CHAPTER 36

Tired green eyes blinked up at the gang. “Hey,” Willow said breathily, “you guys weren’t planning on killing the Mayor without me, were you?”

Faith’s chest ached. It had to be Buffy’s emotions. The tears, too. Rubbing a hand over her watering eyes, she stepped back. This was Scooby time, and she didn’t want to intrude.

A hand gripped her arm. “Going somewhere?” Buffy asked knowingly.

“Ah, not really. Just…um, just going to have a seat and wait for all the hugs and shit to get over.” Faith tried to step away, and the hand tightened. “B, come on. This is a Scooby moment. I’d just be in the way.” Pointing toward Willow and Oz, she said more firmly, “Go be with Red. I’ll sit right here until you’re done.”

Nodding, Buffy turned away, and Faith sighed in relief. She wasn’t ready to face Willow and the evidence of the Mayor’s attack. Faith dropped into a chair, head back and eyes closed.

“I changed my mind.” Buffy’s voice interrupted Faith’s rest.

“B-“ Faith started to say.

Buffy wasn’t backing down. “Nope. No visiting without you. Besides, Will needs to know you’re the one who saved her.”

About to protest, Faith got lost in determined hazel eyes and groaned. “Whatever, B,” she griped, standing with an exaggerated sigh. Rubbing sweaty palms on her pant legs, she reluctantly followed Buffy to Willow’s nest of blankets and pillows.

For a second, Faith thought they’d been wrong. Willow wasn’t better. She looked bad -pale and tired. Blood still seeped from the pressure bandage wrapped around the shoulder peeking above one of the blankets. Then the familiar quirky smile popped out. “I thought maybe you got lost. I mean, here I am, all back from the almost-dead and you’re all the way over there.”

Buffy immediately knelt at Willow’s side. “Sorry, Wills. I had to drag Faith away from her oh so important brooding.” Faith rolled her eyes, hunching her shoulders at the accurate description of her actions. “I’m here now, ready and willing to nurse you back to health,” Buffy continued fervently.

Letting the two friends complete their bonding rituals, Faith turned to Giles. “Guess Fang found the right bottle?”

“Indeed.” Giles beamed, eyes misty behind his glasses. “An extraordinary anti-toxin. Did you know the poison actually eats away the victim’s soul? I’m afraid without your help, Willow would have been a zombie by tonight.”

Faith shivered. “Nice. Glad I could help.” She glanced back at Buffy. The big reunion was ending – mostly because Willow was almost asleep. “Red’s gonna be OK now, right?”

“As far as we can tell, yes,” Giles answered. “The anti-toxin apparently repairs any damage from the poison.”

“She still looks all white and crap, though.” Faith didn’t want to call Giles a liar, but she wasn’t sure he hadn’t put a spin on the information.

He smiled at her comment. “I daresay she won’t be one hundred percent for a while. The poison has been cleared from her system. However, she was also shot. That wound was not repaired.” Giles’ brow furrowed as his eyes returned to the bloody bandage with a concern he couldn’t conceal.

***

Buffy gently linked her fingers with Willow’s hand. “Nice to see you back, Wills.”

“Yeah.” Willow’s smile faded a little. “I was a little worried for a while. I should have known you’d take care of me, though.”

Staring at Willow’s pale, strained face, Buffy searched for the right words. “Wish I could take credit.” Her eyes dropped, tracing the line of freckles on Willow’s injured shoulder. “I was pretty useless this time. You and death made for Freaked Buffy.”

Their linked hands shook slightly as Willow tried to get Buffy’s attention. “I’d be the same way if it was you, Buffy. Good thing for us both we have a support crew. Who was it? Xander?” They shared a smile at that then Willow sobered. “I’m glad Angel got over his mad to help out. The poison…it made me feel really scary, Buff.”

Buffy nodded at that. “Giles said something about the poison eating your soul. That would make for very scary feelings.” Glancing over her shoulder, Buffy saw Faith talking with Giles. “Angel did help out. Um…it was really Faith’s idea, though, to go to the Mayor’s office.”

An ominous silence followed her comment.

“Wills? Please give her a chance,” Buffy pleaded, finally looking into Willow’s green eyes. She winced at the disbelief and hurt mirrored there. “She’s changed. I promise.” Buffy hesitated to tell Willow about the expanded link, about what she’d seen in Faith’s mind. She’d do it if she had to, though. Her best friend and her girlfriend had to get along.

“Buffy, she’s dangerous. Maybe…maybe she’s been helping us out lately, but, please – one dance at the Prom is so not the same as actually fighting the Mayor.” Willow’s soft rant slowed as she took a wheezing breath. “What if she’s really working for the Mayor, Buffy? Huh? Did you ever consider that?”

Despite their long-time friendship, Buffy grew impatient. “Willow! How can you say that?”

Oz interrupted before Buffy could continue. “I think Will’s tired. Could we talk about the thing at Graduation and then let her get some rest?” It was the longest comment Buffy had ever heard him make.

“Right,” she said tightly. “Graduation.” Buffy turned to the rest of the group. “It’s strategy time, guys. Will’s not feeling so hot and we need to pick her brain before she passes out.”

Everyone moved closer, taking seats on the floor or in chairs pulled right up to the edge of Willow’s spot in front of the check out desk.

Needing some space, Buffy stood and grabbed a chair, placing it at Willow’s feet. She relaxed marginally when Faith sat on the floor, leaning into her legs. “Unless someone else has a plan, I say we go with mine.” She raked the group with her eyes, waiting for more arguments.

A hand waved in the air in front of her. “You wanna go over it again? I don’t think I got the memo,” Faith said.

Buffy almost refused. She’d gotten enough grief the first time. “Sure. I can go over it again.” Mentally daring Wesley to say anything, she launched into her explanation. “Basically, we don’t have a way to build a volcano in Sunnydale. That means we get to fight Snakeman and all his vampire buddies at Graduation. My plan is to give every member of the graduating class water guns filled with holy water, have Xander borrow a few hand grenades and rocket launchers, and kill as many as we can.” It sounded far less effective out loud. Buffy braced for the questions.

The first one didn’t come where she expected. “You’re gonna give the kiddies guns? Are you crazy, B?” Faith spun around to stare at her.

Xander started to laugh – then turned that into a cough when Buffy glared at him. “I am not crazy.” Grimacing, Buffy looked between Faith and Wesley. “I am weirded out, though. Did you and Wes get together when I wasn’t looking? ‘Cause he said the same thing, just not with those words.”

Faith frowned at that, eyes darting to a very smug Wesley. “Not saying Wes is right, B, just…there has to be another way.”

“I’m all out of ideas.” Buffy tried not to snap. No one else was offering solutions, just criticism.

“Buffy, we don’t really need a volcano, you know.” Willow winced as she sat up a little. “We just need a fire hot enough to act like one.”

Wesley cleared his throat, and Buffy closed her eyes in near pain. God, if he said something stupid right now…

He surprised her. “I’ve done some research since we discovered what the Professor was working on. The lava in Hawaiian volcanoes averages two thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps there is a way to create a fire with equal heat?” he asked, peering around the gathered group.

“I might be able to get another rocket launcher, like Buffy wanted,” Xander said. Flicking his hair out of his eyes, he grinned a little. “We can start the fire with a bang. Will, can you do something magic-y to make it really hot?”

Giles answered for Willow. “Unfortunately, the Judge was, as Anya informed us, a hybrid demon. Once the Mayor ascends, not even a rocket would be enough. And magic would be too much for Willow in her current state of health.” Giles grimaced at the group moan his words received. “I’m afraid we’ll need to find another way to do as Wesley suggested.”

Buffy listened to the Scoobies plan, mind growing numb. Her idea had been a long shot, sure; was it really so much worse than making lava? The more Willow babbled on about spells and relative temperatures, the more convinced Buffy became that this was the one battle they couldn’t win.

“Why can’t we take out the Mayor now?” Faith asked, and Buffy forced herself to sit up. This was old information to the gang, and she didn’t want anyone stomping on Faith’s question.

“If you’d been here, you’d know the answer to that.” Right on cue, Willow jumped in, verbal guns blazing.

Before Buffy could object, Joyce cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her. “I’ve been wondering that myself,” she said with a pensive smile. “Why get the students involved at all?”

Looking red over her pallor, Willow mumbled, “It’s part of the preparation for the Ascension. The Mayor is invulnerable now. We can’t kill him until after he becomes a demon.”

Joyce rubbed her forehead. “Oh.” Leaning back in her chair, she fell silent, looking worried.

“Wait a minute. You think the Mayor’s still human?” Faith sprang to her feet, striding over to stand next to Willow.

Buffy stood also, energized by the excitement she could feel from Faith.

Arms waving in emphasis, Faith went on, “He might have been all human a couple of days ago. Now…My Slayer senses were fucking off the charts earlier. Fang’ll back me up.”

Like puppets pulled by strings, the Scoobies looked at the silent vampire. “She’s right. I could feel him, too,” Angel agreed.

“We can’t beat him with weapons. I stabbed him right through the heart with a knife, and he laughed.” Faith frowned, derailed by the memory.

“How does this help?” Willow hadn’t turned the corner on trusting Faith. There was a snap of impatience in her voice.

It woke Faith from her daydream, though. “Because I think I know how to kill him.”

CHAPTER 37

The comment upset Willow. Eyes blazing, she sat up more, and Buffy frowned. The red stain on the bandage grew every time Willow moved. Willow, however, had bigger concerns. “One day back from the Dark Side and you’re an expert on the Ascension?” Her voice rose shrilly. “Where did you get your information? ‘Tales of the Snakeman’ comic book?”

For once, Faith didn’t flinch. In fact, Buffy had to fight a laugh when she felt Faith’s impatience through their link.

“Red, when this is all over, if you want to let loose on me, I’ll stand and take your best shot.” Faith’s husky voice was quiet and intense. “Right now, we got bigger things to worry about.”

If she hadn’t been wrapped in a blanket and wounded, Willow would have been toe to toe with Faith. Prone position or not, her disdain for Faith’s response was clear. “Please. Now you want us to believe-“

“That’s it.” Buffy had heard enough. “Will, either play nice or we’ll discuss strategy in Giles’ office while you sleep.” Knowing she might be causing more problems than she solved, Buffy reached out and wrapped an arm around Faith’s waist. “We’ve been buried in dusty books for weeks. We found nothing. Everything we do have, Faith provided. Let’s hear what she has to say.” Buffy held her breath, silently pleasing with her best friend to see reason.

Two spots of color blazed on Willow’s pale cheeks, but she nodded tersely.

“Faith?” Smiling up into Faith’s eyes, Buffy urged her to go on. “What’s the plan?”

Snorting, Faith slipped out of Buffy’s embrace. “No plan, B. Just information.” She moved away, dropping into the chair Buffy had abandoned. “When Fang and I were…ah, visiting the Mayor we kinda traded blows. Like I said before, I stabbed him and he laughed. Pulled it out, looked at it, and gave that crazy ass grin of his.”

Faith’s lips twitched into a tiny grin of her own, and Buffy frowned at the reminder of her former allegiance to Wilkins. Wanting to break up the memory, she commented, “So we can’t use normal weapons. Got it.” Faith still stared moodily at her feet. Sighing inaudibly at the sudden realization that Angel and Faith shared the need to brood, Buffy prodded, “What do you think we should try?”

“Red had the right idea,” Faith muttered. “Fire.” She glanced up, meeting Willow’s shocked green eyes. “Only you don’t need any special fire or magic.”

“Are you certain, Faith?” Giles leaned forward intently.

Turning her palms up and shrugging, Faith answered, “All I know is Angel tossed a cocktail at Dick’s feet. When it started to burn, the Boss nearly shoved his vamp buddy into the flames to get away. The way I see it, the big change is already happening and the Mayor’s afraid of a getting singed.”

“I…” At Willow’s soft start, Buffy tensed. It wasn’t necessary. “If that’s true, we need a new game plan.”

Faith chuckled. “Yeah, B won’t need to arm the kiddies. We can just take the Mayor out long before the fancy robes and proud parents show up.”

***

Her words caused a flurry of activity. “Indeed, yes.” Giles stood and began to pace behind a research table.

Faith watched him with a smirk of amusement. Some things never changed. Other things were the same as well.

“I’m not sure we have enough information for an offensive.” Wesley peered over his glasses at Faith. “Other than his reaction to the fire, was there anything else you noticed about the Mayor?”

“Fuck, Wes, I was trying not to get dead. I wasn’t looking for clues.” Faith jammed her hands in her pockets, scowling at her Watcher. “Sorry I couldn’t snoop through his underwear drawer or something.” Skin burning in anger and embarrassment, she started to leave, let the Scoobies figure this one out the way they always did – without her.

“Faith!” Two voices rang out.

Faith slowly pivoted.

Two very irritated sets of hazel eyes glared at her.

“Sit!” Buffy pointed to the chair. “No more running. You promised, remember?”

Willow must have done something, cast another spell maybe. It was the only explanation Faith had as her feet carried her over to the chair. She plopped into it without a word. Mind blank with shock, Faith watched Buffy nod in satisfaction.

Joyce nodded, too – and then stalked toward Wesley. “Mr. Pryce, I know we only met today. However, I’m wondering: do you do anything useful or are you simply here to make pompous announcements and criticize everything the girls do?”

Xander snickered and then yelped when Anya elbowed him.

“My dear Mrs. Summers, I am the Council’s representative here in Sunnydale. In fact, I am your daughter’s Watcher since Mr. Giles was removed from the post.” Straightening his already impeccably knotted tie, Wesley smiled at Joyce.

Faith rolled her eyes at his posturing.

“The Council.” Joyce tilted her head. “Is this the same Council who locked me in a house with a crazed vampire?”

Buffy’s soft breath brushed Faith’s ear and she shivered as Buffy whispered, “He’s toast. Mom’s in full protect mode now. Watch.”

Nodding slightly, Faith forced her attention away from the lips against her ear.

Head still at an angle and hands on her hips, Joyce returned Wesley’s smile. “Right now, my daughter,” she stopped and took a deep breath, “my family is working to keep all of us safe. Faith’s information may not do what we hope, but it’s one hell of a lot more than you’ve managed to find on your own. You weren’t so cautious in the science lab, Mr. Pryce. We need that man here, not the Council’s stuffed shirt.”

Wesley twitched then looked everywhere except at Joyce. Faith leaned farther back in the chair, pressing into Buffy’s neck and shoulder. “Your mom is hot.”

The comment earned her a glare and a pinch which Faith knew was going to leave a bruise.

“Right, then.” Wesley announced, unbuttoning and then removing his suit coat. When his fingers started loosening his tie and undoing the top button on his starched dress shirt, Faith wondered if he was getting ready to remove his stuffed shirt. Thankfully – to her mind – he stopped after the second button. “If we are going to follow Faith’s suggestion and strike at the Mayor before the ceremony, we need a plan.”

“Huh?” Faith knew she hadn’t missed anything. She’d been there the whole time, watching and listening. “You wanna run that by me again?” Wesley hadn’t really said they were going to use her idea, had he?

Wesley didn’t repeat his comment. A quiet voice from the floor took up the conversation. “Won’t the Mayor expect us to try something?” Willow asked.

“No,” Faith shook off her surprise and sat forward. “He thinks you don’t know about the change. He’s got,” she broke off with a grin, “he had the same information you do. The stuff in the Books. It don’t mention him being killed by anything until after the big day.”

“Then why shoot me?” Willow sounded irritated.

Faith grimaced and met Willow’s eyes. The green was dull, and Willow blinked a lot. Like she was about to fall asleep and didn’t want to. “I don’t know. Probably to keep B too freaked to do anything.”

“Well, it worked.” Buffy moved up next to Faith and half leaned, half sat on the arm of her chair. “Buffy was big on the freakage and little on the saving.”

Laying her hand on Buffy’s thigh, Faith squeezed softly. “Good thing I got your back then, huh?”

“Yeah.” Buffy’s voice deepened and shook slightly.

Faith hoped no one else noticed it. Taking a deep breath, she said, “He knows I know – about him being a demon now. He said it was too bad I knew his secret.”

“Then isn’t it more likely he’ll expect us to realize his weakness?” Giles wanted to know. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes. “I don’t want to underestimate the Mayor. Even without the Ascension, we are badly outnumbered.”

Giles was right. “Right. Sorry, G-man,” Faith mumbled. “I’m not real good at the strategy and stuff. I do better when you point me in the right direction and put a stake in my hand.”

His quirky grin surprised her. “Oddly, I’ve noticed the same difficulty with Buffy. A Slayer thing, perhaps?” Eyes twinkling, Giles continued, “We need to distract the Mayor – in much the same way he did with us. That way, we might be able to get close enough to attack.”

“Do you have something in mind, Rupert?” Joyce stood and stretched, walking a few feet in their direction.

Faith yanked her hand off Buffy’s thigh, just in case Joyce noticed their exchange.

Joyce’s attention, though, was all for Giles. “There aren’t a lot of useful targets, I’m afraid,” he admitted. “It doesn’t seem likely he’d have close acquaintances we could target.”

“Faith would have all the information on that,” Anya commented. “Wouldn’t you, Faith?”

Only Buffy’s hand around her forearm kept Faith in the room. “What the fuck is it with you all? I’m here, not with the Mayor,” she snapped, yanking at the restraining hand. “Get it? I’m one of the good guys now.”

“That’s not what she meant,” Buffy said pointedly, “is it, Anya?”

Even Anya realized her mistake. Faith saw the ex-demon take a tiny step away from her. “No. I just meant Faith would know who we should kill, that’s all. You know, like the time in Coniston, when the Village Priest had raped this-“

“I get it.” Faith cut Anya off before she could get really into the gory details. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she returned to her place at Buffy’s side, needing to feel Buffy pressed against her. “Look, the Mayor wasn’t big on sharing personal stuff. He had a family. There were pictures.” She gave the group a wry smile. “It’s hard to kill the already dead, though.”

“What about City Hall or his house?” Xander wanted to know. “Spray paint’s a lot easier to steal than a rocket launcher.”

Angel joined the conversation for the first time. “You’re all missing the point.” Hands in the pockets of his duster, he stared moodily at the floor. “If you want to distract the Mayor, you have to pick a target that has personal meaning to him.”

“We just decided there isn’t anyone who fits the bill, Fang,” Faith pointed out with a growl. “Dead wife, no friends. Who the fuck do we shoot?”

“No one.” Angel smiled coldly, his fangs protruding for a second. “We don’t want to kill anyone. We want to save them”

CHAPTER 38

A slender hand waved in the air for a second. “Hey, I know I’m not doing well as the Head Research Girl right now, but…huh?” Willow asked.

Angel’s smile widened. “None of you sees the big picture. The Mayor is ancient; his ties to any one person or place are tenuous. He isn’t bound by normal human wants and needs.”

“Then what abnormal wants and needs do we focus on?” Giles pressed.

Faith listened to the usual Scooby squabbling, still on edge from her run in with Anya. Even Buffy’s hand, gently stroking her thigh, didn’t erase the knot in her stomach. She was jarred out of her introspection at the sound of her name.

“…told Faith he was going to eat Buffy.” Angel had moved. He now leaned against a research table, arms folded.

Frowning, Faith tried to catch up. She remembered that comment. “Yeah, right. It was some kinda threat. I got the knife and a quick death. B, though…” she trailed off, not able to finish that thought. Clearing her throat, she started again, on a different path. “What’s that got to do with keeping the Mayor busy, Big Guy?”

“Everything.” Angel’s cold smile flashed again. “Think, guys. Once the Mayor Ascends, he’s not human anymore. He’s pure demon.”

“Good Lord. We already know this,” Wesley exclaimed, arms waving dramatically. “Perhaps we should concentrate on discovering-“

“Oh be quiet.” Everyone followed Giles’ exasperated command. The room rang with silence. “If anyone would know how to hurt the Mayor, Angel would. Or, rather, Angelus. His forte was tormenting his victims, discovering their weaknesses and exploiting them. ”

Faith felt Buffy stiffen against her, and the small hand on her thigh clenched into a fist. Looking down, she saw Buffy watching Giles with tears in her eyes.

“B?” she whispered. What the hell was going on? What was she missing?

Buffy only shook her head in response.

Resorting to their bond, Faith tried to reach Buffy. Her chest ached at the sadness and guilt filling the link.

“Just spit it out, Angel.” The softness of Buffy’s voice didn’t mask the force of the command.

Angel nodded in agreement. “Right. Sorry.” He paused, scanning the room. “The Mayor, or the demon he’s becoming, is going to be huge. Huge demons need equally large food supplies. When the Ascension ritual is completed, he’ll be right in the midst of his first course.” Tilting his head at Willow and Oz, Angel finished, “You. The graduating class of 1997.”

“I knew it!” Xander burst out. “I knew I’d never make it out of high school alive.”

He might have continued, but Anya’s hand slapped over his mouth, cutting off the words. “If we leave now, we might get far enough away. There’s a really nice little town called Pacific Grove in the Monterey area. I was there a few centuries ago.”

“That’s not quite what I had in mind. Close, though,” Angel said. He seemed to be waiting for them to guess his plan.

Faith rubbed Buffy’s shoulders absently. If Angel didn’t want them running from the Mayor, what did he want? Her head throbbed. “We’re all a little slow, Fang. Spit it out.”

“We stay here. The rest of the kids and their parents, though…We get them out of town tonight.” Angel let that hang in the air for a minute. “Once the Mayor knows his big meal is on the run, he’ll have to act. That’s when we move in and finish him off.”

***

Buffy stared at Angel, chilled by the cold calculation in his eyes. Only Faith’s warm hands, kneading the tight muscles of her shoulders, kept her from shivering. “You have a plan for that, too?”

Angel’s eyes met hers. “Maybe.” He broke off, continuing to stare at her.

It took everything Buffy had not to shrug off Faith’s hands, try to deny their relationship. Instead, she reached up and entwined their fingers together. She wasn’t hiding. She didn’t want to hurt Angel, but Faith deserved her support. “Maybe isn’t good enough. We’re lost, Angel. None of us have a clue what to do anymore. You and Faith, though…you seem to be on top of this.”

The fingers entangled with hers tightened before a callused thumb caressed the back of her hand.

The touch helped, but Buffy was still tense as she continued, “Go ahead, Angel. Fill us in on the grand plan.”

“It’s not very grand, really. It’s more personal.” He paced over and knelt at Willow’s side. “Biblical, even. An eye for an eye.” Angel brushed his fingers over the blood-stained bandage on her shoulder. “We shoot him.”

“Not that I’ve got anything better, Big Guy,” Faith’s voice rumbled over Buffy’s shoulder, “just…guns? How’s that supposed to burn up the Mayor?”

Before Angel could answer, Buffy caught Willow’s familiar grin. “I’m thinking no to the bullets, Faith.” For once, there was no edge to Willow’s voice as she addressed Faith. “Arrows, right, Angel?”

“Exactly.” Angel smiled at Willow, and Buffy was relieved to see his fangs were gone. “We add a little flame at the end, and the Mayor never makes it to Graduation or the Ascension.”

Willow’s pale features were set. “I’ll take care of the fire,” she vowed. “Something a little better than oily rags and a lighter.”

Buffy felt Faith lean forward. No. No way was Faith volunteering to kill the Mayor. “I’ll do it,” Buffy told Angel before Faith could say anything. “I’ll make the shot.”

The expected refusal didn’t come from Faith. “No, you won’t.” Joyce looked calm – and resolute. “Even though Wilkins is a demon, he looks human. He’s a public figure. We’ve already seen what happens to Slayers when they kill humans.”

Gripping Faith’s fingers tightly, Buffy refused to let her pull away.

“Mrs. S-“ Buffy ached at the pain in the husky voice behind her.

“No, Faith” Joyce moved closer. “Honey, I’m not blaming you for Allen Finch. We know it was an accident. I’m saying we won’t let you or Buffy have to kill a human on purpose.”

Wesley coughed and cleared his throat. Everyone looked his way. Smiling slightly and straightening his tie yet again, he said, “I was top of my class at the Watcher’s Academy in archery.”

“The Mayor isn’t a practice dummy.” Giles didn’t sound impressed with Wesley’s achievement.

“I’m aware of that,” Wesley said stiffly.

Buffy rolled her head. The muscles in her neck, relaxed by Faith’s touch, were tightening at the polite, yet vitriolic, posturing. “Wes, can you make the shot?” That was the only important thing.

He met her eyes steadily. “I can.”

“Then that’s what we do.” It was time to remind everyone, Watchers and mothers included, who was in charge. Buffy stood up, still gripping Faith’s hand. “Will, I know you want to be part of this.”

Willow nodded forcefully.

“Giles and Oz will help. If it gets to be too much, though, you go on injured reserve. I’m not letting my Big Gun push herself too far.” She scanned the room. “Angel, keep an eye on the Mayor – just in case. I don’t want to make plans, set Wes up with a flaming arrow, and have the Mayor take a different route home.”

“What about the kids, B?” Faith let go of her hand and jumped up to sit on one of the research tables.

Buffy smiled grimly. “I haven’t got that far. The rest is easy. Anyone have any ideas?”

“I can start calling the parents,” Joyce offered. “I’m not sure how I can convince them to leave town, but I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Buffy smiled, happy for the first time to have her mother joining the gang. “I’m not sure it’ll be enough, though. This is Sunnydale, land of denial and excuses. Even if we put a picture of the Mayor in his demon form on the evening news, they’d just say he was an extra in a horror film.”

The clock behind the check out desk ticked loudly.

“The phone will take too long.” Xander smiled apologetically at Joyce. “Sorry, Mrs. Summers.”

Buffy’s stomach knotted. Damn it. How were they supposed to get the graduating class out of town? Drug them and toss them in a semi? “No criticisms without solutions, Xan,” she warned him.

“Got it covered, Buff.” She had to laugh at his goofy grin. “I’m going to use something far better than your average telephone.” Xander waited a beat and then continued, “I’m going to tell Harmony.”

Oz looked up from his spot next to Willow. “Don’t forget Larry.”

“Or Percy,” Willow added.

“OK, Ahn and I will talk with the Big Three. We’ll get you a distraction, Buffy.” Xander gripped Anya’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “Anything else you need?”

Shaking her head, Buffy said, “No. We’re good. Faith and I will take Wesley outside and test his skills. This is not a shot we can afford to miss.”

CHAPTER 39

Buffy leaned into Faith, watching Wesley fuss with the fletching on the arrows in the quiver. “Wes, it’s an arrow. Pick one, fit it on the string, and shoot at the target.” She felt a headache start. They’d been out on the football field for almost an hour. There were no arrows in the target yet.

“This is a very important task, Buffy. I want to make sure I don’t miss because of faulty equipment.” The clipped English tones didn’t help her relax.

She stiffened, starting to pull away from Faith. Callused hands closed around her arms. “Easy, B. He’s trying to help. He can’t help he’s a pain in the ass.”

Faith kissed her neck and Buffy sighed.

“We get that, Wes,” Faith called out. “We ain’t got all day, though. You gotta convince us you can do more than play with those feathers. Hit the target so we can go inside and find out what the gang’s come up with. Otherwise, me and B are taking over.”

Buffy closed her eyes and leaned her head back on Faith’s chest. Even after their experiences with the link, she was still surprised by Faith’s take charge attitude and no-nonsense approach to their mission. This was definitely a different Faith than the brash, story telling girl who’d exploded into their lives at the Bronze a year ago.

***

Glancing down, Faith saw Buffy’s closed eyes and the slight smile on her lips. “Wanna share in the funny, B?”

A dull twang followed by a high-pitched buzz distracted her. Wesley’s first shot landed solidly in the heart drawn on their makeshift Mayor Dummy.

“Just remembering the night we met,” Buffy whispered, eyes still closed.

Faith watched Wesley knock a second arrow. “And you’re smiling about that?” She remembered that night, too. The way the gang had hung on her every word while Buffy sat silent and withdrawn.

“Yep.” Bright hazel eyes blinked up at her.

Another soft thump. Another bullseye.

“You’re seriously twisted, you know that?” Faith shook her head before kissing Buffy. “You hated me, B. I took your kill, entertained the Scoobs…”

“And you are so very different now.” Buffy straightened, turning to face her.

Faith stiffened a little. The teasing had been OK. She wasn’t sure she was ready for deep and emotional.

A small hand pressed her lips together. “You are, Faith. You’ve been the driving force behind our planning session today. You backed away from Will’s challenge because taking care of the Mayor was more important. No way would any of that have happened back then.”

Moving her head back, Faith admitted, “Got more than just a reputation on the line now.” Maybe it was the link or Buffy’s overt approval that brought the honest answer into the open. Uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, Faith shrugged out of Buffy’s arms. “Looks like Wes wasn’t lying about his skills. He ain’t missed one yet.”

Buffy frowned, not looking happy with the change in subject. Holding her breath, Faith waited for a response. “Yeah, he looks ready.” Buffy let the change of subject go. “I guess he’s good for more than screaming after all.” Nimble fingers teased Faith’s ribs. “Don’t tell him that, though. He’ll just turn back into a stuffed shirt.”

Jumping back and slapping at those tickling fingers, Faith grunted, “We can always just sic your mom on him again.” She couldn’t wiggle away. Nearly giggling at Buffy’s touch, Faith did the only thing she could to preserve her dignity – she ran. Rocketing down the shallow steps in the stands, Faith sprinted to midfield. Skidding to a halt next to Wesley, she panted, “Not bad, Wes. Looks like you’re hired.”

Wesley lowered the large long bow, shaking his right hand.

“You OK?” Faith asked, watching his fingers fan the air.

“What?” He looked confused until Faith pointed at his hand. “Oh, yes. It’s simply been a long time. I’m afraid I’ve lost the calluses.” Wesley peered short-sightedly at his fingers. “Blisters…I’m going to have blisters.”

“I’m thinking blisters are better than getting munched on by the Mayor,” Buffy said. She ducked under Faith’s arm, settling it around her shoulders.

Tingling from the contact, Faith hesitantly stepped closer. A smile tilted her lips when the action was met with a blonde head resting on her shoulder. “What’s next, B?”

***

Leaning in to Faith’s warmth, Buffy forced herself to ignore the desire fogging her mind. “We go home.” She grinned at Faith’s snort.

“We need to check in with Will and Xander. If the fire and the Senior Trip are all finished, there’s nothing else we can do.” Buffy met Wesley’s gaze. “Grab the arrows and target, Wes. If the Mayor has someone keeping tabs on us, I don’t want him to start connecting the dots.” Not waiting for his answer, she wrapped her right arm around Faith’s waist, holding them together and heading back to the school.

Taking the most direct path, Buffy led Faith through the end zone to the narrow lane leading to the back of Sunnydale High. The crunch of gravel under their feet echoed through the trees.

“You want us to lay low, don’t you?” Faith asked.

Buffy chuckled without amusement. “Want?” She pressed her head into Faith, trying to hide there. Letting Wesley take the shot while they cowered at home… “No. I want to be on that roof, hearing the Mayor’s screams as he burns to a crisp.”

A hand gently stroked the back of her neck. “No, you don’t.” Faith’s voice was barely audible, even to her Slayer hearing. “You might want to get back at him, make him hurt for what he did to Red. You don’t want to be the one to do the deed, B.”

“He’s not human, Faith,” Buffy reminded her forcefully.

“Yeah, B, he is. He’s changing – enough for us to kill him.” Faith wasn’t backing down. “Until graduation and the Ascension, the Boss is still at least part human.”

Stopping without warning, Buffy jerked away from Faith. “The Boss?” Her voice rose shrilly. “You still think of him as your employer?” After all they’d been through recently, how could Faith call him that?

“Fuck, no!” Faith’s eyes were wide when Buffy glanced up. “I stopped working for the Mayor when I got a look at those freaky things in the box.” She hesitated, and Buffy waited. “Well, I mean…” Dimples peeked out. “That’s what I told myself.”

The dimples did it. Buffy’s anger fled. Tilting her head, she asked, “You lie to yourself?”

“Don’t you?” came Faith’s quick retort.

Avoiding a reply, Buffy stretched up, pressing her lips to Faith’s. The lips opened, and Buffy took the opportunity. Slipping her tongue inside, she caressed Faith’s tongue.

Fingers dug into her hips, pulling her closer.

Heat flared, settling hot and heavy in her core. “Faith.” Buffy breathed the word. She pulled back a little, enough to peer into brown eyes dark with desire. With shaking fingers, Buffy grappled with the buttons on Faith’s borrowed shirt. She’d managed to undo only two when reality intruded.

“Buffy-“ Wesley’s voice sounded behind them. “Good Lord!”

Faith jerked at his words. “Fuck.”

Barely stifling a giggle, Buffy smirked, “Oops.”

“Oops my ass.” Faith grinned again. “Never pegged you for an exhibitionist, B.”

The giggle slipped out. “Lots of things you need to learn about me, Faith.” Buffy lowered herself to the ground. “What did you need, Wes?” She ignored his wide eyes and the blush covering his cheeks.

“I…well, I…” he stuttered, clutching bow and quiver to his chest.

“Must not have been too important.” Faith winked at Buffy and started down the path again.

Waiting for Wesley to regain his composure, Buffy watched Faith stride to the cafeteria service entrance, lamenting the too large pants hiding her assets.

“I’m terribly sorry, Buffy.” Wesley juggled his equipment so he could drop a hand on her shoulder. “I merely wanted to ask if either of you had an idea of where we would ambush the Mayor?”

***

Faith strode through the darkened hallways to the library.

“Look what we have here,” a voice commented from behind her.

Spinning and dropping into a crouch, Faith cursed. The voice belonged to Ivan, one of the Mayor’s bully boys. “You get demoted or something? Hanging out in schools seems kinda pathetic.” She watched him carefully, senses tingling. How the hell had he gotten in without her or Buffy noticing?

Yellow eyes gleaming, he smiled. “This was a special request. Seems you’re out of favor, Slayer. The Boss is offering a big reward for you.”

“You think you can take me?” Faith scoffed. She straightened and smirked. “You’re out of your mind.” What the hell had he seen? Wes and the shooting? Had he heard them planning to kill the Mayor? “Guess you’ve been burning up the phone lines telling tales to the Boss.”

They both turned at the dull thud of the cafeteria door slamming. Buffy and Wes were on their way. Ivan must have known that, too. His fangs peeked out as he snarled, “I’ll be back, Slayer. You aren’t getting away alive.”

Faith didn’t have time for finesse. As he started to slip back into the classroom, she dove. They hit the floor hard; grunting from the impact, Faith couldn’t avoid the blow Ivan sent her way. Her head rocked to one side.

Ivan took advantage of her incapacity. He surged to his feet – right into the arrow Buffy shoved into his chest. His eyes widened right before he drifted to the ground as a pile of dust.

CHAPTER 40

“Nice timing, B.” Faith climbed to her feet, coughing. “Just…next time, do you think you could stake him a few feet away? I’m already wearing these lame ass clothes. Now I’m all covered in Ivan dust, too.” She brushed at her shirt, creating smudges on the white fabric.

Rolling her eyes, Buffy poked a slender finger into Faith’s shoulder. “And people say I’m too concerned with clothes. Focus, Faith. What did the late, not so great vamp want?”

Faith dropped her hands. “Fuck.” She’d forgotten about that. “He wanted me. Dead, I guess.” She stared at the doorway where Ivan had been hiding. “It could be worse, though. What if he managed to tell the Mayor about our plans, B?”

Paling, Buffy slumped. “If he did, we’re screwed.”

“Let’s leave the dramatics here, shall we?” Faith looked up. Wesley stood near the cafeteria entrance, laden with archery equipment. “We don’t know what the Mayor knows. Therefore, we can only continue with our current plan,” he informed them.

“Ain’t you the one always whining about having a backup?” Faith demanded.

Wesley raised an eyebrow in response. “Under normal circumstances, yes. However, at this point in time, our only backup is Buffy’s plan to create a student army.”

“Ah…” Faith grimaced, twitching under Buffy’s glare. “We do have a backup then,” she mumbled in an attempt to appease both listeners. “Maybe we should check in with Red and X-man. Get the lowdown on the flames and the evac.”

***

Biting back a smile at Faith’s attempt to cover her ass, Buffy said, “Plus, Wes brought up a good point.” It still felt strange to say that. “We have to decide where to go after the Mayor. I mean, none of this works without a dead Mayor.”

Faith grinned faintly, her dimples just peeking out. Buffy smiled back automatically.

“Then let’s stop hanging in the hallway and get moving, B.” Hands in her pockets, Faith strolled down the hallway.

“She’s right.” Buffy looked at Wesley.

He gave her a half smile. “Shocking, isn’t it?”

Reaching out and taking the quiver and the paper Mayor’s heart, Buffy agreed, “Oh, yeah.” As she wandered down the hall, she muttered to herself, “It’s sexy, too.”

When she pushed the library doors open, Buffy noticed Willow was asleep, still wrapped in Oz’s arms. The rest of the gang huddled in chairs placed close together in the stacks. “She OK?” Buffy asked in a worried whisper.

“As well as can be expected, Buffy.” Giles looked at her sternly. “You must remember, Willow has yet to recover from the entry wound. She tires easily and, at the moment, she’s feverish.”

“Oh.” Shrinking under his stare, Buffy huddled on an empty chair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Yes, my apologies, Buffy.” Smiling tiredly, Giles reached over and patted her hand. “It’s been an exceedingly long day.”

Buffy remembered he’d come here straight from the Prom – almost eighteen hours ago. “My bad. Let’s get this laid out, and we’ll all head home for a few hours sleep.”

She saw his lips tighten, a sure sign he was about to argue. She didn’t let him. “What did you and Will cook up for the fire?”

“I doubt you’d be interested in the mechanics.” Only the slight smile he wore took the sting out of the comment. “However, it is ideally suited to this task. Once the arrow impacts the Mayor, the fire will cling to any living tissue.”

“Even if the Mayor ain’t all human?” Faith asked. She lounged in her chair, both legs dangling over an arm while her back rested against the other.

Giles nodded. “Yes, that occurred to us. The spell works on all living tissue – human or demon. Not very effective on vampires, of course.”

Buffy relaxed a little. If Giles was practicing his humor, things were going to be fine. “Wes is good to go on the shooting.” Standing, she moved the short distance to Faith’s chair and lifted her feet, swinging them until Faith sat properly. Buffy perched on the other Slayer’s knee. “Now we just need to decide where and when.”

“The Mayor keeps fucked up hours, B. Gonna be hard to pin him down.” Faith leaned her chin on Buffy’s shoulder, and Buffy shivered as warm breath played over her neck.

Joyce disagreed. “Not really, honey. I know you and Buffy are used to chasing things in the dark. The Mayor, though, doesn’t hide in cemeteries after the sun goes down.” She got up and hurried across the library to the periodicals, coming back with a handful of newspapers. “The Mayor has a busy schedule: groundbreaking ceremonies, meetings with local business owners…”

“You want me to shoot the Mayor of Sunnydale in broad daylight?” Wesley dropped the bow he was oiling onto a table with a loud bang.

“Shh!” Oz glared, finger pressed over his lips. Everyone froze, watching Willow. She mumbled and tossed before settling back down, light snores drifting across the room.

“Do you have a better idea?” Joyce asked, not pausing in her perusal of the Sunnydale Press.

Wesley coughed and tugged at the perfect knot in his tie. “Well, no.”

The newspaper rustled as Joyce folded the pages along the crease and laid it on the table. “Here.” She pointed to an article. “Before the graduation ceremony, the Mayor is giving a speech at Sunnydale Memorial – a fundraiser for the new children’s wing.”

Buffy saw Wesley’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. They weren’t going to let her or Faith kill a human. Only Wesley himself seemed concerned that he was going to be doing just that. “Mom-“ she tried to object.

“It’s fine, Buffy.” Wesley’s smile was forced and stiff. “I’ll simply need a good hiding place with the proper angle for the shot. Does it say where the ceremony will be held, Mrs. Summers?”

Buffy frowned. They couldn’t be serious. “Mom, Wesley can’t kill the Mayor at the ceremony. What if someone sees him, and he gets caught?”

No one met her eyes or answered. “Please understand, Buffy,” Wesley began slowly, “it is my goal to prevent that from happening.”

Jumping off Faith’s lap, Buffy took a step in his direction. However, he looked at her over his glasses until she dropped back onto Faith’s knee.

“Should that situation occur, I am sure the Council will come to my aid. I am still your Watcher. Although they are far from pleased with you at the moment, I have not received notice that I have been removed from that position.” Wesley wiped his hands and came over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Peering into her eyes, he said earnestly, “Even if the Council cannot extricate me from your legal system, it is still worth the risk. The Mayor will destroy every life in Sunnydale. My freedom is a small price to pay for halting that.”

Buffy had to look away. The determination in his blue eyes made her ashamed of all the times she’d made fun of him, ignored his suggestions, and told him he was worthless. “Tomorrow at the hospital, Wes.” She forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. “I know you won’t miss.”

The hand on her shoulder squeezed lightly and then he moved away. “Where is the speech, Mrs. Summers?” Wesley asked again.

“In the garden behind the hospital.” Joyce looked up from the article. “There’s no place to hide. Other than the flowers, it’s wide open.”

“The rooftop, I think,” Giles commented, idly chewing on the earpiece to his glasses. “Better angle, better chance of escape. I believe we still have the floorplans to the hospital from when Buffy encountered the Der Kindestod.”

As he finished, the library doors opened, and Xander and Anya crept in, tiptoeing around Willow and Oz. Catching their eyes, Buffy motioned for them to be quiet and sit down. Xander climbed up on a research table while Anya sank into a chair.

Wesley ignored their entrance and picked up the bow and the quiver. “If you could locate that, I’ll start working on the details.” Nodding to the group, he said, “Good luck getting everyone out of town. I think it best we don’t try to meet again in the morning. We don’t want to give the Mayor a chance to regroup and come after us.” He grinned suddenly. “And, if he believes I’m only good for screaming like a girl, I should be perfectly safe.”

“Nice to know, Wes.” Xander swung his legs back and forth. “I’m pretty good at that, too. Do you think, if this plan doesn’t work, the Mayor might overlook me, too?”

“It’s going to work.” Buffy jumped up again. “We don’t have time for doubts.” She glared at each member of the gang, getting nods and grim looks in return. “How’s the Senior Trip coming?”

Anya huffed. “Teenaged girls are so vapid. That Harmony didn’t believe me when I told her we were about to be eaten by a giant snake.”

“I’m stunned,” Buffy commented dryly, barely avoiding rolling her eyes. “So I’m guessing you weren’t able to convince anyone to leave?”

“I didn’t say that,” Anya snapped. “Why doesn’t anyone listen to what I say? I’m over a thousand years old. I’m a font of information. If you-“

Xander gripped her arm. “Maybe we’d listen if you actually got to the point, Ahn.” Ignoring her glare and mumbled threats of evisceration, he said, “Everyone’s leaving, Buff.”

“She said-“ Buffy stopped that statement when Anya’s glare transferred to her. “Just tell us, Xan, so we can all get some rest.”

“Most of the class thinks it’s one last prank on Snyder. We’re ‘relocating’ Graduation to Pacific Grove, and you and I are kidnapping our wonderful principal in the morning, just in time to give out the diplomas. The new graduation’s set for four.”

A chuckle sounded behind Buffy. “I’m impressed, X-man. Just…you said most of the class. What’s up with the rest of the kiddies?”

“We had to be more inventive with Harmony.” Xander rubbed his face and grimaced. “After she laughed at Ahn, I decided to play on her vanity.”

Giles coughed at that. “I’m sure it was a difficult task.”

Xander’s goofy grin appeared. “Oh, yeah. Once she heard that Cordy said she wouldn’t be caught dead in those robes, she perked right up.” He looked at everyone, making sure he had their attention. “Then I told her Cordy had special ordered new robes for our ‘special’ ceremony in Pacific Grove. She was off as fast her high heels would carry her.”