Learning Curve
by rebelrsr
Chapter 28
[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.
The alley disappeared. Music pounded through a dim room. The Bronze. Now what? The teen club was familiar and the Dark Slayer wasn't sure why she was here. Someone bumped into her from behind, and liquid drenched the back of her shirt. Grinding her teeth, Faith spun around, ready to blast the moron who'd doused her with their drink.
"Hey, um, Faith. Look, I'm sorry about the impromptu bath. I mean, I didn't really plan on it or anything." Willow's green eyes pleaded with the brunette.
"Fuck, Red. Still managing to screw everything up." She smirked. This wasn't so bad. The lingering fear dissipated. *Wonder what's so important about tonight?* "You and the Super Friends here to tell B how great she is?'
The redhead flinched and dropped her eyes. Faith almost laughed. She'd forgotten how pathetic the witch was back in the day. No great magic and still hanging all over the werewolf. "The gangs all here, yeah. We're trying to figure out how to help find the Glove." She smiled hesitantly at the intense brunette. "It'd be great if you joined us. Kinda make it complete. All the Scoobies reunited."
"I'm not a Scooby, remember?" The words poured out, harsh and bitter. "You guys don't want me here. Saint Buffy's got Sunnydale all locked down and under control. Just as soon as we find this Glove thing, me and Gwen are heading out. I got better things to do than hang around you and your pathetic little group." Faith frowned. That wasn't the truth. The thing with Adam had been sweet.
Her companion nodded. "Sure. You're choice I guess."
"Give the gang my regrets." Faith turned away. She needed to get moving, find the Professor or the next test. Nothing big was happening here. Trying to remember the timeline, the Slayer remembered this was shortly before the big showdown in the Mansion over Angel and her fake Watcher. She shoved her way through the throng of people and headed for the door. Maybe she needed to pay Mrs. Post a visit. Just as she stepped from the Bronze...
***
Buffy blinked, feeling her heart race and tears wet her face. Giles and her mother watched expectantly. "Wow. What a rush." She stood shakily. "Everything OK, here?"
"Yes." Her Watcher looked impatient. "Is Faith doing well? Were you able to help her?"
Nodding slowly, the blonde Slayer replayed the two scenes in the alley. Poor Faith. Her choice of a trial had to have been awful for her sister Slayer. "Yeah, Giles, I think so. We replayed the night Allen Finch died. The first time," she stopped, panic flowing again as images of the man's death playing in her mind. "The first time was pretty much just the way it really happened. Except, I think Faith freaked when she realized we were reliving it. She ran. I tried to follow her, but the dream reset, and the whole thing started over, just as she stabbed him."
"Oh, honey." Joyce gripped her arm. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I think Faith is, too. After everything started over, it was really different. Allen still died, but she didn't run. Instead, she told me to leave and she'd deal with the police." She looked at Giles. "She's absolutely sure we see her as a second-rate Slayer, but she stepped up and was willing to take the fall so there would be a Slayer on the Hellmouth. No attempts to avoid responsibility or anything. I even got her to agree to call you instead of the police and let us help her."
"Good Lord, could it have been that simple?" Giles ran a hand across the bald spot developing on the top of his head.
"No, Rupert," Joyce commented. "Faith wasn't ready for that decision then. I think we all need to remember this isn't the same girl we knew. She's changed. Part of her passing this test is showing she is willing to change the actions of the past."
Buffy heard her mother's words, but most of her attention was focused on her girlfriend. "How long was I under?"
"About an hour. Tara got started with Willow just as soon as we knew you'd pulled out of the dream. It's been almost," Giles checked his watch, "thirty minutes, give or take."
"OK." She walked over and sat near the prone redhead. Willow was stretched out on the bed next to Faith, and both girls looking incredibly stressed in their sleep-like state. Tara stood over them, one hand on each head. Sweat poured down her face as she kept the two girls linked in the quest.
***
...Music pounded through a dim room. The Bronze. *OK, then. I guessed wrong. Something big does go down here.* Knowing the meeting with Willow was inevitable, Faith moved toward the bar until someone bumped into her from behind, and liquid drenched the back of her shirt. Steeling herself, Faith spun around, ready to face the shy redhead.
"Hey, um, Faith. Look, I'm sorry about the impromptu bath. I mean, I didn't really plan on it or anything." Willow green eyes pleaded with the brunette.
"Red. Hope you weren't in dire need of that drink." She smirked and pulled her soaked shirt away from her skin, flapping it a little. *How much can I change? Fuck that. What do I need to change to get a pass outta here?* "You and the Super Friends here to tell B how great she is?'
The redhead flinched and dropped her eyes. It had been funny the first time, but the Dark Slayer remembered how "current Willow" had been recently. There might be some lingering anger over past events, but the witch wasn't so bad. "The gang's all here, yeah. We're trying to figure out how to help find the Glove." She smiled hesitantly at the intense brunette. "It'd be great if you joined us. Kinda make it complete. All the Scoobies reunited."
Faith wanted to say yes, but she was hesitant. What would happen if she altered the past too much? Would things get worse? She stuck to the script for the next exchange. "I'm not a Scooby, remember?" But she had been, Faith realized. She hadn't yet severed the tenuous bond with the other teens. Still, she had to continue. "You guys don't want me here. Saint Buffy's got Sunnydale all locked down and under control. Just as soon as we find this Glove thing, me and Gwen are heading out. I got better things to do than hang around you and your pathetic little group."
Her companion nodded. "Sure. You're choice I guess." Somewhere in the conversation, though, the past had been altered. Willow didn't stop there. The girl's backbone peeked out. "This isn't really our fault, you know."
"Do tell," the Slayer mocked.
Willow flushed so brightly it was visible even in the dark bar. "Yeah, we weren't real happy about adding a new member. We've been good enough to handle the demons and stuff all by ourselves before. But, Buffy's been way happier since you got here." She bit her lip. "Me and Xander don't get the whole Slayer thing. You do. Buffy needs you, Faith. That means the Scoobies need you. Come on. We've got a table and I'll go back and get us some drinks. Just a little bit of your time. That's all. No strings or expectations."
Faith stared at the older girl, confused. She'd figured out she had to alter the scenes in her dreams, had to fix something she'd done in the past. Had she succeeded?
Sensing her hesitation, Willow pushed harder. "Please?" She stepped closer, pressing into the brunette. Looking up through her lashes, she pleaded, "I promise we won't bite."
The Dark Slayer barely managed not to jerk away. What the fuck? This wasn't Willow, was it? She grabbed the other girl's chin and peered into her green eyes. Looked like Red. Biting her lip, Faith mentally shrugged. What the hell. If this wasn't the change she was supposed to make, everything would probably rewind, just like last time. "Whatever, Red. Grab me a Jack and Coke. I'll be at the table."
"Hello? Underage, Faith." Willow glared impatiently at the smirking brunette before pushing her in the direction of the gang's table. "Just go, will you? I'll get you something legal and be there in a few."
"Yeah, OK." Suddenly more at ease, she grinned at the startled redhead. "Thanks, Red." Faith ambled through the crowd, spotting Buffy and Xander sitting at a small table in a dark corner and picked up her pace...
***
..."Faith? Honey, are you OK?" Mrs. Summers smiled at her, hand outstretched. "If you hand me the ornament, I'll put it on the tree."
Dizzy from the rapid changes in time and place, the brunette simply handed the red globe over to Buffy's mom and tried to figure out where she was this time. This one didn't take long. She'd only been at the Summers' for one Christmas. She frowned. Was this before or after Buffy's disappearing act to help Fang?
"Hey, um, Mrs. S, what time is it?" she asked.
The older woman looked at her in concern. "Maybe we should call Rupert." A warm hand cupped her chin and hazel eyes stared into Faith's brown ones. "I don't know what's wrong with you girls. First, my daughter goes tearing out of here on some unexplained mission, and now you look awfully pale."
Suddenly, the Slayer realized just what was about to happen — and what she more than likely needed to change. Swallowing, she tried to smile at the concerned Joyce. "Hey, it's no big, Mrs. S, really. Been a long time since I celebrated Christmas, ya know? Kinda got lost in some not so good memories." *Huh. And that's not even a lie.* "Let me grab some more ornaments and shit-"
"Faith, language!"
Oops. "Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, I'll get some more things for the tree." She turned away, grabbing decorations blindly from the large box on the couch. This was worse than the night Finch died in so many ways. Joyce was about to offer her the world on a platter. This time, Faith vowed, she was going to make sure she didn't screw it up. She couldn't. The Dark Slayer had noticed the pattern to her dream. Things repeated until she broke down and accepted help and friendship from the Scoobies. "Here. Will these work?"
Joyce smiled at the young girl. "Perfect, Faith. I haven't seen some of these in years." She looked closely at the ornaments. "Buffy made these when she was in elementary school. We always knew she wouldn't be an artist."
Examining the misshapen ceramic shapes — Faith didn't know what they were supposed to be — the younger Slayer had to agree. "That's good, though. See, B's doing what she was meant to do. Save the world. She's the best." For once, that thought didn't make the brunette angry or bitter. It was simply the truth.
"I'm sure you'll be just as good, Faith. Rupert's an excellent teacher. Just give yourself a chance." Joyce hung the ornaments and stepped back, wrapping an arm around her helper's shoulders. "It's fabulous. Thank you so much for your help. I'm sure you had plenty of other things you could have been doing. Spending time with the elderly must be way down on your list of things to do."
Faith laughed. Mrs. S was amazing. "You ain't elderly." At the blonde's smirk, she grinned and allowed, "Well, ya might not be jailbait, but I got no complaints." An unaccustomed shyness struck, and the Slayer dropped her eyes, mumbling, "I'm having a great time, Mrs. S. Really. First time Christmas's been something to enjoy."
The Slayer found herself the recipient of a "Mom hug." "You know, you're always welcome here, Faith. In fact," Joyce looked down at the brunette head, "I would feel a lot better about things if you simply moved in with Buffy and me."
"What?" Faith's head snapped up.
"I want you to move in. It's not right, you staying alone in that motel. The Council must be out of their minds. You're too young to be on your own like that, even if you are a Slayer." The older woman stepped back. "I've got a spare bedroom upstairs. Buffy won't be back for a while. Let's go get your stuff."
Things were moving so very fast. If only she'd been ready for this in reality. *Don't matter. I'm ready now.* Meeting Joyce's eyes, Faith changed the past. "Ain't gotta ask me twice. Be glad to leave that piece of..." Seeing the raised eyebrow, she rethought her reply. "Be glad to move out of the Sunnydale Arms. Saw a cockroach the other day as big as a dog."
"You'll certainly liven things up." Joyce chuckled and seized Faith's hand, pulling her toward the door. "Maybe you'll even be able to loosen up my straight-laced daughter."
They left the house, and Faith...
***
"Are you ready, Willow?" Giles asked the nervous redhead.
Gripping her girlfriend's hand, the witch looked anything but ready. However, someone had to put Tara into the vision quest. "Yep. I'm ready." Taking a deep breath, she decided she needed some encouragement. Grabbing Buffy, she pressed her lips urgently to the Slayer's. After a brief moment of inaction, the blonde returned the kiss and things quickly got heated.
Loud throat-clearing finally broke them apart. "Oookay. I am ready now. Very, very ready." Willow didn't elaborate on what, exactly, she was ready for. She didn't want Giles to faint. She moved to the bed and waited for Joyce to wake.