Chapter 12: "I read a book, once. Honest."
The Dream was always the same. They were trying to hold the Gates of Hell, keep them from opening, while millions of screaming, slavering hellspawn did their level best to force them wide. And if they managed, the city, then the entire world would be swallowed by the terraced Pit beyond. Hell would come to New Jersey, not Georgia - but Georgia'd be eaten too in all too brief time.
A time that would last for-EVER for the screaming souls that it encompassed.
And that just wasn't going to happen. Faith wiped a bloody hand across her forehead, splattered toe to hair with ichor and gore. Everyone she'd ever known was fighting beside her, struggling vainly to kill enough to stem the slithering tides. With a few exceptions.
Thank the asswipe gods that she'd managed to make sure Dawn was one of the dwindling flow of refugees even now making their way out of the killing zone. No Key blood was going to be shed today to crack open wide and unleash this upon all the worlds. Not now, not ever.
There just wasn't damned enough of them, or too many of them. The Damned Gates wouldn't close. Mortal sinew wasn't strong enough, and there wasn't enough strength on the windlasses. She Slew until her arms burned with the strain and the breath rasped hot in her throat. And then she stepped forward with leaden arms and slew some more.
Something burned on a spire in the distance, so far away that not even Slayer eyes could see it, but she knew with sight-beyond-seeing that it was a long slim sword, anciently and inhumanly runed, a swirling vortex at the tip.
She caught a glimpse of a face through a break in the melee, and gasped. No time to look closer. No time... never enough time... Hordelings rushed her and she spun and killed, bleeding from a score of wounds.
They had finally started to gain an inch or so on the one Gate, while the Dwarf and Giant, as she called them, had strained past breaking to start the giant winch there to turn. Another huge man had stepped in, to the other side, grizzled and broad, aged chaps eaten through with the acid blood of the spawnlings the ancient Winchester had cleared away from the path. Another one, huge hunk of meat piled six-feet-four, deep water tan long hidden under ichor, turned gin-colored eyes to the westerner saying "Good. Think we can make it through now." The big man nodded, "Let's move. We're wastin' daylight." Hispanic fellow with prison tats and puckered scars on his chest and body stepped up alongside. Not large, but there was a strength and a controlled rage to him that spoke of strength beyond his size. "I'm in." He glanced sideways at the gunfighter, surprised acceptance in his voice: "Thought you were dead." That got a chuckle. "Not hardly." They lent their mass to the windlass handle and it started to break loose, screaming with protesting strain.
The demons screamed and howled in frustration and leapt in anew, desperate to reach the windlasses. She snarled and lunged in swinging. Nothing was getting past her to them. Nothing. Not fucking hardly.
Glorificus broke loose from the horde, lunging towards the three. She batted aside the albino before he had a chance to raise that hellish ebony blade and he flew broken to land crumpled yards away. And a stocky woman, impression of bearlike and massive, but graceful, stepped in her path with a blade that curved like water, then snapped razor straight. "This world's dream doesn't have room for you." She slashed once, and Glory fell into two pieces and away. "And I've pissed bigger gods." She nodded, warrior's crest flexing with the motion.
Black-and-gray was sitting cross-legged in a patch of bloody open dirt, winged lizards staring intently at nothing beyond him. The dark-haired woman was kneeling across from him, and between them was an elaborate swirling circular design drawn with ichor on the ground. A knife stood quivering in one part of the design, and Power crackled between them. Dark-hair met his eyes with concern as he said, "All right, every thing's done. All that's left is gathering and holding the power."
"Can you keep it under control long enough?" she asked.
"No," He said, matter of factly. She blanched. "I thought I'd let it build until it implodes through both of us. Always wanted to see how that felt."
Smart ass. Evidently, she thought so too, judging from the glare she sent him. Could swear she saw one of the lizards sniggering. "Did it once before," he said. "We'll see."
And He was there again. Bleeding hands grasping barbed massive chains pulled from the corpse of a Spawn to lash around a winch handle for leverage for the people doing the turning. Laughing eyes and that smirk cut to the man beside him as he caught her eye, joking "We may no longer have that strength that once moved heaven and earth, but that which we are, will have to just fucking do, eh?"
"Who the fuck are you?" she screamed.
He shook his head. "You already know. When you come to the Place Where Only That Which You've Loved Can Help You, what will you bring?" He leaned in to pull, and pull again, dragging that desperately needed length of hell forged steel into place.
She snarled and turned back to killing, slashing a path for them and the chains, moving on sheer force of will - all reserves long since burned away.
With a sudden burst, it hit her: she did.
He nodded, "What the fuck are you waiting for, then?"
The Universe realigned inside of her and she awoke...
"Spike was wrong. It's NOT 'always about the blood'." She sat bolt upright, "It's about the Dreams."
She rushed through the shower and into fresh clothes like a maniacal whirlwind, and tore out through the main room barely pausing to gulp a mug of coffee.
"I got it. Be back," got thrown over her shoulder as she threw herself out in the direction of her bike and spun off, leaving startled looks in her wake.
A quick stop at a 'net cafe got her a wifi connection and a hot coffee and danish as she logged in, muttering under her breath at the delay. Located the biggest bookstore in town and sped out, still choking down the remains of the danish. If there were any Jersey cops on the road, they had to be blind or all guarding donut shops that morning, because she wasn't taking any prisoners in the speed limit departments.
Forty-five minutes later found her prowling the shelves of a main Borders with a commandeered book cart, ransacking shelves and flipping through paperbacks as she went. Stacking them in two piles: a semi-careful one, and a clump at the other end.
When a nervous assistant manager finally screwed up enough nerve to approach her asking if she needed any help, with a raised eyebrow at the cart and the holes in his racks, she thrust a credit card at him without looking up. "When I get done, ring up both piles. Til then, leave me alone."
He took the card and, evidently deciding there really was a better part of valor, left her alone and instructed the clerks to stay out of her way... after he'd checked the balance.
Several hours later, she looked up, cocked her head, and said, "Damn' right." She nodded. "Got you now."
Rolling the cart to the register, she bundled her 'keepers' into a bag and paid for them all, leaving.
Hit the cell on the way to the bike. "Wes. Listen up. I got it. It's about the dreams. It's about the people."
pause
"Haven't time to explain right now. I'll fill you in the gaps later. Need several things from your end now."
pause
"Here you go. We're looking for a Place, not a who or a what. 1) Find me a place in this area that's an old mystical area. Old burial ground, paved over ruins, ley lines conjunction... something. Biggest one in the area. 2) Figure out a time or times that would be best for creating a ritual for an Opening, a big one. That's our 'Go on'. 3) Gather up all of your spell stuff and get it together. I'm going to need you to design a spell..." pause "Yes, I know you're not really a mage. Doesn't matter. You can do this. Trust me. 4) Get Angel and Fred together and tell them to be ready at whatever time you locate. Have them standing by. 5) After you do all that, get a flight out here. I'll clear it at my... home base and get you a place to work. Somehow. Shit."
pause "Oh... and Wes? Can you get ahold of some of that spelled opiate, like we used with Angel? Do so and bring it. I'll explain later. It really does all make sense, kinda. If you're not picky about the definitions of 'make' and 'sense', anyway."
pause
"Yeah. I had another Dream, and it all clicked for me. Everything: the dreams, the cryptic hints, the people, the killings, the weird not-a-spell."
pause
"Yeah yeah. I know. There's something you can do to confirm, maybe: get into records on 'William Doren, Denison's aka. Or have someone go to his place to look. Find out if he has notebooks and files with notes on a weird, homemade language and designs in it anywhere. Heh - and get that publisher's agent's list and see if any of her clients turn up dead with similarities in the next day or so. Let me know when you're due here so I can prepare."
pause
"How do I know this is It? I read a book, once. Honest. Laters."
She had a thought after, and hit an office store on the way out for some heavy card stock and an ink jet that would handle it. A fast perusal of a gaming shop netted her a small pewter figurine, exquisitely detailed, of a woman in leather and mail with flowing hair and a pair of blades.
She roared back out, and once again the Traffic Gods smiled on her.
...
She tore back in, lugging a big canvas shopping bag full of mostly paperbacks, and a few DvD's. Immediately drafted Abby.
"Gathered you had some graphics skills times we talked?" She raised an eyebrow, ignoring Hannibal's questions and Blade's bemused look.
Abby nodded. "Some."
"Good. Here's what we need... " She explained. Frowned. "King? Don't interrupt right now. Break my train of thought, an' I'll give you a swirly."
"You have thoughts?"
"Ha. Schmuck. Scat."
...
Several hours later, she left Abby finishing up turning the images they'd scanned or otherwise created into a set of designed inlaid into a tarot format. After some discussion, they'd decided that would be, if not best maybe... apt, at least.
She paced while that was going on, frowning and muttering. Turning everything over in her mind, trying to see if she'd missed anything that would upset the fragile construction everything had clicked into for her. Making sure everything still fit. Made no sense by any principles of magic she'd ever seen or heard of in practice. But it... resonated. Have to do.
Flopping into a chair, she leaned forward and began breaking it down for King and Blade, sitting near enough that Abby could listen in and ask questions. She laid it out, all the details, all the reasoning and imagery.
After a time, she ran down and King looked at her. "I was wrong the other day. That wasn't insane. This is. But... " He shrugged. "It fits. If anything does."
"Well, if I'm wrong, we probably won't live long enough for you to say 'I told you so'." She grinned. "Better get it out of your system now."
He laughed and said, "No, I'll save it and choke it out with my dying gasp. You'll feel guiltier that way." He made a face at himself inside for her suddenly stricken expression, cursed his mouth even though she covered it fast with a quip and a smirk.
"It's the only thing that makes sense. A spell that's not a spell but is. People from inside my head, and from my past. Dreams. Poem quotes. A sword that doesn't exist here. A stylized description of Hell opening up. It has to be connected to the dreamways." She made a face, "Don't know how, but it fits."
Abby frowned: "So this... wizard who either is a figment of someone's imagination who came to life somehow, or really exists somewhere, managed to tap into the energies here, and is going to do some thing that will open a gateway, which will then allow The Pit to open up here?" At Faith's nod, she said, "King's right. That is insane." She thumped Hannibal on the arm when he puffed up and looked smug. 'ow!'
Faith leaned back and looked at the other girl. "Or... more likely: he tapped into and connected with someone here who resonates with him. Doren. And takes him over, becomes him: hence the change in personality, skills, and everything else."
"So.. who is the wizard?" King asked, "And I'm trying to ignore that I used 'wizard' in a real sentence that doesn't have to do with a movie." He made a face.
Faith laughed, "A thousand names, King. None of them his own, none of them his True Name. Doesn't matter... naming him won't help."
She glanced at Blade. "I need to know if I can bring Wes in, here, or if I need to find some place for him to stay and work. We need him and the stuff he's bringing in." She waited. This was a big step. She was asking way too much trust here, and she knew it was all going to blow up on them.
He steepled his fingers and looked at her over them. A long regard, unhurried, like he was dissecting her insides. She squirmed inside, but regarded him back, no expression.
"I trust you, I think," he finally said. "I don't know him."
"Yeah. I know." She sighed. "I'll figure something ou-- "
He held up a finger. "He's your responsibility. Don't make me regret it. Here."
She raised an eyebrow, not quite daring to break into a grin. "Cool. You won't." She thought a minute, "Can someone pick him up when he gets in? I don't think all his stuff will fit on my bike. And he might not find this place from directions."
Hannibal rolled his eyes and sighed, looking at Blade like he'd grown a third eye. "I'll get him. I may as well go fucking insane too. It's obviously contagious"
Bouncing up again, she started to pace. Nothing to do now but the waiting, and preparations, and she hated that. Always easier when something could be solved with a blade and a quick stroke. Thinking left too much time for doubts. Grr.
"I gotta get outta here before I go nuts." She rolled her eyes when Hannibal snickered. "Nuts-er, fine." She grinned, "I'll be back."
...
Still daylight. Way too early to have this much time to kill. She ended up at a diner, absently scarfing down an omelet and a pile of bacon. She suddenly froze with a fork halfway to her mouth, struck by the realization that in several days of frenzied activity and intense violence... she'd never once really been hit by what she called the 'usual post-slay jones': Food and Lust. Horny and Hungry. Not uncontrollably, anyway. Even considering that as hot as he was, the intense Blade hadn't struck her as being really interested, and while Faith had never been particularly mono sexual.. she hadn't wanted to bring anything like into the growing friendship with Abby and put cracks in it. And then there was the definitely mutual interest she felt being in close proximity with eminently beddable King. Huh.
She realized she had no idea how long she'd been sitting there with a bite of cooling omelet balanced in midair, and took a bite hastily. Ok, so what the hell's wrong with this picture? Mutual interest, check. Usual post-slayage horniest, check. Attractive guy, check. Hormones, check. Funny, smart, sarcastic, dangerous. Grab and roll.
Only thing that occurred to her struck her as so unlikely that she rejected it out of hand: that she was tired of 'Want, Take, Have'/'Get some, get gone', not interested in a mutual bruising rebound so soon after Robin... and actually kind of liked King. And didn't want to just grab and roll and take a chance on probably screwing up the precarious trust building with the odd little group of hunters. She shoved it back out of sight, and then finally, reluctantly, dragged it back out into the light to examine.
It lay there blinking and mewling, not real certain what to do in the light. She put it away again hastily for later examination.
'Huh. So.. is that what maturity looks like? And how the hell should I know?' She shook her head wondering at herself. "Yup. Definitely nuts-er."
She gave up on it and pulled out her cell and dialed the first number she thought of needing something done...
...
"Wow. This many calls in three days. Must be buds, huh?" Dawn's voice sounded tired.
"You bet. True love, next right."
"Ha. Tease." Dawn giggled. "So, what's up?"
"You sound... off. You ok?" Faith methodically picked at the remains of her plate.
"Tired. Exams. Study monster."
"Ah." Faith sighed. "And how's Sleeps With Corpses? Still causing people to dive for cover when she wanders by?"
giggle "No, she's gotten past that. Now she's in the mode where she suddenly stops, glares at nothing, mutters loudly 'That is NOT what I meant and she KNOWS that!' at weird moments and then stomps off."
"Heh." Faith was silent for a time, long enough that the other girl made a noise and she went "Huh?"
"Ok. So... no-straight-to-business-gone. And distracted. Huh. Are you ok?" Dawn sounded frowning, and don't ask how she could tell.
"Yeah. No. Kinda."
"snicker That's what I like: your absolute unambiguity."
"Ha. If you're going to use big words, I'll hang up," Faith laughed. "Naw... just bored and out of sorts. I'm finding out I don't fit in my own skin any more."
"oh. Know how that feels. You fill it back up again eventually. Honest." pause "Anything in particular?"
"Huh. Where to start? Killin' time waiting for things to break and time-to-slay. Conversation with B. Had a long talk with Vi and Giles last night. End result: I'm thinking more and more that my road and you guys is parting, and I'm not sure I like it. I'm starting to click well with my newer acquaintances, and they're threatening to become friends on me. Not sure I like it. Sure I'm going to hate if it goes boom. Think I figured out the end-o-world thing, and chewing my hands off at the wrists because there's nothing to do now except wait for things to come together. More?" The last came out in a breathless rush.
"Whoa, whoa... Faith-babble. Now I am worried." Dawn paused for a moment. "Serious life crisis, huh?"
"Ha. No... not really, why do you ask?"
"snort Ok, that's two shirts you owe me." pause "Wow. Anyplace in particular I should start, or you just want me to pick one and dive in?"
"That non-sound was a shrug."
"Ah. I wondered." pause "Ok... let's see. Kind of figured you were going to decide you weren't coming back. I'm not sure you ever really fit in with the whole school-IWC thing. That's not a slam. You're just not really a teacher, you're a hunter. You should have always really been way out in the field with Xan finding new slayers and killing things."
"Yeah... " sigh "Way I figured it."
"Buffy will get over it. Giles and Vi will adjust. Andrew will have a long moment filled heavily with geek references and by the time he's done, you'll be Xena starring in an epic journey. You'll figure out something that interests you. I figure you'll call me a lot, so it'll be like you never quit."
"Heh. I was ok until I became Xena. Now I'm depressed that my series is already canceled before I start." snicker
Dawn laughed. "There's always the feature films." She paused. "New friends, huh? Details?"
"No... I'm trying to keep them out of my whole Watcher's Council mess. Later?"
"Ok, but that kills that whole line of conversation right there. Later, but now I get to meet them when later comes." She sighed. "Don't push, don't run screaming. It'll work out."
"Or we'll all die when the Pit opens, and that'll make it a non-issue."
snort "That's three. You're taking me shopping."
"I'm so doomed. You're too young to drink, anyway."
"It's coffee, ditz." Dawn sniggered. "Best for last huh? End of the world thing fixed?"
"No... just figured, mostly. Fixing is going to take work." She sighed, and proceeded to spend the next short while giving Dawn the short version, letting the girl fill in the details from the pieces she already had.
"Ok... wow." There was a long pause. "Impressed. I'm not going to ask something stupid like 'are you sure?', because I don't think you'd jump if you weren't." Thoughtful pause. "Not sure how you got from A to C, but it hangs together, considering. There's an awful lot of assumptions that have to be true in there, though."
"Yeah... " Faith considered, weighing against that inner certainty. "It clicks though. Don't know how to explain it."
"Just don't get so in love with the idea that you toss out new information that doesn't fit. If it's right, they'll click too." She paused, "Is there a plan? And do I get to do anything?"
"Yeah, and yeah, and you won't like it." Faith could hear the eye roll from here.
"Figures."
Faith outlined what she had in mind. "Need you to do two things. I'm going to send you a time, once Wes pins one down. When I do 1) call Xander for me, if you can, and ask him if he'll find a quiet, safe place to relax and meditate. If he's willing to be a part of it for me. 2) Make damned sure you stay wide awake through that time period. Coffee, shoot meth, don't care. Just do it. Still want you out of it."
sigh "Yeah. And I even get why, dammit." She considered. "Can do. And... Xan won't blow you off. Just make damned sure you fill me in with details after it's done, right?"
"Right. Promise."
There was a quiet moment on the other end. "Can I say something?"
"Can I stop you?" Faith responded.
"No. But thank you for playing." Dawn laughed. "Seriously... I think it's pre-game let down, Faith." She continued at Faith's inquiring sound. "You just had a major blowup. You've been running non-stop for days, middle of violence, trying to figure out obscure dreams and clues, with a lot of pressure. A lot of it self-inflicted. You're watching a part of your life end, and not sure where it's going. And dealing with new partners it sounds like both of you aren't sure of." pause "That last part scans if you squint at it, honest."
At Faith's laugh, she continued. "And suddenly, you find yourself with nothing to do, nothing to rush out and kill... just wait for stuff to pull together. And think. Pre-game let down. It'll pass. Enjoy the quiet time and don't go nuts."
There was a long pause while Faith digested that. Finally... "Maybe you're right. We'll see."
"Of course I'm right. Genius." She laughed at Faith's snicker. "Hang in there."
"Right. And... thanks," She said. "Laters."