Sequel to Forgotten Conscience, Faith attempts to deal with the consequences of the events after the battle with Omega. But how well will she do? And what will her friends do to help her? Ranked #5 in Buffy.
I take a deep breath and go up to my house, going inside.
I'll figure it out, eventually.
I walk in and hear the TV going in the living room. I look over and Faith is sitting on the couch, eating chips and staring at the screen.
She just looks like she's mindlessly staring, and kinda angry.
I think I better play this delicately.
I go in and stand a few feet from the entrance, trying not to crowd her.
She knows I'm here, she knows I know she knows I'm here. I know she knows I know she knows I'm here... and yet, she all but refuses to turn her attention from the TV. I guess I better make the first move.
"Hey..."
She barely reacts.
"Hey..."
I just look at her.
I guess I hadn't really planned beyond the greeting.
She actually turns her head to look at me for a split second.
"What?"
"Nothing..."
She looks at me for another second.
"Okay..."
All right that was a total lie. But at least she's talking to me, which is good, especially since I'm not entirely sure why she's angry with me.
"I was at the Mansfield Cemetery earlier. Thought you said you'd be there?"
Oh that's smart. I'll make things better by making accusations.
"I was."
"Not when I got there you weren't."
How much of my foot do I actually wanna put in my mouth?
"Yeah well, got tired... decided I'd come home and pack on a few pounds."
"I bet I can help you work them off."
Now, I'm hitting on her. Where exactly am I trying to go?
"I bet you could, so what?"
This is going to be a lot worse than I hoped.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like..."
She turns off the TV and comes this way, never looking at me.
"I'm going to bed."
That was a little colder than I expected.
I stop her from passing me.
"Faith..."
"What?"
"What's going on?"
She just looks at me. The phone starts ringing and someone picks it up.
"Whatever's got you mad, we can talk about it."
She looks at me finally.
"Can we?"
"Yes we can. Just tell me, I promise I won't get mad. No matter what it is, I'll do whatever it takes to make it right."
She rolls her eyes at me.
"You wanna make things right?"
I put my hands on her shoulders.
"Yes..."
"You wanna know what's going on?"
"Yes..."
I really, really do.
"Why don't you tell me?"
Wait what?
"What?"
"If you wanna know what's wrong, you have to tell me."
"Faith I..."
"Whatever is going on, I'm not a part of it. I'm out of the loop on this one. There's something wrong, something bigger than this demon chick that kicked your ass..."
"She didn't kick my..."
"If you wanna make things right... start there."
Start where? Dawn?
When I don't say anything, she moves past me. I grab her arm to turn her back to me.
"Faith please, I'm sorry..."
"Don't pretend you're sorry B."
"I am sorry baby."
Again she rolls her eyes at me, letting out an angry sigh with it.
"Does it make it easier? Thinking of me like a child?"
"Faith no, that's not..."
"Treating me like a kid that needs to be protected?"
"Faith I never..."
"Something's going on and either you're trying to protect me, which I so don't need, or you're scared of what I'm gonna do cause it somehow involves Dawn."
"What?"
"I'm not stupid B."
"I never said you were..."
"The first words out of your mouth to me after getting your ass kicked were 'where's Dawn'. And when we passed by her room, you just HAD to go in and tell her you loved her. She was sleeping B. You couldn't wait till tomorrow? Especially in the condition you were in? Come on B, something going on. What is it?"
I'm just... in shock. I wanna say something but the words get stuck between my head and my mouth. I wanted to make things better and in doing so she just unloaded everything my way. I wanna say I'm sorry, but that never really works out with Faith.
"I don't know what to say."
"Well why don't you start and end with what's really going on?"
My mom comes in, phone in hand with a serious look on her face.
"Faith I..."
"Girls..."
Faith's gaze never leaves me as I look at Mom.
"What is it Mom?"
"It's Willow. I think something's wrong?"
Faith finally averts her gaze from me to Mom as she hands the phone to me. I put the phone to my ear.
"Willow?"
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