Too Late..??
by BrokenAngelEtte
Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Again, Faith and Buffy, and yes, Willow, and of course all the other lovely characters mentioned in Buffy's dream/trance are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, and I'm making no money off of this, so please don't press charges or whatever- I'M AN INNOCENT B/F 'SHIPPER. The first set of lyrics are owned by Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit, Faith. And as you alllllready know, Please Remember is owned by Leann Rimes.
Author's Notes: This is to hold you guys over just until I finish the sequel to this and Please Remember- don't worry, it's coming. SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!!

"Are you sure it wasn't just that spider sense feeling thing that you felt, what with the fang gang and all?" Willow's voice came through the phone receiver. Buffy sighed and opened a drawer of her dresser and took out some pajamas- wideleg bottoms with fire designs on them, and a tight black spaghetti top. "No, I know it wasn't that-" Buffy paused to adjust the phone between her ear and shoulder because it was slipping. "-It was more of a watched feeling, y'know? Not in.. a, stalky, scary, I-take-pictures-from-your-basement Spike way, but more in a... someone watching over me way." Buffy smiled slightly as she discarded her baby blue skirt, and pulled on her PJ bottoms. "Like I had some kind of Angel."

On the other line Willow coughed politely and said, "Buffy.. I know it's still hard for you sometimes with him gone, but don't you think maybe you should try to, well, move on? And I mean that in the nicest, non-insultish way." Buffy frowned and shrugged, taking off her pastel yellow top, and putting on the spaghetti string, all in one manuever, to keep the phone on her ear and get the clothes off and on, which she'd learned at about 12. >Shut up Willow, you don't know.< "Will, I know you mean for the best, but sometimes your advice is NOT the best. I can't help it, how would you feel if Tara just, oh I dunno, ran off w/ Xander and had kids on a farm????"

As she said this, Buffy moved over to her window to close the blinds, and saw a small paper CD case on the outside part of the window, stuck in the crack.

Willow chuckled into the phone, "Buffy, number one- Tara loves me, and number two, how bizarre is that?? My Tara that would ever LIKE like Xander?? That's like saying she'd even use the cuffs and chains with him too and do the, ya know, the, well, YOU KNOW, with her!!" Buffy smiled faintly at the cute, but unrealistic comparison, then frowned and tried to open the window. "You're right Will, that wouldn't happen... hey I'm gonna check ya later, kay?" "Okay Buffy, see ya." -Click.-

Buffy sighed, still bothered by that emptiness that started to creep into her whenever she thought of what she felt in the alley, but ignored it and reached up and took the phone from her shoulder and pressed the OFF button, then tossed it on her bed. >Is that a CD? Maybe it's some file for Willow, or Giles. I wonder who put it there...< Buffy went back to struggling with the window. "Damnit!" Buffy swore aloud, frustrated. She grabbed the nearest object in her reach, which happened to be her stereo's remote. She threw it at the extremely evil window, which, coincidentially took the hit, but the 'Power' button had hit the corner of the windowsill.

	**..Well it takes a strong man baby, but I'm,
	I'm showin you that door, 
	rock GOTTA HAVE FAITH,
	GOTTA HAVE FAITH, 
	GOTTA HAVE FAITHHH... 
	Gotta have Faith....
	Baby..**

Buffy turned the damn radio off. "Gawd.. shut up." She went back to the window and after a little more cussing and struggling, got the damn thing open. She grabbed the cd case from the crack and then closed the window carefully, so it wouldn't get stuck again. <Hmm..> Buffy raised a carefully tweezed eyebrow and studied the white paper case. She turned it over, looking for some kind of label, but only saw a boldly scripted 'B' on it. She shrugged and muttered, "That's funny."

She crossed back over and opened the CD portion of her stereo and, took the CD out, and popped it in, then pressed play. Something didn't feel quite right as she went to her bed and climbed in, waiting for the song to start... she had that tingly, static electric feeling that ran throughout her whole body, from her hair and ears, down to her toes.. Buffy just shrugged and listened to the opening chords. Her muscles started to slowly relax with the sweet ballad melodies, from their previous tenseness. Buffy took in the lyrics and the music as one does when first listening to it, and thought about the lyrics...

	**...our time together,
	The time was yours and mine,
	While we were wild and free...
	Please remember, please remember me..**

<What is this?? It's so.. bittersweet sounding.. the love of someone's life pleading to be remembered.> Buffy put her head down on the pillow, her cheek resting against it, thinking about it. <Could it be?? Would Angel really send me this??> She sighed softly and then continued to take in the music, and it slowly put her in an almost trancelike state..

	**Goodbye, there's just no sadder word to say 
	And it's sad to walk away 
	With just the memories....**

Images, memories, emotions swept through the Slayer's body as she closed her eyes and the room was full of the female's clear, emotional, slightly brassy voice...

	**Who's to know what might have been 
	We'll leave behind a life and time 
	I'll never know again..**

Buffy was suddenly taken back to her early slaying days and the gorgeous, mysterious stranger who had first helped her... <Angel..> She saw and felt being drowned, her fear afterwards, her rage, her love for Angel.. All they had gone through together after that. The love and passion that had been so new and young at first, how they began to learn each other and love the other even more..

	**Please remember, please remember 
	I was there for you 
	And you were there for me
	And remember, please remember me**

Spike and Drusilla's arrival.. <Kendra,> a tiny sob escaped Buffy as she recalled the second Slayer she had met, the way her loneliness seemed less, well, lonely, the relief it was to know someone out there shared your pain, your life, the understanding...

	**Please remember, please remember 
	I was there for you 
	And you were there for me**

Buffy exhaled gently, almost feeling Angel's arms around her, comforting, full of love. She could hear the way his voice caught when he told her he loved her.. Buffy's breathing picked up slightly and her heart started to ache with sadness for what she'd gone through with Angelus, what the outcome had been.. <I loved him, so much...> How lost she'd felt afterwards, how unfair her life seemed, how pointless.

	**Please remember, our time together 
	The time was yours and mine 
	While we were wild and free 
	Please remember, please remember me**

A shudder went through Buffy lightly as she remembered the feeling of loneliness and depression. Something had felt like it was missing, that space that begged, NEEDED to be filled, someone who could understand her, who would simply accept and love her for who she was, "troubled" or not.. Buffy heard Angel's voice again, as she could sense the love in his voice, but not the understanding... -Buffy-, she heard another voice, Xander's, a slight feeling of disappointment washed over her, knowing that Xander had never truly loved her the way she desperately had needed someone to... Buffy... Buffy... Buffy... Buffy heard and felt other voices going through her, Giles', Willow's, Anya's, Riley's, then Angel's again, and then Willow's, then Xander's.. Her mind was awash with different people whispering and speaking her name.. then through the confusion and discomfort of it all, one voice rang out true. *B.*

	**We took each day and made it shine 
	We wrote our names across the sky 
	We ride so fast, we ride so free 
	And I had you, and you had me**

Buffy inhaled quickly, as she subconciously realized whose it was. Then a whole new wave of emotions, memories, and images started to wash through her head... Soft, dark brown curls and waves in her hair that almost seemed to scream out "Look at me everyone!!! I'm hot and I KNOW it," when it reflected the light, making it even more shiny.. Deep chocolatey brown eyes, dark, beautiful eyes.. A husky, gravelly yet exquisitely tender voice...

	*Please remember...*

A voice screaming out her name when her life was threatened, full of.. love?? full of worry, full of rage at the vampire who had her.. The same voice, but this time full of contempt, fear, and self-disgust.. images of a strong, yet soft, and definitely female fist as it found its way into the face of her.. lover? boyfriend? vampirefriend?... Memories of having to feel so distraught, disappointed, and yet hopeful, faithful that she'd turn everything around. Her remorse at hitting her, eventually even killing her.. The remorse she felt was later reflected in the girl's deep, soulful eyes, apologies were made even though no words were needed.. The final self-accepting stare that was directed at her and.. that other guy.. as she turned herself in. A very, VERY clear image of soft, light skin with tiny red and pink scratches all curled and designed around a beautiful letter B, but her heart felt tight as the beauty was ruined by a grotesque wound, and a silver blade painfully engrossed in it. Then all of the fuzzyness, the wavy lines in between the haze all were one memory, one ache, one huge feeling of loss, the need for closure. The need for...

	*Please Remember.*

As the song's notes died down slowly, so did Buffy's trance. Everything suddenly became clearer than anything had ever been for Buffy in a long, long time... Buffy's eyes shot open and she sat up, crying out a single syllable, a single word, a single name..

"Faith!"

...to be continued...