Faith sat on a table in The Magic Box. She had just finished an intensive
training session sparring with Angel under Giles' supervision. The two of
them were talking about the plan of action. Faith just stared off into
space, her thoughts blocking out the conversation around her. 'I can't
believe I've been in good ol' Sunny D for two weeks and haven't seen Red,
Blondie, or the X-man. Can't say that I'm not glad. Cause I know that I'm
sorry isn't going to cut it with them. Especially not Red. She sure can be
a bitch when she wants to. What was it that B called that look? Red's
resolve face or somethin'… But whatever… I did some severely fucked up shit
back then, but I was fucked up too. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't
the only one that was in the wrong there. But hell, can't speak ill of the
dead. Couldn't bring myself to speak ill of her alive either for that
matter'
The bell above the door stopped the conversation between Angel and Giles and stunned Faith out of her reverie. The three of them looked toward the door and saw a very pissed off looking red-haired witch, a frightened looking blonde witch, a shocked Xander, and an indifferent looking girl, who Faith assumed was the ex-vengeance demon, Anya, who the former watcher had told them about.
"Oh dear," Giles muttered. "This is not at all how I wanted this to happen."
"Giles! What is psycho slayer doing here? In your magic shop looking for all the world like you don't have a problem with this. Isn't she supposed to be in prison with the rest of the criminals?" Xander yelled from the doorway.
"And the yelling starts," Faith commented, sounding more sure of herself than she felt.
"Damn straight there's going to be some yelling. You almost killed Xander, you threatened me, you were mean to Tara, you slept with Buffy's boyfriend, held Joyce hostage, and stole Buffy's body. Now you show up here with Angel, who you tried to kill more than once, might I add, acting as if nothing has happened," Willow exclaimed.
"Do either of you have anything to add?" Giles asked Tara and Anya. They shook their heads to the negative. "In that case, I would like to inform you all that Faith is here because I asked her to be. She has been out of prison for 6 months now. She has been staying in LA with Angel working with Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn to dispose of any demonic or vampiric activity there. She has proven herself well, getting out of prison partially due to her good behavior. With Buffy gone, we need some assistance. This is still a hell mouth and without a slayer we are at a distinct disadvantage against the powers of darkness," the British man lectured.
"We've been getting along fairly well since Buffy died. Why can't we wait until the new slayer gets here?" Xander asked.
"We have gotten along well because there is always a lull after a major supernatural event. As to the question of a new slayer there isn't going to be one," Giles responded.
"No new slayer? But Buffy died. Isn't that how it works? One dies another is called?" Xander countered.
"Buffy died before, I'm sure you remember, considering you were the one that revived her, Xander. Her death called Kendra. It was Kendra's death that called Faith. The call resides within Faith now. Only the most recently called Slayer is the vessel of the call," Giles explained.
"That presents us with a solution to the Faith dilemma then doesn't it?" Willow said, never turning her venomous gaze from Faith's face.
Angel spoke for the first time since the group's entry into the shop, "That's about enough of this. I know there are some issues here…"
"Issues! She's a cold blooded killer!" Willow shrieked.
"Isn't that what you just suggested a couple minutes ago there Red," Faith asked mockingly.
"As I was saying," Angel continued before Willow could respond. "I know there are some unresolved issues here." Willow snorted, but Angel gave her a look and continued. "But we're all on the same side here. I've been working side by side with Faith for months now, so have Wesley and Cordelia. We're all still alive. Giles has been training with Faith for the past week and a half. No bruises. She has changed and I hope you'll have enough respect for those of us you trust to work things out with her. If not, we hate to lose the help, but we can't abandon all the helpless inhabitants of the hell mouth to whatever evil pops up next."
"Wow, big guy, I think that's the longest speech I've ever heard you make. And all for little old me," Faith said smiling at him quickly to indicate her gratitude. She turned back to the others. "You all know that I'm not the type to let others fight my battles. So I'm going to say some stuff and a lot of it you might not like, or you might not be ready to hear, but I'm asking you to listen." When no interruption followed that last statement, she continued. "I'm sorry for everything I did. I know that seems like too little too late, but I am. I screwed up big time and now I have to atone for my mistakes. I spent a year in a cell with a lot of free time to go over past mistakes and tried to figure out where it all went wrong, but I couldn't. There was just too much stuff that could have changed things." She looked at the blonde witch. "Tara, I apologize to you, because you never should have been a part of this, I was mean to you for no reason, but by that time I was just out of control." She turned to Willow. "Red," at the glare she received, she amended the statement. "Willow, I am sorry for threatening you and anything else I did to hurt you. You didn't really like me before that though, even before I slept with the Xand-man, so whatever it was I never really meant it." She spun to face Xander then. "Ok, Xander, I'm sorry I slept with you and then kicked you out, you didn't deserve it. You just happened to fall victim to my get some get gone policy. Ya know… Want. Take. Have and all that… The strangling thing was uncalled for too. That's my bad." She looked at them all now. "As for the other allegations, they are between me and other people, one of whom is off with the rest of his GI Joe buddies, and the other 2 are relaxing on clouds and playing harps. So let that go. Okay, I've said my piece, scream at me some more if you would like, I probably deserve it, but I am sorry for it all," the dark haired girl finished.
Angel moved to stand behind her, with a hand on her shoulder, as Anya burst out, "You slept with my Xander! He is my orgasm partner. You can't have him!"
Faith sighed and then replied, "It's in the past girlie. Calm down. I'll leave your man alone. Don't think he'd have much to do with me now anymore anyway."
Anya attempted to find fault with the statement, but couldn't seem to. "Okay then." She turned to Xander. "Can we go back to your apartment and have sex now. This is boring."
"Hang on a second, An," Xander replied. "How do we know this isn't all some kind of new trick Faith? Getting us all to trust you again so you can kill us in our sleep?"
"Well, I guess you don't," Faith answered. "But truth be told. If I were really the cold blooded killer you all want to believe then you wouldn't have made it. I mean think about it, if I was on such a killing spree, and I don't think 2 counts as a spree, I wouldn't have had any qualms about killing you guys."
"Then why didn't you?"
Willow interrupted before Faith could respond, "Probably because she knew Buffy would kick her ass."
"Hardly Red. B couldn't have gotten to me until later, and that still wouldn't have saved your asses. You aren't dead right now because I didn't have it in me to kill you. That's why I shot to miss on Angel too. If I had really wanted any of you dead then you would be."
"She's telling the truth," Tara said quietly from behind Willow. Everyone turned to look at the shy girl. "I can read her aura."
"What do you see," asked Giles curiously.
"Sincerity, guilt, pain, and," she quirked her eyebrow as she continued, "love."
At this Xander looked at the floor, and then took Anya's hand. "This is a whole lot to process at once. We'll talk about it all later." He and Anya walked out of the store.
Tara took a look at Willow, who despite the revelation that Faith was remorseful, was still gazing at the younger girl with a mask of contempt upon her face. "I think we better go as well," the blonde said as she took her girlfriend's hand and walked out of the shop.
"Well that could have been worse," Faith said as the echoes of the bell died away.
"I can hardly see how," Giles replied, cleaning his glasses.
"Nobody is dead right?"
"Yet."
The bell above the door stopped the conversation between Angel and Giles and stunned Faith out of her reverie. The three of them looked toward the door and saw a very pissed off looking red-haired witch, a frightened looking blonde witch, a shocked Xander, and an indifferent looking girl, who Faith assumed was the ex-vengeance demon, Anya, who the former watcher had told them about.
"Oh dear," Giles muttered. "This is not at all how I wanted this to happen."
"Giles! What is psycho slayer doing here? In your magic shop looking for all the world like you don't have a problem with this. Isn't she supposed to be in prison with the rest of the criminals?" Xander yelled from the doorway.
"And the yelling starts," Faith commented, sounding more sure of herself than she felt.
"Damn straight there's going to be some yelling. You almost killed Xander, you threatened me, you were mean to Tara, you slept with Buffy's boyfriend, held Joyce hostage, and stole Buffy's body. Now you show up here with Angel, who you tried to kill more than once, might I add, acting as if nothing has happened," Willow exclaimed.
"Do either of you have anything to add?" Giles asked Tara and Anya. They shook their heads to the negative. "In that case, I would like to inform you all that Faith is here because I asked her to be. She has been out of prison for 6 months now. She has been staying in LA with Angel working with Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn to dispose of any demonic or vampiric activity there. She has proven herself well, getting out of prison partially due to her good behavior. With Buffy gone, we need some assistance. This is still a hell mouth and without a slayer we are at a distinct disadvantage against the powers of darkness," the British man lectured.
"We've been getting along fairly well since Buffy died. Why can't we wait until the new slayer gets here?" Xander asked.
"We have gotten along well because there is always a lull after a major supernatural event. As to the question of a new slayer there isn't going to be one," Giles responded.
"No new slayer? But Buffy died. Isn't that how it works? One dies another is called?" Xander countered.
"Buffy died before, I'm sure you remember, considering you were the one that revived her, Xander. Her death called Kendra. It was Kendra's death that called Faith. The call resides within Faith now. Only the most recently called Slayer is the vessel of the call," Giles explained.
"That presents us with a solution to the Faith dilemma then doesn't it?" Willow said, never turning her venomous gaze from Faith's face.
Angel spoke for the first time since the group's entry into the shop, "That's about enough of this. I know there are some issues here…"
"Issues! She's a cold blooded killer!" Willow shrieked.
"Isn't that what you just suggested a couple minutes ago there Red," Faith asked mockingly.
"As I was saying," Angel continued before Willow could respond. "I know there are some unresolved issues here." Willow snorted, but Angel gave her a look and continued. "But we're all on the same side here. I've been working side by side with Faith for months now, so have Wesley and Cordelia. We're all still alive. Giles has been training with Faith for the past week and a half. No bruises. She has changed and I hope you'll have enough respect for those of us you trust to work things out with her. If not, we hate to lose the help, but we can't abandon all the helpless inhabitants of the hell mouth to whatever evil pops up next."
"Wow, big guy, I think that's the longest speech I've ever heard you make. And all for little old me," Faith said smiling at him quickly to indicate her gratitude. She turned back to the others. "You all know that I'm not the type to let others fight my battles. So I'm going to say some stuff and a lot of it you might not like, or you might not be ready to hear, but I'm asking you to listen." When no interruption followed that last statement, she continued. "I'm sorry for everything I did. I know that seems like too little too late, but I am. I screwed up big time and now I have to atone for my mistakes. I spent a year in a cell with a lot of free time to go over past mistakes and tried to figure out where it all went wrong, but I couldn't. There was just too much stuff that could have changed things." She looked at the blonde witch. "Tara, I apologize to you, because you never should have been a part of this, I was mean to you for no reason, but by that time I was just out of control." She turned to Willow. "Red," at the glare she received, she amended the statement. "Willow, I am sorry for threatening you and anything else I did to hurt you. You didn't really like me before that though, even before I slept with the Xand-man, so whatever it was I never really meant it." She spun to face Xander then. "Ok, Xander, I'm sorry I slept with you and then kicked you out, you didn't deserve it. You just happened to fall victim to my get some get gone policy. Ya know… Want. Take. Have and all that… The strangling thing was uncalled for too. That's my bad." She looked at them all now. "As for the other allegations, they are between me and other people, one of whom is off with the rest of his GI Joe buddies, and the other 2 are relaxing on clouds and playing harps. So let that go. Okay, I've said my piece, scream at me some more if you would like, I probably deserve it, but I am sorry for it all," the dark haired girl finished.
Angel moved to stand behind her, with a hand on her shoulder, as Anya burst out, "You slept with my Xander! He is my orgasm partner. You can't have him!"
Faith sighed and then replied, "It's in the past girlie. Calm down. I'll leave your man alone. Don't think he'd have much to do with me now anymore anyway."
Anya attempted to find fault with the statement, but couldn't seem to. "Okay then." She turned to Xander. "Can we go back to your apartment and have sex now. This is boring."
"Hang on a second, An," Xander replied. "How do we know this isn't all some kind of new trick Faith? Getting us all to trust you again so you can kill us in our sleep?"
"Well, I guess you don't," Faith answered. "But truth be told. If I were really the cold blooded killer you all want to believe then you wouldn't have made it. I mean think about it, if I was on such a killing spree, and I don't think 2 counts as a spree, I wouldn't have had any qualms about killing you guys."
"Then why didn't you?"
Willow interrupted before Faith could respond, "Probably because she knew Buffy would kick her ass."
"Hardly Red. B couldn't have gotten to me until later, and that still wouldn't have saved your asses. You aren't dead right now because I didn't have it in me to kill you. That's why I shot to miss on Angel too. If I had really wanted any of you dead then you would be."
"She's telling the truth," Tara said quietly from behind Willow. Everyone turned to look at the shy girl. "I can read her aura."
"What do you see," asked Giles curiously.
"Sincerity, guilt, pain, and," she quirked her eyebrow as she continued, "love."
At this Xander looked at the floor, and then took Anya's hand. "This is a whole lot to process at once. We'll talk about it all later." He and Anya walked out of the store.
Tara took a look at Willow, who despite the revelation that Faith was remorseful, was still gazing at the younger girl with a mask of contempt upon her face. "I think we better go as well," the blonde said as she took her girlfriend's hand and walked out of the shop.
"Well that could have been worse," Faith said as the echoes of the bell died away.
"I can hardly see how," Giles replied, cleaning his glasses.
"Nobody is dead right?"
"Yet."