Trials and Tribulations
by faith_b
Rating: NC-17
Mrs Greener answered the ringing phone.
"Hello, Greener's gifts, Mrs Greener speaking."
"Hi Mrs Greener, it's Buffy."
"Oh hello, Buffy."
"Hi. I'm just calling to find out if Faith came into work today?"
"Yes dear, she's right here," Mrs Greener replied, handing Faith the phone.
Faith took the phone from her boss. "Yeah," she said into the receiver.
"Faith, are you ok?"
"What's it sound like B?"
"It's just that you didn't come home last night. I thought something was wrong."
"I'm five by five, babe. Anything else?"
"I guess not," Buffy replied, she paused. "Faith, is everything alright?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Buffy couldn't think of a reason.
"Well if that's all babe," Faith continued. "I gotta get back to work. Later."
Buffy didn't have a chance to reply before Faith hung up.
Stunned, she sighed before picking up a towel and heading for the shower.
Faith dropped the phone. She let her anger diffuse before turning around to see her boss about to serve a customer she knew. Faith interrupted.
"It's ok, Mrs G, I know this one," she told her boss, who then left and went to the back.
"How can I help?" Faith asked.
"We need to talk," Willow told her. "In private."
Faith nodded and called out to her boss that she would be back in five minutes. She followed Willow out into the food court. Willow sat down on the bench whilst Faith decided to stand.
"Ok Red, you wanna tell me what's going on?"
"I'm sorry Faith, I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you."
"What?" Faith asked. "That Buffy slept with farm boy? I already know."
"So you know about the baby?"
"What?"
Horrified by the apparent look of surprise on Faith's face, Willow tried, "Oh, er, nothing."
"Don't fuck with me Red. What baby?"
Willow looked up at the angry brunette. "Buffy's pregnant," she told her.
Faith sat down on the nearby bench.
"I'm really sorry. I thought you knew."
The brunette was speechless.
"The thing is, she thinks you don't want the baby, so she's going to have it terminated. Faith, you've gotta stop her."
The slayer thought about it before finally saying, "Tell Mrs G I had to go."
Willow smiled. "Sure."
Faith rushed out of the mall.
Dawn relieved Riley of his persistent knocking on their door.
"Hey Dawn, is Buffy here?"
"No, she's at the hospital."
"Why? What's wrong with her?"
"I dunno. She just said she was going to the hospital. She looked fine though. It's probably a check up."
"Yeah. She's gone to Sunnydale general right?"
"Yeah," Dawn replied. "Do you wanna come in and wait?"
"No. Thanks." Riley told her. "I'll see her later. Take care of yourself," he added leaving.
Dawn watched as Riley sped off towards his car. *He is so hot* she thought. She closed the door and leant against it, listening as his car started and sped off.
Buffy slowly got up when she heard her name called. She went to the reception.
"Here you go miss," the receptionist told her handing her a form. "Fill these in and you can go through."
"Thank you," Buffy told her, taking the pen and filling in the form.
When she was finished, the receptionist took it from her and pointed towards the doctor's room.
Buffy walked in to see the doctor sitting in front of the computer. The doctor stood.
"Now miss Summers, I'll need to ask you a few questions before we can start the procedure.
Buffy nodded.
"Have you taken the time to think about all the options you have, other than termination and are sure you want to continue?"
Buffy nodded.
"Are you aware of the risks of the operation? Although there are rarely complications, they can occur."
Buffy nodded again.
"Finally, is there anybody you would like to contact?"
"No," Buffy told her, her voice almost a whisper.
"Ok," she replied. "If you would sign here and we can begin."
Buffy took the document and read it carefully. She asked for a pen.
Riley rushed into Sunnydale General Hospital and found reception.
"Hello," the receptionist greeted. "How can I help?"
"Hi my name is Riley Finn, I called a few minutes ago."
"Yes," the receptionist remembered.
"About Buffy Summers. How is she?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Finn, but that's confidential information."
"But I'm family," he argued.
The receptionist typed Buffy's name into the computer. "Oh. So you are," she agreed with him. "You're the father."
"Pardon me?"
"Miss Summers listed you as the father of the baby. That entitles you to information about the operation."
Riley was stunned.
"Why don't you take a seat whilst I try to find out how the procedure went."
"Ok," Riley replied, taking a seat, confused.
Faith arrived home in the evening. She found Dawn sitting on the couch in the living room and approached her.
"Hey Dawn. Buffy home?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs. Have you guys had a fight? 'Cause she hasn't stopped crying since she came home."
"No," Faith replied. She reached into her pocket. "Here's twenty bucks. Go treat yourself and your friends."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Dawn asked. "'Cause it'll cost you way more than twenty bucks."
Faith delved into her pocket again. "Ok, here's thirty, but that's it."
"Consider me gone," Dawn told her smiling. She reached behind the couch and found her shoes.
Faith waited for Dawn to leave before she went upstairs. She opened the door to her and Buffy's bedroom and found Buffy sitting on the bed staring into space.
Buffy looked towards the door to see Faith standing there.
"Faith," she managed.
The brunette was silent.
"We have to talk," Buffy told her, standing. "I'm sorry you had to find out from Willow."
Faith made no response. She walked into the room and shut the door behind her.
"Do you love him?" she finally asked.
"No," Buffy replied.
"Then this is all over?"
Buffy was silent.
Faith repeated the question.
"I couldn't get the termination," Buffy spat out.
"What?" Faith asked.
"There's a life growing inside me. I can't just kill it."
"You're carrying that bastard's child and you're telling me you can't kill it?" Faith asked.
She walked towards the blonde.
"I'm sorry," was all Buffy could say.
Faith turned around momentarily, before turning around and hitting her.
Buffy held her face and looked at the brunette, her face stinging. Growing angry she told her,
"I don't want to fight you Faith, but I will."
Faith moved closer, her expression menacing, surprising the blonde by grabbing and kissing her; the kiss both forceful and painful. Buffy was stunned as Faith pushed her onto the bed and almost jumped on top of her. With her bare hands she clawed Buffy's top open and pinned her down. Faith leant in and kissed her again, ignoring Buffy's tears. Buffy pulled away.
"You're hurting me," she told her.
Faith didn't care. She kissed her again, almost bruising her lips with the force.
Almost as if she'd just come to, Buffy forced her legs up and kicked Faith with such force it sent her across the room.
Faith got up holding her stomach where Buffy's leg had collided with it. She looked at the crying blonde in front of her, got up and left the room.
Buffy watched Faith leave and slumped down on the bed. She cried.
Buffy came downstairs and went into the kitchen to find Dawn there having breakfast.
"Hey Dawnie."
"Buffy, what's wrong with Faith? I went into the sitting room just now and she nearly bit my head off."
Buffy was silent. She sat down.
"You guys have a row?"
"Dawn. I may as well tell you, 'cause you're going to find out soon anyway-"
"Is this about why you and Faith are fighting or are you just trying to throw me off?" Dawn asked, before the doorbell went. "Crap! I'll get it and then you have to tell me."
Dawn bounced down the hall to the front door. She opened it.
"Riley," Buffy heard. *Oh no.* she thought getting up. She reached the door in time to see Faith emerge from the living room and shove Riley through the front door.
"You bastard!" Faith screamed, kicking Riley, who was on the floor.
Ignoring Buffy and Dawn's screams, she continued to pummel him.
Buffy ran outside and attempted to grab hold of Faith who pushed the blonde away from her with all the force she could muster. Buffy landed on the concrete floor and rolled over. Responding to the sharp pain in her stomach, she screamed holding on to it.
Faith stopped and turned to see Buffy clutching her stomach. She let Riley go and ran to her. Buffy looked up at the brunette.
"The baby," she whispered.
"Dawn, call an ambulance!" Faith shouted.
The doctor came out from the examining room to meet the three people sitting in the hallway.
"Ms Summers is going to be fine. I'll allow her vistors but I must request they be family only," he told them.
"Well I'm her sister," Dawn replied.
"And I'm the father of the baby," Riley added.
Faith remained silent.
"Ok," the doctor told them. "You two follow me."
Faith watched as Riley and Dawn followed the doctor inside. She sat down and covered her face. She would have cried, had she had enough tears to express everything she was feeling. Instead she rested her head.
Dawn shook Faith awake.
"Faith, come on. Buffy wants to see you."
Faith got up and followed the brunette down the ward until she stopped and pointed to a room. The slayer opened the door and went in to find Buffy lying in bed with the doctor checking the equipment by her side.
"Could you leave us alone please?" Buffy asked him.
The doctor looked to the brunette and back to Buffy. "Ok," he agreed. "I'll be back in ten minutes to check on you two."
The doctor walked past Faith and left.
Faith walked towards Buffy.
"Is the baby ok?" She managed.
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "The doctor said it's fine."
Faith sat down on the chair next to the bed. The two sat in silence before Buffy said,"Faith, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"Let's not," Faith told her.
"We have to," Buffy argued.
"Ok B, what do you want me to say? That I'm happy you and Riley are having a baby?"
"No-"
"I hate this," Faith continued. "You let army boy give you the one thing I can't and it's killing me."
"This isn't easy for me either Faith. I made a mistake sleeping with Riley. I was drunk and upset that you weren't there. He came along and I slept with him and I'm sorry. But by killing the child inside of me I would be making another mistake."
Faith turned away.
"As far as I'm concerned, this baby is ours. If you want it to be."
"And if not?" the brunette asked.
Buffy couldn't reply.
The two sat in silence.
Faith turned up the radio as she kept an eye on the road.
"I love this song," Buffy announced.
Faith smiled and tapped on the steering wheel along to the tune. Glancing at the road, she talked into Buffy’s stomach. "Now kid, this song was written about your two mommies. It’s called, 'To love a woman'."
Buffy smiled. "Are you sure you don’t wanna find out whether the baby’s a boy or girl?"
"Yeah. I wanna be surprised. Don’t you?"
"Sure. But it’d mean having to buy less stuff. Now we have to decorate the room with both boy and girl furniture."
"That’s true," Faith said. She talked into Buffy’s stomach. "Ok kid. You’re gonna have to help us out. Kick once if you’re a boy and twice if you’re a girl."
Buffy laughed.
"Anything?" she asked.
"Nope, sorry." Buffy replied. "Looks like Joel slash Joan doesn’t have slayer hearing."
Faith laughed, before stopping. "Hold on, what? The baby’s not being called either Joel or Joan."
"Ok, what do you have in mind?"
Faith thought about it. "I say Clay or Faith jnr."
"Clay? I’m not naming my baby after a hunk of mud."
"Like Joan is such an amazing name. Apparently you’re giving birth to an eighty year old."
"Hey, I like the name Joan, it’s very-" Buffy started, before she cried out.
Faith pulled over. "What’s wrong?" she asked.
"The baby. It kicked again."
"What?" Faith asked. She placed her hand over Buffy’s stomach and felt for a while. "I keep missing it," she moaned.
"Aw," Buffy sympathised, before kissing her. "Maybe next-" she started, stopping when she felt the baby kick again.
"Woah, that’s freakin’ amazing," Faith told her, keeping her hand on Buffy's stomach and feeling the baby's faint kick.
Buffy placed her hand over Faith’s. They looked at each other and kissed.
Faith broke the kiss with a smile, when the baby seemed to have stopped. "We have to get there before the store closes," she told her.
The slayer started the car, rejoined the main road and drove on to the store. Once there, Faith found a space and parked.
"I’ll be right back," Faith told her, getting ready to leave the car.
"I wanna come too," Buffy told her.
"B, the store’s about to close. We'll only just make it if I run and you’re not exactly you’re fastest."
"Fine," Buffy agreed, with a sigh.
"Don’t worry," Faith called back to car. "I’ll get some really cool stuff, with snakes and stuff on it."
"Don’t you dare!" Buffy replied, hearing Faith’s laughter becoming more distant.
She turned on the radio and put in one of her cds. She was in the middle of a song, when there was tapping on the window.
"Riley, what are you doing here?" she asked winding down the glass.
"Dawn said you’d be here. I’ve been waiting for you. Why haven’t you been taking my calls?"
"I’ve been really tired."
"Because of the baby?" he asked.
"What do you want Riley?" She asked. "Faith’ll be back any minute."
"I want to make sure my baby’s ok."
"The baby’s mine Riley. It has nothing to do with you."
"I have rights Buffy. I will fight for my child. I’m not having it raised by a couple of dykes. What will that teach it?"
"You son of a-"
"You know I’m right and I’ll fight for it in court."
"No judge will award the baby to you."
"Oh yeah? Even after they find out that you and Faith are slayers and that she’s done time."
Buffy remained silent.
"Think about it," he told her leaving and getting into his own car. Buffy watched him speed off. She sat alone thinking about it for a while before she heard the trunk open.
Faith loaded the trunk and came into the car.
"I got the coolest stuff. Some little bears for Faith jnr and guns ‘n stuff for Clay." She noticed Buffy’s lack of response. "What’s wrong?" she asked.
"Riley was here. He wants to take the baby from us."
"What?" Faith asked, starting up the car. "I’d kick his ass if he came near you or the baby."
"Not physically. He’s going to fight for custody."
"Yeah? On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that we’re slayers."
Faith was speechless for a moment. "Don’t sweat it B, army boy aint got the balls."
She sped up. She knew differently.
Riley knocked on the lieutenant’s door.
"Come in!" he heard.
The Marine opened the door and let himself in. "Lieutenant Hammond," he said, saluting his superior, who was sitting behind his desk.
"Agent Finn, take a seat. How can I help you?"
Riley sat down. "I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but have a problem."
"What is it?" Hammond asked, dropping his work on the table and focusing completely on Riley.
"Sir, my ex-girlfriend is having my baby-"
"Congratulations," the lieutenant told him.
"No sir. It’s complicated. She wants to stop me being able to see it. I've seen several lawyers and apparently I don't have a case against her in court. So I was wondering if-"
"There were other ways?" the older man completed, causing Riley to nod.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Well, the woman she left me for is a slayer and it's her fault Buffy doesn't want me near the baby-"
"A slayer? Say no more agent," the lieutenant told him picking up the phone.
Faith returned home, exhausted. She walked into the living room and dropped herself on the couch. After nine hours at her job, she wanted to get some rest before she had to patrol. A notion that was interrupted, when Buffy came into the living room. Faith opened her eyes moments before she received a kiss from her girlfriend.
"I am so glad you're home," Buffy told her, kneeling next to the couch. "Now I can tell someone my news."
Only giving Faith a split-second to respond, Buffy continued, "I got a letter from college and they said that when my family emergency is over, I can go back, take a short make-up course and graduate."
"That's great," Faith told her, trying to seem enthused.
"How was work?" Buffy asked.
"Alright," Faith told her. "It was a little busy, being so close to Christmas and all."
"Uh-huh," Buffy replied, a huge grin emerging on her face.
"What?" Faith asked.
"It’s just that, we're the only ones home."
Faith looked at her desire-filled eyes, before remembering Buffy's condition. "Can you?" she asked.
"I don’t see why not," Buffy replied.
Faith sighed succumbing to total fatigue. "I'd love to B," she confessed. "But I can't move."
Buffy smiled. "Who said you had to move?" She took off Faith's shoes and unbuttoned her trousers. Faith arched up allowing Buffy to pull down her pants.
"Uh, no, babe, the both of us are not-" Faith started to say, before she felt Buffy’s mouth on her.
She closed her eyes, her protest turning into a moan.
Buffy licked and sucked at her causing Faith's body to respond with fluid. The brunette thrust off the couch and into Buffy’s mouth, her movement restricted by the clothing around her ankles.
Buffy, who was kneeling next to the couch, changed her position to accommodate her stomach and continued to kiss and suck on Faith. When she felt her wet enough, Buffy slid two fingers into Faith's velvety folds causing her lover to arch up violently to meet them. Faith clutched at the cushion, her eyes still tightly shut, whilst Buffy continued to pump her fingers into her body at a slow pace. The brunette slayer not finding any energy to moan and her attempts came out sharp breaths. She could only respond to the things Buffy was doing to her with her mouth and curled fingers.
Buffy could tell Faith was close as she could hear that she was breathlessly moaning her name. She continued to work the fingers of one hand inside Faith, whilst using the other to rub her clit.
Faith arched her head back, her moans caught inside her throat. She took a few more minutes of Buffy's talented fingers, before she came. Experienced the after-wave of pleasure, she began panting hard as Buffy rested on her head on her legs. Neither of them taking notice of the ringing phone in the hall until Dawn bound downstairs to answer it.
The blonde slayer lifted her head, freeing Faith's legs and allowing her to pull her trousers up.
"I thought you said she was out," Faith asked, buttoning up her jeans.
"I thought she was," Buffy replied, before smiling.
"Faith!" Dawn called from the hallway.
"Yeah?!" Faith replied.
"Phone!"
"Who is it?!"
"Some British guy!"
Faith finished getting dressed and walked into the hallway met with a perturbed Dawn. "We so have to get a new couch," the younger brunette told her, before running back upstairs.
Faith shook her head in disbelief, before she picked up the phone answering, "Hello."
"Hello Faith, it’s Dave."
"Dave…?" Faith recognised. "As in from the council."
"Yes. How’ve you been?"
"What do you want?"
"Not on the phone, Faith. I’m in Sunnydale at a motel near town, do you know it?"
"Yeah," Faith replied.
"Meet me in ten minutes. I'm in room twelve."
"Fine," Faith replied, dropping the phone. Entering the living room, she located and grabbed her jacket from the floor.
"Ugh!" Buffy said, grabbing her stomach.
"What's wrong?" Faith asked her.
"Nothing, I'm fine."
Faith put on her jacket. "I gotta go out for a while," she told her.
"Why? Who was that on the phone?"
"My boss. She wants to see me," Faith replied.
About to question why Dawn had mistaken her boss for some British guy, Buffy's nausea got the better of her. The slayer rushed to her feet and ran to the bathroom again, to throw-up the remainder of her last meal.
Faith shook her head and headed out of the house. Walking over to her car, she entered it and drove towards town.
Once there, she parked across the road from her destination. Leaving her vehicle and locking it, she crossed the road to go to the motel that she knew too well remembering the bad memories this place helped to create for her.
"That was a different life," she assured herself, reaching the motel's version of reception.
She told the owner that she was visiting and he led her to room twelve before leaving.
Faith knocked on the door which was almost instantly opened.
"Faith. It’s good to see you," Dave told her, letting her inside and closing the door behind her.
"What are you doing here, Dave?" Faith asked him. "You swore I’d never have to see you again."
"Yes, but something's happened."
"What?" Faith asked.
The brunette stood up. "Drink?" he asked. "I’ve only got scotch."
"Yeah," the younger of them replied.
The slayer watched him pour the drinks before he walked over and handed one of the drinks to her.
She downed hers immediately. "So what is it?" she asked, handing him back the glass.
"Another?"
"No. I'm driving."
Dave set down the glass.
"C'mon Dave, stop fucking about. I've gotta get home to my pregnant girlfriend."
"There’s trouble coming, Faith. I wanted to warn you."
"So cut to the chase."
"I can't," Dave told her.
"You kidding me? So why d’you make me come all this way? To bullshit around?"
Dave didn't reply.
"Screw this," Faith told him getting up. About to leave, she felt her knees go weak. She moved to sit down, but was unable to, when her legs gave way. She felt the room spin as she tried to focus but couldn't as everything in her sight seemed to fade to black.
"Didn't she say where she was going?" Buffy asked her sister, joining her on the couch in the living room.
"No," Dawn replied. "But I'm sure she's alright."
"Do you remember who the call was from?"
"Yeah," Dawn replied. "Some-"
She started before the doorbell stopped her.
"Oh. That’s probably her," she told Buffy.
Buffy left the sitting room and went to answer the door. Opening it she saw her ex standing there. Too worried to deal with him, the slayer dismissed the marine. "Riley. Now’s not a good time," she told him, about to close the door.
His reflexes sharp, Riley caught it. "I think now’s a perfect time," he told her, letting himself in.
"Hi Riley," Dawn called out, upon catching a glimpse of the late night visitor.
Buffy turned to her sister, "Dawn, go upstairs." she ordered.
"But-" Dawn tried.
"Now!"
Dawn rolled her eyes at Riley, before running upstairs.
Buffy sighed and turned to the tall man. "What?" She asked, adopting a sarcastic tone. "What is it you want now? You wanna make more threats? Well go ahead, they wont make any difference."
"I'm not here to threaten you Buffy," he told her, flashing a large envelope. "I’m here to give you an ultimatum."
Buffy looked at him stunned. In silence for a moment, she eventually asked him, "What’s happened to you Riley? I used to think you were a nice guy. Now you’re nothing but a bitter and twisted-"
"Guy who has Faith," Riley finished off.
Faith woke up to the shuddering of the van carrying her. Attempting to rub her face, she found her hands were chained. She quickly opened her eyes and tried to make out that which made up her surroundings. She concluded that she was sitting up in some sort of van with her ankles and arms chained to the side of it. Turning her upper-body the slayer could see that there was a see-through partition between her and the driver.
Dave looked into the rear-view mirror.
"Aw bloody hell," he muttered to himself. "How has she come to?" He found a part of a street that was only partially illuminated and parked the van. Taking a needle loaded with a sedative, he let himself out of the front door and walked to the back. He opened it and moved to Faith.
Knowing immediately what he was about to do, Faith screamed for him to stop, causing Dave to recoil. "Why are you doing this?" she asked him.
"I'm sorry Faith but I can’t have you escaping. The only way I can make sure you don't, is by keeping you asleep."
He lunged at her and with an "I’m sorry," injected the contents of the needle into her leg.
Faith attempted to struggle, but felt the familiar loss of power and vision, as she almost immediately fell asleep.
Dave watched as the drugs kicked in. He shook his head. They weren't even half-way to the transfer point and he was almost out of the sedative, that only had enough power to keep Faith out for ten minutes. He closed the door to the back and climbed in at the front of the van. The watcher's council representative turned the key in the ignition deciding that he would just have to drive faster.
"You have Faith?" Buffy asked.
"Yes," Riley told her, his face full of sincerity.
Buffy grit her teeth. "Why?"
Riley handed her the large envelope he was holding.
Taking them, the slayer was about to open them, but stopped when Riley explained what they were.
"Papers," he told her. "Handing our child over to the military, where it will be raised by me and other agents into the armed forces."
Buffy looked at him in disbelief of his behaviour. "You expect me to sign these?" she asked him.
"If you ever want to see Faith alive again, you will."
Dave sped along the streets of Sunnydale. Keeping an eye on the clock, he noticed that the drugs he gave Faith should have worn out. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see her still lying dormant.
"Maybe the drugs are weaker in powder form," he told himself. He continued speeding, oblivious to the police cars following behind, until he heard their sirens blaring.
"Bugger me!" the brunette cried. *Stay calm Dave*. He slowed down and pulled over behind an already parked car. He watched the police car park right behind him, blocking him in and almost began to hyperventilate as one of the officers left the car and came to the window. Dave wound down the glass of his van.
"Are you aware, that you were speeding?" the officer asked.
"Was I? I'm sorry, I was not aware," Dave told her, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Listening to the exchange and deciding that this was an opportune moment, Faith quickly sprung into action and began screaming for help and banging her chains on the walls of the van.
Alerted by the commotion the officer motioned to the back of the van. "What's that?" she asked.
"My dog," Dave told her. "She's a feisty little thing."
The officer stepped back from the vehicle and pulled out her gun. "Keep your hands where I can see them and step out of the vehicle," she told Dave.
Seeing his partner pull out her gun, an officer still in the patrol car, left the vehicle and went to aid.
"Face the van," the officer told Dave, when he stepped outside.
Dave kept his hands up and faced the van, aware that the officer had a gun aimed at his back. He winced as the police woman pulled handcuffs from her belt and cuffed his wrists together.
Her collegue approached the van and upon hearing the racket coming from it, drew his gun and opened the back. Seeing a woman chained inside, he put his gun away and jumped inside.
"Oh God," he said, trying to see how she was bound. "Are you alright, miss?"
"I am now," Faith told him as the police officer picked up his radio and asked for back-up.
Warning: *Character death*
"Thanks for doing this, Xander," Faith told him as she got ready to leave.
"How long will you be? Only me and Anya kinda have an evening planned."
"I won't be long," Faith assured him. "Page me when Buffy wakes up."
The slayer left the house and entered her car. She started it up and started her journey to the campus. *Room 314* she repeated to herself. She kept her eyes on the road, reaching for the glove compartment. Faith popped it open and pulled out her knife. She slid it into the inner pocket of her jacket and sped up.
Xander turned on the television and wandered into the kitchen for some snacks. He searched through the cupboards looking for something savoury to snack on.
"Ooooh Nachos!" he said, grabbing the bag.
He opened it and went back to the living room. Xander sat on the floor in front of the sofa, not noticing that Buffy was stirring behind him.
Riley opened his room door, startled to find Faith standing there.
"So you're the one responsible for my little trip," she confronted the blonde. "I kinda feel like beating you up for that, but that's not what I'm here for."
"So what do you want, Faith?" the marine asked, leaving the doorway and going over to his desk. Faith entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"I want those papers you made Buffy sign," she told him.
"Yeah?" Riley replied her, angrily. "Good thing I don't give a damn about what you want, so if that's all you came for, you can see yourself out."
Reaching for the knife in her jacket pocket, Faith coldly informed the marine, "Wrong answer, army boy."
"Run Scooby!" Xander screamed at the television.
"Uh, Xander," he heard.
He turned to see Buffy sitting up with a pool of water by her feet.
"I think I'm having the baby."
"Oh no!" Xander cried, getting up. "Ok, don't panic. I'll call Faith. She'll know what to do."
Xander danced around looking for the phone. He ran towards the hallway and slipped on the rug falling to the floor. The brunette abruptly jumped up. "I'm ok!" he shouted to the living room.
"There's no time, Xander," Buffy told her friend. "We have to get to the hospital now."
"Yeah ok," he told her. He returned to the living room and helped Buffy to her feet and to the door.
"Oh I need shoes," Buffy told him.
"Right!" Xander replied. He rushed upstairs, burst into Buffy's room and found a pair of slippers. Bringing them downstairs he placed them at the blonde's feet.
Buffy looked at the construction worker's choice of footwear, cringed and put them on.
Xander helped Buffy out onto the road. He felt his pockets for his phone and- "Crap! Keys!"
Thankful the door hadn't yet shut, he ran back into the house and took his car keys from the floor. Disheveled, Xander ran back outside and opened his car door for Buffy.
Buffy got into the silver Lexus, holding her stomach when she felt a large jolt of pain course through her. "Hurry Xander!" she begged him.
Xander started the car and set off towards the hospital. He took out his cell phone and began to dial.
Faith's pager began to beep. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she used the other to take the pager from her belt clip. Keeping her eyes on the road at intervals, she read the message.
"Buffy's going into labour," she read. "We're going to Sunnydale General. Hurry there."
Faith accelerated, before she was forced to slow down and stop, by the traffic lights. Slamming her hand down inside the car, she cursed at the lights, ordering them to change.
Graham got back to his dorm room carrying a six pack of beer. Finding blood on the carpet, he followed the trail to the cupboard. He opened the closet to find Riley's lifeless body inside.
"Fuck!" he screamed looking to see that the marine's body had been brutally punctured in the front. "Fuck!"
He picked up the phone and called his base.
"Hammond," the voice that answered, responded.
"Lieutenant Hammond," Graham called. "Agent Finn is down."
Faith rushed to the reception of the delivery suite.
"'Scuse me, I'm looking for Buffy Summers."
"Are you family?" the receptionist asked.
"Yeah, lady, please just tell me where she is."
Appreciating the brunette's desperation, the receptionist took pity and looked the patient up. "Labour ward, room 14," she told her, adding, "But I doubt you'll be allowed in."
"Thanks," Faith replied. She walked down the ward, looking for the fourteenth room. When she found it, she tried the door to find it locked. Faith checked to see no-one was watching before pressing down on the handle and breaking it in. She opened the door to find a doctor, midwives, Xander and Buffy staring at her, half-way through the preparation for the operation. The obstetrician lifted his mask.
"There's no admittance, Miss," he said to Faith. He turned to a midwife "I thought I asked for the door to be locked."
Xander shot up relieving his hand of Buffy's iron grip. "Please, let Faith take my place," he begged. When he received a nod of confirmation, the brunette walked towards Faith nursing his hand. "Good luck," he told her, leaving.
Faith walked to Buffy and kissed her on the forehead before taking her hand. "I got here as fast as I could," she told her.
Buffy smiled in response, the pain killers she was on making it hard to articulate.
The doctor replaced his mask before re-taking his position between Buffy's legs. "Ok and we're dilated to ten centimetres. Now Miss Summers, I need you to push."
Buffy did as instructed and pushed as hard as she could. The pain of the head she was forcing unbearable, she squeezed down on Faith's hand screaming.
Faith grit her teeth. "C'mon B," she encouraged her girlfriend. "You can do this."
"Alright, Miss Summers, another."
Buffy pushed again, harder. She screamed, tears now emerging.
Faith could hardly stand watching Buffy in this pain. She took her free hand and used it to wipe her lover's face. "Can't you give her pain killers?" she asked the nearby midwife.
"Miss Summers has already been administered with the legal amount of pain killers she's allowed. Any more could harm the baby."
"We almost have the head, push miss Summers," the doctor interupted.
Buffy pushed again trying to get the baby's head out of her body.
"Breathe the way we talked about Miss Summers," the midwife reminded the slayer. "It makes it easier."
Buffy took deep breaths and blew them out in intervals, pushing with the little strength she could muster.
The room was filled with the sound baby's cries.
"It's a girl!" the doctor announced cutting the umbilical cord, before pulling the baby out completely and handing her to the midwife to be cleaned up. He returned to Buffy before telling her, "Ok, Miss Summers I'm gonna have to ask you to give a final push."
Confused, Faith watched as Buffy passed out the placenta. *Ugh!* she thought as the doctor wrapped it in a bag. He cleaned up before leaving the room.
Buffy lay back, her chest heaving. She shivered.
Faith looked around and located a bed-sheet. She covered Buffy with it before smiling at her. "You did good B," she told her before kissing her and smoothing back the hair stuck to her girlfriend's forehead.
The midwife returned with the baby. She smiled and handed her to Buffy. "She's beautiful," she told the young mother.
"Thank you," Buffy replied, taking her daughter into her arms.
Faith looked at the infant. She had to agree, the baby was beautiful. She had gorgeous green eyes and a sweet smile. "She looks just like you B," the brunette told her. "She's got your eyes and your smile."
"And Riley's nose, thank God," Buffy replied, with a laugh.
Faith looked at the baby. "She's so small," she observed. She took hold of the baby's tiny hands.
"I wish my mom could have seen her," Buffy told her.
"Yeah. Mrs S woulda loved to make a fuss 'bout her."
The doctor interrupted by re-entering. "How are mother and baby?" he asked.
"We're fine," Buffy replied him, staring down almost in disbelief at her creation.
"Do we have a name for her yet?" he asked.
About to answer 'Joan', Buffy was interrupted when Faith jumped in with a question. "How 'bout Joyce?" the younger slayer asked her girlfriend.
Buffy smiled. "Joyce Logan," she sounded. "I like it."
Faith returned the smile and kissed her as the doctor noted the name and left. The brunette looked at the baby. "'Sup Joyce?" she greeted.
Thinking ahead as she watched the other slayer play with the baby, Buffy mused aloud, "So were you able to talk to Riley?"
"Yeah," Faith answered. "I have a feeling army boy won't bother us anymore." She took the baby's hand, shaking it around. "Will he Joycey? No he won't."
Joyce looked up at her two mothers, both of their faces filled with happiness and love. She beamed.
...continued in Trials and Complications...