Everything

by Cruel_Slayer
Rating: R

Disclaimer: Joss owns all characters; I'm just borrowing them for the sake of my own personal enjoyment and perverse hopes. Lyrics aren't mine either, they are the work of the mucho cool Jason Wade.
Spoilers: None. In fact the time line is a little fudged due to the fact season 5 was still ongoing when I started this whole series, season 6 didn't even exist. Just throw all Buffy knowledge post season 4 out the window for the sake of reading this. Buffy's mother is now dead, just for the sake of not having to write her in the plot and Dawn didn't ever exist. Just so y'know.
Author's Notes: First attempt at writing fic series so go easy. Lyrics taken from a song called "Everything" by Lifehouse and "When Love and Death Embrace" by HIM. Italics denote lyrics or thought, you'll be able to tell which is which. This is sorta my take on where the slayer actually came from and other stuff.
Feedback: Feedback is like totally and gratefully appreciated if you think I suck please do tell me cos I won't finish the tale if no one wants to read it.

"...find me here/speak to me/I want to feel you/I need to hear you
you are the light/that's leading me/to the place /where I find peace again..."

*****

Buffy stepped out of Sunnydale Hospital and took a deep breath. She was starting to hate this place more than any she'd ever been.

"Hey Buffy, wait up."

Buffy turned and saw her red headed best friend, "Sorry Will. I just needed some..." the blonde trailed off as she sat down on a nearby bench and put her head in her hands.

"I know." Willow placed a reassuring hand on Buffy's back, "It's hard for us all."

"It's just so frustrating." Buffy stood up and began to pace, "I mean it's been 5 months Willow and not a twitch."

"At least he's alive though Buff."

"Yeah but is he?" Buffy frustratingly kicked over a trashcan.

"Feel better?" Willow asked, standing up.

"Not really. I mean it's not just this Willow. We're still no closer to knowing if Faith's safe or even alive."

Willow stepped forward, "Hey, c'mere." She pulled Buffy into a tight hug, "You know there's nothing we can do now."

"I know, I know." Buffy broke the hug and began to pace again, "But I thought that about Angel and look what happened. I can't give up on her."

Willow looked at her friend. She was dog-tired, they all were, so much had passed since that horrible night, "Buffy, I think you should head home, get some rest." Buffy opened her mouth to object but the red head cut her off, "Giles is dropping by in an hour or so, I'll be fine."

"Okay. But you'll call me..."

"I'll call you if there's any change."

"Thanks Will." Buffy hugged Willow quickly and turned to begin the walk home.

*****

It had been five months since respected members of Angel Inc. and the 'Scoobie Gang' had crowded round the re-closed mouth of hell and the crumpled body of their good friend, Xander had been left alive, barely. Buffy had guessed at Faith's request. He had been in a coma since that night and all involved were anxious for his awakening. However there had been no trace of That which had used Xander's body as a vessel or of Faith. Buffy had pounded at the floor of the burnt out library till her fists had bled and Angel had to drag her away.

Buffy Summers reached her house and slipped the key into the door. She stepped into the dark house and fought hard not to break down again. Sitting down on the stairs she took a deep breath and tried to process everything that had happened.

Five months since she lost another lover and almost lost another friend. Three months since she'd lost her mother. Sometimes all the pain just came at once. And now she felt more alone in the world than ever before. Willow, Giles and Tara all tried to be there for her but ultimately Buffy Summers had resigned herself to being alone in the world.

*****

Faith opened her eyes slowly and looked at the demon stood in front of her, the strange thing about hell was the darkness. Even though she could never actually see, she could in a strange way. The dark slayer presumed this was her finally becoming used to the eternal darkness that existed in the realm. "What the fuck are you wanting now?" The demon stood beside her bed, or what she called her bed, was a particularly nasty, annoying one.

"He wants you."

"Oh there's a surprise." Faith stood slowly and stretched her arms above her head. "More desensitising, yay!"

"You will be broken." The demon stated as he led Faith out of her cage by the manacles that bound her and thru the hot, dank passages that led to His chambers.

"Yeah and when I get out these chains I'll break you."

The demon let out a throaty chuckle and pushed the brunette forwards into a dark room, bowing he retreated, leaving Faith to the darkness and the inevitable pain she knew was coming. She braced herself and waited for her captor to make himself known.

"My child," a low growl came from a far off corner of what could have been an endless room.

Faith stood in silence, hoping that he'd leave her alone, take pity or something. Slowly and surely she was beginning to forget who she was and how long she'd been away from the mortal realm. It had been easy to keep track at first, but the more beatings and 'lessons' she was given, the harder it was to really keep track of her own name never mind anything else. But she was determined, no matter what she forgot, something burnt strong in the front of her mind and her heart. Buffy. She had to be strong and to fight hard for Buffy. Buffy.

"Ah, feeling quiet today?"

Faith tensed as she realised that He was directly behind her. She felt the hot air of his breath on her ear and fought back the urge to bring up what little was in her stomach.

Lucifer placed a hand on Faith's shoulder, "Never mind, makes it all the easier for me if I don't have to listen to your insolent come backs that you seem to have for everything." He nudged Faith towards an altar in the middle of the room, "I was hoping this day would come of your own will, but it's all the same to me."

Faith looked at the altar and remained silent.

"You know what you have to do."

The younger slayer climbed onto the altar and began to shake slightly.

"Today's the day you shall be reborn my child."

*****

"you are the strength/that keeps me walking/you are the hope/that keeps me trusting/you are the life/to my soul/you are my purpose/you are everything..."

*****

Buffy sat bolt upright on the sofa when the phone shook her from the light sleep she had fallen into, "Willow?" she asked.

"Buffy, it's me."

"Oh hey Angel. I thought you might've been..." Buffy ran her hand thru her hair and tried to wake up a little.

"Willow." Angel finished her sentence, "Any news?"

"Unfortunately no. He's just the same."

"You sound exhausted." Angel stated with a concerned tone.

"You could say that."

"How's the action at your end?"

Buffy shook her head; she might have known this wasn't just a social call, "Pretty quiet. I don't know whether to be grateful or worried."

"It's the same here. I don't want to worry you, but the signs seem to be pointing to something big."

"How big?"

Angel sighed, "We're not too sure. We picked up some fragments of a prophecy on a job we did a few weeks ago. Wesley's been translating it but he's having difficulty in some parts."

"Maybe Giles could put some light on the matter." Buffy suggested.

"Well that was why I was calling, I can't get a hold of him at home."

"He's probably at the hospital with Willow...hang on Angel that's the other line." Buffy switched calls, "Hello?"

"Hello Buffy?"

"Yeah, Giles, what's going on?"

"Good news, he's awake." Giles smiled as he delivered the news, god knows it was the first hint of good news they'd had in months.

"He's awake?" Buffy asked. She couldn't quite believe her watcher's words.

"Yes, he's awake."

"Oh my god, I'll be there as soon as I can Giles." Buffy stood up and switched back to the line Angel was waiting on, "Angel?"

"I'm still here."

"Angel, he's awake. I gotta go."

"What? Xander's awake?"

"Yeah. I'll get Giles to call you as soon as I see him." Buffy pulled on her jacket, while trying to keep a hold of the phone, "But I really have to get to the hospital."

"Of course, get going. Call us and let us know how he's doing."

"Course I will. Bye." Buffy hung up the phone and ran out the door.

*****

The slayer, born out of darkness and forged into light, born to settle a score, a deal made for survival...uprising, overturning, born to bring back a balance...thought she was doing good...fighting evil...more like controlling evil...your power lies in darkness...my daughter...wasn't meant to be two...there's another...B...she's the other half of me...was making the fight too unbalanced on the wrong side...one had to come back and be reborn...his daughter...his daughter.

"Faith."

A voice, calling me, I think at least. Faith. That's me right? That was me...Boston...Sunnydale...B... home. No this is home. This is where I belong.

"Faith, come now, open your eyes my child."

My child...my daughter...my child...His daughter. Open my eyes...

Faith groggily opened her eyes and looked up, expecting darkness, only this time she could see. She felt like she was seeing for the first time as she looked round her, her eyes fell on the almost majestic form in front of her, "Father?"

"Finally my child, you have realised your destiny. Come, stand, and see our kingdom with your new eyes." Lucifer offered Faith his hand, which she gladly accepted.

Our kingdom? ...Woah, legs feel funny...don't feel balanced...

Faith leant on His arm as she began to loose her balance, "Why do I feel..."

"Different?" He finished her sentence and smiled slightly, she nodded and he began to explain, "You might feel different, because you are. During the rebirth parts of your true nature have came to the surface in physical aspects." Lucifer led Faith to a reflective pool, "Take a look for yourself."

Faith peered into the pool and gasped, she was slightly taken aback by her new appearance. Although she stood the same height she had done for many years, she felt at least 8 ft tall, her eyes burned with a visible fire and her skin had taken on a decidedly paler complexion, yet it appeared to almost glow in the fire of hell. However what Faith saw as the most impressive part of her transformation was the wingspan she now possessed.

*****

"you calm the storms/you give me rest/you hold me in your hands/you won't let me fall..."

*****

"So you're sure you don't mind me staying here?" Xander asked placing his bag down in the hallway and shutting the door behind him.

"Of course not," Buffy replied, "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Xander flopped down on the sofa, "I just didn't feel quite right going back to the apartment yet."

Buffy sat in the armchair opposite and flipped on the TV, "Yeah, I can understand that. Plus this way we can keep proper tabs on you."

Xander smiled weakly, "Ah so that was the ploy. Willow's idea?"

"Who else's?" Buffy returned his smile, "I think she figured we could both use the company. Plus I don't think she was so keen on you leaving the hospital so soon. I mean Xand, you should've stayed in for a few days observations at least."

"Buff, I'd been lying there for five months. It was the last place I wanted to be staying for any longer."

"Yeah I know, but Willow worries. We all do. Want anything from the kitchen?"

"No thanks."

"You sure?" Buffy asked standing.

Xander nodded in reply.

"Back in a minute." The blonde tossed Xander the remote and headed into the kitchen.

The doorbell rang and Xander rose to get it, "I've got it." He called to Buffy as he reached the door. Opening the door he was greeted by the sight of Willow and Tara, "Hey guys."

"H-hey Xander, how you feeling?"

"Better thanks. You guys coming in?" He asked standing clear of the door to let them in.

"We thought we'd just hover at the door actually." Willow replied stepping into the house.

"Hey, you're here." Buffy stated as she stepped into the living room carrying munchies.

"We are," Willow said, "and we come with videos."

"Okay then, we're all set for a mindless evening of video watching." Xander said grabbing a bowl of chips and sitting back down on the sofa, "Bring on the mindless."

*****

"Are you sure you're ready to return to the surface?" Lucifer asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be Father," Faith replied, "I need to see what I can actually do." Faith flexed her wings and smirked.

"Well what do you want to do up there?"

"You mean I get a choice?"

"Of course. Why not?"

"Cool," Faith began to pace a little as she thought. She spread her wings and unconsciously lifted herself off the ground as she continued to ponder, "I've got it!" she exclaimed placing her feet back on the ground, "Angel."

"Angel?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah. Angel. He's been a thorn in your side for too long now." Faith answered, the fire in her eyes beginning to burn bright as her plan began to take shape in her head.

"Go on my child."

"Well we know there's no point in trying to bring him home. So why don't I just dispose of him for you?"

"Oh, you've tried that before my child." Lucifer placed a hand on Faith's shoulder.

Faith looked into her 'father's' eyes, "That was before. I'm stronger now. I'm filled with a power I never let fill me before. Now I know what must be done." Faith paused and grimaced, "I mean he put me on the path to redemption, he made me feel almost...clean again."

He smiled, "Well, Faith, if this is what you have your black little heart set on then so be it."

*****

"you still my heart/and you take my breath away/would you take me in/would you take me deeper now..."

*****

"Faith?" Buffy looked round her a little bewildered, it was pitch dark wherever her dreams had taken her, but she knew the other slayer was near. 'Great this is all I need,' Buffy thought, "Faith?" she called again, her cry of desperation reverberated back to her own ears and she cringed slightly.

"Faith's dead."

Buffy span round to the source of the familiar, yet cold voice, "So I'm talking to a dead Faith then?" Buffy asked, "Faith what's going on?"

"Geez B, so many questions."

"What you expected me to have none?"

"Guess not."

"How come I can't see?"

"Cos you're in my head B."

"So you brought us here?" Buffy asked squinting in the dark, trying to make out which part of the darkness Faith's form was hiding in.

"Guess I did yeah. I don't know. It wasn't conscious."

"Why's it so dark in your head then F?"

"Because that's all I have now B. The darkness."

"Faith..." Buffy began, but was cut off,

"Your Faith is dead!"

*****

Buffy was jerked awake by Xander shaking her, "Damn it Xander!" She looked at him angrily and then saw the serious look on his face, "Sorry, I was dreaming. What?"

"Didn't you hear the phone ringing?" he asked.

Buffy nodded no and ran a hand thru her hair, "Who was it?"

"It was Cordy." He answered, his face going paler.

"Oh god, what's happened?" the slayer began getting out of bed and began to gather some clothes.

"Angel, he um, he got...he took a serious beating last night."

Buffy stopped and looked at Xander, "Wouldn't have been the first time that's happened, why did she call us?"

"She said it was Faith."

The colour drained from Buffy's face, "F-faith? You're sure that's what she said?"

"Buffy I'm..."

"I have to get out there." Buffy picked up bag and stuffed some clothing into it.

"Buffy, think about this a minute."

"No way! I have to get out there now." Buffy ran out her room and down the stairs.

"Buffy!" Xander called out of her, "Shit!" he cursed under his breath and ran after her.

*****

"So you just let her go?" Willow asked, taken aback.

Xander pointed at his new black eye and looked at Willow. Buffy had floored him because he'd made the mistake of saying she'd have to go thru him before he let her run off half cocked.

"Of course you didn't just let her go. Well, I mean should we follow her?"

"I don't think that's necessary quite yet Willow." Giles answered as he brought stock thru from the backroom of the magic shop, "If she needs our help she'll ask for it."

"Don't be too sure. This is Buffy and a matter of the heart we're talking about here." Xander said placing the icepack Tara handed him on his eye.

*****

Buffy got out her mother's car, well it was her car now, and looked at the front of the Hyperion. She grabbed her duffel bag from the passenger's seat and sighed before climbing the steps to the front door. She made a mental note to call Xander and apologize for punching him.

Cordelia heard the front door click shut, "Welcome to Angel Investigations, we help the..." she paused as she looked up from her paperwork, "Buffy?"

"So you help the Buffy now huh?" the slayer said placing her bag down on the floor.

Cordy smiled, "We thought you'd call back. Didn't actually expect to see you."

"Thought you knew me better than that. How is he?"

Cordelia shrugged and walked round the counter to where Buffy stood, "He's not too good. She set him on fire."

"It couldn't have been Faith, Cordy." Buffy said with a pleading look in her eyes.

Cordelia brushed her brown hair out her face and revealed a rather nasty bruised face, "It was definitely Faith. Or parts of it were. I'm sorry Buffy. I really am."

Buffy sat down on one of the couches in the lobby and closed her eyes tight, "You were there?" the blonde asked, opening her eyes.

"Unfortunately I was." The brunette sat down opposite Buffy.

"What did you mean parts of...it?" the slayer asked looking confused.

Cordelia paused, trying to think of the best way to put what she was about to say.

"Come on Cordelia, you've never had much tact in the past."

"Hey."

"I'm sorry. I just meant, give it to me straight."

"Straight huh? Okay." Cordelia sighed and stood up, "What jumped us was to start with Faith. Looked like Faith, talked like Faith and it, she, whatever walked like Faith."

"So what are you saying Cordelia?" Buffy asked getting impatient.

Cordelia began to pace and started again, "Well you know how when you become a vampire you can still walk and talk and remember all from your life?"

"You're saying Faith's a vampire?" Buffy choked out.

"No. Stop interrupting. It's worse than that. If she was a vampire we'd at least know how to kill her."

"We are not killing her!" Buffy stood up and stared the brunette down, "When Angel came back from hell he had changed! He was animal. But he became himself with time. And chains. But he still returned to himself."

"I don't think she's Faith anymore." Angel said as he struggled down the stairs, leaning heavily on the banister for support.

Both girls ran to his side and helped him, "Angel you shouldn't have gotten out of bed." Cordelia scolded him like a child as they helped him walk across the floor and settled him into an armchair.

"I heard Buffy."

"Sorry." The blonde apologised as she sat down again.

"Does anyone want coffee?" Cordelia asked, "I'm sure you can explain this better than I can." She said to Angel with a small shrug.

"I wouldn't mind some." Buffy replied. The brunette walked off to the kitchen. "So what did you mean she's not Faith anymore?"

"Buffy she's physically and mentally changed," Angel began, "and I don't think this was the last we'll have seen of her."

"She's psycho slayer again?" Buffy was finding it hard to process all this information. Her heart had both leapt for joy and sank like a stone at the news of Faith's return. She was happy that Faith had gotten back, but she'd beat up Angel? It didn't make sense. Now it seemed she'd came back and wasn't herself. Her head was spinning.

"Worse. This was Faith more vicious than you or I have ever seen her. I mean look what she did to me?"

Buffy winced at the sight of her ex battered and burnt, "I'm sorry Angel."

"I'll heal. But I don't think she will. There's demon in her now."

"Is that what you meant by physically changed?" Buffy asked looking intently at the floor.

Angel answered her question with awkward silence.

"I brought the translation Giles did of the prophecy." Buffy broke the silence and walked over to her duffel bag.

"Wesley should be in soon." Angel said looking at the clock on the wall.

"You must be tired Buffy." Cordy said as she walked back thru carrying cups of coffee.

The blonde placed the translation on the table, relieved Cordelia of one of the cups and sat back down, "Guess I am. Or I wasn't till I thought about it."

"You'd do well to get some sleep if you can." Angel stated as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair, the burns he suffered at the hands of Faith made it hard for him to be comfortable in any position.

"Angel, I'm not really in a sleeping place. I just want to go out and look for her."

"You're not going to find her during the day." Cordelia said stating the obvious.

"She's been changed that badly?" Buffy asked, trying hard to mask the panic from her voice. Again she was met with an awkward silence, "Guys, c'mon, you have to tell me. Don't let me go out there and face something like this blindly."

"Well she still looks sort of like Faith..." Angel started, carefully trying to pick his words.

"Yeah until you notice the impressive set of wings she's acquired during her holiday to hell." A stern gaze from her vampire friend met Cordelia's interruption. "Sorry." The brunette apologised and suddenly found her coffee mug the most interesting thing in the room.

"Oh god." Buffy whispered as she leant back into the sofa and closed her eyes, "So she really does have demon in her?"

Angel nodded sadly. It wasn't only Buffy who had sorrow in losing Faith. She had become almost like a sister or maybe even a daughter to the vampire with a soul. And having to watch her fall so far from where she had gotten to broke his heart. Not to mention the physical pain he was currently in.

"Think there's any way to bring her back, change her again?" the slayer asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't rule it out."

"We certainly thought you were gone for good when Buffy..." Cordelia trailed off and stared into her coffee again.

"Yeah I know that, but I wouldn't get your hopes up either." Angel added emphatically.

Buffy sighed, "Well I'm definitely not sleeping. Do you mind if I go work out for a while?"

Angel smiled, some things never changed. Seemed that whenever something was still bothering Buffy a lot she'd take it out on the nearest punching bag.

"Cordy would you mind taking Buffy downstairs?" the vampire asked.

"Course not." The brunette got to her feet and motioned for Buffy to follow her, "C'mon Slay Gal I'll take you down to the room where you can hit stuff that won't complain."

*****

"What I don't get is why we just didn't finish them off!" Cornelius shouted up to the rafters of the warehouse.

Faith looked down on the figure shouting up at her and let out a small growl of irritation. Closing her eyes, she leant forward and allowed herself to fall off the beam she had been previously crouched on. Spreading her wings she glided down and landed no less than an inch from Cornelius's face. The vampire stumbled backwards and fell directly on to his ass.

"Okay I'll explain this to you the easy way." Faith loomed over the vampire and growled, "Guns can't hurt you or your buddies lounging over there," Faith pulled a gun from the waistband of her jeans and pointed it at the two vampires lounging in the corner for emphasis, "however, me and my good friend Lurk here," she pointed the gun absently at a large demon in the corner and then back at Cornelius, "bullets can actually do us a little more than pain and discomfort. Unlike you bastards, bullets will kill us." Faith paused and clicked the safety off, "So when the cops show up and start shooting the place up, I'm not gonna hang around to get shot at!" The brunette trailed the gun from Cornelius's head down to his heart, "Now you're not scared of this are you?"

Cornelius gave a small nod no and smiled.

"Well you should be." Faith pulled the trigger and watched the vampire below her turn into dust, "Wooden bullets." She offered as an explanation to the remaining two vampires who looked on in a mixture of fear and bemusement. "Anyone else want to challenge my decisions?" Faith asked as she tucked the gun back into her waistband and picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels. When she was met with silence Faith addressed the room again, "Good. Well I'm going to go drink this and get some sleep." The former slayer spread her wings and lifted herself into the air, "Lurk, keep an eye out."

The demon nodded in response and Faith took to the rafters once again. She landed and settled herself against a support beam. Uncapping the bottle she took a lazy slug and felt the alcohol burn down into her stomach, giving her some sort of warmth that she so readily craved. It was strange. Even though her body had taken on aspects of the netherworld it still reacted in many ways like a human body. In a way that's because it still was. Her father had been very adamant about this fact. Even though she might feel invincible she certainly wasn't. The human aspects of her body still meant the usual things, weapons and elements, etc, could harm her. She still needed to sleep to keep her energy up and she still needed to eat. Somehow she hadn't really expected to. Faith sighed and took a deep swig. The encounter she'd had with the other slayer in her dreams was weighing heavy on her mind. The familiarity with which they had spoken was as if there was something more to what Faith remembered their relationship being like. All the former slayer could remember was the bitterness, the hatred, the anger and most of all the darkness.

*****

'Okay where the hell am I now?' Buffy thought as she found herself in a bed she couldn't even remember falling asleep in. She looked around her surroundings and it all fell into place, "Shit." She muttered under her breath, "Faith!" When she was met with no reply, Buffy wandered cautiously thru to the main area of her one time lover's apartment. Instinctively she glanced towards the large window and saw it shattered as it had been after their fight years before. "Faith!" Buffy called out and once again got no reply. "Damn it. I thought we were past all this!" the blonde shouted into the empty room.

"Past all what exactly B?"

Buffy turned round the room but still couldn't see Faith, "Y'know I've had enough of this shit!" Buffy shouted, beginning to loose her temper, "Why don't you come out here and face me? You owe me at least that!"

Faith let out a low chuckle, "You'll get what you're owed soon enough girlfriend."

Buffy felt herself being drawn back to the conscious world, "Fuck!" she cursed trying to keep herself asleep, "No! Faith I want some answers."

"Too late B, looks like you're..."

*****

"Awake." The slayer muttered as she opened her eyes. Buffy sat up on the couch and looked at her watch, "Damn." She muttered, standing and heading upstairs to the lobby of the hotel.

"Thought you were going to sleep through to tomorrow." Cordy said as she saw Buffy emerge from the basement where she'd been training.

"Were you going to let me sleep all morning?" Buffy asked leaning against the counter and yawning.

"You looked like you could do with a few hours sleep." The brunette replied handing Buffy a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Buffy said taking a sip, the slayer grimaced at the strength of the coffee, "Trying to get me high on caffeine or something?"

Cordelia smiled cynically, "Think you might want to be awake for what Wesley has to say."

"He's figured out what the prophecy was about?" Buffy asked soberly.

"Come on." Cordy signalled for Buffy to follow her thru to Wesley's office.

"Ah Buffy." Wesley said standing up from behind his desk as the girls entered his office.

"So what's the what Wesley?" Buffy asked as she stood by the door.

"I think you might want to sit down before he starts." Cordy suggested.

"I'd rather stand if it's all the same." The blonde replied, crossing her arms.

"Well...I'm, I'm not entirely sure how to say this." Wesley struggled to say what he wanted to.

"Come on Wesley, what is it? Another prophecy for telling the death of the slayer, the end of the world, Fox have actually secured a decent television show for broadcast?"

"The former." Wesley said gravely as he took of his glasses and cleaned them.

"Who wants me dead this time?" Buffy asked dismissively.

"Well by our translations and research it would appear that that would be Faith." The former watcher placed his glasses back upon his face and waited for Buffy's reaction.

"Details?" Buffy paled as she sank down into the chair in front of Wesley's desk.

"The prophecy talks of the "one" called back to Him. How she kills the slayer, causes the balance to tip firmly and causes chaos both on earth and below. By killing you, the slayer, she wipes out the main barrier between evil overpowering good and therefore chaos ensues..."

"But wouldn't another slayer be called after me?" Buffy replied, interrupting Wesley's explanation.

"Actually no. Because technically..."

"I'm not the slayer!" Buffy said interrupting her one time watcher once more. The blonde got to her feet and began to pace, "Sorry Wes, keep going."

"As you said, you're technically not the slayer. When you died Kendra was the chosen one and when she died it passed to Faith. As far as we know Faith didn't die to take on her new...attributes. So technically she's still the chosen one."

"So if I died no one would come forth to take my place?" Buffy said, thinking out loud as she continued to pace. "But surely there would be other champions, people like Angel?"

"It seems they wouldn't stand up long enough to do any immediate good. Without the slayer or a slayer it appears our world hasn't much of a hope."

"When Faith and I met Him in the cemetery he said something about the slayer being something that was drawn up as part of some sort of deal."

"There have been things written about that." Wesley said as he began to think, "Yes, I do believe it came about because not even He could contain the way the vampires were spreading throughout this world and the others that exist."

"So we were created to be some sort of culling device?" Buffy asked.

"It could be seen that way I suppose."

"But if this prophecy rings true and she does in fact kill me, would she not be breaking this deal?"

Wesley nodded, "Which is why chaos ensues."

"Evidently. But wouldn't that mean she's screwed Him over by killing me?"

Wesley smiled, "The prophecy gets vaguer and vaguer as it goes on, so I'm not entirely sure what happened to Faith or Him during all the chaos. But I think you might have a point Buffy."

The slayer turned to the brunette who was leaning against the doorframe, "Cordy could you..."

"I'm on it Buffy." She replied before Buffy could even finish her sentence. The brunette turned and walked to her desk, where she sat down and began making phone calls.

Buffy turned back to Wesley, "Thought we might need back up since Angel's out of commission. Now all we have to do is find out where..."

Buffy was cut short as Cordelia shrieked her name from the hotel reception. The slayer and the ex watcher raced thru to find themselves face to face with a rather formidable looking large demon. The demon stepped aside and revealed who Buffy had came to L.A. to find,

"Faith?" Buffy asked. It was hard to believe that the creature that stood at the entrance to the hotel was her one time lover.

"Guessed you'd be looking for me B." Faith crossed her arms and smirked, before stretching her wings out to their full span, "Like 'em?"

Buffy stood her ground and surveyed her one time lover and her new ally carefully.

"What's up, cat got your..." Faith stopped mid sentence and turned to a dark corner just behind her, "Don't even think about it dead boy or I'll make sure you're dust this time." The demon slayer pulled her gun and pointed it at the corner.

Angel stepped out of the shadows with his hands raised slightly in a gesture of defeat.

"Over there, now!" Faith growled in irritation, pointing to where Cordelia, Buffy and Wesley now stood. "So," the demon slayer started, "Cordy, you're not gonna put up a fight."

Cordelia shot her ex colleague a look of disgust as she helped Angel steady himself, "Nice try." She whispered to him.

"As for the dead detective, well just look at you, you're gonna be useless in the fight. So that leaves the wimpy watcher and the holier than thou Buffy Summers." Faith gave a broad smile and turned to Lurk, "You get the wimp, the girl's mine, understood?" Lurk nodded and began to move forward, "Hang on, hang on," Faith placed her hand in front of the formidable demon and stopped him in his tracks, "we're missing someone. Where's Gunn?"

"Right here bitch!" Gunn cried from behind the demons as he swung his axe, embedding it between Lurk's shoulder blades. The large demon swung round and roared in pain, "Oh shit!" Gunn dove thru the demon's legs and slid into the middle of the lobby, landing at the gang's feet.

"Nice entrance." Buffy commented.

Faith laughed heartily as she watched Lurk swing round and around trying to get the axe from between his shoulder blades, "Stand still you daft bastard." She said as she pushed off the ground lightly and into the air. Pulling the axe hard, the rogue slayer managed to yank it free, "Okay then," she said calmly, looking the axe over and feeling its weight in her hands, "looks like the fight's on!"

"Get him out of here now," Buffy said to Cordy as she watched Lurk make his way slowly towards them, "Angel, don't look at me like that, you know you can't help. Wes, Gunn, take the big guy, I'll deal with Faith as best as I can."

"Okay, lets try and slow this big bastard down some more!" Gunn said gratefully taking two small hand axes off Wesley.

"Indeed." Wesley replied, taking aim with his crossbow.

*****

"How bout you come down, make this a little fairer?" Buffy shouted up to Faith who was currently circling the room.

"Sure thing girlfriend," Faith said landing about two feet away from the blonde, "this fairer?"

Buffy winced as the word 'girlfriend' left Faith's lips and trying to keep her feelings from showing, settled into a familiar fighting stance, "Drop the axe and it'll be as fair as it can be in these circumstances."

The brunette smiled and shrugged before throwing the axe hard towards Buffy's head. The elder slayer dropped the floor as fast as she could, feeling the handle of the axe graze the top of her head as she rolled under one of the sofa's in reception.

"No hiding." Faith reached under the sofa and yanked Buffy out by the back of her collar. She smirked as the blonde slayer struggled to get free of her grip. Her newfound strength and the height advantage she'd always possessed made it easy for the dark slayer to hold Buffy off her feet.

"I wasn't hiding," Buffy stopped struggling, "I was regrouping!" The little blonde raised back and kicked her feet as hard as she could into Faith's chest. She hit the ground with a hard thud and watched as Faith hit the floor opposite her in much the same way. Buffy scrambled to her feet and tried to come up with some sort of attack plan.

Faith stood up, tucked her wings away behind her and snarled before casually throwing the first proper punch of the fight. The girls traded blow for blow and kick for kick, yet neither of them was gaining any sort of advantage.

Buffy was starting to get tired. Her legs felt like led and her arms even worse from blocking Faith's venomous blows. Faith was stronger, a lot stronger, and it was taking all of the blonde's reserves to even keep up the fight. She knew if she couldn't get on the attack properly the fight would just turn into Faith beating her face into an unrecognisable pulp. The older slayer took quick glances over in the direction of Wesley and Gunn, hoping that either of them could provide enough distraction for her to take an opening, but both had quite enough to deal with in the form of Faith's large friend. Suddenly an idea struck Buffy that was so obvious she was angered that she hadn't thought of it before. All she needed was a distraction.

*****

"Angel, she's getting tired." Cordelia said as she watched Faith back Buffy into a corner, "I don't think she can hold on much longer."

"There's got to be something we can do." Angel began to pace as best as he could in his condition. Suddenly he stopped, "The least we can do is try and create some sort of opening for her."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Cordelia asked, looking at her friend sceptically.

"C'mon." Angel limped out the office with a reluctant Cordy at his heels.

*****

Buffy saw Angel and Cordy leave the office, 'What the hell are they doing?' she thought. She had told them to stay put for a reason. Having been backed into a corner Buffy was finding it even harder to block Faith's relentless stream of punches. Suddenly she felt pain shoot up the side of her face and found herself sliding down the wall, blackness threatening to spill over and engulf her.

"Shit!" Angel cursed out loud as he saw what Faith was planning.

The rogue slayer grabbed her counterpart by the front of her t-shirt and spread her wings, taking to the air with ease and grace.

"Faith, no!" The vampire struggled up the staircase to the balcony, anything to try and get closer.

Gunn turned swiftly as he heard Angel's cry and stared on with horror. Wesley withdrew his sword from Lurk's chest and watched the demon fall to the ground like a felled tree.

He wiped his brow and stared at Gunn, "Thanks for the help." Gunn silently turned and pointed upwards. "Oh my god, she's going to drop her." Wesley stated the obvious as he watched Faith disappear towards the high ceiling of the hotel.

The cold rush of air on Buffy's face brought her back, all be it groggily, into reality and she realised that there was something very wrong about this situation. Opening her eyes, the blonde slayer was greeted with an alarming sight. 'Oh god,' Buffy thought as she closed her eyes again, 'It's now or never, I hope this works.' The elder slayer took a deep breath, 'Unexplainable slayer powers don't fail me now!' The blonde twisted round in Faith's grasp and reached up as best as she could in her current position, grabbing a hold of the brunette's face Buffy channelled all the energy she had left and hoped to whoever that this was going to work as she expected.

Faith felt Buffy's warm hands grab her face and suddenly and unexplainably she was filled with so many emotions and memories that were not her own. Buffy and her kissing... Buffy and her making love... Buffy crying for her... no it couldn't be true. Faith let out an almighty scream and tried to claw the little slayer's hands from her face.

*****

"What the hell is going on up there?" Gunn asked as Cordelia joined him and Wesley.

"I don't know, but by the sounds of things it's not good." The ex cheerleader replied.

"Where's Angel?" Wesley asked, not taking his eyes off the two struggling girls.

"He's there." Cordelia pointed to the vampire who stood clenching the banister of the landing, poised for whatever was going to happen next, even though he wasn't sure what that could be.

*****

Buffy couldn't take much more of this, everything she was feeling was becoming too much. Faith's pain, anger and experiences in hell were flooding her brain and her soul felt like it was being ripped from her body. She fought hard to stay conscious and then something that had never happened before occurred, Buffy heard a faint, scared voice in the back of her head trying to be heard over all the screaming and white noise,

"B, I'm scared. What's going on?"

"Faith?"

"Yeah. B, where have you been? I've been lost, I needed you to find me."

"I tried. God knows I tried. You have to fight through this and come back to me."

"I can't. I'm lost. I'm scared."

Faith screamed again and this time was successful in freeing herself from Buffy's grip. The brunette felt unconsciousness drag her under and couldn't stop the two of them from spiralling into a free fall towards the hard floor of the hotel lobby.

"Buffy!" Angel saw the two girls begin their fast decent towards from the ceiling and did what instinct told him to do. The injured vampire leaped from the landing and connected with Buffy's limp and falling body. He swung himself round so he would take the brunt of the impact and braced his already battered body, landing with a nauseating, dull thud.

*****

"...and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you..."

*****

Faith hauled herself down a nearby alley and into the warehouse she had been calling home since her return to the surface. She stumbled as she tried to make her way to the far side of the building, eventually deciding to rest when she tripped over her own feet and fell into a puddle. Pushing wet hair gingerly out of her eyes, she drew the back of her hand over puffy red eyes and tried to calm down. The dark slayer reached cautiously round to her right wing and winced as her fingers probed the broken appendage that now hung limply from her back. She had landed pretty hard when she'd blacked out and this was the result, she was stuck firmly on the ground from here on in until the wing healed and had no idea how long that could take. The brunette was broken, confused and above all else she felt firmly lost. All the images she had seen as Buffy had held tightly to her face couldn't be true. If they were then surely she would remember them herself. But the fallen slayer couldn't deny that they had felt right, felt as if they had happened. So if that was the case, why couldn't she remember? What had happened to her to make her forget something like Buffy actually loving her back? Faith dragged herself across to a nearby wall and settled against it. Tears of frustration and pain began to fall down her pale cheeks as she tried hard to put everything together in her head. But before she could draw any conclusions sleep took over and she sunk into its comfortable numbness.

*****

"We're dreaming again huh?" Buffy asked as she looked curiously at the Faith who stood in front of her, the Faith she remembered loving, "Why are you letting me see you now?"

The brunette looked down at herself and reached round and felt where her wings should have been, "I'm back to..."

"Normal?" Buffy interjected, trying to give her fellow slayer the word she was looking for.

Faith shook her head no, "This isn't normal." Suddenly something her Father had said came to her mind, '"That's the nifty thing about dreams. You always look like you remember yourself looking like. Or how you want to look."' But she couldn't quite remember when she had heard him say it.

"If it's not normal then what is it?" the blonde asked.

"I guess it's the way I want you to see me, my father said..."

"Your father?" Buffy interrupted, "I thought your father was dead."

The brunette thought hard about what Buffy had said and things seemed a lot clearer, "Not my real father."

"Oh, you mean Him."

An awkward silence fell between them as both girls thought hard about what to say or do next, it was Buffy that broke the silence first,

"Come with me?" the blonde asked tentatively holding out her hand for Faith to take.

The brunette hesitated and then cautiously placed her hand in the elder slayers, "Where are we going?"

"Through there." Buffy nodded towards a door that appeared out of nowhere to her left, before opening it and leading Faith thru.

Faith looked around wide-eyed and slightly confused as it dawned on her what she was seeing. The door led to the training room in the back of Giles' magic shop and there she saw Buffy and oddly enough herself sparring. The brunette turned to the blonde who still grasped her hand tightly, "This really happened didn't it? We're looking at a memory."

Buffy nodded yes, "Ssh and keep watching."

Faith watched the scene play out and began to remember, the fun, the fear of Buffy rejecting her again and then the sheer emotional intensity of their first kiss. The thought sunk in deep and the rogue slayer was stunned, their first kiss. The memory Faith and Buffy faded out and left the slayers stood in the dream created training room. The brunette didn't realise she had been crying until the elder slayer reached up and wiped the tear from her cheek.

"Do you remember?"

Faith nodded, "Buffy, I'm..."

Buffy placed a finger over the younger slayer's mouth to silence her, "Don't do that yet. Just because it's over here, doesn't mean it's over out there. You haven't come back to me yet."

"I will." Faith said solemnly taking Buffy's face in her hands, "I'm on my way."

*****

"Is she still asleep?" Giles asked as Willow walked down the stairs, into the vast lobby of the Hyperion.

"Yeah. Out like a light. I left Tara with her."

"We really appreciate you being able to come up," Wesley addressed the Sunnydale Scooby Gang who had recently arrived in L.A., "with Angel out of commission fully, the extra hands will be needed."

"So are we getting ready for a Faith hunt?" Xander asked glibly as he looked thru a weapons chest that lay open.

"I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that." Giles replied sternly.

"Quite." Wesley added in agreement as he leafed thru the translation of the prophecy Buffy had brought him.

"Why not?"

"Xander you weren't here when she came to help Buffy with, well, with, you know..." Willow trailed off, as she couldn't think of a way to put what she was trying to say.

"Yeah you're right Will, I wasn't here. I was too busy being possessed by the devil and killing my girlfriend."

"Xander that isn't fair and you know it." Giles said as he handed a book to his fellow ex watcher.

"Okay, I know." Xander looked at his feet and then to his childhood friend, "I'm sorry Willow."

"It's okay."

"I guess I just have all this resentment towards her still. You guys got to make a start at some kind of amends with her. I just got possessed and then put in a coma." Xander sat down and sighed heavily as the events of the past months lay firmly on his mind.

"Well you should sort of know how she feels then." Willow said as she sat down next to him.

"I'm not following Will." Xander said, screwing up his face in confusion.

"Well if what Wesley has told is true then the human Faith is still in that demon body somewhere. In some sort of way she's been possessed."

"So what you're saying is that if we perform some sort of exorcism then Buffy gets her girlfriend back?"

"Something like that Xand." Willow paused as she thought, "D'you remember that film we watched that night at Buffy's just after you were out the hospital?"

"What, the one with the tubby silent guy and the angels?"

"Uh huh. D'you remember how the angels made themselves human?"

Xander thought about it and Willow's train of thought still didn't make much sense, "Yeah, but Faith isn't an angel."

Willow sighed, "No I know that, but it might work in sort of the same way."

"It's worth a shot I guess." Xander slid into the sofa and attempted to get comfortable, "Only problem is how do we get our hands on Faith long enough to cut her wings off."

As Xander finished his sentence, a red faced, out of breath Charles Gunn burst thru the front entrance of the hotel. Everyone looked up in surprise as he tried to get his message out, "Faith...four nasty... beating the shit out of her...we gotta go help...if we need her alive."

*****

Faith tried to get to her feet but was struck down again each time she tried. Eventually she decided the best course of action was to stay down long enough for them to stop beating her.

The littlest of the demons held his hand up and rumbled, "Stop, beating her."

Faith smirked derisively as she recognised the voice, "Must be important if you've been sent."

"You know why we're here."

"To take me," Faith paused, confused at how awkward the next word felt coming out of her mouth, "home?"

"He is very displeased with your performance down here. I knew it was too soon for your return to the surface. You've failed and you'll pay the price when we take you back." The little demon snarled.

"Nobody's taking her anywhere!"

Faith looked up startled past the pack of demons and saw a group of people she least expected to lead her...her rescue.

*****

Buffy stirred and winced as every fibre in her body screamed with the after effects of the fight with the demon slayer. She rolled onto her back and let out a deep breath. Sensing another person in the room, the blonde slayer slowly opened her eyes and propped herself up on one elbow.

"Hey." Tara said getting out the chair she had been dozing in whilst keeping an eye on the little slayer.

"Hey," Buffy said groggily, rubbing her eyes, "Have I been out long?"

"Not really. A f-few hours really."

"Do I even want to ask about the others?" The blonde furrowed her brow and placed a cold palm against her forehead.

"Everyone's okay really," Tara paused, trying to find the words to explain Angel's condition. After the fall the already injured vampire was literally broken. In time he would heal, but it would take exactly that, time. "E-except for Angel."

Buffy sucked in a deep breath as bits and pieces of her memory came back to her, "Oh my god, he broke my fall." The slayer swallowed hard afraid to ask the next thought in her head. She opened her mouth to speak but the witch interrupted,

"The others have gone to get her."

"Gone to get?" Buffy asked, unable to hide the anxiety in her voice.

"It's okay. Willow's had an idea. W-we think we've found a way to make her human again."

*****

Faith backed away as she watched the collective Scooby gang see off the last of her seekers. Suddenly she backed into something and turned swiftly to be met with Xander.

"You're not going anywhere Faith." Xander said, trying not to sound as scared as he actually was facing the demon slayer.

The rogue slayer weighed up her options; she could try and fight her way out of this situation (even injured she the odds were probably still stacked to her advantage) and go on the run from both parties. Or she could trust what her gut was telling her, what her memories were telling her and put herself into the hands of the Scooby gang. Taking a deep breath, the dark slayer closed her eyes and cleared her head. Xander tensed his whole body, awaiting the inevitable blow that was to come his way. Remembering the last dream she had shared with her fellow slayer, Faith opened her eyes and held her wrists out.

Xander flinched and took a step back, when he looked through his raised arms he realised Faith hadn't thrown a punch and all he could say was, "Huh?"

Faith sighed and held her wrists together, "I'm guessing for everyone's safety I'll be being cuffed or something."

"Tranquillised actually." Xander said, shakily holding up the syringe he'd been given.

*****

"Like the dog I am huh?"

Xander offered a small smile as the rest of the gang ran over and surrounded Faith. "Guys it's okay," Xander handed the syringe to Wesley who just stared at it, "she's willing to go quietly."

"So Wes, where d'you want to stick it?"

The gang couldn't help but smirk as Wesley blushed and cautiously moved towards Faith, "Your arm will do fine thank you Faith."

Faith held her arm out to the ex watcher, he carefully placed the needle into her skin and released whatever sedative the syringe held. The dark slayer placed a hand to her head and began to feel woozy, "Man this is good shit." She slurred before falling back into Gunn and Xander's arms.

"Okay guys," Willow said picking up Faith's feet, "We better get her back to the Hyperion quickly. We don't know how long that tranquilliser will hold out."

*****

"How is he?" Buffy asked quietly as she watched Cordelia lay a cold cloth on Angel's forehead.

"As stable as can be expected considering." Cordelia replied more abruptly than she'd actually meant to. She just couldn't help or hide her irritation at Buffy as she had a talent for sweeping into her life and hurting people she cared for and then sweeping out again.

"I didn't want this to happen Cordy. You know as well as I do that once he gets an idea into his head nothing can stop him." Buffy said in a vain attempt to justify Angel's actions to herself as well as the brunette.

"You never do want these things to happen Buffy. That's half the problem."

"I'm sorry." Were the only words the blonde could think of saying. She watched as Cordelia displayed tenderness she hadn't known the brunette was capable of whilst dressing Angel's wounds. A slight pang of jealousy, laced with more than enough guilt began to rise through the little slayer and she turned to walk back towards the room in which she'd awoken. Buffy looked up as she saw Tara walk towards her. The blonde witch placed a reassuring hand on Buffy's elbow as she spoke,

"Th-they're back."

Buffy took a deep breath and ran a bruised hand through her hair. The slayer felt Tara place a comforting hand on her back and the two of them began to walk down towards the basement of the hotel where Faith was being caged until the final plan had been worked through.

*****

"Hey," Willow said as she saw Tara lead Buffy through into the room, "how you feeling Buffy?"

Surveying the broken wing and various cuts and bruises on her one time lover Buffy replied, "Probably about as rough as she is."

Xander stepped over to the group of girls and placed his arm around Buffy, "She wasn't any trouble to bring back if that's any reassurance Buff. In fact there probably wasn't a need to knock her out."

"I know."

"Huh?" Xander and Willow asked in unison.

"Slayer dream." Buffy replied, distracted, as she broke free of Xander's friendly embrace towards the caged slayer.

"You had a dream?" Giles asked as he locked the cage.

"Yeah." The blonde slayer ran a finger down the cold metal of the cage and marvelled at how peaceful Faith looked laid out on the floor in a deep induced slumber. She turned to Giles and held out her hand, "Give me the key."

Giles looked at her sceptically, he new better than to argue with his slayer when she had that look on her face, "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Trust me." Was all Buffy replied with as Giles handed her the key and backed away to the other side of the room where the others stood. He nodded towards the door and following his lead the rest of the gang vacated the room.

Buffy slid the key into the lock of the cage, never once taking her eyes off Faith's sleeping form. Quietly she stepped into the cage and shut the door behind her, locking it again. The elder slayer crouched down and shakily brushed a strand of hair from Faith's face. Lingering, she let her thumb brush across the sleeping slayer's pale cheek and over to the clearly broken wing on Faith's back. Buffy let out a long breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding and sat down. She slowly pulled Faith into her arms and hung her head, amazed at the relief that was beginning to flood her mind and her body.

The demon slayer felt a tear land on her forehead and instantly knew whose arms were holding her safe and tight. Scared if she opened her eyes the moment would end, she kept them firmly closed and heard Buffy whisper an almost silent,

"I'm not letting you go this time."

*****

"So do you think it'll work?" Willow asked the Watchers as everyone except for Cordelia, Angel and Buffy gathered round for a well-deserved feast.

Giles finished eating what was in his mouth and took a sip of water before answering, "I don't see why not. What you suggested is a more than plausible plan as for once a film hasn't fabricated its contents. To become wholly mortal and human an angel must cut off their wings."

"Yeah but what about the whole Faith's a demon, not an angel factor?" Xander asked with his mouth stuffed full.

"Well there will obviously be some tweeking to do." Wesley replied, "Which I'm sure we'll be able to figure out through some research."

Xander groaned and stood up, piling a second plate high with food, "I'm gonna take this up to Cordy, see if she wants some food."

*****

"Hey," Xander said as he knocked gently on the door to Angel's room, "thought you might want some food."

Cordy stood up from where she was sat, keeping vigil next to the vampire's bed, "Thanks Xand. I don't really want to leave him..."

"In case he wakes up?" Xander offered, finishing the brunette's sentence. He handed her the plate, "Feel like some conscious company while you eat?"

"Sure." Cordelia offered a small smile and the ex couple moved towards Angel's balcony.

"So you and dead boy are pretty close these days huh?" Cordy drew Xander a look that made him reconsider what he just said, "Of course I mean dead boy in the most affectionate manner."

Again Cordy offered her ex boyfriend a small smile, "Yeah I guess we have. He kind of grows on you." She picked at the food on the plate and bitterly asked, "So I guess we're all working hard downstairs to save yet another one of Buffy's psycho lovers?"

Xander laughed a little and nodded over to the bed where Angel lay, "Cordy I think you're forgetting that if it wasn't for Buffy and her constant faith in her "psycho lovers" you wouldn't have him now."

"True," Cordy blushed a little, "I don't mean it really. It's just, I mean, me and Faith were friends too y'know. And when she turns it's all about Buffy and how she's feeling. Never mind the rest of us who cared for Faith and for who Faith has injured in her rampage."

Xander smiled and put his arms around Cordelia, "It's always about Buffy, Cordy. You get used to it."

"I'm sorry about Anya, Xand. I mean I know I didn't know her all that well. But y'know...I'm sorry for your loss." Cordy sat the plate down on a desk behind her and wrapped her arms round Xander's waist as he pulled her into a warm, friendly embrace,

"Thanks Cordy."

*****

Buffy woke with a start, forgetting momentarily where she was and why she was there. She blinked a few times and looked at the slayer she was still holding. "Faith." Buffy whispered hoping that the sedative had worn off her fellow slayer.

Faith groggily opened her eyes and instinctively tried to move out of Buffy's arms when she realised that's where she was.

"Hey, hey," Buffy got a better grip of the struggling slayer, "Faith, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Faith relaxed a little and tried to sit up; still groggy from the tranquilliser she gratefully accepted Buffy's help.

"How you feeling?" the little blonde asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure." The demon slayer tried to clear her head up a little. She currently felt like her brain had done ten rounds in a cement mixer and that something was trying to pull her in two. What had seemed like a good idea when she was injured and feeling sorry for herself was now looking decidedly like an error in judgement. Looking around the cage in which her and Buffy sat, Faith was fighting hard with the urge to flee.

"Thinking about going somewhere?"

Faith snapped out her thoughts and turned curiously to the blonde, "How did you know I was thinking that?"

"Y'know," Buffy shrugged, "slayer link." Buffy smiled a little, "Or it could just be that scared, lost look in your eyes."

"I'm not scared." Faith said turning away again.

"You should be." Buffy tried to place a reassuring hand on Faith's shoulder; the younger slayer shrugged it off and continued to sit with her back to Buffy. "I know I am." The blonde stood up and dusted herself off. She sighed and walked out of the cage.

"Where are going?" Faith asked quietly.

"Upstairs, to tell the others you're awake."

"Lock the cage."

"Why?" Buffy asked, confused at the request.

"Because then I can't run." Faith struggled to her feet and walked over to the cage door to look her fellow slayer in the eyes.

"I'm not going to lock it Faith. If you want to run, then do it. And you can keep on running for the rest of your life. From me, from people who care about you and those who just want you plain dead." Buffy walked away from Faith, leaving her stood at the open cage door.

*****

"She's awake."

The others looked up from various books at Buffy, a little surprised by the abruptness of her entrance. "How is...she?" Willow asked, getting that horrible acidy feeling in her stomach.

The blonde struggled to find a way to describe the state of her fellow slayer, "She's Faith."

"Oh." Willow thought for a moment, "Is that good thing or a bad thing?"

"To be honest Will, I have no idea. The sooner we can get this ritual thingy started, then the better for all of us." Buffy wearily ran a hand thru her hair, "How long till you'll be ready?"

"Um, I wouldn't say too long." Giles answered, "We're just waiting for Tara and Xander to return with some essential ingredients we need and then we can go set everything up."

"I'll go and get Faith." The blonde turned and headed back down the stairs, not sure whether she would find the brunette there or not. On reaching the bottom of the stairs Buffy took a deep breath and forced herself to look up at the cage, "Fuck!" The little slayer cursed out loud as she stalked over to the empty cage. She fought hard against the tears of frustration and sadness that were threatening to break through as she slammed the cage door shut, rattling it off its hinges.

"Woah B, first time I've heard you curse like that."

Buffy spun round, red faced, to find Faith stood behind her, looking out a dirty window, "What the hell?" She clenched her fists hard by her side, trying not to lash out at her fellow slayer.

"You thought I'd left huh?" Faith said turning back to look at nothing in particular out the window.

"It's what it looked like. Plus you've hardly filled me with confidence in regards to your staying ability."

Faith closed her eyes, as images flashed across her mind of what she could only presume were the past. She stood in a doorway watching a naked Buffy sleep sound; she placed a note next to the sleeping slayer before kissing her softly on the lips and...leaving.

The demon slayer opened her eyes and snapped out of the flashback, "Buffy I'm sorry. Y'know I don't really remember much of the past, of my past with you or my past in general. You know those dreams we had?" Buffy nodded a silent, yet impatient yes and Faith continued, "Well up until the last one, after our fight, I had no memories of you at all apart from bitter and twisted ones. I was brainwashed or...or something when all this happened. And now I'm getting weird trippy flashbacks and I'm confused as hell. I don't know what's real, I don't know what I'm feeling, what happened here, or there for that matter. I just know that my heart is telling me that I belong with you and I'm not gonna run this time."

The little slayer sighed deeply, everything the brunette had said made her want to be happy but all she could say was, "They're probably ready for us upstairs."

'Damn that stung' Faith thought. Every time she tried to be honest and share her feelings with others it seemed to get thrown back in her face. As she watched Buffy turn to go back up stairs to the lobby, the southie slayer didn't have time to think before she blurted out, "Buffy I left to save you! I mean look at me!" When the elder slayer stopped but kept her back to the brunette, Faith repeated her last statement, "I said look at me!"

Buffy turned slowly, tears beginning to spill down her face.

"I'm the monster I always knew I'd become Buffy. And I did this for you. For the world!" Faith's voice began to crack as the emotion of what she was saying hit her hard, "The fucking world that never gave me one damn thing easy! A world that gave me a kindred spirit who hated me so much because she loved me and a vampire who's like a brother to me lying battered and burnt because of my actions!" The younger slayer now couldn't prevent her own tears from falling, "I did this to save you from becoming this! I'm sorry if I left you like all the others did but I had no choice." Faith fell to her knees and for the first time since she was a kid, she sobbed freely, "I had no choice." She repeated in a small voice, her head buried in her hands.

Buffy quickly closed the distance between her and the brunette and fell to her knees, taking the sobbing slayer into her arms, "I know Faith, I know. Ssh, please? It's gonna be okay." The elder slayer tilted Faith's head up and wiped the tears from her face, "I promise, we'll make it through this." Without thinking the blonde leaned in to kiss the brunette,

"Buffy don't." Faith turned away again, "Not when I'm like this."

The little slayer forced Faith back round to look her in the eye, "I don't care." Buffy leant in again and finished her earlier action, kissing the demon slayer softly on the lips. Pulling back she looked into Faith's eyes again, "C'mon, let's go see if it's time."

"Buffy I'm scared."

"Good." She offered her hand to the younger slayer as she stood, "But it'll be okay if we're together."

*****

"Well this place is suitably remote and creepy." Xander said as the gang drove into an abandoned warehouse that was seemingly in the middle of nowhere, "Cordy will sure be upset she's missing this one."

Willow playfully slapped him on the arm, "Shush you big scaredy cat and let's get things set up."

"Coincidently, where did you find this place?" Wesley asked as he handed Tara a bag of candles, which she began to spread round in a large circle.

"The Internet."

"Ah the wonders of a modern age." Giles said ever cynically as he helped Faith from the back of Gunn's truck.

"And it just happened to have these chains as standard?" Xander asked as he picked up a rusty cuff attached to a chain, which was firmly embedded in the concrete of the floor.

"Actually it used to be a..." Willow trailed off as she thought better of telling everyone what the warehouse used to be used for, "...never mind, it's just handy I found a place like this."

Xander quickly dropped the cuff, "Yeah, real handy Will." He dusted his hands off and shuddered slightly.

Giles shook his head, "Buffy, if you wouldn't mind." He nodded towards the chains.

"Sure." The blonde turned to Faith and tried to give a reassuring smile, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Let's do this then."

The slayers walked hand in hand to where the restraints were laid out on the ground.

"Okay we need you to kneel." Wesley told Faith as he consulted an ancient book he held in both hands.

The brunette did as she was told and got to her knees. Buffy crouched beside her and placed the first cuff on Faith's wrist, making sure it was tight and secure, "Not too tight?"

"Just the way I like it B." Faith quipped, trying to mask the obvious fear in her voice.

The blonde couldn't help but smile as she moved round to attach the other cuff, "I'll need to remember that F." She said taking Faith's bait, trying to ease the stifling tension of the situation.

"You'll need this." Xander said as he handed Buffy one of the two heavy broad swords he was holding.

"Thanks." She replied, standing and taking the sword from him. Buffy studied the sword as she walked round to the opposite side of Faith and into her position.

"Everyone where they should be?" Giles called as he took his place next to Wesley about 5ft in front of the demon slayer. Willow and Tara nodded a reply from the same distance behind Faith. Buffy lifted the tip of her sword off the ground and poised herself ready; Xander gave a quick salute to Giles and mirrored the blonde slayer's action. Faith cleared her throat and closed her eyes tight. "On my signals everyone." Giles nodded at Willow to begin,

"Luminos." Willow stated firmly and all the candles that surrounded them lit themselves.

Giles began to read an incantation in Latin, which Tara repeated in English. A wind began to pick up around the circle and an anxious nervousness crept into each of them. As Giles and Tara finished Wesley and Willow picked up where they left of. Faith felt a surge of energy flow threw her body and she involuntarily jerked forwards. Not expecting this Xander jumped himself, which was rewarded with a wary stare from Buffy. As Wesley and Willow finished their part of the incantation Giles nodded towards Buffy who raised her sword, Faith screamed out in pain as something ripped through her and she fought hard against the chains holding her to the ground.

"Now Buffy!" Giles shouted over the noise of Faith's screaming.

The elder slayer put most of her strength into the swing and brought her blade down hard onto Faith's wing, taking it off in one clean blow. The demon slayer screamed harder as she began to slowly rise off the ground, blood gushing from the wound.

"Xander, quick!" Giles cried out.

Xander took a deep breath, raised the sword he held and swung down with all his might, successfully taking the broken wing off in one go. All of a sudden Faith lifted sharply, snapping the restraints, which had held her to the ground, whipping round, one of the chains caught Xander in the face and knocked him to the ground.

Buffy looked to Giles for what to do next, when there was an almighty earth-levelling tremor coupled with a deafening bang. Temporarily blinded by a shot of light that had emitted from the levitating slayer, each of the gang rubbed their eyes as they tried to get back to their feet.

"Where the hell is Faith?" Buffy asked through gritted teeth as she carefully shook shattered glass from her hair.

"Shit! Over there." Xander said gingerly touching the gash on his cheek that the chain had caused.

Buffy followed to where Xander was pointing and saw a limp body laying in a dark patch of the warehouse, "Oh shit, no, not after all this." The blonde cursed and ran towards where the body of the rogue slayer lay. As she reached the body, Buffy dropped hard to her knees and began to sob in frustration and worry. "Faith, Faith c'mon, no kidding." The little slayer turned Faith over and saw the worst thing she could have imagined, she chocked down the urge to vomit and placed her hand over the bloody wound that spread across her lover's stomach. "Giles quick!" she screamed across the warehouse, "We need to get her to a hospital or something now!"

*****

"I'm in love with you/And it's crushing my heart/All I want is you/To take me into your arms/When love and death embrace"

*****

What happened next went in such a blur that Buffy couldn't really place any of the events that followed. They had rushed Faith to the emergency room, from the trauma of the ritual (or the exorcism as Faith would later like to refer to it) and the glass shard ripping through her stomach, the younger slayer was pretty much D.O.A. But due to some medical miracle or just sheer slayer determination and stamina (or maybe it was a promise she had silently made to Buffy) she came back and her fellow slayer now sat at her bedside anxiously awaiting her awakening.

The brunette blinked her eyes a few times and tried to adjust to the blinding light, "B?" she croaked out.

"Faith?" Buffy leant forward and stood from her seat, "You awake?"

"Looks like." The younger slayer croaked, she swallowed trying to get some moisture into her dry throat, "Where am I?"

"Hospital. God I was beginning to think you'd never wake up. How d'you feel? Is everything...well normal? The doc's didn't seem to find anything abnormal about you, well except the slayer stuff they can never explain about me..."

"Hey, hey, slow down B. You're gonna hyperventilate." Faith couldn't help but smile at Buffy's enthusiasm, "Now go back a few, I'm in hospital?"

"Yeah...you don't remember?" Receiving a blank look and a small shrug from her fellow slayer Buffy continued, "The ritual...we got the demon out of you. Well at least I think. You look pretty normal these days."

Of course, Faith wondered what the pain was when she shrugged. Her wings, they were gone. As was the darkness that had clouded her brain and the blackness she swore she could feel round her heart. "Y'know they're gonna come looking for me sooner rather than later, right B?" the brunette said fiddling with the corner of the blanket covering her.

"I know." Buffy sighed and sat on the edge of the hospital bed, "But there's not much the chosen two can't fight down."

Faith couldn't help but crack a grin that was rewarded with one from the blonde, "So how long was I out for this time?"

"Not long. A few days. Although we thought we'd lost you before we'd even got you here. It was lucky. Doc's say a miracle." Buffy placed a hand on the younger slayer's face.

Faith was enjoying the comfort of Buffy stroking her face and her hair when she suddenly had a thought, "B, did I actually die?"

"Yeah."

"Oh shit. Then you know what that means?"

The blonde thought for a moment and then everything clicked into place. She wasn't the chosen one any longer, well not technically, Faith was. "That means there's gonna be a new slayer called."

"We have to..." Faith started,

"Get to her before the watcher's council do." Buffy finished for her.

Faith nodded and sighed, "Man it's always one thing after another in this place. We're never gonna get a brake." She couldn't help but laugh, "Better go phone Giles."

"I'm on it." Buffy kissed Faith gently on the lips and headed out to find the nearest pay phone.

Faith touched her fingers to her lips and couldn't help but crack the widest grin she could muster. After everything, she still had the only thing she'd ever truly wanted in the world, Buffy.

"Giles says he'll start looking into things and what not. But there's not much else we can do till you're out of this place." The blonde said as she sat back down on Faith's bed, taking her hand. "He basically said we're both to take it easy for a few."

"That'd be nice." Faith looked down at her hand in Buffy's, "You know, um, I never meant for any of this to happen." Thinking of the destruction she had caused a tear fell from Faith's eye, "Shit, I never even thought, how's Angel?"

"Hey," Buffy reached up and brushed the tear away, cupping the brunette's face with her hand, "he's doing okay. Getting better, slowly, but getting better." Faith nodded sadly and couldn't stop herself from crying, "Aww come on baby," the blonde gently brought the younger slayer into her arms, "ssh, it's okay. He doesn't hold you responsible. You should know that Angel understands what happened to you more than anyone."

"I know, I know." Faith sniffed, "It's just I fucked up again and caused so much pain. Again."

"Everyone knows it's not your fault this time. Hell it probably wasn't all your fault the last time." Buffy sat Faith back and looked her deep in the eye, "All you need to know is that I love you Faith and from today we start over."

"I love you too B...uffy."

The blonde smiled at Faith's late inclusion of her full name, "Good." She leant forward and gently kissed her girlfriend, a kiss which Faith instinctively deepened, "Hey, no." Buffy pulled back, breaking the kiss, "None of that sort of stuff till you're well enough to meet the price tag that kiss was wearing."

Faith mock pouted and then smirked, "Y'know B, slayer healing and private room, we could..."

"No. Bad slayer." Buffy squirmed out of Faith's grasp and laughed, "Anyways that's visiting over for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow k?"

"Yeah." The southie slayer held out her hand, "C'mere a minute?"

"Gonna behave?" Buffy inched cautiously towards the brunette.

"Slayers honour." Faith grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her onto the bed.

"Hey, watch your stitches little miss..."

"B, shut up and just gimme a goodnight kiss." Faith said interrupting Buffy's worried rant.

"M'kay." Buffy smiled as Faith kissed her.

"Now you can go."

Buffy got off the bed and headed for the door. When she reached it she turned back and smiled, "Told you it'd be okay if we were together. Night Faith."

"Night B." Faith smiled back and watched her girlfriend leave her room. She sighed and sunk back into her pillows. Now all they had to do was find the third slayer, if in fact she existed...

...to be continued...