Through it all

Later that night Faith slowly made her way up the stairs to her room in the mansion. Looking behind her momentarily she inwardly groaned as she saw the multiple pairs of eyes on her. She knew she was something of a legend among the girls and at one time she would have loved that. But now, she just wanted to be left alone.

And it didn’t help that having a demon etched into the shape of a tattoo on her skin undoubtedly sent these girls slayer senses into overdrive. Flexing her shoulders she walked into her room and smiled at the scene lay out before her. She knew letting Ilsa have a cell phone was a mistake and it sure culd be expensive. Luckily between her slayer funds and what she had gained from Apostalus over the last couple decades she could afford to spoil the demon child.

“Ilsa, it’s clear.”

Faith held out her arm and watched as her tattoo shifted farther down her arm and lifted from her skin and took the shape of a twelve year old human girl. Ilsa stood at five-five and aside from her luminous white eyes looked every bit as human as any of those girls out there.

“Oh Nona it looks delicious. Why you not tell Ilsa about yummies like these?” Not waiting for an answer Ilsa leapt across the room and began to tear into the seven combination pizzas, Chinese take out and Mexican platters that had been routinely delivered throughout the last couple hours.

Smiling Faith picked up her own small pizza and settled down at the foot of the bed and lovingly watched Ilsa eat the food with relish. She thought back to the day she had first met the winged demon…seventeen years now. Gods’ time flies.

There dinner was interupted by a faint knock on the door, looking up she watched as the door opened slowly and Noah stepped in. Faith couldn’t help but glower at the girl, she knew it was childish and stupid but the girl looked so much like B and was almost a painful reminder of what she had never had and never would.

“Can we talk?” Noah asked, Faith studied the younger woman. She was petite like B was; her hair was blonde but not as light as Buffys and she dressed casually in ripped jeans, boots and a black Metallica t-shirt.

“Yeah sure. Come on in.” Faith stood and sent a warning glance to Ilsa whose only acknowledgment of the girl’s presence was that she now was eying the young girl WHILE shoveling food into her mouth.

“She sure is hungry.” Noah said as she looked over the demon girl.

Faith nodded. “Her metabolism is fast as hell, she needs to be fed a lot.”

Nodding Noah stepped farther into the room and crossed her arms and studied the slayer silently before speaking. “I don’t know what exactly went on between you and mom but I know enough. And well…I wanted to say thank you.”

“It’s five by five kid. Ive been meaning to ask…wheres your dad?” Faith asked, she hadnt seen a hint of that stupid fucker since shed been here.

Frowning Noah studied her for a moment. “Hes gone. They were only married three years before he split. It’s just been me and mom for a long time.”

Faith covered her surprise. “Well B always did know how to pick em.”

Something flickered across Noahs eyes before she nodded. “Yeah she sure does.”

“Well you’re making me nervous just standing there so either come in and eat something or get out.”

Noah shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs and studied the armrest as though it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. “So…where have you been since you…left?”

“Around.” Faith curlty bit out.

At Noah’s sharp look she sighed. “First couple years I spent at the bottom of a bottle in Amsterdam. Then I joined the French Foreign Legion. First and only woman ever to do so…and so I traveled around a lot, doing mercenary jobs mostly in Africa and Eastern Europe. Then around that time some shit went down and I hooked up with Ilsa here. After that I just…slayed mostly. Been around the world a couple times and one day get a call from Red….telling me somethings gone down and yall need my help. So here I am.” Faith didn’t bother to mention everything she had left out. ESPECIALLY Apostolus.

“That sounds…adventurous.”

“It was…look im not big on the life stories so your turn.”

“Nothing really to tell…I mean mom was pregnant with me before she got married. She married John and after that went down the tubes she just raised me best she could…it was more everyone here did. When I turned six she stopped aging and now whenever we go out they think were twins.” Noah smiled a little and Faith didn’t fail to notice the way sadness touched her brown eyes. B had green eyes…

“So your dad just…”

“Hes not my dad. I know enough about what happened to know that.” Noah snapped.
Faith shrugged. “No worries kid, I don’t know my dad either. So you a slayer?”

“Yeah…Aunt Will says that im the strongest to ever come to existence. Or something like that.” Noah said softly.

“Well…well have to find out wont we.” Faith said smirking. At Noah’s wary look she rolled her eyes. “I mean in training…geez youd think forty years would be long enough to live down my wild teen days.”

“From what I hear…you’re the thing the instructors use to scare girls into being good.”

Laughing Faith said “And mom said id never amount to anyhting.”

Laughing softyl Noah nodded and reached for a bag of fritos, ignoring the hostile look Ilsa shot her.

Faith smiled “Shes a little territorial over her food.”

“Noticed.”


********************************
Hong Kong-Buffy

Groaning she felt her eyes open, everything burned, everything hurt. Where the fuck was she? Looking around her cell she remmebered…she was in China. Sitting up Buffy flexed her arm in confusion, it HAD been broken and even with her slayer healing abilities it shoudlnt have healed so fast…or a better question. How long had she been out?

Whipping around when the door to her cell opened and in strode Mursas, her captor. Her slayer senses began going nuts, whatever he was it was freaking her out.

“Good to see your awake slayer…tell me. How long do you think it will be before youll tell me what oyu want to know? I promise…it will be painless.” His sick smile made Buffys stomach turn, forcing herself to shit upright she looked up at him.

“Go to hell.”

Smiling Mursas looked behind him and the door swung closed on its own. Crouching down beside her he took an almost jovial stance as he studied her. “I know what could change your mind. That lovely sister of yours…well it would be a pity if anyhting happened to her.”

Fury roiled in her gut, hopefully he didn’t know about Noah. God she hoped her baby was okay. “Go to hell.”

Laughing, he stood and turned. “Honey…I AM hell. And if you don’t tell me what you know…ill make sure your in the thick of it.”

“I havent spoken to Faith in twenty years.” Fear ripped through her…she wouldn’t let him get to Fiath OR Noah.

“No…but you can find her. Her life line is intertwined with yours. And I know all about that special little slayer sense the two of you have.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh but you do darling.” Crouching down he smiled down at her fondly. “You two arent JUST the chosen two…your fates are meant for so much more than that…and frankly…your destiny doesn’t bode well for me so…your going to tell me how to find her…or you will kill your loved ones.”

Sick worry ripped through her. “Never.”

“Oh my dear slayer…you won’t be able to stop yourself.” Was all she could understand before he lunged down and bit her throat, shock paralyzed her.

Everything went dark.

*******************
Slayer Mansion

Willow sat with her legs propped up on her desk earnestly studying the ancient text in her lap. It was complete with an old tracking spell, very complex but if it worked…would MAYBE find her friend.

Sighing she looked up as Kennedy walked in, and yawned tiredly before collapsing on the bed.

“How was patrol?”

“Mmph…it was alright. We got him.” Kennedy murmured before rolling over and kicking off her shoes.

“That’s good.” Willow said softly. Closing the book she walked over to the bed and climbed in beside her lover. Scooting down she smiled as Kennedy rolled over and cuddled against the witch.

“Any news on Buffy?” Kennedy murmured, her speech slurred from fatigue.

“No nothing yet. But Faiths agreed that shes going to help so maybe…”

“ats good.” Kennedy murmured sleepily.

TBC
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