Sunnydale, 1999
She gasped softly as the cold stainless steel blade slid into her. Her dark eyes grew wide as the searing pain spread slowly from the wound. She looked down at the small hand that held the knife buried nearly to the pommel in her gut. Her gaze moved to the girl's intense green eyes as she smiled.
"Congratulations B, you killed me. Now you become me." She grimaced with pain.
"No Faith, I will never be like you." Buffy spat as she jerked the blade up slightly.
"No?" Faith cocked her head to the side slightly. Buffy's gaze held firm as Faith took a deep breath.
"Your not gonna save Angel either." Faith choked as she gathered the last of her fading strength and threw herself back off both the blade and the rooftop.
"NO!!!" She heard Buffy scream as she readied herself for the coming impact. Staring up at the roof she saw Buffy silhouetted against the black night sky, the gentle wind blowing her blonde hair out behind her. Slowly the black sky began to seep across her vision until all she could see was black.
Sunnydale Hospital, Same Night, 1999
The gurney slammed through the swinging emergency room doors with a rattling thump. Bright fluorescent lights cast pale shadows as the doctors and nurses rushed along side the quickly moving table.
"Oh geez, golly geez" he muttered as he clutched her hand. Dark bruises began to blossom across her once untouched pale skin.
"Mister Mayor I'm going to have to ask you to stay out here." The doctor stopped and turned to him as the gurney was wheeled into a room off the hall.
"You have to save her." The Mayor said softly, looking past the doctor into the room.
"We'll do everything in our power to help your..." The doctor trailed off.
"Faith." Wilkins replied. The doctor nodded as a single long shrill note echoed out of the room. The Mayor grew pale as he sank slowly into the waiting chair. The doctor's white coat billowed out behind him as he rushed into the room. For the first time in a very long time Wilkins felt truly powerless. He watched the time tick by on his watch.
The door swung open slowly as the doctor, his coat no long pristine white, stepped into the hallway. Wilkins looked up, hope filling his eyes until they met with the doctor's.
"She's stable, but comatose... the prognosis isn't good. It's doubtful she'll ever wake up." The doctor stated
"Can I see her?" Wilkins asked. With a nod the doctor stepped aside. Richard Wilkins felt his heartbreaking as he stepped into the room and saw her laying motionless in the hospital bed. He moved across the room and smoothed her dark hair away from her face. He choked back a sob as tears began to flow down his face. A loud noise from next door drew his attention, he glanced up to see those responsible for Faith's condition, his stomach clenching with anger as he moved into the room.
England, 2004
She sat on the cliff looking out at the ocean, her knees drawn nearly to her chest. She sighed as she tugged up a handful of grass and tossed it to one side.. She watched as the green blades danced and fluttered in the wind, finally making their way to the ground. She tensed slightly as she heard someone moving through the grass towards her. Tipping her head back, her chocolate brown hair trailing along the ground, she stood and brushed off her low slung jeans as she turned to face him.
"Hey Giles." She said.
"Faith." He nodded his head in her direction. She smiled weakly and brushed her hand through her hair.
"Is something troubling you Faith?" Giles asked.
She shrugged and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket.
"Just thinking." She replied.
"About?" He inquired.
"You remember 'bout five years ago, when B tried to kill me?"
"I believe I recall the incident, yes." He took off his glasses and wiped them with the hem of his shirt.
"Did I die? I mean when I was in the hospital, did I flat line?" She asked as she rocked on her feet. He looked up slowly meeting her eyes.
"I don't really know, Faith I wasn't there at the hospital when they brought you in. Why do you ask?" He said searching her face.
"Cause I think maybe I did." she said.
"Why?" He asked her his tone soft.
"I've been havin' these dreams. I think I died and when I did I think another slayer was called."
Giles regarded her carefully, his eyes scanning her face. She sighed and looked down at the scuffed toe of her boot.
"If what you say is true Faith do you know what that means?" He asked.
"Yeah that five years ago some poor girl's life became crap and she has no idea why." She answered, and he nodded. "I need to find her." she said.
"How, how will you find one lone girl?" he asked reasonably.
"The dreams, I think they'll lead me to her." she said.
"And where do you start looking?" he asked.
"L.A." she said.
She gasped softly as the cold stainless steel blade slid into her. Her dark eyes grew wide as the searing pain spread slowly from the wound. She looked down at the small hand that held the knife buried nearly to the pommel in her gut. Her gaze moved to the girl's intense green eyes as she smiled.
"Congratulations B, you killed me. Now you become me." She grimaced with pain.
"No Faith, I will never be like you." Buffy spat as she jerked the blade up slightly.
"No?" Faith cocked her head to the side slightly. Buffy's gaze held firm as Faith took a deep breath.
"Your not gonna save Angel either." Faith choked as she gathered the last of her fading strength and threw herself back off both the blade and the rooftop.
"NO!!!" She heard Buffy scream as she readied herself for the coming impact. Staring up at the roof she saw Buffy silhouetted against the black night sky, the gentle wind blowing her blonde hair out behind her. Slowly the black sky began to seep across her vision until all she could see was black.
Sunnydale Hospital, Same Night, 1999
The gurney slammed through the swinging emergency room doors with a rattling thump. Bright fluorescent lights cast pale shadows as the doctors and nurses rushed along side the quickly moving table.
"Oh geez, golly geez" he muttered as he clutched her hand. Dark bruises began to blossom across her once untouched pale skin.
"Mister Mayor I'm going to have to ask you to stay out here." The doctor stopped and turned to him as the gurney was wheeled into a room off the hall.
"You have to save her." The Mayor said softly, looking past the doctor into the room.
"We'll do everything in our power to help your..." The doctor trailed off.
"Faith." Wilkins replied. The doctor nodded as a single long shrill note echoed out of the room. The Mayor grew pale as he sank slowly into the waiting chair. The doctor's white coat billowed out behind him as he rushed into the room. For the first time in a very long time Wilkins felt truly powerless. He watched the time tick by on his watch.
The door swung open slowly as the doctor, his coat no long pristine white, stepped into the hallway. Wilkins looked up, hope filling his eyes until they met with the doctor's.
"She's stable, but comatose... the prognosis isn't good. It's doubtful she'll ever wake up." The doctor stated
"Can I see her?" Wilkins asked. With a nod the doctor stepped aside. Richard Wilkins felt his heartbreaking as he stepped into the room and saw her laying motionless in the hospital bed. He moved across the room and smoothed her dark hair away from her face. He choked back a sob as tears began to flow down his face. A loud noise from next door drew his attention, he glanced up to see those responsible for Faith's condition, his stomach clenching with anger as he moved into the room.
England, 2004
She sat on the cliff looking out at the ocean, her knees drawn nearly to her chest. She sighed as she tugged up a handful of grass and tossed it to one side.. She watched as the green blades danced and fluttered in the wind, finally making their way to the ground. She tensed slightly as she heard someone moving through the grass towards her. Tipping her head back, her chocolate brown hair trailing along the ground, she stood and brushed off her low slung jeans as she turned to face him.
"Hey Giles." She said.
"Faith." He nodded his head in her direction. She smiled weakly and brushed her hand through her hair.
"Is something troubling you Faith?" Giles asked.
She shrugged and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket.
"Just thinking." She replied.
"About?" He inquired.
"You remember 'bout five years ago, when B tried to kill me?"
"I believe I recall the incident, yes." He took off his glasses and wiped them with the hem of his shirt.
"Did I die? I mean when I was in the hospital, did I flat line?" She asked as she rocked on her feet. He looked up slowly meeting her eyes.
"I don't really know, Faith I wasn't there at the hospital when they brought you in. Why do you ask?" He said searching her face.
"Cause I think maybe I did." she said.
"Why?" He asked her his tone soft.
"I've been havin' these dreams. I think I died and when I did I think another slayer was called."
Giles regarded her carefully, his eyes scanning her face. She sighed and looked down at the scuffed toe of her boot.
"If what you say is true Faith do you know what that means?" He asked.
"Yeah that five years ago some poor girl's life became crap and she has no idea why." She answered, and he nodded. "I need to find her." she said.
"How, how will you find one lone girl?" he asked reasonably.
"The dreams, I think they'll lead me to her." she said.
"And where do you start looking?" he asked.
"L.A." she said.