Chapter Twelve
Faith knew she should be exhausted, but she wasn't feeling the slightest bit tired. Her adrenaline was surging, it pretty much had been since she'd first discovered Buffy and Angel missing. She'd been all over the city, from one side to the other, and now she was finally closing in...She could feel it.
She could also feel how scared she was and she couldn't do anything about it. She was scared for Buffy, how badly was she hurt? She was scared for Angel, how was he going to live with the things Angelus had done? She was scared for herself too, scared that she wouldn't be able to help the two people she loved most in the world get out of the dangerous situation they were now in.
The second to last house on the list loomed in front of her, and suddenly Faith knew this was it: she'd found them. All of her senses were on high alert, and the hairs on her neck were standing.
"Hold on guys, I'm coming."
She stood far back in the shadows and dialed the Scoobies. Willow answered, her voice anxious and hopeful:
"Hello?"
"Me, Red. I got it. Second to last on the list, the one at Pine and Gavin. Where you at?"
"We're about an hour away, I think."
Xander's voice came in clear:
"More like ninety minutes, Will."
"Shit. I don't wanna wait."
Willow didn't know what to say, and Giles asked for the phone.
"Faith, how certain are you?"
"No proof, but I know. Not gonna wait an hour and a half, G-Man, I can't."
"Hold the line a moment, please."
Faith could hear him talking to Xander:
"What's the absolute minimum time you can get us there?"
"If I put the pedal all the way down, we could be there in something like an hour."
"Faith, can you wait a half hour? That would mean we would be there within thirty minutes after you entered."
Faith looked torn:
"A half hour? Fuck, I don't know. Can try."
"I understand your eagerness, but please Faith, wait for us. We'll be there well before the deadline, and I don't believe he'll kill her before then. Strength in numbers, yes?"
"Yeah, but it's B, Giles. No promises, but I'll try."
"Understood. And Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"He will use her pain to throw you off balance. Try and ignore Buffy as much as you possibly can. Don't think of anything except capturing and restraining Angelus, and don't believe a word that comes from his mouth."
"Got it. Just hurry, okay?"
"We shall. Stay strong, Faith."
Then she was on her own, trying to wait.
She made it to twenty-three minutes, a lot longer than anyone would have guessed. She checked her weapons, took a deep breath, and made her approach.
The house was dark, but the front door stood ajar. She knew what that meant: Angelus knew she was coming. She never hesitated, sliding in with a crouch and a roll and feeling the breeze of something sailing far above her head. She popped to her feet next to a wall, and stood still, her eyes sweeping the darkness for any sign of movement.
There was nothing, the only sound was her own muffled breathing. She edged slowly from the wall, heading toward a door that had a thin shaft of light glowing under it. She knew it was a trap of some kind, but she also sensed that Buffy was inside, and there was no power in the world great enough to stop her from entering the room.
She flung the door open, then rolled quickly to the side. Again that same noise as Angel's standard wooden crossbow bolts flew past her about head high. Faith waited, then peered carefully around the corner of the door frame. The light beamed down directly on Buffy and at first Faith thought she was unconscious, but as she stepped through the doorway, Buffy's head lifted.
She looked like hell. She was naked, her face and body showing a myriad of burns and bruises, and one of her eyes was swollen shut. Her right arm appeared to be broken and her left shoulder was clearly dislocated. Her breathing was loud and labored because Angelus had chained her up in the most excruciating way possible.
Her arms were stretched out straight behind her back, and then lifted up towards the ceiling. It would have been a painful position for anyone, but with her specific injuries, Buffy was suffering more than Faith could bear. She started to rush forward, but Buffy stopped her:
"No...don't m...m...move."
Faith stopped, her knife at the ready.
"Why?"
"Look...down."
There was a trip wire a couple of steps ahead of Faith, almost invisible, and connected to a loaded crossbow. It wouldn't have delivered a killing blow, but it would have put her out of commission quite effectively.
She sliced the line with her knife and started for Buffy again, stopping when she heard the strangled cry of pain.
"Ah, ah, ah Faithy, I'd hate to rip her arms off."
She froze in place as Angelus stepped into the light as well. His hands pulled Buffy's arms up just slightly higher, and she yelled out again.
"Buff's not exactly feeling her best, are you, lover?"
"Why don't ya let her go and deal with me?"
"Oh, I am dealing with you. In fact, I'd say I'm dealing with you quite well. So, I see the Brainiacs finally managed to decipher my clues."
"Yeah, question is: why do ya want me here?"
He smiled big then:
"Well see, I want to end the world. It's a big ambition of mine, and I found a ritual that will make my dream come true. There's only one catch though, I need the Slayer to make it happen."
"Great, but you already got her. Why'd ya need me?"
He gently ran a hand along Buffy's face, his eyes never leaving Faith's as he relished the pain and anger he saw in them.
"Brace yourself. As hard as it is to believe, for once you're actually needed. You see, even though you're just a poor substitute, technically you're the real Slayer. Buffy, well she's just the first and the best, but it's you who carries the bloodline, and it's your blood I need."
"So why not just take me at the start?"
"You might carry the bloodline, but Buff here, well she carries the energy. It's complicated, but let's just say I need you both to make it work."
Faith moved to the side trying to get the angle, but Angel merely moved with her.
"So how's this big ritual work?"
"Buffy's already started it in motion, we've been working really hard to get things just right over the last few hours. All we need now is your blood, and then I guess you could say I'll be bringing Hell up a few levels."
Buffy shifted slowly as much as she could, trying to give Faith a clear shot, but Angelus yanked her back into place.
"Wow, Buff's a real pain in the ass, isn't she? Even when she's beaten, scared, and in almost unbearable torment..."
He pulled up hard and something popped, making Buffy wail out loud despite all of her efforts to remain silent. She knew he was trying to goad Faith and she didn't want to help him, but it hurt too much for her to stay quiet.
"...she always tries to play the hero. Sorry lover, didn't mean to dislocate that one too. She's just so full of good intentions, sacrifice and duty...but what about you, Faithy? Even though you play at being the good girl now, isn't the real you still in there just burning to come out and have some fun?"
Faith didn't answer, her eyes searching the room for any more traps, her mind struggling to control her emotions.
"Know what I realized today? Despite all of our time together, I never got to fuck you. You're probably way better at it than Buffy, she doesn't seem to have learned a thing over the years. I mean, you'd think Spike would have taught her how to please a man, but no such luck."
His arms were now wrapped around Buffy, one hand fondling her breast, the other one stroking between her legs.
"Mmm...but you, Faithy...Well I'll bet you know just what to do, don't you, baby?"
She could feel the anger surging at the sight of Buffy hurting and having to be touched so intimately, and she took a step forward, not caring about anything except... But then Giles' words came back to her, and she forced herself to regain her self-control.
"Yeah, I'm hot in the sack for sure, but only B gets to sample the goods now. Sorry."
He squeezed Buffy's breast hard until she cried out.
"Gee, she didn't mention anything about you guys being exclusive when I was fucking her. I guess she was too busy coming to make small talk."
Buffy's voice was faint, but Faith heard it clearly:
"L...Liar."
"Aw c'mon, Buff, you should tell her the truth. No one can satisfy you like I do, but maybe if I gave her some pointers, she'd at least be able to get you off once in a while."
Faith laughed:
"Damn, that the best ya got, psycho?"
"No, I gave my best to your girl...again and again."
"Yeah? No wonder she looks so nauseated."
He smiled at her:
"Awww...it's so sweet, two dykes in love. Wish we had more time, I could show you firsthand just how much she loves my cock. I'll bet I could even help you remember how good it feels to have a man between your legs. Oh well, the gang'll be here any minute, so there's no point in dwelling on the impossible."
He unhooked Buffy's broken arm, his eyes never leaving Faith's:
"Now as you can see, Buffy's a little worse for wear. Trust me when I tell you she can always get worse. To prevent that, all you need to do is lay down your weapons and put these on."
He tossed a pair of handcuffs over to her.
"They're Slayer-proofed, so once they're on, I think we'll all feel a lot more secure. Make sure to fasten'em good and tight."
Faith laughed again, never moving an inch:
"Yeah, right."
"Buff, I don't think the retarded Slayer is getting it."
He grabbed Buffy's broken arm and squeezed, causing her to moan from the pain. He kept squeezing until her legs buckled, but he held her upright, staying safely behind her.
"Now I know there must still be a big part of you that enjoys watching Buffy get hers, finally she's the weak one, right? But you are supposed to love her this time around, and that means you're supposed to be willing to do anything for her. Gotta tell you, Faithy, I think your love's looking a little shaky. What do you think, Buff?"
He twisted again and Buffy could not muffle her agony. Faith said nothing, nor did she lower her weapons.
He leaned down close to Buffy's ear:
"I'm sorry to say this, lover, but I just don't see the two of you having a long-term future. Faith doesn't seem to..."
The second he was in range, Buffy slammed her head back into his face. He let go and staggered backwards a few steps, and Faith was on him.
Buffy swayed helplessly in the remaining chain, unable to manipulate her broken arm into working the shackle on her other wrist. The battle raged on around her, and it was incredibly brutal. The punches flew fast and furious, and at one point it seemed Angelus had the best of Faith as he punched her in the stomach, doubling her over. But Faith just went with it, bending down even further and delivering a reverse kick to his face that knocked him hard to the floor.
Buffy struggled to make her arm work, but it just couldn't. She tried flipping up and yanking the chain free from the ceiling with her legs, but that went nowhere as she was barely able to stand on her own.
Faith and Angelus were both up, bloody and beaten but still more than ready.
"You know, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in your performance, it's like you're just not in the game. So what is it this time: you don't want to hurt Angel or you still want to be punished every single chance you get? Tell me, Faithy...still want Daddy to beat the bad right out of you?"
Almost before he'd finished, he looked down to discover a knife sticking in his chest. Faith was there before he could remove it, and she shoved it in deeper, all the way to the hilt. He roared with the pain as she propelled him back hard into the wall, then yanked the blade clear only to make several quick, but deep slashes across his chest and face.
He managed to grab one of her fingers and Buffy winced when she heard it snap, but Faith didn't let go of the knife, using her body's momentum to shove it in painfully deep again. Angelus struggled to push her back, but her legs were driving her in closer, and he couldn't get any leverage or space between them.
She reached down to the sheath attached at her waist and drew out a stake, ramming it right through his neck. He bellowed in agony and shoved her off of him, yanking the stake clear and throwing it back at her. She dropped to the floor and rolled under it, but he had her knife now and he put it to good use.
With a swift, smooth motion, he pulled it from his chest and hurled it into her leg as she flipped to her feet. He followed right behind it, the impact knocking them both through the front room's picture window. They landed hard on the lawn, grappling and struggling for control as they rolled over and over each other.
It wasn't long before Angelus' voice came drifting back to Buffy:
"You should have staked me when you had the chance. That moment of weakness is going to get you and everyone else killed, but don't worry. After I bleed you and drain enough of Buffy's energy, I'm going to keep her as long as she lasts. Every time I screw her, I promise we'll think of you."
Buffy could hear the punches connecting and she couldn't take it anymore. She tried to swing her legs up again, and on the third try she managed to wrap them around the chain. Her dislocated shoulder screamed at her as it helped to hold her suspended, but she ignored it and kept pulling with everything she had. After a minute, she could feel the chain breaking loose from the ceiling, so she hung on and kept tugging. It finally gave way and then she was free, hitting the floor with a painful thud.
She tried to stand and join the fight, but quickly found her legs were far too weak to hold her. She crawled slowly on her elbows and knees to the crossbow, the chain around her wrist clinking as it dragged behind her. She finally made it, but before she could attempt to pick up the only weapon in sight, headlights illuminated the darkened room as a van pulled into the driveway.
Angelus came running through the doorway at full speed and hurried over to Buffy, snatching her up by her hair. Faith entered just moments behind him, crashing her way painfully through what remained of the window's broken glass, and the instant Buffy was pulled to her feet, she kicked the crossbow over to her.
Faith snagged it cleanly out of the air chest high, and in one quick motion had it pointed at Angelus.
Giles' voice rang out:
"Faith, we're here!"
Angelus kept Buffy in front of him, his hand seeming massive as it encircled her throat.
"Give it up, asshole. You're not going anywhere. Let B go."
"I don't think so, Buff here's my ace in the hole."
The Scoobies crowded around the doorway and broken window, all of their weapons trained on Angelus.
"Hey, guys, it's good to see everyone again! Sorry we don't have more time to catch up, but later...I guarantee it. Okay, now here's how this is going to go: everybody lower your weapons or I'm going to toss Buffy's head over to you."
No one moved until Angelus tightened his grip, actually cutting off air. All weapons hit the ground, except for Faith's.
"Now, now Faithy, let's not play games. Put the crossbow down or your precious cunt dies."
Faith never wavered:
"Not buyin' this."
His other hand reached around to squeeze Buffy's broken arm, and her gasp of pain made him laugh:
"That's good because I'm not selling anything."
"Yeah, you are. I know you, you're way too smart for this. You had the whole deal planned, question is: why?"
Angelus twisted Buffy's arm until she cried out, his eyes glittering with menace.
"You know, as much fun as I'm having, I've got better things to do. Either drop the crossbow or..."
"Giles, what time ya got?"
"Nearly eight."
"Exactly?"
"7:56."
Faith smiled, her gaze never leaving Angelus.
"So whatever happens, happens at 8:00. You needed me and B here in the same room, and all of us away from home. It's goin' down at Slayer Central, right?"
"Gee, aren't you supposed to be all sane now? I mean, call me crazy, but I think paranoid delusions..."
"Oh c'mon, not every day I figure somethin' out. Least tell me what the real plan is."
He smiled mockingly at her, tightening his grip on Buffy:
"I am impressed. I never would have thought you'd have the brains to recognize a set-up when you saw one."
Faith could feel it now, a weird energy was beginning to build in the room like static electricity, and she knew they were almost out of time.
"Yeah, got my moments sometimes."
Angelus' grin was smug, the grin of someone who knew he held all the cards:
"Hmm...okay. Since there's really no time left to stop me, I guess it won't hurt anything if I give the ‘Villain' speech that explains everything. You see, in just minutes the ritual's going to drain all of the energy out of the fake Slayers. You guys unpacked the mechanism that does it. Buff put it on top of the bookcase herself, and before you ask, they make such tiny little cameras nowadays."
"Thought that vase was butt ugly."
"The girls won't die, but the Slayer line will end for a while, and all of that concentrated strength and power is going to flow right into me. See the truth of it is, I don't want to end the world, I want to rule it. I found out a funny thing happens when you mix a Slayer's essence with a vampire. It seems that all of those confining rules, you know, avoiding sunlight and stakes through the heart, waiting for an invitation to come in, well all of that stuff will no longer apply. I'll truly be immortal, not to mention the strongest creature on the planet."
"None of that's gonna happen."
Angelus' smirk was huge:
"It's already started and there's no way to stop it now, not unless you kill me...and we both know you'll never do that, not with your precious Soulboy's life at stake...pun intended."
Kennedy was trying to fade away from the group in the hope that she could sneak around to the back of the house, when suddenly she felt herself weakening and dropped to a knee.
Angelus' amusement was plain to see as he called out to her:
"And there's a Slayer down! Bet you wish you were a real one, don't you? It seems these two are pretty much impervious to the whole energy sucking thing, I guess you could call them the ‘Typhoid Marys' of your kind. But don't you worry little girl, I'm going to find other ways to make them suffer."
Buffy struggled, but Angelus merely strengthened his grip and held her in place.
"You know the thing that amazed me the most? Just how willing people were to help Angel. They were so eager to do things for him, they didn't even hesitate or question me. Of course, they weren't so willing to die once they'd served their purpose, but it wasn't like I could leave anyone alive who actually understood how the ritual was done. It's so old and complicated, well I'm betting that Rupert and Willow will be dead and gone before they can figure it out."
Faith just stood there, Buffy's eyes staring into hers with a sadness Faith had never wanted to see.
He had to be lying. If she could just wound him and get Buffy away from him, they could figure out what to do. She tried to find a clear shot, but Angelus was too smart. He was hunkered down, presenting no open target as he strategically hid his imposing bulk behind Buffy's tiny frame.
"So what are you gonna to do, Faithy? The only way to stop it now is to kill me, but then your noble hero dies too. Hey, maybe you should try killing Buff! She is the trigger after all, so slaying her will probably work."
He laughed at the stricken look on Faith's face.
"And just in case you're thinking of going all noble, you should know your death won't stop anything. I just needed you to kick start Buffy's energy at the right time, and now that you've done that, you're all irrelevant again...just like always."
No one said a word, and Angelus was almost beaming with delight:
"And FYI to the whole gang, I did my very best to destroy every Orb of Thesula I could find. I might have missed one or two somewhere, but I doubt it. Still, it's good to have hope, even if it's pretty hopeless."
The room felt alive, heavy with the weight of the energy that was beginning to coalesce around them. Kennedy had fallen, no longer able to sit upright.
"I told you before: it's all about the choices, Faithy. Well, it's time to make a decision. All you have to do is kill Buffy to get to me, then kill Angel to save the day."
She stood frozen, not moving a muscle.
"But you'd better hurry, I'd say you've got less than a minute to stop what's about to happen. Well, c'mon on Slayer! It's your big chance to play the hero."
She still didn't move, still didn't speak as the time counted down.
Angelus laughed as he stared at her:
"You can't do it, can you? No matter what's on the line, you can't kill Angel or Buffy. So tell me, what's your big plan then? Try to keep me busy long enough for the others to escape? You might be able to pull it off, but you know I'm not going to let you get away. You I'm going to torture to death, but that doesn't even matter to you, does it? All you care about is getting Buffy to safety and giving your Soulboy savior a chance at survival. You're hoping that one day they'll be able to stuff a soul back into me...Sure, that could happen. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. "
She finally spoke, her voice filled with defeat and pain and sorrow:
"...You win, Angelus."
He grinned arrogantly at her:
"Of course I do. They say the simplest plans are the best, but it's the complicated ones that provide the most satisfaction. I played all of you perfectly, especially you, Faithy. I saw firsthand how you'd rather die yourself than kill Angel, and that love you have for him is a weakness that was just begging to be exploited. Then you went and added Buff to the list; well, let's just say I managed to make good use out of your..."
The bolt flew and pierced Buffy, just missing her heart. It caught Angelus right in the center of his.
"I'm sorry, Angel."
His eyes flew up to meet hers in an absolute shock, and then he was dust.
Buffy collapsed and everyone rushed over to her. Faith tried , but her legs gave way and she crumpled to the ground. She just sat there, her face a mask of torment, a torment she knew would always be hers. She had just killed Angel, the man she owed everything to.
Angel was dead.
Her attention turned to Buffy, the love of her life, and she tried to go to her again. But this time Xander was with her, his hands holding her firmly in place:
"Faith, just stay still. She's okay, and you're hurt too. Let me see."
She had no idea if she was, the only pain she could feel was on the inside. Her eyes met Buffy's and what she saw in them was unbearable, and she had to look away. She saw disgust and pain and disbelief, and she knew she could never face her again. Buffy hated her now.
With the one shot, she had lost everything. Her life was over, her world was now only darkness, and it was a darkness she had no chance of ever turning into anything else. She had made her decision and it had cost her everything she held dear. There was no coming back from what she had done, and she knew it.
Buffy's groan as the bolt was removed had Faith's eyes returning to her. Giles covered her with his coat, then lifted her carefully into his arms, cradling her gently as he headed to the van. She looked devastated as her tears streamed down her face.
"Faith..."
Said weakly, so weakly that Faith didn't bother trying to respond.
And then they swept by her, and Xander was trying to help her rise to her feet. She resisted, refusing to budge as her eyes now fixed on the small pile of ashes left behind. She rose slightly, and Xander believing he'd achieved some sort of victory, straightened to his full height as he prepared to lead her to the van. But she merely crawled over to what was left of Angel, her tears flowing so profusely she could barely see.
She reached out a shaking hand, then pulled it back, afraid to feel the finality of what she had done. She turned her face up to Xander's:
"Please...I need something to put...to put him in."
"Faith..."
"Xander, please!"
"Okay, I'll be back in a minute."
He took off at a jog, and Faith turned her attention back to Angel. Her hand reached out again, and this time she allowed her fingertips to gently brush along the ashes.
"Angel..."
Xander came back with a large manila envelope and a small car brush:
"I think this will work."
She didn't respond, so he squatted down next to her:
"Do you want to or do you want me to?"
She seemed unaware of his presence and after a minute, he started doing the job himself.
"No! Don't touch him!"
Faith snatched the brush and envelope from his hands and began gathering the ashes up by herself. She managed to get most of them into the envelope, but then she began shaking so badly, she couldn't finish.
Xander gently took the items from her and finished up, carefully sealing the envelope. He crouched with her for a while longer, then lightly rested his hand on her back.
"Faith, we need to go now."
He waited, but there was no response.
"Faith?"
Her tears were no longer falling, but her gaze never came anywhere near him:
"What?"
"We need to get you home now. Come on."
She laughed, the sound harsh and painful.
"Don't have a home, not anymore."
He guided her to her feet, handing her Angel's remains as he did.
"Of course you do."
She looked at him then, her eyes so raw and pain-filled, he could barely hold back his own tears.
"No, that's all gone now."
He signaled to the car from the doorway, and Willow came rushing over, her grief and concern etched plainly on her face.
"Faith, we need to get these wounds treated. You're..."
"Here."
She thrust the envelope into Willow's hands:
"Tell B...Tell her..."
She laughed again, the sound totally desolate.
"Tell her whatever she needs to hear."
She walked out the door, heading away from the van, and Xander grabbed onto her arm:
"Faith, stop. Nobody blames you, you did what you had to do."
"Doesn't change shit."
She tried to walk away again, but Xander tightened his hold.
"Let go of me, Xander."
He didn't, and Willow stepped forward:
"Faith, Buffy doesn't blame you. She..."
"Course she does. Was me who did it."
"You didn't have any other choice."
"Yeah, I did. Just wasn't the one I chose."
Willow kept trying:
"She's unconscious now, but she was asking if you were okay. She..."
Faith walked away, and nothing they said or did could make her turn back. Xander grabbed onto her again with all of his strength, but he was no match and she shrugged him off like he wasn't even there.
"Will, we have to do something!"
"I know, but I can't yet...Kennedy!"
Kennedy scrambled out of the van:
"Where's she going?"
"I'll explain later, honey, but you have to stop her now."
Kennedy nodded and ran after her, grabbing an arm and spinning her around. Faith swung, but it was a halfhearted attempt that Kennedy ducked easily. She delivered a powerful uppercut of her own, a blow that dazed Faith, knocking her to the ground.
Kennedy picked her up and carried her back over to where Willow and Xander stood.
"Will, can't you do anything? I can't keep hitting her all the way home."
"I don't know, maybe. I'll try."
Willow murmured a few words as Faith began struggling in Kennedy's arms, and then she was out cold.
"I'm not sure how long that's gonna last. Maybe we should put her in the cage?"
Xander took Faith from Kennedy's somewhat shaky arms:
"I don't know. Let's just get the hell out of here."
Kennedy wrapped her arm around Willow's shoulders and they all walked to the back of the van. Giles met them, swinging open the rear doors as they approached. Xander gently laid Faith onto the extra-large backseat, and Kennedy lifted her head while Willow slid a pillow underneath it.
"How is she?"
Willow looked near tears again:
"Not good, Giles. She was leaving until Kennedy hit her."
"I see. Just exactly how hard did you hit her, Kennedy? She seems..."
"I didn't hit her that hard. Most of it's because of Will's spell."
"Well whatever the cause, it's clearly for the best. Bloody awful business, this is."
Xander climbed in:
"I'll ride back here with her and try to patch her up a little. Will, can you get me some of the first aid stuff?"
"Sure."
She headed around to the van's side doors, followed closely by Kennedy. Xander leaned up to glance over the seat at Buffy. She was unconscious and already strapped safely into the custom made bed. It resembled a ship's bunk, and Xander knew from past experience that it was relatively comfortable.
"Do we need to take Buffy to the hospital?"
Giles looked worried, but there was some relief too.
"No, I don't believe so. Faith's shot missed everything vital and we should be able to treat her other injuries as well. I've already set her broken arm and Kennedy and I relocated her shoulders to their proper alignment. I've sedated her, hopefully she'll remain unconscious for the duration of the trip. We'll need to monitor her closely of course, but I expect she'll be fine in a week's time, two at the outset."
"Yeah, physically maybe."
Giles turned his attention back to Faith:
"Yes, I'd say it's the ‘mental' we need be concerned with when it comes to both girls."
Willow handed Xander the first aid kit over the back of the seat, then sat down in the special swivel chair that was within an arm's reach of Buffy's bed.
"Thanks, Will."
"Let me know if you need any help, or if she wakes up."
Xander tried to smile, but there was no way he could do it:
"I'm pretty sure we'll all know if she comes around. Giles, is there enough sedative in case Faith wakes up and wakes up angry?"
"There's enough for one more dose, but I believe we should save that in case Buffy awakens. She's in a great deal of pain, and I don't think she could manage the trip if she were at all alert."
Kennedy spoke up from her spot in the front passenger seat:
"I'm sorry, I should have packed more. I had no idea it would take so much to knock her out."
Giles waved her apology aside:
"That's my mistake, I'm afraid. I should have remembered to tell you that Buffy has always required more than the average Slayer. I'm not at all sure why, she just does."
Xander tossed some bloody gauze into a plastic bag:
"Well if we have to, we can always try to wrestle Faith into the cage."
Giles reached in and reset her broken finger. The sound made Xander flinch, but he made no comment as he searched through the first aid kit for splint material.
"Surely not an ideal solution, but one we mustn't rule out. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I suggest you stand at the ready just in case, Xander."
Xander was busy stabilizing Faith's finger with tape and tongue depressors, but he answered as enthusiastically as he could:
"So ‘hope' we will. We'll ‘hope' like nobody's business while I stand at the readiest of ready."
Giles brushed Faith's hair back from her forehead, then attempted a smile in Xander's direction:
"Yes, well as it seems you have things well in hand, I'll concentrate on getting us home safely."
He started to shut the doors and head to the driver's seat, but Xander's voice suddenly young and scared, stopped him:
"Giles, what are we going to do?"
He patted the young man he considered his son, comfortingly on the shoulder:
"Honestly I'm not at all certain, but don't worry. We'll figure it out."
But they were only empty words; they all knew there was nothing left to do except worry.
Xander merely nodded as he began working on what looked like a deep puncture wound on Faith's leg, and Giles closed the van doors with a resigned sigh. He had not the first idea what to do for either Slayer, and he doubted that the ride home could be counted on to provide much illumination.
Angel was dead, and there was no way to make that okay for anyone. With a heavy heart he started the engine, checked to see that Kennedy was safely secured in the passenger seat, and then he turned the van in the direction of home.
"Bloody awful business."
