Through it all

Faith sat at the large table in the library, pouring over several texts looking for any additional clues on how to find B.

The gang was all asleep and Ilsa was laid out across the table tossing some obscure statue up and down in boredom…Faith didn’t doubt that if Giles saw Ilsa playing with whatever that statue was he would have a conniption.

Faith sighed and tried to focus on the scrawled Latin, as the Life Chosen she did have several advantages that set her apart from being human let alone slayer…unfortunately none of her abilities seemed to come in handy at the moment. All she could seem to find were references to the bracelets but nothing that could help her.

Jumping in shock when she suddenly felt the slayer sense go off she looked up to see Noah standing by the doors watching her closely.

“What’re you doin?” Noah asked quietly, tiredly rubbing her eyes. Faith couldn’t help but smile at the way it made her look even more like Buffy. Noah even seemed to have adopted B’s love of cartoon pajamas.

“Research…your moms not dead.” Faith said, even though it was probably best she didn’t just say that she couldn’t help but tell the kid.

“How do you know that?” Noah asked, stepping closer to Faith and looking over her shoulder at the books. “You can read Latin?” she said surprised.

“Yes I can read Latin…I’m not as dumb as most of these jokers seem to think.”Faith snapped…hoping that would offset the kid from asking HOW she knew B wasn’t dead.

“Oh…so how do you know?”

Faith rolled her eyes and looked over to where Ilsa was still tossing the statue up and down but now she could see that the demon was listening intently.

“Cause…I saw something that said the bracelets wouldn’t stay on if the others dead.”

“Okay…so any ideas on how to find her?” Noah asked, excitement growing more and more evident in her voice.

“That’s what I’m looking for kid.” Faith muttered, peering at Noah out of the corner of her eye. There was something unnerving about the girl. It couldn’t just be that she was B’s kid…there had to be more than that. “So tell me bout your dad.”

Noah instantly stiffened and sat up straighter in her seat. Faith raised an eyebrow and quickly ran down the list of possible candidates. The only one that seemed to make any sense would be Xander, even though that was totally ridiculous the coloring would be right.

Faith studied Noah; she had Buffy’s coloring for the most part, her nose, lips and her smile. But the girls hair was a dark shade of blonde…almost brown, wavy at that, with dark chocolate colored eyes and she seemed taller than B.

“I don’t have a dad.” Noah said softly, refusing to meet Faiths eyes.

“Well…yeah ya do. But whatever…if the guys that much of a douche.”

“Hes not a douche…mom never told him.”

“That hardly seems fair of B…is it soldier boy?”

“Uncle Riley? No it’s not him…what’s the sudden interest anyway?” Noah snapped before glaring over at Faith in a way that was entirely too unnerving.

“Just making conversation.” Faith said calmly, looking up sharply when Ilsa snorted. “You got something to say tall dark and scaly?” Faith said smirking at the child demon.

“No Nona…Ilsa’s just waitins to sees how longs it takes Nona to grows eyeballs.” Ilsa said smiling before sticking her tongue out at Faith and rolling into a crouch to study the pair more closely.

“You’re a weird one Ilsa.” Faith muttered, smiling when Noah chuckled. The kid was entirely too serious. “Say Noah…what do you do for fun?”

“Umm…lately not much. Used to go to the sports bar with some friends from school but everything’s been so hectic here with mom that I haven’t.”

“Well…get dressed…were going to go tie one on.” Faith said, it had been awhile since she had had some fun, being the incarnate for good could get really boring after awhile.

“I don’t know…I mean don’t we need to find mom?” Noah asked anxiously.


“Yeah and we will…couple hours of fun wont hurt…besides your moms not dead…id say that’s reason to celebrate.” Faith watched Noah mull over this before she finally nodded and smiled. God the kid looked too much like B.

“Yeah…why not. Meet you by the door in twenty?” Noah said, excitement danced across her features and Faith smiled, happy that she had decided to come to Missouri.

**************************

“No Nona…like this…see?” Tomas said patiently extending Buffy’s arm and unfolding her fist. “It is easy…I promise.”

Buffy groaned in frustration, confused and upset over how out of touch she was with her own body. They had been hiding in this cave for almost two days, from what Tomas had told her she was a vampire…or what the original vampires had been. She was immune to sunlight even though it did sting, her fangs…they receded into her gums and she didn’t seem to have the same aversion to holy objects…and if EVERYTHING the demon boy said was true…she had some nifty new powers.

“It’s not easy Tomas…if it was I would have done it by now…maybe I can’t do it.” Buffy said, exasperated.

“No you can Dark one…yous have all the same powers as King Mursas. Just stare at the rock and imagine it all blowed up.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and stared at the rock he had placed in the center of the cave, feeling a strange pulsing move down her arm she jumped in surprise when a blue orb of power shot from her hand and blew the stone to pieces.

Smiling when Tomas jumped up and down and whooped in excitement she picked out another stone and repeated the process.

Shocked when the entire wall of the cave blew away and Tomas tackled her to the ground. Bright sunlight poured in through the new opening, Tomas extended his wings around Buffy to keep her safely tucked into the dark.

“Yous not ascend yet Nona…suns still hurts you.”Tomas whispered as he carefully guided Buffy into the shadows.

“Okay…” Buffy stuttered out, sickened and dismayed over just how helpless she felt.

“Give it time Nona…yous be okay.” Tomas said. “I takes you to sees Nona Faith tomorrow.” He added perkily, Buffy whipped around and stared up at the demon.

“WHAT?!?”

****************************

Faith stared across the bar as Noah made her way back, carrying fresh beers. “This place isn’t half bad.” Faith said when Noah reclaimed her seat.

“Yeah it’s pretty cool.” Noah admitted, smiling as she handed Faith her beer. Taking a swig of her own she turned to study her fellow patrons.

“So you seeing anyone?” Faith asked, curious for some reason. She had no interest aside from friendship, her wild youth had at least worn off enough that she didn’t feel the need to screw everything on two legs.

“No…I was for awhile. She went back to her ex though.” Noah shrugged indifferently but Faith could see traces of hurt.

“Did peg ya for a lesbian kiddo…how’d your mom take it?”

“Well seeing as how she had plenty of girlfriends…she took it fine.” Noah quipped, intently studying Faiths face, pleased when she saw her jaw tick in anger.

“B…where’s this girlfriend of hers?”

“She isn’t anymore…think it was more an H&H factor ya know?”

“Right…H&H…”Faith took a long swallow of her beer and struggled not to slam it back onto the bar. She didn’t have any right to be pissed.

“They never meant anything to her Faith…you going to tell me you’ve been celibate the last couple decades?”

“How the hell are you so ok with your mom having sex?” Faith snapped, desperate to get the subject changed.

“Eww…I’m not okay with it I just know it happens…eww that was a gross image.” Noah took a dramatic pull of her own beer and smiled sweetly at Faith.

Laughing Faith clapped Noah on the shoulder and leaned back into the chair.

TBC
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