Turning the page on the book in front of me, I look it over for some sign of something that would help. Faith sits beside me at the dojo's main table, flipping through books about spells and mind control.
I'd rather be focused on something else.
My eyes drift up to the table next to us where my sister and Willow are sitting with a couple other slayers with their heads in books.
Something like what they're focused on. Willow and Buffy are focused on who might be doing this, instead of what they used like me and Faith and the girls sitting at our table. Apparently the running theory with just about everyone is that whatever's happening to Faith is somehow the demon's fault. That the demon somehow infected Faith, either on purpose or because whoever was controlling the demon did something to it, so they're working on figuring out whatever might've done it.
For a second I glance down at the book in front of me to make it look like I'm actually looking through the book I've been breezing through for the past 20 minutes or so.
Course, I have a different theory. Not that I shared it with everyone else.
Eventually, I look up in the direction of the other set of girls researching anything else that might want to hurt a slayer, staring at one in particular.
Candy...
Before the bitch with one good arm can catch me, I look down at my book again and flip the page.
This would be the perfect thing for her to do. She wasn't exactly happy about the me rejecting her thing. If she wanted to get back at me, and at Faith, doing something to Faith would be the best thing to do. Candy got hurt... and she wants to hurt me back by hurting what I love the most. It's what I would do.
I just don't know what would happen if I went over there and accused her of doing what I know she did. What if she already planned for that? What if she knows that she's the first person I'd accuse of doing something like this and already knows how she's gonna make it seem like it's not her? And...
She combs some of her hair back behind her ear and I look up at her for a second, before looking over at Faith.
What if she started talking about... other things?
With a deep breath, I tear my eyes away from Faith to pretend to look over the open page of my book.
I don't want Faith to hear about what I did while she was in that coma. None of that matters anymore. It's over. Faith and I are in a really good place right now, and I don't want anything to get in the way of that. If I'm right, Candy's already trying to get in the way of us, and if she gets a chance to get in the way of us even more, she might just take it. I don't want that to happen.
There has to be a way we can break whatever spell Candy put Faith under. I can't let her get away with doing this to the woman I love. We'll figure out what she did and we'll stop it, or reverse it, or whatever we have to do to make it right. Candy won't get away with trying to break up me and Faith just so she can sweep in and get in my pants. I'd never let that happen. She took advantage of me once, it won't ever happen again. I won't let her get close enough to touch me, let alone anything else.
I sit back in my chair, away from the table, letting out a deep sigh.
I don't care if she is a slayer, I'll knock her the hell out if she tries to touch me.
Buffy gets overly concerned over nothing.
"You okay Dawnie?"
Does me sighing really have to be something she's concerned about?
"Yeah, I'm fine, just, frustrated a bit. I'm not finding anything."
My sister closes the book in her hand and leans against her table a bit.
"Me neither. I'm not sure we're getting anywhere. Maybe we should take a break?"
I could use one.
Candy and the other girls close their books or set them down on the tables in front of them. The bitch tries to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong.
"You know, I don't think I realized just how many demons and other things out there are going to hate me for being a slayer."
Right because your GREAT personality is gonna win over so many non-evil people.
Buffy shrugs.
"Part of the price you have to pay for being a slayer, unfortunately. Don't worry though, it gets easier the longer you do it, right Faith?"
A bunch of us look in Faith's direction when she doesn't say anything right away, only to see that she's sitting back from the table a bit. Her elbows are on her knees and she's leaning forward, looking down at the floor. She looks all tensed up.
Is she all right?
"Faith?"
She waves us off like it's no big deal.
"It's all right. I'm all right."
She doesn't look completely all right.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just... give me a minute."
The rest of the girls at this table and a few at Buffy's table get up, wondering what's going on like I am, but I stay where I am sitting right next to Faith. Willow gets a bit concerned.
"What's going on Faith? Is something happening again?"
There's a bit of anger in Faith's voice when she responds.
"Just, give me a minute okay?"
Something must be wrong.
"Faith, it's okay. You can fight it."
I'm about to reach out to Faith but Buffy's voice stops me.
"Dawn, maybe you should just back up a little bit."
There's no way I'm going even an inch away from Faith when she needs me.
"Lay off her B, it's all right."
Buffy comes over to where Faith is sitting and Willow follows, a couple slayers getting out of the way so Buffy and Willow can be on either side of Faith. My sister crouches down between me and Faith. Eventually, Faith sits back on her chair, letting out a deep breath.
"Besides, I think it's gone... whatever it was."
Good... that's good.
Again I try to reach out to Faith but Buffy grabs my wrist firmly for a second.
What the hell?
"Are you sure?"
Faith takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh at the end.
"Yeah, I'm all right B."
The grip on my wrist is released and Buffy stands back a bit. I move right up next to Faith.
"Faith, baby, are you all right?"
She opens her eyes after a second and smiles at me.
"I'm all right DK. Nothing happened."
My girlfriend leans forward and puts her arms around me, which I gladly return.
"Uh, not to contradict you or anything Faith, but it kinda seemed like something did happen."
God I'd really like to punch her.
Faith does the next best thing though.
"Shut up Candy. I'll be all right."
Willow decides to butt in now and so does my sister.
"Candy has a point Faith."
"Yes she does, what happened, Faith? Was it what happened before?"
Faith shakes her head.
"I... I don't know. It felt different this time."
She pauses.
"All these feelings just sorta popped into my head, all of the sudden, out of nowhere. But they weren't the same kind of feelings that made me do what I did before."
They weren't?
Buffy asks the question before I can.
"What kind of feelings were they?"
There's a pause for a second while Faith thinks about it.
"I'm not sure exactly. They all kinda hit me at the same time so it's a little jumbled but... I think there was fear in there? Maybe panic and a bit of anger, I don't know."
Fear and panic? Why would she be feeling fear and panic?
My sister says what I know I was going to say anyway.
"That doesn't make any sense."
Everyone but Faith looks at my sister, who's looking at Willow.
"Why would a demon or whatever's doing this to Faith want to send her those kinds of feelings?"
Willow shrugs.
"I dunno, maybe to throw her off? Break her confidence maybe?"
Why would anything want to hurt Faith that way? I know she's a slayer, but they could do it to any slayer. There are, like, a couple thousand of them now. Why does it have to be Faith?
The woman I love shakes her head and decides to jump in.
"No, I don't think so."
Buffy and her best friend look at Faith.
"Why? Is there something else about these flashes? Another feeling or something?"
Faith doesn't say anything right away while she thinks about it.
"Not sure, exactly... but the way these feelings are coming at me, it feels kinda random. Like... whoever is doing this, maybe doesn't even know they're doing it."
Seeing the look on my sister's face that what Faith said makes, I know she doesn't like that idea one bit.
"You sure?"
My girlfriend shrugs.
"I'd have to feel it again to know, but that's how it feels."
That's weird. Why would someone do this by accident?
"So we're looking for someone who cast a spell accidentally?"
Both me and Buffy look at Willow right away, it isn't long before she picks up on what we're thinking.
"Hey, come on, I haven't cast a spell accidentally since that thing with Amy a couple years back. And that was her, not me... technically."
I guess she's right, we would've heard if something like that had happened in Cleveland, and we haven't.
"Besides, I definitely wasn't feeling any fear or panic or anything like that a couple seconds ago when this just happened. She's definitely not channeling me. Not to mention, why would I want Faith to feel what I'm feeling? It wasn't that long ago that I didn't even like Faith."
That makes Faith let out a bit of an annoyed chuckle.
"Gee, thanks Red..."
"I'm just saying, I don't think I'm the obvious choice for the whole 'accidental spell' scenario."
Maybe not...
It's then that Candy decides to pipe in again.
"Great, so that narrows it down to just about everyone who's cast a spell... ever."
I'm about to say something to Candy, but Faith beats me to it.
"Yeah, thanks Candy. I don't think we could've figured that out on our own."
Candy isn't exactly happy to hear what Faith said.
Good...
"Hey, you're lucky I'm even trying to help you at all after what you did to me."
She's such a bitch.
"Shut up Candy, no one asked for your help."
Willow jumps in at the worst time.
"Uh, actually, I did..."
Great...
I look at Willow angrily.
"I thought since she was there when the first incident happened, we might figure something out if it triggers something."
You know, the more time I spend with Willow lately, the less I like her.
Candy gets this self-righteous smirk on her face like she somehow won something. My sister decides to step in and end things.
"Look, the important thing is that we figure out who did this to Faith and why, accident or no accident. But I don't think we should do it today."
What?
"Why not?"
Buffy looks back at me sympathetically while Faith and I look at her.
"We've been at this for most of the day. I think most of us are burnt out on research. It's almost sunset and I'm sure a lot of the girls want to get out there and slay. Let's recharge and regroup tomorrow. Look at it from a fresh perspective then."
I guess that's a good idea. But I don't like the idea of Faith just having to live with this for another day or two.
Faith turns to me for a second before looking at everyone.
"That's probably a good idea. I think as long as I don't have any more anger fits because of whatever is happening, I should be okay... I think."
My sister and I look at each other and I think for once we have the same feeling about Faith. She's got a concerned look on her face, and I feel about the same. Reaching out to my girlfriend, I put my hand over hers.
"Don't worry baby, I'll stay with you. It won't happen when I'm around."
Buffy is about to step in but Willow stops her by grabbing her shoulder.
"Uh..."
"Thanks DK... I know I'll be okay when I'm with you."
Then she stands up and turns to Buffy and Willow.
"So what do you say? Back here at 8 tomorrow?"
There's still a look of concern on Buffy's face when she stares at Faith silently for a second.
"Yeah, that works."
She turns to the group to implement Faith's suggestion.
"For those of you without school tomorrow, be back here tomorrow at 8 in the morning. The rest of you come here after school and we'll pick up where we left off."
All of the other slayers in the room start to pack up and leave, including Candy.
Thank god, good riddance.
With everyone leaving, I stand up next to Faith and she puts her arm around my shoulders. We start to move away from Buffy and her redheaded best friend.
"Okay, so I guess we'll see ya again tomorrow eh B?"
The look on my sister's face totally gives away the fact that she wants to say something but is holding it back.
"Uh, sure..."
Faith and I make it around the table and start heading for the door.
"All right, see ya..."
"Yeah, bye sis..."
After that, we leave the dojo together with the rest of the slayers.