The Quickening

Previously:

"Just look at me and I'll go away," the voice said. "You think you're such a hero, don't you little Faithy. But you couldn't save me, could you? You can't save anyone. Not even yourself."

Chapter Forty-Nine:

Faith watched as Willow and Buffy thumbed through some early admissions packets and college brochures. For a moment, she felt jealous of them. They had a future that she would never have – college life. She had never liked school, mostly because there were too many rules she had to follow, but she had been good at her studies. She had maintained good grades, despite her tumultuous home life. Though school provided her with a safe place for several hours during the day, she never felt like she belonged there. Even now, as she sat with her friends on some benches outside the cafeteria, she still felt as though she did not belong. She was an outsider looking in and part of her wanted to be among them, while another part wanted to run.

"Depressing isn't it?" Cordelia asked, leaning over and speaking lowly, so that the others would not hear here.

"How do you mean?" Faith asked, looking over at her.

"Sitting here and watching them gush over their bright futures. All of those brochures hold the promise of some other life that we'll never know," Cordy said.

"What're you talking about? You're going to college, aren't you?" Faith asked.

"I don't think that's in my cards," Cordy said, her eyes distant. Then they snapped back into focus and she smiled. "But, it's not in your cards either, is it?"

"I doubt it," Faith replied. "Seeing as how you need a high school diploma for that."

"Do you ever wonder what's going to happen to us after graduation?" Cordy asked suddenly. "I try to think about the future sometimes, but it all seems to come to the same conclusion."

"What conclusion is that?" Faith asked, dreading what Cordelia was going to say, fearing that it was the same conclusion that haunted her visions of the future.

"Emptiness and loneliness," Cordy said, her voice a soft, rasping whisper. "Sometimes I think that this is the pinnacle of my life. That thought scares me beyond any demon that Hell could conjure up."

"What are your plans for after graduation?" Faith asked, her voice detached. Cordelia looked over at her. She knew that Faith feared the same thing, only that Faith would not admit it aloud. Cordelia could practically see the walls behind Faith's eyes and she smiled sadly.

"I was thinking of going to Los Angeles," Cordy replied. "Though I might try acting. If that doesn't work, I can always come back here."

"Want to see your name in lights, huh?" Faith said jokingly.

"Would be nice," Cordy admitted.

"So what's really going on?" Faith asked suddenly, catching Cordelia by surprise. Cordy looked over at her and Faith smirked. "Like I believe for a second that you're not going to college because you really just want to act."

"What do you want me to say?" Cordy asked, looking away.

"How about the truth?" Faith said, her voice commanding Cordelia's attention.

"The truth," Cordelia said, sighing. "The truth is a long story that ends up with my family being broke."

"Your parents can't afford to send you to college anymore," Faith concluded.

"They didn't have any kind of fund set up because they just assumed that the money would always be there. Turns out that it isn't. I get decent grades, but nothing good enough to get scholarship money," Cordy said.

"What about cheerleading?" Faith asked.

"Cheerleading is a very competitive sport," Cordy replied, and then added when she saw the look on Faith's face, "don't laugh."

"Fair enough," Faith responded, correctly choosing not to contradict her friend.

"What're you going to do?" Cordy asked. "I mean, I know you're not in school or anything. But do you have any plans?"

"I never really thought about it," Faith answered. "I'm a vampire slayer. My Watcher didn't care if I went to school or not. She knew that my training was more important. If it was just me, it might be. But with Buffy here, there isn't as much pressure to be perfect. There are two slayers to handle things now. I guess that leaves me some room to plan some kind of future. But I never really wanted to."

"Not until now," Cordy finished, looking over at Xander. "You really fell hard for him, didn't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Faith asked, rolling her eyes. "I never thought that I would fall for anyone. But then he just showed up. I don't know. Now I think about the future and I want to have one."

"There's always an illustrious career at the Double Meat Palace," Cordelia joked.

"Don't even say that," Faith warned jokingly. "It might actually come true."

"Aren't we a pair, huh?" Cordy said. "A vampire slayer and an incredibly fashionable cheerleading goddess and we've got absolutely nothing to show for it."

"Just take a look at me," Xander's said, inadvertently drawing the girls' attention, "right now I'm torn between the fast-growing fields of appliance repair and motel management. Of course, I'm still waiting to hear back from the Corn-dog Emporium." Xander crossed his fingers hopefully as the others laughed around him. Cordelia turned to look at Faith.

"Well, at least we're not as bad off as him," she said, then caught herself. "But then, you are dating him. Good luck with that," she said, winking. Faith sighed dramatically and rested her head in her hands.

"I'm so screwed."

…………………………………..

"Hey, wait up," Buffy said, jogging lightly down the hallway to catch up with Faith, as the younger girl was walking towards the library.

"Giles wanted to see you too?" Faith asked.

"Yeah, do you know what it's about?" Buffy asked. "I didn't think we were training this afternoon."

"We're not supposed to," Faith answered. "Maybe it's a new big bad."

"Well, whatever it is, we've got it," Buffy replied confidently, smiling over at her sister slayer. Faith smiled a little as well before looking away. She was not accustomed to Buffy treating her as an equal.

Faith opened the library doors, only to be greeted by an alien voice ringing out through the nearly empty room. Instantly, she saw Giles sitting at one of the library tables. His glasses were lying on the table and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. Faith knew that he was frustrated with something. "Of course, training procedures have been updated quite a bit since your day – more of an emphasis on fieldwork," the alien voice said. Faith instantly noted the English accent.

"New Watcher?" Faith asked, as the question formed on Buffy's lips as well.

"I'm afraid so," Giles replied wearily.

"Ah, this must be Buffy and Faith," Wesley said, moving forward and extending his hand to Faith. "I'm Wesley Wyndam-Price."

Faith simply looked at him, her eyes roaming over his face. She was positive that she would not like the man. Buffy looked over at her, and upon seeing that she was not going to be shaking the new Watcher's hand anytime soon, extended her own. "It's nice to meet you," Buffy replied as Wesley shook her hand gratefully.

"Yeah," Faith said, moving passed them and taking a seat at the library table next to Giles. "What's he doing here?" She whispered over to her legal guardian.

"We knew that the Council would send someone sooner or later. I was hoping later, however," Giles replied. "Just remember, you don't have to do anything he says. That being said, he might be able to teach you something."

"I doubt it," Faith answered, looking at the new Watcher again. "Hey," she said, capturing his attention, "have you ever seen a vampire?"

"Of course," Wesley replied, flustered, "under controlled circumstances."

"Controlled circumstances?" Faith asked. "So you've never seen one, out in the wild, hunting? You've never seen one make a kill?"

"No," Wesley replied, looking down at the floor. "I can't say that I have."

"Looks like we're taking a field trip then, Wes," Faith replied. "I'll be back here tonight. You should be prepared for a long night. There's no way in hell I'm ever going to work with you if you don't know what it's really like out there. But, if you survive it," Faith said, looking over at Giles, and winking, "maybe we'll talk."

"Tonight then," Wesley replied as Faith got to her feet and sauntered out of the library. Giles looked down at the table to hide his smile. He knew that Faith would have a difficult time adjusting to another Watcher, especially after the betrayal of Gwendolyn Post, but he knew that she would accept Wesley if he wanted her to do so.

"So, is he evil?" Buffy asked, once Faith had disappeared. Wesley looked over at her in surprise.

"No," Giles said, smiling at his slayer. "He's not evil. I've checked him out with the Council."

"Right," Wesley said, clapping his hands together. "Well, while you're here, Buffy, how about we see what you can do?"

…………………………….

Alan Finch looked out of his apartment window. The view was not particularly spectacular, but he could not complain. The apartment was his, a sanctuary from his job, his family, and all of the other cares the world placed on him. The late afternoon sun slanted in through the window, piercing his eyes. His palms were sweating inside the pockets of his pants. Looking back at the safe in the corner of the room, he had to physically restrain himself from walking over to it to check that the manila folder he had taken out of his office was still there. "Soon, Alan, soon," he muttered to himself. Picking up bottle of Jack Daniels, he poured the liquid down his throat, grimacing as it burned its way through his body. The sun was starting to set. It would be too dangerous for him that night. The Mayor's people were still tying up loose ends for the dedication. But tomorrow night, everything would be quiet. Tomorrow, he would betray the Mayor.