Chapter 65: Consequences
February 15, 1999 – Monday
Buffy's Dreamscape
Drowning.
Salt water burned her throat and eyes as Buffy thrashed against the currents of the ocean that swirled around her. Shafts of sunlight sliced down from above.
She was so close to the surface that she could taste the sweet air … but instead she choked down more sea water.
The current …
But it wasn't the current. Something had hold of her leg. Its grip was like an iron shackle, a chain, an anchor dragging her farther into the depths, away from the sweet glimpse of sun from above. Blackness began to seep into Buffy's vision and she knew at any second she would lose consciousness. She was going to die. If only she could be free of the anchor that weighted her down.
Desperate, she glanced beneath her.
The iron clasp around her ankle was a hand. The hand of a dead man, eyes wide. Faith had killed him and dumped his body in the ocean, and now he was punishing Buffy for her part in it. Her corpse would also drift with the tides.
More salt water filled her lungs and stomach and she retched. With the tiny bit of strength she held in reserve, she kicked out, away from him, shook herself loose of his rigid grip—a rigor mortis grip—and pulled herself up toward the sun.
Buffy broke the surface and gasped for air. Motion above caught her eye. She glanced up and saw Faith above her. Faith's hands were on Buffy, but her eyes were cold. As dead as the waterlogged corpse below.
Faith shoved her under again and held her there. Buffy kicked and fought and began to drown…
Halliwell Manor
Her eyes snapped open and for the first few seconds, Buffy did nothing but breathe. It had been a dream, true, but all too real to her. It was as though she had actually been deprived of air.
After a moment, she sat up in bed, groggy, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Despair lingered from her dream as she roused herself from bed, and dragged her feet crossing the room. Down the hall, she could hear voices on the television in Prue's room.
"… breaking news about the murder that shocked the Mayor and residents of San Francisco," said a male voice.
Buffy stepped in behind Prue, who sat in a chair in front of the TV, one leg drawn up beneath her. On the screen, a fishing boat hauled something unidentifiable out of the water.
The voice that broke in then was female, that of the reporter on the scene.
"Fishermen discovered the body today, the victim of a brutal stabbing. Authorities and citizens alike were shocked when the slain man was identified as Deputy Mayor Allan Finch."
Buffy had not recognized Finch when Faith had killed him, but his face had seemed vaguely familiar.
Now she knew why.
Faith had vowed they would never find a body.
But she had been wrong.
Buffy stared at the television and nausea roiled in her stomach. Bile rose in her throat, and it had the faintest taste of sea water.
"Still reeling from the news," the reporter said, "Mayor Wilkins had this to say…"
The screen cut from the reporter to a press conference at City Hall. The Mayor looked saddened indeed, as he addressed the media.
"Mr. Finch was not only my longtime aide and associate," the Mayor noted, "he was a close, personal friend. I promise you I will not rest until whoever did this is found and brought to justice."
Suddenly, Prue sensed Buffy standing behind her, and turned to cast a troubled look at Buffy. "Oh, Buffy, you're up," she said. "In a way I'm glad we don't have to deal with human evil just demons, warlocks and vampires."
Buffy felt like the world was closing in all around her.
Gateway High School
Though she dragged her feet all morning, that numb, sick feeling staying with her all along, Buffy managed to make it to school in time. During her free period, she went to the library to see Giles and, reluctantly, to report to Wesley. The place had not seemed the same to her since Wesley came. It was still Giles's domain, certainly, but some of what made the library their place had been taken away.
And now, well, nothing seemed the same.
When she pushed through the library doors, Buffy felt herself flinch. Faith was already there. She glanced at Buffy for only a second and then looked away, but she gave no indication that anything at all was wrong. Buffy wanted to scream at her, at all of them. It was like the whole world had been turned inside out, and nobody had noticed.
Most of all, though, she wanted Faith to talk to her. Though the Faith was silent, Buffy could tell just by looking at her that something was going on inside Faith. More than just shock and denial at what had happened.
Wesley asked Buffy to take a seat and began to pace. It was only then that she noticed how troubled he and Giles both seemed. Then he explained what was bothering him, and Buffy's heart skipped a beat. Her throat became dry. Wesley had heard about the murder of Allan Finch, and it had somehow, inexplicably, turned into a tiny personal crusade for him.
Buffy tried to catch Faith's eye again, but the girl would just not look at her.
Wesley paused in his pacing for just a moment, glanced at Buffy and Faith, and then resumed. "I want you to look into this. Find out everything you can about the murder of the Deputy Mayor."
Buffy cringed inwardly. "But that's… I mean, it's not really our jurisdiction. Is it?"
"It's no big, B," Faith said coolly. "We'll get into it if he wants."
Horrified, but unable to let her feelings show, Buffy could only turn and stare at Faith.
"No, Buffy's right," Giles intoned. "The Deputy Mayor's murder was the result of human malice. There's nothing supernatural about it."
Wesley frowned. He seemed to puff up a bit, as though trying to take up even more of the space around him, the space that had for so long belonged to Giles. "We don't know that for certain. I believe it merits investigation."
"Which I'm sure the police are doing," Giles replied tiredly. "Meantime, if you ask me, there are better uses for the Slayers' time."
"Ah, but I don't believe I did," Wesley noted pointedly. "Ask you."
"Considering the success of your previous adventure—"
Giles might have gone on, but at that moment, Cordelia strutted into the library. As always, she seemed out of place in the room, a creature of image in a room filled with thoughts on paper, dusty old tomes and textbooks she would never even glance at by choice.
"Don't let me interrupt," Cordelia said, then shook her head. "Wait, let me interrupt. I'm in a hurry."
None of them could have missed the slack-jawed gaze of admiration Wesley gave Cordelia. He was smitten on sight.
"What did you need?" Giles asked.
"Psych class," Cordelia explained. "Freud and Jung. Book me."
"Happily," Giles replied.
As Giles walked off into the stacks to fetch the books, obviously relieved to be away from his replacement, Cordy turned to regard Wesley. She glanced him over, though with nowhere near the awe he had attached to the process when he'd done the same to her a moment ago.
Cordelia did smile the tiniest bit, however. "Check out Giles, the next generation. What's your deal?"
Wesley could not find his tongue. He mumbled a few incoherent words before Buffy and Faith interrupted. "New Watcher."
Cordelia raised an eyebrow at Faith's words. "Oh."
Wesley turned to cast a disapproving glance at Buffy. "Does everybody know about you?"
"She's a friend," Buffy replied dully, just wanting Cordelia to leave. Wanting to leave herself.
"Let's not exaggerate." Cordelia looked Wesley over again. The second time seemed a bit more acceptable than the first. "So you're the new Watcher?" she asked, obvious flirtation in her voice.
"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce." He offered his hand and she took it, held it for a moment.
"I like a man with two last names," she said. "I'm Cordelia."
"And you teach psychology?" Wesley asked, obviously enchanted.
"I take psychology," she replied.
Giles appeared with the books Cordelia needed and passed behind Wesley. "She's a student."
Wesley pulled his hand back quickly, as though he'd been stung. "Oh, w-well, I uh, yes," he stammered. "In fact I am. Here to watch. Girls. Uh, Buffy and Faith, to be specific."
Cordelia's eyes lit up. "Well, it's about time we got some fresh blood around here."
"Well," Wesley chuckled self-consciously. "Fresh. Yes."
At the book checkout counter, Giles was stamping the texts for Cordelia. "Here you go."
"Thanks," Cordelia said. Then she turned back to Wesley and beamed. "Welcome to Sunnydale."
Wesley stared after Cordelia as she sauntered out. "My, she's… cheeky."
"Uh, first word 'jail,' second word 'bait,' " Faith chimed in.
The young Watcher cleared his throat and turned to them. "Well. Where were we?"
Despite the amusement of it all, Buffy felt not even the slightest hint of humor. Her face was slack, her entire body cold. "Done," she said quickly, tense. "I mean, we were done, right?"
Faith stood up quickly. "Yep. Off to patrol, so we'll see you."
"One moment, girls," Wesley said abruptly. "I'm your commander, now. And on the matter of this murder, I am resolved. Natural or super, I want to know."
Buffy swallowed hard.
"Fine by me," Faith offered. "Always ready to kick a little bad guy butt."
They were side by side as they left the library. Without a word, as if communicating by some psychic connection, they moved down the hall to the first empty room they found, an English classroom. Once inside, Buffy closed the door, glancing around with mounting paranoia.
"So, you gonna rat me out?" Faith asked, almost nonchalantly. "Is that it?"
It all come boiling up out of Buffy in an instant. She could not take holding it in even a second more. "Faith, we have to tell. I can't pretend to investigate this. I can't pretend that I don't know."
"Oh, I see, but you can pretend that Angel's still dead when you need to protect him."
"I am trying to protect you," Buffy argued. "Look, if we don't do the right thing, it's only gonna make things worse for you."
Faith frowned deeply. "Worse than jail for the rest of my young life? No way."
Buffy shook her head. "Faith, what we did—"
"Yeah. We. You were right there beside me when this whole thing went down. Anything I have to answer for, you do, too. You're a part of this, B, all the way."
With that, Faith stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. At first, Buffy was paralyzed. She had no idea how to go on, how to even go about her day, knowing what she knew. If she spoke up, Faith would never forgive her, but if she kept silent, she would never forgive herself.
Feeling lost, she rose and left the classroom. Down the hall, she saw Willow sitting on a sofa in the lounge, reading. Buffy's heart sparked just a little. She needed someone to talk to.
"Hey," Buffy said as she sat down beside her.
"Hey," Willow replied, a bit hesitantly. "Where's Faith? I saw her around. Figure you two were gonna go kill some more nasty stuff."
"Not right now," Buffy told her, hands folded nervously in her lap. "I think she bailed."
An awkward moment passed. Then Buffy turned to her and began to talk, to open up. Just as Willow spoke as well. They both stopped and looked away.
"Um, you go ahead," Buffy said.
"I'm… late," Willow said. She began to gather her things and shove them into her backpack. "I'm meeting Michael. The warlock guy? We're still trying to de-rat Amy."
Sadly, Buffy sighed. "Willow is something wrong? I thought I was teaching you," she said softly.
Willow rose. "You were supposed to be, Buffy. But lately… I don't know. Maybe it's something to do with Faith, I don't know."
"I'm sorry, okay. If it seemed like I was abandoning you. Your my best friend, always will be. No one else I would rather do magic with." Buffy said. "Well other than Prue, Piper and Phoebe of course."
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Buffy. That means a lot."
"How about tomorrow, we work on your power," Buffy said. "I'd do it tonight. But Mr. stick up his butt has Faith and I looking into what is obviously a murder."
City Hall
In darkness, Buffy and Faith slipped into the Deputy Mayor's office. Once the door was closed, Faith turned on the light. The office itself was completely unremarkable, boring and staid.
"I'm telling you, we did the world a favor," Faith said as she glanced around. "This guy was about as interesting as watching paint dry."
"Faith," Buffy chided.
"Joking," Faith replied. "Jeez, lighten up a little, B."
But even as she spoke, Faith spotted a framed photo on Finch's desk. She picked it up and studied it for a moment. Over her shoulder, Buffy could see that it was a picture of Finch himself and the Mayor. The dead man was smiling sweetly.
"He came out of nowhere," Faith said, voice heavy with what Buffy hoped was regret.
Buffy was relieved to hear the pain in the other Slayer's voice. It meant there was hope. "I know," she said with sympathy.
At that, though, Faith's eyes went cold again. "Whatever," she said, the word almost a sneer. She put the photo back on the man's desk. "I'm not looking to hug and cry and learn and grow, I'm just saying it happened quick, y'know?"
Buffy flinched. After a moment, the two of them went back to searching the Deputy Mayor's office. But only seconds later, Faith slammed his desk drawer, frustrated.
"You know what? Let's just blow," she said. "Who cares what this guy was about? It's kind of moot now, don't you think?"
But Buffy had been thinking about Finch a lot, and she was not ready to give up so easily. "I don't think he was in that alley by chance. I think he was looking for us. Like to know why."
"So, what, you think there's some big conspiracy?" Faith scoffed.
Buffy pulled open a file cabinet drawer. Every single file was completely empty. She turned to Faith. "You were saying?"
"So his papers are gone. That doesn't prove anything."
Buffy regarded her coolly. "Except that somebody doesn't want us to prove anything."
It was troubling, but there was nothing more for them to find in Finch's office. Silently, they moved to the door. Buffy opened it and glanced into the hallway. They had just begun to slip out when a door was opened a short way down the corridor. The Mayor stepped out with another man in tow. Buffy stared in astonishment. The guy with the Mayor—she had seen him before.
He was a vampire.
"Get as many men on it as you can," the Mayor told the vamp.
Buffy closed the door and she and Faith leaned against it. Even through it, they could hear the vampire's response.
"Yeah. We'll be wanting to turn up the heat."
Nothing after that. The Mayor and his friend had walked away. Buffy counted silently to one hundred, and then she and Faith left City Hall as quickly as possible.
Streets of San Francisco
They were silent until they had put a few blocks between themselves and the site of their breaking-and-entering. They strolled together downtown as though the world had not been irrevocably altered in the previous twenty-four hours.
"So the Mayor of San Francisco is a black hat. That's a shocker, huh?" Faith drawled.
"Actually, yeah," Buffy replied. "I didn't get the bad guy vibe off him."
Faith shook her head in amusement. "When you gonna learn, B? It doesn't matter what kind of vibe you get off a person, because nine times out of ten, the face they're showing you is not the real one."
Grim-faced, Buffy froze on the sidewalk and eyed Faith warily. "I guess you'd know a lot about that."
Slowly, eyes narrowed, Faith turned and glared at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's just… look at you, Faith. Less than twenty-four hours ago, you killed a man. And now it's all zipidee-doo-dah? That's not your real face, and I know it. I know what you're feeling because I'm feeling it, too."
"Do you?" Faith asked, tilting her head to one side. "So fill me in, because I'd like to hear this."
"Dirty." Buffy kept her eyes locked on Faith's. "Like something sick creeped inside you and you can't get it out. And you keep hoping it was some nightmare, but it wasn't. And we are gonna have to figure out—"
"Is there gonna be an intermission in this?" Faith asked, feigning boredom.
At least Buffy hoped it was feigned. "Just let me talk to Giles, Prue, Piper or Phoebe, okay? I swear—"
"No," Faith snapped. "We're not bringing anybody else into this. You got to keep your head, B. This is all going to blow over in a few days."
"And if it doesn't?"
Faith shrugged. "If it doesn't? They got a freighter leaving the docks at least twice a day. It ain't fancy, but it gets you gone."
"And then what?" Buffy asked, nerves frayed. "You just leave with it? You see the dead guy in your head every day for the rest of your life?"
"Buffy, I'm not going to see anything," Faith countered. She took a step closer, watching Buffy's eyes. "I missed the mark last night, and I'm sorry about the guy, I really am. But it happens. Anyways, how many people do you think we've saved by now? Thousands? And didn't you stop the world from ending? Because in my book, that puts you and me in the plus column."
Angry now, Buffy shook her head. "We help people! That doesn't mean we can do whatever we want!"
"Why not?" Faith scoffed. "This guy I offed was no Gandhi. I mean, we just saw he was mixed up in dirty dealings."
"Maybe," Buffy snapped, almost nose to nose with Faith now. "But what if he was coming to us for help?"
"What if he was? You're still not seeing the big picture, B. Something made us different. We're warriors. We were built to kill—"
"To kill demons! But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than everyone else!"
"We are better," Faith said simply. "That's right. Better. People need us to survive. In the balance? Nobody's gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire."
Stricken, Buffy could only gape at her. At length, she swallowed hard. "I am."
Faith just shook her head. "That's your loss." She walked away, leaving Buffy to stare after her in horror. She reached into her shirt and pulled out the locket. "I will find you, Hope," she muttered to herself.
Halliwell Manor
The entire walk back to the Manor, Buffy played the scene, the confrontation, over and over in her mind. She had no idea how to proceed. Buffy knew that she had to tell someone, had to come clean, for her own sake, and for Faith's. The girl needed help whether she wanted it or not. But some part of her fought against the idea of revealing Faith's secret, branded it disloyal.
Buffy had to let the truth out, but one way or another, she knew it was going to hurt.
The burden of her guilt and the secret hanging heavy over her, she walked up to her front door. Before she could even pull out her keys, Piper opened the door from inside, a look of panic on her face.
"Buffy …" Piper began.
Behind her, Buffy could see a balding man with a mustache. His face was familiar. It only took her a moment to realize it was Inspector Stein, a policeman she had met before. Out of everyone at the San Francisco Police Department she would have hoped for Darryl instead. Something was up if the police had sent anyone but Darryl.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Inside, Buffy sat across from Prue, Piper and Phoebe in the living room as Inspector Stein questioned her.
"Tell me again. You got home at what time last night?"
"Late," Buffy admitted. "A little past one, I guess."
Detective Stein frowned. "Maybe you can explain to me what a girl your age is doing out all night."
"We were at Faith's. Watching TV."
"What did you watch?"
"Infomercial," Buffy said flatly.
"That's funny," Stein said slowly. "Because I've got a couple witnesses who put you near the alley."
Prue shook her head. "Witnesses?"
The inspector paced the floor a bit. Then he turned his intense gaze upon Buffy again. "Somebody stabbed this guy through the heart. Strange thing is, the weapon? It was made out of wood. Any of this mean anything to you?"
"Yeah. That whoever did it wasn't hip to the Bronze Age," Buffy replied. "Is that it? I'm … I'm kind of beat."
"Yeah, I have enough for now," Stein replied. "Payson, if you know something, if you're protecting someone…" He moved a step closer, trying to intimidate her. "I promise you, it'd be better for everyone if you'd just come clean."
Buffy took a short, shallow breath. "I wish I could help you."
The cop let out a weary sigh, a mix of frustration and empathy, before finally nodding in understanding. "Well, call me if you remember anything," he said with a gentle tone, passing Buffy his card as he left the room. Buffy's eyes lingered on the closed door long after he departed, her thoughts swirling with a whirlwind of emotions.
Turning to Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, she felt a heavy weight on her heart.
"Who are you protecting?" Prue's question cut through the silence, and Buffy let out another sigh, tinged with sadness.
"Faith," Buffy replied, her voice carrying a mix of concern and disappointment, as she revealed everything about the Deputy Mayor's death.
"...And Faith just acts like she doesn't care," Buffy continued, her frustration evident. "The way she talks, she doesn't even think she made a mistake." The memory of Faith's cold demeanor gnawed at her, and she struggled to comprehend Faith's actions.
"Maybe she's in shock?" Phoebe's question came with a hint of compassion, and Buffy could only offer a helpless shrug in response. "I don't know. But I think the police guy knows more than he's saying. I think he knew I was lying." Doubt clouded her mind, uncertain of the cop's true intentions.
Prue let out a resigned sigh, her feelings torn between understanding Buffy's choice to lie and wanting to uphold the truth. "Well, I don't agree with you telling a lie, Buffy," Prue admitted, her voice filled with conflicting emotions. "But I do think it was probably for the best. What would the police be able to do? We've all seen you use your Slayer abilities, and we know a jail couldn't hold you unless you wanted to be held. All Faith would do is break out if she didn't want to be held."
Piper nodded in agreement, her concern for Buffy evident. "Prue is right. You have to go to Giles, Buffy," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "You have to tell him what happened. I'm sure the Watcher's Council would have a better system set up to deal with this than the police since they know how strong a Slayer would be."
Gateway High School
The lights were on in the library when Buffy walked in, but the place was silent as a tomb. Usually there was a kind of life to it, an energy, particularly when they were all together, planning something. But tonight it was cold and sterile, and at first, she thought no one was there.
"Giles?" she called out.
At the sound of her voice, he emerged from his inner office, walking slowly, a contemplative expression on his face. "Buffy," he said, softly. He looked at her expectantly.
"Um, I don't really know how to say this," she began. Then she steeled herself. Took a breath. "So, I'm… I'm just gonna say it. I know I've kept things from you before, but—"
Someone moved back in Giles's office. Buffy glanced over and saw Faith come out behind him. The other Slayer just looked at her. Waiting. Her heart skipped a beat and a sense of defeat, an urge to surrender, swept through her.
"But …" Buffy muttered, her words trailing off. She stared at Faith, torn once more about how to proceed. "I've been blowing off my classes. You know, in the sense of not attending—"
"It's okay, Buffy," Faith interrupted. "I told him."
Buffy gaped at her. "You told him?"
"I had to," Faith said innocently. "He had to know what you did."
"What I did?" Buffy asked, mystified.
Only when Faith would not meet her gaze did Buffy allow herself to realize what the other girl had done. It was so devious, so cunning, so heartless, that only then did Buffy truly begin to see the scope of Faith's retreat into darkness and denial.
"Giles, no," Buffy said, voice barely above a whisper. "That's not what happened."
"I don't want to hear it, Buffy," Giles said gravely. "I don't want to hear any more lies."
Buffy glared at Faith, feeling her betrayal deeply. "You can't be serious. You're setting me up?"
Still, Faith would not look at her. Buffy's mind whirled, trying to come to terms both with Faith's cunning and with Giles's harsh tone. How could she do it? How could he believe it, even for a minute?
"Get in my office now," Giles barked at her. "Faith, I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Giles, please," Buffy begged. "You have to—"
"Now!" he snapped.
Buffy stared at him for a moment, then walked, defeated, into his office. She made no further attempt at eye contact with Faith. Inside, she heard Faith leaving. A moment later, Giles walked in, his face ashen.
"Giles, I swear, I didn't do this," Buffy said quickly, trying to reason with him. "Look, I know I messed up badly, but the murder, it was—"
"Faith," he finished for her. "I know."
Her mouth dropped open.
"She may have many talents, Buffy, but fortunately, lying is not one of them."
Relief washed over Buffy and she felt suddenly weak, as though she might fall down. She swallowed hard and sat down. "Oh. Oh, God. I thought—"
"I'm sorry," Giles said kindly. "I needed her to think that I was on her side. I don't know how far she'll take this charade."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Try far," she rasped, still filled with emotion. "Like all the way."
Giles moved to sit across from her. "You should have come to me right off," he chastised her.
"I know," she said softly. "I wanted to."
"But Faith wouldn't hear of it."
"It's not all her fault, Giles," Buffy explained grimly. "We both thought it was a vampire. I only realized a second before—"
"Buffy, this is not the first time something like this has happened."
She blinked. "It isn't?"
He leaned in, trying to comfort her. "A Slayer is on the front line of a nightly war. It's tragic, but accidents have happened."
"What do you do? Prue, Piper and Phoebe agreed you or the Council should handle it. That they would have better resources to deal with Faith."
"They do. The Council will investigate, they will mete out punishment if punishment is due. But I have no plan to involve them," he revealed. "It's the last thing Faith needs at the moment. She's unstable, Buffy. She's utterly unable to accept responsibility."
Buffy stared at the carpet. "She's freaking. So… then we just have to help her deal, right?"
"She's in denial. There is no help for her until she admits what happened."
"I could talk to her," Buffy suggested.
Giles mulled that over. "Perhaps."
"Or maybe," Buffy went on, "maybe I'm too close. Maybe one of the guys could?"
"We should meet," Giles decided. "I mean, it may be that they're seeing a different side of her."
"Okay."
"In the meantime, no one else is to know, understood?"
"Okay."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Just a few feet inside the library door, Wesley stood listening, a cold, grim certainty filling him. He had seen Faith leaving, and had come in only a moment later. The young Watcher had overheard everything, not the least of which was their intention to keep it all from him.
"This is extremely delicate," Giles continued. "If we scare her off now, we may lose her forever."
February 16, 1999 – Tuesday
Gateway High School
The next afternoon, when school had let out, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander gathered in the cafeteria to discuss their next move. The place was empty, the floor long since mopped, the chairs put up on tables. They spread out and regarded each other silently, each contemplating the situation with Faith, and no one coming up with a happy ending.
"Maybe we should all talk to Faith together," Willow suggested.
"You mean like that intervention thing you guys did on me?" Buffy replied. "As I recall, Xander and I nearly came to blows."
Xander glanced up. He was sitting on a chair that was still on top of a table, and yet somehow did not look absurd. "You nearly came to blows, Buffy," he reminded her. "I nearly came to loss of limbs."
"No, Faith is too defensive for a confrontation like that," Prue observed.
"I agree," Giles added. "She'd respond better to a one-on-one approach."
"I could be the one," Xander offered. "On her one. Um, let's rephrase. I think she might listen to me. We kind of have a… connection."
Buffy shot him a dubious look. "A connection? Like when you say "hi" and she says "hi" and then she blows you off?"
"Something like that. I'm just saying it's worth a shot. That's all."
Giles frowned. "I don't see it, Xander. I mean, of all of us, you're the one person, arguably, that Faith has had the least contact with."
"Yeah, but we hung out a little. Recently. And she seemed to be, uh, responsive," Xander explained.
"When did you guys hang out?" Piper asked.
Xander fidgeted a bit. "She was fighting one of those apocalypse demon things and I helped her. Gave her a ride home."
"And you guys talked?" Buffy questioned.
"Not extensively," he answered.
Phoebe shook her head. "Then why would you… oh."
Giles's eyebrows shot up. "Oh!"
They all looked to Willow for her response. Buffy's heart went out to her friend. Willow loved Oz now, he was her boyfriend. And she knew Willow would never change that for anything. But she also knew that Willow had loved Xander for years, had been his best friend almost his entire life, and had once dreamed that when it finally happened, it would be the two of them.
Willow tried to put on a brave face, but her sadness was plain to Buffy. "I don't need to say 'oh,' " she said calmly. "I got it before. They slept together."
Giles stared at her for a moment, then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Fine, then. Let's move on."
"Look, I know that you mean well, Xander," Buffy began, "but I just don't see Faith opening up to you. She doesn't take the guys she… has a connection with… very seriously. They're kind of a big joke to her. No offense."
Xander snorted derisively. "Oh, no. Why would I be offended by that?"
"Buffy's right, Xander. In this instance, it would be best if you let Faith be. However, if you still want to be of assistance," Giles put in, "I need some help with research. There's still the business of the Mayor and Mr. Trick to attend to."
Prue nodded. "We will look in the Books at the Manor and see what we come up with also."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "They seemed pretty cozy the other night."
"Willow?" Giles asked. "Can you access the Mayor's files?"
"What?" Willow replied, in a bit of a daze. "Oh, sure. I can try."
Giles rose from his chair. "Good. Clearly we need to take a harder look at him. He's obviously up to something." He tipped the chair upside down and put it back on top of the table behind him.
"What about Faith?" Prue prodded.
That stopped him. "I don't know," Giles confessed. "I need time."
"She needs help now," Piper said quickly.
"I agree with Piper. Besides I owe her that, at least," Buffy agreed.
Angel's Mansion
Before Faith even opened her eyes, she felt the cold iron around her wrists. The last thing she remembered was choking Xander after her had tried to come talk to her. She shifted slightly, and heard the chains clank together. When she opened her eyes, she saw Angel sitting nearby on a bench, toying with the baseball bat he'd used to knock her out.
The ball of ice that had been growing ever larger inside her since she had killed Allan Finch shot spikes of cold all through her. She expected Buffy and Giles to react the way they had. They just did not understand that she had something far more important to her than confessing to the murder.
"Finally decided to tie me up, huh?" Faith taunted the vampire flirtatiously. "Always knew you weren't really a one-Slayer guy."
"Sorry about the chains," Angel said, voice low. "It's not that I don't trust you… actually, it is that I don't trust you."
Angel set the bat aside. The bat. Faith realized that Angel was upset about what he had walked in on. But she figured after the knock on the head he had given her, they were even.
"The thing with Xander?" Faith offered. "I know what it looked like, but we were just playing."
"And he forgot the safety word? Is that it?" Angel rose and strode toward her.
"Safety words are for wusses," Faith muttered.
Angel crouched in front of her, eyes hard. "I bet you're not big on trust games, are you, Faith?"
Faith scoffed. "You gonna shrink me now, that it?"
"No. I just want to talk to you."
Chains clinking, she moved toward him a bit, as much as her bonds would allow. "That's what they all say," she told him. "And then it's 'just let me stay the night. I won't try anything.'"
"You want to go the long way around? Hey, I can do that," Angel said nonchalantly. He stood up and turned to walk away. "I'm not getting any older."
As Angel walked away, Faith stared at his back. She felt despair creeping into her mind, but she froze it out, forced it away. She had to find Hope, that took precedence over anything else.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sat on a stone bench in the garden patio. She could hear muffled talking inside, so she knew that Faith was awake. A minute or so after that, Angel's heavy footfalls echoed out to her, and she glanced up to see him emerge from the house. She stood to greet him.
"How's she doing?"
His expression was grim, even more brooding than usual. "Like talking to a wall. Only you get more from a wall."
"But you'll keep trying, right?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"Sure. We're just getting started."
"So what do I do?" she asked.
Angel shook his head. "Look, right now there's nothing you can do," he told her.
"Well, this could take a while right? So I'll just go to Faith's and I'll get some of her stuff. That way she'll see that we're on her side."
"That's a good idea," Angel allowed.
"Great. I'll be right back." She started to turn, but Angel stopped her.
"Look, I … I don't want you to get your hopes up, Buffy. She may not want us to help her."
"She does," Buffy insisted. "She just doesn't know how to say it."
"She killed a man," Angel said gravely. "That changes everything for her."
Buffy shook her head. "Giles said with counseling, they might not even need to lock her up."
"That's not what I mean," Angel replied, eyes soft and gentle. "She's taken a life," he reminded her. He glanced down.
"I know."
He lifted his gaze to her again, dark knowledge in his eyes. "She's got a taste for it now."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Angel stared down at Faith and shuddered. "I know what's going on with you," he told her.
"Join the club," she replied dully. "Everybody seems to have a theory."
Revulsion rose in him, for his own actions, and for Faith's. And yet just as he believed he could find his own redemption, he hoped it was not too late for Faith to turn back and try to find hers.
"But I know," he said. "What it's like to take a life. To feel a future, a world of possibility, snuffed out by your own hand. I know the power in it. The exhilaration. It was like a drug for me."
"Yeah?" Faith asked with mock sincerity. "Sounds like you need some help. A professional, maybe."
Angel strode to the bench in front of the blazing fire and sat down. "A professional couldn't have helped me. It stopped when I got my soul back. My human heart."
"Goody for you," she sneered. Then, as if searching for sympathy, she moved forward, holding her shackled hands up to him. "If we're going to party, let's get on with it. Otherwise, could you let me out of these things?"
"Faith, you have a choice. You've tasted something few ever do. To kill without remorse is to feel like a god—"
She thrashed against the chains. "Right now, all I feel is a cramp in my wrist. Let me go!"
Angel walked to her again and crouched down. His nostrils flared as he studied her. "But you're not a god," he went on, ignoring her protests. "No. You're not much more than a child. And going down this path will ruin you. You can't imagine the price for true evil."
For just a moment, a flicker, he thought his words might have sunk in. But then her eyes glazed over again. "Yeah? I hope evil takes Mastercard."
"You and me, Faith, we're a lot alike," Angel told her. He rose and began to pace a bit. "Time was, I thought humans existed just to hurt each other."
All the dark humor drained from Faith's expression. Her face was pale, dead. She would not meet his gaze. Angel sat beside her and leaned against the wall.
"But then I came here. And I found out that there are other types of people. People who genuinely wanted to do right."
Angel glanced at her, opening up. Faith did not look away this time, her eyes large and lost. "They make mistakes," he allowed. "They fall down. But they keep caring. Keep trying. If you can trust us, Faith, this could all change. You don't have to disappear into the darkness."
Angel was sure he had reached her, that he had at least begun to chip away at the hurt that she had cocooned herself in. Faith was in a dark place, but he knew in that moment that she could still be saved.
The doors burst open and Wesley rushed in with a trio of thugs in his wake. Angel ran at them, but Wesley lifted a cross to ward him off. Angel backpedaled for only a second, but it was enough. One of the thugs decked him with a hard right and a second threw a net over him. He thrashed against the netting, but he only became more tangled. The third began to beat him with a crowbar and Angel grunted with each blow.
Through the mesh across his face, he watched as Wesley took the shackles off Faith, then handcuffed her with his own chains. Faith stared at him in astonishment.
"What?" she asked, stunned.
"By the order of the Watchers Council of Britain," Wesley announced, "I am exercising my authority and removing you to England, where you will accept the judgment of the disciplinary committee."
Wesley and the thugs dragged her out, and Faith barely fought them.
Angel writhed in pain, wrapped in the net, but his thoughts were not of himself. They were of Faith. He had gotten through; he knew he had.
But after this new betrayal, he feared she was truly lost to them forever. He didn't know how wrong he was. That there was one thing left that could reach Faith, could bring her back. The one person Faith had been searching for, for eighteen years… Hope Lehane, Faith's long lost sister.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
As Buffy cautiously pushed open the doors to the mansion, her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She clutched the small bag of Faith's belongings tightly, her nerves on edge. The sight that greeted her sent a chill down her spine - the doors had been carelessly left ajar, a silent invitation to danger.
Stepping inside, her eyes darted around the dimly lit room, searching for any sign of Faith. But her attention was immediately drawn to a heartbreaking scene - Angel, her love, trapped helplessly within a confining net. A mixture of relief and anguish swept over her upon seeing him, safe but imprisoned.
Her hands trembled as she dropped the bag, the urgency to free Angel overpowering any other concern. She rushed to his side, her voice filled with both worry and affection as she asked, "Angel, are you all right?" The mere thought of him enduring any harm was unbearable to her.
With a strained voice, Angel reassured her, "I'm fine. They took Faith-" His unfinished sentence hung heavy in the air, and Buffy's heart sank. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.
"Who took Faith?" she asked. Deep down, she already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it, hoping against hope that her intuition was wrong.
Gateway High School
In the school library, Angel paced angrily. Giles, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Willow and Xander had been doing research on Mr. Trick and the Mayor, but Buffy and Angel's news took immediate precedence.
"It was the new Watcher," Angel confirmed. "He had a couple of guys with him."
"Then he figured it out," Willow observed. "The murder—"
"Which means that Faith will be soon on her way to England to face the Watchers Council," Giles informed them.
Though they were inside now, Buffy still felt cold.
"And then what?" Prue questioned.
"Most likely, they'll lock her away for a good long while," Giles replied.
"So we head 'em off at the airport and stop them," Buffy announced.
Willow shook her head. "Can I… I'm just wondering. Why? I'm not the most objective, I know. I kind of have an issue with Faith sharing my people. But she murdered someone and accused Buffy. Then she hurt Xander. I hate to say it, but maybe she belongs behind bars."
Piper nodded. "I have to agree with Willow."
Buffy nodded slowly. "She's out of control, I know. But Angel was getting somewhere with her. She was opening up. If we could just stop Wesley—"
Her words ended abruptly. Buffy stared at the doors to the library. Wesley stood just inside. "That's no longer an issue," he admitted.
You let her get away?" Phoebe asked, eyes wide.
"'Let' wouldn't be the way I'd phrase it, but yes, she escaped."
"Good work," Angel snapped. "First you terrorize her, then you put her back on the streets."
"That was hardly my plan," Wesley argued. "I was trying to save the girl—"
Buffy railed at him. "But you didn't! You probably destroyed her."
Softly, Giles said her name. "Buffy, that's enough," he told her.
Buffy took a long breath, then let it out. "We'd better find her before she does any more damage." She rose, glanced around the room, and began to issue orders. "We should split up. Prue and I'll check the docks; that's probably where she is. Giles and Piper, why don't you go to her motel. Phoebe, Xander, Willow, her haunts. And be careful."
She turned to Angel, but he was already in motion. "I'll try the airport."
"What can I do?" Wesley asked. "I want to help."
Buffy glared at him for a moment, then brushed past him, headed for the door. "Still got your ticket back to the mother country?"
Prue glared at Wesley as she followed Buffy. "The Charmed Ones don't want to burn the bridge with the Watcher's Council just yet. But you are on thin ice, here. I'd highly suggest you watch what you do. One more step out of place and I'll have Buffy flame you back to England and we'll break all ties."
San Francisco Docks
Freighters and fishing boats were crowded up against the ocean docks like a city unto themselves. Faith waited on the deck of an enormous freighter, heavily laden with its cargo. It would depart soon, and then she could put all of it, all of them, behind her.
She paced the deck for a time, and her gaze kept drifting back to the docks, until she was forced to ask herself what she was looking for. The answer was simple; she knew Buffy did not give up easily. So Faith was not surprised when she saw the Buffy and Prue walking along the dock, glancing around at the shadows, obviously search-ing—or hunting—for her.
"You don't give up, do you?" Faith asked, stepping from the shadows of the deck.
"Not on my friends, no," Buffy said, painfully earnest.
"Yeah, because you and me are such solid buds," Faith scoffed.
"We could be," Buffy offered. "It's not too late."
"For me to change, and be more like you, you mean?" Faith scoffed. "Little Miss Goody Two Shoes? It ain't gonna happen, B."
"Faith, no one's asking you to be more like Buffy, but you can't go on like this," Prue said.
Faith grinned as she glanced toward Buffy. "Scares you, doesn't it?" She climbed down the gangway to the dock and walked toward Buffy and Prue.
"Yeah, it scares me," Buffy agreed. "Faith, you're hurting people. You're hurting yourself."
"But that's not it," Faith said quickly, growing angry and yet also certain she understood the situation much better than Buffy or Prue did. "That's not what bothers you so much. What bugs you is, you know I'm right. You know in your gut, we don't need the law. We are the law."
Buffy turned and strode away. "No."
Faith pursued Buffy and Prue. "Yes. You know exactly what I'm about because you have it in you, too."
"No, Faith, you're sick," Prue said, her voice cold and sad. She and Buffy picked up their pace.
"I've seen it," Faith admitted. "You have got the lust, B. And I'm not just talking about screwing vampires."
Buffy whirled on Faith, enraged. "Don't you dare bring him into this."
A rush of excitement went through Faith, and she licked her lips. "It was good, wasn't it? The sex? The danger? Bet a part of you even dug him when he went psycho."
"No," Buffy said again. She walked away, Prue a few hesitant steps behind.
Once more, Faith pursued them. "See, you need me to tow the line because you're afraid you'll go over it, aren't you, B? You can't handle watching me living my own way, having a blast, because it tempts you. You know it could be you."
Something snapped inside Buffy. She cocked back her fist, and hit Faith so hard she spun around. When she faced Buffy again, Faith touched her split lip, smiling.
"There's my girl," Faith said happily.
"Buffy!" Prue said shocked at what Buffy had just done.
"No," Buffy said suddenly, and picked up her pace, walking away again. "I'm not going to do this," she vowed.
"Why not?" Faith taunted her. "It feels good. Blood rising …" She let her words trail off and her smile widened as she cut off Buffy's path.
Suddenly, from above, she heard the clanking of metal. Faith looked up to see a crane swing an enormous wooden crate out above them. The crate was released. It crashed down toward them.
"Buffy!" Prue called as she too saw the crate crashing down toward Buffy and Faith.
Buffy shoved Faith out of the way and then dove, but the crate slammed down on her back, trapping her beneath it. Faith and Prue moved to help her.
Then the vampires swarmed in. Mr. Trick was there, but there were four others as well. With Buffy trapped, they rushed at Faith. Trick and another grabbed her and tossed her backward. Then they surrounded her. The four vampires attacked as though they expected her to be easy pickings, but Faith was hardly that.
Prue rushed over to Buffy. "Are you alright?" she asked, worry laced in her voice.
"Slightly dazed," Buffy replied. "Help me get this off me."
Prue nodded, she tried to free Buffy, but whatever was in the crate was heavy.
Every blow Faith took, she dished out two. The crack of her fist on flesh echoed through the night and out across the ocean. One of the vampires grabbed her from behind and another ran at her. Faith dropped down out of her captor's grasp, and the two slammed into one another. She fended off two more attacks, then grabbed one of the vampires and threw him off the dock.
He screamed as he plummeted down into the ocean.
Prue took a step back and with a wave of her hand she telekinetically lifted the crate enough off of Buffy to allow Buffy to wriggle out from underneath it.
Weakened, Buffy dragged herself to her feet, and glanced up.
Mr. Trick and the fourth vampire slammed a fist into Buffy and Prue, knocking them back into a stack of smaller crates. The crates tumbled down around them. They climbed to their feet. Buffy took a couple of swings at Trick, while Prue took a couple of swings at her vampire. But they both were hit with another hard shot.
Buffy only hoped that by drawing Trick away, she had given Faith and Prue the opening they needed.
Growling like a beast, Trick wrapped a length of cord around Buffy's neck and began to choke her. He dragged her across the ground, then swung her up against another stack of crates.
"Buffy!" Prue called as she whipped out a stake and drove it into her vampire's heart. He exploded to dust.
Buffy tried to summon her strength. But there was no strength there to summon. Trick snarled as he grabbed her by the throat.
"I hear once you've tasted a Slayer, you never wanna go back," he told her.
Eyes blazing yellow, fangs gleaming by moonlight, he dropped his mouth to her throat, and Buffy felt his teeth graze her flesh.
There came a shout from behind him, and then a familiar, wet, crunching sound. Trick stiffened and looked up at Buffy in disbelief.
"Oh, no. No, this is no good at all," he moaned. Then he exploded in a tiny cloud of ash.
Faith stood behind him, stake in hand.
Prue ran over to Buffy as Faith and Buffy just stared at each other - breathing hard. Then Faith silently extended a hand, helped Buffy off the crates.
Gateway High School
"So she saved you?" Giles said as he poured Buffy and Prue each a cup of tea.
"She could have left Prue and me there to die, Giles. But she didn't," Buffy replied.
He nodded once. "She opted to come back to town with you. That bodes well."
"I really thought we were gonna lose her," Buffy said.
"She still has a lot to face before she can put this behind her," Giles said.
"I'm not gonna give up on her," Buffy said firmly.
Giles poured his own tea, then regarded her warmly. "Then I think she stands a chance."
Prue smiled, just a bit. "I just hope it's enough."
City Hall
The Mayor let out a weary sigh as he slipped on his coat. It had been an excruciatingly late night, but the weight of his dual responsibilities lay heavy on his shoulders. Managing the complexities of running a city like San Francisco while secretly orchestrating a demonic Ascension demanded an immense amount of effort. He knew that this daunting burden was something no ordinary man could bear.
Opening his office door, the Mayor was taken aback to find Faith standing there, her eyes ablaze with anger and accusation. Her presence surprised him, but he maintained his composure. "You sent your boy to kill me," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.
"That's right. I did," he replied calmly, not flinching from her piercing gaze.
"He's dust," Faith spat out, her bitterness evident.
"I thought he might be," the Mayor admitted nonchalantly, "What with you standing here and all." His tone held a touch of dark humor, unfazed by the demise of his underling.
Faith took two intimidating steps forward, invading his personal space. "I guess that means you have a job opening," she remarked, a blend of challenge and daring in her voice.
Responding with a wry smile, the Mayor stepped aside, allowing Faith to enter his office. He was intrigued by her boldness, seeing potential in her defiance and strength.
Then, with a calculated move, he closed the door, sealing them in a cocoon of secrecy.
"One thing though. If I'm going to work for you, I need something in return," Faith demanded, her voice tinged with sadness that hinted at a past filled with pain.
"Like?" the Mayor inquired, genuinely curious about her request.
"My sister, Hope, was taken from me when she was a baby. Help me find her," Faith implored, revealing a vulnerability that she rarely showed to others.
"I think I can do that," the Mayor replied with a knowing smile, recognizing the opportunity to gain an ally as formidable as Faith.