Faith blinks, as if waking from some dream that she should remember but can't. So much for those prophetic Slayer dreams. Better strike that off of her resume.
She glares at the silver-streaked black-haired girl spinning before her. What a ridiculous way to choose who would have such an important power. As if she doesn't already have enough shit like this going on in her life. Who were these asshole Powers That Be anyway? And why the hell did they have to interfere with her life?!
Because they're afraid.
The words rise unbidden in her mind. Where had they come from? Faith narrows her eyes. She has already decided she disliked this whole affair and – Where the hell had the word 'affair' come from? She doesn't use words like that.
Then it comes to her; the words had come from her Watcher, the woman who had trained her before being murdered by Kakistos. Rose. Her mouth twists into a wry smile. Somehow she doubts that these Powers were afraid of her. After all, hadn't Wes taken her out of jail so she could track down Angelus, and in doing so come upon The Beast? ((A/N: And what was up with him anyhow?? If Jasmine was after world peace and all that, what's with the rain of fire, mass destruction thing? o.O)) She shudders as she remembers the narrow escape she had made.
But that was all behind her. Rose, The Beast, Angelus... All behind her. If she had been sentimental, she might have leaked a tear or two... But she wasn't.
The girl comes to a stop pointing to the spot directly in the center of space separating Angel and Spike.
Here we go... Faith thinks, rolling her eyes. The two vamps with a soul had serious issues in her mind.
"'S closer to me!" Spike says, glaring at the Irish vampire out of the corner of his eye.
"No, it's closer to me," Angel retorts. Both seem to be struggling to move closer to each other in an attempt to be the one picked.
Taywen just glares down at her arm. "...Typical," she mutters.
"Let's ask Buffy," Spike grumbles as he finally stops trying to move. The blonde Slayer was directly across from the two, but was hindered by Taywen who was still standing there.
"Um... Can't really see," the Slayer mumbles, glad to have an excuse. She isn't honestly sure if she could have made a decision even if she could see.
"Fine, Connor and Faith, tell us who!" Angel snaps angrily, apparently concluding that moving is futile after all.
"Err..." Faith struggles with who to choose for a moment because as far as she can see, the girl's pointing right in the middle of the two. Spike or Angel... "Angel," she says finally, not meeting Spike's eyes.
The everyone's heads swivel to regard Connor, who looks a little uncomfortable at being the sudden center of attention. He looks at the angle of Taywen's arm... then to the space she's left pointing to. "...Spike."
Spike, Buffy, Angel and Taywen all groan in unison.
Taywen sighs. "All right," she says, letting her arm fall to her side. "I'm gonna ask all three of you a question and you'd better answer honestly!" She walks over to Connor and whispers in his ear, inaudible to all. He murmurs and answer back and she moves on to Buffy, repeating the process over again.
Then it's Faith's turn.
"Out of the two vampires with a soul, who would you entrust with your life?"
The question is so quiet that even the dark Slayer has to strain to hear. "Angel," she mutters back, sparing only a moment to think.
The girl nods and straightens. "Ok, here's the rules: One person killed with the 'fork. One left to die, one carried out and saved and one thrown out the window, also saved. No saving-slash-killing more than the allowed number or trying to change the way someone dies." She pauses then adds, "Angel it is then." She waves her hand at the darker vampire then disappears.
"All right, I think we all know who's going to be stabbed with the pitchfork," Angel says immediately once she's gone. Everyone looks at Spike, who sighs, resigned to his fate.
"What a way to go," he growls bitterly. "Killed by... by... Angel." His tone oozes contempt. "Right here, mate," he sneers, touching his throat. "Through the neck, so I won't die. I'll get killed by the fire and stabbed."
"Excellent idea," Angel shoots back, stalking grimly over to the gardening instrument. He picks it up easily and turns back to the blonde.
"Angel..." Buffy looks sad. "At least make it quick."
Faith casts a sidelong glance at her senior counterpart. This shocks her. She was under the impression Buffy hated Spike... Well, not hated but strongly disliked and put up with him only because he was a good warrior.
"I will," Angel replies without looking back. "Once the fire catches, he'll dissolve into ash moments later."
Ouch. This was a harsher, more ruthless Angel than she'd ever seen. Not counting Angelus, that is, but she thinks of them as two separate people. Faith winces, but can't move.
"Great," she snarls suddenly, causing everyone to pause and look at her. "I can't move. Damn test... I like them better when you're sitting behind some smart loser who you can copy off of."
Connor stares at her. "Copy?" he repeats.
"Yeah... As in cheating? Ring a bell? ...Probably not, hell dimension childhood and all that. Wonder if it compares to mine." She laughs bitterly. "Gonna get that over with, Angel? 'Cause B.'s watch is sayin' there's only eight minutes left." Wait... Where had Buffy gotten that watch from? Shiny new Rolex too... Somehow Faith doubted she'd stolen it, goody-two shoes that she was.
"Yeah, get it over with you poof," Spike adds, glaring at the vampire. "Your hair gel is evaporating or something and your hair's going flat.. Un-poof-like."
Angel moves faster than a normal eye can see... As it is, the three watching aren't exactly normal, so they see it all. Unfortunately, it is fast enough that they don't have time to turn away...
Then Spike's lying on the ground, unconcious, with the pitchfork through his neck. Well, two of the three prongs through his neck at any rate, not quite beheading him.
Buffy looks traumatized as she stares disbelievingly at first Spike, then Angel.
"You could've warned us!" Faith complains, looking away and finding herself able to move once again. Now she regrets her decision in choosing Angel... Although Spike probably would have done the same to Angel, she reflects, feeling just slightly better.
Angel shrugs and doesn't meet Faith's eyes.
Connor goes over to examine Spike's comatose form. "It's a good thing he doesn't need to breathe," he remarks, nudging the 'fork with his foot. The blonde groans but doesn't wake up. "So, Dad, who's gonna be left to die? Apart from Spike, that is?" he asks, abruptly turning away from the vampire and looking at his father. Faith is unnerved; even she has never been that uncaring... Has she?
Angel shoves his hands into his pockets and shifts uncomfortably. He still doesn't meet Faith's eyes, and the Slayer knows the answer. She laughs bitterly. "That's what I get for choosing you. Figures I'd be one of the ones to die. My life was already fucked up, so how can this possibly matter?!"
Buffy glances up, startled. "You chose Angel?" she asks, looking a little surprised.
"Well, yeah," Faith mutters. "Didn't you, B.?" Yet somehow, she already knows the answer to this too.
"Um... No. I chose Spike," Buffy mumbles in response, looking down at her watch. "Six minutes left."
"Wait, you chose Spike? So did I," Connor interrupts.
"Minority wins?" Faith suggests. "How weird is that? Why didn't she pick Spike?! I probably would've lived!"
"You picked Spike?!" Angel demands of his son. "How could you pick him over me?! You don't even know him!"
Connor shrugs but says nothing. Aloud, that is; his face says volumes.
Faith laughs again. "Well, better get the saving bit over with, Angel. Only five minutes left." She sneers, a shade of her old, murderous, self.
"I--" Angel falters. He looks from Buffy to Connor to Faith to Connor to Buffy to Connor to Faith... Then his face hardens. "Very well," he says, his features unreadable as he stalks over to Connor, but from his stance Faith can tell he's angry. He grabs his son unceremoniously and tosses him out the window. Or tries to – he actually threw his child into the wall beside the window, but he was thrown with such force that he broke through the wall and flew outside.
The original vampire with a soul turned back to the two Slayers and if she hadn't been used to facing down ferocious demons and their ilk, Faith would have taken a step back from the creature. His face is as blank as ever, but his eyes flash dangerously. He walks over to the two, who have unconciously moved so they stand side by side, as if taking comfort from the other's presence.
Buffy shifts uncomfortably and glances down at her Rolex. "Four minutes," she whispers.
"So, Angel, have ya decided to change your mind? I'm the obvious choice, ya know." Faith winked. "Got way more skills than B. over here." She nudges the predecessor of her predecessor. "Ain't that right, B.?"
"Yeah, ok," Buffy mumbles distractedly, still staring hard at her watch. "What?! I mean, no way!" she cries, realizing what Faith just said. "She just wishes that."
Angel studies them silently for several moments.
At their feet, Spike groans again. His eyelids flutter, but he still doesn't wake. Blood trickles weakly out of the wounds on his neck and falls softly to the ground, quickly soaked up by the dry, stale straw on the floor.
His eyes flick to the other vampire, then back up to the Slayers. Without warning, he grabs Faith and runs out, leaving Buffy standing there silently, staring wordlessly at her watch.
As the fire parts before them and they leave the barn, Buffy mumbles, "Half a minute..."
They just get out of the barn before it collapses behind them with a mighty creak. The flames shoot up, then go out...
Then they're back in the barn, back in the circle.
"You're not supposed to leave two people to die," Taywen says in a resigned voice. Faith wonders why she looks so annoyed. It's not like she told them that before. "Ok, since I've tried to do this three times now, I'll just leave you with your memories..." She waves a hand and the memories come roaring back into Faith's mind. She would have fallen to her knees if she could have moved.
They stand in silence, reeling mentally. "Ok, who's left...? Oh, the two blondes." Taywen waves her hand again and Faith, Angel and Connor are pushed back, leaving Buffy and Spike facing each other.
"So," Spike finally manages to say. "Who's it gonna be, luv?"
Taywen smirks. "You decide. No more spinning for me. Much too humiliating. To do that for a fourth time... No way."
"What are we going to do then?" Buffy demands. "And where did I get that stupid watch from?"
"Watch? Little PTB touch I guess." Taywen shrugs. "Rock, paper, scissors you two." She grins and steps back.
"What are you, a three year old?!" Spike growls. "Can't you think of something better than... than rock, paper, scissors?!"
"Sorry. PTB condition. It's that, or the spinny-thing again," Taywen answers.
"Spike's just upset because he always loses at rock, paper, scissors," Angel puts in.
Spike glares at him. "I just have bad luck," he growls under his breath.
"Hurry up!" Faith cries impatiently.
Buffy shrugs and stick her arm out. Spike follows suit.
"Rock... Paper... Scissors!"
Spike's hand is curled into a fist; Buffy's is flat out.
"Best out of three," Spike blurts out, looking annoyed but resigned at losing.
Buffy nods.
"Rock... Paper... Scissors!"
Buffy's paper again; Spike's scissors. He looks considerably happier, while it's Buffy's turn to be annoyed.
"Rock... Paper... Scissors..."
Author's Note:
vaguely amused (anon. reviewer): Nah, I don't mind the anon. reviewers. I tried to make Taywen less whiny, in your honor. ...Although I'll be surprised if you come back and review again. ;)
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with this chapter.