Disclaimers: Joss Whedon, from now on referred to as The Genius, owns Buffy, Faith, Sunnydale, and anything else I mention that you recognize. I own a great game called The Sims that lets me have characters that look like Buffy and Faith.
Notes: The Halloween spirit hit me and kicked me and bit me a little, and this is the result. It's set between seasons 4 and 5, since it doesn't need to be Halloween in Sunnydale for weird stuff to happen, and Dawn would complicate things.
Spoilers: Season 5 a bit. I sort of rewrite it without ever writing it. Vague, aren't I?
---
Buffy shuddered and pulled her sweater tighter around her small frame. It was oddly cold for late summer Sunnydale. And misty. "Cold and misty. Great. You'd think the Hellmouth would at least be warm." She shook her head and walked through the gates of the town's largest cemetery, pulling out a stake. Just in case.
After nearly an hour of patrolling, Buffy hadn't found a single vampire. She was feeling pretty let down. There were fresh graves, there should have been vamps. It was almost as if someone had already come through, made a sweep, and left the cemetery vamp-less. But who? The Scoobies were back at the magic shop, researching something or other, and Riley was... where *was* Riley? "Maybe it was Riley..."
"No luck, sweetcheeks."
Buffy whirled around, to stare at the person who had interrupted her thoughts. At least she hoped it was a person. The voice had been strangely soft and melodic, but also familiar. The speaker was perched on top of a tombstone a slight distance off and shrouded in mist, so Buffy could only make out the outline of her body. "Who-"
"You know me."
"We've met?"
"Once, or twice, or a lot." There was laughter in the voice, and Buffy found herself getting annoyed. A shuffling sound followed the statement, and the figure began to move closer to Buffy. Eventually, the mists seemed to part, and Buffy could make out who it was.
"Faith."
"On the nose, B."
"What're you doing here?" Buffy had already assumed a defensive position, though something in the back of her mind told her that it wouldn't be needed.
"I needed to visit."
Buffy took a moment to look over Faith. She was dressed in black leather pants and a black leather vest. Her skin seemed milky white and pale against the dark material. Her dark hair stirred slightly in the same breeze that moved the mists around them. But it was her eyes that caught Buffy. They seemed unusually large and sad, but they held something else in them, too. Buffy lost herself in Faith's eyes for a minute, and immediately scolded herself for being so... well, sappy. "Why?"
"There's some stuff I've got to tell you, B." Faith took another step forward and, caught in the moment, Buffy forgot to step back. The darker Slayer rested her hand on Buffy's shoulder. It was so cold to Buffy, even through her sweater, but she could've sworn that there was heat in it, buried deep. Not that that made any sense to her. "Stuff about me, and you... and - "
"Why here?" Buffy was starting to get freaked out by Faith's eerily calm voice. Shouldn't the other Slayer have gone for her throat already?
"Anywhere would've worked, but this is where you are. And it just had to be us, B, none of the gang. Just us."
"Why?" Buffy felt her body relax. She didn't honestly think Faith was a threat anymore.
"You ask a lot of questions."
"Well, you're being all cryptic and mysterious, Faith."
Faith laughed, and to Buffy it was like the sounds of bells softly ringing deep in the misty night. "Cryptic. That's wicked funny, B."
"Uh... thanks?"
"Welcome."
Buffy canted her head slightly, and gazed at the other Slayer. There was something slightly off with Faith, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the way Faith's voice was soft and gentle, and none of the traces of hatred or revenge came across when she spoke. Maybe it was the way that Faith stood: relaxed and at ease, not ready for a fight. Or maybe it was the way that Faith looked at Buffy, with her sad brown eyes that seemed to be trying to tell her something. But what?
"Someone told me once that the answer lies in the question." The mist swirled around Faith's feet like blue-gray cigarette smoke. She winked.
"What the Hell does that mean?" Buffy decided that someone had hit Faith on the head. Hard. Maybe it was the same someone who told her that stupid proverb.
"I have no fucking clue, B. But I'm running on borrowed time, and there's something you need to hear."
Some of the old anger reared itself inside of Buffy's mind. "There's nothing you have to say that I need to hear." She put her stake back into her pocket. "No apologies, Faith, remember? What else do you have to say to me?"
"Duh, Buffy, I loved you."
Okay, well, that was unexpected. Buffy forgot to blink for a moment. By the time she remembered, a thousand thoughts were shouting in her mind: questions she wanted to ask, witty replies, sarcastic comebacks. One came to the forefront. "What do you mean, *loved*?"
Again, Faith laughed, but the bells were muted now. "Sorry. I guess I still do."
"Guess?" Buffy couldn't understand why this bothered her so much.
"Not much use for love now." Faith shrugged.
"Why?"
"Again with the questions, B." Faith smiled, the expression creeping slowly onto her features. She moved towards Buffy and leaned over, to whisper in her ear, her breath a cold caress on the other girl's neck. "It's my gift, too. To you. Because I did, because I do, because I will always love you. And the world will always need you more than it needs me."
Buffy let her eyes close as Faith spoke, listening to the rich sound of the dark slayer's voice. Involuntarily, a shiver ran up her spine. "What is?" But she already knew the answer.
Faith pulled back from Buffy's neck and leaned forward to her lips. "Death."
Again, involuntarily, Buffy's lips parted as she moved forward, expecting to meet Faith in a soft kiss, one she didn't even realize she had been waiting for. Instead, she met a thick and cool mist. Buffy opened her eyes to see that Faith had disappeared.
Buffy was left alone in the night.
Notes: The Halloween spirit hit me and kicked me and bit me a little, and this is the result. It's set between seasons 4 and 5, since it doesn't need to be Halloween in Sunnydale for weird stuff to happen, and Dawn would complicate things.
Spoilers: Season 5 a bit. I sort of rewrite it without ever writing it. Vague, aren't I?
---
Buffy shuddered and pulled her sweater tighter around her small frame. It was oddly cold for late summer Sunnydale. And misty. "Cold and misty. Great. You'd think the Hellmouth would at least be warm." She shook her head and walked through the gates of the town's largest cemetery, pulling out a stake. Just in case.
After nearly an hour of patrolling, Buffy hadn't found a single vampire. She was feeling pretty let down. There were fresh graves, there should have been vamps. It was almost as if someone had already come through, made a sweep, and left the cemetery vamp-less. But who? The Scoobies were back at the magic shop, researching something or other, and Riley was... where *was* Riley? "Maybe it was Riley..."
"No luck, sweetcheeks."
Buffy whirled around, to stare at the person who had interrupted her thoughts. At least she hoped it was a person. The voice had been strangely soft and melodic, but also familiar. The speaker was perched on top of a tombstone a slight distance off and shrouded in mist, so Buffy could only make out the outline of her body. "Who-"
"You know me."
"We've met?"
"Once, or twice, or a lot." There was laughter in the voice, and Buffy found herself getting annoyed. A shuffling sound followed the statement, and the figure began to move closer to Buffy. Eventually, the mists seemed to part, and Buffy could make out who it was.
"Faith."
"On the nose, B."
"What're you doing here?" Buffy had already assumed a defensive position, though something in the back of her mind told her that it wouldn't be needed.
"I needed to visit."
Buffy took a moment to look over Faith. She was dressed in black leather pants and a black leather vest. Her skin seemed milky white and pale against the dark material. Her dark hair stirred slightly in the same breeze that moved the mists around them. But it was her eyes that caught Buffy. They seemed unusually large and sad, but they held something else in them, too. Buffy lost herself in Faith's eyes for a minute, and immediately scolded herself for being so... well, sappy. "Why?"
"There's some stuff I've got to tell you, B." Faith took another step forward and, caught in the moment, Buffy forgot to step back. The darker Slayer rested her hand on Buffy's shoulder. It was so cold to Buffy, even through her sweater, but she could've sworn that there was heat in it, buried deep. Not that that made any sense to her. "Stuff about me, and you... and - "
"Why here?" Buffy was starting to get freaked out by Faith's eerily calm voice. Shouldn't the other Slayer have gone for her throat already?
"Anywhere would've worked, but this is where you are. And it just had to be us, B, none of the gang. Just us."
"Why?" Buffy felt her body relax. She didn't honestly think Faith was a threat anymore.
"You ask a lot of questions."
"Well, you're being all cryptic and mysterious, Faith."
Faith laughed, and to Buffy it was like the sounds of bells softly ringing deep in the misty night. "Cryptic. That's wicked funny, B."
"Uh... thanks?"
"Welcome."
Buffy canted her head slightly, and gazed at the other Slayer. There was something slightly off with Faith, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the way Faith's voice was soft and gentle, and none of the traces of hatred or revenge came across when she spoke. Maybe it was the way that Faith stood: relaxed and at ease, not ready for a fight. Or maybe it was the way that Faith looked at Buffy, with her sad brown eyes that seemed to be trying to tell her something. But what?
"Someone told me once that the answer lies in the question." The mist swirled around Faith's feet like blue-gray cigarette smoke. She winked.
"What the Hell does that mean?" Buffy decided that someone had hit Faith on the head. Hard. Maybe it was the same someone who told her that stupid proverb.
"I have no fucking clue, B. But I'm running on borrowed time, and there's something you need to hear."
Some of the old anger reared itself inside of Buffy's mind. "There's nothing you have to say that I need to hear." She put her stake back into her pocket. "No apologies, Faith, remember? What else do you have to say to me?"
"Duh, Buffy, I loved you."
Okay, well, that was unexpected. Buffy forgot to blink for a moment. By the time she remembered, a thousand thoughts were shouting in her mind: questions she wanted to ask, witty replies, sarcastic comebacks. One came to the forefront. "What do you mean, *loved*?"
Again, Faith laughed, but the bells were muted now. "Sorry. I guess I still do."
"Guess?" Buffy couldn't understand why this bothered her so much.
"Not much use for love now." Faith shrugged.
"Why?"
"Again with the questions, B." Faith smiled, the expression creeping slowly onto her features. She moved towards Buffy and leaned over, to whisper in her ear, her breath a cold caress on the other girl's neck. "It's my gift, too. To you. Because I did, because I do, because I will always love you. And the world will always need you more than it needs me."
Buffy let her eyes close as Faith spoke, listening to the rich sound of the dark slayer's voice. Involuntarily, a shiver ran up her spine. "What is?" But she already knew the answer.
Faith pulled back from Buffy's neck and leaned forward to her lips. "Death."
Again, involuntarily, Buffy's lips parted as she moved forward, expecting to meet Faith in a soft kiss, one she didn't even realize she had been waiting for. Instead, she met a thick and cool mist. Buffy opened her eyes to see that Faith had disappeared.
Buffy was left alone in the night.