Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Tara was sitting on one bed with a red head beside her, Jo was just slipping out by a back door, when Buffy entered the room. "Oh, Buffy," Tara jumped up and took Buffy's arm, "Meet Willow. She's a friend of mine who's going to be joining us for the trip." Willow smiled up at Buffy and nodded as Buffy did the same. "I know we're all going to be such great friends!" Tara smiled and laughed just a bit as she went about telling Buffy what she knew of the ship. A bell went of not half-way through her preaching . "Oh yay, we're setting off!" She turned to Buffy excitedly, "We'll get to the Forgotten soon, don't worry. I have to—Buffy could you do me a favor?" Tara looked at Buffy with wide, pleading eyes.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Could you check on my sister? She's been in a foul mood ever sense she heard about the Forgotten." Tara sighed and fiddled with her hands in her lap. "I worry about her. But I still need to show Willow where she will need to go for her supplies and paintings. So could you possibly go find Faith and see if she's all right? Please? She should be in the mapping room, just go down the stairs in her room and you should find her, please?" Tara held her hands up for Buffy to see as she pleaded with her.
"Tara I. Yeah, all right. I'll see if she's okay." She gave Tara a hesitant smile when the other blonde squealed and gave a squeeze of her arm. "'Kay I'll be right back." Buffy left with a slight wave over her shoulder.
"Tara."
"Yes?"
"You do know the two, didn't exactly get a long, right?" Willow asked with a little apprehension. She'd heard Faith's raised voice and the irritated tone. It had sent a shiver down her spine even though she wasn't the one who had been received the intent of them.
"I know." Tara stood with a smile and grabbed Willow's hand. "But I wanted to show Buffy the other side of Faith." Willow gave her a confused look; Tara pulled her out of the room and to the wheel. "Trust me, you'll see. But first I want to show you what Faith's been teaching me about her ship." Willow turned a brief glance to Tara before turning back to learn her spontaneous lesson in ships.
- - - - - - - - -
Buffy slowly entered the room beside the one she'd left. Her heart throbbed in her chest, feeling like it'd burst through her ribs and out her chest, to fall on the floor and be stepped on by the stomping crew. She looked around the room in certain awe.
There was a small window to the back of the rather large room, it showed the sea and flashes of the sky as the ship swayed atop the blue/green waters. The décor was Spartan like, with few things other than weapons and maps adorning the walls. A single painting, rather light hearted compared with the otherwise dark room, hung on the wall by a nail piercing through the top of its frame as well as the bottom. Buffy inched closer to it to get a better look, she sighed and gasped as she saw the two girls sitting on a swing in front of a rather modest home, this exact ship swaying in the background.
The blonde girl in the painting was obviously Tara, a smile shining her terrible innocence, as she had her legs kicked back to move the swing higher.
The brunette with deep tan skin, piercing and playful and mischievous brown eyes was another question though. It took her a moment but she finally recognized it as Faith when she saw the brunette holding the blonde tightly around the waist, keeping her from falling as she leaned too far forward.
The two girls looked happy as they forever continued to swing under the odd night sky, and in sight of the dark ship in the background
Buffy felt her eyes widen in shock as she gazed at the painting. A thump from above the room shook her from her paralysis. She moved back from the painting and blushed a bit, easily seeing how private it must be. She cast a last glance to the room, the large single bed, the swords and old-fashioned guns, the maps that had obviously been used before, the dresser that held all possible clothes and the painting before turning to the door that was craftily hidden by the dressers' shadow.
She opened the door and saw only the lantern that showed where the landing was before another set of darkness swamped stairs proceeded further down. Buffy sighed and grappled for a rail before she took slow steps down to where Faith was. She grumbled to herself about being bewitched by the innocent blonde and not just lying and saying Faith wasn't there. She sighed briefly when she hit the landing, then gulped as she saw nothing but inky blackness the rest of the way down. A dull orange/red light was her only salvation as she made her way down those stairs as well.
The light grew closer when she finally hit bottom. But so did the cold that had taken to caressing Buffy like a lovers' hand across any and all exposed skin. Faint voices echoed around her, generating, she guessed, from her right. She followed the instinct she'd been chosen with and finally reached a door, behind the door she could distinctly hear Faith's husky voice. Buffy sighed and steadied her nerves before knocking on the door. The sounds stopped as soon as she knocked and Buffy winced, it had been easier listening to faded voices than hear nothing but the creaking of the ship and the splashing of the waves.
The door opened showing Faith's taller figure. She heard Faith growl before opening the door. Faith waved Buffy in before closing the door. Buffy glared at Spike as he sat on a chair on the other side of the table. "Well if it isn't Goldy-locks. What are you doing here? Come to track me down, did ya pet?" Spike grinned and chuckled as he stood. "Well too bad, you can't kill me here. Not without Captain's orders'." He laughed directly in Buffy's face as he stooped in front of her.
"This sucks." Buffy sighed, feeling any hope of talking with Faith reasonably fade as she saw Spike. "First, I get stuck with crazy over here," She thumbs to the silent Faith, "Then I get stuck on the same ship, as you." She turned her gaze to the ceiling above them. "You hate me, don't you?"
"Don't know about you, love, but I think I'm going to be having a rather fun trip." Spike laughed his way back to his seat.
"You know something interesting, about Captain's orders' Spike." Faith finally spoke from the corner she'd leaned against when Buffy had entered. Both turned their attentions to the black eyed Captain. "If a visitor, finds reason; say a Vampire Slayer and a Vampire, to kill a crewmate. The captain is obligated to take sides'. And right about now, I'm feeling very generous with my leniency to your killer, Spike."
Buffy was quickly pulled a stake from her pants as she moved closer to the panicking Spike.
"Captain, what? I've been loyal to you, you bleeding bitch!" Spike yelled as he ran to the other side of the room, Buffy already having gotten a painful kick in.
Faith finally grabbed the vampire from behind, holding him captive against her chest. "Loyal, yes. To me, no. Send Drusilla my regards', Spike." Faith growled as Buffy slammed the stake home in Spike's heart. He crumbled to dust with a parting yell. Faith casually brushed the dust from her arms and chest. "Now then, what is your business being here?" Faith questioned as she moved past the slayer and took a seat at the table.
Buffy followed after her, taking the spot Spike had just vacated. "Tara, she asked me to come down, make sure you where all right." Faith nodded, reaching out and grabbing a mug from the corner of the table. "So, are you okay? Can I go back and tell her your fine?" Again Faith simply nodded. Buffy felt her eyebrows flick up before they settled again. "Okay." She mumbled under her breath as she slid from the seat and made her way to the door.
"Something is wrong. With this map, something is wrong. I can't quite figure it out, though." Faith finally said, just as Buffy rested her hand on the knob of the door. She turned around and walked back to the map. She looked at it and easily saw the marks that Faith had made across it, saw the wornness of the map and saw the partially undone-ness of it too.
"That's cause it's not finished. See right here," She placed her arm over Faith's shoulder and tapped the map with a well-cared-for nail, "This is where the Bermuda Triangle is. Now, my watcher tells me it's totally fine, just random acts of nature. But I'm better, just by thought, if we where to get anywhere we'd have to go at least through there." Faith nodded and grabbed some items to measure out the distance.
"I see. That's why it didn't make sense. The distance from here to the Forgotten isn't far, but everywhere from here is too far to be where the Forgotten was located. The Bermuda Triangle you say?"
"Yup."
"I see. Stay, if you would. Return to my sister if you wish, however I believe more help could be in order." Faith said as she stood from her seat and moved to a well-placed trunk. Buffy felt a heaviness in her chest lift as she smiled and took a seat across from where Faith would be sitting. Faith turned back to the table, Buffy and the map with more rolls of maps, a few ancient looking books, and a jug and cup. "Good. Drink, it'll help you stay vigilant." She said as she pointed a dark, sweet smelling and steaming liquid into both mugs. "It is a specialty of my sister. I know nothing of what's in it, just that it is good drink to sip and helps you stay awake." Faith said as Buffy peered into the mug. Buffy smiled and took a sip from the mug when Faith did.
"Tastes really good. Sweet. Yet, a nice spicy aftertaste. I like it." Buffy stated as she thought about the sweet drink.
Faith nodded with something like a hint of a smile gracing her lips. "Yes." The two stayed like that for hours, neither knowing the time passed so quickly as Faith relaxed in the blondes' presence and Buffy played up her casualness of the situation.
Finally a knock at the door interrupted a rather crude session of teasing. Faith went to the door and her face relaxed as she saw her sister. "Tara, please." She waved Tara in and gave Buffy a questioning look as they both looked around.
"You've both been gone so long, Willow and I where getting worried. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Tara. We're good. Getting along a lot better than last time." Buffy answered as Tara looked at her. Faith nodded her agreement.
"Yes we are. However sense it's gotten so late as for you to find us yourself we all should be getting to bed." The blondes agreed and Faith opened the door, letting Tara lead the way out. When they reached Faith's room Buffy cast a quick glance to the painting. Tara smiled and gave Buffy a quick hug as she prepared for bed. "Buffy," Faith said as she followed her to the door, "I seem to have said something about quietness, earlier." She shifted a little as her black eyes stared at Buffy. "I retake my order's." She said finally as she nodded to Buffy and closed the door, leaving Buffy to blink at it in surprise before she smiled and made her way to her room.
Willow was already in bed so Buffy followed suit, falling asleep in the other bed quickly.
Faith sighed and shook her head as she turned to get ready for bed. Tara smiled at her as she slipped into the bed, pulling a purple stuffed seal from a hidden place behind the bed. She snuggled into the bed and the seal as Faith tucked her in
"Fai, do you like Buffy?"
"Yes."
"Do you like her more than me?" Faith sat on the edge of the bed as she ran her fingers across Tara's blanketed arm. She smiled.
"I like you two differently, that's all."
"So you still love me? Like my sister should?"
"Yes." Tara smiled up at her and kissed the seal than pressed it to Faith's cheek and giggled a little as Faith tickled her when she slid the blanket tight around her. "Now go to bed, Tara." Tara nodded and closed her eyes. Faith sighed and moved to the cot that sat beneath the window, hidden carefully by the black blankets and pillows. "Yes, I like you two differently is all." She breathed as she fell asleep, the darkness within her chest growled low in warning at the prospect of it's owner having such start, light induced, feelings.
