Cut to the dark interior of the foyer within the summers home,everything is still in the silent darkness.The door knob is turned and the door opens slowly.She steps inside,still wet as music begins to fill the scene.Herclothes cling to her tight,soaking body and her hair hangs down in many wet strands.Striding in,Faith begins for the stairs.She was bunked up with Buffy,an arrangement which seemed odd to her do to the the feelings they had towards eachother,but she needed somewhere to sleep and wasn't up for listening to Xanders snoring. He was,in fact,doing so,being stired gently by her entering.
Willow,Anya,Molly and Vi are sitting there watching Tv.Molly and Rona both fast asleep,both with blankets spread out over them with the bright illumination of the television dancing over their faces.
Willow,wearing a pair of Pajama bottoms and a grey tank top looks up to See a bit of light come from the figure ofFaithas she passes by and begins to climb the stairs.Willow removes the blanketfrom over her and slowly walks towards the foyer which is still filled with darkness.
Willow:Faith?
Anya,in the middle of being amused by a cartoon,giggles,eating away at a bowl of popcorn.She wears a pink tank top with red floral designs on the front and a pair of bright blue pajama pants,her hair pinned up and away from her face.
Foyer
Faith turns,the moonlight that spills into the room from outside casts a silvery glow over half of her as she does.It takes her a moment to reply and when she does it's in a small voice,almost a whisper.
Faith:Yeah?
Willow has made her way in now and is at the bottom of the stairs,her hand on the railing as she glances up at Faith with a somewhat worried look.
Willow:How...did it go with the Oracle?
Faith shakes her head and brushes a wet strand of hair from her face.
Faith:Not...not good.I was too late...
there's a long moment of silence as Willow lets the little bit of news sink in.The Oracle was one of the seers from the coven in England named Matthias,one who Willow had grown close to while she recoverd over the summer.Her face expresses sorrow and slight confusion.
Willow: Oh...
Faith remains where she is,leaning against the wall ever so slightly and her hand resting on the railing.More slience continues before Faith finally breaks it,not knowing what else to say.
Faith:Yeah...sorry
Willow:It's not your...
but Faith has already turned,making her way up the stairs to and down the carpeted hallway.Her bare feet were dirty and felt numb from running all the way.Willow remained where she was for a moment,growing more confused by Faith's behavior.She let it go,walking slowly back towards the living room.
Willow:Fault...
Upstairs-Buffy's Room
She opens the door,cheering weakly inside that Buffy was out,training some of the SITs or somehting.She was just happy her night was over and was semi releaved Willow didn't take the news so hard.She just doesn't know how to deal with stuff like that.She'd usually just say the wrong thing,never being one to hug and cry when thigns like this occured,thanks to mommy and daddy she didn't quite know how to deal with feels or open up for that matter let along deal with others pain.It was better just not to get involved.
She moves through the room into the bathroom,closing the door gently behind her and allowing a deep sigh to escape her mouth.She just wants to collapse into something soft and warm for another eight months. A nother coma maybe.Stepping across the cool tiled floor after turning on the light she leans over the tub and turns on the faucet and runs her hands under the warm water.She put the stopper in the drain and began running herself a bath.
She straitens up,going over to the mirror cabinet and opens it,taking out a tube of tooth paste.Closing the cabinet,she looks down and then up again as she catches the reflections of someone long lost ot her.
Her face grows terrifed,seeing the reflection of a woman in her early thirtees.She looks tired and pale and resembles Faith in a way.Her words are slurred as she points to Faith half drunkenly in the mirror.
Faith's Mother:You...stupid little...tramp!
Faith spins around,discovering the only thing in the room with is nothing,just emptyness.Perhaps it was just her midn playing ticks on he or maybe she was just over exausted.She shakes her head,blinking hards to make sure she isn't there.Just emptiness.She lets out a sigh of relief, and unbuckles her belt, letting her jeans fall to the ground and then pulls her shirt up over her head and dropping it with the pants.
Minutes Later...
She rests in the tub,briming with bubbles and lets out a content sigh.Taking a bath in a place you've never washed before is odd...but for some reason it is't for her.probably becuase she's bathed here before...only in soemone elses skin.So I suppose she hadn't really clensed herself that night...just washed herself in anothers skin.
"Medication" by Garbage plays as she lies in the tub,comtemplating her life.
I don't need an education,
I learnt all I need from you
But with the dirt never really does wash away,it's always there somewhere.
They've got me on some medication,
My point of balance was askew.
You can wash a hundred times and it'd always remain,becuase you would allow it too.And that's just what Faith did.She let the dirt and the grime of all her evil deeds stay with her...not allowing them to rinse away with the soapy water down the drain.
It keeps my temperature from rising,
My blood is pumping trough my veins
Somebody get me out of here,
I'm tearing at myself.
Nobody gives a damn about me or anybody else
She had gotten blood on her hands countless tiems and each time she had to was it she became more frantic and desperate to make the sight of it go away.
Bright white light floods the screen in a flashback,bringing us sight of Faith as she tries relentlessly to scrub away the blood of the deputy mayor from her top.We retun now to Faith,remaining still in the tub.
In the blissful silence of anothers bathroom...she felt at peace,for atleast a moment.Her cares washed away with every bit of water which surrounded her.But they would return once she allowed them too and she would.
I wear myself out in the morning,
You're asleep when I get home.
Please don't call me self defending,
You know it cuts me to the bone.
More time passes as we cut to another sceen with Faith in front of the mirror again,her hair slicked back,her body wraped in a little red towel,her expression blank.
And it's really not surprising,
I hold a force I can't contain.
she stares into the eyes of her reflection,lost in the depth of the endless,chocolate brown pools of misery.They shouldn't have belonged ot hers...she desired the glint of light which sparkled when her father would tell her he loved her,or the moments when the Mayor would make her feel liek his own.She didn't have that shine anymore,in fact,there was no bit of light which brought life to her eyes.Instead...they just made her look lost and alone.
Somebody get me out of here,
I'm tearing at myself.
Nobody gives a damn about me or anybody else.
She had to force herself away from her reflection and she exited the room into Buffys.She was tired...but now,she wasn't able to bring herself to sleep.Her matress was already layed out for her and in Buffy's bed,the blond slayer rested soundly,securely.
And still you call me co-dependent,
Somehow you lay the blame on me.
And still you call me co-dependent,
Somehow you lay the blame on me.
Her look of emptiness remained as she watched her for a moment and then began to changed into a pair of pink pajama bottoms and a black tank top with spagettie straps.The song fades and Faith lies down,staring blankly out the window into the darkness.
Buffy's Room
All sound within the room is still,soft light spilling in through the window and casting itself across Faith's body as she lie half under her blanket.She has a content expression covering her face.
Pan up to reveal Buffy's empty and made.We move over to see her alarm clock which reads:1:21 in bright red.The room is bathed in a warm,comforting light and all is silent through out the house.
CRASH!
we cut to a wall somewhere in the summers home as a vase smashes against it,shattering to pieces.
We reverse to see Andrew and Dawn standing together,looking in silnce at the broken vase.Dawn looks perfecly unfazed while Andrew seems terrified,figiting in fear.
Andrew:I didn't know it was going to shatter like that
Dawn gives him an annoyed look,rolling her eyes slightly.
Dawn:it's glass...that's a wall.Do the math,stupid.
Andrew nudges her slightly
Andrew:well maybe if you didn't hit me the glass thing wouldn't be broken.
Dawn slaps him hard across the face
Dawn:well it'll teach you not to use by hair brush for your...
she looks at his hair,it's spikey and gives her the nagging desire to rip it out of his head.
Dawn:un-conditioned hair
he gasps,stepping back a little,unable to believe she just insulted his most favoured possesion aside from his comic book collection.
Andrew:Take that back!
she smiles wickeldy,finding a weakness.She takes a step forward,rolling with it.She looks at his hair thoughtfully
Dawn:Funny...it seems to be lacking that certain shine it once had
he gasps again,looking at her in horror
Andrew:Thats because Buffy wont let me use the conditioner...she says "it's a gift that's not allowed to be used by annoying imcompotent big bad rejects"...so it's not my fault!ok!Your just all miss prissy because your not a potential anymore
Dawn scoffs,continuing unfazed by that,seeing how she got over it months ago.
Dawn:It's good she's so honest...and I'm happy I'm not a potential,means I dont have to fight losers like--
she stops,discrated by something she seems in Andrews hair.
Dawn:Are your roots growing back in?
Andrew grips his head and runs out of the room yelling.Dawn smiles,picking up a book and sitting on the couch where more books sit.
Kitchen
Faith stands there,glancing thoughfully out the window as she holds a cup of coffee in both hands which are drawn towards her stomach.She tunes out the voices of the others their; Giles,Willow,Buffy,Xander,Anya and two other new potentail slayers along with Rona and Kenedy.
The first girl is somewhat short with long fire red hair,obviously dyed.She wears a black hoody and a pair of wide legged black jeans.The other has brunette hair pulled back into ponytail.She wears an orange,long sleeved top with red glittery designes on the front and a pair of baggy white hospital pants.
Buffy looks at the girls,givign a little sigh
Willow:Giles where are they gonna stay?
Anya:There's hardly any substantial room left ...but there are numours closets
she turns to look at Buffy,curriousity marking her expression
Anya:Many closests right?
Buffy nods,unaware of what to do right now.She looks at the girls again with a reasuring smile
Buffy: don't worry,we have room...we just don't know where yet
Kenedy smiles,looking at willow breifly then at the rest of them,considering wheather to give up her's and willows privacy or let it pass.She weighs the opptions,the one she likes more winning by many reasons which make her smirk to herself.
Rona:Sheri and Sam are taking the floor in the living room
Xander:What about Dawns room?
Giles:Vi and Kelly are bunking with her correct?
Buffy sighs
Buffy:Um...broom closet under the stairs?
Willow:Andrew
She sighs even deeper
Buffy:Uh...I dunno...there's some room in my room with me and Faith.
she turns,lookign at the back of Faith
Buffy:That okay,Faith?
She doesn't respond,too lost in her own little world.
Buffy:Faith?
Buffy's voice begins to trail as the camera closes up on the bakc of Faith and then cuting to her face,looking blankly out the window.She squints as Bright white floods the shot
Faith:Hi...my names Faith and...I'm a victum
the light adjusts to normal,bringign us to a room with chairs arranged neatly in a cricle.Faith sits in one,the others are all completely empty.She's pale and tired looking,wearing a pair of jeans and a pink button down top with her hair pulled back neatly from her face.After a moment,other people fade into the shot and into the seats.
The room was silent.There was no "Hi Faith" which the people in the room were suppose to join in Sync to create that ,warm feeling.
she glances around the room,nothing but cold,lost faces.They were just like her,here for their own deals,not giving a crap about hers and she felt the same about theirs.It was a circle,these conciling groups.They smile supportively as you spill your guts and ball your eyes out at the hell that is your life when in reality they just sit,watching and waiting for you to finish so they can rid themselves of their emotional baggage.
There is one though,a pretty woman wiht glasses and clip board and an expensive suit,smiling that kinda smile that just tells you she's "here to help".That's bull.Faith knew,she knew all too well,that she was all about the "helping the helpless get back on their feet" kinda like Angel...only less real.Yeah,she knew this chick who just wanted to help,to reasure those who are scared and confused that everything'll be all right.The funny hting being is that if she even lived a second in those peoples worlds then that fake smile would fade from her face and she'd be as lost as the rest of them.
This woman was suppose to say everything would be all right,go home every night with the satisfaction of what she did that day had saved yet another lost soul with the garbage she had fed them.The lies which made everyting better.The way they opporate is they get inside your head,scanning through whatever they can to help rid you of whatever it is that's keeping yyou awake at night or keeping you from wanting to stop live or keeping you from living
The things they tell you you can just tell they have no idea what the hell they're talking about while at the same time the thigns they say hold a truth to them.These things seem to explain exactly what your problem is and to you...for some strange reason...they make sense.
so thats it.Your cured and people like miss priss go home to their fancy mansions in their hot rides with their big fat pay check with a feeling of accomplishment.But they haven't acheived anything,haven't broken any of the walls in their patients minds,because they've never gone through any of that.they live in the real world
Faith: Nobody really knows me. I hide myself pretty well, years of practice. If I don't let anyone in, they can't hurt me, screw me or break my heart. I don't really need anyone to break my heart, I do a pretty good job of that myself. I am so lonely, like a black pit that swallows everything and everybody that tries to get close or tries to love me.
the woman writes soemthign down on her clip board and gives Faith a half hearted smile before we fade away.
Faith:was moved from the state pen to the state loony bin for about six months. Unresponsive, they said, withdrawn, said others but they could never understand what horror's I've faced or what horror's I've caused. Now, I play the crazy part, quiet, withdrawn, loner, not giving anyone a glimpse of me for fear of letting them find out that I'm real, the evil is real, it really does exist and I was best friends with it.
She finds herself sitting in one of the therapy rooms, staring at blank paper placed in front of her. Today's homework assignment is, tell me about you, what could she say, she never did know how to express herself.Theres a box of crayons and she finds herself laughing at their latest method of breaking through to her.A metod so advanced and brilliant which makes one think perhaps these people were once day care teachers.
She grabs a red crayon,after all,she was always a red kinda gal.She begins drawing,her mind wandering as her hand moves the crayon.
hours pass and she finally finishes,looking pensively at what her mind had caused her to draw without her knowlege.She sits back,staring at the picture of her deisres.The camera moves over her shoulder,resting on the picture of a little girl between a mommy and a daddy with large smiles.There's a small puppy in the picture and a big house.The picture cretes a warm,happy sense which causes Faith to grimace at the childhood she never had...
Fade in on Vi's face.She's squinting and wobbling a little.Whatever she's doing it's hard and she's clearly to scared to keep her eyes open.
Spike: Okay...now to avoid fallin flat on your face liek the last eleven times why don't you try opening your eyes.
We pull out to reveal Vi attempting a handstand ontop of a pedestal,her legs dangling crazyily in the air.She's dressed as any slayer would be while training:a tank top and loose pants,because who says you can't look good while sweating your ass off?
Spike is there also,pacing around her,just waiting for her to fall.Kelly,a petite girl with dark hair and a pink top with jeans is watching intently.Another girl,Samantha,a red head wearing a black,long sleeved top and a pair of cargo pants,also watches.
Vi: Can't...If I open them...I'll see the ground...and If I see the ground...I'll fall into it and...probably even break something.
Samantha:I'll make sure you break something if you don't the hell up and open your eyes!
Spike laughs shortly at that,stopping abruptly when he notices how evil it was.
Spike: C'mon pet...I'll catch ya if you fall.
Kelly:Like the past 7 times you've failed to do that?
she speaks with a slight accent much like Kendra's.
Spike sighs,getting out of his get-ready-to-catch-Vi-because-everyone-knows-she's-gonna-fall-and-probably-break-something stance.He looks at Rachel with an annoyed expression.
Spike:Are you quite finished?
Kelly considers this,shaking her head yes
Spike:good
Vi:I'm gonna do it...I'm opening my eyes...here they come...
she opens her eyes and looks at the floor
Vi:Ahh!
she topples over and falls hard on the Mat.Spike's eyes widen,looking down at Vi not knowing what to do.
Spike: oh...um...sorry
He sighs,turning ot the two remaining girls with determination
Spike: okay...who's next?
Both girls exchange glances and shake their heads lightly,backing away some.Buffy watches from the stairs wearing a strapless red top with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.She also wears a pair of loose black jeans.Smiling soflty she turns from the door,and going into the kitchen more where Willow sits at the island with a bowel of soup.
Willow:How goes the training?
Buffy:slowly....very slowly
She frowns,going ot the fridge and pulling out a jug of orange juice.
Buffy:I mean...most of them got it down...but--they'll get it
Willow smiles hopefully,always beign Buffy's back up hope when she needed reasurance.
Willow: Ofcourse they will...they just need time...like you did
Buffy comes over to the island with a glass,setting it on the counter.
Buffy:Yeah...but we might not have enough of it.
Willow frowns,nodding reasuringly
Willow:we do...Buffy,we do.The first hasn't even made an attempt to attack us lately...
she grows silent for a long moment and looks up at Willow with a weak smile.
Buffy:That's what I'm afraid of...
cut to First's lair,Candles burn brightly,casting a dim light apon it's caverns.A hand caresses a blood stain on the wall where Spike was kept.The camera pulls back to reveal the Mayor in an expensive lookign suit.He shakes his head in dissaproval at the stain.
The Mayor:You know...blood was always one of the hardest stains to get out.
he turns to the camera,looking at something unseen and removes a cloth from his pcoket and turns,begining to wipe at the stain
The Mayor: oh,my mother had a heck of time trying to clean our clothing after we'd be playing all day...
he turns back to us again
The Mayor:And ya know how kids can be...
he returns to cleaning the stain
The Mayor:Always getting dirty and getting cuts...
he pockets the cloth,turning
The Mayor:you know...I find it ironic...blood's like chocolate...sweet...savouring...and yes,a hell of time to clean let me tell you...
he chuckles lightly at the thought and pauses
The Mayor: do you like chocolate?
we hear or see nothing,the Mayor continues
The Mayor:never did like the stuff myself...bad for the heart
he pauses once more,considering that
The Mayor: Ofcourse...what isn't these days?
he chuckles heartedly and we reverse to see who or what he's talking to;a large demon with deep red rock like skin much like the beasts and long spikes coming from it's skull with two devil like horns.It's eyes are completely black and it's fanged mouth drips with blood and some lands on the dirt floor of the cavern
The suspense in the music is rising and suddenly we hear the Mayor say:
Mayor: oh,now, I just cleaned up after you!