Unficathon #2
Sep. 10th, 2005 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bigsciencybrainTitle: Consequences
For: Settiai
Request: What-if? Buffy didn't return to Sunnydale after the Acathla incident.
Characters: Faith, Angel, Wesley.
Things to have: Mention of Mayor Wilkins, a meeting in the library.
No: character death, graphic sex/violence.
Note: I was aiming for subtle. A quiet way to show that a very different dynamic might have formed without Buffy in Sunnydale. Just a snapshot into that different world, never meant to answer too many questions or be comprehensive. So…sorry if it’s boring!
Disclaimer: I own nothing! They're not mine!
“Faith, NO!”
Angel knew it was too late before the last echo of the words left his lips. Hundreds of years of blood and death made the scent of mortality and approaching death as familiar as the smell of freshly cut grass or falling rain. He watched Faith pull the stake away, eyes wide with shock as she backed away. There was nothing he could do for the dying man so he turned to Faith.
“I didn’t…I didn’t know. I didn’t know!” The level of panic in her voice increased with each syllable.
“Faith.” He took hold of her shoulders. “Look at me. Look at me!” With effort, she dragged her gaze away from the man on the ground. Angel could hear him convulsing, the blood bubbling in his throat. “Keep your eyes on me, Faith. I’m right here, stay with me.”
“We should go.” She was looking at him without seeing anything at all, beginning to twist in his grip. “I have to go…let me go!”
“Faith!” He shook her once, hard. “Keep it together! We’re going to walk out of this alley and we’re going to get to the warehouse. We still have a job to do tonight and we’re going to do it. Are you with me?”
She nodded dumbly and allowed him to lead her along the side of the alleyway, keeping to the shadows along the wall. His grip was tight enough to be uncomfortable but the risk of her turning rabbit was too great. If he lost her now, she might be lost to them forever. They rounded the corner and were spotted by an anxious Xander crouched behind a packing pallet.
“Angel!” He hissed, motioning for them to hurry. “They got Giles! And the other guy but really, who’s gonna miss him?”
Angel kept his eyes on the doorway to the warehouse. “Did you see how many there were?”
“Half a dozen maybe, I was more with the hiding than the counting.” Xander glanced back at Faith. “You okay there, Slayer? Usually the thousand-yard stare is reserved for chem class.”
She started at the sound of his voice and pushed past them. “Let’s get in and get gone.”
Catching her before she headed into the warehouse, Angel gave her a meaningful look and dropped his voice low enough to avoid Xander hearing him. “Use it. Channel into something else or you won’t be walking out of here. Everything you’re feeling right now…use it.”
She didn’t give him any indication that his words sunk in before she disappeared through the doorway. He gave her the head start and gave Xander a withering look that meant he should stay in the alley.
“I’ll just watch the door. Make sure no more of those sword guys show up.” He laughed nervously and retreated to his hiding place.
Angel stepped into the warehouse where Balthazar was screaming for the man who had his amulet and Wesley was too busy pleading for his life to notice. He stepped up, eyes on the stake clenched in Faith’s hand. “His name is Angel.”
The rest of the fight was a blur of swords, dust, and bellowing from the fat demon in the vat. Faith managed to electrocute Balthazar with an electrical cable and just when he thought the creature had stopped sizzling, the disgusting mouth opened and gave them the proverbial cryptic warning. He moved closer to Faith, both to protect her and to prevent her from disappearing into the night.
“Slayer, you think you’ve won. When he rises…you’ll wish I’d killed you all.” Breath wheezed through his throat and his last gasp faded to silence.
The warning made Angel uneasy. There would be time to investigate later and from the expression on Giles’ face, he knew the research had already begun. He kept one hand on Faith’s arm, lightly this time but still present. Everything else became background noise as the group filtered away to continue with the rest of their night. What was left of it. Sirens wailed in the distance as they exited the alley and Faith’s shoulders immediately tensed.
She resisted when he steered her toward the mansion but only for a moment. By the time their walk was over, she was as jumpy as a spooked cat and chose to pace in front of the fireplace rather than sit down. Every word he said now could make a world of difference in how she chose to handle the blood on her hands. She suddenly noticed the stains on her t-shirt and yanked at the hem.
“Get it off! Get it away from me!” She twisted around, pulling the cloth away from her skin violently. The fabric ripped at the seams across her shoulders and kept going.
He caught her hands, “Faith!”
“You can’t tell anyone. Angel, it wasn’t my fault. He came out of nowhere!”
“We’re not going to tell anyone until you’re ready.”
She wrenched her hands out of his grip and finished tearing her shirt away from her skin, hurling it into the fire and wrapping her arms tightly across her bare chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“When you’re ready.”
“There’s nothing wrong.” She snapped over her shoulder. “I was just doing my job, remember? Slayer. It’s what I do.”
“It doesn’t give you license to kill human beings.”
“So one gets thrown into the mix? What’s the big?”
When she moved away from the fireplace, he shrugged off his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders. “This doesn’t sound like you.”
“Well, maybe it is!” She rounded on him, knuckles white as she clutched the jacket. “Maybe you and Giles and all your My Fair Lady crap is just a show. You can dress me up all you want but I’m still who I am.”
“People can change.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.” She returned to pacing. “Maybe I like the way I am. Without the stupid training and the stupid classes.”
“Faith.”
“I’m not Buffy!” The shout reverberated in the stone room. “She’s not even here and it’s like her ghost follows me around. Everything I do gets compared to her. Would she have done what I did tonight? Would she have killed that guy?”
“We know you’re not Buffy.”
“Answer the question.” She ground out bitterly.
“I don’t know, Faith. Buffy made her share of mistakes,” Angel moved to cut off her pacing route. “But no one knows what anyone else would have done in that alley and it doesn’t matter. All that matters is what did happen and what happens now. What you choose to do now.”
She wavered. Just for a second. But a second was all he needed to meet her gaze and keep her focused. Tears filled her eyes but didn’t spill over, her bottom lip trembling barely enough to be noticeable. He waited, afraid to hope that she would crack enough for him to get through to her. More afraid that he would lose this window and watch her slip back into the Slayer she had been. He had to try, he owed her that much. She and the rest of the gang had brought him back from an animal state when they should have turned him into dust. Once he returned to sanity, Giles had enlisted his help in bringing order to the chaotic life Faith was leading; it was partly to repay that debt and partly because he had chosen to help the Slayer. Regardless of who the Slayer was.
Her face turned stony as she retreated further into his jacket and curled into the corner of the couch. There was nothing he could now but wait. He took a seat at the other end and settled in to watch the fire.
“Do you remember…” her voice trailed off for a moment, as though she was unsure how to form the question. “When I found you in the woods. That night.”
“I surprised you didn’t stake me.” He smiled.
“I almost did.”
“What stopped you?”
She shook her head slowly. “Don’t know. Didn’t realize you were a vamp, I guess. That irony thing.”
“Missed the fangs and the snarling?”
“Hardly.” She rolled her eyes and curled tighter into the couch. “I think Giles wanted to dust you though. Not sure why he didn’t.”
Angel didn’t have that answer, only the most vague of guesses that it had something to do with Buffy. Giles had been unable to find her despite abandoning his post as Watcher to continue his search. After zombies had invaded Joyce Summers’s home she had left Sunnydale as well and the hope the Buffy would return had begun to fade. Giles bought Joyce’s home, promising to contact her should Buffy ever return, and had begun to move on with his life. Faith’s arrival in town two steps ahead of Kakistos and with little more than the clothes on her back had given Giles a new purpose. It had been slow, frustrating work to get past her defense mechanisms and steady the volatile Slayer.
Now there was a new Watcher who didn’t understand how to handle Faith and human blood on her hands. All of their careful work, convincing her to make another attempt at public education and the strides they’d made in her training, hung in the balance.
“Can you?” She fiddled with the edge of the jacket. “Can I have some time? Alone.”
“Of course.” Angel was afraid to say no. “I’d like to stop by Giles’s, ask him a few questions.”
“Thanks. I just…need to think.”
“Just don’t leave without letting me know where you’re going.” He kept his eyes on her as he stood up.
“Right, right.” She didn’t look up and he knew she’d be out the door as soon as he was gone. All he could do now was believe that she had truly changed.
He left her curled up on the couch, wrapped in his jacket, and hurried through the streets toward the old Summers house. There were only a few more hours of darkness and then he’d be stuck underground. The windows were dark on Revello Drive, a single lamp burning in the living room. That meant Giles was out and that meant the high school. He cut through backyards and the park, moving fast to minimize the amount of time he was away from Faith. There were voices in the library when he entered and light coming from Giles’s office. He approached the door quietly and waited for a break in the conversation.
“There was nothing, Giles. No files at all. Completely empty filing cabinets. And the computer? Wiped clean.” Willow’s hair swung back and forth as she shook her head.
“Yes, thank you, Willow. I appreciate you taking the risk.” Giles was preoccupied as he turned this new information over in his head. When Wesley cleared his throat, Giles grudgingly acknowledged him. “Thank you for accompanying Willow. I’m sure you were invaluable protection.” Willow stifled a laugh.
“Think nothing of it, Mr. Giles. Now, am I correct in assuming that you are thinking the missing files might be connected with the Deputy Mayor’s murder?” Wesley fiddled with his tie, seemingly unable to decide if he should remove it or leave it on.
“Wouldn’t that mean that…well…that someone higher up than the Deputy Mayor cleaned out his files? Cause that really only leaves one person.” Willow’s brow furrowed with concern.
“It would imply that the Mayor could be involved. He would be the most likely person to have access to the Deputy Mayor’s office. Or to want him dead and all traces erased.”
“We do know there’s someone pulling the strings.” Angel stepped into the office and the conversation. “Maybe now we know who.”
“Angel!” Wesley stood up straighter, still uneasy with the idea of working with a vampire.
“It’s a disturbing possibility. I don’t suppose either you or Faith saw anything unusual tonight?” Giles asked.
“Just the usual.” He noticed the muted TV in the corner and the news reporter silently repeating the breaking headline. The flashing lights in the background illuminated the dark body bag as it was strapped to a stretcher and taken away.
“Well, there’s very little we can do right now. Perhaps you and Faith could investigate the Deputy Mayor’s murder. It might give us more information.”
“Excellent idea.” Wesley agreed quickly. “We shouldn’t be too hasty in accusing the Mayor of Sunnydale before we have proof.”
“We’ll look into it.” Angel promised.
“Very good. I believe that’s all we can do tonight.” Giles glanced around. “Where is Faith?”
“She wanted to do a quick sweep to see if there were any more Eliminati. She’ll be back before dawn.” He felt uneasy with the lie but didn’t see any way around it until Faith was ready to face what had happened.
“I do wish she wouldn’t stay out so late on a school night.” Giles checked his watch with a tired sigh.
“Don’t worry, Giles. No tests or quizzes tomorrow, I’ve got her back.” Willow gathered up a stack of notebooks and headed toward the door. “I’m going to head home.”
“I’ll walk you.” Angel cut Wesley off before he could offer to escort her. “I’m headed that way.”
“Thanks.” Willow smiled brightly. “Guess there’s going to be a meeting tomorrow to discuss stuff?”
Giles nodded with a small smile, “Of course. Get some rest, Willow.”
It was a relief to leave the library and get back out into the night air. He half listened to Willow as she rambled on about school and the latest magic spell she was working on. The sound of her voice was comforting; he just hoped she wouldn’t expect him to remember what she was saying. His mind was on Faith and whether or not he would find her when he returned to the mansion.
###
There was no vertigo, no unease at being so high up above the alley. The people looked smaller and the voices were muted. Faith could almost believe it wasn’t actually real, just a movie she was watching or a bad dream. She shivered inside the baggy t-shirt and rubbed her arms. It was Angel’s and draped over her like a tent but it was better than being half naked.
The body bag was lifted off the ground and swallowed up into the back of the ambulance. No more sirens. The silence was worse than the hideous shrieking of the emergency vehicles. There were men in uniform and even after the body was gone, the alley still hummed with activity.
She watched, unable to pull her eyes away but unable to comprehend what she was seeing. It was garishly surreal. Her fingers worried at the crumbling mortar between the bricks of the roof edge, tracing and retracing the grooves without thought. Where had he come from? Why had he been in the alley late at night? There had been vampires, Eliminati, and it had happened so quickly. An arm, a body hitting the dumpster, and then the blood.
The scene played over and over in her mind. Fast forward, rewind, pause. Had she known? Had there been a moment, an instant in the confusion where she had known it wasn’t just another vamp? Her arm had followed that same arc more times than she could count. It was second nature now, instinct that kicked in with no though required. Had she been aware but unable to stop her arm in time? The details began to blur in her memory even as she tried to focus on them.
Dawn washed the sky with pale pink by the time the alley finally emptied and Faith was left staring at a chalk outline and yellow tape. She uncurled her stiff legs and crept silently down the fire escape. The bottom of the alley was still hidden in shadow and the chalk lines didn’t seem any more real up close than they had far away. Clean white against dirty black. There was less blood than she thought there should be; most of it had soaked his clothing.
“What do I do now?” She whispered to the alley, to the chalk outline of the man she had killed, possibly to his blood on the ground. She didn’t expect an answer, not even in Sunnydale, the capitol of weird. If anyone found out, would she end up in jail? What would happen to her?
She pulled away from the blood and started walking. It didn’t matter where she was headed, she just needed to get moving. One foot after another until she was as far away from the alley as she could get without hopping a freighter and disappearing completely. For a second she considered the idea. She’d been on her own before Sunnydale and she could it again. No friends, no home, no bed waiting for her at the end of patrol. She could do without that, she didn’t need any of it.
Her feet found their way to Revello Drive. There was still a light on in the living room and she could see Giles asleep on the couch. Her stomach growled a reminder that she hadn’t eaten in hours.
Tired and hungry, she slipped inside quietly and crept into the kitchen. There was leftover pizza in the fridge. Cold and stale, it was better than nothing. A can of soda to wash down the pepperoni and she was set. The kitchen had been straightened and dishes had been washed. She stopped eating to look around. It was the nicest kitchen she’d ever had and the nicest home she’d ever known.
Pizza stuck in her throat uncomfortably. She threw the rest of the slice in the garbage and left the soda on the counter. It was a good home meant for a good person, not a murderer.
The floor in the entryway creaked tiredly but didn’t wake Giles up. Awkwardly unfolding one of the woven throws, she draped it gently over him and gathered up the mugs on the coffee table. The least she could do before she left was clean up the place a bit.
“Faith?” Giles squinted at her and fumbled for his glasses. “Is it morning already? You’re going to be late for school.”
“Whoa, whoa. Easy there, Giles. Still have a few hours before I have to catch the school bus.” She sat down on the corner of the coffee table, shifting books to clear a space. “You have a book report due tomorrow or something?”
“I was trying to find a connection between the demons we’ve seen in the last months.” He adjusted his glasses and sat up stiffly. “We have reason to believe that a murder, the Deputy Mayor was killed early this morning, is a piece of something larger. Possibly the Mayor himself is involved. We’ve known that someone is summoning unusual demons, paying Ethan Rayne to make mischief, among other things.”
Faith’s throat was dry when she tried to speak. “The Deputy Mayor?”
“His body was found in an alley not far from Balthazar’s warehouse. Stabbed through the heart. He could have been in league with Balthazar. I suggested to Angel that the two of you look into it. We saw the police lights after we left the warehouse and decided to investigate. Willow offered to venture into City Hall and found that his office had been stripped clean. You know, that cloaking spell she’s developed is quite amazing.”
“What…what was his name?” She hoped he didn’t notice the hitch in her voice.
“Finch, I believe. Allan Finch. It’s probably on the morning news if you’re interested.” He took a good look at her for the first time. “Are you all right? You look quite tired, Faith.”
“Long night. Those demons just don’t know when to let a girl get her beauty sleep.”
He nodded with understanding. “Why don’t you sleep in? Willow said there was nothing important today. In your classes. And I’m sure someone will let you make a copy of their notes.”
“I’ll get on that.” She smiled tiredly. “Look, Giles, I mean…I just wanted. I’ve never really had anyone who gave a rat’s ass about me. So thanks. For caring, I guess.”
“You’re welcome, Faith.” He returned the smile.
“I know I’m not Buffy and I’ll never be what she was…to you or any of the gang. There’s stuff there that I can’t even understand. About what you guys went through.” She dropped her eyes uncomfortably and focused on the mugs in her hands.
“Are you sure you’re all right? Did something happen?” He tipped his head to the side and watched her carefully.
“Giles…I…I don’t know what to do.” The room blurred as tears filled her eyes. “It was dark and I didn’t see him. He came out of nowhere and I…I didn’t know. There’s always a vamp jumping out at me. I didn’t, I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“Faith?”
“I can’t go to jail, Giles!” She brushed the tears away furiously. “I can’t! I’ll go nuts in a cell. I don’t know what to do.”
Finally understanding what she was telling him, Giles carefully took the mugs out of her hands and set them back on the coffee table. “Try to calm down, Faith.”
“You have to believe me! I didn’t know who he was. Or what.”
“I believe you.” His expression was serious but his voice stayed calm and gentle. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. There are several options.”
“Options that don’t involve twenty to life?” Faith sniffed quietly.
“The Council will investigate and decide if punishment is needed. But turning you over to the legal system is just one of the possible outcomes and it will be a last resort. You are the Slayer and you are needed out in the world.”
“The Council?” She adamantly shook her head at the idea. “A bunch of tweed Wesley’s are going to decide what to do with me? I’m screwed, Giles.”
“They’re not all like Wesley.”
“Probably worse.” Folding her arms tightly, she continued shaking her head. “No. Rather take my chances with boys in blue.”
“It’s not as dire as you think.”
“How can it not be? I killed a man. A human man. There was blood, Giles. And I…I can’t breathe.” It felt as though steel bands had wrapped around her chest.
Giles remained silent for several long moments before he pushed aside the blanket and stood up. “I’m going to make tea and then you need to get some rest. We don’t need to rush into anything.”
“Giles?”
“No one else needs to know right now, Faith. I don’t believe Wesley is prepared to handle this and the others can be told when the time is right.” He placed his hand on her shoulder as he stood up and gave her a comforting smile. “We’ll get through this, Faith. I promise.”
She nodded numbly; afraid her voice would tremble if she tried to speak. Once he was gone, she moved to the couch and pulled the throw over her body. She wished she could hide under the blanket and make the world go away. Settling for closing her eyes as tightly as she could, she burrowed further into the couch cushions and before the kettle had started whistling, she was asleep.
For: Settiai
Request: What-if? Buffy didn't return to Sunnydale after the Acathla incident.
Characters: Faith, Angel, Wesley.
Things to have: Mention of Mayor Wilkins, a meeting in the library.
No: character death, graphic sex/violence.
Note: I was aiming for subtle. A quiet way to show that a very different dynamic might have formed without Buffy in Sunnydale. Just a snapshot into that different world, never meant to answer too many questions or be comprehensive. So…sorry if it’s boring!
Disclaimer: I own nothing! They're not mine!
“Faith, NO!”
Angel knew it was too late before the last echo of the words left his lips. Hundreds of years of blood and death made the scent of mortality and approaching death as familiar as the smell of freshly cut grass or falling rain. He watched Faith pull the stake away, eyes wide with shock as she backed away. There was nothing he could do for the dying man so he turned to Faith.
“I didn’t…I didn’t know. I didn’t know!” The level of panic in her voice increased with each syllable.
“Faith.” He took hold of her shoulders. “Look at me. Look at me!” With effort, she dragged her gaze away from the man on the ground. Angel could hear him convulsing, the blood bubbling in his throat. “Keep your eyes on me, Faith. I’m right here, stay with me.”
“We should go.” She was looking at him without seeing anything at all, beginning to twist in his grip. “I have to go…let me go!”
“Faith!” He shook her once, hard. “Keep it together! We’re going to walk out of this alley and we’re going to get to the warehouse. We still have a job to do tonight and we’re going to do it. Are you with me?”
She nodded dumbly and allowed him to lead her along the side of the alleyway, keeping to the shadows along the wall. His grip was tight enough to be uncomfortable but the risk of her turning rabbit was too great. If he lost her now, she might be lost to them forever. They rounded the corner and were spotted by an anxious Xander crouched behind a packing pallet.
“Angel!” He hissed, motioning for them to hurry. “They got Giles! And the other guy but really, who’s gonna miss him?”
Angel kept his eyes on the doorway to the warehouse. “Did you see how many there were?”
“Half a dozen maybe, I was more with the hiding than the counting.” Xander glanced back at Faith. “You okay there, Slayer? Usually the thousand-yard stare is reserved for chem class.”
She started at the sound of his voice and pushed past them. “Let’s get in and get gone.”
Catching her before she headed into the warehouse, Angel gave her a meaningful look and dropped his voice low enough to avoid Xander hearing him. “Use it. Channel into something else or you won’t be walking out of here. Everything you’re feeling right now…use it.”
She didn’t give him any indication that his words sunk in before she disappeared through the doorway. He gave her the head start and gave Xander a withering look that meant he should stay in the alley.
“I’ll just watch the door. Make sure no more of those sword guys show up.” He laughed nervously and retreated to his hiding place.
Angel stepped into the warehouse where Balthazar was screaming for the man who had his amulet and Wesley was too busy pleading for his life to notice. He stepped up, eyes on the stake clenched in Faith’s hand. “His name is Angel.”
The rest of the fight was a blur of swords, dust, and bellowing from the fat demon in the vat. Faith managed to electrocute Balthazar with an electrical cable and just when he thought the creature had stopped sizzling, the disgusting mouth opened and gave them the proverbial cryptic warning. He moved closer to Faith, both to protect her and to prevent her from disappearing into the night.
“Slayer, you think you’ve won. When he rises…you’ll wish I’d killed you all.” Breath wheezed through his throat and his last gasp faded to silence.
The warning made Angel uneasy. There would be time to investigate later and from the expression on Giles’ face, he knew the research had already begun. He kept one hand on Faith’s arm, lightly this time but still present. Everything else became background noise as the group filtered away to continue with the rest of their night. What was left of it. Sirens wailed in the distance as they exited the alley and Faith’s shoulders immediately tensed.
She resisted when he steered her toward the mansion but only for a moment. By the time their walk was over, she was as jumpy as a spooked cat and chose to pace in front of the fireplace rather than sit down. Every word he said now could make a world of difference in how she chose to handle the blood on her hands. She suddenly noticed the stains on her t-shirt and yanked at the hem.
“Get it off! Get it away from me!” She twisted around, pulling the cloth away from her skin violently. The fabric ripped at the seams across her shoulders and kept going.
He caught her hands, “Faith!”
“You can’t tell anyone. Angel, it wasn’t my fault. He came out of nowhere!”
“We’re not going to tell anyone until you’re ready.”
She wrenched her hands out of his grip and finished tearing her shirt away from her skin, hurling it into the fire and wrapping her arms tightly across her bare chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“When you’re ready.”
“There’s nothing wrong.” She snapped over her shoulder. “I was just doing my job, remember? Slayer. It’s what I do.”
“It doesn’t give you license to kill human beings.”
“So one gets thrown into the mix? What’s the big?”
When she moved away from the fireplace, he shrugged off his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders. “This doesn’t sound like you.”
“Well, maybe it is!” She rounded on him, knuckles white as she clutched the jacket. “Maybe you and Giles and all your My Fair Lady crap is just a show. You can dress me up all you want but I’m still who I am.”
“People can change.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.” She returned to pacing. “Maybe I like the way I am. Without the stupid training and the stupid classes.”
“Faith.”
“I’m not Buffy!” The shout reverberated in the stone room. “She’s not even here and it’s like her ghost follows me around. Everything I do gets compared to her. Would she have done what I did tonight? Would she have killed that guy?”
“We know you’re not Buffy.”
“Answer the question.” She ground out bitterly.
“I don’t know, Faith. Buffy made her share of mistakes,” Angel moved to cut off her pacing route. “But no one knows what anyone else would have done in that alley and it doesn’t matter. All that matters is what did happen and what happens now. What you choose to do now.”
She wavered. Just for a second. But a second was all he needed to meet her gaze and keep her focused. Tears filled her eyes but didn’t spill over, her bottom lip trembling barely enough to be noticeable. He waited, afraid to hope that she would crack enough for him to get through to her. More afraid that he would lose this window and watch her slip back into the Slayer she had been. He had to try, he owed her that much. She and the rest of the gang had brought him back from an animal state when they should have turned him into dust. Once he returned to sanity, Giles had enlisted his help in bringing order to the chaotic life Faith was leading; it was partly to repay that debt and partly because he had chosen to help the Slayer. Regardless of who the Slayer was.
Her face turned stony as she retreated further into his jacket and curled into the corner of the couch. There was nothing he could now but wait. He took a seat at the other end and settled in to watch the fire.
“Do you remember…” her voice trailed off for a moment, as though she was unsure how to form the question. “When I found you in the woods. That night.”
“I surprised you didn’t stake me.” He smiled.
“I almost did.”
“What stopped you?”
She shook her head slowly. “Don’t know. Didn’t realize you were a vamp, I guess. That irony thing.”
“Missed the fangs and the snarling?”
“Hardly.” She rolled her eyes and curled tighter into the couch. “I think Giles wanted to dust you though. Not sure why he didn’t.”
Angel didn’t have that answer, only the most vague of guesses that it had something to do with Buffy. Giles had been unable to find her despite abandoning his post as Watcher to continue his search. After zombies had invaded Joyce Summers’s home she had left Sunnydale as well and the hope the Buffy would return had begun to fade. Giles bought Joyce’s home, promising to contact her should Buffy ever return, and had begun to move on with his life. Faith’s arrival in town two steps ahead of Kakistos and with little more than the clothes on her back had given Giles a new purpose. It had been slow, frustrating work to get past her defense mechanisms and steady the volatile Slayer.
Now there was a new Watcher who didn’t understand how to handle Faith and human blood on her hands. All of their careful work, convincing her to make another attempt at public education and the strides they’d made in her training, hung in the balance.
“Can you?” She fiddled with the edge of the jacket. “Can I have some time? Alone.”
“Of course.” Angel was afraid to say no. “I’d like to stop by Giles’s, ask him a few questions.”
“Thanks. I just…need to think.”
“Just don’t leave without letting me know where you’re going.” He kept his eyes on her as he stood up.
“Right, right.” She didn’t look up and he knew she’d be out the door as soon as he was gone. All he could do now was believe that she had truly changed.
He left her curled up on the couch, wrapped in his jacket, and hurried through the streets toward the old Summers house. There were only a few more hours of darkness and then he’d be stuck underground. The windows were dark on Revello Drive, a single lamp burning in the living room. That meant Giles was out and that meant the high school. He cut through backyards and the park, moving fast to minimize the amount of time he was away from Faith. There were voices in the library when he entered and light coming from Giles’s office. He approached the door quietly and waited for a break in the conversation.
“There was nothing, Giles. No files at all. Completely empty filing cabinets. And the computer? Wiped clean.” Willow’s hair swung back and forth as she shook her head.
“Yes, thank you, Willow. I appreciate you taking the risk.” Giles was preoccupied as he turned this new information over in his head. When Wesley cleared his throat, Giles grudgingly acknowledged him. “Thank you for accompanying Willow. I’m sure you were invaluable protection.” Willow stifled a laugh.
“Think nothing of it, Mr. Giles. Now, am I correct in assuming that you are thinking the missing files might be connected with the Deputy Mayor’s murder?” Wesley fiddled with his tie, seemingly unable to decide if he should remove it or leave it on.
“Wouldn’t that mean that…well…that someone higher up than the Deputy Mayor cleaned out his files? Cause that really only leaves one person.” Willow’s brow furrowed with concern.
“It would imply that the Mayor could be involved. He would be the most likely person to have access to the Deputy Mayor’s office. Or to want him dead and all traces erased.”
“We do know there’s someone pulling the strings.” Angel stepped into the office and the conversation. “Maybe now we know who.”
“Angel!” Wesley stood up straighter, still uneasy with the idea of working with a vampire.
“It’s a disturbing possibility. I don’t suppose either you or Faith saw anything unusual tonight?” Giles asked.
“Just the usual.” He noticed the muted TV in the corner and the news reporter silently repeating the breaking headline. The flashing lights in the background illuminated the dark body bag as it was strapped to a stretcher and taken away.
“Well, there’s very little we can do right now. Perhaps you and Faith could investigate the Deputy Mayor’s murder. It might give us more information.”
“Excellent idea.” Wesley agreed quickly. “We shouldn’t be too hasty in accusing the Mayor of Sunnydale before we have proof.”
“We’ll look into it.” Angel promised.
“Very good. I believe that’s all we can do tonight.” Giles glanced around. “Where is Faith?”
“She wanted to do a quick sweep to see if there were any more Eliminati. She’ll be back before dawn.” He felt uneasy with the lie but didn’t see any way around it until Faith was ready to face what had happened.
“I do wish she wouldn’t stay out so late on a school night.” Giles checked his watch with a tired sigh.
“Don’t worry, Giles. No tests or quizzes tomorrow, I’ve got her back.” Willow gathered up a stack of notebooks and headed toward the door. “I’m going to head home.”
“I’ll walk you.” Angel cut Wesley off before he could offer to escort her. “I’m headed that way.”
“Thanks.” Willow smiled brightly. “Guess there’s going to be a meeting tomorrow to discuss stuff?”
Giles nodded with a small smile, “Of course. Get some rest, Willow.”
It was a relief to leave the library and get back out into the night air. He half listened to Willow as she rambled on about school and the latest magic spell she was working on. The sound of her voice was comforting; he just hoped she wouldn’t expect him to remember what she was saying. His mind was on Faith and whether or not he would find her when he returned to the mansion.
There was no vertigo, no unease at being so high up above the alley. The people looked smaller and the voices were muted. Faith could almost believe it wasn’t actually real, just a movie she was watching or a bad dream. She shivered inside the baggy t-shirt and rubbed her arms. It was Angel’s and draped over her like a tent but it was better than being half naked.
The body bag was lifted off the ground and swallowed up into the back of the ambulance. No more sirens. The silence was worse than the hideous shrieking of the emergency vehicles. There were men in uniform and even after the body was gone, the alley still hummed with activity.
She watched, unable to pull her eyes away but unable to comprehend what she was seeing. It was garishly surreal. Her fingers worried at the crumbling mortar between the bricks of the roof edge, tracing and retracing the grooves without thought. Where had he come from? Why had he been in the alley late at night? There had been vampires, Eliminati, and it had happened so quickly. An arm, a body hitting the dumpster, and then the blood.
The scene played over and over in her mind. Fast forward, rewind, pause. Had she known? Had there been a moment, an instant in the confusion where she had known it wasn’t just another vamp? Her arm had followed that same arc more times than she could count. It was second nature now, instinct that kicked in with no though required. Had she been aware but unable to stop her arm in time? The details began to blur in her memory even as she tried to focus on them.
Dawn washed the sky with pale pink by the time the alley finally emptied and Faith was left staring at a chalk outline and yellow tape. She uncurled her stiff legs and crept silently down the fire escape. The bottom of the alley was still hidden in shadow and the chalk lines didn’t seem any more real up close than they had far away. Clean white against dirty black. There was less blood than she thought there should be; most of it had soaked his clothing.
“What do I do now?” She whispered to the alley, to the chalk outline of the man she had killed, possibly to his blood on the ground. She didn’t expect an answer, not even in Sunnydale, the capitol of weird. If anyone found out, would she end up in jail? What would happen to her?
She pulled away from the blood and started walking. It didn’t matter where she was headed, she just needed to get moving. One foot after another until she was as far away from the alley as she could get without hopping a freighter and disappearing completely. For a second she considered the idea. She’d been on her own before Sunnydale and she could it again. No friends, no home, no bed waiting for her at the end of patrol. She could do without that, she didn’t need any of it.
Her feet found their way to Revello Drive. There was still a light on in the living room and she could see Giles asleep on the couch. Her stomach growled a reminder that she hadn’t eaten in hours.
Tired and hungry, she slipped inside quietly and crept into the kitchen. There was leftover pizza in the fridge. Cold and stale, it was better than nothing. A can of soda to wash down the pepperoni and she was set. The kitchen had been straightened and dishes had been washed. She stopped eating to look around. It was the nicest kitchen she’d ever had and the nicest home she’d ever known.
Pizza stuck in her throat uncomfortably. She threw the rest of the slice in the garbage and left the soda on the counter. It was a good home meant for a good person, not a murderer.
The floor in the entryway creaked tiredly but didn’t wake Giles up. Awkwardly unfolding one of the woven throws, she draped it gently over him and gathered up the mugs on the coffee table. The least she could do before she left was clean up the place a bit.
“Faith?” Giles squinted at her and fumbled for his glasses. “Is it morning already? You’re going to be late for school.”
“Whoa, whoa. Easy there, Giles. Still have a few hours before I have to catch the school bus.” She sat down on the corner of the coffee table, shifting books to clear a space. “You have a book report due tomorrow or something?”
“I was trying to find a connection between the demons we’ve seen in the last months.” He adjusted his glasses and sat up stiffly. “We have reason to believe that a murder, the Deputy Mayor was killed early this morning, is a piece of something larger. Possibly the Mayor himself is involved. We’ve known that someone is summoning unusual demons, paying Ethan Rayne to make mischief, among other things.”
Faith’s throat was dry when she tried to speak. “The Deputy Mayor?”
“His body was found in an alley not far from Balthazar’s warehouse. Stabbed through the heart. He could have been in league with Balthazar. I suggested to Angel that the two of you look into it. We saw the police lights after we left the warehouse and decided to investigate. Willow offered to venture into City Hall and found that his office had been stripped clean. You know, that cloaking spell she’s developed is quite amazing.”
“What…what was his name?” She hoped he didn’t notice the hitch in her voice.
“Finch, I believe. Allan Finch. It’s probably on the morning news if you’re interested.” He took a good look at her for the first time. “Are you all right? You look quite tired, Faith.”
“Long night. Those demons just don’t know when to let a girl get her beauty sleep.”
He nodded with understanding. “Why don’t you sleep in? Willow said there was nothing important today. In your classes. And I’m sure someone will let you make a copy of their notes.”
“I’ll get on that.” She smiled tiredly. “Look, Giles, I mean…I just wanted. I’ve never really had anyone who gave a rat’s ass about me. So thanks. For caring, I guess.”
“You’re welcome, Faith.” He returned the smile.
“I know I’m not Buffy and I’ll never be what she was…to you or any of the gang. There’s stuff there that I can’t even understand. About what you guys went through.” She dropped her eyes uncomfortably and focused on the mugs in her hands.
“Are you sure you’re all right? Did something happen?” He tipped his head to the side and watched her carefully.
“Giles…I…I don’t know what to do.” The room blurred as tears filled her eyes. “It was dark and I didn’t see him. He came out of nowhere and I…I didn’t know. There’s always a vamp jumping out at me. I didn’t, I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“Faith?”
“I can’t go to jail, Giles!” She brushed the tears away furiously. “I can’t! I’ll go nuts in a cell. I don’t know what to do.”
Finally understanding what she was telling him, Giles carefully took the mugs out of her hands and set them back on the coffee table. “Try to calm down, Faith.”
“You have to believe me! I didn’t know who he was. Or what.”
“I believe you.” His expression was serious but his voice stayed calm and gentle. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. There are several options.”
“Options that don’t involve twenty to life?” Faith sniffed quietly.
“The Council will investigate and decide if punishment is needed. But turning you over to the legal system is just one of the possible outcomes and it will be a last resort. You are the Slayer and you are needed out in the world.”
“The Council?” She adamantly shook her head at the idea. “A bunch of tweed Wesley’s are going to decide what to do with me? I’m screwed, Giles.”
“They’re not all like Wesley.”
“Probably worse.” Folding her arms tightly, she continued shaking her head. “No. Rather take my chances with boys in blue.”
“It’s not as dire as you think.”
“How can it not be? I killed a man. A human man. There was blood, Giles. And I…I can’t breathe.” It felt as though steel bands had wrapped around her chest.
Giles remained silent for several long moments before he pushed aside the blanket and stood up. “I’m going to make tea and then you need to get some rest. We don’t need to rush into anything.”
“Giles?”
“No one else needs to know right now, Faith. I don’t believe Wesley is prepared to handle this and the others can be told when the time is right.” He placed his hand on her shoulder as he stood up and gave her a comforting smile. “We’ll get through this, Faith. I promise.”
She nodded numbly; afraid her voice would tremble if she tried to speak. Once he was gone, she moved to the couch and pulled the throw over her body. She wished she could hide under the blanket and make the world go away. Settling for closing her eyes as tightly as she could, she burrowed further into the couch cushions and before the kettle had started whistling, she was asleep.
