~ The Queen of Hearts ~
by Hellmouthguy

e-mail: hellmouthadmin@thehellmouthrevisited.com
my story archive can be found at: www.thehellmouthrevisited.com

Second novel in the Meant To Be series, sequel to: The New World.

Disclaimer: See Part 1.

A few minutes later, Buffy knelt naked in the dark in front of Faith in her bedroom, with her head in Faith's lap. The room was lit by candlelight. It was a scented candle; the room smelled like cinnamon. Faith sat naked on the edge of the bed, and stroked Buffy's hair.

"It was hard on you, seeing Angel," Faith said.

Buffy nodded.

"It's okay that you still love him," Faith said.

"Do you still love Evan?" Buffy said.

"Yeah. But I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you too," Buffy said. "Looks like we're a matched set." She looked down at Faith's ankles and feet. "We better get you back into your bandages."

"Things are a pain in the ass."

"Just for tonight. Tomorrow, as long as you still look good, we can take all that stuff off, okay?

"Yeah."

Buffy smiled up at Faith, and opened Faith's legs. She gave her pussy a little kiss.

"You're such a bad girl," Faith said. "What am I gonna do about you?"

"Spank my bum, maybe," Buffy said, and smiled. "But first we'll do some other fun stuff."

"Remember how I always wanted you to spank me?" Faith said.

"You still want me to?" Buffy said, and kissed Faith's knees.

"Yeah. Not tonight, but..."

"That's a conversation we need to have," Buffy said, and caressed Faith's cheek. "Faith...the stuff your Mom did to you. I just...I don't want you to think..."

"I know," Faith said. "It's not like that, Buffy. If you do that with me, it'll just be, y'know, playin' around. It won't be like...I don't think...you gotta hurt me to love me."

Buffy stood up, and leaned over. She took Faith's head in her hands, and tilted it up, and looked down into her eyes.

"I'll never hurt you, Faith," Buffy said. "All I'll ever do is love you."

Faith nodded. Buffy hugged her, and Faith rested her head against her breasts.

They were quiet for awhile, and still.

"Does my baby wanna be back with momma now?" Buffy whispered. "Does she wanna be my cub again?"

"Yeah but...not yet," Faith whispered. "I kinda...like how tonight's been."

Buffy looked down at her and smiled.

"You mean how you've totally made me your bitch all night?" Buffy said.

They giggled.

"Nice change of pace," Faith said. "You look real pretty on your knees."

Buffy knelt down in front of Faith, and took her foot in her hand, and kissed it, and held it against her cheek.

"Like this, baby?" Buffy whispered. "You want me like this?"

"Yeah," Faith said, and caressed her hair. "Not all the time, but...it's been fun, today."

"Not complaining down here," Buffy whispered. "Let's get you back into your bandages, baby. And then you can do whatever you want to me."

"Sounds like a plan," Faith said.

Buffy got up and walked to the bureau. Faith watched her move, watched how she bounced on the balls of her feet when she walked; she moved with grace and in absolute silence like a cat. Faith traced Buffy's naked body with her eyes as Buffy glided across the rug, her feet never seeming to touch it: a perfect predator. The muscles in Buffy's legs were thick and strong. They flexed, as Buffy bent a little and opened the top drawer of her bureau, looking for the things Faith needed.

"You're looking at me," Buffy said. "I can feel your eyes on me."

"I'm always looking at you," Faith said.

Buffy stretched out and bent all the way over against the top of the bureau, pushing off of it with her arms fully extended. She arched her back and stretched her legs behind her like a cat. She looked over her shoulder at Faith, and smiled.

"See anything good?" Buffy purred.

"You're a bad girl," Faith said. "You're bad, I can tell."

"I might need another spanking," Buffy said, and took bandages and rubbing alcohol and cotton balls and an icepack out of the top drawer. Then she bent all the way over, sticking her ass out, and opened the bottom drawer.

"You better get that pretty little ass back here," Faith said. "You're a bad girl. Teasing me like this."

Buffy took the dildo out of the bottom drawer, and turned around, and smiled. She held it up, and gave the head of it a little lick.

"So teach me a lesson," Buffy said.

She came back to Faith, and knelt in front of her again.

She took Faith's left ankle in her hand, and kissed it.

"This should be the last time with the icepack," Buffy said. "We'll keep the pressure bandage on until morning, and if there's no swelling that's it for the bandage too, okay?

"Yeah," Faith said, looking up at the ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stars were very bright. "Gonna have to jazz up those stars."

"Sure, baby," Buffy said, and put the pressure bandage and the icepack on Faith's ankle. "The kisses are working. My baby's healing right up."

"It's definitely the kisses," Faith said.

Buffy took Faith's right arm in her hand, and kissed it, from the tips of Faith's fingers all the way up to the shoulder. She wrapped an icepack around the elbow, and taped bandages over that. "How's the arm?" she said.

"Feels good as new. I can like, stretch it out all the way now."

"Okay, well Giles said there's still some damage and he knows this stuff, so go easy with it for another day."

"You sayin' I shouldn't spank you so hard?" Faith said, and raised her eyebrow. "Might get my arm all tired?"

Buffy licked Faith's neck, and put her mouth to her ear.

"You can spank me as hard as you want," Buffy whispered, and giggled.

"Such a bad girl," Faith said, shaking her head.

"Mmm-hmm," Buffy said. "Lie back on the bed, baby. I'm gonna clean your stomach."

Faith moved herself back on the bed and laid down. Buffy picked up the rubbing alcohol and the cotton balls, and laid beside her, and kissed her. She kissed Faith's breasts, and then her stomach, and looked at the wound there.

"I love my appointments with Doctor Buffy," Faith said.

"I'm gonna have to give your pussy a special checkup later, baby," Buffy said. "But first let's clean your tummy."

She opened the bottle of rubbing alcohol, poured some onto the cotton ball, and gently glided it across the gash on Faith's stomach. It was a long, light pink scab now.

"This okay?" Buffy said. "Doesn't hurt?"

"Nah, feels okay," Faith said.

Buffy finished cleaning the wound, and then she wrapped a bandage around it and taped it in place.

"All better," Buffy said.

Faith nodded, and kissed Buffy's hand.

"I wanna suck your dick, baby," Buffy said.

"You do?" Faith said.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Sit up on the bed." Faith sat on the edge of the bed again, and Buffy knelt in front of her. She put the dildo on Faith, sliding it up her legs and buckling it in place.

Then she smiled up at Faith, and took it in her mouth, and began sucking on it. Buffy held the dildo in her hand as she sucked it, but Faith took her hand off of it, and Buffy rested her hands on Faith's knees instead.

"That's it, honey," Faith said. "Just your mouth. Just like that."

Buffy nodded, and looked up into Faith's eyes, as she sucked on the dildo.

After awhile, she took Faith's hand, and brought it to her hair. Faith took Buffy's hair in her hand, and controlled her, moving her mouth up and down along the dildo. Faith felt her pussy getting wet, as she watched Buffy with the dildo in her mouth...as she controlled her.

After another moment Buffy wasn't moving her head anymore; Faith was pulling Buffy's head back and forth along the dildo by her hair, and thrusting her hips out to fuck Buffy's mouth. Faith moaned; she realized she could come this way. Thrusting her hips out, and controlling Buffy by her hair, and seeing Buffy with the dildo in her mouth...she realized it could make her come.

"Why...are you doing this, honey?" Faith said, and let Buffy's hair go. "You look... real pretty doing it, but..."

Buffy took the dildo out of her mouth, and licked it all the way up the shaft, and smiled.

"Because I love your big dick, baby," Buffy said, and giggled.

Faith raised her eyebrow.

"How about...I'm working on my technique," Buffy said, as she licked the dildo up one side and down the other. "You like me on my knees like this, right?"

Buffy kissed Faith on the lips, and then kissed the tip of the dildo.

"You like me with your dick in my mouth, baby?" Buffy purred.

"Yeah," Faith said. "You look real pretty like this...with it in your mouth. It turns me on, but...you always look pretty to me, honey. And I don't want you doing stuff you don't want to do."

"I want to. I wanna get it all nice and wet for when you fuck me with it, baby," Buffy whispered, and started sucking it again.

"You want to do that again?" Faith said.

Buffy nodded, with the dildo in her mouth.

"You're throwin' me some brainteasers here, beautiful," Faith said, and took the dildo out of Buffy's mouth, and caressed her cheek. Buffy practically lunged at her, throwing her arms around Faith and kissing her again, and sucking on her tongue.

Faith moaned again, as Buffy sucked on her tongue. Buffy took her time doing it. After awhile Buffy moved her left hand down to the dildo, and started jerking it off.

"Will you come if I give you a handjob, baby?" Buffy whispered, and giggled. "I hope you're not one of those guys who comes too fast. I need it long and hard tonight."

"Believe me, I got plenty of gas in the tank," Faith said, and kissed Buffy's neck, and caressed her breasts.

"So is my technique improving at all?" Buffy said, and got back down on her knees, and kissed the tip of the dildo again.

"Still using your teeth a little," Faith said. "But I like how you're mixing it up with the licking."

"You know, this dildo can like, squirt stuff. It said that on the box. There's some way to like, load it up with whatever liquid you want, and then like, if you squeeze the balls? It squirts."

"Seriously?"

"The Orgasmatron can do everything."

"This thing's called the Orgasmatron?"

They giggled.

"Yup," Buffy said, and started jerking the dildo off again. "It's gonna live up to its name in a minute when you fuck me with it."

Buffy started sucking on it again.

"No teeth this time," Faith said. "You're learning."

"Next time we'll load it up," Buffy whispered. "So you can come in my mouth, baby."

Buffy went back to sucking the dildo, and looked up into Faith's eyes, and smiled.

Faith was pretty sure she knew what Buffy was doing. But she knew Buffy needed to do it...so she went along with it.

After another minute with the dildo in her mouth, Buffy got up, and knelt above Faith's lap.

"You wanna do it this way, honey?" Faith said. "You wanna sit in my lap?"

"Yeah," Buffy said. "I've never done it this way."

"You'll like it, beautiful. It hits your little button just right."

Buffy nodded, and slowly lowered herself onto the dildo.

"Is it okay?" Faith said.

"Yeah," Buffy said, as she closed her eyes, and slowly took it inside her. "It...feels good."

"Slow, honey," Faith whispered, and put her hand around Buffy's waist, and slowed her down as she took the dildo inside her. "Slow. Start from halfway in, okay? Don't hurt yourself."

Buffy nodded, and slowly started moving up and down on the top half of the dildo. She closed her eyes, and began breathing deeply.

"Hurt?" Faith said. She kept her arm around Buffy's waist, making sure she went slow.

"No," Buffy said. "It's like...a pressure. Doesn't hurt exactly. It's just ...stretching me out."

"Go slow, honey," Faith said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Buffy said, and kissed her, and slowly fucked the dildo. After another moment it was all inside her.

"Okay...yeah," Buffy whispered. "Yeah. It feels good now." She started fucking the dildo a little faster, moving all the way up, and all the way down.

"Wait," Faith said, and put her arms around Buffy, and held her still.

Faith kissed her.

"I don't want you to think about coming, okay, honey?" Faith said. "I'm gonna handle that for you. I'm gonna make my girl come, okay? All I want you to do is relax, and enjoy yourself. Sound like a plan?"

"Okay," Buffy said.

"I want you to do what I say," Faith said, and took Buffy's hair in her hand, and looped it around her fist, and held her still. "Are you gonna be a good girl for me? Are you gonna do what I say?"

"Yeah...yeah," Buffy murmured.

Faith kissed Buffy's neck, where the wound was...the wound she had made.

"Say it," Faith whispered. "Whisper it in my ear."

"I'm gonna be a good girl for you," Buffy whispered in her ear, as Faith put her hand around her waist, and started moving her up and down on the dildo again. "I'm gonna do what you say."

"I love you," Faith whispered.

"I love you too," Buffy whispered.

Faith kissed her, as Buffy slowly moved up and down on the dildo, and began to moan.

"Just look in my eyes, beautiful," Faith said. "Look in my eyes, and don't look away."

Buffy nodded, and looked at her. Faith looked back.

They fucked.

Buffy moved on the dildo, slowly. She liked the feel of it; the steady pressure against the walls of her pussy, stretching her out. It went deep into her; in this position it went deeper than it had before.

Faith put both of her hands on Buffy's ass now, and pulled her toward her, moving her back and forth on top of the dildo, as Buffy moved up and down along its shaft. Buffy threw her head back, and shuddered.

"We're hittin' your little button just right now, honey," Faith said.

"Your eyes...are so beautiful, baby," Buffy said, as she looked into Faith's eyes again. "When they reflect the light...they're golden. They've been...golden all night."

"I feel...balanced, sorta," Faith said, and kept moving Buffy back and forth along the dildo, stretching Buffy's pussy out around it and working it against her clit, as Buffy went on fucking it, moving up and down, faster now. "I feel...like I'm me, all of me, for the first time."

"You're...my lion," Buffy whispered, and kissed her.

After a few minutes they started moving faster. Buffy moaned with every breath now. She looked into Faith's golden eyes, and they held her fast. Faith smiled, and kissed her.

"You're hypnotizing me, baby," Buffy moaned, and smiled.

Faith moved Buffy faster across the dildo, and watched the powerful muscles in Buffy's thighs flexing as she took every inch of the dildo inside her. A little stifled scream erupted out of Buffy, and she shut her eyes, and threw her head back. But Faith took her by the hair, and brought her head forward, and looked her in the eyes again.

The dildo didn't hurt Buffy at all now. It felt perfect...it fit her just right. She felt like her pussy was tingling inside. She was so wet she was dripping onto Faith's lap. She held on tight to Faith as Faith fucked her; she ran her fingers over Faith's shoulders, and through her hair.

"Baby...!" Buffy whimpered. She breathed in quick little gasps now, and her lower lip began to quiver.

Buffy started to squeal. Faith moved her even faster across the dildo; the bed was moving back and forth with them now, and creaking so loud Faith was worried it might break.

Buffy started screaming, and her body began to tremble. Faith held her by the hair with one hand and looked into her eyes, while she kept moving her back and forth on the dildo with the other.

"That's my girl," Faith whispered. "That's my girl."

Faith felt Buffy's orgasm building; she felt Buffy's body quaking around the dildo. She kissed her. Buffy's eyes filled up with tears.

"I love you," Faith whispered.

Buffy threw her head back and shrieked as she came; the sound carried. Faith smiled. Angel was a vampire and Faith knew he could hear everything they were doing anyway, but she liked the fact that Buffy was being loud...she wanted him to know just how loud she could make Buffy scream. She wanted him to know Buffy belonged to her, now.

Buffy hugged Faith as she came, with all her strength. Faith felt Buffy's body shaking, and heard Buffy sobbing in her ear.

"Can you let it go now, honey?" Faith whispered.

Buffy nodded her head, and cried.

Faith turned Buffy toward her, so she could see her face. The dildo was still inside Buffy. Buffy didn't move.

"We've both been inside you now," Faith said. She whispered it. She didn't want Angel to hear this. This moment was just for them. "Me and him. You came for me, honey, just like you came for him. You don't have to prove anything to me, okay? I know you love me. Can you let it go now? Can you stop trying to prove it?"

"I'm your girl," Buffy whispered.

"You're my girl, honey," Faith whispered, and kissed her tears away.

"I'll always come for you," Buffy whispered. "Only for you. You're the only one who will ever be inside me. I love you."

"I love you too," Faith whispered back. "And I understand you did what you had to do tonight, Buffy. I understand you needed to do this. But from now on? I don't want you doing stuff you don't want to do, okay?"

Buffy nodded.

"I don't want you sucking on the dildo anymore," Faith whispered. "I know you don't want to, so I don't want you doing it. Okay?"

"I don't...I don't hate it or anything," Buffy whispered, and sniffled, as Faith held her, and caressed her hair. "I don't mind it, it's just...I don't know. Guess it's not really my thing."

"That's why I don't want you doing it."

"But I like...I like being on my knees for you. I like...how it makes me feel all sorta...girly."

"You can be on your knees when you kiss my kitty if you want, honey. I know you like kissing my kitty. I just want you only doing stuff you like to do."

"I like...how, when you wear it? You're kind of...y'know...in control of me. I like that feeling, when I have the dildo in my mouth. I mean, the actual sucking on it is kinda boring but...I like how I feel when I'm looking up at you, with it in my mouth. I like the look in your eyes, when you're looking back down at me, and we both know you're in control. Um...okay, I'm a big huge pervert."

Faith smiled.

"You're my girl," Faith whispered. "That's all you are. You want to give me a blowjob sometimes, you can, okay, beautiful? But only because you're in the mood to do it, not because like, you just wanna do it for me. You do plenty of stuff I love already. Okay?"

"Okay," Buffy whispered.

Buffy got up off the dildo. Faith picked her up, and laid her down on the bed. She took the dildo off, and set it aside, and took Buffy in her arms. Buffy curled up against Faith's breasts.

"You like it like this, honey?" Faith said. "You like me being the momma?"

Buffy nodded, and kissed Faith's breasts.

"But I know my baby likes it even more when I'm the momma," Buffy said. "I'm gonna start taking care of my baby again soon."

"Not yet," Faith said. "I'm gonna take care of you for awhile."

Buffy nodded, and rubbed her feet against Faith's, and smiled.

"We gotta jazz up those stars," Faith said, as she looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, shining bright now in the dark room.

"Jazz them up how?" Buffy said.

"Rearrange 'em."

"They can't be rearranged."

"Why not?"

"They're perfectly astronomically correct."

"They're perfectly astronomically correct?"

"I spent a lot of time getting them just right. All the stars and stuff, the constellations? They're set up the way you'd see them in the sky at night."

"We could make them look cooler."

"But...they're perfectly astronomically correct already. If we rearrange them they won't be perfectly astronomically correct anymore."

"I think we should have a discussion about this," Faith said, and moved herself down the bed. "I think we should have like, a reasonable debate, and really examine the issue on its merits," she added, as she moved down between Buffy's legs, and smiled up at her. Buffy giggled.

"Yeah?" Buffy said, as Faith gently opened her legs.

"Yeah," Faith said, and gave Buffy a kiss between them. "I think we should rearrange those stars and create our own constellations. Cool constellations. And then we could give them all cool names too."

Buffy moaned.

"But...they wouldn't be correct anymore," Buffy said, as Faith began licking her, and her pussy started becoming wet. "They're...supposed to be... correct. They're...perfectly...astronomically..."

"That's your problem, lover," Faith said, and inserted a finger into Buffy's pussy, as Buffy gasped, and began to squirm around on the bed. "You're always worried about being perfectly astronomically correct. You need to learn how to be astronomically incorrect sometimes."

Faith went on licking Buffy's pussy, moving her long tongue up and down, and making sure to pay attention to Buffy's clit. Buffy's little button was hard and red now.

"Incorrect?" Buffy whispered, and rubbed her feet across Faith's shoulders.

"Mmm-hmm," Faith whispered, and began sucking on Buffy's clit now, as she fucked her with her finger. Buffy moved her hips up and began thrusting against Faith's finger, moaning with every thrust.

"We're gonna make our own stars, honey," Faith whispered. "Our own constellations. Maybe throw in a nebula too."

"Nebulas?" Buffy moaned. "Do you like...watch Star Trek?"

"I don't watch Star Trek," Faith said, and stuck her tongue in Buffy's pussy, and began stroking her clit.

"Bet...you've seen every episode," Buffy whispered, and smiled. "I bet you're a Trekkie. I bet...you go to the conventions, and like, wear Spock ears."

Faith took Buffy's foot in her hand, and gave her big toe a playful little bite. Buffy yelped, and giggled.

"You're a Trekkie!" Buffy said, still giggling. "You're a total Trekkie. I bet you and Xander have like, secret Star Trek conversations."

"Someone's bum's getting a spanking in a minute," Faith said, and raised her eyebrow, and went back to licking Buffy's pussy.

"Don't make promises you're not gonna keep, baby," Buffy said. "Besides, we can't have nebulas."

"Sure we can. We'll put a bunch of the stars together, call it like, the Pretty Lil' Pussy Nebula."

"Nebulas aren't stars, that's...constellations. Nebulas are like...big huge clouds of...gas and dust."

"So?"

"So I don't...have glowy stuff...that looks like gas," Buffy murmured, and closed her eyes, as Faith began sucking on her clit again. I just have stars. We... can't have nebulas."

"Sure we can," Faith said, and began fucking Buffy with her finger again. "Already told you. Throw some stars together, call it the Pretty Lil' Pussy Nebula. Maybe the Buffy's Gonna Get Her Bum Spanked Nebula."

"But...it won't be a nebula."

"It's a nebula if we say it's a nebula."

"It...is?" Buffy gasped, as she felt her orgasm building in her.

"Yup," Faith said.

"Okay," Buffy murmured, and came. She kicked her legs out over Faith's shoulders, and Faith moved herself on top of her at the same time, making her curl up into a ball. Faith kissed Buffy as she screamed, and held her hands, as she tore through the bedsheets with her fingernails. Faith moved her body against Buffy's, gently fucking her, as Buffy's orgasm crashed through her like a wave; they rode it out together.

Breathless, her heart pounding, Buffy looked up into Faith's eyes.

"You're my girl," Faith said.

Buffy nodded, and hugged her.

Faith smiled down at her, as Buffy remained curled up in a ball, with her legs over Faith's shoulders. Their pussies were jammed together; they were wet. Buffy could smell Faith's pussy scent, and feel her heart beating against her.

"I think someone wants to boink me with that dildo again," Buffy said.

"How come everyone says 'boink' now?" Faith said.

"Willow started it. Now everyone says it. Even Angel said it a couple of times." Buffy caressed Faith's ass, and drew her closer. "You wanna boink me with your big dick, baby?" she whispered, and licked Faith's neck. "You wanna fuck me with it, baby? You can fuck me with it whenever you want. Every day if you want."

Buffy's breath was warm against Faith's ear. Her scent was strong: jasmine. Faith felt herself getting wet again.

Faith shook her head.

"You're my gay girl," Faith said. "My gay girl doesn't really want that. I don't want you doing stuff you don't want to do, okay?"

"It's not like I didn't have fun with it just now, y'know," Buffy said. "Um, obviously. I like your finger better but...the dildo might still be fun once in awhile. Maybe when I've been bad." She giggled. "Maybe after a spanking."

"You're my kinky girl too, huh honey?" Faith said, and kissed her.

Buffy blushed, and nodded.

"Only for you," Buffy whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," Faith said, and kissed her, and rolled off of her. Buffy curled up against Faith's breasts again, and Faith held her in her arms.

"I can see why you like this so much, being all curled up on my boobs," Buffy said. "It's nice. Especially since you have the best boobs in the world."

"We can be this way whenever you want, honey," Faith said, and kissed her forehead.

"For awhile," Buffy said.

Buffy rubbed her feet against Faith's, and snuggled up closer against her breasts. "Sleepy," she said. "I'm a sleepy Slayer."

"Go to sleep, beautiful," Faith said.

"I might be a cuddle monster too," Buffy said.

"I'm gonna defeat you," Faith whispered, and held her tight.

Buffy smiled, and closed her eyes.

The night went on. Eventually, the house became quiet.

Angel sat at the kitchen table, playing solitaire.

He had been playing all night. It was almost three in the morning now.

He knew Faith was standing behind him, leaning on the stove. But Angel didn't initiate conversations.

He waited. He could wait.

The Scarlet Letter was on the table beside him. And a glass of blood.

And a bottle of Rolling Rock beer. To annoy Xander.

He laid out his cards. Seven stacks, aces up top. Faith smelled fruity, like a peach. With a hint of muskiness underneath. She smelled like Buffy too. Angel had no moves.

He drew a card.

The queen of hearts.

There was nowhere to put it. He had no black kings. He discarded it.

He was good at waiting. He had waited almost a century in a hell dimension. Waiting for a few minutes at a kitchen table was peanuts. The fact that he didn't know if the Slayer standing behind him was planning on killing him just made it interesting.

He drew the ace of spades, and put it up top.

Angel waited. He could wait.

He wondered if Faith would kill him. His back was turned and she was a Slayer. He knew she had her stake with her; he smelled the wood. From what Buffy had told him, Faith was good. A better fighter than Buffy. Aikido. Maybe she was good enough to kill him, even if his back wasn't turned. Angel wondered if he would let Faith kill him.

He drew the two of hearts, and discarded it.

He frowned. Having to discard deuces was never good. It could mess the whole game up.

He had been playing this game for a hundred and twenty years now and all it ever did was annoy him. He wondered, sometimes, why he played it.

He drew the ten of spades, put it beneath a red jack, and moved the nine of diamonds beneath the ten. It opened a new stack. He flipped the first card. It was the king of spades. The queen of hearts would have worked perfectly with it.

But the queen of hearts had already come and gone...he had lost her.

"You stink," Faith said. "You smell like rotten meat."

Angel drew the queen of diamonds. He put her beneath the king of spades.

He drew the three of spades, and moved it beneath a red four. He picked up the two of hearts from the discard pile and moved it beneath the three.

"I wanna kill you," Faith said. "I hate you."

"Fine, and yourself?" Angel said, without turning around.

He felt Faith, less than two feet away from him now, standing directly behind him. In perfect position to stake him. He wondered if he'd let her.

Only one way to find out, he thought, and drew another card. The eight of hearts. He placed it under a black nine.

Faith placed a photograph of a dead girl under the eight of hearts.

"Elisa Martinez," Angel said.

Faith placed another dead girl under that one.

"Anne Valencia," Angel said.

"You know 'em all?" Faith said. "Know all their names?"

"Yeah," Angel said.

Faith sat down across from Angel in her nightgown, put her stake down on the table, and laid out sixteen more dead girls, all facing him.

Angel looked at eighteen dead girls. Faith looked at Angel.

"Buffy and Will say don't kill you," Faith said. "It's why you're not dust."

Angel nodded, still looking down at the dead girls.

"Your hair sucks," Faith said.

Angel looked up at her, and nearly smiled.

"Believed the rest," he said. "But now you're lying."

Faith smiled, and looked away.

"Shit," she said. "B said go at you through your hair. Saw right through me, huh? Okay, fine. You got kickass hair. How do you get it to do that?"

"Just does," Angel said.

"Now who's makin' up stories?"

"How are you and Buffy?" Angel said, changing the subject.

"Knew it," Faith said, smiling again. "You probably use mousse. We're good. Me and B, we're good."

"Do you love her?"

"You get right down to it, huh? Maybe none of your damn business, though, ya think?"

"Yeah," he said. "Asking anyway."

She nodded.

"I love her more than anything in the world," Faith said. "I can't live without her."

He nodded.

He looked her in the eyes. She looked back at him.

"Faith," Angel said. "I want you to take care of her for me."

"That's it?" Faith said. "Take care of her? No, 'she might be with you now but she'll never forget me 'cuz I rocked her damn world'? No, 'yeah you got her now but I hit it first'? Hell kinda guy are you?"

"A guy who loves her."

"I'm gettin' that. But you killed those eighteen kids and sent Buffy these pics and you fucked Buffy up good. Makes me wanna kill you." Faith picked up her stake, and twirled it around between her fingers. "Think she'll believe me if I'm all, 'Geez, sorry B, my stake slipped'."

"Might be worth a shot."

Faith put her stake back down on the table. Angel took a sip of blood.

"Dude, that's fucking disgusting," Faith said, grimacing.

"Yeah," Angel said, and washed it down with a swig of Rolling Rock. "But it's either this or starve. So what do you want?"

"That Xander's beer?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't he say not to drink 'em?"

"Yeah, but he pisses me off. I like annoying him. What do you want?"

"To kill you. But I can't. So maybe...to get a sense of you. B loved you. Still does. You got part of her. Pisses me off, y'know? She's mine and I want all of her."

"I was born in 1727 in Galway," Angel said. "My father was a real God-fearing prick, kicked me out of the house. Can't really say I blame him. I was a drunkard and a womanizer and I never went in for an honest day's work. My father was real big on an honest day's work. Plus I had sex with the maid."

"Scandalous," Faith said.

"I think my father always wanted to have sex with the maid. I think he was jealous."

"Thought the dude was all God-fearing?"

"Doesn't mean he didn't wanna bang the maid."

"Guess you got a point. Guys are guys."

"In 1753 a vampire named Darla turned me. She told me she'd show me the world. She did. She loved me, as much as she could...as much as she was capable of. Darla and I blazed a bloody trail through Europe the likes of which they'd never seen before and haven't seen since. I've killed thirteen-thousand, two-hundred and six people and I remember every single one of their faces. I started with my family."

"Guess you really didn't like ol' Dad."

"Yeah."

"Darla's dead now, right?"

"I killed her."

"You killed her? Thought B did. Why'd you kill her?"

"She was gonna hurt Buffy."

Faith nodded.

"You smell a little different from a regular vamp," Faith said. "Not as bad. There's the vamp smell but there's something else too. Can't put my finger on it."

"Maybe jasmine," Angel said. "Got jasmine flowers at my place."

"Picked up on the flower smell already. No, I think it's your soul. Makes you different, right down to the scent. You still stink. Just not as bad."

"Gee, thanks."

"Sure. Where's Galway?"

"Ireland," Angel said. "In 1898 I raped, tortured and killed a gypsy girl. Her tribe cursed me by giving me my soul back."

"Bet that took the fun out of things," Faith said. "You remember all their faces? Seriously? Every one?"

"Yeah."

"The stuff with Dru. When was that?"

"1860."

"Willow's fucked up too. You fucked her up too, making her remember being in that fucking closet. Making her remember you raping her."

"Xander doesn't know, does he?"

"No. Just me and B know the whole story."

"Willow and Xander are a couple now. Why didn't she tell him?"

"She tells him and it's over. Will helpin' me and B...Xander wouldn't allow it anymore. Even if we killed you, he still wouldn't allow it. We'd lose them...we'd lose them both. Will doesn't want that. So Xander doesn't know. Can't ever know either. All he knows is the stuff you said to her in the car, not what you had Dru do to her head. We gotta lie to him now. Thanks a bunch."

"Yeah," Angel said.

They looked at each other.

Faith blinked first.

"That was a beautiful painting," Faith said.

Angel nodded. "Cassie was special," he said.

"Then she met you."

"Yeah."

"So. You got your soul back. Then what?"

"I wandered the world, directionless, suicidal. Took myself out of the fight. I didn't kill people anymore, but I wasn't helping either. I was nothing. Life is about picking a side. Even the wrong side. I did hang with the Rat Pack for awhile in the sixties though. Met Elvis a couple times. That was sorta fun."

"You hung with the Rat Pack? Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, those guys?"

"Yeah, in Vegas. How do you know about them? Didn't think kids these days were into that stuff."

"My drunk-ass Mom was into those guys. She had tapes. You met Elvis?"

"Yeah. Before he went downhill."

"Was he hot?"

"Girls seemed to think so. He was a naive, confused kid who found all the fame coming all at once a little overwhelming. Not too bright either. But he was big-hearted. Bought all his friends Cadillacs. Bought me a Caddy and we only went drinking a few times. Liked eating peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, God only knows why. He always needed a haircut. I thought you were a lesbian?"

"Shit dude, I'm damned if I know. Think maybe I'm Slayersexual."

"Anyway. Things went south for me after awhile. There's just so long you can fill your life up with empty pleasures...just so long you can sit on the sidelines, not picking a side. I wouldn't let myself drink humans. So I ended up living on the street and eating rats. I'd separated myself so completely from humanity that I had no idea how to live in the twentieth century anymore...how to earn a living. Where to find animal blood. Butcher shops throw pig's blood away by the gallons and I didn't know about it. One night in November of 1996, I was lying in an alley, ready to die, when someone found me."

"You were in an alley?" Faith said.

"Yeah," Angel said. "And someone found me. She--"

"She...?" Faith said.

"Yeah," Angel said.

"Gonna ask a weird question. And I'm not gonna say why I'm asking."

"Uh...okay."

"This woman who found you...was she white, mid-twenties, brunette, green eyes? Looking back on her now, does she look familiar?"

Angel looked at Faith...searched her eyes.

"No," he finally said. "She was Asian. Black hair, brown eyes. She was sent by the Powers...the Powers That Be."

"Who are they?" Faith said.

"Supposedly they're all like these big supernatural guys who fight for good, try to help people like you and Buffy, send people visions, influence events. Looks to me like they're all talk."

"Uh-huh."

"The woman who found me told me about the next Slayer...a girl named Buffy Summers. About how hard her life was gonna be. About how she could use some help. She said I could stay in the alley or get in the game. I made a choice. We drove out to L.A. and I saw Buffy. I was there, in the backseat of a car with blacked-out windows, watching her, when she became the Slayer."

"And you decided to help her out."

"I decided I loved her. So I helped her out. As best I could."

"Best wasn't good enough. Mighta been better if you stayed in that alley. Less people dead."

"Yeah."

Angel drank some blood, and washed it down with some beer, and looked at her. She looked back at him.

"Someone found me in an alley once," Faith said. "When I was ready to die. Her name was Becca...Rebecca Greer. She was my Watcher. She took me in, helped me get my shit together, trained me. Took care of me."

"What happened to her?" Angel said.

"Vamp named Kakistos killed her."

"Met him once, awhile back. Asshole. Cheats at cards. You kill him?"

"Me and B."

"Good. It was the best thing for him."

"Met him way back in the day when you were Angelus, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"You guys hang out, shoot the shit, maybe go rape and kill some innocent girls? K got off on that. You did too I guess."

"We played cards in a tavern in Warsaw. He cheated so I tried to kill him. He smacked me once and I went flying through a wall. The whole damn place started fighting after that; it was like a barroom brawl in a western, except dubbed in Polish and no one wore those stupid hats. Kakistos was strong as an ox even then. I ended up unconscious and drunk in a ditch, swore bloody revenge on Kakistos and his entire clan, yadda yadda yadda, and forgot about it by the next day. He went back to hunting Slayers after that; I went back to Darla."

"You're an okay guy to talk to, Angel. You're like, charming. Don't wanna say nice, since you've killed thirteen-thousand people. But you're a good listener. And yeah, you got it goin' on, I can see how you got in B's pants, I can see how you've always been a player. The listening's a big part of it. Gals like a guy who listens. You're not what I expected. Don't know why I feel all like, comfortable talkin' to you but I do. Maybe we just click, I don't know. Maybe like, if our lives were different, we woulda been pals. But our lives aren't different. And, just bein' upfront with you? If Will or Buffy ever say it's okay the first thing I'm gonna do eight o'clock day one is find you and kill you. Because I can't ever forgive you for what you did to them...for those eighteen girls, and the closet. I love Buffy and you hurt her, hurt her bad. So maybe you're good again now and you're gonna help us but I'll still kill you if I ever get the chance. All I need is for Will and Buffy to give me the okay. They ever do? Soul or no soul, I swear to God I'm going to fucking dust you. Just so we're clear, GQ."

"Good to know."

Faith picked up her stake, collected the photographs from the table, and stood up. She noticed Angel's book.

"The Scarlet Letter," she said. "I was reading that too, before I came out here. You like it?"

"Never liked Puritans much," Angel said. "Hawthorne lays on the metaphor a little thick. Chillingworth reminds me of my father. You?"

"Didn't get too far into it before Kakistos burned my damn house down. Puritans sure were a trip though. Kinda needed to get over themselves a little."

"Different time. Not much to look forward to back then. Not in this life."

"Buffy's been wearing your 'A' for awhile. It's weighing her down. I'm gonna take it off her. Might take awhile. But I'm gonna get it off her."

Angel nodded.

"All those girls," Faith said. "All the stuff you did. It's killing her, Angel. You're killing her. Maybe you don't mean to now. But you still are."

Angel nodded.

"I won't let you kill her, Angel," Faith said. "I'll kill you first. Even though I told Buffy and Will that I won't, if you gotta go so Buffy can survive then I'll kill you."

Yeah," Angel said.

"And stop drinkin' Xander's beers," Faith said, and walked away.

Buffy dreamed there was an earthquake in Sunnydale and she was running around trying to find shelter but there was nowhere to go and she kept falling down. But the streets were all made of rubber and cotton candy for some reason so whenever she fell it didn't hurt. TLC was singing a few feet away from her, and they kept following her around with pillows, and every time Buffy managed to get back up they hit her with the pillows and knocked her back down again and laughed and sang at her some more and everyone on the street applauded. And it was raining peaches.

She opened her eyes. The room was dark. She heard her TLC disc, playing softly. She looked around.

Faith was dancing on the bed.

"Shake your groove thang, B," Faith said.

"What are you doing?" Buffy said.

"Celebrating," Faith said, grinning down at her. Faith held her hand out to her. "C'mon honey, come dance with me. Please?"

Buffy yawned, and took Faith's hand, and stood up on the bed.

"You wanna dance on the bed?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Faith said, and put her arms around Buffy's waist, and swayed with her to the music. "I wanna dance with you."

"You understand how I'm naked and it's like whatever time it is in the morning and this is totally goofy?"

"Sure. You being naked? Even better."

"Well if I'm dancing naked so are you," Buffy said, and took Faith's nightgown off, and tossed it away. Then she knelt down in front of her, and smiled, and pulled her panties down.

"Such a perv," Faith said, as she stepped out of them.

Buffy nodded, and smiled up at Faith, and gave her pussy a little kiss.

"You just love my lil' kitty, huh honey?" Faith said. "You can't get enough of her."

"I'm addicted, baby," Buffy whispered, and kissed Faith's pussy again. "I could eat this pretty peach all day long."

"Come up here, beautiful," Faith said, and took Buffy's hands, and stood her up, and kissed her. "Dance with me."

Buffy put her arms around Faith's neck, and they swayed, naked together, in the dark.

"What time is it? It's still dark out," Buffy said.

"Who cares?" Faith said. "I brought the champagne up that Xan Man bought me. Drink it with me?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me?"

"Hell yeah, girlfriend."

"Well if we're gonna be goofy at whatever in the morning it is and dance on the bed I guess we might as well get drunk on champagne too. You ever get drunk before?"

Faith took Buffy's hand, and spun her around like they were waltzing. Buffy giggled.

"Yeah," Faith said. "In the bad old days. But I stopped drinking when Becca found me, she doesn't want me drinking 'til I'm eighteen. I wanted...I wanted the first time drinking again to be with you. You ever drink?"

"Some wine on, um, special occasions," Buffy said. "I've been a little buzzed a few times, but nothing major."

"Will you drink champagne with me, lover?" Faith said. "Will you help me celebrate?"

"Sure, baby," Buffy said, as she swayed with Faith to the music. "I'll celebrate with you. What are we celebrating?"

"Life," Faith said, and kissed her again. She hopped off the bed, grabbed the Cristal champagne and two glasses from the nightstand, and filled them. She jumped back up onto the bed and handed a glass to Buffy.

"Should we toast?" Buffy said. "Champagne, right? Needs a toast."

Faith held up her glass. "To the Slayer," she said. "To Buffy Summers. To my girl."

Buffy held up her glass.

"To us baby," Buffy said, and kissed her. "Us."

They touched glasses, and drank.

"This stuff's great," Faith said, as she threw one arm around Buffy's waist again, and danced with her. "And I've had some pretty high-end stuff."

"Cristal's expensive," Buffy said. "My Dad got it once. It was like three-hundred bucks a bottle."

"Knew Xander overspent."

"Wanna ask him to take it back? Maybe he kept the receipt."

"Hell no."

The song faded out, and a good, fast song came on next.

"C'mon, B, shake that booty," Faith said, and danced at Buffy like she meant business. Buffy danced right back at her.

"Oh my God," Buffy said, and started giggling. "It's like...whatever it is in the morning and I'm drinking champagne and dancing on my bed." Buffy finished her champagne, snapped her fingers, and concentrated on wiggling her butt at Faith.

Without missing a beat, Faith gulped down the rest of her champagne, shimmied her way down to the nightstand, scooped up the Cristal and poured two more glasses.

Buffy gulped down half of her champagne and backed into Faith, grabbing Faith's arms and wrapping them around her waist, as she shook her hips and wiggled her butt into her. Then she spun, and threw her arms around Faith's shoulders, and kissed her.

"Baby?" Buffy said. "This is why I love you so much. Stuff like this. Stuff that only you do. I love you, Faith."

"I love you too," Faith said.

They drank their champagne, and danced.

Angel sat at the kitchen table, playing solitaire. He still hadn't won a hand.

He was looking for a red king. He never had much luck with kings for some reason. Tonight, he hadn't had much luck with queens either.

He listened to the music coming from Buffy's room upstairs. He recognized it: he didn't know the band's name but he knew it was one of Buffy's CD's, one she liked to dance to. She had tried to get him to dance to it once. But you couldn't waltz to that kind of music. Couldn't really foxtrot to it either. He looked at his cards. He had no moves and he was down to the last card in the deck. It would have to be a hell of a card to save his hand now.

"Baby?" he heard Buffy say. "This is why I love you so much. Stuff like this. Stuff that only you do. I love you, Faith."

"I love you too," he heard Faith say.

Angel got up, went to the refrigerator, got a beer, and sat back down. He drank half of it.

He drew the last card.

The queen of diamonds.

The hand was lost.

He finished his beer, and looked out the window. The night looked black. The streetlights obscured the stars. There were clouds; big, dark gray ones, just barely discernible against the night sky. The clouds were moving quickly, sailing across the sky like galleons, whipped along by the wind.

Buffy and Faith were drinking champagne. He smelled it.

The wind was loud; it whistled, and hammered at the windows. Somewhere down the street, two cats yowled and growled and purred and chased each other. Angel got up and got himself another beer.

He heard Buffy giggle.

He sat back down, and shuffled the deck, and dealt the cards.

The music had changed; Buffy had programmed her CD-changer with a painstakingly detailed playlist during her third glass of champagne and it had only taken her two tries while Faith had her arms around her and kissed her and tickled her. They were back on the bed now, salsa dancing, spinning around each other and kissing and drinking champagne; the bottle was getting low. They both knew that would be a problem soon because they had both come to realize somewhere between glasses two and three that champagne was the best thing ever.

"You are so drunk," Buffy said, squatting down and shaking her hips in front of Faith, and kissing Faith's stomach. Faith was laughing; she was ticklish there. Buffy got up, took Faith's arm, and spun her around. "So drunk," Buffy said. "Seriously. You're the drunkest Slayer ever. I might have to call you a cab."

Buffy wrapped her arms around Faith's neck, crouched down again, and dipped her. Faith let herself fall as Buffy held her, nearly horizontal. Faith still held the champagne bottle in her hand and she was careful not to let any spill.

"Tell him I wanna be dropped off at my girlfriend's house," Faith said, as Buffy brought her back up. Faith lifted her right leg over Buffy's shoulder.

"Flexible," Buffy said, finishing her fourth glass, and kissing Faith's knee. Faith's bruises were gone. "I bet this girlfriend of yours really loves how flexible you are."

"No complaints so far," Faith said. "How do you know how to salsa?"

"Took a couple lessons, went from there. You?"

"Saw a movie, watched it a bunch of times. You and me can dance, B. We can shake our booty. Travolta would love to dance with us."

"I'm gonna steal you away from this girlfriend of yours," Buffy said. "After I steal the champagne away from you." The salsa song ended, and a slow song came on next. Buffy let Faith's leg down, put one hand around Faith's neck, took the champagne bottle from her with the other, and appraised it. Buffy kissed Faith's neck, down below her ear, and put her head on Faith's shoulder.

"Champagne's getting low," Buffy said. "A couple glasses left, but..."

"We should save it for Xan Man and Auntie Will," Faith said, and put her hands on Buffy's hips, and swayed with her.

Buffy laughed. "Auntie Will," she said. "She might, y'know, shoot us with lightning if we don't. And for Christ's sake, she's got fire now too. She's all like, a scary black-eyed wicca lightning girl. What the hell? Doesn't she know we're the Slayers?"

"Yup, better save the rest for auntie," Faith said. "Auntie can kick our asses."

"But what about us?" Buffy said. "We need champagne! We need it."

"Uh...so you know how we're like, in your house, right?" Faith said, and squeezed Buffy's butt, and swayed with her.

"Yeah?" Buffy said.

"And like, how your Mom has a liquor cabinet?" Faith said. "C'mon B, work with me here."

"Shit!" Buffy shouted, and laughed. "You're so drunk you almost made me forget with how like, totally drunk you are. My Mom totally has booze. She totally has so much booze. And she hardly ever drinks it! She's so, like...like..." Buffy started giggling into her hand. "Um...what was I just saying?"

"How Joyce has booze," Faith said, laughing. "Jesus, you're sloshed. Stay here, hon. Practice shakin' that booty for me. I'll grab us some booze and be back in two swishes of a...what's that thing? The thing that swishes?" Faith said, and jumped off the bed like she was storming the beach at Normandy.

"Excuse me, miss naked drunk girl?" Buffy said. Faith turned around. Buffy pointed at her.

"You're naked and drunk," Buffy said. "But especially naked." Buffy had a lot of trouble saying 'especially'. "If Xander sees you running around the house all like that with that pretty little bubble butt he'll cry tears of joy and then give us a million dollars. But he can't see you like that because only I can see you like that. Plus? You're so drunk."

"Shit," Faith said, and looked around for her nightgown and her underwear, and hustled herself into them. It only took her two tries.

"Okay, back in whatever that thing was I said," Faith said, and ran out of the room as if she was absolutely certain that vampires were hiding in the liquor cabinet. She remembered to shut the door behind her, because no one was allowed to see Buffy naked but her.

"She is so drunk," Buffy said, and shook her head sadly.

"Okay," Xander said, yawning, as he walked into the kitchen in his sweatpants and a tee-shirt. Angel was still playing solitaire. There were eleven empty bottles of Rolling Rock beer on the table. The sky outside was gray now; the sun would be up soon. "The world might end and now the vampire is drinking my frigging beer. Awesome. Remember how I said don't drink my beer?"

"I'll buy you another case of piss water," Angel said, and drew a card. The king of clubs. But he didn't have any room to start a new stack. There was nowhere for it to go. He discarded it.

Xander opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. Angel noticed he had a stake in the waistband of his sweatpants, under his tee-shirt.

"Thought you were all about Guinness?" Xander said, and looked down at Angel's solitaire hand, and drank.

"We talk now?" Angel said, not looking up from his cards. "Is that what you and I do?"

"Nope," Xander said, and drank his beer. He didn't leave. He stood there, watching Angel play solitaire.

"I can drink you under the damn table, Harris," Angel said. "I can put this piss water away all night long." He drew the three of spades. He placed it over the two of spades up top. He moved the four of spades over that from one of his stacks, and flipped the card that was underneath the four. It was the ten of hearts. Not a damned thing he could do with it.

Xander noticed Angel's glass of blood was still nearly full.

"Something you want or are you gonna keep bothering me?" Angel said, still not looking at him.

"Bothering you doubles as bothering you and what I want," Xander said.

"What?" Angel said.

"Yeah, I didn't really understand that either," Xander said. "Categorize it under me just not liking you generally."

"Willow tell you the things I said?"

"Yeah. After the fun-filled visit to your place. She also told me she came close to frying your ass. My favorite part of the story."

"She should be careful."

"That a threat?"

"No. She should be careful with the magic. I've seen magic swallow people. I've seen it turn them inside out."

Angel drew a card. The queen of spades.

He had no red kings. He'd had no luck with kings or queens tonight. He discarded the queen of spades and drew another card.

The queen of diamonds. She'd been coming up all night. He discarded it.

Angel heard someone rifling through the liquor cabinet in the den. Buffy would have been quieter no matter how drunk she was and Willow wouldn't have done it at all. That left Faith. He sniffed the air. He smelled peaches. And champagne. He heard her run back up the stairs. Back to Buffy.

"Did you mean those things you said to her?" Xander said, and finished his beer, and got another one. "You better buy me another case of piss water."

"I meant every word," Angel said, looking down at his solitaire hand.

"You son of a bitch!" Xander shouted, and pulled out his stake, and lunged at Angel.

Angel didn't move, or look up.

Xander stopped himself, with his stake less than a foot from Angel's heart.

"Fuck!" Xander shouted, and walked away.

"Meant them then," Angel said. "Meant them when I said them. I didn't have my soul when I said them. Wouldn't say them now."

"Motherfucker," Xander muttered, and sat down across from him, and drank his beer. Angel still didn't look at him.

Angel got up, went to the refrigerator, and grabbed another beer. He drank the whole beer down, standing with his back turned to Xander in front of the refrigerator. He took out another one. There were four left now. He sat back down at the table and started drinking.

He looked down at his cards. They looked pretty grim. Not many chances to save this hand. He put the odds at about one in three-hundred.

"If I tried to kill you now, would you let me?" Xander said.

"Yeah," Angel said.

He drew a card. The queen of hearts.

But there was no place for the queen of hearts now...he couldn't hold onto her.

He let her go.

The sun was coming up. Buffy and Faith slow danced naked on the bed together, and drank champagne, and kissed.

Buffy started to cry.

"Hey, hey...what's wrong, honey?" Faith said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just...it's probably just the champagne," Buffy said.

Buffy hugged Faith, and brought her close, and held on tight to her.

"Just... dance with me, okay, baby?" Buffy whispered in her ear. "Just dance with me."

They danced.

"That light?" Buffy said, opening her eyes and yawning, and wincing toward the bedroom window. The sun was shining in. "Make it stop."

Faith opened her eyes. She was curled up behind Buffy, holding her with her arms around her waist. Her nose was in Buffy's hair. She inhaled Buffy's scent, and kissed her neck.

"Hell time is it?" Faith said. "Christ. Fucking champagne headache."

"No clock," Buffy said, and buried her head in the pillow, and rubbed her feet against Faith's under the covers. "Someone completely broke it yesterday. This is a hangover, isn't it? It sucks."

"We need aspirin. Wait, screw that, we got morphine."

"Can't use morphine."

"Why?"

"Alcohol."

"Fuck."

"You feel like, nauseous?"

"Kinda. I mean, I'm not not nauseous."

"'Not not nauseous'?"

"Okay, how's this?" Faith said. "Know how we're Slayers and we're all tactical? We need aspirin, figure a hot shower helps too. You got aspirin?"

"I think the best tactic is for us to cuddle, and for you to kiss my neck some more," Buffy said, and continued rubbing her feet against Faith's under the covers.

"You're my lazy girl, huh honey?" Faith said.

Buffy nodded. Faith kissed her neck.

"Okay, let momma handle everything," Faith said, and tried to get up. But Buffy yanked her back under the covers and shook her head.

"Bad girl," Faith said. Buffy nodded again. Faith kissed her neck. "But I know how to handle bad girls."

Faith started tickling Buffy under the covers. Buffy screamed and laughed and wriggled around like a Mexican jumping bean, and Faith escaped from her clutches, leaped out of the bed, threw on her nightgown and ran to the bathroom.

"Score," Faith said, coming back into the room with a bottle of Excedrin and a glass of water a moment later. "This stuff kicks headaches' asses. Used to use it when I got hung over in the bad old days."

Buffy sat up on the side of the bed. "Ow. Fuck. Fuck!" she said, and giggled. "This headache's completely kicking my ass. And here comes the pukeyness."

Faith sat beside her and popped open the Excedrin bottle. "Take two," she said. "Then a hot shower."

"Bad tactics," Buffy said, as they both took the aspirin. "That's like, totally incorrect tactically. The best tactic is more cuddling and sleepiness until these frigging headaches go away. Plus more neck kisses."

"Lazy bad girl," Faith said, taking off her nightgown and getting back under the covers. Then she put her arms around Buffy, and drew her close to her, and began kissing her neck again.

"So like, are you guys all done being, y'know, totally drunk and naked and dancing yet?" Willow said, knocking on their door.

Buffy and Faith opened their eyes. They were looking directly at each other from an inch away. Their legs were tangled together. Their feet were touching.

They kissed.

"Hey, beautiful," Faith whispered.

"Hi baby," Buffy whispered.

"Are we what and what and who?" Faith said, to the door.

"Drunk and naked and dancing," Willow said, from the other side of it.

"We're hung over and naked and lying down," Buffy said.

"How'd you know we were drunk and naked and dancing?" Faith said, and kissed Buffy again.

"You're my girl," Faith whispered in Buffy's ear. Buffy nodded.

"Um, you guys kinda left the door open for awhile there while you were dancing naked on the bed for like four hours," Willow said. "Um...I shut it."

"Please tell me Xander didn't see us naked and then let us never speak of this again," Buffy said, and turned Faith over on her side, and kissed the back of Faith's neck, just below her ear, where her scent was always strong. She ran her fingers up and down Faith's stomach, and started rubbing her belly.

"Love you," Buffy whispered in her ear.

"Love you too," Faith whispered back.

"Xander didn't see you naked," Willow said. "And you guys better have saved me some of that champagne."

"We weren't gonna, but then lightning bolts," Buffy said, and rubbed her feet against Faith's, and kissed her neck.

"Aw, I'd never shoot you guys with lightning bolts, sweetie," Willow said, and giggled. "But seriously, you better have saved me some of that champagne. Doing the scowly face out here."

"Gotcha covered auntie," Faith said. "You got a spell for hangovers?"

"Tummy nauseous, baby?" Buffy whispered, as she rubbed Faith's belly.

"Yeah," Faith whispered. "You?"

"Yeah," Buffy whispered. "All yucky pukey."

"Xander keeps on asking me to come up with one too, so I'm looking into it," Willow said. "No luck yet though. Want me to bring you up some aspirin, or ginger ale or something? Want me to be all, Nurse Willow? Um...but I'm not wearing a nurse outfit. Xander would get too excited."

Buffy and Faith started giggling.

"Can it be a French maid outfit?" Faith said.

"If we filmed it Xander would give us a million dollars," Willow said. "Put Buffy in her cheerleader outfit and have the three of us pillow fighting? Two million."

"What outfit do I get?" Faith said.

"We haven't like, discussed it?" Willow said. "But I think he'd like you in leather."

"See, I'm feeling all like, typecast now," Faith said. "And here I was hoping for a nice dress."

"Xander's imagination can be strangely limited sometimes," Willow said. "I'll see if I can put in a word."

Buffy whispered something in Faith's ear. Faith giggled.

"We're good with aspirin, Will," Buffy said. "Excedrin nuked our headaches. We just need something for the not not nauseous."

"Um...well there's ginger ale, plus Xander's making us some yummy vittles," Willow said. "Food will help. Wanna, y'know, come down for breakfast? Um, wait. Brunch. No. Better call it lunch. Um...maybe dinner actually."

"We've decided to just stay in this bed for the rest of our lives," Buffy said. "My Mom will bring us food and you can like, bring me my homework from school. What time is it?"

"It's three o'clock," Willow said. "I've been knocking on your door like every hour."

"Shit," Buffy said.

"Shit," Buffy said again, as she and Faith dragged their sorry asses into the kitchen twenty minutes later. They were showered and dressed and they felt as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as two skinned rabbits. Their headaches were gone but the nausea was worse, and as Xander stood at the stove cooking meatloaf and bacon and mashed potatoes, the smell sent seismic tremors through their stomachs. They managed to reach the table.

"Aw, my poor sweeties," Willow said, and came over to them with a big smile and a glass of ginger ale in each hand. "Drink up."

"Hung over, huh?" Xander said, and giggled. "Sucks. But you know what they say about champagne. Especially when you drink like, two bottles. And I will never, ever forgive either of you for not filming yourselves last night. I mean, Buffy's Mom's got a camcorder here. Geez. Did you guys think about me at all last night? Did you even consider my needs?"

"Kickin' your butt," Faith said, drinking her ginger ale and looking down at the floor. "Gettin' that D.O.R."

"You're a walking, talking D.O.R.," Xander said.

"I thought he didn't know?" Buffy said, frowning at Willow and chugging down her ginger ale. "Is he gonna give us crap about this forever?"

"I didn't see it," Xander said. "To my eternal and everlasting regret. Doesn't mean I don't know about it. I'm the one who heard the music and the giggling first and heard the jumping on the bed and saw the bedroom door open. But because I'm such a wonderful awesome boyfriend I didn't peek. Also because Willow was a few feet behind me. And, giving you crap about this forever? Do you really have to ask?" He giggled again.

Buffy and Faith thought the whole kitchen smelled like meatloaf and bacon. The smell was everywhere. Buffy was pretty sure it was going to end up ingrained in the wallpaper, and maybe the pores of her skin. She and Faith finished their ginger ales and tried to think about all the different things in the world that weren't bacon or meatloaf.

"So Xander, didn't you say you're doing something different with all that leftover meatloaf?" Willow said. "Something really cool and greasy and tasty? Why don't you tell us about it?"

"Please don't," Faith said.

"Please?" Buffy said.

"Well it's something I've wanted to try for awhile, Will," Xander said. "Bacon and meatloaf work good together, but most people just put the bacon on top of the meatloaf and just like bake it that way. And y'know, meatloaf, it goes real well with bacon. So I'm doing something different. I left the meatloaf on the table for awhile, let it hit room temp, then I took it apart, you know, got it down to its core components of gooey greasy meat...

"Kick..." Faith said, and held her hand over her stomach. "...Your butt."

"Aw sweetie, it's better when you're nauseous if, y'know, you puke," Willow said, with a cheery little smile, and patted Faith's hand. "Listen to your auntie Willow."

"Yeah, so I cooked up a whole bunch of bacon and poured the bacon grease into the meatloaf stuff," Xander said, and looked back at Buffy and Faith and grinned. "Plus I threw in a whole bunch of melted cheese too. Stirred it up, cooked it for just a few minutes to get the whole mix all good and gooey. Then I cut the bacon up into like just a little bigger than bacon bits, and crumbled all the bacon in there too, and then I put it all together and now I'm cooking it up. It's the greasiest, fatteningest, cheesiest, gooiest, baconest, awesomest thing ever. Plus mashed pihdaydiz."

"Oh..." Buffy said, and held her stomach, and looked sad.

"Fuck," Faith said, and held her stomach, and looked annoyed.

"Plus the pihdaydiz got bacon and cheese in them too," Xander said, and giggled. "So whaddaya think? Think I'm gonna call this 'Xander LaVelle Harris' Super-Baconized Meatloaf and Pihdaydiz'. Catchy, huh?"

Willow rubbed Buffy and Faith's shoulders, and smiled.

"Your middle name sucks," Faith said, looking at the floor like she was considering staking it. Buffy giggled, then said, "Oh..." again, and looked sad again and held her hand over her stomach.

Xander giggled again, grabbed a couple of plates from the table and brought them to the stove as Buffy and Faith looked down at the floor.

"Dinner's served," he said, a minute later, and walked back to them holding two plates of Super-Baconized Meatloaf and Pihdaydiz. Faith noticed that he had garnished their plates with sprigs of parsley too, for no good reason.

"Smell that Baconized Meatloaf," Xander whispered, holding the plates directly under their noses.

Buffy and Faith jumped up and ran out of the room.

"I never, ever get tired of doing that to people," Xander said.

"Okay, so how much is my ass getting kicked?" Xander said, fifteen minutes later, when Buffy and Faith came back into the kitchen. They looked a little pale, but they were standing up straight and smiling. Xander and Willow sat at the table eating baconized meatloaf and drinking ginger ale. Willow grinned.

"Think I can do an energy shield before they reach you?" Willow said.

"Doubtful," Buffy said.

"Tell you what Xan Man," Faith said, raising her eyebrow at Xander. "You load me up with some of that meatloaf, I'll leave your butt intact. I know auntie Willow digs it."

"Feeling better, sweetie?" Willow said.

"Nothing like puking to make you stop wanting to puke," Faith said, and sat down as Xander loaded up the plate in front of her with meatloaf and potatoes.

"Especially puking three times," Buffy said, and sat next to her. "How greasy and fattening is this stuff?" she added, as Xander set up her plate next.

"I think it's a new frontier of unhealthiness," Xander said. "I think I gained weight cooking it and just inhaling the bacon fumes. So am I forgiven?" he said, grinning at Faith.

"All's forgiven, Xan Man," Faith said, as she and Buffy started eating. "This is some good meat. Bust me out some of that Worcestershire sauce?"

"Yeah, my arteries are very scared right now, but there's a party in my... um...I mean, this is really good," Buffy said.

"There's a party in her mouth," Faith said, as Xander went to the cabinet and came back with a bottle of Worcestershire sauce for her. "Trust me."

"Ow," she added, as Buffy giggled and did something to her under the table.

"It's not just good. It's baconized," Xander said.

"This is some damn tasty meatloaf whatever you wanna call it," Faith said, sprinkling Worcestershire sauce on it. "When I get my money and buy a house around here, you can come stay and be my cook if you want."

"You're buying a house around here?" Willow said.

"Yeah," Faith said. She looked at Buffy. "You wanna move in with me?"

"Seriously?" Buffy said. "You're really planning on doing this?"

"Yeah," Faith said. "Figure the Hellmouth is where I oughta be living anyway. I want you to move in with me. Will you move in with me?"

"Yeah, baby," Buffy said, and kissed her. "But...my Mom will freak if I move out before I graduate. How about just a lot of sleepovers first, then when I graduate in May I'll move in."

"Cool," Faith said. "And Xan Man can be our cook. And Will can be the naughty French maid."

"Do you need a time-out? Don't make auntie give you a time-out," Willow said, and giggled. "Stop wanting to sex me up."

"Faith's such a lesbian," Buffy said. "Where's Angel?"

"Haven't seen him," Willow said. "But since it's daytime and he's not anywhere else in the house, process of elimination says the cellar."

"He drank all my damn beers last night," Xander said.

"He was drinking? Last night when?" Buffy said.

"Like real late," Faith said. "I talked with him down here just before I woke you up. He was playing solitaire."

"You talked to him? What about?"

"About how I'll kill him if I ever get the chance, if you and Will ever say it's okay. About how I hate him for the stuff he did. About the Rat Pack, and the Powers That Be, and those girls, and some other stuff. Crazy thing is? And I don't mean to piss you guys off, okay? But...I don't know...I guess I can see why you liked him, B. I'm not talkin' like, how he's hot or anything. I mean...just him. I know he did bad stuff. That's why I told him if I ever get the chance, soul or not? I'm gonna kill him. That I can't ever forgive him for what he did to you guys. But...I went down there to kinda get a bead on him, y'know? Figure out what you saw in him, maybe. And I did. I can see what you saw in him. Told him not to drink your beers too, Xan Man. He only had the one when I was there."

"I saw him around four or so," Xander said. "He had like half the damn case by then. Still playing solitaire."

"But what's he doing in the cellar?" Buffy said.

"It's quiet down here," Angel said, when Buffy went down into the cellar to find him. He was lying on an old cot, looking up at the ceiling. "No windows down here either. Got a cot."

Buffy leaned against the furnace, and looked at him.

"Quiet," she said. "You heard us."

"Didn't mean to," Angel said. "Vampire hearing."

"How much did you hear?" she said, and walked away from him, and looked at a pile of old odds and ends in a shadowy corner. Her cheerleading outfit and pom poms were gathering dust in an old box. There were two sets...two outfits. One from Sunnydale. And one from Los Angeles...from before the Slayer.

"Pretty much all of it," he said. "Sorry."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I...forgot about your hearing. I'm sorry if it was...hard for you to hear all that stuff. I'm not sorry I said the stuff. I love her. But...I'm sorry you had to listen to it."

"Forget it."

"You hurt me and I hurt you. Is that what we do? All we ever did?"

He didn't answer her. She shook her head.

"You never told me about what you did to Willow," Buffy said. "You kept it from me. You took me to that restaurant last month and we walked on the beach and kissed and you braided flowers in my hair and just sort of forgot to mention that you forced Willow to remember living in a fucking closet and being raped."

"I...didn't know if...she'd want me to tell you. I thought it was her place to tell you that stuff."

"I was gonna kill you last night."

"I know. Maybe you should've."

"Maybe. I can't forgive you. I know you didn't have your soul then. I know that. But..."

Buffy moved to Angel's cot, and sat down on the edge of it.

"Y'know it's funny," she said. "When I first started dating you...when you told me about how you were when you didn't have your soul. I mean, you just said it. You said, 'I killed people. Thousands of people.' But those were just words. And then whenever Giles would go through all the different Watchers diaries from those days, all the histories...he told me too, but...it was just...stories. Giles told me you killed people. That you raped women. That you ate babies. But, somehow...it was still just...stories. It didn't seem real. I couldn't connect to it. I remember one day at school Giles told me how you raped and killed some woman in Paris, and you made her kids watch. And that night, you took me to a movie, and we kissed. And I remember...getting home, and looking in the mirror, and thinking there must be something wrong with me."

She looked down at the floor.

"That's when I started to hate myself," Buffy said, softly. "That was the exact moment. And I never stopped, after that. I never stopped hating myself. I still hate myself. I think...I think I always will, now."

He wanted to take her hand. He didn't. He knew he couldn't do that anymore.

"It wasn't your fault," he said. "It was mine. Hate me, not you."

"You know, don't you?" Buffy said. "A couple of months ago, when we were at your place doing the tai chi exercises...you saw. You saw my wrists."

"Yeah," he said.

They were quiet. The furnace made the old grinding noise it sometimes made. The air was dusty. But Angel didn't breathe.

"You kill us, Angel," Buffy whispered. "Girls fall for you...we fall for you and you kill us. We give you our hearts...and then we die."

"You're not gonna die," Angel said. "You're gonna get past this. You're strong. You're gonna make it past this. Past me."

"The night you killed Darla...she told me, I remember her words exactly... she told me the saddest thing in the world is to love someone who used to love you. She loved you. I didn't really believe she did, then...but now I do. She fell for you too. And you killed her. You kill us all."

He sat up, and took her hand.

"You're not gonna die," he said, and held her hand hard, and looked her in the eyes. "You're strong. You're not always gonna hate yourself. You're gonna live and you're gonna be happy."

She pulled her hand away from him.

"Remember our first date?" Buffy said. "What was the movie we saw that night? Was it Good Will Hunting or Titanic? I forget."

"Titanic," Angel said. "How can you not remember? You made me take you to see it five times."

"It's a Leonardo DiCaprio thing. You wouldn't understand. And that first night...our first date...I wasn't really paying attention to the movie. I only had eyes for you."

Angel remembered the night. He saw it in his mind...remembered all the sounds, and the smells. It was a good night.

He remembered sitting in the dark, hushed theatre with her, watching the strange, flickering images on the huge screen...he had never been to a movie theatre before.

The people on the screen were giants. Their voices were thunderous. The room was dark, and quiet and reverent as a church, and it smelled like popcorn.

He remembered how warm Buffy's hand felt in his...

"We can never be together again," Buffy said. "We're over."

"I know," Angel said.

"I still want you gone when this thing with the wolf vamps is finished."

"I know."

"Where will you go? Los Angeles?"

"Yeah."

"It doesn't mean...I mean..."

"What?"

"I mean...it's not like...you can't ever talk to me or see me again. Just... you can't be in Sunnydale. It's just...Willow, she...I don't want you around her because, she's still scared, and..."

Buffy started to cry.

He wanted to take her in his arms, and tell her it would be okay.

He didn't. He knew he couldn't do that anymore.

She turned, and looked at him again...looked straight into his eyes.

"Get a good look," she said. "It's the last time I'm gonna cry for you. I'm done crying for you."

He nodded.

They sat together, and Buffy cried. But they were apart...he knew they would always be apart, now.

Buffy let herself cry, for a moment.

Then she wiped her tears away.

"You brought that book," Buffy said. "How come you're not reading it?"

"Puritans are annoying," Angel said.

"So you sit up all night playing solitaire? We got a TV you know. A VCR. Some movies in the entertainment center."

"I don't...uh...really know how to work the VCR."

"I'll show you. You drank all of Xander's beer."

"Xander's annoying too. I'll buy him more tonight. How's Willow?"

"She's been okay. I think...what happened at your place was good for her in a weird way. She needed to confront you."

"Are you worried about her magic?"

"I'm worried for her a little. But I know she'd never hurt any of us."

Angel nodded, and kept his thoughts to himself.

"I still love you," Buffy said. "But I'm with Faith. I'm with Faith forever."

"I know," Angel said.

"I'll always love you," she said. "I don't think...I'll ever stop."

"You should stop," he said. "You should move on. Past me. Past those photographs."

"Faith's helping me with the photos. She's...holding onto them for me."

"Good. I like her."

"She said she threatened to kill you."

He nearly smiled. "She did," he said. "A few times."

"And you like her?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"She doesn't bullshit. That's part of it. She's loyal to her friends. And she's a little goofy. She's got a goofy way about her. I like how she's goofy."

"Me too," Buffy said, and smiled. "You realize that goofy Slayer's a better fighter than me and might just be able to do the job and take you down if she ever decides to? That Will and I are all that's holding her back?"

"Sure. Like her anyway."

"She likes you too," Buffy said. "Um...when she's not hating you."

"It's a start," Angel said.

Half an hour later, they all sat in the living room together. Buffy and Faith and Willow and Xander sat together on the couch. Giles had arrived, and he sat in a chair across from them. Angel leaned against the wall in the corner, away from the windows...away from the light. He had a glass of blood in his hand.

"How are you, Faith?" Giles said. He had a tattered old book resting in his lap and he was wiping his glasses.

"Five by five, G-Man," Faith said. She sat very close to Buffy; their legs were touching. "Bruises are all gone, right arm feels good, ankle feels a hundred percent."

"Excellent," Giles said. "How's your stomach wound?"

"The scar's light pink now," Buffy said. She avoided looking at Angel.

Xander drank his last beer. Willow stared down at the Key lying on the table, and was careful not to look in Angel's direction.

Angel took a sip of blood.

The room was quiet.

"Okay," Buffy said. "So let's see where we are."

"Private Harris reporting for duty, General," Xander said, and finished his beer. "Want me to run some laps?"

"Sarge says be good, Xander," Faith said.

"Sorry, Sarge," Xander said.

"Okay," Buffy said again. "We've got these four priests guys who want to use this Key to destroy the world. We took it away from them. We know nothing about these four priest guys, for all we know they might be priests, or maybe not. We've got the Vigil of Saint Vigeous who are working with them. They're stronger and faster than regular vamps and there were more than a hundred at the cemetery. Faith took out twenty at the Bronze."

"Wolf at the Bronze told me 'We are hundreds'," Faith said. "Don't think he was just blowin' smoke either. So we got a lot more of 'em to deal with."

"The ceremony to release the Horsemen has to be performed at sunset on the last day of the waning moon," Giles said. "Sunset tomorrow."

"But then they've got another shot next month and every month after that forever," Buffy said. "And if they ever manage it..."

"Game over," Angel said. "We can't take on the Horsemen. They're indestructible. If they arrive we're done."

"You know about the Horsemen?" Buffy said.

"Heard some things," Angel said. "Read some books. I've been around awhile."

"Anything that can help us?" Giles said, and didn't look at him.

"Not much," Angel said. "They arrive, the world ends. But there's a ceremony...supposedly after they arrive a penitent person can pray to God to give humanity a second chance. From what I've heard, that's what happened the last time they arrived."

"Six-thousand years ago," Giles said. "A Sumerian priest prayed to the gods and the world was spared. Supposedly that's where the Key comes from in the first place."

"Never got that part," Xander said. "So okay, priest guy prays to the gods and an angel or whoever comes down from Heaven and locks up the Horsemen in another dimension. And then this angel leaves the Key here with us? Why? Shouldn't the angel have just kept the Key?"

"Sometimes you're surprisingly insightful, Xander," Giles said. "I asked myself that same question. The Council archives, luckily, just happen to have recently acquired a book that answers that question, and a few others." He held up the book in his lap. "I asked them to send it to me; it just arrived last night."

"Doesn't look very impressive," Buffy said. "Doesn't look like human skin."

"It's paper," Giles said.

"Written in blood?" Buffy said.

"Ink," Giles said.

"What good is a book not bound in human skin or written in blood?" Buffy said. "All the cool books are totally about skin and blood. Then there was that hair book. That was just gross."

Giles smiled.

"Yes, Buffy," he said. "May I go on?"

Buffy smiled.

"Got my full attention," she said.

"First, we must remember we're dealing with events that happened six-thousand years ago, and the accounts in this book are retellings of folklore that had been transmitted orally for millennia. Details are bound to have been lost," Giles said. "But it seems that the angel who appeared--her name was Rachel, by the way--left the Key specifically because wicked men across the centuries would seek to release the Horsemen again. And she would not interfere with that; she said it was up to humanity, to the generations unborn, to keep the Horsemen in their cages. That it would be our test. According to the accounts in this book, people have tried to release the Horsemen before; this Key changed hands many times before it was finally buried where that archaeological dig found it."

"Bummer," Xander said.

"I also gleaned a bit more about that Sumerian priest who averted the apocalypse back then," Giles said. "He wasn't just some random person. He was chosen; he was born for this task, for the task of pleading with the gods to spare the world, and somehow, he knew it. He was the only one who could have done it; the gods would not have listened to anyone else."

"Wonder if anyone else has been chosen since then," Faith said. "Like Slayers, kinda. There's always a new girl on deck. With the Horsemen maybe about to get free, I wonder if there's someone out there who's meant to head 'em off if they come back."

"There was apparently some sort of test to determine the identity of the individual, but it's not in this book," Giles said. "But Rachel did say that there would always be one person in the world who was chosen...one person in the world whose destiny was to plead on humanity's behalf, if the Horsemen should ever be released. Who that person is now...I have no idea."

"What about the ceremony the priest performed?" Willow said. "To talk to the gods. Do we know what it was?"

"Yes," Giles said. "It's here in the book. According to the introductory text it's some sort of long, complex meditation. But neither I nor our experts at the Council could make head or tails out of the meditation, the language bears no resemblance to anything I've ever seen. But perhaps we're not the ones who are meant to read it. Regardless, it's useless to us without the right person to perform it, and we have no idea who that person is and no way to find out. It could be some little boy living in Belgium for all we know, or Jane Seymour."

"Maybe it's James Van Der Beek," Willow said.

"Giles wants it to be Jane Seymour," Buffy said. "Trust me. It's a whole big thing."

"Yes, be that as it may," Giles said, and wiped his glasses. "Unfortunately this information doesn't help us much. We're still left with the same problem."

"No," Angel said. "We have a much bigger problem than that."

Everyone looked at him.

"The night before last...I was...visited, by something calling itself the First," he said.

"The First?" Giles said.

"Also known as the First Evil," Angel said.

Giles became pale.

"Good Lord," he whispered.

"Giles. You know about this thing?" Buffy said.

"It's...there have been rumors of its existence, but...I always thought it was a legend," Giles said. "It's supposed to be the embodiment of evil. Not an evil creature, not a demon, but...evil itself, in living form." He looked back at Angel. "And it visited you?"

"It appeared to me, in the forms of four different people," Angel said. "Darla, Dru, a girl named Leah Maguire..."

"Who's Leah Maguire?" Xander said.

Angel looked at him.

"A girl I killed in 1860," Angel said.

Xander smiled. "A stand-up guy like you?" he said.

"Who was the fourth person?" Willow said.

"Buffy," Angel said.

The room became quiet.

"Me?" Buffy said. "Why me? What...did she say?"

"The thing about the First is, it lies," Angel said. "But not everything it says is a lie. It was screwing with me, trying to get under my skin, trying to throw me off my game. It appeared as Leah at the beginning, and I didn't know what it was. I didn't know if I was hallucinating, or seeing a ghost...but she smelled like Leah, looked like her, talked like her. In every way I could sense, it was her. The same with Darla and Dru; it was exactly like them, in every way. But by the time it appeared as you, Buffy, I was able to put it together...I realized that these were imposters, and that they were all the same being. But it knows things...it knows things that only those people could have known."

"What...did it say when it was me?" Buffy said.

"Doesn't matter," Angel said. "Bottom line, is, we--"

"I want to know," Buffy said. "Tell me."

Angel looked at Faith.

"I'll tell you in private later, if you want," Angel said. "Not here."

"What, did it say I have hairy legs or something?" Buffy said. "Why won't you tell me now?"

"Because I won't," Angel said. "It lies, Buffy. And, uh...okay, so I'm gonna need everyone to touch each other now."

"We don't even get dinner and a movie first?" Faith said.

"The First is incorporeal," Angel said. "It can't affect things physically. Until I see you guys can touch stuff, for all I know any of you can be the First."

"Already touching stuff," Willow said. "We're sitting down, we're touching the furniture."

"The First sat down at my place," Angel said. "But when I tried to touch it, my hand always went straight through. I think it can sorta give the illusion of sitting down. But I couldn't touch it, and it couldn't touch me."

Faith kissed Buffy's cheek.

Xander put his arm around Willow. Buffy leaned forward, and reached out to Giles, and took his hand.

"Satisfied?" Buffy said.

"How do we know he's not the First?" Faith said, and looked toward Angel.

Angel stood in the corner.

No one moved toward him. Buffy took Faith's hand, and looked down at the coffee table.

After a moment, Xander giggled.

"Mr. Popular," Xander said.

Angel wasn't looking at him. His eyes were unfocused. He was looking at the wall above the couch.

"I'm not the First," Angel said. "Anyway. We should..."

Faith got up, and walked over to him.

She held out her hand.

He took it.

"Seem solid enough to me," Faith said.

"Told you," Angel said.

"Next time my hand might have a stake in it," Faith said. "Fair warning."

"Life's full of surprises," Angel said.

Faith released his hand, and walked back to the couch.

She sat next to Buffy, and put her arm around her waist. Buffy moved closer to her, and held her hand, and they stayed that way.

"Why those four people?" Willow said. "Darla, Dru, Buffy--they were all important in your life. But Leah just sounds like a random victim of yours. What's the connection? I mean...yeah, they're all women, but you knew a lot of women. Why those four? And why Leah?"

"I've been thinking about that," Angel said. "The choices could have been made just to screw with my head. But I killed Leah the night Darla and I first saw Dru, so that's a connection. And they all have something in common with Buffy too. They all died. Leah died in 1860. Darla and Dru were vampires; even though Drusilla is still out there somewhere, being a vampire means she's technically dead. And Buffy died too, last year. Could be that the First can only appear as people who have died."

"Did the First drop any hints that could help us?" Buffy said.

"Mostly she tried to screw with my head," Angel said. "When she was Leah she told me the only way I could atone for what I've done would be to kill myself..."

"Are we sure this thing's evil?" Xander said. "Maybe we oughta invite it over, hear what it has to say."

"But then when she was Darla she changed tactics," Angel said. "Darla tried to tell me I should run away with her, that the world would be ending soon and that she could protect me from it. She told me I never really loved her, and that I never loved Buffy either."

Buffy looked away from him. She looked down at her hand, in Faith's.

"It lies," Angel said, and looked at Buffy. But she wouldn't look back at him. "Next came Dru; Dru told me that she was the one I really loved, and that I should kill Buffy."

Buffy looked at him then. Everyone looked at him.

"Did she remember to mention that I'd rip your fucking head from your spine before you got within ten feet of Buffy?" Faith said, and looked Angel in the eyes, and drew Buffy closer to her. "That part's important. Hope for your sake she didn't leave it out."

Angel nearly smiled.

"She forgot to mention that part," Angel said.

"You don't want any part of me, GQ," Faith said. "Fightin' me, your kickass hair would get all messy."

"I'll keep that in mind," Angel said. "Anyway. She said I'd be happier if I lost my soul again and stayed with her."

"That another lie?" Faith said. "Or truth? You said it wasn't all lies. Would you be happier?"

"Yeah," Angel said. "But I wouldn't be me. Buffy arrived after that."

"What did she say?" Buffy said. "Or is it all like, top secret?"

"She told me about you and Faith, even though I already knew. She said I should kill Faith."

Faith grinned.

"You know where I am, baby," Faith said. "Call me anytime."

"Why would she say that?" Buffy said.

"To screw with my head," Angel said.

"Yeah, but why would she think you'd believe that?" Buffy said. "I mean, if she wanted you to think she was me? Why would she think that you'd believe I could say that?"

"Doesn't matter," Angel said. "What matters is, I saw through her and told her to cut the shit and say what she had to say. And she did."

"Which was?" Xander said.

"She said the world was going to fall," Angel said. "She said she was going to win and we wouldn't be able to stop it. And then she offered me a deal."

"A deal?" Giles said. "What sort of deal?"

"She said she'd give me six-months to choose one-hundred thousand people, and we could have Illinois," Angel said. "She'd allow humanity to live in Illinois and she'd never bother us again as long as the population was never allowed to top ten-million. The rest of the world would be hers, and the rest of humanity would be destroyed."

"That's...wait...Illinois?" Xander said.

"She said the state has the natural resources we'd need," Angel said. "Lots of land for farming, livestock, fresh water, moderate climate. Plus we'd get to have Chicago."

"Why you?" Giles said. "Why did she offer this deal to you?"

"She said she likes me," Angel said. "She said I'm interesting to her. That I've been around a long time and I know how the world works. That if anyone should be allowed to make decisions for humanity, it was me."

Angel watched Willow. She was still looking away from him.

"A great big giant evil monster likes you?" Xander said. "You could just knock me over with a feather right now, guy."

"Why's she offering the deal?" Faith said. "If she's so damn evil and unstoppable and all that. Why deal?"

"She said she sometimes finds humans interesting," Angel said. "She wanted me to pick the strongest and the smartest."

"Um...I'm gonna assume you didn't take the deal," Willow said.

"No," Angel said. "And she said it was a one-time offer. We have the Key now but the First isn't going to stop. Those priests, and the Vigil of Saint Vigeous...I think the First is pulling their strings."

"We have to keep the Key out of those vamps' hands," Buffy said. "The problem with that plan being that we have to keep it from them forever, because it can't be destroyed."

"And we probably can't hide it either," Willow said. "Even if they don't know how to track it magically, there's gotta be a way, it's a magical object. If they can't track it they can find someone who can. If I had awhile to think about it I could probably come up with a way to track it myself."

"Is there a way to maybe banish it?" Xander said. "Send it away somewhere, like, I don't know, out of this dimension?"

"Maybe," Willow said. "But all that means is the vampires would have to open a portal and go there and get it. If it can be tracked magically it can be tracked to another dimension. Sending it away just means it will take the Vigil a little longer to get it. But they'll still get it eventually."

"And there are hundreds of them and vamps live forever," Faith said. "They find it ten years from now, or fifty years from now, we still lose. We can't destroy it and we can't hide it from them forever. That leaves us one option."

"We have to take the fight to them," Buffy said.

"They should've taken the fight to you," Angel said.

Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean, Angel?" Buffy said.

Angel took a sip of his blood, and began pacing the room.

"Okay," he said. "You got these Vigil guys. There are hundreds of them and they're sure as hell not afraid of us. Not afraid to come after us in public either. They attacked Willow out in the open at the Bronze. That was two days ago. The fact they attacked her there means they can track her. Either by scent, or magically, or they just have people following her. I know a little about these guys; they've been around a long time and I've heard some things. They're supposed to have a better sense of smell than regular vampires. However they're doing it, they should know she's here. They know we have the Key. Yeah, Faith took out twenty of them and let's say for the sake of argument that they know we've got two Slayers here, plus me. And they've seen Willow throw up an energy shield and do that smoke thing. So they know we can fight. But that won't stop them. They should've come at us by now. The smart play was to come at the house."

"Vampires can't come in uninvited," Xander said.

"Pipe bombs can," Angel said.

"They could burn us out at night and then run us down in the street," Faith said. "Angel's right. That's their best move, if they know Will's here. So why haven't they made it?"

"Could be they don't know she's here," Buffy said.

"Long shot," Angel said.

"They probably know I'm here," Willow said. "We should assume they know we're all here. Maybe they think we might be hiding the Key somewhere. Maybe instead of fighting us again they're concentrating on figuring out where the Key is first. If they're trying to come up with a way to track it magically it might take them awhile."

"Makes sense," Buffy said. "They've got all the time in the world, always another last day of the waning moon coming. No reason to throw more bodies at us until they know for sure where the Key is. Especially since they know Faith can kick all their asses." She looked at Faith and smiled. "I bet they haven't come after us yet because they're all scared of Faith."

Faith kissed her. Buffy blushed a little.

"It could be Willow's right," Angel said, and quickly looked away. "They could be making sure of the Key before they move against us. And they know they have plenty of time. They have to know the Key can't be destroyed. They can always perform the ceremony next month, or next year."

Willow picked up the Key, and held it in her hand. Something about it kept nagging at her.

"You don't think it's because they're all scared of me?" Faith said.

Angel looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and nearly smiled.

"No," he said.

"Damn, that's harsh, GQ," Faith said. "Bad for my Slayer ego."

"I'm scared of you," Angel said. "Feel better now?"

"Little bit," Faith said.

The sun was setting. The room grew dark.

"Okay, we don't know what these guys are up to and we need to find out," Buffy said. "And this sounds lame? But we can't all stay out of school forever. At some point we need to go back to living our lives. We can't just stay holed up in the house here. We have one lead. Those vamps who delivered the Key, I know where one of them squats. We should check him out, see what he knows."

"Only one of us should go," Angel said. "Until this is over you and Faith and I need to stick close to Willow. Just because they haven't come at the house yet doesn't mean they won't. At least two of us should be with Willow at all times after dark. The sun's down. Give me this guy's address, I'll track him, see what I can shake out of him. He probably won't be home at night but I'll pick up his scent there, that'll start me off."

"He's at an abandoned warehouse by the docks," Buffy said. "Willy said it was an old building with a sign on it that says 'Pacific Fisheries'. The vamp's name is Bobby."

"Okay," Angel said, and moved to the coffee table, and pulled his duffel bag out from underneath it. He opened it up and took a double-bladed battle axe out of it. "Got my axe. My axe and I will have a talk with him."

"Nice axe," Faith said. It was the biggest, meanest axe Faith had ever seen. The blades looked razor sharp and they were so bright and polished she could see her reflection in them.

"I'm fond of it," Angel said.

"Okay," Buffy said. "Anyone got anything else? Is there anything I'm overlooking here?"

"Couple little things I wanted to bring up," Xander said. "First, we should have a car here, gassed up and ready to go at all times. If they come at the house and chase us out a car is what saves our asses. I know your Mom took hers out of town; we need another one."

"I'll keep mine here," Giles said with a sigh. "Lord knows you all drive it more than me anyway."

"It's because we love it so damn much," Xander said.

"It's cool, G. Gettin' you that Porsche," Faith said.

Giles smiled while trying not to smile, and wiped his glasses.

"Giles wants that Porsche," Buffy said. "I think he's having a mid-life--"

Giles frowned at her.

"An early life...he's having like, a totally early life crisis," Buffy said.

"Got my car here too," Angel said. "It's, uh, a little faster than Giles'."

"Okay, and the second thing is, weapons," Xander said. "Our stockpile is low; other than our swords we're down to the two flamethrowers, and I think I might have one grenade somewhere. Maybe we should do another smash and grab at the army base."

"That's definitely an idea," Buffy said. "But this is a different kind of fight; we'll be taking on lots of guys all at once and they're all super fast. Unless they're all like, lined up together somewhere in an enclosed space a rocket launcher won't help us."

"Flamethrowers will though," Faith said. "We form a line and hold it and fire away. If we had flamethrowers and plenty of fuel for 'em at the cemetery Friday night we might have gotten by those guys without Will."

"Flamethrowers are a tall order," Xander said. "It's just not something the base tends to have a lot of. But I can look. Grenades might be good too. What about guns? Want me to bring back guns?"

"No," Giles said. "Gunfire can injure a vampire but Buffy and Faith would be using their time far more efficiently beheading them with a sword."

"Yeah, guns are never really helpful," Buffy said. "Fun though. Just not helpful. Concentrate on flamethrowers, or at least fuel for the ones we have. Grenades sound good too."

"I can go tonight," Xander said.

"No," Buffy said. "With those Vigil guys out there Faith or I would have to go with you and we can't spare anyone; Angel's already gonna be tracking that vamp. The only way we could hit that base tonight is if all of us go together, me, you, Faith, Willow, and Giles. Angel's right; out of him, me, and Faith, I want two of us with Will at all times when the sun's down and I'm not letting you and Giles out of my sight for a second at night either."

"Five of us doesn't work," Xander said. "Hard to be all cloak and dagger. Doing it during the day, same problem. The base is really busy during the day."

"We all drive out there tonight, three wait in the car, two hit the base?" Faith said. "Say, you and Xan Man go in, I watch Will and G-Man in the car."

"The base is huge and they have sentries," Buffy said. "We can't just park outside. Last time we hit the place we had to park like a quarter mile away. That puts us too far from each other. If those vamps showed up they could take a run at you guys in the car while I was in the base and I wouldn't even know."

"It's a two-man job," Xander said. "Preferably one of the men is a Slayer who can carry lots of heavy stuff."

"Info on those Vigil guys is more important to us than extra weapons right now anyway," Buffy said. "You can go be military guy tomorrow night and I'll send Faith with you while Angel and I guard the house."

Xander looked at Angel. Then he looked back at Buffy.

"Or I could send Angel out with you instead of keeping him here," Buffy said. "You guys could be like Starsky and Hutch."

"Faith's good, I never feel like killing her," Xander said. "And the Lakers beat the Celtics last week. I still haven't gotten a chance to gloat at her about it."

"I'm gonna make you do so many pushups when this thing's done with," Faith said.

"Anybody got anything else?" Buffy said.

Buffy looked around the room.

"Okay," Buffy said. "So we've got a plan."

Angel finished his blood, shouldered his axe, and walked to the door.

"See you guys later," he said, and walked out.

"Giles. Thanks for...making this go smooth," Buffy said. "I had no right to ask you and you had every right to just explode at him."

"It's about the mission, Buffy," Giles said. "I packed a bag, in case you want me to stay here?"

"Yeah, I do," Buffy said. "I want you here where I can protect you. And I don't think the books at your house are gonna help anymore anyway; we have all the magic info we need. With any luck Angel will bring us something we can use from that vamp, maybe exactly how many of these Vigil guys we're dealing with, or the layout of their place. We know what we need to do; we've got one option. We have to take them down. Right now it's not about books, it's about making battle plans. I want my Watcher here helping me make those battle plans."

"Is there a room I can use?" Giles said.

"You know the spare room, that my Mom made up for Faith?" Buffy said. "You can take that room."

"Sure G, you can sleep in my room anytime," Faith said, and winked at him. He wiped his glasses, and frowned at her.

"But then where will Faith...oh," Giles said. "Yes. Well then. I'll just..." he said, and picked up his leather satchel, and cleared his throat. "Yes. I'll just... go get settled in then."

He walked out of the room, furiously wiping his glasses.

"Okay, I'm gonna go upstairs with the Key and get all trancey, talk to the Goddess, try to figure some stuff out," Willow said.

"I'll start on supper," Xander said.

"What you got up your sleeve, Xan Man?" Faith said.

"Thinking Italian," Xander said. "I can do some good meatballs, and Joyce has lasagna stuff. You like lasagna and meatballs?"

"Yeah," Faith said. "You're so movin' in with me and being my cook."

"If I cook real good for you can I do less pushups when you start training me?" Xander said.

"Nope," Faith said. "But I'll feel a little bad maybe when I kick your butt though."

"Good to know. And that frigging vampire better get me more beer," Xander said, and went into the kitchen.

Willow picked up the Key.

"You keep staring at the Key," Buffy said.

"Yeah," Willow said. "There's something about it. I guess it's just all the, y'know, magicness of it."

"You okay with Angel?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Willow said. "I can go like half an hour now without being tempted to kill him."

"Longer than me," Faith said.

"Okay, I'll see you guys for lasagna," Willow said, and walked up the stairs, still staring at the Key.

Buffy and Faith were alone.

"You did good, B," Faith said. "Leading. Told you. You were good."

"Yeah?" Buffy said. "Didn't feel good. I felt like...I don't know. Like it should've been you. Like...I don't deserve it."

"No one else was feeling that," Faith said, and put her arm around her. Buffy laid her head in her lap.

"Xander was," Buffy said.

"Nah. Just for like a second," Faith said. "Once he settled down he was okay. By the end he was onboard with you. Fallin' in line."

"I never should have said that," Buffy said. "'Fall in line'. It was bitchy. But you were hurt and I was freaked out and I got all bitchy. Are you sure I can do this? Are you really sure or are you just saying it because you love me?"

"Everything I do is because I love you," Faith said. "But yeah, I'm sure. You let us all chime in, but you still kept things on track. We came up with a plan and now we're all on the same page. You did what a leader does. You rallied the troops. No one feels left out, like you didn't consider them. Everyone feels like they're part of this. I'm proud of you, Buffy."

"It was tough on Angel, when you kissed me."

"Yeah. Didn't even think about that 'til after I did it. He handled it good though. He's being classy about it. He loves you. Last night...he told me he wants me to take care of you."

"Me too," Buffy said.

Faith kissed her hair.

"I always will, Buffy," Faith said. "I'll always take care of my girl."

"I wanted to be the race car," Willow said.

They were crowded around the coffee table in the living room that night, drinking cocoa and eating Faith's leftover birthday cake and playing Monopoly. Buffy and Faith were on the couch together in their nightgowns. Faith had her arms around Buffy, and Buffy was curled up against her. Xander was in one of the chairs across from them, in his sweatpants and a Lakers tee-shirt. The two chairs were pushed together; Willow sat next to Xander in the other chair, in her cow pajamas, and held his hand. She picked up her game piece, the iron, and frowned.

"Sorry, hon," Xander said, and stifled a yawn. "My board, my rules. I'm always the race car. So who's turn is it?"

"Mine," Buffy said. "Behold my awesome Monopoly skills and tremble." Buffy rolled the dice, moved her piece, the battleship, and landed on Park Place.

"How the hell does she do that?" Faith said.

"I wonder if I should buy it?" Buffy said, and giggled. "Hmm."

"It's true," Xander said. "The rich just get richer."

"You guys can come hang in my fabulous Park Place mansion whenever you want," Buffy said, and bought Park Place with a very small portion of her very large stack of money. "I am so completely winning. You should all work for me. I can give you jobs sorting all my properties and my giant money stack."

"Who's next?" Willow said. "Wait, are we going clockwise or counter-clockwise?"

"You're up Will," Faith said. "Good luck not landing on B's evil fabulous empire."

"It's not that bad," Buffy said. "There's like a fifty percent chance she won't land on anything I own. "Wait, forty percent."

"I think I'm gonna just become a communist," Faith said.

"You know, I've refrained from setting up hotels just because I'm really nice," Buffy said. "I'm a kinder, gentler evil tycoon."

Willow rolled the dice, moved her piece, and landed on Park Place. She looked very sad, when she landed on Park Place.

"I'm gonna be a communist with Faith," Willow said.

"We'll wear berets," Faith said. "Be all like in cafes in Paris smoking clove cigarettes and looking hot."

"You wanna sex Willow up, don't you?" Buffy said.

"Those cow pajamas are gettin' me all hot and bothered," Faith said.

"It's because you're such a total lesbian," Buffy said.

"She's a naughty niece," Willow said, and grudgingly handed Buffy lots of money.

"I hope you enjoy your stay at fabulous Park Place," Buffy said.

"Yup. And you can, y'know, completely just bite me," Willow said, with a cheery smile, causing Faith to laugh so hard she dribbled cocoa all over her chin.

"Are you gonna shoot me with lightning now?" Buffy said.

"No," Willow said. "But I'm definitely joining Faith's revolution."

"Gonna nationalize the hell out of everything. Starting with Park Place," Faith said. "Okay, I'm up." She rolled the dice and moved her piece (the top hat). She landed on Chance, and picked a card.

"Go to jail," she said. "God damn it."

"You're such a revolutionary, baby," Buffy said. "You're in jail half the time."

"Menace to society," Faith said.

"I'll rehabilitate you," Buffy said.

"The other half of the time she's on one of your properties rent-free," Xander said. "I think she just poses as a revolutionary. The beret, the clove cigarettes, it's all a front. I think she's a pawn of The Man. She's in The Man's pocket."

"Yup. And I'm The Man," Buffy said.

"Completely not fair that Faith doesn't have to pay you rent, y'know," Xander said.

"She pays me in services," Buffy said.

Giles came into the room in his pajamas and his bathrobe and his leather slippers and stared down at them all and frowned.

"Is there any cake left?" Giles said.

"Sure," Buffy said, and leaned over and opened the pastry box. She cut Giles a slice of birthday cake, making sure to get the little red frosting flowers on top, and made Giles up a plate. "Um, hold on a sec," she said, and got up. "You need a fork."

She ran into the kitchen and came back a moment later with a fork, and handed it to him, along with the cake.

"Thank you," Giles said.

"Sure. Anything for my Watcher," Buffy said. "Want some cocoa? I could make you some cocoa."

Giles smiled. "That's quite all right, Buffy," he said. "I have tea upstairs."

Wanna play? Tell me you wanna play. I'm so totally winning. You can contribute to my growing evil fabulous empire. Plus I'm thinking of like, putting in fields? Big fields for like, workers to toil in. You could toil in my fields."

"Actually I'm researching in the Watchers database," Giles said. "Willow got me started in her laptop. I'm trying to see if there's a wrinkle I missed." He smiled again. "But playing Monopoly is also vitally important to our efforts to save the world, I'm sure."

"You're just afraid of my awesome Monopoly skills," Buffy said, and sat down again beside Faith.

"Girl does have skills," Faith said.

"Yes, well..." Giles said, and wiped his glasses, as Faith's smile got bigger. "Yes. I believe I'll be going now."

"Sure you don't wanna play, Giles?" Willow said. "Someone has to topple Buffy's evil fabulous empire."

"The race car's already taken," Giles said, and walked away with his cake.

"You wanna sex Giles up too, don't you?" Buffy said to Faith, once Giles was safely out of earshot.

"G-Man's pretty slick in that bathrobe," Faith said. "Once I get his butt in that Porsche he's gonna have to beat the babes off with a stick."

"Okay, so like, are you guys lesbians or bi or what?" Xander said. "Seriously, 'cuz I got no idea."

"Me neither," Faith said.

"We've decided we're Slayersexual," Buffy said.

"Y'know, it's gettin' pretty late," Faith said, and looked out the window. "Almost midnight. Angel's been out there what, like six or seven hours now?"

"Yeah," Buffy said.

"Not a good sign," Faith said.

"I know," Buffy said.

"Um, why isn't it? A good sign, I mean?" Willow said.

"Angel's a vamp," Faith said. "Means he's like a Slayer in one big way, his nose knows. Vamps got a better sense of smell than even Slayers. He's a tracker. He started at that guy's place, he woulda got his scent and taken it from there. If he's been out this long it means the trail's cold. He shoulda had the guy a long time before now."

"Could be he's just being thorough," Buffy said. "Maybe the guy gave him something and he's taking it from there. Angel likes tracking. He likes detective work and stuff, y'know, like following leads and putting pieces together and questioning people, beating information out of bad guys. He's better at it than me. He's scarier than me."

"Yeah," Xander said. "We all know that."

"No you don't," Buffy said. "You've seen Angelus. And yeah, he's scary when he's Angelus. But Angelus is predictable. He's like a dog. He acts on instinct and tries to have fun. He's not as disciplined when he's Angelus, he can't control his impulses. It's how I beat him. But Angel is disciplined. He's patient. If it was Angel I was up against last spring? I'd be dead. Not a doubt in my mind I'd be dead. Get on Angel's bad side? He's scarier than Angelus ever was."

The Whiskey Creek Saloon was a dive, but the demon who ran it, a small, scrawny, blue-eyed, red-haired demon with huge ears and a face like a rat who happened to be tending bar that night and was cowering behind it at that particular moment, had his pride and so the place upheld a certain standard: it was a spacious room, with only a few questionable stains on the floor, and it had oak-paneled walls that made it look charmingly rustic if the lights were turned down low, a couple of pool tables, and a sign over the bar advertising eighteen different kinds of blood. It was a biker bar, but the bikers in question, a gang called "The Hellions" according to their jackets, were demons. Assorted biker paraphernalia decorated the room: pennants, leather coats, and here and there a motorcycle tire or and old photo of Marlon Brando from The Wild Bunch or Peter Fonda from Easy Rider hung on the walls by the signs that said "Ladies Night Every Tuesday" and advertised their new, less fattening pig's blood cocktail. A classic Harley Davidson cycle was displayed on a pedestal in one corner next to the big juke box that featured the complete catalogue of The Rolling Stones, and before today, there hadn't been any unfortunate incidents in more than a week.

But then Angel had walked in...

The leader of the Hellions, a demon named Razor who had made sure to explain that his name came from the razor-sharp talons that extended from his hands just before he attacked Angel with them and got Angel's battle axe through the top of his head for his trouble, was lying dead on the floor.

That had put a damper on everyone's evening at the Whiskey Creek Saloon, and Angel smiled now at the motley group of scruffy, gray-skinned, tattooed Hellions who were looking up at him in terror. Their most distinguishing physical characteristic was their lack of noses, but they still knew trouble when they smelled it.

"Nice place," Angel said. He walked around the room, carrying his bloody battle axe.

"Cool Harley," he said. "Had one for awhile. But then I fell in love with a sweet Corvette and never looked back. I'm a car guy." A Hellion ran at him from behind. Without turning around Angel grabbed the Hellion's right arm and broke it so quickly that no one even saw his hand move. As the Hellion screamed, Angel spun and kicked him in the face. The Hellion went flying across the room, hit the floor, and didn't get up.

"Brando," Angel said, looking up at the black and white photograph of Marlon Brando on the wall above the Harley. "Brando was pretty cool. I drank with him once. He went a little crazy toward the end. But back then he was a pretty cool guy. So yeah, someone's gonna tell me about a vampire named Bobby who delivered a package to King's Park Cemetery three nights ago. Sooner or later. Later's fine. I've got time."

Two more Hellions ran at Angel. Angel picked up the Harley, spun around, and swung it at them by the handlebars like a baseball bat. The Hellions went flying the length of the room, crashed into the ceiling, ricocheted off a wall like pinballs and slammed into the floor with a loud, wet thud.

They didn't get up either.

"Yup. Cool Harley," Angel said.

He tossed the Harley away. It bounced off a pool table and fell to the floor, and it looked a lot less shiny than it had a minute ago.

"I've had a rough couple days," Angel said. Angel walked to the bar, hopped over it and poured himself a tall glass of blood from the tap as the scrawny rat-faced demon scurried away from him.

"I'm pretty pissed off," Angel said. "Just between us, I'm kinda hoping none of you Hellion guys are willing to talk to me, because that way I get to kill you all slow instead of fast."

He looked up at all the Hellions, and smiled. "You do know I'm gonna kill every one of you, right?" he said. "I mean, it's not talk or I'll kill you. That was never the deal. You're not talking to save your lives. You're talking to save yourselves pain. You guys get that, right?"

He drank some blood.

"Tasty," Angel said, turning to the rat-faced demon. "Got a little zing to it. What's in this besides pig's blood?"

"Otter," the demon said. "We mix a little otter blood in."

"Otter," Angel said. "I'll be damned. What's your least favorite finger?"

"What?" the demon said.

"Bet it's your left pinky," Angel said. "You're a righty, I saw you pouring with your right." Angel grabbed the demon's left pinky finger, bent it all the way back, and broke it with a snap that echoed through the room.

The demon screamed. The assembled Hellions gasped, appalled at this display of senseless violence. Angel smiled.

"Definitely your least favorite finger now," Angel said.

"Please, man," the demon squealed, "I don't know anything! I swear!"

"Okay," Angel said. "So what's your next least favorite finger?"

"But I don't know anything!" the demon pleaded, tears running down his face now.

"Said I believe you," Angel said, and bent the demon's left thumb all the way back, and broke it. The demon screamed again. The Hellions looked on in horror. Angel's smile got bigger. He looked around the room at the Hellions. None of them could meet his eyes. Angel could smell their fear. He liked it.

"Yeah, so anyway, rough couple days," Angel said, and finished his glass of blood. "My girl left me. Can you believe that? I mean, look at me. I don't wanna blow my own horn here, but come on. Okay, I did do that thing where I went all evil and tried to kill her and all her friends," he said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Okay, I admit it. I was kind of a prick to her. But what about all the good times we had? I mean, I go evil for a month and try to kill her and everyone she loves, plus a whole bunch of innocent little kids and she has to get all emotional on me? I lost my soul. Not like I asked to lose my soul. Said I was sorry. Women."

He looked at the rat-faced demon.

"You got Guinness, Rat Boy?" Angel said. "The answer that makes me not kill you right this second is 'Yes'."

"Yes," the demon said.

"Set me up and keep it coming," Angel said.

The demon found Angel a bottle of Guinness, poured him a tall glass, winced in pain a lot, and sat down on a stool.

Angel chugged half the Guinness down, and smiled.

"You're an okay guy, Rat Boy," Angel said. "What's your name?"

"Gary," the demon said.

"I'm gonna call you Rat Boy," Angel said. "Since you've got Guinness and I need you to pour for me, I'm gonna stop breaking your fingers after I'm done with your left hand."

"Thanks," Gary said.

"Want me to do them all at once?" Angel said, and threw his axe across the room at one of the Hellions, who was sneaking toward the front door. The axe sliced straight through the Hellion's leg, hacking it off. The Hellion fell to the floor, screaming.

"I'm gonna want that axe back," Angel said, looking around the room at the assembled Hellions as he quickly broke the remaining three fingers of Gary's left hand in succession. Gary screamed and fell to the floor and crawled away. "Any of you Hellion guys wanna bring it to me?"

"I'll bring it to you, you fucking freak!" one of the Hellions screamed, and picked up Angel's axe and ran at him with it. Angel finished his Guinness, ducked the Hellion's swing as he tried to behead him with his axe, smashed the top of the empty Guinness bottle over the bar and shoved the jagged end all the way through the Hellion's face and out the other side.

"Thanks," Angel said, and grabbed his axe from the Hellion's hand as the Hellion fell to the floor, dead.

"Rat Boy," Angel said. "Another round."

Gary got up from the floor, got Angel another bottle of Guinness, and refilled his glass.

The Hellion whose leg Angel had cut off was still screaming. He had managed to tie his belt around the stump of his thigh in an attempt not to bleed to death. Angel didn't think his chances were good. Partly because the Hellion had done a lot of bleeding already. But also because Angel was planning on killing him soon. Angel drank his Guinness.

"So, still waiting to hear about that vamp," he said, and hopped back over the bar and found himself a table. He sat down, finished his Guinness, and shook his empty glass at Gary. Gary brought him another bottle, and refilled his glass.

"Are you part Irish?" Angel said to Gary. "You look Irish."

"On my mother's side," Gary said. "She was half human. Am I gonna survive this?"

"Why doesn't this place have barmaids?" Angel said, and started in on his Guinness. "A bar should have pretty barmaids. They always did in the eighteenth century."

"Doreen's off tonight," Gary said.

"Guess Doreen's gonna survive," Angel said. "You got any Rolling Rock? I need a case."

In her dream, Faith was little and she and her sister were on the swings at the playground under a bright sun and a clear blue sky that went on forever. They had just finished their picnic lunch, and Rebecca sat smiling on a blanket and watched them.

"Faith, mind your sister," Rebecca said. She was suddenly farther away.

Faith looked around for Buffy, but the swing next to hers was empty.

"I wanna explore!" Buffy said in her dream, as she stood peering into the dark forest. Buffy was a little girl, and she felt strange; it didn't seem correct, somehow. She looked down at her white dress and shoes. They weren't right for exploring in the forest. She looked down at herself again, and saw that she was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt and her old Nike sneakers with a red swoosh now, and she smiled. Then she remembered she had wanted the sneakers with the blue swoosh, but the store was all out. How long ago was that? It felt like years, but it couldn't be, because she was still a little girl. It was all very confusing...

"Blue swoosh," Buffy said, and the red swoosh changed to blue. She giggled, and wondered if maybe she should wish for a million dollars, or a diamond necklace, or a handsome prince. She looked back at the park. The tall, pretty, blonde-haired woman she didn't recognize was very far away now, sitting on the grass, saying something to Faith.

Buffy looked up at the black, menacing forest before her. The line of trees created a boundary between light and dark, between safety and possibility, like a line on a map. The forest hadn't been here a moment ago, when she and Faith were on the swings and the pretty blonde-haired woman was watching them from only a few feet away. Now the blonde-haired woman was much farther away, receding into the distance, melting into the sunlight, and the forest was here, looming up in front of her so deep and vast, like it went on forever and ever...

Buffy was afraid of the forest. She was afraid of the darkness under the trees. But it thrilled her, too...there was a nervous, tingly feeling in her stomach, like that time in the third grade spelling bee when she had to stand up on stage in the auditorium in front of her parents and the whole school and spell "sacrifice".

Buffy took a tentative step into the shadows under the trees, twigs crunching beneath her feet. She looked down at them, and thought it would be better if they were stakes, and then, suddenly, they were stakes. She picked one up, and put it in her pocket.

Faith saw her little sister about to walk into the forest, and she leaped off the swing and sprinted to catch up to her. She made it there in seconds; she was amazed at how fast she could run. Then she remembered she was the Slayer. But it was strange, that she was so young...she looked down at her scrawny little body, and wondered how monsters could ever be afraid of a little girl like her.

"Hey," she said, putting her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Mom says we shouldn't go in there." Faith had one foot in the park and one foot under the trees; one foot in sunlight, the other in shadow.

"You need to learn to find the fun, big sis," Buffy said. "Isn't that what you're always telling me? Besides...it's always darkest before..."

"Dawn?" Faith said.

Faith was still thinking about the difficulty of being the Slayer when she was really only a little girl, when suddenly she was eighteen again, and Buffy had grown up too. But even though Faith wasn't little anymore, the forest scared her...

"Six eighty-two," Buffy said, and turned away from Faith and walked deeper into the forest. Faith looked for Rebecca, but she couldn't see her now...the sun was setting, and the park was immersed in a shimmering, golden haze. She looked into the forest again, as Buffy walked away from her, fading into shadow.

Faith could hear hoofbeats echoing beneath the black trees, far away, but coming closer.

"They'll get you in there!" Faith shouted. "Can't you hear them? They'll take you away with them! The one on the black horse will take you away!"

"Been there," Buffy said, her face almost wholly obscured in shadow. "Done that."

Behind Faith, the sun had nearly set. Faith knew once the sun went down, it would take Rebecca with it...she would melt into the light, and never come back. In front of her, the shadow had almost completely engulfed Buffy.

"Buffy!" Faith screamed.

"Five by five," Buffy said, and walked deeper into the forest, her voice trailing back to Faith, thin and hollow; a ghost's voice.

Faith looked back at the park again. She saw the sun, a sliver of red now like a bloody scythe, about to set. She knew she just had time to make it back to Rebecca before it took her...

She looked into the forest, and caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair, melting into shadow. Once the shadows took her, Buffy would be gone...

Faith heard a voice. It was a whisper on the wind, but it felt like it was right next to her. Then Rebecca's scent came to her, and Faith knew the voice was hers, even though she couldn't see her.

"Mind your sister," Rebecca whispered.

And Faith entered the dark forest, as the sun set behind her, and night covered the world.

Bon Jovi flew across the old warehouse and crashed into a pile of crates.

He looked up, dazed. Angel was standing above him. He looked annoyed.

And Angel had a very large battle axe in his hand. Bon Jovi thought the battle axe looked annoyed too.

"You're a hard man to find, Bobby," Angel said. "That's a really stupid tee-shirt."

Angel picked him up by the neck and slammed him against the crates again. Bobby saw stars, and winced in pain.

"Dude, take a chill pill!" Bobby screamed.

"I killed a whole bunch of demons and severely injured a quarter-Irish bartender to find you," Angel said. "So that was fun. But now I'm all out of demons. So, not much fun anymore. How do you get in touch with those priests?"

"I don't...know what..." Bobby started to say. Angel smacked him across the face, dislodging a tooth. Bobby spit out blood.

"Okay, so I did the whole cool thing where I walk into the bar and torture everyone really slowly and inventively," Angel said. "But it took awhile and I'm on a schedule here, Bobby." He raised his axe.

"Last chance," Angel said. "And who is that on that tee-shirt?"

"Bon Jovi," Bobby said. "He's a...it's a rock band," he added, as Angel's eyes narrowed.

"No one listens to Chopin anymore," Angel said. "I hate this century. This is the part where I cut your head off with this axe unless you start talking about those priests. No inventive torture. Just you being dust. Now."

"M-my Boss handles that...handles...the contacts," Bobby said, shaking.

"Who's your boss?" Angel said, lowering his axe.

"I...I don't know," Bobby whimpered.

"I kinda like 'Mandy'," Angel said. "But that's pretty much it for modern stuff. Nice talking to you." He raised his axe again.

"Wait, wait!" Bobby shrieked. "Please! We only talk on the phone, I don't know his name! He's just this guy with an English accent, I don't know anything else, I never even seen him! All I got's a phone number, I swear!"

"An English accent?" Angel said, his eyes narrowing again.

"Yeah. Please...I'll give you his number? But don't tell him it came from me," Bobby whimpered. "The guy's a psycho. They say he killed two Slayers..."

Bobby noticed that Angel suddenly looked a lot more annoyed.

The trees were thick and deformed, twisted into strange, sinister shapes. It was dark and hot beneath them. The air felt heavy. Buffy stopped and waited for Faith to catch up to her.

"Me and you," Faith said. "The Chosen two."

As they walked further into the forest, they heard the sound of hoofbeats coming closer.

"I heard there was a witch living in this forest," Buffy said.

"I thought she lived in the park," Faith said.

"I think she goes back and forth," Buffy said.

Buffy marched through the forest. Faith plodded beside her. Buffy could tell she was afraid; she could smell it on her.

"I love you, baby," Buffy said. "I'll always protect you. Always."

"But what do we do when the man on the black horse gets here?" Faith said. "How do we breathe?"

"White always moves first," Buffy said. "White has the advantage."

"Priest takes pawn," Faith said, and pointed to a dead body lying in the shadows under a tree.

Buffy stopped, and started shaking. Faith started to walk toward the body, but Buffy pulled her back.

"I don't want to see it," Buffy said.

"It's a male," Faith said. "Late teens. Dark hair, medium height, medium build. We need to preserve the crime scene, check for fingerprints, and get statements from witnesses."

"Please don't make me look," Buffy said, reverting to a little girl again. "Please don't make me! Please don't make me!" Buffy screamed, and started to cry, and hugged Faith with her eyes squeezed shut.

The hoofbeats stopped. Buffy looked up...

Four Horsemen surrounded them.

They were skeletons in black, hooded robes. They sat astride their horses, jet black, sickly yellow, ashen gray, pure white, and looked down at Buffy and Faith with eyes like stars.

The forest grew deathly cold. Faith could see her breath in the air, white on black, each breath floating up into the sky, making its mark on the world, and then slowly fading away to nothing in the cold, until only the black remained.

She held Buffy close, and tried to protect her.

But how could she protect her against this?

The one on the black horse held out his hand. Buffy walked toward him.

"Buffy!" Faith screamed. "Stop!"

Buffy walked away from her. Faith tried to pull her back, but her hands went right through her, as if Buffy were already a ghost...

"Seventeen," Buffy said, and she was seventeen again now. "Seventeen is the average life-expectancy of a Slayer."

"It's nineteen," Faith said, helplessly, as Buffy reached out to the rider on the black horse...

The rider on the white horse held up his sword.

"Faith," the rider said.

And then his sword was in Faith's hand, filling the forest with light...and Faith leaped, screaming, at the rider on the black horse...

There was a bolt of lightning, and a crack of thunder.

The forest was gone. The Horsemen had disappeared with it. Buffy looked around, and saw that they were back in the park, and the sun was rising. She could see Faith, and the blonde-haired woman. The woman was lying on the grass, covered with blood. Faith was crying beside her, holding her in her arms...

The blonde-haired woman whispered something in Faith's ear.

Buffy knelt beside Faith, and they looked down at the blonde-haired woman together. Buffy looked into the woman's blue eyes...deep, dark blue, like the ocean on a summer day. The woman looked back at her, and smiled.

Buffy heard Faith whisper, "I love you, Becca."

The woman whispered again, in Faith's ear...

And then the woman smiled, and closed her eyes, and faded into the sunlight.

Faith held Rebecca in her arms on the grass, as the sun rose and vanquished the night.

"She isn't me," Rebecca whispered in her ear. "When she comes...don't believe her."

"I love you, Becca," Faith whispered.

"My girl," Rebecca whispered in her ear.

And Rebecca smiled, and closed her eyes, and faded into the sunlight.

Faith broke down in tears, crying hysterically, and fell on the grass. Buffy hugged her.

"It's okay," Buffy whispered, and started crying. "It's okay, baby, it's okay...I'm here now, baby. I'm here. I'm here..."

Buffy closed her eyes...

...And woke up.

She woke up, in the dark, in her bed with Faith...Faith was holding her in her arms. And looking right at her, with tears in her eyes.

"Buffy...I just had the strangest dream," Faith said.

They sat in the kitchen and ate leftover lasagna and meatballs. The sky outside the window was gray. The sun would be coming up soon.

"Shit," Faith said.

"That's one way of putting it," Buffy said.

"We had the same dream. But how? How the hell does that happen?"

"Because being a Slayer is like winning a trip to Crazytown."

"What do we do? Tell everyone? Tell them what? That we both had some weird-ass Alice in Wonderland dream?"

"Well, what have we got? We were sisters. Your Watcher was our mother. I have no idea what that means, except that I love you and you love me, and we're both Slayers. Maybe that's what it means. Then there was a big dark forest..."

"There was supposed to be a witch in the forest. You said you heard there was a witch, and sometimes she's in the forest and sometimes she's in the park."

"Well, Willow's a witch, but I don't know what it means that she's in a forest and a park. And there are lots of other people in the world doing magic."

"There was a dead body in the forest too, but you were afraid to go near it. You wouldn't let me go look at it."

"And then there were the Four Horsemen," Buffy said, not wanting to think about the dead body for some reason. "That part's easy enough."

"There was this one weird thing," Faith said. "You mentioned a number, remember? Six eighty-two?"

"I remember," Buffy said. "It was after I said it's always darkest before..."

"Dawn," Faith said.

"Always darkest before the dawn. Six eighty-two. Sure, that makes perfect sense to me. Kinda like how trigonometry makes perfect sense to me too."

"No idea?"

"Nope.

"Okay, well, looking at the parts of the dream that do make sense...sort of, anyway...okay, so we know Slayer dreams can come true. Becca told me they can, plus I've had a couple weird dreams here and there and they sorta like came true in weird ways."

"Yeah. Me too."

"So you think maybe we haven't stopped the Four Horsemen from coming after all?" Faith said.

"Fuck," Buffy said.

The doorbell rang. Buffy and Faith both knew it was Angel.

"About time," Buffy said, as they both got up from the table and went to answer the door. "Here's hoping he found something we can use."

"Took long enough," Faith said. "Had to come back with something."

They opened the door. Angel was standing there holding his axe, a case of Rolling Rock beer and a case of Guinness.

"See?" Faith said. "Told you he'd come back with something. He came back with beer."

"We have a problem," Angel said.

They sat in the kitchen together. Buffy and Faith ate meatballs. Angel drank Guinness.

"Spike?" Faith said.

"Spike," Angel said.

"Fuck," Buffy said.

"Spike," Faith said. "How the hell did he get involved in this? How the hell did he find out about the Key?"

"Frigging little British weasel," Angel muttered, and started in on another Guinness. "He must have heard the Key could be valuable to the right people. Spike always looks for opportunities to line his pockets."

"Even if it means destroying the world?" Buffy said. "I thought he didn't want to destroy the world. Y'know, like, there's no more soccer and beer if the world is destroyed."

"Not to mention, what the hell good is money anyway if the world ends," Faith said.

"Spike's an idiot," Angel said. "He probably doesn't know what the Key can do."

"So now what?" Faith said, and finished her last meatball. She was still hungry. She stole one off Buffy's plate.

"We have the Key, meatball girl," Buffy said. "So we don't have to go into like, desperation mode yet. But we need to get our hands on Spike. If he really brokered this deal he's got info on those vamps and those priests."

"Plus we took his Key, and he probably didn't get his money," Faith said.

"He won't know you, but he'll recognize Buffy's description," Angel said. "He must know Buffy has the Key. He might come at us. Hopefully he will."

"Hopefully?" Faith said.

Angel finished his Guinness. He went to the refrigerator, pulled two more out of the case, and started in on another one.

"So I can kick the crap out of him," Angel said. "Didn't get a chance to last time he was here."

"Seein' how you were evil and all," Faith said.

"Good, evil, doesn't matter. I always wanna kick the crap out of Spike."

"Why?" Faith said.

"He's a pain in the ass," Buffy and Angel both said, at the same time.

"And dangerous too," Faith said, as she eyed the rest of Buffy's meatballs. "Becca told me about him. We should be careful. Come up with a plan."

"Yeah," Buffy said. She speared one of her meatballs with her fork, and held it out to Faith. Faith ate it off the fork. "The plan is to find him before he finds us. He's got guys working for him now, and he knows where I live. No idea what he's got up his sleeve, so we have to hit him first. I figure he must be in town somewhere."

"How do we work it?" Faith said. "Gotta guard the house too."

"We should start looking for Spike today, while the sun's up," Angel said. "He's just stupid enough to be laying low in one of his old haunts, maybe we can sneak up on him. Plus I have the phone number that vamp gave me just before I cut his head off anyway. So we'll manage to track Spike somehow. Since I'm no good in the sun I'll stay inside until dark, guard the house. I need sleep anyway, I haven't slept since Saturday."

"I'll look for Spike," Buffy said. "I know all his hangouts."

"I got kind of a dilemma here," Faith said. "I wanna be out there with you looking for Spike. He's dangerous, I don't want you out there alone."

"I can handle Spike," Buffy said. "Handled him before."

"I know, honey," Faith said. "But you're my girl. I wanna be out there protecting you."

Angel felt it, when Faith said that; it rocked him. He drank his beer.

"But Will...I don't know if she'll wanna be here with Angel alone," Faith said. "If she's scared to be here alone with him I wanna stay with her, make sure she's okay. So...I got a dilemma here."

"Xander won't like Angel being in the house without us here either," Buffy said.

"I'll be on the cot in the cellar," Angel said.

"Doesn't matter, it'll still make him nervous," Buffy said. "He'll be worried about Willow."

"We've got three options," Faith said. "Buffy goes out alone and I hang back here with Will, Buffy and I go out there together, or we go out there and bring Will with us."

"Dangerous," Angel said. "Okay, yeah, you've come up against Spike and won, Buffy. And yeah, I'd bet on you to beat him again if it came down to it. But he's got people working for him now too. If he corners you somewhere, and you're outnumbered, I don't like the idea of Willow in the middle of it with you."

"Me neither," Buffy said. "But she doesn't trust you. She's afraid of you."

"Yeah," Angel said. He finished his beer and started in on the other one.

"How many of those have you had?" Buffy said.

"A few," Angel said.

"It was on your breath when you got back here," Buffy said.

"Had to hit a demon bar," Angel said. "Killed a few demons, had a few beers. Good times. Taking Willow out with you when you look for Spike is a bad idea. You'll have to worry about protecting her and if you run into Spike she'll just slow you down. You should keep her here."

"She almost roasted your ass," Faith said. "Will can handle herself. And can you blame her for not trusting you? For not wanting to be left alone with you? Hell, I don't trust you either."

"Yeah," Angel said, and looked away from her.

"How about...we talk to Will in the morning, see how she wants to play it," Buffy said. She watched Angel. His eyes were unfocused again. He wasn't looking at either of them. The deep gash she had made when she scratched his face was still there; the wound was scabbed over and faded to pink now, but it was still there.

Angel drank his beer, and didn't look back at her.

"You were never much of a drinker," Buffy said.

"You were sixteen," Angel said. He still wasn't looking at her. "Didn't feel right, drinking in front of you."

He finished his beer and got up. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out two more.

"Look, I'm gonna go back down to the cellar, get some sleep," he said. "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow. Today. Whatever."

He walked away, without looking at either of them.

Buffy and Faith went back to Buffy's bedroom, and shut the door behind them. They got into bed, under the covers, and Buffy held Faith in her arms, and kissed her. Faith curled up against her breasts.

Buffy watched her, and stroked her hair.

Buffy had spent a lot of time looking into Faith's big brown eyes. She knew them by heart, now.

"What's wrong , baby?" Buffy said.

"I don't know," Faith said.

Buffy kissed Faith's forehead, and stroked her hair.

She knew it took awhile for Faith to talk, sometimes.

She waited.

"Guess I feel kinda...I don't know...embarrassed, a little," Faith said, after awhile. "Kinda bad. Like, angry at Angel but angry at me too, at the same time."

"How come?" Buffy said.

They spoke softly. They knew Angel might hear if they talked too loud.

"It's just...I don't know," Faith said. "I mean, he did all that bad stuff and I keep hatin' on the guy but...he didn't have his soul then, plus...I don't know, he seems kind of okay to me, y'know? Like, not forgivin' him for what he did to you and Will, but...I just feel...like when I said that stuff about not trustin' him, maybe I kicked him when he was down."

Faith kissed Buffy's breasts over her nightgown. Buffy sat up, and took her nightgown off.

She brought Faith's head back to her breasts, and Faith curled up against them again.

"Is this better, baby?" Buffy said.

Faith nodded. Buffy kissed her forehead again.

"He'll bounce back," Buffy said. "He'll keep it together, focus on the mission. Angel always does."

"Must be hard on him," Faith said. "I mean, you and me, together in the house, and he can like, hear it all."

"Yeah, you're right," Buffy said. "How about we never have sex again as long as we live, just in case he might hear us. Sound like a plan?"

Faith giggled, and shook her head, and rubbed her feet against Buffy's under the covers.

"No?" Buffy said, and moved her hand down between Faith's legs, and caressed her pussy over her panties. "You don't like that plan?"

Faith giggled, and shook her head again.

"You have another plan, baby?" Buffy said.

Faith nodded, and kissed her.

"It's a secret plan," Faith said.

"Whisper it in my ear, baby," Buffy said. "Whisper what you want momma to do."

Faith whispered something in Buffy's ear.

Buffy smiled.

Two hours later, she opened her eyes again. The sun was up, but Buffy could tell it was early; the crickets were still chirping, and when she went to the window and peeked through the curtains she saw the lawn was covered with dew and people weren't outside yet.

She opened the window as she peeked through the curtains. The day was brisk and beautiful, and the air smelled like roses. The sky was blue, as far as she could see, in every direction.

Faith was sleeping soundly, naked in the bed. The bed was rather rumpled. She slept curled up on her side, like she always did. Buffy went back to the bed, and sat down beside her, and watched her sleep.

"You're so beautiful, baby," Buffy whispered, and kissed Faith's forehead, and draped the blankets over her.

Then, careful not to disturb Faith's sleep, Buffy put her nightgown and socks back on and walked out of the room, quiet as a cat.

The house was silent as she walked down the hall. She passed her mother's room; Willow and Xander were still asleep. Their scents came to her; she focused in on Willow's sweet strawberry scent as she passed their door.

Then she put it out of her mind, and walked downstairs, to the cellar.

When she opened the cellar door the air felt cold. The cellar was dark.

The old wooden stairs leading down there were thin and treacherous and creaky. But Buffy was sure-footed as she walked down those stairs, and descended into darkness.

The stairs didn't creak. Buffy didn't make a sound. She never made a sound when she didn't want to.

Angel's scent came to her: rotten meat.

When her eyes adjusted to the light she saw him lying on the cot, looking up at the ceiling.

"Thought you were gonna sleep," Buffy said.

"I was," Angel said. "But I smelled you coming. It woke me up."

"My scent woke you up?" Buffy said, and leaned against the wall, and watched him. There were six empty beer bottles littering the floor around him.

"Always does," Angel said.

"I'll let you go back to sleep in a minute. But first I want to know what the First said when she appeared as me. You said you'd tell me in private if I want."

"Why do you need to know so bad?"

"I just...I don't know. I just do."

Buffy walked over to the cot, and sat down on the edge of it.

"Why don't you want to tell me?" Buffy said.

"Because the First lies," Angel said. "It lies, and tries to hurt us."

Something was wrong. Faith suddenly shot back to consciousness, sitting bolt upright in her bed before she knew what had happened.

She looked around. Buffy wasn't in the bed. The room was bright; the curtains were drawn but Faith could tell the sun was shining outside.

She got up and threw her nightgown on. She reached out with her senses...

And then, she smelled it. Rotten meat...

It was Angel's scent.

She heard him now, coming up the stairs...coming toward her.

She grabbed her stake from the nightstand before she knew she was doing it. She threw the door open...

Angel stood there, smiling down at her like a wolf.

His eyes caught the light from the window, and reflected silver. They looked like the moon shining on a black sea.

When Faith looked into them, she knew that all the terrible things Angel had ever seen, all the terrible things he'd ever done in more than two centuries, were there, floating just beneath the surface of that icy black sea...

His eyes froze her. For a second, she thought she might drown...sink beneath the waves, down into darkness, her blood stopping in her veins, everything warm inside her turning to ice...

She was afraid.

Then Faith thought of Rebecca's beautiful blue eyes; she remembered Rebecca's warmth, and her strength...she knew Rebecca wouldn't be afraid.

So Faith decided she wouldn't be, either.

She dismissed her fear. She made herself look back at him.

"Good morning, Faithy," Angel said. "You done pissing your panties yet?" He chuckled.

"What do you want?" Faith said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Buffy and I were talking..."

"Buffy and you?" Faith said. "Where is she?"

"She's down in the cellar. On my cot." He smiled.

"Uh-huh," Faith said.

"Yeah, so anyway, Buffy and I were talking, and she thought it would be nice if you came and joined us," Angel said. "You know, for a threesome. I gotta tell you, Faith, Buffy sure can fuck? I mean, that girl can go all night! Real flexible too. But the girl just cannot suck dick to save her life. I was hoping you'd give her some pointers. Buffy said you were the blowjob queen of Boston. She told me you suck dick like a real pro."

Faith felt like she was falling.

She looked into Angel's eyes, and she felt the cold thing inside her...the cold thing that had become a part of her when Rebecca died, and had never left...

She could forget it sometimes, but she knew it would always be there.

"How about it, Faithy?" Angel said, and chuckled again. "Wanna have some fun? Buffy's resting right now, I kinda tired her out? But you know she's a bunny in the sack. You and I can get started, then she can join in. Come on, it'll be a good time! Don't try to pretend you don't have the hots for me, I can smell it on you. You'd love it. Once you go vamp, you never go back."

"She wouldn't," Faith whispered. "She wouldn't...do that to me."

"Geez, no reason to get all emotional about it," Angel said, and frowned. "Buffy says you're a great lay, what more do you want?"

"But...she loves me," Faith whispered, and started to cry.

"She wouldn't," Buffy whispered. "She wouldn't...do that to me."

"I know," Angel said.

They sat on his cot together, in the dark.

Angel could see in the dark, better than any human. When he looked at Buffy, he saw that her face was red.

She was looking down at the floor, and holding onto the edge of the cot. The cot had a metal frame; Buffy's hands were twisting it out of shape.

"Why would...why would the First say that?" Buffy whispered. "Why would it say Faith did that to me?"

"It lies, Buffy," Angel said. "It tries to screw with our heads, throw us off our game. It tries to separate us, make us doubt each other. Divide and conquer."

Buffy nodded, and looked down at the floor.

"You wanted to know," Angel said. "I told you it doesn't matter. That it was all just another lie."

Buffy nodded again.

"Actually it's what clinched it for me," Angel said. "I knew that would never have happened, so I knew I couldn't be talking to you. I didn't know Faith then, but I know you. No one could ever make you a victim."

Buffy looked at him, and held out her wrists, in the dark.

"No one but you," she said.

Angel laughed. "She loves you?" he said. "C'mon Faithy, use your head. I know you haven't had a lot of practice, but give it a try. Do you honestly think Buffy could ever really love you? What do you have to offer? Sure, you're hot, you're good in the sack, and I guess that's what Buffy wants right now during this little experimenting phase she's in. But once she gets tired of you? She'll be back with me. Or, maybe? If you get her hooked on girls? She'll end up with Willow."

Faith stood there, still as a stone, and watched him, and cried.

"And when the fucking's over, what exactly do you guys do?" Angel said. "Have you been out anywhere? Have you had a conversation? I bet Buffy must find it really intellectually stimulating, having to always remember not to use any big words when she's with you." He chuckled. "Faith, that sweet mouth of yours? It was made for sucking dick, not for scintillating conversation. Wait, right, my bad, used a big word there. 'Scintillating' means clever."

Faith tried to think about Rebecca. About how Rebecca always loved her, and told her she was smart, and brave, and strong...but she couldn't remember Rebecca now. She couldn't see her face...everything was dark. She couldn't look away from Angel's eyes. They held her...the room was bright, but Faith felt like she was under the sea...drowning in the dark...

"Don't you get it?" Angel said. "Buffy's gonna fuck you for awhile, and then when she just can't deal with actually having to pretend she likes you anymore it's over. C'mon Faith, look at it from Buffy's perspective. 'Perspective' means point of view, by the way. Try comparing yourself to me. I've been places. I've done things. I've seen the world. I'm smart, I know how to talk, how to act. You? You've been nowhere, seen nothing, done nothing. You're...well...I know this hurts? But you're dumb. It's not your fault, you were born dumb. But Buffy's smart. Being with someone like you is like slumming for her. Sure, she'll hang in for awhile, because she doesn't want to hurt your feelings and the one thing you've got to offer is a great lay? But eventually Buffy will get bored, and she'll realize that when you guys aren't fucking there really isn't anything there for her. And then she'll understand that she could never love you, and she'll leave. Don't act like this is a big surprise. You always knew you're not her first choice."

Another scent came to Faith...strawberries.

"Speak of the devil," Angel said, and smiled, and turned...

Willow was standing in the hallway.

Tears filled Angel's eyes.

"Then...you should stop," Angel said. "You should stop loving me."

"Can't," Buffy said.

She looked up at him.

"There's a part of me you're always gonna have, Angel," she said. "But Faith is my choice. And yeah, Faith and I have hurt each other? We've made mistakes and screwed things up and almost lost each other? But...I guess...that's just what love is. You hurt each other. The people we love are the people who can really hurt us. Loving someone means you give them that, you give them that power. These scars will never go away. Just like I'll always love you, they'll always be there."

She took his hand.

"I'm sorry I...hurt you, at your place," she said. "I know you didn't have your soul then. I know you wouldn't hurt us, Angel."

"Hey, cutie!" Angel said, and chuckled.

Willow froze.

"What...what do you...want?" Willow whispered.

"I thought we could hang out, maybe reminisce about old times," Angel said, and smiled. "Your closet or mine?"

Faith ran in front of Willow, and took her hand.

"Get away from her," Faith said.

Faith wasn't crying anymore now. She looked right at Angel, a low growl welling up in her throat.

"For a girl who loves to suck dick you sure are a buzzkill," Angel said, and rolled his eyes, and frowned. "I wasn't gonna hurt her or anything. I was just gonna give her the fucking of her life, that's all."

Angel stepped closer to them.

"Those memories I gave her?" Angel said. "Don't let her whining fool you. She loved it when I put the wood to her. I rode her better than her limpdick boyfriend ever could. Remember the closet, Willow? Remember how I'd let you out to give you a bath, and then I'd fuck you afterwards?"

Faith felt Willow starting to tremble behind her.

"I said GET AWAY FROM HER!" Faith screamed. "Get away or so help me I'll fucking KILL YOU RIGHT HERE!"

Angel laughed.

"Think you're good enough, Faithy?" he said.

Everything seemed to slow down. Faith felt very still, and calm. Her rage boiled inside her, but she set it aside, contained it. She concentrated on her senses, and considered her options.

A Slayer always thinks tactically.

She heard Rebecca's voice in her head; she heard Rebecca saying the words. She remembered Rebecca's scent. She remembered her eyes, and her face.

She didn't feel like she was drowning anymore.

She held Willow's hand. Willow was shaking less, now, as she leaned against Faith, and Faith gave her strength.

And as Faith gave Willow her strength, Faith felt stronger...

You're a smart girl.

Faith heard Rebecca saying it. And suddenly, she realized it was the truth, knew for a fact it was the truth. She knew it was the truth because she knew, with absolute certainty, that Rebecca would never have lied to her.

Faith felt calm. She felt centered. She felt strong. She felt smart.

She looked straight at Angel, and didn't blink.

She considered the situation. She thought things through.

She thought tactically.

And made a decision.

"All that stuff you said," Faith said. "You were playing me. You're not Angel. You're the First."

Faith turned, and looked at Willow. "No reason to be afraid, auntie," she said. "First off, I'm here? And no one hurts you while I'm around. Second?"

Faith whirled around and threw her stake straight at Angel's heart. It went right through him, and stuck in the wall behind him.

"This thing can't touch us," Faith said. "Okay, honey?"

Willow nodded, and smiled. But she still held on tight to Faith.

Angel frowned, for a second. But then his wolf's smile was back in place.

"Wait, hold on a sec, now I'm confused," Angel said. "I thought you were supposed to be dumb?"

"Nope," Faith said. "But I can act dumb sometimes. I can get stuck in my own head, not seeing what's right in front of me. Buffy wouldn't do that stuff you said. She wouldn't cheat on me. She wouldn't say those things about me. She loves me."

"That's right, baby," Buffy said, walking up the stairs with Angel. "I love you. Don't you ever forget it."

"Love you too," Faith said, and smiled.

"Well here's something you don't see every day," Xander said, as he walked into the hallway from Joyce's bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and saw two Angels standing next to each other. "Not without a hell of a lot more beer than I've had, anyway." He put his hand on Willow's shoulder.

Buffy moved beside Faith, and put her arm around her. Angel watched the First.

"Where you been, girlfriend?" Faith said. "I got worried."

"I was talking to Angel," Buffy said. "I wanted to know what the First said when it appeared as me."

"Lies," Faith said. "Whatever it said? Lies."

"Yup," Buffy said, and kissed her cheek. "Um, really gross ones too."

Buffy, Faith, Willow and Xander stood together, holding each other, giving each other strength. Angel stood apart from them, watching the First. The First smiled back at them all.

"What, no hugs for me?" the First said.

"Why are you here?" Angel said. "What do you want?"

"So this is the First," Giles said, as he came out of the spare room in his robe and slippers.

"Hey, Giles!" the First said, and smiled. "Jenny says hi."

Giles moved beside Buffy.

"You wouldn't know what Jenny says," Giles said. "You have no part of Jenny. She's in a place where you can't touch her."

"My touching her is what sent her to the place, Jeeves," the First said.

"Yeah, so this is really fascinating, hanging out with the ultimate evil in the universe and everything?" Xander said. "But since apparently all you can do is talk us to death, I vote we all just go back to bed."

"Yeah, kind of a drag, how I can't just wring all your necks?" the First said. "But never underestimate the power of words, Xander. Not everything I say is a lie, remember? Some of it is true. And Angel was right, as usual: I can only manifest as people who have died. But the cool thing is? Once I do, I know everything they know..."

The First looked at Buffy, and smiled...

And suddenly, Angel's form was gone. The First discarded it like a snake shedding its skin...

...And became Buffy. She was wearing her cheerleader uniform.

"And I know all the things they've kept from you," the First said. "All the things Buffy kept from you. Hey, here's one: last spring, Angel made Drusilla give Willow her memories. Her memories, of exactly how Angel broke her. Her memories, of Angel locking her in a closet for a hundred-and thirty-one days, and raping her with his big dick. Raping her every single day. I'm not the only one who lies, Xander."

Willow's face went pale.

"And, not even kidding Xander?" the First said, and smiled at Xander, and held out her hands, a good distance apart. "Angel's big. Believe, me, I know. I could barely walk the next day when he took my cherry."

Buffy blushed. She looked away from the First...away from herself. Faith held her closer.

"All those girls he's been with?" the First said. "Angel knows what he's doing in bed all right. But hey, y'know, don't get down on yourself? Like they say, it's not the size of the bat, it's how you swing it. Just keep telling yourself that when you think of Angel raping the love of your life every day with his awesome humongous dick."

"What are you...what are you talking about?" Xander said. "Drusilla... she...what?"

"Xander," Giles said, and put his hand on Xander's shoulder. "The First is a liar. Remember that."

"How about it, Buffy?" the First said. "Am I the one who's lying here?"

The First looked at all of them, met each of their eyes in turn.

"Angel? Faith? Willow?" the First said, and smiled. "Am I lying?"

"That was...that was Angelus, who did that," Buffy whispered. "It wasn't Angel."

"What?" Giles said, and turned to Buffy.

"Right, my bad," the First said. "But, y'know, Angel, Angelus...never really saw much difference. Angelus' big plan to make Willow his new Dru? That all started when he was Angel. It took Angelus to act on the plan, sure. But Angel was interested in Willow from the start. Hey, can't blame him. She's a cutie. She's my strawberry girl."

"You knew about this?" Xander said, staring at Buffy.

Buffy wouldn't look at him.

"They all did," the First said. "Buffy, Faith, Angel...just about everyone was in on it except you."

Xander turned to Willow. She wouldn't look at him either.

He lifted her chin, and turned her toward him, and looked into her eyes.

"Willow?" Xander whispered.

Willow's eyes filled with tears.

"He didn't just make her read Dru's memories, Xander," the First said. "He made her live them, in her mind, as if they all happened to her. As if they were her life. Every sight, every sound, every smell...Willow remembers all of it. Your girlfriend remembers Angel locking her in a closet and raping her every day. She remembers sucking his dick, and licking his balls, and swallowing his cum. She remembers what his cum tastes like. Or hey, you know what? Maybe I'm lying. I'm evil, right? Could be lying. How about it, guys? Who's the liar here? Did I lie to Xander? Or did you?"

"Xander...we...wanted to tell you, but..." Buffy said, looking down at the floor.

"Oh, I can see this isn't gonna end well," the First said, and giggled.

"Willow," Xander whispered, and caressed her cheek. Xander's face was turning red, and his hands were shaking. "Is this true? Did he...Angelus...do that to you? Do you remember him...doing that to you? Being in the closet, and... everything else. Do you remember it all as if it happened to you?"

"Yeah," Willow whispered, and started to cry.

Xander's face turned even redder; it turned red as an apple. He looked around at everyone; met everyone's eyes.

Finally, he looked at Angel. Angel looked back. Everyone was quiet.

"You guys," the First said, and chuckled, breaking the silence. "Like shooting fish in a barrel. See what happens when we lie, Buffy? Faith should probably give your ass another spanking."

Faith and Buffy both blushed this time. No one said anything.

"Xander," Buffy said, and took his arm. "I'm...I'm sorry."

Xander tore himself away from her, and from Willow too. He grabbed Faith's stake from the wall...

"Xander!" Willow shouted.

...Angel stood perfectly still.

"Xander, NO!" Buffy screamed, and grabbed Xander's arm again, yanking him backwards as he lunged at Angel...

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Xander shrieked, and wrenched himself free of her, spinning around and elbowing Buffy in the face. Buffy stumbled backwards, tripped over Giles and fell to the floor.

"Ouch," the First said.

"Buffy!" Faith shouted, and immediately knelt down beside Buffy and took her hand.

Xander plunged his stake toward Angel's heart...

Angel grabbed Xander's hand, and stopped him. The stake slipped from Xander's hand, and dropped to the floor.

Buffy was sprawled on the floor. Faith was helping her up. Giles had fallen against the end table. Willow stood in the middle of the hallway, white as a ghost and trembling all over now, and crying.

Everyone watched Angel. No one said a word. No one moved.

Xander tried to punch Angel in the face with his other hand. Angel grabbed that hand too, moving faster than their eyes could follow.

Xander screamed, and tried to break free of him, but Angel held him still.

"I wish I could let you, Xander," Angel said, and looked right into Xander's eyes. "Think it's easy for me? Think I wanna be here? Think I wanna have to listen to someone else making love to my girl every night? I don't. But I can't let you kill me now. The world is in trouble and there are people out there who need saving. When this is done? When I've done my part? I'll stand here and let you stake me if you want. But not until it's done. You understand?"

Xander spit in his face.

The First bristled at that, but she said nothing.

Angel let Xander go. He didn't wipe the spit away.

"Big fucking hero," Xander said.

Xander stood there, shaking a little, and looking at Angel. Angel looked back, standing perfectly still, as Xander's spit slid down his face, and off his chin. The First looked away, and shook her head.

Xander turned away from Angel, and looked at Buffy, Faith, Giles...and Willow.

"I'm done," Xander said. "I'm fucking done with this. I'm outta here."

Buffy sat down on the floor, and cried. Faith sat with her, and held her.

"Xander," Faith said. "Don't...don't do this. Don't do this to Buffy. Please? She's your friend, Xander. She needs you right now. I'm your friend too."

"You and I aren't shit," Xander said. "Friends don't lie to each other. Giles, did you know about this too? Were you in on the big Let's Make A Fucking Sap Out Of Xander game too?"

"No," Giles said. "I'm sorry, Xander."

"Yeah, Giles," Xander said. "Me too."

"I told them to lie," Willow said.

Xander whirled around.

"What?" Xander said. "You?"

Willow took Xander's hands in hers.

"They wanted to tell you," Willow said. "Buffy didn't find out about this until Saturday night, at Angel's mansion. Faith found out the next day. And they both wanted to tell you. But I told them they had to keep it a secret." She glanced at Giles. "From you and from Giles," Willow said. "I just...I just only wanted the girls to know."

She looked back at Xander. He had tears running down his cheeks now.

She wiped them away.

"So if, y'know, you wanna be all, angry at someone? Be angry at me," Willow said.

"Can't ever be angry with you, and yeah, I know I'm bullshitting even as I'm saying it," Xander said. "So let me rephrase. Okay, yeah, I'm angry with you. But I love you, so I'll get over it. But I'm leaving, Willow. I'm not doing this anymore. I can't be a part of this...of putting you in danger anymore."

"This is...this is why," Willow said. "I didn't want you to know because...I knew you'd do this. I knew you'd want us to stop helping."

"I love you, baby," Xander said. "Guess it makes me predictable."

"I like how you're predictable," Willow said. "But...Buffy needs us. If we leave..."

"If we leave no fucking monsters will have a chance to lock you in a closet and rape you. Willow, did you ever think that maybe all the badness, all the shit that comes into our lives, might be because of her?" Xander said, and pointed at Buffy, without looking at her.

"Xander," Faith said. "Come on, man. That's...that's not fair."

Xander looked down at her. Faith was still sitting with Buffy on the floor, holding her in her arms.

"You weren't here, Faith," Xander said. "You don't know what our lives were like before Buffy. You wanna know what our lives were like? Peaceful. I never even saw a vampire before I met Buffy. I lived in Sunnydale sixteen years without anyone ever trying to kill me. Then I met Buffy Summers. Willow grew up here too. No one ever tried to kill her. No one ever screwed with her head and gave her memories of being locked in a fucking closet and raped every day. Then she met Buffy Summers."

"I thought no one could ever care about me," Faith said. "Then I met Buffy Summers. And you guys too. Walking away is a mistake, Xander. No matter what you think, I am your friend. And I'm telling you, as a friend, that if you walk away?" She looked over at the First. "You're playing right into that thing's hands."

"Buffy," Xander said.

Buffy looked up at him.

"I know you didn't mean this," Xander said. "I know you never wanted to hurt us...to hurt Willow. But you did. You did hurt us. And hey, you can hurt me all day long? But I can't let you hurt Willow anymore."

Buffy nodded, and looked down at the floor again.

"I'm sorry I hit you," Xander said.

Buffy nodded again.

Xander turned back to Willow.

"I'm packing my stuff, Willow," Xander said. "You can come with me, or you can stay here. If you stay, we're through. Yeah, I know, kinda harsh? I'm like, completely making a scene? But I love you. I'll always love you. And I can't see you in danger anymore. So you need to decide. Are you coming with me?"

Willow looked at Buffy, and Faith.

"Yeah," she whispered, so softly she could hardly be heard.

Xander took her hand, and they walked back into Joyce's bedroom together, without another word.

Xander grabbed his things from the closet, and shoved them into his gym bag. Willow took her things from the bureau, and arranged them neatly in her suitcase. They didn't talk. They put their shoes and their coats on.

They walked back into the hall together. The First was gone.

Faith, Giles and Angel watched them. Buffy looked down at the floor.

"Goodbye," Xander said.

Faith stood up, and walked over to them. She started to cry.

"Please don't go?" she whispered. "Please? You guys are...you guys are my family."

"Gotta," Xander said. "But...what I said before...about you not meaning anything to me. I was being a dick. I'm sorry. You mean a lot to me, Faith. I care about you."

Faith nodded, and hugged him.

"Ow," Xander said, and giggled, that goofy giggle he had. "Strong Slayer grip." Faith giggled too.

"How am I...gonna get your D.O.R. now?" Faith whispered.

He wiped her tears away.

"I guess...you're not," he said, and pulled away. "I'm sorry."

Faith stood there, and started to tremble.

Willow hugged her.

"I'll always be your auntie," Willow whispered in her ear. "I'll always love you, Faith. Always. And we'll see each other again, okay sweetie? We will. I promise."

"I love you too," Faith whispered, her voice cracking. And she trembled, and cried, and didn't let Willow go...

After a moment, Xander said, "We gotta get going."

Willow gently stepped away from Faith, and looked at Buffy.

Buffy was still sitting on the floor.

Willow walked back to her, and knelt down beside her, and held her hand.

"I'm sorry," Willow whispered.

Buffy looked up at her.

"He's right," Buffy said. "All I ever did was hurt you. All I ever did was... almost get you killed. I'm sorry, Willow."

"You cared about me. You protected me. That's what you did," Willow said. "That's what you always did, Buffy."

Willow kissed her cheek.

"We gotta...we gotta go," Willow said.

Buffy nodded, and looked back down at the floor.

"Where will you be going?" Giles said.

"Don't know," Xander said. "Home, I guess. We'll figure it out."

"Would you like a ride?" Giles said.

"Yeah," Xander said. "Thanks, Giles."

"I just need to collect my things," Giles said. "I'll just be a few minutes. I'll meet you both at the car."

"Cool," Xander said.

Willow was still kneeling beside Buffy, and holding her hand.

Xander stood there for a moment, watching them.

Then he took Willow's hand, and she stood up, and they walked away.

No one said a word, as Willow and Xander walked down the stairs. No one said a word, as they heard the front door open, and close...and then they were gone.

Faith sat on the floor beside Buffy again, and held her.

"I lost them," Buffy whispered, as her tears fell down her cheeks, and Faith held her tight. "I lost them."

Faith sat with Buffy on the floor, and held her, and kissed her hair.

She looked up at Giles.

"You leaving her too?" Faith said.

"Of course not," Giles said. "I would never leave Buffy...I would never leave either of you. And Willow didn't want Xander or me to know about this, and while I don't think that was the right decision on her part, it was still her decision. There was nothing else you could have done."

He crouched down beside Buffy, and took her hand.

"I'll take them back to my house, and I'll find a way to convince them to stay with me until this business is finished," he said. "I'll look after them, Buffy."

"Thank you," Buffy whispered, and hugged him.

"You're welcome," Giles said.

Angel watched them...watched the three of them together, sitting on the floor, and holding each other. They didn't even seem aware of him anymore.

He knew he didn't belong with them anymore. He wasn't part of what they had...he knew he had no right to it anymore.

"I screwed it up, Giles," Angel heard Buffy whisper. "I screwed it all up."

"No," Giles said. "You saved the world. You saved your friends. You protected us all, as best you could. No one could have done more, Buffy."

"You believe it, honey," Faith said, and kissed Buffy's cheek. "You listen when your Watcher talks, okay?"

"I'm your Watcher too, Faith," Giles said.

"Hey, I'm all ears, G-Man," Faith said.

"I'll call later, after they're settled in and I've had a chance to talk to them," Giles said. "Maybe...I can convince him to change his mind."

"He won't," Buffy said. "I've lost him. Lost them both."

"It's not easy," Giles said. "I wish I could make it easier for you. I wish I could take some of the burden on myself. But I can't. So you need to hold on. You need to hold on and be strong, all right?"

"She's got me," Faith said. "She'll always have me."

"Good," Giles said. "All right, I'll call you once I have them settled in." He stood up, and walked back to his room.

"Honey," Faith said. "Come back to bed, okay? I don't want you out here like this anymore. Let me take care of you."

Buffy nodded, and let Faith stand her up. They walked back to their bedroom together, without even glancing at Angel.

Angel was alone in the hallway.

He let his senses reach out. He heard Giles packing his things. He heard the furnace making that grinding noise it sometimes made. He heard Faith whisper, "I love you." He heard Buffy whisper back, "I love you so much, baby."

He stood in the hallway, alone. He knew he wasn't part of Buffy's life, anymore. He knew he didn't belong there. He knew he didn't belong anywhere.

He knew he was nothing...

He was a reflection. All that he was, he knew, was the effect he'd had on other people. He didn't exist, on his own...he had no identity other than what he created in the people around him. He was a reflection, and Buffy, Faith, Willow, Xander and Giles were his mirrors.

He saw chaos, when he looked at them; he saw destruction. He saw a pestilence.

Giles came out of the spare room wearing a coat and carrying his suitcase and his leather satchel. He stopped in front of Angel.

"I don't forgive you," Giles said. "I never will."

"Yeah," Angel said.

"But Buffy needs your help," Giles said. "Will you help her?"

"She's got Faith," Angel said.

"Yes. But they're young. They'll need our help to come through this. Will you help? Will you keep Buffy safe while I'm gone? And Faith too?"

"Yeah," Angel said.

Giles nodded, and walked down the stairs, and didn't look back.

Angel was alone again.

He heard the front door open and close. A moment after that he heard Giles driving away.

He heard Buffy weeping in her bedroom. He heard Faith whisper, "Sshhh, honey. Sshhh. I love you. I love you. You're my girl."

He heard Buffy whisper, "I'm your girl."

He walked down the stairs, and tried to center himself.

Darla's scent came to him. Suddenly, she was walking beside him.

"Pathetic," she said. "You're better and more important than the lot of them put together. And you let them treat you this way. You let that...that ignorant child spit in your face."

"You're just gonna keep on bothering me, aren't you?" Angel said, and kept walking. "What is it now? More speeches about how big and great and evil you are? Already said no to the deal. What else is there to talk about?"

"Maybe I just like being with you," Darla said.

He didn't look at her. At the bottom of the stairs she blocked his path.

"When you were with me, and happy?" she said. "You would have sliced that little fool to ribbons and strung him up like a side of beef. By the time you finally allowed him to die he would have been intimately acquainted with the look, smell, taste and texture of his own insides. Instead you stand there, enduring their abuse, wearing your fucking sackcloth, covering yourself in ashes."

"You done?" Angel said, and walked through her, heading for the cellar.

"I'm just getting started, my angel," Darla said, and disappeared.

Faith laid with Buffy on the bed, and held her in her arms.

"You're my girl," Faith said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Buffy said.

"I'll always love you, Buffy," Faith said. "I'll never leave you. You understand that? That I'll always stick with you, no matter what?"

Buffy nodded.

"It wasn't your fault, honey," Faith said. "It was no one's fault. Will told us not to tell, because she knew what would happen."

Buffy nodded. Faith kissed her forehead.

They were quiet, for awhile.

"I want you to take over," Buffy said. "I can't...I can't do this anymore."

"What?" Faith said. "What are you talking about?"

Buffy looked up at her, with tears in her eyes.

"I can't do it, baby," Buffy said. "I can't, I can't. I can't...be the leader anymore, and have to make all the decisions, and...be strong all the time. I can't."

"Bullshit," Faith said. "Of course you can do it. It's what you do."

"You said that, if...if I didn't want to anymore, you'd step up. That you'd take the weight. Will you? Will you do this for me?"

Faith looked at her. She hesitated.

"Okay," Faith said.

Buffy nodded, and curled up against Faith's breasts.

"Make love to me, baby?" Buffy whispered. "I need you."

"Okay," Faith said.

"I love you," Buffy whispered, an hour or so later, as they laid naked on the bed together, and Faith held her in her arms.

"I love you too," Faith said, and kissed her. "My girl feelin' better now?"

Buffy nodded, and managed a smile.

"You always take care of me," Buffy said.

"That's because you're my girl, honey," Faith said. "I always take good care of my girl."

"So what's the plan now, boss?" Buffy said.

"We look for Spike," Faith said. "It's still real early, I figure we can cover the whole town pretty good in Angel's car."

"Y'know, I never would have thought of that. I was all ready for us to just go out and like, walk everywhere."

"We can cover more ground with a car. Anyway hopefully the thing won't be a shitbox like Giles' car."

"Angel's car is the coolest car ever. It's all like, this big black super-fast convertible? Angel thinks he's Burt Reynolds when he drives it," Buffy said, and sat up. "You're gonna love it."

Faith sat up with her, and wrapped her arms around her in a bear hug.

"Aren't we getting up?" Buffy said.

"Yup," Faith said.

Buffy nodded, and tried to get up again. Faith didn't let her go.

"Um, as much as I'm always horny for you, baby?" Buffy said. "You do want us to go looking for Spike, right?"

"Yup," Faith said, and smiled.

"Well, I don't think he's hiding in this room? So we're gonna need to get out of the bed to look for him."

"Yup."

Faith still wouldn't let Buffy move.

"Um..." Buffy said. "You're not letting me up."

"Nope," Faith said.

"So what are you doing exactly? Are you being horny? But you haven't done any pervo stuff to me yet."

"You're in a Faith cage."

"I'm in a Faith cage?"

"Yup."

"What's a Faith cage?"

"Faith cages are unbreakable," Faith said, and kissed Buffy's cheek, and held her tight. "You can't escape from a Faith cage. You just gotta do your time, finish out your sentence."

"What's my sentence?" Buffy said.

"You have to believe things are gonna get better. I'm not letting you out of the cage until you believe that."

Buffy caressed Faith's hand.

"I think...I might be in this cage a long time," Buffy said.

"We're gonna get them back, Buffy," Faith said.

"How do you know? You sound...really sure."

"Something you're forgetting. Xander's forgetting too. Those wolf vamps want Willow. It's got nothing to do with Willow being with us, they want her no matter where she is. She's safe with Giles for now because the sun's up. Once it gets dark? We're gonna have to start watching her. Whether Xander likes it or not, he's gonna have to deal with us until this thing is over. So yeah, you'll be seeing Will and Xander again. You'll be seeing them again tonight."

"But after this thing is over they could just leave again."

"You have to believe, honey. You have to believe things are gonna get better. You just...you just have to have faith."

Buffy turned around in Faith's arms, and smiled.

"Yeah," Buffy said, and kissed her.

Angel laid on the cot in the cellar, looking up at the ceiling, and finishing a Rolling Rock. Xander hadn't taken the case of Rolling Rock with him. So Angel stole one. For old time's sake.

Faith's scent came to him. Peaches. With a hint of muskiness.

A moment later she walked down the thin old wooden stairs. She was quiet, but the stairs still creaked a little.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he said, and looked at her. She was wearing the same red leather coat he'd seen her in when he first arrived at the house, and a wakizashi in a scabbard hooked to her belt.

She approached his cot. Empty beer bottles littered the floor all around it. Angel added the bottle of Rolling Rock to the pile.

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Faith said.

"I can drink you under the table, Lehane," Angel said, and went back to looking up at the ceiling.

"Not if we're drinking champagne."

Angel nearly smiled.

"So I hear," Angel said. "No matter how much I block my ears."

Faith raised her eyebrow.

"Shit," she said, and sat down on the edge of his cot, and blushed, and smiled despite herself.

Angel got up, and sat next to her.

So how you doin'?" Faith said.

"Surviving," Angel said. "You?"

"Hangin' in. Lately it seems like every day's throwin' me a new curve. I'm still kind of like, acclimating, I guess. Figuring it out as I go."

"Yeah. I know how you feel."

"I was pissed at you last night. That's why I said that stuff I said."

Faith looked at him. His dark eyes looked black in the shadowy cellar.

"When I said I didn't trust you, it felt like a cheap shot," Faith said. "I'm not sayin' like, I trust you a hundred percent? I mean, you did all that stuff. But... when I said it last night...I just said it 'cuz I was pissed off."

"Don't worry about it," Angel said. "You don't know me. Got no reason to trust me. Especially after what I did."

"I was pissed that you said Will would be dead weight in a fight. Will's strong. She can handle this. I didn't like you being all like, she's not important."

"That's not what I think. I know Willow can handle herself...handle the things we face. Just because she can't throw a punch that doesn't mean she isn't strong. I misspoke before. I didn't mean it like...like she should just stay home. I just meant, going up against Spike and maybe a bunch more vampires with him, Willow's better off hanging back. I know she wouldn't panic, I know she'd do her best to protect Buffy. But it's not a good situation for her to be in."

"Spike's tough, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Tougher than you?"

"Only if you count his ability to annoy people as a power."

"You and him, you've thrown down before?"

"Sure," Angel said, and nearly smiled. "Good times."

"So?" Faith said. "What happened?"

"Kicked his ass every time."

"Every time? How many times did you guys fight?"

"Fought a lot. He's a pain in the ass. British too."

"You don't like British people?"

"Irish thing. Long story. Some Brits are okay. Giles is okay."

"Buffy said if it was you she was up against instead of Angelus last spring, you would've won."

"It'll never be me. I would never hurt Buffy...when I have my soul."

"But when you don't," Faith said. "When you don't..."

"If I lose my soul again, you have to kill me," Angel said. "Don't bother trying to re-ensoul me. The only reason that worked last time was I didn't know Willow could do it. I killed Jenny Calendar because she was trying to re-ensoul me. If I had known then that Willow could do it I would've killed her too."

"Not you," Faith said. "Angelus."

"Angelus isn't a separate person. He's me. If I lose my soul again the first thing I'll do is try to stop Willow. You have to kill me before that happens."

He looked at her again. His dark eyes hit her like two hammers.

She made herself look back.

"Promise me you will," he said.

"Me? What about Buffy?" Faith said.

"She might hesitate. You won't. Promise me if I ever lose my soul again, you'll kill me. Willow, Buffy...they might want to try to re-ensoul me again. That'll just buy me time to do more damage. You have to kill me."

Faith looked away from him, and shook her head.

"My life is completely fucked in the head," she said. "I'm hanging with a vampire. And our small talk? Are we talkin' ball games? Are we talkin' cars? Nope. We're having a heart-to-heart about how you want me to solemnly swear to kill you sometime. Plus, I'm just gonna say it again? You're a vampire."

"Kinda ridiculous, huh?" Angel said.

"Yeah," Faith said, and laid back on the cot, and looked up at the ceiling. "I remember when vampires were just like, these guys in movies. Like y'know, Freddy and Jason."

"Who are Freddy and Jason? Are they vampires?"

"You're old, dude," Faith said, and grinned. "Freddy and Jason are these movie bad guys. Not vampires. Just kinda like...well I don't know, mutant freak guys I guess. Point is they're fake. Always thought vamps were fake too. Now I'm hanging out with one."

"Life's full of surprises," Angel said. "Will you do it? If I lose my soul. Will you promise to kill me, no matter what Buffy or Willow say?"

"Yeah," Faith said.

Angel looked out into the darkness. Faith looked up at the ceiling.

"You guys heading out after Spike?" Angel said.

"Yeah," Faith said. "We need your car. It'll be easier if we got wheels."

"Uh...yeah...okay," Angel said. "Can you drive stick?"

Faith raised her eyebrow.

"Pretty sure I remember how," she said.

As Buffy buckled her scabbard on her belt and headed downstairs carrying a duffel bag, Angel was following Faith into the living room.

"You have to be careful when you downshift," Angel was saying. "It's kinda finicky downshifting."

"Told me already," Faith said.

"And remember not to ride the clutch."

"Uh-huh."

"It's got maybe a quarter tank of gas? If you need to fill it you gotta get premium unleaded. Regular's bad for the engine."

"Uh-huh."

"And you should give the engine a minute to warm up before--"

"I'm gonna stake you in a minute," Faith said.

"Hey," Buffy said, as she came into the living room. "We all set?"

"Our boy's all nervous," Faith said. "Thinks we're gonna crash his ride."

"Didn't say you were gonna crash it," Angel said. "It's just...finicky. You have to treat it right."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, GQ," Faith said. "We'll bring it back without a scratch. Uh...steering wheel's not over on the right, is it?"

"No," Angel said. "I hate that crap."

"Then relax," Faith said. "I'll take good care of your wheels, promise."

"Who said you were driving?" Buffy said.

"I did, girlfriend," Faith said, and raised her eyebrow. "I'm the boss."

"Shit."

"You owe me after making me drive the Gilesmobile. You call him?"

"Yeah, he said he'll ask Will to backtrack Spike's number for us. And I told him to expect us tonight."

"Cool," Faith said, and turned to Angel. "Okay guy, me and Buffy will be back before sunset. We'll call and check in during the day too. When we get home two of us have to head right back out to Giles' place, so we can watch Will for the night. If maybe Xander's calmed down a bit the other one can go with him to pick up some stuff from that military base. You good here 'til we get back?"

"Uh...well...it would be good if one of you...showed me how to work the VCR," Angel mumbled.

"Is he pulling my leg?" Faith said, and glanced at Buffy.

"Nope," Buffy said, and grabbed the VCR remote from the coffee table, and stood next to him, pointing out all the buttons. "Okay, look. This button here? Turns on the TV. If you wanna just watch TV these buttons change the channels up and down. If you wanna watch a tape, just put the tape in...um, you know how to put a tape in, right? You just like, slide it in?" Angel nodded. Buffy wasn't sure if he really knew how to put a tape in or if he was just trying to hold onto some of his dignity, but she just kept going. "The VCR turns on when you put a tape in. All you gotta do is press this button here, it switches back and forth between the TV and the VCR, then press the play button here. These two buttons are fast forward and rewind..."

"What are fast forward and rewind?" Angel said.

"You're losing coolness points by the second here, GQ," Faith said.

"We didn't have gadgets in the eighteenth century," Angel said.

"So what did people do all day?"

"Read the Bible and drank. A war every once in awhile."

"Don't forget bangin' the maid."

Angel frowned at her, and went back to looking at the VCR remote.

"Fast forward speeds the movie up if you want to skip over a part," Buffy said. "Rewind takes you backwards if you want to see a part again. This button here? Pause? It like, freezes the movie in case you need to take a break and you don't wanna miss anything. Just press it again to make it start playing again."

"Okay," Angel said. "This is kinda complicated. It's got a lot of buttons."

"I'll set up a movie for you," Buffy said. "I got Titanic..."

"No," Angel said, emphatically.

"Damn B, you tryin' to neuter the guy? There's some Clint Eastwood movies Xander left here," Faith said. "Better not even try to tell me you don't like Clint, Angel. Your coolness is hangin' by a thread here as it is."

"Who's Clint Eastwood?" Angel said.

Faith sighed and shook her head, and went to the entertainment center and pulled down some videotapes. She looked them over, then pulled one from its box and inserted it into the VCR.

"The Outlaw Josey Wales," Faith said. "You can start with my favorite."

"What's it about?" Angel said.

"Cowboy movie, awesome gun fights," Faith said. "It's about honor, and revenge. Doin' right by your friends and never backin' down. Plus sayin' cool shit while you do it. And not for nothin, if you don't like Clint? You're gay."

Buffy laughed. Angel frowned again.

"Well...that's kinda harsh," Angel said.

"Explains about me though," Buffy said.

"You're gonna like Clint eventually, girlfriend," Faith said. "I'm chippin' away, I'm gonna like, mold you. You're gonna be my Eliza Doolittle."

"Who?" Buffy said.

"Man, I've got so much work to do here," Faith said, and shook her head again. "C'mon, my fair lady, I'll explain in the car. While I'm driving."

Willow and Xander sat on Giles' couch, and Giles sat across from them in the squeaky recliner. They drank tea. There was a plate of dry, crumbly tea cookies on the coffee table, that no one had touched.

"Thanks again, Giles," Xander said. "This really helps us out."

Willow looked down at her tea cup, and didn't say anything.

"Of course," Giles said. "You're always welcome to stay here. Is the room all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Xander said. "And it's a big help. I didn't really...uh... think this whole thing through when we left Buffy's. Would've been a bummer having to sneak Will into my room in the basement of my parents' place."

"I'm sorry there isn't a television," Giles said. "There's the television here in the parlor though. And my record player."

"Trust me, this is a palace compared to my basement," Xander said.

Giles watched Willow. She hadn't looked at him, or Xander, since she arrived. She hadn't talked either. She was still looking down at her tea cup.

"Is there anything you need, Willow?" Giles said. "Is the room okay?"

"I'm fine," Willow muttered, without looking up. "Thank you, Giles."

"House has internet access, so Will's happy," Xander said.

"Yeah," Willow said. "I just lost two of my friends. Hey, let's, y'know, have a big fucking party."

Xander put his hand arm around her. Willow's body was neither rigid nor yielding. She moved when he pulled her toward him. She stopped moving when he stopped moving her. She was like a rudderless boat, moving with the currents.

"Willow..." Giles said. "I know this situation is--"

"I'm sorry, Giles," Willow said. "I'm not...I'm not angry with you. I'm just...it's been a rough day."

Usually, Willow's voice was lighter than air and bright as sunshine; it would flit around a room like a bumblebee on a summer day, trailing laughter in its wake. Now her voice was leaden; it was grounded. It was low and flat and unvarying, as if it was missing something. As if something had gone out of it.

Giles picked up the plate of cookies, and held it out to her, and smiled that winsome smile he had, the one that showed off his dimples.

"Cookie?" he said.

"There all like, crumbly," Willow said. "They're like, these sad crumbly British cookies."

She took one, and ate a bit of it.

"They don't taste like anything either," Willow said. "How come you get these? How come you don't get like, Oreos? Oreos with double stuff."

"These make people appreciate my tea more," Giles said.

"You should get Oreos with double stuff."

"I'll get some. I think you two are going to be here for awhile."

"It's great of you to offer, but we don't want to impose," Xander said.

"Those vampires are still after me, Xander," Willow said, looking at him for the first time. "Did you think they were just gonna stop because you decided to be mean to Buffy? If we're not staying with Buffy and Faith we're gonna have to stay here. We can't go home, our parents would freak if those vampires showed up, they wouldn't know what to do. They'd call the cops and then the cops would come and get killed too. We have to stay here until this thing is over."

"Maybe now that we're away from Buffy they won't be looking for you anymore," Xander said.

"It has nothing to do with Buffy," Willow said. "You heard what the vampires said, they want me. If it wasn't for Faith I'd be gone and you'd be dead. If it wasn't for Faith I would've been dead in that alley two months ago."

Xander's face turned red.

"And don't act like you don't know it," Willow said. "Yeah, I came with you, because I, I can't lose you? But don't you, don't you act like..."

Tears streamed down Willow's cheeks.

"Don't you act like this is all Buffy's fault," Willow said. "She never like, forced us to help. Remember when we started out? She was always telling us to stay home, always telling us it was too dangerous. But we kept insisting on coming along. Because she was our friend. And now...and now..."

"She called, Willow," Giles said.

"She did?" Willow said, and snapped her head up like a terrier on a scent, and wiped her tears away.

"What did she want?" Xander said.

"To make sure you two were all right," Giles said.

"That's it?"

"And to tell me what Angel found. Willow, would you mind tracing a phone number on your computer for me? It seems that Spike--"

"Fucking figures," Xander muttered. "We've been gone what, like four hours and she's already--"

"Buffy's not asking, Xander," Giles said. "I am."

"What about Spike?" Willow said.

"Angel tracked down one of the vampires who delivered the Key," Giles said. "The vampire never saw the man he's working for, he only talked to him on the phone. He gave Angel the number. He said the man he works for is a vampire, and he has an English accent, and that he's rumored to have killed two Slayers in his time."

"Spike," Willow said.

"Well, we have no direct proof, but he's the only person we know of who fits the bill," Giles said. "Supposedly he got hold of the Key and set up the deal to sell it to those priests; the vampires delivering it were his flunkies."

"Yup, that sounds like Spike. He's always looking for a way to make some money."

"And hopefully he can shed some light on the Vigil of Saint Vigeous."

"Plus Buffy has the Key. If he comes after it...Giles, we need to find Spike before he finds us."

"Just what Buffy and I were thinking. Buffy and Faith are looking for Spike now. Can you trace the number?"

"Not with that old dinosaur of a computer you have," Willow said, and smiled for the first time, and leaped off the couch. "But my handy-dandy laptop can. I'm gonna have to unplug your computer and steal your internet connection for awhile. Aren't you happy I made you get a T1 line now?"

"Yes, Willow, I just want to dance for joy," Giles said. "It's marvelous, having a whole world of ridiculous twaddle at my fingertips."

"Okay, wait a minute," Xander said, and stood up. "Just...slow down, okay? Will, I thought...I thought we decided we were done with this stuff?"

"I didn't decide anything," Willow said. "You decided, remember? You didn't let me be part of the decision. It was either come with you or you were gonna dump me."

"Will..." Xander said, and put his arms around her waist. "I just...don't want you to get hurt."

"Are you worried I'll get carpal tunnel syndrome?" Willow said. She kept her arms straight down at her sides. Her posture was stiff. "'Cuz other than that I don't see how typing on my laptop's gonna hurt me."

"You know what I mean," Xander said.

"I'm doing this," Willow said, and pulled away from him. "Giles, what's that number?"

"God damn, this thing's a blast to drive!" Faith said, as she whizzed down Sunnydale's back roads in Angel's car at extremely unsafe speeds. She had the top down and her arm around Buffy and a big smile on her face. Buffy had taken her shoes off, and she was hanging her feet out the window and wiggling her hips to the music coming from the hip hop station.

"Yup, Angel knows cars," Buffy said. "And like, I don't know cars? But this one is big and black and shiny and fast and it's a convertible."

"And you look real good in it," Faith said. "C'mere and gimme a kiss."

Buffy kissed her, and rested her head in Faith's lap.

"You're my pretty girl, huh honey?" Faith said. Buffy smiled, and nodded.

"So when am I gonna get to drive, boss?" Buffy said, and ran her fingers up and down Faith's knees.

"When you pry the keys from my cold, dead fingers," Faith said. "Guy owns a car like this can't be all bad."

"Is he still gay if he doesn't like Clint?"

"Hell yeah. This car makes up for a lot of sins but any guy who doesn't like Clint just ain't a guy. So where we headed next, beautiful?"

"How come you always call me beautiful?"

Faith looked down at her. "This a trick question?"

"No, seriously. You always call me beautiful and...I don't know, I'm just wondering why."

"Because you're the most beautiful woman in the world, Buffy," Faith said, and took Buffy's hand, and kissed it.

"You...really think that?" Buffy said. "Seriously?"

"I got a philosophy. Wanna hear it?"

"Um, okay."

Faith looked down at Buffy, and Buffy stared up into her eyes. The sun was bright in the sky, and Faith's eyes reflected it back at her...Faith's eyes were golden in the sunlight.

"Becca's always right," Faith said.

Buffy smiled.

"Yeah?" Buffy said. "Well it's easy to remember."

"And it's true, too," Faith said. "And Becca, one of the big things about her was, she never talked just to talk. She said something, she meant it, you took it to the bank, y'know? She never blew smoke. So I don't either. I don't talk just to talk. I mean the things I say. And when I say you're the most beautiful woman in the world? I mean it, Buffy. I mean it."

"I love you," Buffy whispered.

"I love you too, beautiful," Faith whispered back, and leaned her head down, and gently kissed her.

Buffy curled up in Faith's lap, and hugged her.

"How you doin' honey?" Faith said. "You doin' okay?"

"I'm with my baby," Buffy said. "I'm okay."

"Just gotta have faith," Faith said. "We're gonna see Will tonight. We'll talk to Xander too, find out if maybe he's calmed down some. But even if he won't budge? Remember what I said, Buffy. Willow's not gonna let him run her whole life. She's too strong for that. We're gonna get her back. Okay, beautiful?"

"Okay. You should have worn a skirt."

"So you could be a bad girl and distract me?" Faith said, and raised her eyebrow. "Sorry hon, I'm the boss. Boss says we're working right now."

"You're such a mean boss," Buffy said, and kissed Faith over her jeans, in between her legs. "You won't let me have any fun."

"I think someone's looking for a spanking," Faith said. "So where next?"

"We tried Spike's old crypts, plus the factory he was hiding out at last time he and Dru were here. We'll hit Willy's place next, see if anyone's heard anything. They do this potato and egg sandwich that Spike really likes? He went there for lunch sometimes. Willy's got a sewer access that all the vamps use."

"Potato and egg sandwiches? Guy's a vamp. What's he want food for?"

"He's a weird vamp. He likes food, he likes beer, he likes music. He likes parties, hanging out with people."

"He sure won't like hanging out with me once this boot goes up his ass."

"I'm gonna drive on the way back from the bar," Buffy said. "I'm so gonna drive."

Faith raised her eyebrow again.

"Them's fightin' words, pardner," Faith said.

She leaned down and kissed Buffy again, and sped up; the car shot down the road, and the wind whipped their hair around. Buffy stretched her legs and hung her feet out the window again, and turned up the volume on the radio.

And they moved their hips to the music, and snapped their fingers, and sang together, and laughed together...as the sun shined down above them, and the world rushed by all around them, and they raced toward what awaited them...

"We got somethin' in this territory called the Missourah boat ride," Angel said, with a big grin on his face.

Angel hadn't seen a Western since the time he had watched a John Wayne marathon on an old black and white television set in a woman named Shelly Baker's kitchen in Nevada in 1961, and he hadn't realized how much fun they could be. He'd dismissed the John Wayne movies then as naive, simplistic morality plays with two-dimensional characters moving about in a child's idea of the world. But this movie was different. Angel thought Josey Wales was a cowboy he could get behind.

There had been a dangerous moment when he'd tried to pause the movie so he could get a glass of blood, and he had hit the wrong button and suddenly Telemundo had come on. It had been touch and go for a few seconds after that, but he managed to get the movie back. He'd had to start over from the beginning, as he'd apparently rewound the movie by mistake somehow, but he didn't mind because he had only been ten minutes into it and it had a hell of a good beginning and it was fun watching it again. And it gave him a chance to grab himself a tall, frosty glass of blood and some beers. He was settled in on the couch now, and he had his blood and his beer, and the sound of gunfire was music to his ears.

A scent came to him. It smelled like spices...

It was coming closer. He heard footsteps, moving through the front yard.

"You a bounty hunter?" Josey Wales said, standing tall as a redwood in a shadowy corner of the saloon. His voice was a low, raspy rumble, like distant thunder on the plains.

"A man's gotta do somethin' for a livin' these days," the little weasel of a bounty hunter replied, as Josey's cobra stare nailed him in place.

The footsteps had reached the porch now.

Angel knew this was going to be one of the really good parts...

"Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy," Josey said.

The doorbell rang.

Angel tried to pause the movie. The screen suddenly turned black, and the word "input" was displayed in the upper right corner.

"Balls," Angel muttered, and got up and answered the door.

When he opened the door, peeking out from behind it so the sun couldn't reach him, a girl he had never seen before was standing on the porch.

"Oh...uh...hi," the girl said.

"Hello," Angel said.

The girl flinched a little, when Angel looked into her eyes.

"Can I...help you?" Angel said.

"Um...yeah um..." the girl said, looking down at the porch. "Sorry, um...I was looking for...the S-Summers house? I mean...Buffy Summers."

"This is Buffy's house," Angel said. "She's not here right now, but...uh... are you a friend of hers?"

The girl looked up, and smiled. She had wide, full lips, and a beautiful smile. But she looked away again, the second Angel looked into her big blue eyes.

She ran her hand through her long blonde hair, and fingered the pendant she wore on a silver chain around her neck. The pendant was a perfect white sphere; it looked like a crystal. It shimmered in the sunlight.

"Well...no, but..." she said. "But I was w-wondering if she's seen..."

The girl reminded Angel of a butterfly. She was a rare, beautiful, fragile thing, but if you made any sudden movements, she might fly away...

The girl's scent was wonderful; exotic, spicy...like ginger.

"I was wondering if she's s-seen Faith," the girl said. "Faith Lehane? She's a friend of mine and...I know Buffy knows her? And...um...I've been trying to reach Faith but sh-she's not around? Um...do you know Faith?"

"Yeah," Angel said. "She's been staying here. She's out with Buffy right now. They should be back by four or so."

"Oh," the girl said, and looked down at the porch again, and blushed. "Okay. S-sorry to bother you. Can you just...m-m-maybe tell Faith I stopped by?"

"Might be kinda hard," Angel said, and smiled. "Since I don't know your name."

The girl giggled.

"Um...yeah, I'm kinda like a spaz sometimes?" she said. "Sorry. I'm Tara. But you can just like call me Spaz Girl if you want."

"Tara's prettier," Angel said. "I'm..."

A car came up the street, still a couple of blocks away but headed in their direction, and driving slow. It had blacked-out windows.

Angel let his senses reach out...

"You're...? Hey!" Tara said, as Angel grabbed her arm, yanked her into the house and slammed the door.

Angel put his finger to his lips, and dragged Tara away from the door. He marched her into the living room, and shielded her body with his, as he craned his neck to peek through the curtained window while trying to avoid the sunlight. The car had passed the house now, and it was speeding away up the street.

"W-w-what are you doing?!" Tara shouted. "Let go of me!"

Angel opened both of the living room windows just a crack, so he could catch any scents if vampires came near the house again. He held onto Tara as he did; he couldn't risk her leaving now.

"Let go of me!" Tara shouted again. "Let go!"

She was afraid; he smelled it. He let go of her arm.

Her face was red. Her breathing was fast, and her hands shook a little.

"W-what are you...like s-some kind of psycho or something?" she said. "Because...because I'm friends with Faith, and she can...she's really strong and she can kick your ass if you...if you try to..."

"I'm sorry I scared you," Angel said. "But you were followed here."

"What? Followed?"

"Uh...you wanna sit down? You want like, something to drink?"

"What do you mean I was followed? Who's following me? Why did you drag me in here? Where's Faith?"

Angel considered his options. The problem was, he didn't know exactly how much Tara knew...if she was Faith's friend, Faith might have told her she was a Slayer...or she might not. Angel didn't know Faith very well yet but one thing he did know, one thing he had sensed about Faith right from the start, was that she didn't have many friends...and he didn't want to cost her this one.

"You're right about Faith being strong," Angel said. "Did she tell you why she's strong? Do you know about this town, and what goes on here? About the things that come out after dark?"

"I know about vampires if that's what you mean," Tara said. "And just so you know? Faith kicks vampires' asses. So...so sh-she can sure as hell kick yours if you try to hurt me."

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I just needed to make sure you knew what the score is here before I tell you what's going on. You were followed by a car with blacked-out windows, I saw it up the street driving slow when we were talking at the door. A car with blacked-out windows means vampires."

"Why...would vampires follow me?" Tara said, looking at the windows.

"They might have just been watching the house," Angel said. "Faith and Buffy are Slayers. They don't just kick vampires' asses, they save the world too. Right now the world is in trouble. There's a new group of vampires in town, there are hundreds of them and they're stronger than the regular variety. They're trying to end the world and Buffy and Faith took something from them, a magic Key they were gonna use, to stop them from doing it. The vampires want it back. I think they'll move against us soon. That's why I'm here. I'm helping Buffy and Faith. My name's Angel. I'm sorry I scared you. But I need you to stay here until Buffy and Faith get back. If you go out there those vampires might hurt you."

"Angel," Tara said. "Nice name."

Tara looked up into his eyes, without flinching this time. Her face was still red, and her hands were still shaking, and Angel knew she was still scared, and trying to hide it. He knew it took an effort for Tara to meet his eyes.

"Do you want something to drink?" Angel said.

Tara looked around the room for the first time. She noticed Angel's glass of blood on the coffee table, and two bottles of beer. She noticed the TV set, with the word "input" on the screen. She noticed the Clint Eastwood videotapes on the coffee table; the box for The Outlaw Josey Wales was on top of the pile.

"Clint Eastwood," Tara said.

"Yeah," Angel said. "I'm watching one of his movies right now. Uh, well I'm trying to. I don't, uh, know how to work the VCR too well."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Tara set her shoulder bag down on the coffee table, and picked up The Outlaw Josey Wales. "Box is empty. Are you watching this one now?"

"Yeah. Faith said I'd like it." There were some interesting smells coming from Tara's shoulder bag; it smelled like a bunch of different herbs intermingling together. Angel recognized them. Separately, they were innocuous; cooking herbs. Together, they were magic ingredients. He focused in on the pendant Tara wore around her neck again. It was warmer than the temperature of the room.

"It's her favorite," Tara said. You like it?"

"Yeah," Angel said.

"You don't know how to work the VCR. Seriously?"

"Yeah. I was in the middle of the movie when you rang the bell. I tried to pause it, but, uh...it sorta got away from me. And it was at a really good part too."

"What part?"

"Clint was facing down a bounty hunter guy."

"Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy?"

Angel smiled. "Yeah. You've seen it?"

"Faith made me watch all Clint Eastwood's movies with her. She would always like, do her Clint impressions while the movies were going? She's kinda like a big goof. So you're sure you're not like some Hannibal Lecter guy who's gonna eat my skin or something gross like that, right?"

"No idea who that is? But no."

"Just checking. What are you drinking? What's this red stuff? Daiquiri?"

"No. Uh...you probably wouldn't like it."

"How about you grab me like a Diet Coke and I'll fix the VCR."

"When I come back will you still be here?" Angel said.

"Maybe," Tara said. "Maybe not. Only one way to find out."

Angel had been reading people for more than two centuries. He thought he was a good judge of character. He knew he needed to make a decision now.

He could force Tara to stay until Buffy and Faith came back, but he didn't want to do that. Or he could trust her not to run, but if she did he wouldn't be able to chase her in the sun; Buffy and Faith had his car and Giles' car was gone too. If she ran she could die and he wouldn't be able to prevent it...

He made a decision.

"Tara," Angel said. "If you run out that door, those vampires might find you and kill you. And I won't be able to help you if you run...I won't be able to follow you out there. I can only protect you in the house. And if you run out there, and get kidnapped, or killed? Faith will kick my ass. Worse than that, she'll lose a friend. And she doesn't have that many."

"Why can you only protect me in the house?" Tara said.

"Because the sun's out," Angel said. "And I'm a vampire."

Xander leaned in the doorway of Giles' study, and watched Willow.

The study was crammed full of books and papers and candles and crystals and various magic trinkets that Xander didn't recognize. The room smelled like incense, and it was dark; the only light came from a desk lamp. The lamp was solid silver carved in the shape of a gryphon and it looked right at home.

Xander thought all the room needed was a gypsy looking down into a crystal ball. Instead it had Willow, sitting at Giles' desk and looking down into her laptop. She was sipping tea, and frowning.

Willow could shut out the world; Xander could tell she didn't know he was there. She licked her lips, the way she always did when she concentrated. She stared down at her laptop as if she was trying to bore a hole through it. Her forehead had that little wrinkle it sometimes got between her eyebrows.

"How's it going, cowgirl?" Xander said.

"Bad," Willow said, without looking up. "The number's a cell phone."

"So?"

"Can't trace a cell phone. I can only trace landlines. I can backtrack a cell number, tell you who the account belongs to, but I can't locate the phone itself."

"Maybe the account will help? Give us an address?"

"Spike doesn't have addresses. The account belongs to a girl who died a month ago. Spike must've killed her and took the phone."

Xander walked into the dark little room, and stood behind Willow. He rested his hands on her shoulders, and started massaging them. She stiffened at his touch. Her shoulders were rigid as a plank of wood.

"So now what?" Xander said.

"I don't know," Willow said. "Isn't that your call? You make all the decisions for us, right? So, y'know, you tell me."

"I don't make all the decisions for us," Xander said.

"Sure," Willow said, and took his hands off her shoulders, closed her laptop, picked up her cup of tea, and walked away from him.

She sat on the couch, and looked down at the floor. She fidgeted with her hair, twisting it into little loops.

"Why am I getting the feeling you're a little miffed at me?" Xander said.

"A little miffed?" Willow said. She looked up at him. "You think that's what I am? You think I'm a little miffed?"

"So let's talk. We've been here all day and we haven't said a word to each other. I've been watching PBS for God's sake. I've been eating those tea cookies. The most fun I've had is building a new bookcase for Giles."

"You built a bookcase? Since when can you build a bookcase?"

"You know that carpentry elective I'm taking? I guess I'm getting kinda good at it. Giles bought all the pre-cut wood and the tools and stuff for the bookcase awhile ago but he didn't know how to put it all together. It's easy."

"That's...really cool," Willow said, and smiled a little. "You like it? You like doing carpentry?"

"Yeah. I think that's what I'm gonna do after high school. I don't think I'm gonna go to college. I'm gonna be a carpenter. That cool with you? You can handle being with a guy who's not all down with the book learnin'?"

Willow suddenly stopped smiling.

"I don't know," Willow said. "Carpentry can be dangerous, right? I mean, you use like, saws, and drills and stuff. You could hurt yourself. Cut off a finger."

"Uh...I'll be careful," Xander said.

"Maybe I should tell you never to do carpentry again. Maybe I should tell you that if you ever do it again then you and I are finished."

Xander sat down beside her, and took her hand.

She wasn't looking at him. He held her hand, but she wasn't holding his. Her hand, her whole body, was rigid, but languid at the same time; lifeless. She sat with him, but she wasn't there.

"Not like I'm gonna have to use my carpentry skills to fight monsters and save the world, Will," Xander said. "Uh...okay, I guess maybe someone could ask me to build an ark? But I'm not so good at measuring in cubits. The metric system's confusing enough. Bottom line is, Buffy isn't gonna be asking me to--"

"This isn't about Buffy," Willow said. She looked at him. She looked right into his eyes. "So stop pretending it is."

"Hey, guys," Buffy said, as she strolled into the Alibi Room with Faith.

Every head turned. Buffy took in the room: there wasn't much of a crowd yet. Three demons sat at the bar, and two vampires, a male and a female, played pool in the back. The place still looked like a cave. Questionable stains still covered the floor. The jukebox was still smashed in from the last time she had visited. Willy was behind the bar.

His hand was bandaged. Buffy smiled at him, and showed him her teeth.

"Hey, Willy," she said. "Miss me?"

Faith closed the door, leaned against it, and gave the crowd a quick once-over. She'd never seen a demon before, but they didn't worry her. These demons were bigger and meaner-looking than vampires but their scents told her they were scared. More than that, they were prey. Faith sensed it, she felt it in her stomach, in her bones; their presence raised her hackles. She wanted to wade into all three of them right then, tearing through their flesh with her fingernails and feeling their bones shattering beneath her fists, smelling their blood, laughing and killing and reveling in it; reveling in her power. But she controlled herself.

Killing the demons would have been good. But watching Buffy kill them would be even better. So Faith stood by the door, and watched.

"That's my girlfriend, Faith," Buffy said, and smiled back at her. "She's a Slayer too. She's just gonna watch for now. She's kinda like, auditing the class."

"What the hell do you want, kid?" Willy said. "You just get off on comin' in here and bothering my customers?"

"B," Faith said, and motioned her head toward the back. Buffy nodded. She felt the male vampire approaching her before she turned and saw him.

"Willy," Buffy said. "Why, why are you so stupid? I don't get off on bothering your customers."

The male vampire swaggered up to Buffy. He was big and barrel-chested, with long, silver-white hair and blue eyes that were so wide-set they made him look nearly reptilian. He sneered, revealing his long, canine teeth.

"Well, well, well," he said, in one of those big, bellowing, fake-sounding voices that radio announcers have. "If it isn't the Slay--"

Buffy drew her sword and sliced his head off in one seamless motion that was too quick to be seen, and pulled up a seat at the bar.

"I do kinda like killing them though," Buffy said, and sheathed it again.

"You're like a kid with a new toy with that damn thing," Willy said, as he frowned at the cloud of dust that had left a twenty dollar bar tab in its wake. "Don't be jealous, Willy," Buffy said, and frowned at the demon sitting a couple of stools away from her.

"You look like Mothra," Buffy said to the demon, who looked like a fat turtle. He even had some sort of armor plating on his back that looked like a shell.

"Gamera," Faith said. "Gamera was the turtle-looking dude."

"Gamera, right, my bad," Buffy said.

"Uh...I'm Brad," the demon said, and held out his hand, which was more like a clawed tentacle.

"Buffy, Slayer," Buffy said, and shook his hand. "So I'm gonna kill everyone in here, including you, unless someone tells me where Spike is."

"Uh...actually the three of us just got in from Boise," Brad said. "Who's Spike?"

"Hold that thought, Brad," Buffy said, and looked toward the pool table in the back. The female vampire was still there, watching her, and growling.

"Gonna make a move, honey?" Buffy said. "Why don't you come over here and buy me a drink."

"You fucking bitch," the vampire snarled, and stalked toward her. "You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Yup," Buffy said. She turned around on her stool, and leaned back with her elbows on the bar, and showed the vampire her teeth.

The vampire stood in front of her now, baring her fangs. She was wearing too much eyeliner, badly applied, along with black eyeshadow, black lipstick, and a lot of powder on her face, and her long, unkempt hair was dyed jet black to go with it. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were puffy. She looked like a mime who had just lost a bar fight. She had a big gold hoop nose ring that hung down to her lips and looked like it might interfere with biting people, but Buffy knew the girl wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer.

"Well I'm not!" the vampire screeched, and slashed at her with her claws.

"Okay," Buffy said, as she grabbed the vampire's arm, spun her around and twisted the arm up behind her back. She grabbed the vampire by the hair with her other hand and smashed her face into the bar. The vampire screamed.

"Now are you afraid of me?" Buffy said.

"Fuck...you, bitch!" the vampire muttered into the bar, as Buffy held her in place, completely immobilized.

"I bet the vampire girls are a lot nicer in Boise, huh guys?" Buffy said. The vampire thrashed around, trying to get up. Buffy put more pressure on her wrist. The vampire screamed again.

"Actually they're all pretty much like that," Brad said. "We don't see a lot of nose rings in Idaho though."

Buffy reached around and yanked the ring out of the vampire's nose, and looked at it. The vampire screamed again as blood spurted from the hole.

"Jesus, all over the bar," Willy said.

"Shut up, Willy," Buffy said. She shook her head at the nose ring, and tossed it away. "Not even real."

"You fucking bitch!" the vampire screamed.

"What was that?" Buffy said, and grabbed the vampire by the hair again with her other hand and smashed her face into the bar, sending a tremor through it that caused all the demons' drinks to spill. "Whoa!" one of the demons said.

"Bitch!" the vampire screamed again, but her voice was shaky now.

"Still not hearing you," Buffy said, and smashed the vampire's face into the bar again. Someone's glass fell to the floor and smashed into pieces. Buffy heard the vampire's nose break. One of the demons chuckled.

"Anything else you wanna say?" Buffy said. "Or do I get to talk now?"

The vampire whimpered underneath Buffy's hand, but she didn't say anything else, and she stopped struggling.

Buffy stood up, pulled the vampire up by her hair and flung her to the floor. The vampire was on her knees in front of her. Buffy still held her wrist up over her head in a wrist lock, and she held her hair in her hand like a leash.

The vampire's face was covered with blood, and she had tears in her eyes. She tried slashing at Buffy again with her free hand. Buffy avoided it, and kneed her in the nose. The vampire screamed again, and more blood spurted from it.

The vampire looked dazed now. She swayed in front of Buffy, on her knees, and looked at the floor. Buffy sat back down on the bar stool.

"You all done with your little tantrum, honey?" Buffy said, softly, as she held the vampire by her hair. "I think you're all done."

Faith watched Buffy; she watched her from her head down to her toes. Faith couldn't take her eyes off her.

Buffy released the vampire's arm, and drew her sword again. The vampire whimpered, when she saw it. Buffy gently tapped it against the top of the vampire's head.

Buffy looked at Faith. She didn't smile; she just looked at her, as she held the vampire down on her knees by the hair, and tapped her head with her sword.

Faith felt herself getting wet.

After a few seconds, Faith blinked. Buffy looked back at the vampire.

"Name?" Buffy said.

"Raven," the vampire whispered.

"'Raven'? You read Anne Rice, don't you?"

One of the demons chuckled again. Buffy glanced at him. He was a fat, diseased-looking blob in a heavy brown overcoat and his gray, mottled skin hung from his face and his hands in strips.

"Laugh it up," Buffy said. "You're next."

The demon stopped chuckling.

"Sorry," the demon to his left said. This one had bright red skin with short spikes extending from it like a porcupine, and he wore a Dodgers baseball cap. "We, uh, don't want any trouble." Over by the door, Faith snorted.

Buffy looked back down at Raven. She still held her by the hair. Raven was prostrate before her, looking down at the floor.

"I'm Buffy," Buffy said. "Have you seen Spike around? I bet you have. All the vamps around here know each other. Plus you're like, totally his type."

"Don't...know any Spike," Raven whispered.

"You're not a very good liar, Raven. Even if you haven't seen him you'd at least know who he is, all the vamps in Sunnydale know who Spike is. He's like a celebrity to you people. Killed two Slayers, right? Gets him a lot of free drinks in places like this. Now you've got me thinking that you've definitely seen him."

Raven shook her head.

"I'll ask just once more," Buffy said. "Then I'm gonna start hurting you. No quick staking. Nope, I got my sword right here, so I'm gonna slice and dice you for awhile first. I think you've seen Spike. So where the fuck is he?"

"I was with him...last week...we...were at this bar, biker place," Raven squealed. Her broken nose made her voice sound muffled. "It's called the Whiskey Creek Saloon. Other than that I haven't seen him, I swear, I swear."

"You and him a couple?"

"No."

"You try?"

"Yeah. He just...kept talking about this other girl. Someone named Drusilla. He was looking for her. Said...he was sure she's coming here."

"That's it?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Raven said, and tears ran down her cheeks.

Buffy watched her.

"You haven't been a vampire long, have you?" Buffy said.

Raven shook her head.

"Just...a few months," Raven whispered.

"How did it happen?" Buffy said.

"I was a cocktail waitress at a club in San Francisco. There was...there was this big ugly guy, he...he came out of nowhere and jumped me after my shift ended. He was a vampire. He beat me up, and then he drained me and turned me. I woke up at his place. He kept me there, and kicked the shit out of me all the time and fucked me. I think he just...he just turned me because he wanted a girl to beat on and fuck. I eventually got away and came here."

Buffy let go of Raven's hair. She took Raven's hand.

"What's your real name?" Buffy said.

"Andrea," the vampire said.

"Pretty name. Why did you change it?"

"I don't know," Andrea whispered.

"What you are now?" Buffy said, softly. "You didn't choose it. It's something that was done to you. You've got the memories of your life, but you're dead. You died when that vampire attacked you, and your soul went to a better place. But part of you got left behind. Close your eyes, Andrea. When you open them again, I promise you'll be happier. You'll be in that better place. Okay?"

Trembling, Andrea closed her eyes.

Buffy beheaded her, and she turned to dust.

The bar was quiet.

Buffy got up, and dusted herself off.

"Spike hasn't been in here, not since he left town last time," Willy said.

"Hope not, for your sake," Buffy said. She looked at Faith. She saw a look in Faith's eyes that she recognized. She knew Faith's eyes by heart, and she knew what they were telling her now.

"Guess you guys get a pass this week," Buffy said to the demons at the bar. "Anyone sees Spike? Tell him I'm gonna stick my sword up his ass."

She walked back to Faith, and took her hand, and they walked out the door. The sun was bright, and the day was warm.

"I felt bad for that girl," Faith said, as they walked back to the car.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Most vampires are just like, interchangeable assholes? But sometimes...sometimes you run into one..."

"Like Angel?"

"Or Spike, even. He loves Drusilla. Vamps are the bad guys but they're still people too. They have feelings. Makes our job harder sometimes. But even with vamps like Andrea, you have to remember that they don't have their souls anymore...that the people they used to be are gone, dead. Killing them is putting them out of their misery."

"What about those pansy-ass demons? How come you didn't kill 'em?"

"They didn't know who Spike was. And the thing is, most of Willy's customers are demons. He gets some vamps in there but it's mostly a demon bar, and his customers are my main source of info whenever some new badness comes to town. If I killed them all, no more info."

Faith nodded. They reached the car. Faith took the keys out of her pocket.

Buffy took Faith in her arms, and slowly leaned her back on the hood of the car.

"I'm driving," Buffy said. "Give me the keys."

Faith grinned. Buffy moved closer to her. Their lips were touching.

"You gonna wrestle me for 'em?" Faith whispered.

Buffy shook her head, and moved her mouth to Faith's ear.

"Kitty-cat," Buffy whispered. "Give me the keys."

Faith gave Buffy the car keys, and moaned, as Buffy kissed her...

When Buffy finally let her up, Faith was blushing.

They got in the car. Buffy got in the driver's side.

"So, uh...I guess we're headed to that Whiskey Creek Saloon?" Faith said.

"Eventually," Buffy whispered, and kissed her again.

"You're a vampire. Okay, I get it, ha-ha, very funny," Tara said. "Sure, scare the new girl."

"I'm not lying," Angel said.

Tara's face became pale.

"But I'm not gonna hurt you, Tara," Angel said. "I'm gonna protect you."

Tara was trembling now. Angel knew she wanted to run. She couldn't possibly reach the door before he grabbed her, but he didn't want to do that.

He sat down on the couch. Tara relaxed, just a little bit.

"You're...a vampire...but...you're not gonna hurt me?" Tara said. "But... Faith s-s-said vampires are...th-they hurt people, they...kill people."

"I don't. Long story. Short version is, I have a soul. I'm the only vampire who does. Look...I know this must all seem...strange. Why don't you sit down."

"Strange? You practically kidnap me and then you tell me you're a freaking vampire and I'm supposed to what? Just chill out? What is this? Who are you? How do you know Faith? What the hell is going on?!"

Angel smiled. "It is all kinda ridiculous isn't it? Back when I was human, if someone had told me this would be my life? I would've had a good laugh."

"You were human?"

"Until 1753. That's when I was turned...when I became a vampire."

"Well, I guess that explains about how you can't work the VCR. That red stuff you're drinking. It's blood?"

"Yeah. Sorry. But it's not human blood. I don't drink human blood. It's pig's blood. Uh...but I don't like, go around killing pigs or anything. I get pig's blood from the butcher shop."

Tara folded her arms across her chest, and studied him.

"You're the weirdest vampire I've ever met," she finally said.

"You've run into vampires before?" Angel said.

"No, never. But you're still definitely the weirdest one. You know what? I guess I'll take that Diet Coke now after all."

She stood there, with her arms folded across her chest, and watched him.

Angel knew people, he could read them. He'd been doing it for centuries.

He'd asked her to trust him...to take a leap of faith. Now he knew she was asking him for the same thing. Until he gave her the opportunity to run, he knew she would never really trust him.

"Okay," Angel said. "But do me a favor. If you run out that door, go right home and don't leave your house. If you have to go out, stay in public places and get home before dark. Don't invite anyone in. Vampires have to be invited in to enter your house. If you see or hear anything suspicious, anything at all, call here, call Buffy or Faith and they'll come running. I don't know if you have the number here? I figure you don't because you came over instead of calling. The number is 682-1114. Will you remember that?"

"Still waiting on that Diet Coke," Tara said.

"Okay," Angel said, and went into the kitchen.

"Kinda lost me there," Xander said. "I'm not pretending this is about anything. What I'm saying is, it's about you not getting hurt. I can't deal with you getting hurt, cowgirl."

"Will you stop fucking calling me that? It's annoying," Willow said.

Xander let go of her hand. They sat together on the couch, looking away from each other.

"What do you want from me, Willow?" Xander finally said. "What the hell can I do here?"

Xander looked at her, but she wouldn't look back. Willow sipped her tea, and fidgeted with her hair, and looked down at her lap.

"Don't you understand I'm doing this for us?" Xander said. "And, hey? In all the years I've known you you've never been much for the cussin'. Now all of a sudden you're throwing out F-bombs left and right. Since when do you swear?"

"Since...since...I don't know," Willow said. "I just...do now, okay? Sorry my talking like a grown-up freaks you out."

"Willow, it doesn't...I mean..." Xander said. He sighed. "Look, I don't care, okay? You wanna be all swearing left and right, feel free. I love you no matter how you are. And the way you talk? It's not childish. It's Willow. It's you. I don't...want you to lose that. I don't want you to stop being you."

Willow laughed.

"Sure," she said. "As long as I quit doing the thing I love doing. Does the stuff you're gonna say go through any kind of editing process before it comes out of your mouth? Do you like, even hear yourself?"

"Will, what I did?" Xander said. He put his arm around her. She didn't move. "Yeah, I know it was extreme. I know it must've seemed like I...maybe bullied you into this a little. It's just...I didn't want to see you hurt anymore."

"Oh , BULLSHIT!" Willow screamed, and tore herself away from him and jumped up. Her tea cup tumbled from her lap and spilled all over the floor.

"This isn't about me being hurt!" Willow screamed. "It isn't about Buffy! It's about me being stronger than you and how you can't fucking deal with it!"

Xander stood up.

"That's...that's not..." he stuttered.

"Damn skippy it fucking is," Willow said. "You don't want me doing magic because you can't handle your girl being tougher than you. Typical guy. End of the day, it all comes down to whose dick is bigger."

Xander's face turned crimson.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess Angel's is. You'd know all about that, right?"

Willow's eyes went wide as two saucers. Her mouth opened, and closed.

Then her face contorted; it changed. Like a sudden storm that comes out of nowhere and blots out the sun, rage darkened it, and made it cold...

Willow slapped Xander in the face.

It wasn't a light tap; it was very nearly a punch, and it staggered him. It sounded as loud as a cannon in the little room.

Willow stood there, frozen, staring at him. She was taking in big gulps of air. Her hands were shaking.

Tears suddenly poured from her eyes. They seemed to explode out of her, like a dam bursting.

They faced each other, and didn't say a word. Willow cried. Xander looked back at her, her handprint visible on the left side of his face, where she hit him.

Then Xander walked away from her.

He stormed out of the study, he stormed down the little hallway, and he stormed into the living room. He felt shaky and hot. He clomped and stomped around like he was wearing lead boots and he made a beeline for the door like he had wings on his feet. Giles was sitting in the squeaky leather recliner, watching him. Xander stormed right by him.

"Xander, if you're stupid enough to walk out that door I'm going to knock you on your fool arse on general principle," Giles said.

Xander noticed Giles then. Giles was drinking tea, and he had a book in his hand. Xander thought it certainly looked like Giles. But he couldn't reconcile what his eyes were showing him with what his ears had just told him.

"What?" Xander said.

"Stay there," Giles said, and got up, and went into the adjoining kitchen. He pulled two bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale from the refrigerator and two pint glasses from the cabinet. He came back into the living room, poured them each a pint, and sat back down in the recliner. Xander was still standing by the door.

"Sit down," Giles said. "Let's have a talk. Just us men and a couple of pints, the way God intended."

Xander sat on the couch. Giles handed him a pint.

"Is this better, baby?" Buffy whispered, as Faith laid naked in her arms in the backseat of Angel's car. Buffy had unbuttoned her blouse and unhooked her bra, so she could hold Faith in her arms the way she knew Faith loved to be held.

Faith nodded, and kissed Buffy's breasts. Buffy rubbed her belly.

They were parked by a dense grove of trees along the back roads. The sun was bright, but it was past its zenith now; in a few hours it would be gone.

"Pretty impertinent of you, just throwing me in the back and having your mad way with me like you did," Faith said. "Especially since I'm supposed to be the boss."

"I knew my kitty-cat was back," Buffy said. "I can always tell when she comes back."

Faith nodded.

"I love you," Faith said.

"I love you too," Buffy said.

"I'm a kitten now," Faith said.

"I know, baby," Buffy said, and kissed her forehead. "Kittens like having their tummies rubbed."

Faith nodded again, and curled up closer to Buffy. When Buffy held her in her arms, Faith felt like she was floating...like all her worries, all her fears, had been left behind on the shore. So she let herself float...she let herself drift away.

"So what's the plan, boss?" Faith said, after awhile.

"You tell me," Buffy said. "You're the boss, not me."

"You still want me to be the boss?" Faith said, and kissed Buffy's breasts again. "But I'm a kitten now," she added, with a soft little giggle.

"You can be both," Buffy said.

"I'm a bunch of stuff," Faith said.

"Mmm-hmm," Buffy said. "And it all belongs to me forever."

"Yup," Faith said.

They looked up at the sun. Buffy rubbed Faith's belly, and held her close. They were quiet. After a few more minutes Faith yawned, and closed her eyes.

"My kitten's getting sleepy," Buffy said. "You wanna take a nap, baby?"

"Yeah, but...I'm the boss, so I gotta think big picture," Faith said. "We should find a pay phone and call the house, check in. We need to hit that bar too. And if we find a lead there we'll need time to run it down. Gotta hit the road."

Faith sat up and stretched, naked in the sunlight. Buffy watched her.

"You're beautiful, Faith," Buffy said. "You're so beautiful, baby."

Faith giggled. "Shit," she said, looking down at herself. "Almost forgot you made me get buck naked here. Lucky no one drove by."

"You just look so damn good naked," Buffy said. She licked Faith's neck. "Especially down on your knees," she whispered in her ear.

Faith curled up in Buffy's lap. "Big pervo lesbian," she said. "Had to go and seduce yourself an innocent young straight girl, didn't you?"

"You're so gay, baby," Buffy said, and kissed Faith's nose. "Don't even try to pretend you're not the gayest girl ever."

"Well, I sure am now, thanks to you." Faith said, and hiked up Buffy's skirt, and kissed Buffy's knees. Buffy didn't have underwear on; her panties were somewhere in the seat cushions. "I wanna be down on my knees for you again."

"You're a good kitten, huh baby?"

Faith opened Buffy's legs, and knelt down between them.

"Meow," Faith whispered, with a sultry smile. Buffy smiled, and stroked her hair, and brought her closer.

"You sure I'm the boss?" Faith said, and raised her eyebrow, as she began kissing the inside of Buffy's thighs, steadily making her way to the sweet treasure held in between them.

"You're the boss of my orgasms," Buffy said.

They laughed. Buffy leaned down and kissed her.

"Can it be like this forever, Buffy?" Faith whispered, and took Buffy's hand, and kissed it. "Can our lives be like this forever? Just us being together, just like this? Because...because..."

Faith burst into tears.

"Hey, hey..." Buffy said, and pulled Faith up, and hugged her, and wiped her tears away. "Baby? What's wrong? What's wrong, baby?"

"I'm happy, Buffy," Faith said, crying, as Buffy held her against her chest. "For the first time since...since I lost Becca. I'm just...happy, y'know? I just... want it to always be like this because...because I love you. I love you so much, Buffy. Don't...don't ever leave me? Please? Don't ever leave me?"

Buffy lifted Faith's head up, and looked her in the eyes.

"I'll never leave you, Faith," Buffy said. "I'll always love you, and I'll never leave you. Okay, baby?"

"You'll always love me?" Faith whispered.

"I'll love you forever, beautiful," Buffy whispered, and kissed her, as she felt her own tears starting to fall.

When Angel came out with Tara's drink, she was sitting on the couch, and The Outlaw Josey Wales was back on.

"Faith told me how vampires have to be invited in," Tara said, as she fast-forwarded through the movie, and Angel handed her the drink. He sat down on the couch, but not too close to her. "She told me Buffy's a Slayer too. If you got invited into Buffy's house I guess you're okay. Weird, and bad with electronics on a monumental scale only my Dad could ever match, but okay."

"They didn't have electronics in my time," Angel said.

Tara nodded, and paused the movie.

"You wanna watch from where you left off?" Tara said. "Got 'dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy' ready to go here."

"Okay," Angel said. "Thanks."

"Sure," Tara said, and un-paused the movie, and took a sip of her Coke. She picked up Angel's glass of blood, and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said, and set the glass down on the table.

"Not thirsty?"

"Uh...no. Not really."

Tara looked at him, and grinned. Clint filled the little weasel of a bounty hunter full of lead.

"You're embarrassed to drink blood around me, aren't you?" she said.

"Uh...no," Angel said. "Embarrassed? That's...no. I'm not embarrassed."

"Weirdest vampire ever," Tara said. "How do you know Faith?"

"Don't know her too well, I only just met her a couple of days ago," Angel said. "Buffy and I go back a ways though."

"So what's your story? You know, 1753 and all that. Let's hear it."

"Long story."

"Got time."

"Parts of it might make you want to run out that door again."

"One way to find out. Tell you what. You tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine. My story's completely fascinating. It's like, an epic adventure."

"Epic, huh?"

"Yup. You'll hear all about my cool, sexy adventures, once I hear yours."

"I was born in 1727 in Galway. I spent my time drinking and playing cards, and I slept in a different girl's bed every night. I was nothing. I wasted my time, spent every moment in the pursuit of empty pleasures. Then, one day in 1753, I met a woman named Darla."

"Knew this story would have a woman eventually."

"All the best stories do. Darla was a vampire. She turned me, made me a vampire like her, and promised she'd show me the world."

"Did she?"

"Yeah. She loved me...as best she could. As much as she was capable of."

The phone rang.

"Uh...gimme a sec," Angel said, and got up and grabbed the phone from the end table. "Hello?" he said into it, too loud as always, because he still hadn't gotten used to talking to an inanimate object. He'd been around phones for more than a century now and he had never gotten used to them. Part of him still didn't quite believe in them; it seemed preposterous that people's voices could travel through wires all over the world. Every time he talked to someone on the phone, part of him wondered if maybe it was all a trick, and he really wasn't talking to them at all. And phones had been getting more and more buttons as the decades passed. Angel hated buttons. VCR remotes, computers, phones; Angel thought there were too damned many buttons in the world...

Buffy stood by the payphone in the lot outside the Whiskey Creek Saloon and tried to keep a straight face as Faith kissed her neck, and giggled into her ear.

"Angel?" Buffy said, and suppressed a giggle as Faith ran her fingers around her waist, where she was ticklish. "Just checking in. How's the movie?"

"Tell him he better like it," Faith said.

"Hi," Angel said. "Uh...the movie's good. I'm not gay."

"You're not what?" Tara said. Angel frowned and shook his head at her.

"He says he likes the movie," Buffy said to Faith. "Says he's not gay."

"Hope for that boy yet," Faith said.

"Faith's happy for you," Buffy said into the phone. "You hear from Will?"

"Not yet," Angel said. "But someone's--"

There was a loud beeping noise.

"What the hell was that?" Angel said. "Buffy? Buffy? Are you there?"

"There's another call coming in," Buffy said. "Quick, press the button."

"What button?" Angel said, and looked at the phone. It had a lot of buttons. Angel hated buttons.

"What's wrong?" Tara said, and got up and walked over to Angel.

"It's beeping," Angel said, just as the phone beeped again.

"Press the button!" Buffy said. "Quick, press the button!"

"What the hell is he doing?" Faith said.

"He can't figure out how to do call waiting," Buffy said.

"I can't figure out what? Press what button?" Angel said.

"The button that like, hangs up the phone!" Buffy said. When you hang the phone up, it goes on top of the button! Just press--"

The phone beeped again.

"What?" Angel said

"Just frigging press the button!" Buffy shouted, giggling now. Faith leaned her head on Buffy's shoulder and laughed.

Tara took the phone out of Angel's hand. "Buffy?" she said. "Just hold on a sec." She pressed the button. "Um, Summers residence. Hello?"

"Hello?" Willow said. "Who's..."

Willow's eyes widened.

"Oh, Goddess," Willow said. She smiled. "Tara? Tara?"

"Um...yeah," Tara said. "Do I...know you?"

"Um...I'm Willow," Willow said, and poured herself another cup of tea. What she really wanted was a super mocha cappuccino with lots of sugar and cocoa sprinkles, and Giles was in fact off getting her one at that moment, and he'd also promised to pick up Oreos with double stuff, though he had no idea what double stuff was and Willow had to explain it to him. Xander was in the living room watching television; after a long talk with Giles and a couple of pints of beer, Xander had calmed down a bit, and agreed to stay. But he hadn't said a word to Willow, and so she had spent the past half-hour sitting in Giles' study, sipping tea and reading his English translation of The Necronomicon and feeling sorry for herself, and pissed at Xander.

The Necronomicon was a good book to read at times like this; it was written thirteen-hundred years before by a half-crazed Arab named Abdul Alhazred who firmly believed the human race was cursed, love was a delusion and despair was the natural state of things. Right now, Willow could relate. Alhazred also believed that giant, nightmarish alien entities with names like Yog-Sothoth and Cthulhu ruled the universe and that human beings were created by aliens as a joke, but Willow tried her best to ignore those parts.

"And I'm Tara," Tara said. "Though you already seem to know that...um, somehow? Hi."

"Hi," Willow said, and had no idea what to say next.

"So...how do you know me exactly?" Tara said.

"What's going on?" Faith said.

"Some girl came on and now I'm on hold," Buffy said.

"A girl? Who?"

"Didn't recognize the voice. But at least she isn't Cordy. Whoever she was she took the phone away from Angel before he could hurt himself with it."

"Oh...how do I know you...? Well...that's...a long story," Willow said.

"You guys seem to have a lot of those," Tara said.

"Yeah, we really do. I'd like to tell you sometime, but I can't right this second, the world could end and we're all sort of in lock-down mode."

"Angel said that too...that there's like these new vampire guys trying to end the world? It's all so...freaky. I mean...the world ending. It's like...what?"

"We've...had experience with this stuff? Y'know, like, saving the world? That's why our stories are so long. Are you gonna be staying? I mean, at the house? I think you should, things are dangerous right now. And it'd be cool if I could talk to you? Maybe tell you my really long story? If that's okay."

"Well right now I'm listening to Angel's really long story? But you can tell me yours afterwards if you want. I'm a good listener."

"I know. I mean...you sound like a good listener. Um...I have to go but... can you tell Angel the phone number turned out to be a cell phone and I can't trace it? And, um...yeah, that's it. Actually, could you put him on?"

"Sure, Willow. Hold on. Um...nice to meet you? I mean, in a talking on the phone kind of way. Oh hey, actually, Buffy's on the other line right now. Wanna do a conference call?"

"Really? Yeah, sweetie. Thanks. And it was nice meeting you too."

"Okay, hold on..." Tara pressed some buttons. "Buffy?"

"How can you keep track of all those buttons?" Angel said.

"There's like a grand total of four buttons," Tara said.

"Hey," Buffy said. "So...who is this?"

"Y-you don't, um, really know me? But I'm Tara," Tara said.

"Tara?" Buffy said, and smiled. "Oh my God."

"Wait, Tara's there?" Faith said.

"Tara?" Buffy said. "I've got Faith here, she really wants to talk to you."

"Oh, really?" Tara said. "Awesome! I just came by because, like, I'm...I'm a f-friend of Faith's and I haven't heard from her in awhile and...I guess I got a little worried. But I'm not a stalker. I promise."

"It's cool, Tara," Buffy said, and giggled. She handed Faith the phone.

"Hey, girlfriend!" Faith practically squealed. She hadn't realized how much she missed Tara...just hearing her voice made her feel warm.

"Faith!" Tara said, and laughed. "Where you been, sweetie?! I got all worried."

"Sorry, hon," Faith said. "We got some major badness coming down and we're all sort of holed up in the bunker. We kinda got a target on our backs right now, there's bad guys sorta tailing us and I didn't want you getting hurt. But I missed you, girlfriend. You're at the house with Angel?"

"Yeah," Tara said. "I, um, came to see you, actually. When you didn't call...um...sorry, I know this makes me sound all Single White Female..."

"Just makes you sound like my friend, that's all," Faith said.

Tara smiled. "Oh, listen, Willow's on the other line? Just hold on a sec."

"Willow's on the other line?" Faith said.

"Willow's on the other line?" Buffy said.

Tara pressed some more buttons. "Willow? Faith?" she said. "You guys still there? We're doing a three-way."

Faith and Willow both started giggling.

"What?" Tara said.

"Uh...nothing," Faith said.

"Long story," Willow said. "Is that my naughty niece I hear?"

"That's me," Faith said. "Hey auntie, how you doin'?"

"Hanging in," Willow said. "Buffy's with you?"

"Yeah, we're out trackin' Spike, just called the house to check in."

"Naughty niece?" Tara said.

"Long story," Faith said. "We miss you, Will."

"I miss you guys too. I sort of kicked Xander's ass a little and...I think...I think he dumped me."

Faith's smile disappeared. "He...what? He dumped you?"

"Wait, what?" Tara said.

Buffy grabbed Faith's shoulder.

"Xander left her?" Buffy said.

"Will says she thinks so," Faith said to Buffy. "You wanna come back to the house, honey?" Faith said, into the phone. "You want us to come get you?"

"Can I?" Willow said, and wiped a tear from her eye. "Can I come back?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course you can come back honey, you're our family. We'll come get you, okay? We'll come get you right now."

"Not...right now," Willow said. "I wanna try to talk to Xander one more time first but...tonight? Can I come tonight?"

"Will," Faith said. "We love you. You get that honey? Buffy and I love you. You don't have to ask if you can stay, you always have a place with us."

"Gimme the phone," Buffy said. Faith handed her the phone. "Will, it's me. Tell me what happened."

"It's a long story but...I told Xander I don't wanna stop doing magic, I don't wanna stop helping and we fought and...I think he's gonna leave me," Willow said. Her voice was shaky. Buffy heard the panic in it.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes," Buffy said. "We're taking you home."

"No, not yet, Buffy?" Willow said. "I need some time to talk to Xander first, but...tonight? Come get me tonight?"

"I want you with me before sunset though, okay?" Buffy said. "We can't leave you alone at night. Faith and I will be there before sunset."

"Thank you," Willow whispered. Buffy could tell Willow was crying now.

"Nothing to thank me for," Buffy said. "You're our family."

Willow smiled. "Okay, I gotta...I should go but...listen, that phone number Angel got? It's a cell phone, so I can't trace it. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Buffy said. "We'll see you soon Will, okay? Everything's gonna be okay, I promise."

"Okay, Buffy, thanks," Willow said. "Tara? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," Tara said. "Sorry, this...all sorta feels like I'm eavesdropping on like, really personal conversations."

"You're my...you're Faith's friend, Tara," Willow said. "So that makes you my friend too."

"And mine too, Tara," Buffy said.

"Okay," Tara said, and smiled.

"Gimme the phone," Faith said. Buffy gave her the phone. "Tara honey? Let me talk to Angel for a minute?"

"Sure," Tara said, and handed Angel the phone.

"Hey," Angel said.

"Listen good, Angel," Faith said, in a low voice. "You better take good care of Tara. Tara's a deal-breaker, understand? She gets hurt, I'm coming after you. I don't care what Buffy or Will say. You let her get hurt and I'll kill you."

There was silence on the line for a moment.

Willow thought about closets. Buffy put her hand on Faith's shoulder.

"I won't," Angel said. "But there's something you should know. I saw a car with blacked-out windows coming down the street when she rang the bell. There were vampires inside. Maybe they were following her or maybe they were just watching the house. But either way, they'll know what Tara looks like now, and the car she drives. And they'll have her scent."

"Fuck," Faith said.

"Faith," Angel said. "I won't let anyone hurt her. Okay?"

Faith's face was red now. "Yeah. Sorry I got all...just...I'm sorry."

"Forget it."

"She's just...she's my friend, Angel."

"Angel," Willow said. "What Faith said goes for me too. Keep Tara safe."

"Yeah. I will," Angel said.

"Faith, one more thing," Willow said. "Xander said something about that phone number that got me thinking. It's a cell phone, so I couldn't trace it, but I was able to get an address for the girl who owned it. She died a month ago, Spike probably killed her and took her phone. But he could've decided to use her apartment after he killed her too. It's in Sunnydale, 342 Bleeker Street."

"Okay auntie, we'll check it out," Faith said. "Angel, gimme Tara again."

Angel handed the phone to Tara.

"Hello? Faith?" Tara said.

"Hey honey," Faith said. "Listen, Angel gave me the scoop on what happened. Looks like you were followed, probably by the same bad guys we're in a pissing contest with right now. I need you to stay with Angel, okay? You gotta stay at the house and do what he says, he'll keep you safe."

"Okay," Tara said.

"Tara, you trust me, right?" Faith said.

"What? Of course I do."

"Okay, 'cuz I'm about to drop a bomb. When we first met and I told you about vampires? I didn't know Angel then. I didn't know about--"

"About how he's a vampire, and he has a soul?"

"Uh...yeah. He told you that?"

"Yeah. We've been like, bonding over Clint Eastwood movies. He completely can't work the VCR."

"Okay, well...just hang there and I'll be back in a few hours, okay hon?"

"He's telling me his life's story," Tara said. "So I won't be bored at least."

Josey Wales had hunted down the last of the Kansas Redlegs, and gotten righteous, bloody vengeance for the murder of his family and his comrades. He'd made peace with the Comanche, and had even forgiven the man who betrayed him. Now he was ready to begin a new life in Texas with the family of cast-off wanderers he had picked up along the way, who had risked their lives to save his.

Angel liked the movie.

He liked the idea of a man forging his own path as he traveled to meet his destiny. He liked the idea of a man fighting the good fight, giving justice to the weak and bringing thunder and damnation down on the heads of those who tormented them, and finding friends and a family along the way...

He wished his own life had been like that. It hadn't.

He'd told Tara his story...most of it, at least. The parts he could bring himself to talk about. He was surprised at how much he told her. But Tara was easy to talk to...and it had been so long since he'd had someone he could talk to...

"That was..." Tara said, trying to find the right words for what she had just heard. "That was...intense."

"Yeah," Angel said.

She drank her Diet coke. He still hadn't touched his blood. He drank Guinness instead. He was hungry, but he ignored it.

"You killed...more than thirteen-thousand people," Tara said. She wasn't looking at him. She wasn't looking at anything in the room. She was looking across the centuries...at a pestilence, unleashed upon innocents down through the years, falling upon them out of the darkness and leeching the life and the light from them, sweeping over whole families, decimating entire villages, until nothing remained but ashes...Tara was looking at more than thirteen-thousand dead bodies.

"Yeah," Angel said.

"And you remember all their faces? Every single one?"

"Yeah," Angel said.

She looked up at him.

"Must be hard," she said. "Hard carrying it around with you all the time."

"Some days are harder than others," Angel said.

"How did you get that scar across your face?"

"Uh...I got it...in a fight," he said, looking away from her. "I fight a lot. Kinda what I do. I fight demons, vampires...I try to protect people."

"Why?"

"Why? What do you mean, why?"

"Why do you do it? Because you want to? Because you're trying to make up for the things you did? Because you like hitting stuff? Why?"

"I do it because...I mean, y'know, I do it because...because..."

Angel looked down at the glass of blood.

He picked it up, and walked to one of the windows. He didn't open the red velvet curtain; the sun was getting low, but it was still shining. Instead he stood in the shadows, looking at the curtain. There was nothing in its intricate pattern; it was an abstract pattern. But nature abhors a vacuum and Angel knew people's minds abhor a vacuum of meaning; people create meanings, patterns, where there are none, and Angel was no different. He found himself seeing flowers in the curtain's patterning. Blood red roses.

He saw his life that way for a moment; a random pattern of chaos and destruction, without inherent meaning or value. He could try to use his power to help people, he could try to be a hero, but that was just creating meaning where there was none. It was an illusion...a lie...

He drank some of his blood. He was hungry. It tasted good.

"I do it so Buffy can be proud of me. So I can be worthy of her," Angel said. "She's the reason I do it...she's always been the reason. I love her. But I'm not worthy of her. And I lost her."

He turned back to Tara.

"Buffy gave me this scar," he said. "A few nights ago."

"Why?" Tara said.

He sat back down on the couch. He sat a little closer to her this time...the way friends would sit. He hoped she wouldn't move away.

She didn't.

"Last year, when I lost my soul again, and came after Buffy and her friends, I did...some horrible things," Angel said.

"Those pictures?" Tara said, softly. "Those little girls?"

"Yeah...but there was something else, something even worse. I told you I broke Drusilla's mind, drove her insane and then turned her. But I didn't tell you how I did it. Last year, when I lost my soul again and I had Dru here with me, I kidnapped Willow and forced her to read Drusilla's memories of how I broke her. Not just read them. Dru's a powerful clairvoyant, and Willow wasn't as strong a witch then as she is now. Dru was able to hypnotize Willow, force her memories into Willow's mind...not just as information. As real memories. Everything I did to Drusilla, Willow remembers as if it happened to her."

"Will she...always remember it?"

"Yeah. I think so."

They were quiet.

Angel remembered how Drusilla always leaned against him, when he let her out of the closet...how the first thing she always needed was to feel like she was part of the world again...to touch someone. He remembered the warmth of her touch, and feeling her tears on him, as he held her, and she cried...

"What did you do to Drusilla?" Tara said.

Angel finished his blood.

"I locked her in a closet for a hundred and thirty-one days while Darla and I tortured and killed her family," Angel said. "I raped her every day. I forced her to kill her own little sister just to keep her out of my hands. It broke Drusilla's mind. Then I killed her, and made her a vampire."

"Oh," Tara said.

"Willow never told anyone what I did to her. Not until a few nights ago. When she told Buffy, Buffy tried to kill me. Willow stopped her."

"Willow stopped her?"

"Yeah. It was more than I deserve."

"Why did she stop her?"

"I guess they could use my help right now, with everything going on."

"You think...that's the only reason? That's the only reason you should live? To help with this thing?"

"You want another drink?" Angel said, and stood up. "Something to eat?"

"I'll take another Diet Coke, I guess," Tara said. "Maybe some chips or pretzels if you have some. What are you gonna do when this stuff is over?"

"Move to Los Angeles."

"Los Angeles? Why?"

"Buffy...wants me to leave. She knew about me, what I am, the kinds of things I did, when we were a couple. But then I lost my soul...and she saw those things up close and personal."

"How did you lose your soul? I mean, you said it was supposed to be a moment of perfect happiness that does it?"

Angel looked away from her.

"Buffy and I...we had...a perfect moment," he said.

"Oh," Tara said, and smiled. "Okay."

"But when I lost my soul I hurt Willow," Angel said. "Hurting Willow crossed a line. Buffy can't forgive me for it. I've lost her. She's with Faith now."

Tara suddenly blushed, and looked down at the table.

"Oh. I...didn't know that," Tara mumbled, and made herself smile.

"Let me get you that drink," Angel said. "Then I can hear your story. I'm pretty tired of my story."

Tara nodded. Angel walked out of the room.

When he was gone, Tara wiped a tear from her eye, with a shaking hand.

"Can't believe that Whiskey Creek dive was a dead end," Faith said. "All the lowlifes in that joint, and no one knew anything?"

"Well, they knew Spike's in town, they just didn't know where," Buffy said. "We wasted a lot of time there. This is gonna have to be our last stop today."

They were driving to the address Willow gave them. The sun hung low in the sky, and the weather had turned cold. The top was back up on the convertible.

"Any other places you can think of?" Faith said, as Buffy parked the car in front of a little yellow cottage on a wide, tree-lined street. "Maybe we can go back out tomorrow?"

"Nope," Buffy said. "Other than hitting all the cemeteries again or trying some random demon bars I have no idea what to do next."

"We could call him," Faith said, as they got out of the car.

"What?" Buffy said. "Call him?"

"We got his number. You said he doesn't wanna like destroy the world, and Angel agreed with you. If Spike really doesn't know what the Key can do, maybe we should just call him and tell him. Maybe he won't try coming after it."

"Points for thinking outside the box. But Spike's just one of our problems. There are still those new vamps too. They're like, a trigonometry-level problem."

They reached the door.

"You smell that?" Buffy said.

"Vamp," Faith said, and kicked the door in.

They walked into the house, with their stakes drawn. They didn't remember pulling them out; the stakes were just suddenly in their hands. The house was dark and it smelled like beer and pizza and, faintly, vampire.

"There was a vamp here, Spike I guess," Buffy said. "Not here anymore."

"Yeah," Faith said. "Vamp smell's kinda weak. Probably took off awhile back. Let's check it out anyway, like, search for clues."

"So how do you search for clues? I've never searched for clues before."

"We could go room to room and turn the whole house inside out but we don't have time. But we can assume Spike wasn't trying to hide shit, right? He crashed here. So how about we just check like, the obvious stuff. See if he left like an address or a phone number we can use. We don't have to like check under the floorboards, we'll just look in all the places people normally leave stuff."

And they did. And after half an hour they found nothing except beer, Weetabix cereal, empty pizza boxes, black nail polish, a book of crossword puzzles, all completed, and one pair of men's white briefs with a hole in it.

"Well that's half an hour of my life I'm never gonna get back," Buffy said, looking down at Spike's underwear on the floor of the bedroom. "I've seen Spike's dirty underwear and gone through his garbage. Looking for clues sucks."

"Looking for clues doesn't suck," Faith said, and pointed down at the underwear. "We don't have a bead on Spike yet but we sure will tonight when Will does a locator spell on those tighty-whities."

"Shit! I didn't even think of that. You're such a smartypants," Buffy said, and gave Faith a kiss. "You sure you don't watch Star Trek? I bet you totally watch Star Trek. Bet you watch like, the History Channel too."

"Just Friday nights. Friday nights they have cool World War Two stuff."

"I have a reputation to uphold, y'know. If it gets out that my girlfriend's a brain I might not get invited to the cool parties anymore."

"I won't wear my nerd glasses in public. C'mon, let's get outta here. Gettin' tired of smellin' this guy. And, uh...one of us has to grab those underoos? Since I'm the boss I'm gonna delegate that responsibility to you."

"And so begins the grossness," Buffy said, and picked up Spike's underwear with a grimace, using just the tips of her fingers and holding the briefs as far away from herself as possible. She opened the closet, pulled out a shopping bag, and dropped the briefs into it like they were a rod of pure uranium and the shopping bag was a radioactive waste container.

"You think Spike paints his nails?" Faith said. "That black nail polish was on the bureau with Spike's stuff."

"Let's go," Buffy said, and sighed. "I can't believe I actually touched Spike's underwear."

"Not for nothin'? But guy vamps never painted their nails in Boston," Faith said, as they headed out the door.

"A time-traveling witch," Angel said. "Well that's something new."

"You don't think I'm crazy?" Tara said.

They were sitting on the couch, eating pretzels. Angel had explained to Tara that vampires didn't have much of a taste for food, but she had insisted he try some. To his surprise he found he liked them. He liked their saltiness, and their texture. They went well with beer. They went well with blood too.

"No," Angel said, and looked at her pendant.

"You want a closer look?" Tara said, and held the pendant out to him.

He touched it. The pendant was warm, much warmer than the temperature of the room. And it was powerful, too, whatever it was; Angel could feel waves of energy emanating from it, and he saw the air distorting around it. To Angel's heightened senses, the pendant seemed to be throbbing, beating...like a heart.

"It's beautiful," Angel said, and let it go. For some reason, he didn't feel right, touching the pendant...it wasn't for him. "Whoever that witch was, you were important to her."

"Well, y'know, some kinda big battle coming, I guess," Tara said.

"You said she was looking for a bunch of people. You think she gave them all one of these?"

"I don't know. I never thought of that."

"Maybe she only gave one to you," Angel said.

"So are we...are we over or what?" Willow said.

"I don't know," Xander said.

He was still watching television. The Dick Van Dyke Show was on. Rob and Laura were arguing. But they always made up by the end of the episode.

Xander was lying on the couch. Willow always liked to jump on top of him whenever he was lying on couches. He'd laugh, and hug her.

She sat in the recliner.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," Willow said.

"If we're gonna do this?" Xander said, without looking away from the television. "Then let's not bullshit. You're not sorry you slapped me. And you shouldn't be. I deserved the slap. What I said...it was an asshole thing to say."

"You didn't mean it like...I know you didn't mean it the way it came out."

"I didn't, but I should have known how it could hurt you," Xander said, and sat up on the couch and looked at her. "I'm sorry."

"Okay," Willow said.

"What I meant was...look, you're like, all acting like you're past that stuff? Like you're over what Angelus did to you. But you're not, Willow. You're just ignoring it, not letting yourself think about it. But it's all still there inside you. You can't just ignore it forever, you can't just pretend it's all better now."

"What you're trying to make me do? Give up magic? Stop helping Buffy? That's pretending. That's pretending that like, all I have to do is stop being a part of the fight and all the monsters will go away. They won't, Xander. We can stop fighting them? But the monsters won't stop coming. All it will mean is that maybe, next time? Buffy will lose. And then she'll be dead, and Faith will be dead, and maybe everyone in the world will be dead too."

"Haven't you done enough? Haven't you helped enough, saved the world enough? Soldiers get tours of duty. When their tour is up they get to go home. When is your tour up? Never?"

"I've got this power for a reason. I don't think I get like, vacations. But you know what? I'm still bullshitting. You know why I really want to help Buffy? Because I like it. I like it, Xander. I like being part of her gang, I like coming up with plans and solving problems. I like using magic. I want to keep doing it. And, okay, yeah, maybe I could stop for you, to keep you in my life? But part of me would hate you for making me do it. And someday, maybe a long time from now but someday, that hate would poison us. We'd lose each other anyway."

"Is Faith happy with Buffy?" Tara said.

"Yeah, Angel said. "They seem happy to me."

Tara nodded. She blushed again.

"You're in love with Faith, aren't you?" Angel said, softly.

"Yeah," Tara whispered, and started to cry.

Angel took her hand.

"Guess we have something in common, huh?" Tara said. "I lost Faith and you lost Buffy. We even lost them to each other, just to make it even kookier."

"Yeah," Angel said. "Kooky."

"Love sucks," Tara said, and sniffled.

"Preaching to the choir," Angel said.

Tara smiled, but she still cried. Angel held her hand.

"Sorry if, uh, my hand feels cold," Angel said. "Vampire thing."

"Feels okay to me," Tara said.

"Would you...uh...like another drink?" Angel said. He was no damned good with crying women. He could seduce women, he could make them laugh, he could flatter them. But he could never console them worth a damn.

Tara laughed.

"That's your solution to everything, huh?" she said.

"I'm really a very simple Irish lad," Angel said.

"Guess I'll take another Coke," Tara said, and wiped her tears away. "How about some rum in it this time?"

"Sounds like a plan," Angel said.

Angel and Tara sat on the couch together five minutes later drinking rum and Diet Coke. They sat close to each other, so they wouldn't have to feel alone.

They hadn't talked. They just drank. When Tara finished hers Angel poured them each another.

"Thanks," Tara said. "I think I need to get drunk now. Possibly smashed. There might be staggering involved."

"Sounds like a plan," Angel said.

"So take my mind off the debacle that is my love life. Tell me more about this whole world ending dealie."

"Apocalypse is kind of on hold right now. We have the Key. Problem now is what the hell do we do with it. It can't be destroyed. The ceremony to release the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse has to be done at sunset on the last day of the waning moon, but there's one of those every month."

"Today's the last day of the waning moon."

"Yeah. Lucky we have the Key. If we can figure out what to do with it."

"You can't destroy it, and you probably can't hide it either because it can be mystically detected. Wait. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Yup, I'm definitely getting drunk. I'm getting half in the bag. In fact, damn it, I'm getting all the way in the bag. Can I see the Key?"

"Yeah, I think Willow had it last. Let me go get it."

Angel walked out of the room, and up the stairs.

When he made it to the top of the stairs, he heard Tara crying again.

He walked into Joyce's room. It still smelled like Joyce, but the smell was faint now. Willow's scent predominated. For some reason Xander's scent didn't seem as strong in the room as Willow's. Angel wondered if he was just focused more on Willow's scent. He had always liked it.

He took a quick look around and noticed the Key on top of the bureau.

He waited in the room, until Tara was finished crying. It took a few minutes. Then he came back down with the Key. When he walked into the living room, Tara was wiping her eyes. They were puffy and red. She smiled at him again, for his benefit, he knew. The smile might as well have been painted on.

Angel held up the Key.

"That's it?" Tara said.

"This is it," Angel said, and sat down next to her, and handed it to her.

Tara's expression was curious at first, but then it changed; became deadly earnest. She turned the Key over in her hand, looking at it from every angle...

And then, all the color drained from her face.

"Oh, no," Tara whispered.

When Angel's big black Plymouth GTX pulled up in the driveway next to Tara's little blue Honda Civic hatchback half an hour later like a barracuda ambushing a guppy Tara was already running out the front door.

Tara looked up at the sky as she ran. The sun would be gone, very soon.

"Tara!" Faith shouted, leaping out of the car before Buffy had even come to a stop. Tara was afraid; Faith could smell it. Even if she couldn't smell it, the expression on Tara's face was all she needed to see. "What is it, honey? What's wrong?" Faith thought fast. It couldn't be Angel, if he attacked Tara she would never have made it out of the house...

Tara put her hands on Faith's shoulders. Buffy ran out of the car.

"Tara?" Buffy said. "What is it?"

"Why don't you guys have cell phones?" Tara said, and looked Faith and Buffy in the eyes. "You save the world and you can't have cell phones?"

"Tara...have you...been drinking, honey?" Faith said. She didn't need to ask; she could smell it on Tara's breath.

"Um, Angel's a vampire, world might end, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? That all just screams rum and Coke to me," Tara said.

"Tara, you're shaking," Faith said, and hugged her. "What's wrong? Did... Angel scare you?"

"Angel's a sweetheart," Tara said. "The Key's a fake."

"Um...wait, what?" Buffy said.

"You don't have the Key," Tara said. "You have a brick with a glamour on it."

Buffy and Faith looked back at her like they had been turned to stone.

"The world's gonna end in twenty minutes," Tara said.

They stood around the coffee table, looking down at the Key.

"Tara," Buffy said. "Okay, I know you're a witch and everything? But are you absolutely sure? Are you absolutely sure this isn't the Key?"

"If Tara says it isn't then it isn't," Faith said. "What's a glamour?"

"A glamour is an illusion spell," Tara said. "It makes something appear to be something else. The thing about a glamour though is that it doesn't change the object itself, it changes the way we see it. This Key thing here? It's a brick. You're all seeing it as the Key because the glamour is affecting your minds, but I can see through the spell."

"Willow's a witch and she's been looking at this thing since Friday," Buffy said. "Why didn't she see through it?"

When Buffy looked Tara in the eyes, Tara looked away.

"It's like, r-r-really super hard, s-seeing through a glamour?" Tara said. "It takes a lot of practice and I've been d-doing magic since I was thirteen. And okay, we have zero time? So I'm gonna make this quick. I'm gonna undo the glamour."

"How long will that take?" Angel said, as Tara closed her eyes, and waved her hand over the Key.

"It's done," Tara said...and, suddenly, the Key was gone.

In its place there was a brick lying on the coffee table.

"I am gonna shove this thing up Spike's ass," Angel growled.

"What do we do?" Tara said. "We need like, like a plan, right?"

"Spike must have made this fake so he could sell the Key twice," Angel said. "Double his profits. Little frigging weasel."

"Maybe he made a fake because he doesn't wanna end the world?" Faith said. "Maybe he's keeping the real Key and he won't let the bad guys get it?"

"Or maybe he doesn't know what it can do and he was just trying to double-dip," Buffy said. "The bad guys might already have the real Key now."

"They probably have it," Angel said. "Think about it. They haven't attacked us since Saturday because they didn't need to. If the First found out everything you know once she took your form she would've known we had the Key here and she would've told those vamps. But the vamps never came at the house. They never came at us because they already knew we had a fake. They played us."

"The First?" Tara said.

"The First Evil," Faith said. "Supposed to be like, the evilest, most bad ass thing in the universe. It's been doggin' us, disguising itself as people we know, tryin' to screw with our heads."

"Great," Tara said. "Because this situation really wouldn't have been complete without the evilest thing in the universe in our faces too."

"It can't touch us," Angel said. "It's incorporeal. And it can only appear as people who have died."

"Which basically means vamps or me," Buffy said.

"You?" Tara said. "But, um, you're alive. I mean you...are alive, right? I mean this isn't like some Sixth Sense thing, right?"

"I died last year, got revived after like a minute," Buffy said, and smiled at Tara's consternation. "Long story. Have you guys called Willow?"

"We kept getting a busy signal," Tara said. "I offered to drive over there and go get them all, but, um, Angel wouldn't let me leave the house."

"Angel made the right call, honey," Faith said. "Those vamps know you now, it's too dangerous for you outside. Okay. We gotta find Spike, right now."

Buffy took Angel's rum and Diet Coke, and drank the whole thing down like it was water. Then she poured herself another.

"What are you doing?" Faith said.

"World's ending," Buffy said. "I want a drink."

Faith took it away from her.

"We're working," Faith said. "Okay, here's the plan. We gotta assume the bad guys have the Key. We have Spike's number, we'll call him. Better if we could find him without tipping him off first because I sure don't trust the bastard, but we're outta time. Maybe Spike can tell us where the ceremony's going down."

"I could do a locator spell if you guys have anything of his," Tara said.

"There's no time," Buffy said.

"I only need a few minutes," Tara said.

Tara felt Buffy looking at her. She didn't look back. Buffy's stare made her uncomfortable.

"A few minutes?" Faith said. "Will always took two hours at least."

"I know a shortcut," Tara said. "Do we have anything of Spike's?"

"Unfortunately," Buffy said. "Gimme two seconds."

She ran out of the house, grabbed the shopping bag from the car, and ran back in. She dumped the contents of the shopping bag out on the coffee table.

"Please tell me that's not Spike's underwear," Angel said.

"Looking for clues sucks," Buffy said.

"Let's cut the chatter now, time's wastin'," Faith said. "Tara, you need anything to do the spell?"

"Got everything in my bag," Tara said.

"Okay hon, get to it," Faith said. Tara dumped her shoulder bag out on the floor, and knelt down cross-legged beside three tupperware bowls full of powder and herbs, six candles, a pack of spearmint gum, cheese and crackers, a Walkman, headphones, her leather pouch with her tarot cards inside, a disposable camera, four pens, a pair of tinted sunglasses, a Walter Mosley paperback called White Butterfly, a school notebook with Snoopy doodles on the cover, her beautiful white leatherbound spell book with a silver silk bookmark sewn in and its pages all gilt in silver too, and a yellow plastic lighter.

"Buffy," Faith said. "Try Will again, tell her what's going on."

Buffy suddenly felt strange. She'd told Faith she didn't want to lead anymore...and now she was realizing that she wasn't the leader...

Faith was.

Without meaning to, Buffy hesitated.

She felt Angel looking at her. She looked back at him, and saw the question in his eyes, and looked away from it.

"Um, yeah...okay," Buffy said, and was about to move to the telephone.

Faith took her hand.

"Buffy," Faith said. "Remember our talk, honey? One of us has to lead. But it doesn't matter to me which one it is. Want me to step back? Say the word."

Buffy kissed her. Tara looked away, and concentrated intently on arranging her magic powder and her candles.

"Nope," Buffy said, and smiled. "I'll do whatever you say, boss." She ran to the telephone.

"Okay, Angel," Faith said. "B and me are gonna go after Spike once Tara tracks him. If we luck out then maybe he hasn't sold the Key to those priests yet. This thing goes south? You and Tara take Tara's car, scoop up Will and Giles and Xander, get everyone someplace safe and hunker down."

"I'm ready," Tara said. "Someone throw me that gross thing."

Faith looked over at her. "Don't you need a map of the town?"

"A map?" Tara said. "For what?"

"For the spell. Will uses a map to like, pin down what she's looking for."

"It's all up here, sweetie," Tara said, and pointed at her forehead.

Faith picked up the underwear using just the tips of her fingers, and set it down beside the bowl of magic blue powder. Three candles were set in a triangle pattern in front of Tara, and the bowl of powder was set in between them. Tara lit the candles with the yellow lighter, sprinkled some of the powder on Spike's underwear, and closed her eyes...

"I don't want to lose you," Xander said.

Willow and Xander sat on the couch together, drinking coffee and super mocha cappuccino, and eating Oreo cookies with double stuff. Giles was in his study, giving them room, giving them time.

The television was off. Rob and Laura had gotten a happy ending. Willow wasn't at all certain that she and Xander would get a happy ending.

But Willow was determined to try. If she was going to lose him, she would fight for him first.

"Then stop trying to change me," Willow said.

"That's not what I'm doing," Xander said, and gulped down half of his coffee. Willow sipped her super mocha cappuccino.

"Feels that way to me."

"Look, I know you think...I don't know, that I'm like, intimidated by you, by how you're all like this super Wicca goddess now. But I'm...I'm not. I just want you to be safe. And you're not safe with Buffy."

"Even though I can do like, energy shields, and fireballs and stuff?"

"Yeah. Even though you can do energy shields, and fireballs and stuff. You can still be hurt. You can still be killed. You can still...that thing that happened to you, it could still happen. And I love you, and...okay, I'm being a guy? But for Christ's sake, you're my girlfriend and it's my responsibility to protect you."

"So what you're saying is, for the past couple of years when you were helping us out even though you didn't have any powers at all, and like, you didn't know how to fight at all either, or even use weapons? Then by your reasoning Buffy should've told you to stay home, right?"

"That's not...I just...wanted to help out."

"Xander, did you ever think that the real reason Buffy lets you help is because she knows it would break your heart if she didn't? Yeah, you're her friend and she cares about you. Well, she could've cared about you just as much and made you stay home. But she didn't. Because she knew it would hurt you not to be included. She let you help, even though she always had to worry about you, because she cares about you. It would've been so much easier for her to know you were home safe when the Big Bads all came to town, it would've been one less thing for her to worry about. Instead she let you help, and she took on the burden of having to worry about you, because she cares about you more than she cares about making things easier on herself."

Xander chewed on that for awhile. He washed it down with the rest of his coffee.

"I really hate when you get all logical," he finally said. "Xander smash puny logic."

Willow giggled. He could always make her giggle. It was one of the reasons she knew she couldn't live without him.

"Buffy sacrificed a lot for you, Xander," Willow said. "I'm not talking about saving your life. I mean worrying about you. Constantly having it in the back of her mind--is this the night I get Xander killed? I know because she always told me. We'd do our sleepovers and stuff? And, y'know, girl talk? And every time, we'd always eventually talk about you, and she would tell me how afraid she was...afraid you would die. It made her cry sometimes."

"It made her cry?" Xander said. "Worrying...worrying about me?"

"Yeah," Willow said.

"I'm worried," Buffy said. She was holding the phone in her hand.

"What is it?" Faith said, as she watched Tara meditating cross-legged on the floor. Tara wasn't floating, the way Willow did when she performed a locator spell. But her pendant was glowing.

"I keep getting a busy signal," Buffy said.

"Maybe Giles is on the phone," Angel said.

"Still?" Buffy said. "Tara got a busy signal too. Giles hates the phone. And even if he was using it, or maybe Will and Xander are using it, he's got call waiting."

"I've got him," Tara said.

All three of them looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed. And they seemed to be moving behind her eyelids.

"He's in a...like a crypt, maybe?" Tara said. "I see torches...coffins. He's wearing...a black leather trench coat. He has blonde hair...like, bleached blonde? Short...brushed back. He has the Key."

"Spike," Buffy said.

"There are...men, and...some sort of..." Tara still had her eyes closed, but she looked frightened now. "Some sort of...monsters...?" she whispered.

Faith knelt down beside her, and took her hand.

"I'm right here Tara," Faith said. "No one hurts you when I'm around, okay honey?"

Tara nodded, and smiled, and relaxed. "The monsters...they're guys with... weird foreheads and long teeth...noses like...like...dogs? Pointy ears."

"Those are our vamps," Faith said.

"There are...priests? Four old men dressed like priests..."

"Where, honey?" Faith said. "Put it together for me. Where are they?"

"I'm...going outside the crypt now...looking around," Tara whispered. "I see...a statue of an angel...a female angel...she's holding a sword in her hand..."

"Blue Hills Cemetery," Buffy said. "With the car we can be there in like five minutes."

"Call Spike," Faith said.

"We call him, we tip him off that we know," Angel said.

"Doesn't matter now," Faith said. "I'm betting Spike doesn't know what the Key can do. If we're lucky he helps us out. Worst case, he's in on it? It's not like he can speed the ceremony up. He's gotta wait for the sun. Either way, we get there before the sun goes down and we take out shot."

"Buffy better make the call," Angel said. "If I call he'll give those priests the Key just to spite me. But he kinda likes Buffy."

"And again with the grossness," Buffy said.

"Buffy, call him," Faith said. "Tell that prick he's about to blow up the fucking world."

Spike was fairly pleased with himself.

He was going to make three-hundred thousand dollars today.

He stood in the shadowy crypt with his hands in the pockets of his long, black leather coat--the coat, he remembered fondly, that he had taken from the dead body of a Slayer he'd killed twenty years before--and felt the hunk of stone in his hand, and smirked at the four old priests and the strange, bestial vampires with the odd tattoos who stood behind them and glared at him.

He was going to make three-hundred thousand dollars today, and then he was going to find Drusilla, who'd had the unmitigated gall to run out on him, and torture her for awhile, until she liked him again. And after that, they'd go to Europe, maybe England, see the old stomping grounds. Perhaps they'd catch a football game; Manchester United was supposed to have a strong team next season. And then he and Dru would laugh and drink champagne and eat people, and she'd tell him she was his girl again and admit she was wrong for snogging Angelus last year, and maybe he'd buy her a nice dress.

Drusilla was his girl: she had made him. If she thought she could just leave him after more than a century, he'd just have to convince her otherwise. Repeatedly, and so it hurt. She liked when he hurt her. He liked it too.

"So substituting that fake wasn't your idea?" the Priest of Wands said, looking at him darkly. But with a smile.

The smile worried Spike a bit. Spike had met a fair number of priests--actually, he had eaten them--and these four didn't seem your normal variety. Especially the one with the golden wand around his neck. He smiled too much. Spike didn't trust him. Priests were supposed to be dour, joyless old men: they never got laid, at least in theory. No, Spike definitely didn't like this one. And he didn't like the four vampires he brought with him either.

Despite all this, Spike's smirk remained intact. He had spent decades practicing his various affectations: the petulance, the ironic detachment, the swagger, the Cockney accent, the bleached blonde hair, the coat and the smirk all worked together to create the exact impression he wanted, one that was quite the opposite of the appallingly sensitive, staggeringly naive poet he used to be, before his black beauty turned him. Spike used to be a ponce. Now he was dangerous. He preferred dangerous, all in all.

"Hard to find good help these days, padre," Spike said, and took the Key from his coat pocket. The Priest of Wands immediately reached out for it; Spike snatched it back. The vampires growled at him.

"Money first," Spike said. "And shut your dogs up before I have to neuter them."

The Priest of Swords stepped forward with a briefcase. Spike thought the Priest of Swords looked just the way a priest should. He wasn't smiling; he looked like he hadn't been laid since the Eisenhower administration. The priest opened the briefcase. Spike's smirk got even wider, as he saw his second favorite color: green, and lots of it.

That much green would buy a lot of champagne.

"First we examine the Key," the Priest of Swords said.

The first few notes of the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" echoed through the crypt. The priests and the vampires jumped like an air raid siren had gone off.

Wankers, Spike thought.

Spike shook his head, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

"Spike!" Buffy shouted into the phone.

"Who is this?" Spike said. "How the hell did you get this number?"

"It's Buffy!" Buffy shouted. "Listen!"

"Right," Spike said. "Because you and me, we talk all the time."

"Will you shut up and listen to me?! That rock you're trying to sell? It can destroy the world!"

"I am so gonna kick his British ass," Angel muttered darkly, sitting on the couch and drinking a Guinness. Tara sat next to him, drinking another rum and Diet Coke. Maybe Buffy was on the clock, but Tara wasn't used to apocalypses and had come to the conclusion that she really, really didn't like them, and she wanted something to calm her nerves, and preferably knock them unconscious. Faith sat next to her, on the arm of the couch, holding her hand.

"I want you to go easy on those, Tara," Faith said. "Okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Tara said, and smiled.

"Was I being impertinent?" Faith said, and raised her eyebrow, and smiled back at her.

Tara thought Faith had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. Just then, it was so beautiful it made her want to cry.

"A little," Tara said. "But you can be impertinent with me whenever you want, sweetie."

"Gonna hold you to that," Faith said.

"Girlfriend," Spike said to the priests, and smiled. "Pretty thing, but a little daft." He moved away from the priests and kept a wary eye on the vampires as he talked. Usually four against one was a nice, invigorating scrap in Spike's book. But these vampires were different...

"Honey, Daddy's in the middle of something really important right now, so I don't know exactly when I'll be home," Spike said into the cell phone.

"That rock is a key to a dimensional gate," Buffy said. "Those priests want to use it to free the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!"

"You're not wearing any underwear? Tell me more, you naughty girl."

"If they get their hands on it the world will end! You have to keep the Key out of their hands until after the sun sets! Spike, please!"

"You want me to spank you? Why, you kinky little trollop."

"Remember what you said last time? How you don't want the world to end? Manchester United? People walking around like Happy Meals with legs?"

"Fine, fine. Just make sure my dinner's on the table, woman."

He broke the connection, and put the phone back in his pocket.

"I'm gonna stick my sword so far up his ass," Buffy said, and slammed the phone down so hard she nearly broke it.

"Get in line," Angel said.

"You get a read on him?" Faith said. "How did he sound? Will he help?"

"No fucking idea," Buffy said. "He's the most annoying vampire in the history of the world."

"We got any weapons here?" Faith said.

"Got like six bottles of holy water in the duffel bag in the car," Buffy said. "But that's it. The flamethrowers are at Giles' place."

"No time to drive there," Faith said.

"I have an extra sword," Angel said. "My axe too if you want."

"Thanks, but we got our swords," Faith said. "And I don't wanna leave you without your gear. No time to drive to Giles' place either, so we're gonna have to make do with what we got. Okay, let's go, we're almost outta time." She stood up, and checked her sword and her stake. "Angel, remember the plan. If this thing goes off the rails you'll know real quick. If it does and B and me somehow manage to avoid being vamp-chow we'll contact you when we can. Don't look for us, you and Tara have to go get Will and Xander and Giles. Take them somewhere safe."

"Okay," Angel said. "Be careful. Spike's dangerous."

"So are a hundred or so of those new wolf vamps," Faith said. "Can't be helped. Let's move out, B."

Tara stood up. "The world survives this? I'm buying you guys cell phones. "I'm buying us all cell phones. I'm buying us all ten cell phones each."

"Thanks, girlfriend," Faith said, and kissed Tara's cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Tara hugged her, and as she did, tears came into her eyes. She held the embrace, so she could wipe her tears away before Faith could see.

But when Tara looked up, she saw Buffy looking at her. It wasn't an unfriendly look. Tara wasn't sure what kind of look it was. But she couldn't abide it; she flinched and looked down, and quickly brushed her tears away. Then she touched Faith's cheek, and looked into her big brown eyes.

"You come back to me," Tara whispered. "Or I'll...or I'll kick your butt."

"I'll be back," Faith said. "I want more of your pancakes."

"They're completely lame," Tara whispered.

"No they're not," Faith said, and kissed her forehead, and gently pulled away from her, and walked to the door.

Buffy and Tara were facing each other.

"Um...so...g-good luck, Buffy," Tara mumbled. She flinched, as she met Buffy's eyes. She held out her hand. It was shaking a little.

"Thank you, Tara," Buffy said, and hugged her.

The hug took Tara by surprise, but as Buffy held her, Tara felt herself relaxing. And she hugged Buffy back.

"Thank you," Buffy said again, whispering it in Tara's ear.

When Tara looked at Buffy again, a tear was running down Buffy's cheek.

"You're welcome," Tara said.

Buffy kissed her cheek, and walked to the door.

"I'll protect her," Angel said to Faith.

"I know, Angel," Faith said. "I trust you."

Buffy watched Angel. He looked calm, centered...serene. He always did. When she was with him, she always thought nothing could touch her...when she was with him, she always knew she could save the world. She always knew there would be a happy ending. But today, she wasn't so sure.

She suddenly felt panic moving through her. It was like a living thing, it was like an animal stalking her; there was intent behind its movements. It started in her legs: Buffy felt it slithering around her ankles, and making its way up her thighs like a snake. Her legs felt shaky. She thought she was going to fall. Then panic leaped up into her stomach, and separated; it became hundreds, thousands, of creeping, crawling things: she felt like bugs were burrowing around in her stomach. She felt nauseous. She wanted to vomit. But then the bugs changed, coalesced into one thing again, became a wolf: the wolf leaped into her throat, clawing at it, cutting off her air, trying to suffocate her...

Buffy wanted Angel to take her in his arms and tell her he'd make everything okay, like he always had before...she wanted to go to him...

She didn't.

She dismissed the snake, and the bugs, and the wolf, and took Faith's hand. It was warm. It was strong.

"Good luck," Angel said.

"You too," Buffy said, and followed Faith out the door.

"Change of plans, gents," Spike said.

Buffy was right; he didn't want the world to end. All the Big Bads were always spouting off about their grand plans to end the world. But what was so bloody wrong with the world? There were women and football games and beer and music and poetry slams and people to eat. It was a great old world. And besides, if you slaughter the human race, what's left to eat after that?

"The asking price was three-hundred thousand," Spike said. "Now it's a million. Overhead. You know how it is."

"We had a deal," The Priest of Swords said.

"Had's the word, innit?" Spike said. "We're all evil here, we all know these things happen. If you need more time to get the money together I can meet you back here tonight or tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary," the Priest of Wands said. And smiled.

And the four vampires leaped at Spike, slavering and snarling...

Angel's GTX blazed down the deserted road, as the sun fell from the sky ahead of them, collapsing into orange fire. The wind howled, and the road was a gray blur behind them, and the dense trees to either side were a flash of green, streaking by and melting away around them. Buffy felt like she barely had control of the car. It was moving so fast it seemed like she was riding a rocket that could shoot out from underneath her at any second and just continue on its way without her. She was thankful there weren't any sharp curves on the way to the cemetery. She looked at the speedometer. The car was doing 130 miles an hour.

She almost smiled. It would be funny if the Slayer died in a car accident on her way to save the world...

Her mind wandered, and dwelt on silly things. She wondered what would happen if they ran into a sudden traffic jam. Or if the car attracted the police and the police chased them to the cemetery...

Then her mind came back to Faith, like it always did eventually.

Faith was looking straight ahead at the road. She sat up perfectly straight; her body was rigid. She hadn't said a word.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, baby?" Buffy said.

"Becca," Faith said.

The vampires clawed at Spike like animals, snapping and growling, trying to get the Key.

As Spike dodged, he could see the four priests standing in the shadows, their eyes closed, their hands clasped in prayer.

"We beseech the First. The one True God. Lightbringer, illuminate the path," the Priest of Cups said.

"We beseech the First. The one True God. Lightbringer, lead us to glory," the Priest of Swords said.

Spike kicked a vampire in the face, and stole a quick glance at the open crypt door behind him. The sun was nearly at the horizon.

"How much longer?" Faith said.

"Any second now," Buffy said. "Faith...about Tara?"

"Yeah?"

"I think...I think she's in love with you."

"Yeah. I know. She is."

Buffy looked over at her. Faith was still looking straight ahead at the road.

"Do you...do you...love Tara?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Faith said.

Then she took Buffy's hand.

"But you're my girl, Buffy," Faith said.

Buffy smiled, and nodded.

They looked at the sun. It would be gone in minutes. And then night would come...and maybe never leave...

"Figure we're gonna die?" Faith said.

"Are we gonna make it, Xander?" Willow said.

They sat on the couch together. She ate Oreos with double stuff, and drank her super mocha cappuccino. He was drinking tea now.

They didn't sit very close to each other. They didn't hold hands.

"I don't know," Xander said. "I love you. But...what happened to you...I can't...I don't know if I can deal with it, Willow. I don't know if I can deal with worrying about you...worrying about someone making you a victim again."

She looked at him, her green eyes flashing.

"I'm not a victim," she said. "I'm no one's fucking victim. Get it through your head. And don't ever use that fucking word to describe me again."

Willow was showing Xander her teeth.

"Uh...sorry," Xander said.

She looked away from him. They were quiet.

"Where did you just go?" Xander said.

"You throwin' me brainteasers now, dude?" Willow said. "The hell are you talkin' about?"

"Sometimes...like right now? You...go away. You start acting like...like you're not you. You start acting...different. Talking different."

"Yeah...well...um...I guess this whole thing has me...kinda stressed, okay?" she said, and looked down at her knees, and began fidgeting with her hair, twisting it into little loops. "I mean, y'know, my boyfriend's all like, hey, here's an idea, how about you stop doing what you love to do for like, the rest of your life. I'm just...I'm not having a good day, okay? And you didn't answer my question. Are we gonna make it?"

"Not sure I have an answer."

"That closet happened to me, not you. I'm dealing with it. Why can't you...trust me to deal with it?"

"How about, because you're not dealing with it?"

"What do you want me to do, Xander? Should I talk about it all the time? Should I like, hold up a sign saying I was mentally raped by a vampire? You want me to get it tattooed on my arm? Should I find a support group? This thing happened to me and you're making it all about you. You say I'm not over it but what you really mean is you want me to be all, all like...some panicky victim girl so you can be all macho and act like you're protecting me. Because you couldn't protect me before. And you can't deal with it now. You're the one who's not past this. Yeah, okay, I have rough days with it sometimes? But I'm not letting it eat up my whole life. You're the one who wants to let this thing change us, not me."

"I just wanna protect you, Willow."

"Well you can't," Willow said, and looked Xander in the eyes. "Okay? You can't."

Xander's face became red. He looked away from her eyes.

"I don't think we're gonna make it," he said, softy.

Willow nodded.

"Guess not," she said, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

She wiped them away.

They were quiet after that. There really wasn't anything else to say.

They stayed on the couch together, because neither of them wanted to walk away...

"Do either of you know what's wrong with the blasted phone?" Giles said, striding into the room. When Giles started striding it always meant he was angry at technology.

"Um...what's it doing?" Willow said.

"I can't dial out," Giles said. "I pick it up and there's no dial tone."

"Did you disconnect it somehow?" Willow said, getting up.

"No, it's still connected to the phone jack in the wall. It was working perfectly yesterday."

Willow walked away from Xander, and Giles followed her into the study. She crouched down and looked underneath the desk, picking up the phone wire and checking its connection. Then she stood up and picked up the phone, and started pressing buttons.

"Okay, this is...weird," Willow said. "There's no dial tone but it's plugged into the jack. It was fine when I called Buffy's house."

"Blasted thing," Giles muttered.

"Maybe...the phone jack went kablooie?" Willow said, thinking about it.

"'Kablooie'?"

"It's a technical term, a layman like you wouldn't get it."

Giles put his hand on her shoulder.

"How are you two doing?" he said.

"He...he, um...he...left me," Willow whispered.

"I'm sorry, Willow," Giles said.

"Yeah...I'm...dealing with it, okay?" Willow said. "I'll be...I'll be okay."

Giles took her hand, and looked down into her eyes...

"I can...I can be strong," Willow said, as her lips began to tremble. "All this stuff? I'm...I'm a big girl, I can deal. I can deal."

"I know," Giles said. "You're one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"That stuff? The stuff Angelus did to me? I'm over it," she said, as tears came into her eyes. "I'm over it."

Giles hugged her.

"He left me, Giles," Willow whispered, and broke down in tears.

"Oh, sod off!" Spike shouted. The vampires had him on the floor, and he rolled around, trying to cover up as they slashed and bit at him. "Get the fuck off me, you bleedin'...! Fuck!" They clawed at him, searching for the Key...

He wondered how he had gotten into this situation. Instead of making three-hundred thousand dollars he was now apparently trying to save the world. Because a Slayer had asked him to.

He checked to make sure he was still evil. He was.

Then what the hell was he doing?

Life certainly threw you a curveball every now and again...

"Bugger this!" he shouted, and kicked all four vampires off him, sending them flying, his face changing to vampire form as he did. He leaped up, and roared at everyone in the crypt.

He looked down at his leather coat. It had a slash running through it.

"I really like this coat! This coat's SPECIAL!" he screamed, and punched one of the vampires out of the air as it ran back and leaped at him. The vampire went flying across the crypt and smashed into the far wall. Spike glanced outside. There were only minutes left until sunset. As the vampires came at him again, Spike saw the four priests in a shadowy corner, looking positively blissful.

"We beseech the First. The one True God. Lightbringer, give us the power," the Priest of Pentacles said.

"We beseech the First. The one True God. Lightbringer, open the gate," the Priest of Wands said.

"Beseech my arse!" Spike snarled, and flipped one vampire over his head as it sprang at him, then spun and kicked another that was trying to tackle him from behind. He didn't have a stake and the crypt was too small; if he was going to survive this fight he needed a weapon and he needed room to move.

"After I save the world I swear I'm gonna kill that girl," he muttered, and ran out of the crypt into the waning daylight of the cemetery.

Spike's skin smoked a little, but the sun was almost gone, and there was no direct light. Under the abundant shadows of the trees, it was only a minor irritation. Very minor, he thought, compared to the fact that he was apparently doing Buffy Summers' bidding, for bollocks only knew what reason. He tore a good, sturdy branch from a tree. Now he had a weapon.

The vampires followed him out of the crypt, which he expected. He turned and faced them. All he had to do was keep the Key out of their hands for, at best, five minutes, and then everything would be fine, and he could go home and have a beer and watch Passions and think of ways to kill Buffy.

Unfortunately, at least thirty vampires came streaming out of the three crypts behind him, which is something he hadn't expected...

"I don't believe my life sometimes," Spike muttered, and punched the closest one in the face, and ran...

"It would be the biggest cemetery in the world," Buffy said, as she tore through the cemetery in the GTX, frantically swerving to avoid the tombstones that barred her way like traffic cones on a Drivers Ed course.

"There," Faith said, pointing out a car parked under a stand of trees on the far side of the cemetery. It was a black Desoto, with blacked-out windows. As they drove toward it, Buffy and Faith could hear what sounded like one hell of a big fight going on somewhere...

"How much time now?" Tara said.

"Maybe five minutes," Angel said.

They sat on the couch together. Tara had stopped drinking because she realized that if her life was about to end, she wanted to be able to at least think straight. To reflect on it.

She found herself thinking about Faith.

They hadn't been given much time together. And in the end, she had lost her...but Tara was grateful for her anyway.

"Do you...have any regrets?" Tara said. "Okay, corny question? But...we might be about to die here."

"I've got about a million regrets," Angel said. "Number one on the list right now is that I didn't hand Spike his ass when I had the chance. How about you? You have any regrets?"

Tara touched the crystal pendant she wore. It felt warm between her fingers, like it always did...

And she remembered something. Something she had forgotten, until this moment...

You're my special girl, she remembered the witch saying to her when she was just nine years old, looking down at her with piercing green eyes and smiling her beautiful, slightly goofy smile underneath a big, bright, sun and a crystal clear blue sky that went on for a million miles in every direction, like she was the reason it was all there...like she was the pillar holding up the world...

You're my little goddess, the witch said.

"No," Tara said, and smiled. "No regrets."

"Fuck!" Spike shouted, staking a vampire with his tree branch and running again. There were too many of them, and there were even more streaming out of the crypts now...

"There are even more where they came from, I'm afraid," the Priest of Wands called out. He was standing in front of the crypt Spike had run out of, and looking at the setting sun. "The crypts in this cemetery are all connected by tunnels, and I have quite a lot of vampires. Why don't you just give us the Key now. We'll even let you keep the money." He smiled. And the three priests standing behind him smiled, too. Even the Priest of Swords, whom Spike was certain hadn't been laid in forty years.

The vampires had Spike completely surrounded now. There were dozens of them, with more coming. But they weren't attacking; they were giving him one last chance to surrender.

"Go climb an altar boy," Spike said. And smirked.

The priests stopped smiling then. Although Spike thought he heard the Priest of Pentacles chuckle.

The vampires closed in on him.

"Bollocks!" Spike shouted, and decided to just pick a direction and try to barrel through. It wasn't a bad plan, as far as it went, he thought, as he headed in the direction his car was parked. It was more thought-out than most of his plans...

"Bollocks!" Buffy and Faith heard someone shout.

When they made it to the other side of the Desoto, they saw Spike in the distance trying to fight off at least fifty vampires.

"Look--you see them? They're all trying to tackle Spike," Buffy said.

"Means he must still have the Key," Faith said.

"Plan?"

"Smash and grab. Put the top down. We'll plow through these vamps with the car, have Spike throw the Key to us and drive right the hell out of here. We don't get bogged down, we don't let the vamps swarm the car. In and out."

Buffy nodded, put the top down, and drove straight toward Spike.

"Faith? I love you, baby. I love you," Buffy said.

Faith kissed her.

"I love you too," Faith said. "You're my girl. You're my girl forever."

The plan wasn't working. Spike was forced to consider that perhaps it wasn't very well thought-out after all. He had run straight at the eight vampires to his right and had nearly, but not quite, broken through. And now he was punching and kicking and cursing and waving his tree branch around, and feeling like an idiot. Not because the plan hadn't worked--his plans never really did, he wasn't much of a plan person, that was always Angelus' department--but because he was going to die here trying to do a favor for Buffy Summers, who wasn't just a Slayer, but was in point of fact the most annoying girl he had ever met in his more than a century of unlife. The vampires slashed at him, trying to get to the Key he held in his left hand. There were too many of them...he knew they'd drag him down within seconds...

He heard a car.

And then he saw Buffy and Faith smash into the vampires with the blackest, shiniest, fastest, meanest car he had ever laid eyes on. The car--a classic 1967 Plymouth GTX convertible which Spike was absolutely certain had to be Angel's--tore through the vampires like a bomb going off, sending them flying through the air...

"Spike! Throw us the Key!" Buffy shouted, wrestling with the car, trying to keep it straight and trying to keep her speed up, as Faith tried her best to keep the vampires they were running over from ending up in the car beside them, catching them as they flew up over the hood and using their momentum to toss them away.

Buffy and Faith knew they only had one shot at this...and if they missed...

"What, and then you're just gonna leave me here?!" Spike shouted back, as he ran and dodged and swung his tree branch around like a chicken with its head cut off. The vampires had him surrounded, but they were confused now; some of them were running after the car, and some were trying to get out of its way, and the rest were still chasing him. But there were less of them chasing him now than before, at least...

"I'm gonna kill him," Faith muttered, as she held on as best she could. The car was like riding a bull now; every vampire they ran into knocked them off course a little more and Buffy was just barely able to keep the car straight.

"Just fucking DO IT!" Buffy screamed. "Throw us the Key NOW or THE WORLD'S GONNA END!"

They were passing close to him now...this was their chance...their only chance, they knew.

"Oh, FINE!" Spike shouted. "But you OWE me for this!"

He dived to the ground as three vampires sprang at him, rolled back up to his feet, saw the car as it passed, and managed to throw the Key in the direction of the car just before four more vampires tackled him from behind...

And then he winced, as a vampire leaped up into the air and intercepted it.

"Oh...fuck!" Spike screamed, as the vampires pounded on his back and slashed at him with their claws, howling like wolves. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

"PLAN B!" Faith screamed, and grabbed the duffel bag from the back seat as Buffy slammed on the brakes and wrenched the car to a spinning stop, taking out a few more vampires as she did. Buffy leaped out of the car with Faith, and they both drew their swords...

"Where is it?!" Buffy screamed, as the vampires, dozens of them, regrouped and came at them. "WHICH ONE HAS IT?!"

"You're faster than me! I'll hold 'em off, you find the Key! GO!" Faith shouted, and pulled bottles of holy water from the duffel bag and threw them at the vampires as Buffy started sprinting. The vampires shrieked and screamed and burst into flames as the holy water hit them, and Faith started running in the opposite direction from the way Buffy had gone, trying to draw the vampires after her. She knew holy water hurt like a bastard to a vampire and she was hoping they'd stay good and angry at her...

They did. The vampires chased her, howling like wolves and screaming as Faith ducked and dodged and ran and leaped like a jackrabbit, lobbing the last of her holy water bottles at them as she did...

"Spike!" Buffy screamed. "Where are you? Where's the Key?!"

Spike kicked and punched and slashed out with his claws, trying to get back up to his feet, trying to get the vampires off him...

It worked. The vampires simply got up and ran away from him.

Spike stood up and dusted himself off. The vampires were ignoring him, he realized; they were focusing on Buffy and the other girl she'd brought with her. He looked around and did a quick count. He counted at least one-hundred and twenty vampires now. He saw Faith just barely keeping ahead of a horde of the vampires, occasionally stopping to stake one or behead one with her sword when it got a little ahead of the pack, but then immediately sprinting away before the rest could catch her, never allowing herself to be pinned down. He saw Buffy, looking around wildly, trying to locate the Key and trying to keep herself alive at the same time; nearly all of the vampires were focused on Faith but there were still at least two dozen running after Buffy. She easily kept ahead of them, but she stayed close to the crypts, looking for the Key...

"Right here, Slayer," Spike called out. "And by the way? You and your girlfriend are well and truly buggered, I'd say."

"Spike!" Buffy shouted. "Where's the Key? Help me find it! PLEASE!"

"How the bloody hell should I know where it is?" Spike shouted, throwing up his hands in exasperation as Buffy slashed her wakizashi back and forth, beheading vampires as they sprang at her from all sides, and trying to keep ahead of them. The vampires were ignoring Spike completely now. "I'm evil, remember? You're the bloody Slayer, not me!"

Spike noticed a small group of the vampires, about a dozen or so, making their way back to the priests. About thirty vampires had formed a line in front of the priests, and the vampires heading back to the priests were using their brethren as a screen. Spike knew they must have the Key...the ones attacking Buffy and the other girl, who was obviously a Slayer herself, were just keeping them busy...

Spike had to smile. It was a clever tactic...

"SPIKE!" Buffy screamed, as she slashed her wakizashi around, dodging the vampires as best she could...

Spike knew he had to make a decision. If he tried to get past the thirty or so vampires who were forming a line in front of the priests, he might pull it off...he might actually manage to reach the priests with his skin still attached, if Buffy came with him and ran interference. But even if he did reach them, the sun was about to set; he knew they couldn't have much more than a couple of minutes left now. And getting the Key back might save the world but it wouldn't destroy all those vampires, and Spike had a feeling they'd be pretty peeved at him if he canceled their little apocalypse. Angry enough to kill him. Spike liked a good scrap but three against more than a hundred wasn't a scrap, it was suicide.

He made a decision.

"Sorry pet," he said. "You were right, I do like the world. So I'd fancy being able to live in it for awhile longer."

And he walked away.

"Spike!" Buffy screamed, as the vampires surrounded her. "Spike!"

"Nice knowing you, Slayer," Spike said, and waved, as he walked back toward his car. For a moment he considered trying to steal Angel's car but he would have to get past that other Slayer to get near it and he had a feeling she might kill him.

"SPIKE!" Buffy screamed.

Spike stopped. There was something different in her voice, now...she wasn't pleading anymore. There was no trace of panic left in her tone, now...there was something else.

He turned.

Buffy was surrounded. At least twenty-five vampires had her pinned down. She had her sword in one hand, and her stake in the other, and she stood in the center of the circle of predators, a lion at bay.

There was a light in Buffy's eyes, as bright and hard as diamonds, that Spike had never seen before.

Buffy showed Spike her teeth.

"We're gonna see each other again," Buffy said, in a voice that was pure steel. "And when we do you're going to die."

The look in Buffy's eyes was something Spike had never seen before...in anyone, in all his years.

"It's a date," he said, and smirked...and turned around, and walked away.

Tara sat with Angel on the couch, and held his hand tight. She was afraid: he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, too fast. He could see how pale her face was, he could feel her hand shaking in his. And he could smell it on her, too. There was a time when he loved the way fear smelled on a person. But not now, and not with Tara. Her fear changed her beautiful ginger scent; made it harsh.

"No matter what happens, I'll protect you, Tara," Angel said.

"Thanks," Tara said, and managed a small smile. "How much time now?"

"Oh, it won't be long now," Darla said, suddenly sitting in one of the chairs across from them.

Tara gasped.

"Who...who...?" Tara whispered.

"She's the First," Angel said. "But don't worry. She can't touch us. All she can do is make speeches. Boring ones."

"I'm Darla, my dear," Darla said. "I'm the woman who made the beautiful darling boy sitting beside you. Well...I'm the image of her. In all the important ways, all the ways that matter, I'm her. I have Darla's memories, her feelings. And her impeccable sense of style," she added, with a beautiful, wolfish smile. "Angel darling, aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend? I know I didn't raise you to be rude."

"I'm...T-Tara," Tara said.

"A new recruit for your plucky little band of adventurers?" Darla said. "How precious! But unfortunately you've come in at the end of the story, Tara. All you can do now is die with them."

Buffy looked around. She relaxed. She focused on her senses. She knew she had maybe two minutes left, maybe less. She couldn't see the sun; it was just about gone. The little clearing she was standing in was becoming dark, and cold.

The twenty-five vampires around her weren't attacking her. They were hemming her in...trying to keep her there. They were protecting the Key, Buffy realized...

She could just barely see a throng of vampires standing in front of one of the crypts...

And she knew where the Key was. She knew the priests already had it.

"FAITH!" Buffy screamed. "The priests! They're the ones who have to do the ceremony!"

Buffy had no idea where Faith was. She had no idea if she was even alive.

She picked a direction and ran, trying to break through the circle. The vampires converged on her, springing at her like wolves, but she was too fast: she spun and ducked and dodged, slashing out with her wakizashi, beheading two of them and staking a third and just managing to squeeze out of the circle. She was sprinting toward the mass of vampires blocking the crypt now...

She heard a car.

And then she was suddenly flying through the air, as Angel's GTX streaked by and Faith grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled her inside. Buffy landed in Faith's lap in the front seat.

"Hey, beautiful," Faith said, as she drove around in circles, trying to pick up some speed without letting the vampires swarm the car. "My girl okay?"

"Now that you're here," Buffy said, and sat up. "You?"

Faith had a slash on her arm, and her clothes were torn.

"Some guys are just grabby, y'know?" Faith said. "Bottom of the ninth, honey. Two on, two out. We gotta kill those priests before they can do whatever magic shit they're gonna do."

"Yeah," Buffy said. She looked over at the mass of vampires in front of the crypt. They were bracing themselves. Buffy couldn't see the priests behind them but she knew they were there; she smelled them. Their scents were easy to pick out; they were the only ones that didn't smell like rotten meat.

Okay, and the second thing is, weapons, Buffy remembered Xander saying. Our stockpile is low; other than our swords we're down to the two flamethrowers, and I think I might have one grenade somewhere...

If she had a grenade now Buffy knew she could simply lob it over the vampire's heads and take out all four of the priests at once without having to get through the vampires at all...it would work, and it would save them...it would save the world...

But she didn't have a grenade.

Because Xander was gone...she had lost him.

"Here's the plan," Faith said. "I figure we have maybe like a minute or so left here. No way that's enough time to get through all those vamps even with the car. So we're going over them."

"Over?" Buffy said. "How?"

"I'm gonna get this car going as fast as I can and then I'm ramming it straight into the vamps," Faith said, as she checked the rearview mirror and kept driving in circles, trying to keep the car from being swarmed. Buffy handled any vampires who got too close, slashing out with her wakizashi. "Just before I do, I want you standing up in your seat, ready to jump. When the car hits the vamps we'll be thrown forward hard, like in a car crash. I want you to jump as far out as you can and as high as you can the second the car hits 'em. We got the top down, with the car's momentum and those sexy Slayer leg muscles I'm betting you can jump clean over all those vamps and take a shot at the priests."

"I think Burt Reynolds came up with this exact plan in one of his car movies," Buffy said.

"Probably," Faith said. "But it's all we've got. If we can just get you near those priests with your sword we have a chance. Not a great chance, but a chance. You ready?"

"Yeah," Buffy said.

Faith took a wide turn, pointed the car back at the crypt and floored it. The vampires chasing them tried to catch up, sprinting along after the car on either side, but they weren't fast enough...

"I love you," Faith said, and took Buffy's hand, and kissed it. "You're my girl."

"I love you too, baby," Buffy said, and got up on top of the seat in a crouch...

The car streaked straight toward the vampires in front of the crypt.

Faith ducked her head and held her arms up in front of her, preparing to be thrown through the windshield by the collision, as Buffy prepared to jump...

Tara couldn't look at Darla's eyes. She looked away. She moved closer to Angel.

"Don't listen to her, Tara," Angel said. "She lies. She tries to screw with your head. Don't listen."

"I don't always lie," Darla said. "If you stay with these people, you'll be killed, Tara. I promise you that. And it will be a painful death. But if you leave, now? If you get in your car and drive away, and never look back? You'll live. I can promise you that, too. I can see to it you're protected. My voice is whispering in the ear of every vampire in the world right now. They're ready to rise up and choke the life from this world, the moment I give the word. If you leave now, I'll make sure they don't hurt you. You look like an intelligent girl. Use your head. I'm offering you a way out."

Buffy jumped as high as she could when the car smashed into the line of vampires, and she heard Faith scream and smash through the windshield somewhere behind her as she sailed through the air, clear above the heads of the vampires. But she was too high; the car had provided so much momentum that she was in danger of clearing the crypt itself. Buffy aimed herself down in a dive, pointed at the last row of vampires guarding the crypt entrance...

She crash-landed on top of the last row of vampires, taking four of them down with her. She didn't know exactly where the priests were, she couldn't see them and all she could hear was the vampires growling and shrieking, but she knew the priests were close; she smelled them. She got to her feet and started slashing out wildly with her sword and stabbing the air with her stake; she knew Faith wasn't nearby so anything that moved was a target. She knew her only hope was to hit the vampires hard and fast and find the priests before the vampires could bring her down...

She tried to focus on her nose. It was difficult; she was in the middle of a mass of shrieking vampires and their scent was strong. She slashed her wakizashi through the air so fast it became a blur, not even looking at what she was hitting with it, just trying to clear some space so she could move. She had one advantage: there were so many vampires that they were all getting in each other's way. There were more than a hundred vampires there but most of them had no way to reach her. Every time she cut one down another immediately took its place, but they couldn't effectively use their numbers against her.

Faintly, she heard Faith; she was about twenty yards away to her right. But Buffy still wasn't able to get a bead on the priests...

"Stop her!" she heard. "Stop her! Kill her!"

Buffy smiled. Every bad guy she'd ever come up against had the same weakness: they talked too much. If the priest had just kept his mouth shut she might not have found him in time. Now she was able to move in the direction of the voice, cutting her way toward it...

A bright spurt of red erupted like a geyser in front of her, and she realized she had just killed one of the priests without even realizing he was in front of her.

She had never killed a human being before.

She thought she should feel something. Guilt, shame, something. But she didn't feel anything, or at least she didn't have time to right then, so she kept on slashing the air with her sword, and stabbing out with her stake, spinning around as she moved relentlessly forward, doing her best to clear the space on her flanks and not let any of the vampires tackle her from behind either...

Pieces of the vampires were flying through the air all around her as she hacked her way through them: arms and legs and fingers. Her sword penetrated something hard, like a shovel striking stone as it digs through the dirt, and Buffy saw that she had embedded her sword in a vampire's ribs. It was stuck there; she had to kick the vampire away and pull at the same time to dislodge it. As she did her elbow jerked backwards and she heard someone moan; she turned and saw that she had elbowed one of the priests in the jaw, and he was unconscious on the ground. She stabbed him through the heart with her sword and kept moving forward, slashing it around her in a wide arc. The vampires' blood was raining down on her now as she slashed and hacked and stabbed them. It was like walking through a fountain.

"Hold her off! Hold her off!" Buffy heard another priest shrieking, to her left. She ran toward the voice, and felt her sword cleave one vampire's head right down the middle and felt her stake penetrate a vampire's cheekbone as he leaped at her and she ducked him. She got a glimpse of the remaining two priests; they were standing close together with six vampires who weren't leaving their side. They would be tricky...

Suddenly Buffy saw Faith leap at all six vampires, roaring like a lion ambushing its prey. Faith tackled them, managing to bring four of them to the ground, and Buffy saw her opening. She spun away from one vampire who tried to grab her, ducked under another's slashing claws and staked him, dropped into a crouch and cut the legs out from under a third as it sprang at her, and ran for Faith and the priests. Faith was rolling around under a pile of vampires, stabbing with her sword and her stake and cutting them to ribbons. The two priests saw Buffy and started running. With a roar, Buffy sprang over a vampire who tried to tackle her at the knees and stabbed at the nearer of the two priests with her sword: the sword went straight through the back of the priest's head and out the other side and got stuck there. Buffy had to wrench it back out; as she did it flayed the priest's head like a watermelon, reducing it to bloody chunks.

When Buffy looked up again, she saw the last priest...the one with the golden sword pendant around his neck...

He had the Key.

"So what say you?" Darla said. "Will you leave, and enjoy my generous protection? Or stay and die bloody?" Darla licked her lips.

Tara looked at Darla. She met her eyes and didn't flinch.

"Screw you," Tara said. "Faith's so gonna ki-kick your ass."

Darla laughed. "Why, I'm positively quaking at the prospect, Tara dear," Darla said. "Angel, be a pet and open the curtains. Let's see the show."

Buffy sensed it: she knew the sun was setting, right now. She knew she was down to seconds. The old priest was running from her, running flat out. Vampires were converging on him from all sides, trying to shield him...

Buffy knew she'd never reach him in time.

She hefted her sword like a javelin, and threw it with all her strength...

As the sword sped unerringly to its target, the priest raised the Key to the heavens, and closed his eyes...

"AMEN!" the priest screamed, one second before the sword sliced through his back and impaled him through the heart, and he fell over, dead...

And the sun set.

And then the bodies of all four priests were suddenly vaporized in eruptions of ghastly green light that exploded out of them, shaking the cemetery like an earthquake had hit it, throwing Buffy and Faith and all the vampires to the ground...

The four beams of light joined, combined into one, stabbed straight up into the sky and tore a hole in it. When Buffy looked up, she saw a blackness, flooding in through that rip in the sky like some giant insect swarm, blotting out the setting sun and turning day into night like a solar eclipse...

The green light faded away, and night covered the world.

Angel and Tara looked out the window, aghast. Where a moment before it had been day, now it was black night. There was no twilight, no gradual darkening of the sky; the sun had set seconds before, but now night covered the world like a funeral shroud.

Angel smelled vampires, scores of them. Faintly, he heard screams, echoing through the streets.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Darla said, standing behind them.

"Goddess," Tara whispered. "Goddess save us."

"She's abandoned you," Darla said. "She finally grew tired of you monkeys, and left this world to me. Why do you think the Horsemen were allowed to arrive? Nothing can be done out of Her hand."

"The Horsemen?" Angel said, and looked hard at Darla...looked down into the nothingness in her blue eyes. "They're here now? They've been released?"

"Oh, yes, my angel," Darla said, and smiled, as Tara began to cry. "And not only the Horsemen. My army is marching, everywhere. I've just given the word, whispered it in the ears of every vampire in the world...go forth in my name. Raze this world to the ground. Kill everything."

Darla moved closer to Angel, and put her mouth to his ear.

"You should've taken the deal, my love," she whispered, and disappeared.

The earth shook. Buffy covered her ears, trying in vain to block out the terrible, deafening roar as the earth thundered all around her. She tried to stand, but every time she managed to get back up, she was thrown to the ground again. When she looked around her, trying to peer through the near total blackness that had been daylight a moment before, the world seemed to distort, to melt, in front of her eyes. The ground no longer seemed solid; it undulated, flowed away in waves, leaped up to meet the sky. Buffy was thrown around like a leaf in a tornado. She closed her eyes and covered up as best she could; when she peeked out, she couldn't tell where the ground stopped and the sky started anymore...she felt like she was drowning in the dark...

"Buffy!" she thought she heard Faith shout, but she couldn't see her...

It was as if this dark wasn't just a quality of light but a physical thing in and of itself...something cold and black and thick and a million miles wide and a million more deep and it would creep into your lungs and drag you down...

Eventually, the tremors grew less. The earth thundered, but Buffy wasn't being bounced around the cemetery like a pinball anymore. The tremors were still too strong for her to stand up, but she was able to get her bearings. She heard the vampires; they couldn't stand up either, but they were howling and laughing... celebrating. They weren't attacking her. They weren't bothering anymore.

"Faith!" Buffy shouted. "Baby? Where are you, baby?!"

"Buffy!" Faith shouted again. Buffy could barely hear her voice over the roaring all around her...

Buffy looked around again, and could just make Faith out; she was on her knees on the ground by a marble statue of an angel, hugging it, using it as an anchor. Buffy tried to get up, and fell again as the earth continued heaving around her. So she crawled to Faith instead, making her way to her as fast as she could.

"Faith! I'm coming, baby!" Buffy shouted. "I'm coming!"

Buffy realized she was crying. She didn't know when she had started crying.

After what seemed like hours, she finally reached Faith.

"Buffy!" Faith screamed, with tears running down her cheeks. She let go of the angel, and leaped at Buffy, and threw her arms around her. "It's over! We...we lost!"

Buffy hugged her, and held on tight to her.

"I love you, I love you!" Buffy screamed. " I love you, baby!"

Faith was shrieking and wailing now. Buffy held her to her breasts, and rocked her, and kissed her hair.

"It's okay," Buffy said, in her ear. "It's okay, baby, it's okay...I'm here now, baby. I'm here. I'm here..."

Eventually, the world stopped shaking, and the roaring went away. Buffy and Faith held each other, as the angel stood vigilant above them, her beautiful wings outstretched, her sword held high, her keen eyes watching over them. The cemetery became still, and silent.

But the darkness remained...Buffy felt it, on her skin. It was a sleek, cold thing and wherever it touched her she shuddered, and a feeling came over her...

She felt like all the warmth had gone out of the world.

"I'm cold," Faith whispered. "I'm cold, Buffy."

"I'm gonna keep you warm, baby," Buffy whispered back, and kissed her, and held her tight...

And then Buffy felt something else. The earth was vibrating beneath her now. And she heard something...it sounded like cannon fire...

"The sky!" Willow screamed, and ran into the living room, to the nearest window. "What happened to the sky?!" She threw the window open and leaned out, looking up at the black night...

With a snarl, a vampire grabbed her and tried to pull her out the window.

"WILLOW!" Xander shouted, running in from the kitchen as Giles came in from the study. Giles managed to grab onto Willow's right arm and Xander was able to grab her around the waist as they desperately tried to pull her from the vampire's grasp. It was one of the wolf vampires; it growled and slavered and snapped its teeth at them like an animal as it tried to pull Willow away. The vampire couldn't enter the house, couldn't actually break the plane of the window, but he had a good grip on Willow's left arm now, and Xander and Giles together were only just strong enough to keep him from taking Willow outright; they weren't strong enough to pull her back in...

Willow was screaming. The vampire's claws had torn through her sleeve, and dug deep into her flesh, and drawn blood...

Giles punched the vampire in the face. It growled and bit at him, but it didn't move away from the window, or release its grip on Willow.

"NO!" Willow shrieked. "NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Willow eyes turned black...

The vampire punched Willow in the face, and knocked her unconscious.

Xander was pulling with all his might. He knew he was going to lose her...

"Giles, hold her!" Xander screamed, and ran out of the room...

The cannon fire was getting closer, and louder. The earth was still vibrating. But the earthquake had stopped; Buffy thought she could stand now.

Buffy rocked Faith in her arms, and kissed her, as she trembled, and cried.

"Baby?" Buffy whispered. "Baby we...we gotta get up, okay? We gotta get up now."

Faith nodded, and let Buffy stand her up. Buffy didn't let go of her. She held onto Faith, as tight as she could, so the darkness couldn't snatch her away.

The cannon fire was almost upon them.

"What...what's that noise?" Faith whispered.

They could barely see in that dark. The vampires were there, standing away from them and staring in the direction of the noise, and making no move to attack them...the vampires were still howling and laughing...

"It's...it's..." Buffy said, letting her senses reach out...

She felt something, in her heart...like a knife had just stabbed into it, and twisted.

"It's hoofbeats," Buffy whispered.

Buffy and Faith peered out into the darkness...

And they saw a deeper darkness emerge from it...

And they saw a Horseman.

The Horseman galloped straight at them, a skeleton in a black, hooded robe, riding a great black horse, and holding aloft a giant black scythe. The horse was dead; its eyes were two empty sockets. But the earth thundered beneath its hooves...

The Horseman borne upon that great and terrible steed had eyes that burned like stars.

Terror seized Buffy and Faith like some bird of prey swooping down out of the darkness and carrying them off in its talons, when they saw those eyes; they felt an icy wind whipping around them, stealing their breath away, stealing their warmth away, freezing their blood...

They screamed. Their screams welled up inside them from a secret place deep down that they hadn't even known was there, and exploded out of them; but they weren't merely screams of terror. They were screams of revulsion too, and outrage: this Horseman didn't belong in the world. Buffy and Faith knew that he had stabbed his way in from some nightmare place, a place human beings weren't ever meant to see...Buffy and Faith knew, instinctively, that this Horseman was a perversion, a black stain...a sword through the world's heart. They knew the world couldn't abide his coming; he was a burden the world wasn't meant to bear.

They knew the world would collapse under it.

The Horseman smelled like a dead thing. His scent touched something inside Buffy and Faith...they screamed again, and this time their screams carried only terror, distilled down to its black essence.

Because they knew now that this Horseman was Death...

The Horseman checked his horse, and looked straight at them.

"I see you," he said. His voice was like an echo from the grave.

Buffy and Faith stood there, trembling.

Two more Horsemen suddenly appeared out of the darkness behind the first; they looked like the first rider, skeletons in black, hooded robes, but their horses were different. One rode a horse colored a sickly yellow, and the other rode a thin, bony horse colored a dull, ashen gray. The rider on the sickly yellow horse smelled putrid, like some diseased thing, and he carried a spiked whip that seemed to move in his hand of its own accord, like a snake. The rider on the gray horse carried a huge, bloody axe. They caught up to the first Horseman, and then all three of them bore straight down upon Buffy and Faith, the earth groaning beneath the hooves of their terrible steeds...

Buffy and Faith stood there, frozen, as the vampires whooped and hollered and laughed...

Buffy felt her whole body go numb. Her sword and her stake fell from her shaking hands, and she closed her eyes, and burst into tears...

"Becca..." Faith whimpered...

And then Faith heard a voice. It was a whisper on the wind, but it felt like it was right next to her...

"Mind your sister," the voice whispered in her ear.

It was Rebecca's voice. It allowed Faith to move again; it broke through the ice that had frozen her blood, and at the very last second Faith tackled Buffy and dragged her out of the way before the Horsemen could ride them down.

And as the Horsemen thundered past, Buffy and Faith cowered in the dirt beneath the statue of the angel, and quivered, and cried, and knew they were lost.

A moment later, they felt the vampires surrounding them. They looked up.

All of the vampires, more than a hundred, were standing in a circle around the statue now, growling.

One of the vampires stepped forward. He lurched toward them almost awkwardly, like a wolf walking on its hind legs. His red eyes looked like two pools of dried-up blood. His lips twisted into something approximating a smile.

"Look upon your world," he snarled. "You animals will soon be extinct."

Buffy and Faith quailed as they looked up at the vampires...at the hungry pack of wolves surrounding them. They knew they were at their mercy, and soon these wolves would tear their throats out...

The angel met the vampires' eyes, and didn't quail. She held her sword ready. If she thought the fight was hopeless, she kept her own counsel.

Part of Buffy and Faith wanted to fight. Part of them thought they should be lions, and leap at the wolves, snarling and biting and rending them to pieces, feeling the bones of these worthless scavengers shattering beneath their fists...

But they didn't feel like lions anymore. They felt like something had gone out of them, had gone out of the whole world...they weren't sure what it was, but they knew it was precious, and they didn't think they could ever get it back...

Buffy and Faith didn't stand up. They didn't roar at the wolves all around them, didn't defend their territory, didn't spring at the wolves and tear them to pieces. Instead they stayed down in the dirt, kneeling at the angel's feet.

They knew they weren't lions anymore. They weren't anything anymore... they had lost themselves...

They had lost the world.

Xander ran through the living room with a katana in his hand, nearly tripped over the coffee table, and ran out into the hallway toward the door.

"Xander, hurry!" Giles screamed, as he did his best to hold on to Willow while trying to dodge the vampire's slashing claws. "I can't hold her!"

Xander sprinted out the front door, holding the katana aloft...

He had no idea how to use a sword, or even how to properly hold one. All he knew for certain was that he was probably doing it wrong.

You'll need to learn a weapon, he remembered Faith saying. A sword or an axe, something for beheading. I can teach you weapons...

But Faith was gone...he had lost her.

Screaming, Xander ran at the vampire from its right side and awkwardly swung at it with the katana...

The vampire backhanded him in the face before he could land the blow. Xander flew backwards, smashed head-first into a telephone pole, and broke his neck. He slumped to the sidewalk, dead.

"XANDER!" Giles screamed, and punched at the vampire again. The vampire slapped his fist away, and punched him in the face. Giles went flying across the room, smashed into the far wall, fell to the floor, and lay still.

The vampire dragged Willow out the window.

Buffy and Faith knelt in the dirt at the angel's feet, holding each other, and crying. The wind had picked up; it was cold as ice and it lashed at them. It felt like whips on their skin. They looked up at the wolves surrounding them, and the wolves looked back, growling.

"Don't worry, my pretty rabbits!" the leader of the wolves sneered, as his pack laughed. "We want you to live yet awhile. We want you to see the world you helped create. You'll die soon enough, with the other animals."

And with that, the vampires loped away from them and disappeared into the night, howling and cackling...

"Wh-what...do we do?" Tara whispered, as she stood at the window with Angel, and looked out into the darkness.

Angel thought about it.

He tried to see life as a series of moments. And every moment represented an opportunity...to set a new course. To determine the way all the moments that came after would unfold. Every moment was a decision that had to be made.

The scent of vampires came to him...they seemed to be everywhere.

Somewhere, he heard an explosion.

In the distance, the clouds in the black sky were lit with gold. It made the clouds look beautiful, like the sun had come out at night. But Angel knew the light meant there were fires burning downtown.

There were more screams now. Angel could hear them, coming from every direction...

He took Tara's hand...and made a decision.

"We fight," Angel said.

Buffy and Faith knelt in the dirt together, and held each other, and cried. Above them, the angel stood guard, tall and beautiful and resolute.

The cemetery was silent, now, and cold. The vampires were gone. Buffy and Faith were alone.

In that cold place, that resting place for dead things, they felt powerless. Under that endless black sky, they felt small, and completely alone in the world.

They didn't talk. They held each other close, and leaned against the statue, and shivered, and tried to keep each other warm. The icy wind was relentless. It leeched the warmth from them.

They wondered what they could do, now. Should they just lie down there, in each other's arms, and let death come?

The earth vibrated beneath them again.

Something was coming...

They heard a sound like cannon fire. It was getting louder...coming closer.

They peered out into the darkness...and saw a light...

And they saw the fourth Horseman.

The Horseman galloped straight at them, a skeleton in a black, hooded robe. But his magnificent steed was purest white, and a silver trumpet hung from its bridle, and the rider held aloft a great sword, engraved with strange runes; that sword was as long as a man, and the light they saw emanated from it. The sword shone like a beacon in that black night; for a little space around the rider, the sword turned night to day.

When they looked upon that rider, Buffy and Faith felt the blood moving in their veins again.

He checked his horse a few yards away from them, and regarded them with eyes that burned like stars, and when they looked back into those eyes Buffy and Faith would have sworn they knew that rider...they would have sworn at that moment that they had known him, every day of their lives.

"Get up," he said.

They heard his voice, but they felt it more; they felt it in their hearts.

Buffy and Faith immediately stood up. The possibility of not doing what the Horseman told them to do didn't even occur to them.

"Who...who...are you?" Buffy said. Her voice sounded weak and small to her ears, and entirely inconsequential.

So she was amazed when the rider actually deigned to answer her.

"You know me, Buffy Summers," he said. "Every soldier does."

He spurred his horse.

"War," Faith whispered. "You're War."

He didn't respond. He rode away, and took the light with him.

"Wait!" Faith shouted. "Please! Where do we go? What do we do?!"

The rider checked his horse again, and glanced back at Faith.

"Only ever two choices in this damned world, Faith," the rider said. "Either fight like hell or knuckle under."

It was just barely discernible, but the Horseman's voice seemed to have a trace of a Southern accent.

And then he spurred his horse again, and galloped away, and took his light with him, and Buffy and Faith were alone in the dark.

Two Slayers stood in a cemetery at the end of the world, and looked out into the darkness together.

Somewhere, there was an explosion.

They could hear screams, echoing on the wind.

"How?" Buffy said. "How can we fight when...we already lost?"

Faith took Buffy in her arms, and kissed her. There was passion in that kiss, there was fire: it was a moment of warmth in a world gone cold.

"We haven't lost everything," Faith said. "We've got each other. And we've got our friends. We're gonna find them. Tara and Will and Angel and Giles and Xander, we're gonna find them and we're gonna figure this thing out, come up with a plan, okay? Okay, beautiful?"

Buffy nodded.

Faith took Buffy's hand, and kissed it. Then she raised their hands up together, and she held Buffy's hand tight.

"See this right here?" Faith said, and looked Buffy in the eyes. "Nothing is stronger than this. Nothing in the world. Nothing."

Buffy kissed Faith's hand, and smiled...and then her face went pale.

"What is it?" Faith said.

"Mom," Buffy whispered.

She broke away from Faith, and started running.

"My Mom!" Buffy screamed. "She's out there! She's out there ALL ALONE!"

"Buffy!" Faith shouted, and ran after her. "Buffy! Wait!"

"Mom!" Buffy shrieked, as she ran headlong and unheeding into the darkness, with no clear idea even of the direction she was heading in. "I gotta find my Mom! Mom! MOM!"

"BUFFY!" Faith screamed, and sprinted after her, and followed her into the darkness...

A moment later, the darkness swallowed them, and they could no longer be seen. A moment after that, the echoes of their voices died on the wind.

And then they were gone...lost somewhere in a world gone dark, and cold.

Sunnydale was blacked out; the only light came from the fires burning, everywhere, out of control.

Dead bodies lay in the street. Most had their throats ripped out. Some were suicides.

Melanie Durant sat on her front steps, rocking her daughter, Sarah, in her lap, holding her tight against her chest so she couldn't see.

Melanie tried not to cry. Sarah was only four, and wouldn't understand...

Sarah was very quiet. She hadn't spoken since it started; since the sun had suddenly disappeared and the sirens and the fires had started and the power had gone out, and then she had seen the scary-looking men scratching at her window, and her mother had told her they had to be quiet, like two little mice...

A few blocks away, a band of marauding vampires was killing an old man. Melanie watched, as they tore him to pieces. She had never seen a vampire before today, and didn't know what they were. The vampires were moving from house to house, now; burning them down, forcing the people inside to come out, where the vampires could kill them...

Melanie had run, at first. She packed Sarah and the dog in the car and just started driving. But the news reports all said the same thing: these creatures were everywhere, all over the country, all over the world; there were rumors that the White House itself had been attacked, no one knew where the President was...

Melanie got as far as Los Angeles, looking for her husband, before she finally gave up. She saw a National Guard unit attacked by a horde of the creatures and ripped to shreds. The soldiers shot them but the creatures kept coming. She saw dozens of people herded into a park by a large group of the creatures and slaughtered like cattle. The people just stood there, waiting to die.

Melanie's husband was lying in the street a few blocks from his office, when she finally found him. He was dead. His throat had been torn out.

Something went out of Melanie, when she saw her husband lying dead there. She felt it, leaving her. She knew it was something precious, and that it would never come back.

She felt cold.

And then she drove back home to Sunnydale, and sat on her steps with Sarah and the dog. There was nowhere else to go. And she liked her house, it was her dream house, the place she and her husband saved for, and bought together.

The dog huddled beside them, whimpering. He was a beautiful golden retriever puppy, but loud noises made him nervous, and Melanie could tell he was scared; his tail was down, and he nestled his head in her lap, and shook a little.

"I love you, baby," Melanie whispered to Sarah, and shot her through the temple with the gun she held in her right hand. Sarah's body trembled for a second, and then was still.

The dog ran away; the gunshot was too much for him. Melanie would've shot him too, but she didn't have time to look for him now, the creatures would be there within minutes. He was on his own. Maybe he'd survive for awhile.

Her daughter's blood was on her hands. It was in her lap, and some of it had splashed on her cheek.

Ten hours ago, they had been watching The Lion King on the VCR, and the sun had been shining through the window, and Melanie had been annoyed because they had made ice cream sundaes and Sarah had spilled hot fudge all over the new skirt she had just bought for herself the day before. She looked down at her daughter's blood. In the darkness, it looked like hot fudge.

She thought about her first date with her husband, about how he had been nervous around her, and that goofy smile he had. They had seen an Indiana Jones movie, the third one, with Sean Connery playing Tom Selleck's father. And then they had gone to a pizza place, and made out in his car afterwards.

Journey was on the radio. Dan had worn that horrible Polo cologne his uncle had let him borrow...

Melanie smiled, as she cried.

Then she put the gun in her mouth, and shot herself.

The street was quiet, after that. Sirens could be heard, faintly, and screams; but mostly, it was quiet.

The beleaguered town of Sunnydale burned, and its people were coming to accept their fate. God had judged them.

Surely, they were damned, and this was Hell...

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