Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed reading this one. It was a nice change of pace for me to write this, breathed new life into finding inspiration to keep writing WDKU. Until the next one... :)

Chapter Four

The ground shakes more with every crash of thunder. Small earthquakes quiver, shaking the house between the great crashes of thunder. It sounds like the end of the world outside and Faith knows it might as well be, but it doesn't stop her from being with the woman she's so desperately in love with and who actually wants to be with her now. Crazy, isn't it? After all they've been through, she finally gets one thing, the one thing she's been wanting for so long and it couldn't have come at the worst time.

And if she dies tonight, she'll die knowing that Buffy wants her like she wants her. She keeps feeling like she's dreaming, but with Buffy kissing her so hard, so deep, Buffy's fingers buried to the hilt, fucking her so good, she knows it isn't a dream.

She doesn't want to try to figure out how Buffy had suddenly changed her tune from a cold-hearted bitch to wanting her this way. It's not worth trying to figure it out since Buffy has always been hard for her to read. She'll take whatever Buffy is giving her and give in return. Even if this all ends badly, Faith doesn't give a fuck.

At least she'd die happy, which before yesterday seemed like that would never happen. The dying happy part, at least.

"Fuck," Faith groans as she breaks apart from Buffy's lips, gasping for much needed air. She moans loudly as Buffy's fingers curl inside her and she nearly throws Buffy off her as she arches off the cot. "Fuck, B...just like that, baby."

She closes her eyes as Buffy bites down on her pulse point, hard. And she's tumbling over the edge in seconds, having no control over her body as she cries out with passion as wave after wave of ecstasy washes over her.

God, I love you, Buffy, she thinks to herself, wishing she could just say the words instead of holding back. It's not like she needs to say it. She can just feel that Buffy knows just how she feels about her. Or she could be wrong and for all Buffy knows she's just feeling the lust, the passion, and that feeling of letting the rest of the world just slip away as they become lost within each other.

Over and over again.

As the house begins to shake more violently, they scramble for their clothes, knowing this is more than just a shake from the violent thunder outside. Together they run upstairs and a fearful Dawn is screaming that there's an earthquake. Faith moves quick, grabbing an empty duffel bag and grabbing as many supplies as she can while the others do the same.

They run outside into the front yard as the ground begins to shake more violently. Everyone is confused and scared, not knowing if this is a natural earthquake or if its coming from the Hellmouth. Faith stays close to Buffy as they all look to Giles for some kind of an answer. He shakes his head as they look around the neighbour, watching as a few houses give and crumble to the ground.

"We gotta get outta here!" Faith yells as she tries to stay steady on her feet.

"And go where?" Buffy asks and she shakes her head as she slings the strap of her bag over her shoulder and grabs Dawn's hand. She tries to calm her down to no avail and looks helplessly at Faith.

"Let's get the hell outta town," Faith says and the others nod their head quickly in agreement. "We'll have to walk it. Run if we can. You guys yell if you can't keep up, you hear me?"

Faith is grateful it's not raining out, but she doesn't know how long it's gonna hold off with the constant lightning and thunder that's surrounding them. She knows the quickest way out of town is going to take them a while on foot and it's not the safest route either, but they have to at least try to make it out alive.

"Is it the Hellmouth that's all rumbly?" Buffy asks Giles as they start out quickly down the street, keeping their eyes peeled for any demons lurking around, ready to strike. "Giles?"

"I uh-I believe it is," he replies with a slight stammer.

Faith is starting to think maybe she jinxed it when she thought about if she died tonight, she'd die happy. She shakes her head and takes the lead, looking back at Buffy as she stays right at Dawn's side. What she wouldn't give to be back in the basement with Buffy, naked and sweaty with hands in deliciously naughty places.

They make it a couple of miles from the house before the ground finally stops shaking, before the lightning and the thunder come to a halt. It's quiet, too quiet and they take a breather, using what's left of a shop on Main Street for shelter in case they're being hunted.

"What is going on out here?" Buffy asks Faith as she moves to sit on the old wood box Faith is sitting on. "Faith?"

"Don't have a fucking clue, B. Whatever it is, it's definitely not good."

"No it's...definitely not," she whispers and she frowns as she leans into Faith a little bit. "I can't stop thinking about what I saw in that vision, Faith. It's scaring me. What if it wasn't the First putting it in my head? What if that is what has to happen in order for us to stop it?"

"Hate to break it to ya, B, but I think the Powers that Be stopped looking out for our kind the second the First won."

"Faith-"

"What did you see anyway?" Faith asks, hoping that maybe now Buffy will tell her more of what she'd seen. Buffy frowns and moves in closer to Faith. With a sigh, Faith slides an arm around her shoulders and just holds her. "Was it bad?"

"Yeah," Buffy nods and Faith follows her gaze over to where Giles, Dawn, Kennedy and Willow are huddled together not that far from them. "We have to close the seal."

"Close it? B, we can't even get near it, how the hell are we going to close it?"

"I don't know I-I just know it has to be me. I'm the one that has to-"

"No," Faith says in a firm whisper, not wanting the others to overhear their conversation. "There's no way you're doing this alone."

"Faith, I-"

"Buffy, listen to me. If I had it my way, we'd still be down in the basement right now," she says, wiggling her eyebrows a little as Buffy looks right at her. "But obviously I never have things go my way. Just the way it is and honestly, I never expected that to change when the world ended. But, I did finally have something go my way, even if it was just for a little while and please stop me before I start with all that sappy, happy, romantic crap."

Buffy laughs a little but the smile on her face quickly fades. "I'd give anything to be able to have this with you and not have the world be the way it is now."

"Maybe we'll get it, B? Maybe we can change the world, save it? What else did you see in that vision?"

"We needed blood to open the seal, we need blood to close it. When it closes, the First is dead."

"Can't be that easy, can it?"

"I don't know, Faith. It's just what I saw," she replies, quickly looking away from her.

Faith groans. She know's Buffy is holding something else back and she can see that it terrifies her. She also knows that there's more to why Buffy came to her in the basement hours before and she knows for a fact it has a lot to do with what she'd seen in that vision, the very same things she's not telling Faith right now. She doesn't want to bring any of that up-the basement stuff any way-since there's no point in having that discussion with the others so close by.

Faith gently turns Buffy's head and kisses her softly, feeling the hot tears fall from Buffy's eyes and roll down her cheeks. She's a little surprised too that Buffy isn't stopping her since they both know the other's are now watching them. She's also amazed as how far they've come and she knows that feeling isn't going to go away any time soon, at least not as long as Buffy keeps letting her in, letting her kiss her and be affectionate with her in the ways she is now.

"Hmm, Faith?" Buffy sighs as she pulls back from the kiss. She wipes her tears and frowns a little as she stares into Faith's eyes. "I think I know what we need to do."

"I think I know too," Faith replies softly. "But I'm not letting you do it alone, B. We're in this together now."

"I know. But the others?" Buffy says as she looks over at Giles, Dawn, Kennedy and Willow and sighs heavily. "We need to get them somewhere safe."

"Where, B?"

"Maybe that house we found the other night is still standing after that earthquake?"

"Doubt it."

"Where else can we take them, Faith?"

"Find a car that still works and tell them to get the hell outta town as fast as they can."

"They won't leave us behind."

Faith groans. She knows that much is true. They all had an unspoken pack, to never leave each other behind no matter what the circumstances were at the time. Her heart breaks knowing that Xander should've been here with them right now. He should be here helping them make the right decision. He usually was the one who settled things, brought some logic into whatever choices were being made. It fucking breaks her heart that he gave up so easily, gave into his fear and ran.

They sit there for a while, nobody saying a word. Faith is thinking of what they can do, how they can convince the others to get out of town while she and Buffy head to the Hellmouth to try to close the seal and put an end to the end of the world as they know it.

It's not going to be easy to convince them, especially Dawn, to leave without her and Buffy, but Faith knows she has to try something. If Buffy thinks that closing the seal the the way to end things, then she has to trust her on that and be there right at her side when it happens.

Death or not. She made a promise to herself to stay at Buffy's side when the world changed and she wasn't about to back out now.

It's about an hour before sunrise. They'd spent the entire night holed up in what is left of the shop they'd found. Faith groans as she stretches, waking from her light sleep. If it weren't for Willow casting a barrier around all of them, they wouldn't have made it through the night. She turns to look at Buffy who had been at her side all night, but she's no longer there and neither is her weapons.

"Shit!" Faith says loudly, causing the others to wake up with a jolt. "She's gone!"

"What?" Willow mumbles.

"Buffy is gone!"

Everyone looks around in alarm before it's Giles who goes to Faith first. He looks at her intensely as he places a hand on her tense shoulder.

"Are you certain she's gone and hasn't just gone to take care of, ahem, personal business away from prying eyes?"

"She took her weapons," Faith says as she points to the nearly empty bag Buffy had packed in the panic to leave the house the night before. "She's gone, Giles, and it's not personal business she's gone to take care of either."

"What on earth are you talking about? Come, let's make some tea and-"

"Forget your fucking tea, Giles! Buffy is going to die!" Faith yells and she sees Dawn flinch out of the corner of her eye. She holds back the tears, a mix of angry and hurt tears and she pulls Giles to the side. "Look, Buffy had a vision when she had that seizure that knocked her out cold. She believes this vision is true, that she can stop all of this," Faith says in a low voice as she waves her arms around at their surroundings.

"A vision? Did she tell you exactly what this vision involved?"

"That she has to close the seal. Didn't get too many details outta her. You know what she's like."

"Close the seal? But that is impossible! We've already looked into finding ways to close the seal and even if we did find a way, you know how impenetrable that school is now. The First's army surrounds it and fills it. There's no way in or out alive."

"She told me she saw in her vision that blood was used to open the seal, blood is what is needed to close it and that she is the one who has to do it. When the seal closes, the First is dead."

"No, no, it cannot be that simple," Giles mutters, fear flashing in his usually lifeless, hard eyes. "She'll be killed before she gets near that school! It's a death-wish."

"What if there's something we can do to help her, Giles?" Willow asks as she joins them in the corner they're standing in. "What if I can cast a spell, maybe some kind of invincibility spell that last just as long as she needs to get to the seal?"

Faith has an idea and she's hoping it'll work just as long as Buffy hasn't gotten too far and is on the verge of getting herself killed. She swallows that fear, that lump in her throat. Buffy isn't dead. If she was, she'd feel it just like the last time Buffy had died fighting Glory.

"You wanna invisible-cloak me too while you're at it, Red?" Faith asks and Willow's eyes widen but she nods her head yes. "I'm going after her."

"Are you going to stop her from doing this?" Giles asks.

"No. I'm going to help her and try to save her from getting herself killed. Again," she says, a bitter tone in her voice by the last word that comes out of her mouth. She looks at Willow in the eye and sighs. "I need you guys to get out of town. I don't want to hear any "buts" here. Buffy's not here and I'm calling the shots. It's not safe here and we all know it and who the hell knows what's gonna happen once we're down there trying to close that seal up."

"Where are we going to go?"

"Anywhere but here. Get as far away as you can. When all is said and done, Buffy and me? We'll meet ya. You know that gas station about twenty miles from town? Meet us there. You guys should be safe there for a little while."

Faith isn't losing hope that they'll all make it out of this alive. She can't lose hope. Not now. She's gotta stay strong, not just for herself but for Buffy too. She knows Dawn isn't going to go without a fight, but now that Willow and Giles it seems is on board with the plan for them to get out of town, dragging Dawn along might not be as hard as she originally thought it'd be.

At least not now that Buffy has gone and done the stupidest thing she's ever done and head for the Hellmouth seal on her own.

Willow gathers up some supplies she needs to make this invisibility spell work. Faith discusses a few plans, mostly on how they'd get out if the worst were to happen. Faith doesn't want to bring it up that the Hellmouth collapsing isn't the worst thing that could happen right now, it's Buffy dying. Or her. Or both of them.

"This is a bloody careless and stupid idea," Giles mutters as Faith gathers up just her weapons, strapping the axe to her back. Buffy had taken the scythe. Of course she did. "You do realize you are putting your life at risk as well?"

"I know and don't care. If I can save her, that's all that matters."

"You care for her," Giles says with a soft smile.

"I'm in love with her, G."

His face reddens slightly as Faith says it with such honesty even she has to blush a little at hearing herself say the words.

"And to be honest with ya, I want to help her save the world. I wanna see where things can go between us. I think she feels the same way, or at least a little. Either way, I wanna see what we can be even if it all ends in disaster."

"I'm sure everything will work out in the end."

"And if not, at least I can say I tried, right?" Faith says and Giles nods his head sadly.

"Here," Willow says as she comes over to Faith and hands her two marble like orbs glowing a soft blue. "Break them over yourself, anywhere and poof, invisible. I've made it so you and Buffy can still see and communicate with each other. You should be safe from being detected by any of the Turok-Han, maybe the First, not sure about Bringers since they see a lot for a bunch of blind, mute guys."

"And how do we end it?" Faith asks as she safely tucks the orbs into the inner pocket of her worn jacket, more so just a vest now that the sleeves have been ripped and torn off.

"Say these words, sit alica finietur, and it'll be over, but don't do it until you're safe."

"Latin huh? Never been one for Latin," Faith mutters and she searches through her bag for something to write this down on knowing she'll forget it when the time comes to recite the words to end the spell. She pulls out her pack of cigarettes, the last full pack she has. She hands Willow a marker and the pack. "Write it down for me, will ya, Red?"

"It's just Latin for "let this spell be ended" but since neither of you are a witch, saying it in plain English isn't going to do the job."

"Thanks for this, Red."

"Just," Willow sighs as she grabs on to Faith's arm before she can leave. "Can you promise me something?"

"Can't promise ya anything right now."

Faith doesn't say another word, doesn't bother saying goodbye to the others. There's no need. She'll see them again outside of town once all is said and done. She heads towards the school, grateful the sun has fully risen and there's not a single cloud in the hazy sky. It's already stifling hot, but the heat doesn't bother Faith. She's actually gotten quite used it it.

Just makes her wish she brought some water though.

By the time she reaches the school and the barrier the Turok-Han had formed around it, she spots Buffy hiding out behind a burnt out US army tank. Faith quickly makes her way towards her, keeping her eyes open for Bringers since those are the only things they have to worry about during the day and being so close to the school. At least what remains of it and it is more than what was there the other day too.

"What the fuck are ya doing, B?" Faith asks in a hushed whisper as she crouches on the ground next to her. "Woke up and you were fucking gone."

"I told you, I know what has to be done."

"And ya were planning on walking right in there? B, they'll kill ya before you set foot in that school and you know it."

Buffy frowns and she sits on the ground, her back to the side of the tank. "Did you know the army was here?"

"No, but we did see a few of their vehicles, couple soldiers. Didn't think much of it. Guess they retreated before it was too late. Still doesn't answer my question, B. Just how are ya planning on getting in there without getting yourself killed?"

"I'm still thinking."

"You were planning to do this all alone, weren't you?" Faith asks her bitterly and she clenches her jaw tight as Buffy looks away from her, avoiding her intense gaze. "Come on, B. We're in this together, remember?"

"Where are the others?" Buffy asks, completely ignoring everything Faith is saying to her which aggravates Faith even more so. "Are they safe?"

"Headed out of town. We're gonna meet them at that gas station twenty miles out."

"Are you sure?"

"They're gone, B. Or getting gone. Either way, they're going where it's safe," Faith replies and she hears something coming from inside the school, a crash of sorts. She peers over the side of the tank to see if she can see anything, but the windows that haven't been broken have been blacked out and she can't see a damn thing.

"Then go with them, Faith. This is up to me. I have to do this."

"We're gonna do it together," Faith says as she grabs both of Buffy's hands. "B, I ain't giving up on you. I ain't gonna stand by and know you died when it could've been different. You don't gotta die to save the world. Already did that once, girlfriend."

Buffy smiles a little but doesn't take her hands away from Faith's. She looks so sad and yet so determined to do this that it's breaking Faith's heart.

"Look," Faith says as she pulls out the orbs Willow had conjured up for both of them. "Got a way to get in and get the job done and get out without being seen."

"What?"

"Willow. Magic. Invisibility spell."

Buffy doesn't say a word as she takes one of the orbs out of Faith's hand and looks at it, losing herself in the soft blue light its giving off. Faith looks around, knowing they aren't gonna make it far outta town on foot. They need an escape plan if things go bad. She spots a dirt bike under a crushed pick-up truck. It'll take two of them to get that out from under it and she hopes to hell the thing still works.

"B?" Faith whispers, getting her attention again. "I refuse to let you do this alone. We're the Chosen Two. If we're gonna save the world from what it's become, we're gonna do it together."

"I-I have to do this, Faith."

"And I'm gonna be right there, watching your back, B. It's what I'm here for. Didn't stick around just so I could try to get in your pants, which you know, finally managed to and now you're gonna go off and get yourself killed 'cause you're too stubborn to let me come with ya."

Buffy laughs a little and pulls Faith in for a brief kiss. "You're so stubborn, you know that, right?"

"I know I am. So are you."

"Do you have a plan, Faith?"

"Use this invisibility spell, get in, get down to the seal, use both our blood to close it up then get the hell outta dodge. Then, I was thinking, once we're safe I'm gonna kick your ass for pulling such a stupid stunt leaving us all like that, girlfriend."

Faith winks at her and pulls her in for another kiss, letting it linger but it's nothing intense. That can wait until after they save the world from what it's become. Faith refuses to think about what'll happen if they don't make it out there alive.

She's gotta go in having hope, right? It's all they got left and she's gonna hold on to that with all that she's got. Just like she's gonna hold on to Buffy and get her out of there alive. With her.

Giles pulls the car into the abandoned gas station and the others scramble out, heading inside the small shack as quickly as possible. Bringers were chasing them as soon as they reached the edge of town. Although they were on foot, they were still fast and they'd catch up to them eventually.

"Willow, a barrier spell needs to be put in place, now," Giles says as he and Kennedy barricade the door and two small windows with whatever they can find in the small shack. "Now, Willow. Time is not on our side."

"I-I'm working on it," she stammers and she sits in the middle of the floor, reciting the chant for the barrier spell she'd cast so many times in the last twenty-two days.

Giles can only stand by the window that is mostly blocked with stacks of old crates. He peers through the sliver of an opening, looking for any sign that the Bringers are getting close. He can't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he sees the shimmer of electric blue surround the shack and disappear. He turns to the others, wishing things could've turned out much differently.

Wishing was the stupid thing to want and he knows this. He hasn't lost hope. He believes in Buffy and he believes in Faith. He believes in all of them. They'll make it through this and get on with their lives. Things will get better.

"Giles, they'll be here soon, right?" Dawn asks softly. "We can't fight all those Bringers on our own. We need them here."

"We can try," Kennedy cuts in as she holds her sword. "You're forgetting I'm a slayer too. I can hold my own against these bastards."

"There's over twenty of them!" Dawn nearly yells at her. "We need more than one slayer here right now!"

"Hush, children," Giles snaps at them. "Now is not the time for this. We'll deal with it as they come. Let us hope the barrier will keep them out."

They had never encountered Bringers in any of the places they had been hiding out in the last twenty-two days. Nobody was even sure if the barrier would work against them. Giles leans against the wall, keeping a watchful eye out. His mind wanders, his imagination taking over, dreaming of a world that this world used to be before the First won.

"We need a plan," Dawn says and she looks to Giles. "Giles? We need a plan!"

"We wait."

"No," Dawn shakes her head and she grabs his arm, pulling him away from the window. "We can't just sit here and wait! What if that barrier fails. We could just get back in the car, keep going, try to lose them. They can't run forever, can they?"

"We can't leave Buffy and Faith behind," Willow reminds her from where she's still sitting on the floor. "Faith told us to come here and wait for them."

"How long are we supposed to wait for? What if they don't make it out of there alive?"

"We'll wait for a day," Giles says with a heavy sigh. "If there is no sign of them, we'll make our escape."

"What about the Bringers?" Kennedy asks. "What if they show up and the barrier holds. They know we're in here. They're not just going to stand down and let us walk away after a day."

"We need a better plan," Willow chips in, taking Dawn's side on the matter.

Giles shakes his head and returns to the window, watching as the first of the two dozen Bringers that had been chasing them outside of town make their descent towards the abandoned gas station.

He doesn't want to say it as he sees other creatures they've never seen before coming up behind the Bringers. He knows now this is the end. He doesn't want to say it, doesn't want to alarm the others. They'll want to die fighting. It's what he wants and he knows that's what they'd want. It's die fighting or die a coward.

And they are all anything but cowards.

Buffy takes a deep breath as she watches Faith use the orb, effectively disappearing before her very eyes. Faith convinced her that Willow had made it so they could still see and communicate with each other while under the spell. Buffy takes another deep breath before breaking the orb over her left shoulder. She feels tingly all over and slowly she sees Faith take form in front of her, just where she last saw her as she disappeared.

"Holy shit," Faith mutters under her breath. "Intense, right?"

"Right. Let's go."

Buffy takes the lead, walking straight up to the front doors of what used to be Sunnydale High School. She can feel the energy of the Hellmouth, stronger than ever, but she's trying so hard not to let it get to her. She knows if she does, she'll wig and they'll never make it. She looks back at Faith, watching as she takes the axe off her back and grips it tight. Buffy looks down at the scythe in her hands and takes a deep breath before walking through the front doors, careful to step over the broken debris and only walking where she knows they won't make a sound.

It takes her a moment for her eyes to adjust in the dark as night hallway. Up ahead and around the corner she can make out the flickering light coming from candles or torches. Likely both. The hair on the back of her neck stands up as they approach the corner and peer around it. There are hundreds of Turok-Han walking around, some just standing there, others growling and snarling at one another. They aren't going to make it past them. There's barely any room to walk.

"Gotta find another way to that door, B," Faith whispers as she pulls Buffy back. "Come on, there's gotta be another way."

"Sewers?"

"Could be our best bet. Could be a death trap too."

"I have an idea," Buffy says and motions for Faith to follow her up to the second floor, careful to step around the rotting bodies of a handful of Turok-Han that have been there since they lost their fight. She heads for the custodian closet and it's locked. Taking a quick look around, she busts the door and pulls Faith inside, closing it quickly in case any Turok-Han heard the noise and would be coming to investigate it.

"A closet, B?"

"Look," she points to the large air ducts. "They all lead down to the basement."

"Smart thinking, B."

"Thanks. Let's move and try to be quiet."

"Don't gotta tell me twice."

Buffy removes the grate that's just large enough for them to fit through. Carefully she makes her way down the air duct, looking back up at Faith as she tries to put the grate back on. She looks below her and although its dark, she knows this is pretty much a straight drop to the basement. They move slowly and as quietly as they can, the only sounds that either can hear are the sounds of every deep breath they take.

It takes them nearly ten minutes to reach the basement and there's already a hole blasted through the bottom of the duct. Buffy tentatively makes her way out and into the boiler room, or what's left of it. She looks back at Faith as she exits the duct and stretches.

"Which way?" Faith asks her and Buffy takes a few deep breaths, trying to get her head clear, trying to think. "Scratch that, B. Just let it lead us."

"You feel it too, don't you?"

"That pull? The energy? I do," Faith replies with a nod. "Let's make this quick, yeah? Kinda wanna get this done and get the hell outta town. Alive."

Buffy focuses on that energy coming from the Hellmouth beyond the seal and lets it lead her. Faith stays close, almost taking her hand in her own a few times before stopping herself. After the third time it happens, Buffy takes Faith's hand and intertwines their fingers, smiling back at her a little as they continue walking through the basement corridors towards the seal.

It's nearly empty down there and it's freaking Buffy out. It shouldn't be this deserted, should it? Trying as best as she can to shake it off, along with the fear that's starting to cloud her senses, she rounds the corner and spots the room where the seal was. Two Turok-Han are guarding the doorway and they're bigger than any of the others she'd ever set eyes on.

"We need a diversion," Buffy whispers as she lets go of Faith's hand.

"On it, B. I'll be right with you," she says with a sly smirk dancing over her lips and a dangerous, daring look in her eyes.

Buffy knows she should stop her from doing whatever it is she's about to do, but she also knows they didn't come this far for nothing. She watches as Faith runs down the corridor and around the corner. In a matter of seconds she hears something crash and the two Turok-Han guarding the door take off in the direction Faith ran off in. Buffy waits, holding her breath as she keeps her eyes peeled for Faith. Almost ten seconds later, Faith is sprinting towards her, a victorious smile on her face.

"Let's get this done," she says breathlessly as she heads into the room where the seal is still wide open. "At least we're alone. Might not be for very long."

"Right. Let's do this. Here's hoping it works?" Buffy offers out meekly and pulls out a small dagger she tucked inside her boot.

"B?" Faith says as she steps towards her, careful not to step over the edge. "Look, I just wanna say one thing before we do this. I lo-"

"Tell me when we make it out of here alive, okay?" Buffy says, stopping her as she places a finger over Faith's lips. "Let's just get this done."

Faith shakes her head and pulls her in for a deep, passionate kiss that has Buffy's head swimming in a matter of seconds. Buffy gives in, kissing her back with just as much heated passion as Faith is giving off to her. She wants to see this end, she wants the world to go back to the way it's been even if it won't quite be the same. She wants to see what'll happen, not just between her and Faith, but to all of it, to everything and everyone that's left.

Faith is the first to pull back and she smiles at Buffy a little bit. Buffy smiles right back and takes the dagger, slicing her palm over the faded scar from when they'd done this twenty-two days ago to open it. She hands the dagger to Faith and watches as she slices over her old scar just as she had done. Together, they hold their hands out, clasping their free hands together as they wait.

This better work, Buffy thinks as she wills herself to keep her eyes open.

The ground beneath them begins to rumble and shake and slowly the seal begins to close with every drop that falls. Buffy can feel Faith grip her hand tighter as they watch the seal close so very slowly. There's a howling in the distance, more of a roar as the last of the seal closes. The rumbling increases, making it hard for them to keep standing on steady feet.

"We gotta go, B. Right now!" Faith yells as the seal begins to crumble, revealing a bottomless pit of nothing below. "Buffy, come on!"

They make a run for it, heading for the stairs. The roaring above is louder now and as Faith kicks open the basement door, they see the source of it. Every single Turok-Han they had seen in that hallway, bursting into flames as the bright sunlight pours in through every once blacked out window and the holes that are forming in the roof above.

Buffy is shaking but she keeps on running right behind Faith as the ground shakes violently beneath them. This was not what her vision had shown her. Not at all. Did they do something wrong? Was it more than blood that was needed to close the seal, was is a sacrifice instead? She can't think while she's running for her life as the school crumbles behind them.

"Help me out here, B! Faith yells as she tries to lift an overturned, crushed pick-up. Buffy sees the dirt bike beneath it and is beside Faith, helping her lift it. They lift it onto its side and Faith moves quickly, pulling the dirt bike out from underneath before it falls back down. "Hope to hell this thing still works! We gotta move, fast!"

Buffy gets on the bike behind her and Faith relentlessly tries to get it to start. Ground around the school is collapsing into that deep, black hole they'd seen the Hellmouth disappear into.

"Fuck yes! Hang on! I'm gonna get us outta here!" Faith yells over the roar of the engine. Buffy wraps her arms around her as she takes off.

Buffy looks back and she realizes the ground is quickly disappearing. The sound is deafening and she pokes at Faith, who looks back briefly before taking the bike to the max.

What is happening? Did we close it? Did we win? Are we going to make it out of here alive?

Those were the thoughts dominating her mind as she holds tightly on to Faith. She closes her eyes, feeling as Faith dodges the debris on the road. She can't watch. She doesn't want to watch. She doesn't want to see how it all ends, how the world ends, how her life ends. She's already done that before and she's not ready to do it all over again.

Everything has been happening so fast and it's almost as if Buffy can't quite process it. She knows what she saw in her vision, how vivid and real it had felt. None of that came to be. None. Trying to push it aside, she holds her breath as Faith speeds out of town. She can feel how tense Faith is too as she tries to keep control of the bike.

The roaring comes to a sudden end and Faith nearly skids out on the bike as she brings it to a stop. Buffy doesn't want to open her eyes. Not yet. Her ears are ringing and a rush of adrenaline is flowing through her body and she's still holding on to Faith tight.

"B?" Faith says as she tried to unwrap Buffy's arms from her waist. "B? It's all good. We're safe. Check it out," she tries again and Buffy lets out the breath she's been holding and slowly opens her eyes. She lets go of Faith and they get off the bike and turn to look at the newly formed crater in the ground. "Holy shit! Is it over?"

"I-what happened, Faith?"

"We closed it then it started like crumbling. Whatever happened, I think we finally won."

Buffy shakes as she looks at her former home. Faith slings an arm casually around her shoulders and smiles at her, feeling victorious. Quite opposite from what Buffy is feeling.

"Oh, we gotta end this spell. No need for it anymore," Faith says and she digs out her pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of her jeans. "Sit alica finietur."

Buffy repeats the words and kneels to the ground, breathing heavily as she sees her shadow appear on the road in front of her. She can faintly hear the roar of the Turok-Han as they're destroyed by the sunlight. She looks up at the sky and feels a single tear slide down her cheeks. The sky is blue and clear and it's not nearly as hot as it's been. The air smells cleaner too.

Maybe they really did win.

"Fuck," Faith laughs as she sits on the ground next to Buffy and lights a cigarette. "Makes ya kinda wish ya had that vision sooner, huh?"

"We need to get to the others," Buffy mutters under her breath, but doesn't move from where she's knelt. "We have to make sure they're okay."

"We're walking those twenty miles," Faith says and Buffy whips her head to look at her with her jaw slightly dropped. "No gas left. Did we luck out or what? Just got us outta there before we were swallowed up whole."

"I'm not counting any of my chickens before they hatch."

"Huh?"

"I'm not going to celebrate any of this, or feel happy we made it out alive until I know the others are okay, Faith. You shouldn't either. It's not right."

Faith nods her head and stands up, taking a long drag of her cigarette before holding her hand out to Buffy. Buffy lets her pull her to her feet and they begin the long, twenty mile walk to where Giles, Willow, Dawn, and Kennedy are supposed to be.

Faith hasn't let go of her hand since she helped her up. Buffy makes sure the scythe is still strapped to her back, just as it was before and it is. It seems silly, but it's one weapon she knows she can't lose. The power that came from it, the power that awakened all those potentials and turned them into slayers all over the world was just too much to let it go like it was another weapon that could be easily replaced. The scythe provided life, in a sense. Buffy knows she's starting to feel a much deeper connection to it than she ever thought was possible.

Buffy can't help but smile though at how happy Faith is right now that they made it out alive. She only wishes she could feel it too, but deep down she knows there's nothing to be happy about. They're not out of the woods just yet regardless of all the very visual changes that have already happened all around them.

She leans more into Faith as they continue their walk down the deserted two-lane road. She can only hope and pray that the others made it out, that they're still alive.

Yet deep down, she knows it isn't how it is.

Faith hasn't let go of Buffy's hand since they started out on their twenty mile trek. From what she can tell, they've made good time and the gas station she told the others to meet them at could just faintly be seen ahead. She's been trying to keep her spirits up, keep the hope alive, keep a smile on her face that they got the hell outta Sunnydale before it became nothing but a crater in the ground.

But something keeps bothering her. She knows something is wrong.

She keeps pushing it aside, hoping it's just her fear getting to the best of her and not that gut instinct feeling she's always tried to ignore when things got really bad.

She's got to believe, for Buffy's sake, that the others are safe and still alive. She has to. She can already see the pain and heartbreak in Buffy's eyes every time they randomly look at each other. It hurts so much to see that Buffy has lost hope when it comes to the others. Faith has never seen her like this and she always hoped, especially when everything had fallen apart, that she never would have to see her like this.

"How much further?" Buffy asks tiredly as she slows her pace until she comes to a stop, letting go of Faith's hand in the process.

"Not much. Look," Faith says as she points off in the distance. "Not that much further to go, B."

"Oh."

"They'll be okay," she says in a whisper, trying to make herself believe it too. "Come on, let's keep going."

Faith has been trying not to over-analyze what took place at the seal. She knows some of Buffy's vision and yet she keeps getting the feeling that Buffy is doubting everything that just happened. Did they win or is this just a fluke? The clear blue skies and fresh, cool air could just be a trick, just another trick the First is playing on them. What if it's true? What if it is a trick? The First could just be waiting for that one moment their guard is down and bam! That's it. They're done for.

Faith reaches for Buffy hand again and Buffy instantly has her fingers intertwined with hers. It brings a small smile to Faith's face. Just the simplest little form of contact speaks volumes between them. She knows this and she's trying so hard not to read too much into it too.

Christ, she almost told Buffy she loved her before they let those first drops of blood fall. It was a heat of the moment thing, sure but she still wanted to tell her, even now. Trying to figure out what kind of sense it made to tell her, she remembered what Buffy told her when she stopped her. To tell her after they made it out of there and here they are, an hour or so later and she's still trying to figure out if she should say it or just let it go.

Saying it could have one of two outcomes. Good or bad. Not saying it had one outcome, for their lives to be as it was even before they were together.

Deciding to screw it all and just finally, for once in her whole life be honest, she stops Buffy from walking any further and turns her until they're face to face.

"B, I uh, kinda want to tell you what I was about to tell you before."

"If you tell me you love me, I already know, Faith."

Faith's jaw drops a little as she's rendered into silence. She shakes her head as she takes a step closer to Buffy, not sure if Buffy truly understands where she's coming from.

"I love you, that's a given and I'm pretty sure ya knew that even before, you know," she says, wiggling her eyebrows a little. It gets a slight laugh out of Buffy too. "I'm in love with you, Buffy. Can't help it. Can't fight it. Can't stop it. Can't just ignore it and hope to hell it all goes away. Just thought you oughta know that."

Faith shakes her head, looking away from the shocked and dumbfounded look on Buffy's face.

"All I ever wanted was to be honest with ya, Buffy. Here I am, being honest with ya."

"I-I know, Faith. I'm just-I can't-not until I know," she whispers as she leans in close to her, their lips barely brushing as she speaks. "Whatever happens, I want you here. With me."

"I'll be here with you no matter what, B," Faith whispers and she kisses her softly.

She keeps wondering when she became this person, the romantic sappy type who is more than just about the thrill of the game, sex being the game. Buffy is different. Always has been to her and she feels it's about damn time she knew that. She's not afraid anymore. She stopped being afraid the first time they kissed.

That was the kiss that changed everything. Changed everything between them. Changed how Faith looked at the world, even as fucked up as it's been. Buffy breathed a new life into her and she knows that no matter what lies ahead, she's not ever going to give up again and she won't let Buffy give up either.

They break apart slowly, both with a small smile curling over their lips as they do. Faith takes Buffy's hand in hers again and they continue the walk down the road to the gas station a couple miles up ahead.

Faith feels like she's in over her head. She wants to give Buffy all that she can-and then some, but she keeps getting this feeling that maybe it isn't what Buffy wants. Maybe Buffy just came to her in a moment of desperation, of need, and because she was willing to give in.

Buffy is the only one in the entire world that ever spun her emotions round and round this way. She loves it and hates it all at once, yet at the same time she's tired of holding back.

The closer they get to the gas station, the more Faith feels this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that just won't go away. She knows what they're about to walk into isn't of the good. She's still trying to hold on to any shred of hope that her gut instinct is wrong.

"Oh my god," Buffy cries out when they reach the gas station. It's worse than it looked in the distance. The gas bar shack barely standing, a fire burning in the bushes next to it and blood. Too. Much. Blood. "Dawn! Willow!"

"Buffy, wait!" Faith yells but Buffy doesn't stop.

And just like that the whole world comes crashing down.

Faith can only stand by as she watches Buffy discover the lifeless body of her sister just inside the doorway of what's left of the shack. Buffy's silence is deafening to her. She can hear the screams that are going inside of her right in that moment. Her heart is breaking as she watches Buffy hold Dawn's lifeless, bloody body tight to her, whispering her love for her and wishing for the day they'll see each other again.

Faith takes in her surroundings, right off the bat noticing a few dead Bringers around the perimeter. She takes a walk, grabbing her short broadsword from her belt, sensing there's still danger lurking about. Bringers killed Dawn. She knows this now. She's dead set on revenge and won't stop until every last one of them that are still alive are dead.

"Oh god," Buffy wails as she lets Dawn's body drop to the ground. "Faith!"

"B?" Faith goes running to her and kneels at her side, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"They're all-they're all dead," she cries and she clings to Faith tightly.

Faith looks inside what's left of the shack and looks at Willow's body, lifeless and bloody just as Dawn's is. Kennedy is next to her and Giles not far from either of them. There are a few dead Bringers near them as well. A surge of anger floods through her as she pulls Buffy to her feet. This is too much. Too fucking much. They went too far, killing those that meant the most to both of them.

"B? Buffy, come on, we gotta get outta here," Faith says as she clings to Buffy too. "Come on. We gotta go."

"Go where?"

"Dunno. Anywhere but here."

She ain't sure where they're going or where they'll end up. The end of the world had come twice, once by losing to the First Evil and its army and again by winning and losing all those that matter most to them, their friends. Family.

Faith knew she'd be there until the world ended, she knew that right from the start when she arrived in Sunnydale to help them in this fight. She just didn't know she'd be there when hers and Buffy's world ended, the only one that mattered most would be gone forever.

Trying to find any ounce of strength left in her, not for herself, but for Buffy, she pulls Buffy close, holding her from collapsing to the ground and whispers a promise that they'll get their revenge. They'll make all those who deserve to pay for the lives just lost pay with their own and then some.

The end of the world should've been with a bang. No survivors. Evil ruling the world and hundreds of millions of demons coming forth, reclaiming the world as their own. That wasn't the case. Because of Buffy's fleeting and not so accurate vision, she and Faith had managed to save the world from a much worse fate.

Sadly that was not the case of their friends-their family.

Neither will forget. They have each other, which in the beginning they never thought it'd be when the end came. But here they are, alone together.

And despite the hardships that stand in their way, they're gonna make it.

Until the world ends yet again...

.

The End