Somewhere there was a vampire, and Robin Wood wanted his ass bad. That was all Robyn thought about as he pounded on this demon that looked like a bald bouncer with leprosy. His fists were working on their own rhythm as they felt numb and weightless. He didn't see the hulky body and the sausage-like skin of this particular demon. He never really saw any of them, he realized. Every demon, every vampire, every THING that Robin had ever pounded into the ground looked like this one vampire.

Robin looked for his girlfriend. She was holding her own as usual. Hell, she was holding ten times her own as usual. She had just taken down three of the demons while Robin was struggling with the one.

"This is gonna turn into a Ballroom Blitz, Baby." Faith had warned him. She seemed to have this little Hip-hop- 80s-Punk language of her own. She turned phrases that he wouldn't have known if he wasn't a *hip* principal at a high school. But, when she made up her own speak she often made references to things that were cool from around the time she was born. Maybe she wished to be a little girl again. A little pink haired punk rock baby whose crazy-ass mother put chemicals in her fine toddler hair. She seemed worried about this particular "Ballroom Blitz." A Ballroom Blitz was when several monsters came upon you at once, of course. If Faith was worried, she was worried about Robin and not herself. Faith saw these attacks as fun- for herself and that vampire that usually fought by her side.

That fucking vampire. The vampire had been miserable since the other Slayer left, and Robin had enjoyed that. But, it seemed that the vampire's spirits had been picking up recently. Robin didn't like that as much. Particularly, because the vampire's spirits seem to lift when he was fighting by Faith's side. Robin knew Faith liked having the vampire there. She explained, logically, that it wasn't that she "got off" fighting with the vampire more than she did Robin. It was that she didn't worry about the vampire getting hurt the way she worried about Robin and the rest of her friends. So, Robin was lumped with the rest of them, while the vampire was something else. Well, it seemed she didn't have to be worried about Robin. He was making this demon bleed, unless it's skin just did that naturally.

Fighting became a simple workout when Robin thought of the vampire. Every killing Robin made in his life looked like a skinny ass runt with a wise-ass smirk and squinty eyes. Robin knew the vampire's face before he had even realized he remembered it. This was before he knew Faith, when a "Ballroom Blitz" wasn't a demon brawl, but a hit on the pop-charts. Before Robin's girlfriend was even born.

When he was a little boy, all the grown-ups talked about the "infamous" vampire that killed his mother. He had gotten bits of grown-ups laments, meetings, and lectures then. When the grown ups of the Watchers Council said things to him directly they talked to him like he was a baby and said only good things. They thought he was stupid because he was a kid. Robin's Mama never talked to him like he was anything less than smart. Robin swore that when he was a grown up he wouldn't talk to kids like they were stupid.

They said he should be proud of his mother. She died in the line of duty as a vampire Slayer. His mother had told him his father had died "in the line of duty" too. His father hadn't been a vampire Slayer, only women could do that, Robin's father had been a cop. For the longest time Robin thought the line of duty was a specific place and he wondered why his parents went in the there, especially his Mama, she KNEW his Dad had died in there.

The Council grown-ups used different words and phrases when they talked alone about what had happened to his Mama with the vampire. They didn't always use good ones like "hero" and "line of duty." They said things like: "the tragedy of the century", "too rebellious for her own good", "over-identified with rebels" "seduced by his goading", "Too much trust in her own ability." To talk about the vampire that killed Mama they used words like "relentless", "cunning" and "dangerous". What confused Robin was that they also used the word "Punk" to talk about the vampire. That "Punk" word, made Robin think of his Mom and not a vampire. It wasn't that she said the word. It just sprung up around her like the candy that she always seemed to surprise him with. He thought Punk was music, and then he thought it was a person, but then it seemed like a thing. A thing you thought was good but turned out bad. They could be friends with your mother, she could invite them inside the house. They could call you a "cool little bloke", but then they could turn out to be bad...

How could his mother let one vampire get the upper hand? It usually took a gang of vampires to take down one Slayer, and they would be considered lucky. Maybe it went something like what was happening to Robin at the moment. The demon Robin swore he was just about to bring down for good just grabbed his fist and might have broken his hand. He had Robin in a headlock now and it was getting hard to breathe. Was this really happening? He swore the thing was almost dead. He was about to be proud that he had killed it with his bare hands.

Robin wanted to tell his mother that he understood how it all happened now. Well, everything except getting fooled into trusting the vampire. But, had THAT really happened? It was so hard to remember. You'd think Robin would remember the first time he set eyes on his mother's killer. But maybe he shouldn't be so hard on himself. People seemed to be unclear about what happened two years ago here in Sunnydale, California.

Two years ago, there were rumors that the town was going to fall down into a sinkhole. So, naturally people went berserk with rioting and killing. All that fun stuff. There was a group of teenage girls that were kidnapped and many were killed. There was a rumor that these girls were vigilantes trying to fight all of the crime here in Sunnydale, but that was ridiculous, right?

There was also a rumor that the town DID fall into a sinkhole, but somehow raised again. Well, that couldn't be right. Once things go into a huge sinkhole of mass destruction they don't rise up again. They are gone for good, out of your life forever. Towns that were mostly full of evil that you see go under don't get to resurrect like Jesus. What would be even more unfathomable is if the vampire that killed your mother and countless others resurrected after sacrificing himself to save the God Damned world! What would be nonsensical is if the vampire not only resurrected, but also brought the town of Sunnydale back with him when he did it!

These things had happened though. How? Why? No one knew. Not even the man that raised Robin who usually at least had some source of information on these kinds of things. The most annoying thing was that no one cared why. Everyone was happy. No one questioned it. No one questioned that Sunnydale was brought back up from the ground with its Hellmouth closed. No one questioned that the vampire had risen from the dead again. He was claiming to be no longer evil, of course. The vampire had claimed he was no longer evil when he said he wasn't sorry for killing Robin's mother, and when he threatened to kill Robin. Yes, that had really happened. And Robin was really getting choked to death by a demon now. Maybe that was why the vampire brought back Sunnydale! So Robin could go down fighting this demon. It was a lame way to go down, fighting some demon on a closed Hellmouth. The vampire would be the cause of Robin having a lame ass death, and no one would ever think he was responsible for any of it, least of all the woman whom Robin loved.

Faith, Robin's girlfriend, was the last to question any of it. Faith even had her cute little names for everything. She called Sunnydale "The back-ass-ward Atlantis." Okay, that *was* really cute. But, she had all these names for the vampire too. She called him "English" or "E."

Sometimes when she was really impressed with him she called him "the phoenix" because she liked to think of him as some brilliant creature that rose from his ashes to fight by her side. Robin got pissy when she called the vampire that. She didn't understand why. This was understandable because Robin never told Faith that the vampire had killed his mother. Robin never even told her that his mother had been a vampire Slayer-like Faith was now.

"Robin!" Faith screamed. She sounded far away. The demon was crushing his throat. She sounded so distraught. If he died maybe it would save her. Maybe she would realize how dangerous all this demon fighting could really be. Maybe then she would stop fighting demons. Faith wasn't in the situation his mother had been in as a vampire Slayer. The times in which his mother lived, whom he loved, were quite different than the times woman he loved now was living in.

Faith was working on a closed Hellmouth. That meant that the most evil things that went bump in the night were gone. Of course, there were vampires and demons, but there were no more of them then your average human evils left. You could never wipe them all out. There would always be more. That was Slaying 1.01.

Who knew? Maybe Robin's mother could have taken it easier on the slaying as well. She lived and died in New York. Robin found out that this Hellmouth had been open since the days of the Wild West. Someone had to be taking care of it while Robin's mother lived and died across the country. Had her death really been necessary?

If Spike and the other vampires had been human serial killers all of those stupid women that fell for their charms would still be dead. There would still be more. Robin knew this as he was choking to death and his girlfriend was running to save him. But unlike the Slayers, Robin wasn't doing it for the mission. Robin was doing it for her. It was worth it. Maybe now Spike would take over hunting this town's demons for Faith.

Spike. That was the name of the Punk vampire that had killed his mother. Too typical. He was also the vampire that had ruined his chances with the other Slayer that Robin had his eye on. But, that had turned out to be a good thing. That girl had turned out to be a control freak. That would have been a nightmare. So, that had been one favorable thing Spike had done for Robin. Then, Spike had saved the world. So, there was another benevolent deed. Robin figured that all that Spike had to do now was fully take over the slaying duties for Faith, so she could live a normal and *full* life. Then Spike would be worthy of not being strung up by his balls before he was slowly gutted, then killed- maybe.

Faith knew that Robin wanted Spike to take over for her. Too bad he wouldn't live to see it with this demon stopping his breathing. Wait. Maybe Robin would live to see it. He had heard a horrible noise, and then he felt the demon's grip loosen. Robin knew Faith was still too far off to help. Maybe it was Spike. Robin had wanted Spike's runt ass out here to help them fight. As much utter hate as Robin had for the vampire, who now was supposedly a new man, he was a damn good fighter. Robin had only ever seen one better fighter. The control freak little blond, Buffy, was the best fighter. But Buffy the vampire Slayer was gone. She actually had to jump dimensions. She was in some other Sunnydale now screwing some other redeemed vampire. Spike was the only decent super-fighter Faith had on her side now. Robin saw the demon drop as he choked back his breath.

So Spike was gonna save Robin's life again. Robin knew when he looked up he'd see that fucking smirk on the vamp's face. **Be careful, mate. When you're in love with a beautiful woman every sod in the neighborhood wants you dead., he'd say, or something as snide. That smirk said all the things that Spike knew he couldn't get away with saying. It said: **I killed your mother. I killed this demon, and I could kill you with one arm, and your girlfriend has more in common with me than she does with you.**

They did have things in common. Punk, superpowers, and they both liked to drink. Robin wanted to cure Faith of the latter. Faith swore that she had more in common with Spike. But Robin didn't get it. There was an abused teenage girl that made mistakes, and then there was a blood-thirsty "cunning" monster. Faith didn't have a monster in her. She never did. Spike had a monster in him. He always would. They were total opposites, as far as Robin was concerned.

Nonetheless, Spike was also the vampire that was friends with Robin's girlfriend now. The guy was like Jennifer Lopez. He was in Robin's face with 1,000 different movie roles, and two different names. But they all looked exactly the same. Robin stopped chocking and looked up. So, where was this vampire, Mr. Ballroom Blitz, Jack-of-all-Trades, The Wedding Planner, the mother fucking Slayer killer, lover, friend, and now trainer? Spike's ass should have been out here all along. He has no business leaving town. He should just be here helping Faith and rubbing Robin's face in it at all times.

But Robin couldn't find the vampire. What he saw was far more troubling. Faith was still yards away. He saw little tiny black clouds come out of Faith's mouth like she was smoking some new tar-heavy cigarette. He noticed they look like little goblins. The kind that you would assign a class of third graders to cut out of black construction paper on Halloween to keep them busy. The demon that was choking him had fallen as the black smoke from Faith poured into it. Robin was yelling:

"Faith, Faith!" but the smoke goblins were coming out of her like tiny evil children, and she couldn't talk to him. Then he saw the demon's brains ooze out of its ears. Robin missed the feeling of familiar relief and resentment that he had just had, when he thought Spike was the cause for the dead demon. Now he only felt terrified for his girl. She appeared to be gone, possessed. There was some demon coming out of her and it had killed the demon that was on him for some reason.

"Faith!" he screamed helplessly. That was a great talent Robin had since he could remember, screaming someone's name out helplessly when they were gone.

"Hm," Faith sighed . "That was interesting."

Was it really her talking or a demon inside of her? Was it some monster or the woman he loved?

When did that happen? When did he love her? It was way before he came out with her to fight these stupid left over demons on this closed Hellmouth that refused to leave. It wasn't when he met her, though he was totally shocked by how simply beautiful she was. Bruises, cheap tight shirt and all. It wasn't when they first had sex on somebody else's bed when they thought the world was going to end. It was somewhere between the time he first surprised her and the first time she surprised him, by crying and hugging on a roof top after free-styling off of an Eminem song.

"What the fuck?" Robin said. She looked like Faith. Worn and tired, but still that proud standing doe-eyed girl.

"God, I have such a headache now! It was the shadow demon. You shouldn't be so upset. It saved your life. I wouldn't have been able to pry that demon off in time. I wish I could know when it was going to show up, though. I would have made sure Spike was here to patrol for me. Now I'll be weak for days. This is as hard as I can grab now."

Her voice wavered between gratitude and annoyance. She squeezed his hand blood-pressure-machine hard, but his hand wasn't injured by it. That was the hardest she could grab? What was she saying?

"Um, I think I need a 'Previously in your girlfriend's life' voice over about now. Are you all right?" he asked. Much more relaxed. He knew it was the real Faith. Who else could be so nonchalant about smoky demons coming out of them?

"I went to another dimension, and I had that put inside of me to get more power... Sort of like a Pentium upgrade, but it took over a year to take hold. Maybe those desert guys thought I wasn't worthy. They weren't too thrilled when I showed up."

She took his arm. He didn't know if it was his imagination or if he was helping her up the hill.

"You got an upgrade? You aren't slowly turning into Darth Vader on me?" He asked. They were in his car now. The used Lincoln. He really wanted a Bentley.

"Um... no. Tried that... didn't work... Maybe it was the lack of machine parts... No, it was the guilt. The guilt of being evil. That's were I went wrong." she joked.

Her hand clutched her belly like she was pregnant.

"Seriously. That was a little heart stopping. What's going on?" he asked.

"I'm trying to tell you. I went to another dimension. There was a cute little pop up book. Well, it wasn't really cute, kind of wiggy. Red put me in the dimension to where these shadow guys apparently just hang out waiting to endemon Slayers, and I got it put in me and this is how it's showing itself, a year later, on a closed Hellmouth when I don't need it... I should ask for a refund." she yawned.

"Wait. What did you say ?'Endemon'?"

"Yeah.. Oh, I guess that really isn't a word, huh? They demonized me? Demonstrated me? Hell, they put it inside me."

"Are you insane? You asked to be possessed by a demon!" Robin snapped

"Well, not exactly. But I probably am insane. B turned them down. She thought it was bad news. She figured out how to get power her own way, but I was never as swift as B, see."

"Buffy told you it was a bad idea and you did it anyway!" Robin snapped again.

Buffy had been sensible about most things. That was a benefit of being a control freak, Robin supposed. Faith was no control freak. She had just let a demon take control.

"We weren't really communicating at the time. You all kicked her out of the house," Faith reminded him. That was ages ago. Why had Faith never mentioned this before now?

"What possessed you to think it was a good idea? You have no idea of the effects it will have on you! You had no control over yourself! What if it totally takes you over?"

"Well, I know one side-effect. It makes me very very tired and I'd rather have a doting boyfriend then a yelling one."

"It's like you have a fever!" he said, feeling her forehead. "This is horrible! How long has this been happening? Do you feel it inside of you all the time? Does it talk to you?"

"Oh yeah. Right now it's saying, 'Kill that nagging black guy. I don't care how hot he is.' NO, wait! Now it's saying, 'Tell him to stop off and buy you some Ginger Ale. I loooove ginger ale that's why I make you queasy.' "

"It makes you sick and you think this it's funny?"

"I don't think it's funny... But, it's like Spike says: All magic has a price... My electric lights were probably working over time to expel all that mystical energy and a little hangover is the price."

"Electrolytes," he stated as he got back in the car with a bottle of Ginger Ale.

"Hmm?" she smiled with her eyes closed, leaning back in his front seat.

"Electrolytes. Not electric lights. You don't have electric lights in your body... at least I hope not."

"Well, whatever. It just sounded right... What do the electrolytes do anyways?" she asked.

"They balance the body's... You know, I'm still upset about the stuff that really shouldn't be inside of you! Spike knew about this! Was this his idea? He didn't want to be the only demon-"

"Ugh! No, we weren't even friends when I did it! Would you relax? It was some book that someone gave B that another Slayer used to own. How bad could it be?" Faith demanded.

HOW BAD COULD IT BE? Robin didn't know. His heart sank, and then rose into his throat. He felt like he was chocking again. He only just realized what Faith did not, that he had given Buffy, the previous Slayer, that book. It had belonged to his mother. Anything that happened to Faith with this demon was now all his fault! He wanted to tell her, but it was too late now. Things didn't exactly go well with Buffy when he had told her his mother had been a Slayer.

"Besides... It was the original demon that made all of us Slayers and potentials... So, I'm just a little more of a Slayer than I was before... This is me we are talking about, I'm sure I needed more Slayer in me," Faith continued.

"What? Slayers aren't demons! They kill demons. Besides, I love the woman in you. I don't care how much of a Slayer you are, especially if it hurts you. The Hellmouth is closed. You don't need to be a Slayer anymore," Robin pleaded.

"This isn't a case of 'You got peanut-butter in my chocolate', Woody. I am a Slayer as much as I am a woman... Maybe more so. I'm not exactly the most lady-like chick at a tea party."

"You are definitely a woman." He smiled.

He had carried her to the bed. He sensed that she wanted that, but she didn't direct him with her body as usual. She clung on to him and just sort of lay there. She was really weak. She wasn't herself and it was the demons fault. His fault.

"Really. Prove it," she said after he laid her down on the bed.

"What?"

"Prove that I definitely am a woman," she laughed rubbing his shaved head.

But she seemed tired. Sometimes she used sex to get things off her mind. Robin didn't want to be a distraction tonight. Not while he was so distracted himself.

She smiled and put his hand between her legs. He couldn't help but imagine black goblin smoke when he felt her breath on him. Her breath seemed cold.

"No... I have to go. You don't feel well and you should rest," he said.

She looked awful.

"I know what will help me rest," she giggled. She was able to grab his hand firmly.

"Not a good idea," he said, squeezing her hand.

"What, are you afraid demon hangover is contagious? C'mon. I'm all weak, isn't that woman-ish? You can manhandle me. We can do it all missionary... I'll close my eyes and think of England."

He thought about the benefits of being on top of her. Slowly sinking into her. That would be a nice change, but not if she was too weak to have in any other way.

"And with that I'm leaving," he laughed.

"I was kidding! Can't you stay with me? 'She Spies' is on soon," she whined like a tardy student.

"You have Kennedy to watch that crap with. I'll see you tomorrow... Maybe I'll go find out more about this. It doesn't seem like you actually researched it." He had to call the only man he knew as his father, his mother's watcher, Alistair, and find out everything about that book that led Faith to the demon's dimension.

"Oh sorry... I was too busy trying to save the world and getting blown back by a bomb and watching my girls die... I swear I'll do my homework next time, Principal Wood," she said pissily.

Now she was upset. He didn't mean it like that. How could she know anything about the book? She didn't even know it had come from him. The Council was gone. She was alone.

"Hey, those days are over." Robin reminded her. He sat on the bed and held her. No more end of the world. No more desperation. "Now I can finally do something to help you."

"You do help me." She smiled. She really didn't seem the least bit worried about this demon.

"I mean besides having sex with you and getting the shit beat out of me."

"You mean men can do other things?"

"Yes, like save you for a change. Maybe I can find out how to stop this sickness...and take out the demon. I have a few resources even Willow doesn't have," Robin said coyly.

"Really? Like what?"

"Friends. Good friends that know things the Council used to be good for... But, unlike the Council they will stay out of your life."

That is what Faith wanted, and Robin agreed. Everyone should stay out of their life.

"Well, aren't you just Mr. Connections... Not even Spike has a council connection," she smiled.

Not even Spike.

"Surprise... Now go to sleep," he smiled back. She actually listened. She must have been really tired. He kissed her, and gently got out from under her. It was easier to get out from under her because she didn't have her usual grip. Many times she had fallen asleep holding him and he had to pee, and he was screwed.

As he left he heard the sound Kennedy, Faith's ever-present housemate bounding up the stairs. The girl couldn't even walk quietly. She'd wake Faith up. Then, Robin heard their phone ring. Who the Hell calls at two am? Okay, Robin realized he was thinking very old and uncool thoughts. It had been a long night. He needed rest. For the first time he felt lighter when he left her house. He could leave her to rest up, and do something to help.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Robin now stood outside of his girlfriend's house feeling heavy again. Alistair had said that he would work on finding out about the "Shadow demon" as they called it. A lot of information was lost when the Council was bombed. Alistair was now working on his own projects.

Faith lived in one of those cute little California houses. The kind you rent when you're just starting out in life, which she was, in many ways. Robin's girl had a good clean start, that she didn't seem to fully want to take advantage of at times. Some girls were into self-sabotage. Some more than others. Some girls had demons inside of them.

They weren't going to talk about that tonight, tonight they were going to have a good time... Or at least have as much of a good time as one could at a Regional school board dinner. Oh yeah, rock on! He'd have to make this up to her. This was an old person, boring activity and he knew it. He also knew he would rather be doing this than trying to kill a bunch of vampires, only to have a huge demon thing sneak up on you. Yep, he'd rather be doing this dinner than watching his girlfriend manifest a shadow demon to make the head of the demon that snuck up on him explode. At least he thought so. His asshole boss was going to be at this dinner, after all.

There was no question that Faith would rather be fighting demons. She was very nervous at these types of things. Robin considered himself part of an extremely exclusive group, the group that knew what made Faith Winters nervous. Actually, her name was Faith Walthrop now.

They had changed her name. Apparently, she had some very powerful friends that made her police record disappear. He was overjoyed that she wouldn't have to worry about going back to jail, but, there was no such thing as a get out of jail free card, as much as Faith thought so. Apparently, Faith had broken out of jail to save ANOTHER vampire friend. That's right, ANOTHER vampire friend. Of course, he was no ordinary vampire either. Of course, he had become a good guy too, after centuries of murder everyone overlooked now. This vampire had some powers that even Spike didn't have. Apparently, he had the power to wipe Faith's criminal record clean. Robin wasn't about to celebrate over any of this information. It all sounded totally precarious. Some girls, Slayers, seemed to love danger. Faith assured him it was five by five... Five beats by five beats of frequency, that was what the war pilots needed to communicate on their radio. The problem was that Robin and Faith didn't always have those five by five beats going when it came to vampires.

"Faith," he smiled as she opened the door. He had never seen her in a dress before. It was black and long and her breasts poured out of the top of it. She was smoking and her tattoo was showing. But, she looked beautiful. He forgot whatever had been so heavy in his mind.

"Look and you all suited up in black and white... Well, mostly black." She was beaming at him.

"Well, it is your favorite color."

"I have good taste," she winked, "At least I hope I do... What about this dress? It's called a tuxedo dress. You don't think it's butch, do you?"

He realized the dress had a V-shaped white front and a black bow on it. He hadn't really noticed the dress at all-just her in it.

Before he could tell her this Kennedy popped out of a door.

"What's wrong with being butch, Straight-Girl?" she asked Faith jokingly. It was like the girl literally did pop out of the door with her joke, like she was on the set of "Laugh-in." Both girls laughed. Kennedy had a way of stealing the show. Robin wondered why she didn't live with her girlfriend in the Summer's house. From what he heard the girl could buy a house of her own and the mall next to it.

"Like you would know," Faith retorted to the girl. Well, Kennedy had always been very supportive of Faith. Willow, her girlfriend, had had to do away with that spell that made her a Slayer. Robin thought then that Faith and Kennedy's friendship would fall apart. The girl would be jealous that Faith was now the only one with the Slayer power. But it hadn't happened. Did anything happen around here like it seemed it would? Hell, no. But that could be a good thing sometimes.

"Maybe you are a little prettier than me," Wood smirked at Faith.

"Definitely," she said.

"I agree" Kennedy said. And she was still here because...?

"I got you something..." He smiled at Faith.

"A surprise!" she beamed.

"Yeah, well it isn't as big as the kind of surprise you like," he said.

"Well, no... We couldn't have that in front of Special K," she grinned. Right. So why did "Special K" always hang around like a bad extra? He took out the little box and handed it to her.

"Oh!" she gasped, "It's one of those flower pin things! Look, K!"

"A corsage," Robin said.

"Which is French for 'flower pin thing'," Kennedy said. Was she giving him a look?

Faith was just looking at the little flower with joy. She always surprised him. Who would think such an unbreakable girl would be moved by a flower?

"Here," he said softly, "I'll pin it on."

"Oh yeah, that's what you do!" she exclaimed. "This is like the prom, isn't it! I never went to my prom... I had dropped out already. My boyfriend at that time was 25 anyway. He would have looked like a dumb-ass at the prom, I guess.."

"Yeah... See, all of that," Robin sighed jokingly, "is probably stuff you don't want to mention to my bosses tonight"

"Really?" Faith said. "Damn. Because I was gonna open with that and then go into a lovely antidote about me and my cell-mate in prison... and then close with some topless dancing."

Robin let out a laugh. "I'd go straight to the closer and skip all the rest of it."

"I would make more tips that way," she continued.

"Well, don't come to me. I'm broke after this tux rental and the flower pin thing," he said.

"God, you know," he sighed. "You're so beautiful you can make even the most horrible things seem right... Like this dinner." He caressed her face.

"Aw! Have a little tongue with that cheese," she chuckled and kissed him deeply. Tongue indeed.

"Does this flower squirt water?" Faith asked.

"No. The clown section of the florist was closed," he said.

"Oh... What good is it now? You wasted your money," she said.

"Yeah, we could get some and make them squirt Holy water!" Kennedy exclaimed.

"Oh, no!" Robin told them. "I don't even want to talk about vampires tonight... I just want to have a good time... at boring stuffy school board award ceremony... Okay, I'm asking too much... I want to have a boring time, where we don't have to spill any blood."

"We are in Sunnydale. Vampires are the norm around here," Kennedy reminded him.

"Well, there are no vampires on the state school board... There might be a few thousand-year-old demons from the looks of some of them... But none we have to kill... So, C'mon little lady...we have your prom to go to... and just like any prom the real fun is afterwards," Robin smiled at Faith.

"Well, I'm not really little or a lady, but as long as we can have my kind of fun afterwards, I'm in," she said.

"Vamps do have a way of crashing the party," Kennedy said as they were walking out the door.

"Well, I have my cell phone," Faith told her.

Great. Kennedy finally said good-bye and shut the door. Faith and Robin headed towards the car.

"Can't Lazarus just handle it all tonight? He was the one that made this town rise up with him anyway," Robin could hear himself whine. Robin called Spike "Lazarus", among other things. It was only fair since Spike had a pet name for everyone else. Also the bastard had managed to rise from the dead twice now.

"Yeah, gee.. And he also saved the world as well as the place you've chosen to live. That bastard!" Faith said.

"Okay... I did this one to myself, another Spike discussion," Robin sighed.

"I just don't see why you hate him... Yes, he was an evil murderer, but he saved the world and B.'s ass and my ass so many times now... I mean, a few years ago I wasn't so hot either. You have no problem forgetting that," Faith chided.

"Well, you are much much hotter than he is now," Robin said. "Seriously, I understand he saved your ass. But, I don't see why he has to have anything to do with your ass anymore."

"We work together" Faith insisted.

"On a closed Hellmouth, where you don't need to risk your neck" he said sternly.

"With both of us it's double your pleasure, double your fun," she said.

"Oh, how could I mind that?"

"I mean for the folk of Sunny D, Woody. We save double the lives. Believe it or not it's not something I do piss you off. It's my calling. It's the mission. Any of this ringing a bell in that fine bald head of yours?"

"I'm not pissed off. I am what-do-you-call-it? Worried about your untimely death when we have another person who could save lives, who just won't seem to die."

"Look, there are still vampires here and I am the vampire Slayer... I am now the only vampire Slayer since Red retracted that sharing spell," she reminded him.

"So what? Spike is a vampire who wants to redeem himself. He can fight all the vampires here alone, like a big boy... Maybe if he does it for the next thousand years he'll make up for the damage he's done," he grumbled.

"I think he has. He's saved the world... In his big bad days he couldn't have killed a world full of people. So, if you're gonna be all even Steven about it..." Faith's voice trailed off as she looked out the car window.

"How can you say that?" he yelled.

"I'm not...You are! You said if he killed vamps for a thousand years he'd be redeemed... I'm just saying if you're gonna play it that way..." She turned up her hand defiantly.

"I said he would start being redeemed," Robin corrected.

"It doesn't matter how you tip the scales, Robin.. You can't be all tit-tat about this... Once you've killed-killed people-you can never make it up, ever," she said, lowly.

He parked the car. He reached over and stroked her hair as she looked at her shoes like they were a sad movie.

"All tit-tat?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, maybe you can be all tit," she grinned.

He pulled her to him and they kissed.

"Can I be just a little tat? Just a little?" he asked as he rolled up her dress.

"Maybe just a little," she smiled and kissed him.

"I just want you to be happy," he whispered. He now had his hand in her underwear. She smiled in satisfaction.

"I am happy. So happy. You obviously weren't in my life before," she said.

She laughed and unbuttoned the tux pants. He wondered how many other guys had these pants unbuttoned. She was going to want to take this all the way. He was just teasing- playing.

"No, I wasn't... And you don't seem to want to share any of it with me."

"You know the summary," she kept unbuttoning. She was trying to unbutton her way out of this conversation.

"I know a synopsis."

"It's over. What difference does it make?" She gave up now and simply had her arms around him. It was for the best. He hated quickies. He wanted to take his time.

"A world of difference... All of who we are is made up of who we were before. It's all part of you," he said.

"Robin, I'm not keeping any secrets from you, really. I would never do that. I would never try to be somebody I'm not. Actually, I would, but just on the surface so I don't go to jail... Not with you, baby, you are the only person that reached out to me. The only one that was real. You know all of the important things. You know who I am. God, with all that you do know, what do you think I could be hiding?" she laughed.

"I don't care about the things that happened. I care more about what you're struggling with inside, and not telling me about," he said.

"Is this about the Shadow demon that came out of me last night?"

"She asked casually... No... and yes... Sadly, that horrible thing that possessed you and made you levitate and roll your eyes white is just part of what I'm talking about."

"It also enabled me kill that demon really fast. That was a close call you might have bit the dust otherwise."

"But it's not worth the risk to you."

"Of course you are worth the risk to me!"

"Faith," he sighed "You can finally have a normal life now. The Hellmouth is closed."

"Here," she stated. "Sometimes I can't believe that you're the same guy that walked the streets of Sunnydale during the apocalypse just looking for any excuse to throw down."

"I am that guy. But the apocalypse is over. The worst Hellmouth has been closed. There was a vampire l wanted--- All of my reasons for fighting are gone, Faith, and yours could be to if you let them. Spike can kill all the remaining trouble here with his eyes closed... He owes me and you big," Robin insisted.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but I'm not really getting it any better than the first time," she sighed.

"He hit you. He blamed you for the whole Buffy leaving thing- when it was her own fault," Robin reminded her.

"That was like almost two years ago. You're mad obsessed. You should look into taking meds for that. If you knew how much B. hit me for less reason... If I didn't talk to the people that hit me, I'd pretty much have no friends. But we digress; there is always going to be trouble, unexpected shit on the rise. So I gotta keep sharp. I sort of missed out on the last five apocalypses, and most of my Watcher training, but now I'm ready."

She was smiling. Happy to be ready. That's why she trained with Spike. Everyday. Robin didn't even want to bring that up. He didn't have to if he could just get her to lay off slaying.

"There are people in LA and Cleveland and Prague to deal with all of the other unexpected things... You say you 'missed out' on the almost end of the world, like that was a bad thing. We can have a normal life, here. We can get a house on the water... Buy a boat," Robin said.

"So you're saying get out of the game! I am the only Slayer now. Willow had to take back that spell because too many girls couldn't handle it. They were getting attacked by demons, which I don't really get. But I am the only one. You said that I could do it. That I was important," Faith said.

"You are important... Extremely important. I'm not saying to never use what you have to help out Lazarus once a week or whatever,"

"Oh, I can help him once a week? How nice. I get to have a hobby. Maybe me and some of the other wives from the 1950s can start a bridge club too. Unless you think that's too much"

"Faith," Robin couldn't help but laugh. She was funny. "Of course you'll still be the Slayer. But we live in safer times now. You don't have to train and train like you do and put demons inside of yourself---"

"I did that when it was the end of days, when you guys kicked B. to the curb and Spike blamed me- as you well remember- and took off. I needed to fight the First. I needed power. I was alone...with the whole thing on me. So, I went to Red and asked her if there was anything-anything-- I thought I had no choice."

"You weren't alone, Faith. Everyone was there... All those girls respected you, more than Buffy."

"And it scared me shitless... I know you were all there for me, but look how many of those girls died? ... And that was after B. and Spike came back," she said.

"So, it didn't matter that everyone was there for you... It only mattered that Buffy and Spike were not... So, you got a demon to be there for you."

"Of course it mattered! In a way it was the best time in my life, and the worst... Buffy and Spike could help me in a way that you all couldn't...I'm sorry, but it's true, or at least I thought it was."

The vampire and the control freak were the only ones that could make Faith feel like she had real help when the world was ending. She looked so sad. Robin found it impossible to share his sense of being offended.

"I know that monster will hurt you again, Faith," he said softly.

"Spike didn't really hurt me. He thought I was the one that eighty-sixed B and-"

"No, not Punk boy! That demon you have inside you. I know after it came out of you that you were weak for days, he sighed.

"What do you want me to do, Woody?"

"Get that thing taken out of you by Buffy's friend... Let the twice- dead bleached- head handle the majority of the slaying... Stop taking my two best students out to kill things that can easily kill them. You know there's no need for Amanda and Dawn to patrol anymore. Keep them safe. Keep yourself safe."

"You want fries with that? How 'bout a blow-job? Can I sleep over on that house on the water if I fill your order? How 'bout a ride in that sweet boat?"

She laughed and began kissing him passionately.

"So this is your really nice way of telling me that you aren't going to do any of those things, huh?... It would be your house too, your boat regardless... You'd just have to be alive to have them."

"I can't swim. I was a city kid!"

She seemed to blurt this out in surprise more than in joking.

"You can learn... Probably in one tenth the amount of time that you've been training with Peroxide-Lazarus." He laughed and kissed her.

"I saw a lot of Dr. Phil on 'Oprah' in prison," she said suddenly.

"Did they pipe it into the hole?"

"No, I was good! I was never in the hole... I'd like to see them try to put me...Anyway, he often said that relationships were about compromise... So, I'll take the demon out."

"I'm really lucky," he smiled and kissed her. "Most guys can never get their girl to take their demon out and some girls have demons that go off and destroy and leave them really weak on a monthly basis...Yours was, what dormant for a year?"

She laughed heartily.

"No, I'm serious... I'm really lucky," he said stroking her hair.

"Maybe not... The demon did come out twice before.... It is like my Aunt Flo, actually. Only better because it kills things and doesn't last as long... On the other hand it leaves me much weaker and it's totally unpredictable... So, Aunt Flo and the Shadow demon are about even in the inconvenience department...At least I can take one of them away with magic that doesn't make me less hot. The only thing that chases Aunt Flo away is getting really old."

"Ew." He crinkled up his nose with the various images she had just given him.

"Oh, grow up!" she said and began kissing him again. They got out of the car and headed towards the dinner.

Robin walked across the banquet hall to where all of his students were sitting. He was happy to get away from the table of his boss. He was tired of all of the questions and comments.

"Well, your friend is certainly- colorful. Oh, she is your girlfriend. I see."

"Why is she so upset with us?"

"I hope I didn't chase her away. Why is she sitting with the students? She's friends with some of the students? How old is she anyway?"

But Robin still wasn't completely happy. Not at all. He had seen Faith pick up that damn cell phone and he recognized that expression on her face, the way her eyes darted to the nearest exit.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Robin grumbled at Faith as she folded up her cell phone.

"Look, I can't let people talk Amanda into going to Harvard if she isn't ready, and I'm not going to sit over there and listen to how it will help the school's rep if YOU push her into going. You know what she went through," Faith demanded.

"It's not that...although after what she went through last year you'd think she'd want to leave this Hell-hole" He smiled briefly then frowned.

"Ex-Hell-hole, like you remind me all the time," Faith said and gulped down some wine. Was she drinking at the student's table? Not good.

"Right, and I'm about to remind you again. I know that call was from Spike and I know you're gonna tell me you have to go fight something with him, and I know you don't have to. You want to" Robin said.

"Is there something I can help you with, Spencer? Did you want to tape us for the video yearbook?" Robin snapped at one of his students. Spencer was gawking at Faith. Whether he was gawking because she was having an argument with his Principal, or if just the sight of Faith alone, Robin couldn't tell.

"I really wanted to do right by you tonight, Robin. I'm sorry," she said.

"How is leaving my boring- albeit important- dinner to go fight with him doing right by me? Spike wants you to go kill some scum-scum like him, and you're going to go do it."

"No...I wouldn't do that. It was Kennedy and she really does need my help...She's alone with Harris. They found a nest. In the old snack-shack... There was a nest waiting to happen."

"Well, where the hell is Sid- the- Second-Coming -vampire? He hasn't been in my face for about three whole days now. Can't say I was disappointed but..." Robin demanded.

"'Sid The Second coming-vampire'. One of my favorite smurfs had that same name," she said.

"I'm so not laughing right now," Robin grumbled with folded arms.

"He's away on business," she told him.

"Okay, now I am laughing," he said.

"Robin, we have to go."

"'We'- You are taking my students?"

"Only two of them. That 'we' included you...But I take it the Principal doesn't want to pal around with the gang anymore? They aren't your students. They are my friends in a little-sisterly way, but they are my friends."

"People don't usually take their little-sisterly friends out to risk their lives when they don't have to."

"I do have to! What if I'm not there one day and Amanda gets called or Dawn-"

"It's not going to happen, Faith! The Hellmouth is closed. It's over!"

"It's never over! The mission to protect humanity is never over!"

"To hell with the mission! I'm tired of hearing about the mission! I think it's just an excuse for you to do whatever you want--- to start shit and be reckless and play games with assholes when it isn't the least bit necessary!" he said.

"Maybe I do like to fight, but maybe I like it because it is necessary in order for me to do it!... Wow, I sound like B. But, it's true, Robin...I'm sorry-"

"Maybe you want to sound like Buffy a little too much. Maybe you want to live up to her great Slayer name, or make something up to her? And I have no idea why! Hitting you all the time, screwing that vampire... She wasn't perfect, Faith. She was a strong girl who saved the world when the Hellmouth was open...Some girls can be heroes and still be bad role models."

"Well, it looks like I have been playing games with assholes... Only I didn't know it," she spat and stormed away.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Robin was kissing ass. Some government-funding guy kept asking about the "hot-pissed-off-looking-little-chicky...if she is a mentor here can I be a student?"

"She's not in our official mentoring program," Wood managed to say with out hitting the guy.

"Well, I thought the special Ed children were an inspiration... There lives are so much harder than ours. It makes you realize how lucky you are, you know?" some other dink was saying.

"Well, I'm sure they'd appreciate you realizing how much better your life is than theirs," Robin smiled.

"I really found those dead girl's poems so inspirational."

"Oh, I thought they could have been more cheerful."

This was when his boss, Mallory, pulled Robin aside. He was surprisingly grateful.

"Well, we got our funding," he said.

"Oh good! It was all worth all this dog and ponying," Robin sighed.

"Yeah, leave your pony at home next time, Robin. Okay?" His boss actually slapped Robin on the back.

"Excuse me," Robin said, his eyes growing large.

"You're lucky that little gypsy looks the way she does, or people might not be so tolerant of her talking our valedictorian out of going to Harvard, and getting sauced at the student's table," Mallory smiled.

"Again I say 'excuse me'... I know Faith isn't exactly conventional, but she was really working in Amanda's best interest... and she isn't a 'pony' or a 'hot tamale' or a 'little gypsy'... She's not even a girl she's a woman," Robin said firmly.

"Robin, I think I am being really big about this...Your girl talked our valedictorian out of something that could finally bring our reputation up!"

"I think Faith was being big about it. The only time that you weren't too busy ogling her was when your wife was insulting her... And she didn't even care. She only cared about her friend getting pushed into going to school."

"Since when is telling a girl she should go to Harvard a bad thing. If Amanda Quigley was one of those kidnapped girls last year shouldn't she make it a point to move on with her life? Leave

this town? "

"Yes, but---"

"Look, I understand. You don't think I slummed it when I was your age? But we don't need to mix business and pleasure. You're lucky I'm a relaxed kind of guy. I mean you are dating a girl who not only is friends with your students, but also makes problems for them! We don't need another scandal on our hands... This school can be one of the finest in the country. It's finally been quiet around here. It all depends on us. If the school scores go up property values could rise...Taxes, you could get that boat you always wanted... Marry her if you want, then there would be no more scandal. Look, Robin, I'm not upset. I know you realize what's important" Mallory sighed as if this was painful for him to say.

"You're right..." Robin sighed. "I realize you're a total asshole and that I have to go."

This was crazy. Robin was parking his car to go into the snack-shack to kill vampires. Well, it beat running- in heels-, which is probably what Faith and his students did. He could have driven them just fine in his car that wasn't a Bentley. Faith was right, Robin was an asshole. He heard glass breaking.

"Oh yeah, that's attractive, almost as much as your outfit," he heard that Harris guy say with his usual sarcastic tone. This guy was a construction worker that lost an eye in the last serious battle. How could he think that this was fun? Robin came in and saw that Harris was talking to a vampire that had slashed it's own face with some broken glass to look intimidating. It was wearing road-warrioresque clothing.

"I'm not interested in you. I want the vampire, and the Slayer. But I'm sure some of the guys will enjoy you," it sneered at Harris. Some vampires were glory hounds that went out to kill the Slayer. Robin knew them well.

"Wood!" Robin heard Kennedy shout. He turned and saw a vampire approaching him. He hit it as hard as he could which sent it stumbling back to where Kennedy chopped its head off.

"Man, you gotta watch your back. There are more than usual," Kennedy told him.

"And they seem to be in some kind of crazy-fun cult," Harris said

"The anarchy of the demons will reign. But we must stop The Derivation. It's upon us. But, we have to take control. The uncleansed one will get hold of the shadow, and then it's lost. We want the vampire," the face-slashing one was saying as it was advancing on Harris who had a stake.

"Who with the what now? I'd worry more about what's upon you now!" Harris said.

Wood ran up the vampire and held it while Harris staked it.

"I don't understand why you talk to them," Robin sighed.

"Well, I didn't understand what he was talking about," Harris said.

"Who cares what he was talking about. There just animals. There not worth risking your ass for unless you have to," Robin said.

Robin saw Faith with a sword to a guy's throat. He looked so middle-aged normal, like a guy Robin would have seen at that dinner he just left. That was now a world away.

"Tell whoever sent you the vampire is dead. GO!" She roared to the man. He ran out.

"Sorry, about Sirius...that vampire you just iced," a tiny woman with a Peter Pan hair cut said to Robin and Harris. "He was really old. Don't ask me how he lasted. He liked to talk in that cryptic way. I think he thought it made him deep," She continued as she stepped towards them.

"Some of these crazy cats think tonight is important. Me...I just go where the money is. Talk about cutting it down to the wire... The vampire isn't here...Okay, we can work around that. Which one of you is the Slayer?"

"I am," Faith said.

At that the small woman turned purple and scaly and advanced on Faith.

"No!" Faith yelled at Robin as he ran to help her. "Cover K!" she commanded, and he obeyed.

He had learned the hard way what happened if he didn't. He couldn't bear her mistrust.

Amanda came out yelling with an ax as big as she was. Dawn was behind her. They chopped the purple scaly demon's head off.

"Thanks!" Faith smiled at them.

"Ah! It's still moving!" Dawn shrieked. She and Amanda began chopping up the demon. Dawn shrieked with every whack she gave it like she was killing a spider. Yellow guts splattered on Amanda's face. She was so focused she didn't notice it as she kept chopping. Harvard could wait for this?

"Charlene!" A vampire roared at the guts that the girls were chopping.

"I really didn't want to do this," Faith frowned. She'd ripped her dress so it would free her movement. Now it was way above the knee in a diagonal angle and tattered like something Betty Rubble would wear.

"Well, I guess we just can't have nice things," Robin said.

"I dunno... This is nice," she smiled at the long stake she held.

"It's just a piece of wood," Robin sighed as Faith approached the vampire.

"Nothin' wrong with a piece of Wood!" she laughed. Then the vampire hit her in the face.

"Ow!" she snarled. She wiped some blood of her mouth.

"You killed Charlene! You whore! You aren't going to do any more damage! You're end is now! One Slayer, one vampire! The way the game should be played," the vampire told her. Robin ran at the vampire in a rage.

"We cheat at the game here!" Robin spat and killed it into the stovetop. The vampire punched him back. He fell and saw the stovetop dials, and turned them on smiling.

"I want to fight the one who killed Charlene," the vamp said.

"You don't care about that demon!...You're like a snake... All you know is killing and feeding!"

He grabbed a kitchen knife and sliced the vampire's neck.

"Charlene was my wife! I...I told her this would be dangerous. I told her this was real. She never listens, " the vampire said miserably. He stopped trying to hit Robin.

"Oh, an inter-species relationship. How modern of you. I bet you remember when demons and vampires had separate drinking fountains," he smiled as he burned the vampire on the stovetop.

"I got turned last year, to be able to fight for her, with her," the vampire screamed.

"I hope what the Roboshi say IS true. I hope it fuckin' happens. It'll be worse than LA," the vamp continued.

"Oh, c'mon!" Robin laughed and staked the vampire. "What could be worse than LA?"

"Principle Wood!" Amanda cried, "That was awesome! You could hear his skin frying on the stove."

"And mmm-mmm you could smell it too," Harris said.

"You can call me 'Robin', Amanda...I'm not your principal here...I'm your brother-in-arms." He smiled.

"I loved it when you were all: 'What could be worse than LA?' stake!" Amanda laughed.

"We should really get on that and try to figure out what all that meant... They kept saying they wanted 'the vampire'. So that's obviously Spike and---" Dawn began.

"Oh...duh! Of course!" Harris smacked his head

"Why is it obviously Spike?" Robin demanded "Can't we have one fun evening with out Spike?"

"Before you got here there was a guy asking for Spike in a more of a sane way. I told one Spike was dead, and I let him go," Faith said.

"Why the Hell would you do that?" Wood demanded.

"Um, He was human. And this way he get word back to his leader that Spike is dead and it they would cease trying to kill us. Besides, I thought you were pro-stopping things from killing us," Faith said.

"Well, I'm con Spike pissing someone off and us having to deal with it," Robin said.

"I have a petition you could sign then. This wouldn't be the first time we had to fight for

Soul-boy Jr.'s amazing ability to piss off people," Harris said.

"You're fucking kidding! I want him to fight all the battles, so we can be safe, and here we are fighting his," Robin yelled. Suddenly, Amanda laughed.

"Sorry," She said "I just think it's funny that you just said 'fuc-' that word and you just busted Dawn for it today in the hall. Remember?"

"Does this mean I don't have to write that paper on the history of the F word?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not your principal right now, Okay? I'm a guy that is really pissed that you hang out with a guy that is dangerous," Robin said.

"You still sound a lot like a Principal, not wanting us to hang out with the dangerous boy in the leather jacket," Faith smiled.

"I'd go more with father. Over-protective father. We're warriors of the mission, Wood. Someone will always be after us," Kennedy said.

"Well, we should figure out why they are after Spike and talking about LA... Since we're all going to LA soon...with Spike," Dawn sighed.

"Who's going to LA?" Robin asked.

"We all are....to see The Deftones. I think we are finally gonna see Angel's posh hotel, and we may or may not see Angel... Aren't you coming?" Harris asked.

"Wood doesn't want to go to a punk show in LA," Kennedy stated.

"Who's Angel?" Robin asked.

"Maybe 'The vampire' is that Angel guy. That vampire said 'the uncleansed one.' Spike got cleansed with Sanshu prophecy," Amanda gasped.

"Good job ,Amanda! You guys are my brains. Keep at it," Faith said.

"Spike got cleaned with sand shoes? Who's Angel?" Robin repeated.

"I'll explain everything, baby. But for now tell me that all this slayage tonight didn't suck for you... Especially your stove top stuffing number," Faith said.

"It didn't suck... It kind of bordered on fun. Compared to the dinner it was a blast," he said and put his arm around Faith's waist.

"Still, I'm so glad I'm not the only clueless one in the room anymore when it comes to all these Scooby myster---" Harris was interrupted by two large things crashing into the snack-shop.

"It's a Ballroom Blitz," Faith said numbly.

"Now this kind of sucks," Harris said.

The two demons stood still as well. Eerily silent.

"They look like Mike Wackowski from 'Monsters Inc.'... Only 400 times bigger. They'd be cute... if they were smaller and had a Billy Crystal voice," Amanda said.

"Dawn, what are they?" Faith whispered.

"I-I don't know," Dawn said.

"This really really sucks," Harris stated.

"It doesn't have to," Faith said and ran at the demon with Amanda's ax. She was instantly thrown back coughing.

"Okay, it does," she said smiling regretfully.

"Faith!" Kennedy yelped and was at her side faster than Robin was. Then the two demons circled them.

"Sorry, still a little weak from that whole personal demon emergence," Faith said. She was? He would find a way to kill Spike if Faith died for anything he had done.

"C'mon!" was all Harris said to Robin.

Robin grabbed Faith and Harris grabbed Kennedy and they ran into the pantry where Amanda and Dawn were. There was a collective scream when the demons ripped the pantry door off the hinges. Harris grabbed the door and the hid behind it foxhole style. For some reason this seemed to work and the demons just stood there.

"Why don't they just get us?" Dawn asked.

"They're toying with us," Kennedy grumbled.

"Are you sure? They don't look too bright," Robin said.

Amanda grunted and threw a pickle jar at them. They both looked down at where the pickle jar had fallen.

"Well, I thought maybe they'd be allergic to liquid," she explained.

"No, see, in that movie the monsters were trapped in the pantry not the other way around," Harris said.

"Okay, were going to have to make a run for it here," Faith said.

"No, Faith. You're hurt," Kennedy said. She was. The side of her head was bleeding from being cut by the demon with her own ax. Robin had been soaking up the blood with his tux jacket.

"It's five by five. I'll be fine," she smiled, looking up only at Robin when she answered.

"Of course you will... You're the Slayer," he said and kissed her. He could taste the blood on her lips. How weak was she from the demon? This would be his fault. He hadn't realized what he had given her when he gave over his mother's trunk. He had just expected the Slayers to know. They didn't. He had given her something that made her lose control of her power.

Suddenly the roof crashed in with all its old wood coming down in varying sizes. Now what? More demons.

"'Ey," he smiled. Yep, it was his mother's killer. That kiss or kill smile it was all the same. He had come to kill. He had the best-looking sword that Robin had seen in a long while. Where did he get such wonderful toys?

"Spike!" Amanda yelled in worry. She used to be so afraid of him.

"'Manda..." he smiled back. Then a demon looked him in the face and let out a screech. It was the first noise they had made. Robin sort of felt satisfied.

"Uck! These are foul things, eh?" Spike said staring down one of them with its one eye. Robin waited for Spike to get beat down but the thing didn't touch him.

"Fi, how bad you hurtin'?" he asked as he smiled at the one eyed monster.

"How did you know she was hurt?" Robin demanded as he went to rise.

"Don't move, mate. I smell her blood," he said with that smile still on his face. Great.

"I'm all right. They always said a smack up side the head would do me good," Faith smiled.

"No, you're not!" Robin snapped.

"Did you ever play 'Mother may I' as a Bit?" Spike asked.

"That's like 'Red light, Green light', right?" she said.

"What the-" Robin began.

"Right, except you have to ask 'Mother may I?' and then you have to freeze when Mum says so...Wanna play?" Spike continued. Was he high? No, drunk was more his style.

"'K," she said. Was she drunk?

"Fi, love...Run like hell to the door", Spike said smoothly.

"Oeew. Mother may, I?" she laughed.

"What-" That was Robin.

"Yes, you may," Spike said.

The next thing Robin knew Spike was shouting:" STOP!" and Faith was by the door and freezing.

The demons that had been running after her stopped and looked confused. Spike jumped up and stabbed one in the eye and it dropped. The eye was oozing red blood. The other demon went after Spike who ran.

"Get it!" Spike said and threw Faith the sword. She ran after the demon that was only following Spike. She ran between them and got the eye.

"You forgot to ask 'Mother may I?'" Spike smirked as the demon fell.

"Oh, thank God!" Kennedy exclaimed and hugged Spike who grinned and hugged her with the bloody sword in his hand. When had she become happy to see him?

"What were they, Spike?" Faith asked.

Robin felt more at ease. She asked him as a General would. She wasn't giddy to see him, like everyone else but Dawn always seemed to be. He could make a good entrance. Robin wondered if he had waited until the last moment to come crashing down.

"Tyran demons. Strength of a God. Smarts of a post. Can't see you unless you're moving. People raise them like attack dogs, then they let them loose on who they want to kill. They're sort of endangered now," he said cleaning his sword. All proud of himself.

"Oh! They're like dogs... endangered dogs! That's sad," Dawn said. "Well, I'm sure they'd be nice if you raised them with kindness," she added when everyone looked at her.

"My Willow's not here so Dawn can take up for the animals," Kennedy laughed.

"Never mind... No one-eyed eight-foot tall demons for you, Dawn. I don't want something around stealing my look," Harris said.

"How do you know so much?" Robin demanded to Spike as soon as Faith began to tease Harris about the eye.

"My ol' girl. She had a soft spot for animals too," Spike said twirling his sword.

"You raised one to kill people!" Robin grumbled.

"Actually two. They are better when they have company," Spike said.

Faith was off laughing about something with the others. All the others looked like children to Robin again now.

"Are you all hearing this? Spike raised these things once!" Robin grumbled.

"I'd imagine they'd be difficult to house train," Harris said.

"Not really. You just keep em' out of doors," Spike answered.

"Did you like to watch them kill people?" Robin demanded. Was everyone here crazy?

"Well, yeah," Spike scoffed "I was evil. Didn't think you'd forget that, mate."

"I haven't," Robin said.

"I think that the most important thing is---" Faith seemed to almost fall over.

"Whoa!" Harris said and caught her.

"You are hurt bad," the vampire gasped as he took Robin's jacket away from Faith's still bleeding head.

"I'm five by five ,really," she smiled still leaning on Harris.

"Never bullshit a bullshitter, Firecracker. Harris could have played 'Mother May I'."

"Yeah, it would have been fair. One eye to one eye. The PETA people would have been happy," Harris said.

"I'm taking her to the hospital," Robin stated.

"Uh-uh." Faith said. "There were two, so two eyes... No fair...It's my-my responsibility," she answered Harris.

"Not everyone lost their power when that spell was retracted. I still have mine. Harris didn't lose anything either... He's still the world's most annoying git," Spike said to Faith. Even the vampire thought she was doing too much.

"Nothing can stop me... and I can be annoying for hours now... No more seven and a half minute jobs," Harris said. She laughed a lot at that. Another pre-Robin joke.

The vampire was touching Faith's face. Was he trying to goad Robin?

"We have to wrap you up," Spike was saying to her.

"Is everyone deaf? I'm taking her to the hospital!" Robin spat.

"You're warm," she said touching the vampire's hand on her face.

"Okay. Really bad sign if Spike feels warm... No good to be colder than the dead," Harris said.

"Another really bad sign is I agree with you," Spike said to Harris.

"We should go to the hospital," Kennedy said.

"Thank you. I'll take her. You all just go," Robin sighed. Robin wasn't listening to Kennedy's objections as Spike touched Faith's forehead. How the fuck could a vampire feel if she had a fever?

"See. Your warm. Do you feel it?" she asked Spike.

"I think you're in shock," he said.

"I am... Real big bads to fight. Not boring ones. They had a clear objective... Well, I wouldn't say clear. They seemed to want you," she laughed.

"Me? You sure? No one after me could afford Tryan demons ... Nice dress," Spike said.

"You think I could still wear it?" Faith was asking Spike as Robin grabbed her arm to help her. Kennedy was holding the jacket to Faith's head.

"Why wouldn't you?" the vampire said.

"What about my dress? You think all these guts will come out?" Dawn asked.

"Even if they do don't wear it again. It's too frou-frou," Spike said.

"You think mine is bad.. You should see Amanda's," Dawn said. "Amanda!" she called.

"I can't believe your talking about dresses!" Robin snapped loudly. Everyone was silent.

"I mean look at my tux jacket. I 'm so not getting the deposit back," he smiled. Faith smiled

widely.

"You are so the man," she whispered to him.

"Right. I'm the funny man taking you to the hospital now," he said. He knew how to get her attention. Joke at her grave injuries.

"Amanda!... Where is she?" Dawn called again. Faith broke away and went outside.

"Amanda!" she called. "AMANDA!"

"Oh no, no, no." she pleaded to no one as everyone followed.

"Faith," Robin said firmly "We have to get you to the hospital." He tried to grab her and she darted away.

"I'm not going anywhere until she's found.... Amanda!" she called again

"How could I have---fuck!" she screamed and kicked the snack shack. The wood began to creak and then it caved in loudly.

"Oh God! Oh God! What if she was still in there?... I killed her!... Amanda!" Faith was screaming and looking through the crashed-in shack.

"Faith! Faith! FAITH!" Robin yelled as he pulled her up from the pile of wood.

"She's obviously gone. There's nothing we can do no. We need to get to the hospital now, and then we wait... And we won't involve the kids anymore so this will never happen again."

"What do you mean she is probably gone?" She roared. What did she think he meant? Hadn't he warned her this could happen to Amanda or any of them 100 times? She had said she knew that and now she looked shocked. He wanted to say this but he couldn't find the words because her face was filled with anguish.

"Well,... Maybe the people that wanted Spike took her," Robin said.

"What did you do in LA? Who would be after you?" She demanded of the vampire. Not such a good friend now.

"No one would be after me from LA. I told you what I did. I helped Angel's boy... Someone could be after me from before, I suppose. But, no one that could afford Tryan demons, like I said... Unless..." He spoke to her so softly. So apologetically as he said- yet again- it wasn't his fault. It was so different then the way he spoke to Robin about his mother. He was a much better actor than Jay-Lo.

"Well, they said different. Faith, this is his responsibility. He should go find Amanda and we'll go to the hospital and wait," Robin said.

"I'm not waiting! I'm not fucking waiting. I want her now! AMANDA!" she screamed and then collapsed into sobs.

Robin had never seen her like this before. When some girls had gone down in the war she had remained cool headed. When she thought Robin was the dead one in the war she shed no tears. What was this? Hadn't she believed him when he told her that if she brought out the kids something like this would happen?

She grabbed the ax and held it over her shoulder, and began stomping off in a random direction. Robin was pretty sure all of the blood on the ax was hers.

"Faith, it isn't your fault... We'll find her. We'll have Willow do a locator spell... Willow will have to know where she is. We haven't used magic in so long. that we forget how powerful she is... Hell, if we think really loud Willow probably can just talk into our minds and tell us Amanda ran home," Kennedy said.

She ran to keep up with Faith's stomping as everyone else walked behind.

"Magic! Why didn't I think to call Willow coming into this mess?" Faith demanded.

"Because you didn't know, honey," Kennedy said.

"Where are you? Bring her back and I'll give you anything you want!" Faith screamed into the night. Then she was sobbing again. She gently pushed Kennedy away and began to stomp off again.

"Show your mother-fucking face!" she yelled at no one.

Her voice was shaking. It was too much for Robin to take. He had to get her out of here. He realized he had never really seen her suffer before, not like this. It was like Amanda was her child. A year and a half ago she said she belonged to no one.

"Faith, this isn't helping. You're not going to find Amanda like this, and you losing blood. Spike will find her. He can smell her, I'm sure" Robin began.

"Yes. YOU!" She grabbed Spike and pushed him roughly forward. "Find her."

This was the way it should be. Spike should be a tool, not her favorite smurf.

"Can't, Love. I don't know her smell that well. Sorry," Spike said. Robin didn't know he had it in him to sound so grave.

"Fuck!" she cried again and then pushed him away.

"Fi, listen to me ...Listen... She's a strong girl. After the First anything will be cake," Spike said gently.

"We should-" Robin began but stopped when Faith started crying again.

"It's me... It's all my fault... She's just a girl. I'm no good... Look, I'm falling apart... I should give it up," She was trying to run away like she had done to Robin and Kennedy, but the vampire was able to hold on to her wrists.

"Bollocks! I've seen falling apart and this isn't it. You just have to focus all this lament into finding her... Just focus it... We'll save her. We lose no one," he said. What could Robin have given Spike to save his mother? His childhood?

"Oh, I doubt that." A forty-something seemingly normal man said. He was holding Amanda to him.

"Amanda!" Faith screamed, and went to run to her.

"Faith, don't! He has a zappy thing," Amanda warned.

"Ah-ah-ah! Mother says you may not. I can kill her in two seconds," the man warned and Faith stopped.

"Spike... They said you were dead," the man said to the vampire.

"Well, I'm not... I mean I was, but I came back. And technically I still am. But never mind that..." Spike dropped his casual tone and went into that face. The vampire face "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm just an independent contractor," the man said, unimpressed.

"Kick his ass, Spike!" Amanda said.

"Oh bloody hell! I fucking knew it! Did Angel send you? He could afford any demon he wants. Has he gone evil already? I thought I had more time," Spike grumbled. The other vampire had gone evil? This was not a surprise.

"Angel: aka Liam Gallagher aka Angelus... The meanest vampire that ever was, but now he has a soul and a chunk of the world to boot," the man laughed.

"Yeah, that would be the bloke. You doin' this for him? Well, you're doing it all wrong. He wouldn't want you to kill the lil' Bit. He'd want me to suffer in front of them... So, let's have at that," Spike said.

"Spike: aka William the bloody aka William W-" the man began.

"Don't you say that name! How do you know that name? No one does! No one! I'm not that man anymore! I'm not any of them really, but you can't go around changing your name too much or you look like a pretentious twat... You tell AngelUS that for me, mate!" The vampire roared. Robin had never seen him so pissed. He wasn't nearly this enraged when Robin tried to kill him.

"Fuck it! I'll tell him myself. Angelus, get your buggering ass out here! You gonna let your money have all your fun for you!"

"A-Angelus, but how? Spike you just saw Angel." Dawn's voice shook.

"This isn't Hannibal's style, Spike," Harris said much more calmly.

"Haven't you heard he's gone all corporate," the vampire sighed.

"No, it can't be Angelus. I made sure..." Faith's eyes let lose one tear.

"I told you, Fi. It's was just a matter of time until he loses his grip on that place. Who else could afford Tryan demons? Who else would know his real name? My real name? We ain't in the bloody phone book, love."

"NO!" Faith roared in rage.

"Is this a private conversation or can anyone just join in?" Robin spat angrily. Suddenly, Amanda was screaming.

"Fuck you! Fuck you!" She spat through gritted teeth. It was as if she was trying to will pain away.

"Allow me to have the floor. Since, you know, I am the guy that's gonna kill everyone," the man said.

"What did you do to her?" Faith demanded stepping towards him.

"Stay back, or I'll fry her from the inside out," The man warned.

"He has a zappy thing," Amanda said again.

"FUCK!" Spike growled while he swore. He *was* pissed. "What's the matter Angelus? You couldn't get that pretty bird Gwen to do your dirty work? You had to dig up this ugly fuck instead?"

"You may be Angel's bitch boy, but he is a screw in a cog in a wheel," the man laughed.

"If it's not Angelus then, what do you want?" Spike demanded.

"It's not me...I'm an independent contractor. Everyone takes these things so personal!" the man said.

"I can't wait to see how impersonally you take what's gonna be done to you," Amanda said.

"Can you believe how cute this girl is? I wanted to start with her so she won't have to see the looks on your faces... You're the lucky one, honey," the man said to Amanda.

"Amanda, shhh." Robin warned. Kids didn't know that the strong grown-ups couldn't save them form everything.

"You evil fuck! She has nothing to do with whatever you want. You can just let her go," Faith spat

"Again-It's not me, Girlie. It's the Roshobi Demon Clan, they want to clean up any loose ends," The man explained.

"The Roshobi? They're harmless gits!" Spike demanded.

"Yeah, but they say tonight is the beginning of something horrific. The Derivation, the beginning of the end"

"Another one!" Amanda said weakly. She was sweating from whatever the guy had done to her.

"Actually, this one is long overdue this year." Harris said.

"It's in their little Bible or whatever. I read it and I couldn't make heads or tails of it. But, their scholars all say that it has something to do with The vampire Slayer, and this vampire with an unclean soul or something," the man said.

"That makes zero sense," Dawn sobbed.

"I know, these religious types-You can't reason with them. But, they always seem to have a lot of money to make what they want to happen,, happen"

"Bloody Hell!, their calendars are always bloody ten years behind... Make a call and tell them they have the wrong Slayer and the wrong vampire!" Spike snorted.

"What?" Robin and Faith demanded.

"Bloody Roshobi never fixed their Calendar because they refuse to recognize the year that-Oh, never mind! They are always a bit off. They prolly have a prophecy about Peaches and Buffy shagging. When Peaches went all-bad and tried to suck the world in to Hell. It just goes to show you shouldn't mess with a prophecy."

"Oh," Harris and Faith said in unison.

"What?" Robin demanded.

"Never mind is right," the man said as his cell phone rang and he read the screen.

"Text messaging. They asked me to stall to see if they could get more demons up here. They didn't want your deaths to look suspicious. They are a very efficient people. But, they can't find anyone else who wants to fight you, and they can't wait. So, I'll have to do... Wow, I haven't killed people in so long. I usually just over-see things now, do damage control. This takes me back," the man sighed.

"But you'd be killing us for a misread prophecy," Harris said.

"The bank won't misread the check," he said.

"You won't be able to get them all... I'll be able to take you down eventually," Spike said coolly. "You all run," he commanded.

"But, if you make a move now this girl goes for sure," the man stated.

"Just do it! Do it now, Spike. It's all right," Amanda said.

"NO!" Dawn screamed. They really weren't children after all. They understood as much as Robin did. Amanda was going to die, because Spike was going to jump the guy.

"Faith, c'mon. I don't know what's going on, but I think Spike does as usual," Robin said and took hold of her hand.

"What? No!," Faith said.

"FAITH! Take them and run now!" Spike roared.

"Fuck! FUCK!" Faith was livid, but frozen.

"'Manda... I'm sorry," Spike whispered and moved forward.

"Oh, Spike, Spike, Spike. They told me you always loved to kill the young girls. I really don't," the man tisked.

That was when he let out a bolt of electricity from his hand that made Spike collapse to his knees. Okay, Robin wanted the guy gone, but not like this.

"No!" Faith screamed and that was when it happened. It was worse, so much worse than before. This wasn't puffs of goblin smoke. This was a huge looming demon. It seemed to be made out of vapor, but the black was so thick you couldn't see through it. Robin couldn't see Faith. She was stuck inside of it.

"Be gone!" Robin swore he heard something whisper, but it could have just been its wraith-like cry. That was when the huge looming presence poured into the man with the gun. He seemed to turn into powder and fall apart.

The powderized man mesmerized Robin for only a second. That was when he heard a girl scream. It was Kennedy. He had never heard her scream before. She was standing over Faith. Robin pushed her aside. That's when he realized why she was screaming. Faith was having a seizure. Grand mal. He had seen plenty of kids with epilepsy in his teaching days.

"She won't stop! She won't stop! Faaaith!" Kennedy was crying and screaming. It was similar to Faith's pleading for Amanda, but it was more savage. He hadn't realized how much these girls loved each other. It made him angry. If they loved each other so much why wouldn't they stop all this fighting and danger? Kennedy had thrown herself on top of Faith.

"Get off of her!" he yelled and threw her off.

"You're not suppose to do that! You'll make it worse...Spike, I need you to hold her head, so she doesn't bite her tongue," He was expecting Spike to come running over, but he was already there. He knew the bastard would still be alive. You couldn't electrocute a vampire. That guy, or whatever he was, just wanted to immobilize Spike, and it would have worked.

"Faith! You fight this!" the vampire was screaming. Now he was on top of her.

"Spike! Get off her! You'll just break her bones... You'll kill her you fuck!" Robin was yelling.

Then the light came. He could tell it was coming from Spike, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Robin didn't know what was going on. Not that he ever did. At first he thought they were burning up. That Spike was burning her, even though daylight was hours off. He tried to run into the light and save her, but it seemed to just throw him out. Then he could see the light going down. The vampire was hyperventilating though he didn't need to breathe.

"Spike," Faith had bolted up and said the vampire's name.

"Shit, Faith!" was all Robin could yell as he ran over to her.

"Yes," Spike answered. He had rolled off of her, but their legs were still touching. Black denim and ripped thigh highs. Robin grabbed Faith's hand and pulled her up.

"What did you do?" Faith asked plainly.

She was talking to Spike.

"I don't know," the vampire answered.

He wasn't looking at her or anyone.

"What the fuck is going on here? Has he done this before? Did he hurt you?" Robin demanded.

"I didn't mean to do anything... All I was thinking was I have to fix her. I didn't mean to do it," Spike pleaded.

It was the most humble he heard the vampire sound.

"If you did ANYTHING to change her-" Robin began.

"No. I was dying and he put his hands on me and... that light... That light pulled me back," Faith said in an odd calm voice that did not match Robin's in the least.

"That was the same light that came out of you when you closed the Hellmouth... When you burned up, wasn't it?"

Faith was now turned to Spike.

"I-I think so... It felt the same... Only more controlled...Like I was controlling it," he said.

"More controlled my ass! That shadow demon has some connection---" Robin began until he realized no one was listening.

"Are you hurt?" Faith was asking Spike

"No. No, I'm just tired and confused."

The vampire shook his head.

"Join the club...I'll get you a discount. I think I'm the president," Harris said.

"Amanda!" Faith called.

"I'm here... I'm five by...two," the girl said as she walked over to Faith weakly.

"I think I'm about five by two myself," Faith said. The girls laughed and hugged, like there were in the halls of the high school.

"Are you hurt, Faith?" Robin asked.

"No. I'm weak, but there's no pain. No hang over... Not anymore. That much demon coming out was going to kill me, but I can feel Spike's light in me... and I feel better," she said calmly.

Great, more demon shit inside of her.

"How many times has that burning man thing happened?" Kennedy asked Spike.

"Just when I closed the Hellmouth and now."

He was being oddly terse. Robin didn't trust it.

"Look. You head wound is gone," Kennedy smiled to Faith.

"What?" Robin demanded. Her head wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Spike, I think I broke a rib... Touch me," Kennedy commanded and put Spike's hand on her rib cage.

"Wait a second!" Robin snapped. What just happened was not a good thing, Robin knew that, even if he didn't know what it was.

"Nah, that's not it. I touch you all the time... especially when your hurt," Spike said sounding a bit more like himself.

"What?" Robin demanded, even though Spike had been talking to Kennedy and not Faith. Spike shouldn't be touching anyone.

"It has something to do with the Shanshu, and the Slayer." Spike stated.

The Sanshu had to be the fire that Spike went up into when he closed the Hellmouth. When they all thought he was gone for good.

"But you touch Faith all the time... More than me, especially when she's hurt" Kennedy said.

Robin felt Faith grab his hand. She had a serene expression as she walked down the path. It was nothing like her pained yet smiling expression when he first saw the demon come.

"Faith, I'm so glad you are all right," Robin gushed. Finally letting himself feel the dagger in his throat. She had almost died. Again. She embraced him, and yes, she was weak, it wasn't her bone-crushing embrace, but he didn't care.

"Or it's the Slayer demon in Faith...Did you ever touch her right after the demon came out?" Dawn was asking Spike.

"You all know about the demon?" Robin asked. Faith looked peaceful. Amanda was holding he other arm and they were whispering like two girls in class. She had not heard his question. Apparently no one did.

"I don't think so... The few times before... I wasn't around. I was still too upset about Buffy leaving," Spike answered.

Robin didn't fail to notice how all of his smooth British slang was gone, along with his wit. He was stunned that whatever he did worked out in his favor. Why? Didn't everything work out in Spike's favor?

"I think you have the power to heal Faith after the demon comes out... and it looks like she needs it that was...intense," Dawn said.

"Wait. We don't know that," Robin insisted.

"I know I was dying...and Spike stopped it," Faith answered.

"That demon of yours came outta nowhere. Talk about a bloody Ballroom Blitz," the vampire winked.

She and Spike shared a brief smile.

"That is just a sign that we should rip that fucking demon out of you now!" Robin grumbled.

"There's a brilliant idea.... We have no idea what were messing with. Shouldn't go messing about in Faith just because you don't like what happened." Spike was back with his obnoxiousness.

"We do have no idea what were dealing with and that's why it should be gone. She almost died! A man is dead.... Maybe dead Slayers and people are the norm for you but..." Robin's voice trailed off.

"You're right. I'll have to research it... The demon, the Shanshu. I haven't had anything to research in a while," Dawn said excitedly.

Robin scowled. He bet she wouldn't be thinking this was fun if this had been Buffy.

"Well, it looks like it's your lucky day, Dawnie. All we know is that we almost died because Buffy slept with Angel almost nine freakin' years ago, and God that makes me feel really old. I remember Willow's resolve face, and being hunted down by that ruthless piece of shit like it was yesterday. " Harris said snippily to Dawn.

You would never guess he was embracing her while she cried twenty minutes ago.

"The Ruthless Piece of shit's weak half prolly has everything we need about Fi's demon and my healing hands in his little filing cabinet in LA," Spike said.

"What?" Robin demanded.

"So, we're still going to LA? You don't think there's a trap there set by Angelus? I can't believe you made me think it was fucking Angelus! You had me shitting a brick!" Faith snorted at Spike and punched him in the arm.

"Ow!... or not ow. You *are* weak. Well, it made sense at the time. I still say we have to keep an eye out for Peaches' better half." The vampire said lightly now.

"And going to hang out with his friends is a great way to do that?" Harris asked.

"Exactly," Spike answered.

"Can I clarify?" Robin tried to ask lightly.

"Sure, Honey. I'm sorry," Faith smiled.

"You're all going to LA to hang out with friends of the vampire you thought just sent that guy to try to kill you?" Robin asked.

"Yes and no. It's complicated. You know that Jekyll/ Hyde story, right?" she asked.

"Y'all are gonna see my killer Hyde side in a minute if you don't explain what's going on," Robin said.

"What I wanna know is: Who was that guy? What was up with that zappy lightning thing? Maybe he was a demon," Amanda said as she had her arm around Dawn for support.

"That guy was human... and I think you'll have a lot of help figuring him out in LA. I just spent some time with a lovely Bird that had the same ability to shock me. Albeit she used her power for good... For very good," Spike grinned.

"That X-men Storm like girl you boinked in LA had the same mojo going on as our almost killer? Man, Spike. You have a thing for dangerous women," Kennedy said to Spike.

What?

"Oh my God!" Harris yelped.

Was one of them finally realizing what a mess Spike had gotten them into? How they almost lost Amanda and Faith?

"There are real girls like Storm? And you- You slept with one? Sometimes, I still hate you, " Harris grumbled.

"Okay-" Robin began loudly.

"God, that guy! He could of killed Amanda, like he said he was going to, but he just went for Spike," Faith gasped suddenly.

"Well, he's dust in the wind now, my Zen master," Harris chirped.

"He would have killed you," Spike stated.

"But, I killed him. I killed another person," Faith realized.

"The shadow demon killed him and it's gonna kill you that's why we need it gone!" Robin said firmly.

"No, It was me. I wanted him dead. I was willing to do anything to make him dead... If I hadn't felt that way he'd still be alive," Faith told him.

"Yeah and we'd all be dead. I like your way," Kennedy snorted.

Faith bit her lip and she got that familiar displeased crinkle in between her eyebrows.

"It wasn't you, baby. It was that thing. We gotta get it out of you," Robin said.

"Yes," She agreed, "Angel's people will know how to get it out, and they may know more about it. So, it ain't gonna be all pleasure in LA anymore. Damn."

"I dunno. That bad boy is part of you now, and somethin' bloody powerful. You really want it out?" the vampire was asking Faith.

"I can't go around killing people with souls, Spike. B would be very disappointed," she laughed.

"Well, my girl didn't want to see that some people with souls still have to be put down in this fight," Spike said.

"She sure didn't, "Robin retorted. Faith gave him a confused stair.

"But, I do, and your man does," the vampire laughed.

Robin often found when he wanted to piss Spike off he just ended up making him laugh. Then the vampire would give him this sort of respectful glare. It wasn't enough.

"Maybe, after you find out more about the bad boy you'll wanna keep him in you," the vampire was saying to Faith.

"The bad boy? The demon that almost killed her has a cute name now? I wish I got a vote because I'd have picked Ralph," Robin snapped.

"Well, we've seen that I can stop that, haven't we?" Spike said.

"We saw some shit go out of you and into her and we have no idea what the fuck it is, and she's still weak," Robin demanded.

"Well, we can protect her until she's strong again. Can't we?"

"Not if some assassin comes along with demons and wants to kill us because he has her mixed up with the Slayer that likes to screw vampires," Robin said. With that the vampire ran at Robin. Robin smiled. Of course that was the key of getting to him- Buffy. Ballroom Blitz, Baby.

"SPIKE!" It was Kennedy that jumped in front of Spike with her sword. Faith jumped in front of Robin. Harris began laughing.

"Ralph, that would be a great name for the demon, because it kind of looks like she pukes it out, " He chuckled

"Don't. He's just tired. I put him through a lot," Faith said softly to Spike.

"Don't talk about me like I am not here!" Robin said to her.

"You know you really aren't pissed at Spike, Woody. Please don't be pissed. I'm- I'm really tired," she pleaded. She looked it. Robin brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Sorry," he said to her.

"You saved us all tonight, Firecracker," Spike smiled.

"And you saved me. No one else could have," she said.

"Yes... Well... Don't say it like that... Pretty soon I'll be sounding like Angel: 'Well, my work here is done. I must go while there is still evil afoot,'" he said in a mocking manly tone.

"Evil really does have feet," Faith said and laughed, sounding more like herself.

"Be hard to get places if it didn't... I have to get places myself, Done saving the world for tonight," Spike said and he was off.

It only took seconds for him to disappear into the night, almost as abruptly as he came.

"We aren't saving the world anymore. We are just out looking for shit," Robin sighed in relief now that Spike was gone.

"Well, we found it," Kennedy answered.

"Where does Spike go?" Dawn asked suddenly.

Robin was surprised. She seemed the least interested in him.

"I don't wanna know," Robin said.

"He goes to get Buffalo wings at that twenty four hour place and then he goes to Buffy's grave and tells it what's going on," Harris answered.

Everyone was silent.

"...Which I told him was totally stupid because Buffy isn't even dead. Let alone buried there. She's in that other Sunnydale dimension and she can't hear him. She's really happy, really alive, really," Harris said strongly.

"I don't think that's stupid," Dawn said sadly. The girl was the other Slayer's sister. If only Buffy was here! Robin was quite sure that Faith would be safe then.

"Me neither. I did it with him once or twice. I'm sure he'd love to take you. But, be careful those wings are spicy," Faith said and broke away from Robin to put her arm around the girl.

"You can always order the mild wings. They're good," Harris said.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

"**LA, who'd have thought?

Right smack dab in the middle of watts.. that the belching bus and the broken bulbs...devil pour me another shot! Hey hey LA, who'd have thought, LA," Faith was singing.

She said it was something she picked up in prison to help her out with the obvious aloneness, and she continued it after she was out for "the less obvious aloness." It was another one of those punky songs she had from a time that she had to be under her mother's care.

She was bent down packing her things. He round tight ass sticking out in her beat-up jeans. The small of her back showed in one white strip from under her green tank top. She wasn't like his other girlfriends. She was much more low maintenance. She had her usual dark colored clothes in her suitcase. Only one lipstick, red, eyeliner, black, eye shadow, sparkly grey. The remaining space that could be filled with un-needed clothes and other womanly things was filled with weapons, and a beat up copy of "Zen: and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

Robin came up behind her kissed the right side of her neck. The familiar bight scars were there. Two raised pinkish knots.

"Mmmmm," she moaned happily.

"You're not alone anymore," he whispered.

"**Up through the cracks,

Up through the broken glass

In the hot red light of a black and white Roses grow... Hey, Hey, LA. I never would have thought**," she sang

"Do you have to go?" he asked.

She laughed."You're the one who wants the demon out. Angel's people will have the know how," she said.

"What about Willow? Isn't she some kind of Magic Diva?"

"Turns out she's better at sticking things in people then taking them out. We all have our talents."

"And hers is getting souls in your vampire friends that sometimes lose that soul and become evil again?" Robin asked.

"Yep, and life into B, and demons into me-indirectly, though. So don't you dare be bitchy to her," Faith said softly as she was pressed against him.

"I'm so sorry, Faith," he whispered. He was more responsible for her getting that demon inside of her than anyone. Because of his mother's book Faith's former desperation could end up consuming her.

"What for?" she asked.

**For giving you something that put a weak-making monster in you**.

"I know I've been high strung about everything lately," Robin said.

"I'd say you're strung up just right. I'm just not used to someone caring so much. But, you have to understand asking me to hand the reins over to Spike wouldn't solve anything. I'd still feel responsible. Do you get it?" she said, caressing his head.

"I do, I really do. Once you get the demon out I'll fell less responsible... I mean, I'd feel like I can actually help you with all the other stuff, and I can help be responsible. I feel so fucking useless and helpless with this demon thing. Not my favorite feelings. All you have to do is mix those feelings with other people and you have instant asshole Robin," he said with his eyes closed.

"You're a better person than me, Woody. With me all you had to do is mix those things with super strength and you had instant fucking psycho,"

"I just can't believe that. The only place you're a psycho is bed." He lifted her up and kissed her.

"Well, you're not helpless or useless there. In fact, you have a talent for sticking things in people too," she said.

She did that amazing Slayer thing, where he was the one holding her, but she managed to back him up and push him down on the floor by wrapping her legs around him and squeezing in certain ways. She told him she pushed a vampire out of a window like that once, but she didn't seem as proud of it as he of thought she would be.

She was unbuttoning herself and him. Caressing both his heads gently as she bore down on him hard with her hips. She impaled herself on him with a grunt. He thrust forward inside of all her working muscles. Her head was thrown back like it was listening to the rhythm of her body, like she was concentrating hard on it. She was working so hard for him, and loving it. He loved the sound she made. The satisfied grunt.

"Damn, Damn," She said in that raspy voice as he tore off her shirt and bra and squeezed her nipples in the rhythm she was bouncing out. He pulled her down by her dark hair and kissed her and wrestled with her grunting mouth.

"So, I'm not just an asshole your playing games with?" he asked after she crashed down on top of him.

"I'm not gonna even touch that one... for at least fifteen minutes anyway," she cackled.

"Seriously, are we cool?" he asked.

"You and me, we're always cool. Five by five or in your case 8 and a half by two,"

They kissed for a long while, like when you made out in Junior High. Kissing was the goal and you lost track of time in it.

"I'm glad most women don't admit they want it as bad as men, or there'd be a line at your door. You'd forget all about the psycho demon girl that corrupts your students."

"Faith, you act like you got lucky. You could have anyone."

"No, I can't, but even if I could, no one can heal my like you do. No one else can get inside me like that. You're the only one who believed in me and trusted me and didn't hold back. A lot of people can't take me, which is understandable. Those that can are usually so hard, a piece of them is somewhere else," she told him.

She looked so serene and serious at once.

"I can't wait to have every piece of you back with me," he told her.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ain't it crazy cool?" Faith asked Robin as she gestured to the black brand new Mazda as Spike sat in it in broad daylight bopping his head to the blasting music inside. Apparently, it had some special glass that her rich vampire friend installed ,so Spike could drive it in broad daylight. These ensouled vampires really stuck together, and they stuck to the Slayers. Very smart. All Robin had to do was open that car door and...

"Crazy," Robin answered Faith

"HURRY UP! I don't want to bloody sit here all day!" Spike screamed toward the Summers' house, where now only one Summers lived.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come?" Faith asked.

"I hate LA," Robin said.

"Baby, you grew up in Beverly Hills," she reminded him.

"That is how I know I hate LA," he said.

"Is it your foster family? You avoiding them? I know how that is. I HATED all my foster families. I've never seen any of them again," she said.

"No, I was lucky. I only had the one family, and they pretty much were like my real family, almost. They went back to England over a year ago when everything happened," he said.

"You never told me that. I didn't even know they were English. I figured you hated Brits or something. I don't even know what they're like," Faith said.

"I think they are probably like Rupert or your old WATCHER," Spike grinned.

Robin felt hate surge through him.

"Spike, if you do anything to Wes I'll burn you in a way so you can't rise!" Faith warned.

"Who's Wes?" Robin asked.

"My old Watcher. Spike hates him. I don't know why."

"Because he let you go bad. He gave up on you, and Peaches had to do his job and help you. He didn't visit you in the bloody hospital or jail, and then he came crawling to you like the bugger he is when he needed help," Spike said.

"Really?" Robin asked.

"No," Faith answered with an eye roll. "How do you even know anything about it Spike?"

"I got pieces from Xander. But I didn't even need that, if a Slayer is called when she's just a 'bit, and something happens, it's her Watchers fault... If the Slayer makes it to a grown-up, then whatever happens is her fault," Spike said.

"You better watch what you say," Robin said in a low grumble.

"Ah!" The vampire yelled suddenly, "Red! DO NOT mix the sodding Holy Water with the sodding drinking water!" He was yelling at Willow who just put a cooler in the back of the car.

"Well, you don't have to get all burnt up about it," she joked.

"Ya know, I think I know why I don't talk to you much," Spike retorted.

She opened her mouth, offended, and threw a closed bottle of Holy water at him.

"Ow!" he whined, "What? I'm just not a pun person. It's not my style of humor... Unless I'm drunk."

"Oh, so you should be thinking I'm a hoot half the time, then," Willow said.

Robin laughed.

"See that was funnier," Spike said.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked as Kennedy slid into the back of the Mazda.

"I thought we'd ride with Spike. The music is better than Xander's," Kennedy said.

"Says you, lady," Willow pouted.

"Oh man! Okay, Lilith Fair and Classic rock is," Kennedy whined.

"You're so bloody whipped! And I made a tape," Spike said to Kennedy.

"At least I'm whipped on a girl in this dimension."

Kennedy gave Spike the finger and Spike gave Kennedy the bird. They grinned like two 4th graders that just discovered the finger. A meeting of the minds.

"Aw! You made a tape. I love when you make a tape," Kennedy said to the vampire.

"How about we ride separate on the way there, and together with Xander on the way back," Willow suggested.

"Okay," Kennedy said and kissed her.

"Crank it up, Byatch!" Kennedy commanded to Spike.

He blasted the radio.

"*Love Is A Burning Thing...And It Makes A Fiery Ring...Bound By Wild Desire. I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire...I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire...I Went Down, Down, Down And The Flames Went Higher*" Spike and Kennedy were singing. Loudly.

""Yeah! Social Distortion! Oh, I haven't heard this in ages!" Faith beamed.

"*And It Burns, Burns, Burns...The Ring Of Fire...The Ring Of Fire*" Spike and Kennedy continued. Very loudly.

Apparently the ring of fire didn't really burn that bad though, because Spike was still here fucking singing about it.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Faith asked Robin seriously.

"Um, No, I mean, I'm sure," Robin answered.

END