Tru's Apartment- 8:30 am
"Good morning," Faith greets her sister as Tru groggily makes her way into the living room to join her sister in front of the television.
"How can you be this awake so early in the morning?" Tru asks with her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"What do you mean? It's only 8:30," she shrugs in reply.
"Do you ever sleep?" Asks Tru with a yawn.
"Sometimes I guess," Faith says noncommittally while casually flipping through channels on the television.
Tru looks between her sister and the TV as the channels keep changing. "If you can't pick a channel…" she trails off as she steals the remote from Faith.
"Hey," Faith protests as she reaches for it. "Give it back," she pouts as Tru keeps it just out of reach.
"No," Tru says sternly and Faith leans back in the couch and broods as Tru starts to flip through the channels herself.
"Like you're any better," Faith glowers. Tru just sticks her tongue out at her.
They both pause once the television hits The Today Show. "In other news, authorities are on a country-wide search for an escaped convict. Faith Adrienne Davies escaped from the Los Angeles Women's Correctional Facility. She is a convicted murderer and is not to be approached as she is dangerous and may be armed," Anne Curry states from the news desk as they flash Faith's mug shot on the television screen.
"No," Faith breathes out as she stands up and looks at her sister.
"Hey, calm down. Just breathe, okay sweetie," Tru says in comforting tones as she holds on to her younger sister's shoulder. "Everything will be just fine," she says, hoping that she sounded more sure than what she is.
"It probably won't, but thanks for saying so," Faith replies, giving her a half-hearted smile.
"I will try and make it okay," Tru promises. "You aren't going back to prison," she states vehemently.
Faith sighs. "After all of this is taken care of, I'm going to have to leave again, you know that right?" She asks with a frown. "I can't stay here because if I do, they will find me," she says.
"I don't want you leaving again. I want you to stay here with me and Lindsay and Meredith and Harrison. We can all be a family again," Tru smiles weakly through unshed tears.
"Let's go show these pictures to Buffy, Willow and Dawn," Faith says, changing the subject and Tru just nods numbly. As Tru walks to her room to get ready to leave, Faith just sighs with resignation that they can never go back and that she had her chance at being normal and being with her family and she blew it. She sits back on the couch and does what she's gotten really good at in the past few years…she waits.
Buffy's Hotel Room- 9:15 am
Buffy frowns as the news rebroadcasts the warning about Faith. She jumps as there is a knock at the door.
Willow chuckles at her friend as she goes to answer it. "Hey," she greets Faith and Tru with a smile.
"Hi," Dawn smiles as the two girls walk in. "What are you guys doing here?" She asks.
Buffy cranes her neck around and smiles at them. "Tru here was able to get her some pictures of what these guys probably look like and we were just coming to see if you recognized either of them," Faith says as she leans up against the doorframe.
Tru sets them down on the bed as Dawn and Willow come over to see them and Buffy leans forward. "Oh," Dawn blurts.
"You recognize one?" Faith asks, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.
"Yeah, that's the guy that I saw last night," Dawn tells Buffy and Willow.
"The weirdo?" Willow asks.
"If they're the Council they probably already knew who you were Dawnie," Buffy states.
"No, Buff. Remember she said he was Southern or something," Willow states.
"Shit, do you think it's the government?" Faith asks curiously, earning a blank expression from everyone in the room. "This is bad," she says with a nod.
"No, it'll be fine Faith. You're here to keep Tru safe and we're here in case you need us," Willow reasons.
"That's not what I'm talking about Will," Faith tells her. "I've been here for a few days already. Cordy had her vision almost a week ago and nothing has happened yet," she sighs.
"That's good, right?" Buffy asks as if Faith was stupid.
"No. Because they know you're here, they probably had to change they're plan. Now, whatever we thought we knew about what was going to happen is useless," she says, sitting down in an empty chair.
"So, where does that leave us?" Tru asks.
"Square one," Buffy replies.
"Maybe they just gave up," Dawn shrugs and everyone looks at her. "Oh, we could see if they're still staying here in the hotel," she adds.
"Why didn't you think of that?" Faith asks Willow jokingly.
"Do you remember the guy's name or room number?" Willow asks Dawn.
"Jackson Montgomery and…in 712," Dawn says after taking a moment to think.
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's get these bastards," Tru orders as she inches her way back to the door.
Buffy looks at the girl for a moment, not used to being given orders. "Yeah, let's go," she agrees after a second.
"Wait," Faith says before they can all get to the door. "What are we going to do when we come face to face with them?" She asks.
"We take them out," Tru replies as she cocks her head to the side, looking at her sister as if she had lost her mind.
Faith blows out a sigh as she leans against the doorway. "We can't just barge in and kill them," she reasons.
"Why not?" Buffy finds herself asking.
After taking a moment to gape, Faith picks her jaw up off the floor. "Just because they are trying to kill me doesn't mean they are the bad guys necessarily," she points out.
"Actually, that's exactly what it means," Dawn says obviously.
"Oh, so when Buffy was trying to kill me she was the bad guy?" She asks and nobody replies. "That's what I thought," she says as she nods her head.
"Okay, so what do you propose we do?" Willow asks anxiously.
"We find out who they're working for and then work from there," Faith shrugs as she looks for any opposition.
"Sounds good," Buffy answers slowly, wondering when Faith started to make sense.
Room 712
Tru knocks on the door and Faith bounces from one foot to the other as no one answers the door. As Tru goes to knock again, Faith sighs and kicks in the door and Buffy smirks.
"Well, that was a waste," Dawn says as they walk into the empty room. "Do you think they gave up?" She asks.
"Yeah, it's not like they made a move or anything," Willow responds as she glances at Buffy. "What do you think?"
"They could've left if they knew that we were here," Buffy replies uncertainly. "We really should keep a close watch though because Cordy never really gave us any kind of time-frame to work with," she finishes.
"I'll go and ask the guy at the desk if he knows what time they left," Tru offers as she turns and walks out of the room.
As the others file out of the room, Faith and Buffy remain alone. Faith is staring at the empty room with a stricken look on her face.
"Hey," Buffy whispers softly as she sets her hand on Faith's shoulder.
"It doesn't make sense B," she says quietly. "They wouldn't just up and leave," she continues, shaking her head in disbelief.
"We don't know what they would've done. Maybe they gave up or whoever hired them changed their minds or something," Buffy tells the other girl reassuringly.
"It's just too cut and dry. I think that this just got more complicated because you, Red and Dawn are here," Faith replies as she searches for anything she can in the room and coming up empty.
"Faith, there's really nothing we can do right now except wait," Buffy tells her.
"So, we're sitting ducks," Faith says with a resigned sigh. "Well, what's one more day right B?" She asks with a strained lightness in her tone.
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out," Buffy smiles and Faith just shoots her a weary expression as they exit the room.
Tru's Apartment- 5:40 pm
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Tru asks for the hundredth time this evening.
"Yes sister dear. I'll be five by five, you know me," Faith grins as she stretches.
"What are you going to do tonight while I'm at work?" Tru asks in her responsible big sister voice.
"Patrol later," Faith responds with a sigh.
"And Lindsay's coming over later too, so don't freak out if she's here when you get back from patrol," Tru informs her. "Did you want me to call Buffy and them to come over or help you or something?" She asks.
"Tru, go to work before you're late," Faith orders in exasperation. "I can take care of myself," she adds.
"Okay, okay," Tru smirks, backing down. "I'll see you later tonight," she says.
"I know," Faith replies right before her sister closes the door. Yawning, Faith goes to her room and lays down to get the rest she has been in serious need of.
Morgue- 6pm
"Hey Davis," Tru smiles weakly at her boss as he enters the room.
"What's the matter Tru…Everything okay with your sister?" He asks with concern.
"I hope so," Tru sighs and Davis gives her a look to continue. "I got worried and called Buffy for her to go check on Faith for me," she admits with a light smile. "Do I sound paranoid or what?" She asks as she shakes her head.
"No, you had a bad feeling and you acted on it," Davis tells her. Tru opens her mouth to reply, but the phone rings, cutting off any response she may have had. Davis answers the phone. "Hello…Yes…Yes she is…Okay," he says to the other person. "It's for you," he tells Tru, handing her the phone.
"Hello," Tru says into the receiver warily.
"Oh my God, Tru," the other person cries hysterically from the other end.
Tru feels her stomach sink to the floor at the tone of the other woman. "Lindsay, what happened?" She asks shakily.
"It's Faith, she…She killed herself," Lindsay sobs from the other end.
"What?" Tru asks in a stunned tone.
"I got here and the paramedics were here and Buffy was here. She told me not to go into the bedroom, but I did and…Oh God Tru, she's on her way to the morgue," Lindsay cries.
Tru can feel her world crumbling as she hears those seven horrifying words. The doors to the crypt fly open as Marco comes in with a body bag. "She's here," Tru quietly says into the phone. "I'll see you as soon as I can get there," she tells her friend before she hangs up without waiting for a reply. "It's Faith," she informs Davis.
"Do you want to go home so you can tend to you friend and family?" Davis asks and Tru nods numbly as she walks out the door. Davis sighs as he goes into the crypt to process the body.
He walks into the crypt where Marco is puzzling over the body. "What's wrong?" Davis asks as he approaches, putting on gloves.
"I never thought I'd see Tru through here or that she would be a cutter," Marco replies.
Davis walks over to the body and looks at the girl's wrists. "It's Tru's sister," he tells the man.
"Oh, so she just left," he nods in understanding as he takes one last look at the young girl's lifeless body before exiting the morgue.
Davis examines Faith's wounds and he wipes the blood away. As he does, he finds previous scars already present along her wrists. He then looks at the fresh cut and notices that it looks different from the others and also like it had been done at an odd angle, one that suicides never occur in. "I think I'd better run some tests," he mumbles to himself.
Tru's Apartment- 6:20 pm
Tru opens the door to see everyone sitting around looking somber. She goes right over to Lindsay and sits down next to her teary friend and they hug tightly.
Tru looks at the others. "Are we sure it wasn't a hit?" She asks weakly, grasping for straws.
"She used the knife she used to kill those people," Buffy nearly whispers. "I wish we'd gotten here sooner," she says, more to herself.
To this, Lindsay sobs and Tru thinks for a moment. "Knife?" She asks.
"Yeah," Buffy replies, confused.
"She didn't come here with a knife, security would've picked it up at the airport, especially after all of that terrorism stuff," Tru replies.
"Maybe Tru's right, maybe it was the hit," Lindsay says, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "She could never kill herself…well, not really," she finishes and Tru glares at her.
Before Buffy could ask what Lindsay meant, Willow pipes in. "I think they would've done it and hidden the body," she says slowly, giving a sympathetic smile at Lindsay and remembering how she was after Tara died.
The wheels in Tru's head are turning as she processes the information on the knife and as she realizes how sudden the whole thing was. "I have to go," she announces suddenly as she rises out of her seat.
"Do you need someone to come with you?" Dawn asks supportively.
Tru gives her a half smile, the one Buffy liked so much on Faith. "No, but thanks," she replies as she heads out the door back to the morgue.
Morgue- 6:45 pm
Tru comes into the morgue and runs right into Davis. "Oh, Tru, I was getting ready to call you," he says, startled.
"What?" She asks with confusion as she pauses in the office.
"The cuts on her arms did not match previous ones and the angles were all off," Davis tells her uncomfortably.
"Like, what, someone else did them?" Tru asks hopefully.
"Yes," Davis responds bluntly. "I did some tests and found that there was also a drug administered to her before her death," he continues as he looks on a clipboard at his notes. "Trimenthrahydramine," he finishes.
"What is that?" She asks as she goes to the door to the crypt to find her sister.
"As far as I could tell it's a muscle relaxer and a sedative. I've never really come into contact with it," he tells her honestly.
"Which one is she in?" Tru asks in regards to the drawers and Davis points to the one she's in. "Thanks," she smiles at him as she opens it up and waits patiently for Faith's cry for help, which doesn't come.
"Maybe it was really her time," Davis tells her after nearly ten minutes of nothing happening and Tru looks desperately at him.
"But, all of the evidence points to her being murdered," Tru says quietly to herself more than Davis.
He puts his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "You died in that vision and the intended target was Faith. She was meant to save you and she did Tru," he tells her softly.
"No, no," Tru whispers to herself disbelievingly. "She promised that we would all be a family again," she sobs as she sinks to the floor.
"She died protecting you. That's what she came here to do. It was her destiny to help you so you could continue to help others," he says in the most comforting tone he can muster. "I'll let you say goodbye," he says as he leaves the room.
Tru brings herself to her feet and looks down at her sister. "I'm your big sister. I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you," she whispers to Faith. "I was looking forward to getting to know you again and now I never will," she sobs as she takes a hold of Faith's hand.
There is a light squeeze on her hand and she looks up confused. "Please Tru," Faith whispers.
Tru closes her eyes and her world seems to blur together. She opens her eyes and she is back in her room, a slow look of realization creeps to her face. Tru runs into the living room.
"Good morning," Faith grins from the couch as she continues her channel surfing.
Tru grins as if it was Christmas morning. "Yeah it is," she responds as a look of utter determination takes over her features.
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Is it good, bad or just plain ugly? Tell me if it was worth the wait. Worth the hours I spent trying to make this chapter not suck ass completely and utterly. ;)