The Quickening

Notes: Firstly, if you're going to criticize me in a review, how about you try to spell things correctly? Not really that hard. Secondly, I realize the last chapter mirrored the show, but hello, that's how Faith was introduced to us. It's called setting up the story. Moving on. We shall be deviating from this point on as, in the show, they dispatched Kakistos way too early for my angst loving self. And also, sorry if the title was confusing, I didn't realize that Highlander had used the same thing.

Chapter Two:

Faith could tell she wasn't exactly getting off to a wonderful start in Sunnydale. Never mind the fact that Buffy's mom seemed excessively nice to her, or the fact that Buffy's friends were captivated by her. She knew that once they got to know her, they wouldn't be so eager to be her friend – once they knew what a coward she was. Faith sighed and kicked a plastic, soda bottle down the street as she walked back to her motel room. She had just finished her first patrol with Buffy. Faith's abandon when fighting had scared the other slayer, who hadn't learned to give in to her inner warrior. Though Faith knew that she got out of control sometimes, she also knew that her passion was the only thing that had kept her alive through the years.

The patrol, though fairly uneventful, revealed one piece of information that terrified Faith to the very marrow of her bones. One of the vampires they fought revealed that he worked for Kakistos. Just the name of the vampire who had murdered her Watcher was enough to make Faith's skin crawl. Faith liked Sunnydale well enough and she didn't want to leave. But if Kakistos came too close to figuring out where she was, Faith knew she would have to run.

She felt like she had been running her entire life. Though she would never admit it to anyone, all she wanted was to find a place where she could stay and make a life for herself without any problems. However, she was entirely convinced that would never happen. With the threat of Kakistos looming over her and the knowledge that she would eventually have to explain what had happened to her Watcher, Faith's hope that Sunnydale was a possible refuge from her problems was starting to diminish. Giles, Buffy's perfect Watcher, thought that Kate was on a Watcher's Retreat. Faith was certain Giles wouldn't be pleased when he found out she had been hiding Kate's death from him.

When Faith met Kate, she thought for the first time that her life was going to start turning around. Finally, she had a stable home to return to every night, where someone was waiting for her, concerned about her well-being. Her mother had never cared about whether she came at night, simply that if she did, she brought home a pack of cigarettes and stayed out of the way. But Kate was different. Kate was the mother Faith should have had, if Fate had been a bit gentler. However, Faith's new life and new start were ripped away from her in one instant when Kakistos killed Kate, and every dream Faith had ever had about a normal life.

Faith reached her motel room and opened the door. Darkness greeted her and she flipped on the light, closing the door behind herself. The air conditioning had turned off at some point during the night and the room was stifling. Faith sauntered over to the window and yanked it open. The sounds of police sirens filled her ears from outside. It sounded just like home. Faith sat down on the chair next to the window and peered out into the night. She was surprised to find that she didn't feel any different in California. She had thought that if she escaped Boston, she would be happy. But she was still as miserable and haunted as before. Now, instead of being miserable in the cold, she was miserable in a land of sun and palm trees.

California had always been this place of instant happiness in her mind – a place where people could go and escape from their troubles. Thus far, Faith hadn't been able to escape from any of hers; in fact, they seemed to have followed her nearly two thousand miles. When she looked around at the faces of the people living in Sunnydale, she saw that distorted image of California peering back at her and it made her feel even worse, knowing that, for some reason, she couldn't be like those people.

Though coming to California had been a disappointment, meeting Buffy had been even worse. When Kate told her about the slayer who had defeated a master vampire, Faith was sure that Buffy was someone she would want to meet. She began to form an image of the blonde slayer as some sort of super warrior who could teach her how to become everything a slayer was meant to be. Instead, Faith found a frightened little girl who rejected her calling, who couldn't see the value in being a slayer, and who wanted nothing more than to fade away into mediocrity as a normal teenager. Faith sighed and rested her head against the window, knowing that sleep wouldn't find her that night.

…………………….

Faith scanned the crowd meandering down Sunnydale's Main Street. It was nearly twelve o'clock in the afternoon and people flooded the streets on their lunch break, looking for a quick bite to eat. Faith was doing the same, only she had a different way of going about it. She only had a few dollars left and needed enough money to pay for her room for the night. She had no delusions about being about to juggle slaying and some sort of job to pay her bills. She knew there was no way she could afford to stay at the motel, unless she found a way to supplement her income tax-free and without the stress of working. Now, as she looked out over the crowd of people walking down the street, she knew exactly how to do it. Smiling, Faith started walking slowly down the street, watching the people approaching her intently.

A woman on the cell phone had stopped at a traffic light, waiting for a walk signal. Faith sidled up beside her, flashed her a brief smile and looked away. All the while, her hand delved into the woman's purse. She fished around for a moment before coming out with her wallet. The light changed. The woman started walking and Faith walked the other way. She quickly emptied the woman's wallet and tossed it into a nearby garbage can, looking for her next victim.

"You know, most people our age just flip burgers for some extra cash," a voice behind her said. Faith spun around and saw Xander standing there with his hands in his pockets and a goofy grin on his face.

"What're you talking about?" Faith asked grumpily, moving away. Xander followed her.

"You just stole that woman's wallet. I saw you do it," Xander said.

"So?" Faith shot back. "I need the money."

"Well, so do I, but you don't see me lifting people's wallets," Xander replied. Faith turned around and looked at him.

"Well, maybe you should, X," Faith responded. "Besides, I don't see how it's any of your business what I do in my spare time. And shouldn't you be in school?"

"I'm not much with the book learning. Besides, we can go off campus for lunch," Xander replied.

"Wait, the others aren't around are they?" Faith asked, suddenly panicked that Buffy and Willow might have seen her, though she wasn't entirely sure why she cared.

"No, your secret's safe with me," Xander said with a smile. Faith scowled.

"Like I'd trust you with anything," she replied.

"Well, give me a chance. Maybe you'll see that you can," Xander said, instantly following after her as Faith began to walk away again.

"Oh yeah? And what could you possibly do to make me trust you?" Faith retorted.

"I can't exactly ask you to just blindly trust me. That wouldn't be fair. But I have a deal to offer," Xander said. Faith stopped and looked over at him, intrigued despite herself. Xander wasn't her type at all, yet, there was something endearing about the stumbling, goofy teenage boy.

"A proposition?" Faith asked. Xander nodded.

"I can't ask you to trust me if I don't trust you first. So, I know a little secret of yours. Wanna know a little secret of mine?" Xander asked.

Faith smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth tugging up. It was barely noticeable, but Xander saw it. "Okay, deal," Faith replied.

"Okay. Wait here for one second," Xander said, turning around. He scanned the crowd for a moment before moving away. Faith watched him walked a few yards down the street before he accidentally bumped into a man heading in the opposite direction.

"Oh, hey, sorry about that," Xander said, reaching out a hand to steady him. Meanwhile, his other hand slipped into the man's back pocket and discreetly pulled out his wallet.

"It's okay," the man said before walking away. Xander watched him go for a moment before smiling and holding up the wallet. Faith grinned.

"I thought you didn't pick people's pockets," Faith said when Xander was standing in front of her again with his prize.

"Well, it's a secret," Xander said, then handed the wallet over to Faith.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Faith asked, looking at the wallet that Xander had placed into her hand. Xander smiled and stepped a little closer, leaning in and whispering in her ear.

"You know, that's kind of a secret too."