The Quickening

Previously:

"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."

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Faith sat on the stairs that led to the library stacks. Giles hadn't been very surprised when she told him about her visit from Gwendolyn Post the night before. He imagined it was only a matter of time before the Watcher's Council figured out where Faith was and sent someone to either retrieve her or train her. Giles was anxious about what Ms. Post planned to do with Faith now that she was in Sunnydale. Though Giles was almost certain that Faith's new Watcher would agree that having two slayers on the Hellmouth was certainly better than one, he couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't feel a change of location would be in order.

Faith didn't want to leave Sunnydale, but at the same time, she wanted to find out what she could really do with her skills as a slayer. With proper training and motivation, she felt like she could achieve great things. She thought those dreams had died a long time ago, but something stirred in her when Gwendolyn spoke to her the night before in the cemetery. Faith wanted to be more. She wanted to be great. When she was a child, she dreamed about being someone important and special. After a while, she learned that while dreams were nice things to have, they rarely ever came true. But then she became a slayer. For once in her life, she was special. After Kate was killed, Faith had to worry more about surviving than achieving greatness. Now, however, she had the opportunity she had been waiting for and she wasn't going to let it slip by her again.

Buffy didn't seem too happy about a new Watcher being in town, however. Faith watched as she talked to Giles in his office, her arms flailing about wildly as she gestured. Faith smirked, thinking perhaps that her blonde counterpart might be feeling threatened. Buffy didn't believe in Faith. When she looked at the dark haired girl, all she saw was her death staring back at her – her failure. But when Gwendolyn looked at Faith, she saw potential. Faith liked the idea of having someone believe in her, instead of hating her.

The library doors swung open and Gwendolyn strode inside, with her shoulders back and head held high. Faith smiled a little. She knew exactly what Post was doing. The Watcher's Council was a very old-fashioned organization. Though women could be Watchers, the role had traditionally been given to men. The fact that Gwendolyn had been picked to be Faith's Watcher meant that someone in the Council respected her. Gwendolyn couldn't let the Council down by failing, or showing any kind of weakness in front of her rival.

"Well, where is he?" Gwendolyn asked, looking around. Faith pointed at Giles's office.

"They've been in there for an hour. Don't know what they're talking about," Faith said.

Gwendolyn peered into the office and smirked. "Whatever it is, they don't look happy," she said smugly. Giles noticed her standing out in the library and instantly silenced Buffy. Opening the door, he and Buffy walked out into the library, smiling politely

"You must be Gwendolyn Post," Giles said, extending his hand.

"He has much better manners than you at least," Gwendolyn said, looking pointedly back at Faith. Faith shrugged.

"I didn't know who you were. You could have been some crazy bitch for all I knew," Faith replied.

"Well, I'm sure she's not," Giles responded.

"I've been looking around, Mr. Giles, and I have to ask. Where are the rest of your books?" Gwendolyn asked, moving away, and wandering about the library.

"Excuse me?" Giles asked, flustered. "The rest?"

"Yes, surely this isn't all you have. I can't see how you could possibly prepare your slayer with such little materials for research," Gwendolyn replied.

"I assure you, we do just fine," Giles answer indignantly.

"I've been hearing that a lot lately," Gwendolyn smirked.

"Why exactly are you here? Other than to criticize my abilities, of course," Giles asked, exasperated.

"The Council has sent me to become Faith's Watcher. They feel that you would be over extended taking on two slayers at the same time. As it is, they're not entirely sure you can handle one," Gwendolyn said, almost sneering.

"And you're fine with this?" Giles asked, looking over at Faith. Faith shrugged.

"She thinks she can handle me, who am I to deny her the pleasure?" Faith said.

"I don't like this," Buffy suddenly said.

"I'm sorry," Gwendolyn said, turning to her. "How is this any of your business?"

Buffy instantly reddened. "Well, Faith and I are like partners. I just don't think it would be good for us to split up the team."

"Oh, I see where this is going," Gwendolyn said, walking up to Buffy. "You like training and patrolling with her because it makes you feel better about yourself, yes? Because you think you're better than she is. You're afraid that if I train her, she'll become better than you. Then what will you have left?" Gwendolyn asked mockingly. "Your pretty blonde hair?"

Faith nearly burst out laughing. Giles immediately stepped between Buffy and Gwendolyn. "That's enough," he said sternly. Gwendolyn looked at him for several long seconds before nodding and backing away.

"As you wish," she replied. "However, the Council sent me here for another purpose as well," Gwendolyn stated.

"What, pray tell, might that be?" Giles ground out.

"A demon called Lagos is coming to Sunnydale. He's looking for a very powerful, ancient artifact – the Glove of Myhnegon. Obviously, this artifact cannot fall into the demon's hands," Gwendolyn explained.

"What do you propose we do?" Giles asked. Faith raised her hand.

"I got an idea," she said. Gwendolyn nodded over at her. "Maybe we should, I don't know, kill him?" Gwendolyn laughed and turned back to Giles.

"She read my mind," Gwendolyn stated. Buffy and Giles both glared over at Faith.

"What?" She asked, smirking. "Lighten up."

"I suggest you and Buffy take up the hunt," Gwendolyn said. "Rumor has the Glove buried in a tomb here in Sunnydale. First thing Lagos does when he arrives will be to locate it. With you both out there, we should be able to stop him from acquiring it."

"Yes, that sounds reasonable," Giles replied.

"Good. Mr. Giles, may I suggest you do some research to, perhaps, narrow our search for the Glove? Faith," Gwendolyn said, turning to her new charge. "Come with me, please?"

"Sure, boss," Faith said, leaping to her feet and following Gwendolyn out of the library.

"What's up with them?" Buffy asked. "I thought Faith hated authority figures."

"She does," Giles said. "Obviously, Ms. Post has given her a good reason to cooperate."

"Like what?"

Giles narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. But I think we should find out." When Buffy had walked away, Giles looked back at the library doors and muttered, "Crazy bitch."

………………………

Giles took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. He had been reading through practically every volume he had, but he couldn't find any information on Lagos. Only a few volumes remained, stacked in front of him. Opening one, he began to flip through the pages, when he stumbled upon a picture of the demon in question. "Ah!" He exclaimed in relief.

"What's up?" Xander asked, leaning over and looking at the book.

"I found our demon," Giles replied happily. "Like I said, we're just fine," he muttered to himself.

"What?" Xander asked, looking over at him.

"Nothing," Giles replied. "Where's Buffy?"

Xander glanced around the library. "Not here," he responded. Giles glared up at him.

"Obviously. Never mind. You'll do just fine. The crypt is in Restfield Cemetery. Do you think you could check it out? Nothing heroic, mind you. Just take a look around?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, sure," Xander said, already heading out. "Not a problem."

"Thanks!" Giles called after him.

Xander knew the way to Restfield like the back of his hand. Easily maneuvering through all of the back alleys and shortcuts, he quickly came to the cemetery gates. He had hoped that Faith would be in the library for the research party. However, with her new Watcher in town, he imagined she had a great deal to do. Xander just hoped that things with the new woman worked out. Faith had been seriously burned when Kate died and he knew that she couldn't take any more disappointment.

"This was a really bad idea," Xander mumbled to himself as he hid behind some bushes outside of the crypt. "Why don't I just volunteer for the suicide missions more often?" Hearing a noise coming from the crypt, he immediately stopped talking to himself. The doors of the crypt opened, creaking into the night, and a shadowy figure stepped out. Xander's eyes went wide with shock when the moonlight fell on the figure's face.

"Angel," he whispered. Angel slipped away into the shadows and Xander quickly followed after him. He followed the vampire across town until they reached Mansion Row. Angel slipped into one of the giant houses and Xander followed, sneaking up to one of the windows, and peering inside. To his shock, he saw Buffy waiting inside. Angel dropped something on a coffee table and walked up to her. Wrapping her arms around Angel's neck, Xander watched as Buffy kissed him passionately.

He could barely believe his eyes as he muttered, "What the hell…"