Willow entered the Factory followed by Angelus and Spike. Dawn was just creeping over the horizon. She walked over to Kendra's body. She looked down at the dead girl. "I certainly hope you're replacement is more fun. Marcus," she called out.

A vampire rushed into the room. Keeping his eyes down cast he stood before the Mistress. "Yes, Mistress?"

She smiled at the title. "Marcus, why is she still here?"

Marcus looked at the dead Slayer then back to Willow's feet. "We weren't sure what you wanted to do with her."

Angelus and Spike exchanged a look. If they knew anything, they knew Willow hated indecision.

Willow stepped over the body and strolled behind her minion. "Marcus, Marcus, Marcus. If you're going to get any where in this world, you're going to have to show a little initiative." She placed her hand on Marcus' neck and leaned into him. Marcus shook with fear as he waited for her to kill him. She'd done it before without hesitating. "But since it was Angelus' dinner," she said as she looked at her grandsire. "He should clean up his own garbage."

Spike chuckled at the reprimand. He turned to exit the room. "I'm tired, pet. I'm going to bed," he said as he passed her.

"I'll be right up," she said as she pushed away from Marcus. "Marcus, you may leave." She waited until the minion left the room. She motioned Angelus closer. "Angelus, I want you to take Kendra to the Watcher. Lay her out nice and pretty on the library table." She turned on her heel and left to join Spike in their room.

Angelus bristled under her orders, but he learned something while the three of them hunted tonight. Willow was smart. She never did anything without forethought and careful consideration. She was meticulous in her planning, but remained flexible to move with changes. He bent down to lift the ex-Slayer over his shoulder. He headed to the tunnel entrance.

*****
Buffy and Xander moved through the crowded hallways. "Is it me or do there seem to be more people hanging around the library?" she asked.

Being taller, Xander tried to see over the head of the other students and teachers. "Oh, my God. Their bringing out a body bag," he whispered.

Alarmed, Buffy pushed her way through the crowd. Xander tried to follow closely behind the small blonde. When they finally reached the head of the crowd, they were held back by police officers. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her Watcher. "Giles," she called.

Giles turned from the police detective who was interviewing him. He held up a hand to indicate he would be right there. "Is there anything else?" he asked.

"No, that will be all for now, Mr. Giles," the detective said as she closed her notebook. "I would advise you not to leave town any time soon," she warned.

Giles gave her a concerned look. "Am I a suspect?" he asked.

"Not at the moment, but we may want you for questioning."

"Fine," he said as he removed his glasses. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before walking over to Buffy and Xander. "Buffy," he started.

"Okay, show's over. Get to your classes," Principal Snyder ordered as he tried to disperse the crowd. When the majority remained to watch, he yelled, "Get to class or I'll give you all detention."

The students and teachers moved to their classes. Snyder noticed the thorn in his side, Buffy Summers. Walking up to the trio, he glared at the blonde. "I should have know you'd be around here somewhere. Mr. Harris, don't you have chemistry right about now."

"English," Xander corrected. When Principal Snyder continued to stare at him, he said, "Which I'm going to right now. I'll see you later, Buff. Giles." He left them and headed to class before the troll could sentence him to detention.

"I have free period," Buffy said.

Snyder's eyes narrowed, but he left to file a report with the school district.

"Giles, what happened?" she asked as soon as the short man turned the corner.

He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, it was Kendra. I found her."

"Willow."

"I think so." Giles lead her across the police tape. "My first thought was Angelus, but you said Willow had him chained up?"

Buffy looked at the once welcoming room. The safety she'd felt here had been violated. She stared at the table where someone had scattered flowers. "Huh? Yeah, she had him chained to the wall. This doesn't look like something Willow would do," she whispered.

"We don't know what Willow would do at this point," Giles pointed out.

"I wonder if she let him go. Maybe she finished her obedience training."

Giles pulled a broom out of the bookcage and sadly began sweeping up the fallen blossoms. "I received a call from the Council just after I found her. A new Slayer is being sent here tomorrow."

"Do they have to? I mean I'm still the Slayer," she said. Buffy didn't want someone to replace Kendra so soon.

"When one Slayer dies a new one is called," Giles quoted.

"Yeah, I know."

*****
Willow pulled a lock of her long red hair forward and twisted the end around her fingers. She looked down at her lover beside her. Smiling down at his relaxed face, she continued playing with the lock of hair. *He always looks so innocent when he sleeps,* she mused. She compared the features of this incarnation to that of her lover so long ago. The hair, of course, was a different color, but he had the same intense blue eyes.

She pushed her hair over her shoulder and rolled onto her side. Resting her head in her hand, she traced his high cheekbones with her eyes. Her eyes traveled from his face to his bare chest. *It's so strange not to see him breathing. Of course, I don't either, being dead and all.* Moving from the smooth skin of his chest she passed the black silk sheet to where his foot rested on top of the covers. *I can't believe he still does that,* she thought as she smiled. *So many differences, but he retained all the similarities I loved about him.*

Returning her attention to his face, Willow was started by his blue eyes staring back at her. "You're awake," she said softly.

He rolled on to his side facing her. "I felt these intense green eyes burning into me," he said as he reached out to pull a lock of her hair over her shoulder. "What were you doing, pet?"

"Taking inventory, I guess."

He tugged gently on her hair. "You were comparing me to Julian, weren't you?"

"Yes. Have you ever compared me to Romina?" she asked.

He nodded. "You look different, but I can find traces of Romina everywhere I look."

"I know we've never talked about it before, but I was curious. Have you ever seen me before?" she asked.

"Every time. I tried so hard to get to you, but something always prevented it. Have you? Seen me, I mean?"

She smiled sadly. "Only once."

"When?"

"London. The night you were turned. I spotted Angelus dragging you into an alley."

He stroked her cheek. "Did you know what happened to me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come after me? I would have turned you and we could have been together then," he whispered.

"I tried. I found where the two of you were staying. I went to your room. Angelus decided I would make a tasty snack." Spike growled. Willow placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "No. It's okay."

"Okay? I could have spent the last century with you by my side and you say it's okay that he killed you," he said.

"Yes. It's okay. That wasn't my best incarnation. I wasn't ready yet," she explained as she caressed his smooth flesh. "I was a weak person back then. I spent the next couple lifetimes preparing for this one. I grew stronger." She chuckled. "It seems silly to say I grew stronger, my mortal self was kind of weak and useless. At least that's what everyone thought, but I was strong. Inside."

"And now you're strong outside."

"Yes, now I have the strength to defeat her," she said as she curled up next to Spike.

"Defeat who?" Spike asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Adrianna." The name dripped off her lips like venom. "The blonde bitch who separated us."

Spike thought about it for a moment. "Buffy."

"Yes. And she will die, but not before I strip her of everything she ever loved. Pay back is a bitch."

"And her name is Willow," Spike chuckled as he closed his eyes.

Part 8
Rupert Giles sat in his office unpacking a create of ancient tomes the Council had sent to him. He set one of the books on his desk. It was then he noticed the paper tucked under the blotter. Pulling it free, he opened it and began to read. Immediately Giles recognized Willow's neat handwriting

All seven and we will watch them fall
They stand in the way of love and we will smoke them all
With their intellect and savwa faire
No one in the whole universe will ever compare
I am yours and you are mine
And together we will love through all space and time
So don't cry
One day all seven will die

Don't ya just love Prince? I know there are only six of you (at least when the new Slayer shows up), but there are no good songs with six in it.
~W
P.S. Will the new Slayer have her own Watcher? Cuz that would make 7, wouldn't it?

"Anybody home?" a voice called from the other room.

Tucking the note into his jacket pocket, Giles left his office. He found a tall dark haired girl leaning against the checkout desk. "Hello? Can I help you?"

Turning, she looked the tweed clad man over. "Doubt it."

Giles took in the black leather pants and black tank top. He noticed the tattoo on her arm. *Please, don't let this be the new Slayer,* he thought. "I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian. Are you new here?"

"Yeah, I'm Faith."

*Why me?* he asked the powers that be. "The new Slayer."

"Got it in one, Tweed man. You my Watcher?" she asked as she boosted herself onto the checkout desk.

"Temporally, until one can be assigned to you. Please don't sit on the counter," he requested.

Ignoring his request, Faith looked around the large room. "So what's the score?"

"Score?" He had a feeling this one was going to a lot worse than Buffy to understand.

"Yeah. Who's the resident bad guy? And when do I get to take him out?" she asked as she leaned back on her hands.

"Her," Buffy corrected as she walked over to the brunette. She looked the new Slayer over quickly. *Definately, a lot different than Kendra,* she compared. "I'm Buffy. The resident baddy is a girl."

Faith gave the fashionably dressed blonde a quick look. "Hey, B. Faith. Girl, guy makes no diff to me."

"Yes, well, there is one problem," Giles said as he watched the two Slayers stare each other down.

"What's that?" Faith asked. Her dark eyes stared intently at the blonde. *If she wants to get into a staring contest, I'm game.*

"She used to be one of us," Buffy explained.

"She was the old Slayer?" *This could be interesting.*

"No, she was one of my friends who helped me," Buffy whispered.

Faith laughed. "That's why Slayers shouldn't have friends. They can be used against us."

Buffy glared at the dark Slayer. *I so don't like her.*

"So the resident baddy is an old friend and you can't take her out, right? No prob. I'll do it. When do we start?" Faith asked as she jumped off the counter. She was itching to get some action.

"You'll patrol tonight with Buffy. Until then you have classes, I believe," Giles said. He hoped the Council would send Faith's watcher soon. He didn't think he would be able to control the wild girl. He had enough trouble with Buffy.

"Cool. I'll see you tonight," Faith said as she left the room.

Buffy turned to her Watcher. "I don't like her," she said as she walked over to the central table and sat on it.

"Has no one ever heard of chairs?" he asked rhetorically. When Buffy gave him a confused look, he shook it head. "You didn't like Kendra when she first showed up either," he reminded her. She just shrugged. Giles pulled the note out of his pocket. "I found this on my desk this morning," he said as he handed it over.

Buffy read the note. "Are you sure there's no way to do the uninvite spell on the school?" she asked.

The Watcher sighed. "It's a public place."

"Too bad I don't go to a private school," she muttered. She pulled a slip of paper out of her back pocket. "I found this in my locker."

Giles took the note from her and read it.

How is your mother, Buffy? Is she still safely oblivious to the real world? I can educate her if you'd like.

"I have the feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of notes from Willow," Buffy sighed. "I don't know who was worse. Angelus or Willow."

"I don't know either," Giles said as he took both the notes and slipped them into his pocket.

*****
Spike sat with his feet up on the table. Angelus sat across from him. Willow sat at the head of the table. She watched with amusement as they tried to stare each other down. She knew Spike was still pissed at his sire for killing her in a previous life. Angelus was just pissed at the world in general, had been since he lost his soul.

"Well, as fun as it is watching you two stare at each other. I think we should start making some plans," she said as she pulled Spike's pack of cigarettes closer to her. Pulling one out, she lit it and tossed the pack back to the peroxide blonde.

"What kind of plans?" Spike asked, his eyes never leaving his sire.

"Moving plans."

Angelus looked at the red head. "What's wrong with this place?"

Her green eyes sparkled. "What's wrong? How about the fact that everyone knows exactly were we are? I'm surprised that Buffy and company haven't thought to burn us out yet. Of course, Buffy isn't exactly the brains of the operation," she chuckled.

"So where are we moving, pet?" Spike asked.

Smiling she leaned forward. "Marcus, found us a mansion on Crawford street that I think will do nicely. We'll leave a crew in residence here. That way it will take them a while to realize we've moved. If they figure it out at all."

Marcus entered the room nervously. While the Mistress had advised him to get some initiative, he didn't want to push it. "Mistress," he said quietly.

She looked up at him. "Yes, Marcus?"

"The new Slayer has arrived," he said.

"And you know this because?"

"A group of us were out hunting when we ran across them," he explained.

Willow looked behind him. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"When I realized the new girl was the Slayer I came here to inform you, Mistress."

She looked at him curiously. She knew he had no ambition for power, which is why she kept him around. "You left the others to be staked?" she asked.

He hesitated. "Yes, Mistress. I thought that you would want to know right away," he answered honestly.

"Well done, Marcus." She watched him visibly relax. Turning to Angelus and Spike, she grinned. "Want to go check out the new Slayer?" she asked.

Part 9
Willow sat on top of the mosolium with her feet dangling over the edge. She watched with interest as the two Slayers fought the pack of vampires she'd sent out. "Marcus, what do you think of the new Slayer?" she asked.

Marcus moved closer to his Mistress. "She's good."

"Besides that."

He was at a lose for words. What did she want to hear?

"She enjoys it," Angelus said from behind her.

"Yes, she does. That's Buffy's problem. Well, one of them anyway. She doesn't enjoy her work," she explained. She leaned back into Spike as she watched the show.

****
Faith plunged her stake into another vamp. *God, that felt good.* She could feel her blood boiling with excitement. She looked around for something else to kill. She watched Buffy make one of her anonoying quips before staking the last one. *Damn. I was just getting warmed up.*

"Is that all of them?" Buffy asked as she jogged over to her new co-worker.

Faith scanned the quiet cemetary. She could sense others in the darkness, but they didn't want to come out and play. "Looks like it, B. So, now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want to do now?"

Buffy looked at Faith strangely. "It's 3AM on a school night. I'm going home, taking a shower, and going to bed." She turned on her heel and headed home.

Faith watched the blonde leave. "Who can sleep after that? I'm just itchin' for some action." She slipped her stake into her pocket and headed for the nearest bar.

****
"She's going to be unpredictable," Angelus said as he tipped his chair back on two legs.

Willow snuggled into Spike's lap. "Yes, she is. We're just going to have to work around her. We'll start tomorrow night."

Spike stroked her bare arm as he nuzzled her ear. "With how, pet?"

"I figure we should start at the bottom and work our way up," she said.

"I don't know, luv. It's a pretty big bottom," he chuckled against her neck.

With a disgusted sigh, Angelus slammed the chair down on al four legs and stormed out of the room. He was sick of their lovey-dovey, touchy-feely crap.

Spike's blue eyes followed his sire from the room. "What's his problem?"

She turned in his lap and laced her fingers behind his head. "I think we need to find Angelus a playmate," she suggested as she leaned her forehead against his.

"Who?" Spike thought over the short list. "Oh, no."

"Why not? She'd be perfect for him. Besides it would give me someone to do girl things with." She traced his lips with her fingertip and batted her green eyes at him. "Please, William? Let me turn Cordelia."

He started into her eyes. Even after all this time, she could talk him into anything. "Fine."

"Thank you," she whispered against his lips.
 

next