Learning Curve
by rebelrsr
Chapter 27
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers, etc.: I altered the timeline of "The Yoko Factor," "Primeval," and Angel the Series "Sanctuary" with reckless abandon. It's mostly AU from here. Thanks to the best beta crew: Zenithar, and Zigpal I couldn't do it without you.
A/N: Thoughts enclosed by **. Flashbacks enclosed by //.
Archiving: By permission only.
Tara snuggled into the warm body next to her. Reaching out with a tendril of power, she noted her wards hadn't been disturbed. Good. She opened her eyes, smiling at her Slayer. The beautiful brunette was still sleeping, but the witch noted lines of strain around mouth and eyes, and a deep wrinkle in her forehead. With a gentle hand, Tara smoothed the furrowed brow.
When she touched Faith, her relaxation disappeared. Something was wrong. The Slayer's aura was a steady blue, but the touch leaked emotions. The younger girl was scared, frustrated, angry. Responding instantly to the cocktail of feelings, the blonde shook her bedmate. "Faith? Sweetie, come on. Wake up." There was no response to her call. Worried, Tara muttered a quick spell. Her eyes widened at the results and she hurtled off the bed, quickly stepping into her discarded jeans and T-shirt from the previous day. Banishing the wards with a quick wave, she bolted across the hall and pounded on Buffy's door.
She wiggled impatiently until the door opened and a bleary-eyed Slayer glared at her. "What's the deal, Tara?"
"It's Faith." The witch got right to the point. "She's under some kind of enspelled sleep. I can't get her to wake up."
Buffy responded to the urgency in Tara's voice. "OK. Hang on." She closed the door with a snap.
By the time the Slayer and Willow stumbled into the hall, the blonde witch was frantic. She'd kept a link with her Slayer and the tension level in the brunette continued to rise. The three girls entered the storage-cum-guest room and stared at the sleeping figure. "I woke up and found her like this."
"Are you sure she's not just sleeping?" Willow asked. The brunette looked normal, if a bit younger and more vulnerable than the redhead had ever seen her.
"Yes. I'm sure." Tara spit the words out. "When I couldn't get her to wake up, I tried a divining spell. Someone or something has her in an enspelled sleep. The signature is familiar, but I couldn't place it."
The redhead frowned. "Can you do the spell again, with me linked? Maybe I'll recognize the signature."
Holding out her hand, Tara began the divining spell. The energy surrounded the sleeping Slayer gently, pressing and prodding at the boundaries of the power keeping the girl asleep. The first time, the blonde had only glimpsed the signature before going for help. This time, she and Willow pressed deeper. The power holding Faith was old. The witches looked at each other and released the spell. "Oh, Goddess," Tara breathed.
"Um, yeah, that's not good," Willow agreed.
The elder Slayer grimaced. She hated it when the two witches did this. "Hello?" She waved a small hand. "In the room, and I need an explanation, please."
"We need to check with Giles, but I'm pretty sure the power behind that sleep thing is the First Slayer." Green eyes regarded her girlfriend apprehensively. "I think we missed a side effect or two."
***
The gathered Scoobies waited for Giles to make his announcement. They'd been pouring over the texts regarding the enjoining spell for nearly an hour when the Watcher had cleared his throat. "I believe we may have inadvertently roused the First Slayer's ire when we included Faith in the spell."
Without thinking, Willow muttered, "Gee, I think I said that a few times." The strained silence in the room alerted her to unsolicited remark. "Um, oops. I said that out loud, didn't I?"
Despite her lingering irritation, Tara ignored the snide comment, focusing on getting her Slayer out of danger. "Why would she be angry? Faith's a Slayer."
"That, I'm afraid, it the part that is still unclear." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in vexation.
"So, what do we do next?" Buffy wanted to know.
Giles sighed tiredly. "Well, we need to find out why the spell has been cast and what, exactly, is its purpose. Tara, did you and Willow pick up anything when you performed the divination?"
"Not really. Just a general sense of Faith's emotions," Willow answered.
Her blonde mentor agreed. "I'd be willing to try again, though. If we altered the wording of the incantation, we might be able to get a glimpse of what's going on in her head."
"Excellent, my dear. While you and Willow try that, the rest of us will keep looking for an explanation." He ignored the groans from Buffy and Xander. "I am most concerned with why this is happening. One last thing before you go, girls. During the enjoining spell, did any of you feel a malevolent will from the First Slayer?"
All three of the anchors looked at one another, trying to remember details from the battle with Adam. Joyce was the first to speak. "Not really, Rupert. I felt the others very clearly, but the other energy was simply there. I didn't get any real feelings from it, just an energy boost."
Only Tara had anything more to add. "When I noticed the power was dividing, I could tell She was confused, but I didn't get anything more. What are you thinking, Mr. Giles?"
"Oh, nothing, really. I just wondered if perhaps there was an issue with there being two Slayers." Giles grimaced. "Let's not borrow trouble. See if you can find anything out from Faith."
Not wanting to waste more time, Tara pulled Willow up the stairs, explaining along the way about the new spell. "I want to try getting an image of what she's seeing in the dream. Maybe that will tell us what's going on. When we start the chant, focus your energy on matching her brain patterns, and I'll handle the wording."
"OK." The redhead eyed her former girlfriend. "When did you get so take charge? I mean, no stutter, no blush, and no hesitation."
The familiar half-smile appeared. "Too much to worry about right now. Besides, it was really only a problem when I was nervous."
"Oh, yeah, when the Hellmouth is lobbing demons and nasties at you, the nerves tend to fade into do or die instinct," the redhead agreed. They reentered the bedroom. Willow knelt by Faith's head, one slim hand resting on her forehead. Tara stood behind her and began chanting. Pale light surrounded the three girls, linking them together. The novice witch struggled to guide the energy into the Slayer and match the faint electrical pulses she sensed in the brunette's mind. Finally, with an almost audible pop, the energy flowed together. Images flickered in the witches' minds.
***
Faith stopped moving and glared at the bearded man. "Not about a play? Then why all the freaky costumes and the stage?"
"Get down!" he commanded, pulling her flat to the ground. "Look, this really isn't the place for explanations."
Despite screaming Slayer senses, the brunette had reached her limit. "Then talk fast, cause I'm done with this crap."
Professor Z looked frustrated, but began talking. "This is all a dream. You aren't in Restfield or in a play, you're sound asleep. Unfortunately, this is a special dream. You won't wake up until you've passed several tests and chosen your path."
The Dark Slayer stared at her companion. "If it's a dream, why all the drama over the vamps and demons? It ain't like they can hurt me in my head."
"They can, Faith. They can even kill you. Remember, this isn't a normal dream. It's a vision quest. You are here to discover who and what you are and will become. I am your guide. I'm here to provide information when I can, and I will await you at the conclusion of your quest."
A twinge in her senses sent the Dark Slayer lunging at her guide. She reached him just in time. A knife buried itself hilt-deep in the spot the professor had been occupying. Faith dragged him to his feet and they ran through the pitch-dark cemetery, stumbling over headstones as they raced for the exit. Faith cursed the whole set up. She'd left Tara's room before going to the drama class with a knife and a stake. Now, she was unarmed.
"OK." She shoved the panting drama professor against a mausoleum. "Stay put. This may look like Restfield, but it ain't. We've been by this same place twice already. I need to find a weapon and take a look at what's following us." Leaving him, the Slayer quickly headed back toward their original position. Her senses stretched out, she kept watch for demons or vamps, but felt nothing. After several nerve-wracking minutes, Faith found the spot they'd been attacked. She frowned. There was no trace of anyone having been through the area. No footprints, no flattened grass where they'd hugged the ground, no knife.
Something wasn't right. *Of course it ain't right. I'm in a dream.* Cursing, the brunette decided to sweep the cemetery before returning to her guide. Spinning on her heel, Faith ran...
***
Tara had seen enough. Brushing Willow's mind, she began to pull away from the dream. "Did you get all that?"
"Yeah. Damn. A vision quest." The redhead sat back on her heels. "Is there a way we can help Faith with the tasks she has to complete?"
"Maybe. The guide said something about having to find herself. I want to talk to Mr. Giles, but we could try putting ourselves into the dream, picking the scenes. We'd have a chance to influence things, but we can't tell Faith what to do. Vision quests only work if the person experiencing them is sincere and genuine." Tara fell silent.
**
The vision quest didn't take long to explain to the re-gathered Scoobies. "I want each of us involved in the enjoining spell to take part in one of the tasks." Tara swept the room with determined blue eyes. "Pick something from your personal history with Faith — some moment when a different decision would have altered everything that followed."
"What about me?" Buffy queried. "I wasn't supposed to be part of the magic, but the First Slayer did touch me."
"Then you'll need to be a part of this, too." Tara frowned. Four women; four tasks. She hoped it would be enough. "Buffy, do you know what event you'll be focusing on?"
Swallowing her sudden unease, the Slayer nodded. "Yeah. There are a couple doozies to choose from, but I think I know which one was the most damaging to my relationship with Faith."
***
...down an alley. *What the fuck?* The thought stopped abruptly when a figure hurtled in front of her. Without thinking, the Dark Slayer swung her stake, pinning the vamp to the wooden crate behind it. When the vamp didn't turn to dust, the brunette looked closely at her opponent. Allen Finch stared back at her, confusion in his eyes and blood trickling from his mouth.
A leather-clad Buffy pushed the stunned teen out of the way. "Don't move," she told the Deputy Mayor.
"I-I-I didn't know." Faith felt sick. It couldn't be happening again. It had to be the freaking dream thing. "B, we have to get out of here." She started backing away, shaking her head.
"Faith, we need to call 911!" The blonde Slayer look terrified. The man on the ground didn't seem to be breathing.
Responding to her own not-so-inconsiderable terror, Faith pulled Buffy away from the corpse. "B, it's too late. We gotta motor before the cops get here." Unfortunately for the brunette, she'd forgotten just how stubborn her sister Slayer could be.
Wrenching away, the senior Slayer snapped, "I'm not leaving him here. It was an accident, Faith. The police will understand."
"No. They won't!" The Dark Slayer gave in to her fears, and sprinted from the alley. Fueled by adrenaline, she ran unseeing through downtown Sunnydale, the aftermath of Finch's death tumbling over and over in her mind. The streets were strangely deserted. No cars, no people. Sliding to a stop in front of Sunnydale's only movie theatre, the frightened teen tried to come up with a plan.
"Still running, Faith?" Professor Z's voice taunted.
Faith looked around, but she didn't see the drama professor. *Forget the plan.* She took off again, heading for the docks. However, as the brunette turned off Main Street, she ran...
...down an alley. *Oh, come on already.* The thought stopped abruptly when a figure hurtled in front of her. Without thinking, the Dark Slayer swung her stake, pinning the vamp to the wooden crate behind it. When the vamp didn't turn to dust, the brunette looked closely at her opponent. Allen Finch stared back at her, confusion in his eyes and blood trickling from his mouth.
A leather-clad Buffy pushed the stunned teen out of the way. "Don't move," she told the Deputy Mayor.
Faith froze. This had just happened. Praying to any god or goddess who would listen, she begged for the nightmare to stop. The Dark Slayer looked at her blood covered hands and her stomach heaved. Kneeling in the filthy alley, she vomited helplessly.
"Faith, we need to call 911!" The blonde Slayer look terrified. The man on the ground didn't seem to be breathing.
Wiping her mouth with a trembling hand, the brunette saw the fear in the hazel eyes. "We can't call the police, B. They'll lock us up."
"We can't just leave him here. He's human. We killed a human, Faith!"
"No, B." Sad brown eyes met frightened hazel ones. "I killed a human. You ain't involved. Go on back to the Super Friends." The brunette Slayer took a deep breath. "Once you're gone, I'll call the cops."
Buffy slowly stood, hands dangling at her sides. They were stained red from the Deputy Mayor's blood. "What?"
"Just go, B. One of us has to be here to take care of the Hellmouth. You're the Slayer, B. I'm just some white trash wanna-be." She gestured at the corpse. "I'll tell the cops it was an accident." A tiny inner voice screamed at the brunette, demanding she leave her counterpart to take the fall, but Faith ignored it.
"Why would you do that, Faith? I tossed him to you. We're both involved in this." Buffy held out a hand. "Don't do this alone. Come on. We'll call Giles."
Swayed by the silent plea in her sister Slayer's eyes, the younger girl nodded and took the offered hand. "OK, B. We'll do it your way."
The blonde grinned at her. "See? That wasn't so hard."
The panic slowly faded, and Faith moved closer...