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Time and Time Again.
Author: Citanul
Feedback: Be kind, rewind? Seriously though all feedback is welcome.
Spoilers: Just about all of them. Go watch the show. And Angel too. Also Agents of Shield a little bit. You know what, if a name you don’t recognize pops up most of the time you can find dozens of pages of character bio if you type that name and the word comics into Wikipedia. It’s almost scary how much page space comic book fans have taken up on that site.
Rating: NC-17 = Smutty smut smut smut. Seriously though they make love quite often.
Pairings: W/T, B/F, G/J, D/J, F/G, A/?, X/C (X/A in half the worlds.) D/C (Though not till they’re older and even then maybe not so much with the graphic detail.)
Disclaimer: You all know I don’t own the rights to characters you’ve seen on TV.
Summary: A story of reincarnation and interdimensional travel made possible through the power of love. What misfortunes will our two favorite love birds be able to prevent with the aid of experience from countless past lives?
Author’s Note: Okay so for this one take the trigger warning I gave for the last Buffyverse chapter and ratchet it up to eleven. The issue of abusive relationships comes up often and it comes up hard in this chapter. If you've been keeping track you probably know about which episode we are on.
With that out of the way here is an almost Ozless Oz episode from season three.
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Chapter 25: The Beast Within
On the windswept slopes of the Himalayas a young man toiled away the hours. With hoe and trowel he tilled the soil. Seeding the field with crops that would feed the small monastery he now called home. He marveled at how his life had changed so radically in only a few short months.
“Oz?” A voice from behind drew his attention. The young werewolf turned and smiled at the girl who seemed to go out of her way to make him feel at home in a strange and foreign land.
“Oh hey.” Oz greeted the olive skinned girl with a slight smile.
“I brought you some tea.” She said as she held up a thermos. “And something special I’d been saving.”
“Very thoughtful of you Bay.” Oz replied with another smile.
“You know, I never really thanked you. For coming here, and doing everything you could to help.” Bay explained as she pulled out a small box of animal crackers and handed them to the young man.
“Ooh, no please don’t.” Oz said in a self deprecating way as he took the box and opened it. “I don’t do thanks. I get all red, have to bail. It’s not pretty.”
“Well then forget, the thing.” Bay quickly tried to backtrack.
“Oh look! Monkey.” Oz exclaimed as he pulled out one cracker and held it up for the girl to see. “And he has a little hat. And little pants.”
“Yes, I see.” Bay laughed politely at the boy’s odd change in topic.
“The Monkey’s the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes. You know that?” Oz asked his friend as the two of them began to walk back up the slope to the monastery. Bay laughed joyfully, unable to repress the smile the young man put on her face.
“You have the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.” Oz said causing her to look up and their eyes to meet for a moment that seemed to drag on.
“So I’m wondering,” Oz went on after they were done staring into each other’s eyes, “do the other cookie animals feel sorta ripped? Like is the Hippo going, ‘Hey man, where are my pants? I have my Hippo dignity.” Bay laughed once more as they walked.
“And you know the Monkey’s just like ‘I mock you with my monkey pants.’ And there’s a big coup in the zoo.” Oz went on in a disgruntled French accent while handing Bay a cookie.
“The Monkey is French?” Bay asked with genuine curiosity.
“All monkeys are French.” Oz assured her. “Did you know that?”
“No.” She answered with another laugh and a smile.
The laughter of the two young werewolves carried down the slope of the mountain. It was an unusually joyful sign for the small monastery. For it proved love blossomed even in the harshest of environments.
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“Nice place.” Faith said as she and her girl strolled through one of the nicer of Sunnydale’s many cemeteries. “You ever catch kids doin’ the diddy out here B?”
“No Honey.” Buffy replied with an exasperated sigh. “You know everyone goes for that smooch spot up by the woods.”
“Gotcha. This is where all the adults go to screw then.” Faith concluded.
“Eww, no!” The blonde Slayer shot back with a mix of disgust and amusement. “Faith, what’s with you and all this secret public sex stuff?”
“Ain’t no thang B.” Faith replied with a coy smirk as she cozied up to her girl. “I just figured since my girl enjoyed my little stunt in the Bronze so much I better get the low down on other spots I could claim with her.”
For a tantalizing moment Buffy wanted nothing more than to take Faith up on her ribald offer. The way the brunette’s hands trailed around her waist and cupped her ass almost took her breath away. The way she nuzzled into Buffy’s neck excited the blonde to no end.
But they had just started patrolling and Buffy knew they had to get in at least one more sweep before even thinking about enjoying themselves.
“Down girl.” Buffy said in a breathy voice as she gently pushed Faith’s hips away from hers.
“Can’t blame a girl for tryin’.” Faith moaned as she resumed walking at her girl’s side. “I know I ain’t the only one in this relationship feelin’ that good down low tickle.”
“Yeah, okay, I do too.” Buffy admitted with a shy blush as she absentmindedly took Faith’s hand. “Sometimes I can’t believe how great this feels. Even when things were just starting out with Angel a part of me was holding back. I always thought it was because he was some kind of hell beast.”
“All men are beasts Buffy.” Faith stated without the slightest hint of sarcasm.
“Okay.” Buffy said in a mildly surprised tone. “I was hoping to not get that cynical until I was at least forty.”
“It’s not cynical, I mean it’s realistic.” Faith protested in a knowing voice. “Every guy from Manimal down to Mr. I love the English Patient has beast in ‘em.”
Buffy looked to the brunette with a surprised frown. Part of the Slayer couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Another part of her knew there was a very specific reason her girl felt this way. Buffy resolved to be there for her girl when the truth finally came out.
“I don’t care how sensitive they act. They’re all still just in it for the chase.”
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“You’re girlfriend’s right Buff.” Xander said with just the slightest hint of irony. “As a practicing fella myself, I can say that we are in fact all in it for the chase.”
“Very funny Xand.” Buffy deadpanned.
“But true.” Faith added as they walked up the staircase in the high school courtyard. The Slayer was about to say something more when an unwanted interruption barged into their conversation.
“Hey Buffy!” A young man called as he came running up to the trio of Scoobies. “That’s what I stopped you for basically. Hey.”
“Okay.” Buffy replied with a confused frown. “Hey.”
“Scott right?” Xander asked as he noticed the particularly vicious glare Faith was directing at the young man.
“Yeah. Scott Hope.” He said with a quick nod. “Buffy and I have English this year.”
“We do?” Buffy asked as a blonde with a dark haired boy’s arm draped over her shoulder came up behind Scott.
“Hey Debbie. Pete.” Xander greeted the pair in the hopes that other witnesses would derail the blatantly territorial fight that Faith was about to start.
“Hi Harris.” Debbie said as she clutched a handful of flowers in one hand. “You having as much trouble with senior bio as I am?”
“No. I’m finding I can sleep through it just fine.” The young man assured her as the Slayers shared a laugh.
“Lucky.” Debbie moaned with a sarcastic huff. “The teacher says I have ‘success issues’ and has me seeing Mr. Platt twice a week.”
“The guidance counselor guy?” Faith asked. “I gotta see him in,” she quickly grabbed Xander’s arm and checked his watch, “shit! Gotta run B. Catch ya later.” The brunette said as she took a moment to run her hand up and down her girl’s arm.
“Okay Faith.” Buffy said with a pleasant smile that confirmed all of the other Slayer’s fears. While Buffy was definitely still Faith’s girl she was also completely oblivious to the overt signs Scott was throwing her way.
“Good luck.” Debbie told the brunette just as she ran off. “Platt totally creeps me out.”
“Yeah, I don’t trust shrinks all that much.” Buffy admitted as she watched her girl disappear around the corner. “Those are pretty flowers Debbie.” She said as she tried to distract her worries over Faith with whatever reason that caused Scott and his friends to come talk to her.
“Thanks.” Debbie said as she glanced towards Pete with a smile. “Pete bought them for me.”
“Yeah, well I, I’m sure your boyfriend does that kind of stuff for you too Buffy.” Pete said in a casually dismissive tone.
“Oh I’m not.” Buffy began.
“Seeing someone?” Scott asked with a hopeful smile as Xander started to snicker.
“No, I.” Buffy tried again only to be interrupted by the bell. “I have to go now.”
“See you guys around.” Xander said as he walked off with Buffy.
“What the frilly heck was all that about?” Buffy asked Xander in a hushed whisper as they rounded the corner.
“You don’t even want to know Buff.” Xander replied with an amused grin.
“Scott, buddy.” Pete said as they watched the two Scoobies depart. “You have the weirdest taste in chicks man.”
“At least she doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Scott replied in a cheerfully oblivious tone.
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“And you’re both certain this was the work of another student?” Giles asked as he set his glasses down on the library’s central table and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“We’re certain Giles.” Willow promised the librarian.
“What are we certain about?” Buffy called out as she and Xander walked into the library and saw both of their witchy friends talking to the distraught watcher.
“Some very ghastly business I’m afraid.” Giles muttered as he looked up towards his charge. “There was a murder last night. A male student was found in the woods.”
“Which student?” Xander asked as he noticed all the humor drain from the petite blonde at his side. It was clear that the Slayer was taking over for the rest of this meeting.
“Jeff Walkin.” Giles said.
“What killed him?” Buffy asked in a cold voice.
“I’m afraid he was terribly mauled.” Giles went on. “Willow and Tara were just filling me in on the most likely of suspects. A student at this very school.”
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“Two O’clock!” The guidance counselor behind the desk called out as Faith slipped into the small office. She looked up and noticed his chair was facing the rear windows on the far side of the room while a lit cigarette was held lightly in his left hand. “Ms. Lehane.”
“What’s up doc?” Faith asked as she walked up to the man’s desk and flopped down in one of the chairs in front of it. “You mind putting that thing out chief? I’m tryin’ like hell to quit.”
“Really?” Stephen Platt asked as he took one last drag before swiveling around in his chair and snuffing out the cigarette in the ashtray on his desk. “I bet there’s a story there.”
“Nah big guy. Not too keen on sharin’ all my baggage with another counselor. Got too much of that in the system.” Faith replied with an almost condescending tone. “I ain’t exactly lookin’ to make friends in here.”
“We’re not gonna be friends.” Mr. Platt told the Slayer with a calm smile. “You have friends already. I hope.”
“I mean friends are a good thing. They like you. Agree with you. Tell you what you want to hear.” As he spoke he pulled a small canister of air freshener out of his desk and popped the lid. “That’s not what you need right now. What you need is a trained, not too crazy, professional who will always give you his honest opinion.” Towards the end of his speech Mr. Platt raised the air freshener and let out just enough to almost mask the remnants of cigarette smoke lingering in the air around him.
“Which I offer.” He said with another calm and reassuring smile.
“Not too crazy?” Faith asked with a skeptical smirk. “Should I be worried here?”
“Look, Faith.” The man said as he stood and walked around his desk to sit on the front edge. “Any person, grown up, shrink, pope. Any person who claims to be totally sane is either lying or not very bright. I mean everyone has problems. Everybody has demons, right?”
“Five by five on that one.” Faith muttered as she looked down at her hands.
“Excellent.” Platt replied. “So the hope I bring you is, demons can be fought. People can change. You can change.”
As he spoke Faith looked up once more and almost smiled at his pitch. For the first time in a long time she let herself hope it wasn’t just another lie one more authority figure was trained to tell her.
“Now, your turn.” Platt continued. “Let’s start with why you ran away.”
“Oh yeah, start with the longest story I got right off the bat.” Faith grumbled. “We gonna be here all day.”
“Uh huh. Bore me.” He told the Slayer as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Nah, I’m over all that jazz.” Faith told him with a casual smirk. “Moved back in with my family. Even started dating this real muffin.”
“All good things.” Platt agreed. “But still you’re, you’re bringing me in at the end of the movie.”
“Okay.” Faith said with a forlorn sigh. “So I spent every day since I came to this town hung up on this person. I mean I went everywhere with them. And everybody we know was all like. ‘Oh Faith, give them time.’ ‘They ain’t ready and shit.’ But I’m thinkin’ like ‘how long do I gotta wait?’ So one night we kissed.”
“And he didn’t return you feelings?” Platt asked.
“Somethin’ like that.” Faith said as she carefully avoided eye contact. “We kissed. They wigged. I freaked. Hopped the first bus outta town.”
“Not to discourage young love, but that sounds excessive for a bad kiss.” Platt said with a worried frown. “Don’t you think?”
“Was the best kiss of my life up to that point.” Faith admitted as she carefully inventoried the contents of his bookshelves with her eyes. “Anyway all that is in the past now. They got over their wigging and tracked me down a few weeks ago. We’ve been a happy couple ever since.”
“You went back to him.” Platt assessed with a knowing sigh. “Even after all the trouble?”
“Okay listen.” Faith told the man in a harsh voice. “If you’re gonna tell me to break up with the love of my life or some other stupid shit like that I’m walking out that door and I ain’t coming back.”
“Whoa. Easy now.” Mr. Platt said as he raised his hands almost defensively. “I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. That’s your job. I just want to understand where you’re coming from.”
“Alright.” Faith said as she leaned back in the chair with only the slightest of scowls remaining on her face.
“So you didn’t stop loving him.” Platt said as he tried to get a handle on this session. “This guy who everyone said wasn’t ready.”
“Never.” Faith admitted.
“Look, lots of people lose themselves in love.” Platt told the Slayer. “It, it’s no shame. They write songs about it.” As he spoke Faith relaxed ever so slightly.
“The hitch is, you can’t stay lost.” He went on. “Sooner or later you’re, you have to get back to yourself.”
“And if you won’t?” Faith asked with just a trace of worry in her voice.
“If you won’t?” Platt said as he thought about the question for a moment. “Well, love becomes your master, and you’re just its dog.” He told her with a genuinely concerned expression on his previously calm face.
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“Almost afraid to ask.” Faith muttered as she walked into the library and found all the other Scoobies standing around with the most dour of expressions.
“One of our classmates ate someone last night.” Cordelia said in a bored, matter of fact tone.
“Mauled.” Willow corrected the cheerleader. “A student mauled someone last night.”
“It’s more monster play.” Xander quipped. “You know, I bat you around a little bit. Like a cat toy. I have harmless monster fun. Is it the demon possessed student’s fault that, you know side effect, people get cut to ribbons and then maybe someone takes a little nibble.”
“It’s the monster’s fault Xander.” Buffy said in a cold yet firm voice as she leaned into the comforting embrace Faith offered. “How was the school’s psychobabble guy, Honey?” She asked in a whisper.
“He was alright B.” Faith answered honestly. “I think I’ll keep going for now.”
“Well at least we know the vamp population is running low with all the extra work B and I have put in.” Faith said to the rest of the group just as she recalled one more peculiar detail. “Last night was a wolf moon.”
“Werewolves?” Xander asked with sudden confusion. “Like Oz?”
“It’s not a werewolf.” Willow said.
“Probably.” Tara added.
“And what, pray tell, is your educated guess as to the nature of this fiend?” Giles asked as he gave his glasses another polishing.
“One of the more gifted AP Chem students mixed up a batch of neon green sludge that turns him into Mr. Hyde.” Willow told the suddenly quiet room.
“And I thought castrati fish-men hopped up on flounder and guppy roids were bad.” Xander remarked after it was clear no one else was going to say something.
“Who?” Buffy asked the witches.
“We’ll know for sure tomorrow.” Tara told the vexed Slayer.
“There probably won’t be another attack tonight.” Willow added.
“Probably.” Tara affirmed.
“Buffy and Faith should still patrol the woods tonight.” Giles said as it became clear the font of information on this particular threat was tapped for the time being.
“Just in case.” Faith said as she wrapped her girl in her arms.
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“Should we have told them Pete is the killer?” Willow asked as she and her everything got ready for bed.
“Probably.” Tara told her worried love in a calm voice.
“But then they would just go right for him, and doing that doesn’t save Debbie.” Willow countered.
“Right.” Tara said as she pulled the covers aside so that the babbling redhead could climb in.
“But then again the few times they found him and stopped him before he made his serum he came back at us when we were at our weakest.” Willow pointed out in an almost convincing voice while taking up her side of the bed.
“He can be troublesome.” Tara added before pulling the covers over the two of them and wrapping her arms around her lithe redhead.
“So we were right to hold back until tomorrow.” Willow stated as she nuzzled into Tara’s chest.
“We’ll see.” Tara told her.
“You always know what to say when I’m being the big worry girl.” Willow whispered happily as her eyes closed. “I love you Baby.”
“I love you too Sweetie.” Tara said to the now slumbering girl in her arms.
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“I can’t believe patrol was a bust.” Buffy complained as she went through the lunch line in the school cafeteria.
“Red and Blondie did say there wouldn’t be another attack until later today.” Faith said as she grabbed an extra piece of fruit and paid for the two of them.
“Still, I was hoping we’d get at least one staking in before calling it a night.” Buffy went on as they began to walk across the cafeteria, searching for an open table.
“We may not have gotten in a good staking,” Faith said as she followed the petite blonde through the lightly crowded room, “but I sure as hell enjoyed what we did to pass the time out there.”
Buffy stopped in her tracks and turned to face the brunette who had taken up the most delightful of smirks. The Slayer couldn’t believe her girl had brought up their late night activities in the middle of the lunch crowd.
“Faith.” Buffy said in a hushed but stern tone.
“Relax B.” Faith said in an equally quiet yet seductive voice. “I ain’t gonna let the cat out of the bag, even if you did give my poor little kitty the pounding of her life last night.”
“You,” Buffy began but soon grew almost too flustered to speak, “are so bad.”
“And you love me for it.” Faith replied with a more lurid smirk.
“Yeah,” Buffy agreed, “I do.” Before Faith could continue her delightful little game of causing the Slayer to blush they were interrupted by an all too unwelcomed voice.
“Buffy, Faith!” Scott called out from a nearby table. “Over here.” He waved for the Slayers to join him and his two friends from the day before at their table. Buffy turned and smiled at the friendly gesture. Faith seethed at the boy’s all too eager attempts to curry favor with her girl. Not only was the punk too oblivious to notice their relationship, he wasn’t even bright enough to catch the blatant animosity Faith had be putting out each time she caught him leering at her girl. With an almost reluctant sigh Faith followed Buffy to the table and the Slayers took their seats.
“Hey.” Buffy greeted the three teens sitting at the table.
“Hey uh, I can’t,” Scott replied while taking a look at the petite blonde’s plate, “I can’t back you on that lunch.” He said, pointing at the plate heaped with several different types of colorful jell-o. “Nutritional demerits.”
“Oh, my stomach doesn’t want hard food today.” Buffy admitted.
“She had a big work out last night.” Faith added with a playful smirk, causing Buffy to blush several shades darker than her already tanned complexion afforded.
“But there’s fruit in it.” Buffy protested while pointing to the white chucks suspended in the green piece of jell-o.
“Those are marshmallows B.” Faith corrected with a smile as she leaned closer to her girl.
“Oh.” Buffy said with a slight pout. “I’m really out of it today. I didn’t sleep well.”
“If only someone hadn’t kept you up all night.” Faith said in a far too innocent tone.
“Can’t complain,” Buffy replied cheerfully as she locked eyes with Faith, “it was totally worth it.”
The heartfelt admission turned the tables on the brunette Slayer and Faith found herself blushing awkwardly for a change. Faith’s heart skipped a beat as she realized just how much she enjoyed Buffy meeting her normally lurid banter with innuendo of her own.
“Just don’t tell Mr. Platt you have insomnia.” Debbie chimed into the intimate moment. “He’ll make you start a dream journal.”
“What’s that, like a Barbie thing?” Pete asked mockingly. “Dear dream journal, how come Ken hasn’t come around since he got that earring?”
“I never did it,” Debbie protested with a laugh, “he’s a quack.”
“I had a great time with him.” Faith said in a smug voice. Debbie looked up at the almost defensive tone in the Slayer’s voice and paused for a moment.
“Really?” The blonde asked. “I, I guess he’s kinda funny and stuff. It’s just, sometimes I don’t like the things he says.” Faith was sure she was the only one at the table that noticed the sudden scowl that came over Pete’s face as Debbie spoke favorably of the guidance counselor.
“Sounds like he marches to the beat of his own drummer.” Buffy said as she ran a reassuring hand under the table along Faith’s thigh. “Might even make his own drums.”
“Well my mom says that therapy can be completely helpful.” Scott offered in hopes of sounding reassuring.
“Yeah but your mom has the wattage of a Zippo lighter Scott.” Pete scoffed sarcastically as Debbie laughed.
“I hope you guys realize I don’t actually know these people, I just,” Scott told the Slayers in an equally sarcastic voice; “I thought you’d like me better if I had friends so I hired them.”
“Sounds about right.” Faith remarked in a bored tone as someone across the room caught her eye. “Gotta go, I’ll catch up with you in a bit B.”
“Alright.” Buffy replied in confusion as her love made her way across the room.
“So,” Scott said as he turned to fully face Buffy and clasped her hands in his, “I uh, I wanted to tell you that you look great today. But now I want to raise that to amazing since you didn’t sleep well.”
“Oh.” Buffy said as sudden realization hit her like a runaway train. “Oh! Scott, that’s, uh, that’s really sweet, Scott. And I wish I didn’t have to Scott, but I just remembered that I do.” As she began to panic the Slayer stood from the table and slowly backed away from the young man who fancied her.
“So, um, I’ll see you later, Scott.” Buffy told him before turning and all but sprinting from the cafeteria.
“Yeah.” Scott said in complete confusion as he watched the Slayer leave.
“Check out Scotty, likin’ the manic depressive chick!” Pete said with an amused smirk.
“Why was she saying your name like that Scott?” Debbie asked.
“I don’t know.” Scott admitted.
“Oh come on!” Pete cried out with another laugh. “You two can’t tell me you didn’t notice that whole thing with the brunette.”
“What?” Scott and Debbie asked with even more confusion than before.
“Man Scotty, you sure know how to pick ‘em.” Pete said as he continued to mock his friend.
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“What’s the what?” Faith asked as she followed her house mates into the hallway.
“We need you to do something very important Faith.” Willow said a she clutched hands with Tara.
“Anything.” The Slayer responded.
“Mr. Platt is the killer’s next target.” Willow said. “Get to his office at least a half hour early and make sure he survives whoever comes for him.”
“Shit.” Faith moaned before turning and running down the hall.
“We should wait for her in the library.” Tara said in a worried voice.
“Yeah baby.” Willow replied in a whisper. “Faith will take care of things.”
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“Giles!” Buffy shouted in a panic as she stormed into the library.
He sighed while rolling his eyes at the Slayer’s loud entrance. “Buffy in spite of everything else in our lives this is still a library.” The watcher said in an almost chastising tone.
“Giles I’m in trouble here.” Buffy complained as she ran to the Englishman. “Scott Hope has the hots for me!”
“Yes, well I’d imagine there are a great many teenage boys loitering around this building with heads full of amorous intentions regarding all the girls they see on a daily basis.” Giles said as he tried to maintain a cold and clinical demeanor. “Xander’s bouts of inappropriate behavior aside, there isn’t much more we can do other than ignore them.”
“No, that’s not it!” Buffy complained as she started to panic and pace back and forth across the library. “I don’t care that he likes me like that.”
“Then what is the problem?” Giles asked.
“I was oblivious again and didn’t even see what Faith must have been going through every time I talked to Scott.” Buffy said at last. “God, why does she even put up with me?”
“While I find your concern for Faith admirable Buffy I do believe you are being a bit too hard on yourself.” Giles said as he removed his glasses and began to polish them yet again.
“But what if I hurt her again?” Buffy asked him in a timid, almost childlike voice. “I can’t hurt her like that ever again.”
“Talk with the girl Buffy.” Giles told his charge. “Apologize when it is necessary. Don’t let problems fester when they can be done away with by simple and honest words.”
“And don’t berate yourself for every little thing beyond your control or notice.” He added. “Think of how Faith feels when she has to hear the love of her life ridicule herself at the drop of a hat.”
“I said almost the same thing to Faith.” Buffy admitted in a whisper as she thought back to all the times Faith had so casually dismissed her own value as a person. Then she recalled her post spell casting conversation with Willow the last time she was in the hospital. As the blinding panic eased away Buffy looked to her watcher and smiled. “And Willow now that I think about it. Thanks for listening Giles.”
“You’re welcome, dear girl.” Giles assured her with a soft smile.
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“Faith?” Mr. Platt said in a confused voice as he looked up to his now open office door. “A little early isn’t it? I’m not even done with my lunch.” With the hand holding his cigarette he idly gestured for her to take a seat. His free hand quickly crumpled up a paper wrapper and tossed it in the trash can beside his desk.
“Sorry doc.” Faith said in an unconvincing voice as she scanned the room and closed the door. “Something came up.”
“Alright.” Platt replied with his usual calm yet clinical tone. “Let’s talk about it.”
Before Faith could take a seat she heard the trudging of angry footsteps making their way to the door behind her. Without hesitation she stepped to the side and backed up against the wall so that the door would block the attacker’s view of her. The very last thing she did was raise a single finger to her mouth in warning to the man behind the desk. If he blew her cover the rapidly approaching fight would be all the harder on both of them.
“Faith?” Stephen Platt asked with evident worry just before the door to his office was kicked in.
“Where the hell do you get off?” Pete demanded angrily as he stomped into the room.
“Peter Clarner?” Platt asked as he stared at the teen in shock. “I don’t think this is the best time.”
“Oh, too busy listening to my girl whine to talk to me are you?” Pete shot back with a hint of amusement under his overwhelming anger. “Or are you already putting the moves on that whore?”
“What?” Platt asked as the boy threw out one outlandish accusation after another. “Pete what is this all about?”
“I’ll tell you what this is about!” Pete shouted as he stepped up to the desk. “No one takes what’s mine.”
Platt stared in horror as Pete began to convulse. His head shook wildly before stopping and facing the guidance counselor. The grown man’s fears worsened when he noticed the horrid changes Pete had underwent. The boy’s face was riddled with bulging veins. His hands grew gnarled as his finger nails sprouted into wicked claws. Muscles bulged under his skin, twisting his scowling grimace into something monstrous.
“I’m gonna show you what happens when guys like you try to take what belongs to me!” Pete declared as he slammed his fist into the desk.
“Not so fast dipshit.” Faith whispered as she stepped behind the raving madman.
Before Pete could turn around the Slayer delivered a kick to the back of his knee. On his way down she grasped him by the back of the head and slammed his face into the now splintering desk. She gave the stunned murderer’s face two more good smacks into the surface of the desk before letting him slump to the floor.
“Not as much fun when they fight back, huh Pete?” Faith asked as she twisted one of his arms behind his back. “Or are you going by Hyde Jr. now?”
“Let go of me you bitch!” Pete yelled as he swung wildly with his free arm. Faith dodged the clumsy strike. Before Pete could try again she pressed a boot to the middle of his back and sent him flying into one of Platt’s bookshelves.
“How a punk like you gets any pussy is beyond me.” Faith mocked the bleeding monster as he tried to pull himself up from the floor. “Must be something wrong with the straight gals in this town.”
Pete stared up at the battle ready Slayer and panicked. Without saying another word he bolted out the door. Faith waited a moment before easing out of the loose fighting stance she had maintained. Before she could give chase a stunned mumbling caught her attention.
“What the hell just happened?” Platt asked as the shock of what he had witnessed was slowly replaced with confusion.
“Long story.” Faith replied before turning and seeing the barest traces of resolve take root on the man’s face.
“Bore me.” Platt told the Slayer.
******************************
“Pete?” Debbie called out softly as she peeked inside the grounds keeper’s supply room. She knew what her boyfriend kept inside that room. She knew everything would be better once it was done away with.
With grim determination Debbie stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Her eyes scanned the grimy shelves for Pete’s supply of chemicals. As luck would have it the jar of bright green liquid was sitting out in the open. With a few quick steps the blonde was across the room and holding the jar in her hands.
Debbie hesitated as she stared at the eerie substance. There wasn’t a drain or sink in this room. Perhaps she could dump the contents of the jar in the bushes outside. As Debbie pondered the best way to dispose of what she saw as the only problem in her relationship she failed to hear the door behind her open and then close.
“What are you doing with that?” A harsh voice right behind her asked.
“Pete?” Debbie yelped as she spun around and saw her boyfriend’s hideously disfigured face. “Oh god. I was just looking for you Honey.”
“Don’t lie to me bitch!” Pete screamed in the frightened girl’s face as he snatched the jar from her hands. “I need this to start a stronger batch. I’ll show that dyke not to get in my way.”
“Dyke?” Debbie asked as she shied away from her abuser, all too happy that he was distracted by something else at the moment.
“The bitch who’s fucking that whore Scott won’t shut up about!” Pete yelled. “That bull dyke thinks she can stop me with a sucker punch. I’ll show her. I’ll rip her arms off and beat her to death with them. Then I’ll take care of the others.”
“Pete, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Debbie asked as she began to panic that her boyfriend might actually kill someone. “You know how you get when you take that stuff. Maybe you want to.”
“What Debbie!” Pete snapped as he turned on the girl. “Maybe I want to what?”
“I just think,” she began in a panicked, faltering voice, “maybe if you cooled off for a bit, you know how you get.”
“You think this has anything to do with how I get?” Pete asked in his most condescending voice.
“Well, when you drink it.” Debbie tried to explain.
“When I drink it.” Pete cut her off with an even harsher tone. “Nothing Debbie. Nothing! I don’t need this anymore. I am way, way past that now.”
Debbie flinched as Pete took the almost full jar in his gnarled hand and hurled it into the far wall. The brute spun around and turned on the cabinet along the wall. The doors ripped off their hinges easily enough. Pete proceeded to smash vial after vial until all the tools he used to make the toxic green substance were destroyed.
“You see?” He shouted. “You see? No more. You could pour out everything I made and it wouldn’t help, and you wanna know why?”
Debbie flinched again as Pete grasped both of her arms in his clawed hands. He shook her violently as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You wanna know why?” Pete asked again, angrily. “Because all it takes now is you Debbie. You and your stupid, grating voice!”
“You’re the reason I started the formulas in the first place!” Pete berated the girl as he squeezed her arms tighter and tighter. “To be the man you wanted. You pay me back how? By whoring around with other guys and taunting me!”
“No! I don’t!” Debbie cried out in protest. “I don’t even look.” She let out a pained gasp as Pete backhanded her across the face. The girl went spiraling to the floor of the supply room. The batterer sneered as he looked down on her.
“Is that something your shrink taught you Debbie? Huh?” Pete asked as Debbie tried to climb back up. “Huh? To share? To communicate? To piss me off!” He lunged forward and delivered another brutal blow across Debbie’s face. “As soon as I’m done with Lehane he’s next. Then even he won’t listen to your pathetic ramblings anymore. I am all you’ve got now Debbie. You hear me? I am all you’ve got!”
As Pete loomed menacingly over the broken, sobbing girl his anger began to fade ever so slightly. His face shifted back to its normal appearance. His claws receded. As the blood and tears ran down Debbie’s face the young sociopath let himself be taken over by what little humanity he pretended to retain.
“Oh god.” Pete whispered as his transformation ended. “Debbie.” He said as he knelt at her side. The crying blonde turned away almost immediately. “Listen. You know you shouldn’t make me mad. Huh? You know what happens. Debbie please.” Pete said as he pulled her head around to face him. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Be alright.”
“It’s okay.” Debbie murmured as she pulled Pete into her arms and held his head against her chest. “It’s okay.” She told herself over and over. A small broken part of her even believed the empty words.
******************************
“Faith!” Buffy cried out as she practically threw herself across the library and into her girlfriend’s arms. The Slayer delivered a searing kiss that dragged on for several life affirming moments. The embrace only ended when a mild throat clearing caught the petite blonde’s attention.
“Ms. Summers.” Platt greeted the Slayer with a sly smile.
“Mr. Platt right?” Buffy asked with a confused frown. “Honey, why is the guidance counselor following you?”
“He almost became victim number two.” Faith said. The almost casual utterance drew the attention of the watcher and two witches away from the texts they were surveying.
“Oh dear lord.” Giles muttered as he stood and walked across the room to join his Slayers and coworker. “An attack in broad daylight. Did you recognize the attacker?”
“Pete Clarner.” Faith replied. “Tried to take the Doc’s head off right in his office.”
“Doc?” Buffy asked with another confused frown.
“Faith likes to greet me with classic Bugs Bunny.” Platt told the Slayer. “I was skeptical about what she said after the attack, especially considering she’s lied to me before.”
“Hey,” Faith shot back, “I didn’t lie about nothin’. You’re the one who assumed the person I was talkin’ about lovin’ on was a guy. That’s your hang up, not mine.”
“You told him about me?” Buffy whispered into Faith’s ear with evident worry in her voice.
“First thing he asked was why I ran away.” Faith told her girl. “I told him enough to get the picture without things like names and jobs getting in the way. I ain’t goin’ around spillin’ the beans to every Tom, Dick and Snyder.”
“And yet you felt the need to bring him here.” Giles commented with a skeptical frown.
“He wanted to know the truth.” Faith protested. “I tried that dumb PCP gang lie and he just told me I was racially profilin’ him and the two or three other black folks that live in this crappy town.”
“Mr. Giles what is going on here?” Platt demanded answers of his coworker. The Englishman only sighed and began to polish his glasses. “What was wrong with Pete’s face?”
“Tell him everything Giles.” Willow said in a soft voice. “He needs to know and there’s a chance he’ll be able to help us all later on.”
“Very well.” The librarian sighed after giving the redhead and her love a brief questioning look. “I’m sure you might be aware of the more unseemly reputation this town has.” Giles said once he had finish cleaning his spectacles and returned them to his face.
“I know there aren’t any real PCP gangs in Sunnydale.” Platt retorted. “And who even owns enough barbeque forks to explain that many cases of “spontaneous neck rupture?”
“Yes, well,” Giles began to reply with an amused grin, “people have a way of explaining away that which they can’t understand, and outright ignoring that which they can’t explain.” As he spoke, Giles led the man across the library to the large research table. The Slayers watched as the two adults sat across from each other.
“What about this town are the people ignoring Mr. Giles?” Platt asked in a firm voice that did much to raise the watcher’s opinion of the man.
“This world is older than you know, and contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their,” Giles recited his tried and true speech, “their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for man. All that remains of the Old Ones are vestiges, certain magic, certain creatures.”
******************************
“Sorry I’m late.” Debbie called out with a forced laugh as she ran through the school courtyard. The boy that had been waiting for her looked up and gave her a brief smile. It quickly faded as he noticed her swollen lip and the darkening black eye poorly covered by a lock of her blonde hair.
“I’m in no rush.” Xander remarked casually as he stared at the girl’s injured face.
“Did you bring the notes?” Debbie asked.
“Yeah.” He said as he handed over the notebook full of class notes. “Debbie, you okay?”
“What?” Debbie asked before she realized he was staring at her injuries. “Oh, yeah! I’m such a klutz. I um, oh.”
“Fell down? Ran into a door? Burned the roast? Tried to pour his booze down the drain?” Xander rattled off excuses as the girl grew silent. “No, wait I recognize that busted lip injury. He was ranting about how much of a whore you were and you tried to talk back.”
“What?” Debbie asked in shock. “No! Pete would never.”
“Save it.” Xander said in a sullen tone. “I’ve seen enough of this crap in my own life to tell how this story ends. If you can’t get your life together enough to leave him then do yourself a favor and never get pregnant. The last thing the world needs is more guys like that terrorizing their own children.”
With that Xander turned and stormed off. Debbie stared in shock as he left. It was several minutes before she was able to make herself ignore the boy’s angry words and head off to the nearest locker room. Little did Debbie or Xander know that their conversation was witnessed by a very angry and violent third party.
******************************
“Vampires.” Platt said in a stunned voice.
“Quite.” Giles affirmed.
“Vampires.” Platt repeated. The shock and disbelief in his voice were all but tied for first place in the marathon that had been the watcher’s explanation.
“And demons as well.” Giles said.
“You’re telling me vampires are real?” Platt said yet again.
“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Faith cried out as she threw her arms up in the air. “This is why everyone keeps pretending this town is the biggest PCP pusher in the country.”
“Now Honey,” Buffy lightly chastised the brunette as she sat in her lap, “not everyone gets the truth the first time it almost kills them.”
“And Buffy and Faith are some kind of super powered monster hunters?” Platt asked skeptically.
“Indeed.” Giles told the shocked and confused man. Before the conversation could drag on any longer Faith turned to her two housemates and pleaded for a quick resolution.
“Red, Blondie,” Faith begged the witches, “please show this guy something to speed this up.”
“Well alright.” Willow said before giving the brunette Slayer a sarcastic smirk. “But only since you asked so nicely roomie.”
Willow clasped hands with her everything. They stared into one another’s eyes for a long moment. Long enough that their audience began to fidget uncomfortably at the intimate bond and their own intrusive presence as spectators. After a short time the Slayers heard the unmistakable sound of the two young women chanting under their breaths. Shortly after that the watcher and the guidance counselor noticed as well.
“Oh my god!” Platt yelped in surprise as every book on the table began to float upwards.
“Yes, this can all be rather shocking at first.” Giles admitted to the stunned man sitting across from him.
“Least you got the primer.” Faith retorted. “With me they jumped right into a combat tutorial out in the field within the first few hours of meeting me.” As the Slayer spoke the chanting changed and the air around the library table was filled with tiny points of light that danced and sang to their own rhythm. “You don’t even want to know what those little Tinkerbelle lights can do to a full size vamp.”
“We bringin’ another adult into the gang?” Xander asked as he came into the library and walked up to the table everyone had gathered around. As he came to a halt at the end of the table the lights snuffed out and the books slowly settled themselves back to their previous positions.
“It would appear as so, yes.” Giles told the young man. “Mr. Platt almost fell victim to the fiend that killed Jeff Walkin.”
“Pete killed Jeff Walkin?” Platt all but cried out in shock.
“Pete’s the killer?” Xander asked. “Oh no.”
“What is it Xander?” Willow asked her childhood friend even though she had a pretty good guess what the problem was.
“I just saw Debbie.” The young man told the group. “She was half way to the punch line for that stupid joke about women with two black eyes.”
“Oh dear lord.” Giles muttered as Tara and Faith visibly cringed.
“We have to stop him.” Buffy said, leaving no room for argument.
“We should find them both immediately.” Giles said.
“Debbie was in the quad a minute ago.” Xander said.
“Right,” Giles replied as he pondered the best way to conduct the search, “we should split up. Platt, stick with me. Slayer’s, pick a witch and search the school in pairs.”
“And I’ll stay here and ready the backup tranqs incase boyfriend Pete doesn’t handle his intervention with grace.” Xander quipped as the others filed out the library doors.
******************************
Debbie stood before the sink in the girl’s locker room. She tried desperately to hide the darkening bruise across most of her face with the few cosmetics supplies she had. The blonde was so wrapped up in her task that she didn’t even notice she had company until they were standing right behind her.
“It’s tricky covering a fresh shiner like that.” Buffy casually remarked as Tara stood at her side. “You know what works?”
“What?” Debbie asked in a quiet voice.
“Don’t get hit.” The Slayer said with an edge. “Where’s Pete Debbie?”
“I don’t know.” Debbie shot back a little too defensively. “Why would I know that?”
“Normally I’d say ‘You wanna play I have a secret? Fine!’ but people are dying here.” The Slayer told the girl. Debbie looked at the angry Slayer and then to the witch. Both waited patiently for her excuses.
“It,” Debbie began in an almost trembling voice, “it’s not his fault. I mean he’s not himself when he gets like this.”
“Except that he is himself.” Tara said with an almost dismissive smirk.
“It’s me.” Debbie assured them. “I make him crazy. He just does what he does because he loves me too much.”
“My mother said the same thing for so long.” Tara admitted with a sad frown. “Even I came really close to thinking that once upon a time.”
“Where is he Debbie?” Buffy asked as the girl turned and tried to leave. “You have to talk to us.” Debbie only shook her head at the Slayer’s words. “We can’t help you until you do.”
“I didn’t ask for your help.” She protested.
“You never ask for help.” Tara said with the barest hint of disdain. “And it’s clear you never will.”
“What?” Debbie asked the honey blonde. She stood still as Tara walked in front of the Slayer and fixed her with a steady gaze.
“I’m so sorry Debbie.” Tara said with genuine emotion in her voice. “But today is the day Pete finally kills you.”
“What!” Both Debbie and Buffy cried out in shock.
“He’s going to beat you to death.” Tara told the girl as tears began to roll down her bruised face. “He’s going to blame you for every single one of his failures and shortcomings. And then he’s going to hit you one last time.”
“No.” Debbie moaned. “He could never.”
“He will.” Tara promised. “He always does. Because he doesn’t love you. He doesn’t love anything.”
“Tara?” Buffy asked with genuine concern in her voice.
“Sorry Slayer but you can’t save this one.” Tara told her friend. “We tried so many times.”
“I have to find Pete.” Buffy said before turning and running from the locker room.
“He does love me.” Debbie whimpered as she slowly slumped down to one of the nearby benches. “He does love me.”
“I’m sorry Debbie.” Tara said one last time as she took a seat beside the sobbing and broken girl. “But I am sick of all the blame, doubt and self loathing your abuser brings out in my love. She’ll never see it, but even at her worst Willow was nothing like Pete, or Spike, or even Ted and Warren. And I am nothing like you. Even though it killed me inside I walked away.”
With that the witch stood and left the locker room. There was nothing she could do for Debbie. There was nothing anyone could do for Debbie.
******************************
“So you do this sort of thing all the time?” Platt asked the librarian as they searched through the deserted halls of the high school.
“Deal with an abusive student living out the pages of ‘Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde?” Giles asked the ebony guidance counselor. “Never.”
“But the kids back there,” Platt said in confusion, “they seemed so organized. This isn’t your first rodeo.”
“Yes, quite.” Giles remarked with a smile. “My family comes from a long line of scholars who have always been a part of the organization that is meant to guide and train the Slayer.”
“Buffy and Faith?” Platt asked. “Seeing her fight like that, even I was terrified and I’m the one whose life she saved.”
“The ferocity of the Slayer can be an imposing sight for most.” Giles admitted before giving the man an approving look. “But you seem to be adapting remarkably well.”
“Should the rest of the faculty know about this?” Platt asked in a genuinely concerned voice. “I mean since this place is so dangerous it might make things easier if more people knew how important Faith and Buffy really are.”
“Please don’t even entertain that thought.” Giles begged the man with a slight scowl. “Can you imagine how much worse things would be for the girls if every teacher in the school suddenly started walking on eggshells around them? Or if the other students found out they were so radically “different?”
“Oh.” Platt said as realization dawned. “Does Snyder know?”
“Much to my chagrin I do believe that pompous little troll knows far more than he lets on.” Giles said. “We have the former mayor and the evil plots he had lain out for this entire town to thank for that.”
“The former mayor?” Platt asked in a hushed whisper. “The one that died horribly in his office?”
“Yes that would be the one.” Giles told the shocked counselor. “Apparently he was an evil sorcerer over three hundred years old.”
“How could he be that old?” Platt wondered.
“Feeding live babies to certain powerful demons.” Giles replied casually. “Bathing in the blood of virgins one month out of every year. Calisthenics.”
Platt’s jaw dropped as the watcher’s casual explanations went on. He was stunned to find out there was so much about the town and the world he lived in which he had gone completely unaware. He resolved to learn all he could to help.
******************************
“Buffy?” Scott called out softly as he poked his head inside the library. As he looked around the large room the young man was surprised to see only one occupant standing by the large table in the center of the library.
“Hey Scott.” Xander said with mild surprise. “You lookin’ for somebody?”
“Hi Harris.” Scott greeted the other young man. “I was just.”
“Looking for Buffy.” Xander finished the statement with a sigh. “I get it,” he admitted, “Buffy is a hell of a girl. But she’s not interested.”
“I don’t know about that.” Scott replied with a confused frown. “I think we might have the beginning of something special going on.”
“Seriously, Scott,” Xander said in a firm but calm tone, “you are barking up the wrong tree.”
“Oh.” Scott said as his eyes widened suddenly. “You’re not? Is she? Are you and Buffy, like together?”
Xander blinked once. Then he blinked again. His mouth fell open for a few seconds as the question bounced around in his mind a few dozen times. When he finally responded to the question all that came out was a brief bark of laughter. Scott looked confused again. It was a few seconds before Xander managed another amused response.
“Oh, you’re serious.” Xander said as he began to laugh again. “Wow, that’s, wow.”
“So you’re not her boyfriend?” Scott asked.
“No Scott.” Xander said as he continued to chuckle in the other boy’s face.
“So she’s available?” Scott asked.
“No Scott.” Xander repeated. “She’s seeing someone. Someone you can’t take in a fight if it came to it and someone that is head over heels in love with her. Take the hint and move on.”
Scott Hope mulled those words over in his mind. He had been sure Buffy wasn’t dating any of the other boys in their school. Maybe he had missed someone. Maybe she was seeing someone from another school. Maybe she was seeing someone older. Though Scott still wasn’t deterred by Xander’s words, he saw that there was nothing to be gained in arguing the point with the unknown rival suitor’s friend.
“Okay.” Scott said with a forced smile he hoped was convincing enough. “Sorry to bother you.” He turned and began to walk towards the door only to come face to face with an unexpected friend.
“Out of my way Scott!” Pete ordered with murderous intent in his voice. “Harris! Where the hell do you get off?”
“Hey Pete.” Xander greeted the murderer with an amused grin. “You come here to start something you can’t finish or just to tell your buddy Scott about all the murder and drug use you’ve been getting up to?”
“What? Murder? Drugs?” Scott asked in surprise as his head whipped back and forth between the other two boys. “Pete what is he talking about?”
“Shut up Scott.” Pete said dismissively as he grabbed the shorter boy by the shoulders and threw him over the library’s front desk.
“Wow,” Xander chimed in with a sarcastic tone, “those roids you whipped up sure seem effective. Wonder if they’re good for anything other than beating up broken girlfriends.”
“You’re gonna find out Harris.” Pete said as his face began to shift and twist. After a few brief spasms the monster stood tall, glaring at Xander with hate in his eyes. “This is what you get for putting the moves on Debbie!”
Pete lunged forward, claws ready to rip Xander’s throat out. Scott recovered in time to see his deformed friend’s attack. What happened next caught both of them by surprise.
Xander ducked under Pete’s blows with almost catlike reflexes. With one hand the Scooby reached behind his back and grasped something. He lashed out with a quick jab before rolling across the floor and out of Pete’s immediate reach.
“Hehehehe.” Xander chuckled. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting to ever use that with so many Slayers and witches in town.”
“What just happened?” Scott asked as he saw his enraged friend growling and clutching a wound at his stomach.
“Harris.” Pete seethed as he glared at the Scooby.
“Fun fact.” Xander quipped with a light chuckle in his voice. “Last Halloween I got memories from a very strange past life.” As he spoke Xander slowly waved a small combat knife back and forth for the others to see. Blood dripped slowly from the blade.
“See, I’m the weakest person in my circle of friends.” Pete lunged forward as Xander was speaking and was surprised to find himself grasped by one arm and thrown over Xander’s shoulder. “Most of them see me as plain old Xander, always in need of protection.”
As Pete’s head struck the floor he felt a searing pain rip through his right arm. He looked up to see a wide gash along the inside of his elbow. Xander let the limb fall to the floor, limp.
“Which should have been your first clue Pete.” Xander went on. “I’m not interested in your broken doormat of a girlfriend. I only go for strong women.”
“I’ll kill you Harris!” Pete screamed as he leapt to his feet.
“With a gut wound that deep and a severed tendon in your dominant arm?” Xander asked with an amused smile. “Not likely.”
“Guys!” Scott cried out. “This is insane! Why are you fighting?”
“You’re buddy here killed Jeff Walkin and then went after the guidance counselor.” Xander informed the bewildered young man. “All because they talked to ‘his girl.”
“Stay out of this Scott!” Pete shouted as he lunged for Xander’s throat again only to miss as the Scooby dodged each of his swings.
“He’s right Scott.” Xander said as one of his defensive rolls brought him up to stand near the table again. “You don’t want to get in the middle of this next part.”
“The only part left is the part where I kill you Harris!” Pete shot back.
“Time’s up.” Xander remarked as he pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned the blood from his combat knife. “Rules change.”
“Hi princess.” A voice said from right behind Pete. He spun around only to receive a familiar fist to his face. The batterer went spiraling down to the floor. As he looked up he saw the only other person to stand up to him since he began mixing his formula.
“Miss me?” Faith asked as she slowly advanced on the downed fiend.
“Faith?” Scott asked in confusion from behind the library counter. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The brunette fought Pete with just as much ferocity as he had used on Xander. Only she was clearly winning the fight, where Pete had struggled to even land a single blow.
“Stay back Scott.” A new voice said. He looked up to see a familiar redhead.
“Willow?” Scott asked in confusion again. “What is going on? What is all this?”
“Your friends aren’t what they appear to be.” The witch told him with an almost remorseful frown as more people came into the library.
“Faith!” Buffy cried out in panic as she watched her girl fight the young sociopath.
“Get the dart gun!” Giles called out as he saw the brawl going on across his library.
Buffy lunged to reach over the counter and grab the rifle Scott hadn’t even realized was laying next to him during the whole fight. She cocked the gun and readied her aim.
“Pete watch out!” Debbie shouted as she shoved Buffy right before the gun went off. The dart lodged itself in Giles’s lower back.
“Sorry.” Buffy cried out as her watcher turned to glare at her in annoyance.
“Oh right,” Giles remarked as he began to keel over, “bloody priceless.”
“Mr. Giles!” Platt exclaimed as he tried to catch the falling librarian, only to end up in an awkward pile of school faculty members on the floor.
Pete delivered a lucky kick to Faith’s stomach and sent her down the short staircase they had been fighting on. Buffy ran to her girl’s side as the fiend made a dash for the rear of the library.
“Honey?” Buffy asked in concern.
“I’m fine B!” Faith assured her girl with a firm look. “Let’s go get that piece of shit.” Both Slayers stood and raced to the back entrance hidden in the library stacks. In their wake they left one very stunned Scott Hope.
“Oh.” Scott whispered as he finally understood what had been in front of him the entire time.
******************************
“He went this way.” Buffy called out as they followed the trail of fresh blood stains through the deserted halls. Both Slayers felt a slight sense of dread as the trail ended at the doors to the grounds keeper’s supply room. They shared one reassuring nod before kicking in the door and leaping into the room as one. On the floor beside one shelf they found a truly gruesome sight.
“Oh god.” Buffy whispered as she ran to the side of the prone young woman. “Debbie?”
“Watch out B!” Faith shouted as Pete stepped out of the shadows and stuck the blonde.
“You’re all the same!” Pete shouted as he backhanded Buffy once more. “All the same!”
“Back off my girl!” Faith screamed as she dove in and struck Pete in the wounds Xander had delivered earlier. “You’re gonna pay for that you pathetic little bitch!” She promised as she grabbed the murderous teen by the throat and proceeded to pummel his face over and over.
Pete got in one lucky strike and managed to knock the enraged Slayer back a few paces. To his surprise Faith countered with a leap towards the ceiling. She grasped one of the pipes running through the rafters and swung with all her might. Her boots connected with Pete’s sternum resulting in a sickening crunch. He went flying across the room.
Faith dropped to the floor of the supply room and looked up at her handiwork. The sight that greeted her sent a chill down her spine. Her foe was skewered on a carelessly discarded lawnmower blade. The dull, grimy blade protruded from his chest several inches. Pete managed to look down at the offending metal edge in mild shock. The Slayer could only watch as his monstrous features melted away and the average looking face of a young man was all that remained on the fresh corpse.
“Faith?” Buffy asked once she noticed her girl was staring in silent horror at what she had just done.
“I didn’t,” Faith murmured, “I mean, I did, I, I killed him.”
“Faith!” Buffy said with stern resolve as she grasped her girl by the shoulders. “This isn’t like what Willow and Tara said about the mayor. Pete was a monster. He tried to kill both of us. Look at me Faith!”
The brunette finally tore her eyes away from the body. She gazed into hazel pools filled with nothing but love and concern for her. The love in those eyes almost made the night’s trauma worth it.
“We’ll get through this together Faith.” Buffy assured. “No matter what, you and I are together.”
******************************
“It’s all over school,” Willow said as her love and the rest of the Scooby gang wandered through the quad, “what happened with Debbie and Pete. Except for the Pete was a monster part.”
“Yeah a freshmen told me that Pete had eight iced café mochas and just lost it.” Faith added quietly a she walked hand in hand with Buffy. Faith had clung to Buffy’s hand for most of the waking hours that had passed since the grim conclusion in the supply room.
“It’s better than the estrogen theory.” Buffy remarked while maintaining the physical contact her girl desperately needed. “I heard he took all of his mother’s birth control pills.”
“He didn’t?” Cordelia asked while walking beside Xander. “Pete was a monster? Where have I been?”
“In your special place Cor,” Xander answered with only a mildly sarcastic smile, “which is why I adore you.”
“Yup, it was a Jekyll Hyde deal. He mixed up a whole batch of steroids and demon testosterone to make himself super mass macho.” Willow explained for the cheerleader.
“Except after a while he didn’t need the potion to turn into a bad guy.” Buffy said. “He did it just fine on his own.”
“He was always a bad guy B.” Faith assured the petite blonde with a grim expression.
“So it was like a real killing.” Cordelia summed up. “He wasn’t under the influence of anything?”
“Just himself.” The Slayer replied before rounding a corner and catching a glimpse of a very depressed Scott. “Oh.”
“Go talk to him Buffy.” Faith told her girl.
“What?” Buffy asked. “No, I…”
“I gotta go see Platt.” Faith said firmly. “And you need to let him down easy.” The brunette gave her girl one reaffirming shoulder rub before turning and walking away. Buffy sighed as she watched her girl walk away but relented and went to talk to Scott. Cordelia watched the exchange with an almost exasperated huff before deciding to make her own exit.
“Great!” Cordelia complained as she turned to walk around the witches and across the quad. “Now I’m gonna be stuck with serious thoughts all day.” Xander favored both Willow and Tara with an amused but reluctant smile before following his girlfriend.
“I don’t know what to say that’s not going to sound stupid or obvious.” Buffy admitted as she took a seat on the bench next to Scott.
“I’ve been friends with them both since before we started school.” The boy said.
“This is probably the worst time to say this but I should have been more upfront with you days ago.” Buffy said with a reluctant sigh. “I’ve been told I’m woefully self involved, especially when it comes to romantic signals. I’m seeing someone.”
“I kinda figured.” Scott said with a slight grin. “After the library and everything.”
“Is there anything I can do for you Scott?” Buffy asked with genuine concern for the grieving boy.
“Thanks, but I’m gonna be okay .” He said after a brief pause. “It’s just that you never really know what’s going on inside somebody. Do you? I mean you think, if you care about them, but you never really do.”
******************************
“Ms. Lehane.” Platt greeted the Slayer in surprise as he looked up from his desk.
“Hey Doc.” Faith said with a small wave as she came into the office. “Patches?”
“Oh these?” Platt asked as he looked down at the box in the middle of his still damaged desk and the small nicotine patch on the inside of his arm. “Yeah,” he said while rolling down his sleeve to cover the tiny patch, “with everything I just found out I figured there were enough things trying to kill me in this town. Why help them?”
“Smart move Doc.” Faith said as she let her eyes wander around the tiny office.
“So what brings the Slayer to my office?” Platt asked with an amused grin.
“It’s gonna be weird hearing an adult from this school call me that.” Faith admitted.
“You mean aside from Mr. Giles?” Platt asked.
“He don’t count.” Faith replied with a brief laugh. “G-man is the watcher. He’s supposed to be in charge of training and everything. Plus he’s pretty much my girlfriend’s step father at this point.”
“I was wondering about that.” Platt said as he clasped his hands over his desk, careful to avoid resting his elbows on the splintered section left by the impact of Pete’s fist and face. “But you’re not here about him. Or Buffy.”
“This is gonna sound so stupid.” Faith grumbled as she stared at the cracks in the surface of the desk. “I don’t know how I’m handling what I had to do. I mean, like, guilt and stuff.”
“Over what happened to Pete.” Platt said in a neutral tone that didn’t give anything away.
“I killed a guy.” Faith admitted.
“In self defense.” Platt offered.
“Murder is still murder, especially when you justify it.” Faith said.
“Which is why Pete needed to be stopped before he killed again.” Platt said before his expression took on a curious quality. “I mean don’t get me wrong. I’m biased. And more than a little grateful that you saved my life, but Faith, is there something else you’re worried about?”
“Yeah I figured this was just me being stupid.” Faith said before looking the man in the eye for the first time. For an instant she felt like standing and walking out of the room. But then she remembered everything she had to lose if she didn’t at least try to talk things out.
“Okay,” Faith said as she leaned forward and looked directly at the counselor, “this is gonna sound crazy but Red and Blondie.”
“Ms. Rosenberg and Ms. Maclay?” Platt asked for clarity’s sake.
“Yeah, Red and Blondie.” Faith answered. “They know all this stuff. Like past life stuff on account of their deal they got goin’ on.”
“Really?” Platt asked as his eyes widened in surprise.
“Like a bunch of stuff that people just like us did in places just like this.” Faith went on. “Same people in the same situation going through the same stuff.”
“And that’s how you saved my life?” Platt asked. “How you knew to be here at the right time?”
“And what brought me to this town last year.” Faith added. “It’s what gave me the family I always wanted. Everything that turned my life around. And so far it’s keeping me from going off the rails.”
“How do you mean?” The concerned counselor asked.
“A few months from now I’m destined to kill Mayor Allen Finch in a dark alley.” Faith admitted. “I act without thinking after a vamp attack and an innocent man ends up dead.”
“That’s,” Platt whispered in a faltering and hushed tone, “bad.”
“And after that I turn into a monster just as messed up as Pete.” Faith added. “I can’t let that happen. I can’t lose myself like that. I can’t lose her.”
“Well Faith I can say that even if something like that were to happen, again, you still have hope.” Platt said after taking a moment to find the right words.
“But I’m a killer.” Faith protested. “I just killed a guy and I’m not even the least bit tore up about it.”
“You’re a Slayer Faith.” Platt said in as neutral a tone as he could. “Now I’m new to this but based on what little Mr. Giles has told me there is a world of difference between the two. You Slayed a man who did horrible things to turn himself into a horrible thing. And afterwards you felt guilty about it.”
“But I’m not feeling guilty!” Faith countered in exasperation. “That’s the problem.”
“If you’re not feeling guilty then why are you here Faith?” Platt asked with a sly smile. “My assessment of you is already filed. Your mandated appointments are done. You’re free to attend this school without ever seeing me again.”
“I am.” Faith said in an almost surprised voice.
“And yet you’re still here.” Platt added. “Faith, lots of people handle grief and guilt differently. Just because you’re not crying over the grave of a murderer doesn’t mean you’re as far gone as he was.”
“So, you’re sayin’ I’m good?” Faith asked in a hopeful tone.
“I’m saying the fact that you are sitting in that chair means you care.” Platt affirmed. “Hold on to that. Even if you do something horrible down the road don’t forget that. Redemption isn’t easy but the fact that you’re willing to strive for something better is what separates you from the true monsters. No matter what mistakes you make, you want to make up for them. That has to count for something.”
Faith looked up to the guidance counselor with a renewed smile. For the first time since she had heard Willow’s prediction of Allen Finch’s last moments she had hope. Faith knew it wouldn’t be as simple as Buffy had promised it would over and over again the night before. But with the help of her family she would persevere.
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