Faith and Spike were sitting in sullen silence when Giles and Buffy made their way down to the basement. Willow followed them with Tara hovering uncertainly in the background as Buffy walked over to Faith and glared down at her.
"We haven't found a way to reverse the spell yet," she began without preamble, "so you'll have to go to class for me."
"Stuff that," Faith said angrily.
"Sorry, no can do. You took my body so you have to take my place until we get put back."
The dark, now blonde, Slayer smirked up at Buffy and looked over to Giles. "Does that mean I get everything that's yours?"
Buffy followed her eyes and immediately took a threatening step towards the other girl. "If you-"
"Don't worry, B, I wouldn't want to step into your territory."
For a moment Buffy eyed the other Slayer suspiciously but decided not to comment. "This is only temporary. As soon as I get my body back..."
"I know, I'm out of here," Faith finished. "So much for the happy homecoming."
"Actually I was just going to say that as soon as I get my body back I'll be able to go to classes myself. What you do afterwards is your own decision." Buffy paused. "You could have friends here if you wanted."
"I'll think about it," Faith said, her voice showing her lack of belief in what Buffy had said. "Why do you want me to go to classes?"
"Because I have exams next week, and if you don't go to the classes I get a black mark. I think I've got enough of those already this year."
"And why would I want to help you? It's not like you'd do anything to hurt your baby, would you?"
A look of sorrow passed over Buffy's face and for one, brief moment Faith regretted her words. Then the cages she had built around herself closed in again and she blocked the thought out.
"You'll help me because you won't like the other options."
"And those are?"
"I could tie you up again, or there's always forcing you to listen to Spike's whining."
"Hey!" the vampire objected.
Faith glared at the vampire. "I'll go."
"Good. Will, what time are you leaving?"
Faith stood quickly and glared around the room. "I do not need an escort. You think I'll run off with the brat inside me? Come on, show a little trust here."
Giles moved closer to the Slayer and tried to look reassuring. "This is for your own protection, Faith. You aren't in any fit state to be wandering around Sunnydale on your own. There are forces at work here that you don't know about."
"This is because of the demons that want to kill the baby, right?" Faith asked, realisation dawning along with a strange sense of...could that be guilt?
Buffy's eyes widened. "How did you...?"
Shrugging, Spike put his hand up. "That was me, pet. Didn't know it was a secret. Sorry and all that."
"It wasn't a secret. Not exactly," Willow said slowly. "We just didn't want to worry you, Faith. After all, it's almost completely unlikely that anything with try to kill you. We think."
"What's the deal with this thing, then?" Faith asked, the strange feeling intensifying into something that, if she thought about it too deeply, might even be concern. "What would want to hurt an innocent baby?"
"I thought you said there wasn't any such thing," Buffy said quietly.
"I lied. I do that a lot."
Giles gave Faith a Reader's Digest version of the events of the past few months and, as he did so, was surprised to see the Slayer curling a hand protectively around her bulging abdomen. Could she actually be feeling something for the baby? he wondered. Have we actually found Faith's vulnerable side? On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time she's put on an act for our benefit. But Buffy wants to believe that the girl can be redeemed so much. We have to try.
As he spoke, Faith slowly paled and eventually sat down on the sofa. Spike watched this with interest but said nothing, content to watch the drama unfolding in front of him. For the first time in her life, Faith actually started to feel concern for something outside of her own problems. Ever since she could remember she had assumed that everyone hurt people so when she did things to others, it did not matter. Nobody seemed to have cared about what happened to her, even when she did terrible things. Now she was feeling the first stirrings of alien emotions - hope, protectiveness, compassion, all mixed in with healthy dose of guilt. It was overwhelming yet at the same time it felt good.
"So you see, Faith, Willow is only acting as your bodyguard and it's in your own best interests to allow her to help you," Giles finished, watching the other girl carefully.
"So, you're the badass witch now, Red," Faith said slowly, watching as a slow blush ran up Willow's face.
"Uh, kinda. I guess," Willow admitted. "More of a resolved and determined witch than an actual badass witch."
"I think you're a g-g-great badass w-w-witch," Tara said shyly.
Faith grinned as she watched the redheaded girl's blush intensify, and her grin widened when she saw the completely clueless expressions on everyone else's faces. Maybe there's some fun to be had after all, she decided wickedly. "Come on, then, Red. Get your gal pal and saddle up. Can't be late for B's classes."
"Gulp," Willow commented, following Faith out of the basement.
Tara hesitated for a moment, waved a quick goodbye and followed her. For a moment Buffy stood rigidly beside the sofa and then Giles gently enfolded her in his arms.
"It's going to be all right," he tried to reassure her.
"Say that a few more times and I might believe you," she sighed.
"Don't mean to rain on your party, you know, but I am still here, mate," Spike pointed out. "Are you two going to make googly eyes all day or are you going to do something useful?"
"Got any ideas, Spike?" Buffy asked, not making an effort to move. "Cause you're really not helping right now."
"Well, I thought you'd be itching to check out the Commedores now that you're back to strength, so to speak." Spike leered at her. "Unless you were planning to test-drive that new body of yours."
Buffy could feel Giles stiffen with indignation and quickly took steps to prevent their unsupportive ally being staked.
"I'll go and have a look. I don't suppose you'd like to help, would you?"
Spike sat back on his chair and put his feet up on the arm of a sofa. "Love to pet, but the sunlight tends to kill me. It's a bit of a bugger, but that's life."
"What a shame," Buffy grinned.
"I'll get changed and meet you in the kitchen," Giles said, releasing her and turning towards the stairs.
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why?"
Buffy crossed her arms across her chest. "Why are you getting changed and meeting me?"
"Because I'm going with you."
"You can't."
"Who says?"
"I say. I'm the Slayer, and I say these things are too dangerous for you to come along."
"And I suppose that's why you're going, is it?" Giles sighed. "We're supposed to be a partnership. Where you go, I go. If it's not too dangerous for you then it won't be too dangerous for me."
"Rupert, be logical. I'm the Slayer. You're not. What's dangerous for me usually kills other people. I can't risk this."
Giles crossed the floor in a couple of long strides and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Where you go, I go. You aren't planning to fight these things, are you? Then it's just reconnaissance and you know I can do that just as well as you can. Love, I promise not to take any risks but I have to go with you. I can't just send you out anymore, not when I know what I do and feel what I do. It's a good thing I'm not your Watcher anymore - I'd be terrible at it if I was. Don't argue, please?"
Buffy considered his words for a minute. "Ok. But it's strictly recon. We aren't doing anything that might possibly constitute a danger."
"Fine with me."
"Then sod off and let me get some sleep," Spike said grumpily.
***
Faith shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden seat. Somehow, classes had always sounded much more interesting than they actually were. Whatever the guy at the front was talking about went so far over her head she could not even tell what subject she was in. Although considering she dropped out at the end of her freshman year of high school to escape from Kakistos it was not surprising. She stared down at her sheet of paper, now covered with doodles, and hoped that Willow was taking notes. All she could understand were the 'ands' and 'its' and somehow she doubted that the other Slayer would find a page of cartoons particularly helpful.
A kick in the small of her back reminded her of why she was there and she was unaware of the slight smile that crossed her face. She felt another kick, closer to her side, and began to gently rub the spot. Faith almost jumped when she felt the baby kick her exactly where she was rubbing and a look of wonder stole over her face. For once, she did not make an effort to hide her feelings.
Out of the corner of her eye, Willow watched Faith. It was a surprising, and enlightening, experience. The Slayer had a look of astonished pleasure on her face and she seemed completely unaware of anything around her. Always before, Faith's eyes had been shuttered and closed off, along with her emotions, but Willow thought that for the first time she might actually be seeing the real Faith. And the most surprising thing was that 'the real Faith' looked like a nice person.
***
"Where." Bang. "Are." Bang. "They."
For variety, Buffy slammed Willy against the bar, rather than the wall, and glared at him.
"I told you - I don't know!" the bartender protested.
"C'mon, Willy, you know everything that goes on in this town. A troop of large, butt-ugly, horned demons has gotta be newsworthy." Buffy grinned cruelly, the effect enhanced by Faith's features. "You don't want me to get mad, now, do you?"
"Please, no!" Willy squealed.
"He obviously doesn't know anything," Giles said softly, carefully examining a stake he held. "Why don't you finish up here and we'll try elsewhere, hmm?"
Buffy held Willy down with an elbow and put her hand casually around his neck. "Sounds like a plan."
"Hey! Watch the-urck!"
For the first time in her life, Buffy began to see how useful Faith's reputation was - and got a little insight into the rush the other girl felt from these encounters. It was intoxicating and frightening at the same time. Is this why she turned out the way she did?
"All right! I'll tell you!" Willy turned his head slightly and looked towards Giles. "Just get her off me!"
Giles paused and then nodded to Buffy, who slowly released the snivelling bartender.
"Talk," she demanded.
Willy straightened up and rubbed his throat. "Thank you. They're in a cavern under St Paul's Church. The sewer runs right by it."
"Good," Buffy said sharply and turned away.
"No trouble. Just don't tell them who sent you!"
"I'll think about it," Buffy said over her shoulder as she walked away, followed by Giles.
Outside the building, Buffy managed to keep a straight face for about three seconds before collapsing against the wall in a fit of giggles.
"D-did you s-s-see his face?" she panted. "What a rush!"
"It was rather, uh, exhilarating," Giles admitted, chuckling. "Not that I condone that sort of thing. At all."
"Of course you don't. You weren't the person telling me to knock Ethan's teeth in, I'm sure of that. Completely different person." Buffy grinned up at her husband, watching the struggle to suppress a grin on his face. "You were quite the rebel in your youth, weren't you?"
"Well...uh..."
Buffy took a deep breath and straightened. "We'd better go and take a look."
"Yes, that would probably be advisable."
As they walked along the road, hand in hand, Buffy frowned slightly. "Do you think that's why Faith turned? I just sort of...let go and it was such a rush. Did she get addicted to that feeling? Maybe, now that I sort of understand it, I can help her somehow."
"Love, I think you might be on the right track but it all depends on whether the girl wants our help." He squeezed her hand gently. "Understanding her is important, but it won't do us any good if she doesn't want our help. When she was doing all those terrible things, I'm sure there was a part of her that was crying out for help, but she was also terrified to ask for it."
"You understand her, don't you?" Buffy asked, a thought suddenly striking her. "You went through the same things as her when you hung around Ethan. But you managed to come back from it."
"Yes, love, I know what she's going through because I've been there myself."
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
Buffy sighed. "I thought that Angel would be the one who could identify with her best, but it should have been you. If I had taken her to you instead, maybe she never would have gone to the Mayor."
"We were all to blame, Buffy, you know that. We all made mistakes at that time - it wasn't just one person to blame."
"But still..."
"We know now."
***
"So, what exactly is this?" Faith asked, eyeing the brownish lump sitting on her tray suspiciously. "It doesn't look edible."
Willow poked at her brown lump. "I think it might be meatloaf. Or possibly spaghetti sauce."
"Huh." Gingerly, the Slayer lifted a forkful to her mouth and chewed. "Well, it's definitely not edible."
She pushed the tray away and attacked a bowl of ice cream hungrily. "This is much more my thing."
For a few minutes there was silence as Willow, Tara and Faith attempted to eat their lunch. The morning classes were over and they only had one class that afternoon, much to Faith's relief. Her admiration for Buffy had grudgingly gone up a notch as she sat through the lectures that morning. She was not even certain whether they were all in English! Maybe that's why she's the great Slayer and I'm just the second one. She's got a brain.
"So, Red, what's the deal with B and the G-man?" Faith asked to distract herself from her depressing thoughts. "How long have they been doing the horizontal tango?"
"They got married about six months ago," Willow replied, willing herself not to blush.
"I didn't ask that," Faith persisted. "I asked when they got it together. Was this another of the Gang secrets I wasn't in on?"
"No!" Willow said immediately. "Nobody knew until they ran away to Vegas and got married about six months ago. Uh, that didn't really sound right. There was this spell and it...well, they sort of didn't know how they felt until then and then they...got married and...uh...I'm not explaining this very well."
Faith spent a moment decoding the Willow-babble. "So, they had a weird spell that made them realise they can't live without each other and they ran off to get married. And then the pelvicy action started."
"Well, yeah, but in a good way," Willow said hopelessly.
"Sounds very Hellmouthy."
"That's the way things go around here."
"B seems...different," Faith commented cautiously.
"She's changed a lot since you...uh, left," Willow said. "All the stuff that happened with the Ascension made her change. I think she had to grow up at last. And now there's the Giles thing and it's been really good for her."
"You missed her," Tara stated quietly, looking at Faith closely.
Faith snorted, but her eyes were uncertain. "Me miss little Miss Goody-Two Shoes? Not on your life. Are we going to classes or not?"
***
Buffy landed in the sewer with a splash and looked around her with an expression of distaste. "Why is it always sewers?"
"Because, love, it's where they feel most comfortable," Giles said, handing her a crossbow. "Evil tends to feel uncomfortable in the penthouse suit of the New Sunnydale Hotel."
"Huh."
With the familiarity of long partnership, the two lovers worked together to keep watch as they made their way down the stinking tunnel. In the distance, guttural chanting gradually became louder, punctuated by shouts and fearsome ululations.
"Noisy lot, aren't they?" Buffy commented.
Giles flashed her a grin but said nothing, concentrating instead on moving as soundlessly as his wife. The sewer turned a corner and brightened, the chanting also growing louder. Several feet down the tunnel there was a patch of light, evidently an opening in the wall, and the noise was coming from there.
"Bingo," Buffy breathed.
They crept closer and Buffy cautiously peered round, into the cavern.
***
"You do that every day?" Faith asked incredulously as the small group walked into the house. "How do you stay awake? Even high school classes are more interesting than that."
"It wasn't that bad," Willow protested. "Ok, so maybe the fun-factor in 'Modern Revolutions' was missing, but the Jane Austen class was pretty cool."
"Riiiight," Faith drawled. "You got anything to eat around here?"
"It's in the kitchen," Willow pointed out helpfully.
Tara tugged on her sleeve nervously and Willow was immediately distracted.
Faith looked between the two girls. "Maybe I'll just find something myself," she muttered and went in search of food.
"I-I think, or at least I'm sure...that I think, maybe, I might have an idea," Tara said nervously.
Willow looked down the hall to see Faith eating a wedge of chocolate cake in the kitchen. "Let's go upstairs," she suggested and beckoned the blonde witch to follow her. "Is this an idea to put Buffy and Faith back where they should be?"
Tara waited until Willow closed her door before answering. "Yeah. I-it's...wow, I like your room. It's really...you."
"Thank you," Willow said blushing. "I used to share with Buffy but, well, and now I share with Amy, when she's here, but it's mine and I don't have to hide things the way I did at home and I'm losing track of the conversation so...what's your idea?"
"Do you have anything of Buffy's?"
"I...oh! I have this ring." She pulled the ring off her finger and showed it to Tara. "Will it do?"
"I-I think there's a way we can, ummm," she pulled a book out of her bag, "The passage to the nether realm. There-there's a ritual. If you can find her there, you should be able to see how to put them back."
"It it'll help her..." Tara sighed and Willow looked at her, worried. "What?"
"Well, the nether realm exists beyond the physical world. Accessing it is..." Tara shrugged. "I-it-it's kind of like astral projection. It's very intense. I'd have to be your anchor, keep you on this plane."
Willow did not even have to think about her answer. "I trust you."
"It-it's not like anything we've ever-"
"I trust you." The redheaded girl smiled. "I've only known you a few days but I trust you."
Tara looked uncertain but nodded. It took them a couple of minutes to gather the equipment and close the curtains and then they were ready. Willow looked to Tara expectantly and the blonde girl gestured for her to sit on the floor. She complied, sitting down Indian style, and Tara put some pillows on the floor behind her before joining her. She shifted until they were sitting side-by-side, facing opposite directions, and then looked at Willow.
"You're sure?" she asked.
"Completely."
Tara nodded and slowly placed her thumb on Willows forehead, lips and chest before resting her hands on her legs. Matching each other action-for-action they used their outer arms to stroke the floor as though stirring water while whispering,
"Sightless sea, Ayala flows through the river in me.
The inward eye, the sightless sea.
Ayala flows through the river in me.
The inward eye, the sightless sea.
Ayala flows through the river in me.
The inward eye, the sightless sea..."
As they repeated the chant light began to flow from the hands, creating a circle of light around them. Slowly, they raised their other hands and pressed them together palm to palm. It became harder to breathe as the spell continued, although neither of them was aware of it. The circle of light slowly rose until it was level with their heads and their eyes met. Slowly, Willow fell backwards onto the cushions, breaking contact with Tara, and moaned as waves of pleasure ran through her.
***
The scene in the cavern below them was like something from a really bad horror movie. The opening in the tunnel wall led onto a narrow ledge thirty feet above the floor of the cavern so if the two watchers crouched down they could see everything that went on below. Buffy shuddered as two Commedores demons casually butchered a small green demon and threw the remains onto a brazier. The rest of the demons stood in a circle around them, chanting in a hideous language, and as the small demons carcass burst into flame they shouted and pounded on the ground with metal staffs.
The chanting resumed and Buffy was horrified to see another small demon being lead into the circle of Commedores. She drew back into the shelter of the tunnel where at least she could not see what was happening. In all the years she had been a Slayer she thought she had become immune to worst that demons could do, but she could not watch that.
After a moment Giles joined her and silently pulled her into his arms. They stayed like that, simply holding each other, until Buffy judged that she could move without vomiting.
"They are not getting my baby," she said fiercely. "I'll die first."
"As will I," Giles promised. "Have we got everything we came for?"
"Yeah. Let's go home, please?"
"Your wish is my command, love, always."
***
Faith sipped slowly at a glass of milk as she sat in the kitchen. The past day had been strange, to say the least, and she was being forced to do something completely alien to her - think. It had always been Buffy who spend the days contemplating her life and place in the universe, and Faith had always found the trait annoying, but now she was thinking more than she ever had before. Who ever would have thought that B would hook up with Giles? He's so stuffy, and she's a Slayer - not exactly a match made in heaven. I thought. Maybe if she can change...who am I kidding? I'm who I am. I can't change that. They'll never forgive me...who says I want their forgiveness? I'm Faith; I'm evil, and I like that. End of story.
She turned around as she heard the front door open and close at the same time as she heard footsteps clattering down the stairs. There was an excited babble of voices and then Slayers, Watchers and witches invaded the room.
"We did it!" Willow exclaimed as soon as she saw Faith. "We worked out how to put you back!"
The redheaded witch suddenly found herself the focus of several pairs of eyes. "I-it was Tara really. She came up with the idea. I h-had nothing to do with it. Really. Now could you all stop looking at me like that?"
"What did you find, Willow?" Giles asked gently.
"This." Willow proudly opened a small box to show them a glowing green stone. "It's a Katra, or the home-conjured version anyway. It should switch you back."
"How does it work?" Buffy asked, eyeing the glowing object curiously.
"Y-you hold it, a-a-and then you t-touch Faith with it," Tara explained shyly. "It should w-w-work."
"Will it harm my baby?" asked Buffy, crossing her fingers.
"I-it shouldn't," Tara replied. "You'll just, sort of, s-s-swap back."
"Well?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow at Faith. "Are you ready?"
"Totally," Faith said breezily, covering the aching pain she suddenly felt at the thought of losing the baby she could feel inside her. "Can't wait to get out of here."
"Alright, let's do this." Buffy sat down on a stool opposite Faith. "You don't have to leave, you know. You could stay here."
"B, you don't want me messing up your pretty life again. Let's get our bodies back and I can leave."
"But-"
"Give me the Katra-thingy," Faith demanded, glaring at Willow.
The redhead held out the box and the angry Slayer took out the glowing green stone. She locked eyes with Buffy and held out her hand, cocking her head to the side. Slowly, Buffy reached out and clasped hands over the stone.
Brilliant light shot out from between their joined hands and bathed the room in white. Both girls closed their eyes and grimaced. As the light dimmed, they sat for a moment concentrating on breathing slowly. Buffy was the first to react, a slow grin crossing her face as she felt her baby move inside her again. She opened her eyes in time to catch a fleeting look of pain and loss on Faith's face before the other girl closed down again.
"There," Buffy stated unnecessarily.
Giles walked over and put a hand lightly on the blonde girl's shoulder. "Buffy?"
"Yeah, Rupert, it's me again," she replied before being swept into a bone-crushing hug.
Everyone's attention was on the blonde Slayer so Faith quietly slipped away.
***
The Sunnydale bus depot was not the town's most salubrious area. Xander's long-ago remarks about the urine smell and winos had not been exaggerated and it was a singularly depressing place to spend any time in. It fitted Faith's mood perfectly.
She had lifted some money from Giles' wallet before she left so there was nothing stopping her from leaving. It only took her a minute to buy a ticket to L.A. and the ticket guy did not even realise he had just helped a criminal to skip town. Now all she had to do was wait for a bus to arrive and take her away.
You don't have to leave, you know. You could stay here.
Buffy's words seemed to hang in the air around her and Faith angrily wiped a tear from her face. This was not the time to get weak.
You could have friends.
Buffy's words seemed to haunt her, mocking the loneliness she had given into so easily. What if they were right? Could they actually be offering her a way out? As the bus drew up, Faith looked down at the ticket in her hand.
*finis*