Faith's Mindscape.
Faith hadn't felt this sort of blind rage for a very long time. She was leaning back against a grey coloured wall, her tank-top covered chest falling and expanding as she panted while her right arm rested on her right knee which was bent upwards with her right foot pressed down on the grey coloured mat. Faith's left leg lay flat on the mat as she stared at the bloody mess mere meters away from her; the still breathing body was laid out on the mat which went flush against the edges of the walls that surrounded her. Faith looked down at her blood-spattered tank top and then down at her blood-stained sweat pants and then at her bloody sneakers. Breathing hard, Faith then looked back up at the still breathing, but bloody body, that was laying on its back - the head turned so that it was looking at the dark-haired Slayer.
'It.' That was what Faith called the bloody mess across from her, 'you are an It. You are nothing to me… you are not human. You are worse than the demons I've killed… you… you…' Faith could only glare at the body as its lips opened and closed as if trying to say something to Faith. Faith stared at the sunken red and puffy eyes that stared back at her as if begging for help, 'I hate you…. I despise you… why did you come back? Why did you even…'
"Aaaaa," a gurgling sound escaped the lips of the body.
"Shut up!" Faith leaned forward and yelled before leaning back against the wall, her face twisted in rage. The back of her sweat covered head, her hair plastered against her forehead and scalp, pressed against the wall creating a wet spot. It was then that, from the corner of her eyes, Faith saw the two legs standing next to her. Sighing, Faith turned her head to the right and stared longingly at the pair of legs before her eyes travelled up the body to lock onto a pair of green eyes staring back down at her.
"Been there a long time, Red?" Faith asked staring at her wife who remained standing looking back down at her, and then at the mess across from them, and then back to Faith. Before the redhead could say anything, Faith scoffed before saying that 'it' deserved what it got – that the bloody body deserved what happened. Faith then turned her head and her face twisted in rage at the body and exclaimed, "you hear that! HUH?! You deserve everything that's coming to you!"
"Faith," Willow whispered placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. She was about to ask Faith if she was done with what she wanted to do in, but before she could continue, Faith shook her head.
"Don't tell me you pity the mess I made?" Faith hissed looking up at Willow while nodding at the body, "you know what she did… you know…" Faith then looked away, "when we created our psychic link, you saw what she did, Red."
"I know," Willow gently said crouching down and then taking a seat on the mat next to her wife. She leaned back against the wall behind her while her right hand reached for Faith's left hand, which was resting on the latter's left thigh, "and this is a way to…" Willow gently held Faith's left hand while looking back at the bloody mess that used to be Eileen Lehane, "to get some payback. I guess I could understand that." Willow stared at the beaten body and shook her head – she couldn't imagine what Faith must have been through with her mother, and she could feel a sense of satisfaction from Faith through their link that the redhead never had to experience anything like that
Faith sighed and rolled her head down to Willow's shoulder, "I'm so angry, Red. So, so angry. She… she dared call me and…"
"General Landry already said he'll have someone get on the whole restraining order, Faith," Willow said resting her head against the top of Faith's head. It was only a few hours ago that the two of them went to see the General where Faith talked about the call she received from her mother. The General said that he would get someone in the legal department up in NORAD to help her with the restraining order. He then asked if Faith knew why Eileen called earlier that day, to which Faith simply shook her head and shrugged her shoulders before saying that she believed Eileen wanted money.
"You know, to buy drugs," Faith had said back then before she frowned looking at the General, "I don't want her here, Hank. If she comes…" Faith then took a deep breath before continuing, "if she comes near me, then I'll…."
"You'll call me, and I'll have some MP's take her to the local authorities," the General said.
That's what Faith remembered the General saying as she glared at the body on the grey mat. Closing her eyes, Faith took in a deep breath before she opened her eyes once again and the body, along with the makeshift ring, was gone. All that remained around her was the grey room and Willow sitting by her side.
The two of them sat together for the rest of the night while Faith's physical body lay sleeping in her quarters at the SGC, and Willow was sleeping on her bed in the infirmary. Their minds joined together through their psychic link so that the two of them could stay together even though they were apart physically. For the next few moments, Willow and Faith – their mental manifestations – were hugging each other; holding each other tight.
Pulling away slightly, the two women stared at each other – their eyes locked other the other while their fingers brushed through the hair on each other's head. Willow stared as her fingers brushed through dark silky hair of her wife while Faith's hands were now against the sides of Willow's face, her thumbs gently making circles on the redhead's cheeks.
For one moment, Faith brushed aside her mother's unconscious and bleeding body and, given that Willow was in her mind, the dark-haired Slayer concentrated as she leaned forwards so that her lips gently brushed the ruby red lips in front of her. The two of them passionately kissed, each other's hand roving hungrily over the clothed body of the other. The walls and the mat melted away, only to be replaced by the two of them sitting on a grassy cliff that looked over a vast ocean. A gentle breeze brushed past them as their passionate kiss continued – Willow and Faith's tongues battling for dominance as the dark-haired Slayer pushed back the redhead down onto the soft grass.
Willow released a groan as Faith left trails of kissed from her lips to her cheek, down to her jawline, and then down to the spot under her ear lobe that literally curled her toes while moans of pleasure escaped from her lips. Willow grabbed the back of Faith's head and pushed it down, it was a silent signal that she wanted Faith to suck and then roughly bite down on that spot.
And as Faith followed her silent signal, Willow's physical body started to take deeper breathes as she moved her head to the right. The infirmary was dimly lit so that the patients could get some sleep; and in that quiet, Willow began to whimper slightly. As a small smile formed on Willow's physical body, her mental body was writhing as Faith growled into her ear before roughly kissing the side of her neck while one hand grabbed the top edge of the blue shirt the redhead was wearing. The dark-haired Slayer lifted her head and straddled Willow, her hands on the redhead's hips while Willow's hands were on Faith's thighs.
Faith licked her lips as she leaned forward, and as she did so, her hands travelled up the redhead's sides – from her hips on up to the sides of her breasts to under her armpits. Willow's hands travelled up from Faith's thighs to her sides and then to her lower back – the more the Slayer leaned forward, the higher Willow's hands roved until her hands rested on the Slayer's upper back. The two lovers stared into each other's eyes with Willow's skin breaking out in goosebumps – both her mental and physical body – as she felt a tug on the front of her shirt. The redhead didn't even see what was happening to her shirt… instead, she reached down and slipped her fingers around the hem of Faith's shirt and then pulled it up. Faith smirked before leaning back while Willow pulled the shirt off her body, and when she did… all the redhead could do was stare at the topless vision of her wife.
Willow gulped as Faith whispered demurely as she brought her arms back and rested her forearms on top of her head, "like what you see?"
"Always," Willow whispered as her eyes roved across the toned muscles on Faith's abdomen, and then to her toned arms, up to her chest, and onwards. Willow blinked her eyes upon hearing a tearing sound before she looked down at her own bare chest visible with her shirt torn in half – either side laying limply on the grass with the sounds of waves crashing onto the side of the cliff coming through the air.
Willow then arched an eyebrow, "like what you see?"
Without a word, Faith leaned forward, her tongue licking her lips. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Willow watched the dark-haired Slayer lean down, her lips slowly parting, the tip of her tongue sticking out. The redhead bit her lower lip as Faith's lips nearly reached her own when suddenly, Faith vanished.
At that same time, Willow snapped her eyes opened and frowned upon finding herself back in the infirmary. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep as she thought to herself, 'oh come on!' Taking a deep breath, she mentally reached out for Faith, wondering what it was that happened o interfere in their mental rendezvous – it was the first time the two of them had a night of passion after the redhead was injured.
Willow: "Faith?"
Faith's quarters, that same time.
It wouldn't be long after the mental manifestation of Faith vanished, that the aforementioned Slayer woke up on her bed in her quarters at the SGC. She heard a loud beeping sound coming from her left and she groaned while her head remained lying down on her soft pillow. Reaching out with her right hand, she fished for her cell phone on the bedside table, her hand slapping down on empty sections of the tablet before her fingers grazed the edges of the flip phone.
Her fingers now wrapping themselves around the vibrating phone, she heard Willow mentally calling out for her.
Faith: "Yeah, Red. I got a call… I mean I'm picking up… man, this phone is loud."
Faith mentally asked Willow to give her a minute, that she would answer her phone, get rid of whoever it was that called her. And then they would get back to sleep so that they could finish their rendezvous. After Willow said that she'd be waiting for her signal, Faith smirked as she flipped her phone open and then checked the Caller ID, 'unknown caller?' Faith then sighed while the phone continued to ring.
She then connected the call and placed the phone on her ear before mumbling, "yea, what is it?"
"Faith Lehane?" asked a young sounding male voice on the other line.
Faith thought to herself that she was going to hunt down the telemarketer who called her at three in the morning before breaking all of his bones. She imagined beating the man up as she answered, "uh huh, yea. And what are you selling?" Truthfully it didn't matter what he was selling, she was instead going to disconnect the line when the man went on his scripted speech.
"I'm Detective Josh Harper with the Colorado Springs Police Department." The moment the Detective introduced himself, Faith shifted her body in a hurry and sat up before using her free hand to rub what sleep remained out of her eyes.
"Yea," the Slayer answered while mentally telling Willow that someone from the police department called, "I'm Faith."
"Miss Lehane, umm…, may I call you Miss Lehane or do you prefer Faith," the Detective asked.
"Faith is fine," she answered moving her body until her feet were hanging off the bed and touching the cold floor, "what's this about?"
"About an hour ago, we received a call from the building manager at your apartment complex about an unconscious woman lying on the floor in front of your apartment," the man said as Faith, guessing who he was calling about, rubbed her forehead in frustration, "she had your phone number an name in her pocket and…"
"I can guess who it is," Faith said shaking her head, trying to keep her anger down while thinking, 'she's probably drunk off her ass. Either that or she's high and she came to me for money.' Faith then frowned while thinking, 'she can go to hell for all I care.'
"Did she have any ID on her to confirm who I think it is?"
"A Massachusetts driver's licence that identifies her as one Eileen Lehane," the Detective said as Faith cursed under her breath.
"Look, I'm gonna be getting a restraining order against her and…" Faith got off her bed and put her left hand on her hip and continued to talk on the phone, "put her in lock-up or something. I…"
"Actually, Faith, she's in UC Health Memorial hospital," Faith held her breath as she heard the Detective reveal that piece of information. But before Faith could say anything, the Detective continued talking, "when the officers who answered the 911 call arrived to investigate, they found her non-responsive."
"Well, she's alive now, right?" Faith asked with no concern in her voice; there was a very large part of her that felt very little to no concern about Eileen. And the part of Faith that wanted to show concern was being pummelled by the part that didn't care about the woman who gave birth to her. Faith took in a deep breath as the Detective answered in the positive – that Eileen was still alive. Faith then nodded her head before recalling all the things that Eileen had done to her when she was a little girl… Faith recalled all the abuse and the sexual assaults by her clients while Eileen stood by and did nothing.
Recalling all of that, Faith locked her jaw before coldly saying, "let her stay in the hospital. I have nothing to do with her."
"But…"
"Just… just get her away from me," Faith said shaking her head before she took in a deep breath and then continued, "I'll talk to my Commanding Officer. \maybe he'll get back to you guys or something… I don't know. Either way, I want to have nothing to do with her, so please don't call me again."
Faith then disconnected the call and sighed.
Willow: "Faith?"
Willow could feel Faith's rage travelling through their link, and the redhead being helpless in the infirmary and not being able at all. She wanted to hold her wife close, she wanted to hug Faith tight without the use of their psychic link. She sighed as her head lay on the soft pillow before turning her head towards the right where there were more beds occupied by Dawn and her team. They were still injured but healing nicely while the planet the team escaped from was burned in nuclear fire thanks to several Horizon weapons having been launched at the surface. Willow then looked away and stared up at the ceiling lights while thinking about her wife and the arrival of the latter's mother.
The redhead sighed once again before mentally reaching out towards the angry Faith who she could sense was pacing her quarters. After reaching out, the only answer Willow received was a plea to leave her alone to think… and it was something that Willow reluctantly agreed to do. The redhead could feel Faith's anger growing and growing inside her before she received a message from the dark haired Slayer.
Faith: "I'm going out."
Willow: "Faith, I…"
Faith: "I need to take care of this… this…"
Willow: "I can't imagine how you're… I mean I know how you're feeling and… and… and just come up here to me, baby. You know I can take in negative feelings and… I can…"
Willow was hopeful that Faith would come up to the infirmary so that the two of them could sleep together on the same bed. Even if they didn't sleep, they could hold each other – Willow could gently ease Faith's pain by taking in her emotions, and by so making it a little easier on her wife. But Faith had other ideas.
Faith: "I… I can't."
Willow: "Faith…"
Faith closed the connection between herself and Willow as she rushed towards her closet. The Slayer opened the doors and then took off her clothes before puling out a red shirt and a pair of black jeans. After putting on her clothes, Faith reached back into the closet for her blue jacket while her heart raced. She then walked over to her side table and grabbed her cell phone and then opened a drawer to take out her car keys. With a scowl on her face, Faith walked towards her door while Willow was mentally calling out to her. The Slayer ignored her wife, even though it was breaking her heart, as she opened the door to her quarters and walked out into the hallway.
Given that it was very early in the morning, there wasn't a lot of people in the hallways except for the occasional Airman who nodded at her as she walked past them. Upon reaching the elevator lobby, Faith pressed the call button and waited for the doors to open. As she waited, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other while one hand was in her jeans pocket. She tried to not think about everything her mother did as she watched the numbers above the elevator doors count upwards towards her floor.
"Momma!"
Faith closed her eyes and tilted her head as memories were forced to the forefront of her mind. She remembered shivering on her bed despite using her blanket to cover her naked self as the man who had just raped her bounced off the mattress. Her vision was clouded thanks to the tears in her eyes, but the dark-haired girl saw the man hand money over to her mother who was standing by the door with a smirk on her face. She saw the man kiss Eileen passionately before pulling back – all the while the little girl on the bed was sobbing as she lay down onto her side.
"I want to go for a second round," the little girl on the bed heard, and she cried out for her mother to stop the older man.
Faith stared up at the numbers above the elevator doors near while she wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She thought about the girl she was as she remembered her mother nodding her head after the man asked for a second round. Faith's hands were rolled into fists as memories that she thought she buried was brought to the forefront of her mind. She heard a distant sound of herself crying out for Eileen to help her as the man tore the blanket off her while the adult Lehane was laughing.
The 'bing' sound indicating the arrival of the elevator car brought Faith out of her memories. She watched as the doors opened before striding into the empty, brightly lit box. Pressing the button for the seventh floor, Faith then pressed the button to close the doors before leaning back against the interior wall.
'I'm gonna laugh while you die, you bitch,' Faith thought as the elevator started to rise. All the while, through her buried rage, Faith heard Willow's voice calling out for her. It was a voice she chose to ignore. Right now, all the Slayer wanted to do was lean down over a hospital bed… her face inches away from Eileen's, and laugh. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to scream at Eileen, telling her she was getting exactly what she deserved.
'And I'll piss on your grave after you die.' Faith thought with a scowl on her face as the doors opened to the seventh floor. She walked out of the elevator and made her way to the elevator on the far side of the hallway which would get her to the surface, 'I absolutely hate you, you bitch.' Faith pressed the call button on the second elevator, and then watched the doors slide open with a 'bing' before she stepped inside, and then turned to press the button for the surface.
As the doors closed, she put her hands in her pockets while mentally preparing herself to see her mother once again.
TBC.