Chapter Fifty-Five

Losing hope

A/N More Faithness, you're welcome. And Buffy and Spike because I feel like they should've gotten more screen time in S7 especially because Spike has a soul.

*Flashback* Knoxville, Tennessee, the world without shrimp 1997

Betty was the first, but he was a killer before he found God. 'The teenage butcher' before he was trapped by the dog collar, Caleb was evil, by no mean feat of the word. And when he took a life with his bare hands, he watched their soul drain from the depths of their body before letting them lie limp on the floor. Then the lord came and took it all away. He'd lied about his past to the pastor, the man who'd taken him in, supported him, lead him to the life of a preacher. It'd been years, he'd suppressed the urge, the call for evil, then she. She'd been the first, Betty. The first to fall at his new hands, the hands washed clean of blood. It was like a switch went on in his brain and he was excited.

The luring, the trapping, the hunt and kill. He was ready for her, the sermon had been written for her, to pull her in. It could've been any one of them, but it was her. With her sandals and honey-blonde hair, dropped just passed her shoulders. Almost eighteen. She came to hear him speak almost every Sunday in his parish church, he always did have to move parish after a while, too many temptations. Then she came, sweet and innocent, the way she came to him. Swooning about his words - the words of the lord that so pleased her. She deserved the white cotton she wore, her chastity, her purity, the opposite to his clerical badness.

On the pretence of finding a bible to read something aloud to her, he took the hilt of a curve knife hidden below the robes of his alter. The gash cut deep across her stomach, almost cutting her in two, the blood seeping as she hit the floor. Her white cotton dress infected, it was spreading like ink. Thick red ink flowing over her - he made her impure. He pushed her soul into hell because he could, because he had potential. The potential to dictate the whole thing, be a slave to the First. He was the slayer of evil, the First his watcher.

She'd picked him from hundreds. She was a she, the First. They always are, the height of evil, the peak of the good. Never men. Men are the middle men, The enact their vengeance on women because they are out of control. Because the women in power, the ones we can't see, the old ones, the Powers; they're in charge of the middle men, and they can't do anything about it. So they take it out on the ones they can control. Violent transference. But the hundreds, a hundred evils, the spools of potential war. She picked him.

Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2003

Faith. Her name alone invokes awe. Faith. A set of principals or beliefs upon which you're willing to devote your life. The dark slayer, a lethal combination of beauty, power and death. For years and years, or to be more accurate months, she fought on the side of good, terrorising the evil community. But like so many tragic heroes, Faith was seduced by the lure of the dark side. She wrapped evil around herself like a large Mexican serape. She became a cold-blooded killer, no one was immune to her trail of destruction. Not friends, not family, not even the most pacifist and logical of races.

And now she was in the garden, doing gymnastics.

"I told you, complete opposite of Buffy." Tara said to Kennedy as they stood in the kitchen peering out the back door window, to see Faith doing some sort of Thai chi/yoga training. Kennedy didn't reply, her mind was directed at the brunette slayer, not only did she think this new woman to be highly attractive, but she also knew Tara was right about her. She nodded quietly, the last few days including Faith's arrival had sent her into observation mode, quickly working out the relationships Faith had with the rest of the group. She'd already rubbed it in to Anya that she was Xander's first which always sent the blonde ex-demon off on one. But then Kennedy had noticed something between them had changed too, they were being a lot nicer to each other.

It was interesting how they all reacted to Faith; Willow for example didn't have much expression about her when she got back from the hospital, but she was tired, whereas Tara didn't seem to mind her too much, even if she was a little defensive. Giles seemed like an annoyed father around her, a little less warm than what he was to Buffy but the care was still present. Dawn smote her for trying to kill Buffy all those years ago and clearly held a grudge, her and Spike seemed to have this rally committee thing going on, they would smoke together and there was an all around aura of 'reformed evil but still bad boy' vibe about the both of them. Which Kennedy guessed made sense.

The most interesting thing to note though, was the way Faith and Buffy interacted, they weren't friends, but they weren't enemies. There was something between them, definitely the shared history and the combined understanding of the slaying that must've added to it. There wasn't supposed to be two slayers, Faith was rogue, whilst Buffy stood with the whole world on her shoulders, Faith had never taken that responsibility, she was the true definition of a rebel. A runaway.

"Is it true that Buffy stabbed her?" Kennedy asked quietly, not quite sure if she should trust this slayer, the way they all looked at her wasn't without a slight twinge of fear hidden beneath the iris. Tara took a more serious tone as Willow walked sleepily into the room, settling her chin on Tara's shoulder and lightly smelling her hair.

"I told you it was." Tara replied, moving to pay more attention to redhead currently wrapping her arms around her middle. Willow had gotten back from the hospital late last night, and when Tara had gone to bed, she was completely wacked out, curled up on her side of the bed like a sleeping baby.

Willow moved off her slowly, saying sorry, last night I missed my Tara cuddles, inside her head, whilst actually saying. "Told you what?" This was directed at Kennedy but Tara was chuckling and blushing slightly at what Willow had told her telepathically. Kennedy knew it, she knew the faces they made when they were 'talking without talking' she reckoned it was mainly used for talking dirty to each other without the others hearing, like mental sexting. Now that they could actually text each other, it seemed even dirtier that they still chose to do it mentally. Completely secret, never overlooked or interrupted by prying eyes.

"That Buffy stabbed Faith, is it true?" Willow made an 'ahh' sound of understanding as she sat under the breakfast bar, she would've gotten dressed already but she wanted to see Tara first and the determination for Tara could've outweighed anything at that moment. Willow recollected the memory of Faith at the hospital, coma stricken and then Angel. He'd been so weak, her and Oz.

"Omg, Oz. Oz was there, oh man it was a long time ago." Tara giggled a little because she knew Willow had played it out in her head but Kennedy just stared at the two of them blankly. "He was my boyfriend back then." A raised eyebrow from Kennedy as she glanced at the two of them together and then back at Willow.

"Boyfriend? You?" She replied.

"Well, you know, I wasn't real gay then. I hadn't met this beautiful woman yet." She pointed up at Tara, who blushed. But Willow took her hand and tried to quell the little embarrassment. "But you wanted to know about the whole stabbing thing. Yeah?" Kennedy nodded, "yeah so, Faith was kinda working for the mayor back then, and they had this plan..." As Willow continued on explaining the full story to Kennedy, Tara walked over to the back door, glancing out at Faith's training, wondering how it would all turn out. If Faith was really on their side.

Spike was sitting alone in his basement, lighting up a smoke when Faith joined him. She'd brought her own pack but then she noticed him sitting in a bed in the corner, blue sheets and manacles hanging from the wall. She lit up and sat on the table opposite him. And they talked, it made Spike smile for once, Faith had energy, stamina. She knew for once what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to take it. Spike could respect a girl for that. Plus he remembered the last time they spoke - now she'd reminded him of it of course, he just thought he'd caught Buffy on a good day is all.

Faith wondered about the chains, whether Buffy and Spike had really done what they said, but it was the look on her face. It wasn't a lie, somehow Faith knew it wasn't a lie. She knew things about Buffy, reflexes, instincts - they were twins in that respect. Still they were always going to have a chemistry, all that fighting, all that sweat, she got it why Spike went out on patrol with her. Because of that feeling, that feeling you got as you staked a vamp or killed a demon, Spike knew. He'd felt the rush of a hunt before, she could see the appeal, he was good looking and had cheekbones that could definitely take someone out. He was too strong for her, she knew someone if they ever got into bed together she'd wanna have the control, something Spike wouldn't allow her, even with a soul. He'd always find more enjoyment in it than her.

"So, what's she like? You know, in the sack?" Faith asked when the smoke cleared and they were both sat on the bed, backs to the hardboard and smirks exchanged between them.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know." It was a statement, not a question, Spike knew he was playing a game. And he knew Faith was most likely very serious. "Oh, you would like to know huh?" This was a question. He was testing her, he thought there might be something there, but only from the way Buffy talked about her. Faith was an annoyance to Buffy, got right under her skin sometimes, in a heavily endearing way. It sounded like a hidden crush to Spike, he'd been around long enough to know the signs. Hidden as much to Buffy as to the rest of the world, she probably had no idea she was even doing it.

"I would actually. Just personal interest, but if you don't wanna tell me." Faith quipped, smirking harder as she watched a little of the bloodlessness on Spike's cheeks settle into a pinker white.

"Well, it would be telling." Spike replied furtively. Lifting the burning paper to his lips and inhaling a big puff of smoke before chuckling to himself as thoughts of Buffy in very compromising positions flooded his brain. That was the moment Buffy decided to enter the basement for herself, she wanted to give the pair of them a smack for being childish but part of her enjoyed their getting on.

"What would be telling?" She asked calmly, giving each of them a stare before folding her arms in a typical Buffy stance. Faith took a drag and laughed, standing up beside the blonde and giving Spike a knowing wink. Placing her hand on Buffy's shoulder, it was a caring move, something Spike wasn't anticipating but then again, he never had seen them together. He could see it now, the good slayer/bad slayer thing. All a rouse, they were both slayers and all that heat, all that energy had to be channeled somewhere.

"Oh, just where he hides his smokes B." Faith replied, smiling down at Spike, nodding at Buffy and ascending the stairs to the house.

There'd been a brutal battle, Buffy thought it would be worthwhile for something, anything that would help them uncover the First's secrets. A way to bring it down. But how do you destroy evil? They'd marched into the vineyard, the potentials in an army/bunch formation with Buffy at the helm, Faith beside her. Xander had made sure he came, alongside Spike. Giles was keeping everyone else in the house. Anya, Willow, Tara, Dawn and Andrew. They were planning, researching, making they had medical supplies ready. The potentials were ready but Buffy knew some of them would be injured.

And they were injured and bleeding, Molly was gutted by his curved knife. Caleb, he'd shown up at the vineyard and took them out one by one. Tossing Spike to the side like he was nothing, Rona broke her arm in six places. And Xander. They were leaving, Spike told her too, made sure she knew there was nothing more. She'd given the order ton retreat but Xander went round to gather them up. He was caught by Caleb and his was pushed in, gouged out of his head until there was blood running from the socket and down his face. As Buffy walked through the hospital she saw the looks on all their faces, the wounds looking fresher by the minute, but she was barely scratched. These weren't slayers, they were girls, and they were dying in front of her. Xander was lying dazed in a bed with Willow gripping his hand, Anya was on the other side but they weren't fussing.

The rest of the potentials were back at the house, Dawn handing out sticking strips and alcohol wipes as they tried to patch themselves us. Spike was sitting with Faith in the kitchen, Giles was hanging around behind them. His face looked strewn, he knew they weren't ready, but Buffy didn't take his input anymore. He'd betrayed her, he'd betrayed Spike at a time when they needed to be united, a team. One team against the First, or they would all go down with the sinking ship. "What happened Faith?" He said calmly, he wasn't made at her.

"We went in there and he beat us, we thought, Buffy thought it was just going to be the bringers, which we were handling. But then-" She stopped, not wanting to think about it, normally she was so put together but this was new. This was Xander getting his eye gouged out, that's inhuman.

"He turned up, this mad preacher guy. Kept talkin' about the will o' God, but I don't see him helping." Spike continued, giving Giles a look but not arguing with him. There wasn't the time, and he hadn't the energy to fight over things past and gone. Or he'd still be fighting Angel over Drusilla. Or Angel over Buffy as it stood now.

"Do you know who he was?" Giles asked, his face turning to a shade of dark grey as he thought of the carnage. And this was just the beginning, it was only going to get worse. There would be more deaths, more injuries. Maybe Buffy would see, realise what they were about to face.

"Nah, just some guy. But he was a pretty big threat." Spike said, leaving the room for the basement, just leaving Faith and Giles alone. This was a dark day, nothing had gone to plan and there was another body to bury. Buffy had gotten the message. This was not up for debate, she needed to toughen up, now was the time for the fight.

"Xander."