The Calling
"It sounds to me like we need one of those killers you were talking about," Jake said to Xander.
Xander had told Jake about everything. Slayers. Vampires. Demons. Witches. Werewolves. The whole kit and caboodle. Xander looked up at Jake, through his long black hair. His hair looked like the guy on 7th Heaven. You know the one. Except, his hair was the raven colored black it has always been.
"It's Slayer. Not killer," Xander corrected. "And, there aren't anymore left."
"But, didn't you say that if one Slayer dies, then another Slayer is activated?"
"Yeah. But…with her it's not possible for another Slayer to come," Xander looked away, thinking of Buffy. They finally did it to her. The thing she had hunted for seven years finally killed her. A vampire. Not an ordinary vampire. No. This vampire was the one she loved.
Angelus.
He looked away, shaking the memory out of his head.
"Well, why not? I mean, I know it's hard for you, but she's dead. That means another Slayer should come."
"That wasn't the first time Buffy died though. She drowned and was dead for barely a minute. I revived her, but Buffy was still dead for that minute. Another Slayer was sent, Kendra, but then she was killed," Xander lectured the history.
"Well, then, where's the Slayer that followed Kendra?"
"Prison," Xander muttered under his breath.
"Prison? For what?" Jake inquired.
Xander sighed.
"She killed an innocent. She ran from the cops, killed a few more people. Tried to kill us all. And, oh yeah, bring about the Apocalypse."
Jake was learning how to take Xander's sarcasm and wit.
"I take it that's not in the job description?"
"No. Faith's bad news."
"Faith? That's her name? Damn. Slayers have the weirdest names."
"Yeah, well, since she's still alive, there can't be another Slayer. She's the only one right now."
Jake sighed. He learned that vampires, demons, and everything else out of a Stephen King novel would be hard to take on. Jake was strong, sure. But, the way Xander talked about these Slayers, it meant that they had the power and strength to take on these things without breaking a sweat. It was obvious that Xander didn't like Faith. Jake couldn't blame him for it. After all, she tried to kill them and end the world.
But, maybe she's changed?
"Do you think she's not all crazy anymore?"
"Why? So we can break her out and have her fight evil for us?"
"Well, yeah."
"Well, no. Faith doesn't take orders too well. Unless you're psycho just like her."
Xander sighed. He knew that she had turned herself in. Maybe she had changed. But, he wasn't ready to get killed by the psycho. Especially if no one was around powerful enough to stop her.
"Xander?" Jake had been watching Xander. He'd been thinking about something. Hiding something perhaps. "What?"
Xander looked up at Jake, almost regretting his decision before he even said it. But they needed help if they were going to fight evil. And she seemed to be the most reasonable answer to the problem.
"There might be a way."
Faith awoke to the sound of her cell door opening. Her eyes slowly opened as she rolled over onto her side, facing the bars. She needed a moment to adjust her eyes before she could tell what was going on. Once they were clear, she saw two of the prison guards stepping into the cell. Faith sat up and let her feet dangle over the edge of the bunk for a moment, before she jumped down onto the floor below her. Faith looked over to the lower bunk and saw Claire getting up as well. Faith looked back to the guards and she crossed her arms. Faith's face was stern, hiding her confusion.
"You have a visitor, Faith," one of the guards announced.
Faith raised her eyebrow in confusion. A visitor? Who?
The guards led Faith out of the cell and down to the visiting room. As she left, Claire tried to stick her head out of the bars to watch Faith. Her hands gripped two of the bars, and she sighed.
The two guards stopped with Faith, handcuffed, in front of a door.
"You have five minutes."
Faith didn't move. The cops opened the door, followed by a loud buzzing noise, as Faith stepped into another room. The door behind her was shut. She looked around into the room. There was a round lunch table, with two men sitting at it. One of them checked his watch, while the other tapped his thumbs together. Faith started forward, but was stopped by a guard. The guard patted her down first and then removed her handcuffs.
She walked forward, and as she got closer, she recognized one of the men. The one who had his thumbs fighting with each other. He looked up at her, as well did the other man.
"Xander Harris," a smile appearing on her face. Faith put her hands on her hips. "What the hell do you want?"
Xander smirked back, sarcastically obviously.
"Faith …..hey. What is your last name, anyway?" Xander furrowed his brows.
Faith narrowed her eyes at Xander. Truth be told, Faith never knew. She looked down, remembering that she never had parents either. She looked back up at Xander, but before she could respond, she was interrupted.
"She doesn't have one, man," Jake replied for Faith. Jake stood up and offered his hand out to Faith, "I'm Officer Jake McClain, I'm with the LAPD."
Faith looked down at Jake's hand as it waited for her to shake it. She was never good with authority. She then looked back up to Jake's chestnut eyes.
"What do you want?" Faith asked.
Jake took his hand back and motioned for her to sit down, "Here, sit down."
"I think I'll stand, thanks."
"Wow. Prison hasn't changed you one bit, huh?" Xander hissed.
"Excuse me, if I wanted any comments from Jon Bon Jovi, I would have asked. Thanks," snapping back at Xander.
Xander, showing his insecurity, felt his hair to see the length of it. Jake laughed as he sat down.
"Now, what's this all about?"
"Faith, Xander and I have decided that it would be in the best interest for….well, the world, if we got you out of prison, and you resumed your Slayer duties," Jake said, looking up and down towards the table, hoping that she'll agree.
Faith just stares at him.
"Why the fuck do you need me? I mean, B's out there. Cheerleader by day, Slayer by night," Faith said, adjusting her wait.
"Faith, Buffy's dead," Xander quietly stated.
Faith's eyes widened. 'What did he just say?' She didn't know how it happened, but, she suddenly found herself sitting down. Concern spread across her face. The thought started to sink in. B's dead.
"H-how?" Faith stuttered.
Xander looked up from his hands.
"Angel."
That's all he had to say. She felt like she was dreaming. Buffy was killed by Angel. Angel. The vampire with a soul. The vampire B loved. The vampire that made Faith realize that she was making things worse for herself all along instead of making them better. He was the one that told her to turn herself in. And now B had died by his hands. She fought back the tears. Faith didn't want to show Xander that she cared for Buffy. Not that much.
"How long?"
Xander let out a sigh, sitting hunched over on the lime green table. He looked back down to his hands. He was squeezing them together. He never did that, unless he was afraid or unable to talk. Xander didn't know why he did this, but, it helped get things out.
"About two years now," Xander sniffed a bit. He was fighting back tears as well. Xander loved Buffy so damn much. And long after her death, he still mourned for her. "That's why I need you."
Faith raised a brow. A concerned brow. Why only him? Why is he the only one that needs me? Faith let out a sigh.
Jake sat there in silence, studying the brunette, and her sadness for her.. friend? What exactly was Buffy to Faith? The way Xander talked about this rogue Slayer, it seemed that they were nothing more than enemies. But now? Prison had certainly changed Faith if she was feeling sorrow now.
Faith gulped. What would she do? What happens if she gets out there, and she's become too soft. But, then she reminded herself about the two dead prisoners from the other day. Faith was anything but soft. Faith opened her mouth to give her answer when suddenly, many screeching alarms started going off. Faith, Xander, and Jake all looked up in the room, at the alarms, the red lights flashing and the horrible sound they made.
Xander and Jake plugged their ears from the banchie-like screams. Faith looked back towards the door she had entered from as the guard who patted her down grabbed an electric baton and vacated the room.
"What's going on!" Xander screamed over the alarms, to hear himself, and so Faith would hear him.
Faith sighed and turned back to Xander and Jake.
"Riot."
"It sounds to me like we need one of those killers you were talking about," Jake said to Xander.
Xander had told Jake about everything. Slayers. Vampires. Demons. Witches. Werewolves. The whole kit and caboodle. Xander looked up at Jake, through his long black hair. His hair looked like the guy on 7th Heaven. You know the one. Except, his hair was the raven colored black it has always been.
"It's Slayer. Not killer," Xander corrected. "And, there aren't anymore left."
"But, didn't you say that if one Slayer dies, then another Slayer is activated?"
"Yeah. But…with her it's not possible for another Slayer to come," Xander looked away, thinking of Buffy. They finally did it to her. The thing she had hunted for seven years finally killed her. A vampire. Not an ordinary vampire. No. This vampire was the one she loved.
Angelus.
He looked away, shaking the memory out of his head.
"Well, why not? I mean, I know it's hard for you, but she's dead. That means another Slayer should come."
"That wasn't the first time Buffy died though. She drowned and was dead for barely a minute. I revived her, but Buffy was still dead for that minute. Another Slayer was sent, Kendra, but then she was killed," Xander lectured the history.
"Well, then, where's the Slayer that followed Kendra?"
"Prison," Xander muttered under his breath.
"Prison? For what?" Jake inquired.
Xander sighed.
"She killed an innocent. She ran from the cops, killed a few more people. Tried to kill us all. And, oh yeah, bring about the Apocalypse."
Jake was learning how to take Xander's sarcasm and wit.
"I take it that's not in the job description?"
"No. Faith's bad news."
"Faith? That's her name? Damn. Slayers have the weirdest names."
"Yeah, well, since she's still alive, there can't be another Slayer. She's the only one right now."
Jake sighed. He learned that vampires, demons, and everything else out of a Stephen King novel would be hard to take on. Jake was strong, sure. But, the way Xander talked about these Slayers, it meant that they had the power and strength to take on these things without breaking a sweat. It was obvious that Xander didn't like Faith. Jake couldn't blame him for it. After all, she tried to kill them and end the world.
But, maybe she's changed?
"Do you think she's not all crazy anymore?"
"Why? So we can break her out and have her fight evil for us?"
"Well, yeah."
"Well, no. Faith doesn't take orders too well. Unless you're psycho just like her."
Xander sighed. He knew that she had turned herself in. Maybe she had changed. But, he wasn't ready to get killed by the psycho. Especially if no one was around powerful enough to stop her.
"Xander?" Jake had been watching Xander. He'd been thinking about something. Hiding something perhaps. "What?"
Xander looked up at Jake, almost regretting his decision before he even said it. But they needed help if they were going to fight evil. And she seemed to be the most reasonable answer to the problem.
"There might be a way."
Faith awoke to the sound of her cell door opening. Her eyes slowly opened as she rolled over onto her side, facing the bars. She needed a moment to adjust her eyes before she could tell what was going on. Once they were clear, she saw two of the prison guards stepping into the cell. Faith sat up and let her feet dangle over the edge of the bunk for a moment, before she jumped down onto the floor below her. Faith looked over to the lower bunk and saw Claire getting up as well. Faith looked back to the guards and she crossed her arms. Faith's face was stern, hiding her confusion.
"You have a visitor, Faith," one of the guards announced.
Faith raised her eyebrow in confusion. A visitor? Who?
The guards led Faith out of the cell and down to the visiting room. As she left, Claire tried to stick her head out of the bars to watch Faith. Her hands gripped two of the bars, and she sighed.
The two guards stopped with Faith, handcuffed, in front of a door.
"You have five minutes."
Faith didn't move. The cops opened the door, followed by a loud buzzing noise, as Faith stepped into another room. The door behind her was shut. She looked around into the room. There was a round lunch table, with two men sitting at it. One of them checked his watch, while the other tapped his thumbs together. Faith started forward, but was stopped by a guard. The guard patted her down first and then removed her handcuffs.
She walked forward, and as she got closer, she recognized one of the men. The one who had his thumbs fighting with each other. He looked up at her, as well did the other man.
"Xander Harris," a smile appearing on her face. Faith put her hands on her hips. "What the hell do you want?"
Xander smirked back, sarcastically obviously.
"Faith …..hey. What is your last name, anyway?" Xander furrowed his brows.
Faith narrowed her eyes at Xander. Truth be told, Faith never knew. She looked down, remembering that she never had parents either. She looked back up at Xander, but before she could respond, she was interrupted.
"She doesn't have one, man," Jake replied for Faith. Jake stood up and offered his hand out to Faith, "I'm Officer Jake McClain, I'm with the LAPD."
Faith looked down at Jake's hand as it waited for her to shake it. She was never good with authority. She then looked back up to Jake's chestnut eyes.
"What do you want?" Faith asked.
Jake took his hand back and motioned for her to sit down, "Here, sit down."
"I think I'll stand, thanks."
"Wow. Prison hasn't changed you one bit, huh?" Xander hissed.
"Excuse me, if I wanted any comments from Jon Bon Jovi, I would have asked. Thanks," snapping back at Xander.
Xander, showing his insecurity, felt his hair to see the length of it. Jake laughed as he sat down.
"Now, what's this all about?"
"Faith, Xander and I have decided that it would be in the best interest for….well, the world, if we got you out of prison, and you resumed your Slayer duties," Jake said, looking up and down towards the table, hoping that she'll agree.
Faith just stares at him.
"Why the fuck do you need me? I mean, B's out there. Cheerleader by day, Slayer by night," Faith said, adjusting her wait.
"Faith, Buffy's dead," Xander quietly stated.
Faith's eyes widened. 'What did he just say?' She didn't know how it happened, but, she suddenly found herself sitting down. Concern spread across her face. The thought started to sink in. B's dead.
"H-how?" Faith stuttered.
Xander looked up from his hands.
"Angel."
That's all he had to say. She felt like she was dreaming. Buffy was killed by Angel. Angel. The vampire with a soul. The vampire B loved. The vampire that made Faith realize that she was making things worse for herself all along instead of making them better. He was the one that told her to turn herself in. And now B had died by his hands. She fought back the tears. Faith didn't want to show Xander that she cared for Buffy. Not that much.
"How long?"
Xander let out a sigh, sitting hunched over on the lime green table. He looked back down to his hands. He was squeezing them together. He never did that, unless he was afraid or unable to talk. Xander didn't know why he did this, but, it helped get things out.
"About two years now," Xander sniffed a bit. He was fighting back tears as well. Xander loved Buffy so damn much. And long after her death, he still mourned for her. "That's why I need you."
Faith raised a brow. A concerned brow. Why only him? Why is he the only one that needs me? Faith let out a sigh.
Jake sat there in silence, studying the brunette, and her sadness for her.. friend? What exactly was Buffy to Faith? The way Xander talked about this rogue Slayer, it seemed that they were nothing more than enemies. But now? Prison had certainly changed Faith if she was feeling sorrow now.
Faith gulped. What would she do? What happens if she gets out there, and she's become too soft. But, then she reminded herself about the two dead prisoners from the other day. Faith was anything but soft. Faith opened her mouth to give her answer when suddenly, many screeching alarms started going off. Faith, Xander, and Jake all looked up in the room, at the alarms, the red lights flashing and the horrible sound they made.
Xander and Jake plugged their ears from the banchie-like screams. Faith looked back towards the door she had entered from as the guard who patted her down grabbed an electric baton and vacated the room.
"What's going on!" Xander screamed over the alarms, to hear himself, and so Faith would hear him.
Faith sighed and turned back to Xander and Jake.
"Riot."