Title: Here at the end
Author: Kaylee's Teddy
Rating: PG-13 for angst, character death and some light swearing.
Summery: A short sad AU in which Buffy and the gang spend some time with Angel after Sunnydale is destroyed. Buffy POV
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy,Faith or anything else BTVS related. Joss said let there be scripts and they were good, they were very, very, good.
It isn't supposed to be like this.
It's a quiet night, your last sweep, only a few blocks from the hotel. You and Faith. Out with three new slayers, showing them the ropes, trying to make them ready.
Faith sees the demon first, dives headlong in front of the killing blow, saves Mary or Miriam or whatever the youngest' name is.
She's thirteen, it can't be right to be called so young and it can't be right, the way Faith takes those two claws deep into her body, a sickening sound and by the time you've snapped the things neck you know it's already too late.
"Faith!" You can hear yourself screaming, she's still standing, you have no idea how and you ease her down to the ground, she's still breathing God she's still breathing.
"GET HELP NOW!" You yell at the girls behind you, they can't stop staring at Faith, eyes big as saucers, all clustered together. "NOW!" You yell again, maybe you should be more kind, they are so young, but they're warriors now, warriors in your goddamn army and they are going to learn to take orders. They scatter like startled bunnies, abandoning their weapons behind them, you sigh, ALWAYS remain armed; you'll have to warn them about that later.
You're alone now, with Faith, who thank God is still breathing. There's so much blood, all over you, all over Faith, her chest a mess of torn tissue. You take your jacket off and press it against the wound in Faith's chest, lean in close so she can hear you whisper. "Faith?" You ask, inches from her face. She doesn't move and that scares you. "Faith." You say again a little louder panic edging into your voice. She opens her eyes a little, a hint of that annoying smirk playing at her mouth, "Hey, B." She whispers. You could kill her. Even here now, kneeling in her blood she still knows just how to piss you off. "Don't move." You say sternly "Girls went for help." You can hear her struggle to breathe, there's so much damage, and you press your hand against her chest willing her heart to keep beating.
"Don't bury me..." Faith whispers, and it's so quiet you think you've imagined it. "What?" you ask "Don't bury me." Faith repeats, stronger this time "I've spent too long lying down." You think she tries to laugh but it comes out a strangled wheeze, she can not be asking this, she can not be asking this now. "Shut up Faith" you grit out "You are NOT going to die." You are angry, angry at her for giving up, angry at her for being right.
"B." She whispers and she tries to take your hand, can't seem to make it, so you leave your right pressed against her heart and grasp her hand with your left, she smiles. "B" she say's squeezing your hand, "Promise me," she's gasping and you want to tell her to stop, save her strength but you just don't have the energy to fight with her anymore. "Promise me you won't bury me." She's staring at you with unblinking eyes, the one thing she's really ever asked you for directly. "Promise me you'll take me someplace good. Someplace with seasons." She's so serious, you've never heard her so quiet. "I promise" you hear yourself whisper and she smiles again, so soft that it hurt's you. She just keeps talking slow murmur, while you get a hold of yourself.
"Better this way, dust to dust, like the vamps. Maybe you could get someone to take me back east. I'd like to see some real snow again, maybe watch the leaves change color, I never thought I'd miss being cold." She trails off and suddenly you know, just know, that it can't end like this you won't let it." "Faith..." you whisper fiercely "Listen to me, you are not going to die." She makes that wheezing sound again. "You're not, you're going to get better and then you are going to go back to Boston..." Faith shakes her head, "No, New York, I liked New York..." she whispers. You don't remember when you started crying but tears are dripping down your nose and it's getting so hard, so hard to keep on talking but you plunge on like the sound of your voice can make this all go away "Have you been to New York?" You ask, suddenly struck by how little you actually know about her. "I slept behind a dumpster in Chelsea." She whispers and you want to say you're sorry, but you've spent so long not apologizing to her, that you can't seem to find the words now.
"Would you come with me?" Faith asks and you're quiet, you want to pretend that you don't understand "Would you come with me?" Faith repeats quietly "When I go to New York.... when I'm better?" The last words are so quiet, they ring with a broken hope, Faith's last hope and there's only one answer you can give her. "Yes" you whisper and you wish that it could be true, you wish you were the kind of people who get those kinds of endings. She smiles, soft and broken, "You're a bad liar B." She murmurs and you both sit for a while listening to the echo of those words fade. "I wish things could have been different." She whispers, you're not exactly sure what she's referring to but you nod. "Me too" you answer and squeeze her hand.
You're still crying when Angel walks up behind you, takes Faith's body in his arms and walks you both back to the hotel.