Hunters In The Dark
Chapter 6
Buffy slammed her fists into the bag with a speed she’d only matched once before. Giles watched her with concern as sweat started to pour off her. The beam above the stout leather bag groaned.
“Buffy, I think that’s enough on the heavy bag,” Giles said mildly.
“Did that thought come from the same place as the one about bringing Faith here?” she asked as she whirled back to strike the bag once more.
“It’s more a concern about you pushing yourself too fast,” Giles said blandly. “It’s been all of two weeks.”
“I’m fine,” Buffy said tightly.
“Has Faith said anything?” Giles asked easily.
“To me?” Buffy asked brightly as she did a layover that ended in a kick that brought down the bag. “No. She hides from me. Just as well, too. I caught her looking at my mom’s picture and she’s been talking to Dawn. And she and Tara have been getting chummy.”
The Slayer kicked the bag on the floor across the room. Then she realized how hard she was breathing. She stretched and picked up a bottle of cool water.
“Does that bother you?” Giles asked carefully.
“Dawn’s in no shape to have Faith near her!” Buffy snarled. “She barely makes it to the couch these days. She’s too weak and tired to have Faith around.”
“And Tara?” Giles inquired softly.
“Tara is Willow’s!” Buffy snapped. “That bitch hurts either of them and I’ll-”
“Kill her?” Giles asked flatly. Buffy glared at him for a second. Then she looked down and grabbed a towel.
“Sorry about the bag,” she mumbled.
“Not as sorry as you’re going to be,” Giles said looking up at the dangling chain. “With Xander out of action for at least another six weeks it’s up to us to fix things around here. You get the bag, I’ll get the stepstool.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrol was turning out to be little more than a training session with targets that poofed. Between them the Slayers had reduced the population of vampires to a small handful. More seemed to be attracted to the Hellmouth but in smaller numbers. Even the demons were giving Sunnydale a wide berth. Tara’s magic hadn’t been needed in several days but she still came with them.
As usual Faith was silent on her way back home. Tara had given up trying to engage either in conversation around each other. When they got back to 1630 Revello Drive Tara stopped suddenly.
“Buffy, I’m s-sorry but Willow asked me for some ice cream when we came home,” Tara said apologetically. “Mind walking with me to the store?”
“Let me check on Dawn,” Buffy said with a faint smile. “Then I’ll escort you and protect the demons from you.”
“Is that how that works?” Tara smiled.
“I’ll check the manual,” Buffy said as she went inside.
In the house Dawn was dozing next to Willow as they watched the Learning Channel. Dawn woke up and smiled at her sister.
“How goes the search for electronic knowledge about koala bears?” Buffy asked lightly.
“It’s a wombat,” Dawn replied slowly.
“It is a marsupial though,” Willow pointed out.
“And it’s from Australia,” Dawn added.
“And a mammal,” Willow interjected. “So she’s not totally off base.”
“We can cut her some slack this time,” Dawn decided.
“Tough faculty here at Couch U,” Buffy complained. “Thank goodness there’s a curve.”
“What did you need besides the pop quiz on the fauna of the Southern Hemisphere?” Willow asked as Dawn stretched but did not get up.
“Just checking in,” the Slayer said with a studied nonchalance. “Tara and I are headed for the store for ice cream. If there’s finished homework the budget could be manipulated for some Rocky road.”
“We got all the math and the essay rough draft done,” Willow replied.
“Ice cream sounds good,” Dawn said with a yawn.
“We’ll be back soon,” Buffy said as she closed the weapons chest. She caught Willow’s worried frown as Dawn started to doze again. Buffy hurried out.
“…ask her,” Faith was saying as she opened the door.
“I will,” Tara said in a reassuring voice. “Good night, Faith.”
Buffy watched the dark haired Slayer brush past. With her senses she heard the muffled ‘hey’ and the basement door opening. Faith seemed to hurry into the basement again tonight. Finally she turned back to Tara and smiled as they stepped off the porch.
“So, what is this really all about?” Buffy asked with a superior smirk.
“Should I try to act like I don’t know what you’re talking about or just be amazed at your keen insight?” Tara asked with a distant smile.
“Oh, amazed, please,” Buffy answered with a chuckle. “And can I get a side of awe with it to go?”
“Gasp!” Tara said theatrically as she clutched her coat. “What insight! How can one person be so wise and wonderful?”
Buffy laughed and Tara joined her as they walked to the store. Finally Tara looked at her and sighed.
“It’s good to hear you laugh again,” she said sincerely.
“Dawn was actually interactive and did her homework,” Buffy explained. “Now if we could just figure out who sprang Warren and Andrew, get Xander’s old job back, make him all better and turn back time to when Dawn was a handful it’ll be perfect. Okay, good mood all gone now.”
“Sorry,” Tara said with a sad shrug.
“So, ask me the question Faith wants asked,” Buffy said evenly.
“Do you mind?” Tara asked carefully.
“She’s been on her best avoidance,” Buffy said thoughtfully.
“What’s wrong with Giles?” Tara asked.
“What?” Buffy said after she stopped suddenly and twirled to face Tara.
“What’s wrong with Giles?” Tara repeated with care.
“Nothing!” Buffy said more forcefully than she realized. “Where does she get off asking about that?”
“Giles is her Watcher too, at least for now,” Tara said firmly. “He’s been training as hard as either of you. There was dust on his guitar. He’s been at the house except to sleep and shower and sometimes he stays over. And then there’s the times I catch him looking a thousand miles away. Something’s getting to him, Buffy.”
“He’s fine,” Buffy said much more softly. Then she looked at Tara angrily and snapped “What’s wrong with the jailbird? Why is she always running off to the basement? Why isn’t she trying to help him?”
“She’s afraid of hurting him,” Tara explained.
“Like she did Wesley?” Buffy snapped.
“No,” Tara said tightly. “Like the woman that was killed because she tried to help her. Or someone else.”
“Who?” Buffy asked tersely.
“I don’t know,” Tara said letting out her frustration. “Something’s chewing her heart out but she won’t tell me anything about it.”
“She won’t tell you?” Buffy asked unsurely. “With all the time you’ve been spending with her?”
“Half a dozen words and a few minutes a day don’t come out to a lot,” Tara replied. “She won’t let me get too close, especially after she called me ‘Jane’ by accident.”
“You’re sure something’s wrong with her?” Buffy asked a bit too casually.
“That’s what Willow’s going to ask,” Tara said worriedly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hi,” Willow said with nerves and embarrassment warring in her voice. “Could I borrow the Slayer for a couple of moments?”
“What’s the matter?” Faith asked rolling out of her makeshift bed with feline grace. “Demon or vampire?”
“Little sister,” Willow answered with embarrassment winning out. “I kind of promised to help get her cleaned up tonight so that means the upstairs shower but it’s late and she’s tired and if Dawn misses ice cream Buffy will start to worry and so I thought lets do a shower and she can eat all wrapped up in her robe and a towel but, you know, if she gets too pooped after the stairs…”
“You trust me with her?” Faith asked timidly as she sat back on the bed. “I-I really shouldn’t get close to her. B will gut me.”
“You’d just be the transport,” Willow insisted. “Minimal contact. Back in the basement before Buffy gets home.”
“I-I don’t know,” Faith said pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them.
“Please?” Willow begged very softly.
“But-” Faith started.
“You’ll do fine,” Willow said urgently. “And it’ll mean a lot to Buffy and Dawn. Tara too. They’re worried about her.”
“Just carry Dawn upstairs and back?” Faith asked hesitantly.
“That’s all,” Willow said with a nod.
“Okay,” the Slayer said with a quiver in her voice.
The fish is hooked, Willow thought happily. Now to get her into the net without her biting chunks off the fisherperson.
Willow came up to Dawn and smiled. Faith didn’t see Dawn’s tired smirk.
“Faith’s going to get you upstairs,” Willow said gently.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Dawn said looking at Faith. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool,” Faith said with a faked brightness. “You and the couch, that would be a problem.”
Faith picked up Dawn with a look of total concentration. Willow could see her holding her breath until Dawn was balanced. The teen let her head rest against Faith’s shoulder.
“Why don’t you wear those leather pants anymore?” Dawn asked. “You looked so great in them.”
“Kind of out of my budget now,” Faith answered as they climbed the stairs.
“I wanted a pair just like yours,” Dawn admitted. “Buffy freaked.”
“If you were my little sister I’d have freaked too,” Faith said firmly. “I know how much trouble I got into with them.”
“They’d be a great excuse,” Dawn insisted sleepily.
“You don’t need excuses,” Faith said suddenly serious. “They just mess you up. Never make an excuse, Dawn. Never. You’re responsible for your actions.”
“I know,” Dawn said as Faith let her down at the bathroom. “I, well, I really got stupid and went klepto and hurt a lot of people who trusted me. It was my fault.”
Faith just looked at her for a moment. Then she smiled at the girl and patted her shoulder.
“Growing up sucks sometimes,” the Slayer said with a crooked smile. “Don’t use all the hot water.”
Dawn just rolled her eyes as she closed the door. Faith smiled wistfully for a few seconds then she stepped away from the door. She seemed to tense up, and Willow thought she looked like she was going to run away and never stop.
“Thanks,” the healing witch said sincerely.
“No prob,” Faith replied quickly. “She’s a great kid. What’s wrong with her?”
“We don’t know,” Willow answered dejectedly. “She told Tara she felt something was missing. Nothing shows up on a spell or a medical test.”
“Damn, Red,” Faith said looking at Willow with frightened eyes.
“It’ll be okay,” Willow promised.
“I shouldn’t be here,” Faith said as she edged for the stairs.
“It’s not your fault,” Willow said calmly. “I know. There’s a whole lot of things that aren’t your fault.”
“How?” Faith asked as she stopped edging away.
“I did some stupid stuff, nearly got everybody killed or worse,” Willow admitted raggedly. “But I didn’t get Xander or Buffy shot and…other stuff. But it took Tara a week to get me to see it.”
“Why are you doing this, Red?” Faith asked uncomfortably. “After everything I’ve done?”
“Turned yourself in and took responsibility for what you did?” Willow asked quietly. “Or the coming here when all the chips were down and we didn’t have any back up?”
“It wasn’t what I thought,” the Slayer said looking at the floor.
“Coming here?” Willow asked trying to draw out the dark haired girl.
“The Watchers tried to kill me,” Faith whispered. “They turned loose a couple of vamps in the cell one night after lights out.”
“And you thought Giles-?” Willow couldn’t complete the sentence.
“I forgot about the G-man,” Faith said with a shrug as she looked at the carpet. “I thought I was just going to get to die free.”
Faith looked up and Willow saw the sincerity in those dark eyes. The hallway seemed narrow and confining as Willow took a big breath.
“And that’s all you wanted,” the witch said as she realized the truth.
“After I hit Juanita, yeah,” faith replied looking down again.
“Juanita?” Willow asked weakly.
“When you found out about how you felt about Tara, what happened?” Faith asked earnestly.
“It just seemed right,” Willow said with a distant smile. “I freaked a bit, then I thought of giving her up and freaked a lot. It was just right.”
“Yeah, but did you know suddenly you were gay?” Faith asked quickly. “I mean, did you start seeing other girls only as cute or did you still look at a guy’s ass and compare?”
“I guess I kind of noticed other girls, but mostly I just noticed Tara,” Willow said carefully. “I’d look at another girl and go ‘wow’ and then I’d look some more and try to turn her into Tara in my mind to make the girl perfect and then I’d think of Tara and realize I was late for class or on the wrong street or something.”
“You’re all sappy for Tara goodness,” Faith said with a smile. Then the smile fled and the hard young woman started to cry. “You see, it was weird. There was this girl who didn’t buy the bitch thing and talked to me and I, I started to not be a bitch around her. I started to listen to what other people were saying. Doc Jane, Jane Wanatabe even got me into therapy sessions after Juanita came along.”
“She sounds great,” willow said with a hint of worry as Faith’s expression darkened. “Maybe you’re just reaching out and she was there for you. Don’t worry about being gay or straight, just accept two people tried to make something wonderful happen in very hard place.”
“Yeah, fucking wonderful,” Faith snarled. “A couple of nights after I shared a cell with two vamps I see Jane in front of my cell. Only she’s not there. A voice tells me she’s going to die. I try to get through the door and she screams it’s a trap and tells me to get back.”
“What happened?” Willow asked with a flutter in her gut.
“I froze for a split second, the door flared purple and it felt like I was being torn in half,” Faith explained with clenched teeth. “I woke up a few minutes later. Next day my appointment is cancelled and I get grilled about wanting Doc Jane dead.”
“Oh goddess,” Willow whispered. “That doesn’t sound like the Watchers though.”
“I guess Wolfram and Hart wanted something from me for their money,” Faith said through sudden tears. “I figured anybody close to me would get killed so I went to Juanita and…she was smiling at me when I hit her. I called her a lying cunt and I hit every guard that showed up. I got solitary.”
“’Cause no one would hurt her then,” Willow said tightly.
“Tell me I did the right thing,” Faith whispered as her frame was racked with sobs. “Please.”
Willow reached out hesitantly at first. She saw how Faith leaned toward her without seeming to move. Willow took the sobbing girl into her arms and tried to find words. Suddenly she realized the shower had stopped. The door opened a fraction and Faith straightened up.
“Stupid towels,” Dawn grumbled loudly as she carefully didn’t look at Faith. She wrapped the towel again and Willow saw her wrinkly fingers. “Is going back down okay now?”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffy looked up at the few stars she could see in the glare of the streetlights. Tara followed her gaze.
“I can’t do it,” Buffy said sadly. “I just got him back.”
“He needs us,” Tara insisted.
Buffy looked down again and stared at the sliver of light from the training room in the back of the Magic Box. Her Slayer hearing told her the heavy bag was getting a hard, skilled workout. She heard Giles labored breath as he pounded the bag. Buffy took a deep breath and reached for Tara’s hand without looking. The witch closed her hand around Buffy’s briefly. The smaller woman stood straight, stepped to the doorway and entered.
“I think the bag’s sorry for whatever it did,” she quipped with a forced lightness.
“What are you doing out this late?” Giles demanded as he wiped sweat from his face. The girls could see him try to steady his breathing.
“Wondering why somebody’s breaking the equipment,” Buffy answered steadily.
“Training is important for a Watcher too,” Giles said quickly though slightly out of breath. “I’m just doing it now because I don’t want to interfere with your schedule.”
“So this has nothing to do with being Mr. Zoned or working long hours and not getting enough sleep?” Buffy asked meeting Giles’ eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about of course,” Giles said turning away and grabbing a towel.
“Faith’s noticed it too,” Tara said softly.
“I am bloody fine!” Giles snapped.
Both women just looked at him silently. He sat down and lowered his face to his hands. Buffy glanced at Tara with a frightened look. The witch nodded to Giles’ side. Tara took a step forward as Buffy sat beside Giles. Without a word she put an arm on his shoulder and leaned against him. Giles looked at her.
“Sorry,” he said distantly.
“Too long at the abyss and too many monsters will do that to you,” Buffy said tiredly. Giles looked at her quizzically. “Hey, I went to college, at least for a little while.”
“I’ll be all right,” Giles said in a placating tone.
“When?” Buffy asked pointedly. “Giles, please, let me help. I’m frightened when I see you like this.”
“You should be,” he answered tightly as he stood up. “There’s things I’ve done, things I don’t want you to be any part of, that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.”
“You’re part of me,” Buffy insisted as she stood beside him. “Good or bad I need you Giles, all of you, even Ripper and the crazy man who went after Warren.”
“And the cold hearted bastard that killed Ben?” Giles asked harshly meeting her gaze. “The one who choked the life out of a wounded man?”
Buffy looked at him in silence. Tara remembered the final part of that terrible night. She looked at the two of them and could not find any words to help.
“Yes,” Buffy finally said with a quiet intensity that filled that one word to the limit.
Giles turned away from her. Buffy reached out and took his hand in silence. For a second he looked away, then he turned to her and swept her up in an embrace as strong as a drowning man’s. Buffy shifted her position ever so slightly and let him lean on her.
Tara brushed away her tears as she stood nearby.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I didn’t know Giles had a refrigerator in the Magic Box,” Buffy said as she juggled the very cold sack back and forth.
“It’s for the fresh newt eyes mostly,” Tara explained. “And Giles has the clotted cream for his scones, of course.”
“I can do without ice cream,” Buffy said with a frown.
“The clotted cream isn’t that bad,” Tara said seriously.
Buffy just shook her head. As they got close to the Summers home she stopped and turned to Tara.
“Thanks,” she said very softly. “For everything.”
“Faith really did notice,” Tara answered just as softly.
“First?” Buffy asked evenly. Then she smiled. “It’s rough seeing her, but I’ll manage.”
“I-I know,” Tara said quickly.
“With help,” Buffy added rolling her eyes.
“I know,” Tara answered with a shy grin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Thanks,” Dawn said as Faith reached the landing.
“Anytime, squirt-” Faith’s reply stopped as she saw Buffy and Tara at the door. Buffy looked at her with an expression beyond understanding. The small blonde woman held out her hand as Faith set Dawn down on her feet. She looked at Faith.
“Did she use the old Slayer as pack mule ploy?” Buffy asked with a very small smile.
“That was me,” Willow said hurriedly.
“Fine,” Buffy said sternly. “Her ice cream comes out of your share.”
“I should get downstairs,” Faith said shakily as she took a step away from the group.
“We’ve got plenty,” Buffy said quickly. “Classic chocolate and Rocky Road.”
“I-,” Faith shrugged helplessly and took another step.
“Stay,” Dawn said in a tone more soothing and calm than her years as she held out her hand. “Please?”
Faith had a very small scoop and sat on the very edge of the couch, but she stayed.
********************************************************************************
“The basement is ready for you,” Xander’s father said as he rocked back and forth on his feet.
“I’m going back to my place,” Xander said calmly.
“Dear, do what your father wants,” Mrs. Harris chimed in. “We just want what’s best for you.”
“Fine,” Xander said with a smile. “Bring my stuff over the apartment.”
“You need care things done, boy,” the older Harris said darkly. “That weirdo girlfriend gonna be up to real help or those rug munchers you hang out with gonna come by when you need something? Those freaks hate men. Face the music, boy. Your job is gone, you can’t lift so much as a bowling ball without those stitches snapping and you’re gonna be helpless for weeks. You’re fucked up.”
“That’s why I’m going home,” Xander said as his stomach roiled. For a moment he was eight again. Then Anya knocked on the door and smiled at his father.
“Hi!” she said with a smile. “The weirdo’s here for her fella.”
“We don’t want you here,” Mrs. Harris snapped.
“Fine,” Xander said as he smiled at Anya. “Turn off the lights when you leave, Mom. I’m going home.”
“What about your family?” his father roared.
“I’m going to be a burden for a while,” Xander said with a sigh as he stood up for a moment to get into the wheelchair Anya was pushing. “But you know what, we’ll deal. It’s what we do. You okay driving one of these things, An?”
“Trust me,” she said with a chuckle.
“God help me, but I do,” Xander said as he caught her hand and pulled her, very carefully, close enough to kiss.
*************************************************************************
“This is insane!” a man with rolled up sleeves and his tie askew bellowed at a seated older man behind a desk.
“And I say the best relay would be in Damascus,” Warren sneered. “I kind of think I know what I’m doing.”
The hard eyed man behind the desk looked at his “in-house” expert and the consultant that had already made an impressive array of replacements for his severed hand. The robot between them was, he knew, not the real thing but he still wondered if it would breathe if he watched closely enough. Nothing else had even come close.
“What’s the range?” the senior man asked calmly.
“Seven hundred klicks,” Warren replied quickly. “There’s other things that can affect it. Look up the Sunnydale file your database-oh, sorry. It’s been deleted.”
“I was following orders!” the disheveled man snapped. “All of the Initiative’s data was-”
“Enough,” the older man said firmly. He picked up a phone. “Mrs. Peterson, get Mr. Meers and his associate up to date on their shots for Syria and the region.”
“We’ll regret this, sir,” the technician warned. “I want it in writing that I’m opposed to this.”
“Noted, Carruthers,” the older man said. “Now get the Saddambot crated up.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Well?” Andrew asked eagerly as Warren pushed a small button on his silvery hand.
“Damn it, remember we’re bugged here!” Warren hissed. “Don’t talk until I say it’s clear. These bastards don’t trust us as far as they can throw us. Are you sure about this guy in Damascus?”
Andrew didn’t say anything. Warren rolled his eyes.
“It’s clear,” he fumed. “What about this sorcerer?”
“Jonathon found out about him in a magic usenet thread,” Andrew answered.
“Bastard,” Warren growled.
“Yeah,” Andrew chimed in. “State’s evidence. No felony charges for that sellout wimp.”
“We’ll deal with him later,” Warren promised. “What about the magic guy?”
“Jonathon was afraid of his rep,” Andrew said haughtily. “Said he did black magic only. Heavy old fashioned stuff with blood and bones.”
“Sounds like just what we’ll need for our homecoming,” Warren said with a cold grin.
***********************************************************************************
It was warm and her belly was full. She fell asleep as her mother cleaned her.
To Be Continued
by jixer » Tue May 06, 2003 12:08 am 
FAITH?! 
Lots of twists in this fic.
Nice ending for Amy too. 
I just hope I can do Faith true to the Season 4 version and move her along my way. I gave up on AtS and BtVS before she showed up again, so my Faith is going her own way.
Pout. No more tight leather pants? Oh come on.... just one pair? Please? It could be lots of fun..... 
Isn't she cute?
. I love how you’ve gotten into MKF’s head; she IS a cat and you’re writing her as a CAT with cat motivations. And you’re doing it very well.
& 
have got 
, and then squished, even better 
