The Quickening

Notes: Forgive the delay, I have been ill.

Previously:

Closing her eyes, Faith leaned back in her chair. She imagined that from the outside, she and Giles would look like a happy family. She didn't have any family left and from what she could gather, Giles didn't either. Smiling, she thought that maybe it wasn't such a stretch to imagine that Giles could be her family.

Chapter Twenty-One:

Faith stood just inside the entrance of the Bronze, her hands shoved in the pockets of her worn leather jacket. She was looking across the room, at a table where Willow, Oz, and Xander were sitting. Though she wanted to go over and join them, something made her stay back – the same thing that had made her distance herself from everyone in her life. She would never admit it to their faces, but Willow and Oz intimidated her. They were a part of the group, instantly accepted and loved. But Faith, no matter how hard she tried, always felt like an outsider. She knew that Xander was her friend, if not more, but Xander wasn't enough. She wanted to be a full-fledged member of the Scooby Gang, but she knew that Willow didn't like her.

Willow was less subtle about her fear of Faith. Faith could see it in the red head's eyes. Willow wanted to be like Faith, to have the confidence that Faith seemed to possess. People with that confidence scared Willow because she couldn't understand them. At the same time, Faith wanted to be like Willow – to have people that she could rely on without feeling like it would be the end of the world to do so. Sighing, Faith knew she wouldn't be going over to the table that night.

"I see someone's feeling a little excluded," Cordelia said, coming up behind Faith and stopping next to her.

"Not at all," Faith replied.

"So go over there then. Be with your friends. They are your friends aren't they?" Cordelia asked smugly.

"You're a real bitch you know that?" Faith replied.

"So are you," Cordelia answered. "It's what protects us. What separates us from them."

"You were a part of their group, though," Faith argued. "You chose to leave."

"Are you kidding me?" Cordelia said laughing. "I was never a part of their group. They only put up with me because I was dating Xander. Willow hated me because I took her precious best friend away –which, by the way, she'll hate you for too. Oz couldn't have cared less if I was even alive and Buffy thought I was some air head bimbo without a clue."

"Aren't you?" Faith smirked. Cordelia smiled a little.

"It's easier just to let people believe what they want, Faith. They look at me and they see the bitch of the school, prom queen, cheerleader. They see someone and they don't want to look deeper because it would throw off their fragile, little balance to know that what they see isn't all there is to me," Cordelia responded with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Who's the real you then?" Faith asked, intrigued.

"The real me?" Cordelia laughed mirthlessly. "I haven't a clue. But I do know that I didn't help them vanquish the forces of darkness all that time because it was a fun extracurricular activity. And I didn't do it because Xander was there. I did it because it felt good to help people, to know that in some small way I was making a difference for someone," Cordelia replied.

Faith looked at her for several moments. "Well, if it's any consolation," Faith said, "I don't think you're such a bitch anymore."

"Thanks," Cordelia said sincerely. "It was nice, being with them. Gave me a chance to see what friends really are, even if they don't like you all that much. But people like you and me, Faith, we can never be one of them. All the positions are filled, if you know what I mean. At best, we can just walk beside them, but we'll never be the person they call first, or turn to when they help. We're just the backups."

"Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes," Faith replied. She watched as Buffy walked into the club, looking around, but not seeing her. The blonde slayer continued walking right passed Faith and Cordelia, over to the table where the others were sitting.

"See? She looks right through you," Cordelia stated. "Doesn't even know you're there. She's probably one of the most self centered people I've ever met, and that says a lot coming from me."

"I'm supposed to patrol with her tonight," Faith said.

"I take it you don't want to?" Cordelia snickered.

"Would you?" Faith replied, looking over at her.

"Good point. So skip it," Cordelia said. "Patrol by yourself. It's not like she'll care. You don't show up, she'll probably just stay here and dance the night away."

Faith smiled a little. "Be good, Cordy," she said before turning and walking out of the Bronze. Cordelia watched her go. Sighing, she looked back over at the Scooby Gang. She knew exactly what Faith was going through. She wanted to be able to walk over there and sit with them as well, but she couldn't do it. Instead, she walked over to the table where Harmony and some of her other so called friends were waiting and sat.

……………………

Faith wandered through Restfield Cemetery. She knew that she should feel guilty about ditching Buffy, but she didn't have the strength to deal with her that night. A rustling noise brought Faith out of her thoughts and she stopped. Her slayer senses were tingling and she knew that a vampire was close. She could practically taste it. Her nerve endings were alive, buzzing with energy. It felt like she had taken every drug in the world. Grabbing a stake out of the waistband of her leather pants, she turned around. A vampire had been trying to sneak up behind her.

The vampire charged once he realized that he had been made. Faith sidestepped him and ducked down, knocked his feet out from under him with a sweep of her legs. The vampire rolled over and sprang to his feet. Catching Faith off guard with his quick recovery, he grabbed her by the jacket and threw her against the wall of a mausoleum. Baring his fangs, he leaned in to bite her neck. Faith, however, still had her stake in her hand. Slamming it through the vampire's back, she watched as his eyes widened in shock before he turned to dust.

"Well, I must say, that was the sloppiest kill I think I've ever seen," a woman said, approaching Faith. She was dressed much like a female version of Giles, with her hair gathered up into a tight bun.

"Thanks," Faith muttered sarcastically, knocking some vampire dust off her clothes. "Who the hell are you?"

"Gwendolyn Post," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'm your new Watcher." After several seconds passed and Faith didn't shake her hand, Gwendolyn dropped it back down at her side.

"I already have a Watcher," Faith replied angrily.

"No, your Watcher died, Faith," Gwendolyn responded.

"No shit," Faith spat back. "You don't think I remember that? But I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about Giles. He'll do just fine. So why don't you just go back to England?"

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Gwendolyn replied. "I've been sent here to train you and I intend to do just that. Mr. Giles obviously hasn't been doing just fine, considering the terrible display I just saw. You're lucky you haven't been killed yet."

"Luck doesn't have anything to do with it," Faith replied, shoving her stake back into the waistband of her pants. "I'm leaving."

"Then I'm following," Gwendolyn replied. "Besides, I know where you're going. Right back to Mr. Giles, I presume? To tell him all about the mean lady you met in the graveyard today?"

"What do you want from me?" Faith asked angrily, spinning around to face her.

"I want to make you better than Buffy Summers," Gwendolyn replied. She could tell from the light that came into Faith's eyes that she had hit one of Faith's greatest desires.

"How do you intend to do that?" Faith asked, curious despite herself.

"I plan to actually train you, unlike Mr. Giles. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be the greatest warrior this world has ever known," Gwendolyn replied.

"A bit arrogant, are we?" Faith smirked.

"Not at all. I know what I can do. Do you?" Gwendolyn asked.

Faith was about to reply, but stopped short. Her dead Watcher, Kate, had always told Faith that she had a great deal of potential and that, as she grew in her confidence as a slayer, she would be able to tap into more power than she could imagine. But Kate had died long before Faith reached that level. While Giles trained her well enough according to her standards, he had two slayers to worry about. Post, however, seemed to care a great deal about making Faith into what Kate had thought she could be. It didn't hurt that Post thought she could be better than Buffy. "So when does all this training start?" Faith asked. Gwendolyn smiled.

"Tomorrow morning. I'll meet you in the school library. That's where you train, yes? Besides, I would like to meet Mr. Giles," Gwendolyn replied. Faith nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Faith." Faith watched her walk away, disappearing back out of the shadows she had come from. She could tell from the way that Post had practically ground out Giles's name that she wasn't going to have any nice things to say to him when she saw him the next morning.

"I better warn him," Faith said, turning and walking in the opposite direction, back home.