Complement

XXXII – Breathing & Everything
(Part F)

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"Ready, B?"

"I'm ready. You ready Fai?"

"I was born ready, B!"

"Incorrigible! You're incorrigible S.O.!"

"That's the pot callin' the kettle black."

"What was that Fai???"

"Nothing B... Just sayin' let's do this so we can get back..."

"Riiiight... So... on the count of three?"

"On the count of three..."

Silence hung in the air between them, they both turned to look at the other.

"You want to st..." they both started together then laughed.

"Why don't you start..."

"No... no you start it... After all this is your first time."

"True enough. That's true enough B. So are you ready?"

"Faaaaiiiith..."

"Okay... okay, just playin' a little with you B..." Faith chuckled, then huskily mumbled under her breath, "Didn't mind when I was p-laying with ya earlier..."

"I heard that... Slayer hearin' here remember???" Buffy lifted an eyebrow at Faith, who just winked at her.

"Did you say Slayer hearing? What's that? Don't think I know what that is B..." She smirked at Buffy, then whispered, "Does that mean you can hear this?" Buffy's eyebrow rose a little bit higher, then Faith whispered even lower "Did I ever tell you how friggin' cute you look when you do that? In fact, you look so cute, so sweet... you look good enough to eat B..."

Faith husky voice was far below a whisper, but it still elicited the same response from Buffy it always did. She watched the shudder ripple through Buffy's petite, luscious body as her eyes lazily raked over Buffy from head to toe. When she made her way back up to Buffy's face, she ensnared Buffy's eyes with her own; the tip of her tongue came out provocatively to moisten her lips.

Faith left no doubt in Buffy's mind of the meaning of her words. She was mesmerized by Faith's pink tongue as it left a glistening wet sheen on her appetizing lips.

"One track mind... hav have a one track mind Fai..." Buffy was secretly pleased, though her throaty voice gave her secret pleasure away. She absolutely loved this side of Faith; the wild, wicked, seductive, mouthwatering nymph that was her mate.

"Me?" Faith questioned innocently, though she was looking at Buffy with what Lilith and Clotho would have called Bedroom Eyes.

"Yes you..." Buffy laughed, the laugh dying on her lips as she was pulled in by Faith's half-lidded entrancing look of invitation.

"Sure B, 'cause..." Faith moved up close to Buffy, invading her personal space, she along with Buffy dropped the sledgehammers they were holding to the ground. She leaned into Buffy dipping her head down. She continued to whisper tantalizingly and sarcastically between tiny love bites along Buffy's neck. "...it was me who kept you in bed naked for the last two days. Me, who padlocked our bedroom door so you couldn't get any clothes so you would stay that way. Me, who paid Spike to patrol last night so you had no excuse to get dressed and leave the Mansion. Me, who made you beg to get more than ten minutes of sleep... Me, who made you cum so many times in the last two days that had you put a notch in the headboard for each orgasm it would be nothing more than sawdust right now..." Faith stopped for a second in thought, "Okay well that was you and me both... but, as I was saying it was, Me, who..."

"Okay... okay!" Buffy was clutching at Faith's shoulders; her neck arched giving Faith full access. She felt Faith chuckle against her skin and chuckled herself. She smiled at her Dark Slayer when she lifted her lips from her neck. "I admit it, it was all me. Me, who did all those things! Me, me, me! What can I say? I'm a lust-crazed-nympho, but only when it comes to you baby and I just wanted to make sure we took care of all that pent-up lust you had from Slaying alone the last two weeks before I let you out of the house again. You know, sort of scratch your Slayer Itch..."

"How considerate of you Giz."

"Well you know me S.O., I'm a considerate–sensitive-touchy-feely kinda girl. So did I succeed?"

Instead of answering Buffy, Faith just leaned down and plundered Buffy's mouth. They battled with each other for dominance of the kiss. Their tongues performing an elaborated sword-fight as if they were dueling rather then kissing. Neither backed down from the challenge, neither relinquished control, neither gave any quarter, not even when both their heads starting spinning from lack of air. They broke the kiss with a silent agreement through their bond, both thinking that passing out in the cemetery after dark wasn't a good idea.

"I'm thinking there is just a little bit of that Slayer Itch that still needs to be scratched, for both of us..." Faith wiggled her eyebrows at Buffy and gave her an exaggerated leer. Then softly said, "Truth be known, I don't need to Slay or have a Slayer Itch to make me feel this way, make me want to be with you. All I need is to see you, to touch you, hell who am I kidding all I need is to just think about you and I want to make love with you, B." Then she blushed brightly, vibrantly red.

Buffy brushed her thumb along Faith's neck and told her just as softly, "Truth be known, I don't need any of that other stuff either. All I need is you, just the thought of you alone is more than enough for me. More than enough for me to want to hold you, kiss you, touch you, make love with you too, Fai." Then Buffy too blushed brightly, vibrantly red.

Their eyes stayed locked with each other's for long moments, then they started to giggle.

"Corny..." Faith started only to be cutoff by Buffy.

"Very corny and bonus points for being sappy too..." They started giggling again; it wasn't that they didn't mean what they had said. They did with all of their mushy, sappy, corny, romantic hearts. It was just that they both always felt so silly, so paper-cut-out clichéd any time they did say these type of things to each other. They both knew that the other felt silly and it was why they could laugh about it together. And it was why, because they did say them anyway, despite how silly it made them feel or look, that the words carried so much more meaning, were deeper, more momentous and all the more heartfelt by them both.

"So what do you say we take care of what we came here to do B? Then we can go home and I'll scratch your Slayer Itch if you'll scratch mine."

"Sounds like a really-really-delicious plan to me F. And remind me, will you, to put it in writing that Xander doesn't get to write the epitaph on my headstone next time. Will you please?"

They turned and looked at their headstones, Buffy picked up the two sledgehammers from the ground and handed one to Faith.

Faith peeked at Buffy from under her lashes, "Why B, explain to me what's wrong with, She saved the world aaaaaaa looottt?'"

"Yes, Beeeeee.... Do explain."

Both Slayers' spun around at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice. They took in the man with a glance, or rather what they could see of him since he was wearing a flowing full-length dark purple cloak, with a hood that hid most of his face in shadows. He looked like something out of a medieval fantasy movie about Warlocks and Knights in Shining Armor. He was tall, at least six feet and from what they could tell well muscled. His hands which were clasped in front of him casually, were strong looking, the fingers long and strangely enough his nails were manicured and shone with a coat of clear gloss in the light of the full moon. All they could see of his face was his mouth, which had full, deep red lips, the lower one jutting out slightly in a pout. Before either Slayer could say anything, the man spoke again.

"And I also have to agree that you two are rather sappy and corny." He gave the Slayers' a rakish smile, flashing his teeth at them.

Both Faith and Buffy hissed under their breath when the man smiled at them. They blinked a few times thinking that the light of the moon had played tricks on them, then he smiled widely at them again, his long fangs sparkled bright white in the moonlight as if to mock them.

They exchanged quick glances with each other, confused. How the hell had he snuck up on them and why the fuck wasn't their Slayer Radar going off like crazy with a vampire standing right in front of them? Without thought, they both extended their senses into the night and it was with a shiver of fear they both realized that they couldn't sense anything and that in and of itself was wrong.

A slow-moving eerie chill crept down both their spines, it seemed to linger and cling to them unwilling to let go, dissipate. They both remembered what Dawn had said about the chill that had held her in its grip the night on the tower, "It had felt like someone had just walked over my grave." Both Slayers' thought to themselves that it was a good description of what they were feeling and had they not been standing on their own graves, they would have found the situation funny given they were in a cemetery. Neither felt like laughing though, because right now it didn't feel funny at all, right now what it felt like was a premonition, a foreshadowing, an omen of what was to come.

"I can see by your faces that you're confused. You're wondering why it is that you can't sense me. Aren't you?" He spoke softly, and both Slayers' detected a slight, subtle accent in his speech, though neither could tell its origin.

"Don't matter, you're still gonna be dust." Faith snarled as she whipped a stake at the vampire faster than anyone other than another Slayer or an Immortal could have seen. Both Slayers waited to hear the poof they both so loved when a vampire burst into to dust. This poof was a little different then either of them expected.

"Poof!" He whispered to them with a smirk, he wagged the stake Faith had thrown at them in a sarcastic imitation of a no-no'gesture. "Has anyone ever told you that you're rude Faith? You should really help her with that, Elizabeth. Or do you prefer Buffy?" He waited for either Slayer to answer him, but all he got was two low growls.

"It seems however, that my manners aren't much better. I know both of your names but you don't know mine. So if neither of you object I will rectify that." He waited again and was answered by the Slayers growling again, "No? No objections. Then ladies, please allow me to introduce myself I am a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year stolen many a man's soul and faith, well blood actually... in either case... My name is Rais. Gilles de Rais, former Advisor and General to Joan of Ark, Marshall of France, Nobleman in the Court of King Charles the VII of France." He mockingly bowed low to the Slayers then rose back up to his full height, "And I can't tell you how pleased I am to finally meet the Chosen Two. Just one little favor if I may ask it of you both, please don't tell the dear old Evil One, the Prince himself that I'm stealing his lines..." Rais stopped to chuckle at his joke, and then laughed a little harder when he saw their eyes start to grow wide when the words he had spoken began to sink in.

He brought his hands up to the hood of his cloak as he began to speak again in the same low sarcastic tone as before. "So will you do that small favor for me and not tell Lucifer?" He slowly began to slide the hood back as he looked at Faith first, a malicious gleam in his eyes, "Well, will you Baby Girl," then looked expectantly at Buffy, "Runt?"
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Faith felt the world drop out right from under her feet at his last three words, then her legs decided to follow as he slid the hood back off his head and she saw his face.

'NONONONONO! DEAD! HE'S DEAD! NIGHTMARE! HAS TO BE A NIGHTMARE. I WANT TO WAKE UP NOW! LET ME WAKE UP NOWPLEASEPLEASE!

Her head dropped down to her chest and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly. She was dreaming, having another of her nightmares about him, she had to be! He was dead, they knew that, Luc had killed him, ripped his fucking corrupted, full of hate heart right out of his chest. Ben had told Clotho and Luc that he was suffering in the hell of Glory's realm when they went back and got the antidote.

So why then was he standing in front of her?

Why when her life was so good, was this happening again?

Would the never-ending vicious cycle of physical and mental abuse ever stop for her?

Why did this keep happening to her, to Buffy?

This couldn't be real, could it?

Why then didn't this feel like a dream?

Why did it feel so real?
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Like Faith, Buffy felt the world drop out right from under her feet at his last three words, then her legs too decided to follow as he slid the hood back off his head and she saw his face. Unlike Faith though, her reaction was anything but fear, it was as far from fear as possible.

Buffy could feel herself becoming feral, primitive, could feel her dark side thrashing wildly for control of her. All the rage inside of her that had been simmering, building up, eating away at her for Glory and Johnny that had no outlet before had one now. It was all being directed at the vampire standing in front of her who looked exactly like Johnny.

From her knees, she stared at de Rais, her eyes turning dark amber, instead of light amber gold. Rais and her dark thoughts of inflicting pain, torture on him were the only things that existed for her right now. Her head was spinning out of control with thoughts of ripping him limb from limb slowly. With thoughts of flaying him alive, of taking a knife and peeling his skin from his body. Of dancing with abandon on his blood soaked corpse.

The small part of her that was still her, could feel the bloodlust, it was in a feeding frenzy thrumming through her veins, pounding loudly in her ears and blocking out Faith from their bond.

It was winning and she knew that if it won, that both she and Faith would lose.
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WHY, WHY, WHY?

It crashed around her head in her terror and there was nothing else. The small part of her that was still her, could feel herself, all that she was, slipping away in a sea of remembered pain and fear. The terror, the fear, blocking Buffy out of their bond.

It was winning and she knew that if it won, that both she and Buffy would lose.
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They were alone, isolated as their own inner struggles all but severed their bond with each other. Each left with only their own internal battle to wage. To either win or lose. Losing their inner battle, they both knew on some deep level, would destroy them forever, they would be lost either to death, or to themselves and each other. Losing this inner battle meant they would lose who and what they were both alone and together.

It was a battle both Slayers needed to win on their own, alone, as individuals.

It was a test of all they were, all they had learned, lived through, both alone and together.

And so they waged their own war inside themselves, isolated from each other.

Faith against her inner demons of fear, of terror, of pain, of abuse, of hate, of self-hate and the darkness in her that it had given birth to.

Buffy against the darkness that had been given its first glimpse of life when she had knifed Faith on the rooftop and then given full birth to in Glory's hell. Fought against the miles upon miles wide thick wall of hate, of rage, of anger, of hunger to inflict pain not just for revenge, or vengeance, but for the thrill of holding that power within her hands.

And neither Slayer wanted to lose the fight for their very souls.
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Rais watched them, a smile playing across his face. A smile anyone would have thought beautiful on such an angelic looking face, until they saw his eyes. They were dark, malevolent, malicious. They spoke of pain and of enjoyment in inflicting pain. They spoke of dark deeds, of a corruption of the soul that was as bottomless as a black hole.

"I can't tell you what it feels like to have the Chosen Two or should I say the Chosen Pets kneeling in supplication at my feet. The fear, the rage, the darkness it is mine. Like you two, you're mine now, I own you." He hissed at them with glee and arrogance, and they both knew that if they lost their internal war, what he said would come true.
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'FUCK THIS! FUCK YOU! THE ONLY POWER IS MINE AND YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! I WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU EVER! I WON'T GIVE THAT POWER TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN! I OWN ME AND ONLY ME, NO ONE AND NOTHING ELSE! B AND I DON'T EVEN OWN EACH OTHER, WE ARE PARTNERS, SOUL-MATES, CONNECTED, MORE TOGETHER, BUT I BELONG TO NO ONE BUT ME!'
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'I DON'T THINK SO! THE ONLY POWER IS MINE! THE DARKNESS DOESN'T OWN ME, NOT THE RAGE, HATE OR ANGER! I OWN IT, IT DOES NOT OWN ME! I OWN ME AND ONLY ME, NO ONE AND NOTHING ELSE! FAITH AND I DON'T EVEN OWN EACH OTHER, WE ARE PARTNERS, SOUL-MATES, CONNECTED, MORE TOGETHER, BUT I BELONG TO NO ONE BUT ME!'
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As their thoughts unconsciously reflected the other's, the Chosen Two both rose back up to their feet. As they stood and faced the ancient vampire together, their bond reasserted itself and they were once more fully connected, each getting in an echo the war that the other had fought and won. They both knew now, no matter what the outcome tonight, that neither of them could ever be defeated, not even if one should die and not the other. To allow themselves to be defeated would spit in the face of all that they had fought so hard to become, all that they were as individuals, Slayers, Soul-Mates, all that they were to each other, all that they were to their family, and all that they were together.

"Really don't remember signin' any ownership papers. How about you B?" Faith looked at Buffy her eyes flashing emerald, full on Slayer mode.

"Nope Fai... can't say I do either. Remember signing papers for school, but don't recall anything about ownership in there." Buffy answered her, her eyes now the light amber-gold they were when they made love or she was in full on Slayer mode.

"'I'm guessing this decrepit old fuck hasn't been keeping up with history and doesn't know that Slavery was made illegal a long time ago."

"He probably hasn't Faith. Probably can't even read, after all he was stupid enough to try and make us think he was the degenerate that we both know is dead and rotting in hell in another realm."

Rais was stunned; he had thought for sure that he had broken them. He listened to them astonished as they bantered back and forth, ignoring, dismissing him. Didn't they realize who he was? The arrogant nobleman in him pushed his way to the forefront of his psyche.

"Do you realize who you are talking about in such a disrespectful manner, you poor excuses for Slayers? I am a nobleman and, as such, you will address and speak to me with respect!" He roared at them, the glamour he had caste on himself failing in his anger.

They watched as the spell faded and saw his true face, which was decidedly unremarkable. He had dirty brown hair, limp and thin. His chin was pointy and poked out pathetically from what was at best a poor excuse for a goatee. He was thinned lipped, he nose long and narrow. He eyes were small, brown and rat-like, neither Slayer would have looked at him twice despite his size or his muscles.

"Hellooooo? Welcome to the year two-thousand-and-two asshole. We're a little more enlightened now! Being born a nobleman don't mean squat. You only get respect now when you earn it. All I see is a little whiny boy with illusions of grandeur that needs to grow up!" Faith quipped, looking right at Rais, a smirk plastered on her face. She couldn't believe this vamp-wizard was actually demanding respect when he was here to kill them. This was one fucked up vamp-wizard, dude.

"Oh that was good Fai... But you forgot pompous-ass, arrogant and unremarkable looking!" Buffy added, smirking at Rais too, her thoughts running side-by-side with Faith's.

"And lest we forget ostentatious, pretentious, egotistical and from what I'm seeing there isn't any reason for it... Like Joan of Arc would ever let you within a foot of her. Please go peddle your shit somewhere else." Faith snickered belligerently.

They weren't stupid, they knew they were baiting him. But they wanted him to lose control, it would give them an advantage. He wasn't the run-of-the-mill type of vampire they usually met up with. He was a sorcerer too, and if he was telling the truth, he was older than any other vampire either had gone up against with maybe the exception of the Master. It was just the two of them out patrolling tonight, they had left even Furball at home. They had wanted to be alone when they smashed their headstones to smithereens. They were hoping against hope that Spike had ignored them as usual and was lurking around somewhere.

"Everything I said is true, but you'll find that out soon enough! I am something neither of you have ever seen before. You can't begin to comprehend what I am, all that I can do." He snarled at them.

Buffy heard rather than saw the stake heading towards Faith. Instinct telling her that it had been thrown with deadly force or with the intent to maim. She didn't even think twice, she dove at Faith, deciding to use her own body as a shield, even if it meant her own death.

Faith had heard it too and reacted immediately. Her instinct already knowing what Buffy was going to do. The Slayers' caught each other midair, rolling off to the side. The stake that Rais had thrown catching Faith in her upper arm, rather than in the chest, her lung where it had been aimed. She felt a searing streak of pain on her arm and then the warmth of her own blood spilling on her skin. Both Slayers heard the sound of the stake splinter into a million pieces as it hit Faith's headstone.

They jumped up to their feet quickly, intending to run away, this was not a fight they could win. They both knew, something was telling them this thing standing in front of them was neither vampire or warlock but something new altogether. They barely were standing when their Slayer Radar went off with the same impact of an Air-Raid siren.

They were suddenly surrounded by vampires and both Slayers' felt that eerie chill creep it's way down their spines, echoing ominously once again, forcing them to remember they were standing on their own graves.
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He was just about to make the killing blow that would defeat his enemy when he felt a foreboding chill run its icy fingers down his spine. He lost his momentum, his aim faltered and for the first time ever, one of his dwarf warriors struck the killing blow against him. He didn't even feel it as the tip of the dwarf's broadsword pierced through his armor and pricked his skin over his heart, drawing blood but going no further. Nor did he hear the dwarf's shout of victory at finally, after all these centuries, defeating the Incarnate of War while they sparred.

The shout died on the dwarf's lips as he took one look at his Commander's face and knew that his win was hollow. He recognized the look on Mars' face; the dwarf had only seen it when something called silently to Mars concerning his job as the Incarnate of War. Never before though, had it distracted Mars to the extent that it had just now. That was when the dwarf noticed that there was something slightly different about this look. He saw pain, and to the dwarf's utter amazement, fear as well.

Then the Incarnate of War was gone.
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They had gone through the ten or so stakes in their Slaying bag in less than five minutes, throwing them with deadly accuracy. They had barely made a dent in the endless horde of vampires coming out from the surrounding forest a few hundred or so feet from them. They ignored Rais, who seemed content to stand off on the sidelines laughing at them. They found it odd that he was letting his liege of minions fight this battle for him, his arrogance indicating to them that he would jump into the fray himself. They didn't dwell on it, more concerned with trying to punch a hole through the thick mass of vampires that was forming a ring around them and slowly making their way closer.

They pulled out the bolts for the crossbows next, throwing them by hand, not using the crossbow because it took too long to load and fire. They threw the wooden bolts with the same force and deadly accuracy as the stakes and Buffy almost dusted Spike as he came plunging through the line of slow moving vampires, dusting as many as he could as he ran through their ranks. Buffy would have dusted him too, if it hadn't been for Faith's shouted warning, she quickly redirected the bolt sending it flying with deadly intent at Rais, then turned her attention back to the other vampires. Neither Slayer noticed that Rais had snatched the bolt out of the air.

"Thanks Infant," Spike winked at Faith as he took up a position next to both Slayers.

"Welcome Junior and thank you for still being our ever faithful stalker." Faith didn't even glance at Spike, there was something not right about the vampires that were surround them. "Is it me or are these vamps acting more like zombies than vamps?" She asked Spike and Buffy.

"It's like they're under a spell or something, like this isn't their idea. They're not even trying to dodge what we are throwing at them." Buffy puzzled out loud as she reached into the bag, tossing Faith's Labrys at her, then a broadsword to Spike and taking the other Labrys for herself. The Labrys were the Slayers new weapon of choice, ever since Faith's confrontation with Glory's minions the night at the tower. The history of the double-sided axe, and the fact that it just felt right in both Slayers hands was what had made the choice easy.

"They're not acting like any self-respecting vampire I've ever met and I've met a few in my long un-life. The dumb gits just let me bulldoze through them, dusting as I went."

They moved into a wide loose circle of sorts, a few feet away from each other. The Slayers back to back and Spike's back to them protecting one of their exposed sides as the circle around them grew tighter.

"So what's the plan?" Spike asked them, waited and got no answer. "You do have a plan right?"

"Um... that would be a big no. No in the planning department." Buffy answered him, her eyes searching for Rais now, noticing that he was nowhere in sight and not liking it one bit. She felt that eerie chill go down her spine again only this time it wasn't for her, this time it was for Faith.
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Buffy spun around, catching a glimpse of Rais out of the corner of her eye, then another glimpse of something else moving fast.

Buffy saw Faith turn as if she were watching it in a dream, a dream she wanted desperately to wake up from now. She watched as the crossbow bolt headed straight for Faith's heart, faster than the speed of light.

"FAITH!" She screamed in seemingly slow motion, her heart screaming in terror as she dove towards Faith with a sinking feeling choking her.
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Something started to roll and coil in his stomach, some sort of menacing forewarning, but it wasn't for him. It was for Faith. Spike spun towards Faith, watching her turn and put herself in the direct path of her own death.

"FAITH!" He screamed at the same time as Buffy, diving towards her, the same sinking feeling rising up to the back of his throat as Buffy, choking him.
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She felt his eyes on her, Rais, demon, vampire, sorcerer, whatever he was. She turned towards him, her eyes finding his unerringly.

Faith knew before she even saw the bolt coming too fast towards her to stop it or get out of the way;

Knew before she heard Buffy and Spike scream out her name;

Knew as she had locked eyes with Gilles de Rais that she had turned towards her own death.
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Neither Buffy nor Spike could actually say what happened next.

They heard three things at once;

A wordless bellow of frustrated rage and anger;

Another wordless bellow of anger and outrage;

And a bellowed, "WHAT TH...."

Then Spike, Buffy and Faith were piled in a tangled heap on the ground, having collided in the air. Faith and Buffy once again on their own graves.

All three looked up to find Mars standing where Faith had been, the crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, blood seeping out from where it pierced his armor over his heart.

Rais glared daggers at the Incarnate of War, who ignored him and turned his head to look at the three of them sprawled on thn the ground.

"Leanaban... Today is not a good day to die." He gave Faith a cocky, impish, half smile, then turned it on the other two.

Without missing a beat, from her position on the ground, Faith quipped back, "I so knew it! You've been sneaking here with Elder and watching Voyarerureruns too!"

"Have not," Mars shot back at Faith, still grinning like an idiot and silently thanking the Creator for the thread that linked him to the daughter of his heart.

"So have too!" Faith lifted an eyebrow at Mars and gave up a silent prayer of thanks to whoever was listening. She knew if he had not shown up when he did that she would be dead right now.

Mars and Faith burst out laughing, it was their release valve for what had almost happened.

Buffy and Spike looked back and forth between Mars and Faith with disbelief. Buffy's terror of a second ago changing to relief, then anger that they were joking when Faith had almost just died.

Buffy totally lost it in the few seconds that had passed during Mars and Faith's asinine banter. She jumped up to her feet completely and utterly pissed off. All at once understanding now why her Mom had reacted with first tears, then relief, then anger, then back to tears and relief when she had almost been hit by a car when she was seven-years old.

"Oh that's right, laugh it up you two, cause this is really GODDAMN FUNNY!!" Buffy screamed, as she bent down grabbed Faith by the wrist and hauled her up to her feet.

Spike jumped up to his feet and put a hand on Buffy's arm, "Now Buffy, ah Slayer calm down..."

"I will NOT CALM DOWN!!! SHE ALMOST DIED! AND THAT BASTARD IS STILL ALIVE AND STANDING OVER THERE LAUGHING AT US! NOT TO MENTION THE FUCKING BILLION ZOMBIE VAMPIRES STILL COMING TOWARDS US!" Buffy screamed on the top of her lungs, waving her hands around like a lunatic. And just in time for the rest of the Immortals to hear her as they faded into the cemetery, with the LA crew and all the Scoobs in tow.

Faith pulled Buffy to her in a tight hug, whispering over and over to her she was sorry, she loved her, having recognized the fear in Buffy's voice, feeling it scorching to her through their bond. Buffy clung to Faith with almost desperation and hiccupped, choked out to her, "Don't ever do that again!"

The Immortals, the LA crew and the Scoobs formed a protective circle around Sla Slayers, even Dawn stood with them, Crow and his father flanking either side of her. Mars turned his attention back to Rais, as did Luc who stood next to him.

"So we met again old friend." Rais said crossing his arms over his chest, standing twenty feet from the two enraged Immortals.

"Friends we are not betrayer." Mars snarled, his anger once again in the forefront.

"Leave boy. This is not your battle, you are forbidden to interfere here. None of you can." Rais arrogantly dismissed the Immortals. His knowledge of how things worked within the mortal realm giving him a confidence that he had lacked the last time he had come face to face with the Incarnate of War. "Tell him Crone, and then let what should have come to pass, pass."

Atropos looked at Rais, her lip curling up in distaste at the sight of him. He disgusted her, this defiler of children, murderer and practitioner of the Darkest of all Magicks. "In a word... NO!" Atropos bellowed every bit as loud as Mars could.

Dawn glanced around nervously; she started to point at the five vampires that were getting just a little too close for her liking. Especially since no one seemed to be paying attention to them and she didn't have a stake or a combat staff. She jumped when Atropos yelled and then looked at her hand in dumbstruck amazement as a white flash of light streaked out from her fingertips. "Wooo," was all she managed to get out as she watched the five vamps burst into flames, then turn to dust.

"What the fu..." Buffy and Faith both started.

"Key power, way cool..." Lilith said, "We'll explain later."

Everyone but Mars and Luc turned their attention to the horde of Zombie-vamps moving closer to them. Willow and Tara clasped hands, as did Gary and James and started to chant, twigs began to snap off trees and fly towards the vamps. Angel, Gunn, Wesley, and Spike jumped into the fray, stakes in hand, while Fred and Cordelia took shots at the vamps with crossbows. Dawn started waving her hand around, trying to get the white-lightning to fire from her fingertips again, until Lilith told her to stop, especially since she didn't have control of it, and Angel and Spike were in the midst of the Zombie-vamps. The rest of the Immortals re-closed their circle around the Slayers protectively, armed with stakes and crossbows.

"Actually... this is my fight. This is all of our fight. Especially since you came after two of our own, tried to kill family, my daughter, it becomes my, our fight. It is you who doesn't belong here, you who was banished from the mortal realm. You have no power here, other than that which the Slayers had unknowingly given you and that, I can assure you, will never happen again. You're weak like you always were, even your magic is weak, you are no threat. An army of mindless laughable zombie-vampires is all you can control. And though you might not be here in true flesh and blood, I can still cause you pain!" Mars stared down his old enemy and saw with glee Rais' confidence falter as he took a step towards him.

"This isn't over, my day will come, it has been written. I've seen the Dead Scroll, have seen it write my part, my victory. I will return in the flesh, stronger, more powerful than even you. Immortal like you and you will die, along with your precious Slayers. Look for me, my old friend, I will be there waiting for you at the End of Time." Rais hissed, then shimmered out of sight.

Crow and his father exchanged glances at Rais' final words.

The horde of Zombie-vampires woke from their trance, remembering everything that had just passed. Remembering how many of them had been reduced to only dust now, the smart ones took off running for their undead lives like bats out of hell. The ones who stayed soon joined their comrades as mere dust particles that blew away on the next warm, gentle spring breeze.
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"Gilles de Rais was born a nobleman in the early fourteenth century just like he claimed. He was raised unfortunately like most noblemen back then to believe that he was above the law, above having to follow any moral code of just even plain decency. He took up a military career and he did ride next to and with Joan of Arc. It was when he was with her that we met. I was an advisor and mentor to him, seeing in him the potential for good. He had no idea even then who I was at first and I had no idea that he had already begun to dabble in the black arts. He deserted and betrayed Joan when she needed him most and even so, her eventual execution led to the end of his military career." Mars rose from the couch and started to pace trying to gather his thoughts; it was a minute or two before he continued.

"After his military career ended, his life of debauchery and decadence truly began. At the same time, he had been disinherited, leaving him one of many pauper noblemen in France. It didn't matter though, he still believed himself above other men and free from having to answer to any laws, neither God's nor man's. He was discovered to be a monstrous sexual predator, a pedophile, and a murderer of mostly children, though he didn't limit himself just to them. He began to get deeper into the practice of the dark arts and eventually became a sorcerer in his own right. It was years before he was finally called to justice, found guilty then sentenced to be hanged by the neck 'til dead, after which his body was to be burned upon a pyre with all the others who had met their maker that day." Mars' paused yet again to catch his breath, revulsion for de Rais clearly written across his face.

"Only things didn't quite happen that way. The nigeforefore he was to be hung, Rais called upon me. And I in my ultimate arrogance, and my guilt over my failure with he and Joan of Arc, couldn't resist going to him and dragging along Luc with me so I could throw in his face all that he could have been. I dragged Luc along so he could explain in graphic detail to de Rais all that would happen to him in hell for the crimes he had committed, especially those against the children. He pleaded with me to save him from his fate, vowing to change his ways. I neither believed him nor cared at that point and in either case, you well know we cannot interfere in anyone's destiny. He had made his choice and now it was time for him to suffer the consequences. He cursed me and vowed vengeance. I had, and Luc had made an enemy that night, though just how powerful of one I had yet to know. If I had known what he was going to do, become, I would have killed him myself with my bare hands that night in the cell.

"Using the blackest of dark magicks, the night before he was to hang he opened a rift between this dimension and a hell dimension. From this hell dimension, he pulled into this world a demon of the highest, blackest power. Using some ancient spell he stripped the demon of its powers, its essence and bound it with his own. The next day he was hung by the neck until dead, his body was thrown on the funeral pyre. But a Bishop intervened and had his corpse removed before it burned. Then, after giving de Rais' presumably dead body the Last Rites, his corpse was buried. Two days later de Rais clawed his way out of his grave, very much alive, heart beating and breathing. The binding of his essence with the hell demon had transformed him into something this world had never seen before and has yet to see again. The hell demon he had called forth had been a powerful sorcerer, practitioner of the black arts within his own dimension, but he had physically also been the equivalent of a vampire here, with some very major differences. de Rais rose from his grave more powerful than any vampire and any sorcerer of the black arts this world had ever seen. He became what is known as a Living Vampire, one who can't be harmed by crosses, holy water, stakes or sunlight.

"For over one hundred years he reined terror upon this world, he was feared by even Vlad himself. Finally, a powerful Wicca of the White Arts created a spell that banished him to another hell dimension. Not unlike what was done to Glory. It was over another hundred years before he was heard from again. He had figured out a way to manifest himself here, though he wasn't quite fully here physically nor could he stay within this dimension for extended periods of time. As far as we know, there are only three magical feats he can perform here, a glamour to disguise his appearance. A spell to control soulless vampires to do his bidding, though they become like what you saw tonight, more Zombies than vampires and a spell to mask his and the vampires presence from those able to detect them. He cannot physically manipulate or hold anything within this dimension with one exception. Anything or anyone that attacks him or throws something directly at him, he can manhandle, manipulate, use or kill. It was why he was able to use both the stake and the crossbow bolt. He, himself cannot be killed in this form and only an Immortal or a Slayer can actually cause him harm. There is only one way to destroy him and that is to unbind him from his stolen immortality and powers. But in order to do that his banishment must be lifted and he needs to be returned to this dimension. None of us Immortals has the power to caste the spell that needs to be used, nor do we even know if such a spell exists. Only a Wicca of the White Arts can caste it, and they have deemed it too risky to try, knowing from the past exactly what would happen should they fail." Mars stopped his pacing and walked back over to the couch and sat next to Faith, he looked at both Slayers.

"I know not why he came after you two, and he seemed to have knowledge of what had happened to you within Glory's hell. Whatever his knowledge, by what he said he did not know that we would interfere. So it is doubtful that he knew of your connection with us. This scroll though, this prophesy he spoke of worries me, I've never in my long life ever heard mention of it, somehow he seems to think it will allow him to return here in the flesh and considering that he came after the two of you he must think that you could somehow stop it. Have you ever heard of this?"

Mars directed his question at the Fates. He looked at them one by one, but they shook their heads in denial of any knowledge of Rais, the scroll, or why he attacked the Slayers. He started to turn his head to look at the Slayers again, when he saw the look exchanged between Crow and his father, Chris.

Mars rose to his feet and in a blur was across the room holding Crow in one hand and Chris in the other, up in the air by their throats. He snarled at them, ignoring Luc who tried to pull him away.

"What is it that you know and WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU WARN US?"

He continued to ignore the protest of all the others as he held Crow and the retired Father Time dangling off the floor. The other Immortals knew better then to try to pull him away; he could seriously injure any or all of them.

"Mars let them go. They would never let any harm come to any of us. They are family." Faith told him softly, having flown across the room when she realized he would hurt them if he had to. She couldn't let that happen, not for her, not for Buffy, but most of all not for Mars' own sake. She placed her hand lightly on his arm and in the same soft voice asked him, "Please for me, let them go."

Mars turned his head and looked at the Dark Slayer; he saw fear in her eyes. Not for Crow and his father but for him, he blinked once, twice, then let them go, shocked at his own behavior.

"I'm... I'm sorry... I don't know... I just..." He whispered, as he backed away from them, he looked down at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. He was ashamed of his actions, unable to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. His eyes were still focused on the floor when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder.

"It's all right Mars. I would have reacted the same way had it been my child." Chris told him gently, then smiled as Mars' surprised eyes rose to meet his.

"As would I..." Came Crow's strong, quiet, young voice. "We did not know abRaisRais. The Scroll he mentioned is the Dark Side's equivalent of the Living Scroll that my Father read to you. He made mention of something in the Scroll that is not written in stone, may never come to pass unless we force it to by the telling of it. If it does come to pass, then all will be revealed. Even we don't know the whole of it."

"Now that you know of Rais' power here within this realm, he can't harm you unless you give him the weapon to do it with. We can work on researching a spell to unbind him from the demon and to break his control over the vampires should he come after the Slayers again." Lachesis waited for nods of agreement from all gathered.

"And you Little One, will work with me to learn how to control your new power so you don't poof the whole town. I guess now we all and you know what became of the mystical energy that you were created from." Lily smiled at Dawn's eager expression and then laughed a little at the look on the Slayers' faces. Lily wasn't the only one who started laughing at the look on the Chosen One's faces they all did.

Neither Slayer knew what was worse, the thought of Dawn riding her Scooter or wielding a power during her adolescence that could probably level the whole town. Spoiling the shit out of Dawn became a viable option in both Slayers minds. The Slayers decided they were just going to ignore this whole Dawn thing for now. They had set out to do something tonight and they intended to finish it, especially after those weird fucking premonition-like chills. They looked at each other, smiled, headed outside to the garden, they stopped, looked at each other again then holding hands and talking quietly they started to make their way back to the cemetery.
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"Ready Fai?"

"I was born ready, B!"

"Incorrigible! You're incorrigible S.O.!"

"That I am B! And afterwards I'll take care of that Slayer Itch you were, we were, talking about earlier, if you'll take care of mine..."

"One track mind, you have a one track mind, Fai..."

"That I do and you wouldn't have me any other way Giz..."

"You can bet your cute, little, firm, sweet, delicious, dimpled ass you're right about that Fai..."

"And I'm the incorrigible one? Pleaaaassseeee! But I wouldn't have you any other way either Giz.... Now let's talk about my favorite cute little ass, yours..."

The Chosen Two decided to ignore as well their whole family who had covertly, but very ineptly, followed them in the shadows to their gravesite as they picked up the sledgehammers. They knew their family had done it out of love and neither Slayer had the heart to fight with them about it. Not to mention it gave both Faith and Buffy that damn corny-mushy-sappy warm fuzzy feeling inside.
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...and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you ~ would you tell me how could it be any better than this ~ you calm the storms ~ you give me rest ~ you hold me in your hands ~ you won't let me fall ~ you still my heart ~ and you take my breath away ~ would you take me in ~ would you take me deeper now ~ 'cause you're all i want ~ you are all i need ~ you are everything ~ everything – Lifehouse
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Continued in Chapter XXXIII – Heal Me