She's Gone (13D/?)
Dawn looked at her watch for what seemed the hundredth time. To her amazement the display said it was only twenty seconds since she'd last looked. "What's taking them so long?" she groaned, she hated it when they cut her out of the loop like this. She cared about Xander too!
Her heart leapt at the sound of a key rattling in the front door. "About time!" she exulted. Jumping up she hurried into the hallway and stopped at the sight that greeted her, blood draining from her face.
"Hello Dawnie."
"W...Willow."
Willow shook her head, poor child she looked so pale, further proof, as if she needed it that they were neglecting her in favour of that hussy. "Come on," she beckoned the girl towards her. "You're moving in with Amy and I."
"N...no," Dawn shook her head. "This is my home."
"Was your home," Willow corrected, a note of steel entering her voice. "Do you think your mother would want you living in a house where you could be influenced by a low-class harlot like Faith? No," she shook her head. "She'd want you away from such people. And so would Buffy."
The teen stuck her hands in her pockets for a few seconds as if considering her words before pulling them out and nodding, emptying the contents of one pocket on the carpet. Willow tutted, such a slovenly child, Faith was a bad influence. "Okay," Dawn replied in a small voice. "Just give me a minute to pack -."
"No," she said firmly. Did Dawn think she'd been born yesterday? She'd either leave a note or try and climb through the window, fall, and break her neck. Wilful child, she bet that was the hussy's fault too. "The car's waiting, go and get in it. Now." After a second Dawn nodded immediately. Willow beamed before patting her on her head. "Good girl," she praised. There was nothing to this parenting lark. Just use the carrot and stick approach.
"Get him inside before he wakes up," Giles
"Gee, ya think?" Faith muttered as she carried his son in over her shoulder. "'Cause it was so much fun the first two times." Giles hid the urge to snap a sarcastic retort. Xander's actions had been a strain on all of them but Faith most of all, he'd seen the pain in her eyes when he'd taunted her. "Very well," his voice trailed off at the sight of the open door.
Faith was first to react. "Pip!" Unmindful of the dead weight she was carrying, the Slayer charged into the house, her shrill screams clearly audible to Giles and Tara.
He turned to the Wicca. "We'd best get in."
As they passed over the threshold they were met by a worried-looking Faith coming down the stairs, her cargo still over her shoulder. "Dawn's not here G! And I promised B I'd look after her," the Slayer added in a whisper.
"Right," Giles took a second to gather his thoughts. "The priority has to be healing Xander. Then once he's on his feet we'll turn our attention to finding who kidnap-."
"It was Willow."
Giles glanced behind him to see a pale Tara. "How can you be sure?"
"We gave this," his eyes widened when the Wicca dropped a Wiccan charm bracelet in his hand. "To Dawn as a present. It was on the hall floor, she must have dropped it there as a sign."
"X is on the couch G," he looked up to see Faith coming out of the lounge. The east coast native slinked past him. "You get him healed up and meet me at Red's place."
"Faith!" he shouted in vain as the Bostonian strode out of the front door. "We need a plan!"
"G," came back the reply. "I am the plan."
"He's coming round," Xander heard a vaguely familiar voice in the distance.
"And his aura?" a different but also familiar voice.
"Back to normal."
"As normal as Xander gets," the male voice sighed. "Please go and get your magical equipment Tara, I need some time alone with him."
"Giles -."
"Please Tara," there was a hint of steel in the man's polite tone.
The female sighed. "Remember it wasn't his fault."
With a groan, he opened his eyes to see a scholarly-looking man in his mid to late forties glaring at him. After a second he remembered the man's name. "Giles-."
"I understand you were under a spell," his blood chilled at the older man's tone. "But as a result of your actions, two lovely girls who've had truly terrible childhoods were hurt by a man they both love and respect," Xander winced, the memories of his actions flooding back. "If you hurt either of them again," the Watcher pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'll ensure you rue the bloody day. Am I making myself clear?"
It took Xander a moment to find his voice. "Crystal," he croaked.
"Excellent," Giles stood as Tara re-entered. "Now let's be off and rescue Dawn."
"Sure," he paused in standing. "Wait? What's happened to Dawn? And where's Faith?"
Dawn swallowed nervously as she looked around the sparsely furnished room Willow had dragged her into. "This will be your room for the next few days, decide on the furniture you want and I'll get it," the wicca giggled. "You, Amy and I are going to have the best time here."
Dawn took a breath and gathered her nerve up. "Willow, Giles will be worried."
"Oh I'll ring him in the morning," Willow waved away her attempts at reasoning. "Tell him you've decided to live with me."
Suddenly there was a crash and she heard Faith's throaty voice shouting. "Dawn! You here kiddo?"
"Oh," Dawn felt a chill run through her at the sudden black in Willow's eyes. "Intruders." Her sister's best friend rose and hurried through into the hallway. After a second she followed her.
"Pip," Faith's eyes didn't move from Willow. "Get your ass out of here and into the car, I'll join you in a minute."
"Stay where you are Dawnie." The witch snapped. "You made quite a mess of our front door. I see a prison stay hasn't improved your skanky manners," Willow's voice was soft yet somehow dangerous. "And I see you're still as slow as ever. Ah well, I'll have to take you in hand."
Faith's face whitened. "Dawn, get out of here."
After a second, she started to push past Willow only to be lifted by a gust of wind and slammed face first into the wall, instantly she tried to pull away but an invisible something held her in place. She whimpered in shock as an unseen hand unfastened and pulled her belt out of her jeans, causing them to fall to her ankles, and began whipping her across her now bare legs. "Dawn, that was naughty," Willow scolded. "I told you to stay where you were."
"Leave her the fuck alone!" growled Faith.
"Naughty girls have to be disciplined," Willow retorted, her taunting voice singsong. "Unless you think you can stop me?"
Faith's heart missed a beat as she watched Dawn being beaten, flashing back to the dark days when it had been her mom beating her or some man or other in a dingy hotel room with a kink for hurting young girls, her eyes focused on the peeling wallpaper to cut out the pain. Nobody, not even Red was going to get away with hurting Pip. "I'm warning you Red," she snarled. "Let her go now."
Her liquid brown eyes were met by stone black ones. How the fuck did Red do that anyhow, change her eyes like that? Wicked powerful mojo that was for damn sure. "And be corrupted by you?" the Wicca sneered at her. "Not going to happen. I'm keeping her safe for Buffy, it's my duty as her best friend. Unless you take her?"
"That's how you want it," Faith surged forward, intent on punching the witch into the middle of next week.
And was picked up by a wind thrown into the far wall. "Oh look," she groaned as she pulled herself upright the Wicca advanced on her, her black eyes dancing. "The tough streetwalker's not so tough anymore."
"Fuck," Faith forced herself ready for the red-head's second attack. "That all you got Red, 'cause I heard you were a bad-ass witch?"
The witch's smile broadened. "Oh I can go up a few gears."
Suddenly Faith was rocked by invisible, stone-hard, fists smashing into her from countless positions, bombarding her legs, arms, body, and torso. She took it for as long as she could but finally fell to her knees. "There you go Faith." She looked up, barely able to see the grinning Wicca through her rapidly swelling eyes. Every part of her hurt, but what was worse was the sound of the belt still hitting a sobbing Dawn in the distance. "You finally know your place." She winced as the Wicca grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her head back. "On your knees before your betters. Just think how easier things could have been if you'd learnt that lesson all those years ago." "Fuck you," Faith gasped through bloodied lips.
Willow giggled. "Oh believe me we'll get to that. After all, that's all you're good for."
"Willow stop."
At the sound of Tara's voice, Willow's concentration faltered and her eyes flickered back to their normal colour. "Tara?"
Taking her chance, Faith forced away the weariness to surge to her feet and slam a right uppercut into the Wicca's jaw. Taken by surprise, the red- head was lifted up and flung across the hallway to land by the far wall. A grin on her face, Faith dragged herself across the room, using the wall to steady herself, her determination increasing at the sight of Dawn's bruised legs. The bitch was going to pay.
Even as she reached her target, the sorceress began to raise her head. Instantly Faith kicked her in the head knocking her back down. Nobody got the better of her, nobody. After spitting blood on Willow's unconscious body, she drew back her fist. It was past time to finish this.
Suddenly her arm was grabbed. Turning her head she saw looked into Giles' stern face. "No Faith."
"No?" her speech was slurred with pain by now, her gaze disbelieving. "Have you seen what she did to me? To Dawn?" she could still hear the girl sobbing despite Tara's attempts to soothe her. "She has to pay!"
"Yes she does," Giles agreed, his expression grave. "But not by your hand. You set yourself up as judge and jury once before and that didn't end well did it?"
After a second Faith nodded. She didn't want to be that girl anymore, she wanted, needed, to be better. "Fine," she turned away from the crumpled wicca and flinched at her first sight of Xander standing by the doorway, looking at the carpet. What would he say? Would he insult her some more? Laugh at her injuries? Apologise?
"Faith I-."
Deciding she couldn't take this, she turned to Giles. "G I wanna stay over at yours tonight, make sure Pip's five by five?" after a second her Watcher gave into her pleading eyes and nodded. "Thanks, I'll drive myself back, see you there."
"Faith," Xander raised a hand but she brushed it away.
"Not now," she ordered brusquely.
Ten hours after her beating at the hands of Willow and her bruises were already healing, thanks to her Slayer powers. Not like Dawn, Tar and G had taken shifts with her last night, watching her as she sobbed her eyes out. Faith stopped her Tai Chi, the exercise not having its usual calming effect. Every time she tried to focus she got alternating images of Willow and Xander's faces, their expressions filled with hatred and contempt.
"Damn it!" she pulled away.
"I'm sorry."
Faith looked up to see Xander stood under the tree to the left of the garden. "What for?" she tried to keep her voice steady, but heard its tremble. "Last night didn't mean shit," she lied. "Words are just words."
Xander swallowed. "Still I've got an apology to make I intend to make it." The Scooby's lips quirked up in a smile. "If for no other reason I really don't want Clem telling me off like he did ten minutes ago. 'You should apologise to Faith. She's got a good heart, why if she wasn't so tight- skinned-'."
Finally a giggle escaped. Her with Clem? 'Cept for Xan and Angel, he was the best guy friend she'd ever had, but the thought of them together..... "So, let's hear it then."
"Okay," Xander took a breath. "Everything I said last night, I only remember bits but that was bad enough. G-Man's said the collective amnesia over this town should take care of any criminal charges, but that's not the point is it? I hurt Clem, G-Man, Tara, and, most importantly, you. You trusted me with your darkest secrets and," her friend's face contorted with pain. "I threw them back in your face, used them like weapons. After all you've been through to be the strong, wonderful woman you are today shows what an amazing person you truly are and I hate myself more than you could ever imagine." Xander paused for a second before reaching behind him to bring out a bunch of roses and a boxes of chocolates.
"You bought me flowers? And chocolates?" No guy had ever bought her flowers or chocolates before, a drink with a mickey in it to get her in the mood or paid for a room for them to get busy in maybe, but she wasn't the sort of girl guys bought flowers for.
Xander shrugged, his expression uncomfortable. "It's sort of customary when a guy apologises for being a dick."
"Kiss me," she whispered. He really cared. Didn't he?
"Uh, but your face is all bruised."
"Just do it."
Willow glared through a gap in the fence, her eyes disbelieving. Had Xander learnt nothing from the last time he was with that slut? That bitch, coming to her town, taking her hero's place, assaulting her in her home, and now stealing her Xander. Her eyes flickered black as Xander's hands worked their way under Faith's muscle vest. "You'll pay missy, they'll be a reckoning soon."
Dawn looked at her watch for what seemed the hundredth time. To her amazement the display said it was only twenty seconds since she'd last looked. "What's taking them so long?" she groaned, she hated it when they cut her out of the loop like this. She cared about Xander too!
Her heart leapt at the sound of a key rattling in the front door. "About time!" she exulted. Jumping up she hurried into the hallway and stopped at the sight that greeted her, blood draining from her face.
"Hello Dawnie."
"W...Willow."
Willow shook her head, poor child she looked so pale, further proof, as if she needed it that they were neglecting her in favour of that hussy. "Come on," she beckoned the girl towards her. "You're moving in with Amy and I."
"N...no," Dawn shook her head. "This is my home."
"Was your home," Willow corrected, a note of steel entering her voice. "Do you think your mother would want you living in a house where you could be influenced by a low-class harlot like Faith? No," she shook her head. "She'd want you away from such people. And so would Buffy."
The teen stuck her hands in her pockets for a few seconds as if considering her words before pulling them out and nodding, emptying the contents of one pocket on the carpet. Willow tutted, such a slovenly child, Faith was a bad influence. "Okay," Dawn replied in a small voice. "Just give me a minute to pack -."
"No," she said firmly. Did Dawn think she'd been born yesterday? She'd either leave a note or try and climb through the window, fall, and break her neck. Wilful child, she bet that was the hussy's fault too. "The car's waiting, go and get in it. Now." After a second Dawn nodded immediately. Willow beamed before patting her on her head. "Good girl," she praised. There was nothing to this parenting lark. Just use the carrot and stick approach.
"Get him inside before he wakes up," Giles
"Gee, ya think?" Faith muttered as she carried his son in over her shoulder. "'Cause it was so much fun the first two times." Giles hid the urge to snap a sarcastic retort. Xander's actions had been a strain on all of them but Faith most of all, he'd seen the pain in her eyes when he'd taunted her. "Very well," his voice trailed off at the sight of the open door.
Faith was first to react. "Pip!" Unmindful of the dead weight she was carrying, the Slayer charged into the house, her shrill screams clearly audible to Giles and Tara.
He turned to the Wicca. "We'd best get in."
As they passed over the threshold they were met by a worried-looking Faith coming down the stairs, her cargo still over her shoulder. "Dawn's not here G! And I promised B I'd look after her," the Slayer added in a whisper.
"Right," Giles took a second to gather his thoughts. "The priority has to be healing Xander. Then once he's on his feet we'll turn our attention to finding who kidnap-."
"It was Willow."
Giles glanced behind him to see a pale Tara. "How can you be sure?"
"We gave this," his eyes widened when the Wicca dropped a Wiccan charm bracelet in his hand. "To Dawn as a present. It was on the hall floor, she must have dropped it there as a sign."
"X is on the couch G," he looked up to see Faith coming out of the lounge. The east coast native slinked past him. "You get him healed up and meet me at Red's place."
"Faith!" he shouted in vain as the Bostonian strode out of the front door. "We need a plan!"
"G," came back the reply. "I am the plan."
"He's coming round," Xander heard a vaguely familiar voice in the distance.
"And his aura?" a different but also familiar voice.
"Back to normal."
"As normal as Xander gets," the male voice sighed. "Please go and get your magical equipment Tara, I need some time alone with him."
"Giles -."
"Please Tara," there was a hint of steel in the man's polite tone.
The female sighed. "Remember it wasn't his fault."
With a groan, he opened his eyes to see a scholarly-looking man in his mid to late forties glaring at him. After a second he remembered the man's name. "Giles-."
"I understand you were under a spell," his blood chilled at the older man's tone. "But as a result of your actions, two lovely girls who've had truly terrible childhoods were hurt by a man they both love and respect," Xander winced, the memories of his actions flooding back. "If you hurt either of them again," the Watcher pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'll ensure you rue the bloody day. Am I making myself clear?"
It took Xander a moment to find his voice. "Crystal," he croaked.
"Excellent," Giles stood as Tara re-entered. "Now let's be off and rescue Dawn."
"Sure," he paused in standing. "Wait? What's happened to Dawn? And where's Faith?"
Dawn swallowed nervously as she looked around the sparsely furnished room Willow had dragged her into. "This will be your room for the next few days, decide on the furniture you want and I'll get it," the wicca giggled. "You, Amy and I are going to have the best time here."
Dawn took a breath and gathered her nerve up. "Willow, Giles will be worried."
"Oh I'll ring him in the morning," Willow waved away her attempts at reasoning. "Tell him you've decided to live with me."
Suddenly there was a crash and she heard Faith's throaty voice shouting. "Dawn! You here kiddo?"
"Oh," Dawn felt a chill run through her at the sudden black in Willow's eyes. "Intruders." Her sister's best friend rose and hurried through into the hallway. After a second she followed her.
"Pip," Faith's eyes didn't move from Willow. "Get your ass out of here and into the car, I'll join you in a minute."
"Stay where you are Dawnie." The witch snapped. "You made quite a mess of our front door. I see a prison stay hasn't improved your skanky manners," Willow's voice was soft yet somehow dangerous. "And I see you're still as slow as ever. Ah well, I'll have to take you in hand."
Faith's face whitened. "Dawn, get out of here."
After a second, she started to push past Willow only to be lifted by a gust of wind and slammed face first into the wall, instantly she tried to pull away but an invisible something held her in place. She whimpered in shock as an unseen hand unfastened and pulled her belt out of her jeans, causing them to fall to her ankles, and began whipping her across her now bare legs. "Dawn, that was naughty," Willow scolded. "I told you to stay where you were."
"Leave her the fuck alone!" growled Faith.
"Naughty girls have to be disciplined," Willow retorted, her taunting voice singsong. "Unless you think you can stop me?"
Faith's heart missed a beat as she watched Dawn being beaten, flashing back to the dark days when it had been her mom beating her or some man or other in a dingy hotel room with a kink for hurting young girls, her eyes focused on the peeling wallpaper to cut out the pain. Nobody, not even Red was going to get away with hurting Pip. "I'm warning you Red," she snarled. "Let her go now."
Her liquid brown eyes were met by stone black ones. How the fuck did Red do that anyhow, change her eyes like that? Wicked powerful mojo that was for damn sure. "And be corrupted by you?" the Wicca sneered at her. "Not going to happen. I'm keeping her safe for Buffy, it's my duty as her best friend. Unless you take her?"
"That's how you want it," Faith surged forward, intent on punching the witch into the middle of next week.
And was picked up by a wind thrown into the far wall. "Oh look," she groaned as she pulled herself upright the Wicca advanced on her, her black eyes dancing. "The tough streetwalker's not so tough anymore."
"Fuck," Faith forced herself ready for the red-head's second attack. "That all you got Red, 'cause I heard you were a bad-ass witch?"
The witch's smile broadened. "Oh I can go up a few gears."
Suddenly Faith was rocked by invisible, stone-hard, fists smashing into her from countless positions, bombarding her legs, arms, body, and torso. She took it for as long as she could but finally fell to her knees. "There you go Faith." She looked up, barely able to see the grinning Wicca through her rapidly swelling eyes. Every part of her hurt, but what was worse was the sound of the belt still hitting a sobbing Dawn in the distance. "You finally know your place." She winced as the Wicca grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her head back. "On your knees before your betters. Just think how easier things could have been if you'd learnt that lesson all those years ago." "Fuck you," Faith gasped through bloodied lips.
Willow giggled. "Oh believe me we'll get to that. After all, that's all you're good for."
"Willow stop."
At the sound of Tara's voice, Willow's concentration faltered and her eyes flickered back to their normal colour. "Tara?"
Taking her chance, Faith forced away the weariness to surge to her feet and slam a right uppercut into the Wicca's jaw. Taken by surprise, the red- head was lifted up and flung across the hallway to land by the far wall. A grin on her face, Faith dragged herself across the room, using the wall to steady herself, her determination increasing at the sight of Dawn's bruised legs. The bitch was going to pay.
Even as she reached her target, the sorceress began to raise her head. Instantly Faith kicked her in the head knocking her back down. Nobody got the better of her, nobody. After spitting blood on Willow's unconscious body, she drew back her fist. It was past time to finish this.
Suddenly her arm was grabbed. Turning her head she saw looked into Giles' stern face. "No Faith."
"No?" her speech was slurred with pain by now, her gaze disbelieving. "Have you seen what she did to me? To Dawn?" she could still hear the girl sobbing despite Tara's attempts to soothe her. "She has to pay!"
"Yes she does," Giles agreed, his expression grave. "But not by your hand. You set yourself up as judge and jury once before and that didn't end well did it?"
After a second Faith nodded. She didn't want to be that girl anymore, she wanted, needed, to be better. "Fine," she turned away from the crumpled wicca and flinched at her first sight of Xander standing by the doorway, looking at the carpet. What would he say? Would he insult her some more? Laugh at her injuries? Apologise?
"Faith I-."
Deciding she couldn't take this, she turned to Giles. "G I wanna stay over at yours tonight, make sure Pip's five by five?" after a second her Watcher gave into her pleading eyes and nodded. "Thanks, I'll drive myself back, see you there."
"Faith," Xander raised a hand but she brushed it away.
"Not now," she ordered brusquely.
Ten hours after her beating at the hands of Willow and her bruises were already healing, thanks to her Slayer powers. Not like Dawn, Tar and G had taken shifts with her last night, watching her as she sobbed her eyes out. Faith stopped her Tai Chi, the exercise not having its usual calming effect. Every time she tried to focus she got alternating images of Willow and Xander's faces, their expressions filled with hatred and contempt.
"Damn it!" she pulled away.
"I'm sorry."
Faith looked up to see Xander stood under the tree to the left of the garden. "What for?" she tried to keep her voice steady, but heard its tremble. "Last night didn't mean shit," she lied. "Words are just words."
Xander swallowed. "Still I've got an apology to make I intend to make it." The Scooby's lips quirked up in a smile. "If for no other reason I really don't want Clem telling me off like he did ten minutes ago. 'You should apologise to Faith. She's got a good heart, why if she wasn't so tight- skinned-'."
Finally a giggle escaped. Her with Clem? 'Cept for Xan and Angel, he was the best guy friend she'd ever had, but the thought of them together..... "So, let's hear it then."
"Okay," Xander took a breath. "Everything I said last night, I only remember bits but that was bad enough. G-Man's said the collective amnesia over this town should take care of any criminal charges, but that's not the point is it? I hurt Clem, G-Man, Tara, and, most importantly, you. You trusted me with your darkest secrets and," her friend's face contorted with pain. "I threw them back in your face, used them like weapons. After all you've been through to be the strong, wonderful woman you are today shows what an amazing person you truly are and I hate myself more than you could ever imagine." Xander paused for a second before reaching behind him to bring out a bunch of roses and a boxes of chocolates.
"You bought me flowers? And chocolates?" No guy had ever bought her flowers or chocolates before, a drink with a mickey in it to get her in the mood or paid for a room for them to get busy in maybe, but she wasn't the sort of girl guys bought flowers for.
Xander shrugged, his expression uncomfortable. "It's sort of customary when a guy apologises for being a dick."
"Kiss me," she whispered. He really cared. Didn't he?
"Uh, but your face is all bruised."
"Just do it."
Willow glared through a gap in the fence, her eyes disbelieving. Had Xander learnt nothing from the last time he was with that slut? That bitch, coming to her town, taking her hero's place, assaulting her in her home, and now stealing her Xander. Her eyes flickered black as Xander's hands worked their way under Faith's muscle vest. "You'll pay missy, they'll be a reckoning soon."
