The Varos Triad
Part Two:
Disclaimers:-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters belong to Joss
Whedon, Warner Brothers and anyone else who own them - and that does
not include me. I am making no profit from this - I'm just borrowing
them to write a story and entertain.
Author:- Steff
Information:-
This may seem a little weird but I have never watched Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. I have, however read a ton of fanfic and been
totally enthralled by it. So much so that I wanted to write a story
myself. With that in mind, I can safely say that there should be no
spoilers in here! Please remember that I have no idea about canon
though - so if I put Buffy living at home with her mum, then don't
worry about it too much. It's the characters that I'm borrowing not
the plotlines!
Having read a fair bit of fiction, I have set this approximately
three years after Faith confesses to the police in LA. I have not
included the Dawn/Glory storyline as that just confuses the hell out
of me. Any other glaring errors should just be glossed over - just
enjoy the story (I hope!)
Rating: PG-13 I think - but if anyone thinks it should be higher
let me know.
Pairing: Faith/Cordelia along with W/T A/X
Feedback: Yes please. Steff
______________________________
Buffy looked at the grim faces of her companions as they sat squashed
into their usual booth at The Bronze. She knew her face reflected
the sombre mood but she was determined that Faith would not ruin
their night out. "Just forget about her tonight. She won't be going
anywhere," she insisted.
"You hope," added Willow as she reached for her drink. She took a
sip quickly before continuing. "I'm sorry Buffy but Faith being here
is just too disturbing for me to sit back and relax."
Xander agreed though he was equally annoyed that their night out had
soured so quickly.
"Well, perhaps we should all just go home," suggested Anya. "We need
to have sex," she told Xander candidly as the others just shook their
heads.
"Perhaps Anya's right," sighed Buffy. "Well, about the first part I
mean," she qualified as she was met with four looks of astonishment
and one look of smug satisfaction from the ex vengeance
demon. "We'll just put this night out on hold for a few days. Faith
will be gone as soon as she repairs her bike and then we can all go
out without worrying what she's up to."
Tara shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She knew how deeply the
feelings ran in the group concerning Faith but the shy woman knew it
would be wrong of her to ignore what she had seen and not tell the
others. "Buffy, Faith's c-changed," she began, realising that her
stutter had returned for the first time in a long while.
The slayer narrowed her hazel eyes at the blonde witch. "Tara, you'd
see the good in Satan if you met him," she returned, hoping to stop
Tara's comments before she really began them.
Tara, however, was not fazed by the retort. "I saw her aura Buffy,"
she explained softly.
"Then she's tricked you into thinking that it's showing something
else," decided Willow. She was starting to get upset by Tara's
continued defence of the rogue slayer. "It doesn't matter what you
say, I'll never trust her."
Tara sat back slightly at the comment. Willow had meant it to be a
damnation of Faith, but the shy wiccan couldn't help but take it
personally too. "D-don't you b-believe me?"
Willow, realising that she had upset her lover, though unsure how,
closed the distance between them immediately and placed a reassuring
kiss on her lips. "It's not that, honey," she demurred
quietly. "But what you're seeing isn't Faith."
"Damn right," agreed Xander forcefully. "That bitch can't change.
And I'm not sure I'd want to know her even if she could."
Tara looked round miserably as she saw everyone else's heads nod in
agreement. "You're wrong," she told the group determinedly.
"Let's just forget about Faith," repeated Buffy, irritated at how the
dark slayer had managed to dominate the entire evening mostly without
even being present. She stood up abruptly. "I'm going on patrol."
She leant down and brushed her lips across Riley's, backing away
before he had the opportunity to deepen the embrace. He looked at
her uncomfortably but remained silent as she nodded to the others
before leaving The Bronze.
Her departure effectively broke the night up and the others went
their separate ways shortly afterwards.
As they strolled hand in hand back home, Willow mulled over Tara's
behaviour since the arrival of Faith. "Why are you defending her?"
She asked suddenly.
Tara stopped and turned toward the red haired witch. "B-b-because
she hasn't had an opportunity to defend herself yet," she replied
carefully.
"And she won't get one. She let everyone down time and again, before
she even went bad. You don't know her Tara. You don't know what
she's capable of doing."
"I saw her in the graveyard, Willow," Tara began. "I've seen the
strength she possesses. You've told me all the stories so I do know
what she's capable of. But what I saw today was not what I saw when
Faith was occupying Buffy. I know I'm not going to convince you or
anyone else Will, but at least respect my opinion."
Willow's eyes opened at the determination behind Tara's statement.
She allowed the words to sink in slowly before wrapping her arms
round her lover. "I'm sorry, Tara. I didn't mean to tell you what
to think. I just don't want you to get hurt."
Tara returned the embrace tightly before kissing Willow sensuously on
the lips. "I love you Will, and I know you want to protect me."
Willow recaptured Tara's lips, deepening the kiss. A slow moan
escaped her as they continued and she pulled away
reluctantly. "Home.....now," she gasped and tugged Tara's hand to
underline the breathless statement.
* * *
Buffy twiddled her stake in her right hand. After marching out of
The Bronze she descended on the nearest cemetery in the hope that she
could take out her frustrations on the undead. Unfortunately the
undead apparently did not want to play today and she spent a
fruitless two hours patrolling mulling over the day's events. She
was surprised at how Faith's reappearance had affected her. After
seeing Faith give herself up in LA, Buffy had determinedly set aside
her feelings for the dark slayer and allowed the well of hatred for
Faith build up and enshroud every memory of the woman. There would
be no more chances, no more opportunities for Faith to get under her
skin only for the rogue slayer to hurt her again. When she looked
up, she was surprised to find herself outside the door to her home.
The blonde slayer looked steadily at Riley as he leant against the
door.
"Wondered when you'd show," he commented softly.
"How long have you been waiting?" She asked him as she closed the
distance between them.
"I came straight here. I didn't want to miss you."
Buffy winced as they embraced. He'd been waiting for over two hours
for her, and she couldn't think of a single thing that she really
wanted to say to him.
Riley sensed her discomfort and pulled back. "We need to talk."
The blonde slayer rolled her eyes at the statement. "What about,
Riley? About you disappearing without so much as a goodbye, or your
return, without an explanation?"
"Is this what all this is about?" Riley asked, perplexed.
"Yes. No. I don't know," hedged Buffy. "What I do know is that it
just isn't the same as it was before."
"But we can make it the same," protested the tall man. He tried to
pull Buffy back into his arms but she resisted and broke free
altogether.
"Riley, you could explain everything to me a million times and it
still wouldn't be right. I just don't have the same feelings for you
anymore."
"Is there someone else?" Accused Riley, an angry edge tainting the
words.
"No. Jeez, why does there have to be someone else? Why can't it be
that I just don't love you anymore?" As soon as the words were out
of her mouth Buffy went through a myriad of emotions. She was
shocked that she had said the words so harshly and initially confused
because it wasn't what she had intended to say at all. As soon as
those thoughts were processed however, she realised that she had
uttered the truth, and unfortunately hurt Riley deeply in the process.
"So that's that then?" He made the question sound like a statement
and stepped past the small woman. "For what it's worth, Buffy, I
still love you. I just can't compete with the whole 'Slayer' thing
though, can I?"
Buffy remained silent as he stalked off, watching until he
disappeared from view. "I never wanted you to compete," she murmured
to his retreating form.
Once he was no longer visible, she let herself in and collapsed onto
the couch, content to brood over the day's events wondering if
anything else could go wrong. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted
by the harsh tones of a ringing telephone.
She picked it up halfway through the fourth ring. "Hello?"
<Hey Buffy,>
"Angel. Two conversations in one day, people will talk." Buffy
didn't mean to take her irritation out on the vampire but for the
moment he was an easy target.
<Sorry to disturb you again. But this is something you need to know.>
"Don't tell me, the world about to end again?"
<Possibly. More likely to be thrown into a torment of perpetual Hell
though,> replied the brooding vampire steadily.
"So you need my help then," sighed Buffy.
<No, actually we were going to offer our help,> returned Angel calmly.
"What?" Buffy sat up. "What are you talking about, Angel?"
<The demon that Faith chased to Sunnydale...>
"Oh God, not Faith again!" Exclaimed Buffy in exasperation.
Angel tried a second time. <The demon was just a soldier on an
errand. The artefact he held can be used to perform a summoning when
it is joined with two other artefacts. It forms part of the Varos
Triad. Now that he no longer has it, more demons will be sent to
retrieve it. Sunnydale's about to get invaded.>
"Why don't you just ring Faith and tell her to destroy the artefact?"
Asked Buffy. "No more artefact, no more triad, no more summoning."
<The artefact can't be destroyed by simple means. It can only be
destroyed when all three are bound together>
"What? That's ridiculous, and insanely unsafe."
<I have an artefact with me. Now that Faith has one, we only have
one more to find...>
"Wait a minute," interrupted the blonde slayer once again. "What do
you mean we? You got into this mess, surely you can get yourselves
out of it?"
<That demon was headed to Sunnydale for a reason, Buffy> replied
Angel, unperturbed by Buffy's rant.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she sank deeper into the couch. "When are
you getting here then?" She asked in defeat.
<Tomorrow. Can you set up a meet with the others? Early evening?>
"I take it Faith has to be involved in all of this," remarked Buffy
acidly.
<She's not the same person, Buffy. Give her a chance.>
"Oh no. She's already used up more than her fair share of chances.
If she has to be part of this, then so be it. Just don't expect any
welcoming committees for her. Well, none of the pleasant variety
anyway."
<I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy.> Angel decided not to push his luck
and hung up.
"Yeah, bye," returned Buffy into the buzzing receiver. She looked at
the handset before returning it to the cradle and pinched the bridge
of her nose. Well, it was her own fault for wondering if the day
could get any worse, she decided.
* * *
Faith threw herself onto the couch and groaned. Her jaw still hurt
and an ugly purple bruise had spread along her chin. She also had
bruised ribs and a broken knuckle but her injuries would fade and
become dull memories by the morning. She had been hungry earlier
when she arrived at the mansion but Angel's fridge had been as empty
as her stomach. Not wanting to provoke Buffy or her friends, Faith
decided to stay put and had eventually managed to persuade the local
pizza place to deliver to the mansion. The poor guy at the other end
of the phone had eventually caved in when Faith told him that she'd
serve his tongue as a topping if he didn't deliver it. Faith had
felt bad about threatening the guy but a girl had to eat. She broke
the habit of a life time and tipped the delivery boy before wolfing
down the pizza with a large bottle of Coke.
Now she felt like she was splitting at the seams but it had been
worth it.
Lying back into the couch, Faith drowsily relived the day's events,
grimacing as her memory reminded her of the reunion with Buffy and
the scoobies at the cemetery. The dark slayer almost regretted
giving chase to that damned demon. She had sought out the demon in a
deserted warehouse in LA, staking the place out after a tip off.
Faith hadn't intended fighting the thing. It had taken Angel, Gunn
and herself to down a similar demon earlier in the week. That demon
had in it's possession a small gold casting that had been of great
importance to Wesley. He had gone into research mode along with
Angel who believed the object to be of great magical value. When
Faith spotted the second demon, she had decided to report in so they
could ambush it properly, but before she got the call in, Faith
noticed that it held a similar artefact and was making plans to leave
town. After a hurried phone call to Angel, she'd jumped on her
motorbike and chased the thing all the way to Sunnydale, wondering
how the hell they hadn't been pulled by the cops during the chase.
Unfortunately Faith never managed to land anything more solid than
the odd punch as she pursued it. The demon had obviously headed to
Sunnydale for a reason. 'Probably the Hellmouth,' thought Faith
sourly. It usually was. Unfortunately, it meant that she suddenly
had a lot more to deal with than big ugly demons with wicked right
hooks.
Her cell phone buzzed and rumbled across the table. Faith looked at
it balefully as she decided whether to answer it or not. The second
time it moved, she rolled off the couch and snatched it. "Yeah?"
<Hey Faith,>
"Soul boy! What's the what?" Faith brightened immediately. Angel
might be over 200 years old and predominantly moody but he was on her
side.
<We've just completed some research on the artefacts. Can you
describe the one you've got?> Angel jumped straight in. Faith
frowned slightly. She could smell trouble brewing.
"Hang on a sec, I'll just go and get it," she told him. The brunette
woman moved into the kitchen and rummaged around in the pockets of
her leather jacket that she had thrown over a chair. She had managed
to spread the few belongings she possessed all over the ground floor
of Angel's mansion. "It's the same as the other one, only it's not
made of gold," she continued after retrieving the artefact. "It's
some sort of green stone. Jade maybe?" Faith suggested hesitantly.
<Jade definitely,> confirmed Angel. <There's another one of those
statuettes out there somewhere Faith, so keep your eyes open. And be
careful too. They'll want it back.>
"They? What the hell is going on big guy?" Faith was confused and
nervous now. Angel's tone when he warned her to be careful was
definitely on the more serious side.
<I'll tell you everything when we get there.>
"You're coming here? When?" Faith couldn't help but smile, until
she had a nasty afterthought. "I haven't gotta stick around here by
myself for a few days have I?"
<No, we'll be there tomorrow. Just keep your guard up for tonight.>
Faith frowned. "Don't worry soul boy, I can look after myself," she
reassured him. They exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Faith threw the
phone onto the kitchen work top and then sat down to examine the
artefact closely. It was a solid piece of jade, about 30 centimetres
tall in the shape of a rotund man. It reminded Faith of the Buddha
statues she'd seen in various shops but she'd never seen a Buddha
that was standing before. Or one with such a fierce expression
carved on it's face. It felt heavy too. Almost too heavy for it's
size. On the base were tiny runic inscriptions that meant nothing to
Faith. Perhaps Giles might have some info. The young slayer curled
her lip at the thought of meeting Buffy's friends again, yet she knew
it would be inevitable. For Angel to return to Sunnydale and expect
her to remain here could only mean that there was a massive threat to
be dealt with - one that could not be dealt with by Buffy and the
scoobs alone.
She ran a hand through her thick black mane absently as she brooded
over what she knew. When her butt started complaining about the
inactivity, she shifted, yawning in the process. The ride from LA
and her subsequent fight had taken it's toll. Deciding that the
safest place for the statuette was on her person, she tucked the jade
object back into her jacket and returned to the couch. Snuggling
down with the coat thrown over the top of her body she decided to
rest her eyes for ten minutes.
Faith rolled off the couch and was on the balls of her feet in a
crouched fighting stance before she was aware of what woke her up.
Consequently, the demon's punch swiped at empty air before landing
amongst the couch cushions.
Even as it turned to attack Faith, the young slayer whipped round in
a vicious leg swipe that floored the thing. Before it had time to
recover, she yanked the knife from its nestling place inside her
right boot and skewered the demon, ending the fight before it had
really started.
Until the second demon attacked her from behind. Fortunately, her
slayer instinct saved her again and she managed to turn a potentially
fatal blow to her head into a glancing one as she leapt to one side.
It still hurt like hell and made her ears ring. Faith shook her head
in an effort to clear it but succeeded in making herself feel more
nauseous. After that, she didn't know how she felt because her only
instinct was survival as she traded blows with her attacker. Using
her size and speed to her advantage, Faith sprinted to Angel's
weapons room, hoping that the vampire had left something for her to
use. Unfortunately it was locked and as Faith raised a leg in an
effort to kick the door down, she found herself slammed against it
instead. She grunted and realised that she must have bitten her lip
as she tasted a familiar salty iron tang in her mouth. The small
slayer spun round, leaving her elbow raised and heard a satisfying
crunch as it connected with the demon's face. It didn't slow the
thing down though and Faith felt herself flying back across the room
as the demon yanked her arm. Determined not to lose her focus
through rage, Faith stood up carefully and awaited the next attack,
her eyes darting everywhere in an effort to find anything that could
be of use to her. The demon wasted no time in closing the distance
between them. It swung wildly at her, hoping to connect a heavy blow
and down the lithe woman but Faith kept out of the way, dancing round
the thing and waiting for an opening. When the demon produced a
large curved knife, the slayer knew she was in real trouble.
Suddenly, she saw something that could be of use to her and without
making it too obvious, she manoeuvred the demon towards the
fireplace.
Her attacker was similar to the one from the cemetery, but not as
large. Unfortunately, this made him quicker and he surprised Faith
with a snake like strike with his knife. She body swerved
instinctively but winced as she felt the knife slice across the side
of her abdomen. Her side became slick and hot as blood flowed freely
from the wound. Faith dropped her shoulder and rolled across the
floor, getting to her feet right by the fireplace. The demon was on
her in an instant but the rogue slayer snatched the poking iron from
beside the fireplace and whipped it across the thing's head, bending
it with the ferocity of the blow. Faith almost dropped the implement
as the violent shock waves shuddered up her arm, but instead she
adjusted her grip slightly as the demon staggered and imbedded the
black iron poker deep into the guts of her foe. It hissed angrily as
it folded onto the floor before melting across the carpet.
Faith yanked the poker from it's resting place inside the melting
demon's guts and then searched the mansion cautiously. She kicked
herself at her own stupidity when she realised that she had left the
back door open after depositing her bike in the yard. At least she
now knew how they got in without disturbing her. After carefully
securing the property, Faith then tended her own wounds. The
incision to her abdomen was not too deep but very sore. Locating a
stash of first aid equipment, she bound the wound tightly, hoping
that her slayer powers would do the rest. The blow to her head had
produced an egg sized lump that would disappear by morning along with
the fat lip.
Finally, after checking her jacket and confirming that the artefact
was still tucked into a pocket, Faith returned to the couch and
folded herself into the corner, knowing even as she sat there, that
sleep would remain elusive for the rest of the night.
* * *
Buffy marched purposefully up to the mansion and knocked loudly on
the door before trying to push it open. Realising that it was
locked, she put her hands on her hips and waited impatiently. She
raised a clenched fist to pound the door once more when she heard
several clicks of locks and bolts being manipulated. The door was
opened fractionally and she peered into bloodshot brown eyes as Faith
looked out at her.
"Hey B, come in," Faith swung the door open and moved back into the
mansion before Buffy had the opportunity to say anything.
The blonde slayer started talking even as she entered. "Faith, this
isn't a social call. Angel rang last night and wants a meet..." She
trailed off when she saw the remains of the two demons still soaking
into the carpets. "Hmm, I think you're gonna need a professional
stain remover."
"Don't ya just hate it when they leave a mess," Faith returned as she
turned round to face Buffy.
"What happened?" Buffy put aside her contempt for the rogue slayer,
noticing the dried bloodstain on Faith's T-shirt and the bandaging
around her abdomen.
"I was stupid. Fell asleep and they jumped me. One of the fuckers
had a knife." Faith slumped into the couch. Her side hurt but it
wasn't as painful as before and she knew that her face had healed.
"You Okay?" Buffy stepped closer involuntarily. She might hate
Faith but if anyone was going to kick her ass it should be Buffy, not
some popsicle demon.
The brunette slayer smiled humourlessly at Buffy. "Five by five, B.
Didn't know you cared."
"I don't," responded Buffy instantly. "Damn, these guys mean
business. You still got the artefact?"
"Yep. It might be an idea if Giles takes a look at it," she
suggested nervously.
Buffy looked at the rogue slayer. "Definitely." Suddenly, she
remembered why she had come to the mansion in the first
place. "Giles has a magic shop now. We're meeting there at 4 p.m.
Unfortunately, Angel wants you there too, so don't be late and don't
forget to bring the artefact."
Faith rolled her eyes at Buffy's tone but just nodded. She was too
tired to enter into a verbal sparring match with the older slayer.
The lack of come back surprised Buffy. It wasn't like Faith at all
to just take an order like that.
"Buffy I gotta go into town and get some stuff for my bike and some
stuff for the fridge." Faith shuddered at the thought of going
grocery shopping but she knew that Wes would never forgive her if she
didn't have tea and milk in.
"And you're telling me because...?" Buffy trailed the question off,
shrugging her shoulders as she posed it.
"Because I didn't want you going all freaky and hunting me down,
thinking I was on the rampage or something," returned Faith
quietly. "Wouldn't want to upset the chosen *one* now, would I?"
She couldn't help the tinge of bitterness that crept into her
intonation as she muttered the last sentence.
Buffy shook her head dismissively but inside she was reeling. Faith
had never before considered anyone's point of view but her own.
Determinedly, she clamped down on her thoughts. "Fine. Do what you
want, but if I hear about any trouble whatsoever..."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Faith was furious with herself for instantly
erecting her old barriers but she just couldn't help it. Buffy got
under her skin and she just didn't know how else to handle the
situation. She needed time. Time to adjust to being here with Buffy
and all the others, and they needed time to get used to her being
here. Unfortunately, now that there was a new threat to the
Hellmouth, time was one luxury none of them had. "The magic shop got
a phone number, B?" Faith asked suddenly.
"Yeah, why?" The blonde slayer looked at Faith suspiciously.
"In case I can't find it. You haven't exactly been forward with
directions, you know."
"Sunnydale isn't a big place, Faith," retorted the older woman
sharply, but she walked into the kitchen and found a pencil and a
scrap of paper. She scribbled the number down hastily before
returning to the doorway. "It's on the table. See you at 4." With
that, she let herself out of the mansion, slamming the door shut
behind her.
To be continued.
Part Two:
Disclaimers:-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters belong to Joss
Whedon, Warner Brothers and anyone else who own them - and that does
not include me. I am making no profit from this - I'm just borrowing
them to write a story and entertain.
Author:- Steff
Information:-
This may seem a little weird but I have never watched Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. I have, however read a ton of fanfic and been
totally enthralled by it. So much so that I wanted to write a story
myself. With that in mind, I can safely say that there should be no
spoilers in here! Please remember that I have no idea about canon
though - so if I put Buffy living at home with her mum, then don't
worry about it too much. It's the characters that I'm borrowing not
the plotlines!
Having read a fair bit of fiction, I have set this approximately
three years after Faith confesses to the police in LA. I have not
included the Dawn/Glory storyline as that just confuses the hell out
of me. Any other glaring errors should just be glossed over - just
enjoy the story (I hope!)
Rating: PG-13 I think - but if anyone thinks it should be higher
let me know.
Pairing: Faith/Cordelia along with W/T A/X
Feedback: Yes please. Steff
______________________________
Buffy looked at the grim faces of her companions as they sat squashed
into their usual booth at The Bronze. She knew her face reflected
the sombre mood but she was determined that Faith would not ruin
their night out. "Just forget about her tonight. She won't be going
anywhere," she insisted.
"You hope," added Willow as she reached for her drink. She took a
sip quickly before continuing. "I'm sorry Buffy but Faith being here
is just too disturbing for me to sit back and relax."
Xander agreed though he was equally annoyed that their night out had
soured so quickly.
"Well, perhaps we should all just go home," suggested Anya. "We need
to have sex," she told Xander candidly as the others just shook their
heads.
"Perhaps Anya's right," sighed Buffy. "Well, about the first part I
mean," she qualified as she was met with four looks of astonishment
and one look of smug satisfaction from the ex vengeance
demon. "We'll just put this night out on hold for a few days. Faith
will be gone as soon as she repairs her bike and then we can all go
out without worrying what she's up to."
Tara shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She knew how deeply the
feelings ran in the group concerning Faith but the shy woman knew it
would be wrong of her to ignore what she had seen and not tell the
others. "Buffy, Faith's c-changed," she began, realising that her
stutter had returned for the first time in a long while.
The slayer narrowed her hazel eyes at the blonde witch. "Tara, you'd
see the good in Satan if you met him," she returned, hoping to stop
Tara's comments before she really began them.
Tara, however, was not fazed by the retort. "I saw her aura Buffy,"
she explained softly.
"Then she's tricked you into thinking that it's showing something
else," decided Willow. She was starting to get upset by Tara's
continued defence of the rogue slayer. "It doesn't matter what you
say, I'll never trust her."
Tara sat back slightly at the comment. Willow had meant it to be a
damnation of Faith, but the shy wiccan couldn't help but take it
personally too. "D-don't you b-believe me?"
Willow, realising that she had upset her lover, though unsure how,
closed the distance between them immediately and placed a reassuring
kiss on her lips. "It's not that, honey," she demurred
quietly. "But what you're seeing isn't Faith."
"Damn right," agreed Xander forcefully. "That bitch can't change.
And I'm not sure I'd want to know her even if she could."
Tara looked round miserably as she saw everyone else's heads nod in
agreement. "You're wrong," she told the group determinedly.
"Let's just forget about Faith," repeated Buffy, irritated at how the
dark slayer had managed to dominate the entire evening mostly without
even being present. She stood up abruptly. "I'm going on patrol."
She leant down and brushed her lips across Riley's, backing away
before he had the opportunity to deepen the embrace. He looked at
her uncomfortably but remained silent as she nodded to the others
before leaving The Bronze.
Her departure effectively broke the night up and the others went
their separate ways shortly afterwards.
As they strolled hand in hand back home, Willow mulled over Tara's
behaviour since the arrival of Faith. "Why are you defending her?"
She asked suddenly.
Tara stopped and turned toward the red haired witch. "B-b-because
she hasn't had an opportunity to defend herself yet," she replied
carefully.
"And she won't get one. She let everyone down time and again, before
she even went bad. You don't know her Tara. You don't know what
she's capable of doing."
"I saw her in the graveyard, Willow," Tara began. "I've seen the
strength she possesses. You've told me all the stories so I do know
what she's capable of. But what I saw today was not what I saw when
Faith was occupying Buffy. I know I'm not going to convince you or
anyone else Will, but at least respect my opinion."
Willow's eyes opened at the determination behind Tara's statement.
She allowed the words to sink in slowly before wrapping her arms
round her lover. "I'm sorry, Tara. I didn't mean to tell you what
to think. I just don't want you to get hurt."
Tara returned the embrace tightly before kissing Willow sensuously on
the lips. "I love you Will, and I know you want to protect me."
Willow recaptured Tara's lips, deepening the kiss. A slow moan
escaped her as they continued and she pulled away
reluctantly. "Home.....now," she gasped and tugged Tara's hand to
underline the breathless statement.
* * *
Buffy twiddled her stake in her right hand. After marching out of
The Bronze she descended on the nearest cemetery in the hope that she
could take out her frustrations on the undead. Unfortunately the
undead apparently did not want to play today and she spent a
fruitless two hours patrolling mulling over the day's events. She
was surprised at how Faith's reappearance had affected her. After
seeing Faith give herself up in LA, Buffy had determinedly set aside
her feelings for the dark slayer and allowed the well of hatred for
Faith build up and enshroud every memory of the woman. There would
be no more chances, no more opportunities for Faith to get under her
skin only for the rogue slayer to hurt her again. When she looked
up, she was surprised to find herself outside the door to her home.
The blonde slayer looked steadily at Riley as he leant against the
door.
"Wondered when you'd show," he commented softly.
"How long have you been waiting?" She asked him as she closed the
distance between them.
"I came straight here. I didn't want to miss you."
Buffy winced as they embraced. He'd been waiting for over two hours
for her, and she couldn't think of a single thing that she really
wanted to say to him.
Riley sensed her discomfort and pulled back. "We need to talk."
The blonde slayer rolled her eyes at the statement. "What about,
Riley? About you disappearing without so much as a goodbye, or your
return, without an explanation?"
"Is this what all this is about?" Riley asked, perplexed.
"Yes. No. I don't know," hedged Buffy. "What I do know is that it
just isn't the same as it was before."
"But we can make it the same," protested the tall man. He tried to
pull Buffy back into his arms but she resisted and broke free
altogether.
"Riley, you could explain everything to me a million times and it
still wouldn't be right. I just don't have the same feelings for you
anymore."
"Is there someone else?" Accused Riley, an angry edge tainting the
words.
"No. Jeez, why does there have to be someone else? Why can't it be
that I just don't love you anymore?" As soon as the words were out
of her mouth Buffy went through a myriad of emotions. She was
shocked that she had said the words so harshly and initially confused
because it wasn't what she had intended to say at all. As soon as
those thoughts were processed however, she realised that she had
uttered the truth, and unfortunately hurt Riley deeply in the process.
"So that's that then?" He made the question sound like a statement
and stepped past the small woman. "For what it's worth, Buffy, I
still love you. I just can't compete with the whole 'Slayer' thing
though, can I?"
Buffy remained silent as he stalked off, watching until he
disappeared from view. "I never wanted you to compete," she murmured
to his retreating form.
Once he was no longer visible, she let herself in and collapsed onto
the couch, content to brood over the day's events wondering if
anything else could go wrong. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted
by the harsh tones of a ringing telephone.
She picked it up halfway through the fourth ring. "Hello?"
<Hey Buffy,>
"Angel. Two conversations in one day, people will talk." Buffy
didn't mean to take her irritation out on the vampire but for the
moment he was an easy target.
<Sorry to disturb you again. But this is something you need to know.>
"Don't tell me, the world about to end again?"
<Possibly. More likely to be thrown into a torment of perpetual Hell
though,> replied the brooding vampire steadily.
"So you need my help then," sighed Buffy.
<No, actually we were going to offer our help,> returned Angel calmly.
"What?" Buffy sat up. "What are you talking about, Angel?"
<The demon that Faith chased to Sunnydale...>
"Oh God, not Faith again!" Exclaimed Buffy in exasperation.
Angel tried a second time. <The demon was just a soldier on an
errand. The artefact he held can be used to perform a summoning when
it is joined with two other artefacts. It forms part of the Varos
Triad. Now that he no longer has it, more demons will be sent to
retrieve it. Sunnydale's about to get invaded.>
"Why don't you just ring Faith and tell her to destroy the artefact?"
Asked Buffy. "No more artefact, no more triad, no more summoning."
<The artefact can't be destroyed by simple means. It can only be
destroyed when all three are bound together>
"What? That's ridiculous, and insanely unsafe."
<I have an artefact with me. Now that Faith has one, we only have
one more to find...>
"Wait a minute," interrupted the blonde slayer once again. "What do
you mean we? You got into this mess, surely you can get yourselves
out of it?"
<That demon was headed to Sunnydale for a reason, Buffy> replied
Angel, unperturbed by Buffy's rant.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she sank deeper into the couch. "When are
you getting here then?" She asked in defeat.
<Tomorrow. Can you set up a meet with the others? Early evening?>
"I take it Faith has to be involved in all of this," remarked Buffy
acidly.
<She's not the same person, Buffy. Give her a chance.>
"Oh no. She's already used up more than her fair share of chances.
If she has to be part of this, then so be it. Just don't expect any
welcoming committees for her. Well, none of the pleasant variety
anyway."
<I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy.> Angel decided not to push his luck
and hung up.
"Yeah, bye," returned Buffy into the buzzing receiver. She looked at
the handset before returning it to the cradle and pinched the bridge
of her nose. Well, it was her own fault for wondering if the day
could get any worse, she decided.
* * *
Faith threw herself onto the couch and groaned. Her jaw still hurt
and an ugly purple bruise had spread along her chin. She also had
bruised ribs and a broken knuckle but her injuries would fade and
become dull memories by the morning. She had been hungry earlier
when she arrived at the mansion but Angel's fridge had been as empty
as her stomach. Not wanting to provoke Buffy or her friends, Faith
decided to stay put and had eventually managed to persuade the local
pizza place to deliver to the mansion. The poor guy at the other end
of the phone had eventually caved in when Faith told him that she'd
serve his tongue as a topping if he didn't deliver it. Faith had
felt bad about threatening the guy but a girl had to eat. She broke
the habit of a life time and tipped the delivery boy before wolfing
down the pizza with a large bottle of Coke.
Now she felt like she was splitting at the seams but it had been
worth it.
Lying back into the couch, Faith drowsily relived the day's events,
grimacing as her memory reminded her of the reunion with Buffy and
the scoobies at the cemetery. The dark slayer almost regretted
giving chase to that damned demon. She had sought out the demon in a
deserted warehouse in LA, staking the place out after a tip off.
Faith hadn't intended fighting the thing. It had taken Angel, Gunn
and herself to down a similar demon earlier in the week. That demon
had in it's possession a small gold casting that had been of great
importance to Wesley. He had gone into research mode along with
Angel who believed the object to be of great magical value. When
Faith spotted the second demon, she had decided to report in so they
could ambush it properly, but before she got the call in, Faith
noticed that it held a similar artefact and was making plans to leave
town. After a hurried phone call to Angel, she'd jumped on her
motorbike and chased the thing all the way to Sunnydale, wondering
how the hell they hadn't been pulled by the cops during the chase.
Unfortunately Faith never managed to land anything more solid than
the odd punch as she pursued it. The demon had obviously headed to
Sunnydale for a reason. 'Probably the Hellmouth,' thought Faith
sourly. It usually was. Unfortunately, it meant that she suddenly
had a lot more to deal with than big ugly demons with wicked right
hooks.
Her cell phone buzzed and rumbled across the table. Faith looked at
it balefully as she decided whether to answer it or not. The second
time it moved, she rolled off the couch and snatched it. "Yeah?"
<Hey Faith,>
"Soul boy! What's the what?" Faith brightened immediately. Angel
might be over 200 years old and predominantly moody but he was on her
side.
<We've just completed some research on the artefacts. Can you
describe the one you've got?> Angel jumped straight in. Faith
frowned slightly. She could smell trouble brewing.
"Hang on a sec, I'll just go and get it," she told him. The brunette
woman moved into the kitchen and rummaged around in the pockets of
her leather jacket that she had thrown over a chair. She had managed
to spread the few belongings she possessed all over the ground floor
of Angel's mansion. "It's the same as the other one, only it's not
made of gold," she continued after retrieving the artefact. "It's
some sort of green stone. Jade maybe?" Faith suggested hesitantly.
<Jade definitely,> confirmed Angel. <There's another one of those
statuettes out there somewhere Faith, so keep your eyes open. And be
careful too. They'll want it back.>
"They? What the hell is going on big guy?" Faith was confused and
nervous now. Angel's tone when he warned her to be careful was
definitely on the more serious side.
<I'll tell you everything when we get there.>
"You're coming here? When?" Faith couldn't help but smile, until
she had a nasty afterthought. "I haven't gotta stick around here by
myself for a few days have I?"
<No, we'll be there tomorrow. Just keep your guard up for tonight.>
Faith frowned. "Don't worry soul boy, I can look after myself," she
reassured him. They exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Faith threw the
phone onto the kitchen work top and then sat down to examine the
artefact closely. It was a solid piece of jade, about 30 centimetres
tall in the shape of a rotund man. It reminded Faith of the Buddha
statues she'd seen in various shops but she'd never seen a Buddha
that was standing before. Or one with such a fierce expression
carved on it's face. It felt heavy too. Almost too heavy for it's
size. On the base were tiny runic inscriptions that meant nothing to
Faith. Perhaps Giles might have some info. The young slayer curled
her lip at the thought of meeting Buffy's friends again, yet she knew
it would be inevitable. For Angel to return to Sunnydale and expect
her to remain here could only mean that there was a massive threat to
be dealt with - one that could not be dealt with by Buffy and the
scoobs alone.
She ran a hand through her thick black mane absently as she brooded
over what she knew. When her butt started complaining about the
inactivity, she shifted, yawning in the process. The ride from LA
and her subsequent fight had taken it's toll. Deciding that the
safest place for the statuette was on her person, she tucked the jade
object back into her jacket and returned to the couch. Snuggling
down with the coat thrown over the top of her body she decided to
rest her eyes for ten minutes.
Faith rolled off the couch and was on the balls of her feet in a
crouched fighting stance before she was aware of what woke her up.
Consequently, the demon's punch swiped at empty air before landing
amongst the couch cushions.
Even as it turned to attack Faith, the young slayer whipped round in
a vicious leg swipe that floored the thing. Before it had time to
recover, she yanked the knife from its nestling place inside her
right boot and skewered the demon, ending the fight before it had
really started.
Until the second demon attacked her from behind. Fortunately, her
slayer instinct saved her again and she managed to turn a potentially
fatal blow to her head into a glancing one as she leapt to one side.
It still hurt like hell and made her ears ring. Faith shook her head
in an effort to clear it but succeeded in making herself feel more
nauseous. After that, she didn't know how she felt because her only
instinct was survival as she traded blows with her attacker. Using
her size and speed to her advantage, Faith sprinted to Angel's
weapons room, hoping that the vampire had left something for her to
use. Unfortunately it was locked and as Faith raised a leg in an
effort to kick the door down, she found herself slammed against it
instead. She grunted and realised that she must have bitten her lip
as she tasted a familiar salty iron tang in her mouth. The small
slayer spun round, leaving her elbow raised and heard a satisfying
crunch as it connected with the demon's face. It didn't slow the
thing down though and Faith felt herself flying back across the room
as the demon yanked her arm. Determined not to lose her focus
through rage, Faith stood up carefully and awaited the next attack,
her eyes darting everywhere in an effort to find anything that could
be of use to her. The demon wasted no time in closing the distance
between them. It swung wildly at her, hoping to connect a heavy blow
and down the lithe woman but Faith kept out of the way, dancing round
the thing and waiting for an opening. When the demon produced a
large curved knife, the slayer knew she was in real trouble.
Suddenly, she saw something that could be of use to her and without
making it too obvious, she manoeuvred the demon towards the
fireplace.
Her attacker was similar to the one from the cemetery, but not as
large. Unfortunately, this made him quicker and he surprised Faith
with a snake like strike with his knife. She body swerved
instinctively but winced as she felt the knife slice across the side
of her abdomen. Her side became slick and hot as blood flowed freely
from the wound. Faith dropped her shoulder and rolled across the
floor, getting to her feet right by the fireplace. The demon was on
her in an instant but the rogue slayer snatched the poking iron from
beside the fireplace and whipped it across the thing's head, bending
it with the ferocity of the blow. Faith almost dropped the implement
as the violent shock waves shuddered up her arm, but instead she
adjusted her grip slightly as the demon staggered and imbedded the
black iron poker deep into the guts of her foe. It hissed angrily as
it folded onto the floor before melting across the carpet.
Faith yanked the poker from it's resting place inside the melting
demon's guts and then searched the mansion cautiously. She kicked
herself at her own stupidity when she realised that she had left the
back door open after depositing her bike in the yard. At least she
now knew how they got in without disturbing her. After carefully
securing the property, Faith then tended her own wounds. The
incision to her abdomen was not too deep but very sore. Locating a
stash of first aid equipment, she bound the wound tightly, hoping
that her slayer powers would do the rest. The blow to her head had
produced an egg sized lump that would disappear by morning along with
the fat lip.
Finally, after checking her jacket and confirming that the artefact
was still tucked into a pocket, Faith returned to the couch and
folded herself into the corner, knowing even as she sat there, that
sleep would remain elusive for the rest of the night.
* * *
Buffy marched purposefully up to the mansion and knocked loudly on
the door before trying to push it open. Realising that it was
locked, she put her hands on her hips and waited impatiently. She
raised a clenched fist to pound the door once more when she heard
several clicks of locks and bolts being manipulated. The door was
opened fractionally and she peered into bloodshot brown eyes as Faith
looked out at her.
"Hey B, come in," Faith swung the door open and moved back into the
mansion before Buffy had the opportunity to say anything.
The blonde slayer started talking even as she entered. "Faith, this
isn't a social call. Angel rang last night and wants a meet..." She
trailed off when she saw the remains of the two demons still soaking
into the carpets. "Hmm, I think you're gonna need a professional
stain remover."
"Don't ya just hate it when they leave a mess," Faith returned as she
turned round to face Buffy.
"What happened?" Buffy put aside her contempt for the rogue slayer,
noticing the dried bloodstain on Faith's T-shirt and the bandaging
around her abdomen.
"I was stupid. Fell asleep and they jumped me. One of the fuckers
had a knife." Faith slumped into the couch. Her side hurt but it
wasn't as painful as before and she knew that her face had healed.
"You Okay?" Buffy stepped closer involuntarily. She might hate
Faith but if anyone was going to kick her ass it should be Buffy, not
some popsicle demon.
The brunette slayer smiled humourlessly at Buffy. "Five by five, B.
Didn't know you cared."
"I don't," responded Buffy instantly. "Damn, these guys mean
business. You still got the artefact?"
"Yep. It might be an idea if Giles takes a look at it," she
suggested nervously.
Buffy looked at the rogue slayer. "Definitely." Suddenly, she
remembered why she had come to the mansion in the first
place. "Giles has a magic shop now. We're meeting there at 4 p.m.
Unfortunately, Angel wants you there too, so don't be late and don't
forget to bring the artefact."
Faith rolled her eyes at Buffy's tone but just nodded. She was too
tired to enter into a verbal sparring match with the older slayer.
The lack of come back surprised Buffy. It wasn't like Faith at all
to just take an order like that.
"Buffy I gotta go into town and get some stuff for my bike and some
stuff for the fridge." Faith shuddered at the thought of going
grocery shopping but she knew that Wes would never forgive her if she
didn't have tea and milk in.
"And you're telling me because...?" Buffy trailed the question off,
shrugging her shoulders as she posed it.
"Because I didn't want you going all freaky and hunting me down,
thinking I was on the rampage or something," returned Faith
quietly. "Wouldn't want to upset the chosen *one* now, would I?"
She couldn't help the tinge of bitterness that crept into her
intonation as she muttered the last sentence.
Buffy shook her head dismissively but inside she was reeling. Faith
had never before considered anyone's point of view but her own.
Determinedly, she clamped down on her thoughts. "Fine. Do what you
want, but if I hear about any trouble whatsoever..."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Faith was furious with herself for instantly
erecting her old barriers but she just couldn't help it. Buffy got
under her skin and she just didn't know how else to handle the
situation. She needed time. Time to adjust to being here with Buffy
and all the others, and they needed time to get used to her being
here. Unfortunately, now that there was a new threat to the
Hellmouth, time was one luxury none of them had. "The magic shop got
a phone number, B?" Faith asked suddenly.
"Yeah, why?" The blonde slayer looked at Faith suspiciously.
"In case I can't find it. You haven't exactly been forward with
directions, you know."
"Sunnydale isn't a big place, Faith," retorted the older woman
sharply, but she walked into the kitchen and found a pencil and a
scrap of paper. She scribbled the number down hastily before
returning to the doorway. "It's on the table. See you at 4." With
that, she let herself out of the mansion, slamming the door shut
behind her.
To be continued.