The release date for the 4th Crow movie, in which David plays the Big
Bad, is July 19. You have pre-order at the site below.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007US7DA/103-3425864-
2743019?v=glance#product-details


SiN

15 - Omega

ABC Series, part 15

Frau Hunter Ash
carrkjar@...
hunterash7@...
hunterash@...

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. The storyline,
however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be
sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made
for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright
notices.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same and opposite gender and may even include
3 at the same time <G>.  If this offends or is illegal for you, then
please leave.  Come back when you are older, have an open mind,
moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: Up to Wrecked.

Summary:  The battle to stop Victor from opening a portal to demon
gods is fast approaching. Who survives, who falls, how can they
defeat a Hell God?

Rating:  R

Author's Note: Pairings: W/G G/E W/G/E, B/F, A/C, X/A

# # #

Buffy watched Faith sharpening a vicious looking dagger and
shuddered, remembering a similar weapon in her hands. She turned
away to look out the window at the afternoon sun.

"B?" Faith questioned softly, noticing the change in her lover's
body language. "What is it? Another flashback?"

"Yes, but not Victor," Buffy said after a moment. "I remembered us
and where a knife like that took us."

Faith looked down at the knife with a frown. "B, I was out of
control. You did what you had to," she said softly.

"No, you know that's not why I did it," Buffy shook her head and
looked out the window again. "I was trying to save Angel, not the
world."

"Let it go, alright?" Faith muttered. "We're about to save the world
again, I don't want to rehash that. I love you and I don't want to
think about it."

"Okay," Buffy said softly, trying to smile. "You ready for tonight?"

"You know me, always up for a good ass kicking," Faith said easily
and then her expression softened. "Especially after they hurt you
and G-Man. I want his head on a platter, B."

"Me too," Buffy nodded. "I can still hear Giles' screams in my
ears.  It feels weird. He's always the strong one, even when
doubtful or even drunk, give him an apocalypse and he's right there,
scared or not."

"You've always depended on him," Faith agreed, moving up behind
Buffy and laying her head on the blonde Slayer's shoulder.

"Seeing him being tortured… kinda shook me," Buffy admitted. "I
mean, I know Angelus tortured him but I ran away for so long and we
never discussed it after I got back. I… I wouldn't let myself think
about it, you know?"

"Yeah, I try really, really hard not to remember some stuff I did,"
Faith said softly.  "He had to feel just as bad watching you get
tortured, B."

"I know, we talked about that but to me… it feels different. I mean,
I'm the Slayer, I expect to get beat up by the bad guys. I'm not
supposed to stand by and see my Watcher and friend get tortured,"
the blonde complained.

"You didn't just `stand by," Faith grumbled. "You were chained and
being tortured when he wasn't. I thought you guys forgave each other
for all this."

"We did, I'm not sure we've forgiven ourselves," Buffy explained
with a bitter smile. "F-Faith… could you hold me awhile? Before we
leave for the battle?"

"Forever, B," Faith promised, putting her knife down and leading
Buffy to the bed.

Faith was surprised but pleased when Buffy snuggled in her arms and
began nuzzling Faith's neck. "Love you," the blonde whispered. "Need
you."

Faith moaned softly and wrapped an arm around the small Slayer and
pulled her close.

# # #

Tracy and Tara sat on the floor facing each other, eyes closed and
faces peaceful as they meditated, preparing for the battle.

Tara smiled as her energy danced around Tracy's and meshed.  No one
except Willow had been able to fit so "right" with her; either
sexually or magically.  The difference now being that Tracy had
never been tempted to the darkness like Willow had been.

The witch wondered where this line of thinking was coming from but
let it flow. Everyone needed to process whatever doubts remained
before such a battle, she knew.

Tara and Tracy had worked with Willow a few times magically since
the vampire-witch's return but it had been different than before and
that saddened Tara somewhat. She could feel the love still there
between them but the magic was different, Willow's being tinged with
darkness that Tara never would really be comfortable with.

She wondered how they would all fit together after this major
battle.  Tara knew she still loved Willow on some levels but was
deeply in love with Tracy, just as Willow was head over heels for
Giles.

It also felt like those lines were blurred at times and not just
because of weird magical energy they had dealt with.  Tara sighed
and concentrated, trying to clear her mind.

# # #

Angel sat up, kissing Cordelia passionately as their thrusting
slowed. Cordelia biting his shoulder with a whimper and then leaned
against him as the vampire wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I love you, Cordelia," Angel said softly, nuzzling her neck.

"I am so glad you are over that `eternal torment, doomed love
affair,' thing with Buffy," Cordelia teased, pushing him back onto
the bed and running her tongue over his nipples.

"I thought we agreed, no discussing Buffy or Xander in our bed,"
Angel moaned, his hips arching up at her touch, beginning to harden
again. "Besides, she had me for one night, you get me for the rest
of our lives and I'm not in love with her any more."

"You'll always love… her," Cordelia panted, moving to bite his neck.

"But I'm not IN love with her," Angel clarified and rolled her over
with a smile.

Cordelia laughed and wrapped her legs around him, taking him deeper.
She loved watching him make love to her. It was one of the few times
that he didn't appear to be `brooding' as the others would call it.
Intense, goofy, loving, passionate, sometimes all within five
minutes. She loved making love with him, she felt like her life had
a plus side since receiving the gift of the damned prophetic visions.

Angel growled, his eyes shifting to vampire yellow. Cordelia growled
back and turned her head, baring her neck.

The former Queen of Sunnydale High cried out as his fangs sank into
her neck and he thrust into her firmly, her nails digging into his
shoulders, holding him close to her.

# # #

Willow curled up in Giles' arms with Ethan spooning her from behind.
It hadn't taken much to accept Ethan in her bed with her husband.
She had always suspected that Giles was still drawn to Ethan over
the years and the energy between them was almost electric.  Throw in
Ethan's obvious love for Giles and his lust for the red-haired
witch, Willow found herself willing to share Giles and herself with
the sorcerer.

She knew Ethan would always have a part of Giles that she couldn't
touch, Buffy as well on a different level but Willow was the one who
he loved deeply.  Willow wondered if it was just Sunnydale that
seemed to influence things until they became complicated, including
relationships or was it just the players. A vampire witch; a vampire
Watcher former sorcerer; an active sorcerer trickster?

Willow smiled and kissed Giles gently as he slept.  At sundown
they'd be in the back of a van, ready to get into place before the
coven could arrive on top of Old Baldy.  She just hoped that Giles
was stable enough to face the dark magic that was going to be flying
around.  A second prayer that Ethan didn't change sides in the
middle of the fight.

# # #

Xander tossed a bag of weapons to Spike. The vampire tossed the bag
into the back of a van backed up into a carport, protecting him from
the sun.

"Shouldn't you sleep before a big fight?" Xander asked as he moved
past Spike and began taping black plastic over the back windows.

"Nah, I'll be in top form, we've got enough blood for all the vamps
to raise hell," Spike grinned.

"No, the bad guys raise hell, we stop them," Xander quipped.

"Too bad," Spike countered with a typical smirk.

"And you want all the dimensions to bleed into each other?" Xander
asked.

"No, same reasons I helped you losers stop Angelus and saved the
world," Spike shrugged, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.  "I
like the world as it is. There's always a chance this chip is go
dead.  If not, I can fight with the demons and hang with all of you."

Xander nodded, it actually made sense to him.  He wanted to finish
preparing the van, Xander wanted to call Anya.  He never knew if
he'd make it back from a fight and wanted to talk to Anya and hear
Jesse's giggle.

# # #

Buffy smiled and slipped her hand into Faith's as they watched Giles
and Willow kneel in front of Tara.  The witch, holding a dagger over
their heads, finished the final blessing of the couple's
Handfasting/Wedding ceremony as Giles and Willow held their arms
crossed and then holding hands, forming a figure eight, symbol of
eternity.

The vampires kissed softly and then both blushed as everyone began
cheering.

Rounds of hugs, kisses, well wishes and laughter filled the mansion
before the mood became serious and weapons were chosen.

# # #

While the vampires and Ethan waited in the darkened van, Tara and
Tracy began the preparations to counter the upcoming black ritual.
They had done a cleansing ritual two days before and hoped that
might give them an edge.

Xander and Cordelia moved as close as possible with weapons.

"Is this just weird? Scoobys don't use guns," Cordelia complained.

"Yeah, we usually think just our skills, good looks and Buffy will
get us through," Xander shrugged.  "I'm not looking to kill
somebody. I was thinking that we could shoot over their heads or at
their feet and scatter the coven types. Let Faith and Buffy take on
the serious dudes and the magic types do the mojo."

"Sounds good," Cordy sighed with relief.  She wasn't even sure if
she could just start shooting, even if it meant saving the world.

Buffy and Faith waited among some trees, swords in hand, expressions
determined.

Just before sunset cars arrived in the meadow area below the hill
and figures in black robes began working their way up the hill, some
carrying packs, others carrying things two by two.

The fighters pulled back, out of sight. They watched as the Dark
worshippers set up the ritual area: black cloth over the altar
stone, golden chalice, dagger and sword, an inverted pentagram
burned onto a wooden disk for the altar. A fire pit arranged and
started, a cauldron of water set to warming as some began to add
ingredients to it.  Rack embedded a stang behind the altar and hung
a Baphomet banner on it while Amy set up a banquet table with
bottles of wine, food, and drugs.

Xander grabbed Cordelia, his hand over her mouth when four coveners
appeared, each pair dragging two young women between them.

"Shhh, we knew this part!" he whispered urgently.

Cordelia nodded and he removed the hand.  "Just remember being
there, is all."

The girls were chained to a tree and gagged as the coven members
gathered around a figure in a red robe.

Dropping his cowl back, the figure in red was revealed to be Victor
and Buffy felt her stomach turn over and her heartbeat increase.
She felt Faith's hand slide into hers.

"He won't hurt you again, B," Faith whispered.

"I'm going to cut him into tiny pieces," Buffy growled. She glanced
at the sun and smiled. "Good guy vampires will be joining us in a
minute."

"How weird is that, but cool," Faith grinned.

Buffy blinked as the coven gathered and knelt in front of the altar
while Victor stood behind it.  The fighters watched as he took a
crucifix, spat on it and then broke it in two. He tossed the pieces
in front of those gathered and they fell on it with howls of rage
and fanaticism that startled the fighters.

"This is frickin weird!" Faith complained as Buffy nodded, her eyes
wide as a covener stood in triumph, pieces in hand. He threw the
pieces on the ground and began stomping the religious symbol into
the dust.

One of the girls was pulled to the altar and chained to it, spread-
eagled, knocking the chalice off.  Buffy wondered what had happened
to the sword and dagger but realized it when Victor held the sword
high, showing the coveners and Rack held the dagger.

"When do we do this, B?" Faith asked as Rack removed his robe and
the others except Victor followed. "I like sex but this is going to
get sick, isn't it?"

"Yeah, when we see the signal," Buffy said, gritting her teeth as
the captive's gag was removed and she was allowed to scream.  Rack
moved to the end of the altar with his dagger and a smile that
sickened Buffy.

"What's the signal?"

"Anything from the magic types or vampires," Buffy said grimly. "Or
when Xander shoots that bastard for rape."

Ethan, having been in a few Black Masses knew that they had a few
minutes of chanting, raising energy and calling on the Old Gods
before Rack actually moved on the girl. Then she'd be sacrificed and
her blood shared among the coven, opening the gateway for the Old
Ones.

He felt Ripper move behind him and hug him quickly. "Be safe."

"Of course, I'm rather fond of my skin," Ethan smirked and nodded as
Willow walked up beside him. "Ready, gorgeous? You know I'm going to
steal you away from Ripper and show you the joys of chaos, right?"

Willow rolled her eyes and watched as Hell God Victor began
chanting. "It's time."

"Stay back, Rip," Ethan urged as Giles released him from the hug and
kissed Willow.  "I really don't want to learn what you could be like
with dark stuff now."

Giles shrugged and moved back behind part of a collapsed wall where
Tracy and Tara began concentrating their positive energies, ready to
counter the dark ritual at Giles' word.

Ethan blinked as Willow's eyes changed from green to yellow then to
solid black and wind began whipping around them.  She moved out of
the shadows, the energy dancing around her hands as she raised them.

Ethan grinned and joined her, red lightning streaking the sky as the
coveners began to glance around with worried expressions.

Xander sighed and said a silent prayer as he stood up and threw
several large firecrackers in the center of the group.

Buffy and Faith separated and moved towards the altar from opposite
directions.

# # #

Xander had switched from rifle to a baseball bat, being
uncomfortable with the thought of killing a human.  He smacked a
black robed male when the man tried to hit him as most of them ran
from the area at the sound of firecrackers, gunfire, the sight of
the Slayers and red lightning raining down from the sky disrupted
their anticipated orgy and ritual.

Cordelia had hooked up with Angel and Spike when they pounced from
the trees onto a covener trying to kill the captive girl chained to
a tree.  The two humans were unconscious before the vampires hit the
ground.

Ethan was knocked back into the crumbling wall Giles and the witches
were behind when Victor noticed where the lightning was coming from.
The sorcerer tried to shake it off with a moan. He so hated getting
physical. The only time he didn't mind was when it came from Ripper,
which was different.

Willow growled and increased her magical energy as Rack and Amy
joined in Victor's attack on the vampire-witch and sorcerer.  She
went to her knees as the three joined energies - combining their
attacks.

Giles watched nervously with a growl.  He glanced back at Tara and
Tracy and his frown increased. Battling black energy with positive
wasn't as easy it should be. As Giles had explained to Willow
numerous times, black energy was easier to access than positive and
the rewards seemed to be faster. He also pointed out that the price
tag was higher and was always unpleasant in the end.  Giles watched
as the witches struggled to counter the Hell-Gods' magic.

Buffy and Faith broke the chains holding the screaming and very
naked girl on the altar while hitting anyone that came near them to
try and stop them.  Buffy pulled the girl to her feet and shoved her
towards Faith.

"Get her out of her, get her to Xander," Buffy shouted over the
screams, shouting, gunfire and lightning strikes.

"B!" Faith began to protest but Buffy raised her sword, face
determined.

"He's mine, come back and handle Rack and Amy," Buffy said firmly.

Faith nodded and turned to get the girl out of the chaos.

# # #

Giles was grateful when Buffy jumped up on the altar, swinging her
sword at Victor's head.  He growled when Victor blocked it with his
own sword and threw it to Rack, stepping back.  Buffy turned her
attention to the one slashing at her.

Victor turned his attention back to the magic coming at him.

Giles blinked in surprise when the old doorway behind Victor began
glowing with a sickly green haze. The Watcher realized that the
ritual was working and the gate to the Old Gods was opening.

"No! Ethan!" Giles shouted, dashing around the wall to pull Ethan to
his feet.

# # #

Xander stayed close to the vampires and Cordelia and nodded when
Faith thrust a naked girl in his direction.  The four rescuers began
dragging the two would-be victims down the hill, actually following
along behind the fleeing demon worshippers.

"What about the others?" he yelled to Angel as the vampire carried
one of the girls in his arms.

"We'll come back, we have to get the girls away so the ritual can't
be completed," Angel yelled back.

# # #

Faith dashed back to help Buffy and snarled in frustration when Amy
stepped in her way, hands flashing with magical energy. "Time to
dance, sweetheart!" Faith growled, swinging her sword at the witch.

Amy laughed and pointed a finger at Faith's sword and the Slayer
blinked when it melted like wax.  The witch ducked Faith's follow up
attempt with her fists and just reached out a hand in Faith's
direction.  The Slayer went flying back down the hill into a
boulder, something snapping as she hit.

# # #

Ethan shook his head as Giles tried to rouse him to action. "I'm
seeing double, Rip," he complained.

"Willow can't hold him and the gate is forming!" Giles shouted back.

"Bloody fricking hell!" Ethan mumbled. "You handle the Gate, I'll
back Willow."

Giles knew what Ethan was suggesting but merely nodded. He glanced
at a weakening Willow with a look of desperation and then dashed
past his wife towards the altar and gate.

Tara and Tracy grasped hands together and tried to increase their
energy but it felt as if the Earth herself was fighting them.  The
land they sat on wasn't lending energy to them but to their enemies.
Centuries of dark influences, secret rituals, sacrifices, something
evil buried beneath the earth had built up a sphere of dark energy
that the Wiccans couldn't break through to reach the positive energy
beyond.

Willow wasn't aware of Giles moving towards Victor and the Gate but
she was aware of Ethan rejoining her, lending his energy to fight
back and got to her feet.

"How the hell do we stop him? The Gate is still forming even without
the sacrifice!" Ethan demanded.

"You're the experienced one!" Willow countered.

"Not with demons of this level," Ethan complained.  "He's a goddamn
Hell God!"

"Tara! When we sent Glory flying!" Willow yelled. "Break his
concentration!"

"Got it!" Tara yelled back and leaned over to pass along the idea to
Tracy.

"Where's Giles?" Willow asked, looking around as she regained some
of her energy.

"You don't want to know, luv," Ethan mumbled.

# # #

Buffy's head snapped back from a left cross from Rack but she still
brought the sword up, parrying his next strike.  She yelped and
jumped back when the dagger he held in the left hand sliced across
her ribs.

Her eyes widened when the blood spreading across her shirt glowed
with energy.

"Surprise, Slayer," Rack smirked, aiming for her head with the
sword.  "We counted on you jumping in. ANY blood aids the ritual,
not just some girl on the altar. Several cultists have already died
out there and contributed their blood. You can't stop the ritual
now."

Buffy saw Giles move behind Victor but, instead of attacking the
Hell God as she expected, he turned to the portal, his expression
grim and determined.

"No!" Having experience closing a Gate on her own, Buffy knew what
was in Giles' mind and slashed at Rack. She had to finish the
sorcerer and stop her Watcher.  "Faith!"

# # #

Giles watched the Gate for a moment. He felt the dark energy calling
to him and felt a revulsion for what lay beyond and that he was
actually attracted to it.

The vampire gritted his teeth and grabbed the doorway on either
side, sending his own energy at the vortex, blocking it and fighting
it.

"NO!" Victor screamed behind him and Giles hoped he could hold out
long enough to stop the ritual.

# # #

Willow whimpered when the greenish energy surrounded her mate. It
felt too damned familiar, as if they were watching Buffy diving into
the portal Glory had opened.

"TARA!"

Tara and Tracy got to their feet and glanced over the wall, watching
Victor. Before the Hell God could grab Giles, he disappeared.

"Thank the Goddess," Tracy mumbled, falling backwards, drained. Tara
fell to her knees next to her lover in the same condition.

# # #

Buffy grinned at Rack's stunned expression as Victor disappeared and
slid her sword in between his ribs and spun with a backhand slash as
Amy screeched in rage behind her.  The witch blinked once and went
to her knees, clutching at her stomach.

Rack surprised Buffy by having the strength to hit her when she
turned back in his direction.  He pushed past the slightly stunned
Slayer and pulled Amy to her feet, clutching his ribs. Wrapping an
arm around the witch he began stumbling away from the altar and the
fight.

Buffy turned her attention to her Watcher as Willow and Ethan dashed
over.

"Giles!"

"Don't touch him!" Willow shouted.

"Will! Do something!" Buffy begged as Giles' body rose from the
ground in the doorway, the green haze forming tentacles that grabbed
him.

"We'll try!" Willow said firmly. She grabbed Ethan's
hand. "Concentrate on him!"

Buffy winced as Giles screamed, it was too familiar and too recent.

# # #

Giles watched as the Old God waiting first on the other side,
snarled at him, waiting for the gate to open. It's eyes promised a
very painful and extended death for attempting to stop Victor's
plan.  The creature was… Giles' mind refused to even think about
what he was seeing. He wasn't sure any human mind except Lovecraft
could mentally conceive of such beings and stay sane.

The vampire felt his face change and fangs extend as the evil inside
the gate and surrounding area tried to connect with his inner
darkness and screamed.

# # #

Buffy glanced around and saw all of the fighters except Faith and
felt a grip of fear spread through her body.

"Angel, take care of Will," she said as she started a circular
route, looking for her lover. Along the way she found Tara and Tracy
sitting up, trying to regain their energy and their feet.

"You guys okay?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, we will be," Tracy sighed, pulling Tara into her arms as the
gentle witch wiped tears of exhaustion away from her cheeks. "That
was… intense and unpleasant. I want a very long bath with a scrub
brush and a thorough cleansing ritual."

Buffy nodded, squeezing Tara's shoulder as she passed them.

"Buffy! The others?" Tara asked anxiously.

"Not yet, Tare," Buffy shook her head, continuing to move quickly.

# # #

Angel and Spike held Willow back when Giles screamed again, his body
arched in pain. They could see the Old God, whichever one it was,
one of his six clawed hands reaching for the Watcher vampire.

Ethan blinked and dashed forward, grabbing Giles around the waist
and spinning with him, turning his back on the demon like Old God
and throwing Giles away from the portal. Ethan screamed as
everything exploded in his eyesight and mind, claws raking down his
back.

# # #

Giles opened his eyes slowly with a moan. He was surprised to find
himself in Willow's arms, pulling back her wrist from his fangs.

"Luv?" he asked softly, shifting back to human face.

"Shhh, you'll be okay," she said softly.

"Just crispy around the edges, mate," Spike said easily, squatting
next to the vampires.

Giles sat up and looked around. "What happened? Was the gate closed?"

"Yes, selfless sacrifice countered the unwilling blood sacrifice,"
Angel said, holding Cordelia close.  "Xander is taking the intended
victims to the hospital, they're in shock. Hopefully they won't
remember a thing."

"Selfless? Me? But I'm alive," Giles protested and sat up
straighter. "Where's Buffy, Faith and Ethan?"

"Buffy is looking for Faith," Spike said, ignoring the last part of
the question.

"Ethan?" Giles demanded, looking to Willow for answers.

"He couldn't let you die," Willow frowned, tears filling her eyes.

"No, he wouldn't do that," Giles whimpered. "Ethan… he'd never risk
his skin."

"He loved you, Ru," Willow said softly as Giles turned into her arms.

Seeing Giles was recovering, Angel motioned to Xander and Cordy to
follow him. "We need to find Buffy and Faith," he said softly.

The three found Buffy next to her lover beside one of the large
boulders just below the rise of the hill.  Faith was moaning and
Buffy was holding her head gently.

"Buffy?" Angel asked quickly as the three rushed toward them.

"I think she's hurt," Buffy said, looking up with tear streaming
down her face. "She says it feels like her legs are on fire."

"That's a good sign," Cordy suggested. "Better than not feeling them
at all."

"We'll call the paramedics," Xander said, pulling out his cell phone.

"Giles?" Faith asked, grimacing with pain.

"He's okay, Ethan pulled him out and took his place," Angel
explained.

"Ethan Rayne? Wow. I never would have predicted that one," Buffy
frowned.  "Victor?"

"Didn't come back from wherever Tara and Tracy sent him," Xander
grinned, clicking his phone off from 911.

"Since the time for the ritual passed, perhaps he'll move on," Angel
suggested.

"Better or I'll take his head next time," Buffy growled.

"That's my girl, B," Faith whispered.

# # #

Recently the guys and girls at TV Zone did this thing which tells
what shows and actors they love and hate, several Buffy actors and
writers mentioned, check it out.


http://www.atnzone.com/tvzone/features/whatwerewatching.shtml


I'm also interested in what your answers are...anyone? Mine are
below.



Show I never miss:  House, Medium, Grey's Anatomy, Numbers, and Tru
Calling

Show I almost never miss:  Blind Justice, Law and Order: SVU

Worst Show on television:  Joey, Survivor, Alias

Best Show Nobody's watching or at least, nobody's talking about:
Tru Calling

Guilty pleasure: Desperate Housewives

Favorite actors (male & female):   Eliza Dushku from 'Tru Calling',
Katherine Heigl from 'Grey's Anatomy', The guys who plays Charlie
on 'Numbers', and Hugh Laurie from 'House'.

Actor who needs to be voted off the TV island:  Jennifer Garner

People I'd like to see return to TV:  Joss Whedon, James Marsters,
Alyson Hannigan, Nick Brendon, David Boreanz, Christian Kane, Marti
Noxon...basically any one from Buffy or Angel except Sarah Michelle
Gellar.

Primetime show I hope gets cancelled: Alias



LaDy SiN

From another list and KK

Release date 5/17/05

http://www.rounder.com/index.php?id=album.php&catalog_id=6713




LaDy SiN

From Moviehole

http://www.moviehole.net/news/5309.html



WB considering Blondie Bear return?

Posted on Thr, 24-Mar-2005


Looks like we might be seeing a familiar bloodsucker back on the
frog soon.

Both Joss Whedon and James Marsters, creator and co-star of "Angel",
respectively, have long expressed an interest in bringing bottle-
blonde vampire Spike back to screens in a telemovie - and by the
sounds of it, it's going to [finally] happen.

Whedon announced at Wizard World over the weekend that he's very
keen to do an "Angel" spin-off - with the character of 'Spike' the
chap he'll most likely be concentrating on - and it got a great
reception from those in attendance.

Ausiello over at TV Guide talked to both WB entertainment president
David Janollari, and Whedon, who sounded keener than a Olympian
around water to dive straight into it.

"I have given it more thought since you brought it up. It's
certainly something that I continue to get many fan letters and e-
mails about, and it's something that we discuss a lot around here.
But no decision has been made", the WB head-honcho tells the
reporter.

Whedon seemed optimistic. "I'm really for it, but I have never
really spoken to David Janollari," he said. "I occasionally would
bring it up with [execs at 20th Century] Fox, and they'd be
like, 'Yeah, that would be cool.' And I'm like, 'Who do we need to
talk to?' And then nothing has really happened. I've been really
busy in post [-production] on Serenity and haven't been able to get
the wheels turning, but I definitely intend to investigate it."

Whedon says he doesn't necessarily need to write or direct
the "Spike" telemovie, so the WB can pretty much getting go on it as
soon as they want. "[Spike] is not necessarily something that I
would write and direct myself," he suggested. "I have a lot of
brilliant friends who worked with me for many years who might be
able to take the helm — somebody who both James [Marsters] and I
would trust."

Whedon says his idea for the "Spike" telemovie isn't a prequel. "For
me, Spike is a very contemporary guy," he said. "It's sort of what
distinguished him from Angel."

Fingers crossed - it could be the first smart move The WB has made
since greenlighting "Angel" all those years back.



LaDy SiN

'Tru Calling' Returns March 31st


The Futon Critic
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?
action=pr&id=20050323fox01

Wednesday, March 23, 2005
"TRU CALLING" RETURNS WITH TWO-HOUR SEASON PREMIERE THURSDAY, MARCH
31, ON FOX
Released by FOX

"TRU CALLING" RETURNS WITH TWO-HOUR SEASON PREMIERE THURSDAY, MARCH
31, ON FOX

Eliza Dushku and Jason Priestley Star

What would you do if you could relive a day? If you're Tru Davies
(Eliza Dushku, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), you'd save lives. TRU
CALLING will make its second season premiere with a special two-hour
broadcast Thursday, March 31 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The
series will then air Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

In season one of TRU CALLING, we were introduced to Tru, a smart,
sexy, recent college graduate who - when her high-powered medical
internship fell through - found herself working the midnight shift
at a morgue. Tru was shocked to discover that dead bodies could
speak to her and ask for help in preventing their deaths, and when
they did, she would relive the day and have the chance to prevent
their untimely demise. Tru also discovered that her mother, who was
killed when Tru was only 12 years old, had the same ability. The
audience learned that Tru's father was involved in her mother's
murder, although Tru herself remains unaware.

Jason Priestley ("Beverly Hills 90210") joined the series as Jack
Harper for the final seven episodes of season one. Tru came to learn
that Jack is her opposite - his mission is to guarantee that the
people who ask for Tru's help still die the second time around. In
the season finale, Tru and Jack found themselves on a collision
course with the stakes as high as they could be after the body of
Tru's brother, Harrison (Shawn Reaves), asked for help. As an epic
battle for life and death between Tru and Jack began, Tru's attempts
to save Harrison led to the shocking death of her own on-again, off-
again boyfriend.

Season two begins with the battle still raging. Tru's father moves
to the city so that he can work with Jack and they can maintain
their alliance without Tru's knowledge. Meanwhile, Davis (Zach
Galifianakis), the quirky morgue staffer for whom Tru works,
continues to support Tru on her missions to save lives.




I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!

LaDy SiN

Hey all, sorry for the OT but i thought this was important.


On Sunday, Tom DeLay and Bill Frist, the Republican congressional
leaders, convened an emergency meeting of Congress to pass a bill
that that interferes with the Terri Schiavo tragedy. And although in
five years no other issue has prompted President Bush to return to
Washington during a vacation—including the tsunami—Bush flew back
from his ranch in Texas to sign it.

Bush, Frist, and DeLay claim that they're acting out of concern for
Ms. Schiavo. But a memo intended only for Republican Senators—
uncovered by ABC News—reveals Republicans' true concern: "The pro-
life base will be excited...this is a great political issue...this
is a tough issue for Democrats." This story also takes the heat off
Tom DeLay, who is facing a number of serious ethics charges and
legal scandals.

Americans can have different personal opinions about what should
happen to Terri Schiavo—life is precious, and this case raises some
important ethical questions. But we can all agree that that's what
the courts are for: to make the call in difficult circumstances.
That's why Congress' interference is such an ugly and shameful
incident of political grandstanding. There's no legislative purpose
here, just a blatant attempt to play politics with someone's life.

We need to tell the Republican leaders in Congress that this kind of
pandering and demagoguery will not stand. Will you sign our urgent
petition to Congress to tell them they must stop using one person's
tragedy for their own political gain, and move on to the important
business facing our country?

Sign now at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/grandstanding/?id=5254-1912824-
HAegFtHDYRvor9F41ZXC5A





Here's what i wrote to Congress:


As Americans the government tells us what we can and can not see on
tv and hear on the radio, the government tells us what we can and
can't talk about in our public schools (religion and sex education),
the government tells us who we are supposed to love and spend the
rest of our lives with (gay marriage), and now the government is
trying to tell us whether we can live or die. Congress and
especially the President have absolutely no right to try and profit
politically from the Schiavo tragedy. It's for the courts to decide.
If the Congress and George W. Bush are so concerned about Ms.
Schiavo's life then the President should sign a bill to ensure
better medical care instead of feeding millions of dollars into an
abstinence program that's been proven not to work.



LaDy SiN

From the Hollywood Repoter

"Tru Calling," will return March 31, replacing midseason
entry "Point Pleasant."



No confirmation from Fox yet, as soon as i have it I'll pass it on.

LaDy SiN

From Hollywood Reporter

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?
vnu_content_id=1000845143



Whedon lassos 'Wonder' helm for Warners


Joss Whedon is preparing to bring to life another formidable female
character. The creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has signed to
write and direct "Wonder Woman," a live-action film adaptation of
the DC Comics character for Warner Bros. Pictures. Joel Silver and
Leonard Goldberg are producing.



"Wonder Woman is the most iconic female heroine of our time, but in
a way, no one has met her yet," Whedon said in a statement. "What I
love most about icons is finding out what's behind them, exploring
the price of their power. When Joel and I began discussing the
character, I realized there is a woman behind the legend who is very
fascinating, very uncompromising and in her own way almost
vulnerable. She's someone who doesn't belong in this world, and
since everyone I know feels that way about themselves, the character
clicked for me."

According to the lore of the comic book, Wonder Woman is the
superhero name of Diana, an Amazonian princess from Paradise Island,
an uncharted island to which the Amazons fled to escape domination
by the ancient Greeks and Romans. She has super strength, bracelets
that deflect bullets and a golden lasso that ensnares victims and
forces them to tell the truth. She has, at times, even had her own
super vehicle, an invisible plane.

"There's no one better than Joss to adapt the legendary Wonder Woman
comic book character created in the 1940s into a dynamic feature
film for 21st century audiences," Silver said. "Wonder Woman was the
first great female superhero to emerge from comic books and later
inspire millions of fans in her television incarnation, but unlike
her counterparts Batman and Superman, this groundbreaking heroine
has yet to be reinvented for the feature film arena."

Wonder Woman was created by educational consultant William Moulton
Marston and first appeared in All Star Comics in 1941. Because of
her popularity, she got her own self-titled series six months later.
The heroine was played by Lynda Carter in the TV series that ran on
ABC and CBS from 1976-79.

Warner Bros. is known to have been eyeing a Wonder Woman feature for
some time.

"We are excited about working with Joss," Warner Bros. Pictures
president Jeff Robinov said. "He brings great energy and creativity
to the process. His work on 'Buffy' makes him uniquely qualified to
handle the Wonder Woman character."

Whedon created the influential WB Network/UPN drama series "Buffy"
and its spinoff, "Angel." He is in postproduction on the Universal
Pictures feature "Serenity," which he wrote and directed based on
his short-lived Fox drama series "Firefly." His other writing
credits include "Toy Story" and "Alien: Resurrection."

Whedon, who also is penning the Marvel comic "Astonishing X-Men," is
repped by CAA and attorney Sam Fischer.

From Yahoo News

http://news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050317/tv_nm/television_pilots_dc_1


Fox Assigns 'Kitchen' Duty to Brendon

Thu Mar 17, 2:19 AM ET


By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Nicholas Brendon (news), who
played Xander Harris on the hit series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer,"
has been cast in a pilot for Fox.
  "Kitchen Confidential" centers on a bad-boy chef at a top New York
restaurant. Brendon will play another chef at the eatery.





And from The Futon Critic

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?action=newswire&id=6853



KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (FOX) - Nicholas Brendon ("Buffy the Vampire
Slayer") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about a bad-
boy, down-on-his-luck chef who takes over at a top New York
restaurant and must fight off all the urges of his former lifestyle.
Brendon will play Seth Klein in the project, which also stars Owain
Yeoman and John Francis Daley. His character is described in the
casting notice as: "20s. A pastry chef extraordinaire, and is also a
compulsive gambler, who~{!/~}ll take odds on ANY bet! He is lured to
Bistro Pino by a desperate Jack. Despite some misgivings, Seth joins
the team." Darren Star is directing the single-camera pilot from a
script by David Hemingson. Star, Hemingson, David Knoller and Jim
Rosenthal then will executive produce the project, which is set up
at 20th Century Fox Television, New Line Television and Darren Star
Productions.

Moviehole.net

http://www.moviehole.net/news/5221.html



Matthew Vaughn On Board For X-Men 3

Posted on Mon, 14-Mar-2005


Well, it's now almost a certainty, Matthew Vaughn, the Director
of "Layer Cake", Producer of "Snatch" & "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking
Barrels" & incredibly fortunate husband of Claudia Schiffer is all
set to helm "X-Men 3".

The master of mad scientists, Moriarty knocked out that tasty tidbit
over at Ain't It Cool, not too long ago, and strangely at the same
time, Joss Whedon felt 'a strange disturbance in the force' as half
of his fan base promptly killed themselves.

From Zap2it!:

'Angel,' 'Felicity' Stars Join CBS' 'Unit'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Scott Foley, Amy Acker and Regina Taylor
are
the latest additions to the ensemble of CBS' drama pilot "The Unit."
Based on Eric Haney's book "Inside Delta Force," "The Unit" looks at
members of a Special Forces unit and their families. David Mamet
("Glengarry Glen Ross," "Heist") and Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") are
executive producing the 20th Century Fox TV production. Dennis
Haysbert ("24"), Michael Irby ("Line of Fire") and Regina King
("Ray") were previously announced for the cast.

Foley, last seen in a guest starring role on FOX's "House," is best
known for his run as Noel Crane on The WB's "Felicity." The actor,
who also starred in NBC's "A.U.S.A.," has also done recent spots
on "Scrubs" and "Jack & Bobby."


This will be Acker's first regular television gig since she ended
her
run on The WB's "Angel" last spring. In addition to playing Winifred
Burkle from 2001-2004, Acker has appeared on "Wishbone" and in the
2003 telefilm "Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and
Burt."
Taylor has been a regular on "I'll Fly Away" and "The Education of
Max Bickford."

The Hollywood Reporter has no specifics on which parts the various
actors will play.

http://www.pjo.ca/thesegirls



Based on the humorously edgy play by Vivienne Laxdal, These Girls is
the story of three teenage girls who, in turn, seduce and then
attempt to share Keith, an older married man. It is a tale of
innocence, jealousy and friendship told as a provocative coming-of-
age story.


When Carolyn and Lisa discover that their best friend Glory is
sleeping with Keith Clark, they both, in their own ways, go about
seducing him as well. When each discovers that the other is involved
with Keith, their friendship is put to the test. However, rather
than squabble over him and run the risk of all losing out, they
decide to make a pact and share him. At first, Keith puts up
resistance to the plan, but soon finds out that he has very little
say in the matter. He takes it like a man and caves in.


Their scheme works well for a time, but eventually all good things
must come to an end. On a fateful night, a desperate and sexually
exhausted Keith sets in motion his escape plan and everything comes
crashing down.

Check out the website below and sign the petition against the FCC
making new regulations to further control what we can and can't see
on tv and hear on the radio.
They are trying to get 1 million signatures so tell you friends!

http://www.stopfcc.com/


SiN

Hey all, got this in my email wanted to leave it here in case anyone
is interested.

SiN




I got this as a gift in February, and I really have no place for it,
so I wanted to give it to someone who could appreciate it. Sideshow
Collectibles has stopped making this figure, and they are now sold
out. The original price was $40. Follow this URL to go to the ebay
auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6517613255

For this item only, I am willing to ship worldwide. I can only
accept U.S. dollars, however, and only personal check, cashier's
check, money order, or Paypal bank account transfer. (I can't do
Paypal credit card transactions because that costs extra money that
I don't have.)

Thanks for looking! Please feel free to share this with any list,
forum, what have you that you think would be interested! The auction
will only run until March 19th!

Carol A

Elizabeth Rohm (AKA Detective Kate Lockley) will star in the Fox
pilot "Briar & Graves". Rohm will play a doctor who solves
unexplained religious phenomena.

Alyson Hannigan (AKA Willow Rosenberg), rumor has it, will be on
board for a sitcom called "How I Met Your Mother".

Hey all, heres some bits of info i've picked up about where you can
see our fav Buffy and Angel stars.



March 19 @ 9 pm on the USA network James Marsters (AKA Spike) is in
a movie about a jewel heist called "Cool Money".

Michelle Trachtenberg (AKA Dawn Summers) did an interview about her
new movie "Ice Princess" with TeenVogue Magazine, March Issue, page
115.

David Boreanaz (AKA Angel) has joined the cast of a Fox drama
called "Bones", our favorite former souled vamp is 'staked' to play
an FBI agent.

Jenny Mollen (AKA Nina Ash) has signed on to play in thriller
called "Fear itself".



SiN

Hi,
    You probably already know that the Season 5 set of Angel dvds hit
stores on Tuesday. If you haven't picked up your copy, I don't know
what you're waiting for. Check out   www.foxstore.com and get your
copy online today!! You don't wanna miss this one!!!
*~Nyz~*

Rewrite Season 6, part 14
Lonely In Your Nightmare

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2005 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same and opposite gender.  If this offends or
is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when you are
older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  R (US) 15 (UK) MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary:  Tara is back but Willow and Ripper are bent on revenge.
Can the gang stop them before they fall into darkness?

* * *

Buffy crawled in the back seat of the car and held out her arms as
Xander and Anya helped a semi-conscious Tara in and then Faith.

Dawn and Anya crowded into the front seat of Xander's car as he
started it.

Buffy looked past Tara to Faith, her eyes unreadable.

"What, B?" Faith asked softly.

"You knew they'd probably kill you," Buffy said softly.

"Yeah, I thought I might have a chance to get Tara out during the
struggle," Faith nodded.

"You barely met Tara, why?" Buffy asked softly.

"I needed to do something right," Faith almost whispered. "She's
important to Willow and you guys."

"Faith?" Buffy asked softly, leaning over Tara to get closer to
Faith, to look her in the eyes.  "Are we starting over here?"

"You believe I wanna change?" Faith asked softly, tears filling her
eyes.

"I think you've already changed," Buffy smiled, reaching out to
touch Faith's cheek.  "Give me a chance to prove I've changed and
that I'm not an unforgiving bitch?"

Dawn looked back with a smirk.  "About time!"

"Shut up, runt!" Buffy smiled, blushing a bright red.

"How do we find Willow?" Anya demanded.  "And Riley is following us."

"There's no way the Xan Mobile can lose him," Xander muttered.

"We'll deal with him later," Buffy growled.  "I don't think Sam will
let him take Tara from us."

"Again, how do we find Willow?" Anya demanded.

"Turn west," Tara muttered.

"Tara?" Buffy squeaked hopefully as Tara slowly raised her head from
the back of the seat and opened her eyes.  "Oh God, your eyes are
kinda purple."

"She's hungry," Anya explained simply. "It's like she's part demon
now."

"How f**king ironic is that?" Xander demanded.

"Xander! Language!" Buffy snapped, glancing at Dawn.

"Well it is!" Xander complained. "She was terrified all her life
because her twisted family told her she was half demon. We prove she
isn't and now we help make her half demon.  Twisted!"

"I'm alive and we can get Willow back," Tara said softly. "I'll deal
with whatever this is later."

"Which way is West? It's dark!" Xander complained.

"Turn left," Faith muttered and shrugged when Buffy questioned the
dark Slayer with her eyes.

"Have they found Ethan and Spike?" Buffy asked softly.

"Not yet," Tara shook her head.  "We've got to hurry though, Willow
is totally shut off and I can't read Giles at all."

"He's not Giles anymore," Buffy muttered.  "What do we do about this
hunger thing?"

"Psychic vampires feed through strong emotions or through touch,"
Anya suggested.

"We can do this, B," Faith said softly.

"Both of us?" Buffy asked, a frown on her face.

"It won't be as draining if it's both of us," Faith pointed out.

"You were snacked on by a vampire and ripped your hands apart,
you're not up to this," Buffy growled.

"Tara, you're the one that needs this," Faith said softly, taking
one of Tara's hands into hers.

Buffy frowned but took the other hand.

"Close your eyes," Anya instructed from the front seat.  "Tara, just
reach out like a psychic or astral journey thing. Connect with their
energy lines and draw it in."

Buffy and Faith both felt their bodies jerk as Tara connected with
them.  Unlike the way it felt with Dracula or other creatures they
had ever felt, Tara's touch and connection was loving and gentle.
It was also arousing.

* * *

Ethan turned and muttered a quick incantation and made several
gestures before he slammed the door shut on the third abandoned
building they had hidden in for two days.

"Damn it! We're supposed to be hunting them!" Spike complained.

"Shut up, Spike," Ethan grumbled.  "When it's dark, you can go your
way and I'll go mine."

"No more grand plans for revenge?" Spike smirked.

"You're going to have two pissed off Slayers, an ex-vengeance demon,
an Initiative Strike Team and two very, very powerful and totally
out of control sorcerers after you? What do you think you'd like to
do?" Ethan taunted.

"You wanted Giles back as the sorcerer," Spike pointed out.

"I didn't expect him to team up with the red-haired brat!" Ethan
growled. "She's guiding him!"

"Alright, at sunset and we go our separate ways!" Spike
agreed. "After that, we don't run into each other, right?"

"Not if I can help it," Ethan snapped.

* * *

Willow glared when Ripper stopped the car.  "Which way, luv?"

The witch hesitated and then pointed to the left.  "That way!"

Ripper grinned evilly and turned the car at the intersection.

"Ethan is mine," Ripper growled.

Willow's black eyes flashed for a moment and then she nodded.

"How dangerous are you, Ripper?" Willow demanded.

"I can take on Ethan," Ripper growled.  "More than a match for
anything except you."

"Good, as long as we're clear on that," Willow muttered. "I am going
to kill Spike very, very slowly for touching her!"

"Understood," Ripper grinned.

"You and Ethan were lovers?" Willow asked, her voice curious.

"Yes, and enemies most of our lives," Ripper nodded.  "He wants me
back in his bed or my head on a pike."

"Which do you want?" Willow asked, apparently without judgment.

"His head on a platter!" Ripper growled.  "He hurt my friends, Ethan
should have remembered that was a breaking point."

"Stop!" Willow ordered and opened the car door.  "That house over
there. The one that looks like where Freddy Krueger lives. Be
careful, it's warded."

"No worries, luv," Ripper grinned, lifting an axe out of the back
seat.  "I'm prepared for magic and physical."

"Good," Willow nodded, reaching for the crossbow.

"Hey, can we join in?" Faith smirked as she stepped out of the
shadows of one of the trees.  Buffy stepped into the light on
Willow's right.

"If you're here to help us kill Ethan, Spike and whoever might be
helping them," Willow said calmly, her eyes still magick black.

"You know we can't let you kill Ethan or any human helping him,"
Buffy said calmly.

"No!" Willow shouted.  "What I know is that Spike killed Tara and
probably raped her! What I know is that Ethan took my magic and
drained me like a damned battery! He didn't care if I was sane or
not when he was done! That's as bad as being raped! He was inside of
me! They die, Buffy! I don't give a damn about your Slayer ethics!"

"Will, I can't let you cross that line, no matter how justified it
seems," Buffy said firmly.

"Move aside, Buffy," Ripper growled, his hands tightening around the
axe handle.

"Don't force this, Giles," Buffy begged.  "Xander and the others are
circling around to trap Ethan and Spike. We kill Spike like the
vampire he is and Riley can take Ethan back into custody."

"Time to grow up, Buffy," Ripper snapped.  "He escaped once!
Ethan'll do it again! He helped kill Tara! It's only dark magic that
saved her! He ruined Faith's chance at freedom and you want him to
live?"

"No," Buffy shook her head. "I don't want him to live but I have to
live with myself and my friends. Slayers and Slayer friends don't
kill humans."

"Get over it," Ripper growled. "What do you think happened to Dr.
Ben?"

Buffy blinked several times as Faith looked at her curiously.

"I wasn't around, we let him go and then I died," Buffy said softly.

"Giles couldn't chance it," Ripper smirked, moving closer to
Buffy.  "I put a knife in that young man's back and severed his
spinal cord without an ounce of guilt."

"No," Buffy whimpered, almost shrinking back. "Giles wouldn't, you
wouldn't."

"Easily," Ripper smirked.

"But that means…." Buffy stammered. "Faith went to prison for
killing someone accidentally."

"I killed the host for a Hell God that was intent on destroying the
world," Ripper countered.  "You should have done the same."

Buffy looked confused and Willow stepped forward.

"Move aside, Buffy," Willow said firmly.  "Let us work justice."

"This isn't justice, it's revenge," Faith growled.

"So what? Same ends," Willow snapped. "Move!"

"Not happening, Red," Faith said firmly. "Tara will kill me if I let
you cross that ethical line."

"Willow," Joyce's voice called to them as the Spirit stepped out of
the shadows on the porch of the old abandoned house.  "Ethan and
Spike are already gone. They got away again."

"No!" Willow screamed and Ripper cursed and everything went into
slow motion.

The red-haired witch turned and snapped her hands out in front of
her, catching Sam by surprise with an electric like energy bolt that
threw the commando flying back ten feet into a car, stunned.

"Damnit! Sam!" Riley shouted, drawing his Glock pistol.

Faith and Buffy rushed forward to grab Giles and Willow but the
sorcerer waved his hand and an invisible shield sent both Slayers
down to the grass when they hit it.  Giles leaped forward just as
Riley fired at Willow.

"No!" Willow screamed again as Giles fell at her feet.  The witch
quickly bent down and rolled Giles over on his back and screamed at
the sight of the blood on the ex-Watcher's chest.

Willow held her hands over Giles and chanted.

Buffy watched her friend bending over her surrogate father with a
whimper.  The blonde Slayer reached out and found Faith's willing
hand as Willow chanted and rocked gently.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Xander asked softly as he and Anya
ran up and took in the scene.

"Where's Tara and Dawn?" Buffy asked almost in a whisper.

"Still in the car, just like you ordered," Xander reassured her as
they watched Willow work.

Willow fell forward over Giles and let Buffy and Faith pull her
back, the witch falling in the blonde Slayer's arms.

Faith quickly checked out Giles.  The Slayer wasn't really surprised
when she ripped Giles' shirt open and found there wasn't even a
wound.  Just a spent and smashed bullet lying on his chest.  Faith
picked it up with a stunned expression.  She hadn't been expecting
that.

She glanced over at Riley as he held Sam, the female soldier
beginning to regain consciousness.  He still gripped the pistol in
his hand and had tears streaming down his face as he held his wife.
He would occasionally look their direction.  He fumbled with the gun
as blood began to seep from the bandages around his wrists.  Sam had
done a good job bandaging them but Faith knew he should have gone to
the hospital.

"Buffy?" Willow asked softly.

"Right here, Will," Buffy said gently.  "I'll always catch you."

Faith felt a frown spread across her face.  It was very clear how
much Buffy cared for Willow and that it ran both ways.  What the
main question for the dark Slayer now was where did she and Tara fit
into it.

"Tara?" Willow asked softly as she clung to the blonde Slayer.

"She's alive, just changed a little," Buffy admitted.

"I know," Willow nodded. "She's here, isn't she?"

"Yes," Buffy nodded.

"She didn't see me like that, did she?" Willow whimpered and Faith
smiled. Willow sounded so small and frail, nothing like the terror
that could tear down a house with a single gesture they had faced
minutes before.

"No, Will," Buffy whispered. "She didn't see Dark Side Willow."

"What the hell did you do to Sam?" Riley shouted and stood up as Sam
sat against the car and shook her head.

"Back off, Riley!" Buffy yelled as Willow growled, her eyes
beginning to darken.

"I'm taking her in, Buffy!" Riley shouted.

Faith quickly stood up between Giles, Willow and Buffy.

"Back off, Captain America!" Faith snapped.

"She almost killed Sam!" he shouted angrily.

"Willow snapped out of it, alright?" Buffy yelled.  "Look, no black
eyes!"

"She could go back in a heartbeat!" Riley growled, trying to hold
onto his gun.

"That's not Willow and you know it!" Buffy said wearily.  "Why do
you think she's crying now? Seeing you shoot Giles and healing him
brought her back."

Giles sat up slowly and felt his chest, his face puzzled.

"I was shot?" he muttered.

"Willow saved you, G-Man," Faith said absently as she watched
Riley's enraged face debate what he should do.

"Go back to the hotel, Riley," Buffy snapped as she held the sobbing
Willow.  "Can't you see Willow's back? She's fine!"

"What I see is someone that has access to a lot of magickal power
and she'll do it again!" Riley snapped.

"Don't make me hurt you," Faith growled and Riley hesitated.

"She is a danger and it's my job to eliminate or neutralize that
kind of danger," the soldier snarled. "It should be your job too! Or
are you forgetting there's a prison cell waiting for you?"

"Drop dead, Riley," Xander growled. "We almost lost Tara, we aren't
letting you take Willow."

"Don't worry, we won't separate them," Riley growled.

Faith yelled and snap kicked the soldier in the chest and followed
through by grabbing the pistol out of his hand but dropped it
herself because of her own injured wrists and hands.  The dark
Slayer growled, frustrated.  Rapid Slayer healing wasn't working
fast enough for the impatient warrior.

"Take Willow and Tara home, B," Faith snapped.  "Xander and I will
see that Sam and her jerk of a husband get back to the hotel."

* * *

"Bloody hell!" Spike complained as he pulled twigs and leaves from
his hair and jacket.  "Crawling around like a frickin' squirrel or
something!"

"Just be thankful my alarm spell warned us in time to get out,"
Ethan growled, touching a trail of blood on his cheek where a sharp
branch had caught him in the dark.

"The only thing I'll be thankful for will be when I'm done with you,
mate!" Spike snapped.  "Enough of playing around, either we go
straight there, take them out and kill them already or we're done!"

"Oh rack off already," Ethan grumbled.  "I'm tired of you too!
Always with the threats and no action!"

"What?" Spike hissed, vamping out but Ethan was unimpressed.

"Moping around like a love sick puppy dog!" Ethan smirked.  "Trying
to sex the Slayer up instead of killing her? You're pathetic!"

"Pathetic?" Spike howled in rage and tackled Ethan to the ground.

Ethan countered with a heat spell that set Spike rolling of him with
a shout, the sorcerer's clothes smoldering.

The irate sorcerer stood up and looked down at a glaring Spike.

"Pathetic!" Ethan snapped.  "You can't kill the Slayer, you can't
shag her properly to keep her, and you can't even force yourself on
her without being taken down by a teenager!"

Spike tried to growl but failed and reverted to human face.

Ethan smirked at the vampire.  "Dye your hair and change your name,
Spike. William the Bloody has been whipped in all manner by a
Slayer.  You'll be the laughing stock of the demon community."

Spike leaped to his feet with a growl.  "I'm the only vampire to bag
two Slayers in my career!"

"So what? Dracula killed more than that and this Slayer killed him!"
Ethan laughed in Spike's face.  "You can't even get close enough to
kiss her now, let alone kill her!"

Spike sputtered, trying to come up with a good comeback in his
defense, the problem was, Ethan was striking home with each word.

"Go find a deep hole to crawl into and leave town tomorrow night,
Spike," Ethan said, his voice filled with revulsion.  "You're done
here. Again."

Spike stood looking at his boots as the sorcerer walked off into the
dark.

* * *

Willow had surprised Buffy by asking to ride in the other car, still
crying and unable to face Tara yet.  Faith then surprised Buffy
further by asking to hold Willow on the way home while Buffy kept an
eye on Tara and Dawn.

The blonde Slayer had agreed.  She was puzzled but crawled into the
jeep with Tara, Dawn, and reluctantly started the car.

Giles was elected to drive Xander's car while Faith held Willow.

"I can't face her!" Willow sobbed, clinging to Faith.  "Bad, bad
Jedi Force!"

"I know," Faith said softly, holding Willow tightly.  "But you
didn't cross that line, Red. You came back."

"You stopped me!" Willow whimpered.  "I was going to kill him, I was
willing to kill a human being."

"Willow, being willing to kill a human doesn't make you evil," Faith
said calmly. "It's whether you do or not that decides if you're good
or bad. You used that energy to save Giles instead of taking a life.
That puts you on the side of the good guys."

"It hurts!" Willow admitted.

"It hurts worse if you cross that line," Faith whispered and Willow
sat up and looked the other woman in the eyes, tears still streaming
down her face.

"How did you live with it?" Willow asked.

"I didn't, remember? I went a little nuts and tried to ignore it,
live with, or die with it," Faith said softly.

"Tara won't forgive me! Using magick like that!" Willow whined,
falling into Faith's arms again.

"Yes, she will," Faith said firmly.  "You saved her life and Giles'
and you didn't kill."

"I…I…did bad stuff to get the magic back," Willow whispered.

"Did you kill anyone?" Willow shook her head and Faith smiled,
stroking Willow's red hair.  "Then we'll work it out. I don't know
what happened in that spell thing but I can feel your emotions,
that's how Tara found you guys"

"We're connected now," Willow nodded.  "The spell brought you into
the connection too."

"What does that mean, Red?" Faith asked softly.

"Don't know really," Willow muttered.  "Means that we'll be able to
sense what the others are feeling, we'll know when someone's in
danger."

"What about other emotions?" Faith asked with a frown.

"I don't know, I'm new to this too," Willow complained.

"Tara will forgive you," Faith said gently as Willow cried softly.

"No, she won't," the redhead shook her head in disbelief.  "Bad
stuff and was gonna do bad stuff."

"If Buffy can forgive me for everything, then Tara will forgive you
for losing it tonight," Faith said firmly.  "You were pushed over
the edge, Red.  I'd probably kill anyone who hurt Buffy."

"You two are on again, aren't you?" Willow asked softly.

Faith pulled back in surprise.  "You knew?"

"You two were either fighting or best buds," Willow managed to
smirk.  "Didn't take a genius and you more than hinted at it!"

"Yeah, well, I hurt her badly," Faith grumbled. "B says that she
forgives me."

"Then she does," Willow shrugged.

"I tried to kill her best friend, I almost killed her boyfriend and
tried to help conquer the world," Faith said ruefully.  "If she can
forgive that, Tara can forgive your desire for revenge."

"Maybe," Willow said reluctantly.

"Trust me, she loves you more than life," Faith nodded.  "You're the
reason she hung on so long."

"Maybe Riley's right," Willow mumbled.  "I turned to dark magic for
revenge."

"And you regret it and you didn't use it," Faith pointed out.  "I
kept on the straight and narrow, you will too."

"Don't let them take us, Faith," Willow whimpered.  "What they did
to Oz was horrible."

"No one's taking you, Red," Faith said firmly, bending down to
lightly kiss Willow's lips but sat back abruptly, stunned by her own
behavior.

Willow nodded, seeming to ignore Faith's kiss.

Giles pulled up in front of the Summers' house without a word.
Faith was a little worried at his silence but was more focused on
the emotionally overwrought Willow.  The dark Slayer opened the door
and wrapped her arms around Willow as the girl continued to cling to
her.

They had beaten Buffy and Tara home and Faith pleased.  She helped
Willow into the house upstairs into the room she shared with Tara.

"Now stay there and wait for Tara," Faith ordered as Willow curled
up around a pillow.  "She's going to be scared to death that you're
going to reject her."

"Why?" Willow asked, totally puzzled.

"Red, she's something like part demon now," Faith pointed out. "She
needs energy to survive like a vampire needs blood. Tara is freaking
out that you're going to reject her!"

"I'd never reject her, it's not her fault!" Willow protested,
sitting up.

"Then why are you worried?" Faith countered with a smirk leaving
Willow with a frown.

Faith frowned when she reached the bottom of the stairs and didn't
see Giles.  A quick run through the kitchen told the dark Slayer
what she already knew, he wasn't there.  Faith opened the front door
just as Buffy drove up with Tara and Dawn.

Tara got out of the car slowly, almost timidly.  Dawn grabbed her
hand and pulled the witch towards the house as Buffy followed.

"Giles is gone, isn't he?" Buffy asked wearily as she approached the
other Slayer.

"Yeah," Faith nodded, moving back inside.

"You don't do half bad with that cast now," Buffy smirked.  "Even
without crutches."

"Where did Giles go?" Faith demanded.

"After Ethan, I'm not sure if he's Giles or Ripper," Buffy sighed
heavily as Dawn led Tara up the stairs.

"What do we do about it?" Faith snapped.

"Faith, neither one of us could stop Giles now," Buffy said, sitting
down on the sofa.  "I want to stay here and make sure Willow and
Tara are okay."

Dawn came back down the stairs slowly, looking worried.

"Are they okay?" Faith asked quickly.

"I don't know," Dawn said softly, crossing the space to sit next to
Buffy.  The blonde Slayer wrapped an arm around her sisters'
shoulders.  "Willow wouldn't look up, she was all huddled in
herself, wringing her hands and crying. Tara wouldn't move until I
pushed her in the door. Last I saw, they were crying and holding
each other."

"That's better than silence," Faith opted, trying to smile.

"Where's Giles?" Dawn asked softly.

"Out hunting," Buffy said sadly.

"For Ethan still?" Dawn asked with a frown and Buffy nodded.

"We have to stop him!" the young girl protested and Faith nodded,
glaring at Buffy for not moving to stop her Watcher and surrogate
father from crossing the line no Watcher or Slayer should.

"Yeah but I'm more worried about protecting Willow and Tara from
Riley right now," Buffy explained.  "I can fix that, I'm not sure I
can stop Giles without one of us getting hurt. Neither of us could
live with that."

"Riley?" Faith asked, her face matching Dawn's frown.

"I know him, he'll be here in a few minutes despite Xander, Anya and
Sam trying to stop him," Buffy said ruefully.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Willow stammered.  "I'm sorry, baby!"

"Will!" Tara said firmly after holding a nearly hysterical Willow
for several minutes.  "Stop it and talk to me! I-I can't d-do this
without you!"

Willow hiccupped and tried to stop crying.  Tara had never seen her
lover looking so vulnerable as she did right then.

"Tara," Willow whimpered. "I left you! You almost died and I left
you to do bad things!"

"W-Willow," Tara said softly, gently stroking her lover's hair. "I
know and I-I might yell at you about it later. R-right now, I just
want my W-Willow."

Willow moaned as Tara pulled her closer.

"I love you, Willow," Tara said softly. "I held on for you. Please
connect with me again."

Willow tentatively held her hands up and Tara did the same,
interlacing their fingers together, palm to palm. Just as they had
first done during the terror of running from The Gentlemen.

Willow's head snapped back as she felt her energy joining once again
with Tara's.  The red-haired witch felt the subtle changes that her
lover had gone through to stay alive and come back to her.  Changes
that would affect them, Buffy, Faith and Dawn if they kept the close
connection alive between all of them.  She could feel the love that
each of them shared for each other and felt new tears staining her
cheeks, knowing they were mirrored on Tara's face.

Willow was surprised at the depth of love that Faith felt for Buffy
and the growing affection and devotion to the other Scooby members,
including Tara and Willow.  No longer viewing the reformed Slayer
with suspicion, Willow opened her heart and felt herself connecting
with Faith as well and knew Tara was connecting along with her.

Curious, Willow extended her psychic senses and felt Dawn's hopeful
energy and the young woman's absolute trust and love for all of
them, even a touch of it remaining for Spike.  Willow felt Dawn's
energy wrapping around hers and Tara's and smiled at the joy
radiating from the young girl.

Willow hesitated, trying to move past the other energy her psychic
tendrils reached for.

* Show me * Tara's voice said calmly in Willow's head.

* No, it's nothing * Willow answered.

* Show me * Tara's voice insisted.

*  I'm with you! I'm your girl! * Willow snapped.

* Show me * Tara said for the third and magical time.

Willow felt Tara's energy brush past hers, taking the lead and
seeking out the blonde Slayer.

* No! * Willow shouted in Tara's head.

* You already know we're connected with her, what won't you face? *
Tara demanded, still in the frustratingly calm voice.

* Nothing! * Willow growled but found her energy following Tara's as
it danced around the overwhelmed Slayer.

Willow could feel Buffy's worry for all of them, it was almost
weighing her friend into mental exhaustion.  The witch knew Buffy
was close to an edge and moved forward, wanting to wrap Buffy in a
safe cocoon, to protect her Protector from the terrors facing the
group.

The red-haired witch felt Buffy welcoming Tara's energy with a sense
of relief and vague hope.  Willow tried to draw back but felt drawn
to Buffy's energy, especially now that it was merged with Tara's.  *
No, can't do this! * she protested as Buffy lowered her mental
shields and pulled Willow in.

Willow's body jerked and Tara tightened her grip on her lover's
fingers.

The hacker witch tried to turn away from the naked emotions that
Buffy showed no one, not even herself.  Willow felt her own heart
and soul opening, places she had kept closed from even Tara and
herself.  Willow whimpered as that energy came forth and met with
Buffy's and began to merge.

Willow cried out from her position on the bed as she felt the love
and desire radiating from her best friend and found it answered
inside of her, Tara, and Faith.

"Please, no more, too much," she whispered hoarsely.

Tara drew the individual energies back, closing the shields on each
person before drawing back until it was just her and Willow again.

"I knew, Will," Tara said softly, not releasing Willow's hands.  "I
knew you loved Buffy all this time but I know that you love me and I
trust that."

Willow struggled to pull away from Tara, tears streaming down her
face again.

"No, I love you! I loved Oz!" Willow protested.

"Willow!" Tara said sharply, stopping Willow's struggles.  "It's
alright! I know you love me!"

"What does this mean?" Willow whispered, moving forward into Tara's
arms as the blonde witch finally released her hands.

"It means that we're connected, the five of us," Tara said softly,
laying back on the bed and taking Willow with her.  "What we do with
that energy, we have to figure out."

"It feels like what we have," Willow frowned. "Does that mean….we…
the five of us….snuggles? I mean, what about Dawn? No snuggles
there!"

Tara smiled and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Willow.

"Only what we make of it and no 'snuggling' Dawn," she said
softly.  "We've seen and felt things that normally takes couples
years to see and feel. We'll figure it all out later."

"Sleepy now," Willow agreed, snuggling into Tara's arms.  "I did bad
things, baby."

"I know, lover," Tara said softly. "I can feel him but you're not
his and you used that energy to save me and Giles. You don't have to
go back."

"Don't wanna," Willow nodded.  "Bad Jedi stuff."

Tara smiled.  She felt different and knew her body had changed
because of the vampirism and the spell to save her soul and life but
it felt like things might be okay with Willow in her arms.

She knew they'd figure out how Buffy, Faith and Dawn fit into
things.  Especially Dawn, the underage sister of her best friend.
That was going to require a different dynamic than the attraction
she felt from Faith and Buffy along with the desire and love from
Willow.

Tara knew when Riley's special military vehicle pulled up in front
of the house but chose to ignore it as Willow slept peacefully.

Rewrite Season 6, part 13
Ashes to Ashes

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2005 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same and opposite gender.  If this offends or
is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when you are
older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  R (US), 15 (UK), MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary:  What happens to Willow now that Tara is dead? Things
aren't as they seem but the consequences could be permanent for
Witch and Slayers alike.

* * *

Buffy couldn't believe it, she had felt Tara die.  She had actually
felt and seen Tara's life line, her soul, leave her body and
disconnect from her and Dawn.  The Slayer also felt Willow trying to
follow her lover, unwilling to let go.

Even now Buffy wasn't sure if Willow wouldn't just give up and die.
The witch didn't seem to hear them as she lay curled in Buffy's bed,
staring at nothing.

Dawn was crying endlessly and Giles looked older than she had ever
seen him as they sat in the living room, wondering what to do and
how to strike back against Ethan and Spike.

"Buffy?" Riley asked softly as the Slayer walked down the stairs
towards the living room.  "I'm sorry, I can have a strike team
standing by, whatever you need."

"Thank you, Riley," Buffy said politely, not really registering his
words.

Anya moved to answer the phone when Buffy merely stared at its
ringing.

"Hello?" she answered softly and her eyes widened.

"Buffy! It's Faith!"

Buffy grabbed the phone before Anya had finished Faith's name.

"Faith? Where?" Buffy demanded.

"Angel's old mansion!" Faith gasped. "Hurry, B! Get here before
dark!"

Buffy hung up the phone and dashed for the stairs. "Grab weapons!
I'll get Willow! Angel's mansion!"

The Slayer threw the door to her room open.

"Willow!" she shouted and then stopped suddenly, looking at an empty
bed and an open window.

"Damn," Buffy muttered and dashed back down the stairs.  "Willow's
gone!"

"Where the hell would she go?" Anya complained.

"Revenge," Xander said solemnly. "Can she do it?"

"Do you mean, can she get her magical energy back?" Giles questioned
the question.  "Yes, she can. Probably not from the most ethical of
sorcerers either.  If the question is whether Willow is capable of
revenge, well, she did go after Glory when Tara was hurt."

"Okay, let's get to Faith and then we'll find Willow," Buffy
growled, heading for the door.

"She might actually find Ethan and Spike for us," Anya said, trying
for a positive note in her voice.

"Yeah, but do we stop Will?" Xander asked as they headed for the
cars.

Giles frowned.  "Revenge through magic is not a nice path to start
down on and Ethan is human."

"I'm tired of messing with him!" Buffy complained.  "If he killed
Tara I'm not sure my ethics are going to hold up, Giles."

* * *

Faith was waiting in the main room of the mansion, her back against
a wall when the gang rushed in, weapons drawn and ready for a fight.

The brunette Slayer didn't even look up as they entered, she
continued staring at the body she had placed in the shackles.

"Oh my God, Tara," Giles muttered and started towards the chains.

"Don't get near her, Giles," Faith growled. "It's getting dark."

Giles nodded and moved a little slower and lifted Tara's head to one
side and then the other, finding the fang marks and the traces of
blood around his young Wiccan's mouth he knew would be there.  The
Englishman felt for a pulse, knowing he wouldn't find one.

"Is she?" Buffy asked as she knelt beside Faith, quickly examining
the other Slayer.

"Something's not right," Giles muttered.  The former sorcerer
muttered something and made some gestures, forming a symbol on
Tara's forehead with her own blood.  Xander caught Giles as he
stumbled back.

"Tara's not dead," he announced with a tired smile.  "I think she
put herself into something like a suspended state. It keeps her soul
from being separated from her body and the body from final death."

"What does that mean? Is she turned or not?" Riley demanded, pulling
a stake out of his trouser leg pocket.

"Don't even think about it, Riley!" Buffy growled and stepped in
front of him.

"Stake her before she wakes up!" Riley snapped.

"I'll ram that up a very uncomfortable place if you don't back off,"
Buffy threatened.

"She wouldn't want to be a vamp, B," Faith said softly.

"Well, that's the problem," Giles said, stepping between Tara and
the others.  "She's not a vampire but she's not alive either. I…I
don't know how to bring her out of it. I need Willow for this."

"To do what?" Riley demanded. "To give a vampire a soul, like that
vampire you dated?"

"It was more than dating, Riley," Buffy complained.

"What's the point?" Riley snapped. "Have a vampire who feels guilt
and can't kill anyone or even be happy?"

"We could do the spell without the 'get happy lose soul' bit,"
Xander suggested.

"Tara is our best friend and Willow's mate," Buffy growled.  "I
don't want to do this without her opinion!"

"Where the hell is she then?" Xander grumbled as Buffy examined
Faith's ripped and bleeding hands and wrists.

* * *

"Hey, aren't you a little young, human and naïve to be in a place
like this?" Willie squeaked as a very distraught red-head approached
the bar.

"I need answers and you usually have them for a friend of mine,"
Willow said softly, flashing a folded twenty dollar bill in her palm.

"Who would that be?" Willie asked, leaning forward and keeping his
voice low.

"The Slayer," Willow said softly.

Willie quickly looked around to check that no one else heard the
young woman.

"What do you want and it'd better not be dangerous or the Slayer
will have my head!" Willie hissed.

"I need a major magic boost:  high level, quick, and I'm not picky,"
Willow whispered.

Willie stepped back and looked at the young woman in front of him.
He was accustomed to hearing the strangest requests from his
patrons. Patrons who ranged from humans to demons and Willie knew
them all.  The bar owner also knew how to read people, demons,
vampires and werewolves.  Willie, being human, needed that skill to
stay alive in the world of demons and darkness.  The girl in front
of him was barely hanging onto sanity by a thread and Willie knew it.

"Go home to the Slayer," Willie advised.  "Do whatever you need to
do to grieve but don't go through with this."

"Do I have to make a general announcement to the whole damned bar
what I'm looking for?" Willow hissed.

Willie knew that would only get the girl killed and probably right
in front of him in his bar.  That would bring the Slayer down on his
neck and Willie didn't want a pissed off Slayer down on him.

"Quiet!" Willie growled.  "Look, the only ones who will give you
what you want deal in either cash or service, sometimes both. You're
gonna get yourself hurt or killed!"

"Do I look like I care?" Willow growled back.  "Well, I don't! As
long as I take someone with me!"

"Oh man, oh man!" Willie whined.  "The Slayer's gonna kill me!"

"Shut up and tell me!" Willow demanded, shoving the twenty into
Willie's shirt pocket.

Willie hesitated and then looked around the bar.  "Hey, Rack! You
free for a minute?"

Willow glanced sideways and watched as the man Willie had yelled at
came over from a table in the corner.  The man was tall, husky built
and had one eye covered with a leather eye patch.

Rack's hair hung down over his face, almost hiding the eye patch
until he turned to appraise the girl in front of Willie.

Willow wasn't surprised that he was dressed all in black; that was
pretty typical for demon bars, even down to the leather pants. She
could feel the energy dancing off of him.

Rack looked down at Willow and smiled.

"Hello, Strawberry," the sorcerer said softly.  "You've played with
power."

"I want it back!" Willow hissed, her eyes flashing.

"There's a price," Rack whispered, leaning over the girl.

"I want enough for revenge," Willow whispered back.

"High price, Strawberry," Rack smiled, wrapping an arm around her
shoulder. "Who died?"

"My mate," Willow clenched her jaw, fighting back the tears.

"Then revenge is a good reason and a reduced price," Rack smiled and
turned Willow towards the door.  "Come with me and we'll get you set
up."

* * *

"How long can she stay like this?" Buffy demanded as the sun began
to set on the horizon.  It was really eerie to look at Tara.  She
looked dead, Buffy's Slayer senses told the woman that she was dead
but Giles said there was hope.

"I don't know," Giles admitted. "I'm guessing not much longer before
we lose her soul and the body dies."

"And she's turned into a vamp," Riley growled as Sam put a
restraining hand on his arm.

"Very likely," Giles nodded.

Buffy turned away and collapsed against the wall next to Faith.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," Faith said softly.

"Don't be, you knew it was a long shot," Buffy growled, glancing
back at the body of her best friend's lover, someone Buffy had
become very close to.  "I…are we doing the right thing?"

"I don't know, B," Faith admitted.  "I wouldn't want to be a vamp,
even with a soul. I don't know how Angel does it."

"Where the hell is Will? God, we can't lose her too!" Buffy
whimpered.

* * *

Willow frowned as Rack stood in front of an alley.  She could feel
the energy humming and looked around but couldn't locate the source.

The sorcerer waved his hand causing a doorway to appear and the door
opened.

Willow smiled.  The dislocation shielding spell wasn't low level.

Rack motioned her inside and Willow crossed the threshold and
shivered.  The place reeked of stale cigarettes, cheap alcohol and
something the red head couldn't quite place.

The sorcerer walked up behind her and placed his hands on her
shoulders.  Willow tried not to wince as he moved closer.

"You sure, Strawberry? You've only tasted power, what you're asking
for can send a young thing like you over an edge you don't even want
to look at," Rack whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Willow couldn't stand it and pulled away.

"Sorry, wrong gender for me," Willow muttered. "No offense."

"None taken," Rack smiled.  "Just think about this next step."

"How much?" Willow demanded.

"How far will you fall?" Rack asked with a smirk.

"How much money for the magic?" Willow demanded and accepted it when
Rack moved closer, taking her hand and pulling her down onto a sofa.

"You've got enough, just sit back and relax," Rack cooed, running
his fingers through her hair.  "You'll have enough to send anyone
you want to hell."

"Painfully," Willow whispered, closing her eyes.

Rack's eyes lit up with delight.

"More than enough to send yourself to hell, Strawberry," Rack
promised.  "Get ready for the roller coaster."

Willow nodded, accepting the magic and the touch.

* * *

Xander's head dropped forward as he held a sleeping Anya in his arms.

Giles was curled up against the opposite wall from Buffy, Faith and
Dawn, while Riley and Sam kept watch, waiting for Ethan or Spike to
return for Tara.

Buffy knew Spike probably would be back for Tara as she attacked
Faith. Anything to hurt the Scooby Gang.

The blonde Slayer remembered how he tried to attack Willow when he
had escaped from the Initiative, only to discover he was chipped.
He had gone to the room she shared with Willow.  Anything to hurt
her, the Slayer knew.

Riley glanced over at the Slayer with a snarl. He wanted to be the
one she turned to when she was hurting this bad but she was holding
Faith in one arm and Dawn in the other.  It should be him and Sam
taking care of her, he growled.

He should be in charge and in control.

* * *

Willow stumbled from Rack's hidden dive and leaned against the alley
wall for support.  She was tempted to release a couple of lightning
bolts or something to drain some of it off, it was so hard to hold
onto it. It felt like she was standing too close to a static machine
at a Science Fair.

Willow sighed and extended her psychic senses.  She knew Spike well
enough and Ethan had touched her during the spell to bring Buffy
back. The witch knew she could find both of them.

The hacker's magic black eyes snapped open suddenly.

"Tara?"

* * *

"Giles!" Buffy snapped after another hour of waiting. "They're not
coming and we're running out of time! What do we do to save her?"

"I can't," Giles protested.  "I don't know."

"Rupert, you have to," a voice insisted, stopping Buffy's tears
instantly as she looked up into her mother's face.

"Mom?" she whispered.

"Mrs. S?" Faith asked softly.

"Willow is mentally out of reach right now, to save Tara's soul, you
must move quickly," Joyce spirit insisted.

"Where's Willow?" Buffy demanded, jumping to her feet.

"Beyond reason right now," Joyce said sadly. "You have to bring
Tara's soul back if you hope to save Willow."

"Giles?" Buffy whimpered.

"I don't have that level of skills!" Giles complained.

"Ripper does," Joyce spirit said calmly.

"I'm not Ripper!" Giles snapped.

"Giles, please, if you can bring her back," Buffy begged.  "I can't
lose both of them."

"I can't give into Ripper!" Giles protested. "Don't you see? That's
what Ethan wants! There…there's a large difference between Giles and
Ripper. I don't even remember most of what Ripper would. I can't!
You might not get Giles back!"

"Tara used the last of her magic to tap into the connection the four
girls have, that's why her life line faded," Joyce said
calmly.  "Use that connection and the Slayer and Key strength to
bring back her life."

"But Willow isn't here," Xander protested.

"I'm here."

"Willow!" Dawn cried out excitedly and ran to the red-head standing
in the doorway heading to the kitchen area.

"I came in the back," Willow said softly, standing in the shadows as
she hugged Dawn.

"Willow?"  Buffy asked softly, getting to her feet.

"B, something's wrong," Faith said softly.

"Willow?" Xander asked, standing up and reaching back to help Anya
to her feet.

Dawn pulled back from hugging Willow with a puzzled look.

"You okay?" Dawn squeaked.

Willow stepped into the light and Buffy felt Faith's hand tighten in
hers, never having seen Willow's eyes totally blackened with magic
before.

Buffy had once before, when Glory had hurt Tara and Willow had been
bent on revenge.

"We have to hurry," Willow said softly, moving over to her lover's
body and caressing Tara's cheek lovingly. "She can't hold on much
longer."

"How? What?" Giles questioned.

"I got a magic boost and felt Tara's soul wasn't gone," Willow
explained.  "I followed it here."

"Will," Buffy said slowly, approaching her friend. "What did you do?"

"Took a short cut," Willow snapped, her eyes flashing angrily at
Buffy before turning back to Tara, her face softening. "Let's do
this, Giles, she doesn't have much time before the cord fades
totally."

"I can't, Willow," Giles said softly.  "I can't let Ripper out like
that, not with magic. Ethan will win."

"He won't be around to win," Willow said firmly.

"She's crossed that line I warned you about," Riley growled, his
hand resting on his stun gun.

Willow turned with a growl, an energy bolt hitting the soldier in
the center of his chest.

Sam rushed over to check her dazed husband and quickly held him back
from attacking Willow again.

"We're in this mess because of your damned paranoia and desire to
hurt Buffy!" Willow shouted. "If I wasn't in hiding, Ethan wouldn't
have grabbed Tara and Dawn!"

"Will!" Buffy shouted, putting herself between Riley and the enraged
witch.

Willow clenched her fist and glared at her best friend but turned
back to Tara.

"Giles, either help me or get out of here!" Willow snapped.

"Willow, you don't have the strength to bring her back without their
help," Joyce said softly, almost fading from sight.

"I can," Willow said firmly.

"Only if you exchange your life for hers," Joyce countered.

"If that's what it takes," Willow growled, unlocking the chains and
lowering Tara's body to the floor.

"Giles?' Buffy asked softly.

Giles shook his head, looking miserable.  "If you, Faith and Dawn
are willing."

"Me?" Faith stammered.

"You are a Slayer," Giles pointed out and sat down near Willow as
she cradled Tara's body in her arms, tears streaking her face.

Faith immediately raised her hand and Buffy pulled the dark Slayer
up to her feet and wrapped an arm around Faith's waist as the dark
Slayer wrapped hers around Buffy's shoulder.  Together they worked
their way to sit near Willow and Tara, beginning to form a circle
around them with Giles.

Dawn rushed over and sat opposite her sister.

"I don't think Dawn should be involved in this," Riley
protested. "This could be dangerous."

"Shut up, Riley!" Dawn snapped as Xander and Anya sat down.

Riley glared at the teenager but stayed next to Sam and closed his
mouth.

"Xander, Anya?" Giles questioned.

"We're in this too!" Xander said firmly.  "You can use our energy to
help."

Anya nodded.  "You guys accepted me and don't hold my past against
me. That means you're friends and friends help in times of crisis."

Giles smiled and nodded gratefully.

"How can we help, Mr. Giles?" Sam asked softly.

"Just keep an eye out for Ethan and Spike and keep Riley calm,
please."

"How do we do this, guys?" Buffy asked softly as Willow rocked
Tara's body.

"Willow? Joyce?"

"Ripper knows who and how to invoke," Joyce advised and faded from
sight.

"I can't just summon the bastard!" Giles protested.

"Giles, please," Buffy begged.

Giles stood up and walked over to a wall and leaned his head against
it.

Buffy got up and followed him.  "Come on, Giles! Time to kick it
in!" she snapped.

"Back off, Buffy!" Giles snapped.  "You're asking me to turn into
something like Angeleus!"

"If it'll save Willow and Tara, I'll chance bringing my Giles back,"
Buffy said firmly.

"You want Ripper? You won't like it!" Giles growled.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and reached out and shoved the ex-Watcher
against the wall, hard.

"Come on!" she dared her Watcher.

Giles growled and closed his eyes, letting images of Tara hanging in
the chains run through his mind; letting his mind absorb the sound
of Willow's tears; the sight of Willow with magic black eyes.

Buffy hit him twice, low in the back, getting another growl out of
him.

Giles remembered Ethan and Spike. The blonde vampire taunting them,
the sorcerer draining Willow and Tara.

He could see Spike tormenting Tara as he drained her and shouted in
anger, spinning around as he attempted to backhand his Slayer.

Buffy ducked and dashed back to her place in the circle as Giles
glared at them.

Ripper took Giles' glasses off and turned back to the wall, raising
his hands and beginning an invocation in ancient Latin.

Buffy and the others felt their hair standing up on the back of
their necks as the lanterns they brought in dimmed and an eerie
yellow glow surrounded them.

It felt like an hour that the Englishman chanted and gestured but
Buffy knew it was probably closer to a half hour.  It was still a
very long time to sit on the cold floor as Willow held Tara in her
arms.

Ripper turned suddenly and thrust his hands towards the group with a
shout.

Buffy felt her body jerk and heard Anya scream and Faith's hand
tighten in hers.

The Slayer whimpered and tried to open her eyes. It felt like
something was being ripped from her with a welding torch.

"Dawn?!" Buffy screamed, she could hear Dawn's higher pitched scream
above everyone else's.

The blonde Slayer opened her eyes and saw everyone in the same
contorted position of having their heads thrown back and arms
outstretched, as if they were being crucified.

The murky yellow energy lines were all flowing into Willow and Tara.

Anya moaned and fell over unconscious followed by a weakened Faith.

Willow placed Tara's body on the floor and slowly got to her feet,
taking in all the energy Giles was forcing from the Slayers, Key and
friends.

Buffy whimpered, seeing Willow's blackened eyes watching them.

The red-haired witch raised her arms slowly, pulling in the energy
and then pointed them at Tara, shouting something in Latin –
severing the energy flow and throwing it at Tara's body.

Buffy, Dawn and Xander fell back, unconscious.

* * *

"What do you mean something went wrong and the witch isn't dead?"
Spike shouted as Ethan leaned back in his chair, the black mirror he
had been scrying into falling away from his hands onto the table.

"Just what I said you idiot vampire!" Ethan shouted back.  "You left
the witch alive and they saved her life!"

"No way! I've been doing this for centuries! I know when someone is
dead and turned!" Spike yelled.

"Maybe when those brats overloaded that chip of yours they fried
some more of your brain cells!" Ethan yelled.

Ethan lifted a cross in Spike's face as the vampire launched himself
at the sorcerer.

"Damn, you Wanker!" Spike shouted and grabbed a chair, smashing it
against the wall.  "So what's your brilliant plan now?"

"Keep it simple," Ethan muttered.  "Kill them all but bring Giles to
me."

"And why should I do that?" Spike demanded.  "I wanted to do that
from the start!"

"Shut up and just go kill them," Ethan growled.

Spike slammed his hand down on the table and started for the door.

"Just beware of Willow," Ethan said softly.

"What now?" Spike demanded. "You drained her of the magic."

"She got it back and she's totally brassed off at both of us," Ethan
smirked.

"Bugger!" Spike complained and slammed out the door.

* * *

Xander moaned, it felt like he had attempted to ride a very angry
bull and had paid for it, twice.  The young man rolled over and
brushed Anya's hair out of her face.

"An? Anya?" he whispered and tried to sit up.

Anya frowned as she began to move and regain consciousness.  Xander
sighed with relief and looked around slowly for his friends, his
family.

Buffy was beginning to stir along with Faith but Dawn was still
unconscious along with Tara.

Xander frowned and sat up, trying to figure what was out of place
and he whimpered.

"Willow? Giles?" he muttered.

Buffy moaned, rolled over and opened her eyes as she got to her
knees.

"Riley?!" Buffy snapped, jumping to her feet and running over to the
soldier as he groaned.  The blonde Slayer hesitated, taking in the
sight of Riley pinned to the wall with his own military knives, one
through each wrist.

Sam was unconscious at his feet.

"Riley!" Buffy cried and pulled one of the daggers out and then the
other, catching the man in her arms and lowering him to the floor
next to Sam.

Xander helped Anya sit up and then sat Dawn up as she struggled to
wake up.

"Xander, take off your shirt and rip it into bandages," Buffy
snapped.

Xander nodded and moved to obey as Faith whimpered and looked
around, clutching her injured wrists and hands to her chest.

"B?" she called.

"I don't know," Buffy growled.  "Willow and Giles are missing and
Riley was pinned to the damned wall!"

"Willow," Riley whispered through gritted teeth.  "She and Giles are
going after Ethan and Spike. I told them to leave it to a strike
team, that we'd put Ethan back in a cell and stake Spike this time."

"You idiot! What happened?" Xander shouted.

Buffy took the strips of Xander's shirt and began wrapping them
around Riley's wrists with a frown.

"I did my job!" Riley snapped.  "I tried to stop them from going out
to kill a human!"

"You pulled a knife on Giles and Willow?" Buffy demanded and saw the
answer in Riley's eyes.  "Oh God, they've both gone over the edge."

"Willow just looked at me and my knives were ripped out of my hand
and turned in mid-air, facing me," Riley said softly, a little awe
in his voice.  "Then I was pinned to the wall like a bug."

"That's what Glory was about to do when Willow faced her with
daggers," Buffy muttered.

Buffy remembered very well the sight of the Hell Goddess about to
crucify her best friend.  They had barely saved Willow and slowed
Glory down from following them.

"What do we do, Buff?" Xander asked as Faith crawled over to them
and Dawn checked Sam.

"Riley's right, we can't let them kill Ethan," Buffy frowned.

"Who says?" Xander grumbled. "In case somebody didn't notice, Spike
and Ethan just tried to kill Tara and they hurt Willow and Faith
really bad!"

"Ethan deserves to be in jail, he's human," Buffy protested
automatically.

"Yeah, right," Xander growled as Faith frowned.  "Captain America's
group did a fine job keeping him locked up. He only turned Giles
into a demon last time, a demon you almost killed!"

"You're saying we should step aside and let Willow kill someone?"
Buffy countered.

"Oh God," Xander whispered. "Not, Will. I could kill Ethan but not
Will."

"Guys, something's wrong with Tara!" Anya yelled, interrupting them.

Buffy left Riley to look after a shaken Sam to rush over to Tara's
side.

"What's wrong?" Buffy demanded.

"I don't know," Anya whimpered.  "Her energy is wrong."

"She's right, B," Faith said softly.  "Something is weird.  I can
sense you and Dawn and I think Willow. Tara's energy is different."

"Mom!" Buffy shouted and Joyce appeared next to Tara.

The blonde Slayer felt her heart begin beating faster when she saw
her mother's saddened face as her mother took Tara into her arms and
stroked her hair.

"Mom? What happened?"

"Something that is going to test all of you, test your love and
friendship," Joyce said softly as the others gathered around,
including Riley and Sam.  "The only way to save Tara was to use
Ripper."

"Okay, I brought Ripper out, what happened?" Buffy snapped.

"Ripper was a sorcerer, Buffy," Joyce began explaining. "He didn't
work very many positive spells or workings."

Buffy sat down on the floor next to Tara and pulled the injured
Faith and Dawn into her arms on either side.

"You told us to use Ripper!" Xander complained.  "What did he do to
Tara?"

"He and Willow harnessed the unique energy of the Slayers and Dawn
as the Key and channeled it into Tara," Joyce frowned as she
pondered how to explain.  "It was something like rewiring a stereo
into becoming a transmitter, only in this case it's the reverse."

"Go on," Buffy nodded, putting the question of Faith in her arms, on
a back mental burner.

"Tara was about to be turned into a vampire," Joyce said
softly.  "To counter that and keep her soul, Willow and Giles
rewired her into a different kind of vampire. One that doesn't
require blood or enough energy to kill."

"Vampire? What type of vampire?" Riley demanded, his hands hanging
uselessly in front of him.

"A psychic vampire, something like a succubus without the sex,"
Joyce explained. "She'll have to feed on a person's energy to stay
alive."

"You should have let her die!" Riley growled.

"Drop dead, Finn," Xander snapped.

"Mom?" Buffy whispered, watching Tara.

"She's not evil, Buffy," Joyce assured her daughter.  "She's still
Tara."

"But?" Xander questioned.

"The trauma of having Tara changed so drastically and nearly killed
sent Willow over the edge.  She wants revenge, not justice," Joyce
answered, laying Tara back down on the floor as the blonde witch
began to stir.

"Is Tara dangerous?" Xander asked with a frown as Anya wrapped her
arms around his waist.

"No, as long as she isn't close to dying again," Joyce smiled and
stood up.  "The best choice would be those she's now connected with."

"Me, Dawn and Willow?" Buffy asked.

"And Faith now," Joyce said, beginning to fade.  "Keep the
connection strong and there'll be no difference with Tara. Now find
Willow and Giles and get them back."

"Mom! Wait! Where do we find them?" Buffy demanded but Joyce's
spirit was gone.

"Damnit!" Faith muttered.  "I can't lift a stake or walk, soldier
boy over there is out of action and his girlfriend still looks shook
up. I'm usually up for any fight but I gotta tell you that Red
looked pretty intimidating."

"I saw her hold off a Hell God," Buffy nodded.

"I'm calling in a Strike Team," Riley announced.  "They can take
Tara, Willow, Giles and Ethan into temporary custody. Once Willow
and Giles are themselves again, they'll be released."

"And Tara?" Buffy demanded, jumping to her feet to look up into
Riley's eyes.

"She'll need to be observed and studied until we're sure she's not a
danger," Riley said firmly.  "Your ghost friend said she was a new
type of Hostile. We need to study that."

"Over my dead body, Sgt. Rock," Xander growled and Anya nodded.

"Joyce Mom said she wasn't dangerous, that's good enough," Anya
snapped.

"Not for the government," Riley shook his head, his jaw set firm.

"You're not taking Tara," Buffy said just as firmly.

"You can't stop us, Buffy," Riley said softly. "We know how to deal
with you and your friends this time."

"Ry?" Sam asked softly, her face troubled.  "We need to find Willow
and Giles before they do something they can't live with. That should
be our first concern."

"Our first concern is always the mission parameters," Riley
nodded. "Eliminate the threat of Willow Rosenberg and anyone else in
Sunnydale I feel is a threat."

"Take him to the hospital, Sam," Buffy said softly, her voice a
growl. "Keep him there and take away the goddamn cell phone. You
won't like it if you come after Tara, Willow or Giles!"

"Empty threat, killer," Riley smirked. "You can't hurt humans,
remember?"

Buffy's hand snapped up, breaking Riley's nose and sending the
soldier flying backwards, landing on his tailbone.

"Slayers don't KILL humans, jerk," Buffy corrected.  "Nothing in the
rules about hurting them when called for. Stay away from us, all of
us!"

Buffy ignored everyone staring at her in amazement as she helped
Faith to her feet.

Riley held his bleeding nose and glared at his former girlfriend,
his eyes narrowing as Buffy gently wrapped her arms around Faith's
waist.

Sam pulled out her cell phone as Buffy turned away.

Rewrite Season 6, part 12
Rainbow in the Dark

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  R (US); 15 (UK); MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary:  Ethan has Willow, Dawn and Tara – can Faith, Buffy and the
others save them before Spike and Ethan carry out their revenge?

* * *

Faith worked her crutches under her and quickly made her way to the
dark and foreboding looking two story house, the address Ethan had
given her.

The front door was open and the inside dark.

"Hello?" Faith called.

"Help!" a voice called faintly.

The brunette Slayer flipped the light switch on the wall next to her
and frowned when only a dim overhead light came on, barely cutting
through the darkness of the boarded up and enclosed house.  It
smelled dank and musty.

"Keep shouting!" Faith yelled.

"Help! Down here! Help us!"

Faith followed the voice to a door under the staircase.  The Slayer
growled when she found it locked.

"Help us!" a young voice shouted, louder now.

She normally would kick in the door but having a leg in a cast made
that option not such a good idea, the Slayer thought. Faith looked
around for something to use against the door while on crutches but
didn't find anything except broken furniture.

"Fuck it!" Faith mumbled and leaned back on her crutches and kicked
the stubborn door with her good leg.  The Slayer promptly fell on
her tailbone.  "Ow."

"Help! Down here!" someone yelled again.

Faith got to her feet reluctantly.  "Yeah, yeah, hang on!" she
grumbled and reached around until she felt the light switch.
Another dim light flashed to light down below in the basement.
Faith looked at the stairs with a deep frown.  She put one of the
crutches aside and used only one crutch and the handrail to get down
to the bottom.

Faith's eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw Dawn and Willow
chained to the wall of the damp basement.  Dawn was struggling
against her chains but the witch appeared unconscious.

"Willow?" Faith asked, moving to the witch and raising her head.

"She's been like that since that jerk whacked Tara over the head and
chained me down here!" Dawn complained.  "He said he had drained her
magic and…and maybe her mind too!"

"Fucking bastard," Faith growled and easily broke Dawn's chains and
then Willow's.  Together they lowered the unconscious hacker to the
floor.  "Okay," Faith said slowly. "Take my cell phone and call your
sister, she's at Giles'. Give her this address and get the cavalry
here."

"Why don't you call her?" Dawn demanded, unsure if she wanted to
leave Willow alone with Faith.

"We're in a basement, cell phone won't work down here," Faith
explained irritably.  "Look around up there and find something to
wrap Willow up in, she's freezing down here.  I can't carry her up
with this damned broken leg."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Dawn growled.

"Good, bring some water too, if you can," Faith said, holding
Willow's head in her lap.  "Damn sorcerers and vampires!"

* * *

Ten minutes later Willow still hadn't regained consciousness and
Faith was beginning to get worried that Ethan and Spike might return
before Buffy got there.  The brunette Slayer was under no illusions
that she could take both Spike and Ethan on with a broken leg.

"I hate magic users!" she growled as Dawn held Willow in her arms.

"Hey, Willow uses magic!" Dawn protested.

"Yeah, but she's a good guy," Faith countered.

"Like you are now?" Dawn asked softly.

"Trying," Faith shrugged.  "I got out of prison because I thought I
was being a good guy. Trying to keep the effort going."

"Dawn?!" Buffy's voice yelled from upstairs.

"Down here, B!" Faith yelled back.

In moments, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Sam, and Giles hurried down the
basement stairs.

"How did you find them?" Buffy demanded.

"I called Ethan," Faith said and hoped Buffy would listen before
hitting her.  "I wanted to make sure he wasn't around."

"What do you mean? You were willing to take on Ethan by yourself?"
Giles demanded.

"No, he thought I was still on his side," Faith said softly. "If he
was in the house when I got here, I was going to wait until he left
or I had an opening to get them out of here."

"We could handle him!" Xander growled, still distrustful.

"You couldn't handle Ethan or Spike on their worst days, Harris,"
Faith snapped back.

"Let's get them out of here!" Anya urged.

"Giles, is Willow okay?" Buffy asked, her voice shaky.

"I don't know, what happened, Dawn, Faith?" the Englishman asked.

"Ethan drained her of her magic," Faith said bitterly.

"He said it might have taken her mind too," Dawn added, her eyes
filling with tears.

"Oh God, let's get her out of here," Giles said urgently. "If he's
taken her magic energy and life force, he'll be like someone on
amphetamines."

Buffy gathered Willow into her arms and looked closely at Dawn. "You
okay, runt?"

"Yeah, Spike just shook me a little," Dawn grumbled.

"Did he hurt you?" Buffy demanded.

"A little," Dawn admitted. "He bruised my arms and hit my head on a
wall."

"Did it hurt him?" Giles asked as Buffy began walking up the stairs
with Willow in her arms.

"No, no chip pain or anything," Dawn said bitterly.  "Not even a
sign of guilt."

"What do we do about Tara?" Xander demanded as Faith began working
her way up the stairs.

"I'll wait for Ethan and Spike and find out where she is," Faith
volunteered.

"They'll kill you when they find Dawn and Willow missing," Anya
protested.

"I'll tell them that they were gone when I got here," Faith
shrugged.  "It's the best idea I've got."

"Faith, odds are that they'll kill you," Giles agreed with Anya.

"B, just get Dawn and Willow out of here!" Faith shouted. "I'll find
Tara!"

Giles handed Faith the other crutch and stopped the young Slayer for
a moment.  He placed his hand on her shoulder, closed his eyes and
muttered something.

"What was that?" Faith asked when he pulled back.

"A minor level tracing spell," Giles explained. "It's been awhile
but I remember some of it. We'll be able to find you."

"Thanks, Giles," Faith said softly as Buffy carried Willow out of
the old house.

"You know they'll hurt and maybe kill you," Giles said softly.

"Yeah, I do," Faith nodded wearily. "I gotta do something right,
Giles."

"You got Dawn and Willow back, let us help you with Tara," he urged.

"No," Faith shook her head.  "Let me do this."

"I won't be too far away, Faith," Giles said softly and followed the
rest of the Scooby gang outside as Faith waited for two maniacs.

* * *

Tara whimpered as someone slapped her face, waking her up.  Her head
hurt, her arms were burning and her body was protesting as well.
The witch wanted to go back to sleep, it didn't hurt so bad then.

The magical energy bolt that had hit her before she even touched the
door handle had been strong and fast.  The witch was unconscious
before she landed several feet in the front yard of the house with
Dawn screaming.

Now everything hurt and someone was making it worse.

Tara opened her eyes reluctantly, ready to try the first spell that
came to mind, confident of skills or not, Tara was upset.

"Good, witch is awake!" Spike snapped, lowering his hand from
slapping her again.

Tara got her feet under her and looked around, realizing she was
chained in the middle of the main area of a large mansion-like
building and had been hanging by her wrists.  Now that she could
stand up and take some of the weight off, her wrists were screaming
and burning with pain.

"Spike?" she asked softly.  "Why? W-we were good to you!"

"Because I was neutered like some damned street alley mutt!" the
vampire growled.  "Would you let me in your bedroom now without the
chip?"

"I would have if you hadn't tried to rape my best friend!" Tara
snapped.

Spike shrugged, the evil glint still in his eyes.

"W-what do you want me for and where is Dawn?" Tara demanded.

"I want your magic," Ethan explained, stepping around into her
sight.  "Dawn is merely bait. I don't care what happens to her."

"Where's Dawn and Willow?" Tara demanded.

"At the other house," Ethan shrugged.  "I left them there
intentionally. I've got all the magic out of your girlfriend I could
for now, it'll be at least two weeks before she can even mentally
lift a toothpick.  The Slayer will show up and rescue them and then
the spell I put on the brat will kick in tonight. She'll lead them
right into the midst of a pack of very anxious vampires and demons."

Ethan grinned viciously.

"Giles will live though and he'll be mine again when Ripper comes
out to play," he continued.  "Spike will have his revenge on the
Slayer and all your friends and I get enough magic to take this town
down for my pleasure and get Ripper back."

"And…and me?" Tara asked softly.

"You're my revenge," Spike grinned.

"For w-what? Treating you n-nice?" Tara snapped.

"Always thought you had some spunk under that Country Mouse routine
of yours," Spike laughed.  "Yes, for treating me nice! I'm a goddamn
vampire! You tried to turn me into a human!"

"You thanked Buffy once for treating you like a man and not a
monster," Tara countered and Spike backhanded her.

"That's the bloody point!" Spike growled.  "Why do you think
Angeleus tormented her? Because of what she did to Angel, making him
think he could be a man again and not a monster. That's what we are!"

"That's what your demon resents, you mean," Tara frowned.

"Maybe," Spike shrugged and moved closer.  "But you'll know what
that's like real soon, my little Wiccan."

"Just kill me and get it over with!" Tara snapped.

"Oh don't worry, luv," Spike grinned as Ethan watched
indifferently.  "First Ethan takes your power and then you'll die.
The best part is that you won't stay dead."

Tara felt herself go pale at Spike's implications.  A moment later
she screamed and struggled against the chains as Spike laughed.

* * *

Willow moaned and thrashed her arms and hands until she realized it
was Buffy's voice trying to soothe and hold her down.

"Tara!" Willow whispered, her voice harsh.

"Easy, Will," Buffy urged as Willow sat up, her eyes
panicked.  "You're home, you're safe."

"Where's Tara and Dawn? Ethan said he was going to hurt them!"
Willow demanded.

"He got them," Buffy nodded.  "We got you and Dawn back but Tara
wasn't there."

"He still has Tara?" Willow whispered, her eyes wide and
fearful.  "Ethan, he, he hurt me, Buff. He plans on hurting her too!"

"Dawn said that he took your magic?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, it's like draining a gas tank of a car," Willow said
slowly. "You can fill the gas tank again but the car won't run until
you do."

"How do you get it back?" Buffy asked as Willow got up slowly and
moved to change clothes.

"Just time," Willow shrugged. "There's ways of taking short cuts but
the best way is just time."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed, what does it look like?" Willow snapped.  "How do
we find Tara?"

"We're waiting for a phone call or Giles' tracer spell to kick into
gear," Buffy explained.

"Tracer spell?" Willow asked with a frown.

"Yeah, he did a spell so we might be able to find where Spike and
Ethan took Tara and…"

"Buffy! The spell!" Giles shouted from downstairs.

Both girls hit the stairs running as Giles held the door open, his
eyes vaguely unfocused. Willow struggled to catch her breath after
the short dash, having expended what energy she had left.

"Giles?" Buffy asked softly.

"Just get in the car," he growled. "Must concentrate."

* * *

Riley growled as he pulled the rental car into traffic behind Giles'
car.  He had spent several hours watching the Englishman's place and
had followed the gang to an old house.  The soldier was very
surprised to see them emerge several minutes later with Dawn and an
unconscious Willow.

Riley debated about approaching them and helping but held back.  His
pride was hurting.  His wife had chosen to help his ex-girlfriend
and her freak friends instead of standing by him and his decisions
as a soldier.

Riley Finn was also upset with himself.  He had no idea why he had
approached Buffy like he had.  He loved Sam more than anything.  It
was as if Buffy Summers was a drug that he couldn't resist.  Like
those vampire whores who drank his blood to make him feel important
and needed, he taunted himself.

The soldier growled.  He knew he had better get his life figured out
quickly or he was going to lose Sam and maybe his position in the
Initiative Strike Force.  Riley didn't want to lose either.

Maybe Sam was right and it was time to get out of Sunnydale.

* * *

Faith wasn't surprised when Ethan and Spike didn't believe her.  She
got in a good slash with a dagger across Ethan's chest and rammed a
broken piece of her crutch into Spike's chest, barely missing his
heart.  She was taken down with a vicious blow from Spike's fist and
an energy blast from Ethan.

"Buffy," she muttered as darkness claimed her.

* * *
Sam pulled to a slow stop as Giles held his head and moaned in the
front seat.  Xander skidded to a stop behind her in his car.
Willow, in the back seat of Giles' car, resisted snapping at the ex-
Watcher to hurry up. She knew he was long out of practice and he was
hurting.

Finally, Giles pointed to the left and Sam started to pull away from
the stop sign when Buffy shouted in surprise.

Willow's head snapped around in time to see her best friend
struggling with Dawn.

"Damnit, Dawn, what are you doing?" Buffy demanded as Dawns
struggled wordlessly.

Xander came running up from his car and fought Dawn with Buffy until
they had her pinned in the car, almost lying over Buffy and Willow
in the back seat.  Dawn screamed in frustration and continued to
struggle as Xander held her legs and Buffy her arms.

"Sleep!" Giles muttered and ran his hands over Dawn's face.  The
teenager relaxed instantly in her sister's arms and Giles collapsed
over the seat, barely conscious.

"What the hell just happened?" Xander demanded as Sam checked Giles'
pulse and eyes.

"I haven't a clue!" Buffy complained.

"Spell…" Giles muttered.  "Under spell."

"Damn," Willow growled as she stroked Dawn's hair. "She was under a
spell by Ethan. Giles countered it and put her to sleep."

"What about Tara?" Buffy demanded as tears began to flow down
Willow's cheeks.

"Breaking Ethan's spell and doing the sleep thing broke his
connection with the tracer spell," Willow said softly.

"We can't find Tara?" Buffy whispered and Willow shook her head,
crying.

"What about that connection thing you guys have?" Xander suggested
but Willow shook her head.

"I can tell that Tara's scared to death about something but not
where she is," Willow sobbed.  "Now I don't have the magic to track
her."

"Take us home, Sam," Buffy said softly, looking down into her
sister's face.

"We're giving up?" Xander demanded.

"No, we're taking Dawn and Willow home and then we're going to turn
this town upside down!" Buffy growled as Giles shook his head,
trying to wake up.

* * *

The sun was just appearing on the horizon when the weary band of
hunters returned to the Summers' house.  Willow and Dawn both shot
up from their places on the sofa and chair with hopeful expressions,
only to fall back when they saw Buffy's face.

It took an hour to convince Willow to try and sleep but she only
relented and drifted off with Buffy holding her on one side and Dawn
on the other.

Buffy whimpered, dreaming of Faith.  Dreaming of Faith screaming for
her or fighting her.

* * *

"Will?"

Willow looked up and Buffy almost whimpered at how fragile her best
friend looked.

The red-haired witch looked away, clenching her fists.

"That bastard!" Willow hissed.  "If he hadn't drained me, I could
find Tara through our connection!"

Buffy frowned and crossed the room quickly and wrapped her arms
around her friend, pulling Willow close.

"I know, Will, I know," Buffy said gently as her strength began to
force Willow to relax slightly.

"Where is everyone?" Willow asked after a few moments of sobbing in
Buffy's arms.

"Dawn and Giles are tormenting Willie; Xander and Anya are searching
mansions and crypts that Spike has been known to haunt; and Sam is
talking with Riley," Buffy said softly.  "I'm not sure if they're
making up or heading for a fist-fight."

"I feel so helpless!" Willow snapped.  "My computer skills are
useless with this! My magic is temporarily gone and no one knows
what to do!"

"Will, you know Mom said that we're connected now," Buffy said
slowly, pondering.  "You, me, Tara and Dawn.  Could you like tap
into Dawn and me and find Tara that way?"

Willow startled Buffy by sitting up abruptly.

"Yes!" she shouted.  "That would work! You see, I could go to some
black market type magic guy or girl and get a boost on my magickal
skills but that's not a good idea because there's always hidden
price tag and very fine print and sometimes you end up dealing with
demons in human form…"

"Will! Slow down!" Buffy smiled.

"I could take a short cut to get some magical energy but it's always
bad news to mess with those types," Willow said, a little
calmer.  "But maybe with our connection it will work just as well."

"How do we do this?" Buffy asked, suddenly hopeful.

"Where's Dawn? It would work best if she's here," Willow said,
distracted.

"I'll call, just hang loose and concentrate on Tara!" Buffy said as
she dashed for the door to find her cell phone.

* * *

Giles frowned but nodded once Willow and Buffy explained their idea.

"Yes, that could work without putting Willow in danger from the
demons that normally traffic in easy, quick and loose magic," he
said thoughtfully.  "Let's try it, we don't have much choice since I
lost the locator spell."

Xander, Anya, Sam and Riley sat in the Summers' living room as
Willow, Buffy, Dawn and Giles sat in the middle of the floor.  Buffy
still wasn't talking to Riley but accepted his presence and his
potential help.

"Just concentrate on Tara and me," Willow said softly as the four
joined hands.

"Why is Giles in on this?" Dawn questioned. "He's not like part of
the whole connection thing."

"He's used magic before, he can help Willow channel, now shut up
runt," Buffy said softly with a grin.

Buffy closed her eyes and let herself drift.  She allowed her mind
to roam to memories of Willow and Tara, especially of the two
witches together.  The cute shy smile of Willow; the quirky smirk
that Tara would sometimes get; the way both blushed just before
disappearing into the bedroom.  Buffy almost startled herself out of
the light trance.

*Where the hell did that come from?* she demanded mentally with a
frown.

The Slayer felt her body jerk and recognized Willow's psychic
touch.  Buffy heard Dawn gasp beside her.

"Easy, girls," Giles soothed.  "Just relax, think of Tara now."

Willow felt the energy starting to mesh with Giles stabilizing it
and reached out, following her connection to Tara.  She could see
their lines, they were almost braided together.

Then Willow jerked, realizing that there were two other lines
braided in with hers and Tara's and was surprised.  She hadn't
anticipated them being that linked and connected.

Willow narrowed in, following the line.

Xander held Anya's hand tightly as Willow jerked and moaned in her
trance.

"Are they okay?" Riley asked in a whisper.

"Shut up, soldier boy," Xander snapped. "This isn't your field, so
just watch like the rest of us."

"Willow is reaching out to find Tara's life-line, hoping to connect
with her psychically," Anya explained to the husband and wife
soldiers.  "Hopefully, if they connect, Tara can tell us where she
is."

Anya squeaked in surprise and Xander nearly jumped off the sofa when
Willow suddenly screamed, her body arched and then fell forward in
the circle.

Buffy and Dawn collapsed without a word and Giles moaned, holding
his head.

"Giles? Will?" Xander yelled as he cradled Willow in his lap a
moment later.

Anya was checking on Dawn while Riley and Sam had Buffy sitting up
in Riley's arms, both looking scared.

Giles moaned again and opened his eyes slowly.

"Oh dear Lord, I don't want to do that again," he muttered and then
looked around.  "Willow!"

Xander stroked Willow's hair as he looked to Giles for answers.

"What's wrong with them?" the young man demanded.

"Come on, Willow," Giles muttered as he knelt next to Willow.  "Come
on, Willow, don't follow! Please don't follow! Fight! Please fight
to stay with us!"

"Giles!" Riley shouted.

"Buffy and Dawn should be alright, just a back-lash headache and a
major sense of loss inside," Giles snapped back.  "Willow!"

Willow's eyelids fluttered and Xander heard Giles say a quick prayer
of thanks.

"Giles?" Xander questioned.

"We lost the line," Giles muttered.

"You lost the spell thing?" Riley frowned.

"No, we lost Tara's life line," Giles said softly, wiping a tear
away from his eye as Willow moaned.  "She almost followed Tara down."

"Down?" Xander squeaked, his voice cracking as he held his best
friend. "Down where?"

"Tara's life line is gone, it snapped and almost took Willow with it
into death," Anya explained.

"Death?" Xander whispered.  "No, no."

* * *

Faith whimpered and struggled against the chains that held her.  The
sprained arm was hurting and it was impossible to keep her weight on
just one leg for long, meaning she'd have to drop and let her body
hang by the wrists.

The Slayer's wrists were raw and bleeding but she still couldn't get
her hands loose and Spike's fangs had drained her to the point of
weakness.

Faith stood up on her one good leg as the outer door opened and
someone approached the room she was chained in.

The Slayer resisted reacting to the sight of Spike entering the room
with someone over his shoulder, followed closely by Ethan Rayne.

"Hello, Faith," Ethan said cheerfully.  "I should have known your
redemption thing was real when I got you out."

"Well, your mistake," Faith growled, spitting the blood from her
split lip at him but missing.  "Might be your last. Your trap didn't
work, did it?"

"No, a minor set back," Ethan shrugged.  "It'll just take a little
longer to reach my goal."

"How's that?" Faith asked and ignored Spike dropping an unconscious
or dead Tara at her feet.  The Slayer refused to look down, as if
she didn't care about the college student.

"Well, we wait for Tara to wake up and kill you," Ethan explained
with a smirk.  "The Slayer and her friends will be devastated to
find you dead and their beloved witch now a vampire."

"They'll be forced to kill her and that'll drive Buffy insane and
make her careless, wot?" Spike grinned.

"Then, with her death or the death of the others, Ripper will come
out and attempt revenge," Ethan finished with a manic shine in his
eyes.  "He'll come back to me."

"Why the hell don't you just send flowers?" Faith demanded.

"Because it takes more than a couple of drinks and a good f**k to
bring Ripper out," Ethan snarled.  "He didn't even come out when I
turned Giles into a damned demon!"

"Why do you want Giles so much?" Faith demanded, sneaking a glance
down at Tara and forcing her heart not to skip a beat when she saw
the fang marks on Tara's neck and traces of blood around her lips.
Slayer senses told Faith that the girl was dead.  Or, more likely
undead.

"Ever have someone in your life that you can't live without?" Ethan
demanded as Spike smirked.

"I'm beginning to think I did," Faith answered truthfully.

"Only that person turns on you and despises you? Hates everything
about you?" Ethan snapped.

"Oh yeah, been there, done that!" Faith agreed readily.  "Got the
scars to prove it too and several months in a coma from our last
encounter."

"Ah, you did fall for the Slayer," Ethan smiled and Faith saw real
emotion in his eyes.  "Well, maybe Tara will turn you when she wakes
up and you can have your Slayer."

Faith's heart began beating faster as she looked down at the young
Wiccan.

"Stake her! Please!" Faith pleaded.  "I'll do anything you want,
just don't do this to her!"

Spike laughed and smacked Faith on the back of the head to irritate
her.

"Have fun when she wakes up," he grinned.  "First awakening, she
probably won't even notice you're female and try to seduce you,
she'll just rip your throat out."

"Goodbye, Faith," Ethan grinned and walked out the door with Spike
following.  "You failed your friends again."

Faith screamed in rage as she struggled against the chains.

* * *

The new Guests have just been announced on the forum:

It gives me great pleasure to annunce the replacement guests.


Julie Benz - "Darla"

Clare Kramer - "Glory"

Mark Lutz - "The Groosalugg"

So, the complete guest list is.... pretty darn good.

Amy Acker
Iyari Limon
Camden Toy
Julie Benz
Clare Kramer
Mark Lutz
That is a good group from both Buffy and Angel, season 1 to 7, good
and evil.

Was that worth the wait?

Slayerbuff
aka Ed.

www.scoobygangpromotions.com

Rewrite Season 6, part 12
Rainbow in the Dark

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  R (US); 15 (UK); MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary:  Ethan has Willow, Dawn and Tara – can Faith, Buffy and the
others save them before Spike and Ethan carry out their revenge?

* * *

Faith worked her crutches under her and quickly made her way to the
dark and foreboding looking two story house, the address Ethan had
given her.

The front door was open and the inside dark.

"Hello?" Faith called.

"Help!" a voice called faintly.

The brunette Slayer flipped the light switch on the wall next to her
and frowned when only a dim overhead light came on, barely cutting
through the darkness of the boarded up and enclosed house.  It
smelled dank and musty.

"Keep shouting!" Faith yelled.

"Help! Down here! Help us!"

Faith followed the voice to a door under the staircase.  The Slayer
growled when she found it locked.

"Help us!" a young voice shouted, louder now.

She normally would kick in the door but having a leg in a cast made
that option not such a good idea, the Slayer thought. Faith looked
around for something to use against the door while on crutches but
didn't find anything except broken furniture.

"Fuck it!" Faith mumbled and leaned back on her crutches and kicked
the stubborn door with her good leg.  The Slayer promptly fell on
her tailbone.  "Ow."

"Help! Down here!" someone yelled again.

Faith got to her feet reluctantly.  "Yeah, yeah, hang on!" she
grumbled and reached around until she felt the light switch.
Another dim light flashed to light down below in the basement.
Faith looked at the stairs with a deep frown.  She put one of the
crutches aside and used only one crutch and the handrail to get down
to the bottom.

Faith's eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw Dawn and Willow
chained to the wall of the damp basement.  Dawn was struggling
against her chains but the witch appeared unconscious.

"Willow?" Faith asked, moving to the witch and raising her head.

"She's been like that since that jerk whacked Tara over the head and
chained me down here!" Dawn complained.  "He said he had drained her
magic and…and maybe her mind too!"

"Fucking bastard," Faith growled and easily broke Dawn's chains and
then Willow's.  Together they lowered the unconscious hacker to the
floor.  "Okay," Faith said slowly. "Take my cell phone and call your
sister, she's at Giles'. Give her this address and get the cavalry
here."

"Why don't you call her?" Dawn demanded, unsure if she wanted to
leave Willow alone with Faith.

"We're in a basement, cell phone won't work down here," Faith
explained irritably.  "Look around up there and find something to
wrap Willow up in, she's freezing down here.  I can't carry her up
with this damned broken leg."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Dawn growled.

"Good, bring some water too, if you can," Faith said, holding
Willow's head in her lap.  "Damn sorcerers and vampires!"

* * *

Ten minutes later Willow still hadn't regained consciousness and
Faith was beginning to get worried that Ethan and Spike might return
before Buffy got there.  The brunette Slayer was under no illusions
that she could take both Spike and Ethan on with a broken leg.

"I hate magic users!" she growled as Dawn held Willow in her arms.

"Hey, Willow uses magic!" Dawn protested.

"Yeah, but she's a good guy," Faith countered.

"Like you are now?" Dawn asked softly.

"Trying," Faith shrugged.  "I got out of prison because I thought I
was being a good guy. Trying to keep the effort going."

"Dawn?!" Buffy's voice yelled from upstairs.

"Down here, B!" Faith yelled back.

In moments, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Sam, and Giles hurried down the
basement stairs.

"How did you find them?" Buffy demanded.

"I called Ethan," Faith said and hoped Buffy would listen before
hitting her.  "I wanted to make sure he wasn't around."

"What do you mean? You were willing to take on Ethan by yourself?"
Giles demanded.

"No, he thought I was still on his side," Faith said softly. "If he
was in the house when I got here, I was going to wait until he left
or I had an opening to get them out of here."

"We could handle him!" Xander growled, still distrustful.

"You couldn't handle Ethan or Spike on their worst days, Harris,"
Faith snapped back.

"Let's get them out of here!" Anya urged.

"Giles, is Willow okay?" Buffy asked, her voice shaky.

"I don't know, what happened, Dawn, Faith?" the Englishman asked.

"Ethan drained her of her magic," Faith said bitterly.

"He said it might have taken her mind too," Dawn added, her eyes
filling with tears.

"Oh God, let's get her out of here," Giles said urgently. "If he's
taken her magic energy and life force, he'll be like someone on
amphetamines."

Buffy gathered Willow into her arms and looked closely at Dawn. "You
okay, runt?"

"Yeah, Spike just shook me a little," Dawn grumbled.

"Did he hurt you?" Buffy demanded.

"A little," Dawn admitted. "He bruised my arms and hit my head on a
wall."

"Did it hurt him?" Giles asked as Buffy began walking up the stairs
with Willow in her arms.

"No, no chip pain or anything," Dawn said bitterly.  "Not even a
sign of guilt."

"What do we do about Tara?" Xander demanded as Faith began working
her way up the stairs.

"I'll wait for Ethan and Spike and find out where she is," Faith
volunteered.

"They'll kill you when they find Dawn and Willow missing," Anya
protested.

"I'll tell them that they were gone when I got here," Faith
shrugged.  "It's the best idea I've got."

"Faith, odds are that they'll kill you," Giles agreed with Anya.

"B, just get Dawn and Willow out of here!" Faith shouted. "I'll find
Tara!"

Giles handed Faith the other crutch and stopped the young Slayer for
a moment.  He placed his hand on her shoulder, closed his eyes and
muttered something.

"What was that?" Faith asked when he pulled back.

"A minor level tracing spell," Giles explained. "It's been awhile
but I remember some of it. We'll be able to find you."

"Thanks, Giles," Faith said softly as Buffy carried Willow out of
the old house.

"You know they'll hurt and maybe kill you," Giles said softly.

"Yeah, I do," Faith nodded wearily. "I gotta do something right,
Giles."

"You got Dawn and Willow back, let us help you with Tara," he urged.

"No," Faith shook her head.  "Let me do this."

"I won't be too far away, Faith," Giles said softly and followed the
rest of the Scooby gang outside as Faith waited for two maniacs.

* * *

Tara whimpered as someone slapped her face, waking her up.  Her head
hurt, her arms were burning and her body was protesting as well.
The witch wanted to go back to sleep, it didn't hurt so bad then.

The magical energy bolt that had hit her before she even touched the
door handle had been strong and fast.  The witch was unconscious
before she landed several feet in the front yard of the house with
Dawn screaming.

Now everything hurt and someone was making it worse.

Tara opened her eyes reluctantly, ready to try the first spell that
came to mind, confident of skills or not, Tara was upset.

"Good, witch is awake!" Spike snapped, lowering his hand from
slapping her again.

Tara got her feet under her and looked around, realizing she was
chained in the middle of the main area of a large mansion-like
building and had been hanging by her wrists.  Now that she could
stand up and take some of the weight off, her wrists were screaming
and burning with pain.

"Spike?" she asked softly.  "Why? W-we were good to you!"

"Because I was neutered like some damned street alley mutt!" the
vampire growled.  "Would you let me in your bedroom now without the
chip?"

"I would have if you hadn't tried to rape my best friend!" Tara
snapped.

Spike shrugged, the evil glint still in his eyes.

"W-what do you want me for and where is Dawn?" Tara demanded.

"I want your magic," Ethan explained, stepping around into her
sight.  "Dawn is merely bait. I don't care what happens to her."

"Where's Dawn and Willow?" Tara demanded.

"At the other house," Ethan shrugged.  "I left them there
intentionally. I've got all the magic out of your girlfriend I could
for now, it'll be at least two weeks before she can even mentally
lift a toothpick.  The Slayer will show up and rescue them and then
the spell I put on the brat will kick in tonight. She'll lead them
right into the midst of a pack of very anxious vampires and demons."

Ethan grinned viciously.

"Giles will live though and he'll be mine again when Ripper comes
out to play," he continued.  "Spike will have his revenge on the
Slayer and all your friends and I get enough magic to take this town
down for my pleasure and get Ripper back."

"And…and me?" Tara asked softly.

"You're my revenge," Spike grinned.

"For w-what? Treating you n-nice?" Tara snapped.

"Always thought you had some spunk under that Country Mouse routine
of yours," Spike laughed.  "Yes, for treating me nice! I'm a goddamn
vampire! You tried to turn me into a human!"

"You thanked Buffy once for treating you like a man and not a
monster," Tara countered and Spike backhanded her.

"That's the bloody point!" Spike growled.  "Why do you think
Angeleus tormented her? Because of what she did to Angel, making him
think he could be a man again and not a monster. That's what we are!"

"That's what your demon resents, you mean," Tara frowned.

"Maybe," Spike shrugged and moved closer.  "But you'll know what
that's like real soon, my little Wiccan."

"Just kill me and get it over with!" Tara snapped.

"Oh don't worry, luv," Spike grinned as Ethan watched
indifferently.  "First Ethan takes your power and then you'll die.
The best part is that you won't stay dead."

Tara felt herself go pale at Spike's implications.  A moment later
she screamed and struggled against the chains as Spike laughed.

* * *

Willow moaned and thrashed her arms and hands until she realized it
was Buffy's voice trying to soothe and hold her down.

"Tara!" Willow whispered, her voice harsh.

"Easy, Will," Buffy urged as Willow sat up, her eyes
panicked.  "You're home, you're safe."

"Where's Tara and Dawn? Ethan said he was going to hurt them!"
Willow demanded.

"He got them," Buffy nodded.  "We got you and Dawn back but Tara
wasn't there."

"He still has Tara?" Willow whispered, her eyes wide and
fearful.  "Ethan, he, he hurt me, Buff. He plans on hurting her too!"

"Dawn said that he took your magic?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, it's like draining a gas tank of a car," Willow said
slowly. "You can fill the gas tank again but the car won't run until
you do."

"How do you get it back?" Buffy asked as Willow got up slowly and
moved to change clothes.

"Just time," Willow shrugged. "There's ways of taking short cuts but
the best way is just time."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed, what does it look like?" Willow snapped.  "How do
we find Tara?"

"We're waiting for a phone call or Giles' tracer spell to kick into
gear," Buffy explained.

"Tracer spell?" Willow asked with a frown.

"Yeah, he did a spell so we might be able to find where Spike and
Ethan took Tara and…"

"Buffy! The spell!" Giles shouted from downstairs.

Both girls hit the stairs running as Giles held the door open, his
eyes vaguely unfocused. Willow struggled to catch her breath after
the short dash, having expended what energy she had left.

"Giles?" Buffy asked softly.

"Just get in the car," he growled. "Must concentrate."

* * *

Riley growled as he pulled the rental car into traffic behind Giles'
car.  He had spent several hours watching the Englishman's place and
had followed the gang to an old house.  The soldier was very
surprised to see them emerge several minutes later with Dawn and an
unconscious Willow.

Riley debated about approaching them and helping but held back.  His
pride was hurting.  His wife had chosen to help his ex-girlfriend
and her freak friends instead of standing by him and his decisions
as a soldier.

Riley Finn was also upset with himself.  He had no idea why he had
approached Buffy like he had.  He loved Sam more than anything.  It
was as if Buffy Summers was a drug that he couldn't resist.  Like
those vampire whores who drank his blood to make him feel important
and needed, he taunted himself.

The soldier growled.  He knew he had better get his life figured out
quickly or he was going to lose Sam and maybe his position in the
Initiative Strike Force.  Riley didn't want to lose either.

Maybe Sam was right and it was time to get out of Sunnydale.

* * *

Faith wasn't surprised when Ethan and Spike didn't believe her.  She
got in a good slash with a dagger across Ethan's chest and rammed a
broken piece of her crutch into Spike's chest, barely missing his
heart.  She was taken down with a vicious blow from Spike's fist and
an energy blast from Ethan.

"Buffy," she muttered as darkness claimed her.

* * *
Sam pulled to a slow stop as Giles held his head and moaned in the
front seat.  Xander skidded to a stop behind her in his car.
Willow, in the back seat of Giles' car, resisted snapping at the ex-
Watcher to hurry up. She knew he was long out of practice and he was
hurting.

Finally, Giles pointed to the left and Sam started to pull away from
the stop sign when Buffy shouted in surprise.

Willow's head snapped around in time to see her best friend
struggling with Dawn.

"Damnit, Dawn, what are you doing?" Buffy demanded as Dawns
struggled wordlessly.

Xander came running up from his car and fought Dawn with Buffy until
they had her pinned in the car, almost lying over Buffy and Willow
in the back seat.  Dawn screamed in frustration and continued to
struggle as Xander held her legs and Buffy her arms.

"Sleep!" Giles muttered and ran his hands over Dawn's face.  The
teenager relaxed instantly in her sister's arms and Giles collapsed
over the seat, barely conscious.

"What the hell just happened?" Xander demanded as Sam checked Giles'
pulse and eyes.

"I haven't a clue!" Buffy complained.

"Spell…" Giles muttered.  "Under spell."

"Damn," Willow growled as she stroked Dawn's hair. "She was under a
spell by Ethan. Giles countered it and put her to sleep."

"What about Tara?" Buffy demanded as tears began to flow down
Willow's cheeks.

"Breaking Ethan's spell and doing the sleep thing broke his
connection with the tracer spell," Willow said softly.

"We can't find Tara?" Buffy whispered and Willow shook her head,
crying.

"What about that connection thing you guys have?" Xander suggested
but Willow shook her head.

"I can tell that Tara's scared to death about something but not
where she is," Willow sobbed.  "Now I don't have the magic to track
her."

"Take us home, Sam," Buffy said softly, looking down into her
sister's face.

"We're giving up?" Xander demanded.

"No, we're taking Dawn and Willow home and then we're going to turn
this town upside down!" Buffy growled as Giles shook his head,
trying to wake up.

* * *

The sun was just appearing on the horizon when the weary band of
hunters returned to the Summers' house.  Willow and Dawn both shot
up from their places on the sofa and chair with hopeful expressions,
only to fall back when they saw Buffy's face.

It took an hour to convince Willow to try and sleep but she only
relented and drifted off with Buffy holding her on one side and Dawn
on the other.

Buffy whimpered, dreaming of Faith.  Dreaming of Faith screaming for
her or fighting her.

* * *

"Will?"

Willow looked up and Buffy almost whimpered at how fragile her best
friend looked.

The red-haired witch looked away, clenching her fists.

"That bastard!" Willow hissed.  "If he hadn't drained me, I could
find Tara through our connection!"

Buffy frowned and crossed the room quickly and wrapped her arms
around her friend, pulling Willow close.

"I know, Will, I know," Buffy said gently as her strength began to
force Willow to relax slightly.

"Where is everyone?" Willow asked after a few moments of sobbing in
Buffy's arms.

"Dawn and Giles are tormenting Willie; Xander and Anya are searching
mansions and crypts that Spike has been known to haunt; and Sam is
talking with Riley," Buffy said softly.  "I'm not sure if they're
making up or heading for a fist-fight."

"I feel so helpless!" Willow snapped.  "My computer skills are
useless with this! My magic is temporarily gone and no one knows
what to do!"

"Will, you know Mom said that we're connected now," Buffy said
slowly, pondering.  "You, me, Tara and Dawn.  Could you like tap
into Dawn and me and find Tara that way?"

Willow startled Buffy by sitting up abruptly.

"Yes!" she shouted.  "That would work! You see, I could go to some
black market type magic guy or girl and get a boost on my magickal
skills but that's not a good idea because there's always hidden
price tag and very fine print and sometimes you end up dealing with
demons in human form…"

"Will! Slow down!" Buffy smiled.

"I could take a short cut to get some magical energy but it's always
bad news to mess with those types," Willow said, a little
calmer.  "But maybe with our connection it will work just as well."

"How do we do this?" Buffy asked, suddenly hopeful.

"Where's Dawn? It would work best if she's here," Willow said,
distracted.

"I'll call, just hang loose and concentrate on Tara!" Buffy said as
she dashed for the door to find her cell phone.

* * *

Giles frowned but nodded once Willow and Buffy explained their idea.

"Yes, that could work without putting Willow in danger from the
demons that normally traffic in easy, quick and loose magic," he
said thoughtfully.  "Let's try it, we don't have much choice since I
lost the locator spell."

Xander, Anya, Sam and Riley sat in the Summers' living room as
Willow, Buffy, Dawn and Giles sat in the middle of the floor.  Buffy
still wasn't talking to Riley but accepted his presence and his
potential help.

"Just concentrate on Tara and me," Willow said softly as the four
joined hands.

"Why is Giles in on this?" Dawn questioned. "He's not like part of
the whole connection thing."

"He's used magic before, he can help Willow channel, now shut up
runt," Buffy said softly with a grin.

Buffy closed her eyes and let herself drift.  She allowed her mind
to roam to memories of Willow and Tara, especially of the two
witches together.  The cute shy smile of Willow; the quirky smirk
that Tara would sometimes get; the way both blushed just before
disappearing into the bedroom.  Buffy almost startled herself out of
the light trance.

*Where the hell did that come from?* she demanded mentally with a
frown.

The Slayer felt her body jerk and recognized Willow's psychic
touch.  Buffy heard Dawn gasp beside her.

"Easy, girls," Giles soothed.  "Just relax, think of Tara now."

Willow felt the energy starting to mesh with Giles stabilizing it
and reached out, following her connection to Tara.  She could see
their lines, they were almost braided together.

Then Willow jerked, realizing that there were two other lines
braided in with hers and Tara's and was surprised.  She hadn't
anticipated them being that linked and connected.

Willow narrowed in, following the line.

Xander held Anya's hand tightly as Willow jerked and moaned in her
trance.

"Are they okay?" Riley asked in a whisper.

"Shut up, soldier boy," Xander snapped. "This isn't your field, so
just watch like the rest of us."

"Willow is reaching out to find Tara's life-line, hoping to connect
with her psychically," Anya explained to the husband and wife
soldiers.  "Hopefully, if they connect, Tara can tell us where she
is."

Anya squeaked in surprise and Xander nearly jumped off the sofa when
Willow suddenly screamed, her body arched and then fell forward in
the circle.

Buffy and Dawn collapsed without a word and Giles moaned, holding
his head.

"Giles? Will?" Xander yelled as he cradled Willow in his lap a
moment later.

Anya was checking on Dawn while Riley and Sam had Buffy sitting up
in Riley's arms, both looking scared.

Giles moaned again and opened his eyes slowly.

"Oh dear Lord, I don't want to do that again," he muttered and then
looked around.  "Willow!"

Xander stroked Willow's hair as he looked to Giles for answers.

"What's wrong with them?" the young man demanded.

"Come on, Willow," Giles muttered as he knelt next to Willow.  "Come
on, Willow, don't follow! Please don't follow! Fight! Please fight
to stay with us!"

"Giles!" Riley shouted.

"Buffy and Dawn should be alright, just a back-lash headache and a
major sense of loss inside," Giles snapped back.  "Willow!"

Willow's eyelids fluttered and Xander heard Giles say a quick prayer
of thanks.

"Giles?" Xander questioned.

"We lost the line," Giles muttered.

"You lost the spell thing?" Riley frowned.

"No, we lost Tara's life line," Giles said softly, wiping a tear
away from his eye as Willow moaned.  "She almost followed Tara down."

"Down?" Xander squeaked, his voice cracking as he held his best
friend. "Down where?"

"Tara's life line is gone, it snapped and almost took Willow with it
into death," Anya explained.

"Death?" Xander whispered.  "No, no."

* * *

Faith whimpered and struggled against the chains that held her.  The
sprained arm was hurting and it was impossible to keep her weight on
just one leg for long, meaning she'd have to drop and let her body
hang by the wrists.

The Slayer's wrists were raw and bleeding but she still couldn't get
her hands loose and Spike's fangs had drained her to the point of
weakness.

Faith stood up on her one good leg as the outer door opened and
someone approached the room she was chained in.

The Slayer resisted reacting to the sight of Spike entering the room
with someone over his shoulder, followed closely by Ethan Rayne.

"Hello, Faith," Ethan said cheerfully.  "I should have known your
redemption thing was real when I got you out."

"Well, your mistake," Faith growled, spitting the blood from her
split lip at him but missing.  "Might be your last. Your trap didn't
work, did it?"

"No, a minor set back," Ethan shrugged.  "It'll just take a little
longer to reach my goal."

"How's that?" Faith asked and ignored Spike dropping an unconscious
or dead Tara at her feet.  The Slayer refused to look down, as if
she didn't care about the college student.

"Well, we wait for Tara to wake up and kill you," Ethan explained
with a smirk.  "The Slayer and her friends will be devastated to
find you dead and their beloved witch now a vampire."

"They'll be forced to kill her and that'll drive Buffy insane and
make her careless, wot?" Spike grinned.

"Then, with her death or the death of the others, Ripper will come
out and attempt revenge," Ethan finished with a manic shine in his
eyes.  "He'll come back to me."

"Why the hell don't you just send flowers?" Faith demanded.

"Because it takes more than a couple of drinks and a good f**k to
bring Ripper out," Ethan snarled.  "He didn't even come out when I
turned Giles into a damned demon!"

"Why do you want Giles so much?" Faith demanded, sneaking a glance
down at Tara and forcing her heart not to skip a beat when she saw
the fang marks on Tara's neck and traces of blood around her lips.
Slayer senses told Faith that the girl was dead.  Or, more likely
undead.

"Ever have someone in your life that you can't live without?" Ethan
demanded as Spike smirked.

"I'm beginning to think I did," Faith answered truthfully.

"Only that person turns on you and despises you? Hates everything
about you?" Ethan snapped.

"Oh yeah, been there, done that!" Faith agreed readily.  "Got the
scars to prove it too and several months in a coma from our last
encounter."

"Ah, you did fall for the Slayer," Ethan smiled and Faith saw real
emotion in his eyes.  "Well, maybe Tara will turn you when she wakes
up and you can have your Slayer."

Faith's heart began beating faster as she looked down at the young
Wiccan.

"Stake her! Please!" Faith pleaded.  "I'll do anything you want,
just don't do this to her!"

Spike laughed and smacked Faith on the back of the head to irritate
her.

"Have fun when she wakes up," he grinned.  "First awakening, she
probably won't even notice you're female and try to seduce you,
she'll just rip your throat out."

"Goodbye, Faith," Ethan grinned and walked out the door with Spike
following.  "You failed your friends again."

Faith screamed in rage as she struggled against the chains.

* * *

Scooby Gang Promotions is proud to present


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Guests Include:

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Rewrite Season 6, part 11
Psycho Circus

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  R (US), 15 (UK), MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary:  Old faces make themselves known and plots are revealed,
but is it too late?

* * *

Buffy ducked one punch, blocked a second one and threw one vampire
into the other.  The blonde Slayer moved with a well practiced ease
as both vampires rushed her from either side and she dived forward
out of their rush.  Buffy spun around, kicking one vampire in the
jaw and staked the other.  The second vampire hadn't recovered from
the kick before Buffy had staked him as well

Buffy was about to head back towards the gate when she stopped and
hesitated.  She had already made a patrol around the Bronze and
Espresso Pump and this was her first graveyard of the night.  Buffy
didn't think she was sensing another vampire but something was…off.

The Slayer frowned and listened closely and heard a small tapping
nearby.  Buffy pulled out her stake and trotted towards the
crypts.  "I've never seen so many damned crypts in a California
town!" she muttered.

Buffy noticed a tomb with a partially open door and approached it
slowly.  The tapping was louder and steady.  "Help me," a voice
called softly.

"You've got to be kidding," Buffy mumbled when she opened the tomb
door.  "Faith?"

"B, help me, please," Faith begged softly. "He broke my leg and arm."

"Who did?" Buffy demanded as she walked into the tomb cautiously.
She was expecting a trap, even though Faith looked almost as bad as
Jonathan did just before he died.

"Spike," Faith whispered.

Buffy was finally satisfied that there was no one else in the tomb
and bent cautiously over Faith, looking for hidden weapons or faking
of injuries.

Faith had been beaten badly.  Buffy figured the brunette Slayer had
a broken nose, broken left arm and broken right leg.  Faith had
various bruises and cuts, especially on her hands where she had
fought back.

What was disturbing Buffy the most was the ripped shirt, claw marks
on Faith's chest and the fang marks on the Slayer's neck.

"Faith, you've got five seconds to tell me what the hell is going on
and it had better be good," Buffy threatened. "Or I'm leaving you
here!"

"I got out of prison with a Watcher," Faith gasped as Buffy ripped
her shirt into pieces and wrapped one around Faith's wounded
arms.  "He…he told me Red worked bad magic to bring you back. That…
both of you were now dark…Fuck, B, that hurts!"

Buffy stopped trying to straighten Faith's leg.  Spike had
apparently bent the leg over his knee at an awkward angle and
snapped it.  The blonde Slayer knew it would take more than the
usual Slayer overnight healing before Faith would walk again without
crutches.

"Keep talking!" Buffy growled.

"Said that I could go back to being a Slayer if I took you and Red
out," Faith said through gritted teeth.

"And you agreed, great plan for revenge, right?" Buffy demanded.

"No, I agreed because if you came back wrong then I had a duty to
take you down because I respect you, B," Faith growled.  "I didn't
want some Watcher sniping you from some rooftop and walking away
like you were nothing!"

Buffy frowned.  "Angel said you were doing well in prison."

"B, I know you haven't wanted to talk or anything," Faith said
softly. "I didn't escape, I swear.  The Watcher wanted me to team up
with Spike to kill you and Red.  I spied on you and kept getting
mixed signals.  Captain America thinks Willow is dangerous and
you're protective but I can't bring myself to believe something went
wrong with you coming back.  You're the Slayer, not me."

"So what happened with Spike?" Buffy asked, helping Faith sit up as
she checked for other broken bones.

"He came back last night all bloody and absolutely out of his head,"
Faith moaned in pain as Buffy helped her lean against the stone
wall.  "He didn't even say a fucking 'hello,' he just hit me. He
took me by surprise, threw me in here and beat the crap out of me."

"Why?" Buffy frowned.

"He…he insisted we kidnap Dawn tonight and kill you when you came
for her," Faith muttered.  "I put my foot down and he showed me that
he had that damned chip shorted out or something."

"Dawn? He's going after Dawnie?" Buffy demanded.

"Yeah, he broke my leg and arm so I couldn't find you and locked me
in," Faith explained.  "B, I'm on your side, I swear it."

"Who was this Watcher that got you out?" Buffy asked with a frown.

"Said he name was Ethan," Faith moaned.

"Ethan Rayne!" Buffy growled and Faith flinched away from the
Slayer's anger.

"I take it you know him and he's not a Watcher?" Faith smirked at
herself.  "Figures, I try and to something right and I mess it up."

"I'm going to call 911 and get you to a hospital," Buffy
frowned.  "Then I'm going to find Spike and stake the son of a
bitch!"

"No hospital, B! They'll send me back to prison!" Faith cried,
panicked.

"Relax, we'll figure out the legal stuff if you're serious about the
redemption thing," Buffy said absently.  "I've got a friend and a
clinic.  So, no 911. I'm calling Giles and Xander to help me with
you."

Buffy pulled out her phone and looked at it and then at Faith.

"Faith, Angel said to trust you," Buffy said slowly.  "We didn't
agree about a lot of thing the last couple of years but I'm going to
try and trust his judgment.  You turn on me or any of my friends
again and I will make sure to kill you this time."

"Okay, B," Faith said softly, closing her eyes in pain.

Buffy wondered how Faith had gotten through an entire night and day
with broken bones more.

"Giles, I'm in Northgate Cemetery towards the back," Buffy said
calmly, speaking into her cell phone.  "I need you and Xander to
help me with someone who's injured.  We can' t take her to the
hospital.  Can you get Maggie to open up the clinic or is it still
open."

Faith watched as Buffy listened for a moment.

"Okay, is Dawn there? Keep her in the house," Buffy said
firmly.  "Spike is after her and me and he's gone totally over the
edge."

Buffy hung up the phone and squatted next to Faith, her face and
eyes hard.

"Have you changed?" she demanded from the dark Slayer.

"Did you?" Faith countered softly.

"I died and came back," Buffy snapped.  "Not quite the same thing."

"Try going to prison and hiding your true strength," Faith
whispered.  "Try staying behind bars and not killing the first guard
that tries to rape you in the middle of the night or the woman in
your cell because you stepped on her shoes.  It's the same as dying,
B."

"You put yourself there, Faith," Buffy countered.

"Willingly," the brunette reminded her.  "I escaped from the
Watchers, I could have escaped from the cops. I tried to do the
right thing this time."

"Would you have killed me and Willow?" Buffy demanded.

"No," Faith shook her head wearily.  "I guess that's why I kept
stalling. I still can't follow through, B."

Buffy's eyes softened slightly.  "Why did you take the deal?"

"I knew if that Watcher was right and you were evil, the Buffy you
had been once would want to be taken down by another Slayer," Faith
explained again.  "I wanted to be a Slayer for once."

"Ethan Rayne isn't a Watcher, Faith," Buffy said slowly.  "He's a
sorcerer and an old enemy of Giles and the gang."

"Figures, my one shot at freedom and it was a trick," Faith
complained.  "I had a good chance at parole next year too. Now
they'll tack on another five or ten years for escaping."

"Lets worry about that after we take Spike and Ethan down," Buffy
smiled slightly.

Faith nodded and clenched her jaw.

"Faith, did he…?" Buffy asked softly.

"No," Faith said, keeping her eyes closed.  "He tried but he…he
couldn't perform or something and bit me instead."

"He tried with me," Buffy admitted. "Spike was about to when Dawn
stopped him."

"I saw then carry you in the house," Faith said, opening her eyes
slightly.  "I was the one that got him out of his crypt before Giles
and they got there, B."

"You knew he tried to rape me and you helped him!" Buffy shouted,
jumping to her feet.

"I was going to use him as my bargaining chip to show you I was
being a good guy," Faith whined. "I figured if I took him down last
night and presented him to you then you might half believe I was
trying."

"Damnit, Faith! You should have just called yesterday," Buffy
complained.  "I would have helped you with Spike."

"You would have suspected a trap, just like you did coming in here,"
Faith countered.

Buffy frowned and went to the tomb door, keeping an eye out for
Giles, Xander and possibly Spike.

"I want to believe in you, Faith," Buffy said softly.  "It hurt so
much when you wigged."

"I know," Faith said wearily.  "I can never say I'm sorry enough for
that. All I can do is change."

After a few moments Faith looked up at the other Slayer.

"How did Spike get the chip thing screwed up? She asked.

"Got some computer science geeks to overload the chip and then he
slaughtered them," Buffy said grimly.

She may not have known Warren and the other guy but Jonathan had
been an okay kid.  Screwed up and geeky but a good heart underneath
and Buffy didn't think he deserved the death he and his friends had
gotten.

"Hang loose," she instructed when she saw flashlights moving through
the headstones and went to meet them.

* * *

Willow looked around the mansion for Ethan when she woke up later
that evening but found the mansion empty and a bag of groceries on
the kitchen counter.  The suspicious witch checked the containers of
dried foods carefully before opening the peanut butter and jelly and
making herself a sandwich and opening a bag of chips.

The soda can fizzed properly when she opened it as well.

"Well, I don't think he poisoned any of it," she muttered.  "If he
used magic, I'm toast."

Willow ate her sandwich and chips quickly, her eyes constantly
darting around the mansion.  It was dark and spooky in the old house
at night, especially with no electricity and only a small camp
lantern to light the kitchen.

"Okay, Rosenberg, now what? Get out of town? Call the gang for help?
Or what?"

"Or take Ethan up on his offer for join together?" a voice suggested
from the doorway.

Willow spun with her hands held up defensively.

"Easy, Willow," Ethan grinned, holding his own hands up in a peace
gesture.

"The last one isn't an option," Willow grumbled, lowering her hands
and reaching for her soda.

"Why not?" Ethan asked, bending over into the ice chest for a soda
of his own.

"Because I don't like you, I don't trust you, and I don't like you,"
Willow said firmly.

"You said that twice," Ethan continued to grin.

"It deserved a repeat," Willow growled.

Ethan finally looked irritated.

"You are even more stubborn than Ripper was," he complained.  "We
could do spells, raise some vicious power and send those commando
types running for the hills and maybe even some romance."

"Gay now, thanks," Willow muttered.

"So am I upon occasion," Ethan smiled. "Ask Ripper."

Willow looked up sharply.

"You and Giles?" she squeaked.

"Ripper," Ethan corrected with a rakish grin.  "I'm also straight
when I'm with a beautiful woman like yourself."

Willow rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Give it a rest," she snapped. "You're even slimier than I thought."

"Ah, Willow," Ethan said sadly.  "I wish we could have worked
together, we could have made some wonderful magic together."

Willow's eyes narrowed.

"Sexually or other?" she smirked.

"Both," Ethan snarled.  "Now we do it the hard way."

Willow spun, dropping her soda can as she raised her hands.

The energy bolt and dampening spell caught her just before she could
shield and Willow went crashing into the table behind her, falling
hard to the floor stunned.

"That was bloody easy," a familiar voice reached through Willow's
haze.

"Not so easy, that drains the hell out of me," Ethan
complained.  "She's got this incredible power and isn't using it! Oh
well, if she won't use it and won't work with me, I'll just take it
from her."

"Okay, you've got Red," Spike demanded as he lifted Willow over his
shoulder.  "Why do you want Tara and Dawn?"

//Tara? Dawn?// Willow screamed mentally.

"I'll take Tara's magical energy as well," Ethan explained.  "The
brat is bait to draw the Slayer and Giles here. I'll get my revenge
on Giles and you'll get your Slayer to play with."

"Where the hell do you want her?" Spike grumbled.

"I've got the chains ready in the back room, chain her and gag her,"
Ethan instructed.  "The chains are magically bound and if she's
gagged, she can't work around them. Don't hurt her yet."

"I get her later, right?" Spike demanded.

"I don't care what you do to her after I've drained her magic energy
and most of her life force from her and the other witch," Ethan said
absently.

//Oh Goddess! Tara!//

* * *

Faith listened closely as Dr. Maggie Doyle worked on her broken
limbs as Xander and Giles argued with Buffy about turning Faith over
to the authorities or not.  Surprising, Giles was in favor of
trusting her.

Anya was quiet and Xander was very vocal about calling the police.

"Sounds like you might have an enemy out there," Maggie said softly
as she wrapped the cast material around Faith's leg.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they are all aren't trying to lynch me," Faith
muttered, gritting her teeth.

"What did you do to them?" Maggie asked, genuinely interested.  She
knew Giles and had good feelings about the others.  The problem was
she also had good instincts about the girl she was working on.
Maggie also sensed some major tension between Buffy and the girl.

"Tried to kill them," Faith said softly, wiping at the stray tear
escaping her eyes angrily.

"Well, it sounds like Buffy and Giles are willing to give you a
chance," Maggie pointed out.

"I don't deserve it from them," Faith said softly, the pain shot
Maggie had given her earlier starting to hit.

Maggie looked up as Buffy stuck her head in the door.  "Can I see
her for a minute?"

"If you can talk while I work," Maggie stipulated. "I need to stitch
up that wound on her arm."

"Faith?" Buffy asked softly, pulling up a stool next to the gurney.

"Yeah, B?" Faith asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"Swear to me you've changed," Buffy demanded with a frown.

"I can't do that, you won't believe it," Faith said bitterly.

"Then tell me why you did it in the first place," Buffy said,
reaching out to hold Faith's hand, surprising the brunette.

"Remember turning me over to the Council for retraining?
Rehabilitation?" Faith asked, keeping her eyes closed.  "I knew what
that meant, drugs, bars, and people telling you what to do and when
to do it.  I knew they'd just make me crazier."

"You knew we didn't approve of that," Buffy continued to frown. "We
would have helped you. Faith, you didn't have to turn to the Mayor."

"I know that now," Faith said irritably.  "He offered me a home,
security, power, and…and love."

"I offered you love!" Buffy hissed.

"And then moped around for your long lost love, Angel," Faith
snapped back.

Buffy looked up at Maggie, obviously embarrassed by stuff she hadn't
even admitted to Willow or anyone else.  The doctor was pointedly
avoiding looking at either girl in the eyes.

"I'm not a goddamn yo-yo, B," Faith complained.

"Okay, old stuff," Buffy said slowly.  "What do we do now? What do
you want from me, from us?"

"I know you'd never give me a second chance," Faith said
wearily.  "How about enough time to heal before you tell the
authorities about me?"

Buffy frowned, lost in thought.

"Agreed," Buffy said after a moment and left the room.

"Whatever happened between you two, you should try and mend it,"
Maggie advised.  "What did she do to you?"

"Tried to kill me," Faith muttered as the doctor stitched her arm.

"Sounds like things should be even then, maybe a new start?" Maggie
suggested.

"Not likely," Faith grumbled.  "I'd like to but they'll never trust
me again."

"People can forgive a lot of things from people they love," Maggie
said wisely.

* * *

Willow screamed through the gag as another bolt of energy raced
through her system.  It felt like fire streaming through her veins
and leaving her body in a flash of light.  The witch had no idea how
long each one lasted but it felt like minutes and each one left her
weaker and weaker until she was hanging limply in the chains against
the wall.

"Oh Red Willow," Ethan gasped.  "Why do you fight me? Just give it
up. You can eventually rebuild your magical ability and open the
fried neurons or whatever happens when someone rips this from you.
The more you fight the harder it is on your body and mind."

Willow's blazing green eyes were answer enough.

Ethan laughed at the fury he saw reflected in the witch and leaned
forward to brush a stray red hair from her forehead.  Willow tried
to back further into the wall as he pressed his body closer.

"We could have some good times, Willow," he purred in her ear as he
bent to kiss her neck.  Ethan jumped back just in time to avoid her
knee coming up to meet his crotch.  "Maybe next time, darling," he
taunted.

Willow screamed with rage as he left the room.

* * *

"Okay, so what do we do with her?" Xander demanded from the waiting
room of the clinic.

"Call me crazy but I trust her," Buffy growled.

"She just teamed up with Ethan Rayne to get out of prison!" Xander
shouted.

"Explain why Spike nearly killed her," Buffy countered.

"Who knows? He's gone as insane as she has!" Xander suggested.

"Angel did say the parole board was impressed with her prison record
and restraint," Giles mentioned.

"She held a knife to Willow's throat and was willing to work with
that weirdo the Mayor," Xander reminded them.

"And she slept with my boyfriend using my body and nearly got me
locked away forever," Buffy continued.  "I remember that.  She also
tormented and tortured Wesley.  Faith also couldn't kill us, any of
us.  Do you really think that any of you could escape if I wanted to
kill you? She's a Slayer."

"You're saying she was holding back?" Giles pondered.

"Yeah, I think she was," Buffy said.  "Even when she was in my body
and about to make a clean getaway, she stopped to help those
hostages.  She acted like a Slayer."

"I'm willing to try," Giles said softly.

"Xander?" Buffy asked.

"It's your neck on the line most of the time, Buff," he said
reluctantly.  "It has to be your decision but how do you know it's
not a trick?"

"Spike tried to rape her, Xander," Buffy said softly, glancing
away.  "Just like he tried with me. She's not faking the injuries or
that."

"Alright, so we know the sorcerer draining Willow was Ethan and
Spike is no longer chipped," Xander growled.  "Not a nice
combination."

"Let's hope they haven't teamed up, shall we?" Giles suggested with
a shudder.

* * *

"Tara?"

"Willow, where are you, baby?" Tara asked anxiously.  She began
waving at Dawn to turn the TV down.  "We've been so worried!"

"I'm okay, lover," Willow's voice reassured her.  "Just staying low
under the radar, you know."

"You can come home, Will," Tara said excitedly. "They've called the
manhunt off."

"Cool!" Willow's voice sounded relieved.  "Could you come get me?
I'm at Angel's old mansion and I fell through a stupid rotten board
and sprained my ankle."

"Well," Tara hesitated.  "Spike is going crazy and we're not
supposed to go out."

"Please, baby," Willow whined.  "Bring the car and lock the doors. I
did a protection spell around the mansion, he can't come in."

"Okay, love," Tara smiled.  "We'll be there in a few minutes."

Ethan hung up the telephone and found Spike smirking at him.

"That's right handy," Spike grinned.  "You do that in bed? Play the
female?"

"Rack off, vampire," Ethan growled.  "Just because I bent over for
Giles doesn't mean I'd do it for you."

"No? Ever make it with a vampire?" Spike taunted.  "Incredible
stamina, you know."

"Did Angeleus enjoy that?" Ethan countered and held up a cross
defensively when Spike vamped out and started towards him.  "Don't
think about it. I can turn you to ash before you took two steps."

"So you get the witches and their power and we use Lil Bit for
bait," Spike said after a few moments.  "What after that?"

"I take out Giles, you do whatever you want with the rest of their
friends and I leave," Ethan shrugged.

* * *

Faith nearly jumped off the bed in surprise when Buffy slammed the
bedroom door open, her face reflecting intense rage.

"One question and tell me the truth," Buffy growled.

"Anything, B," Faith agreed readily, Buffy hadn't even been this
angry when she stabbed Faith, it worried the brunette Slayer.

"Tara and Dawn are missing, did you have anything to do with it?"
Buffy growled, her hands clenching into fists.

"No way," Faith shook her head.  "Spike intended on kidnapping Dawn
to draw you out. I didn't help him, B!"

"Where was he?" Buffy demanded. "We can't find Willow and now Tara
and Dawn are gone!"

"We were staying in the crypt where you found me," Faith answered
quickly.  "I doubt he took them there."

"Damnit! They weren't supposed to leave the house!" Buffy shouted.

"Where will you look?" Faith asked softly.

"Everywhere! If I have to tear this town apart, I will!" Buffy vowed.

Faith flinched when Buffy slammed the bedroom door shut behind her.
The brunette Slayer was already uncomfortable lounging in Buffy's
bed while Willow was missing and Ethan and Spike were loose but
Xander didn't want to work with her.  The leg cast also made things
difficult.

She frowned and reached for her crutches.  Faith dialed a phone
number from her pocket.

"This is Faith," she said slowly.  "Listen, Spike went crazy and
beat the hell out of me."

"Where are you?" Ethan demanded.

"It's not safe to talk, where can I find you?" Faith countered.

"1954 Gardner lane," Ethan said softly.  "Can you get here?"

"Yeah, just put that bastard on a leash!" Faith growled.

"Hurry up and get here!" Ethan snapped.  "You can keep an eye on
Willow and Dawn."

"What about Tara? She's gone missing too!" Faith frowned.

"Don't worry about her," Ethan purred.  "We won't be here when you
get here but we'll be back soon."

Faith wanted to scream at the phone as Ethan hung up.

"Fuck!" she growled.

Buffy was already gone from the house when Faith climbed into a taxi
cab.

* * *

Riley shifted in his seat and lowered his binoculars.

"Looks like something is stirring," he growled.

"Looked like your ex was upset," Sam agreed as they watched Xander
and Anya trotted up to Giles' apartment and dashed inside. "Why are
we doing this, Ry?"

"Doing what, keeping suspects under surveillance?" Riley grumbled.

"The Colonel said to back off on the Rosenberg and Maclay case," Sam
countered.

Riley frowned and refused to answer.

"What is it, Ry?" Sam demanded.  "Why can't you let her go?"

"Who, Willow?" Riley questioned.

"You know who, damnit!" Sam snapped.  "Buffy Summers, the Slayer!
Just the mention of her name sends you into a foul mood for an
entire day and she's still in your bed!"

Riley looked stunned.  "What? She is not!"

"Her ghost is, damnit!" Sam said softly, trying to hold back tears
filling her eyes.  "Turn this vehicle around and let's leave."

"There's something going on and it'll prove I'm right, Willow is a
danger," Riley said, his voice stubborn.

"I've had, Ry!" Sam growled and shoved the door open.

"Where are you going?" Riley demanded.

"To do something useful!" Sam yelled as she got out of the
vehicle.  "I'm going to go find out what is going on and if I can
help them. They're the good guys, Ry. You used to know that."

"They harbor Hostiles, she even slept with a vampire!" Riley
protested.

"And you gave your blood willingly to vampire whores," Sam
countered.

Riley turned pale under his tan and Sam slammed the car door.

"Come to your senses, Ry," Sam said sadly. "This isn't about proving
Buffy wrong because you didn't know she chased after you. Just
because you thought she chose her duty as a Slayer over her love for
you."

"That's not it!" Riley grumbled.

"Isn't it?" Sam demanded sadly.  "Isn't that why you're drawn to
strong women so you can dominate them and you failed to dominate
her?"

Riley turned beet red in anger and possible guilt as Sam walked away.

The specially trained commando walked to the doorway with
trepidation.  Sam had no illusions that Buffy and her friends would
welcome any help with open arms.  She was considered the enemy most
of the time and a nuisance the rest.

Sam knocked firmly on the door and steeled herself.

Xander opened the door with a frown.  He recognized Sam, even in
civilian clothes and he didn't look happy to see her.

"Hello, can I come in?" she asked calmly.

Xander glanced back into the room as Buffy walked up.

"Are you here to harass us about Willow?" Buffy demanded.

"No, I think I just resigned or committed mutiny," Sam tried to
smile.

Buffy frowned but nodded and Xander stepped aside.

"Want to explain?" Buffy demanded.

"I don't agree with Riley that Willow is a danger unless pushed,
like anyone else with special abilities," Sam said slowly.  "I also
don't see everything in black and white like he does."

"Go on," Giles urged.

"It's obvious that something's going on and it's partly my fault
that Willow isn't here to help. I'm asking to help," Sam said softly.

"Buffy?" Giles asked with a doubtful look.

"I don't care if it's a trick or she's a spy," Buffy snapped.  "I'll
take all the help we can find. We haven't heard from Willow since
you soldier types chased her, we know Spike is hunting me and Dawn
and now she's missing with Tara."

"Any clues?" Sam asked.

"No, none," Giles answered.

Sam frowned.  "Usual ways of finding missing people?"

"Threaten Willie," Xander suggested.

"Search the graveyards and old abandoned mansions," Giles added.

"Sewers?" Anya piped in.

"Oh God, I am so gonna kill something!" Buffy muttered.

Sam's eyes widened.  It was hard to believe that this small, thin
young woman was the dreaded Slayer.  From Riley's descriptions of a
Slayer, Sam had expected an Amazon, or at least a female gorilla in
the body of a young woman.

Buffy was the last thing that Sam anticipated but Sam found herself
fascinated by the Slayer.

* * *

Riley slammed his hand against the steering wheel when Sam went into
the apartment.  He couldn't believe Sam's behavior!

Sam was usually so damned dependable.  Riley thought they made a
great team. Sam was strong, quick and fearless.  She reminded him a
lot of Buffy except for the dark hair and eyes.

Riley frowned and got out of the specialized military SUV.  He
looked towards the apartment and slammed his fist on the hood.

Sam had been acting strange ever since they got the assignment for
Sunnydale.  Riley kicked the tire of the vehicle. Had he been acting
weird because it was Buffy?

Why had he gone to Buffy, he demanded of himself.  Sam was
wonderful, talented, strong, funny and more than a match for him in
bed or battle.  Why did he chance that with something fleeting with
Buffy?

Riley suddenly wished they were back in the jungles.  Demons and
were-beasts he could handle.  Sam's understandable jealousy was
something different.

Devin at Chud.com is doing a Best of Buffy list, check out the
article in the link below, it's got all the details, and i also
included my choices.

http://www.chud.com/thud/471




BUFFY

Sexiest: Season 6, Episode - Dead Things. Buffy is outside the door
of Spike's crypt, she leans against it, laying a hand on it. On the
other side of the door Spike is mirroring her, they move together
even though they can't see each other. I can't explain it, but it
was definately the sexiest thing i have EVER seen!

Funniest: Season 3, Episode - Earshot. Giles walking into a tree
after Buffy reveals she knows he had sex with her mother.

Saddest: Season 2, Episode - Becoming: Part 2. Buffy kissing Angel
goodbye and then killing him to save the world. The look on her face
after it was over would make anyone cry.

All and All Best: Season 3, Episode - Prom. Buffy getting her 'Class
Protector' Award then dancing with Angel. That's what the show was
really all about, a young highschool girl that has to give up
everything to save the world. She finally got the credit, the
respect she deserved. Gotta love that.



ANGEL

Sexiest: Season 1, Episode - I Will Remember You. Buffy licking ice
cream off of Angel's chest...mmmmm, that was hot!

Funniest: (TIE) Season 5, Episode - Smile Time. Puppet Angel beating
the hell out of Spike. And Season 2, Episode - Dead End. Near the
end, Lindsey's whole 'Evil Hand' speech. I was laughing my ass off
by the time he grabbed Lilah's.

Saddest: (TIE) Season 1, Episode - I Will Remember You. The final
goodbye. The last time ever that we really see Angel and Buffy
together and in love. And Season 1, Episode - Heroes. Doyle
sacrificing himself to save the world.

All and All Best: Season 5, Episode - Not Fade Away. That final
moment when Spike, Gunn, Illyria, and Angel rush into battle with a
horde of demons to save the world yet again knowing that they
probably won't come out of it alive. It was the perfect ending to
the show and a damn good scene.




Yours,
LaDy SiN

Rewrite Season 6, part 10
Life Serial

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:   R (US), 15 (UK) MA (Aus) – Warning: Attempted sexual
assault.

Pairings: W/T, X/An

Summary:  Life moves on for the Scooby Gang after Spike's attempted
rape of Buffy.  Things change drastically and abruptly.

* * *

Xander carried Buffy into the house, followed by everyone rushing in
and going about various tasks of caring for their injured friend.
Unaware they were being watched from the trees.

Willow rushed to the hall closet for the First Aid kit; Tara ran for
a washcloth and towel; Dawn hurried upstairs to get a shirt for her
sister; Anya got on the phone to call Giles; and Xander held Buffy
tightly.

He saw the ripped shirt, the bite marks on Buffy's neck and breasts;
bruises on her arms and legs and saw red.  Xander knew what Spike
had attempted and he didn't know which was worse, trying to kill
Buffy or rape her.

Buffy stirred and moaned in his arms.

"Buffy, it's okay," he said gently.  "You're safe. We got you home."

Buffy opened her eyes slowly but closed them again.

"Damn bastard whacked me!" she complained.

"Well, Dawn smashed him for you," Xander smiled gently around his
tears.

"He tried…he tried to hurt me," Buffy whimpered.

"Dawn stopped him, Buff," Xander assured his friend.  "I'm going to
kill him this time."

"Yes," Buffy agreed, slipping back into sleep as everyone gathered
around for their individual duties.

"Damn him!" Willow hissed, her face turning red with anger as she
took in Buffy's condition.

"I can't believe he'd do this," Dawn frowned, still holding onto the
baseball bat.

"Believe it," Xander growled.

"I want him dead too, Xander," Tara said her voice low and dangerous.

"No argument there from Buffy," he nodded firmly as Dawn frowned.

Faith snuck back up the stairs and down the trellis.

"This is getting to be a dangerous habit, B," she muttered to
herself.  She had seen Spike attack Buffy and wondered if he had
finally over-ridden that chip in his head or not.  She had been very
surprised to see Dawn follow Spike and Buffy into the crypt and come
out a few minutes later with the Slayer.

Faith had to admire the girl's courage and determination.  The
teenager had just taken on William the Bloody, killer of two
Slayers, and apparently came out on top.

The dark Slayer moved towards the cemetery. Ethan might have been
right about Spike; the vampire might be useful in getting close to
Buffy.  After the way Buffy looked, each of the Scooby gang would
break their necks trying to get to Spike in revenge.

* * *

Buffy was awake and alert by the time Giles showed up at the house.
She answered his questions carefully, despite her tears.

Xander stayed close, lending his strong arms as comfort as Willow
and Tara slowly healed her vampire bite with a low level healing
spell.

"Alright, we know Spike is not thinking rationally," Giles said
slowly.  "That might work for us in tracking him down. I don't think
he'd be stupid enough to stay in the same crypt but we will hit
there tonight just in case Dawn hit him hard enough."

Giles glanced over at the teenager.  "That was very brave, Dawn.
Just don't get caught out again without weapons, please."

Dawn was grateful that this was all the lecture she was getting.
She knew she deserved more but the attack on Buffy had lessened the
blow.

"Let's get him!" Xander said firmly.  "He can't get in, so Buffy and
Dawn will be safe."

"I agree," Giles nodded and stood up.  "Buffy, are you alright with
this?"

"Yes, we could never trust him after this," Buffy said softly, tears
filling her eyes.  "He could hurt Dawn next."

"Shall we go then?" Giles asked the others as they gathered their
weapons.

* * *

Faith found Spike on the bed holding his head and moaning.  He had
barely gotten his trouser back over his hips but hadn't zipped them
back up.  Faith realized with a roar in her ears what he had
attempted.

"You stupid idiot!" she shouted and Spike turned over, moaning.

With a look of revulsion, Faith reached down and to zip his trousers
up and grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Why didn't you just kill her?" Faith demanded as she shoved him
towards the ladder.

Spike growled but started up the ladder as Faith gathered his
clothes and shoved them into a pillowcase.

She found Spike reaching for a bottle of whiskey when she came up
from the lower crypt and snarled at him.  With swift steps, Faith
crossed the space and smacked the bottle out of his hands.

"They're on their way here, you jerk!" she shouted.

"Fine, lets get it over with!" Spike snarled.

"They're armed and you can't hurt them!" Faith snarled back.  "Let's
get out of here and make them come to us when we're ready!"

Faith threw the vampire out the door and into the night, barely
getting him into another crypt as the Scooby gang appeared from
among the tombstones.  Faith knew if Buffy was with them they
wouldn't be able to hide from her Slayer senses but none of the
others had the same talent.

"Bloody bastards," Spike muttered.

"Shut up! You brought this on yourself," Faith growled. "Letting her
get to you like that!"

"Like you never did!" Spike countered.  "You took a knife in the gut
and didn't fight back because it was Buffy."

"Yeah, I've gotten smarter since then," Faith growled.  "I'm gonna
put that knife right through her spine.  Are you sober enough to
listen to a plan rather than that stupid stunt you pulled earlier?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he grumbled.

"Good, cause I know someone who wants to be there when you lure
Buffy and Willow to their deaths," Faith nodded.

* * *

Three days and nights passed with no sign of Spike and Buffy thought
that the vampire might actually have taken her advice and left town.

Riley and Sam stopped in every day to talk with Willow and Tara and
the witches were beginning to relax around the two soldiers. They
discussed the magic, Powers That Be and Joyce's spiritual return.

Willow knew that Riley didn't quite believe them about most of it
but found Sam surprisingly receptive.  The red-haired witch
deliberately held back the details of the spell, even when Riley
pushed.  She told them that she couldn't remember it and the written
copy had been destroyed when the demons crashed the circle.

Tara knew Willow was lying but didn't contradict her lover, leaving
it to Willow's judgment.  She knew none of the Scooby gang totally
trusted Riley or the Initiative. She remembered the nightmare of
getting Oz back out of their hands and then Riley returning to them
later.

Buffy began patrolling again with at least one Scooby member each
night and began researching what type of job she could look for in
the daytime.

* * *

Buffy sat huddled over the Classifieds with a frown as Willow and
Tara came down one morning for their morning juice and bagels.

"Hi, Buff!" Willow said cheerfully.

Buffy growled.

"Uh oh, Classified blues," Willow said softly.  "We nursed Xander
through many of them."

"Well, I-I was kinda t-thinking," Tara said softly as Buffy glanced
up with a glare at them.  "Buffy knows how to-to fight, right?"

"That's a given," Buffy growled.

"W-Why not use that?" Tara asked.

"Beat people up for a living? I think that's illegal," Buffy teased.

"Not if they pay you," Tara smirked with a half smile.

"Pay me?" Buffy and Willow looked puzzled.

"People pay to be trained to fight, self defense stuff," Tara said
shyly.

Willow grinned a wide grin as Buffy continued to look confused.

"Brilliant idea, lover!" Willow beamed and Buffy looked thoughtful
and then began to smile as well.

"Might as well put the Slayer stuff to use, huh?" she
smirked.  "Well, let's see if any dojos are hiring! We have a plan!"

Willow grinned as Tara blushed, pleased at having helped.  "Let's
get down to the shop before Anya has a heart attack because we're
late."

"G-Good luck, Buffy," Tara said softly.

Buffy grinned and reached for the phone book and her pad of paper.

* * *

Dawn was surprised that no one was around when school let out.  She
had expected to find Buffy grumpy after a day of looking for a
decent job but even the jobless Slayer was out.

The teenager went to her room and quickly changed into more
comfortable clothing.  With a glance around the hallway she went to
Tara and Willow's door.  Then with another guilty glance, she went
inside and went to the bookshelves.  She reached behind the books
until she felt one of the many books hidden behind the ones in front.

Dawn knew the two witches kept the darker magic books hidden but the
teenager had figured out the various hiding places.  She pulled out
her latest fascination and sat down to read.

* * *

Xander felt better at work.  Good physical work always made him feel
better.  There was something good about putting in a hard day of
physical labor and actually seeing what you had accomplished with
your own two hands.  He knew that Willow and Tara couldn't actually
relate to his pleasure in being a carpenter but Anya tried and that
was all that mattered to him.

"Hey, Alexander!"

Xander froze at the sound of the voice.  He slowly turned and faced
his father walking up to him.

"Uh, hi, Dad," he said slowly.

"Why haven't you been home?" Alexander Harris Sr. demanded.

"Dad, I left you a note," Xander said softly.  "Anya and I are
staying with Buffy for a few days."

"You ungrateful bastard," Harris Sr. growled.

"Don't start, Dad," Xander growled back and saw the surprise in his
father's eyes.  "As soon as I've saved up a couple months rent, Anya
and I are moving out."

"You'd choose that tramp over your family?" Harris Sr. demanded but
actually took a step back when Xander growled and stepped towards
him.

"Don't push it," Xander warned.  "She's my fiancée and you won't
talk about her like that!"

Harris Sr. looked confused and backed up another step.

"You're right, son," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

Xander thought he was going to faint in front of his father.

"I guess I forget that you're trying to grow up," Harris Sr.
admitted.

"Uh, thanks, Dad," Xander said sincerely.

"I…I got some errands," Harris Sr. said, looking
uncomfortable. "Give your mom a call, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Xander said softly, surprised when his father held out
his hand. Xander shook his father's hand, firmly.

The young man watched as his father walked back towards the family
car, still stunned by the events.  Xander broke into a grin and
dashed for his pickup.  It was quitting time and he was flying about
three feet off the ground.

* * *

Willow looked up from the top of the bookcase she was restocking and
did a double-take.  Xander was smiling and almost skipping into the
shop.

She watched as her best male friend dashed behind the counter and
grabbed Anya up in a passionate embrace without giving his fiancée a
chance to speak.

Anya squeaked in surprise and smacked at Xander's arms but he
refused to let her lips go and after a moment she surrendered to the
kiss.

Tara entered from the back room with a half smile smirk.

"I thought Xander didn't like PDA's in the store?" she grinned.

"He doesn't," Willow agreed.  "I have no idea what this is about."

Xander released Anya from his lips but not his arms.

"Marry me," he said loudly.

"I already said I would!" Anya protested with a laugh.

"Then set a date!" Xander grinned.

"What? You wouldn't set a date!" Anya countered.

"Set one! Let's do it! You want to go to Reno tonight?" Xander
babbled.

Willow glanced down at Tara and shrugged, "Is he under a spell?" she
whispered.

"I am not under a spell!" Xander protested, looking at the witches
with a wide grin.  "I'm in love!"

"You nut case!" Anya laughed and kissed him again.  "A month from
now!"

"Done!" Xander grinned.

* * *

Dawn squeaked in surprise and fear when the front door slammed shut
downstairs.

"Dawnie?" Buffy called up the stairs.

Dawn quickly shoved the book back and dashed to the top of the
stairs.  "Up here, Buff!"

"Okay, I'm heading to the kitchen," Buffy called up to her sister
and then turned to the kitchen.  She checked the steaks she had set
out to thaw in the refrigerator that morning and nodded with
approval.  Ever since the visit from the social worker, Buffy had
been more aware of Dawn's teenage eating habits.  She thought of how
well Tara, Willow and Giles had taken care of her sister.

Buffy had been practicing cooking and was actually improving.

Dawn walked into the kitchen and gasped.

"What?" Buffy asked, her face puzzled.

"Your eye!" Dawn exclaimed.  "Who hit you in the daytime?"

"Oh that," Buffy grinned.  "I got a job today."

"And that meant getting hit?" Dawn demanded.

"Yeah, it did, actually," Buffy continued to grin.  "I am now an
full time instructor at the Self Defense Academy of Sunnydale."

"Self Defense?" Dawn squealed.  "You get paid to get hit?"

"Well, I kinda had to fight my way in," Buffy admitted.  "The owner
wouldn't even consider me. He said I was too short, too small and a
female."

"Uh oh," Dawn muttered.

"I pointed out that the martial arts were designed so that a smaller
opponent could overcome a larger and stronger enemy," Buffy
smirked.  "He wasn't amused and challenged me."

"You kicked his butt," Dawn grinned.

"Well, yeah," Buffy nodded.  "Then he sent five of his instructors
onto the mat with me."

"Oh unfair!" Dawn exclaimed.

"That was a little harder," Buffy admitted with a shy smile.

"You still kicked their as…butts, right?" Dawn demanded, obviously
proud of her big sister.

"Yeah, that's how I got the job," Buffy smiled.  "I work four days a
week at the dojo. That leaves me time to go to school and Slay at
night."

"And you get to keep me!" Dawn said excitedly, hugging Buffy tightly.

"I hope so, Runt," Buffy laughed and grabbed Dawn in a bear hug as
Dawn giggled.

* * *

Willow looked up from the table in the common area of the Magic Box
with a frown as Riley and Sam entered.

"What's up, guys?" she asked as Tara fell quiet.  "Any news on
Faith?"

"No, that's not why we're here," Riley said, his voice curiously
flat and without emotion, as was his eyes.

"What up, Ry?" Willow asked again, her voice soft as her muscles
tensed.

"Do you remember a Samantha Hollings?" Riley asked and Willow looked
puzzled and thoughtful.

"I think so, she was part of Cordelia's crowd in high school,"
Willow said slowly.  "I never really knew her, I wasn't part of the
crowd."

"I heard she tormented the hell out of you in high school," Riley
said.

"They all did back then," Willow shrugged. "Then I became friends
with Buffy and it eased up some. Why bring that up now?"

"Because she was found burned to death in her car," Riley said
slowly.

"Oh gross!" Tara exclaimed.

"And that has something to do with me?" Willow frowned.  "I'm sorry
she's dead but how do I fit into this?"

"She was burned to death but nothing else was touched," Riley
clarified.

"Spontaneous combustion?" Tara asked softly.

"There was traces of magic and the signature energy is yours," Riley
explained.

"That doesn't make sense," Willow protested.  "I didn't even know
she was still in Sunnydale!"

"We tracked your energy signature when you caused that massive power
spike," Riley countered.

"Couldn't it be the sorcerer who tried to kill Willow that you're
tracking?" Tara suggested.

Riley frowned and Sam looked puzzled.

"That's a possibility, Ry," she said softly.

"We have our orders," Riley said firmly his hand reaching for his
back pocket.

"Willow! Go!" Tara shouted as she raised her hands and sent an
energy blast into Riley's chest and Sam's hip.

Willow dashed through the back room as Riley yelled something behind
her, Anya screamed and Tara shouted back at Riley.

The red-haired witch slammed the back door open and looked around
the alley.  She ran to the end and glanced around the edge of the
building.  Willow squeaked when she saw two military vehicles
approaching from either end of the street, heading for the Magic
Box. Willow dashed back down the alley and looked down.

"Damn you, Riley! I'm really gonna hate this!" Willow muttered and
raised her hands.

"Open sesame!" Willow grumbled and the manhole cover rose and
hovered above the entrance to the sewer until Willow was on the
ladder heading down.  "Not very original, but it works."

* * *

Buffy and Dawn were at the Magic Box within ten minutes after Anya
called them, angry and hysterical.  Military personnel wanted to
arrest Tara and Anya for impeding their arrest of Willow Rosenberg.
Tara was shouting, Anya was screaming, Xander was fuming and there
was no sign of Willow.

"Riley, what the hell is going on?" Buffy demanded.

"We attempted to detain Willow after a magical murder was committed
and her…her girlfriend stopped us!" he shouted.

"You know damned well that Willow is not a killer!" Buffy shouted
back.

Giles entered the front of the store and took in the scene of chaos.

"Riley, do you and your storm-troopers have a warrant to invade my
store?" Giles demanded.

"We don't need one, we are acting in the interest of National
Security," Riley growled.

"Unless they suspended the United States Constitution, I believe you
need a warrant," Giles growled back.  "You want me to ask the local
media about your presence here?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Riley snapped.

"Watch me, soldier boy!" Ripper growled.  "Get out of my shop until
you show me a search or arrest warrant!"

"I am empowered by the Government of the United States to arrest
anyone who is a danger to the security of the US," Riley repeated.

"I don't think Willow actually represents a threat to National
Security, do you?" Giles smirked.  "It is Willow you're after, isn't
it? Since she's not here and you're brassed off about it."

"Giles, I'm warning you, turn Willow over to us when she comes to
you for help," Riley snapped.

"Get out or face a media blitz that will make Watergate seem tame!"
Giles threatened back.

Riley and his troops left the shop, muttering and grumbling.

"Someone want to explain?" Giles demanded as the last soldier left,
closing the door.

* * *

Anya frowned at the light pounding at the back door later that
evening.  Everyone had finally left except Xander and he was out
front pulling the security gate over the windows.

The ex-demon moved around from the counter and went to the back door
and hesitated.  "Buffy, is that you?" she called.  It would be like
the Slayer to drop by the back door after dark.

The pounding continued but got weaker.

Anya frowned again and went to the weapons wall.  She felt better
with an axe in her hands as she opened the door.

The shop owner squeaked in surprise and fear when someone tumbled
into the shop at her feet.

"Xander!"

* * *

Buffy frowned at her pager.  She knew the things were a good idea,
as were the cell phones, it was just annoying to carry them.  The
Slayer glanced at the number and broke into a trot.

"I know we tried beepers once before, why didn't we keep them?" she
asked no one in particular as she ran along the streets of Sunnydale
towards the shop.

The Slayer, realizing it was after closing at the Magic Box, trotted
into the alley to the back door, hoping it was news about Willow.
They hadn't heard from the witch since she had disappeared earlier
that day and they were getting worried.

Buffy frowned when she walked into the workout room of the shop and
saw Tara, Anya, Xander, Dawn and Giles fussing over someone on the
floor.  It took the Slayer a moment to realize she knew the young
man, she barely recognized him through the blood and claw marks.

"Jonathan?" she asked softly. "What happened? Did you call 911?"

"It won't help," Giles said gently as he turned Jonathan's head to
keep the young man from choking on his own blood.  "I don't know how
he got here."

"What happened?" Buffy repeated.

"He managed to tell us that Spike showed up at their 'hideout,'"
Xander muttered.

"Hideout?" Buffy repeated with a puzzled frown.

"Seems that Jonathan, Andrew and Warren fancied themselves as evil
geniuses, intent on ruling Sunnydale," Giles said bitterly.  "They
were getting ready to drive you crazy and take over the world."

"I saved Jonathan's ass several times over the years and we even
forgave him for that…that…weird universe thing!" Buffy protested.

"I know, I think Warren was the aggressive one," Xander
commented.  "I've seen them around at comic conventions and stuff."

"So what happened? They forge Batman number 4?" Buffy demanded again.

"Spike," Anya said unhappily, knowing how much Buffy did not want to
hear that name.

"Spike?" Buffy repeated. "No, he couldn't have. We know Jonathan's
human."

"We also know the idiot was a computer genius and geek," Xander
pointed out, trying to hold a large gauze pad over what was left of
Jonathan's stomach.  "Giles?"

"He's gone," Giles shook his head and sat back as the blood spread
into the carpet.

"Spike!" Buffy demanded.

"The three evil genius types over-rode the chip in Spike's brain,"
Xander continued.  "He paid them and when it worked he slaughtered
them.  Jonathan thought of you and came to warn you."

Buffy fell against the door in shock.

"No chip?" she repeated.

"No chip," Anya repeated.

"William the Bloody is unleashed," Giles nodded.

* * *

Faith paced restlessly in front of the crypt she and Spike had taken
over after fleeing just ahead of the Scooby gang.  It was in a
cemetery across town from his last one and it had turned out to be a
fairly quiet one.

So far they had avoided running into Buffy and the others in the
last few days but Faith knew their time was running out.  Either she
had to surprise Buffy or get out of town and take her chances on the
run.

Faith frowned as Spike jumped over a nearby wall and sauntered
towards her.  He was covered in blood and had a very manic look in
his eyes.

"What did you do, rob a blood bank?" she smirked as he got closer.

Faith's head snapped back with the unexpected right cross from
Spike's fist.  She tried to block the next one but the vampire
followed up with a left cross that sent Faith flying into the tomb
wall.  Spike was on her in a split second and threw the ex-Slayer
into the tomb and slammed the door shut behind him.

Faith scrambled backwards as Spike grinned.

"I'm back!" he growled.

* * *

Willow heard footsteps downstairs and rolled off the old musty bed
quietly.  She got to her feet and went to the window.  There was a
trellis just outside, covered with ivy vines that would either lead
to the roof or down to the garden area.  Willow wasn't amused with
the idea of the bugs and spiders that usually made their home in ivy
but she also didn't want to end up in a cage either.

"Willow?" a male voice called but it didn't sound like Riley.  "I
know you're here, I tracked your energy signature here.  I swear on
anything you hold sacred that I won't hurt you and I won't turn you
over to the Initiative. I think we can help each other."

Willow hesitated and considered running but knew if whoever was down
there had tracked her with magic, they'd just keep coming.  Hades,
she was surprised the Gang hadn't tracked her to Angel's old mansion
yet.  Fortunately, Riley didn't know about it.

The hacker witch moved out into the hallway and looked over the
railing, ready to spring into defense, flight or fight.

"Ethan Rayne?" Willow whispered, looking down into brown
eyes.  "Give me one good reason I don't fry you!"

"I'll give you several actually," Ethan smirked but kept his hands
in sight.  "One, you don't kill humans; two, we can help each other;
three, I escaped from the place they want to send you."

"We have a common enemy?" Willow smiled ruefully.  "You deserved to
be there! You turned Giles into a demon knowing Buffy would try and
kill him!"

"Yes," Ethan acknowledged.  "And I'm sure you don't know what Ripper
did to me in the past either. I was a bastard, still am. That
doesn't change that I love Giles and hate him at the same time."

"Alright, so there's hard feelings," Willow growled. "Band candy?
Bespelled Halloween costumes? I freaking died that night!"

"And Ripper nearly beat my kidneys in," Ethan shrugged.  "Old stuff,
what about now? We're both being hunted by the Initiative for our
magic."

"The problem is I'm innocent and you're not," Willow snapped.

"Do you think they could take both of us on?" Ethan countered and
Willow frowned.

"You stay downstairs, I've got upstairs," Willow growled.  "I'm
going back to bed.  It's late and I'm tired."

"I'll have food down here when you wake up," Ethan said, as if
offering a bribe or peace offering.

"Whatever, we aren't friends," Willow growled.

Ethan grinned as Willow disappeared.

"We will be, witch," Ethan whispered.  "With a Slayer, vampire and
witch on my game board, Giles and the Slayer don't stand a chance."

* * *

Buffy spun with a stake in hand and frowned when Riley stepped out
of the shadows of the alley behind the Bronze.

"Still patrolling?" he asked calmly as Buffy put her stake away.

"Of course, I'm the Slayer," Buffy frowned.

"You died, Buffy," Riley protested.  "Doesn't that earn you a
retirement?"

"We've been through this, Riley," Buffy said sadly.  "It's why you
left, remember?  I can't change being the Slayer. It makes me
different and that didn't change when I came back.  The world needs
the Slayer and Faith is in on the run, that leaves me."

"I'm calling off the hunt for Willow," Riley announced.  "I can't
justify bringing her in on mere suspicion and she hasn't developed
into the threat the officers thought she would."

"That mean we can try and find her and bring her home now?" Buffy
demanded sarcastically.

"Yeah, it does," Riley frowned. "I'm just doing my job, Buffy. Just
like you."

"No, Riley," Buffy snapped. "We've been through this as well.  This
isn't a goddamn job to me and it's not a 'be all you can be' career!
You can walk away at any time!  I didn't choose this and I can't
walk away! I tried to run away from it and just found different
demons and problems."

Riley's face didn't soften with the old argument.
Buffy put her stake away and looked at Riley carefully.  Who had
changed? Him or her?  The Slayer shook her head sadly.  Buffy
thought she had loved him once.

"What now, Riley? We continue debating what we've already been
over?" Buffy asked wearily.

"You slipped and said you ran after my chopper that night," Riley
said slowly. "Did you?"

"Did I what?" Buffy snapped. "Slip and mention that or did I run
after you that night, praying to catch you and build a life with
you? Yes, I ran after you but I was too late and you didn't hear me."

"Hear you? You were there?" Riley demanded, moving closer to the
Slayer.

Buffy backed up.

"I got there just as you lifted off," Buffy admitted.  "Why ask
about that? You thought I didn't come and moved on. I moved on and
got killed."

"Do you still feel that way?" Riley asked with a frown as Buffy
backed up another foot.

"No," Buffy said bluntly.  "That was a life time ago, Riley. You're
married, I died, came back and things changed before that."

"It could be different," Riley said, his frown deepening.

"I like your wife, Riley," Buffy said calmly.  "Go home to her and
your career."

"And who do you go home to?" Riley demanded.

"You about to mention my track record with guys?" Buffy
snapped.  "Don't bother, it's horrible.  You were the only halfway
decent one in the bunch and it's a damned small bunch.  Are you
suggesting that I settle for you?"

"Settle?" Riley shouted.  "You just said I was the best and now it
would be settling?"

"Yes," Buffy said firmly.  "I don't love you, Riley. You're married.
You're part of a government group that performs horrible tests on
creatures that don't mean anyone harm.  You're willing to lock up my
best friend because she can do magic.  Do you want me to go on?
Hell, you probably listen to country music. It'd never work."

"But sleeping with Spike would?" Riley growled.

"What?" Buffy whispered, her eyes widening.

"It's getting out among the demons that Spike had you, Slayer,"
Riley taunted.  "I can tell by your eyes it's true."

"A mistake, I wasn't thinking clearly when I came back," Buffy
muttered.  "Besides the fact that it's none of your business, it
won't happen again and I am so not talking to you about this!"

"A vampire is better than me?" Riley demanded.

"You thought vampire whores were an answer?" Buffy countered and saw
the anger flash in Riley's eyes again.  "Drop this, Riley and go
back to your wife."

"I may not have the authority to bring her in, but Willow is on the
Watch List," Riley growled.  "One stray lightning bolt and she's
going down."

"The only thing that needs to go down is your ego," Buffy snapped
and turned her back on her former lover.  "Tell Sam I said hello."

Riley watched, his eyes reflecting his anguish, as Buffy walked away
from him.

Hi,
    You probably already know that the Season 7 set of BTVS DVDs hit
stores on Tuesday, November 16th. So go pik your copy up when it
comes out or you can check out www.foxstore.com and get your copy
online!! You don't wanna miss this one!!!
*~Niecey~*

Rewrite Season 6, part 9
Angry Again

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:   R (US), 15 (UK) MA (Aus) – Warning: Attempted sexual
assault.  Pairings: W/T, X/An

Summary:  Riley is back with a wife and he's after a Scooby member.
Spike is not taking rejection well.

* * *

"Riley?" Buffy repeated, stunned.

Riley bent down and whispered in the ear of the female he was with
and Buffy stood up slowly, moving out of her chair.

Riley and the woman approached Buffy slowly as well.

"Buffy," Riley said calmly. "I thought we'd run into you but I
didn't think our first morning in Sunnydale."

"Riley, uh, I…" Buffy stammered.

"Sam, this is the famous Slayer, Buffy Summers," Riley said softly,
his eyes pained, looking into Buffy's eyes.  "Buffy, this is my
wife, Sam."

"Wife?" Buffy whispered, blinking in confusion.

"Pleased to meet you, Riley's talked about you," Sam said calmly,
extending her hand.

Buffy shook the offered hand numbly.

"Can we sit down with you?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, sure, you can tell us about being back and…and…come sit,"
Buffy stammered. "We're having breakfast."

"Breakfast? Keeping vampire hours? It's late afternoon," Riley asked
with a small smile as he and Sam pulled up chairs to join the group.

Handshakes and hugs were exchanged all around.

"We were up all night with a crisis," Xander said softly.

"Vampire get in a good right cross?" Riley asked, taking in Xander's
bruised face.

"No, my father did," Xander mumbled and Riley lost his
smile.  "Sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Riley said firmly.  "What was the
crisis? Faith's escape from prison?"

"Faith?" Buffy asked, dropping her fork. "What?"

"Someone presented the prison officials with official papers and
walked out with her," Riley explained.  "We keep a close eye on her
and the Initiative was impressed with her prison record. It really
looked like she was making a major effort and now this."

"Faith is out?"

"Yeah and she has some kind of help," Riley nodded.

"You could have just called," Giles pointed out as Buffy sat looking
at her food.

"The Initiative knows how dangerous a Slayer is and we have no idea
who is helping her or why," Riley explained. "They thought it best
to send me and Sam since I know Sunnydale and you."

"Riley, I…things have happened," Buffy said slowly.

"I figured that," he nodded.

"Okay, who starts where?" Xander quipped.

"Sam, tell me how you ended up with Riley?" Anya demanded. "And got
him to marry you. Xander won't marry me yet, we're engaged but he
won't set a date."

"Anya!" Xander snapped.

The next hour was spent eating and catching up.  Learning about
Riley's assignment in South America and then the next one to the
Balkans where he had met Sam.  A fast romance and marriage had
followed.

Buffy's eyes narrowed at how Riley's face softened and his eyes lit
up while Sam talked.  The Slayer felt a pang of past grief and
pushed it down.  Riley didn't know that she had chased his
helicopter; the soldier didn't know she had been willing to try.
Buffy saw Xander watching her, his eyes concerned and she smiled
slightly at him.

Then came the decision whether to tell Riley about her death and the
fight with Glory.  A subtle shake of Buffy's head kept the others
quiet but Giles frowned.

"Buffy, what if whoever got Faith out of prison is the same one that
attacked Willow? We don't have access to the Council research but
Riley is part of the government," he argued.

"I…I don't know," Buffy hesitated. "How the hell do I describe what
happened to me?"

"How about, Buffy fought Glory but died when she dove into a portal
to stop it and Willow brought her back to life?" Anya suggested.

Riley dropped his glass of orange juice and Sam caught it with
amazing reflexes.

"Died?" Riley squeaked.

Buffy frowned and nodded.

"Willow was attacked during the spell and almost died," Giles
continued. "Some kind of sorcerer changed her spell so her life
force was being drained as long as Buffy lived."

"How did you stop it?" Sam asked, curious.

"We…we let Willow die," Dawn said softly, her eyes wide.  "Then
Giles and Buffy brought her back."

"She's weak but the spell connection was broken," Giles continued.

"Thank God," Sam muttered.

"Where's Willow now?" Riley asked with a frown.

"At home with Tara," Buffy said calmly.

"You aren't keeping an eye on her?" Riley continued frowning.

"Why?" Buffy asked, puzzled.

Riley now looked confused.  "The levels that required! The power!
You don't have her under watch? How long were you dead?"

"A couple of months," Buffy muttered.

"That's impossible! No one has that kind of power these days," Riley
protested.  "No one can harness that much power and stay sane and
pure."

"Riley, man, you're talking about Willow," Xander protested. "She
did fine! No evil stuff."

"Unless you mention the choking, bleeding and snakes," Anya added
and Xander looked horrified.

Riley's eyes narrowed.  "You said Willow almost died because of evil
magic."

"Willow is fine!" Buffy protested. "No evil stuff!"

"Look, Buff, we got word that a major magic power spike hit here a
couple of nights ago, Faith escaped with help and now you tell me
Willow actually brought you back to life?" Riley demanded.

"Easy, Ry," Sam urged.

"Easy? Willow's obvious the magic burst we charted off the damned
scale!" Riley said loudly.  "She's why we're here!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed.  "Run that by me again!"

"We're a strike team, Buffy," Riley said flatly. "No one can handle
that kind of power and we will contain it."

Buffy turned red and her eyes narrowed.

"I may have died for awhile but I'm still a Slayer, Riley, and I can
kick your ass if I need to!" Buffy growled.  "You're talking about
my best friend! My friend who was willing to give her life and soul
to bring me back! You are not touching her!"

"Quiet! All of you!" Giles snapped before Riley could
respond.  "Riley, you're out of your league here. This isn't a demon
you can contain or a vampire you can stake. This is a young woman
not even 21 yet. I have been a sorcerer and I can tell you she's not
dangerous!"

"We have to be sure, Giles," Riley said calmly.

"Why? Who the hell put you in charge?" Xander snapped.

"The President, actually, at the end of the Chain of Command," Riley
said flatly.

"So what?" Xander muttered. "This is Willow, our friend, my best
friend. This is our business, Slayer business."

"I want to talk to her," Riley said firmly.

"You can't right now!" Dawn squeaked. "They're having snuggle time.
Willow almost died last night, they need bonding time!"

Riley looked impatient and Giles could tell Buffy was about to
explode.

"Enough!" he snapped loudly.  "Riley and Sam can come by the house
in an hour, alright?"

The rest of the breakfast/lunch was spent in an awkward silence and
finished quickly.

* * *

"Ry?" Sam questioned as they got into the black Land Rover.  "That
was a little more than uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Riley nodded with a frown. "Buffy and I never saw eye-to-eye
about demons, vampires and werewolves. She really believes that
they're a supernatural occurrence, not genetic problems or DNA
screwups, or evolution off shoots. She believes in the evil, hell,
God thing."

"Then what did you fight about?" Sam asked.

"She sees things in lots of shades of gray," Riley admitted.  "Buffy
thinks some demons are okay and some werewolves are okay except for
three nights a month."

"Not every demon we've run across is evil, Riley," Sam said slowly.

"You know the way it works, human or not, that's it," Riley said
firmly.  "I tried to think Buffy's way. I tried to release a HST, a
werewolf friend of theirs and I nearly was Court Martialed and
executed for it."

"Willow looks innocent," Riley said bitterly. "So does Buffy, don't
let that fool you.  Anya is an ex-demon who lost her powers; Giles
used to do sorcery and was turned into a demon by an old friend of
his once; Buffy actually had an affair with a vampire who almost
destroyed the world; Willow is a witch and dated a werewolf!"

Sam frowned.  "You act like they're the enemy. You said the Slayer
was born to protect mankind and it sounds like she's died to do so."

"Yeah and her screwups almost destroyed the world," Riley said
bitterly.

Sam decided it was time to become quiet and thoughtful as they drove
to Buffy Summers' house.

* * *

Buffy frowned as she got out of the car and glanced around with a
worried expression.

"Buffy? Something wrong?" Giles asked across the roof of the vehicle.

"Thought I sensed something but that can't be, its daylight," Buffy
said, shrugging the feeling off and heading for the house.

Faith glanced around the leaves of the tree branch she was squatting
on with a smirk.  "Still can tell when I'm around, Summers? Have to
watch that."

The dark Slayer watched as the Scooby Gang enter the house that she
almost shared with Buffy and Buffy's mom and felt a pang of regret.
Faith wondered where Willow and Tara were, probably already inside,
she decided.

Faith wondered if there was any truth to what Ethan said about Buffy
being "wrong" and Willow tainted.

The dark Slayer climbed down from the tree and moved to the back
yard.  She figured whatever was going on inside would be happening
in the front room.  Faith climbed the trellis to the balcony and
jimmied the lock easily.

Taking in the incense, candles, altar, and magic books, Faith
concluded it was Willow and Tara's room.  Not disturbing anything,
she moved into the hallway, knife in hand until she was halfway down
the stairs and could hear what was going on in the living room.

"W-What do you mean Riley thinks I'm dangerous?" Willow stammered.

Faith nodded with a smirk. Willow still stuttered when she was
nervous.

"I don't know," Buffy complained. "The Initiative tracked a major
magic power spike when you brought me back. Larger than they've ever
seen or heard about."

"Of course, I brought the Slayer back to life!" Willow whined. "That
wasn't like flipping the light switch with magic! We also know I had
approval from the Powers That Be! I'm not dangerous!"

Faith frowned, even Riley thought Red was dangerous?

"What…what does he want?" Willow asked, almost too soft for Faith to
hear and the dark Slayer really wished she could move close enough
to see the group as they talked but knew that would be too risky.

"They want to talk with you and make sure you're not a danger,"
Giles explained.

"And Riley can go to hell!" Buffy said firmly.

Buffy protecting Willow, just as Ethan said, Faith thought.

"Willow is-isn't dangerous," Tara stammered.  "The Powers That Be
said so!"

Powers That Be? Those things that Angel talked about, Fate or Karma?

"We know that but we also know that Riley isn't going to be
interested in learning that Powers that are beyond his perception of
black-n-white," Giles argued. "Or that Joyces' spirit is the one who
came to us and told us that Willow is alright."

Mom says Willow and Buffy are okay?

Faith waited patiently as the group argued among themselves until
the doorbell rang.

"Damn, that'll be Riley," Buffy complained.

"Doesn't this ever ease up?" Anya countered. "We bring you back and
it's a good thing and we should be planning our wedding now!"

"Anya, just take it easy," Xander urged.

"Hello, Willow, Tara," Riley's voice said calmly.

"Riley," Willow squeaked back.

"Okay, how the hell do we prove that she's not dangerous?" Buffy
demanded. "Shouldn't we be looking for Faith instead?"

Faith almost fell off the step she was hovering on in surprise. They
knew she was out? How?

"One problem at a time," Riley said firmly and Faith risked moving
further down the stairs on her stomach until she could see the gang
but didn't think they'd notice her in the shadows on the stairs.

"I'm a problem?" Willow snapped and Faith saw a bit of the
confidence that would have been necessary to perform such high level
rituals.

"Very likely," Riley said, his jaw tightening and Faith felt her
eyes widening as Willow's eyes shifted from their typical green to
yellow.

"I don't see how I can prove or disprove I'm dangerous?" Willow
complained.

"We have a testing center in the Nevada desert," Riley suggested.

"Area 51?" Xander squeaked.  "You are so not taking her anywhere
near that place!"

"You aren't taking Willow anywhere!" Buffy added.

"We have ways of testing magical abilities and danger levels, like
we did with that friend of yours that turned you into a demon,
Giles," Riley said flatly. "What was his name?"

"Ethan Rayne," Giles grumbled.  "We knew he was dangerous. He did
dangerous and evil things, most of the time just to cause mischief.
Willow hasn't done anything to make us think that she's evil."

"Except raising the dead?" Riley countered.

Faith was stunned. Ethan Rayne was an enemy of the Scooby Gang? He
was a sorcerer captured by the Initiative?  Suddenly things began to
make sense and Faith was quickly figuring out that she was on the
wrong end of things again.

"It was an extraordinary event and circumstances," Giles
growled.  "The Fates deemed that it was necessary for Buffy to
return."

"We were called her to neutralize the threat of the one calling on
that level of magic," Riley said firmly.

"Go to hell!" Buffy growled.  "It was a one shot deal. Willow won't
be using those levels again."

Willow was frowning and holding hands with Tara, tightly.

Faith smiled, at least two relationships among the Scoobies seemed
to be working out, she thought.

"Buffy, this is National Security stuff and I can arrest every
single one of you if you interfere," Riley threatened.

"I've kicked your ass before, Finn, and I'll do it again!" Buffy
countered.

"We seem to be at an impasse, ladies and gentlemen," Giles said
wearily.

"Riley, have you ever seen a magic user or witch after they went in
for testing?" Dawn asked softly and Riley frowned.

"No, I'm in charge of a strike team, we don't see the end results."
Riley explained.

"Like when you captured Oz and let those science types torture him?"
Buffy demanded.

"I tried to help him!" Riley protested. "That could have cost me my
life!"

"You only tried to help him because he was connected to Willow and
you could actually see he was human," Buffy countered.  "You never
could see that not all demons were bad and some werewolves tried to
fight back and not take human life."

"You think I'd let them hurt Willow?" Riley demanded.

"You'll turn her over and move onto your next assignment," Buffy
countered. "You probably won't even remember her in a month."

"That's not fair! I never forgot you…I mean, any of you," Riley
complained.

"We're just going in circles here, people," Giles grumbled. "We're
not letting you take Willow and Riley won't see she's not a danger."

"We're at am impasse," Sam agreed.  "I suggest that we stay in
Sunnydale and help you look for Faith and return her to prison.  We
can also keep an eye on Willow until we're sure she's not a danger."

"H-How do we do that?" Tara asked softly.

"That type of power is irresistible," Sam said slowly.  "Most cases
we've seen of this, the sorcerer gave in within two weeks."

Willow blushed and frowned.  "No irresistible force here! Only do
good!"

"I hope so, Willow," Riley said flatly, standing up.

Buffy's face flushed with anger.

"I don't want your help, Riley," she growled.  "We'll find Faith and
whoever is helping her and I don't want you around Willow!"

"As always, have to do it yourself," Riley said bitterly.

"I blew it with you, Riley," Buffy admitted, standing up and facing
him.  "I didn't run fast enough that night. Okay, I admit it! But
you are not taking out your anger on Willow!"

"Ran fast enough?" Sam questioned with a frown.

"Nothing important now," Buffy snapped, seeing comprehension in
Riley's eyes. "Just leave us alone!"

"We'll be close, Buffy," Riley said firmly.

"Don't call us, we'll call you," Buffy snarled.  "Nice to meet you,
Sam."

Sam looked at the two witches and angered Slayer and then at her
husband with a frown.

Faith moved back up the stairs and snuck into a hall closet as Buffy
stood up and began pacing restlessly.

Not hearing anyone heading up the stairs, Faith went back to the
window and snuck down the trellis with a worried expression.  She
didn't know what to believe anymore.  Buffy was overly protective of
Willow and didn't want the military types near them.  Buffy also
wanted to find Faith badly.

Did Buffy fear Faith finding out the truth or was the Slayer being
cautious because of Faith's past.

Speaking of her past, was Riley correct? Did Faith break out of
prison? No one would ever believe that she had been tricked out of
prison without her knowledge.

"Damn, this sucks, Slayer," she muttered to herself.

* * *

   "Riley, I didn't sense danger from Willow or her girlfriend," Sam
said slowly as they headed for the hotel.

"You know the level she was handling hasn't been in centuries,"
Riley protested. "No one can handle that much power without being
tainted. Especially someone as untrained and as young as Willow."

Sam frowned as Riley swore under his breath.

"We'll hang back and see what develops," Riley growled.

* * *

Willow curled up on sofa with Tara, crying softly.

"I'm so tired of everything going wrong!" Willow whined.

"It's not going wrong, baby," Tara said gently. "We just have to
deal with the consequences of that spell."

"I don't feel like playing with that kind of magick," Willow
complained. "I just wanted Buffy back, the Powers That Be wanted
Buffy back."

"I know, baby," Tara cooed.  "We'll get through this."

Dawn, watching the two witches frowned and looked at the address
Riley left on the coffee table.

The teenager slipped out the door, unnoticed by anyone.

* * *

Faith spun with a stake in one hand and a dagger in the other.

"Who's there?" she snapped, the dark Slayer knew that it wasn't a
vampire but there was someone standing in the shadows of the
graveyard wall.

Ethan Rayne stepped into the light with a smile.

He didn't even flinch when Faith grabbed him by the collar and
slammed him against the wall.

"Why the hell is some government type is telling Buffy and the gang
that I escaped from prison?" Faith demanded.

"It was the only way to get you out," Ethan said calmly.  "I
wouldn't walk into any cops any time soon."

"Damn you! I was doing okay in prison! Parole looked good in a
year!" Faith yelled, slamming him against the wall with each
sentence.

"Now you're stuck, Slayer!" Ethan grinned.  "I can make those papers
official. All you have to do is the original plan. Buffy and Willow
are evil and must be destroyed. Do that and you'll be free, fail and
you go back to prison as an escaped convict."

Faith thought about smashing Ethan's head against the stone wall but
held back and dropped the Englishman.

"I will hunt you down when this is over and kill you," Faith
growled. "Someday when you think I'm old and gray, I'll find you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Ethan grinned. "Don't think about
telling Buffy and her friends either. One, they won't believe you;
two, I'm an old sorcerer friend of Giles and I will fry you; three,
I'll turn you in."

"I kill Buffy and Willow and you give me a new identity?" Faith
demanded.

"Yes, totally legal," Ethan nodded.

"Then you've got one dead Slayer and witch," Faith growled.

* * *

Buffy glanced around the living room and headed to the kitchen.  She
came back in with a frown, noticing Xander holding Anya and Tara
holding Willow. Each couple seemed lost in their own problems.

"Anybody see Dawn?" the Slayer asked and knew the answer when four
sets of blank eyes looked up at her.

Tara looked at the coffee table with a frown.

"Where's Riley's phone number and hotel room number?" she asked
softly.

Buffy looked down and growled.

"Damn! She's gone to convince him that Willow's not dangerous!"
Buffy snapped, rushing out the door.  It was getting dark in
Sunnydale and her sister was only sixteen.

"Buffy wait, we'll go with you!" Xander shouted from the door.

The Slayer stopped at the edge of the sidewalk.

"You guys take the car, I'll try and catch her on foot," Buffy said
calmly.

"Okay!" Xander nodded as the other Scooby members crowded around
behind him, anxious to be going as well.

Buffy knew Dawn wouldn't be stupid enough to cut through one of the
many graveyard but the Slayer didn't have the same fears and easily
jumped the fence.  She was hoping to catch up with Dawn by taking a
short cut.

The Slayer was going to really yell at Dawn this time. It was now
dark and her sister, of all people, should know better than to run
around Sunnydale after dark without protection!

Buffy jumped the fence on the other side of the graveyard and
spotted Dawn just down the street.  Her sister looked startled when
Buffy landed on the sidewalk ahead of her and then began to blush
with anger.

"Dawn, damnit!" Buffy said loudly.

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed as a figure jumped over the fence behind
Buffy.

The Slayer spun with stake in hand and caught the baseball bat
across her forearm.  She grunted in pain and dropped the stake and
ducked a second swing.

"Spike?" Buffy asked, surprised and a moment slow.

The baseball bat caught her across the temple as she tried to duck
again and the Slayer hit the sidewalk hard.

"Spike, what the hell are you doing?" Dawn screamed, running towards
the vampire and her sister.

"Stay back, Lil Bit!" Spike growled, tossing the bat aside and
throwing Buffy over his shoulder.  "This is between me and your
sister. Go home!"

Dawn watched stunned as Spike leaped the wall with Buffy.

* * *

Willow and Tara watched out one side of the car while Anya watched
the other as Xander drove.

"Oh Goddess, this is getting ridiculous!" Willow complained.  "Riley
wants to send me to Area 51 with Ethan, Faith has escaped prison and
is probably plotting to kill us and now Dawn is out at night!"

"I know, baby, I know," Tara muttered, leaning out the passenger
window.

Suddenly both witches grabbed their heads, causing Xander to jerk in
surprise and almost wreck the car.

"What?!" he shouted.

"Buffy's hurt and Dawn is terrified," Willow muttered.

"We've got to find them!" Tara added.

* * *

Dawn managed on the third try to get to the top of the fence with
the bat in her hand.  Just in time to see Spike kick open the door
to his tomb and disappear inside with Buffy still over his
shoulder.

Dawn gritted her teeth and jumped to the ground.

* * *

Buffy moaned and opened her eyes.  It took her a moment to realize
that she was on Spikes' bed and rough hands were pulling at her
clothing.

She could smell the alcohol on his breath as his body pinned her to
the bed.

"Throw me over, will you?" Spike demanded in her ear as his hands
ripped her shirt open.

"Spike? Get off me! You're hurting me!" Buffy cried and began trying
to fight him but her head was spinning and hurting, making it
difficult.

"You want to feel something, Buffy?" Spike slurred. "I'll make you
feel something again! I know you felt it when I was inside of you!"

"Spike! Don't! No!" Buffy cried, struggling against the vampire as
his hand and leg forced her legs apart.

"Come on, Buffy!" Spike whined. "Let me in! I love you!"

"Get off of me!" Buffy growled, trying to get leverage against the
vampire.

Buffy screamed as Spike ripped her underwear away from under her
skirt.

The Slayer could feel Spike fumbling for his belt and zipper.

"Spike! Stop! You do this and I'll kill you!" Buffy shouted.

"Let me make you feel, Buffy!" Spike growled, moving his trouser
down over his hips.

"No!" Buffy screamed as his fangs sank into her throat, she could
feel him about to thrust against her and bit her lip in rage and
frustration.

"Get off my sister!"

Buffy opened her eyes as Spike fell away from her.  She saw Dawn
hovering over her with a baseball bat in her hands.  Spike was on
the floor moaning in pain and holding his head.

"Come on, Buff!" Dawn urged, holding the bat over Spike, ready to
bash the vampire again.

Buffy stumbled to her feet, took the bat from Dawn and leaned over
Spike.

"I ever see you again and you're toast, vampire!" Buffy growled and
shoved her sister towards the ladder to the upper crypt.  "Get out
of town, Spike! We're no longer even acquaintances, we are
enemies!"

The Slayer kicked the vampire in the back, low on the spine and
crawled up the ladder after Dawn.

The teenager grabbed Buffy's arms as the Slayer staggered.

"Lock him…in," Buffy muttered, leaning against a chair.

Dawn looked around and slammed the trap door shut.  She moved a
heavy chair over it and helped Buffy stand up.

"Come on, Buffy," Dawn urged. "Let's get out of here."

"Dawnie," Buffy whimpered. "T-Thank you! He…he was gonna…"

"I know," Dawn said softly. "Let's just get home."

* * *

Willow pounded on the hotel door and wasn't surprised when Riley
opened the door with a pistol in her face.

"Is Dawn here?" Willow demanded.

Riley frowned. "Of course not! No one's been here except the pizza
guy."

"Damn!" Willow muttered and started to turn away from the hotel door.

"Hey, what's going on?" Riley demanded, stepping into the hallway in
his jeans and tank top.

"Dawn snuck out to come and see you," Xander explained. "We figure
she was going to try and convince you Willow is safe."

"It's dark and dangerous," Anya added.

"Why didn't you use a spell to track Dawn and where's Buffy?" Riley
demanded.

"Magic? Only if it becomes an emergency," Willow frowned.

"You're powerful enough to transport Dawn from wherever she is,"
Riley said bitterly.

"That wasn't me!" Willow snapped.  "I was just doing what the Powers
wanted!"

"We're wasting time," Xander urged.

"Buffy's terrified about something and hurt!" Tara hissed.

"How do you know that?" Riley demanded as Sam joined him.

"We can sense what's going on with Buffy and Dawn," Willow said
absently.  "We're leaving now."

"We'll follow you," Riley said firmly.

"Whatever," Willow muttered as they moved down the hall.

* * *

Dawn pulled out her cell phone and dialed Xander's number.

"Dawnie?" Xander squeaked in her ear.  "Where are you? Is Buffy with
you?"

"I've got Buffy here and she's hurt," Dawn answered.  "Can you pick
us up? We're outside the Memorial Cemetery."

"Be right there, Dawnie!" Xander said confidently and Dawn could
hear Anya protesting about his driving in the background.

Dawn hung up the phone. "Amazing, none of them thought to use the
damned phone!" Dawn complained as she stood over Buffy, baseball bat
in hand.  Buffy was sitting on the sidewalk with her back against
the stone wall, her head dropped forward.

"Hang in there, Buff!" Dawn snapped, hoping Spike or any other
vampire, demon or werewolf didn't show up before Xander.

Dawn sighed with relief when she saw Xander's car turn the corner
and skid to a stop in front of her.  Willow, Tara and Anya stumbled
out of the car and dashed over to Buffy and Dawn.

"Buffy?" Willow squeaked, taking in her best friend's ripped shirt,
bruised arms, legs and lack of focus with a panicked expression.

"Spike hit her with this bat," Dawn explained.  "He dropped it and I
hit him back."

"Buffy?" Tara questioned.

"Concussion," Xander announced. "Had many of them myself. Do we take
her to the hospital?"

Tara and Willow frowned as Riley and Sam stopped behind Xander's car.

"Let's take her home," Willow frowned and held up a warning hand to
keep Riley and Sam back.  "She's ours!"

"We can help!" Sam protested.

"We've dealt with injured Slayers for years," Xander growled,
lifting Buffy into his arms and turning to the car.

Riley watched, obviously frustrated at being shut out as the Scooby
gang piled into the car.

* * *

Rewrite Season 6, part 8
Tangled Webs

Author: Frau Hunter Ash

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@...
hunterash@...
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/

Acknowledgments:  Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark
Gremlin
Suggestions from many people and many boards.  A special "thank you"
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick
(pisces@...) for her transcripts.

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox,
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship
between people of the same gender and opposite gender.  If this
offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  Come back when
you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting
with Bargaining and taking off from there.  Things will be different
here.

Rating:  NC-17 (US), 18 (UK), R (AUS) Pairings: W/T, X/An

Summary:  Willow gets worse instead of better and the news Joyce/PTB
brings the gang is not good or hopeful for the witch.  Old faces
appear on the horizon with even worse foreboding for the Scooby Gang
and recently brought back Slayer.

* * *

"Tara, call Maggie Doyle," Giles suddenly ordered, watching
Willow.  "I've got an idea. Tell her to open the clinic."

"Giles?" Buffy asked as Willow's breathing became ragged and the
witch struggled.

"Something your mother said, Buffy," Giles muttered.  "Breaking the
tie between you and Willow. I believe her life-line, her silver cord
is connected to yours."

"So to break it I need to die again?" Buffy demanded.

"No, she does," Giles said softly.

"What? No! No way!" Buffy yelled.

"Calm down," Giles snapped.  "I'm hoping this works, if not we'll
lose her anyway."

"Alright, what's the plan?" Buffy snapped, holding a very frightened
Dawn's hand as the teenager walked up beside her.

"Buffy, we made a friend while you were gone," Giles began
explaining as Willow's body began convulsing.  "Oh Christ!"

Buffy moved quickly and helped the Watcher hold Willow down so she
didn't flail off the sofa.  Buffy reached out with her foot and
kicked the coffee table away.

"A friend," Buffy prompted.

"A doctor, she runs a clinic and she knows about the darker stuff of
Sunnydale," Giles said, gritting his teeth as he held Willow's
wrists.

"And?" Buffy demanded.

"Tara?" Giles yelled.

"She's opening the clinic and wants to know what to prepare for,"
Tara called back.

Giles winced as blood began pouring from Willow nose and mouth,
staining the sofa between her legs.

"Blood loss and possible cardiac arrest," Giles yelled as Buffy's
eyes widened at the sight of the blood coming from her best
friend.  "Tell her we have two donor matches coming with us!"

"Donors?"

"Your and Dawn's blood is the key, your mother said," Giles
explained.

"Oh God," Buffy whimpered as Willow stopped thrashing, barely
breathing.

"Help me put her on the floor," Giles ordered.  "Did you take CPR?"

"Yes, we all did, remember?" Buffy answered.

"That's right, sorry," Giles mumbled as they moved Willow to the
floor. "Dawn grab some blankets to wrap her in. Tara, you start the
car and have the doors open."

"Giles?"

"She's about to go into arrest, I believe," Giles explained, keeping
a finger on Willow's pulse at her neck.  "I'm hoping the connection
will be broken when her heart stops. Wait, changed my mind. Tara,
can you sense her spirit?"

"Yes, it's weak," Tara nodded, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Dawn, open the car doors and start the car," Giles ordered.

"I'm driving?" the fifteen year old squeaked.

"No, but I know you can start a car," Giles corrected.  "Oh God,
I've lost the heartbeat."

"Giles!" Buffy cried.

"Wait!" Giles snapped back, waiting with shaking hands.

"She's gone," Tara whispered.

"Buffy, you do the chest compressions!" Giles cried, kicking the
table further out of the way as he bent Willow's head back slightly
in case he needed to breathe for her.

Buffy said a quick prayer and knelt beside her best friend.

"One, two, three, four, five, breathe," she muttered and hesitated
as Giles breathed into Willow's mouth.

"One, two, three, four, five, breathe," Buffy counted each move and
breath but wasn't sure how long they kept at it.  She knew logically
that it was probably only a couple of minutes but it felt like
forever until they were both sweating and numb emotionally.

"Giles!" Tara cried out in shock.  The Englishman stopped, felt for
a pulse and listened.

"Oh thank god, thank god," he muttered.

"Giles?" Buffy whispered asked hopefully.

"She's back, I've got a pulse and she's breathing," he
answered.  "Get her in the car."

Buffy grabbed the blankets Dawn had thrown on the floor next to them
and wrapped her friend up in them.  Then the Slayer gathered Willow
into her arms as Tara held the door open for them.

* * *

Xander and Anya rushed past Giles as he opened the doors to the
clinic, both panicked.

"Is she okay?" they demanded, both looking like they had tumbled out
of bed at Giles' phone call and probably had.

"We don't know yet," Giles said wearily, taking off his glasses and
rubbing a hand over his face.

"You said she was bad, why isn't she in the hospital?" Xander
demanded.

"Because they would first use whatever blood was available, we need
Buffy and Dawn's blood," Giles tried to explain. "I think."

"You think? What happened?" Anya demanded.

"Willow's soul and life were connected with Buffy and being
drained," Giles said as they sat down in the plastic chairs in the
waiting room.  "To break the connection, Willow had to die."

"What?" Xander asked, turning very pale.

"We did CPR and brought her back but she lost a lot of blood," Giles
continued, his voice cracking with the emotions he was trying to
keep in check.  "Joyce said Buffy and Dawn were the keys, the
connection."

"Dawn's mystical energy and Buffy's Slayer strength," Anya ventured.

"I think so," Giles nodded.

"Are they in with her?" Xander asked, wiping at the tears in his
eyes.

"Yeah, Dawn and Buffy are donating the blood and Tara is monitoring
Willow's…uh…her soul," Giles explained.

It was another hour before a very weary looking Maggie Doyle came
out.  Xander whined at the sight of blood on her tennis shoes and
green scrub trousers.

"Maggie?" Giles asked as he stood up slowly.

The young doctor smiled and motioned for him to sit down before
sitting across from the three friends.

"Willow should be fine," she said calmly.  "The transfusions are
helping. She's very weak and sleeping right now."

"Buffy and Dawn?"

"I would love to get ahold of those two in a lab," Maggie
grinned. "I've never seen healing abilities like those two have!
That's why you made me swear not to even run their blood through any
kind of tests, isn't it?"

"Yes," Giles nodded.  "I'm sorry, Maggie, there's just some things I
can't explain."

"How long has Willow been hurt?" Maggie asked, changing the subject.

"Hurt?" Xander frowned.  "She's been weak since those…those bikers
tore up the town."

"Did she get into a fight with any of them?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, we all did," Anya nodded.

"Well, I don't know how she didn't notice but she was injured during
the fight and has been bleeding internally for the last couple of
days," Maggie informed them.  "Giving up her energy to magic spells
wasn't the brightest thing she could have done."

"Bleeding?" Giles asked.

"Her lung was punctured from a broken rib," Maggie explained.  "Her
partner says her lifeline is back and secure."

"Thank God," Giles muttered.

"Tara was amazing, by the way," Maggie smiled. "She kept Willow
stable with her own energy until we got enough blood into her."

"How is she?" Xander asked.

"Doing alright, I've got her on a gurney next to Willow," Maggie
said wearily.  "It'll be better if they stay close to each other,
all four of them, for a bit.  I've got a feeling there's more magic
going on in there than I'm aware of."

"Probably," Giles admitted.

"I would have preferred to have her in the hospital, Giles," Maggie
scolded.

"It would have taken too long, it had to be Buffy and Dawn's blood,"
he explained once again.

"Alright, I believe you," Maggie smiled.  "You can take them all
home in about four hours if you promise that Willow will not get out
of bed for the next five days except to go to the bathroom."

"We promise," Xander nodded solemnly.

"And no magic! Nothing to stress her energy," Maggie warned.  "She
almost died tonight and those ribs are going to be tender.  CPR
saved her life but didn't help that healing rib."

"She'll stay calm and in bed," Giles said firmly.

"Okay, come back in about four hours, go grab some breakfast or
something," Maggie advised.  "Bang on the door, I'll be in the back
monitoring everyone."

"Thank you, Maggie, very much," Giles said gratefully.

"I gotta say, I never expected Sunnydale to be so exciting when I
took over the clinic," Maggie grinned.

"Well, you do get interesting customers," Giles smiled.

"Just don't forget about our weekly tutoring session on demon
physiology," Maggie grinned.

"My pleasure," Giles nodded.  "Is Lisa still going to kill me for
keeping you out at night?"

"Nah, she knows it comes with being a doctor's wife," Maggie smiled
and headed towards the back of the clinic.

* * *

Faith looked up at a clear sky without bars or wire and smiled.

She looked over the top of the car at the Watcher with a smirk.

"Who are you again?"

"I'm Ethan Rayne," he smiled and got into the driver's seat.  Faith
threw her backpack of belongings in the back seat and crawled into
the passenger side.  "I have good news. The witches monitoring
Willow Rosenberg say that she's extremely weak right now.  They
managed to put a rider on that spell she did when she raised Buffy.
The evil back fired on her and drained her, almost killing her."

The sorcerer glanced over and noticed Faith frowning.

"I know you liked her," Ethan said gently.

"We snipped at each other, but she treated me okay," Faith admitted.

"There's more news as well," Ethan continued.  "The Slayer has
rejected Spike's help and they've performed spells to keep him out
of the house now.  That should tell you something."

"That B is learning not to trust vampires without a soul?" Faith
smirked.

"Spike is harmless since the government group put a chip in his head
and has been working with the group during Buffy's absence.  Buffy
has eliminated him from the group because he'll be able to sense the
evil in her soon," Ethan explained.

Faith continued to frown as the car moved onto the highway.

"We'll stop and get something to eat," Ethan said calmly, turning up
the radio to an alternative rock station.  "I'm sure you're wanting
something besides prison food."

"Would be good," Faith agreed.

"You'll find weapons in the trunk along with clothes, identification
and other necessary things," Ethan informed her.  "The car is yours."

Faith's eyebrows rose in surprise.  The car was a brand new Ford
Mustang V6 with a killer stereo system.

"This is generous, something the Council isn't known for," Faith
frowned.

"Giles and the others will think you are the enemy, especially if
you go after Buffy and Willow," Ethan explained. "You may need to
move fast."

"What happens after I kill them?" Faith demanded.

"You leave Sunnydale and we'll reassign you," Ethan shrugged.  "I
suggest you look up Spike and use him.  Word is among the demons
he's taking rejection very hard and is bent on revenge."

"You want me to team up with a bad guy so I can kill Buffy and
Willow even though no one else knows they're evil," Faith grumbled.

"That about sums it up," Ethan agreed with a smirk.  "It won't be
easy and none of the group will believe you."

"What else is new?" Faith grumbled, curling up in the seat and
closing her eyes.

* * *

Buffy smiled as she sat up and looked over at Tara snuggled as close
as possible next to Willow, both still asleep.

"Hey," Dawn said softly, sitting on the gurney Buffy was lying on.

"Hey yourself, kid," Buffy smiled.  "How long was I asleep?"

"I just woke up," Dawn admitted.  "I think we went to sleep around
2am and it's sunlight now."

Buffy looked up as the door opened and an obviously tired Maggie
Doyle entered the room.

"Good, I was hoping you two would be up," she smiled and walked
over, immediately checking their pulses and their eyes.

"How's Will?" Buffy demanded.

"She's going to be okay if she takes it easy for the next week,"
Maggie said, checking Dawn.  "Giles and your friends are out front,
why don't you take them home and everyone get some rest today.  For
all of you, I want lots of liquids, orange juice, things like that.
You went through a major blood loss too and you both should be a lot
worse than you are."

"Sunnydale mystery?" Dawn suggested.

"I'm getting used to those," Maggie smiled.

"You might want to wrap Willow up in one of those blankets you
brought her in.  I cut her shirt off her and her skirt is ruined
from the blood," Maggie advised.

"I'll take her," Buffy said firmly.

Maggie's eyebrow rose in surprise. "I think you might need some
help."

"I can carry her," Buffy said firmly. "Dawn can help Tara."

"Wake up your friends," Maggie nodded. "I've left instructions with
Giles, I want you all to double up on your iron and B-12 for a few
days."

Buffy and Dawn smiled as they gently shook each witch.  Tara mumbled
but opened her eyes slowly.  Willow whined in her sleep and refused
to wake up.

"I'll carry her out," Buffy said softly as Dawn helped Tara sit up.

Dawn picked up the least bloody blanket and handed it to Buffy.

Tara watched as the Slayer wrapped the blanket around Willow and
lifted the red-head into her arms.  Willow whimpered but kept
sleeping.

"Is she okay?" Tara asked with a frown.

"She will be, Dr. Doyle says," Dawn said slowly.

Tara held the door open for Buffy and Willow and followed through,
staying close to both of them.  The group found Giles, Xander and
Anya waiting for them anxiously as they received instructions from
Maggie Doyle.

"Dr. Doyle says she's gonna be okay, right?" Xander demanded.

"Yes," Buffy nodded but with a worried expression as Willow lay in
her arms.

"I want the four of you to take it easy for the next few days and
Willow for a week," Maggie repeated.  "Lots of vitamins, good food,
and juice."

"And I think Tara and I should do some research on this," Giles
suggested.

"Let's get home first," Buffy suggested.

* * *

Willow didn't fully wake up even when Buffy and Tara changed her
clothes and put the witches to bed, Tara snuggling behind her lover.

"Buffy?"

Buffy had just laid down on her bed when Dawn's voice caused her to
look up.  "What is it, Dawnie?"

"Could I…I guess I was kinda freaked…could I?"

"Come on, runt," Buffy smiled, patting the other side of her bed.
Dawn smiled and crawled into bed with her sister, kicking off her
house shoes. "Don't hog the blankets."

"Right, as long as you don't drool," Dawn teased back.

"I don't drool!" Buffy protested.

"Did you leave your doors open last night?" Dawn asked sleepily.

"No, I think someone tried to get in," Buffy admitted.

"Where were you?" Dawn yawned.

"I crashed with Willow and Tara," Buffy said softly. "I've been
having trouble sleeping."

"That's cool, they're great at comfort," Dawn declared.  "And you
drool."

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

Giles, in the hallway, shook his head with a smile.  He had been
worried when Buffy had seemed so out of it upon her return but now
it sounded like life as usual in the Summers' home.

He walked quietly into Willow and Tara's room and checked Willow's
pulse.

Tara opened her eyes sleepily.

"She's okay," the witch said softly.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

"I think so, I could sense her life force," Tara nodded, almost
asleep.  "Someone tapped into the spell and tied her life to
Buffy's, a continual and slow drain. The broken rib made it worse
and work faster."

"How do you know that?" Giles asked, keeping his voice even.

"Joyce Mom told me in my sleep while I helped Willow," Tara
answered, closing her eyes. "We're bound now."

Giles shook his head again and headed down the stairs, debating
whether he wanted a cup of tea or a few hours on the sofa.

He decided on the sofa.

* * *

Spike snarled and threw an empty whiskey bottle across the room.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted, kicking over a chair.  "Lock me out? Put
a fucking spell on the place? I'll rip your tongue out while I…I…
fuck."

The vampire fell over onto his ass on the stone floor and then onto
his back.

He didn't even look up when the door to the crypt smashed inward.

"Come to kill me or fuck me, Slayer?" he demanded, sensing Slayer
energy.

"Well, I think I need you alive but the thought of screwing you just
turns my stomach," a voice declared.

"What the hell?" Spike muttered, trying to sit up but unable to do
so.

"You're pathetic!" the voice snarled. "Can't even protect yourself,
can you?"

"Rack off, bitch, and just do it," Spike snarled.

"I said I need you alive," Faith growled, tossing her backpack onto
the stone floor.

"What the hell for?" Spike muttered.

"We're going to kill a Slayer and a witch," Faith snapped, grabbing
up a half empty bottle of whiskey and taking a long drink.

* * *

Tara smiled as she felt Willow's arms wrapped around her ribs and
her lips began nuzzling her neck.  Tara stretched and started to
turn over but Willow held her tightly.  The red-haired witch began
nibbling on Tara's earlobe, causing the blond to gasp.

"W-Willow?" she whispered as Willow began unbuttoning her pajama top.

"Need you!" Willow growled.  "Too long!"

"Goddess, Willow!" Tara cried out as Willow's hands pulled her
pajama bottoms down past Tara's hips and went between her lover's
legs from behind.  "You…you aren't…up to this."

"Wanna bet?" Willow growled, biting down on Tara's shoulder. "I feel
great and I need to feel you!"

Tara pulled her pajama top off over her head and moaned as Willow
moved up against her. She realized that the hacker already had her
clothes off as bare breasts touched her skin.

"Oh Goddess, what you make me feel!" Tara whimpered.

"Yes!" Willow growled and turned Tara over and quickly moved her
fingers back to Tara's sexual center.

Tara was breathing heavily as she looked into Willow's dark green
eyes, surprised by her lover's sudden aggressiveness and how much it
was turning her on.  Willow was only Tara's second lover ever and
had amazed the blonde witch with her gentleness and desire to please
her.

"Willow!" Tara begged, not quite sure what she was begging for at
that moment.  "It's been so long! Since…since…"

"Since Buffy died," Willow said softly, suddenly gentle.  She
stroked Tara's hair, looking deep into blue eyes.  "What happened
last night? I feel strange. No, wait, answer that when we're done!"

"Uh…" Tara hesitated, sitting up and pulling the sheet up over her
shyly.  "Joyce Mom showed up and told us you were dying. Someone
used the breaking of the ritual circle to tap into the spell and
attached your life force to Buffy's."

"Is that why I felt so terrible?" Willow asked, snuggling up in
Tara's arms.

"Yes, the more Buffy came to herself the more it drained you," Tara
explained.

"What…what happened?" Willow whispered, a chill running up her spine.

"You…you were hurt during the fight with the demons and were
bleeding inside," Tara continued, a tear escaping her eye as she
held Willow tight. "It sped up the draining."

"What happened, Tar?" Willow repeated.

"You died, Will," Tara admitted.  "We waited for you to die and for
the connection to be broken. Then…then Giles and Buffy did CPR and
we rushed you to…to the clinic."

"I died?" Willow whispered, her voice small and vulnerable.

"Yes," Tara nodded, pulling Willow close to comfort her.  "Buffy and
Dawn donated blood for you and I…I worked magic to help keep your
soul here until your body was strong enough."

"Buffy and Dawn?" Willow asked, her mind reeling.

"Joyce Mom said they were the key, the blood was the key," Tara
tried explaining.  "Giles thought it meant a transfusion to save
your life."

"I'm not in the hospital," Willow said, confused.

"We went to the clinic," Tara said softly, kissing the top of
Willow's head as she held her lover.  "Giles thought the hospital
would take too long clearing Buffy and Dawn's blood and we'd lose
you."

"I…I…died?" Willow repeated, beginning to cry.

"Willow, it's okay," Tara said softly.  "Joyce Mom wouldn't have
come to us with the answers if you weren't meant to be here."

"Slayer blood? Is that why I feel so good?" Willow asked after a few
moments.

"I don't know, probably," Tara nodded.

"It's different between us too," Willow said timidly.

"I know," Tara said softly, pulling Willow's chin up so she could
kiss her lover gently. "We bonded when I helped bring your soul and
life line back."

"Like soul bonded?" Willow smiled, tears filing her eyes again.

"I think so," Tara nodded.

"Willow? Tara?"

Willow squeaked, grabbing the sheet up over her body and Tara's eyes
widened, looking at Joyce standing at the end of the bed.

"A…a…a little spooky much!" Willow cried out.

Joyce smiled patiently.

"Sorry about that, it's a little hard to knock," Joyce teased.

"What…what happened to me?" Willow asked.

"Just as Tara surmised, you had to die to break the spell," Joyce
said gently, her eyes soft.  "To save you, Tara was willing to risk
her soul to bring you back while the doctor worked on you.  In doing
so, she bonded her soul to yours."

"What does that mean?" Tara asked. "And Buffy and Dawn's blood?"

"It healed Willow's broken rib and blood loss," Joyce said slowly
with a frown.  "It also bound the four of you together. You'll be
able to sense things about each other, almost on a psychic level.
You'll also feel uncomfortable if you're too far apart from each
other."

"Isn't that a little much without asking all of us?" Willow asked
with a frown. "You're saying we're connected like…like…like soul
mates? The four of us?"

"In a way," Joyce said calmly.  "If you don't work at maintaining
the bond with Buffy and Dawn, it will fade over time. The one
between the two of you won't."

"How do we maintain it?" Tara asked. "And how do we tell Buffy and
Dawn this?"

"They're listening right now, I'm in Buffy's room too," Joyce smiled.

"Oh freaky," Willow muttered.

"A bit," Joyce agreed.

"What else about the blood?" Tara asked.

Joyce smiled sadly.

"I can't say right now," she said softly. "What I can tell you is
that if one of you dies, it's very likely the other will follow
right then or grieve themselves to death shortly thereafter."

"That's not what I'd want!" Tara protested.  "I'd want her to live!"

"You're my life, baby!" Willow countered.

"I wouldn't want you to follow, neither would you," Tara protested.

"No, you're right," Willow nodded, leaning heavily against her
lover.

"It's done," Joyce said firmly. "I'm sorry, it was the only way to
break the hold of the sorcerer."

"Who did this? Who tried to kill me?" Willow demanded, suddenly
energized.

"Buffy's demanding that as well," Joyce frowned.  "I'm not allowed
to say. I can tell you that not everything will be as it seems and
sometimes people can change."

Willow blinked and glanced at Tara and when they glanced back Joyce
was gone.

The two witches were stunned for several minutes.  They could hear
Buffy and Dawn moving in the room across the hall, excitedly about
seeing Joyce and what they had heard but Tara and Willow were
quietly absorbing the information.

In a few minutes Buffy pounded on their door.

"Dawn and I are going out for breakfast and dragging Giles with us,"
Buffy yelled. "Give you guys some time to process without Dawn's
endless questions."

"I wouldn't bug them!" Dawn's voice protested.

"Yes you would, it's like a law or something," Buffy countered.
Their voices began moving down the hall towards the stairs. "You're
a little sister, you're naturally annoying."

It was a few minutes before the witches heard the front door
slamming.

"You okay, Will?" Tara asked softly, stroking Willow's hair and
cheek.

"Yeah, just a lot to take in," Willow admitted.

"Regretting it?" Tara asked fearfully.

"No, not at all," Willow said firmly, sitting up to look Tara in the
eyes.  "You are my life, Tar.  I know I went a little crazy when
Buffy died but you are my soul!"

"You love Buffy," Tara said gently, not accusing but more of a
statement.

"Not like I love you, Tar," Willow said firmly.  "I love her more
than a friend but not like I love you."

Tara's blue eyes suddenly sparkled with a mischievous glint.

"The Powers That Be said we have to maintain our bond," she said
suggestively and Willow smiled and pulled the sheet down from Tara's
body, taking the pajama bottoms with her.

"They did, didn't they?" Willow asked, her voice dropping an octave
with arousal and Tara began breathing heavily.

"Yeah, they did," Tara agreed seeing Willow's earlier arousal
returning as the witch crawled up her body, slowly and teasing.

"Then maybe we should spend some time being close, don't you think?"
Willow suggested, running her nails up the inside of Tara's legs and
smiling at the moan that escaped from her lover.

"Oh yeah," Tara agreed in a husky whisper.

Willow whimpered, she loved it when Tara's voice dropped like that
in arousal.  It amazed her that she could do that to the beautiful
woman.  The hacker moved slowly until she was at the heart of Tara's
arousal and Willow sighed happily.  She loved pleasing Tara, she
loved making love to this woman and thought she could do it forever.

Tara moaned as Willow moved her back down onto the bed, red hair
draping over her thighs as her mate settled in to make love to her
thoroughly.

Tara cried out as Willow explored Tara's sex with her tongue,
drinking in Tara's arousal and dancing her fingers between the
blonde witch's labia lips.  Willow purred, sending shock waves
through Tara's system, causing her hips to buck against Willow's
mouth.

Willow looked up and smiled at her lover, reaching her hand out at
the same time Tara reached down, needing contact.  Their fingers
intertwined as Willow's other fingers entered her lover, easing some
of the pressure and taking Tara's arousal higher.

"Oh Goddess! Willow!"

"Patience, my love," Willow said softly. "I've neglected you and I'm
going to make it up to you."

"By killing me?" Tara squeaked, her other hand grabbing the sheet
under her in frustration.

Willow laughed lightly and Tara realized it was the first time she
had heard that wonderful sound, since long before Buffy's death.  It
sounded like Summerland, a pagan heaven, to the witch.

"Maybe," Willow agreed. "Love you to death and I'd follow you and
make love to you for eternity."

* * *

Dawn squeaked with delight when she spotted Xander and Anya sitting
in a booth at the local Dennys® and ran over to hug them as Giles
rolled his eyes.

"Just what I need, to watch Xander eat," he mumbled.  He was still
trying to process what Buffy and Dawn had told him on the way over
to the restaurant and he wasn't quite awake yet without his tea.
Giles also knew that Dennys did not serve a decent cup of tea.

Buffy lost her grin when they got close and found Dawn examining
Xander's face with obvious concern.  The Slayer turned his chin so
she could see the left side and took in his black eye and swollen
jaw.

Anya looked tired and Buffy had the impression that the young couple
had been there for quite awhile.

"Xan?" Buffy asked softly as they sat down and Dawn quieted down.

"It's nothing, Buff," Xander shrugged.  "We thought we'd get up
early and get food.  Well, early for us since we went to bed at 7am."

"How long have you been here and what happened?" Buffy demanded as a
waitress headed their way.

"No big deal, honest!" Xander protested.

"Xander's father," Anya snapped, meeting Xander's glare with one of
her own.  "His team lost last night and he lost money on a bet so he
drank all night."

"He hit you?" Buffy exclaimed, causing the waitress to jump slightly
as she was passing menus to the new arrivals. "Sorry," Buffy
muttered.

"It's nothing, Buff," Xander protested.

"It's not the first time," Anya added.

"Anya!" Xander snapped and wouldn't meet Buffy or Giles' eyes.

"That settles it!" Buffy growled.  "You two are moving in with us
until you get a place of your own."

"You don't have the room," Xander protested.

"Dawn can share my room for a month," Buffy said firmly.

"What about the social worker?" Xander countered.

"If I can't take in an abused friend then she needs an attitude
adjustment," Buffy declared.

"Oh my God!" Dawn suddenly whispered, her mouth left hanging.

Buffy went on immediate alert, hand in jacket and scanning the room,
looking for demons or some sort of danger.  She even expected an
appearance from Spike.

The Slayer did not expect to see familiar blue eyes looking at her
and an unfamiliar pair next to him as they stopped approaching the
waitress for a table.

"Riley?" Buffy whispered, noting the way he was holding the hand of
the gorgeous brunette next to him as well as his stunned expression.

"Riley Finn?" Xander blinked rapidly.