Faith The Series

Faith: Season 1 Episode 3

Faith stared in disbelief at the clothes and then at him. "You have gotta be shittin' me!"

Giles sighed. This wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for. "Faith, it was my intention when I adopted you to give you as normal a life as possible." He ignored his adoptive daughter's unladylike snort. "And to perhaps give you some of the things you have not had in the past. Part of that is you integrating yourself as much as possible in school life."

Again Faith looked at the clothes on the bed. "You're out of your fucking tree," the Slayer retorted with the absolute certainty of the young. "No. Fucking. Way."

"Yes you are," Giles retorted firmly. "With your Slayer abilities you'll be excellent at it. Have a good time, make some more friends, after all Cordelia will be doing it won't she?"

"I fucking won't."

"Faith, your life to this point has not been good, correct?" The Slayer nodded unwillingly. "All I am attempting to do here is give you some of the childhood that you never had. I want you to have a life outside of Slaying and school. And doesn't every American girl want to be one?"

"They're Barbie dolls!"

The last of his temper snapped. "Just bloody go and try out! If you don't like it fine, but at least try!" Turning, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Faith looked down at the uniform on her bed, still unable to believe the evidence of her own eyes. "Me a cheerleader?" she shook her head.

* * *

"Wow!" Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Cordelia hurried up to her. "Try-outs today!"

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I know. I'm trying out too."

"Really?" her best friend's eyes widened. "With your athletic ability, you're a shoo-in! Just follow my lead. But remember Missy, I’m on that squad."

"Great."

"Fair Faith," she glared at a grinning Xander. "Pray tell. Are you not enthused with the idea of being a cheerleader?'

"I'd rather have nails hammered into my eyes," she spat.

"That's a no then?" Xander sighed. "All those short skirts and tight tops going to waste. Seems like a crime to me." Eyes narrowing she stepped towards the youth. He took a backwards step before producing something from his back pocket. "In that case you won't want your good luck gift?"

"What," Faith stared open-mouthed at the gold bracelet, noting the words 'Eternally Yours' etched on them. She looked up at the youth, nobody had ever bought her anything like that before. "Thanks Xan-."

She was interrupted by Cordelia grabbing her elbow. "Hurry up, we'll be late!"

"And wouldn't that be a disaster?" Faith muttered as she allowed the taller girl to pull her along. Her eyes narrowed as she realised the two boys were following. "What the hell are you two coming for?" she demanded.

"We're coming along -," Jesse began.

"To perv?" Faith queried.

"I was going to say offer moral support but," Jesse shrugged. "Why fight it? Yeah, to perv."

Oh great, Faith scowled, it was bad enough that she had to prance around like she'd been stung in the ass by a giant bee. Now her friends had to see her humiliation too. She was still grumbling when Cordelia opened the gym door and pulled her unwillingly inside. Her heart dropped when she saw in amongst the stretching and practicing girls there stood Willow and Jonathan talking to a pretty brown-haired girl. "A full house." Now all her friends would see her ritual humiliation. There had to be a way to get Giles back for this. She looked around in bewilderment. “I really feel like ‘The New Guy’ around here,” she muttered self-consciously.

"Uh, uh!" Willow was jumping down on the spot. "Xander! Jesse! It's Amy!"

"We know," Xander replied, his tone deadpan. "Got eyes. Didn't expect to see you trying out for cheerleading on account of the weig-," Xander's face reddened as his voice trailed off.

"The weight?" Amy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I know. My mom's kicked my loser dad to the kerb and I've been in training, no more cookies for me. Six hours a day, three before school, three after." Faith blinked, she only trained maybe three hours a day tops for Slaying. Amy's Ma sounded like a freaking Nazi.

"Oh hello Cordelia." Faith rolled her eyes, oh great Harmony was here, her misery was complete. "Still continuing your slide into Nersdville?"

"Hi Harm," Cordelia said, her voice filled with fake brightness. "Still saving for that lobotomy reversal? Oh no," her friend looked down at their tormenter's feet, "I see you spent the money on those revolting shoes."

Eyes flaring, Harmony opened her mouth to retort, now there was a mismatch - Cordelia vs. Harmony. Unfortunately for Faith, Harmony was saved from any further humiliation by the arrival of Joy, the lead cheerleader. "Anyone not trying out, please head for the bleachers. Amber," Joy glanced towards a hot-looking brunette. "You're up first."

Once the gym floor was clear, Amber began her routine. "Damn," Faith breathed, impressed despite herself. "She's good." The try-out began with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides were followed by a single spin. Maybe there was something to this cheerleading lark after all, maybe they weren't just show-ponies, 'cause if Cordy and the rest were like this they could really go.

"She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

Faith tore her eyes away from Amber to look at Amy. "They have cheerleading coaches?"

Before Amy could speak, Xander broke in. "She's really on fire."

Faith glanced up at the youth behind her and grinned. "Xander, Xander," she shook her head. "You buy me a bracelet and already you're looking at other girls. I ought to cut your balls off -."

"No," Xander pointed a shaking finger. "Actual flames!"

Faith turned back to see the potential cheerleader's hands ignite. Amber screamed, dropping the pom poms immediately. "Crap!" In a half-second Faith was on her feet, charging down the bleachers to snatch a school banner and leap on top of the shrieking cheerleader, knocking her to the ground before using the banner to put out the flames. "Chill babe," she held the still sobbing cheerleader in arms, uncomfortable in the role of comforter. What the fuck was happening?

* * *

"I ain't never seen shit like that before," Faith commented as she paced the library floor, try-outs being postponed for obvious reasons.

"Yes," Xander nodded sagely. "I have never seen anyone turned into a crusty critter before."

Faith shook her head. "You really got the market cornered in tasteless comments haven't you Xan?”

"I hope they put the try-outs back on tomorrow," Cordelia broke in, a worried expression on her face. "I feel like I'm in the groove right now."

"K," Faith stared at her best friend in disbelief. "I was wrong, that was even more inappropriate."

"Hey!" Jesse defended. "My girl's got goals."

Faith turned to her Watcher, leaving the others to bicker amongst themselves. "This is mystical, right?"

The librarian nodded, a scarily enthusiastic look on his face. "Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is rare and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes." The Englishman's expression brightened. "But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of fiends, devils and, and ghouls to engage."

By now the entire gang were staring at the middle-aged man in disbelief. "You need medical help," Faith stated. "You're nuts."

Giles pouted. "Well pardon me for finding the glass half-full."

Willow broke in. "Surely we have to find out what causes this. Is there a common denominator?"

"Rage normally," Giles replied. "We need more information on Amber specifically and human combustion in general."

"Red," the shy hacker turned to her. "You and Jonno do your computer hacking thing and get Amb's records up. The rest of us," Faith sighed. Suddenly the try-outs were looking a hell of a lot more attractive. "We research."

* * *

Faith groaned as she entered the gym the next morning. They'd spent almost the entire night revising but nothing, Amber was so normal it was frightening, no childhood trauma, history of psychotic illness, nothing. And the general research on human combustion hadn't been much help either, the best Giles could come up with was that Amber's anxiety about the tryouts and close proximity to the Hellmouth had combined to cause the toasting. Which sounded pretty damn thin to her. Even worse to her thinking it gave her no concrete reason to get the try-outs cancelled.

"Why do my hands sweat when I get nervous?"

"Uh?" while she'd been thinking about Amber's fists of fire, Amy had sneaked up beside her. "Be grateful they just sweat." She glared impatiently at Joy. God, she wished the head cheerleader would hurry up and get this damn thing over with.

"Five! Six. Seven. Eight!" Joy began chanting.

Immediately they started the group routine, Faith tonelessly repeating the words of the chant before moving into the cartwheel. Her eyes widened when Amy blew the cartwheel and fell into Cordelia bundling both girls to the ground. Leaping to her feet she hurried over. "You saw that wasn't my fault?" Cordelia exclaimed, looking at Joy. "She bumped into me."

Seeing her friend take a step towards Amy, Faith grabbed Cordy's elbow. "Chill C," she ordered in a firm whisper. "Just an accident. Not sabotage."

* * *

"Hey Ams."

The other potential cheerleader started at her greeting and looked away from the trophy cabinet to her. "Hi Faith!" the other girl beamed proudly at her before pointing at a trophy. "That's my mom! Her nickname was 'Catherine the Great'. She took that team and made them tri-county champions. Y'know, no one's ever done that before, or since. She and my dad were Homecoming King and Queen. They got married right after graduation."

Faith smiled sadly. Must be wicked cool to have a Ma you were proud of. "That's kinda romantic," she offered.

"Well, he was a big loser. Never made any money. Ran off with Miss Trailer Trash when I was twelve."

"Okay, that's less romantic," Faith commented.

Amy didn't appear to have heard her. "He left my mom with nothing. She put herself through cosmetology school. Bought me everything I ever wanted. And never once gained a single pound. I've got to do this for her!"

"Yeah," Faith opened her mouth to comment on Amy's mom pushing her too hard but realising she didn't have any frame of reference closed it again. "She sounds amazing."

"She was the best!" Amy looked almost panicked. "And I can't get my body to *move* like hers! I choked in there so bad!"

Faith opened her mouth to try to comfort the other girl but before she had chance Amy turned and ran towards the changing rooms. Faith took a step after the wanna-be cheerleader and then stopped. All that pressure. "Maybe, just maybe."

* * *

"Faith what you are offering is a suspect but no actual methodology."

"English?"

Giles sighed at his adopted daughter's confused expression. Faith had burst into his library shouting to all and sundry, alright the place had been empty but it might not have been - there might have been that rarest of creatures - a literary American, about how she knew who'd caused Amber’s hands to ignite. "Given what you've told me, it's possible that Amy is our perpetrator, but where is your evidence? Moreover how did she do it? Pyrotechnics? Science? Magic?"

"Damn it G!" Faith cursed. "I'm the muscle, you work it out."

He sighed again. "Stay close to Amy. Keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Five by five," his daughter nodded.

* * *


“The names are up, are you nervous?”

Faith grinned at the anxious looking girl beside her. “Sorry Ams, don’t do nervous. You Cordy?”

“No, I’m a shoo-in.”

“Hey girls,” Faith glanced over to see Xander behind them. “Cover me I’m going in.” Faith raised an eyebrow as Xander charged into the crowd around the notice board, grinning slightly at his pained yelps. What a wuss. Finally the boy fought his way out, rubbing his arm as he came out. “One of those girls hit me really hard! You should test for steroids. Okay, not only did Cordy make the team, but you, Miss Giles, are the first alternate, and Amy's number three.”

“No!” Amy let out a strangled gasp and sped away.

“Dumbass!” Cordy punched Xander in the arm as they both glared at the youth. “Alternates aren’t starters!”

“Ow!” Xander rubbed at his arm. “Say Cordy, do you pee standing up? ‘Cause after that punch I gotta ask.”

Shaking her head, Faith started after Amy and caught her up by the cafeteria. “X really suffers from foot in mouth uh?” she joked. “Look Ams, at least it’s over, uh? And maybe next year-.”

“It's just how many more hours a day can I practice?” Amy had a desperate look in her eyes. “Y'know, how much more can I do? This would never happen to my mother. Never.”

Faith felt her patience fray and her temper snap. Here Amy was pissing and moaning about not being able to dance around for a bunch of jackasses to leer at while there were kids all over the world without food, shelter, or even a parent who loved them. “Hey so you blew cheerleader try-outs,” she snapped. “Big fucking deal. Not the end of the end of the world.”

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA!” The intensity of the other girl’s scream made her take a step back and by the time she’d recovered Amy was just a speck in the distance.

* * *

Xander felt his palms begin to sweat as he saw Faith strut into school like she owned it. “If Jesse can get to first base with Cordy then I can do this,” he muttered.

His words sounded hollow even to himself. There was something about Faith that affected him like no other girl before her. It wasn’t the curves don’t quit body, the cupid-shaped lips that he longed to kiss, the so silky black hair, or even her husky voice that sent shivers through him.

It was her eyes.

He’d gladly drown in those chocolate brown eyes, but it was more than that. Sometimes, he’d be watching her and he’d see her carefully-constructed defences drop for a second and see the scared, lonely kid inside and he’d ache to sweep her into his arms and tell her how much he cared, how amazing he thought she was. That he’d be holding the best body outside of the Playboy Mansion wouldn’t hurt either. Taking a breath, he stepped towards the Slayer. “Faith, I was wondering if you’re, ugh, that is to -.”

“Is that even C’s locker?”

“What?” he looked over his shoulder to see Cordelia struggling with a locker thirty feet away. “No,” he knew that Jesse was meant to be meeting Cordelia by her locker by the science labs which were three corridors over. “Say Faith, I was going to -.”

The Slayer gave him a distracted look. “Xan, I’ll catch up with you later, k?” Without waiting for assent, the Slayer hurried off.

“Boom,” Xander muttered, his shoulders slumping. Crashed and burned.

* * *

“Saved me there C,” Faith muttered as she hurried after Cordelia. She liked Xan, he was funny, and wicked smart, not in the books, but good to talk to, but there was no way she was going to ruin the relationship by getting down to it with him. You didn’t fuck friends, they only left you hurt afterwards. Her brow furrowed as the cheerleader headed out of school grounds. “Yo C!”

Her best friend began to turn, but stumbled, her usual dancer’s balance deserting her, and fell into the road. “Shit!” Faith darted forward, grabbing the other girl by her shoulder and dragging her back onto the pavement, just in time to save her from an on-rushing lorry. “Damn it Cor, are you blind-,” Faith’s voice trailed off as she registered the brunette’s completely white eyes. “Okay, I withdraw the question.”


* * *

“How do we reverse this G?” Faith continued to pace the ground. Her best friend in a hospital bed, sedated due to hysterics. Not that doctors could do anything, she knew who was to blame. The bitch.

“Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them is, it's classic!” Giles looked positively buzzing.

“Hey Watcher Guy!” Jesse snapped. “This is my girl-friend you’re talking about!”

“Yes quite,” Giles looked crestfallen. Still fuming, Faith headed towards the library door. “Faith, where are you going?”

“To beat Amy into a coma,” she snapped. Nobody hurt her friends, nobody.

“And what if it isn’t her?”

Faith stopped. “She’s the only one freaking out about being on the squad!”

“Uh,” Willow broke in, her voice tentative. “That’s not true, I heard two other girls complaining in gym about some of the choices, especially you.”

Faith’s eyes widened. “ME?” she was beyond outraged and into pissed off territory. “I’m a wicked dan-.”

“So there are other suspects,” Giles interrupted. “Although I would agree the pressure from her mother makes Amy the prime candidate.”

“So how do we find out for sure?” broke in Jesse, his eyes anxious.

“Yes,” her Watcher beamed. Faith groaned, she knew that look, it was his ‘I’ve had a jolly spiffing idea look’. Sometimes they worked, other times they caused even more trouble than there was before. “Ever since Faith mentioned her suspicions I’ve been researching. And I’ve found a spell that identifies witches!”

“Yeah?” Faith smirked. “Tell me more.”

* * *

“Those of you in track one may begin your dissections... now.” Dr. Gregory gestured to them to start cutting. “Those of you in track two take your hydrochloric acid and your ammonium hydroxide and carefully pour them into your beakers.”

“I can't do it,” Xander hissed.

Shaking her head Willow grabbed the frog and took it out in one smooth motion. “Wimp,” she whispered before dropping the eye into the beaker.

“I’m worried about Faith,” Xander defended.

“Can’t take your eyes off her ass more like,” Willow shot back.

As they bickered Xander saw Faith get up from her place beside Jesse and walk over to Amy, dropping a pencil on the ground. Instantly the Slayer crouched down and picked up the pencil but also pulled some hair off a brush peeking out of the top of Amy’s bag. A smile on her face, Faith stood, nodded at Amy and sauntered over to them, dropping the hair onto the their desk. Willow took the hair and dropped it into the brew Giles had given them the recipe for. After a few seconds the mixture was ready and Willow poured it into a test tube. Faith reached for the test tube but Xander got there first. “I’ll do it.”

“Damn it Xan-,” Faith hissed.

“It would be too coincidental if you did it after what you just did, besides,” Xander grinned goofily. “Klutz right? If I do it, it’ll be more realistic.”

After a second Faith nodded. “Makes sense, only be careful.”

Xander grinned as he stood, Faith was worried about him. Definite grounds for future eternal bliss. “Sure.”

“Harmony,” Dr. Gregory had walked over to one of the tables at the front. “What can you tell me about your experiment results?”

Heart racing, Xander approached Amy. Taking a breath he looked over to Jonathan. “Playstation night at yours Jonno?” he said in a probably too loud voice before deliberately stumbling over his feet and throwing the mixture onto Amy’s arm. “Ow!” he shouted as he hit the floor, his heart dropping as the potion turned blue on impact and then disappeared.

“Harmony?” Dr. Gregory repeated. “Are you... Oh, my God!”

Xander turned towards Harmony. “Oh my god,” he croaked. The blonde was shaking her head wildly, her mouth somehow sealed shut. He glanced towards Amy, the witch was shaking, a look of horror on her face.

* * *

“I don’t get it,” Faith declared as she paced the floor. “The spell worked, Amy’s the witch, so why was she so freaked by what happened to Harmony?”

“Maybe there’s two witches. A bad one who hates cheerleaders on principle, ‘cause let’s face it anyone who hates cheerleaders has got to be evil, and a good one who just hates Harmony,” Jesse declared. Everyone turned towards the youth. “Oh come on, tell me you’re not all relieved that Harmony can’t talk anymore!”

“Leaving aside the relative merits of Mr. McNally’s argument,” Giles broke in. Much as he was loathe to admit it, the boy had a point, anyone who could silence Miss. Kendall wasn’t all bad. “Perhaps we should consider the possibility of Amy’s magical use being caused by stress.”

Faith stopped and looked at her. “You’re saying that Amy’s Ma has got her so freaked that she doesn’t know she’s doing it?”

“Exactly.”

“Then after cheerleading practice,” Faith grimaced. “We go and see her.”

* * *

“Wowee! Cheerleading practice!”

Xander was puzzled, while watching Faith bounce up and down on the spot was doing interesting things to his libido, it was very odd to see Faith acting so – giddy. “Are you okay Faith?”

“Okay!” Faith treated him to a smile so dazzling he thought he might be blinded. “I’m wicked.” In a second she’d pushed between him and Jesse, and linked arms with them. “Let’s go buds,” she cried. “Practice awaits!”

“Um, okay Faith,” Xander exchanged a puzzled look with Jesse. Something was definitely wrong.

“Hi guys,” Willow greeted them as they climbed up onto the bleachers. “Is something wrong -, oh crap!”

Xander blinked. Willow never swore. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Joy hit the floor in a heap, apparently thrown there by a dazed looking Faith. He glanced across at Jesse. Thank god he was still there, he’d never be able to restrain Faith on his own. “Let’s get her out of here before she kills someone.”

* * *

Faith giggled as she looked at the stunned cheerleader. “I’m sorry, it’s part of being a Slay-.”

“Singer!” Xander interrupted her, his hand over her mouth. Which was rude. “Build up the diaphragm and all kinds of muscles!”

”Get her out of here!” Joy screeched. “She’s off the squad!”

Faith’s eyes hardened. It was an accident, she hadn’t meant it. She started forward only for her muscles to fail to respond. Panic set in when she realised her body was like a lump of powerless jelly. She looked up at Xander and saw he’d felt it too. In an instant he had her in his arms, which kinda felt nice, and was carrying her to the library.

* * *

“We've gotta get her to a hospital!”

Giles glanced at a panicked Willow. “They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. Hits the body hard like a, a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system.”

“A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Faith?” Xander put in. “She knows that Faith knows she’s a witch!”

Giles nodded. “The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um...”

“Kill?” Faith put in. “How much time do I have?”

Giles swallowed. “Couple of hours... Three at most.”

“But we can stop this right?” Xander asked.

Giles stood. “If we get out hands on Amy’s spell book we can reverse all the spells.”

“All the spells?” Jesse had a sick look on his face. “Even Harmony’s?”

“Focus Jess,” Xander glared at the other youth.

* * *

After ordering Jesse and Willow to go back and keep an eye on Amy at the practice, and leaving Xander to look after Faith, Giles hurried out to his car, a tight knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat making it difficult for him to breathe. “Oh god Faith,” he whispered. Until this moment he hadn’t realised how much she meant to him, how sometimes they’d have a moment where she’d start to let her defences down, let him in before wariness would cause her to withdraw. Nobody was hurting her.

In minutes he was at the Madison household, Willow having hacked the address off the school computer, breaking every speed limit in the process. Not bothering to knock, he simply shouldered the door open and strode in to see a fortyish but still attractive woman sat on the couch. “Mrs. Madiso-,” his voice trailed off as he registered something. The school books on the table before the woman, the cookies, Willow had mentioned Amy had a fondness for cookies. “Good lord,” this must be what it felt like to be hit by a lightning bolt, “you’re Amy aren’t you?”

“W..what are you talking about?” the woman stuttered. “G..get out of my house right now!”

“She stole your body,” suddenly the pieces of the jigsaw fell into space. “No wonder she was always talking about how great her mother was. She is her mother!” Giles looked at the woman. “We can get your body back but I need her spell things.” The possessed teenager stared at him. “Now!”

Minutes later they were back at the school. Xander rose as they entered the library. “Why did you bring her here?” he demanded, an angry gleam in his eyes.

Giles had to hide a smile, Faith had largely dismissed the boy as well-meaning but ineffectual but there was mettle there, it was merely a matter of shaping it. “She’s Amy,” seeing the boy’s mouth open, he shook his head and scooped up Faith into his arms, marvelling at her lightness. How could someone so tiny have the world’s fate resting on her shoulders? “No time. Go back to the others, I’ll have to do a spell. When Amy senses it, I want you to delay her, understand?”

“Yes,” the boy nodded and hurried out.

Once the youth had left, he carried his Slayer through to a near-by lab, uncomfortably aware of how shallow her breathing had become, Catherine following close behind. “Come on my girl,” he pleaded softly. “Hold on. I know you’re a fighter.” After placing his charge on one of the desks, he quickly began arranging spell ingredients.

* * *

“What’s going on?” Willow queried, her voice anxious.

“Well apparently, Catherine’s Amy and Amy’s Catherine. My opinion, G-Man’s watched too many re-runs of Vice-Versa,” Xander joked to ease the pounding of his heart. It didn’t work. “We’re meant to watch her in case something happens.”

“Something like that?” Jesse commented as Amy stumbled, glared up at them and charged from the hall.

“Something like that!” he confirmed before jumping back to his feet. “Let’s get her.”

They made the corridor just seconds from the hall. “Catherine! Wait!” Amy spun around to face him and Willow. “What do you know, G-Man was right,” Xander kept his tone soft, determined not to allow his rage and fear show. “How about you give up?”

“Never!” Suddenly he and Willow were flying into the far wall. Even through his dazed eyes, he saw Jesse rise up behind the witch, fire extinguisher in hand. And fall flat on his face when the sorceress turned and made a fist, causing Jesse’s eyes to roll back and dim. “Pathetic!”

* * *

Giles turned from his chanting when the door flew open and a fire axe-wielding Amy strode in. Swallowing slightly, he continued with his spell, placing himself between the enraged girl and his charge. “This has to end Catherine!”

Amy lifted the axe only for her and her mother to be consumed by two flashes of white light. The girl staggered and looked around, an expression of confusion on her face as she lowered her weapon. “What happened?”

“Interferers!” Suddenly a great force hit Giles in the chest, sending him cart-wheeling into the far wall Catherine laughed before turning to face Amy. “You! You little brat!”

Amy’s voice trembled as she raised her axe. “Mom! Please!”

Catherine held out her hand and the axe flew over to her. “How dare you raise your hand to your mother! I gave you birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? You've never been anything but trouble. I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again!

Giles smirked as his Slayer jumped up. “Bring it on, bitch!” Catherine started to turn to face the Bostonian only to catch a clubbing right to the jaw. The punch lifted the witch off her feet and flung onto a table that collapsed under the impact.

In an instance the sorceress was up, her eyes gleaming black. “Move!”

Suddenly Faith was flying through the air to crash down beside him. Immediately she was up and striding towards the witch. “That all you got?”

“I shall look upon my enemy!“ The instance the witch raised a finger, Giles was moving. “I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul!” His weight caught Faith in the side, knocking the Slayer to the side and into the pole holding up the mirror above them. “Corsheth, take her!” The spell leapt from Catherine's hands – only to be reflected back by the descending mirror, the spell enveloping the screeching witch before disappearing in a roar, taking her with it.

“Guys!” a battered Xander stumbled in, followed by Willow and Jesse. “Are you okay?”


* * *

"I'm five by five guys," Faith nodded at her friends as she pushed a still dazed Amy towards them. "Can you give me a minute?"

"Sure Faith." Xander smiled at her before following the others out.

She turned back to the room's other occupant. "You saved me."

Her Watcher looked up from packing his mojo stuff and turned towards her, an embarrassed look on his face. "You are my Slayer."

"Yeah, but you risked your life to save me." Faith swallowed, more scared than she could ever remember. Taking a rattling breath, she looked up into the Englishman's eyes. "Y...you really care about me don't ya?" Seeing the librarian's mouth open, she hurried on before she lost the courage to finish what she'd been about to say. "About me, Faith?" God, he had to.

The middle-aged man smiled fondly. 'Faith, at times you infuriate me more than I've ever imagined possible. But at others, you make me so proud to be part of your life. So, yes, I ca-." Before her Watcher could finish she was pressed against him, her head resting on his chest as the tears poured out, all the pain coming out in wracking sobs as a lifetime's defences crumbled. After a second her Watcher's arms enveloped her. "There, there, Faith," he muttered, his voice soft in her ear, his hot breath against her face strangely comforting. "Let it all out."