The Faith Trials, Vol. 1 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, No. 21)
Chapter 1The Bronze.An absolutely perfect night at Buffy's all-time favorite hangout with her buds. Cordelia, Xander, Oz, and Willow sat at a table and watched her as she danced.Danced.With Angel.The music pounded out a subtle rhythm. Her friends did not smile at her. She felt a tiny shudder go through her as a horrible suspicion crossed her mind. Buffy pushed it away. She needed the strength of his hands on her to be real, needed him with her.Moving slowly with Angel, she glanced up at him sadly. Their foreheads touched as they nuzzled together just a bit."I miss you," she whispered.Her hands moved down along his arms and her fingers twined with his. The claddagh ring on her left hand -- the ring he had given her as a promise that he would always be with her -- slipped from her finger and hit the floor with a tinkling metallic sound. Slowly, Buffy and Angel both glanced down at it.Angel reached down to pick it up. When his fingers touched it, he flinched. His gaze burned her like fire and guilt swept over her. He stared at her and she knew he remembered that she had run him through with a sword, sent him plunging through a portal into Hell eternal, in order to save the world.Heart breaking, Buffy shook her head slowly. "I had to," she said weakly.Angel crushed the ring in his right hand, the one upon which he wore its twin, and blood dripped from between his fingers."I loved you," he said, though his voice quavered with anger.His white shirt blossomed with a spreading bloodstain, right at the spot where the sword had punched through his chest."Oh God, Angel," Buffy cried, reaching out for him."Go to Hell!" he snapped, furious.Buffy glanced at the bloodstain again. Then she heard him chuckling softly, cruelly, and her gaze went back to his face.A horrible face. Dead. Decaying. The rotting face of a corpse.Buffy's eyes flickered open. She sat up in bed, heart aching with the echoes of her dream, deeply troubled. It had all felt so real. But then again, the worst dreams always did.She reached over and opened the nightstand drawer. Inside was the claddagh ring Angel had given her, hung from a chain. She pulled it out and was still staring at it when her mother rapped on the open door to her bedroom."Morning, Sunshine," Joyce Summers said pleasantly. "Ready to face the Beast?"A short time later, Buffy and her mother sat in the office of the Beast -- Principal Snyder -- as the cantankerous, bitter man glared at them from his high-backed desk chair. Buffy reached out to pick up a silver, daggerlike letter opener from his desk and fiddled with it, a bit nervous."Here are the terms of your reentry, Miss. Take 'em or leave 'em," Snyder said, anger simmering beneath his words. "One, that you pass a makeup test for every class you skipped out on last year. Two, that you provide, in writing, one glowing letter of recommendation from any member of our faculty who is not an English librarian."Snyder eyed the letter opener in Buffy's hands and rose from his chair. He continued to speak as he moved around his desk toward her."Three, that you complete an interview with our school psychologist, who must conclude that your violent tendencies are under control." Snyder snatched the letter opener from Buffy's hands and glared at her."I'm not sure I like your attitude, Mr. Snyder," Joyce said tersely. "I spoke to the school board and according to them -- ""I'm required to educate every juvenile who's not in jail where she belongs," the principal interrupted. He crossed the room and stared petulantly out the window. "Welcome back."Buffy stood up and eyed him with amusement. "So let me get this straight. I'm really back because the school board overruled you. Wow, that's like having your whole ability to do this job called into question, when you think about it."Her mother stood up beside her. "I think what my daughter's trying to say is, nyah nyah nyah nyah."Satisfied, the two Summers women stood up and strode from Snyder's office.Just after they'd shut the door behind them, the intercom on Snyder's desk buzzed."It's the Mayor on line one," his secretary informed him.Snyder glanced down at the intercom anxiously as a feeling of dread swept over him.With the weight of her suspension gone, Buffy felt happier than she had in weeks. Even the fact that Giles had sent Willow to find her -- which probably meant she had done something wrong -- could not erase that good feeling. Side by side, she and Willow breezed along the hallways of Sunnydale High as if she had never left. As they pushed through the doors into the library, Willow seemed almost happier than Buffy."It's so great that you're a schoolgirl again," Willow said.Buffy glanced around the library, but they seemed to be alone. "Did Giles say what he wanted?" she asked. "Do you think he's mad?""No, I don't think so. I think he just needed to see you. Have you ever noticed though, when he is mad but he's too English to say anything, he makes that weird 'cluck cluck' sound with his tongue?"Willow grinned but did not notice Giles rise from behind the library checkout counter with a mortar and pestle and a bowl of some odd concoction. He had apparently been retrieving something from under the counter, but had clearly heard every word."Hi, Giles!" Buffy chirped awkwardly.Eyes wide with surprise, Willow turned around. "Oh, hi. Been there long?"Giles paid no attention to the question. "Buffy, good timing," he said absently. "I could use your help. I trust you remember the demon Acathla.""Giles, contain yourself," Buffy replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, I'm back in school but you know how it embarrasses me when you gush, so let's just skip all that and get straight to work."Caught off guard, Giles fumbled for a response. "Oh, ahhh, of course it's wonderful to have you back. That goes without saying. But you...enjoy making me say it, don't you?"She did enjoy seeing him squirm. Buffy grinned."Okay, Acathla, huh? What are ya doin'?" she asked, gesturing toward the mortar and pestle on the counter. "Making him some demon pizza?""We need to make sure he remains dormant, and that the dimensional vortex is sealed tight. So I'm working on a binding spell."At the mention of a spell, Willow perked up. "Ooo, a spell, can I help?"Buffy's best friend was a spellcaster-in-training, but Giles was always cautious about letting Willow get ahead of herself. Magick could be very dangerous when wielded by a novice. Buffy had heard Giles tell her that a hundred times."Possibly with the research. It's a very sensitive -- ""Who's more sensitive than me?" Willow asked in protest." -- and difficult spell," Giles finished. "It involves a protective circle around...well, I don't want to bore you, but there's litany that one has to recite in Aramaic and it's very specific. So I need to get a few details about your experiences in defeating Acathla and Angel."Buffy felt a twinge of pain and guilt as she recalled her last moments with Angel and her dream from that morning. With a heavy heart, she looked up at Giles."Fire away.""I've put the time at about six-seventeen? About half an hour after Xander rescued me.""Less. More like ten minutes.""Was the vortex already open?""Barely." Buffy felt cold.The Watcher's expression was troubled. "I see. And Angel?""Big fight. Angel got the pointy end of the sword. Acathla sucked him into Hell instead of the world. That's about it.""Yes, well that, um, should be very helpful," Giles said softly.With a flash of alarm, Buffy glanced at her watch. "Oh, no. I have to go take an English makeup exam." She paused at the door and looked back at them. "They give you credit for just speaking it, right?"At the pitying looks she received from Giles and Willow, Buffy moaned and rushed off to her exam.After Buffy left, Willow picked up a small bundle of herbs Giles had put on the counter. She smiled as she inhaled deeply."Mmm. Sage. I love that smell. And Marnox root? You know a smidgen of this mixed with a virgin's saliva -- "Giles cast her a baleful glance." -- does something I know nothing about," Willow finished sheepishly."These forces are not something that one plays around with, Willow," Giles warned. "What have you been conjuring?""Nothing!" she protested innocently, then faltered. "Much. Well, you know, I tried the spell to cure Angel and I guess that was a bust. But since then, you know, small stuff. Floating feather, fire out of ice, which next time I won't do on the bedspread." She glanced up at him anxiously. "Are you mad at me?""No, of course not," Giles replied. "If I were, I would be making a strange clucking sound with my tongue."Despite the awkwardness of her conversation earlier in the day with Giles, by the time Buffy hit the Bronze with Willow and Oz that night she was nearly giddy. Even the echo of her dream the night before could not taint her feeling that everything was going right for a change.The Bronze was packed. Darling Violetta cranked out a sultry melody on the stage as people danced all around. Buffy had gotten drinks for the three of them and when she went back to the table, Willow and Oz were trading soft kisses."Don't let me interrupt," she said with a smile."Are you -- " Willow began, then turned to Oz. "Is she all a glow-y?"Oz nodded. "I suspect happiness.""I passed my English makeup exam. I'm hanging with my friends." Buffy's smile grew even wider. "Hello my life, how I've missed you."As if on cue, Scott Hope strolled up to their table. Willow grinned at him."Hi, Scott, what are you doing here?" she asked.Almost shyly, Scott shrugged. "You told me if I came after eight I could run into Buffy," he replied, before focusing on Buffy. "I'm sorry, I'm a bad liar. It's not good for the soul. Or the skin, actually. It makes me blotch."Though she felt awkward, Buffy was charmed by him. "Hi, Scott.""Hi," he replied, obviously relieved. "Don't you love this song?""Uh, yeah. Actually I do.""Well, would you like to -- ""Dance?" Buffy finished for him, feeling a kind of panic rising in her. "I, uh...I don't know. I'm bad with, well...thank you for asking, it's just that..."Scott took a breath. "Okay, you know what? I'm just going to go stand by the dance floor. If you change your mind you can mosey on over. And if not, then, you don't mosey. No harm, no foul, right?""Right," Buffy said sadly.Scott walked off and Buffy looked over to see Willow staring at her."Come on, Buffy," Willow said. "I mean, the guy is charm. And normal, which you wanted to get back to.""Plus, bonus points for use of the word mosey," Oz added.Buffy knew they were right, but that didn't help. In some ways, it made her feel worse. " I just don't think I'm ready.""What's stopping you?" Willow asked, concern in her voice.Before Buffy could answer, Cordelia and Xander arrived to join them at the table. Cordelia wore a killer red dress that was certain to draw stares from many of the guys in the Bronze."Check out the slut-o-rama and her Disco Dave," she said as she and Xander sat down. "What was the last thing that guy danced to, K.C. and the Sunshine Band?"Buffy gazed out at the sea of bodies thrashing about on the dance floor of the Bronze. She identified the objects of Cordelia's scorn immediately. The girl was a handful and a half, dressed in a tight, belly-baring black tank and leopard print pants that were even tighter. She danced the way she dressed, like something wild.The guy was a different story. If Buffy didn't know better, she would have guessed his hideous brown-and-beige shirt and pants were polyester. He danced like he'd just seenSaturday Night Feverfor the first time. Buffy frowned as she watched him. And then she knew.Like the girl, he danced and dressed like what he was. A child of the seventies. But he still looked no more than nineteen.Which meant only one thing.Vampire."I don't think that guy thrives on sunshine," she said.Even as she came to that realization, the vampire and his wild girl left the dance floor and headed for the exit. Buffy sprang up from the table instantly and followed them. As she crossed the club, headed for the door, she found Scott Hope at the edge of the dance floor, waiting for her, just as he'd said he would."Hi," he said hopefully, a broad smile on his face."Hi," Buffy replied. Then, realizing he thought she'd come to dance with him, she fumbled. "Oh. No, I have to -- "A hurt look in his eyes. "Oh. Sorry. My bad.""No. It's mine. Really, it's mine. But I have to go -- " She felt awful, but she strode past him and out the door of the Bronze.Willow and the others weren't far behind.The five of them stood out in front of the club and looked around at the shadows and dark alleys nearby, but no one was in sight."Where'd she go?" Buffy asked.Cordelia grumbled. "I bet it's nothing. They're probably just making out."From off to the right they heard a shout and a commotion, like a struggle going on."That's not what making out sounds like," Willow said as they all ran toward the source of the noise. "Unless I'm doing it wrong."Stake in hand, Buffy led the group around a corner into an alley just in time to see the wild girl drive the vampire to the ground with a powerful side kick. The girl's raven hair flew as she turned toward them. When she saw them, she smiled and sauntered over."It's okay, I got it," she said, as though fighting vampires were the simplest thing in the world. "You're Buffy, right?"The vampire leaped from the ground and lunged at the girl from behind. It grabbed her, but she rammed her head back to smash into its face."I'm Faith."Faith grabbed the vampire's arm, twisted, and slammed it into a chain link fence."I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say there's a new Slayer in town," Oz observed dryly.With a cold brutality, Faith battered the vampire. She reached out to grab the stake in Buffy's hand."Can I borrow that?"Another two hard blows and she slammed the bloodsucker back up against the fence, then staked it. The vampire exploded into dust. Faith turned and smiled at them as she handed the stake back to Buffy."Thanks, B. Couldn't have done it without you."™ and © 2001 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.