Seeking Justice
Madsdog
Email: madsdog13@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I’m playing with Joss’ chess set, and all pieces will be
returned to their original positions
Summary: At a Scooby reunion, Willow’s secrets of the past are discovered
Couples: Willow/Faith plus Willow/Doyle/Spike friendship
Spoilers: Angel season 1, Buffy season 4
Rating: Will probably get up to R, but I guess pg13 for now
Notes: Not the first thing I’ve written, but the first thing I’ve sent to be
archived. DOYLE IS NOT DEAD. Just thought I’d make that clear. Everything
else happened as in the series. Set several years in the future after Buffy
and Willow have graduated from UC Sunnydale. Told from Willow’s point of
view.


PART 1

Why is it that the people you hate the most, are the ones you can’t help but
love?

"Come on Will, you asked for a truth, now tell us the answer."

"We’re 24 years old, Buffy, this is our first full reunion for a long time,
why are we playing truth or dare?"

"Because you decided it would be a good way for us all to get to know each
other again, now Cordy asked you a question, so spill."

Playing truth or dare had seemed a great idea at first, and it had been
great fun for the first hour or so. Then Cordelia had asked me that fateful
question- who was my first true love- and now everything I had hidden from
this group of people for the past six years was to come out.

Last year we had all graduated from college and now we were having a huge
reunion party at Angel’s old place- the mansion. Everyone was here; Wesley,
Cordelia, and Angel had returned from LA on Giles’ insistence, bringing with
them a guy called Gunn and a half demon, Doyle. Oz had reappeared a couple
of weeks back from his world travels, and Anya and Xander had come home from
a trip to Hawaii about the same time.

Now, as Joyce and Giles had just emerged form the kitchen, there were
fourteen unrelenting faces peering at me.

"Leave the poor girl alone, ask her something else Cordy." Silently, I
hoped someone would join Riley in sticking up for me, but I had no such luck
when I heard Spike speak.

"No, we want to know what she’s hiding."

"Don’t worry about me, honey, if that’s the problem." I looked up at Tara.
We had given up the charade of trying to be a couple a few months back and I
knew she thought I was trying to protect her feelings by not answering. As
a last resort I looked up at Angel, the only other person in the room who
could possibly know the answer.

"Leave her alone, Cordy, find someone else to ask."

"No, Angel. I asked her because I want to know. If Willow doesn’t answer,
I’ll get Spike to propose a particularly nasty dare." At the evil glint
that suddenly shone in the younger vampire’s eyes, I knew I had to answer
the question.

"Now, for the fourth and final time, Willow. Who was your first love?"

"You don’t have to say anything, Willow"

"Yes," I responded, "I do."

"Who was it then, luv?"

"Faith." I hoped that my voice was quiet enough so that not enough people
would hear for a fuss to be made. Unfortunately, I was sitting too close to
Spike.

"The Slayer! Bloody hell, Red, I thought you hated her!"

"Faith?"

"Faith? That was the loony slayer bitch, right?"

"She wasn’t mad, Gunn. She just had a couple of irresolvable problems." I
mouthed a thank you to Angel that, unfortunately, did not go undetected.

"You knew, didn’t you, Angel?"

"Yes, Buffy, he did. When I found out Angel had phoned up Giles to say she
was trying to kill him, I travelled there to see whether I could help him-
then left before you arrived." Suddenly a barrage of questions flew at me
from thirteen sides, even Oz and Joyce joined in. Taking one last pleading
look at Angel, I stood up and fled from the main room in the mansion to one
of the back rooms where I had been invited to stay for the week. It wasn’t
long before there came a knock on the door.

"It’s Angel," was the response to my enquiry as to who it was

"Come in." He entered slowly and sat on the end of the bed, which I was
currently lying on. "Hi."

"You didn’t’ have to answer the question, Willow, you could’ve lied, or I
would’ve spoken to Cordelia."

"I can’t and don’t lie and they never would’ve let up if I’d avoided it.
Besides, it’s better the truth’s out."

"For whom?"

"For me. It’s off my conscience. Plus I hate the fact I’ve been lying to
Buffy, Giles, Xander, and even Spike for years."

"You like my childe, don’t you?"

"He’s the only one who ever just lets me be me. It may sound strange, but I
have no image to live up to with him. I don’t have to play sympathetic best
friend, perfect girlfriend, or dependable, sister-like girl with him. It’s
nice. Different"

"He likes you too. He trusts you. That’s a rare thing for Spike."

"You didn’t come in here to make small talk, Angel. What do you want to
know?"

"I want to help you Willow. You’re not going to survive a week with
thirteen insistent people asking questions for a week, but if I’m going to
help shield you, then I need to know what happened between the two of you."

"Can’t you guess?"

"I need details, Willow, even if they’re only brief ones."

"Faith and I were happy, some stuff happened, and now she’s in prison."

"Willow…" Angel looked at me threateningly

"I don’t want your help, Angel. Faith may have trusted you, but I don’t,
sorry." I hated speaking so plainly to him, but I felt as if there was no
other way to get my message across. As the vampire turned to leave the
room, I decided to say what was on my mind.

"I got a letter from her yesterday. She’s coming home."

***

Part 2

I could well imagine the questions Angel would be asked when he returned to
the others, I had, after all had six years in which to worry over my
answers.

Oz and Tara, I knew, would be hurt the most. Faith was like a drug to me
and I had cheated on both of then with her. Each had believed themselves my
first- Oz my first sexual partner, Tara, my first same sex partner, both
would now discover themselves wrong. Both would now feel cheated. Buffy
would feel betrayed and Xander and Riley, disgusted. Joyce, Wesley and
especially Giles would all feel that they had let me down in some way, Anya
wouldn’t care and I would once again find myself leaning on Spike for
support. Over the years, he had begun to reveal to me some of the details
of his relationship with Drusilla and I knew he was possibly the only one
who could understand my loving Faith blindly, perhaps even stupidly, for all
of my adult life.

After Faith had been arrested in LA, she was escorted around the country
until, finally, she had been settled in a high security prison near San
Francisco where I tried to visit her as often as possible. About four
months back though, they moved her again, this time to somewhere in Florida.
I hadn’t been able to visit her since then, but I had received letters-
the latest one informing me that she had made bail and would be arriving
within the week.

The love of my life was returning.

***

"Who is it?"

"Doyle." I was surprised by the reply and invited the young half demon in.

"Is this a messenger service?"

"No. Well yes, but no." I raised my eyebrows, "What I mean is, no-one’s
given me any messages, but I’m gonna tell you what’s going on out there."

"Is anyone dead yet?" The man smiled

"Not quite yet. But there is a group of people out there on highly fuelled
emotional rampages."

"Tell me what’s happening."

"Well, basically, the group’s split into three- those who don’t care, those
supporting you and those outwardly hating you."

Which one’s Spike in?" Doyle half smiled again

"He’s the head of the support group, backed by Angel, Anya, the watcher-"

"Giles?"

"Right, and surprisingly enough, your ex."

"Tara?"

"No, Oz"

"Oz? Are you sure?" At the demon’s nod I continued "But- but he must
realise that means I’ve cheated on him twice."

"I guess."

"You must think I’m a really terrible person- I am a really terrible
person."

"I think you’re a girl who’s too nice to get out of a relationship if the
other person’s gonna get hurt."

"Maybe." Silence fell over the room until I spoke what had been on my mind

"Who’s the leader of those against? Buffy or Xander?"

"Wesley."

"Wesley?"

"What can I say? He’s British." I almost smiled at that until something
that had been said earlier hit me

"Anya’s supporting me?"

"Is that new?"

"Yeah, we usually kinda just ignore each other or have glaring contests
across the room."

"Well she’s out there being very pro-Willow."

"You’re not how I expected you to be at all."

"Really? Do I want to know what you expected?"

"Well anyone who’s been to LA pretty much says drunken, vision- having half
demon. Plus Cordelia likes you so that usually implies a character more on
her level."

"I can see how I’d be kind of unappealing on those references." Silence
filled the air for about the fourth or fifth time and I wished the guy would
just get up and leave- not that I didn’t like him, he was just in my space
at the wrong time. I was about to tell him as much when he spoke again

"Y’know it doesn’t help the situation out there much that no-one knows the
full story."

"I fell in love with the wrong person and never climbed back out again. It
has resulted in consequences, but they’re ones I put up with. I love Faith
with all my heart and when she returns- within the week, hopefully- I’ll
welcome her back with open arms. And legs."

"As you have before?"

"And as I will again. She may not love me to the same degree to which I
love her but in her own wacky way she does love me and saying goodbye to her
again when she leaves or gets hurt or whatever it is that parts us this
time, will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever have to do. Have you ever
loved like that?"

"Not to the same degree."

"You don’t want to. I received a letter from her yesterday to say that
she’d be home within the week and I’m already worried cos if she really
tried, I’m sure she could be here by now."

"Where’s she coming from?"

East Florida someplace."

"If she doesn’t state a precise date, she could’ve had stuff to do on the
way."

Stuff that’d probably get her killed if she weren’t The Slayer."

Quite possibly, but then if she didn’t tell you, perhaps there was no need
for you to know."

"No need for me to know?" Something inside of my snapped at that for no
particular reason, "Nothing for me to worry about? The woman I love could
be lying dead in a ditch somewhere and there’s nothing for me to worry
about? That’s bullshit, Doyle, bullshit and you know it. Just who do you
think you are anyway? I don’t even know you, heck I’ve only just met you,
and you’re giving me advice on my girlfriend of six years who you’ve only
known up until now as a sadistic killer. You know nothing, PTB guy,
nothing, so don’t prance in here with your Irish nancy- boy ways and think
you can tell what I’m like. You know nothing. Nothing. Nothing." As my
anger suddenly subsided into exhaustion, I began to feel sobs wrack through
my body. "Just leave, Doyle. Please just leave." Turning my back, I heard
the door open and then a loud yell. Rolling over, I saw Doyle lying on the
floor obviously in great pain, barely conscious. Above him stood Angel

"Is he okay?" I asked, concerned, and worried that I’d done something.

"He’s having a vision." As the yell subsided, Doyle tried to compose
himself

"PTB’ve got great timing, no?"

"What’d you see, Doyle?" Glancing carefully over at me, the half- demon
looked down to his feet before fixing his glance onto the ensouled vampire.

"War."

***

Part 3

I didn’t fully comprehend the meaning of the word at first. Weren’t the
Scooby Gang constantly raging a war on the underworld of America- and
vice-versa?

"How d’you mean ‘war’, Doyle, and how does it concern us?" Angel, efficient
as ever was trying to persuade further details from the young man who stood
staring at me. When he finally spoke, there was a slight tremor to his
voice.

"Her against the Slayer. It was hell. Terror and havoc ruled. Everyone
was affected. No one was unscathed. The pain. I’ve never felt the like of
that pain before, Angel. Never." Angel and I were shocked by Doyle’s
telling of his vision and before either of us had the presence of mind to
ask further questions, he had stumbled from the room in a dazed state. The
vampire looked over at me and for a second I felt a sense of guilt for, in a
way, contributing to the pain the seer was now feeling, but once he too had
left I shook the feeling away. It was ridiculous, feeling remorse over
events that had yet to happen, crimes yet to be committed.

But what events? What crimes? Doyle hadn’t even said which slayer I was
going to be up against: my best friend or the woman I loved. At the moment
I would say Buffy, but in Sunnydale anything could happen, I could even be
persuaded to turn on faith, as I had once before.

Cringing at the way my thoughts were heading, I decided to find out what
else Doyle had seen in his vision and snuck out of the room, pulling the
door closed behind me and creeping along the corridor in the opposite
direction to the main rooms. I stopped at a room from which I heard voices
and listened to the conversation from in front of the slightly open door.

"I don’t understand what you’re saying." Giles, damn, wrong people. Doyle
wouldn’t explain his vision to the watcher without having fully explained
what he saw to Angel and he hadn’t had time for that yet. I was about to
continue in my search for the pair when I heard Buffy begin to speak

"It’s Faith, Giles. Evil Slayer, tried to kill us all remember?"

"And it’s Willow. The most sensible woman any of us have ever known."

"And also the most generous and forgiving."

"She’s right, Giles." Wesley? Wesley and Buffy were sided together against
Giles? That’s something I thought I’d never see- or hear in this case.

"Buffy, Willow has been faithful to you for almost ten years, are you just
going to forget that because she fell in love?"

"Six years ago. For six years she’s been lying to us all. Condoning the
actions of a murderer."

"That’s hardly fair, Buffy."

"Why not?"

"It’s been at least five years since she killed anyone, don’t you think
she’s had time to change?"

"Murderers don’t change."

"Not even Angel." Silence fell over the room and I knew that Giles had
scored a direct hit. But it did little to alleviate my inner turmoil, the
sense of betrayal, pain, anger, and guilt all mixed up inside me wanting to
escape.

Silently, for the second time in thirty minutes, tears ran down my face and
sobs wracked my body. It felt to me that my sister and my father were
fighting over who had the right to be my judge, jury and executioner.

Blinded by tears I sank to the floor by the door. Instinctively I knew that
similar conversations would be going on throughout the house. Only about a
third of my group of friends were sticking up for me, which left two thirds
to wear them down.

I made no objection as I felt strong arms wrap around me to pick me up.

"I found her." It only barely registered that the voice was Doyle’s as I
was put onto a green sofa, curling up into myself, I increased the volume
and intensity of my sobs, hoping to drown out the sound of any more
discussions about me.

"That isn’t going to help anything, Red." Spike. The one constant in my
life was the only thing I was able to focus on as I struggled to cease my
tears and withdraw from myself.

"She- she-" I struggled to explain what I’d heard

"Shhh pet, what’d Slutty say to get you so upset this time?"

"She said I’d betrayed her, that I’d condoned the actions of a murderer. I
never condoned it Spike. I never let her get away with it. I betrayed her
for Buffy and now Buffy’s condemning me for being too forgiving." Tears ran
down my cheeks as I clutched onto Spike, desperate for any support he could
offer me.

"Luv," I sat up and look at his face "You’re my best friend, heck, the only
person who ever speaks to me, but I can’t help if I don’t know what happened
or what’s going on now." Nodding I prepared to tell Spike the full story
when I noticed that Doyle was still in the room, sitting on Spike’s bed.

"Let him stay, luv. He’s harmless, and if he’s not- well, he’s still half
demon."

"Are you threatening me, Spike?"

"Gee, I guess I am. Oh dear." Giggling at Spike’s sarcasm I silently
agreed to let the Irishman stay and hear my tale of woe.

***

"I’m Faith."

"I’m gonna go out on a limb and say there’s a new Slayer in town."

"Usually, I would have found the comment from Oz amusing but it didn’t even
register I was watching her fight so hard. She was truly beautiful,
although the basic techniques she used were the same as Buffy’s, her
application was entirely different. Buffy was always confident, but Faith
was more self- confident, if you get what I mean. She was wearing this
gorgeous top, it suited her right down to the ground and from that moment
onwards, I was head over heels in love."

"From when you first saw her? That’s pretty impressive."

"Yeah, luv. It wasn’t even like that with Dru."

"Or Harry."

"I guess, but I didn’t know what it was I was feeling at the time. I mean,
I knew, I just really didn’t want to accept it. I was still kinda geeky and
bookwormy, and I didn’t want to know that I was gay or bi. I couldn’t
comprehend that it was actual love. It was hard for me. So I started
transferring that love."

"Chubs."

"Yeah, but you ruined that charade. Xander began as a way to transfer the
love that I was feeling but in-between then and you arriving, there was this
watcher- Mrs Post- who wasn’t a watcher but actually came to Sunnydale to
find this power giving glove. Faith trusted her then she was betrayed, she
trusted Buffy, but she betrayed all of us by hiding the fact that Angel was
back. We both felt betrayed and when Faith phoned me ‘cos she needed some
help with her stove, we talked and moaned together, got hopelessly drunk,
and then- well- I ended up staying the night. Nothing happened but we got
closer, and then, when I went to leave in the morning, she kissed me. That
was ho it began, and it wasn’t long before we spent all our time together.
When Oz and I split up, we slept together, I was in a really bad place and
she comforted me. I think it’s probably the only relationship she’s been in
where she didn’t just take what she wanted, she waited until I took it." I
trailed off, thinking over the next events I was about to relate

"I’m assuming that’s not the whole story. Y’know it doesn’t sound like it
was a bed of roses between you."

"No. It wasn’t. Things kinda turned psycho. We had a fight one night cos
I’d spent her birthday helping Buffy. She said that without her I was
nothing- I wouldn’t have even been as powerful a witch if it weren’t for
her- which in a way was true. Anyhow, she kept going on about how I was
only who I was because of her- that I wouldn’t have even been able to get Oz
or Xander into bed if I’d tried, while as she could’ve gotten either- she
would’ve gotten either if it weren’t for me- but she guessed she was
mistaken and that I didn’t actually care for her- she was just some toy I
could boast about to my precious Scooby Gang. I said some not particularly
nice things back and she went off and slept with Xander."

"She slept with XANDER!"

"Yeah. I found out about the same time I learnt she’d killed Allan Finch,
the deputy major. I betrayed her. I turned against her. I hated her so
much but at the same time I loved her so much I could barely say her name.
The next time I spoke to her was when she kidnapped me at city hall. I
asked her why she’d turned on us. She hadn’t. She’d been trying to find a
way to make it up to me for sleeping with Xander."

More tears were running uncontrollably down my face thinking of the things
I’d said and done to my lover.

"And you know what? I didn’t believe her. The fact that she’d broken my
heart by sleeping with him, and then trying to seduce Angel never left my
head, but eventually I realised she was telling the truth. There had been
reason behind everything she did. She had been working for our side all
along. I realised too late and when I tried to apologise, she hit me. She
apologised- she was really sorry, you could see it in her eyes. I forgave
her and she gave me some vital pages from the Books of Ascension. We kissed
and would’ve gotten further if Giles hadn’t phoned The Major to say they’d
be willing to exchange me for some box they’d nicked. Faith had to let me
go again and the next time I heard from her was when she’d shot Angel.
Buffy fought her and put her in a coma. But she wasn’t gone."

"How d’you mean?"

"She used to visit me- in my dreams, as I slept. She was there. Sometimes
she’d warn me, sometimes we’d talk. On special occasions, or when I was
feeling particularly down, she’d make love to me the whole night. She was
truly amazing. Then she woke up. She came to me first and we had sex-"

"That’s why no-one could find her that night."

"Yeah. She said she’d found a way she could be with me."

"She switched hers and Buffy’s bodies."

"Right."

"She what? How?"

"Some magic trick."

"A katra."

"Yeah right, one of them." I heard Doyle mutter something about how "That
really helped. Explained a load" and noted the similarities between the two
males in the room.

"The details don’t matter, Doyle. What does matter is that she wasn’t the
same. People saw her as Miss Loony Toons, and I couldn’t see past her outer
self- she was Buffy and the way I saw it, she’d traded in what she was, for
what she envied, and I couldn’t love her in a different body.

"After that, she ran around the country, ending up in LA on a mission to
kill Angel. Angel- well the word he used was ‘redeemed’, but he and I
helped her to see that perhaps there was something else out there for her.
She’s kinda like a dog in some ways, she trusts practically no one, but if
she does start to have faith, then the person is protected for life. She
trusted her first watcher, and was almost killed trying to save her, and she
began to trust Angel, that’s why she turned herself in in LA, not for
redemption, to save Angel’s ass. The rest, as they say, is history."

"So she’s on her way home?"

"Yeah."

"Where exactly classes as home for her?" I dug into my trouser pocket and
produced an envelope

"She says in this letter; ‘I got bail. I’m coming home. That sounds kinda
ironic doesn’t it, that a girl like me could class anywhere as home, but I’m
on my way to the valley of the sun as of tomorrow. I’ll find you there, I
hope you have room as I don’t have anywhere else to stay once I’m there.
See you soon, love always, F.’ Does that answer your question?" Before
either demon could answer, there came a knock on the door

"Will? It’s Oz, Angel sent me with food, can I come in?" Battling my inner
turmoil at having to face my first male lover, I answered in the
affirmative. As he came in, I noticed the cautious half smile that graced
his lips and showed his uncertainty. All three man were silent as I uttered
a single word

"Hi."

"Hey." The room was still until he spoke again, "food."

"Thanks." As he turned to leave, I once again found my voice, "Oz, wait.
Sit, please?" As he did just that, the air became uncomfortable with no-one
knowing what, exactly, to say. Finally, Spike spoke up

"So you’re the wolf. I’ve only seen you a couple of times and they were
when you were shoving crucifixes and the like at me." The atmosphere
instantly became less tense and I asked Oz the question that had been
bothering me

"Oz, why aren’t you mad at me?"

"I knew."

"What?"

"I knew there was someone else, but I loved you so much I didn’t care."

"That’s bonkers, mate. When Dru was with Angelus I hated her for it."

"You’re not the same as me."

"Obviously."

"Did you know who it was?"

"No. I thought it was Xander but it became evident it wasn’t. I understand
that now."

"You understand Xander and I?"

"You were looking for a way out."

"I was?"

"That makes sense y’know, I did that when I found out I was a demon, turned
to drink so as Harry’d get out." I looked at Doyle, and then Oz, finally
setting my gaze on Spike.

"I don’t get what you’re saying."

"What they’re saying, Red, is that cos you didn’t want to hurt shaggy by
dumping him, you started sneaking around with the moron until you got caught
and he broke it off with you. And then, when you couldn’t say no when he
apologised, he realised it was someone else and not the Xanderfarian."

"Oh." As I thought about it, it made more sense, "Did you have any idea who
it was?"

"I thought it was Percy for a while until I realised it’d started way before
him. I was looking for males."

"Oh."

"Why aren’t you at the apartment?"

"Huh?" I was genuinely confused by Oz’s question

"If she’s coming looking for you, shouldn’t you be where she can find you?"

"I couldn’t get out of this week- Buffy and everyone was so excited. I
could hardly ruin the whole re-union by not being there."

"There’s no call for you to be here any more, pet, go back to your place."

"Don’t you think Angel’d mind?" My decision was already made

"We’ll take care of the wanker: you go meet the girl."

"Okay, I’m going." Scurrying around the room, I began gathering the few
belongings I’d brought into the vampire’s bedroom. Approaching the door, I
stopped and turned back

"Will one of you come with me to my room?" Doyle stood up and put his hand
on the small of my back to guide me out

"We’ll get the car ready, pet." I turned my head and smiled my consent at
Spike before Doyle and I left the room. Collecting what little I had with
me was easy and it wasn’t long before we were joining the vampire and the
werewolf outside. Oz placed my bag in the trunk and then got into the back
with Doyle

"You needn’t all come with me, guys."

"We want to pet, now get your ass up by me in the front here." I circled
the car and opened the door

"Oh,"

"What is it, Will?"

"I left my ring be the fire, I’ll just run and get it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I’ll be fine." Closing the door again, I jogged from the garage to
the side door of the house and through into the main room. Checking no one
was around; I proceeded across the room to where I knew I’d left the piece
of silver. It wasn’t there. Thinking it could have been knocked, I checked
the floor surrounding the fireplace until I heard a voice behind me

"Looking for this?" I stood and turned around

"Buffy." The Slayer just looked at me "Can I have my ring?" I held out my
hand for the article that Buffy was holding

"Once we’ve talked."

"There’s nothing to say."

"But we’re best friends, best friends always talk to one another." I knew
where this was heading and I didn’t want to hear what she had to say. I
noticed Xander in the corner, as I caught his eye he looked sheepish, but
there was a burning there that scared me. I’d seen, and felt, it before-
the burning of betrayal and hatred.

"Don’t do this, Buffy."

"Don’t do what? I notice all the things in your room are gone, you’re
obviously ashamed of what you’ve done and now you’re running away."

"Ashamed? Of what? Falling in love? I’ll never be ashamed of anything
I’ve done in my life."

"Well maybe you should be."

"Why? Nobody’s perfect, Buffy, I just learned that sooner than most."

"You’ve been betraying your friends for six years. You chose a murderer
over us."

"Anything Faith is, she was driven to become."

"So now this is my fault?"

"Nothing is-"

"Just where do you get off throwing accusations like that around?" Xander
stepped forward and it was obvious whose side he was on

"Xander, I never meant-"

"Then what did you mean? I presume you screwed her, before or after she did
me? Before or after she tried to kill us all, before or after she killed
Allan Finch? Before-"

"That was an accident. One she couldn’t deal with, that tore her up
inside."

"I suppose her trying to bring back Angelus was just an accident too, or
maybe it was a practical joke. We all laughed over that one."

"She told you everything she knew about the ascension, didn’t she? How else
would you have gotten that information? How else would you have listened to
her?" Buffy suddenly recovered her tongue

"How dare you stand there and defend her? Condone what she does and who she
is? You’ve betrayed everything that you are, along with everyone you know,
and for what? A cheap dog who had everything and threw it away."

"Don’t you dare talk about her like that, " fuelled be anger and loyalty, I
challenged the Slayer "did you not hide Angel from us for months? When you
thought you’d killed him, how fast did you run? And how long did it take
you to shove that sword in him anyhow? I may have loved her but I never
allowed her to murder those I cared about."

"Bitch." Everything suddenly switched to slow motion. Xander’s mouth
dropped, Spike appeared in the doorway with Oz and Doyle behind him as Buffy
raised her hand in a fist, there was a whoosh of air behind me and a hand
shot out over my shoulder to halt the descent of the blonde slayer’s fist as
it neared my face.

As time sped up, the hand tightened and Buffy’s bones began to grind
together from the pressure. As she looked at my protector, her eyes widened
in a mixture of pain and something else

"I really wouldn’t do that, B."


Part 4

"Faith." Her name was just an out letting of air from my lips

"Yeah, Babe, it’s me." Through the emotions running along each of my
nerves, I suddenly remembered where I was. Between two slayers. A place
I’d rather not be.

I sidestepped out of the crossfire and turned to look at the pair. Buffy
was glaring daggers of pain and hatred towards Faith who had adjusted her
position to hold her more firmly. Xander was opposite me.

I looked again at Faith. She was calm; she held no emotion in her eyes yet
her face was at peace. She’d had her hair cut to just above shoulder
length. It made her look older.

"When did they let you out?" Buffy’s voice was almost a sneer

"Last week." The calm I had seen in her face reached her voice, it appeared
to scare Buffy more. Behind me I heard Spike and the others enter the room,
but they kept their distance.

"Can I have my ring Buffy?" Both slayers turned to look at me and, seeing
Faith momentarily distracted, Buffy struck out with her free hand.

The punch never reached Faith’s face but in order to block, she had to let
go of Buffy’s other hand. Now having four functioning limbs, although you
could tell which hand was sore, Buffy began an all out attack on Faith.

It was over a minute before I realised that all Faith was doing was dodging
and blocking, not once did she throw either a punch or a kick. The two
slayers weaved in and out of each other. It was beautiful and mesmerising
to watch as they span and ducked in an unchoreographed dance.

It was over in a second when Angel entered the room unnoticed and stepped
between the two

"Angel, move." Buffy’s demand didn’t change a thing

"Angel, move, or for the love of God I will make you move."

"God had it in for me from the start, Buffy."

"Don’t get smart with me."

"I’m not. Willow, Faith, take those three and go to your apartment."

"Let them leave and I’ll kill you now."

"Give Willow her ring, Buffy."

Buffy reached into her pocket and I moved forward a step. She withdrew the
ring and I took another step. I was now within reaching distance

"Stop playing games, Buffy, just give it to her." I approached another one
or two steps and stood by Angel. Slowly I held out my hand. Buffy glanced
at me, at Angel, at Faith, at the ring; with a resigned sigh she moved her
hand to drop the ring into my palm

And struck with her other hand.

There was no slow motion this time; there was Buffy’s fist, my face, pain
and then the floor welcoming me with open arms- as my head cracked against
the hearth.

Blackness began to spread through my vision, and my brain became clouded. I
fought against the feelings- if I got knocked out Buffy had won.

As I lost consciousness, only Angel’s voice, loud and clear, made it through
the haze

"Get the fuck out of my house."

***

Part 5

When I finally came around, I was aware of someone with me. It was Doyle.

"Heya, Bright eyes, you back with us?"

"Ow."

"It hurts?" I glared at the man

"You ever been hit by a slayer?"

"That was a stupid question, wasn’t it?"

"Just a bit."

"Sorry."

"Where’s Faith?"

"Out with Spike." Something inside me was upset by this. Faith was too
independent; she didn’t want to wait by my bedside until I woke up.
Something of what I was thinking must have shown on my face,

"Angel and I made her leave. She was pacing for like three hours and it
didn’t look healthy."

"Oh."

"She really cares for you." I mustered a small smile

"I guess."

After about an hour and several painkillers, I was walking around the
apartment with Doyle shadowing my every movement

"I’m fine, Doyle, I’ll have a bruise, but I’m not going to collapse as soon
as you turn away."

"Sorry, it’s just if you get hurt, I’ll have hell to pay with ole Angel-eyes
and The Slayer, not to mention The Wolf and The Soulless Vamp." I smiled.
It was nice to know I had people I could depend upon.

I sat on the couch where I had woken up and patted the cushion beside me.
Doyle looked at me cautiously, as if unsure of my sincerity and then parked
himself beside me

"So tell me about your woman- Harry, wasn’t it?" And so I heard the full
story; how they met, his school teaching days, his discovery of his demon
side, his collapse into drink, Harry’s leaving only to show up as he was
about to move in on Cordy, and finally, his news of her death two years
previously. In return, I told him of Oz, Tara, and Faith along with my
involvement with Buffy and the Scooby Gang, we were just finishing off with
our first impressions of the members of the team we had never met prior to
the night before, when Faith and Spike ran in, looking out of breath and, in
a word, disgusted.

Doyle and I looked confused- this was a centuries old vampire and a slayer-
not the kind of people who usually look disgusted.

"What’s wrong?"

"Out back, in the alley, there’s a body." My face and mood plummeted

"It’s bad." It wasn’t a question. It didn’t have to be

"Don’t think I’ve seen worse since pre-Soulboy- if then."

"There’s blood everywhere, she was cut up real good- before she died."

"Before?"

"Witchcraft." I looked at Spike, we’d had conversations before about the
reality of The Craft, and I’d do something nasty to him if he persisted in
stereotypes

"Sorry luv, but I know it is this time- it’s a ritual I’ve seen before." I
forgave him instantly

"What does it do?"

"It removes the soul, traps it before death, and then afterwards, returns it
to the body. Having missed death, it can’t escape. The body holds it for
eternity, only unlike Peaches, the body’s truly dead, no demon, no nothing-
just a hollow shell, containing the soul ‘til the end of time." Mesmerised
by his voice, no- one spoke for a minute once Spike had finished

"How d’you find it?"

"Fangless here smelt it, said the blood was a few days old."

Just then there was a knock at the door, I opened it to find Giles

"Giles, hey, what are you doing here?"

"Faith called, told me about a body she found."

"We were just telling the others." A thought crossed my mind

"Are you sure the blood’s that old?"

"Positive."

"But Spike, you’ve been here a couple of times over the past few days, how
come you haven’t smelt it before today?"

"There was a glamour on it, I could feel the magic, it’s only in the past
four or so hours it’s worn off."

"Have you heard anything, Will? The amount of blood there is out there, it
must have hurt."

"I was at the mansion last night, before that- nothing?"

"Would anyone else have heard anything?"

"It’s a pretty crummy building, only a few of us live here, the Parkinsons
are on holiday, Mrs Haagen works nights, and Julie across the way’s almost
deaf."

We discussed the murder until Giles announced he had to leave; Buffy and the
others had to be informed of the crime. Soon after my head started
throbbing and I decided to retire for the night, telling the others to make
themselves comfortable wherever.

It was approaching nine thirty the following morning when I woke, after
sleeping I felt incredibly refreshed and I was humming as I made my way into
the kitchenette. My cheery mood wavered though as I heard Faith talking on
the phone

"But we’re talking murder here… Yes, I’m hearing your evidence and I can see
where you’re coming from… You’re talking about her like a cold-blooded
animal… I’m 100% with you… Right, dangerous, I’ll treat it as I would a
vamp." Whoever Faith was defending, as the conversation continued her heart
was less and less in it. I only caught scraps, and only from one end but it
was clear that by the end of the call, my lover regarded the subject to be
just as dangerous as whoever she was talking to did. I entered my main
room, seeing Spike, Doyle and Oz playing cards in one corner

"Morning Will."

"Morning. You weren’t here last night, Oz."

"No, I came round to see how you were." I grinned

"How was I?"

"Asleep." Doyle regarded us with curiosity and puzzlement

"Don’t’ worry, Pincushion, she’s always been weird and I’ve heard he’s even
weirder."

"I’m not weird," I protested weakly "Pincushion? I’ve heard you come up
with some strange names, but Pincushion?" Doyle growled low in his throat

"I just found out he’s a Bracken demon- they’re like big blue hedgehogs." I
looked at Doyle enquiringly and eventually he gave a slight nod to my
unasked question. Deciding not to pursue the matter further, I turned as
Faith entered the room.

"Morning." Faith didn’t return my smile and I became concerned "What’s
happening, are you okay?" I walked up to her

"I’m sorry Babe." I frowned

"What for?"

For the second time in as many days I was knocked out cold by a slayer.

***