"Welcome to Wolfram & Hart." Ilona Costa Bianchi’s beaming smile didn’t falter when the two men before her didn’t answer, the gaze apparently mesmerised by her chest. Instead she took the opportunity to examine her law firm’s new clients.

The older of the two men appeared to be in his mid-seventies, his hair was entirely grey, his watery eyes hidden by horn-rimmed glasses, and his right, liver-spotted hand clutching onto a walking cane he stooped over. The younger man was a completely different matter. Medium height with a slender build, the moustached and bespectacled youth was twenty at the most.

Finally the older man spoke, his voice quavering with age. It was times like this when Ilona was most grateful for the anti-aging side benefits of being employed by Wolfram & Hart. "Good day," the ancient took a rattling breath, "dear. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Jonathan Nelson, and this," he glanced towards the younger man prowling behind him, "is my grandson. Richard Nelson."

"Bella! Bella!" she beamed at her new clients. "And might I ask how you managed to get such rare texts."

The old man smiled, revealing a set of revoltingly yellowed teeth. "I’m sure you’ve heard of the Immortal’s demise."

The Immortal? Ilona’s smile widened. The entire Italian demon underworld had been in a complete uproar about the killing of the Immortal and his destruction of his estates. On the other hand Wolfram & Hart were quite ecstatic about having a thorn in their side removed. "Ah," Ilona beamed at the Englishman. "Wonderful. The Immortal," she spat, the book dealer jumped back with an agility that belied his age. "Was a disreputable scoundrel. He will not be missed. And now to business, you have the texts?" the bookseller nodded. "May I take them, just to check they’re authentic of course. Not that a man of honour such as yourself would ever try and pass off forgeries," she hurriedly added.

Jonathan Nelson smiled, a gleam in his eyes suggesting the rascal he’d once been. "But of course my dear," the old man slowly turned. "Richard? ‘The Prophecies of Dullworth’ please?"

The youth passed her the heavy tome. She nodded appreciatively at the teen before turning to his grandfather. After I’ve run the checks over this, I’ll take you to see Bartax. Might I ask why you want to find Mr. Wells?"

The two males exchanged glances before the older Nelson spoke, his tone indignant. "I used to have my business in Sunnydale." Ilona nodded, she was of course aware of the small but once very important California town. "Because of the Hellmouth, the amount of business I did was most satisfactory. But in November 2001, Wells and two of his associates stole some very important texts from me. It took me a while to discover who’d stolen property by which time his accomplices had died and Wells was under the protection of Buffy Summers. But now, with the Council gone I will get the little bastard!"

Ilona nodded. As an Italian, Vendetta was a concept she understood. "I’ll just be a few minutes," she promised before exiting.

* * *

"Did you see her chest?"

Giles shot Connor an irritated look, teenagers and their bloody hormones. "Please Richard," he deliberately kept his voice disapproving. "Walls have ears," a subtle reminder to keep their covers intact. "Have a little decorum." Although the lawyer did have Bristols the size of small nations.

* * *

"X," Faith took a breath before continuing. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Faith grinned as she walked into X’s room to find him laid on his bed reading. She snatched the offending item from him and laughed. "You still reading the comics?"

Xander shot her a pained look before grabbing the comic book back. "You wanted something?"

Faith looked around. "Yeah," she licked her lips. "Can I sit down?"

"Be my guest."

"Thanks," she stared at the man for an eternity. God, this was hard. And it wasn’t she had much practice at this.

"Faith, today?"

She started at the founding Scooby’s voice. "Yeah, sorry. I wanna apologise for all the shit I did to you-."

"It doesn’t matter," Xander shook his head. "Past is p-."

"Damn it!" she exclaimed. "I’ve been wanting to do this for over three years! Just let me do it, k?"

Xander blinked at her explosion. "Sure," a smile tugged at her new Watcher’s lips, "seeing as you asked so nicely."

She glared at the man, his grin widened. Faith had to resist the urge to shake her head, most people ran for the hills when she glared, X thought it was funny. "When I hit Sunnyd, I had you figured. You were a guy and I was Faith, so all you wanted from me was to get me on my back. Then that night you came to see about Finch," the deputy mayor’s name stuck in her throat for a second before clearing. "I thought fuck it. I’ve let guys use me all my life, I’ve got the power why the fuck should I let them use me any more?"

"I wasn’t -."

She continued over Xander’s protests. "First six months inside I didn’t give you a second thought – Finch, Worth, trying to kill Angel and B, they haunted me, but you, nothing. Then I was in the shower -."

"And suddenly I’m a lot more interested."

Faith ignored Xander’s muttered comment. "This girl in my crew was going on about her bro, how he was visiting her. How he’d promised her a home and a job in his company when she made parole, what a great guy he was. Then it hit me. That was you’d been offering me that, to be there for me, but I’d been too dumb to realise." Faith chuckled at the bitter memory. "Damn, it was wicked hard to keep my shit together to the end of the shower. If I’d have broken down crying, word would have been out that I was ripe for anyone fixing to take my place as prison boss."

Faith closed her eyes for a second before continuing. "God, I so wanted to say sorry to ya, Wes too, but I figured it wasn’t going to happen. ‘Cause hello," she shrugged and smiled painfully. "Twenty-five to life. Then I broke out to help Fang, and Red brought me back to Sunnyhell."

"God," she shook her head. "I was so fucking scared. I didn’t give a shit about B, me and her were over, she’d always hate me ‘cause I was another Slayer and my link to Fang. G," she shrugged, "I’d wanted so much for him to care about me, but now I didn’t give a shit. Red, we just hit it off – members of the reformed bitches club, I guess. But you," Faith glanced at Xander. "Fuck, I walked to your room four times that first night, but I couldn’t get up the nerve to talk to you. Then everything went down with Caleb and you kinda," her voice trailed off.

"Fell apart?" Xander supplied with a wry grin.

"Well yeah. I tried but you were kinda in the same place I was after Finch." Faith paused, forcing down the lump in her throat. "God, it hurt so much seeing you like that and not being able to help you. So, here it is," she took a rattling breath. "I’m sorry for treating ya like crap after we had sex and for nearly killing you."

"The sex wasn’t that bad," she glared at Xander. "Hey, just trying to lighten the mood."

"Don’t," she stood, suddenly feeling lighter than she had in years. "Any time, any place I got your back. Five by five?"

"Five by five," Xander smiled. "And sorry for being a jerk to you this past year."

"No prob," she turned to the door, unable to look at the man while she asked the next question. "You ever think what might have been?"

"Actually I spend most of the time wondering if women prisons are really like Caged Heat."

Faith laughed before glancing over her shoulder at the grinning Sunnydaler. "Keep wondering, ‘cause I ain’t tellin’."

"Come on, another shower story, that's all I'm asking for. What was all that about having my back? You're failing me in my hour of need here..." Faith closed the door on Xander’s wheedling, trying but failing to stop a smile from rising.

* * *

Giles looked up as the door swung open and their surgically-enhanced, she bloody had to be, host strode in. "Congratulations sir," the lawyer beamed. "The book you got from the Immortal," the Italian beauty paused to spit. "Is genuine. If you have the other volumes?"

Giles withheld a grimace as he passed over the other two texts. It rankled with him, to give such unique and priceless texts to such a powerful enemy. Not to mention the risk to him and Connor if their cover was blown. But it was worth it. Never mind Wood, the other Watchers, and Slayers, he’d give his very soul to avenge Buffy and Willow. "Lead the way my dear."

* * *

"The reports are true then?" Agent F nodded. His boss sighed. "It would appear that we’ve misjudged Angelus and his cohorts’ capabilities. Ah, never mind, the Immortal would have to be disposed with at some point. Saves us a job."

"He could lead them to Wells," Agent F pointed out. Not that he cared, in his opinion the little twerp was more of a hindrance than a help, but he was a security risk.

His boss smiled. "And that is something we can use."

* * *

"We’re here."

Giles swallowed before entering the darkened room. Here was the reason he’d sacrificed his principles and priceless texts for. In the far corner of the room there sat a glowing green blob with luminous red eyes.

The lump was one of W&H’s most prized weapons, a Parlax demon. All you had to do was say the name of a person, object, book, whatever, and the monster would tell you in which city in the world what you sought was. The only limitation was the Parlax could only do one location a week. For a second he stared at the demon, the scholar in him wanting to savour this rare opportunity. He produced a photograph to help with the search and spoke. "Where is Andrew Wells?"

"San Diego?" Dawn looked around the faces of her companions. "That’s an awfully big city. Couldn’t the demon be more specific?"

"I’m afraid the Parlax doesn’t work like that," Giles replied. It was an sobering experience to see her surrogate father all done up in make-up, looking twenty-five years older than his actual age, a terrifying reminder that everyone died. Well, she corrected herself with a glance at Angel and Illyria, almost everyone. "But at least it’s a start," the Watcher continued. "We have to make a list of likely -."

"No list needed," Xander interrupted, his cheeks reddening. "I know where he’ll be. At least I think I do."

"Oh yes?" Giles queried. "Do tell."

* * *

"You have got to be shitting me!" Faith glared at Xander. "Tell me you’re jokin’!"

Xander swallowed at her scowl. "He went to ComicCon in ’99, ’00, and ’01. He missed in 02 on account of Willow. We’d planned to go last year, but in the end," Xander looked down, "in the end he went on his own."

"It’s okay Xander."

Faith was shocked by the surge of jealousy that almost over-whelmed her when Dawn squeezed Xander’s arm, gaining a half-smile in response. Giving herself a mental shake she regained her focus. "Fine, so he’s a major geek. Down with that. But surely he won’t go there, not with us after him."

"He doesn’t know that we’re after him," Angel broke in, his face as inscrutable as ever. "As far he knows we think he’s dead, remember?"

Faith nodded. She guessed that made sense. "Well at least he’ll be easy to spot. What?" she groaned at Xander’s grimace. "Oh come on," she protested. "There can’t be more than a few hundred nerds there -."

"They broke fifty thousand visitors in the 2001 convention and its attendance increases every year. This year’s Comic Con starts this weekend, he has to be in town for it," Xander replied.

"Ah shit," Faith said. "How the hell are we expected to find one goddamn half-pint in all that?"

"Fifty thousand is a lot less than the entire population of San Diego," Xander pointed out. "Besides," Xander reddened slightly and shrugged, "I know which stands he’ll head for."

It took a nerd to catch a nerd, Faith grinned to herself. Then she scowled as another, more troubling, thought occurred. "Say," she glanced around her companions. "Us babes and studs will kinda stand out in a hall filled with spotty nerds. I mean Xan blends right in," she winked at her glowering Watcher. "But the rest he’ll see coming a mile off."

"Diplomacy thy name is Faith," Xander paused, a nervous expression on his face. "Plenty of convention goers go in costume, we could go -."

"Oh fuck!" Faith yelled, this was not good.

* * *

"Who am I again?" Faith asked. She felt fucking ridiculous. She supposed she looked hot in her skin-tight blue PVC suit with fur around the edges and collar. But the white wig and black eye mask was stupid shit.

"The Black Cat," Xander explained. "A former burglar with probability-altering abilities that fell for Spiderman. Rumoured to be a character in Spiderman 3."

"Uh, uh," she nodded. "And who are you anyhow?" she asked as her bud put on a visor to add to his blue jumpsuit.

"Uh," Xander paused, "my char’s called Cyclops."

Her Watcher’s answer hit her like a thunderbolt. "Fuck X, I’m," she shook her head. "You know I was wicked jealous of B."

Xander sighed. "Faith, past is past."

"No," Faith shook her head. "Not that. I’d gotten over my G and Joyce envy. I was jealous," she laughed, this was so stupid. "Jealous that she got to kill Caleb, I wanted to rip that fucker’s head off for what he did to you. Show you that I cared."

"Nothing says I care like a preacher’s head on a platter?" Xander queried.

Faith chuckled. "Something like that X. I was wicked pissed when he hurt you, I felt like I’d failed," she shook her head. "I’d come back to Sunnydale to help you guys, within like a day you’re down an eye."

"Sorry to have inconvenienced you," Xander muttered.

"But you know I’m with you now?" She smiled at Xander’s nod. "So this comic crap, you’re a real junkie right?"

"It isn’t crap Faith," Xander looked offended. "It’s like a whole universe, it’s like a mythology for the new millennium."

"Oh yeah," Faith smirked. "Well as part of your duties as my Watcher is to teach me mythologies, right? And this stuff seems more interesting than this old world shit, right? I guess you got a student, if you want one?" she added nervously. She couldn’t believe she was talking about this lame-ass stuff.

Xander looked surprised before nodding. "Sounds like fun."

"Wicked cool."

* * *

"Hey Miss! Are you a famous actress!"

"No hon," Faith forced herself to smile at the umpteenth acne-ridden teen to come up to her and drool down her cleavage while offering her an autograph book to sign. Convention-goers, why wasn’t there a demon who hunted them? "I’m just a model hired to publicise Black Cat’s appearance in Spiderman 3," she explained, using Xander’s cover story.

"Wow," the boy’s watery eyes widened. "You’re a for real model?"

"Oh yeah," Faith drawled. "Been doing this for years. Say," she grinned as an evil idea occurred to her. "I’m kinda into ner-, smart guys." She quickly wrote down a phone number. "Phone me sometime."

"Really?" The kid’s eyes widened still further as he reddened. "Y…you want me to call you?"

Looking at the kid’s awestruck expression, Faith was beginning to feel a little bit of a bitch for teasing him. Thinking of it as a little bit of revenge for all the assholes that’d looked at her like she was an object rather than a person, she nodded. "Sure, we’ll talk comics," she glanced at her companion. "We got places to be Cyke?"

"You gave him your number?" Xander looked at her in disbelief as they moved off.

"Fuck no," Faith snorted before grinning. "Vi’s. She is gonna kill me!"

Xander looked to be struggling to hold back a smile. "You’re an evil woman."

"Hell," Faith shot back. "I’m reformed, not a candidate for sainthood." She sobered. "Anything?"

"What?" Xander looked and her and reddened. "I was distracted."

Faith slapped her companion on the back of the head. "Damn it X! Focus!" She growled. "Which geek are you looking at this time?"

"Uh," Xander pointed towards a stand. "Her, and she’s not a geek."

Faith nodded in approval as she quickly appraised the PVC clad brunette honey sat signing autographs. "Nice, good eye." She glanced at her companion. "Who is she anyhow?"

"Eliza Dushku," even though Xander had a visor on, Faith knew her Watcher had a glazed look in his eyes. It was the line of drool running from his mouth that gave it away. "She was Missy in Bring It On and Sissy in Jay & Silent Bob."

"Ah," Faith nodded. She knew the films. They didn’t show cheerleading films in women’s prison, those sort of films increased prisoners’ horniness and caused trouble, but she’d seen both films since her release. Bring It On was kinda lame, but anything by Kevin Smith was wicked cool. "Let’s get you introduced."

"What?" Xander’s head snapped towards her. "Are you nuts? I can’t just go up to her."

"Course you can," she started to drag the protesting man towards the table . "It’s a Slayer’s duty to make sure her Watcher’s getting some. Makes him less cranky."

"Faith, no!"

"Don’t be a wimp, it’s easy ask for her phone number, security gets in the way, I’ll beat ‘em up."

"I see Andrew!" Xander exclaimed.

"That’s lame," Faith scolded. "Be a man!"

"No," Xander pulled away. "I really see him!"

Faith glanced in the direction that her companion was pointing. Sure enough, she saw the runt stood by a stand with a huge ‘5’ on the sign behind it. "Well shit!"

Xander pulled out his mobile. "Connor, Vi, Rona, he’s by the Babylon 5 stand."

* * *

Jerry Doyle resisted temptation to reach across the autograph table and throttle the dribbling idiot stood opposite him. For the most part he loved meeting fans, enjoying their pleasure at his work. But he hated the fanboys who couldn’t separate reality from fiction. If this twit called him Garibaldi again he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

"But," the youth protested in a whinny voice. "Surely you must know how the future of Babylon 5 would have changed if either Sinclar or Lochley had been in charge instead of Sheridan? After all, Garibaldi was closest to the chain of command. And who do you think -." The boy’s pasty white face turned even paler and his eyes widened as he noticed something. "Rona!"

Turning, the youth hurried into the crowd. Jerry sighed in relief. "Thank you god," he muttered before looking up at the long line of fans. "Next!" he demanded.

* * *

Andrew wheezed as he ran, his lack of physical conditioning a real problem when running from Slayers, but at least he knew the convention centre like the back of his hand, having been there for the past few conventions. He hoped that would be enough to give him the edge.

He broke into a smile as he saw the maintenance hatch he’d been searching for. Quickly flipping it open, he climbed inside, pulling the hatch over him before climbing down into the sewer. He grimaced at the stench from his dank surroundings, he started through the sewer, his feet sloshing through the garbage strewn water. Already his razor-sharp mind was making plans. He’d have to contact his boss and tell him the agents of evil were in San -.

"Hello Andrew."

His mouth dropped as the dark avenger himself stepped out of the shadows in front of him. Immediately he began to back away. "A…angel," he stuttered out a greeting.

The vampire nodded. "Andrew." He never saw the fist that smashed into his jaw.

* * *

Angel wrinkled his nose in disgust. He’d ended up being put on sewer duty by Xander, while the others were inside the convention centre. Given his sunlight condition, it made sense, but he couldn’t help but wonder if this was Xander’s way of getting revenge for sending him into the nightclub with Faith. What sort of man protests about being sent into a nightclub with Faith, anyhow? "Stick the vampire with the ultra-sensitive nose in a sewer, typical Harris. Although," Angel looked down at the crumpled body lying at his feet in the sewer water. He’d wanted to do that ever since the self-important prick had kidnapped Dana from him. "I enjoyed that. Gave me a strange sense of closure."

"Sir!" Agent F hurried into the briefing room that served as his leader’s inner sanctum. "Our men on the ground have reported Agent W has been snatched."

"Excellent," his boss nodded. "And the homing device?"

"Working to specification, sir. We’ve tracked them to their base." He paused for a second, but after a nervous lick of his lips continued. "Shall we storm them?"

"And risk a humungous body count or worse still, that Martin slapper escaping?" the elderly man shook his head. "I think not."

"But Agent W-."

"It’s too late for what Agent W knows to make any difference. He doesn’t know who I am or where this base is."

"Yes sir. What’s the plan?"

"The plan is we watch and wait until Miss. Martin leaves the base without any of the other super-powered beings and snatch her." The Englishman paused. "And the vampire?"

Agent F couldn’t help but shudder. "The behaviour modification chip has been fitted." Even Faith didn’t deserve this.

"Excellent!" his leader’s lips parted in a death’s head smile. "That Martin bitch will serve as an object lesson. Before she dies screaming."

* * *

Andrew groaned as he awoke. His heart stilled when he forced his eyes open to see Mr. Giles, Angel, Faith, and the others surrounding him. "I won’t talk, like Leia in ‘A New –."

"Everyone," he swallowed at Giles’ cold eyes and hard tone. "Get out."

Angel shook his head. "Giles-."

"Get out of here!" Giles growled at the vampire. After a second the demon shrugged and led the others out.

* * *

Xander looked at Faith. Noting how intensely the Slayer was staring at the room where G-Man was currently interrogating Andrew, he tentatively took a hold of her elbow. The Slayer started slightly at his touch before turning to him. "Hey, X," she greeted before turning back to the door.

"I’m going shopping," he said "wanna come with?"

Faith shook her head. "Nah, I’ll stay here thanks, see what Wells gives up."

"No," he took a firmer grip on the Slayer’s arm. "You need some time off, all we’ve been doing the past week is running and fighting."

Faith scowled. "X, I’m a Slayer, that’s what I’m built for. I’m staying."

"Faith, I’m your Watcher and I’m saying you need to relax for a couple of hours. Besides you can’t let your poor helpless Watcher go out on his lonesome."

Faith shook her head. "That’s a pathetic -."

"He’s right," Xander was surprised by Angel’s sudden appearance at the other side of Faith and his agreement. "You could do with some time off."

Faith capitulated in the face of their unholy alliance. "Fine," she groused.

"You want to come Dawn?"

Dawn leaned towards Connor and whispered. After a second the last remaining Summers turned to them and shook her head. "I’m going to go out with Connor, and the others."

"Okay," Xander nodded. "Be careful."

"I’ll stay here with Illyria in case there’s trouble," Angel volunteered.

"From Andrew?" Xander raised an eyebrow. "I know G-Man’s getting on-."

The vampire sighed long-sufferingly. "From his employers, Xander," Angel explained.

"Oh right, ‘course."

"Hey!" Faith interrupted, "No way I'm going *shopping* if there's a chance

we might get visitors."

"We can't all be on standby all the time." Angel quickly responded. "If we

burn ourselves out, then they've definitely won. We need to be smart about

this, I promise you'll be on the next watch."

"Fine." Faith snorted before quickly storming out of the room.

* * *

Andrew swallowed as he watched the sombre-faced Englishman watching him. Try as he might, he couldn’t escape the ropes securing him to the chair. Those books proclaiming they had the tricks of Houdini were all lies. Suddenly the Englishman turned away, Andrew exhaled in relief, the Watcher had been unable to withstand his stare of righteousness.

He tensed as the Englishman turned back to him, holding a thick, hard-backed dictionary. He was surprised when the middle-aged man began leafing through the book. "After you killed Jonathan, tried to kill us all, we gave you another chance," the Council head shook his head. "We gave you a chance, do you know what we gave you a chance for?" Andrew opened his mouth to reply only to scream when his captor brought the spine of the book down across the bridge of his nose, breaking it. "Redemption."

Even as he tried to blink away tears and breathe through the blood filling his mouth and nose, the Englishman continued to talk, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. "Do you know what held Buffy, Willow, Xander, and I together all those years?" The Watcher brought the book down hard on his right hand, his scream drowned out by the breaking of two knuckles. "Loyalty, another word you have little concept of."

"P..please," he gasped.

"Oh do be quiet Andrew," the middle-aged man reproved. "Stiff upper lip, that sort of thing. Or try this," Andrew’s head snapped to one side when Giles drove the book into his face, knocking his head to one side and teeth flying. "Have some courage, that’s another word you should look up."

"I’ll talk," he begged, his words muffled by virtue of his head being slumped into his shoulders.

"Oh no," he screamed when the Englishman yanked his head up by his hair. "Not yet, I’m having too much fun. You’re an outlet for my anger."

He gasped and struggled for air when the Watcher slammed the book into his throat. "Do you know what I see this as? Retribution." The Englishman sighed. "But if you want to talk. I suppose I’ll listen." He quickly babbled out everything he could think of before falling silent. His eyes widened when the Watcher drew a gun. "Here’s hoping god gives you something I never will. Forgiveness." He screamed as the Englishman pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Beta two to Beta?"

Agent F snatched his radio off the desk the moment it crackled into life. "Beta, here. Proceed."

"The target has left the building."

"Alone?" Agent F queried.

"Accompanied by Harris."

Agent F took a breath. Xander had chosen his side, unfortunately it was the wrong one. "Take her when you can. Collateral damage is acceptable, but do not hurt Martin."

* * *

"You brought me to a fucking comic book store?" Xander winced at her screech. "I thought we were meant to be having fun? And will you tell those guys to stop freakin’ staring?" even by her usual standards it was a little unnerving, the shop’s employees had turned into zombies when she’d walked through the shop door.

"Last time they saw a woman like you was on a Vallejo cover."

"Say what?" The words seemed to be English but as far as she was concerned, X was talking gibberish. Her eyes widened when Xander passed her a colourful calendar, its cover having a buxom, raven-haired amazon clad in the skimpiest of bikinis facing off against a snarling, shaggy-haired ape. "Nice," she approved. "But still, a comic book store?"

"I read comic books to relax," Xander explained. "And as my Slayer, you get to study with me. And part of your studies pawdan involves carrying the comics for me."

"Pawdan?"

"It’s jedi for student, apprentice." Faith groaned. Oh yeah, taking Harris as her Watcher, big fuckin’ mistake. Xander crouched by the shelf marked as ‘Marvel’ and began leafing through the magazines. "Oh great, they’ve got ‘em all, ‘Captain America’, ‘Daredevil’, ‘Hulk, ‘Iron Man’, ‘Namor’" Faith felt her cool factor dropping by the foot as Xander piled comic after comic into her arms, "’Spidey’, ‘Silver Surfer’, ‘Wolverine’, ‘X-Men’, oh, uh," she grunted as her Watcher dropped a heavy book into her arms, "Handbook to Marvel Universe’, what every beginner needs."

"Xander," Faith groaned. Right now she was regretting not strangling him in her hotel room.

"Uh miss?"

Faith sighed as she turned to face her questioner, a pimply faced geek with inch thick glasses and drool rolling down his chin stood behind the counter. "Yeah, my friends and I were wondering…"

"What?"

"Uh," the youth coughed when elbowed in the ribs by one of his fellow comic book nerds. "We was wondering with all the leather," the boy’s voice trailed off. She arched an impatient eyebrow. "Do you wear leather underwear too?"

"Hey!"

Faith waved a glaring Xander to silence. "I’ll answer on one condition," Faith glanced at the stuff in her arms. "All this, for free."

"Deal!" snapped the fat one of the three nerds, kinda looked like Comic Book Guy off ‘the Simpsons’. Faith smirked to herself, sometimes life did imitate art.

"I don’t wear any." Faith grinned as the counter clerk fainted. "Yeah, still got it."

* * *

Xander gaped at his sultry companion as they exited the comic book store. "I can’t believe you did that!"

"Hey," Faith winked at him. "Saved ya eighty bucks didn’t I?" The brunette bumped him with an undeniably shapely hip. "And weren’t you kinda curious too?"

Xander coughed. "I already knew, remember?"

"A girl can change," Faith chuckled.

"Not that girl, not that much." Xander winced at the pain that flickered across the Bostonian’s face. "Shit Faith, I didn’t mean it -."

"It’s cool X," Faith started walking at a pace that he couldn’t keep up with. "Best be heading back, right?" she called after him. "See what G got from Wells?"

"Faith!" Xander picked up the pace, shaking his head as he ran. Damn it, she was so darn touchy. "Wait up!"

Suddenly the store front to his left exploded, showering him with glass and flinging him into the shop to the right, his head smashing into its gleaming front before flinging him to the ground.

* * *

"Why did he have to say that?" Faith muttered as she hurried through the mall. They’d been having a good time, a joke, and then suddenly he’d had to throw the past in her face. Her chest tightened as she realised Xander would never see her as ‘one of his girls’, he’d always be a little on guar -.

She spun around at the sound of an explosion, her mouth dried as she saw Xander thrown across the mall. Her heart tightening still further, she dropped Xander’s purchases and sprinted towards her Watcher.

Some instinct warned her to look up. Her eyes widened at the sight of three men carrying tranquiliser guns on the above walkway. Muscles straining, she spun out of the way of the first dart, caught and threw back the second, and then was hit by two shots from behind. "No," vision blurring she stepped towards Xander.

And then her legs gave way and she knew nothing.

* * *

Angel leapt to his feet at the sound of a gun cocking. Moving with an inhuman speed, he kicked the room’s door open and charged in. As he entered he saw Andrew’s head explode like an over-ripe melon, splattering the blood on the wall behind. "Giles!" Angel roared. "You shouldn’t have done it!"

"Why not," Giles’ face was lined and haggard, showing his age and more. "He’s the third man I’ve killed, and I’ve been sending youngsters to face death for years. More than that," Angel gulped instinctively at the almost demonic coldness that flickered in the Watcher’s eyes, "I wanted to do it."

"But -."

"He didn’t know anything much at all," Giles continued over him. "We’ve hit a dead end."

"You guys have bigger problems."

Giles’ eyes widened at the Versace suited green-skinned, red-horned demon stood in the room’s doorway. His blood still racing from killing Andrew, his gun came up at and pointed at the intruder.

And was snatched away from him by Angel. "What the bloody hell are you doing you arse?" he growled.

"He’s a friend," as usual the vampire was unmoved by his anger. Angel turned to the green demon. "I thought you said I wouldn’t be seeing you again?" the Irish vampire demanded.

"You wouldn’t Cupcake," the demon grimaced. "Except one of my girls is in trouble."

A rare look of confusion flickered across Angel’s face before leaving his features in their usual unreadable mask. "Cordy’s," Giles couldn’t fail to be moved by the longing in the demon’s voice, "gone Lorne. And so is Fred."

"I’m talking about Blackbird, Angelcakes."

"Blackbird," Giles glanced from the vampire to the demon. "Who’s Blackbird?"

"He means," Angel briefly vamped out. "Faith."

* * *

Faith groaned as she awoke, her head thumping worse than after a two Tequila bottle hangover. "Son of a bitch," she muttered as she looked around her pitch-black surroundings. The only thing she was sure of was she was butt-ass naked and fastened spread-eagled by chains to two thick iron rods either side of her

She tensed as a door opened and a light was turned on. It took her a few blinks to get used to the sudden light but when her vision cleared she looked around her prison, it was a featureless room of three walls, a sheet-covered table in front of her and behind that a glass wall that she figured was an one-way mirror. Fuck performing for an audience again. Finally, she turned her attention to her captor and found herself being sneeringly regarded by an immaculately-suited man in his early seventies. Despite his advanced years, the white-haired man had an air of bustling energy and a commanding aura. And although she’d never seen the man before, there was something vaguely familiar about him. "Ms. Martin," the man chuckled. "I’d like to say it was an honour, but then again I was brought up to tell the truth."

She recoiled when the man ran the back of his hand down her face, his dry touch making her belly flip flop. "Let me out of here right now," she snarled, swallowing the fear-filled bile rising in her throat. "And I won’t rip your heart out."

"Ah yes," the Englishman, he had to be judging from that snooty accent, sniffed. "That arrogant Colonial attitude, typical of what I’ve come to expect from your sort." She thrashed around in her chains as the man approached, desperate to escape. "Be still!" the man’s fist smashed into her mouth, snapping her head back.

Faith spat blood at the man. "Oh now I am so gonna rip your heart out," she blustered.

The man shook his head as he produced a monogrammed handkerchief and wiped her blood off his suit. "Ruined, typical of the street trash you are," the man sighed. "And to think that pillock Rupert thinks you should be held up as an example to the other Slayers. Typical of his spineless ways."

Faith’s brow furrowed. Rupert? This bastard knew G? "Who the fuck are you?"

"Bloody slapper." Her captor tutted and shook his head. "You can’t even ask a question without indulging in obscenities." Faith raised an eyebrow, guy kidnaps her, strips her naked, and complains about her language? How fucked up was that? "My name is," the man smirked at her, "Roger Whyndham-Pryce."

* * *

"Faith!" Giles started forward, his stomach hollowing in fear. "What’s happened to her?" Oh god, his heart missed a beat as he remembered Xander was with the Bostonian Slayer.

"Oh that’s right," snapped the demon. "Demand answers after waving a gun in my face."

"Lorne," Angel growled.

"Fine, fine," the demon sat down uninvited opposite Andrew. His mouth widened as he noticed the corpse. Then he shrugged. "I’m not surprised, Andrew always had a bad aura. And I don’t like people camper than me, cuts into my act’s appeal."

"I want some answers!"

"My," Lorne shook his head. "You’re not a happy camper. I really hope you don’t sing, what with the vibes you’re sending off."

"Lorne," Angel interjected. The vampire’s voice was tight. "Please, for Faith?"

"Yes," Lorne nodded. "I had my escape route all planned. A club-owner friend of mine in Texas. So I headed there. First night there, I heard of you," the demon sighed. "Wes, Gunn."

"The court jester," Illyria appeared in the doorway. "Have you returned from running like a dog?"

"Angel?" Lorne looked mortally offended. "I don’t have to take that from her!"

"Illyria, please," Angel on the other hand looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. For once the demon had his sympathy. Dealing with these two oddities had to be an ordeal. "Lorne’s here to help."

"He has come to add his arm to our struggle?" Illyria sniffed. "Little help he was against the Black Thorn."

Lorne’s eyes hardened. "Listen goddess," the immaculately-tailored demon snapped. "I was out fighting demons while you were still planning your invasion of the body snatchers-."

"Will you two bloody shut up!" Giles roared, worry about his children causing his temper to snap. "We don’t have time for this bollocks!"

Illyria’s eyes narrowed. "Be warned insect-."

Suddenly Angel’s friend let out an ungodly scream. In a second both he and Angel were on the floor holding their heads. "As I was saying," Lorne continued, his tone mild. "Faith’s in big trouble."

* * *

Faith stared at the man, her stomach constricting and twisting in knots. "Wes’ dad?" she gaped. Oh fuck, she was in a world of trouble.

"The same," the aging man nodded. "Do you understand what you cost me?"

"Me?" Faith was momentarily confused then she understood. "Look I’m sorry about what I did to Wes," she said, "but we reached an underst-," she grunted when the man punched her in the stomach, his hand now gloved in brass knuckles.

"I would have been the next Council head but for you." The Watcher’s eyes blazed. "But for you," spittle flew out of her captor’s mouth, spraying her, "your rebellion made my family a laughing stock!"

"Glad to be of service," she muttered before raising her voice. "Look I’ve learnt my lesson, why the fuck aren’t you helping us hunt -," her voice trailed off as it all fell into place. "You crazy bastard! This isn’t just personal is it?" She pulled at her chains desperate to be at the man behind all her pain, but the rods securing her failed to loosen. "You’re the son of a bitch who killed Wood!"

"Robin Wood." The Watcher appeared unfazed by her anger. "A good man waylaid by a common harlot. It became apparent to me that Rupert, Summers, and yourself needed eliminating from the Council. Giles’ disregard for our age-old customs and traditions was disgusting, the freedom he gave you girls." The Englishman shook his head, a faintly disdainful expression on his lined face. "Never before has a Watcher been so ill-educated as Harris -."

* * *

"Do tell," Xander muttered as he slumped into a chair by the doorway of the increasingly crowded hotel room, having been rescued from the scene by Dawn and her group, drawn to the explosion by curiosity. His head, his entire body hurt, but nothing as much as his heart. Faith. Another name to add to those he’d failed to protect.

The green, custom-dressed demon gave him a long stare. He stared back impassively, having long lost the capacity to be shocked. "As I was saying," the demon continued. "A friend I’d help find his destiny gave me a job in his club. Two days ago, these kids came in. They were off duty soldiers, rowdy but no real harm. Until they began singing." The demon shuddered, turning a waxy grey. "They’re torturing her, I don’t know why or where, but she’s in a real bad way."

Xander felt sick to his stomach. "How do we find out?"

Xander glanced at the vampire, Angel having beaten him to the question. "That’s where Long John Silver comes in," Lorne nodded towards him. "I was worried when I got here and he wasn’t here, but he’s the one."

"The one?" Xander queried.

"Her anchor, her friend, maybe her saviour," the demon shrugged. "I don’t know, but the only face I saw in my image that wasn’t enjoying it, was you."

"How can I help?" Xander looked at Angel, the vampire’s confused expression probably mirrored on his own face. Why him, why not Deadboy?

"Sing."

"Sorry?" Xander blinked. Of all the answers he might of expected that wasn’t one of them. "You said sing?"

"Lorne reads people when they sing, see their futures," Angel explained. "Please Xander."

"Okay," he took a breath and began singing the Beatles’ ‘Help’.

The pitying look the demon shot him chilled him to the bone. Even as he opened his mouth to query it, the green-skinned monster spoke. "A small ranch outside Yuma."

"Right," Angel nodded thankfully at the demon. "We better move fast, we’ll plan on the route. Giles?"

"Agreed, anything bar weapons and essentials we leave, we’re moving now-."

Finally Xander came to a decision and stood. "I’m not going." He couldn’t do this any more, he couldn’t try and fail again, watch someone die because he wasn’t good enough.

* * *

"Xan is worth ten of you!"

She screamed as the man crashed his brass knuckles into her nose, shattering the bone and engulfing her face in blood. "Ah yes, another one of your many paramours," the Englishman chuckled. "And another of your victims. I wonder which experience was most pleasurable?"

"Fuck," Faith spat a wad of blood and bile on the floor. "Are ya gonna talk me to death?"

"Oh no dear," the Watcher smirked. "I have far bigger plans for you."

"Oh yeah," Faith glared at her attacker. "And what the hell are they?"

"All in good time my dear," the man reached beneath the sheet covering the table, "tell me, do you recognise this?"

* * *

There was a moment of shocked silence following Xander’s pronouncement, during which the young man strode out of the room. Giles shook his head and started towards the door. "I’ll-."

"Let me," Angel volunteered. Before the Watcher had chance to argue he was out of the room and striding after the American. "What do you mean, you’re not going?" Angel grabbed the one-eyed man’s arm and spun him to face him. "What are you playing at?"

"I failed her Angel," Xander snarled. "What’s the point? Tara, Anya, Buffy, Willow, now Faith." The young man shook his head. "I’m out, I’m useless, you don’t need me, you’ve got two Slayers, Connor, and Illyria. What use is an one eyed former carpenter?"

"Oh yeah," Angel forced his temper under control. Lashing out wouldn’t work, some calculated baiting on the other hand… "I seem to remember a young boy who thought he could make a difference. Had the balls to walk up to the meanest vampire around, stick a cross in his face, and tell him what’s what for the sake of a girl he loved. Still," he looked down meaningfully, "maybe they’ve shrivelled."

Something flickered in the young man’s eye. "That’s really obvious you know?"

Angel shrugged. "Did it work?"

The California native smiled grimly. "It worked." Xander’s smile turned to a beaming grin. "Angelcakes."

Angel groaned. "Shut up, Harris."

* * *

Roger enjoyed the naked Slayer’s confusion. Even with the blood pouring down her face, she was a beauty and no mistake. Under other circumstances he’d be more than interested in paying for a shag with the little slag. "It’s the Slayer’s Scythe!" the perplexed yank looked at him. "But that blew up with the keep?" Her soulful eyes widened. "Wells!"

"Yes," he nodded. "Andrew had the occasional use, he was easy to influence, appeal to his over-inflated sense of self-importance and he’d do anything."

"The others have him now," the raven-haired slapper blustered. "they’ll be here soon."

"I doubt that my dear," he replied. "Seeing as he doesn’t even know who I am, much less where the place is."

"Fine," Faith’s eyes flared at him. "So why you got the shiny thing?"

"Yes." He reached into his pocket and pressed on the remote control there. The Slayer gasped when a light went on illuminating the area behind the window. The busty beauty’s eyes shot towards him, filling with horror. "Yes," he smiled towards the shackled girls sat there, "I see you recognise your fellow Slayers, the girls who idolise you-."

"This is between us! Let them go, you bastard!"

"I don’t think so," after a quick glance to ensure the iron rods were holding her in place he smiled at the raging brunette. "These young ladies are integral to my plans. More to the point, they are redeemable, unlike yourself." He sat on the desk opposite his captive, close enough to fully appreciate her allure, but far enough away to preclude her attempting a headbutt or a bite. "You see, when Kendra Zabuto died, the Slayer spirit passed to you. You are in fact the true Slayer. And because of that," he smiled, oh this was a master plan. "I have two mages, Ethan Rayne and Amy Madison, waiting to direct any pain you suffer into the Scythe, and should any of these young ladies displease me, they will have your pain redirected from the weapon into them, as many times as I deem necessary. A salutary lesson don’t you think?" He didn’t wait for an answer, pulling the sheet off the table with a flourish, revealing the terrifying collection of tools beneath – a variety of whips, pliers, a blow-torch, a claw-hammer, a cattle prod, some knives, and a set of electrodes.

The girl had paled, but to her credit remained defiant. "So is that it?" she sneered. "That how you get off, torturing girls? You sick bastard!"

"Hardly my dear," he sniffed. "Although I admit it will be entertaining watching you suffer. Unlike yourself I do not consider myself an expert of torture. So instead," he looked behind him at the sound of the door opening, "I acquired one."

The brunette gasped at the newcomers. "Riley! What the hell are you doing here!"

"Mr. Giles refused his request to have a Slayer assigned to his UN team, and a few months ago his wife was killed in an operation by demons. As a result he blamed the Council and since then he’s been working with me, when this is over, he’ll be my head of operations, they’ll be no half-measures with demons under our watch." He turned to the giggling slender brunette accompanying the soldier. "This is Drusilla." He smiled at the Slayer’s fearful gasp, she’d obviously heard of her. "Even amongst vampires she’s considered quite the sadist. And Angelus’ childe, destroying his protégée, there’s a certain irony there." He turned to the ashen grey Slayer, she wasn’t willing to beg. Yet. "Through Agent Finn I’ve received the next generation of behaviour modification chip. If Drusilla takes things too far." The demon wailed as he pressed the button, falling to her knees, her head in her hands. "She’ll soon regret it. Now, dear," he smiled beatifically at the Slayer. "Feel free to scream."

"AHHHHH!" Faith screamed, her tortured voice faltering to a rasp. Her head dropped limply onto her chest, dried tears clinging to her face, her nostrils filling with the smell of charred flesh.

Her flesh.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been here, her body being shredded by the psychotic demon. At first she’d stayed quiet, gritting her teeth against the vampire’s torture. Then she’d screamed abuse at the monster. Soon she was sure she’d beg, not that it would do any good.

She swallowed at the feel of the cold palm stroking her cheek. The vampire suddenly giggled in her high-pitched trill. "Pretty Raven, hurting all over. Not so pretty any more." She recoiled as far as her chains would allow her when the demon leaned into her, her shackles jangling, but the demon grabbed her hair, yanking her head towards her and whispering in her ear. "Does your soul sing to you, deaire? It sings to me, of evil, pain, and misery. Such a pretty tune."

When she didn’t answer, the demon released her grip and walked over to the table. "I think someone needs to learn to answer when spoken to," the demon giggled. "Lessons for naughty girls are so much fun."

* * *

"This it?" Xander peered through the darkness, to the looming Mexican-style hacienda.

"It’s the building." Angel confirmed, his eyes fixed on the building. "There’s three guards by the door. Illyria and I will go deal with them."

"But-," Xander’s voice trailed off when he realised the vampire and the goddess had already left the van. "I hate it when he does that."

"At least you’re not related to him," Connor muttered.

* * *

Angel dropped the last of the guards to the ground, his neck broken, worry twisting his stomach. He looked towards the building’s wooden-pannelled door. His first inclination was to charge right through the door, but it wouldn’t do any Faith for him to get killed before he got to her. "Strength in numbers," he muttered before turning to Illyria. "I’ll go get the others. Stay here."

"And if anyone comes?"

His answer came instantly. "Kill them." They’d murdered innocents, his friends, the woman he loved, they deserved no mercy.

* * *

Roger Whyndham-Pryce glanced up at the sound of an alarm going off. Putting down his glass of finely-matured Irish Whiskey, he turned from the delightful sight of the Slayer’s screaming demise to his grey-faced companion. "It appears we have unwelcome visitors," he sighed theatrically, "do me the favour of dealing with them."

Agent F nodded. "Yes sir. Alive or dead, sir?"

He glanced at the CCTV footage of the intruders before answering. He recognised two of the group as Slayers, but he had more than enough of them. Finally he came to a decision. "Kill them all."

* * *

Xander hung back as they strode through the palatial hacienda, allowing the super-powered ones to combat any threat they ran into while he kept a watchful eye on Dawn. The aforementioned girl shot him a worried look. "Do you think Faith’s gonna be alright?"

"She’ll be fine," he lied even as his guts twisted in fear. He couldn’t lose another person.

Suddenly a figure leapt out of a room to Angel’s left. Xander barely had time to blink before the Irish vampire snapped out a sideways elbow, smashing the side of the would-be attacker’s face. Before the assailant had time to react, Angel had swept his legs from under him. The moment the interloper hit the floor, Angel had hold of his head, and twisted, tearing it off its shoulders.

Xander shuddered. The only time he’d seen the Irish vampire that focused, ruthless, was as Angelus. It was unsettling to see the soulled version could be just as ruthless.

"Giles," Angel’s worried voice broke through the deathly silence that followed his destruction of the attacker. "You might want to see this."

"A decapitated man?" Giles sniffed. "I think not."

"Come here," the vampire urged, "I think I know who did this."

"Good lord," Giles hurried forward and crouched beside the body. "Who-, bloody hell!" the Englishman exploded. "It’s a robot!"

"I know," Angel nodded. "We were attacked earlier in the year by a group of androids. Their leader impersonated Wes’ dad. The inside knowledge he had, knowing Andrew, it had to be him behind the androids, using them as a test run for this."

"Oh bollocks!" Giles exploded. "That bastard! I’ll rip his bloody heart out!"

Xander exchanged a worried glance with Dawn before starting forward. "Don’t."

Xander stopped dead at the voice in his head, allowing an oblivious Dawn to hurry on. "W…Willow," he whispered, tears forming in his eye. "But you’re d..d-."

"Dead!" Willow’s scream caused his head to pound. "Don’t you think I’ve noticed it, mister? I’ve come back to help. Faith needs you. See that door to your right?" he nodded. "You need to go down there." He stepped towards the doorway. "I love you, Xander."

"Love you too, Willow," he whispered before disappearing through the doorway and down the darkened stairwell beyond.

* * *

Giles stood, barely able to control his enraged shaking. That bastard, he seethed, not even Travers in his arrogance had betrayed the Slayers like this. But Pryce, he’d rip his lungs out. "Where’s Xander?"

He glanced towards the pale-faced former key. "I beg your pardon, Dawn?"

"Xander, he’s gone!"

A quick glance around confirmed the last remaining Summers was correct. Giles shook his head, stupid bugger, Xander had probably done one of his trademark charges into danger. Would the bloody boy ever learn to wait? He exchanged a worried glance with Angel. Coming to the unplatable decision that they didn’t have time to search for him, he spoke. "Vi, Rona, come with me," he instructed. "We’ll go after Pryce. Dawn, go with Angel and the others, see if you can find Faith and the other Slayers."

"But -."

"Dawn," he fixed the teen with his sternest gaze. "We don’t have time to look for him in this bloody maze. Xander can look after himself."

God, he hoped he was right.

* * *

Agent F sighed regretfully as he saw the figure hurrying through the darkened corridor, heading to his position hidden in the shadows. It had come to this. He stepped out of the shadows. "Hello, Xander."

"R…Riley," the younger man screeched to a halt, almost falling over his feet, eye filling with shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know."

There was a long silence. Xander shook his head. "But why?"

"Why?" Riley’s jaw tightened, the facial gesture tugging painfully on the left side of his face, pulling at the patchwork of interwined scars there. "Why? Four months ago my unit ran into a family of Qwar-Laks. They butchered my unit, tore my face apart, but most importantly, they took my Sam!" He took a second, forcing his temper under control. Angry men lost fights. "I asked Giles two times to station a Slayer with my unit but he refused, said Slayers had to be under Council control. If he hadn’t, my Sam might still be alive!"

"I’m sorry," Xander shook his head. "But this is wrong, you know that."

"And I’m sorry you came here," he started towards the intruder. "Because now I’m going to have to kill you."

* * *

"Sorry Riley," Xander whispered as he pulled the revolver he’d purloined from one of the outside guards out of the back of his belt, aimed and fired. His old friend’s eyes widened in shock as he aimed and fired.

His ears filled with the reverbrations of the rounds exploding. With the distance between him and his target, and lack of cover it was impossible to miss, even allowing for his visual disability. His bullets tore through the soldier, the first smashing into his left shoulder, the next two ripping through his heart.

"Ahh!" Riley stared at him, a look of dawning surprise on the Iwoan’s face as he fell onto his back, blood spilling out on the paved ground.

Xander stared down sadly at his former friend before stepping over the body and carrying on. Seeing a door at the end of the corridor, he increased his pace.

Xander gasped as he entered the chamber, stomach twisting in terror. Doubling-up, he dry-heaved for a few second before looking up at the naked woman fastened spread-eagled to two poles in the centre of the room.

The once-beautiful Slayer had been torn apart. Her legs and arms looked to be broken, twisted to hideous angles, both her shoulders doubtless dislocated. Several of her fingernails had been ripped out, viscera leaking from her mangled hands, and her heavily-brutalised body was covered with a variety of burns, bruises, and cuts, some made by knives and some by whips. Both her eyes looked to have been bludgeoned shut, several of her teeth littered the floor torn out by pilers, and her nose was shattered, spread across her face.

Swallowing, he hurried forward, grabbing a pair of blood-stained bolt-cutters off the table beside the Slayer, he shuddered at the thought of how they’d been bloodied, and began working his way through the chains holding the brunette. The brunette started and whimpered at his approach. Bile rose in his throat at the sound, Faith whimpering it was a crime against nature. "It’s okay, Faith," he kept his voice as steady as he could. "It’s Xander."

"Z..zandess," his name was unrecognisable through the Slayer’s tortured mouth.

"Yeah," he caught the Slayer as she slumped forward. "Is me," he agreed. "It’s gonna be okay," he lied. He couldn’t see how Faith could ever be okay again.

"Get out," the Slayer slurred. "Danger."

"Let me worry about that." He started to lift the Slayer into his arms. "We won’t be here -."

* * *

"Oh dear," Roger tutted as he saw the group split up, watching their progress on the computer screens. "It would appear the game’s up. Bugger." He turned to his companions. "Miss Madison, Mr. Rayne. It would appear we’re about to have guests."

* * *

"They’re down here," Angel picked up the pace. "I can smell Slayers." Angel’s foot slammed into the door, sending it flying. Stepping into the room beyond, he stopped and swallowed at the sight of the several dozen girls who could only be Slayers. Shaking it off, he turned to his son. "Connor, you and the others -," his voice trailed off when he realised his ashen-paled progeny was staring at the far end of the room. "What’s up -," his voice broke again as he followed his child’s gaze. "N…no," he started forward, stomach hollowing at the sight of Xander holding his broken protégée in his arms. "What have they done?" he hissed, his rage growing even as his demon laughingly taunted him.

The hairs prickled on the back of his neck as he sensed a presence he’d not felt in years. "N..no," he whispered again as a willowy figure stepped out behind the youth. Terror growing, he shouted. "XANDER!" He punched the glass only to curse when the pane failed to shatter. It had to be mystically enhanced. Turning, he darted out of the room, knowing even as he ran he’d be too late.

* * *

"Hello handsome Sunnydale boy," his blood chilled at the unmistakable voice. "One eye, but still you see." After a gulp, he laid the Slayer on the ground and turned to face the insane vampiress some ten feet away, she’d been lurking in the shadows the whole time. "I’ll have to see if you see better without any!" the demon exploded into laughter, her giggles echoing around him.

"You did this?" he was surprised that anger rather than fear was the over-riding emotion. "Then you’ll die."

"No," the demon’s eyes flashed yellow. "You will." A heartbeat later and the vampire was beside him, her fist smashing into his jaw. Blood filling his mouth, he flew across the room, crashing into the wall and sliding down to the ground. What he heard next scared him more than anything so far.

"Such a pretty boy," the vampiress giggled. "Been alone since my William took up with the Slayer. Not going to be alone anymore."

* * *

Faith groaned as she forced her head up, seeing the blurred figure of Drusilla stalking the crumpled Xander. "N…no," she stuttered through mangled lips. She wanted to help, but her body was on fire, all she could do was watch. She owed Xander that, he deserved witnessing someone watch his death.

"Don’t you dare! You owe him! Help Xander!"

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