Part Four

"Hey, Willow," Oz said.

"I was gonna say that- only without the Willow," Willow said.

Oz smiled. << I really love her. >> Even after everything she had done, he still loved her enough to accept her apology. He had expected something like this for some time, and he was surprised it hadn't happened earlier. He knew she had a crush on her best-friend, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the oblivious teenager woke up. What he didn't know was that she *really* cared about Oz, and she just had to get over Xander. This infinitely pleased Oz.

"The Dingoes aren't playing tonight. And, I'm gonna ask you to go to dinner with me tonight. And, I'm kinda back to that sweaty-palms-and-barely-able-to-form-a-coherent-thought stage. So, dinner?" Oz asked hopefully.

Though Oz tended to be a little lacking an emotion except cool, Willow could clearly see the anticipation in his voice.

"I'd like that a lot, and you don't have to be nervous. I was gonna say yes anyway," Willow said. "Where will we eat?"

"It's a surprise, but look nice. Not that you don't always look nice- really nice- but dress up. Unless you don't want to, then we can just go to the Bronze. Completely no pressure," Oz said.

"Willow! Oz!" Xander said as he came through the door.

Oz tensed slightly, but he didn't let it show. << Oh, man!!! >> Oz thought.

"What?" Willow asked, fidgety.

"Who is here? Giles? Faith? Buffy?" Xander asked as he looked around.

"The Fuhrer asked Giles to see him. Faith won't be here until the sunsets, and Buffy hasn't gotten here yet," Willow said.

"It's just you two?" Xander asked.

Oz nodded in affirmation.

"Good. I saw Faith last night at the Bronze," Xander began.

"And?" Willow prompted, slightly disinterested.

"She was going to meet someone," Xander said.

"That's none of our business," Oz interrupted as he and Willow started to leave.

"It was Angel," Xander said.

Willow stopped. "I know their friends," Willow said.

"I- uh- didn't know that, and well- I followed her," Xander said.

"Xander!" Willow admonished.

"I know, I did *another* very bad thing. But, I eavesdropped, and I found out that they're going to start going out together. They're going out tonight. With each other. On a date," Xander said.

"Angel and Faith?" Willow asked. "This is still none of our business. Xander, don't say anything!"

"What about Buffy? You know she still loves him, and he still loves her. Someone should tell her before she finds out on her own. I think she'd take it better coming from us that accidentally seeing them together," Xander said.

"You kinda had this kill Angel thing going on earlier. How come you're so worried now?" Oz asked.

Xander had no response.

"So, we should just keep this quiet," Willow said.

No one said anything for a long moment.

"It's not really our business- what Angel or Faith does," Oz said slowly. "And Angel and Buffy don't go out anymore."

"But- but it's Buffy," Xander said. "We should tell her."

"You just want to get Angel in trouble because you don't like him," Willow accused.

"I don't like the guy, and he's already caused all of us pain. We should get this over as quickly as possible. Buffy deserves to know, and she's gonna find out anyway. . ."

"Find out what?" came the blonde Slayer's voice from the doorway.

The three Slayerettes looked like they had gotten caught with the hands in the cookie jar. They all tried to come up with some plausible lie, but none was forthcoming. Willow stepped out of the midst and approached the Slayer.

"Xander followed Faith last night because she was going to see Angel, and he- uh- heard Angel and Faith. They're going to start- uh- going out," Willow said.

Buffy's face contorted in pain.

<< No, no, no! Not like that! Not pain! Jealousy! >> Faith thought as she watched from the stacks. << You're supposed to be mad! I'm a terrible person!!! >>

"He- he deserves something, especially everything's been taken," Buffy said softly. "Maybe some happiness- or less pain- is what he needs."

Faith slipped out of the back of the stacks and went to Joyce's gallery.

"Faith," Joyce said, "did everything . . . ?"

"She's as bad as Angel. She wasn't mad or jealous at all. She just decided to let him go," Faith said.

"Oh, great," Joyce said slowly. "Now what?"

"Well- you can get Angel away from the mansion tonight, right?" Faith asked.

"Of course," Joyce said with a smile, "I'm a mother."

Faith nodded thoughtfully.

"So what we have to do is figure out what would convince Buffy to go after Angel if she's not jealous of her ex-, soon to be current, boyfriend," Faith said.

A smile spread across Faith's face, and soon, it became a smirk. Joyce looked at Faith with an amused expression on her face.

"I think I have an idea," Faith said.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well. . ."

"Buffy, you came!" Cordelia said.

"I said I would," Buffy said cheerfully.

Cordelia paused in a moment of indecision as Buffy sat down. She seemed to gain some resolve before asking . . .

"How are Xander and Willow?"

Buffy paused.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Together. Are- are they happy?" Cordelia asked . . . hopefully(?).

Buffy wanted to look at Cordelia like she was insane. Xander had been particularly silent about what had gone on between Cordelia and him, but she wasn't aware that Xander hadn't told Cordelia about Willow and Oz. Buffy glanced around the room before finally settling her eyes on the injured girl.

"Cordy, Xander and Willow- they don't, I mean, Willow and Oz are still together. I thought Xander would have told you," Buffy said slowly.

"I haven't seen Xander since the morning after . . . after they were kissing." There was a pause. "When *I* saw them," she added bitterly. "I- I told him to leave me alone. How come Willow and Oz are . . . I mean, wasn't Oz mad?"

Buffy was wondering if Cordelia and Xander might have a chance. . . .

"Well- He was Oz, but . . . Willow's had a crush on Xander since they were kids," Buffy said.

Cordelia nodded.

"And, Oz kinda figured that this would happen someday. But Willow was just wondering if she was still in love with Xander or if she just couldn't let go of her crush. She found out. She loves Oz," Buffy said. "They're still together."

Buffy let Cordelia absorb all this for a minute or two.

"Xander was pretty heartbroken, huh?" Cordy asked.

"He's pretty okay with Oz and Willow, and there's not really any tension between the three of them," Buffy said.

"Oh," Cordelia said emotionlessly.

She brightened considerably.

"What about you and Angel?" Queen C asked.

"Haven't seen him since I told him we couldn't be friends. He and Faith are getting along though," Buffy said.

"Getting along, getting along? Or just getting along?" Cordy asked.

"What do you mean?"

Cordelia almost sighed in exasperation. << Dense much? >>

"I mean are they like gonna go out?"

Buffy looked stricken. Cordelia didn't want to do something like this to Buffy, but no pain, no gain. She watched as Buffy gained some order on her faculties. Buffy leveled her eyes at Cordelia, and Queen C was disturbed by the pain reflected there.

"He deserves some happiness," Buffy said.

"Isn't happiness what started this whole mess in the first place?"

Buffy flinched. << Cordy, why won't you just shut up? I was doing just fine! When did you get so insightful? >> Buffy ranted in her head.

"Well, a friend then. Or even a girl friend," Buffy replied.

<< She was right. Buffy really is willing to let him go. >>

Cordelia sat there for a second and waited.

"Since when did Faith get so pro-vamp? I thought she tried to kill Angel," Cordelia said. "Are you sure she wants to be friends?"

Buffy was almost too shocked to come up with a response.

"I- I don't know. She went over to apologize, and I guess they're just friends," Buffy said as she frowned in perplexity.

"I could be wrong. I mean, she could just find him . . . good company. Maybe he lead an interesting life," Cordelia said as if she was trying to comfort her friend.

"He never told me about his life," Buffy said softly. It seems like it would have been appropriate for her to sniff.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I was just trying to help," Cordelia offered lamely.

"No. It- it's okay. I *need* to get over him. To move on." Her voice intensified. "Why do I have to be so dependent? So fragile? I'm the Slayer, for God's sake!"

<< So in love? >> Cordelia wondered.

Buffy suddenly figured out she was tirading aloud in front of Cordelia. A blush stained her cheek bones, and she sat quiet and still for a second.

"I- I should go, Cordy. I'm sorry for laying all this on you," Buffy said. "Bye."

Buffy departed without another word. Cordelia lay motionless for a while, and someone came in the room.

"I still don't understand," Cordelia said. "Why do you want Buffy and Angel back together? I figured you'd be all psycho-mom when you found out he was alive."

Joyce smiled.

"I'm going to give you a lesson in motherhood. If your child wants it bad enough and can't live without it, if it's the one thing that her heart desires, and you can provide it, you had better give it to her," Joyce said.

"So what does Faith killing Angel have to do with anything?" Cordelia asked.

Joyce smiled as she walked out the door without answering.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Joyce asked the Slayer.

"I'm too far already to stop," Faith replied. "'Sides, somebody's gotta help B and Angie."

"Everyone will probably be furious at you, Faith," Joyce said.

"Yeah. They'll be mad at you too."

"Maybe," Joyce agreed, "but I'm just some meddling old woman." Faith grinned. "You, however, are the *other* Slayer. They'll be more forgiving toward me than you."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Faith said as she headed out the door and toward the Bronze.

"Xander," Faith said as he entered the Bronze.

"F-faith," Xander said almost nervously.

"I wanna talk to you for a couple of minutes," Faith said. << Yeah, sneaking behind my back. You'd better be nervous around me, kid. >>

"I guess you were pretty confused when I told you I was going to see Angel last night, right? 'Cause, I mean, I don't exactly have any love for the vamps," Faith said.

Xander nodded.

"Well, I went about it wrong last time. Angel is a murderer, and he needs to die. B doesn't see that, and she won't get over him until he's gone. It's easier now that Buffy and Angel aren't hanging out anymore, but I still need a diversion . . ."

"A diversion?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, so I can get to Angel without Buffy or Willow or Oz or Giles, for that matter, trying to stop me. And since you probably want him dead more that I do, I figured you might help," Faith said convincingly.

"Me? What can I do?" Xander asked.

"Keep everyone busy tomorrow night

"I need you to keep everyone busy night after tomorrow night. It will be Buffy's night to patrol, so it shouldn't be too hard to keep her busy. When she's finished, try to convince everybody to go to the Bronze," Faith said.

"Why night after tomorrow night?" Xander asked. "What about tonight or tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is my night to hunt, and I wanna to *kill* as many vamps as I can," Faith said. "And tonight, I supposed to meet Angel," she finished with a grin.

"What about Buffy? I mean, she still cares for the murdering vampire. Don't you think it would be better just to leave him alone?"

"You aren't going all soft on me, Harris, are you? Xander Harris the vampire lover? Come on, sweet cakes," Faith said in a teasing manner.

"I'm just worried about Buffy," Xander said weakly.

<< Moment of truth, girl friend. You're likely to give up the best friends you've ever had, >> Faith said to herself.

"Who cares what Buffy wants?" Faith said with an air of arrogance.

Angel was hunting. It had really been a slow couple of weeks. Since the infamous Spike and Drusilla fled Sunnydale and the sadistic sociopath Angelus had been vanquished by the Slayer, Sunnydale had been deemed uninhabitable by most of the vampire population. Rumors floating around said Kakistos had been wiped out by the new Slayer and the old one only added to the lack of vamps

The only thing left in Sunnydale was a few stragglers left from the Acathla incident and some demons. He really only hunted to hone his senses. Hell had really done a number on him. Before, he and Buffy probably could have taken those vamps out with no problems, not to mention Spike was helping. But, he'd hurt himself fighting them, though, he didn't tell Buffy. She had enough problems to worry about without him adding to them.

<< Buffy. . . . >> He could feel her- somewhere in Sunnydale. The other Slayer Faith, he was getting an inkling of. If he concentrated, he could feel the resident werewolf somewhere. << Isn't he Willow's boyfriend? Oz? >>

He wondered about Joyce and what she had said. Though he knew there was something going on, he wasn't exactly sure what. First, Faith had come to apologize. Then, the Slayer's mother had *talked* to him twice. It was bizarre and somewhat startling.

While feeling the earth and the sky and the wind and the moon and Buffy and everyone else, he wasn't concentrating on what was closest to him. He fought hard, but the five vampires overpowered him, and he was trapped in the net within ten minutes.

"What?!?" Angel asked through vampire fangs.

"Mister Trick wants to see you. . . ." one of the vampires said maliciously.

"Trick? Why does he want me?" Angel asked, honestly perplexed.

"Because, he wants the Slayers," one replied.

Part Five.

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