The F in Pike Chapter 29

Magical Reveal

I'm not even sure how to start this conversation.

I follow Willow into the room with Faith close behind.

I mean, this feels like it's going to be the weirdest conversation ever, and between the three of us we've had some pretty weird conversations. Whether it's about people we were dating, or not dating, what to do about some big bad. Plus there's all the conversations we've had about each other. I can't count the number of conversations that Willow and I have had about Faith.

When we were younger, Willow and I would have all kinds of conversations about Faith and the things she did. And since Faith and I decided to semi-retire and set up our own shop, we've had our fair share of conversations about Willow. Not quite as many as when Willow and I were younger talking about Faith, but still more than a couple. But this is probably going to be the weirdest of them all.

Willow is the first to find a seat while Faith and I kinda stand apart from each other.

"So... we kinda need your help Red."

I guess Faith's going to start the conversation then?

"Right..."

"I mean, B's told you about our little... problem, hasn't she?"

"Yup, I'm mostly up to date on all that. No need to go into detail again. In fact, probably better if you don't."

I guess I should ask the obvious then.

"Do you have any idea what's going on with us? Anything at all?"

She lets out a bit of a sigh.

"Unfortunately, I haven't made much headway in this. There are too many possible spells to go through and very little way to narrow it down. A few lust spells have the kind of effect you're talking about but they're usually an all the time kinda deal. It's not usually the type of thing you can turn on and off at a touch or something. So..."

"So you have nothing."

That's kinda harsh of her.

"Hey, come on Faith."

Faith gets this apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry Red, I didn't mean that to sound the way that it did. I just... whatever's going on is getting in the way of helping Dawn, which is what I want to do more than anything. We need to get this taken care of or it's going to be a problem."

Maybe what Willow needs is a little context.

"What Faith means is that... Dawn knows... about what happened between us. And that means we aren't exactly Dawn's most favourite people right now. Which makes it kinda hard to help her when all she sees is that we betrayed her. But if we could tell her it's a spell..."

"I get it. There is one thing we could try, but it kinda required both of you to be here to do it."

Faith and I look at each other and I'm pretty sure she and I have the same thought. I'm just the first one to turn to Willow and say it.

"What is it?"

"You remember, the spell to reveal spells?"

Faith can't help but ask.

"Is that some kinda meta-witch thing?"

I turn to Faith.

"It's a spell that I used a couple years ago back when my mom was sick. I thought that something magical was trying to hurt her to get to me. So I did a spell to reveal spells, but... it kinda backfired on me."

"Backfired how?"

"Well, my mom wasn't a victim of some spell that something was doing to us. She was just sick. So when I did the spell, it didn't reveal anything."

"But what it did reveal, was Dawn."

"Or more specifically, the spell the monks did to make Dawn my sister. So it did work, just not the way I planned it."

"Ever since you told me about this, I've been working on a way to reveal whatever's happening between you two. And I think I have a slimmed down version of that spell. If something's been used on both of you, it could reveal it."

Faith seems to get it.

"Assuming anything's actually happening."

"Right..."

My friend and business partner can't help but go there.

"Well what are you waiting for Red? Do it."

Willow looks at me for a moment and I nod at her. My best friend then looks at both of us.

"You're sure?"

Faith and I look at each other, then at Willow.

"Definitely."

"Go for it."

"All right."

Will closes her eyes and there's a silence in the room. She takes a few deep breaths and then brings her hand up to cover her closed eyes. A magical light starts to shine out of her hand at her face for a few moments before the light fades. She lets her hand down and she's still got her eyes closed. Eventually, she opens them. Faith is the first to ask.

"Well?"

Willow doesn't answer right away.

"What do you see Red?"

I put my hand up to Faith.

"Just give her a second. It didn't happen right away for me."

Willow looks at me, then at Faith, then starts looking around the room before getting a disappointed look on her face.

"Damn it..."

It didn't work?

"I'm guessing that's a bad sign?"

I look at Faith.

"Usually."

"I'm not seeing anything different."

Well that kinda answers that question I guess.

"What if..."

I look at Faith at her almost question.

"What if what Faith?"

"Well... I mean, we don't feel anything right now. Maybe the spell only activates... when we're touching?"

She wants us to... um... I don't know.

"Not sure that's such a good idea. You know what happens when we..."

Willow interrupts.

"Faith's got a point Buffy. It might be the only way."

I watch my best friend for a few moments before turning to Faith, who doesn't seem that the comfortable with it either.

"Look, I know it's weird..."

She puts out her hand to me, like we're about to do a high five or something.

"But we gotta get this figured out, right?"

I look at her hand, then at her, then at Willow for a moment before putting my hand up like hers and slowly moving it towards Faith's.

"Okay, but the second you see something Will."

"I'll tell you. I promise."

Our hands get inches from each other and I stop.

This feels like a terrible idea.

Faith closes the gap between our hands and laces her fingers in between mine. Almost immediately, I start to feel the tingling feeling between us building. The urge to do more than just hold hands with Faith gets stronger and I can't help but start breathing heavy at the idea.

Gotta focus.

"Anything?"

"I'm... not sure."

Faith pulls me to her, our bodies pressed up against each other and it sends the feeling into overdrive. Both our breathing gets a lot heavier. Faith manages to focus.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

Our eyes meet and I can't take it anymore, grabbing her and kissing her passionately. I feel Faith's hands on my ass as she pulls me to her even harder and it really gets my engine going. We start to make out and I shove her back up against the wall. I grab her right leg and pull it up and she wraps it around mine, opening our thankfully clothed legs to each other. Faith stops kissing me, pushes my head to the side and she starts making her way down my chin and to my neck with kisses.

God she's really good at that... gotta focus.

"Will..."

My hands wander along Faith's body, pulling her shirt up enough to get my hands under it and against her skin.

Just then, the door opens.

"Hey, are you guys..."

Finally Willow says something.

"Okay, okay, stop..."

I shove myself away from Faith and thankfully put some distance between us. I look at whoever's just come in.

Oh, crap...

Faith tries to explain.

"Pike..."

He looks at me, then at Faith, then gets this confused look on his face.

"You know what? Never mind..."

He leaves the room. Faith and I look at each other and she's got this really worried look on her face.

She should go after him.

I motion for her to go.

"Go! Go after him."

Faith looks at Willow for a second.

"I'll let you know what she says, just go."

That has Faith going through the door and rushing to find Pike.

God I think we just made things a thousand times worse.

Eventually I turn to Willow and she's got this confused look on her face.

I just knew this was going to be awkward, but I gotta do something.

"So?"

She stays silent for a second.

"Give me a second."

She puts a hand up to her eyes as she closes them, then the light happens again and she moves her hand away, then opens her eyes again.

"What did you see?"

Again it takes her a second to answer.

"Well that was weird."

Weird?

"So you did see something."

"I think so, yes. But... it doesn't make any sense."

It doesn't?

"What doesn't?"

"Well, what I saw was... things were shifting. Like, sometimes things were normal but they'd fade in and out between something else."

"Like what?"

"It was like... both times you were there... but you were a different kind of you. Your hair was different, and so were your clothes. And it kept shifting back and forth, kinda like it was flickering. Plus, as things progressed, more things started to change."

"Change? Change how?"

She starts looking around at the room.

"I think the room was changing too. But that was shifting too quickly to really get a good look."

Her attention comes back to me.

"It felt... kinda familiar somehow though. But that's not the most important thing though."

It's not?

"What do you mean?"

"The question is... what was it like for you?"

Me?

"Why?"

"Did you see anything changing? Anything shift?"

Really?

"No, but... I was kinda distracted at the time."

"Right..."

There's a silence in the room for a while.

"So... what is it?"

Again silence before she answers.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I only really know what it isn't."

Well that's something anyway.

"Okay..."

"It's not a spell, whatever it is. Or at least not a spell I've ever seen. From what I've seen, most spells leave a kind of energy behind, usually around the person who had it cast on them. But I didn't see anything like that, either before... during... or after."

"Just that weird flickering you saw."

"Yup..."

From the way she describes it, it kinda feels like...

"What if... I mean, from what you describe, it sounds a lot like what happened when I did the spell a few years ago. Things kinda winking out and coming back. Things related to..."

It couldn't be.

"What?"

I might as well ask.

"You don't think... Dawn could've done this do you?"

She looks at me confused.

"Dawnie? How could she have done this?"

"I don't know. Maybe with her new powers or something?"

"But... from the way Connor described it, she didn't start having these powers until, after you and Faith..."

Unless she didn't know she was doing it.

"I know, but... Faith said something to me when we were going to try and save Dawn. She said that, during the spell that Dawn cast on Faith that broke them up. Something weird happened."

"Weird how?"

"Well, apparently, Faith suggested that... I, you know... join them."

Willow gets this even more confused look on her face.

"Join them?"

I look at her serious like, hoping she doesn't make me add anything else.

"Oh..."

"Yeah, I mean, I wasn't there but Faith says it was right after I walked in on them... you know... being close. And the spell she did made Faith feel what Dawn was feeling."

"But, we fixed that spell. I fixed that spell."

"I know, I'm just... trying to come up with some kind of reason for it."

Willow thinks about it for a while.

"I mean, I suppose it's possible. But this feels a lot bigger than that. I'm not sure Dawn has it in her to do something like that."

She's right about that.

"Not consciously anyway."

"So... what did it feel like? I mean, if this is Dawn projecting or something. Does touching Faith make you feel anything? Like... guilt? Or anger? Something that might tell us what's causing this?"

How do I even describe it?

"It feels... I don't know. It feels like... the way I used to feel around Spike when we were together. Except without the guilt or shame that I used to feel. At least not while it's happening."

She watches me for a while.

"That's how you felt around Spike? No wonder you were with him the way you were. That was hot."

Did she really just say that?

"Willow!"

A grin comes across her face.

"What? It was. I'm going to have to speak to Kennedy about a few things if that's what you're doing."

I can't help but laugh at that.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

We smile at each other for a moment.

"So... you think you can figure it out?"

"I hope so."

Well, that's something at least.

End of Chapter 29