Glory's Penthouse Apartment, 1630 hours.
The two creatures in red robes skulked back to Glory's apartment building. They walked in through the lobby as fast as their feet could take them before they entered the elevator. The two of them stood in silence looking at each other, and then at the number on the left side of the elevator that kept on increasing as the car went up towards the top floor. A few seconds later, the two of them left the elevator, and then walked into a hallway. Walking past six doors, residents of whom were taken as food to feed their god, the two of them reached the seventh door, and knocked.
"What?" asked another creature who glared at them after opening the door.
"We have news for our holy Glorificus," said one of the creatures who was waiting outside the door.
"The shining one in in her bedroom," said the creature who stepped to the side and let the two of them in, "report what you have to say to her, and then return to spying on the friends of the Slayer. Now go."
The two creatures walked past the one who let them in, and then hurried through Glory's bedroom door with their heads lowered. They didn't want to lay their eyes on the hellgod in case she ripped their eyes out.
"What?" asked Glory as she sat up on her bed once the two creatures walked in, "tell me you're back because you found my Key."
"N.. no, oh gracious and lovely as the Eastern dawn Glorificus," said one of the creatures as he continued to bow his head.
"Then you better have a very good reason for coming here," said Glory as she got off the bed in nothing but a towel wrapped around her body as she stalked towards the two creatures, "well? Speak, drones… why are you here? Why aren't you out there looking for anyone new that the Slayers seems to be protecting?"
"There is another Slayer, oh dark and evil one," said the second creature who had his head bowed down while Glory smirked at the thought of another Slayer being sent to Sunnydale, "we found out that she has been talking with the two Slayers and their friends. She is the newest addition to the Slayers group of associates; she and two of her friends."
"Idiots," said Glory as she grabbed the two of them by their necks, and then raised them into the air, "I knew that the Key was in Sunnydale even before this new Slayer arrived; that's what the monk in Prague told me before I fed on his brain. So what do you think that means?"
"I… I…" said the two creatures as they struggled for breath before Glory pushed them away from her, leading them to be thrown onto the ground. The both of them looked at each other while rubbing their necks, and then stood up and turned towards Glory while leaving their heads bowed in reverence.
"Please forgive your stupid minions, great Glorificus," said one of the creatures.
"While this Slayer you saw, and her friends, are new to Sunnydale," said Glory as she walked towards her bed and sat down, "they could be here because of the Key. I wonder what they know; the two Slayers who were already here protect the Key.. that's what the monk said. And the Key was here even before this new Slayer arrived, so it's not her or her friends… but I guess they could know who it is."
"We can bring them to you," said the second creature.
"Oh sweet smelling one," said the first creature, "there is also the problem of the Knights; they will be having a meeting with the Slayers…. We heard them talk about an alliance."
"Against a god? Someone as holy as me?" laughed Glory as she lay on the bed, "forget about bringing the new Slayer to me. I'll just go to them… find out where this meeting is going to be held, and then come back."
"Yes, oh light of the great sun," said the creatures as Glory waved them off. Once the creatures were gone, the hellgod smirked before sitting up again, and shouted through the open door.
"I'm hungry."
The Magic Box, 1630 hours.
Before parking her SUV at the Magic Box, Faith called Buffy to tell her that the Knights had contacted her for a meeting, and that they had given her a map that seemed to have been coded.
"I'm heading to the Magic Box," said Faith, after which Buffy told the dark haired Slayer that she'll meet her there.
Parking the SUV, Faith looked at the Zat on the passenger side seat and then leaned over, picked up the deactivated weapon and then put it onto the glovebox. The Slayer then left the vehicle and walked into the Magic Box, and nodded her head at Giles who told her that Buffy called about the Knights contacting Faith in regards to an alliance.
"Yeah," replied Faith as she held the piece of rolled parchment in her hand while nodding towards the table in the middle of the room where Anya and Jonas were wading through books, and several pieces of paper from the file on Glory that the Council had dropped on them. It didn't take too long before Giles had seen off his latest customer and he walked around the counter to the table where Faith was now sitting next to Jonas. The young Slayer rolled out the parchment, and then handed it to Giles who took a seat, while telling him about what the Knights told her; the Slayers and their Watcher was supposed to come alone, and unarmed. Before Giles and Jonas could say anything, Faith told them that the Knights had promised that the parchment would guarantee their safety.
"Doesn't mean we take them at their word though," continued Faith as Giles nodded his head.
"I agree," said Giles as he looked at the parchment in his hand, occasionally turning it to one side, and then to another side.. looking for something that would give him a clue as to what he was looking at. Giles then frowned at the parchment and then looked up at Anya, asking her to get him the books on ancient Templar symbols, and the current maps of the city which were located in the basement.
Nodding her head, Anya went off to gather the needed books while Jonas asked Faith if she talked to Major Carter about this.
"She knows," said Faith as Giles looked up at her, "she listened in on the whole conversation with the Knights, so she knows what's going on."
"What does she think?" asked Giles.
"It could be a trap," said Faith as she recalled the conversation she had with the Major right before she left the house again, "which is why she was going to send some back-up here to look at the map with us, maybe find a way that keeps all of us covered in case these Knights go back on their word. But I called her again before leaving the house that it wold be better once we find out the location of the meeting, and then I'll call the back-up she sent. At least we'll have something to share with them, cause now? Now we've got nothing."
"That's true, at least for now," said Jonas looking down at the parchment as Anya brought some books to the table, "where's the other Slayer? Kennedy?"
"She's going to pick up Xander on the way here," said Giles as Faith leaned back while grabbing one of the books for herself, "Buffy's on the way too; but she'll be coming without Willow and Tara."
"What happened?" asked Anya as she looked at Giles, and then at Faith.
"Tara teleported to the library," said Giles as Faith nodded her head, "and now she's sleeping from exhaustion."
"Yea," replied Faith, "Tara's gonna be okay, but this is more important."
"That's quite true," said Giles as he looked at the parchment in the middle of the table, "maybe an alliance with the Knights can help us not only find Glory, but defeat her as well."
"We need to find the key to decrypting the map then," said Jonas as Giles and the others nodded their heads.
"Let's start without them then," said Faith as she nodded her head, "they can pitch in when they get here."
It was ten minutes later that Buffy, Kennedy, and Xander walked in to find Faith, Jonas, Giles and Anya already at work in decrypting the map. With Buffy and the others getting seated at the table, Giles briefed them on what the Knights had told Faith, and then went on to tell them what he found so far.
"What?" asked Kennedy when she found Faith glaring at her before the latter looked away with her hands rolled into fists underneath the table, and back onto the parchment. Buffy noticed the reaction that Faith had, and she couldn't help but glance at Kennedy too who was standing with her arms across her chest, before she looked at Xander who was glaring at Faith before shaking his head and mumbling to himself.
"I can't believe this," he whispered before he looked up at Buffy who was looking back at him after giving off a little cough. Buffy just gave a small smile in Xander's direction, a gesture that she hoped would tell the young man to just stay calm and help them with searching for the keys to the code that would decrypt the map. Buffy saw Xander sigh before nodding his head, and then heading for the table where he sat next to Anya while Giles handed him a book to go through. It would be five hours later that the group would find the keys to decrypting the map, and then another hour before they actually decrypted the parchment itself and finding out the current location of the meeting; a clearing in one of the abandoned industrial areas outside of the city.
"I gotta go pick up Murray from the army base," said Faith as she got up while looking at the map of the area where the meeting was supposed to take place next week, "I'll tell one of the teams that came with him and Jonas to check out the surrounding areas; at least if it is a trap, then we'll have some back up."
"And since we have no help from the Council," said Giles as he looked at Kennedy who shrugged her shoulders saying that she tried talking to them, but they want Faith in return for their help. At that answer, Faith just scoffed while Giles continued speaking, "then we have to rely on the military watching our backs."
"They did say that they didn't want anyone else to come along," said Buffy as she looked at Faith, "and there's no way to know if this is their real hide-out, and if it is? Who's to say that they didn't use a cloaking spell to hide it…. I mean I'm sure they'll be able to see people who're not us looking around the place before the meeting."
"The military have ways past that," said Faith.
"Uh huh," said Kennedy.
"I'm guessing satellite pictures," said Jonas as Faith nodded her head.
"And we won't know about it," said Faith, "these Knight guys said they have priests who knew where we were."
"Yeah," said Buffy while Kennedy just looked on, "when they attacked me and Tara, they said something about knowing where we were too."
"They expected to find us," said Faith, "I don't think they'll be looking for any back-up for this new meeting."
"And if they do?" asked Kennedy.
"Then we'll have to come up with a good excuse," said Giles, "we'll think of something."
"In the meantime," said Faith as she and Jonas got up from their seats, "Jonas and I are gonna jet, G-Man… see ya tomorrow."
"Oh, yes," said Giles nodding his head, "thanks you for telling us about the contact with the Knights, Faith."
"No probs," she replied before nodding at Jonas; and then turning around and leaving the Magic Box, waving her hand behind her, "oh, B… you have that thing with Dawn and Mrs. Summers tonight."
"Yeah," said Buffy as she watched Faith close the door to the Magic Box behind her. She then leaned back on her seat, and crossed her arms over her chest, "yeah".
It would be later that night that both Giles and Buffy would come to Faith's home and talk to both Joyce and Dawn. Once the both of them had left, Faith, Jonas, and Teal'c watched some television before heading to their respective rooms for some much needed sleep. As Faith covered herself with the sleeping bag after she had changed into a tank-top and some shorts, she turned and looked at her cell phone as she recalled what Tara had told her earlier that day before she left the Summers house the first time.
'She wants to kiss me?' thought Faith to herself as she reached out for the phone. She then stopped midway before pulling her arm back and then lying to her side again, her back to the phone. While she closed her eyes, she thought to herself that she didn't want to be distracted by anyone... she kept telling herself that Tara was instrumental in the truth being hidden from her despite what she said in the library. But there was another part of Faith that was fighting to try an understand why she went along with it.
'Stop thinking, Faith' she thought to herself, 'after all of this is over, you get back to your own life. Leave this place, and the people behind.'
"Yeah," breathed Faith before she closed her eyes.
With everyone asleep in the house, it was Teal'c who snapped his eyes open upon hearing a sound. He got up slowly from his meditation pose, and opened the door to the room he shared with Jonas. He stepped out into the living room, and looked around. Seeing nothing out of place, he walked to the computer room and saw that everything was how it had been left after Buffy and Giles left that night. He then walked to the kitchen and looked around before checking that everything that needed to be locked, was locked.
And they were.
And none of the alarms had gone off, which should have made Teal'c feel that everything was all right.
That he could have been imagining things.
However, there was a feeling that he couldn't shake as he walked to the door that left to Faith's room. He opened the door slightly and peeked into the darkness of the room, and saw a lump lying there under the sleeping bag. Narrowing his eyebrows as he gently closed the door, Teal'c stepped into the living room again before taking one last look around. Shaking his head, the Jaffa then went back to his room and went back to meditating before going to sleep.
Faith's House, 0930 hours.
Faith slowly stirred in what she thought was her bed. Snapping her eyes open, the Slayer looked at the sleeping bag that she was lying in, and then she quickly sat up with her bottom lip trembling at the sight of her surroundings.
She didn't know where she was.
'This isn't mommy's house,' thought Faith to herself as she shivered from the cold in the room she found herself in. She looked at herself and gave a yelp when she realized that she was wearing oversized shorts and a shirt before looking up and wondering f her mother had finally gone over the edge and dressed her up so that her 'friends' would be able to play with her. She stood up, while holding the larger clothes around her as she thought about her last memory. She was heading to her mother's room after hearing some sounds, she remembered opening the door and then Sabrina Lehane looking back at her while, what Faith thought to be, she was jumping on a man. Faith remembered her mother screaming at her, telling her that this was one of her biggest customers before she beat the little girl. Faith remembered Sabrina Lehane telling her that she was a 'no good bitch' and that since the day she came into their lives Faith was nothing but trouble; all the while Faith was screaming in pain and crying, "mommy, please, no" while she continued to be beaten by her mother. Faith remembered being pushed out of her door, which then closed shut while Faith got up crying and walked back to her room. Tears went down Faith's cheeks as she remembered looking at the bruises on her arms before she went to lay on her bed.
That was her last memory as Faith looked at her arms and noticed that the bruises had vanished; but the fact was she was somewhere unfamiliar… she knew that she was away from the city since she couldn't hear the familiar sounds of her neighborhood. The thought of being in a strange location made Faith's eyes tear up, especially when she heard the voices of two men outside her room.
'Did mommy finally sell me? She always threatened to sell me, did she finally sell me?' thought Faith to herself as she wiped her eyes and looked at the sleeping bag that was covering her, and it was then that she noticed a blue coloured device that was on the side of the sleeping bag. Wondering what it was, Faith reached for it and looked at it wiped she continued to wipe her eyes with the back of her left hand. With the other hand, Faith looked at the device and saw a panel that was telling the time, and then she saw a small stub on the top of the device before she turned it over. Fait then used both of her hands to open the device and her eyes opened wide when she saw the dial pad, and the screen which said 'Enter PIN code'. Behind that notice, Faith saw a picture of short haired blonde woman, and a short haired brunette who were grinning while looking towards a camera.
'Daddy had something like this,' thought Faith to herself as she pressed some buttons on the dial pad, 'he was always on it… but it was bigger than this… a lot bigger.'
Faith continued to press some buttons on the dial pad as the notice on the screen continued saying 'incorrect PIN'. She then closed the phone and lay it down on the carpet when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Ellie Carter," said Teal'c as he knocked on the door softly while Jonas was putting some pancakes and coffee on the table in the dining room, "it is time for the morning meal before we begin our training session."
"And you have that project you need to finish, Ellie," said Jonas as he walked over to the door, "we wouldn't be waking you up, except… well, you told us to wake you up."
Faith was scared as she pulled up the bag over her while she was looking at the door; they were calling for someone named Ellie… and she knew no one by that name.
'Maybe it's a game,' thought Faith as she sniffled while rubbing her nose with the back of her hand, "mommy sold me to these people for a… dear God, please help me.'
"Ellie Carter?" asked Teal'c as he knocked on the door again while looking at Jonas, who looked back at him confused. They knew that Faith would be mumbling out loud telling them to come back later no matter how much in deep she was as far as sleep was concerned.
Not answering at all was something worrying.
"Ellie," said Jonas, "is everything alright?"
"Ellie Carter," said Teal'c as he reached for the door knob, "I will open the door just to make sure you are safe. If you are asleep, then I will leave with Jonas Quinn… I am opening the door."
Teal'c opened the door slowly; he was looking the foot of the sleeping bag which seemed to be empty. He opened the door a little more, and it was then that he saw a terrified little girl who couldn't be more than five years old with long black hair looking back at him. His eyes opened wide, as he stared in surprise at the girl whose eyes were watering up and her bottom lip was trembling… she seemed as if she was going to cry while holding the sleeping bag tightly around her so that only her head was visible.
But it was no mistaking it, this was a five-year-old girl sleeping where the Faith they knew had once been sleeping.
"Jonas Quinn," said Teal'c as he stepped back and Jonas looked through the door with his eyes opened wide in surprise at the terrified little girl who was looking back at him and then at Teal'c, and back to Jonas once again.
"Ellie?" asked Jonas.
"My… my name is Faith… Faith Lehane," she said as she finally started to cry with tears streaming down her face, "I'll be a good girl… I promise I'll be a good girl, please don't hurt me."
"Teal'c," said a very concerned Jonas as he looked at the Jaffa, "call the SGC, I'll call Major Carter."
Teal'c nodded his head and rushed to the computer room while Jonas remained behind the threshold to Faith's room and put up his hands so that he didn't scare the child, although at the back of his mind her was wondering why Faith didn't recognize the name that Major Carter had given her, the name that the Slayer had chosen to keep as her first name.
So Jonas thought that the best way to keep her at ease would be to call her by her middle name, the one she seemed to recognize.
"Faith," he said, "my name is Jonas Quinn, I'm not here to harm you. And neither is my friend."
"I promise I'll be good, please.. please I promise I'll be good… I wanna see my mommy and say I'm sorry," said Faith crying as she wiped her eyes. Faith knew what kind of a person Sabrina was, but she was the only mother Faith knew. There was no one else. IT was either apologize to Sabrina Lehane for interrupting her session with the man while Faith's father was away doing things that the little girl didn't understand, or stay with these men who could harm her like how the man was harming Sabrina.
'She was screaming,' thought Faith to herself while she was crying, 'I don't want that… I'm sorry, mommy… I'll be good."
"Faith," said Jonas gently while his hands were still up, "I'm sure that the clothes you have won't fit you. I'm going to go get something for you to wear, and then we're going to talk after you get dressed. What's your favourite colour?"
Faith didn't say anything while she was wiping her eyes, and tightened the sleeping bag that was wrapped around her body.
"Okay," said Jonas when he realized that he could be traumatizing this girl even more, so he decided to use a different tactic, "I'll close this door to give you some privacy. But my friend, Teal'c, he'll be right outside if you need anything. We're calling some friends who can help you… about your mother. Is that okay? I'll close the door, and I'll get you something to wear."
"Okay," said Faith softly as she nodded her head while she wiped her eyes, and then her nose.
"Are you hungry?" asked Jonas as Faith shook her head.
"Whenever you are," continued Jonas, "we have some pancakes for you."
"Jonas Quinn," said Teal'c after Faith nodded her head, "I have spoken to General Hammond, and he wishes to talk to Ellie…. Faith Lehane. In the meantime, he is sending Colonel O'Neill, and Dr Fraiser to make sure that this isn't something unusual."
"Oh this is very unusual, anyway I'm going to get her something to wear," said Jonas, "can you stay here? I'll leave the door closed."
"Yes," said Teal'c as Jonas closed the door, but not before telling Faith that he'll be right back, and that if she was hungry… then she only had to ask Teal'c to grab her some pancakes.
"I'll call Major Carter on the way," said Jonas as Teal'c nodded his head before he left. Teal'c then bowed his head at Faith while he told the little girl that he'll be right outside if she needs anything. He then gently closed the door after Faith nodded her head. As he stood guard outside the door, Teal'c knew that a strange few days had just gotten much, much stranger.
TBC.
