Episode 4:
"What Dreams May Come" (Part 2)

Late May 2000

Writer: Laura Fones

Title: What Dreams May Come Part 2 Author: Laura Fones E-mail Address: rb46528@aol.com Distribution: Just ask. Spoilers: None Rating: PG-13 Summary: Fourth Episode. Part two of two. 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.

Marie held her hand up to her forehead and said "It isn’t possible, your mother is dead. You killed her, remember."

"I know, I’m probably having some narcotic episode but…" She stopped and processed what Marie had said, then looked back at her, "How did you know?" Her voice was dangerously low.

"How did I know what?" Marie said calmly.

"That I killed my mother. I didn’t tell you that." She grabbed Marie’s wrist harshly, "How do you know?"

"You probably just had a bad dream," Marie said and closed her hand over Faith’s fist, "Your mother is dead she can’t come back."

"You’ve been watching me," Faith said accusingly, "How could you."

"We always monitor our Slayers, Faith. And they watched you as well."

"Who’s ‘they’?"

"Marloc. He knew from the start. We watched you, as long as you’ve lived." Faith relaxed her grip on Marie’s wrist and listened. "In the hospital, your schools, we’ve always been there. And so has he." Marie got up and sighed, "Who do you think the dealer was? Your mother’s supplier was working for him. The heroin he gave you was tainted, if you weren’t a Slayer you would have died." Faith bit back on her lip. "We know about your mother."

"What?" Faith’s voice cracked, "What do you know about her."

"Her dealer gave her something to keep her alive. After you killed her, she was revived. And then turned. Marloc is her master now." Faith’s eyes were disbelieving and betrayed.

She bit back an incensed sob and said softly, angrily, "You knew about this from the start?" Marie gave a silent, ashamed nod. Faith held up her head and breathed in deeply. "You knew about this and you didn’t tell me?" Her voice reached an unearthly high, "How could you?" She sobbed, "Do you know what she put me through.

"Yes, Faith, we watched every minute." Marie tried to touch her but her hand was slapped away.

"Why didn’t you tell me, Marie," She screamed and grabbed Marie’s arms. "I believed you in the alley, I trusted you when you said I was the Slayer, and I thought you were supposed to be my watcher. The one, who looked over me, cared about me, watched me so I wouldn’t slip up, and I thought part of that was telling me about what I was going to go through. Why didn’t you tell me you were watching me my entire life? Why didn’t you come in and stop her? Why didn’t you take me before I killed her? Why didn’t you save me?" Faith’s powdery skin was flushed and wet and angry.

"I wanted to," Marie said, "I’ve watched you, my Slayer, since you were fifteen, as soon as I had completed the classes there. And I knew I was to be your watcher and it hurt me so much to watch you suffer. Trust me when I say I want your mother dust as much as you ever wanted her dead."

"How can I ever trust you?" Faith moved farther and farther away; "I’ve lived with the guilt of killing my mother and the satisfaction of her death for so long. It’s like an evil second skin that crawls across my body and makes me feel guilt and hate and pain. And every night I crawl up with it and go to sleep." She let out a strangled sob, "And if you had watched me all my life, why didn’t you take me sooner, gotten me away from all that I had to live with. Do you have any idea how screwed up I am? The reason I was so quick to believe you was because I wanted to. I liked the thought of me having a destiny, to be called because I was needed, and that I didn’t have to feel that pain because I could help people and make up for it, and take out all that pain on something else and still save someone. But then you come along and you know. You knew about this dirty little chapter of my life and that it was still alive to bring back all of what made me hurt. And the not tell me about it. And then you want me to trust you. No Marie, that’s not going to happen." She started to leave the room, fully intent upon never coming back, but she turned her head for a second and said, "Find yourself another Slayer."

"We couldn’t interfere," Marie yelled, "The prophecy would have come anyway. So there was no point."

Faith turned around and stood defiantly against the door’s framing. "And there’s a prophecy too." She gave a short, bitter laugh. "And you don’t tell me this. Really gaining points." Her bitter tone brought chills to Marie’s spine and made her wish Faith would understand.

"The One, being aged 17, will enter the cold and distant past that holds her captive," Marie recited mournfully, "She will be warned but once, and then she shall learn a truth. Her creator will try to stop her, but rage will push her onward and the demon of the ages shall reign." Faith arched her eyebrows in sarcastic confusion. "I am your creator, your watcher, you are 17, your past has come to haunt you, and you have learned the truth. And if you don’t listen to me, you will die the same way you were always afraid you would."

"At my mother’s hand." She looked down.

"Yes." Marie stood up and slowly approached Faith, "Please, listen to me." She touched Faith’s cheek, "If you trust me in this, I can promise we will destroy her and you won’t ever have to crawl up with her at night. It’ll be over."

Faith let tears collect in her eyes and stared deeply into Marie’s blue orbs. Silence fell into the room and haunted it for agonizing minutes. Then Faith sniffled and let one tear leave her iris, "I trust you." Faith sniffled and embraced Marie, allowing her tears to stream down her face and onto Marie’s shoulder. She let a small gasp leave her throat and sobbed into Marie, letting all her anger and frustration and pain leave her, "I need to trust someone." She whispered.

Hours after the last tears had spilled, and Faith had come out of the shut up space of her room after her tirade, she was finally calm enough to comprehend it all.

"The prophecy," She broke the silence, "What does it mean."

"There was a reason you were called before Kendra’s death," Marie looked down.

"And why is that?" Faith’s voice was calm and calculated, as if she’d heard it all before and didn’t care to hear it again.

"We know that Kendra will die, we’ve no doubt of that since she was called," Marie began, "But you were called to replace her because you were destined to die as well." Faith started to speak, but Marie placed a finger up and continued, "The purpose was to cancel all the Slayers except for one, to make it easier to track. You were to die first, then Kendra was to die, and since you were the replacement but never actually acknowledged as a Slayer, you are both canceled out and no replacements are called. Then we have only one Slayer and it is easier to function without having to replace them each time one of the two, or three, is killed temporally or fully."

"So, what happens now," Faith said bitterly, "I die and you and your little Watcher’s Council gets to run on a smoother schedule?" Faith bit down on her lip and added softly, "I’m only seventeen. I don’t want to die."

"It’s never been an order," Marie said, "And as long as it isn’t… I’m not going to let that happen." Faith rolled her eyes up to meet Marie’s, finding a scared determination in the blue pools.

"Why do you care so much?" Faith looked deeper, "Why would you care if I died?"

"You’re mine," She blinked and looked back, "You are my responsibility, my slayer, and I’m not going to let that go." She touched the side of Faith’s face, "Besides, you need to face her, this thing, your mother. I want to be there when you defeat this demon."

"And if I don’t?"

"You will," Marie said, "You’re too much of a natural and too passionate about it to just die on account of some prophecy. Let’s leave the Watcher’s Council’s rules out for a moment, they’re in England, they don’t determine your destiny. They aren’t gods, as much as they like to play it, they can’t tell you when you die. And you won’t, not at age 17; I refuse to believe you’ll allow that."

"I have no control over it," Faith leaned against the wall, "But," She grabbed a stake and twirled it on her thumb and finger. "If I’m going down," She threw the stake, watching it penetrate the poster vampire’s heart, "She’s coming with me."

"This is the place?" Marie asked as they approached and old crypt, "The place in your dream."

"I remember," Faith said, "In my dream there was some kind of tunnel coming down from this mausoleum into the lair or something. This is the place."

Marie nodded and tried to open the door and sighed in frustration, "It’s locked."

Faith kicked in the doorway. "No it’s not."

Marie smiled and followed Faith in. She drew a stake out of her waistband and passed it to Marie. "This is my fight," Faith said slowly, "And I don’t want you in the way. I can take care of this. But if you’re going to stay, I’m not going to let you die."

"I won’t," Marie said and motioned towards a seemingly hidden door at the end of the crypt, "That’s the way in." She stopped Faith, holding her shoulders gently. "You have a prophecy ridding against you, and I’m really not the one to be worried about. If you take that thing in there alone, you’re going to lose, and I know it, just as you do." She took in a breath and finished, "Let me help you."

"Yeah, I might get hurt, or killed," Faith whispered and nodded up to the door, "But it’s not about going in there alone, being all defiant. If I die in there, then at least I’ll have gotten past it, moved on. But if you come with me, I won’t be facing it alone, which is what I need to do. By myself, prove I can."

Marie looked up at her; "Didn’t you already prove it, that you can beat her. Facing her, Marloc, the rest, will get you killed if you have only you to count on."

"I never was gonna live a long life, so maybe this’ll cut it shorter. But it’s my calling, remember," She let a small smile cross her face, "Can’t deny it." She tossed her hair off her shoulder and pulled and lifted a hidden stake from under her pant leg. "Can’t resist the call." She smiled back at Marie before pulling the door back hard enough to snap the lock and slip inside.

Marie leaned against the side of a stained glass window. "She’ll be all right, she’s going to be all right." She chanted to herself quietly, sighing with each breath between.

"Honey, I’m home." Faith cooed softly as she descended the old stairway that led from the old catacomb-like structure. The deeper she went, the more the old, musty, dead smell seemed to penetrate her senses. This tomb, to any other would seem a timeless burial chamber, unaware of what was lurking, haunting the place like demons waiting to pervade your skin and make you their own. The walls, in the light, seemed colorless stone, unflawed and untouched. A stone masterpiece, smooth, ashen perfection, as if worked upon by the maker of ideality, when such evil lurked and slinked inside.

She noticed the change in its complexion as she dipped, too light it became, brightness burning from within. She could smell it, her senses heightened with exhilaration, she was close, and it was cold, she felt that too. Then she heard it, deep, strained wailing of pain, human by all definitions.

She ran down the stairs with silent speed and stop right behind the block that revealed the catacomb inside. She glanced up from behind it, catching flashes of a young man being tortured by a group of female vampires, giggling at each whelp of pain elicited from his mouth. She pulled up her stake and waited for all their backs to turn.

As they did, she counted to three and popped out, throwing the stake where her aim could not have missed. The vampiress let out a squeal and exploded into dust, drawing the other’s attention to her and making them drop the limp victim, who groaned in and out of consciousness.

She smiled as she fell into calm, rhythmic step, "Surprised?" She asked the first, whose mane of gold had stiffened in cold, predatorial anticipation.

"Not at all, Slayer." Another one of the remaining three said, self assurance pouring from her voice. She was older than the rest, paler, more collected. Her eyes held more experience, a skill that these young— little more than fledglings— could have ever known, telling a story of centuries of immortal blood lust. "You were meant to come, it is written."

"And so shall it be?" Faith said, a sarcastic undertone radiated from her voice, "What can I said, I’m not big on the literature of Slayer-dom."

The vampiress gave a soft chuckle and nodded, "So you ready then," She cocked her eyebrow mockingly, "You know, if you’re not, I could give you some time to stretch. But then where would the fun be? Let’s just have a go at it, see what you’ve got."

"Try me," Faith met the vampire’s brown eyes defiantly and smiled at her cocky tone. She held her place for a moment, tensing her muscles, studying her opponent, teasing her with a delicate grin. "Let’s have a go then." She tilted her head to the side innocently and then attacked her, sending a blow into her stomach, propelling her across the leveled dirt floor with unknown power. She turned on her foot and flipped back catching the stake that had landed when she’d destroyed the first of the vampires.

The vampiress twisted into a somersault, controlling her fall and using the force to jump up again, game face firmly mounted. "Bitch." She hissed and regained her balance, throwing a roundhouse kick against Faith’s back and snapped a backhand against her face. Faith let out a soft moan of pain and directed the twist she was thrown into by pulling down on the vampiress’ arm, bringing her down in Faith’s place.

The vampiress left out a soft chuckling and quickly snapped back Faith’s wrist and pulled down her on top her, holding a arm against her throat, making her struggle underneath hundreds of years of vampiric strength. "Ready for the real challenge?" She whispered into Faith’s ear, "Stick around." She threw Faith up against the wall and quickly departed, leaving Faith to hold her neck and gasp for air.

She finally regained her composure and stood up, looking around the empty chamber. She remembered the boy who had been left for dead by the group of undead mistresses. She down knelt beside him and softly tapped the side of his face.

"Come on, get up." She whispered, delicately checking his breathing, "I don’t have time for this, I’ve got my death to face here." She brushed her fingertips against the teeth marks that covered four places on his neck, making her grimace at the thought of how much blood this guy must have lost to still be alive, or barely, as the case was.

She was about to give up hope of his regaining consciousness when she heard a soft groan penetrate his lips. "Slayer?" He moaned and lifted his head.

"I swear to god, if anyone ever calls me that again, I am going to kick their ass. I have a name, you know." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Faith." He corrected himself and chuckled painfully.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Good guess." She let a sardonic grin cross her face; "I just want to know one thing. Was there a newsletter that went out to everyone on the continent saying I was the Slayer?"

He smiled weakly at her, "No, I’m Colin." Her face remained blank. "Harriet’s son?" Faith shook her head ‘no’. He shrugged his shoulders slightly, then winced in pain. "I know Marie."

"Oh." Faith whispered and stood up, "We should probably, kind of, you know, move you upstairs." She started to pull him up, but a soft moan of pain stopped her. "Of course, we should first find a way to do that huh."

"I can walk if I have a support." He said and lifted himself into a sitting position against the wall, wincing slightly on the way up.

"Oh," She said and brought her arm under his shoulders, helping lift him, "You ok?" He nodded as she pulled him the rest of the way. He fell a bit the first few steps, but eventually got to a weak limp. She had to carry him during the last bit, but she finally got him to the mausoleum’s entrance.

"I’ve got a friend’s of yours," Faith said as she passed Colin to Marie, nearly dropping him. She caught him on reflex and pulled him up by the arms.

"Colin?" She said, lips curving into a small smile, "Why, I haven’t seen you since I last left the council to watch Faith."

"Mom sends her love, I’m sure." Colin said, his head bobbing weakly under her grasp, "But—not that I’m not happy to see you or anything— but I think I need to lie down or something, my head is kind of blurring…" he let out a small moan and leaned his head back against her.

"We should go," Marie said, "He might need medical attention."

"No," Faith said firmly, "There’s something wrong here. The prophecy… she just let me go… it was too easy." Faith looked into Marie’s eyes. "There’s got to be something else."

"Well, prophecies aren’t exactly a science… it could have been off." Marie slumped Colin to lean against the doorway. "It must not have meant now."

Ready for a real challenge? Stick around.

"There’s got to be something else, it can’t just be hold her down, threaten death, then disappear can it? Vampires don’t work that way." Faith said, confused.

"Can’t you just be happy you weren’t killed, or worse, turned?" Marie said and pointed to Colin, "Besides, we have to get him to a hospital, he’s lost a lot of blood."

"Fine," Faith began to walk out behind Marie and Colin, but a faint crunch caught her attention. "Give me a stake." Faith whispered into Marie’s ear. She passed her the wooden one Faith had given her earlier. "Hide in the coffin." She directed her over to the old sarcophagus and silently slid open the lid. "Stay."

Marie and Colin got in and were covered quickly, just before the old vampire came into view. Her eyes glowed yellow as she sauntered into Faith’s direction.

"You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you." She said and cocked her head to the side.

"I thought you said there’d be a real challenge." Faith taunted, "I only see you."

The vampire smiled, then, with vampiric speed, pinned Faith by the neck. "And I thought there would be a real Slayer." She smirked. "But I only see you." She pushed her to the floor and spoke in an obedient tone. "But it is not my call, he has other plans." She knelled down and touched the side of Faith’s face. "You can only hope you’ll be ready."

She smiled and ran away, leaving Faith to stare menacingly, "Oh, I’ll be ready."

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