Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > Choices of Life
Her hand was shaking. It was so weird. Why was her hand shaking. She just couldn't figure it out. This used to come so easy and so naturally. But something was now holding her back. And to make things worse, her stomach was hurting. And it wasn't the lousy pizza she had just eaten. No, it was the thought of causing this wonderful woman any pain.
The knife fell to the floor with a rather dull thud. Her hands continued to shake. In an instant, her knees gave out and she was sitting on the floor. Her head was resting on the bed. The pain in her stomach was too much. And tears slowly began to fall from bloodshot eyes.
"Faith?" Joyce Summers went to the rogue slayer. Even though she knew that the girl was very dangerous, she could not help but do what she did next. She sat on the floor next to her. She put her hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Faith looked into the older woman's eyes. She laughed hysterically for a moment. The slayer stopped when she saw the fear in those caring eyes. "I'm way beyond not being all right, Mrs. S. I, well, you see." She looked away, not being able to put into words what she was feeling. Because the truth of the matter was that she did not know what she was feeling or what was going on with her.
Joyce's motherly instincts kicked in. She pulled the vulnerable young woman into a hug. "You've gone down a bad path and are lost. Let me and Buffy help you find your way back."
The rogue slayer pushed Joyce away at the mention of the blond slayer. "That's not an option!" An evil grin came across Faith's face. I have to complete this I have to do what he wants me to do. The boss wants me to take out Buffy. And that's what I plan to do." Faith grabbed the knife from the floor. She pointed it at Joyce. "I think I'll start with you and the messages that I intended to send to her."
"Faith! Please!" Joyce sat back against the bed. The phone was on the floor on the other side of the bed. She was defenseless against the slayer.
Faith looked her up and down. She noticed the red mark on her neck from where just moments ago she had held the knife and began running it against it. There were even hints of little trickles of blood. "What have I done!" Again, the knife in her hand began to shake. There were these images in her head of Joyce lying bloody and carved up. It was like something was telling her to finish what she had started. But that wasn't right. None of the killing she had done while working for the mayor had been right. And now, she was supposed to take out the kindest, sweetest most loving woman she had ever known.
Joyce stood up and watched as the rogue slayer seemed to be frozen to the spot. Like something was holding her back. Slowly, she inched towards where the phone lay. She didn't want any sudden movements to upset the rogue slayer.
Faith continued to stare into space. At least, that's how it appeared to Joyce. But in reality, she was watching this slide show in her head. Choices. It had all come down to the choices that she had made. She had used her beyond sucky childhood as an excuse to choose to be wild and reckless. And that had lead to the defining moment in her life. The killing of the deputy mayor.
But what was worse, were her actions afterwards. She had friends at that point. It was true that none of the scooby gang and herself had ever been really close. But she still could have gone to them. Buffy had tried her hardest to help her. But she had shot her down. Every single time. Xander had come to her and even tried. And she had nearly killed him. Choices. They define who we are. But can those things be reversed? Can she make the choice and become a good person again?
Joyce now had the phone in her hand. She had started to dial 911. But something stopped her. Something was telling her that the confused young woman in front of her needed some help. And the police were not the ones that could give it to her. So, she dialed another number that was familiar to her. Giles answered. All she managed was, "Faith is here," before the line went dead. She hoped that he would come soon. But she also hoped that he would come with the thoughts of help.
Buffy hadn't wanted to leave Spike in the condition he was in. After all, the vampire that she was in love with had tried to commit suicide by running out in the daylight. And he was still having the babblefests. And not the cute ones that her bestest friend Willow would have from time to time.
Her thoughts were on him. She tried to make sure that she was paying attention to her surroundings. After all, there was still a rogue slayer that she had to be searching for. Faith had to be the one that was doing all the killing. Blonds only. It just had to be her. There was no other possibility.
That's when Giles' old Citron nearly ran her over. Well, it nearly bumped into her and she nearly totaled it. "Giles!" That's when her watcher slammed on the breaks.
"Get in! Now!" Giles opened the door for her. "We've got a possible situation. One that requires a slayer. Faith is at your house with your mother."
"What!" Buffy was nearly thrown out of the car Giles turned the corner so fast. "Move this piece of junk. I could walk faster then you are moving. Step on it Giles!"
Giles could hear the tone in Buffy's voice. He knew that she would hit first and ask questions later. He had to stop her. Because if she did that, she could be the next to go down a dark path like Faith. "We just have to get her under control. I don't want you doing anything foolish."
Buffy shot him a warning look. It wasn't long and they would be at her house. "Look, I'll wait and see what the situation is. But if Faith is up to her old tricks, I'm gonna punch first. I'm not taking chances. Not when my mom's life is at stake."
"I understand how you feel." Giles sighed. "But please do be careful. Remember what lead Faith down the path that she is now on. I don't wish to see you go down that path." He hesitated for a moment. "I care for you too much."
That made Buffy look at him. Giles was the stuffy man from England. Plus he was her watcher. He had never said that he had cared. Granted, there were other things that told her that he cared. The smallest of things. But she knew but didn't know. Not until that very moment.
The car jolted to a stop in front of her house. Before Giles could even open his door, she was out and running. The front door was locked so she kicked the thing out of her way. Her instincts told her to make it to her mom's room.
When she got there, Joyce stood on the far side of the bed. Faith stood closer to the doorway and Buffy. Faith still had the knife in her hand. And the hand was still shaking. The blond noticed the red mark on her mom's neck. A fist was immediately at her right side.
But it relaxed when she noticed her mother shake her head. Slowly, Buffy made her way into the room. Giles now stood in the doorway, watching silently as the blond slayer made her way to stand in front of the rogue slayer. "Faith?"
Faith immediately snapped out of the world that she had been trapped in. The knife immediately raised as if she was going to strike her down. Instead, it fell to the floor with a resounding thud. Tears again formed in the rogue slayer's eyes. "I can't. No more. Too many lives." Buffy did what she thought she had to do. She took Faith into a hug and let her cry.
Ayna, Xander, Willow, Tara, and Oz had managed to tie up the werewolf Oz. Not that they wanted him there, but the two wiccans agreed that theirs was the safest place. After all, they were the ones that had the magick to protect themselves. The werewolf Oz was well sedated at this point and locked in their spare room.
The five now sat in various spots around the living room. Oz kept staring into space. Finally, he startled everyone by speaking. "I never thought that this would happen." He looked at Willow and Tara. "After what happened with you two, I knew I had to do something. If it could come out during the day, than something had to be done."
"What did you do?" Willow was holding Tara's hand tightly.
"I found someone. A magick guy. Named Rack. Said he could help." Oz swallowed before going on. "I never about the fact that there are always consequences."
Willow nodded. "Yeah, the biggest thing to remember about any kind of magick is that there is a price. Usually it just drains the energy of the person performing it. But when darker magicks are involved, well, things get a little more complicated. And in this case, I'd say very complicated."
"Yeah." Oz sighed. "I have to admit. I did this because I still wanted you back." His eyes met with emerald green ones. "I know now that it was for selfish reasons. That probably didn't help matters either."
"No." Willow smiled sadly. "If ones intentions are not true, than it does have side effects." They sat in silence for a moment. "I'm just wondering how this guy Rack did this. Because I was under the impression that the werewolf was a part of you. I'd read and read on how to help you control or even to get rid of the wolfy side of you. And everything I read said that you two are one and had to keep being as one."
Oz looked worried. "I think everyone should get out. And get out now!"
They stared at him. That's when the door to the spare room exploded. The werewolf Oz had broken through several layers of chains. And somehow had come around from being well tranquilized. The werewolf came right at Willow and Tara. Claws ready to strike the blond down.
The knife fell to the floor with a rather dull thud. Her hands continued to shake. In an instant, her knees gave out and she was sitting on the floor. Her head was resting on the bed. The pain in her stomach was too much. And tears slowly began to fall from bloodshot eyes.
"Faith?" Joyce Summers went to the rogue slayer. Even though she knew that the girl was very dangerous, she could not help but do what she did next. She sat on the floor next to her. She put her hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Faith looked into the older woman's eyes. She laughed hysterically for a moment. The slayer stopped when she saw the fear in those caring eyes. "I'm way beyond not being all right, Mrs. S. I, well, you see." She looked away, not being able to put into words what she was feeling. Because the truth of the matter was that she did not know what she was feeling or what was going on with her.
Joyce's motherly instincts kicked in. She pulled the vulnerable young woman into a hug. "You've gone down a bad path and are lost. Let me and Buffy help you find your way back."
The rogue slayer pushed Joyce away at the mention of the blond slayer. "That's not an option!" An evil grin came across Faith's face. I have to complete this I have to do what he wants me to do. The boss wants me to take out Buffy. And that's what I plan to do." Faith grabbed the knife from the floor. She pointed it at Joyce. "I think I'll start with you and the messages that I intended to send to her."
"Faith! Please!" Joyce sat back against the bed. The phone was on the floor on the other side of the bed. She was defenseless against the slayer.
Faith looked her up and down. She noticed the red mark on her neck from where just moments ago she had held the knife and began running it against it. There were even hints of little trickles of blood. "What have I done!" Again, the knife in her hand began to shake. There were these images in her head of Joyce lying bloody and carved up. It was like something was telling her to finish what she had started. But that wasn't right. None of the killing she had done while working for the mayor had been right. And now, she was supposed to take out the kindest, sweetest most loving woman she had ever known.
Joyce stood up and watched as the rogue slayer seemed to be frozen to the spot. Like something was holding her back. Slowly, she inched towards where the phone lay. She didn't want any sudden movements to upset the rogue slayer.
Faith continued to stare into space. At least, that's how it appeared to Joyce. But in reality, she was watching this slide show in her head. Choices. It had all come down to the choices that she had made. She had used her beyond sucky childhood as an excuse to choose to be wild and reckless. And that had lead to the defining moment in her life. The killing of the deputy mayor.
But what was worse, were her actions afterwards. She had friends at that point. It was true that none of the scooby gang and herself had ever been really close. But she still could have gone to them. Buffy had tried her hardest to help her. But she had shot her down. Every single time. Xander had come to her and even tried. And she had nearly killed him. Choices. They define who we are. But can those things be reversed? Can she make the choice and become a good person again?
Joyce now had the phone in her hand. She had started to dial 911. But something stopped her. Something was telling her that the confused young woman in front of her needed some help. And the police were not the ones that could give it to her. So, she dialed another number that was familiar to her. Giles answered. All she managed was, "Faith is here," before the line went dead. She hoped that he would come soon. But she also hoped that he would come with the thoughts of help.
Buffy hadn't wanted to leave Spike in the condition he was in. After all, the vampire that she was in love with had tried to commit suicide by running out in the daylight. And he was still having the babblefests. And not the cute ones that her bestest friend Willow would have from time to time.
Her thoughts were on him. She tried to make sure that she was paying attention to her surroundings. After all, there was still a rogue slayer that she had to be searching for. Faith had to be the one that was doing all the killing. Blonds only. It just had to be her. There was no other possibility.
That's when Giles' old Citron nearly ran her over. Well, it nearly bumped into her and she nearly totaled it. "Giles!" That's when her watcher slammed on the breaks.
"Get in! Now!" Giles opened the door for her. "We've got a possible situation. One that requires a slayer. Faith is at your house with your mother."
"What!" Buffy was nearly thrown out of the car Giles turned the corner so fast. "Move this piece of junk. I could walk faster then you are moving. Step on it Giles!"
Giles could hear the tone in Buffy's voice. He knew that she would hit first and ask questions later. He had to stop her. Because if she did that, she could be the next to go down a dark path like Faith. "We just have to get her under control. I don't want you doing anything foolish."
Buffy shot him a warning look. It wasn't long and they would be at her house. "Look, I'll wait and see what the situation is. But if Faith is up to her old tricks, I'm gonna punch first. I'm not taking chances. Not when my mom's life is at stake."
"I understand how you feel." Giles sighed. "But please do be careful. Remember what lead Faith down the path that she is now on. I don't wish to see you go down that path." He hesitated for a moment. "I care for you too much."
That made Buffy look at him. Giles was the stuffy man from England. Plus he was her watcher. He had never said that he had cared. Granted, there were other things that told her that he cared. The smallest of things. But she knew but didn't know. Not until that very moment.
The car jolted to a stop in front of her house. Before Giles could even open his door, she was out and running. The front door was locked so she kicked the thing out of her way. Her instincts told her to make it to her mom's room.
When she got there, Joyce stood on the far side of the bed. Faith stood closer to the doorway and Buffy. Faith still had the knife in her hand. And the hand was still shaking. The blond noticed the red mark on her mom's neck. A fist was immediately at her right side.
But it relaxed when she noticed her mother shake her head. Slowly, Buffy made her way into the room. Giles now stood in the doorway, watching silently as the blond slayer made her way to stand in front of the rogue slayer. "Faith?"
Faith immediately snapped out of the world that she had been trapped in. The knife immediately raised as if she was going to strike her down. Instead, it fell to the floor with a resounding thud. Tears again formed in the rogue slayer's eyes. "I can't. No more. Too many lives." Buffy did what she thought she had to do. She took Faith into a hug and let her cry.
Ayna, Xander, Willow, Tara, and Oz had managed to tie up the werewolf Oz. Not that they wanted him there, but the two wiccans agreed that theirs was the safest place. After all, they were the ones that had the magick to protect themselves. The werewolf Oz was well sedated at this point and locked in their spare room.
The five now sat in various spots around the living room. Oz kept staring into space. Finally, he startled everyone by speaking. "I never thought that this would happen." He looked at Willow and Tara. "After what happened with you two, I knew I had to do something. If it could come out during the day, than something had to be done."
"What did you do?" Willow was holding Tara's hand tightly.
"I found someone. A magick guy. Named Rack. Said he could help." Oz swallowed before going on. "I never about the fact that there are always consequences."
Willow nodded. "Yeah, the biggest thing to remember about any kind of magick is that there is a price. Usually it just drains the energy of the person performing it. But when darker magicks are involved, well, things get a little more complicated. And in this case, I'd say very complicated."
"Yeah." Oz sighed. "I have to admit. I did this because I still wanted you back." His eyes met with emerald green ones. "I know now that it was for selfish reasons. That probably didn't help matters either."
"No." Willow smiled sadly. "If ones intentions are not true, than it does have side effects." They sat in silence for a moment. "I'm just wondering how this guy Rack did this. Because I was under the impression that the werewolf was a part of you. I'd read and read on how to help you control or even to get rid of the wolfy side of you. And everything I read said that you two are one and had to keep being as one."
Oz looked worried. "I think everyone should get out. And get out now!"
They stared at him. That's when the door to the spare room exploded. The werewolf Oz had broken through several layers of chains. And somehow had come around from being well tranquilized. The werewolf came right at Willow and Tara. Claws ready to strike the blond down.
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