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Complement	By : WEB Category: BtVS AU/AR > FemmeSlash - Female/Female > Buffy/Faith Views: 4884 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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XXVI � Enjoy the Silence
(Part A)

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They walked out of the bedroom and right into what could only be classified as a chef's ultimate fantasy. The kitchen was huge, with side-by-side double door chrome ovens. In the wall next to the ovens, was a traditional brick pizza oven. There was a twelve-burner black stove to the left, and to the left of it was a glass rotisserie oven. The refrigerator was the size of a walk in closet, with a floor freezer to the side of it. There were too many cabinets to count.

Along the wall adjacent to the ovens was a double stainless steel sink, sunk into a long marble counter top, where a fresh pot of coffee was brewing. Two very large black mugs were set out next to the coffee pot with cream, sugar and spoons. Copper pots and pans, and cooking utensils of all sizes and shapes hung from hooks on the ceiling over the center-aisle butcher-block counter that was the size of a twin bed. The center-aisle counter was lined with hot buffet trays, wafting from them were the most enticing smells either Slayer had ever had the pleasure of tickling their noses.

Faith's stomach growled so loud and long that she actually blushed. She laughed when Buffy's answered hers just as loudly, if not louder. They smiled at each other, getting lost in the other's eyes. Wanting to pretend for just a while longer, pretend they didn't see the hollowness, gauntness of the other's face. Or theisesises that looked even darker on top of the pale skin that lay underneath, the matching gashes under the other's bottom lip. Pretend not to notice the aches and pains that were once again humming through both of their bodies. Pretend not to notice the haunted look that both now had lurking in their eyes and the scars that they both had seared upon their souls.

Buffy lightly ran her hand down the side of Faith's face. She smiled softly when Faith instinctively leaned into her touch. gra grabbed Faith by the hand, giving her an impish smile and practically dragged her over to the hot trays on the counter. She handed her two plates to hold while she took off the tops on the trays.

"I can't believe how good this smells... so good... yum..." Buffy was purring under her breath as she babbled. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse... never smelled anything so good in my life ever... nope... not ever... except for you that is... hmmmm.... what to choose... what to choose... why choose.... take it all... yup... that's it..."

Buffy was almost a blur as she went down the line taking something from each tray not caring what it was, piling it on both plates. Her mouth was watering, and she thought she might have drooled on herself at one point. She scrunched her face up a little as she stared at the plates trying to figure out how to fit more food on the already overfilled plates, "...well there is always seconds...."

Buffy took one of the plates from Faith, who had been so busy watching Buffy babbling cutely that she didn't notice how much food she had piled on the plates.

"B, this is too much. If we eat all this we're gonna get sick."

"Faith you don't know that..."

"Yeah, B I do... There is more food on the plates right now then we've had to eat all together in a really long time. Our stomachs can't handle this much food all at once. If we try and eat this much we will get sick..."

"How can you poss..."

Memories of Faith from the first time that she had been in Sunnydale came back to Buffy. How then and even now, Faith wolfed her food down as if it were the only food she had in days or would have for days. She remembered how when Faith ate she protected her food as if she were afraid it would disappear, or get taken from her. Buffy didn't think she could recall once where there was ever any food left on Faith's plate or anyone else's for that matter when she was around. How her stomach had constantly growled back then and Faith would dismiss it as a Slayer Thing. Though Buffy knew better, she was a Slayer too, and her stomach never growled twenty-four-seven, then again hers had always been full. She had just ignored it, just like she had ignored a lot of other things about Faith that she didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't deal with.

"Faith... the first time when you were in..."

Faith knew exactly what Buffy's was going to ask her, and she didn't want Buffy going there. She knew Buffy well enough now that she would somehow manage to blame herself for it. She didn't want anything marring their respite from the hell Glory had thrust them in, especially not another thing from her past. She wanted to forget for a little while that the reality that had been her life for nine years had reared its ugly head again.

"B, whatast ast is past... 'K? Please... Can we just sit down and eat..."

She moved close to Buffy, and gently brushed the hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. She leaned in and kissed her lightly, tenderly on the cheek, then just rested her face against Buffy's, pulling her loosely to her. They stayed that way for long minutes, the food momentarily forgotten, the need to feel the other next to them more important to both.

Reluctantly they moved apart, moved over to the long wooden table and sat down side by side on the bench. Neither even considered sitting on opposites sides of the table, even in this safe-haven they needed the reassurance, the feel, the warmth of the other next to them.

They ate in silence, each bite like a little bit of heaven.

"Faith... Are we really here or is this like what we do when we share our echoes?" Buffy asked with a mouth full of food, manners totally left by the wayside.

"Actually..."

Like a streak of lightning, both Slayers were on their feet the second they heard the voice behind them. They spun arounocknocking the bench over, crouching into fighting stances, their hearts in their throats, fear pounding through their veins. Neither one registering that it was Atropos standing in front of them, the only thing that registered was that one second there was no one behind them and the next there was.

Atropos carefully took a step backwards from the two snarling Slayers in front of her. There was a feral light mixed with the fear in their eyes. How stupid could she be to just pop up behind them like that? She kept her hands at her side waiting for them to realize that they were safe here with her for now.

Faith was trembling. What if she was wrong? What if this was just another elaborate game of Glory and Johnny's? What if it wasn't really Atropos standing in front of her, but Glory wearing a different mask? She felt the icy fingers of fear as they slid up her spine, digging in deep, roughly caressing each vertebrae making her want to arch her back to push them away.hillhill crawled over her skin leaving little streaks of invisible cold-fire in its wake. She heard Buffy as if she were far away hissing beside her.

Chocolate brown eyes locked with the crystal clear light jade green eyes in front of her, searching for an answer, terrified of what she would find there. What she saw in them surprised her. There was sorrow, remorse, comfort, respect, admiration and even love for them in those jade green eyes. She felt the fear begin to recede; she knew the vileness, the evil that was Glory intimately, had felt it worming its way under her skin looking to devour her soul. Faith knew without a shred of doubt that the thing that was Glory couldn't fake or look at her with or without a mask, with eye's that held any of those emotions.

Faith gently touched Buffy's arm when she realized she was still hissing low at Atropos. "B... Buffy it's okay..." Slowly she felt the arm beneath her hand relax as the tension, the fear drained out of Buffy.

"Did I ever tell you that I hate when you do that too...?" There was a slight tremor in Faith's voice, betraying how shaken she had been by Atropos' sudden appearance.

Both Slayers were breathing a little heavy, their hearts racing. The taste of fear was bitter, and far too familiar in the back of their throats. Their little pretend world had been shattered the second that Atropos had spoken. Faith couldn't help but wonder if either one of them would ever feel one hundred percent safe again. Feeling safe had been a new experience for her, up until Angel had taken her from the courthouse she couldn't ever remember a time when she had felt safe, and she mourned its loss.

"As a matter of fact I believe that you have... Please sit back down and eat and I will try to answer your Chosen's question."

"Watch out B, here's where she goes all cryptic lady on you. She's like a walking, talking prophecy. Gives you the clues but doesn't tell you what to do or what the hell they mean. Isn't that right Elder?" The touch of affection in Faith's voice softened the sarcasm of her words.

The ancient woman arched her sculptured, thin black eyebrow at the raven-haired Slayer's sarcasm and her nickname for her.

"Well, Child this time I actually can answer the question, without any subterfuge."

Buffy looked at Faith and mouthed Child at her, a little smirk around her mouth.

"I believe Elizabeth..." Atropos paused and watched the interplay between them as Faith smirked at Buffy and mouthed Elizabeth at her.

She was a little amazed, actually awed by them. Amazed that they could find anything to smile about, let alone tease each other about after all they had been through at Glory's and that lowlife - whose name Atropos refused to even think, let alone say - hands. They awed her, the bond they shared, their devotion, loyalty, and love for one another, stronger now, intact. Their smiles humbled her in the face of the fact that they knew that being here was temporary and that eventually they would have to go back to that living hell.

"I believe you wanted to know if you are actually here or not. Well, the answer to that is rather complicated. It isn't a simple yes or no..."

"See I told ya B... So much for not dodging the question..." Faith snorted through a mouthful of food.

"I am not dodging. It is just that I'm not sure if I even know how to explain it..." Atropos paused, waiting to see if the Dark Slayer was going to interrupt her again.

Faith wisely decided to hold her tongue this time when she heard the sincerity in the ancient woman's voice.

"It simply is that you are coexisting in two places at once. Physically here, and there, at the same time but yet not."

"If we are really here THEN WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU SEND US HOME?" The volume of Faith's voice rose with every angry word. There was a pleading quality mixed in with the anger that she hated hearing in herself.

She wanted to beat something, wanted to hurt something, wanted to just rip something apart with her bare hands. She just wanted them both to go home. Wanted them away from this nightmare. That was all she wanted, was that to much to ask? Hadn't nine years of him been long enough? Hadn't those nine years she had lived through been more then enough to count for both of them? Didn't it count for something, at the very least enough for Buffy to be able to go home? Hadn't she paid long enough?

Without even knowing, she had voiced all her thoughts in an almost silent whisper at the plate she was staring at with faraway eyes. The metal fork she had in her hand snapped in half.

'Nine years... Nine years...' She hadn't known. She had gotten almost all of it in the images from the echoes, the length of time though that she hadn't known. Buffy's mind reeled from the horror of it. How the hell had Faith survived him, how could anyone have survived all that? Gently she pulled Faith into her arms, who buried her head in the crook of Buffy's neck. She wanted to say something, anything, wishing with all that she was that she could just make it go away. "I'm so sorry... Even one second was too long..."

Atropos watched them; sooner or later they would need to talk about this. Faith would need to do it in order to finally truly be free from her past, and from what had happened now. She would need to finally put a voice to all that pain, guilt and hurt that she had carried around for most of her life. Buffy would need to be part of it, giving a voice to her own pain, guilt and hurt or they wouldn't survive together once they did escape that place.

Now though was not the time. For now, they needed to concentrate on being strong and focused. Faith already knew that, it was why she had pushed, was pushing down, locking up everything this was doing to her on the inside. Buffy, whether she realized it or not, was doing the same thing. They both felt safe here so the walls were beginning to crumble a little, and Atropos knew that in order for them to survive going back there, she couldn't let that happen.

Faith lifted her head from her temporary safe haven. Had she said all of that out loud? Before she had a chance to ask, Atropos began to speak again.

"If I sent you home you would only die. Your bodies are in a sense existing in two places, dimensions, right now. Neither of them are truly complete. For the most part, your conscious and unconscious minds are here, a part of you though still exists there. Unfortunately, this is almost impossible to explain. Think of it in terms of a snake shedding its skin. What is over there is just a thin outer layer, a shell of you each. While here are the inner layers, all of them except for the encasing. You cannot survive without the outer shell, just like it cannot survive without the inner parts of you. Nor can you survive here for long without it." Atropos paused and took a deep breath before she continued.

"If I could I would bring your outer shell here but I don't have thind ind of power. Glory's dimension is not a part of ours. The scope of what I can do doesn't reach into her dimension. And yes, before you ask, the way that you are here is different from the others times, Faith. This time you did not come in your dream or spirit state as it were. This time when you came here you were awake, and your need to be physically away from there caused you to manifest physically, bringing your soul with you. Buffy did the same thing by instinctively using and following the bond that you two share as soul-mates. Please you must believe me if I could send you both home I would. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make that happen. Had we been able to see this in the Tapestry I would have prevented it, that BITCH...... had no right to do what she did and she damn well knew it! I'd rip her throat out myself if I could get my hands on her."

Atropos could tell by the look of surprise, and the flair of anger in both Slayers' eyes that she had moved them back into a place of strength, their focus once again on getting out of the nightmare that Glory had dragged them into. It was a second or two before Atropos realized that they were growling low in approval of her outburst.

"Did you send him to us?"

"Why don't we finish this conversation in my favorite room...?" Atropos told them ignoring Faith's question for now.

Faith didn't miss the impish glint in Atropos' jadeen een eyes at their nod of agreement.

"Just as a warning Faith...I'm about to do something you hate, but truth be told I've gotten lazy in my old age and just hate to walk..." With that said, Atropos waved her hand and within the span of a blink of an eye, they were all in the room that held the needlepoint tapestries on the wall.
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They were sitting comfortably on the dusky rose-colored couch across from Atropos, who was sitting in an antique rocking chair already working on a needlepoint.

"So did you send Satan to us or was he just playing a game?"

"I did not send him, he went there of his own accord. Just like with you Faith we cannot make the choices for the Life Threads, whether mortal or immortal, god or not, whatever choices they make are their own."

"How the hell did he know about us being there and you didn't? Why is he involved in this?"

"He didn't know the Tapestry showed him. As for why he is involved in this I think it would be best if he told you that."

Faith was getting frustrated fast they were once again back to answers that weren't really answers at all. She tried to get this straight in her own mind. The Fates couldn't see this as a possibility in the Tapestry because Glory had done this outside of the Fates realm of power or domain. She knew she was missing a piece of the puzzle here and thaece ece had to do with Luc. But if Luc hadn't known what happened and the Tapestry had shown him what had happened to them... Then that meant that somehow or another the Fates had gotten him involved afterwards. But why? That was really the question and Faith knew that the ancient woman wouldn't tell her, she had made that clear already. There was another question though that Faith hoped Atropos would give her the answer to.

"Was Lucifer really there to help us? Can we trust him?"

"I cannot tell you that either Child. The decision whether or not to trust Luc or whether Luc was there to help is entirely up to you both."

This time Faith groaned aloud in frustration. It was all going round and round in her head, she had to figure this out, she knew Atropos was trying to tell her something but what? Faith stared down the ancient woman until Atropos broke her gaze. She watched as the jade green eyes looked over her head and a sad smile graced the face of the ancient woman. Faith twisted around on the couch and looked up at the needlepoint tapestry that was making Atropos smile so sadly.

'Hello! Good going Faith! Little bit more and the ancient woman would have had to hit you over the head with the damn needlepoint!'

As she stared at the needlepoint tapestry, she heard Luc's voice again in her head, Luc to my friends, but you can call me Lucifer... ah... But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game... It was the same tapestry from her meditation dream, the one of Luc and the beautiful woman with the jade green eyes. He hadn't been playing a game, he had let Faith see his true face from the beginning, he hadn't tried to hide it because he already knew that she had seen it before. Had seen it when she had visited the same jade green-eyed woman who sat in front of her in the rocking chair wearing a mask of her own, who he also knew, would call him Luc, just like all of his friends did.

Buffy looked back and forth between them confused. She became even more confused when Faith asked Atropos her next question.

"How long were the two of you lovers? Oh and Elder you can drop the mask." Though as Faith was saying this she already saw the mask start to shimmer and fade.

Buffy looked at Faith then turned to look at Atropos just as her mask finished shimmering and fell. Now Buffy was totally confused. "What the... Could someone please tell me what's going on? And what the hell is a Life Thread."

"Child did you neglect to tell your Chosen about your visits here?"

Faith gave Atropos a lopsided grin at her calling her child, because the Atropos sitting in front of her now didn't look a day over twenty-five. Faith couldn't help think that the true form of Atropos was both beautiful, sensual and innocent all at once. Luc must have been pretty stupid to have lost her, and Faith hoped that she was never that stupid when it came to Buffy.

A weird chill ran its way up the Dark Slayer's spine and suddenly she had this overwhelming fear that she would be that stupid. That her inability or lack of skill in trying to express what it was that she felt or needed would cause her to lose Buffy and what they had. She was terrified that if, when, they did get back home that she would fall back to being the same old Faith that she was before. Terrified that she wouldn't be able to knock back down the walls she had re-erected in order for them to survive this nightmare they had been thrust into.

"It won't happen." Buffy said softly for Faith's Slayer hearing only.

It was Faith's turn to look at Buffy in confusion. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she had momentarily forgotten about the echoes they shared.

"What won't happen?" Faith asked her just as softly.

"You being that stupid, or going back to the way you were before."

"But..."

"No buts... I won't let it happen..." Buffy smiled softly at Faith, "Face it baby, you're stuck with me forever and then some, whether you like it or not."

Faith smiled weakly back at Buffy and couldn't help but to lean into her hand when Buffy gently touched her cheek.

"Don't ever forget that. Whatever happens we'll get through it together. I love you Faith. It's unconditional and it's forever." Buffy leaned into Faith and rested their foreheads together, "Okay..."

"'K..."

They settled back down into the couch together, Faith snuggling into Buffy, laying her head down onto Buffy's shoulder. "Good. Now you want to tell me about your visits here? 'Cause you kinda fell asleep on me last night... Oh and baby..." Buffy glanced over at Atropos who had remained silent throughout their intimate exchange. She didn't doubt for a second that the ancient, and Buffy knew she was ancient despite her appearance now, had heard what they said. She looked down at the top of Faith's head.

"Yeah B..." Faith looked up at Buffy from her perch on Buffy's shoulder.

"You won't be coming back here anytime soon without me..." Buffy let her gaze fall on the beautiful Fate sitting across from her an impish grin playing around her mouth.

"Ahhh B..." Faith whined playing along with her. Secretly thrilled though, at the little bit of possessiveness that had slipped into Buffy's tone.

"Don't B me... Now come on and tell me what happened when you were here before... "

Faith resettled herself back comfortably into Buffy, laying her head once again on Buffy's shoulder and began her tale. "Well the first time was when..."

Atropos was in awe of them once again, amazed by how they seemed to be able to tease each other. To be able to find happiness within the moment, to push aside all the bad and focus just solely on each other, without forgetting that the time would come that they would have to deal with all that had happened to them. This ability, she knew, was what would get them through the aftermath that was sure to come when they did escape Glory's hell, and escape they would, Atropos had not a doubt. It saddened her a little though, that they both had to learn how to grab onto the moments when they could, the hard way. Faith when she was a child and Buffy after she had been Chosen.

She relaxed back into the rocking chair, working on her needlepoint and listened to Faith tell her tale. Faith, whether she knew it or not, was actually a very good storyteller.
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"... So that's all of it. Though, I didn't remember any of it until I was up on the platform that night. Letting... letting you go was the hardest thingver ver had to do. I felt like I was being torn in half. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to stop you. I wanted to say fuck the world, everyone it in could die for all I cared as long as you and Dawn were safe... But I couldn't because..."

"Because what Faith?"

"Because you taught me better than that B and not only you but all of you, Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Wes, the Scoobs, Dawn, and even Spike. It would have been like spitting in all of your faces. So, I clung to the hope, the fact that nothing could separate us, that when my time came that I would be with you again. A year ago, I wouldn't have cared. But you taught me how to care, how to love and so I honored your wishes. A piece of me died though with every step you took towards the portal and I know that I would have only kept myself alive long enough for Dawn to grow up and keep my promise to you. Because truth be told B... I don't want to live in a world without you in it."

Faith ran a shaky hand through her hair and rushed out the rest, "Now I remember Atropos telling me that it was up to me whether I would remember them after that night. I was so pissed at what happened; at the fucked-up choices they gave me, that I made myself forget them. At least now we know what the hell Luc was trying to do or say with that dumb ass tapestries of pain speech he gave us." Faith paused again, she toyed with the leg of Buffy's sweat pants, then asked her in an almost whisper, "B... did I do the right thing... do you...?"

"Yes Faith you did... As hard as it was, you did... and it was unfair of me to ask you to do it. And I would have felt the same way as you. But you did the right thing letting me go and as weird as this might sound or be, I'm proud of you for it."

"Really?" Faith looked at Buffy with that wide-eyed amazed look that always made Buffy's breath catch at how innocent she could look at times.

"Really." Buffy leaned in and kissed the tip of Faith's nose, who immediately crinkled it and turned beet red. "But what I want to know..." Buffy's gaze turned to Atropos, "Why didn't you just bring Faith here like you had in the past?"

"My ability to bring Faith here whilst she slept doesn't extend into Glory's domain or I would have. All I can do now is send you back when the time comes."

"Then you did sen..."

"As luck would have it Luc just happened to pay Glory a visit." Atropos said cutting off Buffy. "For some odd reason his appearance seemed to have caused Faith to remember us, and being here."

"Yeah, lucky." Buffy let it slide knowing better than to push for an answer that wasn't forthcoming. "So when do I get to see this Tapestry of Life, and can I see my own Life Thread?"

"Yes you can see your own Life Thread. We can go now if you like."

"Now would be good."

"Very well then. And Faith..."

"Let me guess you're gonna do something I hate again aren't you?"

Atropos just laughed lightly and waved her hand.
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They were soaking in the tub once again, basking in the magical water that seemed to take away all of the physical pain in their bodies.

Both Slayers had spent hours standing in front of the Tapestry of Life as it had shown Buffy all that it had shown Faith on her last visit here to the Fates domain. She had learned, like Faith, that each Slayer retained the mystical energy that made them what they were even after death. That in fact each Slayer was born with the energy already part of them. She wonder, like Faith had, if there was a way to activate the power in the next Slayer before the current Slayer died. It was strange to think that the Slayer energy was not actually passed on, but duplicated and given to the next.

While she had been looking at not only her own Life Thread but also Faith's and the other Slayers, that ancient, remembered thing from deep inside that seemed to run through her blood had quickened. She had brushed it off at the time thinking it was answering something from its mate that lived inside of Faith. Now though as she lay cuddled into Faith, who was gently stroking her hair, she wasn't so sure. She felt like she was missing something, whatever it was kept tickling at the edges of her mind and the more she tried to bring it to the forefront the more it eluded her. With a tired sigh, she decided to let it go for the night and snuggled deeper into Faith's warm embrace.

Faith was almost completely relaxed, letting herself luxuriate in her mate's warmth, which surrounded and covered her like a soft woolen blanket. Although she couldn't completely let herself go, the security of this temporary safe-haven for Faith had been effectively destroyed that morning. Her, their reaction to Atropos sudden appearance in the kitchen had been a harsh reminder that eventually they would have to go back there.

She knew that no matter how long they stayed here that she would not be completely able to give in to the pretend world again, would not be completely able to let her guard down. Part of her would keep waiting to hear the sound of the other shoe to drop back in the personal Slayer Hell that Glory had created just for them.
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"Who the bloody hell are you?"

Luc smiled and jumped down off the counter, "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten that we all hadn't met yet. It just seems like I know you all so well.... Please allow me to..." He stopped when he heard Xander groan. Shit he almost did it again, didn't he? "My name is Luc, but you..."

"He's the Devil." Xander blurted out unable to contain himself.

Wesley turned and looked at Xander, "He's a devil you say, you mean like a demon?"

"No li-i-i-ikee in T � H � E Devil...Satan... Lucifer... The Prince of Darkness... that devil..."

"Very funny. Almost had me there, you bloody glorified brick-layer."

"Oh Xander's not lying Spike," Anya said smugly. "I've known Luc for over a thousand years. We were friends when I was a Vengeance demon."

A decided chill mixed with a little bit of fear settled over the room when they realized that neither Xander nor Anya was lying. Xander watched as Wesley pulled a cross out of one pocket and a bottle, of what he assumed was holy water out of the other. He couldn't help but grin.

"Not gonna work Wesley, he's not a vamp." Wesley just shot Xander a what-do-you-know-I-was-a-watcher look. Xander smirked at him, for once he had the upper hand. "Okay don't believe me..." Surprising himself he quirked and eyebrow at Luc and they shared a silent agreement of understanding.

'Whoa! Big on the weird meter there! The Devil! Me and the Devil sharing a secret decoder ring moment.'

Wesley held out the cross in front of him and moved forward, he thumbed the top off the bottle. Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya and even Luc watched him with amusement. Angel and Spike moved to the side standing slightly in front of Wesley flanking him. Dawn burrowed further into James, while Gary watched, a little amused himself. Gunn moved to stand protectively in front of Cordelia and Fred, who kept peeking out over the top of his shoulders.

"Get thee gone oh... um...Prince of Darkness. Go back to the bowels of hell that you ah... hail from." He thrust the cross towards Luc, and sprayed him with the holy water. The Scoobs hid their smiles behind their hands, when Luc slowly dissolved into smoke. Wesley turned around and gave Xander a self-satisfied smirk. "You were saying Xander...?"

"He was saying..." This time it was Wesley who jumped out of his skin when he heard Luc speaking from behind him. He spun around and came face to face with the Devil himself, who was smiling at him with his own self-satisfied look. "...that crosses don't work and now you know that holy water doesn't either, though you might have harmed Angel and Spike if your aim was a little off."

Luc sprounround when he heard the snarls coming from both Angel and Spike. He held his hand out halting them before they could attack, "Please gentlemen, as Gary so succinctly said, don't go all game boy face on us. It's true I am whom Xander said. Lucifer, The Prince of Darkness, though I prefer Luc, it is what my friends call me. Whether you ce toe to believe it or not I am your friend and I AM here to help the Slayers. Let me further state that the rumors of my evilness have been greatly exaggerated."

"It's true! It's all gossip, rumors, and out and out lies!" Anya gave them her smug, matter-of-fact-I-know-this-cause-I was-a-Vengeance-Demon, look this time.

"I suppose telling us that the Luc in your story was really Lucifer was what? Not an option, Willow?" Cordelia sneered in her best Queen C voice, now that she had finally come out of hiding from behind Gunn.

Angel had been puzzled the second that Luc had literally went up in smoke, something was tickling him around the edges of his brain. Then, when Luc had reappeared behind Wesley, he knew what it was that was bothering him. He stood quietly, and opened all his senses to the room, then he knew for sure.

"I ah... didn't think it was important...?" Before Willow could finish, Angel cut her off.

"You were in the hotel yesterday weren't you?" Angel half asked, half-told Luc, "Right before Cordy had her vision. I sensed you." Angel took a threatening step towards Luc, completely forgetting that yesterday his senses had told him that the presence he had detected was benevolent, not malevolent. "What kind of game are you playing with us?"

"I am not playing any game, giving Cordelia the vision was the only way for me to get you all here without directly interfering. If I came to you yesterday and said; Hi, my name is Lucifer or better yet Satan, I need to talk to you; would you have listened to me? No, you would have put on your game boy face and attacked. Wouldn't you, Soul-boy?" Luc snarled right back at Angel.

Angel's eyes started to glow yellow; he took another step towards Luc. He never got the chance to attack; someone else beat him to it.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!!?" Dawn screamed already running at him.

Luc turned around in time to catch the little hellcat coming at him with claws bared. He held her easily as she pummeled his chest.

"WHERE'S BUFFY AND FAITH? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM? WHERE DID YOU TAKE THEM?"

No one in the room moved. They stared unblinking, frozen to the spot, fear written clearly across all of their faces, including Willow and Xander who were unsure now if Luc truly was on their side. All except Tara and Anya, who had no fear at all that Luc would hurt Dawn. Tara had a look of concentration on her face as she stare the the Prince of Darkness, who was holding Dawn quite easily and quite gently.

"I haven't done anything with them little one," Luc told her gently, "I didn't take them anywhere. I want to help them just as much as you do."

"LIAR! I know you have them!"

Tara surprised everyone as she started to walk towards them.

"Tara, don't..."

Tara ignored Willow, walked up close to them both, and tenderly placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"Dawnie, sweetie calm down... Please... He is..."

Luc put Dawn back on her feet and Tara quickly grabbed her to keep her from going after him again.

"Easy Dawnie, he's here to help." Dawn stopped struggling against Tara, she stared defiantly at Luc, not really giving a shit, if he was Satan or not.

'Faith, I'm channeling Faith...

The tears started to fall unbidden from her eyes.

He locked his eyes with Dawn, his face, solemn, serious. Only Tara caught the deep down sorrow and remorse that flitted across his face briefly before he asked Dawn softly, "What makes you think I have them little one?" He couldn't help but think that she reminded him of both Slayers, as she stared so defiantly at him, not backing down, unafraid of him, the supposed greatest evil that had ever lived.

Dawn angrily wiped at the tears that were leaking from her eyes. "You... you called him Soul-boy... Only Faith called him that... How would you know that if you don't have them?" Her voice went from defiantly angry to almost pleading. At least if he had them, they had a chance of getting them back. She would do anything to get her sister, no, sisters' back.

He sighed. Again, Tara saw the sorrow and remorse flash across his face. They all waited for him to answer, he wished he could just tell them where the Slayers were, but he fucking couldn't. The damn fucking rules again. He had no idea what would happen if he broke them, not a one. Besides, he knew they had all the right hints, he had made sure of that. Willow had all the clues; he had given them to the Slayers to give to her. It was his words that they had heard in their heads and had spoken to Willow. Now all the people in front of him had to do was figure it all out then the rules didn't apply and he could lead the way.

"I know that Faith calls him that. Just like I know that Tara and Willow call each other their Always and Xander calls Angel, Dead-boy

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