Disclaimer: We already know what i own and what i don't own.
Chapter 38
Buffy watched the sleeping girl closely. She seemed about the same age as herself and Willow and Xander. Angel had carried her up to one of the spare rooms after she had passed out in Buffy’s arms. Five by five. What did that mean? She glanced idly around the room, as though the answer would pop up in neon flashing lights. The room they had Faith in was not one she had previously explored. There were so many rooms in the mansion she was yet to look through and the task seemed daunting.
Buffy suddenly wondered why they hadn’t moved yet. She snorted. Yeah, because I’ve just had so much spare time on my hands lately. With all the events of the past few days, even weeks, the excitement of moving to the new place had been pushed back for another time. Maybe now, with things a touch more settled, they could finally move into 1630 Revello Drive. She decided she liked the sound of that. It felt like home already.
Not many places had felt like home to her these past few years. Ever since the terrible happenings in L.A. when she was younger, she’d never been able to rest, never been able to settle into a place long enough to call it home. It was all Merrick’s fault. If he hadn’t come to L.A…. Buffy ran heavy hands across her tired face. Who was she kidding? If Merrick hadn’t come, some other English prick from the Watcher’s-of-nothing-Council would have come instead.
She was glad it had been Merrick. He taught her things that she was sure no other Watcher would have bothered with. The most important thing he had taught her was the rules for Slaying. She only ever remembered the first three. Rule number one was the one she lived by. Don’t die. So far, so good. Sort of. Well, she was here wasn’t she?
Buffy contemplated the sleeping girl. Who was she? Where had she come from? Had she known who she was seeking refuge with? Did she know what she was running from? Who had beaten her up so badly? All valid questions and Buffy thought it a pity they wouldn’t be answered for some time. The girl had to recover first. Buffy frowned as she looked over at the girl’s wounds. She rose quickly from her seat and went to the prone female, pulling the quilt back slowly. The marks on the girl’s arms were almost completely gone, as were the ones on her back. Who was she?
Buffy reached out a hand to wake the girl but thought better of it. The best thing for her right now was time to recover. They’d get answers eventually. Pulling back, Buffy shuffled over to the other side of the room and pulled back the curtain softly, letting the light spill onto the form in the bed.
‘I’m not a vampire,’ the voice was loud and strong, not something you’d expect from someone who had been unconscious for the past twenty hours. ‘So the sunlight’s not gonna do nothin’.’
Buffy already knew the girl was not a vampire, but it never hurt to make sure. It was done more for peace of mind than anything else. ‘I knew that.’
‘Yeah, then why’d ya do it, huh?’ the girl turned onto her back, a wry grin on her face. She eyed Buffy curiously. ‘Oh, you have to be Buffy. The Buffy. I’ve heard all about you, princess.’ The girl’s tone had soured as she said the last word.
Buffy wondered of how far her reputation had preceded her. How did this girl know who she was? ‘You know me, but I don’t know you. I don’t like being at a disadvantage. Who are you?’ Buffy crossed her arms resolutely. Neither of them were leaving here until questions were answered.
‘Name’s Faith. I come in peace,’ she laughed harshly. Buffy figured the girl didn’t laugh a lot. Then again, maybe there wasn’t much to laugh at where she was from. Buffy had gone through many stages like that. Stages where the only thing left to laugh at was yourself.
‘Okay, Faith. Is there anymore to that or are going solo like Madonna and Cher? How do you know who I am?’ Buffy watched Faith carefully as she answered the question.
‘Who doesn’t know who you are, B? You’re famous. At least in our circles you are,’ Faith shrugged. ‘The great Buffy. Had to come see you for myself. Heard lots a tales about you, B.’
‘Our circles?’ Buffy’s eyebrow arched delicately in disbelief. What circles? She’d never heard of Faith before. Buffy started to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. What if Faith was…
‘You mean you don’t know? Can’t guess? Damn, B and I figured you for being smart,’ Faith smirked. ‘I’m the new Slayer. Kendra’s replacement. So, where’s my new Watcher?’
***********************
‘So she is Kendra’s replacement,’ Giles mused. ‘Interesting.’
‘Yes,’ Buffy groaned in frustration. ‘We have established the fact that she is the next Slayer. Now, can we move on to more important things like why does she think you are her next Watcher? You’re still my Watcher. You can’t be my Watcher and her Watcher, that has to be illegal or something.’
‘That is not illegal, Buffy. It has never been done before… Two Slayers,’ he pondered. ‘There is no precedence for this. The Council must be informed that she is here.’
‘Yo,’ Faith put her hand up and waved it around. ‘She is right here… and she was only kidding about the new Watcher thing, B. My Watcher is on some kind of whacked out retreat in the middle of no and where.’
Buffy looked to her Watcher for confirmation. The Brit looked affronted. ‘He was invited on the retreat?’
‘This is a big, why?’ Buffy asked the offended looking Englishman.
‘Only the elite, the best of the best, get invited on the retreat. I have never been asked,’ he admitted glumly. Buffy felt sorry for him. She knew the lack of contact from the Council upset him more than he let on sometimes. Wesley was the only person left who had contact with Giles on a regular basis.
‘So, what are we doing with Faith?’ Willow’s voice broke into Buffy’s thoughts. Buffy jumped. She’d forgotten the others were even in the room. To her, this had become just her, Giles and Faith long ago.
Willow, Xander, Giles and Ms Calendar all sat on the couch and floor, watching the scene before them. Buffy had mentioned moving to Angel and he had gone to the realtor’s to see when they could move in. He was supposed to come back there once he was done. The others had refrained from making any comments thus far and Buffy hadn’t given them a second thought since Faith had woken up. It surprised her to see Ms Calendar still here. She’d assumed the technopagan was long gone.
‘That is a valid question, Willow,’ Giles peered at Faith. He looked her over then took off his glasses and polished them quickly.
‘You don’t have to do nothing’, G,’ Faith stretched where she sat, her short top riding up to reveal her tanned stomach. Buffy noticed Xander watching her movements and scowled. Men. ‘I know what I’m here for and I’ll do just that. I was sent here for a reason: to fight evil and stop the spread of their numbers… It was all in the handbook.’
‘Wait,’ Buffy stood, hands on hips. ‘You got the handbook?’ She turned on her Watcher. ‘Even Faith was given the handbook. Why can’t I have it? Merrick wouldn’t let me have it; you won’t let me have it. Who do I have to beat up to get a damn copy of this book?’
Giles sighed. ‘I, as Merrick before me, felt that in your case, the Slayer’s handbook was unneeded.’
‘Yes, I seem to keep hearing that,’ Buffy fumed. ‘But what’s wrong with my case?’
‘Yeah, what’s wrong with Buffy’s case?’ Willow stepped in to bat for her friend. She paused. ‘Wait, haven’t we had this conversation before? I’m having de ja vu.’
‘Yes, we have talked about this before,’ Buffy confirmed, not taking her eyes off her Watcher. ‘And I didn’t get a straight answer out of him then, either. English people suck, what with their stick-up-the-butt attitude.’
‘I take offense to that!’ Giles exclaimed. ‘Not all English are like that.’
‘Yeah, Buff,’ Xander agreed. ‘Only the ones you’ve met so far.’
‘Excuse me!’ Giles cried, insulted. Buffy smiled. She loved it when the others got on her side; it was not so fun having them against her.
‘Hey, G,’ Faith raised her hand again. ‘Are we just gonna continue on like this forever, ‘cause I got places I can be that aren’t here, you get me?’
‘Where exactly are you going to go? In case you missed it, you’re new here,’ Xander pointed out helpfully.
Faith grinned. ‘On my way here I passed a wicked looking club I’m gonna check out. Maybe find me a honey for the night. Don’t wait up.’ She got up and left before anyone could say anything.
‘I’m sorry,’ it was Xander’s turn to raise his hand. ‘But wasn’t she close to death a few hours ago?’
‘She is odd,’ Ms Calendar agreed, watching the door the other Slayer exited through.
The others murmured in agreement. Buffy didn’t say anything, as she was still watching after Faith, a frown on her face. Something about her was off. Buffy could feel a wrongness seeping from the other Slayer. She decided to refrain from mentioning it to the others for the moment. It would be better to make sure before she voiced her concerns. Otherwise she could get the same reaction she got when she named Cordy. Disbelief.
*********************
A sound from the dark corner of the deserted building had Buffy scrambling out of sight. Blood matted her blonde hair and covered her face, mixing with the dirt and dust. The cuts on her arms and torso were oozing the thick red liquid, calling out to any predator who knew what it was.
Slayer blood was a powerful thing, she knew. The demons were attracted to it, vampires craved it, and it was the only thing that had kept the Slayer alive thus far. Only God knew how much longer it would continue to do so. At the rate she was losing it, not long.
The sound came again and she timidly peeked around the corner of the crates.
Oh my god.
In the middle of the warehouse stood Faith, an axe in one hand, a short sword in the other, arms outstretched. She was silhouetted against the light coming in from behind her, throwing her shadow against the walls of the building. Allies and enemies littered the ground around her, giving the illusion the Faith had fought anyone who had come within distance of her weapons, not only the evil she was sworn to eradicate.
‘What have you done?’ Buffy whispered in horror, appearing from behind the crates.
***************************
Buffy loaded the last of the boxes into Oz’s van and turned to take a final look at the building that had housed them for the past few months. The mansion was beautiful, if badly neglected, and she was sorry to be leaving, but she knew that home was not hers. Something about Revello Drive called to her and she knew she could make 1630 a real home for herself, something she had lacked for many years.
The last home she had been a part of, her own, had been torn apart violently, something Willow had never reached in her reading of the file now locked away tightly in a metal box. No one would see it now until she was ready for people to see it. Her past, while not large in scandal, was highly traumatic for her and the scars had still not completely healed. She knew Giles understood, as did Willow and Angel and she was grateful that they didn’t push her. They knew she’d get there in her own time.
‘Hey,’ Angel appeared at her elbow and Buffy smiled to herself. It no longer mad her jump, the way he always just appeared out of nowhere. She was used to it now. She hadn’t yet told him about the dream the night before, or the new development in it, but she planned to eventually. First, she was going to keep a close eye on Faith and see what came of that.
‘Hey,’ she murmured, still looking contemplatively at the mansion. ‘What’s going to happen to it? It was a nice place, Angel, beautiful, but it wasn’t for me.’
‘I know,’ he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Tender moments like this one had been few and far between lately. Buffy closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment for as long as she could. ‘I’m going to use it as a base when I come down here,’ he dropped into the conversation and Buffy’s gaze shot to his face. The half-smile there told her all she needed to know and she hugged him tightly. A huge smile lit her face and she found it impossible to wipe it away. ‘It’s time,’ Angel nudged her after a time and Buffy turned to see everyone was ready to go.
She took a deep breath and nodded. ‘Okay.’ Taking one last look at the large building, Buffy, Willow, and Angel climbed into Oz’s van, while Giles and Ms Calendar, who had shown up on a whim to help out, took off in Giles’ car. Xander was meeting them there.
‘Isn’t this exciting?’ Willow bounced in her seat. Oz chuckled from the driver’s seat, amused at his girlfriend’s over eager attitude. As far as Buffy could tell, his countenance remained the same; expressionless.
Yes, Buffy thought as the Crawford St mansion disappeared behind them. It really is. A little voice in her head intruded on her happy thoughts, sending Buffy into a different train of thought; Let this move be better than the last.
Two updates so close together... Yay me and Yay for you...
I kinda have the rest plotted out so you should get updates more often. I know how i'm ending it and i know what happens next, just remains for me to write it.
Thanks for your reviews, once again, but i would still like more... comments, praise, helpful hints... anything really.
By the way, i have decided not to do anymore on my HP crossover for now. When this story is finished, i will continue on it, but for the moment, concentrating on this and Two of a Kind is enough of a workload, as well as school.
Anyway, thanks for reading.
Ooh, and i cracked the 100,000 word mark! How cool is that?
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
