Disclaimer: Yes, once again, Joss Whedon still owns the characters in this story. I just find myself being drawn back to them. Just when you think you are out of it, they pull you back in.

Author's note: Buffy has lost her powers. This is not good. Lets follow along, and see what happens

Warning: Towards the end of this chapter, there is some violence. You may want to skip it . It's not crucial to the story. It comes right after the library scene.

Summer of faith

Chapter 19

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Faith had been waiting at the restaurant for over an hour, and she was getting restless. Buffy was nearly an hour late, and that wasn't good. They had agreed to a small dinner tonight to celebrate Buffy's birthday. Faith knew she didn't want a party… she had mentioned before that her birthdays of late had ended in disaster. But Faith wanted to do something for her. After the disappointment of Hank Summers(the prick) not showing up to take her to the Ice Capades, Faith had wanted to cheer her up a little. Lord knows, she could use it. What with her losing her powers so oddly, and feeling so down.

Faith looked again at the small gift she had gotten Buffy for her birthday. She had used what little she had been able to save from her L.A. job to buy it. It was a small gold necklace, with a pendant of two hearts intertwined. In the center was a small diamond. On the back she had engraved " My heart is yours forever, Faith". She had hoped she would like it, but right now it didn't matter, because Buffy was late.

Faith:

Something's wrong, I know it. She's never this late. Maybe she got delayed at her mom's house or something. But I'm not feeling good about this.

This whole thing is weird. After that night she found she had lost her abilities, we went to see G-man to see if he knew anything. He just said it might be like the flu, or some bug. But… something just didn't click. I don't know G-man well, but I know he cares about Buffy. You can see that just by looking at him, and the way he looks at her. There is more than Watcher/ Slayer there… more like a dad watching out for his daughter. So his kinda waving it off like nothing made me a bit…suspicious.

So, I guess I did something bad. That evening, when he left, I followed him. He went to like the some old place, where there were other men working. " Sunnydale Arms" guess it had been motel or something at one time, but it looked pretty creepy now. Anyway, G-man goes up and talks to one of the men, and they seem to be having an argument. I don't want to get too close, cause they might spot me, but they seem to be yelling at one another. G-man stormed out of there. He looked mad, like he was gonna kick his car or something. But he just drove off. Weird. Weirder yet, they were bricking up the entrances and windows. What is that about?

Anyway, next time I saw B, I tried to tell her something weird was going on, but she just kinda said I was imagining things. Ok, now that really kinda puts me off. Like she is starting it again. She is worried about something, she knows I know she is worried about something. Does she come to me, even a little, for like help. Want to guess the answer? Right… no way. If I weren't so worried about her, I would be pissed off at her. When is she gonna get it I'm not just here for the good times? I want to be part of all of her life. I'm beginning to get that feeling that Faith is being stupid again, and I don't like that feeling.

It's not like she is not sharing with no one. I know she is going to see HIM again. Damn. Why is so special about HIM? That she feels she can share her fears and concerns with HIM and not with me? I'm feeling on the outs again, and I don't like the feeling. This totally sucks. And when exactly IS  Fang going to tell her that it's over? Like he told me? When she is like 80 or so? I mean, I know HE has lived 240+ years, but not all of us can do that. Damn. I'm really starting to feel like I'm an idiot here.

And now she's not here. Something is up. Something is wrong. I know it, and I'm gonna find out what. Screw this, I'm tired of waiting. I'll try back home, maybe  Joyce will know where she is.

Faith puts some money on the table and leaves the restaurant. She hops her bike, and starts towards the Summer's home. She is angry, but she is also scared. In her heart, she knows something is wrong. It's a strong feeling, and she just hopes she is not too late. What if Buffy is hurt somewhere? She is thinking… Or…NO…don't go there, Faith. She'll be ok. Please let her be ok. Even if she blew me off, just let her be ok.

Faith arrives home at the Summer's residence. She parks the bike in the driveway, and then sees the front door wide open. She hops off the bike, now getting more worried. She runs in and calls out

" Hey. Anyone here? Hello? Buffy? Mrs. Summers? ANYONE?"

Then she notices Buffy's jacket. And the Polaroid. She picks it up, and looks at it. It's Joyce, looking scared, and some weird dude in the background…or…is that a ….

"Faith!"

Faith looks up, seeing Giles looking at her. And he is looking scared.

"Faith, is Buffy here? I need to speak to her"

" I don't know G-man. I just got here and found this" Faith hands Giles the Polaroid. He looks at it, and his face goes white. He says one word " Kralik"

"Ok, what the hell is going on?" Faith is losing what little patience she has. " No one's telling me anything. What's happening?"

"Faith, I need you to come with me. I fear Buffy and her mother are in mortal danger. I just hope we're not too late" Giles exclaims, and turns to go.

" Who is Kralik, and what does he have to do with Buffy and her mom?" Faith asks, as she follows Giles to his car.

" I'll explain on the way" Giles answers, and they take off.

Giles tells Faith about the Cruciamentum. A test for slayers when they reach 18. They are stripped of their powers, through use of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressors. They are then enclosed with a particularly vicious vampire, to test their resourcefulness and skill sans slayer powers. If they pass(survive) it proves they have the skills necessary to face any situation. Giles also tells her how he had been opposed to the Cruciamentum , and had told Buffy in advance about it when he learned of Kralik's escape. And how Buffy must have beaten them home , seen the picture and gone for Kralik.

As Giles is telling her the story, you can see the rage building in her. Her face flushes, then goes hard. Her mouth is a tight line, and her eyes are cold and deadly.

" You 'opposed' the test, but not enough to refuse to go along? To give B those drugs, and then let her go around scared that she was losing her powers?  You didn't try to stop this at all, really, did you?"

"Faith, I'm a Watcher, I was just…" Giles begins, but gets cut off by a furious Faith

"…following orders? Gee…that is the Nazi's excuse too, G. Not my fault. But it's your fault. ALL YOUR FAULT. You didn't need to do this. You could have said no, I won't . But you didn't, did you? HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH AN ASS?. I thought you really thought of her as something more than a council play toy. Guess I was wrong, huh?" Faith spits at him

Giles is silent, guilt written all over his face.

"Never mind, don't speak. Just get me there. And let me tell you this, G. If you have any Gods, anything you pray to? Pray hard. Pray REAL hard that Buffy and her mom are ok. If anything has happened to them, if they are…hurt or worse, you better pray I don't get my hands on you. Cause I will kill you, G. For this, I'll rip your stupid head off."

Faith jumps out of the car, and runs to the old boardinghouse. She looks around, but can't find an entrance. The whole place has been bricked up.

" Where is it, G? Where the hell is the way in?" Faith barks at him.

Giles takes Faith around back to an entrance that hasn't been bricked up. She gets ready to bust down the door, when Giles says " Be careful, we don't know what is on the other side of that"

Faith looks at him with disgust " Not listening, G. Just be ready to do something but be an asshole."

Faith busts down the door, and goes in. She encounters the vampire Blair, and starts in on him. She kicks and punches him, and starts beating on him with anything she can find. " Where is she, Goddamn you? Where IS SHE?" Faith screams at the vamp, but he only sneers at her and says " You're too late, Kralik has her now". Finally, enraged, she just starts beating him to a pulp when she hears a scream from downstairs.

"Faith. Just stake him and move on" Giles yells at her.

" You stake him G." Faith throws a stake at him. " Make yourself useful for once. I'm going for Buffy"

Faith rushes downstairs. Her heart is beating hard in her chest; she is afraid she's too late. She bursts in on Buffy, to find her with her mother. She sees the broken glass, and pile of dust, and the empty holy water bottle, and puts it together. Buffy, hearing the noise, drops instinctively into a fighting stance. She relaxes when she sees its Faith. They stare at each other, then both move to Joyce, who is still tied up. Buffy tries to loosen the knots, but Faith just loses patience with it. She pulls out a wicked looking knife, and cuts the ropes. Buffy unties her mother's gag. Buffy hugs her mom, and then Faith hugs Joyce, relieved she is ok. Faith looks at Buffy, who is standing alone. Buffy looks at faith, and tears form in her eyes. She starts to shake. Faith comes to her, and takes her in her arms, holding her.

All three are startled when they hear a noise on the stairs. But it's only Giles, coming down. He has staked Blair, and is checking on them. His face is a mixture of relief, guilt and remorse. They just stare at him. He lowers his head, and starts back up the stairs. They slowly follow him out.

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Later that night, Faith finds herself standing in the upper stacks of the Sunnydale Library. She is back in the shadows. She is observing the tableau below.

Buffy, Giles and Quentin Travers are talking below. She is quickly piecing together that Travers is responsible for tonight's fiasco, and she is feeling her anger rise. But she is laying back. She has her own plans for him. Right now, she is more concerned that nothing further happens to Buffy.

When Travers orders Giles into his office, she decides she wants to hear what is said. She doesn't trust these two, and wants to know what they discuss. Moving towards his office door, she sees Buffy has the same idea. They quietly as possible listen at the door. During the discussion, their faces react to what is being said inside. Finally, hearing what they wanted to hear, they both move back to their original spots.

Quentin Travers leaves Giles office first. Giles stands in the doorway, cleaning his glasses.

"Again, Miss Summers, Congratulations" He says to Buffy

" Bite me" is her only reply

He leaves the library. Quietly, Faith follows him out.

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Quentin Travers is feeling pretty pleased with himself. Despite Rupert Giles interference, Miss Summers has redeemed herself in her fight with Kralik. This will indeed be a feather in his cap when he submits his report to the council. And he is finally rid of Giles, to boot. His interference on behalf of his slayer has been a thorn in Traver's side for the last 3 years. Well, a new Watcher, one who is more dedicated to the principles of the council will be sent to replace him. Two birds with one stone. Not bad, Travers, not bad.

He is just exiting the front door of the school when a pair of strong hands grab him. Before he can think, he is slammed up against the wall, and finds himself staring into the face of a very angry Faith. She's holding him with one arm to his neck.

This is psycho-faith. Her eyes are cold and murderous. Her face is hard, and her mouth is a narrow straight line. She is less than a millimeter from killing this man.

"Quentin Travers" Faith voice is low, cold, and edged with steel. It's not a question, but a statement.

"And you are…." But he suddenly finds a fist in his solar plexus, and the wind knocked from him

" We are going to chat. That means, I talk, YOU listen. Got it?" When he doesn't respond, she hits him again. " Got it?"

He nods.

" You placed my friend and her mom in mortal danger tonight. For no good reason. I should kill you now" Faith brings up a very wicked knife, and puts it to his throat. She lightly its point against the skin of his neck. His eyes go wide. "But I want to send a little message back to that sick bunch of fucks you call a "Watcher's Council". She runs the blade of the knife along his cheek, and then back under his chin.

" How dare you…" Again he is interrupted, this time when Faith turns the knife and hits him in the chin with the weighted handle.

" I guess you weren't listening. I talk. You listen. And how dare YOU? How dare You and your bunch of sick assholes come here, and do something like this?" She hits him again, rapping the weighted handle against his mouth.

"Here is my message. If you, or any of your 'council' ever set foot in Sunnydale again, while I'm here, they are going to be sent home in a body bag. Is that clear?" She asks. No response. She taps at the underside of his neck with the point of the knife, drawing blood. " IS  that CLEAR?"

He nods, clearly scared now.

"Good. Now, just so you know I'm serious, here is a little reminder I'm sending home with you"

Faith belts her knife, and takes his hand. Holding him in place with her elbow, she takes her other hand, and bends back his index finger till the bone snaps " That's for Buffy" She does it again, with his middle finger " That's for Joyce" and repeats it a third time, on his ring finger " That's for firing Giles".

" Now, get out of here, and NEVER let me see you in Sunnydale, or anywhere Buffy is,  again. Ever." With that, she grabs him, turns him around, and boots him down the steps of Sunnydale High. He lands, and gets up, and not looking back, runs for his car.

She stands there, grinning at the sight.

"Whatta  wus" She thinks, and turns to go back inside.

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TBC

Ok, I've always felt that Quentin Travers got off too easy for what he did to Buffy in "Helpless" So, with Faith's help, I rewrote it a little to satisfy my urge for revenge (Ok, I know he dies with the rest of the council in season seven, but too little, too late, Joss.) I apologize if it offends you.

If you want to read what Giles said to Quentin in the office, and why Faith decided not to pound him to marmalade, you will have to read my story "Responsibilities" which can be found at  www.fanfiction.net/~norwalker   in my stories listing(shameless plug, shameless plug). Sorry, but didn't feel like replaying it here. Thanks again for reading. Tomatoes, overripe, available at the snack bar.