A Gift from Evan

Part 12: Man to man


"So then what happened? I mean, did you tell Buffy already?"

A little while back, I got joined by a regular to the bar. He seemed pretty interested in knowing how things were going, so I clued him in. I turn around on the bar stool and look at the fellow patron square in the face. "What do you think? I mean ok if you were me, what would you have done?"

"I dunno... It's complicated. I mean on the one hand, if you tell her - she might hate your guts and never want to see you again. On the other hand, she might just realise that beauty is skin deep. Depends what kinda girl she is."

"Help me out here - use your inside information! What kind of girl is she?"

"Hey, I'm just a messenger. You're the one who has to make the choice."

~ Three days earlier ~

You ever get that sickly feeling when you walk in a room and you know that everyone's been talking about you behind your back?

Well, walking into Giles' crib hand-in-hand with Buffy and we got a dose of that feeling first hand. Buffy stops and looks from Giles to Red to Xand.

"W-what's up?" She asks. She was wearing this really sweet smile, which just kinda faded. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, Buffy, I'm afraid there is," Giles says.

Shit. I look at Red and Xand and neither of them are making eye contact with me. Giles just looks really, really mad.

B steps in front of me. "What is it?" she asks, going into slayer mode.

Giles waits for a beat and then says, "A nest." He takes off his glasses and wipes them with a vengeance. He puts them back on, "We've located a nest of vampires on the North of your campus."

B laughs a little. "A nest? Is that all? Evan and I can take care of that." She turns to me. "Can't we, sweetie?"

I don't say anything, just gulp and nod. We're only a few weeks into our psych degree, but I can already read people pretty well. I know damn well there's no nest.

Giles replies for me: "I would like to have a word with... uh... Evan, is it?... Alone. If you don't mind, Buffy. Willow and Xander can lead you to the nest."

Hold on a second, what? "No- that's ok, English. B and I can dispatch the nest faster."

"I would listen to Giles," Xander says.

"Ok, what is going on?" Buffy asks. "I mean it, what's with the weirdage? Xander?"

"We'll tell you outside." Just like that they take her out and leave Giles and me alone.

Giles doesn't say anything for a while. I don't either. I don't wanna put my foot in it, in case he doesn't know and wants to yell at me for something else... Whatever it is, it seems major; because he's pouring himself a scotch.

I perch down on his sofa and look at him.

He pours a second glass and hands one to me, while taking a sip of the other. "How long has this been going on?"

I play dumb, "How long has what been going on?" and take the glass.

"Faith."

I chug the liquid and look up at him. "A week."

He goes behind his bar again and tops up his liquor. "A week?... From your demeanour, I take it that Buffy doesn't know."

"No. The others gonna rat me out?"

"To be frank with you, Faith," he sucks down some more scotch. "Willow and Xander are more concerned about your safety and having this spell reversed as soon as possible. I have- We have no idea what would need to be involved to carry out this kind of magic... Who or what the demon is or what his agenda must be."

"He seems like a good guy-"

Giles chuckles a little at that and I feel kind of stupid. Some stoned hobo turns me into a man and I just accept it? He dangled a B-shaped carrot in front of my face and like a tool, I bit.

"Don't laugh at me,” I say. “I know how crazy this sounds, alright? But this only has to go on for another three days. Then I'm home free. Back in my regular body. I disappear forever and we can forget this ever happened. Just don't rat me out to Buffy. Please? It'd tear her up 'cause I lied to her."

"It's not my place.” Giles finally says, drinking his third glass. “Willow and Xander understand that too. But, Faith, what if you don't revert back in three days. Then what?"

I'd thought about that. "I dunno.”

I mean I weighed the pros, weighed the cons. Worst case scenario, Cloud fucked with me. Turned me into B's perfect guy, came back to check out his handiwork and gloat a bit and then disappeared off into the night leaving me stuck in this man body. Maybe it's some evil plan designed to take a slayer from the cause - who knows? What I do know, though, is this: When B and I go places, we can be together and no-one bats an eye. We're just a hot young couple. I could never give her that when I was a girl. It's why all of my other relationships were dead-ends – the other person realises that they want more than I can possibly give and bounces.

As Evan, though, I have something that I aint never had before, something that I probably aint never gonna have again.

Here's this awesome all American girl that makes me happy, turns me on, gives me something that I can't even describe. I make her happy too, I know I do. The way she looks at me. The way she holds my hand when we go places. Holds me close when she's scared or cold. I've not seen her this happy since Angel and she said it herself; he couldn't give her what I can - a future. I could probably give her kids if that's what she wants too.

"It is something that you are going to have to think about, Faith. Willow says that Buffy is really very fond of you. I loathe to think the amount of pain that you are going to put her through."

"Tell me what to do."

"I can't. That is for you to decide-"

The door opens up and the others come back. Buffy b-lines straight over to me and links arms. "Total bust,” she says. “What did I miss?”

Giles looks to me and then back to her. "Oh- nothing. A little man-to-man talk."

"Yeah," I say, trying not to look so down. "Just guy stuff, babe. Nothing to worry about."

B smiles. "I'm glad you two get along." She says and I feel my heart break a little. I was so busy worrying about her that I didn't think about how much it's gonna hurt me to lose her too.

“We should get back, B – long day tomorrow.”

She looks around at everyone else. “Wait, that’s it? The big Scooby meeting? Look, we are not leaving here until I find out what is going on. First we get here and everyone’s all cryptic. Then we go on a wild goose chase, without the added geese and now we’re back with the cryptic.”

“Giles,” Xander says. “Buffy deserves the truth.”

“The truth about what?” Buffy turns to me and looks into my eyes. “The truth about what?” She repeats quietly, looking like she’s dreading the answer.

My heart skips a beat and I hold her gaze.

Here goes …


TBC.