"I have faith in you"

mercredi, 10 mai 2006

When Faith woke up the following morning, she had the surprise while running on her side as she was used to by waking up, to tip over to the void and to hit the ground violently, some dozens lower centimeters with a matt noise. The Slayer straightened up immediately on her back and looked around her frantically. She noticed  she still wore the same tracksuit as the evening before, the one she had threaded by going out from the shower. And she wasn't in her room. Raising her head a little more, she was able to see Tara who slept at the other extremity of the bed, which she had just fallen from, still dressed too. Faith frowned and tried to gather her memories in her spirit still clouded by sleep. A glance to the video recorder on which flashed the message ‘ end of tape ’ reminded her their video evening at first, and then that they had let the movie play without really worrying about it while Faith had interrogated Tara about the reasons which urged the witch to behave as a friend with her. The answer came back to her at the same time as the question, and Faith turned again her head to the blonde lager whom she observed her chest lifting up itself in regular intervals in her sleep during some time. Faith still couldn't get over it. Either over the affection Tara had displayed for her. And at the same time over the fact she had felt comfortable about it. Both women had spent a good part of the night simply talking, a little about the movie, a little about evil and vampires and mainly about everything and nothing. And they had ended falling asleep without even noticing. Faith sighed slightly; she wasn't used to be  in such a situation. She was about to abruptly get up and to go out from the room when she heard Tara moving. Instinctively, Faith turned her head to her. Tara was looking at her and was smiling friendly. « Hi Faith » she said simply. The sound of her voice, so friendly, the sight of her smile, so captivating, nailed the Slayer on her spot. "Hey" answered Faith simply, unable to say anything else. « Good night? » Asked Tara on a tone still a little asleep. Faith tilted her head on the side to answer yes and got up. « Oh! I hope that it isn't me who pushed you outside of the bed? » Asked Tara with anxiety, her spirit having finally recorded that Faith was on the ground. « No problem Blondie » answered Faith while raising her hand in a reassuring gesture. « I made that alone ». Faith kept silent and observed Tara some seconds. The blonde wasn't clearly awake and got ready to go back to sleep every minute. « Well, I'm going to let you finish your night more comfortably, » declared the Slayer by withdrawing towards the door. « What time is it Faith? » Asked Tara while straighten up on an elbow and trying to keep her eyes opened. « Approximately seven » answered Faith. « You can go back to sleep. » Tara nodded and allowed herself to fall again on the bed. « I think you're right. » « See you later then » concluded Faith while going out. *** « You're cheating! » « I promise I'm not » protested Tara, while displaying a whole feint innocence. « And anyway, if I want a chance to win, I have to help myself a little seeing as YOU're cheating. » « I'm not cheating! » Protested Faith in her turn. Tara arched a skeptical eyebrow in her direction. « You're not cheating? » Faith wasn't able not to give in in front of the witch's wrongly inquisitor look and began laughing. « Okay, Okay » she admitted. “ But I have a good reason. ” « Which is? » Tara asked. « I just get out of jail » proposed Faith. « And? » Asked again Tara by bending towards the Slayer. « Forced to win from time to time to improve the every day life. You win a game, you win a smoke or a chips bag. Thus I had to put myself in it. » Tara nodded her head in sign of understanding. « But you, Blondie » resumed Faith. « Who thus learnt you to cheat so? » "Xander and Anya" answered Tara, smiling at the evocation of her two friends. « Willow wanted to learn me to play like her, you know, to take into account probabilities, make calculations, things like that but … » « Wait, Red plays cards by making probabilities calculations !? » Faith interrupted on a stunned tone. Tara nodded. « Yes. She's a brain you know. She manages to draw incredible conclusions in an incredible speed. I had to give up following her in this domain. Then to have a chance to win over her from time to time, Xander and Anya taught me some tricks. » « Willow was so absorbed that she realized almost never anything! » Added Tara almost laughing. The witch then seemed to withdraw in recollections of evenings of funny cards games and remained silent some moments before concluding. « My last game was a long time ago … » Faith considered the pensive face of the young woman and hesitated to pull her from her reverie. « Anyway, I think I'm going to win this time » she announced finally after some moments. Tara raised her head and smiled to her again. « We'll see! » *** “You won't ever drive in my presence again! » Asserted Cordelia while pushing the door of the Hyperion, followed closely by an hilarious Gunn and a very smiling Fred. « You could have kill all of us! » Pursued the former cheerleader while entering the hotel. « You exaggerate a little Cordy » Fred said in a sweet voice. « And you drive hardly less faster … » Cordelia stopped dead in her tracks and cast an exaggerated glance to the young lady. « It has NOTHING to do with that » she defended herself « I really believed that we'd never arrived here in one piece. » Fred closed the door of the hotel behind Angel and Wesley who followed just after them and the whole gang detailed the empty lobby. « Where are Faith and Tara? » Asked Angel. « Not here it seems » answered Cordelia while raising her eyes. The young woman turned to the vampire who looked around him apparently in search of a track of both young ladies. Cordelia came to crash in front of him with an inquisitive look. « What are you afraid of ? That they had kill themselves during the weekend? » Angel went on looking around him and frowned. « With Faith, you could never know » he murmured for himself while continuing to move in the lobby while Cordelia went to the kitchen. She returned one minute later and announced at once: « Not in the kitchen. But seen as the stock of potatoes decreased, Faith at least ate here during the weekend » « They are maybe in the library? » Suggested Fred. « Maybe Tara is in the library » approved Wesley. « But Faith, we better look for her in the training room or in cemeteries. » "Yeah" admitted Angel. « The night has just fallen » « Faith isn't in the training room » announced Gunn who just came back from bringing back there weapons taken by the gang in weekend. « Cemetery then » concluded Cordelia. « Let's find Tara at least  » said Wesley while beginning to ascent the stairs. « We shall get back Faith while going on patrol » The others followed him to the floor up to the library where, once arrived near the open door, all stopped dead in their tracks, hearing a clear laughter and shouts ringing. « You cheated again! » Tara was protesting after having put down her cards in front of her. Faith overturned in her chair, roaring and crossing her hands behind her head. « You couldn't win again Tara! » Declared the Slayer, still laughing in front of the downcast sight of her opponent. From the doorway, all the rest of the group was looking at the scene, all mute in surprise. Angel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, a light smile appearing on his lips while none of both players had noticed their arrival. « I see that some people are enjoying themselves here » declared suddenly Cordelia, when she finally found her voice again. Faith jumped when she heard the former cheerleader and her head turned abruptly to the door where the gang was gathered. The laughter of the Slayer fainted immediately and she jumped up on her feet. « Hey guys, you're back … » « Just right now » confirmed Angel. His glance passed alternately from Tara to Faith, then to the cards on the table before returning on both girls. « It seems things went well » he said finally. Faith nodded her head slowly. "Yeah" she answered simply. « And you? This weekend? » « It was really very great! » Said Fred enthusiastically. « You should have come Tara, that would have pleased you. This manor was just so beautiful and there was an impressive library, old books about magic, talismans, … Very, very interesting. » Tara smiled broadly to Fred and nodded her head to her. « That's great you spent a good weekend. » « But this evening, return to work » intervened Angel on a serious tone. Faith frowned. « Troubles? » She asked, immediately switching to Slayer mode. « Cordy had a vision » answered Wesley. Faith sat again on her chair and turned to her former Watcher. « What kind? » « Children in a cemetery. They're going to be attacked by vampires » « Children in a cemetery? » Asked Faith with surprise. « Many kids go to cemeteries to frighten themselves » answered Wesley. « But for those, monsters will be very real if we don't find them first. » « You know what cemetery? » Asked the Slayer again. Angel shook his head with regret. « Unfortunately no. It will be necessary to share the job. So this evening, it's patrol for everybody. You didn't have plans? » Saying that, Angel looked alternately at Tara and Faith. This last one threw her arm over the back of her chair and made an amused grimace. « To tell the truth, we had planned to watch ‘ the empire strikes back ’ after watching Starwars yesterday and that Tara had never seen. » Faith pressed slightly on the never to make well understand at what stage this fact seemed incredibly shocking to her. Then she added: « But a good patrol is also good to me. » « You planned to watch a movie? This evening? You both? » Asked Cordelia on a tone of absolute incredulity. The young lady who still hadn't, and in a surprising way, opened her mouth since the arrival of the group, looked at Faith with a not hidden surprise. Then she turned to Tara: « What did you do to her to make her so sociable Tara? You cast a spell on her or what? » « Of course not! » Protested instinctively Tara fiercely and on a rougher tone than she had intended. All the glances converged on her, with the same expression of surprise on the faces. A smile of apologies and uneasiness appeared immediately on the witch's face while Cordelia answered on an annoyed tone of evidence: « I was kidding. » « So … Sorry » quickly faltered Tara while looking at her hands and trying desperately to avoid other people's looks and the particularly leaking out Faith's one. « I would rather bet on the power of a good potatoes meal » joked Gunn to relax the atmosphere. "Anyway" resumed Angel after a new silence. « Meeting for everybody in the lobby within one hour. And with weapons » *** One hour later, the group was gathered in the lobby again. Each of them had chosen several weapons as had recommended Angel. Sat on the sofa, Tara observed silently all her companions collecting different weapons and commenting on them. Faith and Gunn in particular showed an impressive collection of stakes and swords of any sizes as well as a crossbow each. Cordelia and Fred had chosen a simple stake and a dagger while Wesley also wore a crossbow and several stakes hidden in his clothes. « Everybody’s ready? » Asked finally Angel as he appeared in the room. Everybody nodded and Angel gauged the seriousness on all faces. « Good. Here’s the plan. According to Cordy’s vision , a group of kids is going to go to have some fun in a cemetery this evening and be slaughtered by a group of vampires. We studied with great care all the details of the premonition and we have all the same three possible cemeteries. Then, we’re going to have to part in three groups, which implies that everybody has to come. » Angel kept quiet one second, made sure that he had everybody’s attention before starting again on a firmer tone. « The purpose is simple: every group goes through its cemetery until one of us finds the kids and takes them out from there. Wesley…» Saying this, he turned to the former Watcher. « You’ll go to the North with Gunn and Fred » The three aforementioned nodded their head while Angel turned to Faith: « Faith and Tara, since you seem to get along so well, you both go to the East. » Faith approved and turned to Tara whose body had stiffened at the call of her name. « You ok Blondie? » The witch nodded and offered a slender smile to the Slayer. « Cordelia and I will go to the South » finished Angel. « Every group has a mobile. The first one who finds them calls the others. Everybody be careful » Everyone nodded and went on their way as a single man. *** A generous half-moon enlightened the dark paths of the cemetery in which Tara and Faith were roaming. Despite their casual step, both girls were attentive to any movement. The Slayer who were walking her crossbow in her hand, were casting furtive and precise glances around her and pricked up her ears in search of unusual sounds. Next to her, Tara walked her arms crossed on her chest and observed her surroundings in a much more direct and less discreet way than her partner and wondered of which use she could be to a Slayer. If she was used to go out in Sunndydale’s cemeteries with the Scooby-gang, notably during the summer which had followed Buffy’s death, she still was not some fighter and although she killed some vampires occasionally, the witch hardly felt at ease in such situations. She verified once again the mobile Faith had confided her. Still no call. Nobody had still found the children. The perspective to save these unwary kids gave her some courage and Tara put back the mobile in her pocket. Her attention returned to Faith and Tara was amazed again by the feline grace which emerged from the dark-haired Slayer while she allied in a such surprising way precision and nonchalance in her movements between graves. Although absorbed in contemplating her partner, Tara was surprised when this one stopped brutally and the blonde crashed headlong into her back. Faith didn't stumble of a centimeter and ordered silence to Tara with a sign of her hand. The witch looked in the direction Faith were looking at but noticed nothing particular. « What’s happening? » She eventually asked as low as she was able. « There’s something there » said Faith on the same tone pointing to a vast crypt to about twenty meters from their position. « Vampires maybe ». Tara looked again in the indicated direction but noticed nothing more than previously and wasn't able to refrain from pouting. "Slayer's earing" smirked Faith with a smile, seeing the skeptical look on Tara’s face. « Let's go and see? » The witch agreed. « Follow me » approved Faith. The Slayer resumed walking, chased close by Tara. Both young women attained quickly and silently around the crypt and Faith flattened herself against the cold wall, just next to the door. A quick glance inside confirmed what her Slayer's senses learnt her some meters earlier: several persons fussed in the crypt. Faith distinguished sharply a man, whose back was in her direction and guessed another one on the side, more than she clearly saw him. They were tilted on the coffin, which throned in the center of the room and seemed to look for something, the hands of the one that saw Faith fussing on the cold stone of the coffin. « Vampires? » Asked Tara so low that Faith wouldn't have been able to hear her without her special slayer’s abilities. The Slayer shrugged in sign of ignorance. « I don’t know. I can’t see well enough. » « You think they’re the ones we’re looking for? » New shrug. Then Faith bent again slightly towards the door to see better. « I can’t see what they’re doing» she muttered. « I’m going to go around the crypt, to see if there’s another possible point of view » proposed Tara. Faith nodded her head and turned to her. « Be careful » she whispered quite low while Tara already went away. Faith watched at her following the crypt with big care, a light of amusement in her eyes, before she returned towards the crypt. Both occupants, whose nature she was still unable to determine, were still busy around the central coffin. Faith considered one moment to simply enter and ask them what they were doing. In case of vampires, she would just stake them without warning. They didn't seem to be more than two. « In the worst case, three » thought Faith by gauging the size of the room and the possible hidden recesses out of her sight where another potential vampire could hide itself. She decided to wait for Tara’s return to take action and turned around in the direction the witch had taken previously. A sinister crackle and a suppressed shout coming from this direction made her jump. Faith rushed forward immediately. « Tara? » She didn't obtain any answer. The Slayer quickly crossed some meters, which separated her from the extremity of the crypt. Just as she had turned at the corner of the building, she stopped dead in her tracks in front of a hole gaping at her feet. The Slayer bent and noticed fragments of boards damaged by time, which previously were hiding the hole. They had broken under Tara’s weight, revealing so a cavity in which the witch had probably fallen. Faith knelt down on the edge and tried to see under her. It was really dark and some seconds were needed for her eyes to get used to the darkness and distinguish the silhouette of the witch three meters lower. « Tara, are you okay? » « Faith … » The plaintive voice rose weakly up to the Slayer who got alarmed at the frightened tone of the young woman. « Are you hurt? » She asked again, trying to master the anxiety in her voice. "It's nothing" Tara tried to reassure her, noticing the fear the Slayer hadn't totally succeeded in hiding. « I think I just ricked my ankle or something of that kind … » « I’m coming » said Faith simply. The Slayer pressed firmly her hands on the edge of the hole and let her body slide along the front wall to jump up till the bottom. One second later, she was with Tara who sat and rested against the bank behind her and held her right ankle with a grimace. « Let me see » Tara loosened her hand and Faith let slide her fingers on the ankle. She grimaced when she noticed that this one had already considerably swelled. She raised her head over her towards the opening by which both women had arrived there. « You’ll never manage to go back up with an ankle in such a state. » She asserted. Tara considered her unbelievingly. « ‘Cause you, you could climb these three meters? » She interrogated with a skeptical look. Faith raised her head again and seemed to gauge the obstacle. « Not easy but maybe » she ended with a proud smile, which brought one on Tara’s face. Then she felt again Tara’s ankle. « But for you, impossible in this state. » « Simply impossible for me » retorted Tara while gauging the height and little of support on the wall. “I’ll help you » said Faith. « But you have to be able to lean above.” “It may be nothing. Leave me some moments to recover” proposed Tara. Faith looked at her with a skeptical look but nodded her head. She sat down next to the witch and tried to sweat out. After hardly some seconds of total inactivity, Faith turned to Tara and asked abruptly: “Why are you here?” Tara raised her head in astonishment. “What?” “I mean” resumed Faith with care. “Why did you come here to Los Angeles? Why did you leave Sunnydale?” Tara looked at Faith with a dumbfounded look on her face and her mouth opened to answer but no distinct sound went out of it. Seeing the surprise of her friend, Faith chose to beat a retreat. “You’re not forced to answer. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me about it” “No, no, Faith " protested Tara. “I’m just surprised” Then she resumed while playing anxiously with the ledge of her sleeve. “In fact, Willow and I were a couple. Besides, it’s rather kinda funny to think that you were the first one to point it out. In your own poetic way” Faith grimaced at the evocation of her first remark to Tara some years earlier, then concentrated once again on Tara, who went on. “We were very happy together, I guess. But she…She…Things a bit skidded some months ago and I left her. I needed to move away. It was too painful to stay there and to see her so …” The fair-haired woman stopped one second, seemed to search her words or to gather her resolution to finish her explanation. “Xander offered me to call Angel so that I have someplace where to go. And here I am” Faith looked at the witch’s face and hesitated over the behaviour to be held. Tara seemed distressed to have talked about her ex-girlfriend and Faith was shared between the desire not to push her friend farther on something so evidently painful to her, and the curiosity to know what Willow could have done so that Tara felt forced to leave her. The witch did not let her the time to decide and turned towards her with a forced smile. “Let’s see this ankle?” she offered. Faith pushed back things she was wondering about and smiled at Tara. “Yeah”  Faith raised her hand to the witch who took it and leaned over to try to get up. But she had barely taken support on her painful ankle when Tara winced in pain, and Faith forced her to sit down again. “Not yet I’d say” The Slayer said. She put her hand on the wound and grimaced. “You’re a witch, you can do nothing for that?” Saying this, Faith was pointing to Tara’s painful ankle and looked at her with hopeful eyes. "No" answered Tara curtly. « The magic isn't made to arrange that kind of small problems » Faith frowned and took away her hand of blonde’s ankle. « Hey, careful Blondie. » She muttered, suddenly irritated by the aggressiveness of her partner. « I know nothing about those things, I was only suggesting » Tara lowered her eyes, ashamed of her shout and worried to have hurt the Slayer. « I… I’m so… sorry Faith » she stammered finally. « I… I didn't want … » Faith shrugged and showed a stubborn look. « Drop it. It’s not important » She stood up and looked around her. « Remains to find how we’re going to take you out from here » she added. Tara wasn't able to refrain from smiling seeing Faith going back so fast in full 'Slayer' mode. « You know » she said after long seconds of silence. « I’m used to put myself in this kind of situations; this kind of things happens to me all the time. » « What do you mean? » Asked Faith while frowning an eyebrow. « In fact, when it’s about being chased by the gentlemen in search of hearts to torn down, by a hairy monster taken out of an alternative reality, by a jealous werewolf, or to get myself assaulted by an insane hell goddess or still meet a psychopath  Slayer in the body of another Slayer a little psychopath herself, I am always on ranks. And I don't count vampires attacks. » Faith couldn't refrain from smiling to this new evocation of her first meeting with Tara and to the derisory way Tara expressed this disasters list quite important. “Good job” admitted Faith while returning towards her. « I’m Unlucky-girl » said Tara. « You could have told me that before we teamed up together » joked Faith. The witch smiled seeing the Slayer relaxing again. « Nobody would have wanted to come with me! » She answered on a light tone. « We would have left you at the hotel! » Retorted Faith with a half-smile. « I’m sorry » said Tara pointing her ankle. Faith shrugged and got closer a little more. « It's nothing Tara. We’re going to go out from there » Faith approached the wall and examined it more precisely than before, looking for a means to hoist the witch outside this trap. She sighed by noticing that it would certainly be already difficult to her to go back up alone. The Slayer turned and observed around her. « I wonder what this hole is » she began. « There is a corridor there » said Tara while pointing to her right. Faith followed the gesture and distinguished effectively a vague narrow corridor which went away from where they were. « You should have begun by saying that to me » the Slayer was ironic while scrutinizing the narrow passage. « And I think this is just a grave » resumed Tara innocently. « And I thought that you would begin by worrying for me! » Faith wasn't able to refrain from smiling frankly by seeing the adorable grin which had punctuated the sentence of the young woman. « I’m going to go and see what is there » chained Faith quickly. « There’s maybe a passage which rises towards the crypt. » She stopped one second, looked again towards the opening over her then towards the corridor which opened on her right. « It’s maybe this hole these idiots above are looking for » she murmured more for herself than to be heard. « I’m going to cast a glance, don’t move from here Blondie » she added in going to the corridor. Tara grimaced and appointed her ankle as only answer. Faith split in a small smile and disappeared in the passage. She had just crossed the hole which separated her from the room where she had left Tara when she noticed that the following corridor was wider than it appeared to be. It had apparently dug by human beings. Faith moved in let's try in the black passage during about fifteen meters before being again in a bigger room. Contrary to what she had just seen, this room was paved and Faith distinguished old worn torches hung on walls, dusty and cracked by time. In front of her, a half collapsed stair rose over her head. « Score! » The Slayer exclaimed cheerfully. « I bet that this stair rises in the crypt. It will be perfect to make Tara go out » Faith moved carefully on the first stairs from which some stony fragments got loose under her steps. Arrived at the top, Faith put her hands on the trapdoor which blocked the access to what she thought being the crypt and she tried to make it move at first delicately, then a little more energetically. After three fruitless attempts, she was this time about to try to break the trapdoor with all her strenght when an anguished roaring hit her ears. « Fai … » The call of her name died in Tara’s choked voice and Faith shivered from head to toes. The Slayer was at the foot of the stair in one second and rushed in the corridor she crossed again the other way around, running as fast as she could. While she joined the room in which she had left Tara some moments earlier, Faith was able to hear sharply a man’s voice asking on a tone of steel: « What are you doing here? You were spying on us? » The question was punctuated by an unclear growl and a dry noise which Faith wasn't able to identify. When finally the Slayer jumped up in the first room, she saw that the hole by which Tara had fallen, had been enlarged and the room was henceforth bathed more generously than previously by the moonlight. And the scene which Faith attended had nothing to please the brunette Slayer: a man who must be around thirty, big and strong, with dark, too long, too dirty, too much ruffled hair, held Tara stuck to a wall behind her. The man’s hand was pressed on her neck, and his body was sprawled out stuck to the blonde witch’s one, while one of his feet crushed deliberately Tara’s painful ankle. The young woman was bleeding from nose and in her eyes, Faith was able to see a lighting flash of terror while the face of the man was just some millimeters from hers and while the fist of his free hand rose over her to crash violently into Tara’s face which tried unsuccessfully to pronounce a word. At this sight, Faith felt her blood boiling in her veins and an animal rage filled any fiber in her being while she threw herself forward to cross the last meters, which separated her from the aggressor of the blonde. A second man, slightly smaller than the other one, who was standing between her and her purpose, moved towards her to intervene. Faith, who had hardly noticed him, threw him with only one shot against the wall his head struck to without sweetness. Seeing the dark-haired young woman sweeping down so on him, the first man deviated from Tara brutally. The body of the young witch subsided lazily along the wall and the man took her away from him with a violent kick in her abdomen which threw the blonde witch a good meter behind him. When he was in front of Faith, he put himself in position to receive the Slayer. But nothing could get him ready for what was coming to him. The man wasn't able to refrain from having a movement of recoin while seeing Faith’s face deformed hatred and fury. And he had no time to sketch a gesture of defense when Faith’s fist crashed with violence on his face. His body fell over behind under the violence of the shock and he fell brutally on his back on the cold and rocky ground. He wanted to react and stand up immediately but had no time. His back had hardly struck the ground under him that the man felt the Slayer jumping up on him. Another punch struck his jaw, then a second and a third. He tried to put his arms across his face to protect him but nothing seemed to be able to resist to the Slayer’s madness as Faith began raining an incredible violent blows on the man’s face. « You bastard! » Roared Faith whose voice vibrated with an uncontrollable anger. « It’s just a hurt young girl you were beating on! You coward, disgusting waste…» The insults accompanied the blows and when Faith stopped striking him, it was to lift him from the ground by his shoulders and throw him again on hard stones under him with fury, before beginning to distribute blows again. « Faith … » The weak voice of Tara, who had just came back to her and looked at the scene with horror, didn't reach her ears at first. It was when the blonde witch crawled to her and rested her hand on her shoulder and tried to pull her behind that Faith abruptly seemed to return to reality. « Faith, stop, you’re going to kill him » she heard Tara murmur in her ear. The Slayer stopped then any gesture and moved back abruptly in a muddled movement and met herself sat a meter across from man she was just beating. Slowly, Faith’s eyes fell on her two hands she opened in front of her. Blood was splattered on her palms, and Faith could feel the sticky liquid pouring between her fingers. The Slayer quivered violently and raised her head to see the body of her victim spread meadows of her, his face bruised and covered with blood. A violent sickness turned her heart in her chest and Faith had to hold on not to vomit. The quiver which had taken her the second before repeated and became a shiver which seized all her body. « Oh my God » she let escape with a suppressed voice. Her next sensation was Tara’s hand again on her shoulder. Faith turned her head to the blonde witch who put worried eyes on her, but Tara could have swear that Faith looked at her without really seeing her. « Oh my God » repeated Faith a little stronger, in a trembling voice this time « Tara, I killed him, I killed him … » Tara approached a little more and put her arm around Faith’s shoulders. « He’s not dead Faith » she murmured in the Slayer’s ear with a reassuring voice. « He’s not dead » « I … I … I almost killed him » swallowed Faith with difficulty. « I could have killed him … » Her eyes returned on her hands stained with blood before settling on the man’s damaged body who was lying in a step. Then her glance returned on Tara and the witch saw in astonishment discreet tears shining in the corners of the eyes of the dark-haired Slayer. « Tara, I almost killed him » repeated Faith on an anguished tone. « I didn't want … I was outside me, I was in a rage, I was … Oh my God, I don't want to be like that any more, don’t let me be that girl again… I can't be that girl again … » Tears started to pour freely on Faith’s cheeks and Tara attracted the Slayer’s body in her arms, put her delicate hands in the brunette’s hair, murmured comforting words. « It will be okay Faith, it will be okay, I am here … » « I can't anymore Tara, I swear, I can't be that girl again… » « It will be okay, it will be okay … » « Please, don't let me be that girl again … » Tara squeezed Faith a little more against her and rocked slowly the young woman whose hands caught abruptly her shoulders before she gave way completely in the witch’s arms. Long minutes went by, during which only Faith’s suppressed sobs and Tara’s comforting rustle could be heard in the silence otherwise almost funeral, which reigned around them. It was the bell of the mobile phone that broke finally the moment. Tara raised her head and looked for the telephone, which had fallen, from her pocket when she had fallen in the hole. The witch loosened one of her arms and craned it up to the mobile. Cordelia’s name was flashing on the screen. « Hello? » « Wes and the others found them » declared Angel’s voice on the line. "Good" answered simply Tara heaving an inside sigh of relief while her eyes settled successively on both unconscious men who were lying around them. « You can come back » resumed Angel. « We’ll meet at the hotel. See you l… » « Angel, wait! » Tara interrupted him while she pulled Faith still a little closer to her with her free arm. « We’re going to need a little help over here… » *** Tara opened one of the kitchen’s cupboards and took two cups then one metal box that she deposited on the counter close to her. She took out two bags of infusion she put in the cups. Of another cupboard, Tara took a sugar box and a doughnut box she put on a tray. The whistling of the kettle informed her then the water which she had put in it a little earlier, was ready. Tara seized it and filled both cups which she put then on the tray she had prepared. « How is she? » Tara turned her head to the door to face the newcomer who was Angel. The vampire was rested against the doorframe and looked at her with a worried look. « She… she’s shell-shock » explained Tara. « She’s in bed. I thought an infusion would do good to her » she added while pointing at the tray in front of her. Angel smiled to her and nodded his head before moving to her. « And you? Your ankle? » « It will be okay» Tara answered quite low. « Maybe it doesn’t seem like that, but I had some hard times…» « I don't doubt it. » « How were things for you guys? » « Wes’group found the kids and reduced vampires to dust. He and Fred took back the children to their home. As for your two graves looters, they’re in jail at this very moment. Apparently, they were looking for jewels they thought have been buried in this crypt with their former owner. » There was a silence between them whom Tara occupied with looking at her shoes before she looked at Angel again and ask: « What’s going to happen to Faith? » « I shall speak about it with her when she will have calmed down. I don't think that Morris will send her back in jail, if that’s what worries you. » Tara nodded her head. « She said that in the first prank of her part, she would be arrested again. » « That’s true » approved Angel. « But Morris is comprehensive. He won't doubtless raise the info … » « Good, good … But she? » Angel curved an eyebrow at first, before understanding what Tara was saying. « It’ll be up to her to choose. Is she rather strong to be outside? She’s the only one to know » Tara nodded thoughtfully and seized the tray before beginning to move in the room with delicacy. Angel came at once to her and cleared her. « Let me help you. » « You should maybe bring that to her yourself » proposed Tara. « It would maybe be better whether it’s you who … » “No” interrupted firmly Angel. « I think she’s needing you right now. » Tara nodded her head, smiling, and Angel turned on his heels, the tray in his hand to go out of the kitchen. When they both arrived at the door of Faith’s room, Angel put handed the tray to Tara and split with a half-smile. “Good luck” he said simply. « Put her back on the right tracks » he added while he was going away. « I’m going to try » approved Tara while pushing the door. Faith was sitting on her bed, her head on the wall behind, the sheets and blankets raised up to her chest. She seemed not to have moved of a centimeter since Tara had left her twenty minutes earlier, and she didn't turn to the witch. Tara approached her and put down the tray on the bed next to her. « I brought you an infusion » she explained friendly. « And doughnuts » Faith turned to her and sketched a forced half-smile but made no gesture towards the tray. Tara seized her own cup and drank a sip. « That will do good to you Faith » The Slayer watched at her drinking with the corner of her eye during long silent minutes before finally doing like her and drink. « I’m a monster » she spat suddenly in a trembling voice. Tara ran her hand slightly in Faith’s brown buckles and offered her a compassionate smile. “No” she asserted simply. « You saw me at work » continued Faith in a breath by looking at her hands in front of her. « I was a monster and I’m still one. I can't bail myself out. I would never bail myself out » Tara didn't stop stroking the dark-haired Slayer’s hair, who seemed again on the verge of tears. « I won’t make it » she murmured again. « You will make it Faith » Tara contradicted her with calm and certainty. « I know that you will make it. » « How can you be so sure? » Asked Faith while raising her eyes from which she was trying so-so to contain tears. Tara smiled to her. With a reassuring, soft and confident smile as nobody had ever smiled to Faith before. Her hand came down slowly along the brunette’s buckles to stroke her cheek with the outside of her fingers. « I have faith in you » she answered simply. And her tone, her smile, everything in her attitude said the sincerity of this assertion. Faith wasn't able to refrain from smiling in reply and in spite of the doubt and the terror which had insinuated themselves in her a little earlier, an unknown sensation of peace of mind and confidence also seized her. She relaxed a little and finished drinking her infusion she put back on the tray. Tara also placed there her empty cup and removed the doughnuts box she put down on the nightstand before getting up, the tray in her hand. « You should try to sleep now. Everything will be better tomorrow » Faith watched at her getting up and going away and opened her mouth to say something but it opened then closed twice without any sound going out of it. When Tara almost reached the door, she gathered all her courage. “Tara” The witch turned around and a fold marked her forehead in front of the Slayers’ lost expression. « Yes Faith? » « Would you stay with me, this evening? » Asked the Slayer, so embarrassed that she hardly whispered the end of her sentence. Tara smiled to her again and returned towards her. She put the tray on the dresser and came to sit down again next to the Slayer who moved a little to make room for her. « You… you don’t have to if you don’t want » said Faith nevertheless. « No problem Faith. You took charge really well of me when I was hurt. It’s my turn to take care of you. » Tara removed her shoes and lengthened her legs on the bed while Faith loosened enough space for her so that both young women can keep themselves at a good distance from the other one. When Tara was comfortably settled, Faith stretched herself out completely on the side, facing the witch, an arm folded up under the head put on the pillow. Tara spread her hand to stroke Faith’s hair as she had already done earlier. A comfortable silence settled down in the room, each of the girls dive in her own thoughts. Thoughts, which brought Faith to break the silence after a moment: « Tara … You didn't have faith in Willow? » Tara’s head turned brutally to Faith and she frowned at the unexpected question. « I mean  » resumed Faith, seeing her confusion. « You give me a second chance, you believe in my redemption and I nevertheless made terrible things. What Willow did, it’s then worse than what I did, so that you can't forgive her? » Tara found nothing to answer.