Charmed: The Faith Chronicles

by Brenna's Urbangirl Projects

Faith Lehane was born in Boston to a drunken mother and absentee father, or so she had believed for 17 years. Then she was called as the Slayer and things took a turn for the worse when she accidentally killed the Deputy Mayor. The Watcher's Council learns of the death and tries to return her to England. She manages to escape and in so doing finds out that she had been adopted

31. Chapter 30: Doomed

Chapter 30: Doomed

January 10, 2001 – Thursday

Summers Home

The couple shifted slightly on the couch as the silence stretched on and seemed to get heavy and oppressive between them and Riley.

Riley chewed on his lower lip as his gaze landed on the carpet as he thought on everything he'd seen the night before, the way they'd moved with such deadly grace, the fact that Buffy could throw a demon without touching it, the fact that Faith could create fire in the palm of her hand as well as the fact that they both could teleport from one place to another. His mind had ran over everything that he had seen… things that had kept him up late into the night as he couldn't stop thinking about it… wondering just what he'd born witness to…

Buffy and Faith glanced at each other sick of sitting there and getting nowhere. They looked back at Riley who was still looking at the patch of carpet that he deemed safe for his gaze. "Somebody should speak before one of us graduates," Buffy murmured, trying to be teasing to break the tension.

Riley raised his gaze from the carpet and settled on the couple across from him. Getting up he paced for a moment; highly aware of the couple's gaze following him as they waited. He spun around on his heel to face them; his expression deadly serious. "What are you both?" he blurted out.

Buffy and Faith glanced at each other with a frown, affronted by the blunt rudeness of the question. "I'm Capricorn, on the cusp of Aquarius and Faith is a Sagittarius," Buffy quipped stiffly. "You?" she said pointedly as she and Faith continued to stare him down.

Riley swallowed and turned his gaze away from the couple once again as he gathered himself. Exhaling a deep breath, he turned back toward them, his expression apologetic. "Sorry," he apologized. "That came out a little blunter than I intended," he explained as he paced back and forth once again.

Pausing in his stride once again he looked at them, feeling bad that he had said something that had offended them. "It's just…" he began trailing off as he tried to find the words that best described what he'd seen the other night. "You two are amazing!" He exclaimed. "Your speed, your strength…" He listed off.

Faith rolled her eyes at the somewhat star-struck look he was levelling on her and Buffy. "My wife is also passionate, artistic and inquisitive," she added a little sarcastically. "Who are you?" she asked again, her phrasing far more polite than Riley's.

Riley's gaze turned uncomfortable. "You two know who I am. The rest…what I do…" he trailed off, before shaking his head uncomfortably. "I can't tell you," he said firmly, his expression only slightly apologetic.

Buffy and Faith fixed him with a firm stare as they got to her feet. "Well, then let us," Buffy murmured as they began to pace. "You're part of some military monster squad…"

"…That captures demons, vampires," Faith continued as she and Buffy ignored the growing look of discomfort on Riley's face. "Probably have some official sounding euphemisms for them like…"

"'Unfriendlies' or 'non sapiens'." Buffy said with an eye roll at the idea of having such ridiculous code names for the demons and vampires. She and Faith stopped their pacing so that they were looking at him once again.

"Hostile Sub Terrestrials," Riley admitted sheepishly.

"So, you deliver these…HST's to a bunch of lab coats. Who perform experiments on them, which among other things turn them into harmless little bunnies?" Buffy rattled off, unable to keep at least some of the disgust she felt over doing such a thing.

"How are we doing so far?" Faith asked, her gaze meeting Riley's uncomfortable one unflinchingly as she stared up at him silently daring him to deny it.

Riley swallowed thickly. "A little too well," he admitted, in a mild form of shock.

"Meanwhile by day you pretend to be Riley Finn, corn-fed Iowa boy," Buffy said as Riley looked down feeling suddenly guilty about keeping his secret.

"Ever been to Iowa, Riley?" Faith asked.

Riley looked up from the floor sharply. "I am, born and raised," he assured the couple, before his gaze narrowed slightly. "And hey! Bulletin, I'm not the only one who's been a little less than honest here," he reminded them.

"Technically speaking we can't tell you," Faith said. "Because it's not just our secret but my family's and Buffy's family's secrets."

"He's already figured part of it out, Faith," Buffy reminded her wife. "I'm sure with time he could figure the rest out."

"I know, babe," Faith agreed. "Ever heard of the Slayer?" she stated, he remained silent as he continued to stare at them his gaze even more confused than before. "Okay what about the Charmed Ones?" She and Buffy could tell he was still confused. "Wow." She looked at her wife. "He's supposed to be a professional demon fighter, right?"

"I would have thought so," Buffy said. "Ask around. Look it up," she told him. "Slayer comma The. The rest you don't have a right or a need to know as it concerns our families."

"And you two fight demons?" Riley asked in awe, causing Buffy and Faith to sigh, having thought that the not so subtle hint that the conversation was over would send him on his way.

"We do," Faith said as crossed her arms over her chest. "And that is all your getting out of us."

"Faith's right," Buffy agreed as she motioned toward the door. "Do some research and maybe we will talk again."

Riley opened his mouth and snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. It wasn't that he didn't care for their friendship, because he did still care; very much so…but now there was an even bigger problem in his way…this whole 'The Slayer' thing…he had to decide just what to do about it. "Alright," he agreed. "When I do that research, I'll be back. And Buffy and Faith, I would still like to think of you two as my friend."

"We'll see," Buffy and Faith said.

Riley took a step backwards toward the door, but everyone was distracted from the tension in the room when the floor beneath their feet began to shake and knick knacks fell to the floor with small thuds. "Quick!" Buffy murmured to Faith as she guided her wife toward the nearby doorway that led into the sitting room. Holding Faith close, she braced himself in the doorway. Riley doing almost the same thing in doorway of the hallway.

Riley flicked his gaze around the living room watching as Joyce's possessions shook. His gaze landed on a framed picture of Buffy and Faith with Joyce, on the end table by the couch, as it slowly shook off the table and fell to the floor. A moment later the shaking stopped and Riley stepped out from under the door frame an excited look in his eyes as he looked around the light damage the short low-level earthquake had caused.

"Wow. That was some ride," he exclaimed, his gaze going to Buffy and Faith as they continued to stand in their doorway, his gaze focusing more on Buffy who was looking decidedly spooked as she held Faith. "Sorry, I'm so excited," he apologized sheepishly, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head. "This is my first earthquake," he explained.

"It's not ours," Buffy murmured lowly.

Faith slowly pulled herself away from Buffy and stepped out of the doorway she and her wife had taken shelter under. She pulled Buffy into her arms knowing the feeling of dread that had settled into Buffy's stomach the moment the shaking had started. She knew one thing Buffy feared worse than being turned into a vampire was being buried alive. It was an unwanted reminder for Buffy of her one and only death facing the Master and lying face down in a small pool of dirty water.

Buffy shuddered slightly and wrapped her arms about herself.

Faith glanced at Riley as he came up behind them, getting close enough that his chest brushed up gently against her back, silently reminding her that he was there. "We appreciate that your concerned," she told him. "But maybe you should go check and make sure there was no one…"

"Your right," Riley reluctantly agreed and he turned and left the house.

"Are you alright?" Faith asked concerned.

Buffy shook her head slowly. "You know my fears," she whispered as they began the task of tidying up the house.

"I do," Faith agreed sadly. "What do we do about Riley?"

Buffy straightened up, a broken knick knack in her hands, a conflicted expression on her face. "I don't know…I mean he saw us in action…saw us using magic. The Slayer part of us we can pass off, it's just the two of us after all. But magic, we know from Phoebe and Leo what happened when magic was exposed."

"That we do," Faith looking into Buffy's eyes knowing another fear Buffy held was watching her die. "We will come to that bridge if we have to."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and Faith looked around her the living room one last time, searching for any damages they might have missed in their somewhat hurried clean-up of the house. Not seeing anything out of place she turned to Faith. "We should probably go see Willow, Tara and Piper, Phoebe and Paige, let them know we're alright," she informed her wife.

"Yeah, we should," Faith agreed as she took Buffy's hand and they disappeared in a swirl of fiery red flames.

U.C. Sunnydale

They appeared in Willow's dorm just as Willow stepped into the room a friendly smile lighting up her face as she saw Buffy and Faith.

"Hey!" Willow greeted. "I was in the library during the quake," she informed them happily as she strolled into the room, dumping her text books on her desk. "Almost got buried under some 19th century literature," she continued as she turned to face Buffy and Faith again. "And I don't have to tell you how hard it is to dig through some of that stuff." She took taking note of the lack of reaction from Buffy, when the rest of the campus was buzzing with excitement. She looked toward her adopted cousin. "Is she okay?"

"The quake triggered a little of her fears," Faith informed the redhead, who nodded in understanding.

"I'll be fine, Will," Buffy assured her friend as she glanced around the dorm room. "Looks like you got a couple of broken knick knacks."

Willow nodded as she looked around the dorm herself, unable to help feeling dread at having to clean up after spending a fair bit of time helping to clean up the mess the quake had made of the campus library. "Well, Porter dorm is completely blacked out," she began as she turned her gaze back to Buffy. "So, naturally they are dealing with the crisis the only way they know how, 'Aftershock Party.'"

"Ah," Faith murmured as she nodded with a chuckle. "This coming from the dorm that brought us the 'Somebody Sneezed' party and the 'Day That Ends in Y' party."

"They do seem to be pretty generous with the milestones," Willow admitted, but was keen to go nonetheless, seeing as there was no way that there was anything else that she could do… seeing as most of the campus was under lockdown due to power outage. "Hey, would you two like to come?" she asked hoping the party might get Buffy's mind off her fears.

"We still have to check on Tara and then let Piper, Phoebe and Paige know we're alright," Buffy informed her friend.

"So…you won't be going then?" Willow murmured a little disappointedly, her shoulders slumping slightly.

Buffy gave her best friend a small smile. "You go on ahead, and Faith and I'll catch up with you there," she promised, her words immediately brightening Willow's expression.

Halliwell Manor

Buffy and Faith flamed into the foyer. "Aunt Piper?" Faith called out. "Aunt Phoebe? Aunt Paige?"

"We're in here," Piper's voice called back from the living room.

The couple hurried in and found the sisters sitting in front of the TV watching a news report on the earthquake in Sunnydale.

"Are you two alright?" Phoebe asked as she stood up and looked toward her nieces.

"We're okay," Faith answered before glancing at Piper. "And so is, Willow." Piper smiled as Faith glanced toward her wife. "We did have a little scare though."

Piper, Phoebe and Paige looked at each other and nodded in understanding. They had long since learned what Buffy's fears were. They moved to the couple and pulled Buffy into their arms. "It's okay," Paige whispered into Buffy's ear.

"She's right, Buffy," Piper agreed.

"I know," Buffy answered as she looked at the three of them. "It's just a little triggering you know. Anyways," she said getting down to business. "I think something is going on. The last quake to hit Sunnydale was…"

"When you drowned," Phoebe said in understanding.

"We will look into it of course," Piper insisted. "But you should be prepared that it could just have been a normal earthquake. Now we've got a few theories about your mysterious commando friends," she said.

"We know, Aunt Piper," Faith cut in. "Our friend Riley is one of them. We met up with him last night as we fought the Viri and their lackeys. He didn't reveal much, you know top secret kind of deal. But we got enough to know that he's part of the military and their hunt demons and likely experimenting on them."

Buffy's concern over the earthquake quickly took her attention once again and began pacing. "What if the quake was a sign?" she questioned. "Ah, a bad omen and we just ignore it? There is going to be a lot of red faces when the world comes to an end," she quipped nervously, various images of her impending death filling her mind.

"Buffy," Phoebe began. "If the quake heralds some such catastrophe, I'm sure there will be other signs to follow, which will give us plenty of time to avert it," she assured her niece.

"Plague!" Buffy exclaimed, not having been paying any attention, her mind too caught up in her impending death.

"What?" the sisters and Faith exclaimed surprised at Buffy's sudden outburst.

"What if the end of the world is coming in the form of a plague?" Buffy suggested, her mind working overtime as she paced back and forth. "Then too many people may be infected by the time we actually…"

"Buffy!" Faith said loudly, almost shouting to get Buffy's attention, her shout causing her to stop in her nervous pacing to look at her. "I know you're afraid, Buffy," she soothed as she pulled her wife into her arms.

U.C. Sunnydale

Willow stood awkwardly in the midst of the party that Porter dorm was throwing as she looked around, trying in vain to spot somebody she knew in amongst the crowd. She was beginning to believe that it had been a bad idea to come here before Buffy and Faith. She hadn't thought that she would feel this awkward.

Her eyes scanned over the people, hoping that perhaps she would spot Tara in amongst them… perhaps looking as out of place as she was…perhaps hoping to spot her as well, but it was a silly hope…from what she knew of Tara. Tara was too shy and quiet when it came to strangers to want to come to such a rowdy gathering. It had taken time for Tara to come out of her shell when their friendship first started back when they first met in August.

Willow looked toward the door hoping to see Buffy and Faith as they finally made their appearance; like they had promised they would. Not seeing them Willow sighed disappointedly, before sweeping her gaze around the crowd again. A small group shifted as her gaze landed on them, revealing a couple sitting on a single chair and Willow smiled as she at least recognized one of them.

Relieved to have found someone she knew; Willow immediately made her way over to him a friendly bright smile curling up her lips. "Percy! Hi!" she greeted drawing the couple's attention to her.

Percy looked at her surprised, not having expected to see the redhead at the party. " Hey, Willow!" he replied as he got over his shock and shifted in his chair slightly so that he was facing her more. "What's going on?"

"Stuff." Willow said with a slightly nervous shrug, wishing that she could say more. Her gaze drifted to the pretty brunette that was perched on the arm of the chair beside him, looking at her with a politely bored expression. "I thought you got that football scholarship to USC?" she asked Percy as she turned her gaze back to him.

"I did." Percy replied, before gesturing to the brunette beside him, who was swiftly growing bored of not being the center of his attention. "Laurie goes here."

"Hey," Laurie greeted, trying to keep her impatience in check, believing that the conversation couldn't go on for much longer.

"Hi." Willow greeted with a small awkward wave of her hand, her awkwardness growing as Laurie continued to stare at her. "Some party, huh?" she said, trying to ease the feeling… that she hoped was just a feeling.

Laurie forced herself to smile. "It's ok," she muttered, hoping to put a swift end to the conversation and get the girl to go away.

A slightly awkward silence followed and Laurie turned her gaze to Percy, trying to tell him silently with her gaze to get rid of the obvious nerd who had come over to them. Percy turned his gaze back to Willow and broke the silence. "How's Oz?" he enquired, not quite taking the meaning of the look Laurie was giving him.

"Oh," Willow began glad that at least this would give her something more to talk about, even if the topic did pain her still. "Actually, Oz is…" she trailed off as Laurie stood from her perch.

Laurie leaned down so that she could link her arm with Percy's drawing his attention away from Willow with little effort as she whispered something in his ear. Willow watched as Laurie stood back up and took a couple of steps away as Percy licked his lips as he turned his gaze back to Willow. "Uh, listen…we're going to get some drinks," he excused quickly. "Cool to see you," he said as he got up, his hand grasping Laurie's.

Laurie gave Willow a fake smile. "Bye," she said, before she swiftly led Percy away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"Yeah, catch you later," Willow muttered disappointedly, a sinking feeling inside of her that she had just been unceremoniously dismissed. Looking around again she wondered what she could do now…whilst she waited for Buffy and Faith to make their appearance. Looking around again she hoped that they may have arrived whilst she'd had the momentary distraction of Percy and his girlfriend.

Willow watched as a topless guy trailing after two hot women, followed them through a door and into another part of the party, she shook her head and turned her gaze away from them. Her gaze swept away from the door they had disappeared through, just missing as a long-fingered green hand tipped in deadly looking claws closed about the edge of the door preventing it from shutting completely.

Halliwell Manor

"How do we help her?" Piper asked her husband as they watched Faith, Phoebe and Paige trying to comfort Buffy.

"We could call on Clyde, but I don't think that will work in this instance," Leo said sadly as Piper nodded in understanding that it would force Buffy to relive her past. A past where she had drowned.

"What else is there?" Piper questioned. "It's not like she can talk to someone other than us, her friends, Tara and Joyce."

"Maybe there is something that can be done," Leo said. "It would mean breaking the rules."

U.C. Sunnydale

"Buffy…Faith, where are you two?" Willow muttered as she stood in amongst the party, looking around hoping to see them. But she still didn't see them as she stood in amongst the happy party goers. She couldn't help, but wonder if Buffy and Faith were still planning to come at all; if something else had caught their attention causing them to forget about her and the party they had said they would come to.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the familiar voice of Percy and she turned around to face the source of the noise a smile lighting her face as she took a step toward him. She hoped that Percy would keep her company until Buffy and Faith could arrive, but her steps stilled almost as soon as they had begun as she heard Laurie's voice as she obviously answered a suggestion Percy had made. "Why? So, I can watch you flirt with that redhead?" Laurie said with a fake pout.

"What, Rosenberg?" Percy replied shocked that Laurie would think that he would flirt with a girl so beneath his social standing. "Yea, right. She's just some egghead who tutored me a little in high school," he assured his girlfriend, turning Willow's happy face to one of sadness and hurt as she couldn't help but listen further as her feet kept her; for the moment, in place. "I mean she's nice, but, come on, Captain of the nerd squad."

Laurie looked at him with teasing doubt. "Well, I don't know," she murmured as she leaned in toward him slightly, drink in hand. "Maybe you have a thing for geeks."

"No, I like my women hot," Percy assured Laurie with a smile as he chewed the gum, he had put in his mouth earlier. "Call me old-fashioned," he said with a shrug.

Willow looked from one to the other with wide hurt eyes, before she spun on her heal and hurried away. Forgetting that she was waiting for Buffy and Faith as she sought a place to hide herself away as she felt the hot prick of tears pressing painfully against the backs of her eyes as Percy and Laurie kissed deeply both completely unaware that she had heard them.

The Heavens

Buffy flamed into the one place she never had expected to be, at least not while she was alive. Leo had instructed her to follow him and she had. Now she scanned the area around her curiously as robed people walked by, some alone while others in secretive groups. More than a few cast her glances but no one said anything. She instead turned her attention to the clouds. It was definitely a weird sensation standing on one as she had always believed that they were intangible. Despite finding that was a lie, she still concluded that she preferred the Earth's surface. She turned back to Leo, ready to get to the point so she could return to Faith. Only Leo was not there. She ran a hand through her hair and rolled her eyes before picking a random direction to explore. As much as she disliked the place, she wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to check it out. Besides, Leo would be better at finding her than the other way around. She followed a good distance behind a small group of Whitelighters but paused at a voice coming up behind him.

"You there, Whitelighter, where are your ceremonial robes?"

Buffy, unable to contain her curiosity, turned to see who was in trouble with the cranky Whitelighter in time to see a younger man (wearing the ridiculous robes) advancing on her. She also noted that others moved out of the way which enlightened her on two things. One…She was the one in trouble. Two…This approaching Whitelighter was well respected or perhaps feared among his peers as evidenced by the hastily parting crowd. Thus, naturally, she chose her words carefully. "You actually require that?" she asked, not attempting to hide her disbelief in the slightest. She turned her back on the Whitelighter without waiting for a reply and started on her way again.

The Whitelighter blocked her path but had enough sense to back off a few steps when Buffy glared at him. "Charges are not allowed up here. Who's your Whitelighter?" he demanded after realizing that Buffy wasn't one of them as he had originally thought.

"She's with me, Martin," Leo intervened before Buffy could react, which was probably a good thing for Martin since Buffy had very little patience at the moment.

"Leo, forgotten the rules again?" Martin returned. He appeared unsurprised to find Leo breaking the rules and was more than a little smug at being the one catching Leo in the act.

"This is a discussion for the Elders," Leo retorted. "After all Buffy Halliwell-Summers was potentially denied her destiny when she died at the Master's hands and was revived by her friend."

Martin suddenly appeared less sure of his stance. "Summers," he repeated. His dark eyes flickered to Buffy in guarded curiosity. "Carry on. I suggest you find the Slayer some ceremonial robes if she plans on loitering," he ordered gruffly before stalking off.

Leo waved his hand for Buffy to follow him. "Martin. Just ignore him," he advised.

Buffy nodded almost imperceptibly. "I'm not wearing those," she stated, pointing at Leo's robes. "Faith would never let me live it down," she added in all seriousness. She could just see her wife laughing at her. "Leo, why am I here?"

"Just as I told, Martin, you were denied a possible destiny when your friend Xander revived you," Leo answered.

"Are you saying I should be dead then?" Buffy said as fear suddenly crept into her voice.

"Absolutely not," Leo said as he smiled at her. He led her into a large room where several Whitelighters, whom Buffy assumed were the Elders, were sitting. "Excuse me."

"Leo," said one of the Elders as he stood and approached them. "What is this about? And why have you brought one of your charges up here again?"

"Roland," Leo replied with a small sigh. "This is Buffy, a little over two years ago she died at the hands of the Master. Do you remember that incident?" he questioned with a glance at Buffy.

Roland glanced at Buffy and slowly nodded. "I do," he said as he looked back at Leo. "What does that have to do with her being up here?"

"As you know, Slayers, have always been considered future Whitelighters because of the good they do," Leo reminded him. "Because she was revived, she was denied something she had ever right to choose."

"To become a Whitelighter," Roland said in understanding. "Is that what your asking us to do? Make her a Whitelighter? It's unheard of, with the exception of Paige, and a couple others who escaped our notice, for Whitelighters to be…well…alive."

"That is up to you and the other Elders of course," Leo replied with a small glance at Buffy. "But the thing is, Buffy has a lingering fear because of that death. It might help her if she could talk to someone, find out why she lives."

Roland nodded. "On her potentially becoming a Whitelighter, we'll discuss it," he informed Leo. He then turned to Buffy. "The reason you still live is because of who you are, Buffy. Before you it was rare that Slayers had someone or something to live for. It's why most died young. In the last thirty years only one other Slayer had something to live. She lived into her early twenties because she had a son. Something that gave her a reason to live. Before you married Faith and fathered a child with her. You had something to live for as well…your mother, your friends and of course Rupert Giles. That is why you live."

U.C. Sunnydale

Willow opened the door and peered into a dark room, making it extremely difficult to see anything but rough outlines of the things in the room. "Hello?" she called a little timidly into the room, not wanting to interrupt anyone in the middle of something she rather not bear witness to. "Anyone in here?"

Not getting any reply she breathed a sigh of relief and entered the room, closing the door behind her. Glad that she had finally found a room that was empty. Walking carefully across the room heading toward what she assumed was the outline of a bed. As she drew closer to the bed she stumbled slightly as one of her feet caught on something soft. Reaching down she felt what seemed to be a shirt. She untangled her foot from it not really thinking much of it seeing as she had obviously entered someone's dorm room.

She lay down on the bed and turned onto her side so that her back was to the door as she began to softly sniffle a hand coming up to wipe at her eyes. The tears began to leak from her eyes as Percy's words rang hurtfully around in her brain.

Willow didn't have the sanctuary of darkness for long as the lights in the dorm suddenly flicked back on as the power came back with a buzz of appliances that had been left on flicked back on. She didn't pay any attention to that though as she stared wide eyed at her unexpected bed mate… her unexpected obviously dead bed mate.

Too shocked to scream, Willow slowly turned away from the body and rolled out of the bed, getting unsteadily to her feet. She backed away from the body that was all too visible with the lights on. Her gaze went from his throat that had been sliced open crudely to land on the symbol that had been carved into the guy's chest.

Willow stared at it, memorizing what it looked like for Piper, Giles, Faith and Buffy knowing that they would need to know as much as she could give them. She then slowly, trying to keep calm, exited the bedroom to find somebody she could tell that wasn't too drunk to take what she said seriously.

She looked about the party goers wondering just who she could find in amongst this mess of people who had been partying since early afternoon, before deciding that hysterical was more likely to get more attention than her calmly going up to someone…

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Willow sat at the bottom of a flight of stairs her chin resting on her fist as she watched the body of the boy she had found being wheeled away by the paramedics. She sat up slightly straighter as she saw Faith walking in just as the body was being wheeled out. Faith looked after the body for a moment and Willow raised a hand. "Faith!" she called getting her cousin's attention. "Over here."

Faith quickly made her way over to her distraught looking cousin and sat down beside her. "Wow, I wasn't sure where the party was, and then I saw the flashing lights and the ambulance, and I was like 'right, of course!" she said as she settled down beside Willow, looking at her cousin in concern, not liking how pale Willow looked.

"I'm so glad you're here," Willow mumbled as she rested her head against Faith's shoulder, glad that her cousin was there, needing the comfort of that right now. Then a new worry crossed her mind. "Where's Buffy?"

"With Uncle Leo," Faith answered. "When we saw you, Buffy, was hiding everything for my benefit. He took her up there to help her." She looked about to see what she could see of Porter Dorm. The once happy party goers now somber and some…those that were closest to the victim were crying in small groups. "What happened?" she asked Willow.

"I found him," Willow said quietly as she raised her head from her cousin's shoulder, her hand clasping Faith's firmly as she looked up at her, trying to draw strength from Faith to keep her fragile composure. "This guy on the bed with me. Dead. Not me dead, he dead," she babbled slightly as an image of his body flashing before her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Faith asked as she gave Willow a searching look as if trying to pry the information from her mind as Willow nodded. Taking a breath and looking around to make sure that nobody was close enough to hear, she leaned in closer to Willow and lowered her voice down to a whisper. "Vampire or demon?" she enquired.

"Demon, I think. There was so much blood, and there—there was a symbol, and…Percy said I was a nerd!" Willow exclaimed suddenly remembering what had made her seek out solitude in the first place.

"This Percy called you a nerd?" Faith repeated, distracted from the dead boy as outrage filled her for her cousin and she looked around the room they were in to see if she could spot Percy amongst those that were still lingering around, her eyes narrowed.

Willow nodded glumly. "I guess we should report to Giles," she muttered, her voice drained as she forced herself to stand up.

Faith stood up with her and linked her arm in Willow's as they began making their way out of the building. "Yeah, can't get to Aunt Piper, Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige till Uncle Leo or Buffy return," she agreed.

Giles' Apartment

"It just made me feel like I was right back in high school," Willow finished morosely as she sat in Giles' apartment, Xander and Faith spread out around his living room as the man himself sat at his desk pouring through one of his books.

"Dumb jock!" Xander grumbled with a frown. "If it wasn't for you, he still would be," he muttered, thoroughly offended for his friend.

"I mean, I know the Percy thing isn't really important, it's the dead guy on the bed," Willow murmured apologetically as she glanced at the back of Giles head, knowing that she was probably detracting from his concentration with her moaning about being called a nerd.

Xander nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that's bad too."

"Ooh, and something else," Willow exclaimed suddenly remembering. "He, the dead guy, was—was propped up, like whatever killed him wanted to drain the blood out of him…so I'm thinking that the whatever took a bunch of the guy's blood with it," she added hoping that she had added something helpful, before she frowned as something else about what Percy said hit her. "And I haven't been a nerd for a very long time! Hello…I was dating a guitarist," she added.

"Tell me about this symbol," Faith requested immediately drawing Willow's attention as the redhead reached into her pocket and pulled out a napkin, she'd drawn the symbol on. "Right, it was carved into his chest, like a big creepy eye," she explained as she showed the rough drawing she had made to Faith.

Xander wanting a better look plucked the napkin from her lax fingers and looked at it. "It's kind of the CBS logo. Hey, could this be the handiwork of one Mr. Morley Safer?" he asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood and lift Willow's spirits.

Faith frowned as she tried to think. "I've seen this somewhere before; I just can't remember where!" she muttered frustrated as she tried to remember where she had seen the freaky looking symbol before.

"It's the end of the world." Giles said as he lowered the book, he had been looking at so intently a worried look on his face.

Behind him Faith, Willow and Xander looked at him for a moment in shock, before the moment passed. "Again?" Willow and Xander exclaimed in unison, neither of them wanting to believe that the end of the world was once again upon them.

"It's ah, the earthquake," Giles explained as he looked over the page he was reading once again. "That's the symbol…yes," he confirmed as he took off his glasses and turned to look at them.

"Buffy told me and my aunts when we flamed to the Manor that she believed it was the end of the world," Faith said as she stood up and began pacing. "She was sure the quake was foretelling something. We thought it was just her fears because the last quake…"

"She died," Xander finished for his friend as Faith nodded.

Willow shook her head in denial. "No, it can't be. We've done this already," she mumbled, her eyes wide, not wanting to have to go up against something like The Mayor again.

"It's the end of the world, everyone dies. It's rather important really," Giles stated.

"So, what do we do?" Willow asked worriedly as she chewed on her lower lip.

Faith straightened herself up from where she had been leaning against the bench that cut people off from just wandering into the kitchen. "First I call for Uncle Leo and get Buffy back down here. Then Buffy and I stop it," she said firmly.

Walking over to the napkin, Faith stared down at it for a long moment, her friends' gazes following her example until she picked up the napkin just in case, she needed to look at it again. "Once Buffy joins me if she knows where we might have seen this mark before. If not maybe she can jog my memory," she told them as she pocketed it. She turned heading for the door. "Uncle Leo!" she called out. "I need Buffy back."

"Right, we'll continue to research…see if we can't find out more." His words brought a groan from Xander's lips; a groan which was ignored by all present as Faith headed on her way out the door. He turned to Willow. "You might call Piper and get them researching on their end."

"Already ahead of you," Willow answered as she pulled out the cell phone that Piper had given her and began dialing.

Restfield Cemetery

Faith frowned up at the side of a large crypt as she put the napkin back into her jacket pocket, the triangular symbol with the eye in the middle of it that was carved into the crypt wall matching the one Willow had drawn on the napkin.

"Hey."

Faith turned at the voice and smiled as Buffy approached her. "Did you get your answers?" she wondered.

"Some," Buffy answered. "It doesn't help with the fear completely. But I can deal. So, what are you doing here?"

Faith pulled the napkin back out of her pocket and showed it to her wife. "The party we were to go to with Willow, she found a dead guy with this carved into his chest." She motioned toward the crypt. "That symbol."

Buffy was about to say something in response when they heard a dull scrapping sound of stone shifting against stone. Moving around the crypt they came up to the door that was already open. Walking quietly toward the entrance they paused in the doorway as they looked down at a large green skinned demon that had slicked back horns covering its head, which was more like hair than a weapon.

Buffy and Faith glanced at each other and then watched for a moment as the demon; completely unaware of their presence stuffed bones from the tomb it had opened into a burlap sack. "Door was open." Buffy said, drawing the demon's attention from its task to her. The moment it set eyes on them it let out a bellowing growl. Buffy who'd already aimed her crossbow squeezed the trigger, firing the bolt at it. Faith flung a fireball at it, striking the demon's shoulder. It growled again and began moving towards the couple.

Buffy flung out her hand and the demon stood there as if she had done nothing. Another roaring growl came from it as it charged at them. They flipped over its head, landing neatly behind the demon who had stopped in its sudden charge. Without hesitation, they began pounding the broad expanse of the demon's back, landing solid blows with their fists.

The demon roared again as it spun around its arm flying wildly at the couple, forcing them to take a couple of quick steps back to avoid the blow, it's nasty looking claws that tipped its hands barely missing them. It bellowed its roar at them again as it punched at them again, this time managing to swipe Buffy, the force of the large demon's blow sending her to the ground.

Buffy gave her head a shake as she saw Faith chasing the demon as it retreated with its sack of goodies. The demon hearing Faith's less than stealthy approach swung around, swinging the sack filled with the bones of the child's tomb he had raided. Faith dodged back to avoid being hit by the sack, having to keep doing so as the demon swung it at her again and again.

Buffy jumped to her feet and ran toward her wife. Faith ducked under the sack as Buffy stepped forward, making the sack useless as a weapon as she punched the demon in the face again and again, forcing it back toward the tomb. Faith flung a fireball time and time again before it finally fell against the tomb from their combined assault. The bones in the sack made a crunching noise as the demon pushed himself up from the tomb, the bag still firmly clasped in its hand.

Faith struggled to get the sack from the demon for a moment, before the demon roared once again and used its free hand to backhand her with a fierce blow that had her falling back, blood filling her mouth as she fell to the ground.

Buffy engaged the demon in a fight, distracting it from finishing off Faith as they traded blows and dodged around each other. The demon trying to make his way out of the door.

Faith sat up and gave her pounding head a small shake as she tried to get rid of the slight ringing in her ears. She spat out a small bit of blood that had pooled in her mouth from a cut her own teeth had sliced into her cheek during the blow. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve as she watched Buffy beat the demon back with a few blows.

The demon roared and swung violently at Buffy, landing a solid blow to her face and chest, before it raced for the stairs. Faith scrambled up to her feet and chased after the fleeing demon; Buffy watched her for a short moment before running after her wife. Buffy took steps two at a time to reach the outside where Faith and the demon already were, the sounds of a fight already reaching her ears.

Making it out of the crypt Buffy came to a stop next to Faith, she kicked the demon in the face solidly. Faith followed with a punch to the demon's chest and then a roundhouse kick to the demon's side. The demon growled loudly, Buffy and Faith unfazed by the sound moved into attack again, only for the demon to crush them against it with its large arms.

Riley came running toward them just then. "Buffy…Faith," he cried just as the couple disappeared, Buffy in a swirl of fiery flames and Faith in flaming red orbs.

They reappeared and instantly landed a blow that knocked the demon back a couple of steps before it roared loudly and swung wildly at them. He grabbed Buffy and slammed her down against a tombstone.

Buffy groaned and gave a little cough as she tried to get her wind back, her back twinging painfully where it had made contact with the tombstone. She allowed herself to lay there for a long moment as she heard the sounds of Faith battling the demon. Her reprieve didn't last long as a shadow fell over her and immediately her body tensed and she effortlessly flipped up to her feet and spun about her fist swinging at the new possible threat. Riley just caught her swiftly moving fist, the palm of his hand throbbing from the power behind the blow.

"Wow, that flippy thing you and Faith did," he began as Buffy looked at him confused wondering why he was here.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked with a frown as she glanced over at Faith to make sure that she was doing okay with the demon.

"Well, I kind of hoped that I might run into you both," he said a little sheepishly.

"Well, we don't have time to deal with this right now," Buffy said dismissively as she turned back to the fight. She watched as Faith dodged a blow and blocked another. "Do you want some help, baby?" she called.

"I'm good at the moment," Faith called back. "Believe it or not this is comforting for it hurting Willow," she said just as the demon sent a blow to her chin knocking her to the ground with a thud.

The demon roared again and took off towards the woods as Buffy disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames. "Wow," Riley whispered at the fact he felt no heat from Buffy's method of teleportation. He ran over to Faith and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Faith replied. "Where did Buffy go?"

"That way," Riley said pointing in the direction Buffy had taken. He watched Faith take off after her wife. Then he reached for his radio and began speaking into it to call in the demon as was protocol. "Base One, this is Lilac One," he spoke into the receiver. "Confirmed sighting of an unidentified Sub-T. Mobilize patrol team for debriefing at 0800 hours."

"Copy that." A voice buzzed through the radio, confirming Riley's orders.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy came to a stop breathing hard as she looked around the wooded area, she had chased the demon into. "You know, for its size it can sure make a dash for it when it needs to," she panted.

Faith, who had come to a stop beside her, also looked around the woods trying to spot a sign of the blundering demon, but it seemed like the demon had slipped through a crack to lose them. "You wouldn't think a demon of that size would be so cowardly," Faith muttered as Buffy straightened up as she got her breathing under control.

"I don't think that's it," Buffy murmured as she did a small half turn to survey a different part of the woods. "It had another agenda in mind. I mean what's the point of taking the time to kill us when you're about to end the world."

Faith nodded as she walked over to a patch of disturbed dirt. "I think it went this way," she said softly as she pointed ahead. "But it'll be a hard thing to track it through those trees," she muttered as her gaze focused on the trees that were thickening in the direction the demon seemed to have gone.

"It'll take too long to try and work our way through that," Buffy said. "And flaming trying to get ahead of it won't work as it could change directions."

"Since you and Uncle Leo were up there, we should head to Giles," Faith informed her wife. "See if he's found anything new that could help."

"Agreed," Buffy said. "Also, we need to talk to my mom and Piper, Phoebe and Paige about the fact Riley's seen us not once but twice now use our powers."

"Yeah I know," Faith sighed.

Giles' Apartment

"Thanks, mom," Willow said as she ended the call. She looked toward Buffy and Faith. "She said based on the description you both gave the demon is called a Vahrall."

"A Vahrall?" Giles said as Willow nodded. He grabbed a book and flipped through it till he found the right page.

Willow leaned over toward Giles from where she sat beside him. "Eew!" she said disgustedly her nose wrinkled in distaste as she looked down at the drawing of the demon that took up a small corner of the page.

"I second that revulsion," Xander said with an almost identical look of disgust on his face as he leaned in toward the book on Giles' other side.

"Yes." Giles murmured agreeing with their assessment of the demon shown in the picture. "Slick like gold and gird in moonlight, father of Portents and brother to Blight." He read from the book.

"Limbs with talons," Faith read as she and Buffy leaned over Giles shoulder.

"Eyes like knives, bane to the blameless, thief of lives," Buffy murmured, before straightening up, her gaze going to Faith. "This thing isn't digging up the bones of a child for fun." She said with a thoughtful frown, her gaze sweeping about Giles living room.

"Well, a demon has got some pretty hilarious idea about fun," Xander quipped.

"Now we have a bigger picture," Faith murmured.

"Bones of a child though," Willow murmured, something about it ringing a bell in her mind. "I saw that!" she exclaimed as she pulled a book that was resting on the table before her and flipped through the pages until she found the one that she was looking for. "An ancient ritual…" she mumbled as she ran a finger over the page until she re-found the information she needed.

"Uses the blood of a man, the bones of a child and…something called the Word of Valios?" Willow read, a small frown darkening her brow as she wondered what the Word of Valios could be. "It's all part of a sacrifice…The Sacrifice of Three," she named it as she read the name the book gave it.

"Let me guess…ends the world," Buffy muttered as she and Faith stepped toward Willow to get a better look at the book the redhead was reading from.

"Well, yeah," Willow confirmed. "It's not big with the details, though. It doesn't say how the world ends or what the ritual entails exactly."

"The Sacrifice of Three…" Xander repeated. "Three people are going to die?" He questioned horror struck by the thought.

"No, they won't," Faith said firmly as Buffy nodded.

"Because claw boy is not getting all of his ingredients," Buffy added. "We have to find the third one, The Word of Valios, keep him from getting it."

"If he doesn't already have it. I mean who knows where he's been?" Willow murmured a little downheartedly.

"Not helping here, Will," Buffy told her friend with a pointed look.

"Oh, right," Willow murmured as she remembered she was now the daughter of a Charmed One, which meant her family did this every day. She slapped a bright smile on her face. "We'll totally find The Word of Valios before he does."

"Yes, we will, Willow," Faith agreed. "Okay, Buffy and I'll check the magic shop, see if they've heard of a book called The Word of Valios," she said as she pulled on her jacket that she had taken off; not needing it in the warmth of Giles' apartment.

"Willow, Xander, how about the book archives at the museum?" Buffy added looking at her friends.

They both nodded their agreement. "We'll stop at my place on the way, get some weapons, and I'll change into something that isn't quite as anchovy scented," Xander informed Buffy and Faith.

"You guys," Buffy called after them as the two stood up to take their leave. "This thing takes wicked very seriously. Be careful. I couldn't stand anybody getting hurt."

"Neither could I," Faith said looking at Willow pointedly. "Especially you, cuz."

Willow nodded as she moved over to Faith and hugged her. Then she and Xander headed for the door.

"You'll be right here by yourself?" Buffy asked Giles, not wanting to leave him alone without making sure.

"I'm a grown man, I'm sure that I'll be quite safe alone in my apartment. I promise not to burn the house down," Giles said with sarcasm. Buffy nodded, not bothering to mention it further as she wrapped an arm around Faith and they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.

Harris Home

Spike stood on the red leather chair that he had dragged over to the table he had clamped a stake to. Xander had been watching him since he had tried to bite Willow in her dorm room the day before Phoebe's wedding. They had quickly found out that Riley's bosses had put a chip in Spike's brain to keep him from biting anything living.

"Goodbye, Dru," he said solemnly as he looked up at the ceiling trying to envision her likeness in his mind's eye. "See you in hell," he finished turning his gaze down to the stake he spread his arms out wide, before allowing himself to fall forward.

He was distracted though as he heard someone walk down the stairs and into the basement. He turned in mid-air to see who had interrupted his suicide attempt, his eyes landing on a shocked looking Willow and Xander just before he crashed into the table, breaking it and missing the stake that he had so carefully set up to be able to end his own life.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked, her voice more high-pitched in her shock as she stared at Spike's fallen form.

Spike picked himself up off the ground, brushing down the ridiculous clothes he'd been forced to wear since accidentally shrinking his own. "Bloody rot." He said with a dark scowl he aimed in Willow and Xander's direction. "Can't a person knock?" He grumbled.

"What were you doing?" Willow asked again.

Xander who had been looking down at the mess Spike had made of his table answered her. "You were trying to stake yourself!" he exclaimed in outrage as he pointed to the undamaged stake that was lying in amongst the broken mess.

"Fag off!" Spike growled self-consciously as he crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to glare at the two that had intruded on and ruined his attempt to take his own miserable un-life. "It's no concern of yours."

"Is to!" Xander declared, surprising both Spike and Willow for a moment until he continued. "For one thing, that's my shirt you're about to dust. For another, we've shared a lot here. You should have trusted me enough to do it for you."

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed as she hit Xander's arm, turning shocked eyes toward her friend.

"What?" Xander asked confused as he looked at Willow. "He wants to die, I want to help," he explained simply as he gestured between the two of them. More than happy to be rid of the vampire that was a constant presence in his life right now.

Willow frowned at him. "It's ooky," she murmured as she turned her gaze to the miserable looking peroxide vampire. "We know him, we can't just let him poof himself!"

"Oh, but you can," Spike said as Xander moved away from Willow slightly as he began unbuttoning the shirt he'd worn for work. "You know I'd drain you drier than the Sahara if I had half a chance. And besides, I'm beyond pathetic. Stuck in this basement washing skivvies for a blighter I wouldn't have bothered to bite a few months ago."

"Hey!" Xander exclaimed affronted, as he glared over at Spike for a moment before he went back to changing his clothes.

Spike rolled his eyes at Xander before focusing his full attention on Willow who was still looking at him with sympathy in her gaze. "I mean, am I even remotely scary anymore?" he asked. "Tell me the truth," he told her.

Willow looked at him not sure what to say…the truth not really seeming appropriate right about now. Spike jumped at her, his hand curling into a mockery of claws as he advanced toward her, an expression on his face that she found hard to contain her amusement at. "Well, the shirt is kind of…"

"Please. Leave a bloke a shred, will you?" Spike implored Willow.

"I'm sorry. it's just not right," Willow informed him. "And besides you still haven't told
Buffy and Faith everything about the commandos."

"Fine." Xander grumbled as he turned around making his way back over to Willow having finished changing. "But you break anything else while we're gone and you'll be sleeping in the garage, buster."

"We can't leave him like this," Willow exclaimed bringing Xander up short. "We'll have to take him with us to the museum," she urged, much to Xander's horror.

"Oh, you go on. I won't do anything. I feel much better now, promise," Spike assured them in a not very convincing manner.

Xander sighed as he gave into Willow's puppy dog eyes and stepped over to Spike who was reluctantly walking toward them, knowing that Willow wasn't about to give up by the look in her eyes. Throwing his arm around Spike's shoulders as they began walking together toward the steps that led out of the basement. "Think of the happy. If we don't find what we're looking for, we face an apocalypse."

Spike's expression turned hopeful as Willow mounted the stairs ahead of them. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

Xander clapped Spike's shoulder before releasing him. "Would I just say something to make you happy?"

"Good point," Spike agreed as he mounted the steps after Xander suddenly starting to feel a bit better now that he knew that an apocalypse was coming.

Streets of Sunnydale

Buffy and Faith walked out of an alley they had flamed into and down the still busy main street. They made their way toward the magic shop that they were hoping would have what they were looking for. Buffy's eyes landed on Riley who was walking on the other side of the street to them heading in the opposite direction, his gaze focused on a small little handheld device that looked a lot like an oddly shaped Gameboy.

"Faith," Buffy whispered as she hesitated in her stride.

"We don't have time right now," Faith answered as she gently touched her wife's arm. "We have to hurry."

Buffy nodded as she looked at her wife and smiled as she picked up her pace again. "Yeah, you're right, besides…he looks busy," she mumbled as they continued on down the street together.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Willow, Xander and Spike walked down a paved path out the front of the Historical Museum of Sunnydale as they retreated from the large building. Willow and Xander's shoulders slumped as Spike walked almost whistling a happy little tune; his world starting to look up for the first time since having been neutered by the chip in his brain.

"Great," Willow muttered disheartened. "No word of Valios."

"Not even a syllable of Valios," Xander muttered as he trudged beside Willow.

"Which means I'm one step closer to melting in a sea of molten hellfire, yeah?" Spike said a little gleefully for either of Willow or Xander's moods. They shot annoyed looks at his back as he strutted on ahead of them.

"You shouldn't talk like that," Willow scolded. "Yeah, ok, so you can't kill anymore, but there are other fun things you can do. You'll adjust," she murmured, trying to be reassuring.

Spike stopped and turned around forcing his two companions to stop with him as he levelled a less than friendly look on them. "Adjust? And what? End up like the two of you? No thank you." He grumbled.

"Here it goes," Xander grumbled as he turned his gaze on Willow. "We can't just leave him here to stake himself!" he mimicked her, raising his voice to a higher pitch to mimic a woman's voice. "It's not right." Willow looked down at her feet sheepishly, beginning to regret her decision to bring him along.

"I should think you would be glad to greet the end of days," Spike said, his tone serious, giving no hint as of yet to the mockery he was feeling. "I mean, neither of you is making much of a go at it," he gestured to Xander. "You, kids your age are going off to University, you've made it as far as the basement. And Red here," Gesturing to Willow. "You couldn't even keep dog-boy happy. You can take the loser out of high school, but…"

"I see what you're doing," Willow interrupted Spike's monologue as she stared him down bravely. "You're trying to get us to dust you."

"Am not!" Spike vehemently denied. "I just don't want pity from geeks more useless than I am," he said cuttingly.

"We're not useless!" Willow retorted angrily. "We help people. We fight the forces of evil!" she exclaimed whilst Xander nodded his agreement.

Spike shook his head, giving them a look. "Buffy and Faith fight the forces of evil. You two are their groupies. They'd do just as well without you…better I'd wager, since they wouldn't have to go about saving your hides all the time."

Xander scowled and took a step toward him. "That's not true!" he denied, his hands clenching into fists. "We're part of the team. They need us," he said with conviction.

Spike snorted in disbelief. "Or you're just the same tenth grade losers you've always been, and she's too much of a softy to cut you lose." He looked at them for a moment waiting for a brief moment to see if they were going to say anything else in their defense that he could swat down.

Willow smirked as she squinted and Spike found himself sailing backwards away from her and Xander. "You don't want to mess with the daughter of a Charmed One," she said as he landed on the ground a few feet away. She instantly regretted using her powers on him though.

Giles' Apartment

Giles sat at his desk pouring through yet another book, flipping through the pages with a frown of concentration pulling down his brow. He flipped past a page before flipping back as a picture that seemed familiar caught his eyes…a picture that jogged his memory. He looked at the picture of the talisman his heart sinking in his chest as it all came back to him, his fingers running over the large words that confirmed what the talisman was. 'The Word of Valios' the words were bold and seemed to accuse him for not remembering sooner.

"Oh…as usual…dear," he muttered as he looked at the image of the 15th century talisman. He swiftly got to his feet and walked over to his chest. He shoved the odd bits and bobs that had been placed on top of it off, before he opened it and dug through the contents. He unearthed a small box. Closing the chest, he rested the box on top of it as he opened it. He looked down at the various magical bits and bobs he had garnered over the years to keep safely tucked away. Shifting through it, he picked up the small talisman that was shaped in a 'W'. He looked at it in wonder for a moment, before a movement behind him made him turn around. A cry escaped him as one of three demons that all looked pretty much alike growled. They swiftly attacked him, not giving him enough time to get his bearings and defend himself.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and Faith appeared in the swirl of fiery flames in Giles living room. They instantly took in their surroundings and saw Giles seated on his couch next to Xander, bloody cuts and bruises on his face.

"What happened?" Buffy asked as she hurried over to him her expression concerned as Faith followed behind as she eyed Giles, who was definitely looking worse for wear.

"It's my fault," Giles gasped out, his chest aching with every breath he took. "I should have known," he muttered miserably.

Buffy squatted down in front of him. "Giles…" she began, wanting to sooth his wounded pride, but Giles' continued on.

"The Word of Valios…is the name of a talisman…not a book. I blame myself entirely. I had it here."

"You had it here?" Xander muttered feeling a little put out at being sent across town for a book when Giles had had it all along. "Ok, first I thought you were being too hard on yourself, but…" he trailed off at the look Faith gave him.

Willow walked into the living room from the kitchen, a dish towel wrapped around some ice clutched in her hands. She handed it to Giles; who pressed it to his face. "Oh, thank you," he said gratefully the coolness feeling great against the throbbing bump on the top of his head.

Faith noticed Spike as he entered the living room a steaming mug of blood in his hand. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Uh, it's uh, my fault, Faith," Willow interjected a little nervously. "Uh, you see. Spike was going to make himself go poof…and so I thought it wouldn't be a good idea for him to be alone."

"I hope you informed him of who your mother is now," Faith informed her cousin.

"Not at first, but eventually," Willow answered. "After I used my powers on him."

Giles cleared his throat bringing the attention of the room back to him as he continued to hold the makeshift ice pack to his head, water from the melting ice beginning to run down the side of his face. "I bought the talisman at a sorcerer's estate sale," he explained, wincing as his head throbbed horribly and he shifted the pack on his head. "I really only glanced at it once. I thought it was a knock off," he muttered, hoping that his explanation would excuse why he had forgotten that he had had it all along.

"Well, they have it," Buffy stated as she stood back up. "And they probably have their sacrifices by now, too."

Giles nodded and immediately regretted it as the movement sent a powerful throbbing pain pounding around his abused skull. "They're on their way to perform the sacrifice now."

"Where?" Faith wondered as she looked at Giles. "You found out what the ritual is for?"

Giles nodded again and bit back a groan. "The Hellmouth. They are going to open the Hellmouth…The one in the library," Giles bit out between clenched teeth.

Buffy sighed as her expression darkened slightly. She exchanged glances with her wife. "Looks like we're going back to high school…something I never wanted to do again…just for the record."

Xander nodded as he got up from his seat. "Yeah, especially after the whole The Mayor tried to eat us thing…"

Willow shrugged. "I liked high school."

Xander slung an arm around her shoulders. "And that's why we love you so much, Will. You made it possible for us," he gestured to Buffy and himself, "to graduate."

Willow's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, that's me. Biggest self-confessed nerd this side of California."

"Cuz," Faith smiled at Willow who smiled back at Faith.

Sunnydale High School Ruins

Spike kept to the back of the group he was reluctantly trailed after them. Buffy had wanted to flame them there, but Willow reminded her about Spike trying to dust him and so they were walking to the school instead.

"Be careful you guys," Buffy cautioned as they entered the hall, her nose screwing up in distaste as she took in the ruin it was inside…a rank smell accompanying it, that hadn't been noticeable outside the building. "This place doesn't look to stable," she murmured as she and Faith picked their way carefully around some debris that had settled in the middle of the hallway.

"Fine by me," Spike muttered. "I hope we all go under," he grumbled, his uplifted mood having left him once again.

"Cuz, make sure he's out of the way, we don't have time to babysit a fangless vampire," Faith informed Willow.

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed affronted. "Watch your mouth!" he growled, his tongue running over his blunt human teeth. He was not fangless!

Buffy sighed glancing at Faith. "Ok, when we get to the library keep a look out for victims that they're keeping alive for the sacrifice. Getting them out alive is the first priority," she said.

"Will do," Willow agreed.

"Ok, you guys ready?" Faith asked.

"Let's rock and roll," Xander said seriously as he steeled himself for what they would soon be facing once they'd made it down a couple more ruined corridors.

"Let's rock and roll," Spike repeated, his tone mocking Xander, but found himself ignored.

"Will," Buffy said. "Be ready to call for Leo just in case."

"Already prepared," Willow informed her.

They turned into an extremely burnt and tattered hallway. Xander looked around the walls, hardly being able to believe the difference the explosion had on them. "Sunnydale High. These walls… if they were still walls…what stories they could tell." His small walk down memory lane was put to a halt as his foot stepped in something that made a sickening squish sound beneath his sneaker clad foot. "Eww!" he yipped as he immediately lifted his foot up again and looked down to see what it was that he had stepped on, bile rising in his throat as he saw what it was. Looking back up at his friends who had all stopped in their tracks to look at him; his expression turned sheepish, not having meant to startle them all. "Mayor meat…extra crispy," he explained and the girls wrinkled their noses at that, before everyone turned and continued on the hall.

"I think we're near the library," Willow murmured feeling the need to be quiet as they got closer to their destination. And she was right, as they turned down another corner, carefully stepping around a large hole in the floor, the ruin of what used to be the doors to the high school library came into view at the end of the hall.

They moved as swiftly as they could down the hall. They stepped over the ruins of the doors, that had been blown into many small pieces, the sounds of low growls reaching their ears as they moved further into the destroyed library.

"Whoa." Willow exclaimed quietly as they came to ledge that led to a sudden drop to a much lower level where they could see the three Vahral demons gathered around a large fissure that had opened up in the ground. "Check out the new floor plan."

"Three of them," Buffy murmured, almost to herself as she frowned in determination. She sized the three demons up with her eyes, glancing to her left at Faith, her gaze focused on the three large demons as well.

"I don't see any sacrifice people," Willow muttered as she looked around the pit the library had become after the large explosion, they had set off just a half a year ago.

"They must be around somewhere. The ritual is not finished," Faith said.

"And it's not going to be," Buffy added determinedly, as she grabbed Faith and they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames to reappear before the demons.

"That's right," Faith said murmured as she and Buffy advanced forward, the demons growling at them; clearly not pleased by their unwelcome interruption. "Party's over."

Buffy threw one away from the hole, the urn filled with the boy's blood slipping from its hands as it did so.

Xander seeing the urn leapt down into the fray and hurried across the open expanse and snatched it up. "The blood!" he cried as he held it with tight hands. He looked around at the fray, his eyes going over to Faith who was at the moment busy fending off two of the demons. "Get the talisman," he called to whoever could hear him amidst the growls and sounds of fists and feet meeting flesh filled the pit. "They can't do the ritual."

Faith blocked a blow from one of demons and ducked low under another one thrown by the second demon, before delivering a kick to the demon's chest. The demon growled and gasped as it staggered back, his hand releasing the bag of bones it had been carrying. The bag flying through the air for a moment, before it landed on the ground, sliding across it before coming to a complete stop.

Seeing the bag of bones lying unattended Willow jumped down into the pit and hurried across the pit toward it, her eyes skittering around to see if any of the demons were coming at her now that she had entered the war zone. The demon who had lost the bag of bones, glanced over and saw her picking up the bag and snarled, turning his gaze back to Faith who was so determined to way lay them he charged at her with a loud growl, catching her around the stomach slamming her against the wall of the pit.

There was a shake above them and both Faith and the demon looked up to see a beam beginning to fall, the knock against the wall having knocked it free of its precarious position above them. The demon delivered another punch before jumping back out of the way, leaving Faith no time to get out of the way. She was suddenly surrounded in flaming red orbs as she disappeared. The beam crashed down right where Faith had been seconds before.

The demon Buffy was fighting managed to lock its arms around her in what was meant to be a choke hold. On instinct Buffy disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames. She reappeared just as Faith did as well. She slammed her fist into the demon's gut and just as Faith slammed him into the ground.

"I've got the bones!" Willow cried triumphantly as she made her way over to Xander who was standing holding the urn full of blood. Hearing a growl coming up behind them, they turned and saw the two demons that had been attacking Faith stalking toward them, growls rumbling up from their chests. "Here!" she called to Xander as she tossed the bag to him. Xander caught it awkwardly with one hand as Willow ducked under the demon who had almost been completely on her.

Willow spun back around in time to catch the bag of bones once again as Xander threw it back to her as one of the two demons came at him. He dropped the urn of blood that he hadn't had time to put down yet. Willow looked down at the bag that was in her hands, feeling the bones that were inside. She saw the third demon coming at her. She squinted and he flew back away from her. It was that Willow noticed Spike was calmly sitting on a ledge that was protruding out of the wall of the pit, watching the fight unfold around him. "Spike!" she shouted catching his attention, just before she threw the bag at him. He caught it and looked down at it with a frown as Willow dodged away.

Looking up again Spike swallowed as he began getting up. He saw an angry demon that had been chasing Willow now coming at him and he swallowed thickly. "Right, perfect," he muttered as he tried to quickly get to his feet.

Willow who had successfully lost the demon that had been after her, hurried across the pit, her gaze sliding over first at Buffy and then Faith.

"You've got the wrong man, dude," Xander managed to say as the demon that had come at him, continued to punch him in the stomach with strong blows that sent him up against the wall they were standing in front of. "I've had a lot of practice with my lunch money," he grunted, the whole really feeling like he was back in one of the many hallways of the school.

Spike snarled in growing anger as the demon after the bag of bones pounded on him relentlessly as he was helpless to do anything against it…the pain that would rocket through his head if he fought back far worse compared to the pain the demon was dishing out.

A small tremor went through the earth under their feet and the demon pounding on Xander looked toward the fissure before releasing him. Snatching the urn up from where it had fallen it growled as it made a mad dash for the fissure and without hesitation jumped inside the fissure and down into the depths of the Hellmouth.

"Okay," Xander said puzzled. "I guess I won," he murmured, just before the earth gave a tremendous shake almost knocking him off his feet and his gaze went to Buffy and Faith who were fighting their demon. "The demons! They are the sacrifice!" he shouted loud enough for everyone in the pit to hear.

Spike didn't hear him though too busy getting beaten up on by the demon wanting the bones back. The demon hit him again making him stumble back a step. It was one hit too many as Spike snarled, his face the hard ridges of the demon. He hauled an arm back a scream tearing from his throat as he braced himself for the pain that he was about to feel, before he punched the demon with as much force as he could muster.

His hand immediately went to his forehead in anticipation of the pain that should be rocketing through his head. Only for a surprised look to come over his face as he lowered his hand slowly. "No pain!" he said in wonder as his gaze went to the demon that scrambled back up to its feet. He hit him again a large smile curving up his lips as once again no pain rocketed through his head. "I can hurt demons!" he growled in astonishment.

Spike growled loudly, before throwing himself at the large demon, relishing in every punch and kick he delivered, enjoying the violence like he hadn't been able to in too long! All thoughts of ending his un-life leaving him as he made up for all the time that he'd lost not being able to terrorize and brutalize. He unfurled his fury on the poor unsuspecting demon that had happened to have the misfortune of being in charge of the bones.

It didn't take long for the demon to drop to the ground and not get back up. "That's right," Spike hooted. "I'm back. And I'm a bloody animal! Yeah!" He crowed relishing in the feel of the tingle running over his hands, from all the blows he had delivered, it was a sensation he hadn't felt in all too long. Bending down he picked up the demon just as the demon's clawed hand closed around the bag that Spike had dropped. He held the demon suspended over his head preparing to throw him.

"No!" Xander shouted drawing Willow's gaze.

"Spike, not in the hole!" Willow cried.

Spike ignoring their cries tossed the demon headlong into the open fissure of the Hellmouth and a moment later another tremor stronger than the first rocked the ground beneath them. Looking around at the pale angry faces that were staring at him he gave them a confused look. "What? I was helping!"

"Yeah, the apocalypse!" Xander grumbled.

Buffy and Faith delivered another blow to their demon sending it stumbling back as it fought to keep its balance, they looked up at the roof above them, seeing it tremble and bits of debris beginning to fall down. "Get out of here!" they shouted.

"The buildings going to come down!" Faith warned just as a second beam dropped and hit Spike over the head, knocking him to the ground. She ran over to Xander and helped him up. Willow joined them and began helping the slightly disorientated Spike out of the hole, more debris beginning to drop down around them. She glanced toward Buffy who was hurriedly now, beating up on the remaining demon. Doing her best to end it quickly.

Faith flung a fireball at the demon, attempting to kill it only to enrage the demon instead. With a roar it backhanded Buffy viciously sending her to the ground and immediately Faith moved to prevent the demon from finishing off her wife.

Seemingly out of nowhere Riley grasped the demon's arm from behind preventing it from delivering another blow. Buffy stared at Riley somewhat surprised; wondering how he had known to come here.

"Don't let it jump in the hellmouth," Buffy told him as she sat for a moment longer on the ground catching her breath slightly. Her words ending just as the demon grabbed Riley and threw him unceremoniously across the pit. She winced as Riley landed and quickly jumped up to her feet once again. Her gaze going to Faith as her wife made it over to her. "Get out of here," she told Faith as the demon kicked Riley harshly in the stomach dropping him back down to the ground.

Faith shook her head at her wife firmly. "Not unless you are," she countered.

Buffy stared at Faith and then looked down at Faith's stomach and then back up at Faith's face. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "But if you get yourself and Prudence killed, I'm telling."

"Fair enough," Faith agreed as another beam fell behind them.

Buffy ran over to Riley, distracting the demon who was about to deliver another kick to his downed form. She slugged him harshly in the face and ducked swiftly as it retaliated, narrowly missing being sliced with its claws. The demon growled as if in pain and she looked up to see that Faith was standing close behind her, a second fireball forming in her wife's hand. She rose to her full height as she began fighting beside Faith, the both of them beating up on the demon in tandem.

Riley spat blood on the pit floor, his gaze going to Buffy and Faith and he watched them move in a way that he doubted that he ever could. It was so graceful and powerful…almost seemingly like a dance…a deadly dance. Struggling up to his feet, his body aching from the hits it had taken. He watched as Buffy took a blow to the face and fell back for a moment and Faith seemed to move in, taking up the slack as she delivered an uppercut.

Buffy got back to her feet, shaking the blow off like it was nothing special and got right back into the fray. They been at it for far longer than him tonight and had to have taken more damage than him. And yet he was the one that was aching all over whilst they still looked fresh if not slightly dusty and sweaty.

Buffy delivered a solid kick that sent the demon flying back across the pit. He heard something crack above him and he looked up his eyes widening and a cry escaping him as a beam dropped down, landing on him. His cry distracting both Buffy and Faith as they turned in the direction of the noise.

The couple hurried over to help Riley throw the beam off of him. Behind them he noticed the last Vahrall demon grasped the 'Word of Valios' picking it up from where it had fallen on the ground. It crawled over to the fissure sliding in head first, his feet disappearing just as everyone turned their attention back to it.

"Buffy," Faith said. "Go."

Taking a few steps back Buffy moved to dive into the fissure…her ears picking up soft cries of surprise coming from Willow and Xander as they continued to watch…anxiously waiting for her and Faith to make it to safety as well.

Buffy was halted once by Riley grasping her arm and she frowned at him in annoyance more than ready to throw him off of her. "You heard, Faith!" she exclaimed angrily, getting ready to wrench her arm free of Riley's grip.

Riley nodded his understanding. "You're coming back out." He said as he lifted his free hand up so that she could see a hook attached to a cable that he was holding.

"I don't need that, remember?" Buffy reminded him.

"I don't know how you do that," Riley countered. "But what if it doesn't work down there?"

Faith sighed having not thought of that when she instructed her wife to go. "He's right, Buffy."

Buffy nodded as Riley released her arm and quickly fastened the hook to her belt, before stepping back quickly, Buffy and Faith following him. Riley and Faith backed up further putting a sufficient amount of distance between them and the hole.

Buffy didn't waste another moment as she took a few quick steps towards the fissure and jumped head first into it, her eyes focusing on the demon as she free-fell for a long moment, her eyes squinting against the rush of hot air, the sound of it roaring in her ears as she gathered speed.

Faith grabbed Riley from behind and with her Slayer strength she kept him from sliding after Buffy. He looked over his shoulder at her and nodded his thanks. He felt the cable jerk under his hands, as someone tugged at it, and immediately he locked the cable, preventing it from sliding out any further jerking the people on the other end to a sudden halt. "Faith," he said.

"Got ya," Faith confirmed as she grabbed the line and she helped him begin pulling her wife back up to the surface. A few long moments they saw an arm rise up out of the fissure and a moment later Buffy came into view as she tried to pull herself up by one hand. "You got it?" she asked him.

Riley nodded as Faith hurried for. Faith grasped her wife's arms and began helping pull her up. "Buffy," she said in relief, before her gaze went past her to see the demon hanging from her wife's other hand. She helped Buffy crawl out of the fissure.

Buffy breathed heavily as she climbed completely out of the pit dragging the demon up as much as she could with her arm, a sound of effort escaping her as she tugged with all her remaining strength. Faith grabbed the demon and pulled him the rest of the way out of the pit. Buffy collapsed down beside her wife breathing heavily a hand on her chest as she eyed the demon waiting to see if it was going to try jumping into the fissure again.

The demon shifted only slightly…looking at the fissure for a short moment, before it slumped against the pit floor, breathing its last breath as the earth shook around them heavily for a long moment more before it fell quiet.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Willow and Xander sighed in relief as Buffy and Faith walked out into the hall they had retreated to once the shaking had threatened to toss them all down into the pit where rubble had been falling all over the place. They didn't get a chance to say anything though as Riley who hadn't been expecting to see them immediately began talking nervously, trying to explain his presence.

"Well, hey! Willow…and Xander, right?" he said loudly drawing their gaze as they looked him over as he stood before them decked out in his military uniform. "Jeez, what are the chances, huh?" he asked nervously as he glanced over at the couple, hoping for help in covering up why he was here. But Buffy and Faith were looking into each other's eyes. "Yeah, I was just passing by when I thought I heard people inside," he said, hoping that it sounded plausible.

"Passing by in your GI Joe outfit?" Willow murmured with a knowing raised eyebrow.

Riley looked down at himself having forgotten that he'd been wearing it, before looking to Buffy and Faith for help, only to find them still looking into each other's eyes. "Oh, uh…But…uh, it's…Paintball!" he exclaimed seizing on the first idea that came to him. "Yeah, I was playing paintball. And then the aftershocks…"

"So," Xander began cutting off Riley mid ramble. "You're one of the commando guys, huh?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no," he denied hurriedly his heart beating uncomfortably in his chest as he tried to search his mind for a believable response only for his brain to have gone completely blank in the process. "Commando? No, I mean…" he floundered before trailing off as his gaze landed on Spike who was watching him with a vaguely amused expression on his face; a face that seemed vaguely familiar. "Don't I know you?" he asked, completely giving up on trying to explain himself.

"Me?" Spike said a little nervously, before he cleared his throat affecting a Texan accent, that when he spoke did sound near as good as he'd been hoping. "No. No, sir. I'm just an old pal of, Xander's, here," he said as he clapped the boy he could hardly stand on the shoulder; picking out of all of them simply because he was closest to him.

"Oh," Riley murmured little doubtfully before shrugging it off. "That's nice." The moment he turned his gaze away Spike took his hand off Xander and Xander took a small step away from the vampire.

Xander moved so that he stood on the other side of Willow who gave him a small amused smile as she imagined just what thoughts were running through her best friend's mind at having Spike declare him an old friend and put a familiar hand on his shoulder…the thought almost enough to make her laugh, but she managed to keep her composure.

Xander's arm brushed gently against the ruined wall of the hall they were standing in, the sleeve of his shirt brushing up against something that was stuck to the wall. The light touch of his shirt made something come loose and it fell, landing on his shoulder with a squelching sound. The extra unfamiliar weight drawing his attention, the moment his eyes landed on the piece of flayed meat that had fallen from the wall. He let out a sound that was very much like a squeal. "Ooh, God…get it off!" he cried as he spun around his hand reaching up trying to touch it, before he took off down the hall, the feel of it seeping through shirt to be felt most keenly against his skin.

Willow, who had jumped at the sudden sound, couldn't help her laughter at her friend's reaction, before she took off after him, struggling to keep up as she fought down her laughter. Spike didn't hesitate in following himself, planning on taking great pleasure in mocking the boy who was at this moment running like a mad thing through-out the unstable school. His shrieks still being heard further up the hall.

Riley turned away from the scene, unsure what to make of it and wondering why Buffy and Faith let their friends take part in their mission when they didn't seem so cut out for it. Faith shook her head. "Nerves of steel," she muttered with a chuckle.

"Don't be too hard on him," Buffy mumbled as she looked in the direction her friends had raced off in, sounds of them still in the school still reaching her keen ears. "I don't think I'd be too happy about having a piece of flayed Mayor fall on me either."

"Yeah, your right about that," Faith agreed with a shiver. "Still you got to admit it's funny."

"True," Buffy agreed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Xander shuddered as Willow finally managed to get the bit of Mayor off his shoulder. "Why does The Mayor meat have to fall on me," he grumbled as he looked at the stain on his shirt.

Willow gave him a sympathetic shrug, the funny having finally worn off after all the chasing she had been forced to do to just get the bit of extra crispy meat off him.

"Maybe it senses that you're the weakest link. I mean The Mayor did die a demon, right? Demons have a thing for going after the weak. They scream so easily," Spike mocked, a smirk curling up his lips as he imagined all the fun he would be having with the boy tonight. Suddenly being strapped to the sodden sleeping chair didn't seem so bad. Walking past the two, heading toward the door, he began whistling a happy little tune.

Willow gave Xander's hand a comforting squeeze trying to make him feel better, before they began reluctantly following Spike toward the exit of the closed down High school, hoping that they would run into Buffy and Faith along the way.

U.C. Sunnydale

Buffy and Faith hesitated a moment as they stood outside the door that they had been told belonged to Riley. Raising a hand, Buffy knocked on the door and a moment later they heard his voice through the door allowing their entrance. Buffy opened the door and led Faith into the room before closing the door behind them.

"Buffy? Faith?" Riley said surprised, throwing the ball he had been holding in the rough direction of where he kept them.

"Sorry for just dropping by…" Buffy started.

"No, not at all…" Riley said hurriedly, feeling flustered by their sudden unexpected visit. "I'm glad that you two came." A moment of silence stretched between them, a silence that Riley swiftly broke. "That was quite some ride last night huh."

"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about," Faith said.

"Oh?" Riley questioned as he straightened up a little.

"It's dangerous, what we do…what you do," Buffy said a little begrudgingly. "It's not something that I would choose for anybody."

"Buffy, Faith," Riley cut in. "I love my work. It's more than I could have ever dreamed of when I was a boy growing up. And I go into work every day excited to see what will happen today. How many people can truthfully say that they have fun…"

"Fun!" Faith cut him off. "What, Buffy, our families and I do isn't for amateurs."

"Amateur?" Riley interrupted, affronted by the term. "I'm highly trained."

"Yeah, Faith and I are sure you are…trained by a bunch of military GI Joes that haven't got a clue what it's really like out there," Buffy countered.

"You don't know what you two are talking about!" Riley denied firmly, his belief in what he did not wavering.

"No, Riley, we do know what we're talking about…we know it better than you could ever possibly hope to understand…" Faith snapped.

"Look, we're not trying to insult you or belittle what you do…but we think that you should get out…get out whilst you still have your life…whilst you still have a chance at that shiny speck that is a normal life," Buffy informed him.

Riley sank down on the foot of his bed and the couple moved toward him concerned at how pale his face suddenly looked. "Are you alright?" they asked.

"Oh, I'm fine," Riley muttered as he looked down at the carpet he could see between his spread knees. "Apart from the fact that I'm a dead man…secret. Highly…or it's supposed to be. And then…you two find out; ok, I can deal. You two are special. But last night with your friends…that was a disaster," he said a little thickly as he looked up at the couple again. "I mean, could I have been less convincing? I was trained to be sneaky and stuff and I'm like…'Hi! Paintball…just passing by!' I should have just given them my security code and rank!" he blurted out in his rant.

"You have a security code and rank?" Buffy asked curiously.

Riley gave them a pained look. "No…did I just say…?" He sighed a scrubbed a hand roughly through his short brown hair. "This is so not good. Everybody knows about me…I'm finished…It's the end of the world."

Buffy and Faith chuckled, they couldn't help themselves, earning another pained look from Riley. "No, it's not," Faith assured him.

"Last night…that was the end of the world…or it would have been if we hadn't stopped it…" Buffy added.

Riley's pained looked turned to one of surprise, not having expected what he had seen last night to be anything as serious as all that.

"As for my cousin and Xander knowing about…" Faith started.

"Let's not forget about that peroxide hair guy," Riley cut in.

"Don't worry about that…they are all very good at keeping secrets…they've been keeping mine for years ya know," Buffy assured him with a small smile.

"And mine for a single year," Faith added with a smile of her own.

"And you two also tell me that I should give up my job for some boring 9-5 gig," Riley added on.

Buffy and Faith shrugged a slightly pained look crossing their faces for a moment. "Some of us would give almost anything for a normal 9-5 job," Buffy muttered as Faith looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Look, we're not telling you that you have to quit, but that we think that you should."

"Sadly, Buffy is right," Faith agreed. "People in this line of work don't tend to live long…take it from someone who knows. I just lost my mom to this a half a year ago."

Riley looked at Faith with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that."

They turned away from him and began to head for the door, having said what they had wanted to say; there was nothing more they could really do aside from letting him mull it over and come to his own decision.

Riley stood and stepped after them. "Wait," he called and they paused in their stride as they turned to face him. "Meet them…the people I work with," he said, surprising the couple. "I'm sure that all this will be so much easier to explain if I have you there…I mean you know a lot more about what went down and…what you two are…than I do…" he trailed off as he began to feel more and more uncomfortable under their unblinking surprised stare.

Buffy and Faith glanced at each other as they thought about what Riley was offering…a chance to get intimate inside knowledge of the military group he worked for…

Harris Home

Willow and Xander sat curled up comfortably on a couch in Xander's basement their eyes glued to the TV as they ate popcorn from a bowl sat between them. Spike who had been pacing around impatiently, walked in front of the TV his body blocking their view of the screen. Without a word they merely shifted as they tried to see around him.

"What's this? Sitting around watching telly while there's evil still afoot," Spike said as he looked down at the moving figures on the screen, not in the least bit interested in what they were watching, reaching down he switched off the TV. "That's not very industrious of you." He turned around to face Willow and Xander who were staring up at him with frowns of annoyance at his interruption…as well as slight bemusement.

"I say we go out there." Spike rubbed his hands together in glee at the thought of going out and causing more pain; even if it was the blood of other demons. "And kick a little demon ass!" he crowed one of his hands curled up in a fist pumped the air. A fist which he lowered as Willow and Xander merely continued to stare at him. "What, can't go without Buffy and Faith, is that it?" he asked. "To chicken? Let's find them!" he urged, willing to put up with them if it meant that he could go out and spread some serious pain.

"They are the Chosen Ones after all." Spike's expression turned slightly exasperated as he still got no reaction from the two sitting on the couch before him. "Come on! Vampires! Grrr!" He curled his hands into claws at them trying to encourage them into action. "Nasty! Let's annihilate them. For justice," he added willing to say anything to get them up off the couch and out the door. "And for the safety of puppies…and Christmas, right?" he floundered as he tried to think of the things that goodie-goodie two-shoes fought for. "Let's fight that evil! Let's kill something!" he urged, trying to get them pumped and receiving nothing, but looks that had changed now to slightly concerned. "Oh, come on!" he growled growing frustrated.

"Dad!" Willow called out. "Can you bring mom?"

"Who are you talking to?" Spike said confused moments before Leo orbed in with Piper. "What the…" he said in surprise.

"Mom," Willow said glancing at Piper. "Can you freeze him, please."

Piper rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist at Spike freezing him. "I take it, Willow, he was getting on your nerves?"

"More than that," Xander informed the eldest Halliwell sister. "He's entered full creepy mode."

Leo glanced toward the ceiling. "I'll be right back, their calling for me."

The Heavens

Leo appeared as Roland approached him. "Roland, what is it?" he asked.

"We discussed it, Leo," Roland answered meaning that he and the other Elders had discussed his suggestion of making Buffy a Whitelighter. "There is a small loophole. Normally we couldn't make her a Whitelighter because she's not dead. But she well did die for the greater good, even though she was revived. That loophole means that she can be made a Whitelighter. Inform Buffy that she is now a full Whitelighter and that both Faith and Willow have been reassigned as her first charges and in time she may get Tara and Joyce as well as Prudence after she is born. You will have to train her in her powers as they come. The only Whitelighter power she will not receive of course is the one to orb since she already can flame instead. But the others over time she will get."