[reads from paper while tied to chair] I own none of these characters and
receive no remuneration or benefits from their use. [is set free] Stupid
legalities. Thank you for all my reviewers, you all rock! And on ff.net,
the anonymous review issue has been resolved, sorry for the delay, ff.net
decided for a few days that I wasn't allowed to get into settings to fix
the problem. Thanks also to Nimacu for the heads up about the baby, now I
can start thinking about bringing he/she/it into the world and the
storyline! Here we go again...
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. . .
Malcolm's Aside: "Faith's been home for two days, and it totally sucks! She gets her old room back, all to herself while the three of us who have been here all along and haven't, y'know, run away and murdered people, are jammed in our crappy little room together like sardines."
Faith looked up from her coffee and furrowed her brows at her brunette brother. "Who are you talking to Mal?"
Malcolm frowned. "First, I didn't say anything, and second, don't call me 'Mal'," he replied snidely, before turning his attention back to his cereal.
Faith looked to her father, who just shrugged. Faith couldn't tell if it was a confused shrug or an apologetic shrug, and she decided not to push the issue. Hal began chattering in his usual bubbly way to her and despite the disgustingly early hour Faith managed to pay attention to him.
"So, honey, have you decided what you're gonna do now that you're home? I mean, you could go to college-"
"Dad- I dropped out of high school. I ain't going to college," Faith interrupted, suddenly wishing she'd stayed in bed until the house emptied.
"Well, there's jobs-"
"I'm not good at anything," she protested. "Except killing stuff."
"Try the abattoir!" Hal suggested helpfully, with a smile suggesting that, to him, the problem was now solved.
"What's an abattoir?" Dewey asked around a mouthful of cereal.
"It's where they kill cows and stuff so we can eat them," Reese supplied, leaning in close to his little brother. His eyes glittered evilly and he grinned in anticipation of another opportunity to scare Dewey.
"There's all these chainsaws and stuff, and they hack right into the cows while they're still alive, and chop 'em up right there and then. And I heard that there was this one abattoir where a kid, he was about your age, got onto the killing floor by mistake, and this guy's glasses were so covered in blood that he didn't see him, and he chopped the kid right up and nobody could hear the screams over the chainsaws. And all they ever found was one bloody shoelace that turned up in someone's steaks."
Hal had been visibly paling all throughout Reese's bloodthirsty tale and now dropped his spoon into his half-full bowl. "Reese, for the love of God stop talking!"
Faith reached over and slapped the seventeen year-old upside the back of his head. "Ow!" Reese cried, giving his sister a dirty look.
Lois, who had been at the counter making the boys' lunches for school, finished her task and turned around to join in the conversation. "Well, y'know I had an idea for something you could do Faith. You could take care of the baby when it comes, and the house. Also watch your brothers as well."
Everyone raised an eyebrow at this. "You did hear the part where she said she wasn't good at anything except killing stuff, right?" Malcolm broke in. Faith scowled at him, slightly hurt by the suggestion that she would ever do something so awful to her own flesh and blood. Though he was asking for a beating...
"Mind your tongue, Malcolm," Lois reprimanded him harshly. "I'm gonna need the help around here, and since you boys are all rude little monsters, I'm going to have to get it elsewhere. I'm going back to work in a week, since I'm home now anyway, and once the baby comes I'll have to go back after the first six weeks," she reasoned. They were definitely going to need the money.
"Yeah, but Mom, I can't do any of that stuff," Faith worried. "I'm not domesticated enough to take care of the house and the kid- God I don't wanna even think about it!"
"Honey you'll learn, I have faith in you," Lois reassured her. Malcolm huffed quietly to himself. His mother was never so trusting with him. "Plus you get to live here and a hundred bucks a week."
Faith thought it over a moment. "Sold. But whatever happens, don't say I didn't warn you."
* * * * *
Faith walked around the empty house, enjoying the solitude. The boys were all at school, Hal had gone to work and Lois was running errands, and Faith knew this was a golden opportunity to get herself organised. She went into her brothers' room and started flipping through their CDs. When she came across one of Malcolm's that she knew she liked, she popped it into her father's stereo and cranked up the volume, letting the pounding notes wash away all the sounds of other life in their street.
Her family had helped move her back in to her tiny room when she had arrived home, but since she only had one duffel bag and a handful of loose objects scattered around the celica, it had not taken long for her to clean the room and make it her own again.
But there were still a few things tucked in the trunk of the car that she needed, things she didn't think her family should see straight up. Faith lit up a cigarette and wandered out to her car, still parked at the curb. She leaned against the passenger door for a few minutes, finishing her smoke before flicking the butt aside and unlocking the trunk.
A blanket had been thrown haphazardly over a large duffel bag which looked suspiciously like the army one Xander had requisitioned back in his Soldier-Guy phase. Faith shoved the blanket to the side and effortlessly lifted the heavy, awkward duffel out of the car and dropping it on the ground.
With a quick look around, almost as if she expected someone to bust her with the mostly-illegal weaponry at any moment, Faith locked her celica up and escorted her cargo safely into her room. There she opened the bag, grinning a little to herself at the last name, Harris, printed neatly on the inside, and began to take stock of her arsenal.
One longbow with only a dozen arrows, one crossbow, complete with a full quiver of darts, ten stakes, four crosses, one short sword, and the knife from the Mayor, which had been Buffy's parting gift to her.
She was bopping her head in time with the beat, completely lost in the music as she worked. She slipped a band around her calf and used it to sheath her knife, and then anchored a stake at the small of her back, using her belt and skin tight pants. The rest of her weaponry she quickly stowed on the top shelf of her closet, out of Dewey's reach. She stopped and though a moment, wondering if she should actually be more concerned with keeping her weapons out of Reese's reach than Dewey's.
Suddenly, the music was cut off and all was silent in the house. Faith pulled her knife out and slipped from her room, hunting for the intruder. Faith spotted him and with a wild cry, flung herself at his back, tackling him to the ground.
"Aaaahhhhhhhh!" Francis practically screamed as he tumbled to the floor.
Faith immediately realised who she had tackled and stood up, resheathing her knife before pulling her brother to his feet. "What's the matter, F? Aren't you happy to see me?"
Francis just sent her a nonplussed look and Faith took that as her cue for a nice sibling hug. It was a few seconds before Francis started to whimper under the pressure of her strong arms and Faith let him go.
Doubling over and panting for breath, Francis indicated to someone standing just behind Faith. "This is my wife, Piama. Piama, my incredibly strong big sister, Faith."
Faith turned around and regarded her sister-in-law with cool curiosity. "Hey."
Piama arched an eyebrow icily at Faith's greeting. "Hi."
After a tense moment of sizing each other up, which reminded a near- panicking Francis of when Piama had met his mother, Faith seemed to come to a conclusion about the woman who had married her brother. With a small smirk of approval, Faith nodded. "Nice to meet you, Piama."
Francis breathed a loud sigh of relief and Faith raised her eyebrows at him. He shrugged, a half smile creasing his features as he finally regained his breath and straightened up.
"Where's Mom?"
"Out. Should be home soon though. You guys hungry or anything? Want a coffee?" Faith asked, deciding to try her hand at this domesticated business her mother was convinced she could handle.
They settled round the table to talk, steaming mugs of coffee in their hands. Piama mostly stayed silent, watching with interest as the two siblings filled each other in on the last five years of their lives. After Francis finished telling her all about Military School and getting married and then finally ending up at the Grotto working for Gretchen and Otto, it was Faith's turn.
She quickly recounted the death of her watcher, whom Francis had even met once, and her decision to flee. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before Kakistos decided to go after her family, and the best way to protect them was to draw him away.
Faith told her brother and his wife how she'd gone to Sunnydale and sought the other Slayer out, but things had soured. Francis' eyes widened as he listened. He knew his sister was as wild and reckless as himself, hey, family trait, but he had never imagined she would ever be more than a petty criminal, a delinquent menace to society. His mouth was hanging open by the time she finished her tale of prison, her escape, and the destruction of Sunnydale fighting the First Evil.
"Wow," was all Francis could say.
"Yeah," Piama seconded. At that moment, the front door banged open and Lois bustled in, weighed down by several grocery bags.
Immediately Francis jumped up to take them from her. Lois kissed his cheek. "Hi, honey." She turned to the table, where Faith and Piama still sat. "Piama," she greeted unenthusiastically.
"Lois," Piama returned, her tone matching her mother in-law's.
Faith smirked to herself. "Dewey was right," she muttered.
* * * * *
Hmm. double-scene this chapter. I hope you know how spoilt you all are, I've been trying to stretch this fic out as much as possible, but I am too greedy for reviews! So please hit that little button down there and feed me! Up next.. A little slaying action. (Finally, I know!) Thanks for reading, ~Anoron
.
. . .
Malcolm's Aside: "Faith's been home for two days, and it totally sucks! She gets her old room back, all to herself while the three of us who have been here all along and haven't, y'know, run away and murdered people, are jammed in our crappy little room together like sardines."
Faith looked up from her coffee and furrowed her brows at her brunette brother. "Who are you talking to Mal?"
Malcolm frowned. "First, I didn't say anything, and second, don't call me 'Mal'," he replied snidely, before turning his attention back to his cereal.
Faith looked to her father, who just shrugged. Faith couldn't tell if it was a confused shrug or an apologetic shrug, and she decided not to push the issue. Hal began chattering in his usual bubbly way to her and despite the disgustingly early hour Faith managed to pay attention to him.
"So, honey, have you decided what you're gonna do now that you're home? I mean, you could go to college-"
"Dad- I dropped out of high school. I ain't going to college," Faith interrupted, suddenly wishing she'd stayed in bed until the house emptied.
"Well, there's jobs-"
"I'm not good at anything," she protested. "Except killing stuff."
"Try the abattoir!" Hal suggested helpfully, with a smile suggesting that, to him, the problem was now solved.
"What's an abattoir?" Dewey asked around a mouthful of cereal.
"It's where they kill cows and stuff so we can eat them," Reese supplied, leaning in close to his little brother. His eyes glittered evilly and he grinned in anticipation of another opportunity to scare Dewey.
"There's all these chainsaws and stuff, and they hack right into the cows while they're still alive, and chop 'em up right there and then. And I heard that there was this one abattoir where a kid, he was about your age, got onto the killing floor by mistake, and this guy's glasses were so covered in blood that he didn't see him, and he chopped the kid right up and nobody could hear the screams over the chainsaws. And all they ever found was one bloody shoelace that turned up in someone's steaks."
Hal had been visibly paling all throughout Reese's bloodthirsty tale and now dropped his spoon into his half-full bowl. "Reese, for the love of God stop talking!"
Faith reached over and slapped the seventeen year-old upside the back of his head. "Ow!" Reese cried, giving his sister a dirty look.
Lois, who had been at the counter making the boys' lunches for school, finished her task and turned around to join in the conversation. "Well, y'know I had an idea for something you could do Faith. You could take care of the baby when it comes, and the house. Also watch your brothers as well."
Everyone raised an eyebrow at this. "You did hear the part where she said she wasn't good at anything except killing stuff, right?" Malcolm broke in. Faith scowled at him, slightly hurt by the suggestion that she would ever do something so awful to her own flesh and blood. Though he was asking for a beating...
"Mind your tongue, Malcolm," Lois reprimanded him harshly. "I'm gonna need the help around here, and since you boys are all rude little monsters, I'm going to have to get it elsewhere. I'm going back to work in a week, since I'm home now anyway, and once the baby comes I'll have to go back after the first six weeks," she reasoned. They were definitely going to need the money.
"Yeah, but Mom, I can't do any of that stuff," Faith worried. "I'm not domesticated enough to take care of the house and the kid- God I don't wanna even think about it!"
"Honey you'll learn, I have faith in you," Lois reassured her. Malcolm huffed quietly to himself. His mother was never so trusting with him. "Plus you get to live here and a hundred bucks a week."
Faith thought it over a moment. "Sold. But whatever happens, don't say I didn't warn you."
* * * * *
Faith walked around the empty house, enjoying the solitude. The boys were all at school, Hal had gone to work and Lois was running errands, and Faith knew this was a golden opportunity to get herself organised. She went into her brothers' room and started flipping through their CDs. When she came across one of Malcolm's that she knew she liked, she popped it into her father's stereo and cranked up the volume, letting the pounding notes wash away all the sounds of other life in their street.
Her family had helped move her back in to her tiny room when she had arrived home, but since she only had one duffel bag and a handful of loose objects scattered around the celica, it had not taken long for her to clean the room and make it her own again.
But there were still a few things tucked in the trunk of the car that she needed, things she didn't think her family should see straight up. Faith lit up a cigarette and wandered out to her car, still parked at the curb. She leaned against the passenger door for a few minutes, finishing her smoke before flicking the butt aside and unlocking the trunk.
A blanket had been thrown haphazardly over a large duffel bag which looked suspiciously like the army one Xander had requisitioned back in his Soldier-Guy phase. Faith shoved the blanket to the side and effortlessly lifted the heavy, awkward duffel out of the car and dropping it on the ground.
With a quick look around, almost as if she expected someone to bust her with the mostly-illegal weaponry at any moment, Faith locked her celica up and escorted her cargo safely into her room. There she opened the bag, grinning a little to herself at the last name, Harris, printed neatly on the inside, and began to take stock of her arsenal.
One longbow with only a dozen arrows, one crossbow, complete with a full quiver of darts, ten stakes, four crosses, one short sword, and the knife from the Mayor, which had been Buffy's parting gift to her.
She was bopping her head in time with the beat, completely lost in the music as she worked. She slipped a band around her calf and used it to sheath her knife, and then anchored a stake at the small of her back, using her belt and skin tight pants. The rest of her weaponry she quickly stowed on the top shelf of her closet, out of Dewey's reach. She stopped and though a moment, wondering if she should actually be more concerned with keeping her weapons out of Reese's reach than Dewey's.
Suddenly, the music was cut off and all was silent in the house. Faith pulled her knife out and slipped from her room, hunting for the intruder. Faith spotted him and with a wild cry, flung herself at his back, tackling him to the ground.
"Aaaahhhhhhhh!" Francis practically screamed as he tumbled to the floor.
Faith immediately realised who she had tackled and stood up, resheathing her knife before pulling her brother to his feet. "What's the matter, F? Aren't you happy to see me?"
Francis just sent her a nonplussed look and Faith took that as her cue for a nice sibling hug. It was a few seconds before Francis started to whimper under the pressure of her strong arms and Faith let him go.
Doubling over and panting for breath, Francis indicated to someone standing just behind Faith. "This is my wife, Piama. Piama, my incredibly strong big sister, Faith."
Faith turned around and regarded her sister-in-law with cool curiosity. "Hey."
Piama arched an eyebrow icily at Faith's greeting. "Hi."
After a tense moment of sizing each other up, which reminded a near- panicking Francis of when Piama had met his mother, Faith seemed to come to a conclusion about the woman who had married her brother. With a small smirk of approval, Faith nodded. "Nice to meet you, Piama."
Francis breathed a loud sigh of relief and Faith raised her eyebrows at him. He shrugged, a half smile creasing his features as he finally regained his breath and straightened up.
"Where's Mom?"
"Out. Should be home soon though. You guys hungry or anything? Want a coffee?" Faith asked, deciding to try her hand at this domesticated business her mother was convinced she could handle.
They settled round the table to talk, steaming mugs of coffee in their hands. Piama mostly stayed silent, watching with interest as the two siblings filled each other in on the last five years of their lives. After Francis finished telling her all about Military School and getting married and then finally ending up at the Grotto working for Gretchen and Otto, it was Faith's turn.
She quickly recounted the death of her watcher, whom Francis had even met once, and her decision to flee. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before Kakistos decided to go after her family, and the best way to protect them was to draw him away.
Faith told her brother and his wife how she'd gone to Sunnydale and sought the other Slayer out, but things had soured. Francis' eyes widened as he listened. He knew his sister was as wild and reckless as himself, hey, family trait, but he had never imagined she would ever be more than a petty criminal, a delinquent menace to society. His mouth was hanging open by the time she finished her tale of prison, her escape, and the destruction of Sunnydale fighting the First Evil.
"Wow," was all Francis could say.
"Yeah," Piama seconded. At that moment, the front door banged open and Lois bustled in, weighed down by several grocery bags.
Immediately Francis jumped up to take them from her. Lois kissed his cheek. "Hi, honey." She turned to the table, where Faith and Piama still sat. "Piama," she greeted unenthusiastically.
"Lois," Piama returned, her tone matching her mother in-law's.
Faith smirked to herself. "Dewey was right," she muttered.
* * * * *
Hmm. double-scene this chapter. I hope you know how spoilt you all are, I've been trying to stretch this fic out as much as possible, but I am too greedy for reviews! So please hit that little button down there and feed me! Up next.. A little slaying action. (Finally, I know!) Thanks for reading, ~Anoron