Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow
Note: I have midterms this week, so I may not be updating as much, but then, it might be nice to sit down and write for an hour or so each day to clear my head. So who knows. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.
Previously:
By the phone, she found a note written in Tara's flowery scrawl. It was short and to the point, and blood stained the paper around the edges. Lifting it up, Kara quickly read it, her heart sinking in her chest.
"Come to the hospital as soon as you read this. It's Kennedy."
Chapter Fifty:
Faith looked up at the crucifix in front of her. Though she used crucifixes nearly every day in her line of work, she never stopped to think about what they represented. Staring into the mournful eyes of the statue Jesus, she smiled slightly, remembering the church across the street from her apartment back in Boston. Her mother, despite all of her failings, had been a somewhat devout Catholic. Faith imagined her devotion stemmed from the fear that all of her horrific actions in life would catch up to her one day. Shivering slightly, Faith realized she shared that same fear.
"What're you thinking about?" Buffy asked, her voice muffled slightly, as her head was leaning on Faith's shoulder. Faith could feel the blonde slayer's breath tickling the side of her neck. They were sitting in the hospital chapel. Kara hadn't arrived yet and Kennedy was still in surgery. The rest of the Scoobies were out in the waiting room, but both Buffy and Faith felt entirely useless sitting around. Instead, they decided to go to the chapel, where it was quiet and they didn't have to think about what was happening to Kennedy behind closed doors.
"Nothing," Faith whispered, looking down at her fiancée. She smiled at the thought and pressed a gentle kiss to Buffy's forehead. The action reminded her of a time when her life hadn't been quite so together. She remembered the day she tried to turn Angel against Buffy, how her ruse had been flipped around and used against her. She had felt so betrayed when she learned Buffy and Angel had known what she was doing the entire time. Looking back on it now, she could only imagine how betrayed Buffy felt. Just before retreating into the night, she had pressed a rough kiss to Buffy's forehead. Life took a considerably worse turn after that.
"I hope she's okay," Buffy said absently. "I don't think Kara could take losing someone else so soon."
"Yeah," Faith replied. Reaching up, she began to twirl a strand of Buffy's golden hair around her finger. "My mom used to go to this church across the street from our apartment every Sunday. I think she went on all the religious holidays and shit too," Faith said. "She used to drag me with her and I'd hide out in the back row of pews. The cross always used to freak me out."
"Why?" Buffy asked, leaning up slightly so she could see into Faith's eyes. She looked so innocent and young sometimes, moments when it seemed like the weight of the world and all of her sins weren't constantly dragging her down. She looked so beautiful with the candle light flickering across her face. But her eyes looked hollow, lost.
"I don't know. The priests always made a big deal about how you had to bow before it whenever you walked by. I always wondered what would happen if you didn't. So of course, I tried," Faith said, laughing slightly. "And nothing happened. All that build up and nobody gave shit if you didn't bow in front of it. I wanted lightening to come down and burn me up or something. But nothing happened."
"Yeah, that sounds like something you would do," Buffy said smiling.
"I wish there was more we could do for her," Faith said suddenly. "I mean, there's all this pain and death and we can't stop any of it. I just wish she didn't have to live in a world like this."
"Who?" Buffy asked, slightly confused.
"Kara," Faith responded. "We're her parents and we can't protect her from anything."
"You can't protect people from life, Faith," Buffy said, grabbing her hand and gently squeezing it.
"Not life. This life," Faith said, her eyes turning dark. "No one should have to live like we do."
"I know," Buffy replied, reaching up with her free hand and brushing a strand of Faith's hair behind her ear. "I love you," Buffy whispered, leaning up and kissing the side of Faith's neck, her tongue lazily tasting her skin.
Faith's eyes fluttered shut and she leaned her head back slightly, giving Buffy more access. She moaned lowly and cupped the side of Buffy's face, leaning in until her lips were inches from the blonde slayer's. "I love you too, B," she whispered, her breath tickling Buffy's lips and sending shivers up and down her spine. Darting her tongue out, she ran it along Buffy's lower lip, smiling when she tasted her lover's cherry lip-gloss. "You taste good," she murmured before parting Buffy's lips with her tongue and plunging it into her mouth.
"Uh, guys?" Dawn said from the doorway of the chapel. "Hello, in a house of worship. Don't think you're supposed to be making out."
Faith and Buffy quickly broke away, both of their faces flushed and red from embarrassment and desire. "What's up?" Buffy asked, once she had regained a shred of her dignity.
"Kennedy's out of surgery," Dawn said, her face turning sober. "She's in a coma."
..............................
Kara sat on a bench across the street from the hospital. A cold wind was blowing her hair out in front of her face. Wrapping her jacket tightly around her, she pulled her knees up against her chest and rested her head on them. She had stood outside the hospital for the longest time, willing herself to move, but her legs wouldn't carry her forward. Her emotions had tumbled from intense panic to rage to nothing. She tried to feel something as she sat there, but she couldn't.
"What're you doing out here?" Anya asked, walking up to her. "Shouldn't you be inside?"
"I can't," Kara said, her voice cracking. "If I stay out here, I don't have to find out how she is. She could be dead. But as long as I don't go in there, I'll never know."
Anya regarded her for a moment before smiling sadly. Sitting on the bench next to her, she wrapped her arm around Kara's shoulder. She could feel Kara's breath hitching in her chest from holding back her tears. Finally, the younger girl let them out. Sobs wracked her body and turning toward Anya, she wrapped her arms around the ex-vengeance demon's neck and buried her face in her jacket. "It's okay," Anya said, running her hand up and down Kara's back in lazy circles. "She's gonna be fine."
"You don't know that," Kara said, sniffling in between sobs.
"I don't know it. But I can feel it. Life works in strange ways, you know. You think you have everything and then it pulls the rug out from under your feet. But it all happens for a reason. It's all to teach us something," Anya said slowly, watching the people walking in and out of the hospital. Some looked nervous, other relieved, but it was a constant cycle. The people walked in and walked out, but even if they never walked back out, someone else would. Often, life seemed so arbitrary and pointless to Anya, but every once in a while, she could see meaning in it all, like some ghost flitting through her peripheral vision. The meaning was just a blur, but it was there all the same.
Eventually Kara's tears slowed to a stop and she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Thanks," she murmured, smiling slightly. Anya smiled back and grabbed Kara's hand.
"Come on," she said, helping Kara to her feet and leading her into the hospital. The building was alive with activity, nurses and doctors rushing about. Voices crackled over the loudspeaker system and it seemed as if there would never be a moment of silence. "This way," Anya said, pulling the girl down one of the hallways. They stepped into the elevator and Kara sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"What happened to your neck?" Anya asked, noticing the blood staining her friend's jacket collar and the angry looking gash.
"Caleb," Kara spat out in disgust. "He's the one that attacked Kennedy too. Went looking for me right after."
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. They walked out into the flow of people and Kara hung back, letting Anya lead the way. Finally, they stepped into one of the waiting rooms and Kara saw all of her friends gathered around, sitting in the plastic chairs against the wall. They stood when she came in. As soon as Joyce saw her, concern flashed through her eyes and she rushed over.
"Are you okay?" She asked, carefully inspecting Kara's wound.
"It's nothing," Kara said dismissively, though she smiled half-heartedly at her grandmother. "Any news?"
Buffy and Faith looked at each other and stepped forward. "Yeah," they both said at the same time. The rest of the group scattered, taking their seats around the room as Buffy and Faith led Kara over to the corner. Sitting down, they stared uncomfortably at each other for several long moments until Buffy began to speak.
"She's in a coma," Buffy said suddenly, mentally smacking herself for rushing straight through the sugarcoated version. Faith rolled her eyes.
"Blunt much," she whispered under her breath.
"Do they know if she's gonna wake up?" Kara asked, her heart catching in her throat.
Faith sighed and reached over, taking her daughter's hand in her own. "They don't know," she said slowly. "But the longer she stays out, the less likely it is she'll wake up."
"Shit," Kara muttered, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes nearly turned black as she thought of what she'd do to Caleb the next time she saw him.
"We know who did it," Buffy said, looking over at Faith, concerned at the change in Kara's eyes.
"So do I," Kara growled. She nearly leapt to her feet, but Faith held her down.
"No, you have to stay here in case she wakes up. Let us find him, okay?" Faith reasoned. Kara thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
Buffy and Faith stood, preparing to walk away, but Kara reached up and grabbed Faith's elbow. "Do me a favor," Kara said, her voice low and rough. "Bring me back his head."