Disclaimer: Same as in first part

Faith spent most of the day in a state fluctuating between anxiety and disgust. The anticipation of Buffy's visit was offset by the disgust she felt for herself at how easily she'd gotten suckered in by a few sweet words. As the minutes ticked by, her nerves were getting rubbed raw until she couldn't even sit without vibrating on the seat like a defective car engine. In fact, the only person who didn't get the message to stay clear of her was the crazy chick. But since she was nuttier than a Babe Ruth, she could be extended some leeway and some didn't mean she could cozy up to the brunette with one arm over the shoulder like they were the best of buds cuz that wasn't gonna go over at the best of times. The slayer was seriously debating the pros and cons of just slugging the other girl but finally decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble or the stupid amounts of guilt that'd catch up with her later.

She tried rationalizing for why Buffy wasn't there yet. She tried denying it mattered to her if Buffy came or not but damn if she could hold up the belief any longer. She was going out of her mind and it was starting to show. Every time she looked up at the clock, she questioned if it was indeed moving slower than a one armed, wheel chair bound geriatric. If she weren't staring right at it, she'd have been convinced that it was actually going backwards. Perking up slightly when the guard came in, walking towards her, she watched as he beckoned with a crooked finger.

Soon as she walked into the visitor's area, she could tell something was wrong. Maybe it was the forlorn look on Buffy's face or her red, puffy eyes, whatever. All she knew was that whenever the blonde was in a bad mood, she'd get pissed off as well. It was a weird connection they shared. She opened her mouth to ask what happened but couldn't get a word out before she got an armful of Buffy in her arms. Even in this obviously distressed situation, Faith couldn't help but groan at the sweet contact. It was bad, it was shallow, but it couldn't be helped. She was only human after all. When the feeling passed, she thought it'd probably be best just to keep her mouth shut until the older slayer composed herself enough to tell her what happened. Meanwhile, she'd enjoy the moment for as long as it lasted cuz chances like these, you just gotta appreciate.

"I talked to Riley." The moment passed much too quickly for the brunette and it was such a lousy way to end it too. Since her heart was in her throat, the only sound she could muster was a cross between an "Oh" and a "Hmmm." Buffy pulled back to inspect the other slayer's face. It was always a crap shoot when it came to gauging Faith's reaction and by the blank look currently occupying her face, it'd be a 50/50 for her to go either way. So before she could lean one way or the other, Buffy was quick to add that "I told him about us...He...didn't take it well."

"What exactly did you tell him?" Faith's expression was pretty neutral or at least she hoped it was cuz even if her heart was pounding like the Energizer Bunny on speed and her palms were getting sweaty didn't mean everyone else had to know about it, even if "everyone else" was only Buffy..._especially_ since it was Buffy.

The petite slayer hesitated to answer only because she knew the other girl was still leery about any demonstration of affection directed her way, let alone confessions of love. Their earlier conversations had already established as much but that was exactly what she'd told Riley---it was love that she felt for the brunette. To put it bluntly, he had been stunned. He had never even seen it coming and why should he have? Buffy had certainly never given him any indication that she'd drop him for another slayer. Shutting off the tangential thought, she looked Faith directly in the eye and stated "I told him I couldn't be with him anymore."

"That's it?" She wasn't sure what she was fishing for other than some sappy words that were probably more lies than not but maybe that didn't matter anymore. Truth was over-rated anyway. Most people, whether they admitted it or not, would be just as happy, if not more so if people did lie to them more often.

"I also told him that the reason I couldn't be with him anymore was because...well, because of you."

"Cornfed must've been pissed."

A shrug indicated the subject would be tender for the foreseeable future and an awkward silence than descended over the pair as they each tried to think of something to say. Finally, Faith sighed with a decidedly resigned slump to her shoulders. "You shouldn't have done that." The statement wasn't meant as a reproach but a reluctant admission couched in sadness. "He loved you, y'know. And it's not in the 'I want to get you in the sack so I'll say anything' kinda deal either. You shouldn't have thrown that away."

"What are you saying?"

"We both know I'm going to spend a good chunk of the rest of my life behind bars." She stopped Buffy before she could interject. "I'm just telling you the facts. I don't want you to wait for me cuz we both know how that'll end up. You'll get bitter and resentful, I'll feel guilt cuz I'll be the reason why that'll happen. It'll save everybody a lot of money on the shrink bills if you get back together with Mr. All-American. Tell him you were temporarily insane, under a spell, whatever. It'll be the right choice."

For a moment, it looked as if the older slayer were actually mulling the decision over but it was only for a moment. "No" She stated with her hands clasped behind her back and a ready determination in her eyes that dared the other girl to question her decision. And, of course, Faith stepped right up to the plate.

"You can't just say no. Think about it first."

"Okay...I thought about it, I'm still saying no."

"How many times have you told me I have to think things through. You should take some of your own advice."

"Want, take, have. I'm taking your advice now and I want you. Don't worry about all that other stuff because you're afraid what might or might not happen. There's no assurances in life and certainly not in our line of work. Even if I get back with Riley, does it mean I'll be happy? Live happily ever after? I don't know and I doubt you do either."

"You're forgetting one thing though. With me, there's no guessing. I'm a dead end street, get it through your head. Geez, sometimes I think you have a thicker skull than I do."

Buffy hesitated before broaching a subject she hadn't intended to until later. "Y'know...it doesn't have to be that way. They don't have any evidence besides your confession. So---"

"Ain't gonna happen. Forget it. I'm owning up to this B and I'm doing the right thing. That's what slayers do---the right thing." Not too long ago, Faith would have laughed her head off at this line. In fact, she'd done exactly that when imitating the other slayer's mannerisms after they had switched bodies. And even though, it still sounded kinda fake coming out of her mouth, it wasn't nearly as funny anymore.

"A slayer fights demons and monsters. If you're in jail, you can't do that."

The brunette opened her mouth to protest but found nothing to counter the argument.

"Now it's your turn. Think about it okay?"

*****

"Look, here comes the Buffster" Xander exclaimed spotting Buffy walking towards the group's outdoor cafe table. "How goes the day?"

"Some parts go better than others." She sat down on the only available seat between Tara and Anya. "But it ended on a good note. At least I think it was a good note."

"Well tell us about it while we're ordering 'cause I'm starving. You'd be surprised how exhausting sightseeing is."

"Yeah, all that walking and for what? To stare at buildings and old things?" Anya shook her head disgustedly. "I'd rather be listening to those whiny church people on the corner over there."

"Shhh...if they hear you, they'll come over." Xander looked almost frightened at the possibility.

As they ordered, Buffy filled them in on the bare bones of what had transpired that morning.

"So where's Riley now?" Willow asked. She really felt bad for the guy and if she were asked, she'd have to say he'd be better for the slayer than Faith ever could be.

"He walked out. I don't know where he went." The guilt was evident in her downcast gaze and clipped tone.

"I'm sure he'll be all right." Willow's hollow reassurance got a nod from the blonde and for the rest of the meal, the gang made a conscious effort to avoid the subject altogether.

They arrived back at their motel later that night, having spent the majority of the day being the consummate tourists. It was exactly what Buffy had needed to take her mind off of her various and sundry problems...mindless fun always seemed to do the trick. Once she turned on the lights in her room, she noticed that a piece of paper had been slipped under her door.

Buffy,

I'm sorry I stormed out on you today but what you told me really surprised me. I'd be lying if I said I'm not angry. I still love you and I won't just walk away from this relationship without trying my darnedest to win you back. Please know that whatever I do or will do is motivated by my feelings for you.

Love, Riley

The last sentence to the note gave the slayer pause. Riley wasn't one to rush into a situation or do anything rash. After all, he was the epitome of the perfect soldier---following orders and staying within the lines. Of course, that disregarded his recent break with the Initiative and the shock he received earlier in the day. Whatever he planned on doing, she'd have to keep an eye out for.it. She didn't want to see him hurt anymore than he already had been.

A week passed without another reappearance by Riley. There was absolutely no sign of him and Buffy was starting to get worried. With each day that passed with still no word from him, she grew increasingly morose. The rest of the gang had left for Sunnydale the other day, grudgingly leaving her in LA for the time being. She had worked tirelessly for the last few days trying to convince Faith that it wasn't the worse thing in the world if she didn't serve a twenty five year sentence and working with her lawyer and Angel to see that she didn't. Both tasks were going rather well and it was the one bright spot in an otherwise emotionally charged week that saw her at the end of her rope on more than one occasion. One of the things that saw her through was the support of her friends but she couldn't expect them to stay in LA indefinitely so, over their protests, she suggested they go home. In moments like these though, she really regretted doing that. She'd just come back from an exhausting session with Faith and her lawyer. It wasn't that everything wasn't rolling along but the road towards preparing for the probable trial made her feel like banging her head against the wall at times. The inevitable questions that had to be asked and the answers that had to be given while at the same time avoiding the slayer issue resembled a juggling act. Not to mention that the younger girl wasn't too forthcoming with her version of the events. There were still plenty of issues the brunette had to work out and Buffy vowed she wouldn't have to do it alone.

Flopping down on the bed, she grabbed the pillow and buried her face into its soft, cotton-ey depths. A sudden yearning for her childhood companion Mr. Gordo pierced her consciousness. A pillow placed a distant second to her beloved stuffed pig and it didn't hold a candle to the person she really wanted to be holding in her arms right now. She tried quieting her desires, knowing full well they wouldn't be fulfilled for quite some time. As in most cases, the thought kept recurring, refusing to creep back into the recesses of her mind. She couldn't help thinking forward to the day when Faith would be released and she didn't doubt it would be soon. To even flirt with a contrary belief would be unacceptable since that represented the first step to the crumbling of her emotional base and too many people depended on her for her to indulge in the luxury of breaking down. Burrowing deeper into the cozy nest she'd created in the middle of her bed, her body and mind eventually gave in and succumbed to sleep's lull but it proved a temporary reprieve for, no sooner was she flying in dreamland, the shrill ringing of the telephone abruptly jarred her back.

"Hello?" She greeted, still in the gray zone between awake and asleep.

"What?" It just didn't make sense what she was hearing on the other end of the line but at least all remnants of sleep were KO'ed from her mind.

"I'll be right there." It was a good thing she'd fallen asleep still fully clothed as she ran out the door, looking to all the world like a blurry, blonde streak.

*****

Angel had just finished filling her in on the situation and to say that Buffy was pissed off wouldn't do her mood justice. She was on par to surpass even the foulest of tantrums in recorded history. Napoleon's loss at Waterloo, Custer's disastrous last stand, these were nothing compared to her loss. For whatever reason, known only by Fate and a few cosmic deities, she had lost Faith, literally. One of the guards at the jail had called her lawyer, who had in turn called Angel to say that the younger slayer had been escorted out of the compound by some military commando types. When asked to explain how this could happen, they seemed equally puzzled, citing only that the proper papers and legal work were shown, essentially covering their collective asses.

"Are you saying that we have no idea where she could be?" She asked out of sheer frustration, knowing full well that, indeed, they had no clue.

Angel obliged her with a weary nod.

"We have to find her!" She stressed with a note of desperation hanging onto every word. "What do we know so far? That she's probably been abducted by the military. Great, then all we have to do is find the nearest military installation and storm the place until we find her."

Angel just looked at her throughout her entire rant without saying squat but now, he moved in front of the slayer, placing two calming hands over her shoulders, grounding her at least temporarily.

"Yes, we _will_ find her...if we don't go off half-cocked. I've contacted some of my sources and they should come through. What I need you to do now is have patience, all right? I promise you we'll find her." Even though he looked like he had absolute conviction in his own words, inside he was feeling anything but. The "sources" he mentioned were reliable but he doubted they'd be able to report back anything of worth. He was seriously worried about Faith's welfare but had to shelve his own concerns in the face of Buffy's less than composed demeanor.

"I know we will." A manic light suffused her eyes, lending her an unsettled glaze, shared only by the insane and the very disturbed portion of humanity. "And I swear, if she's hurt..." She didn't need to finish the rest of the sentence. The implication was enough for Angel to feel almost sorry for whoever was behind this mess for he had no doubt Buffy would be kicking their ass before it was all said and done.

*****

The room was dim and in no way could be considered large. It barely had room for a three people to maneuver easily. The only light source filtered in through the large tinted window dominating an entire wall. If one were to look through this window, the scene that would greet their eyes would be a view into the adjoining room that sported whiter than white walls accentuated by harsh, fluorescent lights. At least ten times as large as its neighbor and containing much more than a couple of folding chairs, it hosted a hospital gurney, medical instruments galore laid out in neat, little rows and even boasted its own patient, sedated and strapped down on said gurney.

"You have to be careful with her. She's stronger and more resourceful than she looks."

"I assure you we've read up on her Mr. Finn. I'm sure we have the requisite resources to deal with anything that might erupt." The pretentiously snide way the sandy haired young man delivered this comment made Riley narrow his eyes. If this was the attitude that was shared by the little snot's colleagues, he knew it would only be a matter of time before Faith broke free. They didn't know what they were dealing with, no matter what they said to the contrary.

"Listen to me and listen good. You have no idea what she's capable of. Whatever you've read, whatever you've been told, you will _not_ be prepared for what she is or what she can do. And if you ever let your guard down for even a split second, she'll take advantage of it...and let me just make this last point clear for you Doctor. If she does escape, the first thing I'll do will be to come back here and hurt you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The other man tried valiantly to halt the tremor of fear that ran through his body but he just wasn't trained for this sort of confrontation so, maintaining as much of his dignity as possible, he nodded while awkwardly folding his arms over his chest, resisting the urge to take a step back. Riley continued staring at him until he was forced to look away, leaving the last shred of his dignity lying on the floor. Satisfied that his warning had been taken to heart, the ex-soldier took one last, long look at the body lying motionless in the other room before taking his leave.

*****

Her legs and arms felt leaded down with heavy weights and her eyelids refused to open no matter how many times her mind told them to move. Unfortunately, her mind wasn't quite up to par either. Her sluggish thought processes labored to recall what had happened. She wasn't having much success when voices began to invade her ears. The slurred words and echoing quality they tended to exhibit made interpreting their meaning next to impossible. The more she tried and failed, the more frustrated she grew. The best she could figure was that there were two people, one a guy and the other a girl. Aside from that though, she still had no idea what had happened to bring her to this place or what exactly this place was. Before she could dwell on her disorientation further, a sharp pricking sensation pierced her arm. A wave of warmth quickly spread from that spot, engulfing her entire body in a hot bubble that grabbed her brain and forcibly tossed it back into the dark prison it had dwelled for who knows how long.

*****

It wasn't the waiting that killed her. It was the helplessness of not being able to do anything while waiting that she loathed with a passion. Two days had passed with still no further information about Faith or the people who might have taken her. TWO DAYS!! She was going crazy imagining all the different horrific scenarios and predicaments that could have befallen the brunette. She didn't like how most of these thoughts ended but with each hour that went by that saw no development, it became harder and harder to maintain the slivers of optimism that still remained.

"I should have known I'd find you here." Riley stood at the bottom of the stairs, acting for all the world like they hadn't had a major falling out just a few days ago. "The secretary upstairs pointed me down here. Very helpful woman...I missed you so much."

"Tell me you didn't." She walked slowly up to him. Confusion, sadness, and anger were just some of the emotions warring in her eyes. The minute she heard that the military was involved somehow, she had feared that he was behind it. She had also hoped this wasn't the case but looking at him now, there was no way she could hold back the tide of frustration from boiling to the surface and spilling onto whoever was close enough to bear the brunt of it. "Tell me you didn't take her, Riley!"

His jaw clenched and unclenched in that characteristic way he had when things weren't going according to plan. 'What's so wrong if I did? She's dangerous to you and to everybody she comes in contact with. All I did was alert the appropriate people who took the necessary steps to--"

He was knocked back by a bone-cracking right to the jaw before he could finish explaining his motivation. A hit from a slayer hurts, a hit from an angry slayer that had her breaking point breached two days ago hurt alot more.

"I don't care why you did it!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, grabbing his still prone form by the throat. She held him so tightly that Riley started choking for air, seriously fearing for his life. "Pray that she's not hurt Riley. For your own sake, pray." She eventually loosened her grip enough for him to take a much needed breath but only just. "Tell me where she is."

The presence of another person standing frozen on the stairs didn't register in her mind at all. Cordelia had come down to investigate, drawn by the sudden rise in noise level to find Buffy more pissed off than she'd ever seen her before. The PO level was, if not homicidal, damn close to it. She didn't know what had brought it on but she could hazard a guess that it probably had something to do with Faith. The guy lying on the floor was in serious trouble if he didn't start answering soon because Cordelia had no intention of intervening in this particular conversation. She wasn't crazy enough or stupid enough to place her life on the line by going up against an unbalanced slayer.

"She's...dead," he managed to croak out.

"You're lying!" The blonde screamed in his face, wrapping both hands tightly around his already damaged throat. Two other hands suddenly emerged, wrapping around her own, gently trying to pull her off the unconscious man. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the last bit of her rationality reasserted itself enough so she didn't let her grip close off completely. Instead, she allowed herself to be pulled away despite the overwhelming urge to finish off what she'd started. Cordelia let out an unsteady breath once it was clear Buffy wouldn't kill the cute guy on the floor. Still holding onto her hands, she led the other woman upstairs.

*****

The stomping coming from upstairs indicated the pacings of a slayer on the edge of a meltdown. Angel looked up for a minute, a frown covering his face before turning back around to the seated figure on the couch who was gingerly rubbing his neck.

"You want to tell me what happened?"

Riley looked up sullenly without replying.

"It kills you doesn't it? One minute she says she loves you, the next minute, poof, she doesn't." The ex-soldier's gaze turned suspicious but he didn't look away. "And she doesn't care either. She's so wrapped up in what she needs and what she wants, she doesn't see what happens to us, the ones she leaves by the roadside like discarded garbage." Riley nodded almost imperceptibly in agreement. "And who does she leave you for, huh? A psychotic murderer who's already tried to kill on several occasions? What kind of twisted logic is that?" The vampire waited for another nod before continuing. "You're not the only one she's done it to. She drove a sword into my gut and sent me to hell. I'm surprised you didn't feel steel cutting into your body; she seems to have an affinity for poking her lovers with sharp, metal objects. So I don't give a damn what happens to Faith. I'm just glad that piece of trash is off the streets. It doesn't matter to me if she's dead or alive. If she's dead, I can go up there and watch her crumble while I tell her the good news. If she's alive, Buffy will have to live with the fact she'll never see that slut ever again or know what happens to her. What should I say Riley? Is she dead or not?"

The brown haired man continued rubbing his neck tenderly as a sick smile appeared on his face. Clearing his throat, he said in a hoarse whisper "You must really think I'm a stupid hick if you think I'm gonna fall for that...but I'll tell you just cuz you're so pathetic. I kinda feel bad for you...She's not dead...yet." He started laughing at a joke only he could appreciate before starting to choke, painfully gasping for air. Angel had only met this guy once and it wasn't under the best of circumstances either but what little of an impression he got was of a good guy, especially when it came to Buffy's welfare. The man he observed coughing on the couch held no resemblance to this image. Unable to reconcile the difference, the vampire settled for cuffing him to the radiator for now.

As soon as Angel emerged from downstairs, the blond slayer's angry stomping abruptly ceased, thankfully leaving the floor still intact. She had the deer-in-headlights look stamped on her face, a combination of hope and fear radiating from her luminous blue eyes.

"Faith's still alive." He couldn't be a hundred percent sure that Riley had been completely truthful but the almost euphoric joy those words brought to her face made the risk worth it.

"We have to save her then. We have to get her away from those military guys--"

"We have to find out where she's being held first. Riley's not going to talk."

"Willow! She's going to be here in a few hours. She can do a truth spell or something." As she willed her friend to get there sooner, she also said a silent prayer to whoever might be listening to keep Faith safe a little longer because that was all the time she'd need to find her lover and kick some ass while she was at it too.

*****

Thankfully,  the second time she floated to consciousness didn't end in a needle full of artificial sleepytime. That wasn't to say it was a good wakeup call or even a tolerable one by any means. The first fact she became aware of concerned the dryness of her mouth. It felt like there were cotton balls stuffed in there and swallowing didn't help the matter any. The lights were the second factor that registered. Without even opening them, she could tell it'd be a killer for her unadjusted eyes by the sheer brightness shining through her lids. Trying to raise a hand to shield her vision at least temporarily, she discovered the third fact regarding her current position. Her arms were tied down and her legs were similarly bound. Having no choice, she slowly opened her eyes only to shut them quickly again in agony when confronted with rows of bright, fluorescent lights. Cursing with a dry mouth and what felt like a swollen tongue is no small feat but, somehow, Faith managed handily.

A couple of minutes passed by before she tried again and, this time, it proved a more successful endeavor. Blinking once or twice to clear the spots from in front of her eyes. she looked down the length of her body to discover what she already guessed. A thick, steel shackle on each of her extremities fixed her in place pretty well but a further examination found that the ends of the steel bands were anchored to the frame of the hospital bed she laid in. Instead of anchoring the restraints to a solid base such as the floor, whatever genius thought this up just made her day. Before she could savor this little ray of hope the door to the room opened allowing a sandy haired, average looking guy in a white lab coat to step through. Obviously not expecting her to be awake already, he emitted a surprised gasp. Recovering his composure once he was relatively sure that she was still secured, he approached the bed with forced bravado.

"I see we've already underestimated you. We gave you enough drugs to take an elephant down for a couple of days but yet, here you are...awake." An expression bordering on interest and distaste crossed his face as he rummaged through a cabinet nearby.

"I ain't an elephant. I'm a slayer. In case you don't know, that means I'm going to kick your skinny, white ass from California to Washington as soon as I get out of here."

"Assuming you can get free that is." He had successfully lulled himself into a sense of security as he kept reminding himself that the girl was locked down and unable to carry out her threat. What he still hadn't factored in for all his calculations was the slayer aspect. Slayer strength and ingenuity against a few pieces of metal attached to a bed frame made for short work...that is if the little bastard hadn't just stuck a needle the size of the space shuttle into her arm. Able to resist the effects for only a few seconds, she did, however, manage to snarl at him in a suitably convincing manner before her mind was dragged kicking and screaming back to a fragmented, wholly Buffy-less world.

*****

Upon Willow's arrival with Xander and Tara in tow, Riley's smug demeanor became somewhat discomfited. Magic wasn't something he could grasp easily. He'd always assumed it was all hocus pocus anyway, thought up by men as a poor substitute to science. In the past few weeks, those beliefs had been turned on its head and now, not only was he about to witness it performed, he was the unwilling subject of said magic. As if this wasn't enough to put a crimp in his confidence that everything he'd done up to that point was in the right, whenever Willow's eyes turned his way, a wave of disappointment and sadness intermingled in her gaze. Letting her down wasn't what he'd intended when he set his plan in motion and watching her now almost created a sense of guilt in his mind, almost.

Xander and Angel just kept staring at him with unreadable expressions on their faces while Buffy...her eyes were filled with nothing but hostility as she out and out  glared at him. He would never have imagined in his worst nightmares that that look would be directed on him. Not only directed but zeroed in. Whatever hope he still harbored for their relationship shriveled up and died while whatever guilt he might have felt over his actions proceeded to do the same. Faith, that other slayer, was the cause for all this. Of that he was positive and her fate now troubled him not since he saw it as just punishment for all the imaginary wrongs she'd inflicted on him.

When the various spell casting paraphernalia were set up to Willow's approval, the two witches began the ritual. As far as he could make out, they were chanting in Latin. When they finished, everybody looked to him expectantly.

"Did it work?" Buffy asked eagerly, stepping in. Not waiting for an answer, she started questioning her ex-boyfriend. "Where is she? Where's Faith?"

Without even realizing at first that it was his voice that answered or his lips that were moving, Riley proceeded to spill his guts out. He fell short of actually drawing them a map to the secret compound but, suffice it to say, it wasn't a secret anymore.

"What do they want with her?"

"She's a specimen." He had long since stopped trying to bite his own tongue off and resigned himself to the fact that the truth was going to come out no matter how much he fought against it. Special forces never prepared him for this type of interrogation technique. "Nothing more, nothing less. She's also a dangerous factor to leave for the local authorities to handle. They don't have the necessary resources or knowledge to deal with something like her."

"_She_ is a slayer. Same as me." Buffy countered icily. "Why didn't you have them lock me up too?"

"She's nothing like you. You don't go around murdering people or stealing their girlfriends while their back is turned."

"She didn't steal me away Riley. In fact, she tried to push me away when I told her..."

"You're never going to convince me that's what happened...and that's the truth. I love you, Buffy. No matter what happens, I'll always love you. She's done something to you, I know it. That's why you're acting this way."

"Move on much?" Xander commented from where he stood off to the side. Sure Faith wasn't his favorite person but nobody deserved to be the subject in some wacky, scientific experiment.

Buffy shook her head in disgust that he still wouldn't accept the facts and deal. But she didn't have time for arguing. There was someone she needed to save.

*****

It turned out that the secret military base was a couple of miles outside of LA. A quick scouting trip uncovered that it consisted of nothing more than a few nondescript, squat buildings huddled together. Surrounded by a heavy duty fence topped with razor sharp wire, it was guarded by stone faced men in fatigues. The compound didn't look that hard to infiltrate until they noticed all the guards were carrying sub-machine guns. That made cracking this place a little harder but definitely not on the impossible scale. As it was, all they needed was a few minutes in which to get Faith and get gone. Riley had helpfully provided them with the exact location where the brunette was being held. A complete map of the sewer system running underneath the compound scrounged from the city archives provided a means of entry and one of Willow's spells promised to black out the entire facility when they were in position.

*****

Riley was left alone in the exact same position he'd been in for the last ten hours. Strapped to the radiator by a handcuff while everybody had left to undergo a find and retrieve mission. Currently trying to break the restraint by pulling on it as hard as he could, he was having more luck than he'd gotten in quite a while. The links were starting to come apart. One last, hard yank pulled him free. A bloody wrist accompanied the triumph but the pain was put out of his mind. At the moment, all his thoughts were focused on getting to the base.

*****

Buffy navigated the sewers with flashlight in hand at a fast clip. Angel followed behind keeping pace easily in the suffocating darkness. They only slowed down when reaching diverging tunnels to read the hastily drawn map they'd brought along and even those delays were too long for the blonde's taste. Trudging through sewage for half an hour, the duo arrived at the designated spot where they were to wait until Willow's spell took effect.

"How much longer?" The slayer was all but jumping up to the sewer grate. Angel glanced at his watch and indicated they still had a good five minutes before it'd be safe. They waited in terse silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. The vampire was visualizing their route to Faith's room while the slayer was visualizing taking her lover away from this place and of all the things she would tell her once they were safely gone. Checking his watch again, Angel motioned her to go up. Buffy took the point, jimmying the grate open and hefting herself through the hole. As expected, the room was in complete darkness, the same as the rest of the facilities if Willow's spell had worked according to plan.

Buffy headed towards the stairs that would lead them up onto the main floor. Two more flights of stairs from there and a few twists and turns would lead them directly outside Faith's room. Assuming they didn't meet anyone unexpected on the way there or coming back, the whole operation shouldn't exceed more than ten minutes, fifteen tops. This might or might not have been the case but they would never get to find out. They walked only a few steps before a shout of "Halt!" stopped them in their tracks. The shout echoed throughout the cavernous basement, a disparate change to the silence before. Two dozen red laser beams were suddenly trained on them. "Lie down on the ground now!" Unable to do anything else with so much firepower focused on them, they both dropped down to the floor if somewhat reluctantly. As soon as they did, they were surrounded and pinned down by a mass of bodies that suddenly materialized from everywhere and nowhere at once.

*****

They were marched up to the second floor by four guards, two in front and two behind. Their hands were held securely behind their backs by specially designed, reinforced steel bands that refused to break apart even with a vampire and a slayer's strength trying to do the breakage. The group finally stopped at the entrance to a room that held a number of holding cells much like those in the Initiative. Electrified plastic partitioned walls instead of iron bars kept the cell's occupants in. Willow, Tara, Xander, Wesley, and Cordelia were each in their own cell. They all looked sheepish as the last two members of the party were escorted in except for Cordy who looked pissed off at being held against her will by the government. Pushed in rather unceremoniously by one of the soldiers after her restraint was removed, Buffy nearly stumbled before turning back around to glare at her unrepentant captor. Angel was similarly tossed in after which the four guards left without having said a word to either of them.

"Well...this is a predicament, isn't it?" Wesley announced as if the thought had just occurred to him. A few nods and groans accompanied his assessment but Buffy remained oblivious as she continued to inspect every inch of her prison for a way out.

"They can't just hold us here indefinitely right? I mean, what about due process? They haven't even read us our rights yet." Willow looked to her fellow captives for support but was disappointed by the response of "But they're the secret, military guys, Will," from Xander. Deflated, the red-headed witch let out an "Oh, yeah. They probably wouldn't go for that constitutional stuff."

"I can't believe this. How did they know what we were up to anyway? Willow hadn't even said one word of her spell before they ambushed us." Cordy looked over towards Angel who was in the opposite cell. "How did they get you?"

"In the basement. We were just coming up from the sewer. They were ready for us."

"But how?" The question went unanswered as puzzled frowns alighted on everyone's faces.

*****

"Mr. Finn?" The sandy haired man who Riley had threatened earlier greeted him coming into the small office. "You've proved a great help to us so far. Without your information, we would've had a bigger annoyance on our hands."

"Annoyance? Try major problem. In all probability, they would have pulled off their heist and you would have had a major problem on your hands."

"Good thing it didn't happen then." He dryly replied, taking a seat behind the desk.

"Where's Buffy?"

"You mean the other slayer? In the containment cells of course, along with the rest of her party."

"I thought we had a deal. She's not supposed to be hurt."

"And she's not going to be but we're also not going to let her go either. She's a threat to us all Mr. Finn. I would have thought you'd understand after all you've told us about Faith."

"They're not the same." Riley countered leaning across   the desk. "Buffy is good. She fights against evil. You have to let her go."

"My patience is limited. My orders are to hold her and I intend to follow them. I appreciate what you've done for us but there's only so much leeway we can grant you." Two guards came in at a silent command from him. "Please escort Mr. Finn out of the compound." Riley slapped his hands on the desk in frustration before allowing himself to be led away.

****

This time, she didn't even wait to be fully awake before she started working on the restraints that held her prisoner to the bed. The bands around her wrist didn't give an inch but the bed did which was just as good. With her right hand free, she was about to start on her left when a noise at the door alerted her. Quickly feigning sleep, she hid her free hand underneath the covers. Footsteps approached the right side of her bed, stopping only a few steps from her arm. She could hear the scratching of a pen on paper as whoever it was decided to take notes. Reaching out with a deadly speed that defied human standards, her arm shot out, grabbing his neck with a preternatural accuracy. Opening his eyes, she saw it wasn't the same guy who'd put a needle in her the last time she'd been awake. She dully watched as the guy's eyes bulged slightly as he tried to take in a breath to no avail.

"Keys?" She asked, indicating her still bound limbs. Reaching into his pockets with shaking hands, he fumbled around, finally taking out a jangling keychain. He held up a small silver key, begging her silently to let go which she obliged after head butting him hard enough to knock him out for a couple of hours at least. Four opened locks and a change of clothing later, she headed out. Luckily, all of her clothes were folded and stacked near the bed so she didn't have to escape in the hospital gown they'd dressed her in. Making it to the emergency stairs, she started to go down but the loud crash of a door closing forced her to duck back out in the hallway. Leaving the door slightly ajar so she could tell when the coast was clear, she inadvertently caught the exchange between the two soldiers coming up the stairs.

"I heard we got two of them now."

"Yeah, but who are they? Are they like demons or something?"

"Nah, they're slayers, whatever the heck that is. They're supposed to be super strong like demons though."

"So they're basically freaks of nature. Good thing we've got them--"

His sentence was cut off by the door that suddenly swung open as they passed, knocking one guy out and leaving the other one stunned, staring at his fallen friend. Before he could bring up his weapon, it was knocked from his grasp by a roundhouse kick. He was laid out on his back not long after. A couple of hard punches to the face almost knocked him out and, looking at the blurry figure sitting on top of him, he wondered what he'd done to deserve this.

"Let's make this quick so I don't have to hurt you anymore. Where's the other slayer? The blonde one?" Not receiving a prompt enough answer, she dug her knee into his kidney until tears sprang unbidden to his eyes. "Don't make it any harder on yourself. I'm gonna get it out of you anyway."

"Second floor...In one of the...holding cells."

"Thank you." Delivering a blow that knocked him out, Faith proceed to lock both men to the metal rails with their own cuffs.

*****

Riley waited until he and his two "escorts" rounded a corner before stopping abruptly and grabbing one of them in a chokehold while kicking the other guy's kneecap, producing a satisfying crunch along with a strangled yell. Still maintaining a hold around one of the soldier's neck, Riley rammed his head into a nearby wall with enough force to nearly crack a skull. In the same smooth motion, he kneed the face of the soldier with the broken kneecap who had been slouched over hopping on one leg. In less than ten seconds, the two guards charged to escort him out were out of commission and probably due for disability leave once they woke up. This was probably the final break as far as the military and him were concerned. No way they'd just let this slide but, between Buffy and them, there was no contest.

*****

Faith made it down to the second floor with no further incidence aside from a bout of dizziness as her body continued to clear the drugs from her system. Carefully opening the stairwell door an inch, she caught a glimpse of a camo clad guard in the middle of a long hallway, staring off into space. Before she could implement her plan of attack which basically consisted of going out there and beating the crap out of him, someone else beat her to it. To Faith's surprise, Beefstick came out of the opposite side of the hall, came right up to the guard who looked uncertain as to what to do, and nailed him with a punch tot he jaw that dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Stepping over the crumpled body, Riley went through the now unguarded door. As soon as he did, Faith came out, almost sauntering over to the entrance Soldierboy had taken. Taking a moment to reach down and grab the unconscious guard's weapon. She hefted it casually and opened the door.

By the time she walked in, Cornfed had already freed Buffy from her cell and from the raised voices coming her way, things weren't exactly happy happy between them. Damn if it wasn't always like this. Get kidnapped and drugged for a couple of days and you're behind on everything, completely out of the loop. Never one to stand by and let the action pass her by, Faith interjected her own voice into the fray. "Am I too late or can anyone get in on the party?"

"Faith!" Buffy's exclamation preceded an all out run to embrace the brunette. With a badass gun in one hand and a kickass girl in the other, Faith felt like some female incarnation of Rambo. Spying Riley starting to come their way, she aimed the weapon at him, giving him every indication she'd fire if he so much as took another step closer. He remained frozen on the spot, clearly having enough sense left to take her warning while Buffy continued whispering into her ear. It was mostly about how glad she was to find her, how much she'd missed her, and how much she loved her---basically all the stuff that made the dark haired slayer melt like buttered popcorn inside. They stayed like that, enamored in each other's company before the mood was broken by the insistent "Ahem"s coming from Cordelia. Finally acknowledging the not so subtle interruption, they separated slightly.

"If you're about done, there are people who need your help here."

Buffy went around to all the cells, freeing everyone while Faith continued to keep her gun trained on Riley. If looks could kill, the young slayer would be a cold, dead corpse in the ground. he had never experienced the kind of hatred he felt right then and if he took some time to evaluate what he felt, it would definitely unnerve him. but the smirk thrown at him from the brunette as if to say, "I've got what you want and you're never going to get her back" left him with no such compulsion.

"So how do we get out of this House 'O Fun without dying?" Xander looked nervously from Riley to Faith. The two looked like they were going to have a showdown and interesting as that might be to witness, right now, his number one priority was to get out of here alive.

Still glaring, Riley said "the sewer entrance you tried to use, it'll be unguarded."

"Then let's go." Buffy grabbed Faith's hand and dragged her away as the gang filed behind them. Pushing his way to the front of the group, Riley attempted to take command, brusquely stating that "I know this place better then any of you. Follow me."

Of course, Faith had to ask somewhat belligerently how he knew this place so well in the first place. When everyone seemed to clamp up at that, she found it suspicious. When they averted their eyes, she knew it was something pretty bad. She made a leap and put one and one together and stared at Riley in disgust. "You dickless piece of shit. You couldn't face me one on one? You had to drag the military into it to back your yellow ass behind?"

"Faith, we'll deal with him later." Buffy stepped between them, not looking forward to the possibility of playing referee. "Right now, let's just get out of here." Turning back to Riley with a frown, she stated adamantly, "I'll lead. Try to stay out of my way."

They eventually made it back to the basement in a tense and uneasy silence that frazzled everyone's nerves but sensing their exit from this place nearly at hand, they all breathed a small sigh of relief. The trek through the sewers was even more unpleasant by those uninitiated to it and the fact that they had to navigate in the dark made matters worse. Emerging for the most part unscathed, they crowded into Angel's car which had surprisingly still been where there'd left it, they began driving back to LA. Faith, squeezed in as she was between the window and Buffy remained quiet for most of their ride. Riley had opted not to join them and since he couldn't be held indefinitely anyway, they had left him on the side of the road. It was probably the smartest move he'd made on account of the situation he'd created. But he didn't part company without one last longing look at Buffy who did her best to ignore it.

"Am I going back to jail?" The question lingered in the air until Angel finally answered.

"I don't think so Faith. As far as the state of California is concerned, you were legally set free."

A lost expression settled over the young girl's face. What was she supposed to do now? Jail was the last chance for her. It was supposed to be the _only_ chance. And those military guys were going to be coming after her too. Her turmoil stopped momentarily when a hand came to rest on hers.Earnest blue eyes staring out of the face she dreamed of nightly calmed her like nothing ever did before.

"Come with me?"

It took her several moments to process the question since it didn't seem possible Buffy would've said that but a soft squeeze of her hand accompanied by the tender smile that appeared on the other girl's face confirmed she hadn't heard wrong. There was no way she could say no. And she didn't because as hard as it might be to come to terms with Sunnydale again, with Buffy's friends, or with Buffy's mom, there was no doubt in Faith's mind it would be worth it if only to see that smile every day of her life.

THE END