FIC: Escalation PT. 2 (Part 14 of the 'Who Am I?' Series)

ESCALATION - PT. 2 (OR - GIVE US A KISS)

"You have no idea what you're up against." Giles said to the three men from the Council that stayed behind to watch him.

Their arrival had shocked him. He hadn't expected them for at least a few more hours. But then again, he should have expected them to expect that Olivia might have tipped him off. Which they obviously had, or else he would not be in the situation he currently found himself in.

Which was, tied to his own chair, while one of the men thought he could help himself to the use of his kitchen. Mainly because Giles had been able to produce a particularly nasty cut on the man's face with pruning shears he used for his garden, and he was trying to find something to help stop the bleeding. The man's other two associates had then tied Giles up.

"I assure you, Rupert, they are well armed. Using the wetworks team was an error, and we realize that. We had planned not to involve you, but since you and Miss Summers are currently harboring an employee of the Council, we have no choice." The man said from the kitchen.

"Employee? You must think me to be an idiot."

"Because of your choices that has been debated, but no, I do not. Faith is our employee, and we feel her to be of no more use to us. But we can't have her loose."

"Slayers aren't property. When will you people learn that? And Faith…is no longer a threat to you."

"If she associates with you and Buffy Summers, she is. We haven't gone after your charge because she is too high profile, and despite our efforts, she is somewhat revered by our trainees. To kill her could mean starting a chain reaction we're better off not having to deal with. We'll just have to wait for other forces to take care of that for us.

"One rogue slayer is enough. We can't afford two. Surely you can understand our position."

"I understand it. Doesn't mean I agree with it. And if I get out of here -"

The man from the kitchen applying a wet cloth to the side of his face. He stood in front of the chair. "Please. Spare us empty threats."

"Who said anything about empty?"

In a quick motion, the ropes fell off his wrists, and he came up, slugging the man in the face. He grabbed him by the shirt, turned him around, and held him in a chokehold. The other two aimed their guns.

"How did you -?" The man squeaked out.

"I have past experience in escaping several types of confines. Surely they told you that. And that binding was nothing compared to some of the situations I've been put in." He looked at the two younger men. "Fire those, and you not only risk his life, but also brining outside law enforcement here. That would not be in your best interests."

They didn't move.

Suddenly the door flew open, and one figure rushed in, while another stood inside the doorway. He raised his own gun, and the two men turned around.

"Put them on the ground please." Wesley said, shutting the door.

Giles was somewhat surprised, and risked a glance at the first figure that had entered. Angel walked in front of the two men, and collected their weapons off the ground.

"Please. Sit." He said, shoving them hard onto the couch.

"As much as I appreciate the help," Giles still didn't let go of the man, "what are you doing here?"

"I heard from a contact that the Council was planning on sending a large force to Sunnydale, and I…we figured, correctly as it turns out, that Angel could be of assistance." Wesley explained. "And I wanted to try and make up for my previous…mistakes."

"Thank you. Both of you." Giles tossed the man into his friends.

Angel walked up to Giles. "Where's everyone else?"

***

"Now this…this is fascinating." Adam said, continuing to walk towards Riley and a hurting Xander. "To be able to resolve this conflict peacefully would be quite a feat."

The Council members and the Scooby Gang were silent as they watched the meeting between the brothers.

"You look different." Riley observed.

"That's true. We are different. I'll help you, but…why do you stand over this human?" Adam spoke, looking down at Xander.

"I was ordered to protect him."

"You don't have to follow orders. You can do as you wish. What do you want to do?" Riley looked around the club, and his eyes finally settled on Faith. "I can see you want to hurt her, and I envy you. What are you waiting for?"

Riley began to walk towards Buffy and Faith. Xander grabbed his head, sat up on the table, and knew he had to do something. "Wait!" Riley stopped. "You weren't ordered to harm her."

Adam picked him up, and threw him towards the back of the club. Anya, Tara, and Willow ran after him, as Riley continued once again over to Faith.

***

Xander struggled to his feet, as the girls came rushing back. There was nothing he could do.

"Xander, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Anya asked.

"And why are you dressed like a commando?" Willow asked.

"I…can't…I've gotta go." He said, running again out the back.

Tara was watching what was happening. "This isn't good."

***

Two of the Council members stepped forward and grabbed Faith's arms, intending to hold her for Riley. After a little bit of a struggle, she tossed them both off of her, and down to the ground. Riley picked one up, and skewered him through the heart. The other one scrambled out of the way. Buffy had walked in front of Riley.

"Don't do this. Please."

She saw that she hoped was a flash of recognition, but he just walked past her, shoving her out of the way. Faith ran into the crowd of Council hit men, and onto the stage. Riley followed. The men were frantically trying to get out of the way, and then a shot rang out, hitting Riley in the forehead. It was a new sensation for him, and would have killed a normal man.

Everyone was trying to place where the shot had come from. Giles and Wesley stood in a corner away from the sun's fading rays, and Angel held the gun. He looked at the scattered Council members.

"Get out of here."

They didn't need to be told twice. They all ran out and got in their van, finding their other three associates waiting for them. Riley looked at Angel with confusion in his eyes, and Adam approached him.

"He's a lesser being. Come with me. I have much to show you."

The two brothers left the Bronze the same way Xander had. Faith hopped off the stage, and Buffy came running up to her, and hugged her immediately.

"It's all right, B."

"We can't fight them."

"Maybe not now, but our lucky streak has been pretty good so far."

"How long before it runs out?"

Angel walked up to them, and Faith grasped Buffy's hand tightly. The two were in a staring match, daring the other to make the first move. He saw the clasped hands, and he saw Faith's face. And he saw Buffy's.

"You all right?" He asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Five by five. Thanks for saving my life."

"Yeah. Thanks." Buffy said.

The rest of the group had assembled around them.

"Ah…what have we missed?" Wesley asked.

***

Xander, despite his several bruising injuries, had stayed hidden to watch Riley and Adam emerge from the Bronze. He silently followed them as they walked into the woods, going deeper than he had ever been before. As he struggled to keep up, seeing what seemed to be a cave in the distance, he tripped on a fallen branch, tearing his pant leg.

He grabbed his leg, and felt a wire in the torn fabric. Yanking on it, he severed it, and looked at the piece of black wire. When he realized what it was, he got to his feet immediately, and started to run back the way he came. They had the tracking device installed into his uniform. If he could hurry and get back to his friends, he might be able to avoid the Initiative and tell them he found Adam's hideout.

But before he could get very far, a gloved hand clamped onto his mouth, and someone was dragging him out of the woods.

***

"Xander has…joined the Initiative? Are you sure?" Giles asked.

Anya was quiet as she sat the steps in Giles' house. Everyone was there, trying to figure out several things at once. If the Council was actually going to leave them alone, Willow was feverishly working on a virus based on schematics of Adam and Riley from the Initiative mainframe, and what the heck had gotten into Xander.

They had filled Angel and Wesley in on what had been going on, but beyond that, nothing more had been said to the vampire and the ex-watcher, who were currently outside, so they did not get in the way of the gang.

Tara looked at the distraught Anya and answered Giles' question. "It kinda looked that way. I mean, he was with Riley, and he had the clothes on…"

"I drove him to it." Anya said. "He was trying to get us going again, I blew up at him…"

"We all blew up at him." Buffy corrected. "And we probably caused him to go to them, but I really don't think he would ever join the bad guys."

"He doesn't have it in him." Willow agreed.

"Really?" Anya asked.

"Then the only other answer is…" Giles trailed off, as his phone began to ring and he went to answer it."

"That he's trying to make things right with us by tryin' to be the inside guy." Faith said.

"He could get himself killed." Buffy said.

"Then we have to go rescue him!" Anya said forcefully.

"I don't think that's what he wants." Tara said.

"Who cares?"

Giles came back to the group with a smile on his face. "The Council, due to the hostile situation here, has decided to pull out their team out so as not to risk any unnecessary lives."

"So they pissed their pants and caught the next boat back to their world of isolation where they don't have to face the things their there to protect innocents from?" Faith asked sarcastically.

"Precisely. Oh, I was also told, that while you are in Sunnydale, you have immunity from the Council. If you leave -"

"I'm back on the Most Wanted List. Good thing the Hellhole's growing on me." Faith had a grin on her face as she looked at Buffy.

***

"I don't know if we should stay." Angel told Wesley in the courtyard.

"They're going to need help when they figure out how exactly to confront those two creations. Cordelia's vision told us that much. The fact that my contact called shortly before was simply good timing."

"Still…Buffy and I aren't exactly on good terms right now."

"Nevertheless, the Powers have told you to assist her and her friends. You can't turn your back on them, now can you?"

"No. I guess I can't."

"Well then, good." Wesley moved for the door. "I'm going to go see if they require any -"

Buffy opened the door from the inside. "Hey, Wes."

"Hello, Buffy."

"Thanks…for helping Giles."

"Don't mention it." Wesley couldn't tell if he was beaming or not.

"He's asking for you."

"Then I'll…" He pointed inside. "Right."

As he walked in, Buffy shut the door, and walked over to Angel. They stood in silence for a few seconds.

"So you actually decided to let me see you this time." She said a little angry.

"Buffy I -"

She shut her eyes and sighed. "I'm…sorry. I'm glad you were there. You saved our lives."

"I'm glad I was too."

"How much do you want?"
"I don't want any money, Buffy."

"But that's what you do now, right? Save people for cash?"

"I don't want your money. Can I ask you a question?"

"I can't stop you."

"Faith?"

"What's the question? How can you be buying into her evil tricks or how can you love her?"

"So you do."

"Very much."

"Good."

That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "Good?"

"When I had her chained in the mansion, I knew the only thing that could possibly save her from the darkness was love. She needed that more than anybody I've ever seen. And she's really lucky she's getting it from you."

"So am I." Buffy allowed herself to smile. "Look, I know I kinda left things in a bad place before, and it was wrong."

"I shouldn't have hid from you. It was just hard to -"

"I get it. But I shouldn't have made it worse. Think we start over with a good, long-distance work relationship? Despite what Spike says?"

He didn't know, but he'd give it a shot. "What do you need?"

She smiled widely now. "Xander's…um…gone and done something kinda risky."

"Nothing new."

"That's beside the point…but could you see if you can track him down? Keep tabs on him? I just wanna make sure he's okay."

"I'll watch out for him."

And within a blink of an eye, he was gone, and Buffy went back into the house.

***

"Now isn't this nice," Spike said, "it’s a family reunion. I can feel the love."

"We do not -" Riley began.

Spike shook his head. "It was a joke, Data."

"You do have the ability to feel all the things I cannot. But they have shut off your access to that part of your brain."

"Why would I want to feel?" Riley asked.

"Cause you can and he can't. He's the first release; you're the newer version. He wants to love vicariously through you." Spike filled in. "I'm going out to eat. Want anything?" They stared at him. "Right."

As he left, Riley turned to Adam.

"What do I do?"

Adam held up a black floppy disk in his hand.

***

Angel found Xander and his captor on the campus grounds. He followed stealthily never losing sight of them. They made their way over to Lowell House and they almost through him off. Behind the building, an entryway opened up in the ground, and they dropped into it.

After debating with himself for a few seconds, he dropped down quietly as well, before it shut behind him. They had gotten some distance on him, which was good actually, because he really didn't want to be spotted. He checked to make sure there was a button to open the hatchway back up, which thankfully there was. That also meant the complex also had a master control system somewhere.

He kept to the shadows, walking along the catwalk. When he saw Xander being led down the steps to another man in uniform, he decided not to move. He just listened.

"Well done." The man Buffy had described as Graham said.

Xander clearly hadn't expected that reaction. "Huh?"

"Our main reason for upgrading Riley has been to track Adam. We've all seen how he thinks of Riley as his brother, and we planned from the start to use that to find out where his base of operations was. Now we have."

"That's why you were following me? Why the roughness?"

"You couldn't expect me to trust you completely."

"How about now?"

"No. But you've proven yourself so far."

"Fair enough, I guess. So, how you gonna get Riley back?" Angel thought he saw Xander look up at him.

"We have control of him. We can have him return at any time."

"Not if Adam has his way you won't."

Graham began to pale. "What?"

"He's got plans for Riley. Things to teach him in that cave," He said cave a tad bit louder and Angel caught it, "and then you could have another 'Frankenstein gone wrong' on your hands.'"

Graham was quiet for a minute. "Report back here tomorrow. If you tell any -"

"I won't. I've got two choices. Tell them, get beat up by them, you find out and then get dead; or keep quiet and stay alive."

Graham walked away, and Angel looked at Xander one more time before leaving the way he came in.

***

Buffy and Faith returned from Giles' still full of energy. It had been a long, tense day, and they were still very much alert. Slaying had a way of giving you a long stretch of adrenaline, which gave somewhat of an explanation for Buffy's almost zero need for sleep, and Faith's, "high sexual energies" afterwards.

"Spent all this time settin' the place up, and we don't even need it." Faith said.

"We could stay here for awhile. I could go to classes in the morning from here…I mean, cause it'd be a shame to not use it. Willow's gonna spend every second of free time working with Tara on the virus, Angel's on Xander detail…we just do the dirty work."

"Lots a free time. Not a bad deal."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "When I can do my job it isn't."

"What are you talking about?"

"Earlier…I just got tossed like, well like a really light object, while you were almost killed."

"Everyone was tossed around like light objects, B. That, or sliced. And hey, you got me out of the way of a bullet. I'm alive, you're alive, it's all even. Don't worry about it."

"Still…I just…"

Faith had closed the distance between her and Buffy, and the blonde kissed her first, needing to feel closeness.

"I don't know about you, but -" Faith started as they broke away.

"I promised you, didn't I?"

Faith, normally the aggressor, couldn't move. "Show me."

But Buffy could. She pulled Faith toward the bedroom area backing up all the way. "Think you can handle it?"

"Shouldn't that be my line?"

"Do you care?"

"Not really."

Buffy sat down the bed, gently pulling Faith down with her. She slipped her shoes off, and Faith pulled her off as well, throwing them to the ground. She kissed Buffy with so many emotions attacking her at once she wasn't sure if she could stand it. But that didn't stop her from her current task.

***

Xander just got into his new room at the Downtown Apartments establishment, Faith’s old abode, when there was a knock at his door. Minor pains aside, things seemed to be going pretty well so far. He had gotten the location of Adam’s hideaway, and had gained some credibility with Graham.

He opened the door and found Angel standing in front of it.

"What are you doing here?" Xander asked him, looking around for anyone that might have been watching.

"Nobody’s watching."

"Except for you, right?"

"Can I come in?"

"Are you evil?" He said, scrutinizing the vampire.

"Xander." Angel responded impatiently.

He sighed and backed away from the door. "Yeah."

Angel came in and shut the door behind him. Xander flopped down on the bed.

"I hope you know what you’re doing."

"What could you possibly mean? You’re supposed to be telling Buffy and Faith where to find the cyber twosome, anyway."

"I will. But Buffy asked me to keep you safe."

"Well, I’m fine. Tell them not to worry about me."

"If that’s what you want." Angel turned toward the door. "They don’t hate you, you know."

"What did they tell you?"

"They didn’t tell me anything."

"I…" Xander shut his eyes. He was worn out. "I have to do this."

"Then all I can say to you is good luck. Do what you have to do, but remember, you do have friends. And they still care about you."

Xander smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. "Good to know."

Just as he had suspected, Angel was already gone.

***

Buffy reluctantly backed away from the lips melding with hers, and got further up on the bed. She promised to show her the difference between, lovemaking and screwing, and she intended to keep that promise. Faith looked at her with confusion, but Buffy simply smiled, and with a look of determination, laid the dark-haired slayer onto her back.

"What…" Faith trailed off. She wasn't used to this.

"Shh. Just relax. I love you."

Faith felt Buffy's hand brush her hair off her face, and then the older slayer's lips pecked hers. It continued that way, short kisses travelling all over her face, down her neck…to Faith, it seemed almost as though Buffy was going out of her way to pay attention to every inch of her skin. Every part of her. Nobody had ever done that for her.

"Buffy…"

Buffy's hand had been in the process of slowly sliding down Faith's chest.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No…I…love you too."

Buffy's face lit up as she began to carefully undo the buttons on Faith's shirt. She pushed aside the sides of the shirt, and Faith sat up a little so Buffy could slip it off. Deciding that Buffy needed to catch up, Faith pulled Buffy's shirt off up off her head, and tossed it aside. Buffy had wanted to be the one to have to do the work, but Faith wanted to be a part of it too, and she wasn't going to stop her.

Faith understood. Buffy didn't go for the kill, so to speak. The five-second release. She made sure that "low down tickle" was felt everywhere. And it was time to return the favor. She laid Buffy down on her stomach, and unclasped her bra strap so she could see Buffy's back without obstruction. When she let her hands touch the flawless skin, it was overwhelming.

That's when she got the first image in her head.

{Buffy in her room. Her parents fighting downstairs.

"You're overreacting dear."

"Don't do that! Don't talk to me like I'm a kid!"

"I don't! Just forget it!"

"Just because you can't discipline her, I have to be the ogre!"

"I am not having this conversation again! Alright?"}

What was that? Buffy's memories? Instead of being scared off by the strangeness of it, she began to move her hands all around Buffy's back, massaging it. She didn't know how or why, but she was let in. Allowed to see everything, and she wanted to.

***

"Adam shouldn't be able to affect his programming, right?" Graham asked the Initiative's lead scientist.

"Anything's possible. Adam is fully capable of expanding his knowledge beyond his primary programming. Full intelligence. The fact that he has a link with Riley doesn't surprise me."

"You should have told me this."

"Forgive me, sir, but you never asked."

***

All their clothes were lying at the foot of the bed now. They explored every curve, every spot they could find. Kissing, nipping, touching. As the passion grew between them, the images became more frequent for both of them, yet they never stopped. This was the difference. Stripping off of all layers, not just clothes.

{Faith as a little girl, sitting in an old, dirty apartment. A beer bottle comes flying at her and cuts the side of her face. Not even feeling the silent tears that run down her face, she sits still, as her mother picks up another bottle. Her father coming in, and not even thinking, tosses a cigarette on her leg. She jumps to get it off, and the rug starts to burn.

"You little bitch."}

She trailed kisses down Faith's stomach. Faith arched, hissing softly.

{Buffy being held by the Master in his underground prison.

"You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"

He sinks his fangs in, and then leaves her for dead, lying face down in a pool of water.}

Faith motioned for her to move closer, and she caressed Buffy's curves, causing her to throw her head back, shutting her eyes.

{Faith, the first time she offered her body. Guys were lining up to offer her money. She felt hollow. Then she convinced herself that that was all she was good for, and pretended she enjoyed it.}

She trailed her finger across Faith's lips, and moved down, encircling Faith's breast, which caused a shiver to run through the Faith's body.

{Buffy fighting with her mom.

"You walk out of this house, don't even *think* about coming back!"}

Faith switched the positions with her, and slid her hands down Buffy's legs, just avoiding her center. She heard Buffy sigh with need.

{Faith, huddled in a corner of a rundown building, frozen in fear as Kakistos slices her Watcher to pieces. She begins to shake. She let that woman in. The first one in a long time. She vows never to do it again.}

She felt Faith move back up, and then she felt a tongue flick her nipple.

{Buffy standing, sword in hand, in front of Angel.

"Close your eyes."

A few moments later, she plunges the sword into his gut.}

Faith guided herself so she covered Buffy's body completely. So they touched everywhere. Then they began to move.

{Standing on the rooftop. Faith is scared, and can't believe she let herself come to this point. Buffy pulls the knife back and…}

They were both bombarded with emotion after emotion. All the feelings, all the pain. The tears were flowing freely now. Out of sadness and joy. Both hadn't been able to comprehend before, and now they understood. You have to take it all in. The good and the bad. There were no barriers now. They were right where they wanted to be.

As their bodies pressed together, moved together, one emotion dominated all the rest, and the pain vanished. Happiness, contentment, love. Their breathing quickened, almost in sync. Soft moans echoed off the walls. When they started to go over the edge, their cries of release were silenced as they captured each other's mouths.

***

Angel entered the mansion in the predawn hours. It had been awhile, but he figured this was the only place he could stay while he was in town. It was just as he had left it. Well, almost. He knew there was someone else in there with him.

"Show yourself."

Out of the shadows, came Spike, with a grin on his face.

"Hello, Dad."