I have to stop this.

The tears keep coming as I try to wipe them away from behind my desk.

I can't keep crying like this. I have to pull it together before anyone gets here. There's no way that I can lead the girls today if I don't stop crying. It wouldn't be good for them to see me like this. I'm supposed to be strong for them. I'm supposed to be in charge of things. If I go out there and I can't stop crying, they're not going to listen to me the next time I give them an order. So I have to pull things together, for them, for the business, and for myself.

I can't keep this up. I barely slept last night because I was crying so hard. I guess I didn't realize just how much Derrick meant to me. I kept trying to say that nothing was happening between us. That I wasn't starting to feel something more than just a physical and mildly emotional attraction to him. I didn't realize that it was more than that. I wanted more. I may have even loved him. But that's all over now.

There's no way that he can forgive me after I slept with someone else. I took it really hard when Riley had that thing with that vampire, and he didn't even sleep with anyone. What I did was so much worse... I slept with someone else. It may not have been planned and I may not feel anything for her but I still betrayed him. I betrayed what we felt for each other, even if the way we felt wasn't the same. Even if it was meaningless sex, it was still a betrayal, and that is the worst part of it all.

I hear the door to the dojo open and I sit back, doing my best to hold back the need to cry and wiping the tears from it. It isn't long before Faith walks in my office.

"Hey B, are you..."

Her eyes meet mine and it stops her in her tracks.

"What happened? Are you all right?"

She starts towards me but I immediately rear back in my chair, holding up my hands to stop her. That has her stopping again.

"Please, Faith... don't..."

"What's going on B?"

I can't really answer that question but I don't really have to.

"You told him, didn't you?"

Again I don't answer the question.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well."

More nothing from me with most of me is focused on trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry..."

Something about her words has the walls break and I start to cry again. She moves towards me and again I try and keep our distance, which makes her stop.

"Faith, please... I know you're just trying to help but I can't handle what touching you does to me. Please, just... stay away."

"Not a chance B, you're in pain and I ain't gonna stand here and not help my friend."

After a few moments, she invades my personal space and wraps me in her arms. There's a comforting feeling that follows and I can't help but put my arms around her as we stand there.

"It's gonna be okay B. You did the right thing. I know you really liked him, and I'm sorry for how he took it. You just gotta remember, this isn't your fault."

"We don't know that. Maybe it isn't. Maybe that's just something we're telling each other to make ourselves feel better about what we did. I betrayed him. I betrayed someone I... I really cared about."

She pulls back from the hug and her hands grab either side of my head.

"No, you didn't. It wasn't you, and it wasn't me. It was the spell. This isn't something that we did B, it's something that was done to us. You told him about the spell right?"

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I still did it. I slept with someone else while we were together. That's all that really matters."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No..."

"Then there's still a chance. You can still save your relationship. All we have to do is fix this. Did you talk to Red?"

I shake my head.

"Okay, then I will. I know you want it to be you, but you're obviously not up for it. So I'll do it."

She lets go of me and steps back to pull out her cell.

Wait... did we just...

"Did we just... I think we just... touched each other without..."

"You're right. I didn't feel anything. Did you?"

I take a moment to make sure, but there's nothing.

"No... do you think that it...? Did it go away?"

"I don't know, maybe... but why?"

We have to do a test... see if it's really gone.

"Should we, you know, test it?"

A long moment passes between us before she holds up her right hand.

"I'm game if you are."

I hold up my left hand to match hers.

"Might as well."

Slowly but surely, we both bring our hands together. I can't help but hesitate for a moment before we actually press the palms together.

There's... nothing. I don't feel anything.

"Do you?"

She shakes her head. As if on instinct, our fingers lace together so that we're holding each other's hands. Suddenly, the feeling starts to come rushing back and the look on her face tells me it's happening to her too. I immediately pull my hand away from hers and she does the same. The feeling disappears.

Damn it...

A sudden urge to punch something comes over me and I resist the urge to punch Faith, turning myself around and punching the back wall, burying my hand into the plaster and dry wall.

"Damn B... you okay?"

It takes me a minute to get the feeling other than pain back in my hand and I start to be able to move it.

I don't feel any broken bones or major cuts. I think I'm okay.

"Yeah, I think so..."

Slowly but surely I start to pull my fist out of the wall.

"I would offer to help but... you know."

"It's okay, I got it."

My fist comes free and I start to brush the piece of dry wall and dust off it, a few small cuts are bleeding on it. She grabs my gauze that I always keep in my office and hands it to me. I start to wrap it around my hand.

"Are you okay?"

There are so many different ways to answer that question right now, but I think the honest answer is...

"No, I'm not. Nothing about me right now is okay, and it has nothing to do with my hand."

"Look, B... you don't have to do this today. I can handle class today on my own. It's not the only time I've done it. If you need more than one, take it."

"I wouldn't want to leave you alone with the girls. It's a lot for one person to handle."

"Maybe long term, but a few days won't be a problem. I'll be fine."

She's trying to be strong, but I'm not just going to let this go.

"You're not in the best shape yourself after everything you've been through. I'm not just going to let you take that on yourself."

She reaches out and grabs my gauze covered hand, making me stop.

"Buffy... let me do this for you."

We look at each other silently for a moment before that increasingly familiar feeling starts coming up. We both jerk back from each other and the feeling goes away. I start to wrap my hand again.

"Faith I... it means a lot to me that you would offer, but I need something to do. Something other than crying about it all. I need to work."

Again there's a long silence between us.

"Okay... but would you at least let me take the lead? Until your hand heals?"

I finish off the wrapping and grab a pin on my desk, using it to hold the wrap together.

"Sure, I can live with that."

More silence between us.

"I would hug you but... you know..."

That makes me smile.

"I appreciate it."

The door to the gym opens and we both look towards the entrance.

"The girls aren't supposed to be here for another hour."

She looks at me.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

I shake my head.

"Me neither."

"Hello?"

Who is that?

We head to the main room of the dojo and there's a man standing there just inside the door. He's in a t-shirt and jeans, nothing looks remarkable about him.

That doesn't necessarily mean anything with what we do though.

"Oh, hello..."

Faith and I look at each other and I don't have to ask to know that neither of us has any idea who it is.

"Can we help you?"

I'm not sure I would've gone with that, but okay.

"Yes, hello... I'm looking for Ms Summers."

Again Faith and I look at each other, confused.

"Who's asking?"

"Please, I need to speak to Ms Summers, is one of you her?"

"What do you need to speak to her about?"

He looks at Faith and then at me in his response.

"If you aren't her, does that mean you're Ms Summers?"

He starts slowly moving towards us in a non-threatening way.

"Not necessarily. We'd just like to know why you're looking for her."

"I was told I could find her here. That she spends a lot of time here, but I don't want to tell strangers what I have to say. They'd think I was crazy."

"We won't think you're crazy. And if you tell us, then we'll know what to tell her."

"I'd really rather speak to her about it. I can wait for her to get here if that would help."

He stops almost 15 feet away, looking for a place to sit. Faith and I half turn to each other, both keeping an eye on the guy. Our voices low.

"What do you think?"

He seems harmless enough.

"He doesn't seem threatening and I'm not getting a bad vibe off him. But that might not mean anything."

"Do you think he's..."

Just then the door opens again and Pike enters.

"Hey Faith, Buff, are you... oh..."

He sees the guy in the room.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I can come back."

As he's about to leave, he watches the guy for a second.

"Have we... have we met?"

They've met?

The man turns to Pike.

"I don't think so."

Pike watches the guy for a few moments.

"That's weird, because you look really familiar."

Faith and I look at each other and it's like we both have the same thought.

Well that's not suspicious at all.

The man seems to get nervous.

"I have one of those faces. It happens."

"Wait, you were... yeah, I remember you from one of the crime scenes."

Sorry?

"Crime scene?"

I can feel Faith tense up beside me as I feel the same tension in me.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Guys, he was... he was at one of the crime scenes that I was investigating because of..."

He looks at me and I look back for a second before looking at the man. All of the sudden, the man has crossed the 15 feet in a blink and is right up in my face.

"So you're the Summers I've been looking for?"

Oh crap...

I start to throw a punch but he grabs my bandaged hand and squeezes. It's one of the most intense and painful feelings I've ever had and I can't help but express that.

"Ow! What..."

Faith arms wraps itself around his neck and it isn't long before she has him in a headlock, but when she tries to pull him away from me he barely budges. After she tries several times I throw myself into him despite the hold he has on my hand with as much force as I can muster and that has him falling over on his back, with Faith under him and me on top. We hit the floor and then he lets go of my hand, giving me the chance to roll off him while Faith still has him in a headlock on the floor. She does her best to hold him there with her legs wrapping around his waist from behind. Pike rushes up to me.

"Buffy, are you all right?"

I look down at my bandaged hand.

Doesn't feel broken.

"I think so."

"You got him Faith?"

She keeps struggling to put more pressure on him from her position but it doesn't seem to faze him at all.

"Yeah, although... whatever this guy's made of, it's pretty tough stuff."

That has him smiling for some reason.

"The toughest stuff, actually. But it's okay..."

He raises the hand which he used to squeeze mine to his face, some of my blood apparently on it.

"I got what I came for."

The guy tastes the blood. After a few seconds, a look of confusion comes over his face.

"It's not right."

Not right?

"Well, no... blood play isn't something I usually go for either."

Faith chimes in from her position.

"I'm glad we can all agree on that at least."

His confusion turns to anger.

"You're not right."

What?

He elbows Faith in the side from his position and that hits her so hard she has to let him go. Within seconds, he's up on his feet again next to me. Pike steps between us.

"Leave her alone."

His eyebrow raises at Pike.

"Really?"

He then shoves Pike aside, throwing him across the room. Before I can react, he rips the bandage with the blood from my cuts on it off my hand and brings that up to his face. He then licks the bandage.

"You're not the one."

Is he serious? The one what?

"You're not really my type either. What is it you want exactly?"

Like I'm not even there, he reaches out and grabs me by the neck. I grab his wrist with both hands, trying to pull his hand away but I don't have the strength.

"Where is she?"

Faith has struggled her way to her feet by this time and chimes in.

"It's hard for her to answer you with you choking. Let her go and maybe we can answer your question."

He looks at Faith and then at me.

"Where is she?"

"Whoever you're talking about, she's clearly not here. If you don't let her go, I'm going to have to put you down."

For some reason, he lets go of my neck and I can't help but cough a little as I struggle to get air back in my lungs.

"Where is she?"

Eventually I manage to get out...

"Where's who?"

He looks at me.

"Where's The Key?"

Dawn? He's after Dawn?

"I have no idea what you're talking about buddy."

"I was told, that The Key was made into a person, and that this person had a sister with the name of Summers. If you're not her, then you must be her sister. The sister was said to be a slayer."

Faith butts in.

"Who told you? Because I gotta say, all your info is way off."

He looks at Faith.

"You're lying. Both of you are strong for humans. Too strong actually, which means you're more than that. This place is clearly a training camp for slayers. And if you're in charge, then that must make you the head slayers."

Then he turns his attention back to me.

"So where is she? Where's your sister? Where's The Key?"

As much as I hate to say this, it's the best strategic move.

"I don't have a sister buddy. So whoever gave you this info is clearly lying. Maybe you should go back to them and attack them. Who did you say gave you your info?"

That puts a smile on his face.

"Be smart. Clearly you're inferior to me. If the amateur detective is here then you know what I've been doing and what I'm capable of. If you don't give me what I want, I will kill you."

That has me getting into a fighting stance.

"You obviously know what a slayer is, which means you know it's not going to be that easy. You've got two of them right here in front of you."

Long drawn out silence follows as he looks at me, then at Faith, then at Pike who is still out from his hit, and back to us once each again. Suddenly, he straightens up and goes to a completely neutral stance instead of a fighting stance.

What the hell?

"I'll tell you what. Since she is your sister, I'll give you some time to bring her to me. Would 24 hours work?"

This... what is he doing?

"It's like I said, I don't know who you're talking about. I don't have a sister."

"You best listen to her buddy. She can't bring you something that doesn't exist."

He smiles before straightening out his clothes and nonchalantly heading for the door.

"Twenty-four hours it is then."

He gets to the door as Pike starts to wake up.

I have to ask.

"What do you want this key thing for anyway?"

Stopping halfway out the door he turns back to me with a smile.

"Revenge."

Then he turns and leaves.