Disclaimers: Joss and his Mutants
own all the BTVS characters contained in this fic, not me.
Me: I own all the others.
Title: Comes from 'Nostrum'
a poem by Anonymous Writer, thank you.
Dedication: To all those who
have stuck with me through SDV and SDC. You rock.
Romans 3: 23
"...all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God."
SDTR V - I've Created
A Thousand Piece Jigsaw, But The Important Parts Are Missing
Oh, I can hear her again, those nasty, icky thoughts,
crawling through my head.
But I'm the Devil and I don't care.
Oh, fuck it; I do care!
Damn, double damn and crappy, freaky triple damn.
Time to see the girls then.
Buffy's POV
'Dis, what do we do? I mean, should we be all
holdy down or, just leave her like that?'
I need to do something!
Faith's been thrashing round in her sleep for
ten whole, yikesy minutes and it's making me shake.
Shaking and Buffy isn't good, makes my palms
sweat, and that's not good either, no good, nope.
'Talk to her or something, maybe... don't touch
her though. Look she's slowing down. Talk to her.'
I crawl up on the bed, but keep a safe distance,
because if she connects with one of those arms she'll break my nose, and I like
my nose.
'Dis can you get her something to drink, and
maybe some stuff to change her into, like sweats?'
'She doesn't have anything that's not tight,
shit. I got some sweats in the car, I'll be back!'
'Faith? Are you ok in there? Dis says I need
to talk to you. So, um, wow, you'd think I could just babble on, but I don't
know what to talk about. I could tell you about Dawn, she knows about us properly,
we had a talk earlier and she said, and I so don't believe it, but
she said she's happy for us. Oh, and she's not going to tell mom. So. That's
sort of that. Um, mom said she likes you, well, we know she likes you,
but she thought you were funny. Not funny in a weird way, funny in that you
made her laugh. She likes Dis to, she said 'the pair of them were very polite.'
and all the time I keep remembering your feet under the table, being naughty.
You only swore once, and it was a silent one, so I don't think it counts. See,
you're all peaceful again. It worked, I bored you to sleep. I should go to the
inventors guild and patent my babble. I'd be a trillionaire from people with
insomnia.'
She rolls onto her side, towards me, and her
face is all wet again.
I don't know how more times I can see her like
this, before I start to lose it a bit to.
Then her eyes open slowly, but as soon as she
sees me she flies back, into the corner.
She's even scared of me?
Faith isn't scared of anyone.
What happened?!
'Faith, look, it's me, Buffy. I'm not going to
hurt you.'
Then she blinks a few times and recognises me,
relaxing a little.
'I had a. Dream.'
'You're awake now. What did you dream about?'
She runs her hands up her arms.
'My skins crawling. I need to have a shower.
Need to wash it off.'
Hmm, maybe a showers an ok idea.
What does she mean; wash it off?
I feel goosebumbs all over my arms, then over
all my body.
I don't understand, not really.
'Faith, why do you need to wash it off?'
'All over me, can feel it, all over me, crawling
on me, on my skin, under it. Under my skin, in my head and I can't get it out.
Everywhere, everywhere, you're... This is a trick, you're trying to trick
me again! You're not gonna, I'm not gonna let you, not again, you're not having
me, you hear me? I'm free now, I'm not yours! You hurt me, you hurt
me and I'm gonna hurt you, you hear me? I'm gonna kill you! I'm Faith and
I'm gonna kill you!
She flies at me, screaming!
Then two hands stop her dead, holding her still.
Dis!
I look round and see... Lucy?!
Lucy's POV
'I'm gonna kill you, you hurt me, me, me,
Faith, you fucker, get off me, get your fuckin' hands off me, I'm Faith and
I'm strong now, I'm a Slayer and I'm gonna kill you! Rip you in two, you're
not taking me again, not me, not now, I'm not letting you!'
And everyone thinks I have shitty timing!
I hold on to her and pull her into me, tight.
'You can't hurt me now, you're trying to
trick me, you're not her, you're not B, she loves me, she wouldn't hurt me.
Please, don't, NO, you're not her!'
Oh, she's a fighter!
I'm going to have to try for her soul again.
Maybe a convertible, a condo and a villa
in Italy?
I'll get Bee to draw up some more forms, for
when she's better.
I feel her slowing down, slightly, panting, in
my hold.
'You... let her go! What are you doing here?!'
'Saving your ass, Summers, now go away and leave
us alone.
'I'm not leaving you...'
'I could flash you out of here, but I'm asking.
GO, NOW!'
'No, you're the Devil, I'm not leaving you with
my girlfriend!'
'Listen to me Blondie... Faith, calm
down! You want to be left with her like this? No, didn't think so. Go. Away!'
Well, seems like she has half a brain because
she's actually going.
Surprised, have to admit.
'I'm listening at the door, so... no, funny business.
And don't make her sign any forms! I'm calling Elle, just to make sure!'
'Big woo; Go!'
The door shuts and we're alone.
'Faith, I know you can hear me because
I can hear you. Now listen to me. You're letting him win, you know
that don't you. Do you want him to win? He's winning, he's taking you away,
Faith. Taking you away. Now listen to my voice, good. You're not there anymore.
I know it feels like it but...'
A flash; crap.
'Lucy, what are you doing? Put her down!'
'Elle, shut up, for once, just shut up. And if
you spout anymore non-interference crap to me I'm going to tell everyone that
we dated. Good.'
Damn, this isn't working.
Wow, what a little tiger she is, all muscley
and fierce!
I put my fingers on her temple; now do I remember
how to do this?
I haven't had to silence someone's mind, temporarily
or not, in generations.
I always get Bee to do that sort of thing.
'Calm, Faith, calm.'
And she does, somewhat.
Well, I'm not in danger of getting my Karen Millen
dress trashed anymore.
I lie her down on the bed, and move away, quickly.
Don't want a punch in the face at this point,
it'd ruin my looks for my meeting in half an hour.
'Lucy, you know we're not meant to help her.'
'Elle, I'm the Devil and you're God, really,
who's going to pull us up on it? Exactly! No one. No one even has to know about
this. We won't help her much, just this once. I could hear her, what was in
her head. Could you, or did you conveniently block it out?'
Oh, hit a nerve did I?
Good!
You need to find out that you've actually got
some.
'I had to, I couldn't listen to it, I couldn't.
Don't look at me like that! I don't want to risk her destiny if she can't get
over this herself. I'm thinking of her!'
'Oh it looks it. I'm sure Faith appreciates it
right now, while she's got that night on loop in her head. I'm sure she wants
to give you a big kiss for your standards.'
Here we go again, as if she's really going to
start crying.
Oh, she is.
'Elle, are you crying? I didn't know you could
do that. Do you need some Evening Primrose?'
With that she flashes away.
Ooo, does that mean I can cry to?
Have to give that one a go next time I get a
ticket for double parking outside her office.
Oh well, back to the business in hand.
I'll just die if word gets round about
me doing this!
Buffy's POV
Right, I'm counting to ten and then I'm going
in.
You know what?
I'm going in now!
I push the door open and Lucy's lying on the
bed, next to Faith.
'... and so the demon says 'No, it was on the
other claw, with the nun's head!' So, not that funny. I have others, but I think
we're trying to keep you sane for now. Ahh, blondie, you're back. You want to
take over now?'
'What did you do to her?!'
'Saved her and helped you. Breathe a word of
this and I'll rip your throat out. Ta ta!'
Damn, she scorched the bedsheets!
I crawl over to where Faith's lying, and stroke
her hair.
She likes this, me stroking her hair, says it
makes her feel calm; well she said "chills me the fuck out", but that's her
way of saying it's nice.
'Faith? It's me, I'm back, Buffy, me. Dis is
outside getting you a drink, even though she wanted to bust in here and be nasty
to Lucy, but, well, maybe she's not all that bad after all.'
'I'm tired.'
'Close your eyes and try and get some rest, I'll
stay with you, I won't leave.'
'I don't want to sleep.'
'You have to rest. I'll stay here.'
'I don't want to close my eyes.'
'Ok, you don't have to. You don't have to sleep,
not if you don't want to. It's all up to you. You're in charge, Faith, you're
in charge.'
She slowly turns her head, looking me right in
the eyes.
'No, I'm not.'