Under the Sun

Author: enigmaticblue

Rating: PG-13

Archive: Sure, if you already have my stuff. If not, just ask.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters herein; Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and other lucky folks do. Of course, I'm not the one making money off of them.

Summary: Set after Avocation in an alternate S4 where many events of canon get thrown out the window. This one won't make any sense if you haven't read the previous story.

A/N: The title comes from Ecclesiastes, which most people know from the phrase, "A time for everything, and a season for everything under heaven." Really, this story is based on the entire book, which is probably my favorite in the Bible. It talks about making the most of what one has now, and while some find it depressing, I love it. If you've got the time, I'd really recommend you read the whole thing.

Chapter 39

"Love, from seed to seed, from planet to planet,/the wind with its net through the darkening nations,/war with its bloody shoes,/or even the day, with a thorny night./ Wherever we went, islands or bridges or flags,/there were the violins of the fleeing autumn, bullet-laced;/happiness echoing in the rim of the wineglass;/sorrow detaining us, with its lesson of tears./Through all those republics the wind whipped—/its arrogant pavilions, its glacial hair;/it would return the flowers, later, to their work./But no withering autumn ever touched us./In our stable place a love sprouted, grew:/as rightfully empowered as the dew." ~Pablo Neruda, "Sonnet XXVIII"

Although Willow had a paper to work on, she thought it might be a good idea to get some time with her boyfriend while she could. Finding him waiting for her in her room was a pleasant surprise, and she grinned at him. "Hey, you. Where's Spike?"

"He went off to find Buffy," Wesley replied. "He seemed to think she'd be close by."

Willow nodded. "Well, Spike would know. Do you want to walk with me to get a cup of coffee? I think I need the energy for that paper."

"Sure, if you want to go," Wesley replied. "It's a nice day outside; I'll walk with you."

They walked along, chatting idly under the warm sun. The air was brisk and cool, and when Wesley noticed her slight shivering, he removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "Better?" he inquired.

"Much," she responded with a thankful smile. "What are you going to be doing tonight while Spike and Buffy go hunting for Faith?"

"What will you be doing?" he countered.

"Probably writing a paper," Willow replied. "It's due in another couple of days, so I need to get it done."

"Why don't I keep you company?" he suggested. "I'll bring a book."

She gave him a mock-glare. "Are you going to let me work?"

"For long enough to get your paper done," Wesley replied, smiling. "Having something to look forward to will give you an incentive to work faster."

Willow giggled. "Okay, but if you distract me too much, I'm kicking you out."

"I promise." Wesley glanced around, noticing that they were going through a quiet part of campus, with no one around them.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing, I just—"

Willow suddenly went flying, sprawling across the path. "Wesley!" She heard the sounds of struggle, and rolled over, just in time to see Faith punch him in the face. Willow glared at her, holding out her hand, attempting a spell she'd never tried before. "Quiesce."

She didn't have enough control; she knew it as soon as the word left her mouth. "Looks like you're still trying to get the magic to work for you, Will. Doesn't look like you're going to manage it any time soon," Faith said with a smirk.

Darkness took her when Faith's fist connected with her chin.

Willow didn't know how long she'd been out when she started coming around. A young woman was leaning over her, her face a mask of concern. "Are you okay?"

"No," Willow said frankly. "Someone hit me. Wesley!" She looked around frantically for her boyfriend. "What time is it?" she demanded.

The girl looked at her as if she was crazy. "What time?"

"Yeah, what time?" Willow asked. "She attacked my boyfriend, and I don't know where he is."

"Are you sure you're okay?" the girl asked. "Look, maybe I should call the police."

"The police won't do us any good," Willow replied, standing shakily. "I have to find Wesley."

The girl was pulling out her cell phone. "I'll call the police."

"Fine," Willow said. "Tell them it's Faith. They'll know who you're talking about. Dark-haired girl, about my height, skanky. And she has my boyfriend."

~~~~~

Wesley wagered he'd put up a pretty good fight. He'd managed to get his gun out, at least, even if she'd tossed it into the bushes. He'd also managed to hit her a couple of times before Faith knocked him out.

He wasn't terribly surprised when he woke to find himself gagged and tied to a chair. The pain had already started; his face hurt from where she'd hit him, and he could taste blood in his mouth.

"So nice of you to finally join me," Faith said. "I was beginning to think that I'd have to start without you."

Wesley glared at her, knowing that he was impotent to do any more than that.

"Yeah, it looks like you've grown a pair since the last time I saw you," Faith said, circling his chair. "It makes me wonder how well you can take torture."

Wesley struggled against the ropes.

"You don't like that word," Faith said. "There aren't many who do, you know. Most people can't take it for long, not without begging for release. I wonder how long it's going to take you to beg me to kill you."

Time slowed to a crawl, measured not by minutes, but by seconds, pain blossoming in a dozen different points. She had used blunt and sharp objects, and Wesley knew it was only going to get worse. Faith had a lot more creativity than he would have given her credit for.

Wesley stubbornly held onto consciousness, even when the pain threatened to overwhelm him; he knew that all he had to do was hold on until help could arrive. Once they realized that Faith had him, they would get his location from Xander's maps, and then Spike would rescue him. Well, Spike and Buffy.

He gasped as Faith yanked his head back by gripping his hair. She held up the bloody knife she'd been using on him. "What do you think, Wes? You ever thought about what would have happened if you'd never come to Sunnydale? Maybe it would be Giles in that chair instead. Or maybe I'd never have turned out this way without you pushing me over the edge." She smiled cruelly. "Face it, Wes, you were a real loser, walking around like you had some stick rammed up your ass. If I'd had a different Watcher, I would have turned out differently."

Wesley glared at her, wondering if she was going to pull the gag out of his mouth so that he could respond to her accusations. She seemed to sense the words in his eyes, because she pulled the bloody handkerchief from his mouth. "You made your own choices," Wesley replied.

"Really? I think you probably can take some of the blame for this," Faith replied. "You were a failure as a Watcher."

Wesley smiled, although he thought it probably looked more like a grimace. "And you were a failure as a Slayer, Faith. Are you going to play the victim forever? Oh, poor Faith, you didn't have anything. Spare us. In truth, you just weren't strong enough for this job."

He wasn't surprised when Faith's blow rocked his head back, and she shoved the gag back in his mouth. "I'll show you strong," she snarled. "You'll be screaming like a girl before this is all over, and we'll see who's the strong one."

Wesley didn't doubt she meant it, or that she would carry out her threat. He knew that every man had his breaking point; Wesley just hoped that he hadn't reached his yet.

~~~~~

Spike pulled out his cell phone, answering on the second ring. "What's up, Red?" He could barely make out her words; she was nearly incoherent with panic. "Slow down, pet."

"It's Wesley, Spike. Faith has him. She ambushed us when we went to get coffee. I don't know how long I was out, so I don't know how long she's had him."

"Bloody hell," Spike said. "Stay where you are."

"Spike, we have to get the map from Xander, and he's working," Willow said. "We don't know what Faith is doing to him!"

Spike could guess, but he didn't want to think about it; he couldn't afford the distraction at the moment. "We'll get him back," he promised. "Look, if we can't find Harris, you and Tara can do a locator spell. You got anything of Wesley's with you now?"

He sensed her hesitation. "Yeah, but—"

"Call Tara, tell her to get over there and get started with the spell. If you get his location before we do, call me, and I'll do the same," Spike ordered. He hung up the phone and looked over at Buffy.

"She has Wesley?" Buffy asked, piecing it together from Spike's side of the conversation.

"We've got to get Xander to read the maps," Spike replied.

"Let's go, then," Buffy said. "Faith isn't going to get away with this."

"No, she's not," Spike replied. "She doesn't get a free pass this time. If anything happens to Wesley..." He trailed off, and the two of them took off at a run for his car. They'd parked in the hotel parking lot to talk to the man at the front desk. It had been the last hotel she could have been at in Sunnydale, and it was anyone's guess where she might have Wesley.

~~~~~

Maggie Walsh flipped the switch on Adam, watching as he slowly came to life. She had planned on waiting a few days, but the news that Riley Finn had been snooping around had Walsh moving her plans up. She wanted the proof of her success for all to see; once those in command saw what she'd managed to accomplish, they would understand.

Adam's eyes opened slowly and focused on her. "Hello, Adam," Walsh said softly. "Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," he responded clearly and concisely, and Walsh's heart leapt within her chest.

"Good," she replied. "I need you to do something for me. Can you sit up?" Walsh stepped back from the table, and Adam slowly sat up. "Stand," she ordered. He did so, completely obedient to her will. "Good, very good, Adam. I need you to kill someone for me."

"Of course, mother," Adam replied.

Walsh smiled. Now she was getting somewhere; no more sending out boys to do men's work. "This is the girl," she said, showing him a picture of Buffy. "And this girl—" She held up the picture of Faith she'd gotten from the police files. "Bring her back here—alive."

"Yes, mother." Adam made a quick about-face, heading for the door.

"Oh, and Adam?" Walsh called after him.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

"Don't be seen."

"I will make certain of it," he said.

Walsh didn't bother asking how he was going to do that.

~~~~~

"He left over an hour ago," Buffy said, sliding into the passenger side of Spike's car. "They don't know where he went."

"Xander still isn't answering his phone?" Spike asked.

Buffy shook her head. "He's probably with Anya, but who knows where they are."

"We'll stop by his place anyway," Spike decided. "He might not be answering his phone."

Buffy made a face. "Now that's a mental image I didn't need."

"I'll knock loudly," Spike said, pulling up in front of Xander's house. "Doesn't he have a private entrance around the back?"

Buffy nodded. "You going to go?"

"Do you want to?" Spike asked.

She made a face. "Definitely not."

Spike got out and went around the back, bending down and looking through one of the basement windows. He groaned when he saw Xander and Anya under the sheets together. Thankfully, it looked as though he'd caught them during a break. He rapped sharply on the glass, watching as Xander sat up straight in bed, staring at him. Anya, on the other hand, glared at him angrily.

Spike could sympathize; he hated being interrupted as well, but at the moment he didn't care about her feelings.

Xander waved at him, and Spike straightened and stepped back from the window, waiting for him to open the door. Sure enough, a few moments later, Xander stuck his head out the basement door. "Spike, what are you doing here?"

"We need the map," Spike said without preamble. "Faith has Wesley."

Xander's expression changed from mild irritation to utter seriousness. It was moments like this when Spike remembered why he was a decent guy to have around. "I'll be right there."

Spike could easily hear Anya's raised voice, asking why Xander had to leave, along with Xander's response that he was needed. "I'm sorry, An," he finally said. "I have to go."

He came outside, map in hand. "It looks like Wes is at the high school."

Spike grimaced, pulling out his cell phone to call Willow. "Red? He's at the high school. We're heading over there right now."

"We'll meet you there," Willow said firmly.

Spike's eyes widened in alarm. "I don't think that's a good idea, pet. Let Buffy and I take care of Faith."

"Who's going to take care of Wesley?" Willow demanded. "If you have to go after Faith, and Wesley needs medical attention—"

"Fair enough," Spike said, "but we're driving, and we've got Xander with us. You can meet us there."

By the time he'd hung up the phone, they were in his car, Xander in the back seat. "Why didn't you pick up your phone?" Buffy demanded, glaring at him.

Xander winced. "It won't happen again, Buf."

Having heard Anya's objections to Xander leaving, Spike could guess just why Xander hadn't answered the phone. He'd probably been trying to walk the fine line between doing his duty and keeping his girl happy. "Wesley's at the old school, and Willow said that they're going to meet us there in case Wes needs medical attention."

Buffy winced, thinking about what they might find when they got there; she still remembered what Faith had done to the demon, and the old professor. "Probably a good idea. Xander, stay back until Spike and I can get Faith away from Wesley."

"You got it, Buffy," he replied. "I'll take care of him."

"I know you will," she responded, giving him a smile.

~~~~~

Wesley could take her blows, and the sharp edges of the knife and pieces of broken glass she'd found lying around. When she brought out her lighter and an aerosol can of hairspray that she'd brought with her, he began to doubt his capacity to take much more.

He'd been burned before; he didn't think he would last for long.

Faith could see the fear in his eyes, and she smirked. "Yeah, it's time for heat, Wes. Won't that be fun?"

He swallowed, his mouth dry with fear and the cotton of the handkerchief.

"Drop it."

Wesley's eyes found Spike in the doorway, looking like an avenging angel, a crossbow trained on Faith's chest. "You wouldn't," she scoffed.

The bolt flew from the string, and it would have hit her if Faith hadn't dived out of the way. "Oh, I would," Spike replied, he and Buffy moving slowly to place themselves between Wesley and the dark-haired Slayer.

Wesley could see Xander hovering in the doorway, and the boy gave him an encouraging nod; it was only a matter of time before Faith was far enough away for Xander to come to his side.

"You see, Faith," Spike said, holding up the crossbow menacingly, watching for her emergence from behind the half-burned science lab table. "I can accept that you came after me. That was between us, and I've had people do worse to me before. Coming after Wesley was your mistake."

"You decide that Buffy wasn't quite your style?" Faith taunted from her spot behind the table.

Spike and Buffy exchanged a look, and Buffy began moving around the tables, looking for a clear shot at the other Slayer. "No, Wes is my friend," Spike replied. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"I know all about having friends," Faith yelled back. "You killed him."

"He wasn't your friend," Buffy said. "He was using you to do his dirty work, Faith."

"He was a lot better to me than any of you were," Faith shouted. "He treated me like I mattered."

"And what did I do?" Spike asked, advancing on the table.

"You were too busy with your precious Buffy to do anything for me," Faith snarled, popping up into sight briefly before tackling Buffy to the ground.

Spike raised the crossbow again, trying to get a shot at the other Slayer, but Buffy was struggling with her, and there wasn't a clear opportunity. After seeing Wesley's battered features, Spike didn't much care whether if he had to take a killing shot, just as long as he didn't hurt Buffy.

He cursed when Faith got the upper hand, dragging Buffy to a standing position in front of her, preventing Spike from shooting unless he was to go through Buffy first—and that wasn't going to happen.

"Let her go," Spike snarled.

"Make me," Faith challenged, dragging Buffy backwards with her. She glanced over her shoulder at Xander, who looked ready to try something, although he obviously wasn't sure what. "Move, and you die," she warned him.

As soon as she was out of the door, Spike barked at Xander, "Take care of him!" Then he cautiously followed the two Slayers.

Xander was at Wesley's side immediately, pulling the gag out of his mouth and looking around frantically for anything sharp enough to cut his bonds. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Wesley replied through gritted teeth.

"Hang on," Xander said. "I've nearly got it." He kept sawing at the ropes with the piece of broken glass he'd found. "Willow's supposed to be on her way, I think with Tara."

Wesley nodded, breathing a sigh of relief when Xander finally sawed through the ropes around his wrists.

"Wesley!" Willow came barreling through the door, Tara at her heels. "We got here as soon as we could." She was at his side in a moment, tilting his chin to get a better look at his injuries. "You look awful."

He frowned at her, finding it difficult to focus through his pain and without his glasses, but he could see that Willow had a dark bruise forming on her chin. "She hurt you."

Willow waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing; I've had worse. You need a doctor."

"I'll be fine," Wesley said. "It's just superficial cuts and bruises mostly."

Tara frowned at him, touching one cheek where he'd been cut. "Willow's right," she insisted, sounding uncharacteristically firm. "You need to see the doctor. She might have hurt you worse than you know."

"Never argue with two women at once," Xander advised him. "You're pretty much out-numbered, Wes."

He sighed, allowing Willow and Tara to help him up once Xander had the rope off his ankles. When he stumbled a bit, Willow reached into her pocket for the cell phone Wesley had left in his jacket. "I'm going to call Giles. You're not walking to the hospital. And where are Spike and Buffy?"

Wesley winced, knowing that he was in for quite a bit of mother-henning, because if Giles knew about this, Joyce would know, too, and then he'd have three women who thought that they knew what was best for him.

"They're chasing Faith down, I hope," he replied, deciding that it was better just to give up and give in to the inevitable. Wesley didn't have the strength to argue anyway.