My version of the scene in S7 when B gets kicked out.
Disclaimer: do I have ta? You know it's not mine.
Notes: just saw the ep again, and suddenly had to write this. This is literally straight from my head a few minutes ago. It's a stand alone, I'm afraid, it just came to me.
"Then you can't stay here." Dawn said, her voice shaky. Buffy gaped, and Faith felt a jolt- was Dawnie serious? "Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too." Buffy blinked, gazing glassy eyed at her sister, disbelief overwhelming her features, before turning on her heel and heading for the door.
"Whoa, WHOA!" Faith cried, "Hold up, B!"
Buffy paused, but didn't turn around.
"Their lives are yours now. Lead them. Protect them." Buffy said, her voice hollow. Then she made to leave again, but Faith rushed forwards, pulling her back,
"No no no." She said, "There is no way you're walking away from this…"
"Faith, we have to be together…" Dawn began.
"Exactly!" Faith snapped, turning to the group, "We do have to be together. An' that means working around problems, not chucking them out! We cannot do this if we turn on each other. That goes badly, trust me. I gotta say there is no way I'm going back to the vineyard yet, and no one should, but that doesn't mean that Buffy is wrong in what she's saying. None of you have experienced this, not even you, Giles, Will, Xander, Dawn… not one of you knows what it feels like to be the slayer. Once your in to a big fight, you wanna keep fighting, you have to keep fighting, or you lose it. This is the biggest fight ever. Most of the time, keeping the fight going is the best way to finish it! …Buffy is the best fighter we have. She is the strongest, the fastest, the most experienced, and I can tell you right now that if Buffy goes, then so do I, cos I don't do suicide."
"She can't call the shots anymore." Kennedy said stonily.
"Whatever. I don't give a shit who leads, Andrew can lead for all I care. What matters is that all of us work together."
"It should be you." Rhona said.
"No." Faith said thoughtfully, "Lets do that vote. Either Buffy leaves, and we all die, or she stays, and we both do it. Together." She looked around at each person in the room, finally coming to Buffy, whose face was only readable to the other slayer. She couldn't believe what Faith had just done. She was touched, and confused, but thankful.
"Together." Willow said, breaking the tense silence, and raising her hand.
"Together." Xander repeated, smiling wryly, and raising his hand.
"Together." Others agreed, the word flowing slowly around the room, hands rising until only Giles stood, starring at the two slayers, now standing side by side. He cracked a smile,
"Together." He said, then added, "The slayers unite once more."
"Damn straight." Faith said. "Now get your asses onto research, we need to know what Caleb has he doesn't want us to find. Shorten the search- its at the vineyard, not the school." Buffy looked sharply at her. "What?" Faith shrugged, "I never said I didn't agree about that."
Buffy half smiled, then turned to the potentials,
"You heard the girl! Back to work!" She snapped, shocking them into movement.
"I could get used to this." Faith chuckled.
"Power trip." Buffy teased as they headed to the kitchen.
"Well duh." Faith agreed.
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Really not sure where this came from since I was cheering when I saw her kicked out first time… oh well. Please review and tell me what you think!