A/N: Well, here we are finally, a critical, important point to the story so far in the Faithverse. I'm sorry that I can't please everyone and I know some of you will be unhappy or upset by the events but if you are a fan of LOST or the way Joss writes the Buffy/Fireflyverse, you won't be surprised. I'm not a big fan of changing things that build a foundation to a story so overall, the chapter speaks for itself.

Warning: Some of you have informed me that you are now fans of the show because of this story (WOW, thank you beyond words, that's flattering) but be aware that I have followed closely to actual events and this chapter is no different. THERE ARE SPOILERS so if you still are not up to this episode in the timeline, you may want to wait to read this and future chapters until you reach that point.

Also, on a random note, this Season of Tabula Rasa will end at Chapter 22. If there is anything you woild like to see in Season Two, random/original or otherwise, I am now opening the lines to suggestions and comments. :) Even if you think it's the most bizarre thing ever, suggest it. You just never know what I might be able to squeeze in.

As always, thank you for your time. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter Nineteen: Do No Harm

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"I know he's bleeding! I can see that! Keep them steady, damn it."

She couldn't open her eyes but she knew she was being moved amongst the sounds of people scrambling around in panic. Faith gritted her teeth as she fell deep into another wave of unconsciousness.

"Get to the beach. I want his alcohol -- rubbing, scotch ... Go!'"

Her eyes snapped open the moment she felt the warm hand touch her face.

"I am going to save you."

"Jack! Doc, she's awake!" Sawyer removed his hand, staring down at her as Jack suddenly appeared in her vision of sight as well.

He leaned over, fingers pressing lightly against the pulse in her neck. "Faith, can you hear me?"

"Yeah…" She licked at her dry lips and her fingers twitched by her sides. "What's… Boone? Where's Boone? Is Locke okay?"

He glanced over at Sawyer, frowning. "We can't find Locke. Boone is-" Jack looked away again as the sounds of the injured man choking amplified and immediately stepped away from Faith to check on him.

She closed her eyes for a split second then reopened them to find Sawyer beside her again. "How bad?"

"Your arm's dislocated." Sawyer looked over her injuries. "Looks like a piece of wood or something lodged itself into the side of your stomach as well as your leg, Jack says you've lost some blood."

"No…" Faith licked her lips again and shook her head. "Boone, how bad? Locke? Is he hurt?"

He looked up to where Jack was busy with Boone, the doctor leaning down to check the man's lungs and it was obvious by the look on Jack's face that the news wasn't good. "As far as I know, Locke's okay, and Boone… Boone's fine darling, just… just relax and rest those pretty eyes of yours."

"For a con man, you're a shitty liar Sawyer." Faith flinched, groaning at the feeling of unconsciousness overtaking her senses again. "But thanks."

"No problem Fire Cracker, that's what I'm here for."

Faith focused in on his face again, her attempt at a laugh masked by the wracking cough that managed to tear its way up her throat. "Jack…" Her eyes fell shut again. "Don't let him… Jack..."

Another shadow fell over her and she was barely aware of Jack returning to recheck her pulse. Faith forced her eyes to open and she reached out to grab him firmly by the arm and squeeze with all the energy she had left.

"Promise me you'll do all you can to save him."

"I have to look after you too Faith, I need to-"

"No." She blocked out the sounds of Boone struggling to breathe. "I'll be fine. Promise me Jack. Save him, I need you to try." Faith let go of his arm. "And tell Boone I'm sorry I couldn't… that I couldn't stop it, that I couldn't save him in time."

"I will Faith. I promise."

She nodded and it was then she fell back into the darkness.

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Faith looked around at the stretch of endless sand, the landscape littered with a scattering of trees and bushes set against the bright blue sky. As she made her way down the sandy slope, a breeze shifted her hair and made small tendrils cover her eyes. Irritated, Faith shoved her hair back just as an image floated in front of her.

She frowned as the wind picked up; the smoky black image morphing into a solid shape as it grew closer.

"This has to be another dream."

"Of course it is." Buffy smiled as she tilted her head. "That's the whole reason I'm here."

"What am I doing here?" Faith paused to look at the long stretches of sand spreading in every direction around them. "Wherever here is…"

"You must to be shown the way. That couldn't happen in the place you were standing."

"I hate to break it to you but from what I can remember I wasn't exactly standing." She frowned as she suddenly noticed a dark image shifting behind Buffy. "What's-"

The creature moved again and Faith took a step back at the sight of the dark-skinned woman staring directly at her. Her face was painted in white and gray, lines of black across her eyes, and she crouched low, her long sharp fingernails scraping the ground.

"Oh goodie, it's Halloween in this dimension." Faith placed her hands on her hips. "Where are we?"

Both images shook their heads simultaneously and Buffy smiled again. "Ask her something else."

"Why can't she speak?"

"She has no voice. She is destruction, chaos, absolute and alone." Buffy remained standing forward, the woman behind her fading in and out. "She has no name, she does not exist in neither space nor time. She is death, the blood cry, eternal and penetrating."

"The Slayer."

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "She is the first of our kind."

"Why am I here?"

The first slayer snarled as she moved behind Buffy.

"The slayer does not walk in this world. She does not live but kills and dies."

"Then I guess I got a different instruction manual than you didn't I?"

"War." The First Slayer was slow to speak, her voice low and hoarse. "War is coming to your door."

"These people on this island, they've suffered enough." Faith shook her head. "I can't waste my time with these stupid games, I'm waking up."

"You will need me for we are alone." The dark-skinned woman hissed. "You will need power to destroy what comes!"

"I don't need anything but me." Faith pointed at her chest. "And you're wrong, you're not alone, you're dead."

"She who is alone will walk the path and bring to the darkness a light that is ever eternal." The First Slayer slinked back, taking her position yet again behind Buffy who had remained standing still, the soft smile still plastered onto her face.

"Funny, I think I've heard that speech before. Don't you people ever get any new material?"

The smile on Buffy's face melted away, her arm rising, and she extended her fingers to point into the desert.

"What B?" Faith blinked and looked in the same direction but saw nothing. "Is it discovery time or something?"

Buffy pointed again.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." Faith gritted her teeth as she turned and walked further down the hill, the sand drifting in and out between her toes. She slowed her pace as she neared the bottom, the sight of what looked to be a hole causing her to stop and frown in confusion. "What's this?"

"Jump little rabbit! Into the hole! Go all the way down." Buffy appeared beside her, her eyes cast downward. "You may just like what shall be found."

Faith leaned forward to peer into the dark square, the endless black continuing downwards until she could no longer see anything.

"But the time is all wrong, it's just wrong." Buffy looked down at the watch on her wrist and she twisted her lips in irritation, tapping against the small round piece of glass. "How can it always be 1:08?" She tapped it once more then shrugged and turned her attention back to the hole.

Faith shifted forward even closer as her eyes caught sight of a bright light flickering at the bottom. The light suddenly flooded her vision of sight and Faith stumbled back, shading her eyes with both hands. She flinched as it grew brighter and brighter until she could no longer see anything at all.

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She gasped the moment the earth came rushing back to her, a cough escaping that caused her whole body to shake, and Faith fell back against the blue pallet.

"Breathe." Jack leaned over her, his warm hands clutching hers. "You're not breathing Faith, I need you to breathe. Can you hear me?"

She nodded, feeling her lungs struggling for air. "Boone…" She gasped. "Did you…" Faith flinched as she felt him release her hand and moments later; a sharp pain flooded her side. She squeezed her eyes shut to block it out, reaching out blindly to grab him. "Did you tell him?"

"I told him." Jack nodded. "Now let me worry about you okay?"

"No." Faith shook her head. "I'll be fine. I…" She squeezed the material of his shirt between her fingers. "I heal fast."

"Even healing at the speed of light wouldn't do you any good right now." Jack shook his head. "You're bleeding on the inside Faith. I need to stop it before you hemorrhage. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" He placed his hand over hers and squeezed comfortingly. "I need to do this."

She let go of him immediately, nodding as she turned her head away and looked over to see Boone as he lay with his eyes closed barely several feet away, his bloody body on a blue pallet as well. Faith reached out with her hand but it was useless, Boone too far away, and weakly, she let her arm drop to her side.

"Faith?"

She shut her eyes, barely feeling Jack as he tapped her on the face with his open palm.

"Faith? Can you hear me? Wake up! Sun! I need your help!" Jack yelled. He leaned over Faith again, this time slapping her harder but her eyes remained closed. "Sun!"

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It was as if she didn't exist, the image of her invisible as she walked amongst them. Faith stared in confusion as time after time they passed her and didn't even acknowledging her presence. They all crowded around something she couldn't see and Faith moved forward.

She slid past Sawyer and Michael, Walt in front of his father. Kate stood on the other side, Hurley looking on as well and she continued inward, stopping as she finally reached the center to see Claire next to Charlie, a small bundle of clothing in her arms.

Faith blinked at the sight, reaching out with trembling fingers, and she jumped as someone stepped in front of her.

"No." Jack shook his head. He stepped forward and instinctively Faith backed up to keep the distance between them. "No one else needs to die because of you."

"Me?" Faith looked around to see everyone staring at her. "But I… Where's Boone?"

"He's gone Faith, you know that. He followed you and you let him die." Jack's eyes flashed angrily. "I try to save lives and all you do is destroy them."

"No. No, that's not true."

"Of course it is." Shannon's voice was clear from behind her. "It's true, see?"

Faith swung around and her eyes widened at the vision of Boone on the blue pallet, his entire body covered except his head. "No, I… I didn't mean to… I tried to stop him."

"Well you didn't try hard enough did you?" Shannon snapped. "And now he's dead. I warned you, I warned you to stay away."

"Why would she?" Sayid commented as he stepped close to Faith from her other side. "She's always ignoring what's best for her, always trying to win the race before everyone else. No wonder she turned evil." He smirked. "It's all she knows. It's all she is."

"Shut up." Faith glared at him. "None of this is real."

"Of course I'm real. I'm just as real as you are." The image of Sayid morphed and she gritted her teeth, watching as the Mayor appeared. "Would I lie to you about a thing like that?"

"Yes, you would." Faith crossed her arms. "Didn't I kick your ass and send you back to Hell the last time you tried to pull this crap with me?"

"Actually no." He grinned as he shook his head. "Buffy sent me back to Hell. You, you were her lackey, her second string benchwarmer. That's what you were."

"Flattery gets you nowhere with me."

"Pity. I remember a day when it did." The Mayor shrugged. "Oh well." The figure morphed again. "This any better?" Principle Wood stood there. "By the look on your face, I'd say no."

"You'd be correct." Faith growled. "What is this, Hell? Is my eternal torment having to listen to you pathetically taunt me?"

"Interesting idea but no." The images shifted again until Caleb, the First's right hand, appeared. "I'd like to think of this more as a learning experience and a chance to grow."

"I can't begin to tell you how lucky you are that you're incorporeal or you'd be in a word of pain right now."

"Why heaven's girl!" The First chuckled. "And to what honor would bring me such attention from a sinful thing like you?"

"This is your fault isn't it? Everything on this island has to do because of you."

"Ah, nice try but no cigar darlin'. As much as I'd like I'm afraid I can't take the credit for this." Caleb's head shook slowly, a look of what could be described as depression on his face. "No, this isn't some evil scheme I have, no grand plan to take over and start with this tiny pathetic island. No, I simply am here because you're allowing me to be."

"Excuse me? You must be on something cause-"

"You died Slayer. You died and because of it, I was allowed to enter this dimension, a world trapped between the living and the dead. I'm here simply because… Well, let's face it, I get a kick out of it every time one of you dies." The First laughed coldly. "Doesn't quite make up for the devastating blow I suffered at the hands of your pathetic wannabes in Sunnydale but it'll do."

"I can't say I'm saddened one bit by that."

"No, of course not." The First shrugged. "Win some, lose some. Unfortunately for you, even if I lose, I just keep coming back."

"Hey, being a glutton for punishment is your therapy session problem, not mine."

"Oh but I think it is. You see, the people on this island, they have big plans for you and those other survivors and believe me when I say I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. It's just a shame I can't participate really." Caleb's image disappeared only to be replaced by Faith's own face and she smiled sweetly tilting her head. "But no worries, I'll be around to keep you company until the very end. It'll be five by five; just wait and see."

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"Faith?" The fingers pressed against her cheek, tilting her head up towards the light. "Can you hear me?"

She groaned deep in her throat as her eyes finally opened and Faith stared up at the small group huddled around her table. "I feel like I've been hit with an airplane."

"Welcome back." Jack sighed letting out a genuinely happy smile. "We thought we'd lost you."

"Jack…" Faith reached out to grab his wrist as he moved away and she tugged him forward. "Boone, did he-" She paused as he shook his head and for a second, she closed her eyes before letting go of him completely. "Does Shannon know?"

"Not yet. The sun hasn't been up for too long but I'll find her, I promise I'll tell her you risked your life to save his."

"No, you did." She shook her head, hissing as she tried to sit up slowly, and glanced down to see that her shirt and jeans were completely shredded, thick, white bandages taped around her waist and leg. "Oh… great."

"You lost a lot of blood and I had to… Well, there wasn't any time to…"

"It's okay Jack." Faith waved him away. "I'm fine, really."

"You should lie down."

"Yeah…." She lost the will to argue and settled back down on the pallet, turning her head to see Boone's covered body. "Did he say anything?"

Jack looked over at Boone as well. "Nothing you need to worry about. He was very brave. Get some rest Faith and I'll come check on you in a little bit. Sun will look after you while I'm gone."

She nodded and closed her eyes, "Okay Jack, I'll do like you say just this once." The world began to drift away. "But just this once."

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It was almost as if she expected him to sit down beside her at any moment, the realization that he was never coming back not fully hitting her. Faith took a deep breath as she continued to sit on the beach, watching in silence as the waves rolled back and forth with the tide.

Shannon had entered the cave and by Boone's side, she had been sitting, the image of the dead man being grieved over too much for Faith to take. Faith had only rested for one more day before ignoring Sun's warning words to make her way back to the beach.

Grieving had never been her thing. Just the very idea of drowning in despair or feeling broken because of pain from loss was something she had never truly experienced before.

Demons, those were the things that died, not humans. Not human beings she had grown to like, respect, or care for. These were all foreign things.

A shadow blocked her sun and Faith glanced up to see Claire, a bundle of cloth held carefully against her chest.

"Hey you."

"Hey back." She smiled weakly as she stood up from her seat, eyes locked on the tiny baby. "I didn't know you…"

"The other night, when Boone… when you…" Claire cleared her throat. "Kate and Jin helped me deliver him, I'm thinking about naming him Aaron." She smiled broadly as she glanced down at the sleeping boy. "Not sure why, but he looks like an Aaron to me."

"He's beautiful." Faith stepped away, the words sounding automatic and lifeless. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." Claire glanced up. "Do you want to hold him?"

"No, I couldn't. I-"

"Please Faith."

"I'm sorry Claire, I can't." She shook her head. "I'm too weak and I…" Faith bit her tongue as the words escaped before she could stop them. "I just can't do it right now."

"Oh, okay." Claire shot her a concerned look as she moved back. "I'll find you another time then alright?"

Faith nodded and smiled but it was obvious that the expression was forced.

The blonde moved closer instead of leaving like Faith expected. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine. Now go ahead and quit worrying about me. There's no need to do that, you've got your baby to fuss over now."

Claire shot her another look but thankfully didn't argue.

Faith found herself alone again and she looked back out at the wide ocean. Everything seemed to work in slow motion, the seconds ticking by, and she blinked against the bright sun. It was at that very moment as the wind picked up and blew strands of her dark hair across her face that she noticed her cheeks were wet.

Faith lifted up her hand and brushed away the drops, the liquid covering her fingertips. She almost wondered if it would stain her, tingeing her skin in what she knew would resemble more like blood and dirt then anything cleansing.

She remembered the first night her mother had beaten her and told her of her worthlessness, the stench of alcohol had filled her nostrils and it haunted her, that same night she had finally allowed herself to breakdown and cry. Faith could count the number of times on one hand alone that she given in to the pain in order to feel something more than just anger.

Faith lowered her hand back to her side, the tears following a little bit faster now, and she allowed them to come, rubbing her fingertips together as if attempting to capture the emotion from what remained there.

There was a time she only needed one hand to count her losses, now she would need two.