(no subject)

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith comes into the bar in high spirits, dressed casually - she's been training - but still wearing that somewhat ridiculous circlet in her hair. It comes off as soon as she's in the bar, and she goes up to Bar to get a cup of coffee.

This procured, she goes over to read the notice board, and sees Kaylee's note.

The coffee cup drops from suddenly-nerveless fingers, and Faith, staring in pale, wide-eyed horror, doesn't even notice the waitrats that scamper to clean up the mess.

River and Simon. Taken. Her friends - her good friends - in terrible danger.

The horror gives way, slowly, to the cold, killing fury of a very angry Slayer, and she turns on her heel and stalks over to Bar, acquiring paper and pen and writing a very brief note, which will be delivered to whichever member of Serenity's crew happens to come into the bar next.

If I can help, I will. - Faith

Then she gets another drink - whiskey this time - and stalks over to a table with a carefully blank expression on her face.

Comments

[gone_byebye]

Ray, it has been noted, has no clue whatsoever about body language in other people.

"Hi, Faith!"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

The rage isn't directed at him, so it's okay.

Faith softens, a little.

"Hey, Ray. How's it going?"

[gone_byebye]

"Pretty good, actually, considering that when I woke up this morning there were-" He pauses, pursing his lips as he mentally counts things over. "Two lawyers, one Justice Department investigator, one NYPD detective, and a reporter from the New York Times all waiting for me in the lobby. How're you?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith blinks.

"....mad as Hell, at the moment," she says. "Do I want to know about the posse?"

[gone_byebye]

"It's okay, the lawyers were Peter's idea," Ray says. "Mad at who? What happened?"

He's a little easily derailed sometimes.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"A couple very good friends of mine, brother and sister, were snatched by their world's government," Faith says, coolly. "They call them fugitives because the brother busted the sister out of the place where they were experimenting on her brain."

Beat.

"She's a teenager."

[gone_byebye]

Ray frowns thoughtfully. "I've heard this before," he says, expression going grim. "I'm pretty sure..."

He drums his fingers on the table, thinking. "Are you supposed to be blue?" he asks absently. "And is it by any chance a girl named River and a guy named.... shoot, what was his name.... Simon?"

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I am," Faith says, with a slight smile. "My husband is."

He didn't see the engagement ring until she pointed it out, so she's not surprised that the wedding ring is any different.

"And yes. That's them."

[gone_byebye]

"Okay, because I think they might be umpty-generations-removed descendants of a friend of mine, and congratulations! I'm sorry I missed it, but knowing my luck it probably happened while I was stuck in Wolf's Ass, Montana. How'd it go?"

[antarianmax.livejournal.com]

Enter Max.

Not Too Happy, even though really, he doesn't know them.

Hand upon Faith's shoulder.

No words.

Just soothing thoughts.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"I saw what they did to her," Faith says, quietly. "Slayers have dreams...I saw what they did."

Rage. And fear. And sadness.

But mostly rage.

[antarianmax.livejournal.com]

"You can share it, if you need to," he soothes, voice low and soft in her ear, almost concerned about shattering her -- her, the Slayer his queen, because to him anything is a risk to her.

It's about protecting her.

And the ones she loves. Even if he doesn't know them.

"And if we can help ..."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith leans into his touch, with a quiet, shuddered sigh.

"I know. I already left a note for his wife and friends. I just. What they could be doing...."

Simon and River could be dead. Right now.

It's too much to think about.

But it's too much not to think about, too."

[antarianmax.livejournal.com]

"... I know."

And he does, and these memories hurt, but he can get past them.

He doesn't know River, but he's got a damn good feeling that she came out a lot worse off than he did.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith slips her hand into his, twining their fingers together, and tilts her head to rest it on his shoulder.

This is a woman in desperate need of a hug.

[antarianmax.livejournal.com]

Max clings.

It's something he's good at.

"Anything you want. Always. Whatever you need."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith clings back, burying her face in his shoulder.

This is so much better than whiskey.

"I know. Same. Likewise. Anything. Love you.

You're what I need."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael joins her in fairly short order, eyeing the blank.

"Hi, Faith."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"Hi, Michael," Faith says, quietly. "I'll be home soon."

When she's calmed a little.

When she won't hurt people with the KILLY RAGE OF RAR.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Max told me what happened", he says, equally quietly. He's still pale and shaken from the resonances.

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith swallows and drains the bottle of whiskey.

All of it.

The mask could crack at any second.

"They experimented with her brain."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He'll be there when it does. He flinches, now, and nods towards the note to cover it.

"They'll get her back. Her friends."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"I know. And her brother is with her...his poor wife must be going spare right now."

Faith sets aside the whiskey bottle and gives Michael a doleful look.

"I saw part of it. Slayers have those funky dreams....I saw them hurting her. Before."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"They might not be doing the same this time", he offers weakly. "Especially if they took her brother too."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

"Maybe. We blew that place up anyway, about the same time you guys were taking the planet back. Or just after, maybe. Max was around, I remember, he helped heal some of the kids....they did it to lots of kids. Pretended it was a school."