WDWG - Chapter 5: Duties
Faith, leading a Tai Chi training session to keep the girls occupied, noticed the Watcher and his Slayer holding hands finally looking at peace in each other's company, and catching Willow's eye, nodded discretely over to the couple. Willow gave a satisfied little grin and went about her prep work for the dinner.
As they entered the area, Giles dropped her hand and motioned towards the infirmary. Buffy responded with a small smile and headed over to join the girls in their training, taking her place next to Faith.
As he entered the infirmary tent, Giles walked over to Robin, who was getting ready to take a walk around the encampment for a little physical therapy. "How are you feeling?"
"Pain's mostly gone, but I feel weak." Robin responded. "And lying around on a cot is not helping the situation."
Giles smiled, "A bit restless, then." A statement more than a question.
"Definitely. Hey, listen, Giles, I um, I was wondering, you know, about Faith..." Giles looked at Robin, but remained silent, "She's paid her debt, right? I mean, she needs to be free and fighting. It's the best thing for her right now." Robin watched her from the tent. "I need to take her to where she can be most effective, to fight the evil."
Giles leaned back against a table and crossed his arms. "We'll make sure that things are all clear with Faith. What do you have in mind, Robin?"
"I've had nothing to do but think the last 24 hours, Giles. I want to take Faith and a few of the girls that have nowhere to go, and head to where we are needed. Take the pressure off of Buffy. She deserves the break. What do you think?"
Giles remained quiet. He had only thought abstractly about the girls and the Council at this point. In the back of his mind, he was plotting strategy and what to do next, but he had put all that on hold to fix his relationship with Buffy.
"The Slayers have been through a lot, but they can't be idle for long, Giles. It's just not in their nature, you know this. They need the hunt, especially Faith, after being cooped up for so long."
"I agree, Robin. Cleveland. There is a hellmouth trying to awaken in Cleveland and with this one closed, it will probably gather more strength. We'll stay in touch, then. I have to see to the Council and that will take me to England. But before I can go, I have to talk things out with my family. Do you think that tomorrow morning, you and Faith can watch over the camp while I take Willow, Xander, Dawn and Buffy away to discuss the next steps for us?"
"No problem. I'll get a list of the Slayers who want to accompany me and Faith and we'll find out which girls can go back home. Should I make England an option?"
"Not at this time. But at some point, we are going to need to send teams out to find new Slayers. I just need to work through it all - find if there are more surviving Watchers about. I know of at least two retired Watchers who were not targeted and last I heard, Robson was still alive, but who knows what's happened in the last few weeks. And I think the Scoobies and I need some much needed down time."
"Take the down time. We'll cover Cleveland and await orders." With that, Robin gingerly walked out of the tent assuring Giles of his and Faith's loyalty to him and the new Council.
Giles felt some relief as the fragments started to piece themselves together. The picture wouldn't look the same, and for that, he was grateful. Even with the uncertainty, things were finally looking up.
With that thought, he walked over to Rona. The girl was still sleeping, and despite being up earlier, she had not ventured from her cot. She remained curled up into a tiny ball, something that bothered him tremendously. With her Slayer healing and the magicks he and Willow performed on her the previous afternoon, she should be up and about. He placed a hand on her forehead checking for fever as he worried about infection. Her temperature seemed fine but he would have Willow examine her more closely later in case there was something mystical going on with the young Slayer.
XxXxXxXx
The training session over, Buffy smiled over at Faith, "Angel?"
Faith grinned back, "Yeah, ya know, I never thought I would go for the slow stuff, but he taught me Tai Chi and it really helped center me and gave me something to do while in the big house."
"You're really good with them, Faith." Buffy offered, gesturing to the new Slayers with her water bottle after taking a sip from it.
"It's no big, B. They just wanna learn. After getting a taste of takin' out the big evil, they are hot to be a badass like you." Faith winked. The two senior Slayers walked across camp towards Faith's tent.
"Funny." Buffy said nonchalantly. As they neared Faith's tent Buffy looked out over the horizon and stated quietly, "I'm so over this, Faith. I've died twice. Heck, I should have died down there, but I didn't. Guess the PTB don't want me back yet. But, I think I'm done fighting every night. Or day, as the case may be."
Faith let go of the tough girl persona. Buffy knew her softer side once, and she knew that Buffy was looking for support for her decision, "Me and the girls, we've got your back, Buffy. Heck you've been fighting for eight years. Take the time, and if you wanna go do the husband, 2.5 kids, dog, minivan and white picket fence thing, by all means. I think Giles might like that too." Buffy's eyes went wide and Faith just laughed and walked into her tent.
XxXxXxXx
The training session and the playful banter had lightened the mood and dinner was a bit more rambunctious that evening. No one brought up the battle and after the dishes and food were put away, Giles approached Faith and Willow about Rona.
After a quick examination, Willow told him, "Physically, she's fine, Giles, and there's nothing magical going on either."
Leading them out of the sick bay to a quiet table, Giles grimaced, "Yes, that's what I am worried about. I think she's suffering from post-traumatic stress. I think she might have seen or done something down in the cavern." He turned to Faith, "You were there. Did you notice anything?"
The dark Slayer shrugged, "Sorry, G. I know she was in the thick of things, though. We all saw horrible stuff, friends dyin' all around us, doin' our fair share of killin'. She was brave, really brave when I saw her. You want me to get Buffy to talk to her?"
Giles pulled his glasses from his face and stuck an end in his mouth thinking, "No, Rona isn't responding to her. I think perhaps you should. You have a different bond with the new girls than Buffy. They see you as a more sisterly figure. I think she might respond to you."
"Um, ok. I can give it a try. But I think maybe it should be someone, you know, more -"
"You need to trust yourself, Faith. She needs your strength, to know you are on her side. You commanded the girls when Buffy couldn't. They respect that and they respect you. You can do this." The Watcher counseled, lightly touching her shoulder.
With that, Faith entered the hospital tent and upon seeing Rona awake and tucked into a ball, Faith approached the injured Slayer, "Hey girl, I hear you're not five-by-five yet."
Rona stared at her for a moment, "I'm just... I don't know," she mumbled before rolling over.
Faith put her hand on the girl's arm, "Hey, hey... I just came in to see what I could do to get you to join us. We're gonna roast some marshmallows and eat some s'mores, maybe say a few things about our friends who didn't come out with us. It's all planned and we just need you to complete the circle."
"I've got nothin' to say, Faith. It's just too much right now." Rona choked back a sob.
Faith rubbed her back, "Yeah, it is. But you know, you're here and the circle, it's sacred. We fought down the First. We're like the Fellowship of the Ring or something, girlfriend! We've got to be together and we have to sing to the fallen heroes. It's just what's done. Just tonight, Rona, and if you don't want anything to do with the slayin' after tonight, we'll take you home and be done with it. But, let's honor them tonight. Okay?"
Rona rolled over to face Faith, "They'll think I'm a coward..."
"NO! No, Rona! You know it won't go down like that! You kicked major ass out there, I saw you. Just give us all tonight. Then we'll talk more tomorrow. And if you want to talk to Giles or Robin, or whoever, that's cool, too. You earned this, Rona. We all did and now we gotta do right by those we lost or left behind."
"Yeah, ok." With Faith on her side, Rona knew she wouldn't be mocked, the unconventional Slayer held the others in awe by her coolness factor alone. The two girls hugged and exited the tent together.
Giles watched from across the camp helping Buffy and Andrew get the bonfire started. When he caught Faith's attention, he nodded approvingly at her. Even with all her bravado, she was still insecure after all these years.
"I don't think this is going to be a very big bonfire." Andrew pointed out to Buffy, interrupting Giles' train of thought.
"We'll do what we can, but there isn't much in the way of large timber out here to help with that." Buffy responded. "Let's just add what we can to the fire, we're losing the light." She walked over to Giles, putting her hand on his arm as he watched Rona and Faith, "Rona's better?"
"Physically, yes. She's a good Slayer and has a lot of potential, but I'm not sure her heart is in it anymore." Giles responded. "I had Faith go in to have a chat with her. At least she's out of bed now."