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Witch's Faith
We're just outside the room where they've got Dawnie and Tara. We're going in now... we'll announce that Elise is already dead. That might take some of the fight out of them. Just make sure she is! Wish us luck...
Mrs. Betts heard Willow's update and decided she would be of more use higher up, patrolling the way to the exit. She left the disturbing scene in the throne room and made her way back the way they had come. She wished that she had not seen Buffy and Faith with Elise. Faith's continuing relationship with Elise was bad enough. But to involve Buffy as well! The Watcher's report to the Council would be very mixed at best. And Faith was already condemned. To turn that around would require a much better report than this. There was no way to withhold the truth from the other Watchers even if she wanted to.
Elise screamed. She fought against orgasm with all her will, but it was no use. Her pelvis pulsed deep inside and she felt an incredible–and revolting–pleasure.
Faith's tongue fought with Buffy's over the vampire's sensitive clitoris. It was almost like... almost like what? Faith's mindless sucking and licking paused for just an instant. It was like a kiss. Her first kiss with Buffy. Faith lifted her head and looked at Buffy in shock. She jumped back and tried to pull Buffy off of the vampire. "Buffy! Stop it!" she shouted. "Buffy!" But Buffy paid no attention. Faith pulled harder, but Buffy was too strong, and instead of pulling her away, Faith ended up simply dragging both Buffy and Elise across the floor.
Faith watched in horror. She knew that darkness simmered deep in her own soul... but Buffy was the good Slayer! How could this be happening? Part of Faith ached to rejoin Buffy, who was now touching herself inside her pants while still passionately exploring Elise with her mouth. But seeing Buffy fall victim to the same obsession as she herself was a shock that kept her from giving in to temptation.
Faith tried to grab Buffy's head and hair and pull her away. It was no use. Finally, she worked one hand over Buffy's mouth. Buffy bit her palm, drawing blood at once, and grabbed Faith's arm to throw her sideways into Elise's throne, which broke apart. She started to advance on Faith, enraged, and for the first time in many weeks Faith was actually afraid Buffy meant her harm. But Buffy's expression changed from anger to horror to disgust, and she whirled to chase Elise again. Again she tackled Elise before the vampire could make it to the door. But this time there was no sex. Buffy began kicking and beating Elise brutally.
Faith's heart broke at the sight of this meaningless cruelty coming from her dear sweet Buffy. Because she knew exactly what she was seeing. Buffy was expressing hate, not for Elise, but for herself. Just as Faith had done many times before.
"Buffy stop it!" Faith screamed and kicked Buffy's legs out from under her. Buffy leaped up and pushed Faith to the ground. Faith shoved her aside, and Buffy did not resume her attack. She just lay on her back, sobbing. Faith put her head in her hands, and blood from her palm ran down her arm and cheek.
Elise had slipped away unnoticed.
Now! thought Tara, giving the signal to Willow and Dawn both. Tara released a blinding fireball that knocked one of the three guards back into the rings of fire and startled the other two long enough for Dawn to push one away and Tara the other. The vampire was consumed by fire at once and the two demons didn't fare much better. One staggered back into the center, but Tara used magic to push him back into the fire.
The guards outside the fire were distracted as planned, and six of them fell before they even realized they were under attack. Willow used her crossbow, keeping her magical energy in reserve, and the others helped as well. Soon the room was cleared, and other than a bruised back where Xander had been struck by a badly thrown club, nobody was hurt.
"Are you all right?" Willow called through the flames.
"We're fine! Are you ready for this, darling?"
"I think so. We'll find out, I guess!"
Willow and Tara faced each other through three walls of fire, and extended their hands. The fire between them pressed downward and to the sides, repelled by unseen magical force. Willow began to shake.
"Go, Dawn! It's OK!" Tara said, urgently. Dawn hesitantly approached the fire and, cringing, placed her foot over the lowest point in the flames. She expected to be burned, but instead she felt an invisible resistance–a bridge! She ran across to Willow, inches above the fire, and Anya pulled her clear so Tara could come next.
"Hold on, Willow!" called Tara. Willow would have to maintain the bridge by herself now. Tara lowered her arms and leaped towards her lover. The bridge did not quite hold, and Willow fell to the floor as the flames surged high again. Tara fell on top of Willow, her dress on fire, and quickly rolled to the side to put out the flames.
"Oh... Tara..." said Willow weakly.
"I'm OK. It barely got me."
"I guess... I wasn't... ready..."
Tara kissed Willow. "You did great!" She transmitted news of their success to Faith, Buffy and the Watcher.
The sound of running footsteps caused the group to turn toward the door, weapons ready.
"Found you!" Mrs. Betts panted. "Let's get out of here. I think I've cleared the way for us."
"What about Buffy and Faith?" asked Willow, worried. She and Tara both felt rising fear.
"I assume they're on their way out, too. I saw them catch Elise, but I was too far away to help."
"Elise is dead?"
"I assume so." There was something odd about the Watcher's manner, but Willow did not press her further.
Buffy tore off a strip of her shirt and bound Faith's hand. "I'm glad our relationship is moving forward so nicely," she said, trying to make a joke. "Instead of trying to kill each other, we just bite." She gestured toward her own shoulder that Faith had bitten after leaving Willow. Buffy was pointedly avoiding discussing what had just happened. She was furious with herself. Elise had gotten away! At least Dawn and Tara were safe.
But Faith needed to understand. "Buffy... what did she do to us?"
"What did she do to us?" Buffy looked at Faith, surprised. "Trust me, it was all us. I always thought it was something wrong with just me. I guess it's the same for you. Have you done that often?"
"Done what? Raped a vampire?! No!"
"Rape, willing sex... anything. It's an obsession, Faith. I think maybe it's something every Slayer faces. You know how hot Slaying gets us anyway. And then the right vampire comes along... and we can't stop ourselves. Kendra once said something about it. I didn't understand what she meant at the time, but I think she raped a male vampire."
"You've done that with other vampires before?"
"You know I have. Angel was the worst. Because I loved him too. And because of his curse. But there have been others I have felt that way about. Pure, cold desire without feeling or reason. Completely out of control. And I've acted it on it since Angel, too." Buffy leaned her face on her hand, hiding her eyes. "With Spike."
"Spike?!"
Buffy nodded. "At least he wasn't an enemy like Elise. But I hurt him badly. He thought he was in love with me, and I tried to stay away, yet I kept getting drawn into sex with him. It was very frustrating. I hated myself afterwards. Like I do now."
Faith held Buffy's hand. "I can't believe it. I've felt that way before, a little, but it never came to actual sex. Not until Elise."
Buffy helped Faith to her feet with a sigh. "Let's go catch up with the others. They may still run into trouble."
"At least Mrs. Betts wasn't here to see what we did," said Faith.
The Slayers caught up with the others in the sewers just outside the entrance to Elise's hidden base. They ran to hug Dawn, and congratulated Willow and Tara on their successful operation.
"Thanks, Tara," said Buffy. "For going with Dawn. That was very brave."
Faith walked beside Willow. "How's the magic going?"
"That wore me out. But I still want to do more. You forget how good it feels!"
"How much more do you want to do?" asked Faith carefully, worried by the gleam in Willow's eyes.
"Don't worry. Only as much as Tara thinks I'm ready for. I won't slip back, not with her around. And you, of course! But she's in charge of my powers now, and I think that's how things have to stay." Willow stroked Faith's arm. "Hey, wasn't there something you were going to tell me back at the house?"
Buffy overheard and joined Faith. They had never finished telling Willow they were together. Now they could tell everyone at once! "Guys," called Buffy, smiling, "there's something I'd like to tell you. I've started seeing someone. Someone wonderful."
Willow and Tara looked downcast. They had hoped Buffy would somehow give Faith a chance. Spike looked glum for his own reasons.
"Don't look so sad, Willow, you finally wore me down!" Buffy put her arm around Faith's waist, and Faith laid her head on the Slayer's shoulder.
Willow and Tara both beamed, and even Mrs. Betts might have shown the tiniest trace of a smile... but Dawn was simply ecstatic. She bounded over to hug the Slayers, splashing everyone with dirty water. "I knew you loved her, Buffy!"
"We're really just dating. But I do feel very lucky," Buffy said, putting her other hand on Faith's stomach. Faith smiled, hoping that Dawn's words would come true. The subtly possessive way that Buffy grasped Faith escaped her notice.
Only Willow saw the pain and fear hiding in Buffy's eyes. "I can't believe it," she said, putting on a brave face herself, "this is great!"
"It's all a little weird for me," said Buffy awkwardly, "but I think it's a good thing. And since Faith has moved in with me... that means the couch is now available for my Adopt-a-Lesbian program!"
"Don't look at me!" said Anya, taking Buffy seriously.
Then everyone fell silent, feeling suddenly dizzy. And the ancient demon Jatharal was upon them.
Elise ran deeper into the forgotten depths of the sewers, half-nude and terrified. But her inner determination could not be quenched. Even as she fled, she vowed terrible revenge on the Slayers and on everyone they cared about. The beating she had received hurt her terribly. But the pleasure she had received angered her far more.
Eventually, she calmed down. She tore off the bottom two-thirds of her blouse and fastened it around her waist as a short skirt, tying the rest together to cover her breasts. Then she began gathering vampires together as she came across them, bluffing that she had known the attack was coming and had led most of her followers to safety. She was furious to realize the full extent of the Slayer's attack on her army–months of work destroyed!
When she had something of a group to back her up, she went to check on Dawn. Gone. No surprise there. So she went to try her bluff on Jatharal as well. She'd buy time, claiming that she had simply moved Dawn along with the others.
But when she reached Jatharal's chamber, the demon was gone. That could mean he had learned of Dawn's rescue and abandoned Elise, leaving Sunnydale for whatever dank cave he called home. Or it could mean he had gone after Dawn himself. She hoped desperately that that was not the case. If Jatharal took the Key without her, after she had failed him, then her dreams of power would be killed as surely as she would herself. It would be better if the Slayers killed the demon.
Jatharal was jet black, hairy, powerfully muscled, and almost twice as tall as a human. A single horn on his misshapen forehead matched the one on the end of his long tail, and he had three long claws on each hand and foot. He splashed towards the Scoobies out of the darkness behind them, letting out a terrifying roar. His tiny eyes glowed orange.
Tara recognized him at once from the descriptions in ancient texts. "It's Jatharal! Hold your breath! Get away... from his poison!" She was getting dizzier herself even as she ran. The demon's breath was odorless, but killed quickly.
The demon stopped following them, and they regained their senses, gasping for breath. "He's got Dawn!" shouted Faith, racing back towards the demon with Buffy close behind. Jatharal carried the Key under one arm. She was not moving.
Buffy kicked the demon in the gut and then in the wrist. Dawn dropped to the ground and lay limply, her legs in the water flowing through the passage. Buffy had to breathe, and when she did she felt instantly dizzy and sick. She held her breath again, took a small axe from her belt, and leaped after the demon again. Where is Faith? She thought through the haze as she hacked uselessly at the demon's thick, hairy hide. Mrs. Betts, watching from a safe distance with the others, thought the same thing.
The monster barely seemed to feel the Slayer's blows. Forced to breathe again, she collapsed beside her sister's unmoving form. Her last thought was of the Oracle. Not yet! Then, in her confused mind, Faith was kissing her and the burning in her lungs was vanishing. But in reality Faith was nowhere to be seen. Buffy stopped moving.
Faith started to chase after Elise, but defeating Jatharal was far more pressing. The vampire had pulled Faith into a side passage and hissed a single sentence before fleeing. The vampire wanted revenge on the Slayers, but she hadn't stayed alive for so long by making hasty decisions. And perhaps she might yet find a way to use the Slayers for her own ends.
Faith turned to see colored fireballs splashing harmlessly off of the demon–the best attack Tara could muster–while two crossbow bolts and a thrown sword bounced aside equally harmlessly.
"Hold your fire!" shouted Faith, holding her breath and racing back into the range of the demon's poison. Jatharal turned towards her and roared, exposing six massive fangs. Faith rolled between the creature's legs and leapt onto his back in a flash.
The others watched helplessly, hoping that it was not too late to save the Summers girls, but not seeing how Faith could defeat a demon that had no known vulnerabilities. Mrs. Betts found herself glad to have such selfless bravery to put in her report on Faith. She found that she wanted Faith to prevail at the Council's trial. Willow and Tara were both frozen in terror, suddenly sure that one Slayer would not live through this battle. But to Mrs. Betts, it looked as though neither Slayer would survive.
Faith hugged her arms around the creature's neck and held on for dear life. The creature exhaled through its mouth, but inhaled through two large gill flaps on its neck. Faith squeezed the gills closed. Jatharal reached up with massive, cruel claws to slash the Slayer's arms to pieces. Faith saw the shining claws at the same moment she was forced to take a breath, mere inches from the source of the poison gas. She felt blinding pain from her elbows downward, and even as she felt herself falling, she too passed out.
Deja vu. She was tucked in bed and Dawn was approaching with a tray of something horrible. She half expected to find Willow's shivering body beside her. But it was Buffy.
"What happened?" asked Faith, disoriented. Her arms were bandaged, and her hand where Buffy had bitten her.
"You're awake!" Dawn hugged her, spilling some of the "soup" she had made. No great loss.
"Don't ask us," said Buffy, hugging Faith as well, "we were floating around in the sewer while you were doing all the slaying! But from what I hear, you closed Jatharal's gills and forced him to breath back in through his mouth. His own poison knocked him out, and then killed him. Everyone pulled us out of the poison, but it's lucky he went down quickly or you wouldn't have any arms!" Buffy squeezed Faith tighter, still unable to believe they were both still alive. "I can't believe you did that, Faith, you saved Dawn's life! You saved my life."
"Thank you, Faith," said Dawn, crying. Then she left the two Slayers to go tell the others that Faith was all right.
"How did you guess, Faith? How did you know you could kill him with his own poison?"
"I didn't. But Elise guessed it." Faith shook her head, still confused by what had happened. "She was there, she told me that he always breathed in through his gills, and she thought that might be his weakest point. She was right."
Buffy stared at Faith, astonished. "Elise was there? When we attacked Jatharal?"
"Yeah." Faith shrugged. "She wanted him dead. I think she must have been afraid to let him use the Key without her." Elise turning on a former ally was perfectly in character.
Buffy laid her head on Faith's chest. Faith moved aside a bit without even thinking, not liking too much of Buffy's weight pressing down on her. Buffy's thoughts were dark. She thought of the vile things she and Faith had done to Elise. She thought of Faith's trial, and Mrs. Betts' inevitable reaction when she learned that Elise was still alive. And, as always, she thought of the Oracle.
But Faith's hand was slipping down inside the front of Buffy's pants, open door or not, and soon Buffy was feeling more than merely comforted.
Mrs. Betts was as good at listening as she was at watching. Hovering out of sight in the hall, she overheard the entire conversation between the Slayers. She shook her head sadly. As she had feared, Elise was not slain. The Slayers had let her go! And there was evidently still some kind of partnership between Faith and Elise, despite all the damage the Slayers had done to Elise's followers. Inside information had inspired Faith's apparent bravery.
Mrs. Betts could not figure out what was going on between Faith and Elise. And now Faith was openly telling Buffy about Elise's help. That could be a very good thing... or a very bad thing. It could mean that Faith was turning Buffy to evil as well! After hearing this, and seeing the Slayers having sex with Elise, the Watcher was beginning to think the worst. She was beginning to think it might prove very dangerous that Faith had wormed her way into Buffy's affections so effectively.
Faith needed to prove to the Council–beyond all doubt–that she was not in league with Elise. She needed to slay Elise. But now it looked like Faith's trial was over, and Mrs. Betts could not help feeling disappointment. She had been finding it increasingly difficult not to like the dark Slayer.
Continue to Episode 27 – Advice.
All eyes stared apprehensively at the covered container. All eyes except Tara's... she seemed completely unperturbed. This was the third container... surely there could be no more! But there were. Dawn just kept returning to the kitchen... again and again. Eventually she was beaming over no less than seven covered dishes of every shape and size. The celebration of Faith and Buffy's new relationship had begun.
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