Chapter Ten

Faith was nestled on a little ridge among some trees, crossbow held at the ready. She could see the gang pacing nervously on the other side of the barrier, and she asked Buffy for her opinion.

"So what do ya think B? Seems good to me."

"I'm not sensing anything supernatural, are you?"

"Just you. I say we go for it."

"Agreed."

"Still, be careful."

"You too."

With that, Buffy stepped out into the open and made her way as gracefully as she could to where the gang was waiting. She walked slowly, doing her best to minimize her limp as well as her shakiness. There was no sense in getting everyone more worried than they already were, so she concentrated on looking a lot better than she actually was.

Dawn spotted her first:

"Buffy!"

The others whirled around to watch as Buffy got closer, pressing as tightly to the barrier as they could in a vain attempt to reach her. Faith kept her eyes moving, searching for any sign that something wasn't right. So far, so good.

When she looked back, Buffy had finally reached the barrier, and no one was saying a word. They were all a little teary, even Giles was wiping at the moisture that had fallen onto his cheeks. It was obvious they all wanted to hug each other, but that wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

After a few moments, it was Giles who managed to get the conversation rolling:

"Buffy, it's so good to see you. Are you all right?"

"I've been better, but trust me when I say I've been way worse."

"And where might Faith be?"

"She's here, but she's keeping watch."

Dawn looked incredibly disappointed:

"We're not going to see her?"

"Not if she does it right."

"But I wanted to thank her for keeping her promise."

"I'll make sure to tell her, but you can always wave to her if you want to."

"Okay!"

Dawn waved wildly as if she were signaling for a rescue ship from her deserted island. The sight made Faith crack up, it was so Dawn and so cute.

"Do you think she sees me?"

"I don't think she can miss you."

"It's so great to see you Buffster, we've been a little worried."

"By ‘a little worried', Xander means insanely frantic and terrified."

"Yeah, I kind of figured you guys would..."

"And even though you look just awful, I'm happy to see you too."

"Thanks, Anya."

"You look so tired, are you sure...Are you really okay?"

"Hey, you should see the other guy. No really Dawnie, I'm okay. I'm just a little banged up, but I'm feeling a lot better now. Faith has been taking really good care of me."

Anya stepped forward, fairly beaming with pride:

"She's just great, isn't she? Did she tell you we're best friends now? Her and me, not you and me. You can like her too, but you have to keep Willow as your best girl friend. You're not allowed to horn in on what Faith and I have."

"Check, no claiming Faith as my best friend. Got it."

"Good. Now that we have that settled, she really is something isn't she?"

"She's more than something."

"'More than something'? I'm not sure that's even possible. The word ‘something' seems to already indicate..."

"An, I'll explain it later. So Buff, what exactly happened to you? Were you..."

Giles interrupted, and Buffy looked at him gratefully:

"As time is short, perhaps that's a topic best suited for another day, yes?"

Xander picked up on Giles' message right away:

"Yes, right. Sorry Buff."

"It's fine. So did you guys come up with a way to kill Spiran? How do we make him dead, like the very deadest of the dead?"

"Nothing on that front as of yet, I'm afraid. Our energies have been somewhat focused elsewhere, but perhaps now that you're safe we shall be able to muster..."

"We were all too scared to do anything useful."

"I get it Anya. Look I know our original plan was to wait out the deadline, but I don't think that's an option anymore. There are a lot of vamps in here, and I think Spiran's got another agenda."

"Be that as it may, without proper access to the Hellmouth, what could he possibly hope to accomplish?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I heard him and The Brothers talking about somehow bringing the Hellmouth to them."

Giles nearly did a double take:

"...Did you just say, ‘The Brothers'?"

"Yes. Why, have you heard of them?"

"I have, and this is so much worse than anything we've yet to imagine."

"Even worse than Buffy getting tortured to death?"

"Xander, technically they couldn't kill her, so they were only torturing her to ‘the brink' of death. See the difference?"

Giles began cleaning his glasses almost absentmindedly as he explained:

"The Brothers are incredibly powerful, and they have been so for over five centuries. I don't quite understand why they would be offering their services to Spiran. It makes no sense at all."

"Wild guess here, but maybe it's because they're evil?"

"But that's just it Buffy, they are not evil. Although it'd be a bit of a stretch to classify them as good, they simply do not involve themselves in these sorts of things. They consider situations like this to be beneath them, and I suppose truthfully, they very much are."

"Hey, it must be because of that weird mind control thing he does!"

"Yes, normally a most astute observation Dawn, but I'm afraid not in this case. His unique abilities would not hold The Brothers in thrall for long. They've too many powers at their disposal to allow anyone or anything to control them."

"Plus with the whole vamp thing they've got working for them..."

"Pardon me, did you just imply they are vampires?"

Buffy looked nothing but puzzled:

"...Aren't they usually?"

"Buffy, are you saying that Spiran has turned The Brothers?!"

"Well I didn't personally see him do it, but they're definitely vampires."

"My God! Are you absolutely certain?"

"Giles, I think I know a vampire when I see one...when I'm not all crazy and confused...Yeah, I'm sure."

"Yes, yes of course you are. Sorry, a bit back on my heels here."

"Okay, I'm not positive what that means, but I think maybe I'm kinda there myself."

Giles began pacing as he tried to organize his thoughts.

"All right let's go over this, shall we? He had them with him before the barrier came to fruition, so clearly there exists some secondary, almost Machiavellian dynamic..."

Buffy interrupted:

"Yes, clearly. Giles, we're still in college and one of us barely made it through high school."

"What? Oh right, my apologies Xander."

"Hey, how do you know she's talking about me?"

"What I'm trying to say is that The Brothers were with Spiran before we'd even contemplated raising the barrier, so clearly there is some other reason they are here."

"Great, and that reason is?"

"I don't know, Buffy. We must research further and re-examine what we've already uncovered. It's imperative that you recall everything you can. Our fate may well hang on your ability to recollect some vital scrap of information."

"Gee, but no pressure here."

"Giles, the Buffster just got her noggin on straight again. Don't you think you could maybe give her a minute?"

Giles looked somewhat guilty, but he held his ground:

"Buffy I'm sorry, truly I am. I know it seems harsh but..."

"I get it Giles, it's okay. Faith and I will go over everything again. Talking really helps bring back my memory, and I'm finding I remember a lot more than I think I do."

"Splendid! On our end, we shall endeavor to find some explanation as to what The Brothers' purpose may be."

"So we still have to hit the books?"

"Yes Xander, but now that we know the name of Spiran's mystics, there's bound to be a virtual cornucopia of information to delve into."

"Yea?"

"It is good news, we may finally be able make some decent progress."

"But I thought we just decided this was all on Buff now?"

Giles lifted his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose:

"Xander, if you please?"

"Okay, but you can't blame a guy for hoping."

"No, but a ‘guy'..."

"Fellow."

"What in God's name are you going on about?"

"A real Englishman would say ‘fellow', not ‘guy'."

Buffy smiled as she listened to Xander deliberately irritating Giles.

"Really? Well shall I tell you what else a real Englishman calls a..."

"So boys, it's some news of the good at last. I'm on the mend and putting my thinking cap on, you're all stuck doing research, and Will, you're going to keep at it from the magically mystical side of things?"

"..."

"...Ah yes Buffy, you may rest assured we shall use everything at our disposal."

"That's good. Will?"

"...Uh-huh?"

"How come you're not talking or even looking at me?"

"What? Me? Um...no reason...I am, not I mean...What?"

"Will..."

Willow was suddenly very talkative:

"So it's all good then. We've got our plan of attack, so let's go get all booky and magicky and let Buffy and Faith try the whole remembering thing."

"We should meet tomorrow to discuss our progress and examine all our options. Buffy?"

"How about 11:00 at Checkpoint # 4?"

"Yes, that sounds fine."

"Buffy...are you guys going to be okay?"

"Way more than okay. I'm getting stronger every minute, and you know two Slayers are better than one. Don't worry Dawnie, we'll be just fine."

"...I wish you could come home."

"Me too. I'm dreaming of a hot shower and my own bed, but it won't be much longer. I'm just glad you're okay...all of you."

"All shipshape here Buff. Heads attached, hearts on the inside of our chests."

Anya pulled him close and snuggled in:

"And that's definitely how yours needs to stay Xander."

"Buffy, would you please convey to Faith just how very grateful we all are? What she did..."

Giles' voice broke and tears glistened again in his eyes. He cleared his throat and continued on:

"Needless to say, we are all very much in her debt, and it is not something any of us will ever forget."

"Yeah Buff, we've started up the ‘We Love Faith' fan club. I'm the president."

"I don't recall voting on that. Besides, it seems only logical that since I'm her best friend, I would be the president."

"Hey, did I even get considered? Just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean you can automatically overlook me. That's not remotely fair, and I'll bet it's not legal either!"

"Buffy, perhaps you could pass along the somewhat alarming fact that her greatest admirers are fighting amongst themselves over an imaginary position?"

Buffy laughed as the argument continued to rage:

"Oh I'm definitely passing that on."

"Right then, Checkpoint # 4 at 11:00 a.m.?"

"We'll be there. Guys? Hey guys?! Could you give me and Will a minute?"

"What?! We don't need a minute, time's a-wastin'!"

Giles patted Willow's shoulder as he rounded everyone up:

"You girls take your time. We'll wait in the jeep."

"Be careful, Buffster."

"...Buffy..."

"It's going to be okay, and no wearing my clothes!"

Dawn let out a giggle:

"Hey, I never even thought about that!"

"Oops, guess I shouldn't have said anything."

"Ha, ha Buffy, can't stop me from in there!"

"I mean it Dawn!"

"Bye!"

"Buffy, please be careful and make sure Faith stays safe as well."

"You can count on me Anya."

"Yes I always thought so, but then you allowed yourself to get caught. Now I'm not sure of your..."

"Time to go, An. See you tomorrow."

And then it was just Willow and Buffy left standing on opposite sides of the barrier. Willow seemed completely and utterly entranced with the ground, and Buffy wished she could just reach out and grab her.

"Will?"

"..."

"Willow, come on."

"...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not coming up with a better idea, for letting you stay in there, for..."

"First of all, it was a good idea and we all agreed on it. Second of all, for your information you did not ‘let' me stay in here. I chose to stay, and I don't regret it. Besides, between the two of us, which is the boss of me?"

A slight smile formed on Willow's face as she heard her own words from so long ago said back to her.

"And anyway, that's not what this is about and we both know it."

"..."

"Will, it wasn't you. I know that."

"..."

"I saw what he made me see. He made me think all of you were dead, he turned you right in front of me. I could have stopped him, I had the shot. I...you begged me to take it and I just couldn't do it. But none of that matters because it wasn't real, I know that now."

"..."

"It's not like I chose to think any of that, he made me. He tried all kinds of things, but I never once thought of it as you, not once Willow."

"God Buffy, how could you not?! It wasn't that long ago I was trying to beat you to death in real life. Are you going to stand there and tell me you don't remember that? Are you going to pretend that if it wasn't for you, I would have killed Giles? You were there, you saw me hurt Anya, threaten to kill Dawnie. Do you honestly expect me to believe you..."

"Stop it! Of course I remember, I remember it all. But the thing I remember most is that my best friend had just lost the woman she loved. You went crazy with the pain and grief, and you let the darkness control you. But you know what? That wasn't you either Will. You would never hurt me, I know that. That's why I never thought of it as you, how could I?"

"But Buffy..."

"When it got bad, when I needed to stay strong and hold on, I always thought of you guys. I grabbed onto the love we have for each other and I wouldn't let it go, no matter what he did. That's why he couldn't break me, you wouldn't let him."

"But it was me he used, wasn't it? He must have found something inside of you that's afraid of me and..."

"And all he could get was that alternate reality you. Why didn't he make me think you'd gone all dark and evil again? He couldn't because I am so over that Willow, it's nothing to me. I'm not afraid of you, not even way deep down. I trust you with everything inside of me, nothing will ever change that. There's nothing that could."

"..."

"Now that whole ‘Vamp Willow' thing? Well that was just freaky. I mean, her clothes are enough to put me into a panic."

"...I just hate it that you had to see me."

"I know, me too. But it doesn't mean anything, not really. Please don't do this to yourself, to us. I need you to be strong Will, I need you to be okay...Just knowing you're alive makes me so happy, it's all that matters to me."

Willow finally looked up from the ground:

"You're right, I'm sorry Buffy. Here you are going through this horrible..."

"Hey we're all going through it, you don't need to apologize for being upset."

"...Okay, so it's all aboard ‘The Research Train' then?"

"Sounds like that's our best bet. Faith said that you and Giles are pretty sure that Spiran's mind warp thingy won't work on me anymore?"

"Do you want the long or short version?"

"The short."

"Yep."

"Okay, maybe the medium would be good."

"It's like a spell. It won't work twice with the same essence, so you should be completely impervious."

"Does that mean Faith should be safe too?"

"That part, not so clear. We don't know if her essence is different enough to let him do his thing, or if it's too much the same and he's out of luck. I'm way big with the hoping, but I'm just as big with the worrying. There's really no way to know until they meet."

"They already did. She said they had a little talk when she was rescuing me."

"Did she tell him anything?"

"Faith? She was a little pissed, so that's a big fat ‘no' on the sharing of info. She said he felt power in her and something familiar, but it was like he couldn't sense her or something."

"That makes sense. The spell I did to suppress her scent and make her undetectable must have screwed up his method of reading people. It's complicated, but it made Faith seem to be not Faith, and that must have confused him."

"So next time they meet..."

"He won't have any trouble recognizing her."

"Great. If you had to guess, do you think he can get to her?"

Willow began pacing as she thought it over.

"I just don't know. It's not a simple thing, he has to weaken his victim to gain full control. Causing intense emotional or physical pain is definitely the fastest way to get things going."

"And Test Case # 1 can definitely confirm the effectiveness of pain."

"Did Faith pick up anything when she talked to him?"

"Like?"

"Like did she feel strange or a little out of control?"

"I don't think so. He seemed like just another vampire to her."

"That's sounds good, but to be on the safe side..."

"No letting Faith get captured."

"I think that's our best bet."

"We're all on the same page there. Look, I should probably get going. It's not the smartest thing to stay out in the open for too long."

"Oh yeah, of course."

Buffy's eyes searched for Willow's:

"Will, are we okay?"

"I think so. I mean we were always okay, we're us. It's just that we weren't ‘okay' okay, okay? But there are different kinds of okay, and we were already most of them. But now that we've talked and you're okay, I'll be okay too, and that makes us both okay."

"I think I should be scared that I followed that so easily."

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Ah, ‘Willow Babble'. How I've missed it."

"Hey, you babble too! You do!"

"Ooh goodie, now it's ‘Willow Rhyme Time'."

"Oh, shut up."

They were both smiling now, and Willow seemed almost a hundred percent normal.

"All right, I guess..."

"Buffy, how are you really? I know you didn't wanna worry Dawnie, but I can tell..."

"It was a lot worse than this, a lot. My back was...well it was bad, but your magic cream works like magic. I had some broken ribs, but they're on the mend now. I've got a bunch of cuts and bruises, but they're healing too. I'm just shaky and sore, but I'm getting better. I'm eating and sleeping now, and my Slayer healing's finally kicking in at full force. That's a huge help of the hugest kind. I'll be okay."

"You just look so tired."

"I don't have too much energy yet, but we're working on it. Faith carried me here so I could walk to you guys. I just wanted to look as normal as I could, did I pull it off?"

"You did a great job, especially where Dawnie's concerned."

"That's a relief. How's she holding up?"

"It's been a bad couple of weeks, but I think seeing you has made all the difference. She'll be okay too."

"Thank God she's got you guys."

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"No more getting caught, okay?"

"Okay."

"You'd better get going. Um...Could you make sure to tell Faith that I said, ‘Thank you'?"

"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure she knows just how grateful everyone is and..."

"Good, that's a definite good...I mean about something else though."

"Something else?"

"Just something she said to me at the house."

"Oh, okay. So what did she say?"

"We can get into it later, but I want her to know it really helped me, she really helped me. Would you tell her that for me?"

"Sure I will, Will. Ha, it ‘Rhymey Buffy Timey'!"

"Oh brother..."

"You are so jealous! You never could stand the rhyming competition, could you?"

Willow rolled her eyes as she began laughing:

"I think what I can't stand is..."

"I'm not just a Slayer you know, I happen to be a very smart and well-rounded individual."

"Well-rounded in a square peg life."

"Was that an insult? Don't try using all your fancy ‘Willow' words on me."

"I don't think ‘square peg' is..."

"It's a metaphor! No wait, a simile, a facsimile...a homily? Help me out, Will."

"I think the word you're looking for is ‘inanity'."

"I'm going to have to take your word on that."

They laughed together, everything just like it was supposed to be between them.

"Be careful, okay? Both of you."

"We will be, I promise. See you tomorrow."

"We'll be here, hopefully with something helpful."

Suddenly Willow began blushing furiously, but before Buffy could ask her why she was embarrassed, she had the answer.

Willow was waving to Faith, not quite as maniacally as Dawn had, but she was going at it pretty vigorously.

"No reason Dawnie should have all the fun."

Buffy's smile was huge:

"None at all."

"Just between us Buff?"

"Uh-huh?"

"I think I'm the president."

"I'll be sure to tell her."

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