“What is that?” Xander held his nose.  “Could this place smell any worse?”

 

“I said I couldn’t help it!  Jeez, you try waking up in a closet after being chloroformed and see how you feel afterwards.”  Emma slung the axe over her shoulder.

 

“I think the demons are of the smelly variety,” Dawn said.  “He didn’t mean you, Emma.” 

 

“Yo, Emma.”  Faith’s voice was tight with frustration.  “How many Slayers do you see in this room?”

 

“What?”

 

Faith forced a smile and whispered.  “How many Slayers are in this room?”

 

“Two.”

 

“Then maybe you should go over there.”   Faith pointed to another veil of mist that had appeared.

 

“Sorry!”

 

“Don’t be sorry; just go do something about it.”   Faith frowned.  “Dawn!  Xander!  Grab something out of the bag.  We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

 

“What about me?” Andrew asked.

 

“Just stay the hell out of my way.”

 

Faith noticed Dawn watching her out of the corner of her eye.  “It’ll be okay.”  Faith tried to reassure her.  At least she hoped that’s what that look meant—that Dawn was worried, scared even.  She sighed.  Maybe Dawn was pissed because Faith had told her what to do.  Not like the littlest Summers was one of the easiest people to read.  She took after her sister in more ways than one.

       

“Stick close to me, Dawn,” Xander said. 

 

Faith squared her shoulders and faced the now solid demon.  “Let’s go, ugly,” she taunted.  The Nigriv stood around six feet tall, had a sunken nose, and fiery red eyes.  It was covered in copious shaggy brown hair, had long claw-like fingers and teeth that would’ve sent Little Red Riding Hood running for cover.

 

The demon paused and looked around the room.  It acted as though it were surprised to be there.

 

“What?  This not your stop?” 

 

Faith stormed forward.  The demon met her halfway and knocked her off her feet.  It was stronger than she thought it would be.  Using grace that would’ve even impressed Buffy, she bolted back up and onto her feet. 

 

Since the Nigriv really didn’t have a nose to speak of, she slammed her fist right between its eyes.  She took advantage of the oozey distraction that now blurred its vision, roared around the demon, positioning herself behind it and slashing the blade across its neck.  Gray-green blood gushed out.  She stepped back as the demon tried unsuccessfully to staunch the flow.

 

Great!  In the time it took Faith to take it out, three others had appeared.  Emma battled in one corner, Dawn and Xander tag-teamed in another; another battle had yet to take place.  Faith faced her new opponent, taking in the look of murder in its eyes.

 

“Here we go again,” she growled.

 

XXXXX

 

“Bloody hell,” Spike grumbled.

 

Buffy didn’t have time to see what was going on with him.  She had enough problems of her own.  Shadows drifted by her field of vision.  Another horde of demons had joined the party. 

 

Buffy swung the scythe and cut another demon in half, its entrails spraying all over her.  “Yuck!”  The skin around her eyes drew tight.  “We need to do something about the portals, Spike!  They keep coming out.”

 

Buffy dodged a demon fist and planted one of her own.  Spike decapitated two more. 

 

“One per portal, pet.  That much, I’ve noticed.  Any suggestions?”

 

“If I knew what to do, I wouldn’t be asking you!”  Buffy twisted, and a very pissed off demon just missed pounding her.

 

“Just keep holding them off, then!”

 

Buffy pursed her lips.  Hold them off?  What did he think she had been doing?  “We need to find the others.”  She cut another hair-bag in half.

 

“You saying what I think you’re saying?”

 

“Run!”

 

XXXXX

 

After Faith heard Dawn’s high-pitched scream, she tried even harder to wriggle out from underneath the dead demon.  It smelled worse than a wet dog--More like a dead, wet dog.

 

She got the bulk of the weight off and slid out just in time to see Xander fly across the room.  He bounced hard against the farthest wall and thudded to the floor.  Andrew ran around the room and kicked at the puddles that remained.  He spread the slime all over the place.  What in the hell was he doing?

 

How did everything turn to shit so fast?

 

XXXXX

 

Emma swung the axe at the demon’s head.  She hoped one good swing would do it.  She didn’t care what kind of demon it was; she pretty much figured everything needed a head—except for chickens.  And that was just plain weird.

 

The demon saw the strike coming and deflected it easily.  She shouted out in frustration when the axe broke where the handle met the head, which fell to the floor with a loud thud.  There was nothing left in her hand but a broken piece of hickory.

 

She tightened her grip on the piece of wood and started to swing.  She was in a ballpark, wasn’t she?  The demon snatched it right out of her hand and tossed it over her head. 

 

“Oh, crap!”  She froze for a moment as she saw the demon lunge toward her.  She turned and tried to put some space between herself and the hulking mass of stinky fur in front of her, but it grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back.  What was it with her hair?

 

“Not so fast,” it growled.  

 

The beast slammed Emma up against the wall; one of its hairy hands went around her neck.  She was pinned there.

 

“I think I’ll keep you for myself,” it taunted.

 

XXXXX

 

A demon had Emma pinned against the wall by her neck.  Her knuckles went white as she tried to relieve the pressure.  Dawn didn’t fare much better.  She was being held around the waist about four feet above the ground.

 

“Let me go!” Dawn screamed and thrashed about.  “You don’t want me.  Really!  I’m not a virgin.”  She pushed at the demon’s arms with her own.  “I’m a big slut.  Honest!  Ask anybody!”

 

“I can smell your purity,” the demon said as he hoisted her up and placed her over his shoulder so Faith was no longer able to see her face.

 

“God, why do you guys have to be so gross?” Faith asked.  She hurled her knife at its head.  Without much effort, it snatched the knife out of the air and chucked it back at her, the blade lodging in her thigh. 

 

She went down hard.

 

XXXXX

 

Emma clawed at its hand and tried to break its grip.  Air would be good about now.  She knew if she didn’t do something soon, she was going to be out like a light, yet again.  She glanced in Faith’s direction just in time to see her go down, a knife protruding from her leg.

 

XXXXX

 

No way in hell that just happened!  Faith was sprawled out on her back, staring at the ceiling, trying to blink away the tears that sprang to her eyes.  Fuck, that hurt!  Sometimes this slaying thing really sucked.

 

“Enough!”

 

Despite the pain, she forced herself up to check out the new threat.

A vampire?  Like the Nigrivs weren’t enough to deal with, now they had vamps?  Shit.

 

“You!” the vampire bellowed.  He pointed at Andrew.  “If you don’t want to end up like your friend,” he indicated Xander, who was still on the floor, back against the wall and slightly out of it, “I suggest you go and sit next to him.”

 

Faith tried to scoot back when he started toward her, the knife still stuck in her leg.

 

“You must be a Slayer,” he said.  “Impaled, but still alert.”  He motioned for another vampire who had followed him into the room.  The minion got behind her and hauled her to her feet. 

 

She almost went down again, but the badass behind her was holding her tightly.  Yeah, she’d thank him—later.  She winced as he pulled her even tighter.

 

“We don’t need you, Slayer.  Slayer blood is strong, yes.”  The head vamp looked at Dawn and then Emma who were now on their feet, but still being held in vice-like grips.  “But virgin Slayer blood is even more powerful.  A virgin key?  Do you know how much power she contains?  I actually had to look that one up.”

 

“If he says ‘virgin’ one more time…” Emma warned to no avail.

 

“We’re no different than anyone else,” he continued.  “We’re on a hellmouth and we want it opened---humanity, not one of our favorites.  Now we’ll be able to accomplish what we have strived for.  It’s been too long.”  He yanked the knife out of Faith’s leg so fast she didn’t have time to react.  “So I guess this is where you get off.”  He jammed the knife into Faith’s stomach.  “But not literally.”

 

Faith looked down and saw the blood flowing over the handle of the knife.  She reached down and touched the sticky, red liquid.  Was that her blood?  Her hand was covered in that same sticky-redness.  She glanced around the room.  Was Buffy here?  The mayor was going to be disappointed in her.  He wanted her there.  She wanted to be there.  She was going to let him down.  He loved her—and hated Buffy.

 

Faith shook her head.  No, that was another time.  Another place.

 

Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor.  Against her better judgment, and having no say in the matter whatsoever, she passed out.

 

XXXXX

 

Emma screamed, unwanted tears springing to her eyes.  “Faith!” She twisted and turned, trying break free from the stronghold the demon had on her.  “Let me go you horse’s ass!”   The stupid virgin-loving demon held on even tighter.

 

It was him… the old guy from the store.  I’ll help you with your cart, you son of a bitch!  Emma couldn’t believe it when he’d walked into the room.  It shouldn’t have surprised her that he’d be the one in charge. 

 

“Hello, my dear,” he said as he approached her.  “Oh, tears?  Don’t worry.  Pretty soon you’ll be joining her.  Sorry to say, it won’t be that quick though.” 

 

She jerked her head away from him as he tried to wipe away one of her tears.  “Don’t touch me.”

 

“We’ll do a lot more than just touch you, I’m afraid.”

 

XXXXX

 

Buffy surveyed her clothes and realized no one would be able to tell what color they were because of all the gunk on them.  She turned her flashlight off and shoved it into the back pocket of her pants. 

 

“There’s a light.”  Buffy whispered as she crept toward an open door.  Her arm ached from the constant swinging of the scythe, but she was pretty sure that they had taken out the majority of the baddies on their trek here.  Spike had been right, only one demon materialized out of each slime pool.  It wasn’t much, but it helped.

 

“And voices.”  Spike looked thoughtful for a moment and then pursed his lips.  “I smell blood.”

 

Buffy edged her way closer to the door, but Spike grabbed her arm and stopped her.  “It could be Dawn,” she snapped.

 

“Let me check first.”

 

She hesitated and flashed a warning look at him.  She stepped aside. 

 

Spike’s eyes grew wide as he looked in the door.  He twitched once and then took another step forward. 

 

It was Buffy’s turn to stop him; she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  “What is it?” her voice shook.  He didn’t answer her, so she held him back as she stepped around him.

 

The first thing that registered was Faith’s still form lying on the floor.  Buffy tried to see if she was still breathing.  It took only a moment to see the slow rise and fall of her chest.  Unexpected relief flooded through her.

 

Dawn was okay, she looked a little scared, but she was unharmed as far as Buffy could tell.  Xander and Andrew were sitting in a corner.  Emma watched a vampire pace around the room, her jaw muscles tight.

 

Buffy stepped back.  “Spike, Faith is alive.  They’re all alive, but we need to get them out of there.  You need to help, understand?  You can’t lose it,” she said in a hushed tone.

 

“I can’t lose her.”

 

“And you won’t, as long as you move.  Now.” 

 

They moved far enough away to be out of earshot of the room.  Buffy didn’t want to take any chances of being overhead before they figured out what they were going to do.

 

“You’re with me, right?” she asked.

 

Spike offered her a flat smile.  “I’m with you.  We need to get Faith out of there.  We’re just wasting time standing here.”

 

“Spike, there are two vampires and two demons.  That’s it.  Not that many.  As long as we keep our heads-“

 

“And they lose theirs-”

 

“-it won’t be a problem.  I know you want to help Faith, but our first priority is getting rid of the badness so no one else gets hurt.  Understand?”

 

He drew in a long breath and let it hiss out slowly.  “I got it.  Now can we go?”