The First and Faith
The First watched as Zac and Faith sat together on her couch. It shifted into an old friend of Zac's and walked in front of Zac, ensuring that Faith couldn't see it.
"Hello, Zac."
Zac
"Hi Jo," Zac replied.
Then he did a double take and stared.
"Jo?"
The First and Faith
Faith looked to where Zac was talking. There was nothing there, which meant... oh no.
The First shifted Jo's face into a smile. "Hi Zac, it's good to see you again. It's been what? 10 years?"
Zac
"Something like that..." Zac replied.
The astonished look wouldn't wipe off his face.
"How... how is this... you're dead!"
Faith was momentarily forgotten as he struggled with dealing with the impossible.
The First and Faith
Faith sat puzzled. Ok, so she couldn't see it this time... so, what could she do?
The First nodded. "True, I am. And I prefer passed over. Sounds much nicer, don't you think?"
Zac
Zac was silent for a moment.
"Naw," he replied cheerfully. "I think it sound weak. Like it's coming from someone who can't face the truth."
Zac turned to Faith.
"Faith... am I talking to myself or is there someone actually there? Because I'm beginning to think that someone's spiked my food with antifreeze or something."
The First and Faith
Faith patted Zac's knee gently. "I'm gonna be guessing you're talking to The First Evil. It can't take corporal form... but it can take the guise of any dead person. Too bad it's too much of a coward to show itself to me too!"
The First grinned at Zac again. "She doesn't understand, you see. Which is why I've come to you."
Zac
"Oh, I see."
Zac considered this for a moment.
"So... I can't freeze it or boil it's... blood substitute? Shame."
Even thought he knew - now - that it wasn't really Jo, it freaked him out to see his old childhood friend.
Faith and The First
"You can't kill me. You can try though. But you'd be wasting your time." The First sat down across from Zac.
Faith looked worriedly around. "Zac, whatever it says, it's... it's only trying to hurt you."
"See now, she really doesn't understand. But you'll help her see."
Zac
"Y'know what dude? I'd trust Faith before you any day," Zac said. "And here's why. Number 1, I love Faith. Number 2, I trust her with my life. Number 3, anything with the word 'Evil' in it's name can only be bad. Number 4, anything that involves dead people is morbid. Number 5, I don't even know you. Number 6, you're not even doing a good job of impersonating Jo. She should be a rotting corpse - no a skeleton - by now."
Faith and the First
Faith smiled slightly. "Why don't you just let me see you?"
The First laughed and appeared before Faith, shifting into The Mayor's form. It was now before both Zac and Faith, and they could both see it.
"Well gosh, hi there firecracker. This must be the new boy you were talking about. A little young, don't you think?"
"So, you were just leaving?"
"Afraid not, Faith. And golly, I'd like to think you'd be more glad to see me. After all, you were like my daughter."
"I think we covered this topic before... what do you want?"
"I just need to talk to your boy."
Zac
"So get to the point already, moron," Zac said. "I have better things to do."
He gave Faith a sly grin.
The First and Faith
Faith bit her lip so hard it almost started to bleed.
"She will fail you, you know."
Faith waved her arms. "Hey, I'm here! I can hear you."
The First continued on, ignoring her. "When the end comes, Faith will not be on your side, rather against you. And you will fall at her hand."
"Hey, Boss! Remember, I can hear you! And I won't be killing anyone. Specially not Zac."
"But you tried to, remember? You went after him, with every intention of killing him. Gosh, Faithy, I don't understand why you don't realise your part in this."
"In what, exactly?"
"The end." The First turned back to Zac and shifted into Jo. "She'll fail you, Zac. She will succumb to us again."
Zac
Zac gave a loud, purposely drawn out sigh.
"I'm sorry, I thought you had something new to tell me. I've heard it before. I get it from my Mom. Come back when you have something new and truthful to tell me."
He waved a hand at the First.
"You may leave now."
Faith
"You can't fight it. It's destiny, Faith." The First shifted back into the Mayor and chuckled. "Destiny, Faith... get it? Come on, Faithy, give me a smile. Like you used to... hmm, how about, ok, here are some words that are guaranteed to turn your frown upside down. Miniature. Golf."
Faith remained stone faced, crossing her arms over her chest and putting her feet up onto the coffee table.
"Ah, ah! Feet, aww, Faithy feet!"
Faith obediently put her feet down as a habit.
"Now, I'm just here to let you know, that when you kill him..." The First whispered, moving next to Faith's ear and projecting pictures into Faith's mind. "Make it hurt... the way you were hurt by everyone. Deep down, you know I love you. And I always will. Bye!"
The First disappeared in a flash of light and Faith let out the breath she was holding. She ran to the bathroom and started to vomit.
Zac
"Faithy?" Zac called, concerned.
He ran into the bathroom after her and saw her vomited.
"Oh man..."
He knelt down beside her and put his arm around her.
"I don't believe a word of it," Zac assured her. "You're never going to hurt me, or kill me, because I know you love me. I have faith in you Faith."
Faith
Faith coughed and stood up. She washed her mouth out and turned to Zac with tears in her eyes. "I already tried, and I almost..." She coughed and felt her stomach churning.
"Oh I'm shaking, man..." She glanced at her hands to see them shaking uncontrollably. "Oh... oh man." She looked up in the mirror and felt the revulsion hit her again and bent down, clutching her stomach in pain.
The First appeared again, this time as Buffy and stood in front of Zac and Faith. "Oh mummy, my stomach hurts. Mummy, help me."
"Go... away..." Sobs racked Faith's body and she was breathing heavily, trying to calm herself down.
"Mummy, the pictures in my head, make them stop."
Faith punched out automatically, and watched as her hand when through The First's form and hit the shower door. The glass cracked.
"Thing is, the pictures don't disgust you, do they, Faith?"
"B, you better leave now, or I'm - "
"Your what? Gonna stick your hand through my head again? See... the pictures... you liked them, that's why you're feeling sick. You're revolted at yourself, for loving it. The bloodlust, the smell of fear, the feeling like a God when you take someone's life... remember it. Love it. Because from beneath you it devours." The First shimmered out again and Faith felt her knees go weak. She bent down and sat on her bathroom floor, desperately gasping for air in her panicked state.
Zac
Zac wrapped his arms around Faith, holding her close.
"Don't listen to him," he told her. "He's only trying to manipulate you into what he wants. But you're better than that. And you're stronger than him."
Faith
Faith nodded numbly and leant into Zac's shoulder, breathing heavily.
"Thank you for being here."
Zac
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Zac replied.
He held her closer and kissed the top of her head.
Faith
Faith kissed Zac's cheek and stood up slowly. She clutched her stomach slightly.
"I love you... but I think... I think I need to be alone for a bit."
Zac
Zac kissed her back.
"Sure. Call me if you want anything. Anything at all."
Faith
"I will."
Faith kissed Zac one last time and watched him leave, then settled herself down on her couch and sat unmoving for awhile.