Part 6
Faith walked behind the podium and stared out towards her audience. And for the first time in her life, the slayer knew fear. She had hurt the Scoobies a thousand times over. The glare she was getting from both Willow and Buffy showed they were still upset.
"I shouldn't be up here. I was never that nice to Xander…or his friends. He always tried to be nice, but I spat on him…not literally though," Faith said trying for a joke.
"Xander and I had one night together. To him, it was special. To me it was just a fling. I regret that to this day. He was the only guy who actually treated me like he cared," Faith continued.
"Even after I hurt him and tried to kill him, he still cared about me. A couple years ago…not long after I went to jail…I got an unexpected visitor. Xander."
****Flashback****
Los Angeles County Prison
August 4, 2000
Faith sat on the top bunk in her cell reading a book. It's not like she had anything else to do in there. She heard a loud clang a footsteps headed her way. A guard came to her cell and opened it.
"You have a visitor Williams," the guard said.
Odd, Faith thought to herself. Angel normally visits on Tuesdays.
As the guard took her, she saw a dark haired man with his back turned. She would have thought it was Angel if it weren't for the clothes.
She sat down and the man on the other side of the glass turned and picked up the phone as Faith did the same.
"Hey Faith," Xander said.
"Hey Xand. What are you doing here? Isn't it kind of far from little Miss Perfect?"
"Well I was in the area, thought I'd come visit."
"You were in the area," Faith asked skepickally.
"Okay…Buffy told us you confessed to everything willingly. Drove up to see how you were. Would have been here sooner, but our big bad for the year was trying to piece together his human/demon/cyborg army to take over the world."
"Was he scary?"
"Only in the fact that he was strong, fast, and almost invincible. We took him out with some enjoining spell to stop him. Giles, Willow, and I took a trip into Buffy. Helped take him out."
"Sorry I missed it."
After a moment of silence, Xander spoke up again.
"So…how are you holding up?"
"It's hard. Sometimes I regret ever confessing. But Angel helped me realize…I have a chance to make amends. Try to atone for what I've done."
"The road to redemption, eh Faith."
"Yeah."
"It is a rocky road," Xander said. "But I know you can do it. You're a strong woman Faith."
"Thanks," Faith said. "Look…Xander I just want to apologize for what I did to you."
"It's okay Faith. You were in a bad place. You never had a happy childhood. You were thrown into a grown-up world. You watched your watcher die…couldn't have been easy for you."
"It wasn't," Faith said solemnly. "But I had no right to treat you the way I did. I know you had a small thing for me. And that night you saved my life I used you."
"Yeah you did…but I got over it."
"Did you get over my trying to strangle you," Faith asked.
"Not so much," Xander replied.
"You're a great guy Xan," Faith said. "I had no excuse for what I did."
"It's okay Faith. I forgive you."
"Why? I used you and almost killed you."
"I've just never been one to hold a grudge. I'm upset, yes. Angry you did it, you bet. But it's in the past. What you're doing here…trying to make up for it…That makes up for it. The road to redemption is a rocky one."
"So…how's Buffy? After I last saw her…"
"She's fine now. Riley and her worked though what you did, although I wouldn't expect to see her popping in for a visit. She's still pretty upset with you."
"Tell her…when you see her…"
"I won't tell her your sorry."
"Oh," Faith said softly.
"Its not that I don't want to…she doesn't actually know that I'm here right now."
"You didn't tell B?"
"No…no one knows I'm here actually."
"It means a lot to me…that you came."
"No problem."
A guard came up behind Faith.
"Times up," the guard said.
"I gotta go anyway Faith. Have job interview with a construction company."
"Do you know how to do that kind of stuff?"
"I can learn," Xander said with a grin.
"Bye Xander," Faith said.
"See you soon Faith," Xander said.
He hung up the phone and waved good-bye and headed out.
****End Flashback****
"Xander gave me strength that day. To keep striving towards being a better person. If it wasn't for Angel and Xander…I don't know what would have happened to me in there."
She took the boutonnière off her jacket and placed it on the casket.
"Thanks for being a light in the dark Xand."
End Part 6
Faith walked behind the podium and stared out towards her audience. And for the first time in her life, the slayer knew fear. She had hurt the Scoobies a thousand times over. The glare she was getting from both Willow and Buffy showed they were still upset.
"I shouldn't be up here. I was never that nice to Xander…or his friends. He always tried to be nice, but I spat on him…not literally though," Faith said trying for a joke.
"Xander and I had one night together. To him, it was special. To me it was just a fling. I regret that to this day. He was the only guy who actually treated me like he cared," Faith continued.
"Even after I hurt him and tried to kill him, he still cared about me. A couple years ago…not long after I went to jail…I got an unexpected visitor. Xander."
****Flashback****
Los Angeles County Prison
August 4, 2000
Faith sat on the top bunk in her cell reading a book. It's not like she had anything else to do in there. She heard a loud clang a footsteps headed her way. A guard came to her cell and opened it.
"You have a visitor Williams," the guard said.
Odd, Faith thought to herself. Angel normally visits on Tuesdays.
As the guard took her, she saw a dark haired man with his back turned. She would have thought it was Angel if it weren't for the clothes.
She sat down and the man on the other side of the glass turned and picked up the phone as Faith did the same.
"Hey Faith," Xander said.
"Hey Xand. What are you doing here? Isn't it kind of far from little Miss Perfect?"
"Well I was in the area, thought I'd come visit."
"You were in the area," Faith asked skepickally.
"Okay…Buffy told us you confessed to everything willingly. Drove up to see how you were. Would have been here sooner, but our big bad for the year was trying to piece together his human/demon/cyborg army to take over the world."
"Was he scary?"
"Only in the fact that he was strong, fast, and almost invincible. We took him out with some enjoining spell to stop him. Giles, Willow, and I took a trip into Buffy. Helped take him out."
"Sorry I missed it."
After a moment of silence, Xander spoke up again.
"So…how are you holding up?"
"It's hard. Sometimes I regret ever confessing. But Angel helped me realize…I have a chance to make amends. Try to atone for what I've done."
"The road to redemption, eh Faith."
"Yeah."
"It is a rocky road," Xander said. "But I know you can do it. You're a strong woman Faith."
"Thanks," Faith said. "Look…Xander I just want to apologize for what I did to you."
"It's okay Faith. You were in a bad place. You never had a happy childhood. You were thrown into a grown-up world. You watched your watcher die…couldn't have been easy for you."
"It wasn't," Faith said solemnly. "But I had no right to treat you the way I did. I know you had a small thing for me. And that night you saved my life I used you."
"Yeah you did…but I got over it."
"Did you get over my trying to strangle you," Faith asked.
"Not so much," Xander replied.
"You're a great guy Xan," Faith said. "I had no excuse for what I did."
"It's okay Faith. I forgive you."
"Why? I used you and almost killed you."
"I've just never been one to hold a grudge. I'm upset, yes. Angry you did it, you bet. But it's in the past. What you're doing here…trying to make up for it…That makes up for it. The road to redemption is a rocky one."
"So…how's Buffy? After I last saw her…"
"She's fine now. Riley and her worked though what you did, although I wouldn't expect to see her popping in for a visit. She's still pretty upset with you."
"Tell her…when you see her…"
"I won't tell her your sorry."
"Oh," Faith said softly.
"Its not that I don't want to…she doesn't actually know that I'm here right now."
"You didn't tell B?"
"No…no one knows I'm here actually."
"It means a lot to me…that you came."
"No problem."
A guard came up behind Faith.
"Times up," the guard said.
"I gotta go anyway Faith. Have job interview with a construction company."
"Do you know how to do that kind of stuff?"
"I can learn," Xander said with a grin.
"Bye Xander," Faith said.
"See you soon Faith," Xander said.
He hung up the phone and waved good-bye and headed out.
****End Flashback****
"Xander gave me strength that day. To keep striving towards being a better person. If it wasn't for Angel and Xander…I don't know what would have happened to me in there."
She took the boutonnière off her jacket and placed it on the casket.
"Thanks for being a light in the dark Xand."
End Part 6