The Gift, Take Two

Title: The Gift, Take Two - Chapter 25: The Gathering Storm
Author: Dafmeister
Email: Dafmeister@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse is owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox and a bunch of other people who aren't me. No infringement of copyright is intended blah blah blah...
Pairing: Buffy/Faith
Spoilers: Anything up to the end of Season 6 Buffy/Season 3 Angel
Distribution: Ask and Ye shall receive.
Rating: R
Feedback: Have you ever heard of a fanfic author who didn't want all the feedback they could get their grubby little paws on?
Summary: Happiness is always fleeting.
Author's notes: Huge thanks to Kaz, beta extraordinaire

*****
"Four of them, two of us," Buffy said, turning toward Faith with a mock-serious look on her face. "Does that seem fair to you?"

Not taking her eyes off the vampires advancing on them through the park's picnic area, Faith replied "What's the matter, B, you want to take this one solo?"

"No, I'm just saying-"

"Yeah yeah, always making jokes." Faith kicked the leading vampire in the chest, knocking her to the floor in a swirl of neon-red hair. "Me, I just hit them."

"Oh, come on," Buffy objected as she ducked under a punch from the next, punk-attired, vampire and replied with two of her own. "I've seen you taunting demons worse than I ever have!"

"Sure I do, I just don't waste my time with dumb-ass vamps. They've got no respect for it. I mean," Faith paused to throw a vampire in a grimy suit across the nearest picnic table, "look at that guy. That suit looks like he was buried in it. And they just charge in, not even making threats. If I'm going to be breaking out the one-liners, I want a bad guy that'll work with me, you get what I'm saying?"

"Hey, at least that one looks like a vamp. What's the deal with Soccer Mom here?" Buffy asked as she kicked a vampire in a floral dress on the chin. "So yeah, I see your point. I just think it keeps them off-balance, you know, helps to finish them quicker."

"What's the big hurry? We've got some quality violence going on here, B. You got plans or something?"

"Actually, yes," Buffy span around, grabbed the chain linking the punk's ear and nose, ripped it out and kicked the vampire away before turning back to Soccer Mom. "I plan to dust these vamps, finish our patrol, then go home and make out with my girlfriend. But if you'd rather roll around in the dark with dead guys..."

Soccer Mom exploded. Through the dust cloud, Buffy saw Faith smirking, her arm still extended from throwing the stake. "Nah, your way sounds more fun."

"That one was mine."

"Aw, I'm sorry baby," Faith said without a hint of remorse. "You're cute when you pout, you know that?"

"Yeah, you say that now, but..."

"But what?" Faith asked as she grabbed Neon and kicked her legs out from under her.

"Look, we all know how you get after a fight. As soon as you get in the door, you're raiding the refrigerator, and all I get is smoochies. What happened to the other H?"

"Come on, B, we talked about this. We said we weren't going to rush things." Punk was staggering to his feet, blood dripping from his nose and earlobe. Faith seized his arm and threw him back toward Buffy. "Catch!"

Buffy held out her stake and let momentum take care of the rest. "I know, I know, but do you have to make it look so easy?"

"You think it's easy?" Faith shot back as she turned to face Suit, who was finally returning from his trip across the picnic table.

"I don't know, that's the point." Buffy dragged Neon to her feet, then backhanded her across the face. "I feel like I'm getting blown off for a sandwich."

"Seriously? B, I'm dying over here." Faith flipped herself onto a table and launched a flying kick at Suit. He stumbled away from the impact and landed next to Buffy, barely managing to raise his head before her boot smashed it back down again.

Buffy immediately had to dodge aside as Neon tried to grab her throat. She countered with a series of punches to the face, driving the vampire back toward Faith. Neon tried to leap clear, but Faith caught her with a kick in the stomach and the vampire collapsed.

Buffy took a moment to look Faith in the eye as she spoke. "Really?"

"God, B," Faith replied, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind Buffy's ear. "Every time I look at you, I want you like I can't believe, but I'm not going to let my hormones screw this up, or yours."

"And the post-slayage snack attacks?"

Faith actually blushed a little. "Deal with one H, it helps with the other one."

"Baby, just when I think I've got you figured out, you show me another- vampire!"

"Huh?" Faith shot a look over her shoulder and saw Suit charging in behind her. She drove her elbow into his face. "Do you mind? We're having a moment here!"

"That's vamps for you, no consideration," Buffy said with a laugh in her voice as Faith set to pummelling him.

"Yeah... wait a minute. Did you just call me 'baby'?"

"Uh, yeah?" Buffy replied uncertainly. "Is that bad?"

"It's fine, cupcake. Snookums." Faith looked over at Buffy with an evil grin on her face. "Pookie."

Buffy tried to look offended, but in moments she was too busy giggling to do anything else.

She was also too distracted to notice that Neon had regained her senses. The vampire lashed out with her fist, striking her in the pit of her stomach. Buffy doubled over, the breath driven from her lungs and unable even to cry out. Neon rolled to her feet, grabbed hold of Buffy's jacket, lifted the Slayer off the ground and drove her bodily through the bench, the base of her spine hitting the concrete beneath.

Faith heard the sound of splintering wood and glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Buffy standing beside a heap of wreckage and a broken vampire. She froze when she saw that it was Buffy who was on the ground, with the vampire looming over her. Before Faith could move, Suit had jumped on her. She dispatched the vampire in moments, throwing him backwards into a bush that pierced him in a dozen places beside the heart, but she could feel the seconds ticking away and Buffy still wasn't moving. Even as Faith began to run, Neon was stooped over Buffy, focused on completing the kill.

"Time's up, Slayer."

The gloating remark had barely been made when Buffy struck. Her legs snapped upward, locking around the vampire's neck and flipping her over. Neon barely had time to realise what had happened before Buffy had snatched up a broken plank from the wreckage and driven it through the vampire's heart.

Buffy was still coughing in the dust cloud when Faith reached her. "Shit, Buffy, you scared me! You okay?"

"My ass hurts."

The grouchy tone in Buffy's voice told Faith that there was no serious damage. She took Buffy's hand and helped her up. "Aw, poor B. Want me to kiss it better?"

"Ooh, I like that idea!" Buffy giggled.

"Nice try," Faith laughed, giving Buffy a playful slap across the buttocks. "This painkiller's for oral use only."

When Faith broke the kiss, Buffy was wide-eyed and a little dazed. Faith smirked at her as she asked "Pain gone?"

"Pain? There was pain?" Buffy struggled for a moment. "Oh, that pain! Yeah, it's a little better, but I think I need another dose." She went in for another kiss, but to her surprise, Faith didn't respond. She was staring straight over Buffy's shoulder, the playful grin gone from her lips. "Faith? What's wrong?"

"I've seen that van before."

*****

"Time to go, guys, we need to hit the museum. Once we have the diamond, we can finish Phase One." Finally. No one replied. Warren looked back from the driver's seat. Andrew and Jonathan were staring, slack-jawed, at the monitor screen. "Hey! Guys!"

"They're... they're... making out..." Andrew's voice was almost reverential.

Warren scrambled over the back of the seat and shoved them out of the way so he could see the screen. "Wow!"

Jonathan nodded, hardly daring to breathe. "This is better than free cable porn."

"Yeah," Warren said with a gulp. "Tell me you're taping this."

"Everything." Andrew began stroking the screen until Warren slapped his hand away. "Ow, that hurt!"

"Cry-baby."

"Asswipe." Andrew looked back at the screen. "Hey! They're stopping! Why are they stopping? Make them stop stopping!"

Panic spilled across Jonathan's face. "Oh my God, they're coming this way. They've made us!"

"Keep it together, Shortround, we're ready for this. Grab a hold of your Magic Bone-" Whatever else Warren was planning to say was lost under a wave of sniggering, echoed by Andrew.

Jonathan wasn't amused. "What bone? No-one said anything about bringing the bone."

"You forgot your bone?" Warren giggled, while Andrew gasped for air beside him. "Dude, you never come out without your bone!"

"They're getting closer!"

Still failing to control his mirth, Warren got back behind the wheel.

*****

"Faith, come on, it's just a van."

"No, B, I'm telling you, I've seen it before."

"So what? It's not like there's a huge town for it to get lost in." Buffy followed Faith out of the park, muttering, "I can't believe I'm missing out on smoochies for this."

"How many black vans can there be in Sunnydale? And how come I keep seeing it when we're patrolling?" Faith stormed down the street, cutting across the road toward the van parked on the far side. "Something's off here, and I want to know what."

The van's headlights came on and Faith froze, blinded by the burst of light, as the van tore out from the curb and came straight at her. Buffy ran up and grabbed her, dragging her aside to land in a heap in the gutter as the van roared by.

"Son of a bitch!" Faith swore at the retreating taillights, blinking the spots from her eyes. It took her a moment to realise that Buffy was pinned beneath her. "You okay, B?"

"My ass hurts again."

*****

Faith practically kicked the front door open when they got home that night. Buffy closed it behind them rather more quietly. "Faith, why's this bothering you so much?"

"Why's it bothering me? That bastard's been following us around for weeks, and now he's trying to run me over!"

"Yeah, I know, I'm worried too, but we both okay now. Can we just leave the whole 'Who's the Bad Guy' thing until the morning and try to relax tonight?"

"B..."

"Please?" Buffy moved in close to Faith, looking up at her with her best pleading puppy-dog look. "Pretty please? I'd be very grateful."

Faith rolled her eyes. "You know B, back in Boston Father O'Connell was always warning guys about girls like you."

"'Girls like me'?" Buffy repeated in a voice that said 'Tread very carefully'.

"Yeah, the ones who look all sweet and innocent and can get a guy to do anything just by batting their eyelashes," Faith replied, slowly walking Buffy backwards into the living room. "You know, temptresses."

"I'm a temptress?"

"Got to admit, B, you look pretty damn tempting..."

"Faith!" Buffy said, feigning shock, as her legs bumped up against the edge of the couch. "Whatever would Father O'Connell say if he could hear you now?"

"He'd probably have a heart attack. I know what I'd say to him, though."

"What?"

"Bless me, Father, for I'm about to sin." Faith pushed forward and toppled them both onto the couch in a laughing tangle of legs. The laughter didn't last long, though, before the two Slayers were kissing like teenagers.

"Do you have to do that where I can see you?"

They looked up and saw Dawn standing in the doorway with a faint look of nausea on her face.

"What's the matter, Bitesize, don't you like to watch?"

"Ew!"

"Faith!" Buffy slapped her on the shoulder. "She's my sister! And you," she switched her gaze to Dawn, "what happened to 'You guys are so cute! This is so great!'?"

"That was last week. Smoochies meant no-one was leaving town," Dawn replied. "Now, it's pretty much just my sister getting suck-faced."

"Way to screw the mood, brat." Faith got to her feet. "I'm going to go hit the fridge."

"Me too," Buffy said, following her. Behind them, they heard Dawn flop onto the couch and turn on the TV. Buffy leaned against the kitchen counter and watched as Faith started assembling one of her mountainous sandwiches. "Faith, what you said earlier, about not wanting hormones to ruin this, us..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Buffy put her hand over Faiths as it lay on the countertop. "It means a lot to me."

"I just want to be careful, you know?" Faith said, stepping closer. "This whole relationship deal's kind of a new idea. I didn't know careful would be so hard."

"Tell me about it," Buffy replied with a rueful smile. "It's still a good idea."

"Yeah."

"Guys! Hey, guys!" Dawn's voice echoed down the hallway, breaking the moment. "You've got to see this!"

*****

"This is ridiculous. People get killed in this town every day, there're demons all over the place and nobody even notices, but one guy gets frozen and suddenly everybody's interested." Buffy stood on tiptoe, trying to see past the woman in front of her. "Can you see anything?"

Faith elbowed her way between a pair of gawpers. "Look's like something's going on by the doors, wait a second... yeah, they're bringing the guy out."

"I can't see a thing. I knew I should've worn heels."

Faith suppressed a smirk. "There's a bunch on cops coming out too. You want to try sneaking in the back? I'll take a closer look at Frosty and meet you inside?"

"Okay. Be careful."

"Do I have to?" Faith replied with a grin as she left.

It took Buffy a couple of minutes to work her way through the crowd. Fortunately, everyone was too engrossed in the spectacle by the main entrance to notice her disappearing around the side of the building toward the service doors.

"You took your bloody time. Too busy playing 'Hide the stake'?"

Tension rippled through Buffy's body as Spike emerged from the shadows, trailing a haze of cigarette smoke, but she didn't look at him. "What do you want?"

"Show a little sympathy, love, a bloke got frozen here, remember?"

"Why are you here, Spike?"

"You know why. Something happened here and it's weird even by Sunnyhell standards. I figured you'd turn up sooner or, well, sooner, and maybe you could use some help."

"Now you want to help? Now? Dawn needed you, she could've died and where were you?"

"You didn't want me there!"

"You told me to stay away!"

"I didn't want you hanging around moping because you were too thick to see what you wanted! I never would have turned my back on you when you needed me! I came to you, I was ready to cover your back when everyone else wanted to wait and you threw it back in my face! Well, if that's how you want it, fine! You're on your own!"

Buffy watched him storm off, then jumped in surprise when she heard Faith's voice behind her. "What's with Sir Lurksalot?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Buffy gave herself a little shake, trying to shrug off the encounter. "Come on, let's get this over with."

*****

"Hi honey, I'm home!" Buffy smiled even as the cliché echoed around the house. She dropped her college bag in a heap beside the door. "Faith?"

"Kitchen, B."

Buffy smiled again. Big surprise, she thought as she walked into the kitchen and, to her astonishment, found that Faith wasn't busy emptying the refrigerator, but was standing by the sink, drying dishes. "Don't move, I need a camera!"

"What?"

"I need proof, no-one's going to believe I've got you domesticated."

"Bite me," Faith said, flashing her trademark insolent grin over her shoulder.

Buffy laughed. "I thought you'd never ask," she said as walked up behind Faith and put her arms around her girlfriend's waist. Faith's answering laugh turned into a gasp of pleasure as Buffy began nibbling the side of her neck. "Hmm, you like that?"

Faith span around in Buffy's arms, fastened her lips over Buffy's and pushed her back against the island. A moment later, Buffy had been lifted onto the island, pushed down on her back and Faith was kneeling astride her waist.

"Want. Take. Have." Faith grabbed the front of Buffy's blouse and ripped it open, sending buttons flying across the kitchen. Buffy only had time for a single squeak of surprise before Faith had fallen on her like a wolf on a lamb, kissing and nipping her way down Buffy's chest and over her stomach.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the assault was over, and Faith had climbed down from the island and pulled Buffy's skirt up around her hips. In a single movement, Faith hooked her thumbs into Buffy's underwear and yanked it down around her ankles. She didn't move for a moment, then she walked quickly around to the refrigerator. As Buffy twisted her head around to watch, Faith opened the icebox and took out a Popsicle.

"Buffy?"

Faith tore off the wrapper and walked back around the island, positioning herself between Buffy's knees. The shaft of crimson ice in her hand glittered in the light, casting reflections into Faith's dark eyes. Buffy laid her head back on the counter and braced herself for the first frozen burn.

"Buffy?"

The image shattered as Willow's elbow dug into her ribs. Buffy sat up with a jolt, blinking as the last fragments of her daydream melted away. Around her, a few students were still packing their things away, but most were crowding through the doors out of the lecture halls. "Class is over?"

"Way over," Willow replied. She sat watching as Buffy tossed her notepad and pens into her bag, a obviously curious look on her face, but she didn't speak until the had left the building. "Was it nice where you were?"

"What? Where I... no, no, I was just thinking, you know, about that thing Professor Todd said, you know, the thing, about the..." Buffy saw the way Willow was looking at her and gave up. "Sorry."

"Faith?"

"Yeah." Buffy cast a nervous glance at her friend. "I know you don't like talking about her, Will."

"No-no, it's okay. I mean, it's still weird and crazy, but if you need someone to talk to..."

"I know. Thanks. Are you coming over to the Magic Box? I'm meeting Faith there to do some research on last night's freezy-monster."

"Yeah, I'm meeting Tara there."

"Cool." They walked on is silence for a while before Buffy whispered, "What's happening to me, Will?"

"What do you mean?"

"We've only been together a week! We've had two actual dates, for God's sake, we've barely started, and it's like all I can think about is... it's like I'm..."

"Turning into Anya?"

"Yeah. And not in a good way." Buffy said with a definite note of grumpiness in her voice. "I don't get it, I've never been like this before."

"You want some pop psychology?"

"Yes, please."

"You and Riley were... together regularly, right?"

"Together?" Buffy was confused for a moment. "Oh, you mean with the..."

"Bible study, yeah."

Buffy stared at Willow in shock. "How did you know about that?"

"Dawnie talks," Willow replied with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I am so going to kill her for this."

"Anyway," Willow said, cutting of Buffy's nascent rant "the point is that you got used to regular study sessions, but you haven't been to class for, what, a year? Most of the time you've had things to worry about; your mom, Dawn, Glory, Faith showing up again, you getting hurt, there's always been something. Maybe this is the first chance your body's had to get your attention?"

"Maybe. God, this is all so confusing! I feel like I've a whole bunch of different Buffys running around in my head and they're all saying different things."

"Like what?"

"Well, it's like there's the one who thinks Faith's whole 'take it slow' idea's really sweet and romantic, and she's always fighting with the one who just wants to say 'To hell with it!' and tear off all Faith's clothes. There's another one who's spent all week just repeating 'Wow! I'm dating Faith!', and the one that still can't believe this is actually happening, with the history and all. And then there's the Buffy who keeps asking what it all means. I mean," Buffy unconsciously lowered her voice, "am I gay now? 'Cause when did that happen? And it's not like I'm having fantasies about cheerleaders or anything, and that guy that works at the Espresso Pump? Still think he's cute. If I'm gay, shouldn't I be, you know, gay? Am I making any sense?"

Willow didn't reply at once. Buffy glanced at her and saw her friend's face redden before she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just keep seeing all these different Buffys running around arguing. Oh God, now two of them are having a pillow fight!"

Buffy managed to pout for about two seconds before she started laughing as well. "Thanks, Will, I needed that."

"Any time. And yeah, you were making sense. I know exactly how you feel."

"You do?"

"Sure." Willow sat down on a bench and gestured for Buffy to join her. "Look, Buffy, I didn't just wake up one day and think 'To hell with guys, I'm going to get me a hot witch'. I met someone, we spent time together and things happened. I didn't plan it; it wasn't a choice I made, I just fell for someone who happens to be a girl." She took Buffy's hand, looking at her with eyes that were both happy and as serious as Buffy could ever remember seeing them. "I'm not with Tara because I'm gay, Buffy. I'm gay because I'm with Tara."

A smile passed across Buffy's lips at that, but it was bittersweet. "I was the most useless best friend ever, wasn't I?"

"Hey, come on," Willow said, the beginnings of the 'resolve face' appearing around her eyes, "you had stuff going on as well, remember? You get major allowances for the killer cyborg factor."

"I still should've been there for you. I don't know if I could deal with all this if I didn't have you to help me."

"You did the most important thing you could have done, Buffy; you made Tara one of us. Do you have any idea how much that meant to me?" Willow put her arms around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her close. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you, okay?"

"Okay." Buffy returned the hug, trying to convince herself that her friend was right. "Thanks, Will."

*****

Buffy and Willow arrived at the Magic Box to find Faith and Tara sitting together at the table, with a pile of books between them. Buffy skipped over to join them, greeting Giles and Anya in passing before bending down to kiss her girlfriend. A moment later, Buffy jerked away with her face twisted in disgust. "Have you been smoking again?"

"Yeah, I had a couple. What's the big deal?"

"Your mouth tastes like an ashtray."

"Come on, B," Faith said reaching out for her girlfriend as one eyebrow began to wiggle.

Buffy immediately darted away. "Oh no, you're not going to eyebrow your way out of this one. No more smoochies until you've used a whole bottle of mouthwash."

Meanwhile, Willow had taken the chair next to Tara, scooting it right up beside her. "How's it going?"

"Not good, or too good, depends how you look at it," Tara replied. "We've found over a dozen demons and spirits that can freeze someone solid."

"Nothing local, though," Faith added. She caught Willow's gaze flicking between her face and the book she was holding. "Yeah Red, I can read, and I can write my name and I can add, too. One plus one is two. Two plus two is four- ow!" She rubbed her arm where Buffy had poked her.

"There's no need to be sarcastic, Faith," Buffy pointed out.

Giles decided to intervene before things went any further. "Yes, yes, can we perhaps focus on last night? Faith, you were saying none of these creatures is normally found near here?"

"Yeah, they're all cold-weather types, which figures, I guess. They seem to stick to mountains and the Arctic."

"I can't find any spells that would do something like this, either. I'm sorry," Tara added.

"All right, then," Giles replied. "Perhaps it would help if we knew what this creature was doing at the museum. Willow, could you see if you can access the police reports?"

"On it." Willow took out her laptop.

"You think something was stolen?" Tara asked.

"It's possible. A museum at night is hardly a good hunting ground. In the meantime, while Willow's working her magic with that machine, we can talk about this business with the van." Giles listened while Buffy and Faith outlined what had happened. "That's interesting. Are you sure it was the same van, Faith?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. There was a patch on the left side where the light hit kind of funny, like part of it had been re-sprayed."

"Plus it took off as soon as we got close," Buffy reminded him. "That kind of makes it seem weird and suspicious."

"Indeed. I don't suppose you got a good look at the license plate?" The expressions Buffy and Faith were wearing answered that one. "Well, I'm not sure what more we can do about it apart for being vigilant."

"Got it!" Willow said, breaking into the conversation. "You were right, there was something taken, a diamond."

Anya perked up. "Ooh, was it cursed? Diamonds a great for that."

"No idea. It was here it was on loan from the British Museum-"

"What!" Giles burst out, startling everyone. " Not the Star of Lucknow?"

"Yeah, how did-"

"I can't believe they let it out of the museum, let alone sent it here..." Giles suddenly realised they were all staring at him. "The Star is one of the centrepieces of the museum's jewel collection. It's said to have some kind of mystical properties, perhaps operating on the quantum level. That's why the Council has always made sure it remains in the museum."

Buffy banged her fist down on the table. "Damn it! First we get a vampire gang who want us dead, then someone starts using demons to rob banks, we find out we're under surveillance and now someone steals a magic diamond! What happened to bad guys coming one at a time?"

"Now, Buffy, it may not be quite that complicated," Giles said, trying to soothe her. "Some of these things may be the work of the same people. The bank robbery and last night's theft, for instance. The blend of the mystical and the larcenous does seem similar."

"I hope so. I've got enough asses to kick as it is." Buffy sat back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "So, what do we do?"

"For now, I suggest we proceed as normal," Giles said. "Remain cautious and keep looking for information."

"Right."


*****

The front door was open.

Buffy ran up the path. It seemed to stretch out forever, keeping the doorway just beyond her reach, then suddenly she was pushing the door wide open.

The smell of blood hung in the air. For a moment Buffy couldn't see anything, her eyes adjusting from the bright morning sun outside to the shadows within the house. Then she saw.

Giles lay on his back in the hallway, his shirt soaked with blood. His eyes stared up at the ceiling from his bone-white face. More blood formed a slowly growing pool on the floor.

Buffy turned her head away, toward the living room, and saw Willow and Tara. They lay entwined together on the couch, as though they were taking a nap together. Their blood stained the couch almost black.

Buffy wanted to call out, to scream, but she couldn't. Her head turned again and, through the kitchen doorway, she saw Anya slumped against the island, her face covered with blood. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw movement and looked up the stairs to where blood was trickling over the edge of the landing.

Her legs wouldn't move faster than a walking pace. With a horrible slowness she climbed the stairs and saw Xander lying on his side on the landing, his hands clutched together over the bloody stomach, his lifeless face still contorted with pain.

Beyond him, in the corner by her bedroom door, Dawn lay in a pool of blood. Buffy forced herself past Xander's body and saw that her sister was breathing, barely. "Dawn! Can you hear me?"

Dawn's eyes opened, struggling to focus. When her lips parted a trail of blood slipped from the corner of her mouth. "Buffy?"

"I'm here. You're going to be okay, Dawn, you're going to be okay, just stay with me!"

"Where were you?" There was a wet, bubbling sound in Dawn's throat. "They came here. We couldn't stop him. Why did you leave us?"

"Dawn!"

Dawn's eyes went blank.

Buffy's eyes flashed open. For a moment she was disoriented, then she flung herself out of bed and through the connecting door to Dawn's room. She almost collapsed with relief when she saw her sister sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by her entrance.

The door from Dawn's room onto the landing opened and Faith came in, pale and trembling. The Slayers looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Buffy gestured for Faith to join her in her room.

"You had it too?" Faith asked as soon as she closed the door behind her.

Buffy just nodded as Faith sat down on the bed beside Buffy, rubbing her arms as though she was cold.

"All of them..."

"Dawn said 'Why did you leave?' I don't get it, we're not going anywhere."

"You think we should call Giles?"

"Maybe... no. No, we'll go over there tomorrow, before he goes to work."

"Okay."

Faith stood up again and was about to leave when Buffy caught hold of her arm. "Faith, wait."

"What?"

"I know we've got rules, but..." Buffy hesitated, glancing down at her bed. "Could you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."


*****

The office door burst open and one of the vampires stepped inside. Lucas was sitting at his desk, engrossed in an old book. He didn't look up. "Yes?"

"Boss, Sean's back."

Lucas stifled the surge of excitement that ran through him. He carefully closed the book, using the moment to compose himself, and walked out into the main part of the warehouse. The others watched him cross over to the main doors, his pace even, the epitome of the imperturbable leader.

One of the vampires he'd sent with Sean was pulling open the main door. Outside, under a sky that was already showing the first hints of the oncoming dawn, Sean and the other vampire he'd sent were unloading metal cases from their van and stacking them on the concrete loading dock.

Gesturing for the others in the nest to help, Lucas asked, "Your contact had everything?"

"Everything we need."

"How many did you get?"

"Four."

Lucas gave an approving nod. "Okay, bring on to the office. Everyone else, get the rest of it stacked away." He followed Sean into the office, and it was only once he was inside that he let the mask slip. "Only four?"

"I told you it wouldn't be cheap." Sean set the case down on the desk. "This isn't some converted Tec-9, Lucas. I bought quality, and it costs."

"What's in the other crates?"

"Ammunition. If we're going to make this work, we'll have to practise until using these is like instinct. We'll need somewhere to train, somewhere out of the way."

"There's an old gun club out toward Oxnard - it closed down a few years back but the building's still there."

"Sounds good. You want to go tonight?"

"If there's time."

"Time?"

"I want us to have a fall-back site, Sean, somewhere we can go if we're found here before we're ready."

"Secure line of retreat, always a good plan. Any ideas?"

"I've thought of a place, but I want you to see it before we start making plans."

"Okay, we'll check it out tonight, then start training."

"Good." Lucas lifted the lid of the case and paused, staring down at the matt-black metal and plastic inside. "And then we make them pay."