Mind Stealer

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings just the plot and the wonderful antics they get up to. No infringement intended.


Author- Heart, yup yup I'm back baby!!
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The night was cold and dark as clouds covered the moon. As the rain fell Buffy shivered while Faith complained about the rain making her hair stick to her face. They had seen little action throughout the evening spanning across three cemeteries. “You think they got an early night or something? This patrol has been a complete bust and now my hair is ruined, fantastic. Didn’t even get to slay anything.” Faith spun a stake in her hand to occupy herself.

Further up ahead they heard a low rumble. “Thunder? Great first rain and now a storm.” Buffy shrugged. The two carried on searching for any signs of activity, Faith’s if it moves stake it mentality was discarded after she spooked two foxes and staked a falling leaf. They heard the noise again as they continued, but this time it was louder. “Faith that is definitely not thunder,”

Instantly they both threw themselves into a defensive stance with stakes at the ready, a blur jumped from the trees knocking Buffy to the floor. Faith quickly pulled her up as they scanned the area for what on Earth was trying to attack them. “Alright, so it’s not thunder. What the hell is it?” Faith turned, in front of her gravestones crumbled as something came stampeding towards them.

“We’re about to find out, B get out of the way!” Faith pushed Buffy to the side but wasn’t quick enough to get out of harms way. Before she could even move a foot the demon was upon her forcing its head closer to hers. Clamping her hands around its neck she tried to force it off of her. It looked like a cross between an alligator and a large cat. Its head had all the characteristics of a reptile but its legs were much larger than an average croc, but it still had the massive tail.

Buffy scrambled off of the floor and ran towards the struggle. “Hang on Faith!” she ran with all she had at the demon on top of Faith, she could see the fear in the brunettes eyes. It was winning and there was nothing she could do about it. As Buffy leapt to kick at the monster it glowed brightly before dissipating into the larger slayers screaming mouth. Buffy flew over her before landing, setting herself right she ran to Faith’s side.

On the floor Faith was choking and grasping at her throat, “Faith, shit, Faith!” She fell at her side trying to help her breathe. Buffy heard the rumble again, a small circle of light had appeared on Faith’s stomach her eyes were glued to the spot. She could still hear Faith gasping for air. From the circle a beacon of light erupted from the spot throwing Buffy back, the light shone so brightly for a matter of seconds before disappearing. As the light went out Faith shot up breathing hard and fast.

“Oh my God! Faith, are you alright, what the hell was that?” Buffy stayed at her side trying to calm the other girl’s erratic breathing. Faith turned to look at Buffy and her face filled with fear and panic, she clambered across the floor trying to get away from her. As she reached a tree she used it to get to her feet, she clung to it for support as she buried her face in the bark. Buffy stood slowly, “Faith? What’s wrong? What’s happened to you?” She took a step forward, Faith saw her. She was shaking and quietly whimpering against the tree, as Buffy took another step towards her she tried to run. She took a step and fell at the next tree.

“What’s going on Faith? What did that demon do to you?” Buffy walked towards her, Faith tried to get further away but her legs just wouldn’t work, she fell to the floor crying out as she hit the hard path. She crawled back to a headstone and curled up by it, she was crying now, tears fell town her face smothered by the still falling rain. As Buffy got closer she could see the girl shaking and crying. Making a decision she scooped Faith up off the floor. The larger girl screamed out and tried to kick out against her, before long she had lost all of her energy and settled for crying into the shorter girls shoulder as she was carried out of the cemetery.

Giles sat in his living room supping on tea while he read one of his numerous tomes, soft music played quietly in the background. A harsh bang on his door caused him to furrow his eyebrows, it was late and the weather out there wasn’t too forgiving this evening. Placing down his book he sat and listened intently, another boom on the door was enough to convince him to at least take a look at who could be insane enough to be out there. Looking through the peep hole he could just make out Buffy’s face in the gloom. He opened the door with a rather tweaked expression.

“Buffy as much as I do appreciate these little visits it is incredibly late and dear god what happened to her?” Giles peered down to see Faith on the floor clinging to Buffy’s leg; she looked up at him before hiding her face in the blonde’s leg. Her grip tightened around Buffy’s thigh.

“I was hoping you could tell me, do you mind?” Giles quickly opened the door ushering them inside, Buffy crouched and bundled the brunette into her arms once more. “So, any ideas what could make her act like this?” She carefully placed her down on the couch, Faith brought her knees to her chest whimpering quietly and still shaking.

Giles quickly bound up the stairs and promptly returned with a blanket, taking it from him as he sat Buffy wrapped the blanket around the whimpering mass of Faith. She sat next to her and pulled her into her, Faith tried feebly to resist, letting fatigue take hold she snuggled into the blanket and Buffy. Making soft shushing noises she managed to at least stop Faiths whimpers and shakes, slowly the brunette began to fall asleep against her. “Sorry Giles, I had no idea where else to go.”

The older man was sat in his chair watching intently trying to find some clue of that had transpired that evening. “Well you have caught me slightly off guard, but I suppose here is the best place for her if we are going to try and help her. What exactly happened on your patrol tonight? I presume you were attacked by something surely, things like this don’t just happen without extreme trauma.”

“Couldn’t tell you what it was, but this thing came at us and pinned Faith to the floor. It kinda looked like a huge crocodile, but not. Its legs were much bigger and it was much faster than a normal one. Faith was trying to fight it off of her but as I went to attack it, it just disappeared. It looked like it went into her; after she couldn’t breathe she was on the floor choking. I tried to help her and then this huge beam of light came from her and then nothing. And now she’s like this, when she looked at me she all I saw was this scared little girl.”

“Well it’s something that definitely needs looking up, but right now it is rather late. You’re both welcome to stay here rather than fight through the gale outside. In the morning we can look at this with renewed energy and hopefully get a better look at Faith.” Buffy smiled back her gratitude, “I’ll go and fetch some more blankets for you.”

Sighing out she rose from the couch to prepare the fold out bed, she still couldn’t fathom just what on Earth had happened tonight. That thing almost chewed her head off, but it just disappeared. What did it do to her? Looking over to the other sofa Faith was still curled up and fast asleep. She looked like a small child, clutching to herself for comfort and safety. In silence Giles returned with blankets and sundries for the two. Not a word was shared as he retired to his own bed.

Buffy lifted Faith trying so hard not to wake her, she couldn’t risk another outburst as before. She murmured and stirred, but she didn’t wake, the older girl let out a baited breath as she laid her down on the mattress and covered her with a blanket. She left the brunette sleeping as she sat at the window sill. The rain was still coming down, few cars drove past so in the dark room all she could hear was the rain beating against the window and the occasional noise from Faith. This was really getting to her and under her skin already. When Faith looked at her she had only seen that kind of fear in her once and that was back when Kakistos tried to make her mince meat.

What had she done to cause such a reaction? The demon was long gone, there was nothing there. A noise shook her from her inner discussion, Faith was waking up. She was slowing tossing from one side to another, her cries were getting louder. Buffy rushed to her, pulling her into her arms she tried to halt the younger girl’s movements and stifle her cries.

“It’s ok Faith, it’s ok.” Cradling her in one arm she stroked her hair with the other, “It’s just a storm outside. And we’re staying the night with Giles. He’s going to help us Faith, help us find out what’s happened to you.” Softly rocking the frightened girl her cries died to barely a whimper. Her movements had stopped, she allowed herself to be taken by the other. The calming motions quickly lulled her into sleep again

As morning came around Buffy was exhausted, she had barely slept all night while she watched Faith. Giles gently roused her with a welcome cup of coffee. “My God Buffy you look like hell,”

“Gee thanks Giles,” She sipped on the steaming mug. “I hardly slept, Faith kept waking up through the night. She still has her slayer strength; I couldn’t risk her breaking something or running away. In the cemetery on patrol, she dented a tree because she was holding it that hard.”

Giles sat in his arm chair, Faith still wasn’t awake. “Well while we work out what happened and how to fix it we are going to have to find a way to either suppress her strength or just find somewhere where she won’t do any damage to herself or anyone else.”

Gently stroking her hair Buffy thought through the options, “Well I really don’t think she’d be too partial to a cage Oz style. But, I actually hate myself for even proposing this, but what was it you injected me with years ago for the council’s sick tirade?”

“It was a sedative that temporarily suppressed your strength, it’s an idea. We can’t keep watching her just to make sure she doesn’t break something. Or someone. I have enough upstairs to last a week. Are you sure that you want to do this Buffy?”

“We really don’t have many other options; I guess it’s our best shot. At least until we find a way to reverse the effects.” Giles nodded in agreement. As he finished his tea he padded up the stairs to retrieve the sedatives.

Faith was stirring on the couch, Buffy resigned herself to the fact that she couldn’t sleep all day and would eventually wake up. Before the sleeping slayer fully woke up Buffy had pulled her onto her lap. Cradling her in her arms she looked down at her, maybe this morning she would get some answers. Tired eyes flickered open and stared up at her. Her heart sunk as Faith squirmed a little and still tried to get away from her.

Tightening her grip she looked down, “What’s happened to you Faith? Why do you keep trying to run away? What are you scared of?” Faith just grunted and whined while she tried to get out of the grip. Giles came down the stairs watching intently at Faith’s reactions.

“She’s awake then, has she said anything?”

“No, but she definitely knows something’s up, she keeps trying to get away. You wanna jab her with that thing anytime soon? She’s ever so slightly bigger than me and its beginning to hurt!” Quickly Giles made his way across the room to the struggling girl.

“Getting it into her arm is going to be difficult; can’t you hold her down any more?” Faith had seen the needle in her tantrum, her flailing grew stronger and more violent.

“One moment Giles, sorry Faith, I know you’re not going to thank me for this one,” Buffy scooped up the writhing girl and flipped her over onto the couch, quickly she sat on her back, “Syringe? Thank you.” Giles handed it to her, even he had to wince as Buffy jabbed the needle through Faith’s jeans into one of her butt cheeks. The girl underneath screamed out but remained underneath Buffy.

“How long does this stuff take?”

Giles was smiling behind his hand, “About twenty minutes. So breakfast?” Buffy smiled up at him. She patted the butt below her, “Sorry Faithy, but it had to be done.” Faith was still crying from the jab. It reminded Buffy of when Dawn had her jabs done as a child.

When Faith had calmed down Buffy got up off of her and helped her sit up. Giles soon brought her a plate of toast and a glass of orange juice. Taking the plate appreciatively Buffy sat back while Giles collected some of his personal books. Faith had pulled her knees to her chest and sat at the end of the sofa in silence. Giles watched her as the brunette stared at the plate in Buffy’s hands. “I believe Buffy that Faith is hungry.” The blonde turned to see the pained look on Faith’s face; she had a knuckle to her mouth while she watched her eat.

Buffy just smiled, “Are you hungry Faith?” Faith’s face contorted, she couldn’t understand what Buffy was saying to her. “Would you like some toast?” Buffy put her plate down on the coffee table; she moved to sit facing Faith before she picked it up again. Taking a slice from the plate she tore it in two, she offered a slice to the balled up brunette. A shaking hand carefully took it from her; Buffy intently looked in her eyes as she brought her piece to her mouth and took a bite. Faith copied her and soon eagerly chomped down the toast. Buffy shared her breakfast with her until it was soon finished.

“Giles, it’s like looking at a three year old, Faith doesn’t know what I’m saying, she isn’t speaking. And she can barely walk. What has happened to her?”

“I’m not too sure Buffy, but I think I have a pretty good idea. Why don’t you go and freshen up while I call around. Hopefully we can have this cracked soon.” Buffy wearily smiled and walked up the stairs. Faith took one look at Giles and scampered up the stairs following Buffy.

Giles couldn’t hide his amusement. True he didn’t know what had happened, and it did hold some serious issues, but Faith’s actions just made him smile.


TBC