Chapter 14
"Hello? Yes Tara, I'm terribly sorry to bother you. Could you meet me at the Magic Box? Thank you. Take care."
Giles made sure to pocket his cell phone and whatever notes he scribbled down along with some books before closing the door and heading to his car.
He thought about Faith for a moment. She sure looked different. Gone were the childish-like features she sported before. Gone also was the heavy makeup she used. Faith had matured into a beautiful woman. Her beautiful features had been somewhat obscured by the makeup and a hardness to her eyes that came from life's harsh treatment and experiences that made her grew up faster than any other kid. He knew, because he saw it on his children's eyes. Only Faith's were the more tortured and tormented ones.
A look now Buffy's eyes bear.
Yes he wasn't blind. He wasn't stupid. He knew something was bothering Buffy. Something had happened when she was brought back. He should have known the gang would attempt something. But he thought they'd consult him at least. They knew the risks. Yet they took them. Because it was Buffy.
And now the darker slayer was back. Maybe Faith could help Buffy, and not just with the slaying, but to go back to the way she used to be. There had always been something between them. Something that connected them in more ways than just the slaying. And although there had been consequences when they both were so 'free', those days were Buffy had finally, if briefly, embraced her calling and welcomed it, those days he had seen his slayer happy. Faith somehow manages to balance Buffy. They both balance each other. Halves of the same coin. And that is what they are. Slayers. One dark. One light. Perfect balance.
Now, he didn't think Faith was evil. No. He meant darker in the way that perhaps the original slayer and the first slayers had been. Darker in the way that she is filled with raw instincts and lets herself be guided by it. Untamed.
And that's where the watchers come in. He or she must guide the slayer. He or she must help the slayer to fight the forces of darkness being a step ahead of their foe. Training instincts and developing them even further by using methods of meditation and sparring. The watchers in essence, help the slayer to exploit her instincts even further; to look within herself and know herself, to know the slayer, to learn to control and trust her instincts.
A watcher is not supposed to care for his charge. His duty is to keep the slayer as much as he can. But if the slayer were to die, then his job is done, there would be another slayer. So why worry? But that is according to the council. Perhaps the first watchers bonded with the slayer and couldn't bear the lost? He knew he wasn't the first to care for his slayer. There had been so many. But the council still made the rule and still stands by it. That's where he failed them. That's where he fulfilled his duty as a watcher with Faith. He had been so drained with the events that took place. He had been so concerned for Buffy that his love for her blinded him from Faith. Yes he'd seen she was troubled but he didn't do anything. He behaved just as he had been taught.
He had been fascinated with Faith. She was everything the council didn't want as a slayer. A slayer conscious of her power. She was wild and driven by impulses. She brought life, a radiant energy to slaying he hadn't seen in Buffy. So maybe that's why he thought it wasn't necessary to act like a parental figure to her. If Faith could take care of the slaying, then Buffy could focus on her life and try to deal with all the emotional baggage of the last year.
He realized how selfish that was. Faith needed guidance. Needed a lot of training for her impulses. He could only guess how much work Faith's previous watcher had to go through to get the girl to control herself a little bit. Or maybe she didn't. Maybe Faith had paid attention to her, and it was her death that drove Faith wilder. He doesn't know because he never talked to Faith about it. Still it couldn't be denied that Faith's nature is a wild nature.
When he saw the slayer again, he couldn't quite frankly know how to behave or anything. So he opted for a 'cool' and nonchalant approach. He was certain that they needed to talk and apologize but it wasn't to be in the presence of anybody else. Just the two of them. And he knew Faith knew that too. In time, when the right opportunity presents itself, they'll know.
In his contemplative state, Giles almost missed the Magic Box. He recognized some of the symbols and took some herbs and books he had home to perform a spell. The spell was very easy and simple. Though he knew the trunk was most likely to have more than one protection spell on he wanted to figure out what spells could be used.
He then got out of his car and went inside the store where he found Tara waiting for him at the table.
"Hello Tara. Thank you for coming is er… Willow around?"
"Oh you wanted her to come too?"
"No, no. That's good news actually. Tara I asked you to come is because I might need your help to break some protection spells."
"Oh sure, what kind of protection spells?"
"I don't know yet. I got some herbs in my car that would help us with a minor spell. Perhaps we should take some different ingredients to perform stronger ones." He pulled out his cell phone. "Here, there're some photos of the symbols used."
Tara looked for the pictures folder and looked at the them.
"Where did you get this?"
Giles looked around making sure Anya or anybody else was in the store. When he was sure it was just the two of them, he sat in front of Tara.
"Faith sent them to me." Tara looked up sharply "Don't worry dear Buffy told me you know. She told me just this morning."
"What's Faith trying to get?"
Giles told her about the books the Mayor kept in the warehouse and what happened to the vampires.
"There are some dark symbols there. We might need stronger spells."
"I know, but is better if we see for ourselves what it is we're dealing with."
They quicly exchanged ideas about which spells should be used and what books, powder and herbs, and whatever they might need to take. When they were ready they got into Giles car. After all, the slayers were waiting for them and he knew just how 'patient' they were. It seemed patience was not a slayer's virtue.
When they got there Giles took out his phone and called Buffy asking for directions. Then they rushed inside and closed the door behind them carrying a small bag full with ingredients and some books.
"What took you so long?" Buffy asked twirling a stake in her fingers clearly bored.
Giles rolled his eyes and ignored her. He looked around and couldn't spot the darker slayer.
"Where's Faith?" He asked.
"Up here!"
Giles craned his neck upwards and spotted the slayer in the upper catwalk walking towards the stairs.
"Hey, Tara right? Faith. Only this time in my body. Hotter right?" Faith said when she spotted the shy witch, winking at her.
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Yes I'm Tara. Nice to meet you." Tara said blushing a little.
"Well now, if we could get started…"
Faith went to sit next to Buffy while the ex-watcher and Tara moved towards the trunk. They looked at the markings on the floor and the strange semicircle. That's when Tara noticed the semicircle was in fact a full circle.
"Mr. Giles look. The vampires didn't uncover the whole circle. We should move these."
"Yes, Buffy, Faith come here. We need you to move this crates."
The slayers grumbled a little but needless to say they were happy to do something that didn't involve great thinking.
When all the crates were out of the way, a full circle with numerous symbols could be seen.
"There seems to be some dark spells here. They might require some blood…as usual."
"Why doesn't it surprise me?" Buffy asked rolling her eyes.
"Okay, let's do the simple spell."
Tara took out a small vial with some white powder on it. She poured it over the trunk. The powder never once touches the truck but instead reveals a magic force field.
"Sis modo dissolutum. Exposco validum scutum. Diutius ne defendas a manibus arcem intendas." Tara chants.
The force field dissolved. Tara poured some more white powder revealing another force field.
"Okay, we have one down, let's do same spell again. The both of us."
"Sis modo dissolutum. Exposco validum scutum. Diutius ne defendas a manibus arcem intendas." Tara and Giles chanted together.
Again the force field dissolved and another one appeared.
The slayers just looked at each other while Giles and Tara tried to figure out what other spell or modifications they should use. They started chanting again some other spell.
"I don't know about you but this magic stuff has always freaked me out a little bit." Faith said.
"Yeah, me too. It freaks me out even more when I know how many job nuts out there misuse it."
"Yeah…" Faith nods her head towards Tara's direction "She still Willow's girl?"
"Why, you gonna hit on her? Or in your case, hit her?"
"Ha ha ha. Very funny. Was just wondering that's all. She is kinda pretty though."
Buffy threw her a dirty look.
"You better don't be thinking of hitting on her or messing with her you got it?"
Faith just looked mildly perplexed and the arched her eyebrows.
"Jeez B you got a crush on her or something? No need to get all defensive on me, I was just pointing out something."
"I don't have a crush on her. Just don't mess with her. Tara is a really good person and messing with her is just low."
"Okay, I got it. But just so you know, again, I'm not here to mess with anybody okay?"
"Whatever…How do you know anyway." Faith raised a brow. "About she being Willow's girlfriend."
"Oh, when I met her during the body swap. Red was all over her. They were all over each other actually." At Buffy's wide eyed look she rushed to explain "Jeez B, not that I found them doing the dirty or anything. I just meant, yunno all that touchy and lingering looks between them. Was pretty obvious. Plus Red always did strike me as all into the girl-loving."
"She did? How come?" Buffy asked arching her eyebrows.
"Oh common B! I'm not saying that I thought she was gay, but at least bisexual. I think the girl had a crush on you even."
"What?" Buffy practically screeched.
Faith winced and covered her ears while Tara and Giles looked over at them before continuing with the spells.
"Ow B! don't do that again! Didn't know you could be that loud."
"Wow, I thought only Dawn could be that loud." She looked a little bit embarrassed. "Anyway, screechyness aside, what do you mean you think she had a crush on me."
"Oh c'mon B. There you come all strong and mighty and girly and 'fighter of darkness', kicking ass for breakfast and slaying beasts for lunch. That's every girl's dreams."
"Yeah, every gay girl's dream." Buffy said rolling her eyes again.
"True, but so is Willow." Faith shrugged. "That's my point."
Buffy just looked at Faith and huffed.
"Whatever. It's just you weird freaky kind of thinking."
Faith shrugged again. "Just like you used to check Cordy's ass."
"Wh-what?" Buffy spun her head around and spluttered.
Faith started to laugh so hard she had to clutch her stomach and fought to stay upright. Buffy gave her another dirty look before she punched her in the arm.
"Ow! Hahaha you- you should've seen your face B! hahaha pri-priceless!"
Buffy slapped Faith on the head and finally the rogue slayer stopped laughing, she was still smirking though.
On the other side of the warehouse Tara and Giles looked at them briefly before exchanging a smile and kept on gathering the necessary stuff.
"Whatever. That just your dirty lesbian fantasies involving Cordy and Willow."
"No, in MY lesbian fantasies there isn't just Cordelia and Willow on it, there's also you, and now there can be Tara. What do you say we add her to the mix?" Faith asked wiggling her eyebrows and winking.
"Ugh you're such a pig." Buffy tried to sound disgusted hitting Faith again but a little smile could be seen on her lips.
"You keep hitting me like that, and I'm gonna think you are flirting." Faith said flashing her dimples.
"Yeah, yeah, in your dreams Faithy." Buffy replied smiling a little.
The sorcerer and the Wiccan seemed to be finishing yet another spell.
"Faith, Buffy why don't you girls go outside and make sure no one's is coming. This might take a while."
"Sure." The slayer said in unison before getting up and leaving.
"She is different." Tara said.
"What?" A confused Giles asked.
"Buffy. She is different when Faith is around." When Giles looked at her questionably, she elaborated. "Her aura. It shines. It's different."
Giles looked at the direction the slayers had taken. "Yeah she is." He softly replied. "She's always been." He said fondly. Focusing again at the task at hand he asked. "Do you reckon we should try another spell using some sacrifice, like blood for instance."
Tara made a face she didn't like spells that required sacrifices. "Perhaps. Let's try this one and at the end we offer the sacrifice." Tara said pointing at another and started gathering the herbs.
Outside the slayers started walking around while keeping an eye on the warehouse. So far only a demon had ventured over there and he had been slain with gusto by Faith.
"Not fair. I call the next one." Buffy grumbled
"Hey, I saw it first. Seems fair to me."
"Yeah but I threw the first punch."
"Whatever Girlfriend. Next one is all yours."
"I'm glad I have your permission." Buffy sarcastically remarked.