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Buffy stood just outside the cell. In all her years of slaying she's never been more afraid of what she'd see if she peeked around the corner.
"Is it?"
"Just go home. I'll take care of this, B."
"But- the others..."
"I don't care." Faith said through clenched
Buffy knew now for sure, who Faith was kneeling over. It was Willow.
Buffy turned around and walked toward the other cells, and began to break the other people free. Glory was dead, she found the weapon, but in her heart she felt defeated. She couldn't even look at Willow. She couldn't bear the sight of her best friend like that. Buffy didn't know if Willow was even alive. And she couldn't handle seeing Faith like that any longer.
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Faith sat on her knees in front of the, broken, bruised and sleeping Willow. The witch's eyes were puffy and one was almost purple. Her bottom lip was bleeding. These wounds were fresh. Faith didn't have to look much further to find that Willow had several other injuries.
Faith's shaky hand made its way to Willow's cheek, which was cold to the touch. Faith let out a little squeak, and a tear fell down her dirt-covered cheek. Her hand moved to Willow's red hair, which was how tangled and matted from the past several days. The soft movement startled the witch, and she shot up.
"I'm up, I'm awake, I wasn't sleeping I swear."
Faith slid back just a little, being startled from Willow's sudden outburst. Willow opened her eyes, and though she could barely see, she knew it was Faith. The slayer scooted back to Willow. Both of them were now sitting up. Faith shakily took her hand and cupped Willow's cheek in it. Faith pulled the Witch in close for the biggest hug she'd ever given, and they both began to cry.
"It's ok Willow, I got you. You're ok now."
Willow tried to speak through her sobs "I'm so glad you're here. I tried so hard to be strong and –"
"Shhh. Talk later. After you rest. Let's go home."
"But—I- Buffy..."
"Screw her. I'm takin' you home and you're gonna rest."
Willow gave a weak smile. Faith stood, and scooped up the red head in her arms.
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time you carry me across the threshold I better be conscious and healthy."
Faith smiled and kissed Willow's forehead. Faith began walking down the hallway. Buffy was already at the last cell. She pulled open the door and let the person inside go free. Buffy looked around, and saw Faith walking toward her with a curled up Willow in her arms. Willow's arms were around Faith's neck and her head was resting on Faith's shoulder. Buffy couldn't speak. And Faith chose not to. The three of them left the building in silence and began to walk back home. ----------------------------------
Cut to: Summers' residence, the living room.
Dawn is sitting on the couch crying. Kennedy scoots just a little closer to the girl and gently wraps her arms around her in a loving hug.
"I'll leave you two alone." Andrew stood and left, taking his comic with him.
"It'll be ok, sweetie." Kennedy whispered. Kennedy leaned her head down on top of Dawn's and as her nose rested against the younger girl's hair, Kennedy breathed in her scent. She closed her eyes and let a single tear fall down her cheek. "Talk to me..." Kennedy whispered as she played with Dawn's hair.
Dawn sat up and scooted away from Kennedy. She looked up at the slayer in training.
"Buffy is mad at me because I made Willow help me with a spell."
"Dawn, you know Willow's still recovering."
"I know, but she didn't so the spell, I did. I just needed another body to make a circle. I made the spell, she just witnessed it."
"But why did you let Buffy believe that Willow did the spell?"
"Willow told me... that if anyone asked... to say that she did the spell. I think she did it to protect me.. and now it's my fault that she's gone."
"You really miss her don't you?"
"She's like a sister...when Buffy died...she took care of me. She and Faith are the only ones who don't treat me like a kid."
"I don't think you're a kid." Kennedy smiled. She leaned in toward Dawn and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Kennedy, I—I'm not."
"I'm sorry. I—I'm sorry." Kennedy stood and started to leave the living room. As she made her way to the stairs, the front door opened.
"Willow..." Kennedy whispered.
The potential was completely ignored as the slayer and her witch walked upstairs. Buffy trudged in after, as though she was the one carrying a hundred and twenty pounds of witch.
"Buffy..." Dawn stood. "We have to talk."
Buffy walked over to her sister, and embraced the girl in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Dawn."
-------------------- -------------------- -------------------- ------------------------ ------------------ ------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------
"Buffy why are you—"
"Faith told me what happened... that Willow didn't do the spell."
"How did she--?"
"I guess Willow told her."
"You're not mad at me?"
"I don't know. I just want my family back."
There was a brief silence. Dawn sat back down on the couch.
"Dawn... I wanna be a better sister..."
The slayer and her sister sat down together and began to talk.
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Cut to: Willow's room, night.
Willow is laying in her bed, snuggled up in her blankets. Her wounds have been dressed and she's fast asleep. Faith is sitting on the bed, knees bent up. She's writing in her journal.
[I]It's so hard to just sit here and watch her sleep. I know she needs her rest, but I just wanna cry into her chest. I want her to hold me, like a little baby. I'm so glad she's safe and here with me. I could kill Buffy for letting this happen to her. She looks so peaceful, laying there...but at the same time she looks so broken. She's stirring.[/I]
"Red? Will, baby..." Faith whispered.
"Mmmm... I could sleep forever." Willow moved her body closer to Faith, and rested her head on Faith's lap. Faith's hands immediately put the book aside, and went to Willow's red hair.
"Willow?"
Willow turned her head up to look at Faith. "Hmm?"
"Your hair is gross."
Willow smiled, "Wanna brush it?"
Faith reached over to the table next to the bed and found a brush. Willow sat in front of Faith on the bed while Faith struggled through the knots.
"Just—tell me if I hurt you, k?"
Willow was silent.
"I missed you." Faith whispered.
Tears were pouring down Willow's cheeks.
Faith finished with the redhead's hair, and she put the brush back. Willow leaned her body back into Faith so that the slayer was holding her.
"Why tears?" Faith asked gently.
"Does Buffy still want me gone?"
"No, I don't think so. But if she does, we'll kick her out this time."
Faith wrapped her arms around Willow just a little bit tighter.
Faith kissed the top of Willow's head, who in turn, looked up at Faith.
"What was that for?"
"Because I could." Faith looked away from Willow. "I thought you were dead." Willow sat up and turned around to face her love. She looked deep into Faith's eyes and let the slayer continue to speak.
"I was so scared that I'd lost you, after.... I mean- I just found you... and then...." Willow couldn't bear the sight of Faith crying any longer. She cupped the slayer's cheeks in her hands and kissed those full, and plump crimson lips.
"I love you. I love you so much. " Willow said between kisses.
Buffy stood just outside the cell. In all her years of slaying she's never been more afraid of what she'd see if she peeked around the corner.
"Is it?"
"Just go home. I'll take care of this, B."
"But- the others..."
"I don't care." Faith said through clenched
Buffy knew now for sure, who Faith was kneeling over. It was Willow.
Buffy turned around and walked toward the other cells, and began to break the other people free. Glory was dead, she found the weapon, but in her heart she felt defeated. She couldn't even look at Willow. She couldn't bear the sight of her best friend like that. Buffy didn't know if Willow was even alive. And she couldn't handle seeing Faith like that any longer.
-------
Faith sat on her knees in front of the, broken, bruised and sleeping Willow. The witch's eyes were puffy and one was almost purple. Her bottom lip was bleeding. These wounds were fresh. Faith didn't have to look much further to find that Willow had several other injuries.
Faith's shaky hand made its way to Willow's cheek, which was cold to the touch. Faith let out a little squeak, and a tear fell down her dirt-covered cheek. Her hand moved to Willow's red hair, which was how tangled and matted from the past several days. The soft movement startled the witch, and she shot up.
"I'm up, I'm awake, I wasn't sleeping I swear."
Faith slid back just a little, being startled from Willow's sudden outburst. Willow opened her eyes, and though she could barely see, she knew it was Faith. The slayer scooted back to Willow. Both of them were now sitting up. Faith shakily took her hand and cupped Willow's cheek in it. Faith pulled the Witch in close for the biggest hug she'd ever given, and they both began to cry.
"It's ok Willow, I got you. You're ok now."
Willow tried to speak through her sobs "I'm so glad you're here. I tried so hard to be strong and –"
"Shhh. Talk later. After you rest. Let's go home."
"But—I- Buffy..."
"Screw her. I'm takin' you home and you're gonna rest."
Willow gave a weak smile. Faith stood, and scooped up the red head in her arms.
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time you carry me across the threshold I better be conscious and healthy."
Faith smiled and kissed Willow's forehead. Faith began walking down the hallway. Buffy was already at the last cell. She pulled open the door and let the person inside go free. Buffy looked around, and saw Faith walking toward her with a curled up Willow in her arms. Willow's arms were around Faith's neck and her head was resting on Faith's shoulder. Buffy couldn't speak. And Faith chose not to. The three of them left the building in silence and began to walk back home. ----------------------------------
Cut to: Summers' residence, the living room.
Dawn is sitting on the couch crying. Kennedy scoots just a little closer to the girl and gently wraps her arms around her in a loving hug.
"I'll leave you two alone." Andrew stood and left, taking his comic with him.
"It'll be ok, sweetie." Kennedy whispered. Kennedy leaned her head down on top of Dawn's and as her nose rested against the younger girl's hair, Kennedy breathed in her scent. She closed her eyes and let a single tear fall down her cheek. "Talk to me..." Kennedy whispered as she played with Dawn's hair.
Dawn sat up and scooted away from Kennedy. She looked up at the slayer in training.
"Buffy is mad at me because I made Willow help me with a spell."
"Dawn, you know Willow's still recovering."
"I know, but she didn't so the spell, I did. I just needed another body to make a circle. I made the spell, she just witnessed it."
"But why did you let Buffy believe that Willow did the spell?"
"Willow told me... that if anyone asked... to say that she did the spell. I think she did it to protect me.. and now it's my fault that she's gone."
"You really miss her don't you?"
"She's like a sister...when Buffy died...she took care of me. She and Faith are the only ones who don't treat me like a kid."
"I don't think you're a kid." Kennedy smiled. She leaned in toward Dawn and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Kennedy, I—I'm not."
"I'm sorry. I—I'm sorry." Kennedy stood and started to leave the living room. As she made her way to the stairs, the front door opened.
"Willow..." Kennedy whispered.
The potential was completely ignored as the slayer and her witch walked upstairs. Buffy trudged in after, as though she was the one carrying a hundred and twenty pounds of witch.
"Buffy..." Dawn stood. "We have to talk."
Buffy walked over to her sister, and embraced the girl in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Dawn."
-------------------- -------------------- -------------------- ------------------------ ------------------ ------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------
"Buffy why are you—"
"Faith told me what happened... that Willow didn't do the spell."
"How did she--?"
"I guess Willow told her."
"You're not mad at me?"
"I don't know. I just want my family back."
There was a brief silence. Dawn sat back down on the couch.
"Dawn... I wanna be a better sister..."
The slayer and her sister sat down together and began to talk.
--------------------
Cut to: Willow's room, night.
Willow is laying in her bed, snuggled up in her blankets. Her wounds have been dressed and she's fast asleep. Faith is sitting on the bed, knees bent up. She's writing in her journal.
[I]It's so hard to just sit here and watch her sleep. I know she needs her rest, but I just wanna cry into her chest. I want her to hold me, like a little baby. I'm so glad she's safe and here with me. I could kill Buffy for letting this happen to her. She looks so peaceful, laying there...but at the same time she looks so broken. She's stirring.[/I]
"Red? Will, baby..." Faith whispered.
"Mmmm... I could sleep forever." Willow moved her body closer to Faith, and rested her head on Faith's lap. Faith's hands immediately put the book aside, and went to Willow's red hair.
"Willow?"
Willow turned her head up to look at Faith. "Hmm?"
"Your hair is gross."
Willow smiled, "Wanna brush it?"
Faith reached over to the table next to the bed and found a brush. Willow sat in front of Faith on the bed while Faith struggled through the knots.
"Just—tell me if I hurt you, k?"
Willow was silent.
"I missed you." Faith whispered.
Tears were pouring down Willow's cheeks.
Faith finished with the redhead's hair, and she put the brush back. Willow leaned her body back into Faith so that the slayer was holding her.
"Why tears?" Faith asked gently.
"Does Buffy still want me gone?"
"No, I don't think so. But if she does, we'll kick her out this time."
Faith wrapped her arms around Willow just a little bit tighter.
Faith kissed the top of Willow's head, who in turn, looked up at Faith.
"What was that for?"
"Because I could." Faith looked away from Willow. "I thought you were dead." Willow sat up and turned around to face her love. She looked deep into Faith's eyes and let the slayer continue to speak.
"I was so scared that I'd lost you, after.... I mean- I just found you... and then...." Willow couldn't bear the sight of Faith crying any longer. She cupped the slayer's cheeks in her hands and kissed those full, and plump crimson lips.
"I love you. I love you so much. " Willow said between kisses.