Act3

Daylight flowing through the curtains and a loud ‘bang’ onto the door awaked Faith. The Slayer blinked once or twice and slightly stood on the sofa, trying to get out her night torpor. A new ‘bang’ made her throwing the blankets aside and getting up. She looked at the window and noticed it was already late. She hadn’t slept that good in a long time and stretched all her length while heading to the door. When she was about to lay her hand on the doorknob, she looked at her clothes: a tank top and a pair of boxers. But she just shrugged and opened the door.
She found three men and a woman behind it. She vaguely recognized them from the day before. Peter was among them.
Faith leant against the doorframe and stared at the newcomers with a questioning look.

“Yeah?” she simply said, already annoyed by the intrusion.

“Good morning miss” Peter said as he came slightly forward. “We…We’re coming to get some news…”

“Well, it’s almost noon” another man said, faking a desolate look.

“And you said it would be quick” a third man added.

Faith arched a skeptical and annoyed eyebrow.

“I arrived yesterday” she said in a casual tone. “We saw each other less than twenty-four hours ago”

“I don’t know more” she added a second later.

Villagers looked at each other with a confused and surprised look.

“Well…you said you were an expert” resumed the second man. “We thought you’d handle that quickly…”

“Handle?” Faith repeated as she stood from the doorframe.

“You said you knew how to deal with demons. We thought that…”

“I’m not even sure that kid’s a demon yet” Faith interrupted.

Her interlocutors looked hurt for a second.

“He’s a demon” Peter said. “We told you and explained… I thought we agreed…”

“I like making my own advice” Faith cut him short. “I’ll do something when I know what I’m dealing with. I’ll let know”

She was about to close the door but Peter insisted.

“Faith please. We really need you”

Faith rolled her eyes and turned again to him.

“Demons are my stuff. If he’s one, I’ll take care of him. If he’s not, I’ll do nothing”

Faith looked at each villager, almost challenging them to reply. When she noticed with great satisfaction that they remained silent, she simply concluded:

“That’s all”

And the door closed.

***

“What did they want?”

Faith almost jumped when she heard Tara’s voice behind her. She turned round and saw the blonde witch in the living room doorway. She was too coming from bed as told her too wide tee-shirt and tousled hair.

“What did they want?” she repeated.

Faith went to her and passed into the living room without saying a word. She let herself heavily fall on the sofa and grabbed her pack and lit a cigarette. She dragged two puffs before turning to Tara who was placidly looking at her.

“They’re in a hurry that I’m finished with our demon” she said.

Tara’s face immediately changed and the witch started her favorite sentence of the moment.

“He’s not a de…”

“Okay” Faith interrupted. “Got it”

Tara didn’t insist at first and started at Faith smoking her cigarette. She was probably waiting for the Slayer to explain her plans. Seeing that nothing came, she resumed:

“What’s your plan?”

Faith shrugged.

“Don’t know” she casually said. “I have to know”

“He’s not a demon!” Tara impatiently exclaimed.

Faith looked up to her but didn’t react at first.

“I have to be sure” she eventually said.

“I’m sure” Tara asserted.

Faith couldn’t help but snigger.

“And I’m pretty sure it will be enough for those morons”

Tara stepped back and her shoulders slumped at Faith’s words. A long silence fell and it would have been hard to know if the girls were thinking about the present matter or if they were elsewhere. The answer came when Faith eventually talked again:

“Can’t you do something to know what he is?”

“What?” Tara asked with a questioning look on her face.

“I mean” Faith resumed. “You’re a witch. Or at least you were. Don’t you have a spell or a trick or something to know what kind of demon he is? Mustn’t be too much complicated, what’d you think?”

Tara stared at Faith for a moment and Faith thought she was considering the suggestion. But she finally shook her head.

“No-no. No spell. I-I do-don’t need a sp-spell to know he’s not a demon »

Faith rolled her eyes with annoyance.

“Okay. You don’t need it. But I do. And those guys do as well. Do a spell and the problem is fixed. It’s simple as that.”

But Tara shook her head again.

“No. No spell”

Faith loudly sighed to show how bored she was and Tara added as she wanted to affirm her choice even more.

“Anyhow, I would need some ingredients. And I won’t find them here.”

“Yeah. Good for you. What would you need?”

Tara crossed her arms and plastered a stubborn look on her face.

“I-I can’t re-remember. I’d need a magic b-book to know”

“You’re kidding me?” Faith exclaimed, anger rising in her voice.

But Tara shook her head.

“I don’t remember” she simply said.

Faith rolled her eyes again in a dramatic gesture.

“It would be the simplest thing to do” she claimed.

“No” Tara opposed.

“Do as you want” Faith finally gave in. “But you’re not helping. It will take more than your belief to help that kid”

She then headed to the French window, opened it and went into the backyard.

***

When Leo came to the backyard too some minutes or maybe some hours later, Faith didn’t even look at him. She sat with her back against the house wall, her knees up to her chest, her face and body warmed by the sun, a cigarette between her fingers.
Leo didn’t pay her attention. He passed her and just cast her a glance before heading to the bottom of the tiny backyard with a soccer ball on his hands.
He gathered some branches and set two of them apart on one side of the backyard and then did the same on the other side.

Then the ball was at his feet and the kid started to come and go between those quick goals, dribbling imaginary opponents, faking powerful shoots, commenting his actions, running endlessly from one of this improvised field’s end to the other.

Faith eventually came out her reverie to look at the child. She couldn’t help but grin to the boy’s endless enthusiasm and to his will to play a soccer match, even alone. She wondered if someone had ever played with him.

“Hey! Kid!”

Leo stopped to run when he heard her voice and turned to her with a questioning look but said nothing.
Faith stood up and slowly came closer.

She stood still near the boy for a moment, feeling suddenly awkward and embarrassed.

“Hum” she said, not really knowing how to put her sentence. “Hum…Can I play with you?”

The kid looked at her for a moment, not understanding what she was saying. Then Faith thought she had seen a glimmer of suspicion in his eyes before he finally widely smiled.

“Oh, yes!” He exclaimed excitedly. “What side do you want?“ He added quickly, pointing to each goal.

“Hum…” Faith said, casting a glance to each side as if she was wondering what to do. “You’re the youngest, it’s your call to choose!”

Leo seriously nodded and seemed to waver for a second before pointing to the side of the field he was.

“That side!”

Then, he put his hands on his hips and waited for Faith to step back to her own side. Finally, he threw the ball to her.

“You’re a girl, you can have the ball first!” he said.

Faith grinned as she received the ball then slightly winced.

“Okay, kid!”

***

Tara climbed the two steps leading to the house she was sharing with Faith right now and she pushed the door. Her skin had turned pink as she had walked along the cold streets of the village. If she had been able to see herself right now, she’d probably have liked those welcomed colors to her face, so different from the deathly ones she was used to lately.

Faith had let her go without making a fuss and Tara thought she was simply bored to watch after her or that she knew she would come back because of Leo. She had barely asked what she intended to do and Tara had been able to do whatever she wanted for the whole afternoon.

Was it her survival instinct? Or simply an old habit? But she had come back before dark.

The house was silent. Tara considered the empty living room with surprise then anxiety. Then she felt anger rising as she imagined that Faith had taken advantage of her absence to get Leo back to his torturers. Or worse. Much worse.

Tara clenched her fists and teeth and started to frantically look around the house, searching for a clue telling her what the kid or the Slayer had become.
As she was in Leo’s room, outbursts made her come back to the living room. She recognized Leo’s voice and immediately felt relieved.

The witch went to the window and looked though the glass. She found herself dumbstruck when she discovered the scene outside and stood with her mouth agape in front of the window.

The soccer match was at its best. Faith never ended to dribble Leo who desperately tried to follow the crazy rhythm the Slayer gave. She seemed to really have fun and Tara found out a happy face she thought Faith unable to wear before.

“Hey kid! You’ll really end shucking potatoes if you go on loosing!”

The kid didn’t look too much bothered by the young woman superiority and winced as much from pleasure than exertion as he was trying to take the ball from her.

Tara couldn’t resist herself the pleasure to look at the scene and put her hand on the French window’s doorknob. Once, twice, she started to set if off without actually doing it. She stayed there for minutes, looking alternately from Faith to Leo, unable to push the door. She thought that Faith could let Leo win a little bit more often but decided finally against step in their game. She eventually got away from the window and settled on the sofa.
A thin smile came to her face.

When Faith and Leo finally decided it was time to end the game and to come back inside, night had just fallen.

“You’ve almost worn me down kid” the Slayer said as she pushed the French window and following Leo inside.

The boy had his ball in hand, his hair was tousled, his clothes were sloppy but he looked at Faith with a big smile.

“You won each time!” Leo protested. “You run a lot for a girl!”

Faith couldn’t help but smirk.

“You should never underestimate girls!”

Faith closed the door behind her and looked around her in the living room, obviously looking for something.

“Where’s Ta…” Leo began.

But the boy fell silent when he noticed the blonde sleeping form on the sofa.

“She’s sleeping” Leo commented.

“As usual” Faith said simply.

She looked away from Tara and headed toward the kitchen.

“I’m gonna cook something.” She announced. “I’m starving. Aren’t you?”

Leo nodded vehemently.

“Neat” Faith said. “Make yourself at home, I’m gonna see what’s left”

Leo nodded once again and Faith let him there and disappeared in the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and the fridge and noticed with great satisfaction that there were two big steaks left. She threw them on a frying pan, did the same with frozen potatoes found in the freezer and started to gather place settings.
Potatoes were almost ready when Leo appeared running in the room.

“Faith!”

The Slayer turned sharply to the kid as she heard hint of panic in his voice and gave him a questioning look.

“What?’

“Tara” Leo explained. “Something’s wrong. She’s crying and yelling in her sleep”

Faith shrugged and got back to the cooker.

“Nightmares” she calmly stated. “It’s nothing. It’s gonna get better”

Leo remained still, looking at the Slayer. Feeling his gaze on her back, she turned round again to him.

“Gotta get used to this.” She said. “I’m not paying attention anymore”

“Ah” was the only reply she got.

And Leo left the kitchen as quickly as he had entered. Faith pricked up her ears and actually heard Tara crying in her sleep just like she was so used to that she didn’t even notice anymore. Faith resumed her task, turned the potatoes over, put the steaks in a plate, salted and peppered them. She then took two more plates, forks and knives, checked the potatoes, turned off the stoves and grabbed the pan with one hand and the pile of plates with the other.

“Dinner’s ready kid” she announced as she entered the living room.

She looked for him for a second and was surprised to find him sat on the sofa beside Tara.

“Shh” he mimed, gesturing to Tara.

Faith came closer to the coffee table near the sofa and put her burden there. Then she sat in a basket chair near the sofa. She served herself one of the steak and a big part of potatoes while watching Leo out of the corner of her eye. The kid had settled on a tiny part of the sofa near Tara’s folded arm and he had taken the witch’s hand in his as she was turning and tossing nervously in her sleep.

“You should eat while it’s hot” Faith said.

Leo nodded and let go of Tara regretfully. He came to the table and served himself half of the remaining steak and some potatoes.

“You take the whole steak” Faith stated. “Tara won’t eat. She never eats anything”

Leo shook his head and came back beside Tara. He settled his plate on his knees, carved his meat carefully and then slipped one of his hands back into Tara’s as he grabbed his fork with the other.
Faith took the last part of steak and the dinner was silent.

Leo was the one to eventually talk again, as soon as his last part of meal was swallowed.

“I like you” he suddenly said.

Faith abruptly looked up to him and probably watched him in obvious surprise ‘cause he couldn’t help but laugh. He just nodded and resumed:

“I like Tara too. She’s nice. She read a story yesterday evening. And she stayed with him afterwards”

Faith watched him in surprise. She didn’t expect such confidences. Nor the fact that Leo’s presence obviously calmed the blonde who seemingly slept peacefully now.

“She read a story?” Faith repeated after a silence. “I didn’t see any books in here”

Leo’s smile got wider to that comment and transformed in a proud smile.

“I can’t have books” he explained. “But I have some anyway. I’ve put them into a hideout under the bed. Classical but it still works”

Faith sketched a smile and nodded with a knowing look.

“Smart” she commented. “Why can’t you have books?” she asked just after.

The boy shrugged.

“Don’t know. They say it’s dangerous. I don’t get why. I find books fun”

Faith arched a skeptical eyebrow to that last comment but didn’t say anything. Leo didn’t let her time anyway.

“Why don’t you like Tara?” he suddenly asked.

Faith looked at him wide-eyed and found herself totally taken aback.

“What?” was the only thing she managed to get out.

“Why don’t you like Tara?” He repeated calmly. “She’s nice”

“Hum…y’know, sometimes it’s complicated,…” she explained without really knowing why. “And it’s not that I don’t like her”

She seemed to look for her words for a moment.

“We just have nothing in common”

Leo stared at her like she had just told him that Santa Klaus was indeed real and let escape a frank laugh. Faith pouted.

“Why are you laughing, kid?”

“You have at least one thing in common” he announced seriously.

“And what’s that?” Faith asked, clearly unconvinced.

“You’re both nice”

This time, Faith was the one to laugh.

“You don’t know me kid. Not at all.” She added then seriously.

Leo nonchalantly shrugged.

“I know what I see”

Faith bitterly snickered and looked away.

“Do you know you’re talking too much for a kid your age?”

“I think that’s the reason why they don’t want me to read” he said.

“Yeah. I see”

Silence fell again, each of them obviously lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Faith got up and gathered the dishes on the table.

“You should got to bed” she said. “I’m gonna do the dishes and go patrolling. You two, just stay inside, I won’t be long. Okay kid?”

Leo simply nodded.

“Okay” he replied. “I’m going to bed”