The Final Reel

Seeing Buffy's obvious shock, Faith smirked.

'No,' Buffy whimpered, 'no...'

But there was no mistake before her eyes. Faith was definitely not dead, and the malicious glint in her eyes betrayed her claim to innocence. Buffy couldn't believe it. She had been fooled.

Giles looked at her with wild, desperate eyes. His arms were bound with tape behind his back, therefore rendering him at Faith's mercy. There was no time for soul searching. Buffy had to come up with a plan. And fast.

'Faith, how...I mean, I saw you...get knifed,' she stammered nervously.

Faith's smile grew broader. 'Y'know, I was kind of waiting for that question.' She placed a hand across her bloody neck. 'Fake blood. Same stuff they use in low budget slasher flicks.'

Suddenly, she grabbed hold of Giles with one arm strongly clamped around his torso, and the knife across his throat. Giles gasped, his glasses falling to the floor.

'See this, B?' she hissed, as Buffy shakily held up her gun, 'now this kife is real. But I guess you already knew that, huh?'

'Leave Giles,' Buffy pleaded, 'You wanna deal with me, be my guest, but leave-'

'Give me the gun,' Faith ordered.

Buffy shifted her gaze to her watcher. Giles mouthed 'Shoot her.' She paused, before throwing the gun over. Faith nimbly retieved the weapon and pointed it at Buffy, whilst still holding Giles at bay with the knife. Buffy glared, suddenly aware of her defenselessness.

'Now, ' Faith purred, 'you're gonna do EXACTLY what I say...'

'Since when were you one to abide by rules?' Buffy spat, her patience waning. Seeing her Watcher in danger triggered so many instincts in her that it was becoming impossible to remain passive.

'Just do it,' Faith growled.

'Then tell me first,' Buffy said boldly, 'to fake your own death, however cliche, you had to have someone to help you. Someone's helping you in this, and I want names.'

Faith paused for a moment, gazing past Buffy's shoulder. Then she smiled. 'Oz...'

Buffy's mind reeled, and spun around to see what Faith and now Giles were staring at.

Oz had entered the room from behind her, a strange look on his face.

'You...' Buffy said dully.

Oz looked at her blankly, and opened his mouth.

'Buffy-' he spluttered. Blood dribbled from his lips. He took a step forward, and crumpled to the floor in a useless heap.

Buffy felt a new wave of nausea as she spotted the knife protruding from his back. And emerging behind him came Xander, who unflinchingly yanked the blade from the body with a sickening squelsh.

Buffy's eyes widened in horror, as Xander raised a small electronic device to his mouth. 'Surprise, Buffy,' he greeted in the eerie deep voice she knew too well. He sneered, relishing her shock.

Tears ran down Buffy's face as two of the people she trusted the most backed her in to the kitchen. Her heart sank as she realized that she had been cornered, weaponless.

With a smirk, Faith hit Giles over the side of the head with her gun, and then threw him against the far wall. Dazed, he struggled to keep his eyes open, but eventually slumped in a fit of unconsciousness. Buffy let out a shriek of despair.

'I can't believe you didn't suspect us,' mocked Xander, waving his knife in the air emphatically. 'So, so typical of you, Buffy. Always overestimating yourself and underestimating others.'

Faith rolled her eyes. 'Shut up, Xander. We have a job to do, remember?'

Xander shrugged, looking a little annoyed. 'Whatever, Faith.'

'Give me that knife,' Faith said suddenly.

'You already have one,' Xander exclaimed.

'This is just a kitchen knife. I need a weapon, and we know I'm better at this stuff than you.'

Buffy watched numbly as Xander reluctantly gave Faith his much larger knife.

'Now,' said Faith, glaring at Buffy. 'Let's keep this short...'

'Why?' Buffy spat, hating how vulnerable she felt looking at the bloody blade. 'Why are you doing this?'

'Why?' Faith asked, eyebrows raised high. She chuckled, as if she had just heard a hilarious joke. Xander smiled enigmatically. 'WHY? Does it really matter WHY?'

'YES!' Buffy shouted, 'it matters...it matters to me! I thought I could trust you...Faith you're a Slayer! We don't kill people, whatever the reason! And Xander...Xander...how could you...you killed Willow.'

Xander's eyes clouded for a moment. 'I didn't kill Willow...' He put down the gun on the counter behind him.

Faith sneered. 'She deserved it like the rest.'

'Shut up,' Xander warned through clenched teeth.

'Now, come on Xander!' she laughed, 'They were all going to abandon us! I've seen the future, and its all bad.'

Xander shuffled uneasily.

'Future? Buffy echoed uncertainly. 'What do you mean, seen the future?'

'I mean,' Faith replied, waving the knife at her again, 'that I came across a little info. Do you know where I'll gonna end up?'

'Who told you this?' Buffy demanded, confused.

'Quiet!' Faith instructed.'You ruin me, Buffy!'

'No...' murmured Xander.

'Yes!' shouted Faith, her eyes wild. 'You're going to try to kill me, leave me for dead, and then...then...somewhere dark and dusty, I'm locked up...'

'Faith, I would never try to-'

'SHUT UP! It's true! I know it's true! Don't lie to me!'

'How'd you know that's true?' Buffy whispered, staring at the knife.

'She dreamed it,' Xander said quickly, a hoarseness in his voice. 'She had one of your prophecy dreams, the one that always comes true. It happens, Buffy. And a lot more besides that.'

'Xander, please,' Buffy pleaded, 'I thought we were friends...'

He let out a low chuckle, and stepped up beside Faith. 'Not for long.'

Faith recovered herself, and smiled grimly. 'Do you think its fair how Xander is treated around here? He's pushed around, pulverised, laughed at, CHEATED on...it was only a matter of time before he had himself some payback.'

Buffy swallowed hard. Nothing made sense, and yet there was a twisted logic in the pair's argument. 'Don't put all your excuses on Xander. You're the sick freak behind this.'

'Y'know what, B?' Faith said at last, shrugging her shoulders. 'I'm not going to kill you after all. 'Cos its NOT all about me and my little trashy issues. Xander was the one who listened to me when I was lost and confused. Xander was the one who made me realise that I have power over my own destiny. Xander knows what its like to be mistreated in this little cliquey gang, to be made a second class sidekick.And it'll be Xander who spills your blood.'

Buffy looked away, her eyes burning, as Faith passed the knife to Xander. 'You'll never get away with this.'

'If things go to plan they will,' Xander sneered. 'For you see, nobody trusts you in this town. Not even your own mother. And like hell does anyone trust Giles..he's far too English for anyone's liking. Think, Buff. When I call the cops, bleeding all over the place, and report that you and Giles went on a killing spree, before being...stopped...do you think they'll be suspicious? This is Sunnydale! And when they recover poor Faith, left for dead, and she wakes up confirming my story...well...I think the only issue is going to be with my pissed off parents. They're going to send me into the basement for sure.'

'Ooh, bloodshed,' Faith whispered. 'Xander, stab me now.'

Xander looked at his accomplice doubtfully. 'But won't you be weaker...'

'Just a little, to get me in the mood,' Faith purred. She stretched her arms upwards, inviting the knife to her torso.

Without further warning, Xander plunged the knife into her side, and Faith shrieked, immediately clutching her wound.But instead of getting angry, she started to laugh. 'You call that an attack?'

Furrowing his brows, Xander striked again, this time piercing the stomach. Faith bent over, and with a sudden lurch coughed up blood. He prepared to stab again, but Faith held up a shaky hand, signalling the end of his knife-happy spree.

'Stab her,' she managed at last. 'Get Buffy.'

Xander looked between the two Slayers, pursing his lips. Buffy straightened herself, and prepared to look her ex-friend in the eyes. She had a better chance with him than Faith. And she planned to take advantage of this slim chance of escape.

'Stab me, Xander,' Buffy instructed forcefully. 'But make it quick.'

When Xander turned around to face her, Buffy felt like pinching herself incase she woke up. He looked just like her best friend, running from the various onslaught of demons after his blood. But she knew better than to weaken her resolve. Especially since she was staring at one hell of a pointy knife.

'I don't want to do this, Buffy,' Xander said slightly shakily. 'I've always loved you, from the moment I first met you. But you see, none of this would have happened if you'd listened to me, and staked Angel from the very beginning!'

Enraged, Buffy sprung forward, knocking Xander and the knife to the floor. Before he could react, she delivered a swift kick to his head, knocking him out instantly.Faith got up , clutching her stomach, reaching for a nearby weapon.

'Bad luck, Faith,' Buffy spat, booting her in the face hard. As Faith groaned on the floor, Buffy ran into the hallway.

'Giles!' she called out, 'Can you hear me? We have to get out of here!'

Her eyes finally rested on his unconscious figure, tied up and still in the horrific black cloak. Suddenly, she realized that there was no immediate means of escape. She had to stall Faith if she wanted to protect Giles.

And so, despite her quickly diminishing nerves, the Slayer thought up a plan...

Faith took a few deep breaths, her head spinning from the force of Buffy's atack.It definitely did not help that Xander had got a little knife happy under pressure. Luckliy, her healing powers had kicked in, and the blood loss was slowing, but that didn't mean that it hadn't crippled her strength considerably.

But she had to finish it. Buffy couldn't escape.

'Buffy,' she grunted grabbing Xander's knife and staggering gingerly in to the hallway. She tripped over Oz's motionless body, and cursed.

'Buffy.,' she said a little bit louder this time. She slammed against a wall, breathing heavily. She paused when she heard a voice,

'I don't wanna wait for my life to be over...'

The television was still on. Faith's temper began to flare, and she slashed at the walls wildly. 'Buffy come OUT. Hiding isn't going to get you far.'

The phone rang. Faith hestitated for a moment before picking it up.

'Hello?'

'Hello, Faith,' rasped a voice. 'I want to play a game...'

'Bitch!' Faith shouted, 'stop hiding and end this!'

'I already have,' replied Buffy, her voice distorted, 'I've called the cops, they're on their way soon. They're going to be very interested in what you tell them.'

Faith screamed, and with one angry motion flung the blood covered phone aside. A loud groan was heard from the kitchen.

'Damnit Faith, that hurt' Xander cried out.

But Faith had lost all sense of reason. She plunged her knife into anything soft - curtains, cushions, and even the living room couch. She screamed like she was dying, as if the world was exploding beneath her feet. Finally, she began to open random doors, searching for the bane of her existence.

Meanwhile, Xander picked up the phone. 'Hello?' he said uncertainly.

'Xander, Xander,' the voice replied. 'Why do this? I really respected you. People loved you. Why do this?'

'You know why,' he muttered, his head thumping.

'No, I don't. Cordelia wasn't cheating on you, was she? Faith made all of that up to get you on her side.'

'No..' Xander whispered, clasping the receiver tightly against his ear.

'Faith was playing you, Xander. Why do you think she wanted you to stab her?'

'The plan...' Xander said softly, 'nobody left but us...we get to live on, and...'

'No,' Buffy said harshly. 'The police come, and you're caught with the knife. Faith as the only survivor, the bloodied victim, tells her story. Who will they believe?'

'NO!' Xander shouted, jumping to his feet dizzily. 'Faith wouldn't send me to jail!'

The receiver crackled and went silent. Xander dropped the phone, eyes gleaming.

'FAITH!' he yelled. 'Why haven't you stabbed me? I want you to stab me! Just like we planned!'

He stumbled in to the living room, where Faith emerged, bleeding and gasping, feathers stuck in her blood and hair.

Faith tilted her head.

'I want you to stab me!' he said shrilly, coming closer to his partner.

'Y'know Xander, I always knew you were this stupid.'

Before he had time to respond, she dug the knife deep in to his chest, pulling it out and stabbing him, again and again. Blood caked the room, as Xander lay on the floor, receiving the unflinching blade for what seemed like forever. Finally, Faith yanked out the knife from what used to be Xander, and smiled.

'Now THATS what I call a good knifing,' she smirked.

She turned around, and looked straight in to the bleeding ghost mask. She gasped, and taking advantage of her shock, the masked figure plunged a metal rocketship figure through her chest. Faith flinched, before falling to the floor with a loud bang.

Buffy swept off the mask and cloak, and dropped them on the ground as if they were on fire.Giles staggered behind her, still tied but now awake.

'Bloody hell,' he whispered.

'I think its over,' Buffy whispered back, a lump in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears as she caught sight of Xander, whose insides spilled all over the carpet.

They walked slowly over to Faith, and looked down at her.

'Is she...' Giles asked.

Buffy bit her lip. 'She IS a Slayer...' She picked up a gun that was left on the floor, and pointed it at her head.

'If you shoot her now, that will rapidly decrease her chances of recovery,' Giles advised.

Buffy nodded, perfecting her aim. She tightened her finger on the trigger.

'She looks so peaceful,' Buffy gulped.

'ARGHHH!!!' Faith screamed, and lurched towards them. Buffy screamed, and hit the gun heavily on Faith's head, sending her back in to unconsciousness.

'Buffy...' Giles asked, sweat dripping from his forehead. 'She's still-'

'I'm not a killer,' Buffy said shortly. 'Faith's a human. The police will deal with her.'

Giles opened his mouth as if to say something more, abut the look on Buffy's face stopped him. Finally, he nodded. 'I respect your decision.'

Buffy smiled grimly at her Watcher, as she worked on binding Faith. And as the police sirens echoed through the streets, she finally felt long-awaited closure.