Title: Forgiven
Part 6 of the ABC series
Author: Frau Hunter Ash
Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash@sti.net Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy : www.hunterash.com
Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon , Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui , and God only knows who else. 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.
F/F romance : the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship between people of the same gender, different genders, and may even include 3 at the same time <G>. If this offends or is illegal for you, then please leave. Come back when you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.
Spoilers: Sometime after Wrecked
Summary: Willow disappeared 2 years ago after the incidents in
Wrecked. She and Giles are back in Sunnydale and the witch has
changed drastically. The LA Angel gang follows to Sunnydale to help
fight against a major conspiracy, one that has Buffy so confused and
unsure who to trust in her life.
Rating: 12
Author's Note: Pairings: W/G, X/A, B/R, B/F, An/C, T/Tracy
Faith looked up in time to see Willow , in full game face, launch herself from above them and tackle the soldiers and Angel down the stairs to the next landing.
Angel shook his head as he sat up. Giles glanced over the railing as the others watched an enraged Willow grab one of the soldiers and rip his throat out with her fangs. Angel grabbed the other one and quickly broke his neck. Faith reached behind her, pulled out her nightstick and threw it at the other soldier, knocking him unconscious.
"Buffy!" Willow cried and dashed back up the stairs.
The small group gathered around their fallen Slayer as Angel knelt and quickly examined her. He shook his head and grabbed her into his arms.
"She needs a hospital," he muttered.
"Get her in the van," Willow growled as she grabbed up one of the fallen guns.
Giles grabbed another gun and kept watch behind them as Angel began making his way up the stairs with Buffy in his arms. Faith grabbed Spike by the collar and walked him up.
A few well placed shots from Giles' gun stopped any one pursuing them up the stairs.
They came out of the stairwell into a fire fight between several soldiers behind the guard's desk and Tara and Tracy near the front door behind a counter.
"Give me the Slayer, you help with the fight," Spike shouted at Angel.
"No!" Angel shouted back as Xander and Cordy joined them from the upper stairs.
"Give her over," Spike yelled. "I can't even point a gun at them! You can!"
Angel handed Buffy over to his childe and took Spike's gun. Willow and Giles fired several more rounds down the stairs.
"Hurry!" Giles yelled, "They'll have us trapped in a minute!"
Angel nodded at Xander and they rushed out of the stairwell with rifles blazing, Spike and the others following.
* * *
Tara and Tracy stood up from behind the counter with their hands raised, not in surrender but in a holding off gesture. The soldiers behind the desk shouted angrily when their bullets simply fell out of their guns and they couldn't move their boots off the floor.
The group dashed out of the building. Cordelia rushed ahead and opened the back of the van while Xander jumped in the front seat. Tracy, Tara and Giles jumped into Tara 's car while Spike, Angel, Willow and Faith followed, climbing in the back of the van.
"Don't worry about them following, I flattened all the tires in the parking lot," Faith said as the van jumped from the curb.
"Hospital! Fast!" Angel shouted.
"No," Willow countered. "The woods, the old meeting place of the Wiccans ."
"What? She'll die," Angel protested.
"She's dying now," Willow said grimly. "One chance, Angel, that's all I ask."
Willow turned to Faith as they both hovered over the bleeding Slayer.
"Faith, trust me, please," Willow begged.
"Where am I going?" Xander demanded from the driver's seat.
" Forest ! Now!" Angel shouted as Faith nodded.
"Gunn is following!" Xander yelled over his shoulder.
"Faith," Willow said slowly. "If this doesn't work then there's only one chance. I don't know what Buffy would want, we haven't talked in years."
"Turn her into a vamp?" Faith asked with a frown.
"Xander, what would she want?" Willow yelled.
"You know that!" he snapped over his shoulder. "Even with a soul she wasn't amused with the idea."
"Yeah but that was with a curse, not a free soul," Angel pointed out.
"Damn," Faith muttered. "I don't want her to die but I don't think she'd want that."
"Can we let her go?" Cordy asked in a small voice.
Faith watched Buffy's pale face for a moment and then shook her head.
"No, I can't, not now," she said firmly. "She can bitch me out later."
"Angel?" Willow asked.
"If it comes to it, turn her," he said just as firmly.
"I agree," Xander said from the front seat.
"Me too," Cordelia added.
"Let's hope I don't have to," Willow muttered.
* * *
Angel carried Buffy in his arms as Willow led the way to a small clearing just off the road. The place had been used by local pagans for years for minor ceremonies, rituals and celebrations.
"Will?" Tara asked as she and Tracy ran to catch up with her.
"One chance," the vampire witch muttered. "I can heal her, I know I can."
Tara frowned as everyone gathered in the clearing and Angel placed Buffy in the center of an obvious circle. Faith knelt by Buffy, keeping pressure on the Slayer's wounds as tears flowed from her eyes.
Angel watched as Willow pulled Giles to one side and talked to him intently for a few moments. They appeared to be arguing, with Giles protesting but finally nodding.
Everyone was uneasy and frowning when the Englishman pulled Willow into a tight hug and kissed her passionately.
" Willow ?" Tara asked as Willow turned to them and entered the circle.
"I need a circle formed, both for protection and ritual," Willow said, her manner distracted as she knelt next to Buffy.
" Willow , you can't channel that kind of energy!" Tara protested.
"What do you mean?" Xander asked.
"She's a powerful witch, I agree," Tara snapped, "But she's also a vampire. Channeling healing energy is like channel the sun's energy. It'll kill a vampire."
" Willow ?" Angel questioned and started towards the red-haired witch.
" Adstringo !" Willow shouted and Angel and anyone near the circle were violently thrown back.
Tara jumped to her feet and rushed forward but was stopped by an invisible barrier.
" Willow !" she shouted and turned to Giles as the vampire looked on with his hands in his pocket, his face unhappy.
"Do something!" Tara yelled.
"It's her choice," he muttered.
"She could die!" Tara protested as Xander, Angel, and Cordy struggled against the barrier.
"And I'll follow at sunrise if she does," Giles explained.
Tara yelled in anger and turned to scream and protest at Willow .
The red-haired witch ignored her as Faith looked up at her.
"Let me do this, Faith," Willow said softly. "I brought her back from Heaven and I was wrong then, I'm right now."
"What if you're just doing the same thing again?" Faith demanded.
"No, her spirit is still here, she's not dead yet," Willow explained. "I'm saving her life, not bringing her back to life."
"Do it," Faith nodded.
Willow began chanting, holding her hands over Buffy's fading body.
"Giles, damn you! How could you agree to this?" Angel shouted, falling back from the barrier.
"Would you give your life to save Buffy or Cordelia ?" Giles countered.
"Yes," Angel said softly as Cordy rushed up to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they watched Willow chanting and raising energy.
"So would Willow," Giles continued. "The vampires took her life that night but the Council held her soul prisoner and tortured her for two years, she survived so she could get back to me and rescue Buffy. That gave her purpose."
Angel turned to Tara and Tracy. "Can you bring that shield down?"
"It might kill Willow and we'd still lose Buffy," Tracy explained as the witches held each other.
" Tracy , let's form a circle out here and channel energy to Willow , we might be able to protect her," Tara suggested and Tracy 's face lit up with hope.
"Everyone gather around!" Tracy shouted.
"Can the vamps help with this?" Xander asked as everyone formed their own circle.
"Yes, we're just going to sent protective energy to Willow, not channel sun-like energy," Tara explained as everyone held hands and closed their eyes.
Giles whimpered as he glanced at Willow before closing his eyes. Things had gone so terribly wrong ever since she had returned to his life but he didn't regret a moment with her.
"Please help her," he pleaded. "We haven't had enough time."
"None of us have," Xander muttered as they closed their eyes.
Giles had no idea how long they chanted but it felt like hours. He could feel the energy flowing from the small group through Tara and Tracy but had no idea if it was helping Willow or not.
The newly made vampire concentrated, pouring all his love and energy towards his mate.
* * *
Faith's eyes widened as Willow 's hands began to glow and that glow spread over Buffy's body. The glow was a light orange, much like sunlight and Faith could see the pain reflected in Willow 's face and heard the vampire's voice faltering.
Without thinking, Faith thrust her hands into the glow and closed her eyes.
Instinctively, she was sending her own love and energy to Buffy as well.
Faith's eyes snapped open when Willow screamed and the vampire collapsed.
" Willow !" Giles screamed, breaking the circle and rushing to his mate's side.
"Faith?" Angel demanded as everyone else rushed up and gathered around.
Faith had taken Buffy into her arms and began to cry in relief when Buffy blinked and opened her eyes. Wesley pulled Buffy's shirt up and there was no sign of injury.
Angel quickly turned to Willow and Giles as the vampire held the red-head in his arms. The older vampire winced at the sight of his friend.
Willow 's skin was drawn tightly and her face pain ravaged even though she was unconscious.
"Angel?" Giles asked, blood tears flowing from his eyes.
"She needs blood, a lot of it!" Angel declared.
" Willow ?" Buffy asked softly as she sat up in Faith's arms.
"She saved you but it hurt her," Xander explained.
"She needs more blood than we have in the car," Wesley said slowly.
" Willow can have mine," Tara said calmly.
"I'm next!" Xander volunteered immediately.
"Form a line behind me," Faith said firmly.
"Giles?" Buffy said softly, trying to comprehend the sight of her former mentor holding Willow tightly to his chest with vampire blood tears flowing from his eyes.
"I can't lose her, Buffy," he said softly.
"Me and Faith first," Buffy said firmly.
"You can't!" Xander protested. "You just died again!"
"Terrific, third time's a charm," Buffy grumbled. "I feel great."
"Someone get over here quick!" Giles snapped.
"Slayer blood, best thing," Spike smirked as Buffy and Faith moved over to the two vampires. Buffy glared at him as Angel handed her a hunting knife from his belt. The Slayer quickly slashed her forearm open and held it gently to Willow 's lips as Giles held the red-haired vampire.
"Wesley, you, Gunn and Xander keep an eye out for Council types," Angel instructed. "They might spot the cars."
"Got it!" Wesley responded.
After a few minutes Buffy pulled back and wrapped a bandana around her arm as Faith moved to replace the blonde Slayer in feeding Willow the life giving blood.
Buffy moved up behind Faith and placed a hand on Faith's shoulder and her chin on the brunette Slayer's other shoulder. She knew how Faith felt about vampires and could feel how uncomfortable she was in feeding one, even if it was Willow .
"Its okay, Faith," Buffy said gently.
"I know, she saved your life," Faith nodded but still frowned. "She fought to save you, B. Willow knew she'd probably die and fought to do it anyway."
"That's what friends do, Faith," Buffy whispered. "It's what we do for those we love."
"That's how I feel about you, is that love?" Faith whispered, ignoring the fact that Giles was close enough to hear them as he held Willow .
"I think so," Buffy whispered. "Time's up."
Faith moved away and wrapped a strip of cloth around her arm that Tracy handed her. The Slayer noticed that the witches had taken Xander's shirt and had reduced it to bandage strips and left Xander in a t-shirt.
"Bollocks, may as well have some of mine," Spike growled and slashed his arm quickly. He grinned at Giles as he held his bleeding arm to Willow 's lips and the blood flowed into Willow 's mouth again. "Not the first time, actually."
"I already know that, Spike," Giles growled, his eyes flashing yellow. "I know you mean nothing to her."
"Harsh, mate!" Spike protested.
Angel watched the donors and the vampire patient closely. Giles continued stroking Willow 's throat, getting the unconscious vampire to swallow the blood being given her. The older vampire was worried and Buffy and Cordelia could tell.
Cordy sat down next to Angel on the grass.
"Is she going to make it?" she asked softly.
"I truly don't know," he answered. "It's like she's been burned by the sun from the inside out."
He pointed and Cordy gasped at the dark stain spreading from under Willow .
"She's losing the blood as fast as we can get it down her throat," he explained.
" Tara !" Cordelia called out as the two witches bandaged the two Slayer's arms. "Can you help heal her?"
Tara frowned. "I don't know what kind of spell or energy to use on a vampire. Tracy ? Angel?"
"I don't know, we always channel sun-like energy to heal people," Tracy commented.
"What about moon energy?" Giles suggested, remembering his own magical training and experience.
"That doesn't feel right either," Tara shook her head. "Moon energy is like a watered -down sun energy."
"What the hell kind of energy feeds a vampire? What heals a vampire besides blood?" Buffy complained.
"Demon energy and blackness," Tracy commented.
"No!" Buffy snapped. "No black stuff, look what it did to Will! "
" Willow would agree," Giles muttered.
"There has to be something!" Cordy complained.
"Something that I've heard," Xander called over. "Blood is the life, what does that mean other than for obvious reasons for vamps?"
"That's biblical, blood is the life," Giles muttered.
"That's it!" Wesley called from the opposite direction. "It's not only the blood that feeds a vampire, it's the life force in the blood!"
"Yes," Giles began nodding. "All evil entities feed on it. Demons feed on the life force, werewolves feed on the fear and life force, and vampires feed on the life force from the blood."
"So how does that help us?" Spike demanded.
"We can drain someone's life force and channel it to her along with the blood," Tara said slowly.
"Fatal?" Angel demanded.
"No, just a little from the humans," Tracy explained.
"Please!" Giles begged as Cordelia moved forward to replace Spike.
"Does everyone agree?" Tara asked and watched as the humans among them looked at each other and back to Willow and nodded.
"Spike and Angel, take Xander and Wesley's place," Tracy instructed as Tara walked up behind Cordelia and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.
"I don't think it hurts," Tara whispered in Cordelia's ear and the girl nodded, swallowing with nervousness.
"It might take a year off everyone's life," Tracy said slowly.
"Which one?" Buffy quipped. " Willow gave me back the last two, she can have a year, my blood, whatever."
* * *
Willow opened her eyes slowly and smiled when she saw Giles looking at her.
" Willow !" he cried softly and pulled her into his arms.
After a moment he pulled back and gently stroked her hair and Willow was able to look around, recognizing the bedroom at the mansion.
"Buffy?" she whispered, finding she was too weak to even sit up.
"More than fine," a voice chipped in.
Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling at her best friend.
"Thank God," Willow whispered.
"Will," Buffy felt her eyes filling with tears as Giles moved back slightly and let Buffy hug Willow tightly. "Oh God, Willow, I've missed you."
"You have no idea how much I missed you," Willow said softly.
"We've got a lot to catch up on," Buffy said as she pulled back after a moment.
"I didn't run away," Willow said, closing her eyes as she drifted back to sleep.
Buffy looked up at Giles, worried.
"Angel said she'd sleep most of the next three days and nights," Giles explained.
Buffy shook her head after a moment and Giles raised his eyebrows in question.
"You don't look a day over thirty now," Buffy explained. "So much has happened in such a short time. It's moved even faster than usual for Sunnydale."
"Yes," Giles agreed, stretching his lean body along Willow's, continuing to stroke the red hair.
Buffy shook her head again with a smile.
"The guy I thought of as a father is making goo-goo eyes at my best friend and it seems okay," she teased.
It was something Buffy was adjusting to. She had always thought of Giles like a teacher and then as a father. Now she was looking at him as a man, a younger man than he had seemed and an attractive one at that. He was lying on the bed with his shirt open, barefoot and staying very close to Willow.
"She's so beautiful," he muttered.
Buffy had to agree. In some strange way, vampirism had brought out a sexuality in Willow that had only been hinted at during the time Buffy knew her friend.
The blonde Slayer leaned back as Faith walked into the room and stood behind Buffy.
"How is she?" Faith asked softly.
"She's weak," Buffy commented.
"She'll be alright, she has to be," Giles said firmly.
Buffy got up slowly after squeezing Willow's hand.
"We'll be next door if you need anything, Giles," Faith said easily and then shook her head at herself as she pulled Buffy into the bedroom.
"What?" Buffy asked with a smile.
"Me, making nice with vampires," Faith smirked.
"Yeah, a step up from the Mayor," Buffy teased.
"Oh, unfair, B!" Faith protested. "Okay, rule for our bedroom: no bringing up each other's past misdeeds or past lovers."
Buffy laughed and jumped onto the bed, pulling Faith down with her.
"I agree!" she giggled as Faith nuzzled her neck. "We've got a lot to talk about."
"Yes," Faith agreed as her fingers began unbuttoning Buffy's blouse and Buffy's hands stroked her hair and face.
Faith hesitated and pulled back, Buffy sat up, worried.
"I've felt lust plenty of times, Buff," Faith began slowly. "I don't know what I'm feeling right now. I've never felt like this."
"It's all a little fast," Buffy agreed. "We'll take it as slow as we need, Faith."
"What about you? You just lost a husband," Faith frowned.
Buffy felt tears springing to her eyes.
"I lost a friend, a partner, and a lover and I'm going to miss him more than I can even believe," Buffy nodded. "I haven't had time to grieve and that'll be hard on all of us, I know."
"What happens now?" Faith asked.
"Angel is hoping when Willow wakes up that she can use her computer and witch skills to hack into the Council's computers and get the list of all the Slayers and to threaten the Council with. We'll each get a copy for our protection."
"Might keep them in line," Faith nodded. "What about me? I'm wanted for escaping prison."
"No, Tara checked that," Buffy grinned. "You were granted clemency; apparently the Council arranged it, pulled some political strings or something. They convinced you that you were busted out so they could control you."
"I'm free?" Faith said softly.
"Yup! Totally, no reporting, no checking in with anyone," Buffy said with a smile.
"Wow!" Faith muttered, obviously stunned.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed with a smile.
"When will you send for Dawn, Anya and the kid?" Faith asked.
"After we've got assurances from the Council that they'll leave all of us alone," Buffy said slowly. "I'm not going to take any risk with the three of them."
"Good choice," Faith agreed. "What happens with everyone else?"
"Hopefully we can regain something of a normal life," Buffy said slowly with a frown. "Xander wants to go back to work and raise Jesse. I think Tara and Tracy will go back to Los Angeles with Angel and crew."
"What about Willow and Giles?"
"I don't know, I don't think they had any plans other than to warn me about the Council," Buffy said.
"What about us?" Faith asked, her voice low and timid.
"I hope you'll stay and explore 'us,'" Buffy said slowly. "I'm also hoping you'll help me destroy the Council here."
"You haven't told us what the Council had planned in that damned lab, it didn't look pleasant," Faith said slowly, moving up to sit against the headboard and patted the bed next to her. Buffy moved up next to Faith. "Willow thought they wanted DNA manipulation."
"It wasn't just playing with Slayer DNA," Buffy said softly, curling up in Faith's arms. "They needed a Slayer to survive the pregnancy; they wanted to create the ultimate Slayer."
"How?"
"Splicing Slayer DNA with vampire DNA," Buffy explained. "Perfect Slayers raised from birth to be Council property and their puppets."
"That's what that slimeball in the white coat was about to do between your legs?" Faith growled. " Damnit , what's going to stop them from picking another girl and do that to her?"
"They already have, that's why they wanted a Slayer, the other girls died," Buffy whimpered.
"We are going to stop them!" Faith said firmly.
Buffy surprised Faith by smiling.
"What?" Faith demanded.
"That's what a Slayer does," Buffy smiled and snuggled closer to Faith.
Faith looked stunned. "I'm acting like a Slayer?"
"You never thought of yourself as a Slayer," Buffy nodded. "You were convinced you were second best and just a good fighter. You never believed in the calling of a Slayer."
"I wasn't second best, I was third best, B," Faith growled.
"Okay, I might be the best Slayer but there's a hell of a lot more of us than we knew," Buffy complained. "They were wrong in making you think you were third choice."
"You want Willow and Giles to stay here, don't you?" Faith asked after a few moments.
"Yeah, I miss Giles and it hurt so bad when Willow disappeared," Buffy said softly. "I want to know her again."
"You know she hates me," Faith pointed out.
"Nah," Buffy protested. "She was jealous of me spending so much time with you."
"Well, I also teased her about getting down with you back then," Faith admitted.
"You didn't!" Buffy exclaimed, rising up on her elbow.
"Yeah," Faith blushed.
"Okay, maybe she hates you," Buffy grinned. "She'll adapt."
"So we plan on taking the Council down?" Faith frowned.
"Yeah, I can't let someone go through what they planned for me," Buffy nodded, closing her eyes slowly.
Faith held the blonde Slayer as Buffy drifted into sleep.
One thing was clear, the future was very uncertain except for one thing: the Council needed to be stopped.
* * *
"Will, are you sure about this?" Buffy whispered as they watched the Council Complex from the safety of trees leading into the nearby woods.
"Very sure," Willow said firmly. "I remember what they did to Oz, to Spike and what they were going to do to you. It makes me sick. Their experiments in Sunnydale end tonight."
"Will, you just spent three days in a goddamn vampire coma because of magick ," Buffy protested. "We can wait several days until you're in tip top."
"We already informed them that I hacked into their computers and have every bit of information they want kept secret, including something about Immortals that I want to read more about," Willow growled. "They don't dare move against us but that doesn't mean they're going to shut down this place."
"Doing what you've got planned is going to leave you weak as a kitten and in need of blood," Giles complained.
"I know, my love," Willow's voice softened as she leaned into Giles' arms. "You'll have to get me back to the mansion, it's not far. You don't dare feed me, you're too young and might frenzy."
"Definitely not a good thing there, Red," Faith agreed as she kept watch for Initiative troops.
"Willow, there has to be another way," Buffy protested.
"Give me one that'll ensure they don't start this up again with one of the other Slayers," Willow countered. "You know from their records I hacked into that all their information on Slayer and vampire DNA is housed in their computers here. They had been planning on using you and Faith for the last two years."
"Do you plan on taking out the scientists who worked this up too?" Buffy demanded.
"Wouldn't you?" Willow snapped.
"My Willow wouldn't," Buffy whispered, her face troubled.
"Your Willow died when I yanked you out of Heaven," Willow snapped.
"Whoa, guys!" Faith said quickly, stepping between the vampire and Slayer. "Getting a little intense there!"
"We can't kill anyone," Buffy protested.
"Are mad scientists much different than a serial killer or a demon?" Willow demanded and Buffy and Faith frowned. "How many died when we broke you out? They were human and you weren't protesting."
Buffy finally looked up and shook her head.
"Maybe not, but I have to live with myself, Will," Buffy said firmly.
Willow sighed as Giles wrapped his arms around her. "She's right, luv ," he said softly.
"I know," Willow agreed softly. "I…almost a slip, okay?"
"No worries, Red," Faith said cheerfully. "We'll keep you in line."
"I'm still taking the place out," Willow said firmly.
"Okay, but fair warning to everyone inside," Buffy bargained and Willow nodded. "Do you need Tara and Tracy for this?"
"No, I've got enough rage to send this place to the moon," Willow smiled but Buffy wasn't comfortable with the smile, there was no humor in it.
Buffy pulled out a cell phone and looked at it.
"How the hell do I call in a bomb threat if we don't know the phone number," she suddenly complained.
Willow smiled and ran a hand over the buttons and Buffy was surprised when the phone dialed itself.
"Hello? Council Initiative Complex place?" she asked when someone answered the other end. "Hi, this is Buffy Summers, remember me?"
The official voice on the other end sounded confused and Buffy could hear muttered voices in the back and then a familiar voice entered the conversation.
"Buffy, this is Fitzgerald," the voice announced. "Look, there was a terrible misunderstanding! We'd like you to come in and we can discuss it."
"Misunderstanding?" Buffy repeated as Faith's eyes widened.
"They've got to be kidding!" the brunette slayer exclaimed.
"What was the misunderstanding?" Buffy demanded. "That your Council intended on impregnating me until I died with some genetic Frankenstein Monster? Or was it the part about shooting the guy who is closer to me than my own father so I'd turn to you? Could it have been the part about killing Xander and framing Faith for that one? Were you going to kill Anya and their son too?"
"Buffy, focus," Giles suggested.
"My best friend is a vampire and spent two years unable to reach out to me! My adopted dad is now a vampire because you shot and almost killed him!" Buffy yelled into the phone. "My husband is dead because of you! You tortured Riley! It wasn't enough to just kill him, you had to torture him!"
"Buff," Faith said softly and gently took the phone from the blonde Slayer as tears of rage and grief spilled from Buffy's blue eyes. "Listen, guys, this is Faith, the other Slayer. You remember me too, I take it."
"What do you want, Faith?" Fitzgerald asked, his voice flat.
"Well, I think we're calling to give you guys about 10 minutes warning. The place is about to come down around your ears, you might want to find the nearest exit and vacate the premises," Faith grinned.
"You don't have that kind of resources," Fitzgerald snapped.
"No, but you guys trained her, do you think Willow does? She's awfully pissed off," Faith asked sweetly. "She kinda liked Riley, you almost killed her boyfriend, you tortured her for two years, tried to kill her friends and impregnate her best friend. I don't mention the fact that you tried to frame me, she really hates me so she doesn't care about that."
"She wouldn't dare!" Fitzgerald yelled.
Faith laughed and shut the phone off.
"I give them five minutes to debate about it," Faith grinned and lost her grin when she turned and found Buffy leaned against a tree, her arms wrapped around herself as she sobbed. Willow and Giles stood nearby looking uncomfortable.
"She won't let us near her," Giles said softly, his hands on Willow's shoulders.
They watched as Faith walked up slowly and drew a grieving Buffy into her arms. At first Buffy resisted and then wrapped her arms around Faith and let the tears flow.
"She doesn't trust me, Giles," Willow said softly, tears flowing down her own cheeks.
"She will, just give her time," Giles said softly. "She lost so much in such a short time and she's still grieving for losing you."
"I know, I'm not the same Willow I was," Willow said sadly.
"No, dying and torture does that to one," Giles nodded.
Willow turned towards the Complex.
"Time to pay the ferryman," she muttered, her eyes blackening.
Next: Gray Victory