Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow III: Inferno

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"What're you trying to say?" Kara inquired.

"I think this place is getting to Spike," Tara suggested. "He mentioned something about a dream, but when I asked him about it, he lied to me. He looked ashamed. I don't know, Kara. I just think something's wrong."

Kara didn't reply for several long moments. She remembered falling asleep with Tara leaning against her. She had seen a flash of Tara dead and some part of her had enjoyed the vision. Whatever was affecting Spike was affecting her as well. But she didn't want to tell Tara that. "I'll keep an eye on him," she said finally.

Chapter Ten: Blood and Alcohol:

The blood was warm when it sprayed onto her face, like the pelting rain of a summer thunderstorm. The coppery scent infused her senses and drove her wild. She was an animal stalking the night. She was the Slayer. The demon fell before her in a bloodied heap of flesh and bone. She stepped over it as it lay dead on the grass of the cemetery. Another demon appeared before her and she swung her fist out at its face. The sickening crunch of its nose smashing under the force of her hand filled her ears. It wailed and stumbled away, holding its ruined face. The sensation of pain entered her consciousness and she looked down at her hand. Her knuckles were worn raw, blood streaming from lacerations across her fingers, some of which were bent at odd angles.

She tried to flex her hand, but found that she couldn't. The demon collected itself, growled, and lunged at her while she was distracted. Tackling her to the ground, it sat atop of her, locking her to the grass with its knees on other side of her body. It reared back its fists and brought them down onto the sides of her head. White light shot in front of her vision and in the stars that swirled before her eyes she saw the face of her daughter. Faith laughed aloud as the demon struck her in the side of the head again. She knew that she should be in pain, but she couldn't feel anything. The insatiable and insane desire to laugh overcame her and the sound stopped the demon from continuing its attack.

"What are you laughing at?" It asked in confusion. Blood was smeared across Faith's face, stinging in her eyes, and running into her mouth. When she didn't respond, the demon glanced up, surveying the other Slayer. The younger girl mercilessly was beating one of its kin with a pipe. The other demon's face barely resembled anything living. It looked back down at Faith, overcome with a sickening feeling in its stomach, and scrambled off of her. "Crazy bitch," it muttered as it took one last look at her and fled into the night.

Faith lay on her back on the wet grass in the cemetery, staring up at the stars twinkling in the dark night sky. Lifting her uninjured hand to her face, she wiped the blood away from her eyes. She heard the sound of Kennedy massacring the other demon. Every time the pipe hit its flesh, it emitted a low, dying moan. The thudding sound of metal against bone reverberated down to her very soul. "Kennedy?" She called after several long moments, when the dying whines of the demon had ceased.

"What?" The other girl answered exhaustedly.

"Help me up?" Faith asked. She tried to sit up, but her head swam and waves of dizziness crashed through her. She felt the side of her head, dismayed when her fingers caught in her hair sticky with blood.

Kennedy approached the older Slayer and offered her a hand. "You look like shit," Kennedy said bluntly.

"So do you," Faith noted as she stood on wobbly legs. Kennedy had been stabbed in the side, just underneath of her ribcage, with the pipe she used to kill her attacker. Blood ran freely from the wound, staining her white tank top a dark shade of red that looked almost black.

"I feel kinda woozy," Kennedy acknowledged.

"We should go to the hospital," Faith discerned. Kennedy nodded and the duo started walking. A cool wind blew through Faith's hair. It was a beautiful night.

"That was fun," Kennedy said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "We should do that more often."

"What happened to your hand?" Kennedy asked, noticing Faith cradling her right hand close to her body.

"I don't know," Faith shook her head. "What happened to your leg?" She shot back, noticing Kennedy limping as they walked.

Kennedy shook her head as well. "I don't know. Can't remember."

"It just takes you, doesn't it?" Faith asked softly.

"What?" The younger girl asked, looking over at her interestedly.

"Whatever it is that makes us Slayers. If you give into it, it just takes you," Faith explained. "I can't even remember half of that fight."

"Me neither," Kennedy acknowledged.

They turned onto the street that led to the hospital. Dimly before them they could see the glowing red light of the emergency room sign. They passed through the sliding doors and ambled up to the reception desk. When the nurse behind it saw them, she immediately called for help. "What happened to you?" A doctor asked, appearing next to Faith. Another appeared next to Kennedy and led her away from the older Slayer to an examination room.

Faith let the man standing next to her lead her away as well. She sat on the examination table and allowed him to inspect the wounds on her head and hands. But she never answered any of his questions. While he was setting her hand, Kennedy also was being examined. "What caused this?" A doctor asked as he surveyed the wound on her side.

"Metal pipe," Kennedy answered perfunctorily. Now that the battle was over, and the adrenaline was dissipating, she felt exhausted.

"A metal pipe?" The doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't ask," Kennedy warned, glaring down at him. He smiled and nodded.

"I'll just stitch you up," he said.

Kennedy watched him work, gazing intently at the needle violating her wound as he stitched up the laceration. While he stitched up another deep cut on her leg, she let her mind wander. She had never felt as free as when she was decimating the demon she left lying in the graveyard. The violence was so pure, so instinctual. Every punch or kick brought her closer to the Slayer. She could feel that spirit taking over her body, pushing her consciousness further and further back until she wasn't aware of what she was doing anymore. She had become the Slayer in body and soul. The feeling lasted just for a moment, but it was addicting.

"All done," the doctor announced.

"What about my friend?" Kennedy asked.

"I'll have to check," he stated.

Kennedy nodded as he walked out of the examination room. Rubbing her temples, she tried to ward off the wave of sadness that suddenly struck her. She was still in shock over Kara's death. The thought that she would never kiss her lover again would creep into her mind unbidden and cause a deep pain in her heart. Shaking her head, she muttered, "I really need a drink."

…………………………..

Faith opened the door to the house slowly and quietly. She had a bad concussion and a broken hand. Every little noise sounded amplified to her ears. The doctors had told her not to sleep, but she was tired and she knew that her Slayer healing would have her fixed by morning. She just wanted to crawl into bed and forget that the world existed. Closing the front door, she glanced around the darkened house. She couldn't hear movement anywhere and she wondered if her wife was home. As she began trudging up the stairs, she became aware of a soft, sniffling sound emanating from her bedroom. She stopped in the hallway outside of the door for a moment and listened to Buffy softly crying from within.

"Faith?" She heard the blonde Slayer call tentatively.

Faith opened the door and stepped inside of the room. The lights were off, but the moonlight filtered across the bed, casting shadows on the walls, and lighting her lover as she lay curled in a ball on the comforter. "I'm right here," she said hoarsely. She was starting to feel the pain of her wounds. She had refused the pain killers the doctor offered her and she was starting to regret that decision.

"Where have you been?" Buffy asked, sitting up in bed. She was still wearing her clothes. Faith could see tear tracks lining her cheeks. Her mascara was smudged and her hair was sticking out at odd angles, but the dark haired Slayer thought that she looked beautiful.

"Hunting," Faith said. "I was with Kennedy."

"You went on patrol?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Faith nodded and slowly began untying her boots, but the process was difficult with one hand.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked, noticing her slow progress.

"Got a little banged up," Faith admitted as she pulled off one boot and threw it aside.

Buffy rose to her feet and moved over to the younger girl. Taking her hand gently in her own, Buffy inspected the wound. "Is it broken?" She asked. Faith nodded and kicked off her other boot.

"Yeah," she replied.

Buffy could see cuts and bruises on the sides of Faith's face as well. Cupping her cheeks, she looked into her lover's eyes. "What else?" She asked.

"Concussion," Faith answered.

"Jesus, Faith!" Buffy hissed, turning away.

"What?" Faith asked confusedly.

"You could have been killed," Buffy said tearfully.

"I'm right here," Faith replied forcefully.

"Just like Kara was?" Buffy questioned. "You're not invincible, Faith!" The older girl yelled.

"Fuck," Faith muttered, shaking her head. "Don't yell at me."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said quietly. "But I needed you here."

"You were with Dawn," Faith argued. "I needed to get out and so did Kennedy."

"Where is Kennedy?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Faith shook her head. "She said she needed some air. I came home."

"You left her out there?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"She's fine," Faith insisted. "She's a big girl." Buffy sighed and moved back over to Faith, pressing herself against the younger girl as she wrapped her arms loosely around her waist and rested her head on her shoulder. Faith sighed and retuned the embrace, rubbing soothing circles on the other girl's back. "I'm sorry I worried you," she whispered into Buffy's hair. She pressed a kiss to the top of her head and Buffy looked up at her. The blonde Slayer leaned forward and captured Faith's lips with her own. The kiss was slow at first, lips sliding over lips. But it became more intense. Buffy opened her mouth, allowing Faith's tongue to caress hers.

As Buffy kissed her, Faith felt the other girl undoing her belt and unzipping her pants. "Buffy," Faith started, breaking the kiss, but the blonde Slayer pressed her finger to her lips to silence her.

"Just make love to me," she pleaded. Faith gazed into her eyes for a moment, memorized by the raw need that she saw shining back at her, and nodded.

"Okay," she said and led her wife back to their bed.

……………………………

Kennedy slammed the shot glass down on the table. The music was deafening in her ears, the bass thudding from within her. The Bronze was alive with people swarming and dancing. She could smell their sweat and feel their need. She picked up another glass and downed the shot without hesitation. The alcohol burned down her throat and she slammed the glass down. The club was starting to swim before her eyes. People blended together; the lights swirled before her eyes; the songs ran together. She rose shakily to her feet and walked over to the bar again. Calling for more drinks, she slid her money across the bar to the bartender. She took the shot glass in between her fingers and raised it to her lips.

Dawn found her slumped over her table at the Bronze, the surface of it littered with scattered shot glasses. Anya and Xander nodded to the bartender as he pointed out the unconscious Slayer. Anya slipped one of the girl's arms over her head as Xander did the same. Together, they lifted her up and dragged out of the club. The fresh air hitting her face revived her momentarily, but her head lolled against Anya's shoulder as she flitted in and out of consciousness. They carried her over to Xander's car and loaded her into the backseat. As Anya closed the door, she glanced up into the sky. She could see the sun rising in the east, but a cold wind was blowing, and she shivered.