Angel sensed Faith’s return as the beautiful Bostonian made her way up the drive. Surprised and worried by at the earliness of her return, he rushed to the front door, flinging it open just as she reached it. He shook his head when he spotted the black-haired man tossed over her shoulder. "Faith," he said through gritted teeth, "I know Xander can be difficult, but was there any reason to knock him out?"

"Thanks for the support, Deadboy."

His eyes widened as Xander appeared behind the Slayer. His eyes flicked back to the unconscious man. "Who?"

"I don’t know," a smirking Faith replied, clearly she’d enjoyed his faux pas if neither he or Harris had. "But some vamps at the restaurant were wicked anxious to get their hands on him. We figured we best bring him back here."

"And he was reluctant so you knocked him out?" Angel couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"Jesus, no," replied the raven-haired Bostonian. "He fell through the window in this condition."

"Oh, sorry." Angel glanced behind him, conscious that the others had congregated there. "You best bring him in."

"Gee," Faith smirked. "Regular talent for pointing out the obvious haven’t you?"

He ignored that remark in favour in stepping to one side. He cast the unconscious man an inquisitive glance as the Slayer passed by. His mouth dropped open. "Groo," he whispered.

* * *

"Glue," Faith was getting wicked confused. "Why do you need some glue? If we need to restrain him I’ve got some cuffs-," her voice trailed off at the others’ looks at her. "What? Don’t act like you’re surprised!"

"Told you," Kate shot Xander an amused glance. Her date turned beetroot red.

Faith raised an eyebrow but decided to ignore whatever crap Xan and the cop had going on in favour of looking towards Angel. "What the hell are ya babbling on about glue for?" she demanded as she carried the man through to the lounge and carefully placed him on the couch.

"One time Cordy was sucked into the dimension Lorne came from -."

"Who?" queried Xander.

"Wicked cool demon with a sharp eye for fashion and a tight set of pipes," Faith replied. "I’ll explain later. Go on, Angel."

"Me, Wes, Gunn, and Lorne went after Cordy into Pylea. When we found her, the demons who’d ruled the place had made her ruler on account of a prophecy about her visions-."

"A dimension where Cordy is ruler, already I’m terrified," Xander muttered. Faith snickered.

Angel joined Connor in briefly glaring at Xander before continuing. "But that was just a ruse to get her to mate with the Groosalug to get her visions and then control him, as their champion. Once they’d mated, they intended to kill Cordy."

"A demon dimension’s champion?" Faith eyed the unconscious body. "Damn, I should have left the vamps to it." She shrugged. "Have to finish the job myself. One last bad guy."

Faith stepped towards the Groosalug. "No," Angel grabbed her arm at the bicep, "not bad, just indoctrinated."

"Say what?" Faith’s brow furrowed in confusion.

"Brainwashed," Andrew put in. "Like Anakin Skywalker by Palpatine."

"Actually the situation with the Jaffa and the Goa’uld sounds closer to the mark -."

"Jesus," Faith broke into Xander and Andrew’s discussion. "You two take a detour into Nerdsville in a minute, but the rest of us are trying to listen to Angel. Angel?"

The vampire nodded at her before continuing. "After we left and overthrew the demonic rulers, Groo was installed as the leader of Pylea. But a year or so later he was overthrown and came to this dimension looking for Cordy." Faith hid a grin at the jealous flicker in her mentor’s eyes. "Him and Cordy were together for a while, but it didn’t work out, and he left."

"What’s he’s doing in Cleveland?"

"I don’t know, Dana," replied Angel, his tone exasperated. "He’s unconscious. We can’t actually ask him."

Dana nodded before walking out into the corridor. Faith joined the others in staring in puzzlement after the former mental patient. A few seconds later and she returned holding a kettle, the contents of which she promptly threw in the Groosalug’s face, soaking him. "You can ask him soon."

"And I thought Faith was direct."

Faith ignored Kate’s comment to watch the Pylean splutter awake. Angel said the dimensional traveller was on the level, but she took no chances around her girls. The man sprang to his feet, fists clenched only to relax when he saw Connor. "Greetings," the man bowed slightly at the waist, "Connor. It is unexpected to see you here."

"And you, Groo."

The stranger whirled around at Angel’s voice. "Angel!" Faith blinked at the man’s beaming smile, those teeth were so damn bright they could be used as runway lights. "It is good to see you!" the Pylean champion pumped her mentor’s hand before glancing around. "And as always I find you surrounded by beautiful women. But where is the most beautiful of them, all, my princess?"

Faith snorted inwardly, yeah, C was hot, but next to her? Angel’s expression turned uncomfortable. The vampire looked around the crowded room. "Can we have some privacy?"

After a moment Xander nodded. "Sure, let’s go girls."

Faith shook her head. "I’m staying." Angel opened his mouth to protest, Faith just shook her head. "I’m staying." Angel said this dude could be trusted, but she didn’t know him from shit, and no way was she just leavin’ her mentor alone with him. Not when he was about to tell this stranger that the love of his life was dead.

"Me too," Connor said quietly. Angel looked towards his son. "I was part of it, dad. Perhaps an even bigger part than you."

"Right," Xander said. "Let’s leave them to it, gang."

* * *

Groo listened dazedly as Angel explained what had happened to his princess. "But she died bravely?" he asked when the vampire had finished.

Angel’s eyes were sad as he nodded. "She died bravely," the demon confirmed.

There was a long silence broken by the beautiful raven-haired girl he vaguely remembered from the restaurant before he passed out. "I’m sorry about your loss and all," the girl commented, "but we’re kinda on the clock here. It’ll be dawn in like five hours, and then Angel won’t be able to go out. I figure we’d best get a hurry on. Why are you here?"

Groo shook himself, trying to push away the pain of his princess’ death. "Since I left her two years ago I decided that I had to honour her principles of justice, bravery, and honour."

"Wait, we’re still talking about Cordelia, right?"

"Faith," Angel’s eyes hardened. "A little respect, please?"

The girl shrunk into herself. "Sure, sorry Angel."

After a glance at the full-bodied beauty, Groo continued on, bemused by the thought of someone who didn’t adore his princess. "And so, I began hunting the demons that blighted this great country, hunting and killing them."

"Shit," Faith breathed. "He’s like super-powered then?"

"Oh, he’s super-powered," Angel confirmed. "I had difficulty beating him when we fought."

"Shit, Fang," Faith snorted. "I’ve kicked your ass plenty of times."

"Don’t remind me," Angel grinned briefly before looking back him, his face serious again. "Go on, Groo."

Groo stared at the woman for a second, she was a warrior? Shaking his head, he continued. "A month ago, I heard a rumour that A Scarred Taint was being brought into the count-."

* * *

"Giles said A Scarred Taint is a receptacle of black magic power, very powerful, only one of three in the world," Xander reported as he hung up. "And that we should get it as soon as possible."

"It’s just four hours until dawn," Angel put in. "We best hurry."

"K," Faith put in, "this is what we need-," the Slayer’s voice trailed off. "Sorry, X, this is your show. Go for it."

"Thanks," Xander nodded uncertainly at the Slayer before continuing. "Seeing as Groo doesn’t know who was receiving it, we’ll have to do a sweep-through. Faith, Dana, you’re with me. Angel, you take Conn, Breena, and Groo with you. The rest of you girls, you’re with Amy and Kate. Any trouble or information, ring the others. Let’s go."

* * *

"You gotta tell me," Dana whispered excitedly as they walked through Tremont, the vibrant area housing plenty of Cleveland’s hottest entertainment spots still busy even the early morning. "Did he kiss you?"

"Kid," Faith grinned at the Slayer she regarded as her younger sister, "ya remember the part about our date being messed up by a flying body through the window, yeah?"

"But are you going on another date?" Faith paused for a second, her customary self-confidence failing her. The truth was she didn’t know. Things had seemed to be going pretty well, but a little voice in her head kept telling her that X had only been putting a brave face on in the hope she’d be satisfied with one date. A great guy like X, he’d already had her once why would he wanna come back for seconds? He had to know he could do better. "Faith?"

"We’re here," Faith breathed a sigh of relief at Xander’s announcement ahead of them, the one-eyed Watcher having stopped in front of a rotting wooden door. Easing the door open, X led them down a dozen stone-hewn steps and into the smoke-filled cellar beneath.

The bar, which was using the term kinda loosely in Faith’s opinion ‘cause the place just had to be in breach of more than a dozen health regulations, was filled with the jukebox pounding out ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. All other sound ceased at their entrance, the demons sat around the bar’s tables all turning as one to face them. "Anyone know anything about A Scarred Taint in town?" Xander’s voice broke the silence.

"100 grand for each of the Slayers dead," proclaimed a tall, reedy, one-eyed demon with gills and a snout, "leave the Watcher alive, I want to make boots from his hide."

* * *

"Faith has many of the qualities of my princess. Brave, principled, giving," Angel groaned inwardly as Groo continued to talk about the wonderfulness of Faith. Having one teenaged son was bad enough, but now Groo was acting like one with a crush. "And she is very beautiful-."

"Not wrong," Angel muttered in agreement as he gazed around, eyes skirting the outline of the bar they were approaching for any sign of a trap.

"I am thinking I would very much like to make with the sex with her." Angel’s vampire agility totally escaped him. Tripping over a slightly upraised pavement tile, he would have fallen to the ground but for a hand grabbing him by the elbow, steadying him. "Does a vampire’s balance fail them when they get older, Angel?"

Angel straightened and glared at Groo, pulling loose of the Groosalug’s grip. "No, and for the record, not that old." Angel turned to his son. "And you can shut up too."

"Me?" his boy leaned against a lamppost, tears of laughter rolling down his face. "I’m saying nothing."

After a frustrated snarl, he turned back to the Groosalug. "Thing is, Groo, she’s with Xander."

"Xander?" the hybrid’s brow furrowed in concentration. "But he is not a warrior worthy of such a champi-."

"That’s it!" he heard a furious-sounding Breena scream. "I’m gonna kick his fooking arse!"

Spinning around, he grabbed hold of his compatriot around the waist as she lunged at a bemused-looking Groo. "Connor!" he glared at his still laughing son, neck bulging with the effort of restraining the fiery red-head. "Some help here!"

"You seem to be handling things just fine." Despite his words, Connor took a hold of the Irish Slayer’s shoulders and guided her back, various Gallic swear-words he hadn’t heard in generations flying out of the red-head’s mouth.

"Thank you," he turned back to the earnest-looking Groo. "I know how things worked in Pylea," he didn’t actually, but he could guess. "But here things work differently. It doesn’t matter how many fights you’ve won or how many horses you own, just that you make your partner happy."

"And Xander, he makes Faith happy?"

"Yeah," Angel nodded. "I guess he does." His brow furrowed when his phone started ringing.

* * *

"You know!" Xander yelled to her. "If he gets here in time, I’ll never call him Deadboy again."

"I’ll hold you to that!" Faith shouted back as she threw a Gardaz over the bar counter and into the drinks cabinet behind it. Glass shattered under the impact and the demon crashed to the ground.

"So will I," Angel said as he strode down the steps. "Faith," he shook his head, "starting a fight without me, I’m hurt, I expected better of you. Xander, not so much."

"You’re a vampire!" screamed a Golup, a tall, green-scaled demon with two lower arms that ended in claws and two upper arms that ended in six-digited hands. "You shouldn’t be on their side!"

Angel smiled. "Are you new in town?" he queried. "Only I’m Angel," the Golup’s three eyes widened, "ah, you’ve heard of me. That makes this easier." Drawing his throwing axe from under his leather jacket, he threw it at the Golup. His throw flew straight, embedding itself in the demon’s head, knocking him flat. "I’m thinking on balance we should kill them all."

A Tusked-Darlithan charged him, its head bowed so that its mammoth horn led the way. Angel glided away from the head-long rush, grabbed the demon around its thick neck, took a hold of its horn, and yanked. The monster screeched as its horn snapped off, a shower of viscera spurting out.

Releasing the now deceased demon, Angel leapt into the air and snapped off a back-heel kick. His blow connected with a satisfying crunch, catching an onrushing Troika in the middle of its three heads and propelling it back into the mob. Spinning around, Angel ducked under a fellow vampire’s wild haymaker before decapitating him.

Ten minutes later and it was all over, the arrival of Amy and Kate’s team just about finishing off the fight. All the demons bar one had either fled, been killed or knocked unconscious.

The exception was a one-eyed demon with gills and a snout being held aloft by an enraged looking Faith. "Ya think ya can put a fucking bounty on mine and my sister’s heads?" The demon gasped as Faith’s hands squeezed even tighter.

Deciding that he almost felt sorry for his fellow demon, Angel spoke up. "Faith if he’s got information he can’t spill it if he’s dead." Picking up an unbroken bottle of Jack Daniels, perhaps the only unbroken bottle left in the demolished bar, Angel walked over to the duo, also picking up one half of a pool cue and a ball on the way. "Put it down."

"K," Faith threw the demon to her right. Penda and Dae had to quickly scurry out of the demonic projectile’s way en-route to it crashing into the wall and falling to the sawdust covered floor, the dart board that had been fastened onto the wall dropping onto the demon’s head.

"See, Faith’s a little bit country, I’m a little bit rock ‘n’ roll," Angel drove the jagged end of the cue into the demon’s side. The demon shrieked and shuddered.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Faith enquired.

"It’s from ‘The Glimmer Man’," Xander informed the beautiful Slayer. "I’m just surprised he watches Stephen Segal."

"He’s better than Dolph anyway," Connor put in.

"You’re too young to be watching that sort of film," he reprimanded as he twisted the pool cue in the demon’s side.

"Hello, Destroyer?" his son shot back.

"Don’t remind me," he replied.

"Can we get back to your interrogation?" Kate said, her voice more than a little bit queasy.

"Ach, lassie," Angel poured some of the JD into the demon’s side, the flesh bubbled and the air filled with the smell of burning flesh, "this is just me having fun. Although, if our friend here was willing to share, I might get distracted and forget all about him."

"I arranged for the The Scarred Taint to be brought to Cleveland!" the demon shrieked. There’s an auction going on a Morton & Murray’s, right now!"

"Damn it," Angel grimaced. He knew the auction house by reputation, they were the occult world’s premier dealers and a subsidiary of Wolfram & Hart. If they were involved, there’d be a lot of heavy players bidding on the item, and a lot of security too. "Well thanks," he pulled the cue out before kicking the demon in the head, knocking it out. "Let’s go."

* * *

Angel looked towards his troops, his original group of himself, Groo, Connor, and Breena bolstered by the addition of Amy and Kate’s group. "If it’s demon," he announced as he strode through the wood-panelled reception area, casually elbowing the guard to the ground, "kill it. Remember, they’re allowed to run to the back, but no-one gets past us. Kate, you, Penda, and Dae take up position here," Angel shoved aside the lilac drapes that led into the auction hall itself, a hand-woven rung covering its floor. Over three dozen mostly occupied chairs sat facing the raised stage. "And make sure nobody gets past."

His orders given, Angel vamped out, grabbed the wrist of a security guard aiming a gun at him and twisted. Bone snapped, the man screamed, and Angel put him down with a right heel kick to the face that sent teeth and blood flying. Another guard charged him, stake thrusting upwards. Angel sidestepped the attack before clothes lining the man to the ground, a side-kick to the head putting the man out of commission. Seeing another guard sighting his gun on an oblivious Breena, he picked a priceless Ming vase off a nearby stone podium and flung it at the man. The guard’s eyes widened as he saw the object hurtling towards him, but failed to duck, catching the object full on the side of his head. "Fish, barrel, comes to mind right about now," he muttered.

* * *

"You hear that, Dan?" Dana nodded. "Yeah," Faith smirked, "they’re coming." Fang’s plan had worked, they’d bottlenecked the auctioneers. The Scarred Taint was the most valuable thing on sale, so naturally they’d grabbed it and headed for the back entrance, hoping to escape.

Instead, Faith glanced left and right, she was in the narrow back alley with X and Dana waiting-. Suddenly the plain red door swung open. The shaven-headed man who stepped through it was beyond massive, maybe a couple of inches shy of seven foot with the sort of build only lots of steroids and working out got you. The man snarled, his flat and repeatedly broken nose, Faith figured she’d hate to meet the asshole tough enough to punch this guy square in the noggin, flaring, and threw a bowling-ball sized right straight at her head.

Faith ducked, grabbed the man’s arm, and yanked him towards her. Her eyes widened when the man just leaned back and pulled her towards him. "Fucker’s strong," she realised.

Deciding to go with it, she allowed momentum to carry her hurtling towards the giant. Ducking a left hook aimed at her head, she twisted the man’s wrist and kicked up into his groin. The man gurgled as his wrist snapped and croaked as her foot thudded into the crotch area of his business suit.

Face greying, the man fell to his knees. Before he had chance to wheeze his way to recovery, Faith karate chopped him on the back of his tank-like neck. The ox of a man slumped onto his face with a final gasp.

"Got it." Faith turned around to find Dana sitting on a second, much smaller man and a smirking Xander holding a statue of a pentagram carved from gleaming Obsidian with a silver eye in the centre of it stood on a wooden pedestal.

"That’s great, X," Faith shuddered. She couldn’t help but get a feeling of the ‘heebie-jeebies’ from it. "Let’s find the others and get out of here."

* * *

Xander grinned as he hung up the phone and picked up his soda can. "It’s settled, G-Man has arranged for the plane to take the Scarred Tainted back to Tweed-Land. He’s also offered you," the young man glanced towards Groo, "a job as a trainee Watcher, if you’re interested."

Groo looked towards Angel for guidance. After a second, he nodded. Whatever his own personal issues with Giles, the Englishman was a good and honourable man. "You’ll be doing invaluable work, Groo."

"Then I will go," Groo bowed slightly and smiled before looking towards Faith. "It has been a pleasure meeting you Mistress Faith. I would very much like to make with the sex with you," Faith’s cupid-shaped mouth dropped open. "But Angel has informed me you are promised to Xander and so I will not press my claim."

Xander’s eyes widened as he gurgled deep in his throat. He coughed then snorted, coke fountains spurting out of his mouth and nose as the youth reddened and struggled for air.

"Xander might need the kiss of life," Connor commented. "It looks like he’s choking."

"Well I’m not giving it him," Angel muttered.

Connor paused for a second. "No, I’m not that bothered either."

* * *

"He just about beats out Clem for the weirdest person I’ve ever met," Xander declared as they watched the jet containing both Groo and The Scarred Taint fly off into the brightening sky. "And Clem, technically not a person."

"Telling me that he had wanted to make the sex with me until he realised I was with you was a moment to savour," Faith commented with a smirk. "So was your face."

"Yeah," Xander laughed. "The guy wasn’t exactly subtle was he?"

"G’s gonna have his hands full that’s for damn sure," Faith turned to leave only to stop when X grabbed her forearm.

"Wait," the man licked her lips. "I…I was enjoying myself tonight until Groo appeared. I’d sorta like to do it again," the man coughed, "if you’re inter-."

All at once she was holding his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his as she eagerly worked her tongue into his mouth. Pulling away when a lack of oxygen became an issue, she ran her fingers down Xan’s awestruck face before leaning into him and whispering in his ear. "That answer ya question for ya?"

* * *

Andrew’s door swung open as she was raising her hand for the sixth impatient knock. "Yo Andy-," her voice trailed off as she registered what the diminutive cook was wearing, "Star Trek PJs? Where in the he-, forget it," she shook her head, "don’t wanna know."

"Why are you here?" Andrew looked at the computer. "Only I was rpging in a new RTS D&D MMORPG on-line!"

Faith stared at the young man, wondering if there was any way of translating that to human. Deciding again she didn’t want to know, she shook her head. "All that training I’ve done with you, its payback."

"Payback-," the youth gulped.

Faith entertained herself watching Andrew’s Adam’s Apple do a nervous dance for a few seconds before putting the young man out of his misery. "Relax, Andy," she chuckled, "I just wanna ya to teach me about sci-fi and stuff."

"Why?"

Faith shrugged, uncomfortable with admitting just how important this was to her. "X is really into it, but except for the Star Wars films, I know shit about it. I could research it myself, but I kinda looked on the internet earlier today, and there’s so much of it." Talk about geek-overload, she’d broken a brain cell and halved her coolness level in a quick five minutes. "I don’t have a clue about which bits he’s into. And when ya and him were talking about Jaffas and Goa’uld, I was lost."

Andrew nodded. "Much to learn, you have. Owww!" Andrew held his ear where she’d flicked it. "What did you do that for?"

"Cut the pseudo-Yoda crap, I’m serious about learning this shit," Faith instructed, "so no messing about, ya dig?"

Andrew nodded before speaking in the nearest to a bass he could reach. "Indeed."

Faith stared suspiciously at the youth before flicking his other ear. Andrew jumped and rubbed his ear. "I just know from the dumbass deep voice ya were puttin’ on some sci-fi char. Now spill. What is X into?"

"Um, I could sort out some of my DVDs for you."

Faith shuddered. "Yeah, that’d be great." Harris better have improved in the sack, all the effort she was putting into him.

A/N: Faith’s thoughts on Sci-Fu? I truly believe that she’d only like SG-1, everything else bar her thoughts on ST (which I hate) are mine, but while she’d disagree with my likes, she’d certainly agree with my hates.

"Let me guess this straight, you have no idea what Andrew is up to with your girl-friend?" Xander shrugged, Amy shook her head as she looked around the dimly-lit street. "No idea at all?"

"Some really cryptic hints from Andy about sculpting Faith to perfection, but that’s all. I try not to listen when he starts, it cuts down on the headaches," Xander admitted.

All at once Amy had a really scary image of a screaming Faith fastened to an operating table with Andrew stood over her in a white doctor’s coat cackling hysterically as he started up a drill. "Um, aren’t you worried?"

Xander looked towards her, a look of amazement in her fellow Sunnydale native’s one eye. "What, you’re joking right? If Andrew steps out of line, Faith’ll eat him alive!"

"Well if you’re sure," Amy said doubtfully.

"Man," Faith shook her head unable to believe what she was hearing, "you are tripping!"

"Oh no, fair Faith." Andrew smiled condescendingly. "If only you were as wise as you were beautif-," the geek’s smile disappeared at her warning growl, she’d told him to cut out the pompous crap. "It’s quite simple. Picard had presence and authority that Kirk could only dre-."

"Man!" Faith shook her head. "You don’t get it. Kirk was cool, a player, slick. Picard, he’s stiff, he’s like a," Faith struggled for the worst insult she could think of. Finally she had it. "Like a Watcher."

"No, I’m sorry, fair Faith, while you are undoubtedly the Yoda of all things Slaying, you have much to learn in my domain." Andrew shook his head. "Picard was the finest captain in Star Fleet history."

Faith opened her mouth to continue then shut it again. She’d been arguing about this shit for the last thirty minutes? Next thing she’d know she’d been at one of those geek conventions, being slavered over by hundred of the spotty-faced weirdos. Forcing back a shudder, and she thought the Beast was scary, she changed the subject. "Run me through the difference between the Tuska and the Gold again?"

"That what?" Andrew’s furrowed brow cleared and he did that sage nod that always made her want to go homicidal again. "Oh, you mean the Tok’ra and the Goa’uld."

Faith counted to ten. "Whatever." God, she hoped the others were back from patrol soon. She still didn’t get why Shadow ships could beat the Death Star though.

* * *

"We have observed her," reported one of his men.

"Your face is troubled," Justus noted. "Is she even worse than we thought?"

"No, sir," the man shook his head, "on the contrary she works on the side of good."

Justus leaned forward, intrigued by what he heard. "But the mark is upon her?" After a second his man nodded. "Then in the past she has betrayed her powers and stepped from the path. She must be punished, she has condemned herself by her own actions. Tell me of her." He listened intently to his man’s report. "Clearly she is powerful, but her entanglement with this Xander is her weakness. He is a capable enough fighter but no match for us. But if she is as attached as you say, she will not leave him behind when we attack-."

"Sir, we cannot kill innocents."

Justus smiled at his subordinate’s interruption. "Kill no, hurt yes."

* * *

"That Teal’C, he’s one bad ass mo isn’t he?" Faith commented carefully, eyes fixed on her boyfriend as they walked in from their patrol, eager for his reaction. "I’d love to see a scrap between him and Fang, could be real interesting.."

"Yeah-," Xander turned towards her, eyes widening in shock. "How do -, whoa!"

"Easy there, big fella," Faith snatched hold of her boyfriend’s shoulder as he stumbled on the back porch step, steadying him. "Didn’t think you’d fall flat on ya face from the shock."

"How? What?" Suddenly X’s face cleared. "All the time you’ve been spending with Andrew, but why?"

Faith shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "It’s important to my man, it’s important to me."

"Thanks," after stroking her hair off her face, Xander leaned in and kissed her with the tenderness that always made her tingle inside. Pulling away, her boyfriend smiled down at her. "So what did you think of it?"

"Some of it’s pretty good. Babylon 5’s the bomb and SG-1 is wicked funny, Jack is the coolest dude like in forever" She grinned at X’s mock-offended look. "Yeah, way cooler than my man, I’d so dump you in a click of the fingers for him."

"I’m not worried, Jack likes chicks with brains, so you’re out," her man responded with a grin.

"Asshole." Xander grunted when she dug him in the ribs. "That Tru Calling had potential, but from what Andy tells me from those message boards it sounded like the writers had seen a movie of B’s life and thought it was cool. I mean, Tru\Jack? No way," Faith shook her head. Sick fuckers, it was like the writers thought women had no brains at all.

"Um, I only watched it ‘cause the lead actress is a real babe," her man admitted shamefully.

"You’re a pig." Faith chuckled. "The first two Star Treks are okay, but the rest not so much." Faith’s nose wrinkled. "Farscape kinda reminds me of Sesame Street with the dumbass puppets and the less said about that Firefly crap the better, but like I said, some of it’s cool."

"And what about the comics?" Xander pressed. "What did you think of them?"

Faith’s heart dropped. "There’s reading too? Oh man!" Xander’s eye gleamed and a smile tugged on his lips. Even as her man’s mouth opened in another smart ass comment, she leaned into him, cutting off the remark with a deep, long kiss.

Her eyes widened when she saw the glint of a knife in the dark behind him. Grabbing X’s shirt lapels, she shoved her stunned man towards the house and let out a shout. "Yo," Faith hollered as she kicked the attacker’s knife out of his hand and grunted slightly when she caught a straight right to the forehead, "trouble on the porch!"

Her attacker came in fast, too quick for a normal human but she wasn’t getting a demony reading off him. Shoving that aside, she grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted at the waist, using her weight to fling the man across the porch. Feeling another hand on her shoulder, she readied her elbow only to grin at the sound of a flower pot smashing into her would-be assailant’s head. "Thanks X!" she yelled as she kicked out at another coming at her from the right. The man grabbed her foot and twisted, sending her airborne. Teeth parted in a grimace, she went with the momentum, swinging her free foot up to smash into the man’s face, blood flying out of his mouth to splatter the porch supports. Spinning around to face the man, she ducked under an overhand right, grabbed his tunic and pulled back, meaning to throw her rival over her. Instead her legs were kicked from underneath her, sending her crashing to the ground, the man’s shirt ripping away in her hand.

And then the house door crashed open, and Angel and the others charged out. Her attackers faded instantly into the mist. "Nice save," Faith smirked at her hero before turning serious. "They were good, real good. We have a problem."

"Oh yeah," Faith realised her mentor was looking down at the crumpled material in her hand. "I’d say."

* * *

"I know who attacked us." Angel dropped the part of the tunic that Faith had torn from one of her attackers onto the coffee table. It was an emblem of a blazing sun beneath a pair of crossed swords. "This is the mark of a cult called Forseti’s Followers."

"Forseti?" Andrew squeaked. "Isn’t he the norse god of justice?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah."

"Who are these dudes, Fang?"

Angel winced inwardly at Faith’s question. Somehow he guessed this wasn’t going to be pretty. "As Andrew said," he nodded towards the geek and chef, "Forseti is the norse god of justice. Since some time in the 8^th century AD. a small order has existed conforming to the god’s beliefs of justice and honour. Every generation eight baby boys are chosen from within his believers’ families, blessed with a fraction of their god’s power, and trained in the martial arts from birth. Once adult, they seek out and destroy evil."

"Why are they after us then?" Faith asked, brow furrowed in puzzlement. "We’re the good guys too, right?"

"Yes, but," Angel licked his lips. This could go one of several ways, all of them bad. "Their speciality is hunting those who’ve turned their back on their duties. White arts mages who’ve turned to the black arts. Defrocked priests who consort with demons. Soldiers who betray their country. Hero cops on the take-."

"Renegade Slayers?" Faith’s whisper cut through the room. Angel nodded. "B…but I’m good now," Faith looked utterly lost.

Angel winced. He hadn’t seen his friend look so bewildered and in pain since the night she’d collapsed in his arms and begged to die. "That doesn’t matter to them," his voice trailed off as the sultry brunette turned on her heel and charged out of the room.

Xander was first to move after Faith’s exit. Rising from his seat, the young Watcher started for the door. Shaking his head, Angel snatched a hold of the one-eyed man’s elbow and spun him round to face him. "Perhaps I best go after her."

"Yeah," the Californian sneered. "Because you made such a great job of telling her."

"There was no good way of telling her," he patiently replied. "Still, I’m more qualified to talk to her."

"She’s my girl-friend!" Xander snapped.

"And I understand what she’s going through better!" Angel replied, keeping his temper even for his protégé’s sake. She probably wouldn’t appreciate him putting her boy-friend through the lounge wall. And the other Slayers would probably take turns staking him.

"Is this how it’s going to be now I’m dating her?" Xander stuck his face into his. "Every time there’s a problem you’ll be there, coming between us?"

"QUIET!" They both turned to an angry-looking Kate. "Men! While you two argue about whose got the biggest johnson, someone you profess to care about is falling apart. I’ll go, and you two can sort your issues out later." Head shaking, the cop strode out of the room while Xander and Angel resumed their staring contest.

It was inevitably Dana that broke the tortured silence that followed Kate’s impatient exit. "Well?"

Xander was first to break their staring contest. "Well what?" growled the one-eyed man.

"Let’s see them," Dana smirked.

"See what?" Xander snapped.

Dana’s smirk widened. "Who’s bigger!"

Angel chuckled deep in his throat even as the young man reddened. "Yeah," Angel finished the youth’s thought for him, "Faith’s a bad influence."

* * *

Kate paused at the basement gym door. The sound of the punching bags being pummelled confirming her first instinct that the Slayer had headed there. "What am I doing?" she muttered. She didn’t even like the sultry Bostonian, and the Slayer only tolerated her for Angel. But then maybe that was what was needed, some distance. Angel and Xander’s hearts were in the right place, but they were so busy trying to reassure themselves about their closeness to Faith, they’d forgotten about the person they were supposed to be helping.

Taking a breath, she entered the gym. The Slayer was moving at a frenetic pace, dancing a deathly dance as she pummelled the wildly swinging gym equipment, gliding between three bags without missing a beat. "Does it matter?"

"What!" snapped the Slayer as she continued to blur between the bags, face contorted with rage and pain.

"Xander thinks enough of you to date you. Angel adores you. These are two people you’ve hurt terribly in the past. And me," Kate shrugged. "I thought Xander was nuts allowing you to stay. I remembered the super-powered psycho you once were. But you’re not her anymore, you’ve proved that to your friends and to the people you work with. Do the thoughts of a bunch of strangers really matter?"

Finally the Slayer stopped and turned to look at her. "It kinda does when they’re trying to kill ya," she pointed out.

"No," Kate shook her head. "That’s not the point and you know it. Angel and Xander both love you. Dana and the other Slayers look up to you like a big sister, Andrew idolises you. Do the opinions of this cult matter more than all that?"

An unwilling smile tugged on the Bostonian’s full lips. "Guess not."

"Good," Kate smiled. "In that case let’s get back upstairs and plan how to kick their asses."

* * *

Xander half-rose at his girl-friend’s entry only to be pushed back in his seat as she jumped on him, grinned, and pressed her lips to his, tongues wrestling gleefully. "Oh please," Angel groaned. "It’s bad enough I know you’re going out with him. But this is stomach-churning."

Faith pulled away with a throaty laugh and a wink. "Sorry, Fang," the sultry Bostonian glanced over her shoulder, "but those jackasses interrupted me and X during a kiss, I can’t let my baby go without. He gets withdrawal symptoms." Xander cringed at the other Slayers’ sniggers, he was going to get some ribbing for this. "So," Faith’s voice dropped below freezing, "how are we gonna track these mothers down? I have a serious urge to kick ass."

Angel shuffled from foot to foot, a rare look of nervousness on the demon’s usually unreadable face. "I don’t think we should." The room descended into an angry commotion, but Angel continued over them. "They’re not evil, just -."

"Not evil!" Faith leapt up. "Not evil!" the Slayer stalked over to stand before the vampire, finger jabbing him in the chest. "They’re trying to kill me! How does that not qualify them as evil?"

Xander licked his lips. He couldn’t believe he was going to do this. "He’s right." Faith’s head whipped around to him, a look of searing betrayal in her soft brown eyes, "they’re the good guys too. They just happen to have the wrong end of the stick. We just have to explain what the situation is and make them realise they’re not needed or wanted here."

"And what happens until then, I’m a fucking sitting duck!"

"We won’t let anything happen to you," Xander promised.

"Oh," Faith’s eyes hardened. "I’m some helpless female who needs to be looked after? Is that you like it, X? A fem helpless and needing a big strong man to save them. Well screw that, X. Don’t play that game." With a flip of her hair, his volatile girl-friend strode out.

"This time I’ll go." Angel shot him a look as he opened his mouth in protest. "I’m not in the mood, just let me handle this."

* * *

"I’m in the middle of an episode of Beverly Hills 90210," Angel muttered as he rushed after the Slayer. "If I start breaking out in acne," he shuddered, comforting himself with the thought that at least he wouldn’t have to see it. "Faith, wait!"

The Slayer pulled up and spun around to face him, her face hunted. Somehow he guessed it wasn’t the cult that was worrying her. "Just leave me ‘lone, Fang, I gotta sort these bastards out."

Stepping around the buxom beauty, he firmly closed the weapons chest by the front door that she’d been rummaging through. "This lone ranger act isn’t cutting any ice."

"Lone who?" Faith looked confused.

Fine, once again hit by the generation gap. "I get you’re upset about these hunters," he shook his head as the Slayer’s mouth opened in an angry denial. "Don’t even bother. But you’re not alone, we’re all here for you. You can rely on us."

"Only person I can trust is me."

"Faith," he shook his head, more hurt than he’d expected from the declaration. "You can trust me. And you can trust Xander. He loves you."

"Last guy who said he loved me, I found in bed with another woman."

And there was the crux of the problem. Once bitten, twice shy. "Faith," Angel placed his hands on the Slayer’s slight but awesomely powerful shoulders. "Xander isn’t Wood."

"He cheated on Cor, right?" Faith whispered. "And she was wicked classy. Mouthy, sure, but she wasn’t a white trash ex-jailbird. X could do way -."

"Hush," he placed a finger on the Slayer’s full lips. "Yes, Xander cheated on Cordelia. But he never looked at Cordelia the way he looks at you, he loves you. The other only person he ever looked at like that was Willow. You and her are the most important people in the world to him."

Faith’s mouth pulled up in a half-smile. "I guess a hot lesbo ain’t that much competition in the bedroom."

"I don’t know," Angel grinned, "there was this time in Paris-."

Faith shuddered. "Shut up, don’t wanna know."

Angel chuckled. "I’ll shut up if you come back."

"Deal." The Slayer allowed him to put his arm around her and guide her back into the lounge. The moment they entered, Faith strode over to her boyfriend and dropped into his lap. Angel half-smiled as his ears picked up the Slayer’s whispered apology.

Turning serious, he looked around. "Andrew, you’re the," he paused and counted to ten before using the nerd’s insisted upon title, "Gandalf," how did he end up with these people, "of the group. What can you tell me about Forseti’s Followers?"

"Ah yes, Dark Knight," Andrew bowed his head briefly before looking at his computer. Dark Knight? Angel rolled his eyes, where did he get them from? "I have searched through the Watcher’s Council vast reporsity of knowledge for refrences-."

"Chase. Cut. To." Faith annuciated slowly.

Andrew paled and nodded. "Sure, Faith," he meekly agreed. Angel wished he had the power to do that. God only knew what hold his protégé had over the nerd. On balance he decided that it involved black arts and didn’t want to know. "I’ve come up with several dozen cross-references refering to them. What you said," Andrew glanced towards him, "is broadly correct. They’re trained from birth, empowered by their god. Male Slayers almost only not quite as powerful, but certainly stronger than a normal human and more skilled. There’s been four meetings with Watchers, but I haven’t actually read their accounts yet. But," Andrew’s eyes glowed with pride. "I know where their base will be."

"Oh yeah," Faith leaned forward, eyes glinting dangerously. "Do tell?"

"As our guardian of Cleveland’s night-."

Everyone looked puzzled. Angel coughed. "Um, I think he meant me."

"Said," Andrew looked around the packed room before shrugging. "They are a martial cult, devoted to battle. They always make their base near a place either of military history or devoted to the martial arts."

"The All-Arts Gym on 17^th," Faith declared. Every one turned to the coal-eyed beauty. "Come on. Biggest martial arts gym in the state. Five national champs in three different discplines, over thirty-five black belts, and eight martial arts taught there."

"And it has tunnel access," Angel agreed. "Makes a kind of crazy sense."

"Okay," Kate stood. "I’d love to stay and help, but I have a shift in a hour. So gotta go."

"Kate," the cop turned to Faith. "Thanks for the head’s-up earlier."

The blonde policewoman smiled. "No problem."

"I’ll see you to the door," Angel offered. When he returned, almost everyone was up and pulling jackets on. "What’s going on?"

"We’re going down to show these guys who run this town!" Faith explained as she pulled on her leather jacket.

Angel shook his head. "I thought myself and Connor could go down and explain the situation, ask them to leave town."

"Screw that, show of force," Faith shook her head. "Show them we ain’t scared."

Angel shot Xander a look over the Slayer’s shoulder, the young Watcher shrugged helplessly. Angel sighed, this wasn’t how he envisaged spending the evening. "Amy, you and Andrew stay here, see what else you can find out about the order."

Xander nudged Faith as she stared longingly at the shadow-shrouded gym. "Angel will have the manhole cover open in a minute."

"What?" the brunette Slayer started slightly. "Nah, I was just thinking," the raven-tressed beauty’s wistful voice trailed off.

"Thinking what?" He prompted with another nudge to the ribs.

Faith half-smiled. "Remember that scene in ‘Fist Of Fury’ where Bruce Lee kicks all the other martial artists’ asses?" Xander groaned, he could see where this was heading. Faith glared at him. "Shut up. I’d love to do that, it looked so fuckin’ cool."

"You’re nuts," he accused.

Faith winked back at him. "You bought that Firefly DVD set, there’s true insanity."

"No," Xander corrected. "I’m dating you, that’s insanity."

"Bite me, Harris."

"Last time you said that it was more in a moan." He paused, brow furrowing theatrically in thought. "Now how did it go? It was a little high-pitched-."

"How about I permanently move your voice up a couple of octaves?" Faith tried to glare, but Xander saw her full lips twitch unwillingly into a grin.

"When you two have finished playing," they both turned at Angel’s whisper, "we’re ready for you."

* * *

"Wicked," Faith strode over to the hole and peered down. It was murky as hell, an impregnable, swirling darkness. She looked to Angel for guidance.

"The rest of us can just drop, but Xander," her mentor pointed to the far side of the hole, "will have to use the rungs there."

"Okay," Xander stepped forward. Faith grabbed his elbow and turned him round to face her. Her man raised a questioning eyebrow.

"See you on the other side, hon." She winked before leaping into the hole, feet spread, and knees bent to cushion the impact. The stale air whistled around as she fell blindly, eyes closed as she enjoyed the illusion, the freedom, of flying.

And then she hit the ground. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Connor, yeah, she nodded inwardly, that made sense, he was the only one who saw close to good as Fang. "Over here," the demon-human hybrid muttered. "Out of the way of the hole."

"Yeah," Faith scurried over to the wall. In seconds the other Slayers and Angel had joined them. A minute later and a huffing Xander dropped into view. Faith looked towards Angel. "Which way?"

Angel looked around and then at his son. "Left?"

"That’s what I smell, humans have been living down there," Connor agreed.

"Creepy," Xander commented as he fell in beside her, just behind Connor and Angel.

Faith gave Xander a warning nudge in the ribs before starting off. The tunnels were dank and grey, cut into a half-circle, the stone-paved ground clicking underfoot, the light from their torches providing only meagre illumination. Suddenly Angel stopped and turned to his left, crouching by a grille in the wall. "Ventilation shaft."

"So?" Dana grunted. "Some of us actually have to breathe."

"So," Angel said patiently. "We’ve passed four and they’ve all been grey, this is light blue."

"You think it’s been replaced recently?"

Angel nodded at Xander’s question before reaching out and yanking the grille off. "Yeah," the demon peered inside, "it’s been burrowed through, there’s a tunnel behind here."

"Okay," Xander looked around. "Connor, Angel, Faith, and Dana with me. Bree, you and the others stand guard in case someone comes. Okay?"

* * *

"Maybe if you loaded the information onto another computer I could hel-."

"I’m afraid not, wondrous Amy, mistress of the pagan arts," Amy rolled her eyes. Only Andrew could make saying no into a short story. "The information contained here is deemed top-secret by the Watchers’ Council of England and only to be accessed by authorised personnel."

Amy opened her mouth to remind the delusional twit that he wasn’t actually authorised, Xander was but had given Andrew his password because he hated computers. Shutting her mouth, she shook her head. It was best to rise above it. It wasn’t worth winning an argument to have to watch a semi-grown man cry. She turned at a sound in the kitchen. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Andrew remained fixed to the computer, eyes boring into the screen. "This is really interesting. It mentions a treaty in 1725-."

"I think the others are back, I heard something in the kitchen."

Andrew looked up and shook his head. "They can’t be, they’ll barely have arrived -," Andrew paused at the sound of a door closing. Suddenly pale, the geek rose. "It can’t be them."

"Let’s see," Amy opened the door and crept into the dimly lit lounge, Andrew following behind.

"Oww!" the youth hopped around on one foot, holding the other as he glared at the telephone table he’d kicked over. "That hurt!"

"Andrew!" Amy twisted her head to glare at the chef. "Quiet!"

"Quisling!" suddenly the door to the kitchen burst open and a trio of burly men charged in. Amy tried to back away, but a backhander knocked her to the ground. She dazedly saw Andrew throw the phone at one of the men and kick him in the knee, but his resistance ended when another of the men grabbed him by the collar, threw him through the stairwell, and punched him in the face as he struggled back up. And then their hands were grabbing her, dragging her to her feet. She tried to pull away only to feel a prick in her neck. Then her vision blurred and her body went limp.

* * *

"Damn," Faith cursed as she dropped into the cult’s den. She crawled all the way through a dingy hole, got dust all over her best leather trousers and new denim jacket and what for? They weren’t even in.

Angel looked rather more pleased with the situation. But then with the way he been trying to avoid getting into a fight with these dudes, you’d think he’d been possessed by Martin Luther King’s ghost. "Okay," Angel looked around, "let’s search the place, see if we can find out anything. Remember-."

"Knowledge is power, yada, yada," Faith finished for her idol, winking unrepentantly at his glower. Faith’s eyes narrowed as she looked around the den. Ms. Post would definitely call this place Spartan. There were four bunk beds covered in rough sheets in the centre, a rack of weapons on the wall behind, an altar with a cloth embroidered with a battle-hardened warrior on it to the far right, and a desk with a leather-bound book on it. And that was it.

Angel immediately strode over to the desk and started flipping through the book. "It’s in Latin," the vampire reported before sitting down. "It’s the leader’s diary. Oh," he flipped back a couple of pages, his shoulders hunching, "this isn’t good." Angel looked towards her, face drawn. "You weren’t the target. Tonight was a mistake."

"And them not trying to kill me is a bad thing?" Faith squinted. "Why am I not feelin’ the love?"

"No," Angel shook his head. "You don’t understand. They’ve been watching us for a few nights. Watching who Xander was patrolling with, when they saw him tonight, they decided to take the woman with him. But she wasn’t the target-."

"Amy was," Dana finished for the slow in the room.

Faith felt the wind leave her as if punched in the gut. If she’d listened to Angel, she and the other Slayers would be with Amy and Andrew. As it was Amy and Andrew were unprotected, thanks to her. Her legs almost buckled beneath her.

"Are you alright?" She looked up, feeling Xander’s hand on her elbow. She briefly hated him for the concern in his eye. She didn’t deserve it, she was such a fuck-up.

"Will they come back here?" Connor asked.

"No," Angel shook his head. "This place is unclean. ‘The Cleansing’ takes place at a specially sanctified place."

"We’ve gotta get back," she croaked. "And fast."

Angel nodded. "Me and Connor will hit the rooftops. We can travel faster."

"Go," Xander agreed.

* * *

Justus shoved the house door open, a smirk spread firmly across his face. Things had gone far smoother than he’d expected, the Slayers having foolishly left their base unprotected. As he reached their black, tinted-window van, he flung its double-doors open before glancing over his shoulder to the men carrying the limp witch. "Her hands and feet, are they securely bound?" he barked even as he checked the knots for himself and nodded as he noted the drugged rag shoved in her mouth. Without her hands and mouth, she was just another girl.

A girl whose foolishness had led her into dark paths, he reminded himself. He watched as the girl was flung into the back of the van and his men jumped in the back. Once he’s slammed the doors shut, he looked back towards the house. The Slayers’ wrath would be doubtless terrible, but they followed a greater cause, that of justice. Rushing to the front of the van, he leapt in and started up the engine, pulling away from the kerb with a screech.

* * *

Faith crashed through the front door at a run, just behind Angel and beating the others by a few paces. Her heart skipped a beat as she rushed through the darkened hall and into the lounge. She stood impotently in the lounge she stared at Andrew sat on the couch, a bag of frozen peas held to his face. She tore her gaze away and looked towards Angel as he hurried out of the kitchen. "Amy?" she asked, not caring about the tremble in her voice.

The vampire shook his head. "Nothing."

"Okay," she glanced behind at Xander’s voice, her boyfriend stood in the doorway she’d just charged through, her sister Slayers behind him. "How do we get her back?"

Angel scowled. "The Cleansing has to take place at a place where a hero died recently, fell in battle. Their blood cleanses the evil-doer making their passing to the other side easier. Andrew has an address of a police officer shot dead in a bank heist last month."

"Aren’t banks closed now?" Dana commented. "I know you do your banking at night, but everyone else…."

Angel glared at the Slayer. "They’ll be on the roof."

"Okay, let’s go then-." Faith started to turn towards the door, anxious to right her mistake.

"Wait!" Andrew shouted then winced. "I know how to end this without violence."

"Really?" Angel silenced her opening mouth with a wave, his eyes fixed on the computer nerd. "Do tell?"

* * *

Justus shivered as a cold wind blew over the moonlit rooftop. Distracting himself with an examination of the surrounding terrain, he looked around the skyline with its towering buildings, the sounds of cars roaring past and passer-bys walking by floating up on the night breeze.

Finally he turned his attention to the rooftop itself. All four sides were lined with candles and patrolled by his order’s other seven members. In the centre of the gravel-covered ground, tied spread-eagled beneath her ceremonial grey sheet, the colour signifying that once one had turned to darkness, one could never be truly white again, lay Amy Madison awaiting her release.

Justus shook his head. It was hard to believe that evil could beat under such a beautiful exterior, so confusing. But then, he stepped towards the spread-eagled girl, that was why Forseti’s Followers existed, to wipe away all doubt, all evil, no matter in how fair a package it came.

"You know," he spun around at a voice behind him to see the vampire Angel and the freak Connor stood behind him, having somehow slipped past his men, "a guy could catch fire here. And I am not fond of fire."

"Desecrator!" Makoto leapt at the vampire, hand dropping to his sword.

"Oh please," Justus’ eyes widened as the demon stepped towards Makoto, grabbed his sword-arm even as it reached his weapon and drove the palm of his hand full into Makoto’s jaw. The cult member’s eyes rolled and his head snapped back, blood spewing from his mouth. "At least try."

"Get him!" Justus raged. His men started forward. "Kill them all!"

"I enact the 1725 Council – Forseti Treaty!" the vampire yelled.

His men halted immediately. "You?" Justus sneered. "You are a vampire, you cannot enact it. It is an abomination that you even mention it!"

"No," he looked towards an one eyed man climbing up onto the roof behind the cross-bow wielding Slayers. "He can’t, but I can. Alexander Lavelle-."

"You’re dating a man called ‘Lavelle’," snorted an Irish-sounding lovely.

"Shut it, Bree," snapped the devastating beauty who had to be Faith Lehane.

"Harris of the Watchers Council," the one-eyed man shot the bickering Slayers an irritated look. "The Treaty of 1725 clearly states that the Followers will not operate in any city that the Council issues a claim for, for as long as the current Slayer lives. I now enact such a claim in Cleveland."

"There was only one Slayer then!" he roared, fists clenching. "We couldn’t have known that some idiot would create several hundred of them!"

""That’s as maybe," the ensoulled vampire replied evenly. "But your cult is known for its honour and integrity. Are you going to throw centuries of nobility away?"

"Very well, we’ll leave." Justus glowered at the demon. "But one day, vampire. One day, you’ll no longer be in a Slayer city, and then Forseti’s Followers will come for you!"

A chill ran through him at the vampire’s answering smile. "I’ll look forward to it. Now," the demon morphed out, "get out of here before the last of my ebbing patience runs out."

* * *

"You’re sure you’re okay?"

Amy smiled wearily at Faith’s concerned query, the seventh time she’d heard it in the half hour since they’d returned to the house and congregated in the kitchen for the Xander-imposed traditional post-patrol and pre-bed hot chocolate with marshmallows. Right now she could steal Xander off her and Faith wouldn’t say a thing, she was so contrite. "I’m fine," she reached across the table and squeezed the former renegade’s hand, "my condition hasn’t changed since you asked me five minutes ago," she gently jibed.

Faith looked down at the table. "I’m sorry-."

"You and the others came through, that’s the import-," she broke off when the kitchen door swung open. Looking across she saw a muscular stranger walking into the kitchen. She joined the others in looking and half-rising, noting even as she did so Faith’s paling face and Xander’s slight flinch, her fellow Sunnydaler almost seeming to curl up into himself.

The man smiled. "Hello Faith."

One look at Faith’s stricken face was enough. He knew who this bastard had to be. The instincts of his demon firmly in charge, Angel blurred over to the man. He smiled savagely at the man’s stricken look before crashing a right into his chest.

The punch lifted the hapless demon-fighter off his feet and flung him through the kitchen door, taking the door off its hinges, and flinging it into the garden wall. "Ach laddie," he purred as he strode out, "you’d be having a death-wish coming here." The man threw a pathetically clumsy punch that Angel swayed away from. "You couldn’t take my grand-childe," stepping behind the black man, he grabbed the back of his head and threw him face-first into the house wall, kicking him in the balls as he landed, "why you be thinking you had a chance against me?" The wheezing man fell to his hands and knees, Angel stamped on the man’s fingers, not hard enough to break, but hard enough to hurt.

"Angel, no," he looked up to see a pale-faced Faith stood in the doorway, the others watching behind.

"Ach, I was just discussing dating etiquette with him before," grabbing a hold of the man’s collar, he pulled him upright and shook him like a rag doll before dropping him at Faith’s feet, "leaving him to you."

* * *

Wood groaned as he lowered himself into the kitchen seat, the others having left to at least give them a modicum of peace. Faith stared evenly at her ex. "Ya looking for sympathy, don’t," she warned, "’cause I’m all tapped out."

"Faith," she allowed herself a joyful frisson when her former boyfriend winced. "I wanted to apologise for what happened. The way we left things-."

"What with me thinking you’re pond life?" she replied. "Too late for that."

* * *

"We should throw him out," Andrew said. "He’s a snake in the grass. A betrayer of the great Faith. A harbinger of doom-."

"Does he ever shut up?" Angel muttered as Andrew continued on his rant.

"Not so I’ve noticed," Xander replied before raising his voice. "Look, Andrew. I don’t like the guy, frankly this was the first time I’ve ever cheered Angel on in a fight-."

"Thanks."

Xander ignored Angel’s interruption. "But he’s not evil as such, and he’s Faith’s ex so this is Faith’s call." Even as he spoke, he recognised just how false the words sounded.

* * *

Solomon Emory beamed as the battered man stumbled into his office. "Mr. Wood, I see your meeting with the Slayer was troubled."

"This was her friends," the African-American snarled. "That damn vampire she looks up to. Just more proof that she’s not worthy of her Calling."

"Quite," Emory hid his distaste behind a polite smile. He dealt with the world’s scum every day of his life, but this piece of excrement was something else entirely. He might be opposed to the Slayer and her friends, but he’d read her file, and could not help but admire the young woman for what she’d managed to become. She’d dared to open her heart to the man before her, and had walked out when he’d cheated on her. And somehow it was her fault? Ah well, Solomon shook his head, there were some people who could find excuses for the most appalling behaviour, one of the weaknesses of today’s society, and why organisations like his flourished. A man was only truly a man if he stood up for what he believed in. "We have the specimen you need."

"Really?" the black man’s dour expression lightened as he passed a piece of paper across the desk. "We’re set for a date at this restaurant tomorrow night. Can you have everything ready by then?"

"Of course," Emory nodded. "I’ll have the chef bribed and a pick-up team in position. Now," he passed a thigh bone across the desk, noting the reverent look in the black man’s eye. He would be so easy to manipulate. "Here’s the specimen."

* * *

Andrew slammed his bedroom door behind him, breath coming in angry wheezes. He couldn’t believe his sensei was so gullible as to fall for that smooth-talking ladies’ man. Not when she had the heroic Xander. "Oooh," Andrew shook his head. He knew there was something up, but would anyone listen? And what could he do-.

He smiled as his eyes fell on a book he’d picked up at the comic book store just the other week, a book that he had thought would help them in tracking down missing people, but now perhaps it would have an even nobler purpose. Grabbing the book, he shoved it in his pocket before looking towards his watch. He had an hour to get ready. He stalked through the corridors, ignoring questions as to what he’d be making for dinner, slamming the front door behind him.

Faith would be safe. He was on the case. And he hadn’t lost a dame yet.

* * *

"You’re sure you don’t mind?" Faith asked as she checked herself in the full-length mirror. Black turtleneck, black pants, black leather jacket, and no make-up. She looked like a freakin’, although wicked hot, nun. If Wood didn’t get the idea that only the restaurant food was on the menu, she’d have to illustrate the point further.

"Why would I mind that my girl-friend’s going out with her muscular ex?" Xander said mournfully from his position sat on her bed.

"Hey," Faith pressed her lips to Xander’s for a brief second before whispering in his ear. "Why would I want to switch to bacon when I come home to steak every night?"

Xander reddened and smiled weakly. "I appreciate the euphemism."

"Damn," Faith winked at her man, "being a Watcher’s just a licence to learn new big words ain’t it?"

* * *

Andrew waited until the rental had moved off from outside Wood’s apartment. "It was a blustery night," he intoned as he hurried across to the hired apartment, newly bought trenchcoat flapping in the wind. "Everything about the guy smelt wrong. He was up to something. But no one would listen, no one believed in his instincts. But he knew the dame with the forever legs was in trouble, so it was up to him to prove it." After a few anxious minutes jimmying the lock, it looked easier in the movies, the door swung open. Taking a breath, he stalked inside to find a small but functional apartment. "A crook like this would be too clued to leave anything incriminating just lying about, his bloodhound nose would have to be primed to find anything. This lowlife could be the Moriarty to his Holmes." Walking into the toilet, he removed the lid, and replaced it. "Nothing there." Walking out back into the bedroom, he stepped on the chair beside the wardrobe, and looked on top, but it was only covered with dust. Next he tried under the bed, nothing there too.

Finally he looked towards the desk. Sighing slightly, he sat down and pulled open one of the drawers. He cringed as the drawer flew out, crashing to the floor. Thanks to all the workouts he was finally a man of power. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the drawer had hit the ground bottom up, revealing the notebook stuck to it. "Ha, ha!" he cheered as he leaned down and tore the notebook loose. "He had a clue, the first step in proving that the guy was more phoney than a three dollar bill." His eyes widened as he read the notebook, blood chilling at its contents. "This wasn’t good, he’d have to call in his sidekicks." He paled as he realised what that meant. "Oh boy, Xander’s going to kill me."

* * *

Xander’s eye bulged as he stared at the contrite nerd sat on the bed. "Andrew!" Xander groaned. "I gave Faith this big speech about trusting her, about not having a problem with her going with Wood even though I did-."

"You did?" Breena interrupted.

"I have big hairy issues," Xander replied, gaze still fixed on Andrew. "And you break in."

"I have evidence he’s up to something," the youth held up a notebook. Xander crossed the floor in three strides, snatching the proffered journal. "I’m not sure what. It refers to the writings of a vampire called Klug who theorised -."

"Who?" In an instant Angel went from lounging by the door to standing beside him, an intent look on his face. "Did you say Klug?" Andrew paled and nodded at the demon’s growl.

"What is it, Angel?" Xander kept his eyes on Andrew.

"In the 12^th century Klug was a vampire, reputedly a genius scientist and mage before he was turned," Angel began, "he theorised that a vampire being demonic himself should be able to take on a Slayer’s powers, add them to his own. He killed three Slayers before giving up on the idea."

"Why?" Xander croaked.

"He came to the conclusion that only another Slayer could take them, and as there used to be only one Slayer at any one time…." Angel’s voice trailed off.

"He must have got his hands on his mother’s skeleton, he’s going to try and use Faith’s life essence to resurrect her," Breena whispered.

"Talk about a mommy complex," Connor muttered. "And I thought I had problems." The hybrid reddened as he realised that everyone was looking at him. "Sorry, did I say that aloud?"

* * *

Xander gripped the dashboard as Angel sent their car roaring through Cleveland, paying no heed to niceties such as traffic lights, the others following in scarcely slower vehicles. He realised the demon was talking to him. "Sorry," he turned to face the vampire, "I missed that."

"I said we’re," the car screeched around a bend, "nothing’s going to happen to Faith." The vampire briefly took his eyes off the road to look at him. "We won’t let it."

Xander nodded, a brief moment of understanding passing between them. He appreciated the sentiment, he only hoped Angel was right.

* * *

Wood smiled as they rose from the table. "As I said," the African-American continued. "Once you’d left me, I realised just what a mistake I’d made. If you gave me just one more chance I know we could make it work."

"Ya know," Faith drawled as they left the warm restaurant for the cold, almost deserted parking lot, "I’ve heard some crap in my time. But that just about beats all," she smiled briefly at the irritated look on the former Watcher’s face. "You had your chance, you blew it. I’ve got friends around me, a man, a real man who’s crazy about me-."

"Harris-."

"One word and you’ll be eating your meals through a-." Faith’s head snapped towards the parking lot’s entrance as a black, tinted-window van screeched through it. "What the fuck?" Some sense warned her that Wood was planning to attack, she shot out a back-heel kick only to gasp when her companion easily caught and held her foot. Turning, she shot a shocked look over her shoulder even as the van emptied four armed men out onto the parking lot in front of her. "How?"

"Cruicatmen drugs, bitch!" Wood snarled, his fist crashing into her head.

* * *

Wood laughed as the Slayer slumped into his arms. Bribing a chef so that the drugs would be secreted in whatever dish Faith chose to eat had been W&H’s job, one they had apparently carried out superbly And without her powers, Faith was back to being the low-class streetwalker she should have always been. Not Called, not worthy of being a Slayer, not like his mother.

Looking to his companions, he threw his keys to one of the men. "Follow in my car," he instructed before glancing down at the limp body in his arms and smirking. Soon his mother would be back.

* * *

Upon entering the car lot, Angel slammed on the brakes. A man stood by what he recognised from the previous evening as Wood’s car turned at their entrance, face paling as he recognised them. Dropping the car keys, the W&H employee turned to run.

And instead collapsed on the ground when Connor smashed a left into his jaw.

"Good save," Angel complimented as he snatched up the bleeding man, dragged him to his feet, and shoved him into the side of Wood’s rental. Behind him he could hear the sound of the other cars arriving. Grabbing the man by his throat, he lifted the W&H hireling into the air. "Now, why don’t you tell me about where you’ve taken Faith, and I might just forget to kill you."

The man, a swarthy, Pancho Villa moustached Latino shook his head. "I ain’t telling you -, ahhhhh!" Angel’s ears roared to the sound of gunfire, he looked in disbelief first at the man’s ruined foot, blood seeping from what remained, and then at the smoking snub-nosed automatic in Andrew’s hand.

"Maybe now you’ll talk," the pale-faced nerd said. "I’d have gone for your nuts but I’m not a sharpshooter."

"Oh boy," Angel snatched the gun from the youth before turning back to the whimpering man. "Guns, nice but lacking in invention as a tool of torture." He forced a chuckle. "The modern age is such a wonder, chainsaws, blow-torches, cars, just imagine the damage a motivated demon could do with them. And," he flashed his eyes yellow, "guess who gave me motivation." He smiled as the man’s mouth opened.

* * *

"Ah. You’re awake." Faith peered around the darkened room before settling her gaze on her smirking ex stood over her.

"Bastard!" She tried to rise only to find she was restrained, three chains fastened across her at chest, waist, and knee level, holding her to the table, nothing but a cloth covering her. "I am going to rip your fucking nuts off!"

If anything Wood’s smirk widened. "No," the African-American shook his head, "you’ll do nothing." She tried to bite at the man when he stroked her hair. "So pretty. It’s just a shame you’re lacking in any real quality."

"I’ve got your quality right here!" Faith snarled. As a comeback it sucked, but there really wasn’t much choice. "So your new squeeze dump you? And the only way your limp-dick can get near a piece of ass is by kidnapping and chaining them down is that it you dickhead?"

She gasped as the former Watcher covered her mouth with one hand and pinched her nose with the other. "I was speaking," the Watcher said, his tone emotionless. "Your mother might not have taught you manners, but mine did. Don’t interrupt." As she wheezed for breath the Slayer’s son continued. "Years ago, I discovered a spell, an enchantment that would allow my mother to live again. I needed a Slayer and a bone from my mother. Once I had them both I could transfer her essence into the Slayer’s body and have her back with me. Once I learnt Summers was in Sunnydale, I went there. After discovering she had died, I turned my attention to you. As the active Slayer, you were my only chance. Once I’d got you all I had to do was find a bone of my mother’s and then I could do the spell, but then you deserted me! You treacherous bitch!" The black man pulled away, Faith gulped in air, chest heaving as the man stepped back until he was beside a table with a thigh bone lying on it. "All I have to do is wait a few minutes until the Cruicatmen drugs has worn off and then your Slayer spirit will be at full-power and ready. Then I’ll have my mother back and W&H will have their Slayer, and I’ll have what I came to Sunnydale for."

"Never going to happen," Faith’s heart soared as the door flew open, allowing light to spill in, and Xander walked into the doorway. "Your boys are getting their asses kicked upstairs. And I’m here to deal with you."

Wood laughed. "You think you can take me Harris?"

"I’d take Godzilla for her." Suddenly Xander was charging across the room. Her boyfriend dropped a shoulder and ducked a right from Wood before crashing two rights into the black’s side.

Wood grunted before stumbling backwards. Xander came on, right into a kick to his outer knee that had him falling onto one knee. Faith winced when before her man could react Wood caught him with a knee to the face, blood fountaining out of Xander’s mouth. Dazed, her man fell onto his back.

"Once a loser, always a loser." A sneer on his face, Wood pulled his foot back to kick Xander. "Ahhhhh!" The African-American screamed and stumbled sideways when Xander kicked at his grounded ankle. Faith’s heart thumped when her man rolled to his knees, blocked an attempted knee on his arm before slamming his other fist into Wood’s nuts.

Was she wrong in thinking watching her man fight for her was so damn hot?

"Ugh," Wood greyed and doubled-up at the nuts shot. Xander launched himself off his knees and at the African-American, attempting a waist tackle. Wood recovered to grab Xander by his shoulders, twist at the waist, and fling him into the wall. "You bastard!" the former Watcher limped over to Xander, his fist catching the former Sunnydaler square in the forehead as he reached his feet.

Xander grunted, head snapping back to collide with the wall behind. Wood chuckled before stepping forward. Xander’s hands suddenly lunged forward, grabbing two handfuls of the African-American’s shirt and yanking him towards him even as his own head snapped forward. Faith half-winced at the sound of Xander’s head smashing into Wood’s nose, the darkened room echoing to the sound of cracking bone.

The black grunted before connecting with a karate chop to Xander’s neck and a knee to his stomach. Faith’s heart sank as the Californian dropped wheezing to his knees. "You little bastard," Wood grated. "I might not get to finish my spell, but I’ll finish you -."

"Not going to happen." Faith grinned as a familiar figure glided into the room beside the Watcher, Dana following behind and rushing over to yank her chains off. Before Wood had chance to react Angel had him by his collar, lifted up, and flung across the room. The vampire looked down at Xander before easing him to his feet, the others rushing in.

"Hey," Faith sat up, "hero."

Xander’s eyes widened as she jumped off the table, discarding her sheet and revealing her nudity. "F…Faith," her blood-stained boytoy stuttered. "You’re naked. Cover up!"

"Yeah, ‘cause I’ve got so much to be ashamed of!" She grabbed her man and hugged him, squeezing for all her worth. Seeing Connor’s stare, she winked. "Put those eyes back in, son." Her grin widened as she noticed Angel. "And you too, Pops."

"He has to pay." Everyone turned from Wood to see Andrew pointing a snub-nosed grey automatic at Wood.

Xander glared at Angel. "Deadboy, what’s he doing with a gun? I thought you took it off him."

"You don’t think I gave it him back do you?" Angel snapped.

Faith stared at the short geek. "Andy, where did ya get that gun from?"

"Every shamus carries a back-up," the nerd replied

"You idiot," Xander shook his head as he looked at Angel.

"You two, quiet." Faith ordered as Angel’s mouth opened. "Andy, give me the gun."

"He hurt you," Andrew pulled back the hammer. "He has to pay."

Faith stepped towards the geek. "You’ve killed before, you know it feels. How the guilt threatens to drown you. He’s not worth going through all that for, just give me the gun, Andy," she held out her palm. "Please." She smiled as the youth dropped his gun into her hand. "Right decision, Andy."

"Faith-."

Feeling her strength returning, she stepped into her ex, elbow flying up to slam into his jaw. The big man’s eyes rolled back as he slumped to the ground. Faith looked towards Xander. "Xan-."

Xander nodded. "There’s a Council prison where they keep all Watchers who dabble in the dark arts, I’ll organise his immediate transport there."

Faith managed a nod even as she withheld a shudder at the mention of the prison that if events had turned out differently she’d have probably spent the last few months of her short life in. "Thanks for coming to the rescue everyone," Faith smiled at her family even as she slipped on Angel’s proffered coat.

"It was Andrew," Dana piped up, hand pointing at the nerd. "Everyone’s oh let’s trust the weasel faced Watcher, but not Andy."

Andy blushed. "I…it was nothing," he shrugged in a rare display of modesty

Faith smiled. "Let’s go home. Andy." The nerd turned to her. Acting on impulse, she grabbed the youth and hugged him. "Thanks," she muttered before stepping back. The nerd looked at her before fainting. "Oh crap!"

"I think you just broke him." Xander snorted.

Left. Right. Right. Right. Left. Duck. Right. Left. Kick. Duck.

"Breena, I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Breena turned from pounding the punch bag to the young man stood behind her, a more nervous than usual look on his face. "Sure, Andrew," she beamed as she wiped the sweat from her glistening forehead. "What do you want?"

"Ah, eh, ah," the apprentice Watcher stuttered and for some reason blushed. Sure, her cotton shorts and lycra top were sticking provocatively to her, what with the sweat and all, but it wasn’t like Andrew was that way inclined. "I was going to remind you you haven’t done your chores yet."

Breena rolled her eyes. Gee, training to be ready to save the world, vs. chores. Which was more important? "I’ll get to it later, okay?" Shaking her head, she turned away.

* * *

"Damn that woman!" Gellert slammed a fist on the table before him, the force of the blow smashing the wooden table in half. "Months now and that bitch is still living! I want Faith Lehane’s corpse nailed to that blasted Council house. I want them to learn who are they dealing with!"

"My lord, it is not the old days," Sophos counselled. "There are far more Slayers."

Gellert rose, his minions reared back. "Then so many more to fear me. The Slayer will die within the week."

* * *

"Um," Faith guided her right hand down the front of Xander’s pants even as she continued to kiss him, his hands pulling at her hair, their bodies pressed together as they made out on the couch. She broke away to look at her man. "Maybe we should take this," she groaned as the front door crashed open. "Damn, never any peace." Rising with a fluid grace that only another Slayer could match, she winked at Xander even as she looked into the hallway. "Yo, Andy!"

"Gaaaa!" The youth stood in the middle of the hallway threw the two brown paper bags he’d been carrying into the air and fell on his back.

"Jesus," Faith rushed over and helped the youth to his feet. "Someone that nervous usually has something to feel guilty about," she joked.

"You startled me," Andrew mumbled as he hurriedly picked up his spilt packages and, face averted, hurried upstairs.

"Isn’t Andrew just the weirdest guy?" Xander commented from the doorway behind her. "What was all that about?"

Faith looked over her shoulder and winked. "I know you, Andy isn’t even closest to the weirdest." She grinned at Xander’s scowl. "Oh no," she said in mock high-pitched voice. "I’ve been a naughty little Slayer, Mr. Harris will have to pu-," her words dissolved into laughter when Xander grabbed and began to tickle her.

* * *

Andrew shuddered as he heard Faith laughing below. Ever since Faith had hugged him, he’d realised something. All his men crushes – Warren, Xander, Spike, had all been about replacing his absent father rather than anything gay. He was interested in women, always had been.

But someone like Faith was way out of his league. Even he knew that. She was way hotter, more experienced, more everything than him. And even if she wasn’t, she was dating his friend. There were some rules, some lines no man crossed.

Besides, he liked Breena. She was sweet and kind, not scary like Faith or Dana, and was the only Slayer apart from Faith who really spoke to him. And her voice, he shivered, he loved her accent.

He’d tried to talk to her this morning. But as usual his nerve had failed him and he’d made some excuse about rotas. All day he’d been engulfed by feelings of inadequacy. It was stupid. He’d faced, no laughed, at the greatest evil man had ever faced, an enraged Faith, and he couldn’t even ask a girl out. Pathetic.

But then he’d hit on an idea. Magic. There had to be love spells.

And there was. He scowled as he looked at the books he’d bought, plenty of them. That was the problem. There was so many spells, he couldn’t decide which one to use.

Suddenly he grinned. It was obvious for a genius like him. He’d just have to create his own super-spell from all these spells. Spreading the books out on his floor, he began to read.

He sighed. Breena was great, but it was a pity his heroine was taken.

* * *

Andrew strutted downstairs, buoyed by his night’s work. Walking into the kitchen, he beamed at Breena. "Hi."

The girl barely looked up. "Hey, Andy."

Crushed and confused by his spell’s apparent failure, he slouched over to the cupboard to get his cereal. "Hey Andy," Faith shot him a dazzling smile. He blushed when she ran a hand down his chest. "Damn, those workouts are starting to pay off aren’t they?" The busty Slayer winked. "Lookin’ good Andy!"

"Um, ah, thanks," he looked down at his feet, embarrassed by his idol’s praise. But then she was always doing that, encouraging him. She was one of the few people who didn’t make him feel like a hanger-on.

"That’s five by five," Faith grinned at him again before sitting down at the table. "Yo, Xan." Faith’s boyfriend looked up. "I was thinking Andy might be up to joining us on patrol tonight."

"You think he can handle it?" Xander asked between bites of his toast.

"Don’t talk while you’re eating honey, it’s gross," the Slayer reproved before nodding. "Sure, you, me, Dan, Con, and Andy. Fang can take the rest."

Andrew’s previously down spirits rose at Xander’s shrug and nod. "If you think he’s ready."

* * *

"So," Andrew trembled when Faith threw a comradely arm over his new, ultra-cool leather jacket he’d bought especially for his patrol. Normally he wouldn’t want anyone to touch it, but when it was his idol, that was different. "Your first patrol? You excited?"

"Yes," he managed a gulp as they crossed the street and headed for the local park. He’d managed to plot all the vampires they’d run into and the mysterious deaths reported in the local papers onto a computer program and work out where vampires were most likely to patrol, given their usual patterns of behaviour. It was quite brilliant really. And very accurate, demons usually hit the park at least twice a week; it was just a matter of being there at the right time.

"Don’t get too excited," the Slayer whispered. "I’m gonna really excite you later. Ever done it on a park bench, stud?"

"Stud?" Andrew let out a croak. A huge penny dropped. His spell hadn’t hit its intended target but Faith. And it hadn’t even done what it wanted, he didn’t want to manipulate her into loving him, he wanted to get a confidence boost so he could impress her with his Scott Baukla like suaveness.

Instead he’d infected his friend’s girl. The most frightening woman walk-, stalking the face of the earth.

Faith wrinkled her nose. "Man, you sweat a lot don’t you?" Andrew opened his mouth to reply he’d only just started. "That’s okay, I can lick off you later."

His life was over. "Um, Faith?" Andrew gulped. He didn’t know what was more frightening, what Faith was promising to do to him or what Xander would do once he found out. "What about," he nodded at the trio marching just ahead of them, Xander flanked by Connor and Dana, "Xander?"

"Him?" Faith sniffed. "It’s time I moved up to the big leagues. And I’ve seen you in shorts, I know you qualify."

"Ahhhh," Andrew gulped, now she was hinting at his manhood. At least he’d come to a decision. Once she’d finished with him, he wouldn’t be alive for Xander to kill.

Connor turned to them, a bemused look on his face. "Is everything alright?"

Andrew’s mouth opened and shut with no sound coming out. He didn’t know just how badly the spell had infected Faith. If he tried to cry out for help, she might attack him, attack the others, or even hurt herself. He cast a fearful look up at his beaming captor. "Me and Andy are five by-." Faith looked left and right, eyes widening. "Vamps! Don’t worry Andy, I’ll protect ya!"

"Vam-."

Suddenly Faith was moving, her arms wrapped around him so tight that it was a struggle to breathe. The brunette leapt into the air, clearing a park bench he suspected had been ear-marked for the popping of his cherry, her foot flashing to the left to crash into the face of a vampire, knocking him on his back. Upon landing, another vampire charged them, Faith drew and threw a stake, the demon exploding into dust.

"Faith!" Andrew’s eyes widened as, from his position tucked under the Slayer’s arm, he saw a demon grab the Slayer in a triangle choke.

"Fucckeee," Andrew gasped as he hit the ground, the purpling beauty’s foot flying up to kick over her shoulder and into the demon’s face. The vampire grunted and released his hold, the Slayer spun to face it, a feinted left later, and the demon was walking onto a stake. "Sucker!"

"Oooow!" Pain blazed through Andrew’s head as he was grabbed by his hair. Pulling out his stake he thrust behind him.

"You little bastard!" the last thing he was aware of was a workman’s boot smashing into his head and then consciousness fled.

* * *

Faith’s heart hollowed as she saw her man being kicked. A bestial scream erupted from her lips as she darted towards her felled lover-to-be. Another demon lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Without breaking stride, she thrust downwards, turning the demon to dust.

A vampire crashed a right to her jaw, knocking her back a step. "There’s a hell of a bounty on your head, bitch!" growled the vampire, a short, box-like Latino. His left flashed out like a boxer’s jab.

Faith sidestepped, grabbed the demon’s arm at the wrist and sidekicked him in his over-stuffed gut. The moment her opponent began to double up under the force of her attack, she drove her stake deep into the demon’s back. Her heart snapped like a twig at what she saw, or more correctly didn’t see. "ANDY!"

She forced herself to concentrate, telling herself the tears could fall later, as she looked left and right, but to no avail. "Damn," in the distance she could hear Xander talking. The bastard was probably happy Andrew was gone, probably thought she’d take him back. But she had a real man now. "Look, we’ll have to re-group. Connor, contact your dad. Faith-."

The moment Xander’s hand touched her shoulder, Faith shot an elbow backwards. "Don’t you fucking touch me!"

"Ahh!" the man let out a squeal as he flew backwards, head crunching satisfactorily. Teach the bastard to put his hands on Andy’s property.

"Faith-." She filled Connor’s mouth with a fist, knocking Angel’s son into a tree. The wiry youth slid down to the ground, blood leaking from his mouth.

Sensing Dana coming up behind her, she spun around and glared. "Don’t." The girl’s second of hesitation was all she needed to burst away from the scene and charge off after the vampires. If they hurt one hair on her sweet boy’s head, she’d make them wish their mommas hadn’t met their poppas that one time they did, every last one of the bastards.

* * *

"What just happened?" Connor demanded as he stared from Xander’s crumpled body and to the disappearing Slayer.

"I…I don’t know," Dana stuttered.

"Look," Connor thought quickly. "I’ll go and track Faith. You ring Amy and tell her what happened. Then grab him and head back home."

* * *

Angel shook his head when Amy’s phone rang, cells on a stakeout didn’t exactly increase the stealth factor. He listened with half an ear as Amy talked. Finally the witch hung up, a stunned expression on her face. "Faith’s broken up with Xander."

"Finally," Angel muttered. He smiled weakly as he realised every Slayer was glaring at him. "Oh, sorry. Did I say that aloud?"

"And now she’s infatuated with Andrew."

"And just when you thought her taste in men couldn’t get any worse-," he gulped as he realised the glares had intensified. He’d done it again. Things had been much simpler with he’d been monosyllabic.

"She’s under a spell," Amy’s glare was only slightly less than the Slayers’. "She went nuts when they were attacked by a bunch of vampires, and took off after them on her own after Andrew was snatched. She even attacked the others when they tried to help."

Okay, Angel grimaced, this did sound more serious. "We best head back to base and see what’s happening."

* * *

Geir looked up as Sophos and his accomplices entered their hideout. He noted two things. There were a lot less of them than there was before. And they’d brought a guest, a particularly unappealing-looking toothpick of a male. "What’s he for?"

"He’s the Slayer’s lover," Sophos lifted the flailing youth by his hair. "She’ll follow right after us for him, won’t wait for the others."

"Really?" Geir stared at the youth. "You’re sure? I thought the Slayer was dating the one-eyed man. And why would any woman date that? I mean look at him?"

"Hey!"

Sophos hit the boy in the stomach and dropped him to the ground. "I’m sure, she was utterly protective when it came to ensuring no harm came to him. She’ll follow him right here."

After a second Geir nodded. It wasn’t as if they had a choice, their sire’s mood had been uncertain these past weeks. If the Slayer didn’t die and soon, there’d be hell to pay. "Okay, set that up on the rack," he glanced down at the boy lying winded on the ground, "we’ll celebrate with it once the Slayer is dead."

* * *

"It’s a love spell," Amy decided as she looked around Andrew’s bedroom, picking up book after book. "The little idiot has cast a love spell."

Angel growled. "On Faith?" He’d dismember the little bastard.

Amy paled and the Slayers pulled back at his snarl. "No, no, no," the witch shook her head. "His target wasn’t Faith. But Andrew’s mixed in a few different spells, transposed bits from different books, it’s a real jigsaw, not wonder that things went wrong. I’ve no idea who he was aiming at, but it wasn’t Faith."

Ignoring the fact that judging from Amy’s heartbeat that the last bit was a lie, that she did know who the spell was intended for, Angel nodded. "So what do we do?"

Amy’s brow furrowed. "I’ll work at breaking the spell, it’ll be complicated. Homemade spells always are. But the more immediate concern is getting hold of Faith before she hurts herself, Andrew, or anyone else."

Angel nodded. But he wouldn’t mind if Andrew got hurt. No, not at all. "I’ll see where Connor is."

* * *

"Andy!" Faith’s heart raced as she entered the warehouse to find her man tied to a rack by the far wall, his pasty-white body gleaming attractively with sweat.

"Faith!" Andy squealed in his sexy helium-filled voice that made her tingle in her naughty places. "It’s a trap!" Faith beamed, that was her man, always thinking of others.

"Kill her!" a voice boomed out of the shadows.

Without taking her eyes from her baby-boo, Faith drew her stakes and flung one left and one to the right, the sound of her weapons striking home accompanied by exploding dust. Another demon burst out of the shadows, sword in hand. Faith glided under the female vampire’s wild sword-slash, and uppercutted her in the crotch. The moment the vampiress began to double up, Faith snatched her short sword from her and decapitated her.

Sensing another demon sneaking up behind her, she back-heel kicked her opponent in the face, the force of her blow lifting the vampire off his feet and flinging him into the room’s only table. Another vampire rushed out of the shadows, snatching at her with a triangle choke.

Before the hold was properly applied, Faith dropped to the ground. The moment her shoulders hit the ground, she swung her legs up and towards her head, the toes of her feet smashing into the gut of the vampire stood over her. Before the demon had chance to react, she was up and swinging her sword backwards in a decapitating slash.

Another vampire leaped out of the shadows, she dropped into a crouch, allowing the demon to sail harmlessly overhead. She started to straighten up and gasped when a boot smashed into her face, knocking her onto her back.

Dazed, she was helpless to prevent the demons from crowding around her and start to give her a world-class kicking. "This is easy," one gloated. "Kill her. Then turn that little runt she likes."

Fire pounded through her veins. Before she knew it, she was up, an elbow snapping to her left, her blow lifting its unfortunate receiver off his feet and propelling him back into the shadows. Another vampire reached to grab hold of her shoulder. Even as she backhanded another demon away, she snatched a hold of the vampire by the wrist and flung him over her shoulder and into two vampiress in front of her.

Another demon, a rough-hewn, muscle-bound son of a bitch who smelt old, real old, crashed a left into her face, snapping her head back. Faith spat the blood that welled in her mouth into the demon’s face. "That all ya got?"

Before he had chance to answer she was moving, baseball sliding between his apart legs to end up in a pile with the two vampiress and the vampire she’d thrown into them. Before any of them could react, they were staked and she was up, flinging her stake into the demon she’d elbowed in the face as he stumbled out of the shadows. He co-operated by exploding into ash.

The big bastard charged her. Faith grunted as he hit her shoulder-first, the force of his close to three hundred pound body lifting her off the ground and sending her cart wheeling. Hitting the floor hands first, she hand-sprung back up.

And right into a concussing left to the forehead. Dazed, she stumbled backwards but not out of the range of a follow-up right cross to the mouth. The demon grinned and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground.

The moment her feet left the ground, she drove them both into the demon’s crotch. "Ahhh!" the demon greyed and released his grip, dropping her. Hitting the ground on her shoulder, she rolled back up onto her feet and came in fast with a stake strike.

Not fast enough.

The demon rocked her with an elbow to the head, even as he reached across himself with his other arm and grabbed her stake-arm at the wrist. The vampire smiled at her. "What now, little girl?"

"This!" Faith crashed a foot into the back of the demon’s left hamstring. Caught off-balance, the demon fell to his knees, his face disappearing in crimson when it descended into her up-swinging knee. The moment the vampire fell on his back, Faith was straddling him. "Never," she slammed a stake home, "mess with my man."

Faith grinned as she fluidly rose. All dead. Now it was just her and, she licked her lips, Andy. Putting an extra sway in her hips, she started towards the whimpering youth. "Don’t worry baby," she cooed. "Mamma’s made the bad people go away."

* * *

"Girls, split into two groups, hunt down any vamps leaving the main warehouse. But stay together, this industrial park is a regular rabbit warren." After a second Xander threw him the tranq gun he’d been clinging to the tension-filled ride to the abandoned warehouse. "You’re a better shot, you and Connor with me."

Angel nodded before following the Californian into the warehouse. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him, the floor covered in dust, and a sweat-streaked Faith advancing on Andrew. "Might as well as make use of the ropes, Lover-boy," the Slayer croaked, her hands busily unfastening her top. "I like it kinky." Beside him Xander groaned.

"Has she ever-," Angel shook his head. "No, I don’t need the mental picture."

"You notice that Andrew looks more frightened now all the vampires are dead? Faith really wants to rip his clothes off." Connor shrugged at Xander’s glare. "Just sayin’."

Angel chuckled at his son’s comments before raising the tranquiliser gun and firing. The dart slammed into the Slayer’s neck. All three of them gulped when Faith turned from her advance on Andy to stare at them, eyes colder than ice. "Angel."

"Yeah, yeah." He raised the gun again and hurriedly fired. The brunette snatched the second dart out of the air before starting towards them. "That’s not good."

"You think!" Xander squeaked.

"Yeah," Angel decided he’d have to remind Xander just how unmanly his voice sounded under pressure. Of course, the proviso was them actually living through the next few minutes. "I’m out of ammo."

"What!" Connor and Xander both turned to him, eyes widening with horror.

"Not my fault-," Angel sighed as he watched the Slayer slump to the floor. "Thank god for that."

"I’ll second that emotion," Xander agreed. "Let’s get her home and de-spelled."

"Is that anything like de-fleaing?" Connor wondered.

"It is if Andrew’s involved," Xander glared at the youth fastened to the rack. "You always wanted to be taller didn’t you?"

"Xander," Angel growled warningly.

"Can’t I at least make him squirm?" Xander protested.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Not if you want to risk her waking up beforehand." Xander shuddered. "That’s what I figured."

* * *

"Love spells! Love Spells! Love spells!" Faith stormed back and forth, hair swinging. Talk about humiliating, she was going to rip Andy’s lungs out for this. "What sort of idiot does love-." She stopped as she noticed something. "Fang, why are you and Ams staring at Xander like that?"

Xander gulped. "I think we need to talk."

"Oh," she heard Angel’s mutter, "to be a fly on that wall."

* * *

"Idiots! Fools!" Gellert flung his throne into the wall, the heavy wooden chair shattering like firewood. Over a thousand years of existence, all destroyed at the hands of one Slayer. His childes, his mate, all dead.

"Ah," his head snapped towards the figure stood in the entrance to his hall, "I think a cool head is needed in these situations. Don’t you?"

In a second he was by the figure, fist pulled back to bludgeon the man into unconsciousness. And then he registered the stranger’s complete lack of fear and powerful aura. Intimidated for the first time in centuries, he had to fight back the instinct to rear back and cower. Instead he settled for allowing his fist to drop by his side. "Who are you?" he hated the way the fear made his voice gruff.

"Solomon Emory," the unfazed man pulled out and passed him a business card, "attorney-at-law."

Gellert stared at the card. "Wolfram and Hart?"

"Just so," the perfectly-manicured man nodded and smiled. "I think the Slayer and her companions need to learn who is in charge of this town. And I think together we have the resources to do it."

"I’m listening."

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