___________Chapter 2
Faith sits up and makes sure all eyes are on her before assuming a stance of
importance and beginning:
"Sure. So there I am in this goddamn prison, when one night I'm trying to sleep
and - wham! - like being cracked round the head there's like this blinding white
light and then I'm seeing even I don't know what. People, demons, mountains and
oceans, sunsets and rats, everything and it's killing me, hurts like hell. Then
there's these recurring flashes, and someone's calling me, I say calling though
it's more like this agonised screaming, really painful and all and then there's
Buffy. She's just there, like it was a dream, in this place that's white. She's
thrashing about like there's no tomorrow and yelling all the while. That's all I
get the first time but when everything stops I'm strapped down on something;
turns out I was yelling and kicking and all, causing a fuss. I think they gave
me a shot, but when I was under it all started again, pains like a knife in the
brain, all these pictures running in and then Buffy, yelling, and this time I
hear some stuff:
Faith puts on a voice that is derogatory enough to make Spike twitch and Angel
frown, pointedly.
"I've got to. got to. where's Dawn, which one has Dawn. is it. there's a way.
divine.echo.it.the echo...it will exchange.which one.Faith.to get the echo.to
get.to Dawn.
Faith switches back to her own voice
"So this keeps on, and I guess I'm sedated two days and nights by all accounts,
this is coming constant and I'm going crazy trying to get it out. All the time I
can hear her screaming, she screams for Dawn, sometimes for Willow, she screams
at me, and for Angel.
Any mention of me?
Everyone stares at Spike, expressions covering confusion, anger and surprise at
the interruption. Spike shrugs in embarrassment and looks away. Faith continues:
"As if. Just when it's more than I can bear I come round again and I'm looking
up at Angel. Nice sight, may I add. and anyway, he tells me they've heard my
yells and all, and I have to come here and do some dodgy stuff to get B back,
then I can sleep easy. So fair's fair, that's the score, here I am, let's get
on. Just not tonight - I could do with some time out.
Faith lies back, kicks off her shoes and undoes her bra, removing it without
taking off her vest and throwing it to one side. Willow looks at her, appalled.
'Faith...!'
"What? You want me to sleep in underwiring? I get pain enough as it is in my
dreams without waking up to that! You might not need one of these things yet but
there's no to slag off those of us with assets when you're just jealous."
Oh hey, that's not nice.
Everyone turned to Spike once more.
And. neither am I. Carry on, Faith.
But Faith had curled up, and looked for all the world like she was asleep.
Willow looks at the others and notices both Angel and Spike trying hard not to
stare at Faith's gently heaving chest. They look guilty when they notice she's
noticed
's..so, uh, is that it for tonight?'
Spike grinds out yet another cigarette and sits up.
Look, this is all very well and I enjoyed your little monologue there, pet, but
it strikes me that we're still just wasting our time here without a clue. Once
more, and I'll say it slow, what. are. we. going. to. do.
'Okay, well I'm still up there with Angel, remember I went down to tell him
about Buffy, and then this whole thing with Faith happens. I don't even know how
they got her here so quick but I called Giles when I heard her talking about
this divine echo.
Oh yes, where is the librarian-shaped poof?
Willow glared.
'I was coming to that! He was all.scepticky until the bit about the divine echo
or whatever it is, and he went all quiet, you know how Giles does, then just
rings off. He rang back a minute or two later, and just said we should all come
back to Sunnydale - that's, me and Angel and Faith, and then you too Spike, and
wait for him here. So I said, wait for you, well where are you going? And he
says he's going to get a book, so I'm like, there's a book you don't have? And
he says it's some kind of a special book, the Watchers' Council keeps it under
lock and key.'
So what you're saying is; we're all running about like headless chickens whilst
your mentor bloke takes a little holiday? Bloody hell.
'Spike, you're not listening. It's not like that. Besides, he should be back any
minute. He'll tell us what we're doing. Anyhow, I'm with Faith, we should all
get some sleep. Make yourselves comfortable guys.sorry, I don't have any
coffins.
she looked to Spike and Angel
'you.don't need coffins.do you? Angel?'
- No, we can cope with rugs and soft cushions just this once,
thanks.
Willow laughed nervously.
'I'm just going to go check on Tara and Dawn. Sleep tight, don't let the
cockroaches bite!'
Spike and Angel looked at each other and then settled on the floor, drifting off
to sleep as best they could amidst the sound of one heavily snoring Faith.
_________________
Faith sits up and makes sure all eyes are on her before assuming a stance of
importance and beginning:
"Sure. So there I am in this goddamn prison, when one night I'm trying to sleep
and - wham! - like being cracked round the head there's like this blinding white
light and then I'm seeing even I don't know what. People, demons, mountains and
oceans, sunsets and rats, everything and it's killing me, hurts like hell. Then
there's these recurring flashes, and someone's calling me, I say calling though
it's more like this agonised screaming, really painful and all and then there's
Buffy. She's just there, like it was a dream, in this place that's white. She's
thrashing about like there's no tomorrow and yelling all the while. That's all I
get the first time but when everything stops I'm strapped down on something;
turns out I was yelling and kicking and all, causing a fuss. I think they gave
me a shot, but when I was under it all started again, pains like a knife in the
brain, all these pictures running in and then Buffy, yelling, and this time I
hear some stuff:
Faith puts on a voice that is derogatory enough to make Spike twitch and Angel
frown, pointedly.
"I've got to. got to. where's Dawn, which one has Dawn. is it. there's a way.
divine.echo.it.the echo...it will exchange.which one.Faith.to get the echo.to
get.to Dawn.
Faith switches back to her own voice
"So this keeps on, and I guess I'm sedated two days and nights by all accounts,
this is coming constant and I'm going crazy trying to get it out. All the time I
can hear her screaming, she screams for Dawn, sometimes for Willow, she screams
at me, and for Angel.
Any mention of me?
Everyone stares at Spike, expressions covering confusion, anger and surprise at
the interruption. Spike shrugs in embarrassment and looks away. Faith continues:
"As if. Just when it's more than I can bear I come round again and I'm looking
up at Angel. Nice sight, may I add. and anyway, he tells me they've heard my
yells and all, and I have to come here and do some dodgy stuff to get B back,
then I can sleep easy. So fair's fair, that's the score, here I am, let's get
on. Just not tonight - I could do with some time out.
Faith lies back, kicks off her shoes and undoes her bra, removing it without
taking off her vest and throwing it to one side. Willow looks at her, appalled.
'Faith...!'
"What? You want me to sleep in underwiring? I get pain enough as it is in my
dreams without waking up to that! You might not need one of these things yet but
there's no to slag off those of us with assets when you're just jealous."
Oh hey, that's not nice.
Everyone turned to Spike once more.
And. neither am I. Carry on, Faith.
But Faith had curled up, and looked for all the world like she was asleep.
Willow looks at the others and notices both Angel and Spike trying hard not to
stare at Faith's gently heaving chest. They look guilty when they notice she's
noticed
's..so, uh, is that it for tonight?'
Spike grinds out yet another cigarette and sits up.
Look, this is all very well and I enjoyed your little monologue there, pet, but
it strikes me that we're still just wasting our time here without a clue. Once
more, and I'll say it slow, what. are. we. going. to. do.
'Okay, well I'm still up there with Angel, remember I went down to tell him
about Buffy, and then this whole thing with Faith happens. I don't even know how
they got her here so quick but I called Giles when I heard her talking about
this divine echo.
Oh yes, where is the librarian-shaped poof?
Willow glared.
'I was coming to that! He was all.scepticky until the bit about the divine echo
or whatever it is, and he went all quiet, you know how Giles does, then just
rings off. He rang back a minute or two later, and just said we should all come
back to Sunnydale - that's, me and Angel and Faith, and then you too Spike, and
wait for him here. So I said, wait for you, well where are you going? And he
says he's going to get a book, so I'm like, there's a book you don't have? And
he says it's some kind of a special book, the Watchers' Council keeps it under
lock and key.'
So what you're saying is; we're all running about like headless chickens whilst
your mentor bloke takes a little holiday? Bloody hell.
'Spike, you're not listening. It's not like that. Besides, he should be back any
minute. He'll tell us what we're doing. Anyhow, I'm with Faith, we should all
get some sleep. Make yourselves comfortable guys.sorry, I don't have any
coffins.
she looked to Spike and Angel
'you.don't need coffins.do you? Angel?'
- No, we can cope with rugs and soft cushions just this once,
thanks.
Willow laughed nervously.
'I'm just going to go check on Tara and Dawn. Sleep tight, don't let the
cockroaches bite!'
Spike and Angel looked at each other and then settled on the floor, drifting off
to sleep as best they could amidst the sound of one heavily snoring Faith.
_________________