Title of Series: Soul Searching
Name: Family
Author: FaItHzAnGeL a.k.a. Fernando Rangel
Email: fivexangel@aol.com
Pairings: None as of yet….
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to either Joss Whedon, UPN, all the crew who makes Buffy possible, and Peter David, and DC Comics for Supergirl.
Author's Notes: Buffy's dead. That's about it. Um, yeah, also, it's AU, but if you've read it this long you already know that, :)
Summary: When heroes collide, the unlikeliest things happen. For Faith and Supergirl, they'll learn that lesson the hard way…
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance, Horror, Drama
Spoilers: Season One through Five of Buffy the Vampire up to and including "The Gift". Barring Five by Five and Sanctuary of Angel, that's where it goes AU. This also contains spoilers from Supergirl of DC Comics. Pretty much issues one through fifty right now.
Rating: PG, for violence
Dedication: To anyone who reads this, thank you.
Feedback: That'd be great! Thanks.
She soared in the air, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes, twisting and turning through her flight, floating above the city of Sunnydale, California. She'd almost forgotten how good flying felt; she opened her eyes and continued surveying the city. It's a nice town, despite all the horrors.
There was a sudden crunch of metal and her face filled with resolve, "Time to go to work."
She darted toward the direction in which the sound originated and stared at the people in a car, wrapped around a light pole. She dashed toward the car, checking the inside. "Is everyone ok in there?" She took a closer look. The driver and the passenger on the right of him were out cold, blood streamed down the side of their faces, and the two kids behind them were slowly moving. She took a deep breath and sighed, thanking God for small favors.
Suddenly her heart raced as a tiny fire sprung from the hood of the car, "Crap," she said to herself. She ripped the door out in the backseat and helped the children out. They held onto each other scared out of their mind, "Stay away as far as you can, I'm going back for your parents."
They looked from a distance, "It's ok, Sasha, that's Supergirl; she can get them out." Suddenly there was a loud explosion, and the two girls stared wide-eyed in fear as the fire rose up and they cried out, "Mommy!"
They hadn't noticed Supergirl's dash upward right as the car exploded and when she landed behind them, both their parents in her arms, they ran up to them and hugged them for dear life as they both started coming to.
"What's going on," asked the father as he looked around, giving Supergirl a curious stare.
"You ran into a light pole. What happened?" the blonde wonder squatted near him listening.
"I… We were driving down the road, coming back from L.A. when there was this guy in the middle of the road, smiling at us like…like… I don't know, but I swerved to get out of the way, so I wouldn't hit him. But something hit us."
"Something," she asked.
He nodded, "I…I couldn't see it very well, but it was big…"
Supergirl nodded, "Stay quiet, the police should be here soon," and, as if on cue, the police – as well as the fire department – showed up with their sirens waling. Supergirl rose up in the air and headed back home. Looks like its job for Giles, the Wonder Watcher.
* * * * *
"What were you doing out in the first place?"
Faith sighed, "Giles, that's not the point right now. The point is, something big, something strong caused those people to get hurt out there! And you just want to go, 'oh'." She pursed her lips together and stared at him. "You know better than that, it's worth looking into."
"Faith, they could be del-deliriums of a…a...a...confused man. He had a concussion, who knows what could've really happened!"
"But we're not going to be sure unless we dig!" She stared at the floor and shook her head, "Why are you fighting me on this? I…I just got a feeling here Giles."
"Faith, if every time we listened to our feelings…"
"I'd be dead. You'd be dead. We'd all be dead." She gave him a quick look; "Those feelings are what kept me from totally destructing on you guys."
Giles shook his head, "I don't like you out without telling me, and you're still recuperating."
She slammed her foot, "Giles, damn it, I'm the Slayer, I'm not some little automaton that you can just flip off and on like a fucking robot! I'm not Kendra."
Ok, so that was a bit harsh. She stared at him and looked away, "I'm not Buffy." She grabbed her bag and her books, "I have to get to school or I'm going to be late." She looked upstairs and shouted, "Dawn, I'll be outside, getting a head start!"
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose, "Faith, please," but it was too late, the door slammed shut and she was out of the house. He sulked on the couch, "I didn't mean that," he whispered to himself.
* * * * *
The teacher droned on as Faith sighed lightly, looking blankly at the English book before her. Who cared about Iago and Othello? It wasn't as though it applied to real life. She sighed deeper. Who was she kidding? She didn't get the play at all. Worse yet, she couldn't even get through the play – Shakespeare was excessively complicated; why couldn't he write in English?
All those thys, thous, and henceforths, who needs that?
"Now, for your first assignment of the year. This class is very essay heavy, especially on works such as these. Now, for your first paper, I want you to write about Othello. A characterization of Othello, of Iago, or of the themes that are presented in the play, or all of the above; I'm leaving it up to you. Due Friday. That gives you three days, that should be good enough." Conveniently the bell rang, leaving Faith absolutely perturbed, Paper?
Her face filled with dread and she was stunned until she heard a quiet, "Are you all right?"
She turned to her right and nodded, "Yeah, I just…it's … wow, a paper?"
He chuckled, "She's notorious for that kind of stuff." Faith and her new companion walked out the door of the classroom, "I'm Mike by the way." He held out his hand, and Faith smiled and took it, shaking, "I'm Faith. New to all this."
He smiled, "Well, it's ok. Othello is a great play."
She nodded slowly, "The best."
He laughed, "You don't understand a word of it, do you?"
Faith shook her head, "I got a little lost after…"
He stared at her intently as she added dejectedly, "The first line." She couldn't help but smile as he laughed aloud once more, "I'm glad you think my problem a funny factor."
"I'm sorry, really, it's just…the look on your face." Mike cleared his throat, "Try reading it again. Maybe I can help you with your paper. You can help me with mine." He stared at her and quietly said, "Then maybe we both won't have to be the new kids around town." She looked up at him, but he cleared his throat, "I had better get to class before I'm late," and then he was gone.
* * * * *
It was nothing but a blob.
A pink, spongy, nothing.
It had a form, once… A form that struck terror in the hearts of criminals. However, that was a long time ago. Since then, it's floated in the sewers, slugging about looking for something of sustenance, something to give it form once again…to make it whole… And when that happened, it would grab the blond, muscle clad being who grabbed it and flushed it like waste and absorb its energy, eat its flesh and… I will be whole… it thought.
It was Matrix.
It would be whole.
Just give me time….
* * * * *
"Faith, you ok?"
Faith turned to Dawn, "Oh, yeah, totally." She sighed, "Ok, not really. I have a paper due Friday, and ask me if I know how to write a paper?"
Dawn gave her a soft smile, "You'll figure it out, but I too have homework of my own, so I think I'm going to head off home and take care of that. You going to come too?"
Faith opened her mouth, but spied Willow click-clacking at the computer in the Magic Box, "Yeah, but I have some stuff to talk to Giles about, I'll be out in a few, k?"
Dawn nodded, "All right. Don't take too long."
Once Dawn was clearly outside, and no one else was in the room, Faith slowly headed toward Willow. I need help, and the only other person who I know smart enough to help me, at least remotely, is the one person who detests me. She cleared her throat, "Willow?"
Willow tensed and stood up, looking around to find that they were alone and an uneasy expression filled her face so Faith stayed back, clearly not wanting to make Willow uncomfortable, but obviously failing.
"What's up?" Willow asked as she fiddled with the fringes of fabric on her sweater.
Faith cleared her throat, "Listen, you took Advanced English, did the whole English paper thing, and I know how much you don't like being in the same room with me, and trust me I wouldn't ask this if I really didn't need your help, but I really do…"
Faith took a deep breath, "I need to learn how to write one of these things and fast." She looked to floor, "And I know you're the smart one around here, so I figured I'd just ask." She shifted uncomfortably, "I won't be any trouble and it'll be quick. And I'm not asking you to actually do the paper for me, really, I'm going to do it on my own, I just need help." She looked up at Willow, "I really need your help," she asked sincerely.
Willow stared at Faith with an expectant stare; Well at least she didn't kill me. However, as Faith spewed out her case, and shifted around with discomfort, she realized, for the first time, that Faith was uncomfortable around her. At least the feelings mutual.
Willow sighed as Faith stared at her with uncertain eyes, and against her better judgment she replied, "Fine. Bring your notes and the book. We'll go over it when you come back from patrol."
Faith smiled, "Thanks Willow."
Willow nodded lightly and turned her back on Faith paying closer attention to the computer. Nevertheless, that didn't matter, Faith was of the good now, she had someone who knew what they were doing and she would be ok. At least for now.
She grabbed her bag and headed back out on the street toward Buffy's home. It still felt odd sleeping there and using that address as her home. Giles had managed to get the lease to the home and now owned it – Another wonderful deed of the Watcher's Council? – however, she wasn't sure anymore whether or not the situation with Dawn was getting any better, or whether Giles was fighting a losing battle.
Dusk had finally settled, bringing an end to the sunny day, and letting the darkness fall onto the town of Sunnydale, along with all its evils. So here she was, on patrol, strolling through Sunnydale Park.
It was an unusually slow night, not one single vamp to dust in the entire area. If the vampires around town were ready to just hide in their crypts, something definitely was up, only she didn't know what, though that didn't mean she wasn't eager to hear what had all the vampires spooked.
"Don't move!" she heard called and she spun around.
She crept closer as she watched a police officer hold his gun at the perpetrator, trying to contain him, as a woman lay sprawled on the floor, dead, with two itty-bitty wholes in her neck. Faith frowned, Of course, so much for the slow night. However, there was no way she could storm in there and dust the vampire with that cop trying to be noble. Soon a window of opportunity opened up for Faith as the cop's gun shot and clicked with an empty barrel.
The vampire grinned as he contorted his face, growling angrily and pounced after him, but Faith took to action leaping into the air and ramming into the vampire landing on the ground with a solid thud.
She hopped back up as the vampire rolled over and hissed, "Slayer, you're back."
"Better than ever." She slammed her foot into his face and he managed to get on his feet. She gave him a quick roundhouse, and he countered by blocking her kick, and slamming his fist into her face. She gripped her stake, but the police officer from before grabbed the vampire trying to play the hero and protect the "damsel in distress", but the vampire threw him off easily.
Faith slammed her foot into his midsection and he toppled back. She gripped her stake even harder as she staked him while he was on his back recovering – he never even knew what hit him; he stared at her with horrified eyes as he crumbled into dust. That part never felt any less than unnerving, it was downright creepy.
The officer came by her side as he exclaimed, "What the hell was that," his eyes were wide, "I've never…"
Faith turned to him, "There's a lot about this town you need to…."
She stopped in mid sentence as she stared at him, her eyes softened, and her brow furrowed, causing her to step back.
"What's wrong you look like you've seen a ghost," he asked lightly.
Faith stared at his nameplate, "Officer Danvers," it said, her breath became short as she started to hyperventilate, and she took another step back as she uncertainly whispered, "Daddy?"
Officer Fred Danvers' eyes widened as he stared at Faith, his eyes squinting, suddenly hard realization hit him and he inched closer, "Faith, baby, is it really you?"
She stepped back as he inched closer, and when he spoke she couldn't handle it – she freaked, and she ran back to Buffy's house, back to where everything made more sense than it did right now. As she ran, all she could hear was her father screaming her name, and pleading with her to stop and turn around and to just stop running.
She didn't stop until she came to the front door of the Summers' residence.
* * * * *
She breathed in. She rocked back and forth, as she held her knees to her chest, and just rocked. The door to the room she was staying in was locked, and she sat on the bed thinking back.
Back to when she was nine years old.
Back when Daddy hadn't left home.
It was a normal day, Daddy had walked her to school and she was smiling the whole day. She wore her favorite pink dress, her dad stood tall, his dark hair short with the same raven colored tint to it as hers, and she smiled as he picked her up and spun her around. "Ok princess, we're here."
She looked at the school and huffed lightly, "Do I have to?"
Fred chuckled, "Of course you have to." He kneeled down and kissed her again, and hugged her, holding on for dear life – as if it were the last time. Faith couldn't process that, why wouldn't he be here anymore? "I'll see you when I get home?"
He nodded lightly, his eyes torn, and his face soft, "I'll be there." She noticed the dimness and he quietly whispered, "You know I love you, right?"
Faith smiled, "Always."
Fred chuckled and nodded, "Right, always." She turned back and headed up the steps to her school, and waved to her father.
It was, indeed, the last time she saw him.
Until tonight.
She clenched her eyes shut and she forced herself to realize that her father was in Sunnydale, the hellmouth, and he would probably be in danger. Though after seeing what happened tonight, he'd probably be more careful about what he did.
She sighed, "Damn it, why now? Why couldn't you just have stayed dead?" She sulked; she knew she didn't mean a word of it, she was glad he was alive, she loved that he was so close… But where had he been all this time? Why didn't he try to talk to her, get a hold of her, find her?
There was a knock on the door and Faith sighed rubbing her eyes and face. She cleared her throat, composing herself, and stood up and answered it. Willow stood there and uncomfortably asked, "You ready?"
Faith nodded, "Downstairs?"
Willow's face became relaxed and nodded, "Ok."
Oh great, this is going to be…interesting…
* * * * *
She rushed through the hallways pushing against everyone, I'm late, shit, I'm late.
She managed to get in class right when the bell rang and she thanked God for Slayer Speed. She rushed into her seat as her English teacher gave her a wicked scowl and Faith offered a meek grin. She heard a snicker to her left and smiled as she saw Mike, "Hey, another thing you find funny?"
Mike nodded lightly as he turned back to watch the teacher take attendance and he brought back his attention to Faith, "Have you thought about my offer? About the whole paper thing?"
Faith waited for a bit before she nodded lightly, "Yeah, though someone else has been helping me a bit."
"Oh," he said quietly.
She smirked, "But she's a bit uncomfortable around me, we only went over basics." Quietly she said to herself, not even noticing she was saying it aloud, "She hates me, it's weird that she took the time to help me sort through this stuff."
"So, I take it you've figured out your paper topic?"
Faith grinned, "Yeah, my…friend…told me that the relationship between Iago and Othello would be perfect for me, I'm not sure why."
His eyes lit up a bit, "How weird, I'm so doing that too!"
Faith stared at him uneasily, "You're not like…stalking me…are you?"
He stared at her for a moment before she smirked at him, "Kidding."
Mike rolled his eyes and started to laugh or at least until the teacher cleared her voice and the class stared at them intently. The boy next to Faith reddened and whispered, "Why don't we start work on it after school? We'll be helping each other out and we'll give this friend, that hates you, a break from…you."
Faith nodded, Why not, it's not as if I have anything left to lose? Faith smiled, "You, sir, got yourself a study-buddy. We meet at the front of the school?"
He nodded, "Great."
* * * * *
Dawn sat at the lunch table chatting away about her third period class and how lame her teacher was and how did he expect her to learn when he was wearing this humungoid flashy vest that screamed "Fashion Victim"? Faith was in a daze as Dawn, as well as Dawn's friends Chloe and Janice started chatting. Dawn turned to Faith and her brow furrowed, "What's up Faith?"
Should she tell her the truth? Did she really want to go over the fact that she was stunned her father was in Sunnydale? She sulked, and that she ran away from him like a little kid running away from a stranger? Faith stood up, "No, I'm Fine D, but I won't be walking home with you after school, I have some studying stuff to do at a friend's house."
She grinned to herself, Friend. Who would've thought?
Dawn smirked, "Oh really, anything Riley should be jealous about?" For a moment a tinge of anger spread through Dawn, but she suppressed it – besides, Riley only had a crush…right?
Faith rolled her eyes, "For the last time, Friend. And nothing Riley…not that he would be…jealous of." However, a part of her really wished, he would be. Stop that, she thought.
The day whizzed by and Faith now stood outside the main doors of Sunnydale High, "Ready?"
She spun around and nodded, "More than ever, so where are we going?"
"Well, my house is down the block so we can go there."
Faith nodded, "Lead the way."
The two started down the street before she stopped in her tracks, "What's wrong Faith," she heard Mike ask. She took a step back as she stared at the officer who parked across the street from Sunnydale High, and her throat was caught. He turned to her to give her a concerned look, "Are you in some kind of trouble, Faith?"
"Huh?" She stared at him before she shook her head, "Oh, no not that kind of trouble." She took a deep breath, "That's my dad."
"…color me clueless, but so?"
"We haven't seen each other for like ten years."
"Oh." He said simply, "Well, you guys should talk. It looks like he wants to talk to you. We can discuss this later, or you can call me." He grabbed a pen and wrote his number on her palm, and headed off. "Call me later."
Wait, no! Don't go! Her mind shouted against his leaving, and the feeling of utter fear spread through her as she watched her father approach her. A part of her wanted to grab him, shake him, slam him into the wall and beat him to a bloody pulp for leaving. Another part of her wanted nothing more than to run up to him and hug him, kiss him, hold him, and trust him.
But she was the Slayer, so suspicion was everywhere.
"Faith," he said lightly as the two stood shifted around uncomfortably with quiet eyes staring at them. "Let's go somewhere and talk." Faith gave him a pensive and unsure look. He held his hands up lightly, "Please, I just…I want to talk to you. If you decide what I have to say is meaningless, then by all means, you can go on ahead and be out of my life, but…"
Faith looked away. "Fine." He smiled lightly as he signaled her to follow him and the two walked down the sidewalk toward the park. Silence remained between them as they reached a park bench. "Faith, I know you thought that…"
Faith growled, "What? That my father left us? That he could've been dead for all I knew, that he didn't love us enough to stay with us, that God was punishing me and my mom cause we were bad and that's why you left." Quietly she looked away, "You decided we weren't what you wanted, so you left for something new." Bitterly she added, "And younger."
God, so much anger and I… I don't remember half this stuff. I guess I really am more Faith then I thought.
Fred sighed, "It wasn't any of those things. I didn't leave because I wanted to, or because I was punishing you guys, or because…because I 'found something new'." He shook his head, "How's your mom?"
"Dead," Faith said flatly.
Fred straightened and stared at her in disbelief, "What?"
"You know, after you left it was just a downward spiral for everyone. Things fell apart. Especially mom. Last I heard it was an O.D." She shrugged, "But I wasn't there when she did keel over." It sounded so cold, so dark, even to her. She turned to her father, "When you left, everything changed…Dad…everything. Mom didn't care about anything," she looked away, "or anyone."
Faith sighed as he put his head between his hands and shook his head, "That's why I left."
Faith's eyes softened for a moment, "What?"
"Your mom." He sighed, "When we were younger, we use to go to bars. We closed many-a-shops on our own, Sylvia and I. When we got married, I grew up and stopped going. Sylvia didn't." He sighed, "I left her then." Faith straightened, and still listened. "Sylvia found me about a week or so after I left, and she told me…"
He was lost in memories, but he was smiling misting around the eyes, "That's when she told me about you." He gave her such a loving gaze that her heart opened up, and she wasn't sure how to deal with this new feeling – hate, anger, hate; she could deal with that…but she'd gotten so much understanding, love, and…love that it was overwhelming. "She told me that it was over, that she'd stop." He kept looking at her, "For you." Fred sighed, "It was hard, but she did it." His brows furrowed, "I don't know what happened, but it had started up again about the time I left.
"I knew how destructive it was, the alcohol. I tried to get her to stop, and she wouldn't. She pushed me away, and I left." His voice cracked, "I wanted to take you with me, I fought so hard…"
He looked away, "But she wouldn't have it." He sneered, "She knew how to work the system, and I couldn't take you."
Faith was speechless; she just sat there staring at her Father. "See, honey, when I moved around I kept trying to contact you, see how you were, but when I'd call, nothing. When I'd send letters, nothing."
Faith shook her head, "But she…she waited by the door, she…she cried so hard…"
Her eyes brimmed with tears – this is new – and she felt utterly alone, and her world reeled once more, everything she ever knew about her past was a lie. She wondered, What else was a lie?
It was suddenly very cold.
She felt small, at least until she felt her father's embrace and let go. She cried. Cried for everything she felt remorse for, everything she'd ever done in her life that was anything but good, and purged through the pain, the reluctance, and let the tears continue to finally flow.
After a few moments she pulled away and she heard her father sigh, "About last night…"
Faith shuddered.
"What…happened… exactly?"
"Those were vampires," she stated matter-of-factly, and stared up at him, "they're real."
He shook his head unsure of everything, "God…" His head darted up, "Why were you out there? Fighting them?"
Faith's shoulders sunk, "I'm the Slayer."
Fred gave her a blank stare with a slow nod. In response, she smiled lightly, holding her arms out flexing her biceps, "Superstrenth, speed," she brought her arms down, "I'm a superhero." And that's not even the half of it – I'm also Supergirl.
"Why?" he asked lightly.
Faith shrugged standing up, "Fate. Destiny. A cosmic joke, take your pick."
"Can't you like…get out of it? Find someone new to take over?"
Faith chuckled lightly, "No. The only way for a new Slayer is if I die. I'm the only one."
"I…"
"Dad, I've done a lot of…bad things, bad things…."
Fred shook his head, stopping her, holding her by her shoulders, "That doesn't matter, it's a fresh start. If you want it."
She looked up at him and shook her head, "I…don't know. It's a bit much, I mean you see your father after ten years and you just expect to welcome him back with open arms?"
Fred nodded, "Ok, I get your point…."
Faith took a deep breath, "I'm staying at an…old friend's place. If you want to talk, maybe I'll talk to you…"
Their conversation stopped abruptly with an explosion. Faith stood up, and her Father lay limp on the ground, "Dad!" She heard loud chuckling from behind her and she spun around, "What's going on!"
Buzz drifted over the ground above her and she stepped back, tripping over her father, "Oh God, sorry…" she said to her Father lying there his breathing short. "I have to get him out of here..."
"I think not Faith, luv."
Faith stood up glaring at him, "Buzz."
He smiled, "So you do remember. And I thought there was going to be a problem with that. Now this chap," he signaled behind him, a rather large demon that even made Faith wince about the impending battle between them, "is what you should be worrying about." She looked around, the demon launched for her setting the ground around her ablaze, and she shouted, "Get out of here, Buzz. I mean it…"
"Or what? You'll sport the blondeness and the big yellow 'S'? Angel love, please." Faith growled, her body morphing into her blonde visage and she flew above ground, dousing the flames with her telekinetic blasts. The large demon shot straight for her. She grabbed it by its arms and flung it out of the way and into the tree.
The flames Supergirl hadn't managed to put out, suddenly stopped and Supergirl drifted back onto the ground cautiously as she heard the demon from before speak up, "Buzz, she'll do." Supergirl stared at him as he extended his hand, flames surrounded her, burning the clothes off her, leaving her Supergirl Costume the only thing salvaged. She tried to fly out of its range, but found she couldn't. A bubble surrounded her and she couldn't move.
The last she heard was a pop, when she awoke she was surrounded in darkness, clanking metal, and cheering. She opened her eyes and looked around – she was in hell.
Oh great…
A demon grabbed her hard, zapping her with a stick and she shuddered with pain, "What in the…"
"Get into the pit, filth. Welcome to The Games where the only way out...is death. The games'll be starting soon." The demon smiled exposing its seven layers of sharp pointy teeth. Suddenly blackness enveloped her and the last thing she felt was a kick to the ribcage, and the thundering deep laughter of a being off in the distance that sounded like Buzz.
