Chapter 6- Hunt. Gather. Steal!

Faith waited until she saw the ambulance driving off, and the police fully engulfed in investigation mode, before she made any moves towards leaving Revello. She didn't know exactly where to go, but instinct told her head to where the trees grew the thickest. So, pulling Buffy to her body even tighter, she quickly made her way through the trees, to the forest.

Once there, she set Buffy down on a bed of fallen leaves and went about gathering items to make them another shelter. She was busy gathering branches off of tall pine trees, when she spotted an outcropping of rocks near a waterfall. A further glance showed a small opening to an area that very much resembled a cave. Sparing a glance at her fallen girlfriend, Faith decided it would be easier if she brought the branches over to the rocks unencumbered, and then she could come back for Buffy. A quick but intense scan of the area showed no signs of movement, except for the occasional bird, and Faith made her decision final. She gathered as many branches as she could and brought them over to the opening of the cave. A brief assessment of the outside and the inside of the cave showed that no animal or demon was lurking there, and nothing had for at least a few months.

Faith used smaller branches with fluffy leaves as a cover with which to line the floor. Satisfied with her makeshift bed, she quickly ran over to where she left Buffy, and hoisted the unconscious girl over her shoulders. She ran stealthily back to their new home away from home, trying not to jostle her too much, and keeping away from the branches that threatened to hit Buffy in the face. Faith knew instinctively that the blonde would not be pleased with a marred face, even with being devolved and having an added advantage of slayer healing, she'd be upset over the cuts and bruises.

She placed Buffy down onto the soft bed she made. She bent her head to Buffy's chest and listened to her strong heart beat and calm, even breaths. This eased the brunette's fears of anything being seriously wrong with her, other than the fact that she was asleep against her will. Faith remembered the dart that Buffy had yanked out of her own shoulder and she pulled away the slightly bloodied shirt to look at the damage to her girlfriend's skin. The little pinhole where the dart's tip had broken the skin was closed over and just a superficial bit of bruising tinged its edges.

Faith bent her head further and placed a small kiss on that area, getting caught up in the tender moment and the feelings it gave her, she planted small kisses on Buffy's shoulder, neck, cheek and lips, ending finally on Buffy's forehead and placing a firmer kiss there. However, before things got too carried away, she got up without another glance at Buffy and made her way out of the cave to gather a few more leafy and thicker branches to provide some cover over the bed area. Just in case anything was looking, the slayers would have something keeping them out of view.

She found another small club-like branch, to replace the one she'd had to ditch in the backyard at Buffy's in order to hold the blonde more securely to her, as she swung them both through the trees and out of sight.

When all the preparations had been made for their shelter, Faith was finally able to settle down somewhat. She did this by crouching in front of Buffy and kept her eyes trained on the mouth of the cave, her sight was filtered through some of the branches providing cover. As she stood guard over her unconscious partner she wished she had some of the food Joyce had fed her the night before but Faith pushed that thought quickly out of her mind. When Buffy was awake, they would go find food together.

Faith's mind was clear and her senses alert, as she hunkered down and waited for Buffy to wake.

"And you are?" The receptionist at the desk asked an out of breath Riley.

"I'm Riley Finn. Mrs. Summers is my girlfriend's mother."

The woman with small round glasses perched on the end of her nose and a severe look punched something into the computer.

"No, I'm sorry, my computer says you're not on the list."

"But she was brought in as an emergency, how can there be a list?!"

"I'm sorry, hospital policy, if you're not on the list, then the answer is: no."

"So, let me get this straight," Riley asked incredulous. "The computer is telling me no?"

"Yes."

"A computer?" He asked again, this time with a confused smile on his face and his eyes narrowing as if to see clearer, the answer that she had just given him.

"Exactly."

"The computer says, `no'?"

"If you want it that way, then yes. The computer says, `no'.  You can't go in. How else do you want me to put it?"

"Listen," Riley looked at the receptionist's name tag. "Carol. Can I speak to someone else?"

Carol picked up a phone, listened for a moment and then immediately put it down. "No, I'm sorry, there's no one available at the moment."

"But you didn't even speak to anyone!" Riley said, exasperated.

"I didn't need to."

"Let me guess, the phone said `no'?"

"No, sir, inanimate objects don't talk."

"But a minute ago you said the computer said `no'."

Carol let out an annoyed sigh, she was tiring of the word play that kept going around and around. She was very used to these kinds of mind games that were designed to try and break her resolve. She pushed a button under the counter and very soon two big and burly men came out from the hallway. Riley knew that they were coming for him.

"Listen, hang on, can I just leave a message?"

"Sure," Carol shrugged.

"Can you tell her…" Riley was stopped midsentence by a pen and pad of paper being shoved across the counter at him.

"I don't take dictation."

Riley gave Carol a narrowed eye gaze, and took the pen. He shook his head after a few moments and decided not to say what he was thinking.

"Please see that Joyce gets this." He said when he finished writing his short message and folded it over handing it back to Carol.

"Very well."

Riley left the hospital just as Xander was arriving.

"Xander!"

"Riley?"

The soldier pointed to the door. "I just came from the receptionist's desk, they wouldn't let me in." He tried to ignore the smug smile that had broken out on Xander's lips. "How's Joyce?"

"She's stable, from what Giles told me. Someone broke in and drugged her."

"That's what my guys at the precinct told me."

"Your guys?"

"Yeah." Riley felt a bit superior.

"Who, like Laurel and Hardy? Or Abbot and Costello? Oh, no wait! The Keystone Cops."

"Xander, can we stop this jealously thing for a minute?! I'm worried about my girlfriend, I haven't heard from her all day!"

Even though Xander had Anya, and Buffy was never his girlfriend, the way that Riley said that, made the bile rise slightly in his stomach. There was no other way to paint it, he was jealous of the tall, handsome, corn fed, clean marine.

"Look, Ri-man, don't panic," Xander said condescendingly as he placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "I'll do my best to find out some information for you. I have a man on the inside." He added with a wink.

"Really?" Riley asked skeptically.

"Yeah. Me." Xander chuckled.

"If you hear from Buffy, call me on my cell."

"What's the number?"

"Willow has it, just have her call me." Riley said as he turned his back on Xander without so much as a goodbye and left.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen." Xander shrugged and made his way into the hospital.

"Ah, Xander, there you are." Giles greeted him as he knocked on the door and went into Joyce's room.

"Yep, here I are." He smiled at Joyce and winked, feeling very full of himself.

"Where's Anya?" The watcher asked.

"She's at home, de-lousing the couch and our bed, she doesn't trust Spike. Especially after all of the stories he told her."

"Thank goodness for small miracles." Willow whispered to herself.

"What was that, Will?"

"Nothing, I'm bummed she couldn't join us." Willow looked at Tara whose eyes were watching her very carefully. They told her to tread lightly.

Xander nodded, then turned his attention onto Joyce. "How's the patient?"

"Fine, just tired, and wanting to get out of here."

"Did they say when you can leave?"

"They'll release me if the doctor can come back to see me, otherwise I have to wait to be discharged in the morning."

"Has anyone heard from Buffy?"

"You mean Buffy and Faith." Giles added.

"Buffy and Faith?" Xander asked, highly confused.

"Yes, it seems Faith was with Buffy at the time of the incident."

"Are the cops aware of this? Because I didn't see that on the news."

"No, the authorities are not aware of it, and until we are completely sure of Faith's motives, I'm not going to apprise them of this information just yet."

Xander was clearly puzzled, "Why not?"

"Because, we don't know if the council has access to the police records, which I suspect they do, and I don't want to put the girls in danger."

"Will, help me out here, we're talking about the same Faith who tried to kill me and you, not to mention half the town by siding with the mayor, correct?"

Willow shrugged, not helping Xander at all.

"Wait, did I just step into bizarro world? We're gonna just forget what she did to us?"

"Xander…"

"No, Giles! I forgot what Angelus did to us because it was asked of me; I forgot what Spike continues to do to me, because it's asked of me. I'm not forgetting this! She almost strangled me, she was probably going to rape me!"

"Xander, no one's telling you to forget."

"But you're telling me to forgive!"

"And haven't you been forgiven?" Joyce said quietly but firm.

Willow quickly cut her eyes to Joyce, and then to Xander, guiltily. Tara immediately picked up on the look, but didn't let on.

"It's not the same thing." Xander said, choosing not to look at Willow.

"No, it's not, and we're not asking you to do anything you don't want to do. So, you don't really have to be here. But we'd appreciate your help."

The sincerity with which Joyce spoke made Xander calm down. He still wasn't going to be forgiving or forgetting anytime soon, but he was willing to listen to what they had to say.

"Now, Rupert, as I was saying, she was acting like Faith had been acting."

"Buffy, was acting like, Faith?!" Willow said alarmed.

"Yes," Joyce stopped for a moment to blush. "When I came home from the grocery store, they were…"

"What?"

"Well…"

"What?!" Xander was getting impatient.

"Kind of devolved, and…nevermind." She just couldn't bring herself to say it, she was embarrassed, but also she wanted to protect the girls' privacy.

Willow put two and two together and had to turn her head to hide her blush. She had guessed that they had found that bed and some time that she had suggested to Buffy yesterday.

"Now then, if it's important, you'll tell me later, won't you?" Giles said understandingly.

"It's not important…I assure you. It was just a bit," She was going to say `shocking', but then changed her mind, that word would bring up too many questions. "Funny."

"Very well." Giles took of his glasses. "Now then, the question is, what's happened to them to cause them to devolve?"

"Willow?"

The red-head was broken out of her thoughts by Joyce.

"Hmm? Oh, ummm, a spell of some sort?"

"Could it be the full moon that's coming up?"

"We've had many a full moon since Buffy's been a slayer," Giles said dismissively, "She's never acted like this before, neither for that matter, has Faith."

"Could it have been something to do with Faith's coma, or anything with the hospital, and she gave it to Buffy?" Willow asked innocently setting up the inevitable question.

"How would it have been transmitted?" Giles asked, equally as innocent.

Realizing she might have just given something away, Willow tried to deflect the line of thinking before it started, "Fighting?"

Joyce looked skeptical, "Mmm no, I don't think so. They both were the same as they had been after they fought."

"Well, then, I think we need to do some research!" Willow said in a rush.

"I concur." Giles concurred. "If you three wouldn't mind getting started, please go to my house and I'll be there as soon as I know what the doctor's intentions are with Joyce."

Joyce smiled at Giles, who in turn, blushed slightly and looked at his shoes. He was desperately fighting back the urge to clean his glasses, which would have given a sure sign to everyone that he was rattled.

"So, Will. Forgive me for not asking this sooner," Xander whispered to Willow as Joyce and Giles exchanged smiles and blushes. "Who's the girl over in the corner?"

"Oh, oh! Sorry! I got caught up in the excitement," Willow took Xander over to where Tara was standing. "Tara, this is Xander, one of my oldest friends."

"I think I am your oldest friend, Will."

"Not as old as Solomon P. Teddy." Willow corrected and Xander rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, how could I forget your bear?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Willow scolded. "Teddy."

"Teddy," Xander agreed.

"Xander, this is Tara, my…"

"Friend from her Wicca group?" Tara meant it as a statement, but it came out as a question. Leaving Xander slightly puzzled as to whether everything was on the up and up with the two college friends. But that mystery would have to wait until they researched the current mystery du jour, which to most everyone was why Faith and Buffy were devolved, but to Xander, why everyone wanted to forgive Faith. He was pretty determined to figure that out.

"Oh…ok." He said matter of factly. Then added. "Cool." He then remembered something. "Hey, if we're gonna research then I have a call to make first."

"Ok, Tara and I'll wait for you hear, just come and get us when you're done."

"Sounds plan-ly enough to me. I'll be right back." He smiled at everyone, back to the happy go lucky jokester everyone had come to expect from Xander.

"So you're saying she's a rogue slayer?" Riley asked into his phone, as he struggled to open the door to his dorm with his free hand. "Ok, so we're thinking kidnapping might have come into play, right? Mmhmm. And who were the guys who supposedly broke into the house?" Riley waited for his answer and nodded as he closed the door behind him. "Interesting, very interesting. Thanks for the information. Ok, bye."

Riley waited for a moment after hitting end on the phone, and then dialed another number. "Yeah, hi, it's Finn. Riley Finn. Are you guys still open? I think I'm gonna need some camping gear."

Faith watched the water that pooled out from the waterfall, the light of the full moon glinted off of the ripples. The brunette longed to swim in that water, and then hoist herself up on the rocks, and drink from the waterfall. But she kept dutifully to the spot in which she was currently rooted. All for the blonde who had only stirred occasionally. Twice, to be exact. Faith felt a sense of duty, and protectiveness towards Buffy, something that was instinctual, like they were two of the basest feelings where her girlfriend was concerned.

Taking her eyes off the outside of cave and its surroundings for a moment, she stole a glance at the still sleeping cave slayer. Her heart panged, and she remembered what they had been doing before they had been caught by Joyce. Like the hunger pains, she immediately stamped out the horniness.

Or tried to anyway, but she didn't have one bit of success, it seemed she was always horny for Buffy.

By some act of mercy, Buffy stretched out and began to stir. She tossed and turned for a moment, then realized she was being watched. Grabbing onto a branch that was near her hand, she snapped it and sat up with the makeshift stake pointed at Faith's heart, through her back. Buffy immediately sensed that it was Faith who was with her and she let out a relieved gasp.

She let go of the stake and threw her arms around Faith, from behind, hugging her back into her. Faith tried to maintain her balance on the balls of her feet, but it was no use, Buffy was too enthusiastic to see her.

"B, sorry." Buffy said, clearly sorry.

"Huh?" Faith asked puzzled.

"Slept. Faith, horny?"

Faith grunted her response and nodded.

Buffy's eyes narrowed and she touched the top of her head, "Ow. Head hurt."

The brunette looked away guiltily, she remembered the reason for Buffy's discomfort, "Um. Men. Bad men. Hit B. Hard!" She gingerly touched the top of Buffy's head.

Buffy looked around, and started to realize things were not quite right, this bed was not as soft and fluffy as her bed at home, and it was crunchy, suddenly her hand flew to her own shoulder. She winced as she felt the sting of the bruise from the dart.

The haze lifted from her mind.

"Men, bad men!" She yelled, and jumped to her feet. "MOM! Mom hurt!!"

Faith who had jumped up when Buffy did, caught her around the shoulders and stopped her from running out of the cave.

"No! No go! Faith hurt bad men." She lifted her club and illustrated a strike. "Joyce ok. Faith call help." Faith held up her hand to her ear and mimed talking on the phone. Buffy continued to struggle, she wanted to make sure that what Faith was saying was true, she still had the god awful memory of Joyce lifeless on the floor in her mind.

"Faith, we go, we go now! Mom!"

"No, B! Bad men. Still looking. We stay!"

At that moment they heard a crunching of branches and both stayed deathly still. Faith had the presence of mind to drop them both to the ground and hid under the cover she had made.

They waited for about an hour and when it was apparent nothing was coming into the cave, Faith decided that they needed to move on from it, she realized that while the cover might fool an animal, someone actually looking for the pair would come into the cave and see the makeshift shelter for what it was, a hide out.

She indicated to Buffy that they needed to get out.

Buffy spoke quietly, "Go now? See mom?"

"No, can't." Faith shook her head.

Cave Buffy pouted. But Cave Faith wasn't buying it, she poked the lip back into the blonde's mouth.

"No, lip, B. Men kill. Men kill us. Bang." She mimed shooting a gun.

Buffy's eyes went wide. "Gun?"

Faith nodded and touched Buffy's shoulder. The blonde had been too grief stricken over her mother at the time to notice she had been shot by a dart gun.

Buffy nodded her understanding and leaned in for a kiss. They touched lips and took pleasure in the feeling, quickly deepening the kiss. It went primal very quickly, almost too quickly, and the jolt from it was what finally broke them apart. They looked into each other's darkened eyes, both knowing what needed to get done, but wanting to stop and take each other hard and fast, for the rest of the night. The sound of a splash in the water outside of the cave brought the cave slayers to their devolved senses. They looked out cautiously from the cover of the branches. They could see someone in a wet suit and with diving gear fixed to their face, diving down, presumably to the bottom of the lake.

Faith indicated that they needed to move out now. Before anyone saw the cave and came exploring.

She and Buffy got up at the same time and made their way quickly out of the mouth of the cave, they slunk along the rocks that jutted from the sides of it, and spotted a makeshift campsite on the opposite side of the lake.

Faith smiled, and hit Buffy on the arm, she wiggled her eyebrows. "Want?"

Buffy smiled, too. Remembering.

"Take?"

"Have, food."

"Sleeping bag." Buffy gave an eye wiggle of her own as she and Faith ran undetected around the lake, to the site. They both snatched up what they could, with Faith shouldering the backpack. Buffy grabbed a cooler, hopefully it was food. They made their way deeper into the woods, all before the diver came up from the bottom.

When he did come up, he quickly tapped something on his wrist, "This is Finn, are you guys anywhere near the site yet?"

"Almost, are you diving by yourself?"

"No, why?"

"Liar, we hear the water rippling."

"Look, Graham, she's my girlfriend, kidnapped by a psychopath and the police aren't doing jack squat. What would you do?"

Graham's answer came back unintelligible, but Riley could tell he must have said something smart-assed, because he could hear a couple of others laughing in the background.

"What did you say?!"

"I said, I wouldn't be assuming she was at the bottom of the lake, that's for sure. Why're you so pessimistic?"

"The police file said this psycho killed a man then weighted his body and dumped it in the river, I'm just ruling out a possibility."

"Ok, you're the boss. Whatever you say." Graham was becoming increasingly worried about Riley's mental state.

"Are you coming to help or not?"

"Yeah, we're at the site. Where's your pack?"

Riley turned around to see the three men standing in his now emptier campsite. Graham had his arm up, pointing to the stuff that looked like it had been ransacked.

"Dude, I think a bear might have made off with some of your gear."

Riley swam his way towards the shore. He tried his best to keep his cool. "Graham, focus, you think an animal did this?"

Graham shrugged and then froze in his tracks as a howl was heard in the distance.

"Christ, werewolves." One of the men said obviously scared.

"Man, I didn't sign on to get my ass bit."

"Are you ladies finished?" Riley said, annoyed.

"Just sayin'."

"Yeah, well, I'm sayin' that I don't think it was an animal."

They both felt the pull of their calling, but their survival instincts told them it was too soon to go out and slay, the bad men were still out there, and now the frogmen were snooping around the area they just left. Using the natural cover of a thicket of roots growing out from the side of a gulley, the girls slid into their stolen sleeping bag, perched up on a shelf that was in the side of the earth. The cooler was safely hidden beside them.

Faith watched as Buffy brought a hand up between them and touched her cheek.

"Faith saved me?"

The brunette gave a dismissive look and would have shrugged properly had the bag afforded her more room. Buffy didn't let her get away with it though.

"No. Faith saved Buffy and Mom." Buffy leaned in and pressed her lips to the area of Faith's cheek that her hand had smoothed over. The contact made them both shiver. Buffy got bolder and a little carried away, and licked the cheek she was kissing. This caused Faith to giggle and then she took Buffy's face between her hands and gave her cheek a big animated lick. A fit of giggles overtook the girls and suddenly they were laughing so hard they couldn't catch their breath. When they were finally able to maintain some sort of composure, they found themselves breathless and looking deeply into each other's eyes. They knew what they wanted, and this time it was apparent that who or whatever interrupted them was going to die a painful death.

Their kisses were rough and bruising as they claimed each other's mouths and each girl whimpered with need. But Faith was desperate for release, and Buffy knew it. For a moment she felt like teasing, but she knew Faith wouldn't find it funny, and they might end up fighting. So without any ceremony or questions or pleas, Buffy shoved her hand between their bodies and into the band of Faith's shorts. The brunette groaned her thanks and pulled back slightly, giving Buffy more room to find what she was looking for.

Sliding her hand down a few more inches, she found what she had sought, and it seemed like she had been looking for it for much longer than a half day. Faith groaned again as Buffy's fingers explored her slick outer lips and then parted them to rub her over-excited clit. She swirled her finger tip over the pulsing nub for a few moments, mesmerized at the sounds that were coming from Faith. Buffy was completely caught up in how being the aggressor sexually made her feel. She felt the power of taking what she wanted and making it hers and it felt good. So, very good. Buffy's heart pounded as she slipped two fingers into Faith's grasping hole, the heel of her hand helped to keep the stimulation on her clit. Faith's mouth was open but made no sound, and her eyes were rolled up into her skull, the feelings were obviously too much for her.

But Buffy didn't want to lose Faith, even if it were only to a blissful state of mind. No, she wanted her with her, she wanted her to know she was giving Faith the pleasurable feelings. The blonde continued to thrust in and out of Faith's quivering hole and the brunette stretched her neck and rolled her head to the side. Her exposed neck gave Buffy the idea she was looking for. She clamped down on the area between Faith's shoulder and neck and it made her cry out in exquisite pleasure with just a hint of pain. Without warning, her pussy exploded making Buffy's fingers ten times wetter. She squeezed Buffy tight to her as her hole continued to spasm and pulse and fire off weaker orgasms that were driving her brain into endorphin overload. Her voice had finally given out from the screams she was emitting and soon she could only hoarsely whimper. Buffy felt as though her fingers were being sucked in deeper and deeper and became distracted by this phenomena, curious to see if her hand would be sucked in as well. Faith's body finally went ridged and she collapsed back as much as the bag allowed, disobeying Buffy's wishes by promptly passing out.  

Realizing this Buffy grunted unhappily, that hadn't been the outcome she was looking for. She gently pulled her fingers from the sleeping girl and lifted her wet fingers to her nose, taking a big sniff.

"Faith smell good too." She sighed out and let out a groan of her own.

When Faith finally woke up from her short rest, it was to Buffy leaving tiny kisses over her bite mark.

"Mmmm, B." She sighed. "Oh, B so good." She hugged Buffy tighter.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Faith died."

The blonde chuckled, "Not died. Faith sleep."

The brunette suddenly remembered something, and it caused a frown on her face.

"Faith sleep long time." She whispered as more memories flooded into her mind.

Buffy's heart hammered again, this time with fear, fear of losing Faith to the anger that was sure to follow her remembering Buffy was the one to put her in a coma.

When the silence stretched on too long Faith looked into Buffy's eyes and said simply, "Faith bad."

Buffy's eyes watered and her voice broke as she spoke. "No, Faith good."

"No, B. NO!" Faith stuggled to get out of the sleeping bag.

"Faith, NO! NO GO!"

"B hate Faith!"

"No! No! Buffy love! Buffy love Faith!" Buffy was having a hard time keeping her grip on Faith as the brunette slid out of the bag, she was being hindered by their sweaty skin.

"Faith bad! BAD! Faith kill men! How can B love?!" Faith was desperately trying to wrest her ankle from Buffy's grip, without hurting the blonde, but that wasn't possible in the too close quarters.

Buffy finally let go of Faith when she growled ominously and watched her scurry out of their shelter.

"Buffy does love." She pouted, hurt that Faith wouldn't think so. "Buffy need Faith." She whispered and climbed out of the bag, hugging her knees to her chest. "Buffy need Faith so much." Rocking herself slightly for comfort, she waited and hoped that Faith would come back. It was another feeling, where Faith was concerned, that she would never have admitted to when she wasn't so devolved.

Faith had climbed high up in the tree directly above their hideout. She smelled something familiar, something that she wanted. When she reached the top she perched herself on the uppermost branch and gasped as she saw what was calling to her so strongly.

"FIRE!"

Chapter 7- Unintelligible Design

All thoughts of leaving Buffy cleared out of Faith's mind as she sat mesmerized by the flickering light. The smell was comforting and she was calmed by the silent air. Suddenly, she wanted to share what she was seeing and feeling, so she shimmied down the tree and went back into their shelter.

"Faith?" Buffy question was hopeful.

Faith grunted her response.

"Faith come for kiss? Or punch?"

"No. No punch. Faith sorry." Her dejected tone told Buffy she had been beating herself up about what she remembered.

Buffy reached out for Faith's hands and pulled the contrite girl to her. "No leave. No leave Buffy."

"Buffy…" Faith was still very upset over the memories she had been having of the time when it all went bad.

"Come. Lay with Buffy." Buffy sat on the ground and pulled Faith with her, indicating to the sleeping bag.

"B…" Faith hesitated.

"No. Air cold. Buffy cold. Bag warm."

Faith relented and waited for Buffy to make herself comfortable in the bag before slipping in beside her.

Feeling a little boxed in Faith turned away from Buffy, she didn't want to look her in the face.

Buffy stared at the back of Faith's head for a few minutes, she was trying to piece together some semblance of a conversation, one that wouldn't end in an awkward silence, or worse, a fight.

"Hold Buffy?" She finally asked, quietly.

Faith's heart panged violently, and she berated herself internally, `Faith stupid. Made B sad.'

The last thing she wanted to do was make Buffy sad and that was the latest thing she had failed at miserably. That knowledge only made her retreat more, and she turned away from Buffy even further. A tear threatened to fall from her eye but she held it in check.

Buffy tugged on her shoulder gently and the movement brought the brooding girl her out of her stunted thoughts.

"Faith?"

Faith still didn't answer or make a move to look at her.

"Faith." This was said more forcefully, but still soft and it made Faith's heart pound even harder. "Faith?"

Faith again grunted a response.

"Hold Buffy?" She tried a second time.

Something in Faith was telling her strongly to stand her ground and not turn over, it was the same voice that always tried to push Buffy away before, during and after they were together. There were many battles fought over their relationship, most done silently in Faith's head, but many were done wherever their conversation happened to be taking place. Faith couldn't explain why she would get like that. Even now, she had come down from the tree to tell Buffy about the fire, but as soon as she saw the blonde she went into retreat mode.

"Ok, Buffy get." Buffy said quietly and pulled her arm back from Faith's shoulder. She shimmied back slightly to give the brunette more room and hoped it would be enough to make Faith not feel so trapped. When Faith felt trapped she had a tendency to leave and she hated when Faith left. Faith always seemed to be leaving Buffy and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

She hoped she would find out tonight.

Ten minutes had gone by before Faith rasped out, "B"

"Mmm?"

"Still cold?"

"Yes." Buffy lied.

Faith slowly turned herself around and gathered the blonde in her arms. "B always cold." She did her best to smirk at Buffy even though her strongest feelings were to cry and beg for her forgiveness. Her remembered allegiance to the mayor was currently fueling this almost overwhelming need for absolution from the blonde.

"Faith always hot." Buffy countered, adding an eyebrow wiggle of her own.

"Faith bad." Faith said seriously, looking directly into Buffy's eyes.

Buffy knew Faith was remembering what happened after their break up, and the month or so that followed.

"Buffy remember."

Faith frowned. Somehow that was not what she expected from Buffy, but an immediate forgiveness would have been too easy, she knew from the previous talks they had over the stupid things she did, it was probably going to take hours of talking. And in their devolved state that was going to be very difficult.

"Buffy remember all?"

Buffy nodded.

"Faith too." Her brows knitted across her forehead as she thought of the fight on the rooftop of her building. "Fight. Buffy had knife."

"Buffy wanted to kill Faith." Buffy admitted.

"Faith wanted to die." Faith confessed.

Both girls sighed out shakily, this conversation was way too deep for their style of speaking, but still they both knew they needed to have it no matter how difficult it was.

"Buffy need Faith now." It was stated so plainly and so sincerely that it made the tears Faith was valiantly trying to hold back, spill out of her eyes.

Faith again tried to turn away from Buffy but the blonde wouldn't let her.

"No turn! Stay! Stay with Buffy." Buffy needed to see how sorry Faith was, she needed to know that their relationship had meant something more than a means to helping the mayor destroy the world. She needed to know that Faith meant what she said when she finally told Buffy she loved her after several weeks of dating. Not surprisingly, that had been after a really passionate round of sex, and they were both drunk on the endorphin rush. Faith always seemed more sincere and open with her feelings right after they had sex. It was the reason she never really wanted to cuddle, or stay around afterwards. But with Buffy that had been an impossibility, she knew Buffy would never go for the `get some get gone' attitude, so she hadn't even tried it with her. Well, more than once, anyway.

Where Buffy was concerned, Faith knew that if she entered into a relationship with her it was going to have to be the real deal. And she thought she was ready for that. She hadn't planned on all of her insecurities still being with her.

"Faith. Look at Buffy!"

Faith took a moment but she was able to muster enough courage to look Buffy in the face, though it was hard to make out Buffy's features because of the tears that were swimming in her eyes.

It took her a moment but she finally spoke, "Faith bad." She re-stated, her voice thick with emotion.

"No. Faith good. Faith help mom. Faith help Buffy." Buffy said, with conviction and determination.

"Faith stupid."

Buffy didn't contest that one, Faith's choices hadn't been exactly smart.

"Buffy help Faith. Faith be good."

"How?" Faith didn't believe her, not after what she remembered she had done. How she had turned on Buffy, how she had joined up with the mayor. How she had wanted Buffy dead and how she wanted to die right along with her. 

"Buffy show." The blonde said sincerely, again it made fresh tears spill from Faith's eyes, though she didn't sob. The tears just seem to be pouring out of her eyes.

Faith couldn't speak, she didn't know what to say to Buffy that would make everything better. Especially with her stunted thoughts. She lowered her head onto Buffy's shoulder and said the only thing that she thought would be acceptable.

"Faith try. Faith try be good." She whispered the next part into Buffy's ear making the blonde shiver, "For Buffy."

Buffy smiled and pulled Faith back a little, she leaned in and gave the brunette a kiss. It made Faith feel confident, like she would be able to face her demons with Buffy's help. It also made her feel a little bit horny and she growled her need into the kiss.

Buffy also felt the need, and contrary to her usual actions, she didn't think to put it off so they could share more of their thoughts and feelings, or work things out further.

Sex for the devolved slayers was just as important as eating and since they had satisfied themselves with the food they stole from Riley, and they worked out a sort of an agreement about their future, the logical conclusion was to satisfy the horny.

Buffy reached down and lifted Faith's shirt over the brunette's head, at the same time Faith's hand trailed down Buffy's side and over the curve of her hip, seeking the warmth of Buffy's center. They both groaned when Faith's fingers found it.

As Faith explored Buffy's wetness, Buffy latched her lips onto Faith's neck, and brought her hands to find purchase around the swell of her breasts. Both actions, as well as those of her own, were causing Faith's libido to skyrocket.

But there was something telling her that they needed to stop.

Something that told her they needed to get out of where they were.

Something that was causing the animals in the forest to flee, and to find shelter in their little hide out, as evidenced by the family of squirrels that were currently trying to burrow their way under the sleeping bag and jumping over their heads.

Both slayers stopped what they were doing, they knew without having to speak that the forest was in trouble. They got out of their warm shelter and left the cover of the earth that was dug out under the roots of the tree.

A tree that was currently blazing with what Faith had meant to tell Buffy she saw earlier, before she went back into their hideout and started to atone for what she had done.

FIRE!

Faith quickly grabbed Buffy's hand and helped the stunned slayer narrowly miss being bowled over by a dozen deer. The smoke was too much and from what the pair could tell it was coming from the direction of Riley's camp. They had no choice but to make their way out in the opposite direction. The fire was already starting to scorch the forest debris around their feet, and the tree they had been seeking shelter under was dropping big branches that were now flaming missiles.

The girls deftly made their way through trees and frightened animals taking flight. They soon noticed they were gaining ground on a group of humans, some who were dressed like Riley had been earlier, and others who were not running so well. As a matter of fact, one of the slowest at the back of the group had just tripped on a tree stump that had been in their path and was currently holding her ankle in pain.

"Willow!" The hurt girl called out to her girlfriend.

"Tara!" Willow turned back and noticed a naked-from-the-waist-up girl not miss a beat while picking up Tara and slinging her on her back, running as fast as ever, with a cave-like Buffy in tow.

When Faith, Buffy and Tara had passed the rest of the gang, Xander could be heard asking, "W-was that F-a-aith, wi-ith no top, and the Bu-uffster, kid-napping Tara?"

"Ke-eep ru-un-ning Xan-der," Giles puffed out. "The fi-ire i-is ra-aging out of c-control. It's g-ai-ning gr-ound!"

When they were out of danger, Faith put the girl with the hurt ankle down, and Buffy pulled Faith's hand indicating that they should run. She could see Riley, looking at the forest fire, notice that there was a girl who looked very much like Buffy, trying to pull a half naked girl away from the action.

"Buffy?" Riley stepped up to get a better look, but the girls were already gone from sight.

"What was that?!" Graham exclaimed, coming up behind Riley.

Riley's puzzled face turned towards Graham, but he didn't look at him.

"I. don't. fucking. know." The obvious clenched jaw of Riley and the tone in his voice didn't welcome any other question or comment.

Finally, Willow and the rest of the gang caught up to the recovering party.

"Wh-hat the he-ell happened?" Xander asked, doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

"Ta-ra! Are yo-ou o-ok?" Willow fell down next to her girlfriend, who was in the same position Faith had left her, holding her ankle. Willow was flat on her back, clearly in no condition to nurse Tara back to health, she was currently having her own trouble trying to prevent a heart attack brought on by the running she had just done.

"W-Will, wh-who was that?" Tara asked, her voice peppered with pain.

Willow could see Riley out of the corner of the one eye she was able to keep open.

"I don't know…" She lied.

Riley walked up to Giles, who was clutching at his chest. "Are you ok?"

"Qu-quite w-well, thank yo-ou." The watcher swallowed hard and tried to keep his breathing even. "I-I just n-need to…" `Die right where I stand.' Giles thought.

"How did this happen?!" Riley inquired, mad.

Xander's eyes cut to Willow, who guiltily looked away.

"Magic?!" Riley asked, but it was clearly an accusation.

"W-well…" Willow trailed off.

"She-w-we, thought…" Tara tried to help her girlfriend.

"You magically started a fire during forest fire season." Riley's look was not pleased. "I'll bet you didn't even make it in a contained area." He put his hand through his hair. "What am I saying? I know you didn't!"

"There's a season?" Willow asked, innocently.

"Cooler, drier weather, the forest becomes one big matchbox." He sighed out.

Giles cleared his throat and finally was able to talk without his lungs burning, "Shouldn't we be calling the fire authorities?"

At that moment a helicopter flew overhead towards the blaze and they could see the fire containment materials being dropped out of it.

Xander wondered briefly if it was water that was being dropped out, but then he had some sort of a flashback to a time where he had been in this situation before. It was a false memory, but one that still told him that he knew what to do.

"There was something else in the woods with us, Willow had the fire contained in an area that was un-compromised." Everyone looked at Xander as he spoke, his surety and commanding tone told those who weren't in the real know that he was telling the truth. "It looked like a half man/half machine."

"Adam…" Graham breathed out.

"Let's get everyone out of harm's way." Riley suddenly was a commander again. "We'll take the wounded back to headquarters."

The fright in everyone's face caused Giles to step up, "Uh, I believe it's best if Tara was taken back to my house."

"Why is that?" Riley enquired.

"I have everything to attend to her medically and…"

"And we won't try to put a chip in her head." Xander said, snidely.

Riley didn't acknowledge Xander. "Ok, Graham and the others will help you get home. I'll stay here to do damage control."

"Very well," Said Giles, as he watched Graham and another man pick up Tara. He extended a hand to Willow who finally got up off the ground on shaky legs.

No one said anything more about the fire. For now.

Faith and Buffy had gotten away quickly by climbing up and jumping through the trees, they had watched the goings on of the gang and Riley's men, only briefly. They knew they needed to get away. If the Initiative were looking for them, then so might the Council's men.

As they approached the familiar territory of one of the cemeteries, they came down out of the trees and walked fast, each keeping an eye out for vampires, demons or men with guns.

It just so happened that Spike was heading out of his crypt at that moment, and he was practically bowled over by the slayers walking swiftly past.

"Woah, watch…Slayer?!"

Buffy turned around and narrowed her gaze at him. Faith, in a split second, had him up against his crypt with her club behind her ready to strike.

"Hang on!" Spike said quickly, trying his best to smile at Faith, considering she was holding him up against the wall by his throat. "Remember me, beautiful?"

A look of recognition came over Faith's face.

"Beer." She loosened her grip around Spike's throat, but she held the pointy end of her club against his chest, just in case.

"Yes, that's right babe." Spike gulped out. "I was the bloke last night who bought you all those pitchers of delicious beer." He looked down at her chest. "Granted, you were wearing a bit more then."

Buffy pushed Faith's arms so she would let go of the blond vampire. Faith held on for a moment and then dropped Spike in an unceremonious heap.

"Thanks, gorgeous." He said, sarcastically. "My arse has had better treatment…" He smirked as he thought of the nasty ways he could take that sentence, he also made the mistake of looking at Faith's breasts a little too long.

Buffy pounced on him. Hard.

"Easy, Slayer! I didn't do nothin'!"

Faith reached down and pulled Buffy up by her collar, wrenching the blonde's hands off of the scared vampire. She looked into Buffy's eyes and said the one thing that was most important to her at that moment.

"Beer."

Buffy didn't answer Faith, she just scrunched up her nose.

Spike spoke up, he saw his way out of not dying, "Y-you want beer, luscious? I have more beer inside. The good stuff too, Black Frost."

Faith looked away from Buffy for a moment and looked down at Spike.

"Beer good." Her eyes flashed.

"Yes, yes," He nodded animatedly. "Beer, VERY good."

Faith looked back at Buffy, almost pleadingly. Buffy acquiesced. They both stood looking down at a puzzled Spike, he hadn't picked up on their silent communication.

"What?"

"Beer!"

"Oh, yes! Coming right up!" He hopped up from the ground and went to the door of his crypt. "I was going to make my way to the bar, to see if I could find you. But no need now, eh?" He chuckled nervously then looked back and drank in the sight of Faith's breasts. The sight would have made his heart lurch, if it were still beating. "No need to go anywhere but here." He mumbled wickedly as he turned towards the door again and opened it.

Buffy and Faith pushed their way through the door, knocking Spike back, then waited for him to lead the way. He noticed the close proximity in which they stood next to each other; Buffy was practically hanging off of Faith's arm, and Faith had hers protectively around Buffy. He closed his eyes and stopped himself from staring at the wonderful vision of the two barely clothed, primal Slayers caressing each other lovingly.

"Here we are," Spike indicated towards the couch. "Why don't you make yourselves comfortable? Hmm?"

"Beer," Faith grunted and narrowed her eyes at the vampire.

"Yes, I'll just go get the beer." Again he found himself staring at her chest. The growl that emanated from Buffy caused him to wrench his gaze away and turn quickly on his heels towards the refrigerator. "Feel free to sit, that couch is very comfortable, I stole it off of an upholsterer." Spike said, absentmindedly as he gathered the beers out of the fridge.

The two Slayers were heavily engrossed in a make-out session, with Buffy sitting on Faith's lap. They didn't even take notice of Spike dropping one of the bottles as he stood in the doorway and stared. His jaw had dropped right along with the bottle of beer that miraculously hadn't broken.

"Bloody hell…" He whispered, as Faith broke away from Buffy's mouth and started her task of sensuously licking the side of Buffy's neck, which in turn made the blonde moan and arch back into her lover. When Faith reached around and started to caress Buffy's skin, reaching higher and cupping her girlfriends breasts, Spike breathed out, "Yesss…I think I've beaten the odds and gone to heaven."

At that moment, the unbroken bottle of beer that was lying at Spike's feet popped its top under the pressure that had built up and was currently bubbling and gently spitting foam all over the vampire's boots.

He looked down and had to shake his head to break his thought.

"Girls!"

Faith and Buffy were stopped partaking in the pleasure of each other and grunted their displeasure briefly before realizing that Spike had come back bringing what they had asked for. Faith was the first to react to the sight of the bottles Spike held in his hands.

"Beer!"

Buffy was left on the couch, in a half crouching position, she clearly was not happy that Faith had stopped what she was doing to take the beer off of Spike. Even in her devolved state, Faith knew that she had to be careful with Buffy at this moment, but she knew the liquid the bottles held would at least make up to Buffy for some of her current actions.

"Here, B! Beer good! Beer foamy!" Buffy's mouth was in a pout and Faith tried to wrack her brain to think of a word that would make the beer more appealing to her girlfriend. "Beer…beer!" Apparently her excitement over the amber liquid didn't allow for her to wrack her brains very hard.

"Buffy get kisses later?"

"Oh yeah." Faith wiggled her brows and gave Buffy a wicked smirk. "Kisses everywhere." She winked.

"Gimme beer." Buffy reached out for one of the bottles and Faith took off the top before handing it to her.

Spike was still standing dumbstruck in the doorway.

Each slayer downed about a half of a bottle each before stopping to let out hearty belches.

"Beer, good!" Buffy declared. Faith smiled and nodded, before finishing off her bottle and throwing it up against the wall beside a ducking-for-cover Spike.

After the last bottle of beer had been drunk, Faith looked over at Spike who had managed to drink a few of his own and was currently sprawled out on the floor, his head propped up slightly against the front of his easy chair.

"Beer?"

"Ssorry, luv." He slurred out. "You and yer girlfriend there drunk it all up."

She growled and smashed her empty bottle into her seemingly favorite wall.

Buffy got down off her place on the couch and stood ominously over Spike.

"Uhhh, right, and I-ah I had a few, too." Sobering up quickly he found a solution. "Umm, I'll just go and get a few more, yeah?" He managed to right himself and with difficulty he stood up and made his way past a growling Buffy.

Just as he left the crypt he turned his head to see Faith pulling Buffy to her and kissing her like there were no tomorrow.

"I'm going to die from a very painful condition tonight." He sighed out as he turned away from the display and looked down at the front of his tightening pants.

"There dear, that splint should hold. Keep it elevated on that ottoman." Giles stood up and looked at Xander who was sitting down staring off into space. "Xander, would you please hand me that cushion?"

"What cushion, G-man?"

"The one you are clutching in your arms. And I've told you not to call me that."

"Oops. Sorry." Xander smiled sheepishly as he handed over the cushion.

Giles nodded his thanks and used the pillow to prop up Tara's ankle further. "There we are. I'll go make a pot of tea. That should help." He smiled at Tara who returned the warm smile.

"Yeah, tea cures everything, huh Giles?" Xander said, sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised."

Willow who had been pacing and wringing her hands, fretting over her mistake with the fire, stepped up near her girlfriend.

"I could make that better in a flash." She pointed to Tara's bandaged ankle. "Just…"

"No, Willow." Tara looked squarely into Willow's face, making it clear that she was serious. "No more spells. Not for a while."

Willow lowered her arm and walked back over to the window she had been occasionally peering out of.

"Do you think they'll know it was me?" She said, quietly to no one in particular.

"Who? The fire marshalls?" Xander asked.

"No, the Initiative."

"Uh uh, I think I took care of that line of thinking." He said, confidently.

Willow wanted to feel grateful, but she couldn't help but think of the mess she had made of the forest. And for some reason, the bare chest of Faith.

"What do we do now?" Tara asked, quietly.

"Well," Xander popped up from his seat. "I don't know about you guys, but I've got to go to work."

"You're gonna sling beer? After what we've just been through?!" Willow turned and looked at him incredulous.

"Yeah, but, well. I need that job. If I don't have cash, I don't have a girlfriend." He shrugged. "And if Xander doesn't have a girlfriend then little Xander…"

"Stop right there!" Giles exclaimed as he came back into the living room with a pot of tea in one hand and a dish of cookies in the other. "Thank you." His tone was clipped.

Xander reached down and grabbed a handful of cookies, "No, thank you. Giles." He shoved a few in his mouth. "I'll thee you guyth later."

"Yes, thank you for spraying biscuits all over my rug." Giles sighed out. "If you're not too busy after your shift, come back. We'll be up researching."

"Got it." Xander managed to say it without spraying it this time. He stopped before reaching the door and turned back to the group with a look of wonder on his face. "That was Faith without a top on that I saw carrying Tara, wasn't it?"

Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them, clearing his throat and tutting. Both girls suddenly found the floor interesting, and blushes were blooming on their faces.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Xander nodded. He turned back towards the door, and opened it, stumbling out into the night.

The stunned look was still on his face.

Chapter 8- Jungle Love

After Spike left on his beer run, the very horny slayers continued their make out session. Only this time they added a twist.

It started as just a playful swat on Buffy's ass, but then quickly morphed into a cave slayer tickle-fest, which devolved into a pushing and shoving match. And that led to their current state of affairs which was picking up pieces of Spike's furniture and hurling them around the room as they chased and fended off one another in their efforts to be the dominant Slayer.

Finally, after almost every stick of furniture in the crypt was broken, and both girls were worked up to heights only speculated upon, Faith had Buffy cornered between the wall and Spike's bed. The brunette was perched on the bed ready to pounce on her prey, when they heard the door open.

"What the…?!" Spike looked around his broken room wildly. He set the case of Black Frost down on the area of the floor that used to house the coffee table.

He could see Faith poised to pounce on Buffy, but this time he wasn't aroused. He was mad.

"What's all this?!"

Faith and Buffy looked around the room, and then looked at each other, they gave a shrug to the vampire.

"Oh, sure! I supply you with delicious beer, and this is how you treat me?!"

Faith narrowed her eyes and cocked her head at him as he continued his rant.

"Look at my TV!" He pointed at the broken object and then at Faith and Buffy. "You lot are bloody lucky that I've got this chip in my head! That thing cost me a pretty penny!" When they didn't say anything he asked, "What have you got to say for yourselves?!"

Buffy went to speak but Faith stopped her by holding up a hand. She leapt off the bed and within two bounds she was directly in front of Spike as she sized him up and down, and then sniffed the air around him. He stood his ground, but gulped and held back the urge to shiver.

He was frightened, but still pissed off and slightly drunk. He didn't want to show the slayers that he was some chump to be taken advantage of, "Spike's not just some two bit vampire that you can kick about when you wanna, you hear me Slayer?!" He beat on his chest with one fist to show he meant business. "I'm Spike, you hear that?!"

Faith looked at him square in the face for a few moments seeking some recognition, he could see the light bulb go off and she narrowed her eyes and gave him a cocky smirk.

"William Bloody. Chip in head?"

"Yeah, what of it?" He said, skeptical.

She slapped him on the shoulder and tilted her head back, letting out a hearty laugh. When she caught her breath she yelled out, "Faith love Sunnydale!"

Buffy laughed with her and soon they were practically howling.

"Oh, sure, laugh it up! Just you wait, if I get this thing out," He pointed to his head and then at the Slayers.  "You two and me, we're gonna rumble!"

He pulled his jacket on straighter and bent down to pick up his beers, there was nothing else in the place he could salvage, it was time to move on.

Buffy quickly stepped around him blocking his exit.

"Get out of my way, Slayer." Spike said, low and mean.

"Leave beer."

"What?!" He gave her a disgusted look. "You're out of your devolved head if you think I'm giving these to you!"

"Buffy want beer. Faith want beer. Buffy want Faith. Faith want Buffy. Spike want," She gestured towards herself and Faith, "But not get."

"Want what?! You two?!" He let out a false laugh. "There's a laugh. I wouldn't want you two if you were the last birds on earth!"

She narrowed her eyes and then pointed to the case of beer, "Leave beer."

"You're not getting this beer!"

Buffy reached down to the bottom of her shirt and without another thought whipped it over her head. The stunned vampire blinked several times and then finally set the case of beer down on the floor.

"Now go." Buffy commanded.

Spike nodded, trying hard to wrest his gaze away from the all too lovely sight of Buffy's chest. "I'll uhhh, I'll be going, uhhhh. You girls enjoy, I'll…right…" He turned around briefly and then turned back again for another look at the Slayers. "You two have fun, yeah?"

Buffy stepped up behind him to make sure he was actually leaving, and when it looked like he wasn't leaving fast enough she pulled him up by his jacket collar and ushered him out.

"Hey! I'm goin'. No need to manhandle me!" Spike showed his displeasure at being picked up and rudely shown the door.

As Buffy let him go with a grunt he attempted to straighten his jacket and regain some of his dignity.

"Buffy horny. Spike go, Buffy no need. Faith good. Faith very, very good." She accentuated how good with a beaming smile and a conspiratorial eyebrow wiggle. Spike wasn't pleased at all. In that one sentence, Buffy effectively stamped out any shred of dignity he was hoping to regain.

"Well, that's a fine thing to say—." He didn't get his next words out because Buffy had shut the door in his face, and apparently barricaded it, because he couldn't even budge the doorknob. "The least they could have done was give me another beer or two." He mumbled. "They're just a couple of greedy guts." Spike shrugged and thought about what he'd been witness to, it brought a smile to his face. "At least I got a gander of Miss Prim and Proper's jubblies. They were lovely indeed." He straightened out his coat a little more and made his way away from his now ruined crypt. "Guess I better find a place to stay for the night." He said as he put a cigarette between his lips.

When Buffy closed the door and put one of the unbroken chairs under the knob, she immediately turned around to find that Faith was nowhere in sight. Instinct told her she was in trouble; Faith was just waiting to pounce, but Buffy wanted to be caught, so really it didn't matter to her whether or not she had a chance to do her own pouncing.

As she approached the yet unbroken bed, she heard the erratic breathing of her lover, it was serving to increase her own excitement.

Faith knew that Buffy was beyond wrestling around for fun, she could tell by the blonde's face that she wanted some real action. Never one to deny Buffy a pleasure, especially when she could get some pleasure in return, Faith leapt out from behind the broken couch that had been standing on one end.

She tackled Buffy with such enthusiasm and force that their momentum carried them across the bed and right into a load bearing beam, cracking it and buckling the wall. Part of the ceiling collapsed and thanks to Buffy's quick reaction, they rolled out of harm's way. Neither girl would have been happy if one or the other had been concussed. The bed was worse for wear, but it really didn't matter to them, they were already on the floor in a heap, happily kissing one another like the horny, devolved, cave slayers they were.

Faith reached down and took hold of Buffy's shorts and with a strong, quick pull, a grunt from Faith and a gasp from Buffy, the shorts were in shreds and Faith threw them to the side. Buffy then pulled up and looked down between them. She noted that Faith still had her shorts on, with two quick hands and a pulling apart motion, Faith's shorts too, were in shreds.

There was a moment or two of suspension, almost as if everything had slowed to a stop, Buffy was still hovering above Faith, their bodies so close and yet still so far away. Too far. There was a flash of desire that ignited behind their eyes and they couldn't take it any longer. No teasing, or going slow would be acceptable. And yet, for a few moments more there was no movement between them, until Buffy growled out and leaned in quickly to bite, lick and kiss the side of Faith's neck. Faith gasped and whimpered and brought Buffy down fully between her legs, trapping the blonde with her strong thighs and locking her ankles behind Buffy's lower back.

Faith usually liked to be on top, but in their current position, with half of the ceiling down next to them, essentially pinning the couple up against the wall, there was no room for her to effectively get on top. But the brunette didn't need to, she could top from the bottom, and to tell the truth, she liked having Buffy on top once in a while. It gave the blonde the sense of dominance, that she needed every now and then, and she liked the surprises Buffy could give her when she was being assertive.

For the most part, they both liked Faith being in charge sexually, in fact without that in their past relationship, they would have been sexually frustrated for a lot longer than the month or so before they got together. But Buffy was `in charge girl' now, and that meant Faith had to lie back, and guide her to where she wanted her to be, without actually physically showing her the way. Instead, she let her gasps, sighs, grunts and groans tell Buffy what she wanted, how much and for how long.

Buffy was currently licking, biting and sucking her way down the front of Faith, and the brunette rewarded her with the very vocal praise of her talented mouth. This would have made Buffy smile from ear to ear with pride, if she weren't currently trying to get every inch of Faith's body into her mouth. Finally, when she was at the apex of Faith's thighs, the brunette couldn't stand it any longer and she put her hand on the back of Buffy's head, guiding her to where she was needed most. This time, Buffy did smile at Faith's eagerness and her obvious desire for her. Part of that desire was currently oozing out of Faith and making Buffy drunk from the heady aroma. Her mouth was watering in anticipation, this was the first time she would taste Faith from the source again in almost a year. Her instinct kicked in and she pulled Faith up to her mouth, her hands digging into her girlfriend's ass, keeping her close and open, allowing her to devour Faith with her tongue, lips and teeth.

Faith, for the most part, was trying to get a hold of herself because it was apparent she was going to lose control very quickly. She wanted to prolong the pleasure Buffy was giving her, she wanted to give some in return, so they both could be feeling the heights of the current ecstasy wave she was riding. She wanted Buffy to ease up for a moment so she could catch her breath, or think a devolved thought. She wanted to make her hands do more than clutch at the back of Buffy's head.

But she didn't get any of those things she wanted, because in a few short but intense minutes, she was coming like there was no tomorrow.

Faith's hands let go of Buffy's head as the first wave of pleasure hit her and shot her arms back over her head as she locked her hands together. From Buffy's position it looked like Faith was trying to kiss her biceps. When the second wave hit, Faith's arms bolted out to either side, further damaging the wall and causing dust and debris to rain down on their sweaty bodies. Buffy's grip tightened around Faith, as she continued to thrust her herself in and out of her partner's body, a body that seemed to be twisting and turning with the motion of Buffy's questing tongue.

She knew Faith could give up even more wetness, so she wasn't even thinking of stopping what she was doing just because Faith was crying out, "No more!" and alternating between trying to grab onto something to pull her lower half away from the greedy blonde, or to pull Buffy's head away from her quivering pussy. Buffy only slowed briefly to stand up and move them so that Faith couldn't easily grab onto anything in an effort to pull herself away from her tormenter. The only thing that Faith could effectively take purchase on were Buffy's calves, and it was in this manner, upside down, facing away from the blonde, and screaming until her voice gave out, that she came for the third time. Hard.

When she came to her senses, Faith realized Buffy was still lapping at her core, greedily, hungrily trying to claim all Faith had to offer. To someone standing behind Buffy it would have looked like she was in a watermelon eating contest and she was lustily eating a large wedge. One that happened to have firm muscular legs, a lean torso capped with pert breasts and a really great ass.

Finally Faith was able to gather enough strength to twist herself so quickly that Buffy had to switch her hold so that Faith didn't fall on her head. She didn't want Faith knocked out, she had more plans for her, and her body. The motion and momentum of Faith's twist, allowed her to turn completely around. Buffy held her in her grip securely, but almost dropped Faith as she felt the brunette take a lick of the object she had been wanting to get at since they threw Spike out. Well, since she woke up from the coma actually, but she wouldn't have admitted to that without the influence of the beer.

When Faith first woke up she had vengeance in her heart, she wanted to make the Scoobies and especially Buffy, pay for taking away part of her life. For taking away the only father she had ever really known. And as the memories of how it used to be with Buffy before she made things go wrong, came back to her, she decided to stop at a bar and drown them out with a few beers. It wasn't the best idea of how to fill her stomach after waking up from an eight month coma, but sometimes Faith's choices weren't the best.

At this moment, though, the choice of angle and the amount of pressure with which her tongue was laving Buffy's clit was a good one, Buffy would have even said it was great, if she could do more than moan her pleasure into Faith's vagina. Faith's concentration was on bringing Buffy off and not on the fact that she was doing this upside down, with a danger of being dropped when Buffy came. In fact, had she been able to concentrate on anything else, she really wouldn't have cared, all she cared about at this moment, was making Buffy howl out with pleasure, and getting more of the sweet cream to flow from her body.

As Faith continued her steady assault on Buffy's clit, it was becoming increasingly hard for her to stop her legs from buckling, so she backed them both up until her back hit the wall and she was partially held up by a broken end table of Spike's. Her breathing increased and she gasped out as Faith entered her with two fingers, seeking her g-spot, never slowing down her pace or letting up any pressure on her throbbing clit.

Buffy knew she was going to blow soon, so she hugged Faith to her tighter, her whole body trembled as her clit seemed to grow hotter and bigger until she thought it would never happen, and then the pulses started. First a strong one followed by less than a euphoric feeling, but when Faith curled her fingers to the front wall of her vagina and then simultaneously sucked hard on her clit, a stronger, more intense shudder passed through her and she found she was howling, as a wolf would to the moon. She did all she could to stay on her feet, but it was becoming harder and harder to do so, as she was coming harder and harder. Finally she slid down the wall, simultaneously releasing Faith so she could sit down on the floor and catch her breath, but as soon as Faith was released, she rolled herself over and bounced right back up, plucking Buffy off the floor, pressing her hard into the wall and kissing her hungrily. The brunette pulled on the backs of Buffy's thighs and the blonde instinctively knew to hop up and wrap her legs around Faith's waist. They had done this dozens of times before.

Each with almost precisely the same result: Buffy protesting that she couldn't possibly come another time that night, and Faith managing to squeeze out two or three more orgasms from her already spent and thoroughly loved body. Only to have Buffy pay Faith back for being so naughty, after she caught her second or third wind.

As Faith pressed Buffy harder into the wall, sharing a carnal kiss, a shadow was moving across the cemetery, away from the crypt. A shadow that was growing increasingly upset at the image they just witnessed.

"Don't tell me to wait patiently, Mr. Giles! I've been patient for longer than I can stand!" Joyce paced back and forth in her kitchen, as she continued to yell into the phone.  "I want to know why Buffy and Faith are acting this way, and I want to know where they are!"

"We are doing all we can." Giles managed to maintain a calm and even voice, though he wanted to shout right back at her. "I assure you, we'll find them."

"And how about the thugs who broke into my home and shot me?!" Joyce said the last part with almost hysterics. "Are you telling me they might have kidnapped the girls?!"

This time Giles didn't answer right away, he didn't have anything prepared for that particular line of questioning.

"You know something, Rupert, and I'm not happy that you're not telling me what you know!"

"I don't know anything more than you do, Joyce. I swear it. You must trust me." Giles said, pleadingly.

Joyce's voice took on a calmer quality, "Answer me something."

"Anything." Giles sighed, relieved.

"Do those men that came here work for the same institution that you are honor and duty bound to?"

Giles' relief was shortlived.

"Yes," He said, dejectedly.

"Then I can't trust you." Joyce said, eerily calm. "I'll be waiting to hear something from you by tomorrow morning."

"Yes, of course." Giles said, a bit stunned.

After hanging up the phone, Joyce made sure the doors were locked and went up to her bedroom to spend a sleepless night on the bed, worrying about her daughter and Faith. And hoping somewhere those council goons were getting the unholy shit kicked out of them.

"Everything ok, Giles?" Willow said, concerned.

"Uh, hmm?" He was slightly startled from his thoughts. "Oh, nn-yes."

"'N-yes', there's something to be sure of." Willow chided.

"Well, that was Mrs. Summers. She is understandably very concerned about not being able to find Buffy."

"I think I might know where you can find her." Someone from the shadows said, as they stepped out and frightened Tara who's hurt ankle slipped off the pillow it was elevated on and she cried out in pain.

"Angel?"

"Spike?" Xander noticed the dejected vampire at the end of the bar, his face looking a little worse for wear.

"Bar boy." Spike greeted him dismissively.

"What happened to your face?"

Spike winced at the pain of his eye and the very fresh memory of who put it there.

"Nothing. Walked into a door." He lied.

"You're not that good of a liar Spike. What happened?"

"What's it to you?" The vampire looked offended, "And besides how would you know I'm lying?"

"You're Spike." Xander shrugged, "It's what you do."

Spike had to concede that point, he did it with a quirk of his eyes and a slight pout of his lips.

"Can I get a beer and a shot or are you gonna shrink me all night?"

Xander looked like he was going to say something, but then asked instead, "What'll you have?"

"Black Frost and a whiskey."

"Coming right up," He then muttered, "I'll give you a shot alright."

"Vampire hearing, bar boy."

Xander saw Spike point to his ear out of the corner of his eye, as readied the vampire's drinks. He turned back to the bar and sloppily put the drinks in front of Spike.

"Bar tender smelling," Xander pointed to his nose as he watch Spike angrily mop up the beer and whiskey that had spilled over the glasses and onto his leather jacketed arm. "I smell something rotten."

They both narrowed their eyes and challenged each other silently.

"Xander!" His boss called to him, stopping the stare down.

"Yes?"

"Take these pitchers over to that table?"

"Those frat boys back there?"

"Yeah, these are on the house."

"How come?"

"I'm a generous kinda guy." The boss shrugged and went to help some others at the bar.

"Yeah, generous enough to pay me less than minimum wage." Xander mumbled bitterly as he brought the pitchers over to the frat boy table. "On the house." He put the pitchers down and didn't wait for a response.

"Cool! Thanks man!" The preppy blond, good looking boy called after him. "Privilege has its perks, eh boys?" He toasted his friends as they laughed, and touted their lofty status.

"Is Parker gonna be here later?"

"Nah, he's getting ready for the Halloween bash tomorrow night."

"How?" One of the other boys said, confused. "He's not actually setting up for it now is he?"

"No, he's bagging a couple hotties as we speak. Ya know, getting ready for tomorrow."

They all laughed knowingly and cajoled each other about their friend's girl getting prowess.

From behind the bar the owner smirked satisfied.

Buffy gently pulled Faith's head up from her well satisfied, albeit slightly sore center and looked into the brown eyes she had been dreaming of almost every night since they met. She smiled satisfied.

"Buffy love." She said sincerely.

Faith smiled back and proceeded to crawl up Buffy's body, leaving sloppy, wet kisses as she went.

"So does Faith." She whispered into Buffy's ear, then settled herself between Buffy and the battered wall. She reached up and pulled some bedding off of the broken bed, tucking it in around them. Now that they were in resting mode, they both felt the cold that had settled in the crypt. Faith pulled Buffy closer to her and wrapped a leg around the blonde's waist.

"Faith let B sleep," She said, as she let out a huge yawn.

Buffy laughed at the dichotomy of the statement and Faith's actions.

"Buffy glad." She snuggled into Faith more and kissed her neck.

"Faith happy, Buffy happy." Faith said, smiling as she squirmed a little from the light kisses.

"Buffy happy," She pulled Faith's arm so it was holding her more soundly and kissed her on the chin.

Faith pulled back and looked into Buffy's very happy face, she felt a violent lurch of her heart muscle. She'd always felt this way about Buffy and couldn't understand why she'd ever throw it away. She decided not to think about it, her thoughts weren't complicated enough to deal fully with that yet.

"Faith love Buffy." She said simply and surely, before capturing Buffy's lips in a sweet kiss.

After a few moments of kisses and sighs they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Warm, satisfied, happy, and loved.

Chapter 9- Oh Dear

Willow rushed over to Tara to help prop her foot back up, while Tara bravely held back from crying out as Willow bumped her ankle and caused another stab of pain to go shooting up her leg.

"I-it's ok, Will. I'll fix the pillow." She managed a pained smile for her girlfriend.

"No, Tara, I've got it." Willow started to reach down for the pillow and Tara whipped it away.

"No really, Willow, I've got it." Her stern voice puzzled Willow, but she took the hint. It seemed ever since burning down the forest, she couldn't do anything right.

But, how exactly did that happen? Xander wasn't lying when he said the fire that she had built was contained. Although he and the others didn't know it, the fire that she made to look like it was raging out of control was an illusion, something she had been wanting to try out, and something that she thought would deter Adam and any of his gang from wandering into their area as they went along trying to find Buffy.

So, if it was an illusion, then why would there be a huge fire that currently raged through Miller's woods, and threatened to engulf homes and businesses?

She couldn't figure it out.

"Willow?" Giles interrupted her troubled thoughts.

"Hmmm?"

"I asked if you knew the place Angel spoke of?"

"What place?"

"The crypt over in Restfield." Angel said tightly.

His attitude annoyed Willow, what should he have to be mad about? And why was he here anyway?

"I'm not sure, sorry, I wasn't listening. And anyway, what brings you here Angel?"

"Faith."

"She brought you here?"

"No, I heard she was awake, I thought I'd head off anything she'd be plotting." He narrowed his gaze at Giles. "I was surprised someone didn't call."

"Yes, w-well, we've been dealing with quite a lot as of late." Giles looked guilty and walked over behind Tara. "What with thwarting the ascension and Faith waking up, and then Adam and the Initiative…n-not to mention Spike."

At the mention of Spike's name Angel's bruised fist involuntarily clenched. Willow noticed the movement.

"What happened to your hand?" She questioned.

"Had a little talk with Spike," He tried a smile but it settled awkwardly on his lips.

"The kind of talk that bruises the fist?"

"Something like that." Angel turned his bruised knuckles so they were out of sight. "So, are you familiar with the crypt or should we do a locator spell?"

"No, I'm familiar with the crypt."

"Will you come with me?"

Willow looked to Tara, she didn't want to leave her injured girlfriend.

"You go, Willow, I'll be ok." Tara winked and gave a sincere smile.

"Sh-shouldn't we wait for Xander?"

"Perhaps you can drop by the bar on your way and pick him up." Giles said, helpfully.

Willow nodded, she knew she couldn't get out of going, and she wasn't even sure why she didn't want to help Angel find Faith and essentially Buffy. The truth was, besides not wanting to leave Tara, she didn't want Angel to see Faith and Buffy together, she had a hunch he wouldn't like it and jealously was largely the reason why Faith turned to the dark side. She wanted to prevent another apocalypse as much as help two lovers find themselves again.

Swallowing down her growing fright, Willow walked over to Tara and bent slightly, whispering softly, "Are you gonna be ok, honey?"

"I told you, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, I'll help Giles. You be careful out there." Tara whispered, then pulled back slightly and looked into Willow's eyes. "You promise?"

"I promise," Willow whispered breathlessly, her ardor for Tara growing.

Tara leaned in and whispered, "You promised me an orgasm filled night, don't forget."

Angel stumbled slightly, the noise broke Willow out of her sexual trance and she straightened up all too quickly.

"Well, I'll see you guys later!"  She yelled loudly, as though she had been caught doing something wrong. "C'mon Angel! The crypt isn't gonna search itself!"

Angel looked at Giles and Tara and then shrugged. Tara grinned at him.

"Yes, well, do be careful, Willow."

"Will!" Tara shouted making Willow turn around, "No spells, ok?" Her face was so loving and filled with trust, Willow's heart swelled with hope.

The hope of many orgasms to come.

"Finn speaking." Riley said into his government issued black cellphone. He listened to someone give him some information before cutting them off. "I've got that information already, thanks. And I thought I told you never to call me on this phone, Mom." His face took on a contrite look. "I'm sorry, it's just I'm waiting for an important call. Yes, no. I know, Mom, you're very important to me. I'll call you tomorrow. Ok, I promise. I love you, too. Yes, I'm changing my underwear and socks every day. Yes. Ok, mom. Ok. Sorry, I've got to go, tell Dad I said hi, bye."

"Any news?"

"About what?"

"About how often you should brush your teeth." Forrest's mouth broke into a smug grin.

"Laugh it up, soldier. I'd face General Patton before my mom any day."

"I hear you on that." Forrest conceded. "Seriously though, any news on Adam or the escapee from the hospital?"

"No," Riley's face settled into a worried frown. "No news at all."

"Where'd you go after the fire was contained?"

"I took a walk to clear my head."

"Did it work?"

Riley squeezed his hand around his phone and it creaked from the force.

"Yes." His mouth was tight and his jaw was twitching. Forrest looked down and could see Riley's knuckles go white.

"I see that."

"Don't worry, Forrest, my love life isn't going to get in the way of the mission." Riley said, the truth was evident in his voice.

"You're worried about her."

He swallowed and looked into the distance for a moment before speaking again. "Something like that."

"Look, Riley, I don't think she's good for you, but I'm not one to get between a man and his woman." Forrest looked into Riley's eyes until he got the message, and then he held his hand out for a shake.

A slight nod of Riley's head told Forrest he got it and then he accepted the shake heartily.

"We've got work to do, let's go."

"Where to?"

"A crypt." Riley took his tranq gun out of it's cabinet and strapped it to his leg, covering it with the flap that would hide it from view.

"I like the sound of that."

"You have no idea."

Faith woke up to something scratching outside. She waited for a moment as her eyes focused in the darkness.

Whatever was looking to get in it was at the door. She tried to extricate herself from Buffy to go investigate, but the contented blonde tightened her hold on her and snuggled further into her side affording Faith no opportunity to get up. The brunette was torn between depriving Buffy and herself of some comfort, or getting up to investigate what was lurking outside. She listened and watched the door for several more minutes before she relaxed back into Buffy, remaining alert and guarded.

"Faith," Buffy whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Leave Buffy?" She asked, her voice thick with sleep and slightly hoarse.

"No, no leave." Faith relaxed her tense body and pulled Buffy closer to her. Looking down into her girlfriend's sleep-filled face she fought back a tear, and vowed again, "Faith no leave Buffy, ever."

She felt a warm, soft kiss on the side of her neck and suddenly, the tears she was fighting to hold back slid out of her eyes to mingle hotly with the skin of her cheeks and neck.

Forgiveness was something she thought she'd never have, and didn't ever deserve, but here it was lying in her arms and murmuring her name in her sleep.

Who knew the road to redemption would be paved with warmth, love and trust, not hurt, fear and pain?

"Ow!!"

"Who's there?!"

"It's me ya stupid cow!"

"Spike?" Anya said, the broom in her hand was poised above her head to strike again.

"Yes, it's me! OWW!!!"

"What are you doing here?!"

"Apparently it's my night to get blunt force trauma to the head."

"What do you want to do with me?!"

"I just want somewhere to crash."

"Well you can't crash here! Xander was going to come back from work and we were going to have sex on the floor."

"Xander's probably with Sir Broods-A-lot, trying to find the dark haired slayer."

"Sir who?"

Spike cowered a little at the way Anya was still holding the broom ready to inflict pain.

"Can you put the broom down, I'm not gonna hurt you, or molest you in anyway." He leered at her, "Unless you want me to that is. OW!!!"

He grabbed onto the handle and pulled it away from her and then broke it over his knee.

"Ooooh! You're gonna be in trouble!" Anya mocked. "That's Xander's mother's broom!"

"Well you shouldn't have been hitting me with it. I need a place to stay."

"Why here?"

"I left some blood packets up in the freezer, and Xander owes me."

"What?"

Spike was about to let out the secret between him and Xander but he thought better of it remembering whose company he was currently keeping. Besides, he needed a place to stay since the horny, devolved slayers made his home a disaster area.

"I never betray a confidence." He said, very James Bond-like.

Anya's face broke out into a wry grin.

"Would you like some beer?"

"I'd love some, luv." Spike winked as Anya turned and went up the steps, he got all comfortable on the couch and felt proud of himself. He then picked up a magazine that was in front of him and started to read it.

Several moments later Anya returned with the beer.

"Here you go."

Spike turned to take the beer from her hand and he was met face to face with a mop handle. In fact, it was so close to him that it pressed his nose to the side almost touching his cheek.

"Don't go getting any ideas, Crypt Keeper. I'm bored, so I'll let you stay and talk and drink, but if you so much as look at me wrong you're gonna be looking out the back of your head, you hear?!"

Spike wanted to bare his fangs just to mess with her, but he decided against it. After all she did bring him beer.

"I hear you." His voice was distorted by his nose being mashed down.

"So, tell me. Do you know, Dracula?"

He smiled, boy, did he have some really good stories about old Vladdie Boy.

"I've been to the mansion once or twice." He settled back into the couch more and Anya took the mop handle out of his face, but still held it close, just in case.

`Talking to this bint isn't so bad after all," He thought. `It's a damn sight better than being burnt to a crisp, or getting beat up by Angel.'

"Is it big?"

"Oh, dear girl, is it big?!" He asked incredulous, she sat forward slightly, hanging on his every word. "It's enormous!"

They both pretended they were talking about different things and continued to do so until the wee hours of the morning.

"Ok, on my mark you blow the front door, got it?"

"Got it."

"One."

"Wait, what's your mark?"

"Oh for Christsake," Collins grumbled and then composed himself. "It's me pointing at the door."

"What will you count to?"

"I'll count to three." He said through clenched teeth. "Alright?"

"Yeah, alright." Weatherby nodded and then got ready to depress the plunger on the device in his hand.

"One,"

"Hang on. Will you count to three and then point, or will you be pointin' on three?"

"Look, you idiot, I'll point after whatever bloody number I feel like, you just watch my finger and press that button when I point. Ok?"

Weatherby gave Collins a contemptuous look, he didn't like being spoken to like an idiot. He took his job very seriously and he thought he did it well considering that many disturbing factors plagued his time in the `Colonies'. Such as, the fact that America had no decent beer, the further fact that their tea wasn't much better than drinking a cup of pond water. And don't get him started on the bread. Why in heavens name was it all so sweet? Why not just put some ham between two bits of cake and eat it? It would be the same thing as far as he was concerned.

While the Englishman pondered all the things that were wrong with America, another thing that was wrong with America was taking its position on the other side of the crypt.

"This is post one to post two, do you have the entrance in sight?"

"Affirmative post one, we've got a visual."

"When I say `go' you blow the door. Ok?"

"Ok."

"Ready?" Collins said.

Weatherby nodded.

"Right, one."

"Alpha" Riley said.

"Two"

"Delta"

"What's with the blinking things on the crypt up there?" Willow said, walking in between Angel and Xander.

"Those are charges."

"What?"

"Three!" Collins pointed.

"Go!"

"Hit the deck!" Xander yelled, and then did just that.

Angel pounced on Willow and covered her body with his as the crypt they had been advancing on blew up from either side.

As the smoke settled, three stunned groups looked at each other in disbelief as the crypt caved in on itself.

"Buffy!" Willow yelled and struggled to get to her feet. "Faith!"

"Riley?!" Xander looked at one of the uniformed commandos as he got up and dusted himself off.

Collins and Weatherby drew their guns on the vampire they knew as Angelus who had just jumped to his feet.

"Stay where you are!" Collins shouted.

"What have you done?!" Angel asked, upset at the possibility of Faith and Buffy being in amongst the rubble. Even if they had survived the blasts, the collapse of so much concrete and mortar would have seriously wounded them.

"We don't have to answer the likes of you!" Weatherby sneered.

"Stand down, Weatherby!" Riley shouted.

Xander's brow furrowed at the exchange. "Wait, you know the council goons?"

"Stay out of this Xander!"

"Buffy!" Willow broke away from the group and ran to the crypt, only to have Xander pull her back.

"Will don't, it's not stable. We'll get them some help."

No sooner did he say that then the final wall that was standing collapsed and pancaked in on the rest of the structure.

"Put your hands where we can see them and kneel down, facing away from the sound of my voice!" A voice boomed over a megaphone.

Angel muttered, "Oh, sh—"

"…it?! You say you found it?" Giles repeated looking at Tara who was pointing to a passage in one of the old and dusty tomes in her lap.

"I-I think so." She looked at the text closer and followed with her finger as she read along. "I-it says here that the Germans called it `Das Bier der bösen Denkungsart'." She struggled a little with the pronunciation.

"The beer of evil mentality." Giles said, clearly awed by the discovery.

Tara looked up at him, she hadn't seen him so hopeful before, considering since from the time she met him there was a psycho, a cyborg, a devolved slayer and then two devolved slayers on the loose.

Giles went over and took another book from his shelf, still in awe and rifling through the pages. "Didn't Willow say something about Faith asking for beer?"

"I think so."

"And didn't Xander say she had been drinking in the bar the night before?"

Tara quirked her eyebrow and nodded, "You don't think…"

"I do think." He held up a page of the book he was looking at that had an ominous picture of a group of three witch-hags stirring something brewing and bubbling in a cauldron. The lettering above the picture said Black Frost, in the old style of lettering where the word Black had an E on the end and the F in Frost looked like an S.

"Who should we call?!" Tara sat up straighter, the pain in her ankle forgotten.

"The pub would be closed by now, surely. I mean it's..." Giles looked up at the clock on his wall that had stopped working a long time ago, but that he had kept forgetting to by batteries for. He pulled back his sleeve quickly and looked at his watch, looking distressed he tapped the face of it and brought it up to his ear to listen. "Bloody watch! Perpetual my foot!"

Tara looked out of the window, "It's 4:30, give or take a couple of minutes."

"You can tell by the window?"

"No," She smiled shyly. "By the moon."

Giles looked impressed. "Well, we'll wait until Willow and the others come back from their mission, it'll be getting light out, Angel will have to get out of the sun's harm."

"He's allergic?"

"No, dear, he's a vampire."

Tara's mouth hung open for a moment or two before she fixed Giles with a look that showed no mirth, "Sunnydale is one strange town."

"Yes," He put the book he was looking at down, saving the place he was reading by putting the cloth book mark inside. "More tea?"

Tara nodded still slightly stunned, "Lots."

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