Chapter 3
~~~
Faith was lying on the bunk when she heard a rattling on her cell door. Looking up, she saw one of the guards standing there. "Yeah?" she asked, turning her eyes back to look at the ceiling.
"You got a pair of visitors," the guard said, looking down at the slip of paper in his hands then rattling the keys again. "You interested or not?" he asked the girl.
Faith jumped off the bunk bed and landed on her feet. "Very interested. I don't suppose these visitors gave names?" she asked, looking at the guard hopefully, tilting her head at the same time so she could peek at what was written on the paper.
The guard eyed Faith then smiled faintly, tilting the paper up slightly so it was just out of her sight. "Yes, I have the names of two visitors and as a special present I'll even tell you the names. They're Buffy A. Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Strange names," he commented off handedly.
Faith froze, "What, um, who did you say was here?" she asked, her complexion going a little white, hoping she hadn't heard the two names she had heard.
"Buffy A. Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Now are you interested in seeing them or shall I tell them you're not interested?" the guard said, tapping his foot slightly.
Faith unfroze and stepped forward through the open cell door and followed the guard through a few corridors to the visitor's area. The guard opened the door and pointed to where both Willow and Buffy could be seen waiting.
Faith almost turned around and fled back to her cell, but the smile that suddenly appeared on Buffy's face when she had seen her stopped Faith.
Taking a deep breath, she walked through the door and over to the booth Willow and Buffy were sitting at. Faith glanced from Buffy to Willow then back again. She could easily see that while Buffy was happy to see her, but Willow was still slightly wary. Taking the seat she looked at them for a second, collecting herself then picked up the phone. "Hey B, Red," she said simply.
"Hi Faith," Buffy said into her own hand set, a warm welcoming smile on her face.
"Faith," Willow muttered, nodding her head in greeting. Looking at Faith, there was a very visual change to the girl; she looked peaceful almost, as if she had been expecting Buffy to come and visit at some point and had been waiting.
There was a few seconds of silence when the two Slayers just looked at each other, before Faith cleared her throat and dropped her eyes slightly from Buffy's. "Well, to what do I owe this visit? Because correct me if I'm wrong, but you're supposed to be dead B," she said.
Buffy nodded her head, "I was, for a few months. Willow summoned me back again," she said, and something flashed through her eyes but was gone before Faith could really catch it.
Faith looked at Buffy, really looked at her for the first time and she could see that something was wrong. It was just the way Buffy sat in the chair, hunched over and tense, the way her hands were halfway clenched. The eyes were the biggest sign; normally they would sparkle like stars with barely suppressed power and life, Faith wasn't sure what but it was something like that. Now they only glimmered like a candle in the wind to coin a phrase and Faith was willing to bet her own eyes, now that she had time to relax and think about things, weren't unlike Buffy's.
Willow nodded her head, "A Hell God wanted to sacrifice Dawn, so she could get back to Hell, but Buffy closed the portal by jumping into it and dying in the process. Xander, Anya, Tara and myself pulled Buffy's soul out of Hell where it was trapped," she said, still quite happy with herself.
Faith, who was looking at Willow, caught just the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over at Buffy, whose free hand had clenched closed tightly; her knuckles white. Looking up at Buffy's face, Faith could see the hard look in her eyes. The previous glimmer was gone and there was nothing but a black hopelessness.
Blinking her eyes to clear her head of the memories of the supposed 'Hell' she had been in, Buffy put on a slight smile. "Anyway that's not the reason we're here. We need help, I need help," Buffy said, pausing slightly to look at Faith. A now worried expression was etched on her face; "I'm not enough by myself anymore. I need you," Buffy said
Willow threw a sidelong glance at Buffy then turned back to look at Faith, "We're pretty sure we can get you out of here either tomorrow or the next day," she said, adding her little bit. Willow could see Faith considering the offer, her eyes watching Buffy. There was something strange in Faith's eyes or strange for Faith. It was compassion, even empathy for her 'sister' having to deal with a God practically alone.
Faith just looked at Buffy, not really listening to what Willow had to say. "Could you give us a sec Willow?" she asked, glancing up for a second at the red haired girl.
Willow looked at Buffy then nodded her head, got up walked over to a table and used the provided tea stand to make a cup of tea, watching the Slayers from a distance.
Faith looked at Buffy for a few seconds before she started to talk again, "Are you sure you want this Buffy?" she asked, "Are you sure you need me?" she asked again.
Buffy just looked at Faith, then a tear started to trail down her cheek and more were present in her eyes, just waiting to fall. "Yes, yes I need you Faith. You have to help me," she said, and her head leant forward until it was resting against the pane of glass that was between the two Slayers.
For a second Faith had been afraid that Buffy would either try and break the glass or just breakdown and start to cry. When neither happened she put her hand up to the glass to where Buffy's cheek would be. "Were you in Hell Buffy?" she asked hesitantly. For some reason she could believe, she just couldn't accept that somebody as pure, as good as Buffy would go to Hell, then what hope did she have in that case?
There was a long pause whilst Faith watched Buffy, and Buffy just sat there, her eyes closed and phone held loosely to her ear, listening to Faith breath at the other end, her forehead rested against the glass as a single tear slowly slid down her cheek. Then Buffy shook her head, "No, I wasn't in Hell," she said, her voice barely more then a whisper.
Even with her Slayer's hearing Faith only barely caught Buffy's words and she silently cursed Willow for the spell.
"That's why I need you, I can barely care for myself and Dawn, let alone the rest of Sunnydale. If you agree to come back with us, we have a room at our house if you want it," Buffy said, looking up. Her eyes begged for Faith to help her.
"Don't worry B, I'll come," Faith said, her voice soft and tender as she looked at the broken form of her 'sister'. "If you've got a pen and paper, I'll give you the number of somebody to ring and she'll have me outta here in a couple of hours tops."
Buffy looked at Faith, "You could have gotten outta here at anytime?" she asked softly, cautiously.
Faith nodded her head, "But I'm in here for you and I was going to stay here until you needed me. I knew you would sooner or later, but I just wish it wasn't for something like this," she said, touching the glass pane again where Buffy's face was.
Buffy collected herself with an effort and the emotional rollercoaster she was on came to a forced stopped as she turned and waved Willow over. "Can you give Willow the number? I have to go to the bathroom."
Faith nodded her head and touched her hand to the glass again, "Sure, no problem B. We'll be outta here and on our way to SunnyD before it starts to go dark, I promise."
~~~
Faith was lying on the bunk when she heard a rattling on her cell door. Looking up, she saw one of the guards standing there. "Yeah?" she asked, turning her eyes back to look at the ceiling.
"You got a pair of visitors," the guard said, looking down at the slip of paper in his hands then rattling the keys again. "You interested or not?" he asked the girl.
Faith jumped off the bunk bed and landed on her feet. "Very interested. I don't suppose these visitors gave names?" she asked, looking at the guard hopefully, tilting her head at the same time so she could peek at what was written on the paper.
The guard eyed Faith then smiled faintly, tilting the paper up slightly so it was just out of her sight. "Yes, I have the names of two visitors and as a special present I'll even tell you the names. They're Buffy A. Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Strange names," he commented off handedly.
Faith froze, "What, um, who did you say was here?" she asked, her complexion going a little white, hoping she hadn't heard the two names she had heard.
"Buffy A. Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Now are you interested in seeing them or shall I tell them you're not interested?" the guard said, tapping his foot slightly.
Faith unfroze and stepped forward through the open cell door and followed the guard through a few corridors to the visitor's area. The guard opened the door and pointed to where both Willow and Buffy could be seen waiting.
Faith almost turned around and fled back to her cell, but the smile that suddenly appeared on Buffy's face when she had seen her stopped Faith.
Taking a deep breath, she walked through the door and over to the booth Willow and Buffy were sitting at. Faith glanced from Buffy to Willow then back again. She could easily see that while Buffy was happy to see her, but Willow was still slightly wary. Taking the seat she looked at them for a second, collecting herself then picked up the phone. "Hey B, Red," she said simply.
"Hi Faith," Buffy said into her own hand set, a warm welcoming smile on her face.
"Faith," Willow muttered, nodding her head in greeting. Looking at Faith, there was a very visual change to the girl; she looked peaceful almost, as if she had been expecting Buffy to come and visit at some point and had been waiting.
There was a few seconds of silence when the two Slayers just looked at each other, before Faith cleared her throat and dropped her eyes slightly from Buffy's. "Well, to what do I owe this visit? Because correct me if I'm wrong, but you're supposed to be dead B," she said.
Buffy nodded her head, "I was, for a few months. Willow summoned me back again," she said, and something flashed through her eyes but was gone before Faith could really catch it.
Faith looked at Buffy, really looked at her for the first time and she could see that something was wrong. It was just the way Buffy sat in the chair, hunched over and tense, the way her hands were halfway clenched. The eyes were the biggest sign; normally they would sparkle like stars with barely suppressed power and life, Faith wasn't sure what but it was something like that. Now they only glimmered like a candle in the wind to coin a phrase and Faith was willing to bet her own eyes, now that she had time to relax and think about things, weren't unlike Buffy's.
Willow nodded her head, "A Hell God wanted to sacrifice Dawn, so she could get back to Hell, but Buffy closed the portal by jumping into it and dying in the process. Xander, Anya, Tara and myself pulled Buffy's soul out of Hell where it was trapped," she said, still quite happy with herself.
Faith, who was looking at Willow, caught just the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over at Buffy, whose free hand had clenched closed tightly; her knuckles white. Looking up at Buffy's face, Faith could see the hard look in her eyes. The previous glimmer was gone and there was nothing but a black hopelessness.
Blinking her eyes to clear her head of the memories of the supposed 'Hell' she had been in, Buffy put on a slight smile. "Anyway that's not the reason we're here. We need help, I need help," Buffy said, pausing slightly to look at Faith. A now worried expression was etched on her face; "I'm not enough by myself anymore. I need you," Buffy said
Willow threw a sidelong glance at Buffy then turned back to look at Faith, "We're pretty sure we can get you out of here either tomorrow or the next day," she said, adding her little bit. Willow could see Faith considering the offer, her eyes watching Buffy. There was something strange in Faith's eyes or strange for Faith. It was compassion, even empathy for her 'sister' having to deal with a God practically alone.
Faith just looked at Buffy, not really listening to what Willow had to say. "Could you give us a sec Willow?" she asked, glancing up for a second at the red haired girl.
Willow looked at Buffy then nodded her head, got up walked over to a table and used the provided tea stand to make a cup of tea, watching the Slayers from a distance.
Faith looked at Buffy for a few seconds before she started to talk again, "Are you sure you want this Buffy?" she asked, "Are you sure you need me?" she asked again.
Buffy just looked at Faith, then a tear started to trail down her cheek and more were present in her eyes, just waiting to fall. "Yes, yes I need you Faith. You have to help me," she said, and her head leant forward until it was resting against the pane of glass that was between the two Slayers.
For a second Faith had been afraid that Buffy would either try and break the glass or just breakdown and start to cry. When neither happened she put her hand up to the glass to where Buffy's cheek would be. "Were you in Hell Buffy?" she asked hesitantly. For some reason she could believe, she just couldn't accept that somebody as pure, as good as Buffy would go to Hell, then what hope did she have in that case?
There was a long pause whilst Faith watched Buffy, and Buffy just sat there, her eyes closed and phone held loosely to her ear, listening to Faith breath at the other end, her forehead rested against the glass as a single tear slowly slid down her cheek. Then Buffy shook her head, "No, I wasn't in Hell," she said, her voice barely more then a whisper.
Even with her Slayer's hearing Faith only barely caught Buffy's words and she silently cursed Willow for the spell.
"That's why I need you, I can barely care for myself and Dawn, let alone the rest of Sunnydale. If you agree to come back with us, we have a room at our house if you want it," Buffy said, looking up. Her eyes begged for Faith to help her.
"Don't worry B, I'll come," Faith said, her voice soft and tender as she looked at the broken form of her 'sister'. "If you've got a pen and paper, I'll give you the number of somebody to ring and she'll have me outta here in a couple of hours tops."
Buffy looked at Faith, "You could have gotten outta here at anytime?" she asked softly, cautiously.
Faith nodded her head, "But I'm in here for you and I was going to stay here until you needed me. I knew you would sooner or later, but I just wish it wasn't for something like this," she said, touching the glass pane again where Buffy's face was.
Buffy collected herself with an effort and the emotional rollercoaster she was on came to a forced stopped as she turned and waved Willow over. "Can you give Willow the number? I have to go to the bathroom."
Faith nodded her head and touched her hand to the glass again, "Sure, no problem B. We'll be outta here and on our way to SunnyD before it starts to go dark, I promise."