Witness by The Rainbow Writers

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn, Spike and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Whedon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.
Distribution: The Rainbow Writer's Homepage: http://www.therainbowwriters.com/
Mystic Muse: http://mysticmuse.net
Spoilers: Season 6.
Feedback: All feedback is welcome.
Pairing: Willow/Other

Summary: Willow struggles with her rehabilitation in England.

Buffy walked silently along the well-worn path leading through the graveyard. Their day of research had turned up a few possibilities, but nothing concrete or definite. It seemed like there were far too many things that likes to rip the heads of young girls or drain their blood or just generally devour young people.

Though so far this evening patrol had turned up nothing, not even a fledgling vamp to distract the slayers.

"So, anywhere else you think we should try?" Faith questioned the blonde next to her as they walked out of the entrance to Glenhaven Cemetery.

"If you're anxious to get rid of me then just say so B." Faith shook her head and took out a package of cigarettes. "I mean I can cover the Bronze and you can do the back alleys." She lit herself one and offered the package to Buffy.

"It's a prison thing." Faith shrugged and put the package away. "And we're not built to live to cancer age B."

"So did you learn any good habits to go with your bad ones?" Buffy arched an eyebrow and looked at the dark slayer.

"Definitely." Faith nodded. "Oral sex is now my number one hobby." She grinned at the blonde waiting for her reaction.

"That is so typically you." Buffy tutted and made her strides a little longer, literally propelling her into Spike.

"Back up B." Faith's revelry was soon ended as she launched herself at the peroxide vampire, hitting him with a flying knee to the midsection and dragging the both of them down away from where Buffy was standing. The instant she could roll up to her feet she turned and struck the vamp with a spin kick to the chin as he tried to push up off the ground.

Taking the hint Spike remained on the floor, dabbing his bleeding lip with the back of his hand.

"Mean, lean fighting machine, I'm taking a guess here but, Faith I presume." He arched an eyebrow looking at the pattern on the sole of the boot that was held millimeters from his face.

"Damn right." Faith snarled down at him. "I didn't know I was famous but hey a girl takes what she can get, even if it is from a skanky vampire."

"I don't think you called me skanky last time we met Slayer." Spike smiled slightly.

"Being in a different body gave me a different view on things." Faith laughed and pulled back the kick. "And I was just playing with you."

"She likes to play with people." Buffy put in as she crossed over and for a moment seemed to be about to offer the vampire assistance before hesitating and standing waiting for him to right himself.

"So what's going on? Two slayers in town, am I thinking the rejuvenation demon we got in town is something bigger?" He glanced between the two women.

"I'm on vacation, just doing a little patrol to keep limber." Faith flexed her arms. "So B riddle me this, why aren't you slaying him?"

"He's got a soul, and a chip, he's about as dangerous as a toothless snail." Buffy explained beginning to walk away when Spike seemed to be okay.

"Oh the chip's still in." Faith dropped her ready stance and followed after Buffy. "So we doing the split up thing or both going from some grooves at the Bronze?"

"Hey you know if the bad one wants to go party the night away I could keep you company." Spike offered jogging slightly to catch up with Buffy, reaching out to take her arm as he drew closer.

"No." Buffy pulled sharply away. "That is, why don't you go check out Willies and the Bronze for us?" She added quickly.

Faith momentarily didn't say anything as she watched the interaction between the two of them.

"Where are you and she going, then so I can meet up with you later?" Spike put forward seeing the opening.

"You can come to the house…" Buffy began but stopped. "You can give the information to Faith." She altered it to. "She's staying at the motel." She glanced at the dark Slayer to fill in details.

"Look B, why don't the wonder vamp and I just go to the Bronze and Willy's. I can phone you with the specs if there is anything interesting." Faith added seeing how uncomfortable she was.

"Great idea." Buffy swiftly agreed. "I'll meet you back at home Faith when you're done okay?" She looked only Faith.

"You got it." Faith looked at Spike. "Come on, let's go crack some skulls." She gave him a sinister smile.

Faith gripped her hands into the dirty denim of the vampire's jacket as she put his head through a wall and smiled over at Spike who was leisurely smoking a cigarette beside her.

"What's the deal with you and Buffy?" She asked him as she pulled the vamp back and flung him towards the other wall.

"Deal?" Spike shrugged as he sidestepped a little to avoid getting brick dust on his jacket.

"Yeah you being 'nice' to a slayer and B acting all doe eyed scared around you?" Faith pulled the vamp up and slapped him a couple of times.

"Well you know Buffy, she can be scared of her own shadow at times, and I know it makes sense to be nice to the people who can bloody well kill you." He gave the Slayer a smile as he flicked ash onto the floor.

"Do I have to beat the truth out of you?" Faith finally staked the vamp and turned to Spike with a shake of her head.

"I'm telling you the truth pet." Spike pushed up from his place and began walking back up the alley towards the front entrance of the nightclub.

"I think you and the truth aren't usually something that go together." Faith followed after him.

"Look I'm sure someone filled you in with all the goings on of the last little while, Buffy and I aren't exactly a newsflash in all that mess, we had a thing, it didn't end well, that's it." Spike shrugged.

"You and B had a nasty thing?" Faith tried to hide her own shock. "Wow, I didn't know that she could be a dirty girl."

"You'd be surprised at what Buffy has done since she's been back. They say death changes you, I know it did me." He continued his casual banter with an unwavering smile.

Faith leaned against the wood pillar at the front of the Summer's house, enjoying the almost eerie quiet that the very late hour brought. All of the 'normal' people were cuddled up with their 2.54 kids and menagerie of pets waiting for the dawn and another day of work.

She'd never gotten that lifestyle, most probably as her psychiatrist had finally pointed out to her because she had never had it, but of course as the good Dr. Cartwright had also pointed out that didn't keep her from being bitter that she'd never had it either.

'I wonder if you were on the let her go side or the please keep her in side.' Faith thought of the small petite black haired Doctor for a moment. It had been almost funny the first few months, she'd be escorted down to the Doctor's office every Tuesday and Thursday morning at eleven and there she would sit in the threadbare chair staring across the desk at Dr. C daring her almost to say something stupid.

To Faith's utter surprise she hadn't, no talk of how was your childhood, no questions about her parents or her sexual history. All that Dr. C had focused on at first was the present and her adjustment to prison life. That was something Faith could handle, mention how she liked to work out, explain how it gave her focus and then suddenly she a small extra privilege to work out for longer than the other newbies.

It had been about four months Faith realized before she'd gone into the office one Tuesday morning and though the Doctor still hadn't asked about her past she for a reason she still didn't understand had started to talk about it. Dr. C had cancelled her other appointments for the day and Faith had spend the better part of three hours almost holding court as she spilled out almost every crappy thing that had ever happened to her.

Of course she'd left out a few basic tragedies: one she was a slayer, destined to save the world but constantly falling just that little bit short; secondly for the first reason she'd managed to weave as good a story as she could about gangs and fitting in while in Sunnydale instead of telling Dr. C the truth about why she'd gone really bad; and thirdly she'd never admitted how good it felt to actually have someone listen to her without giving her lectures and pep talks.

All of this she reasoned was partly to blame for her lack in motivation to ring the doorbell and talk with Buffy now about the little scraps her and Spike had gathered up on patrol. Something just wasn't right here, she could feel it and when she got this particular feeling she was never wrong.

The idea of Buffy becoming the wild girl was believable, but not in a natural way. After all the last time Faith had been in Sunnydale, Buffy's idea of a wild time was dancing with her. Even taking away half of what Spike had hinted at as the vampire's own bravado, she was still left with a bizarre patter of activity for the blonde slayer. It was more like when she was a child and the teacher would ask her what two plus two was, she hadn't said three because she was stupid, she'd said three because she was being defiant. B's whole demeanor now seemed somewhat defiant to her in a way she knew only too well, a way that didn't accomplish anything, a way that only ended up eating you alive.

Sitting in the food court listening to Dawn sum up the hell they had all gone through reminded Faith that things had really changed, maybe she shouldn't be judging Buffy by the old standard. She'd changed as well and though she expected it, it would be nice for everyone to give her an inch of leeway just so they could see that things were different now.

'There is something else going on with Spike though.' She agreed with her own instincts as she finally snubbed out her cigarette flicking it out into the grass before she turned to the door and knocked. 'And it's not good.'

Buffy had made Faith a cup of coffee and was now sat opposite the Slayer in the dining room, the blonde had no real reason for escorting the Slayer there, especially as she had followed her through into the kitchen and along every step of the way through making the hot beverage that the dark Slayer was no all but ignoring on the table in front of her.

"So did you find out anything?" Buffy soon got tired of the heavy silence between the two of them.

"Willy's didn't turn up anything other than the base knowledge there is a regenerator in town, but Spike confirmed that already." Faith gave the recap. "Did a little digging at the Bronze and apparently at least three of our girls were last seen going to a 'party' of some sort though no one can say for sure where."

"I'll get Will to hack into the police computers to see if there's any detail on the party or anything tomorrow." Buffy noted the new information and then looked down at the dark wood tabletop. "Did you have any trouble?"

"Killed a few vamps, roughed up some demons. Just like old times." Faith smiled at the blonde but then realized Buffy wasn't looking up at her. "You okay B?"

"Spike mentioned you'd been acting a bit crazy since the whole back from the dead thing." Faith shrugged. "And you're not your usual kick ass self."

"Crazy? He said I was acting crazy." Buffy pushed up from her place and stalked to the window. "I'm not the one who went on some hazardous quest to regain my soul." She stared out of it angrily. "And I am my usual kick ass self, what do you want me to do to prove it? Kick yours?" She didn't glance backwards at the dark haired woman.

"So what is the deal between you and Blondie vamp?" Faith watched Buffy move and didn't rise to her question.

"There is no deal." Buffy turned and stared hard at the dark Slayer. "Did he tell you there was a deal?" She demanded.

"He didn't give me details but he was suggesting that you and him had a deal." Faith shrugged. "I mean in that backseat nasty sorta way."

"There was no deal." Buffy's eyes widened a little at Faiths terminology. "We're grown adults, sex is just sex, and it's not a 'deal'."

"Hey B, you're talking to me here. I am totally down with the sex is sex thing." Faith took a sip of her coffee. "I mean I've never done a vampire but I bet they can fuck all night long and not have to worry about that getting tired thing. If you needed a little extra stamina you could have done worse."

"Stop it!" Buffy snapped. "You don't know what you are talking about." She turned around and slammed her hand onto the dining room table. "Prison hasn't changed you at all has it, still the big tough know it all you were when they took you down."

"Why don't you just tell me what is going on between you and Spike then?" Faith challenged her without moving. "I know something has gone on, just from the way he talks and the way you act around him and I also know that something isn't right about it. So see me here, asking, not beating the information out of you am I? Oh look and I'm actually trying to give a fuck, if you'd rather I didn't then hey I could use some cookies to go with this."

"Get your own damn cookies." Buffy growled. "And you're only asking because you think you might be missing out on something good. What is it Faith want to know I can be a bad girl too? Want to hear that I can fuck and be fucked? Is that what you want? You want to find out if coming back from the dead, being ripped from heaven turned me into the same kind of loose slut you always were?" She felt the words tumble from her lips almost without her control.

"Newsflash B, fucking one vampire doesn't make you a slut." Faith couldn't help but laugh amused by the statement. "Fucking a whole horde of them doesn't make you a slut unless you think of yourself as a slut. Which I don't." She pushed up to stand. "Everyone makes choices, and sometimes you might not like them but if you made them well then I say have the guts to live with them."

"What would you know about living with the choices you've made?" Buffy growled louder. "All you've had to do it sit on your ass the rest of us had to live with what you did to us." The blonde Slayer's eyes flared. "And…" Buffy took a breath and stopped herself. "I don't want to do this." She pulled back from the table and walked to the door of the room. "Be here tomorrow for a debrief and we'll figure out what we're doing next meeting."

"B, would you just get this shit out. You hate me. You think I fucked up your life. I'd rather you just took a swing at me now, we get it over with and then tomorrow at least we can do the chat and patrol without the tension." Faith walked towards her.

"I don't want to hit you." Buffy stopped and turned backing up more when the dark Slayer didn't stop her approach. "I might hate you, I might not, I don't know that kind of thing anymore, but I am too tired to fight you, it's not worth it."

"Yeah I know." Faith frowned and snorted slightly. "I never was quite worth it was I?" She turned towards the back door.

In a completely unpredictable move Buffy grabbed Faith tightly by the arm and more or less threw her into the lounge. Following quickly behind her using the advantage of surprise that her initial move had given her to knock the other Slayer down onto her knees from behind, she then slid her arm full around Faith's neck and pulled backwards.

"Look." She hissed her voice tight and angry as she titled the dark head back more to stare somewhat lopsidedly at the wall of pictures. "These are all the people who were worth it, all the people I ever cared about, all the people I would fight to the death for." She didn't even ease her hold as she continued. "How many of them have I had to fight, how many of them have I had to hurt?" She took a breath and released Faith pushing her forwards. "That answer is all of them, I failed all of them, I hurt all of them, I lost two of them." She stepped back from the still fallen Slayer. "So don't you dare stalk in here fresh from your happy place and treat me like you are the returning conquering hero. Don't you dare look at me like I am less than you or that I know nothing." She took a hurried pained breath. "While you've been hiding from life, I've had life beaten out of me."

Faith took a minute to cough, trying to open up the constricted feeling in her throat and to get some air actually down into her lungs before she turned towards Buffy still on the floor.

"What did he do to you B?" Faith blinked watching the extreme emotions playing across Buffy's face. "We did a lot of things to each other, but even when you stabbed me you never had that look." Her voice was quieter then she wanted it to be.

"He didn't do anything to me I didn't deserve." Buffy pushed her hair back off her forehead and for a moment looked as if she were going to help Faith stand, but instead she backed off and went to move back into the hall.

"Okay, you want this, you got it." Buffy turned. "I came back, and I was worse than you, I ignored people, I let their lives fall apart under my nose and I didn't care, I didn't even notice, I was too busy with me, feeling my own pain and suffering except I wasn't really feeling anything, I watched Willow and Tara break up and felt nothing other than pissed off at Willow because Dawn was in a mood for weeks. Then it happened, Spike and I we were fighting and he hit me, he hit me hard and I felt something, I felt pain and it felt right. So I fought back, wanting, needing to prolong that feeling, that something, and then we were having sex, hard, angry, cold sex. That felt the same as fighting, more often than not it included fighting." She shivered a little as the coldness her words caused settled into her stomach. "It wasn't right, it shouldn't have happened, but I didn't know how to stop it." Buffy's anger seemed to be derailed by exhaustion as she made the confession.

"Have you stopped it now?" Faith didn't even think to judge the past, her reaction less shocked than Buffy's as the words spilled out.

"I tried, before Tara…" She glanced up at the laughing face of the blonde haired Wicca who had been her life line through those times. "Spike didn't agree with my decision, he… he…" She stopped. "This isn't the point." She shook her head desperately trying to pull her eyes away from Tara's blue ones.

"B, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Faith felt a lump forming in her throat as she watched Buffy's panicked look.

"I'm not saying anything." Buffy tore her eyes away and looked at Faith. "He… I… we'd played so many games he wasn't to know I meant it that time." She felt her head shake in defense of the vampire.

Faith knew it was one of those moments when she was detached from the world. One of those moments when it felt like her body was in one place and her mind was in another, almost like flashbulbs were going off all around her and blinding her from seeing what she was doing.

"B, listen to me." Faith tried to focus. "I know you don't think I know anything but what he did… no matter what you had said… if he forced you it wasn't your fault and it wasn't what you deserved."

"You don't know that, I… I…" Buffy shook her head and backed away more. "He loved me." She whispered.

"He might think he does, but that's not love." Faith shook her head back. "And I do know that." She whispered.

"It's in the past… he's not… not since he's been back." Buffy stopped when her back hit the stair post in the hall. "Too many things have happened for that to be an issue now." She made the attempt to reign in her quickly spiraling emotions. "We have dead girls to focus on." She tried to grasp something recent to rid her mind of the images of the bathroom floor that haunted her mind.

"We'll deal with that B." Faith vowed. "I promise you we're going to deal with all of this."

"We both need to rest. We'll need all we have to face down big evil if this is what Angel warned us about." Buffy backed up the stairs a little. "Go get some sleep Faith, be back in the morning." She turned and walked upstairs without another word.

Faith's motions were silent as she approached the huddled figure on the rickety framework cot. She raised the aluminum bat above her head and without a second though brought it down into the shoulder of the sleeping figure, the large bone cracking loudly enough to make the noise ricochet around the cave.

"What the fuck….ahhhhhh!" Spike rolled off the cot, landing naked on the floor with a soft thud. "Christ, what the hell are you doing?" He sat up on his knees staring at Faith.

"Kicking your ass." Faith growled as she used the back swing to catch him in the ribs, a few of them cracking.

"I know, why do you think I brought the bat?" Faith growled back as she poked the end of the bat into his throat. "Now I want to hear a story… about you and B and how you raped her." She glared at him daring him to lie or dodge her instruction.

Spike tried to swallow only succeeding in wedging his Adams apple into the bat handle.

"Tell me." Faith dipped the bat down a bit then snapped it up lightly into his jaw making his head snap with the motion.

"I love her." Spike tried again to swallow. "I just acted kinda crazy that night."

Faith's laughter was almost maniacal as she pulled the bat back and tossed it aside.

"You love her?" She spat the words at the vampire as she dropped to one knee in front of him. "Guys like you always love them Spike, you love them to bits, you love them so much that you know just what a girl needs and you're going to give it to her even if she doesn't want it right? Because guys like you know best." She reached up and poked her fist into the broken ribs.

"You started." Faith head butted him breaking his nose. "How many times did she say no before you stopped? How much of her clothes had you ripped off? Did you have your dick out yet or were you just all hard with anticipation?"

"It wasn't like that." Spike tried to shake his head. "I wanted her, I thought she wanted me, she was just in her robe…" He cupped his bleeding nose.

"Say it Spike." Faith grabbed him by the hair and held it back so that the blood poured down his throat.

"And there's the winning line. She stopped you, because you were going to rape her." Faith stood up again and kicked him down onto his side. "Can you even admit it Spike? Or do you dress it up in your own mind? Think about how really she was gagging for it, how she could not want you taking her." She kicked him in the stomach. "Say it Spike, tell me how raping her was going to show you loved her!" She kicked him over and over.

"You meant it, just like I'm meaning this." Faith reached down and dragged him up by the throat. "Because know this Spike, every time you look at her I'm going to beat the shit out of you. Every time you go near her, I'm going to beat the shit out of you. If you dare try so much as to touch her, I'm going to start cutting off body parts. I was thinking about just dragging you out into the sunlight and dusting you but you dead isn't going to make her feel any better. What you did to damage her is done, what I'm going to do back to you is going to last along long time." She threw him against the wall and kicked him a few more times sending him into unconsciousness.

The rain fell heavily on the plain glass window that faced out into the back of the compact Council rented town house. Giles watched as it fell, lone droplets collided with each other and raced down the slippery surface to pool out over the external windowsill. He had planned to get up and go straight over to Buffy's for the morning round up, but as he had discovered as he went to make his early morning tea, Ruth had gone out to get milk from the corner store as they were out and she wanted to make Willow breakfast. There was no time on the note scribbled on the magnetic message board on the fridge, but as the bedroom door upstairs was still shut the Watcher assumed that Willow was still sleeping and that the dark haired witch hadn't yet returned.

The Englishman looked down at the neatly sliced apple he had taken for breakfast and pushed it round the small plate a little, glancing at his watch, watching as the minute hand skipped lightly past the twelve announcing that it was eight o'clock.

"Morning Giles." Willow wandered downstairs rubbing at her sleepy eyes. "Mmmm I forgot how different rain is in California."

"And they try and tell me that England is wet." Giles turned in his place smiling at the redhead.

"Where's Ru?" Willow's return smile soon dimmed as she looked around and didn't see her girlfriend.

"She left a note on the fridge; apparently we were out of milk." Giles tried to make his reply as casual as he could.

"She went out?" Willow's face showed her immediate panic. "Which store? She doesn't know where the stores are." She rushed over to pull on her pink and blue sneakers.

"I don't know which store…Willow." He pushed up to stand and hurried over to her, "You mean she didn't discuss this with you?" His eyebrows rose.

"No, of course she didn't or I would have gone to her." Willow pulled open the door and began to rush out.

Ruth took a slightly staggered breath, it had been going really well, the first person she'd asked for directions had been both friendly and helpful but the dark haired young woman hadn't liked to ask exactly how far was a 'block and a half' or exactly what a cross walk was and so she'd wandered in the direction the woman had pointed for a while hoping that it would become obvious. She had taken a left at the first left turn, thinking that a cross walk may have just been American for left turn, it was when her legs began hurting that she began to think maybe this wasn't a block and a half. So she had turned back and retraced her steps.

She had then continued down the road that she had been on and had come to a point in the road that appeared to have a 'pelican crossing', guessing that this was a cross walk, she had crossed and had found a small seven eleven, but in lots of ways that's when the real trouble had started.

Even though it was early in the morning, the store was insanely busy with the largest variety of people from young children to businessmen grabbing a quick coffee. The place was literally buzzing.

The young empathic was doing okay at blocking keeping one hand around the pendant around her neck and repeating a soft mantra, that had been until one of the small children had run into her causing her to tug at the thin chain. Ruth felt it snap in an instant the delicate white gold pooling around her fingertips as the sun charm dropped into her palm.

That was when it had gone more than wrong. The mother's continued apologies and comforting pats on her arm had and then the small child hugging her leg in to say sorry and goodbye, flooded her senses. The general level of chatter in the store rose into a cacophony of white noise as they were joined by the feelings and emotions of both the cliental and the assistants.

Having the wherewithal to actually set the things she had managed to gather down on the side Ruth stumbled blindly to the door, her chest tight and her body shaking. She was almost oblivious to the fact that there was actually someone trying to get in the door as she pushed went to push it open, her hand pressing against soft warm leather instead of cold glass.

"Whoa there, we hardly know each other." Faith reached up gripping the hands that were now pressed over her breasts through her jacket.

"Sorry!" Ruth pulled her hands back hard trying to break the skin to skin contact she suddenly had with another unfiltered person.

"No worries." Faith smiled and then noticed the small woman's obvious distress. "Are you okay?"

"I… I just need to get out." Ruth tried to side step when through the noise a name and thought from the other woman struck her. Blinking frightened navy eyes up, she looked at Faith. "You're Faith." She whispered falling forward to collapse into the Slayer's body.

"Do I know…" Faith had been about to ask the question when she was forced to keep Ruth from falling to the ground. "Okay." She hoisted her up and looked around, quickly backtracking over to an empty park bench nearby that had shelter over it. "Hello… Hey Missy?" She pulled off her jacket and used it as a pillow. "This isn't a great place to sleep, even if you do apparently know me." She looked around to see if anyone was looking for the unconscious stranger or at worse case coming to hurt her.

In the relative quiet of the outside, Ruth's navy eyes flickered open, unfocused as they flicked around.

"I'm Ruth… Willow's…" Navy eyes rolled up before her eyelids dropped closed again.

"Willow… Red." Faith felt a flash of recognition go through her head and quickly she gathered up the slight dark haired woman and began carrying her towards Buffy's. "I hope you know that I'm giving up microwave burritos for this." She commented as she stared down someone who was giving her a strange look as she crossed the street.

Faith didn't have any other choice so she kicked the front door, shifting Ruth a bit in her arms. For the entire journey the dark haired girl had been content to snuggle into her and sleep, well it seemed like sleep to Faith but she wasn't going to guess that she had any clue what was going on here.

All she knew was that she didn't want to get on Red's bad side, so if the girl was hers then Faith was going to return her without incident.

"Faith!" Dawn greeted the slayer brightly as she looked through the spy hole, the happy greeting vanished the instant she pulled the door open and she saw Ruth. "Oh my god Ruth!" She squeaked. "BUFFY!!" She shouted.

"So I'm taking that you know this girl D." Faith carried the now named Ruth in and moved to put her on the couch. "She ran into me at the Seven Eleven and collapsed, she managed to blurt out Willow so I brought her here."

"This is Ruth." Dawn dropped on her knees near the couch but didn't reach out and touch her. "Remember, the witch that Willow met in England, I told you about her."

"Oh that Ruth." Faith nodded with a flash of remembrance. "Is she going to be okay?" She questioned seeing the witch shiver on the couch. "Does she have a temperature?" She went to reach out to test Ruth's forehead.

"Don't." Dawn's hand flashed out and grabbed Faith's wrist, holding it away from Ruth's head.

"What's going on?" Buffy ran through into the room from upstairs. She scanned the people in the room "Dawn? Faith? Ruth?" The last name came out a hoarse whisper.

"Collapsed where?" Buffy demanded crossing over on automatic to the phone. "Dawn is she hurt?" She glanced at her sister.

"I was on my way into the Seven Eleven and she ran into me, then said my name and flaked out. I had to carry her over from Fifth in the rain." Faith explained. "I thought she was just anyone until she managed to squeak out Willow."

Buffy listened to Faith's explanation as she waited for the phone she rang to be picked up needing to at least let Willow know that Ruth was safe, that was if Willow was okay, the Slayer's heart sunk as she listened to the phone ring.

"At her house." Dawn replied frowning as Ruth began shaking rather more violently. "B-B-Buffy, I've never seen her do this before." Buffy glanced over immediately as she heard her sister's voice, silently cursing the fact that Rose had chosen to go to the store early to miss the crowds.

"Look whatever it is we need to fix it." Faith looked at her. "Can Willow fix this?" She made the quick link.

"Yes." Buffy snapped as still the phone rung unanswered. "Ruth is an empathic and a sensitive." She glanced nervously at the couch.

"Okay so what I'm getting out of the gibberish B is that Faith go, find Willow." Faith raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Buffy said quickly. "No!" She changed her mind the next instant. "Willow can't come here." She shook her head as she slammed the phone down, when it was obvious it wasn't going to be answered.

"B, we don't have options. I'll get Red." Faith continued running knowing that they were wasting time.

"Yeah and if we don't do anything then Ruth is going to die in there too." Faith pointed out. "Move her out on the lawn. We can deal with Red after she does the mo-jo on her woman."

"No maybe I can get her back to the house." Buffy tried to think as she glanced back over her shoulder towards the house. As she did so the slim cell phone in her jeans pocket began to vibrate gently.

"No, no need, we can bring her too you." Buffy rushed to reply. "You know how important it is for to be in her space, Faith can help me."

"Will, Will is Giles with you." Buffy tried to keep her calm. "We'll bring Ruth to the house."

"Giles, find out where they are." Willow all but threw the phone at the Watcher.

"Giles, Ruth collapsed on Faith at the store." Buffy explained quickly. "Faith brought her back to the house, we can't have Will here."

"How is she?" Giles turned slightly as if covering what he was saying. "I found her pendant."

"Not yet." He added in a more normal voice. "Can you get her back to our house quickly? I can bring Willow there."

"Well that was another reason I wanted to talk to you, Ruth's kinda…" She frowned trying to find a word that wouldn't cause instant panic. "Having a seizure."

"Why is he bloody helling?" Willow's voice came back on after some grappling was heard.

"I'm coming." Willow threw the phone at Giles as her eyes went pitch black and in a small revolution she appeared on the Summers' front lawn.

"Where is she?" Willow ignored Faith's look of complete shock and moved towards the house. Buffy ran over and barred Willow's entrance.

"We should bring her over to your place." Buffy threw an angry glare over her shoulder at Dawn.

"Really Buffy she's not." Dawn whined from behind her sister, "She's doing that bleeding from the ears thing again." The teenager hopped from foot to foot.

"Ru?" Willow put her hand up and pressed forcibly by the Slayer sending Buffy staggering back towards the staircase. In an instant she was on her knees next to the dark witch's side. "Its okay baby I'll fix it." She put her hand up on Ruth's head and put a dampening field around the other witch. "I'm right here baby." She reached down to hold her hands.

"She was all limp when Faith carried her in, then she started shaking and stuff." The teenager explained, biting her lip.

"Where is her pendant?" Willow looked to see that there was nothing around Ruth's neck. "She didn't have anyway to dampen everyone around her, it got overwhelming. I've put a shield around her now to help lessen everything."

"Wow B, she just blew by you." Faith came inside looking at the stunned blonde Slayer.

"Don't." Buffy glared at the other Slayer as she pushed by her into the front room. "See Will, she's okay." She pointed somewhat lamely at the couch.

"I need brew and some rose crystals." Willow didn't really answer her. "Is Anya anywhere around?"

"Did somebody call?" With a slight sparkle the demon appeared. "Ew what happened to her?" She took a step back from the couch.

"Over stimulation." Willow looked at Anya. "Could you get me some brew, a simmering dish and four rose crystals. Oh and maybe some Hewlett Fern, pre spore release."

"Ouch." Anya frowned. "I'll be right back." With that the demon disappeared again.

"D, why don't we go make some coffee?" Faith moved over to the teenager urging her towards the kitchen. "Let Red do her mo-jo thing."

"But I want to help." Dawn argued softly but at the same time found herself inching backwards.

"This is helping." Faith assured her as she put her arm around the thin girl's shoulder and they moved away.

"Buffy, can you get me some light blankets." Willow looked up at her best friend.

"Yes of course." Buffy nodded and ran quickly to fetch whatever was needed. She returned seconds later carrying two pink and white striped blankets. "These okay?" She asked.

"Thank you." Willow spread them out over Ruth's body and tucked her in, she carefully brushed the hair back off the dark haired witch's damp forehead. "I'm going to have to get something better than the pendant. I should have realized this would happen."

"But she must have gotten through sometime without it." Buffy offered. "You know she can't have gotten to twenty whatever she is like this." She frowned at the fact that Willow seemed to be trying to shoulder all of this.

"She keeps herself in isolation as much as she can to avoid being overwhelmed." Willow shook her head sadly leaning down to kiss Ruth's hand. "I don't know why she went out on her own."

"She…she wanted to show she could do something." Giles rushed through the front door into the front room. "We had a brief talk about this the other day." He frowned and dug his hand into his pocket. "I found this on the path just outside the store." He passed the pendant to Willow.

"Damn the chain." Willow looked at the broken links. "I have to find a way to make this permanent." She cursed herself.

"This isn't your fault." Buffy shook her head and pushed forward in front of Giles. "Giles can help and Rose."

"Anya, if you can't find the fern it's okay." Willow spoke to the air around them.

"No, I got it." Anya shimmered back in being carrying a tray crowded with things. "I got some Karin root too." She put the tray down beside the redhead. "Do you need me to get rid of the distractions?" She glanced specifically at Buffy and Giles.

"No, I just need to get this set up. If you could put the crystals around the couch." Willow bent down tearing off some of the fern and putting it into the simmering bowl and pulling off a section of root she started to chew it. "I need some water and a lighter." She looked up at Giles.

"Willow is working on it." He replied honestly filling glass with water before hurrying back.

"Do you want me to get that fixed?" Anya offered pointing at the chain. "I know a demon that could, you know fix it."

"I need a permanent solution so it won't break anymore." Willow talked as she took the water pouring some in the pot and then rather unattractively she spit the chewed up root into the bowl. She quickly lit the concoction up and then added some of the brew leaves, after splitting open the makeshift bag it was in. "Maybe a rigid choker and bracelets?"

"Very chic." Anya agreed. "I know a demon that could fashion something from obsidian if you'd like, very good material for holding blessings and charm power."

"That would be great." Willow nodded and began chewing up some more root as the bowl started to emit a soft musty smell. "I was thinking too of some gloves, so that she wouldn't have to worry about touching things."

"Oh yes!" Anya perked up again. "Jared." She patted Willow lightly on the back. "I'll be back, can you sew?" She checked.

"Ruth can." Willow glanced up at the demon before she spit the mess of root into her hands, rubbing the slightly reddish material into her skin before she touched her palms to Ruth's.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Giles questioned softly not wanting to interrupt what the redhead was doing.

"Leave." Anya turned to them with a shooing motion. "I think the other one of you was talking to Dawn in the kitchen about sex." She glanced at Buffy. "And I'm pretty sure I saw Mrs. Lauder down the street struggling with the groceries you could help her."

"It's really best if everyone just stays busy and gives her a buffer zone." Willow explained as she fretted over the dark haired witch.

"And I'm going to see Jared, he has just the material we need." Anya smiled happy that she had achieved her goal. "Need anything else before I go puff." She checked with Willow.

"If you run into any fernnollin balm it might be good for later." Willow put forward racking her brain for anything she could use.

"Hey guys I'm not sure I can keep D in the kitchen too much long…" The dark Slayer's voice died off when she entered the more or less empty lounge. She looked at Willow and Ruth. "Okay where did everyone go?"

"Giles was going in with you two, Buffy went to help Rose, and Anya just went to get more supplies." Willow looked at the dark Slayer. "You look healthy." She appraised blinking a little.

"Guess the Watcher went after his Slayer." Faith shrugged. "You look a lot thinner and more powerful." She returned the observation.

"I didn't know you were back in Sunnydale." Willow turned back stirring her finger into the simmering mixture quickly. "Thank you for helping Ru."

"I was talking to D, I'm not sure how much I helped, you know with the whole no touch thing." She admitted. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"It's okay, you had to move her." Willow shook her head. "She will be, she just needs time to deal with the overload."

"Giles, I thought you were going in to deal with Dawn?" Buffy turned to look at him.

"Unlike most people apparently I can tell when Anya is just attempting to empty a room." Giles pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Why did you let her out of the house? And what is this shit about helping her be super Ruth?" Buffy questioned him harshly.

"She is not a prisoner Buffy." Giles retaliated. "She wanted to get Willow breakfast I didn't think that was too much to ask."

"No, but until we get something sorted to keep her from bleeding from her ears every time she is in public I think maybe house arrest would be a good thing." Buffy pointed to the house. "Willow is now a) freaked out, b) doing magick and c) in the house where Tara died so when that fact dawns on her we're in for big trouble again."

"Did it ever occur to you Buffy that at the moment Willow is too focused to care where the two of them are?" Giles replied arching his eyebrow. "Are you quite all right Buffy? I can't help but notice that you are acting a little tense."

"I'm not tense I'm fine." Buffy shook her head. "Let's just help Rose with the groceries."

Faith tapped her fingers on the dining room table. From her seat she had a perfect view of the basically unchanged scene in the living room. Willow was still keeping sentry by the couch while Anya fluttered around checking things and maintaining the simmering dish of strange things that had misted the whole house with a heavy feeling.

Dawn was at the end of the table working on her homework, while Rose seemed fixated on making them and elaborate dinner.

Giles and Buffy had their noses in books, while she had abandoned hers ages ago. It was only a short time before they'd have to get out on patrol and hearing her own stomach growl she was hoping that Ruth would wake up, Rose would serve dinner, or preferably both things would happen.

"Could one of you strong young ladies help me in the kitchen?" Rose shuffled into the dining room looking at Buffy and Faith.

"I was hoping you would offer." The old woman smiled briefly as she ushered Faith into the kitchen.

"Anything of worth in that edition?" Giles looked up rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I am sure there is but nothing that helps us with the head eating issue." Buffy mumbled into the pages without looking up.

"Maybe it isn't eating the heads." Dawn looked up from her history homework. "Maybe it's doing something gross like keeping them as souvenirs."

"Well… it's possible… if it was somehow using the blood sacrifices and then using the heads as totems to harness the power indefinitely." Giles scrambled to answer.

"Ru, I was so worried." Willow leaned up closer and buried her head against the dark haired witch's shoulder.

"No, we needed milk." Willow lifted her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Anya and I are working on some new and improved dampening help."

"I'll be able to pick up the obsidian tomorrow. Jared said he might need a little time." Anya glanced briefly in their direction.

"If you agree I was going to have a demon friend of Anya's make up a choker and bracelets for you, that way no more breaking necklaces." The redhead smoothed her hands over Ruth's.

"Wow." Ruth smiled. "I'm going to be cool for the first time in my life." She paused and leaned her head against Willow's. "I'd only just got rid of my last headache." She admitted snuggling into her girlfriend's warmth.

"I've been brewing special tea, it might not taste good but Anya managed to get me some Karin root so it's very potent." Willow smiled softly.

"Demons in high places." Ruth returned the smile and eased back suddenly frowning. "Lo… where are we?" She glanced around confused.

"We're at… Buffy's." Willow whispered trying not to look anywhere than navy eyes. "You ran into Faith, she brought you here."

"I remember…" Ruth lifted her hand and brushed it down Willow's cheek. "We can go home. I think I'm strong enough." She whispered.

"Get some tea into your little tummy first." Willow shook her head. "Its fine, my focus is you."

"You bet. I think Rose was baking you some in anticipation of you finishing your nap." Willow leaned in and kissed her cheek again.

"Send someone else to get them." Ruth leaned and whispered rubbing her cheek against Willow's closing her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere." Willow shook her head. "I'm sure Dawn will get us some cookies."

"Right on it!" Dawn pushed up from her place. "Not that I was listening in or anything." She added blushing slightly.

"Thank you." Willow glanced up and smiled at the teenager. "Oh and Anya is trying to get some special material to maybe make you some gloves to offer a total block from everything at least when you touch it."

"Good to see you awake." Buffy stepped slowly into the sitting room. "When you're up to it I think we all need a little chat about a few things."

"She's not up to it." Willow looked up at the Slayer. "She's going to have some tea and some cookies and then we're taking her home."

"It's not heavy stuff Will, just you know small things like Ruth should stay inside." Buffy announced looking at the redhead.

"Hey B, can I speak to you in the kitchen?" Faith came up behind her and circled around getting in her line of view. "It's sorta really important." She pointed down the hall.

Buffy glanced at the dark slayer, and with a tight sigh moved off down the hall.

"Now don't kill the messenger but you were in the middle of making yourself look like a bitch B, and on top of that inviting super witch to kick your ass." Faith kept her voice low.

"I was just making sure that this didn't happen again." Buffy defended. "Believe it or not we don't need a repeat of this."

"I know you want to keep everyone safe B, they know that too but you got to pick your timing a bit better." Faith explained. "Ruth doesn't look like she'll be doing much for a few days and I'm sure Red is going to stay right by her, so let it go for now. When they start getting frisky again then you can give them the riot act."

"I'm going on patrol." She pushed passed to the door. "Seeing as you're the responsible slayer these days, you get watch duty."

"When they start getting frisky then you can read them the riot act." Buffy mimicked Faith's words and kicked out at a gravestone as she stomped past. "Who the hell died and made her the slayer guardian angel?" She kicked out again this time cracking off the top of the tall obelisk that marked another grave. "Oh shit sorry." She dropped to her knees worriedly picking up the broken stone and trying to balance it back onto of the memorial.

"That was one of the blank ones, I don't think anyone but the stone company will mind." Clem commented shifting the large bag he was carrying into his other arm.

"Clem." Buffy looked at the demon from her place on the floor., "I… yeah right." She pushed up and dusted at her knees. "Big shop night?" She motioned to the bag. "Since when did you take up smoking?" She noticed the cigarette carton on the top of the paper bag.

"Oh, not mine." Clem smiled. "Just getting a few things for Spike, he wouldn't tell me what happened but he's in awful shape. So cigarettes, bandages and I managed to get him some cow's blood."

"When did this happen? Faith didn't mention that they got hurt." Buffy frowned harder and looked up. "Is he back in the crypt." She glanced down the cemetery path.

"He's staying at my place." Clem motioned for her to join him if she wanted. "As I said he won't talk about it but he didn't mention anyone named Faith."

"I need to see him Clem, he might know something about what's going on in Sunnydale." Buffy urged the demon to show her the way.

"Oh you mean the headless girls, so tragic." Clem toddled along and within a few minutes they were in front of his crypt. He opened the door for her and motioned her inside. "You'd think all American boys would be safe."

"American boys?" She glanced at him as she passed through into the candle lit interior.

"Rumor has it that the last girl who was killed was seen running from two boys in letter jackets from the high school." Clem shrugged as he followed her in. "Hey Spike, you have a visitor."

"From the high sch… oh God what happened to you?" Buffy stumbled forward staring at the vampire's swollen and bruised face.

"Fell down some stairs." Spike rather slowly turned his face away, pulling the blanket over the sling he had on his arm with his good hand. "Nothing to worry about."

"Some stairs? Where did they start, at the top of the Empire state building?" Buffy stepped forward reaching for the sheet, pulling it back effectively and wincing at the bruising and swelling. "What type of demon did you pick a fight with after you and Faith scanned the bronze?"

"Clem, give me a smoke." Spike coughed a bit, wincing with the pain as he did. It was only when he'd gotten one lit and managed a shallow drag that he looked at Buffy. "She didn't tell you did she?"

"Who didn't tell me what?" Buffy frowned. "Did this happen when you were with Faith, God I didn't even check if she was okay."

"Trust me she's fine." Spike laughed and made himself cough painfully again as he cradled his broken body. "Good with a bat too, kept the label up so she didn't break it."

"She showed up at my place just after sunrise." Spike took another draw and then took a swig from the bottle of jack that Clem had put down beside him. "Did me in right good." He coughed lightly. "She didn't tell you? With what she said I figured she'd told you what she was going to do."

"What do you mean? What did she say?" Buffy felt her chest tighten a little more making it harder to breathe.

"I'm sorry I hurt you Buffy." The vampire looked down away from the Slayer's face. "I know I can't make up for it… but… I think you should go." He looked up again at her. "I really can't take your girl laying the boots to me again for at least a few weeks." He leaned against the stone pillar behind him.

Buffy more or less threw the front door to the house open, completely oblivious to the witches who were both now curled up together on the couch, with. Mrs. Lauder sat in the arm chair watching them carefully. Giles, Dawn and Faith were in the dining room, the dark Slayer had gotten changed into dark jeans and a top that she recognized as hers.

"You." Buffy snapped at Faith. "Outside, now." She turned and stalked back through the front door.

Faith raised an eyebrow, glancing at the other shocked faces around her before she slowly got up and meandered her way outside and almost half way down the block to where Buffy was stalking around in a small angry circle.

"If it's about the clothes B, Rosie forced the issue. I know how territorial you are about your leather." Faith began nonchalantly knowing full well this wasn't the real issue.

"How dare you!" Buffy stopped stalking and stared at Faith. "What in hells name gives you the right to come in here and start throwing your weight around?"

"Do you want to give me a vague hint what you're talking about?" Faith looked at her curiously.

"Mmmmm now let me think. It begins with Spike and ends with broken, catching on yet?" She continued to stare.

"Between you and Spike?" Buffy frowned taking a slight step forward towards her, "He didn't…" She went a little pale.

"You're not going to understand this B, I don't expect you too but there was no way on earth I was going to stand around knowing what he did and not do what I did okay?" Faith crossed her arms over her body. "Just because he's got a chip or a soul or because you're the slayer doesn't give him the right. Nothing ever gives anyone the right, nothing." She said firmly.

"It wasn't his fault." Buffy stated angrily. "Are you going to beat me up for being as guilty as him?"

"What was your fault B?" Faith looked at the blonde sadly. "That you'd slept with him before? That you didn't say 'no' the fourth or fifth time? That you were in a bathrobe? That you're a girl? He made his choice, and what you wanted had nothing to do with it."

"H-How did you know what I was wearing." Buffy stammered and gripped her hand over the front of the blue top she was wearing."

"I made him tell me." The dark slayer answer was honest. "B, this isn't your responsibility. What I did to him was me, you can disagree with my choices but I made a promise to myself along time ago and I wasn't about to break that." She turned sideways picking at the bark.

"You, you shouldn't have done it." Buffy watched the other Slayer her mind completely in a whirl.

"I did, and I warned him I'll do it again if he doesn't stay away from you." Faith turned back.

"I came here determined to hit you." Buffy admitted trying to sort out her turning mind.

"You can hit me B, I don't care." Faith shook her head. "I didn't do this for your approval or disapproval; I did it because it needed to be done." She dropped her arms. "I know how fucked up your mind is right now, I know how the whole world is thrown around topsy turvy and that's why you don't need to worry about this. You just need to worry about taking care of yourself and the people you care about. Leave him to me."

For a long moment Buffy said nothing she just stared at Faith, assessing how the dark haired Slayer suddenly seemed the strong one, the one with her head together and her life in order, for a moment the blonde Slayer felt a stab of anger and jealousy, but this too was momentary as Buffy felt the now familiar emptiness creeping into her stomach.

"B, you don't have to." Faith stepped closer to her. "There's no rule that says you do, especially not about this and being the slayer just makes it worse because you haven't had time to decompress. Look I don't know all the answers and I don't know how to make this better for you but I do know that this wasn't your fault."

"Don't." Buffy backed up. "Don't pretend you're sorry about what happened to me." She shook her head. "You don't care about me, you never have." Buffy turned and ran down the street.

"Oh Christ." Faith took a breath and then started running after her. "B… B… B…" She finally caught up with the Slayer and tried to pull her to a stop.

"Get off me." Buffy pulled away. "Go back to the house, they need you." She pushed harder and faster away.

"No B, they need you." Faith shook her head and kept her grip on the blonde. "You think you feel nothing, but you do… you feel fear… God I can see you're totally drowning in it."

"Why are you pretending to give a damn about what happens to us here?" Buffy gave up her fight to flee and instead turned round to glare at Faith.

"You want to know why?" Faith frowned and pulled back a bit. "Because I spent two years in prison and most of the time I thought about here, thought about the only people who ever tried to give a shit about me. Thought about all the things I did wrong and you did wrong, and to be honest B I had no intention of ever coming back here because I did enough damage. But life's fucked up and here I am."

"Wouldn't have to be Angel." The blonde admitted shaking her bowed head. "Could be Mom, could be Tara, just someone who loves me that could hold me and tell me it was okay." Buffy's voice was small and childlike.

"It's going to be okay B, it's just going to take some time." Faith offered softly.

"Of course it's going to be okay for you." Buffy looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "This ends, you walk away, get on with your new start, your new life, you don't have to live here, live with it all, you get to be who you always were, free, independent. I hate you." She balled up her small hands into tight fists.

"And you have a sister who loves you, friends who would die for you, a mother who loved you more than herself right up to the moment she died and I know you'll disagree but even with what you did with Spike, even with what he tried to do with you…" Faith prepared herself for Buffy's punch just in case. "You still have your dignity and your self respect, you can hold your head high and fight the fight while I'm always going to be an ex con loose slut who will die alone and abandoned."

"I chose a lot of things, you're right B." Faith stood up. "But some things I didn't choose and I've had to deal with them the only way I could just as you are dealing with them now. If you hate it so much do something about it, you can get in a bus and leave any day if you hate it here so much. Don't act like you don't have a choice, you could choose to not give a damn and just bail. You can choose to stay and keep fighting because of the people you love, but don't pretend you don't have a choice. You always have choices. You just might not like them."

"I don't have choices!" Buffy snapped back. "I have to live with myself, I could never leave here knowing what I was leaving everyone to fight." She shook her head. "I have a conscience."

"That is a choice B." Faith looked down at her. "You're choosing to stay because leaving would be too painful. Make your choice and live with it, do everything you can to make things better but don't bitch about the choice. You can leave anytime."

"Why do you try and make everything sound so simple?" Buffy glared at the other Slayer. "I can't abandon my friends, my family, they need me, I'm the only one who can keep them safe, I tried to deny that for a while, but it's a fact. You say I can leave, but if I do, they die, how is that a choice?"

"It's a shit choice B but it's still a choice." Faith put out her hands. "You think I have all the answers? Hell I missed the test most days. All I know is that you're afraid, more afraid then you've probably ever been in your whole life because this isn't about fighting demons or killing vamps, it's about being reliable and being accountable."

"I've been reliable and accountable for world safety since I was sixteen years old!" Buffy growled enraged.

"I'm not talking about the world B, I'm not talking about being a slayer. I'm talking about you being not the slayer." Faith shook her head. "I'm talking about Buffy Summers, girl ordinary who had her Mom die, has Dawn to look after, had her friend shot in her house and has had her best friend go mental. Add to that money and the fact that Spike tried to rape you and you've got a whole shit load of bad stuff to deal with. None of which is made better by you being the Slayer, kicking ass and killing things doesn't help you make Dawn happy B, it might keep her safe but it doesn't make her smile."

"Fine, but you go back to the house to take care of everyone. I'm not your safety net B." Faith stepped back. "I'm not going to let you set me up to be the caretaker so that when I fail you can decide its just another reason why your bad choice makes you more dead inside. I'm not into this misery game, I can't afford to be or I'll end up in a little white jacket raving about instant mashed potatoes."

"Don't give me that." Buffy pushed up against the tree. "I can't set you up to be the caretaker here because you have no concept of accountability or reliability. You stand there and spout this bullshit, and I am supposed to take it from the girl who never stood up to anything, you tried to kill the only person I ever loved, and yet you still blame me for pushing you to the bad side."

"No B, I don't blame you for that." Faith bent back down her voice holding a slight edge. "The only thing I have ever blamed you for is that you were too blind to ever see the real me, too blind to think that maybe I needed something more from you other than just the regular bullshit. You never pushed me to the dark side. I ran for the edge and jumped because I was afraid just like you are."

"I think perhaps you should go back to LA." Buffy shook out her shoulders and turned to walk back to the house.

"Fine." Faith stood up and began to head in the opposite direction. "Oh and B…" She turned almost angrily. "The first time it happened I was twelve." She stuck her hands in her pockets and turned back her steps long and fast.

"Why did you come back? You could have told Angel no." Buffy let her retreat for a moment before shouting out to her across the empty street.

"Because this time it hurt more to run away from you then it did to face it." Faith turned and walked backwards as she barked out the words.

"What do you want from us Faith? Redemption? Forgiveness? What can we possibly give you that you need?" Buffy called out.

For a long moment the two women looked at each other, before both turning and walking in opposite directions.

Willow fussed with the blankets making sure that now that they were home everything she could do to make Ruth feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible was being done.

"Candles? Would they help? Maybe opening the window for a nice breeze?" She checked.

"Maybe." Ruth nodded. "And maybe it would help more if you came and sat down with me." She smiled.

"I'm doing it again aren't I?" Willow admitted sheepishly as she came and sat down putting her hands in her lap. "Going a million miles a minute on the worry train. Sorry."

"You are, but its okay." Ruth reached out and put her hands Willow's. "I do a lot to worry you." She smiled. "Though I've said it before I want you to listen this time, I feel okay." She stated clearly. "The brew really helped, good old thingy root, the demon knows her stuff." She laughed softly. "Are you sure Giles helped you deal with the magic backlash properly?" She in turn fretted for Willow.

"I'm fine, I hardly did anything really." Willow shook her head and reached out cradling Ruth's hand in hers. "Tiny teleportation and then the block, but I'm getting really good at those so there isn't much backlash." She pulled Ruth's hand up gently and kissed it. "Anya is great, she loves being helpful."

"Well…" Willow took a deep breath trying to think how to start. "Faith is a slayer. Buffy was drowned by the Master, and that called a slayer named Kendra and then Drusilla killed Kendra and that called Faith." She began to the long tale.

Faith knew it wouldn't take her long to pack up her meager belongings and get the hell out of Sunnydale.

"If this is the way you want it B then hey who am I to stand in the way." Faith grumbled as she pushed clothes into the small bag and then collected her things from the bathroom dumping them in as well. "Miss. High and Mighty, the only one who's ever had a bad thing happen. I bet that's what you think." She took one of the towels just in case.

Moving to the closet she pulled her jacket off the hanger and rifled through the pockets trying to figure out where she had left the keys to her bike.

"Junk." She pulled out a flyer opening it up and almost crumpling it when something clicked. "Shit, you don't get your wish just yet B." She grabbed her helmet and headed for the door.

"Did you come for a doggie bag dearie?" Mrs. Lauder smiled as she pulled the door open for Faith.

"Of course." She smiled at the older woman who you just couldn't help but liking. "And I have to talk to B, might have a lead on our regenerator."

"Well that is good news." Rose smiled. "But I'm afraid Buffy isn't home, she hasn't been back since your little, meeting." She tactfully tried to chose and appropriate word.

"She didn't come back?" Faith looked at the older woman surprised. "Shit." She cursed.

"Is everything alright dear? Call me a foolish old woman but things between you two girls don't seem as harmonious as they could be?" She enquired in her usual soft style.

"B and I have never been very harmonious." Faith smiled back at her amused by the appraisal. "In fact she sorta can't stand me."

"Oh I wouldn't say that." Rose frowned softly. "You and she are very similar really, despite your obvious differences."

"Don't say that to B, you don't want to hear how she can swear." Faith laughed lightly.

"Would you do me a favor and see if you could find her, I don't want Little Dawn fretting." Rose looked softly into Faith's dark eyes.

"Yeah, as I said need to tell her about the lead." Faith nodded and backtracked to the door.

Buffy sadly sniffed the pale yellow flower she held in her hand as she sat on her side, leaning on her other hand that rested heavily on the dense green grass that covered the slightly raised mound marking her mother's grave. She sighed and blinked tears from her eyes as she looked up at the gray marble headstone.

"I'm sorry mom." She whispered. "I've made such a mess of things." Her brow wrinkled in heavy lines as she let a tear spill down her cheek. "I don't know who I am anymore Mom, am I supposed to be a mom to Dawn, because I can't, I can't be like you, you were so brave, so smart." She forced herself to stop before her emotions broke down. "Or am I supposed to be the slayer, defender of the world, or Buffy Summers." She wiped at the tear on her face.

By the time Willow had finished the long and extensive history of the slayer named Faith, she had cuddled up beside Ruth on the bed.

"So that's Faith, though as I said I'm a little confused as to why she's out of prison and here." Willow admitted.

"So is she." Ruth briefly put her hand to her forehead. "Though before I say anything else, I have to say this," She reached out and took Willow's hand. "My poor Lo, and mean Faith for scaring my precious."

"It was scary, but I'm not afraid of her anymore." Willow smiled softly. "And if she hurts anyone then I'll have to kick her slayer butt."

"She's not here to hurt people." Ruth shook her head. "Really, I meant what I said before, she's not sure why she's here." The empath said softly. "When we touched, before my melt down…" She smiled at herself. "I read so much from her, she's like, so complex."

"No." Ruth's navy eyes flared open at Willow's choice of words. "She's afraid, alone, sad."

"Oh." Willow was just as shocked by Ruth's appraisal. "But she never acts like that. She's always acting like she's queen of the world."

"I never act like that. I'm not sexy or beautiful." Willow shook her head. "I'm timid geeky girl."

"My point exactly, you never act like that, but I know that you are all of those things." Ruth pointed out softly. "Only a few people in this world act how they feel inside and most of them are locked up." She added with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"But she doesn't want to hurt anyone here does she? Get revenge on Buffy or anything?" Willow snuggled closer to the dark haired witch.

"No, she wants to do what Angel asked her to, to help." Ruth confirmed pulling Willow lightly closer to her body. "She just doesn't know what to do."

"That's understandable, things are sorta messed up around here. We don't even know what is doing the killings yet." The redhead frowned. "But my main priority is taking care of you."

"You are." Willow shook her head. "Like getting you your bracelets and gloves, big priority." She smiled. "Do you really think that they are good ideas because if you don't like them we can scrap them?"

"They sound like a great idea." Ruth smiled tenderly. "No one has ever been this, you know, thoughtful about my…" She paused and glanced down at herself. "Disability."

"Ru, you do not have a disability. You have a gift." Willow contradicted her gently. "You have an amazing gift and are an amazing woman. I don't want to take your gift away I just want to help you get more control over it so that you can do all the things you want."

"Hey little girl, you know you shouldn't be out all alone at night, especially not in a grave yard, didn't your mommy warn you about the monsters and strangers that stalk the streets after sundown."

The low voice startled Buffy a little, as she had been concentrating on her feelings of worthlessness and inefficiency. She turned her head and looked up into bright blue eyes to see that four tall and badly dressed vampires surrounded her.

"Leave me alone." She breathed, shifting her position slightly discovering that her left leg had practically fallen asleep having been sat on for far too long.

"Ah she doesn't want to be disturbed boys." The lead vampire shook his head. "But I think she will be disturbed very soon." His face crumpled up into his vampire form.

"I said leave me alone." Buffy jumped up to her feet stumbling slightly as her left leg gave out. She attempted to crack off a quick punch to the lead vampire, who easily dodged.

Quickly the four of them attacked her raining down kicks and punches. Buffy was almost helpless to their attacks as she tried to keep her balance.

"Break it up." Faith staked one from behind and then hit two others with a spin kick sending them away before she punched the last one and made him stumble back.

"What the hell are you?" The stumbling vampire growled pulling up snarling at Faith, and reaching for a tree branch that he snapped off and ran at her with.

"Didn't you get told the horror stories?" Faith waited for him and then blocked the strike before she kicked him in the leg snapping it out from under him. "Of women who are stronger…" She punched him in the face. "Quicker and better than you." She punched him again.

"Slayer." He hissed as she drove her stake home and he turned to a plume of dust.

"We chase." Buffy nodded and picked up her speed on the larger of the two vamps.

"AROOOOOOOOO." Faith howled and gave chase, the hard run was just what she needed to stretch out her legs and open up her lungs.

Buffy caught up with her prey quickly and dispatched it just as promptly, turning to watch as Faith toyed with her quarry before staking it with a flourish. Putting her stake back in her waistband she jogged over to the dark haired woman.

"No worries, I'm sure you would have gotten them in time." The dark Slayer smiled at her. "Oh look what I remembered." She reached in her pocket and held out the flyer that Dawn had been given by the football players.

"You've been invited to a party, good for you." Buffy glanced at it somewhat uninterested.

"No, remember how the police reports said all of them had been invited to a party but no one could trace where?" Faith pointed to the sheet again. "Dawn was given this by some creepy intense football players. They totally gave me a weird vibe. What if our regenerator has some bait for his girls?"

"Football players?" Buffy grabbed the sheet and looked at it. "This is for Saturday night." She read the information quickly. "Think we can pass as young innocent girls?" She asked trying a smile.

"No, but we're even better than innocent young girls. We're girls who know what we're doing." Faith winked at her then stopped her revelry. "Only one problem, you wanted me to leave remember?"

"Don't start Faith." Buffy almost had a begging tone. "Please, just get your stuff come to the house, we need you obtainable."

"Cool." Faith nodded. "I'll slip by the mall and get us some innocent girl outfits too." She winked at the blonde and began moving away.

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Witness

By The Rainbow Writers

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