Fic: Mercy 8/?

[Nykademis <antigone845@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: See Part 1

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Willow felt a weight rise off her body. Her shart sight became dull until she could only see light and shadow. Sending a sad look Mercy's way, Willow felt a searing pain in her limbs, and her body turned to dust.

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Mercy threw herself forward, breaking away from Z's hold and diving for the dust that had been her, for a brief time, vampire lover.

"No" Mercy sobbed clutching fistfuls of the dust before her. Bringing it to her lips she kissed the grayish brown matter and let a slight breeze blow it in the wind.

Faith stood back disgusted, watching the girl grieve for the souless demon what would have eaten her "I did you a favor" Faith sucked her teeth and turned her back on the girl "Come on Z"

Z moved to join her older friend when two things happened in unison.

Mercy lunged at the slayer and a shadow began to take form in a nearby streetlight.

"Faith!" Z ran forward as Mercy landed her blow low on the slayers back.

The girls momentum threw Faith forward several steps. Mercy leapt on her back and began pounding everthing she could reach.

Faith fought to get the crazed woman off her to know avail "Get the fuck off me you crazy bitch!"

Mercy spun herself throwing Faith further off balance "You killed her!" Mercy screamed as she brought them both down hard on the unforgiving cement.

Faith screeched at the odd angle she'd fallen at. Her arms were pinned by an unseen force as Mercy rained blows all over her body.

"Stop!" Z cried trying to pry Mercy off her friend. Pulling at the girls hair and scratching her, Z tried her weakened best to seperate the two. As a last resort she wrapped herself tightly around Mercy and dragged her of Faith's nearly unmoving form.

Mercy turned her blind rage on Z, beating the girl on her tender ribs and legs.

Strong hands lifted her off the tearful child and spun her.

Mercy stopped fighting and began to shake uncontrollably at who was holding her.

"Willow...she...you...dust" Mercy reached nervous fingers to the vampire's cheeks.

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Willow felt as if she were floating, before the weight began to reappear, dragging her up instead of down. The air began to get cooler instead of the stifling heat she'd begun to notice. An artificial light appeared slowly growing brighter.

Willow was thrown forcefully down, scraping tender hands and knee's on asphalt as she landed belly down on the cool road.

Flipping damp hair out of her eyes she saw the most amazing sight.

Mercy sat atop a cowering girl, beating the living hell out of her. She only began to register the words the witch was screaming after a third girl tried to begin pulling her witch from the dark girls body.

"Mercy" Willow screamed. Not a sound left her lips. Pulling herself up painfully, the vampire stumbled towards the three as the smallest girl managed to drag Mercy from the dark on. Mercy simply turned her rage to this newest subject.

Willow heard the little girls screamed pleas for mercy (not the girl but the action) and knew she had to stop the witch before she did any permenant damage.

When she reached them she simply pulled Mercy from the child and turned her around.

"Willow..she...you..dust"

Willow smiled when Mercy's warm bloody fingers touched her cheeks.

"You...your...here" Mercy collasped her stiff body into Willows form and wept between her broken sentences "She...the dust...I thought I'd...oh goddess..."

Willow had the glorious scent of Mercy in her nose and the taste of her blood was nearly on her lips. She was hungry.

"I need...blood" Willow ground out around a dry rough throat.

"I..oh goddess Willow" Mercy offered her bloody fingers to the vampires lips.

Willow took the slender digits between her lips and slowly began to suck.

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Faith felt the numbing restraints release and she slowly tried to look up. Tensely pushing back strangs of tangled blood wet hair, she looked up to see...

The vampire?

"I staked her" she said to herself.

Looking around for Z she saw the girl lying on the asphalt crying. Rushing to her side her slowly turned her on her opposite side and checked her over.

There were hand sized bruises forming on her belly and she'd have on hell of a shiner in the morning.

"Your mother's gonna kill me baby" Faith ran gently hands over her friend. Wincing with the girl when she hit a particularly tender spot on her ribs.

"The vampire" Z managed to get out before contorting slightly in pain.

Faith suddenly remembered she'd seen the redhaired demon alive (well undead) and well kissing the little berserker that had managed to take her down. "I coulda swore I staked her"

"You did. She's...I don't know Faith but she's...just not meant to..." Z's voice trailed off as she lost consciouness from the pain she was in.

"Z!?" Faith moved to the girls head, pulling it into her lap "Baby please open your eyes" stroking the tangled hair away from the girls face, Faith's tears began to fall. Staining both their cheeks.

Their position under the street light gave them an ethereal glow.

Willow brought her lips from Mercy's fingers and turned to see what had caught her rapt attentions.

"I shouldna hit her" Mercy mumbled as she began to cry "She's just a little girl"

"She's older than you think" Willow placed Mercy back on her own feet "Heal her. Like you did me"

Mercy looked the reborn vamp in the eye. Willow's eyes had changed. Were before they'd been greenish-gold that became black at emotional moments, they'd now returned to the deep green color they'd been when she was human.

Together they moved towards the slayer and her falling comrade.

Faith turned to look at them with hateful eyes "If she's damaged in anyway..." she began to threaten them, her eyes locked to Mercy.

Mercy ignored her and leant down next to Z.

"Don't touch her you freak" Faith swatted at the hands the touched Z's ribs and belly.

"I'm helping her" Mercy said simply pushing Faith's hands away and replacing them.

"No!" Faith reached to smack Mercy, when the witch caught her hands and shot a blue light down through her arm.

Both Faith and Z screamed as the light engulfed both their bodies. For long minutes the wept hoarsely before losing consciousness.

"I said 'heal' not hurt baby" Willow smirked.

Mercy gently laid Faith half beneath Z and rested the smaller girls head on the slayers shoulder "I did heal them. But sometimes you have to hurt them to help them"

Mercy stood and moved to Willow's side.

"We can't just leave them here" Willow observed the sleeping young woman in earnest "Besides the fact of rampant Vampires in this town, there's the dirty old man ratio"

"Attinere" Mercy swept a casual hand their way and the two disappeared.

"What did you do?" Willow looked from the spot they'd disappeared from to Mercy "Where'd they go?"



"Back where they belong"

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Willow glanced around them, staring into the sifting night shadows "I believe and exit is in order" she took Mercy's hands and pulled the witch tight to her.

"Yes me too. I want to get you home and bathe you" Mercy pressed herself against the friend and lover she'd lost and regained in the same night "and put some clothes on you" Mercy pushed to her toes and kisses the blood stained ruby red lips.

Willow looked down at herself. She was indeed nude "Oh. Wow. Look at that"

"I am" Mercy's eyes and hands roved over Willow's form. She wanted to make sure the Vampire was really there. Actually standing and holding her.

Willow bent and scooped Mercy into her arms. Even in her weakened state she was able to carry the young woman in her arms.

"Hey!" Mercy squealed just before Willow took off.

Mercy tucked her head up under Willow's chin and watched the scenery blur as Willow dashed across it with inhuman speed. The air became cooler and fresher after a few minutes and Willow stopped.

"Where are we?" Mercy looked around them realizing they were up in a tree.

"Almost home" Willow whispered kissing her eyelids.

"Then why don't we go in" Mercy relaxed under the soft kisses and genlte squeezes Willow was bestowing upon her.

"There's the whole 'glorious nakedness' thing going for me" Willow smiled and kissed the tip of Mercy's nose.

"Yeah" Mercy placed her feet gently on the brach Willow braced them on "So what are we gonna do about it?"

"You go in, and open the window" Willow croudhed and pointed "That's ours, in the bedroom"

Mercy turned her attentions to the window she was pointing to "Gotcha"

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Isabelle led Giles to the door and settled in to wait for her slayer and daughter.

Thinking back to when Faith first came to her, she took comfort in the changes the young woman had gone through.

Rebellious and strong willed, Faith had been a holy terror. Sneaking out, fighting, stealing, the drinking and strange sex-capades had driven Isabelle to place a firm hand on her slayer.

Now, growing as she had, Isabelle would trust Faith do to much more on her own.

Like protecting her daughter.

Sighing into the silent house she re-filled her tea and added brandy to calm her nerves. From what Giles had told her, they were sitting on a ticking time bomb. The Hellmouth was itching to be opened. And there were many a night creature itching to do it.

Jumping at a soft thump issuing from upstairs, the watcher crept to the steps.

"Faith? Zeynep?" taking calculated steps Isabelle made her way to the landing "Did you try to sneak past me?"

Jace bounded down the stairs, frightening Isabelle and setting her heart to beating double time.

"Damn cat. You scared me!" Isabelle scolded the strange feline "Climbin on things you shouldn't?"

Jace rubbed himself up against her legs, purring like a new motor.

"Your still a bad cat"

Isabelle returned to her study, added more brandy to her tea, and settled in to wait.

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As the lovely people on WillTara know WILLOW CAN'T DIE!!! It's a pre-req for the Challenge!! *evil grin*