Loss of Faith

Chapter 13: The One Who Sees

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters contained within.

That would be Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc….

Xander's POV –

'Just another day in Sunnydale' I think while I'm walking down the school halls. People are busy at their lockers, getting ready to go home for the day. It always amazes me that none of these people realize the battles that are being fought all around them to keep them safe. It's almost like they're under a spell or something to keep them oblivious. Even when they run into something supernatural and have to be saved, the next day they go back to acting like it never happened. Weird, huh?

I'm headed to the library to talk to Giles about how he made out with Shannon last night after I left. Ugh, Giles making out with Shannon? Man, that thought is going to leave a scar, I just know it. Anyway, you want to talk about fireworks? When she finally woke up after the 'go to sleep' hold Faith threw on her, she almost went crazy. She jumped up off the bed we laid her down on and started looking all around like Faith was hiding somewhere just waiting to jump out at her. We tried to calm her down. Giles was doing his low 'please don't jump off the ledge' voice and I was trying to look as harmless as possible. I don't think Shannon was buying it though. She remembered that I was the one that came to the house with Faith and she seemed to be taking it like a betrayal or something. I guess she forgot that we were Faith's friends first. Or at least before she got here.

It was Joyce who was finally able to calm Shannon down and actually talk to her. Joyce just has that motherly way about her that no one can resist. She sat Shannon down and started telling her how much she cared for Faith, how Faith had helped her through Buffy's death, and that Shannon shouldn't really believe everything the Council might have told her. After all, they never even met Faith. I don't think Shannon was really interested in what Joyce was saying, but she did lose the trapped animal look. When I left both Joyce and Giles were trying to convince Shannon that she should give it some time and make her own decision about Faith. I didn't stick around for the end of that conversation because Shannon kept shooting me looks that were making me nervous.

I guess it's not easy finding out that you're not as tough as you thought. And Faith took her out without even breaking a sweat. That thought makes me smile. Just seeing Faith in action again brought back all kinds of memories from when we all used to patrol together. Although looking back, it doesn't seem like Faith was there as much as she should have been. That was our fault too, I guess.

I can see now that we weren't always as nice to her as we should have been. I suppose it was all part of the 'being in love with Buffy' thing for me, that I couldn't see what Faith was feeling at the time. I'm not real sure what Willow's excuse was and Giles was busy being Buffy's Watcher and didn't realize Faith needed one too. Not until after Buffy was gone anyhow. Of course now I know better, but I'll tell you, that better late than never saying is crap. You have to be careful about what you say and do to people all the time, because once it's done, you may never have the chance to change it.

That's why I was trying so hard at first to help Shannon. Not that I'm not going to help her now, but since she went Council happy on Faith last night I think Faith will need me more than the new slayer. Besides she has Willow backing her and Will isn't the sweet naive girl she used to be. In fact unless I'm really clueless, Will is backing Shannon in more ways than just helping with the slaying. The last time I saw that look in her eyes was when she and Oz were together. She's got that look that says she's soaking up everything that Shannon says or does and it's all good with her. Guess I'm not the only one with a thing for slayers around here.

Speaking of Will, I'm not sure how she's going to react to the fact that Faith is back and the first thing she does is send Will's girl to slumber land. This may take some very special spin control for me to keep her from throwing major mojo at Faith. Will has gotten a little too good, too quick, with the magic's for me not to keep an eye on her. I'm not saying she would hurt Faith, but turning her into a toad or giving her a big wart in the middle of her face for a couple of weeks wouldn't be beyond her. In fact, Willow would get a kick out of being able to do it. And I just know that Faith wouldn't take that shit lying down. Then I'd have an all out war I'd have to try and defuse. Yea, it's better if I just head it all off early. That'll be project number two today, after I talk to Giles and make sure things with Shannon are better.

When I walk into the library, there's Giles, leaning on the table talking to both Shannon and Willow. Well, it just looks like I'm going to have to take care of both problems at once. As I walk over to the table, Willow looks up at me and I can see in her eyes she is so not happy to see me. "Hey Wills, Hi Shannon, what's shaking G-man?" I say. I might as well try for light conversation, maybe that'll get Will to chill out some. Oops, guess not.

"Alexander Lavelle Harris, what were you thinking bringing Faith back here?" Willow starts in almost before I finished saying hello. "Why didn't you tell anyone? What, you thought you could just go off and bring back another slayer to figure out what's going on around here? We don't need another slayer. We have a slayer. See? Here she is, sitting right here being all slayerly. Not that she's slaying right this minute, but she could if she had to. The slightest sign of trouble and BAM, Shannon would be making with the slay action."

Will had stood up and started walking towards me the whole time she was talking, so I raise my hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Will, please calm down for a minute. You going to let me talk or should I just sit down, shut up and keep listening?" I ask her with a smirk. That stops her in her tracks and I figure I better keep talking or she will. "

"First off," I say, "I didn't know that I had to clear everything I do through you. Secondly, I wasn't even sure I could find her and if I did, I wasn't sure she would come back with me. What was the point of saying anything to you guy's when I didn't even know what would happen?" Now I'm walking forward making Will step backwards towards the table where Shannon is sitting looking at me like I'm something to scrape off her shoe. Will backs into the chair she was at and sits down with a thump. "And lastly," I continue, "By the time I found out where Faith was and decided to go ask her to come home, you were all ready wrapped up in little miss British here. I didn't think you'd even notice I was gone."

"As for Giles," I say while turning to look at him, "He was busy with trying to figure out what was going on around here, as well as training a new slayer, I also wasn't too sure how he would feel about me trying to get Faith back. Things were a little frosty between them when she left." Looking back to Willow I ask with a big smile, "So how's your day going?"

"Don't you 'how's your day going' me, buster,' Will says. "Faith wasn't even here a full day and the first thing she does is attack Shannon. Explain that one mister."

Giles finally speaks up, "Willow, I've already told you that it was not Faith's fault that she and Shannon had a misunderstanding. I assure you, Faith was completely innocent in that altercation. Shannon was responding to what she was taught by the Council, no matter how misguided it was. We have since agreed that perhaps she should gather some firsthand information before deciding what is true and what may not be entirely accurate."

"That's still no reason for Faith to have practically choked her to death," Will mumbles while looking over to Shannon.

Shannon says, "I could have taken her. She just surprised me for a moment." Yeah, I think, in your dreams you could have taken her. Faith had the newbie wrapped up and going to sleep before we even got out of the door.

"Rest assured Willow," Giles said while rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Faith knew exactly what she was doing and was merely trying to put an end to the altercation with the least possible physical damage. To either of you."

It looks like Giles has had this conversation with Willow already this morning. Good. That means I won't have to keep arguing with her, because I really don't want to talk about it anymore. Faith's back and we're going to find Buffy and then we're going to help her. Period. End of story. Judging by the way Willow is acting, on top of the way Shannon attacked Faith last night, there's no way in hell I'm going to share that Buffy is probably alive and keeping the demon underworld in line. At least not until I absolutely have to.

"If we may, I would like to get back to the business at hand," Giles says. "Xander, before you came in we were going over the aspects of this vampire Shannon has been trying to track down. Though it is unusual for a vampire to actively hunt down its own kind, it is not without precedent. In most cases it is a matter of a new vampire coming in and claiming its territory by eliminating the competition, as it were. This however, does not seem to be the case here. There has been no increase in demonic activity in the area, in fact, it appears that the demonic forces are at an all time low."

"That sounds like it would be of the good. Doesn't it?" I ask. Maybe I could get them to just let it go and the Buffster could just keep doing her thing.

"While a reduced demon influence in the area is normally a good sign, I can't help but feel that this is more of a lull before the storm." Giles said, "I think it best if we find out what is behind this purging of the dark forces and more importantly the reason driving it."

Guess it's no such luck that they would leave this one alone. That means Faith is going to have to find Buffy in a hurry to warn her. I'll call her later to let her know what's up.

Giles was pacing in front of us as he spoke, "This new vampire may in fact be just clearing the way for something of an even greater evil to take root. Shannon, I would suggest that you step up your patrols. If we cannot confirm the reasons behind the vampire's actions, I see no choice but for you to simply kill it. I believe this is a case of better safe than sorry. Willow, if you could continue your research on the computer for any indication of what may be behind this, I would greatly appreciate it. Xander, I would suggest that since you have brought Faith back to us, that you accompany her on patrols. Having both slayers in town should allow us to cover a much greater area."

Shannon spoke up again, "I do not need her to help me. By the councils order Mr. Giles, you should be concentrating on turning this Faith person over to them for the good of everyone."

Giles was just about to respond when the phone in his office rang. While he went to answer it I tried to talk to Shannon and Willow some more. "Look Shannon, I know what you've been told, but didn't any of what Joyce said to you last night sink in? You like Joyce, right? You think she's a good person?"

She looked at me kind of suspiciously and said, "Yes.'

"Then don't you think she would know if Faith was evil or not? She's known and helped faith for a long time, you really should trust her judgment a little," I finished.

I saw Will start to argue with me, and then Giles called out to Shannon that the phone call was for her. Shannon went into the office as Giles came out so I went over and sat in the chair she was in. This gave me a straight view into Giles' office and I could see Shannon standing there on the phone. I could also just barely hear what she was saying.

Giles was talking to Willow about some of the possible internet searches she could do so I tuned them out and tried to listen to Shannon. Yeah, I know that it's rude, but the only people that would call her were the Council. If they were cooking something up I wanted to be able to warn Faith. As I listened I could only catch pieces of what she said.

"Hello Uncle"

"………….."

"Well I saw her last night but was caught off guard."

"………………"

"I know. It will not happen again."

"………………………………………………………………………."

"Okay, if you send it to Mrs. Summers' house, I'm sure she will see that I get it."

"………………………………………………………."

"No, I do not remember ever having heard of 'Interfector Mortis'." Just then she realizes the office door is open and she pushes it closed. Now I can't hear her anymore.

I run what I did hear of her conversation back over in my mind. The Council is sending her something. Probably to help her capture Faith but what it could be I don't have any idea. And as far as the last part of the conversation, what the hell is Interfector Mortis? I'm going to have to talk this over with Faith later and maybe between us we can come up with what it means. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a nasty surprise. I've had enough surprises lately to last me a year.