Richard looked at Faith in shock. "How did you..."
"Know?" she finished for him. "There's a lot I know. I know who you are and what you are trying to do. I also know that they are onto you and will do anything to stop you."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Its a trick," Angelus snapped. "Can't you see that? They sent her here to stop you."
Faith laughed. "Always the suspicious one. Poor Angel. As always though, you're wrong. They have no idea who I am, where I am or what I'm doing."
"So fill us in then," Richard said. "Who are you?"
"I'm my father's daughter," Faith grinned.
Richard was getting confused. "Your father?"
"You know him better as Sauron," Faith replied. "I'm here to make sure you succeed where others have failed. I'm here to stop them stopping you and to make sure that this time, my father comes back to regain what he's lost. His kingdom on Earth. Only this time, its not Middle Earth, but the whole world as we know it."
"That's quite a story Slayer," Angelus snarled. "I give you points for imagination but you lose points for total absurdity."
Mara had been sitting in silence throughout the conversation, but now she finally spoke up. "Its true," she said quietly.
How can it be true?" Angelus asked. "Faith is from this time, not yours. She is a Slayer. Born to battle evil, not to help it. How can she be the daughter of this Sauron you've been talking about if she is here, now?"
Angelus wasn't the only one confused. Richard was still stunned that the girl knew his secret and he was even more disturbed that she had shared it with the Vampires. It had been the one thing he had been holding onto. His link to the past that Mara had lived and that he didn't want to share with the dark Vampire. He still didn't fully trust him. He had been the Slayer's ally for many years and he was still unsure as to whether or not he still was. He was playing the game for now, waiting to see what hand Angelus held. But Faith had revealed his hand for him before he had his answers. Now he had to play the game with nothing to hide. Not a prospect he enjoyed.
"He sent me away," she said simply.
"You sure have a way with people," Angelus laughed. "Even your own family gets rid of you."
Faith felt the blood rushing through her veins as she pulled back her arm and punched Angelus hard in the face. The Vampire fell to the ground and sat there rubbing his face.
"One shot is all you get bitch," he spat at her. "Next time, its open season."
"You don't scare me," she replied through clenched jaws. "You're pathetic. Nothing more than Buffy's little pet Vampire. Do you honestly think you scare anyone?"
"Things change," he growled. "And soon Buffy will learn that even the most tame pet can turn on its master and bite."
"Children, there'll be time to play later," Richard warned. "But now, we have things to do."
~*~
"I've been thinking..." Buffy said.
"There's a shock," Xander muttered under his breath.
Buffy ignored him and carried on. "What if the one we are looking for is that Boromir guy? He's an ancient one, from Legolas' time, he's here now and desperately trying to get the Ring. What if he is trying to reforge it now its been lost to him in this time?"
Giles put down his book and looked at her. "You might be on to something," he said. "He wanted the Ring and he did take Willow."
"Angel took Willow," interrupted Xander. "Don't forget him."
"I can't," Buffy said sadly. "I just wish I knew why."
"Its obvious," continued Xander. "He's been playing you the whole time. He never changed Buff. Once evil, always evil."
Buffy raised her eyebrow as she looked at him. "Speaking from experience?"
"That's different," Xander said softly. "There are things I've done that I have to make up for. All the pain I've caused...I feel it. Every minute of every day. Constant guilt. You have no idea how hard it is for me."
"Why is it so different for you?" she snapped. "Angel lives with his guilt everyday too. Why have you never trusted him?"
"I tried," he replied. "And every time, he's proven me right. Remember what he did to Miss Calendar and what he's tried to do to all of us? He's a monster Buffy. Always has been, always will be."
"So are you," she whispered.
Of all the things she had ever said to him or the times she overlooked him, that one sentence hurt the most. Unable to respond, Xander stood and walked towards the door and without looking back, he walked through it.
"That was unfair Buffy," Giles said in his scolding father voice.
"I know," she replied in a tiny voice. "I couldn't stop myself."
"He has done wrong, yes, but its not his fault. He can't help what he has become."
"And Angel can? Why is it always different for him?"
"Angel did some terrible things when he turned," Giles said. "Its sometimes easier to forgive than to forget."
"It wasn't his fault," she replied. "It was mine."
"It was no-one's fault," Giles sighed. "You couldn't have known what would happen and its too late to turn back the clock and assign blame now. What's done is done. We have to move on and work together to stop Boromir, or whoever it is, from trying to bring back this Ring."
"You're right," Buffy smiled. "I'll go after him."
Legolas had been silent throught the exchange. He didn't know everything that had gone on between Buffy and the one she called Angel. But he knew enough to guess they had been close once and no longer. He had hurt her in the past and she still carried the scars. Maybe not physically, but certainly emotionally. Her relationship with Xander puzzled him though. He sensed a deep love towards her coming from him, but it wasn't returned. She did care for him, but it wasn't the kind of love Xander was hungering for.
"Legolas," Buffy said. "Are you coming?"
Legolas shook his head. "You need to speak alone with him," he said. "I will remain here and help Giles."
Buffy hid her disappointment. She didn't know how long he would be remaining here with her and she wanted to spend every second she could with him.
"I won't be long," she said.
He watched her go, feeling her disappointment, and his own. He didn't know how much longer he'd be with her either and like her, he wanted to spend every second with her too. But he knew that there was more important things to do. Hopefully when everything was done, they'd have some time before he was sent back...if he was.
Buffy ran out the door and looked around. Xander had vanished.
"Know?" she finished for him. "There's a lot I know. I know who you are and what you are trying to do. I also know that they are onto you and will do anything to stop you."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Its a trick," Angelus snapped. "Can't you see that? They sent her here to stop you."
Faith laughed. "Always the suspicious one. Poor Angel. As always though, you're wrong. They have no idea who I am, where I am or what I'm doing."
"So fill us in then," Richard said. "Who are you?"
"I'm my father's daughter," Faith grinned.
Richard was getting confused. "Your father?"
"You know him better as Sauron," Faith replied. "I'm here to make sure you succeed where others have failed. I'm here to stop them stopping you and to make sure that this time, my father comes back to regain what he's lost. His kingdom on Earth. Only this time, its not Middle Earth, but the whole world as we know it."
"That's quite a story Slayer," Angelus snarled. "I give you points for imagination but you lose points for total absurdity."
Mara had been sitting in silence throughout the conversation, but now she finally spoke up. "Its true," she said quietly.
How can it be true?" Angelus asked. "Faith is from this time, not yours. She is a Slayer. Born to battle evil, not to help it. How can she be the daughter of this Sauron you've been talking about if she is here, now?"
Angelus wasn't the only one confused. Richard was still stunned that the girl knew his secret and he was even more disturbed that she had shared it with the Vampires. It had been the one thing he had been holding onto. His link to the past that Mara had lived and that he didn't want to share with the dark Vampire. He still didn't fully trust him. He had been the Slayer's ally for many years and he was still unsure as to whether or not he still was. He was playing the game for now, waiting to see what hand Angelus held. But Faith had revealed his hand for him before he had his answers. Now he had to play the game with nothing to hide. Not a prospect he enjoyed.
"He sent me away," she said simply.
"You sure have a way with people," Angelus laughed. "Even your own family gets rid of you."
Faith felt the blood rushing through her veins as she pulled back her arm and punched Angelus hard in the face. The Vampire fell to the ground and sat there rubbing his face.
"One shot is all you get bitch," he spat at her. "Next time, its open season."
"You don't scare me," she replied through clenched jaws. "You're pathetic. Nothing more than Buffy's little pet Vampire. Do you honestly think you scare anyone?"
"Things change," he growled. "And soon Buffy will learn that even the most tame pet can turn on its master and bite."
"Children, there'll be time to play later," Richard warned. "But now, we have things to do."
~*~
"I've been thinking..." Buffy said.
"There's a shock," Xander muttered under his breath.
Buffy ignored him and carried on. "What if the one we are looking for is that Boromir guy? He's an ancient one, from Legolas' time, he's here now and desperately trying to get the Ring. What if he is trying to reforge it now its been lost to him in this time?"
Giles put down his book and looked at her. "You might be on to something," he said. "He wanted the Ring and he did take Willow."
"Angel took Willow," interrupted Xander. "Don't forget him."
"I can't," Buffy said sadly. "I just wish I knew why."
"Its obvious," continued Xander. "He's been playing you the whole time. He never changed Buff. Once evil, always evil."
Buffy raised her eyebrow as she looked at him. "Speaking from experience?"
"That's different," Xander said softly. "There are things I've done that I have to make up for. All the pain I've caused...I feel it. Every minute of every day. Constant guilt. You have no idea how hard it is for me."
"Why is it so different for you?" she snapped. "Angel lives with his guilt everyday too. Why have you never trusted him?"
"I tried," he replied. "And every time, he's proven me right. Remember what he did to Miss Calendar and what he's tried to do to all of us? He's a monster Buffy. Always has been, always will be."
"So are you," she whispered.
Of all the things she had ever said to him or the times she overlooked him, that one sentence hurt the most. Unable to respond, Xander stood and walked towards the door and without looking back, he walked through it.
"That was unfair Buffy," Giles said in his scolding father voice.
"I know," she replied in a tiny voice. "I couldn't stop myself."
"He has done wrong, yes, but its not his fault. He can't help what he has become."
"And Angel can? Why is it always different for him?"
"Angel did some terrible things when he turned," Giles said. "Its sometimes easier to forgive than to forget."
"It wasn't his fault," she replied. "It was mine."
"It was no-one's fault," Giles sighed. "You couldn't have known what would happen and its too late to turn back the clock and assign blame now. What's done is done. We have to move on and work together to stop Boromir, or whoever it is, from trying to bring back this Ring."
"You're right," Buffy smiled. "I'll go after him."
Legolas had been silent throught the exchange. He didn't know everything that had gone on between Buffy and the one she called Angel. But he knew enough to guess they had been close once and no longer. He had hurt her in the past and she still carried the scars. Maybe not physically, but certainly emotionally. Her relationship with Xander puzzled him though. He sensed a deep love towards her coming from him, but it wasn't returned. She did care for him, but it wasn't the kind of love Xander was hungering for.
"Legolas," Buffy said. "Are you coming?"
Legolas shook his head. "You need to speak alone with him," he said. "I will remain here and help Giles."
Buffy hid her disappointment. She didn't know how long he would be remaining here with her and she wanted to spend every second she could with him.
"I won't be long," she said.
He watched her go, feeling her disappointment, and his own. He didn't know how much longer he'd be with her either and like her, he wanted to spend every second with her too. But he knew that there was more important things to do. Hopefully when everything was done, they'd have some time before he was sent back...if he was.
Buffy ran out the door and looked around. Xander had vanished.