Back In The Game

Rome May 14th 12 a.m.

Buffy sat on the windowsill staring up at the moon. It had been several hours since Giles had called, but she couldn't sleep. For one, she was not used to going to bed before 3 in the morning after doing a bit of patrolling. The clock on her bedside table told her it was almost midnight.

She thought about the first time she met Angel, how mysteriously sexy he was. The feeling of disappointment when she first found out he was a vampire, to still not being able to shake the attraction she had for him. Thus, leading to him becoming her first lover.

Presently she chose to ignore all the badness that had helped to seal their forced nonexistent lovey dovey relationship that led him to leaving her and going off to L.A. She thought of how he had been the second, no third, man to leave her at that time.

First was Merrick, he had to go and get himself killed. Pike, never called her after she told him she was moving to Sunnydale. Next to leave was her was her father, and then came Angel. The vampire with a soul, who claimed to love her too much to stay, saying she deserved a normal life. Like being the slayer would give her any normal lifestyle. The last thing she wanted to think about was Riley, or Parker.

Giles had even left her, not once but twice. The first time when she really needed him most, after Sweet pulled it out of her she'd been in Heaven, only to have him to come back to help save the world from evil Willow. He then left her again, taking the broken witch back with him, so the coven could heal Willow. Leaving her alone again, to work things out for herself, not realizing she was still broken as well.

The last male significant other in her life to leave, and the most memorable to date, Spike. Spike left her too earn his soul for her after the event time in her bathroom. Coming back into her life when she needed him the most at a time he should've been the last person she should trust. Giving his unlife for her, to close the Hellmouth so she could move on and be all she could be normal girl. That was her Spike, and it hurt to think he didn't believe her when she said she loved him.

The feelings she had when she kissed Angel that night in Sunnydale when he had brought her the amulet were still felt fresh in her mind. It was then she realized she wasn't in love with him anymore. After being with him, she started to see what she had been denying for a very long time. She loved Angel, but as any young girl would feel about their first love.

That night however, she accepted the fact she was in love with someone else now, yet another vampire. It surprised her how Spike could still love her so deeply, her of all people, the one who treated him poorly over the years.

The same girl who had hurt him so many different times before that and in different ways and had yet to tell him she was sorry. Her treatment of him should have pushed him away from her. He should not have allowed himself to be her continuous doormat, or punching bag, or let her use him the way she did after coming back from Heaven.

She looked over at the picture of her and Nick and realized she would never be in love with him. Yes, she did care about him in a way, but she was not in love with him. Something told her she'd never find anyone that would replace Spike in her heart.

Nevertheless, Nick was there for her, and for now, she was willing to give him a chance. Even though her little voice was sending messages not to trust him, whispering in the back of her mind telling her that something about him wasn't right.

She had talked to Dawn and Giles about it, and both had told her she might just be using that as an excuse to keep him from getting too close to her. A part of her believed that could be the reason, but a deeper inner voice that grew slowly in intensity, told her that was not the reason and she should look more into who he was.

She couldn't help but notice, how funny that little voice gets louder whenever he is further and further away from her. It was something she'd make sure she'd talk to Willow about tomorrow. Something told her the red head would be calling her once she found out about Angel.

"God, Andrew, please find it was all rumor that Angel is alive and well and working to help the helpless, but with better pay and benefits." The slayer mumbled as she fought back a yawn and knew she was losing the battle and needed her sleep.

She went over and pulled out a pair of sweats and tank top and changed into them. Wanting to be ready to go out running in case the news was bad and she needed to burn off some energy. The last thing she need was to take her grief out on those she cared about or on the punching bag, and therefore her hands and feet.

After getting in bed and pulling up the covers she remembered coming home with the amulet and finding Spike taking out his own frustrations on a poor rendition of a Dracula fanged Angel. She could not stop from smiling at the funny thought. The memory of how she had felt the need to take Spike to bed at that time and prove to him who she really wanted brought up more regrets. Like a fool, she had waited too late, thinking if she didn't tell him she loved him he would be standing there after the battle waiting for her, and then they could make love until the cows came home. She closed her eyes and softly cried herself to sleep.

*******

Dawn had been ready to knock on the door when she heard her sister's tears. She really did not know how to deal with Buffy when she got like this. Angry at Buffy's stupid slayer pride and her thinking she didn't need anyone.

The younger Summer's girl turned and went to her own room to pray that Nick would be home soon and he would be able to help Buffy with the bad news. She never liked Angel and believed the news would be bad and the rumors true. She just hoped that others would not do the 'in your face' with the 'I told you so'.

"I really don't think Buffy could handle that right now." She said to herself, as she again looked back toward the door wishing Buffy had not shut her out.

*******

Brazil May 13th 7 p.m.

Willow looked up at the sunset, wondering if Buffy was asleep. She had not seen the Sunndydale Slayer since right before Buffy met Nick DeLuca, otherwise known as The Immortal. Since the night Buffy had been forced to step down that night in Sunnydale, things had not been the same between them. Not like the old days when they'd talk about almost everything that was going on with each other.

She had kept a magical connection with her best friend. Just so she would know when to make the needed follow up phone call if she felt Buffy needed someone to talk to. She knew now was not that time, but it would be soon.

With her schedule being full it, was hard to travel and visit the Summers household. Searching for new slayers, and the old books she was trying to find to replace for the Counsel- took up most of her time. Via email she had kept close tabs on Dawn, the younger of the two loved to talk things concerning Wicca and magic.

"Funny, I just realized, I haven't talked to Dawn at all this week," she muttered to herself suddenly, putting it on the list to do tomorrow after talking with Buffy.

She retreated into her study after she and Kennedy argued over the Buffy and Angel matter. With Kennedy feeling no slack should be given to the blonde slayer, since it appeared her judgment had been clouded by her feelings about an old flame.

"Didn't help when I told her how wrong we were about Buffy's instinct about Spike, and that she had been right all along about Caleb and what he was hiding at the vineyard," Willow silently mused to herself.

Willow knew that their betrayal that night is what kept Buffy from truly trusting them again. It didn't help when they placed their trust in Faith, thinking it must have really hurt as well.

"Then there was Giles going behind her back keeping her occupied while Robin tried to kill Spike. I'm sure that didn't help matters in the end," she silently thought, wondering where Giles' mind was at back then. "I wonder if he was under the influence of The First some how?"

The thing that mystified her was the fact she had yet to meet Nick, but something told her to hold off on meeting him for as long as possible. Her vibe about him after hearing everyone talk about him set off her little red light saying 'danger, danger.'

She didn't know why, but what she had found in her research made him look very suspicious in her book. Especially since as The Immortal he appeared to have used many different names throughout history. Buffy would not believe her inner feelings, not now any way. More concrete evidence would be needed, and she knew who to call and get it.

The witch walked over, dialed a familiar number, and waited for someone to pick up the phone.

"Hello," a perky voice answered the phone, making Willow relax for the first time in a long time.

Willow smiled as she returned the greeting. "Hello, back."

"Willow, me dear child, it is so wonderful to hear your voice!" Agnes practically yelled through the phone. "Please tell me you are coming for a visit, it has been far too long and you would be a sight for poor eyes, dearie."

The redheaded witch felt the warmth of her mentor's words. They'd become very close during her becoming good Willow again after the Tara, Warren, gone evil incident. "I was hoping to come and see you tomorrow; I have something I wish to talk to you about."

"My girl, you are always welcome in my home," Agnes cooed, she knew that her Willow was coming for information about The Immortal. Information she would need to save her friends and herself when the time came to face him down. "But let us leave the chatter until you get here, no need to waste money on talk that could be done for free."

Willow laughed, "Yes, free talk is good, very good in fact."

"Good, just call and leave me your flight arrangements and I or someone will arrange to pick you up at the airport," Agnes offered.

"I think that would be my best bet on such short notice. I will call you tomorrow with the details," Willow answered feeling like she made the right choice, thinking to herself, ‘If anyone can help me figure out what is going on and how to best help Buffy, Agnes would know what to do.’

Willow smiled as she hung up the phone and called the airport to make flight arrangements. She knew as she talked with the airline that after this she and Kennedy would be over. There was no way her lover could go, since her negativity would interfere more than help Willow do what she might need to do.

*******

Cleveland May 13th 9 p.m.

Robin cursed all undead creatures that had fangs, no heartbeats and cold dead bodies but was able to still walk, talk, and muck up living peoples lives. He watched as Faith pulled away from him, both physically and mentally.

He just never understood the freaky relationship she had with Angel. He didn't care that he somehow had pulled her back to the light. He truly believed she would have found her way back anyway. Not only that, but to find out that Spike had not been the first vampire lover that Buffy had, was just another mark against her in his book.

"Faith, do you want to talk about it?" He figured he could at least make another effort to try again to understand it all.

"Man, you would not understand, nobody would, well maybe B would." Faith looked out across the backyard. "Do you know he chose me over Buffy once? Not sex, but he chose to help me against her wishes."

"I bet that hurt yours and Buffy’s relationship," Robin snorted.

Faith looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she continued. "Me and Buffy already had our differences, big time. I betrayed her in a bad way; even after she tried to help me, but then being the good slayer that she was, she knew she had to kill me if she couldn't reform me. I was too dangerous being evil to be left alive."

"So that's why she gave you such a hard time when you came to help us?"

"Yep, a lot of history, and most of it bad between us. At one point I tried to get Angel to sleep with me, while I was working for the Mayor, so we could bring Angelus into the fold." Faith chuckled. "But, the white hats had already anticipated that and set me up. Then Buffy put me in a coma and took down The Mayor, proving she was the best of the best."

"But if you reformed?" He looked at her questionably.

"Oh, but lover, it didn't end there. There was the time I woke up, I did a switch-a-roo with her body and mine and slept with her then new boyfriend Riley, who yes- was human. I also did a little sex head game with Spike, of flirting and bragging what my slayer muscles could do to him. That was before he and Buffy had their little thing."

"Does seem like you were busy with making Buffy's life hell." Robin crossed his arms and leaned back on the porch railing, for the first hearing about his lover's past.

"Yeah, but then came Angel to the rescue and helped me see who I had become and gave me the courage to change it. To take responsibility for what I had done, after killing the Mayor's assistant I had lost my way. Even in prison, he kept in touch and made sure I was doing okay. Even Wesley had taken an interest in me and my future. The fact they broke me out of jail and sent me to Sunnydale told me how much they believed in me."

"So you think because of Angel, you're a better person?"

"Yes, if not for Angel, the Council would have had reason to kill me, cause man; I wouldn't have gotten better on my own." Faith sighed as she looked over at the man she had come to love, who taught her what it meant to love and to be loved.

"But he turned evil," Wood stated calmly.

"Did he, or did someone turn him evil, or is it all a lie? You don't really know him, know how much behind the good fight he really was, him and his little gang of demon crime fighters." Faith shrugged. "We’ll have to wait for Andrew's report, and then I might have to do a little snooping on my own."

"Faith, you have a responsibility here."

"Robin, I also have friends that I care about and want to know the truth about what happened to them and why. Was there something I could have done? Something I can learn that will help me be a better friend in the future? It's something I have to do for me, for them." She looked at him. "I owe him that much to make sure it all went down just like it gets reported, cause my little senses are telling me it's not how it looks."

Robin snorted and turned away saying, "What is it about slayers and vampires? You and Buffy with Angel, and then there's Buffy with Spike and Angel."

"Hey, I can't speak for Buffy, but as for Angel and Spike I can vouch they did love her. Hell, Spike died for her, so she could move on to a more normal life. That night he kicked my ass, man, that’s when I knew he was telling us the truth. We turned our back on Buffy. I overstepped my power when I took the group clubbin'. I can see that now, I did undermine Buffy's authority and by doing so assisted in them losing faith in her."

"Hey, they were losing faith in her long before that," Robin defended her right to have had a shot at being in charge.

"No, The First played with our heads and we let it. It made her appear weak, playing its games, but she kept finding ways to fight back. She never stopped fighting and looking beyond the shit it was sending our way. Buffy knew that and that's why she never stopped looking, kept looking outside the box. We fell for the mind fuck and in turn betrayed her. The only reason those girls backed me that night was because I took them out and showed them a good time, blew off some steam."

"Faith, I think you are being too hard on yourself and the others."

"No, just stating the facts, something we never acknowledged as a group." Faith snorted. "I had told her that night that I had not wanted it to turn out like that. She just told me to be brave and to lead them."

"And you did."

"Yeah, to a fuckin' trap, that's where I led them." Faith rolled her eyes. "You see, that night Spike came back and called us on it. Well I agree with everything he said. Buffy had never let us down, always ready to do what was best. Why do you think she has lasted so long? No slayer has lived as long as she has, and now we know why. She thinks outside the box, she will not ask anyone to do anything she is not willing to do herself. Do you know she died saving the world once?"

"Yeah, Giles told me one night over tea and brandy." Robin looked over and noticed the sad look on her face.

"I'm not so sure I could have done that, nor could I have killed the man or should I say vampire that I loved to close the gate to Hell." Faith smirked. "But she did, no questions asked, no 'God, do I have to?' She just did it and took on the repercussions that followed."

"Is that when Angel had become Angelus and was going to release Hell upon earth?" Robin looked over toward her with a skeptical look on his face.

"Yeah, after he had lost his soul after a night of bliss with Buffy." Faith smiled. "And guess who helped Buffy against his nature?"

Robin looked confused at first and then surprised as it dawned on him. "Spike?"

"Yep, the blonde vamp wonder came to offer his assistance, 'cause he didn't want the world to change." Faith laughed about that. "Goes to show you what a night of ice cream with a teenager will get you." She thought about the late nights after leaving Sunnydale spent talking with Dawn.

"So, I guess it's wait and see what Andrew has to report, and then you will decided if you need to look further into it or not?" Robin asked, as he looked down at his shoes.

"Yeah, it does. I can't trust Andrew of all people to know how to get the truth on something like this." Faith shrugged. "I hope you can understand that I need to do this for me, and I also have to do it for Angel and Buffy. She deserves to know the truth, and if it's true he turned into evil Angelus, I want to know why, and how the others got involved."

"Fine." Robin looked up and met her stare. "I will support you to a point-"

He held up his hand to stop her from interrupting.

"The point will be when there is without a doubt in my mind he acted on his own and no one turned him evil, making him lose his soul."

Faith nodded her head as she agreed with him, "That seems fair."

"Okay, so how about we go do a quick patrol and come back and spend quality time together before calling it a night." Robin winked.

"I'd say I'm five by five with that plan, Woody." Faith smiled seductively at him.

"Hey, I'll give you Woody in a minute."

"Was plannin' on it, baby." The dark haired slayer blew him a kiss as she checked and made sure she had her stakes before heading off the porch. "Man, the climate here in Cleveland sucks feeling the cool air of May with a feel of rain in the air. In Cali, man I wouldn't have to wear this much gear."

"Well, maybe I can help take care of that extra gear when we get back." The dark skinned man chuckled.

"Only if you promise to do everything in your power to keep me warm and happy," Faith turned her head and replied.

"Like you have to ask." Wood again snorted as he watched her walk in front of him, her bottom swaying to and fro, making a wish they could cancel patrol altogether and start with undressing and warming up part.

Instead, he smiled and called out, "Thank you for sharing tonight, honey." Letting her know he still loved her and appreciated that she had opened up and talked to him instead of her usual keep it to herself defense mode.

"Thank you for listening, dear." Faith was totally surprised he had taken it all so well.

Robin understood that his lady would do as she said, for she had a code of loyalty she lived by. He also understood that she felt she owed Angel the respect to make sure everything said about him and his crew tonight was indeed true.

*******