Buffy stared in horror at Willow's ridged, vampiric visage.

"Wills", she squeaked, her fingers tightening on the stake she still held. Her heart hurt.  Willow had been turned-- by Angel, it was the only
explanation that made sense.

The Slayer looked back and forth between the two, confused as to who to stake first.

Her momentary hesitation was a moment too long.  The next thing she knew her ex-boyfriend had charged the redhead.  Buffy moved to intervene, only to find herself abruptly sprawled on the floor.

"Damn it", she hissed under her breath.  She had forgotten about Spike.

"Bloody hell Slayer, its nice to know you give a soddin' damn", Spike's voice came.

Buffy's jaw tightened.  "Sorry", she said automatically, her eyes moving back to where a feral Angel had pinned the much smaller Willow to the
ground.

"Look you stupid bint.  At least move Amy from harm's way if you don't give a damn about me", the blond vampire growled angrily, forcing himself to
speak despite how weak he felt.

Guilt suffused the petite Slayer's form.  Stooping, Buffy grabbed the Spike under his arms and dragged him to the back room, before returning moments later to get Amy.

~~~~~~~~~

"What do we do?", Gunn shouted to Cordelia, as he was backhanded away by his ferocious boss.

"I don't know", she whispered, unable to tear her hazel gaze away from the sight of her best friend's tearing each other apart.

"I do", the Slayer said, catching the tail end of the tall male's question and raising the crossbow she'd picked up in the other room, to eye level.
Carefully she took aim--

"Goddamnit Buffy, don't you dare shoot my friends!!", Cordelia Chase yelled, moving to block the Slayer's shot.

"They're not your friends any longer", Giles said quietly, from where he stood to Gunn's right, his eyes still intent on where Willow and Angel fought for dominance.

"And how do you know that?!", she shot back.

"They're vampires, Cordelia, or haven't you noticed?", Buffy muttered angrily, the butt of the crossbow resting against her cheek.

"First of all, Willow is *not* a vampire.  Secondly, in case your still kidding yourself like you did in high school, I'll just remind you that Angel *has* been a vampire for like forever!", Cordelia hissed between clenched teeth.

Dawn interrupted the standoff.  Crawling from beneath the table she'd hidden under, she went over to stand by Cordelia's side. While, behind the two, Angel had managed to pin a wildly bucking Willow against the wall.

"What are you doing Dawn?", Buffy asked in confusion.

"Listen to her Buffy... Maybe you don't listen to me or even Giles anymore, but for once in your life, listen to her", her sister urged, unwilling to see her older sister make a mistake she'd regret for the rest of her life.

The petite Slayer looked beyond where her sister and the Seer stood, noticing with a start that despite being trapped against the wall by Angel's
solid form, Willow was looking at her.  Her eyes were pained, sad, but most importantly, they were green.  Green--

Gunn was struck by indecision.  Should he also interfere?  Or was the Slayer right?  Had Angel reverted to his evil self?  He wasn't sure, but then
again, it seemed that the woman he loved was very sure.  In the end that was all that mattered, wasn't it?

Careful not to attract undue attention, and realizing that Willow was holding back so as not to cause undue destruction and possibly hurt someone
else, Gunn began to make his way to the Magic Box's door.

Buffy was already slowly lowering the crossbow, when Willow made her move, slamming her fist into Angel's jaw, and pushing against his chest with all her might.  The dark haired vampire stumbled back, falling against some glass cases.  The tinkle of falling glass accompanied his roar of surprise,
as Willow darted away straight to where Gunn held the door open.

Seconds later, Angel followed, sparing no one a second glance.

Buffy glared at Gunn in disbelief, running forward to peer outside. But Willow and Angel had both disappeared, swallowed up by the Sunnydale night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~L.A.~

Wesley could hear heavy pounding of booted feet run through the lobby from where he sat in the office.  He ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the phone, willing it to ring.

"Wes?"

"In here, Faith", he called, taking a deep breath.  For once however, his thoughts did not revolve around the dark Slayer.  Instead he was wondering why he hadn't heard from Angel, Cordelia or Gunn.  They'd sworn they would keep in contact, and so far today there had been no word.

She burst into the office, a huge satisfied grin on her face.

"I found it!", she exclaimed.

"Huh?", Wesley said distractedly.  "Found what?"

Faith paused, looking at the former Watcher curiously, trying to keep the worry out of her gaze.  "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, yes.  Its nothing like that.  I was just t-t-thinking about Angel and the others....", he explained haltingly.  "They haven't called.  You
don't think--?"

"No way.  I mean, if something had happened I'm sure somebody would've called you", the raven haired woman said quickly.  "I'm sure they're fine.
Maybe they forgot?"

"I suppose that's possible", Wesley allowed, pinching the bridge of his nose in weariness.  Finally looking up Faith, he took note of the dirty smudges
on her cheeks, the wild hair and torn t-shirt.

"What in the world happened to you?", he asked sharply.

"I found that demon doggie's hidey hole", the dark Slayer said proudly, wiping the back of her hand across her nose and leaving a new dirty streak.
She looked absolutely breathtaking as far as he was concerned.

"Wesley?"

"Eh", the former Watcher croaked, realizing with a start that he'd been staring at Faith for the better part of a minute.  "Oh, yes.  Right.  So where did you locate the creature's lair?"

"Well I didn't find anything in the park, so I started looking around that supermarket I ran into the first time.  Behind the store there's an alleyway
that separates the building for another.  Two blocks away I found an abandoned building near that big danceclub Carbon", she explained.

"And you're certain, this building is its lair?"

Faith nodded.  "Yep, I found some pretty gnarly bones and remains in there."

"Good Lord!", Wesley exclaimed.  "You went inside, alone?"

"Well, yeah", she said shrugging, staring at her dirty fingernails.  "How else was I supposed to know if I was right.  Anyhow I thought I could feel
it, but it hid from me."

Wesley sighed, taking a deep breath.  "Good work Faith, although in the future I would appreciate it if you told me before you attempted something
so risky."

The rogue Slayer blinked in surprise, before agreeing tersely.  "Sure. Whatever."

"I'm quite serious Faith", he added.

"Yeah, okay", she said softly.

"I think you should rest tonight", Wesley said.  "We can start again tomorrow sometime, I think you've done quite a lot today."

The raven haired young woman smirked, lifting her arm to her nose and taking a sniff before making a face.  "Soap and water would so be of the good right now", she quipped dryly.  "Not to mention going to bed", she said over her shoulder as she left the office.

The comment was immediately given a few different meanings in Wesley's mind. He reddened before clearing his throat.  'Naked Faith', his mind pictured. He was now heartily glad he was sitting behind a desk.  He wondered how long it would be before he could stand up.
 

~Chapter Forty-two~

Buffy turned on Gunn, her eyes cold.  "I can't believe you did that!", she shouted.  "They could hurt someone!"

"Willow wouldn't hurt an innocent.  Ever", Gunn replied calmly, not sorry at all that he'd managed to help Willow get the strangely-acting Angel out of the shop.

The Slayer growled under her breath, walking away, past Cordelia, Dawn and Giles without a word.  She stepped into the back room, only to have her breath stolen from her with shock.

Spike had managed to make it to Amy's side somehow.  The witch's head was cradled on his shoulder, as he whispered into her ear.

"Put her down."

"Mind your own bloody business Slayer", the bleached blond whispered harshly, pulling Amy farther onto his lap.

"Mmmm...mmm", the witch murmured, her eyes opening and closing as she regained consciousness.  "Ouch."  She blinked once more, trying to focus on the face of the person that held her.

"Spike!", Amy cried, throwing her arms around her secret lover.  "Oh Goddess you're alright, I was so certain Angel was going to kill you--"

Buffy frowned.  "That was *not* the reaction I was expecting."

"And that's the damned problem!", Cordelia muttered angrily under her breath, having followed the shorter girl into the back room.  "You haven't
been paying attention to anything but yourself in years."

"Like I have to hear this", the Slayer hissed, moving to leave.

Angrily, Cordelia grabbed the blond's slender shoulder.  "You *are* going to listen to this."

"Get your hand off of me, before I break it", Buffy said, jaw tightening.

Slowly Cordelia withdrew her hand, forcing herself to take a deep breath and calm down.  In a much calmer voice, the brunette spoke again.  "Isn't it about time you stop running away from the things you don't want to deal with Buffy?"

"I think I'm dealing with quite a lot her Cordelia, and I'm here aren't I?!"

"There's a question... Are you?  Are you really here?", the Seer shot back.

Buffy's eyes widened as her mind wrapped around the question, her eyes slid to where her sister stood in the doorway, and for a moment her stubborn stance wavered.   She turned her head, glancing at her Watcher pleadingly, as if asking for his help and support.

She looked to Giles very much like a child in the moment, but he remained silent, aware that what Cordelia was saying was something that had long been something Buffy should hear.  In fact, he should have been the one to state it, but he'd never been able to.  He was too close to his Slayer, she was like his daughter, and like many fathers he could not help coddling her.

The golden Slayer was shocked when Giles said nothing, only slightly shaking his head.  With no support forthcoming, Buffy fell back on her next defense. Anger.

"How dare you come to *my* town and tell me how to live *my* life!", she shouted at Cordelia, pushing the woman aside.

The shove was more powerful than even Buffy expected, causing Cordelia to topple off of her impractically high heels and fall.  Instantly, Gunn was at his girlfriend's side, standing protectively in front of the Seer.

"Are you okay Delia?", he asked the former cheerleader gently, offering to help her stand.  Cordelia nodded, but declined the help, unable to believe
Buffy had struck out at her.  At her answer, Gunn whirled on the Slayer, who stood there immobile.

"Who the hell do you think you are?", Gunn growled.

"I didn't mean to do that", Buffy whispered, staring up at the tall black man.

"Do I look like I give a shit?  You just stay the hell away from Cordelia."

Giles moved to intervene. "Buffy", he said reprovingly, "what possessed you--"

"I'm sorry", she shouted.  "I am, I'm sorry..."

"Since your apologizing.  I think Amy deserves one as well, Slayer", Spike said gruffly.  The vampire felt stronger, and was finally able to stand.
Amy was supporting his weight, her eyes still bright with moisture and now confusion.

"Why?", she asked.

"Because the bloody bint was so damned keen on killing Willow and Angel as they went at each other, she left you on the floor in harm's way.  You
could've been killed pet."

Amy's gaze dropped.  "I'm fine.  It was okay."

"No, its friggin' well not okay!!", Spike rumbled, his black mood palpable. "She's supposed to protect the innocent.  What happened to that bloody
sacred duty I keep hearing about!"

Feeling trapped, the Slayer ignored the comments and started for the door, rudely brushing past Dawn.

"Where are you going?", the youngest Summers' called out.  "Buffy?  Buffy?"

"To end this", she answered succinctly.  The ringing of the store's bell signaled her departure.  Those left in the room looked at each other blankly.  What could anyone say?

"Crap", Cordelia muttered, forcing herself to her feet, and dusting the palms of her hand on her skirt.  She eyed her scraped knee balefully.

"Gawd", she groaned, effectively cutting through the awkward silence, "you'd think after all these years of demon slayage, she'd know how hard it is to get blood out of silk."
 

~Chapter forty-three~

Willow ran as quickly as she could, her feet pounding on the street's moist pavement.  A light drizzle hung in the air, coating her skin uncomfortably.
Still, she kept running.  She could hear him behind her, almost imagining she could feel his breath on the back of her neck.  Something which of
course was impossible.  Vampires don't breathe.

As she ran she cursed herself for not having given a second thought to the possibility of this ever happening.  The bond that she enjoyed with her mate was too all-encompassing, too powerful.  She couldn't even imagine how she would have reacted had the situation been reversed, and she had been the one to suddenly feel Angel's presence disappear.  Would she have gone feral and fallen back purely on the demon's instinct, as it seemed Angel had, or would she simply have ended it all, to overtaken by sorrow?

Her breath came faster, while her pace slowed fractionally.  Although she could borrow power and strength from Angelus, she was not herself a vampire, and her human limitations were fast overcoming her.  Her lungs burned, but she kept going.  She needed to take Angel someplace safe, someplace empty, so she could snap him out of this.  The only place that came to mind was the park.

'Only a little further', she told herself.  'Just a bit more.'

~~~~~~~~~~

He followed her, his pace leisurely, a lascivious smirk on his face all the while.  He was aware that he could have long since have caught her, but he
wanted to prolong this.  He'd ceased to understand why he followed her, he just knew he couldn't stop himself.  The familiar scent egged him on, as did the love of the hunt.  Somehow he knew it had been some time since he'd enjoyed a hunt.  Tonight, he would.  This one was strong, powerful; she would be fun.

When she disappeared into the dark, lush silence of the park, it was that delicious scent he followed.  It teased his senses, calling to him.

When the flame haired one hid, it was that scent and the rhythmic beating of her heart which gave her away.

He eyed the tall bushes, a low rumble of angry power vibrating through his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow held her breath.  Angel was right outside... she could feel him.  So close.  So close.

She didn't know why she hid.  She knew he would never hurt her; could never hurt her.  He was her mate.  Even if he was currently completely oblivious to that fact.  And yet, she couldn't slow the rapid beating of her heart. It pounded loudly in her own ears.

When the hand, burst through an opening in the bushes where she hid, the redhead let out a fearful shriek, surprising herself.  It clasped onto her
ankle like a vice, the strength of the grip causing the bones in the joint to grind painfully.

Another scream was rent from her throat, when he yanked on the captured limb.  "Angel!"  Unbalanced, she fell backwards, even as he pulled her
forcefully from her hiding place.  Branches and sharp thorns tore at her skin and clothing, the small stinging scratches causing her to whimper even
as the witch's arms rose to protect her face.

"Angel!", Willow screamed again.  "Stop!"

~~~~~~~~~~

She was saying something, a name.  Perhaps a deity?  He didn't know, he didn't care.

A growl of triumph tore from the vampire's throat.  He savored the capture, forcing air into his dead lung once more to taste that haunting scent again.

It was stronger now, both because of her nearness and her earlier exertions. Red lines marred her porcelain loveliness.  'Scratches', a distant part of
him realized.  'Delicious.'  He wondered what she tasted like.

~~~~~~~~~~

Willow's chest heaved.  Fear clawed at her senses.  This was wrong, she had no reason to fear him.  She didn't.

She squeaked, her eyes squeezing shut when he dropped to all fours, crawling up her prone body.  His face skimmed her jean clad lower body, his nose gently grazing her belly, before pausing.

When she felt him, hard and insistent against her thigh, Willow's eyes snapped open.  In that instant, any fear she'd actually felt vanished.  'She
was mated to a vampire, damn it!'  She wasn't a frightened virgin any longer, no matter what seeing and speaking to Buffy again had made her feel.

Her eyes sought out Angel's own, but his amber hued orbs still showed little outward intelligence, or any awareness of her identity. Suddenly, Willow
knew that she'd been taking the wrong tack since leaving the shop.  The knowledge of what she *had* to do, blossomed in her mind with certainty.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The dark vampire lowered his head, his tongue tracing a long shallow scratch left by one of the branches along her collar.  Angel froze, the taste of
this woman still lingering on his tongue.  Spicy, heady, powerful, and above all-- known.

He threw back his head, an angry, frustrated roar erupting from his throat, before returning to taste her again.

Ecstasy.  She was pure ecstasy.  Her essence delicious, and yet frightening. Somehow he was wrong.  This was wrong.  Angel didn't understand.  He just knew that he wanted.

A strong grip on his hair yanked him upwards.  The pain of the hold was a surprise, as were the suddenly golden orbs peering deeply into him.  He
tried to pull away, but couldn't.  Her strength was amazing, and yet he knew his senses did not lie, she was not like him.

Angry at having been delayed, Angel growled, his fangs glinting in the moonlight.

~~~~~~~~~~

Willow snarled back, feeling her personality submerge into the dominating, instinctual power of Angelus, as she mentally 'pulled' him to the surface.

Lust, rage, need, desire, burned through her now with his summons.  Fear was forgotten in the rising flood of emotion, swept away by one overarching desire; and that was to be supreme.

Viciously, the witch yanked her feral mate off of her, a smattering of his soft, dark hair coming away in her clawed hand as she bucked upwards at the same time, tossing him to the side as she came to her feet.

A rumbling sound escaped him, sounding to Willow like a cross between a growl and chuckling.

'Bastard!', she thought uncharitably, eyeing his stance critically, trying to discern Angel's next move.

In an instant, he was on her, a large fist hitting her square in the abdomen even as he grabbed her shoulder and shoved her against a tree.

Willow hit the rough, solid trunk of the tree with enough force to propel the air out of her lungs.  She whirled to face him, scampering out of the
way as he attempted to trap her against the oak.

~~~~~~~~~~

The kick was well timed and executed.  Angel saw it coming, but knew that he wasn't going to dodge it in time.  The force of the blow, jerked his head to one side, the heel of her boot splitting open the skin above one eye.

Blood sped down the side of his face, stinging his eye.  The redhead charged him, but he sent her reeling back, his powerful backhand causing her to stumble to one knee.

The dark haired vampire pulled the woman up to her feet by her hair, her whimpers and the arousal he could smell coming off of her forcing
unadulterated lust careening through him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow panted, her chest heaving as Angel pushed her back against the tree. She squeezed her eyes shut, coming to terms with the fact that she was actually aroused by this.  Of course she and Angel had explored quite a few of the available avenues of sexuality.  Bondage was a favorite game and even some playful spanking had made its way into their lovemaking.  On a more serious note, biting and blood was a normal part of their matings as well. He was a vampire.  She accepted that, even reveled in it, finding pleasure as he did.... but this, this was... unexpected, to say the least.  It was brutal and painful; an animalistic form of foreplay she found herself enjoying.

Moisture seeped from her core, as he pinned her to the oak's solid base, his knee forcing itself between her legs.

She growled at him, bucking against him teasingly.  It was obvious that she no longer did so to escape him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Angel's chest rumbled with pleasure, his hands grabbing those of the woman's and holding them high against the tree with one hand until she was almost off of her feet entirely, forcing her to wrap her legs around him for support.

Roughly, he ground himself against her.  The small whimpering sounds she made making him harden further.  He tore at her t-shirt with his free hand, his razor-sharp nails cutting easily through the cotton material.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Goddess!!!", Willow moaned as her mate's mouth clamped roughly to a bared breast, his teeth cutting into her skin.

"Ahhhh...", she hissed, her body unable to discern any longer where the pain left off and where the pleasure started.

The witch opened her eyes when Angel's mouth left her breast to find him staring at her, his mouth a red and shiny with her blood, as an emerging
awareness entered his eyes.  Willow snapped her teeth at him, tightening her legs and pulling him closer, certain in the knowledge that her love was
coming back to her.

~~~~~~~~~~

A strange, welcoming warmth entered him when the redheaded creature craned her head closer to his own, bathing his injured brow with her tongue.  She lavished his face with long, languid strokes, slowly licking up every splatter of his blood.

His desire ever increasing, Angel lowered her, allowing her feet to touch the floor as he clawed at her jeans.

~~~~~~~~~~

Willow returned the favor ripping at the button and fly of his expensive silk trousers, the spicy, powerful flavor of his essence still on her tongue.

She gasped when he spun her around, grabbing her by her hips and lifting her practically off the ground.  The move was so sudden, she almost lost her balance, only managing not to fall when she grabbed hold of the tree trunk. He was inside her in an instant.  The thick, throbbing length of him gliding easily inside her sopping heat, the head of his cock pounding against her cervix.

'Goddess... it hurts so good!'

He roared again, his body vibrating against hers with the sheer power of the sound, before lunging to grab hold of the nape of her neck with his blunt teeth.  Willow was abruptly reminded of something she'd seen years before on the Discovery Channel.  A small grin lit her face, even as a wanton moan escaped her lips.

Willow trembled at the unbridled eroticism of this moment.  She could feel everything so intensely.  The pain from their earlier brawl, the stinging,
bleeding teeth marks at her breast, and the searing pleasure of his mounting her the way a lion would one of his lioness'.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy gasped, her hands shook so badly, she couldn't take the shot.  The crossbow trembled in her field of vision, only to slip to the dew moistened
ground as she watched Angel continued to thrust into Willow with the single-minded determination of a jackhammer.

"Oh my God", she whispered, her eyes widening with horror when the large male vampire thrust a large hand through Willow's long tresses, pulling her head to the side with a rough jerk, before biting deeply into her throat.

"Will--!"  Buffy's scream was cut off by a hand over a mouth.  She jerked the hand away, wrenching the arm of whomever was standing behind her.

"OW!", Cordelia shouted.  "Damn it, Little Miss Likes-to-Kill, do you think you could contain that super hero strength bit?  You almost ripped my arm
off."

"How the hell--?"

"Did I find you?", Cordelia said, finishing the Slayer's sentence.  "I knew Wills would lead him somewhere where she could do what she had to, without worrying about anybody else, and this was closer than any of the cemeteries."

"This... This is what she's doing to snap him out of it?  I can't believe she would even-- when-- when he's like this....", Buffy's voice trailed off,
watching as Willow actually moaned in *pleasure* at the bite.

Cordelia stared at the Slayer pointedly before flicking her eyes back towards her friends.

"This is why isn't it?", Buffy asked.  "This is what Willow was trying to tell me.... About how he needed her, about how they completed each other.
This is what its about isn't it?"

The Seer nodded slowly, turning to face the petite blond in a vain attempt to give the couple a *bit* more privacy.

"I... It could never have been me", Buffy concluded sadly, casting a sideways glance at Cordelia.  "Could it?"

The sound of slapping flesh could be heard from where they stood.  The former cheerleader flinched, wishing she hadn't had to witness this in order
to ensure her friends' safety.  It really was something she hadn't really had any desire to see.  Not that she hadn't been curious occasionally, but
this was-- wow.

Cordelia shook her head.  "You're the Slayer.  I can practically feel your disgust..."  The brunette paused in thought, before continuing, "Honestly, I
don't think it ever really truly was.  You could never have accepted that side of him, let alone taken on some of the vampire yourself."

"I know...", she shook her head as if to clear it of unwanted thoughts, "... and now, I've lost them both", Buffy finally murmured.

"No", Cordelia stated, her hazel eyes finally softening, "but if you aren't careful, you could."

As the Seer spoke, the two women both flinched at the raucous sound of Willow and Angel's climaxes.  After a few moments they were both shocked to hear the souled vampire actually *say* something.

"Willow?  Gods!  Willow!  I thought, I thought I lost you!"

"Shhh... shhh...", the red witch could be heard saying soothingly.  "I know baby, I know."

Buffy cast one last look at the far-off couple, and found herself meeting the eyes of the hacker as she held Angel's trembling, body to her own.  The vampire was sobbing.  Willow stared at the Slayer, her arms wrapping tighter around her mate, as if warding off any possible danger.  For a moment, Buffy was wounded to her very soul, that her former best friend could *ever* classify her as a possible source of danger.

Sighing, the Slayer's eyes slid to the ground, landing on the discarded crossbow.  Wearily she bent to retrieve it, her heart heavy, with the
knowledge that her destiny made her a threat.

"Come on Buffy", Cordy said softly, "lets go."

"Yeah", the Slayer agreed, pulling her gaze away finally.  "I think its time I did."
 

~Chapter forty-four~

"You guys don't have to stay with me you know", Dawn began.

"Course we do Niblet. It wouldn't do for us to leave you alone when your bloody sister's run off, now would it?", Spike said slowly from his seat on
the couch, his arms around Amy.  The blond witch was exhausted.  She had complained about a slight headache when they had reached the Summer's residence and then promptly fallen asleep.

Gunn ignored them all, preferring to pace.

"I really wish you would stop that", Giles murmured tiredly.

"Yeah well I'm worried, alright", the black youth ground out in frustration.

"If you were so bloody worried, you should have gone with the stubborn cheerleader--"

Gunn glared at the blond vampire.  "Obviously, you don't know squat about my Delia."

Spike shrugged disinterestedly.  Frankly, he didn't give a damn.

Dawn sat down heavily, across from the vampire and the sleeping witch.  It had been her mother's favorite chair, and the recliner made her feel a
little bit better just because of that fact.

"So you and Amy, huh?"

The British vampire nodded slowly.  "Yeah."

"But I thought... Well you know... Buffy and all that", the teenager said hesitatingly.

Spike's chest rumbled.  "No way.  She's the Slayer Li'l Bit.  I'd have to be insane."

"Oh", Dawn murmured.

Spike realized that the little chit, obviously didn't see at all. "It was for you Bit.  We had to keep your sis from falling apart, and Amy felt that if I suddenly stopped my crush act, it would be one less thing she could count on, and one more thing to add to those she'd lost", the chipped
vampire said by way of explanation.

"I guess that makes sense... in a not so sense making kind of way", the girl said, her brow furrowing.

"Yeah well--"

"So that means at one point you *did* have a crush on Skipper?", Gunn pointed out, folding his arms.

Spike grimaced.  "Thanks for the bleedin' reminder, you git."

"It was my idea", a soft voice said.

The vampire shifted to look at the blond stirring in his arms.  "Are you okay?", he asked, in a voice gentle with worry.

Amy smiled up at him.  "I'm fine, really.  Just a bit tired."  She looked at Dawn, and repeated her earlier statement.  "Just don't be mad at him Dawn.
He only did it because I told him too.  It was one of the only ways I could think of to keep track of your sister and try to help her keep it together."

"So then I take it, Skipper doesn't exactly have all cylinders firing?", Gunn said.

"Not lately she doesn't", the vampire said in gruff agreement, cerulean eyes sparkling.

The blond witch slapped Spike's arm playfully, and blinked becoming more alert before their very eyes.  She stretched, and craned her head to look in the kitchen.  "So where's Willow?"

"I helped her break out of the shop--", Gunn began.

Spike's voice interrupted.  "I expect she's taming my Sire as we speak."

"Taming?", Dawn whispered in confusion.

"We ran into Willow last night.  The bond she shares with Angel runs deep. Spike told me she even shares his demon somehow, he could feel Angelus *in* her", Amy began, trying to explain the little that she knew.

The vampire arched an eyebrow at Gunn.  "Do you have anything to add?"

"Not really", the demon hunter said.  "All I really understand out of the whole thing is that somehow being with Red cemented Angel's soul.  They
share his demon and her soul, and if there's anyone who can snap him out of this-- whatever it is, its her."

Giles listened in silence, his mind automatically transcribing what he learned.  He'd had no idea Willow and Angel shared a bond of that magnitude.
He sighed, sitting on the last empty seat.  He sincerely hoped his Slayer didn't do anything stupid.  The Englishman was sure that if she did, she
would regret it for the rest of her days.  As it was, Giles figured that would be a lot sooner than he was prepared to deal with.

A loud knock shook the front door off its hinges.  The impatience behind the action was obvious to all.

Charles Gunn grinned.  "That's my Delia."

He rushed to the door, only to hear the jingle of keys. "Jeez, Cordelia you could've waited for me to get out the key", a female voice sighed in
annoyance.

Giles stood, while Dawn hurried to the now-ringing phone.

"Hey Dawnie", Xander's voice came over the line.

"Hi Xander."

"Have you uh... well, have you seen Willow?", the construction worker asked.

Dawn watched Buffy and Cordelia come through the front door, relieved to see the smug smile on the Seer's face.

"Dawnie?"

"Xander, maybe you and Anya should come over.  There's kind of a long story attached to your question...", she began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~  L.A; The following day ~

Wesley hung up the phone, his thoughts chaotic.

"Who was that?"

The former Watcher glanced up.  "That was Cordelia."

Faith smirked.  "See, I told you nothing had happened to them."

"Well that's not exactly true--", he began.

The dark Slayer's grin died on her lips.  "Something happened?  Are they okay?  Can I kill something?"

Wesley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "Yes, something did happen, but they're all fine.  At least, for the most part."

"Do I even want to know what you mean?", she asked.

"Probably not", he said succinctly, wishing fervently that Cordelia hadn't burdened him with what she'd seen in the park the night before.  She'd been quite detailed in her description of coming upon Angel and Willow rutting like wild animals in the park.  He grimaced.

"Is this about sex?", Faith asked grinning.

"Whatever would make you say that?"

"Your blushing."

"I do not blush, for heaven's sake", Wesley replied.

"Yeah.. right", she agreed sarcastically, simultaneously shaking her head.

"I think we should discuss how we should handle the devil dog situation", Wesley said.

"Wow", Faith quipped, "smooth change of subject Wes."

"Honestly Faith--"

"I'm kidding Wes.  Jeez!", she exclaimed in mock exasperation, rolling her eyes.  "Please continue", she said after a moment.

"Why thank you, I'm honored", the former Watcher said dryly.

"Meow!"

"Faith!"

She grinned at him, and he looked heavenwards as if praying for strength.

"I think we should check out the lair during the day", Wesley said, continuing.

"We?", Faith repeated, frowning, before looking pointedly down at his ankle.

"Its much better, I'll be fine.  I *am* going with you.  I do not feel comfortable sending you out into an enclosed space with this beast alone."

The rogue Slayer opened her mouth to argue, only to have Wesley press a finger to her lips.

"No arguments Faith.  I'm coming with you."  With those last words, the wiry Brit turned to leave the room.  "As Gunn would say... Mount up."

Faith watched him walk away silently, her fingertips resting lightly on her lips as if absorbing the heat from his gentle touch.  Moments later she
followed him to the weapons cabinet.
 

~Chapter forty-five~

~ Late afternoon, L.A.~

The two brunettes loitered outside the abandoned building.  Wesley peered anxiously up and down the street, hoping against hope that they wouldn't attract undue attention.

He clenched his sword tighter, trying to keep its shape hidden behind one of this pant legs.  The former Watcher swallowed hastily, when he spotted a figure in one of the nearby alleys, and sighed in relief upon discovering it was only another of L.A.'s many homeless.  Although a few cars did roam the streets, this area was pretty desolate, this building being one of four abandoned and condemned properties in the immediate area.  Still, he was beginning to think he'd made a mistake in pushing for them to go after the devil dogs during the day.

"Faith", he hissed over his shoulder.  "Do hurry up."

The dark Slayer stared up at the boarded up door and then placed her hands on her hips in disgust.

"I thought you wanted me to be discreet?", she hissed back.

"At this point I just want you to be expedient."

She sighed.  "Whatever Wes, make up your mind", Faith grumbled under her breath, finally tucking the alder wood knife into the waistband of her dark blue jeans and grabbing hold of one of the boards nailed across the entrance.

Wesley winced at the loud sounds of the wooden planks being ripped away.

Faith tossed them aside without a second thought, grinning when they clattered loudly, before kicking in the door.

'So much for any element of surprise', he thought.  The British man groaned wearily, before following the raven haired beauty inside.  Wesley blinked
trying to become accustomed to the lack of light.  A few broken windows provided some illumination.  There were stairs immediately in front of him,
and a hallway to the right.

Where did she go?  "Faith?", he called.

"Over here."

The former Watcher followed the sound of the Slayer's voice down the dingy hallway.  He grimaced, carefully stepping over refuse and rotting pieces of things he would rather not identify.  He gripped the axe tighter, the low deep reverberation of a growl sounding somewhere not far off.  The sound sent goosebumps skittering across his flesh, the fine hairs on the back of his neck coming to attention.  Yet, he saw nothing.

"Faith", he croaked.

"Right here", the Slayer said, appearing as if by magic out of the gloom. She was standing in a doorway, and waved him inside.  "Follow me, you won't believe what I found."

Looking around warily, Wesley followed Faith to a closet in the empty apartment.

"What?--"

"Shhh...", she interrupted, bringing a finger to her lips, and gesturing with her eyes.

Confused Wesley glanced down into the closet.  He stared at the sleeping creature in surprise.

"Isn't he cute?", Faith said, her dark eyes back on the baby demon she'd found.  It looked for all the world like a puppy, despite the tiny horns
which sprouted from its fragile skull.

"Faith its a dem--", he stopped, his eyes caught on the strange expression on the rogue Slayer's face.  "Cute, isn't the word", the ex-Watcher replied stiltedly, watching as she bent forward to lightly scratch the creature on the head.

To his shock, it opened sleepy green eyes, and yawned.  Its miniature jaw, gaping wide to expose a very normal looking pink tongue and two rows of tiny razor sharp teeth..

"Awwww...", Faith crooned, reaching to pick it up.

"Faith no.  That's not a good idea, that's still a demon and I highly doubt its parents would just simply abandon it--", the Englishman began, his words trailing off as a sound permeated his consciousness.

He turned, to pinpoint the source of the growl, but was too late.  A massive, heavy body bounded at him from the open doorway. The axe clattered
uselessly to the ground as he was slammed to the floor.

"Wesley!!", Faith shouted.

She froze, uncertainty causing her gut to clench in fear.

The demon's heavy paws held Wesley pinned.  The creature's bright, feral gaze met her own, even as its huge maw neared Wesley's exposed throat.

"No!", she screamed desperately.

The creature paused, the mean intelligence in its green orbs focusing in on her and what she held in her arms.

Faith glanced downwards.  The "puppy" squirmed in her arms, its rough pink tongue lapping at fingers.

"What if I put your baby down, huh?", she asked aloud.

The demon dog growled, its two rows of teeth visible.

"Faith", Wesley gasped, trying to get oxygen into his lungs with the large creature atop him.  "Get out."

Wordlessly, the dark haired Slayer shook her head.  Slowly, she knelt and put the baby demon dog down.  The tiny creature stood carefully on its squat little legs, shakily making it way to the familiar sound of its growling mother.

"See", Faith said, holding up her hands to indicate they were empty, "no more baby.  He's all yours.  Okay?  Just leave Wesley alone."

"Faith!"

"Shut up Wesley", the ex-con told the man evenly.

The "puppy" toddled over to mother slowly, finally reaching one of the other demon's heavy paws.  The mother sniffed at it, hackles rising at the human scent which clung to its fur.  With a sudden and dismissive air, the demon batted its progeny away.  The small creature flew through the air, hitting the wall with a sickening crunch, before sliding to the ground, its little body still.

"You bitch", the Slayer ground out angrily, stepping forward, her eyes shone with unshed tears.

In answer, the devil dog bared its teeth in a bone-chilling mockery of a smile before going for Wesley's throat.

The former Watcher, squeezed his eyes shut, his lungs burned with the effort of trying to get oxygen.  He gasped, when the heavy weight on his chest was suddenly thrown off.  Blue eyes snapped open just in time to see Faith kick the four-legged demon in the abdomen.

The creature's head reared back, green eyes glinting in the dusky gloom.  It gnashed it teeth furiously, its roar making his blood grow cold.  Wanting to get out of harm's immediate way, he rolled over against the wall.  He glanced from the still form of the tiny demon laying on its side, only the
slight rise and fall of its chest indicating it still lived.  Even if only barely.  Tearing his gaze away he gathered the tiny body in his arms, and watched.  It was all he could do.  Only the alder knife Faith had in her possession could kill this type of demon.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of *his* Slayer.  Faith fought the creature with a single-minded determination that was awesome and yet awful to
witness.  It was as if someone had again flipped a switch.  The young woman who had crooned at the cute antics of a baby demon had given way to the instincts of the Slayer.

Faith circled the creature warily, looking for an opening.  It was slightly larger than most dogs, its head pretty much level with her belly button.
She yanked the wooden knife from where she'd tucked it in her jean's waistband.

It lunged at her, and Faith managed to cut the four-legged demon's side even as she evaded its sharp teeth.  She didn't escape it's claws however, and the error had burning pain shooting through her side.

Realizing it had wounded it foe, the creature snarled and charged at the dark haired warrior again.  The demon leapt at her, coming up on its hind
legs, its "paws" actually landing on the Slayer's shoulder's heavily.

Faith batted its snapping teeth away, holding the thing's head away by a one handed grip on its throat.  She turned her own face away, her eyes actually watering from the sour, rotten smell of its breath, before making her move. Using her free arm, the rogue Slayer stabbed the devil dog in the stomach with the wooden knife.

The four legged thing yelped.  The sound caused Wesley to jump in surprise. >From his angle, he had only been able to see the massive demon's powerful back, Faith's own form obscured by its bulk.

The young woman jerked the knife upwards, slicing through skin and muscle with ease.  She could see the life force leave its eyes, and felt the urge
to puke.  Had she really ever found pleasure in taking life?

The demon's paws slid off of her shoulder's, its body toppling to the ground with a last loud exhalation.

Faith stared at it, the alder wood knife falling from numb, blood soaked fingers.

"Faith."

"FAITH!"

Startled, the yell forced her from her thoughts.  She turned to see Wesley standing there.  He looked a little worse for wear, but decidedly unhurt.

Her brown eyes widened in remembrance and she swung her head to where the baby creature had fallen.  It was gone.

"Here", Wesley said quietly.

"Wha--?", Faith began, shocked into silence, when she caught sight of the squirming bundle the ex-Watcher had hidden underneath his light jacket.

"He's alive", she whispered.

Wesley nodded.  "A little bruised, but otherwise okay."

The Slayer smiled widely, all artifice and walls falling away, leaving only genuine heartfelt emotion.  She grabbed him about the waist, giving him an
impromptu hug, before plucking the baby demon from his hands.

"Come on Max...", she crooned, rubbing a finger beneath the "puppy's" chin.

"Max?", Wesley repeated frowning, as he bent to retrieve the sharp wooden implement.  "Why Max?  And go where?  You're not seriously thinking of
bringing that creature back with us?"

The dark Slayer kept walking, ignoring him.

"Faith?", he called after her, hurrying to catch up.

"FAITH?"

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