Faith: The Series S2 Ep 10 (21?)
"Yo G-," Faith's voice trailed off as she walked into the kitchen to find Giles on top of a naked woman on the table, the couple's clothes strewn across the floor, discarded in a rampant eagerness to get busy. A naked woman who judging from the fact she was blonde, six foot tall, and stacked like a Playboy centrefold was most certainly not JC. She gulped, tried to tear her eyes away and failed. She was definitely never eating off that table again. She closed her eyes for a second. The image of g and the woman making like bunnies failed to fade.
Giles swallowed as he stared at his dazed charge sat opposite him and his new girl-friend. He smiled as his COMPANION squeezed his hand, lending him reassurance. "I had hoped to introduce you to Toni," he nodded towards his new partner, "under more ideal circumstances."
"Yeah it would have saved my sanity too," his daughter muttered. "I mean it should be you who's catching me doing shit like that not the other way around!"
"Please Faith," he couldn't help but smile at Toni's soft voice. "I don't think there's any need to swear do you?" Faith opened her mouth again only to shut it at his warning glare. "Now, I'm sure you have questions?" Toni asked. Giles stared adoringly at his girlfriend, she was so understanding.
His daughter took a breath. "Yeah. How did you meet?"
"It was two weekends ago," Giles beamed at a suddenly blushing Toni. "Toni was a guest speaker giving a talk on anthropology. She was absolutely fascinating!"
"Uh, uh." Judging from the dubious look on his daughter's face and knowing how her mind worked, he had a feeling she doubted that he'd noticed anything other than Toni's physical attributes.
"And afterwards, Rupert very generously offered to buy me a coffee," Toni giggled. "And what woman can resist the advances of gentlemanly Englishman? I was immediately enchanted by Rupert's charm." He bristled at Faith's raised eyebrow, he had charm, oodles of it.
"Yeah," Faith looked from Toni to him. "So you're serious right?"
"As serious as a couple can be. Have you any more questions Faith?" Toni asked.
"Just one," his daughter still had a wide-eyed look, "you're burning the table, right?"
Xander stroked the back of Faith's neck as they walked through one of Sunnyvale's many graveyards. "You're quiet tonight hon." Faith shrugged. He turned to face his girl-friend, took her face in his hands and peered into her eyes. "Faith, tell me what's wrong?"
Faith's reply didn't come for a minute but when it did it came like water breaching a broken dam. "IfoundGilesontopofawomanwhowasn'tJConthekitchentable." His girl-friend reddened.
It took him a minute to translate but years of Willow-babble helped. He began to smile. "You walked in on Giles," he started to giggle, "having sex?" Suddenly he was doubled up with laughter, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"It's not funny!" Faith slapped him on the back of his head. "I'm going to need therapy for like decades. I mean walking in on G having sex, anyone but G! You know the first thing I thought? Nice ass G!"
Xander straightened, and again looked his girl-friend in her eyes. "So you saw Giles having sex," he shuddered. "Not the thing I want to see most in the world, but what's the big deal?"
Faith's eyes dropped to the ground. "What if she's the one?"
"How long has Giles been dating this -?"
"Toni," Faith supplied. "Two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Xander smiled. "I think two weeks is a bit soon to be picking out curtains together. And so what if she is? You want G-Man to be happy, right?"
"Yeah," Faith kicked a stone into the air. "But what if he decides that he wants a family with this chick?"
"So?"
"Then G might decide being a Watcher is too dangerous and retire. Then the Council will send me another Watcher and I'll lose him."
"Hey," he hugged his girl-friend. "That's dumber than Jesse dumb. G-Man loves you, he'd never leave you. Anyone can see that."
"You think?" Faith asked, her tone tremulous.
"I know." His arm still around his girl-friend's slender shoulders, they started off through the graveyard again. "Wait," Xander stopped as a disturbing thought hit him, "you think G-Man has a nice ass?"
"So your Faith's beau?" Toni beamed at Xander before nodding at her. "I can see why you like him. If I was ten years younger.."
"But you're not," Faith narrowed her eyes and scowled at the older woman.
"Now Faith," Giles scolded as he passed Xander a can of soda pop, "Toni was just being friendly." Faith grunted, yeah that was what she was afraid of.
"Now Giles," Toni smiled at her Watcher, "Faith is only being protective of you both." The statuesque blonde smiled at her. "I really want you to be okay with this."
Faith shrugged. "I'm okay."
"You are?" Giles pressed.
"I am," she forced a smile.
"What's up Faith?" Jesse bantered. "You must be ill, I haven't caught you checking my ass out once this morning."
Faith glared at Jess. "You got that the wrong way round. You're the one checking who's always checking out my ass," she kicked the youth in the shin, causing him to hop around on one leg. "And stop it."
"Faith's got issues," Xander broke in. "She walked in the middle of Giles and his new lady-friend getting down to it. Say, does he keep one foot on the ground while in the act?"
"Thanks for sharing my embarrassment with everyone Xander," Faith glared at her big-mouthed boyfriend. "You jackass."
"Oh that's not everyone," Xander retorted, her glare bouncing off him as usual. "I haven't put a message up on the notice-board." Her boytoy grinned goofily. "Yet."
"So what's she like?" Cordelia put in. "Does she dress well?"
"Oh hello Faith," Faith's heart dropped when Toni walked out of the parking lot and to her and her group stood on the steps. "I was hoping to find you."
"Well you did," Faith muttered even as she groaned at Jonathan and Jesse's awe-struck expressions. The older woman was wearing a knee-length black skirt and white blouse that barely contained her surely surgically enhanced chest. "Lucky me."
Toni smiled, showing them a set of gleaming teeth. "I was thinking that perhaps we could go out as a family on the weekend. Maybe your friends could come with us." The older, much older she reminded herself, woman giggled. "Two words – crazy golf!"
Faith's mouth dropped open. Her playing crazy golf? The woman was nuts. "Well, uh..."
"I'm making a picnic basket," Toni bargained. "With cookies!"
"You know what," Faith replied. "I'd love to but, unfortunately we have that," she glanced to Xander for support, "thing on Saturday."
Xander looked momentarily puzzled. "Ohhh, that thing," her boyfriend looked at her. "That thing."
"Hey, we can do that thing anytime. I'm tired of doing that thing. " Jesse commented before leering at Toni. "We're on!"
Faith covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Idiot," she muttered.
"Well that's settled," Toni said. "See you all Sunday!"
"Wow," Jonathan muttered, his eyes glazed. "Did you see her?"
"I saw," drooled Jesse.
"You see it?" asked Xander.
"I see it," Willow agreed. "But I don't believe it. There has to be a spell involved. Right Faith? Faith?"
It wasn't until Cordelia elbowed her in her ribs that Faith managed to speak, the spell of seeing G dressed in a tweed peaked cap, a checked pringle sweater, and checked plaid pants. "What the fuck?" she muttered.
"Please Faith," she bristled at Toni's melodious tones behind her. "No nice boy like Xander wants to step out with a guttermouth. Now doesn't Rupert look spiffing?"
"Yeah, wicked," she scoffed.
"Fine. I'll just go hit my ball from the rough." Faith shook her head as she strode over to her ball behind the castle. The last two hours had been hell. G had betrayed her, told his new squeeze all about her bad grades, and she'd had to endure countless embarrassing stories. And she really sucked at golf. "Dumb game," she muttered. Picking up the ball, she dropped it into the hole. A grin on her face, she let out a shout. "Hey, how 'bout that! Got a hole in two!"
"Beg to differ."
Faith groaned as she turned to see Toni stood behind her, the older woman's full lips pursed in a pout. "Okay, so fine my score or whatever."
Toni shook her head. "I think you're missing the point here missy. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Why don't people see that?"
"Shit," Faith defended. "It's just a damn game."
Toni scowled. "Right, it's just a game, do your own thing, well, I'm not wired that way. And I am here to tell you it is not a game! It does count, and I don't stand for that kind of malarkey in my house!"
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not in your house." Faith shot back.
"Do you want me to slap that smart-ass mouth of yours?" Toni retorted. Faith blinked. She clenched her fists together, ready to retort. Suddenly Toni turned away. "Who's up for dessert? I made chocolate-chip cookies!"
"Yum-my!" Jesse yelled.
Amy's eyes widened. "Cookies!"
"Yes!" Toni exclaimed. "I made too many, so you guys are gonna have to take some home!"
"Mm!" Xander called out. "Faith you've got to try one of these! They're really good! Mm!"
Toni offered her one with a smile. Faith glared at the woman. "Not interested."
"Good morning, sunshine!"
"Hey," Faith nodded towards her guardian as she entered the kitchen.
"I've got juice, I've got sticky buns, oh, and don't they smell good!"
"Yeah they do," Faith picked up part of a bun.
"Toni made them." Faith dropped the bun, G's smile withered. "What?"
"I wanna eat something around here that Toni didn't make," Faith replied.
G glared at her. "And what kind of an attitude is that?"
"Look, G I know you think she's great and all, but I..."
Giles shook his head. "Toni went out of her way to be nice to you, and you couldn't say two words to her on Saturday. I do not expect you to love her right away like I do, but I do expect you to treat her decently." G peered at her over his glasses. "You must learn to share Faith."
"Whoa, back up!" Faith exclaimed. "You love her?" Oh shit, it looked like she'd have to pull out the big guns. "She threatened me."
"I beg your pardon?" G stopped pouring his juice, his eyes intent.
"That crazy bitch threatened me. She said that she was gonna slap my face."
Giles shook his head. "I'm sorry Faith, it's obvious I haven't been strict enough with you. How can you tell such lies? Toni told me about your cheating."
"Jesus!" Faith exploded. "It was a freakin-."
"And she didn't say anything about it in front of the others, did she?"
"Well no but."
"Well, I thought that that was pretty decent of her! Toni said we are just gonna have to give you time to come around. Oh, speaking of which, she's making dinner for us tonight, so I'd like you home, please, promptly at seven." She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it at G's look. "The world won't end if we don't patrol for once."
"What do you mean, check her out?" Cordelia queried as she chowed down on one of Toni's cookies.
"I mean investigate her. Find out her secrets, hack into her life," Faith urged.
Her friends all turned to her. "Can you say 'overreaction'?" Xander commented.
"It just seems like you want her to be corrupt, or something," Willow commented.
"She went mental over crazy golf!"
"So she's a little uptight. Last I heard that's not a slaying offence." Xander chuckled. "Unless that's in the Handbook you never told us about." Xander raised his hands at her growl. "I'm on your side. I'm just saying there are some things in life you have to accept. Like maybe having to share G-Man."
Faith took a breath. "Look, I ain't jealous. I was cool with Jenny, right? Toni has a problem with me. She acts like I'm in the way or something. And G's been totally different since she's around."
"Different, like happy?" Willow put in.
"Like Stepford. Will you help me?" Faith looked around her friends. "Please guys."
Xander looked around the others. "We'll help."
"We thank you for what we are about to receive, and we ask that you bless this house, and help the people in it to be more productive, more considerate and more honest. Amen." Faith looked up, unable to believe that she was sat at a table with G and Toni, wearing napkins and saying Grace. How Brady Bunch could ya get? "Well, another great day at work! How was school today, Faith? Did you learn anything?"
"Quite a bit," Faith commented.
Toni beamed. "Good for you! Well, Rupes, what do you think?"
G beamed. "I think every home should have one of you. It's fantastic!" Her Watcher turned to her. "Don't you think?"
"Looks good," Faith grunted.
Toni's beam remained undimmed. "Well, you know, little lady, it's not just for looks, it's for building strong bodies."
Faith stared back at Toni. "You two getting hitched?"
G blinked. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Rupes, let me handle this. Faith, your father and I are taking it one step at a time. And if things go the way I hope, maybe someday soon we might get 'hitched' as you put it. How would you feel about that?" Faith just stared at the woman. "It's okay to express yourself."
"Is hemlock an option?" she retorted.
"Faith!" Giles boomed, man he looked pissed.
"Hush, dear." Toni placed a hand on G's arm. "I told her to be honest." The woman smiled at her. "Sweetheart, you should try and get used to me, 'cause you know what? I'm not going anywhere."
"Wanna bet?" Faith rose.
"Go to your room, young lady," G ordered. "And you can forget about going to that concert in LA. at the weekend."
Faith climbed back through her window after a fruitless patrol to find Toni sat on her chair. "What are you doing in here?"
Toni shook her head. "Rupert told you to go to your room, Faith. You and I both know he didn't mean climb out a window and go gallivanting about town."
"First of all, this is my room, second..." Faith's eyes widened at the sight of her Slayer stuff on her bedside table, including the diary G insisted she keep of her patrols and thoughts, sort of a place for her to vent in private. "You've been going through my things?"
"Yes, I have."
"That's my personal property! How dare you!" Faith was fucking steaming now.
Toni smirked. "What exactly is a Vampire Slayer?"
"None of your business," Faith snarled.
"Beg to differ, little lady. Everything you do is nothing but my business from now on." Toni smiled. "At least until I persuade Rupert that we'd be better off without you."
Faith shivered involuntarily at the thought of having G taken away from her. "I think you better get out of here. Now!"
"Or what?" Toni stood and stepped towards her. "You'll slay me? I'm real. I'm not some goblin you made up in your little diary. Psychiatrists have a word for something like this: delusional. So, from now on, you'll do what I say, when I say, or I show this," Toni glanced down at the diary, "to everyone and you'll spend your best dating years behind the wall of a mental institution. Your father and I are going to be happy. You're not going to stand in the way. Sleep tight!"
Toni turned to leave, the diary still in her hand. Faith snatched it from her. "That's mine, and you are not leaving this room with it!" Toni swung around and backhanded her, the force of the blow knocking her into the wall. "Ohhh!" Faith straightened and smirked. "I was so hoping you'd do that."
She punched Toni squarely in the jaw. The blonde staggered onto the hallway. Toni backhanded her in the face, knocking her against the side of her bed and onto the floor. Toni snarled and picked her up by the shirt collar, but she kicked the woman in the shin.
"Faith! Stop that!" Faith ignored G's shout to elbow Toni in the face. "Stop it!"
Faith side-kicked her opponent in the chest, making her stagger backward towards the step. Taking a second to wipe the blood from her mouth, Faith scowled at the woman. She swore that she'd never let another woman hit her, time to give the bitch the lesson she'd always wished she'd given her mother. Faith swept the woman's legs from beneath her, sending her falling down the stairs. Her eyes widened when the woman hit the bottom of the steps, her neck hanging at an impossible angle. "Oh fuck."
Giles dropped to his knees. "Toni! Toni!" Faith hurried down the stairs. G took Toni's arm to feel for a pulse only to drop her arm and glared at her. "You killed her!"
Faith watched dazedly as the hurriedly-arrived paramedic zipped Toni into a body bag before the coroners wheeled her out of the house on a gurney. "Excuse me sir," she tore her eyes away from the horrifying sight to see G being questioned by a crumpled man in his mid-fifties, "I'm Detective Stein. I'm sorry, but I need to ask you a few questions. Your relationship with the deceased?"
"We were, uh, seeing each other."
"Can you tell me what happened?" the detective queried.
G shot her an angry look before replying. "She fell. Down the stairs."
"I see. Did she slip? Do you know what made her fall?" the officer pressed.
"I hit her." Faith croaked. Detective Stein turned to her. "I hit her."
"Sir! Sir!"
Mayor Wilkins looked up in irritation when his office door crashed open and his deputy hurried. Deputy? He was about as much use as a bagful of Dan Quayles. "Allan," he remonstrated, his voice soft. "What we discussed about knocking in the past. Etiquette man!" Not to mention he might disrupt an important black arts ritual.
Allan's face fell, making him look like a whipped puppy dog. Mayor Wilkins idly wondered if he'd ever looked that young. Yes probably in 1880 or thereabouts. "Yes sir. But I thought you'd want to know Miss. Giles has been taken into custody for questioning for a death at her guardian's house, Mr. Giles' girl-friend."
He began to smile. "Well that's just gra-," he shook his head. No. That wouldn't be right. Not sporting. "Organise the young lady's release."
"Sir?" Finch looked bemused.
Wilkins raised an eyebrow. "I don't have to explain myself now do I?" Finch shook his head. "Then what are you waiting for?"
Faith stared down at the interrogation room table, unable to believe what she had done. In the past, when the pigs had tried to put the hard word on her she'd pissed herself laughing at them. But that had been for minor stuff. And it wasn't like she'd had anything to lose, no one to care about – not like now. She was, tears stung her eyes, the Slayer, she was supposed to protect people. Instead what had she done?
Killed someone.
"S…she was in my room. And we got into an argument."
"About what?" demanded the detective.
"She, um..."
"Was this the first time that you two had had an argument?" Stein pressed.
Faith looked up. "No. She threatened me. She said that he would slap me."
"That was tonight?"
"No. But she had my diary, and I tried to take it back, a-and that's when she hit me."
"I don't see any bruises."
Thank you for Slayer healing, Faith thought before replying. "I don't bruise easy."
"So you've been hit before?" Stein commented.
"I lived on the streets and in foster-homes before G adopted me."
"Yes," Stein nodded. Faith bristled inwardly at the asshole's disdainful expression. "I've seen your sheet." The detective leaned over her. "Street robbery, vandalism, grand theft auto. Well you're in the big leagues now. I see you going down for a long time. I wonder how much you'll bruise in pr-."
"Detective!" the door to the interview room swung open and an uniformed cop stepped into the cold room. "Could I have a word?"
"Sure." An irritated look on his face, the detective strode over to the doorway. The two men talked for a few seconds before Stein turned back to her. "You're free to go."
"Get in the car."
Faith quailed inwardly at the look of rage on her Watcher's drawn face. "G, I'm sorry-."
"Get in the car."
Shoulders slumped she obeyed. Once the Englishman had climbed in beside her, she tried again. "G-."
"Mr. Giles if you don't mind," the librarian interrupted. "Let's keep our relationship professional from this point on."
Faith felt her heart break and bottom lip start to quiver. "It wasn't my fault, she hit me-."
"You're the thundering bloody Slayer!" the Englishman roared. "You should know that by now! You can't just can't go around attacking people!"
"She had my Slayer diary -."
"And that's your excuse?" Giles turned to her, his eyes like chipped ice. "Do you think I'd have allowed your exposure? No, the truth is you thought you'd have to share me and like a petulant baby you struck out, Toni never had a chance!"
"Hi baby," Faith smiled gratefully as Xander hurried up and wrapped his arms around her as she entered the school lounge. "Are you okay?"
"How come you're here?" Cordelia put in.
"As opposed to jail?" Faith laughed hysterically. Seeing Harmony looking at her from across the room, she glared at the blonde. "Want something? Like maybe your teeth removing?" The moment the cheerleader had scuttled away, she turned back to her friends. "I couldn't stay at home. G won't even look at me."
"Here honey," Xander guided her to a couch. "Sit down."
"What happened? Unless you don't want to talk about it." Willow asked.
Faith shrugged. "We had a fight and I lost my temper. I really let her have it."
"The paper said he fell," Amy commented.
"Oh she fell. Hard."
"What was she? A-a demon? A giant bug? Some kind of dark god with the secrets of nouvelle cuisine? I mean, we are talking creature-feature here, right?" Jesse asked. Faith couldn't look her friend in the eyes. "Oh man!"
"But I'm sure it wasn't your fault. She started it," Willow put in.
Faith snorted. "That defence only works in six-year-old court Red."
Beside her Xander paled. "Court? Wa-wait. Are they charging you with something?"
"I-I don't know. Not yet." Faith shook her head. "I don't get it. They should have held me, with my record and everything but they just let me go. Wicked weird." She looked down. "I deserve to be in jail."
"Don't say that!" Cordelia ordered.
Faith looked up. "Why not? Everyone else is. And it's the truth."
"Not to us!" Jonathan glared around the room as if daring anyone to approach.
"It was an accident," Xander put in.
Faith shook her head. "I'm the Slayer. I had no right to hit her like that."
Xander squeezed her hand. "Look, Faith, I don't know what happened exactly. But I know you. And I know you would never hurt anyone intentionally."
"Doofus is right!" Cordelia added. "And I'll talk to my dad, he's got contacts at this big LA. law firm Wolfram & Hart, they'll-."
"I gotta go," Faith interrupted before rising and walking out.
Xander half-stood to follow his girl-friend only to slump back in defeat. What could he say? Finally he turned to his companions. "G-Man's not in the library today, right?" Willow nodded. "Okay, what have you found on Toni so far?"
"Nothing," Willow admitted. "No criminal record. Not even a speeding ticket."
"Damn it!" Xander fumed for a few seconds before collecting himself. "Well G-Man and Faith are out of action at the moment. So we're going to have to deal with this ourselves. You got an address for Toni?" Willow passed him a print-out. "Thanks. You, Cordelia, and Amy research stuff. Me, Jess, and Johnno are going to practice our breaking in skills."
"We are?" Jonathan looked nervous.
"We are," he confirmed.
"Here you go." Xander forced a window open before turning to Jonathan. "You climb in and go unlock the door."
"Why me?" whined the youth.
Xander looked from Jonathan to Jesse. "Gee I don't know," he gestured towards the tiny window. "You think either of us could fit?"
"Fine." Jonathan muttered and groaned as he squeezed through the window before finally falling through and hitting the ground with an audible thud. "Oww!"
"Stop hurting and unlock the door," Xander muttered through the slight opening.
"Sensitive man," Jesse snickered. "Real sensitive."
Xander ignored the comment, choosing to impatiently wait for Jonathan to unlock the front door. After a couple of minutes the door swung open. "I hurt my dose," commented Jonathan, rubbing the feature in question.
"That's great Johnno," Xander commented. "Makes you look rugged."
"Manly even," Jesse added. "Shall we look around?"
" I'll take the back," Xander commented. Xander spent the next few minutes searching but found nothing out of place. "Damn it," he muttered. "There has to be some-."
"Xander!" he looked up at Jesse's shout. "In here!" He hurried through to find Jesse and Jonathan in the office, papers scattered around them. "So far I've counted four marriage certificates. And no divorce papers."
Xander grinned, well that was not of the norm. "So either our girl was a Mormon, or-."
"Whoa, whoa, 1957!" Jonathan interrupted. "Toni musta married young! Like pre-uterus."
Xander stared to pace the office floor. "This is good, but it's not en-," his voice trailed off as he realised something. The entire house floor was wood panelled and yet only this room had a rug. Grabbing hold of the floor covering, he flung it aside. "A trap door."
Faith stopped as she entered the kitchen to see Giles packing away a bunch of baking pans and bowls. After a second she spoke, her voice tremulous. "Can I help?"
Giles glared at her. "You've done quite enough already."
"I didn't mean to hurt her."
"I do not wish to talk about this."
Faith's eyes began to burn. "Please, you have to know..."
"Just go to your room."
"Well never mind," Cordy giggled as she bit into her cookie. "Things will work themselves out." Willow glared at the cheerleader. Five minutes ago Cordelia had been as gung-ho as the rest of them to find something on Toni. Then suddenly she starts eating -. Willow's eyes snapped back to the cookie. Reaching out, she snatched out of the cheerleader's hand. "Hey!"
"Have mine and Amy's," she threw their boxes to Cordelia. "Amy," she looked at her friend. "We need to get to the science lab now!"
Faith slumped on her bed, the tears she'd been holding back flowing. "Fuck, this day can't get any worse."
"Beg to differ."
Faith spun around to see Toni climbing in through the window. Heart racing, she stood and backed away from her. "You died." She shook her head, unable to believe the evidence of her own eyes.
"That's right, missy, you killed me. Do we have something to say about that? Are we sorry?"
"What are you?"
Toni lunged at her. Faith kicked her in the gut and followed with a left to the jaw. Toni winced but kept on coming. Faith punched him twice in the stomach and again in the face. Toni responded by grabbing her by the throat and backing her into and over her desk, pinning her against the wall. "You see I had to shut down for a while to get you off my back. You should've seen the intern's face when I got up off the table, it was a hoot! Fun's over though." The nutcase wrapped other hand around her throat and began to squeeze. Vision blurring, Faith scrabbled blindly around her nightstand for anything she could use as a weapon. Grabbing a nail file she stabbed Toni in the left forearm with it. Toni yanked her arm away from her, slicing it open on the file as she jerked back. Faith collapsed to the floor. "That wasn't playing fair, missy!"
Faith's eyes widened in disbelief as she saw smoke and sparks coming out of the wound. "You're gonna find..." Toni's head jerked to the right. "That I don't like being disobeyed!" Faith whimpered when Toni's boot crashed into her jaw. The last thing she heard before she passed out was Toni's voice. " Don't worry about me and your father. We're gonna be very happy!"
"Do we have to?"
"Shut up Jonathan," Xander ordered as he pushed down the trapdoor ladder and climbed down into the shadowy basement, his friends following behind. Once at the bottom of the stairs, he scrabbled at the wall until he found a light switch and flipped it on. He took a quick step back when not only the lights came on but also some lounge music. "Is it me," he looked around. "Or does this place look like an apartment?"
"An apartment furnished by Norman Bates," Jesse commented.
"Good call," Jonathan whispered.
"Look around guys," Xander instructed before making his way to the back of the apartment. Finding a closet door, he took a breath. "Whatcha got in the closet, Toni?" Opening the door, he felt his heart stop before quickly slamming the door shut.
"Find anything?"
"Argh!" he screamed at Jonathan's voice behind him before slumping against the door, heart racing. "Do. Not. Do. That," he gasped. Once his heart had returned to something resembled normal pace, he straightened and nodded. "I found something."
"Oh yeah?" Jesse had a nervous look on his face.
"The first four Mr. Tonis."
Jesse gulped. "Back to school." Xander nodded, that sounded like a very good idea.
"Rupert?"
Giles looked up from packing to see his girl-friend stood in the kitchen. "Toni! Is it really you? But you were..."
Toni stepped into the kitchen. "I'm okay! I'm okay."
"I-I don't understand this! You were dead!" Rupert babbled.
"They said I must've been dead for six minutes. They said any longer and it would've caused brain damage."
"Why didn't they tell us?" Rupert demanded, anger beginning to replace amazement. After the bloody terrible day he and Faith had had.
"Nobody knew! They took me to the morgue. I was unconscious for almost a day. An intern found me. It's a miracle, Rupert. A miracle." Toni smiled.
"Oh, my God, Faith! Oh, Toni, I swear... she never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me."
Toni embraced him. "You don't have to worry about Faith. You don't have to worry about anything. You know what brought me back, Rupert? It was you. I couldn't go into that light. I had to come back for you. I'm gonna make you so happy!"
"You should sit down," Giles reluctantly pulled away.
Toni shook her head. "I feel fine! Never better!"
Giles exhaled, releasing all the tension that had been building up over the past day. "Toni, I think I should talk to Faith first. Before she sees you, I'm sure she's..."
Toni's eyes hardened. "Do we have to worry about Faith right now? How about worrying about Toni? She's the one who died!"
Rupert took a step back, suddenly wary. "Sorry?"
"Sorry!" His eyes widened at Toni's tone. "I think it's time you stopped thinking about that little hussy and more about your girl-friend!"
Willow pursed her lips as she peered into a microscope of the cookie's filling. "Okay!"
"What do we know?" Amy queried.
"Well, apparently the secret ingredient," she looked up from the specimen. "Isn't love. I'm not positive, but I think it's Dematorin. It's like a tranquilizer, keeps you all mellow and compliant. It also shares a few components with Ecstasy."
Amy threw her arms around her neck. "This is evidence! This is real evidence that Toni was some kind of a crook! Faith's cleared! Well done!" Willow laughed as the other Wicca pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened as the other witch pressed her lips to hers.
"Hey guys!" They pulled apart at the sound of Cordy entering the lab. "The guys are back and do they have news!"
"I beg your pardon?" Giles felt himself stiffen. "That is my daughter you're talking about."
"Your daughter?" Toni sniffed. "That little lady is nothing but a streetwalker."
"Get out now."
Toni's eyes widened. "You'd take her side against me?" The blonde's impossibly powerful backhand slap lifted him up and flung him over the kitchen table "I misjudged you Rupert."
"Hey bitch." He heard Faith's cold voice from the kitchen doorway. "That's my pop you're hitting."
Xander shook his head. "So, Toni's a genius in robotics in the 50s, but she's a woman so her husband gets all the credit for her work. In revenge she builds a better Toni. Kidnaps her hubby, holds him hostage in her bunker'o'love until he dies. And then she keeps bringing him back. That's creepy on a level I hardly knew existed."
"The sad part is the real Toni must've been a genius. There were design features in that robot that pre-date..."
"Forget that," Jesse interrupted Willow. "If she's a robot, Faith couldn't have killed her…"
Xander's eyes widened in realisation. "So she's still around. Oh crap!" Leaping up, he lead the others in a dead run out of the library.
Faith glared at the robot. "You hit me. You frame me for murder," she stepped into the room. "And then," she glanced down at her crumpled guardian. "You think you can get away with hitting my pop?" She shook her head. "Not gonna happen."
Toni lunged at her. Faith leaned away from the attack, grabbing the robot's left wrist and flipping her into the wall. The plaster cracked under the impact and when Toni turned to face her, some of the skin had torn away, revealing the metal beneath. "Can't we be friends?"
"Not fucking likely Robbie!" Faith snarled.
"Okay." Toni grabbed the spice rack and flung it at her. Even as she side kicked the rack away, Toni charged at her, her forearm slamming into her throat. Gasping from the blow, she fell onto the table. Toni advanced, ignoring her kicks as if they were nothing before grabbing her around the throat. "You're just in the way missy."
"No she bloody isn't." Faith saw Giles' battle axe come down, slicing through the robot's neck, just as the back door burst open and Xander and the others ran in.
"Faith," G embraced her, pulling her into a bruising hug. "I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you these past few days."
Faith shrugged, embarrassed by yet liking the raw sincerity in G's voice. "It's cool, no big."
"Yes it is," her father in all but name tousled her hair. "You deserve better. If there's any way I can make it up to you…"
"Well it's my birthday soon," Faith grinned impishly. "And nothing says sorry like a Harley."
Giles' eyes widened. "Bugger off! I'd never have a moment's sleep worrying about you on one of those hogs. You can have a second-hand car."
"Oh G," Faith wheedled.
For once her Watcher was immune. "I could make it a scooter," the Englishman threatened.
"Car's cool," she back-pedalled before changing the subject. "You gonna go see JC?"
G's face grew guarded. "And why would I want to do that?"
"'Cause you care about her," Faith reddened. She hated talking feelings crap, made her feel all girly and stuff. "And if you care about someone it's sorta important you tell them right?"
"Indeed it is," Giles kissed her on her forehead. "Wish me luck. I'll see you later."
"I was thinking."
"I've told you about that," Xander grinned at his girl-friend sat on the lounge couch beside her. "Don't do it. Gives you –," his voice trailed off when he finally registered the worried look on his girl-friend's face. "Faith," he took her slightly shaking hands in his own, "what's wrong?"
His girlfriend smiled weakly. "I was thinking G's gonna be away for a couple of hours," the Slayer took a long breath. "I was thinking that we need to work on protecting you from demons and stuff." Faith reddened slightly. "Demons like Natalie French."
"But she's dead…" Xander's voice trailed off as it hit him what Faith was saying. "You mean you want to have," he gulped. "Sex? With me? Like Alexander Lavelle Harris?"
"This Bostonian bad-ass accepts no substitutes." Apparently his own nervousness was curing Faith's. The Slayer ran a surprisingly soft hand down his face. "X, I'm crazy about ya," the brunette ran an invitingly moist tongue over her full lips. "So how about you let me steer you around the curves?"
"Hi."
"Hi." Amy stared at her fellow Wicca before reaching out a tentative hand and brushing the red-head's hair away from her face. She smiled as she stepped over the threshold. "No one's in?" The school genius shook her head, her eyes excited yet scared. "Good." She shoved the door shut up behind.
"We can't-."
"It felt right didn't it?" After a second the other witch nodded. "Then let's do it again, worry later."
"Okay," Willow leaned in for a kiss.