Twenty-One

SUNSET

Faith sat with Buffy on the floor, and held her, and kissed her hair.

She looked up at Giles.

“You leaving her too?” Faith said.

“Of course not,” Giles said. “I would never leave Buffy...I would never leave either of you. And Willow didn’t want Xander or me to know about this, and while I don’t think that was the right decision on her part, it was still her decision. There was nothing else you could have done.”

He crouched down beside Buffy, and took her hand.

“I’ll take them back to my house, and I’ll find a way to convince them to stay with me until this business is finished,” he said. “I’ll look after them, Buffy.”

“Thank you,” Buffy whispered, and hugged him.

“You’re welcome,” Giles said.

Angel watched them...watched the three of them together, sitting on the floor, and holding each other. They didn’t even seem aware of him anymore.

He knew he didn’t belong with them anymore. He wasn’t part of what they had...he knew he had no right to it anymore.

“I screwed it up, Giles,” Angel heard Buffy whisper. “I screwed it all up.”

“No,” Giles said. “You saved the world. You saved your friends. You protected us all, as best you could. No one could have done more, Buffy.”

“You believe it, honey,” Faith said, and kissed Buffy’s cheek. “You listen when your Watcher talks, okay?”

“I’m your Watcher too, Faith,” Giles said.

“Hey, I’m all ears, G-Man,” Faith said.

“I’ll call later, after they’re settled in and I’ve had a chance to talk to them,” Giles said. “Maybe...I can convince him to change his mind.”

“He won’t,” Buffy said. “I’ve lost him. Lost them both.”

“It’s not easy,” Giles said. “I wish I could make it easier for you. I wish I could take some of the burden on myself. But I can’t. So you need to hold on. You need to hold on and be strong, all right?”

“She’s got me,” Faith said. “She’ll always have me.”

“Good,” Giles said. “All right, I’ll call you once I have them settled in.” He stood up, and walked back to his room.

“Honey,” Faith said. “Come back to bed, okay? I don’t want you out here like this anymore. Let me take care of you.”

Buffy nodded, and let Faith stand her up. They walked back to their bedroom together, without even glancing at Angel.

Angel was alone in the hallway.

He let his senses reach out. He heard Giles packing his things. He heard the furnace making that grinding noise it sometimes made. He heard Faith whisper, “I love you.” He heard Buffy whisper back, “I love you so much, baby.”

He stood in the hallway, alone. He knew he wasn’t part of Buffy’s life, anymore. He knew he didn’t belong there. He knew he didn’t belong anywhere.

He knew he was nothing...

He was a reflection. All that he was, he knew, was the effect he’d had on other people. He didn’t exist, on his own...he had no identity other than what he created in the people around him. He was a reflection, and Buffy, Faith, Willow, Xander and Giles were his mirrors.

He saw chaos, when he looked at them; he saw destruction. He saw a pestilence.

Giles came out of the spare room wearing a coat and carrying his suitcase and his leather satchel. He stopped in front of Angel.

“I don’t forgive you,” Giles said. “I never will.”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

“But Buffy needs your help,” Giles said. “Will you help her?”

“She’s got Faith,” Angel said.

“Yes. But they’re young. They’ll need our help to come through this. Will you help? Will you keep Buffy safe while I’m gone? And Faith too?”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

Giles nodded, and walked down the stairs, and didn’t look back.

Angel was alone again.

He heard the front door open and close. A moment after that he heard Giles driving away.

He heard Buffy weeping in her bedroom. He heard Faith whisper, “Sshhh, honey. Sshhh. I love you. I love you. You’re my girl.”

He heard Buffy whisper, “I’m your girl.”

He walked down the stairs, and tried to center himself.

Darla’s scent came to him. Suddenly, she was walking beside him.

“Pathetic,” she said. “You’re better and more important than the lot of them put together. And you let them treat you this way. You let that...that ignorant child spit in your face.”

“You’re just gonna keep on bothering me, aren’t you?” Angel said, and kept walking. “What is it now? More speeches about how big and great and evil you are? Already said no to the deal. What else is there to talk about?”

“Maybe I just like being with you,” Darla said.

He didn’t look at her. At the bottom of the stairs she blocked his path.

“When you were with me, and happy?” she said. “You would have sliced that little fool to ribbons and strung him up like a side of beef. By the time you finally allowed him to die he would have been intimately acquainted with the look, smell, taste and texture of his own insides. Instead you stand there, enduring their abuse, wearing your fucking sackcloth, covering yourself in ashes.”

“You done?” Angel said, and walked through her, heading for the cellar.

“I’m just getting started, my angel,” Darla said, and disappeared.

Faith laid with Buffy on the bed, and held her in her arms.

“You’re my girl,” Faith said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Buffy said.

“I’ll always love you, Buffy,” Faith said. “I’ll never leave you. You understand that? That I’ll always stick with you, no matter what?”

Buffy nodded.

“It wasn’t your fault, honey,” Faith said. “It was no one’s fault. Will told us not to tell, because she knew what would happen.”

Buffy nodded. Faith kissed her forehead.

They were quiet, for awhile.

“I want you to take over,” Buffy said. “I can’t...I can’t do this anymore.”

“What?” Faith said. “What are you talking about?”

Buffy looked up at her, with tears in her eyes.

“I can’t do it, baby,” Buffy said. “I can’t, I can’t. I can’t...be the leader anymore, and have to make all the decisions, and...be strong all the time. I can’t.”

“Bullshit,” Faith said. “Of course you can do it. It’s what you do.”

“You said that, if...if I didn’t want to anymore, you’d step up. That you’d take the weight. Will you? Will you do this for me?”

Faith looked at her. She hesitated.

“Okay,” Faith said.

Buffy nodded, and curled up against Faith’s breasts.

“Make love to me, baby?” Buffy whispered. “I need you.”

“Okay,” Faith said.

“I love you,” Buffy whispered, an hour or so later, as they laid naked on the bed together, and Faith held her in her arms.

“I love you too,” Faith said, and kissed her. “My girl feelin’ better now?”

Buffy nodded, and managed a smile.

“You always take care of me,” Buffy said.

“That’s because you’re my girl, honey,” Faith said. “I always take good care of my girl.”

“So what’s the plan now, boss?” Buffy said.

“We look for Spike,” Faith said. “It’s still real early, I figure we can cover the whole town pretty good in Angel’s car.”

“Y’know, I never would have thought of that. I was all ready for us to just go out and like, walk everywhere.”

“We can cover more ground with a car. Anyway hopefully the thing won’t be a shitbox like Giles’ car.”

“Angel’s car is the coolest car ever. It’s all like, this big black super-fast convertible? Angel thinks he’s Burt Reynolds when he drives it,” Buffy said, and sat up. “You’re gonna love it.”

Faith sat up with her, and wrapped her arms around her in a bear hug.

“Aren’t we getting up?” Buffy said.

“Yup,” Faith said.

Buffy nodded, and tried to get up again. Faith didn’t let her go.

“Um, as much as I’m always horny for you, baby?” Buffy said. “You do want us to go looking for Spike, right?”

“Yup,” Faith said, and smiled.

“Well, I don’t think he’s hiding in this room? So we’re gonna need to get out of the bed to look for him.”

“Yup.”

Faith still wouldn’t let Buffy move.

“Um...” Buffy said. “You’re not letting me up.”

“Nope,” Faith said.

“So what are you doing exactly? Are you being horny? But you haven’t done any pervo stuff to me yet.”

“You’re in a Faith cage.”

“I’m in a Faith cage?”

“Yup.”

“What’s a Faith cage?”

“Faith cages are unbreakable,” Faith said, and kissed Buffy’s cheek, and held her tight. “You can’t escape from a Faith cage. You just gotta do your time, finish out your sentence.”

“What’s my sentence?” Buffy said.

“You have to believe things are gonna get better. I’m not letting you out of the cage until you believe that.”

Buffy caressed Faith’s hand.

“I think...I might be in this cage a long time,” Buffy said.

“We’re gonna get them back, Buffy,” Faith said.

“How do you know? You sound...really sure.”

“Something you’re forgetting. Xander’s forgetting too. Those wolf vamps want Willow. It’s got nothing to do with Willow being with us, they want her no matter where she is. She’s safe with Giles for now because the sun’s up. Once it gets dark? We’re gonna have to start watching her. Whether Xander likes it or not, he’s gonna have to deal with us until this thing is over. So yeah, you’ll be seeing Will and Xander again. You’ll be seeing them again tonight.”

“But after this thing is over they could just leave again.”

“You have to believe, honey. You have to believe things are gonna get better. You just...you just have to have faith.”

Buffy turned around in Faith’s arms, and smiled.

“Yeah,” Buffy said, and kissed her.

Angel laid on the cot in the cellar, looking up at the ceiling, and finishing a Rolling Rock. Xander hadn’t taken the case of Rolling Rock with him. So Angel stole one. For old time’s sake.

Faith’s scent came to him. Peaches. With a hint of muskiness.

A moment later she walked down the thin old wooden stairs. She was quiet, but the stairs still creaked a little.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he said, and looked at her. She was wearing the same red leather coat he’d seen her in when he first arrived at the house, and a wakizashi in a scabbard hooked to her belt.

She approached his cot. Empty beer bottles littered the floor all around it. Angel added the bottle of Rolling Rock to the pile.

“Little early for that, isn’t it?” Faith said.

“I can drink you under the table, Lehane,” Angel said, and went back to looking up at the ceiling.

“Not if we’re drinking champagne.”

Angel nearly smiled.

“So I hear,” Angel said. “No matter how much I block my ears.”

Faith raised her eyebrow.

“Shit,” she said, and sat down on the edge of his cot, and blushed, and smiled despite herself.

Angel got up, and sat next to her.

So how you doin’?” Faith said.

“Surviving,” Angel said. “You?”

“Hangin’ in. Lately it seems like every day’s throwin’ me a new curve. I’m still kind of like, acclimating, I guess. Figuring it out as I go.”

“Yeah. I know how you feel.”

“I was pissed at you last night. That’s why I said that stuff I said.”

Faith looked at him. His dark eyes looked black in the shadowy cellar.

“When I said I didn’t trust you, it felt like a cheap shot,” Faith said. “I’m not sayin’ like, I trust you a hundred percent? I mean, you did all that stuff. But... when I said it last night...I just said it ’cuz I was pissed off.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Angel said. “You don’t know me. Got no reason to trust me. Especially after what I did.”

“I was pissed that you said Will would be dead weight in a fight. Will’s strong. She can handle this. I didn’t like you being all like, she’s not important.”

“That’s not what I think. I know Willow can handle herself...handle the things we face. Just because she can’t throw a punch that doesn’t mean she isn’t strong. I misspoke before. I didn’t mean it like...like she should just stay home. I just meant, going up against Spike and maybe a bunch more vampires with him, Willow’s better off hanging back. I know she wouldn’t panic, I know she’d do her best to protect Buffy. But it’s not a good situation for her to be in.”

“Spike’s tough, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“Tougher than you?”

“Only if you count his ability to annoy people as a power.”

“You and him, you’ve thrown down before?”

“Sure,” Angel said, and nearly smiled. “Good times.”

“So?” Faith said. “What happened?”

“Kicked his ass every time.”

“Every time? How many times did you guys fight?”

“Fought a lot. He’s a pain in the ass. British too.”

“You don’t like British people?”

“Irish thing. Long story. Some Brits are okay. Giles is okay.”

“Buffy said if it was you she was up against instead of Angelus last spring, you would’ve won.”

“It’ll never be me. I would never hurt Buffy...when I have my soul.”

“But when you don’t,” Faith said. “When you don’t...”

“If I lose my soul again, you have to kill me,” Angel said. “Don’t bother trying to re-ensoul me. The only reason that worked last time was I didn’t know Willow could do it. I killed Jenny Calendar because she was trying to re-ensoul me. If I had known then that Willow could do it I would’ve killed her too.”

“Not you,” Faith said. “Angelus.”

“Angelus isn’t a separate person. He’s me. If I lose my soul again the first thing I’ll do is try to stop Willow. You have to kill me before that happens.”

He looked at her again. His dark eyes hit her like two hammers.

She made herself look back.

“Promise me you will,” he said.

“Me? What about Buffy?” Faith said.

“She might hesitate. You won’t. Promise me if I ever lose my soul again, you’ll kill me. Willow, Buffy...they might want to try to re-ensoul me again. That’ll just buy me time to do more damage. You have to kill me.”

Faith looked away from him, and shook her head.

“My life is completely fucked in the head,” she said. “I’m hanging with a vampire. And our small talk? Are we talkin’ ball games? Are we talkin’ cars? Nope. We’re having a heart-to-heart about how you want me to solemnly swear to kill you sometime. Plus, I’m just gonna say it again? You’re a vampire.”

“Kinda ridiculous, huh?” Angel said.

“Yeah,” Faith said, and laid back on the cot, and looked up at the ceiling. “I remember when vampires were just like, these guys in movies. Like y’know, Freddy and Jason.”

“Who are Freddy and Jason? Are they vampires?”

“You’re old, dude,” Faith said, and grinned. “Freddy and Jason are these movie bad guys. Not vampires. Just kinda like...well I don’t know, mutant freak guys I guess. Point is they’re fake. Always thought vamps were fake too. Now I’m hanging out with one.”

“Life’s full of surprises,” Angel said. “Will you do it? If I lose my soul. Will you promise to kill me, no matter what Buffy or Willow say?”

“Yeah,” Faith said.

Angel looked out into the darkness. Faith looked up at the ceiling.

“You guys heading out after Spike?” Angel said.

“Yeah,” Faith said. “We need your car. It’ll be easier if we got wheels.”

“Uh...yeah...okay,” Angel said. “Can you drive stick?”

Faith raised her eyebrow.

“Pretty sure I remember how,” she said.

As Buffy buckled her scabbard on her belt and headed downstairs carrying a duffel bag, Angel was following Faith into the living room.

“You have to be careful when you downshift,” Angel was saying. “It’s kinda finicky downshifting.”

“Told me already,” Faith said.

“And remember not to ride the clutch.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s got maybe a quarter tank of gas? If you need to fill it you gotta get premium unleaded. Regular’s bad for the engine.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you should give the engine a minute to warm up before--”

“I’m gonna stake you in a minute,” Faith said.

“Hey,” Buffy said, as she came into the living room. “We all set?”

“Our boy’s all nervous,” Faith said. “Thinks we’re gonna crash his ride.”

“Didn’t say you were gonna crash it,” Angel said. “It’s just...finicky. You have to treat it right.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, GQ,” Faith said. “We’ll bring it back without a scratch. Uh...steering wheel’s not over on the right, is it?”

“No,” Angel said. “I hate that crap.”

“Then relax,” Faith said. “I’ll take good care of your wheels, promise.”

“Who said you were driving?” Buffy said.

“I did, girlfriend,” Faith said, and raised her eyebrow. “I’m the boss.”

“Shit.”

“You owe me after making me drive the Gilesmobile. You call him?”

“Yeah, he said he’ll ask Will to backtrack Spike’s number for us. And I told him to expect us tonight.”

“Cool,” Faith said, and turned to Angel. “Okay guy, me and Buffy will be back before sunset. We’ll call and check in during the day too. When we get home two of us have to head right back out to Giles’ place, so we can watch Will for the night. If maybe Xander’s calmed down a bit the other one can go with him to pick up some stuff from that military base. You good here ’til we get back?”

“Uh...well...it would be good if one of you...showed me how to work the VCR,” Angel mumbled.

“Is he pulling my leg?” Faith said, and glanced at Buffy.

“Nope,” Buffy said, and grabbed the VCR remote from the coffee table, and stood next to him, pointing out all the buttons. “Okay, look. This button here? Turns on the TV. If you wanna just watch TV these buttons change the channels up and down. If you wanna watch a tape, just put the tape in...um, you know how to put a tape in, right? You just like, slide it in?” Angel nodded. Buffy wasn’t sure if he really knew how to put a tape in or if he was just trying to hold onto some of his dignity, but she just kept going. “The VCR turns on when you put a tape in. All you gotta do is press this button here, it switches back and forth between the TV and the VCR, then press the play button here. These two buttons are fast forward and rewind...”

“What are fast forward and rewind?” Angel said.

“You’re losing coolness points by the second here, GQ,” Faith said.

“We didn’t have gadgets in the eighteenth century,” Angel said.

“So what did people do all day?”

“Read the Bible and drank. A war every once in awhile.”

“Don’t forget bangin’ the maid.”

Angel frowned at her, and went back to looking at the VCR remote.

“Fast forward speeds the movie up if you want to skip over a part,” Buffy said. “Rewind takes you backwards if you want to see a part again. This button here? Pause? It like, freezes the movie in case you need to take a break and you don’t wanna miss anything. Just press it again to make it start playing again.”

“Okay,” Angel said. “This is kinda complicated. It’s got a lot of buttons.”

“I’ll set up a movie for you,” Buffy said. “I got Titanic...”

“No,” Angel said, emphatically.

“Damn B, you tryin’ to neuter the guy? There’s some Clint Eastwood movies Xander left here,” Faith said. “Better not even try to tell me you don’t like Clint, Angel. Your coolness is hangin’ by a thread here as it is.”

“Who’s Clint Eastwood?” Angel said.

Faith sighed and shook her head, and went to the entertainment center and pulled down some videotapes. She looked them over, then pulled one from its box and inserted it into the VCR.

“The Outlaw Josey Wales,” Faith said. “You can start with my favorite.”

“What’s it about?” Angel said.

“Cowboy movie, awesome gun fights,” Faith said. “It’s about honor, and revenge. Doin’ right by your friends and never backin’ down. Plus sayin’ cool shit while you do it. And not for nothin, if you don’t like Clint? You’re gay.”

Buffy laughed. Angel frowned again.

“Well...that’s kinda harsh,” Angel said.

“Explains about me though,” Buffy said.

“You’re gonna like Clint eventually, girlfriend,” Faith said. “I’m chippin’ away, I’m gonna like, mold you. You’re gonna be my Eliza Doolittle.”

“Who?” Buffy said.

“Man, I’ve got so much work to do here,” Faith said, and shook her head again. “C’mon, my fair lady, I’ll explain in the car. While I’m driving.”

Willow and Xander sat on Giles’ couch, and Giles sat across from them in the squeaky recliner. They drank tea. There was a plate of dry, crumbly tea cookies on the coffee table, that no one had touched.

“Thanks again, Giles,” Xander said. “This really helps us out.”

Willow looked down at her tea cup, and didn’t say anything.

“Of course,” Giles said. “You’re always welcome to stay here. Is the room all right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Xander said. “And it’s a big help. I didn’t really...uh... think this whole thing through when we left Buffy’s. Would’ve been a bummer having to sneak Will into my room in the basement of my parents’ place.”

“I’m sorry there isn’t a television,” Giles said. “There’s the television here in the parlor though. And my record player.”

“Trust me, this is a palace compared to my basement,” Xander said.

Giles watched Willow. She hadn’t looked at him, or Xander, since she arrived. She hadn’t talked either. She was still looking down at her tea cup.

“Is there anything you need, Willow?” Giles said. “Is the room okay?”

“I’m fine,” Willow muttered, without looking up. “Thank you, Giles.”

“House has internet access, so Will’s happy,” Xander said.

“Yeah,” Willow said. “I just lost two of my friends. Hey, let’s, y’know, have a big fucking party.”

Xander put his hand arm around her. Willow’s body was neither rigid nor yielding. She moved when he pulled her toward him. She stopped moving when he stopped moving her. She was like a rudderless boat, moving with the currents.

“Willow...” Giles said. “I know this situation is--”

“I’m sorry, Giles,” Willow said. “I’m not...I’m not angry with you. I’m just...it’s been a rough day.”

Usually, Willow’s voice was lighter than air and bright as sunshine; it would flit around a room like a bumblebee on a summer day, trailing laughter in its wake. Now her voice was leaden; it was grounded. It was low and flat and unvarying, as if it was missing something. As if something had gone out of it.

Giles picked up the plate of cookies, and held it out to her, and smiled that winsome smile he had, the one that showed off his dimples.

“Cookie?” he said.

“They’re all like, crumbly,” Willow said. “They’re like, these sad crumbly British cookies.”

She took one, and ate a bit of it.

“They don’t taste like anything either,” Willow said. “How come you get these? How come you don’t get like, Oreos? Oreos with double stuff.”

“These make people appreciate my tea more,” Giles said.

“You should get Oreos with double stuff.”

“I’ll get some. I think you two are going to be here for awhile.”

“It’s great of you to offer, but we don’t want to impose,” Xander said.

“Those vampires are still after me, Xander,” Willow said, looking at him for the first time. “Did you think they were just gonna stop because you decided to be mean to Buffy? If we’re not staying with Buffy and Faith we’re gonna have to stay here. We can’t go home, our parents would freak if those vampires showed up, they wouldn’t know what to do. They’d call the cops and then the cops would come and get killed too. We have to stay here until this thing is over.”

“Maybe now that we’re away from Buffy they won’t be looking for you anymore,” Xander said.

“It has nothing to do with Buffy,” Willow said. “You heard what the vampires said, they want me. If it wasn’t for Faith I’d be gone and you’d be dead. If it wasn’t for Faith I would’ve been dead in that alley two months ago.”

Xander’s face turned red.

“And don’t act like you don’t know it,” Willow said. “Yeah, I came with you, because I, I can’t lose you? But don’t you, don’t you act like...”

Tears streamed down Willow’s cheeks.

“Don’t you act like this is all Buffy’s fault,” Willow said. “She never like, forced us to help. Remember when we started out? She was always telling us to stay home, always telling us it was too dangerous. But we kept insisting on coming along. Because she was our friend. And now...and now...”

“She called, Willow,” Giles said.

“She did?” Willow said, and snapped her head up like a terrier on a scent, and wiped her tears away.

“What did she want?” Xander said.

“To make sure you two were all right,” Giles said.

“That’s it?”

“And to tell me what Angel found. Willow, would you mind tracing a phone number on your computer for me? It seems that Spike--”

“Fucking figures,” Xander muttered. “We’ve been gone what, like four hours and she’s already--”

“Buffy’s not asking, Xander,” Giles said. “I am.”

“What about Spike?” Willow said.

“Angel tracked down one of the vampires who delivered the Key,” Giles said. “The vampire never saw the man he’s working for, he only talked to him on the phone. He gave Angel the number. He said the man he works for is a vampire, and he has an English accent, and that he’s rumored to have killed two Slayers in his time.”

“Spike,” Willow said.

“Well, we have no direct proof, but he’s the only person we know of who fits the bill,” Giles said. “Supposedly he got hold of the Key and set up the deal to sell it to those priests; the vampires delivering it were his flunkies.”

“Yup, that sounds like Spike. He’s always looking for a way to make some money.”

“And hopefully he can shed some light on the Vigil of Saint Vigeous.”

“Plus Buffy has the Key. If he comes after it...Giles, we need to find Spike before he finds us.”

“Just what Buffy and I were thinking. Buffy and Faith are looking for Spike now. Can you trace the number?”

“Not with that old dinosaur of a computer you have,” Willow said, and smiled for the first time, and leaped off the couch. “But my handy-dandy laptop can. I’m gonna have to unplug your computer and steal your internet connection for awhile. Aren’t you happy I made you get a T1 line now?”

“Yes, Willow, I just want to dance for joy,” Giles said. “It’s marvelous, having a whole world of ridiculous twaddle at my fingertips.”

“Okay, wait a minute,” Xander said, and stood up. “Just...slow down, okay? Will, I thought...I thought we decided we were done with this stuff?”

“I didn’t decide anything,” Willow said. “You decided, remember? You didn’t let me be part of the decision. It was either come with you or you were gonna dump me.”

“Will...” Xander said, and put his arms around her waist. “I just...don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Are you worried I’ll get carpal tunnel syndrome?” Willow said. She kept her arms straight down at her sides. Her posture was stiff. “’Cuz other than that I don’t see how typing on my laptop’s gonna hurt me.”

“You know what I mean,” Xander said.

“I’m doing this,” Willow said, and pulled away from him. “Giles, what’s that number?”

“God damn, this thing’s a blast to drive!” Faith said, as she whizzed down Sunnydale’s back roads in Angel’s car at extremely unsafe speeds. She had the top down and her arm around Buffy and a big smile on her face. Buffy had taken her shoes off, and she was hanging her feet out the window and wiggling her hips to the music coming from the hip hop station.

“Yup, Angel knows cars,” Buffy said. “And like, I don’t know cars? But this one is big and black and shiny and fast and it’s a convertible.”

“And you look real good in it,” Faith said. “C’mere and gimme a kiss.”

Buffy kissed her, and rested her head in Faith’s lap.

“You’re my pretty girl, huh honey?” Faith said. Buffy smiled, and nodded.

“So when am I gonna get to drive, boss?” Buffy said, and ran her fingers up and down Faith’s knees.

“When you pry the keys from my cold, dead fingers,” Faith said. “Guy owns a car like this can’t be all bad.”

“Is he still gay if he doesn’t like Clint?”

“Hell yeah. This car makes up for a lot of sins but any guy who doesn’t like Clint just ain’t a guy. So where we headed next, beautiful?”

“How come you always call me beautiful?”

Faith looked down at her. “This a trick question?”

“No, seriously. You always call me beautiful and...I don’t know, I’m just wondering why.”

“Because you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, Buffy,” Faith said, and took Buffy’s hand, and kissed it.

“You...really think that?” Buffy said. “Seriously?”

“I got a philosophy. Wanna hear it?”

“Um, okay.”

Faith looked down at Buffy, and Buffy stared up into her eyes. The sun was bright in the sky, and Faith’s eyes reflected it back at her...Faith’s eyes were golden in the sunlight.

“Becca’s always right,” Faith said.

Buffy smiled.

“Yeah?” Buffy said. “Well it’s easy to remember.”

“And it’s true, too,” Faith said. “And Becca, one of the big things about her was, she never talked just to talk. She said something, she meant it, you took it to the bank, y’know? She never blew smoke. So I don’t either. I don’t talk just to talk. I mean the things I say. And when I say you’re the most beautiful woman in the world? I mean it, Buffy. I mean it.”

“I love you,” Buffy whispered.

“I love you too, beautiful,” Faith whispered back, and leaned her head down, and gently kissed her.

Buffy curled up in Faith’s lap, and hugged her.

“How you doin’ honey?” Faith said. “You doin’ okay?”

“I’m with my baby,” Buffy said. “I’m okay.”

“Just gotta have faith,” Faith said. “We’re gonna see Will tonight. We’ll talk to Xander too, find out if maybe he’s calmed down some. But even if he won’t budge? Remember what I said, Buffy. Willow’s not gonna let him run her whole life. She’s too strong for that. We’re gonna get her back. Okay, beautiful?”

“Okay. You should have worn a skirt.”

“So you could be a bad girl and distract me?” Faith said, and raised her eyebrow. “Sorry hon, I’m the boss. Boss says we’re working right now.”

“You’re such a mean boss,” Buffy said, and kissed Faith over her jeans, in between her legs. “You won’t let me have any fun.”

“I think someone’s looking for a spanking,” Faith said. “So where next?”

“We tried Spike’s old crypts, plus the factory he was hiding out at last time he and Dru were here. We’ll hit Willy’s place next, see if anyone’s heard anything. They do this potato and egg sandwich that Spike really likes? He went there for lunch sometimes. Willy’s got a sewer access that all the vamps use.”

“Potato and egg sandwiches? Guy’s a vamp. What’s he want food for?”

“He’s a weird vamp. He likes food, he likes beer, he likes music. He likes parties, hanging out with people.”

“He sure won’t like hanging out with me once this boot goes up his ass.”

“I’m gonna drive on the way back from the bar,” Buffy said. “I’m so gonna drive.”

Faith raised her eyebrow again.

“Them’s fightin’ words, pardner,” Faith said.

She leaned down and kissed Buffy again, and sped up; the car shot down the road, and the wind whipped their hair around. Buffy stretched her legs and hung her feet out the window again, and turned up the volume on the radio.

And they moved their hips to the music, and snapped their fingers, and sang together, and laughed together...as the sun shined down above them, and the world rushed by all around them, and they raced toward what awaited them...

“We got somethin’ in this territory called the Missourah boat ride,” Angel said, with a big grin on his face.

Angel hadn’t seen a Western since the time he had watched a John Wayne marathon on an old black and white television set in a woman named Shelly Baker’s kitchen in Nevada in 1961, and he hadn’t realized how much fun they could be. He’d dismissed the John Wayne movies then as naive, simplistic morality plays with two-dimensional characters moving about in a child’s idea of the world. But this movie was different. Angel thought Josey Wales was a cowboy he could get behind.

There had been a dangerous moment when he’d tried to pause the movie so he could get a glass of blood, and he had hit the wrong button and suddenly Telemundo had come on. It had been touch and go for a few seconds after that, but he managed to get the movie back. He’d had to start over from the beginning, as he’d apparently rewound the movie by mistake somehow, but he didn’t mind because he had only been ten minutes into it and it had a hell of a good beginning and it was fun watching it again. And it gave him a chance to grab himself a tall, frosty glass of blood and some beers. He was settled in on the couch now, and he had his blood and his beer, and the sound of gunfire was music to his ears.

A scent came to him. It smelled like spices...

It was coming closer. He heard footsteps, moving through the front yard.

“You a bounty hunter?” Josey Wales said, standing tall as a redwood in a shadowy corner of the saloon. His voice was a low, raspy rumble, like distant thunder on the plains.

“A man’s gotta do somethin’ for a livin' these days,” the little weasel of a bounty hunter replied, as Josey’s cobra stare nailed him in place.

The footsteps had reached the porch now.

Angel knew this was going to be one of the really good parts...

“Dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’, boy,” Josey said.

The doorbell rang.

Angel tried to pause the movie. The screen suddenly turned black, and the word “input” was displayed in the upper right corner.

“Balls,” Angel muttered, and got up and answered the door.

When he opened the door, peeking out from behind it so the sun couldn’t reach him, a girl he had never seen before was standing on the porch.

“Oh...uh...hi,” the girl said.

“Hello,” Angel said.

The girl flinched a little, when Angel looked into her eyes.

“Can I...help you?” Angel said.

“Um...yeah um...” the girl said, looking down at the porch. “Sorry, um...I was looking for...the S-Summers house? I mean...Buffy Summers.”

“This is Buffy’s house,” Angel said. “She’s not here right now, but...uh... are you a friend of hers?”

The girl looked up, and smiled. She had wide, full lips, and a beautiful smile. But she looked away again, the second Angel looked into her big blue eyes.

She ran her hand through her long blonde hair, and fingered the pendant she wore on a silver chain around her neck. The pendant was a perfect white sphere; it looked like a crystal. It shimmered in the sunlight.

“Well...no, but...” she said. “But I was w-wondering if she’s seen...”

The girl reminded Angel of a butterfly. She was a rare, beautiful, fragile thing, but if you made any sudden movements, she might fly away...

The girl’s scent was wonderful; exotic, spicy...like ginger.

“I was wondering if she’s s-seen Faith,” the girl said. “Faith Lehane? She’s a friend of mine and...I know Buffy knows her? And...um...I’ve been trying to reach Faith but sh-she’s not around? Um...do you know Faith?”

“Yeah,” Angel said. “She’s been staying here. She’s out with Buffy right now. They should be back by four or so.”

“Oh,” the girl said, and looked down at the porch again, and blushed. “Okay. S-sorry to bother you. Can you just...m-m-maybe tell Faith I stopped by?”

“Might be kinda hard,” Angel said, and smiled. “Since I don’t know your name.”

The girl giggled.

“Um...yeah, I’m kinda like a spaz sometimes?” she said. “Sorry. I’m Tara. But you can just like call me Spaz Girl if you want.”

“Tara’s prettier,” Angel said. “I’m...”

A car came up the street, still a couple of blocks away but headed in their direction, and driving slow. It had blacked-out windows.

Angel let his senses reach out...

“You’re...? Hey!” Tara said, as Angel grabbed her arm, yanked her into the house and slammed the door.

Angel put his finger to his lips, and dragged Tara away from the door. He marched her into the living room, and shielded her body with his, as he craned his neck to peek through the curtained window while trying to avoid the sunlight. The car had passed the house now, and it was speeding away up the street.

“W-w-what are you doing?!” Tara shouted. “Let go of me!”

Angel opened both of the living room windows just a crack, so he could catch any scents if vampires came near the house again. He held onto Tara as he did; he couldn’t risk her leaving now.

“Let go of me!” Tara shouted again. “Let go!”

She was afraid; he smelled it. He let go of her arm.

Her face was red. Her breathing was fast, and her hands shook a little.

“W-what are you...like s-some kind of psycho or something?” she said. “Because...because I’m friends with Faith, and she can...she’s really strong and she can kick your ass if you...if you try to...”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Angel said. “But you were followed here.”

“What? Followed?”

“Uh...you wanna sit down? You want like, something to drink?”

“What do you mean I was followed? Who’s following me? Why did you drag me in here? Where’s Faith?”

Angel considered his options. The problem was, he didn’t know exactly how much Tara knew...if she was Faith’s friend, Faith might have told her she was a Slayer...or she might not. Angel didn’t know Faith very well yet but one thing he did know, one thing he had sensed about Faith right from the start, was that she didn’t have many friends...and he didn’t want to cost her this one.

“You’re right about Faith being strong,” Angel said. “Did she tell you why she’s strong? Do you know about this town, and what goes on here? About the things that come out after dark?”

“I know about vampires if that’s what you mean,” Tara said. “And just so you know? Faith kicks vampires’ asses. So...so sh-she can sure as hell kick yours if you try to hurt me.”

“I’m not gonna hurt you. I just needed to make sure you knew what the score is here before I tell you what’s going on. You were followed by a car with blacked-out windows, I saw it up the street driving slow when we were talking at the door. A car with blacked-out windows means vampires.”

“Why...would vampires follow me?” Tara said, looking at the windows.

“They might have just been watching the house,” Angel said. “Faith and Buffy are Slayers. They don’t just kick vampires’ asses, they save the world too. Right now the world is in trouble. There’s a new group of vampires in town, there are hundreds of them and they’re stronger than the regular variety. They’re trying to end the world and Buffy and Faith took something from them, a magic Key they were gonna use, to stop them from doing it. The vampires want it back. I think they’ll move against us soon. That’s why I’m here. I’m helping Buffy and Faith. My name’s Angel. I’m sorry I scared you. But I need you to stay here until Buffy and Faith get back. If you go out there those vampires might hurt you.”

“Angel,” Tara said. “Nice name.”

Tara looked up into his eyes, without flinching this time. Her face was still red, and her hands were still shaking, and Angel knew she was still scared, and trying to hide it. He knew it took an effort for Tara to meet his eyes.

“Do you want something to drink?” Angel said.

Tara looked around the room for the first time. She noticed Angel’s glass of blood on the coffee table, and two bottles of beer. She noticed the TV set, with the word “input” on the screen. She noticed the Clint Eastwood videotapes on the coffee table; the box for The Outlaw Josey Wales was on top of the pile.

“Clint Eastwood,” Tara said.

“Yeah,” Angel said. “I’m watching one of his movies right now. Uh, well I’m trying to. I don’t, uh, know how to work the VCR too well.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Tara set her shoulder bag down on the coffee table, and picked up The Outlaw Josey Wales. “Box is empty. Are you watching this one now?”

“Yeah. Faith said I’d like it.” There were some interesting smells coming from Tara’s shoulder bag; it smelled like a bunch of different herbs intermingling together. Angel recognized them. Separately, they were innocuous; cooking herbs. Together, they were magic ingredients. He focused in on the pendant Tara wore around her neck again. It was warmer than the temperature of the room.

“It’s her favorite,” Tara said. You like it?”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

“You don’t know how to work the VCR. Seriously?”

“Yeah. I was in the middle of the movie when you rang the bell. I tried to pause it, but, uh...it sorta got away from me. And it was at a really good part too.”

“What part?”

“Clint was facing down a bounty hunter guy.”

“Dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’, boy?”

Angel smiled. “Yeah. You’ve seen it?”

“Faith made me watch all Clint Eastwood’s movies with her. She would always like, do her Clint impressions while the movies were going? She’s kinda like a big goof. So you’re sure you’re not like some Hannibal Lecter guy who’s gonna eat my skin or something gross like that, right?”

“No idea who that is? But no.”

“Just checking. What are you drinking? What’s this red stuff? Daiquiri?”

“No. Uh...you probably wouldn’t like it.”

“How about you grab me like a Diet Coke and I’ll fix the VCR.”

“When I come back will you still be here?” Angel said.

“Maybe,” Tara said. “Maybe not. Only one way to find out.”

Angel had been reading people for more than two centuries. He thought he was a good judge of character. He knew he needed to make a decision now.

He could force Tara to stay until Buffy and Faith came back, but he didn’t want to do that. Or he could trust her not to run, but if she did he wouldn’t be able to chase her in the sun; Buffy and Faith had his car and Giles’ car was gone too. If she ran she could die and he wouldn’t be able to prevent it...

He made a decision.

“Tara,” Angel said. “If you run out that door, those vampires might find you and kill you. And I won’t be able to help you if you run...I won’t be able to follow you out there. I can only protect you in the house. And if you run out there, and get kidnapped, or killed? Faith will kick my ass. Worse than that, she’ll lose a friend. And she doesn’t have that many.”

“Why can you only protect me in the house?” Tara said.

“Because the sun’s out,” Angel said. “And I’m a vampire.”

Xander leaned in the doorway of Giles’ study, and watched Willow.

The study was crammed full of books and papers and candles and crystals and various magic trinkets that Xander didn’t recognize. The room smelled like incense, and it was dark; the only light came from a desk lamp. The lamp was solid silver carved in the shape of a gryphon and it looked right at home.

Xander thought all the room needed was a gypsy looking down into a crystal ball. Instead it had Willow, sitting at Giles’ desk and looking down into her laptop. She was sipping tea, and frowning.

Willow could shut out the world; Xander could tell she didn’t know he was there. She licked her lips, the way she always did when she concentrated. She stared down at her laptop as if she was trying to bore a hole through it. Her forehead had that little wrinkle it sometimes got between her eyebrows.

“How’s it going, cowgirl?” Xander said.

“Bad,” Willow said, without looking up. “The number’s a cell phone.”

“So?”

“Can’t trace a cell phone. I can only trace landlines. I can backtrack a cell number, tell you who the account belongs to, but I can’t locate the phone itself.”

“Maybe the account will help? Give us an address?”

“Spike doesn’t have addresses. The account belongs to a girl who died a month ago. Spike must’ve killed her and took the phone.”

Xander walked into the dark little room, and stood behind Willow. He rested his hands on her shoulders, and started massaging them. She stiffened at his touch. Her shoulders were rigid as a plank of wood.

“So now what?” Xander said.

“I don’t know,” Willow said. “Isn’t that your call? You make all the decisions for us, right? So, y’know, you tell me.”

“I don’t make all the decisions for us,” Xander said.

“Sure,” Willow said, and took his hands off her shoulders, closed her laptop, picked up her cup of tea, and walked away from him.

She sat on the couch, and looked down at the floor. She fidgeted with her hair, twisting it into little loops.

“Why am I getting the feeling you’re a little miffed at me?” Xander said.

“A little miffed?” Willow said. She looked up at him. “You think that’s what I am? You think I’m a little miffed?”

“So let’s talk. We’ve been here all day and we haven’t said a word to each other. I’ve been watching PBS for God’s sake. I’ve been eating those tea cookies. The most fun I’ve had is building a new bookcase for Giles.”

“You built a bookcase? Since when can you build a bookcase?”

“You know that carpentry elective I’m taking? I guess I’m getting kinda good at it. Giles bought all the pre-cut wood and the tools and stuff for the bookcase awhile ago but he didn’t know how to put it all together. It’s easy.”

“That’s...really cool,” Willow said, and smiled a little. “You like it? You like doing carpentry?”

“Yeah. I think that’s what I’m gonna do after high school. I don’t think I’m gonna go to college. I’m gonna be a carpenter. That cool with you? You can handle being with a guy who’s not all down with the book learnin’?”

Willow suddenly stopped smiling.

“I don’t know,” Willow said. “Carpentry can be dangerous, right? I mean, you use like, saws, and drills and stuff. You could hurt yourself. Cut off a finger.”

“Uh...I’ll be careful,” Xander said.

“Maybe I should tell you never to do carpentry again. Maybe I should tell you that if you ever do it again then you and I are finished.”

Xander sat down beside her, and took her hand.

She wasn’t looking at him. He held her hand, but she wasn’t holding his. Her hand, her whole body, was rigid, but languid at the same time; lifeless. She sat with him, but she wasn’t there.

“Not like I’m gonna have to use my carpentry skills to fight monsters and save the world, Will,” Xander said. “Uh...okay, I guess maybe someone could ask me to build an ark? But I’m not so good at measuring in cubits. The metric system’s confusing enough. Bottom line is, Buffy isn’t gonna be asking me to--”

“This isn’t about Buffy,” Willow said. She looked at him. She looked right into his eyes. “So stop pretending it is.”

“Hey, guys,” Buffy said, as she strolled into the Alibi Room with Faith.

Every head turned. Buffy took in the room: there wasn’t much of a crowd yet. Three demons sat at the bar, and two vampires, a male and a female, played pool in the back. The place still looked like a cave. Questionable stains still covered the floor. The jukebox was still smashed in from the last time she had visited. Willy was behind the bar.

His hand was bandaged. Buffy smiled at him, and showed him her teeth.

“Hey, Willy,” she said. “Miss me?”

Faith closed the door, leaned against it, and gave the crowd a quick once-over. She’d never seen a demon before, but they didn’t worry her. These demons were bigger and meaner-looking than vampires but their scents told her they were scared. More than that, they were prey. Faith sensed it, she felt it in her stomach, in her bones; their presence raised her hackles. She wanted to wade into all three of them right then, tearing through their flesh with her fingernails and feeling their bones shattering beneath her fists, smelling their blood, laughing and killing and reveling in it; reveling in her power. But she controlled herself.

Killing the demons would have been good. But watching Buffy kill them would be even better. So Faith stood by the door, and watched.

“That’s my girlfriend, Faith,” Buffy said, and smiled back at her. “She’s a Slayer too. She’s just gonna watch for now. She’s kinda like, auditing the class.”

“What the hell do you want, kid?” Willy said. “You just get off on comin’ in here and bothering my customers?”

“B,” Faith said, and motioned her head toward the back. Buffy nodded. She felt the male vampire approaching her before she turned and saw him.

“Willy,” Buffy said. “Why, why are you so stupid? I don’t get off on bothering your customers.”

The male vampire swaggered up to Buffy. He was big and barrel-chested, with long, silver-white hair and blue eyes that were so wide-set they made him look nearly reptilian. He sneered, revealing his long, canine teeth.

“Well, well, well,” he said, in one of those big, bellowing, fake-sounding voices that radio announcers have. “If it isn’t the Slay--”

Buffy drew her sword and sliced his head off in one seamless motion that was too quick to be seen, and pulled up a seat at the bar.

“I do kinda like killing them though,” Buffy said, and sheathed it again.

“You’re like a kid with a new toy with that damn thing,” Willy said, as he frowned at the cloud of dust that had left a twenty dollar bar tab in its wake. “Don’t be jealous, Willy,” Buffy said, and frowned at the demon sitting a couple of stools away from her.

“You look like Mothra,” Buffy said to the demon, who looked like a fat turtle. He even had some sort of armor plating on his back that looked like a shell.

“Gamera,” Faith said. “Gamera was the turtle-looking dude.”

“Gamera, right, my bad,” Buffy said.

“Uh...I’m Brad,” the demon said, and held out his hand, which was more like a clawed tentacle.

“Buffy, Slayer,” Buffy said, and shook his hand. “So I’m gonna kill everyone in here, including you, unless someone tells me where Spike is.”

“Uh...actually the three of us just got in from Boise,” Brad said. “Who’s Spike?”

“Hold that thought, Brad,” Buffy said, and looked toward the pool table in the back. The female vampire was still there, watching her, and growling.

“Gonna make a move, honey?” Buffy said. “Why don’t you come over here and buy me a drink.”

“You fucking bitch,” the vampire snarled, and stalked toward her. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

“Yup,” Buffy said. She turned around on her stool, and leaned back with her elbows on the bar, and showed the vampire her teeth.

The vampire stood in front of her now, baring her fangs. She was wearing too much eyeliner, badly applied, along with black eyeshadow, black lipstick, and a lot of powder on her face, and her long, unkempt hair was dyed jet black to go with it. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were puffy. She looked like a mime who had just lost a bar fight. She had a big gold hoop nose ring that hung down to her lips and looked like it might interfere with biting people, but Buffy knew the girl wouldn’t have to worry about that for much longer.

“Well I’m not!” the vampire screeched, and slashed at her with her claws.

“Okay,” Buffy said, as she grabbed the vampire’s arm, spun her around and twisted the arm up behind her back. She grabbed the vampire by the hair with her other hand and smashed her face into the bar. The vampire screamed.

“Now are you afraid of me?” Buffy said.

“Fuck...you, bitch!” the vampire muttered into the bar, as Buffy held her in place, completely immobilized.

“I bet the vampire girls are a lot nicer in Boise, huh guys?” Buffy said. The vampire thrashed around, trying to get up. Buffy put more pressure on her wrist. The vampire screamed again.

“Actually they’re all pretty much like that,” Brad said. “We don’t see a lot of nose rings in Idaho though.”

Buffy reached around and yanked the ring out of the vampire’s nose, and looked at it. The vampire screamed again as blood spurted from the hole.

“Jesus, all over the bar,” Willy said.

“Shut up, Willy,” Buffy said. She shook her head at the nose ring, and tossed it away. “Not even real.”

“You fucking bitch!” the vampire screamed.

“What was that?” Buffy said, and grabbed the vampire by the hair again with her other hand and smashed her face into the bar, sending a tremor through it that caused all the demons’ drinks to spill. “Whoa!” one of the demons said.

“Bitch!” the vampire screamed again, but her voice was shaky now.

“Still not hearing you,” Buffy said, and smashed the vampire’s face into the bar again. Someone’s glass fell to the floor and smashed into pieces. Buffy heard the vampire’s nose break. One of the demons chuckled.

“Anything else you wanna say?” Buffy said. “Or do I get to talk now?”

The vampire whimpered underneath Buffy’s hand, but she didn’t say anything else, and she stopped struggling.

Buffy stood up, pulled the vampire up by her hair and flung her to the floor. The vampire was on her knees in front of her. Buffy still held her wrist up over her head in a wrist lock, and she held her hair in her hand like a leash.

The vampire’s face was covered with blood, and she had tears in her eyes. She tried slashing at Buffy again with her free hand. Buffy avoided it, and kneed her in the nose. The vampire screamed again, and more blood spurted from it.

The vampire looked dazed now. She swayed in front of Buffy, on her knees, and looked at the floor. Buffy sat back down on the bar stool.

“You all done with your little tantrum, honey?” Buffy said, softly, as she held the vampire by her hair. “I think you’re all done.”

Faith watched Buffy; she watched her from her head down to her toes. Faith couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Buffy released the vampire’s arm, and drew her sword again. The vampire whimpered, when she saw it. Buffy gently tapped it against the top of the vampire’s head.

Buffy looked at Faith. She didn’t smile; she just looked at her, as she held the vampire down on her knees by the hair, and tapped her head with her sword.

Faith felt herself getting wet.

After a few seconds, Faith blinked. Buffy looked back at the vampire.

“Name?” Buffy said.

“Raven,” the vampire whispered.

“‘Raven’? You read Anne Rice, don’t you?”

One of the demons chuckled again. Buffy glanced at him. He was a fat, diseased-looking blob in a heavy brown overcoat and his gray, mottled skin hung from his face and his hands in strips.

“Laugh it up,” Buffy said. “You’re next.”

The demon stopped chuckling.

“Sorry,” the demon to his left said. This one had bright red skin with short spikes extending from it like a porcupine, and he wore a Dodgers baseball cap. “We, uh, don’t want any trouble.” Over by the door, Faith snorted.

Buffy looked back down at Raven. She still held her by the hair. Raven was prostrate before her, looking down at the floor.

“I’m Buffy,” Buffy said. “Have you seen Spike around? I bet you have. All the vamps around here know each other. Plus you’re like, totally his type.”

“Don’t...know any Spike,” Raven whispered.

“You’re not a very good liar, Raven. Even if you haven’t seen him you’d at least know who he is, all the vamps in Sunnydale know who Spike is. He’s like a celebrity to you people. Killed two Slayers, right? Gets him a lot of free drinks in places like this. Now you’ve got me thinking that you’ve definitely seen him.”

Raven shook her head.

“I’ll ask just once more,” Buffy said. “Then I’m gonna start hur