Summary: This is a sequel to my story A Creature I Don't Know which can be found here: s/8467907/1/A-Creature-I-Dont-Know
A/N: I strongly recommend a good understanding of season 5 to follow this: Checkpoint especially for this update.
Disclaimer:Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, UPN and WB Television Networks own the television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". Dark Horse and IDW own the Comics. No copyright infringement is intended, no money is being earned by myself. The title of each chapter, and the story as a whole, come from K's Choice songs/Album titles. (Given that I had soundtrack for the first I thought I should have one for the second).
Thank you all for your kind words and support for my last story. I hope you enjoy my continuation of it. I would love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts. Many thanks.
10. God In My Bed: Part II
Faith could only sit while Buffy and Giles talked around her. Giles, much to the surprise of Buffy, had poured Faith a glass of his scotch and left her to herself. Faith appreciated that kindness. Buffy had, for a while, sat besides her - a hand on her knee - as she and Giles spoke, but eventually she'd drifted away as if knowing that this day would eventually come.
Faith wondered if she too would be tested or if she was just a pawn to be presented to the winner. All she knew was that Buffy, as she'd led her to bed, held her tight and promised that she wouldn't let them take her.
Both Buffy and Giles agreed that the best place for her would be in school, which she duly attended. She spent the day looking over her shoulder, expecting to be pulled out of class by a couple of burly British suits. She spend the day practising answers to their questions and wondering where she could run to. If there was anywhere she could start a fresh. When the bell signalled the end of the day she was relieved to see that Buffy was meeting her at the gate and not the Council.
Buffy asked her how her day was and Faith made jokes about the aptness of studying the American Revolution. Buffy told her that she'd killed a dummy and squeezed her hand tighter.
"Mom?" Buffy called out, as the pair of them dropped of their things in the hallway.
Faith followed her into the living room and found she was greeted by yet another sight that forced her legs to weaken.
"Long day, Sweetie?" Glory smiled at them from one of the arm chairs. "So this is where the Slayer eats and
sleeps and combs her hair." She smiled as she rose and walked passed the pair as if purveying her kingdom. "So cute.
I can't even stand it. Personally," she continued, "I need more space, but
this is good for you. It's so quaint and..." Faith watched as Buffy tried to get to the fire unnoticed by Glory and reached out for one of the fire pokers. "Tsk. Buf-fee..." Glory, across the room in an instance, smiled down at her as she took the tool from her hand. "If I wanted to fight, you could tell by the being dead already."
While Glory was busy staring down at Buffy, Faith inched her back to the doorway. She hoped Buffy would be able to stall Glory long enough to find Dawn.
"And..." Faith turned round to find Glory blocking her path, "...that means you too."
"What do you want?" Faith hissed at her through gritted teeth. Glory simply smiled.
"Now, now little girl why don't you sit and be quiet," she backhanded Faith across the room, "while the big girls talk." Glory finished walking back across the room to Buffy. "The Key. Why else do you think I'd come here? See, I think you know where the Key is."
"Glad you think so." Buffy folded her arms across her chest. She shot Faith a nervous glance as she watched her recover on the floor, but otherwise tried to maintain eye contact with Glory.
"Well, it is the only thing keeping you alive right now." She went over to the corner, picked Faith up by her hair and dusted her off. "'Cause you may be tiny Queen in Vampire World, but to me?" She threw Faith through the glass doors into the hallway. "Ta da! You're a bug."
Buffy was grateful that Glory's attention seemed to be on Faith, as she tried to get Dawn to back out of the room without being noticed.
"You should get down on your knees, and worship me. But you still thinks it's "neat" having Slayer strength. Ooh, big deal, stronger than humans. Phht. Who isn't?" Buffy watched as Dawn crossed back across the threshold and into the kitchen. "I could crush the life from you as easy as you'd break a nail. But I need the Key. Kid!" Dawn stood frozen in the doorway. "C'mere a sec." Buffy watched as Dawn hesitated, unsure of what to do, noting Faith was once more trying to stand.
"Leave her out of this."
"Not asking twice..."
"This is between you and me."
"No..." Glory corrected Buffy, "this is between me and my Key. You just happen to be the thing in the way." She clicked her fingers and Dawn, mirroring Buffy's stance, walked forward with her arms folded. "And you - are just the darlinest thing I ever did see in my life. What's your name, honey?"
"Dawn."
"Dawn. Did you know your sister took my Key, Dawnie? And she won't give it back. Bet you know where she put it, don't you?"
"She doesn't know anything." Faith told her, gingerly getting back to her feet.
"I know some stuff."
"Bet she takes your things all the time without asking, huh? Where's my Key, Dawn?"
"Go upstairs." Buffy told her and Dawn passed her, Buffy grabbed her arm. "Take Faith with you."
"You're always talking about stuff I'm not supposed to hear. I'm gonna figure it out, you know!" She told Buffy as she tried to take some of Faith's weight.
"I like her, she's sassy." Glory smiled when it was just her and Buffy again. "And I'll kill her. Kill your Mom. Kill Grumpy Slayer. Kill your friends. Make you watch when I do." She shrugged. "Just give me the Key. Either you have it, or you know where to find it." She walked passed Buffy towards the door. "Obviously, this is a one-time only deal. Next time we meet, something you love dies bloody. You know you can't take me. You know you can't stop me." She turned round and pointed to the coffee table as Joyce walked passed her. "Oh. And the next time you have guests? Little plate of sugar cookies. I'm just saying."
"Buffy, who was that?" Her mother asked watching Buffy collapse onto the sofa.
"Pack a bag." Was all Buffy was able to manage by way of reply.
Faith slowly managed to hobble through the doors of the shop and relieved to find Giles rushing to her aid.
"What happened to you?" He asked her quietly as he helped her across the shop.
"I'm a bug." She sighed as he found her a chair by the foot of the stairs.
"And Buffy?"
"We dropped Mrs S and Sunny D at Billy's and now she's fighting the crusades." Giles simply looked down at her. "I offered to help." She tried, but the shop returned to silence as everyone went back to watching the door.
"You're late." Travers told Buffy when she eventually stepped in.
"Yeah." She nodded, walking in with one of the swords from the soldiers before.
"Faith said there an attack..?"
"Yeah." She nodded again.
"Well." Travers cleared his throat. "We can begin the review at last. We'll skip over the more obvious-"
"There isn't going to be a review."
"Sorry?"
She remained calm, unnervingly so. Everyone simply watched as she raised the sword as she spoke, holding it up in front of her and laying it gently on the table, the point facing Travers.
"No review." She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "No interrogation, no questions you know I can't answer, no hoops, no jumps..." She turned to one of the Watchers and silenced him with just a look. "...and no interruptions." She told him before continuing. "See I've had a lot of people talking at me, last few days. People just lining up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I finally figured out why." She walked further into the shop, closer to her friends, her Watcher, to Faith. She stopped only when she was stood staring down at Travers in his seat. "Power." She said simply. "I have it. We-" she corrected, smiling at Faith," have it. They don't. This bothers them. Glory came to my house today-"
"I'm a bug." Faith repeated looking up at Giles and her friends who suddenly understood.
"I'm a bug," Buffy nodded, "I'm a flea, she could squash me in a second... Only she didn't squash me. She came to my house and she talked. We had what in her warped brain probably passes for a civilised conversation. Why? Because she needs something from me. Because I have power over her." Buffy turned from her friends and back to all the various Watchers congregated round the room.
"You didn't come all the way from England to determine whether I'm good enough to be "let back in."You came to beg me to let you back in. To give your jobs, your lives, some semblance of meaning again."
"Oh, this is beyond insolence-"
Buffy's new sword cut across him and into the wall, mere centimetres from his left ear.
"I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions." She told him.
Faith looked up to the gallery above her and saw Xander smiling down. That was excellent, he mouthed at her.
"You're Watchers." Buffy continued. "And without any Slayers you're pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theatre. You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have on her except publish it in the 'Everyone Thinks We're Insano's Home Journal.' So here's how it's going to work. You're gonna tell me everything you know. Then you're gonna go away. You'll contact me if and when you have more information. The magic shop will stay open, and Mr. Giles will stay here as my official
watcher, reinstated at full salary."
"Retroactive." Giles coughed into his hands.
"...to be paid retroactively from the month he was fired." She pressed on with a roll of her eyes. "Faith, has served her time. You want to punish her further, you'll have to lock me up too. She killed a man. I killed her." She emphasised with her hands. "Its messy, its confusing, but its done." And just as suddenly her hands stopped moving. "I'll continue my work, with the help of my friends-"
"I..." The only female watcher stepped nervously forward, "I don't want a sword thrown at me, Faith I can understand, but civilians..." She looked up at the gallery, "we're talking about children."
"I'm talking about two powerful witches and a thousand year old ex-demon-"
"Willow's a DEMON?" Anya exclaimed a little too late, but everyone's attention was fixed solely on Buffy.
"The boy?" Another asked. "No power there."
"'The Boy' has clocked more field time than all of you combined. He's part of the unit." Buffy paused momentarily, Faith almost wondered if she stopped purely to listen to Willow and Xander whisper or if it was simply to allow her words to take effect. "You may all be very good at your jobs. The only way you're ever gonna find out is if you work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that, but I want an answer right now from Quentin." She turned to face him with a knowing smile. "'Cause I think he's understanding me."
"Your terms are acceptable."
"See?" Buffy sat down opposite him while her friends cheered. "No begging."
"Rupert," Quentin raised his hand, "when we inventoried your shop, we found a bottle of single malt scotch hidden behind the incense holders-"
"Well, it's not that," Faith watched as Giles blushed but caught Buffy's gaze. Buffy simply mouthed, I love you too, while Giles continued in his embarrassment.
"I think I could use a glass." Quentin explained.
"I'll have one," Faith smiled at him, "if you're pouring drinks."
"Just a minute." Buffy brought the attention back to her. "Glory. I wanna know."
"There's a lot to go through..." Quentin warned.
"I just want to know what kind of demon we're fighting."
"Well, that's the thing. Glory isn't a demon."
"What is she?"
"She's a god."
"Oh."
Thank you, Circus.