DISCLAIMER: See Part 1
Forgotten Conscience
Two roads, one path
By Christopher Andrews
Chapter 101
The Morning After
Buffy's POV
God this is incredible.
I shift slightly in my bed as I wake up.
She's here, she's really here. Faith is here, in my arms, lying naked in my bed next to me. I still can't believe she's really here. It's actually happened. Last night actually happened. I did… and then she did… and then we did, together. It really did happen, and now… I'm happy. I'm truly and completely happy.
I hug her softly and look down at her beautiful sleeping form.
I really am happy. I just hope she is.
I kiss her forehead and she smiles, slowly waking up. She stirs in my arms and opens her eyes.
God I love this woman. I could spend the rest of my life looking into her eyes every morning.
"Morning…"
She cuddles up close to me and we kiss.
"Morning…"
I stroke her hair and let out a deep sigh.
"Faith?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you thinking?"
She traces a finger along my collarbone.
"I was just thinking about last night. About how incredible it was."
Incredible? Really?
"You thought it was… I mean, I know I thought… but I thought that you had… done stuff like that b-before, you really thought that it was incredible?"
She runs a hand along my stomach and my skin tingles at her touch.
"Of course I did B. Last night was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It was… it changed my world."
Changed her world?
"Really?"
She moves up the bed so we're face to face.
"Yes."
I kiss her gently.
I suppose I should ask her.
"So, when does the get gone part of all this come into play?"
"What?"
"Hey I know you. You're all about get some and get gone."
She caresses my cheek.
"Buffy there is no get gone part to you and me."
She reaches down between my legs and I can't help but buck my hips to her touch.
"There's only the get some, lots and lots of getting some."
She takes her hand away from my thighs and I groan at the lack of her touch.
"I'm down for that."
"But last night wasn't about sex for me. It was about… how I feel about you. It's about how I…"
She stops for a second and then props herself up on her elbow, looking at me. I do the same.
"What is it Faith?"
"Buffy there's something I've been meaning to, to say but I've been afraid, until now."
"Whatever it is just, say it."
"I love you."
"I know Faith, I love you too."
I move to kiss her but she stops me.
"No but really I mean it… I'm not just saying this because of last night. I'm saying this because for the first time ever, I really feel it. For the first time ever last night, I made love, I didn't just have sex. I love you B."
I feel at tear roll down my cheek and she reaches out and wipes it away.
"Oh Faith…"
I push her down onto her back and straddle her. I smile a little half smile at her.
"Wanna go again? I hear morning after sex is just as good."
She got me going again, we might as well.
"I'm up for it."
That's all I needed to hear.
She pulls my lips to hers. The door opens.
"Buffy are you awake? I was thinking of making some waffles, do you want some…?"
I look behind me at the door and Mom is standing there shocked.
"Mom!"
I roll off of Faith and cover myself up with the sheets. Faith sits up on her elbows, unsure of what to say. My mom covers her eyes and starts backing out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"I'm sorry I, I didn't know I…"
"Mom I..."
The door closes and I jump out of bed.
"Faith, get dressed."
"You didn't tell her?"
"Faith, please just get dressed."
I pick up my shirt and put it on as Faith gets out of bed.
"Why didn't you tell her about us?"
"This isn't the time for this Faith."
I grab my pants and start to put it on as Faith gets out of bed.
"Why didn't you tell her about us?"
"This isn't the time for this Faith."
"I think this is the perfect time for this. Why didn't you tell her about us?"
"Faith I…"
I button my pants and zip up before going over to her and taking her hands in mine.
"I wanted to tell her I really did I just, until last night I wasn't even sure there was something to tell and… I wanted us to tell her together. I wanted us to sit down with Mom and talk it out. But she walked in on us, and now we have to deal with it, so please just put some clothes on and join me downstairs so we can talk this out with her. Please?"
She kisses me.
"Okay."
I let go of her hands and she starts to put some clothes on.
"Thank you Faith. I love you."
"I love you too B."
I leave Faith in my room to get dressed and head downstairs to find my mom. I hit the bottom of the stairs and look around.
Where is she?
"Mom?"
I hear something in the kitchen and race to meet her. I walk into the kitchen and she's pacing back and forth in a panic.
"Mom? Calm down and we can talk about this."
"Calm down? I am calm. Look at me I'm Mrs. Calm Mom."
Why don't I believe her?
I start to inch toward her to calm her.
"Okay well, if you're so calm could you maybe stop moving long enough for me to explain?"
She stops and faces me.
"Explain? What's there to explain? I just walked in on my daughter, in bed naked with an evil murderess vampire slayer."
She's not calming down.
"Okay you're right… except for the being evil and the being a murderess parts. I told you want happened though, about how Faith is good now. She's not here to hurt anyone."
I hear Faith come barrelling down the stairs.
"Buffy? Mrs Summers?"
I call out to her and she comes running before I go back to my freaking out mother.
"She's in here Faith. Okay Mom, I know this is a lot all at once but there's a simple and rational explanation for all this."
"Okay you keep saying that, but I haven't heard what it is."
Faith comes in and stands next to me.
"We're in love."
My mom just stands there stunned. I look at Faith and we smile. I put my hand out and Faith takes it. I squeeze her hand and her smile widens. My mom finally breaks her silence.
"In love?"
I turn back to my mom.
"Yes."
She almost falls over in shock.
"I… I have to sit down."
Faith moves to steady my mom before I can react and leads her to a chair at the breakfast bar. I sit down next to my mom as Faith stands on the other side.
I think she's finally starting to calm down.
"Mom…"
She looks at me.
"So when I walked in on you two just now, you were…"
She really did walk in on us.
"Yeah…"
"When did this happen?"
Faith chimes in.
"Well last night mostly… not the whole night though cause…"
Mom and I both look at Faith and she clams up.
"Faith, you're not helping."
"Sorry."
Mom goes back to dealing with me.
"Is this about Riley?"
What?
"No, Mom this isn't about…"
"In your letters, you talked about how you and Riley were dating. That you were getting closer, and then you told me he was killed… are you sure you're not just grieving?"
Grieving?
I look over at Faith whose staring at me with a questioning look. All of the sudden she's having the same thought.
"No Mom, that's not it. My feelings for Faith started before Riley was killed. Actually I… I broke up with Riley before the vampire cult killed him."
She lets out a deep sigh.
"To be with Faith."
"Yes Mom, to be with Faith."
She takes my hand and looks at me.
"Then you're really serious about this."
I look at Faith standing just behind my mother, smiling.
"Yes."
"Okay then…"
She stands up and looks Faith straight in the eye.
"Faith if you hurt my daughter I will beat you down."
Whoa!
"You got a pair on ya Joyce. Now I see where your daughter gets it from. I like it."
Faith smiles at me but I'm not smiling back and her smile quickly disappears.
"My daughter's happiness is the most important thing to me. If my daughter believes her happiness lies with you, then I won't stand in the way. But you hurt her and I will hurt you back."
"Thank you Mom."
"Look, Mrs. Summers I realize this is a lot to take in. Finding out your daughter is… that way. Finding out your daughter is, that way with ME of all people, especially the way you did. But I want you to know that I love your daughter with all my heart, and her happiness is very important to me too. I won't hurt her again."
"Okay then, prove it."
Prove it?
"Sorry?"
"I'm guessing with you back in action, the two of you will be patrolling together."
She's right, we probably will be.
"Yeah I guess."
"With that vampire cult Buffy told me about out there too right?"
I get it… I think.
"Yeah."
"Then protect her. Promise me you'll protect her and I'll believe you have my daughter's best interests at heart."
"I will. I promise to keep her safe no matter what I have to do."
Okay hold it.
"Hey wait, Slayer here. Not really in need of protection."
I stand up and Faith tilts her head and smiles at me.
"Oh come on B…"
She walks over to me and puts her arm around my waist.
It feels nice to be able to do this.
She looks at me.
"I didn't mean it like that."
She leans her forehead against mine and stares lovingly into my eyes.
"But I got to protect what's mine. Even if she can take care of herself."
I kiss her gently.
"Then I'll do the same."
We turn our heads to look at my mom. After a brief moment of weirdness she smiles at us.
Everything's gonna be okay.
"There is something else I want from you Faith."
My mom looks directly at Faith and she tenses up next to me.
"What's that?"
"Have those waffles I was talking about with us."
Faith chuckles at the idea.
"Sure why not?"
Mom goes over to the waffle iron to get it ready.
"Good, then I can hear the whole story. The complete whole story."
Faith and I sit down to enjoy our morning after.
Chapter 102
Pillow Talk
Xander's POV
Wow that was…
"Wow…"
I put my hand on Anya's head as she lays it against my shoulder.
"Yeah…"
"That was…"
"Yeah…"
We lie in my bed for a few minutes in silence.
I wonder if Buffy and Faith will ever feel this way. If Buffy and Faith will ever be this happy… The way Anya makes me feel. Course they'd have to actually get together for that to happen. But with the way Buffy's been feeling and Faith being actively absent these past few days I don't see them getting together any time soon.
"What are you thinking?"
"Hmm?"
She traces a finger over my well toned chest.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh nothing."
"You were thinking about Buffy weren't you?"
"What? No I… I was…"
"It's all right, I get it."
"You get it? Get what?"
"I get why you were thinking about Buffy and Faith together. Men like lesbians."
What?
"Men like…"
"Men like lesbians I used to see it all the time."
"You did?"
"Oh yeah, some guy would try and convince his wife to sleep with some whore of a woman who they like better than their wife. And then they leave their wife for the other, which of course leads to the vengeance."
"Really?"
"Yeah, happened all the time… Xander?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you love me more if I was a lesbian?"
What?
I snuggle up closer to there.
I don't exactly know how to answer that.
"Well I… Anya I couldn't love you if you were a lesbian. Well I could it just, you wouldn't be able to love me back, what with the being a lesbian thing."
"Right… lesbians aren't big on the loving of men."
"Not as a rule no."
"Well we could se if Willow wanted to join us next time. Or Buffy, I know you've always had a thing for Buffy. She might be gay now but we could you know…"
"Anya, honey…"
This is a little too much.
"It's all right sweetie, you don't have to try and make me happy that way. You make me happy all by yourself."
"But…"
"I'm not saying it wasn't tempting. I'm just saying, you don't have to do stuff to make me love you anymore than I already do."
She lifts herself up to look me in the eyes.
"You love me?"
I really said that didn't I?
"I guess I do, seeing as I said it."
I smile at her.
"I love you Anya."
She kisses me before lying back down next to me.
"I love you too Xander."
We lie there in each other's arms.
Well this is just great, I'm in love… and it feels great. I just hope Buffy and Faith can find this kind of happiness.
Tara's POV
She did it, she really did it. She put away that anger I was so worried about to do the right thing. To give Faith a little push in the right direction.
I snuggle up closer to Willow on the bed as she sleeps.
That's all I really wanted. Cause if she can't at least try and let go of her resentment for Faith then they can never be anything more than cold enemies, and that's not good for anyone. Especially since I still have this nagging feeling that Faith is gonna need a friend.
I don't have to worry about Faith's dislike of Willow Buffy will take care of that. And if what Willow said about her conversation with Faith was true, that'll go a long way to helping things between them. I just hope Faith was able to find Buffy so they could make up. With all they've been through they deserve some happiness.
I kiss Willow's naked shoulder and she starts to wake up. As she opens her eyes I reach up and pull her lips to mine.
"Thank you."
She's a little taken aback by the kiss, having just woken up.
"Wow, what did I do to deserve that? I only just woke up."
She's so cute when she cracks jokes like that.
"I wanted to thank you for last night."
She smiles at me.
"Uh, honey? You did most of the work."
I chuckle.
"Not that, I mean what you did for Faith, for talking with her."
"Oh, well I did that for Buffy. She was so hurt and hard as it is for me to admit, the person to help her with that is Faith. As long as Buffy's happy I'll learn to live with the idea of them together."
"Are you sure?"
"Well I'm not completely convinced Faith can make Buffy happy, but it's not up to me to figure that out. It's up to them."
I hug her a little tighter and she puts her hand on my arm around her stomach, rubbing it lovingly.
"I just hope nothing gets in the way of them figuring that out."
Get in the way?
"What could get in the way?"
"The end of the world?"
"Oh yeah…"
"We still don't know how Faith was able to stop Adam. What if this is what those cult vamps want? What if the whole point of everything that's happened is to make Faith strong enough to kill Buffy so they can destroy the world?"
"Do you really think Faith could hurt Buffy?"
"After what happened tonight with Faith I'm just not sure. I wanna believe she wouldn't hurt Buffy, but there's just so much we don't know about the prophecy, about the vamp cult and what they did to her. She might not want to, but she might, whether she wants to or not."
"Let's just hope things work out for the better."
"So what you're basically saying is we should have faith?"
"Yeah."
We sit there in silence before breaking out laughing.
Chapter 103
Hand in Hand
Faith's POV
We walk down the street, hand in hand to Giles' place.
This is so incredible. Being here with B, being this happy and not having to worry about… well, anything. We don't have to be careful, we don't have to worry about her mom walking in on us naked in bed cause you know she already did that.
I stop and face B and she stops too.
"You know I still can't get over how cool your mom was about the whole you and me thing."
She looks at me with a weirdly questioning look.
"Cool? You think she was cool with it? She freaked out."
"Well yeah at first but I mean, once she got over the initial shock and everything she was pretty cool."
She takes my other hand in hers and looks me in the eyes.
"Yeah she was wasn't she?"
"The whole waffle breakfast thing was really cool. Your mom really knows how to make waffles doesn't she?"
"Yeah she does. It's like her super power or something."
We both chuckle.
"Well at least we're out now. No one left to tell and all that, we can be ourselves."
"Well yeah, sorta."
I let go of one of her hands and we start to walk to Giles' around the corner again.
"Sort of? What do you mean sort of?"
"Well we gotta tell the gang that we're back don't we?"
"I guess, although I'm betting Tara will figure it out the second we walk in the door."
Really?
"You think?"
"She knew how I felt about you before I did. Knowing we're back together will be a walk in the park. She'll know."
What about Willow?
"And Willow."
"Sorry?"
"Willow already knows. She sorta, came by last night, told me how you were."
"Is that why you came to see me last night? To see how I was?"
"No… Willow just, convinced me there are some things that are more important then being angry with you."
I stop and so does she.
"Like being in love with you."
I pull her to me and wrap my arms around her. She has this confused look on her face and it's like I know what she's thinking.
"It doesn't make me love you any less B. Willow just sorta, gave me a shove in the right direction."
Her frown turns upside down.
"You promise?"
I lean my head against hers.
"I promise. I came to you last night because I love you and no other reason okay?"
She looks at me silently for a brief moment before kissing me passionately.
"Okay."
I look up to Giles' place and take a deep breath.
"Are you ready for this B?"
She pulls back, staring lovingly at me.
"As long as you love me, I'm ready for anything."
"I guess we're ready then."
We walk up the stairs to Giles' place and go inside.
John's POV
Okay this is bad. This is really, really bad. I failed… again. I had her. I had the slayer in my clutches and she got away. Damn those slayers. Omega is not gonna be happy when he hears about this, which he'll be doing in a few minutes when I have to tell him about it. He's gonna have my head, or at least what's left of it when they sweep me off the floor.
I keep pacing back and forth in the waiting room just outside Omega's main chamber.
He's gonna kill me, I just know it.
The room itself is pretty simple, four walls made of brick, sometimes there's chairs sometimes there aren't, today there isn't.
It's very dark there are two very dim lamps on either side of the room. I just know the second I walk through those doors I'm as good as dusted.
After a few more minutes of blind panic on my part one of the doors comes open and again Ramses peers out from behind it.
"His supreme evilness will speak with you now."
Oh great, here it goes… undead dead man walking.
I walk through the doors and the great hall seems more ominous than usual.
It seems darker somehow the chanting of his followers seems louder. I can't tell if that's a good thing or not.
I reach the end of the walkway and kneel in front of the dark cloak wearing vampire chanters surrounding his throne. The chanting comes to a halt and all I can think is…
I'm gonna die.
The cloaked vampires open a hole in their circle but don't leave like last time.
Probably so they can stop me from leaving while Omega rips my head off, not that I would. I have failed my master. He to whom I've pledged my unlife and for that I must die.
I look up as I hear massive footsteps coming toward me but quickly look down so I don't enrage him further.
He's gotten bigger. He's at least 10 feet tall now and gonna get bigger.
The footsteps stop just a couple steps away.
"I failed you master, again. I offer you my life in penance."
"Penance is not required."
What?
"Sire?"
"Penance is not needed. I have long since suspected that the prophecy could not be stopped, and as such have been preparing for the day when it came to pass. The time is close at hand. Two days hence I shall have the power to destroy the slayers."
Two days? What happens in…? Oh right.
"What do you wish me to do master? What can I do to serve you sire?"
"Go, go and find the slayers. Watch them, kill them if you can but keep them busy. Keep them busy until Saturday, and then they shall die. Take as many of the men as you wish."
"I shall my lord. I shall bring you their heads on a stick."
"See that you do. Now leave my side."
I stand, never looking up at him and leave the great hall.
"Thank you sire."
The slayers have to die.
Chapter 104
Dark Cloud
Buffy's POV
"Hey guys how's it going?"
Wow, I think this is the first time since Faith has been back that we haven't been met with angry glares when we walk through the door. They almost look happy to see us, Tara especially. I knew she'd see it the second we walked through the door.
"Buffy, it's good that you're here. How are you feeling today?"
I stretch a bit and take a deep breath.
"I think I'm all healed up and ready for action."
Faith pats me on the stomach with the back of her hand, smiling suggestively.
"I'll say."
Obvious much?
I punch her in the arm.
"Faith?!"
"Sorry B, you left yourself open to that one."
She starts her way into Giles' living room and after a moment I join her. Willow speaks up.
"I see you two have worked things out."
Worked things out? Hell yeah.
"You could say that."
"Yeah Red, I kinda wanted to thank you for that."
I join Faith in the middle of the meeting area and take her hand in mine.
"Don't mention it."
I'm really grateful too.
"I wanted to thank you too for what you did."
She gets all uncomfortable like.
"No really… DON'T mention it."
She sounds like she's almost joking.
"Okay then, let's get down to business. End of the world and all that."
I squeeze Faith's hand and lead her over to the couch so we can sit down. 'Somehow' Faith manages to fall into my arms and for some reason I don't really mind. I snake my arms around her mid-section as we settle in.
"What do we know?"
"Not much. I spoke to Wesley over the phone about our current situation, and I'm afraid he hasn't had anymore luck than he has, though he has had a number of other things to deal with. He and Angel did manage to arrest one vital piece of information."
"What's that G-man?"
Giles gets a little uncomfortable at the sound of Faith's nickname for him.
I think it's cute, course I'm kinda biased about the whole thing.
"Wesley was able to determine that the leader of the vamp cult is in fact, Omega."
Omega?
"Well that sounds like a nice happy name."
"Yeah, I bet he's got a nice rose garden in whatever dank pit he lives in."
I feel Faith tease the hair on my arm with her fingertips and I can't help but squirm at her touch.
Okay, gotta focus on the end of the world.
"So what does this Omega guy want?"
Xander chimes in.
"I'm gonna go with death, destruction and mayhem."
"Well yeah but who doesn't want that?"
Everyone looks at Faith with this uncomfortable look and I gotta admit if she wasn't leaning with her back against me I'd be giving her the same look.
"Demon wise I mean. What demon doesn't want that kinda thing? Not me cause, I'm not into that kinda thing anymore."
She snuggles into me a little.
"I'm into a new thing."
All of the sudden I have this huge grin on my face.
"So what's the what?"
"Right well, Omega is not to be taken lightly. He's older than any demon or vampire on record. It is also widely accepted in demonology that he may in fact be the original."
Original?
"Original what?"
You took the words right out of my mouth. Hopefully she'll be doing other things with her mouth later on.
"This is where accounts get sketchy. What he is has never been confirmed. No living thing has ever survived an encounter with him."
Oh good.
"And this is the part where you tell us the worse news to the previous really bad news right?"
Faith sits up suddenly and gets really tense.
"By no living thing you mean…"
"Omega has faced 6 confirmed slayers and, well…"
A silence fills the room as Giles stops talking mid-sentence. Faith stands up and paces back and forth.
"This is great… this is just great… he's killed a lot of slayers. So B and I can go up against this guy and get brutally murdered."
Okay she's freaking. Gotta calm her down.
I get up and stop her from pacing.
"Faith? Listen to me."
She looks at me, her breathing getting a little slower.
"We're gonna get through this, I promise."
I take her in my arms and hug her before getting back to the apocalypse.
"So what does this Omega want?"
Giles lowers his eyes and breathes deeply.
"Given that his followers seem rather fixated on the two of you…"
Again the room fills with silence.
"Then we better do something about it by gum."
Spike!
Chapter 105
Lucky Break
Buffy's POV
The whole gang turns to see Spike standing just inside the front door.
"What are you doing here Spike?"
Faith's expression turns from panicked to a cold stare.
"I don't care what he's here for."
She leaps over the couch and attacks him, grabbing him by the throat.
Okay wait, Spike wouldn't have risked coming here if he didn't have something important to say. He knows I'd stake him in a second if he didn't. I'd better stop her.
I leap over the couch and catch up with her.
"Faith, stop…"
"Why?"
"Don't you wanna hear what he has to say?"
"Not really, mostly I just want him dead."
She can be a real hot head sometimes. It's one of the things I love about her.
"Let him speak honey…"
She watches my eyes as I grab her wrist and gently pull it away from Spike's neck. Spike straightens up with a big smile on his face. I almost want to stake him myself.
"Thanks a bunch pet. I knew there was a reason I liked you, Summers."
I roll my eyes at him.
"You don't like me Spike you hate me, and I hate you back. You've got five minutes before I let my girl dust you."
Faith and I step back, glaring at him.
"Your girl? When did this happen? And what's with you calling her honey? She doesn't strike me as the kinda person who likes to…"
"Clock's ticking peroxide boy."
I was gonna say that.
"Right then, so how's the search for those cult boys going?"
"Why?"
Good question.
"That badly eh?"
"What's it to you Spike?"
"I'm concerned is all… Can't a man be concerned for his friends?"
"You're not a man Spike."
"And we are SO not your friends."
Faith and I are quite a tag team I gotta say.
"Close enough. So anyway…"
"Were you getting to a point soon? Cause we were kinda in the middle of something."
"Yes okay the point I was about to make was this."
He pulls a book out from under his jacket and shows it to us.
I'm not impressed. It may be all gold and shiny and stuff but it's nothing special. It's a book.
Faith seems confused.
"What is it?"
"It's a book you twit."
Before Faith can react I knock Spike flat on his face with a right cross.
"She knows it's a book you Billy Idol wannabe. She means why should we care?"
Spike gets up slowly, making sure to get some distance between us and him.
"It's the lucky break you lot are looking for."
Giles gets up from his chair in the living room.
"Is that… what I suppose it is?"
Spike makes his way into the living room and Faith and I follow, our steely gazes making him nervous.
"T'is indeed Lady Chatterley's boy toy. The Book of Karameth."
The Book of Karameth? Oh my god.
I come at him trying to grab it from him but he holds it out of reach.
"Good job Spike, now give it to us and go away."
"Hey now, a man's gotta make a living. This book is priceless, being that it's the only copy."
I can hear the slightest amount of anger in Faith's voice.
This is really bad for Spike.
"I thought we already covered the you not being a man thing. Now give it up."
Spike smiles at my girl.
"You'd like that wouldn't you?"
My blood boils and I pull out a stake I'd been keeping in my belt line. I put the stake against his chest.
"Give me the book or I stake you right now. How's that deal?"
He slowly hands it over and I put the stake back in my pants.
I'll have to get Faith in there with it later.
I walk over to Giles and hand it to him which he dutifully starts looking through.
"See what you can make of it?"
"Of course. Spike, how did you happen to procure this rather prestigious book?"
Good idea.
"Yeah Spike you're not known to be heavy into the book learning."
"I picked it up a couple years ago in a crypt while looking for Dru's cure, thought it might be useful some day. Guess I was right."
Xander puts his two cents in.
"So you just happen to show up with exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. Gee that can't be interpreted as suspicious in any way."
I glare at Spike again.
"Yeah Spike, what are you playing at?"
"Can't I just be nice?"
Faith comes at him and punches him in the face.
"What's the deal?"
"I want them dead too."
What?
"What are you talking about?"
I hold Faith back form attacking him again.
"These cult guys you're looking for? I don't like 'em. They give guys like me a bad name. Plus I'm not too fond of their all powerful leader."
"Omega?"
"Yeah."
Willow asks what we're all thinking.
"So why help us? We don't exactly get along."
"And I really don't much like you lot either. But given the choice between them and you I'd go with you any day of the week. At least with you I'm a lot less likely to come to a gruesome horrible death."
"Don't be so sure."
Faith and I laugh at her words. Giles does his trademark attention getter.
"Hmm…"
"Anything?"
"Not as such. It will take me some time to translate the text however it appears as though there is more here than a simple prophecy."
More?
"Like what?"
"There appears to be references to the vampire cult and what their plans are."
Spike's grin gets wider.
"So it's more valuable than you thought. Good thing I brought it to you then isn't it? Worth not getting staked through the heart even."
Much as I hate to admit it.
"I guess he's right. Staking him now could technically be considered wrong."
"What are you talking about B? I'll do it."
She tries to pull a stake out of her jacket but I stop her.
"Faith, don't. We have the book, and as soon as Giles can translate the book we'll have everything we'll need. Dusting Spike won't make a difference."
She gives me a panicked rage look.
Something's wrong, something's very wrong. Ever since she heard the vamp cult's targeting us she's been a nervous wreck.
"No it won't, but I'll feel better knowing the son of a bitch is a pile of dust."
My hand cradles her cheek as I look in her eyes.
"Faith…"
She takes a deep breath.
"Okay fine… you guys do that. I'm gonna go work on turning them all into a pile of dust."
She starts to leave.
"Faith, wait…"
She doesn't stop. I turn to my friends.
"Let me know if you find out anything would ya Giles?"
"Of course."
"I gotta go after Faith."
I race out the door to go after Faith.
"Have fun."
"Shut up Spike."
I walk out the door and she's standing on Giles' porch.
"Faith?"
She's leaning against the railing, head in her hands. I go over and lean against the railing next to her.
"So… how's the view?"
She runs her hands through her hair before looking at me.
"Don't…"
"Don't what?"
"Don't act like everything's okay when it's not."
"I wasn't I… I just wasn't sure you were gonna tell me what's wrong right away."
"You were right."
She looks away. I take her hand in mine.
"Faith whatever it is, it'll work out."
"Yeah you say that now… but what happens when they tear us apart?"
Tear us apart?
"No one is gonna tear us apart. Not after what we've been through to be together."
"But that's just it. We wouldn't have gone through so much if it hadn't been for those vamps and their Omega master. How do we know they don't have something else planned to destroy what we have?"
"We don't."
She turns away from the edge of the porch.
"Way to comfort your girlfriend B."
I put my arms around her waist and hold her close.
"No I mean… I'm your girlfriend?"
She links wrists behind my neck and smiles.
"Well yeah I mean, isn't that the proper term? After last night I figured… you know…"
"Sure it is, I guess I didn't much figure you for… I'm your girlfriend?"
We just stand there looking at each other for a few moments before her expression darkens.
"I see what you're doing. You're changing the subject to make things seem better than they are…"
She pushes me away, turning her back to me.
"Which they aren't."
I come up behind her and put my arms around her stomach, my head on her right shoulder.
"Faith… we, we can't know what they're up to, and they could come after us again. But I love you, and nothing that ever happens could ever make me stop loving you."
She reaches behind her and touches my head.
"Nothing?"
I take her the hand against my head and bring it down over my heart, making her turn to look at me and stare at my hand feeling my heartbeat for her.
"Nothing. Faith I told you once that my heart keeps beating because of you."
"I remember."
"It's still true. It still beats only for you. No matter what happens I want you to remember that as long as my heart beats… I love you."
"I love you too B."
Our lips lock, the passion between us overtaking us. I can't keep my hands off her as her tongue enters my mouth, and we fight each other for control. But being that we're pretty much evenly matched we have to retreat to our respective corners.
We should do something.
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's go out."
She raises an eyebrow at me.
"Out?"
"You and me. To the Bronze or something… like we always wanted to."
She gets this cute little evil grin on her face.
"Okay let's go do that."
She puts her arm around my shoulder and we head to the Bronze… for our first date.