The Chaos Theory
by Jahan
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Season seven.
Notes: Faith learns that her actions, regardless of how
insignificant they might seem, effect the people around her.
Dedication: I would like to thank 'Jameschick' author of 'Quantum
Xander', it is an incredible piece of fan fiction centered around
Xander and alternative realities. It inspired me to write this fan
fiction.
PROLOGUE
"Faith."
"Yes B."
"Why are you training me?"
"You have to be ready. If I see you again, I might be different, you'll have to kill me."
"How will I know?"
"You'll just know."
TEASER
Faith LeHane, was seated on a rickety barstool in Willy's bar, drowning her sorrows with a bottle of Jack Daniels, and except for her, the hole in the wall bar, which catered to an exclusively demon clientele was empty. The entire town had become deserted over the last several weeks, and Faith relished her time alone, away from the green potentials, and the jaded Scoobies, and of course Buffy Summers, her own personal albatross that had hung around her neck, since she first arrived on the scene in Sunnydale.
Drinking alone gave Faith time to reflect on her past, think about her present situation, and contemplate her future. Faith didn't like to live thinking her life was a series of regrets, but as the fight against the First and its army neared, she began to think about her past misdeeds. She wondered did these things make her who she was today. She desperately wanted to believe that, but deep down inside it felt like some self help bullshit. Faith took another swig of the bottle of Jack Daniels, and she stood up from the bar.
She grabbed her worn denim coat off of the empty barstool next to her, and pushed open the door to the bar, and as soon as she stepped outside she felt it.
Different.
This was Sunnydale, but at the same time it wasn't. Everything was deserted just like before she had entered the bar, but everything around her had slowly started to fall apart.
Faith turned around and pushed the door to Willy's Bar open, and it was also different. The bar was filled to the brim with various demons, and Faith was always up for a fight, but even she realized that the odds were against her.
There was a time that Faith would have welcomed the challenge, but she was learning with age came responsibility. She wondered if this is how Buffy felt all this time, wanting to cut loose but not being able to due to responsibility. Faith felt her entire body tingling she was ready for something to come after her, but no one did though. She couldn't understand it but she was apart of the fray.
A man approached, and she remembered him as one of Mayor Wilkins henchmen, but she was still wary of the man, and the look on her face showed it.
"I thought you were heading back," he said.
"Where would I be heading?" Faith asked and the man studied Faith's face not sure what to make of her absent mindedness.
"How much did you have?" He asked as he patted Faith's back and began to laugh.
"Just a bottle of JD." Faith replied, and he put his arm around Faith's shoulder and walked her out.
"You need to sleep some of it." He said and walked back into the bar. Faith was left standing alone on the sidewalk in front of Willy's Bar.
Faith started to walk, and at first she had no destination in mind. She was wrapped up in her surroundings taking in the sights of Sunnydale. That was now overrun by assorted demons, she had seen another human, at least she hadn't seen another living human being. Faith suddenly had a destination in mind.
1630 Revello Drive.
Buffy's house was the only one that had been kept up, and that gave Faith some strange sense of hope. She ran up the walkway, and up the stairs and opened the door.
"B," Faith called out. "B," Faith repeated as she headed toward the foot of the stairs, and Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs, and Faith was relieved to see her counterpart, but relief soon gave way to anger when Buffy reached the bottom of the stairs. Her face had been badly beaten. Buffy immediately lowered her head underneath Faith's intense gaze. "B," Faith said, but Buffy didn't lift up her head. "Look at me," Faith said, and Buffy slowly lifted up her head. Faith reached out slowly with her hand, and Buffy flinched Faith immediately pulled her hand away. "Who did this to you?" Faith asked, and Buffy seemed afraid to answer the question. "Who," Faith repeated.
"You did," Buffy immediately lowered her head once again.
Faith, took a step back, because she didn't know what else to do. She had an overwhelming feeling of anger, but she wasn't sure who to direct it towards. According to Buffy though, she had been the one to badly beat her. Faith shook her head in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," Buffy whispered, and she reached out timidly and touched Faith's arm, but Faith jerked her arm away from Buffy.
"No," Faith pointed at Buffy. "I didn't do that to your face." Faith said, and she let her eyes roam over Buffy, and she looked completely broken.
"I know, it's my fault. I shouldn't have mentioned them, but it won't happen again." Buffy said.
"B, what is happening?" Faith asked.
"I don't know what you want me to say." Buffy replied.
"You say that I hit you, but I don't do that to your face. What happened? Why would I do that?" Faith asked, and she grabbed Buffy by the arm. "Would you look at me." Faith said, and Buffy slowly lifted up her head. Fresh tears of fear in her eyes, and Faith immediately felt horrible and let go of Buffy's arm. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need answers. I need to know what happened." Faith looked around the quiet house and her face scrunched up in confusion. "Where is everyone?" Faith asked.
"It's just us, just like you wanted." Buffy said.
"B, where is everyone?" Faith asked again her voice growing with irritation.
"After the ascension," Buffy said, and Faith cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"Ascension, but you stopped that. You came to my loft, and you and I fought, and I went off the roof, and into a coma, and you and you and the Scoobies along with the rest of the graduating class stopped the Ascension." Faith said, and Buffy just stood there. "Tell me, that's what happened." Faith said, but Buffy didn't say anything. "How is that possible? You stopped him, you, Angel, and The Scoobies." Faith said.
"You didn't fall off of the roof." Buffy replied timidly.
"Yeah, I did. You put me into a coma! You took away eight months of my life! That's something I'll never forget." Faith snapped, and Buffy instinctively lowered her head. "I didn't mean to," Faith sighed. "B, just tell me what happened." Faith said.
"We fought, and you knocked me out." Buffy lifted up her head again. "When I woke up everything that I had worked so hard to protect was gone." Buffy said.
"Will find Giles, and he'll know what to do." Faith replied.
"Faith, please stop. I really am sorry about earlier. I'll never mention them again. I'll make it up to you." Buffy replied, and walked over to Faith and dropped to her knees. She placed her hands on Faith's belt buckle.
Faith took a step back, she was turned on by the sight of Buffy on her knees, trying to undone her belt buckle, but at the same time she was disgusted by Buffy's behavior, and her lust for the submissive blonde.
"You don't," Faith swallowed hard, Buffy was still on her knees waiting to please her. If this would have been a few years ago, Faith probably would have taken advantage of the situation, but she wasn't the same fifteen year old that had come to Sunnydale. She just couldn't do it. "You don't have to do that." Faith said.
"You don't want me anymore." Buffy replied, and Faith walked over to Buffy, and crouched down in front of the kneeling blonde.
"I don't want you like this," Faith replied, and she stood up, and held out her hand for Buffy, and pulled her up. "We have to find the others and figure out what to do." Faith said.
"Faith, please stop. You know I don't know what happened to the others. You won't tell me, and when I mention them," Buffy was cut off.
"I beat you," Faith said, her own words sounding strange to her. "I'm not going to hurt you." Faith replied, but she could see the look of fear in Buffy's eyes, and Faith sighed as she headed toward the front door. She couldn't take looking at Buffy's battered face, and she wanted to beat the ass, of this alternate reality Faith, that had beat Buffy so badly. She couldn't take Buffy being so timid around her and broken down. She was a shell of her former self and Faith only had herself to blame in a way. Faith opened the front door and stepped outside. She didn't know where she was going, but hopefully she would figure it out when she got there.
Faith walked around what was left of Sunnydale, and just like Buffy Sunnydale was a former shell of itself.
"What did you do Faith?" She asked herself, and Faith headed back to Buffy's house. She wanted to get there before dark because she didn't know what to except. She had dubbed this alternative reality version of herself 'Ascension Faith'. She wondered as she picked up her pace with Buffy obviously out of commission, and 'Ascension Faith' being evil. Who was doing the slaying?
She opened the front door to the house, and stepped inside, and she felt her stomach drop at the sight of the former mayor of Sunnydale. He was seated across from Buffy in a chair. When Faith stepped into the room he stood up, and walked over to her.
"I was just about to send out the cavalry for you." Mayor Wilkins chuckled.
"Yeah," Faith replied.
"We need to talk," Mayor Wilkins said.
"Okay," Faith replied, and she and Mayor Wilkins headed outside.
"I just wanted to say good work, on finding one of the resistance's hideouts in the factory district." Wilkins said.
"Yeah," Faith replied.
"You're awfully quiet tonight." Wilkins said.
"Yeah, you know," Faith replied.
"You had to put her in her place. She always thought she was better than you." Wilkins replied.
"Maybe, she is," Faith said.
"The bruises will fade, but that's the only way to control someone. You beat them down literally and figuratively until there is nothing left." Wilkins said, and he walked away from her. Faith stepped back inside of the house, and Buffy was sitting in the same spot.
"He didn't hurt you or anything did he?" Faith asked.
"No," Buffy replied.
"I need to blow off some steam. Do you feel like sparing?" Faith asked.
"I'm not allowed to spar." Buffy replied.
"I want to spar, and you're going to spar with me." Faith said.
"I wouldn't even remember what to do." Buffy replied.
"How long ago was the ascension?" Faith asked.
"One year ago," Buffy replied.
"Being a slayer is instinct. It's something that you can't forget. Do you have a place we can work out?" Faith asked.
"You always work out in the basement." Buffy replied.
Faith opened the door to the kitchen and Buffy followed her down the stairs. The basement had been changed into a small work out room.
"Nice," Faith said, she turned around and looked at Buffy. "Come at me," Faith said, and moved into a fighting stance.
"I can't," Buffy replied.
"Come on, B. After, all the shit I've put you through. I know you want to smack me a good one, and I don't blame you." Faith smirked, and she figured that maybe if she goaded Buffy into a fight that it might awaken something in her.
"I don't want to hit you." Buffy said.
"Why not? I hit you, but that's only because you deserve it." Faith said.
"I know," Buffy said.
"You know," Faith pushed Buffy's shoulder. "Come on, B. I'll even let you take a shot at me." Faith offered, and let her hands fall to her sides.
"I'm going to make you dinner." Buffy replied, and Faith grabbed Buffy's arm.
"Why are you like this? What did I do to you?" Faith asked.
"All I have is you, and if I loose you I have nothing else." Buffy said, and Faith let go of Buffy's arm, and the blonde walked upstairs.
Faith started to pace the basement.
Faith rolled over onto her stomach. She hoped that the events of what she thought was yesterday was just an extremely vivid and linear nightmare. Faith, didn't have to open her eyes to know that nothing had changed since yesterday. She couldn't hear a house filled to the brim with people. Faith turned over onto her back, and looked up at the ceiling.
"Why am I still here?" Faith asked herself, and sat up in bed as the scent of bacon wafted into the bedroom. She looked at the framed photograph of her and Buffy, it was a candid shot but the both seemed extremely happy together. It was a façade though, and Faith knew that Buffy wasn't happy, but the 'Ascension Faith' probably didn't care. Faith got out of bed, and headed downstairs, and walked into the kitchen. Buffy had just finished setting the table for one.
"Good morning, Faith." Buffy said, and she pulled out the chair.
"Good morning, B." Faith replied, but she didn't sit down. If she was even going to being to try and make up for the hurt that her other self had inflicted upon Buffy, she was going to start right now. The goading approach hadn't worked so Faith was going to have to try something else. "Have a seat," Faith said, and motioned toward the empty chair.
"That's your breakfast." Buffy replied.
"It's your breakfast," Faith said.
"I made it for you." Buffy said.
"Okay, I want to make you breakfast." Faith said.
"That's my job." Buffy replied, her brow scrunched in confusion at Faith's willingness to make her breakfast.
"No, that isn't your job. Your job is to fight demons and save people's lives not serve me breakfast." Faith explained.
"I," Buffy paused not quite sure how to respond.
"I don't know how to cook. Could you help me?" Faith asked.
"You shouldn't have to cook. You already do so much work for Wilkins." Buffy said.
"I don't do enough here for you, and I want to, so let me." Faith replied.
"Okay," Buffy said.
"How do you like your eggs?" Faith asked.
"Scrambled," Buffy replied.
"I was thinking, after we eat, we could work this breakfast off. You know, do a little sparring." Faith suggested, and Buffy nodded her head. "So, what do you do when I'm gone?" Faith asked.
"I wait for you," Buffy replied.
"Yeah," Faith sighed. "What do you do when you're waiting for me?" Faith asked.
"I clean," Buffy said.
"Fun," Faith replied sarcastically, as she moved the egg back and forth on the skillet, getting more stuck to the skillet.
They sat down for breakfast, and Faith tried to get a conversation going, but Buffy wasn't talkative. This frustrated Faith, but she figured that this is how 'Ascension Faith' liked her Buffy. After, breakfast Faith was ready to spar, but Buffy insisted on washing the dishes. Faith decided to go upstairs, shower, and change.
She looked through her wardrobe, and realized that 'Ascension Faith' still hadn't grown out of her leather phase. She was surprised when she found a pair of worn jeans, and she immediately slipped those on, and pulled a black T-shirt over her head. She walked out into the hall way, and she decided to do some exploring. She walked down the hallway toward the room that would have been Buffy's and she tried to turn to the door knob, but it was locked.
"Why is it locked?" Faith asked herself, and she walked down stairs, and into the kitchen, Buffy was still washing dishes, and obviously taking her time. "B," Faith said, and Buffy turned toward her. "Why is your bedroom door locked?" Faith asked.
"I don't know what you mean," Buffy replied.
"I mean why is the door down the hallway from our bedroom locked?" Faith asked.
"You always keep your study locked." Buffy replied.
"I have a study," Faith said, and Buffy nodded her head. "Where is the key?" Faith asked, and Buffy gave her a confused look. "I'm only asking because, I don't remember what I did with it." Faith said.
"You've never told me where you kept the key to your study." Buffy replied.
"Yeah, I knew that," Faith said, and turned and walked up the stairs. "Where would I put the key?" Faith asked herself, and she looked at the door of her study. She reached up and slide her hand over the top of the door. "That would be to easy." Faith said, and she grabbed the door knob, and she forced her shoulder into the door, and broke it down.
...to be continued...