Faith The Series

Faith: The Series S1 Ep 10 (10/???)

“Finally!” Giles beamed as Faith hurried off to her first class of the day, leaving in peace. Peace to study. His smile faltered as he entered the inner office and glanced down at the leather-bound volume sat accusingly in the middle of his desk, the Pergamum Codex, the most important of all the books relating to Slayers. It had cost him several thousand pounds and months of searches to acquire it, but if it gave the edge to keep his daughter alive for extra time, then it was more than worth it. Sitting down, he began to leaf through the pages, reverently turning them.

“Ah there you are.”

“Oh god and bollocks,” Giles muttered before looking up at the tiny figure of the school principal stood sneering in the doorway. “Good day Mr. Snyder.”

“It’s come to my attention Mr. Giles that you have little contact with the vermin we call students,” Giles blinked at the principal’s venom, he rather thought the new school head would be rather better suited for a career in corrections than education. Although, he stared doubtfully at the bald man, he’d probably have failed the medical. “That you spend your entire day in here, with your stuffy books and away from the students. That won’t do at all.“

“I took this job precisely for the reasons you have just outlined,” Giles said desperately. “I have no real wish to interact with the students.”

“Nonsense,” the evil bastard smiled at him. He really would have to have Willow and Jonathan check Snyder’s ancestry for any troll blood. With any luck they’d find proof and then Faith could gleefully slay him. “I’m afraid you must pitch in more to school life. To that end,” Snyder’s smile grew shark-like. “I’ve decided you’ll be director of this year’s talent show.” Giles paled, oh the bloody bugger, he had to be part demon, he just had to be.

* * *

“Had to see this to believe it,” Giles groaned as Faith dropped in the seat behind him as he watched the end of Cordelia murdering ‘The Greatest Love Of All’, thank god she hadn’t decided on a sixties classic. “You the great director. ‘Course the way you boss me about…”

“If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least helped.”

“Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!” Faith laughed. “And mock! And laugh!”

“You’re a great bloody help,” Giles groused.

”I try, anyway see ya at home, Lucas!”

“So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.” Giles chuckled at Snyder’s voice, for once grateful that the prat had made an appearance. He looked over his shoulder to watch the show.

“No! No, I don't.” He watched the brunette squirm with sadistic pleasure.

“And you think your afternoon classes are optional. You left campus yesterday.”

“There’s a good reason.”

”And?”

“I’m still thinking of it.”

Snyder shook his head. “Real anti-social. You need to integrate into this school, I think the talent show would be an excellent start.”

“Oh come -.”

“I've been watching you,” Snyder continued. “Always getting into one scrape or
another.”

“Oh come on, this is,” Giles chuckled at Faith’s begging. “You can't make me...”

“My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time. Have fun, come up with an act that the entire school can mock. And laugh at.” The principal pushed past his Slayer and strode to the stage.

Ten seconds later, Faith was slumped on the seat next to him. “Faith, can I offer some advice?” When the sulking Slayer didn’t answer he continued. “Pouting causes wrinkles.” The Slayer glared at him. “Just trying to be helpful.”

* * *

“What do you think of my performance?”

Desperate for a change of subject that didn’t involve him telling the truth, Jesse decided to broach a sensitive subject. “Cor, I was wondering,” Jesse licked his lips nervously, his anxiety caused his voice to trail off.

“You were wondering what?” Cordelia shrugged his arm off, her eyes suspicious as she spun to face him, glaring at him. “I told you Jesse McNally, second base is all-.”

“NOT THAT!” Jesse turned beetroot-red at his girl-friend’s accusatory screech. God, he was crazy about Cordelia, but embarrassing wasn’t in it.

“What then?” the brunette cheerleader demanded.

“Xander’s real bummed out about Faith, I was wonder-.”

“Oh no way buster!” If anything his girl-friend’s voice grew even higher. “You know what he tried to do.”

“You’ve forgiven me,” Jesse commented weakly.

“That’s so different and you know it!” Cordelia jabbed an angry finger into his chest. “You’ve got a choice to make over this – me or Xander! Wait forget it,” Cordelia waved an angry hand in his face, “I know you’ll stick up for him, you always do! Well you tell your friend to stay out of my friend’s face or I’ll have my dad slap him with a restraining order so fast it’ll scare his dad sober! Got me?”

”Yes ma’am.”

* * *

Faith dropped into the library seat opposite him, their training for the day completed. “I can’t believe that asshole-.”

“Please Faith, respect for your teachers.”

His chuckle died when Xander entered the library and he saw Faith’s slight tensing. His heart bled for both children, with Faith’s past she was helpless to do anything but react poorly to Xander’s actions during the hyena possession. On an intellectual level he was sure his charge didn’t blame Xander, but it would take Faith time to get used to being around the young man again. And Xander, he glanced at the nervously hovering young man, Xander as well as having a crush on his beautiful daughter, hero-worshipped her to boot. What a bloody mess. “Hey Faith,” the young man shuffled from side to side, his face anxious. “Heard about you being press-ganged into the talent show. Bummer. Anyhow, if you need any help, someone to bounce ideas off, rehearse with or something.”

“Thanks X,” Faith’s eyes fluttered everywhere but at the poor boy, “but I kinda got an idea.”

Giles looked with interest at his charge, she hadn’t mentioned an act. Even as he opened his mouth to ask what the Bostonian had picked, the library doors crashed open. “Guys!” he looked to see a pale-faced Willow hurrying in. “A body’s been found in the changing rooms.”

* * *

Giles ducked from under the evidence tape before making his way over to the Scoobies. “It was Emily.”

“Dancer Emily?” Willow queried. He nodded.

“It must have happened just after rehearsals,” he continued. “There was a cross-country meet at Melville. She never showed up for it.”

“Vampire?”

He glanced at his Slayer, hating what he was about to say. “I think not.”

“What happened?” Faith’s eyes burned intensely. “Spill G!”

“Her heart was removed.”

“Yikes!” Willow squeaked. Faith and Xander just looked sick.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Faith demanded after a second.

Giles winced. “There are various demons which, which feed off human hearts but a knife was used.”

“A human,” Willow shook her head, her eyes disbelieving. “No, I don’t believe it.”

“Red,” there was a world of experience in Faith’s sigh that made Giles seethe at the hard life his girl had had. “World’s a bitch, plenty of bad people around. Although,” his daughter glanced at him. “Remember the Hellmouth? We gotta check this out. Maybe a human acting under a spell or possessed?”

“Faith,” Giles sighed. “I'd like to think you're right. A demon is a creature of evil, pure and very simple. A person driven to kill is, is, um, it's more complex.”

“It could be anyone!” Willow exclaimed. “It could be me!”

Giles stared at the girl. “Anything you wish to share Miss. Rosenberg?”

“Uh,” the red-head looked down at her feet. “No.”

Shaking his head, he turned back to Faith. “Uh, demon or no, we have some investigating to do. I suggest we start with your... your talent show compatriots. One of them may have been the last to see her alive. I would suggest splitting up and doing some investigating.”

* * *

Faith strode through the curtain and onto the stage, she stopped in surprise when she saw Sid sat on a stool. She jumped when the puppet spoke. “Right now you and me gotta be on the lookout. Figure out who's gonna be next.”

“How are we supposed to...” Morgan walked onto stage. “Oh hi Faith.”

“How ya doing Morg?”

“I was just working on throwing my voice,” Morgan explained.

“Yeah and you seemed pretty good,” Faith nodded. “Did you notice anything weird going on around here yesterday?”

“Weird?” Morgan put the puppet back in his case. “What do you mean?”

“With Emily. Did she say anything to you, was she arguing with anyone?”

Morgan shrugged. “Sorry I was rehearsing.”

Faith pursed her lips together. “You didn't notice anything odd at –.” Suddenly Morgan fell to his knees, his hands going to his head. “Shit!” she hurried over to the kid. “Morg, you cool?”

“Look honey!” her head snapped towards the cased puppet. “He answered your question. Now leave him alone!”

Faith glared at the now recovered Morgan. “Okay, Morg, how 'bout talking to me yourself now?”

“He said all he's gonna say sweetcheeks,” Sid warned.

“Can it firewood!” she snapped at the puppet before turning back to the puppeteer.

The male rose and picked up the case. “We're done.”

“Look,” Faith shook her head. “I didn't mean to make you mad.”

“No! I'm...” Morgan shook his head. “It's him!” the puppeteer nodded towards the dummy. “He's... We have to go.”

“Damn,” she raised an eyebrow as the duo hurried off. “They’re a regular Sonny & Cher.”

* * *

“The majority view would have the main suspect is Morgan…”

”Eh?” Faith looked confused by his use of English.

Cordelia shook her head. “No 1. suspect is Morgan.”

“Oh right,” Faith shook her head. “G, English.”

“I was speaking English,” he sniffed. “Just not the pidgin version you insist on. However, there is still a chance it is a demon. I'm looking into that possibility but my investigation is somewhat hampered by our exciting new vaudeville careers.”

”Say what?” Now not only Faith looked confused.

“The talent show,” he explained with a sigh.

“Uh, priority check, G?” The Bostonian weighed the two with her hands. “Talent show, murder.”

“Principal Snyder is watching us very closely. Now if he chooses, he can make all our lives extremely difficult. A Slayer cannot afford that! We will find this murderer, but in the meantime... the show must go on.”

“This blows,” Faith pouted.

“Yes well, you watch Morgan. Check his locker, see if there's anything there.” Giles glanced at his watch. Oh bugger, this meeting had run late. “Now if you don’t mind I have some-.”

“Hello Rupert,” he almost groaned when Miss. Calendar opened the inner office door. “I’ve brought you that software to help with the show programs-.” The computer teacher stopped, suddenly aware of the students. “Kids, are you here to get some books?”

“Nah, we’re all studied out Miss. C.” He could have cheerfully murdered Faith for the smirk the Bostonian shot him on her way out.

* * *

“Did you find anything in Morgan’s locker?”

Faith looked up as Giles entered her room. “Nah,” she shook her head to emphasise the point before grinning. “Ya find anything in Miss. C’s pants?”

“No,” her Watcher glared at her.

“Didn’t let you do an inspection uh?” Faith nodded sagely. “Well, I suppose it was a first date. Some girls are kinda slow.”

She watched in fascination as the Englishman did his silent count to ten thing before speaking. That was so cool, she wanted to see what happened when G really blew. “It wasn’t a date,” he growled through gritted teeth. “Just a meeting between two work colleagues about a project.”

“Oh yeah?” Faith raised a sceptical eyebrow. G was so cute when he squirmed. She could almost pinch his cheek. “That case you’ll have to make a move fast, heard one of the football coaches has his eye on her.”

She giggled when G’s mouth momentarily dropped open. “Yes Faith,” he huffed. “Very amusing. I’ll have you know, mine and Miss Calendar’s relationship’s is strictly professional.”

“Shame,” Faith sighed. “I got a twenty riding on you and Miss C going steady by Christmas.” She collapsed into giggles as the speechless librarian stormed out, the door slamming shut behind him.

* * *

Faith blinked, uncertain as to why she’d awoken. Then she heard it. Moving with a supernatural speed, she sprang to her feet, her hand lunging for her stake on her bedside cabinet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of small feet diving out of the window. “G!”

In an instance, she heard Giles’ concerned voice at the other side of the door. “Are you decent?”

“Uh,” realising she was in the raw, she grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it on, the clothing stopping at the mid-thigh area. “Yeah!”

“Faith,” her guardian coloured and turned to face the opposite wall. “Faith!” he accused. “You said you were decent!”

“I was naked before,” she shrugged. She didn’t see what the big deal was, she knew she could trust G not to try anything and no way was she ashamed of her body.

After a second Giles shook his head. But stayed facing the wall. “What seemed to be the trouble?”

“Uh, Sid was here,” god she felt like an idiot.

”Faith,” G sounded exasperated. “What have I told you about having boys in your room?”

She rolled her eyes, god for a guy with a million degrees he could sure be dumb at times. “Sid the Dummy.”

Now G did turn towards her, his eyes wide with shock. “With Morgan?”

“No. He was alone. And alive.”

“You saw him?”

“Well, I saw something. It dived out of the window.” She saw the look on Giles’ face. “Hello, support here. “I’m not some crazy person, I am the Slayer.”

“Yes,” it was Giles’ turn to raise an eyebrow. “Let mannequins the world over quake in terror.”

* * *

“I may have found a possible demon culprit.” Giles glanced over to his Slayer busy demolishing the practice dummy while Cordelia and Jesse sparred, or tickled depending on your interpretation. As he began to talk the trio of students stopped. “There's a reference in here to a brotherhood of seven demons who take the form of young humans. Every seven years these demons need human organs, a brain
and a heart, to maintain their humanity. Otherwise they, they revert back to their original form. There’s only one problem about your theory with Morgan. It's said that these demons are preternaturally strong and Morgan appears to be getting weaker every day.”

“Maybe, maybe it gets weaker the longer it had to wait for the ceremony to be completed,” Faith suggested.

Giles smiled. “A plausible possibility.”

* * *

Faith sat in her customary back of the class place, her eyes intent on Morgan even as Sid peered over the kid’s shoulder to her. “Morgan? Morgan?” Mrs. Jackson spoke up.

“What?” Morgan demanded. Then Sid spoke. “Morgan has other things on his mind.” Faith couldn’t help but join the others in laughing.

A scowl on her face, Mrs. Jackson approached Morgan. “Give me your puppet.”

“I'll put him away,” Morgan pleaded.

Mrs. Jackson shook her head and took Sid. “You'll get it back after school.” Faith watched as the teacher opened a cupboard, put the puppet in it, and closed the door. The tutor turned back to them. “Now-.”

“I'm still watchin' you,” Sid’s muffled voice came from the cupboard. Faith stared at the makeshift prison, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She had an idea.

“Morgan!” Mrs. Jackson snapped. “That is enough!”

* * *

“Good lord!” Giles blinked as Faith walked into his library carrying Sid. “And what are you doing with that infernal thing?”

“I figured you could examine it, see if it’s possessed or something,” Faith replied. “Mrs. Jackson confiscated it, but I broke into her locker and stole it.”

“Broke into?” he shook his head. “Never mind, I suppose it was a good idea. You and I will research,” he ignored Faith’s pout. “Leave Sid with Xander, he can watch the dummy.”

Faith raised an eyebrow. “Who Sid?”

* * *

“Huh guys?” Giles looked up from his studying to see a nervous-looking Xander stood in the inner office doorway. “Sid’s gone. I went to get a book, and when -.”

“You idiot!” the youth’s explanation was interrupted by an angry scream from Faith. Obviously the brunette had forgotten her trepidation around Xander as she jabbed him in the chest. “I give you one fucking simple job to do, but noooo. Too much like hard work, well I’m sick of carrying your sorry ass! Stay the fuck out of my way!” Pushing aside the stunned and hurt-looking boy, his Slayer rushed out. “I’ll find the dummy and take his head.”

“Faith-,” Xander’s voice trailed off as he turned towards him. Any recriminatory words Giles might have uttered died unspoken at the devastated look on the founding Scooby’s face. Nothing he could say could make the boy feel half as guilty as he did right now. “I didn’t mean to Giles,” the boy’s gaze dropped. “I’d do anything for her.”

“I know son,” he soothed. “Just give her time to calm down.”

* * *

Faith was really fuming by the time she reached the theatre. That asshole, he treated her Calling as a joke, but it wasn’t him that had to risk his life. Her eyes narrowed at a thud behind the stage. Swallowing her nerves and drawing her knife from her ankle sheath, she made her way behind the curtain and into the changing rooms. “Shit!” her heart dropped when she saw a body, bile rising in her throat as she recognised Morgan’s body and noted the top of his head was missing. “Demon's got himself a brain.” Forcing away the increasing urge to vomit, she turned away, eager to get the hell out of here and back to G. “Why couldn’t I get a fun job? Something full of joy, a morgue attendant maybe?” she muttered as she moved back onto the stage.

Her head snapped up at a sound above her. Her eyes widen as she saw an iron chandelier plummeting towards her. “Shit!” she dived to the right, narrowly evading the falling object but at the same time cracking the back of her head against the concrete wall.

Her head thumping from the impact of her collision, Faith just laid there for a few seconds. As the roaring in her head died down, she became aware of the sound of tiny footsteps on the catwalk above her. Forcing herself to focus, she looked up to see Sid launch himself off the catwalk and plunge down at her. Grunting slightly with the effort, she rolled away from the puppet and grabbed her dropped knife.

The puppet landed just in front of her. Thinking quickly, she snaked a lightning fast hand around the demon’s foot and yanked, knocking the demon down on its ass. In a half-second, she was on top of it, her knife held ready for the decapitating slash. “You win,” Sid sighed. “Now you can take your heart and your brain and move on.”

“I'm sure they would have made great trophies for your case,” Faith shot back.

“That woulda been justice,” Sid retorted.

“Yeah, except for one thing: you lost, and now you'll never be human.”

“Yeah, well, neither will you,” Sid sneered back at her.

“Say what?” Faith squinted at the dummy.

* * *

“This is what I do.” Faith listened in fascination as Sid talked, her having brought him into the library to meet with G and the gang. Which were currently in the grasp of open-mouthed bemusement. “I hunt demons. I ran into a really mean demon cursed me and next thing I know I’m sitting on some guy's knee, with his hand up my shirt.”

“Ouch!” Jesse and Xander exclaimed in shock.

“And ever since then you've been a living dummy?” Willow queried.

“Morgan was right all along. I shoulda picked you to team up with. But I didn't because...”

“Because you thought *I* was the demon,” Faith put in.

Sid turned to her. “Who can blame me Look at you! You're strong, athletic, limber, nubile,” she slapped the back of the puppet’s head. No way she was letting a dummy get wood thinking about her. “Now that this demon's got the heart and brain, he gets to keep the human form he's in for another seven years. There were seven of these guys. I've killed six. If I can get the last one, the curse will be lifted and I'll be free. I'm sure it's someone in that stupid talent show.”

“Yeah, but now that demon has what he wants, he'll be moving on,” Faith commented.

“So, once we know who's missing from the show,” Sid continued.

“We'll know who our demon is!” Faith exclaimed.

“Oh bugger!” Giles slapped his forehead. “The show! It’s about to start!”

Faith turned to Red. “Okay, start pulling everyone's addresses in the talent show. If they're not there, maybe we can catch them at home.”

“And you,” Faith saw Sid was talking to G, “get 'em all on stage, form the power circle. Then we can see who's a no-show.”

“The what?” exclaimed her Watcher.

Sid sighed. “The power circle. You get everyone together and get them revved up.”

G stared at the dummy. “Yes, quite.”
* * *

Faith and Sid peered down from the catwalk as they waited for Giles to lead the circle out. “So, what's your deal, kid? I don't figure you for a demon hunter.”

Faith glanced at her companion. “I'm a Vampire Slayer.”

Sid’s eyes widened. “You?! You're the Slayer?” Faith nodded. “I knew a
Slayer in the 30's. Korean chick. Very hot. We're talking *muscle* tone. Man, we had some times.” Faith stared at the puppet. ”Hey, that was pre-dummy, alright?”

“Moving along,” Faith shuddered. Those were images she’d never be able to wipe from her mind. “You kill the demon and the curse is lifted, right?”

“That's the drill,” Sid nodded.

“I’m guessing there isn’t a happy ending?”

The puppet shrugged. “Don't get sniffly on me, sis. I've lived a lot longer than most
demon hunters. Or Slayers, for that matter.” Faith glanced down, unwilling to confront the shortness of her life. She felt a hand on her knee. “Of course, if you want to snuggle up and comfort me...”

Faith firmly removed the hand. “Keep your hands to yourself firewood.” Looking down, she saw the circle has been formed, but no one appeared to be missing. “Wait here,” she ordered before dropping down onto the stage once the circle has dispersed to the backstage area. “There’s no one missing?”

“It appears not,” her Watcher commented. “Which would suggest our demon is not in the show. Go tell the others. Look, it's nearly curtain. I must get the show rolling.”

“Five by five,” Faith nodded her agreement before glancing up to tell Sid to jump down. Her eyes narrowed when she realised the catwalk was empty. “Sid?” Confused, she moved to the back of the stage, stopping by a workbench when something drips on her shoulder. She looked and reached up to a shelf to see what was dripping. “SHIT!” she screamed in shock as a brain fell into her hands, immediately she dropped it to the floor.

* * *

“I'm never gonna stop washing my hands,” Faith shuddered.

“This dummy tells us that he's a demon hunter. And we're, like, fine. He takes off, and now there's a brain. Does anybody else feel like they've been Keyser Soze'd?”

Faith shook her head at Xman’s question. “Sid's on the level, I'm sure of it. But why would the demon have rejected the brain? I thought Morgan was the smartest kid in school.”

“He was,” Willow pointed at the computer screen, “look at his grades: all A's. He was even taking college classes.” The red-head blinked. “Wait, all these sick days. I’m gonna check the nurse’s file.” The hacker tapped at her keyboard. “In case of emergency, contact Dr. Dale Leggett, California Institute of Neurosurgery, Cancer Ward.”

“Brain cancer?” Jesse queried.

“That's why he had all the headaches,” Willow commented. “This means that whatever's out there still needs a healthy, intelligent brain.”

Jesse grinned at Xander. “We’re saved!”

“And it's gonna be looking for the smartest person around,” Faith glanced from Jonathan to Willow. “Any guesses which of you it is?”

Both paled. Faith shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. You’re safe here, it has to be someone at the talent show.” It was Faith’s turn to pale. “And, and Giles doesn't
know! He's with them all right now!”

Xander shook his head. “Oh don’t worry about it, Giles can handle himself. I mean, he *is* really... “ Xander’s voice trailed off. “SMART!”

“G!” Heart pounding, Faith charged through the library double doors.

* * *

Giles stared around doubtfully as the show’s magician strapped him down to the guillotine bench. “Shouldn't it be aimed at my neck?”

“No,” the would-be wizard shook his head, “this way your scalp gets sliced off and your brains just come pouring out.” The sorcerer slid the head restraint onto his forehead before locking it down with a padlock.

“What exactly is the trick?” Giles asked, anxious to take his mind off what was happening. Oh good lord, what had he got himself into?

“What trick?” the wizard smirked at him before going over to the block where the rope holding the guillotine blade is tied down. The wanna-be wizard picked up a hatchet and began to slice through the rope. Giles felt his blood chill as he watched helplessly, he realised too late that this must be the demon they’d assumed had departed. He watched as the sneering youth sent another swing through the rope, almost cutting through it, causing the blade slip a bit. Another strike and the blade will be slicing his head in two.

* * *

Faith’s eyes widened as she saw Marc with the hatchet. Lunging forward, she tackled the youth to the ground catching an elbow in the side of the head in the process. Groaning slightly at the force of the blow, she swept the youth’s legs from under him.

Even as he hit the floor, Marc changed to a scaly biped. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Faith leapt back to her feet at more or less the same time as the monster. Ducking beneath a wild overhand right, she slammed a back heel kick to the demon’s hamstring, knocking it to the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the rope snap. Her heart dropped in tandem with the falling blade. “Giles,” she croaked.

Suddenly Xander had hold of the rope, grapping it inches from her Watcher’s throat. Even as she opened her mouth to yell a thanks, a pain exploded in the back of her neck. Instantly she shot out an elbow to the monster’s face, knocking it back a step. Spinning round, she ducked a backhand slap and smashed a right forearm to the beast’s chest. The snarling creature charged her, she grabbed its out-stretched arms at the wrists and dropped backwards, flinging it over her.

Instantly she flipped to her feet and turned to face her rival in a front stance only to be grabbed around the throat and flung into the wall. Suddenly Sid dropped off the catwalk onto the demon. “Need some help toots?”

”’ppreciate it.”

After a chuckle, the puppet began stabbing the beast until it hit the ground, a second later, Sid looked up at her and winked. “Shame girlie, we could have had fun.” The puppet slumped down on the demon.

After a final sad glance at the deceased puppet, Faith looked towards the guillotine, heart racing. She grinned as she saw Jesse and Xander helping her dishevelled but unharmed Watcher to his feet. “He’s five by five.” Lifting Sid off the demon, she walked towards G and the others. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

Giles waited expectantly, his emotions a combination of dread and anticipation as he awaited the start of Faith’s act. She’d staunchly refused to rehearse, saying something about not needing to and not being able to spare the time. As a result he hadn’t a clue what she was going to do, none of them did – well except Willow who had apparently helped her in some way, but for once the red-head was staying staunchly silent. Comforting himself with the thought that if Miss. Rosenberg was involved, it was unlikely to be too risqué, he turned his attention to the opening curtain. “She’ll do fine Rupert,” Miss Calendar, his escort for the evening not date he reminded himself, muttered in his ear.

“Yes I’m sure,” he swallowed, his lips drying in fear.

Finally his daughter was revealed sat on a stool, her elfin features obscured by the tresses hanging over it. He blinked as his Slayer threw her hair back and a music backing track began, he recognised that music, wasn’t it…

“Ma, take this badge off of me.
I can't use it any more.
It's getting dark, too dark to see.
Feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.”

“Good lord,” he breathed. Faith’s voice wasn’t sweet or classically beautiful, and yet it had an earthy power that only the very best blues singers had. He smiled stupidly, feeling a tightness in his chest. “That’s my girl.” The moment the music finished to an almost standing ovation he was moving. “I’m sorry Jenny,” he knew he was grinning like an idiot, but right now he didn’t care. “But I have to-.”

Jenny smiled and nodded. “Just go Rupert.”

“Faith!” he rushed up to his daughter as she stepped off stage and, forgetting his own very British resolve and his Slayer’s own ‘cool’ factor, picked her up in a hug. “That was simply splendid,” he enthused. “You never told me you could sing!”

The brunette blushed even as she wriggled free of his embrace. “My ma always said my pa was a roadie with the British groups of the sixties and seventies – Kinks, Stones, and the Animals, that sort of thing. When I was a kid, before things got bad, I remember the best times were Ma sitting me on her knee, teaching me the songs of the groups.” The Slayer looked down. “Guess I never felt happy enough to sing ‘til now.”

“Faith, I-,” Giles forced the lump in his throat down and changed what he was about to say, unwilling to embarrass her further. “My dear, they have open mike night at a local coffee shop I frequent, I’d be honoured if you’d allow me to accompany your singing on my guitar?”

”Yeah G,” Faith smiled and nodded at him. “I’d like that a lot.”