Ficathon Entry Part 2
Mar. 4th, 2005 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garnigalHey all! This is the unbeta'd version of part two of my Giles Ficathon entry. Let me know what you think!
Warning! Even longer than Part One!
Scene 2 – Talk Prison
Giles sat on the plastic chairs provided by the prison, waiting impatiently. Since Buffy’s death, the Rogue Slayer had often been on Giles’ mind. He snickered to himself at the melodramatic title he’d mentally assigned Faith.
The weeks since May had been filled with pain and planning. Burying Buffy was the first duty, and the grieving was an ongoing process, but there were all sorts of arrangements to make.
Dawn’s custody arrangement was the first problem needing attention. Some quiet investigation revealed that Hank Summers seemed to have disappeared. Giles supposed he should be concerned about the man, but he couldn’t help but be relieved that he wasn’t around, taking custody of Dawn and demanding explanations. For the first week or so Dawn had slept on Giles’ couch, unwilling to face the empty house. That arrangement came to an abrupt end when Social Services came looking for Buffy and Dawn. Giles instinctively covered up Buffy’s death, claiming to be watching Dawn while Buffy took care of some family business out of town. It was a fortunate ruse for the social worker made no secret of the fact that she was looking for any reason to remove Dawn from Buffy’s care.
There was also the problem of the Hellmouth. Sunnydale was bound to be overrun with vampires and demons without a resident Slayer. Everyone did what they could in terms of patrol, but even when Buffy was alive it took all of them to keep Sunnydale safe. Without Buffy, two witches, a Watcher, an ex-demon, a vampire and Xander wouldn’t be able to protect the town for long.
Fortunately, Willow had been working on something that would solve both problems. Despite the Bot’s decapitation, it wasn’t that badly damaged, certainly nothing irreparable. Within a week, Willow had rebuilt and reprogrammed the Bot enough to pass muster with social workers and vampires alike. The Bot’s strength and appearance, even if it lacked Buffy’s instincts and passion, was enough to keep demons and vampires wary.
Now, six weeks later, Dawn was comfortably settled at home with Willow and Tara, the Bot providing legitimacy to the arrangement. Sunnydale was still quiet, with none of Giles’, Anya’s or Spike’s contacts suggesting anything terribly evil on the way. Spike was still hanging about, being a friend to Dawn and an extra strong arm on patrol, despite the lack of encouragement from Giles, Willow and Xander. Anya and Tara accepted Spike’s help gratefully, and Dawn of course was his staunchest champion. The farthest Giles, Willow and Xander were willing to go was to avoid overt hostility towards the bleached vampire. It seemed to be enough. He certainly wasn’t going anywhere.
Everything seemed to be going well. Giles still experienced moments of extreme grief and he assumed the others did too, but it wasn’t the crushing, soul-destroying guilt and sorrow of a few weeks ago. He hadn’t expected to slip back into his old routine so easily. Only a few adjustments were needed to accommodate the loss of Buffy. As the pain eased, he found himself remembering Buffy fondly, but wondering intensely about Faith.
Giles knew that Willow had told Angel, and that Angel was in contact with Faith. Finally his curiosity about Faith had driven Giles to contact Angel directly. Angel was evasive, asking about everyone in Sunnydale, even Xander, trying to avoid talking about Faith. Giles finally forced the issue, asking outright if Faith knew about Buffy’s death. Angel hadn’t told her. Stumbling and stuttering, Angel finally admitted that he was worried that Faith would break out of prison if she knew, that she would feel responsible for saving the world. “She’s finally taking responsibility for her actions,” Angel entreated Giles. “And I’m not going to jeopardize that.”
For another few days, Giles had gone about his business in Sunnydale, bowing to Angel’s superior understanding of Faith. Eventually, however, he started to remember the Faith he knew; the girl who seemed so strong, so independent, but was really so fragile. The secrets and misunderstandings that normal teens used to protect themselves had shattered Faith’s delicate trust. If Faith was really getting better, Giles wasn’t willing to cause a setback by once again keeping things from her.
He’d contacted the prison the next day, finding out what was required for him to visit Faith. It had taken another two weeks for him to get a background check and to be approved, and almost another week for an open visiting day. Yesterday, he’d told Willow and Xander that he was going to visit Faith, to tell her what had happened to Buffy. They both seemed uncomfortable, but hadn’t said much. Dawn had overheard the conversation, and had, in typical teenage melodrama, accused Giles of trying to replace Buffy. Once she was sufficiently reassured that Faith would not be leaving prison, she’d shown a surprising generosity of spirit, wondering if there was anything they could send her from ‘outside’. Giles had called the prison once more, and collected a small box of items that were acceptable within prison walls.
When he’d arrived, he’d been searched, his wallet, keys, belt, shoelaces, even glasses confiscated ‘for his own safety’. He wondered why. He and Faith would be talking through bullet proof, reinforced Plexiglas. Sure, Faith could break through easily, but how were they to know that? His box of gifts was taken as well, sorted and examined for contraband. Finally he was sent to wait in this windowless, cheerless room, feeling naked and cold without his glasses.
A tap on the door alerted him to the guard’s return. He followed the burly man down a narrow hall to a large room, lined with cubicles, split in half by the clear plastic barrier. It looked exactly like a movie scene. The guard pointed at a specific booth and Giles was once again left to his own devices.
Visiting day wasn’t much of a celebration for Faith. The only visitor she ever had was Angel, and his attendance was sporadic at best. However, many of the other women were visited regularly by family from outside, and no one was willing to risk losing those privileges by getting in a fight too close to the last weekend of the month, so at least she didn’t have to watch her back as closely.
She hadn’t seen Angel in a couple of months, so she wasn’t too surprised when she was notified of a visitor. However, she was shocked and wary when she read Giles’ name on the notification form. Her mind raced, considering and discarding various circumstances that could bring Giles to visit her after all this time. Nothing about this visit made sense to her, but it left her with a vague sense of dread. For the next two days, until Tuesday afternoon rolled around, Faith was jumpier and more watchful than usual. Even the biggest, baddest bitches in the joint stayed away from her.
Tuesday finally arrived. As usual, the cellblocks were at fever pitch. The expected scuffles broke out around the mirrors, everyone fighting for space, trying to look their best. Faith stayed out of the fray as best she could, opting for a simple ponytail and well-scrubbed face. She sat on her bunk, foot tapping impatiently, for the guard to escort her to the visiting room.
It seemed to take hours. Time moved slowly in prison, Faith had found, but anticipation just made things worse. Finally she was led into the visiting room and directed to a cubicle. As she drew near, she could see that Giles was there already, looking uncomfortable and strange without his glasses. It was comforting; if Giles didn’t have to be the same, then neither did she. Instead of stalking to the chair, focusing on Giles like a predator with prey, hiding all her insecurities and worry, she could be real, keep working on being the person Angel seemed to see in her.
She relished Giles surprise when she finally did sit down. She knew she’d changed drastically since Sunnydale, but the transformation had been so slow and natural that she sometimes forgot. Despite prison and the inherent dangers in a maximum security facility, she was more open and accepting now than she had been when she was supposedly free. When she’d first arrived, she’d used weightlifting and working out to keep her mind occupied. Eventually though, she realized that the whole point of being here was to use her mind, to accept the things she’d done, the person she’d been and try to avoid making the same mistakes. She’d started reading, even studying. She’d used the counsellors and advisors the prison offered, really working at resolving the issues that had led to her incarceration. ‘And I use words like incarceration now,’ she thought with a smile.
When the silence had dragged on a little too long to be comfortable, Faith picked up the phone and motioned for Giles to do the same. With a little smirk, and a bit of the old Faith attitude, she greeted him. “Yo, Giles.”
Soft, slightly unfocused eyes blinked at her through the plexi, then a slow smile spread across his features. “You’re looking well,” he replied.
“Still British to the core, aren’t you?” Faith laughed. A guard approached and she fell silent. He delivered an opened cardboard box to the desk in front of her, eyed her carefully, but made his way back to his post. Laughter was frowned on, even during visits.
“Did you bring me something?” Faith was genuinely excited, but nothing could stop her from sounding sarcastic. Giles seemed to ignore the tone, just nodding and telling her to open it.
“It’s from everyone, but it was Dawn’s idea.”
That took Faith aback. Dawn could hold a grudge. Of all the Scoobies, Dawn was least likely to forgive and forget, even if she’d been the least hurt by Faith’s betrayal. She hesitated, but finally opened the flaps, encouraged by Giles’ gentle smile.
The first thing she pulled out was a bottle of hand lotion. “That’s from Dawn,” Giles said. “She wanted to get you some lipstick, but it wasn’t on the approved list.”
“Yeah, they don’t really encourage you to pretty yourself up in here. It just encourages jealousy and fights,” Faith said absently, still staring at the bottle in her hands. The thoughtfulness of Dawn’s gift surprised and touched her. Touched her, and gave her hope for a future outside these walls.
Next she pulled out a huge bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. She didn’t need Giles to tell her who sent those. “Xander,” she said with a smile. “He always remembered the post-slaying hungry and …” Suddenly she remembered who she was talking to, and stopped talking before she said anything too incriminating. She sent Giles a sheepish grin.
A soft package wrapped in brown paper was next. It had been opened by the guards, but then carefully rewrapped. She opened a flap at the end and peered inside.
“Willow said she’d send you something … personal, to make up for Xander’s gift of food,” Giles said, blushing. Faith could just imagine that conversation, and Giles’ discomfort.
“Tell her thanks. It’s always nice to get a … personal gift.”
She had reached the bottom of the box. Pulling out the last item, she glanced at Giles. “This must be from you.” Tied together were several paperback novels, all by an Ian Rankin.
“Yes, Angel told me you’ve been reading a lot. I wanted to get you something more interesting and less uplifting.” Faith gaped at Giles’ description.
“Less uplifting?” she queried.
“Mystery novels. British mystery novels at that. I used to read them in my office at the high school when I was bored with my research.”
“I never saw you reading novels, Giles,” Faith teased.
“Yes, well, that’s why I read them in my office.”
They smiled at each other, all discomfort between them long dispelled. Finally, however, Faith had to ask the question that had been bothering her since she emptied the box.
“Nothing from B?”
Giles sighed. “That’s one reason why I’m here Faith. I did want to see you, to see for myself that you were doing as well in these surroundings as Angel claimed. However, I was spurred to action by” Giles trailed off, groped for his missing glasses, and then let his hands fall to his lap. “Buffy’s dead, Faith.”
Faith stared at Giles for a long time. His voice was raw when he’d told her the news, and his eyes glittered with unshed tears. Her first instinct had been to challenge him, demand proof, but looking at his face she knew she needed no more proof than the naked grief etched on this man’s face. She wondered how she could have missed it before, now that it was so obvious to her. Dangerous thoughts began percolating through her head, so she drowned them out by asking the simplest question she could think of. “What happened?”
She listened to Giles’ explanations, sometimes asking for clarifications but mostly sitting silently. A few tears escaped when she heard of Joyce’s illness and eventual death, and she rolled her eyes at Spike’s attempts at wooing Buffy and professions of love. By the time he got to the end, though, she was just listening. His pauses got longer and longer as he tried to describe the fight, the failure and Buffy’s sacrifice.
Faith sat silently for a while, giving Giles a chance to collect himself. She was unsure what to say, what sympathy to offer. Before she could think of anything, Giles broke the silence himself.
“We’re all starting to do better. It’s been several weeks, and we’re starting to get the kinks worked out. Dawn’s getting settled in with Willow and Tara, and we’re all working together to patrol. Having Spike around is helpful in that respect at least, though I’ll never admit it beyond this room.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Faith finally asked. She looked Giles dead in the eye, letting the seriousness and hidden meaning of her question be easily seen. She was completely prepared to break out today if necessary, though a niggling voice in her head screamed ‘not ready yet!’
“No Faith, but thank you for offering.” Giles stared back. She could see that he was just as serious as she was. “You needed to know, and I needed to tell you in person. We’re doing fine.” Another long pause as they stared through the glass. “I’ll let you know if we need you.”
A weight she didn’t realize she’d been feeling lifted from her. Ever since Giles’ name showed up on the notification form, she’d expected trouble. As much as she chafed at her incarceration, she knew this was the right place for her, both as a punishment for her poor choices, and as an opportunity to learn to make better ones. Leaving wouldn’t be the right choice right now, and she was capable of seeing that. She also knew that if she was needed, the choice would be moot. She was glad her choices weren’t being taken away quite yet.
I have officially decided there will only be three parts, so only one left to write.
Warning! Even longer than Part One!
Scene 2 – Talk Prison
Giles sat on the plastic chairs provided by the prison, waiting impatiently. Since Buffy’s death, the Rogue Slayer had often been on Giles’ mind. He snickered to himself at the melodramatic title he’d mentally assigned Faith.
The weeks since May had been filled with pain and planning. Burying Buffy was the first duty, and the grieving was an ongoing process, but there were all sorts of arrangements to make.
Dawn’s custody arrangement was the first problem needing attention. Some quiet investigation revealed that Hank Summers seemed to have disappeared. Giles supposed he should be concerned about the man, but he couldn’t help but be relieved that he wasn’t around, taking custody of Dawn and demanding explanations. For the first week or so Dawn had slept on Giles’ couch, unwilling to face the empty house. That arrangement came to an abrupt end when Social Services came looking for Buffy and Dawn. Giles instinctively covered up Buffy’s death, claiming to be watching Dawn while Buffy took care of some family business out of town. It was a fortunate ruse for the social worker made no secret of the fact that she was looking for any reason to remove Dawn from Buffy’s care.
There was also the problem of the Hellmouth. Sunnydale was bound to be overrun with vampires and demons without a resident Slayer. Everyone did what they could in terms of patrol, but even when Buffy was alive it took all of them to keep Sunnydale safe. Without Buffy, two witches, a Watcher, an ex-demon, a vampire and Xander wouldn’t be able to protect the town for long.
Fortunately, Willow had been working on something that would solve both problems. Despite the Bot’s decapitation, it wasn’t that badly damaged, certainly nothing irreparable. Within a week, Willow had rebuilt and reprogrammed the Bot enough to pass muster with social workers and vampires alike. The Bot’s strength and appearance, even if it lacked Buffy’s instincts and passion, was enough to keep demons and vampires wary.
Now, six weeks later, Dawn was comfortably settled at home with Willow and Tara, the Bot providing legitimacy to the arrangement. Sunnydale was still quiet, with none of Giles’, Anya’s or Spike’s contacts suggesting anything terribly evil on the way. Spike was still hanging about, being a friend to Dawn and an extra strong arm on patrol, despite the lack of encouragement from Giles, Willow and Xander. Anya and Tara accepted Spike’s help gratefully, and Dawn of course was his staunchest champion. The farthest Giles, Willow and Xander were willing to go was to avoid overt hostility towards the bleached vampire. It seemed to be enough. He certainly wasn’t going anywhere.
Everything seemed to be going well. Giles still experienced moments of extreme grief and he assumed the others did too, but it wasn’t the crushing, soul-destroying guilt and sorrow of a few weeks ago. He hadn’t expected to slip back into his old routine so easily. Only a few adjustments were needed to accommodate the loss of Buffy. As the pain eased, he found himself remembering Buffy fondly, but wondering intensely about Faith.
Giles knew that Willow had told Angel, and that Angel was in contact with Faith. Finally his curiosity about Faith had driven Giles to contact Angel directly. Angel was evasive, asking about everyone in Sunnydale, even Xander, trying to avoid talking about Faith. Giles finally forced the issue, asking outright if Faith knew about Buffy’s death. Angel hadn’t told her. Stumbling and stuttering, Angel finally admitted that he was worried that Faith would break out of prison if she knew, that she would feel responsible for saving the world. “She’s finally taking responsibility for her actions,” Angel entreated Giles. “And I’m not going to jeopardize that.”
For another few days, Giles had gone about his business in Sunnydale, bowing to Angel’s superior understanding of Faith. Eventually, however, he started to remember the Faith he knew; the girl who seemed so strong, so independent, but was really so fragile. The secrets and misunderstandings that normal teens used to protect themselves had shattered Faith’s delicate trust. If Faith was really getting better, Giles wasn’t willing to cause a setback by once again keeping things from her.
He’d contacted the prison the next day, finding out what was required for him to visit Faith. It had taken another two weeks for him to get a background check and to be approved, and almost another week for an open visiting day. Yesterday, he’d told Willow and Xander that he was going to visit Faith, to tell her what had happened to Buffy. They both seemed uncomfortable, but hadn’t said much. Dawn had overheard the conversation, and had, in typical teenage melodrama, accused Giles of trying to replace Buffy. Once she was sufficiently reassured that Faith would not be leaving prison, she’d shown a surprising generosity of spirit, wondering if there was anything they could send her from ‘outside’. Giles had called the prison once more, and collected a small box of items that were acceptable within prison walls.
When he’d arrived, he’d been searched, his wallet, keys, belt, shoelaces, even glasses confiscated ‘for his own safety’. He wondered why. He and Faith would be talking through bullet proof, reinforced Plexiglas. Sure, Faith could break through easily, but how were they to know that? His box of gifts was taken as well, sorted and examined for contraband. Finally he was sent to wait in this windowless, cheerless room, feeling naked and cold without his glasses.
A tap on the door alerted him to the guard’s return. He followed the burly man down a narrow hall to a large room, lined with cubicles, split in half by the clear plastic barrier. It looked exactly like a movie scene. The guard pointed at a specific booth and Giles was once again left to his own devices.
Visiting day wasn’t much of a celebration for Faith. The only visitor she ever had was Angel, and his attendance was sporadic at best. However, many of the other women were visited regularly by family from outside, and no one was willing to risk losing those privileges by getting in a fight too close to the last weekend of the month, so at least she didn’t have to watch her back as closely.
She hadn’t seen Angel in a couple of months, so she wasn’t too surprised when she was notified of a visitor. However, she was shocked and wary when she read Giles’ name on the notification form. Her mind raced, considering and discarding various circumstances that could bring Giles to visit her after all this time. Nothing about this visit made sense to her, but it left her with a vague sense of dread. For the next two days, until Tuesday afternoon rolled around, Faith was jumpier and more watchful than usual. Even the biggest, baddest bitches in the joint stayed away from her.
Tuesday finally arrived. As usual, the cellblocks were at fever pitch. The expected scuffles broke out around the mirrors, everyone fighting for space, trying to look their best. Faith stayed out of the fray as best she could, opting for a simple ponytail and well-scrubbed face. She sat on her bunk, foot tapping impatiently, for the guard to escort her to the visiting room.
It seemed to take hours. Time moved slowly in prison, Faith had found, but anticipation just made things worse. Finally she was led into the visiting room and directed to a cubicle. As she drew near, she could see that Giles was there already, looking uncomfortable and strange without his glasses. It was comforting; if Giles didn’t have to be the same, then neither did she. Instead of stalking to the chair, focusing on Giles like a predator with prey, hiding all her insecurities and worry, she could be real, keep working on being the person Angel seemed to see in her.
She relished Giles surprise when she finally did sit down. She knew she’d changed drastically since Sunnydale, but the transformation had been so slow and natural that she sometimes forgot. Despite prison and the inherent dangers in a maximum security facility, she was more open and accepting now than she had been when she was supposedly free. When she’d first arrived, she’d used weightlifting and working out to keep her mind occupied. Eventually though, she realized that the whole point of being here was to use her mind, to accept the things she’d done, the person she’d been and try to avoid making the same mistakes. She’d started reading, even studying. She’d used the counsellors and advisors the prison offered, really working at resolving the issues that had led to her incarceration. ‘And I use words like incarceration now,’ she thought with a smile.
When the silence had dragged on a little too long to be comfortable, Faith picked up the phone and motioned for Giles to do the same. With a little smirk, and a bit of the old Faith attitude, she greeted him. “Yo, Giles.”
Soft, slightly unfocused eyes blinked at her through the plexi, then a slow smile spread across his features. “You’re looking well,” he replied.
“Still British to the core, aren’t you?” Faith laughed. A guard approached and she fell silent. He delivered an opened cardboard box to the desk in front of her, eyed her carefully, but made his way back to his post. Laughter was frowned on, even during visits.
“Did you bring me something?” Faith was genuinely excited, but nothing could stop her from sounding sarcastic. Giles seemed to ignore the tone, just nodding and telling her to open it.
“It’s from everyone, but it was Dawn’s idea.”
That took Faith aback. Dawn could hold a grudge. Of all the Scoobies, Dawn was least likely to forgive and forget, even if she’d been the least hurt by Faith’s betrayal. She hesitated, but finally opened the flaps, encouraged by Giles’ gentle smile.
The first thing she pulled out was a bottle of hand lotion. “That’s from Dawn,” Giles said. “She wanted to get you some lipstick, but it wasn’t on the approved list.”
“Yeah, they don’t really encourage you to pretty yourself up in here. It just encourages jealousy and fights,” Faith said absently, still staring at the bottle in her hands. The thoughtfulness of Dawn’s gift surprised and touched her. Touched her, and gave her hope for a future outside these walls.
Next she pulled out a huge bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. She didn’t need Giles to tell her who sent those. “Xander,” she said with a smile. “He always remembered the post-slaying hungry and …” Suddenly she remembered who she was talking to, and stopped talking before she said anything too incriminating. She sent Giles a sheepish grin.
A soft package wrapped in brown paper was next. It had been opened by the guards, but then carefully rewrapped. She opened a flap at the end and peered inside.
“Willow said she’d send you something … personal, to make up for Xander’s gift of food,” Giles said, blushing. Faith could just imagine that conversation, and Giles’ discomfort.
“Tell her thanks. It’s always nice to get a … personal gift.”
She had reached the bottom of the box. Pulling out the last item, she glanced at Giles. “This must be from you.” Tied together were several paperback novels, all by an Ian Rankin.
“Yes, Angel told me you’ve been reading a lot. I wanted to get you something more interesting and less uplifting.” Faith gaped at Giles’ description.
“Less uplifting?” she queried.
“Mystery novels. British mystery novels at that. I used to read them in my office at the high school when I was bored with my research.”
“I never saw you reading novels, Giles,” Faith teased.
“Yes, well, that’s why I read them in my office.”
They smiled at each other, all discomfort between them long dispelled. Finally, however, Faith had to ask the question that had been bothering her since she emptied the box.
“Nothing from B?”
Giles sighed. “That’s one reason why I’m here Faith. I did want to see you, to see for myself that you were doing as well in these surroundings as Angel claimed. However, I was spurred to action by” Giles trailed off, groped for his missing glasses, and then let his hands fall to his lap. “Buffy’s dead, Faith.”
Faith stared at Giles for a long time. His voice was raw when he’d told her the news, and his eyes glittered with unshed tears. Her first instinct had been to challenge him, demand proof, but looking at his face she knew she needed no more proof than the naked grief etched on this man’s face. She wondered how she could have missed it before, now that it was so obvious to her. Dangerous thoughts began percolating through her head, so she drowned them out by asking the simplest question she could think of. “What happened?”
She listened to Giles’ explanations, sometimes asking for clarifications but mostly sitting silently. A few tears escaped when she heard of Joyce’s illness and eventual death, and she rolled her eyes at Spike’s attempts at wooing Buffy and professions of love. By the time he got to the end, though, she was just listening. His pauses got longer and longer as he tried to describe the fight, the failure and Buffy’s sacrifice.
Faith sat silently for a while, giving Giles a chance to collect himself. She was unsure what to say, what sympathy to offer. Before she could think of anything, Giles broke the silence himself.
“We’re all starting to do better. It’s been several weeks, and we’re starting to get the kinks worked out. Dawn’s getting settled in with Willow and Tara, and we’re all working together to patrol. Having Spike around is helpful in that respect at least, though I’ll never admit it beyond this room.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Faith finally asked. She looked Giles dead in the eye, letting the seriousness and hidden meaning of her question be easily seen. She was completely prepared to break out today if necessary, though a niggling voice in her head screamed ‘not ready yet!’
“No Faith, but thank you for offering.” Giles stared back. She could see that he was just as serious as she was. “You needed to know, and I needed to tell you in person. We’re doing fine.” Another long pause as they stared through the glass. “I’ll let you know if we need you.”
A weight she didn’t realize she’d been feeling lifted from her. Ever since Giles’ name showed up on the notification form, she’d expected trouble. As much as she chafed at her incarceration, she knew this was the right place for her, both as a punishment for her poor choices, and as an opportunity to learn to make better ones. Leaving wouldn’t be the right choice right now, and she was capable of seeing that. She also knew that if she was needed, the choice would be moot. She was glad her choices weren’t being taken away quite yet.
I have officially decided there will only be three parts, so only one left to write.
