Faith regained consciousness by inches. First she became aware that she was cold, due to the fact that she was shivering. She could also hear mumbling in the background as well, but she couldn't understand what was being said. Either it was in demon or she'd been hit harder than she thought.

She soon realised that she was cold primarily because she was lying on a damp floor. It was rough and uneven, digging into her uncomfortably. And she was chained to it.

Groaning, she risked opening an eye to take proper stock of her surroundings. She was in a fairly large room, probably the one they'd seen earlier. She could see the door clearly from where she was lying, about twenty feet away. Unfortunately about half a dozen demons stood between her and escape. At least she had an explanation for the mumbling.

She dimly noted that three were unarmed, wearing robes. Apparently there were the ones in charge, as the others were seemingly deferring to them.

Craning her head around, she realised that she wasn't alone. Huddled in the corner were the Denziger's, who were as close to each other as they could get given the restraints. Next to her was Kate, who smiled when she saw Faith looking around.

"Finally. I thought you were never going to wake up." she said quietly, trying to sound annoyed, but Faith could hear the underlying note of worry in the detectives voice.

"How long was I out?" Faith asked, shifting position so she was more comfortable. She kept her own voice low to match Kate's.

"Not sure." Kate replied, shrugging slightly. "But I think at least a few hours." Well that was something at least, Faith thought. Angel and the others would know that they were missing, and were probably already searching for them. From the look on Kate's face she could tell that she had already come to that conclusion. A little over a half hour into her `Faith watch' to be precise.

"How are you feeling?" Faith asked, looking Kate over for signs that she was hurt. Kate just shook her head, dismissing the question. Faith kept looking her over, but seeing that she was apparently uninjured she released a breath she didn't realise she was holding, and nodded slowly. She looked over Kate's shoulders at the Denziger's, who were lost in their own little world.

"How are they?" she asked, even more subdued than before. Kate glanced over her shoulder as well, then back at Faith. Her normally sparkling blue eyes looked troubled.

"Not good. I think the woman is starting to crack. She refuses to believe what is going on." Faith gave them another long hard look. That wasn't good whatever way you cut it. There was just no way to predict how she was going to react in any situation.

What's the sitch?" Faith finally asked, crawling closer to Kate, who was already as close to Faith as she could get.

"Near as I can make out, there are nine demons, three of which are in charge. They never leave the room." Faith could see some of the tension slip away from Kate as she slipped into `responsible cop' mode. Her eyes went from troubled to thoughtful, and she sat up a little straighter as her voice became calm and measured. Faith noted the change, and filed it away for later use.

"How are they armed?" Faith didn't want to go up against six swords when she herself was unarmed.

"They all have swords. Sorry." Kate added, looking apologetically at Faith, who just grit her teeth. Escape was looking harder every minute. "They also recognise me from yesterday. I get the impression that some of them really want to kill me." She added, mouth twisting into a wry smile, giving a hard look at the demons. Faith turned to look at their captors as well, eyes narrowing as she contemplated their situation, and how she was going to get them out. If she could get them out.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

While Faith was waking up, and realising that they were screwed in the worst way, Angel and the rest of the gang where looking for them. All they had to go on was the general area that the two woman had been searching before they failed to report back. It wasn't much, but it was better than the search grid they had been faced with before.

Once it had been established that they were missing, they had come to the conclusion that they had indeed stumbled across the Droneth lair. And probably been caught spying. No-one had mentioned yet the possibility that the Droneth might not be taking prisoners.

"So, what exactly do you plan to do once we find the lair?" Wesley asked curiously, watching as Angel struggled with a grate that was blocking their way.

"Kill everyone." Angel answered tersely, as if it was obvious. Wesley nodded. He'd suspected that. He sighed, and looked at the axe he was carrying. Although it was pretty hefty, he wished it were bigger. Or a rocket-launcher. Or possibly a flame-thrower. Anything but a small axe that you had to get close to use.

"Ah." was all he said, exchanging a brief glance with Gunn, who grinned and hefted his own axe. With a grunt, Angel cleared the way, and they moved forward again, each man straining all their senses to try and pick up a clue, just a hint that they were close. Anything as this point would do.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith rolled her shoulders in an attempt to try and relieve some of the tenseness. It didn't work, and she sighed a little bit. She was getting more and more agitated as the time passed. Not only was she getting a headache due to the prolonged exposure to heightened slayer senses around demons, she was also a little bit scared, and fighting not to show it.

Even though Kate hadn't said anything, she knew that she was looking to her to get them out. Also, the Denziger's had picked up on the fact that Kate was unconsciously deferring to her, and had taken to given her pleading desperate looks every once in a while. She rolled her shoulders again, and again sighed when it only made her aware how stiff she was.

If she did actually have to fight, she wasn't going to be on top form. Of course, there wasn't a minute that they were left alone. There was always at least four demons in the room at once, and at least one of them was always armed. So no chance to break her chains and get them out. Flexing her hands, she tested the chains again.

They obviously didn't realise she was the slayer. They were old and weak, and she could snap them in a heartbeat. She had chosen not to mention that fact to Kate. No point getting her hopes up unnecessarily, she told herself. Handily ignoring the voice at the back of the mind telling her she was a damn coward.

Her brooding was interrupted when one of the demons approached and stared down at them all. He glared at them all threateningly, Kate and Faith returning the glare while the Denziger's quailed. He didn't say anything, just yanked Kate up roughly and unchained her.

Not even taking a breath to think about it, Faith leapt up to try and stop him, snarling in anger. She was a heartbeat away from snapping her restraints and going postal on him when she saw Kate staring at her, shaking her head.

"Don't." was all she managed to get out before the demon shoved Faith back down to the floor, while shaking Kate like a rag doll, effectively cutting off any conversation. He nonchalantly gave Faith a half-hearted kick in the gut, winding her, before grabbing Kate roughly and manhandling her across the middle of the room.

Any thought Kate had of trying to run or fight were dampened by the knife held at her throat. One slip and she was a goner, so she let herself be guided out of the room. Faith lay gasping on the floor, unable to do anything as she watched Kate dragged away and out of the room. As the door was slammed closed she squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to let the tears of pain, fear and frustration fall. And still she couldn't bring herself to give in the call of the fight.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Angel crouched on the floor, studying a stain on the floor. It was a small patch of blood, and they would have missed it, except he was a vampire, and had smelled it as soon as they entered the tunnel, even over the stench of the stream. He gingerly touched it, and judged that it was less than a day old, and more likely no more than five hours. He tasted it, tasted the distinct power in it, and knew without a doubt that it was a slayers.

"This is Faith's." He announced, standing up and giving the surroundings another, harder look. "This is where it happened." he added.

"Are you sure?" Wesley asked, looking at the blood, somehow managing not to screw up his face in distaste. He chose to ignore the look that Angel shot him, and looked around. Gunn was the first one to notice the door around the corner. The big, heavy, barred door.

"Yo, English. Wonder where this leads." He called out, eyeing it carefully. Angel and Wesley exchanged glances, and joined Gunn. They both wondered why they hadn't noticed it before, and both ignored it. They chose to investigate instead.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith regained her composure as she regained her breath. The first thing she did was sit up straight and look around. Really look around instead of glancing at things that got her attention. What she noticed straight off the bat was that an altar was being set up by the three `priests'.

The second thing she noticed was a sword being sharpened. Risking a glance at the Denziger's, who were glassy eyed with fear, she wondered if they had figured out that they were going to die. Given the way they twitched with every scrape of metal against stone, they probably did.

Seeing one of the priest's glance at the Denziger's while talking to the demon sharpening the sword, she concluded that it was going to be used in the ritual. Damn but she hated being right. Wondering where Kate was, and what they were doing to her, she unconsciously started grinding her teeth, and couldn't keep the anger and bloodlust out of her gaze. The demons that looked over flinched when they saw that look, and decided not to look over again.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate was currently confused as they shoved her into a small room and told her to change. Before she could say anything, heck, before she could think anything the door was slammed shut, leaving her alone. Frowning, she turned around to study her surroundings.

Lit by a single candle that cast inky shadows that made the room seem smaller than it was, the room was tight enough to give agoraphobics claustrophobia. There was barely enough space for the table and chair shoved against the back wall. Then her searching eyes found the pile of clothes that she was to change into.

Unfolding them, she had to appreciate that they were quite nice, and well made. White cotton trousers with symbols stitched in black and purple thread decorating them. A simple white cotton overshirt, with the same symbols stitched on them. There was actually four sets, and she concluded that the change was important for the ritual.

Damn, they really did want to kill her. Wondering why they had chosen her, she shrugged, and decided to change. No point antagonising her captors over something so small as this. Once she was done she looked around more thoroughly. Unfortunately the room was cleaner than barracks on inspection night. Sighing, she knocked on the door.

It swung open, and she grabbed by the demon waiting outside. Before she could offer a yelp of protest, she was manhandled back down the corridor. This time she took the opportunity to look around.

The corridor they were in wasn't long, and had four doors leading off it. It was a pity that they were all closed, and she didn't have time to notice anything else before she was thrown into the room with everyone else. The first thing she noticed was the look on Faith's face. There was nothing human in it, just pure animal emotion. She flinched, before speaking quietly.

"Faith?" she whispered, noting absently that the demons had taken the woman away with them, leaving her partner behind. No reaction from the slayer, who was staring across the room at the priests. "Faith?"

She shifted until she could look directly into her eyes, and saw Faith blink, her eyes refocusing in front of her. Confusion filled them when she saw Kate in front of her, watching her intently. She then realised that Kate was back, unhurt, and she smiled in relief, scooting forward to try and touch her, just to make sure she was real.

"Kate, you're okay. I was so worried when they took you away," she was pleasantly surprised when she had the slack to touch Kate on the shoulder, thus confirming that she wasn't hallucinating. Either that or she had really flipped. She continued to babble nervously. "I tried to stop them, but I couldn't, and then you were gone, and-" Her babble was cut off when Kate laid a finger on her lips, shushing the frightened young woman instantly.

"I'm okay." she whispered, before glancing around. No-one was watching them, or had noticed that they had more loose line than before, so she moved in closer. She transferred her gaze back to Faith, who was sitting silently, unable to take her eyes off the blonde. She remembered the hefty kick that had stopped the slayer in the first place. "Are you alright?" Faith took a second, before she realised what Kate was asking her. She nodded distractedly.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just winded me." She adjusted their positions, so that they were sitting more comfortably next to each other. "We have to get out of here. They're gonna start the ritual soon."

"Yeah. Probably not until we're all in these nifty little outfits though." she gestured down, and Faith followed her movement. Her eyes widened as she took in the change in clothes. The shirt was very revealing and flattered the detectives toned form in a way she hadn't seen before, and her eyes widened as her brain decided to be very inappropriate.

Coughing, she closed her eyes and looked away. Kate was confused by her reaction, until she glanced down and realised how revealing the shirt was. She hadn't actually noticed before that it was more revealing than anything she usually wore. She blushed, but carried on, pretending not to notice how Faith was pointedly not looking at her. She did file the reaction away for later though, and decided that once they were out, they were going to sit down and talk about whatever it was going on between them.

"So we've probably got some time before the ritual itself starts." she said, glad her voice was steadier than she was feeling.

"Right." Faith nodded, brain back under her control. She dragged it back around to slayer business. It grumbled, much more entertained by erotic fantasies than violence, but complied. "So what can you tell me? Where did they take you?" Kate gave a detailed account of everything she had seen, and they started coming up with a plan.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

When it was time for Faith to change, and she was the last to go, they had barely sketched the basic bones of the plan. It wasn't good, or even that likely to succeed if they were honest, and it basically consisted of fighting like all hell when the priests tried to complete the ritual.

They were planning on the element of surprise, and maybe the hope that most would leave the room before they attacked, to carry them through. When Faith allowed herself to be dragged away she had a mess of doubts running through her head.

Would the demons leave the room to allow the priests to complete the ritual? Would they be stunned by the attack long enough for Faith and Kate to gain the upper hand? How would the Denziger's react? Would she even be able to fight when the time came?

Oh yeah, that one was the real worry. Faith kept seeing the look of fear and disgust on the young woman's face a few days ago. Was it really only a few days? Felt like months. And she desperately didn't want to see the same look on Kate's face. If she didn't have Kate's support, Faith knew she wouldn't be strong enough to face the world. Without her noticing, Kate had become the rock that she built her life around.

Oh boy did they need to talk when they got out she thought, running a shaky hand through long brown hair. She had to conclude that the clothes they were being forced to wear were actually okay. Experimentally stretching, she concluded that they would be okay to fight in as well. Allowing a smile to flit across her face, she knocked on the door and allowed herself to be manhandled back to the lions den.

*****
Part 8:

Angel ignored Wesley and Gunn chatting behind him, focused on trying a figure out a way into what had to be the Droneth lair. Gunn was being suitably unconvinced, and arguing with Wesley about it. Angel decided now wasn't the time to explain how his vampire senses were buzzing. That meant demons nearby. Gunn always had been a little repulsed by the vampire thing.

He had given up on the door, and was actually on the verge of giving up on their current location altogether, when he noticed the small hole in the wall, just below where it connected with the ceiling about eight feet up. Abruptly he jumped up, slipping both hands into the hole awkwardly.

Wesley and Gunn stared at him, surprised by his sudden movement, when Angel tensed. His jacket stretched tight as well developed shoulders strained. With all the strength he could muster given the physics of the situation, he pulled apart as hard as he could. For a moment brick and mortar resisted, but eventually gave in.

The wall collapsed, depositing Angel on the floor rather unceremoniously. He smiled broadly as he saw that he was right. The hole that was now a feature of the wall revealed an air duct. It was large enough to accommodate the men and, he quickly checked, was unblocked.

"Gentlemen, we have a way in." He missed Wesley and Gunn rolling their eyes at his sense of drama, but nonetheless, they did have a way in.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Had Faith been listening, she probably could have heard the noise Angel made when he broke in, but at that moment in time, she was concentrating on the priests chanting. All four humans had been chained to a bar on the alter, with about a foot of chain each. Faith was next to Kate, right on the outside. Unfortunately they were being guarded by not just the three priests, but another two on the door.

Five demons, three of which had swords were not what Faith and Kate had been hoping for. Still, she reflected as she looked behind her, the demons on the door looked bored. The weren't even paying attention to the ceremony, but were engaged in a conversation.

Nudging Kate subtly, she indicated that Kate should check out their watchdogs. By the small grin that lit up her face she obviously felt that they had a chance. Faith tried to look positive as well, but couldn't stop a hint of her inner turmoil from showing in her eyes. Turning away from Kate's questioning face she turned her gaze on the priests.

They were standing in a loose triangle, the sword bearer at the head, with the others behind him, holding chalices and chanting. A little red liquid sloshed over the side, and suddenly Faith didn't want to know what they were drinking. Instead, she tested her chains while watching the sword bearer. Although she didn't have a clue what was being said, she could tell that the moment they would have to move was approaching. Fast.

The chanting seemed to be reaching a peak, and Faith tensed, waiting for her opportunity. She was hyper-aware of her surroundings. Every sound was deafening, and she could sense the determination and anger that Kate feeling next to her, and she could practically taste the fear coming from the Denziger's. Her slayer senses told her that the watchdogs behind them were still hanging back and chatting.

Taking a deep breath, she forced down her fears into a tight little ball in the back of her mind. She forced down everything, except for her anger. She would need that edge to fight, and knew that it would carry her through. Then the chanting stopped, and for a second everything was silent. Then the lead demon raised his sword, preparing to strike.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate waited tensely for the fighting to start. She was right on edge, grinding her teeth and repressing the urge to fidget. Beside her Faith was waiting patiently, face an unreadable mask. She could feel how emotional the slayer was, but was having trouble identifying what she was feeling. More than anything she wished she could lean over and whisper something encouraging to her, but couldn't risk it in the situation.

When the chanting stopped, she knew what was coming, and prepared to move as soon as Faith did. The plan was for her to protect the Denziger's, and for Faith to fight. As much as she wanted to help the slayer, Faith had refused to consider that possibility, insisting that Kate would help more by protecting the victims.

When the sword was raised, Faith attacked. One second she was chained up next to Kate, and the next she was on the other side of the alter tackling the sword bearer. Yanking the sword from the stunned demons grasp, she kicked him back into his partners, and they all fell to the floor in a heap. Faith spun, and was suddenly standing in front of Kate.

Before Kate could react, Faith was freeing her and the Denziger's from the chains. Kate suddenly remembered what her role was, and herded them onto the side of the room, away from both sets of demons. Behind her Faith charged the guards, who were only just now reacting to the situation.

As Kate watched the slayer parried first one stroke, then the next with ease. Then with frightening speed she launched her own attack. The demons were about to find out what a slayer was capable of. As Faith fought, somehow managing to keep both demons on the defence without letting anything past her, Kate ached to help. It was frustrating having to watch, unable to do anything.

A growl caught her attention, and she saw the priests getting up. Looking at Faith, she saw that there was no way she could do anything to help. So she jumped forward to take care of it herself. Grabbing the pole that they had been chained to, no longer attached to the altar since Faith freed them, she swung as hard as she could, putting all her weight behind it.

Years of softball pick-up games came in handy as she connected squarely with the front demons jaw. His head snapped to the side, and demon or not, there was no way he was getting up. He collapsed to the ground, either unconscious, or very possibly dead considering the snap she had heard as his neck twisted.

Instinctively she followed through, spinning round full circle to face the other two. They stared at her, dumbfounded. Grinning slightly, adrenaline coursing through her veins giving her added strength, she pushed her advantage, striking out with a jab to stomach. It was enough to make him jump back, and she struck out at the other one, aiming slightly higher, for his head.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Behind her Faith was fighting desperately, with every once of skill and speed she had. Suddenly grateful for all the sword lessons she'd had before, even though she was rusty, she was good enough to keep them back. Unfortunately she couldn't get through their defences, and they were at an impasse, no-one able to strike a killing blow. Spinning round, she caught a glimpse of Kate attacking the priests.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw her face down two of them, the third on the floor at her feet. She could tell that there was no way Kate had a chance armed with just an iron pole. She set her jaw, and promptly redoubled her efforts, desperate to get to Kate before something happened.

She allowed one of the demons to get in close with an attack that she didn't deflect. Ignoring the fact that it had just sliced her arm she was finally close enough to get a killing blow. She promptly sliced it's stomach, and kicked it away, it's guts spilling from the formidable gash in it's torso that she'd created.

Then she turned and attacked his partner. Rage gave her added strength, and he didn't stand a chance. Losing ground with every strike, she forced him back into a corner until there was nowhere to go. She raised her sword and prepared for a final blow.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Angel crawled through the tight tunnel, having flashbacks to being buried. It was dark and earthy, and he was glad he wasn't claustrophobic. He had a suspicion that Wesley behind him wasn't quite so lucky. Unfortunately there wasn't much he could do, but crawl forward. After moving about twenty metres forward, he stopped at another small hole, peering through.

In the room below were some Droneth demons. He couldn't tell exactly how many, but he guessed that there were about a half dozen, maybe slightly less.

"Angel?" Wesley's questioning voice floated forward. Shifting slightly, he moved so he could look back. He was glad that he had enhanced night vision, allowing him to see Wesley's face. It was waiting instructions, and prepared for anything.

"Droneth demons." He whispered, rewarded when he saw Wesley nod. He turned his attention back to the hole. He wished there was enough space to draw his sword, so he could be armed when he went through the wall, but on the other hand, he wasn't stupid enough to stab himself with his own weapon. Studying the wall, he wriggled around to try and get some leverage. Pausing to check that the others were ready, he braced himself and pushed.

The wall collapsed, and he fell to the floor, tucking his shoulder in and rolling as he did so to avoid injury. Springing back up, he smiled at the five demons who where frozen, hands on their swords. Wesley and Gunn jumped down with much more grace.

"Just thought we'd drop in and say hi." He winced, appalled at his own quip. Man, you have got to work on your lines he thought to himself, drawing his sword and attacking. He managed to run through the closest one before the other members of Angel Investigations joined the fight. The Droneth put up a good fight, but five minutes later the three men were standing, surrounded by five bodies. They looked at each other and shared a grin.

The post-battle high lasted just a few seconds, before they all heard the sounds of a sword fight nearby. Immediately they hefted their weapons and headed off in search of the fight. They didn't have to go far. Stepping outside into a corridor, they saw the door just to the left. The fight was coming from inside. Exchanging looks, Angel kicked the door in, letting his partners flow in front, weapons at the ready.

They froze at the sight before them. Faith stood in front of one of the demons, sword raised to strike a killing blow. The Denziger's hugged the opposite wall, eyes wide, clinging to each other. At the back of the room Kate was paired off with another two demons, who where unarmed and dressed in robes. She dropped her guard when the door opened.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate was struggling to keep her ground, but was quickly tiring out. It was all she could do to keep swinging the bar to block their attacks. She was definitely beginning to regret weighing in against the six foot demons. She wished that Faith was there to help her, that she had a sword, or better yet her guns, anything other than this damn pole that wasn't doing a damn thing to hurt them.

Still, she struggled on. She'd heard Faith shout something, and had seen her in a rage killing her own demons when she risked a quick glance. Relieved, she knew that Faith was coming to help her, and redoubled her efforts not to get killed, narrowly dodging a clumsy swipe to her head, and spinning away.

She settled in, getting into the swing of things now, when the door crashed open, and the male members of Angel Investigations spilled into the room brandishing weapons. Startled by this sudden appearance her grip loosened on the bar, and she dropped her guard a little. The demon in front of her took advantage of her distraction, and attacked. It swiped at her, catching her squarely in the shoulder.

Screaming in pain as claws made deep furrows in her shoulder, she dropped the bar, stepping back. The demon made another swipe, which she mostly avoided. Instead of clawing her she fell to the ground, hard. Scrambling, she crabbed her away across the floor, towards Faith, eyes trained on the demon. It roared, and picked up the bar she'd dropped. It started to swing the bar down, and for Kate, time stopped.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Faith heard Kate scream, and turned her head to see her drop the bar and step back. She continued to watch, seemingly frozen in place as the demon swung again. She thought she'd pass out as Kate fell to the floor. Kate started scrambling away, towards Faith, and it was only when the demon picked up the bar that she moved. Oh boy did she move.

Nothing had ever been more important than getting there before the demon completed the swing. She ran towards the demon attacking Kate, forgetting the one she had been about to kill. She forgot everything except for her target. He was already starting to swing down, and Faith saw her only chance to kill it. Screaming some obscenity, hell she didn't know what, she raised her own sword.

She chopped it's head off with one smooth movement, at the same time checking the passage of the bar, blocking it with her own body, not even noticing the pain as the bar connected with her side. Next to go was the other priest, chopping into it's shoulder so hard she nearly took it's arm off. As it fell to the ground she took it's head off as well.

She was completely in control of the fire within her, and for the first time she didn't think about the dark side, the pain she'd caused before. The only thing on her mind was Kate, and protecting her. And if that meant killing every demon on the planet, she was more than willing to do it. Maybe fifteen seconds had passed since she charged, and she whipped her head round, fixing the last demon in the room with a deadly stare.

It visibly wilted in front of her, fear in it's eyes as it saw it's death calmly charging and running it through. She put so much energy into the thrust that the sword went in right to the hilt and she lifted it a foot off the ground before dropping it down to the floor. She let go of the sword, and turned to look at Kate, who was staring at her intently. There was no fear in her eyes, no disgust. Just open admiration and awe. Forgetting that anyone else was in the room, she was by Kate's side in an instant.

Adrenaline coursing through her veins, her brain was numb. She couldn't talk, and the emotions she felt seeing Kate look at her like that choked her up. No words were necessary as she gathered the detective in her arms, more gently than anyone else imagined she could. She clung to Kate, afraid to let her go, not saying a word.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate clung to the slayer, silenced by the situation. She had believed that she was about to die, had started praying as the bar started to travel down in what would have been a killing blow. Then out of nowhere a dark blur, that she instinctively knew was Faith, had attacked the demon, beheading it.

Faster than she thought possible Faith had attacked the other demon, beheading it as well. Kate couldn't tear her eyes off the slayer as she turned around, and brutally killed the last demon. Instead of feeling afraid at the strength and violence she saw in Faith, all she could think was that Faith was easily the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

The grace with which she moved when fighting made her look like some kind of angel, sent down on earth to protect her. And she knew that Faith was only focused on saving her, protecting her. Knew it as sure as she knew that she was falling in love with the brunette. When Faith had approached her, her emotions had run across her face as clearly as Kate's ran across her own.

Unable to speak, all she could do was cling onto Faith, and thank god that she was still alive to be able to do so. The rest of the world ceased to exist.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Angel and the rest of the rooms occupants stared at the two women embracing, then they all looked away. They all felt extremely embarrassed, feeling like they were intruding on a very personal moment. Angel recovered first, and sheathed his sword silently. Since the demons had been killed by Faith, there was no need to have it out. Wesley and Gunn both lowered their axes as Angel approached the Denziger's.

He guided them gently out, and left Wesley and Gunn to take them back to the surface. Once they were safely on their way he went back into the room. They still hadn't parted, both drawing strength and offering reassurance to the other. Realising that they wouldn't be parting anytime soon, and realising that Kate really should have her shoulder looked at, probably Faith as well when he noticed she was also injured, he coughed.

Slowly they pulled apart, and stared at him levelly, not embarrassed by their position in the least.

"We should be going." He said softly. They both nodded, and Faith stood up, pulling Kate up with her. They were both still holding onto one another tightly. Faith wrapped her arm around Kate's shoulders, and Kate was clutching Faith's waist. Faith guided Kate out, ignoring the corpses they walked past, as well as Angel when they moved past him. They were both silent, lost in thought.

Angel smiled slowly to himself as he watched them go, knowing quite well what was going on between the two of them. He just wondered if they actually knew it themselves yet, and if not how close they were to realising it.

He shook his head, and decided not to worry about it anymore. For now he was quite happy that they were alive and safe after the kidnapping, and that Faith was capable of slaying again. He knew that it was Kate's influence and presence that made the slayer accept who and what she was, and was he glad he'd let them move in together.

*****
Part 9:

Cordelia impatiently paced the reception, throwing glances towards the door every so often. Though she would be loathe to admit it, she was worried. For everyone. When she had heard that Faith and Kate were missing, she had immediately thought the worst. And four hours later she wasn't faring much better. Except now she had everyone to worry about.

Two hours into her pacing, she had realised that she was worried about Faith just as much as Kate, and for five whole minutes she had sat down to consider that. Despite her warm welcome to Faith when she was released, she had still been a little wary around the slayer, not sure if she should trust her eyes, which were telling her the slayer was a changed person. And now she was worried about her as a friend. Someone who she genuinely didn't want to see hurt.

Oh well, Cordelia was nothing if not a flexible person. So she resumed her pacing, waiting for everyone to return. She was rewarded when the doors finally opened and the men of Angel Investigations walked in. Looking them over with a critical eye she noted several things instantly.

One, Kate and Faith weren't there, two they had obviously been fighting, although none really looked injured, more tired than hurt. And three, Wesley's shirt clashed with his shoes. Okay, so the last observation was an attempt not to think about why the people they were `rescuing' weren't there.

"What happened?" she asked nervously. "Where are Kate and Faith?" she demanded, eyes flashing as she fixed Angel with her most intimidating stare.

"We dropped them off at their apartment." Cordelia noted the use of the word `their' filing it away for later review. "They need some rest, and thought it was easier if they just got patched up there rather than here."

"Patched up?" she asked, her relief suddenly fading away. Patched up implied injuries. Injuries were never good.

"Nothing serious." Angel reassured his seer, who nodded slowly, visibly relaxing. "Since we can't do any more today, why don't you go home." He gently suggested. Cordelia thought about the unexpected free evening, and smiled. Yes, it had been a while since she had just stayed in and relaxed.

"Anyone want a ride?" Wesley shook his head, and Gunn just arched an eyebrow. Cordelia was halfway out the door when she said goodbye, her mind already planning her night off. A nice long bath, some good music and a bottle of wine. And absolutely no thinking about work, or Faith. Not tonight. Or at least probably not.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

The atmosphere at the flat was charged. Faith was just finishing bandaging Kate's shoulder. The blonde had already treated the few sword slashes on her arms, and rubbed a salve on the bruised ribs of the slayer, leaving her shirtless in the kitchen, sipping a much needed beer.

Now Kate was sitting equally shirtless, and Faith was finishing wrapping her shoulder in an excessive amount of gauze. She was a little shaky, and glad that Kate couldn't see her face because she was having difficulty tearing her eyes away from her well-proportioned body. It was the first time she'd seen Kate in that state of undress, and was understandably unable to concentrate.

Kate could feel Faith's hands shaking as they brushed against her skin, and flushed when she realised the most likely reason. She didn't feel embarrassed though, but was oddly pleased that she was having that effect on the normally calm slayer. It also helped confirm what she thought she'd seen in her eyes earlier. As Faith finished, and had put everything away, Kate turned round to face her.

"We need to talk." she stated softly. Faith hesitated, then nodded. She was more than a little nervous about the upcoming conversation. Sure, she thought she had seen something in Kate's eyes, and there was definitely something going on between them, but the young slayer wasn't sure she wanted to put a name to it. Moving slowly into the living room, lit by candles dotted about, she sat on the couch, Kate sitting down next to her, leaving space between them.

After a few moments of silence, Kate concluded that Faith wasn't going to say anything. In fact, she looked more nervous than Kate had ever seen her. Oh boy. She just had to start falling for someone even less open than her. Taking a deep breath, she decided that the best way to get started was to just go ahead and say it.

"How's your arm?" Okay, so maybe tiptoeing up to it was better. She took a sip of her beer and waited for Faith to answer.

"Uh, good. It's good. How's your shoulder?" Faith stammered out.

"Oh, it's good as well." Faith nodded, and Kate joined her, nodding enthusiastically. Great, when did you become such a coward she asked herself wryly. They both abruptly stopped, sipping their beers. It appeared that they both had dry throats. Kate concluded that this might be going a little better if they weren't sitting there half-naked. The sight was just a little too distracting for Kate.

"Faith." Faith jerked her head up, fixing Kate with intense eyes that seemed to be pleading.

"Hmm?" Her voice however was casual, and Faith was astounded that it wasn't shaking like the rest of her. I think I'm falling in love with you. Eight little words. Simple, effective, to the point. A succinct little sentence that would explain exactly what Faith was feeling. Just eight words. So why was it so damn hard to say them? she asked herself, resisting the urge to snarl at her patheticness.

"Do you want another beer?" Kate finally asked. Startled, Faith realised that her bottle was empty. Glancing at Kate's she noticed that hers was similarly empty. Drawing her eyebrows together in consternation, because she had no recollection of drinking the beer, she simply nodded. Kate left the room quietly, and while she was gone Faith used the opportunity to berate herself for being a coward.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

In the kitchen Kate opened the refrigerator, absently picking up the bottles that were her reason to be in there. In all truth she had to escape, and gain some distance, or lose all ability for coherent thought. She had watched Faith brood for at least twenty minutes without even realising it.

All sorts of emotions had played across the young woman's face, and Kate melted at the sight of a nose wrinkling in thought, and the full mouth that twisted every so often. Kate was determined to talk, and just had to escape before she leaned over and captured those lips in her own. She was desperate to find out if the slayers lips were as soft as they looked.

Sighing, she opened the bottles and went back into the living room. She was surprised when Faith took both bottles out of her hands, placing them gently on the table. Even more surprised when she took Kate's hands in her own, guiding Kate to the couch, where she gratefully took a seat, afraid her legs wouldn't hold her up much longer.

Gazing intently into Kate's eyes, Faith held nothing back, letting all she felt for the beautiful detective show in her eyes. She was rewarded when Kate's breath caught in her throat, and pleasantly surprised when her own feelings were reflected in Kate's eyes. Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." She stopped, amazed that she had gotten the words out past the lump in her throat, and tried to decide what to say next. "I think I fell in love with you that first day I saw you. Standing there at the station, royally pissed off, exhausted and god only knows what else. You turned and looked at me, fixed me with that gaze of yours, and from that moment on, I was lost."

"Faith, I-" Faith shook her head, putting a finger on Kate's lips, silencing her. She had no idea where this was coming from, but she had to say it.

"When you visited me in prison that first time, I was so shocked. I couldn't fathom why you wanted to speak to me. I mean, you took my confession, you knew everything, every single terrible thing that I'd done, and yet there you were. Asking for my help." Faith paused, and shook her head, remembering how she had been floored by the sight of her arresting officer sitting across from her, asking for her help.

"Of course you got it. And I thought, that was it. You got what you wanted, why come back? But you did come back. Again and again. And gradually we started talking about something other than demons. When Angel went through his," searching delicately for a polite way to put it, "episode. Your visits were what I looked forward to. I needed them, although I didn't know why." She laughed softly, considering that if someone had tried to tell her she was crushing on Kate at the time, she would have put them in the infirmary, and herself in solitary.

"Around you I'm a different person. You make me believe that one day I can make it up to everyone I've hurt. You make me believe that one day, redemption will be in my grasp, and that maybe I will deserve it. I don't think I've ever told you that without you, I would have given up by now." So far, Faith had kept her eyes fixed on their hands, her long fingers intertwined with Kate's. Now she risked a glance up at Kate's face.

Piercing blues eyes were filled with tears, and for a second Faith thought she'd said something wrong, before she realised that they were for her, not because of her. Taking a shaky breath, she continued.

"I'm glad you're here." She whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from the ones in front of her. The tears Kate was trying to hold back started to fall unchecked, and they formed in Faith's as well, realising that every damn thing she had said was true, and it suddenly felt as if a tight band that had been stretched across her heart for as long as she could remember, was lifted. Her own tears started to fall as Kate untwined her fingers, lifting a hand up to caress the slayers cheek.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Kate sat staring at Faith, shocked. She hadn't expected Faith to make the first move in talking about her feelings. Then again, the slayer had been surprising her a lot lately, and Kate was just starting to realise that she couldn't make assumptions anymore about how things would go.

Since she couldn't actually speak, she decided to show her how she was feeling instead. Slowly she lifted a hand out, and gently caressed her cheek, rewarded when Faith leaned into the touch, eyes closing. Swallowing thickly, Kate slid closer on the couch, until they were pressed together. Still stroking her cheek, Kate leaned in closer.

"I'm glad I'm here as well." she whispered, just before capturing the lips she had been thinking about for so long in a light kiss. They were softer than they looked, and Kate felt that she could lose herself in them. Reluctantly, she pulled away after a couple of seconds, not wanting to push Faith, or to rush anything. Pulling back she looked into Faith's eyes, trying to read her reaction. Pure joy. She smiled widely, unable to contain her relief that everything was okay between them.

They leaned in for another kiss, and although it started out tentative, very quickly they both started pressing for more. When Faith asked for entry with a gently probing tongue, Kate eagerly gave it, and was quick to return the favour. Bodies melded together, and hands started to roam across thankfully bare skin as the passion grew, and things were going better than either woman had imagined they could.

Unfortunately for the two of them, it had been a very, very long day. They were both exhausted, and in no small amount of pain either. In fact, despite the fact that she wanted to sit there and continue kissing, Kate's shoulder was starting to remind her what had happened today. And it was protesting at the lack of respect it was being shown. Wincing, she pulled away, or tried to. At some point Faith had wrapped her arms around Kate and was holding her closely.

Seeing Kate wince, and remembering at the same time her injuries, Faith dropped her arms, and pulled back.

"Ah, sorry." she apologised. Kate smiled reassuringly.

"Let's go to bed." Faith's eyes went wide, and Kate blushed as she processed her statement, deciding to amend it. "To sleep. We need the rest." she clarified. Faith nodded mutely. Seeing her inability to speak, Kate grinned. "We can continue this tomorrow when we're feeling better." After a second, where Faith blushed five different shades of red, she nodded, suddenly turning a cocky grin in her direction.

"Then we can spend the rest of tomorrow recovering from that." she said slyly, before wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, leering. Kate promptly slapped her on the arm, not about to let herself be intimidated. Faith continued to grin, unabashed. Laughing, the mood a lot lighter than it had been Kate got up, dragging Faith with her.

"Come on, I'm tired." Faith allowed herself to be pulled along, blowing out the candles as she went past, leaving them with the light from the bathroom to guide them. To her surprise Kate pulled her into her own bedroom, not releasing her hand.

"Uh, Kate?" she asked shyly, not really sure what Kate was doing. God, she had it bad to be shy about sex. Kate smiled, even though she wasn't sure if Faith could see it in the dark. She could, and it reassured her.

"I don't want to be alone tonight." Faith watched her expression get unsure, and squeezed her hand encouragingly. Kate smiled, drawing confidence from the gesture, and continued. "I thought we could just, cuddle." she said, ducking her head. Faith smiled, and gathered her into a hug.

"I'd like that." she whispered quietly, and felt rather than saw the smile cross Kate's face. Ten minutes later they were lying in bed, trying to settle into a comfortable position. Eventually Faith took Kate and spooned her gently from behind, one hand lying on her stomach, holding her close. They lay in a comfortable silence, just getting used to the embrace.

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" Faith asked into the darkness. Kate shrugged, knowing instinctively that Faith was referring to the `them' situation rather than anything else. She was nervous about this, which is why she hadn't brought it up. Well aware of Faith's romantic history, she wasn't sure what Faith would want from her. She hoped that she would want the same thing as her.

"Well, I was hoping that we could share breakfast, then go over to Angel's for a debriefing, followed-"

"I meant about us." Faith cut her off gently, not sure what to make of Kate's answer. "Are we going to tell them?" Waiting with baited breath for the answer.

"Do you want to?" Faith thought hard about that for a few minutes, before answering.

"I don't know. I was sort of hoping we could have a few days to get used to it ourselves before telling anyone else." She pulled Kate in even closer, kissing her uninjured shoulder tenderly. "Plus I don't know if I want to share you with anyone just yet." she added teasingly. Kate let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, relieved. It sounded an awful lot like Faith felt the same as her. She snuggled deeper in the arms that held her, stroking the back of Faith's hand.

"I know what you mean." she said, before yawning. "Now lets get some sleep." Faith kissed her again, but stayed silent, and eventually both women drifted off to sleep. That night Faith didn't have any nightmares.

*****
Part 10:

Kate woke to the unfamiliar sensation of another person lying on top of her. Cracking open an eye, she got visual conformation of the fact. Faith had draped herself across Kate, legs entwined with her own, and an arm wrapped possessively around Kate's frame. Her head was resting on Kate's uninjured shoulder, and the young slayer was nuzzling the skin of her neck unconsciously. A wide smile spread across Kate's face that she didn't even attempt to stop.

Carefully Kate shifted to see what time it was, and was pleasantly surprised that it was just past nine am. They'd had a well earned ten or so hours. Slowly, so as not to wake to the still slumbering slayer Kate reached out for the remote and switched the tv on to catch the news. Just when she had decided that the world was falling apart, Faith moved.

Shifting so she was holding Kate more tightly, Faith moved up Kate's body and deposited a gentle kiss on her mouth.

"G'morning." she mumbled softly, before opening her eyes. It was only when brown eyes saw surprised blue ones watching her intently that she realised what she'd done. Ducking her head to hide the blush spreading across her face, she apologised. "Sorry." Kate shook her head, finally kicking her brain back on.

"Don't be." Seeing Faith's confusion as she hesitantly looked up, Kate leaned down and gave the slayer a kiss. "I should be so lucky as to wake up like that every morning." Faith looked like she wanted to say something, but obviously changed her mind, smiling coyly.

"If I get my way, you will." Before Kate could reply she leaned in and gave Kate a mind searing kiss. After a few seconds Kate forgot everything except for the lips on her own and the body in her arms. Pulling away reluctantly when her injuries made themselves known, she sighed contentedly. They lay there together watching the breakfast news, enjoying the warmth.

For Faith it was a completely new sensation. She'd always kicked out her previous lovers straight away, unwilling to give up that much personal space before. Lying there wrapped up in Kate's arms, she felt so secure and happy, she had to ask herself how stupid she'd been before, giving this up. Nuzzling in even closer, she remembered that they had things to do today.

"So when do you want to go to Angel's?" Kate groaned.

"Ugh. Do we have to?" Faith grinned at the lack of enthusiasm the normally eager detective was showing.

"Well, they want to know what happened to us. Cordelia is probably freaking about you. I kinda want to know how they turned up when they did. Plus, if we don't go over, they're probably going to come over here and kick the door in the check on us." Kate just moaned as she realised the Faith was right.

"But that means we'd have to leave the bed." she pointed out. Faith had to concede the point, but realised they did have to get up.

"There will be plenty of time for this later." she pointed out. Kate sighed.

"When did you get so responsible?" she asked in a last ditch effort to remain in bed.

"When I met you." Faith replied seriously. Kate stopped smiling. What was she supposed to say to that? she asked herself, stunned. Faith solved the problem by getting out of bed and stretching languidly. Kate watched her, unable to tear her eyes away from the appealing sight. She longed to just get out of bed and-

"I'll make some breakfast. You want to jump in the shower first?" Kate nodded, unable to speak at the moment, considering her blood was rushing to other parts of her body than her brain. Faith was just too damn sexy for her own good, she managed to think, before reluctantly getting up herself. A shower would probably be a good idea right about now. Cold.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

After a long cold shower that did nothing to curb the detectives desire, they shared a breakfast that was surprisingly relaxed. Despite the new tension that filled the air between them, practically creating sparks, they interacted the same as before, teasing and relaxed. Reluctantly, they realised they had to see Angel that day, if only to make sure no-one broke down their door to check on them.

So a half hour after clearing up they strolled into Angel's with far more nonchalance than they felt. They had decided to keep the new dynamic to their relationship to themselves, if only for a few days, but they couldn't resist standing closer together, occasionally sneaking a little touch, a secret caress.

Luckily for them only two people actually noticed this. Angel merely smiled, happy for the two of them, that they had found some happiness. Cordelia decided that she was going to have to grill Kate for gossip later, and to keep an eye on the slayer to make sure she didn't screw this up.

"So you feel okay?" Wesley asked for the tenth time. He was feeling a little guilty that they hadn't gotten there in time to stop Kate getting injured. He had carefully forgotten that Faith had also been injured, although to a lesser degree. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I'm fine." She turned warm, adoring eyes to Faith. "I had Faith to look after me." Faith fought the blush that threatened to spread across her face, and returned Kate's gaze evenly. She was getting a little unnerved by all the attention, plus she was getting odd looks from Cordelia. She needed some air. Kate saw the question in her eyes, and nodded imperceptibly that she was okay.

Sighing with relief Faith announced that she was going for a walk. No-one objected, and Kate smiled.

"Be back for dinner?" Kate was effectively saying she should take the afternoon off to think. Faith nodded.

"Wouldn't miss it. First chance to see you cook." she teased. Kate scowled playfully, and threw a notebook at the retreating slayer. Deep, throaty laughter echoed back, and Kate shivered with delight. Turning around, she saw the knowing smiles on both Angel and Cordelia. Shrugging mentally, she realised that she should have known nothing would get past those two. At least, she conceded, they were apparently okay about it. Or at least they weren't going to say anything.

She smiled, glad that they day was turning out so well. Like a dream. Waking up with Faith in her arms, plus the wonderful good morning kiss that chased away any fears she had about taking their relationship to the next level. She knew that they were heading into uncharted territory, but Kate suspected that she would be able to handle anything so long as Faith was there, standing next to her.

Shaking her head at the decidedly sappy turn her mind was taking, she sat on top of her desk and asked what the business for the day was.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

As soon as Faith was outside, she started to run. It didn't really matter that she wasn't dressed for running, or that she had no conscious destination in mind, she just felt like doing it, so she did it. A smile slipped across her face as she settled into an easy, smooth rhythm.

Running was her best kept secret. More of an action girl than a touchy feely talking girl, running was her therapy. She could just take off, relax into a rhythm, and let her mind drift. It ordered her thoughts, and burnt off pent up energy. Without the treadmill at the prison, she probably would have spent more time fighting and in solitary.

Now, as she ran, barely aware of the streets slipping past, she thought about her situation. About Kate. About her and Kate. There really wasn't any decision to be made here. She was falling in love with Kate. And she wasn't about to deny how happy that made her. Or how happy that made Kate either. So she was just going to roll with it, and see where it took her.

Slowing down her pace from a run to a jog, to a gentle stroll, she stopped at the end of the path. With a start she realised she had run all the way to the beach. She wasn't sure exactly how far that was from the Hyperion, but she knew it was a distance. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to just sit somewhere and get a drink.

She settled on the first cafe she found that didn't look snobby. It actually looked quite cool, with subdued decor and subtle music playing in the background. Eyeing the other customers, she noticed that most of them looked like young professionals, relaxing at the end of the day. All in all, it was quite a nice little place.

Sitting back, tucked away in the corner, she managed to chill out for the better part of an hour, observing the flow of people. When the sun started to dip below the horizon, Faith realised that it was time to be heading back to Kate's. Just as she was standing to leave, she noticed a small sign by the cash register advertising a part-time position was available. Remembering her non-existent balance, she decided that the cafe was a good a place as any to work.

"Hey, Jay?" she spoke to the guy who had served her earlier. He looked up from the surfing magazine he was reading, and smiled an impossibly charming smile.

"Yeah?" Faith pointed to the sign.

"The job still available?" He nodded.

"You want to apply?" The words `well, duh' never quite made it past her lips. Instead she just nodded. "Okay, let me get you an application form." He reached under the till, and passed her a form.

"You just fill this in and return it asap." Faith smiled as sweetly as she could, tucking it into her back pocket.

"Sure. Thanks Jay." she said sincerely. He just nodded, and winked.

"Anytime sugar." Shaking her head, she left Jay reading his mag, and went outside. The streets were still busy, but Faith decided to walk back anyway. She was fairly confident she could find her way back.

Impulsively she bought some flowers for Kate from a street stall. Strolling back to the apartment, carrying a bunch of flowers and whistling tunelessly, she felt more happy than she could ever remember. Not completely free, not yet, but on her way.

*end*