Episode 3:
"What Dreams May Come" (Part 1)

Late April/Early May 2000

Writer: Laura Fones

Title: What Dreams May Come Part 1 Author: Laura Fones E-mail Address: rb46528@aol.com Distribution: Just ask. Spoilers: None Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all. Feedback: I love it, I thrive on it, and I answer all of it.

"Awesome," Faith smiled and stood wide-eyed in the giant room, "Who knew Chrysler could become this." Marie smirked as well and entered beside her.

"They bought the factory from the land owner here a decade ago, after the company had moved to a less remote location." Marie explained, "We took the upper offices and turned them into guest rooms and made the main floor fit for training our young slayers. I told you that you’d like it."

Faith gave a ‘no kidding’ look and nodded in the direction of the high offices, "So I stay up there and you do what?"

"I’m in the room next to yours, to keep you under constant surveillance."

"You know, in some states that would be considered stalking," Faith smiled thinly, "Do you snore."

"Not that I’ve been told."

"Then I’m game."

"Good," Marie redirected on a more serious note; "This is not going to be an easy schedule. You’ll be up at 5 every morning."

"Excuse me!" Faith raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "Is this some Watcher’s Council rule: Thou must make your poor, young, chosen one suffer?"

"No," Marie said, "I just like to get an omelet before 7:30 training starts."

"Oh, so I Hop opens at 5 and you just say to yourself, ‘you know, I haven’t really harassed dear Faith this morning yet, so maybe I should go wake her up, have a good glare contest and pick up some eggs on the way.’"

"Well," Marie started to head towards the stairs, "You don’t have to come, but you should see what you have to eat if you don’t chose to hop on my meal time wagon."

"Meal time wagon?" Faith chuckled softly; "Did you teach 1^st grade before this."

"I subbed for second actually."

"Will you stop doing that!" Faith yelled in frustration as she followed Marie up to her new room.

Marie’s thin finger found the small switch easily and turned on the lights, landing a blinding flash to their dilated eyes.

After blinking away the small triangles in front of her brown irises, Faith took in the large training area. "Wicked awesome." She said as she sauntered up to a large display case that carried a large variety of weapons, housing everything from crossbows to battle-axes.

"Nice ax," She said and reached in to grab the small, intricately carved ax handle. She admired it for a while with a tiny, elegant smile playing across her face, then turned her chestnut eyes up to meet Marie’s own blue ones. "So," She said and set the ax on the display case’s mantel, "You know my deal, right. Why don’t you tell me yours."

"It isn’t important, really." Marie said.

"Aww, come on, tell me," She then added, grinning, "What? Is there some dirty secret in your past that shouldn’t be discussed in front of small children?"

Marie's face upturned in a small smile, "Wouldn’t you like to know?" Faith’s eyebrows rose suggestively, to which Marie chuckled and shook her head. "No. Nothing promiscuous about me. It’s just, my life was so boring it’s not even worth telling."

"So, bore me then."

"Fine," Marie simpered and leaned against the wall, "I was, in fact, born in England, just never picked up an accent because I was sent to a boarding school down in the US. There, I studied for a few years, until I was 16. Then I was called to be a watcher."

"You were called too. God, don’t they have any volunteers, or at least applications for those interested?"

"No, that’s not how they work. You see, the Watchers Council has been around as long as slayers. And in turn, there have always been slayers. It’s a secret society of sorts. We work to protect mankind from the truth of demons, and luckily, they’re all idiots, so it’s not that difficult."

"So, basically, it’s like a powerful frat-house without the initiations, spanking and drunken parties."

"Actually, we have that too." Faith gave her a strange look, making her quickly correct herself, "The initiations I mean." Faith mouth the word ‘oh’ and let Marie continue. "Some strange test involving a standard-procedure-encryption-thingie. One of the most boring things I’ve ever done in my life. Anyway, when I was called upon, I finished my education there, rather quickly in fact, and, as cover, taught for 2^nd grade. It was a lot like working with my colleagues at times."

"Cool, I guess," Faith nodded her head slowly, "So there are a lot of watchers, and they each get slayers, kind of like a ‘welcome to the club’ gift."

"No, watchers go through a very difficult evaluation to make sure they are mentally and physically stable enough to deal with a young, energetic female with super human strength. You were just lucky enough to get me."

"So," Faith started to roam around the room, dragging her fingers across the equipment and weapons. "You have been classified good enough to train me." Marie nodded. "And what does this ‘training’ require I do?"

"Learn to kick any vampires ass that comes along."

"I like that." Faith said with a broad smile.

"Figured you might." Marie touched Faith’s shoulder, "Now let’s start with the punching bag."

Faith threw a few surprisingly accurate kicks against the vinyl-lined bag, doing excellent for a beginner, even quite well for a slayer. Marie watched her with a small smile of silent satisfaction. Faith brought her arm back and with surprising force brought it against the punching bag, making the bag swing back and creak on it’s base.

"Whoa girl," Marie held her hands up, "You don’t want to kill the poor little bag." Marie grabbed the back of it to stop it’s swinging and held it steady for a moment, then turned back to Faith. "I must say, I’ve never seen a slayer with your dexterousness without ever being trained. Quite impressive."

"What’s dexterousness?"

"Skill," Marie said, Faith returning a contented smile, "I must say, training you shall be a lot easier than I had expected. Shall we move on to weapons, you seem to have the hang of hand to hand."

"Weapons?" Faith grinned, "As in knife, battle ax, crossbow."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of stakes, then to more advanced areas of weaponry." Marie took out a wooden stake and tossed it to Faith. "You see that sign there?" She pointed to a large poster with the word Nosferatu written clearly above a vampire figure. "Try and hit the heart."

"You’ve got to be kidding," Faith pointed the hilt of the stake towards it, "That’s like twenty feet away."

"Just try."

"Fine, fine," Faith groaned softly and held the stake by it’s tip, aiming. She pulled her arm back and released the stake, watching it fly through the air and hit the target.

Marie turned her head to the side and chuckled, "Well, if his heart was in his leg, you would have killed him dead."

"Okay," Faith glared, "I suck."

Marie pulled the wooden pike from the wall and rolled it back to Faith, "This is what I’m for, Faith, to train you. Practice makes perfect, you know."

"So how long will I have to practice this?"

"As long as I feel is necessary."

"So you’re in control here?"

"No, Faith, you are. Always will be."

Faith held the hilt of the stake against her side, waiting for the oncoming vampires to attack.

"The Slayer." One hissed, "You should not have come. It wasn’t your time."

"News flash pal," She ran up and brought her foot across his face, "I’m not on a schedule." One of the others tried to throw her off balance by grabbing her shoulders and pulling back. She easily turned, grabbed him and flipped him, placing a stake into his chest.

"Marloc wants you dead," The last one said confidently, "Looks like I’m gonna make it so."

Faith smirked as she heard the vampire approach her from behind. She brought her arm back and crushed his face, giving her a moment to regain control and pull down on his neck. She twisted her elbow back and heard a crunch. She then dropped him and lodged the stake into his chest.

Faith was surprised at the other vampire’s lack of movement, but took advantage of it and let out a low chuckle, "Guess the only one who it wasn’t time for was you. Did you honestly think you could beat a Slayer?" He remained silent, but with a small grin on his face. She dismissed it and ran up to him, landing a punch on his face and pulling him back against her with an arm gripped tightly to his neck.

Since he didn’t need breath, he spoke calmly, "Stupid Slayer." He chuckled, "Did you honestly think we wouldn’t be ready for you?"

Faith’s eyes narrowed as she watched him nod to a dark corner of the lair. A figure came sauntering from it and the vampire laughed. "We were always ready." Faith could stand him no longer and pulled back her wrist and snapped his neck, then looked up at the figure, whose features were now in view.

"Oh Faith…"

She shrieked as she sat up in bed, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

Footsteps were heard as Marie rushed into her room, concerned of Faith’s life. "What is it?" She sat down next to her in bed, noticing the sweat. "Tell me what’s wrong."

"It’s my mother." Faith gasped out.

To be continued….

Did you like this episode? E-Mail Laura and let her know!

Return to 5 by 5 FanFiction