Disclaimer: See 1st chapter.
A/N: Thank you for the previous reviews everyone! Well we have reached the final wire with this story and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I'm also all giddy at finishing my first Fuffy, and I hope to do more in the future hehe. There is one last chapter after this one; an epilogue which I have had in mind since chapter one. I hope to have it posted soon.
Chapter Twenty Six: Free
Power. Supreme power. It was intoxicating as it flowed through her limbs, through parts of her that she didn't even know she possessed. She could hear the worms digging in the Earth. See the tiniest gnats crawling along the slick walls. But above all that she had an urge, an almost terrible urge to hunt. To destroy. To cause some serious damage.
Cracking her neck, Faith turned as if in slow motion to where Discordia slammed his heavy fist down onto the ice, sending a large chunk flying through the air. A switch clicked in her brain and she growled, narrowing her eyes at him. Stepping away from a gawking Willow, she took a running leap at the demon and kicked him in the face so hard that he flew back into his make shift shelf of trinkets. With one punch she shattered the barrier protecting Buffy, and then ripped off the manacles. Gently she helped her up and pushed her behind her.
Willow hurried over and pulled Buffy away. "We should probably stand back. Are you okay?"
"I--I think so." She said shakily. "Wh--Faith...?"
"Um well it--it--she'll fill ya in when she's done." The Wicca explained with a little smile.
The blonde blinked, confusion all over her pretty face as she watched the brunette take on Discordia. It was clear that something was different about her, that magics were probably involved. She trusted Willow though, figuring whatever she'd done would be easy to reverse when things were over. Still she couldn't contain the ginorminous amounts of relief running through her system, even though her water had broken and she was still very much in the labory part of pregnancy. Seeing Faith and the others had been like a ray of sunshine shining through the clouds on a stormy afternoon. It affirmed everything she'd been telling Sandy; restored her own hope in the process too.
"Willow, we have to help Sandy." She pointed to the cage.
"Don't worry Buffy, we won't leave without her." The Wicca replied.
"What exactly did you do to Faith?" She asked, noting the marks. "She looks like...the Primitive."
Willow sighed. "It's a spell I found to give her more power. Li--like those men wanted to gi--give you."
"Can it be reversed?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I--I think so."
Discordia circled Faith slowly, sniffing the air around her. In his clawed hand was the red dagger, the blade glinting as light bounced off of it. "You're on borrowed power, girl. It is not enough to defeat me, or stop the ushering in of a new world."
Faith simply stared at him. "The Slayer knows no fear."
"We'll see." Stalking over to her, he swiped with the knife like a maniac, growing angrier as she fluidly dodged each blow.
She took hold of his wrist and cracked it across her knee, breaking the bone like he'd done hers earlier. He howled and punched her hard across the face with his other fist, noticing that she barely flinched. She kicked him in the stomach with her black boot, making him crash back into the altar. Things rumbled and fell to the ground; the bowl of ooze from before spilling over onto the smooth surface.
Roaring with anger, he jutted his palm into her face as she came closer and slashed the knife across her cheek, making a gash in the soft skin. He then tried to bring the blade down into her chest, pushing hard against her formidable strength as she resisted him. Faith jammed her knuckles into his throat and he gagged, stumbling back. She then delivered a rough spin kick to his head and he dropped the dagger as he flew into the cave wall.
Picking it up, she looked at it and frowned, gripping the handle tightly. She could feel the evil inside; it was like spikes digging into her flesh. From somewhere far away a voice fluttered through her mind, saying just what the weapon was going to be used for. "Buffy..."
The feral part of her brain tried to shut it out--there was no place for sentiments in the head of a true Slayer. However the brief lapse gave the demon enough time to charge her, striking out and hitting her jaw. He kicked her in the stomach and then picked her up, hurling her into the nearest wall. She hit the stone hard and fell to the ground, shaking the hair out of her face. Bruises bloomed from the impact on her side and upper arm but she paid no attention, instead focusing on the scythe off to the side. Holding out her right hand, she watched as it literally floated into her grasp.
Pulling herself up with screaming muscles, she licked her lips and twirled it, smiling. Discordia scooped up his knife and laughed, cutting his eyes to Buffy. "After I am done slicing out her insides, I will start on yours."
Faith swung the ax out at his chest, slicing through the leather to make a nasty slash. He ignored whatever pain he might have experienced and smacked her across the face. Flipping over his head, she kicked him in the back of the knee, driving him down. Using the staff area of the scythe, she jerked it up under his chin and pulled back, digging it into his callous flesh. The demon sputtered for air and grabbed a handful of her hair, flinging her over and onto her back. She rolled to the side a second before his knife pierced her chest.
Kicking him in the nose as she got up, she latched onto one of his massive horns and yanked with a grunt, ripping it out of his scalp. He yelled and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. His large fist rained punches to her face and upper body, busting open her lip and making it bleed. The hand that held the dagger came down swiftly towards her throat, dragging a swallow cut near the throbbing pulse point as she resisted him.
Clutching his wrist tightly, Faith began to curve the blade away from her. Inch by inch she forced it until it pointed back at its Master. Shaking violently with the effort of strength it took to hold it, she socked him in the eye with her free hand and plunged the dagger into his chest, right into his heart.
Discordia gasped loudly, black blood bubbling up out of his mouth, the poison on the tip shocking him like a volt of electricity. The next few events happened in slow motion. Faith kicked him off of her and stood, picking up the scythe once again. As he jerked out the knife and tried to get to his cloven feet, she stabbed down into his head with the stake end of the weapon, baring down to drive it in as far as she could. It was like pushing through steel as it exited through the bottom of his chin.
The demon swayed slightly from side to side for a moment before at last falling dead to the ground with a loud thump, everyone simply staring with surprised expressions. It was over, it was finally over. After nearly nine months of looking over their shoulders and wondering when the next hit would come, they could now rest easy. Well almost. Buffy still had to deliver; a fact which she had nearly forgotten what with the fighting and the nearly dying. However the contraction that slipped through her lower back, around to her stomach gave her memory a much needed jolt.
Groaning, she shook her head. "Will, I--I'm like in labor. Really. We--we have to get to the hospital." A pause. "Fix Faith so that we can go."
The red head wet her lips. "I--well you see she has to want to be fixed. She has to--to let go of the power. I can only help..."
"Do you think sh--she might refuse? Why isn't she doing that now?"
"Power is very captivating, Buffy. I know what it's like to have something like that. You don't always wanna give it up."
"Did she know this before you did the spell?"
"Yes. I gave her warnings bu--but she still wanted to do it. For you and Maddie."
Dragging both hands through her unruly hair, the blonde exhaled and glanced over to where the brunette was standing like a stone, staring at the dead demon's body. She could tell that it wasn't the Faith she knew--the Faith she loved. That girl would have killed the beastie and then rushed over to make sure she was alright. Gave a smart ass reply about how it was easy as cake, and then pulled her into her arms for a comforting hug.
"Faith..." Buffy swallowed hard and slowly walked over to her, touching the feverish skin of her cheek. Noting that the cut she'd received before was now nothing but a thin scratch. "Can you hear me?"
The brunette said nothing, only nodded.
"Yo--you have to left it go. The power, it--you don't need it anymore." She whispered smiling. "I know it's amazing but it's not you."
"I am the Slayer."
"Yes. But you're also Faith. Faith. Please, let it go. Maddie and I need you."
"Maddie...?"
"Yeah, our baby. Remember her?" She took the ex con's hand and placed it to her stomach. "She--she's on her way. She wants to meet you. The real you."
Faith stared at her for a long while, her eerie black eyes showing nothing that she might have been thinking or feeling. It seemed like an eternity for Buffy, watching as she silently debated what she wanted. What mattered more. However soon she exhaled deeply and her limbs went lax. Buffy looked to Willow and nodded quickly, wetting her lips, scared she might change her mind.
"Liberatio"." Willow said, and Faith sunk to her knees like dead weight.
A black mist rose up from her body as if she were cooking in a frying pan, swirling towards the ceiling of the cave. It crackled and fizzled with loud pops before seeping through the small openings to disappear. Faith coughed and held her head, blinking her watering eyes. She felt tired and slightly dizzy, like some sort of parasite had hollowed her out inside. Not to mention her muscles were on fucken fire; she'd be feeling it for a while she guessed.
"Jesus..." She sighed, glancing around slowly. "That was a fucken mind job of the tenth degree."
Buffy wiggled her fingers at her. If she could have dropped down to hug her she would. "Ar--are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
The brunette stood on wobbly legs with a small chuckle. "Everythin' hurts." She stretched, then embraced the blonde gently. "You aight?"
A nod. "Yeah. You were wonderful. I--I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks." She grinned. "Everyone else aight?"
"Five by five." Xander mused, speaking up for the first time since finishing off the bald robed men. "We kicked some major ass today. If I weren't so sored I'd pat myself on the back."
Kennedy snickered, wiping the dirt off her face. "We should find Dawn and the others. Make sure they are still kickin'."
"Dawn came?" Buffy snorted. "I should have known. Oh! Sandy!"
"I'm on it." Willow headed over to the cage.
Rubbing her chin, Faith slipped an arm around the mother to be's shoulders. "Thanks for bringin' me back. For a second there I didn't wanna give it up. It felt like it was mine--like it belonged to me."
Buffy snuggled into her side. "It did in a way, but you don't need it anymore. I can't believe this is over."
"Yeah...seems weird." The brunette replied. "Now we just gotta be parents ya know? I kinda almost prefer the demon."
"Ha ha." A beat. "I love you."
"Love you too." Smirking, she pressed their lips together and kissed her. "Didn't cha mention somethin' bout labor? Shouldn't we--ya know--deal with that?"
The blonde chuckled, looking down at her ruined dress. "That would be of the good."
Sitting in the middle of the hospital bed with little stickers and wires on her stomach, Buffy tried to hee hee hoo hoo her way through another contraction. Since teleporting to the nearest hospital which thankfully took Giles' insurance card, and getting set up in a room, she'd been experiencing them more frequently. The on call obstetrician said that it would not be long now, that she was almost dilated ten centimeters. Of course that had been at least an hour ago.
"Gah! What is taking so long!" She whined, flopping back to the bed. "And where are my drugs?"
"Relax Blondie." Faith snickered from her place by the window. "Doctor Decker said you didn't need the drugs, that you're doin' fine."
"What the hell does she know?"
"Ya know you're right. She's just a doctor with a degree and shit."
"You're teasin' me when I'm over here creatin' the miracle of life!"
"Just a little. Heh not like you can really do anythin' about it."
The blonde pouted and folded her arms over her chest. She frowned deeply, chancing a glance at the brunette who was flashing a dimpled grin. She lowered her head as the corners of her own mouth threatened to curl up. Truth be told she was just happy to be in the moment, no matter how painful it was steadily growing. She was also glad that everyone was alright, save for a few bruises or whatever. Discordia and that irritating Doc were dead; she was free. More importantly Madelyn was safe...at least from demons.
"Faith..." Buffy whispered, tears in her eyes. "What if--if I suck as a mom? What if we survived Discordia just to--to lose her another way?"
"Everyone thinks that, ya know? Especially first timers." The ex con replied, eyes on the scenery outside. "It's knee jerk I think. But we're gonna be fine cause we got a shit load of help out there in the waitin' room. And we got love."
"Promise?" She inquired and gripped the sheets, another painful contraction creeping closer.
"Yeah. I do." Faith winked. "I promise."
The door opened and Doctor Rebecca Decker breezed in, looking over her thin rimmed glasses at her patient. She smiled and dug into the box of gloves on the dresser. "How we doing?"
"Better if I had drugs." Buffy said, eying her.
The doctor chuckled and moved to the end of the bed, peeping under the sheets. "Oh well I'd say it's too late for that now. You're fully dilated and in transition." A beat. "Let's have us a baby!"
The nurse turned on the over head lights and pulled out the stirrups, putting Buffy's feet up in them as the bed was reclined up. She then arranged the instruments that would be used on a sanitized tray, and showed Faith the scrubs that she could put on.
Clapping her hands together, Faith strolled over to the bed and crawled up behind Buffy with a leg on either side of her, helping support her back. A few moments passed and then the doctor was requesting that she push. The blonde closed her eyes and bared down; Slayer strength so not even an issue!
"You're doing great, Buffy!" Doctor Decker cheered. "Keep pushin, just like that. Ooh the head is crowning quite nicely."
"Not from this end!" Buffy yelled, taking a second to rest. "I want my drugs! Gimme drugs!"
Faith chuckled and peeped over, blinking at what she saw. "Whoa, it's gross but kinda beautiful in a sick way."
"Another biiig push! C'mon you can do it!"
"Ahhhh!"
"You're almost there! The head is out!" She helped rotate it to face the right thigh, letting the nurse check the baby's heart tones.
Buffy bit her bottom lip so hard that she drew blood as she inhaled and pushed once again, her toes curling. There was a feeling of pressure and then release, and she fell back to Faith with a deep exhausted sigh. Doctor Decker fiddled with her instruments to suction out the baby's mouth and nose; a loud cry sounding next.
"Is--is she okay?" The blonde asked, panting and sweaty. "I wanna see her."
"One second, sweetie." The nurse smiled and cleaned her up, checking her over once more before laying on a bundle of pink on the new mother's chest. "She's perfect. Congratulations."
Looking down at the chubby little pink and squirming person in her arms, Buffy burst into laughing tears that streaked down her cheeks. She never knew she could feel so happy in her entire life, that she could love someone so much at first sight. "Oh my God. She--she's here. She's really here."
"You did great, B." Faith kissed her temple and stared down at the baby, smoothing a hand over her head of slick brown hair. Awe struck. "Wow, she's so teeny."
Doctor Decker grinned. "Nurse Walker is gonna weigh her and everything while I finish up here. Congratulations."
Thirty minutes later Faith stood outside of the hospital, hidden in the shadows by the ER door that would slide open every so often. She leaned against the wall and sighed, staring up at the bright night sky with its glittering flash of stars. Madelyn Joy Summers-Lehane had finally made her grand debut (with an easy birth said the Doctor) into the world. She weighed eight pounds and two ounces, which explained where all those fries and fudge had went too. She had a little head full of dark hair, and big green eyes that had opened sleepily as she'd held her.
She was beautiful, beyond even. From her pudgy fingers to the star shaped birth mark on her ankle. She was...real.
Funny as it sounded, some part of her mind just didn't connect with the thought of a baby while it was in Buffy's stomach. Yeah it was how the whole birth thing went down, but it just seemed like one of those things. Like somethin' on tv or whatever. Now it was real. Now it was a person that she could hold in her arms, that smelled so clean. Her daughter. She had a freaken daughter.
Chuckling, she slowly sunk down so that she was crouching and went with the impulse to cry. Warm tears brimmed over her lids and she took a long breath as months and months of holding everything in spilled out. Trembling and sobbing softly, she buried her face in her hands and just cried. Cried away the emotions of fear and regret, of pain and lies. She let them wash away all the uncertainty. She let them fall for Vi and Rona who'd died trying to protect her child. She simply let them come.
Meanwhile Buffy rested comfortably in her new private room, taking in the balloons and gifts that the others had gotten her. Even though she was very tired and could probably sleep for a week, she felt jazzed. Of course that had everything to do with the baby girl she was currently cradling. She didn't wanna put her down.
"You are the most gorgeous baby ever. Yes you are." She whispered, kissing her little hand. "And that makes total sense because you have two very gorgeous mommies."
Grinning at the blank look Maddie fixed her with, she smoothed her lips over her head. Seeing her and holding her, Buffy now knew perfectly why she'd have done anything to protect her. Having a child grow inside of you and then be born was like a new level of meaning. She felt a small tinge of guilt for the way she'd acted at the beginning of her pregnancy that she supposed was natural. But she was gonna spend forever making it up, even though it wasn't necessary. She could already tell that Maddie loved her unconditionally.
The feeling was more than mutual.
Humming, she traced her little features with her eyes. She had Faith's lips but her nose and eyes; she hoped she'd have Faith's dimples as well.
A soft knock sounded on the door, and then Willow's head poked in. "Hi. Ca--can we come in?"
"Of course." Buffy smiled lovingly. "Come meet your niece."
Willow, Kennedy, Xander, Giles, Dawn and Andrew all filed into the room. They crowded around the bed, each wanting to get a peek at the new edition to their family. There were coos and awws, especially from Andrew who was just happy to still be included.
"Where's her other momma?" Xander inquired, holding a pink teddy bear.
"Oh she went to get some coffee from the cafeteria." The blonde explained lightly. "She's probably the walking dead after the fight and everythin'."
"I'll watch the baby while you two catch some zees!" Andrew volunteered happily.
Buffy smirked at him. "Zees where? Our house was ripped in half. Oh well, Robin's house."
Giles folded his arms over his chest. "I say we go back to London. Everything is still settled there by all accounts."
Dawn however didn't care about any of that. She played with her fingers, biting her bottom lip. "Can I...hold her?"
The new mother grinned and gently handed Maddie over, making sure that she was secure before letting go. Dawn cuddled her close, supporting her little head as she gently rocked her from side to side. "Please don't cry. Please don't cry." A pause. "She's so amazing, Buffy. This could be the best thing you've ever done."
"I wish mom was here to see her..." Buffy said quietly.
"I'm sure she's already met her, if you believe in that kinda thing."
"With what we see every day? I think I do."
The room fell quiet for a moment, and then Madelyn let out a wail that grew steadily louder. Dawn tried to hush her but she wasn't having it. "Aww c'mon shhh..."
"Who's annoyin' my MJ?" Faith inquired, making everyone turn to look at her. She grinned and strutted into the room, tilting her head to the side. "Dawn? I would have swore it was Andrew..."
"I unfortunately haven't gotten a chance to hold her yet." Replied the man in question, looking sad.
"I'm sure you'll hold her enough when you change diapers." The brunette mused, taking the baby from her Aunt. She kissed her nose and then held her close to her chest, letting her hear her heart beat.
As Maddie quieted down, Kennedy smiled. "Wow you knew you'd turn out to be the baby whisperer."
"And how many times have I said I got mad skills?"
"Right. We just thought you were talkin' out cha ass."
Giles cleaned his glasses, noticing Buffy yawn. "I think we should all let the new mum get some rest. No doubt she is tired from her ordeal."
Willow nodded and began ushering everyone out of the room. "Giles is right. We'll see you tomorrow Buffy."
A chorus of byes followed, and the two Slayers were left alone with their daughter. Buffy snuggled down onto the bed slowly, wincing slightly. "Hope the Slayer healing works with none demon connected boo boos."
Faith chuckled and sat down in the chair by the bed. "I'm sure it will. You'll be up bossin' us around in no time."
The blonde snorted, then sighed. "Are you happy?"
"Ecstatic. You?"
"The same. Who knew somethin' you never knew you wanted could make you feel so...complete."
"Yeah, guess babies have a way of doin' that."
"I'm talking about you too..." Buffy reached over and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear. "I never knew I could be so happy with you. That we'd fit like the pieces of some weird puzzle. But now I have everything that I need."
"Ditto." Faith said with a dimpled smile. "Get some sleep huh? No doubt she's gonna be hungry later..."
"Right. Breastfeeding." A beat. "Oh, did you get your coffee?"
"Yeah I...did what I needed to do." The brunette responded offhandedly. "Night, B."
"Night..." She murmured, already half asleep.