Title: Listen

Summary: "I know you haven't wanted to listen to my excuses for a long time, but I guess now you've got no choice"

Disclaimer: Don't own Buffy or any of the characters of the show.

Rating: PG

A/N: Short F/B one shot. Set after season 6.

I know you haven't wanted to listen to my excuses for a long time, but I guess now you've got no choice. I look up at your stony gaze as you take in our surroundings. The cemetery. A place you spent most of your life in. A place where I could be your equal.

I wonder for a few minutes why you'd want to rest here, but the large whole left by an equally large knife answers the question for me. It's dark and quiet, no vampires or demons come by here, they know the slayers are ending their war and no one dead or alive wants to be in the firing line.

"Remember when you killed me?" I ask, my voice hoarse from all of the crying I've been doing these past few days. You don't answer, you just remain lying quietly. It makes me wonder if you can still feel the pain from the wounds I've given you over the years, not least the one I caused last.

"It's ok, you don't need to talk. Just listen." I explain as I shuffle closer to you and wrap my arms around myself to fight off the midnight chill. "When you saw me in the hospital…wasn't part of you happy I was alive? I know you had to do it, had to stop me and the mayor, what I did was fucked up and I know it, but you can't tell me that it worked?" Silence still greats me and I imagine that if you had the strength right now you'd be frowning with that adorable pout on your lips that would answer my question. "Just 'cause you could kill me didn't make it go away did it? You still loved me."

The silence kills me now and I wish you'd just answer me, we both know I'm right. "I came back for you. Not 'cause the world was ending and it was the right thing to do…I came back with Red to make peace with you. So if I died in the battle I could die happy."

You must be colder than me; you've been here longer. I remove my jacket and place it over you lovingly. "I heard you say thank you, you know." The tears that spill down my face have long ago washed any trace of makeup or strength and for the first time in a long while I look like a vulnerable child. You're the only one who's ever seen this side. The vulnerable and scared Faith.

You were always there for, me when I needed you, with a comforting hug and a kind word. Eventually the tight embraces and light touches turned to more. Secret kisses and midnight meetings, no one ever found out. Not Angel, or Red or Giles. We don't hug anymore and the kissing ended a long time ago.

Daybreak is almost coming and I know I'll have to leave soon. Walk Dawn to school, go grocery shopping with Red. Man my life's really changed since I came back.

I stand up and dust myself down, I stand over you for a moment, offering you my hand, but you don't take it. You never would. "See you soon B." I walk off leaving my jacket over you. Can't have you getting cold now can we?

"Faith." I stop dead in my tracks as you whisper my name. I turn around and find you still lying where we left you, the wind's just messing with my head again.

"See you tomorrow night B."

I leave you there in the light because I know your safe, and I'll be back at the same time I am every night. It's not like you'll get lonely, you've got Tara beside you.

End.