Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

Seeing Red

Disclaimer: Not mine, these characters all belong to Joss Whedon, except for the "mother" character near the end.

On a dark night, in a fairly well-lit street a young man was out walking alone. His eyes scatted about uneasily as he walked, as if he knew he was being watched. About 5ft10, the male looked as though he couldn’t have been any older than 20, with bleach blonde hair, dark eyes and a large leather jacket. Picking up his pace almost instinctively, as though he knew he was being followed by something threatening. His mind cast back to earlier events that had occurred that night in the house he had not too long ago left behind.

“Spike!! Get off me!!”

He leapt backwards off the struggling blonde he had pinned down on the bathroom floor. Shaken, the girl readjusted her robe that had become slightly undone at the front, never taking her wild eyes off her attacker. The man just looked back, his eyes showing no sign of remorse for what he almost done. The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, neither moving nor speaking until:

“And you wonder why I can never love you!!”

The girl’s words were full of hate and bitterness, her eyes full of disgust as she let them bore into the man who had tried to force himself upon her.

The young man was now long clear from the street and running through the graveyard. There was no doubting it; he was being chased by someone, being hunted, like he had hunted so many people in his prime. He knew the signs, the sensations, and the sheer pleasure that came from the hunt. The smell of fear, the taste in the air of bloodlust, these things were rampant this night. However, for once, he wasn’t the one that was doing the hunting. These signs were all being betrayed by his body. And whatever was chasing the man could detect these signs as well. In desperation, the male threw himself at a crypt door, knocking it clear off the hinges and he scrambled for the furthest away corner. This didn’t save him as he had so foolishly hoped, as his pursuer came racing into the crypt just seconds behind him. He looked up to see the face of his hunter and was shocked by who it was, for it was nothing other than a mere girl. She looked roughly around 5ft7, had very dark brown and unruly hair, dark piercing eyes and slightly bronzed skin. On her right arm was a tribal tattoo which stood out very distinctly against her skin.

“Bloody hell!!” the guy shouted after a few seconds, “I thought the slayer was on my tail!! Not some bloody little girl looking for a good time!!” He stood up and waved his arms around emphatically as he said this, but the brunette could only smirk at his attitude. His words were spoken in a very proper English accent which made him stand out quite a bit in contrast to the Californian town he was in.

“A good time? Fang boy, if I wanted a good time,” she replied in an almost taunting way, “I could go to the Bronze and find a real man. And with regards to the slayer, are you completely dead or did you just forget that there’s more than one slayer in the world.” The man’s face by now had changed from its usual handsomeness to something altogether more animal-like. His forehead had become thickened; his eyes bright yellow and his teeth had become elongated and sharpened. The brunette had a very coy look in her eye; she knew she was going to enjoy this. The two started to battle, but every time the man tried to hit the woman, he felt a sharp and burning pain shoot straight through his head. The fight didn’t last very long before the brunette had the guy pinned face down on the ground.

“I thought Buffy had made sure you’d been locked away for a very long time,” he gasped, trying to ignore the bitter taste of his own blood in his mouth. The girl lowered herself down so her mouth was right beside her prey’s ear.

“B didn’t put me away, soul boy persuaded me to do it,” she whispered aggressively, “and funny thing is, when you repent for long enough in the big house, they let you out on parole. B doesn’t know I’m back in town, or that I’ve been back for weeks now. Also she doesn’t know that I’ve been helping her out financially, or that she’ll never have to worry about money ever again thanks to me. Next thing she won’t know is how I’m gonna put you down like the mongrel you are!!” She grabbed his hair and yanked it back hard.

“Why do you bother helping out Blondie if she’s never going to know it’s you?” he growled, “Sounds to me, Faith, that you’re just jealous that I got to Buffy first. I got to have a good number of shots with the main slayer and she’ll only ever look at you as a threat and danger to her….” He never got to finish his sentence as Faith ripped his head off. She dusted the ashes off her and whispered:

“Well at least you’ll never be able to harass her or her family again, Spike.”

The next morning, the sun rose over the house that Spike had left the previous night. It was almost serene in the morning glow and, unknown to the residents, was being watched from a tree across the street. Faith had maintained her vigil all night, keeping her eyes open for any signs of Buffy, just to let her know that the blonde was doing all right. All of the months spent in prison had seen the dark slayer think of very little except for the slayer that lived on Revello Drive. She had felt it when Buffy died, she knew instinctively what had happened and it had killed her inside to think of that happening. She also sensed when Buffy had been resurrected from the dead, the feelings of loss and uncertainty that the blonde had felt at being brought back from heaven. Faith had made it her mission to get free of prison and her painful past, in order to help the woman she loved and her family in any way that she could. It was by a mixture of cunning and sheer luck that Faith had managed to keep such a low profile so close to Buffy. The blonde slayer had not once caught onto the presence of the dark slayer, which was the way Faith liked it. Given the choice between a confrontation and living in the shadows as an observer, the brunette knew which one she preferred. A loud shout suddenly caught her attention and she leapt down from her tree and raced around the back of the house.

“You think you can just get away with that!! Think again!!” the raised voice came from a young man that Faith didn’t recognise at all and before she could process everything, the guy began shooting at random as he ran away. A stray bullet went into Buffy’s shoulder, as Faith noticed her and Xander standing in the back garden. Before she could react to advance forward, though, the dark slayer heard a cry that stopped her in her tracks and made her look up at the top window of the house.

“TARA!!”

The slayer leapt from the bushes where she’d managed to hide quickly before watching her love get hurt. Showing her amazing agility and completely disregarding her previous stealthy approach, Faith grabbed onto the side of the house and scrabbled up to the window to what had been Joyce’s bedroom to Faith’s recollection. Hanging from her hands only, the brunette looked into the room and saw Willow with her girlfriend, Tara, lying on the floor unconscious. The bullet hole in the window just above Faith’s head told her what had happened. The change that occurred in the redhead, though, shook the dark slayer to the core. Her eyes went dark, the air surrounding the witch sparked with an unnatural and malevolent energy. Just when Faith felt she couldn’t keep her grip any longer, Willow cast the bedroom door open and walked purposefully out into the hallway. Faith used her last ounce of strength to throw herself through the bedroom window. She landed beside the prone body of the blonde that Willow had just been sitting so grief-stricken over a few seconds before. Faith felt desperately for a pulse, praying that the redhead wouldn’t have to live without the love of her life. Just when she was ready for giving up hope, though, Faith felt a faint pulse beneath her fingers.

“Come on, Blondie,” she whispered, “you can’t die and leave Red all alone. Don’t you know, she needs you more than ever right now?” The slayer went to work immediately. She tore off a piece of her own top and held it tightly against the bleeding wound that was on Tara’s shoulder. Looking frantically around the room, Faith managed to clock a small bottle of water sitting on a dresser. Once she was happy that the wound had stopped bleeding so heavily, the young woman quickly reached over for the bottle and then soaked Tara’s lips. The blonde regained consciousness, although Faith could tell she was very weak.

“W….Willow?” she whispered, only to feel Faith’s fingers on her lips.

“No, Blondie, she’s out just now,” Faith replied gently, “I’m gonna get you to the hospital, then get Red to your bedside.” Xander wandered around to the front of the house as the paramedics wheeled Buffy on her stretcher to the waiting ambulance. As fate would have it, as Xander got to this point, Faith came out of the front door with Tara in her arms.

“WHOA!! Psycho slayer here to kill us all!!” he exclaimed, “Um, why are you holding Tara? Willow just came down not too long ago and said she was dead.” Faith gently lay Tara down on an empty stretcher that the paramedics had gotten out for her. After speaking to the paramedics briefly about the condition of the witch, the brunette turned back to Xander.

“Long story, just so you know, I’m not here to cause badness,” she replied patiently, “Tara’s not dead, I managed to save her life, though just barely. You should go to the hospital with them; I have to track down Red. She’s got some wicked energy going on right now. I’m worried that she might kill the guy that hurt her girl.” Before Xander could object, Faith had set off at a fast run in the direction she could tell Willow had gone.

In the hospital, Buffy lay on the verge of death. The occasional beep on the monitor was growing less and less frequent and Xander could only look on in desperation, unable to stop it. As the doctors were preparing to give up, their machines began to go haywire. A black-haired, black-eyed young woman walked into the emergency room and cast all of the medical staff out of the room as well as Xander. Faith was in hot pursuit, but she could only look on as Willow removed the bullet from Buffy’s shoulder with her magic and then healed the wound completely. Immediately, the blonde slayer’s vital signs began to improve. The dark slayer would’ve been lying if she’d said that her heart hadn’t leapt at the sound of the monitor getting more frequent. At least she knew Buffy was going to recover, though her main concern was Willow. As the witch came out of the door she had entered through, Faith blocked her path.

“Hey Red, looks like you’re packing some serious firepower there,” Faith taunted with her usual smirk, “Fancy having a go with a slayer?” Willow raised a hand and sent the arrogant slayer flying across the corridor and landing on her butt.

“You don’t concern me, F,” she replied airily, “I’m after the bastard who killed Tara and almost killed Buffy. You still want a piece of me after I get him, then come right ahead. But for now, you’re nothing to me.” Before Faith could respond, Willow was gone as fast as she had appeared. The slayer felt herself being lifted unsteadily to her feet by Xander. She turned around and met his gaze uncertainly.

“I’ve never seen Will so grief-stricken before,” he whispered nervously, “Do you think you can stop her before she kills Warren?” Faith shook herself from the man’s grasp and dusted herself down.

“Dunno, she seems pretty determined to skin this monkey alive,” she replied, looking straight ahead, “Perhaps she’ll soften when she finds out that Blondie’s still alive. By the looks of it, that’s the only thing that can save her from herself. You stay with Buffy, I’ll hunt down Red. It’s no biggy if I die, right? I’m Faith after all, psycho slayer as you put it earlier.” Before Xander could respond, Faith was gone, running again after Willow.

As the day wore on, Faith ended up grabbing a hold of a car from someone to try and keep track of Willow. She followed stories of a crazy girl across Sunnydale and outside of the town limits. She found the mutilated corpse of the warlock, Rack, and wasn’t in the least bit sorry for his suffering. Stories of his evil power had reached the slayer in her prison cell and in her short time back in Sunnydale, Faith had seen what the warlock’s power had done to Willow and ultimately to Dawn, who had been injured as a result one night. Every place that Faith stopped at which had seen Willow’s power, she made sure to leave a note for Buffy, whom she knew to be not far behind. Eventually, though, she had gotten to a point and found she couldn’t go any further. Something was inevitably stopping her from leaving Sunnydale. The more she put her foot down on the accelerator, the less distance she was covering. She was stuck like this when Buffy and Xander came along on her trail.

“So, looks like you’re completely stuck, Faith,” Buffy’s soft voice completely caught Faith unaware and she jumped and hit her head off the car roof.

“Dammit, B, don’t scare me like that!!” Faith cursed softly while rubbing the sore spot on her head.

“Weren’t expecting me, huh, F?” Buffy replied, “How long have you been in town, huh? And why have you been stalking me and my friends all that time without saying anything?” The gentle tone had taken on an edge of aggression and this unnerved Faith a good bit. She’d been expecting it, but it still hurt to be treated like this.

“I’ve been back about 8 weeks now, just keeping a low profile,” she replied softly, “I’ve been keeping a small eye on you mainly, making sure things were going all right for you. So you know, you don’t have to worry about Spike coming along and harassing you anymore. I took care of that sonofabitch last night, with my bare hands.”

“Yeah, I’m all for a party marking this occasion,” Xander piped up, “I’m so glad that creep’s nothing but a pile of cigar debris now!!” The look on Buffy’s face was incomprehensible to Faith. She was finally free of Spike, after all this time.

“We’ll talk more about this later,” she said to Faith, “right now; we have one super power witch to find.”

“Judging from reports, Red should be in the woods just over the border,” the brunette replied, “I can’t get there, I think she’s put up some sort of barrier spell to keep me from catching her. You guys might be able to reach her better than me anyway.” Xander smiled gratefully at the dark slayer before going back to his car. Buffy smiled with what appeared to be love at Faith, but the brunette figured that couldn’t be right. Why would Buffy ever look at her with love? The blonde slayer bent down slightly, gave the other woman’s hand a gentle squeeze and then went to the car where Xander was waiting.

“HELP! SOMEONE HELP…….AH!”

Buffy and Xander got to Willow too late. They could only look on helplessly as Warren had his skin ripped from his body. The smell of freshly burned meat lingered in the air and a split second later, it saturated the air as Willow incinerated Warren’s carcass so that not a trace of it remained. She then turned and walked straight past her friends as Buffy rubbed Xander’s back, willing him not to throw up due to the overwhelming stench of death that hung in the air. The dark-haired, dark-eyed, vein-covered girl that had just caused such destruction was beyond their reach now. Faith could sense the witch’s power coming in her direction and took it as a hint to get out of there as fast as she could drive. The dark slayer managed to make it back to Revello Drive in record time and knocked on the door with all her might in the hope that Dawn was home. She had to give Xander his dues when it came to carpentry; he’d really done a good job on the front door to keep it standing under slayer strength. As soon as the door was opened, Faith lunged forward and shoved the teenage girl inside the house. Before she could scream, Dawn found her mouth covered by the dark slayer’s hand.

“Don’t scream, Daybreak, I’m not here to kill you,” Faith whispered hurriedly, “some crazy shit’s going down outside and I decided to come here and make sure you were safe.” She stepped back away from the terrified teenager and dropped her hand from the younger girl’s mouth.

“What’s going on? Where’s Buffy?” Dawn’s questions came fast and thick, “I found a note when I got home from school saying something about Tara being in hospital?” At this point, the teenager’s emotions got the better of her and she slid to the floor in tears. This made Faith uneasy as she wasn’t used to dealing with situations like this. She knelt down beside the girl that she’d always regarded as a kid sister and pulled her into her arms, holding the girl until her tears ran dry.

“Ok, now you’ve got that out of your system,” Faith replied, “I’ll fill you in on what’s going down. Warren showed up this morning, wanting to kill Buffy with a gun. He fired random shots and ended up shooting Tara as well. Red went all dark with the magicks and then set off on a rampage. I managed to save Tara, although she’s still seriously ill in the hospital. Red saved Buffy and your big sis is hot on the vengeful witch’s trail right now with Xan-Man. I hot-tailed it back here to make sure Red hadn’t caught up with you. She’s not herself, Dawn, she could really hurt you.”

“W-what are we going to do about Willow, Faith?” Dawn’s words came out hushed and fearfully, “I don’t want anything bad happening to her or Buffy.” As the teenager finished talking, the dark slayer felt a horrible shiver trail down her spine. Something bad was happening to Buffy and she had to stop it. The pain that the blonde was in was almost acute enough for Faith to feel it, blow by blow, as it was happening. Her panic-filled gaze met that of the worried teenager.

“I have to go just now, D,” the brunette said, trying to remain as calm as possible, “you stay here for now, until things blow over. From what I know, Red’s not got any beef with you. I’ll go get B and bring her back in one piece to ya.” Then, before anything else could be said, Faith had run out the front door and was tearing off down the street, heading straight for the middle of town. Only one thought was going through her mind: Hold on, Buffy.

As she got near the Magic Box, Faith’s approach became more cautious and stealthy. The crashes and bangs that were coming from inside the shop could be heard outside in the street, they were so loud. The slayer wasted no time in getting up to the window nearest to her. Looking in, she saw Willow and Buffy fighting with Anya lying unconscious on the floor and Xander gently feeling on her body for a pulse to make sure his ex girlfriend was still alive. The heavy breathing and unsteady movements showed Faith that the blonde slayer was losing the battle against the super strong witch. Buffy was tiring fast and Willow was showing no signs of even breaking a sweat. Finally, the witch picked Buffy up and threw her into a cabinet. The slayer no longer had any strength left to get up and fight and could only look into her best friend’s eyes.

“Poor Buffy, feeling like every day here’s a living hell,” Willow’s voice was empty and emotionless, “only wanting her suffering to be over. To be back in heaven, where Tara’s no doubt waiting for me. Why don’t you let me give you a hand, slayer?” Willow had slowly walked over to Buffy as she had been talking and now had the blonde by the throat. She was about to strangle her best friend when she felt herself being knocked sideways. The witch’s grip on her best friend was released and Buffy fell gasping to the floor. Before she could comprehend anything, the witch felt a fist strike her hard on the cheek and she went flying across the room into a wall. The force of the punch was so strong that Willow’s body made a very large hole in the wall.

“Why waste your time fighting the second rate slayer?” Faith’s voice taunted, “When you can have the real prize instead? You should know B well enough by now, Red, to know that she’d never use her full strength on you. She’s stupid enough to think that somewhere in that whacked-out mind of yours is the kind, loving and loyal friend she knows so well.”

“Why do you think you would be any better against me, Faith?” Willow replied in the same empty and emotionless tone that she had addressed Buffy in, “Because you’re a psycho? Because you’ve killed people and it hasn’t affected your conscience? Or because you love Buffy so much you’re willing to give your life for her?” Faith shuddered slightly as this revelation came out of Willow’s lips. She didn’t intend on letting Buffy ever find out her true feelings.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Red,” Faith growled, “I have no feelings for B in the slightest. But I’m gonna kick your ass royally for what you almost did to my slayer sister.” The brunette flew straight at the witch, punching as hard as she could, trying to get in at the girl who had almost killed the love of her life. However, for each punch or kick that Faith tried, Willow blocked with the greatest of ease. The darkened witch was simply too powerful for the dark slayer to defeat in battle. Whenever Faith managed to land a punch, Willow just hit her back twice as hard. The brunette slayer was lost in blind fury, complete and utter hatred clouded her mind for what the witch had tried to do to Buffy. She was determined to make the redhead pay, even if it meant giving up her own life in the process. This blind fury was ultimately Faith’s downfall, for when she tried to kick Willow’s head off her shoulders; the witch blocked the move and unbalanced the slayer. The result was the brunette crashing to the floor hard and then being levitated into the air by magic.

“Silly Faith, you think you’re so strong,” Willow taunted, “let’s have a look at your feelings for Buffy, see if you really bleed as well.” Where Faith had torn her top earlier on, her midriff was showing where Buffy had stabbed her 3 years previously. The wound had healed so well that there wasn’t even a scar. Willow’s eyes were drawn there and she sent a knife from across the room into that stretch of stomach. Faith screwed her eyes up tightly, willing herself not to cry as old emotions were reopened. All the pain, the hurt she had felt that night when Buffy had actually tried to kill her, came flooding back. That was when she had realised that the blonde could never share her feelings. This shock immediately passed through Buffy, who was watching weakly from across the room with Xander.

“What’s this? The big bad slayer does bleed after all,” Willow said coldly, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d have said you felt emotion too. But we all know how dark and twisted you are, Faith. To even think you could know love like that which me and Tara shared until this morning is just foolish.” Faith began to try and force her mouth open to speak and as such, Willow became quiet, curious to hear what the defeated slayer would say.

“Y-you silly bitch,” Faith’s words came out in quiet gasps, “T-Tara’s still alive. I got to her in time this morning a-after you disappeared from the bedroom in y-your rampage. G-go to Sunnydale G-General if you don’t b-believe me.” Willow’s blackened eyes immediately went from dark and empty to a warm liquid brown. Without saying a word, she let Faith drop to the floor and then raced out of the shop. Buffy immediately rushed over to Faith’s side and held her hand, brushing some stray locks of brown hair from her face.

“You listen to me, Faith,” she whispered, “don’t give up on me. I’ll get you home and help you get better. Just rest now, you’ve done a good thing today, which I’ll be always grateful for.” As Faith drifted into unconsciousness, she dully thought that she felt Buffy’s lips gently press against her forehead.

In Sunnydale General, a girl was sobbing over a patient’s hospital bed. On the bed lay a young blonde that had been rushed in that morning with a gunshot wound. The doctors thought she wouldn’t make it, but she had survived the day and was now showing signs of being on the mend. The crying girl was weeping for what she had thought was her lost love, for the pain that she had inflicted upon her friends and the terrible crime that she had committed against her girlfriend’s attacker. Her hair had been black, but was now a fiery red colour as it had previously been. Her sobs grew weaker and weaker as tiredness slowly took over and she fell asleep at her love’s side.

‘In a meadow, a warm sunny meadow, Faith found herself walking in a summer dress. She had experienced this dream before, with the mayor at her side. They would walk into the centre of the field of grass and sit down at a picnic. These were some of the few times when she felt truly happy and content. Now, though, as she turned to look for the mayor, she saw a blonde woman instead. Whenever she had seen Buffy in her dreams, Faith had instinctively run, for the other slayer always hunted her down and stabbed her with her own knife again. This time, though, she could sense that there was nothing to fear and she let Buffy catch up with her.

“This place is beautiful,” Buffy commented, looking around herself, “Why didn’t you show me this place before?” Faith dropped her gaze from the blonde to the ground shyly.

“I tend to keep my heart hidden from everyone,” she replied nervously, “I don’t like the idea of being seen as weak by anyone, especially you.” She stopped talking as she felt a hand slide under her chin and draw her head up so she was making direct eye contact with Buffy. The eyes of the other slayer were warm and inviting, with no trace of cold aggression or malice.

“You will never be seen as weak by me,” Buffy’s reply came as a complete shock to Faith, “even when you’ve been at your most evil, you have never came across as weak to me. Don’t you think it’s time you invited me into this beautiful place?”

“Are we in your head or mine now?” Faith asked nervously, “Can’t you see here that you’re already in my heart? There will always be a special place for you here, B.” The brunette felt her eyes slowly close as the blonde leaned up and gently pressed their lips together.

“Tell me.”’

Faith woke so suddenly that Buffy leapt back from the bed in surprise. The dark slayer’s eyes darted frantically around the bedroom she found herself in momentarily disorientated. Everything looked familiar but strange at the same time. She looked down at herself and saw that she was now wearing a baggy t-shirt instead of her sleeveless top that she had fought Willow in. The picture on the t-shirt was one of a black panther, which the girl really didn’t mind wearing. Her gaze slowly moved up from her chest to meet the concerned look of Buffy.

“Hey, how are you feeling in there?” Buffy’s words came out slightly hoarse and Faith noticed the bruises on the other girl’s neck. Indeed, everywhere that Faith could see on Buffy had some degree of bruising. Tentatively reaching up to touch her own face, the brunette felt the painful bruises she was sporting on her face as well.

“I could say five by five, B, but we both know that’s not true,” the echoes of her dream lingered in Faith’s mind as she replied, “I’m still alive, which is something at least. You managed to fix up my belly wound for me, I’m guessing?” Buffy nodded, and then she reached down and gently lifted Faith’s t-shirt to show the brunette what her injury looked like. The wound was covered with a white dressing and the tight feeling that came from moving near there told the slayer that it was also stitched. Any slight movement seemed to be a tremendous effort to the girl. Sensing her distress, Buffy moved to Faith’s side and took her in her arms and held her gently. Faith could do nothing aside from rest her head against Buffy’s chest.

“I promised you in the Magic Shop that I would fix you,” Buffy explained, “I know how much you hate hospitals and I can’t blame you. If I’d spent 8 months in a hospital, I would hate them with a passion as well. Xander took Anya to the hospital after you passed out and Giles turned up from England. The watchers council sensed a powerful magical force here in Sunnydale that was coming from Willow. He came here to stop her with some primitive magic thingy that he had borrowed. But his flight was late getting into the airport due to some freak hailstorm that hit the skies and resulted in all the incoming flights circling the airport. If it wasn’t for you tackling Willow, I would’ve been dead before Giles could have arrived. I sent Dawn to stay over at his hotel room for the night and I brought you back here to heal you. If it wasn’t for your slayer healing powers, you would’ve died from your injury. I know how you’re not exactly part of the group and you’re not big on company, so I wanted to get the house as quiet as possible for when you woke up.” As she spoke, the blonde had been running her free hand through Faith’s lazy dark curls. It was very soothing and the dark slayer found herself closing her eyes in pleasure at the simple action.

“Thanks, Buffy,” she whispered softly, “I know I don’t deserve anything good from you after all I’ve done in the past to you.” The use of her full name told Buffy that Faith was overwhelmed with emotion and it touched her deeply.

“Yes you do deserve goodness,” Buffy replied, “you stopped Willow from destroying everyone and everything. You saved Tara’s life and you saved mine. For these things, you deserve a lot of goodness, starting with chocolate ice cream.” The dark slayer’s eyes lit up at the mention of chocolate ice cream and she smiled goofily at the blonde.

“Can we watch DVDs all day as well?” she asked, barely able to contain her excitement. A nod and warm smile from Buffy filled Faith with sheer joy. She was getting to spend alone time with the woman she loved more than any other. When she was recovered, she would confront her feelings with Buffy, but for now, she was content simply being something close to friends. Buffy, meanwhile, couldn’t stop thinking about the revelation Willow had made in the Magic Shop about Faith’s feelings for her. She knew, though, that in time, Faith would talk to her about it.

That day, the chosen two did nothing else besides lie on Buffy’s bed and watch DVDs while eating chocolate ice cream. Occasionally, the telephone would go and it would bring an update from the hospital on both Tara and Anya’s conditions. The girls just simply lay cuddling into one another, revelling in the security that the close contact offered the other person. As evening drew in, the telephone rang again. As it was a cordless telephone, Buffy had decided earlier in the day to simply bring it into her bedroom to save her having to race back and forward to answer calls all day. It was a call not from the hospital this time, but from Giles.

“I’ve just returned from visiting at the hospital,” he said down the line to Buffy, “Tara’s in a stable condition, although she has yet to wake up.”

“That’s great, Giles,” Buffy sighed ominously, “I’ll make sure to pass the good news onto Faith.” She glanced over at Faith and smiled warmly as she noted the confused expression on the brunette’s face.

“I think you and Faith should get down there, Buffy,” Giles replied gravely, “Willow’s in pretty bad shape. I know she faltered and tried to kill you and Faith, but she really needs support through this delicate time.”

“I’ll suggest it to Faith, but I’m not sure how she’ll take that suggestion,” Buffy replied, “she’s in a bit of pain herself at the moment as well. I’m worried about her moving around too much.” Faith raised an eyebrow at this comment. She didn’t look amused at all at what her companion just said.

“Do whatever you think best, Buffy,” Giles response was emphatic, “but don’t dally too long. I’ll keep Dawn another night while you decide what’s going to happen next. Bye for now.” Buffy said her good-byes and hung up before crawling back up the bed to Faith’s side. She lay behind Faith and pulled the other slayer into her so she was being supported by the blonde. Immediately, Buffy began to run her fingers slowly through Faith’s hair as she lay against the fair slayer.

“What’s the latest, B?” Faith asked calmly, trying to keep focused in spite of the delicious attention she was receiving, “I’m guessing that was the G-Man on the phone. How’s Tara doing?”

“Tara’s doing well, F,” Buffy teased lightly, “not awake yet, but she’s mending well. Giles wants us to go to the hospital to check on Will, though. He says she’s not doing too well.”

“Makes sense, after all, she did try to kill her best friends,” the dark slayer replied, “she’ll be feeling pretty shitty right now about all that. I can kind of understand how she’d be feeling, B. It’s not a nice feeling, going somewhere that sees you letting loose the worst in you. We should go and see her, plus check on Blondie.” Faith slid herself across the bed and got to her feet tentatively. She hadn’t needed to go to the toilet all day, so this was the first she had stood since waking up that morning. Buffy immediately rushed to her side and supported the dark slayer as she made her way to the bathroom to get ready to go out.

As she washed her face, Faith purposely tried to ignore the way that Buffy was looking at her. The other girl was letting her eyes linger over every bit of Faith’s body, as if she was admiring what she could see. The brunette couldn’t believe it when she saw her reflection in the mirror above the wash hand basin. Her cheeks were puffy and raw looking, her nose was slightly bent and she had two black eyes. Washing her face suddenly seemed like such a huge effort, she couldn’t believe that Willow had really done that much damage to her. ‘Guess I deserved it, I deserve all the pain I get dealt’. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face and couldn’t stop Buffy from putting her arms around her. She sobbed softly into the blonde’s shoulder, not caring for once how weak she may be appearing by doing such a thing. Once she finished, Faith got help from Buffy to wash her face and put on clean clothes. Then, they got ready and set off for Sunnydale General Hospital.

As the slayers walked into the waiting area of Sunnydale General, they were immediately greeted by Xander. The black-haired man had bags under his eyes, which showed that he hadn’t been keeping too well all night and day. His left arm was in a sling and plaster and he looked like he was in desperate need of a bath. However, that could wait for he grabbed the slayers in a big hug with his good arm. Faith was unsure of what to make of this, as her and Xander hadn’t been too close as friends before with the past between them. Buffy gave her arm a gentle stroke though, which let her know that everything was fine between them.

“So, how are my favourite slayer gals?” Xander asked, chipper as usual, “Good to see you on your feet again, Faith. The lying down, bleeding everywhere may be a good look for some, but guys usually go for women that look like they still have a pulse.” Buffy dissolved in a fit of laughter at this comment and at Faith’s response of raising an eyebrow and not looking particularly amused.

“Who said it was a guy I was trying to impress, Xan-Man,” Faith replied curtly, “How’s your gal doing? Where are Red and Blondie?” She quickly asked these questions before either Buffy or Xander could ask her about her comment of impressing someone. Buffy had to give the brunette her dues; she knew how to deflect the conversation topic away from herself impressively.

“Anya’s fine, she’s resting although she keeps insisting on being let out of here,” Xander replied, “me and her have been talking and we’re gonna see about giving our relationship another shot. Guess it takes a near death experience for both parties for them to make up and get over their differences, eh? I’m gonna thank Willow for it later, once I’ve got my head around the fact of her almost killing us. She’s in Tara’s room just now, talking things over with her recently awoken and no longer sleeping Beauty.”

“That’s great about you and Anya, Xander,” Buffy said genuinely, “you guys are totally meant for each other. What room are Willow and Tara in? Faith and I were hoping to see them and check up on how they’re both doing.” Faith couldn’t help but notice the longing tone in Buffy’s voice as she told Xander that she thought he and Anya were meant for each other. She also could’ve sworn that she saw the blonde glance briefly at her when she said that. For a moment, both sets of hazel eyes met and electricity passed between them. Soon enough, B, I’ll let you know how I feel about you. She was brought out of her thoughts by Xander’s reply.

“They’re in the second room down the hall,” he said, pointing to the corridor he was meaning, “I’m gonna go check on Anya, maybe catch a nap on a chair in her room.” The slayers hugged their friend and left him to go and see someone they were both anxious to see and also afraid of seeing: Willow.

As they walked into the hospital room, Faith grabbed tightly onto Buffy’s arm as a wave of fear hit her. She wasn’t used to being scared of anything in her life, except for the thought of Buffy dying and not being in her life. However, now she was genuinely terrified of being in the same room as the powerful witch. She could only relax slightly as she once more felt Buffy’s hand rub up and down her arm in a comforting way. The sight that greeted the slayers was a tragic one, which seemed terribly poignant to Faith. The redhead was lying on the hospital bed, sobbing loudly into her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“I-I tried to kill them, Tara,” her mumbles could just be made out, “H-how can I possibly face them now? I almost killed the s-slayers, the ones chosen to defend the world against its big bads. N-not to mention the t-terrible torture I made them s-suffer.” Tara spotted the girls standing in the doorway and nodded them in with her head.

“Sweetie, I know you weren’t yourself,” Tara whispered into Willow’s ear, “if I thought you’d been taken from me, I would’ve done the same thing you did. I think you should talk to Buffy and Faith about what happened, I’m sure they don’t hate you and will forgive you in time.”

“Yeah, Red, I mean, I’ve tried to kill you guys lots of times,” Faith’s voice made Willow jump and she turned sharply to make eye contact with the dark slayer. The witch’s eyes were green once more, though they had a look of terrible guilt and shame in them. Her face was flushed due to her heavy crying and became more guilt ridden as she took in the conditions of her best friend and the dark slayer. An awkward silence stretched out in the small hospital room, during which time Faith limped over to a chair beside Tara’s bed, feeling exhaustion and pain tugging from her stomach wound.

“Will, why don’t you come for a walk with me?” Buffy suggested, desperate to break the silence, “You look like you could use a coffee anyway. Faith will stay here and keep Tara company for you. We need some alone best friend time as well.” Willow approached her best friend slowly, not quite believing it to be true. When she was standing just in front of Buffy, though, she couldn’t hold back on her already fraught emotions and grabbed the slayer in a bear hug. Buffy held her tightly and slowly walked the witch out of the room. Faith and Tara looked at each other slightly uneasily after the other two girls had left the room.

“So, you’re healing well, Blondie,” Faith said nervously. Tara nodded and then reached out and took one of Faith’s hands in her own. The brunette could feel the magic flowing through the witch’s body just from their hands touching and it made her uneasy.

“It’s ok, Faith,” Tara reassured, “I’m not going to hurt you with my magic. I want you to know that I owe you m-my life and also want you to know how much I appreciate what you done for Willow. If you h-hadn’t stopped her when you did, she would’ve d-destroyed the world in her grief.” Faith shifted uneasily, not familiar with praise and also feeling some magic pass from the witch’s body into her own. It eased the pain in her gut and also made her relax more.

“Don’t mention it, Tara,” Faith replied calmly, “I know how much you mean to Red and I couldn’t stand her losing her soulmate like that. I know what it’s like to be alone in the world, lost in grief, when you think you’ve lost who you consider to be the other half of you.” Tara said nothing but she could sense the brunette’s deeper feelings for Buffy. Unknown to both women, the blonde slayer was standing just outside the door, listening in on their conversation.

“I don’t think you’ve lost that person, Faith,” Tara said cryptically, “if you simply tell her how you feel, she may surprise you.” Then, the blonde witch whispered an incantation into the air which sent Faith into a restful sleep. As she dozed off, the dark slayer could just hear the footsteps indicating that Buffy and Willow had returned to the room.

A few weeks later found Buffy and Faith in a cemetery patrolling together. Due to her slayer healing powers, the wound on Faith’s stomach had healed much faster than if it were on a normal person. She had been anxious to get back to patrolling the cemeteries at night a couple of weeks ago, but Buffy wouldn’t let her until she was happy that Faith was fully recovered. In the time since Faith saved Tara, Dawn had moved back into the house after spending a couple of nights over at Janice’s house, Giles had bought himself a new house to stay in while in Sunnydale and Anya had told D’Hoffryn that she no longer wished to be a vengeance demon. After he accepted her resignation, Anya moved back in with Xander and they were taking things slowly. Willow had moved in with Tara at her dorm room once the blonde witch had been allowed out of hospital. Things were tense between her and the others, although Buffy had warmed to her slowly and was trying to convince the others to forgive Willow. Faith had made a stronger effort than Xander, Anya or Dawn to make amends with the redhead. She knew what it was like to find a part of yourself that was so dark it chilled you to your very soul. Willow had been relieved that Faith didn’t hold any grudges against her for the incident in the Magic Shop. The witch and the slayer had learned a better understanding of each other.

“So, you wanna go out sometime, Faith?” Buffy asked tentatively before attacking a vampire that just leapt out of its grave. Faith stood and leaned against a nearby tree as she watched the blonde work her stuff.

“Sure B, I got nothing planned,” Faith replied coolly, “when do you want to invite the Scooby gang over, then?” Buffy quickly clicked on that the other woman thought she wanted to hang out with the others rather than just the two of them. Quickly blocking the vampire’s punches and shoving a stake into his heart, Buffy turned to face Faith while dusting herself down.

“No, I was thinking more along the lines of just the two of us,” Buffy explained softly, “as in, do you want to go see a movie? Perhaps even go to the Bronze after patrol one night? Then we can just hang out at home just the two of us. You know how Dawn likes to go over to her friend Janice’s a lot.” The look on Faith’s face at this suggestion gave enough indication to Buffy that she liked this idea. ‘Get me fresh after patrolling, B, and you’ll learn another side of me, hopefully one that you’ll like’.

“Sure Buffy, I like the sound of that idea,” Faith replied, her voice dipping an octave, “just you and me, in that house, all by ourselves…” she stopped talking and began to zone out. Her mind was playing dirty tricks on her already, though she knew that she wouldn’t try anything further than a kiss with Buffy until she knew the other slayer wanted more. Buffy slowly slipped her hand into Faith’s and gently gave her a tug, to get her to keep walking through the cemetery. They ended up stopping at Joyce Summers’ grave for a few moments.

“You know, mum really liked you,” Buffy whispered softly, “she actually liked you more than she liked either Riley or Angel. She always saw you as misunderstood and as another daughter. I think she’s looking down on you and is very proud of you right now.” As she turned to face Faith, Buffy saw the tears in the dark slayer’s eyes. She knew that Faith had always seen Joyce as the mother that she never had and praise like what Buffy had told her meant a lot to her.

“Thanks, B, that means a lot,” Faith replied, choked with emotion, “I think we should head back now, huh? Daybreak will be wondering where we are by now, seeing as it’s almost sunrise.” The blonde looked up into the sky and saw that this was true. The sun was rising slowly into the sky now; the slayers had been talking all night in the cemetery. Walking hand in hand, closer than they had dared to up to this point, the girls left the cemetery.

Willow and Tara were walking along Revello Drive the following afternoon, making their way to the Summers house. The witches had been taking things slowly with their relationship since Tara had been released from hospital. Willow had been working on her control over magic and they had talked out different issues that they had surrounding Willow’s use of magic. It was now perfectly clear to the women that Willow was naturally in tune with the forces of magic, whether she wanted to be or not. They had spent time since realising this and working on the redhead’s control of the forces that surged through her veins. Now the witch was learning to live with her powers and not let dark forces take over her again. However, in spite of their reassurances that the power was now under control, Willow and Tara had found it hard to reintegrate themselves back into the Scoobies. Faith was the one out of the gang that was showing the most warmth and trying to convince the others to follow her example. Buffy was making an effort, following the example set by the other slayer, to work things out with her best friend. This afternoon saw them all meeting for lunch and trying to work through their demons together.

“Do you think this will go all right in here?” Willow asked Tara tentatively, “We’ve not exactly been close buddies since I tried to kill everyone. I know you love me and have forgiven me, but I doubt the others ever will do that fully.” Her eyes dropped to the street, whereas they had been gazing into the eyes of her lover as they were walking along. She felt Tara softly stroke her arm and it reassured her beyond comprehension and also sparked another feeling within. The witches hadn’t been intimate with each other since the day Tara had been shot and it was obvious to them that they were missing each other’s touch. Their make-out sessions were becoming more and more intense as their pent up sexual frustration threatened to overtake their wariness. Even now, when the redhead met her girlfriend’s gaze, the electricity passed between them and they could both sense what the other girl was wanting.

“I’m sure everything will go all right today, Willow,” Tara replied confidently, “We’ve been through worse than this together, as have the rest of the gang. Everything will be all right.” The two witches then hugged each other tightly before knocking on Buffy’s door.

Faith and Buffy were getting ready in Buffy’s room for the lunch they were about to have with their friends. A few weeks back had seen Buffy quit her job at the Double Meat Factory. This had happened the day after she had went to check her bank balance to see if her wages had went in for the previous fortnight’s worth of shifts and the slayer had received the shock of her life. It would appear that by some miracle overnight, the Summers family had became 5 million dollars better off. Of course, Buffy had her suspicions on where this money had come from, which had been confirmed when she had called Angel in Los Angeles. She hadn’t let onto Faith that she knew about the money just yet. She intended on letting the dark slayer know how much more meaningful her life had become since that fateful day when Faith had saved Tara’s life. Tonight was the night that the slayers were having their date that they had agreed on a couple of weeks ago. The girls had agreed on doing their usual sweep of the cemeteries and then afterwards, they were planning on returning home for some dinner and a DVD. Nothing too hot and heavy yet, as the girls were just getting to know each other better and taking things slow. Now, Buffy was standing in front of her bedroom mirror and fixing her hair up into a stylish French plait. She never heard Faith finish in the bathroom down the hall nor see the brunette stand in the doorway, casting her eyes over the blonde at the mirror. Buffy was wearing a halter neck summer dress that showed off her back to its full potential. It was red in colour and came down to just below the knees and Faith wasn’t complaining about its length one bit. She was imagining ripping it off the blonde’s body at a future date and throwing it onto the floor, but she was quickly startled out of her thoughts when Buffy said something unexpectedly.

“You know, if you were wanting to perve over my body, Faith,” she said softly, “all you had to do was ask and I would let you look at any part you wanted.” As she said this, Buffy turned around slowly and made eye contact with the nervous brunette in the doorway. Then, she slowly walked over to Faith, making sure to be as agonisingly slow in her movements as possible. The dark slayer forced herself to remain as still as possible as Buffy approached her. She didn’t want to spook the blonde in any way and was content to let her set the pace. Her self control momentarily went out of the window, though, as she suddenly felt the other slayer’s lips on her own. The kiss was slow and tender, sending shockwaves through both girls due to the love that they were showing one another. Weeks of sexual tension and frustration threatened to overpower the self control that both girls were showing and Faith deepened the kiss passionately by sliding her tongue into the other girl’s mouth. The answering moan let the brunette know that Buffy could feel the heat just as much as she could, but this also gave her reason to pull back before things got out of hand. They had only just started to explore their feelings for each other and the dark slayer had no desire to give Buffy another bad experience of intimacy to add to her back catalogue. So, she slowed the kiss down and then slowly pulled back, with her hands resting on Buffy’s shoulders. As she opened her eyes, Faith found herself gazing into Buffy’s loving brown ones.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, F,” Buffy whispered breathlessly, “I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Faith blushed a deep shade of red at this shy admission from the older woman.

“I love you too, Buffy,” Faith replied shyly, “I just never thought you could ever love me back. After Angel got me out of prison on parole, I wanted to make sure you were all right over here. I could sense your pain and hurt in my prison cell. When I got back to town and saw how Spike was using you, I wanted to hunt him down and make him pay for it. The final straw was when he tried to rape you, B. I had to finish him off for that, so I decapitated him. Then I saw Tara get shot by that bastard, Warren. I couldn’t bear to think of Red all alone without her soulmate in life, so I did my best to save Blondie. Then I saw Red killing you in the Magic Shop and I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I’d give my life for you, Buffy.” The slayers then held each other as close to each other as they possibly could, running their hands up and down each others backs. Neither of them had ever felt this happy and content in their lives. It was like finally coming home to both of them, finding somewhere that they truly belonged. They slowly ran their fingers over the contours of each others’ face, determined to memorise the touch of each other for the rest of their lives. They were interrupted, however, by Dawn standing at the bedroom door waiting on them.

“It’s about time you guys got together,” she said in a slightly pompous way, “it’s been a nightmare living under the same roof as you two and your sexual tension. Just so you both know, I knew you liked each other way before you guys did. It was so obvious back when you guys were in High School!! I can’t believe it took you guys so long to realise you were meant for each other, I mean, come on!!”

“Go away, Daybreak,” Faith replied, irritated a good bit, “before I lose my cool and kill you.” Her voice lacked any real conviction as she said this, but had a fair share of humour in it.

“Yeah right, the big bad slayer,” Dawn replied teasingly, “it’s not like that when you’re crying watching Beaches.” The teenager ducked just in time to avoid a shoe that her sister had thrown at her. As well as Buffy, Dawn was wearing a summer dress. However, her outfit was longer than Buffy’s and it was a sleeveless top design rather than a halter neck and was a bright yellow colour. Her hair was up in a simple pony tail and Faith was wearing a light blue summer dress, which made any attempts at being angry seem pretty poor. Her hair was left down as Faith usually preferred to have it, but she had gone over it with hair straighteners to give it some extra smoothness and shine.

“Go get the door, Dawn,” Buffy warned, “or I won’t let you stay at Janice’s for the next month.” This saw the teenager shut up and quickly disappear downstairs as the doorbell just went. The slayers looked at each other, revelling in their closeness and then they joined hands before going downstairs to greet their friends for lunch.

The rest of the afternoon went very well and uneventful for the Scooby Gang. Xander and Anya arrived at the house not long after Willow and Tara. They all spent the afternoon hanging out like they used to, only it was better with Faith around. A fun time was had by all, relaxing in the back garden in the warm sunshine. As they all relaxed in the back garden eating food and laughing and talking, Faith felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she looked up to see Willow standing beside her.

“Hey, um Faith, can we go inside and talk?” she asked the slayer nervously. Faith looked at the witch and nodded before standing and walking with the redhead towards the house. They made their way into the living room and sat down on the couch together.

“What’s up, Red?” Faith asked, unsure as to why the other girl would want to talk to her on her own like this. The two of them had hardly ever been friends and although things had been better between the two women over the past month or so, Faith was still wary of Willow after almost being killed by the witch.

“I just really wanted to thank you, Faith,” Willow replied shakily, “for saving Tara’s life. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve ended up doing if she had been dead. I was on the verge of killing my best friend as it was in the Magic Shop that night.”

“Yeah, funny how it took me, a killer who you hated, to save you from yourself, isn’t it Red?” Faith said, showing irritation, “your best friends chased you all over town, to try and reason with you. But you tried to kill every single one of them and it took me, someone you classed as an enemy, to stop you in your attempt at self destruction. I remember the days back in High School when you were jealous of my friendship with B, maybe cos back then, my love for her was terribly obvious to anyone that chose to look. You saw how Buffy and I understood each other and you were jealous. You wanted to be the one that made B happy, but she only ever saw you as a good friend.” Willow was very much taken aback by Faith’s tirade. The remarks that the slayer made were hitting a little too close to home for the witch to like.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Faith,” Willow whispered nervously, “none of that’s true.” This really got the brunette’s temper riled.

“That’s bullshit, Willow, and you know it,” Faith snapped, “you may have overcome your crush on B now, but back then, you wanted to be with her so badly. You’ve made me out to be so bad and evil over the years, looked down on me as if I was worth as much as the demons I kill. Then there was that night in the Magic Shop, when you humiliated me in front of B. Every night since then, I’ve had nightmares of the night Buffy stabbed me. I can still see her face even now, the utter hatred she had in her eyes for me. You made me relive the pain I felt that night, and not just the physical pain either. I don’t regret saving Blondie or saving you, I just want you to know that it’s gonna be a long time before me and you are anywhere close to being even. I’ve treated you better than the others over the past month or so cos I know what it’s like to go to the dark side that far in yourself and come back from it. I know that every day now you’ll be feeling guilty as hell for what you did and almost did. That’s the price you’ll have to pay for it, in the end it’s your burden to carry. Just think, now you know how I’ve felt for so long and I’ve had no one to help me deal with it. Angel’s been there, sure, he persuaded me to give myself up to the cops and he helped get me out on parole after a couple of years. But he has no idea of what I’ve gone through since waking up from that coma. None of you know what it’s like to go through the emotional pain and guilt alone that you’re now enduring with friends and your lover to help you with.” Feeling that she had revealed too much, Faith turned and stormed upstairs, leaving Willow alone to think about what had just happened.

After her outburst at Willow, Faith had run upstairs and into Buffy’s room. She sat on the blonde’s bed and drew her legs up so she was hugging her knees tightly into herself. Staring at the wall straight ahead of her, the dark slayer willed herself not to cry. She knew that she had revealed a lot more information than she felt comfortable with, just as she had the night she had killed Kakistos. She remembered that night very well, had even consciously made an effort to keep it perfectly clear in her mind. It came back to her now, that night:

‘“Faith, are you sure you’re all right?” Buffy asked gently once she had walked the shaken brunette back to her motel room. The younger girl had been unusually quiet ever since she’d managed to stake the vampire with hooves in the warehouse. This had made the blonde concerned, as she knew Faith well enough to know that any period of long silence was bad coming from her.

“I’m five by five, B,” Faith replied in a tone of false cheeriness, “another vampire dusted, right? The world can sleep a little easier, although they know shit about what goes on around them.” She crawled onto her bed and sat with her legs up into herself, so she was hugging her knees tightly. She was secretly hoping that Buffy would leave the room before she gave into the painful urge to cry. Memories of what Kakistos had done to her watcher, how he had tried to kill her as well, how he had hunted her down were all flooding her mind. Faith never noticed when she had started crying, she only knew she was crying when she felt a pair of arms engulf her. She relaxed her body and clung to Buffy, sobbing heavily. The blonde cooed softly into her ear, gently rubbing her back until the tears stopped flowing.

“I know its rough, Faith,” Buffy said gently, “I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through before you came to Sunnydale. Just know that I’m here for you and I’ll do my best to be here for you as much as possible.” Faith managed a watery and grateful smile for the other girl and cuddled closely into her. The two girls stayed like that for the rest of the night, simply holding each other.’

Faith couldn’t help but smile to herself as she remembered that night. Being that close to Buffy was like a dream come true for the brunette. It made her feel so safe and almost loved, being held like that by the girl that she had fallen head over heels for at first sight. Glancing around the room, Faith spotted a photograph sitting on Buffy’s bedside cabinet. She moved from her hunched position and picked up the framed picture, gently running her fingers over it softly. It was a photograph of her and Buffy that had been taken back in the final year of High School, before Faith had became friends with the Mayor. In the picture, the girls were looking at each other, smiling lovingly at one another. It looked as though the girls didn’t have a single care in the world and were content to be in the presence of another who could understand what their Chosen status meant for them in life. Faith couldn’t help but wonder if things could’ve worked out differently for her and Buffy. She also wondered why Buffy would have such an intimate photograph sitting on her bedside table, when it had looked like the blonde hated the dark slayer in the past before the shooting incident that saw the slayers cross paths once more.

“Do you like that picture?” Buffy’s soft voice made Faith jump off the bed and fall onto the floor. She got to her feet, rubbing her right knee and sat back on the bed.

“B, you really need to get a small bell or something,” she replied, hissing at the sting coming from her knee, “I don’t know how many more instances of you sneaking up on me I can handle.” The blonde entered the room and sat down on the bed beside Faith. She gently took Faith’s right leg in her hands and ran one of her hands gently over the bruised and slightly swollen knee. The reaction this caused in Faith was instantaneous. Tingles travelled up and down her body and her breathing gradually became uneven. She always knew that Buffy touching her would be the most amazing feeling she had ever known, but even then, Faith wasn’t fully prepared for how the blonde’s touch was affecting her. Buffy took her time massaging the bruised joint, enjoying every minute of watching her love get all hot and bothered.

“Well, F, perhaps I like getting you unexpectedly,” Buffy replied in a very husky voice, “watching you lose your cool and become hot and bothered. Make you feel all good as well. I want to love you, Faith. Let me close to you.” Faith threw her arms around the blonde and held onto her tightly, feeling arms encircle her as well. She inevitably let all of her defences drop and cried deeply into Buffy’s shoulder, which also brought immense relief to the brunette.

In a house just a few streets away from the Summers home, Dawn was relaxing and chatting excitedly with her best friend, Janice. The two were sitting in Janice’s bedroom, chatting about the usual things teenage girls like to talk about when they’re alone and there are no grown-ups around to cramp their style.

“So, your sister’s gay?” Janice asked, “That must be interesting for you. First her friends Willow and Tara are gay and now she’s got a girlfriend. What’s it like living in a house with gay women coming and going?”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Dawn replied truthfully, “I’ve always kind of known that Buffy liked girls over guys. You should see how excited she gets whenever we watch Cruel Intentions at the kissing scene in the park. I’ve asked her about it, and she’s always hotly denied being turned on by that scene, but it’s pretty obvious she likes it. She and Faith have always had a thing between them as well; you should’ve seen how upset Buffy got when Faith had joined forces with the big bad Mayor. It was like she was betrayed or something.”

“Sounds pretty heavy,” Janice replied thoughtfully, “and then Faith almost got herself killed to save your sister. If love’s that crazy between two girls, then I’m very thankful that I’m only into guys. Want some pretzels?” Dawn shook her head, not feeling particularly hungry at that point. She’d never really given much thought to how much Faith and Buffy were in love with each other. It was overwhelming, after all the hurt her sister had suffered at the hands of Angel, Riley and Spike, to see her so content in the arms of another female. She felt truly happy for Buffy finding that kind of happiness. The girls continued chatting and watching DVDs until Janice’s mum came up into the room.

“Janice, just to let you know that Kennedy’s came to stay for a few days,” she said, “I was thinking she could share your room until she gets herself sorted.”

“That’s fine, mum,” Janice replied, “tell her to come up and she can join me and Dawn.” Janice’s mum smiled and disappeared downstairs. Dawn looked at Janice in a curious way.

“Who’s Kennedy?” she asked, “you’ve never mentioned her to me before.” Janice shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her best friend’s eye.

“Kennedy’s my older cousin from Cleveland,” she replied, still avoiding eye contact with Dawn, “she’s had a privileged life. That branch of our family is wealthy and live in a very grand house. They think they’re better than everyone else, generally not very nice people to be around. Kennedy’s the exception, although we’ve not seen each other in a while. Her parents and sister really don’t like Kennedy cos she doesn’t see herself as better than anyone. She’s confident and bold, but also very sweet and sensitive. There’s also something else you should know about Kennedy.”

“What’s that?” Dawn asked, unsure as to why her best friend would be so uncomfortable when talking about a cousin she seemed really fond of.

“Kennedy’s gay,” Janice replied, “she’s never really had a steady girlfriend as well. Any girl that Kennedy got close to has treated her like crap and dumped her once they had their fun with her.” Dawn nodded in an understanding way.

“Being gay’s no big deal,” she told her best friend confidently, “look at my family situation. The main people in my life that count are all gay, except for a couple. I can’t wait to meet Kennedy; she sounds like a fun girl.” As Dawn finished talking, there was a tentative knock on the door. Janice opened the bedroom door and moved out of the way for what Dawn could only describe as the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. Long hair that just stopped around the level her chest was, eyes that were so dark that there seemed to be no pupils in them and skin that was the most amazing shade of brown. The girl’s eyes gave away the insecurity she was feeling and her nervousness at being in new company.

“Dawn, this is my cousin, Kennedy,” Janice introduced them, “Kennedy, this is my best friend, Dawn. She’s staying over tonight, is that cool with you?” Kennedy walked a few steps over to Dawn and put her hand out to shake hands. The younger Summers girl put her hand out and shook hands with the stunning girl in front of her. She could tell that Kennedy was a little bit smaller than her in height and she couldn’t believe the heat she felt when she shook hands with the quiet girl.

“That’s ok by me, Janice,” Kennedy replied, never taking her eyes off Dawn, “is it ok if I stick my stuff in your wardrobe just now?” Dawn noticed for the first time the bag on Kennedy’s shoulder. It hit her that this was all that was left of the other girl’s possessions. Janice took the bag from her cousin and put it inside her wardrobe. Dawn didn’t let go of Kennedy’s hand right away, but gently ran her thumb along the knuckles of it. Kennedy’s eyes went even darker than they were already and this sight took Dawn’s breath away. Janice, unaware of what was happening, walked between the girls.

“Right, let’s get this party started,” she said, sticking in a DVD, “I vote we watch Bring It On. You guys ok with that?” Kennedy and Dawn didn’t say anything, just sat down together behind the other girl. Janice took this as no protest with her choice of film and started it playing. Only one thought was going through Dawn’s mind. ‘This is gonna be an interesting evening’.

In the Summers house, Faith and Buffy said their good-byes to Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya. Dawn had left sometime earlier in the evening to go to Janice’s house, leaving the adults to have some fun of their own. This had resulted in Buffy getting out the booze that was in the house. After a couple of hours, this had begun to take its toll on everyone. Anya had begun saying in a loud voice that she wanted sex from Xander very much; Willow and Tara were giving each other touches that were becoming less innocent as the time passed and Buffy herself was feeling light-headed. Faith was the only one who appeared to be unaffected by the alcohol in her system and she took Willow to one side to apologise for her behaviour earlier that day.

“It’s alright, Faithy,” Willow slurred slightly, “all water under the bridge. Just make sure you take good care of Buffy.” Faith was becoming slightly uncomfortable as Willow began talking about how she felt about Buffy. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long before Tara came over and led Willow towards the front door. Xander and Anya followed, both couples saying good-bye to the slayers as they left the house. As the front door closed fully, Buffy walked over to Faith and wrapped her arms loosely around the brunette’s waist. Faith responded by resting her head on Buffy’s shoulder and nuzzling the base of her neck.

“We’re all alone now, B,” Faith whispered softly, placing small kisses on the blonde’s exposed shoulder, “what do you want to do? Go patrolling, watch TV, catch some dinner or snuggle?” Buffy’s eyes shot open at Faith’s use of the word snuggle. It was rather unlike the dark slayer to use vocabulary that was so near romantic and sweet it should be packaged for Valentine’s Day. The blonde looked into her girlfriend’s eyes, which were dark and shining with love.

“We can snuggle, Faith, if that’s what you want,” she replied softly, “whatever you want, I’ll do my best to give to you.” The brunette responded to these heartfelt words with a searing kiss. The passion that the slayers were holding back was inevitably threatening to break loose. Buffy had never felt such love and desire before in her life for anyone. The love she had felt for Angel had been immense in its measure, but it hadn’t felt right for some reason. Riley was a sweet and caring guy to her, but Buffy couldn’t bring herself to love him or let go of her emotions fully with him. At the back of her mind, she knew it was because he wasn’t Faith. From the first time she had met Faith, Buffy had been irresistibly drawn to her. That night when they had went dirty dancing in The Bronze after patrolling, the girls had come so close to doing something altogether different from dancing.

‘The heat in the club was overwhelming; the two girls couldn’t help but grind against each other as the heat began to wind them up even further. Faith took one of Buffy’s hands in her own and pulled the blonde closer to her. Their bodies ended up flush against one another. The slayers ended up breathing into each others’ ears, spurring one another into even higher levels of sexual frustration. Buffy pulled herself back a bit from Faith and locked gazes with her dancing partner. The look of hot molten lust that she saw in the brunette’s eyes shook her deep inside, as she felt the same way. They continued dancing in a very sultry fashion, hands wandering over one another’s bodies, almost coming together to kiss when a crash from outside drew their attention and brought the girls out of their trance-like state. The horny slayers decided to let their hormones rest for now, knowing that killing vampires was a more pressing matter to deal with.’

Faith and Buffy were now at the door leading to Buffy’s bedroom, still kissing passionately. The two of them backed up until Buffy’s legs hit the bottom of the bed and she fell backwards onto it. Faith landed on top of her and the girls were jolted out of their haze and realised where they had ended up and in what kind of position. Buffy gently stroked Faith’s cheek, noting the shy and timid look in the dark slayer’s eyes.

“Faith, we don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for,” she whispered softly, “we have all the time in the world before we take our relationship to the next level.” Faith blushed deeply and took a deep and shuddery breath,

“Buffy, I really want to make love to you,” she replied nervously, “I just want to do it in a way that you’ll remember it for all the right reasons. I know you’ve been treated like a sex toy recently in that department and that’s something I can sadly relate to, but know that I will never make you feel that way.” Faith was silenced by her beautiful girlfriend’s lips once again fixed on hers, this time her tongue demanding entrance to Faith’s mouth. The kiss was gentle, deep and loving but also hinted at how much the blonde wanted to feel the brunette’s touch so much.

“It will be remembered for the right reasons, Faith,” Buffy replied breathlessly, “because it’s you. I’ve spent so long dreaming of making love with you, even when we were enemies and against one another. I know how badly you were treated in the past and I want to make it up to you starting now, if you’ll let me.” Faith could only nod wordlessly, feeling totally speechless after seeing the hunger in Buffy’s eyes. The brunette laid her full body out on top of the blonde’s, never taking her eyes away from Buffy’s. Faith then gently stroked her hand down her lover’s face, delicately tracing every little crevice and detail, determined to memorise it for the rest of her life. Then their lips came together in an embrace that started out slow and tender, full of the sweetest love, but then it took on a more urgent need. Neither girl had ever felt this way with anyone when being this intimate. At the back of their minds, they knew it was because they had never felt completely whole with someone. This was the love that many people had written songs about, that countless films had been made of and many a love story had been written describing. It was a love with no colour, no gender and there was simply no name for. Both slayers cried tears of sheer joy and were emotionally overwhelmed as they felt the other girl’s love for them pass through their connection to each other.

Faith continued to take her time, gently caressing every inch of Buffy’s body as her hand slowly made its way south. She had the other arm wrapped around the blonde slayer’s shoulders, wanting Buffy to know that she was always there with her and she wouldn’t lose their connection. With one hand, Faith managed to undo the halter neck around Buffy’s neck and was now stroking her breasts gently. The look of sheer joy and the small sigh of rapture that came from her girlfriend’s lips told the dark slayer that she was doing everything right. The girls knew that there was no hurry to their lovemaking, but they also couldn’t help but feel that they had been too long denied such sheer pleasure. It was hard to take their time with such an intense experience when they both felt the urge to claim one another, over and over again, making them each others for all eternity. When the time came for Faith to enter Buffy with one finger, the blonde’s hips leapt so high off the bed that the brunette could almost have sworn they were headed for the ceiling. Her lips never left Buffy’s for one second during this experience, as the blonde felt her orgasm build and get closer and closer. When she went over the edge and felt sheer bliss flood her body, Buffy was followed not long after by her dark-haired lover. The sight of her beloved in orgasmic happiness was enough to send Faith into that same heaven.

“I love you, F,” Buffy whispered hoarsely, exhausted by the love making.

“I love you too, B,” Faith replied, equally exhausted. Both girls then curled up in each others’ arms and went to sleep, happier than they could ever have thought possible.

Across Sunnydale in the dorms of U.C.Sunnydale, Willow and Tara were having a slow dance in the moonlight. There was no music playing, the air was still and full of tranquillity which was rare for Sunnydale. However, for the two witches this was nothing new. It had always been the case whenever they were alone, simply revelling in the comfort that the other girl brought. In this heaven, nothing bad could touch them and the worries of their lives were left firmly at the door. Willow had believed this, Tara had shown her nothing but complete happiness and contentment, but she was having a hard time believing it now. Ever since the day Tara had been shot, Willow often wondered if things would ever be like that again, whether her relationship with Tara could ever be that pure and untainted once more. She felt that she didn’t deserve anything good or that amazing in her life ever again after what she had done and almost did. Now, as they danced beneath the moonlight, the redhead didn’t realise she was crying until Tara pulled back slightly and wiped away the tears flowing softly down her cheeks. This was followed up with a kiss, one that wasn’t full of passion nor was it soft and gentle. It was a sign of devotion and healing.

“T-Tara, I love you so much,” she whispered sadly, “do you think things w-will ever be like they were before between us?” Tara gently rubbed her cheek against Willow’s and placed a soft kiss on the ear sitting on that side. She felt the shudder from Willow’s body and heard the soft moan escape the redhead’s lips.

“Willow, I thought it was me that did the stuttering and you did the babbling,” Tara quipped, letting her crooked smile out, “I’ve already told you, my darling that I understand why you did what you did. I’m still alive, baby, and I don’t want to spend my life with anyone else. Together, we can only grow stronger and yes, we can return to our personal garden of Eden. Starting with tonight.” Tara followed her heartfelt speech up with a searing kiss that was full of passion. Willow was overwhelmed by how much love and devotion her blonde goddess was showing her. Their love was a beautiful and unique blessing, which brought them together and healed the souls of both women when they thought they could never be happy. It was a fire which burned brightly every night and was a torch of inspiration to their family and friends that someday they too could be that happy. They kept exchanging sweet, powerful kisses as they lay down on the bed together, their lips never leaving each others’ for a second. For the first time in their relationship, the lovers entered each other at the same time, moving against one another in perfect synchronicity. This was a moment of rebirth, of complete healing and also of getting back down to a basic level. Tara was forever faithful and devoted to Willow and nothing could ever change that. It had long been established since their first meeting when the Sunnydale residents had all been rendered mute. The first incident of them holding hands, a powerful bond had been forged which was unbreakable. Now, as they both came at the same time, they looked deeply into each other’s eyes. The love which they felt for one another was reflected back at them there, it was all they would ever need.

“I love you, my Tara,” Willow whispered sleepily. Tara curled up beside her and placed a tender kiss on her cheek before wrapping her arms around Willow.

“I love you too, my Willowtree,” she responded softly, before drifting off to sleep with her life partner.

In Janice’s house, the girls had all settled down for the night. Janice was fast asleep in her own bed while Dawn and Kennedy were lying on the bedroom floor in sleeping bags. They were very much awake, looking at one another in the darkness, trying to figure each other out. There was very little space between them, as Janice’s bedroom wasn’t very big and was even cramped for her and Dawn whenever Dawn stayed over. The tight circumstances now only helped to make the butterflies in the youngest Summers member increase by ten fold. There was something definitely alluring about this new girl, Kennedy.

“Hey there, enjoying the view?” the sweet, cocky voice brought Dawn out of her stupor very abruptly. Kennedy’s eyes were sparkling in the moonlight that was shining in through Janice’s window. They were sparkling with humour and also with something else that Dawn couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Yeah, sorry about staring like that,” she replied nervously, “I just can’t believe that Janice never mentioned you to me before. So, how long have you known that you were gay?” Dawn surprised herself with her boldness and blushed furiously after asking that question. Kennedy’s eyes merely widened slightly in surprise then she smiled and reached her hand out to entwine it with Dawn’s.

“I’ve known since forever I guess,” she replied gently, “I used to watch ‘Gone With The Wind’ and wish that I could sweep Scarlet off her feet. That was when I was five, so I’d say from that point onward. How about you? Have you always known that you liked girls?” Dawn blushed even deeper, although Kennedy couldn’t see the colour change that was occurring in her face.

“Well, growing up in a house with two gay Wiccas and a big sister that has had deep feelings for another girl for years,” Dawn said honestly, “it was kind of hard not to end up being gay. I’ve just always witnessed the love between two women for a good part of my life and when I see what love with a guy is like, it can’t hold a candle to the love two women have for one another in my eyes.” These heartfelt words that left Dawn’s mouth went straight in Kennedy’s ears and warmed her from deep inside.

“I feel the same way, Dawn,” Kennedy whispered shakily, “it’s the way I’ve always felt about other women. I hope to have someone to share that kind of love with some day soon.” Dawn couldn’t help but notice the hopeful lilt at the end of Kennedy’s words. This gave her hope and courage to draw upon as she spoke next.

“Why don’t we see how things go with us from here?” she asked nervously, “I mean, I know we’ve only just met tonight and you’re a few years older than me, but I really like you, Kennedy. Want to give things a try?” Kennedy responded by moving closer to Dawn so she could wrap her arms around the Summers girl.

“I’d really like that, Dawn,” she whispered into Dawn’s ear, “let’s see what tomorrow brings.” With these words, both girls went to sleep in each others’ arms.

As the sun rose the following morning, it shone on the happy and contented forms of the slayers lying in each others arms. Both girls had not long awoken before sunrise and were just relaxing, enjoying the joy that the other girl gave to them. Buffy had her head resting against Faith’s chest and was lazily drawing circles on the brunette’s stomach. Faith meanwhile was playing with a strand of Buffy’s hair that she found to be particularly shiny and beautiful in the morning light.

“So, Faith, would you like to move in with me and Dawn?” Buffy asked, with a hint of nervousness in her voice. She knew that the dark slayer wasn’t known for settling anywhere for too long, that she found it hard to trust anyone and had never known the security of a family. Faith heard every word from her girlfriend and simply continued to play with her hair for a few seconds longer before responding.

“B, I don’t ever want to go anywhere that doesn’t have you,” she whispered shakily, “now that I’ve found you, I believe that I’ve found my home. You’re the most important person in the world to me and I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.” Buffy raised her head from Faith’s chest and leaned up to give her girlfriend a deep and lingering kiss. This left them both breathless as once more, they felt the love that the other girl had for them.

“I guessed you weren’t planning on leaving anytime soon, after I saw my bank balance,” Buffy replied, noting the way that Faith blushed when she mentioned the bank balance. It was almost cute, although she wasn’t going to mention it at that point.

“Well, you know, I don’t really need all that money,” Faith stammered nervously, “I also knew you were struggling as far as money goes, so I decided to help out.” Buffy silenced the brunette’s rambling with another kiss that was softer than the previous one. This kiss began to deepen and the lovers both felt their passion once again threaten to take over. Before it could, however, Buffy pulled back and said:

“Together forever, the chosen two, as it was always meant to be.” Then, the slayers rose and went to have a long shower together in order to prepare for the day ahead.

That night saw Buffy and Faith doing their usual patrol. As they had skipped it for one night, they were having an unusually busy time of it with a lot more vampires attacking them or rising from their graves than what they were accustomed to. This wasn’t helped any further by the fact that Buffy was somewhat distracted. Dawn had returned home that afternoon from Janice’s, seeming as though she was on Cloud 9 for some reason, yet when Buffy had asked what had made her so happy, the teenager had refused to let her sister in on what was so amazing. Faith couldn’t help but think how cute this was to observe, as she picked up on what had made Dawn so happy. She could read the signs as easily as reading a book; the girl was in love. However, knowing how protective Buffy was of her little sister and also knowing how horrible it felt to have your feelings aired for public viewing, the dark slayer had said nothing to her girlfriend. The two of them had told Dawn that Faith was to move in permanently with them, which had elicited a shriek of delight from the younger Summers girl and then they had called everyone to inform them. Xander and Anya had expressed their fondest wishes for the couple, as did Willow and Tara. Giles had replied with a small matter of a potential impending disaster looming.

‘“I’m not entirely sure what’s going to happen, Buffy”, he said urgently, “the signs over the past few days have indicated that something unnatural is occurring at the graveyard. Like I say, I have no indication whether this could be a good occurrence or the end of the world.”

“Hmm, going on what we’ve seen before,” she replied gravely, “I think we should assume it’s something of the end of the world category. Just when things were going so well in my life as well.” Giles couldn’t help but feel bad at the ominous sigh at Buffy’s end of the telephone. He truly felt guilty for the suffering which his slayer had endured in her short life.

“Keep your spirits up, Buffy,” he soothed gently, “with Faith on your side this time, everything should work out in your favour. By the way, I’m very happy for the both of you. I believe that you bring out the best in each other and I give you my blessing.” Buffy couldn’t help but blush, although she knew Giles couldn’t see it.

“Thanks Giles, that really means a lot coming from you,” she whispered softly, “I’ll check in with you later after we’ve patrolled.”’

This was also praying heavily on Buffy’s mind as she fought off a couple of rather heavily battle-scarred vampires. As her concentration was off, it wasn’t long before the blonde was on her back and the vampires were descending for the kill. However, before they could cause any serious damage, Faith managed to dust both of them. She pulled her girlfriend to her feet and gently dusted her down.

“You alright, B?” Faith asked gently. Buffy nodded before wrapping her arms around the brunette and pulling her in for a tight cuddle. No words were needed, as Faith could sense the pain coming from her lover. Even before they became this close, the younger slayer could always sense whenever Buffy was suffering pain, physically or mentally. They parted slowly and continued walking in silence, holding hands and seeking reassurance from the other girl’s presence. They had just walked past Joyce Summers’ grave when suddenly, Faith felt very strange. It was as though something was pulling her from the inside, her eyes were being made to close against her will and she could feel herself falling. As soon as she felt herself land, Faith opened her eyes and looked around nervously. Everything around her was white, Buffy was nowhere to be seen and there was no other creature or person nearby.

“Well, this is a hell of a thing,” she said out loud to no one in particular.

Back in Sunnydale Cemetery, Buffy was running as fast as she could to Giles’ house. Faith had vanished into thin air with no logical explanation behind it. The pain that coursed through the blonde’s heart was almost unbearable as she thought of losing her true love after just finding her again. Giles was a little perturbed by the fact his front door was sent flying clean off its hinges and his slayer protégé was standing there looking somewhere between angry and upset. After giving his glasses a quick clean, he rose from his reading desk where there was a large book sitting opened. Buffy threw her arms around the man and her slayer strength threatened to squeeze the life out of him.

“OK, Buffy….if you want my help….I suggest you at least let me breathe,” he managed to gasp out. Buffy released her grip and began pacing up and down the living room, while running her hands through her hair nervously.

“Something’s took Faith, Giles,” she said, her voice filled with urgency, “we were walking past mum’s grave and there was this weird flash of white light. Once it died away, I was standing there all alone and no sign of Faith anywhere. It was like she’d just vanished into thin air. The ground was undisturbed, so I don’t think anything could’ve dragged her away.” Giles put his arms on Buffy’s shoulder, forcing her to stop her relentless pacing up and down the floor.

“We’ll find out what’s happened to her, Buffy,” he replied gently, “now, was there anything else odd about your patrol this evening?” Soothed by her watcher’s words, Buffy sat down on the sofa before answering.

“There were a lot more vampires than usual,” she explained, “They were really laying it on thick with myself and Faith. Unusual for them, they weren’t much for the talking tonight, instead rushing in to try and finish us off as soon as they could.” Giles looked thoughtful for a moment before going to his reading desk and lifting the book he had been reading before Buffy had came into his house.

“Intriguing, I believe I may have found a plausible reason behind all of this,” he said soothingly, “however, to be absolutely sure, there’s a book I’m needing which I believe Willow has left at your house. If you could get that book back to me as soon as you can, then I believe I can give you an explanation for everything that’s going on.” Buffy had rose to her feet before Giles had finished talking and now she was standing at the doorway, ready to leave.

“On it, tell me what book you need,” she replied tensely.

“It’s a book called Ancient Myths & Legends,” Giles had barely got the title out of his mouth before Buffy had disappeared into the night.

Faith strained her eyes, trying in vain to work out where she had been spirited away to and also how she was ever going to get back to Sunnydale. However, there was nothing around the slayer aside from the everlasting whiteness. It was almost as though she had been transported to a point between existence, where nothing except her was present. Feeling incredibly irritated at her predicament, Faith sat down on the white ground and let out a loud growl to no one in particular.

“Man, I wish someone would let me know where the hell I am!!” she shouted out in frustration. Almost immediately, she could sense another presence in this astral plain. She was no longer alone, for someone was standing right behind her. Faith rose to her feet slowly and turned to come face to face with a human female. Her hair was a brilliant white, her face lined with more wrinkles than Faith had ever seen one person have and her eyes were a dark, piercing brown colour. She was wearing a robe the likes of which Faith had never seen before. It wrapped over both shoulders of the ancient woman, crossed around her waist tightly and stopped just before her feet, which were bare. It unnerved Faith the manner in which this woman appeared to be looking directly into her soul. They stayed still, looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity to Faith before the stranger broke the silence.

“Ah, I’ve been waiting for you,” her voice was soft yet powerful, “for so long have I watched the path which the chosen one has taken ever since she was old enough to walk. I have watched with patience, awaiting the day she would prove herself to be as truly noble as I had always foreseen her to be.” Faith shook her head vehemently, determined to show this stranger that she was mistaken in her judgement.

“You’ve got me all wrong here,” she replied shakily, “the chosen one you’re referring to is Buffy Summers. I was called by accident when Kendra died four years ago. Buffy’s the heroine who’s saved the world more times than I could count, plus she’s never stepped one toe out of line in her life. I’m an ex convict and also murderer, so if you were looking for some great hero of the world, I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” Tears ran thick and fast down Faith’s face as she finished talking. The older woman placed one of her hands on Faith’s arm and gently rubbed it.

“My child, I’m afraid you’re the one who is mistaken,” she explained kindly, “it is true Buffy Summers has lived longer than any other slayer in history, has saved the world on numerous occasions and is a very caring woman. But, she has not had the hurtful past which has plagued you from as far back as you can remember. She does not carry the woes you do, yet you have managed to turn your life around.” Faith was now eyeing the old woman suspiciously, pacing slightly up and down the white floor.

“Who are you, exactly?” the slayer’s voice was tense and her every muscle was poised, ready to fight if necessary. The old woman smiled and walked alongside the slayer as she paced.

“I have been called by several names over the millennia,” the woman’s voice now died into almost a soft whisper, “Mother Nature by some, the Greeks called me Eros and Aphrodite, the Wiccas call me the Divine Goddess, I have also been referred to as St. Valentine by the Catholic believers. I am all of these things and more, yet I believe you already know me for my true identity, as does Buffy Summers, Kendra and the slayers who have been before.” As she finished speaking, the old woman’s aged face and crooked form faded away to be replaced by a young and beautiful woman. Her hair was still shining white and her eyes the same piercing brown, but her face was unlined and flawless. Faith’s eyes widened and her heart thundered deep within her chest as recognition dawned upon her.

“Yes, I know who you are, my lady,” she dropped to her knees as she spoke, “of course I do. Is it my time to die? Am I being made to repent my sins already?” The young woman ran her hands gently through Faith’s hair, trying to soothe the anguished girl.

“Faith, Faith, I do not bring death to my children,” she said louder than her previous whisper, “nor do I merely bring them to my realm in order to decide what fate awaits them in the afterlife. I have called you here with me to show you things. These will be things that have transpired now and things which could’ve been. After we have seen what I have to show you, I shall present you with a choice which could change the fates of many concerned. If you choose the other option, then your life alone shall be enriched beyond your wildest dreams and the others shall be left behind. Come with me, my child.” She extended her hand to Faith and the brunette took it firmly.

“I will, mother.”

In the Summers house, Dawn and Kennedy were relaxing in the living room, watching the TV together. Since the previous night, the girls were taking things as slow as they could, not willing to make their partner feel pressured or harassed in any way. They still had to share their first kiss, which both of them secretly wanted so badly. As they relaxed together, Dawn decided to use her initiative and lay her head down on Kennedy’s lap. She couldn’t suppress the shudder which passed through her body as Kennedy began to run her fingers through her hair automatically. The tips of Kennedy’s fingers were gently brushing against Dawn’s cheek with every downward sweeping motion they made through the hair, transmitting the heat which the girl was keeping in check. They remained like this for what seemed an eternity to both girls before Dawn sat upright slowly and gazed into Kennedy’s dark brown eyes. There was nothing but endless affection burning in the deep, dark pools gazing back at her. Neither of them knew who leaned in first, but soon their lips were meeting and brushing against each other with tender affection and sizzling desire. A strange paradox of emotions flowed between them, things which ordinarily wouldn’t exist in the same timeframe as one another. Dawn entangled one of her hands in Kennedy’s hair as she slowly drew her tongue over her girlfriend’s lower lip. Kennedy could only emit a low moan as she felt Dawn’s tongue slide inside her mouth. A quiet polite cough broke the girls apart as they found themselves looking at the amused face of Buffy, who was standing in front of them with her arms crossed.

“It’s not what…..” Dawn started to say, her face flushing several shades of red as she tried to sit as far away from Kennedy as possible. Buffy cut her off before she could say anymore.

“Yeah, it is what it looks like,” she replied in an amused tone, “my little sister, having a heavy make-out session with her new girlfriend, on the sofa. Dawnie, there’s been a number of occasions when I’ve been doing the same thing with the likes of Angel and Riley. Trust me, I’m cool with this. Definitely explains why you were walking around the house all day looking as though you’d won the lottery or something.” The slayer turned and stared Kennedy square in the face, which saw the younger girl pale slightly and shrink back into the couch slightly.

“Now, I’m going on the belief you’re a sweet person, otherwise Dawn wouldn’t be dating you,” she stated simply, “but, if you ever hurt her or mistreat her in anyway, then you’ll have me to answer to. Understand?” Kennedy nodded sheepishly before relaxing slightly as she felt Dawn’s hand entwine with her own. Buffy by this point was at the bookcase at the other end of the living room, scanning for the book she needed to take to Giles. Once she had it, before Dawn could ask any questions, she was out of the house. Shrugging, having it pegged down to slayer business, Dawn turned back to face her girlfriend who was looking at her lovingly once more.

“You know, you really do mean a lot to me,” she purred softly to Kennedy, “It’s also better that Buffy knows and is cool. Come here.” Kennedy scooted over and cuddled right into Dawn, resting her head on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a time before Kennedy raised her head and once more looked lovingly into Dawn’s eyes.

“You mean a lot to me as well, Dawn. I think this the start of something amazing,” she replied softly before leaning into kiss her dear girlfriend’s lips once again.

In the white expanse, Faith was walking alongside the ageless woman guiding her. As they walked, scenes from Faith’s life shot back and forwards across the plains which stretched on forever. Her first meeting with Buffy, the images of her suffering abuse at the hands of her parents as a child, her time in prison when she was beaten up almost daily because she refused to fight back. All these memories and more were being played out as if they were part of an amazing movie in a cinema. Soon, the woman stopped and Faith stood alongside her, feeling terribly insecure and unsure as she waited for her companion to speak. This woman was sacred, revered and had existed longer than time itself it seemed, for she had truly escaped the passage of time and its aging effects. Faith felt she truly did not belong in such company unless it was a chance to pay for her sins; perhaps she had been brought here to endure eternal torment or be killed in a manner befitting a malicious killer and liar. As if reading her mind, the woman turned to Faith and placed her hands upon the younger woman’s shoulders.

“My child, you have not been brought here as punishment,” her voice penetrated Faith’s very mind and soul, “the powers that be, including myself, have agreed that you deserve a great reward for your reformation and the trials you have endured in your short life. That is why you find yourself here. We are standing on the very plains of time themselves. Every incident, every occurrence which has ever happened in the world can be shown here at will. You’re seeing your own life and events because it is your time to be here.” Faith looked into the mystical eyes and took a shuddery breath before speaking.

“Mother, this is why there were so many vampires attacking me and Buffy, isn’t it?” she asked tentatively, “They could sense your approach and wanted to prevent either me or Buffy getting brought here.” The white-haired woman nodded slowly, smiling warmly as she did so.

“I have brought you here, my child, to give you a great reward,” she explained calmly, “or a great punishment, it depends upon your choices. I am giving you three wishes, three chances to change the world in which you live. No mere mortal is given the chances to change the flow of time normally, but for you I have made an exception. You can alter the world in three ways, let me know what aspects you would like changed and it will be made so. Once you have made your wishes, we shall part ways and you will return to Sunnydale Graveyard. Then, you shall not see me again until the day you are due to pass on. Always know, my child, that I shall be with you even if you cannot see me and be content.” Faith wiped the tears which had formed in her eyes as the woman had been speaking. This was her true mother, the woman who had watched over her always and whom she had been able to sense as soon as she had became a slayer. And now, she was being offered three chances to ensure happiness for herself and those she cared most about.

“I have decided what things to wish for, mother,” she responded after a short time of thinking.

Once Buffy had returned to Giles’ house, the pair of them sat down and began flicking through the book Buffy had retrieved. Well, Giles was looking while Buffy was waiting impatiently for her watcher to find what he was looking for in order to shed some light on what had happened to Faith. She knew she couldn’t bear to lose another person so close to her without a fight; it almost killed her when she had arrived home to find her mother lying dead that fateful afternoon and she couldn’t stand the idea of her being equally powerless again. She was the slayer, she was supposed to save the world and prevent death wherever she could. If she couldn’t save Faith from whatever dimension she had been transported into, then her life simply wouldn’t be worth living. Giles stopped his frantic page turning when he had reached a page with a drawing of a beautiful woman. She was dressed in very sacred looking robes and her hair was very long and a brilliant white colour.

“Ah, yes, just as I thought,” he started, noting how tensely Buffy was now gripping his shoulder, “Faith is in no imminent danger. The circumstances you described to me about her abduction as well as the unusual activity of the local vampires and demons all pointed to one conclusion. She has been teleported to the Realm Of Eternity, or the plains of time as they’re otherwise known. I gather you recognise the woman in that drawing.” Buffy had been irresistibly drawn to the picture of the white-haired woman. Her heart had swelled with overwhelming love and emotion, as if she had known this person all her life.

“I feel like I do, in some strange way,” she replied shakily, “she’s like my mum or something. Although my actual mum looked nothing like her, I can’t help but feel like she is my mum as well somehow.” Giles nodded in understanding, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and his thumb. The lateness was beginning to tire him, but he knew they couldn’t relax until Faith had returned to this plain of existence.

“Well, she is in a sense your mother,” he explained, “and Faith’s mother and indeed the mother of every slayer that has ever been. She goes by many names, depending on who it is speaking her name. For our sake, I shall refer to her simply as Wendy. Wendy is the mystical overseer of the slayer line; it is she who awakens a new slayer when the predecessor has died. She also keeps a constant vigil over the current slayer as well as greeting the ones who have passed on before they go onto a higher plain of existence. Every slayer who has been activated can feel her power and love flow through them as she watches over them. The vampires and demons fear Wendy, as she represents such love and compassion and she has the ability to change any aspect of time. My theory is, she has taken Faith to the Realm Of Eternity to reward her for something or in some way.” At that moment, there was a knock on the doorframe of where Giles’ front door once stood. Unsure as to who it could be, Buffy and Giles both approached cautiously for fear of there being a vampire or something else equally nasty waiting. What greeted them both was something much more shocking and surprising and both of them were taken aback. A face gazed back at them which they had not seen in over four years. In spite of the years, she had not aged a bit and her brown eyes were still as full of fun as they had been back then as well as an element of emotion.

“Hello Rupert,” Jenny Calendar’s soft voice uttered before Giles proceeded to faint on the spot.

Across town in Revello Drive, Dawn was almost panicking as Kennedy was lying in the middle of the living room floor, writhing and retching as terrible pains shook her body. All the frightened teenager could do was hold her girlfriend’s hand until the terrible muscle spasms which had struck all of a sudden had stopped. Gradually the tremors left Kennedy’s body as suddenly as they had started. She slowly moved up into a sitting position and reached out to gently stroke Dawn’s cheek, wanting to alleviate the worry and fear there. Dawn leaned into her girlfriend’s touch and found herself being kissed before she realised what was happening. The kiss was full of fire and urgency, which both aroused and excited Dawn, but also made her panic and she pulled back abruptly.

“Whoa!! What was that?” she asked Kennedy, whose eyes had gone darker than Dawn had seen them go. The girl’s eyes were burning with a fire which had not been there before and she dully recalled seeing something similar in both Buffy’s and Faith’s eyes not too long ago. It hit the younger girl what Kennedy had just underwent; she had just been made a slayer. This alarmed her, as she knew a slayer could only be called if one was dead. Before she could ponder anything more, there was a knock at the front door. Dawn went to answer it nervously; afraid in case there could be a vampire or something else on the other side. When she opened it, she found someone else standing there. A face she had not looked into for over a year, one which represented safety, comfort and love all in one. Letting out a wail of grief and joy, Dawn threw herself into the arms of her mother.

“I’m here, Dawnie, everything will be alright now,” Joyce Summers’ voice was full of calm and reassurance and love. The best things about having a mum around had came back to Dawn after she thought she would never know such things ever again.

Buffy was slapping Giles gently on the face to try and revive him while Miss Calendar was supporting his head on her lap. Buffy was equally as shocked as Giles to be actually seeing Miss Calendar alive and well after Angelus had broken her neck all those years before. However, she was merely staying completely mute while her mind was trying to process what was going on. Faith had gone missing and now a figure from the past had reappeared apparently alive and well. Once Giles eyes had began to flicker open, Buffy let go of him and grabbed Miss Calendar by the throat with one hand. Pinning her to the floor, the slayer drew her fist back ready to start hitting what she surely felt had to be a demon in disguise; she hadn’t forgotten how the First had taken Miss Calendar’s form back in her last year of High School. However, Buffy was aware that she could actually physically touch this woman as her grip held Miss Calendar firmly to the floor, choking her slightly. Giles had by this point gotten up and was looking down at the apparently alive form of his love.

“Buffy, please release your grip on her so we can ask her a few questions,” Giles paused while she released her hold, “now, I am going on the belief that you really are Jenny until I learn one way or another what you are. How did you come back to life? From what we believe, Willow has not done any kind of magic ever since the day she absorbed the dark magicks.” Miss Calendar had been taking deep breaths while Giles had been talking and was now ready to answer.

“Rupert, you’re right about Willow not doing any kind of magic,” her voice was soothing and comforting, “I was brought back to life by Faith. The Divine Goddess gave Faith three wishes to change any aspect of the world she lived in. One of her wishes was for me to be brought back to life; I believe her reason was she couldn’t bear you being alone any longer in life. I’ve seen myself from heaven how lonely you have been, Rupert. I will always be eternally gratefully to Faith for giving me a second chance at life.” Unable to hold back anymore, Giles wrapped his arms tightly around his lost girlfriend and the two of them embraced deeply. Buffy could feel the intensity of the emotion from across the room and her heart swelled with love for the man she had come to see as a father and for her girlfriend’s unselfish act. But she was still pining deeply for Faith, longed to hold her close and as such; she silently slipped outside while the lovers continued kissing. She decided to return to the graveyard to see if she could find any clues there.

In Sunnydale Cemetery, Faith had landed hard on the same spot she had been before she was taken away. Dazed from her fall, she could only lie on the ground and breathe deeply, waiting for the pain in her ribs to subside. It all seemed like a surreal dream and she idly wondered if all the things she’d seen and done were reality. Before she could contemplate any further, though, Faith found herself being lifted abruptly to her feet. Before she could say or do anything, the dark slayer felt herself being enveloped in a suffocating hug and she turned her head slightly to the side to see Buffy holding on tightly. Holding back as hard as she could and feeling tears prick her eyes, Faith gently placed a kiss on Buffy’s cheek and the blonde turned her head so the two of them met in a heated kiss. The sun was rising as they reaffirmed their bond and love for one another and as it did so, Faith noticed out of the corner of her eye that there was no longer a headstone where Mrs. Summers had been buried the previous night. Buffy looked as well and was about to ask when Faith pressed two fingers against her lips, silencing her. Not saying another word, Faith took Buffy by the hand and led her out of the graveyard. As they walked along the street, Buffy noticed a significant change in Faith’s hair colouration. There was a stripe of brilliant white on each side of her head in the centre of her brown locks and her eyes were also looking more content than Buffy had seen them look for a long time. Faith only stopped walking once they had reached the Summers house. She opened the door gently and stepped back for Buffy to enter first. Her heart was immediately in her mouth as she found herself looking into the face of her mother.

“Mum!! Mummy!!” she couldn’t contain the squeal of joy and emotion as she, like Dawn a few hours earlier, threw herself into the arms of Joyce Summers. Tears of joy flowed down her face, her whole body shook with sobs as she felt the reassuring presence of her mother fill her every pore again. Faith stood quietly, watching the pair reunited and it truly warmed her heart. It was the same joy she had felt being with the slayer mother, the same contentment and love. She would never forget that experience and was thankful for the streaks she had as a permanent reminder. Kennedy appeared just behind Joyce and her eyes locked with Faith’s in an understanding. Faith could sense from the first time she met Kennedy that there was a hidden force within, which it turned out was because of the younger girl being a potential slayer. Once Buffy and her mum had parted, Faith walked over and hugged the both of them tightly.

They were a complete family for the first time.

Later on that night, Buffy and Faith were sitting in Buffy’s bedroom, gazing out at the twilight sky. It had been a really eventful twenty four hours to say the least for the slayers and everyone around them. Nobody could believe that Joyce Summers and Miss Calendar were alive and well again. The vampires and demons were also very few and far between this particular evening, whereas the previous night they had been swarming everywhere and attacking the slayers from all angles. They were obviously being scarce for a reason, but the slayers weren’t too worried about anything at this particular moment. Their world was now complete and they were the happiest they had ever been in their lives. Kennedy had been given training for the majority of the afternoon from the slayers on how to control her newfound slayer urges and also a strict warning not to go anywhere near Dawn when she was feeling the “double Hs” as Faith called them. She was now patrolling the graveyard, ensuring any vampires who rose or were wandering around wouldn’t get very far. This was the reason Buffy and Faith were relaxing on Buffy’s bed, simply enjoying the feeling of intimacy.

“Faith, why did you wish the things you wished for?” Buffy was speaking in little more than a whisper, “you could’ve had anything, wished to no longer be a slayer, and changed the course of your entire life. Our mother has that power from what Giles told me, yet you fixed things for those around you. Why, my love?” Faith responded by giving small kisses to her blonde girlfriend. The love surging in her heart was burning brighter than ever; she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Buffy.

“I made the wishes I did for those who really matter to me, B,” she explained gently, “G-Man’s spent too long on his own, pining for that Miss Calendar chick you guys told me about way back in High School. I wanted him to have some love and happiness back in his life, so I asked for him to be reunited with his soul mate. Also, I saw you cry night after night for your mum the time I was back in Sunnydale before you knew I was around. You felt like you couldn’t cope without her, that you would be better off dead than here with Dawn. I’m glad you came back from the dead, B, I couldn’t have lived without you here and also, I wanted to give your mum the rest of her life back. Lastly, I was fed up of you being restricted to the hellmouth here for the rest of your life. I want to travel the world with you, or just go to the next town and not worry about any evil striking in our absence. This is our time, babe, so we’ll enjoy it.” These were the last words spoken before the slayers let their love for one another consume them once again.

In the Bronze a couple of nights later, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya were all hanging out and enjoying one another’s company. A lot of newly-awakened slayers had arrived in Sunnydale to make sure the Hellmouth was covered, so the original slayers had a lot more free time on their hands. Buffy still couldn’t believe all the things her beautiful lover had done for her in the short time she had been back in her life. Faith had ensured that they would never have to worry about money ever again, she had managed to bring back both her mum and Miss Calendar from the dead and ensured that she would no longer be forever restricted to Sunnydale for the rest of her life. The blonde could live like a normal girl her age; with the freedom she had so long been cruelly denied. Now, though, she was currently missing her dark-haired siren, as both she and Willow were missing. Before she could get up and start looking around for them, however, there was a very familiar voice emanating from the stage.

“Hey, everyone, my friend and I would like to sing a duet right now,” Faith’s husky, hesitant tones echoed over the room, “this is dedicated to the special women in our lives, those who truly complete us. This is for you.” Her eyes locked firmly on Buffy’s as she finished talking and began to sing.

Everybody’s looking for that something

One thing that makes it all complete

You find it in the strangest places

Places you never knew it could be

Some find it in the face of their children

Some find it in their lover’s eyes

Who can deny the joy it brings

When you’ve found that special thing

You’re flying without wings

At this point, Faith stopped singing and Willow’s tender voice started up to continue the song.

Some find it sharing every morning

Some in their solitary lives

You’ll find it in the works of others

A simple line can make you laugh or cry

You’ll find it in the deepest friendship

The kind you cherish all your life

And when you know how much it means

You’ve found that special thing

You’re flying without wings

Faith’s voice struck up so both she and Willow sang together at the same time.

So, impossible as it may seem

You’ve got to fight for every dream

Cause who’s to know which one you let go

Would have made you complete

Willow stopped singing and Faith’s voice rang out with more passion and emotion than ever before.

Well, for me it’s waking up beside you

To watch the sun rise on your face

To know that I can say I love you

In any given time or place

Willow’s voice sang the next section while her eyes locked on Tara’s, tears shimmering as she saw the love being reflected back at her.

It’s the little things that only I know

Those are the things that make you mine

And it’s like flying without wings

Cause you’re my special thing

I’m flying without wings

Faith sang the last section of the song holding Buffy’s hand, for the blonde was now standing right in front of the stage. Their love for one another was plain for everyone in the nightclub to see and it was reflected between Willow and Tara.

And you’re the place my life begins

And you’ll be where it ends

I’m flying without wings

And that’s the joy you bring

I’m flying without wings

The applause was deafening which thundered throughout the Bronze, but none of the four girls heard it. Their lips had met once the song was finished and their bonds were affirmed.

The balance was achieved and that was all that mattered.

The End.

If you have enjoyed Anne McGarvey's "Seeing Red", then please be certain to e-mail her at  annemcgarvey10[at]hotmail.com  and thank her for posting this Story.

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