Faith breathed shallowly to minimize the pain from her ribs. The adrenaline high from the fight was wearing off, and it was becoming harder to ignore the pain . Just a couple more blocks, and she'd be home. Digging a hand into the front pocket of her jeans, the brunette fished for the keys to her apartment. The small motion was enough to send her reeling against the nearest building, panting for air. Fuck, this is bad. Shoulda gone to the hospital, she thought. But the Slayer was too close to her own bed to turn around now.
The brunette teen pushed herself mostly upright and continued her slow and pain-filled journey. Finally, she reached the doors to her building and carefully opened them. The elevator took forever to arrive, and Faith limped inside the carpeted car, propping her body against the mirrored wall for the ride. Despite her attempts to shake off the pain, the young girl was near tears as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Stepping into the small foyer, the Slayer dumped her keys and jacket on the chaise and headed straight for the bathroom.
"Faithy?"
Barely stifling a scream, the brunette spun to face the Mayor, who sat at the kitchen table in the dark. "Fuck, Boss. What are you doing here?"
Standing and flicking on the light over the table, he walked toward her. "Why, I was just concerned. After all, my Slayer didn't report back with the status of the job I gave her."
The shivers running over the brunette's body had nothing to do with her damaged ribs. The Mayor's voice, under its usual humorous delivery, held a note of warning the girl had never noticed before. "Uh, yeah. About that job, Boss. I had the heart, but…"
"You had the heart?" His voice was cold.
"Well, I was cutting it outta the demon when Angel showed up," Faith hurried to explain. "I guess the Super Friends figured everything out, too. He caught me in the ribs after they'd been cracked by the demon, and I couldn't hold him off."
"This isn't a free ride, young lady." The slight man shook a finger at her. "You know, I'm beginning to think that someone's getting a little spoiled. Maybe I should take all this away. Send you back to that little motel."
The Slayer recoiled from the menace in the quiet tone. "I'm sorry." She hesitated. He didn't seem to be in a forgiving mood. "Sir," she added. If Faith hadn't been looking at him so intently, she might have missed the immediate change in his expression.
Suddenly, the Mayor smiled. "That's my girl." He made a stopping motion with his hand. "Now, I left cookies for you in the kitchen. Let's get you cleaned up and we'll have some cookies and milk before you go to bed."
Cookies? What the hell? I'm not five. "Um, sure, Boss. Let me just clean up and take some pain meds. I'll be right back." Faith finished the trek to the spacious bathroom. Gritting her teeth, she reached into the mirrored cabinet and fished out a couple of pills. The label said to take two every four hours. Mentally shrugging, the Slayer grabbed two more. Her Slayer healing should be able to handle the double dose.
The brunette rejoined the Mayor in the kitchen. The older man flashed a quirky grin when she walked slowly in. "There you are! I was starting to think you'd climbed out the window."
"Nah, Boss. I wouldn't do that." She lowered herself into a chair. "So, what kind of cookies ya got?" Deciding it wouldn't hurt to play nice, she reached for the foil covered plate. "Hey, chocolate chip. Nice" She munched on a brick hard treat and watched the man seated across from her.
The Mayor twitched with restless energy. Fingers drumming on the table, he scanned the room continuously. "Everything OK, Boss? You seem kinda wired tonight."
"What? Oh, no, Faithy, I'm just fine." He glanced over at the Slayer, still crunching the cookie. "I forgot the milk! How could I do that?" He jumped out of the chair and rushed into kitchen. He returned with a large glass of milk, sitting it gently in front of the teen. "Here, it'll help your teeth and bones stay strong."
Resisting the impulse to roll her eyes, Faith dunked the last of the cookie in to the beverage before finishing it off. "So, uh, is it OK if I go on to bed? Think some sleep might help with the healing, you know?"
"Of course, Faith, of course." The Mayor helped her to stand and kept his arm around her waist as she made her way to the bed. Once there, the Slayer dropped onto the bed fully clothed, eyes closing almost immediately in exhaustion. "Call me in the morning, Faith. We need to discuss your performance this last week. I've got another job for you – but I'm going to need some assurances it will get done. No more chances for you, young lady."
Faith kept her eyes tightly closed, but sleep wasn't so important anymore. "Gotcha, Boss. You want me to call or drop by the office? 'Cause I'd be happy to come to City Hall if ya need me to."
The older man lay a gentle hand on her head. "Why don't you come to my office, then? Whenever you get up. Good night, Faith." The Mayor stood and walked toward the door.
"Night, Boss," Faith answered. As soon as the apartment door closed behind the departing Mayor, the Slayer's eyes shot open. What the hell am I gonna do now? She thought.
Buffy woke and lay still for a moment, checking to make sure the only thoughts in her head belonged there. Deciding no one else was invading right now, she smiled and rolled out of bed. A quick shower and a change of clothes saw the Slayer at the dining room table, trying to study. Flicking in confusion through the assigned biology reading, the blonde hoped she could catch Willow before class. The redhead always knew how to explain things so she'd understand.
"Buffy?" The Slayer turned her head as her mother walked into the room. The older Summers looked stunned. "When were you going to tell me?"
The teen paused, trying to find an answer that wouldn't land her in more trouble. Of course, it would help if I knew exactly what she was talking about. Deciding she'd stalled enough, she answered hesitantly, watching for a response to lead her in the right direction. "Alright, busted. I didn't think you'd mind, Mom." She looked back at the textbook, waiting.
Joyce laughed a little. "You were accepted to Northwestern University? Honey, I am so proud of you." She smiled in amazement.
"Mom?" Buffy really didn't want to have this conversation. She hadn't seen her mother this happy with her since before the move to Sunnydale. "I can't go; you know that."
The smile dimming somewhat, the older blonde looked at her daughter in confusion. "Why not? I mean, I know it's not cheap, but if your father pitches in, we can afford it."
Avoiding meeting the hazel eyes staring at her, Buffy stood up and walked into the kitchen. The short walk gave her a little time to come up with a way to explain the situation. On cue, Mrs. Summers entered the room seconds after the Slayer. "Buffy? Honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong that wasn't wrong last night, Mom." She forced herself to look directly at the older woman. "I can't go to Northwestern. I can't go anywhere that isn't here. I'm the Slayer. It doesn't matter that I didn't sign up for the job. I am the Slayer and I can't just leave the Mouth of Hell unprotected."
Silence fell over the Summers kitchen. "Honey," Joyce began, but she stopped, frustration clear on her face. "Surely there's a way for the Council to find someone else." She brightened a bit. "What about Faith?"
"I don't think she's an option, Mom. I mean, even though I think she's thinking about helping out again, the Council would never let her stay here." Buffy shrugged. "If they don't kill her, they'll lock her up and try to rehabilitate her." Seeing the disappointment staring back at her, the younger blonde sighed. "I'll talk to Giles; maybe he can come up with a plan, alright?" Her mother nodded, and Buffy said, "I should go, then. I need to have Will's help with the homework I didn't get to last night and I'll get with Giles about the college thing."
"OK, honey. Try to have a nice day." Joyce hugged her daughter before the girl left for the day.
Buffy wondered just how long one day could be. She had met with Willow – and Oz and Xander – before classes. But the conversation hadn't gone as planned. No biology had gotten done. Instead, the Slayer replayed the conversation with her mother.
"Sounds like your mom's in a state of denial," Willow commented.
"More like a continent. She just has to realize I can't go away."
Working hard to cheer up the depressed blonde, the young witch tried, "Well, maybe not now, but soon, maybe?" Receiving a fond but reproving look, Willow grumped, "Or maybe I, too, hail from denial land."
"It's OK, Will. I always knew college wasn't really for me. I thought, just for a minute, that maybe I could, when Faith showed up. With her on the Dark Side, I'd say my chances just went from slim to none." The Slayer shrugged and stood up from the bench. "I need to go check in with Giles. See you two at lunch?"
"You bet, Buffy," Willow chirped. Oz, of course, said nothing, just nodding and smiling slightly.
"How about you, Xan?" she called to the other Scooby.
"Oh, yeah. I'll be there," the brunette boy replied. "I'll share some knowledge from my new manual on life." He brandished a worn copy of Kerouac's On the Road.
Trying to contain her laughter, Buffy shared a smile with Willow and Oz. "Alright, then. See you guys." She grabbed her bag and headed indoors. Dodging a throng of students, the Slayer made her way to the library. Of course, Giles wasn't there. Wesley, however, was.
As soon as he saw her, he attached himself to her hip and began rattling off a stream of suggestions about finding information on the Mayor. Finally, in self defense, Buffy jumped into the conversation, "Wes, I want to leave."
The stiffly pressed Englishman faltered. "Well, I, um, of course, Buffy. If you have class, then…"
"No, Wes, I mean college. I got accepted to Northwestern."
Looking confused, the Watcher mumbled, "You're a Slayer," as if that were explanation enough.
"Yeah, but I'm also a person," Buffy responded angrily. She tossed her backpack onto a table. "You can't just define me by my Slayerness. That's," she searched for the right word, settling for, "that's something-ism."
"Buffy," Giles interrupted quietly from his office door, "I know we've talked about you going away."
The Slayer turned to him. "Giles, I got into Northwestern." She watched him shift from slightly irritating Watcher to father figure. He had the same look on his face her mother had when she'd discovered the news.
"That's wonderful news. Good for you." He smiled and walked toward her.
"OK, people. Monsters? Demons? World in peril?" Wesley's nasal voice shattered the moment. "You cannot leave Sunnydale." He crossed his arms and laced his fingers over his heart, looking for all the world like a little kid about to lie. "By the power invested in my by the Council, I forbid it."
The Slayer looked at Giles before rolling her eyes at the pompous Watcher. "Look, I know this is complicated. But what if I beat the Mayor?" She looked directly at her former Watcher. "What if I," she emphasized her next words, hoping Giles would understand, "capture Faith? Then all you guys would have to do is keep the run of the mill demons at bay until I came home for vacation."
Giles nodded slightly to show he caught Buffy's real purpose. "Indeed. That might be a workable option. However, at the moment, we don't know how to defeat the Mayor"
"I'll find a way." Both men looked up at her vehemence. "I'll find a way," she repeated. "I'm tired of waiting for Mayor McSleaze to make his move while we sit on our hands counting down to Ascension Day. Let's take the fight to him."