We open with Buffy and Angel coming out of the movie theatre.  They're both a little taken aback by the sexuality of the movie, and Buffy worries about making Angel crazy with not being able to act upon their feelings physically.  Angel reassures her, and they kiss.  Faith interrupts them, and steals Buffy to go patrol.  In the cemetery, they come across a horned leprechaun-looking demon.  He was looking for them, and offers to sell them the "Books of Ascension".  Buffy's not interested until he mentions how they could help thwart the Mayor.  The demon says he'll meet them there the next day, and sell the books to them for five grand.  He then runs away when Faith threatens him.  At the mayor's office, Faith tells Mayor Wilkins about the demon and his books.  He orders her to kill the demon, and steal the volumes before Buffy can get to them.  In the library, Buffy tells the gang about the demon and the books.  Unable to recall anything that mentions an "ascension", Giles and Wesley are clueless until Willow remembers reading something about it in one of Giles's volumes....one of the ones he keeps in the drawer with magic secrets he doesn't think Willow's ready for.  Giles retrieves the book and they determine that whatever this ascension thing is, it's bad.  Giles tells Buffy she should meet with the demon.  Cordelia comes in and asks Wesley out.  Though he obviously wants to, he doesn't give her a definitive answer.  Cut to the demon's apartment, where Faith breaks in.  The demon is willing to negotiate the price, but Faith kills him instead; stealing the books.  We see her next at Angel's mansion, where she tells him she needs his help because she's afraid of herself.  She's afraid she'll end up a cold-blooded killer just like him.  He reminds her that HE had no choice, but that he'll help her.  Faith hugs him, and then tries to kiss him, but Angel pulls back, making it clear that he's with Buffy.  Faith acts cool with it, saying that they're friends, then kisses him goodbye and leaves....just as Buffy walks through the garden and sees.  Back at the mayor's office, Mayor Wilkins and Faith discuss how Angel wouldn't sleep with her because he's too into Buffy.  Wilkins says if they can't take his soul away with happiness, they'll have to find some other way. At the library, Giles and Wesley still can't find anything about the Ascension.  Wesley wants Buffy to wait for Faith and then go track the demon down.  Buffy expresses some reluctance with the Faith part of that equation, and wants to go alone.  Just then, Xander shows up with the demon's address, having bribed Willie the Snitch.  Just as Buffy's about to go after him, Faith shows up to tag along.  The gang notices that Buffy seems to be a little cool toward Faith.  At the demon's place, Buffy and Faith 'discover' the dead demon.  Buffy remarks that somebody really went to town on the guy, and Faith says maybe he put up a fight.  They leave, and we cut to the mayor's office.  He's summoned a big demon in a black cloak to come and take Angel's soul away.  In the lounge at school, Buffy tells Willow how she saw Faith at Angel's the night before, and how they looked kind of 'intimate'.  Willow says that Faith would TOTALLY do that, but says that Angel never would.  When Buffy is still doubtful, Willow tells her to go talk to Angel.  At the mansion, Faith surprises Angel by showing up.  She appears to be really earnest in telling him she's sorry about the way she acted the night before, although Angel still tries to keep his distance.  Finally Faith turns on him and throws a potion on his chest.  The demon in the black robe shows up and starts chanting, and blue light surrounds Angel.  He realizes what she's doing, and yells that she doesn't have to do this.  Faith responds with "I know, but it's fun".  Angel falls to the floor, and the demon retreats.  Getting to his feet, Angel whirls around with his vamp face on, and savagely kisses Faith, before beating her to the ground.  Not knowing why he was summoned back, Angelus doesn't really care, and just wants to kill Faith.  They fight, but Faith catches his attention with the promise of wreaking revenge on Buffy.  They call a truce, and start making out.  (ick) Back at the library, Buffy says she went to the mansion but Angel wasn't there.  They all notice that Faith is also missing.  Willow says that by the time she got through the encryption's, the mayor's files were empty; he must have seen her coming.  Oz suggests that they check the records at city hall, and everyone leaves to their assigned tasks.  At the mayor's office, Faith presents Angelus to Wilkins.   Angel's got an attitude with him, and actually tries to stab him through the heart with a letter opener; finding out that the mayor is impervious to any kind of physical damage.  Wilkins asks Angel what his intentions are, and he responds that he wants to find Buffy, torture her, and kill her slowly.  Wilkins sends them out to do so, and they encounter Xander on their way.  Without a second's thought, Angelus punches him, knocking him out, and continues on his way.  They get to Buffy's house, and Joyce answers the door.  Angel acts like he hasn't seen her in awhile; asking her if she's done something with her hair.  They head upstairs to Buffy's room, where they tell her they have the books of Ascension at the mansion, and they all take off.  At the mansion, Buffy asks where the books are, and Angel tells her there's a slight change in plans; calling her "Buff", which is what he usually called her when he was evil the last time.  Buffy also notices the oddity, and asks him what's wrong.  When he turns around, Buffy seems to know what's happened to him.  After threatening her, he and Faith corner her and knock her out.  At city hall, the gang has uncovered records of Mayor Wilkins's 'father', and discovered that it's actually the same guy.  Wilkins is over a hundred years old.  Just then Xander arrives, and tells the gang that Angel's evil again.  He then tells them that Faith is his new plaything, and Willow is shocked.  Back at the mansion, Buffy comes to, chained to the wall.  She tries to convince Faith to not do this, but Faith's happy in her role as torturer.  She tells Buffy how much she hates her because Buffy's the 'good one'.  The one with all the goody friends, and Watcher, and boyfriend, etc.  Faith's tired of not getting the recognition she thinks she deserves.  She flaunts in Buffy's face that she has Angel now, and Buffy shoots back that she knows she didn't get him by sleeping with him, because he never would have touched her.  This strikes a nerve in Faith, and she beats Buffy.  She tells Buffy that now she's got the best of both worlds, and boasts that Buffy'll never be able to stop the Mayor's ascension on graduation day.   Buffy remarks that she never knew Faith had so much rage in her.  Faith replies that she's the world's best actor.  Angel, from behind her, says "Second best".  Faith realizes that Angel and Buffy played her to get information, and runs out just as the rest of the gang comes bursting in.  At the library, Giles thanks the robed demon for helping him.  The demon says that the debt between them is now paid, and disappears.  Wesley is ticked off at the charade, and especially that he wasn't informed about it.  Giles reflects that at least they know the truth about Faith, and a little more about the Ascension.  Willow says that at least Angel isn't bad, and Buffy confirms that it was all just an act....even though she seems disturbed by it.  At Faith's place, the Mayor tries to console her over the failure.  He tells her that he's the best and most important friend she'll ever have.  To cheer her up, he takes her out to miniature golf.  At the mansion, Buffy comes to see Angel.  He apologizes for how bad she must be feeling right now, says he never intended for it to go that far, and wants to know if there's anything he can do.  Buffy tells him that while she knows he only did what she asked, and they got the information they needed, she needs a little bit of a break.  As she turns to leave, Angel asks "Are you still my girl?"  Buffy says "Always", and leaves.  FLAWS:        None found THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE:          Decent.  It tells us a little more about the Ascension, and delves a little bit into the almost father/daughter like relationship between Faith and Mayor Wilkins.  It also effectively eliminates any connection between Faith and the Scooby Gang.  BEST LINE:   When Buffy tells the gang about the demon offering to sell them the books of Ascension, Wesley says:  "And you say the demon wanted cash? That's very unusual." Giles:  "Demons after money.  Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore."

"Enemies"