Rising from the Wreckage

Disclaimer: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, et al. No copyright infringement was intended. The storyline, however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

Summary: Spike and Faith make a move against one of the girls.

"Will both of you just shut up," Faith finally snapped in a harsh whisper. She stood a few feet from the vampire and nerd as they worked on the lines at the Summers' home, keeping a lookout for anyone who might spot them. Inside she was going crazy and just wanted to get the hell out of there, but she had to make sure these two sniveling idiots actually got the work done without getting themselves killed in the process. She wondered idly, as they went back to work, if she could kill them once they got back to the crypt. Once the equipment was set up they really didn't need Warren and Spike, well, who would blame a slayer staking a vampire?

"Good, lets get the bloody hell outta here," Spike piped up and started walking away from the other two.

Faith rolled her eyes and took up step with the vampire, while Warren scurried about to collect his tools and catch up, bitching about being left behind.

Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill. Faith paced restless in the small crypt wondering over and over again why she couldn't just get rid of these two. All they did was argue like stupid kids. Maybe if she were lucky they'd wind up killing each other. With a huff, the dark slayer took up perch on a large stone sarcophagus.

"Look, see, there it is," Warren finally announced as the small monitors that were set up along one wall flickered to life. Faith's eyes narrowed as she took in the images of a life she'd never have. People bustling all over a nice home, everyone going through their routines as Buffy ushered Dawn up the stairs. Tara crossing by and giving Willow a quick peck on the cheek. Xander and Anya were in the kitchen piling up plates and tableware. "Looks like it's dinner time at the Summers house," the tech-head informed needlessly.

The three of them watched each lost in their own thoughts, desires, and conflicts. Faith was consumed with a surge of emotions ranging from outright jealousy to a hidden spark of regret. Spike alternated between a growl and a purr as he became enthralled in his own thoughts of taking down the Scoobies and whatever other lecherous fantasy his devious mind held for Buffy. Warren seemed to be indifferent, more impressed with himself and his ability to so easily infiltrate into the inner sanctum than anything beyond that. He watched in utter silence as he took morbid pleasure in knowing that he invaded them, broke into a place once thought safe and protected, relishing the thought that he was inside them without their knowledge or consent.

When they saw the group congregate into the dining room and Tara kiss Buffy on the lips a collective gasp erupted in the crypt. "Did…" Warren started to ask.

Faith jumped from her seat and rushed to the gear, "Rewind it, REWIND IT!" Warren, in his haste suddenly forgot what button was what, but quickly managed to replay the scene. It was clearly a kiss of intimacy though it last for only a second. "Again!" Faith demanded. Her eyes searched the screen and watched in the far corner as Willow merely glanced up, smiled, and returned to her busy. Faith took a step back, trying to figure out what just happened.

Spike growled a steady rumble, his fists clenching and unclenching, as he desperately fought back the urge to shift. He was tossed aside for the blonde witch? That couldn't be, the witch was with Willow and besides, Buffy wasn't gay. She liked what Spike did for her, the freedom he gave her, the release of it all. There wasn't anything the little bird could do for a slayer, it took a real man, it took him and him alone to satisfy what really was inside Buffy.

Warren watched the interactions, back in real time, as everyone sat around the table, talking animatedly over their meal. Buffy sat at the end of the table, Dawn across on the opposite end. Willow and Tara occupied one side while Xander and Anya sat on the other. They looked like quite the happy, albeit unorthodox, family as they mutely carried on, completely unaware of the whirlwind emotions this very quaint picture caused to those prying. "So, the blondes are together. I thought she was with the redhead?" Warren finally spoke up.

Warren picked up the phone that sat next to him on the makeshift workstation and began to dial.

"Who are you calling?" Spike asked, but the tone was more threatening than it was questioning.

"Shhhh," Warren hissed as the line clicked on the other end. "Mr. Bester," came his clipped command to the woman on the other end of the line that picked up. "Tell him Warren is calling and I have some very interesting information."

Faith and Spike both moved forward to listen as Warren recapped the events they just witnessed, both straining their supernatural senses to pick up both sides of the conversation but it was too difficult to get anything more than snippets. The conversation was short and to the point and Warren hung up after only spending a moment listening to their new instructions. He turned with a wicked grin plastered on his face and stared at his two cohorts.

"We watch them to see when the blonde is alone, then we take her," the tech-head informed.

Spike growled in frustration and stomped off to the other end of the crypt. He wanted action now, he was not in the mood to wait this thing out. "I at least need to get something to snack on if we're going to sit here with our thumbs up our asses all night."

Faith, uncharacteristically quiet, walked over to the bags that sat in the corner and tossed a medical bag of blood to the bleached blonde vampire. "Don't complain. We can't have you leading Buffy straight to us."

The three settled down into a solemn and quiet night while the Scoobies went on about their lives blissfully unaware.

"Are you going on patrol tonight?" Willow asked as she took a pile of plates from the table.

Buffy grabbed the glasses and followed the hacker into the kitchen were Tara and Dawn were busy gossiping and washing the dishes that were stacked up next to them. "Yeah, I figured things have been just a little too quiet lately but those guys…things…whatever, they had a purpose. That disk might not be the only thing they're after."

"Be careful, Buffy," Xander chimed in. "Anytime a big bad is out on a treasure hunt it's generally not of the good."

Buffy smiled at her friend and nodded, "I know, I've got all the usual protection."

Willow wiped her hands on a dishtowel and went back into the dining room to set up her computer, the slayer following behind. "I haven't really had a chance to look into this, but I figured I could search the net while you were patrolling," the witch explained as she set up her Internet connection.

With a sigh, Willow sat down at the now cleared table and began opening browsers and databases. "Not so much," she answered, pouting in the process.

Buffy couldn't hold back the chuckle or resist the urge to kiss those pouting lips. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the hacker's lips and pulled back with a blush, still fairly new to all of this. Willow couldn't hold back the blush either and sucked in her bottom lip, biting on it before ducking her head to look at the screen. Buffy shook her head, realizing that was a Tara trait the redhead must have picked up on and adopted as her own.

"OUCH!" Warren cried out as the vampire rolled over on top of him and landed a punch. The two of them were rolling around and fighting like a bunch of kids who were fighting over who got to play in the sandbox.

Faith rushed over to the two of them and grabbed Spike by his collar. She tossed the vampire away from the nerd and before Warren could make any comment, he found himself lifted off the ground and suddenly being pushed toward the workstation. "Rewind it."

With a groan he did as he was told until he noticed exactly what Faith was looking for. Spike jumped to his feet ready to being a tirade that would likely launch into a fist fight but his mouth snapped shut with an audible smack. "What in the bloody hell is going on?" He snarled and came over closer to the image that was now paused.

Faith's eyes narrowed as she took in the frozen sight of Buffy leaning over Willow as they shared a kiss in the dining room. Something very weird was going on, that was for sure. All that time she spent overtly seeking out Buffy for something more than Slay- buddies and the blonde never relented, never gave even the faintest hint they could have been more, but here she was now openly with not just the other blonde, but Red too. "Neither of you knew about this?" she accused.

Spike was seething, it was bad enough Buffy was screwing around with the witch, but now she was messing with the hacker as well. It stung deep, wounding and bruising the vampire's pride more than losing a fight to the Scoobies ever could do.

The walls built up, were reinforced, the already dark eyes of the slayer growing darker, deeper. What purpose was there to even try? Why bother fighting against what was surely her true nature? Buffy was obviously quite content giving herself to everyone but the dark woman, why bother trying. The darkness swarmed and blanketed her, taking solace in the unfeeling emptiness that beckoned her. No point. No reason. No love.

"See what you can do, I'm going to patrol. Maybe I can find something out on the grapevine," Buffy informed as she walked away from the table, heading toward the old, battered chest where the weapons were readily available.

Willow, already engrossed in her search and find mission, merely nodded. Her fingers danced over the keys as she tried a series of databases they frequented, hoping to get a hit on the object they now had in their possession. She didn't hear Tara come in until the blonde pulled up a chair close beside her and looked at the screen.

"Success, baby?" Tara asked, her eyes squinting slightly as she tried to read and understand information that flashed across the screen.

Resting her head in one hand, Willow looked over to her lover and gave her a weak smile, "If you define success as the complete lack of anything, then sure, plenty."

"Awww," Tara put her arm around Willow, "you'll find it. You're Willow: Super Computer Girl."

Willow's smile broke into a full one as Tara's playful words made her realize how she really needed this woman in her life. The smile wavered at the thought of how she pushed Tara away and ran off, but a quick shake of her head threw out the thoughts and she once more concentrated on her searches. "Know what I could go for right now?" the hacker questioned as she navigated deeper into her resources.

Tara couldn't help the burst of laughter that broke through upon hearing the pleading tone of her lover. "I get the picture," she said standing up. "I'll make a Pump run."

Willow checked the clock, "You sure? I could go with you if you wanted to wait a few minutes."

"I know, already have a cross and stake in my pocket," Tara interjected with a smirk.

"Where the hell is she?" Warren complained. "The blonde just left by herself, this is the chance we need and that bitch is off who knows where."

Spike and Warren both spun around, surprised to see Faith standing there, a deep scowl etched across her face. Spike threw on his duster and couldn't resist the 'na-na-na' smirk he sent at the nerd as she charged up the steps. The door slammed shut behind them and Warren slumped in his chair muttering a series of curses, some even in Klingon.

Slayer and vampire made their way silently through town, keeping to the shadows and alleys as they worked their way toward the Espresso Pump. "No biting," Faith hissed as Tara's form leaving the coffee shop came into view. "We'll go up ahead to the next alley and get her there."

Spike nodded and the two of them used their preternatural skills to easily get ahead of the blonde, position themselves at the mouth of a dark alley that the witch would have to pass on her way back home.

The hackles on the back of Tara's neck started to rise as she walked down the street, her instincts screaming that something in the air was foul and dangerous. She didn't have a chance to alter her course into a better lit path before her arm was gripped in a steely grasp and she was yanked into the alley. Her startled scream prematurely cut off when a hand harshly clamped over her mouth, the tray of mochas dropping to the ground, all but forgotten. She struggled desperately against her captor, her body shaking and squirming every which way as she fought to get loose.

Her struggles froze and her eyes widened when she took in the sight of the small, darkly clad woman. A woman she only knew to be Buffy once before, but this time she knew the person in this body was nothing but trouble. Her vision was filled with a fast flying fist and any further attempt at escape was lost as blackness took over her, the blonde slumping in Spike's arms.

With a grunt, Spike hefted the now dead weight of the witch over his shoulder as they made their way deeper into the shadows of the alleyway, leaving behind the puddled mess of mochas in their wake.

Willow yawned and stretched before she moved the mouse over to the taskbar and noted the time. Her brows furrowed as she realized that, even if the Espresso Pump was busy, it shouldn't have taken Tara this long to get back. Alarm shot through her as she slammed the laptop closed and jumped to her feet. "Xander?"

Xander perked up at the call of his name and paused the movie he, Anya, and Dawn were enjoying in the living room. "What's up, Will?"

Willow rushed into the room and then spun around to go back into the foyer and grabbed for her jacket. "Tara went for mochas and she isn't back yet. Something's wrong."

Anya, knowing the drill, sat up so that Xander could stand. She rose after him, Dawn following their lead. "Take it easy, Will, maybe she's just chatting with a friend she saw there or maybe she met up with Buffy." Despite his attempt to calm his friend, Xander still moved forward to put on his own jacket, knowing that no matter what he said, the fiery redhead would not be satisfied until she could see for sure that Tara was indeed safe and just otherwise occupied.

"No, something isn't right. She said she was going to come right back, she would have stopped to call or something if she was going to take this long. This is Sunnydale, Xander, she knows better," Willow blew out in a frantic blur as she threw open the door and charged outside.

Xander leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the cheek in appreciation as he rushed out the door, struggling to get his keys from his pants pocket. "Hold up, Will, I've got the keys."

Willow danced nervously from foot to foot next to the passenger door waiting none-to-patiently for her friend to unlock the car and get in. They hit the road, tracing the most likely route the witch would have taken to the Espresso Pump. As much as the redhead would have preferred to just speed there, they took the trip at a snail's pace to make sure they could see Tara if she was already walking home.

They parked close to the coffee shop and began walking back, Xander taking one side of the road while Willow covered the other. Periodically they'd call out for the witch, but they knew that the chances of her responding would be nil.

Willow came up to the first alley and called Xander over. No way was she going to explore a pitch-black alley without having some type of back up. The stray thought of finding Buffy passed through her mind, but if Tara was hurt the redhead didn't want to waste any valuable time. Sensing her friend at her back, Willow took slow, cautious steps, Xander close behind her, both kept their eyes darting back and forth for any sign of Tara or unwanted visitors.

"Ewww," Willow groaned out and looked down to see what she stepped in. Paper cups with the Espresso Pump logo clearly marked on it. Willow bent down and touched the tip of her finger into the liquid and then stood up, "Tara!"

"It's still warm. Whatever happened didn't go down too long ago, maybe we can catch up," she explained, hope lining her voice as she took off down the alley.

Throwing up his hands in resignation, not happy to be charging into a situation unknown without more protection, Xander chased after his friend. "Just hope we run into Buffy before we run into something else," he groused.

"What about the magic?" Warren asked as he studied the limp form tied to the chair.

"How do you stop a witch from casting?" Faith asked, turning to the nerd. This was outside her area of expertise that was for sure. All she had to worry about was who to beat up to keep them quiet, but somehow she figured that wouldn't work in this case.

"I don't deal in this stuff," Warren supplied, not so helpfully. "That was usually Jonathon's job."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Warren intoned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Hey, Jonathon, I need you to come by a crypt where I'm hanging with a vamp and a slayer so you can cast a spell on this witch we just kidnapped. Yeah, I can just see that happening."

"Then we just make it known that it's in his best interest to help us out," Faith concluded with a crack of her knuckles.

Warren nodded with a hit of a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He could care less what happened to either Jonathon or the witch, as long as Best came through in the end with his promises, the psychotic, misogynistic man had no problems roughing up a few people along the way.

"Hey, ow, awright," Jonathon whined as he was rough handled and shoved into the crypt. "Jeez, ya know if you kill me I can't help you," he informed.

Spike growled and grabbed the short man roughly by his shirt, "Doesn't mean we can't have some fun. I think I'm getting a little peckish," he informed with a lick of his chops, his visage a grotesque display of his demonic form.

"Ah, ah, ah," Jonathon stuttered, his mind shutting down in the face of such a threat.

Rolling her eyes and expelling an exaggerated sigh, Faith pulled the man from Spike's grip and dragged him down the steps. "Make sure she can't cast anything on us, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." When he was released from her steely grip he dropped his bag and began to pull out the items he'd need, grumbling the entire time. He tried not to wonder what Warren was into with these two and especially tried not to worry about if he'd really get out of here alive once his job was done. He looked at the leather- clad slayer and similarly clothed vampire and wondered if it was worth it to install some type of failsafe into his spell. Something that would be a bargaining chip for him to get out of this crypt with. Sizing them up he decided that if they found out about it or if something went wrong in the process nothing would save him from their cold-blooded wrath.

Faith stepped forward with a growl of her own, warning him away from the blonde. Spike quirked a questioning eyebrow at her and she shrugged it off. "What? If she's unconscious all the time how are we going to get any answers?"

"W-Willow?" Tara's voice came in a broken, hoarse whisper. Her head lulled as she fought to climb back to a conscious state.

Jonathon was sitting in a quickly drawn circle and chanting when the trio looked over at him. He pulled out some supplies from a bag and tossed them into the tiny fire that sat under the small bowl. "Are you done yet?" Faith demanded. Jonathon ignored her, his concentration completely on the spell as the smoke began to transform from a regular white cloud to a rust color as it swirled in front of him. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked up to see Tara's blue orbs open lazily and try to focus - they're eyes locking. He tried to show her an apology with his gentle stare as the smoky mist blew towards Tara, wrapping itself around her and then dissipating.

By the time her senses caught up with her consciousness and Tara realized she was being held captive and that the little man in front of her was binding her powers it was too late to conjure up a counter spell. She tried, though, and immediately grunted when the spell backfired. She looked around frantically and pulled against the ropes they held her wrists firm against the chair.

It didn't take long to get through the standard 'Why' and 'Where' questions and the obligatory pleas to Spike about how they were always nice to him, most of which were simply ignored. In fact, Spike used their time together when he was neutered to torment and tease the blonde. She bit and chewed on her lower lip as she fought back the urge to cry, refusing to give the vampire who was constantly in her face any satisfaction.

In the background Warren and Jonathon were arguing over the most inane details of the set up they had in the crypt. Faith couldn't really follow it as they blathered on about specs and stats in terms that only a geek could understand or even want to. Fed up the slayer jumped to her feet with a shout of, "Enough!" Instantly four pairs of eyes turned to her. "Jonathon, get lost. Warren, go do something, anything, just get out. Spike, go get something to eat. I'll handle Blondie here."

Her narrowed eyes and clenched fists told them to just shut up and move it along before bones were broken and dust piled up. Grumbling like scolded children, the two nerds left the crypt, slamming the door behind them on the way out. Spike, however, detoured and nudged his head, indicating that he wanted a word in private. Rolling her eyes, Faith followed him to the corner.

"Why not just kill the bitch?" Spike snarled, licking his lips at the thought of sinking his fangs into the witch's neck.

"Hey, I'm not making the rules here. The boss said we need to keep her to trade for the First Gift of Exodus so that's what we're gonna do," Faith snapped.

Neither realized their angry words carried enough for the blonde to hear them and the Wiccan made a mental note of the name, hoping it was the very same disk they were trying to research back home.

"Fine," Spike huffed, shrugging on his duster, and bounding up the stairs, slamming the door for a second time.

Faith watched him leave, but her thoughts were not on his departure, but rather a moment in time a few years back where she once again held a Scooby prisoner in exchange for a vital item needed by her boss. The dark woman couldn't help but wonder if the outcome would be the same this time as well. Blinking away the memory, Faith slowly stalked around Tara, who suddenly decided it might have been better to have the guys back.

Stopping in front of the woman, Faith cocked her head as though trying to understand what the witch just said. "So, what's the deal with you and B?"

Tara blinked in silence for a moment, the question being the last thing she expected. From her position she couldn't see the electronic set up, but piecing together bits of the stray conversations and debates between Warren and Jonathon, she was able figure out that they had been spying on the gang. For how long, though, she wasn't sure. Deciding to turn the tables on the slayer, hoping to distract her enough with her own questions so as not to reveal anything further to the rogue, Tara shot back with her own inquiry. "Why do you care so much, Faith?"

Snarling and easily snapping back into the role she knew how to play by heart, and backhanded the witch across the face. Tara's head snapped back and she gasped in pain, tasting the copper tinge of blood from the corner of her mouth. "You're hurting, Faith, I can see that," Tara started again. "You hurt inside so you make others hurt on the outside, but look where that got you the last time."

Tara's head swam as she tried to fight back the pain that was throbbing across her cheek. "Faith, this isn't the only way, you know. "

The slayer lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling hair and getting right in the witch's face, her hot breath come in pants against Tara's skin. "Shut up or I'll kill you right now," came the warning.

Tara knew she was on thin ice, knew full well that the slayer could easily kill her. But she also sensed that if the dark woman was truly as untouchable and heartless as she led on, she wouldn't be reacting so viciously. "Faith, listen to me, please," Tara started and grimaced with the rough tug on her hair. "Please, Faith. I know you don't want to do this, why else would Angel say how much you changed?"

Tara saw the sudden waver in the dark eyes, the split second moment of self-doubt, before it quickly vanished. The witch held on to that and kept charging ahead. "What about you, then? You know there's something better, why else turn yourself in? Why try for a second chance?"

Faith's whispers were almost lost on the witch and if it wasn't for there extremely close proximity to each other the blonde was sure she wouldn't have been able to make out the mutterings of the slayer. As it was, Tara heard "Shut up, you don't know anything," repeated over and over like a mantra as the dark woman slowly backed away, releasing her hold on the woman.

Faith backed up to the wall, her eyes unfocused, cloudy, and darting. Her lips moving, though no more sound came forth. She slid down the wall until she crouched, her hands tightly clasped in front of her, making it look like the rogue was almost praying. The silence was thick, almost deafening as it weighed heavily upon both women.

Tara watched the small woman closely, studying her, reading her. Though her powers were bound, she could still read the aura around Faith and it spiked and rolled out of control. The struggle was clearly evident to the witch who could tune into this astral aspect. "Does she know?" Tara's gentle voice broke the oppressive hush. When blank orbs looked up at her, Tara continued. "Did she ever know how you felt about her?"

Faith chuckled and it slowly rolled into a full laugh, but it sent chills up Tara's spin. It was not an expression of glee, but rather something chilling and cold. As it slowly died down, Faith looked straight into Tara's cerulean gaze and shook her head. "You are a trip." Faith stood up and brushed her hands against her thighs, wiping away the dust, or was it something else? Something a little closer to home?

With purpose in her steps, Faith strode forward and Tara couldn't help the need to back away, but she gathered up her resolve and held her head up as she faced down the woman who stalked her way. Halting in front of the blonde, a leer graced Faith's lips as she leaned forward, very much aware of how her breasts pressed against the other woman and the slight hitch in Tara's breath. Reaching around, Faith worked her fingers through the knots of the coarse bindings until the witch's limbs suddenly relaxed, but neither made a move. Faith enjoyed the sensations of the woman she was against, the warmth she found there inviting, something in her needing more - needing that sense of home and comfort. Tara froze, fighting the urge to push away from her captor, afraid that it would incite her when things suddenly seemed to be going her way. The blonde could sense a shift in the dark woman, a subtle change in the aura, but the need to get out, to get away, was more overwhelming.

Steeling her face into a calm and almost bored visage, Faith backed away and crossed her arms over her chest. "Be sure to give my love to B and Red," she said, her lips curling into a smile that was anything but warm and comforting.

Unsure for only a split second, Tara hastily got to her feet and stumbled up the steps to the door, sending furtive glances back to the slayer before she dashed out to the main cemetery. A stray thought that the others were still out there crossed her mind, but as she left the tomb the witch could feel the binding spell break and knew that she could defend herself against them, if absolutely necessary.

Sending another glance over her shoulder as she raced down a row of headstones, Tara screamed when she crashed into a body, sending both sprawling to the ground. The witch was immediately sitting up, her hands outstretched as she began to chant.

Halting mid-way through the spell, Tara let her mind focus through the haze of fear and noticed the small blonde slayer sitting across from her with a perplexed expression. "Buffy?"

"Tara are you okay? What are you doing…" The question broke off as she took in the sight of the Wiccan's bruised cheek and cut lip. "What happened?" she cried out and scurried forward to get a better look.

Nodding, Buffy stood up, pulling the witch with her, and wrapping her arms protectively around the taller woman. Neither of them spoke as they cleared the graveyard and began walking down the street.

"Buffy? Tara, is that you?" the worry in the redhead's voice was clear as day as she and Xander practically killed themselves getting out of the car that came to a screeching halt close to them.

"Will," came Tara's only response, a breathy plea as the two witches practically crashed into each other and hugged.

Xander and Buffy stood to the side, his eyes asking a question to which Buffy merely shrugged and shook her head.

"Come on, let's get you home, baby," Willow soothed, putting her arm around the woman and leading her back to the car where Xander and Buffy quickly followed suit.

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Rising from the Wreckage

Chapter 21

By AmberBenson Fan

Amberbensonfan@hotmail.com