REVIEWERS:
Sean Malloy-1: Glad you are enjoying it. Umm, I'm thinking they will meet in the next few chapters.
Allen Pitt: You brought up some really good points. I really need help with this since I haven't seen very much of Tru Calling. I was thinking along the lines of the power got split in between them.
the Sithspawn: I like your name! Glad you like the story. Sorry this took so long.
Princess Bethy: Thanks! Glad you like it.
Insane Tenor Sax Band Geek: Interesting name. LOL Glad you're enjoying!
Chapter 3. Face on the..popup?
To Faiths' surprise, Buffy let her do what she wanted. She didn't prod her into patroll or going out ...or getting dressed.
Faith was grateful. She'd been in bed for a few days. She'd only been up to use the bathroom and sit and pick at the food Dawn brought her.
She'd decided about half an hour before to get her ass up and take a bath. If she was going to be useless, she might as well be useless and clean.
She finished her bath after she was sufficiently pruned and then got up and put on fresh pajamas.
Leaving the dirty ones on the bedroom floor, she decided to get on Dawns' laptop and surf.
She logged on and started browsing websites. She was reading someones comments on a movie when a popup jumped up on the screen.
Annoyed, she was about to close it when the popup loaded fully. She gasped. There, on the screen was a picture of her. She wasn't the only one on the popup; but she was there.
Missing kids, a lot of them. And there she was, her small, chubby five year old face smiling out at her from the computer.
She looked at the paragraph below the picture. Faith Davies. Davies. Her last name was Davies. She hadn't been able to remeber that for a long time. The council had given her another last name, and she had forgotten her real one.
She searched for a pen and paper frantically and jotted down the number on the popup.
Turning off the laptop, she trotted out of the room and down to the lobby.
Lots of the young slayers were hanging out and chatting. All noise stopped when Faith came down the stairs. She ignored the girls and went into Buffys' office.
Buffy looked up when her sister slayer came in. "Faith, you're out of bed!"
"Yeah, hey B, can I use your phone? And have a little privacy?" Faith asked uncertainly.
"Sure. I wasn't doing anything anyway. I just needed a few minuets to myself. Help yourself." Buffy handed Faith the phone and went out, softly shutting the door behined her.
Faith took a breath and before she could lose her nerve, dialed the number. She almost hung up while it rang; but a pleasant female voice answered.
"Missing children hotline, My name is Linda Can I help you?"
"Um hi, I was just online and I saw your popup ad..."
"Yes? Do you have information on a child?"
"I'm one of them." Faith replied.
"What's your name?" Asked Linda hastily.
"Faith Davies."
"Alright Miss Davies, let me just pull up your file."
Faith waited while she heard computer keys clacking.
"I have a location and a phone number for your family, if you'd like to have them. Or I can call them, and set up a meeting if you would like."
Faith sat down. She felt like she was going to faint. Her family. "Um, I'll call them." She replied foggily, trying to grab a pen and pad oof of Buffys desk. When she had it, she prompted Linda to give her the information.
"Thanks." She said after Linda had repeated the number for her three times. "Please, don't call my family yet. I'd like to do this on my own time. I'm still a little shocked."
"Don't worry Miss Davies. We handle cases like this very delicately. You have the information you need now. If you change your mind, call us and we'll notify your family you've been found. Let us know when you do cantact them. Then we'll be able to clear your file."
"Thank you so much." Faith said softly.
"You're welcome." Linda replied. "You know, it's not often we get calls like this. Most people gone as long as you don't ever come back. You and your family are lucky to have this chance."
"I'll remember that." Said Faith. "Bye."
"Goodbye."
Faith hung up the phone numbly, and looked at the slip of paper that held the connection to her sister. Nothing had ever felt so important to her. She had to find Tru. She wondered about her twin. What was she like? What had her life been like? Was she a slayer too?
The door opened a fraction. "Faith?" Buffy asked softly.
"Yeah, B?"
"You allright?"
Faith nodded. "Yeah. Um, listen B, I'm going to be going on a little road trip soon. There's something I have to do."
"Okay. Are you coming back?"
"I don't know." The brunette slayer turned her deep brown eyes to meet Buffys green ones.
Buffy nodded in understanding. "You know where we are. You need us, don't hesitate to call okay? And don't forget to say bye to Dawn. She'll never forgive you if you don't."
"Kay." Faith got up and went to the door.
Buffy stood there and studied her for a moment before giving her a hug. "Don't lose touch. I'm gonna miss having you around."
"B, I never was much for the Kodak moments; but I wanted to tell you how much it meant to me that you forgave me. I can't take back what I did; but I wish I could."
"I know. That's why I forgave you. I forgave you the day you turned yourself in." Buffy smiled at her friend. "Go do what you have to do. We'll be here."
Faith smiled back at her and went upstairs.
The oldest slayer watched as her younger counterpart made her way up the stairs. Something was coming back to her that she had lost when Robin died. She remembered the look in Faiths eyes the day she'd turned herself in to the police. She'd looked so sad and lost. Buffy had forgiven her in that second when their eyes met.
A couple of the girls ran through and knocked over a garbage can, startling Buffy out of her memories.
"Hey! Get back here and clean this up!"
Faith hastily got dressed and stuffed her clothing and other belongings into her duffel bag. She pocketed her wallet and grabbed her keys.
She stopped at Dawns door and knocked.
"It's open." The girl called.
Faith opened the door to see Dawn lying on her bed, working on her homework. "Hey, Dawn."
"Faith, you're out of bed..." She trailed off seeing Faiths duffel. "Are you going somewhere?"
"For a bit. I have some family that I really want to see." She replied. "I promise I'll come back, okay?"
Dawn nodded. "Okay." She got up and threw herself inn Faiths arms. "Don't stay away too long. It's gonna be too boring around here without you."
Faith smirked and ruffled Dawns hair because she knew the girl hated it when anyone did that. She got a scowl for her efforts. "Later, punk."
She made her way quickly down to the lobby and out the door. She didn't want to get stuck in the middle of all the girls wanting to know where she was going,and saying how sorry they were about her loss.
She felt better with every step and by the time she got to her motorcycle she was smiling. She was going to find her family.
Tru was miserable. It was too hot out and the air conditoning had picked that day to conk out. She had taken off her lab coat and pinned up her hair while she slaved over paperwork. Noone had asked for help today, which was wonderful. She didn't want to be running around outside today under any circumstances.
A small fan was blowing around the hot air in the office as she marked down her notes on the last body.
Davis poked his head in the doorway. "Repairman's here. He said it sould only be about fifteen minuets before he gets the unit working again."
"Thank god!" Tru exclaimed.
Davis laughed and went back to what he was doing.
Soon after Tru heard the air come on. She got up and ran under the vent, happily basking in the cooling air. A memory assailed her.
Faith and herself, laughing as the big kids opened up a fire hydrant. They were all running around it, screaming as the cold water hit thier bodies. Her twin was holding her hand as they ran in and out of the spray.
They'd gotten ice cream that day. At the mall. And her twins hand had been torn from hers. Tru shut her eyes and willed the thoughts away. 'It's been too long. She's probably not even alive anymore.' She thought sadly. 'That's why mom died. Losing Faith just took too much out of her.'
"Tru, are you okay?"
She jumped. "Jesus Davis, you scared me!" She said. "I'm fine."
"Sorry." He replied sheepishly. "I'm going to get some lunch. You want?"
"Yeah. what are you getting?"
"I was thinking Chinese." He said.
After Davis left, Tru put her lab coat back on and took her hair down. Back to work.
Faith roared down the interstate on her shiny black bike. She loved the thing. It was liberating to move with such speed and agility.
She was almost there. Another half and hour or so, and she would be in the same city as her family.
She lowered her head to reduce wind resistance, and flew around a few cars. The occupants honked at her angrily; but she paid them no mind.
It was too late when she realized that something was wrong up ahead. She crested a hill and her stomach dropped. A bus was swerving and weaving from lane to lane. It was going incredibly fast. Before she could react, it hit the guard rail and began to flip onto it's side.
She hit the brakes; but it was no good. The bus came hurtling back towards her. She closed her eyes and waited. The impact was terrific. Everything was so slow all of a sudden. Faith watched the ground approach thorugh the visor on her helmet with mounting horror. She might be a slayer; but she doubted she'd make it through this.
'NO! I was so close!' Shot through her mind.
Things sped up like a record resuming play when she hit the ground. She heard the screech of metal against pavement, people screaming. She smelled burnt rubber and her own blood. Then something unbelievably heavy landed on her and she knew no more.
"She's got a rhythem! Get her to OR, NOW!" Shouted a doctor.
They were making thier way to the elevator when Faiths' heart gave out a second time.
"Crash cart!" Someone yelled. "Get her back to trauma!"
"Charge to a hundred." Beeping. "Clear!"
"Nothing. Charge to one fifty. Clear!"
They worked on her for another ten minutes.
"She's gone. Call it." The doctors sad and tired voice was the only noise in the trauma room except for the steady unending beep on the heart monitor.
Okay guys, be gentle. I know it wasn't the best chapter ever; but the next one will be better I swear. I know it's really obvious what's going to happen; but I thought it would be more dramatic than her just walking in. Review me, and try not to gnaw my head off. LOL