These characters don't belong to me (as if that needed clarification).
A/N: Okay, my couples might be messed up, but for now, they're mine to do nasty things with. It just gives me a little more to work with. The usual ones can only last for so long…except B/A, X/C (there's just something about those two…)
Once in a Lifetime Part One: Love
Five Years After Life Lessons
Monday
"Please tell me that this is a joke! Xander, no bank is going to give you a loan looking like that. I don't care if we are on the Hellmouth!
Cordelia stood behind Xander, her fists on her hips. Xander looked up in surprise at his wife's reflection in the mirror.
"What's wrong with my suit?"
"Wrong? It's an ugly shade of gray, it's rumpled in the back, the tie doesn't match at all…I bet you're wearing WHITE socks…do you honestly want me to continue?"
"Cordy, calm down. Everything is going to be fine. We'll get the loan, okay? There isn't anything for you to be worried about. But, if you really think I should change my suit, I will."
Cordelia's anger faded into concern. She sat down on the bed in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't mean to be all bitchy, I'm just worried. We need that loan Xander. Harris Constructions is going to be the best thing for us. But it's only a dream if we don't get the loan…"
"Hey, have I ever let my Queen down?" Cordelia shook her head "Alright, so stop worrying. Besides, look at you. I could wear a potato sack and I don't think anyone would notice."
Cordelia had become more beautiful in those five years when she came back to Sunnydale with Xander. She had matured, and not only that, but every time she looked at Xander, her face would grow more beautiful, the love apparent to anyone who was looking. As far as Xander was concerned, she was still the prettiest woman in Sunnydale.
Cordelia stood, and straightened Xander's tie. She looked up at him and kissed him softly on the lips. "I believe in you Xander Harris." Xander took her hands in his and kissed her palms. "I love you." And with that, the two started on their way to the bank, on their way to their dream.
"Will?" Faith laid her messenger bag on the kitchen table. "Hey, Will…you home?" Receiving no answer, Faith went about spreading her files on the table. Faith had gone to work for a division of the Juvenile Court and Human Services department. She hadn't meant to get so involved, but the kids that she was trying to help reminded her of the person she used to be. All of them had chosen a wrong path at one time. None of them had friends (well, nice friends) or family to turn to. She had been lucky enough to be sent to the Hellmouth. This is where she met her friends and family for the first time.
One kid in particular had caught her attention. Her name was Hope, oddly enough. She had blond hair that she kept dirty and short. Her clothes always reeked of a mixture between stale cigarettes, spilt beer, and vomit.
Faith had been there. She knew exactly what caused that smelly combination. The thing that really caught Faith's attention, though, was the needle marks all over the girl's arms. Faith had been there too. Still reading over Hope's file, Faith went to the refrigerator and got out a beer. She took it and the file back to the sofa.
Faith's hearing picked up on someone outside the door, fumbling to get in. She sat her beer down on the key stand next to the door. Then, going into Slayer mode, Faith quickly opened the door. Willow jumped and dropped her purse and the bags of groceries that she had been trying to balance while searching for her keys.
"Oh shit, Will!" Faith exclaimed as she scooped the ground for the bags and the grocery items rolling about on the floor. "Why didn't you ask for help?"
"I didn't know you'd be home! Willow said, picking her purse off the floor, as well as the contents that had spilled out it. After picking up all the items outside their apartment, the two girls made their way inside, thought not far. Just inside, exhausted from groping the ground, the girls slid down the wall.
"Rough day, kid?" Faith joked
In answer, Willow grabbed the beer off the key stand and finished it one gulp.
"That would be a yes." Faith raised herself up and extended her hand to Willow.
"Go. Sit down, take a load off." Faith said, pushing Willow towards the living room.
"Thank you." Willow said "No problem" replied Faith "No, I mean for being kind enough to make dinner, too."
Faith looked sternly down at Willow's impish grin. "Okay, okay. But you're on dish duty." Willow's face went straight to sour. "I hate doing dishes" she grumbled.
Faith just smiled. Faith had never known such love and devotion until she met Willow. Everyday, Faith would thank God for giving her Willow. She had been a big part of the new-Faith renewal process. Faith shook her head as she thought about all the gang had gone through to help her gain and maintain a 'healthy mentality'. It had taken everyone a while to get used to the idea of Faith being around permanently, but no one saw it like that now. Faith was just like everyone else. She belonged to the group as much as Willow did. For that, Faith couldn't be thankful enough.
"What's up with Hope…again" Willow said loudly enough to be heard in the kitchen
Faith came out, wiping her hands on a towel. "Same old" she said with a sigh. "I can't get through to her. It doesn't matter what I do. She just pushes me away further and further. It's like the more she knows I can help her, the farther she gets from me. I'm running out of options."
"She'll come around, they always do" Then Willow's eyes lit up. "That's why the state is giving you a shiny plaque on Saturday!"
"Oh God, don't remind me! I hate those award ceremonies."
"Liar"
"Okay, I don't hate all of them, but they're calling me Sunnydale's Saint Jude. A: I'm NOT a Saint, and B: I don't like the fact that they're calling the kids I try to help lost causes."
"It's not just for lost causes, Faith. It's also for desperate cases, hopeless situations and FORGOTTEN causes. I think that sums the kids up pretty well. What you do is a good thing. People realize this, and all they want to say is, "Good Job…" Then under her breath she mumbled "Saint Faith".
"I heard that"
"Thursday is going to be so much fun! Everyone is going to be there. Angel, Cordelia, Xander, Anya, Oz and even Gunn is coming in from LA!"
"Is there anyone you didn't tell about this? It isn't that big of a deal!"
"Yes it is, Faith! It's a very big deal. We are all so proud of you. You of all people know how far you've come; it's a huge accomplishment. You're giving something back. Nobody goes through life being perfect. And after a while, most people stop trying. You're Faith. You've killed people and it made you stronger…I should have probably quit before I said that, huh?"
"Yeah, but you're cute when you're flustered."
"But I mean what I said. I'm so proud of you." She took Faith's hand in hers, studying the matching bands on their fingers.
"Why is it you always make me out to be better than I really am?"
Willow cupped Faith's head and looked her straight in the eyes. "I just call 'em as I see them".
"You make me want to be the person you think I am. I love you, Will." Faith took just one more minute of Willow's comfort, and then they went back to their respective duties of relaxing and cooking.
"This is perfect. This is the way it always should have been." Angel and Buffy stood in the garden of their new home. "Can you believe that we finally made it here, Buffy?"
Buffy looked up at the love of her life. The sun was shining off her hair, making it look like a halo that Angel was certain she deserved. "I wouldn't change a thing though. Not now, knowing we end up just like this." With lightening speed, Buffy was in Angel's arms.
"Uh…Angel…can't…breathe…" She finally got out. "Buffy, are you okay? I didn't hurt the baby did I?"
"No, no. Little Liam is just as strong as his daddy." Angel covered Buffy's swollen belly with his hands. "He sure is a kicker, isn't he?"
Buffy placed her hands on top of Angel's. "He's ours. He's perfect."
"I love you so much"
"I love you, Angel"
Angel rolled over in his sleep. His world was perfect right now. But deep in his subconscious, he knew that this dream was better that the one where he and Buffy went to Paris for their honeymoon. However, it tied with the one where they got married. With a sleepy smile on his face, he enjoyed the time with his "wife".
Buffy was also asleep; the latest news of vampire nests had sent them to Rome. It was would be dawn in another four hours. In the morning, she and Spike would start to ready themselves for tomorrow night. All of her newspaper clippings were still strewn across the floor of there hotel room. 'Sunnydale Journal' was a recurring theme among them. A special courier brought by a week's worth of news every Sunday. No matter what country she and Spike would hunt, the papers were there every week.
Buffy murmured something in her sleep. Spike, who always crawled into bed with her after she fell asleep, looked down and smiled. She always had that contented smile on her face when she slept, as if all her problems were distant memories. He leaned over to move a piece of hair out of her face when he heard her say, "I love you, Angel". With a sigh, he rolled back over, but he was still unable to sleep. He knew the Slayer still had feelings for Angel, but it still hurt. He gathered Buffy up in his arms, because she always instinctively snuggled closer. As always, he would take what she offered. He knew that, in time, she would realize they were perfect together. That thought finally allowed him the peace of mind to finally drift off to sleep.
"Come on, Oz! Just this once…I promise to shock you if anything goes wrong. Cross my heart!" Anya stood in the middle of the Magic Box, pleading to Oz.
"Anya, I don't want to. You're really…perverse, you know that?"
"I am not, I just always wanted one for a pet, so I was thinking, 'Hey, Anya, Oz can be your pet!' Now, please be my pet."
"You want me to be your pet? Let me reiterate: perverse."
"Oh, come on. You have it under control. And if anything goes wrong, then you can just tuck it away again. It's easy as pie. Oh, even as easy as that ready-to-bake pie that you can buy at the grocery store. I had one once, it was really good. Um, only, I feel the need to warn you that it isn't that easy to bake. For me at least. I don't know why…I always read the directions, but it just doesn't work out. I'm not good at pies, let's use something else. Oh…what am I good at?" Anya pondered to herself
"Talking" Oz mumbled under his breath.
"Oh! I know! Sex! It's as easy as sex! Okay, wolf-out."
Oz gave the ex-demon a look. "No."
"Daniel Osborne, you wolf-out right now, or I'm never going to talk to you again…today!"
He started to make his way to the door. Oz didn't know why he always went to the Magic Box. Anya was so…weird. Oz mentally shrugged his shoulders. He did like her conversation, though. She had the oddest way of looking at things. It was refreshing. Oz shook his head and smiled. "Pet" he said aloud, and was still laughing on the inside as he made his way back to his apartment.
Saturday
It is a beautiful afternoon, and there is a stage set up in front of a crowd of about seventy people. The entire gang (sans Buffy and Spike) is siting on the front row. The new Mayor is standing at a podium, concluding his speech…
"And it is for those reasons, that the citizens of Sunnydale would like to present Faith Rosenberg with the Sunnydale Saint Jude Award, for her outstanding contributions to the troubled teens of our community." The crowd applauds as Faith walks up to the stage. She accepts the award and kisses the Mayor on the cheek. Flashes go off and the front row is cheering loudly.
"First of all, this award is truly unnecessary. My reward comes from the children, who rise above and take their life back. But I do appreciate the kindness. My reasons for helping, however, are selfish. I came from a background not too different from the kids I try to help. I'm only doing what the people, my friends sitting right there in the front row, did for me. Without them, I don't think that I would be here today. So I accept this award on their behalf. Thank you."
The crowd applauds again, and the gang stands up and surround Faith, all giving her congratulations, hugs and kisses.
The Mayor once again takes the floor. "There will be a post-award ceremony at the Magic Box, everyone is invited" Almost as an after thought "Except those who can't enter without the previously mentioned invitation." Pleased with himself, the Mayor begins to shake hands with different attendees.
Magic Box
The store is crowded with people, talking, drinking, and laughing. People are milling around, some taking turns congratulating Faith.
"Well, Faith. I have to say I'm impressed. Not surprised, but impressed."
Faith turned around to see Angel standing there. "Who'd of thought, huh? Seems like only yesterday I was ruining peoples lives."
"Seem like only yesterday you turned yourself into the police." He replied.
"Thanks, Angel. I know I've said it a thousand times, but, thank you."
"What are friends for…" Then he moved on and talked to Cordelia
Willow came up behind her, wrapping her arms around Faith's waist. "Are you ready?"
She turned to face Willow. "Yeah, let's go home."
Faith and Willow's Apartment
"Hold on just a second," Willow said, still not turning on the lights "I have a surprise for you."
"Come on, Will. I don't need anything else."
There was a lot of noise. Mainly metal on metal. "Hold on a sec more!" Willow said, her voice strained. "There. Flip on the switch.
Faith turned the light on, and her jaw nearly smacked the floor. In front of her, Willow had laid out an assortment of evil looking weapons.
"Will! Where did you get these?!" She was touching everything, the metal reflected the light beautifully, and without touching the blades, she knew that each one would just about cut through concrete.
"I found them on e-bay! Aren't they great! You're other weapons were looking a little rusty, and I thought these would be enough to scare the shit out of any demon that came your way."
"God, they're great!" Faith picked up one of the weapons and started swing it at an invisible target. It was then that she noticed the tiny box on the key stand. "Is that from you, too?"
"What?" Willow said. Then she saw the box. "Uh, no. That's not from me."
"Faith picked up the card and the box. She opened the card first. 'Congratulations' was the only word written. She opened the box, and inside, there was a tiny little silver chain. There was a small silver charm on the end. The charm had a picture of a man holding a book open. Inscribed under the man, were the word 'St. Jude Thaddeus'. "Who sent this?"
"I don't know" Willow said, thoroughly confused "It wasn't here when we left."
Faith considered the necklace again. Then she shrugged and put it on.
Buffy and Spike sat waiting for their plane to board. "The ceremony was today." Buffy had been unusually quiet the whole day. Spike knew what was bothering her. He had seen the newspaper article from Sunnydale, about Faith's award, but he was waiting for her to bring it up. "Do you want to send her a gift. Flowers or something?"
He was interrupted by the flight attendants voice. Buffy didn't understand till she heard in English…"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the final boarding call for flight 1202 from Rome to Prague. Passengers are requested to board immediately. Thank you."
Buffy stood and slung her carry on over her shoulder. "I already did" With that, she walked ahead to the gate.
End part one