Sorry it's been so long.
Previously on GuitarGrrrl's version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
Willow and Faith are in a relationship. Kennedy has her eyes on Dawn. Buffy and Spike have been spending more time together.
The First Evil is still threatening Sunnydale and has been playing with the minds of some of the Scoobies. There's tension in the ranks.
Dawn and Willow did a spell to try to find out more about the scythe. They discovered that in order to learn anything it would be the chosen two who had to do the spell.
This is where we last saw them:
Cut to:
Summers' Basement; night.
Buffy and Faith are sitting indian style across from each other. Both their hands are outstretched before them, the red and chrome scythe lays upon their palms. Willow is standing behind Faith, and Dawn is behind Buffy.
"I can't believe you talked me into this." Buffy groaned.
All four women sat in silence and together, Buffy and Faith began to speak. "Sky above, earth below, show us what we need to know. Use our minds, our hearts and souls, take us to the days of old." Faith looked up at Willow who nodded her head in approval. Faith looked at Buffy and together they said, "Reveal!"
Fade to black.
All was see is the soft flickering of one candle. We can barely make out the silhouettes of the two slayers.
"Where are we?" Faith gasped.
"I don't know." Buffy answered. "Hey- Where's the scythe!" Buffy noticed in alarm.
The slayers could see that they were now holding each other's hands instead of the scythe.
As their eyes (and ours) adjust to the darkness we see a figure swaying back and forth in the background.
"Buffy- who is that?"
"The first slayer."
The dark figure walks toward them. We see that she is holding the scythe.
As she walks closer a voice is heard, but her lips do not move.
"Slayers. I see you found my weapon."
Faith looked at Buffy, and feeling confused and scared, she clenched the blonde slayer's hands tighter in her own. Buffy looked on, in strength and confidence.
"How is this different from all the other weapons?" Faith asked.
"It kills."
"So do lots of things…" Faith started.
"Kills many, and fast. The spinning makes them cry. Then swing. They die." The first slayer demonstrated the moves she described as she spoke, twirling the scythe in her hand and making one large swoop with her arm.
The first slayer danced around them primitively and then she disappeared. Deep in the black that surrounded them they saw another figure approaching. The woman sat and looked out in front of her. Another woman appeared, sitting across from the first woman.
"Slayers." The first woman said. She lifted her head and leaned into the light to show us that it was Dawn.
"Dawn, you know us. You don't have to be so formal." Faith blurted out.
"This was the only way we could get you both to listen." Dawn said softly and looked at the woman across from her.
The other woman spoke, "It was a long road to get here, and it won't be so easy any more."
"Sacrifices will have to be made, and people you love will have to be strong."
"This weapon holds a power, one that exceeds any other." The scythe appeared once again in their hands. "If you are strong enough, together you can build an army of women…to keep the world alive."
"How do we build this army?" Buffy asked.
"You'll find your answer in time." Dawn said.
"If you stick together." Willow started. "There are two slayers for a reason. You need to work together. This isn't a choice, it's your destiny."
"The fate of the world is on both of your shoulders." Willow said, and disappeared.
"The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it." Dawn spoke gently. "Buffy, learn what it means to listen and compromise. Faith, think before you act. Take this opportunity, both of you- to grow and learn about each other." With that, Dawn too disappeared.
Fade to black.
Cut to: A young Buffy, watching her parents bring Dawn home from the hospital.
Flash: Buffy when she first found out she was the slayer.
Flash: Faith sitting in a bar downing shots at a very young age
Flash: Buffy and Faith's first meeting.
Flash: The mayor's transformation.
Flash: Buffy standing over her mother's body
Flash: Faith seeing her watcher die.
Flash: Buffy standing in front of Angel with a sword, right before she killed him.
Flash: Faith accidentally killing the deputy mayor.
Flash to the night Buffy jumped from the tower.
Flash to Faith sitting in jail.
Buffy climbing out of her grave.
Flash: Buffy giving the amulet to Spike.
Flash: Faith sitting by Tara's grave.
Flash:
We see Faith's eyes up close with a small glint of a tear about to creep out. The scene turns to Buffy and we see her face is cold and pale. Her eyes fixed deep into the darkness.
Cut to: The basement.
Willow and Dawn are sitting on Spike's cot watching the entranced women as they visit this other reality.
"So, how long do you think they'll be like that?"
Willow yawned, "I'm not sure Dawn."
"Why don't you go take a nap? I'll stay here to make sure everything's ok."
"No, it's ok. I wanna be here when they come back to this planet. I wanna make sure Faith is ok.—and that they don't kill each other."
"It's ok Willow, you look really tired."
"Ok but only for a little bit. Thanks Dawnie." With that, Willow walked slowly up to her room. Her feet were heavy and her whole body was drained. She plopped herself right down on the bed and sighed. She was laying on her back and her hands were up over her head. She felt something hard under her wrists. The witch rolled over onto her stomach. It was Faith's journal. The one she said her father had given her. She took the book into her hands and thought about opening it. Instead she put it on the table by the bed and got herself comfortable in the bed.
Cut to:
We see Faith in the dark again, sitting across from Buffy with her eyes wide open. "Buffy, I had no idea…no idea what you went through when you had to kill Angel, when you jumped off the tower to save the world. You truly are a hero. If only I had known that—"
"Shh…" Buffy interrupted.
Spike is walking through a cemetery smoking a cigarette. Buffy walks up to him and takes his hand in hers. She leans up to his cheek and kisses him softly. The sun in shining bright and we see the couple walk off into the distance.
"Buffy…" Faith looked at her friend. "Was that the future, or…?"
"It was… It was my dream. He's human, in my dream."
"It felt so real."
"It's real, in my heart. I feel like he's human, but I know he's not. It hurts."
"You love him." Before Buffy could say anything another image came through the darkness.
Faith is running toward someone we can't see. She's in an alley and it coming to a dead end. The girl she's running after stops and turns to face her. It's Willow.
"Faith, I can't do this anymore." Faith slaps Willow across the face. The crying redhead looks at the slayer with tearful eyes and says, "It's over Faith."
"I know." The slayer said through clenched teeth. Faith slowly pulls a dagger out of her jacket pocket and plunges it into the witch's stomach.
Faith let go of Buffy's hands and they were jolted back into reality, sitting in the same positions as when they started.
That was four hours ago.
Fade to black...
This story is the end to my season seven re-write.
Faith is running. Her breath is labored and sweat is streaming down her face. Her legs are getting tired. She doesn't know how long she's been running She knows that she's gotta keep going. It's almost nightfall. She can't believe the Buffy saw her nightmare. The one she's been having for a few nights now. She's hidden it from Willow so far, but now... Buffy will make her tell Red for sure. Faith slows her running down to a brisk walk and then slower until she's walking at her normal pace. Despite being out of breath and tired she doesn't want to go back to face the music.
Cut to Summers' residence:
Willow comes down the stairs to find Xander, Buffy and Anya in the living room.
"Where's Faith?"
"We thought she was upstairs with you..."
Dawn comes in through the front door."
"Where's Faith?" Buffy, Xander, Anya and Willow ask at the same time.
"She'll be back." Dawn looks at Willow who has an unsure expression on her face. " Willow, she'll be back."
Willow turning to Buffy asks, "Buffy, what did you see when you did that spell?"
"Faith should be the one to tell ou Will. Just, calm down, and wait for her to get back."
"Something's not right. I can feel it." Willow turned to Dawn "Can you help me find her?"
Buffy interjects "No!. No more magic. Not today. This is getting out of control. Willow if you do any more magic- I mean- do you WANT to get addicted again?"
"I won't Buffy, it's not like that. I just need to find Faith. Dawnie, did she say where she was going?"
"No. She just left. After the spell with Buffy she got up and left the basement. I figured she was going to find you or get some food or something."
"Willow, " Xander started, "I know you care for her and all, but Faith doesn't have a track record of staying put for very long. Maybe you should just forget about her and move on."
"Xander- You don't understand"
"I understand Will, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"It's different with me. She loves me, She's scared. I know she's scared I can feel it."
"You're talking about miss 'get some, get gone' here Will. You might as well just forget her"
"Xander- Whatever you and Faith had was just cold comfort. She's different now."
"People don't change like that overnight Will."
"I know you don't like the idea of me being with her, but you'll have to get used to it Xan. She's my girl... And She'll come home... I hope."
Cut to:
Cemetery. Just after nightfall.
Faith is walking back toward Ruvello Dive. She'd freaked after the spell with Buffy and needed some time to clear her head. She figured that since it was getting dark some slay-age might help lift some of the fog she'd been feeling. Magic had a strange after taste. Kinda chalky.
In the distance Faith hears what she knows all too well: the sounds of a fight.
She changes direction toward the sounds.
Walking around the back of a mausoleum so as not to be seen, Faith creeps around to the other side and sees Kennedy and a few pimply-faced teens trying to fight two vamps.
I guess B let Kenn-doll take the lead tonight. Probably to get her away from Dawn.
Watching the potentials from a distance, but close enough to be able to help if needed, Faith leans up against the small structure and lights up a cigarette.
"Got one a those for me pet?" Spike says as he sneaks up behind Faith causing her to jump.
"Spike!" Faith punched him in the arm. "You almost made me burn myself."
"Ow. You don't have be so tough on a guy."
"That's what happens when 'a guy' sneaks up behind a slayer." Faith hands him a smoke. "What are you doing here?"
"Same to you, pet." Spike lights the cigarette with his zippo
"I was walking and heard the commotion. Thought it could be fun."
"Chance to blow off some steam"
"Yeah. sumthin like that."
"Buffy sent me after the children to make sure they don't get killed. But now that you're here I can be on my way."
"Uh I don't think so pal. You stay and watch the kids, I'm the one who's gotta motor." Faith turns to leave
"Can't run forever, pet. The witch will find you sooner or later."
"Whatever" Faith keeps walking.
"For your sake I hope it's sooner. The longer you keep her waiting the more pissed off she's likely to get. And we all know how that goes." The further Faith got away the louder Spike had to speak and blew his cover, causing the vamps that were beating on the girls to go after him instead.
Faith is walking out of the cemetery, heading toward Ruvello Drive.
Kinda glad Blondie came by. I wasn't really looking forward to seeing all those wanna-be slayers. A good fight would'a been nice though. Gotta blow blow off some steam. Just can't get outta my head after that spell with B. She probably thinks I'm a fuck-up. After everything Red's been through, everything i been through...Buffy probably has a big chip on her shoulder thinking I'm gonna fall off the wagon again. I'm not a killer. Ok I killed a guy. But I didn't kill The Witch. She's still alive... But there's that dream -nightmare I keep having. That I kill her. Every night I wake up sweating.
"Faith! Wait!" Kennedy is out of breath, running to catch up with the slayer.
Faith keeps walking.
"Alright, so don't say anything,"
Silence.
"Faith, you're not so tough as you let on."
Faith keeps walking, faster and faster, fists clenched tight
"You're scared. Something scared you and you ran. What happened with that spell? You can't run forever. You can't just steal Willow from me and then leave..."
Old-school-Batman-style POW!
Faith turns and punches Kennedy square in the jaw. The potential slayer is knocked to the ground. Faith keeps walking.
Kennedy puts her hand up to her face where she feels the sting from the blow she just got. Putting her other hand on the pavement for balance, Kennedy looks down to see a cigarette butt fall by her foot. She grinds out the cherry with her shoe and tries to stand. Spike reaches a hand down and helps her up.
"That's what happens when you piss off a slayer."
"She's the one fucking up." Kennedy huffed
"Not your place to say so, pet."
Back at Scooby Central...
In the Summers' dining room, Xander, Anya, Andrew, Dawn and Giles are sitting around the table.
Buffy is standing with her arms folded behind Giles who is cleaning his glasses.
"Don't you think someone should tell Willow?" Anya, breaking the silence, asks.
"Nah." Xander says staring blankly at the table. "Let her be for now. We can tell her when Faith gets back. After all, Faith will want to know too."
"IF she even decides to come back." Andrew chimes in.
"She'll be back. why does everyone think she's not coming back?"
"Because Dawnster, that the way she is. Get some, get gone. Faith's not the kind of person to stick around when the going gets rough."
"You're wrong! She's not like that anymore!" Dawn says defensively.
"People don't just change like that, kiddo."
"I'm not a kid!" Dawn shouts
"People can change," Anya states "People can do a complete 180 and be totally different than they were a hundred years ago."
"O.k. Ahn, but you were a demon. Now you're human, There's a difference"
Andrew starts "Yeah you were a soul-less man hating bitc-"
"I don't think you want to piss off the Ex-demon there buddy. "
"Oh so you're saying I'm easy to piss off. We'll see about that mister.
Everyone is now arguing, trying to talk over one another. Except for Buffy who hasn't flinched. She's not really even paying attention any more.
"That's Enough!" Glies shouts above the buzz. Everyone stops and looks at him. "We've got to calm down. I think its well past time we all turn in and get some rest. We can sort it all out tomorrow morning.
"Uh, Glies- It IS tomorrow morning." Andrew points out the window.
"You should all get some sleep any way." Buffy adds.
"What about you Buff?" Xander
"I'm gonna wait for Kennedy and the girls to get home. I didn't expect them to be gone this long. "
Just as Buffy finishes her sentence Kennedy and the other potentials that were out slaying walk through the front door.
"Speak of the devils" Andrew says as Buffy shoots him a dirty look "Alright, alright, I'm off to bed."
Andrew, Xander and Anya head toward the living room and start making up their bed spaces..
Kennedy starts reporting to Buffy about the night's events.