PART 14
“You found the Glove?”
“Yes. I had an idea where to find it.”
“You went out. You could've been hurt. What if you'd come across Lagos?”
“It's fine. He doesn't know where to look. I had the advantage. I didn't want to risk you fighting him.”
Buffy moved closer, “Angel, I'm the slayer. You're not even at full strength. I think if someone has to fight Lagos then it should be me, don't you think?”
“I just... I worry for you. And I hate that I can’t help you. I hate knowing you out there and... I worry.”
He lowered his eyes, she was beside him now.
“Angel, I'm fine. I mean, I understand, but you can't be there to protect me all the time. I mean, there's nothing new in this. And soon you won't even...” Buffy trailed off.
##How am I gonna do without him around? How is HE gonna do without me around? What if something happens to him, I won’t know and... I know he's thinking exactly the same thing but... can we stay in touch... Is he really gonna go? Is it the solution? Why do I doubt so much about everything? But what if he doesn't leave? Then Faith won't trust me... Do I want him to leave more because I wanna keep my words to Faith or because it is the right thing to do? Why am I so confused?##
Angel lifted Buffy's chin.
“It's alright Buffy. It's gonna be alright.”
He stared at her. Their faces inches apart. He could see confusion in her eyes, in her shaky grip on his arms. Their stare was intense. Angel bent forward and their lips touched. He roamed his hands through her hair pulling her face closer and she tightened her grip on his shoulders as the kiss deepened.
He slightly moaned as he finally explored the warmth of her mouth and tasted her. Something he’d missed so much.
## Oh my God. What's happening? What are we doing? Why can't I stop it? Why don't I want to stop it? God oh God. Faith!!!##
Buffy pulled apart almost brutally, she looked in shock.
“Oh my God, what did we do? We can't I-I...”
##If she knew that. If they knew that... She trusts me. I, God... Why is it so hard?##
“I'm sorry, Buffy.”
“It can't happen again. I-I gotta go.”
Buffy took her bag and left very fast, confusion at its peak in her mind...
~~
“You're going to go out in Fairfield cemetery then Grey Hill one before dark and you will come back here for a report on what you've seen.”
“What about Giles? And couldn't we meet at the library with them?”
“What for? I am your watcher from now on, everything you have to report you'll report to me. You have nothing to see with mister Giles or to do at the high school.”
Faith looked aside with a thoughtful expression.
“What is it you don't agree with?”
The watcher’s tone was cold and slightly scornful.
Faith champed at the bit.
“What do you have that's so important to do there? You don't belong there. You have nothing to do and I can clearly see that you're not a part of their chatty little group.”
Faith looked up at her with a frown, “What do you mean?”
"Faith, do you know who the Spartans were?"
"Wild stab: a bunch of guys from Spart?"
"They were the fiercest warriors known to Ancient Greece. And they lived in quarters very much like these. Do you know why? Because a true fighter needs nothing else. I'm going to be very hard on you, Faith. I will not brook insolence or laziness. And I will not allow blunders like last night's attack. You will probably hate me a great deal of the time."
Faith gave her a sardonic smile, "You think?"
Gwendolyn stepped over to the bed, "But I will make you a better Slayer, and that will keep you alive. You have to trust that I am right. God only knows what Mr. Giles has been filling your head with."
"Giles is okay."
"His methods are unfathomable to me. I find him entirely confounding. But that is not important. If you do trust me I'll make you the best slayer. You have what it takes. Buffy is so unfocused. And I don't understand why Mr Giles and why does he let her socialize so much? But that is not important; let him have his games and secret meetings."
"Secret meetings?" Faith asked low.
"Her and her little troop. But you don't need this. You're what you need. You'll find out Faith that the only reliable person in your life is yourself. You can't trust them. You can't walk in Buffy's shadows forever now can you?"
“It's not how...” Faith trailed off and looked aside. Gwendolyn Post slightly smirked.
“Now would you like to do some training?”
“Training?” Faith stood up, “As in kicking and punching and stabbing?”
“Yes, that's the idea.”
“I'm your girl.” Faith said, pushing aside any hesitations or hurt feelings. Fighting was what she was meant for. Nothing else could make her feel better when she was in doubt or pain. She'd learnt that.
~~
Faith slowly walked into the Bronze, she spotted Xander, she looked around but no one from the gang was here... No Buffy.
Xander didn't look as light as usual. She walked closer.
“You look pissed.”
“Rough day.” He just said, keeping on playing pool.
“Tell me about it.”
“I'd rather just shoot.”
“Don't think I don't know what you and your pals were talking about behind my back today.”
“Yeah. And what was that?”
“More about this glove deal than you're saying.”
“The glove of Myhnégon. Right. How'd you like a hit of some real news? Angel's alive.”
Faith hid her non surprise very well.
“Oh. The vampire. Did... Did she tell you?”
He gave a sarcastic smirk. “Kidding right? Saw him myself. She was hiding him. Behind our back.” He shot harshly on the pool ball.
Faith felt bad, thinking about Buffy's probable sad state of mind right now that they’d uncovered her secret. And she felt bad about her slight competitor inquisitive question earlier when she and Buffy had been on 'agreeing, sharing and trusting’ term for a little while. But something in all this bothered her and Gwen Post had managed to get her oppositional side out. She felt bad about that, for Buffy. She didn't want her to be in bad terms with her friends, knowing how much they mattered to her.
“But... Is he. I mean, he's probably good, I mean, with his soul again or she wouldn't have done that.”
“Or so she says. Is it a reason to let a guy like him play with the glove of Myhnégon?”
“What?!” Faith's eyes widened.
“That was pretty much our reaction but weird how Buffy didn't seem to care.”
Faith tried to think. Because of Gwen Post she hadn't talked to Buffy more than saying hellos these two days but they were both after the glove, for the sake of... whatever they had to get it, they, together, not for him to have. Faith tried to shake these thoughts out of her head.
“But, what did she say? Why did she bring it to him? What-”
“I guess she was too busy kissing him to care.”
Faith seemed frozen. “She was kissing him.”
“Yeah. So much for him being clean. How long is that gonna stay that way?”
“She lied.” she said very low.
“Now you realise?” He said, not realising Faith was in her own thoughts. She smiled bitterly, her gaze darkened.
Faith turned around and left.
“Hey, hey Faith!” Xander, understanding what Faith might want to do, immediately went after her.... to help her doing it.
~
Buffy and Willow arrived at the library.
“Giles is gonna be psyched that we showed up stuffy old Ms Post.”
“Oh my God.” Buffy said, reaching to Giles who was on a paramedic gurney.
“What happened?” Buffy asked him while the paramedic kept giving information on the radio.
“Caucasian male. Mid-forties.”
“Giles.”
“Blunt object head trauma. Notify ER, we're bringing him in.” The paramedic told her.
“But what happened?”
“No time for this.” He started to move the gurney.
“Wait,” Giles feebly said, “Buffy you must, must destroy the glove.”
“You want him to live? Get out of the way.”
“Use... Living... Flame.” Giles said while the paramedic moved away under Buffy's still shocked and sad expression.
She turned to look at Xander.
“What happened?”
“Your boyfriend's not as cured as you thought.”
“What makes you think that Angel had anything to do with this?”
“We saw what you saw.”
“And you just assume?”
“I didn't. Faith did.”
Buffy's eyes widened, she swallowed.
“Faith. Did... Did you tell...”
“I told her what everyone knows. She's a big girl. Came to her own conclusion.”
##My God please please, Xander can’t have told her that?##
“Xander it's very important, what did you tell her exactly? That he was back, right?”
“I told her what I told the gang. What I saw.”
##God no. NO, not that.##
“How much of a head start does she have?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Go through Giles research and find out how to destroy the glove.” She told the redhead, then, with a last gaze at Xander, showing almost disgust at his action, Buffy left the library very fast.
~
Faith arrived just in time to see Angel, in game face, grabbing Gwen Post harshly by the shoulders while the watcher, apparently very shaken, was crooked up in a corner.
“I can't believe how much I'm gonna kill you.”
“You're not getting this glove.”
“You wanna bet.”
Angel thought, only too late, that this might be the new slayer but even if he had, appearances were too much against him. And anyway, with the way Faith started pummelling him aggressively, he barely had the time to breathe. He gave some punches that didn't even slow her down. She looked in furry, unleashing blows after blows on his still weak body. He couldn't match up, he could only parry and avoid as much as he could but very fast she almost got him knocked out, falling on the little wooden table. She raised her stake and plunged her hand only for it to be stopped abruptly by Buffy's hands. Just in time before Angel was dust.
Faith stared at her in disbelief and Buffy swallowed.
