Faith The Series

FIC: Faith: The Series: Season 1 Ep 5

“Tut, tut,” Faith smiled as she and her adversary circled one another, the vampire’s eyes glowing in the dark. “Why can’t I meet any non-dentally challenged boys?” She shrugged. “Ah well,” she sidestepped a lunge, grabbed the vampire’s wrist and flipped him onto his back. “Gotta work with what ya get.” Spinning ‘round she drove her stake at her enemy’s heart only for the demon to roll out of the way and leap to his face. Undaunted, she shook her head. “Damn, ain’t that just like a man – difficult?”

Again the vampire charged her, he was definitely getting zero marks out of ten for originality. This time Faith didn’t try to dodge, meeting the vampire with a leaping backfist that snapped her rival’s head back. Taking advantage of the vampire’s dazed condition, she moved into a leg-sweep taking the vampire down onto the ground. “Hell,” Faith leapt on top of the vampire. “We haven’t been introduced and you already want me on top. Ah well,” she smiled. “I can work with that. Stake,” she shoved her stake into the demon’s heart, “meet blood-sucking creature of the night.” The vampire exploded into dust. “What? No second date? I’m crushed.” She shook her head sadly. “They never call.”

“Faith,” G walked out from behind the crypt he’d been sheltering behind. “I do wish you focus more on the Slaying and less on the punning.”

Faith shrugged. ”Helps pass the time, keeps things from getting boring.”

“Boring?” her Watcher let out a strangled gasp. “You were struggling for your life.” Faith shrugged. Her philosophy was the last couple of months had been pretty good, hell ever since G had adopted her even though she hadn’t realised it then. If she died now at least it would be doing something worthwhile – not from being beaten to death by an angry boytoy, in a hot-riding crash, or from an overdose in a crack den or some shit. Anything else was a trade-up. “Wait a moment,” Faith watched curiously as the Englishman crouched down produced a pen and picked up a ring with it before straightening. “What do we have here now?”

“Nice,” she peered at the ring. “Now if we were back in Boston, I could line up maybe three fences who would give us a good price for that. What?” she protested at Giles’ trademark exasperated look. “Just saying.”

After a second her Watcher shook his head. “This could be something.”

Faith picked up on the librarian’s troubled tone. “Something big?”

“Perhaps I better consult my books.” There was an eagerness in her Watcher’s eyes that made her groan, him and books – wicked weird.

* * *

Darla winced at the sound of her sire slamming a hefty leather-bound volume down on his reading stand and inwardly groaned at the icy look in his eyes. It was when he was deathly cold like this, and not when he was in one of his flaming rages, that her sire was at his most deadly. “'And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into Hell.' As it is written, so shall it be.” The eight hundred year vampire picked up the book and started to pace. “Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny.'” The Master stopped by one of the nervously fidgeting vampires before him. “As it is written, so shall it be. 'And one of the brethren shall go out hunting the night before and get himself killed, because he couldn't wait to finish his job before he ate.' Oh, wait.” Even though the Master wasn’t looking directly at her, Darla felt her spine crumble at the intensity in her sire’s eyes. Suddenly his hand lunged out to pick up the unfortunate minion by the throat. “That’s not written anywhere.” His hand slammed into the struggling demon’s chest, there was a sucking sound and then he pulled his hand out holding the vampire’s heart. A half-second later and his victim exploded into dust. “The Anointed will be my greatest weapon against the Slayer! If you fail to bring him to me, if you allow that girl to stop you...”

Quelling her own terror, Darla stepped forward. “I’ll bring him to you Master,” she declared boldly, foregoing the downcast stare of the others, she looked her sire in the eye. She was the oldest childe, she had the right.

“Ah sweet Darla,” she managed not to shudder when the eight hundred year old demon ran a dry finger up her face. “My favourite creation. But,” she forced herself to stay still when he grabbed her around the throat. If she resisted he would kill her for sure. “You have disappointed me twice before. Once, by siring that Irish whelp, and second, by failing to bring me the head of that Slayer bitch as you promised. A third time, and it would go better for you if you never returned. Am I understood?” She nodded. “Good. But succeed, and when I rise you will sit on my right hand side.” Again Darla nodded. She was playing for the highest stakes of all.

* * *

“The symbol,” Giles peered at the ring through his magnifying glass. “I believe it’s a druidic fertility rune. But I don’t recognise the sect.”

“Fertile vamps, ‘cause that’s all we need.”

Giles ignored Faith’s comment as particularly unhelpful. ”What’s this?” he peered inside the ring. “A sun and three stars. Haven't we seen that somewhere?”

Faith shrugged. “You’re book guy, I’m kick-ass girl.”

“Oh of-course, the Order of Aurelius,” he muttered.

“Great G,” Faith said, her tone conveying her complete disinterest. “I got class. Gotta jet.”

“Fine.” He waved his charge away, engrossed in the enigma of the ring. “Don’t forget practice.”

* * *

Faith chuckled as she strutted out of the library. Put a puzzle in front of G and she could walk around the library bare-ass naked and the dude wouldn’t even notice. “Hi sexy.”

She turned to see herself being regarded by a six foot tall, ripcord lean figure slouched against the wall, a cocksure grin on his lean face. Faith smirked at the greasy-haired biker. All edge, just how she liked them. “Hi,” she swayed her way over to the man. “You a senior?”

The student shrugged. “Repeating, failed last year.” Faith nodded, very cool. “Wouldn’t be but my social worker says I have to finish school otherwise…”

“Bummer.”

“Seen you around,” the older teen leered at her. “Hard to believe a cool babe like you can have the librarian as your pa.”

“Adopted out of juvie hall,” Faith ignored the insult to her Watcher.

“Ah,” the biker nodded in understanding. “I’m Luis Cruz, they call me ‘Snake’ on account of how fast I am.”

”Faith.”

“Hi Faith,” the man shot her a grin. “Say there’s a party going down at The Vault on Friday, wanna come?”

Faith grinned. She’d heard of The Vault, a real wild place, the sort of place she’d spent the year before G had adopted her partying in. “Love to,” time to visit her roots.

“Great,” the youth smirked at her as if the decision had never been in any doubt. “See ya later. K?”

“Later,” Faith agreed.

The moment the youth sauntered off, Cordy walked around the corner. “Faith,” she hissed. “You can’t date him,” her best bud had a disapproving look on her. “Faith’s he’s been suspended twice, last time he threatened a tutor!”

Faith felt her good mood evaporate. “You know C, I ain’t never been good at being told what to do!” Fuming, she turned and stormed off.

* * *

“You ever find anything interesting in those books G-Man?”

Giles shot Xander a scathing look. “No Xander, I tend to stay away from the ones with naked engravings, unlike someone I could mention,” Her Watcher smirked at Xander’s reddening before turning to her, his expression growing serious. “According to my research, a disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled.”

“That vampire Order you were talking about earlier?” Faith guessed.

“Yes,” Giles nodded. “I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself, and he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed.”

“Who's that?” Willow put in.

“Well, I don't know exactly, but it says he will rise from the ashes of the Five on the evening of the thousandth day after the Advent of Septus.”

“We’re after some guy called septic?”

Giles shot Jesse an irritated look. “According to my calculations that’s on Thursday.”

“Then we’ll stop it,” Faith smirked, ignoring Cordy’s worried look. Leaving her free to party on Friday.

* * *

“You owe me Snake!”

“Hey man,” Cruz’s heart pounded at the look in his gang leader’s face. “Just wait to you see the girl I’m bringing on Friday, she’s hot!”

“She better me, otherwise I’ll be breaking bones.” His leader shoved him to the floor. “Get me?”

“I get,” he nodded obediently. If Faith wouldn’t come across there was always drugs, but she had to pay off his debt for him.

* * *

Giles sighed as he looked around the empty graveyard. It would appear he’d been wrong. “It would appear that my calculations were incorrect.”

Faith shrugged. “No prob,” the brunette grinned at him. “Got me out of chem homework. Say, does this mean I can go to a sleepover at Red’s tomorrow night? I need to catch up on some homework.”

“Yes I’m sure plenty of work will be undertaken,” he said sarcastically. “In-between talk of boys, make-up, pop music, and whatever other ungodly subjects you rot your brain with.” He sighed at his daughter’s expectant face. It wasn’t like she got much time off. “Very well.”

Faith beamed at him. “Thanks G.”

* * *
“That day's gonna bring fire.” John Crenshaw, bus driver for fourteen years, looked up warily at the heavily tattooed figure striding the bus aisle, screaming his tirade “Fire comin' down! Judgment! Don't think you're ready, ready to look upon him. If
there's sin in there, there's sin all around. It's a liquid. On that day there won't be anybody tellin' us what to do or why we're doin' it. You can't prepare. On that day...”

Gathering his courage, John shouted to the muscle-man. “Hey, you gotta sit down. Okay?”

Instead the weirdo moved to the front of the bus. “Are you willing to stand with the righteous?”

Distracted by the nutcase’s rantings, he doesn’t see the man until too late, slamming into him. The bus swerved wildly, ran through a sign and hit a pole before halting.
“Damn it!” John has strength to glare at the idiot who caused all this before turning to the other passengers. “Is everyone okay?”

Satisfied that nobody was seriously injured, he hurried out to check on the man he’d hit. Not that there was much hope, the bus must have flattened him. He hurried over and knelt by the man. “Are you all right?” Suddenly the man’s hand shot up, grabbing him around the throat and choking him. The last thing he heard was a southern belle’s soft lilt. “Kill them! Kill them all!”

* * *

“Faith, this is a mistake, you shouldn’t go with him.”

“I think the universe is about to end on account of me agreeing with Cordelia,” Willow broke in. “But this is wrong. Lying to Giles. Using me as a cover. But most of all dating Luis Cruz, he’s a major sleaze. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”

Faith rolled her eyes. “Gee, you two are like mother hens. No demons to slay tonight. I go out to a party, if he tries anything – super-powered right? Just chill.”

She turned to leave only to find Xander blocking the Rosenberg front door. “You can’t go until we know where you’re going.”

She raised an eyebrow. She was getting wicked sick of X’s stalker fetish. “How do you plan to stop me tough guy?” she challenged. “You don’t get to tell me who I date, get that?”

“I get that,” Xander didn’t flinch. “What if there’s an emergency? Giles turns up here needing you for stuff?”

Faith grimaced, he had a point. “Fine, I’m at The Vault. But if it’s anything less than world-ending, I’ll end yours!”

* * *


Giles smirked in delight as the sound of Cream’s ‘I Feel Free’ filled his lounge. He adored Faith but one night free of her ‘Skid Row’ and ‘Motley Crue’ rubbish was heaven. His eye caught the local paper. “'Five Die in Van Accident'?” Giles groaned as a sickening realisation hit. “Oh good lord.” Out of the ashes of five shall rise the one. He’d better get to Willow’s as soon as possible. This was not good.


* * *

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Giles glared at the squirming youths. Even Cordelia, who he’d never seen anything other than utterly confident looked guilty. “This is important.”

“She went to a party!” Willow blurted out before blushing and turning to the others. “Sorry, he broke me with the librarian stare of doom.”

“Where?”

”The Vault,” Cordelia replied after a disgusted look at the red-head.

”Sounds positively delightful,” he sniffed. “Do you know where it is?” He grunted as the kids told him, the opposite end of town, he didn’t have time. “You go and get her, I’ll go on to the Funeral Home and hold the fort.”

“You want us to go to-,” Willow’s squeak died down at his glare. “Yes Giles.”

Xander shook his head. “Jesse, Jonathan, you go with the girls, I’ll go with G-Man.”

Giles was about to argue, then realising he’d need back-up nodded. “Very well. Well?” he snarled. “What are you bloody waiting for!”

* * *

“See Joey,” Luis glanced towards Faith gyrating wildly on the packed dance floor. “Don’t I always come through in a pinch? Is she hot or what, I mean the way she moves man, you know she knows how to drive a guy wild.”

“Oh yeah she’s the bomb,” Joey agreed. “She doesn’t come across though and I’ll break you.”

“Hey boss, relax. Couple of pills and she’ll be swinging from the chandeliers.”

His boss stared at him. “We don’t have chandeliers.”

“It’s a saying Joey.”

* * *

“We’re here,” the Watcher declared as they pulled up outside the Sunnydale Funeral Home.
“Oh Giles,” Xander tittered in a girlishly high voice. “You take me to the nicest places.”

“Oh do bloody belt up!” Xander flinched slightly, expecting the violence that always followed one of his father’s sudden outbursts. Instead the Englishman sighed. “I’m sorry Xander,” the school librarian apologised. “It’s just Faith’s behaviour has disappointed me. I thought she’d calmed down enough to stop so irresponsibly. “Shall we go in?” Xander nodded mutely, still shaken by the older man’s explosive temper.

The moment they stepped out of the car two vampires stepped out of the darkness to surround them. In an instant, he and the Englishman had their crosses out, although Xander noted to his chagrin that the Watcher’s hand shook rather less than his. Taking advantage of the vampires’ distress, they rushed inside. “This isn’t good is it?” he commented.

“No it isn’t,” a faint note of fear had entered the Watcher’s eyes. “One can only hope Faith gets here before too long.”

Xander looked around. “The morgue, this way! God I feel just like Quincy!”

“Splendid idea,” Giles smiled tightly at him. Once inside, they slammed the door shut and pulled a filing cabinet, table, and couch in front of it. “That should hold them. For now.”

* * *

“Look,” Cordelia was getting sick of repeating herself to the dumb ox on the door of the club. “Do I look like the sort of girl that frequents a dingy pit like this?” her nose wrinkled in disgust. From the smells wafting out of the place, there were more drugs than in her mother’s bedside cabinet. “All we want is to get our friend.”

The ape leered at her and Willow. “Babes like you two are welcome,” the bouncer glanced towards Jesse and Jonathan. “But the geeks can fuck off.”

“Where they go, we -,” Jesse’s words turned to a croak when the bouncer slammed a right into his gut, sending her boyfriend to his knees.

“Hey!” Jonathan leapt towards the doorman only to be grabbed around the throat.

“So girls, are you coming in or what?”

“How about you let him go and I forget to rip your arm off?”

* * *

Faith glanced towards the door. C, and the others minus X were there. Fuck, had the boy scout decided he should patrol on his own and got hurt? Cursing, she started towards the door only to be grabbed around the shoulder. “Hey Faithie,” she glanced into Snake’s leering face. “Where ya going?”
“Some friends are here,” she explained. “I just wanna see everything’s five by five.”

“But I have some friends who wanna meet you.”

Faith’s skin prickled at some indefinable thing she saw in the Latino’s eyes. Oh, it was like that was it? “Sorry bud, not interested.”

She tried to move away only for the prick to increase his grip on her shoulder. “Maybe I wasn’t asking.”

“Oh you just had,” her hand snapped up to grab the offending arm at the wrist, “to bring it out,” she twisted hard enough to sprain the wrist before yanking the arm hard enough to dislocate the shoulder, “into the open didn’t you?” Dropping the screaming man to the rapidly emptying dance floor, she strode out of the club, the look in her eyes backing off all club-goers. “See you, like never.”

“How about you let him go and I forget to rip your arm off?” The bouncer started to turn to face her. “Ah screw it.” She slammed a fist into the bouncer’s jaw, knocking him out. “I haven’t the time.” She turned to Cordelia. “What’s the 411?” her heart sank as her friend explained. Oh no, what had she done? “You got wheels?” Cordy nodded. “Let’s motor.”

* * *

Faith leapt out of the still slowing car and raced into the funeral home. Oh god, he had to be alright. She couldn’t have just caused the death of the only person to ever care about her. “G! G!” she tried several rooms in quick succession only to find them empty. Finally she reached the last door and tried to open, only to find the door blocked. Now she was fighting back tears of dread. He couldn’t be dead. She pushed against the door again. Still nothing. “Let me in!” she screamed in frustration, her shoulder smashing into the door, splintering the wood and tearing the door off its hinges.

Pushing the furniture staked behind the door aside, she strode in and looked around. Nothing. But the shit behind the door, unless… She looked up at the windows, maybe the vamps had got in through them. She spun around at the sound of two of the body storage drawer doors flying open and the sight of Giles and Xander rolling out on slabs. “Oh you’ve come. Eventually.”

“Yeah.” Only her Watcher’s disapproving look, the presence of Xander, and her own self-image prevented her from flinging herself into his arms. “G, I’m -.”

She was interrupted by the others rushing through the door behind her. “You’re alright!” exclaimed Willow.

“Yes Miss Rosenberg,” Giles shot her another scorching glance before turning to the others. “I haven’t been able to ascertain whether the brethren found what they were looking for. So I would suggest we split into two groups and search for it-.”

”I’ll go with you,” Faith interrupted. No way she was letting G out of her sight again.

”I rather think our experience would be best served with us splitting up,” Giles replied coolly. Faith nodded reluctantly. He couldn’t even bear to be in the same room as her. “Faith, Xander, and Willow in one group. I’ll,” her Watcher sighed long-sufferingly, “take Cordelia and the others.”

* * *

“Nothing in here Faith?”

“No,” she shook her head listlessly. “Nothing.”

“Hey, Giles is just angry. He’ll be cool in a couple of -.”

”Think I’m worried about some Limey!” she snapped, her anger making Xander back off. She didn’t do feelings, they made you weak, gave you openings for them to hurt you.

“My mistake.”

“Oh guys!”

Faith shot an irritated glance over her shoulder at a pale-faced Willow. “Oh crap.” A tattooed muscleman had just jumped off the viewing table “I guess we found him.”

“I have been chosen!” the newly-risen vamp roared.

”To be vamp-dust?” Faith pulled out a stake. This she could do. “Always a pleasure to oblige.”

“She’s known for being obliging.” She shot Xander a glare. “That didn’t come out how I -,” her glare intensified. “Shutting up now.”

“Smart move.” Faith cocked her head at the advancing vampire. Way he babbled reminded her of the priest at her detention hall. “We gonna get this done?”

Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into action, her lead foot smashing into the giant’s jaw, staggering him back a step. Before he had chance to right himself, she sent her stake plunging to his heart.

Only for the demon to grab her wrist just inches from her target. “Damn!” she thrust a knee at the vampire’s groin but he blocked her attack on his thigh. Next she ducked his right to her head before trying with headbutt to his chest. This time her attack was successful, staggering the demon. She moved immediately into a spin kick that the demon caught before flinging her into the far wall. Dazed, she could only watch as Xander tried and failed to get in the way of the rampaging vampire who contemptuously brushed him aside. Seeing that Willow had pulled open the furnace door behind the vampire she decided to take a chance, leaping to her feet, she darted into a dropkick to his knees, staggering the demon. Before the vampire had chance to steady himself she feinted with a spin kick to the face. As soon as the monster’s hands moved to block her attack, she changed to a thrust kick to the chest that lifted her opponent off his feet and into the furnace. Instantly the screaming vampire sat up and started to climb out, but an ashen faced Willow slammed the door shut on his shrieks.

“Yes!”

Her elation was short-lived. “Well done,” she turned to face a grim-faced Giles. “Now I think it’s time we went home to discuss tonight.”

Faith’s shoulders slumped. “Yes G.”

* * *

“Faith, what are you doing?”

“Getting my shit together,” the girl didn’t look up from her packing. “If you give me the key to the library I’ll sleep there. You won’t have to see me ‘cept for patrol and training. I’ll stay out of your way.”

Good lord, Giles blinked. The poor child thought he was going to throw her out. Stepping forward, he placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Faith, look at me,” he demanded firmly. After a second the young woman’s head slowly turned to face him. His heart cracked at the desolation he saw in her eyes. “Faith, this is your home. I’m not going to throw you out.”

Confusion entered the Slayer’s liquid brown eyes. “B..but I nearly got you fucking killed!”

“Yes,” he nodded before guiding the Slayer to her bedside chair and sitting her down. “You made an awful mistake and extra chores will be handed out. But I’m not going to chuck you onto the streets because of it.”

“Really?” Now hopeful disbelief replaced the hurt and confusion in his young charge’s eyes.

“Really,” he confirmed. “Although I would like to know what possessed you to act in such an irresponsible manner?” the ashamed brunette looked down at her feet. “Faith?” he put a firm note in his voice. “I’m waiting.”

“I don’t deserve all this,” the Slayer whispered.

“I beg your pardon?” now Giles was really confused.

After a second Faith looked up. “The great home, you, having all these wicked powers, and the good friends. Guys like Cruz are my level.”

“Now listen here,” Giles only just managed to keep his voice steady. If Faith’s mother ever had the dire misfortune of crossing his path, well he’d never hit a woman, but he’d gladly snap that damn bitch’s neck without a second thought. “You are a fine young woman who deserves all this and more than I could ever give you.” Including a long life, he added silently. “Do I make myself clear?” His charge nodded silently. “Good girl. Now, I’d help you to unpack. Except,” he shuddered, “there is no power on earth that could compel me to touch your frillies.” His remark gained him the hoped for laugh. “Now, are we,” he sent up a silent apology to Webster’s dictionary, “five by five?”

Faith grinned. “We’re cool G,” his Slayer’s grin widened. “We got him uh?”

“We got him,” he confirmed with a smile.

* * *


“I’ve got him.”

The Master looked up at his oldest surviving childe’s musical voice and smiled. “And in this time will come the Anointed. And the Slayer will not know him. She will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell.” Placing the ancient tome back on his stand, he crouched down beside the child the blonde beauty had led in. “Welcome, my friend. And what is your name?”

“Colin.”