Forgotten Conscience (girlxgirl) (Book 1)

Turning The Proverbial Cheek

Willow's POV

"She makes me so mad sometimes."

I start pacing around the room.

Faith is a threat and Buffy knows it.

"Baby, you heard her. Buffy says she won't let Faith do anything to hurt her or anyone she cares about."

"I know but that never stopped her from hurting us before."

She's always found a way to screw up our lives and now she's doing it again.

"Willow, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What did she do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Faith... What did she do to you?"

"I told you about what she did."

"N-No you d-didn't. All you said was that she made you jealous, that doesn't mean she was evil."

"She is though."

"How?"

"Well, she helped the mayor try to destroy the town."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, plus she tried to kill each of us."

"Okay so she used to be evil..."

"Used to?"

What does she mean 'used to'? She's actually defending Faith?

"What do you mean 'used to'? She is and always will be evil."

I can't believe she's defending someone she's never met.

"She's not anymore, I'm not entirely sure how or why, I just... know."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can read auras. Faith's aura is... well, it's v-very t-tr-translucent."

"So what does that mean?"

"Well for most people their auras stand out because they are more defined. But for people like Faith, for people who've lost their memory, their auras are less defined."

"So you're sure she's got no memory?"

"Yes... a-a person's aura is created by their m-memories and how they d-deal with the experiences they go through. But f-for someone with amnesia, a person h-has no memories, so their auras are very weak. Faith's aura is v-very weak."

Yeah well that doesn't change what she did to me.

"So then why are you defending her?"

I'm still not sure.

"I'm not defending her. S-She still did what she did. Don't f-forget that. I'm just... you have an opportunity to make things right..."

Make things right? How do I have anything to make right?

"Why am I the one who has to make things right? She's the one who tried to kill me, remember? I shouldn't be doing anything of the sort."

"Okay, s-s-so maybe I said it wrong. B-But she can't r-remember what she did. Sh-She can't ap-apologize for things she can't remember. What I meant to say is that you have a chance. A chance to show Faith the person she should be, the person she can be."

Why the hell would I wanna do that?

"And what happens when she gets her memory back and tries to kill us?"

"That's why you have to be her friend. If you show her the good person she never was, she'll remember it when she gets her memory back."

"So what? It doesn't mean she still won't try and kill us."

She still can if she wants to.

Tara walks up to me and takes my hands in her own.

"Y-Yes but if you can be a friend to her, if you c-can get past your anger and jealousy for her, maybe, just maybe, she won't want to kill anyone."

Maybe... that doesn't fill me with confidence.

"Why do I have to be her friend? What about Buffy? She already wants to help her, why doesn't she be Faith's friend?"

"Buffy... she has... she has something m-more important, things to t-teach Faith ab-b-bout."

More important things, like what?

"What kind of things? How do you know?"

"I-I don't know... I just... I can feel it."

Xander's POV

"What should I do?"

I'm at a loss... I don't know what to do.

"Maybe you should kill her."

Okay that's not the kind of advice I was hoping for.

"Anya, I can't kill her."

"Why the hell not? You told me she tried to kill you. Why can't you just return the favour? That's what people do isn't it? We do favors for each other."

Okay I think it's time for another lesson in being human.

"This isn't the kind of favor you return. Not unless you're evil."

"What are you gonna do then?"

"I don't know... that's what I'm trying to figure out. Buffy seems to think what's happening is real, and I trust Buffy's judgment but... well, nothing is certain when it comes to Faith and with our history..."

"History?"

Crap, bad timing Xander, bad timing.

"What do you mean history?"

"Well... Faith and I... me and Faith, we... and then there was, well..."

I take a step back.

How do I explain this to her? She has a way of taking things badly.

"You dated her?"

"Well not exactly."

"But you had a relationship?"

"I don't think it qualifies as a relationship."

"So you were just in it for the sex, like with us."

"Anya it was just one night."

"But you love her?"

What? No of course not.

"No, I don't love her, I just... she tried to kill me. I can't love her."

"So you just had sex with her and left her out in the cold."

Left her in the...?

"No I didn't leave her in the cold. If anything, it was the other way around."

"So what happened?"

I'm not so sure myself. It was a year ago and I'm still not sure.

"We were... involved."

"Involved how? How am I supposed to feel?"

Feel?

"An, hun, I can't tell you how to feel."

"Well you should. Should I be jealous? Should I be afraid that you're gonna leave me for her?"

She's kinda cute when she does this.

I take her hands in mine.

"You don't have to worry about anything happening between me and Faith. There isn't anything between us anymore."

"If you say so... let's go to bed, I'm tired."

It's a good thing she's learned to focus.