Note: Warning--A little violence, and a little sex in this chapter. Just so you know beforehand. Remember, the italics are for conversations that Faith and Wes have in their heads with each other.
Quote of the chapter:
Riley: Don't make fun. I worked long and hard to get this pompous." -- from "Fear, Itself"
Chapter Five – Rock Bottom
"Don't hurt him," Faith whispered to Wes.
"You sure, man?" Riley was much larger than Wesley. They both were tall men, but Riley hadn't been living in hell for the last three months. He had Wesley on bulk, probably topping out at least 6"5'. A couple of inches and a lot more weight could do a lot more damage.
Although Faith was tiny compared to the two, she still knew she could take them both. Or maybe just Finn now. With Wesley, she couldn't tell anymore.
"Yes. That would be lovely."
Faith snorted. "Dumbass."
Wesley winked at her and took a swing at Riley. He ducked, but not by much.
"Faith, is there something you're not telling me?" Giles said, standing next to her.
"Oh, and why would you think that Giles?"
"Just a hunch."
Riley connected with a punch, knocking Wesley back slightly. Assess your opponent first, she thought to herself.
I know what to do, Faith. Remember?
Yeah, you do. He favors his right.
Will you just let me do this?
I'll be quiet.
Thank you.
The whole conversation took place in their heads. Too freaky for words. Neither one was winning because both had gotten in some good punches.
"I didn't know watchers could fight like this?"
Don't let him psych you out, Wes.
"Ex-watcher. And Angel's a great teacher."
Riley let his guard down just slightly at the sound of Angel's name. Wesley took advantage and connected to the man's face.
"Why would someone like you work for someone like him?" Riley asked.
His kick hit Wesley in the stomach.
"Like to fight on the side of good, I suppose."
"Never could tell with that guy. One moment of true happiness and all. Connor?"
Wesley jumped away when Riley charged him.
"One moment of true despair, I think he said at the time. He had an epiphany."
Wesley then knocked him on his ass. Good one.
"Epiphany? This is the same man we're talking about, right?" Riley answered as he scrambled back up.
"Have to hit bottom before you can climb out. Right, Faith?"
Faith hadn't been really listening to the conversation. She'd been watching their fighting. "Been there, done that." She'd hit bottom with Wesley those four long hours. When had he hit bottom?
"Where's your bottom, Pryce?"
"Lots of them, Finn. And the scars to go with them."
Wesley threw out a vicious punch that had blood spurting from Riley's mouth. Riley charged him, tackling him and bringing both to the ground.
"Dammit, Wes. You should have held back a little."
"Break them up now, Faith." Giles was serious.
"What, and have one of them take a swing at me?"
"Now."
Faith dragged Riley off of Wesley, throwing him to the side. But Wesley was still in fight mode and threw a mean punch. Faith deflected it a little, but it still packed a wallop.
The wild-eyed look was replaced by repulsion. He'd actually, really hit her. She knew it was a mistake, but his face said it all.
"Faith, I . . . ."
"Nothing to be sorry about. I knew you could throw one my way. I'm OK. Don't worry about it."
And don't fall apart on me now, please. I can take it. Faith wanted him to know it.
"Time for stop?"
"Yeah. I think so." Faith helped him off the ground.
"No hard feelings?" Riley stuck his hand out to shake.
"No. No hard feelings." Wesley returned the handshake, promptly taking Faith's hand afterward.
"Enough training for the night." Giles looked at Faith. What should she tell him? Riley waved to them as he left the gym. "Let's find a quiet place to talk. Your room?"
"Yeah. As good a place as any."
Giles kept looking at their handholding like he knew there was a link.
"You're not psychic, are you?" Faith asked as they made their way to the room.
"No. Of course not. Just very observant."
Faith opened the door to their room. Their old clothes sat on the table, cleaned.
"Amazing. I thought that these were a lost cause," Wesley said as he sat down on a chair.
Giles sat down on the other while Faith sat on the edge of the bed. The three stared at each other, none wanting to start.
"I'll start. Then the two of you can decide what you want to share. Something is happening between the two of you and I don't mean that," Giles said as he saw Faith look at the bed. "I don't know exactly what it is, but Wesley is not that good a fighter. I don't even remember Angel being that good. Well, maybe he was. But you never were Wesley. You're human."
Faith jumped up to take Wesley's hand but Giles stopped her. "Giles, wait."
"Let me finish. Wesley, I didn't mean that as disrespectful."
"Yes, you did, but go on." Hold it together.
"But for as long as I've known you, I've never seen this side of your personality. Authority figures mean nothing to you. Your violent tendencies are very uncharacteristic. Frankly, if I was making a guess, you're acting more like Faith than you are Wesley. No disrespect to you, of course, Faith."
"None taken. And you're right. Something is going on." Faith wanted to tell Giles everything.
Can I? Should I, Wes? I'm not sure.
"Go on. What does it matter?"
"Maybe you could explain better?"
"Just tell him." Wesley hadn't yelled at her, but a chill passed through her just the same. His voice had that kind of menace to it that one didn't ignore.
"OK. We've been cursed or infected or something. We can share each other's thoughts. We are starting to share other things too."
"Wait. Start from the beginning. Wesley?" Giles was giving Wesley a chance to calm himself by talking about it.
"It all started a few months ago. Strange dreams. About Faith. The closer we were to each other, before we found each other, the more symptoms appeared. When we started to compare notes, nothing made sense. We were dreaming the same things, feeling the same pain. You know, I got the short end of the stick on that one."
"You'll live. I've felt it too. Punches to the gut? Still sore."
"Yes. He did throw some hard ones, didn't he? We can also read …"
"…each other's minds. It started off …"
"…subtle. Just a flash …"
"…here and there. Then these emotions …"
"…would just bombard my brain. I knew …"
"…something was screwy cuz I'm not like …"
"…that in any way. I've been barely…"
"…able to hold him together. He's seems to have …"
"…gotten some interesting personality traits …"
"…that I can control. But he has a very …"
"…hard time doing it. Physical contact seems to …"
"…help control Wesley. I just …"
"…hope it's enough."
Giles looked at the two liked they'd each grown another head. "Do you share her slayer strength?"
"Apparently, for the moment. What I don't know share is the control."
"Like you were in Sunnydale, Faith?"
"All raw power, no discipline." She knew they were talking about her in negative terms. But that was the old Faith.
Giles got up to pace. "How could this have happened?"
"I want to know who, Giles. What kind of thing could put us through this? Unless it was meant to be."
Wesley shook his head no. "I've already been through enough demons in the last year that thought that fate handled it all. Someone or something did this to us. I just wished I knew what."
"I don't have an extensive library here. I can ask Willow to research it. I won't tell her who. Just the symptoms."
"Ya know, I'm rethinking the theory. What if instead of us becoming two different people, we're becoming one?"
"But why?" Wesley asked.
"I mean, think about it. With my strength and your brain, virtually unstoppable. Slayer and watcher as one?"
"Faith, don't sell yourself short."
"Not doing that. But you know things that I would never be able to comprehend."
"Some kind of super-slayer then?"
"Make you all tingly, Giles. Wouldn't exactly need a watcher now, would I."
"No. Maybe not. Could be something as simple as triggering a recessive gene you both possess. Is this going to become a problem though?"
Faith thought hard. Wesley had actually calmed himself down somewhat this time. Giles' input probably had helped.
"What happens if the link is broken?" Wesley asked. "Or one of us is seriously injured?"
"Slow us down, that's for sure."
"We'll figure it out in time. Let's treat it right now as an asset," Giles suggested.
"No reason to tell our new allies," Wesley announced to the other two.
"Perfectly alright, I suppose. They don't need to know everything. Unless they're listening right now."
"Took care of that," Wesley told them. "Spell."
"Can you cast spells, Faith?"
"Nope. And I'm not tryin'. It was weird enough when the slayer healing worked on Wes's wrist."
"Just borrowed though?" Giles asked.
"Yes. Just borrowed. But considering all the fights I've been in lately, it's come in handy."
"Magicks gotten any stronger in the last three months?"
"Yes, they have. I just thought since I got considerable practice."
"Could that have anything to do with this?" Faith wondered.
"I don't know really. As I said before, research might give us some answers. I'll get in touch with Willow as soon as possible."
"My head's spinning, guys." Faith flopped over on the bed. "Baby slayers?"
"Early tomorrow morning."
"Don't you dare wake us up."
Giles moved over to the door to leave. "I just want the two of you to understand that anything you do may have an impact on that connection. Do you understand that?"
"Oh. I think he means our extracurricular activities, Wes."
"The sex?"
Giles rolled his eyes. "When will you two ever learn? Way too much information. Good night."
When Giles left, the two giggled. Faith thought it felt good to giggle. Wesley climbed into bed beside her.
"You think we scarred him for life?" Faith asked.
"One could only hope. Sleep?"
"Nah. I was just thinking how hot you looked out there tonight."
"You like sweaty guys?"
"Depends on who it is." Faith straddled him on the bed. "Seems to me that you had all the fun tonight."
Wesley flipped her, pinning her to the mattress. He lightly kissed where he had punched her earlier.
"I'm OK. See, not even a bruise."
"So if I had all the fun earlier, does that mean that you should have all the fun now?"
Wesley started kissing her jaw, and then worked his way down.
"Wes, we don't have, you know."
And he kept moving his mouth down her body. He made Faith's head spin deliciously.
"Which I don't think matters that much to you right now, does it?"
"You're talking too much," Wesley told her as he looked up at her.
"Yeah, I guess I am," she panted out.
Faith screamed, which ended all conversation at that moment.
Later on, Faith lay motionless on the bed, unable to move.
I will get you for this, she thought.
I'm counting on it, Wes told her in her mind, hand moving up her thigh.
TBC
