A/N: Before I get into the chapter, I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed and let you all know that I appreciate your continuing support. Now before I start to sound too hokey, let's get on with the chapter.
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Buffy sighs at Faith's sudden change of topic. "We don't even know where to start. We don't know anything except Tru gets stabbed by some guy," she says carelessly.
Faith rubs her eyes to ward off a headache after Buffy's response. But, before she can says anything, Lindsay cuts in. "Look, I don't know the ins and outs of being a Slayer or anything, but I think we should start with making a list of people who want Faith dead," she suggests.
"A list of people who don't want me dead would make a much shorter list," Faith grumbles in response as she reclines back into the couch.
"Don't say that," Lindsay chides, as if Faith had directed the statement at her and Faith closes her mouth and blushes.
Buffy, despite herself, finds Faith's behavior towards Lindsay endearing, but she soon shakes it off. "Well, there are the usual demons and vamps," she says, contributing her two cents.
"Not vamps B," Faith interjects. "I called Cordy early this morning and asked for details," she explains, upon seeing the confused expressions on everyone's face (except Lindsay's).
"Yeah, you told me she said it takes place during the day, probably in Tru's apartment," Lindsay adds as she remembers the conversation from earlier.
They all think for another moment of anyone who would want to kill Faith. "This is just sick," Tru states as she realizes the absurdity of it. "I think it's kind of fucked up we are making a list of people who would and could kill my sister," she points out at their confused expressions.
Faith rolls her eyes. "Being a Slayer, you're bound to make enemies," she responds. "Maybe the cops are after me," she says after a moment before standing up. "Oh God, maybe even the Feds," she states in a panic.
"Why would they be after you?" Tru and Lindsay ask at the same time with equally perplexed looks.
Buffy, Willow and Dawn look at a blushing Faith expectantly. "Tru, remember how I told you I was in prison?" She begins slowly, pointedly not looking at a, presumably, dumbfounded Lindsay.
"Yeah," Tru says slowly, already beginning to dread what Faith is to say.
"Well, I kind of wasn't paroled or even released actually," she continues, looking down at her hands.
"You escaped from prison?" Tru asks, getting it.
"Um, yeah. I had to so I could help save the world. I sort of busted out and ran," Faith states quietly, not looking at anyone.
"They don't exactly turn their heads the other way when a convicted murder escapes from prison," Willow chimes in, automatically regretting it.
"Wait…wait just a minute," Lindsay all but shouts as she stands up and turns to face Faith. "Why didn't you tell me that you went to prison…and for murder no less?" She wonders angrily.
Faith looks up at Lindsay with her big brown eyes glazed over with unshed tears, looking very much like a kicked puppy. "I didn't want you to be mad at me," she manages to choke out after a couple minutes of terse silence. She then hangs her head back down, ashamed of having shown weakness to any of the other occupants in the room as she angrily wipes her eyes.
Lindsay sighs and sits back down, noticeably sitting a fraction farther away from Faith. "I can't believe you could kill anybody," she whispers in a brooding tone as she looks down at the carpet.
Tru's Apartment- 12pm
Everyone has left with the exception of Tru and Faith, who is laying on the couch. "She's never going to speak to me again now," Faith mumbles from under her arm in regards to Lindsay.
"Don't be so dramatic Faith," Tru orders, trying to sound definite. "Lindsay could never stay mad at you, even when you 'accidentally' stepped on her Gigapet collection back in ninth grade," she smirks.
"Please, those stupid little thingies were so annoying. I was doing a public service by destroying them," Faith replies, smiling despite herself. "But killing a couple electronic pets and killing a couple of people are not even comparable," she states, shaking her head slightly.
"Look, she got over you taking off without notice for the better part of a decade with barely a second thought. She can get over this too if you just explain it to her," Tru shrugs, still feeling a little weary of her sister's actions in Sunnydale, but refraining from asking about it for her benefit.
"You're right, I'll just have to explain things to her later," Faith relents. "But not now, I have a sister to protect," she continues, smiling weakly at Tru.
There is a slight knock at the door. "It's open," Tru shouts.
"Are you insane? That could be the killers," Faith whispers harshly to Tru, before she starts to go into a coughing fit.
Tru smirks sardonically at Faith and has to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Meredith and Harrison walk through the door. "Hey you guys," she greets them as they walk in. "What's up?" She asks.
"Nothing much. How are you two doing?" Meredith asks, sounding a little forced as she asks, trying hard not to glare holes into Tru's forehead.
"Not too bad," Faith answers from the couch.
"Faith got sick from running in the snow a couple days ago," Tru smirks as she rats out her little sister, who merely growls at her.
Harrison looks over at Faith. "You caught up with Lindsay yet?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, causing Tru to groan and Meredith to smack him in the head.
"Yeah, but we're not talking now," Faith answers. "We got into a minor argument earlier today and I have to grovel for forgiveness later," she adds, disturbed by the very idea of having to grovel at all.
Harrison laughs good-naturedly. "What'd you do this time? Destroy her Pez dispenser collection now?" He asks with a smirk.
"I neglected to tell her something that I had done while I was gone," Faith evades her brother.
"You cheated on her? Because she's dated a couple of guys while you were gone so she would have no right to be-"
"Harrison, just drop it okay?" Meredith snaps, trying to spare Faith of having to tell him.
"No Merr, he should know too," Faith says reluctantly as she sits up. "The short version is that a lot of bad shit went down while I was on the West Coast and I ended up getting into some things I should've have been into," she begins, babbling. She takes a deep breath. "The main thing is that I killed two people," she finishes.
"Whoa," he says. "And you guys thought I was the one most likely to kill someone," he states in astonishment. Faith simply drops her head into her hands and sighs. "I'm sorry Faith," he apologizes for the dig.
"I told Faith that she should talk to Lindsay, but she doesn't think Lindsay will forgive her," Tru points out to the other two.
"She forgave you when you torched her Barbies back in eighth grade," Meredith responds immediately.
"She was too old to be playing with them anyways. Besides, this is just a little more serious than setting dolls on fire," Faith grunts.
"She's just trying to say that Lindsay could never stay mad at anyone, least of all you. Even when she hated you, she never really hated you," Harrison explains.
Faith gives them a slight smile. "What are you guys doing here anyways?" She asks.
"Tru called us and said that our little sister was going through a crisis and she needed our help," Meredith says with a smile that hardens as she looks at Tru.
Faith notices the dark expression on Meredith's face as she looks at Tru and decides she can't take it anymore. "Why don't you guys talk about what's really bothering you too?" She asks as she looks between Harrison and Meredith and Tru shoots her a surprised expression.
"What do you mean?" Harrison asks, nearly tripping over his words.
"I know that neither of you are candidates for sainthood either in my absence," Faith points out openly. Meredith glares at Tru. "Don't look at her, she didn't say anything. I'm asking you guys what's happened," she says forcefully.
They both look at Faith as if she's grown a second head. "What do you care anyways?" Harrison asks, trying not to lose his cool. "You've been gone and never bothered with us once you left. You don't have any right to know what has happened," he sneers.
"Yes, I have been gone. That much is obvious. But I do care and I am trying to make up for not being here so let me in. Talk to me, please," Faith says with a pleading edge to her voice.
Meredith shakes her head and walks out. Harrison looks between Faith and the door that Meredith just left through. "Sorry Faith," he says quietly with a shrug as he follows Meredith.
Faith looks at a sympathetic Tru. "Too much?" She asks with self-deprecating sarcasm.
"Too much," Tru agrees with a solemn nod.
Tru's Apartment- 1:30pm
Faith is staring indecisively at the phone with her heads resting on her hands. Tru is in the kitchen eating a sandwich and reading the paper, glancing up from it occasionally.
"Just call her and stop brooding," Tru orders, finally getting tired of watching her sister watching the phone.
"You're right, you're right, I know you're right," Faith states as she shakes her head, trying to clear out the stupidity clouds up there.
She dials the number and waits. "Hello?" Lindsay answers after the second ring.
"Hey," Faith says, kicking herself for not being more creative than that.
"Faith, look-" Lindsay begins in a lecturing tone.
"No, no, no. It's Tru Linds," Faith lies and Tru quirks an eyebrow at her as she takes a sip of her root beer.
There is a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Tru, did Faith ask you to call to get me to talk to her?" She asks, exasperated.
"No, Faith didn't ask me to call. I'm calling because I think you should give her a chance to explain her side before you decide if you never want to see her again," Faith hurriedly responds and Tru comes over and takes the phone from Faith, who pouts.
"Tru, I'm not planning on never seeing Faith again, I just don't know how I feel about her having been convicted of murder and escaping prison. I mean, Jesus Tru, I don't understand how you could be so accepting of it," Lindsay rambles.
"But I'm not accepting at all. I don't know if a person could ever fully accept that, but I am trying to deal with it. I'm dealing with it because she's my sister and I love her just like I know you love her," Tru replies, sliding in that last part before Lindsay can argue it.
Lindsay sighs. "I know and I guess I could at least listen to what she has to say," she relents.
"Great. I can send her over after she gets out of the shower," Tru smiles, looking over at an ashamed Faith.
"She won't come over after her shower," Lindsay states, shaking her head, even though Tru can't see it over the phone.
"Why wouldn't she?" Tru asks in confusion.
"Because she's going to stay there to protect you because the murder takes place during the day, remember?" Lindsay asks, though it is more of a statement. "So, just have her come over tonight…Please," she states, almost begging at the end.
"Sure thing Linds," Tru smiles as she hangs up the phone. "You're seeing her tonight at her place. Don't say I never did anything for you," she says firmly, trying not to smile. "And don't pretend to be me so you can make amends with your girlfriend either," she tells her, only serious this time.
"Yes, on all accounts," Faith nods with a slight smile.
Mansfield Cemetery- 6:00pm
With Tru at work, Faith finds herself on her way to Lindsay's apartment, cutting through the cemetery to stall for time to think of what to say. Suddenly she stops and walks back a few paces and pauses in front of a headstone. Annabelle Marie Davies. April 14, 1960- December 24, 1993 She was the guiding light in a world of blinding darkness. She reads to herself in the dark and empty cemetery.
"Ain't that the truth," Faith whispers to herself as she reads and rereads the inscription to herself only to find a single tear drop into the dirt. "I miss you Mom. I'm so sorry that I am such a disappointment," she quietly apologizes as she rests her hand on the stone.
"Hello little girl. Wanna come to a party?" A menacing voice asks.
Faith whips around to find herself surrounded by nearly two dozen hungry vampires and she nearly kicks herself for not having felt them coming. "I think it's you guys that have found the party," she responds with courage she isn't totally feeling as of this moment.
Hotel- 6:15pm
"Okay, thanks…You too," Buffy smiles as Willow and Dawn enter the room with Chinese. "I just got off the phone with Giles," Buffy announces at their curious expression. "Seeing if he knew of any demons or anything that might be after Faith?" Willow asks as she sets down the containers of food.
"Well, before I could even ask about that, he said that the Council called him earlier this morning," Buffy tells them.
"Don't tell me, they were looking for Faith?" Willow asks, though she knows the answer.
"Yep," Buffy says simply.
"Giles didn't tell them she was here did he?" Dawn asks.
"He accidentally let them know she had come home," Buffy responds. "So, I think we know who may be out to get her," she states.
"But they could also be here to put her back in prison or take her to England to rehabilitate her even," Willow argues. "So we really don't know who exactly it could be still," she says regretfully.
Boston International Airport- Meanwhile…
Two men step into the airport terminal. One of them is tall and lanky with a mustache and is wearing a pair of black pants and a black lightweight jacket. The other is slightly shorter, but more muscular and has khaki pants and a plain black sweater.
"Let's go get this over with," the taller one says as they each grab a small duffel bag and exit the airport.
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Will Lindsay be able to deal with Faith's past? Will the identity of those two mysterious men be revealed? Find out in the next chapter. ;)