Warning: There is some - brief- mention of miscarriage here, so if that upsets you, please don't read this, okay?
It's been a while, but here goes...
Oh, and I don't own anything. There's about sixty quid in my bank account, and my car loan owns my car. So, I don't own the toyshop, I just stare in the window.
"You're here because of the weird dreams, right?" She nodded slowly, raking her eyes over him even as she took a very large bite of his sandwich. He nodded, and sat back in his seat, taking a sip from his tea and smiling. "Whats going on with all that, anyway? Is Summers back to herself again?" Faith frowned and swallowed.
"You've been here all day man, don't tell me you don't know." She shot a panicked look at the sandwich. "Who the hell are you?"
"My name is Ron. I'm the representative from the Wizarding World- this is day four on the job and I am decidedly not in on any secrets around here. I spent the day doing research and being ignored."
"So what makes you think that I'll tell you anything?" Wizards? She would have stayed in Cleveland if she'd known there were wizards involved. Magic was cool and all, but Willow's black-eyed stare was something she never wanted to see again. That girl was crazy, and more of her kind? Never of the good.
Ron snorted, almost laughing.
"I don't. But it was worth a try. I'll get the story from Buffy some other time anyway." He picked up his books and stood, waving to her with his free hand.
"It was nice to meet you Faith, and I'll see you around, okay? I'm going to get drunk with my brothers and celebrate." There was something about this guy, a niggling feeling at the back of her mind that reminded her of... something. Made her feel... something. And he knew B., right?
"Did B. tell you anything about the First Evil?" He stopped on the threshold of the door, looking back at her over his shoulder. Her eyes were unreadable, but she met his gaze.
"Yeah, some." Please, please don't let the sinking feeling in his stomach mean what he thought it might mean.
"The dreams told us all the same thing- the First is back and boy, it's cranky. B got a worse deal than the rest of us- in our dream she was burned to ash again and again. Giles thinks it was symbolic, but it freaked her out enough that she was all Girl Interrupted this morning." She paused and smiled a little. "I think it freaked him out more that she asked for me." She laughed outright, at something that Ron really didn't understand. Buffy had led him to believe that Faith was one of her most trusted friends. Interesting. On top of that was the very disturbing news about the First. This could be problematic. But this was Faith, and she was, maybe, the only one who could actually help him now. Maybe.
"There's something bad coming, isn't there?" Unconsciously, he hugged the book tighter to his chest, thanking Merlin for Hermione's foresight. She nodded slowly, noting the movement, and gestured to the book.
"What's the deal with the reading material?" He glanced down, before looking back up at her and smiling grimly.
"It's nothing interesting, yet. I'll let you know if it gets good. See you around Faith- enjoy your supper."
She turned back to her food as he walked away, tearing another chunk out of the sandwich. Whatever tingles the guy might give her, he couldn't lie worth a crap. She swallowed hastily, and ran off to find Giles.
Hermione jumped when the mirror on the table called her name. Or, more specifically, Ron used the mirror to get her attention.
"Hey 'Mione, you got a minute?" His voice was tense, and she dropped her book in surprise. Ron hadn't been tense in a very long time.
"What is it? What's the matter?" She kept her own voice low, quiet so as to not draw the attention of a librarian who already didn't like her. His face in the mirror showed his worry too, creases across his forehead worrying her.
"Hey love, don't panic. It's nothing urgent- but, do you remember what we were talking about yesterday? About our new friend and the reason I missed Fred's news today?" She nodded slowly, thinking back to their conversation. She already didn't like where this was going. "Well, I got that text you mentioned and it seems to agree with us. More than agrees, actually." Okay, she was actively beginning to worry.
"I'll be home in ten minutes, okay? We'll talk about it then." His face shone with relief, even as she gathered her books together.
"Thanks love. I'll put the kettle on." She couldn't help but grin. Merlin, she loved that man.
She almost ran out of the library, narrowly missing the librarian as she slid out the door and toward the apparition point, mentally running through the list of books that they might need and wondering, briefly, if Ron had even bothered to tell anyone else about this. Probably not. He was so used to taking his problems to her, that he wouldn't even think of it. That warmed her slightly, but the voice in her head that reminded her of her final exams wasn't so warm.
Studying would have to wait- this was the world, wasn't it? That's nearly as important as studying anyway.
She got home in record time, unlocking the door mere minutes after Ron had called, and just as he was filling the teapot from the electric kettle. Some things, he agreed, were better done the Muggle way and tea was one of them. Their apartment wasn't big (Harry said it was tiny, and Ginny called it cosy, but neither of them really cared) so she saw straight away where he was, standing by the kitchen table with his nose in a book and an Arithmancy dictionary open on the table in front of him. A Muggle pad of paper lay next to the kettle, with his familiar chicken-scratch writing across it. Frowning, she stepped into their kitchen (one corner of their only reception room, distinguished by the tiled floor) and scanned through it quickly. She couldn't hold back a gasp as she reached the end, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh no, Ron. This is really bad." She may have only spent one afternoon with the Slayers, but Hermione was nothing if not compassionate. Her boyfriend nodded, reaching out one long arm and pulling her into a hug.
"I need you to check my translation. Please tell me that I've messed it all up and that this is wrong." She nodded, watching as her tears fell onto his shirt.
"Of course I'll check." She moved to the table, snatching the book and a quill from his hands, and discarding his carefully collected notes. The ones that read,
In the hour of Glory, shall come the Warrior who has died. She will sacrifice, and be sacrificed in her return. Of the four, two will pay for one, and the Lost one will be found. The Warrior will shelter the lambs, and she will lead them to the slaughter. The weapon will place itself in the hand of the Warrior and in this she will forge a connection, merging those that should not change with that which is cannot be called by name. The nameless one shall own the Warrior forever more, and through her, the Lambs. The Wizard heralds the end of the world, and the Warrior line shall be no more.
"Giles? G-Man, are you here?" Faith pushed open the door to the watcher's private office and wasn't surprised to find him there, leaning on his desk and staring into space. Or, not into space, but at his Slayer. Buffy was curled in a ball on one of his leather armchairs, arms wrapped tightly around her.
"Hey Faith. Thanks for coming." The blonde even managed a smile, despite her stupor, and Faith smiled shyly back, closing the door quietly and crossing the room to her sister slayer.
"You okay B?" Something flickered through Buffy's eyes, but too quickly for Faith to identify.
"Not really, not yet. But I'm better than I was." Giles made a hmm sound at that, and Faith shot a glance at him, noting the glass in his hand. Something told her he wasn't drinking tea.
"What's the sitch then? Whats the deal?" Buffy raised tired eyes to meet Faith's, and tried her best to look comforting.
"It's fine Faith. It just... it looks like the First is back, you know that, but it looks like it's my fault... again. That's what the first Slayer was telling us, I think. I burned and you didn't. I rose again, but you never died. The others? They felt some pain in the dreams, as if they were put together wrong- or at least, thats the way Rona put it." That explained... very little, really.
"So the first slayer is pissed cos you're still alive, and the First Evil is back for another shot at the jackpot?" Both Giles and Buffy nodded, and the Englishman didn't even object as Faith took his glass, downing his scotch in one mouthful. "And little old me thought I'd be bored." She turned her gaze to Buffy again.
"So what are we going to do, General? When does round two start?" The blonde slayer winced a little at the title, but Faith didn't care. Buffy was acting in the role, if not with the title, and it was about time she got used to it.
"I think it already has." Her green eyes were troubled when she met Faith's eyes. "I'm not sure that it was the First Slayer that sent us that dream Faith- I don't think she was any happier than we were to be there. I think it owns us, now, because of me. Because we beat it. Because I'm alive. And it owns all of us, all the slayers."
Faith was silent for just a beat.
"All of you, you mean. That dream didn't hurt me, B." Buffy broke into a genuine smile and shocked Faith by leaping out of her seat and dragging her into a hug.
"You're right! Of course you're right! That's great news, isn't it Giles?" Even the watcher was smiling, the grin breaking across his face.
"Truly, this is tremendous news, and a great relief also." Faith glanced between them, bemused.
"Uh, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why exactly is this so great? I mean sure, not being the First's plaything rocks, but I think I'm missing something here."
"It's excellent because it means that there's someone out there who can stop me if I go psycho." Buffy made a face. "And maybe all the others too, we're not sure yet." Buffy grinned again. "Looks like its time to hit the training room sister. You have to be ready to beat me down."
Faith raised an eyebrow- her only expression of the shock she was feeling inside. Her, on her own, against an army of slayers possessed by the First Evil?
"Groovy." She turned to the door, ready to start that very second because this was far too big for her to understand yet, but fighting Buffy she could handle.
"Oh, and Faith?" She looked back over her shoulder to Giles, who was refilling his glass. Buffy was putting on her shoes and she didn't even look up when her watcher spoke.
"Yeah?"
"This is strictly between us. The others cannot know, not yet. We can't risk the girls panicking, or someone doing something irresponsible." By someone, he meant Willow, she guessed.
"Sure boss. But I gotta tell you, I think your new red-headed magic maker might have a clue or two as to what's going on. He was pretty twitchy earlier, fishing for info. Tried to bribe me with food." Buffy looked up then, frowning.
"Ron? You met Ron?" Giles looked more worried than B., that was certain. Faith nodded.
"Yeah, down in the kitchens earlier. Like I said, he used food to get me to talk- he's a smart one, knowing my weakness like that." She was only half-kidding, unsure still as to what, exactly, had made her talk to the man at all.
For a second everyone was silent, until Giles spoke in a very shaky voice.
"Maybe the wizard is best left out of this for now- we have no way of knowing where his loyalties really lie and this is a precarious time to test them."
Faith was surprised when Buffy ignored him, and faced her instead.
"What did you think of him?" Her voice, in contrast to the watcher's, was calm and controlled. But there was a question in it that only Faith heard- Can we trust him, sister?
"He was... interesting. He gives off a... vibe. A good vibe." The feeling she couldn't put words to earlier resurfaced as she spoke of him- his honest face and workman's hands. His willingness to share, even.
"I felt that too. We can trust him Giles, above and beyond everything else I know, I know that. He's here for a reason and that reason is more than just a job." The man looked unconvinced, but he nodded slowly. He'd learned the hard way what it meant to not trust his Slayer's judgment.
"So it's just the four of us then? Quite the party." She pulled open the door, hips swaying as she walked and her hair swinging from side to side in a way that Buffy knew was practiced. It had to be- even for a Slayer, Faith had always been graceful. "What's the story with our new magical friend anyway? Can I call dibs?" Buffy laughed, knocking her shoulder off Faith's in a friendly gesture.
"His story? Magical war, big bad, good guys win, Ron needs a new job. As for the other, he has a very significant other half who is more than capable of using a pointy stick, if you catch my warning. Hermione is not to be trifled with."
"Hermione? Geez, that's almost as bad as Buffy." The other slayer laughed, and several heads poked out from around the next door.
"Faith? You're back? Excellent! Are you here for long?" The slayer, Shannon, looked genuinely happy to see her and Faith couldn't help but blush a little. The Sunnydale girls still held a lot of affection for their one-time leader.
"Yeah kid, I'm sticking for a while. Right now though, I'm heading to the mats to give B. a workout." And she winked, because she was Faith and that meant everything had to be some kind of a double-entendre.
Shannon's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
"Seriously? That's so cool! I'll see you there!" And the girl disappeared, running to the dorms yelling for her fellow slayers- there was going to be a showdown, and they'd all want to be there for it. Faith blinked, bemused, and Buffy laughed.
"So, you're about to get your ass kicked in front of all the Slayers on campus. How's that feel?" Eyes narrowed, Faith glared at the other woman.
"Bring it on B. Which one of us has been fighting the big evil for the last year, instead of relaxing in the Roman sunshine?"
Well, dammit. Faith had her there.
"I'm sorry Ron. You have it right. Maybe there's something else in here that can help though. I can keep looking. Oh! And I can think of a few other texts that reference Slayers-" He stopped her rambling with one light touch to her arm.
"Thanks for trying love. I really appreciate it." He avoided her gaze so she wouldn't see just how upset he really was- silly, really, because she could still see him.
"What do you want to do?" She couldn't force him to look at her, but neither could he force her to look away. They were sitting close enough together that she could see the anguish on his face.
"I... I don't know yet. I'll take it to Buffy tomorrow I suppose. She deserves to know what's going on. And I'll get started on the rest of the book- you have exams to be getting ready for, remember? And don't you have plans with Ginny and Fleur tonight?" She looked like she wanted to argue, for just a minute, and then simply made a face and gave in.
"Yes, we're going out to dinner with Angelina as some kind of a celebration. She's pregnant, by the way." He smiled, a ghost of his usual grin.
"I know love. I'm sorry." Her eyes teared up again and she swallowed hard.
"Don't make me cry Ronald, we've cried enough about this, okay? This is good news, and I'm happy for them both." It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
"I'm sorry." He repeated, pressing his lips to her forehead and pulling her into a brief hug. "Come on- I'm meeting the boys in twenty minutes, and we both have to get ready yet." They stood together, Hermione taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. Only when Ron released her did she speak, her voice quiet even in their tiny apartment.
"I will get over this, won't I Ron? Won't we?" He knew from experience that she didn't want him to even try and touch her- if he reached out, she'd give in to her tears and she was right. They had both cried enough already.
"I'm not sure you ever get over losing a child Hermione, but we'll get by. We don't have another choice." She nodded slowly, accepting his familiar words even as her hands flew to her stomach. It hadn't been too long ago that the same hands had rubbed circles there, attempting to comfort the child inside. They'd never told anyone- she hadn't been too far along, really, only four months, and it had been her last mission. They'd both agreed it was getting too dangerous, and really, it had been terrible bad luck that both stunning spells had hit her. No-one could have predicted it, but that didn't stop her from blaming herself, occasionally Ron and even Ginny, who had fired one of the spells in the first place. She never usually blamed the Death Eater who'd ducked the spell just in time- he'd been trying to survive, and she couldn't begrudge him that.
"Come on love, let's go and try have a nice night, eh? There's enough bad things coming that they'll keep 'till tomorrow."
A/N: Questions? Comments? Criticism?