Thanks to my faithful reviewers. It's nearing the end, kind of. Enjoy the chapter.
Reviews are appreciated.
It was time.
She ignored the concern, the worries, the protests, everything. The sun was setting and the vampires were stirring. She could feel it in her bones. In her blood. The Slayer in her reared its head and boiled in excitement. It was going to be one hell of a fight. She knew it.
It was stronger, the feeling. The tingle. As if someone intensified every single sense in her body. She could hear conversations through the walls, she could see things that nobody else would ever be able to catch, she could smell the faintest of scents, she could feel the vibrations of a rat in the basement just from placing her bare feet on the floor. So yes, she knew that there were hundreds, maybe thousands of vampires out there, out for her blood. She knew that everybody was just as jittery as they were when they fought the First. Because now, they had no powers. And they only had Faith to follow.
There was no doubt in Faith's mind that they were all wary of her skills in leadership. She knew that the last time she led, she drove them into a trap. She blew it.
"You didn't blow anything. We're just stupid and like to blame other people for a mistake anybody could've made." Kennedy had said.
"Pretty convenient that I'm the one who always makes that mistake." Faith replied coolly.
She glanced around the room, burning into her memory the different objects she knew were important to her.
The broken bedside phone that she'd flung across the room when it kept ringing while she and Buffy were in the middle of a session of intimate lovemaking. The matching bracelets on the drawer that one of the newer Slayers had made for them. The cute little card Buffy wrote during one of Faith's bad days. The dried flower that Faith had picked for Buffy one night while she was out blowing off some steam. The dent in the headboard that was on the receiving end of Faith's fist during one of their many quarrels;
"Where were you? Where the hell were you?!"
Faith dodged the flying perfume bottle and frowned as she heard it break on the door.
"What's your problem, B? I was out patrolling, and I dropped into a bar to get a drink!"
"It's 4 in the fucking morning, Faith!"
"I know what time it is, Twinkie, what's your point?"
"My point is, you never come in this late!"
"I told you, I went and got a fucking-" She paused and counted to three.
"I went and got a drink." She was trying to stay as calm as she could. Sure, Buffy was acting like a maniac; no reason she had to act like one, too.
"Oh you got a fucking drink, is that it?" Buffy paced angrily, kicking clothes and books out of her way, waving her arms around like she was on drugs. Faith thought it probably wasn't far from the truth.
"Was Angel with you?"
"What?"
"Was Angel with you?" She repeated.
"Well, yea."
Buffy cried out in frustration and threw another random object at her lover's head. A hairbrush, this time.
"I knew it! I knew you two were up to something!"
"What the fuck are you talking about? We're friends, Buffy, am I not allowed to have a drink or two with him?"
"Not at 4 in the fucking morning!"
Faith grasped the flailing arms by the wrists and held her tight. Buffy started to cry and tried desperately to break out of the grip.
"Tell me what's the matter, B. What is this about?"
Buffy only shook her head, still trying to break away. But Faith pulled her closer, not leaving her any room to go.
"Buffy. Look at me."
Buffy looked.
"What's this all about?"
"How long have you been with him, Faith? How long have you been lying to me?"
The expressions that fluttered through Faith's face weren't short of incredulous.
"You think me and Angel are together? Are you fucking serious?"
Buffy looked away. Faith couldn't help but laugh.
"My God, B. Is that what's been bothering you the whole time? Angel and I are friends, B. Nothing more, I swear."
"I know what happened between you two on the roof."
Faith froze. She hadn't told anybody except Kennedy, who swore not to tell Willow.
"How-"
"I overheard you talking to Kennedy."
Now Faith was angry.
"You were eavesdropping on me?"
Buffy pulled away, as Faith's grip slipped.
"No! I just...I was just...You guys were talking, and I just happened to hear!" She glared defiantly at her girlfriend, whose lips parted angrily.
"You...God!" Faith slammed her fist into the headboard, leaving a dent that even Xander wouldn't be able to fix.
She was pissed. Why was it that Buffy could push her to the brink of imploding and exploding, and still have her falling madly in love with her every single waking moment of the day? Was it fair? Fuck no. It was flattering that she was jealous of Angel, but Buffy knew better than that, didn't she? She knew better than to doubt Faith and her loyalty and her love. Didn't she? Now Faith wasn't so sure.
"So. You doubting me, then?" Faith forced Buffy to meet her heated gaze.
"Yes." Buffy replied, honestly. Faith wondered if she knew the crushing effects of the feelings behind that one word.
"Of course you are." She sighed out loud.
"I'm not perfect, B, and I know this is the first real relationship I've ever had. But I thought you knew me better now. I thought you knew that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you intentionally. Or am I still that fucked up little girl you knew back in Sunnydale?"
Buffy suddenly began to feel very bad about her little outburst. It wasn't Faith's fault that Angel had come onto her. Hell, it wasn't even Angel's fault. Who could blame him? Just about anybody in the world would have come onto Faith. They still would. Now Faith thought she was back to treating her like the old Faith. She wasn't; she was just worried that Faith might fall into old habits. Like picking someone up, or lying, or running off and away from stability because she simply wasn't accustomed to the idea that people might want her around.
"No, it's not like that. I just worry. You know me, Miss Worry Wart and all that." She smiled, but Faith just turned away, trying to hide the tears that both of them knew were falling.
Buffy knew how much Faith hated to cry. Buffy also knew that she seemed to be the only one who could make Faith cry.
"Don't cry, Faith. Please, don't cry."
"I'm not crying." Faith kept her voice gruff.
"Faith-"
"I'm not crying, damnit!" She shouted to the girl standing behind her. She was shaking, crying, trying not to smack Buffy and trying not to say anything stupid. Whirling around to face the blonde, she started to rant.
"I mean, I'm trying hard to make this work, but why do we always have to end up fighting like this? What the fuck is wrong with-"
Her sentence was never finished, as Buffy's lips crashed into hers hungrily.
They fought for dominance eagerly, clothes being thrown off and bodies being pushed onto the bed. The heat rose, and the night was still young. To them, at the least. They spent the last few hours of darkness touching, kissing, fucking, and loving. Sprawled out on the sheets, they both took in the air they had been deprived of while they stole lingering glances at each other.
"God, you fucking suck, B."
"So I hear."
"Only for me, right?" Faith chuckled.
"Only for you, you greedy pig."
"Oink is my middle name."
"I don't doubt it."
"Good deal."
Pause. Faith turned to her side, propping her head up against her hand.
"You still my girl?"
Buffy looked up into the dark eyes that had her tripping every time she gazed into them.
"Always."