++++++++++

L.A. was drenched, smelling of rot and wet asphalt, and the downpourdulled the sound of Faith's heavy footsteps. For "sunny California" itsure did rain a whole hell of a lot.

  The last time she walked this street she was a different person.Angel. The memory of her laughter hit the soaked Slayer, and she shookit away with a wince. Hard to believe that was just a few hours ago.

  The tight-ass Watcher and his paranoid cheerleader sidekick hadnever really accepted her after her release. Even though she saved theirasses on a repeated basis she was still on probation, in lots of ways.Angel was different. He understood - guilt, change, all of it - and thetwo formed a bond. With the disruptive duo in Sunnydale, he even letFaith drag him to the club tonight after a quick patrol. Not the bestdancer in the world... A smile played across her lips in spite ofherself.

  She passed a familiar archway. There was a group of ravers huddledthere now, but what she saw was Angel pulling her under it, shelteringher from the rain. She had opened up to him here, let it all out. Andhis eyes warmed, looked at her in a way no one had ever looked at Faith.She thought she saw redemption in those eyes, for both of them. Shecursed silently. It was her own damn fault - opening up, trusting. Forneeding someone besides herself. What the hell was she thinking?

  Her thoughts turned to what the two had shared afterward. Itseemed different too - gentle and reverent, the way it had been with B'sbeefstick, but so much more. Or at least she had fooled herself intobelieving that.

  Of course it was the same old shit. She woke up crying sometimearound 3 a.m. as usual to find an empty bed and some lame note aboutwhat a great fuck she was. It snapped her out of her pathetic daze,reminded her of rule number one: Get some, get gone. So she did. Herwhite tank top and jeans were still wet when she put them back on.

  Slayer senses kick when they fill your blood with the music of theclub from this far away. Even better when they let you spot the twovamps about to pull a group suck on some bawling raver chick in theshadows of an alley. One of the bastards was holding down some waifishblue-haired girl, pinning her against a dumpster, while the other tookhis time playing with their prey.

  Perfect. Faith marched straight toward them. "Hey! Fangs forbrains. Got a treat for ya."

  Both bloodsuckers - and the girl - turned in shock and looked ather. "Damn. You're pretty ugly, even for vamps." One of them growled andcharged hard, throwing a clumsy right hook at her chin. Obviously booksmarts weren't their strong suit either.

  Faith easily ducked the blow. Too easily. She wasn't _feeling it_yet. So when the offbalance doof managed to throw the left she waswaiting for, she let it land. The blow exploded against her mouth andleft her looking at the back of her matted hair. But she didn't fall.

  She tossed her hair back and faced the scowling vamp. Over hisshoulder she saw that the other had left his cowering victim to join in.Her heart picked up the rhythm of the bass pounding from the distantclub. She sucked in her lower lip, tasting her own blood, and her voiceturned husky. "Let's have some fun, boys."

  The first vamp hissed and swung again. The Slayer slapped thepunch aside, sending him staggering forward, and caught the second vampwith a side kick to the sternum as he charged in. An arm circled herfrom behind, tightening around her throat. In a blur of motion, theSlayer elbowed the vamp behind her - breaking a few ribs along with hisgrip - and flipped him over her head by his arm. She stepped down on hisneck, holding him in place. The other one had recovered his balance andwas charging again.

  She looked down at the vamp beneath her thick sole. "You two aredumber than you look, and that's saying something." A second later aroundhouse kick sent the other one crashing into the wall, and Faithfelt nothing beneath her boot but wet cement. The Slayer realized shehad beheaded the prone vamp with her plant foot on the roundhouse,dusting him. "Fuck." The bloodsucker wouldn't have let his victim die soeasily.

  The other was trying to scramble away on all fours amid the boxesand trash cans that lined the alley. Her heavy breath rang through herhead, drowning out the echoing clatter of the trash cans and thecowering raver's pleas. For the first time since she awoke, she feltalive.

  She flipped the vampire onto his back and straddled him, pinninghim as he had his victim, murder flashing in her brown eyes. He clawedat the pavement, arms flayling in a frenzy for escape, but Faith juststared down at her struggling catch. "Done yet?" Her hand snaked behindher, pulled the stake from its hiding place near the small of her back,and dusted the vamp.

  A chill shot down her neck as she felt another presence loomingover her. There must be third one. Damn! She had been so wrapped up inthe kill she didn't notice, and now it was right on top of her. Thedark-haired girl whirled, back hand cocked and loaded with the stake.

  The raver's blue hair was stuck to her face by tears and sweat.She stared at the taller girl, frozen like an animal in headlights. Eyeswide, face trembling. It was the same way she had looked at the vamps.Faith remembered Allan's face staring at her in the same death mask ofsheer terror, her stake buried in his heart.

  Faith dropped the stake and sank to her knees beneath the storm.The raver splish-splashed away as the dark-haired girl stared at therain washing over her bloody hands. Some voice in the back of her mindproduced a word.

  Monster.

  She pushed the word back into the depths where it lived and willedherself to slow the heaving sobs. Her thoughts rolled over the idea ofthe stake in her own heart. One quick thrust... no more guilt or pain orletting people down. Maybe then B can have a Slayer that's not a psycho.Fatigue suddenly hit Faith in waves, and she realized she had only a fewscant hours of sleep in the past few days. That's what she wanted, morethan anything. Just to rest. Her teardrop-shaped eyes fell wearily onthe stake again.

  A scream broke her from the gaze, and she looked up to see theback of the raver girl dangling in the arms of a large figure near thestreet. Her face hardened and she snapped up the stake, springing to herfeet.

  The man released his grip, and the raver's drained body fell in aheap to a thunderclap. "Mmm... The pink ones are tasty, but I thinkblue's my new favorite flavor." A lightning flash illuminated Angelus'blood-stained smile.

  Faith staggered a bit and fought a welling nausea to whisper hisname. It was barely audible, but dead-boy must have heard.

  "What can I say? You bring out the best in me." His dark framestrode casually toward her through the storm, hands tucked into a blacktrenchcoat.

  His face looked human again but she could smell the evil all overhim. The realization of what happened to Angel hit her like a blast ofcold air, and she found a horrible sense of peace in it. Her kneessteadied.

  "Lose that pesky soul of yours again? Geez, if your head wasn'tattached to your shoulders - Hey, there's an idea."

  Angelus was still coming.

  --That's right, you son of a bitch. Come on.-- She held the stakebehind her back, her body relaxed and unguarded.

  He stopped just inches from her, his eyes looking her over fromboots to face. Reaching up, he took her chin gently into his hand andbrought her gaze up to meet his. "Poor little lost Slayer." She jerkedaway instinctively.

  "You thought it would be different this time, didn't you?" He wastrying to circle her as he spoke, but she moved with him to keep thestake out of sight. "You thought you had found affection. Trust." Hestopped circling and searched her face. "What? Love?" he chuckled. "Imean, come on, look at yourself. You're damaged goods. What do you want?A house with a picket fence and a dog named Spot? Are you wearing whiteon your wedding day, Faith? Does the Maid of Honor get a kiss?"

  The words were all part of the game. She knew that. She steeledherself against the swelling tide of anger, but her mind had killed himafter each question. "This from the undead freak. So, we gonna throwdown or are you just gonna stand there flapping your fangs all night?"

  He ignored her, his tone becoming more earnest. "Have you askedyourself why, Faith? Why no one has ever cared? Besides the whole pitything, I mean." He fought back a smile as this was rewarded with a flashof rage. "Why has everyone tried to screw you in one way or another?Everyone but me."

  Angelus moved impossibly close now, putting his hands on herwaist. She felt his words whisper against her cheek. "Maybe it's becausethere's a little bit of me inside you. A little demon just waiting toget out." Faith's hand tightened on the stake.

  "Word of warning, shish-kabob. My demon doesn't talk people todeath."

  She jerked her arm upward, but it moved only a few inches. Angelushad circled his arm around her back as he spoke and now gripped herstake hand around the wrist. In full vamp face again, he snarled at herand tightened his hold, wrenching her arm up her back. The Slayerstruggled, but he had her like a vice.

  "Who's worse?" He wrenched again, drawing a grunt from Faith asthe tendons in her shoulder began to give way. "The one who kills tosurvive?" Another wrench, and a gutteral sound from the girl as herright arm popped out of socket. Her breath was ragged now, and her eyesdarted around the alley searching for something she could use to heradvantage. "Or the one who gets off on it?"

  A last wrench and the bones splintered, snapping loudly, piercingthe skin. She didn't cry out, but it took every ounce of her to fightoff unconsciousness as the blinding pain took hold.

  When he released his grip the dark-haired girl wobbled to herknees, broken. Through blurred vision she watched the figure walk slowlyback toward the street.

  "Poor little lost Slayer."

  The pain became more distant, and Faith noticed that her head hadsomehow made its way to the blood-washed concrete. The world danced in aswirl of gray and red, then faded into darkness.

++++++

  Cordelia pounded on the door again and added an exasperated sighfor emphasis. Only a few seconds had passed before she was looking ather watch and shifting her weight.

  At last a disheveled Giles appeared, squinting in the morning sunand trying to put on his glasses. He pondered the girl on his doorstepin confusion, blissfully unaware of the fact that his hair looked likesome sort of modern art sculpture.

  "Cordelia? It's - it's early."

  "And?"

  "I see your point. Uh, do come in."

------

  "I'm afraid that's everyone," Giles said.

  Buffy looked around the room. Not exactly the usual suspects.Xander and Anya were on a "romantic retreat." She could only guess whatconstituted romance between those two. In their place was the unlikelyduo of Cordelia and Spike, who were having awhat's-wrong-with-this-picture bonding moment over soap opera gossip.

  Willow, minus Tara, sat on the sofa looking glum and strangelyout-of-place. Riley should have been here. He could have at least toldher where he was going. Were secrets going to come between them forever?

  Buffy took a deep breath. It must be important if Giles hadassembled this group. "OK, let's get started."

  The door opened and all eyes turned to Wesley on the other side.Buffy could have sworn she saw the "rogue demon hunter" turn threeshades of pink.

  "Sorry I'm late. I'm... not a morning person. Lately." Wesley cuthis eyes quickly to Cordelia, who was grinning like a Cheshire, thenlowered his head and walked briskly out of the center of attention.

  Buffy resumed. "We're here because-" She caught herself. She wasused to knowing the plan, leading the way. "-because Giles has somethingto tell us. Something that's very important. So we should all look atGiles now."

  "I, uh, thought it would be appropriate to have everyone gatheredfirst," Giles fumbled. "This is not a subject I care to broach time andagain." Giles avoided Buffy's gaze and shifted uncomfortably.

  "What a bunch o' wankers," Spike blurted out as he got up toleave. "Our dear Cordy has had a vision, the soul's gone sour forblondie's bloody ex again, this time in the bed of your renegadeSlayer." Spike paused thoughtfully at the edge of the room beforeadding, "And don't forget to pick up some smokes when you go out today.Goodnight."

  A cacophony of voices began at once, but Buffy's was not amongthem. She stood staring at Giles, icewater running through her veins.Angel. Faith. She wanted to think, to work out why this couldn't betrue, but it was lost in the sea of: "These visions andinterpretations cannot always-" ... "That _girl_ is a murderingpsychopath. Surely-" ... "If we've cast the spell before then maybe,maybe-" ... "I told you he was making a mistake by trusting-"

  "Shut up!" Buffy screamed. "All of you! Just... please."

  Silence fell heavy in the room. She turned away and put her handover her mouth to stifle the sound of her weeping then ran out, the doorslamming behind her.

  Cordelia sighed. "I'd say she took it well." Willow raced afterthe blonde Slayer, leaving the group in silence again.

  Buffy was pacing just outside the door, and when she heard it openshe made a few swipes at the tears rolling down her face. "Guess thatmust have looked pretty pathetic, huh?"

  "Listen, if we can just piece together what happened, then-"Willow cut herself off, already regretting what slipped out.

  "It's not exactly a jigsaw puzzle, Will." Happiness, even truelove - without her. "I think we all see the big picture." She choked outthe last word as her tears began to flow again.

  "You don't know that! This could be - I mean, there are all kindsof magic..." Willow saw her arguments were falling on deaf ears, and shewasn't sure she believed them herself. So she stopped and hugged herfriend. "We'll work this out."

  "I'm the Slayer," Buffy wiped her eyes again. "_I'll_ work it out.I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

  "But we're, you know, a team. Aren't we?"

  Buffy thought for moment. About Jenny. About Angel. About Faith."Yeah, we are," she said distantly.

  The two walked back in to find Giles, Cordelia, and Wesley quicklybreaking off what seemed to have been a heated conversation. Gileslooked up. "Buffy, we may have a bit of a problem."

  "Boy, this day's just getting better and better." She glanced ather watch. "And it's still early."

  "Yes, uh, quite. Well, we were hoping of course that it wouldnever become relevant-"

  Wesley interrupted, "Every host body has a certain tolerance tothe Thessulan Orb curse that was originally used on Angel. With eachrepetition, the tolerance becomes greater."

  Willow's eyes widened. "Yes. Yes! It's like the first time you getmeasles. You're all bumpy and sweaty, but then, the next time, you'renot." She looked at Buffy with a crooked smile. "Not the best analogy inthe world, but it makes perfect sense magically speaking."

  "So what do we have to do?" Buffy asked.

  "Angel's tolerance will have grown so strong that there's reallyonly one, uh, element that will boost the curse to the required power."Giles was looking uncomfortable again, and she knew that meant bad news."His blood."

  "Road trip," Buffy said.

++++++++++

The car's gentle rocking sensation faded into her subconscious, andBuffy stood gazing at her bathroom mirror with the distinct impressionthat something was wrong. After several moments of confusion, sherealized this wasn't her bathroom at all. It was the one from Faith'sold motel room. And her reflection wasn't her.

  "Hey, girlfriend," Faith smiled back from the stained mirror."Still practicing your smile?"

  "I'm not the same. I've changed," Buffy said with a furrowed brow.She was still unsure of how she got here or what the words meant.

  Her Faith reflection gave her a careful look, then smirked."You're still not ready yet. But it's coming like a train. If you closeyour eyes you can feel it shakin' the tracks." As the image shut itseyes, so did Buffy. And she _could_ feel it - a buzzing somewhere justout of reach, deep and powerful.

  In the darkness, she heard the words echo through her mind. "Hopeyou can handle it, B."

------

  Faith stood in Buffy's bathroom, the blonde Slayer looking backfrom the well-lit mirror. "Are you ready to face it?" Buffy asked, herexpression stern and somber.

  "No more games, B." Faith squeezed her eyes tight. Everythingscreamed with pain, and she just wanted it all to go away. When sheopened them, Buffy was still there.

  Faith heard music begin behind her, and her reflection turned tolook. When the blonde girl turned back, her expression had softened."Too late. It's time."

  Buffy extended her arm from the mirror, laid it on Faith'sforehead, and pushed. The dark Slayer began to fall backwards out ofcontrol, no floor beneath her anymore. Somehow the direction reversed,flinging her forward, and she sat bolt upright in a hospital bed.

  "Whoa! Calm down. You're safe." Hands were on her shoulders,pushing her backwards again. This time she met a firm mattress. Each eyewas opened in turn, and a bright light shone down into it as the gentlefemale voice spoke. "What's the last thing you remember? Can you tell meyour name?"

  Ignoring the question, she focused her clearing vision on herright arm and saw a cast. "Dammit!" The voice was heavy with gravel, butit felt good to form the word. The nurse seemed pleased as well.

  "You're actually a very lucky girl."

  "Yeah? That'd be a first," came the croaked response. If shehadn't been doped up in a hospital, Faith knew she would have regainedconsciousness much sooner.

  "When you were brought in we thought we might have to amputate.But you've healed remarkably fast. In less than two days, the bone-"

  "Two days!" The dark-haired girl noticed the fading afternoonlight filtering through the window blinds. She had been lying hereovernight like a big, juicy Slayer steak.

  "Listen, you should be glad you have someone who cares so deeplyabout you." The nurse nodded toward a chair in the corner, which was nowoccupied only by a mass of roses. "He stayed with you all night."

  The impact of those words triggered the memory of cold lipstouching her forehead during her dream. He shouldn't have left heralive. "Lady, if it makes you feel any better Mr. FTD is gonna getsomething special in return."

++++++

  Tracking Faith was never too difficult; just follow the trail ofchaos. The biggest thing in their favor was that the girl never botheredto clean up her messes. It had been a tougher task to convince Willowand Giles that she needed to face the other Slayer alone.

  Even so, it surprised Buffy to find her so easily. The hospitalwas old news by the time the blonde Slayer arrived, but the violence andconfusion in her wake pointed a big, neon sign straight at Faith.

  The access door to the roof opened, and Buffy stared out over L.A.from 30 stories up. The last glow of sunset painted the skyline and thebuildings beneath a serene violet. She imagined that moments ago thesilhouetted figure near the ledge was staring out at the horizon beyond,wondering about the future. But now that figure faced her in a fightingstance.

  "Come to throw me off another roof, B?"

  A sure fight stood in front of her, but the true battle washappening inside Buffy Summers. The ghost of Faith's crimes, herpenitent turn, what she had done to - with - Angel and Riley, her ownbond with Faith, all of it and more raced through her. The torrent ofconflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm the blonde Slayer. "I...thought we'd talk."

  "I'm not much of a talking kinda girl, in case you haven'tnoticed. I'm more the roof-tossing kind."

  Buffy clenched her fists, and the internal war intensified as shemoved forward. She kept telling herself that she really did want to talkthis out, but the image of Faith and Angel twisted inside her like ablade. She thought the other Slayer had taken everything from her,everything she could take, but nothing compared to this. This wasn't atrick or an illusion. Angel had once told her that he'd been with dozensof girls like Faith, and that wasn't what he wanted. --People change, Iguess.-- The blonde Slayer tensed.

  Then the dim glow illuminated the other girl's features. It wasn'tthe same Faith. The same fiery brown eyes stared out from beneath herwhipping raven hair, but she looked emaciated - probably hadn't eatensolid food in days. The taller girl shook with the effort of simplyholding her stance, and Buffy noticed the long scar patterns along herright arm. But more than that, she looked fatigued. Beaten.

  She remembered the Faith she knew before the mayor, the girl whowas so full of life that it threatened to consume them both; the girlshe once admired, and the girl she missed. Sympathy flooded throughBuffy.

  "The hell are you looking at?" Faith spat.

  The conflict inside the blonde Slayer was decided the moment shesaw the other girl's face. "Someone I care about. Someone who needshelp."

  Faith looked around. "See, that's funny, cause I only see two ofus out here." But her expression showed that the other girl's words hadcaught her offguard, and she had relaxed her defenses.

  Buffy pressed the slight advantage. "Listen-"

  "No! I'm done listening. I'm done paying and waiting and being agood little girl. It's time for somebody else to pick up the check."

  The blonde Slayer moved within arm's reach, eyeing the ledgewarily. A quick leverage move from either right now and it would all beover. Faith may seem beaten, but the cornered look in her eyes toldBuffy a strike could come without warning. --Everything begins withtrust.--

  The dark-haired girl caught the other Slayer's unsure look andsmiled, casting a quick glance at the ledge. "Afraid of heights? BecauseI'm thinking it's your turn to take the fall. It's not so bad, asidefrom all of the pain. Oh, and the year or so of living death. But, hey,don't worry, nobody could survive that drop."

  The blonde girl took a deep breath and replayed Faith's fall inher mind. This was a second chance. "We don't have to do this again.There's no reason anymore, is there? Plus your kicks really hurt." Buffyallowed herself a moment of satisfaction as this brought a quicklyextinguished smile from the other Slayer. Another defense fell. "Look...it's just us now."

  The dark-haired girl's lips tightened again. "It's just _me_ now."

  It was meant to sound angry and selfish, but Buffy saw it for whatit was. Faith had someone on her side, reaching out to her. Couldn't shesee that? "Why won't you let anyone in, Faith? Let anyone-"

  "Who? You? One of those damn Watchers? Angel?" Her voice trailedoff. "Screw that." Her shoulders slumped as weariness won out at last.

  The way the dark Slayer phrased Angel's name made Buffy's heartskip. She swallowed hard. "What happened?"

  Faith lowered her head for a moment, then sat down facing theledge. The other girl slid down beside her, but Faith kept her focus onthe horizon. "Tried to care. It turned to shit like it always has."

  "It's like I told you, B. I'm on my side." She turned to the otherSlayer for an instant, but quickly looked away when she met Buffy'sgaze. Her voice was softer now as she looked down again. "That's the wayit's gotta be. I just keep forgetting. Keep getting another knife in thegut." The last sentence quickly died as she turned her chin away, hidingher face. A tear glinted in the moonlight as it slid from under her darkhair and down her ivory neck. Faith ignored it, probably hoping theother girl wouldn't see.

  The blonde Slayer studied the dance of violet light and shadows onFaith's suddenly fragile face through moist green eyes. "It doesn't haveto be that way. It never did."

  "Yeah, right," she said with a bitter laugh. "Faith, the psychoScooby."

  "Why don't we just try 'Faith'." Buffy wiped away one of thetracks of wetness streaking the other Slayer's face, as the dark-hairedgirl fought to pull herself together.

  Both were silent for a moment, lost in the past; the mistakes, thelaughter, the betrayals, everything unresolved. It had built a wallbetween them. But beneath it all was the intoxicating feeling offighting together. Alone they were two halves, split. Then Faith smiled- a weak, genuine smile. "I guess we did make a pretty good team, huhB?" Her voice quavered as brown eyes locked with green ones again.

  "Look, I gotta bail. Told ya I wasn't much of a talking kindagirl."

  She started to stand, but Buffy gently restrained her. "Maybe it'stime to stop running away." The moment hung heavy in the air before thedark Slayer looked away.

  "I've got nothing to offer you anymore, B." Faith's tears wereflowing freely now, and she wiped them away with a curse. "Nothing butdamaged goods."

  Buffy pulled her into a tight embrace. The other girl resisted atfirst, then melted into the warmth with quiet sobs shaking her back. Asthe dampness spread on her shoulder, the blonde girl tucked her cheekinto Faith's spilling hair and closed her eyes. Her head filled with thescent of something reborn until the world spun. She clutched desperatelyto that feeling, like a drowning man gasping for air, and hoped that themoment would never end.

  When they pulled apart, Faith's face was alive again. Damp andflushed, but alive. "B, do you think, if we could start over... Fuck! Imean, do you think-"

  "Yes!" Buffy smiled through her tears.

  Then the world exploded to the sound of a deep, wooden thunk. Theblonde Slayer lay on her back staring up at the sky and fighting toregain her senses. She was vaguely aware of Angel's voice - sayingsomething about "kiss and make up" - to a steady stream of curses fromFaith.

  The rhythmic crack of flesh on bone told her that the other Slayerwas battling Angelus, and Buffy gathered what equilibrium she couldmuster and made a mighty effort to stand. She got to all fours beforenearly blacking out and surveyed the scene.

  The first thing she saw was a pool of blood in the spot where herhead was lying moments ago and a steady drip from her face. Her headfelt like a bowling ball, but she raised it enough to look in thedirection of the fight. Just as her eyes found the two figures, Faithlept to the ledge and bounced off to deliver a flying roundhouse kick toAngelus. The dark-haired girl reached behind her back for the stake asthe vampire staggered, but he caught her weakened arm.

  The blonde Slayer tried again to stand as she heard the other girlscream in pain, but ended up face down in her own blood. She lifted herhead again and saw Faith, right arm mangled, stabbing downward with thestake in her left hand. The wooden spike slammed hard into Angelus'chest, but well high of its target. He tossed the stake aside andadvanced on the backpedaling dark Slayer, saying something Buffycouldn't hear. The blonde girl looked away as a final crack was followedby the sound of Faith's body crumpling to the ground.

  She made a last effort to stand, rage and desperation powering herlegs to move underneath her. With her fingertips still on the ground andher knees wobbling, she heard the casual approach of the vampire. For amoment, she believed she had made it to her feet. Then she realized thatAngelus had pulled her head up by the hair and was now slowly lickingher bloody face.

  "I never get tired of that." He stopped and held her weaklystruggling frame close, whispering in her ear. "She was more thanyou'll ever be, sweet little Buffy. You can't imagine the things she didto me. But don't let that stop you from trying." A quiet chuckle shookhis ribs.

  "I think it's past your bedtime, little girl." A sudden rush ofmovement turned the violet sky into blackness.

++++++++++

"What time is it?" Giles asked.

  "Five minutes later," was Willow's response.

  "Could you be a bit more specific, please?"

  "Twenty minutes past time to officially be worried." Willowabsentmindedly rolled the Thessulan Orb around in her fingers. "Maybethey just forgot to call. They could be, you know, talking or...something." Silence. "Or not."

  With that, Giles began his 374th trip across the living area ofthe hotel room.

  Cordelia looked up from filing her nails. "Will you sit down?You're making me nervous."

  Giles smiled quietly as he continued his journey. "Yes, well wecertainly wouldn't want anything to disturb the tranquility."

  "I'm afraid I must agree with Mr. Giles. This is an instance-"Wesley's voice died as he found three stunned expressions staring backat him. Puzzled, he looked for a stain on his jacket. "What?"

  The phone rang, and Wesley, Willow, and Cordelia all pounced on itbefore Giles' hand nimbly stole the receiver away.

------

  Angelus listened to the orderly's call with a smile then slippedthrough the bustling waiting room and out into the street. Slayer tagteams were a new experience, but he was developing a taste for it. Assweet as candy; eat one now, save one for later.

  He had made sure that this time there would be no interferencefrom the princess, no gypsy curse. Playtime was over. Time to make somemagic.

------

  Buffy woke to a pain that felt like a lance through her head fromtemple to temple. This had to be the worst headache in the history ofSlayerdom. What had she been doing?

  She had walked out onto the roof and found Faith. Then... Anotherbolt of pain shut off her thought like a light switch just as Gilesrushed into the hospital room.

  "Buffy! How do you feel?"

  "Like a hospital patient, only more pain. What happened?"

  "You don't remember?"

  Buffy's forehead wrinkled, which in itself was painful, and shefished again for the events on the rooftop. She and Faith were talkingunder a dusky glow. There were tears and warm arms.

  "Faith," Buffy whispered.

  Giles' face took on a look she hadn't seen since Jenny's death."Yes, we gathered as much. Rest assured-"

  "No, you don't understand."

  She thought back again, and it flooded her at once - the tears,the blood, the final crack. "Faith!" Buffy looked up at Giles throughwatery eyes. "It was Angel." The Slayer lept out of the bed before herWatcher could stop her.

  "Buffy, this is madness. You have, uh, a fractured skull and-andLord knows what else."

  But she had already staggered into the bathroom and was putting onher clothes. "You know, Slayer healing. Yada, yada, yada."

  "That does not make you invincible."

  The blonde girl peeked her head out. "No, but it makes me prettydamned cocky. Shirt, please."

------

  Willow and Wesley stopped pacing when they saw Buffy coming towardthe waiting room at a full march in blood-soaked clothes. As Giles madea hasty excuse to the night nurse, Buffy's ensemble even tore Cordeliaaway from her magazine. "New look for you?"

  Willow shot Cordelia a poison glance and turned to Buffy. "Are youOK?"

  "Got a stake?"

  Willow smiled and reached into a bag by her side. "Never leavehome without'em."

  Buffy took the weapon, mouth set in determination. "Then I'm fiveby five."

++++++

  Another fist smashed into Faith's battered face, accompanied by avampire roar. Her body snapped back to the apartment wall, strainingagainst her shackled arms.

  As the effect of the blow died away, she breathed through bloodystrands of hair. "Oh, baby. Yeah, that's it."

  Angelus roared and struck again.

  Faith sultry voice answered again. "Damn, baby. You've done thisbefore, haven't you?"

  The vampire kissed her swollen mouth. "Since before you were born.But that doesn't mean I can't learn a thing or two from a pro like you.I mean, what you did to Wesley - that was art."

  For the first time, the Slayer looked as if a blow had landed. Sheturned away, her mind racing through all of her guilt. But the visionthat haunted her most was the blood-covered face of the girl she hadn'tbeen able to save on the rooftop. Everyone, everything she cared for wasdead, and so was Faith. "Look, why don't you just do me and get it overwith. I'm bored as fuck here."

  "Oh no, it's not going be that easy," Angelus laughed. He pickedup a long, ornate blade and stroked it as he approached Faith. Sheraised her chin, eyes defiant as he ran the cold steel softly down herneck. "See, I know you, Faith. I know your body. Your dreams. What youwant."

  He pulled the blade away and leaned closer. "I know what youfear."

  "Oh yeah? Does 'vampire breath' ring a bell?"

  He continued, softly and solemnly. "You fear this life. So that'swhat I'm going to give you, lost Slayer. A thousand lifetimes."

------

  Giles entered the hotel room to the overpowering smell of candlesand herbs. Willow and Cordelia were gathered around a coffee table,ready to begin the curse, as Wesley stood with a hankerchief to hisnose.

  "Well?" a breathless Willow asked.

  "It was exactly as she described." Giles produced a glistening,bloody stake, trying to forget the grisly scene he and a wobbly Buffyhad encountered on the rooftop. It was unwise to let her leave in thatcondition, but the girl was so headstrong. "We found it near the ledge."

  Willow nodded at Cordelia to add their last element to the table."Ick! Do I have to touch the thing?"

  "Allow me," Wesley smiled. Using his hankerchief to hold the stakeabove the orb, he allowed the excess blood to build to a thick drop onits point.

  The redhead had already begun to chant as Giles took his placebeside them.

------

  Faith strained but couldn't stretch enough to see where thevampire had gone when he walked out of her narrow field of vision. Shetested her bonds again. Too solid. Her focus turned to the items of theroom, searching as she had in the alley for a weapon, an escape.Anything. Then the sound of violins underscored by a timpani filled theapartment.

  Angelus appeared in front of her again. "I never liked this kindof stuff myself. But the song seemed appropriate."

  "Hey, you're right. Fruity music _is_ my worst fear." Her voiceshook. Something had begun to stir inside her, something that woke herup every night in tears. Only now her eyes were open, and this was nodream.

  "Time's up, Faith." Angelus was in vamp face now, and snarled overher. "The demon's calling. It's time to face it."  

  The Slayer squirmed desperately until she felt the fangs pierceher neck. There was a brief whimpering sound, then all thought was lostin a dizzying rush. There were only sensations after; the touch of steelon her face that seemed familiar, like a dream she once had; the feel ofwarm blood rushing over her lips and tongue. From somewhere far awaycame a crescendo in the music, pleading strings, a male and a femalevoice soaring into high notes. Then nothing.

------

  Angel inhaled deeply and looked around. He was in his apartment,kneeling for some reason. It was several seconds before he felt the girlsuckling meekly at the open wound on his chest. He pushed her head awayand stared in revulsion.

  "Faith? Oh my God."

------

  Buffy's kick sent the door's bolt mechanism flying into theapartment, the blonde Slayer right behind. She took two steps into theliving room and stopped, frozen. Faith's limp body still hung from itsbonds.

  The blonde girl slowly knelt, and her hand brushed back the dark,matted hair. The mottled face rolled to the side, revealing the bitemarks on her neck. She freed Faith's arms and held her one last time.

  There had been so many turning points for the two Slayers, so manymistakes. Yet on that rooftop none of it seemed to matter. Everythinghad felt so right again. It wasn't supposed to end this way. If theyonly had one more minute. Buffy whispered a short phrase into the girl's stiff locks. It cametoo late.

  It could have been seconds or hours before Buffy stood again, herwet face grim and emotionless. When she left, Angel's apartment was tornto pieces, the floor a carpet of glass and splintered wood. The blondeSlayer felt as empty as the body she left behind.

  She stepped out into the street to the pre-dawn glow and saw Angelsitting serenely on the curb, facing away from her. "She's dead, isn'tshe?" It was a statement more than a question, and his voice was thickwith guilt.

  Another war began inside Buffy, but the piercing pain in hertemple made the street feel like liquid beneath her feet. She wasn't upto a fight with Angel and probably never was, so she sat down besidehim. "Yes."

  "Your head!" Angel reached out toward her forehead, and Buffyquickly leaned away, her mouth quivering in fear. Angel's face fell, andhe lowered his hand.

  She chided herself silently and reached out, stopping just shortof touching his shoulder. "I-I'm sorry. It's just-"

  "I know."

  There was a long pause as both searched for words to express theirgrief. Finding none, the girl spoke. "So what do we do now?"

  "Thought I'd watch the sun rise."

  The Slayer was surprised by a rush of satisfaction at the thought,but immediately fought the feeling down. "That won't solve anything."

  "It will keep me from killing again. How many lives would havebeen saved if I had done it before I met you?"

  The girl's heart lept at the words as she remembered all thatthey've shared, all they've felt for each other. A wall fell inside her,and she was awash in buried feelings, vows, and sacrifices. Despite allthey had been through, her love for Angel had never faded. Right nowthat love filled the empty shell of her soul and she clung to it, as shehad clung to Faith hours ago. "How many times have you saved my life andso many others?"

  "Even then, there were times when I thought the demon was more ofme than I was. It's always there, Buffy. Just waiting."

  She anxiously watched the glow begin to brighten over the horizonand took his hand. "Come inside."

  He clasped her hand in both of his and looked up through torturedeyes. What he saw was the girl he'd watched secretly from afar andwanted to help, the girl he fell in love with. But he also sawrighteousness - his judge and his confessor. "How can I? After what Idid to you..." He felt her palm touch his face, but he didn't reach outto her again. "...after what I did to Faith - what I made you do toFaith. Looking at her face, seeing all of her pain, I-I couldn't finishit."

  Buffy's brow furrowed and the blinding, stabbing ache returned asshe tried to make sense of the confession. Couldn't finish it? She shookher head. "What do you mean?"

  Angel's apologetic look turned to wide-eyed realization. "You -you thought she was already dead." In a blur, he lept toward his door, abaffled Buffy in tow.

  An early morning breeze blew through a smashed window. The roomwas empty. Buffy shook her spinning head in confusion as Angel silentlymouthed the nature of the abomination. "A Slayer."

++++++

  A young man's death gaze stared into nothingness, his nude bodydiscarded on the bedroom floor of the tiny apartment.

  Across the room, the Slayer let the crimson-streaked whitebedsheets fall from her body and slid into new leather pants. A loose,burgundy silk top fell into place over her tight stomach.

  Everything seemed luminous through the golden eyes, and it was allunfettered - no more guilt or pain or unfulfilled desires. The world wasa carnival just waiting for her to ride. But for now she was content toturn her hands over, studying them with wonder. A hiss came throughfanged teeth.

  "This is the kick."

++++++++++

End

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