Title: The Calm Before the Storm
Author: OXBastetXO
Rating: K+
Archive: Please ask first
Status: Complete
Category: Hurt/Comfort/Drama
Summary: The night before the big battle with The First, Faith and Giles have a talk.
Spoilers: Season 7
Please be kind.
I don't own them, Joss does. All hail Joss. I'll give them back when I'm done, though I might keep Xander and Anya a bit longer...they're just so danged fun to watch snip.
Author's Note: This is a story I wrote about the time of the finale. It originally appeared in the Remote Control fanzine by BadKarma.
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Calm Before The Storm
by
OXBastetXO
Faith sat on the back steps of the Summers' house staring out at the darkness. The rest of the Slayers wannabes were in the house all tucked to beddy-by. Faith took a long drag on the bottle of lukewarm beer she was holding and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"Hey, Giles," she said without turning.
The Watcher stepped out of the shadows to stand behind her. "Hello, Faith."
She smiled a little. "You know, I could say 'I've come to help. I've learned the error of my ways. I was wrong, I hurt people, but I want to try to earn redemption'. But that's one's pretty much been used already." She jerked her chin back toward the house. "Willow and that uber-witch thing of hers turning evil and trying to destroy the world over her dead girlfriend, Andrew offin' his little geeky bud, Jonathan and…Spike." She turned toward him. "Is it me or isn't kind of whack he went all 'Angel' and got a soul?"
"Yes, it is quite…whack," he answered, coming to sit down beside her on the step.
She sighed. "It's true. What I said."
He nodded. "I know."
She fiddled with the bottle she was holding. "You know it was Wes who got me out of prison."
"Yes, he told me."
"I mean, it was a kind of a surprise when the guard told me I had a visitor. Angel's come a few times, but, you know, he's kind of busy right now with the big bad there and all. I totally wasn't expecting Wes." She shook her head. "He doesn't look good."
"He's been through a great deal."
"You Brits are all into understatement, huh?" she quipped and then sighed. "Did he tell you what I did to him?"
"Angel did."
She sighed deeply. "He didn't deserve that. I was so angry and it wasn't even at him. I was angry at who I was. What I had let myself become." She looked down at the bottle. "He never screamed."
Giles sat silently beside her.
Faith stared out into the darkness. "He's a lot tougher than he looks. He would have made a good Watcher."
"Yes. He would have."
"Guess we'll never know."
"No," Giles said. "We won't."
"He came to me."
"Who?"
"The First."
Giles was silent a moment. "He did?"
"He looked just like the Mayor. Ain't that a kicker?"
"What did—" Giles sighed. "What did he say to you?"
"That what we're doin' is a waste of time and effort. I should join with him, you know, the standard intimidation stuff." She shook her head. "Freaky, though. It was him. I mean I know he's dead and everything, but it was him. The way he talked. Those lame jokes of his." She shook her head.
"And what did you say?"
"Told him to forget it." She blew out a deep breath and took a swig from the bottle. She leaned back on the steps. "I liked him. The Mayor. He may have been one sick—" She glanced at him. "He was evil, but he never lied to me and he treated me like an adult."
Giles nodded, staring at the ground. "Perhaps if we had—"
Faith shrugged. "Wouldn't have helped. I didn't want help."
"No, you didn't."
She sighed deeply. "B's got her act together pretty good in there. Being the leader, making the tough choices. She needs to loosen up a little, though. Wound that tight, she's going pop something."
Faith pulled a bottle from the six-pack beside her and offered it to Giles. He took it, twisting the cap off the bottle and taking a long drink.
They sat in silence for sometime, not even the sound of night insects disturbing the quiet.
"You think we're going to come out of this one alive?" she asked him softly.
"Honestly?"
She nodded.
"No."
"Yeah, me either."
_-fin