Chapter Six
The blood-red creature sat on his old throne. It was a bit dusty and old, but he would take care of that later. Right now he had more important things to take care of. He had the perfect plan to claim this world, but he had to make sure a certain Slayer was kept out of the equation. Would he kill her? No, of course not. The world needed a Slayer and the Powers had made sure that there would always be one to replace the one killed.
"Yes, you are perfect," the creature said to the still form draped at his feet. "She will not expect you."
With a wave of his hand, the unconscious form disappeared. A small smile spread across his lips as he licked blood from his talons.
* * *
Buffy's cold gaze was fixed on the staircase, staring long and hard as if she had x-ray vision to see what Dawn and Faith were doing. She didn't notice that they were all staring at her, as if waiting for her to explode. She didn't even hear that they were speaking with her, all she could hear was her thoughts and the faint humming that told her Faith was near.
Giles sighed heavily, reaching over the table to take his Slayer's fidgeting hands into his own. Her attention immediately snapped and her gaze found his, softening a bit to give him a faint, faltering smile.
"Buffy, we need to talk," Giles said softly.
A frown formed on the blonde Slayer's mouth. "About what Giles? Why I'm not up there right now beating the shit out of her?" One of her hands pulled free from her Watcher's grasp and pointed up the stairs. "My little sister is upstairs with a killer!"
"She has lived with two," Giles said sharply. His tone of voice immediately caught Buffy's and the rest of the gang's attention.
Those who were with him when he was still a high school librarian knew what he was talking about. They remembered that Giles had a dark past, too. One that did affect the lives of those he loved and what he's done he is still trying to make up for. He wasn't always the primped up, tweed wearing, educated, respecting man he is now. In darker days, he was someone known and feared, a rebel among his people, a killer; in darker days when he was known as Ripper.
The ex-Watcher looked at the staircase for a brief moment. He to some extent understood what Faith was going through, where she was coming from. He would never truly understand as much as Angel, but he still had an idea. From the very moment he saw the haunted look in Faith's eyes, he knew. He had taken more than one mortal life in his time, both intentionally and unintentionally. He himself sometimes saw the faces of the dead in his mind, felt the guilt creeping up like death, and sometimes feared what he would see when he looked in the mirror, but he believed that he was doing the right thing now, slowly atoning for what he did in his youth. As he saw the haunted look in Faith's eyes while she was standing there at the doorway, looking like a lost beaten child, he cursed himself. How could he have been so blind?
The Faith he saw today was a young, vulnerable girl full of pain and guilt, nothing at all like the cocky, confident girl he met what seemed like eternities ago. He finally realized that the tough-girl exterior Faith had provided for them during her stay at Sunnydale was all a façade, a defense mechanism, something she learned before she was Called and enforced as her time as a Slayer. Her emotional turmoil must have been overwhelming for someone her age, dealing with her Watcher's death, the betrayal of Gwendolyn Post, and killing an innocent man.
But Buffy was there, too, Giles thought. His gaze focused on his Slayer. Buffy could have easily been like Faith. No, Giles corrected himself.
Buffy always had the support of loyal loving friends and family and a Watcher who was always there for her. Faith didn't have any of those things. She was alone to face what she has done. Sure, they had offered to help, but it was all halfheartedly. They never really tried to help Faith and of course Faith wouldn't go to them. She knew that they were Buffy's friends. Not hers. She was the outsider. They never once invited her to go Bronzing after a good patrol, never checked up on her in that ratty motel, never did anything a friend would have done. They only brought her out of her fleabag motel when they needed extra firepower or when no one else wanted to go with Buffy on patrol. Used and abused like a tool. No wonder it was so easy for her to go the mayor. He provided things Faith never had. He gave her love and attention. He needed her. He was like a father to her, someone she could turn to and rely on. The only other person that had tried was Joyce, but she, too, fell back to Buffy, backing up her daughter as a good mother should.
Giles' voice softened. "Buffy, you need to see things through her perspective. We were never there for her. She had to deal with things on her own, possibly for a long time before she was even in Sunnydale. She deserves a chance."
"We gave her chances time and time again," Buffy exclaimed. "All she did was screw us over and hurt us every chance she could." She snorted derisively, almost disbelieving that Giles was actually taking Faith's side. "Giles, she killed a man!"
"That was an accident," Cordelia shot back. "I remember a time when you thought you accidentally killed a human being. Remember the pain then?"
Buffy looked at her, speechless, as her mind raced over the time when she thought she had killed her mom's boyfriend, Ted. She remembered the guilt and how scared she was, the hurt and shame she felt when her mom couldn't even look at her because of what she did. She could almost feel what Faith must have gone through, but she shook her head, trying to clear her mind, her anger over Faith getting the better of her.
"She tried to kill us," Buffy stated heatedly.
"No, she didn't," Giles again said softly. "She never once came after us when she was with the mayor. She could have, she would have every advantage, but she didn't." Willow made a little cough at that point and their gazes met. "She had Willow at knifepoint. She could have killed her, but she didn't. And look at Dawn, the monks seemed to put only good memories of each other inside them, isn't that saying something? For Christ's sake, she went to jail for you, Buffy! That at least tells you she wanted to change."
"Until what? She got tired of sitting around not pummeling or killing anybody so she decided to escape?" Buffy met Giles' intense gaze.
"Uh…actually…Buffy," Willow started. She was sitting cross-legged with Tara by her side with her laptop nestled in her lap. "I've been doing some hacking and the files say that Faith was released. No fighting, no killing, just an appeal where she was acquitted. Her lawyer did file something about Faith becoming upset about the verdict and saying she belonged in jail. The doctor reports that she was stabbed…again…trying to help an her cellmate." Her eyes looked down sadly for a moment before looking up at Buffy. "She wanted to stay, Buffy. There's even some self-mutilation in her files. Maybe she has changed."
At the mention of mutilation, Buffy suddenly remembered Faith's bandaged hands and the wound in her side, almost where she, herself, had stabbed her. Had she done that to herself? Why? Was that part of the act? To get them all to feel sorry for her, trust her again, and then backstab them again?
"Buffy, you are entirely overreacting," Giles scolded. "You need to get past this hatred so you two can work together. There is something big out there, bigger and more threatening and dangerous than Faith, and your anger will probably get us all killed."
Buffy sighed angrily. "What the hell do you want me to do?"
"I want you to go up there right now and talk things out with her. I'm sure you'll find that she is a different person," Giles replied. He glanced at Cordelia. "Am I right?" Cordelia nodded. "Good. The rest of us will carry on with the task at hand."
Cordelia made a beeline straight towards the phone, like she was anxious to get to it the whole time. "I need to call Wesley and Gunn." Her voice was a little frantic and her eyes fell to the floor. "I…I don't have a phone connection at my apartment. After that long distance to Sunnydale I couldn't pay…"
"It's okay Cordelia," Giles said in understanding. "Make your calls. Make sure to tell them to come here immediately. I'm sure it's safer here." He glanced at Buffy, gesturing towards the stairs.
Buffy held up her hands defensively. "All right, all right, I'm going."
* * *
Faith snapped open her eyes. Okay…this is different. She was standing in an open meadow, flowers blooming as far as she could see and to her left was a beautiful thick forest. "Geez, I told the little runt not to let me close my eyes for even a second." She shook her head amusingly, wondering what she did to still have the young girl's trust. "Where the hell am I? And why am I talking to myself?" Guess those hits on the head are finally taking its toll. Not to mention the flashbacks and voices.
"Faith."
She whirled around to the sound of the voice. She came face to face with a beautiful woman. She was at least a head taller than Faith and slim with voluptuous curves. She wore a brown animal skin skirt that showed long tanned legs and a brown leather brazier that revealed her muscled abs and ample cleavage. Both garments were heavily studded in jewels with intricate tribal designs. Her hair was wavy cinnamon brown that fell just past her shoulders and she had the most intense green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Faith quickly noticed the sword strapped to her hip, the longbow held taut in one hand, and a quiver of bows slung over her right shoulder. Faith also noticed that there were animals at the woman's feet. One was a young white tiger; the other was a full-grown black wolf with sky blue eyes. What was strange about the animals was that they were playing with each other like newborn puppies; nipping and pawing each other playfully.
"Who the hell are you," Faith demanded, putting on her usually cockiness.
The woman smiled, making herself look even more beautiful. "It doesn't matter who I am. I am just a friend. It does matter who you are."
Faith crossed her arms, cocking her head to one side, looking very much like the old Faith. "It's seems to me you already know who I am." She raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"
"I want to help of course," the woman replied, sounding as if that was a ludicrous question then her tone turned into a more serious note. "In the times ahead you will face many difficulties, hardships, betrayals…"
"Not that I haven't already," Faith muttered sarcastically.
"In the end, you are the one who can stop it. The only one who can put an end to it," the woman continued. "It is my duty to bestow you two gifts. However, you must give and teach these to the other as well."
"The other? The other what," Faith said confused. "Don't get all cryptic on me now."
"Your partner, your equal," the woman answered. "The only one who can understand you."
Faith was about to reply, but the woman gestured her to be quiet. The woman reached towards her pouch dangling from her other hip and took out a small gelatinous looking ball and placed it in Faith's hands.
"You are to swallow this," the woman instructed. She waited a moment as Faith studied the ball with a sick look on her face. "I mean now."
Faith gave her an incredulous look, but placed the thing in her mouth anyway. Surprisingly, it melted as soon as it touched the warmth of her tongue and slid down her throat just as easily. It tasted like fresh strawberries and red wine. The woman smiled at the pleasant look on Faith's face.
"Now listen very closely, because I can only tell you this once," the woman commanded. "I'm already breaking rules by being here, giving you this kind of dream."
"So, I am supposed to be dreaming of death and destruction right now," Faith confirmed.
The woman nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, the Powers find it a fitting form of punishment, but you'll get over it soon." She shook her head. "Anyway, you feel the darkness inside you don't you? Swirling and churning like a living thing?" Faith nodded, uncomfortable at the fact that the woman was bringing this up. "You need to embrace it."
Faith gave her a shocked look and shook her head weakly. Her mind going through the consequences of the times that she had embraced the darkness. It usually ended up with someone hurt or killed.
~ "You thought you could just touch it. That you'd be okay…but it swallowed you whole…" ~
"No…I'll never do that again." Her voice sounded small, like a child.
"You must," the woman said, her voice sounding majestic. "You must learn to control it, bend it to your will. It is a part of you. You must accept it. Do that and you will gain an incredible gift. A gift no other of your kind has ever achieved or received. You must also teach this to the other."
With that, the woman disappeared in an awesome show of green and purple lights. As soon as she was gone, with no trace of her ever being there, the world Faith was in slowly dissolved, ebbing into the torrent of nightmares that has plagued her since she was a child and became even worse after the incident with Allen and her fall into the path of evil.
Faith watched as the world around her slowly became dark and sighed heavily and sadly. Finally, something I'm familiar with.
* * *
Buffy stealthily made her way through the long hallway. She didn't know which room Dawn was using in this grand hotel, but she was using her instincts. She was following the tingling sensation that grew steadily stronger with each step she took. She knew she was close. She paused at a door, cocking her head to one side, listening with all her Slayer powers to what lay behind the door. Two people breathing; both slow and steady in sleep.
Buffy slowly opened the door. She saw that Dawn was lying on her queen-size bed on her stomach, one leg hanging off the side of the bed, and head on her hands as she slept. Faith was sleeping beside Dawn. Her head next to Dawn's book and an arm out as if she were trying to reach the book, but fell asleep before she could. She could see that the bruises and cuts Faith had from the night before were all gone. Only the one on her jaw remained, where Buffy had given her a powerful right hook.
Gotta love that Slayer healing. "Dawn," Buffy said quietly, stirring the younger brunette from her sleep. "Can you go downstairs and study? I need to speak with Faith."
Dawn rose sleepily and looked around as if disoriented. She finally found focus and he glanced at the sleeping form next to her then back at her older sister, and crossed her arms.
"Yeah right. Does speaking include your fists," Dawn asked icily.
Buffy pursed her lips. She was still unsure of what she might do. "Just go, Dawn, please. Giles wanted me to come up here to talk with her. Make some sort of truce. I can't do that if you're here. It has to be between me and her."
"Fine, all right," Dawn replied, gathering her books in her arms. "Just be nice okay?"
Buffy nodded weakly, but didn't meet her sister's gaze. She waited until she heard Dawn's footsteps patter down the stairs before slowly making her way towards the bed. She cocked her head to one side, studying Faith as she slept seemingly peacefully. She was just about to wake her up, when Faith jerked in her sleep a low and painful moan coming from her throat. Buffy watched with a curious expression as Faith continued to toss and turn in her sleep, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. After a few minutes, Buffy started to get a bit uneasy and started to feel a rise of sympathy for her but she quickly bit it down. She moved to wake up the troubled sleeper, but jumped back as Faith's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright.
"No," came Faith's strangled cry.
With her chest heaving and sweat on her brow, Faith looked around as if trying to remember where she was. Her eyes fell on the blonde Slayer and she cringed inwardly, wondering how long she was standing there watching her sleep. She moved off the bed to stand on the other side, with Buffy watching her carefully on the other.
"Hey, B…" Faith said awkwardly, fidgeting with her hands.
Buffy just stared at her, while Faith looked everywhere except at the blonde Slayer. After what seemed like hours, Faith took a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, before finally meeting Buffy's eyes. She was surprised to find them empty and emotionless. She was expecting the usual glare of anger and hate.
Faith swallowed. "B…Buffy, what happened before, I'm sor…"
"What?" The old anger and hate resurfaced in Buffy's eyes.
Faith sighed. "I know you said you'd beat me to death if I ever apologized." She glanced down at the bed, as if gathering her courage, then looked back at Buffy. "But I am. I am sorry."
Buffy glared at her, incredulous. "You think that's gonna make it better? You think I'd forget everything you did to me?"
Faith snorted, her voice trembling. "You think I don't know that?" She slowly, unconsciously started making her way closer to Buffy. "I'd do anything to take back the things I did, but I have to live it with for however long I am going to live. You have no idea what it's like."
~ "You have no idea what it's like on the other side! Where nothing's in control, nothing makes sense! There's just pain and hate and nothing you do means anything." ~
Faith was now only a foot away from Buffy, her tone desperate and sorry, just like the night at Angel's. "I don't know what to do, B."
~ "There is nothing I can do for you, B. I can't ever make it right." ~
Faith held back the tears in her eyes. "I'll do anything to make it up to you. I've hurt you the most and I'm sorry."
Buffy punched Faith, but there was no real power behind it. "Stop it," she said weakly, her voice cracking.
Nothing did make sense to the blonde Slayer anymore. She could visibly see that Faith was different, but she was having difficulty believing it, in fact, she wasn't sure if she wanted to, not after all the pain Faith had put her through. It was just so much easier to hate the dark Slayer, but right now she had no reason too. All the things Faith did seemed like so long ago and didn't even matter now. She's had her share of pain since Faith left, so why did she still hate her so much?
"Kill me if you want to…anything…just tell me what to do," Faith said desperately.
~ "Just tell me how to make it better." ~
"You should have been there! You're a Slayer, Faith! You're supposed to be fighting by my side! The Chosen Two!" Buffy now had tears welling in her eyes, her voice sounded hurt and betrayed, finally unleashing her reasons of anger. "If you were there, I would have been with her! I could have stopped it! And my mother wouldn't be…"
She choked on her last words, a tear slipped down Buffy's cheek. Before anymore could fall, Buffy turned and ran out the room. She didn't want Faith to have the pleasure of seeing her cry.