Time stood still. Giles could see the knife's sharp point pressed against Buffy's belly. For some insane reason he was aware of the quiet noise of the refrigerator motor starting. A tap dripped. The house creaked. And Giles was frozen.
After that frozen moment everything happened so quickly he was never sure what, exactly, happened. He found something in his hand so he threw it and watched in amazement as a canister of sugar flew threw the air knocked the knife out of Buffy's hand. He had no idea he could throw anything that accurately.
As the canister hit the floor and sent a sparkling shower of sugar through the air Buffy turned to face Giles. Her eyes were blank, unseeing, but her face was twisted with rage. She launched herself towards her husband and he stumbled backwards against the counter, narrowly avoided Buffy's punch. Shaking her head, she launched at him again and Giles staggered further into the kitchen as he desperately tried to avoid her without hurting her. Their strange, staggering dance led them across the kitchen until Giles felt the sugar granules crunching under his feet.
He realised that at the same time as a triumphant grin crossed Buffy's face. She ducked and picked up the knife she had been holding earlier.
"Buffy, stop it," he ordered, and hastily backed away as she swiped at him with the sharp knife.
There was no indication that she had even heard him, her eyes showed no recognition and her face was still twisted into an inhuman mask of glee and rage.
Giles grimaced as he realised that he would have to do something, and it would probably hurt both of them. But he had barely taken a step forwards when Buffy punched out again, thankfully not with the knife-holding hand, and connected solidly with his chest. He flew threw the air and crashed into some cabinets before landing sprawled and winded on the floor. All he could do was watch in horror as Buffy again positioned the knife against her swollen belly.
There was a blur of movement from hallway and the kitchen door. It converged on the blonde Slayer and before he knew what was happening an unconscious Buffy was being held up by Faith while Spike took the knife from her limp hand.
***
Giles, rubbing his chest, stood in the circle of friends watching the motionless Slayer. Her head was resting Faith's lap now and Xander, Willow, Anya and Spike were watching her with various worried expressions.
"What do we do with her?" Anya asked. "Can we chain her up?"
"You most certainly can not," Giles said severely.
"Watcher, what the bloody hell did you do to her to make her want to kill you?" Spike asked curiously. "I know she has a history, but I didn't think she'd do the homicidal routine with you."
Giles shook his head. "I have no idea what happened. To be honest I don't think she was trying to kill me. I just got in the way."
"Of what?" the vampire asked. "Her route to the bog?"
Willow blinked. "Does Sunnydale have a bog? And why would she want to go there?"
Spike chuckled. "No, Red, I meant the bathroom."
"Oh." Willow paused. "Even Buffy doesn't get violent when she has to go . . . mostly."
"I don't think it was Buffy," Giles said absently, his eyes still on his unconscious wife.
"G-man, hate to tell you this," Faith said, "but this looks a hell of a lot like B. Spike, did ya have to hit her so hard?"
"Well pardon me but she had a knife," Spike grumbled. "Next time you hit and I'll catch."
Giles sighed. "Could you stop arguing and start thinking? I know it's hard, but please try."
Faith poked her tongue out at Spike and looked down at Buffy again, gently pushing blonde strands of hair away from her face. "If it wasn't Buffy then what was it?"
"Maybe she was possessed," Willow suggested.
"You didn't sense a hyena energy around her, did you?" Xander asked.
Giles ignored him. "I don't think she was possessed. It was more as though she was . . . sleepwalking."
"What did you do to her that would make her sleepwalk?" Faith asked. "Homicidal maniac sleepwalk at that? Geeze, you think you got someone figured and then-"
"Faith, hush," Xander said seriously. "Giles, what are we going to do?"
He looked around helplessly, hoping someone would have an idea. For some reason all his knowledge had floated away as soon as he saw the knife in Buffy's hand and he was left clutching at increasingly fragile straws. "I-I-I-"
Willow must have seen his confusion and took over. "I think the first thing we need to do is make sure she can't hurt herself again. Spike can you carry her down to the basement? I'm sorry, Giles, it's for her own protection. We can take the chains off as soon as we're sure she's ok."
He nodded sadly.
"And then we'll have a research party," the witch continued. "I'll call Tara. She knows lots about this sort of thing."
***
Willow opened the door before Tara even had time to ring the doorbell.
"Hi," she greeted, pulling the blonde witch inside.
"Hi," Tara replied. "I came as soon as I could. It's kind of hard to get a cab at three in the morning."
Willow winced. "I'm sorry about that. It's sort of an emergency. Those don't get scheduled."
"Oh, no, it's ok," Tara said quickly, smiling shyly. "It's actually a little exciting. Midnight phone calls, emergencies, panicked rides in cabs - much more exciting than your normal summer break."
"So long as you're happy." Willow paused. "You are happy, right? I mean you didn't have to come."
"It sounds interesting. And I think I might have an idea."
"You do?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Come on then. They're in the basement. We had to chain Buffy up a little."
Willow took Tara's hand and began pulling her through the house, ignoring the little electric tingle that went up her arm. This was not the time to get distracted.
"Tara's solved it!" she announced cheerfully as she approached the table in the basement dragging the shy witch behind her.
"She has? Already? Aww, but I haven't even started the Ho-Ho's," Xander protested.
"I-I-I haven't s-s-solved it," Tara stuttered. "I j-j-just have an idea."
"Tara knows lots about magic," Willow added helpfully.
Tara blushed and hung her head, letting her blonde hair fall forward to cover her face, while Willow beamed proudly.
"That's great," Faith said. "So, spill. What made B try to Psycho the Watcher-man?"
"Huh?" Tara asked, confused.
"She wants to know why Buffy tried to kill Giles," Willow asked.
"Oh. It wasn't Buffy."
Faith frowned. "We've been there already. Why wasn't it B? 'Cause she felt pretty solid when the blood-sucker whapped her."
Tara blinked and Willow quickly explained the night's adventures.
"Oh," she said, brightening when she understood. "I mean it was Buffy, but not Buffy-Buffy. Something was controlling her. It's possible to control people when they're asleep. They act sort of like they're dreaming but they do whatever the spell-caster tells them. It's powerful magic."
"Can it be broken?" Giles asked hopefully.
Tara shrugged. "I don't know."
***
The Gang pulled out the books and began researching, trying to avoid thinking about the pregnant Slayer still out cold and chained to a bar on the wall. She was lying on a sofa, covered with a blanket, but she was still chained up. And worst of all she was still unconscious.
"Spike, are you sure you didn't damage her?" Giles asked after a while.
"Would you stop that?" Spike asked. "It was a precisely calculated hit. Knocked her out for a while but nothing more. Do I look like I'd bloody try to kill her? I've had enough chances, haven't I? And she's still alive."
"You could have accidentally-"
"Watcher, I've been killing and maiming for over a century. I think I can judge the damage I do."
"She's knocked up," Faith pointed out. "What if you hurt the brat?"
Spike turned a withering glance towards the dark Slayer, who simply shrugged and returned it. "I know. You might call me an expert in these things. She should be coming round any time now."
He received multiple glares and hid behind his book. All the living members of the gang went back to searching through books, shooting occasional worried glances towards Buffy. For some time nobody said anything. The room was silent apart from sound of turning pages.
Eventually, as the clock stuck four, Willow yawned and stretched. "I'm sorry. I need to make coffee. It's late and . . ."
Giles looked around at the group of friends who were in various stages of exhaustion, trying to prop their eyes open and their heads up despite the temptation to go to sleep. "You're right. We need to take a break."
Xander stood and stretched. "I don't know about you, but I need food as well as coffee."
"Do we have any of that pasta sauce left?" Anya asked, and several pairs of eyes turned to regard her. "I'm hungry. It's not really breakfast time, is it?"
"I guess not," Willow said slowly.
"Pasta and coffee," Giles said, following them up the stairs. "Midnight snacks are definitely going downhill."
The only people left in the basement were Faith and Spike. They eyed each other uncertainly for a while.
"So . . ." Spike began.
Faith sat back in her chair and put her feet on the table. "So . . . why are you doing this?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why are you helping B?"
"I don't see that's any of your business," Spike said huffily. "Why are you trying to help the Slayer? You were trying off her last year. What's changed?"
Faith shrugged. "I asked first. Getting a little defensive there, aren't we?"
"Defensive? Defensive? Me?" Spike rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, you. I'm real curious now - what's got you so riled up?"
Spike sputtered for a moment. "I am not 'riled'. You're the one that's running on and on - got something to hide?"
"Spike, just admit it," Faith said with an evil grin.
"Admit what? Tell me, oh great and mighty Slayer, what is your great insight?"
"Well," the dark Slayer said, enjoying the vampire's obvious discomfort, "I think you're in love with her."
Spike opened his mouth. Then he closed it again. And opened. And closed. He looked like a bleached blonde fish.
"You are out of your sodding head," he managed eventually.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Why would I, a vampire need I remind you, be in love with her - my bloody enemy!" He adjusted the collar of his leather coat, which for some reason he always seemed to need to wear even indoors, and tried to meet Faith's amused gaze. "I am not in love with Buffy bloody Summers."
"Giles."
"What?"
Faith took her feet of the table and sat forwards. "Her name is Buffy Giles now. She's married, remember?"
"Of course I remember. I was there you know."
If it was possible for a vampire to get paler, Spike managed it. And Faith's grin became wider as she watched the vampire try to get out of the deep hole he was digging.
"Not that I . . ." he began. "I wasn't-"
"You," Faith pointed at him, chuckling, "were at their wedding. How did you manage that? Even their Scooby friends up there didn't get to see that."
Spike muttered something.
"Pardon? I didn't quite hear that."
"I lost a bet and had to get them together, happy now?" Spike stood and began pacing. "Can't a fellow do one good deed without it turning into a huge drama? I tell you, that's the last time I make bets with demons with nancy names like Whistler."
"Aah, so you got them together and then you fell in love with her."
"No!"
Faith rolled her eyes. "Come on. You're here to save the world? I'm not completely stupid you know. If you wanted to stop these Commedores demons you would have just killed Buffy by now. You've had lots of chances. Hell, she ain't even able to defend herself anymore. Instead you're here reading books, rescuing her and protecting her. You love her."
Spike dropped into a chair and said quietly, desperately, "I am not in love with her."
"Sure. You keep telling yourself that. In the meantime we'll-"
There was a noise from the sofa and they both froze. A low groan sounded and Faith was instantly sitting beside Buffy, stroking her arm soothingly.
"Hey, B, you coming back to us?" she crooned.
Her only answer was another low moan.
"B?" Faith turned to Spike. "Get Giles. She's coming round."
He nodded and almost flew up the stairs.
"Come on B, it's time to wake up now. That's right, open your eyes," she said encouragingly. "I'm here. Just wake up. You had your stud-muffin up there worried. Take your time."
Buffy shifted slightly and groaned. "Faith?"
"That's me," Faith said with a smile. "How ya feeling?"
She was sitting so close to Buffy that she could see the instant the blonde Slayer changed. Her eyes went blank and her face twisted into a mask of pain. The hand that had been clasping hers weakly became a crushing grip and a sound almost like a snarl came from deep inside her chest.
"B?" she said uncertainly.
Buffy gave no hint that she recognised the dark Slayer as she pushed her off the sofa and sent her flying through the air to crash into the wall. Faith slid down to the ground as the rest of the Gang rushed into the basement and an axe, dislodged when she collided with it, fell with a crash next to her. Buffy snarled again and pulled on the chains.
"Buffy!" Giles shouted.
She did not answer, throwing herself forward only to be pulled up by the chains. Growling, she pulled and yanked at her bindings. When they did not loosen she sat back on the sofa and looked around, her eyes burning with rage. For a moment no one moved and Faith thought that maybe Buffy would calm down. Then, in a movement even she could not have predicted, the blonde Slayer drew back her fist and punched herself in the stomach over her unborn child.
"No!" Giles shouted, and leapt forward.
Spike was faster though and he grabbed the Slayer's flailing arms to hold them still. She struggled, kicking and biting, against him but he held on and tried not hurt her. Faith slowly stood, feeling as though she was bruised from head to toe, and picked up the axe from the floor.
"I'm sorry B," she said as she walked over to the struggling Slayer. "It's for your own good."
She grasped the handle of the axe and tapped Buffy firmly on the temple. The blonde girl immediately collapsed and Spike let her fall back on the sofa. Giles reached her side moments later and pulled her into his arms. He sat slowly rocking her back and forth while the rest of the gang drew back.
"We have to find something," Faith said as she approached them. "We can't keep her unconscious for the next three months."
Willow looked over to her unconscious friend. "You're right. But I can't think of anything right now."
"W-w-we've been trying to find a way to b-b-break the spell," Tara said uncertainly. "But that's not working. Maybe it's the wrong approach."
"What do you mean?" Faith asked.
"Maybe instead of breaking someone else's spell we should be c-c-casting our own."
Willow immediately caught on and grinned. "A shield?"
Tara nodded. "Y-y-you've already got wards on the house. It wouldn't take much to m-modify them."
"We could set that up in, maybe, half an hour?" Willow continued.
Ignoring everyone around them the two witches began excitedly chattering and walked away. Faith could not understand more than one word in four and decided to leave the spells to the experts.
"Wow, I never thought I'd meet someone who could actually do Willow-babble as well as the Willster," Xander said, awed. "It's like they're twins or something. Twins with different hair, but . . . does anyone else feel scared when you think of the destructive power over there?"
***
As Willow said the final syllables of her spell she threw the yellow powder in the air and it immediately spread out and floated away.
"That was it?" Faith said, unimpressed.
"I think so," said Willow. "I hope so. Of course if this doesn't work we'll at least have a nice lavender scent in here for a while. But that should have worked. We'll know when Buffy comes round. I hope this works."
Giles was still sitting on the sofa, gently stroking Buffy's hair and forehead. "Come on, love, wake up. Please? We need you. I need you. I love you. You've scared us quite enough tonight."
Buffy remained still and the group exchanged glances before slowly moving to find seats while they waited. Spike chose a chair as far away from Faith as he could manage, shooting her nervous looks the entire time. Tara helped Willow to the other sofa and sat down with her, whispering something none of the others could hear. The redheaded witch looked pale and tired and after a couple of minutes she put her head on Tara's shoulder.
"Buffy, love, please wake up," Giles said quietly. "Faith didn't hit you that hard. Just open your eyes, please?"
He was rewarded with a slight stirring, nothing more than her eyelids fluttering, but it was enough. "That's it love, just open your eyes. Everything's all right now. We've fixed it."
Buffy's eyes slowly opened. "Rupert?"
Faith sat back, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders as she heard that voice. But remembering the last time, and wincing at the bruises she could feel on her back, her foot tapped nervously.
"Rupert? What happened?" Buffy whispered. "Why am I in the basement? And why have you chained me up? This isn't something weirdly kinky, is it?"
Faith snickered as she watched Giles' ears turn red.
"No, love, it's nothing like that," he quickly reassured her. "We just had a slight problem. You're fine now."
"Oh." Buffy was silent for a moment. "What kind of problem would make you chain me up?"
Deciding that he was taking too long with the explanation, Faith stood and walked over to the couple. "You got possessed. We had to protect you. You're not possessed anymore."
"I was what?"
Giles took over. "Someone was controlling you. They tried to hurt the baby. But it didn't work. We've managed to shield you and tomorrow we'll work out some way of undoing the spell."
"Who did it?"
"I have no idea," Giles said. "Considering the number of people who want to stop this baby being born the suspect list is rather large. But it's all over now. The shields seem to be holding."
Buffy nodded sleepily. "Good. Thank you."
Giles shook her gently and she obligingly opened her eyes. "Love, you've got a concussion. You can't go back to sleep yet."
"But I'm tired," Buffy protested, pouting.
The tall Watcher leaned down and kissed his wife. "I know. But it isn't a good idea. Why don't I take you upstairs and make us some tea?"
She nodded unhappily. "Will the shields be ok?"
"They're on the house, so we can move around a little. We'll just have to stay indoors for a while."
"Oh."
Giles stood and picked up Buffy, holding her close as he carried her up the stairs and for just an instant Faith envied how much Buffy was loved. But she quickly put that aside and turned to survey the basement. Xander was tiredly leading Anya upstairs and Spike had already wrapped his leather coat tightly around him and returned to his bed in the corner. Willow and Tara had given in to their exhaustion as soon as they knew Buffy was safe and now lay curled up together on their sofa, fast asleep. It occurred to Faith that the group was oddly trusting; they could go to sleep with a vampire and a known murderer in their house without batting an eyelid. And she had acted as part of this strange group to save a woman that last year was her rival.
"Damned if I know why, but this actually feels good," Faith muttered to herself.
She turned and walked slowly up the basement steps. At the top she turned to watch the silent room for a moment before turning the lights down low. She could hear Buffy and Giles talking quietly in the kitchen but decided not to interrupt; they needed some time together after what happened. So as the first light from the rising sun hit the sky Faith stepped out of the door and went for a walk.
*finis*