Role Reversal: Chapter Six
Nov. 6th, 2008 02:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Chapter Six: In Which We “Help” Faith
By the time everything had been explained to the rest of the Scoobies I had had plenty of time to start being mad at Faith again. Where did the girl get off coming to me and then just ditching me like that? I went home, had the standard mother-daughter chat about Slaying before bedtime and then pondered the situation.
I couldn’t get out of my mind Faith’s expression when she told me about the nightmares. I cursed my thoughts for the directions they were heading in - Faith-can-yet-be-saved directions. I ignored my prodding conscience that told me I had not yet done all I could to help her and went to sleep. Not that that stopped my conscience. The dang thing continued to bug me for the next couple of days until I finally couldn’t stand it anymore.
***
Xander and Cordelia were walking together. They weren’t exactly arguing, but they weren’t exactly agreeing either. Xander was venting some of his worry and anger over Buffy’s decision about Spike and Drusilla and Cordelia was obviously sick of hearing about it.
“Xander!” she interrupted him, “I get that you’re upset, but the decision is made, now get over it. I’m here now
and you’re here now. Nobody else is here right now!”
“Not anymore,” Faith said as she stepped out from behind them through a gap in the cemetery wall they were
walking past. Xander and Cordelia jumped and Xander stepped between Cordelia and Faith.
Swallowing nervously and laughing a little, he asked,
“So, it’s Faith. Um, whatcha been up to?”
“Besides being all evil and everything,” Cordelia muttered. Xander glared at her and Faith smiled a little
dangerously.
“Gotta spend my time making sure the little kiddies don’t get eaten on the way home.”
“We’re fine, thanks,” Xander assured her. “Great seeing you again.” He started to pull Cordelia away.
“What’s your rush, Xander?” Faith purred and Cordelia’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t have to act all nasty toward
each other. You and I were always friends.”
Xander looked like he was about to faint and drool at the same time and Cordelia took charge of the situation.
She stepped in front of Xander and snapped at Faith.
“Back off, Slut-bag. I don’t care how many superpowers you have; Xander is my turf and you will keep your
hands off!”
Faith laughed a little and turned around and walked away.
“Just a little fun, Queenie. We all know how much Xander is yours.”
Xander stared after her and Cordelia slapped him on the head.
“Ow!” he yelled. “I didn’t do anything!”
“Nothing but drool like a moron!” she told him, looking disgusted. “I’m going home.”
“What about our plans?” Xander asked, sounding bewildered.
“Maybe Faith is interested in your plans, Xander,” Cordelia said over her shoulder, “but until you stop acting like
a raging hormone bomb I’ll be washing my hair.”
Xander stared after her a minute and then shook his head and walked off, muttering to himself.
Spike stepped out of the shadows where he’d been lingeringly finishing a meal, dropped the body and watched
Xander go, smiling. Musingly, Spike lit a cigarette and strolled down the street toward Buffy’s house.
***
The minute Spike walked into my yard I knew there was trouble. After all, something hadn’t happened in almost three days and I was getting worried. With a sigh, I sat down with him on the front porch and proceeded to drill for oil with a toothpick through five million tons of earth, or, in other words, tried to get what he wanted to say said without him going on for thirty years before he actually got around to it. Maybe Spike had that thirty years to spare but I sure as heck didn’t.
“The short version, Spike,” I said wearily. Spike smirked a little but sat down next to me.
“You outta hide your feelings better there, luv. I can see right through you.”
“In that case you’ll know I really really want to go to bed and could use a short conversation with you instead of
the long one I’m expecting.”
“Right, well, just thought you should know that your Slayer-ettes are getting accosted by your evil twin.”
Spike stood up to go and I grabbed hold of his coat with one hand.
“What was that?” I asked.
Spike took my hand off his coat and stepped away to lean against one of the porch railings.
“Leave the coat alone, pet. It’s older than you are and deserves respect.”
“To hell with the coat, Spike. What is Faith doing?”
“Just following your boy and his cheerleader around and flashing her cleavage everywhere is all. Cheerleader
about took her out though. Feisty bint that.”
“Oh, Cordelia’s words know no bounds,” I said absently.
A new thought had entered into my head and I thought it over. Spike’s eyes watched me and he stood there,
smoking contentedly, but alert as a cat. How does he do that? I’m always alert, but I can’t look relaxed while I’m
doing it.
Whatever. Now was not the time to be contemplating asking Spike for his relaxation methods of alert-ness or
whatever it’s called. Faith needed some help. Why did she need help? Why, it was obvious. She must have
missed normal, sane, good people or she wouldn’t keep coming to us. Um, scratch the normal, sane and good on
the Cordelia though. But Faith must have had a reason for approaching us and the fact that I had heard her lie on the phone to the Mayor about her whereabouts led me to believe it wasn’t at his behest.
“Spike,” I said evenly, “I have a plan. I’ll need your help.”
Spike just looked at me and nodded. And we were set to go.
***
The next day I revealed the plan to everyone in the library. It took awhile but I managed to convince Giles and Wesley that it was a good idea. It took even longer to threaten Wesley so he wouldn’t call the Council about it but in the end I had all the help I needed.
I put Willow onto the net searching for where Faith might be living on the Mayor’s funding. I also had Spike
hunting through Sunnydale at night figuring out what Faith was up to. In between studying for chemistry, training with Wesley and patrolling, I tried to figure out her daytime pattern.
Even though Cordelia was still acting on the cool side with Xander I told them to stick together and be extra
careful, especially after dark. The same went for Willow and Oz. During that time we waited.
***
Xander was walking along the street, nervously looking over his shoulder and peering around as though every shadow was going to grab him.
“Gee, Xander, you look a little jumpy,” Faith whispered as she appeared out of nowhere beside him.
“Faith! Well, um, it’s late out here and, um, what are you doing?” he asked as she snaked her hands up his
arms and put them around his neck.
“Easy there,” she said. “Just cause I’m evil doesn’t mean I still don’t have certain needs. Catch my drift?”
Xander’s mouth dropped open.
“Sure you do,” he postulated quickly. “Needs, yeah. Lots of needs. We all have lots of needs…” His words
died off as she covered his mouth with hers. He pulled away and then tried to back away.
“Um, listen, Faith. Totally flattered here. Very tempting, but, uh, you know Cor-“
“Cordelia?” Faith said, amused, moving closer to him. “Cordelia leads you around by the nose. She never lets
you come out and play. Well, I am all about the fun.” She sidled up to Xander and turning around, rubbed her back
up against him. “Come on, Xander, let’s play.”
“Oh, gosh. Oh, um. Choices.” Xander fumbled around, obviously having a hard time with this decision.
“Hey, Faith,” Cordelia’s voice sounded behind them and, as Faith turned around, she hit her across the head
with a baseball bat. “Keep your hands off my boyfriend.”
“Oh, thank God,” Xander exhaled. “I hate being the bait!”
Faith dropped to the floor, dazed for a moment, but then was ready to get back up and kill Cordelia when all of a
sudden she saw two sets of shoes in front of her. One was a pair of heavy black boots framed by a black leather
duster. The other was a pair of stylish, yet affordable boots that could only belong to one person. Then she didn’t see anything at all.
***
Seeing Faith was awake, Spike leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette.
Faith looked around to find a pair of black boots standing in front of her. That and chains restraining her to the
wall.
“Had some nice dreams there, pet?”
Faith lunged out at him but he jerked away gracefully, grinning.
“Let me out of here, or I swear I will-“
“Temper now. We’re going to be very good friends so I think you should hold the death threats close to the
chest.”
“The Mayor is going to-“
“Yes, I imagine he will,” Spike said calmly. “But let’s forget about him for the moment.”
Faith stood up warily and sounded suspicious.
“What do you want?”
Spike chuckled a little and went and sat down comfortably on the couch. They were in the mansion and Faith
was encased in Dru’s chains.
“This isn’t about me, luv.” He leaned forward a bit. “Listen, I’m gonna be straight with you. Slayer told me you
like it when people are real with you and you don’t have to wonder about their motives. Well, here’s mine: I don’t
care a bloody lick about you. You could die right in front of me here and I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.”
Faith glared at him, while at the same time, seemed to appreciate his honesty.
Spike continued.
“Only reason I’m here is cause I made a deal with the Slayer to help her and this is what she wants help with.
So we’re stuck together and you might as well cooperate, or sit there using up all your energy to try and get out of
those chains. Whichever works for me.”
Faith laughed bitterly.
“Why in the world would B. trust you with me, her little killer?”
“Well, who better to help one?” Spike said shortly. This little exchange would be challenging and he liked that
but if she didn’t change her tune soon, it wouldn’t be quite as much fun anymore and he’d get bored real quick.
“Cause you’re a reformed killer?” Faith asked sarcastically.
“Cause I am a killer,” Spike said seriously, a real chill in his tone. Faith looked up at the sound and he could
see she knew he meant what he said. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s evil. That and what it’s like to kill. Now I may
not have a soul like you do, but I still know the rush, the thrill and the power of it all. It’s got quite a kick to it and
there’s no time like the first time. Though from what I understand you’re pretty seasoned, right on up to two known
killings.” Spike’s tone was mocking.
“What’s so funny about that?” Faith sounded seriously upset now.
“You’re a bloody child,” he scoffed. “You’re a little girl who all of a sudden got the keys to the car thrust in her
hand and took it out for a joyride and now think you’re the biggest bad in the land. You know nothing about real bad,
little one. But you will soon if you let it eat you up. And it will, trust me on that. Got eaten quite literally myself. I
can’t come back from it. I shouldn’t. But we demons got no need for humans running around trying to imitate us
because they can’t control themselves.” Spike leaned in closer. “And you will regret it because you still have that
soul of yours. Yeah, it’s stained, it’s shoved away in a closet, but it’s there and, when the dark has swallowed you
up, it will finish the job.”
Faith lunged at him again, raging at his scornful words. But Spike just laughed at her and walked out of the
room.
***
I was waiting outside the mansion when I heard Spike laugh and walk towards me.
“What happened?” I asked anxiously.
“She’s doing the bitter child act,” he said. “Ready to patrol?”
“Spike! Give me some details before I kill you.”
“Already dead,” he murmured before giving me what I asked for and related the conversation he’d had with Faith.
“That’s it? What good is that going to do?” I asked.
“Look, Slayer,” Spike said shortly, “you asked for my help, to help the rogue come back from the dark side. I’m
doing it the way I know how so leave it alone already. She’s still a little girl, just like you are.” Well, I like that.
Being, like, a one hundred and fifty doesn’t make him Maturity Decider. “She’s taken a hold of something and it’s exciting and addicting and she doesn’t know what to do with it and all I’m doing is help her see where it leads and make her examine herself. That satisfy you, Slayer or do we need to give her cookies and hot tea?”
“I get it, Spike,” I snapped. “Stop acting like you’re all that.”
“Oh, but I am, luv,” he smirked. “Can we patrol now?”
“Yes, but someone needs to watch her,” I pointed out. Now who’s thinking about things, Mr. Mature? Oh yeah,
I'm on top of everything.
“I’m gonna leave Dru here,” he said. “She’s not well enough to hunt.”
“I’m not leaving the two crazy people here alone,” I said.
“Then leave someone else too,” Spike said. “I couldn’t care less.”
“I will,” I said. But who? I wasn’t about to let any of my friends stay here with Faith. She was strong and
something could happen. Not to mention the carnage Drusilla could reek if she took it into her head to do it, even if
she couldn't feed. But Giles was researching the Drusilla problem and if I mentioned him Spike would have a fit and I
didn’t wanna deal with his particular drama right then.
“I’ll have Wesley come over,” I finally said. “The two of them should be able to handle it.”
Spike smiled. I wanted to wipe it off his smug face, but decided to just leave it alone.
“Let’s go then, Slayer.”
“Make sure she’s secure,” I said. “Faith is strong.”
“Why yes, mother,” he said sarcastically.
I wanted to scream. Spike really needs to be dusted soon.
***
Spike strode back into the room with Wesley and Drusilla. Faith looked up and laughed at the sight, but Spike saw that she had been thinking.
“Well,” he said, “I have got to run but I’m leaving you here with these two for awhile. I hope you all have a very
good time. Wesley here is quite the Watcher and I know he’ll have all sorts of Council lectures to give you. Dru
here, on the other hand, is all sorts of evil so just watch her and see what your future holds.”
“I’m the example,” Drusilla said proudly.
Wesley quivered as he watched Faith, but he took a crossbow and a dagger and sat down on the couch.
Drusilla floated over to Faith and pulled up her face to look at it. Faith jerked backwards.
“Oh, I do like her eyes so, Spike,” Drusilla said. “Can I have them?”
“No, not today, Dru,” Spike said regretfully, pulling her close. “We’ll get to that some other time. Now listen
closely, love. I don’t want you to go near the Slayer. You can talk to her all you like, but don’t unchain her or do
anything she says. If she gets loose let her kill the Watcher before trying to come at you. Have you got that,
baby?”
Drusilla pouted a little.
“Spike thinks I’ve forgotten the rules,” she said to no one in particular. “But I’m the whip, all ready.” Drusilla
turned back to Spike and made a good imitation of a whip crack. “Run and play, my William. I feel a good silence
coming where I’ll do my part.”
“Now look here,” Wesley started to say, “I don’t think that’s quite the team spi-“
He stopped as he saw that Spike and Drusilla weren’t listening to him.
“Listen well, pet,” Spike told Faith and then walked out the door, pausing to wink at Wesley.
***
Wesley, left alone with a rogue Slayer and a crazy vampress, made himself as small as possible. Faith glowered and settled into a brooding silence. Drusilla floated out of the room and Wesley visibly relaxed a little, but then she came back in again holding a doll with its eyes bound up and a tea set.
“It’s time for tea,” she said smiling and placed the set down on the table in front of the couch. Sitting on the
ground, she placed a cup in front of herself, one for Wesley, one for Faith and one for the doll.
“For him who couldn’t possibly.” She handed Wesley a bit of bread soaked in blood. He just stared blankly at
her. “For Miss Edith who’s been so very bad lately.” Drusilla put more bread in front of the doll. “I shall never eat
bread, only the years,” she said to herself and put no bread on her own plate. “Does she want some?” she asked Faith, who recoiled.
“Are you insane?” she asked.
“Of course,” Drusilla answered. “You’re coming to join me.” And she laughed a little.
“Like hell,” Faith spat.
“Such pretty flames come out her mouth,” Dru told Wesley and then drained her tea cup of blood before
breaking the cup, causing Wesley to jump, and, taking one of the pieces of jagged china, started ripping holes in the
doll.
Faith stared at her in amazement and some trepidation. This was one crazy vampire lady. She had to get out
of here before she did go insane. Pushing Spike’s words to the back of her mind, Faith stood up again and started
testing her chains out. She quickly found the flaw in them and started pounding it against the wall, not even trying to
be subtle about it.
“I would stop that if I were you,” Wesley said, obviously trying to keep the quivering out of his voice.
“Watcha gonna do about it, English?” she asked without ceasing her pounding.
“This,” he said and aimed the crossbow at her leg and fired. Wesley seemed to be an excellent shot and at
such close range he could not have missed. Faith cried out and banged against the wall. “I’m sorry I had to do that,”
Wesley said, “but you’re much too dangerous to be let loose and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you here.”
“But, Wes, is it?” Faith said, getting back to her feet and showing him the cracked chains, “you’re the one who
set me free.”
Wesley hurriedly loaded another bolt into the crossbow and tried to keep her from breaking loose, but just as
he fired Faith’s chains split open and though the second bolt hit her left hand she didn’t slow down, but ripped it out
and jumped over the couch to where Wesley stood with his dagger. Drusilla giggled and clapped her hands, enjoying
the show.
“Love to stay,” Faith said, grasping the crossbow bolt in her hand and slamming it into Wesley’s leg while he vainly tried to fend her off with his dagger. “But I got evil things to do.”
Wesley screamed and Faith ran out the door into the night.
***
Wesley slumped to the floor, panting, and gauged his wound. Pulling it out would only cause him to lose more blood so he left the painful thing inside his leg and tried to stand up.
Drusilla laughed.
“Such a lovely smell. You’re quite the party favor.” Wesley looked in horror at his blood soaked pants and
scrambled to his feet and limped for the door as fast as he could. Drusilla made no move to follow him but sniffed
and said to herself, “Nobody likes my tea parties.”
***
Giles was at the library researching. Normally this would have delighted him, but the subject matter was certainly distasteful. Most things that were involved in vampire draining spells contained dark magic that reminded him too much of his past. He was having trouble concentrating, thinking about Faith and the Mayor and how Buffy was doing. The two of them had made much progress and she was almost back to the level of trust she’d previously held in him but it wasn’t all the way there yet and he felt that gap every moment, hating himself for having caused it.
Giles sighed. Thinking about things wasn’t going to make the repugnant work go by any faster so he buckled
down and made himself concentrate.
Shortly thereafter he grabbed a pad of paper and pencil, sure that he was onto something.
“Yes,” he mumbled to himself. “When Willow and I examined her aura, we found those same orange traces.
This is most certainly it. A curse originating from the Rinaldi clan of ancient Italy when their village was attacked by
vampires in the late 12th century…” Giles continued on like that for awhile scribbling down notes furiously. “Oh
dear,” he finally said looking down at his sheets, “Spike won’t be pleased about that at all.”
Just then Wesley burst through the door as fast as a limping man could go. Giles looked up, shocked at the
young man with a crossbow bolt through his leg, bleeding and obviously in great pain.
“Wesley!” he said, hurrying over to him. “Come, sit down.” Giles got him to a chair. He knelt down and
examined the wound quickly and then went into the office and called 911. “Tell me what happened,” he said.
Wesley caught his breath and told him about Buffy wanting him to watch Faith with Drusilla and then his trying
to restrain her and her getting loose.
“Mr. Giles,” Wesley said, bowing his head, “I must confess I find myself in over my head here in Sunnydale.
This isn’t quite like what Watcher work was described to me as. I know I did the wrong thing back there and am
responsible for letting a murderer loose. I don’t know quite what to do. I am so very sorry and I wanted to help so
much and I just buggered the whole thing up.”
Wesley was quite obviously a little delirious from the pain, but Giles could tell his remorse was sincere.
“Don’t talk such rubbish, Wesley,” Giles said briskly staunching the blood flow and seeing it wouldn’t be a good
idea to take the bolt out until the medic team arrived. “You’ve made mistakes, yes, and been quite a blueberry scone
about the whole thing, but you were just holding to the training you had received and a little jolt of reality is just the
thing for you. Now, I’m going to get you to the hospital and I want you to forget the drivel you’ve been spouting which sounds something very much like your father would say.” Wesley started in surprise, even through the pain. “Yes, I know your father and I must admit I am surprised at how different to him you are. You should be quite proud of the fact, really.”
The emergency team rushed into the room and loaded Wesley onto a stretcher. Wesley started breathing
more easily and sounded very British when he said thank you to Giles as they wheeled him away. Giles looked after him for a minute and then scribbled a note for Buffy on the table before gathering up his notes and then rushing off to the mansion where he was sure Buffy would return when she’d finished her patrol.
***
Spike and I actually had a great patrol. No really, I’m so not joking. We killed lots of things. In my more lucid, yet never admitting to it moments, I know Spike and I work as a great team. It’s a shame about that whole him being evil thing. But the team thing vanished the minute we got back to the mansion and found that his crazy lady and my wimpy Watcher had let Faith break loose. I was about to throttle Drusilla, but something in Spike’s eyes decided me against. So I just ranted at her until Spike stopped me and took her into the other room, because apparently she was getting upset. Oh no, that’s awful.
“Buffy,” Giles’ voice came from behind me.
“Giles, Faith is gone,” I said. “When I catch up to Wesley I’m going to-“
“Wesley is in the hospital,” Giles told me. “Faith stabbed him with a crossbow bolt and he lost a lot of blood.
He came to me when it happened and I know he tried his best so don’t be too hard on him.”
“Good Watchers are so hard to come by these days,” Spike drawled as he came back into the room with
Drusilla. I actually agreed with him.
“We need to find Faith,” I settled on saying. “She’s probably really mad right about now.”
“She was listening, Slayer,” Spike told me. “She’ll have thinking to do.”
“And healing,” Giles said. “Wesley shot her twice before she escaped.”
“Watcher’s got spine,” Spike approved. “There’s a faint blood trail I can probably track.”
“She loves the ships,” Drusilla suddenly said. “They make her think about being free.”
Spike and I looked at her.
“The smell does seem to lead towards the docks,” Spike said slowly.
“Ok, I’m going,” I said and turned to leave.
“Shouldn’t Spike go with you?” Giles asked. “She could be dangerous.”
“No,” I said. “I’ve been sending everybody to face her except me and aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be
helping her?”
I turned to leave. As I went I heard Spike asking Giles conversationally,
“So there, Watcher, how’s the research coming?”
Giles shuffled awkwardly.
“Uh, yes, Spike. About that…”
I hurried toward the docks, wanting to fix the mess that I had gotten myself into. In wanting to help Faith I’d probably just pushed her further away. Go me. Well, that was my typical way of dealing with things, making it worse. No sense in doing it differently this time.
When I reached the docks I found Faith sitting on crates overlooking the water.
“Faith,” I said, stopping short of where she was sitting.
“Buffy,” Faith said, standing up and turning around, “back for more fun?”
“Faith, what happened, I’m really sorry. I was trying to help you.” She laughed.
“What, by kidnapping me and turning the crossbow happy Watcher loose?”
“That wasn’t supposed to happen. Okay, the kidnapping was,” I admitted. “But the shooting definitely not.”
“Well, it did happen.” Faith waved blood sprinkled fingers at me. “And boy, was it helpful.”
“I just wanted you to see-“
She cut me off.
“What you wanted me to see was you prancing around being all perfect and hypocritical with your vampire
buddies and moral uptightness in the hopes that I could come back and be your little sidekick,” Faith snapped,
jumping down from the crates until she was standing in front of me. “But I won’t. I’ll never be under your shadow
again.”
With my peripheral vision I saw the box falling and reacting instantly, pushed Faith out of the way before darkness crashed down on me.
Opening my eyes again I saw Faith battling two vampires while a third stood over me. I tried to move but the
box was heavy and I would have to strain to lift it. Why do all my days have to end so perfectly? I ask myself pointless questions sometimes. The box lifted about two inches before the vamp stamped his foot down on it and I winced as another wave of pain swept through me.
I pushed my hand out from under the box and grabbed his foot, causing him to fall. Without him on the box I
managed to shove it just enough that I could roll out from under it. As soon as I was out he grabbed me and
slammed me up against the box. I hit my head and almost blacked out again, enough for him to be able to start
snacking on me, but all of a sudden there was nothing but a burst of dust.
It cleared and Faith’s form in Slayer stance with stake upheld became clear.
“You saved me,” I said.
And admitting I was actually saved was a big thing for me. I just want everybody to know that.
“Well, you know that thing about me getting to kill you and only me,” Faith quipped lightly.
“That’s what Spike always says,” I said breathlessly.
“Smart guy,” she said and started to walk away.
“Faith.” I started forward.
“Later, B.”
Faith walked away from me and I didn’t try to stop her again. I guess I’d done enough damage for one evening.
***
As Faith walked away she cursed under her breath. This entire evening had been a nightmare. First, she’d been stupid enough to get herself kidnapped, then she’d had to endure Spike’s lecturing and watch that crazy vampress play with her dolls, then she got shot, then Buffy had to try to save her again, and then of all things she saved Buffy!
“I need to hole up and heal a little,” she muttered. “I can’t let the Mayor know about this. Those weren’t his
vamps so I’m probably safe, but I gotta be careful.”
Unbidden, Drusilla’s words came to mind.
“You’re coming to join me.”
Faith shuddered. She knew that the vampress was psychic.
“You’re a bloody child...But it’s there and when the dark has swallowed you up, it will finish the job.” Spike’s
words also chilled her to the bone.
“I made up my mind,” Faith shouted suddenly, tired of the inner conflict. “I’ll take my consequences. Leave me
alone! The child is going to grow up!”
***
In her room at the mansion, Drusilla sat crooning to the wall. She suddenly stiffened and put her head back.
“So be it. Dark is coming to swallow you whole,” she sang and clapped her hands gleefully.