The Choice - Part 8
Title: The Choice - Part 8
Author: Xanfan
Rating: Mature
Pairing: various, including M/M Slash
Summary: Response to challenge found here http://beyondcanon.brain-insane.com/challenges.php?chalid=38. The Scoobies discover that Buffy’s resurrection has allowed the First to gain a foothold in this world. Xander is told that the balance must be restored, and the only way to do that is for a Slayer to die. Who does he choose? Buffy or Faith?
Spoilers: Up to season 7 of Buffy and 4 of Angel. Cordy never comes back from being a higher being, so, no beast master.
Warnings: SLASH, CHARACTER DEATH
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
____________________________________________
Previously:
Lorne pulled back, “Now, Angel is left on some out of town business and won’t be back for a day or two, but the others will be here shortly. Are you ready to meet them, to tell them what has happened?”
“They’re gonna hate me.” Faith whispered.
“I’m not going to lie to you, this will be tough. But it has to be done and the sooner the better.”
“I know.” Faith said sadly, “Oh, Xander left letters for you guys in his pocket. Maybe that’ll help?”
“Maybe Honeybuns.” Lorne said. “Well, I guess we’re going to find out.”
They both turned as the door to the lobby opened.
~~~~~~~
Faith finished re-reading her letter from Xander. It had been filled with pure Xanderness. He had written that he loved her and believed in her. He said he knew that she was not the girl she had been and that she deserved a chance to prove it.
She wondered if there was any way she ever could. Prove it, live up to his expectations of her, whatever.
One of the things about Xander was that he believed in his heroes. She wondered if he had ever tried to look up Gotham City or Metropolis on a map. He had believed in Buffy, followed her into apocalypse after apocalypse, trusting that she would get them all through. He had believed in Faith, trusting that she could be talked out of joining the ‘dark side’, and she had nearly killed him for it.
And even when they had both let him down, he still believed. Believed they just needed another chance. Believed they were heroes.
It was an awesome and terrible burden to carry, having someone believe in you like that.
With Xander gone, would anyone ever believe in her like that again?
Or maybe it was her job to believe in others, to believe in heroes again, like Xander and Angel had made her believe.
When she and Xander had been writing back and forth to each other while she was in jail, she had once joked that she wanted to be just like him when she grew up.
She wondered if this was some sort of cosmic joke, a ‘be careful what you wish for’ kinda thing.
So here Faith sat in Xander’s body in Angel’s desk chair. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable chair. Knowing Angel, he probably saw having an uncomfortable desk chair as part of his suffering.
“I hate that chair,” Cordelia said, appearing out of nowhere.
Faith was startled by the ascended being’s sudden appearance and almost fell out of the chair.
“Damn woman, did you appear like this to Xander all the time?” Faith asked.
Cordy chuckled. “The first time I appeared to him after I got glow-y, he screamed like a girl and almost slipped in the shower.”
“You appeared to him in the shower? Tryin’ to get a look at the goodies you missed out on, huh?” Faith said with a smirk.
Cordelia laughed. “You think I was gonna miss an opportunity for a free show?”
“Nice, huh?”
“Had I known back in high school what I was missing out on, I probably wouldn’t have passed on that,” Cordy said in appreciation.
“Oh yeah, I’m glad I didn’t pass up my chance. Oh boy, did he know how to work it.”
“Well, now you can look at the goods, as you call them, anytime you want,” Cordy offered.
Faith stared at the former cheerleader in shock.
“Oh shit.”
Cordelia broke out into raucous laughter at the look on Faith’s face.
“Yes, dear, all of that is now yours,” Cordelia said between bouts of laughter.
Faith scowled at the former seer, but eventually gave into the giggles.
The giggles turned into laughter. After several minutes, her laughter fizzled out and she became intensely aware of two things; 1) she was laughing with and talking to someone only she could see and 2) she had to pee.
Oh shit. Well, not exactly, but close enough.
Previous Chapters
Author: Xanfan
Rating: Mature
Pairing: various, including M/M Slash
Summary: Response to challenge found here http://beyondcanon.brain-insane.com/challenges.php?chalid=38. The Scoobies discover that Buffy’s resurrection has allowed the First to gain a foothold in this world. Xander is told that the balance must be restored, and the only way to do that is for a Slayer to die. Who does he choose? Buffy or Faith?
Spoilers: Up to season 7 of Buffy and 4 of Angel. Cordy never comes back from being a higher being, so, no beast master.
Warnings: SLASH, CHARACTER DEATH
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
____________________________________________
Previously:
Lorne pulled back, “Now, Angel is left on some out of town business and won’t be back for a day or two, but the others will be here shortly. Are you ready to meet them, to tell them what has happened?”
“They’re gonna hate me.” Faith whispered.
“I’m not going to lie to you, this will be tough. But it has to be done and the sooner the better.”
“I know.” Faith said sadly, “Oh, Xander left letters for you guys in his pocket. Maybe that’ll help?”
“Maybe Honeybuns.” Lorne said. “Well, I guess we’re going to find out.”
They both turned as the door to the lobby opened.
~~~~~~~
Faith finished re-reading her letter from Xander. It had been filled with pure Xanderness. He had written that he loved her and believed in her. He said he knew that she was not the girl she had been and that she deserved a chance to prove it.
She wondered if there was any way she ever could. Prove it, live up to his expectations of her, whatever.
One of the things about Xander was that he believed in his heroes. She wondered if he had ever tried to look up Gotham City or Metropolis on a map. He had believed in Buffy, followed her into apocalypse after apocalypse, trusting that she would get them all through. He had believed in Faith, trusting that she could be talked out of joining the ‘dark side’, and she had nearly killed him for it.
And even when they had both let him down, he still believed. Believed they just needed another chance. Believed they were heroes.
It was an awesome and terrible burden to carry, having someone believe in you like that.
With Xander gone, would anyone ever believe in her like that again?
Or maybe it was her job to believe in others, to believe in heroes again, like Xander and Angel had made her believe.
When she and Xander had been writing back and forth to each other while she was in jail, she had once joked that she wanted to be just like him when she grew up.
She wondered if this was some sort of cosmic joke, a ‘be careful what you wish for’ kinda thing.
So here Faith sat in Xander’s body in Angel’s desk chair. It wasn’t a particularly comfortable chair. Knowing Angel, he probably saw having an uncomfortable desk chair as part of his suffering.
“I hate that chair,” Cordelia said, appearing out of nowhere.
Faith was startled by the ascended being’s sudden appearance and almost fell out of the chair.
“Damn woman, did you appear like this to Xander all the time?” Faith asked.
Cordy chuckled. “The first time I appeared to him after I got glow-y, he screamed like a girl and almost slipped in the shower.”
“You appeared to him in the shower? Tryin’ to get a look at the goodies you missed out on, huh?” Faith said with a smirk.
Cordelia laughed. “You think I was gonna miss an opportunity for a free show?”
“Nice, huh?”
“Had I known back in high school what I was missing out on, I probably wouldn’t have passed on that,” Cordy said in appreciation.
“Oh yeah, I’m glad I didn’t pass up my chance. Oh boy, did he know how to work it.”
“Well, now you can look at the goods, as you call them, anytime you want,” Cordy offered.
Faith stared at the former cheerleader in shock.
“Oh shit.”
Cordelia broke out into raucous laughter at the look on Faith’s face.
“Yes, dear, all of that is now yours,” Cordelia said between bouts of laughter.
Faith scowled at the former seer, but eventually gave into the giggles.
The giggles turned into laughter. After several minutes, her laughter fizzled out and she became intensely aware of two things; 1) she was laughing with and talking to someone only she could see and 2) she had to pee.
Oh shit. Well, not exactly, but close enough.
Previous Chapters