"Do I have to?" Jesse whined, sweat forming on his forehead. Of all the challenges he’d faced in the past year, this was the most frightening. He gulped as he stared up at the intimidating building.

"Stop whimpering," Cordelia gave him a quick glance, shook her head and sighed before grabbing him by his hand. "Be manly! Think dry palms Jesse!" his girl-friend admonished. "Now come on!"

He allowed his girl-friend to drag him up to the house. Cordelia opened the door and hollered inside. "I’m home Mom and Dad!"

Jesse gulped again as a balding man in his mid forties strode into the hallway. He guessed the man’s suit cost more than his father made in a month. "So you’re the boy’s my girl’s been dating," the man sniffed. Jesse resisted the temptation to shake his head. He’d known this was a bad idea, but would Cordelia listen?

* * *

"See ya later Harm!" Mitch slapped the blonde cheerleader on her well-rounded ass before stepping into the boys’ locker room.

"So you and Harm, Mitch?" he looked up to see his two best buds coming towards him. "She put across yet?"

"Not yet, but after the dance…" He grinned.

"Way to go Mitch!" He high-fived his two buds in quick succession. "Only," one of them shook his head. "It’s a crying shame."

"What is?" Mitch asked.

"That Rosenberg, Giles, and Chase turned out to be dykes, what with them hanging around with that librarian and those three dorks. I mean all three of them are way hotter than Harm and her gang."

"Crime against mankind," Mitch agreed. "Only ugly girls should be lesbians."

"Truth!" His friends high-fived him again before heading out. "Don’t keep coach waiting!"

"Yeah." Alone in the locker room he began to change, pulling off his shirt and letter jacket with a flourish. "Looking good," he smirked as he examined his abs. He stepped away from the locker at the sound of approaching footsteps and a giggling girl. "Who's there?" Seeing there was no-one about, he continued getting changed. Hearing the giggling again, he looked around. "Okay, fun time's over."

His eyes widened when his bat leapt off the locker and swung at him. His shriek echoed through the empty changing room as the bat slammed into his side, knocking him to his knees. Before he has time to do anything, the bat crashed into his forearm, cracking bone. Then the bat smashed into his head and his world turned black…

* * *

Faith slowed as she approached the locker rooms, seeing Snyder shepherding students away as paramedics wheeled Mitch out on a gurney. She spoke to C and Jess out of the corner of her mouth. "You two run interference for me."

"Dead? Of course not. What are you, ghouls?" Snyder demanded. "There are no dead students here. This week. Clear back, make room, all of you."

Stepping around the principal, Faith grabbed the gurney. Ignoring the paramedics’ protests, she spoke to the battered youth. "Mitch, what happened?"

"I don't know," Mitch slurred through his battered mouth. "I, I heard something. I tried to grab a, a bat... that hit me.

Faith squinted, he couldn’t be saying what she thought could he? "What hit you?"

"The bat!" Mitch exclaimed as the paramedics wheeled him away. "By itself, the thing was floating, it knocked me out."

A scowl on her face, Faith stepped towards the boys’ locker room. "Where do you think you're going?"

Groaning inwardly, Faith turned to face the pint-sized educator. "Um, Mitch wanted me to get his comb. He likes his comb."

Snyder sniffed. "I don't think Mitch needs his comb right now. I think Mitch needs medical attention." Snyder puffed out his pigeon chest. "And you need to stay away from the crime scene. Always sticking your nose in."

"Sue?" Faith hid a grin at Cordelia’s shrill voice. "What did you say? Mitch was gonna sue the school?"

Snyder paled as he turned towards the cheerleader. "Sue? Who?" After mouthing a thanks to her friends, Faith disappeared into the locker room, which was probably the first time she’d been in a boys’ locker room without the accompanying guy. Seeing a blood-stained bat on the floor, she strode over and kicked it. It just rolled away. Shrugging slightly she moved to the nearest row of lockers noting the damage done to the four open locker doors. She squinted as she realised there was a letter painted in, she scowled, blood on the locker door. She closed the doors to find the word ‘LOOK’ painted on them.

* * *

"'Look'? That's all it said?" Willow queried as they all ate at the cafeteria.

"Look at what? Look at Mitch?" Xander put in.

Faith shrugged. "Maybe. All I know is it's a message."

"But for who?" Jonathan put in.

"Ah, here you are." Giles appeared behind Willow sat opposite her.

"Good point," Faith nodded at Jonathan’s comment. "And monsters don't usually send messages. It's pretty much crush, kill, destroy. This was different."

"I'd have to say you're right." Giles said.

"I love it when you say that!" Faith grinned at her Watcher. "Any theories?"

Giles sat down. "It's a bit of a puzzle, really. I've never actually heard of anyone attacked by a lone baseball bat before."

"Maybe it's a vampire bat."

Giles stared at her boyfriend. "Faith, why exactly are you dating Mr. Harris?"

Faith shook her head at her squeeze’s comment. Beyond lame. "Right now I’m coming up on empty G."

After a rub of his glasses G continued. "Assuming the bat itself is not possessed, there are a few possibilities that bear investigating. Someone with telekinesis, the power to move objects at will, an invisible creature, um, or possibly a poltergeist."

"A ghost?" Willow paled.

The librarian nodded. "Yes, and a very angry one."

"I'd say." Faith agreed. "The locker room was a mess."

"If it's a ghost, then we're talking about a dead kid," Jesse commented.

Faith blinked, she knew there was a reason they kept Jesse around. Maybe it was his talent for stating the obvious. "Why don't you compile a list of dead or missing kids? It's probably a good place to start."

Jesse groaned. "Give me an easy job why don’t you?"

"Finding Harmony’s brain?" suggested Xander.

And I'll research all the possibilities, ghosts included." Giles put in. "But Xander, if you're not doing anything, would you like to help me?"

Xander blinked. "What, so there's homework now? When did that happen?"

"It's all part of the glamorous world of vampire slaying," Faith grinned.

"Well, what part do you have?"

"Gonna find out what I can about Mitch. This attack wasn't random."

"Well, I want that part," her boyfriend shot back.

"You know of course that Mitch was dating Harmony?"

Xander paled at her comment. "Talk to Harmony?" Xander gulped before turning to the Englishman. "Gotta love those books, huh?"

* * *

"Hi!"

Faith watched as Harmony looked up from the water fountain. "Oh, hi."

"You weren't in fifth period," Aura continued.

Harmony nodded. "I went to the hospital."

"Oh, Mitch. How is he? Will he be okay?" Aura exclaimed.

"Well, the doctor says he'll be fine. They're gonna send him home tomorrow. But... you should've seen him lying there. All black and blue? How's he gonna look in our Prom pictures? How am I ever gonna be able to show them to anyone?" Faith shook her head at Harmony’s rant.

"Well, they can do wonderful things with airbrushes these days," Aura comforted.

Harmony brightened. "You think?" Then the blonde scowled. "I just hope they can prop him up long enough to take the picture."

The two girls started off. After a second, Faith started after them. Judging from what she’d heard, neither of them were behind Mitch’s attack. Not that she’d ever susp-. "Ooof!"

Her eyes widened when Aura suddenly stumbled and fell down the step. In an instant Faith was past a dazed looking Harmony and racing down the steps towards Aura. Even as she reached the bottom of the steps, Snyder arrived. "Aura!" Harmony cried.

"Oh, for heaven sakes!" snapped the principal. "Clear back, everyone! Give her some air!" he looked at a student. "You! School nurse, now!"

"Ow!" Aura wailed. "Oh, my ankle! I think it's broken."

"What happened?" Faith asked.

"Hey!" Snyder broke in. "Who's the principal here?" The teacher turned to Aura. "What happened?"

"She fell!" Harmony interrupted. "We were standing at the top of the stairs and she just fell!"

"No! I was pushed!" Aura protested.

Hearing the sound of laughter and footsteps going up the stairs, Faith followed them, leaving the two girls to Snyder’s doubtful care. As she reached the landing, she saw a door close. After taking a nervous breath, she entered the room. "Hey, what’s the sitch?" She stumbled when something bumped into her. Hearing footsteps go into the band room, she followed only to find an empty room. "Hey! Who's here?" She looked around, no sign of life. "Okay, I know someone's here. Look, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk." She waited for a minute but got no response.

* * *

"G, have you ever touched a ghost?"

"Uh, no. From what I've heard, uh, having a, a ghost pass through you is a singular experience. It's a rather, cold feeling. It makes your hair stand on end."

Faith stopped to allow two black suited men in sunglasses to pass by her. "That's the thing. I touched it, but it didn't go through me. It bumped into me. And it wasn't cold."

"So, we're talking about what, an invisible person?" Xander commented.

"A girl. She laughed," Faith supplied.

Her Watcher pursed his lips together. "A girl on campus with the ability to become invisible."

"That is so cool!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Cool?" Cor queried.

Jesse nodded. "Well, yeah, I would give anything to be able to turn invisible. Well, I wouldn't use my powers to beat people up, but I'd use my powers to protect the girls' locker room. Ow!" Jesse winced when Cordelia slapped the back of his head.

"It must be a fairly heady experience..."

"Say what?" Faith stopped and stared at her Watcher. "You Perv!"

"What?" G reddened. "I meant having that ability to be invisible."

"How'd she get it? Is she a witch? 'Cause we can fight a witch," Willow asked.

"Hmm. Greek myths speak of cloaks of invisibility, but they're usually for the gods." Xander looked around at their stunned looks. "Research Boy comes through with the knowledge!"

"A sure sign of the apocalypse," G commented. "Xander with the knowledge."

"This girl's sorta petty for a god," Faith commented.

"She's got a grudge. But why Aura?" Jonathan asked.

"Aura and Mitch. The common denominator is..."

"Harmony," Faith finished for her boyfriend.

"So what now?" Willow asked.

"Miss Rosenberg, your time would be best utilised pulling up that missing kids

list," G suggested.

"Got it. I'll see you then."

"Cya," Faith waved her friends off before turning to G. "What ya gonna do G?"

"I'll look into ways that you can de-cloak an invisible someone. What about you?"

"I think Harm’s gonna be workin' on her dress tonight. Maybe there'll be some action. Guess I'm gonna start the hunt." G chuckled. "What’s so funny."

"Hunting someone you can’t see. You may have to work on listening to people."

Faith glared at her guardian. "You’re a laugh a minute."

"I think so."

* * *

Faith peered through the door to where Harm was getting her dress fixed. "Man," she shook her head. "She’s a bitch."

"Hey."

Faith glanced up from spying at Cordy’s approach. "Hey C." She shook her head. "I can’t believe they make so much fuss of this beauty queen shit." Her friend laughed, but there was a brittle sound that made her look up again. "What’s up C?"

"This," her best friend pointed to the blonde barking out increasingly shrill orders. "Used to be my life. Before you guys turned it upside down."

"Oh," Faith looked down at her combat boots, unsure as to what to say. "Um, sorry?"

"Don’t be. You know why I did it?"

Faith shrugged. "’Cause you were good at it."

"No. I was of-course, but that wasn’t why I did it. I did it so people would notice me. So I had friends, but also so my parents would be proud."

"Oh," Faith didn’t know what to say. Before she got G she’d always figured that rich people didn’t have problems, that money was some sort of cure all for all the bad shit in the world. But now she knew that wasn’t true. Rich kids got lousy parents too.

"But now I get a bigger buzz from Slaying than I ever got from ten competition wins. I’ve got rid of the sheep who followed me around, looking for a place to stick the knife in, and I have my first real friends ever." The cheerleader grinned. "Who all know better than to compete with me for fashion, looks, or style."

Faith snorted. "And there was me thinking we were bonding."

C laughed. "As if!"

For a few seconds the two laughed, then Faith heard something, a flute maybe, playing in the distance. "Ya hear that C?" her best friend shook her head. "Cya later." Getting up, she hurried away.

* * *

"Giles said you'd be here. Why are you being here?"

Faith quickly kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, her eyes still on a speech-giving Harmony, and the two black-suited men to the back of the hall. "Last night was a bust. But I still think she's the key."

"This is the dead and missing list. I pulled up their classes, activities, medical records..."

Faith nodded her appreciation to Willow. "Good work Red."

Jonathan’s gaze was fixed on the two suits. "Has Harmony hired a bodyguard or something?"

Faith squinted, she’d been wondering who the two guys were. "Could be. Hey," she pointed at the list. "Check out this one. It's the most recent one, Marcie Ross, disappeared, like, six months ago."

"I don't know her." Xander said. "Any of you guys?"

All of the others shrugged. "Her only activity was band. She played the flute," Faith added.

"My cousin Michelle plays the flute at band camp!" Willow exclaimed.

"Focus Red," Faith scolded. "But last night when I was hunting, I heard this flute, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. And it was in the band room that I lost Miss Invisible yesterday. It’s gotta be her. I'm gonna check it out. See you guys later?"

"Need some help?"

Faith smirked at her boyfriend. "No you go be a good little student. Keep your grades up and make me proud," she teased.

* * *

After a furtive look to check that no-one was looking, Faith broke the lock on the band room door and walked in, barging into a chair left by the door as she did. "Fuck!" Muttering curses she went to shift the chair only to notice a footprint on it.

"That’s strange." She glanced up and saw an access hatch in the corner of the ceiling. She looked at the chair again, realisation dawning. "K." Leaping up onto a cabinet by the hatch, she shoved it open and climbed inside.

Inside the ceiling space she found a yearbook, a flute, and some half-eaten food. Faith sighed as she went through the stuff. "This is so fucked up." Before G had come into her life, all she’d wanted was to be invisible, to go through life without being known as ‘the slut’, ‘tramp’, or ‘skank’. But seeing this, being ignored by everyone, she had to wonder what was worse.

* * *

"A nest?" Giles sat down at the library desk opposite his charge, surrounded by her annoying but somehow steadfast friends.

"It looked like she'd been there for months. It's where I found this," Faith opened a yearbook. Another bizarre Yank tradition, what with all their dances and the like, it was a wonder the average American parent got through educating their children without encountering bankruptcy.

"Oh, my God!" Willow exclaimed. "'Have a nice summer. Have a nice summer.' This girl had no friends at all."

Giles rubbed at his head. "Uh, once again I teeter at the precipice of the generation gap."

"Do you know nothing?" Cordelia shook her head. "'Have a nice summer' is what you write when you have nothing to say."

"It's the kiss of social death," Xander added.

"Yes," Cordelia agreed. "Jonathan’s been getting them for years."

"Hey!" exclaimed the youth in question.

"You guys didn't know Marcie Ross?" Faith asked.

"Never met her. Why?" Xander asked.

"'Cause you both wrote it, too." Faith pointed at Mr. Harris’ signature.

"'Have a nice...' Yeesh!"

"Where am I?" Willow asked. His Slayer indicated the offending signature. "Oh. 'Have a *great* summer.' See, I cared!"

"That’s weak Red," Faith reproved. "You guys didn’t know her?"

"No, I probably didn't see her except to sign the book. I mean, this is a big school," Xander defended.

Willow looked at her mass of printouts. "Xander, we both had four classes with

her last year. Jesse and Cordelia had three, and Jonathan and Faith two."

"I sleep through my classes," Jesse defended. Somehow Giles believed him.

"So, no one noticed her, and now she's invisible," Faith said.

"What, she turned invisible because no one noticed her?" Jesse commented.

"Of course!" He slammed a palm into the table and leapt up. "I've been investigating the mystical causes of invisibility when I, I should have looked at the quantum mechanical!"

"Say what?" Faith asked. "In English, maybe. If you’re taking requests."

Giles shook his head. "It's a rudimentary concept that, that reality is shaped, even, even... created by our perception."

"And with the Hellmouth below us sending out mystical energy..."

Giles beamed at Willow, he’d have guessed she’d have been the one to understand first. "People perceived Marcie as invisible, and she became so."

"Shit!" Faith exclaimed. "This isn't this great power that she can control. It's something that was done to her. That *we* did to her."

"No wonder she's miffed." Willow added.

"What does she want?" Cordelia asked.

"Just what we thought. Harmony," Faith turned the page to reveal a photograph of the blonde cheerleader with a slash through it. "We have to help her."

"Get Harmony?" Xander looked doubtful. "I know she’s a pain."

"No Xander," Faith sighed. "We have to help her become visible."

"But getting Harmony’s a fall-back plan right?" Jesse said hopefully.

Faith wisely chose to ignore Mr. McNally. "From what she did to Harmony's picture, I would say that she's freaked on the whole Fall Queen thing. Maybe she's gonna do something about it."

"Oh!" Willow exclaimed. "Maybe we should stop the coronation tonight! Keep Harmony away from the Bronze?"

"No," Faith shook her head. "Continuing the normal Fall Queen activities may be the

best way to draw Marcie out. We can use Harmony as bait."

"Maybe we could hook her on a fishing line to complete the picture?" Jesse suggested.

Giles shot Jesse a look. "You can all help me begin the research anew." Cordelia, Jesse, and Xander all groaned in unison. "Unless we find a way to cure Marcie's invisibility, then Faith will be..."

"A sitting duck," his Slayer finished.

"Quite."

* * *

"I need fuel," Xander announced. The scrape of the youth’s chair going backwards broke Giles’ concentration and made him look up in frustration. The boy shrugged. "Sorry, need a sugar hit." His Slayer’s boyfriend looked at Jesse. "You coming?" The other youth nodded and stood, obviously eager to be away from the books. "Great. Now," he hid a groan at the look in the youth’s eyes, he’d seen it in Faith’s eyes enough to recognise it.

Forestalling the youth’s long and doubtless agonising treatise on why he should pay for their gluttony, he pulled out his wallet and passed Xander two crumpled bills. "Twenty dollars, and I want the bloody change."

"Thanks G-Man!" the grateful gleam in the young man’s eyes and enthused thanks banished any grumpiness and made him wonder anew about the youngster’s home life. "Any orders?"

The two boys had barely disappeared when Willow looked up. "Shhh! Listen!"

After a second, Giles heard the flute. Standing, he made his way to the way library exit, Amy, Willow, Cordelia, and Jonathan following behind. "Come on." They exit the library and into the corridor. "We could... talk to her. Perhaps reason with her. Or possibly grab her."

"There are five of us," Cordelia put in.

"Let's go!" Jonathan enthused. Giles looked at the youth, eyebrow raised. The short boy blushed. "Sorry. Got sorta gung-ho there." After a shake of his head, Giles led the teens down the stairs and into the basement. Jonathan pointed towards a pair of stout-looking metal doors. "Over here." They followed the young man into the room.

"Marcie?" Giles called out into the seemingly empty room. "We know what happened to you. Please, can we talk to you?"

"We're sorry we ignored you." Willow added.

"I could give you a makeover!" Giles stared at Cordelia in disbelief. "Look," she stage-whispered. "I’m trying to bargain with the crazy." Giles rolled his eyes.

"Can you say 'gulp'?"

Giles glanced towards Jonathan to see the teen holding a tape recorder playing a tape of a flute. And heard an even more ominous sound, that of a gas main hissing. "Everyone ou-!" His voice trailed off when the door slammed shut. "Oh balderdash."

* * *

Faith yawned as she watched Harmony prance around the changing room from the shadows by the door. She’d considered trying to reason with her, but as Harmony and reason weren’t exactly kissing cousins… Bored, she glanced at her watch.

Hearing a noise she looked up to see the cheerleader being dragged through the ceiling. "Ah hell!" It took her two kicks to splinter the door open. Rushing in, she leapt for the blonde’s flailing legs but missed.

Thinking quickly, she jumped up onto a ceiling pipe and swung up through the opening. Seeing the cheerleader lying on the ground, Faith crouched beside her and tried to take her pulse. Hearing a footstep behind her, she started to turn only to feel a prick in her neck, then her vision blurred.

* * *

Giles hurriedly checked the furnace. "She's snuffed out the pilot light! The gas is on full! I can't find the shutoff valve."

"Is this it?" he turned to see Jonathan picking it up off the floor.

"Okay, that's bad. How 'bout the door?" Willow and Amy shoulder-charged it but to no avail. "I could blow the door away with a spell," suggested Amy.

"NO!" Giles exclaimed. "Much too risky."

"Then," Cordelia turned to him. "What do we do?"

His mouth opened and shut, the sickening realisation of their situation hitting him full on. He didn’t have a clue.

* * *

"Hey Jenn-."

"School grounds Xander," she reproved with a smile as the teen straightened from the candy machine. "Eating as well as always I say."

The young man grinned. "Gotta keep my strength up."

"Yes," she nodded in understanding. "And how are Twinkies part of a balanced diet?"

"There’s a scientific explanation for that Miss Calendar," Jesse joined the conversation. "Only it would take too long. Just believe. You hear for some librarian loving?" She arched an eyebrow, indicating the student had over-stepped his bounds. The teen blushed. "Uh, sorry."

"Giles rang me at home. Needs some help with a research project." She turned the corner and headed towards the library. "The others in there?"

"Yeah," Jesse and Xander hurried to catch her up, their arms filled with junk-food. "Well except Faith, she’s watching on Harmony, some psycho is -." Xander’s voice trailed off and the two youths stopped as she continued on. "You hear that flute? Wait it’s gone!"

Jenny turned back from the library doors. "It’s deserted. Where is everyone?"

* * *

Faith groaned as she awoke to find herself tied to the Fall King’s throne inside the Bronze. Even worse was the sight of Harmony sat opposite, also restrained in the Queen’s throne. "Of all the people to be trapped with, I couldn’t get Ted Bundy?"

"I can't feel my face!" Harmony screamed. "My face. My face is numb. What is happening?"

* * *

Giles finished knocking the valve off, his hands blistering. "That should give us a few minutes, but... If we don't get out of this room soon..."

"Why is Marcie doing this?" Willow exclaimed.

"The loneliness, the constant exile, she's..." He shook his head to clear it. "Has driven her mad!"

"Ya think?" Jonathan coughed.

Suddenly the door flew open. "Rupert!" He smiled at his girl-friend’s voice. "Hurry, let’s get out of here!"

"Let’s," he agreed. He just hoped Faith was safe too.

* * *

Faith swallowed as a tray was wheeled over to her and Harmony. "Hi guys," said the invisible girl.

"What have you done to my face!" Harmony screamed at a pitch that probably set off car alarms for six blocks in every direction.

"Your face. That's what this is all about, isn't it? Your beautiful face. That's what makes you shine just a little bit brighter than the rest of us. We all want what you have. To be noticed, remembered. To be seen."

"What are you doing?" Harmony demanded.

"I'm fulfilling your fondest wish, " Marcie replied before pulling the cloth off the tray, revealing a chilling collection of surgical instruments. "I'm gonna give you a face no one will ever forget."

"Marcie, you can't do this," Faith pleaded. "You know this is wrong,"

Her appeal got her a punch across the face. "You shoulda stayed outta my way. Y'know, I thought you would understand my vision, but you're just like them."

Marcie took a scalpel from the tray and swung it at Harmony's face. "Please don't do this!" The cheerleader screamed. "Nooohohoho!"

"You should be grateful. People who pass you in the street are gonna remember you for the rest of their lives." Marcie taunted. "Children are gonna dream about you. And every one of your friends who comes to the coronation tonight will take the sight to their graves. Now we have to get started. The local anaesthetic’s gonna wear off soon, and I don't want you to faint. It's less fun if you're not awake. Let me see. I think we should start with your smile. I think it should be wider."

"Screw this." Deciding reason wasn’t going to work, Faith tore loose from her ropes and kicked the tray at where she judged Marcie was, knocking the girl backwards. She turned to Harmony and began untying the weeping cheerleader. "Hold still!" Suddenly a foot collided with her head, knocking her to the floor. She rolled up immediately. "You know," she rolled her neck. "I felt sorry for you. You've suffered. There's one thing I really didn't factor into all this. You're nuts."

She took a blind swing only for the invisible girl to pull her legs from under her, sending her crashing back to the ground. "Hey, moron! I'm invisible! How are you gonna fight someone you can't see?"

Faith grinned. "Got an idea about that." Moving into a backwards roll, she ended up by the stage. And by some unused banner paint. Hearing a floorboard creak, she grabbed the nearest can and flung it at the noise.

The paint covered the girl. In a second, Faith was by the silhouette, her right to the jaw knocking the invisible girl to the ground. "Well that was easy." She looked up as the door crashed open and the two suits from the school ran in. "Bodyguards always this prompt Harm? ‘Cause I’m thinking refu-." Her voice trailed off when one of the two pulled a gun. "Shit!"

"Everybody stay where you are." The men moved over to Marcie and pulled her to her feet. ""Okay, we'll take it from here now, ma'am."

"Take what from where?" Faith demanded.

"I'm agent Doyle, this is Agent Manetti. We're here for the girl."

"Yeah?" Faith raised an eyebrow. "Where were you ten minutes ago when she was playing surgeon?"

"I'm sorry, we came as fast as we could." Doyle passed Marcie off to a third agent. "We'll take it from here on."

"You can cure her?" Faith asked.

"We can rehabilitate her," Doyle corrected.

Faith blinked. "This isn't the first time this has happened, is it? It's happened at other schools."

"We're not at liberty to discuss that," huffed the other agent.

"It would be best for you to forget this whole incident." Doyle continued. ""Thank you for your help."

"Can I be untied yet?" Harmony wailed.

Faith turned to the blonde. "That’s multiple choice right?"

* * *

"You know something Xan," Faith muttered into her boyfriend’s chest as they sat outside her house. "I used to wish I was invisible, so Ma wouldn’t notice me. Now though, I kinda like having friends better." She sighed as the day’s last light disappeared. Standing, she pulled her boy-friend up with her. "Time to go to work."

"But dad-."

"No Cordelia," her father sniffed. "McNally is not the boy for my daughter. The McNallys, they’re a family of wasters."

"That’s not true!" Cordelia protested. "Jesse -." Her voice trailed off as she realised she couldn’t exactly tell her father how she’d fallen for Jesse when he’d saved her from a vampire. Not if she didn’t want a rubber-walled room at The Sunnydale Sanatorium.

"Jesse what?" her father looked down at her.

"Nothing," she whispered in defeat.

"Good girl," her father patted on her head in a similar way to the way her mom patted the family’s pet Pekinese. "I’m sure you’ll find a much more suitable partner soon. A girl with your looks and money. Remember dear you’re a Chase! Status matters!"

"Yeah great," she whispered as her father strode away. That was all that mattered to him, what high society thought of her boy-friend, not how he treated her. She smiled as a plan occurred. Daddy’s little girl was going to give him a lesson in strategy.

* * *

"Bugger this!" Spike stalked the factory floor, kicking packaging as he did so. "Wanna tell us why we haven’t moved against this Slayer bint yet?"

"Ach, sit down laddie," his grand-sire exclaimed. "You said yourself this gal different from the bints we’ve slain before. We need to study her, lull her into thinking you’ve left town and then we’ll have her. Besides," the Irish vampire glanced down to the newly turned bad girl beside him, "I’ve got to get to know this lassie a wee bit better yet." His grand-sire winked. "Be seeing ya later boyo," Angelus chuckled before dragging a giggling Shelia back to their quarters and kicking the door shut behind him.

"Oh William, Daddy’s gone to have some fun with his naughty girl." He looked up to his dark princess stood in the doorway of their room, wearing nothing but a flimsy slip and a manical gleam. "William," Dru trilled. "I’ve been a proper naughty girl."

Spike grinned slowly. "Have you now?" he swaggered over to his sire’s side.

"Oh yes," Dru nodded. "Had naughty thoughts about cheating on my William!"

"I think," he slid a finger down her swanlike neck, loving the chill of her dead flesh under his hand. "You need to be punished."

Dru clapped her hands together and bounced up and down on the spot. "Oh goody!"

* * *

"You’re on crack!"

"What’s wrong with my plan?"

Faith stared at her companion, unable to believe her friend’s stupidity. "Oh where to begin? How about how are we supposed to get invited to a frat party?" Okay, so not so much a stretch for either of them, both of them knew how to get guys to do what they wanted. "How are we supposed to get this past G? Fuck, Xan and Jesse will shit if they ever found out! Girl," she lowered her voice to a whisper as she leaned across the table, "you related to Custer, ‘cause your logic is so screwed!"

"No, it isn’t." As usual Cor was unfazed by her intensity. If nothing else, the fact her best friend wasn’t a sheep made things interesting. "We get Willow to cover for us. Use an excuse of having to study for a test as cover, pretend we’re staying at hers."

"But -."

"I need you to come as muscle," Cordelia put in. "I have to go, then I can tell my father how lecherous they were at this party and how much more chivalrous Jesse is."

"You realise how dumb this sounds?" Faith protested feebly.

"Oh come on. A party, older guys, loud music, dancing, and booze! A night off from Slaying?"

A night off did sound tempting, and they hadn’t seen any sign of Spike or Dru in over two weeks, things had been real tame…. Finally she nodded. "Fine," she conceded. "I’ll do it."

"Great!" her friend beamed at her. "Now here’s a list of fashion dos and don’ts."

Faith groaned. Why did she feel she’d made a very big mistake?

* * *

"Oh no!" Willow shook her head, her eyes wide. "Lying to Giles never ends well. Remember the Cruz episode?"

Faith started to nod in agreement. "Willow," Cordelia had a scary glint in her eye. "I happen to know a Wicca who wants a very expensive magical book."

Faith snorted, that’d never work. "You can’t bu-."

Her voice trailed off as the red-head’s eyes lit up and the trainee Wicca extended a handshake. "Deal!"

"Okay," Faith muttered. "My mistake. Willow can be bought."

* * *

"I don’t think you can skip patrol on Saturday," Giles replied. "Just because the paranormal is more normal and less paranormal of late is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down."

Faith rolled her eyes. "I haven't let my guard down."

Giles walked around the back of her. "Oh, really? You yawned your way through weapons training last week, you skipped hand-to-hand entirely... Are you going be prepared if a demon springs up behind you and does this?" Faith’s hand shot up to grab the Englishman’s arm, spinning around behind him and forcing his arm up his back. She yawned as the librarian turned around to face her, his face pained. "I'm not a demon. Which is why you should let go now."

She obeyed immediately. "See, Red is gonna show us how to take her computer apart and put it together," Faith babbled. "We need to know for computer class."

Giles stared at her for a second before nodding. "Very well. Things have been quiet. You deserve a night off, myself, Jenny, and the boys can do a sweep through."

"Great," Faith forced a smile. So why did she feel so guilty?

* * *

"Oh!"

Angelus looked at his childe, irritated at her interrupting him feeding on a blonde haired cheerleader type. "What is it Dru?" he asked, blood dripping from his fangs, before returning to his feeding.

"Oh the naughty Slayer is playing truant," Dru giggled, her eyes taking on a faraway look that he recognised as her vision look. "She's going to a party, but it's no-one's

birthday... Bad Slayer... Naughty Slayer, Grrr..." His childe momentarily vamped out. If the Watcher finds out he will make her and her friend sit in the corner. Can I go to the party..?"

"Is that right?" Angelus threw his victim into the alley’s shadows, the woman drained empty but his attention moving to that sweetest of vintage. He licked his lips clean. "Um yummy." He’d seen the Slayer patrol, watched her from a distance. One on one she would be tricky, but with Dru and Spike, easy meat. He grinned. Maybe they could take their time, have some fun before finishing her. "You know where she is?" Dru nodded. "Lead the way." He slapped Spike on the shoulder. "We’ll feed well tonight boyo!"

* * *

"This is it!" Cordelia hit the brakes of her sports car, the suddenness of the stop making Faith real grateful for her seatbelt. "Doesn’t it look great!" she exclaimed.

"Great," she mechanically replied as she stared up at the turn of the century hacienda-style building.

Cordelia looked at her. "Cheer up Faith, look around you. See all the BMWs and Mercedes. This place smells of money!"

Faith looked at her friend. The cheerleader had changed into a black mini with a matching waistcoat over a white silk blouse, while she’d changed into her new leather hipsters and matching sleeveless black midriff top. They looked like a million dollars, but she felt like crap. "Let’s get this over with."

"Okay, but stay close," Cordy admonished.

"Don’t worry," she replied. She had Xander, there was no fucking way she was letting some random guy drag her into the back. Her and X were way too good together for that.

* * *

"Is that Cordelia Chase?" Jeremy nodded at Arthur’s question. "Man she’s hot. And who’s the sex-bomb with her?"

"Some chick from her school, didn’t catch her name," he replied.

"Too busy peering down Chase’s top?" Lewis suggested.

"Something like that," he laughed. "The punch ready?"

"Oh yeah," Arthur replied. "We’ll have ourselves a party tonight!"

He grinned. "Count on it."

* * *

"It’s cold," Xander commented.

G-Man shot him a disgusted look. "Cold?" the Englishman sniffed. "You don’t have an idea what cold is. Now in England -."

"Oh no," Jenny groaned. "Now you’ve got him started on the wonders of England. Next he’ll be telling us all about fish ‘n’ chips, roast beef and Yorkshire pud, and Bubble ‘n’ Squeak."

Xander shook his head as the two adults of the group started to bicker good-naturedlyr. The Watcher had missed the point, he wasn’t cold because of the weather, he was cold because of fear. This was their first patrol without Faith, and while he’d eagerly anticipated in the past, now it was here his stomach was churning. And looking at Jesse and Jonathan’s pensive faces, they also shared his attack of nerves.

* * *

"This the place Dru?" his childe nodded. He patted her on the shoulder, ignoring for now Spike’s possessive glare. If his grand-childe got ideas above his station, well he’d just have to slap him back down. He stared up at the three-storey building before crouching and picking a crumpled party flyer up off the ground. He chuckled, that’d do as an invite. "Aye you’ve done grand work tonight -."

"Hey Shel!" he turned to see Shelia being gestured to by a tall college type. "You got the money you owe me?"

Shelia glanced at him for guidance. "Have your fill," he instructed. "But don’t turn anyone." His girl-friend smiled and ran off. He turned to Spike and Dru. "Let’s be seeing what’s so special about this Slayer then," he commented before leading his companions towards the frat house. He smiled as he heard the blaring music. They’d soon be replacing it with screams.

* * *

Xander hurried after the vampire they’d caught attempting to drag into a young man into the car. Xander grimaced, he really, really hated running especially after vampires who were several times faster than him. He groaned as the demon leapt over a park bench, effortlessly clearing it. "No way am I going to do that!"

Suddenly Jesse darted out of the darkness ahead of the demon. He watched as his best friend slammed into the vampire, knocking her to the ground. The female vampire flung his friend off her and leapt to her feet.

Just in time for him to catch up and crack a left hook in her jaw, knocking the demon back down. Before she had time to react he was sat on top of her ample chest. He had to admit she was a beauty, waist-length, coal-black hair, chocolate brown eyes, and full lips. He drew back his stake to finish her. "WAIT!" the female vampire screamed even as Jesse crawled over and grabbed her arms, restraining her. "You’re the Slayer’s friends right?" he nodded. "Angelus knows she’s at a party tonight, Dru had a vision, and they’ve all gone a hunting."

Shocked, Xander dropped his stake. The vampire growled and pulled loose of Jesse, her hands lunging up and to grab his throat. And exploded into dust when a gasping G-Man staggered up and thrust his stake home. "Bloody hell Xander!" the Watcher reproved. "Try and pay attention! We don’t have Faith’s advantages!"

"A big chest?" Jesse paled at their combined glares. "Never mind."

After a final scowl at Jesse, he turned to G-Man. "The vampire said The Scourge are still in town." The Watcher groaned. "And that," he swallowed nervously, he’d seen hints of the Englishman’s temper and really didn’t want to ignite it, but he sorta had to, "that Faith and Cordy aren’t at Willow’s." It was his turn to gulp when Giles scowled. "They’re at a party."

* * *

"Hi girls."

Faith wrinkled at her nose at the alcoholic stench coming from the frat boy even as he leered down her top. That answered that question, rich drunks were just the same as poor drunks. "Eyes up," she warned.

"What?" the Letterman looked up and grinned. "You wouldn’t wear that top if you weren’t willing to share."

"Okay," Faith intercepted the man’s hand as he made to paw her, bending his finger to breaking point and bringing him to his knees. "Time out. Listen bud, I’m not some frat party or football team favour. I’m one pissed off bitch you do not want to mess with, you dig?" The wide-eyed footballer nodded. "Good!" She turned to Cordy. "We’re leaving."

"Ah lassie, you’ll not be going anywhere."

* * *

Giles impatiently paced the pavement in front of his car while he waited for his call to be answered. "Hello?"

"Willow, could I speak to Faith?" his heart dropped at the trainee Wicca’s sharp intake of breath. "Willow?"

"Uh, she’s sort of busy," the hacker vacillated.

"Willow?"

The firm note in his voice was enough to break the witch’s defences. "You see it wasn’t her idea," the witch babbled. "Or even mine. Cordy wanted to go to a party to show her father how much better Jesse was than other boys." Giles blinked, the logic of that girl bemused him. "But she bribed-."

"Where are they?" he interrupted, his voice tight.

* * *

Faith turned at the voice behind her. Her heart dropped as she exchanged a worried glance with Cordy. They were so fucked. Spike and Dru flanking a darkly handsome stud she didn’t recognise but who, judging by the way the two other demons deferred to him, had to be Angelus. "Oh crap."

"Ah lassie," Angelus smirked at her. "Spike said ya were a looker and he was right about that and no mistake. How about giving us a kiss?"

"Get fucked," she blustered.

"Ah," a chill ran through her at the Irish demon’s leer. "We’ll be getting to that later." The vampire charged her, she met him with a side thrust kick to the chest that sent him flying into the wall behind. "Get her!"

* * *

"That stupid bloody girl!" Giles raged as his car sped around a corner, narrowly missing a van parked opposite. Xander thought about mentioning the Englishman was driving on the wrong side but decided a fatal crash was preferable to risking the librarian’s wrath. Best have it stay directed at its rightful target – Faith. He just hoped she was healthy enough to hear G-Man’s lecture.

"Giles!" Jesse screamed as the Englishman veered off the road and powered across the park, swerving wildly between the trees. "Watch out!"

"Do you want to get out?" the Brit snarled.

Jesse gulped. "Not at this speed."

* * *

Drusilla was first to attack, gliding in like some graceful angel of death. Ducking beneath the vampire’s claws, Faith slammed a fist into the demon’s jaw, snapping her head back. "C!" Faith roared over the ensuing mayhem, the party’s music giving way to terrified screams. "Get everyone into one of the back rooms."

"What about you?" her friend yelled back.

"I’ll be five by five," she lied, sliding away from a right to the face from Spike only to catch a bruising knee to the lower back from Dru. Stumbling backwards, she grabbed a chair and flung it at Dru, the vampire knocked the chair away but the brief second it bought her was enough for her to knock a table over between them, and snap a table leg off. She threw her hair back and smiled. "Who’s first? The Loon? The Midget? Or," she blew Angelus a kiss. "Tall Dark and Dumb?"

"You’ll pay for that," Angelus growled as he shoved his children aside to move towards her.

"Figured I would." It was an effort, but Faith managed to keep an even tone. Fuck, he was a scary bastard, he somehow had more presence than Lothos or even the Master. "So," she challenged. "How about giving me a deposit?"

* * *

Angelus chuckled. "I like you lass." She was different from the three Slayers he’d killed and the two he’d seen William kill, stronger, more spirited. "If you weren’t a Slayer, I’d turn ya."

"Lucky me," the raven-haired beauty smirked. "Always wanted to spend my time living in a crypt. Now, come on. I’m dying of boredom here."

"Not much chance of that," he declared before charging forward. He’d barely taken two steps when the lass leapt into the air, cannoning into him with a dropkick to the face. Grunting with pain, he grabbed the Slayer while she was still airborne and flung her into the nearest wall.

The Slayer bounced off the wall and onto the table beside it, breaking the table with the impact and depositing the contents of the punch bowl all over her. "Spike," he watched as the brunette rolled up to her feet. "Make sure none of them make a break for it. I’ll be teaching this wee one some manners. Don’t worry," he smiled at the small girl, "we’ll all have some fun with her before we’ve finished."

* * *

Cordelia looked at the scared drunks with disgust. Pathetic, she’d spent the past five minutes trying to persuade them to help but all they wanted to do was cower and hold the door against the vampires. And now the sound of fighting had died down. There had to be a way out of the room. Spying a window she grabbed a chair and dragged it and a nearby footballer over. "Break that window!" she ordered in her best Queen C voice. She had to help her friend.

* * *

Shelia threw the football star to the ground, the third male she’d killed since her great-grand sire had unleashed her, and threw her head back and laughed. She thought she’d been alive before but now... Puzzled by a sudden light, she turned to face it. And screamed as a car slammed into her, lifting her off her feet and flinging her into the building side.

* * *

Faith grunted as she hit the floor for the seventh time during the brief fight, her entire body one big bruise, blood dripping down her face from her mouth and nose, her right eye swollen shut. If there was one, well she could take Dru and maybe Angelus, but together… She looked up and spat at the grinning vampire. "My Ma hit harder than ya," she blustered.

Angelus laughed before kicking her in the ribs, leaving her wheezing for air. "Still defiant?" She groaned as the demon grabbed her hair and yanked her head up, pain shooting through her scalp. "I think we haven’t been trying, what do you think Dru?"

The loon, Angelus had the power but this bitch was way scarier, clapped her hands. "So pretty. Daddy, can I keep her as a toy? A companion for Miss Edith? Oh can I?"

"Sorry my sweet," the sire kissed his childe on her bruised forehead, she’d got some shots in, "a Slayer’s too dangerous to keep alive." The female pouted. "But you can have her eyes as marbles."

"Hey asshole," Faith’s heart dropped at Cordelia’s voice. The Irish vampire turned. "Holy water!" her friend flung a cup of water into the demon’s face. The demon’s hands flew up to his face and Cor went for a staking only for the vampire to backhand her across the room.

"You think you can trick me?" Faith blinked as she realised her friend hadn’t thrown anything but ordinary tap water into the vamp’s face as a distraction. Man, she was clinical. "Time," she shivered as the vampire morphed into his demonic face, "to end this."

"Oh, I couldn’t agree more."

* * *

Slamming the door shut, Giles cast a dispassionate look at the gothic vampire limping away from her collision with his car. "No," he growled at Jonathan as the diminutive youth started after her. "Our priority’s in there." That stupid bloody girl, his heart tightened to an almost painful extent, she better be alright.

* * *

Angelus glanced towards the doorway. "Ah, and you’ll be the Watcher and her friends," he was careful to keep one eye on the Watcher, one on the Slayer as he kicked the beautiful teen in the chest. "Come to watch her die." He watched as the Slayer’s companion was helped to her feet by another gorgeous brunette, bloody hell even if this town wasn’t the Hellmouth he’d consider staying just for the women. "And what’ll be your name love?"

"Oh daddy," Dru trilled from beside him. "It’s the fibbing Romany, lies to her man she does."

"That’s great Dru," Angel replied. Sometimes he really regretted driving the seer nuts before turning her. "Could you-."

He grunted when a foot slammed into the back of his leg, knocking him forward a step. Spinning round, he found the Slayer rolling up onto one knee. He slammed a fist into her forehead before she could regain her feet, knocking her onto her back. The Slayer rolled backwards and up, her fists held ready for a fight. Angelus smiled, even beaten and bloodied, she was still fighting. Such spirit.

He took a step towards the supernatural warrior. Sensing a arrow flying through the air behind him, he spun around and caught it. He growled in frustration, there wasn’t time. Turning back to the Slayer, he forced a smile. "Be seeing you Slayer."

"Count on it!" she snarled.

Grinning at her defiance, he turned to Dru and grabbed her hand. "Spike!" he roared to his childe. "Change of plans, out of the back window!" he smiled at the Watcher. "Be seeing you to be sure!"

* * *

Willow and Amy rose as they entered, apparently summonsed here by G. Even as Red opened her mouth to speak G got there first. "I can’t believe you’d do that!" Her Watcher paced the shadowy library, stopping occasionally to glare at her, his intensity making her squirm. "Betray your duty in such a stupid manner!"

"G-."

"Did you learn nothing from Cruz last year!"

Wincing at that reminder of her inglorious past and anxious to deflect Giles’ anger, Faith glanced desperately around, looking for a distraction. Seeing JC looking on, she plunged in. "What did that crazy bitch mean when she looked at you and called ya ‘the fibbing Romany’? What the fuck was that about?"

The techno-pagan’s face paled at the question. Giles stepped towards her, obviously looking to take her in his arms, but the computer teacher retreated before beginning to speak, her voice faltering. "It was 1897, one hundred years ago. My tribe suffered a grievous loss at the hands of the Scourge, Angelus raped and murdered a favoured daughter of the tribe, a young girl that at the time of her first bleeding would have been become the most powerful witch in several centuries. In vengeance, my people attempted an ensoulling -."

"Black magic!"

Faith glanced at Red, noting in passing how ashen her Watcher looked. "You what Red?"

"The ensoulling of a vampire, giving a soul to a demon is one of the blackest spells," explained the wide-eyed hacker. "I’ve read the theory of it in books," Giles glared at the red-head, the Jewess gulped. "Books I’m not supposed to read. Eep."

"But the spell was unsuccessful, Drusilla and William the Bloody came upon the wise women of my tribe as they cast it and massacred them. But there was a prophecy – ‘Three of the Scourge at The Mouth Of Hell one hundred years after their crime against our people’. My people -."

"You knew," Faith shuddered, the temperature of the room dropping at G’s suddenly cold voice. "You knew that there was a chance of Angelus being here with the other two but you didn’t feel fit to warn us?"

Jenny had paled. Boy was she glad that it was teach who was the subject of G’s ire now, fuck English was scary. "My people sent me here to enact their revenge to oversee the vampires’ deaths. Rupert-."

"Faith," she gulped when her Watcher glared at her, she figured she might still be taking a trip to the wood-shed judging from the look in his eyes, "lied to us. But her untruth could be put down to the foolishness of youth." Oh yeah, she was using that defence – anything to get out of the crap. "But you are a full-grown woman, fully understanding of the evils out there."

"My people insisted -."

"Yes," G stepped towards the teacher, then stepped back, his head shaking. For a second there she thought G was going to go postal on teach’s ass. "It’s apparent where your loyalties lie, to your people. To the extent," she wouldn’t have thought it possible but G’s face hardened still further. "You manipulated my feelings." Giles turned and walked into his office. "Get out Miss. Calendar, I have no wish to see you again."

"Rupert," the teacher started after G but she blocked her path.

"You’re on my last nerve teach," Faith lowered her voice, still she was sure that the others stood around her in the library could hear her. "You lied and betrayed us all, but that’s not the biggie. You use the finest guy I’ve ever known, the only pa I’ve ever had. Now get out."

The techno-pagan swallowed. "Faith-."

"You wanna keep those pretty looks so you can lie to the next guy, you leave now," Faith glared at the teacher. "Otherwise, prepare to be eating out of a straw for the next month."

"Faith!" exclaimed Red. "You can’t hit a teacher!"

"Not really the point Red," Faith’s gaze didn’t shift from the teacher. "Get. Out."

"Faith, maybe you should calm down."

"Sorry X," she shook her head. She’d fucked up tonight, but next to what the teacher had done…. "She hurt G. Nobody hurts him," she clenched her fist. "You going?" The tutor opened her mouth then nodded, turned, and walked out of the dark library, her heels clicking on the floor. There was a long silence after the door closed behind the raven-haired tutor. "C," Faith glanced at her pale-faced best friend. "Can you give X a ride home? I’m gonna stay here for a while, make sure G’s okay."

"You sure you don’t want any company?"

She shook her head at Xan’s question. "No thanks hon," she replied. Things might get ugly with G. Nothing he’d ever do could change her opinion of him, but she didn’t want her friends’ image of G tarnishing. "Just want some alone time, k?"

After a second, Xan nodded and sighed. "Okay," he stepped up to her and kissed on the cheek. "But if you need-."

"You’re on speed-dial lover," she reassured her boyfriend. "Now go."

After the others had left, Faith took a breath and turned to the lit office. Her legs heavy and her stomach churning, she strode over and knocked on the door. When she received no answer, she opened the door a crack and peered in.

G was sat behind the desk with his head in his hands, a wild, frightening look in his eyes, made worse by the desk light shining in his face. Swallowing her fear, Faith stepped through the doorway. "Hey G, you need anything?"

"Leave me alone Faith," her Watcher’s voice was a dull, lifeless monotone.

"G, it’s dark. We need to be getti-."

"Just bugger off!"

She flinched at the anger in her Watcher’s voice and the sudden fury in his eyes. "Sure G," she backed out of the room. "I’ll be on the library couch if you need anything. See you in the morn."

A/N: Thanks to Mike for his input. We don’t always agree (usually because I’m wrong apparently), but it’s always interesting.

"That’s the last of the costumes Mr. Rayne."

Ethan nodded at the deliveryman. "Thank you my good man." He looked around the massed array of costumes and smiled. Not for him the commonplace, the mundane. No his costumes were of sports and entertainment stars, historical individuals, mythical figures, comic book heroes, and movie and cartoon characters. "Oh," he muttered. "The chaos."

He looked up at the sound of the door opening. "I’m sorry, we’re not open ye-," his voice trailed off as he recognised the interloper and sensed the power coming off him.

"Well gosh I know," the newcomer replied with a smile that didn’t reach into his eyes. "But I’m always eager to meet businessmen new to my town. Especially," the politician nodded to one of his aides who carried in a 17^th century European noblewoman’s dress, "when he can help me with a little job. You see, I have a young lady who I think this dress would be just perfect for."

Ethan smiled slowly as the public servant finished his explanation. "I can do that." Indeed, he glanced at the dress, it would fit in perfectly with his plans.

"Excellent," Wilkins beamed. "What a civic minded gentlemen!"

* * *

Seeing his girl-friend stood by her open locker, Xander hurried over. "Hey!" he exclaimed, Faith smiled back at him. "So what we doing tonight?" Xander asked with a grin. "A little patrolling maybe? Making out somewhere?"

"Actually," Faith smirked at him. "Vamps and stuff take Halloween off remember?" Xander nodded, oh yeah he’d forgot. "So I was figuring that maybe you could come round, bring a vid, snuggle up on the couch."

"Sounds good," he leaned in for a kiss.

"Now there’ll be none of these public sex displays in my school!"

He groaned first at Snyder’s voice and then the glint in Faith’s eyes. "Oh boy," he muttered. "Trouble." With a capital T.

"That wasn’t sex sir," Faith grinned. "We do the public displays of that ‘round the back don’t we X?" Xander winced.

"HUH!" He looked over to see Snyder’s face was beetroot red. "Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, one pathetic cry for help after another."

Faith smirked. "However did you guess?" His girl-friend blinked when the principal grabbed her by the elbow. "What the he-, heck are ya doing?"

The pint-sized educator smirked at the Slayer as he lead her to the sign-up table for the volunteers to lead kids trick ‘n’ treating. "Well, not this year, missy. I’ve got just the thing to keep you out of trouble."

Faith’s eyes grew saucer-sized. "You have got to be shit-."

"I’ll pretend to ignore that swear word simply because if you’re in detention," Snyder passed Faith a pen, "you can’t be guiding those brats around. HARRIS!" He froze in his retreat. "Come here and bring the rest of your gang with you!"

"Sir," he moaned.

"Now Harris!"

* * *

"I can’t believe that," Faith pouted as she dropped into her boyfriend’s lap as he sat in the lounge. "My one day off a year and what happens? That jackass ropes me into baby-sitting duty!"

"Hey," Xander ruffled her hair, something that only he could do without getting his hand ripped off. "Don’t be down. This has possibilities."

"Oh yeah?" Faith looked her boyfriend full in the eyes. "Really not seeing them."

"Jesse had an idea-."

Faith groaned. "Boy are we fucked."

"Hey!"

Faith grinned at Jesse’s out-raged look before wriggling on Xan’s lap until she was facing Jesse. "Sorry Jess, spill."

"Well I figured, we could all go as like a theme."

"Oh yeah," Faith cast Cordy a nervous look, going as a theme, sounded way geeky to her. "What theme? ‘Cause no way am I dressing up like Princess Leia, way too cold for a slave-girl outfit in this weather!" Seeing her comment had sent Jesse into a trance, she raised an eyebrow at Cordy.

Who promptly slapped her boyfriend across the back of the head. "Oww!" After a few seconds rubbing his head, the battered youth grinned at her. "No, that wasn’t the idea, although interesting visual," Jesse gulped at Xander’s snarl from behind her. "Anyway, I thought we could go as Marvel characters!"

Jesse’s explanation was met with dead silence as Faith looked around the other girls to see her disdain mirrored in their expressions. "Just because I’m dating a geek doesn’t mean I want to be one!" screeched Cordy.

"No, no," Jesse pulled a comic book out of his bag, "I was thinking you could go as her," the teen hurriedly turned to a page in his comic. "Elektra."

"Wow!" Faith groaned at Cordy’s excited screech. They were doomed. "I’d look so hot in that!" she exclaimed.

Faith didn't know who the hell Elektra was, but she sure as hell wasn’t going as anything so geeky. "No." She stated firmly, desperately racking her brain for a possible Halloween costume of her own. "No." She turned away as Cordelia held the comic up to show her. Now she glanced over at where Jesse was pointing at something in another comic to Xander. "I said 'No'." She stated firmly, "No. No. No and hell no." She repeated, striding over and snatching the comic off them. Waving the crumbled comic between Jesse and Cordelia she tried to explain. "This is my one night off... this is the night I don't have to be some sort of Supergirl. Tell them Xan."

She turned towards her boyfriend for support. Only to find he was staring at her with a glazed expression on his face. "What..?" She asked as it looked like he was beginning to drool.

* * *

"Yo Faith!"

Faith groaned as she looked up to see Larry approaching. "Great," she muttered. "King Sleaze is in the house." ‘Course he weren’t half as bad as some she’d dealt with, but he was a pain. "Yo Lar," she crouched down to get her candy out of the vending machine.

And got her ass felt. Leaping upright, she spun around to face the grinning footballer. "What," she jabbed a finger into his thick chest, "do you think you’re playing at?"

"It’s nice of you doing that charity work with Harris, but how about you trade up to a real man?"

"Oh yeah?" Faith slammed a knee into the boy’s groin. The moment her molester doubled up, she grabbed him by the ear and twisted. "Gee Lar, you wouldn’t know where there were any would ya? Only I don’t think ya qualify." Releasing her grip, she leaned down until she was level with Larry’s face. "FYI, next time you touch me like that I’ll rip it off. And I don’t mean your ear."

* * *

"And you young man?"

Scott Hope smiled uncertainly at the Englishman, there was something a little creepy about him. "Uh, I’d like to be a god maybe?"

"Ah," the shop owner beamed. "Megalomania. I completely approve." He opened his mouth to deny having a disease, he just thought it would be cool to maybe rule the world, but the Englishman grabbed him by the elbow and led him over to a rack of costumes. "Now, perhaps you’d like to be Thor, the god of thunder?"

Scott looked at the shop-owner. "Is he cool?"

"Is he cool?" Irritation flickered in the businessman’s eyes. "In Scandinavian mythology, Thor was the god of thunder, the eldest son of Odin, ruler of the gods. Thor was known as the strongest of the Aesir, the chief gods, whom he helped protect from their enemies, the giants. He had a magic hammer, which he threw with the aid of iron gloves and which always returned to him." The Englishman flashed him a smile that didn’t quite reach into his eyes. "How ‘cool’ is that?"

"I’ll take it," Scott replied.

* * *

"Yes, Attlia the Hun," he nodded at the bulky youth’s question, wondering when they’d get here. The Mayor had said his contacts had induced for them to come. He smiled as the door opened and the Slayer, why she was even more breath-taking in the flesh, and her companions entered. "I’m sure you’ll look fine." His customer glanced over his shoulder to see who’d entered. His face paling, the boy shoved the required cash in his hands and hurried away, taking a circuitous route away from the girl.

A smile on his face, he made his way over. "Hello, and how might I help you?"

"We’ve come to get some Halloween costumes!" exclaimed the youth with an arm around the Slayer’s shoulder.

"That would be why we’re in a costume shop dumbass!" growled the east coast native.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. While her companions were in the Halloween mood, Ripper’s charge clearly wasn’t. Filing that information as potentially useful, he nodded. "Certainly, which costumes in particular are you interested in?"

* * *

Faith sighed as she looked around. Her friends were all getting sorted out with costumes, but she really wasn’t interested. She didn’t recognise most of the characters, and those she did were taken. "May I help you my dear?"

She glanced up to the shop’s owner. Ever since meeting G she’d always related the English accent with safety, but this Brit gave her the creeps in a major way. Concealing her disdain behind a bland expression, she shrugged. "Ain’t seeing nothing that gets me," she admitted.

"No," the shop owner nodded. "I don’t blame you. I have just the costume for you."

Faith looked at the man. "Oh yeah?" she was kinda intrigued, but if he offered something sleazy she was breaking his jaw. "Like what?"

"Please," the man smiled. Damn, he had an oily smile, kinda made her stomach curdle. "Follow me."

Her breath caught at the red flowing gown. "Well shit," she breathed. Man, she’d look the bomb in that.

"Quite," agreed the transplanted Englishman. "It’s definitely you. The inner princess."

"I don’t know," Faith shook her head. "I couldn’t afford that."

"I’m sure we can work something out."

Faith’s head snapped towards the man, her gaze hot enough to scorch wallpaper. "I don’t know what you thin-."

"No dear," the suddenly pale-faced man shook his head. "I merely meant that having my costume on you would be the best advertisement my little business could have. Just promise you’ll tell any admirers that you got it from me."

Faith nodded. "It’s a dea-."

"Oh Faith," she groaned at X’s whining voice behind her. "I was thinking you could go as the She-Hulk."

"Yeah, but," she turned with the outfit. "Can you imagine how hot I’d look in this?"

After a second, Xander smiled. "I don’t want to just imagine," the teen declared.

"Excellent!" the shop owner interrupted. "Now you’ve all chosen, how about I bill you all?"

* * *

Ethan hid his excitement as the teens left. The Slayer had her costume, everything would go as planned. It was just a shame the red-head had run back in and demanded a ghost costume instead, he’d hastily found a sheet but it wasn’t the same as her original costume, still it would have to do. "Wonderful," he muttered. He turned to find himself being watched by a diminutive, purple-haired youth. Slightly off-put by the youth’s steady gaze it took him a few seconds to regain his composure. "And how I might help you young man?"

The youth stared at him for a few more seconds before replying. "Got any musical costumes?"

"A few," he motioned for the youth to follow him. "So you’re a musician."

"I can almost play ‘Rocking All Over The World’."

Ethan chuckled at the youth’s deadpan reply. Ah humour that wasn’t slapstick, how delightful. And in a yank, how unusual. "I can see you’re a virtuoso. Now, what’s your poison? Singer? Guitarist? Pianist? Drummer?"

"Guitars."

"Ah," he pulled an Afro off a shelf. "Perhaps Hendrix?"

The teen looked doubtful. "He was a little wasteful with his guitars," the boy commented.

Ethan gazed at the youth appraisingly. For some reason he wanted this teen’s costume to be perfect. He sensed this boy was quiet, his music perhaps the only thing he took seriously, not a showman but a technical perfectionist. Just like… He smiled. "How about," he pulled a suit off a coat hanger, "George Harrison?"

The boy smiled slightly. "Gear."

* * *

"Uh you promise not to laugh?"

Giles sighed wearily. His charge had hurried into his inner office muttering something about meeting the others here and having to change. "I promise." For such a self-confident girl she had terrible bouts of doubt. As if he would ever laugh. He was far too attached to his arms for that.

"Coming." His breath caught when his daughter walked out wearing a trailing red 17^th century noblewoman’s dress. "What ya think?" Faith’s face fell when he failed to answer. "If you think this is bad you should've seen the skin-tight lycra Xander and Jesse wanted me to wear."

"You look wonderful." Standing, he walked over to his girl and took her hands in his.

"Really?"

"No father could be prouder," he replied.

Faith dazzled him with her smile. "Thanks -."

The door flew open. Instantly Faith stepped backwards, unwilling as always to show what she perceived a second of weakness before others. "Well," his Slayer spun around in a circle. "What do you think X?"

Xander’s jaw dropped open and his eyes bulged. "Wow, ooh, man, you look, wow."

"I think he likes it," Giles commented dryly. "Tell me, who are you all?"

Xander shook his head as if clearing it before speaking. "I’m," the teen pointed at himself, indicating first his eyepatch, then his sidearm, and finally his combat fatigues. "Nick Fury."

"Who?"

Xander’s eyes widened. "You don’t know? Nick Fury is Marvel Comics’," Giles muffled a groan, he might have guessed, "answer to James Bond. He’s trained as a paratrooper, Ranger, demolitions expert and vehicle specialist. He’s completed Green and Black Beret Special Forces training, and has been an agent of the OSS and a liaison with MI5."

""Quite an impressive resume... what's more amazing is the fact you can remember all that but yet don't know who Joan of Arc was."," he turned to a gi wearing Jesse. "And you?"

A grin on his face, Jesse bowed at his waist. "I am Shang-Chi, the world’s greatest Kung Fu champion, an expert in any number of martial arts. And also the expert in any number of weapons, including nunchukus."

The grinning boy produced a pair and began to spin them over his head. Giles opened his mouth to warn the youth to be careful. Just as they cracked into the side of the teen’s head. "Idiot," Giles muttered before turning to Jonathan who was wearing a purple and blue costume and mask with a longbow in his hand and a quiver on his back. "I suppose from the lack of green you’re not Robin Hood?"

"Uh no," Jonathan looked nonplussed rather than amused by his joke. Bloody yanks, no understanding of humour. "I’m Hawkeye. He trained himself to become an expert archer with near-perfect accuracy with extensive training as an aerialist and acrobat, and personal tutoring by Captain America in hand-to-hand combat." The youth smiled. "I chose the costume because I like our archery lessons."

Giles smiled at the youth. Jonathan was far from a natural athlete but he had a big heart. "And you Miss. Chase," his eyes fairly boggled at the brunette beauty’s outfit of figure-hugging red PVC pants and bra top, "who are you?"

"Elektra, former girl-friend of Daredevil and a bounty hunter and assassin. Expert at a number of martial arts and," the young woman produced a pair of sai blades, "expert with these."

"Splendid." He turned to an entirely-dressed in black Amy. "And you?"

"I’m the Black Widow, a former KGB agent who now works for SHIELD."

Giles smiled to himself, it was good to see them being children and not warriors for once. "Well you all look very nice," he squinted as he realised one of Faith’s group was missing. "Where’s Willow?"

"Uh here," the red-head sneaked in wearing a white sheet with ‘BOO!’ written on it.

"Which Marvel character are you?" he demanded

"Just a ghost."

Xander glared at the red-head. "Someone chickened out."

"Ah," sensing tension he changed the subject. "So why are none of you are Dan Dare?"

"Who?" asked Xander, a look of confusion on his face.

He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."

* * *

"This could be fun," Xander commented.

"Fun?" Faith muttered as she regarded the kids milling by the tables with their parents. "Fuckin’ baby-sitting, are you like brain-dead?"

"Now what do we have here?" he groaned at Snyder’s voice. "You think I’m going to let you go as a couple?" the teacher snorted. "I don’t think so. You two will be too busy making-out to notice the brat-, children. McNally! You’re with Giles! Rosenberg with Harris! Chase, you go with Madison and Levinson!" The principal smiled. "That should cut into any fun you were planning. Now, collect your kids and have them back for seven."

* * *

"Oh the stars, the stars, they’re singing to me!"

Spike looked at his grand-sire, his eyebrow raised. Since their run-in with the Slayer a fortnight ago, they’d been lying low, licking their wounds. They’d done all too much of that since coming to Sunnydale in his opinion. "Oh yeah luv?" he turned to his dancing sire. "What they saying to you princess?"

The insane seer got a sly look in her eyes. "They’re singing. Telling me about magic in the air."

"What magic Dru?" Angelus growled impatiently.

His sire whimpered at the Irish vampire’s tone. "The Slayer’s gonna change, become a lost little proper lady, like I was before Daddy came and found me."

"Is that right?" Spike looked across to his suddenly grinning grand-sire. The Irish vampire rose. "Shelia! Get the troops together we’re having a party!" Angelus grabbed him by the shoulders and stared into his eyes. "Every one of her friends dies."

* * *

"The world that denies thee, thou inhabit." Ethan dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger and smeared it over his right eyelid, even as he continued to stare at the half-male, half-female profile of Janus. "The peace that ignores thee,..."

He dabbed the blood from his right hand with his left middle finger and smeared it over his left eyelid. "Thou corrupt." He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again and smeared a cross onto his forehead. "Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son."

* * *

"I can’t believe you Will," Willow rolled her eyes at Xander’s head shake as they led the kids up to the front of one of the houses. "I mean chickening out like this-."

"Hey!" Willow defended. "There was no chickening out. You never accused Faith of chickening out."

Xander snorted. "You’ve met my girl-friend right?"

Willow opened her mouth to reply. And then it all went black.

* * *

Willow looked up, her head ringing. "Xander?" she quavered. Forcing herself to stand, she looked around. "Oh not good." All around her demons were running about, vandalising property and fighting amongst themselves. She looked down to find her sheet had fallen off. She reached down to pick it up.

"EEP!" She squealed as her hand passed through it. "Oh this is not good," she muttered. "I’m a ghost."

* * *

Nick Fury looked around, his brow furrowed in confusion. Last thing he remembered he was in a briefing at SHIELD HQ. Now he was, where exactly? Seeing something that resembled a werewolf tearing up a tree, he drew his gun, readied it and aimed. "Don’t Xander!"

He blinked when a young red-head stepped in front of him. "Move aside miss," he ordered.

"No, listen to me Xander."

"Name’s Fury mam," he sighted his gun again

"No it isn’t!" The red-head shouted. He blinked. For a shy-looking thing she had pitch. "You’re my best friend Xander Harris! Me, you, and Jesse have been friends for like forever and we hang around in a gang. With your girl-friend and everything," the girl’s face paled, "who’s right now running around screaming her head off on account of the noblewoman costume she was wearing. Oh crap."

"Okay," Nick pulled up his gun. It was crazy, and yet in his time he’d heard, met, and done crazier. "So you’re saying it’s Halloween, and everyone’s," he cast a cautious glance around, "been turned into their costumes?" the red-head nodded. "So how come you haven’t?"

"I have," the girl looked scared. "I’m a ghost."

"Okay," he put his hand through her. "Weird. I’ll have to call Doc. Strange-," he winced. "Oh hell, can’t." He looked at the girl again. He wasn’t used to ceding control to anyone, least of all a high schooler, but at least she knew what she was going on. "What do you suggest Willow?" He grimaced, what sort of parent named their kid after foliage anyhow?

* * *

Shang-Chi executed a flawless judo throw, flinging the five hundred pound scale-covered monster headfirst into a tree. The tree shook with the impact, but ultimately won the battle, while it stayed upright, the demon slumped to the ground. Turning around, he shook his head when he saw the beautiful noblewoman he’d been with running in the other direction. "It’s women like her meditation was made to deal with," he muttered before chasing after her.

Even as he approached the woman, her high heels making her escape difficult, a trio figures stepped out in front of her. She promptly fainted. Again. Quelling his dismay, he stepped over the woman’s body and looked at the three newcomers, a striking brunette, a short bowman, and a pretty black-clad blonde. "I can’t allow you to hurt her," he said calmly.

"They’re not going to hurt anyone." He didn’t turn at the voice behind him, just concentrated. Two behind him. "Jesse we’re on the same side."

"Who’s Jesse?" he asked.

He blinked as a young red-head stepped through him. "I want everyone to calm down." He listened to the young woman talk, hearing tales of Hellmouths, vampires, and magic. But the really far-fetched thing was, he glanced down at the wakening woman at his feet, she was supposed to save the world? "I believe we’re all doomed," he muttered before helping her to her feet. "Miss," he kept his tone low so not to scare her, "what year is it?"

"1775, I believe," the girl looked around. " I-I don't understand. Who are you?"

"We're friends," the Willow girl replied. The red-head looked around. "I suggest we get inside before we come across anything..."

Suddenly the woman began screaming. "A DEMON! A DEMON! A DEMON!" she jumped behind him as a SUV came driving down the street with its headlights on.

Willow sighed. "That's not a demon. It's a car."

The man Willow had introduced as Nick Fury spoke. "Where’s nearest?"

"What? Oh," Willow pouted in thought. "Follow me."

* * *

"All clear!" Nick hurried in. Once the rest of his companions had followed him, he slammed the door shut.

"Where are we?" the girl called Faith demanded. Nick ground his teeth together. God, but she was useless.

"Your place." Willow replied. "Now we just need to..."

"Oh goodness!" He glanced over to see that Faith had lifted a picture off the table of, he glanced at his companions, them all with a middle-aged guy. Well that about clinched it, Willow was telling the truth. "This... this could be me." The brunette shook her head. "NO! I would never wear such low apparel! I don't like this place, and I don't like you, and I just wanna go home!"

"You *are* home!" The so-called Slayer burst into tears. Willow turned to him. "Why couldn’t she go as Xena?"

"Who?" Nick glanced out of the window, catching a glimpse of Elektra out of the corner of his eye. Just great, he knew Black Widow well enough, and Shang-Chi and Hawkeye by reputation. But Elektra? Woman was deadly like a rattler. He didn’t need her at his back while he dealt with whatever was going down.

"Okay. You guys stay here while I get some help. If something tries to get in, just fight it off."

"Well, i-it's not our place to fight. Uh, surely some men will protect us. And," Faith sniffed at him. "What sort of man are you to take orders off a woman."

Nick stared at the noblewoman. "A man with a gun. So shut up." The moment the ghost had walked through the wall, he began shouting orders. "You," he looked at Elektra, "check upstairs. Make sure everything's locked up."

"And," Elektra growled at him. "Who made you boss?"

"Listen," he replied, his even tone hiding his anger. "I get you’re a bad-ass bitch, now can we move past my obvious terror of you and accept I know tactics?"

"Fine!" The woman scowled at him before upstairs.

Nick glared after her. Between the Greek assassin and the noblewoman he was sure he was ending the day with an ulcer. His eyes widened as it caught the photo from before. " She must be right. We must have some kind of amnesia."

Faith bristled. "I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it. I bathe quite often!"

"How do you explain this?" he demanded.

"I don't! I was brought up a proper lady. I-I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty, and then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a Baron."

"Oh brother," Nick groaned. "This ain't no tea party, princess. Sooner or later you're gonna have to fight!"

"Fight these low creatures? I'd sooner die."

Nick opened his mouth to reply. "Can we help?"

He glanced at Shang-Chi and Hawkeye. "Yeah, check the back."

"I’m going with these men," the noblewoman sniffed. "You have no breeding!"

* * *

"Wonderful," Shang-Chi muttered as the prattling noblewoman followed them. In this world she was a fearsome warrior? The world was in trouble in his opinion. He squinted as he realised the back door was open. "Hawkeye, stay with her."

He stepped towards the door. "Argh!" Spinning round he saw a duo of demons bursting out of the basement. One of them levelled Hawkeye with a punch to the side of the head, the other grabbed Faith. Leaping into the air, he caught the demon full in the face with a dropkick, knocking him flying over the kitchen table. Hearing the woman run out of the door, he turned to yell at her to stay but was cut off by a right to the mouth.

Stunned, he stumbled backwards. Catching the demon’s follow-up right cross, he flung it over the kitchen counter. Seeing the other demon rising, he caught it with a spinning backfist that knocked it into the wall. Its eyes dazed, the demon stumbled towards him. In a second he was behind it, applying an aikido hold to its head and neck that despite its greater strength the monster was helpless to resist.

Even as it dropped to the floor and Hawkeye struggled to his feet, Fury and the two women hurried in. "Where’s the girl?"

He pointed out of the door. "She ran off."

"Damn it!" the SHIELD agent growled. "We best catch up."

* * *

Willow blinked and stopped as she saw Harmony as Madonna ‘entertaining’ a crowd outside one of Sunnydale’s many fast food establishments. Shaking her head, she continued on her way. "Like a Virgin?" she snorted. "Yeah, like she’d remember."

* * *

Faith looked around, her heart pounding, tears rolling down her face. Where was her father to protect her now? Lifting her skirt, she started to walk only to stop when a man dressed in a cloak and unwashed loin-cloth stepped out in front of her, waving a sword and revealing a smile that displayed his rotting teeth. He growled something vaguely Germanic.

Turning, she ran away, conscious of the man chasing her. She attempted to increase her pace only to fall over her skirt. She screamed when the barbarian grabbed her by her shoulders as she stood and shoved her into the wall before spinning her around and moving in to kiss her. Suddenly the soldier was there, driving a knee into her assailant’s stomach.

The barbarian grunted before drawing his sword and slashing downwards at her rescuer. The soldier swayed away from the attack before kicking the man’s wrist, knocking his sword in the air. Before her assailant had chance to react, the soldier had slammed a straight right into his jaw, knocking him onto him into the rubbish. The ruffian attempted to rise but caught a foot to his face, ending his struggles.

Seeing a chance, Faith ran into the arms of Shang-Chi. "It’s alright," the strangely-attired man patted her on the back.

* * *

Angelus grinned as he looked at the fights and destruction going on around them. Windows smashed, cars vandalised, and fences knocked down. And that wasn’t even counting the fires. "This is bloody magic!" he declared.

"Aye," Spike commented from beside him. They watched as a Sunnydale High School student dressed as Thor flung a trash can through an electronics shop’s window setting off another alarm to join those already blaring out. "If I met the bastard who caused all this I might not even kill him."

Angelus chuckled before ruffling his grand-childe’s hair. "You think too small. We should turn him! An eternity of havoc!" He turned to their minions. "Remember people there’s a helpless Slayer out there!"

* * *

"A night off from Slaying and training," Giles chuckled as he began to go through his index card system. "Heaven." He adored his Slayer with all his heart, but a night off from her and her friends was sheer bliss. He looked up at the sound of the library door opening. His good mood dissipated at the sight of Jenny walking in, dressed in a pair of figure hugging shorts, a tight-fitting spandex top, and two guns fastened to her back. She looked absolutely ravishing, and yet she was the last person in the world he wanted to see. "Miss Calender," he nodded curtly. "And how might I help you? I wasn’t aware you had any books out?"

The computer teacher’s face fell. "Rupert-."

"Mr Giles please," he interrupted. "Our relationship is strictly professional now." He turned away and continued with his cataloguing, unwilling to allow the teacher to see his pain.

"Rup-, Mr. Giles I understand you feel betrayed."

"Yes," he turned back to the teacher, his face hard. "That’s an unfortunate consequence of betrayal. You manipulated my feelings," seeing the gypsy’s mouth open he continued on, "but far more importantly, you withheld information that put my daughter and her friends’ lives in danger."

"Rupert, I never lied about my feeli-."

"GAH!" Giles jumped up, his cards flying into the air, when Willow walked through the library wall. "You’re a ghost!"

"No," Willow raised an eyebrow. "Really?" The ghost turned to Jenny. "Oh, Lara Croft, really cool, I like the new game." The red head shook her head. "Anyway, your name’s not Lara, it’s Jenny Calendar, and you teach computers at the local high school while also spying on the Slayer for your gypsy tribe."

He and Jenny exchanged puzzled glances. "Willow," he asked slowly. "Miss. Calendar knows who she is. What are you talking about?"

"It’s chaos out there Giles," the trainee Wicca explained. "Everyone’s turned into their costumes."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. "So you’re saying Faith’s been turned into a 17^th century noblewoman?" Giles had to fight the urge to laugh. On one hand it was the funniest thing he’d heard, but on the other…

"Yes," Willow nodded. "But how?"

A very good question. Giles glanced around. Eyes widening in realisation, he returned his gaze returned to Jenny Calendar. "Miss. Calendar, you’re in costume correct?"

"Yes," his former girl-friend nodded.

"And yet, you still retain your identity." Giles tapped his fingers on the desk for a few seconds. So that meant not every one in the town had been affected by whatever, the question was why? "Miss Calendar, where did you get your outfit from?"

"Party-Town."

"And you Miss Rosenberg?"

"We all went to Ethan’s."

"WHAT!" Even in her non-corporeal state, Willow joined Jenny in retreating at his rage. Forcing himself under control, he spoke. "Where is his shop?" Willow told him. He nodded. "Willow go back to the others. I’ll deal with this Ethan."

The red-head looked at him. "Perhaps-."

"Do as I say!" Oh Ethan was going to pay.

"I’ll come with you-."

"No," he shook his head. He didn’t want Miss. Calendar to see what he was about to do. "And you can’t go with Willow either, in her state she can’t be hurt. You can. Stay here!"

* * *

"No it isn’t," Willow declared as she entered the alley where the others were congregated, her heart pounding. "We really need to get somewhere safe," she cast a worried glance behind her, the vampires were closing fast.

Nick nodded. "You know the area, where do you suggest madam?"

Willow nodded to an opening to the right. "I guess there’s some warehouses this way."

Nick nodded. "Good enough." Her boyhood friend glanced towards Jesse who was holding a fainted Faith in his arms. "Got her?" Jesse nodded. "Then we’ll go Hawkeye with Willow first, you second, Elektra and Black Widow, and myself last. Move people!"

* * *

"Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me."

Giles stopped his car, his mouth dropping open in disbelief at the sight of a student he vaguely recognised as Daniel Osborne from discussion they’d had about the best guitarists dressed as George Harrison serenading a bunch of watching demons with one of the Beatles’ compositions. "Only in Sunnydale," he muttered. Shaking his head he started off again. He only hoped for young ‘Oz’s’ sake he got to Ethan before the student started on ‘My Sweet Lord’ – then there would be murder.

* * *

Willow hurried on ahead of the others. Seeing an open warehouse, she turned and waved to the others. "Over here!"

Hawkeye pushed the door aside and the others followed him inside. Nick let out a shout as he tailed the others in, sliding the door shut behind him. "Check if there are any other ways in!" Looking around, the SHIELD commander grabbed a large crate and shoved it in front of the door even as the vampires began banging on it. "How many hostiles are there ma’am?"

"Uh, about ten," she replied, surprised at the force in Xander’s voice.

"But these we can kill?" Shang-Chi had pulled out his nunchukus and was whipping them around his head with practiced ease.

She nodded even as Nick put another crate against the door, drew his gun, and stepped back. "Good. That makes things simpler. How do we kill vampires?"

"Uh decapitation or staking through the heart."

Nick smiled coldly. "I’ll shoot their knees off and then," she gulped when Nick produced a huge knife from his ankle-sheath. "Chop their heads off."

"Great." She smiled weakly. She was starting to wonder who was the most dangerous, Nick or the vampires. Suddenly a fist exploded through the door. "Guess that answers that," she muttered.

* * *

Ethan looked up at the sound of his shop’s front door being kicked in. Knowing that the wards he’d made would be enough to ensure most magical beasts would instinctively avoid his shop, he stood and made his way through to the front of the shop to investigate. He swallowed at the terrifying sight that greeted him. Forcing a smile, he spoke. "Hello Ripper."

"What have you done Ethan?" his former best friend demanded. "What have you done you miserable piece of shit?"

"You know what I’ve done," he replied. "I’ve served our master."

* * *

The moment the vampires burst through Nick was firing. His first three shots put two vampires down, howling in pain. But even as he sighted on his third, the gun was snatched from him by a white-haired punk. Spinning round, he caught the demon with a backfist to the mouth

The demon didn’t even flinch before driving his head into his face. His head pounding, he staggered backwards. Seeing the demon advancing, he slid away from its head-long charge and kicked its knee away from beneath it. The monster stumbled, he scooped up a piece of wood from the dusty floor and jabbed at its chest.

The monster knocked his attack away with his forearm, knocking the wood splinter to the ground. "Ain’t polite mate," his assailant taunted before throwing a right he just managed to block on his shoulder, causing pain to shoot through his arm.

He chose not to reply, concentrating on smashing a trio of rights into the beast’s stomach. "Ach William," he began to turn at the strongly accented voice to his back, "what I be telling ya about playing with your food?" Suddenly an anvil seemed to crash into his head, knocking him to the ground and unconsciousness.

* * *

"No," Ethan backed off when his compatriot advanced, a dangerous glint in the now school librarian’s eyes. "You’ve placed my family, some young people I hold dear, into danger."

"Ah yes," despite the internal alarms that were telling him pushing Ripper further was an act of monumental stupidity, he couldn’t resist a leer. "I’ve seen that Slayer of yours, most supple. I might have become a Watcher if I’d have known tarts like her came as part -, oof!" he grunted when his former friend kneed him in the groin. "Bloody hell Ripper," he wheezed. "You hit harder than that-," he screamed as his friend punched him in the kidneys, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Now," his blood chilled at the dispassionate note in his old drinking buddy’s voice. "Perhaps you could tell me how to break the spell. And another word about Faith and I will break something."

"Keeping her for yourself? Most wise-, oh crap!" he screamed as Ripper, true to his word, planted a foot in his side, cracking two ribs. "Oh bloody hell," he moaned as pain coursed through his side.

"Now," he groaned as the Watcher lifted his head by his hair. "Talk."

"Perhaps you could try ‘Open Sesame’?"

His friend slammed his face into the carpet before lifting his head again. "I grow impatient," he warned.

"The statue of Janus," he gasped, blood dripping from his nose. "Smash it."

"If this is a bloody trick Ethan," Ripper warned, "they’ll be burying you in the morning." He heard the sound of a crash and winced as the fury of his god at having his fun interrupted hit him. He’d definitely have to make that up to him. Scrabbling to his feet he headed out of the door. "Oh bugger!" To his relief his fellow countryman didn’t pursue him. "Come back to this town and it’ll go badly for you Rayne!"

* * *

"Please," the girl whimpered at his approach, struggling to no avail in Spike and Dru’s arms. "My father has money."

Angelus beamed, he was enjoying this, it might have cost him five minions but so what? He had his prize. "It’s not ya money I’ll be after lassie." He stroked her face, enjoying her whimpers, a far cry from the belligerent girl who’d defied him on their first meeting. "It’s ya blood. And other things." He grabbed her hair, meaning to lift her off her feet and tear her dress off before starting the fun only for her blonde wig to come off in his hand. "What the-."

"Hey Fang." He looked on in horror when the Slayer threw off his surprised childes. "The bitch," he grunted when she kicked him in the balls, doubling him up, and grabbed a lead pipe, slamming it into the side of his head, "is back!"

Dazed, he fell onto his side and rolled up to his feet. Grabbing a surprised minion, he flung the female vampire to the Slayer’s less than tender mercies. "This isn’t over lassie!" he blustered before retreating, his childe and grand-childe in hot pursuit.

* *

"Is this it?" his subordinate nodded nervously. He beamed. "Excellent, you can go." Once the man had gone he picked up the book and chuckled. "’Survivors of The Ascended‘." He began to laugh as he leafed through the book he’d had delivered during the previous night’s chaos. His diversion had worked a treat, that dratted Slayer and her companions hadn’t had a clue about his package.

Over the past three thousand years there had been a dozen attempts at ascension, four of which had succeeded. In the book, he turned its yellowed pages, eagerly reading its contents, lay the accounts of four people who’d lived through said ascensions. Information that would be very valuable to his rivals, but, turning in his chair to face the open fire burning behind him, he flung it into the fire, he watched the book burn for a few seconds before turning away, information they would never get.

* * *

"You’re telling me you remember things from your possessions?" Giles openly gaped at the children, after a second he stopping rubbing his glasses and put them back. "And your skills Xander?"

"Uh, I kinda know tons of military stuff. Tactics, strategy, and procedures."

Giles resisted temptation to shake his head. "Fascinating, Jesse?"

"I'm way better at martial arts."

"Wonderful, Jonathan?"

"My archery skills have improved a lot," the short boy proudly declared.

"Amazing," he turned to the cheerleader. "Cordelia?"

"I know a hundred ways to kill a man without weapons. Three hundred with."

Giles gulped. That was just the world needed, a more deadly Miss. Chase. "Of course you do. Amy?"

"I'm great at counter-intelligence techniques and tactics."

This was fascinating. Already his mind was working over-time on a program that could make the children both retain their memories and also share them with the others. "This could all could come in handy. Faith?" The Slayer didn’t answer. He turned towards her. "Faith?"

His daughter looked up, her face red. "Anyone want a tapestry?"

"You seem less than enthused about school today," Giles commented as he pulled into his designated parking space, glancing with concern at his daughter.

Faith shrugged. "Career week, pretty pointless right?"

"No," Giles fixed his Slayer with his sternest look. "Not pointless at all. You are an intelligent, strong-willed young woman with your entire life ahead of you." The Bostonian opened her mouth but he continued on over anything she was about to say. "Listen," he growled, "we’ve thwarted prophecy before and we will do it again. You have a number of friends who are more than willing to help you with your duties. Do you understand?" Faith nodded mutely. "Good girl," he smiled "Now go in and find out about your future career." His smile widened. "I expect to be hearing about your dazzling future career as an archaeologist or anthropologist at dinner tonight."

Faith snorted as she opened the car door. "As I can’t even spell them, not likely. See ya later G!"

"Goodbye Faith." The moment his charge had disappeared from view, his smile withered and died as he looked up despairingly at the heavens. "Damn you," he whispered, his voice hoarse with pain. "Why her? Hasn’t she suffered enough?"

* * *

"Hey! Faith!"

Faith turned at Xand’s shout from behind her, still smiling after G’s pep-talk. "Hi honey." She smiled at the rest of the gang. "Yo people!"

After a long lingering kiss stood on the school steps X stepped away grinning. "Best start possible to the day," he declared before turning serious. "So Careers Week, what do you think of that?"

"No big," Faith smirked. "Besides I already know what we’re gonna be doing."

"Oh yeah," Xander put in. "Do tell?"

"Well the brainacs," she nodded towards Jon and Red, "2020, they’re gonna be competing for the Nobel Prize. Or working together for it. Jesse?" She winked at the boy. "Seeing what I’ve heard about him, Cordy, and janitors’ closets, gotta be a janitor, can’t resist the maintenance cupboard’s siren call. You," she looked at her boyfriend, "probably a carpenter," she leaned into him to whisper in his ear, "god knows you’re good with your hands." She giggled at Xander’s blush. "Sorry hon," she glanced at Amy. "Merlin’s gotta be a children’s entertainer ‘Amy The Amazing Witch’. And Cordy," her grin widened at her best friend, "gotta be a Hooters girl! I mean look at the rack!"

"Hey!" Cordelia glared at her for a second. "So what will you be doing, pole-dancing?"

"I’d pay ten bucks for that."

After joining Cor and Xan in shooting Jesse a glare for his mutter, Faith spoke. "Me?" Faith paused for a second, her earlier self-doubt assailing her. Shaking it off, she shrugged. "Hollywood stunt driver."

"The way you drive I can believe it," Xander commented as he opened the door to the school. "Now you’ve told us all what we’ll be what’s the point-."

"Ah Miss Giles and her gang." Her good mood dipped when they were confronted by their pint-sized principal. "You know what I see in your future?" Without waiting for an answer, Snyder plunged on. "Lots of bars."

"Well that’s hopeful," Faith smirked. "Always did like a good JD."

"Humph!" the educator sniffed before striding over to a near-by table. "Aptitude tests people, see what your future is. As if I don’t already know."

* * *

Angelus impatiently paced the floor of the factory they’d made their base. Dru was busy playing with her damn Tarot cards at one end of the long table in the centre of the floor while Dalton, a shrivelled, pathetic excuse for a demon if there ever was one, was busy translating some ancient writings at the other end. "Well, I'm not sure. It could be, uh..." Dalton leaned over the book. "deprimere... ille... bubula... linter."

Angelus shook his head as Spike paged through the translation book. "Debase, the beef, canoe." Dalton looked up at them and smiled stupidly. Angelus looked at Spike and shook his head again. Spike instantly hit Dalton full in the face, knocking the vampire’s glasses off. "Somehow I don’t think that’s right." Dalton picked up his glasses and returned to reading.

"How’s it going boss?"

Angelus looked over his shoulder at his new girl. "Slowly," he glanced disdainfully at Dalton, "this idiot is clueless."

The recently made vampire pouted. "But I want to be stronger!"

Angelus smiled. "And you will be." Shelia was no Darla, but with her as the fourth Master vampire, a new Scourge, this one of America, would be born and no single bloody Slayer would stop them then.

His plans were interrupted by Dalton’s whining. "Uh, well, it looks like Latin, but it's not. I-I'm not even sure it's, it's a language, actually, I..."

"Then MAKE IT A LANGUAGE! Isn't that what a transcriber does?!" he roared.

Dalton flinched. "Well, not exactly..." The academic vampire yelped as Spike grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him from his chair.

"We want the answers!" Spike growled.

"Don't..."

Spike glanced towards Dru.: "Why not? Some people find pain," the peroxide-blonde vampire punched Dalton in the stomach, doubling him up, "very inspirational."

"He’s right," Angelus agreed.

Drusilla looked up from her cards. "He can't help you. Not without," his childe pointed at a card, "the key."

Angelus spoke. "The key? You mean this book is in some kind of code?"

Drusilla nodded and giggled. "Yeah."

Spike shoved the academic back into his chair before joining him in walking over to Drusilla. The mad seer showed them a card with a mausoleum pictured on it. "Is that where we'll find this key?" Spike asked. Drusilla nodded. Spike looked to him. "I'll send the boys, pronto!"

* * *

"Oh god," Faith moaned as Xander kissed her, his hands moving through her hair. It had taken some coaching, but now her boytoy had some wicked moves. "Wait!" she pulled away, their lips sticking for a half-second as if reluctant to part.

"What’s up?"

She hushed her boyfriend as she glanced around the shadowy graveyard. "You hear that?" Xander shook his head. "Follow me." She followed the sound of clinking to a nearby mausoleum, noting the light coming from inside. Motioning Xander to be stealthy, she eased the door ajar and peeked in. She blinked at the sight of a bespectacled demon chipping away at the wall, exposing a chamber behind it. A satisfied look on his face, the demon reached in for something.

Faith retreated from the mausoleum, closing the door behind her. "What’s happening?" Xander muttered.

"I don’t know," she replied as she walked down the steps and waited for the demon to exit. A few moments later the demon opened the door and stepped out, his face blanching when he saw her. "Does 'rest in peace' have no sanctity to you people? Oh, I forgot. You're not a people."

"Faith, behind us."

Faith nodded at her boy-friend’s warning. "Thanks hon." She gestured towards the bespectacled demon. "You get Half-Pint, I’ll take his bodyguard, K?"

* * *

"K!" Xander agreed as he chased after the studious-looking vampire. His eyes widened when he saw a shadow coming at him out of the corner of his eye. Spinning round, he leapt behind a stone cherub as the vampire, a looming, straggly-haired demon with a body odour that was almost as deadly as its fangs, made a grab for him.

Almost. He gulped as the vampire lunged for him. Gathering his courage, he grabbed the demon at the wrist and bicep, twisted into him, and flung him onto the ground. Before the time the vampire had chance to react, he’d dropped to one knee and slammed his stake home.

"You found a playmate, that’s cute, " Faith drawled from above him as she pulled him to his feet. "But what about the vamp I sent ya after?"

Xander winced. "Oops?"

* * *

"And how was tonight’s patrol?" her Watcher smirked. "Did you manage do any between snogging?"

"Funny G," Faith replied as she dropped into the seat opposite her Watcher. "We caught a trio of vamps stealing something from a mausoleum."

"Stealing?" Giles squinted. "That’s unusual."

"Yeah! They had tools, flashlights, everything."

"Um, this vampire who escaped, did you see what he took?"

"No, but I could take a guess and say it was something old."

"Hardly helpful Faith," G sniffed. "You made no effort to find out what was taken?"

"Take a chill pill G!" Faith defended. "I just figured it was your everyday vamp hijinks."

"Well, what if it wasn't?" Her Watcher began to pace. "We’ll have to research."

"Fucking A," Faith sighed. She remembered when all-nighters meant booze, guys, and dancing, not dusty books.

* * *

Angelus watched as Drusilla waved her hand over an intricately carved gold cross held out to her by Spike on a red velvet pillow. "This is it then?" the peroxide-blonde vampire asked.

Drusilla giggled. "It hums, all power and darkness, I can hear it."

"Soon I’ll be as powerful as you?" Shelia asked from behind him.

Angelus turned to face his newly-made grand-childe and smiled. "Soon you’ll be a regular terror love."

"Oh goody!" Drusilla clapped. "Soon we’ll have another playmate. Grrr, grrr. Make the stars bleed!"

* * *

Faith looked around the bare chamber, noting the rubble on the floor. "All clear," she muttered to her Watcher.

"May I?" G reached for the flashlight.

"Be my guest," Faith handed the flashlight over. She supposed coming directly here was better than reading some boring old crap, but only just.

Giles smiled before turning on the flashlight and walked over to where the wall has been broken into. "It's a reliquary. Used to house items of religious significance.

Most commonly a finger or some other body part from a saint." Faith raised an eyebrow. That didn’t exactly surprise her, given some of the priests she’d known in the children homes, definite believers in ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’. She lent against the wall as her Watcher scanned around the rest of the room with the flashlight. "Du Lac. Oh dear, oh dear."

Faith’s spirits dropped. "Have I told you how much I hate it when you say that?"

Giles turned to her, his face grey. "Josephus du Lac was buried here. He belonged to a religious sect that was excommunicated by the Vatican at the turn of the century. He’s alleged to have written a book said to contain rituals and spells that reap unspeakable evil, a book stolen decades ago. However, it was written in archaic Latin so that nobody but the sect members could understand it."

Faith shrugged. "So what’s the prob?"

Giles grimaced. "The vampires have stolen something from Du Lac's tomb. Something perhaps capable of translating the text."

* * *

Johnson sighed as he trudged his way into the jet’s cargo bay. He doubted there was any job as boring as baggage handler in the whole world. He squinted as he noticed the cargo nets were torn and strode forward only to step back when he saw a shadow move. "Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!" Swallowing slightly, he pulled out his flashlight and held it ready to use as a club. "Get out of here!"

Taking a breath, he stepped into the shadows. His eyes widened as he saw an exotic looking beauty perhaps a couple of years older than his oldest daughter. "Miss, what are you -." Suddenly a foot came up and kicked him in the face, in the gut and again in the face, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

"Du Lac was both a theologian and a mathematician." Giles dropped a magazine on the library. "This article describes an invention of his, which he called 'The Du Lac Cross'."

"Why go to all the trouble of inventing something, and then giving it a weak name like that? I mean, I'd gone with 'The Cross-o-matic', or, uh, 'The Amazing Mr. Cross'."

Everyone shot Jesse pained looks. After a shake of his head, Giles continued. "The cross was more than a mere symbol, it was used to understand certain mystical texts, to, decipher hidden meanings and so forth."

"So you're saying these vampires went to all this hassle for your basic decoder ring?"

Giles shook his head at Faith’s comment. "In a way. But the Cross is very powerful."

Willow looked up from reading the magazine. "According to this, Du Lac destroyed every cross except the one buried with him."

"Why destroy your own work?" asked Cordelia before looking at his National Geographic. "And where do you keep the Cosmos?"

Giles decided to ignore the second comment. "Perhaps he feared what might happen if it fell into the wrong hands."

"A fear we'll soon get to experience for ourselves up close and personal," Xander put in.

Giles scowled, yes there was that. "Unless we can pre-empt their plans."

"How?" asked Willow.

"Uh, by learning what's in the book before they do. Which means we can expect to be here later tonight."

Willow beamed. "Goody! Research party!"

"Red," Faith shook her head, "you need a life in the worst way."

* * *

"I..I’ve finished."

Angelus looked up at Dalton’s quavering voice. "that be right boyo?" he queried. His fellow demon nodded, his eyes nervous. "And you’re sure about that?" Angelus beamed. "When can we do it?"

"It has to be tonight," Dalton replied.

"The Slayer and her friends all lined up little bottles on a wall!"

Angelus grinned at Drusilla. "Sounds like a plan to me luv," he turned to Shelia. "Now how about," he began to drag the younger vampire towards their bedroom, "you show me how grateful you are?"

* * *

"Oh god," Faith moaned as Xander ran his hand through her hair. "Now ya motoring baby."

"I’m going to rip your throats out!"

Faith glanced across at the pony-tailed vampire, pissed off at the interruption. "Do ya mind? We’re kinda in the middle of something here."

Suddenly, a lithe figure appeared out of the darkness beside the vampire, grabbing his pony-tail and yanking him to the ground. The moment his back touched the grass, the black honey drove a stake through his heart before looking up at them. "You twose should go home... tis not safe at night."

Xander looked at her. "Isn't that normally our line..?"

"Hey!" Faith glared at the intruder. "You staked *my* vampire... you know how hard it to even get them to fall for the pre-occupied couple routine?"

Xander whimpered. "You were faking?"

"Not now, hon." Faith patted her boyfriend on the head as she continued to glare at the invader.

"You wanted the vampire to attack you? Why.? Have you a death wish or sometin?" the black girl asked.

"It's my job." Faith explained.

The intruder shook her head. "Tis my job."

"Ladies let's not argue over someth..."

"Look bitch, I'm the Slayer comprende..?" Faith interrupted her boy-friend.

The stranger shook her head. "That cannot be... *I* am the Slayer."

"Now I'm certain, G-Man said there was one. As in only one... you know unique."

The stranger nodded. "That is right, and I am her. " The stranger looked confused. "You know the legend of the Slayer... you are too young to be a watcher."

Faith shook her head. "No, *I'm* the Slayer. Xander tell her."

"I'm not a watcher... tell her what exactly..?" Xander asked.

Faith rolled her eyes. "That I'm the Slayer."

"Ah," Xander nodded. "That is true... she *has* been since I've met her."

Faith sniffed. "See bitch... so if I'm the Slayer who are you?"

"I am the Slayer. This is not right, it cannot be."

"I think we need to see if Giles has been fibbing to us. Only girl in all the world indeed." Xander sniffed. "Should have known that was a line. I feel so violated."

"Excuse me..?" Faith turned from glaring at the stranger to her boyfriend.

"Giles is your watcher..?"

Xander looked at the stranger. "Yep, G-Man, like I said, we should go see him."

* * *

"Why the fuck didn’t you tell me!"

Giles winced at his Slayer’s screech. Slightly surprised that such a high-pitched sound hadn’t shattered his study’s windows, he spoke. "Faith, sit down." The Bostonian continued to stand, glaring down at him. "Sit down," he ordered, his voice hardening. The east coast native instantly sat down but continued to scowl at him. "Faith, I was made aware of the other Slayer, a month after," his voice trailed off, the memory of that night still too raw to mention.

"The Master killed me," Faith put in, her tone flat.

"Precisely," he nodded. "Now I considered telling you there and then, but…" He trailed off, this time because of uncertainty.

"But what?" prompted the Slayer.

"But I know you think that being the Slayer is the only thing that makes you special," Giles stared into his charge’s eyes. "But it isn’t and I didn’t wish to cause you any distress by revealing Kendra’s existence, make you doubt that I’d care or think less of you because of her."

"Oh right," Faith stared at him for a second before shrugging. "Sorry for-."

"Quite alright dear," Giles raised a hand to forestall his charge’s apology. "I realise I should have told you."

* * *

Cordelia hurried towards the library, eager to begin training. The discipline and fitness levels required by cheerleading training held her in good stead for the skills she was learning under Tweed-Guy’s tutelage. And for the first time in her life she was a part of something that was real. Her possession by Elektra helped too. "Hey guys!"

"Identify yourself!"

Cordelia stared down at the beautiful but so last decade teen who’d suddenly leapt in front of her. "Back off newbie, I’m here to see Faith!"

Suddenly Faith was between them. "This is my friend."

The newcomer glanced at her friend, her eyes puzzled. "Friend?"

Faith shook her head. "Yeah. As in person you hang with? Amigo?"

"I don't understand."

Faith stared at the stranger. "You get dropped on your head as a baby or something?"

Giles broke in. "Kendra, in addition to Xander there are a few people, civilians if you like, who know Faith's identity. Cordelia is one of them, and they also, spend time together socially."

The foreign girl’s eyes widened. "And you allow dis, sir? But de Slayer must work in secret for security."

"Anyone want to fill me in here?" Cordelia interrupted.

"Uh," Faith turned to her. "Kendra’s the other Slayer."

"Other Slayer?" Cordelia queried. "Is that even possible? I mean, two Slayers at the same time?"

"When Faith died, Kendra was called," Giles explained.

"See!" Cordelia pointed at Faith. "I told you Xander would make life difficult, bringing you back like that."

Faith blinked. "Well I’m not complaining. Hey!" Faith turned to Kendra. "Why the hell are you here anyhow?"

"Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in

Sunnydale."

"Oh bloody hell," Giles groaned. "Don’t tell me the Bay City Rollers are reforming."

Kendra looked puzzled. "I have not heard of this group of demons."

Faith snorted, Giles blinked. "Bloody hell," her Watcher muttered to himself, "I have been in Sunnydale for too long, now I’m quipping like them."

"We’re very proud," Faith helpfully commented.

Shaking his head, the Watcher turned to the newcomer. "No Kendra, the trouble appears to be the Cross du Lac-."

"De Cross du Lac? I read of it in de writings of Dramius."

Giles blinked. "A Slayer who studies," her guardian glanced towards her before returning to stare at Kendra. "How remarkable. Which volume?"

"I believe it was six, sir."

Faith rolled her eyes, calling G sir, fuck, he’d love that. "How do you know that?"

"From me studies," the dusky-skinned Slayer haughtily replied.

"Sounds like you have a lot of free time," Cordelia commented.

"I study because it is required. The Slayer handbook insists on it."

Faith’s eyes snapped towards a suddenly nervous looking Giles. "There's a Slayer handbook? Why wasn’t I told?"

Giles shot her a look. "After meeting you I realized that the handbook would be of no use in your case."

"Funny G, you’re a laugh riot."

"Uh, Kendra, um, perhaps you'd like to show me the, the part in, Dramius Six where it refers to the Cross du Lac. I seem to have never been able to get through that book. It was a bit stodgy."

Kendra smiled. "It was difficult. All dose footnotes."

Faith rolled her eyes, just what the world needed, a Giles with Slayer powers. "Anyhow, best get to class."

Just then, Xander and the others entered. "Hey Kendra!" her boy-friend greeted. "Did I tell you last night how much I like Slayers?"

Kendra’s blush deepened. "I hope. I tank you. I mean, sir. I will be of service."

"Damn Ken!" Faith chuckled. "You’re a regular man-eater!"

G scowled at her. "Perhaps you can take Kendra into the office and ready the weaponry while I and the others research what exactly Angelus wants with the Cross du Lac."

"Yes sir!" Giles’ glare only intensified at her salute. She was only trying to give him the respect a member of the Council of Watchers deserved.

* * *

Kendra was peering through the window at the others. "And all dose know you are de Slayer?"

"Yep." Faith replied.

Kendra sniffed. "Did anyone explain to you what 'secret identity' means?"

"Hey," Faith sat on the table. "Never read the handbook, remember."

"Your life is very different dan mine."

Faith looked at the other girl, yeah that was what she’d been thinking ever since she’d met her fellow Slayer. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"De tings you do and have, I was taught distract from my calling. Friends, school... even family."

"Even family?" She couldn’t imagine her life without G. She doubted she’d be alive now if not for him and not just as a Slayer, the life he’d saved her from, there weren’t many kids from her block that made twenty.

"My parents, dey sent me to my Watcher when I was very young. I don't remember dem, actually. I've seen pictures. But, uh, dat's how seriously de calling is taken by my people. My modder and fadder gave me to my Watcher because dey believed dat dey were doing de right ting for me, and for de world."

"Damn," was all Faith could say to that.

Kendra shook her head. "Please, I don't feel sorry for meself. Why should you?"

"’Cause you deserve better."

"Excuse me ladies."

Faith grinned at her boyfriend as he entered. "Hiya lover." Kendra looked down at the floor while her boytoy grabbed a book from the desk, smiled at them both before walking out. Faith looked at her fellow Slayer. "I'm guessing dating isn't big with your Watcher either?"

"I'm not permitted to speak with boys."

Faith blinked. This girl was like a super-powered nun.

* * *

"There are forty-three churches in Sunnydale? That seems a little excessive."

"It's the evil vibe from the Hellmouth. Makes people pray harder."

Xander listened with half an ear to G-Man and Will talk even as he read. "Got it!" Everybody’s heads snapped towards him. Xander looked down, doubt assailing him. "At least I think I have. It’s in Latin, but I recognise some of the text."

"Allow me," Giles took the book from him. After a few seconds, Watcher Guy’s forehead furrowed. "Oh this is not good. Jesse," the Englishman didn’t look up, "go get the girls."

"What is it G-Man?"

Despite his urgent tone, the Watcher waited until his best friend had returned with the two Slayers. "What’s the sitch G?"

"It appears that Angelus intends to use the power of the Cross Du Lac to power up Shelia to the level of a Master vampire. It says the ceremony will have to take place at the church in Sunnydale where Lac practiced before his excommunication."

"Well shit," Faith breathed.

After a second Xander spoke. "Why not increase just his own power?"

Giles blinked. "Ah, good question. The ritual doesn’t work like that, if he enacted it on himself, it would merely be absorbed into his already strong demon. But with Shelia, it would lift her demon to the strength of a century old vampire."

"Why just one? Why not create an army of Master vampires?"

Giles glanced at Amy. "The Cross is like a battery, once its power has been used it takes a decade for it to be re-powered."

"Let’s get ready to roll people." Faith broke in.

Kendra’s eyes widened. "Civilians! You cannot take civilians into battle! It’s not-"

Faith groaned. "In the Handbook, yeah I get that-."

"There’s a handbook?" he queried in a mutter.

Giles sighed. "I’ll give you the cliff-notes later Xander, we’re on a timetable."

"But they’re my crew and they’ve got my back," Faith finished.

"But-."

"Maybe you better step in G-Man," he suggested.

"Ah," Jesse moaned. "I wanna cat-fight."

* * *

"Eligor. I name thee. Bringer of war, poisoners, pariahs, grand obscenity." Angelus intoned, smiling as he did so. Eligor, now there was someone to admire, a demon with goals. He turned towards the wall where Shelia was chained, then glanced towards Dru and the others before continuing. "Eligor, wretched master of decay, bring your black medicine." Grimacing with the pain, Angelus picked up the Du Lac Cross in his gloved hand, holding it upside-down. "Come, empower your most

impious, murderous child."

"From the blood of the sire she is risen," Drusilla stepped forward as he continued. "And shall be empowered." With one quick strike, Drusilla slashed her left wrist open, allowing blood to drip into the Goth’s mouth. Angelus smiled, oh this was going well. His head snapped towards the door as it crashed open.

"Hey honey, miss me?"

Angelus vamped out. "Dru, Spike, kill her! The rest of you," he glanced at his minions. "Kill the others!"

* * *

"You take Blondie, I’ll kick Nutjob’s ass," Faith muttered to Kendra. "The rest of you-."

"Stay together," Giles interrupted. "Strength in numbers."

"You know it!" Faith agreed before bursting into action.

She grinned as the seer vampiress approached. "So tell me, a girl needs to know," she raised an eyebrow. "What drove you nuts? Big and Dumb over there or that freaking 18^th century dress?"

Drusilla snarled. "Pretty Blackbird with the smart mouth and the heart, beating for her mummy’s love!"

"How about," Faith executed a side thrust kick that caught the demon in her chest, sending her crashing into the wall, "you shut the fuck up!" Faith came in fast with a spinning backfist that snapped the demon’s head to the side.

"So naughty!" Drusilla's claws ripped through her side, causing her to shriek in pain. Pushing it aside she drove a knee into the vampire’s side, knocking the demon away from her. She pressed her hand to her side, feeling the stickiness there. The bitch might be crazy, but she was still dangerous.

* * *

Spike squinted as he was met by the pretty black chit. "It’s imp-," he staggered backwards when the bint’s fist crashed into his face. "You broke my bloody nose!"

"I’ll be doing more than that!" The girl thrust a stake at him. Eyes widening he grabbed the island native’s tiny wrist, twisted with the momentum of his throw, and flung her over his shoulder and to the ground. The girl bounced up instantly, apparently unaffected by the fall. "Two of them," he breathed. "Bloody impossible."

* * *

Angelus finished the enchantment, his eyes growing ever wider at the dusky-skinned girl’s feats of strength. "Two Slayers, how in the hell-." Slamming the spell book shut, he ran towards his childe and grand-childe. It didn’t matter how, they both died tonight.

* * *

"Oh the power!" Shelia roared as she watched the fight going on in front of her. With her grand-sire’s assistance, the battle was turning in their favour. And soon, she groaned as she strained at her chains, hungrily awaiting the second she had the strength to break loose of her restraints, that last action finishing the ceremony, she would have the strength to join the others.

"Hi Shelia." Her eyes widened as her head snapped to the left to see that loser Harris stood to her left. With a stake in his hand. She opened her mouth to threaten, plea, say anything to delay Harris for long enough. And then the stake slammed home. "Bye Shelia."

* * *

Angelus roared in anger as he saw his grand-childe and new girl burst into dust. In an instant, he was beside the boy. "Fool child!" his back-handed slap knocked the youth into the wall. Reaching down, he picked the stunned child up by his collar. "I’ll teach -." Sensing a crossbow flying towards him, he spun around and knocked it out of the air. What a bloody mess, Shelia and all his minions dead, the Du Luc Cross used up, for nothing.

Well someone had to pay. He changed into his vampiric face and leaned in to bite into the brat. Hearing a footfall behind him, he spun around in time to get a right hook to the head from Faith. Dazed, he dropped the boy. "Get out of here Xan!" the brunette Slayer ordered.

He moved towards the boy, meaning to use him as a hostage but the Slayer stayed between them, blocking his attack. "Damn it girl!" he growled, throwing a left hook that the Slayer slid beneath. He blocked her stake on his arm, wincing at the pain that shot through his arm. "Why won’t you just die?"

"Tried that," the raven-haired beauty drawled. "Didn’t like it. Came back." The Slayer ducked an overhand right but walked into a side thrust kick that lifted her off her feet and propelled her to the doorway, and into the posts holding up the organ superstructure, cracking the unfortunate post in two and dropping part of the organ on the Slayer, pinning her to the ground. A grin on his face, he started forward, flanked by Dru and Spike.

* * *

Faith groaned, she felt like a rib was maybe cracked. Her eyes widened as she realised she was trapped. "Oh fuck!" she breathed at the vampires’ approach. She glanced up at swaying organ above her. She kinda hoped that would it drop and then she’d be saved from Angelus.

A pair of strong hands grabbed her. Panicked, she looked up then relaxed when she saw Kendra pulling her out of the mess. Her dusky-skinned counterpart glanced at Jesse and G. "Now!" Even as she opened her mouth to ask what was happening, Jesse and G shoved at the weakened support beam, sending the organ crashing down, blocking them off from the vampires.

G looked at her, his eyes filling with the concern that told her she was truly wanted. "Are you alright?"

"Thanks to Ken," she shot a grateful look at her fellow Slayer, "yeah."

"Then let’s get out of here," Giles glanced at the collapsed structure. "That will only hold them for a limited time."

* * *

"So you’re off then." Faith passed her fellow Slayer a plane ticket paid for by G. "Only this time you go legit."

Kendra nodded. "I get on de plane with me ticket, and sit in a seat. Not de cargo hold."

"Yeah," Faith grinned at the second Slayer. "Very good. Soon you’ll be entering the 20th Century, maybe in time for the next one."

Kendra pouted. "Dat is *not* travelling under cover."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "You’re a bright one. Sit in your seat, you eat your peanuts, you watch the movie, unless it's Disney," she shuddered at the thought.

"I'll remember," Kendra opened the cab door.

"Hey sis." The black Slayer stared at her. "Just be careful right?"

Kendra nodded and smiled impishly. "Five by five," she retorted before climbing into the cab. Faith watched as the taxi pulled away from the kerb before walking back into the school.

* * *

"She’s gone."

Giles looked up to see his Slayer stood in the inner office doorway, an unusually thoughtful look on her face. "Is there something on your mind?" he prompted, nodding towards the empty chair opposite.

Faith strode across to the chair and dropped into it, the teen’s eyes unusually intense as she stared at him for over a minute. "You know," Faith said slowly. "I always figured I was kinda lucky to get you, a Watcher who really gave a shit about me, I wasn’t just a weapon to you. But after meeting Ken," Faith shook her head, her eyes briefly flickering with anger, "damn I really got the brass ring of Watchers didn’t I? I’m real lucky I got ya."

Giles struggled to speak through the lump forming in his throat. "Well thank you, and I got an unusually talented Slayer."

Her dark mood apparently lifting, Faith flashed him her dimples. "Well natch."

"And modest too," he added.

"Yo G-," Faith’s voice trailed off as she walked into the kitchen to find Giles on top of a naked woman on the table, the couple’s clothes strewn across the floor, discarded in a rampant eagerness to get busy. A naked woman who judging from the fact she was blonde, six foot tall, and stacked like a Playboy centrefold was most certainly not JC. She gulped, tried to tear her eyes away and failed. She was definitely never eating off that table again. She closed her eyes for a second. The image of G and the woman making like bunnies failed to fade.

* * *

Giles swallowed as he stared at his dazed charge sat opposite him and his new girl-friend. He smiled as his COMPANION squeezed his hand, lending him reassurance. "I had hoped to introduce you to Toni," he nodded towards his new partner, "under more ideal circumstances."

"Yeah it would have saved my sanity too," his daughter muttered. "I mean it should be you who’s catching me doing shit like that not the other way around!"

"Please Faith," he couldn’t help but smile at Toni’s soft voice. "I don’t think there’s any need to swear do you?" Faith opened her mouth again only to shut it at his warning glare. "Now, I’m sure you have questions?" Toni asked. Giles stared adoringly at his girlfriend, she was so understanding.

His daughter took a breath. "Yeah. How did you meet?"

"It was two weekends ago," Giles beamed at a suddenly blushing Toni. "Toni was a guest speaker giving a talk on anthropology. She was absolutely fascinating!"

"Uh, uh." Judging from the dubious look on his daughter’s face and knowing how her mind worked, he had a feeling she doubted that he’d noticed anything other than Toni’s physical attributes.

"And afterwards, Rupert very generously offered to buy me a coffee," Toni giggled. "And what woman can resist the advances of gentlemanly Englishman? I was immediately enchanted by Rupert’s charm." He bristled at Faith’s raised eyebrow, he had charm, oodles of it.

"Yeah," Faith looked from Toni to him. "So you’re serious right?"

"As serious as a couple can be. Have you any more questions Faith?" Toni asked.

"Just one," his daughter still had a wide-eyed look, "you’re burning the table, right?"

* * *

Xander stroked the back of Faith’s neck as they walked through one of Sunnyvale’s many graveyards. "You’re quiet tonight hon." Faith shrugged. He turned to face his girl-friend, took her face in his hands and peered into her eyes. "Faith, tell me what’s wrong?"

Faith’s reply didn’t come for a minute but when it did it came like water breaching a broken dam. "IfoundGilesontopofawomanwhowasn’tJConthekitchentable." His girl-friend reddened.

It took him a minute to translate but years of Willow-babble helped. He began to smile. "You walked in on Giles," he started to giggle, "having sex?" Suddenly he was doubled up with laughter, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"It’s not funny!" Faith slapped him on the back of his head. "I’m going to need therapy for like decades. I mean walking in on G having sex, anyone but G! You know the first thing I thought? Nice ass G!"

Xander straightened, and again looked his girl-friend in her eyes. "So you saw Giles having sex," he shuddered. "Not the thing I want to see most in the world, but what’s the big deal?"

Faith’s eyes dropped to the ground. "What if she’s the one?"

"How long has Giles been dating this -?"

"Toni," Faith supplied. "Two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Xander smiled. "I think two weeks is a bit soon to be picking out curtains together. And so what if she is? You want G-Man to be happy, right?"

"Yeah," Faith kicked a stone into the air. "But what if he decides that he wants a family with this chick?"

"So?"

"Then G might decide being a Watcher is too dangerous and retire. Then the Council will send me another Watcher and I’ll lose him."

"Hey," he hugged his girl-friend. "That’s dumber than Jesse dumb. G-Man loves you, he’d never leave you. Anyone can see that."

"You think?" Faith asked, her tone tremulous.

"I know." His arm still around his girl-friend’s slender shoulders, they started off through the graveyard again. "Wait," Xander stopped as a disturbing thought hit him, "you think G-Man has a nice ass?"

* * *

"So you're Faith’s beau?" Toni beamed at Xander before nodding at her. "I can see why you like him. If I was ten years younger.."

"But you’re not," Faith narrowed her eyes and scowled at the older woman.

"Now Faith," Giles scolded as he passed Xander a can of soda pop, "Toni was just being friendly." Faith grunted, yeah that was what she was afraid of.

"Now Giles," Toni smiled at her Watcher, "Faith is only being protective of you both." The statuesque blonde smiled at her. "I really want you to be okay with this."

Faith shrugged. "I'm okay."

"You are?" Giles pressed.

"I am," she forced a smile.

* * *

"What’s up Faith?" Jesse bantered. "You must be ill, I haven’t caught you checking my ass out once this morning."

Faith glared at Jess. "You got that the wrong way round. You’re the one checking who’s always checking out my ass," she kicked the youth in the shin, causing him to hop around on one leg. "And stop it."

"Faith’s got issues," Xander broke in. "She walked in the middle of Giles and his new lady-friend getting down to it. Say, does he keep one foot on the ground while in the act?"

"Thanks for sharing my embarrassment with everyone Xander," Faith glared at her big-mouthed boyfriend. "You jackass."

"Oh that’s not everyone," Xander retorted, her glare bouncing off him as usual. "I haven’t put a message up on the notice-board." Her boytoy grinned goofily. "Yet."

"So what’s she like?" Cordelia put in. "Does she dress well?"

"Oh hello Faith," Faith’s heart dropped when Toni walked out of the parking lot and to her and her group stood on the steps. "I was hoping to find you."

"Well you did," Faith muttered even as she groaned at Jonathan and Jesse’s awe-struck expressions. The older woman was wearing a knee-length black skirt and white blouse that barely contained her surely surgically enhanced chest. "Lucky me."

Toni smiled, showing them a set of gleaming teeth. "I was thinking that perhaps we could go out as a family on the weekend. Maybe your friends could come with us." The older, much older she reminded herself, woman giggled. "Two words – crazy golf!"

Faith’s mouth dropped open. Her playing crazy golf? The woman was nuts. "Well, uh..."

"I'm making a picnic basket," Toni bargained. "With cookies!"

"You know what," Faith replied. "I’d love to but, unfortunately we have that," she glanced to Xander for support, "thing on Saturday."

Xander looked momentarily puzzled. "Ohhh, that thing," her boyfriend looked at her. "That thing."

"Hey, we can do that thing anytime. I'm tired of doing that thing. " Jesse commented before leering at Toni. "We're on!"

Faith covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Idiot," she muttered.

"Well that’s settled," Toni said. "See you all Sunday!"

"Wow," Jonathan muttered, his eyes glazed. "Did you see her?"

"I saw," drooled Jesse.

* * *

"You see it?" asked Xander.

"I see it," Willow agreed. "But I don’t believe it. There has to be a spell involved. Right Faith? Faith?"

It wasn’t until Cordelia elbowed her in her ribs that Faith managed to speak, the spell of seeing G dressed in a tweed peaked cap, a checked pringle sweater, and checked plaid pants. "What the fuck?" she muttered.

"Please Faith," she bristled at Toni’s melodious tones behind her. "No nice boy like Xander wants to step out with a guttermouth. Now doesn’t Rupert look spiffing?"

"Yeah, wicked," she scoffed.

* * *

"Fine. I'll just go hit my ball from the rough." Faith shook her head as she strode over to her ball behind the castle. The last two hours had been hell. G had betrayed her, told his new squeeze all about her bad grades, and she’d had to endure countless embarrassing stories. And she really sucked at golf. "Dumb game," she muttered. Picking up the ball, she dropped it into the hole. A grin on her face, she let out a shout. "Hey, how 'bout that! Got a hole in two!"

"Beg to differ."

Faith groaned as she turned to see Toni stood behind her, the older woman’s full lips pursed in a pout. "Okay, so fine my score or whatever."

Toni shook her head. "I think you're missing the point here missy. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Why don't people see that?"

"Shit," Faith defended. "It’s just a damn game."

Toni scowled. "Right, it's just a game, do your own thing, well, I'm not wired that way. And I am here to tell you it is *not* a game! It *does* count, and I don't stand for that kind of malarkey in my house!"

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not *in* your house." Faith shot back.

"Do you want me to slap that smart-ass mouth of yours?" Toni retorted. Faith blinked. She clenched her fists together, ready to retort. Suddenly Toni turned away. "Who's up for dessert? I made chocolate-chip cookies!"

"Yum-my!" Jesse yelled.

Amy’s eyes widened. "Cookies!"

"Yes!" Toni exclaimed. "I made too many, so you guys are gonna have to take some home!"

"Mm!" Xander called out. "Faith you've got to try one of these! They're really good! Mm!"

Toni offered her one with a smile. Faith glared at the woman. "Not interested."

* * *

"Good morning, sunshine!"

"Hey," Faith nodded towards her guardian as she entered the kitchen.

"I've got juice, I've got sticky buns, oh, and don’t they smell good!"

"Yeah they do," Faith picked up part of a bun.

"Toni made them." Faith dropped the bun, G’s smile withered. "What?"

"I wanna eat something around here that Toni didn't make," Faith replied.

G glared at her. "And what kind of an attitude is that?"

"Look, G I know you think she's great and all, but I..."

Giles shook his head. "Toni went out of her way to be nice to you, and you couldn't say two words to her on Saturday. I do not expect you to love her right away like I do, but I do expect you to treat her decently." G peered at her over his glasses. "You must learn to share Faith."

"Whoa, back up!" Faith exclaimed. "You love her?" Oh shit, it looked like she’d have to pull out the big guns. "She threatened me."

"I beg your pardon?" G stopped pouring his juice, his eyes intent.

"That crazy bitch threatened me. She said that she was gonna slap my face."

Giles shook his head. "I’m sorry Faith, it’s obvious I haven’t been strict enough with you. How can you tell such lies? Toni told me about your cheating."

"Jesus!" Faith exploded. "It was a freakin-."

"And she didn't say anything about it in front of the others, did she?"

"Well no but."

"Well, I thought that that was pretty decent of her! Toni said we are just gonna have to give you time to come around. Oh, speaking of which, she's making dinner for us tonight, so I'd like you home, please, promptly at seven." She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it at G’s look. "The world won’t end if we don’t patrol for once."

* * *

"What do you mean, check her out?" Cordelia queried as she chowed down on one of Toni’s cookies.

"I mean investigate her. Find out her secrets, hack into her life," Faith urged.

Her friends all turned to her. "Can you say 'overreaction'?" Xander commented.

"It just seems like you *want* her to be corrupt, or something," Willow commented.

"She went mental over crazy golf!"

"So she's a little uptight. Last I heard that's not a slaying offence." Xander chuckled. "Unless that’s in the Handbook you never told us about." Xander raised his hands at her growl. "I'm on your side. I'm just saying there are some things in life you have to accept. Like maybe having to share G-Man."

Faith took a breath. "Look, I ain’t jealous. I was cool with Jenny, right? Toni has a problem with me. She acts like I'm in the way or something. And G’s been totally different since she's around."

"Different, like happy?" Willow put in.

"Like Stepford. Will you help me?" Faith looked around her friends. "Please guys."

Xander looked around the others. "We’ll help."

* * *

"We thank you for what we are about to receive, and we ask that you bless this house, and help the people in it to be more productive, more considerate and more honest. Amen." Faith looked up, unable to believe that she was sat at a table with G and Toni, wearing napkins and saying Grace. How Brady Bunch could ya get? "Well, another great day at work! How was school today, Faith? Did you learn anything?"

"Quite a bit," Faith commented.

Toni beamed. "Good for you! Well, Rupes, what do you think?"

G beamed. "I think every home should have one of you. It's fantastic!" Her Watcher turned to her. "Don't you think?"

"Looks good," Faith grunted.

Toni’s beam remained undimmed. "Well, you know, little lady, it's not just for looks, it's for building strong bodies."

Faith stared back at Toni. "You two getting hitched?"

G blinked. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Rupes, let me handle this. Faith, your father and I are taking it one step at a time. And if things go the way I hope, maybe someday soon we might get ‘hitched’ as you put it. How would you feel about that?" Faith just stared at the woman. "It's okay to express yourself."

"Is hemlock an option?" she retorted.

"Faith!" Giles boomed, man he looked pissed.

"Hush, dear." Toni placed a hand on G’s arm. "I told her to be honest." The woman smiled at her. "Sweetheart, you should try and get used to me, 'cause you know what? I'm not going anywhere."

"Wanna bet?" Faith rose.

"Go to your room, young lady," G ordered. "And you can forget about going to that concert in LA. at the weekend."

* * *

Faith climbed back through her window after a fruitless patrol to find Toni sat on her chair. "What are you doing in here?"

Toni shook her head. "Rupert told you to go to your room, Faith. You and I both

know he didn't mean climb out a window and go gallivanting about town."

"First of all, this is *my* room, second..." Faith’s eyes widened at the sight of her Slayer stuff on her bedside table, including the diary G insisted she keep of her patrols and thoughts, sort of a place for her to vent in private. "You've been going through my things?"

"Yes, I have."

"That's my personal property! How *dare* you?!" Faith was fucking steaming now.

Toni smirked. "What exactly is a Vampire Slayer?"

"None of your business," Faith snarled.

"Beg to differ, little lady. Everything you do is nothing *but* my business from now on." Toni smiled. "At least until I persuade Rupert that we’d be better off without you."

Faith shivered involuntarily at the thought of having G taken away from her. "I think you better get out of here. Now!"

"Or what?" Toni stood and stepped towards her. "You'll slay me? I'm real. I'm not some goblin you made up in your little diary. Psychiatrists have a word for something like this: delusional. So, from now on, you'll do what I say, when I say, or I show this," Toni glanced down at the diary, "to everyone and you'll spend your best dating years behind the wall of a mental institution. Your father and I are going to be

happy. You're not going to stand in the way. Sleep tight!"

Toni turned to leave, the diary still in her hand. Faith snatched it from her. "That's mine, and you are *not* leaving this room with it!" Toni swung around and backhanded her, the force of the blow knocking her into the wall. "Ohhh!" Faith straightened and smirked. "I was *so* hoping you'd do that."

She punched Toni squarely in the jaw. The blonde staggered onto the hallway. Toni backhanded her in the face, knocking her against the side of her bed and onto the floor. Toni snarled and picked her up by the shirt collar, but she kicked the woman in the shin.

"Faith! Stop that!" Faith ignored G’s shout to elbow Toni in the face. "Stop it!"

Faith side-kicked her opponent in the chest, making her stagger backward towards the step. Taking a second to wipe the blood from her mouth, Faith scowled at the woman. She swore that she’d never let another woman hit her, time to give the bitch the lesson she’d always wished she’d given her mother. Faith swept the woman’s legs from beneath her, sending her falling down the stairs. Her eyes widened when the woman hit the bottom of the steps, her neck hanging at an impossible angle. "Oh fuck."

Giles dropped to his knees. "Toni! Toni!" Faith hurried down the stairs. G took Toni’s arm to feel for a pulse only to drop her arm and glared at her. "You killed her!"

* * *

Faith watched dazedly as the hurriedly-arrived paramedic zipped Toni into a body bag before the coroners wheeled her out of the house on a gurney. "Excuse me sir," she tore her eyes away from the horrifying sight to see G being questioned by a crumpled man in his mid-fifties, "I'm Detective Stein. I'm sorry, but I need to ask you a few questions. Your relationship with the deceased?"

"We were, uh, seeing each other."

"Can you tell me what happened?" the detective queried.

G shot her an angry look before replying. "She fell. Down the stairs."

"I see. Did she slip? Do you know what made her fall?" the officer pressed.

"I hit her." Faith croaked. Detective Stein turned to her. "I hit her."

* * *

"Sir! Sir!"

Mayor Wilkins looked up in irritation when his office door crashed open and his deputy hurried. Deputy? He was about as much use as a bagful of Dan Quayles. "Allan," he remonstrated, his voice soft. "What we discussed about knocking in the past. Etiquette man!" Not to mention he might disrupt an important black arts ritual.

Allan’s face fell, making him look like a whipped puppy dog. Mayor Wilkins idly wondered if he’d ever looked that young. Yes probably in 1880 or thereabouts. "Yes sir. But I thought you’d want to know Miss. Giles has been taken into custody for questioning for a death at her guardian’s house, Mr. Giles’ girl-friend."

He began to smile. "Well that’s just gra-," he shook his head. No. That wouldn’t be right. Not sporting. "Organise the young lady’s release."

"Sir?" Finch looked bemused.

Wilkins raised an eyebrow. "I don’t have to explain myself now do I?" Finch shook his head. "Then what are you waiting for?"

* * *

Faith stared down at the interrogation room table, unable to believe what she had done. In the past, when the pigs had tried to put the hard word on her she’d pissed herself laughing at them. But that had been for minor stuff. And it wasn’t like she’d had anything to lose, no one to care about – not like now. She was, tears stung her eyes, the Slayer, she was supposed to protect people. Instead what had she done?

Killed someone.

"S…she was in my room. And we got into an argument."

"About what?" demanded the detective.

"She, um..."

"Was this the first time that you two had had an argument?" Stein pressed.

Faith looked up. "No. She threatened me. She said that he would slap me."

"That was tonight?"

"No. But she had my diary, and I tried to take it back, a-and that's when she hit me."

"I don’t see any bruises."

Thank you for Slayer healing, Faith thought before replying. "I don't bruise easy."

"So you've been hit before?" Stein commented.

"I lived on the streets and in foster-homes before G adopted me."

"Yes," Stein nodded. Faith bristled inwardly at the asshole’s disdainful expression. "I’ve seen your sheet." The detective leaned over her. "Street robbery, vandalism, grand theft auto. Well you’re in the big leagues now. I see you going down for a long time. I wonder how much you’ll bruise in pr-."

"Detective!" the door to the interview room swung open and an uniformed cop stepped into the cold room. "Could I have a word?"

"Sure." An irritated look on his face, the detective strode over to the doorway. The two men talked for a few seconds before Stein turned back to her. "You’re free to go."

* * *

"Get in the car."

Faith quailed inwardly at the look of rage on her Watcher’s drawn face. "G, I’m sorry-."

"Get in the car."

Shoulders slumped she obeyed. Once the Englishman had climbed in beside her, she tried again. "G-."

"Mr. Giles if you don’t mind," the librarian interrupted. "Let’s keep our relationship professional from this point on."

Faith felt her heart break and bottom lip start to quiver. "It wasn’t my fault, she hit me-."

"You’re the thundering bloody Slayer!" the Englishman roared. "You should know that by now! You can’t just can’t go around attacking people!"

"She had my Slayer diary -."

"And that’s your excuse?" Giles turned to her, his eyes like chipped ice. "Do you think I’d have allowed your exposure? No, the truth is you thought you’d have to share me and like a petulant baby you struck out, Toni never had a chance!"

* * *

"Hi baby," Faith smiled gratefully as Xander hurried up and wrapped his arms around her as she entered the school lounge. "Are you okay?"

"How come you're here?" Cordelia put in.

"As opposed to jail?" Faith laughed hysterically. Seeing Harmony looking at her from across the room, she glared at the blonde. "Want something? Like maybe your teeth removing?" The moment the cheerleader had scuttled away, she turned back to her friends. "I couldn't stay at home. G won't even look at me."

"Here honey," Xander guided her to a couch. "Sit down."

"What happened? Unless you don't want to talk about it." Willow asked.

Faith shrugged. "We had a fight and I lost my temper. I really let her have it."

"The paper said she fell," Amy commented.

"Oh she fell. Hard."

"What was she? A-a demon? A giant bug? Some kind of dark god with the secrets of nouvelle cuisine? I mean, we are talking creature-feature here, right?" Jesse asked. Faith couldn’t look her friend in the eyes. "Oh man!"

"But I'm sure it wasn't your fault. She started it," Willow put in.

Faith snorted. "That defence only works in six-year-old court Red."

Beside her Xander paled. "Court? Wa-wait. Are they charging you with something?"

"I-I don't know. Not yet." Faith shook her head. "I don’t get it. They should have held me, with my record and everything but they just let me go. Wicked weird." She looked down. "I deserve to be in jail."

"Don't say that!" Cordelia ordered.

Faith looked up. "Why not? Everyone else is. And it's the truth."

"Not to us!" Jonathan glared around the room as if daring anyone to approach.

"It was an accident," Xander put in.

Faith shook her head. "I'm the Slayer. I had no right to hit her like that."

Xander squeezed her hand. "Look, Faith, I don't know what happened exactly. But I know you. And I know you would never hurt anyone intentionally."

"Doofus is right!" Cordelia added. "And I’ll talk to my dad, he’s got contacts at this big LA. law firm Wolfram & Hart, they’ll-."

"I gotta go," Faith interrupted before rising and walking out.

* * *

Xander half-stood to follow his girl-friend only to slump back in defeat. What could he say? Finally he turned to his companions. "G-Man’s not in the library today, right?" Willow nodded. "Okay, what have you found on Toni so far?"

"Nothing," Willow admitted. "No criminal record. Not even a speeding ticket."

"Damn it!" Xander fumed for a few seconds before collecting himself. "Well G-Man and Faith are out of action at the moment. So we’re going to have to deal with this ourselves. You got an address for Toni?" Willow passed him a print-out. "Thanks. You, Cordelia, and Amy research stuff. Me, Jess, and Johnno are going to practice our breaking in skills."

"We are?" Jonathan looked nervous.

"We are," he confirmed.

* * *

"Here you go." Xander forced a window open before turning to Jonathan. "You climb in and go unlock the door."

"Why me?" whined the youth.

Xander looked from Jonathan to Jesse. "Gee I don’t know," he gestured towards the tiny window. "You think either of us could fit?"

"Fine." Jonathan muttered and groaned as he squeezed through the window before finally falling through and hitting the ground with an audible thud. "Oww!"

"Stop hurting and unlock the door," Xander muttered through the slight opening.

"Sensitive man," Jesse snickered. "Real sensitive."

Xander ignored the comment, choosing to impatiently wait for Jonathan to unlock the front door. After a couple of minutes the door swung open. "I hurt my dose," commented Jonathan, rubbing the feature in question.

"That’s great Johnno," Xander commented. "Makes you look rugged."

"Manly even," Jesse added. "Shall we look around?"

" I'll take the back," Xander commented. Xander spent the next few minutes searching but found nothing out of place. "Damn it," he muttered. "There has to be some-."

"Xander!" he looked up at Jesse’s shout. "In here!" He hurried through to find Jesse and Jonathan in the office, papers scattered around them. "So far I've counted four marriage certificates. And no divorce papers."

Xander grinned, well that was not of the norm. "So either our girl was a Mormon, or-."

"Whoa, whoa, 1957!" Jonathan interrupted. "Toni musta married young! Like pre-uterus."

Xander stared to pace the office floor. "This is good, but it’s not en-," his voice trailed off as he realised something. The entire house floor was wood panelled and yet only this room had a rug. Grabbing hold of the floor covering, he flung it aside. "A trap door."

* * *

Faith stopped as she entered the kitchen to see Giles packing away a bunch of baking pans and bowls. After a second she spoke, her voice tremulous. "Can I help?"

Giles glared at her. "You’ve done quite enough already."

"I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I do not wish to talk about this."

Faith’s eyes began to burn. "Please, you have to know..."

"Just go to your room."

* * *

"Well never mind," Cordy giggled as she bit into her cookie. "Things will work themselves out." Willow glared at the cheerleader. Five minutes ago Cordelia had been as gung-ho as the rest of them to find something on Toni. Then suddenly she starts eating -. Willow’s eyes snapped back to the cookie. Reaching out, she snatched out of the cheerleader’s hand. "Hey!"

"Have mine and Amy’s," she threw their boxes to Cordelia. "Amy," she looked at her friend. "We need to get to the science lab now!"

* * *

Faith slumped on her bed, the tears she’d been holding back flowing. "Fuck, this day can’t get any worse."

"Beg to differ."

Faith spun around to see Toni climbing in through the window. Heart racing, she stood and backed away from her. "You died." She shook her head, unable to believe the evidence of her own eyes.

"That's right, missy, you killed me. Do we have something to say about that? Are we sorry?"

"What are you?"

Toni lunged at her. Faith kicked her in the gut and followed with a left to the jaw.

Toni winced but kept on coming. Faith punched him twice in the stomach and again in the face. Toni responded by grabbing her by the throat and backing her into and over her desk, pinning her against the wall. "You see I had to shut down for a while to get you off my back. You should've seen the intern's face when I got up off the table, it was a hoot! Fun's over though." The nutcase wrapped other hand around her throat and began to squeeze. Vision blurring, Faith scrabbled blindly around her nightstand for anything she could use as a weapon. Grabbing a nail file she stabbed Toni in the left forearm with it. Toni yanked her arm away from her, slicing it open on the file as she jerked back. Faith collapsed to the floor. "That wasn't playing fair, missy!"

Faith’s eyes widened in disbelief as she saw smoke and sparks coming out of the wound. "You're gonna find..." Toni’s head jerked to the right. "That I don't like being disobeyed!" Faith whimpered when Toni’s boot crashed into her jaw. The last thing she heard before she passed out was Toni’s voice. " Don't worry about me and your father. We're gonna be very happy!"

* * *

"Do we have to?"

"Shut up Jonathan," Xander ordered as he pushed down the trapdoor ladder and climbed down into the shadowy basement, his friends following behind. Once at the bottom of the stairs, he scrabbled at the wall until he found a light switch and flipped it on. He took a quick step back when not only the lights came on but also some lounge music. "Is it me," he looked around. "Or does this place look like an apartment?"

"An apartment furnished by Norman Bates," Jesse commented.

"Good call," Jonathan whispered.

"Look around guys," Xander instructed before making his way to the back of the apartment. Finding a closet door, he took a breath. "Whatcha got in the closet, Toni?" Opening the door, he felt his heart stop before quickly slamming the door shut.

"Find anything?"

"Argh!" he screamed at Jonathan’s voice behind him before slumping against the door, heart racing. "Do. Not. Do. That," he gasped. Once his heart had returned to something resembled normal pace, he straightened and nodded. "I found something."

"Oh yeah?" Jesse had a nervous look on his face.

"The first four Mr. Tonis."

Jesse gulped. "Back to school." Xander nodded, that sounded like a very good idea.

* * *

"Rupert?"

Giles looked up from packing to see his girl-friend stood in the kitchen. "Toni! Is it really you? But you were..."

Toni stepped into the kitchen. "I'm okay! I'm okay."

"I-I don't understand this! You were dead!" Rupert babbled.

"They said I must've been dead for six minutes. They said any longer and it would've caused brain damage."

"Why didn't they tell us?" Rupert demanded, anger beginning to replace amazement. After the bloody terrible day he and Faith had had.

"Nobody knew! They took me to the morgue. I was unconscious for almost a day. An intern found me. It's a miracle, Rupert. A miracle." Toni smiled.

"Oh, my God, Faith! Oh, Toni, I swear... she never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me."

Toni embraced him. "You don't have to worry about Faith. You don't have to worry about anything. You know what brought me back, Rupert? It was you. I couldn't go into that light. I had to come back for you. I'm gonna make you so happy!"

"You should sit down," Giles reluctantly pulled away.

Toni shook her head. "I feel fine! Never better!"

Giles exhaled, releasing all the tension that had been building up over the past day. "Toni, I think I should talk to Faith first. Before she sees you, I'm sure she's..."

Toni’s eyes hardened. "Do we have to worry about Faith right now? How about worrying about Toni? She's the one who died!"

Rupert took a step back, suddenly wary. "Sorry?"

"Sorry!" His eyes widened at Toni’s tone. "I think it’s time you stopped thinking about that little hussy and more about your girl-friend!"

* * *

Willow pursed her lips as she peered into a microscope of the cookie’s filling. "Okay!"

"What do we know?" Amy queried.

"Well, apparently the secret ingredient," she looked up from the specimen. "Isn’t love. I'm not positive, but I think it's Dematorin. It's like a tranquilizer, keeps you all mellow and compliant. It also shares a few components with Ecstasy."

Amy threw her arms around her neck. "This is evidence! This is real evidence that Toni was some kind of a crook! Faith's cleared! Well done!" Willow laughed as the other Wicca pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened as the other witch pressed her lips to hers.

"Hey guys!" They pulled apart at the sound of Cordy entering the lab. "The guys are back and do they have news!"

* * *

"I beg your pardon?" Giles felt himself stiffen. "That is my daughter you’re talking about."

"Your daughter?" Toni sniffed. "That little lady is nothing but a streetwalker."

"Get out now."

Toni’s eyes widened. "You’d take her side against me?" The blonde’s impossibly powerful backhand slap lifted him up and flung him over the kitchen table "I misjudged you Rupert."

"Hey bitch." He heard Faith’s cold voice from the kitchen doorway. "That’s my pop you’re hitting."

* * *

Xander shook his head. "So, Toni’s a genius in robotics in the 50s, but she’s a woman so her husband gets all the credit for her work. In revenge she builds a better Toni. Kidnaps her hubby, holds him hostage in her bunker'o'love until he dies. And then she keeps bringing him back. That's creepy on a level I hardly knew existed."

"The sad part is the real Toni must've been a genius. There were design features in that robot that pre-date..."

"Forget that," Jesse interrupted Willow. "If she’s a robot, Faith couldn’t have killed her…"

Xander’s eyes widened in realisation. "So she’s still around. Oh crap!" Leaping up, he lead the others in a dead run out of the library.

* * *

Faith glared at the robot. "You hit me. You frame me for murder," she stepped into the room. "And then," she glanced down at her crumpled guardian. "You think you can get away with hitting my pop?" She shook her head. "Not gonna happen."

Toni lunged at her. Faith leaned away from the attack, grabbing the robot’s left wrist and flipping her into the wall. The plaster cracked under the impact and when Toni turned to face her, some of the skin had torn away, revealing the metal beneath. "Can’t we be friends?"

"Not fucking likely Robbie!" Faith snarled.

"Okay." Toni grabbed the spice rack and flung it at her. Even as she side kicked the rack away, Toni charged at her, her forearm slamming into her throat. Gasping from the blow, she fell onto the table. Toni advanced, ignoring her kicks as if they were nothing before grabbing her around the throat. "You’re just in the way missy."

"No she bloody isn’t." Faith saw Giles’ battle axe come down, slicing through the robot’s neck, just as the back door burst open and Xander and the others ran in.

* * *

"Faith," G embraced her pulling her into a bruising hug. "I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you these past few days."

Faith shrugged, embarrassed by yet liking the raw sincerity in G’s voice. "It’s cool, no big."

"Yes it is," her father in all but name tousled her hair. "You deserve better. If there’s any way I can make it up to you…"

"Well it’s my birthday soon," Faith grinned impishly. "And nothing says sorry like a Harley."

Giles’ eyes widened. "Bugger off! I’d never have a moment’s sleep worrying about you on one of those hogs. You can have a second-hand car."

"Oh G," Faith wheedled.

For once her Watcher was immune. "I could make it a scooter," the Englishman threatened.

"Car’s cool," she back-pedalled before changing the subject. "You gonna go see JC?"

G’s face grew guarded. "And why would I want to do that?"

"’Cause you care about her," Faith reddened. She hated talking feelings crap, made her feel all girly and stuff. "And if you care about someone it’s sorta important you tell them right?"

"Indeed it is," Giles kissed her on her forehead. "Wish me luck. I’ll see you later."

* * *

"I was thinking."

"I’ve told you about that," Xander grinned at his girl-friend sat on the lounge couch beside her. "Don’t do it. Gives you –," his voice trailed off when he finally registered the worried look on his girl-friend’s face. "Faith," he took her slightly shaking hands in his own, "what’s wrong?"

His girlfriend smiled weakly. "I was thinking G’s gonna be away for a couple of hours," the Slayer took a long breath. "I was thinking that we need to work on protecting you from demons and stuff." Faith reddened slightly. "Demons like Natalie French."

"But she’s dead…" Xander’s voice trailed off as it hit him what Faith was saying. "You mean you want to have," he gulped. "Sex? With me? Like Alexander Lavelle Harris?"

"This Bostonian bad-ass accepts no substitutes." Apparently his own nervousness was curing Faith’s. The Slayer ran a surprisingly soft hand down his face. "X, I’m crazy about ya," the brunette ran an invitingly moist tongue over her full lips. "So how about you let me steer you around the curves?"

* * *

"Hi."

"Hi." Amy stared at her fellow Wicca before reaching out a tentative hand and brushing the red-head’s hair away from her face. She smiled as she stepped over the threshold. "No one’s in?" The school genius shook her head, her eyes excited yet scared. "Good." She shoved the door shut up behind.

"We can’t-."

"It felt right didn’t it?" After a second the other witch nodded. "Then let’s do it again, worry later."

"Okay," Willow leaned in for a kiss.

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