Buffy and Xander's Room, BPRI, Sunnydale, a few hours later.
Buffy was seated at the dining table with a cup of now warm coffee in her left hand as she stared out the window. She was staring at the memorial gardens in the distance while the cup rested on the table; her mind still reeling at the nightmare of seeing her daughter being possessed by something called Illyria. And her son lying dead at his sister's feet. It had been nearly four hours since that nightmare and everyone was at work – in fact Xander wanted to make some time off so that he could be with Buffy, but she insisted on her husband accompanying Kennedy and some of the Potentials, along with three NID Rapid Response Teams, to Las Vegas where there were sightings of various vampires and demons frequenting an underground casino.
She looked away from the window and her eyes went back to the tablet resting on the table next to the cup. It was only an hour ago that, after some research, Tara and Fred, along with the research division, discovered the identity of Illyria. The tablet screen was dim, but Buffy could still make out the words which described Illyria: Old One, powerful, ancient, conqueror, and apocalypse.
It would be Fred, Tara, Angel, and Cordelia who would come to see Buffy in her room so that they could inform her about what they discovered. Apparently, Illyria was one of the Old Ones, one of the pure-bred demons, who was very powerful and considered to be a god. She ruled over what would eventually become modern day California from her base of operations known as Vahla Ha'nesh – a temple which, according to legend, was shunted out of phase with the timestream. Her army comprising hundreds of thousands of demons were all located in her temple and, if she were to be reborn, Tara guessed this army would be released as well. Eventually, like all the Old Ones, Illyria was defeated. It was defeated by its rivals just as humankind rose to prominence while wielding magic to defeat the Old Ones and their minions. Illyria's body was supposed to have been placed into a sarcophagus and its essence stored in crystals that were laid into the cover stone. Eventually, the sarcophagus would be interred into the Deeper Well. But the research made no mention of who interred the remains into the Deeper Well.
Buffy stared at the diagram of the sarcophagus and took in a deep breath, if the remains of this monster was in play somewhere, then everyone in the world would be in danger. And her daughter would be leading Illyria's armies. At least that was the situation in her dream.
'No,' Buffy thought to herself as she looked down at the cup in her hand, 'No, no one will take my children away from me… especially not an Old One.'
Cordelia and Tara already told Buffy that they would be travelling to one of the Deeper Well entrances, specifically the entrance in the Cotswalds to speak to the Guardian. The Guardian would be able to confirm the absence of Illyria's tomb in the Deeper Well; and if it wasn't there, then they needed to find it and then return it to the Well without releasing Illyria.
'I can't even think of the worst-case scenario,' Buffy thought to herself, 'I just can't.' A part of her was yelling out that she needed to prepare for the worst… that despite all she and the others could do to protect her children, there was a chance that they could very well fail. And if that happened, the world would be in danger. 'No, the world would not be in danger… the world would end.'
Buffy leaned back and placed her hand on her huge belly. She then looked down and whispered, "I'll protect the both of you, I promise. No one will hurt you.' If Illyria was as great of a danger as everyone thought it was, then there was only one thing they could do… only one way to protect the world from the pure demon being released.
"We send it through the Stargate to the Omega site," Buffy whispered to herself as she nodded her head, "yeah, we send it to the Omega Site." That was the only way any of them could be safe. Buffy suddenly stiffened and turned her head to stare out of her window out towards the bright blue sky… she couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched.
Buffy was very aware that even the suspicion of being watched would require the appropriate people be notified so that spells could be used to locate the site of any unusual activity. And with her babies on the way, Buffy was taking absolutely no chances. She reached for the flip phone on the table before calling the control room. She told the technician on duty that she believed someone was watching her. And the moment she finished her sentence, the person on the other line immediately told Buffy that Tara would be notified, as well as both Angel and Cordelia, while guards would be doubled until the situation was cleared.
The blond Slayer could only nod before disconnecting the call. Taking a deep breath, Buffy looked out the window and thought, 'whoever you are, you will not harm my kids.'
Stargate Command, 2025
Klaxons were going off all over the SGC ever since the initial set of portals opened in several hallways; portals which allowed demons of every form and stripe to be released. In a matter of minutes, blood would cover the floors, walls, and the ceilings of hallways and rooms all over the base. Soon after the first attack, yells could be heard from the speakers in the hallways and from the walkie-talkies carried by dead Airmen and officers.
"Gate's been cut off!"
"Lost contact with Prometheus!"
"Lost contact with Alpha Site!"
"Control room has been…. NOOOO!..."
"SG1, 2, 3, 4! Get to…."
"Demons in corridor D7!"
"Incursions on all levels, defence team's go weapons free!"
"All units to….."
"We've lost SG11! SG12?! SG2?! Anyone, report!"
"No! No! Please!"
"Mercy!"
"Stand your ground!"
"SG 2 is down! This is Dawn, help!"
"Daniel! Get down!"
"Cam!"
"Warning! Warning! Self-Destruct initiated!"
"Anya! What's going on?!"
"It… it can't be! Daniel!"
"Who the hell activated the self-destruct!"
"This is Landry to all Units! Evacuate…. Evacuate the base!"
Faith was in the gym where one of the portals opened in this surprise attack. She was training some of the new recruits before she was due to teach a class at the Academy in a few hours. The moment the first demon, one she had never encountered before, began its attack, Faith ordered everyone out of the gym. She attacked there first demon that emerged before she was set upon by several more who then stabbed her in the chest, abdomen, neck, and legs – the latter of which were torn from her body at the same time as her right arm. She screamed in pain as blood poured out of her body while shots rang out with many of the demons killed, but more of these demons emerged from the portal and attacked the trainees and officers who had come to help. The moment she fell onto the floor of the gym, Faith felt a sudden wracking thud from the psychic link she shared with Willow. In the back of her mind, she knew something must have happed to her wife, and Faith couldn't help but wonder what it could be… after all, Willow was one of the most powerful beings on the planet, so for something to have taken her out would be just as powerful. Or even more powerful.
As she closed her already heavy eyelids, Faith could hear screams and gunshots from far away. Once her eyes were closed, she could feel a slight warmth around her body, but she couldn't open her eyes. Still, she knew it was Willow… but she had no idea why Willow wasn't healing her.
'I thought you were badly injured, Red,' Faith thought to herself as the link throbbed in her chest. 'Red…' Before she could continue her thoughts, Faith heard Willow whisper in her ear.
"Faith… Faith… there's no time. I'm sending you back… your soul back I mean… stop this from happening… stop all of it… from happening." Faith could still feel blood flowing out of the right side where her entire arm was once attached to her body. Faith tried to open her eyes; all she could manage was a small crack that allowed her to see a blurred person – she knew it was Willow. Faith knew that Willow was in her lab designing the latest generation naquadria reactors for the Tau'ri ships as well as a new iteration of the ball-shaped MALPs featuring anti-gravity generators – designed based on the generators from the Puddle Jumper in Area 51. Thus, allowing it to float.
The Slayer felt a hand pressing against her bloodied chest… but she couldn't feel anything else anymore. She couldn't even feel cold or warmth.
"This… this is Twilight… all… all higher beings gone," Faith heard Willow speak in a pained voice, "I… forced ascension… Faith… after I did, I could see everything… I saw the sky break… Earth overrun… Chulak overrun… our ships… breaches opening in ships… Atlantis is gone… Destiny is gone… so many worlds wiped out… more are being wiped out… I feel… I feel the universe breaking… dying…"
Faith listened, unable to speak.
"I… I can't fight this… this thing…" Willow whispered in a pained voice, "it is… beyond me… but… but you… you can change the past… sending back…." Faith heard Willow take a struggling breath before continuing, "Sending back a year…" Faith thought she heard a gasp from Willow before her pained voice continued, "Twilight… is… here… I… I sending you… back… my love…. I… I sense it… I… It knows… it senses me… Faith… you… you have to… go... love…"
Suddenly Faith felt a warmth go through her entire body before there was the sensation of falling at a fast rate of speed. Faith wanted to open her eyes as sensation slowly returned to her whole body. She could feel her arm… she could wiggle her fingers and close her hands into fists as she continued to fall. But she couldn't open her eyes to see her wife, lover, and best friend. All she could do was continue falling before there was a distant bloodcurdling scream. It was Willow's scream. Faith wanted to scream as well… she wanted to call out to her wife. But she couldn't. She tried to open her mouth… but she couldn't. She wanted to open her eyes but she couldn't.
After what seemed like hours, when in reality only seconds passed by, Faith felt herself landing on something soft. And then she started feeling her body… including the arm which was supposed to be torn off. She felt a slight pain throughout her body for a second before that pain was gone. And then she heard a beeping sound to her left. And then she smelled the antiseptic in the air.
'Red... Red whispered something about sending me… oh God Red…" Faith slowly began closing her hands into fists while feeling the sting of tears slowly welling up behind her eyelids, 'to the past. You sent me to the past…' Faith wasn't sure what needed to be changed since the attack on the Mountain – and apparently the rest of the galaxy – was so sudden. The only thing that Willow mentioned in her whisper back in the Mountain - which could be a clue - was the word "Twilight."
'What's Twilight?' Faith thought to herself.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Faith took a deep breath, 'oh I hate the stench of antiseptic.' Her heart was racing. She recalled Willow saying that she would be sending the raven-haired Slayer back in time by one year. Faith had a bad feeling Willow overshot the year; instead, Faith felt she was sent many years back. Hoping against hope that she was wrong, Faith slowly opened her eyes as the BEEP! sounds continued. Her heart fell once her vision focused on the machine to her left and the ambiance of the hospital room all around her. 'Oh no,' she realized upon recognizing the hospital room – it was the same one she woke up after her coma many years ago.
"Crap," whispered Faith as she turned her head to the left and stared at the night sky past the slightly opened blinds covering the window. She then noticed the vase of flowers – which looked fresh – and then her eyes focused on the small bear leaning back against the light blue vase. 'I don't remember flowers or a small teddy bear cradling a heart which says Get Well Soon when I woke up from my coma the first time.' Faith then looked back up at the ceiling, 'or maybe I didn't notice them the first time… I mean I did just wake up from a coma confused and angry so… so maybe I missed them.'
Upon hearing footsteps, Faith quickly closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Faith heard the footsteps stop at her door. Faith was willing her racing heart to slow down… she was willing her entire self to calm down. Keeping her breathing steady, Faith heard the footsteps walking into her room. She continued her steady breathing while mentally listing the events which happened the last time she woke up in this room.
'I wake up… I leave the room, then encounter that chick with the fancy clothes, and from her I find out what happened with the mayor and Sunnydale High, then I seek out the Scoobs… and I find out Buffy has a new beau, I find out Willow left Sunnydale, and then I fight with Buffy on campus where I met Tara too.' Faith recalled, 'I then watch that video from the Mayor and open his gift, then the whole switching body fiasco with Buffy… and then leaving for Los Angeles.' The footsteps stopped right at the machine. Faith wanted to open her eyes but she knew the police and the Watchers council would be after her the moment she opened her eyes. She could feel the gaze of the person in the room locked onto her.
While waiting for the person to leave the room, Faith was thinking of what she needed to do over the next few hours. 'Get to a phone and contact the SGC… hopefully there is a SGC. Then contact Angel? No, no Angel… it took time for us to be all buddy-buddy and I do not have the time to deal with all that. Maybe T-bear knows a spell to send my soul forward in time?' Faith mentally told herself off upon realizing contacting Tara should be secondary to contacting Giles. Despite their differences at this moment in the timeline, Faith needed to know more about Twilight… and she knew Giles would have the information she needed. 'All I have to do is make him trust me somehow.'
After what seemed like hours, Faith listened as the footsteps started moving away from her and towards the entrance to her room. A few seconds later, the footsteps continued getting further and further away before Faith slowly opened her eyes. She needed to get out of the room, she needed to contact Giles first and then get her soul forward in time somehow. The first thing she was going to do was tell Willow how much she loved her. Taking in a deep breath, Faith pushed herself onto her elbows… she felt her body was tighter than she remembered, 'I need to get some stretches in later.' She then slowly sat up before taking off the leads in her chest and the drip attached to the top of her hand. She then turned to her left, her arm going up and over the railing of the bed before reaching down and feeling around for the release which would lower the railing. Smiling once she found the lever, Faith pulled the release and then gently pushed the railing down with her other hand.
Turning her body, her legs hung off the edge of the bed before she slowly got off the bed. Her feet were now pressed onto the cold floor of her room before she slowly took one step. She could feel her strength slowly returning as she took another step and another. She crept to the entrance to her room and then poked her head out into the empty hallway. She couldn't see the nurse – the very same one whom she assumed entered her room earlier – in the hallway. She could see the empty nurse's station a few doors down and then her gaze shifted up to the clock on the wall over the large desk.
'Four in the morning,' Faith thought to herself before she crept out into the hallway. She was listening out for the footsteps or the sounds of doors opening and closing. She rushed towards the desk and then turned into another hallway just as a door opened somewhere behind her. Faith heard that very same door close before she heard footsteps from the hallway where her room was located. Faith hurried down this other hallway until she found a door leading to the emergency staircase. She opened the door and then rushed in before taking the stairs down towards the ground floor. As she ran down the stairs, a chill ran up and down her spine – and it was then she realized she was wearing a hospital gown. The thin material was only covering her by the strings of the gown being tied together, she could feel the draft from the air-conditioners.
And then another thought came across her mind, 'where's that girl? The one I attacked after she told me about Sunnydale High and the Mayor?' Faith stopped and looked back up the staircase, in the direction of the fourth floor, 'I know I left the room at the same time as the first time I woke up and left the room,' Faith frowned but decided to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. She once again started to go back down towards the ground floor, 'I'll find some clothes another way… I hope.'
Faith hoped she would find another way to get some proper clothes, but running into a security guard as she opened the emergency staircase door to the ground floor was something she did not expect. Faith grabbed the surprised female guard into the staircase lobby before turning her around forcefully and then putting the guard into a chokehold.
"Don't resist," Faith whispered as the guard struggled against the Slayer's returning strength, "shhhhh… shhhhh… sleep… sleep."
After a few minutes, the guard lost consciousness before Faith gently lay her on the ground. Moving quickly, Faith took off her gown before throwing it to one side. She then started stripping off the guard's uniform. First the uniform top, followed by the guard's trousers, before taking off the belt which held a gun, cuffs, baton and a can of pepper spray. Faith was satisfied with the slightly loose fit of the clothes on her petite frame, but then again, she knew she could not complain. She still needed to get out of there since there was no way to know if the Watchers Council had someone at the hospital watching her.
'Wouldn't be surprised if there was,' Faith thought to herself as she hurriedly put on the slightly oversized shoes. After putting on the shoes, she then realized the need to be somewhat armed just in case she encountered vampires. 'I'm still not a hundred percent yet, so these things will make-do just in case', Faith thought to herself as she grabbed the pepper spray and the retractable baton. Faith left the gun since she didn't want to the extra heat from the police department. Securing the pepper spray and the baton to her belt, she then made her way out of the staircase lobby, and then out of the hospital. Once she had the hospital doors behind her, Faith ran as fast as she could away from the hospital entrance. At first, her thoughts were pushing her thoughts towards Tara… after all, with Willow gone to Colorado, Tara was the witch she needed to talk… someone who Faith knew would be able to help get her to her time period.
'But I also need to know about this Twilight thing,' she thought to herself. Faith knew there was only one person who could help her with this, 'Giles, we may not have been pals, but I need your help. Just need you to trust me when I tell you the truth about who I really am.' Making a conscious decision to not go to the ruins of the High School and the linger Main Street like last time, Faith made sure to run as fast as possible towards Giles' home. Faith didn't know when the Watchers Council would be informed that she was awake and had escaped the hospital. It would be several minutes of running as fast as she could before Faith reached the apartment complex. She caught sight of his silver coloured car parked at the sidewalk near the entrance gate.
Faith made her way down the stairs to the ground floor apartments and then rushed across the tables and benches on the quad to Giles' door. Looking back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed, Faith then crept towards the lit window to the left of the main door and glanced through it. It was different from the last time where she had seen all the Scooby gang gathered in the living room, this time there was only Giles – his back to her – sitting on a couch.
'I woke up earlier… about two hours earlier… than the last time,' Faith thought to herself before creeping back towards the door and then taking a deep breath. This was something she needed to do… first of all, she needed to know why she was sent so far back in time and then she needed to figure out with Tara and Giles how to send her soul back to the future at the future. Her mind then went back to Willow who should be in Colorado Springs at this point in time, 'or if my soul can't be sent to the future, then Red and I could start over… we can meet earlier in Colorado Springs and then… and then there can be an us again… me and Red together again.'
Giles' Apartment
All Faith wanted was to be with her Willow once again… she didn't want an alternate Willow. She took another deep breath and then composed herself before knocking on the door. Hearing footsteps, Faith mentally prepared for the reaction she would be soon receiving from Giles while she nervously shifted her weight to her left leg. She slipped her hands into her trousers side pockets and breathed deeply as the door opened to reveal a wide eyed and stunned Giles looking back at her.
"Faith?" he whispered at Slayer… she was awake… she was awake from her coma. She stared back at him while his hand tightened around the door knob. He wished Buffy and the others were in his apartment now, especially given what happened in the days leading to the former Mayor's ascension to an Old One. 'She could still be brainwashed…' Giles thought to herself as he wondered if Faith was still under the Mayor's control even after he was killed in the school explosion. He could see that there was nervousness etched on Faith's face, along with a hint of fear. He couldn't see any hint of anger in regards to the Mayor's death or on what Buffy had to do to stop the brainwashed Faith before she could alert the Mayor to their plans.
No, despite how it seemed, Faith could still be brainwashed. 'But she would attack me if she was, right?' Giles thought to himself as he was about to open his mouth and ask Faith to wait outside while he called Buffy, Xander and the other Scoobies. 'And Professor Dormer too. She should still be in London.'
But before he could say anything to Faith or move to start closing the door, it was the dark-haired Slayer who spoke up first, "Giles, listen to me." She took her hands out of her pockets and raised them to show… he assumed… that she was unarmed. His eyes glanced at the baton and the pepper spray on the belt which comprised what he assumed was a stolen uniform off a security guard. However, there was nothing in her hands as she continued, "I'm not the Faith you know."
'What does she mean? Is her brainwashing still active or…,' Giles thought as Faith continued.
"I am… I mean I am Faith but… but my soul… my essence… or whatever you want to call it was sent back in time," Faith said. Giles narrowed his eyes at her while wondering the brainwashing down on her was affecting her mind in other ways.
'Perhaps waking up from a coma following a mystical brainwashing ritual affected her in unexpected ways?'
All the while Faith stared at the confused Giles and continued, "look, I was sent back from the year 2025, and my name is Dr. Faith Lehane-Rosenberg."
"Right… I… ummm…" Giles really didn't know what to do or say at her startling admission. All he could do was stare back at her in shock. That statement was something he definitely did not expect, brainwashed or not.
"I know I was in a coma until now," Faith then said, with a look of desperation on her face, "so how could I know that nearly a month ago, Willow cast a spell that made her will come true?" At that, Giles widened his eyes in surprise.
'Faith was in a coma, so how had she have known about that particular incident,' he thought.
Faith then said, "I also know about the incident with the fairy tale demons taking away voices from Sunnydale residents."
Now Giles was feeling more confused as he pressed his lips together, 'okay, Faith was not around for that either so how… unless…' Giles took a deep breath and was about to open his mouth to speak when Faith interrupted him again.
"I also know that Willow is in Colorado Springs."
'What?' Giles thought with his eyebrows raised in surprise before saying out loud, "what?"
"Yeah, I know she's going to be enrolled at the Air Force Academy in a few months," Faith said as she stared confused at the equally confused expression on Giles' face, "I mean how could I know all of this if I wasn't from the future? What I mean is that Willow told me about the spell backfiring and that she moved to Colorado Springs, and now she lives with good old Janet, and…"
"Faith," Giles said waving his right hand while the other one now loosely held onto the door knob, "what are you talking about? Willow hasn't gone to Colorado Springs? She's still in Sunnydale."
Now it was Faith's turn to narrow her eyes in confusion; and Giles could swear the girl was turning pale as she whispered, "what?"
"I just met her yesterday, Faith," Giles said as Faith's jaw dropped in shock, "Willow's here; in Sunnydale. She's not in Colorado Springs."
All Faith could do at this revelation was whisper, "oh Red, where did you send me?" She looked away from the confused expression on Giles' face before shaking her head. Did Willow send her to another reality? Faith was certain that Willow should have been in Colorado Springs by now and not in Sunnydale. She looked back towards Giles and said, "this is going to be confusing… I'm not the Faith you know."
"You already said that," Giles replied as he recalled the things the young woman in front of him had said minutes ago. That she was from the future, or that at least her essence – her soul – was from the future. 'Is that even possible?' Giles thought, 'even if it is, the magic required is powerful. Who could have done this… if true. But why would she said that Willow is in Colorado Springs? What is in that city? Or could the brainwashing have done something to her mind?'
"No," Faith shook her head and waved her hands, "I mean… look, I was supposed to have been sent to my past." She saw Giles' confusion seem to increase, but pushed onwards anyway, "I've somehow been sent to another reality… this one… I've been sent to the past of another reality. Do you understand?"
Giles was trying to understand… he really was trying. But what Faith said didn't make sense… in fact it was giving him a headache.
"What you are basically saying is that you woke up from a coma after having your essence sent back in time to this reality, which happens to be a different reality than the one you know?"
Faith blinked and gulped before saying, "when you say it back to me, it does sound weird… but it's true, Giles."
Giles sighed before stepping back and letting her into his home. It was a risk, but the look of desperation on Faith made him wonder if there was any truth to what she was telling him. Yes, spells exist to shift people from one reality to another; usually through he use of very powerful magic. He wasn't too sure about time-travel though, 'I would have to check on my texts.' Faith walked past him, "don't tell me you stole the uniform?"
Faith looked back at him while he closed the main door, "she's okay, I didn't beat her up or anything. She's sleeping in a stairwell." She looked around the apartment, everything looked similar to the one she visited when she returned to Sunnydale in her own reality. Taking a deep breath, Faith turned her attention back to Giles who was pouring a drink into a glass resting on a sidetable next to an armchair.
"I could sure use a drink," she said.
And Giles frowned at her before saying, "you're too young, Faith."
"I will have you know I'm in my… well, I've over twenty-one," Faith shot back. Giles took a sip of his drink as Faith sat down on a chair. She could sense Giles was having trusting her; hell, inviting her into his apartment was taking on a big risk. It made her wonder if there was something different about how her alternate self fell into the coma. It made her want to ask Giles, but Faith guessed the first thing to do would be to properly introduce herself. And so she did. As she went on speaking while Giles listened, the look of surprise on his face when Faih spoke about Professor Dormer's death was all she needed to know that the life of her alternate was different.
'She's alive? Diana's alive?' Faith thought excitedly as she moved onto her arrival in Sunnydale with Giles listening intently.
As for Giles, while he maintained a calm facade, he was stunned listening to Faith's revelations about an alternate world. He still couldn't believe that Professor Dormer was dead, that Faith was shattered as she travelled alone and fearful to Sunnydale where she met Buffy and the other Scoobies. Professor Dormer was who kept Faith grounded and focused, so to hear about a Faith who was so different was something he didn't expect to hear. Faith continued to how she met the Mayor, dealing with Buffy's jealousy, to being sidelined, and then joining the Mayor voluntarily. Giles' surprise continued to grow as he slowly emptied his glass at hearing how this alternate Faith dealt with her duties. He was especially shocked to learn about the death of the Assistant Mayor, something which did not happen at the hands of this world's Faith. In fact, the man was still missing and presumed dead by the Sunnydale Police Department; he had gone missing a few days before the encounter with the large sized demon known as Balthezar.
Having heard enough, especially after hearing Buffy stabbed Faith, Giles asked her to stop. "I believe you," he said setting the glass down on the side table, "and what about Willow? She left Sunnydale?"
"She did," Faith said nodding her head, "all I can tell you is that she lost control of a wishing spell and…"
"Ah," Giles nodded his head. He still remembered being blind after encountering Willow's spell… that part was similar in both realities. Giles shook his head before asking Faith to continue.
Faith then lied; after all, even in this situation, she didn't want to reveal what exactly happened that fateful day when the redhead fell onto the conference room table in Stargate Command. "You guys weren't happy with her. She took it hard and… well… she told years later that she just randomly selected a place to move to… and she selected Colorado Springs." Faith then spun a story where Willow worked as a waitress at a restaurant where she met an Air Force officer whose work Willow followed, "and you know how Willow gets when meeting a hero of hers. They were blabbing about tech after asking the officer for an autograph."
"Ah," Giles nodded, "she can get excited."
Giles knew that Willow would get excited about anything she was fond of, but he could sense that there was something Faith was hiding. He could tell that so far Faith had been honest, but now he could sense there was something she was hiding.
"So yeah, Sam… the officer's name was Sam Carter… asked Willow if she was interested in the Air Force."
"And Willow agreed?"
Faith nodded her head while hopeful Giles couldn't tell she was stretching the truth. "She graduated from the Academy and is now working with Sam and a few other officers on some classified projects." Faith continued, "and no, I can't tell you what she was working on. All you need to know is that she gained a lot of power… you could say magical power… I guess."
"You guess?" Giles asked with eyebrows furrowed.
"Willow… the Willow I knew… the Willow I married…" Faith said as Giles pressed his lips together, "she became powerful. Very, very powerful… more powerful than any witch." She raised her hand just as Giles opened his mouth to speak. He closed his mouth and Faith continued, "but it was power not connected to magic. But the power didn't define her, she gave up on magic after what happened with the spell. She became one of the best officers in the Air Force, and secretly Earths most power being." Faith then went to tell Giles what happened an hour ago from her perspective. Giles listened in stunned silence as she spoke of the portals that opened in the base, the screams of people being killed, about hearing herself screaming in pain as demons mutilated her. "And I felt my body go cold… I felt Willow next to me… she told me she was sending me back in time. That I need to change things… that… that something called Twilight was already there."
"What?" Giles paled as Faith stared at him curiously, "did you say Twilight? Faith? Did you hear Willow say Twilight?"
"Yea," Faith replied, she was starting to fear what that name meant when she saw the look of terror on Giles' face, "Giles, what's Twilight?"
"It…"
Giles closed his mouth just as he was about to continue. He silently got up off his chair and walked towards the kitchen. Faith watched him stride behind the kitchen counter, grab a glass, and then walk back out into the living room. "I have a feeling that there's something you are not telling me," Giles said as he poured some of the whiskey into his glass and then into the second glass, "I can understand keeping whatever secret you may have in regards to Willow's work since it is classified. I sill had some doubts… but they lessened the more you spoke of the differences in our two worlds. And then you mentioned Twilight… I never told any of you about Twilight. You shouldn't even know about Twilight."
"Giles," Faith said as she took the quarter filled glass, "what is Twilight? Why was Willow… my Willow… so afraid?"
Gile took a sip, Faith could see his hand trembling. She looked back up at the fear etched on his face. Giles gulped and then said, "it's the end of all there is… but… but it's supposed to be a Watchers myth."
"Tell me everything," Faith frowned, "and leave nothing out, Giles."
TBC.
