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An odd Christmas Eve
To say that Faith's Christmas Eve had been a roller coaster ride so far would be an understatement.
Buffy had remembered that Faith exists and invited her over for dinner – obviously Joyce's idea, meaning that there had to be a catch to it. The woman wants Buffy to have a normal life and that means Faith taking over full time as the slayer. Even though Faith knows this she had still gone (yeah, she's a sucker for pain) and even bought the Summers women a crappy gift each (not like she's ever short of money).
When she arrived though it turned out that she wasn't the first slayer to arrive – enter Kendra. A gorgeous dark-skinned girl with a regal face, beautiful dark eyes, an hourglass figure and a wicked scar across her throat.
This is the girl that died the night Faith was called. The girl for whom Faith is living proof that she died. And the way her hand moved to the scar on her throat, the moment Buffy introduced Faith as the new slayer made it clear that that was very much on Kendra's mind. Took the wind right out of Faith's sails before she could start her cool-girl routine.
Faith also wasn't given much time to figure out what to do. Kendra had only just managed to explain that she had been sent here to help against some big bad called the First Evil (boy, does Kendra have an accent!) before Buffy's undead not-boyfriend showed up and she ran off after him and left Kendra and Faith to protect Joyce. 'Yeah, right B! Ya totally need two slayers to keep your mom safe! Can't ya just admit that ya hoping for alone time with your boy once this is shit is over?!'
Once Faith's jealousy subsided though, she quickly noticed just how awkward things were in the house. And it didn't get any better when Joyce started holing Kendra with questions after the girl said that her parents handed her over to the Council before she was five and that she had been living with her watcher ever since. Then, a few hours later, Buffy got back, and Kendra and Faith were politely sent off.
That left them walking towards who-knows-where in awkward silence. It's so bad it's aggravating. Faith quickly tires of it.
'Oh, this is bullshit! But how the fuck am I supposed to talk to a girl who looks at me as if I'm her tombstone?!'
Given that they are both slayers Faith decides to go for what seems like a natural icebreaker. It's also the only thing she can think of. “So, wanna do some slaying?”
The question startles Kendra who stares at Faith with wide eyes for a moment. But before Faith can take the offer back Kendra's face morphs from surprise to appreciation and she says: “Yes.”
It quickly becomes evident that Kendra has also been disappointed about not being involved in beating the First. All that anticipation for a big fight is now screaming for an outlet and so they make their way through the cemeteries and (demon) bars of Sunnyhell. It's exhilarating.
Kendra's moves are precise but rigid. That rigidness is the result of having had it drilled into her how she was supposed to move since before she was five. She tells that to Faith during a rousing fight against six vamps about an hour into their impromptu patrol. She also says that she's trying to be less rigid and predictable but old habits die hard.
Something else that Faith notices is that Kendra can identify all demons that they come across. This is nothing like working with B, Kendra's a totally different kind of slayer. Girl could have been a watcher – Faith tells Kendra as much and she's pretty sure that the other girl blushes at the compliment before insisting that it's all thanks to her watcher relentlessly teaching her.
Faith can't imagine what being raised by a watcher is like, but she can understand the loneliness in Kendra's eyes. And the badly hidden longing for a connection – a true connection with someone. Someone who gets it. Who understands.
It's this understanding that helps stop things from going wrong whenever Faith runs her mouth (or Kendra hits a nerve with her critic of Faith's technique). They are night and day. Between them it's not just class but literally everything. Everything except the loneliness and longing for a connection. And at least for those few hours of slaying that's enough to keep them together.
Plus, the slaying's really doing wonders for them. Conversation starts to feel a lot less forced. Since Kendra opened up to her a bit Faith returns the favor and tells her a select few stories. Unlike the Scoobies though, Kendra is a skeptic.
“Did any of that actually happen?”
“Sure did! Scouts honor!”
“Right...”
“Tough crowd, huh? Well, let me tell you about that redneck wannabe cowboy vamp who stormed out of B's school during Homecoming while I was out getting some fresh air – even got a witness for that one, if you want proof! Guy called himself something George or so.”
That had been a fun slay. Guy came out of school looking all weepy then talked a big game when Faith got in his way. She beat him up with ease and staked him with a tree branch. Best part was that it got that loser Scott off her back for ruining his date. 'Fucker shouldn't have dumped B and gotten himself a new girl at once.'
Anyway, this story is well received by Kendra. She even offers up a few possibilities of who that vamp might have been. 'Girl's really an encyclopedia. Can make guesses about a vamp's identity based on a few anecdotes.'
Faith has never bothered to remember the names of the vamps she dusted – Kakistos being the sole exception – so, this is really just them shooting into the dark, but it's surprisingly fun and further lightens the mood. In no small part because it allows Faith to tease Kendra again about her wealth of knowledge. 'She makes it even easier than B to get a blush out of her.'
But all good things come to an end. They call it quits just as they are near the motel and Faith doesn't think things through. She stupidly asks Kendra if she wants to come to her place for a quick drink before going to Giles. Kendra agrees but then freezes outside the motel. The look of horror on her face crushes Faith's mood (and hopes).
“This is a motel...” The disbelief in Kendra's voice is palpable as she stares at the place. “You're staying here?”
“Yeah, ya got a problem with that?” Faith can't help the defensiveness that overcomes her. This reaction from the other slayer stings since things had been going so well between them.
Kendra turns to her with wide eyes. “It's not safe from vampires. You're in permanent danger.”
Faith almost snorts at that. “Yeah? What else is new?”
That only gets her a look of confusion mixed with disbelief and horror. “You don't see how wrong this is? That Mr. Giles is endangering you like this?”
Faith is getting ready to respond but something else seems to occur to Kendra and she's quick to voice it. “Does Buffy know about this?”
Now Faith actually snorts. “'Course she does. Ya think she never comes over when she wants something? Phone line is pretty bad here.”
“She thinks that... this is okay?” Kendra's voice wavers with disbelief. The girl seems positively stunned.
“Yeah, well, forget about B. It's none of her business anyway. As for G, I'm not his slayer. So, not his problem.” Her voice is steady and dismissive. No sign at all how much Giles lack of interest or care stings.
It snaps Kendra out of her head and has her focus on Faith again. But instead of accepting Faith's answer she shakes her head in protest. Her eyes glowing with rising anger as she responds.
“He's your acting watcher. Your safety is his responsibility.”
“I can take care of myself!” Alright, that carried more heat than it should have. Faith can't help herself. She hates being pitied.
“You shouldn't have too. It's his sacred duty to make sure that you're safe.”
Kendra doesn't shout but Faith can detect the frustration and anger in her voice. So much for them getting close to being friends. Though there's a part of Faith that's almost touched at Kendra's stubborn refusal to let this go. Most of her wishes though the other slayer would just let it go. But an angry Kendra is one who apparently drops the short answer stick and elaborates her point. And the determined look in her eyes stops Faith's incoming deflection in its tracks.
“Chapter 19 of the slayer handbook outlines special circumstances, such as the death of the watcher or the slayer being sent into another watcher's area of operations – so, the cases where the Slayer has an acting watcher. It's plainly stated that while an acting watcher may not teach and train the slayer – if it's a hindrance to his regular duties – he's still obligated to make sure that she's in secure living accommodations and has adequate amounts of food, drink and clothing.”
Kendra's eyes are full of honesty as she stares right into Faith's during her explanation. “Mr. Giles has no right to treat you like this.”
That lecture takes the wind right out of Faith's sails. She had only ever skimmed the odd part the Handbook – at Diana's request – so, this is new information. Plus, this isn't simple pity, this is Kendra seemingly being outraged on Faith's behalf. ...That's nice, but still not something Faith is comfortable with. So, she can't quite drop her reluctance to agree with Kendra's point yet.
“Yeah, well... that's all for the slayer, right? And that's B, so...” She shrugs as she says this though her argument sounds weak even to her. But what really causes her to trail off is the new look of confusion on Kendra's face.
“Buffy is not the slayer. You are the slayer.” Kendra delivers that with such certainty and honesty that it makes Faith blink.
“What? But – but she got called first – she's the original one...”
Kendra shakes her head. “That's irrelevant. The slayer is the one who carries the line – the one whose death will cause the calling of the next slayer. When Buffy died that passed to me and when I died it passed to you. When Buffy and I die no new slayer will be called. The line runs through you; therefore, you are the slayer.”
And with that, the rug has been well and truly pulled out from underneath Faith's feet. Kendra looks about to say something but then she seems to reconsider and instead she reaches out, seemingly about to grab Faith's hand but then she hesitates and instead grabs her sleeve and gives it a tug.
“Come on, let's go.” She looks rather awkward, and her gaze keeps traveling down to where she's tugging on Faith's sleeve even as she starts moving away from the motel. Faith follows more out of instinct than anything else.
“Where are we going?”
“To Mr. Giles. I'll see to it that he'll do his duty to you.”
That has Faith's defenses fly back up and she pulls her sleeve free. “Yeah, no. I'm five by five. I'm not making a big deal out of this.”
Kendra turns around, confusion written over her face. “I don't know what five by five means.” Well, at least she's honest about it.
Faith still rolls her eyes as she says: “It means I'm fine, Ken. I don't need your pit- your help.”
Stubborn as a mule – or whatever the saying is – Kendra shakes her head. Her face is once again full of determination, and her voice is resolute as she responds.
“I won't let this go. Two slayers have died on his watch already. I'm not taking the risk of his neglect of duty turning into your downfall.”
Kendra reaches out and this time she grabs Faith's hand. Faith's stomach clenches in response to that – not in a bad way. But she only half registers that reaction. The anger in Kendra's voice towards Giles and the concern for her occupies Faith's mind just as much. The result is a stunned Faith.
After a moment of hesitation Kendra carries on and elaborates on what is driving her forward. Regret seeps into her voice. “I lied for him, Faith.”
Faith blinks and only manages a “Huh?” in response.
“I lied for him. He should've led, but instead he let Buffy call the shots. I died. The second slayer in twelve months to die on his watch. He broke under the torture of the enemy and revealed to them how to awaken Acathla... and then Buffy went rogue...”
Kendra closes her eyes for a moment, gulps and then looks at Faith again before carrying on. “I know better than to lie to Mr. Zabuto but... but Buffy... I thought it would be bad for her if Mr. Giles was fired. That she would stay away... I thought I was doing the right thing...”
Kendra draws in a large breath of air and for a split second her grip on Faith's hand tightens as she struggles to go on. Faith finds herself hanging onto her every word.
“I did not report to Mr. Zabuto that Mr. Giles choose to let Buffy decide the course of action. I did not report that Mr. Giles was the one to reveal how to awaken Acathla. I deceived my watcher. Even with all those omissions he was outraged that the Council chose to let Mr. Giles continue...“
Kendra shuts her eyes for a moment and bites her lips before she looks at Faith again and continues.
“I just wanted to help Buffy... Mr. Giles promised me that he would do better... that I would not regret covering for him... I never considered that I might end up endangering you... ”
That snaps Faith out of her stupor and leaves her blinking for a second before she protests this newest claim. Because, fuck, as pissed as Faith is at her situation she's not blaming Kendra for it nor is she letting Kendra blame herself for it. But her protests fall on deaf ears as Kendra insists that this is a consequence of her actions. And while that might be true but Faith sure as hell isn't going to let Kendra blame herself for Giles being an ass – and who is to say that a different watcher would be any better? Sure, Diana had been great but between Giles and what little Faith has heard of this Zabuto and what she saw of Gwendolyn Post (rogue watcher or not) she's pretty sure that Diana was the exception.
So, Faith keeps protesting. And Kendra keeps being stubborn and insists that she should fix this. Funnily enough it doesn't annoy Faith as much as she would have expected, if anything a part of her thinks it's endearing.
“Faith, please. I don't want you to die because you had to live unsafely like this. Please let me make this right.”
And fuck, after five minutes of arguing Faith gives in. Kendra's earnestness has whittled down her resistance and she signs up for it. So, they march towards Giles' place. It won't change anything. It'll be just like those times in primary school when her teachers tried to help her. If anything, it's going to make things worse. And yet... for now Faith finds that she doesn't care about that. The grateful smile Kendra sends her alone makes it worth it.
XXXXXXX
'You promised to do better! How can you say that and then endanger Faith like this?!'
Hurt, anger and confusion all rage around in Kendra as she tries to make sense of the situation, she found her successor in. She had been sure that Mr. Giles had been genuine when he promised her to be a better watcher in the future. And now this? It feels like betrayal.
Still, she doesn't want the man to get fired. It would hurt Buffy. But she told Faith that she would fix this and that's what she's going to do. She will ask for – no! She will demand an explanation. And she will see to it that Faith gets to live in safe accommodations. 'If Mr. Giles doesn't agree I'll see him fired! He's done more than enough to warrant it!' Yes, Buffy would be upset, but Kendra can't just turn a blind eye to her successor's safety. She would rather take Buffy to be upset with her than Faith being found dead in a motel room with her throat slit or her blood drained.
As Mr. Giles' place comes into view a different thought takes form in Kendra's head: she could use some help. The Caribbean has no shortage of demons. And then there is the matter of the rapidly growing demon populations in Latin America that might soon require a slayer to be sent there – Mr. Zabuto had made some comments in this regard last week.
In fact, Drusilla and Spike are reportedly somewhere on the continent and might well be the cause of the growing demon populations. Having the slayer at her side would be a huge boon when it comes to hunting down the two vampires and ending them.
'Would Faith want to come with me? Would the Council allow her to go? And if the answer to both questions should be yes, what then should I tell Mr. Zabuto?'
Kendra takes a deep breath of air and focuses on the door in front of her. She knocks and upon hearing Mr. Giles call out that it's open she enters the building with Faith a few steps behind her. The slayer looks uncomfortable and nervous. Kendra does her best to appear reassuring and mentally brushes all ideas for the future aside.
She told Faith that she would fix this. Now it's time to show that her word means something – that Faith can trust her to keep her word.