Chapter 9

It took a while before they returned to the house and most of the girls were upset about the cops beating up on Faith, then Buffy comes in and 'ruins' their fun by sending them all home and now they're sort of avoiding me because of what I did with the stone and all… I heard them whispering to the others, the ones we left here.

I wondered if they truly feared me or if maybe just having seen that freaked them out and once they got used to the idea they would be ok with it. I mean, it's not like I'm a vampire living in Buffy's basement. I'm not about to suck them dry or hunt them down- unless they go evil and I have to then its totally different because-.

I stopped where I was at the top of the stairs when I heard them in the living room. I made my way quietly down to the middle and sat listening to Buffy. After the fucked up raid on thevineyard there were a lot of unhappy people not to mention dead ones and every one was scared. I'd never been around so many- how to explain the way they all behaved is beyond my words. I just know that this isn't how you win a war.

Caleb.

Buffy had a visit from him and though the others were worried she brushed it off. I admired her strength even with all the bad she kept going and she pulled everyone along with her. She gave them of her strength and they didn't even know it let alone appreciated.

Buffy wanted to go back into the vineyard. I could've told her that wasn't going to go over well with all those girls. They were terrified, they didn't want to die, they didn't want to face Caleb or his Bringers. They were just kids but Faith? God the girl had some balls and right now the worst timing. She should've waited to voice her concerns in private instead of laying it out like this. That Principal was getting on my last fucking nerve as well.

I felt my face heat hearing Rupert Giles, her supposed Watcher, just- God what was he thinking! How could he contradict her like this in front of those girls? Did they realize what they were doing? Did they even care?

"I—I don't understand this. For 7 years, I've kept us safe by doing this— exactly this, making the hard decisions. And now, what— suddenly you're all acting like you can't trust me?" she was nervous; I could hear it in her voice. She was beginning to see her ally's, those she'd counted as friends turning away from her.

"Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us? Maybe there's something there that should be addressed." Rupert again only this time I heard the underlying pain. The awkwardness between the Slayer and her ex-Watcher made sense now. He was feeling her pull away from him and it hurt. It hurt to feel like he wasn't needed, that she could function on her own without help from him or anyone else. That's what had him behaving this way, like a fucking child who couldn't have his way.

I could see how they thought she was being reckless. I'd thought Buffy was just another little blond girl happy to stake and run, making her little quips but that's not all she is. This girl is the real deal, a Slayer and now they all think she's throwing them into the beast's mouth just for fun? Willow should know better and Xander but after loosing an eye I can understand his- reluctance? Still, they could've said all this in private. They could've waited until the Potentials were bunked down and had their little intervention but this?

This was just-.

"Ingrates."

I didn't realize I was in the living room until I saw them all. The door had closed silently before I was all the way down the stairs.

"Excuse me." Kennedy took a step forward glaring.

"You're all ingrates." I repeated glancing at each one. They flinched beneath my furious stare. "She's taken you in, made room for you in her house." I looked at the Key pointedly. Her face flushed getting my meaning. "Her best friends…" I scoffed with a cold smile. "So you can't see her point because it happens to be a little to your left, Xander." I nodded. "You really thought you'd get away without a scratch for ever?"

"That's not fair!" Willow cried coming to his defense. I turned to her calmly.

"And you were fair?" she didn't answer and the guilt was all over her face and body language. "What happened to all the stick together krap and the 'I've seen her heart' speech you gave, Xander?" He tuned away. "You think this was the best way to voice you're hurt over not being needed as much, Rupert?" he flinched at the question. He probably hadn't thought anyone had noticed. "You've been her Watcher since she first came to Sunnydale. You've watched her grow into the woman she is. You helped raise her, mold her and now you're saying you didn't do a good enough job?"

"That's not what-."

"You've implied it." I jabbed a finger in his direction. "Just because she doesn't ask for you're advice, doesn't look to you for answers the way she used to depend on you." I shook my head disgust at his behavior clearly written on my face. They all saw it; saw what I thought of them.

"Who are you to come-?" I turned my glare on Anya. As a vengeance demon she might have given me a bad time but she was mortal now.

"Why are you even here?" I asked glaring at Anya. "Don't you have some demon friends willing to protect you? Why are you hiding at Buffy's house? After everything you said it's obvious you don't think much of her so what are you doing here?"

"Wh- ah-." Her mouth open and closed like a floundering fish. She looked around hunching into herself and maybe she was hoping someone would come to her rescue. Her eyes landed on Xander but he wasn't feeling much like being a knight in shining armor what with a missing eye.

"Don't look at him. Cant you defend your self?" I glared all around seeing the glowers and guilty looks. They didn't like what I was saying to them but the way they treated Buffy-. God I couldn't just stand here and let them think they got away with this!

"You all think the same. You think Buffy was born with certain advantages." I mockingly glanced at Anya. "You think she wanted this legacy? You think she jumped for joy when she found out she was the next Slayer. You think she liked knowing she wouldn't live to grow old let alone turn sixteen or even seventeen?"

"But she did." I glared at Rona. Out of all the Potentials she's the one who had the most to say about the situation she found herself in. "She's here, she's not dead."

"Now." I retorted. "Who brought her back the first time she died?" I looked around my eyes resting on Xander but he refused to look up. "And the second time?" I turned to Willow who blushed eyes lowering to the floor. "She died saving the world twice and you ungrateful little bitches think you can do better! You are all going to die. You're all dead you just don't know it yet and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can start living-."

"Shut up!" the Key shoved at my arm her eyes glittering with tears face flushed. "Shut up!"

"Touch me again," I warned with a raised fist.

"What!" she yelled tears now flowing down her face freely. As answer a shower of flames burst up my forearm in a bright gust then lazily wavered like the flame of a candle. She jumped back with a choked squeak and the Potentials all exclaimed frightened drawing away.

"You think you're real don't you." My voice was even; gentle but there was an underlying threat anyone with half a brain could hear. "You think you have rights but the truth is you don't. You don't have any rights besides those Buffy gave you. This is her house, those fake memories are just that, fake and Joyce? She never gave birth to you, never carried you in her womb, you don't even know what it feels to be born like the rest of us so tell me, what gave you the impression you're nothing more than a cheap copy of Buffy?"

I lowered my arm as the front door closed again and the flames died out. I looked over the Key one last time with contempt, lips curling in a sneer as I turned away.

"That's enough!" Rupert growled coming forward.

"You're right." I turned to him and nodded. "Because all you want is to lay blame. You're not happy with the life you now have. Xander looses an eye because he's helping save Kennedy and yet she hasn't had the decency to at least thank him. But that's alright. Let's just blame Buffy for that too and then Willow won't have to feel guilty for defending her little girlfriend instead of her best friend since high school who's saved her life more than once. All the Potentials can rot seeing as how they run wild with no adult willing or able to come forward and set down some rules but then you don't care if one of them goes down the same path Faith did. Oh right, she wasn't your Slayer so I guess it's not your fault either. Nothing is anyones fault because everyone here is perfect. Everyone knows what to do."

He was right, it was enough because there was nothing else I could say to make them see what they had just done.

"You can fight this little war on your own. All of you," I pointed to the Potentials. "Little girls, a witch afraid to use her power." I nodded at Willow who now held the Key trying to comfort her. "A Key that doesn't work anymore thanks to Buffy, an ex-Watcher and one Slayer." My eyes locked on Faith. "Not a lot of power here because I'm going home." I headed up the stairs to Buffy's room which is where I'd been keeping some of my weapons.

"Phade." Faith called in shock.

"You're missing a vampire, a Slayer and me." I threw over my shoulder as I stopped on the third step. "Now's a good time to figure out what to do."

Faith looked around at the silent faces. "What the hell happened?" she asked. I ignored them, tuned out their yapping whining voices and complaints. What the hell was I doing here?

I took my time looking around Buffy's bedroom, at the pictures she had of Willow and Xander. She had stuffed animals laying about some dried flowers obviously a memento and on the dresser in an open box a silver cross. I hadn't pictured her as the religious type. I shrugged pushing it aside with a finger; it clinked on the porcelain revealing the clahddagh ring it had been hiding. I frowned somehow knowing I'd seen it before-.

"Angel." Of course. He had one though he hadn't worn it- come to think of it I hadn't seen him wearing it since before Connor was born.

The door opened then she knocked. I couldn't help the smile as I turned to look.

"I'm not even going to ask-." She began waving her hands in an 'I give up' imitation. I left Buffy's jewelry box were it was and moved to the foot of her bed were my weapons were laid out.

"I wasn't about to explain myself." I began putting the weapons in the leather duffel being careful to wrap the blades in the soft chamois cloths.

"Look, I get you're feeling out of place here-."

This was her attempt to get me to change my mind? I laughed straightening; the weapons lay on the bed forgotten for the moment.

"I'm not out of place here. This feels just like home except for the lets mutiny and have Captain Buffy walk the plank." I retorted. "They're ungrateful, all of them." I waved in the general direction of the group downstairs as I went back to my packing.

"I didn't ask-." Faith threw up her hands as if to ward off the accusations but I wasn't accusing her. If anything they had used her as an excuse, they were so afraid they took the opportunity to throw the blame on Buffy and with Faith here they had a back up Slayer to take over for the one they didn't like.

"And you didn't stop it either. I don't know what happened before and I don't care but I'm not fighting for a bunch of scared little girls too stupid to realize they are going to die and it's on their heads not Buffy and not yours."

"You think she's right?" the quiet question caught my attention and I looked at the dark Slayer. I realized she was worried, she probably thought she wouldn't be able to fit in Buffy's shoes let alone lead those sniveling wretches downstairs.

"Did I say that?" I asked buckling the straps on my duffel. "I thought I was telling you not to let them run you." I hefted the duffel on my shoulder walking to the door. "All of them." I stopped at the door with my hand on the knob. "Faith." I turned around opening the door. "You're a Slayer. Maybe you're not the first but neither was Buffy. Time to grow up baby girl. Just don't die yet."

"Ha!" Faith laughed and finally I saw a real smile, her 'I don't give a shit' smile and I shrugged.

"Hey, you grew on me." and that was no lie. I liked the dark Slayer, like the woman she was, all rough and hard edges though deep down she hid the soft mushiness every woman possessed be she mortal or Slayer.

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so this is the end but the saga continues in 5Eden which will be posted sometime next month. Leave a review even if you dont like it! Thanks for those of you who read this.