AN: Thank you for your reviews. BTVS doesn't belong to me.
Lilith was sitting in her therapist's office in silence. She was afraid to talk about the fear she had of Buffy's treatment of her and the dreams she had been having about what could happen if they fail. So, she sat silently watching the doctor examine her and write occasionally. Amy Pond was observing her reserved patient and noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the stiffness while sitting. She looked like she had when she first showed up in her office and it saddened the doctor that something had caused the regression in the teenager.
"Talk to me Lilith, what is causing your lack of sleep? Have you had a fight with one of the gang or are you afraid of something?" The doctor asked, "I can't help you if you won't talk to me and even if you won't talk to me then talk to Faith if you can. I know you fear what they think of you and if they will see you as weak but I truly believe Faith will not abandon you."
"If we fail, then what does any of this matter? Why should I care if I get better or not? I will always be this monster whether or not the gang sees that. I can see it through and I always will. Nobody can change that." Lilith said unemotionally and ran out of the office before the red head could reply.
Faith had just left when Giles received a very worried phone call from Dr. Pond. Buffy watched as even Giles' face crumbled into a mask of concern. After he hung up and explained what had happened, Buffy ran out the door to try and find the young slayer. Buffy felt that Lilith's mood was because of her so it was up to the blonde to put it right without the help of her sister slayer. After looking in all the obvious places for the wayward slayer, she decided that, much like when Riley had his crisis of faith, Lilith might head back to what was familiar. She searched the caves one by one until she felt the teen's presence.
In the back corner of the cave, there sat Lilith curled in a ball trying to shut out the world as quiet cries echoed through the cave. Buffy felt her guilt increase while watching the young teen break down in front of her. As the blonde walked towards the broken slayer, she saw a knife sitting by Lilith and feared what that could mean. Buffy went unnoticed until she sat next to the crying girl. Lilith starred in fear of the blonde after not seceding in locking down her emotions. Buffy not being able to stand seeing the teen like this pulled her into her arms as the clone broke down again in the comfort of her mentor's arms.
"Why?" Lilith asked through her tears.
"'Cause you've done nothing wrong and I'm sorry if you thought for one moment that I hated you. I pulled away but not because of you I swear. I killed four people that same night and couldn't handle what that meant. You are the best thing that could have happened these past two years." The blonde apologized feeling a couple tears build up in her eyes.
"You're wrong. I've done a lot of things wrong. I've murdered countless people, so why should I be allowed to live and not them?" The brunette glanced at the knife next to her.
"Don't you even dare!" Buffy yelled as she grabbed the knife and tossed it away from them, "You were a child, that didn't know anything about the world except for what the psychos in this place told you. You have done bad things but so has Faith and I'm not so innocent either. You should live to prove you are that you can be more than the Initiative's little puppet and be the Slayer that they didn't mean to create. You know now that it was wrong and I know you would never intentionally hurt another innocent person again. You can't let this keep you from going on with your life and if you think for one moment that Faith won't lose whatever happiness she has found then you fucking stupid. It would devastate us all, so if you can't live for yourself than live for us until you can."
"Okay." Lilith nodded shakily. "But you're for a second time; Faith would still have some happiness as long as she has you."
"What are you talking about?" The blonde asked confused.
"Faith talks in her sleep and it's kinda obvious she likes you." The brunette replied.
"Um, okay, why don't we get out of here?" Buffy stood up and started walking out of the cave with her arm still around the young teen.
Few weeks later, Lilith still seemed shaky but was getting better. When the blonde had informed her sister slayer about Lilith's break down, Faith had pulled the blonde into her arms and thanked her. Buffy had rethought about telling Dawn she wasn't human but, after watching Lilith break, she was worried her sister wouldn't take it well. Faith eventually convinced the blonde to tell the innocent girl so she doesn't ever put herself in danger inadvertently.
"Hey, Dawn, I need to talk to you." Buffy said as she saw her sister come home from school.
"Sure, Buffy, Is this about that woman that was here the other day?" Dawn asked as she sat across from the blonde.
"Sort of, she was here looking for a key that she needs to destroy this dimension and she believes I have it." The slayer waited for her sister to nod in understanding before continuing, "A while ago, there was this monk and he told me that they made the key human. They sent her to me to protect and changed people's memories to make it seem like she had always been there." Buffy could see the realization in her sister's eyes. "You are the key Dawnie, but I will always love you and nothing will ever happen to you."
"I… I can't hear this." Dawn said as she took off upstairs.
AN: Please review and thank you for reading.
