Chapter 6

(GILES' APARTMENT)

Two nights later Faith and Tara sat in Giles' apartment; he'd thought it best everyone stick together. He'd gone out for an appointment that couldn't be canceled. So the two women sat back relaxing a bit with the stereo on and a bottle of wine. "You don't seem at all like the person I met a couple years ago," Tara observed.

"Prison does a lot for a person ya know." Faith said blinking her deep brown eyes at Tara.

"Is that why you are helping me? To stay out of prison." Tara had began to doubt everyone which wasn't hard. She'd grown accustomed to not trusting anyone till she met Willow who changed her world then turned it on its ear with the flick of a finger.

"Nah T, I'm helping you because G thought I could do it. I'm sure his reasons aren't good but he gave me a chance and I don't wanna blow it." Faith withdrew her gaze from Tara for a moment. "Plus you seemed to trust me after that shaky start. Nobody has ever trusted me T so I'm kinda sitting' here waiting for things to get back to normal ya know? It is the story of my life so I'm just waiting for you and G to not trust me again."

"You didn't have a good family? I mean you said you didn't have anyone trust you before." Tara offered in way of explanation for her question hoping she wasn't pushing the slayer too far.

"Naw not a good family at all. A hooker, who spent all her money on drugs for a mom, never knew my dad and was bounced around in foster homes awhile. Then I make my way to Sunnyhell and see a slayer with a great family and friends to boot. Slayers aren't supposed to have all that so it kinda ruffled my feathers a little and the rest, they say, is history. The mayor trusted me; evil as he was I still believe he loved me." Her face dropped for just a moment but she quickly regained her tough girl composure. 'What the hell are you doing Faith; don't bring the walls down to this chick, not now.'

"Have you ever been in love?" Tara asked rather enjoying the open talk they were having.

"No way," Faith laughed. "That's a scary word man," she lit a cigarette smiling at Tara.

"I didn't have much of a life before I came here either." Tara began speaking and Faith took notice that her stammer was gone. "My mom loved me and we were great together but then she died and I was left with an abusive brother and father who tried to make me think I was a demon. So I stayed hid away as much as I could but Willow pulled me out of my shell and now look." She tries to hold back the tears that threaten to flow for what seemed the hundredth time in the last couple of days. "You know when I went down to get capichino's for us all earlier I saw her and Amy in the park. They were all over each other and looked like they'd been on a drunk. I guessed they were coming down from a magic high." The tears fell like a river as she spoke.

"Hey Tara," Faith spoke softly as she pulled the sobbing blonde into her arms. "Ya know, there is no way a nice warm person like you could be a demon and as far as Red goes the number one thing is don't let her see you hurting like this; it shows a weakness. Do all your crying behind a closed door where nobody can see then they won't know the weakness and they can't hurt you." Faith was startling herself at her showing of compassion to this woman but something compelled her to keep it up. To not close up in her own shell that she'd spent a lifetime building and making to hard for anyone to get in.

Giles and Anya stood at the window watching. "Indeed the dark slayer has changed; I really believe our Tara has done something to her."

"Tara did something to us all," Anya said knocking on the door before opening it. "She let us all in her heart and most of us in turn let her in also. She cares unconditionally, she taught me a lot and I'll be damned if Willow will get to break her."

Giles cleared his throat and Faith quickly moved away from Tara. "Don't get your knickers in a twist there G, nothin' goin' on here." She said in that low mischievous voice of hers.

"Yes well we have big trouble I'm afraid. I've spoken with Sheila Rosenberg who has given me some information and I'm afraid its not so good."

"Listen when you all sort this out could someone baby-sit the blonde slayer so Xander and I can have some orgasms?" Anya said causing everyone to look at her strangely. "That is a part of daily life you know and, having said that, I will be off I'm certain Dawn will sit with her long enough for us to have some fun." She smiled walking out the door.

Giles cleared his throat finding it strange not to hear some smart remark from Faith pertaining to what Anya had said. 'What a slayer she could have been indeed.' "Yes well anyhow it seems that a couple centuries ago, on Sheila's side of the family, there was a lady named Bambie who became a powerful sorceress but turned into a destructive dark sorceress when her lover left her. The family hid her away as best they could at a coven telling everyone she'd died as they were ashamed to admit she was causing such heinous events with her magical abilities. Bambie found a spell to come back many times over to reek havoc to all around her to punish her family for shunning her. The catch was, as the ages went on, the magic practitioner had to at least perform one dark spell, a big one, for Bambie to be able to take full control and do as she pleased. This is the real reason Sheila tried to keep Willow away from the craft."

"Bambie?" Faith laughed. "That sounds like some stripper name or something' and Red sure doesn't look like a stripper. Well um never mind," she realized she was about to go to far and stopped.

"Anyhow, Bambie is dark and evil, not one to be messed with." Giles concluded.

"So there is nothing we can do?" Tara asked shakily.

"I haven't got that far in my research yet but we've got a place to start now so I will see you ladies in the morning." He said taking his teacup to the kitchen before heading to bed.

"You gonna be ok Tara?" Faith said softly seeing the pain in those pretty blue eyes that she had to admit she rather enjoyed looking at.

"I-I-I I don't know," Tara put her head in her hands trying to let all this information sink in.

"Why don't you go get some sleep? Deal with this tomorrow," Faith stood holding out her hand for Tara to give her some support.

She walked to the bedroom with Tara then went in and got her a glass of warm milk. "This should help you relax." She turned towards the door being unable to see the witch tremble as if she were about to have a nervous breakdown.

"Faith?" Tara spoke softly. The slayer turned back to look at her without speaking. "Do you think it would be ok if you could just stay in here with me for awhile? I-I-I'm afraid to be alone," the tears began to fall again.

"Ya no problem," she took off her boots. "Move over." She laid down beside Tara and pulled her into her arms. "You're gonna make it blondie," she said softly massaging her shoulders to help her relax and Tara quickly faded to sleep.