampiric nails and switchblade knives, their blood pouring onto the sand. By the end of the fight, Dawn was suffering from a broken rib, Faith from a dislocated shoulder and both Vi and Rona's body's were covered in angry red welts.

"You girls ok?" Andrew asked while limping down the hill, revealing a crossbow bolt in the young man's leg.

"Baby!" Dawn cried out and ran to her man, wheezing from pain as she breathed.

"Well I know how shish-kabob's feel now. I have some gauze, tiny plyers and wrappings in my belt…wanna play doctor?" Andrew asked with a smiled.

The entire band of demon hunter's shared a laugh before Faith spoke.

"Ok youngin's listen up. I'm positive were getting less Slayery as I speak. Let's take a breather, patch up and take it from there. Andy, did anything make it to the cave?"

"Yeah, that jerk who shot me made it in." Andrew replied as Dawn laid him on sand to treat his wound.

"Fuck balls! Ok we can't wait for Buffy, after we patch up we have to go in. We don't know if they have a secondary exit, for all we know the fuckers are already leavin. You girls fix yourselves up while I leave B a sign when she shows," Faith commanded as she strode towards the middle of the sandy encampment.

"How do we know she will show?" Vi asked as she and Rona were helping to treat their team mates.

"When B figures were not gonna show at the statue, she will come looking here and find the sign." Faith confirmed as she started to lay out rocks in some sort of pattern.

"Ok honey; on three I'm gonna pull the bolt out….one"

With a nod Andrew got himself ready for the pain and looked towards a busy Faith and asked her, "So what's the".

"Two"

"Si...IIIIIIIIGGGGGGN!" Andrew screamed as Dawn pulled the projectile out of his leg at two and a half.

"Well if that didn't tell all of Scotland where we are, when B and company are standing on the hill, she should recognize it." Faith smirked towards a teary Andrew.