Dark Moon: Pt One - Waxing Moon

In the days that followed, Faith found her strength returning rapidly. Each time she sparred with Buffy, she found that she was getting closer and closer to being on par with the slightly older Slayer. With that, she was incredibly pleased.

Of course, she never totally lost her itch to get out and slay Vampires. Being so near to Angel was turning out to be quite an interesting experience. True, he was extraordinarily handsome, but at the same time, he was a Vampire.

And then there was Ciorstaidh.

Faith wasn’t really too sure what to think of Ciorstaidh. Ok, she was beautiful, and kinda shy and sweet, but she was so pale, and she always wore those gothic-type dresses. One could almost say she looked as though she was from times far past, or just a part of today’s underground Goth culture. Either way, Ciorstaidh did have the same air about her that Angel did; she really did almost appear as a Vampire. Well, a Vampire in human form, of course. She was mystical and mysterious at the same time; and she knew her magic. Ciorstaidh definitely pulled on Faith’s bisexual tendencies, but she had the quirky habit of disappearing for hours at a time.

“I am fed up to here with staying down here!” declared Faith, holding her hand at throat height to show exactly how frustrated she was with her sort-of forced captivity.

“Well,” replied Giles, “We know pretty much all we can know, given the circumstances. Faith, if you feel strong enough to defeat Buffy in hand to hand combat, then I assume you are strong enough to face anything that perhaps the Watcher’s Council may throw at you.”

A wide grin spread across Faith’s face, as she motioned to Buffy to approach her. “Let’s get it on,” she drawled in a mock accent.

Buffy moved fast, bringing her closed fist towards Faith’s face. Faith blocked it with her forearm, then used her other arm to aim a blow to Buffy’s midsection. Buffy, scooted out of the way, caught Faith’s arm in her hand, and twisted it - hard.

Faith grunted in discomfort, but quickly freed herself. She responded by striking out with her foot, and nailed Buffy squarely behind her knees, causing her to fall to the ground. Buffy immediately rolled away from Faith’s following blow, and jumped to her feet, ready to attack once more.

Several minutes of intense sparring ensued, and neither girl showed any signs of tiring. If anything, each passing minute seemed to make them stronger, as though fighting generated a power within them.

“It’s almost hypnotising,” remarked Xander, who observed them from his cot as he played a game of ‘Monopoly’ with Willow and Oz.

“You just like watching two teenaged females get sweaty,” scoffed Willow, rolling her eyes.

“Female wrestling is not without its appeals,” commented Oz, as he moved the little dog token across the ‘Monopoly’ board until it reached the ‘Boardwalk’ square.

“That’s why mud wrestling is so popular,” confirmed Xander, never letting his eyes stray from Faith and Buffy.

Willow just shook her head in mild disgust.

“I’d like to buy ‘Boardwalk’, please,” said Oz to Xander.

“Huh?” replied Xander, momentarily shaken from his reverie, “Oh, ya, I’m the banker. Um, sorry, I can’t approve your loan.”

“I’m paying with cash.”

“Ok,” said Xander, trying another tactic, “I just don’t want to sell you ‘Boardwalk’. But feel free to rest there rent-free until your next move.”

“Xander, you can’t do that,” Willow informed him, “If Oz has the money, he has the right to buy it.”

“You’re just saying that because you know that he’ll let you stay there rent-free,” Xander grumbled, handing over the ‘Boardwalk’ deed grudgingly.

“And that is why,” Willow told Oz, “I always play the banker... Xander doesn’t always play fair.”

“Do too!” Xander shot back, still pouting at the loss of the most sought after property from his hands.

Faith and Buffy still sparred frantically, neither gaining more ground than the other. Each was equally matched in strength and speed, and it seemed as though the fighting would never end.

Finally, one made a mistake.

Buffy slipped on the uneven flooring, and fell to her knees. Faith moved in quickly, and immobilised her so that she had to give up.

The look in Buffy’s eyes clearly told Faith that she had given up willingly, and that she wanted to get back up to the surface as much as she did. But, Buffy couldn’t say that out loud, nor could Faith reveal that Buffy had made winning easy for her.

“I win,” Faith declared to Giles, “So when are we moving out?”

“As soon as everyone packs everything they need,” he replied briskly.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see the sun,” said Buffy as she shielded her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. It had been a week since they had descended in the Master’s Lair, which left a total of seven days until the Prophecy of Erinyes Vrekolakas was supposed to become.

“It burns...” said Ciorstaidh softly, “I guess I should have left with Angel...”

Without a thought, Xander stripped off his jacket, and placed it over her shoulders so that it covered her exposed shoulders and arms. “Is that better?” he asked.

Ciorstaidh smiled up at him, and said, “Much better, thanks.”

Feeling slightly more confident than usual, Xander took the opportunity to put him arm around Ciorstaidh’s shoulder, and pulled her close to his side as they walked along. She leaned her head against him, and let her dark hair fall across her face, adding a little more protection from the sun. When he glanced down at her, he noticed that she had closed her eyes - she trusted him to guide her without the aid of her own sight.

Buffy noticed the happiness that gleamed in Xander’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, for she would never feel the joy of walking with the man she loved while the sun still shone from above.

Just before the group parted and went to their respective homes, Giles asked the question that lingered at the back of everyone’s mind.

“With whom should Faith go home with?”

“I’m too obvious,” Buffy replied, “As a Slayer, the Watchers would check my house first.”

“As they would me,” said Giles thoughtfully.

“I’d offer my house,” piped up Willow, “But my Mom is taking the week off... and I don’t think she’s too fond of Faith. No offence intended,” she added.

“None taken.” said Faith wryly.

“My house is always open,” said Oz.

“But as a werewolf... you might attract unwanted attention upon yourself,” Giles said thoughtfully, “The specialities of the Watchers does go beyond Vampires and other Demons.”

“I doubt my parents would even notice if there was an extra person in my house,” Xander said.

“Sure,” said Faith, “But I’ve heard stories about your parents.”

“From who?” Xander demanded.

“From... Willow,” Faith replied, noting that Willow immediately cast her eyes to the ground and her face flushed in embarrassment upon hearing her name. She didn’t entirely intend to make Willow feel uncomfortable, but there were times when Faith just couldn’t help but slip into her former personality. Besides, she had to be truthful.

“Well, at least no one can complain that the food is lousy,” Xander said, “My Mom knows all the best take-out restaurants in Sunnydale.

Even Faith had to smile at the remark.

“Well, I guess it’s settled then,” said Giles, despite Faith’s objections, “The safest place for you for the next few days is at Xander’s.”