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The Slayer	By : norwalker Category: BtVS AU/AR > FemmeSlash - Female/Female Views: 19613 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 37
- 38
The Slayer

By Norwalker

Part 37� of a multipart
story.

Summary: What if Faith came first? If she were the slayer before
Buffy( if Buffy even became a slayer)? Just my take on what might have
happened. AU, of course.

Pairings: Not sure yet. You might be surprised.

Rating: M( R )

Disclaimer: Characters depicted in this story, except for
original characters created by the author, are the sole property of Mutant
Enemy, Fox and Joss Whedon.

1

"Why can't I?" Cordelia complains, with that special
tone reserved for teenagers trying to drive their parent's crazy.

Buffy, leaning over the banister on the second floor, watches
with some amusement at the 'drama' unfolding below.

Cornell sighs, feeling the weight of the world, and his teenaged
daughter's tantrum, on his shoulders.

"I've explained it to you a dozen times already, Cordelia.
There are some bad people, people who would do anything, that have no scruples
about attacking, perhaps even harming you, to get to me. My security people
have identified more than one plot against us, and I simply can't have you running
around out there alone, being a target. How do you think I'd feel if anything
happened to you?"

"It's not like I want to go clubbing or anything. Geeze, I
just want to go to the mall. It's got like security everywhere, and people and
stuff. Who could get at me without being seen or something? That is so totally
lame!"

"These people are experts, darling girl. They could snatch
you and who knows what before anyone would even notice. Lots of people around
just make it easier for them. No, I'm sorry, but I simply can't allow you to
go."

"I can't go to school, I can't see my friends, and I can't
go out anywhere! God, it's like I'm a prisoner in my own home!"

"It's just for a few more days. My people tell me they're
close to wrapping up this threat, and then things can get back to normal
again�"

"You keep saying that. It's been like over a week, and the
only place I can go is the house or on the grounds. And even there, there's
like rent a cops everywhere. This is so � so� Ahhhh" Cordelia throws her
hands up in frustration.

"C'mon, honey. Be reasonable. It's not for much longer, and
I'm only�"

"I know, I know. Keeping me safe. God, I'm not a child! I
can take care of myself!"

"I'm sorry, Cordelia," Cornell's tone turns a little
stern. "But I have to insist. It's not like you're deprived here. There's
plenty to do to amuse you�"

"God, you just don't get it, do you?" Cordelia snaps
back.

"That's enough, young lady."

"Oh, forget it. JUST FORGET IT!" Cordelia storms out.

Buffy is chuckling to herself, watching Cordelia's little snit. God,
so good to see the 'princess' get it. Spoiled much? Does she even listen? So
used to getting her own way, and boy is she pissed not getting it now� Uh oh,
here comes Hurricane Cordelia now.

"What do you want?" Cordelia grumbles as she almost
runs into Buffy at the top of the stairs.

"Gee, nothing Ms. Bitch," Buffy amuses herself goading
the bear a little. "Just thought maybe you'd like to go swimming. My mom wanted
me to ask� might be a good idea�� so you
can cool off a bit�"

"You were listening?"

"Well, duh!" Buffy chuckles.

"You're such a sneak!"

"And you're such a brat. God, it's not like you're stuck in
some dark hole or something. Geeze, your dad is only trying to keep you
safe�" she shakes her head. "Anyway, with your volume, who needs to
sneak? I mean, geeze you two could be heard over half the house!"

"Yeah, like who cares, anyway?" Cordelia makes a noise,
brushing past Buffy rudely. She really isn't used to the evil munchkin from
hell being her sister, and doesn't particularly want try to be nice at the
moment.� She stomps on down the hall.

"Well, obviously you do," Buffy follows on her heels,
"Acting like a big old baby cuz 'Daddykins' won't let you go
outside and play!"

"Shut up, dad's mistake," Cordelia turns into her
room, trying to ignore the Chihuahua on her heels.

"Shut up, yourself, butt brain," Buffy follows her in,
not letting a little thing like privacy stop her. "Maybe for once you
should think about someone else besides yourself, princess dumb-ass"

"Like who, you?" Cordelia turns and puts her hands on
her hips. "Get outta my room, shorty. Ever hear of privacy?"

"Make me, Cordy," Buffy makes herself at home
on Cordelia's bed.

"You little shit. I told you never to call me that,"
She makes for the bed. "Get off my bed, Lizzie"

"As I said, make me," Buffy grins, flipping her the
finger.

Cordelia flips her back.

"Oooo, original!" Buffy sniggers. "Think that up
all by yourself?"

"Screw you, Tinkerbelle," Cordelia turns her back on
her. She starts to undress. "You're not worth it."

Buffy watches with some amusement, and a touch of lust, as
Cordelia undresses to change into her swimsuit. Despite the name calling, she
has to admit her half sister is pretty hot. And she can't forget that night she
peeked in and watched as Faith and Cordelia had some really hot and heavy sex.

Cordelia, for her part, seems to be taking her anger out on her
clothing. Impatiently, she starts tossing them every which way, not caring if
they hit the bed, chair or floor.

"God, I just wanna get outta this place. I�m going
crazy�" She laments, walking over to her closet. She opens the doors, and
walks in.

Buffy gets up off the bed, following her again. "God give
it a rest, would you? It's getting old, you know?"

"Well, what would you know?" Cordelia turns on her.
"I mean, not like you have any restrictions!" She turns back towards
her clothing. "You can come and go as you please�"

"Yeah, well, not like anyone knows I'm Cornell's daughter,
so why bother?" Buffy can't keep the trace of bitterness out of her voice.

"Oh, oh, what's wrong, baby?" Cordelia smirks,
noticing the tone. "Maybe �my
daddy doesn't love you. Maybe my daddy's ashamed of you?"

"Fuck off, Cordy!" Buffy snaps back. "It's
just until he and mom get married, then it'll be different�"

"Uh, huh, sure�" Cordelia says, "Until they're
married. Right."

"Yeah�"

"You think your mom's the first woman dad's brought around
this house?"

"What're you saying?"

"Notice any other wives hanging around?"

"He said they were getting married�"

"Right," Cordelia looks smug. "Like I've never
heard that before�" She chuckles softly.

"They ARE!" Buffy's lip trembles, just a little. Then
her expression changes. "You're just pissed cuz you can't go see your
girlfriend�"

Cordelia looks at her blankly. "What're you talking about,
numb brains?"

"You're girlfriend, Tardo," Buffy replies. "You
know, the one you're all gaga over?"

"Look, Buffy, maybe you're into the whole lesbo thing, but
I'm straight, you know?"

What the hell? Is she whack?

"Look, Cor, pretty hard to close the closet door when you've
blown them off their hinges, you know?"

"What're you babbling about, munchkin?"

"Oh, get real. Stop pretending, everyone knows. You and
Faith�"

"Faith? Who's Faith?"

"Are you whack? Faith, you're girlfriend. Remember?"

"I don't know any Faith�.wait, isn't that the skanky
assistant to that creepy librarian at school?" Cordelia makes a face.
"God, if I were gonna go Ellen, don't you think I'd pick better than that?"
Cordelia shakes her head. "Listen, nut job, next time you're out? Maybe
you'd like to drop by the doctor? Maybe he could suggest a good shrink for
you."

Buffy looks at Cordelia like she's lost her mind. What's
going on? What kind of game is she playing� she scrutinizes her, and
realizes that Cordelia isn't kidding. �Whoa� this is good� too good�

"Hey, I'm not the nut job here, Swiss cheese brains."

"Oh, really? Cuz you're really doing a good job of
it�"

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

Both girls turn, a little startled. Joyce Summers is standing at
the entrance to the walk-in closet, wearing a tight one piece bathing suit.

Cordelia for a moment, forgets about the little tiff she's
having with Buffy, and frankly stares at Joyce.

Despite getting used to weird things happening around Casa Chase, she's still a
little awed by the change in Joyce. Joyce looks no older than 20, at most. Her
body, already a swimmer's body, has lost any softness that age added, slimming
down to a narrow waist and a nice set of flared hips. Her legs are long, and
toned; not a trace of cellulite remains on her thighs. Her breasts are large,
but firm, and seem to defy gravity, pushing up and out on the cups of her
bathing suit.� Her skin is smooth and
tight, and her face looks fresh and young. �Way too young to be Buffy's mom� . Finally her hair, which used to be cut to
her shoulders, now hangs loose and wavy, almost reaching her breasts.

Maybe awe isn't the
correct word for Cordelia's� response to
the 'new' Joyce. Perhaps it just a queasy sense of this is wrong, something is
very wrong here. Joyce is Buffy's mom. EVEN if she had Buffy at Buffy's
age(which she didn't; it was in college � or later�), she should/would be in
her early to mid thirties; instead, she looks like she's barely older than
Cordelia. It feels wrong to Cordelia, for some reason, though she can't
consciously understand why.

Perhaps it's because in
the short time they've known each other, they've developed an almost mother/
daughter-like bond between them. And her looking, and acting, like her chum
just isn't working for Cordelia.

Whatever the case,
Buffy is watching Cordelia's reaction with a smirk. Her being thrown off her
game, confused? Is just a cherry on the sundae for Buffy.

"Is everything ok,
dear?" Joyce asks, noticing Cordelia's stare. "Is something wrong with
my suit?" She does a quick inspection of her bathing suit.

"Uh� no"
Cordelia quickly averts her eyes.

"If you're done
staring at my mom now�" Buffy snickers nervously, wondering what her crazy
half sister is staring at, "Think we can get out of the closet now? I'd
like to get some sun in before it goes down�"

"Are you sure
you're ok, Cordelia?" Joyce asks, noticing Cordelia's state of dress.
"We were going to go swimming this afternoon, right?" She looks at
Buffy. "You did invite her, right?"

Buffy nods.

"Uh� yeah,
sure�" Cordelia replies, suddenly not so sure anymore. About anything.

"Oh, just ignore
her," Buffy rolls her eyes. "She's just miffed because her daddy
won't let her go shopping�"

"Shut up, butt
breath," Cordelia retorts, "you're just jealous�"

"Of you? Please,
you're such a big loser�"

"Really, cuz I
know my daddy loves me�"

"You�."

"Girls,
enough!" Joyce cuts in. "What's this about?"

"Nothing,"
Cordelia mutters.

"Nothing," Buffy
echoes the time tested response to parental inquiry.

"Mmm� hmmm�"
Joyce nods, not a bit fooled. "Ok, both of you, out of there and on the
bed."

"What?"

"Side by side, I
want to see those rears on the bed now!" Joyce's tone is firm, her fists
clenched tightly.

Both girls, feeling a
little chill, follow orders, exiting the closet and sitting on the bed.

Joyce walks over,
noticing that the girls have put the maximum space between themselves. She
sighs.

"Ok, girls, I know
that this is all been rough on up. But, it's been rough on everyone, including
me and your father. Especially when you two are fighting like two spoiled
little brats. It's not like I don't have enough to do around here�

Both snort, if for
different reasons.

She takes in a breath. "Did
I say something funny�" She cocks her head to the side, a slightly crooked
grin on her face.

"No" Cordelia
mumbles.

"Uh� no"
Buffy mutters.

"As I was
saying," Joyce continues, "you're both� stubborn� I understand
that," Joyce looks from one to the other, "but right now, you have to
consider what's best for the family. Am I making myself clear?"

She waits for a
response. Not getting any, she repeats the question.

"Am I making
myself clear?" She says softly, but her tone is anything but soft.

"Y-Yeah,
mom," Buffy nods quickly.

"Yes, ma'am,"
Cordelia nods likewise.

"Good, so like
good little girls, I want you both to apologize to each other�"

"But mom!"

"Mrs. Summers� er�
Joyce�"

"Do it!"

Both girls look like
they'd rather dine on glass.

"Fine. I'm
sorry," Buffy says. That
you're such a spoiled brat.

"Yeah, me too. I'm
sorry," Cordelia says. That
you're an asshole.

"That's
better," Joyce smiles tightly. "Now, isn't that all better,
then?" She looks from side to side. "Ok, what started this?"

"She's being such
a brat. Just because her dad won't let her go shopping. Even though he's
explained WHY he won't�"

"Get real. That's
not it at all, but figures you'd get it wrong. First of all, I've been cooped
up in this house forever�"

"It's hardly been
more than a week," Joyce adds.

"Whatever, the point is, I'm stuck here, but she can go anywhere she wants. How
fair is that?"

"Cordelia, I'm
sure your father has explained about the threats�"

"Yeah, still, I�m
still the prisoner�" Cordelia whines a little

"Cordelia, it
isn't like that. You know your father is only trying to protect you�"

"Right. By taking
away my car keys, and having the servants watch me like guards, and not letting
me go to school or see my friends or even have friends in or anything�"

"Oh, boo hoo, poor
princess."

"Buffy, that's
enough�" Joyce glares at her.

"No, it's really
not," Buffy replies, defiantly," She's a spoiled brat, used to
getting anything she wants, and now that someone asks her to do one thing to �
oh, keep her from getting hurt, she gets all bent out of shape. God, you
stink�"

"You aren't
exactly the model child either, daughter of mine," Joyce says, growing
impatient with her. "You're out at all hours, and when I ask where you've
been, you're grumpy and rude. You sass both me and your father back. You know,
you're not too old to put over my knee, young lady�"

Buffy snorts.

Joyce slaps her.

"Did I say
something funny, Elizabeth Anne Summers?" Joyce says, glaring at her
daughter.

Buffy rubs her cheek,
looking at her mom strangely. Her insides feel like they're frozen.

"No," She
says, looking down. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too,
Mrs..� Joyce� I mean, I know I'm acting like
a brat, but I'm just� I can't stand being cooped up�" Cordelia apologizes,
a little more sincerely than her blonde sister.

"I know dear, I
know. You're young, and your whole world revolves around your friends and your
social life and the mall�" She grins a little. "But right now, family
has to come first. Do you understand?"

"Yeah,"
Cordelia says, not sounding all that pleased.

"Maybe, however,
Cornell has been a little too hard on you� maybe, no promises, but maybe I can
talk to him. Convince him how life critical it is that a daughter have a
shopping day out� what do you say to that?"

The light seems to
switch on in Cordelia. She grins from ear to ear.

"Really? You mean
it?"

Joyce nods. "No
promises, but I'll do my best. Ok?" She adds a condition. "But you
can't go alone. So, I'm going to have to go with. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, I guess
that's ok�"� Cordelia will take
what she can get. Not sure what to do, or how to react, she sits there.
"When?"

"As soon as
possible. But it's not going to be today or tomorrow. I need some time to work
on Cornell. But soon, I promise� so�?"

"Ok,"
Cordelia says, not jumping for joy, but deciding not to queer the deal, either.
"Thank you."

"Well, then, give
us a hug," Joyce holds out her arms.

Cordelia gets up, and
gives Joyce a brief, perfunctory hug.

"Thank you�"

"Isn't that just
so�" Buffy grumbles. "Again, she gets whatever she wants�."

"As for you, young
lady�" Joyce turns, moving over to her daughter. "I think you should
come along too�"

"Do I have
to?"

"Does she have
to?"

"Do you really
want to go?" Joyce looks at Cordelia.

"Ok, ok�"

"Aw, mom�"
Buffy starts to grumble.

"I think it's time
we three had some family bonding time. Can't think of a better place to have it
than shopping til we drop�" She gives Buffy a little smile. "And I'm
thinking you could do with some new outfits�"

"Really?"
Buffy looks pleased, then tries to cover. "Well, if I gotta�"

"You gotta�"

"Well, if I
gotta�" Buffy shrugs.

Cordelia suddenly seems
to come alive, as if struck by a new thought.

"Oh, my god! What
am I gonna wear?" Cordelia suddenly bolts to her closet. "I don't
have a thing to wear!"

Buffy looks into the
closet, which would make most boutiques envious, and shakes her head.

"Cordelia, dear,
we're only going shopping�" Joyce chides her.

"Only
shopping?" Cordelia cries. "We're going to the mall! What if I see
someone I know? I can't just look� god, what am I going to do? Everything is so
� last month! I've got to figure this out. Retro is in. Maybe I can�"�

She disappears into her
closet, frantically going through her things.

"And she's
off," Buffy laughs, watching her run around like a chicken with it's head
cut off. "What a dork!"

"Buffy, that'll be
enough. When you two are done dressing, meet me at the pool," Joyce says,
walking towards the door. "And try not to get into any more
fights along the way."

"Yes, ma'am,"
Buffy nods, still wary that Joyce might go off at any moment.

After Joyce is gone,
Buffy turns her attention back to Cordelia. She watches with some amusement as
Cordelia flits from outfit to outfit, pulling, inspecting and rejecting each in
turn. Somehow, it reminds her of a lab rat running it's maze, looking for the
reward or the way out.

God, just because someone might see her. How shallow�

Then she smiles. An
evil little plan forms in her mind. �And what if a certain someone were to see
her? Wonder how that would go?

Suddenly, she thinks
this little trip to the mall might be rather fun, after all�

2

Monday after lunch
finds Faith standing by the double doors leading into the library. She lets out
a nervous breath, prepping herself to go inside. She's early for the scheduled
meeting, but she wants some time to talk to Giles. Try to work things out.

We gotta work together,
and us being mad at each other isn't going to get it done. So, we gotta settle
this� now� but fuck, why do I gotta be the adult here, anyway?

Shaking her head, she
starts to step forward when she feels something go around her neck. She
struggles, trying to reach behind her, but not able to grab at anything. Then
something else is pressed into her face, something smelly, something making her
dizzy�

Then it all goes black�

She wakes up a little later,
in a darkened room. There's a gag in her mouth, and she's chained to something
above her head.� She can barely keep
contact to the floor with her toes. She grunts, trying to pull whatever is
holding her down, but she can't get the leverage to have any effect.

"Uuukkk.."
She mutters into her mouth, trying again to pull her chains down.

Suddenly, a light snaps
on.

"Oh, you're awake.
Great," Buffy says, grinning at her. "Thought I might have to come
over there and slap you awake, sleeping stupid."

"Mtthuucker�.whn I
gtt uuu thzz� gaaa kill uuuu" Faith
glares at her, struggling with the chains.

"You know what
this is, right?" She holds up what looks like a pistol with a pronged
barrel.

Faith stares at it,
then nods curtly.

"Yeah you do. And
you know I'll use it. So, I'm gonna come over there, and take out the gag. You
try anything tricky, bitch, and I'll hit you with enough juice to make you flop
like a flounder. Got it?"

Faith nods, curtly.

"Good, maybe
you're not as dumb as you look�"

Buffy walks around
Faith, keeping a wary eye on her. Reaching her back, she unties the gag, none
too gently.� She then quickly retreats
back out of range of Faith's legs. She smirks, looking at the chained slayer
with some amusement.

"Probably should
just hog tied you, but kinda liking you looking like a piece of meat, hanging
there�"

"Fuck off,
bitch," Faith snarls at her, tugging at the chains again.

"Nuh, uh�"
Buffy raises the Taser. "Don't make me use it."

Faith ceases her struggles,
settling on glaring at her rival. "Fine, warped brains. What do you want
then? Other than tying me up, you sick-o!"

"Me?" Buffy
giggles, "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle chartreuse, huh? I mean,
it's you gets her jollies by tying my sister up and fucking her�" Buffy's
mouth twitches. "Oh yeah, I saw you that night when you were over at the
mansion �" she runs her tongue over her lips. "Kinda tasty, gotta
admit�"

"You fucking
perv�"

"Nuh Uh� remember,
I got the gun�" She shakes it in her hand at Faith. "Don't really
want to do the electric boogaloo right now do ya? Didn't think so� anyway, I'm
doing you a favor here, bitch, so listen up�"

"Oh yeah�"
Faith rattles her chains. "Why don't I believe you? I remember,� you're a pathological liar, for one�"

"SHUT. THE. FUCK.
UP!" Buffy fires the Taser at Faith, hitting her in the chest.

Faith suddenly starts
to convulse wildly in her chains. Buffy stands by, watching as she flops around
like a fish out of water.

"That was only a
low dose, dumb ass. Next time, I won't be so nice�" She comes over, and
pulls out the darts while Faith is still shaking. "So stop being an ass
and listen up�"

"F-F-F uuuck
y-y-you�" Faith gets out, still finding muscle control difficult.

"Ok,
whatever," Buffy shrugs, turning her back and heading for the door.
"Guess you don't wanna hear about Cordelia then�"

"W-W-What? W-wait�
w-what about C-C-C�. h-h-her?"

"Oh� now your
interested, huh?" Buffy turns back, smirking.

"Y-Yessss"
Faith manages to get herself under control. "What�?"

"Oh� just that
she's ok, fine really, living the life of a princess. Back at Casa Chase�"

"Y-You're
lying!"

"There you go with
that lying crap again�" Buffy raises the pistol.

"N-No, wait�
"

"Why should I? I came
here to tell you something, but you keep calling me a liar. I should
just�"

"Please!"

"Begging? You're
begging?" Buffy laughs. "I think I like it. Come on, puppy. Beg some
more�"

"Please�
please�" Faith says, humiliated but desperate. "Is she�is she�?"

"Ok? Duh, I just
told you, wax brains. She's fine. She's living it large. Matter of fact�"
Buffy's smile turns nasty. "She's doing really well without you. Doesn't
even seem to remember you�"

"You're
lying!"

"There you go
again. God, why do I even bother?" Buffy shrugs. "Maybe I'm just a
romantic at heart. Anyway, I just hate to see you crazy kids all apart and
everything�" She cocks her head to the side. "So, tell ya what I'm
gonna do. Tell you a little secret, ok?"

Faith glares at her.

"Oh, look at that
face. So cute� the outraged lover. How sweet�" Buffy chuckles. Then her
expression changes to a frown. "Listen, butthead, I'm doing you a favor
here. Seems Cordelia is all itchy about staying in at the mansion. She got my
mom to convince Daddy Chase to let her go on a little shopping trip to the
mall. Tomorrow afternoon, matter of fact. Now, won't that be just swell? You
get to go and maybe see your lady love? Maybe remind her of your existence or
something? Anyway, me and mom will be with, but I'm pretty sure, clever girl
that you are, you can figure away to get her alone�"

"How do I know
you're not lying to me?"

"God, would you
get over it?" Buffy shakes her head. "Frankly, you don't know. You're
just gonna have to trust me�"

Faith snorts.

"Yeah, well, ok,
whatever. No skin off my ass," Buffy shrugs her shoulders, "But hey,
maybe I know what it's like. Losing someone you really, really love. Or� maybe
I'm lying. You don't know. But the only way you'll find out is to show up, now
isn't it?" Buffy turns to walk away again. "Up to you. Oh, one
thing," She stops. "Don't tell you're buddies about our little chat,
'k? Cuz, you showing up? Well, Daddy Chase might think that's just an unhappy
coincidence. But if you show up with your gang trailing after, make some stupid
'rescue' attempt? He's gonna know something's up. And you know
how cranky he can get�" She looks over her shoulder at Faith. "You
know what he almost did to you. And he wanted you to live. Imagine what he'd do
to your friends? He doesn't care if they live or not�" she waggles her
fingers at Faith. "Buh-bye now."

"You just gonna leave me here?"

"Oh, right. I'm gonna come over there and let you loose, so
you can go Rodney King on my ass, huh?" Buffy laughs. "Don't worry,
genius, you'll figure it out�" She smirks. "But I'm a sport�"

She reaches in her pocket, and holds up a key. "Here's the
key� I'll leave it for ya right here�" She puts it on a shelf close to the
door.

"Bye now�" She leaves, cutting off the light.

"Fuck!" Faith growls, pulling on the chains.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Getting angry, she pulls herself up on the chains, trying to get
to the ceiling hook to get free. She can't quite manage it, however, and drops
down. She feels a slight tug on the chains as she drops. An idea comes to her,
and she starts lifting and dropping herself like dead weight. Over, and over,
and over� finally, there's a snap, then a cracking sound, and without warning,
she's dumped on the bare floor, butt first.

The chains are loose, however, and after awkwardly brushing
herself off, she feels her way towards the door . Finding the light switch, she
turns it on. It takes a few minutes, but she finally finds the key, loosening
the cuffs on her wrists.

She stands a moment, rubbing her wrists, getting the blood back
in them.

"Bitch," She mutters, as she opens the door and exits.

3

"You're
late."

These are the first
words that greet Faith when she enters the library. She stops and nods.

"I know. I'm
sorry. I got hung up�" She looks around the room. "Where is
everybody?"

"They're out
looking for you. When you didn't show up on time, we grew concerned,"
Giles walks over to Faith. "Are you quite all right? Did anything
happen?"

Faith hesitates for a
half beat before answering. "No, I'm fine. I had some personal business
that wouldn't wait�"

"Personal
business?" Giles looks a little surprised. "This couldn't have waited
until after the meeting?"

"That's the 'it
couldn't wait' part of it, Giles," She shakes her head, and looks at the
clock. "I'm not that late�"

"Nearly an hour,
Faith," Giles sighs. "I still can't believe you put something
personal before this meeting. You understand how important this meeting is,
yes?"

"Yeah, I got it,
Giles. I told you, it was � unavoidable, ok? I'm sorry I'm late, but let it
go�" Faith sits down. "Me being late by an hour isn't exactly the end
of the world�"

"Not the�"
Giles doesn't understand her attitude. "Not the end of the world? Am I
correct in what I just heard?"

"Yes."

"My god, do you
plan on being fashionably late for the apocalypse too?" Giles returns,
somewhat sarcastically. "That could very well mean the end of the world.
Don't you realize that the world, our lives, everyone's lives is at stake here?
What could be more important than that, pray tell me!?"

"Only every day,
Giles," Faith shoots back, "and oh, remember? My life is at stake
more than anyone's, according to the prophecy. So I get it's serious, ok? What
else do you want me to say?"

"Not say, Faith,
do. When we have a meeting like this, I expect you to be on time, and to
rearrange your personal life around it, not the other way around!" Giles
leans on the table, facing her. "We're part of a team, and everyone has to
be on board and be part of that team!"

"Really? Cuz, I
was feeling kind of left out there all by myself, " Faith retorts, "
kinda like last Thursday, you know? You remember that meeting I wasn't invited
to?" She leans in a little, also, "or those decisions you made that
affected the 'team' that hey, I didn't get a say in? Like sending Cordelia back
in, and maybe getting her killed�"

"We don't know if
�"

"Yeah, and we
probably won't, 'til we go in. But that's not the point, is it? The point is
you're treating me like a child here, Giles, keeping me out of the loop when
that could cost me, or others, their life. And that just stinks, you
know?" Faith shakes her head. "Dammit, we've done this, again and
again, and nothing changes. Does it? Is it going to change, Giles? Are we going
to actually stop fighting and start trusting each other? Are you ever going to
believe I can do this job, if you let me? I just gotta know now, ok? Before I
get myself killed�"

"You have to trust
me, Faith. Sometimes, I can't make you privy to every bit of information I get.
I need to be able to do my job and trust that you'll follow my
directions�"

"And you have to
trust me, Giles, when I'm out there, doing my thing. I'm the one on the line,
ultimately, I'm the one at the front. So I need you to trust me back. And I'm
not getting that from you�"

"Dammit,
because� sometimes, Faith you don't show
good judgment Faith. You're impulsive, and temperamental, and you plunge in
before you think. How can I keep you from getting killed if you're always
running straight into the fire?!!!"

"You can't, Giles.
That's where the trust comes in, Giles," Faith says softly. "That I
know what I'm doing� and I'll haul my ass out alive� and if I don't� no one can
save me�." She reaches out covers Giles' hand with her own. "I'm not
her, Giles. I'm not your daughter, and you can't save her by over protecting
me�"

"This has nothing
to do with my daughter�" Giles stiffens, and pulls back. "This is
about �"

"This is about
redemption, Giles. Trying to redeem yourself by protecting me, when neither
you, nor anyone, could protect her�them� from him�"

Giles seems to freeze
in place for a moment. In that moment, Faith sees all the pain well up in his
face. Then he forcibly moves himself, and stands up straight.

"We'll discuss
this further, later. Right now, I � I need to get� a book from the
shelves." He starts for the stairs.

Faith scrambles out of
her seat, and going around the table, cuts him off at the bottom step. She
stands there, looking at him.

"Giles, please,
look at me�" She grips his arms firmly, but gently, and looks him dead
straight in the eye. "I need you Giles. I'll always need you. Not to fight
me, but to fight with me, for me. You and me, we can do this, if you just
believe in me as the slayer, Giles. If you just trust I'll get the job
done."

Giles looks at her for
a moment, then looks away, head inclined downwards.

"If you'll excuse
me," He says quietly, "I really do need to retrieve a book from the
shelves."

Faith lets go of his
arms, and backs to the side rail, letting him pass. He starts up the stairs, then
stops.

"Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"I never believe
otherwise," Giles says in a quiet tone. "I'm very proud of you."

He turns and continues
up the stairs.

"There you
are!"

Angel enters the
library, and walks over to Faith. "Where've you been? We've been looking
everywhere for you."

"She was
delayed," Giles calls out from the top of the stairs. "Unavoidable.
Are the others on their way, Angel?"

"Yeah, they should
be here pretty soon."

"Good, then we can
get the meeting started. I'll be down as soon as I retrieve a book from the
shelves."

Giles turns, and walks
into the stacks.

* * *

"GIN!"

Xander looks at the
table, then at his cards, then at Willow.

"Darn it!" He
frowns, staring at his cards again. "That's not fair. You cheated!"
He throws his cards on the table.

"Are you calling
me a cheater, Alexander Lav�?"

"Willow! You
promised!" He tries to cover her mouth. "Not in public�"

"Get over it,
Xander," Faith, at the other side of the table, hand locked with Angel in
what looks like a death match arm wrestle, grins. "We all know your middle
name."

Xander looks horrified.
He looks at Willow accusingly. "You told them?"

Willow looks guilty.
"Well, it might've slipped�"

"I think it's a
cool middle name," Faith soothes him. "Very manly�" She turns to
Angel. "Speaking of which, what's wrong, big guy? Didn't get your O
positive or something today? Cuz, you're not really trying too hard�" She
presses down, causing Angel's arm to move backwards just a bit from center.

"What's wrong with
you, slayer? Losing it" Angel chuckles, then forces Faith's arm back, and
slightly the other way. "Thought you could whip my� how do you say it?�
sorry ass from here to Cleveland�"

From another table, at
the other side of the room, Agatha looks up. Her expression is a mixture of
amusement and annoyance, with a dash of bemusement thrown in. Sort of like any
parent watching children. She shakes her head, sighs, and returns to her
reading.

"Well, c'mon, pay
up, Xander. You lost!" Willow grins at him.

"Not fair� you�"

"I didn't cheat. I
don't need to cheat when playing with you,"
Willow giggles.

Sighing, looking well
put upon, Xander leans over, and engages in a warm lip lock with Willow.

"Awwww�"
Angel and Faith mock the two lovebirds.

"Aren't they just
too cute?" Faith says, barely able to keep from laughing.

"I don't get it,
"Angel says, shaking his head. "They do that after every hand, no
matter who loses�"

"No, you don't get
it," Willow says, as the kiss ends. "If I lose, like that ever
happens�.

"Hey!" Xander
protests.

"� I have to kiss
Xander. If Xander loses," Willow goes on, blithely, "like always,
then he has to kiss me. See?"

Faith chuckles, while
Angel manages to look slightly disgusted.

"C'mon, dead boy,"
Faith taunts Angel, knowing he hates nickname, "put some muscle into it.
How's it going to go over with your vamp buddies that you were beat by a
girl?"

"You know,
Faithy," Angel shoots back, "If I weren't liberated, I might take
that the wrong way�" He suddenly puts on the pressure, bending Faith's arm
back.

Faith concentrates, and
manages to bring the hands to center. Then she pulls the dirtiest trick in the
book. She kicks Angel under the table.

"OW!" Angel
breaks, and Faith pins his arm. "You kicked me!"

"Alls fair in love
and arm wrestling, big guy�"

Giles comes down the
stair, holding a rather large book under his arm. He walks over to Agatha's
table.

"I found that copy
of Chilton's Demonology you wanted�" He looks around. "Where�s Balthair?
Hasn't he returned yet?"

At that moment, the
lights flicker, then begin to flash. A sudden wind comes out of nowhere,
blowing loose paper and riffling the open book pages on the various tables. The
doors to the library burst open, and what looks to be a cross between a storm
cloud, with lightening, and a mini hurricane appears just inside the door.

The storm ends, and
Balthair is standing there,

"The drama queen
returns," Agatha mutters, disgustedly.

Xander and Willow,
whose cards have been blown every which way, look a bit taken aback. Angel
looks at Balthair, an eyebrow raised.

"Gotta admit. The
guy knows how to make an entrance," He chuckles, shaking his head.

Faith just settles into
her chair, arms crossed.

Balthair makes his way
to the meeting table, and stops, staring at Willow and Xander. He glares at
them, his yellowish eyes glowing while he frowns menacingly.

"What are these
whelps doing here?"

He crosses over to the
table and sits, adjusting his robes majestically.

"Faith, I think
you need to tell your little friends to go home now. We have business to
discuss�" She stands up, and crosses to the table, standing� behind Willow. "Faith?" she asks
mildly.

"Well� ummm�"
Faith feels some unease looking at Agatha. Somehow, her quiet tone makes he
feel queasy, while Balthair's imperiousness only makes her laugh. She feels
like a kid with a chocolate smear on her face and her hand wedged in the cookie
jar. "Well�"

"These 'whelps',
as you call them, belong here�" Giles comes up to stand beside Agatha.
"They're part of this team�"

"Children?"
Balthair looks appalled. "Have you gone mad, Rupert Giles? This is serious
business! There is no place at this table for the them."

"Rupert, surely
you see that �" Agatha shakes her head, "children have no place here?
I'm sure their helpful, in their way, especially knowing your aversion to
computers and modern technology, but we're discussing strategy now, and they
have no place being here�" She turns to Willow and Xander. "I'm sure
you understand�"

"Er, no, actually,
I don't," Willow says, starting to wind up a little. "This is our
town, after all, and if we �" She rises to face off with Agatha.

"Willow, I'll
handle this, if you please�" Giles exerts a gentle pressure on her
shoulder, holding her down.

"This is the
apocalypse, Rupert Giles, if you've forgotten," Balthair says with some
asperity. "this is hardly the place for toddlers�"

"Oh,
brother," Angel groans, looking at Faith. "Where do they get these
guys?"

Faith looks perturbed,
but doesn't reply. She just shrugs.

"Be quiet,
Balthair," Agatha snaps at the Mage, obviously losing her patience. She
turns back Giles. "Balthair is somewhat of an arse, Rupert, but he has a
point. While I would hardly call the young man and woman 'toddlers', they are
civilians, Rupert. And as such, they can get themselves hurt, and possibly�"

"That will be
enough, Agatha," Rupert cuts her off. "These, 'children', as you call
them, are hardly civilians. I've fought with them, many times, and they are
hardly babes in the woods. Yes, they can be impulsive, at times�" his hand
squeezes Willow's shoulder. Which causes Willow to blush a bit. "� but on
the whole, they keep steady in battle and work efficiently. I've seen them
fight, and they're good, very good. Faith has been training them, and I might
mention� this one �" He squeezes Willow's shoulder again. "Is particularly
good with a crossbow. After all, After all, she did
manage to help bring down a 400 year old vampire
formerly known as Darla �"��

"That is
impressive, I admit, Rupert, but that might've simply been a �"

"Fluke? I hardly
think so, since between them, using a variety of means, they managed to take
out nearly 2 dozen vampires�"

"Tell them about
Jessie, Giles," Faith puts in. "Tell them how they�"

"Why don't you
tell me about it, Faith," Agatha turns, gazing at Faith.

Faith feels a sense of
unease under Agatha's gaze. Her stomach turns over.

"Please, Faith.
You were there, and I wasn't. You would do better�" Giles encourages her.

"Okay, fine, I
will," Faith stands up, facing Agatha. "Not long after I got here,
their friend Jessie was murdered by vampires, and turned�"

Willow and Xander get
grim looks on their faces; this is not an easy memory for them.

"His turned self
accosted them at the local club they have here, and even though I told them to
back off, and that I would handle it�"

Blushes from the pair.

"� they came along
anyway. Frankly�" she smiles at Xander with some warmth. "I don't
think a dozen Slayers could've stopped them."

"That's my point,
exactly," Agatha says, quietly. "They might go off without thinking,
and get themselves hurt, or worse�"

"What is this
discussion all about, anyway?" Balthair, his eyes glowing angrily, stands.
"They're not to be here, and they should go, now!" He raises his
arms.

"That will be
enough, Balthair�" Agatha makes a subtle gesture, and suddenly Balthair is
thrown up against a bookshelf, his arms pinned. He glowers at Agatha,
muttering.

Xander, and Willow in
particular, look at the older woman with almost saucer sized eyes.

"Can I get a word
in here, or are you guys gonna fight?" Faith says, rather disgusted.

"I'm sorry,
Faith," Agatha says. "Some of us don't know how to hold their
tempers."

"Frankly, a lot of
us supposed adults need to grow up," Giles says simply, looking at both
Agatha and Balthair. "To put it succinctly, Willow and Xander had to do
something that was extremely difficult. As Faith tells it, they had to dust a
lifelong friend, after he became a vampire. Rather cleverly, I might add� using
a wooden spoon as a stake. Is that correct, Faith?"

Faith nods, sitting
down.

"Then later, when
Willow was in danger. Xander protected her, holding off two vampires until
Faith could eliminate them. And this, Agatha, was before they had any formal
training�"

"Indeed�" She
looks more closely at the pair. Especially Willow. "Come here, child�"
She holds out her hands to Willow.

Willow, looking a bit
scared, turns to Giles. Giles nods. She gets up, and goes over to Agatha. It's
clear she's rather scared of her.

"No need to fear�
Willow, is it?"

"Yes, ma'am�"

"Here, give me
your hands�" She extends her own.

Willow looks back at Xander,
then Giles, who nods. She reaches out, taking Agatha's outstretched hands.

Agatha gently squeezes
them, and a look of surprise comes over her face.� She looks at Willow carefully.

"Are you an adept,
child?"

"Huh?"

"Do you practice
the arts?"

"You mean like
painting and stuff? No�"

"I mean Wicca,
dear� the magic arts�"

"Er.. no�"
She looks at Agatha strangely.

"Really? How �
strange�" She lets go of Willow's hand. She looks at Xander. "Come
here, young man�" She gestures for him to come to her.

Xander has a "do I
have to look" on his face, but stands and walks over to Agatha.

"Please?" She
holds out a hand.

He puts out his hand,
looking as if he'll lose it.

Agatha takes his hand,
and shuts her eyes for a moment. She smiles warmly.

"You are very
brave, aren't you? And you'd never let anyone you really care about get hurt,
would you Xavier?"

"Er� Xander�"

"Yes, Xander.
Alexander. Indeed, he was quite the warrior, and I suspect you have a similar
soul�" She lets of his hand, not soon enough for Xander. "Perhaps
I've misjudged them."

"I believe you
have, Agatha," Giles says, brusquely. "And it might be nice if you
would take my judgment in these matters a bit more seriously. I've done this
before�"

"This is
madness!" Balthair, from his place by the bookshelves, calls out.
"Are we so desperate we're using children now? Doesn't anyone recall what
happened the last time children were used to fight a war? The Children's
Crusade? That was a disaster�"

"Balthair," Giles
says, his temper rising. "I appreciate your contributions. But frankly, if
you're going to continue acting like this, I'd rather you left."

"That would be a
little hard, considering." He says, a little sarcastically.

Agatha doesn't look at
him, she just waves vaguely in his direction. Balthair shakes his arms, free of
her enchantment.

He looks around at the
group, who, with the exception of Agatha, are all staring at him. He makes a
rude gesture, and returns to the table.

"Very well. If you
all wish to be foolish, that's your choice. Be it far from me to stop you�"
he looks at Giles. "But their blood is on your hands, Rupert Giles."

"Agatha?" Giles
turns to her.

"I defer to your
Judgment, Rupert," Agatha goes and sits next to Balthair.

Xander and Willow stand
there, looking a little lost.

"So, what does
that mean?" Xander asks, finally.

"Well, if you two
team members would sit down, we can begin this meeting," Giles says,
showing a rare smile.

"YES!" Willow
and Xander give each other a high five, and return to their seats.

"Does this mean we
can finally get started?" Angel asks from the other side of the table,
looking annoyed. "or is there a second act to this drama?"

"I hardly think we
need any comments from the vampire," Balthair grouses.

"Yes." Giles says,
succinctly. "As Angel pointed out, we're rather on a schedule here. Time is
running out and we have a lot to do �"

"I'm sorry, not
getting that?" Faith pipes up.

"The prophecy,
Faith."

"Oh yeah, we
wouldn't want to miss that�" Faith frowns.

"Prophecy?"
Willow looks at Giles.

"It's not about
that, Faith. It's more a way we can judge how and when Cornell will strike. All
signs indicate sooner than later. The other part� is vague�" Angel seems upset
with the subject.

"Vague? Other
part? What prophecy?" Xander, along with Willow, is confused.

"This has more to
do with Cornell, or the thing that's calling itself Cornell," Angel says,
trying to steer the subject in another direction. "He's especially anxious
now to get this done. So he can transfer his link�"

"All the records,
everything we can find on him indicates his grip is weakening. He can't keep it
going much longer�" Giles nods, agreeing. "Soon would be better to
strike, before he can change it�"

"What's going on?
Would someone slow down a little? Link? Transfer? Prophecy? Whaaat?"
Willow looks around, noticing that Xander and Faith seem equally confused.
"Can someone please give us a clue here?"

"It's not
important right now. What's more important �" Giles turns to Agatha.
"did you bring them?"

Agatha nods. She
reaches into her purse, and pulls out a collection of what look to be crudely
made necklaces.

"It seems it was a
good thing I made a few extra," She smiles as she hands one to everyone,
including Willow and Xander. "I need you to put these on, please�"

Faith holds the
necklace, looking at it suspiciously. "What is this?"

The necklace itself is
a piece of leather, crudely tied in back to hold it together. Along the loop is
what looks like a small scroll, in parchment, tied at each end to keep it in
place.

"I don't think
Tiffany's got anything to worry about," Faith cracks, still looking at her
charm.

"Faith, please,
just put it on," Agatha says in a firm tone.

"Ok, ok�
geeze" Faith puts it on, grumbling a little. She says, almost inaudibly,
"more voodoo stuff�"

"It's not
voodoo," Agatha says, as if Faith said it loudly. She sounds slightly
offended. "It's a thousand year old Celtic spell, a reveal spell, designed
to protect�"

"Sorry, my
mistake," Faith says, slightly sarcastically.� Just as she puts it on, something happens. The scroll flashes,
startling her. "What the fuck!" She pushes her chair back.

Almost everyone, except
Balthair, looks a little startled. He just smiles enigmatically.

"Relax, it's ok.
That's supposed to happen," Agatha looks at Balthair, giving him a hard
stare. "If some of us could practice some manners, I was going to warn you
about that�" Agatha turns to the others. "The spell is now
active."

"What is this
thingie supposed to do?" Angel asks, looking at it suspiciously.

"It's a protection
spell. Actually, a reveal spell that acts as protection against illusions. It
won't completely stop it, but It'll help against Cornell's power�"

"Yeah? That would
be sweet�" Faith says. "tired of that asshole pounding my butt into
the ground�"

"That's the point,
Faith. He doesn't actually do that�" Giles says quietly, fingering the
leather around his neck.

"Uhhh� excuse me.
I was there. I know when my ass is getting pounded."

"No, actually you
weren't, Faith," Angel says, "He was just making you think you were�"

"Huh?"

"What Angel is
saying, is that Cornell, or the demon acting as Cornell, has the power to alter
your perceptions of reality." Giles pauses for a moment. "through our
research, we've discovered exactly what kind of demon Cornell is�"

"Yeah, you told
me. Some kind of Old Guy, right?"

"Old Ones,"
Agatha corrects.

"Whatever. They've
been around like forever�"

"No, not exactly. Cornell
is a, well, he's a construct by the old ones. �During the great demon wars, when the Old Ones were fighting for
control of this dimension, they created a number of 'special' demons for their
wars. Hellhounds, Chaos Demons and others all came out of their
experimentations. But Cornell, or the type of demon he is, was a unique one.
Very powerful, though not as powerful as an Old one, and very � disturbing� He
is what is known as Mens �Effrego� �Mind Breaker."

"Sounds
nasty."

"It is," Giles
affirms. "A Mind Breaker demon has the ability to alter an enemy, or
enemies, perception of reality. He can't actually change reality, but he can
make it seem different to those he effects. Along with that, he has some small
ability to manipulate matter, and can use his mental capabilities to deflect or
throw things. But essentially, his power is in the illusion of changing reality�"

"What're you
saying? He can't actually do the things he does?"

"Something like
that," Angel puts in. "He just makes you think he's doing it."

"Like�
drugs?"

"Yes, exactly. His
powers work on the same receptors in the brains that certain chemical hallucinogens
work on. Except where they are unpredictable, he's able to control the effects�"

"Well, fuck me
dead!" Faith exclaims. "You mean he never� he was just fucking with
my head?"

"Yeah, you could
say that�"

"Consider, Faith. Did
he actually ever touch you? Did you ever see him actually grab you?"

"I thought� I mean�
shit, I don't know�"

"Every time he
attacked you,� did you notice he had
someone there to do the dirty work?"

"Yeah, like when
that psycho bitch was attacking me� right after, and then Spike� SHIT!"
Faith shudders, remembering everything that happened to her. "That bastard
nearly killed me, and fucking never even touched me!"

"The mind can do
powerful things. Fortunately, he didn't want you dead, or you probably would
be," Giles says, grimly. "Point is, the time mentioned in the
prophecy is drawing closer, and now� especially with his hold on reality
weakening, he's growing desperate. He needs to finish this little business quickly�"

"Sweet,"
Faith says ironically.

"Actually, it
works to our favor, somewhat. He's making mistakes, not thinking things
through. That's where his real power has been� watching and waiting� but now he
has to reconnect to this reality, in another form, and that's affecting his
ability to plan�"

"I still don't
understand," Willow interrupts, "What's the deal with linking to this
reality. And what does that have to do with this prophecy you keep talking
about?"

"Cornell, or the
thing that controls the physical side of Cornell, can't exist in this reality
without being linked to something within this reality. A form of some kind. He
is linked currently to the body of Cornell Chase, and has been for nearly the
last 200 years�"

"Excuse me? I've
seen the guy, he doesn't look no two hundred years old," Faith says.

"He's probably
developed a means to regenerate the host over all this time, but like anything else,
it has its limits. And I believe, the limit's been reached. I don�t think this
body can take another regeneration, so he has to develop another host�"

"He doesn't have a
body?"

"No� this thing,
this mind breaker, is an energy entity. Kind of like a ghost, or wraith�"

"Well, that's
great. How do I kill a ghost?"

"I think�" Giles
looks at Agatha. She nods. "I believe your dream revealed that�"

"Dream� you told
him about my dream?" Faith looks at her narrowly.

"I did� and that's
part of the spell I cast on you� I think you all need to see this�" She
holds out her hands to Xander and Balthair. "If you'd join hands�"

"What're we doing?
Having a s�ance?" Angel jokes, taking Faith's hand.

"No, but we're
going to reinforce our energies with Faith's�" She turns to Faith. "I
need you to close your eyes, and as much as you can, think about your dream. Concentrate
on it, bring up as much detail as you can�"

"I don't remember that
much�"

"That's ok, just concentrate."

Faith complies, closing
her eyes. Her brow furrows, and she lowers her chin to her chest.

Suddenly, the lights in
the room dim, as if on their own accord, and a bright dot of light appears in
the center of the circle. It grows and expands, finally turning into what
appears to be a bright window. Inside, the picture is fuzzy at first. Then it
sharpens, and the dream Faith had, up to and including Cornell's death, plays
out in front of them.

"Whoa� cool,"
Willow says, as the dream fades away. "Scary, but cool�"

"Did you see it,
Balthair? Do you have it?"

Balthair nods.
"Your description was accurate. I have it here�" He pulls something
out of his robe.

It was a long, flat
object, wrapped in soft tanned leather. He unties the leather string, and opens
it.

Inside is an ornate, intricately
carved dagger. However, it is unusual in a few respects.

First of all, it had
longer than normal blade, that split in the center to form two parallel blades.
The blades are joined in the middle by a short cross piece, in which are carved
intricate runes

Secondly, there is an unusually
bright stone in the pommel. It seemed to almost pulse light. It was carved in a
teardrop shape.

Lastly are the colors
of the blades themselves. They are a dull crimson, almost blood color.

The handle of the knife
is onyx, with an intricate platinum colored overlays.

"Whoa," Faith
almost drools over the knife. "nice blade"

"Go ahead, Faith,
pick it up," Agatha gently urges her.

Faith doesn't need much
encouragement. She reaches over, and grasping the handle, lifts it. She almost
immediately drops it.

"Shit! That thing
pulsed at me. It's fucking alive!" Faith backs off a step, staring at the
knife.

Neither Agatha nor
Balthair can resist a chuckle.

"That's the power
of the bloodstone," Balthair says, quietly. "That pulse you feel is
it surging into your body. It's normal."

"Fuck normal. I've
never felt anything like that handling a blade before." She looks at it
warily, as if expecting it to jump off the table at her.

"That's no
ordinary weapon, Faith," Giles says, putting an arm on her shoulder.
"That is a bloodstone dagger. It has the power needed to disrupt the Mind
Breaker Demon. Disconnect its hold on our reality."

"You mean, kill
it, don't ya Giles?" Faith stares at the dagger.

"No. You can't
kill it. It's pure energy. You can't destroy energy, only change it. This will
disrupt its flow on its host, and cause it to disperse, seeking the nearest
portal out of this reality. Otherwise, it will disperse into nothingness�"

"Yeah, like I
said, kill it," Faith says grimly. She continues to stare at the knife,
torn whether she wants to pick it up or not.

"Go ahead, Faith,
take it," Balthair says.

"C'mon, Faith,
pick it up," Angel says jocularly. He grabs the handle and then yells,
pulling his hand back. It's steaming.

"What the
fuck?" He waves his hand, looking at the blister on his palm.

"It's been blessed
by Alcatian Monks," Balthair smirks. "Just to keep your kind from
touching it�"

"My kind�"
Angel glares at Balthair. He's throwing his own daggers out of his eyes. Then
he grins a slow, but tight grin. "Could've told me"

Faith reaches over, and
picks up the dagger. Again she feels the pulsing in her palm. She holds onto
though, and feels the pulsing go up her arm.

Suddenly, the dagger
feels weightless in her hand. It feels as if her hand was made for the
grip.� She waves it around, and it feels
like a natural extension of her body.

"This is
wicked," She grins, getting to like the feeling. "I like it!"

She moves away from the
table, swishing the knife to and fro, almost feeling the air as it hisses over
the surface of the blade. She gets so wrapped up in playing with it, she
doesn't even realize when the knife cuts through the top of the banister post,
causing the balled end to go flying.

Her eyebrows shoot up
in amazement. "Wow! I didn't even feel it touch that!"

"Yes, if you could
be a little more careful with that�" Giles says, coming over and
inspecting the damage to the banister. "I don't know how I'm going to
explain that to Flutie in the morning�"

"Sorry, Giles,"
Faith says sheepishly, offering the knife to Giles. "Wanna swing or
two?"

Giles looks almost
mortified. He puts up his hand, and takes a step back.

"No, please. That
thing is dangerous� and if handled incorrectly, can have serious consequences.
You are to only use it on Cornell, and only when you need
to. Understand?"

"Geeze, Giles, It's
just a knife�" Faith catches his look, and grimaces. "Ok, ok, geeze�".
She returns the knife to the table, slipping it back into the leather pouch.
"Don't you guys ever have any fun or anything?"

"I hardly think
this is a laughing matter, Faith. The whole world hangs in the balance. Even
with the blade, defeating Cornell is hardly going to be fun," Giles says, somewhat
stiffly.

"No shit. I've
been there, done that, have the t-shirt, Giles. Still, considering all and the
prophecy, you'd think you'd lighten up a little bit�"

"What
prophecy?" Willow asks. "You guys keep talking about it, but we �
Xander and me� don't have a clue. What's it about?"

"It's no big,
Will," Faith tries to deflect the question, not wanting to go there,
"Something in the Pegasus Chronicles�"

"Pergamum
Codex" Agatha corrects her.

"Yeah, that. Anyway,
it's no big deal."

"Really?" Willow
sounds suspicious, "cuz everyone is sounding like it's a big deal."

"Well, it's not.
So let's move on�"

"No. We're part of
this. We have a right to know everything!"

"Willow, I assure
you," Giles interjects, "if it were important to your role in this�"

"No, I want some
answers here. This might affect us too!"

"Will. Let it
go," Faith's voice takes on a harsh tone.

"The girl is
right," Agatha breaks in, "Too many things kept from others around
here�"

For some strange
reason, Faith feels Agatha's gaze fall on her. What the hell?

Agatha turns to Willow.
"This is the prophecy from the Codex: "At that time, towards the ends of days, there will come a
Warrior," Agatha recites from memory," the one who is chosen. She
will fight hard against the tide of darkness that rises up, but in the end, she
will be no more."

"Wait a minute.
The one who is chosen�warrior�� She looks at Faith. "She will be no more�
hold on, is that saying what I think it's saying?"

There's a silence
around the table. Faith looks particularly tight lipped.

"Is it? Is it
saying�"

"Yeah, it is. Ok,
you happy now Will? Get your answer? Now let's drop it. It's no big deal�"

"No big deal. NO
BIG DEAL?" Willow looks at her as if she can't believe what she's hearing.
"How do you figure that? It's a very big deal. A huge deal. This prophecy
thingie says�"

"I know what it
says, Willow. Ok? Drop it!" Faith's voice has a harsh desperation to it.

"No, I won't drop
it. This is important. You can't just �"

"I DON"T WANT
TO BE REMINDED OF IT, OK? IS THAT OK WITH YOU?" Faith explodes at her.
"SHUT UP!"

Willow snaps her jaw
shut, cutting off any reply. She goes red in the face, and seems to shrink in
her chair.

"I'm sorry, I'm
sorry, I just�" Her lip starts to tremble. Tears threaten at the corner of
her eyes. "I just don't want you to die�"

"I'm sorry,
too," Faith says, coming over to her. "I don't wanna die either,
Red," She says softly, kneeling by her, voice choked with emotion.
"These things aren't always right. Maybe it won't come down that way�"
She smiles, trying to cheer Willow up. "That's how I'm looking at it, ok?
Let's just not�"

Willow shakes her head,
unable to speak. She turns and buries her face in Xander's chest.

Faith gets up, looking
angrily at Agatha. "Nice, real nice. Did you really have to just blurt it
out like that? Couldn't you have used some kinda like tact? Isn't that you British
guys are known for, or something?"

"She wanted the
truth, Faith, and I felt she deserved to know it. Too many secrets being kept
around here," Agatha says quietly.

Again, Faith gets the
feeling that Agatha is speaking directly at her, about her. It gives her the
creepy crawlies.

"Know what? I've
had enough of your truth and consequences for tonight�" She turns to Giles.
"Are we done here?"

"You need to tell
her, Giles," Angel speaks up at the end of the table.

"Tell me?
What?"

"I don't see the
point of it. If we move quickly, he won't have time to complete the preparations�"

"She has a right
to know�" Angel says, firmly. "If you don't tell her, I will."

"Tell me
WHAT?" Faith says, her patience near its breaking point.

"I don't see how
it will help �"

"Rupert,"
Agatha says, "she has to know."

"Know what? Will
everyone stop fucking around and just tell me?"

"Giles, tell
her," Angel repeats.

Giles sighs, and
removing his glasses, he cleans them. "We went through Merrick's effects
after he was� he died," Giles begins quietly. "Evidently, he's been
working for Cornell for longer than we suspected. He kept notes, and a journal.
In there he details the murder of Buffy's boyfriend�"

"Son of a
bitch!"

"� and how he made
it look like Angel was involved�"

"Well, that
explains a lot. But what does this have to do with�"

"I'm coming to
that. Besides being Buffy's 'Watcher' Cornell used him to keep an eye on you,
and Cordelia. Evidently he wanted to� keep you distracted, as he brought his
plans for the Hellmouth to fruition�"

"What're you
saying, Giles?" Faith suddenly not liking where this is going.

"Evidently Cornell
used his powers to 'encourage' this relationship between you and Cordelia�"

Faith's face pales.
"No� way. I don't � you're �" Her head starts to feel as if it's
going to explode. "You're wrong!"

"Faith�" He
approaches her.

"No, stand back.
You're crazy. I know you're crazy� she loves me! I know it. I could feel
it!"

"Faith, let me
explain," Giles adds quickly, "that's just it. It went further than
he, Cornell, planned. He never expected Cordelia to actually fall in love with
you..."

Faith feels her body
shaking. "Then� you're not� saying she doesn't love me�" She again
sounds almost desperate.

"No. I know she
loves you," Giles says softly. "She wouldn't have gone back in if it
weren't for her feelings about you�"

Faith shuts her eyes,
letting out a shuddering breath.

"But there's more,
Faith. Cornell never meant for her to get as close to you as she did. He had
plans for Cordelia. And her feelings for you have thrown a monkey wrench in
those plans�"

"What do you
mean?" Faith suddenly gets a cold chill in her heart. "What
plans?"

Giles hesitates for a
moment, thinking of how to proceed.

"You remember how
we said earlier that Cornell had to find a new host to link to, so he could
remain in this reality�?"

Faith nods, uncertain
where he's going with this.

"We thought may he
was looking around for a new host for his � conversion, but we came across some
papers in Merrick's effects that spell out a plan of succession�"

"Succession?"

"He needs an adult
body to inhabit. He can't remain linked with an immature personality. So, he's
had to wait until his 'successor' was ready. Until she was an adult�"

Faith's guts turn to
ice.

"She?" She
whispers, softly.

"Cordelia becomes
18 on Wednesday, Faith. We figure that's when he plans to take up in his new
host."

To be continued
- 37
- 38
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The Slayer