Thrive
by faith_b
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: These characters are the property of Joss Whedon and all
the other ppl at Btvs etc.
Spoilers: None….
Author's Notes: Sorry I was away for so long - I killed my computer :(
Dedications: To the feedbackers – thanks :)
Feedback: Always appreciated :)
Faith knocked on Buffy's hotel room door.
She heard a buzz as the lock was released, before hearing Buffy tell her to, "Come in."
The brunette entered to see Buffy sitting on one of the single beds in her room, illuminated only by lamps at the bed's sides.
"Hey," she said, coming in and closing the door behind her. "How you holding up?"
"I'm ok," Buffy replied, attempting to smile.
Faith was unconvinced. She walked towards her and sat down.
"You've hardly spoken since we got off the bus, something wrong?" She paused before asking, "Is it Spike?" and prompting Buffy to burst into tears.
"Hey," Faith said softly, reaching for her. Searching for words but unable to find them, she held the blonde, until her crying subsided.
Buffy eventually wiped her eyes. "It's not Spike," she told her.
"Oh."
"I guess it is a little. I don't know," she tried to explain. "This whole day has just been so…" She got up and began to pace before turning back. "God, I feel like I should be patrolling right now."
She sat back down before smiling at the silent brunette.
"I'm not making any sense, am I?"
"I think I get it," Faith told her. "You feel like you should be out there fighting coz that's all you've know how to do for so long."
Buffy nodded.
"And now that it's over, you don't get what your purpose is anymore."
Buffy thought about it, before turning to Faith and clarifying. "I used to be the slayer… and now I'm-"
"A slayer?" The younger of them completed.
"Yeah. And I don't know if I know-"
"How not to be the chosen one."
Buffy looked at her with surprise.
"I know how you feel B. I went through it."
The blonde's expression became full of query and urged Faith to continue.
"When I was called," the slayer told her, her words animated with her gesturing. "I did my thing. Slaying vamps wherever they were and I did it alone. When I heard that there was another slayer in Sunnydale, I thought it be great to have another slayer in the mix. I didn't think it'd mean that I wouldn't be the chosen one anymore."
Buffy's expression changed.
"You know what I mean," Faith continued. "I didn't get that I'd have to share my title, until I came to the Sunny D and met you. All of a sudden I wasn't the slayer anymore; I was one of them. I couldn't deal. Bein' in your shadow like that. It's why I had to prove I could be-"
She let her voice trail off before getting up. An awkward silence was upon them before Buffy broke it by telling the other slayer, "I didn't know." She got up and walked towards the brunette, facing her and looking into her eyes. "I kinda wish I did," she said, her voice quiet. "I always wanted-" She started before she was interrupted by the door swinging open.
"Buffy! These things are so cool," Dawn exclaimed, showing her sister the key. "You just swipe it and the door swings open." She glanced at Faith. "Oh hey Faith."
"Hey kid," the slayer replied. "I was just leaving." She turned to Buffy. "We'll talk tomorrow."
"Yeah," Buffy replied.
Faith smiled, before closing the door behind her.
Buffy watched the door close. She turned to see Dawn sitting on her bed.
"So Buffy," Dawn said, her voice game show host-like, "what do you want to do on your first night of freedom?"
"Sleep," Buffy replied. She climbed into bed and switched off her bedside lamp.
"Fine," Dawn muttered, climbing into bed and switching off her own. The slayer turned to see her younger sister turn her back to her. She felt a little guilty, but knew that there was no point trying to talk to her about it. Dawn wouldn't understand.
...to be continued...