Boats Against the Current

Boats Against the Current (Chapter Four)


If there was anything they didn’t need, it was a distraction. That was too bad, because a distraction was what they were certainly dealing with right now.

Faith, disconcertingly inhabiting Buffy’s body, was confined to a chair, ropes fastened securely around her by two vampires who knew a thing or two about restraints.

Funny that seeing ‘Buffy’ like this didn’t make Angel think about their past. What it did make him feel was a certain degree of compassion for his old girlfriend. Faith had taken her body and used it to do god knows what while she was helpless and unaware. Angel knew better than anyone what that was like.

“So how’d you figure it out, Fang Boy?” Faith asked, glaring at Spike with Buffy’s eyes. “Didn’t think you knew Buffy that well.”

“I don’t. But I know her well enough to know she’d never proposition me.” Spike shuddered and Angel stifled a chuckle. No, he was with Spike on that one. And telling him she’d make him pop like warm champagne? Not a Buffy turn of phrase. Of course, the fact that Cordelia had been given a vision didn’t hurt either, though he doubted Spike would ever give the seer any credit for his quick realization that it wasn’t actually Buffy trying to cop a feel at the Bronze.

He wondered at Faith. She was cleverer than that, or so he’d thought. If she really wanted to get away with this, to take over Buffy’s identity, why did she act so much like herself on Buffy’s home turf? It made no sense.

He looked at his watch; Willow and Giles should have been back by now. The goons from the Council had better not have laid a finger on the woman he loved or he’d burn the whole headquarters to the ground with the lot of them inside.

“What’s the matter? You worried about Buffy’s Watcher and her little shadow? Scared your true love won’t gaze at you with those lovesick hazel eyes anymore if her sidekicks get wasted?” Faith did a rather broad burlesque of Buffy’s expression as she spoke and Angel almost found it funny. He probably would have laughed if he wasn’t so concerned about Willow.

It was interesting that she didn’t have Buffy’s memories at all. Just to satisfy his curiosity, he’d have Wesley research this particular spell.

“What makes you think he’s still wasting his time brooding over Buffy?” Cordelia snarked. “Some people get over the losers they used to date, you know.”

Angel was puzzled by Cordelia’s remarks for a moment, but then he remembered…hadn’t Faith slept with Xander? Another thing they didn’t need to deal with right now – Cordelia’s ridiculous feelings for her old boyfriend.

“What’s the matter? Got a thing for Angel? Go for it. I’m pretty sure an uptight priss like you couldn’t get him hot enough to lose his soul.”

Surprisingly, Cordelia just sniffed and turned away, acting as if she considered Faith beneath her notice. Angel was glad of that. He wasn’t interested in childish bickering right now, especially since Faith was using Buffy’s voice and it was very disconcerting to hear Faith’s words spoken with it.

Faith, however, couldn’t seem to go for very long without a sparring partner. She tried again. “So, Angel, this turn you on? Me all tied up and looking like your little soul mate? Wanna take me somewhere private? Or we could do it right here, give the kiddies a good show. I mean, hey, you’d get the best of both worlds this way – your girlfriend’s body, but this time with someone who really knows what to do with it.” Faith’s voice was low and husky and desperate. He wondered why that was. She’d been in a coma, but not knowing time was passing, how bad could eight months abstinence have been?

This had nothing to do with sex, he realized. Faith was jealous of what Buffy had, of how people felt about her, and she had foolishly believed that just looking like Buffy would transfer it all to her. He felt a surprising rush of pity. The girl was flailing, frantic, trying hard to prove that the end result of all her envy and spite had been for something, something she could ‘want, take, have’…hoping like anything not to have to believe that the girl inside was who no one loved.

Even Willow would have compassion for Faith now.

His silence was all the answer he gave to the girl wearing Buffy’s body and it obviously hurt her more than any words he could have spoken.

Luckily, at that moment, Willow, Giles, and Xander came bursting through the door …along with Buffy, whose sour expression said everything that need be about how she felt being trapped in Faith’s body.

“You know, I think I wear that look better than you do,” she cracked as she saw Faith tied to the chair. “Blonde really doesn’t suit you.”

“May I just say that this whole switcheroo thing is giving me a wiggins? I like you much better in your own body, Buff,” Xander said.

Faith’s eyes lit up. “Gee, Xander, you didn’t mind my body so much that day at the motel. In fact, I seem to remember that you liked it a lot.”

“Yeah, like bagging a brokenhearted guy on the rebound was such a feat,” Cordelia shot back.

“Oh, did I hit a nerve there? Just because you don’t have what it takes to make your man happy…”

“Hey, she does just fine with the happy…I mean, she did…I…” Xander was stumbling over his words while everyone stared at him. Angel figured they were all in agreement on one point: it was a good thing Anya wasn’t here.

“Well, if the inappropriate conversation is over, we can get to the part where order is restored.” Giles was a welcome voice of reason. Angel hated to see how uncomfortable Buffy obviously was being trapped outside her own body.

It was easy to see that Giles was just as uncomfortable. While Buffy couldn’t take her eyes off the usurper, Giles couldn’t look at her at all. He had barely glanced at Faith since they entered the room. Faith, on the other hand, kept looking at Giles. It was obvious that his behavior bothered her.

“What’s the matter? Can’t bear to see me all warm and cozy inside your precious Buffy?”

“You’re not Buffy.” Willow answered instead, sparing Giles with a hand on his arm and a tilt of her head. “No matter what you look like, you’re not Buffy and you’ll never be Buffy. That’s what kills you, isn’t it? The futility. The pointlessness. After all this, you’re still Faith.” Angel struggled to keep from showing how much he admired his lover right now. Her perception was as acute as if she’d spent all this time here observing Faith and had not just walked in the door. “The package doesn’t change what’s inside.”

“Oooh, great insight there. Thanks.” She looked Willow over rather contemptuously while Xander turned a bit green. “I guess if I looked like you I’d tell myself that looks don’t count too.”

Angel struggled to rein in his demon and find a way to defend his lover, but before he could do that, she spoke up. “Why don’t we just get another chair and some more rope? We’ll need to restrain Buffy before the body switch, because then she’ll be Faith again.” Willow was taking the high road. It made Angel love her even more, though he knew the girl’s words had hit home. He’d just have to find a way to convince her she was beautiful…as soon as they were alone.

Xander and Spike both went after the required articles. Angel walked over to Willow and whispered, “Are you okay?” She nodded ever so slightly and he went to talk to Buffy.

“I really hate this.” Buffy said softly as Angel approached her. “The idea of someone walking around in my body…it’s so creepy. And I’m not loving being Faith.”

“You’re not Faith,” he reassured her. “You may look like her, but that doesn’t mean you are her.”

“Were you the one who figured it out?” she asked, the wistful expression she wore looking more than bizarre on Faith’s face.

“No, actually, it was Spike. He knew something had to be wrong when you tried to seduce him.”

Buffy looked nauseous. “I will so kill her for that.”

“Ready!” Willow caroled as Spike and Xander came back with the necessities. “It’s bondage time.” Mouths dropped open in shock, at least those of the Sunnydale crew. They really didn’t know her very well, Angel realized as his mind wandered to some very pleasant times back in Los Angeles.

“Yes, well…Buffy…come here and sit down, will you?” Giles motioned to the chair and Buffy sat. “We’ll need to leave her a bit of arm movement so that she can touch Faith.”

“You already know how to fix this?” Cordelia asked.

“Oh yeah. We stopped off at Giles’s place to call Wesley and pick up some supplies and we managed to conjure this nifty device which should switch everything back the way it should be.” Willow pulled a case out of her pocket and opened it. Whatever was inside was glowing and green. “It’s a katra.”

Angel was mildly familiar with them from his reading, so he at least didn’t have to pretend to have a clue the way everyone else did.

Willow gave the katra to Buffy, who used what little arm movement she was allowed to grab Faith’s hand. A brief second later there was a flash of light. “Oh thank God,” he heard Buffy exclaim. “Now would one of you guys please untie me?”

“How do we know it’s really Buffy?” Spike said. “I say we leave her like this until we’ve run a battery of tests or something.”

“Spike!” Buffy yelped.

Willow, of course, had paid him no mind and was even now trying to undo their very best knots – without much success. “Angel, can you help me with these?”

He waited for her to step aside. Touching her would not help them keep their secret, especially not standing next to Buffy. It was hard right now to keep the love he felt for Willow out of his eyes. She never ceased to amaze and impress him. A slip of a girl and yet here she was – saving the day. If he touched her, even casually…

She moved away and Angel stepped in, making relatively short work of the knots.

“Nice job with the restraints,” Buffy said, almost groping herself as she was freed. It was obvious she was glad to be back in her own body.

Willow grabbed her and hugged her. “It’s good to see you again…as you, you know?”

“Believe me, I could not agree more. Thank you.” She squeezed Willow tightly. “You really are good with the magic stuff.”

Willow blushed. “Giles helped. Really. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

Angel doubted that sincerely and Giles immediately confirmed his belief. “On the contrary. I am quite sure you would have done just as well without me. I must say that I’m…I’m quite impressed.” He was looking at her with something like awe and Angel’s heart swelled with pride.

“Well, Wesley’s been helping me, you know? Doing the mentor thing, making sure I stay on the right path. He knows a lot about magic.”

Giles looked rather crestfallen at her words; Angel could well understand why. Had he paid attention, had he seen Willow’s potential, it would have been him she was turning to for advice on harnessing the power that dwelt within her. Instead, the role of teacher and guide was being played by Wesley, a man Giles looked down on. Angel could feel sorry for the man, he supposed, but he didn’t. Maybe it was coldblooded of him, but hey – vampire. Being coldblooded came with the territory.

“Do I get untied now?” Faith whined, obviously upset at being ignored now that she was back in her own skin.

“Sorry, honey. But on the plus side, I think we’ve finally found the right look for you. Who knew ropes would suit you so well?” Buffy was bitter, and she had a right to be. Still, the pity he felt was all for Faith at this point. She made a rather pathetic figure. All that sound and fury signifying nothing.

He glanced over at Willow and was surprised to see something like sympathy in her eyes as well. He shouldn’t have been surprised at all, actually. Willow was nothing if not forgiving and compassionate.

“What do we do with her now?” Cordelia asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, the Council was going to kill Buffy when they thought she was Faith and I just can’t see handing the real Faith over to their goon squad now that we know what their intentions are. Besides…they kind of hate us now.”

“Why do they hate you?”

“You remember that spell? The one where the little balls of light go zooming back and forth and stuff?” Angel remembered it well. She’d employed it when they weeded out a nest of Parvo demons…not very bright creatures and easily distracted. “Yeah, well, I used it on them and Xander and Giles were able to free Buffy and then throw them off their truck and we kind of stole it and…”

Angel couldn’t help himself. He laughed. The Watcher’s Council was as pathetic as pathetic could be if that spell was enough to defeat a team they sent in to bring down a rogue Slayer. Willow grinned back and their eyes locked, sharing the memory and the mirth. They caught themselves quickly and the moment ended – hopefully before anyone noticed.

“Aren’t you something? And to think, I knew you when all you could do was float a pencil. Can I have your autograph?” Faith quipped.

There was a knock at the door. Angel and Spike immediately assumed a defensive posture, fearing the worst. Buffy, Xander, and Giles did likewise while Cordelia hid behind them. Willow went to answer the door.

“Who is it?” she asked cautiously.

“It’s Riley.”

She opened the door. “Hey.”

“Is Buffy here?” He brushed past her and into the house. Angel could slap him for being so rude.

Willow didn’t seem to take it any better. “Gee, Riley, come on in,” she snapped, turning to glare at him.

The commando had the decency to look abashed. “Sorry, Willow. This is kind of an emergency.”

“So that means you don’t owe her a bit of courtesy?” Spike asked as Willow closed the door, protecting the vampires from the sunlight. “What’s the matter? All that torturing of innocent demons taking a toll on your manners?”

“Spike,” Willow chided gently. “It’s okay. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Riley, however, seemed to be distracted by the prisoner. “Who’s that?” he asked, staring at Faith.

“Long story,” Buffy answered. “What’s the emergency?”

He seemed confused for a moment. Not a rocket scientist, this one. But he regrouped and said, “A bunch of vampires have taken over a church. There are hostages. We need to get them out.”

“Vampires? In a church? During the day?” Faith’s skepticism was well-founded, but a bit of a shock. She cared?

“She knows about…?”

“Well if she didn’t, you’d have given her a hell of an education, now wouldn’t you?” Spike’s disdain was matched by Angel’s own.

“She used to be a Slayer,” Buffy explained.

“Used to be? Excuse me? Untie me and I’ll show you who the real Slayer is, you bitch!” Faith struggled to break free from the tight bindings with no success.

“There are two of you? I thought…didn’t you tell me that there was only one?”

“Usually that’s the way it works, but Buffy died for a minute or two a few years back and another one was called. Then when she was killed, Faith was called.” Thank you, Xander. That was impressively succinct.

“Okay…” Riley looked flummoxed, but he wasn’t asking any more questions. Which was a good thing, because the man’s ignorance was irritating. Now more than ever, Angel wondered why the hell the Initiative was messing around in a world they knew nothing about.

“We’d better weapon up,” Buffy said. “Giles, Xander, Willow, you’ll come with me. Riley, too, if you’re up to it. Are you still injured?”

“I’m fine, Buffy.” He sounded irritated at having his weakness mentioned. Too damn bad.

Angel, however, was more irritated at the casual way she appropriated Willow. Willow worked for him now, not Buffy, and he wasn’t about to let Buffy forget that. “Here, Willow,” he said, reaching into his cache. “Use the crossbow. It’s your best weapon.”

“Thanks, Angel.” She smiled as she took the crossbow from him.

“What about me?” Faith was heard from again and once again managed to stun everyone.

“What about you?” Buffy snorted.

“I’m thinking you could use an extra set of superpowers here. I mean, I know you’ve got witchiepoo, but the vamps are out thanks to their pesky sunlight problem and I don’t seem to remember Xander as being all that handy with a weapon.” The boy in question coloured slightly as Faith continued. “Another Slayer would be a pretty good deal right now.”

“Sure thing. And if we’re ever looking for a girl who’s out of shape after being in a coma for eight months and who’ll turn tail and run or turn traitor at the first opportunity, we’ll give you a call. In the meantime, I think you’re kinda tied up.”

“Out of shape?” Faith shrieked. “It took both vamps and magic girl over there to take me down and they caught me by surprise. Angel all by himself has kicked your ass. Which one of us is out of shape?”

“Are we forgetting the part where you gave back your good guy secret decoder ring and went to work for the Mayor? So not a sterling reference if you’re looking for a job with the white hats.” Xander was obviously desirous of getting some of his own back after her pointed and cutting reference to his sexual prowess.

“Let her go.” Willow and Angel spoke up at the same time, maybe not the most auspicious move, not that either had known the other had the idea.

“Are you nuts?”

“No, Buffy,” Willow took over the conversational reins, “I’m not nuts. Faith has a point. We could use an extra set of muscles. If she runs, oh well, we’re no worse off than we would be if she stayed here. And I don’t see turning traitor as an option since I’m not too sure the vampires would trust a Slayer.”

“You always were the brains of this lot, pet,” Spike chimed in rather admiringly.

“I do think Willow has a point,” Giles agreed rather tentatively.

Buffy was nearly fuming, but she gave in. “Fine, we’ll untie the psycho and let her go on the field trip, but when this all goes horribly wrong and she gets us killed, let’s not forget that I told you so, okay?” she grumbled as she undid the ropes.

“Now is that any way to talk about a girl who was you not so long ago, B?” Faith got up from the chair and stretched.

“When this is over, I am going to kick every inch of your ass.”

“Bring it on.”

The two Slayers began to circle each other, the danger facing those hapless churchgoers forgotten.

“Hey!” Willow yelled. “Can we please remember that we have some lives to go save? And besides, this is my parents’ house and if you break it, you pay for it. Grow up. Both of you. Now, c’mon.” She grabbed her crossbow and strode to the door for emphasis.

Even Angel was stunned at the vehemence and authority in her voice and manner. He was so proud of her. On the other hand, he didn’t want to see her take this attitude into battle. Not without him there to protect her. “Be careful,” he said. “I’m not losing the most important person in my agency.” He allowed his eyes to say much more. To hell with keeping secrets. When she came back, he was going to figure out a way to let everyone know just what their relationship truly was.

“As touching as this is, can we get out of here? I’m itching to slay.” Faith’s words seemed to finish what Willow had started. Within moments, and with only minimal discussion, everyone departed – everyone, that is, but Angel, Cordelia, and Spike.

Angel sat down heavily on the couch. It suddenly hit him that Willow was out there with no one he trusted fighting beside her. Not for one second did he think Buffy and her cohorts were going to look out for his lover and he wanted to roar his frustration to the heavens. Never had his vampiric nature made him feel so helpless. But here he was, held captive by sunlight, unable to do a thing but sit and wait and hope that Willow came back to him safe and sound.

Spike caught his mood immediately. “She’ll be back. She’s damn good at surviving. Hell, I’ve tried to kill her myself in days gone by and she’s always made it out without a scratch on her.” His attempt at lighthearted banter was undercut by the concerned undercurrent in the tone of his voice. It didn’t make Angel feel any better.

“She’s mine, Spike.” There was a world of meaning in those few words, something only another demon would understand.

“I know, sire.”

If Angel was shocked at Spike’s forgoing of his usual sarcastic forms of address in favour of the highest honorific he could employ, he didn’t do anything to express it. Instead he slid over slightly and allowed Spike to sit next to him.

“If anything happens…”

“We’ll burn down this whole bloody town and bathe in the blood of anyone who lives through it.”

“Eww! I mean, I love Willow as much as the next person, but…”

“No, you don’t, Cordelia.” Angel couldn’t believe she had the nerve to compare her feelings to his, even casually.

For once, she was sharp enough to pick up on his tone. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Awkward, painful silence followed. He wanted Cordelia to leave the room. There were things he wanted to discuss with Spike and he didn’t need the presence of a human while he did. More pious judgment was not appealing.

“I think I’ll go upstairs and check in with Wesley. Maybe he’s found out something from his contacts,” Cordelia said at long last. Hallelujah.

“Good idea. Thanks.” And with that, she headed for the stairs and was gone.

“Well, at least she knows when she’s not welcome.”

Without Willow’s sensibilities to consider, Angel didn’t bother to chastise his childe. After all, he was just as glad to be rid of his tactless, graceless seer as Spike was. “I’m going to tell them.”

“You’re kidding, right? You’re going to tell the Slayer that you love Red?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not the brightest idea you’ve ever had.”

“I’m tired of holding my tongue, of not being able to hold her, of not being able to speak up when I should. She’s mine, Spike, and I had to stand by and watch Buffy order her around and let her head off to face a bunch of vampires whose purpose I can’t begin to guess at. I’m not some human. That’s not the way things work.”

His companion sat silent, gazing steadily into his eyes. “You really aren’t a nancy boy anymore, are you?”

“No.”

“Do what you need to do, then.” That was as close to an offer of support as he’d ever hear from Spike and it meant a great deal to him.

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. It’s about Riley.”

Spike made a gagging noise before replying. “Do we have to talk about that lumbering git?”

“Yeah, we do. There’s something wrong with him. Did you notice his scent? He’s human, but…”

“But demons aren’t the only ones the Initiative lab geeks are experimenting on – is that what you’re thinking?”

“Exactly.”

“You’re right. I picked something up myself, just didn’t stop to think about it. Once Red gets into their computer files, maybe she can find out what’s what. If Riley’s not quite a real boy, I’m thinking we need to know about it.”

Tbc…