I finally updated! Go me! lol, SORRY for the wait! Thanks for hanging in there for the next part. We got one more part after this one...
Now, On to the fic.
Disclaimer, pairing, setting, and all that jazz is in the first part. Refer back to it if you need to.
Leaving You Part 5
Faith stood, shifting her weight in between her feet, as she hesitated in front of the door for a minute before knocking on it. She didn't know how she was going to do this, what she was going to say, what she should say...
The door suddenly opened, and Faith froze for a second, her mind gone blank.
"Wow, you are sure early for patrol, come on in," Buffy greeted, stepping to the side and smiling as she saw that it was Faith who was at her door.
The brunette slayer smiled lightly as she stepped into the apartment. She felt a little uneasy and didn't know what to do with her hands, shoving them into her pockets. Buffy, who was just glad to see the other slayer, didn't notice as she shut the door and turned towards her.
"Yeah, about that..." Faith started as she turned towards the blonde. She knew she couldn't tell her the truth, couldn't tell her what she was going to do. It broke Faith's heart to do this, and she hoped to god that she was doing a good job at concealing how she was feeling at the moment and that she was doing the right thing...
Buffy just looked at her confused for a moment as Faith looked down at her feet for a second.
"I have to leave tonight Buffy. In an hour actually, I have to go to the states for a potential," Faith lied as she looked back up at the blonde in front of her. Buffy's face fell a little, the blonde trying not to look as disappointed and sad as she felt.
"Leave? Again? Already? Tonight?" she asked, not realizing it sounded all rushed together as she walked past Faith to the couch. On the couch was a pile of clothes that the other slayer had been folding. She kept her back to the brunette as she resumed folding the laundry in front of her.
Faith sighed. Why and when did things become so complicated? She wanted to go over to Buffy, pull her into her arms, and tell her how she felt...she wanted to tell the other slayer so many things...but couldn't...and it tore her up inside.
No one said anything for a moment. Faith, for her part, was at a loss of what to do or say, and was confused by the whirlwind of conflicting emotions she felt. She almost felt like she was abandoning the other slayer, but as soon as the thought came, the brunette forced it out of her mind. She refused to think like that...
Buffy had several thoughts racing in her head as she folded the laundry absent mindedly, as if on auto pilot. Questions of why, thoughts, confusion spilled into her mind, confusing the older slayer. Why was she so saddened anyway? Who was she kidding, she knew exactly why...but couldn't admit it, wouldn't admit it...
But she knew that things were good between the two slayers. Things were finally getting better, and she feared that if the brunette left...left her...things would some how change...
The silence only last a few seconds, 2 maybe, but it seemed and felt differently to the slayers. Here they stood, where everything started between them. Where their new life had begun, where the starting over took place, where tears were shed, where love was hidden...
Faith took a step forward, closer to Buffy. "It won't be long, only a few days. It's a serious case. One that I am really needed for..." Faith said trailing off a little at the end. She hated lying...and she hated to do it to Buffy but she had no choice. And now, with the way things were between them...things were just now getting better...
And Faith couldn't help but wonder if she had done right by coming back to Buffy. But she knew, deep down knew, she truly couldn't ever leave the other girl. She brought meaning to her life, even though the brunette had changed from the person she used to be, she was still Faith...and she was human...
And that was why she was here at this moment...Buffy...
Unknown to both slayers, they both, at that moment, shared the same thought:
How did they get this far? And how exactly were things between them?
"Well, maybe...I-I can go with you. You know, help out?" Buffy suddenly asked, turning to the brunette behind her. Faith sadly smiled at her and Buffy, seeing it, pouted a little and scoffed as she turned back around.
"Hey, B, don't get me wrong, I would love for you to come with me, but you know why you can't right?" Faith asked, stepping closer to the other slayer, whose back was still turned to her.
"Yeah yeah, I know, I'm needed here," Buffy supplied, a little annoyed and bitter, as she laid the blouse she just folded to a pile next to her.
Faith again, was at a loss for words...not knowing what to say.
"So...uh, how's Dawn?" she asked suddenly. Buffy turned around slightly and gave her a weird look.
"She's fine, talked to her yesterday. She's excited to get back here for break so she can see us," Buffy stated as she faced her fully. "That was pretty random," she added as she smiled briefly, tilting her head to the side a little, before turning back to the laundry she was folding.
"She's a good kid. She's got a great sister to look up to as a role model...make sure she knows that B, that she's a good kid..." Faith stated, looking at the ground as she shifted the weight of her feet again, moving one of her shoes around.
Buffy turned and looked strangely at the brunette. She was acting old. "Ooookey, you can tell her that when she gets back here. You ok? You seem..." Buffy started as she faced the younger slayer.
Faith looked up at her blankly for a moment, having been lost in thought, before smiling at her. "I'm fine, just tired I guess..." Faith stated as she trailed off again. She had to get going, she knew it, but was trying to avoid it...
Buffy studied her for a moment, the other girl did seem tired, then she remembered that she was leaving soon. "I bet you have a flight to catch," Buffy stated as she turned back around and picked up another shirt to fold.
Faith sighed. Sighed at the situation, sighed at not knowing what to do, sighed at how everything was going.
Screw it, is what Faith thought at that moment. She might die today, and by hell, she didn't want to have any regrets in the end.
With that thought in mind, the brunette slowly approached Buffy from behind and casually slipped her arms around her waist, her hands slowly coming around the blonde, who stopped what she was doing, sighing.
"Buffy..." Faith lightly whispered, as the blonde set down the garment in her hand.
"What if things change?" Buffy asked as she turned in the brunette's embrace, causing Faith to place her hands at the older slayer's waist.
"What changes?" Faith asked, happy that the older slayer didn't freak out on her.
"What if...what if this-this thing," Buffy stated, gesturing between the two of them with her hand, "Goes away. What if, while you're gone, this-this thing that we tried so hard to bond again goes away, I mean..." Buffy tried to say, voicing her worries.
"Shhhhhhhh," Faith whispered as she placed her finger on Buffy's lips, silencing her. Her other hand was still placed at the blonde's waist. "You need to stop worrying so much Buffy. It isn't good for you." The brunette stated in a near whisper as her finger slipped down and traced the other slayer's jaw line.
Buffy's heart was beating a mile a minute. The way the brunette was making her feel at the moment? She was lost in it. Silence hung between them as Faith intently stared at her, her brown eyes pouring into Buffy's. Something in the back of the blonde's mind told her that something wasn't right, that something was wrong. But the feeling was ignored, pushed aside as the younger slayer leaned forward, resting her forehead against Buffy's.
Faith brought her hand back up, cupping the blonde's cheek, as her thumb brushed her cheek in a soft caress. "No matter what happens...no matter where I am, where I go, what I do...I'll always come back to you. I'll always be there. Nothing could keep me from you," the brunette stated, burning Buffy with the emotion in her eyes. The blonde's chest ached with the emotion Faith was causing her at the moment, overwhelming her with the passion in her eyes, touch, and words.
"Even when I'm not here, with you, I'll always be here, with you...because there's no where else I'd rather be..." Faith whispered as the hand that cupped the blonde's cheek, moved to point directly at Buffy's heart.
Buffy took a deep breath, tears threatening to spill from her eyes from the overwhelming pack of emotions she felt at the moment, that Faith made her feel..
Faith looked deep into the other slayer's eyes, and for a moment, Buffy saw a deep sadness in them. But the thought was washed away, as the brunette leaned into Buffy, meeting her lips with her own, in a soft gentle kiss. It was brief, and Buffy recaptured the brunette's lips with her own, both girls feeling the passion, in that one moment.
Buffy couldn't think, couldn't even form a thought. Faith's lips were so soft and sweet against her own, and as the brunette slowly pulled away, and the blonde opened her eyes, she already found herself missing them...
Faith looked at Buffy, about ready to choke at the amount of emotions running through her from that one kiss. Reality was brought back to her as she parted from the blonde, and it killed her. She had to go. She knew it, and thought it best to leave now, quickly, before she reveled anything...before the facade she was holding up broke...
She didn't want to leave her, but she had to. A small fear still lay in the back of her mind, that Buffy was going to freak out. But she knew that that wasn't the case. The way Buffy was looking at her right now, was begging her to stay, to stay there with her, not to leave...
And that was the main reason why she had to do it now, had to walk away...had to be strong, just like she always was. It never mattered, no matter how badly she wanted some things, she couldn't have them...
After briefly meeting Buffy's eyes, Faith turned around and walked to the door. No words were spoken as she opened the door, Buffy right behind her.
Buffy wanted to say something, anything, maybe even make her stay...but the words wouldn't come out. She silently stood there, at her door, as she watched Faith walk over to the elevator that was on that floor and pushed the button, causing the doors to slide open.
Faith stepped into the elevator and pushed the button to go down to where she had parked her car. As she looked up, she saw Buffy's sad face looking back at her from her doorway and it broke her...
The elevator doors started to close...
"Buffy?" Faith quickly called as the blonde looked up to meet her eyes, the elevator doors just about to close...
"I love you..." and the doors slid all the way shut...
TBC...because I know you would have me shot if I left itlike this, lol. Thanks for hanging in for this installment. I had HORRIBLE writers block. And I hope this came out ok. Anyway, one more part and this fic is done! Bare with me, as I have been busy with school, another fic I got going on here, and a few other things...thanks for reading!