Parts: 51 - 60
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~Part: 51~
Wesley slipped into the room silently and moved to Faith's bed. Sitting down next to her on the bed, careful not to wake her, he sighed sadly. When he came home and Faith wasn't there, Cordelia had told him that she'd gone to bed, had felt tired or ill or something. But looking at the slayer's pale face and still slightly red eyes, it was clear the girl had been crying. Again. Looking up at the wall behind the bed, he thought about going back to his own room, letting her sleep whatever it was off. Hearing a soft sniffle from the girl next to him, he looked down to find her crying in her sleep. Tears slipped out from under her dark lashes and seeing her so distressed even if only in her sleep, well put simply, he just couldn't leave her.
Removing his shoes, socks, and belt, he carefully lifted the covers and slipped into the bed next to her. As though she sensed his presence, Faith rolled over and clung to him in her sleep. Wrapping his arms tightly around the girl, Wesley held her securely against his side and kissed her hair as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Switching on the dim lamp on the bedside table next to him, Wesley lifted the book he'd brought in days before and began to read.
Two hours later he found himself finished with his book and still unable to sleep. Disentangling himself from his slayer, he stood up and moved to the window. Looking out upon the waning moon he let his thoughts drift upon the stars.
* * * Faith's Dream * * *
She was trapped again. This small tight space that was her own hell. Whenever she wanted to get away from her mother and Michael, this was where she got locked up. Not even of her own free will, had she had any, no she was dragged down here most times by her arm if not her hair. She'd never even gone to school, not after Daddy died. What good would she be to her mother, if there was no one around to blame for her problems?
She'd been down there so long that she'd forgotten what the sun looked like, forgotten what its warmth felt like. She'd been down there so long that her stomach and throat hurt, she no longer remembered the smooth feel and crisp taste of milk, no longer remembered what toast tasted like. Her arms and feet hurt from where the roaches and rats had bitten her. Her back - hell her whole body hurt from not being able to stand up, there wasn't enough room to lie down, not proper room to sit down, so she sat, her back against the wall, her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. She was so tired, and oh how she hated the dark. She'd finally gotten over her fear of the dark and then Daddy died and now she feared it more than anything else.
Just as she was going to fall asleep again she heard the scratching of a key in the lock. The door opened and the dim light blinded her. Suddenly she was being pulled up and the grip so strong on her arm she thought for sure it would break. She was dragged up the stairs and dropped to the floor in front of Michael, her mother's current boyfriend. She didn't like the way he was looking at her now, she didn't like the way he looked at her ever. It always made her feel as though she were naked.
"Are you hungry little girl?" Faith nodded timidly. "Are you thirsty?" again she nodded.
Before she knew what was happening her head was being forced to his lap and his dick was being shoved in her mouth.
"Suck me good bitch and you'll get a drink," he said cruelly.
When Faith tried to pull away she found her head held in a tight grip and Michael began to thrust into her mouth, gagging her. Finally, after a few moments he won the struggle and albeit reluctantly Faith began to bring him off. Tears had been coursing down her cheeks the whole time that she had been on her knees before this monster; she had no fight left in her, no place to hide and nowhere to go. This was her life until they finally killed her, and she knew without a doubt that she would die by their hands if she didn't get away.
* * * * * *
Faith jerked awake in bed, her brow dampened with a cold sweat. She hated that dream, hadn't had it for awhile, now old memories were brought to the surface once again. The only question was, would the dreams and memories succeed in driving her mad this time? She had come close a few times before, had started to see faces in the shadows, now though, those faces seemed to be not shadows, but real people. Her tormentors had come calling, how would she keep them from hurting her family? Faith released a heavy sigh as the only answer to keeping her family safe seemed to settle before her. To keep those she loved safe, she would have to return to her tormentors and leave with them.willingly.
~Part: 52~
"Joyce?" Giles said as he walked into her open room, watching her pack the last of her bag. "You're leaving?"
"Yes. Oh Rupert, I thought I'd find you and tell you, this isn't how I wanted you to find out. But since you're here, have a seat," she said patting the empty spot next to her on the bed.
Giles sat down on the bed and waited for her to speak.
"A few days ago I started calling people and trying to see if anyone had seen Buffy. Believe it or not, it was her father that's seen her. He gave her a plane ticket to New York, Athens, New York actually, after that the trail runs cold." She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, sighing softly she continued. "I've already had my own personal collection shipped out there. A friend from college has a gallery herself and I'm going to move in with her and help her with it." She looked up at his touch, his hands held hers.
"You'll call to let us know you've arrived safely?" he asked holding her gaze with his own. Joyce nodded and gave a small sad smile. "You will surely be missed." Hugging her, he pulled her close and held her for a bit. "If you find her," he spoke softly into her ear. "Be careful. While she may have realized her errors, she could still be deadly if she felt threatened. You may be her mother, but she may see even you as a threat."
"I know," she spoke softly and sniffled back her tears. Giles held her face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "I'll be careful. I'll call. I'll miss you Rupert, I'll miss everyone here. Give them my regards."
"Of course. When is your flight?"
"In about an hour actually, I've got to get to the Sunnydale Airport," she said with a quick look at her watch and stood gathering her bags. "Would you.would you drive me there? I want you all to have use of my car so I'm leaving it with you."
Giles nodded and walked out to the car with Joyce.
~Part: 53~
Two hours later Giles returned to the mansion. He had stood before the large windows and watched her plane as it took off. Now he walked slowly up the stairs and into his room, his heart not up for any research that night. As he sat in the wing chair near his bed he couldn't help but remiss over everything. He had lost his slayer to her own self, and now the mother of his slayer, one he considered a dear friend had left.
He was brought out his thoughts by a cool touch to his hands. Looking down, he found Drusilla kneeling before him. Her dark eyes were warm and concerned as they looked into his sad grey green eyes. Drusilla rose up on her knees until her face was level with Giles's. Rising up a bit higher she kissed his forehead and stood. Taking his hand she led him out of the sitting room and upstairs into his room. Closing the door after they entered the room, she led him to stand next to his bed and disrobed him. Leading the now naked watcher into his private bath, she turned on the water until the spray from the shower was nice and hot and removed his glasses, made him step under the spray.
"Shower and then come to bed," she instructed softly and then left him.
Thirty minutes later, Giles walked out of the steamy bathroom, a towel around his waist and another he was using to dry his hair. Walking over to the bed, he sat down and Drusilla took the towel from him and finished drying his hair.
"Feel any better?" the vampiress asked softly.
"A little." He sighed heavily and leaned back upon the pillows. "I failed her," he said and wrapped his arm around Dru as she curled up against his side, her head on his chest. "She was my slayer, my responsibility and I failed her."
Wrapping her arm around his waist and bringing the blankets up over them, she kissed his neck. "You didn't fail her Rupert. She failed herself. She couldn't look past her own selfishness to see the truth."
"She was mine to guide."
"And she refused to be guided. It wasn't your fault Rupert. Now lets get some rest," she said and turned off the light.
~Part: 54~
"You know that redhead is quite nice to look at-"
"No!" Faith said sharply into the phone as she talked quietly in the library.
She had woken up about an hour after Wesley had come into the room from another nightmare and hadn't been able to sleep since. Now she was in the library where'd she been for the past two hours, the last twenty minutes of which she'd been on the phone. It had rung and she had immediately snatched the receiver from its cradle, afraid of it waking the others. And now she sat against the wall trying to control her trembling as she listened to Michael's voice.
"If you don't want them hurt you'll come to us. You had no right to run away Faith. You belong to me now."
"You can't hurt them."
"I won't have to if you come to us. By 8am Faith or we take the redhead."
The line went dead. It took Faith a full five minutes to replace the receiver in its cradle and another ten before she could stand on her own. Walking quietly into her room she sat down on the mattress beside Wesley and stroked his hair back from his face. She had finally got him to stop using that damn gel about two months ago and he was finally not wearing suits any longer, hadn't worn them since the retreat in fact.
Leaning over she kissed his forehead, when she sat back up a pair of sleepy blue eyes were looking at her questioningly. Smiling sadly she sniffled back her tears.
"Faith?" he asked sitting up. "What is it?" he asked as he brought his hand to her cheek, cupping her face in his palm.
She shook her head and closed her eyes against more tears. "I-I can't stay. I have to-I have to go," she stumbled over the words as the tears that swam in her eyes fell upon her cheeks. Oh how she longed to stay. She loved this family she'd fallen into and Wesley, she'd begun to love him too, but differently. Leaving him was the hardest.
Wesley brought his hands to her waist and lifted her, moving her into his lap. Hugging her tightly to him he stroked her hair and tried to soothe her tears away.
"I-I have to go," she whimpered through her tears as she struggled weakly.
"Faith," he said trying to quiet her protests. What had this girl in such a state? He asked himself.
"I-I don't want to go," she cried as the emotions she failed to keep under wraps broke completely free and she sobbed into his chest. "I-have-to go," she sobbed.
"Shhhh. Hush now luv, it'll all be alright." He rocked her against his chest as he held her on his lap. His arms were wrapped tightly around the girl and he stroked her hair as she cried. "Faith please," he pleaded with her. "Tell me what's wrong. Why do you have to leave?"
"I-I have to go."
"Why?"
"I-if I don't."
"If you don't what?" he asked and kissed her forehead as he tucked her hair behind her ears. Holding her face in his hands he wiped away her still falling tears with his thumbs. "If you don't what?"
"If I d-don't leave," she sniffled and looked in his eyes as she begged him to understand. "If I don't leave he'll hurt her."
"Who will hurt who?"
Her mouth opened and closed a few times but only soft whimpers came from her lips. She closed her eyes as she tried to stop the tears that seemed to run on forever.
"Mmm..Michael," she panted with the effort it took to concentrate enough through her tears, the strength it took to tell him this. "If I don't...if I don't go back.he's seen Willow-he wants her.if I don't go back, he'll take her.I can't let her be hurt because of me.I can't-and they.Mom called here yesterday.that's what happened I made Cordy promise not to.and then he called just now- earlier-if I don't go back he'll take her and hurt her. I can't-"
"Oh god Faith," he moaned and crushed her against his chest and held her tightly. Gathering her up in his arms, he slid off the bed and stood. Faith held onto him tightly as she cried out her fear and grief and buried her face In his neck, wetting his skin.
Walking down the hall with the girl in his arms, he stood in front of Giles's door and tapped it with his foot. Seconds later Drusilla opened the door and upon seeing Faith beckoned them in. Walking to the bed, he sat down in the wingback chair and held Faith tightly to him as Giles looked up him with a worried stare.
Holding Faith's head to his shoulder, he began to softly speak to the occupants of the room.
"We need Angel and Willow too this concerns her as well."
Drusilla nodded and left, returning a minute later with her sire, Willow and Spike in tow. Spike rubbed his eyes tiredly looking very much like a small child when he did and Giles smiled softly at the sight. Willow, seeing Faith held in Wesley's embrace, moved to the pair and knelt down in front of the pair. Looking up at Wes her eyes begged him for an explanation.
"Shut the door," Wesley instructed and Angel complied. As the others, gathered together and sat on the bed next to each other, Willow in Angel's lap and Drusilla in Giles's, Wesley began to tell them what Faith had told him only moments ago. About the phone calls, about the threats, all of it.
"Faith sweetie," Willow said and the girl slowly turned her head to look at the redhead. "Do you know where they're staying?" When Faith shook her head no Willow's brow furrowed. "Were you going to meet them?"
"I was going to meet Michael in the - in the park near Journey's End," she said naming an older cemetery that was no longer used. It's last known burial had been in the 1700s. Spike stood from the bed and came to crouch before the girl.
"Faith," he said as he cupped her face in his hands. "I told you, we protect our own."
"He was gonna hurt Will, and now he will cause I didn't go and I can't - I have to go." She began struggling in Wesley's embrace and the watcher held her tighter and pike shushed her. "You don't understand he'll hurt her!"
"Shh shh shh shh," Spike shushed her, brushing her hair out of her face, he kissed her forehead. "I know you're tryin' to protect her pet, but we protect our own, that includes you. We won't let the sod hurt you, or Willow, I promise."
"The bloody pratt's already hurt you enough Faith," Giles said his eyes holding a Ripperish glare.
~Part: 55~
It had taken nearly till sunrise to get Faith to stop crying and to soothe her worries. The poor girl was so afraid that the new family, this family that she loved would hate her if they knew and she loved Willow too much to let her be hurt. The redhead was like a real sister to her. She was so afraid that had they all known they would throw her out. But they hadn't.
They had held her, and comforted her and promised her their protection. She and Wesley slept in between Giles and Drusilla that day, Giles held Drusilla from behind as the vampire and Wesley held Faith. For someone who was always so cocky and arrogant at times, seeing the slayer this broken tore at their hearts and drew them all to champion for her.
The loyalty and protection and love they all gifted her made her feel beyond loved, it made her - for the first time in herlife - feel as though she really belonged somewhere. She had a home now. But now what about Michael, how would they stop him from hurting Willow? She saw him once and he could still trap her like a frightened animal. What would happen with him?
~Part: 56~
Michael Bellows stood as belligerent as always as he waited for Faith to come to him. He smirked at the thoughts of what he could do to her, all the images and scenes playing out in his mind. When he was through with her she'd be begging to suck him off, begging to pleasure him. She wouldn't remember what her life was like before he commanded it. His smirk fell as he realized that the dawn had come already. It was well past eight and she was supposed to have met him there at seven. Growling slightly, he smirked again. Well, the little slut didn't keep her end of the bargain so he didn't need to keep his. The redhead would be his. Donning his coat he made his way down the street towards the mansion. Some little barkeep named Willie had been more than happy to give him the information on it's location after he'd pounded the crap out of him - literally.
~Part: 57~
"When this whole mess is over," Willow said looking between Spike and Angel as she lay between them on the bed. "I want the two of you, and me to go away for a weekend. Together."
"Oh yeah pet," Spike said with a leering smile as he quirked his scarred eyebrow at her. "Anything else?"
"Romance, and flowers -violets and irises" she said turning her attention on Angel. "Oh and a bath. Oh you remember that bath?" she asked wistfully as she began to float away into her memories.
"Which one Rua, there've been quite a few?" Angel asked as he played with her fiery locks.
"The first one, well not the first one, cause I wasn't fully awake for the first one. But the other first one. Our first one. The one after everything. When you drew me a bath after dinner and then we made love." She bit her lip as she smiled. "That bath."
"That bath," Angel said as he smiled at the memory.
"Oh!" Willow said as she rose up to lean back on her elbows. "And champagne," she shook her head, "no not champagne. Champagne's too froofy."
"Froofy?" Spike said chuckling "Is that even a word?"
"Oh course it is! It's in the Willow Rosenberg book of dictionary and phrases," she said primly and nodded her head once in agreement with herself. She looked at Spike with innocence on her face and laughter in her eyes, "I thought you'd read that book already."
Spike kissed her soundly and then pulled back laughing. "No pet, guess the poof stole my copy."
Willow giggled as she smiled at her two vampires. Turning to her dark lover she kissed Angel long and slowly and then turned and kissed Spike in much the same way. Her smile grew tenfold as she watched both vampires kiss each other, it was a sight she would never tire of, the two looked absolutely exquisite together. One light, one dark, one slim and powerful, the other broad and masterful. Both were beautiful and sexy as sin, both moved like large jungle cats and both could make her burn with passion with just a single look, just a single word. Watching them kiss she felt the heat grow between her thighs and the twisting of her stomach, the burning in her veins. Seeing them together was pure passion, pure lust, pure.sex. Seeing these two vampires together, watching them was the most pure and sacred thing she had ever seen. It seemed funny to her to describe two vampires, the two most deadly vampires- two vampires known as part of the Scourge of Europe - as pure and sacred.
"Red's thinkin' again," Spike said as he watched the redhead her eyes unfocused as she lost herself in her thoughts her arousal forgotten.
"I've never known anyone to get as lost so easily or so often in their thoughts as she does. I used to watch her in the library before the loss of my soul. The way her brow furrows in thought, the way her eyes lose focus as she looses sight of the world around her, it's amazing to watch. Angelus even used to watch her as she would sit for hours just thinking. I remember how he wished to turn her, just so he could understand her thoughts, see them more clearly. She intrigues us both so much."
"Yeah I know the feeling. Killin' the slayer, that was bonus, bein' round Red that was the real prize."
~Part: 58~
The other seven occupants of the mansion were already awake and enjoying a nice breakfast together as they thought about what the day ahead of them would bring. Drusilla departed from them and carried a tray with two mugs of warmed blood, AB negative, and a bowl of fruit and glass of juice up the stairs to the three who had yet to emerge from their nest as she liked to call it.
Opening the door without warning Drusilla stepped into the room and chuckled softly as she watched the two vampires watch their lover lost in her thoughts.
"She doin' that again," she said with a soft chuckle and handed the tray off to her sire. Angel smiled at her and took one of the mugs handing it to Spike and then lifted the other to his lips, both vampires drinking their liquid meal. Smelling the strawberries, orange slices, and different melons held in the bowl, Willow came back from her mental perusal and began nibbling on the fruit and drinking her juice.
"Oh hey Dru," Willow greeted the other female. Dru smiled at the redhead and nodded before turning and leaving. Reaching the door she turned back and said, "Once you all are finished, get dressed and come down stairs. Michael may already be on his way here."
All three nodded solemnly at her in reply and the woman left them to their meals.
~Part: 59~
Loud banging was heard on the heavy door of the mansion before it was kicked open to reveal a rather angry and insane looking Michael. He prowled into the mansion and came to a stop in front of a wide eyed Faith. The slayer tried everything to move but she couldn't. Her feet refused to move, she couldn't speak. She knew she wasn't alone, but this one man could instill the fear of hell itself into her.
Smiling wickedly, Michael reached out and cupped the girl's cheek before giving it such a hard slap that it sent her to the floor. Rearing back, he kicked her viciously in the stomach and as he moved to kick her again, was tackled away from the girl to the floor, by one very furious Wesley Whyndum-Price.
Rising from the floor Wesley fisted his hands in the man's shirt and drug him up to stand beside him. Looking to Faith he found the girl starring wide-eyed into space, something in her breaking at the fact that this man had come into her one place of safety. Growling Wesley turned back to the man he held in a firm grip. Grinning madly Wesley called out, "Ripper. Angelus. Spike. Dru. I've got a prezzie for the lot of you." Hauling the man against him, he threw the man into the small crowd the four of them made. The man fought against their holds, but had as much luck as he had had with Wesley. What were these people made of steel or something?
"Take care of Faith," Drusilla said as she followed the three men into the basement of the dungeon.
"I always do," he said and lifted the girl into his arms. "Remember I want a piece of him too."
"Of course," Dru smiled and then they parted off in separate directions. One to the proclaimed dungeon of the mansion, a room that still held all of the chains and whips that Angelus and Spike favoured for torturing their victims. And the other, carrying the precious girl in his arms, up the stairs and into the bedroom he shared with her.
~Part: 60~
Laying Faith down on the bed gently, he sat next her on the mattress and waited as she slowly returned from her fugue state. A soft moan escaped her lips and her hand moved to her stomach where she'd been kicked. Wesley's hand covered and then replaced hers, slipping underneath her shirt he massaged her firm but soft flesh. Leaning down he kissed her soft warm lips and as he pulled back, he looked into her softly smiling eyes, filled with love and uncertainty as she bit her lip upon a soft smile. Leaning down he kissed her again, as she opened her mouth and sighed into the kiss, he deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. The kiss spoke of love and tenderness and then slowly they pulled apart.
They both looked deep into the other's eyes transfixed by what they saw and delighted just the same. Unrequited love wasn't so unrequited anymore.
"I don't know what's happening between us Faith, and I don't know what's to come. But I do know that whatever happens, I'm not ready to give up on us, if in fact there is an us. And I will never be ready to give up on you."
"Better not Watcher-man," she said with a hint of the old arrogance she once possessed.
Wesley smiled softly at her, his eyes twinkling as he saw a bit of his Faith, the cocky, arrogant slayer, resurfacing. Yes, she would be alright.