by Rob Sorenson

Xander materialized in the bedroom he shared with his wife, just as Willow had promised he would. He looked around anxiously for a moment; it would all be ruined if Faith had seen the flash.

Luckily, she was downstairs. Xander crept to the door and opened it slowly. A smile came across his face as a high-pitched whine reached his ears. Faith had activated the vacuum cleaner. This should give him enough cover...even the highly sensitive hearing of the Slayer would have a hard time picking up anything over the old Hoover.

Still taking care, he removed his shoes before walking into the hall. Tiptoeing to the edge of the stairs, Xander crouched, peeking through the banister.

Faith was facing away from him, moving the vacuum back and forth rhythmically. Her headphones were blasting Limp Bizkit; the Slayer's free hand was curved forward as she moved with the music. Xander actually gulped when she danced backward to take a second sweep over the carpet. Her hips were swaying to and fro in a motion that seemed specifically designed to make a man pass out.

He ducked back around the corner, back facing the wall of the hallway. For maybe the billionth time he shook his head. Christ, my wife is hot. How did a guy like me ever get a wife this hot?

The vacuum abruptly switched off, throwing Xander into a panic. Oh, shit. I'm busted. She heard me. He froze in place; if she were coming up the stairs he had no chance of remaining unnoticed. Closing his eyes, he pictured her moving through the laundry room to put away the appliance. This might be my only chance, he thought.

He stood up straight, cursing inwardly as his knees popped. After a few moments, he couldn't hear any movement downstairs. Dammit. If I move, she'll hear me.

To his relief, the television came on. Xander had bought a Bose home entertainment system for his wife's birthday.

Well...truthfully no one strictly knew what Faith's exact birthday was; she'd been abandoned as a baby. Xander had deemed this unacceptable. He smiled to himself at the memory.

**************Ten months earlier****************

Xander and Faith Harris had been married for almost two whole months. Three weeks prior, they'd closed on a two-story Victorian on the outskirts of Sunnydale. He'd planned to build her a home with his own hands-just as he'd vowed at the wedding-but she'd fallen in love with this particular place ever since the "For Sale" sign had been posted on the front lawn. They'd toured it, of course, and Faith's enthusiasm hadn't dampened in the slightest. In truth, it was for the best; Xander was going to be caught up in the stadium project soon. The time to build her the kind of home she deserved wasn't really available.

He'd eased his guilty conscience by adding a few touches of his own: the hardwood floors in the dining room had been added with his own hand, and the Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom had been something Faith had always wanted. He'd built it for two, which had elicited a smile of sensual promise from his wife that took Xander's breath away. He then proceeded to remodel the rest of the bathroom: stainless steel fixtures were changed to brass; the sink was Italian marble. Granite counter tops completed the ensemble.

In the kitchen, he'd installed light granite counter tops as well, complete with matching light maple cupboards and drawers. As a final touch, ceiling fans were added to every room but the bath. Once the repainting was finished in light Caribbean-style pastels, the atmosphere was loose and airy. The home itself-not including the swimming pool and 2-car garage-was over 8000 square feet...yet it was intimate and comfortable.

If there was one word that could never be used to describe Mr. And Mrs. Harris, it would be stuffy...and their home reflected that. No matter how much money they made in life, they couldn't be snobs if their lives depended on it.

Xander and Faith had spent the last couple of hours shopping for a coffee table... well, arguing might have been more accurate. Faith wanted solid wood while Xander had held out for a glass table top. In the end, logic prevailed: it was a lot more dangerous to get tossed into glass if one is under attack from a demon.

Ahhh...decorating, Sunnydale style. It'd make a Hell of a Trading Spaces episode.

As they came in through the garage, Faith nearly dropped her side of the table in shock.

"Whoa! What the Hell is this?"

"Happy birthday, baby."

Faith looked at Xander suspiciously. "That supposed to be funny?"

"Ummm...no. I have something for you."

She looked at the far wall again. "I can see that."

At the front of the room, a 54-inch flat screen plasma TV was the centerpiece of an entertainment center that matched the coffee table perfectly. Faith's eyes followed the wires that came from behind the wall unit; they were connected to Bose speakers adorning each corner of the living room.

"I mean there's something else. It's kind of a two-part present."

"Ok."

"Ummm...could we put this down first? Solid cherry wood is kinda
heavy."

"Wuss."

They placed the table on the carpet. She placed her hands on her hips with a smirk.

"So what's the what?"

Without a word, he produced a piece of parchment and handed it to her. She stared at it for a long time before looking back to him, eyes narrowed.

"What is this?"

"What does it look like?"

"Well, it says Certificate of Birth on top, so..."

"Is this real?"

"Sure it is. Wait'll you turn on the surround sound. You'll think the gunshots from Die Hard 4 are happening right in our living room. Might even duck the first couple of times."

She just stared hard at him. There were moments when Faith wished Xander would learn when goof-ass jokes were ok...and when they weren't. It didn't appear that he would ever learn that skill. On the other hand, if her husband wasn't at least partially nuts, he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with. So, as it is in any lasting relationship, she took the good with the bad.

God knew the good outweighed the bad by a ton. At the end of the day, this dork made her heart flutter. That's what it all came down to.

Still, sometimes she wanted to...

Xander held up his hands in defense.

"Ok...just take it easy, baby. C'mere."

He sat on the couch, motioning for her to join him. She moved slowly, eyes still glued to the parchment. Look at the footprints, she thought. Those tiny little footprints....

Xander took his wife's hand in his own. "Willow and I have been working on this since the wedding. We decided there was no good reason why we couldn't track down some specifics about where you come from...not if we really worked on it. Wills hacked into every relevant system-don't tell anybody about that, by the way-and we got some answers.

That's the good news. The bad news is, our answers weren't very helpful. Hospital records from the early 80's were sketchy at best...and what we saw just didn't list any abandoned babies named Faith. When I was in LA a couple of weeks ago I went down to the Hall of Records to see if any hard copies existed. Seems they had a fire in '86 that destroyed a good portion of the previous ten years...and the files hadn't been backed up yet. Short version is, they're gone."

"I could've told you that. Its not like I never tried to look,
Xand."

"Yeah...but I was hoping Wills could come up with some computer magic. As it turns out, she did...just not in the way I was expecting."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Meaning this."

He first indicated the birth certificate she was already holding, then reached into his pocket, producing a card. Xander smiled and held it up.

"Faith Harris, you now have a Social Security card of your very own. You're free to work like a dog for most of your useful years in this life, for which you earn the reward of a check that's barely enough to sustain you until you rot into nothing. It's the coolest thing, really."

She took it, a dazed expression on her face as he continued.

"More importantly, you can get a driver's license now-though that may not be the safest thing for society."

He took her hand in his.

"Here's the biggest thing: that gym you want to open with Buffy? You couldn't have your name on anything official because of your lack of identity. Now you can. All the papers can be filled out; you will legally own whatever you sign."

It was starting to sink in now. Faith whispered, "H-how did you do this?"

"I didn't. Willow did. She hacked into the state and federal government database-may I repeat, don't tell anyone about that-and created an identity for you. You now have a tax history with the state of California...not to mention the Feds, of course."

"Can't she get caught doing that shit? I mean, I was already on file in the California penal system."

"According to Wills, the only way she would get caught is if another hacker went specifically looking for you by name...and even then it would take months. As for your prison record, we just worked it into the file. Makes it more believable. If someone's gonna screw with their records would they leave a felony conviction in there? Don't think so. Plus...Wills is too modest. I doubt there are many hackers on earth who'd have a prayer of tracing this. She's good, honey. Really, really good."

He pointed back at the faux birth certificate.

"To simplify things a bit, your maiden and married names are the same...which is no big. Plenty of unrelated Harrises in the world. Which brings me back to this..."

He waved his hand toward the home entertainment center. For the first time Faith noticed a big silver bow on top of it.

"Your brand spanking new birth certificate needed a birthdate. You, my darling, were born on the fourth of July, 1983. So, I guess it's time to say it."

She looked at him, lips still slightly parted with astonishment.

"Say what?"

Xander shocked Faith by loudly clapping his hands together.

"SURPRISE!!!"

Faith leaped to her feet, spinning to face the sudden threat with a fighting stance.

Standing in the kitchen doorway were Buffy, Spike, Willow, Dawn, Wes, Angel, Cordelia, Gunn and Fred. Buffy spoke for the group.

"I TOLD them they might get hurt. Luckily we're all the way over here."

Faith was speechless as Fred looked back into the kitchen and nodded toward the brunette Slayer. Moments later, Lorne became visible, cake in his hands. The frosting matched the color of his skin. Naturally, he started the singing:

"Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Faaaaiiiiiiith...
Happy birthday to yooouuuuu."

Lorne was shaking his head and blinking.

"Quick, somebody grab this cake. I just read everybody at once. Jumpin' Jehosephat, you people are messed up."

Dawn stepped in and saved dessert for everyone in the midst of the laughter. She carefully made her way into the living room, placing it on the brand new coffee table. Xander gave her a lopsided grin.

"Nice pointy hat, Dawnie."

"Nobody else would wear one. It's a freakin' birthday party. You SO need to have these."

Faith hadn't yet moved out of her fighting stance yet, still too amazed to move. Buffy sidled up to her and spoke quietly.

"Believe me, I understand. It's good policy to be extra careful on a Slayer's birthday. Even so, I think you can put your fists down, 'kay?"

The dark-haired Slayer finally broke out of her trance. She moved straight back two steps and slumped on to the couch.

"I can't believe this."

Buffy sat next to her. "Why not? It IS your birthday, you know."

Faith shook her head. Suddenly her head snapped up, eyes wide.

"You bastard!!"

Xander cringed as she leaped into his face.

"You didn't care about the damn glass table at all, did you?"

He shrugged. "I needed to give everyone time to set this up." He faced the group.

"You guys did a great job with the entertainment center."

"Thanks," chorused Willow and Dawn, as they glared at the men. Angel, Spike and Gunn were all looking at the floor and shuffling their feet with embarrassment. Xander chuckled.

"Don't feel bad, guys. Wills always was good with the techie stuff."

Faith poked her finger in her husband's chest.

"In fact, this table goes perfectly with the entertainment center. This is the one you wanted the whole time, ain't it?"

He just shrugged with a grin.

"Well, Mr. Smart Ass, what happens if I cave? Whaddaya do if I decide the glass top is better?"

"Honey, you've never changed your mind to agree with me yet. I played the odds."

General laughter ensued. Faith frowned, trying desperately not to smile.

"Damn you, Harris. These last coupla hours I thought you actually grew a pair. Oh, and one more thing."

She smacked him on the arm.

"Ow! What?!"

"That was for the crack about my driving. I'm a better driver than you could ever hope to be."

This earned silence. She looked around incredulously.

"Hey, people! I happen to have a perfect driving record."

"Only because they can't bloody catch you."

Spike's response drew laughter again. Dawn spoke up excitedly.

"Let's get the rest of the presents!"

She dragged a scowling Spike behind her to get the additional gifts. Faith sat back on the couch, still trying to process everything. Meanwhile Xander strolled toward Willow and spoke.

"I think Xander done good, don't you?"

"Yup. That he did."

"He also knows he owes it all to his best friend/computer felon. He'd thank her, except..."

"Except she'd wave her hand at Xander like this; then tell him that they're past having to thank one another. We do it because it's us."

"Red."

Xander and Willow hadn't noticed Faith until she spoke to them.

"Faith?"

"Look, I know what it took for you to do this, and..."

"Hand-wave applies to you, too."

"Huh?"

"You married Xander. That makes you family to me. Plus, it really wasn't that hard...and long overdue. God knows you deserve this."

"Still...you know....you know what I'm tryin' to say here, right? Let me off the freakin' hook already."

"I already DID let you off the hook. You just weren't listening. I'll let you slide since it's your birthday."

Faith snorted. "Birthday. Yeah. Last time anyone tried to do anything like this for me..."

She stopped, too full to speak. Shit. What is it with these people that I always have to start cryin'? After taking a deep breath, she finished.

"It was a long time ago, and they sure as Hell didn't do anything like this. This is..."

Xander took her hand. "For you. This is for you. It's your first birthday as my wife. I couldn't just ignore it, now could I?"

She threw her arms around him, now unable to stop the tears as she whispered to him.

"Xand...you rock."

He smiled.

"I love you too, baby."

Xander was snapped out of his reverie by the ringing of their kitchen phone. Taking advantage of the sound, he quickly padded back into the master bedroom. This is gonna be great!

*********************************************************

"Yeah?"

(We're outside. And hey! Pizza guy is right behind us! It's a beautiful thing.)

"Well, you always did know how to show up just in the nick of time, B."

(Why, thank you.)

"Lemme get the door open."

Faith hung up the phone and walked to the end of the kitchen, opening the door that faced their garage. She leaned around the corner and pressed the button, thereby clearing the way for the Escalade to park inside. Once she heard the drone of the garage door opening, the Slayer grabbed her wallet and jogged toward the front door to intercept the delivery man.

"Hey, Faith."

"Whassup, Terry?"

"Not much. Quiet evening so far."

Faith often wondered whether it was a good thing to be on a first-name basis with the pizza delivery guy. She felt briefly guilty for busting B's nuts about cooking. She wasn't exactly Martha Stewart or
anything. On the other hand, Faith was of the opinion that Stewart was a demon, so...

She took the two large pies from his hands. "What's the damage again?"

"With the coupon, $12.78. You DO have the coupon this time, right?"

She ripped the promotional coupons from the top of the pizza box.

"Use one of these. That oughta work." She gave him three five-dollar bills along with the flyer. "Keep it."

He shook his head.

"I only need one of these coupons. Why don't you hang on to the rest?"

"Don't need 'em. Stick 'em on the next set of pizzas. Make recycling your theme for the night."

He chuckled. "Have a good one, Faith."

"Backatcha." She closed the door and hustled into the dining room as a voice came from the kitchen.

"Hi, Faith!"

"Dawn, do me a favor and grab some paper plates out of the cupboard. The one above the stove."

The Slayer opened the boxes and inhaled. "Mmmmm. Pepperoni." She snuck one of the little pieces of meat and popped it into her mouth as Dawn hollered.

"Which one is the silverware drawer?"

"Silverware?! What are you, some kinda snob?!"

"It's not for me. Buffy doesn't like getting her fingers greasy."

"She better stay outta Blondie's hair then."

"Sod off!"

Faith chuckled and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Spikey Poo. Your dinner's in the fridge."

His face brightened as he leaned over to fetch his meal. The vampire picked through the beer and Chinese food containers to locate the plastic bag of blood. Just as he got his hand on it there was a hard smack on his rear end, causing Spike to jerk upward suddenly and hit the back of his head on the cold glass shelf.

"Ow! Bloody Hell! What was that for?!"

Buffy shrugged. "Easy target. Sorry."

He stood up straight, rubbing his scalp. "You know, I don't mind anyone doing that, but why wait 'til I could get injured?"

Dawn, pulling a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi out of the fridge, stood up straight and smiled.

"Really? Well, if you don't mind anyone doing it..."

She proceeded to smack him on his behind. Spike spun toward her and backed up a couple of steps...directly in the path of a waiting Faith, who mimicked Dawn's action.

"Dammit, women, get your hands off my bum!"

He backed up until his rear made contact with the sink. Buffy laughed and walked up to him.

"Ok ladies, no more smacking of my man's ass. Well...except for me, of course." She put her arms around Spike's neck, grinding her hips against him as she whispered in his ear.

"Feels like someone likes getting spanked by three women."

He squinted one eye at her. "You slayed somethin' today, didn't you?"

She nuzzled against his pale neck. "Mmmmm....could be."

"Vampire?"

"Yup. Actually, we need to talk about that." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and took the blood bag from his hand. "Go sit down, baby. I'll bring it to you."

"All right."

He moved away to take a seat in the dining room, but not before Buffy slapped his bottom one last time.

"I'm gonna be sore if you keep this up."

She'd already turned away to grab a coffee mug out of the cupboard before responding with her back to him.

"Play your cards right..."

************************************************

Wesley stifled a yawn as he walked into the Hyperion. There were times when he and Angel had traipsed through sewers for days on end; it never ceased to amaze the former Watcher how tired one could get just by sitting in one place for an extended period of time.

"Anyone here?"

There was no response. Wes frowned. That's odd. No cases going on that would require everyone.

He was beginning to consider the possibilities when the noises finally registered in his mind. Frowning, he began to walk toward the staircase. It sounded as if someone was in pain. Just as his foot made contact with the bottom step, things became more clear.

(Angel....oh God....Angel...)

Wesley stopped short, eyes widening. "Oh. Oh, dear. Well, then."

He quickly made his way to his desk and sat down, trying to tune out the enthusiastic noises while he perused his notes on the day's surveillance. Eventually, though, Gunn's voice could clearly be heard.

(You like that, baby? Huh? You like that?)

(Yes...oh yes..)

The pencil snapped in his hand. Blasted walls are thin.

He leaned back in his chair, unable to concentrate as the lustful cries surrounded him.

*************Three weeks earlier********************

"I'm all packed. Next stop Sunnydale."

Wesley smiled at Dawn.

"Congratulations. You are officially a sophomore."

"Well...sophomore-to-be, technically."

"Close enough. I'm proud of you."

She blushed at the compliment. Wesley reached out and touched her long brown hair. Dawn tilted her head so that his hand touched the silky freckles of her cheek.

"I don't want to go."

"Why? You don't want to see your sister? I'm sure she misses you."

"I see Buffy every other weekend."

"Xander and Willow need you there as well."

"Stop making sense. You know why."

The tenderness in her voice made him melt inside. Almost without thinking, he moved closer. Dawn's breath caught in her chest for a moment as she felt the heat emanating from his body.

Wesley smiled as her eyes closed in anticipation of his kiss. So lovely, he thought as his lips descended...though in truth that wasn't far. She was nearly as tall as he. Dawn responded enthusiastically, pressing her lips hard against the former Watcher; long fingers plunging into his hair. Before he could respond in kind, he nearly pulled back in
surprise as her tongue demanded entrance into his mouth.

She'd never done anything that bold with him before. Inflamed, he parted his lips and greeted her invading tongue with his own. He stroked and massaged her long back. Dawn's body was a symphony of soft curves and hard muscle; his hands began to wander further down as she began to moan into his mouth.

Almost before he knew it, she'd pressed him back against the wall of his apartment, never breaking contact. Wesley's mind was screaming at him.

No, Dammit! This isn't right! You're taking advantage of...her...must wait...give...time...

His inner dialogue disappeared once he felt her nipples harden through her blouse; whatever blood that remained in his brain headed south with lightning speed. Absently cursing the betrayal of his mind in deference to the needs of his body, he closed his lips around her tongue and began to suckle. Dawn moaned louder, now grinding shamelessly against his hips.

Good Lord, he thought. If she wasn't careful he was going to take her standing up, right here against the damned wall...

At that moment the doorbell rang. Both froze in shock, still connected at the mouth. Again the bell chimed in their ears. Now Wesley, regaining some of his composure, removed his lips from her tongue with a moist-sounding pop.

"I really should..."

Dawn pulled away from him with barely concealed frustration as the doorbell rang yet another time.

"Of course. It could be important."

Wesley walked rather stiffly toward the peephole, trying to make subtle adjustments as he moved. He peeked through...and sighed audibly.
Dawn frowned.

"What? Who is it?"

He shrugged slightly and disengaged the bolt. Once the door swung open, the younger Summers beheld Wesley's guest. A curious frown morphed into a feral stare of contempt.

Lilah Morgan smiled seductively as she leaned against the doorway.

"Hey lover. Got any plans for the afternoon?"

*************************************************

Gunn, still slightly out of breath, ran his forefinger from Fred's navel to her chin, tilting it toward him.

"You hungry, baby?"

She smiled, face flushed. Gunn had never seen anyone more beautiful than sated Fred.

"A little, I guess."

"French toast?"

"It's 6 o'clock in the evening, Charles."

"Ok...grilled ham and cheese then?"

She leaned and and kissed him softly before lying back on her pillow, licking her lips hungrily.

"Mmmmm. Sounds good."

His eyes narrowed.

"Keep licking your lips like that and you may need to buckle up again."

"Feed me and I just might have to drive next time."

Gunn scrambled out of bed and dressed quickly as Fred laughed at him.

"One sandwich or two?"

"Just one for me, honey. You need help?"

He put a hand on her shoulder as she moved to get out of bed.

"You stay just like you are. I'll have it up here in a hurry. Ok?"

She lay back down, brown hair cascading beneath her. "Ok."

Gunn walked quickly down the hall and stopped for a moment, listening at the door of the adjoining room.

(Angel....aah....aah...OHHHH GOD, I LOVE STARBUCKS!!!)

The former gang member shook his head and strode down the stairs. Just as he was about to turn toward the kitchen he spotted Wesley, shuffling through papers like mad.

"Hey, Wes. Didn't hear you come in."

"No, I'd imagine not. Tell me, what would happen if someone in need called us?"

"Well...there'e nothing going on, really. Plus we thought Angel and Cordy were here."

"Oh they're most certainly here, aren't they? Enjoying a spot of coffee by the sound of things."

He was waving a folder in the air.

"Still, no matter. An apocalypse need not be averted today. Not so long as everyone is well satisfied!" He slammed the folder down, breathing hard. Gunn just stared at him.

"O....kay. Ya know, I was rounding up some grilled cheese sandwiches for us. You want one? Tell you what, I'll even go buck wild and throw some ham on yours."

Wesley took a deep breath to compose himself. "Well, if you're making them...yes, thank you."

"Ok, then. Be right back." Gunn hurried off.

Boy is seriously in need of getting some touch, he thought.

**************************************************

"You goin' to eat that crust, Bit?"

Dawn shook her head.

"Send it over this way, then."

She passed her scraps to Spike, who quickly dipped it into his own dinner and ate it.

"So B, you gonna pull out the toy surprise, or what?"

"I wanted to wait until everyone was finished."

"I've been done for a while."

"Faith, you chow down like that Japanese guy who eats fifty weiners in thirty minutes. Give the rest of us a chance to chew."

"Hey, when I was a kid you ate quick...otherwise somebody was gonna steal it."

"Two minutes, ok?"

"Whatever."

Dawn was chewing vigorously.

"There's a toy surprise?"

Buffy held up a finger, finishing her bite before responding.

"A surprise, at least. You'll see."

Spike was looking into his cup with a raised eyebrow.

"Thought I was promised AB negative."

Faith frowned. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's O positive."

"Yeah, well...blood is blood, right?"

Buffy closed her eyes. "Oh God, here we go."

Spike blinked at Faith, sputtering in amazement.

"Blood is bl...blood is blood, is it? Are you mad? Every type from every animal is completely different. Different flavor, different texture...everything."

"What's it matter?"

The vampire sat back in his chair, ticking with his fingers as he spoke.

"Right, then. Let's just work with human blood, shall we? You've got your A, B, O and AB. Positive and negative. Your positives are rather sweet. O positive,"-Spike held up his mug-"which this is, has hints of tannin with a chocolatey finish. Makes for a pleasant dessert blood. AB negative, now...that is the rarest gourmet vintage. Robust and meaty...heat it up in a mug with basil and a bay leaf, you got yourself somethin' very special. I remember one night in Bangkok back in '85, Dru 'n me got hold of a sailor who...what's so funny?"

All three were laughing. Dawn was trying to keep her pizza in her mouth, waving a hand in front of her face. Finally she managed to swallow before speaking.

"One Night In Bangkok! That's just classic!"

His frown cleared...then reappeared.

"You interrupted me to reference the worst bloody song of all time? Have you no sense of common courtesy?"

Buffy took his hand.

"Honey, I think Faith appreciates the difference between blood types now. Let's try to finish our meal without any more recipes from the Hemoglobin Gourmet."

He sniffed. "Fine, then. Just know what you're servin'. Not that much to ask, really."

"Sorry Blondie. From now on I'll read the label before I say a word."

He took another bite of blood-dipped crust without further comment. Buffy took a drink of Pepsi and cleared her throat.

"Ok, it looks like everyone's finished."

She dug into her pocket. "Anyone recognize this?"

Dawn tilted her head. "I think I saw it on Ebay."

Faith nudged her. "Used that line already. Except I went with the QVC reference."

"Oh. I think mine's better. More with the times."

Buffy sighed patiently and looked at Spike. "Actually I would only expect two of us to recognize it."

His jaw had dropped in amazement. "Is that the real thing?"

"I think it has to be. I took it off a vamp...four hours ago."

"Where?"

"Gym."

Dawn frowned. "How would a vampire get into the gym in the middle of the day? There aren't any tunnels, and the sunshine that comes through that big bay window pretty much covers everything."

Spike took the stone from Buffy's hand.

- End Chapter Three-