Chapter Sixteen
"Ok, wait let me get this right. The child born of a vampire and a werewolf is supposed to be the end of the world. Now why is that?" Olivia asked handing Dana a glass wine and getting back to her beer.
"Well, according to the text, the baby will have no soul. Now, I guess for a living being to exist without a soul, I guess that in itself is the end of the world as we know of it." Scully answered.
"Wow, and I thought the monsters I came across in my job were the ones indicating the end of the world." Olivia gulped her beer.
"I know it's hard to believe what I am saying, but you just saw Tara disappear with Dawn and Prophet, now explain that with science. Believe me I have tried." Scully remembered the time when Buffy had finally come clean with her, and she had just stared at the blonde slayer wondering what was so wrong in her head to make up such outrageous stories. But, it hadn't been long after that she realized that they were not stories but the life that Buffy led.
"I can't explain that's the reason why I am not questioning what you are telling me, but that doesn't mean I believe it, yet." It was best way Olivia could sum up how she felt about what she had just heard. "So, now you tell me the government knows of the existence of all these crea..." Creatures, was the word in Olivia's lips but she paused realizing even Faith was among them and reworded, "people."
"Yes, they have a special branch that specializes in eliminating evil forces, supernatural evil forces and cover the tracks of their existence. And they are already in the trails of Saleena. Major Riley used to work very close with Buffy, he is the one who is in charge of this operation, that is what Mulder told me over the phone." Scully said recalling her conversation with her partner on their drive to Olivia's place.
"And what does army wants to do?" Olivia asked trying to understand.
"Mulder said they wanted to stop the baby from being born." Scully answered.
"Isn't that a little cruel, regardless of soul no soul, that is an unborn innocent baby?" Olivia couldn't stop being a human just because the situation consisted of non-humans.
"I know, but she is vampire. She is already dead." Scully reasoned.
"But, the baby is not. I am sorry, I don't think its right, and I truly don't believe that Faith would ever kill a baby, leave alone a pregnant person whether that is a vampire or what not." Olivia crushed the beer as she spoke getting agitated that there were apparently greater or higher forces out to get an unborn baby.
"You do seem to know Faith." Scully voiced her observation with a little anger and jealousy towards the woman who had once already taken away someone she was falling in love with.
"We are good friends." Olivia replied.
"With good benefits." Scully snapped back to the surprise of both women. "I should go." Scully said a moment later.
"No, you should not." Olivia said as she walked up the FBI Agent.
"When I met her, we were both victims of circumstance and we just found shelter in our frustrations. Later we just used each other to take some steam off, but it never was or is more than that." Olivia explained in her defense as she soothed Dana's face. Dana looked into the detective's eyes wanting to believe her.
"Are you still in love with …" Scully stopped realizing that she didn't know the name of the person Olivia was in love with.
"Alex." Olivia filled in. "Alexandra Cabot. But, it's been a while and I know she is never coming back." Olivia looked away to hide the little film of tears that had formed in her eyes.
"So, that's the story of my broken heart." Olivia said with a come back smile. "Tell me Agent Scully, has your heart ever been broken?"
Scully smiled realizing the pain Olivia might be feeling. She put down the wine and held the beautiful detective's face with both her hands and gave a long and sensual kiss camouflaging both their scarred heart.
"You've got to be kidding me." Faith uttered as the face of the woman holding the dragger turned and her mind flashed back to the night Buffy had called her worried about Kelly.
"Just get her from Piper, will you?" She had screamed at her.
Even though Faith didn't see any reason to panic she thought it to be perfect reason to leave patrol early and give Piper a little surprise. That was also the reason why instead of walking through the front door and passing by the other sisters' rooms, she decided to climb to the attic, as she usually did when she wanted to sneak into Piper's room. But to her shock, the scene that awaited her that night was exactly the same as it was in front of her now, that of Piper with a dragger in the verge of killing innocence.
"Don't think I won't." Faith re confirmed her warning as she firmed her grip on the crossbow keeping a steady aim at Piper who even though had moved the dragger hadn't still dropped it.
"I am sure you would." It was Paige who voiced out her suppressed anger. "It certainly wouldn't be the first time you killed one of us."
Faith could see Paige with the corner of her eyes but she didn't take her eyes of the oldest Halliwell who was standing, still staring at the slayer in disbelief.
"Piper, go for the goal." Paige reminded her sister daring the slayer's heart, and at the same time whispering, "Crossbow" under her breath. To her surprise it didn't appear in her hands. "Crossbow" She said it louder and spread her hands in front of her, but it was too late. Hearing Paige's provocation Piper had turned the dragger to its former path and undoubtedly an arrow had escaped Faith's crossbow.
"Arrow" Paige screamed but as before it was in vain as it pierced through Piper's palm dropping the dragger and landing on Saleena's throat, attaching her hand to the Vampire's neck. Shocked Paige immediately orbed to her sister's aid and tried to orb them out. But every time she felt herself dissolve, Piper remained intact, making her stop. She turned quickly to see the distance left between the slayer and them, then she tried to call for the arrow again to which Saleena laughed, "Your powers are vain to our weapons." As soon as the panicked Halliwell heard this she turned again to see where Faith was. Just as her head turned it was met with a powerful blow from the slayer's back hand, sliding her at least five feet away and rendering her unconscious.
"Damn you." Saleena cursed at her friend for her pain.
Faith just smirked and pulled Saleena's head a little to break the arrowhead that had pierced right through. The pain of the arrow moving made Piper grab Faith's shoulder in support. Faith closed her eyes at contact and tried to fight off her attention that was going only to the feel of her hand on her back. Once the arrowhead was broken, she looked up at Piper for a second, took a deep breath dreading what she had to do. She held Piper's wrist firmly being fully aware of her skin on hers, then she firmed her grip on the tail of the arrow and said looking at her friend, "It's going to sting a little."
"No, kidding." Saleena answered awaiting the pain while Piper cringed gripping harder at Faith's shoulder. With a quick pull the arrow was out but Piper screamed with pain as Faith pressed the hole on her palm with both hand preventing it from bleeding more.
"It's gonna be okay." Faith consoled as he put more pressure and looked around for something to use for a bandage. Not finding anything around except rocks (duh), she took a second, to tear off the lower portion of her blouse, exposing her stomach, and quickly wrapped it around the witch's palm. Piper watched without saying a word as she for a moment forget everything that had ever happened and just concentrated on the hands that were lovingly caring for her. Once the bandage was done Faith held on to her hand and looked up to Piper's awaiting eyes that made her forget everything. For a moment they were back, back in time and place when their love wasn't impossible. For a moment every one and everything disappeared as their eyes found the same undying adoration reflecting back at each other. Their mind and their sight only featured the other as their lips automatically attempted to cover the last remaining distance between them. But before the evitable could ensue,
"I might be a vampire but I am bleeding too." Saleena spoke bringing the two women back to reality.
Faith looked up, shaking her head a little and cursing herself for losing reality for a moment, just at that moment she was floating in the air along with Piper and unconscious Paige.
She looked down to see a man striding fast from the far end with two women in tow, who seemed to be invisibly chained and floating just as she was.
"Prophet" Saleena cried recognizing the man.
"You sure are a hard bat to find." Prophet said as he removed the rocks with a swirl of his hand and raised Saleena out.
"Yeah, got trapped." Saleena said almost as an excuse.
Prophet approached the vampire and examined the bleeding neck with lust. Before Faith even comprehended what he was doing, he took a bite on her neck and sucked her as her body quivered.
"No!" Faith screamed and tried to break her hold but it was futile.
Tara and Dawn who had now floated in sight, were as shocked to see the sisters with Faith as they were to see the Prophet suck the vampire.
After he was done, he let go, as Saleena dropped to the floor like a hard rock, as he looked up, spread his arms and growled like an animal does after a satisfying its appetite.
Hearing his growl about ten Lycans and vampires came out of the tunnels.
"Chain them." He ordered as the floating women were brought down to the ground and immediately made captive by his army.
"Not this one." He said pointing to Faith. "Slayer is with us." He added as Saleena's thoughts and memories started to flow through his brain cells. The vampires unchained the slayer and she ran to her friend who was now gaining more strength.
"What the fuck did he do to you?" Faith asked helping her up.
"It's called a melt, shortcut version of awakening." Saleena explained leaning her full weight on her friend.
"And I thank you for looking after Saleen." Prophet said to Faith as he directed his army to move forward and asked "You have any idea what the core awaits?"
"I had sent Priest we found his ashes just before we entered the underworld." Saleena answered even though she knew that Prophet already knew whatever she knew, and then she realized that the question wasn't meant for her.
That's when Faith spoke, "I called up Chance and hopefully…"
"Chance…" Prophet said aloud as he closed his eyes to ransack through Saleena's memory to find out who Chance was.
"Let's move then." He said after few seconds and marched forward.
Faith took a second to look back and when he saw that Tara was chained right next to Piper and she was already healing the witch, she turned in front and carried her friend and marched forward.
"Thanks." Piper said to Tara as she felt the pain dissipate in her hand. Tara didn't reply as she slowly opened the torn cloth to reveal a clear skin. She was about to throw it when Piper stopped her and kept it in her pocket.
"You never know." She explained and then pulled her still unconscious sister for the white-lighter's aid. Tara hesitated as she put her hands over the youngest Halliwell but the light in her hand did not glow. She looked up apologetically at the eldest witch. Piper closed eyes as she knew the reason why the white lighter failed sort of love for her younger sister.
"Paige told me about the day, she lashed out on you for trying to turn Phoebe gay." Piper said as she put her hands over the shaking white-lighter's.
"I know I shouldn't get my personal feelings involved, but…" Tara found herself sobbing without control for the first time since Phoebe had refused to talk to her.
"Look Tara you got to understand, whatever Paige said to you was only about how she felt at that time. You got to understand finding a member of your family to be gay is a big deal, I mean people have like a whole scenario thought out when they come out to their family, but we automatically assumed that Paige could accept our orientation without any problem as we were witches. But, it just wasn't easy for her. She not only had to come to terms that two of her sisters might be gay but also the fact that she wasn't. Somehow she felt like she was not a part of the family. And because you were there, she just took it out on you." Piper explained her sisters out-lash to the white-lighter who clearly hadn't still forgotten. "And she is really sorry about that day. She never thought you would break up with Phoebe for that." Piper added.
"I never broke up with Phoebe, when I went to see her at her office she said, she never wanted to see me." Tara said bawling just as she had bawled from Paige's remarks and orbed right to Willow, who at the time was crossing the road. When Tara had materialized in the middle of the road a car screeched to a stop but not before jolting the blonde to the side of the road. Causing Tara to hurt her legs, and Willow took her back to the apartment that Scoobies had rented in San Francisco to be close to Kelly, and attended to her wounds both emotional and physical. Willow also convinced Tara to go see Phoebe in her office, but when she went there; Phoebe was furious with her and just told her to leave. Since then Tara had not seen the sisters till the moment she had to orb in the manor to save Piper from Faith and within twenty-four hours Phoebe was gone forever.
The vampires pushed them to start moving as they had taken enough time. Piper and Dawn each took one of Paige's hands and started to walk as Tara's heart was still crying for her lost love to find love to heal the person she still considered a reason for her loss. The four women walked in silence after that.
"Well that wasn't too difficult." She said as she dusted the last vampire who had turned against them.
"That was as though you knew he was coming from behind, and with his speed I have never seen a new vampire be that perceptive.' Jena said applauding her friend.
"I don't know, at times it's as if I can hear them think." She said trying to explain her ability.
"Like magic huh." Jena joked.
"Yeah, Jen I am a witch, or was one in my last life." She said joining her friend in a good laugh.
"So, you excited about meeting Faith." Jena asked seriously now.
"Very. You know I remember her, not through Saleena's memory because she awakened me, but my own memories. I remember her driving, being scared for me, protecting me. I know she wanted me to stay away from her, but I also know that she said that for my own good." She replied as her senses only concentrated on her thoughts.
"Yeah, but what good it would do you to be away from her." Jena asked the youngest vampire she ever befriended.
"That's what, I want to ask her." She had only said that when they both heard a loud thump and the whole ceiling fell on them.
"They are going to do what?" Scully asked unable to compute what she had just heard.
"Are you sure that is the only way." Scully asked again on the phone.
"Ok, I'll try and find out where they are." Scully said switching off the phone.
For the second time within only hours, Scully looked at Olivia lying under the sheets next to her.
"What are they planning to do?" Olivia asked.
"They ambushed the mansion that Saleena's tribe owned and killed all the vampires there, but Saleena wasn't there so now they are planning to bomb the Underworld." Dana answered grimly. She started to search the number in her phone as she spoke, "I got to find where Tara and Dawn are."
"And Faith." Olivia added.
"Yes, and Faith." Dana added.
Prophet jumped into the hole and landed right on his feet. He looked around for second and found what he was looking for. He swrilled his hand and removed the debris as he raised the two vampires that fallen.
"You must be Chance." He said as he stared at the brunette. "Even I never predicted this." He said as he put them down on the ground.
Right then, Faith fell from the hole with Saleena in her arms. Jena quickly ran to aid Saleena. "She needs blood." Faith told Jena as she transferred her friend.
"Faith." Chance said as she stared at the woman she had always wanted to meet since the day she was awakened.
"Chance." Faith said acknowledging her yet not acknowledging the excitement Chance was feeling at seeing her. "So, is the core secure?"
"Yes, we only have the supporters here." Chance replied as she had exactly what Faith had told her to do on the phone.
"Good." It was Prophet who said that and signaled his awaiting followers to jump down, and walked away with Saleena and Jena. Faith told Chance to follow them before the prisoners were lowered. After Chance was gone, she told the vampires to keep Tara and Paige in chains as they could orb and added that all the prisoners should be kept alive. It was clear, even though Faith didn't want to kill her former allies; she was not willing to let Saleena go through what she did.