Part 2 - Home at Last
The bus ground to a final halt in Sunnydale, hissing jerkily to a stop. Faith and Buffy climbed down the stairs, waving to the driver. He ignored them, sullen, bored, cap pulled down, staring out of the front windshield. They exchanged glances and shrugged, Buffy shielding her eyes against the sun then, looking round. And there they were. Giles, Willow, Xander - even Anya - standing in a loose semi-circle, facing the bus, standing partly under a dark shelter. Giles' arms were folded across his chest and even at this distance Buffy could see his face was set, disapproving. He was looking at Faith - they all were. With disgust, contempt.
Buffy straightened her shoulders, reassuringly took Faith's hand and started to walk towards them. Faith hung back for a moment like a frightened child, then reluctantly followed, almost dragging her feet. When they were within the last few yards, Buffy suddenly dropped Faith's hand, running forwards, face lighting up and eyes sparkling. Faith stood apart, watching. Group hug time, she thought wryly, as they laughed and clutched at each other, Xander lifting Buffy off the floor in his exuberance. Even Anya joined in, though awkwardly. They broke apart then, turning to face her. Faith watched as the smiles faded one by one, faces growing still; finally only Buffy still looked as happy as she had a moment ago.
"Hi......" she ventured into the silence. There was no response, then Buffy stepped forward, breaking the tension, taking her hand again. Faith squeezed it gratefully, eyes downcast. Giles cleared his throat.
"Um. Yes. Faith. Well. The Council are waiting for you. Things," he paused, "have been explained to them. But - well, they're waiting. We should go. And I'm sure Buffy is looking forward to seeing her mother again." He smiled at Buffy, then at her but she could see it was strained. She knew Joyce hadn't been told of the switch between Slayers, believing that Buffy had gone to bring Faith to justice. She knew Joyce had, though, been told about the working on her.
"Giles, what are the Council going to do? To Faith?" Buffy asked. Willow and Xander were chatting excitedly in the background, but Buffy's question abruptly shut them up. Anya was silent but her gaze swung between the two Slayers. The three of them glanced at Faith, then turned their attention to Giles, suddenly back in his place as the Watcher again.
He took off his glasses and absently polished them, looking up at the blue sky. A sure sign of stress, Buffy realised, looking at him more sharply. She watched as he put them back on and finally turned his gaze to her, his eyes flicking once to Faith. "She can hear it," she insisted. She looked at Willow and Xander. Willow shrugged and held her hands out, palms up. I don't know, the gesture said. Xander just shook his head. "We're going to find out sooner or later. I want to know. What are their plans?" Buffy persisted, staring hard at Giles.
He cleared his throat uneasily. "The delegation they've sent......well. There won't be a trial or anything messy like that," he said slowly. "But - well. They don't want her out on the streets. They -" he cleared his throat again, glancing at Faith who was still studying the floor. "They want you locked up, till they can prove that you won't go rogue again. That you're safe. For long enough to convince them that - that you've redeemed yourself for what you've done," he finished in a rush. He shrugged. "We've explained about the ritual that Wesley worked on you, although he should have known better, but still. They want proof, and you did - well, you murdered, Faith. At least four victims that we know of. They simply don't feel you can be trusted. And somehow, you have to pay for it." He sighed.
Faith swallowed and raised her head, looking at him then. "I think I knew that's - that's what they'd do. Deep down. I knew there wasn't much hope of anything good." She straightened her shoulders, fought down tears. "Well, we'd better go," she said softly, hanging onto Buffy's hand, drawing strength from her. "Wouldn't want to keep them......"
The bus ground to a final halt in Sunnydale, hissing jerkily to a stop. Faith and Buffy climbed down the stairs, waving to the driver. He ignored them, sullen, bored, cap pulled down, staring out of the front windshield. They exchanged glances and shrugged, Buffy shielding her eyes against the sun then, looking round. And there they were. Giles, Willow, Xander - even Anya - standing in a loose semi-circle, facing the bus, standing partly under a dark shelter. Giles' arms were folded across his chest and even at this distance Buffy could see his face was set, disapproving. He was looking at Faith - they all were. With disgust, contempt.
Buffy straightened her shoulders, reassuringly took Faith's hand and started to walk towards them. Faith hung back for a moment like a frightened child, then reluctantly followed, almost dragging her feet. When they were within the last few yards, Buffy suddenly dropped Faith's hand, running forwards, face lighting up and eyes sparkling. Faith stood apart, watching. Group hug time, she thought wryly, as they laughed and clutched at each other, Xander lifting Buffy off the floor in his exuberance. Even Anya joined in, though awkwardly. They broke apart then, turning to face her. Faith watched as the smiles faded one by one, faces growing still; finally only Buffy still looked as happy as she had a moment ago.
"Hi......" she ventured into the silence. There was no response, then Buffy stepped forward, breaking the tension, taking her hand again. Faith squeezed it gratefully, eyes downcast. Giles cleared his throat.
"Um. Yes. Faith. Well. The Council are waiting for you. Things," he paused, "have been explained to them. But - well, they're waiting. We should go. And I'm sure Buffy is looking forward to seeing her mother again." He smiled at Buffy, then at her but she could see it was strained. She knew Joyce hadn't been told of the switch between Slayers, believing that Buffy had gone to bring Faith to justice. She knew Joyce had, though, been told about the working on her.
"Giles, what are the Council going to do? To Faith?" Buffy asked. Willow and Xander were chatting excitedly in the background, but Buffy's question abruptly shut them up. Anya was silent but her gaze swung between the two Slayers. The three of them glanced at Faith, then turned their attention to Giles, suddenly back in his place as the Watcher again.
He took off his glasses and absently polished them, looking up at the blue sky. A sure sign of stress, Buffy realised, looking at him more sharply. She watched as he put them back on and finally turned his gaze to her, his eyes flicking once to Faith. "She can hear it," she insisted. She looked at Willow and Xander. Willow shrugged and held her hands out, palms up. I don't know, the gesture said. Xander just shook his head. "We're going to find out sooner or later. I want to know. What are their plans?" Buffy persisted, staring hard at Giles.
He cleared his throat uneasily. "The delegation they've sent......well. There won't be a trial or anything messy like that," he said slowly. "But - well. They don't want her out on the streets. They -" he cleared his throat again, glancing at Faith who was still studying the floor. "They want you locked up, till they can prove that you won't go rogue again. That you're safe. For long enough to convince them that - that you've redeemed yourself for what you've done," he finished in a rush. He shrugged. "We've explained about the ritual that Wesley worked on you, although he should have known better, but still. They want proof, and you did - well, you murdered, Faith. At least four victims that we know of. They simply don't feel you can be trusted. And somehow, you have to pay for it." He sighed.
Faith swallowed and raised her head, looking at him then. "I think I knew that's - that's what they'd do. Deep down. I knew there wasn't much hope of anything good." She straightened her shoulders, fought down tears. "Well, we'd better go," she said softly, hanging onto Buffy's hand, drawing strength from her. "Wouldn't want to keep them......"