Follow Your Heart
Part 21
By DragonWriter17
PART 21
Sunday
Fade In:
Devon Coven House - Morning [Sun SD 2am; England 10am]
"The Coven has approved your talisman spell for Faith," Althenea told Willow as the two witches slowly wound their way through the enormous mansion that served as the Devon Coven House. "However, we've made a revision to it: replacing the onyx in the amulets with black quartz. Both are excellent choices for protection. However, black quartz has a slightly purer vibrational resonance than onyx, which will allow it to recharge more quickly. Plus, it will pair better with the second aspect of your design: having two amulets that can communicate with one another."
"Oh, great idea!" Willow said. "I didn't even think of that."
"The Coven was very impressed with that addition, by the way."
"Really?" Willow's face had lit up into a smile, but her eyes were shadowed by doubt mixed with hope.
Althenea gave Willow's arm a squeeze. "Really," she assured.
Willow's expression lightened, but she still felt like she needed to explain. "I-I-I just thought that...if something did happen and Faith was attacked and had to activate her shield and Buffy wasn't around, it would alert Buffy right away. Like a security system calling the police, you know?"
"Yes, I understand completely, and I believe the system will work exactly as you've planned. We'll know for sure once we test them. The Coven will craft the amulets today. Tomorrow we'll begin the power raising."
Althenea led Willow down two sets of stairs and into the building's basement, which was well below the ground level. She took her into a room that looked more like a cave or grotto than it did a room. The stone walls were roughly hewn and peppered with large crystals and precious gems. The air was moist, and a faint dripping could be heard but not seen. The room was dimly lit by gas lamps lining the walls. In the center was a huge basin made of the same stone as the walls but sanded smooth. The basin was filled to the rim with water, its surface as still as glass.
"Is that what I think it is?" Willow asked in awe as she stared at the basin of water.
"What do you think it is?" Althenea asked back.
"A scrying pool. A huge one."
"That's right," Althenea told her. "We're going to use it for today's lesson. Watch."
Althenea closed her eyes for a moment and centered herself. When she opened her eyes, she began intoning a series of incantations while waving her hands over the water. Slowly, the blank surface of the water morphed into moving images: first Willow, then Althenea, then the room they were in. Then the view dove into the stone floor and deep within the earth, past soil and roots and springs, and into the very bedrock beneath.
"There…do you see?" Althenea asked, pointing out the gorgeous web of multicolored energy strands.
"Yes, the ley lines you showed me the other day," Willow said in amazement. "I can really see them. Like, with my real eyes and not just my inner eye. They're beautiful."
Without warning, the view shot back up through the ground and through the house and into the sky above. When the images slowed, Willow could see a bird's-eye view of the nearby countryside. She watched mesmerized as the scenes unfolded: meadows and fields, glades and forests, rivers and brooks, isolated houses and barns, then villages and towns, then suddenly the ocean. The images were coming faster now and from higher up: the Atlantic, New York City, Chicago, the Rocky Mountains, then finally into California. The images slowed again as the view approached Sunnydale itself.
"Wowwww, this is better than Google Earth!" Willow said.
The view dove into the earth and went straight to the ley lines beneath the city. The contrast between those at Devon and those at Sunnydale was stark. There the web of magical energies was fractured and weak. Colors were few and muted. Some strands looked cold and charred, like the limbs of a tree burned in a wildfire.
Tears began rolling down Willow's face, and her hand went to her mouth. "Oh god…" She reached out over the water, saddened by the damage she was seeing. Abruptly, she jerked her hand back and shot Althenea a guilt-stricken expression. "I did that, didn't I? All that damage…it's my fault, isn't it?"
"Some of it, yes," Althenea confirmed, causing Willow to let out a sob and cover her face. She let her cry for a moment before pulling Willow's hands away from her face and holding them in her own. "But only a small portion," she told Willow once the redhead had met her gaze. "The rest came from centuries of abuse due to proximity to the Hellmouth. Still, it will be your duty to work on repairing the magical ecology of Sunnydale when you return and to train others to do the same. Do you understand?"
Willow nodded solemnly. "I do, and I will. I promise."
Althenea gave Willow a warm hug before passing her hand over the water of the scrying pool and darkening the images on it. Then she led Willow from the room.
Cut To:
Faith's Room - Morning [Sun SD 9am; England 5pm]
Shortly after Faith's morning meal had been delivered, Dr. Raine arrived for her leg of Faith-watch. Buffy changed from her pajamas into her regular clothes and began packing up her own stuff in preparation for Faith's transfer to the rehab wing. Once she'd packed up her things, Buffy took them to Dr. Raine's office and dropped them off. Then, per the watcher's direct order, she went to the hospital cafeteria and got a hot breakfast before returning to the room.
She'd been trying not to think of the awkwardness of the night before, when Faith had started to ask questions about the night she was hurt. So far that morning, Faith had not raised the topic again, but it was only a matter of time. Buffy hoped that the heavy rehab schedule would keep Faith distracted until Buffy was ready to tell her everything. One more day, two tops, Buffy told herself on her way back from the cafeteria. Then I'll come clean.
When Buffy got back to the room, she found a nurse's aide getting Faith ready for transport. Dr. Raine had already removed all of the heart monitor leads, and the aide had just moved Faith into a standard wheelchair. While Faith rolled her eyes in embarrassment, the aide worked at the placement of Faith's IV and catheter lines and bags.
"All righty, we are good to go," the aide announced after she'd laid a folded blanket across Faith's lap and legs.
"Finally," Faith huffed, rolling her eyes once again.
Dr. Raine turned to Buffy, "We'll be making a brief stop to consult with Dr. Mathis before heading to Faith's new room."
"I'll get Faith's stuff together and meet you over there. Which room?"
"R19," Dr. Raine answered.
"Okay, see you in a few," Buffy said as Dr. Raine and the nurse's aide wheeled Faith out of the room.
Cut To:
Faith's New Room - Moments Later [Sun SD 9am; England 5pm]
As soon as she had gathered Faith's things, Buffy headed over to the rehab wing. When she entered R19, she set Faith's canvas laundry bag of possessions onto the bed and then strolled around the room.
It had a setup that was different from the usual hospital room. For one thing, the room was larger to accommodate wheelchair navigation. There was also no gurney bed on wheels. Instead, there was a full-size platform bed with a matching nightstand and dresser. In front of a curtained window was a small table with a couple of sturdy chairs. All of the pieces of furniture were designed a little lower in height than standard. On the opposite side of the room was a handicap bathroom with a shower that could be wheeled into. There was an overhead light for the whole room, but there was also recessed lighting for the bed area and the table area, each of which could be controlled separately.
Her mini-tour over, Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. She pulled the perimeter alarm crystal from her pocket and glanced at it. All was clear, no sign of demons. She put the crystal back and sighed. She looked over at Faith's bag and then got to her feet.
"Might as well make myself useful," she told herself before opening the bag and dumping the contents onto the bed.
The first thing she pulled out of the pile was the set of photo booth pictures she'd slipped into the bag the night before.
"I wish I'd had time to make a copy," she said. She laid the pictures on the top of the dresser and turned back to the pile.
Then she noticed Faith's lighter and cigarettes—both a partial pack and the rest of the carton. "Did I really pack these when I cleaned out Faith's motel room?" She frowned and put the lighter and cigarettes into the very back of the top drawer. "Maybe she won't notice them."
Before closing the drawer, Buffy looked at the photo booth pictures again. "I probably shouldn't leave these out," she told herself. "Not if I want to stall any 'kiss' talk for a couple of days." She set the unfolded pictures next to the lighter and cigarettes. She covered them with an old t-shirt and then began piling underwear and socks in front of them.
By the time Buffy had put up all of Faith's things, she heard the wide door softly whoosh open. The nurse's aide wheeled Faith in, and Dr. Raine followed after. Joanna, the rehab specialist, came in last, bringing in a second wheelchair that carried a large box of other medical equipment.
"How'd it go with Dr. Mathis?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Heart's fine, back's healin', do your rehab, time will tell, blah, blah, blah," Faith answered.
Buffy rolled her eyes and then looked at Dr. Raine.
"Overly succinct, perhaps, but accurate," the doctor noted.
"Yo, Jo…when am I gonna get that shower?" Faith needled.
"It's the first order of business, I promise," Joanna replied.
"Oh! That reminds me," Buffy said. "I put most of your stuff in your dresser, Faith. I left your shampoo, conditioner, comb, stuff like that out on top, and I put your underwear and socks in the first drawer, and—"
"And if there's anything else you need that you don't have," Dr. Raine interjected, "let me know straightaway, and I'll—"
"Okay, ladies," Joanna said, cutting off the overly-helpful duo with a double-handed wave, "we got it from here. Time for you to let us get to it." Then she shooed Buffy and Dr. Raine out of the room.
Cut To:
Hallway Outside Faith's New Room - A Short Time Later [Sun SD 11am; England 7pm]
About an hour later, Joanna wheeled Faith out in her new wheelchair. Unlike a standard wheelchair, this one had a lower backrest and no arms. It also had a large velcro strap that fastened across Faith's lap. Faith herself was freshly showered and wearing sweats and a t-shirt, but on top of her clothes was a special back brace that had hand-holds on it.
"Feel better?" Buffy asked.
Faith fidgeted in her brace. "I did till they put me in this thing. I feel like a damn turtle."
Buffy gave her a supportive smile. "Yeah, but you'd be a Mutant Ninja Turtle. Kick ass!"
"Ninja Turtle wearin' a diaper," Faith muttered in complaint.
"Hey, be grateful the catheter's out," Joanna said as she double-checked the safety strap across Faith's lab. "If you stay dry, it won't have to go back in."
Faith growled in embarrassment. "Can we just go?"
At that, the group headed for the rehab room.
Cut To:
Rehab Room - Moments Later [Sun SD 11am; England 7pm]
The main rehab room was divided into multiple stations. One corner was just mats on the floor with a collection of rubber balls, Swiss balls, and medicine balls. Another corner held free weights, weight machines, multi-level pull-up bars, and benches. On the opposite side of the room was a collection of treadmills and bikes, some with fancy electronic equipment that looked like it had come out of a sci-fi movie. Next to those was a long set of parallel bars surrounded by mats. In the center of the room was a collection of low tables with padded surfaces. All of the walls were covered in hooks and shelves containing various types of rehab equipment.
As Joanna took the group on a short tour, they saw a female patient grimacing on a table as she got her leg muscles stretched by a therapist. They saw a frail looking male patient sitting on a bench struggling to lift his leg as a trainer guided him through the correct motions. Buffy saw a shadow come over Faith's expression at the sight of the young man, and she was grateful when Joanna called them away to the free weights area.
Joanna pulled a clipboard off the wall and attached Faith's paperwork to it. After making a couple of quick notes, she announced, "Okay, the first thing we have to do is get a baseline on your physical capabilities and limitations. We'll start with your upper body strength." She held out her right hand in a handshake. "Squeeze my hand as hard as you can."
Faith chuckled and shook her head. "You don't want me to do that."
"Sure, I do," Joanna replied. "I can take it. Been doing this a long time."
"Okay, you asked for it," Faith said before taking her hand and starting to squeeze.
It only took a few seconds before Joanna cried out in pain and Faith released her.
"Told ya," Faith said with a bit of a smirk.
Joanna shook her hand out. "Okay, good strong grip. Let's see how strong exactly." She gave Faith a device with a hand grip containing a lever to squeeze and a gauge on the other side. "This is a dynamometer. It will measure your grip strength." She placed the device in Faith's left hand and told her to squeeze.
Faith grinned and easily sent the gauge's needle flying to the highest mark on its scale.
"Holy cow," Joanna murmured before making a note on Faith's paperwork. "Okay, next on the list: arm strength."
Before Joanna could set her up with the next measurement device, Faith interrupted. "Look…lemme save us all some time."
Faith wheeled herself over to the pull-up bars and ripped off the lap strap.
"Faith! What are you doing?" Buffy objected.
Faith ignored her question and raised her arms over her head toward the bar that was well out of her reach. "Give me a lift up, B."
"No," Buffy said before looking over at Dr. Raine, who sighed and met Faith's eyes.
"Come on, Doc. Let me show her what I can do."
"Very well," Dr. Raine replied and gave Buffy the go-ahead nod.
Buffy shot the doctor an irritated look but complied. She grabbed one of the hand-holds on Faith's back brace and lifted her up until she could grasp the bar.
Faith hung from the bars, her hands shoulder width apart and in the overhand position. She grinned at Joanna, who gazed at her skeptically…until she saw Faith execute a perfect pull-up with apparent ease, followed by four more in quick succession. Joanna's mouth fell open and stayed there.
"Show off," Buffy whispered as she caught Faith and lowered her back into her wheelchair.
Faith reattached her lap strap and made a sweeping gesture with her arms as Joanna looked on. "Upper body strength, not an issue."
Joanna closed her mouth and shook her head. "Okay then...moving on..."
As Joanna led Faith to the next station, Dr. Raine pulled Buffy aside. "I know you'd like to stay and observe Faith's rehab, but it's almost time for you to meet Xander, and I also have an errand for you to run for me."
"What's that?" Buffy asked.
"Faith needs some more clothes, for working out. They need to be comfortable and loose-fitting, something she can get on and off herself. I imagine you're more familiar with Faith's sense of style than I am."
"Sure, I can do that," Buffy said. "Faith tends to go for flashy and sexy, but don't worry, I'll tone it down."
"Excellent!" Dr. Raine said as she handed over multiple one hundred dollar bills.
"Wow! Can I shop for me, too?" Buffy asked as she took the money.
Dr. Raine just shot her a raised eyebrow.
"Just kidding," Buffy said before pulling out the perimeter crystal and giving it to Dr. Raine. "Be back soon."
Cut To:
New High School Site - Noon [Sun SD 12noon; England 8pm]
While Xander drove her in his car to the new high school construction site, Buffy resisted the urge to comment on the bandage decorating Xander's right ear and the singed hair surrounding it. She couldn't keep from staring, though, or from smirking as she imagined how he must have received it during the previous night's magical training. Finally, she just gave in.
"So…how did magic training go last night?" she asked.
Xander didn't even look at her. "It went fine. Absolutely fine. Just peachy."
"I can see that," Buffy noted.
"Not a word," Xander warned. "Not even a single syllable."
Buffy suppressed the giggle threatening to emerge and looked out the window to distract herself.
When they arrived at the construction site and parked, they got out of the car and went to the trunk to retrieve their weapons: an axe for Xander and a large dagger for Buffy. Before they could step away from the car, Buffy stopped Xander.
"Xander, before we go in, there's something I need to tell you. But...I'm not sure how you're going to take it."
Xander's expression changed to instant worry. "You're not going to boot me out of magic training, are you? I'll get the hang of it, I promise!"
"No, it's not about that."
Xander looked relieved. Then he asked, "What's up?"
"It's about Faith," Buffy said. "Me and Faith, actually."
Xander didn't say anything. He just waited expectantly for whatever bomb Buffy was about to drop.
Buffy twisted her hands together multiple times. "Okay, I'm just gonna say it...I'm in love with Faith."
Xander's eyes went wide. "What?! I mean, what?!" He shook his head and then continued. "I know you've been kind of emotionally attached to her. But I just figured it was because she found you after you came back, and-"
"I thought that, too. At first. But it's not."
"How do you know? I mean, you've only been back a little over a week, Buffy. That's mighty fast to be-"
"It didn't just happen in the last week, Xander," Buffy interjected. "Faith and I were...involved. Before. Back when she first came to Sunnydale."
Xander shot her a questioning look. "Define 'involved'."
"We kissed. Several times. And we started developing feelings for each other. But then Angel came back, and I lied about it and destroyed any trust we'd developed, and after that, every time Faith tried to reconnect with me, I pushed her away. I just couldn't let go of Angel, and I hurt her very badly."
"Maybe you did, but I'm mainly remembering the bad things Faith did."
"I know. She messed up. I'm not forgetting that. But it wasn't all her fault. Especially since we were probably both being influenced by a Fury back then."
Xander nodded in remembrance. "Oh, yeah. That 'residue' we saw when Tara did the Anti-Fury spell."
"Exactly. And, besides, I made my share of mistakes, too."
The two friends were quiet for a moment as Xander tried to absorb all of this new information. Buffy finally broke the silence.
"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but...I love her, and I'm gonna tell her how I feel. This week, as a matter of fact. Just as soon as she's gotten into her regular rehab schedule."
"Does she love you?" Xander asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so."
They both fell quiet again.
"Anyway," Buffy said, "I just wanted to tell you so it wouldn't be a shock when it happens."
"Thanks," Xander replied. "I appreciate the heads-up."
"If it happens, that is. The whole 'me and Faith' thing."
A look of uneasy sadness came over Buffy's expression, and she glanced away. Xander noticed and pulled her into a hug.
"It'll be okay, Buff," he told her.
"Thanks," she replied, returning the embrace.
When they separated, Xander put them back on mission by pointing toward the chainlink gate. "Place should be empty. I heard that construction has been on hold for over a week. Apparently, they've discovered 'geologic anomalies' directly below where the foundation is designed to go. No surprise to us, right? Anyway, a specialist is going to have to come in and re-evaluate the site."
"They better get one with a degree in hellmouths," Buffy quipped as they headed that way.
They squeezed through the gate and eased onto the site, holding their weapons at the ready.
"Stay in sight of that gate," she instructed. "This is strictly recon. If we see any demons, we get a good look, and then we get the heck outta here."
The two crept through the site, past stacks of I-beams and rebar, past a crane and excavator and other construction equipment. When they neared the area where the metal storage units were stacked, she felt a strange tingling over her skin, especially in her hands. She transferred her dagger to her left hand and looked at her right palm. She closed her fist and opened it again and tried to look beyond the wall of metal units, as if she were feeling something that was hidden behind them or in them.
When they headed for the cordoned-off excavation area, Buffy suddenly felt a frightening dread wash over her. It was like what she'd felt at the vineyard, only much stronger. She instantly grabbed Xander's arm.
"We need to get out of here. Now!"
At that, the two took off for the gate. Within seconds, they were peeling off in the gravel and speeding away.
Cut To:
Hallway Outside Rehab Room – Afternoon [Sun SD 1pm; England 9pm]
When her cellphone rang, Dr. Raine excused herself from observing Faith's rehab and stepped outside into the hallway to take the call. Now she was speaking with Buffy regarding her reconnaissance mission at the construction site.
"So you didn't actually see anything overt?" Dr. Raine asked.
"No," Buffy replied over the phone. "Not with my eyes, anyway. But I sure felt something."
"Was it like what you felt at the vineyard?"
"Yeah, but way stronger. Whatever nasties have been hanging out at the vineyard recently…they're definitely at the site. I didn't see them, but I know they're there. Probably hiding due to the daylight. If we're lucky, maybe that means they're vulnerable to it."
"Let's hope we are, then."
"It still felt weird, though," Buffy said, trying to explain. "Like I was sensing two different things. One was definitely demony, very scary. The other was, too, but somehow…not. Sorry, I'm not making much sense."
"No need for an apology. You're making perfect sense. It's clear you're responding to two different stimuli. It could mean that you're sensing two different species of demon."
"Yeah, maybe so. I should check the place out at night again. More likely to catch some demon traffic if I do."
"Restrict yourself to observation only, and from outside the fence line. I have some high-powered binoculars in my office you can use."
"Sounds good," Buffy said. "Not really looking for a fight right now, not till we know more about what we're going up against."
"A wise plan," Dr. Raine noted.
"Xander and I are off to shop. Well, I'll be shopping, and he'll just be holding bags for me. But I'll be back with Faith's stuff soon."
"Check in with me when you return to the hospital."
"Will do."
Cut To:
Devon Coven House – Same Time [Sun SD 1pm; England 9pm]
Giles and Althenea were in the study, sharing a bottle of wine as they discussed Willow's progress.
"And the talismans are complete?" Giles asked as he filled their glasses and passed one to Althenea.
"Yes, Richard and Naomi finished them earlier this evening. We'll begin the power raising tomorrow morning."
"I think she's finally beginning to grasp both the magnitude and the complexity of magic," Althenea reported. "She cried when I showed her the ley lines below Sunnydale."
"Ah. I remember those lessons. Eye-opening to say the least."
"She feels tremendous guilt, which can be a powerful motivator, as we've seen with her development of the talisman spell. But guilt can also lead to despair. I'm just glad Faith is finally awake and well enough to enter rehab—for her sake and Willow's."
Cut To:
Rehab Room - Afternoon [Sun SD 2pm; England 10pm]
While Dr. Raine observed, Faith had spent the morning and early afternoon learning the tricks of the trade for the paralyzed: how to keep shifting her weight in her chair to avoid sores, how to transfer from her chair to a bed or toilet and back again, how to maneuver effectively in her chair, including wheelies for curbs and other uneven surfaces.
At the moment, Faith and one of her trainers, Cindi, were on a floor mat. Faith was in full kneel, with the back of her heels against her butt. She was several feet across from Cindi, who was also kneeling. The two women were tossing a ball back and forth. Joanna was watching closely to monitor Faith's ability to balance, helping her as needed. Faith was doing well, although breathing hard and sweating.
"You've got good control of your glutes and hip flexors," Joanna commented.
"You oughta know," Faith teased between tosses. "You been starin' at my ass for the last three exercises."
"Strictly part of the job description, hon," Joanna said, now scribbling a few notes on her paperwork.
"Yeah, right," Faith needled playfully.
When Joanna looked up from her clipboard, she knelt down beside Faith and gestured at the slayer's hip area. "Having that much muscle control as low as you do, that's going to help a lot with the exercises to come."
"What are we gonna do next? Patty cake, patty cake?" Faith quipped as she struggled to maintain her position while tossing the ball.
Joanna just snorted in laughter and stood back up.
Suddenly, Faith lost her balance mid-toss and flopped over on her side on the mat. "Aw shit."
"Okay, I think that's enough PT for the day," Joanna announced.
"No way, I ain't done yet," Faith said, struggling to regain her kneeling position. "Still got some gas left in the tank."
"No, we need to get you stretched out in time for your next class."
Cindi put away the ball and then retrieved Faith's wheelchair, bringing it to the slayer's side. Faith shoved the wheelchair away.
"No! I wanna keep going!" Faith yelled. "The quicker I get through this shit, the sooner my legs'll come back."
Joanna gave Faith a drill-sergeant stare. "Well, it's not up to you. It's up to me, and I say you're done for the day."
Before Faith could hurl a slew of curses at Joanna, Dr. Raine stopped the slayer with a firm hand on her shoulder. "Joanna is right, Faith. These things take time." When Faith turned her furious glare toward her watcher, Dr. Raine met her gaze with compassionate calm. "It's only the first day. Be patient."
Faith's jaw clenched and unclenched several times. "Fine," she growled before pulling herself into the wheelchair that Cindi had brought close once again.
Cut To:
Faith's New Room - Evening [Sun SD 5pm; England 1am Mon]
The rest of Faith's afternoon had been taken up by occupational therapy: learning how to perform in new ways those ordinary daily tasks that she had previously taken for granted, such as showering on her own and dressing herself.
Though she had done well and been praised for it, Faith had felt emotionally raw afterwards and was grateful that Joanna and Dr. Raine had left her alone in her room for a while. She hated the helplessness and hated even more that others were witnessing it. After they had gone, Faith took a few moments to focus on her breathing and rein in her emotions. Once they were sufficiently under control, Faith turned her attention to the "homework" Joanna had given her: going through the bags of clothes Buffy had dropped off earlier and putting them away in the dresser.
After pulling off the tags and stickers, she organized like items into piles then began stuffing them into the drawers, following the basic arrangement Buffy had already set up. When she found a t-shirt in the top drawer mixed in with the underwear and socks, she pulled it out in order to move it. It was then that she noticed the objects in the back of the top drawer: her lighter and cigarettes along with the photo booth pictures.
She pulled out the unfolded strip of photos and looked at them. She folded them up and then unfolded them again before glancing at the door. Did Buffy see these? She turned back to the pictures. She had to. She's the one who put this stuff up. Wonder what she thought when she saw 'em?
Faith examined the inside of the drawer once again. She stuck 'em way in the back, behind this shirt. She musta been—
Faith's speculations on Buffy's state of mind were halted when a flash of memories struck her:
Faith pulling off her bloody t-shirt in the downstairs bathroom of the Summers home; Buffy finding her there, the two of them kissing, then Faith breaking it off; Faith in Buffy's room holding one of Buffy's jerseys; Buffy hugging her, begging her to stay and not go out again; them nearly kissing again before Willow forced them apart with magic; Faith picking up the dropped jersey and taunting Willow before being blasted out of the window.
Faith came out of her flashback with a gasp, her mind reeling with the new revelations.
We kissed. Then she didn't look so sure. Didn't we?
She banged her palm against her forehead a few times in frustration, then thought for a moment.
Yeah, we kissed. And we woulda kissed again if Willow hadn't—
She closed her eyes to the memory of Willow's blast. She shook her head and opened her eyes again.
But now…
She coulda kissed me yesterday, but she didn't. And when I asked about the night I got hurt, she blew me off.
She looked down at the photo booth pictures.
And today she hid these. I know she did. But why?
When she heard Buffy greet Dr. Raine in the hallway, she looked toward the door. Then she deliberately set the photos on the dresser, unfolded and picture-side up.
"Time for some more brain-pickin'," she said.
Cut To:
Faith's New Room - A Short Time Later [Sun SD 6pm; England 2am Mon]
After knocking and hearing Faith's reply, Buffy came in the room carrying a large sack and two drinks from Happy Burger. She saw Faith by the dresser and headed that way.
"I hope you're hungry," she said, showing Faith the Happy Burger sack. Then her eyes instantly settled on the photo booth pictures on Faith's dresser. Oh crap! The photos! What do I say? What do I say? Nothing! Just pretend you didn't see them. She turned back to Faith, hoping the slayer hadn't noticed her noticing. "I, um, I figured you'd be sick of hospital food, and Dr. Raine said it was okay."
"Thanks," Faith said, forcing herself to smile despite her having indeed noticed Buffy's reaction to the pictures.
"You, uh, you wanna sit at the table?" Buffy asked, moving toward the small table and chairs on the other side of the room.
"Sure," she answered and rolled her wheelchair that way.
Buffy set down the drinks and pulled the food from the sack: four double cheeseburgers and two large fries and a heap of ketchup packets. She flattened the sack and dumped the fries onto it before opening a half dozen ketchups and squirting them into a large pool on a corner of the sack.
She sat down in one of the chairs and watched as Faith slowly unwrapped one of the cheeseburgers and took a relatively unenthusiastic bite. She had expected Faith to attack the food with gusto and was concerned when she didn't.
"So, um…how did rehab go today?" Buffy asked before digging into the fries.
Faith huffed and rolled her eyes. "Jo says I'm doin' great, according to her schedule. Still in this damn chair, though."
"It takes time, Faith. Give it time."
"I was giving it time, but Jo cut me off! She stopped the physical therapy too soon. She doesn't know I'm a slayer. She doesn't know how hard I can push, how much I can take."
"But she does know about spinal injuries and rehab. She's the expert. So do what she says. And be patient. It's only the first day."
"You sound like Dr. Raine."
Buffy shot Faith a smart-ass grin. "I guess you better listen to me then. Dearie." Still grinning, she bit into her cheeseburger.
At that, Faith couldn't help but grin back. Then she let out a resigned groan and reported, "Well, I did achieve one major milestone today."
"What's that?"
"I can hold my pee."
"No catheter?"
"And no diaper."
"High five!" Buffy called out, and the two slayers slapped palms.
"Okay, that was kinda weird," Faith admitted.
"Hey, claim your victories wherever you can," Buffy said.
Faith gave a small shrug as if to say, 'can't argue with that,' then took another bite of her burger. "Thanks for picking up my new clothes, by the way," she said mid-chew. "And for getting all my stuff at the motel and putting it up for me." She tilted her head toward the dresser.
Buffy didn't let her gaze follow. She just smiled and said, "You're welcome."
"You even packed my cigarettes."
Buffy shifted in her chair then teased, "Well, just because they're there doesn't mean you have to use them. You did promise Dr. Raine you'd quit before she got here."
"I told you that?"
Buffy mentally kicked herself for letting the conversation come back around to the events of that night. "Yeah, when we went for that ride on your bike."
"Right. We stopped at that overlook."
Buffy smiled in surprise. "You remember."
"Yeah, it's comin' back. Some of it anyway. What else happened while we were out there?"
"Nothing," Buffy said, taking a drink of her soda. "We just talked for a little while. You told me about how you met Dr. Raine and how she looked out for you. You did a very funny impression of her."
"I did?" Faith asked with a chuckle. She's leavin' out all the emotional talk we had, she thought before asking, "What happened that night? You said I got hurt on patrol and came there to your house to use the first aid kit. How'd I end up in your room where Willow could blast me?"
Buffy set her burger and drink back down on the table and let her gaze drop to her hands. "I found you downstairs, bandaging yourself up. You'd gotten a head wound while patrolling, and it was bleeding really bad, and you'd bled all over your shirt, and—" Buffy stood up and walked a few feet away. "So you asked me for a clean one, and I took you upstairs because that's where all my stuff was since we'd been unpacking all day, and I was giving you the shirt when Willow came in and blasted you." Buffy met Faith's eyes for a long second then looked away, shaking her head. "I-I-I still can't believe she did that. You weren't doing anything wrong. It was completely unprovoked."
Nothing about the kiss, Faith thought sadly. Not even a hint.
"A-A-Any of that ring a bell?" Buffy asked when Faith didn't respond right away.
Faith faked another smile. "Not really. Not yet. I'll have to take your word for it. For now."
Buffy glanced at the door. "Well, I guess I better head out. Dr. Raine wants me on surveillance at the construction site."
"Don't you wanna finish eatin' first?" Faith asked.
"I'm good," Buffy said, already standing with the door open. "So I'll, um, I'll see you tomorrow?"
"You know where to find me," Faith said ruefully.
Buffy gave a quick smile and nod and then left the room. When the door shut, Faith sighed and tossed her half-eaten burger on the table.
Meanwhile, outside, Buffy leaned against the door and let out a long breath. Then she went to meet Dr. Raine in the conference room down the hall.
Cut To:
New High School Site – Later That Night [Sun SD 10pm; England 6am Mon]
Buffy was on the roof of a three-story building adjacent to the new high school, about a hundred yards from the chain-link fence encircling the perimeter of the sparsely-lit construction site. Leaning against a waist-high wall surrounding the edges of the flat roof, she looked through a set of high-powered binoculars, making a sweep through the construction equipment and the metal shipping containers before coming back to the center of the site, to the deep rectangular excavation that was meant to be the basement of the school's main building.
Seeing nothing, she let out a huff of frustration. She pulled out the cellphone Dr. Raine had given her and hit the speed dial for the doctor's number.
"It's been almost three hours," she said when Dr. Raine answered. "Still nada on any demon sightings. Do you want me to keep staking the place out, or patrol, or what?"
"If they were on-site, I would have expected to see some activity by now. Perhaps they have business elsewhere," Dr. Raine speculated, "or are merely 'laying low', as it were." After a moment of thought, she told Buffy, "Patrol the area—carefully—then make a run through the cemeteries that are close by. Be home by midnight."
"Or what? My carriage will turn into a pumpkin?"
"Excuse me?" Dr. Raine asked in confusion.
Buffy chuckled. "Never mind. Patrol, cemeteries, midnight. Got it. Will do."
"Get some rest tonight. I'll see you in the morning."
"I'll try. Good ni—wait! Something's happening at the site!"
She looked back through the binoculars and focused on the excavation. Several dark figures climbed out of the hole and gathered outside the cordoned-off area.
"Five demons: two short, three tall. The short ones look like…I don't know…half-man, half-bull, all horns and muscle, dressed in some kind of armor, twin swords strapped to their backs. The tall ones are wearing hooded cloaks and have their backs to me. I can't make out much on them. Come on, turn around so I can see you."
"What are they doing?" Dr. Raine asked.
"Talking. Or one of them is. A tall one. Seems like he's giving orders. I can see the skin of his hand and arm. Looks shiny or scaly or maybe both. Hard to tell. The two short ones are moving off toward the metal shipping containers. The three tall ones are heading for the gate. I'm gonna climb down and move closer."
"Absolutely not!" Dr. Raine forbade. "You stay right where you are."
"But I can get a better look! I can—"
"Buffy, you have no backup and no idea of how many other demons may be present. If they see you, if something goes wrong, they could be on you in a heartbeat. We can't risk it! We—"
Suddenly, Buffy pressed the phone against her chest to muffle the sound and dropped into a squatting position so that only the binoculars and the top of her head peeked over the wall she had been leaning against.
The group of tall demons had stopped right outside the now-open gates beside the tall security light. The one in charge was staring in Buffy's direction, almost as if he had heard her or seen her or sensed her in some way. Buffy sucked in an involuntary breath when she saw the gruesome visage beneath the hood.
Glowing red eyes blazed from an amorphous face of mottled tar. The thick, dark fluid swirled of its own accord, forming and reforming the semblance of facial features. Beneath the eyes, a sharp nose and angular cheeks rose like a mountain range from a fault line then crumbled back into nothingness. At the bottom a chin elongated from the shifting mass, forking into separate points before curling back upon itself. Above the chin, the face split open from side to side, revealing a gaping maw of jagged teeth, which soon disappeared under another swell of inky blackness.
After a few moments, the demon turned away and continued his exit from the construction site, flanked by the other two tall ones.
Buffy turned her body and slipped to a sitting position, her back against the brick wall. After slowing letting out the breath she'd been holding, she lifted the phone back to her ear, where she heard Dr. Raine repeatedly calling out her name.
"I'm okay, Dr. Raine, I'm fine," Buffy assured the watcher. "I just had to be quiet for a minute. One of them was looking right at the building I'm on."
"Did he see you?"
"No, I don't think so, but I saw him."
"What did he look like?"
"Like a nightmare," Buffy said with a shiver.
END OF PART 21