Title: There
Part: 1/1
AN: This was inspired by the kick ass dream sequence in "Phoenix Burning" by Yahtzee that has kept me glued to my inbox since it was first posted. Yeah, it's a post Gift fic. Sue me. (Not really... please.)
The sky is bright. Summer. Never thought I'd see one of those for a while, but here I am. Lyin' on the grass. But it's not a beautiful summers day, cause Richard's here, and he's dead.
She looks up at me, and those big green eyes are full of regret. "I had to."
"I know." I look at him, and all the kind malice, all the evil, it's gone. He's not a monster now. He's a man. And then, suddenly, he's not. There's no metamorphosis. No quick transformation. He's just not him any more. He's. He's Joyce. "I'm sorry 'bout that."
"She didn't hate you."
"She should've." She glances at me, and I know what she's thinking about. "I wouldn't have hurt her, B. Lookin' back, I think I thought I was going to. But if I was pushed.... I was angry. But I don't think I would've."
"Are you sure?"
The sky darkens and there's rain. We're in the cemetery again. Just like we always were. "This is the last time," she says sadly. "After this, it's all over, Faith. You're the Slayer then. You on your own."
"Always was." We stare at a headstone, and it becomes clearer in the dark. Buffy Anne Summers. She saved the world a lot. "You're really in there, huh."
"Something is. It's not me, Faith." She touches the stone, and it makes me want to flinch. To recoil. It's not right, for her to be able to do that. "It's the last time."
"Damn. Just when we made it so nice."
We're in the room with the bed again. It's clean, but there's a girl lying on it. "Buffy - did you let her -"
"She's okay."
I start to move up towards the top of the bed. She puts her hand on my arm and stops me.
"Don't."
"I have to see - I have to see her face - I have to know who she is."
"You'll know."
"When?"
"Soon." She lets go of me and walks towards the bedroom door. "Don't look, Faith. It's not time yet."
"Where are you going?"
She opens the door and turns back towards me, illuminated in the doorway. "Death is my gift."
"This is the end?"
"There are no endings. Only see you agains. Didn't you teach me that? There." She looks at the bed, and she smiles. "That's it. That. There."
She walks away.
Part: 1/1
AN: This was inspired by the kick ass dream sequence in "Phoenix Burning" by Yahtzee that has kept me glued to my inbox since it was first posted. Yeah, it's a post Gift fic. Sue me. (Not really... please.)
The sky is bright. Summer. Never thought I'd see one of those for a while, but here I am. Lyin' on the grass. But it's not a beautiful summers day, cause Richard's here, and he's dead.
She looks up at me, and those big green eyes are full of regret. "I had to."
"I know." I look at him, and all the kind malice, all the evil, it's gone. He's not a monster now. He's a man. And then, suddenly, he's not. There's no metamorphosis. No quick transformation. He's just not him any more. He's. He's Joyce. "I'm sorry 'bout that."
"She didn't hate you."
"She should've." She glances at me, and I know what she's thinking about. "I wouldn't have hurt her, B. Lookin' back, I think I thought I was going to. But if I was pushed.... I was angry. But I don't think I would've."
"Are you sure?"
The sky darkens and there's rain. We're in the cemetery again. Just like we always were. "This is the last time," she says sadly. "After this, it's all over, Faith. You're the Slayer then. You on your own."
"Always was." We stare at a headstone, and it becomes clearer in the dark. Buffy Anne Summers. She saved the world a lot. "You're really in there, huh."
"Something is. It's not me, Faith." She touches the stone, and it makes me want to flinch. To recoil. It's not right, for her to be able to do that. "It's the last time."
"Damn. Just when we made it so nice."
We're in the room with the bed again. It's clean, but there's a girl lying on it. "Buffy - did you let her -"
"She's okay."
I start to move up towards the top of the bed. She puts her hand on my arm and stops me.
"Don't."
"I have to see - I have to see her face - I have to know who she is."
"You'll know."
"When?"
"Soon." She lets go of me and walks towards the bedroom door. "Don't look, Faith. It's not time yet."
"Where are you going?"
She opens the door and turns back towards me, illuminated in the doorway. "Death is my gift."
"This is the end?"
"There are no endings. Only see you agains. Didn't you teach me that? There." She looks at the bed, and she smiles. "That's it. That. There."
She walks away.