Audition for [RPG] UntakenRoadooc
(Past - Connecting flight between Heathrow Airport and L.A.X)
Faith flew back into the rose bush as Genevieve kicked her hard in the stomach. She sat up in a slight crouched position as she looked at Genevieve, “If your boy wizard is such a pal…..where the hell is he now?” Genevieve stood a few feet away from Faith, a pair of garden shears aloft in one hand, “He knows I can handle myself. He trusts me.” Suddenly Genevieve threw the pair of shears at Faith before she finished speaking. But she wasn’t quick enough. Faith caught the pair of shears in one of her hands as she started to speak, “Maybe he does, maybe he don’t.” The argument continued and Faith moved forwards, sprang up on her hands and aimed a kick at Genevieve’s stomach. Genevieve flew back towards a tree. Faith went into shock as fear took a hold of her and she called out, “No!” already seeing what was about to happen. But it was too late. The same shocked expression appeared on Genevieve’s face as her back hit the tree, impaling herself on the axe that had gotten embedded in it a short while ago during their fight. Blood began to drip down Genevieve’s nose and out the corner of her mouth as Faith stood up, running towards her as fast as she could. “I’m sorry. I’m….I’m so sorry.”
Faith’s eyes flew open, a cold chill racking her whole body, finding herself shaking from head to toe, slightly paralysed with fear. Suddenly she remembered where she was. In a plane on her way to Los Angeles. She breathed in shakily, bringing a hand up to her head to wipe away the nightmare induced sweat that was covering her brow.
Her whole body felt clammy, but she couldn’t do anything about it at that moment. Instead, she turned her head and looked out of the small round window, watching the clouds roll by, trying to control her breathing, as she wondered how long it would take before the nightmares would stop.
(Airport Terminal - Los Angeles)
Faith had changed so much, from her time in prison, to helping Angel when Angelus had taken over. Then she had gone back to Sunnydale where most of her troubles had all began. All through fault of her own. She had some what made peace with Buffy, and helped lead the Potential’s in her own way, before they all fought their last battle that ended up closing the Hellmouth there for good. Then they had all spread out and most of them went to Rome, while the others went their separate ways. But soon word had gotten out that there were more than two Slayer’s anymore and the Demons revolted in full force. Buffy became their number one target and the place where they were staying was always under constant attack. With the Watcher’s limitless funds in Gile’s hands task forces were set up across the world to help control the evil that was out there. And the Scoobie’s were assigned to different countries with their own army to command. Giles naturally returned to England, and Faith remained in Cleveland for a short while before she followed him there.
Faith hadn’t been sure at first if it had been the right decision, but soon learned it was one of the best choices that she could have made. Gile’s helped keep her Slayer side busy by sending her on missions, and in return helped her confront personal issues she had that affected how she was towards people in general. She had never discussed her childhood in detail, as the painful memories of growing up were always too raw to be able to deal with. But Gile’s helped her confront those more painful memories, and helped her learn how to put her trust in people yet again. All these memories and thoughts rushed through her mind as she made her way through the crowds of people to collect her baggage. Wetting her lips lightly there was only one thing she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted, but there was plenty of time to dwell on those thoughts after she found somewhere to stay. Swallowing lightly she smiled a little to herself as she felt a twinge of excitement run through her system.
(Present - Back streets of Los Angeles)
Faith made her way along the back streets of L.A. Keeping to the shadows she walked purposefully, grasping a stake in one of her hands. Keeping her Slayer senses on alert she made her way quickly and quietly to the club that was a block away. She had already dusted a few vamps that evening, and all she wanted to do now was blow off some excess steam from her system.
There had been one demon that she had never come across before and was difficult to kill, and had left her with a slight pang of frustration. She stopped, and after a failed attempt at lighting a cigarette she walked over to the closest store. Standing in the doorway she shielded her lighter from the slight breeze that was blowing through the streets. Taking a long inhale on her cigarette when it eventually managed to stay lit, she spoke quietly to herself, “Finally,” then turned to carry on walking to her long awaited destination. As Faith continued to walk she slipped the stake stealthily up her sleeve as she smoked her cigarette. Being the Slayer, part of her was always busting for some action. Plus that one other demon that she’d had to battle tonight had given her a run for her money, and left her with a lot of tension in her body that she could most definitely of done without. Not that she was a typical Slayer. She didn’t go out of her way to fight like all goody two shoes Buffy. But if the odd vamp or demon crossed her path, who was she to turn down a good tussle or two. Besides, it helped her blow off steam and pent up tension, which was always a good thing for her. Stopping slowly she took one last puff of her cigarette, then threw it to the floor and ground it out under her boot. Rolling her eyes slightly she sighed lightly then turned around as she began to talk in an exasperated tone, “God. Can’t you guys ever give a girl a night off?” As the vamp rushed towards her she let the stake slip down from her sleeve and grasped it tightly. Standing her ground she took one step back and then aimed a hard kick into the unsuspecting vamp’s torso.
When he doubled over she grabbed his collar with her free hand and then brought her knee up and connected it underneath his chin. As the vamp growled out in frustration and surprise she brought her arm up and drove the stake home and into its chest. Faith tucked the stake into the waistband at the back of her trousers after dusting the vamp. She shook her hands lightly and then ran them over the front of her body to remove any excess dust that had strayed into any unwanted areas. Straightening the collar on her denim jacket briefly she then turned and started to head towards the club. She walked a few steps and then stopped and sighed heavily. This was exactly why part of her hated being a Slayer. The constant interruptions that stopped her from having all the fun she knew she deserved deep down. Muttering under her breath she hooked her thumbs into the back of her trousers and then turned around slowly. She could feel someone watching her and it was already starting to annoy her. “Well come on then. I haven’t got all night. Places to be. People to see.” Removing her thumbs from her trousers she let them hang loosely at her sides as she tried to penetrate the many shadows that lined the street, turning slowly in a circle. “Well I haven’t really got people to see. But the night it young. Who knows.” She smiled briefly at the prospect of who was inside the club that she could get to know a little better. Well for tonight at least. Reaching around she pulled out her stake and started to walk gingerly forwards as she started to speak, “You might as well come out. You see games. Not really my thing. Tend to make me cranky.”
”Faith.” Jumping slightly Faith spun around as she brought her stake up, ready to strike if she needed to. Refocusing her eyes on the person before her, her mind registered who the voice belonged to. Wetting her lips lightly after she drew in a ragged breath she tried to contain the sudden surge of adrenalin that was pumping through her veins. She lowered her stake slowly, but still kept a firm grip on it, as she began to speak, “God Angel. Do you have to do the whole sneaking around? You should be more careful. Someone might think you were evil and accidentally stake you.” She kept looking into his eyes for a while, letting the silence of the surrounding city calm the nervousness that was beginning to grow inside of her. Pushing it to one side she frowned as she studied him more closely. “Were you following me?” As she waited for Angel to answer she picked up instantly on his nervousness and how awkward he felt. Sighing lightly she moved her arm around behind her back and tucked the stake back into the waistband of her jeans. “I haven’t got time for this. I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m just following Gile’s orders, as hard as that may be to believe.” Turning on her heel she started to walk as she headed for the club again, addressing Angel without even a backwards glance, “I’ll see you back at the hotel if I don’t find somewhere else to stay.” Faith carried on walking until she heard Angel speak her name firmly. Sighing lightly she turned around slowly, wishing she was already at the club and in the process of forgetting thoughts she didn’t want to linger on. For weeks she had been dodging Angel’s “little talk”, that she knew was going to eventually come, whether she liked it or not.
She tried her best never to be fully alone with him, and when she felt his eyes boring into her from a far she would make some excuse to leave. Go patrolling, shower, eat, shop, whatever she could think of at that time. Anything to get away from his heated gaze that she knew he must be giving her. Eye contact was the hardest. She never kept it with him for long. Knowing that if she did, she would end up crumbling into a complete mess. Giving in, and talking about everything that had happened on her last mission in England. And she didn’t want that. She wasn’t ready to deal and talk about her feelings just yet. For the first week he had left her alone. Kept her busy so she didn’t have to think much about anything, except the same old routine over and over. But lately he had been starting to get persistent. Encouraging her to share her feelings, even if she didn’t want to. And she really didn’t want to. She wasn’t completely ready. She still had that spark in her that kept the pain of what had happened buried deep inside her. But she knew she couldn’t keep it there for much longer. She knew eventually everything was going to bubble up and erupt right in her face. But until then she would resist Angel’s urges to share her painful memories with him. Leveling her eyes with his she clasped her hands together in front of her loosely as she watched Angel’s eyes shift a little from side to side. She guessed he was probably struggling with how to approach the subject yet again, but in a different way, hoping this time she would finally bend and give in. But she wasn’t ready. Not yet. Far from it.
Studying his expression further she knew he could see she wasn’t going to give in that easily. The seconds ticked by and Angel opened his mouth once then closed it again. She supposed under any other circumstances she would of found that funny and worthy of a witty remark. But not tonight. The determined look on her face must have made something inside him change as his mouth finally worked when he went to speak again. ”We have to talk Faith.” Faith shifted her footing a little as a thoughtful expression flittered across her features for the briefest of moments, before Angel spoke again. ”About England and what happened there.” Bringing her hand up Faith pushed some of her hair back off of her face and then crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s to talk about? I got sent there. Actually, it was more like summoned. Gile’s sent me on missions. I completed them. Then I came here.” Uncrossing her arms she raised her eyebrows briefly as she raised her arms a little when she began to talk. “Wow. That didn’t take as long to explain as I thought it would.” Smirking lightly she forced a smile onto her lips and placed a hand to her chest. “I feel much better now. Thanks.” She knew she was being cocky, but she didn’t care. If she managed to piss him off that much that he would walk away then that would suit her fine. Well, that thought alone brought an instant smile to her lips, which also brought a look of distain from Angel instantly. When Angel started to walk towards her slowly, a surge of panic spread throughout her system. She took a few steps back as she started to walk backwards while she addressed him in a light tone. “Well it’s been fun. We’ll do this again sometime. But now I really have to get going.”
Turning around she didn’t break her stride and carried on walking. Exhaling lightly in relief she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks as three words left Angel’s lips. ”And Lady Genevieve?” A look of regret and full of pain flashed across her features but was soon replaced by one of anger. Spinning around quickly she brought her hand up and made a slight slicing motion in the air as she began to speak, “Don’t.” Lowering her hand back down again, she pursed her lips in frustration, as she looked off to the side. Looking back to Angel she looked him square in the eyes, “Gene….she was stupid. She listened to the wrong person and now…” Faltering slightly she swallowed a huge lump that had suddenly formed in the back of her throat. As she breathed in shakily, and a little uncertainly, Angel finished her sentence. ”She’s dead.” Just hearing the words out loud made Faith feel physically sick inside. Not being able to move thoughts vied for attention in her mind. Her natural instincts screamed at her to rush forwards and start pummelling Angel into the concrete. She knew Angel would stop her, but he wouldn’t fight back, and that’s what she would want. What she needed. Shaking her head adamantly she dismissed the idea. She wasn’t that woman anymore. Unfortunately for her, Angel was the only one who knew it. And the only one who believed in her. Which made everything that much harder. When Angel stepped closer she took a guarded step back and eyed him warily. She was trying to decide on what emotion to settle on when she looked into his eyes. ‘Damn,’ she thought he really did look like a puppy that was lost and looking for a crumb of affection or something.
Trying not to dwell on the ‘something’ he could want she frowned as she shook her head lightly. She tried to think of the right words to say but they wouldn’t come. As the words started to form in her mind Angel spoke quietly, almost whispering, “It was an accident Faith.” While Faith stared at the concrete below her feet, it took a few moments before she realized she had even lowered her gaze, until Angel spoke again. “It was an accident. Right Faith?” The uncertainty she heard in his voice cut through her like a knife. She looked up instantly and into his eyes, not believing the words she had heard moments before. The same doubt she had heard in his voice was reflected in his eyes. As she stood there in shock she tried to think if Gile’s had probably told him all the details or had left most of them out. No doubt Angel’s mind was working overtime and filling in all the blanks that Gile’s had neglected to add. But Gile’s had been there. She was sure he would have told Angel what happened. And things had happened so quickly that day. She hadn’t been aware of Gile’s appearing until she had seen him over Roden’s shoulders. The images of that moment flashed into life as she remembered Roden asking what she was smiling at, moments before Gile’s had stabbed him in the back with a pair of garden shears. The scene threatened to rewind on itself and Faith shook her head hard a few times to clear her thoughts. She still couldn’t believe the look she saw in Angel’s eyes and it cut her more deeper the longer she saw it. He said she could trust him, he had said it numerous times before, and she knew at that moment she would of told him every detail about her last mission.
But then he had spoke and the rules seemed to change on her without warning. She sighed heavily, grateful he wasn’t within reach of the punch she felt she desperately wanted to deliver to his face. But that was the old Faith. The Faith that was hard to shake off sometimes. So, now instead of lunging at Angel, with fists of fury, she raised her arms briefly, wet her lips lightly and then lowered her arms back down again as she started to talk. “Ya know. Screw you. I don’t need this. If I want someone to not believe in me then I’ll go and see B.” The pained expression that was briefly seen on Angel’s face was soon replaced with one that was ripe with guilt. He went to speak, but it was already too late. Faith had already turned and was walking quickly towards the club up ahead. She didn’t look back as she carried on walking. He was probably just staring at her back and berating himself, and adding another years of broodiness to his unlife, knowing full well, that if he tried to follow her, he would end up on the pavement, and under her boot. As she walked with purpose, despite the feeling of dejection that was swirling around inside her, she reminded herself that she was alone, yet again. Always alone, and never quite fitting in anywhere. Always the second in line. Not that she wanted to be B. That was fine for her, being a leader and managing all the Scoobies. She was fine following, but who was she going to share her life with along the way? She had Gile’s as a father figure lately. But she wanted someone she could share everything with. Faith gritted her teeth and shook her head in disappointment as she crossed the road in front of the club.
No one would ever guess that about her. But it was true. She was always trying to fit in. To belong somewhere. But she always seemed to fail miserably. At one point along the line she realized she had given up looking. After all, to her, there was no point. When she ever did find someone they were either in love with someone else, or she knew she wouldn’t be able to love them completely. Then there was the trust issue. That was a bitch. But luckily for her, Gile’s had been helping her with that. Shaking her head as she came level with the bouncer she decided to focus on the present. Nodding as the bouncer unclipped the rope that barred her entry, she walked through without breaking her stride. She pushed her painful thoughts and feelings of disappointment aside as she made her way through the crowds of people. Tonight would be just that, any other night, of carefree socializing. She began to walk slower, and adjusted her whole demeanor, so she appeared to be yet another girl, just out to have a good time. And she would, for now, but when tomorrow came, she would try and decide what to do with the rest of her life. Smirking ironically inwardly at her lack of choices she stopped in front of the bar and rested her forearms on the bar. Leaning over slightly she gained the barman’s attention easily, and within moments she had her chosen drink in hand and nodded briefly in thanks after paying. Well at least she had the perk of being on the Council’s payroll, so that was one thing that was working in her favor. Turning around she leaned back against the bar after placing one elbow on it for support. She surveyed the crowd as she began to take frequent sips of her drink, while moving her body slightly in time to the music she was determined to banish Angel from her thoughts for the rest of the night.
©(S-O-R) S&W.