Title: Maybe, Just Maybe
Disclaimer: Purely for entertainment, no infringement intended
Pairings:Buffy/Faith
Feedback: Always
Rating: R
Chapter 20
Everyone seemed to remain calm. No panic, just…sombreness. Everyone, quiet, thoughtful (I guessed), hoping. Hoping to those Powers that Hopefully Be that we would make it through this.
Giles drove the Jeep to the edge of town, where the Tachra Taa was. I sat, with Faith on one side of me, Willow the other, and we all held hands. Tightly. I felt Faith lean over and smell my hair, and I think she sighed a little. As much as she had tried to tell us that we were strong enough for this, she still had her doubts.
Then something dawned on me. I let my eyes fall shut and I just tried to connect. I took a deep breath.
If we make it through this… I started. I hadn't expected for her to finish.
I'm gonna do you so hard. I chuckled though that disappeared quickly when Willow chimed in.
That was an over share…I opened my eyes and looked at her, and she was smiling back at us, Faith also having been looking at her.
It never occurred to me that Willow might know about us, that ANYONE might know about us, except for that time at the hospital and Giles…but other than that…
I took in a nervous breath as I realised where we were.
- - -
We walked towards the Crypt, still as silent as we could ever be. I walked beside Faith, daring not leave her side, for fears of what happened last time scared me. I honestly thought something had happened to her.
As we neared the Crypt we jingled and jangled and clanked with all of the weaponry and equipment we had. Giles had all of our robes in one bag…my mind flashed back to when he brought them home.
Angel hated them, and had no shame in saying so. Faith just laughed, but really you could see she was thinking the same thing as Angel. She wouldn't be seen dead in them. It added a comical effect when Angel tried to make that comment.
The breeze of the Crypt hit my cheeks as we approached its large doors, and a shiver fell through my spine like a ribbon tickling. This scared me through and through. I hoped so hard it would be over soon. Giles glanced at his watch as we headed inside, some of us retrieving torches, some of us heading on.
I heard Faith whisper a, 'This is really creepy,' beneath her breath, and I squinted to try to see ahead. Luckily the journey to the room beneath us wasn't distracted by those things.
It was large. Lit. Fire torches in holders. Whoever lit them had done so and deserted the room.
Giles approached the tool and we all surrounded it also. It was huge. Like a large crystal embedded in the ground.
'Couldn't we just smash it?' I suggested, looking at my Watcher, and as he gave me an inquisitive look I nodded. No, then.
- - -
Giles rolled out a map on a large flat stone as we crowded around. He removed his glasses from his face and pointed to some points on the map.
'Right. Xander, Oz. I want the perimeters covered, south, and west. If trouble's ahead they're likely to appear from those entrances. Keep it sharp. Try not to be seen. You know what to do if you suspect trouble's ahead.' They both nodded and proceeded to loading up with weapons and various other things.
Giles rolled up the map and continued to talk to us. 'Right. If I've read this correctly, it shouldn't take longer than half an hour, depending on how long it takes to begin and collect the energy to be able to let the potion work. But judging on all of your performances the other night, it shouldn't be a problem. You're all well-rested.' He licked over his lips, looking at us, smiling slightly. 'We all know what we have to do. So let's do it.'
- - -
I couldn't stop focussing on my heart jamming into my chest. It was so loud I think everyone else could hear. Unless, if they all felt the same. Willow looked so focussed, and before we started, I gave her a hug.
My mind briefly flashed back to what I had told Faith, and what she had told me.
I squeezed her hand gently, letting her know I was nervous about this, but excited at the same time, now that the threat about having to fight seemed over.
She pulled me away from the others. And for a few moments I couldn't help but look at how beautifully her hair fit around her face, and how she wore clear lip gloss and blusher. She looked hot. Unfortunately the robe was unflattering, but we all knew we looked like goons. We didn't care. At first she just looked into my eyes. Then she took my hand, and then the other, and then hugged me. Tightly. Very tightly. "I can't breath" tightly. I heard a sob escape her beautiful lips and I rubbed a hand over her back. 'It's okay,' I tried to assure her, not even sure myself.
'Of course it is,' she began, sniffling a little, our embrace still intact. 'I have you.' She pulled away and offered a timid smile, and I could think only of the times when we hid everything from each other. That tough shell she held together so darned well. How a tear never threatened to tumble her cheeks. How her tough exterior posed every threat to the human race and yet she was still so beautiful. But now…she didn't try not to cry. She just did. I smiled back, nervousness being the most dominant feeling in my body.
And now, all we could do was focus. Focus and concentrate on the task at hand.
I stood at the point of Earth, at the north-point, next to Faith who stood at the east-point of Air, and Angel, who stood at the west-point of Water, and across, there was Willow, at the south-point, of Fire. Giles stood back, near to the door, holding weapons, holding a candle. Looking about as focussed as we all tried to be.
Then we began. She looked to the ceiling, beginning to chant the words we would soon begin to chant in unison, and as we began, the power began encircling us, as it had that night.
Willow began, holding a small purple bag towards the tool.
'By the powers of the Watchtowers of the north, of the east, of the south, of the west, I call upon thee, render our circle powerful. Dispel, tool of sanctimonious evil. Protect, tool of dedication to the good. Deities; sustain this transition. Witness this ritual; invoke these happenings. Forever shall these evil forces be dispelled into the worlds of beneath, of the Underworld; of Hell. Forever shall the Dedicated protect us.' She threw the potion upon the tool, and as it hit, the ground began to rumble, and before long, Oz came crashing through the door.
'Giles; we got incoming. And it's not good. They know we're here.' Giles grabbed the axe that had been sitting beside him and hurried out with Oz, but as the ground continued to shake and pieces of the Crypt began crumbling around us, we continued.
'Deities; sustain this transition!' Willow repeated, as we all grabbed hands and let the power filter through us and into the tool. 'Witness this ritual; invoke these happenings!' She tried to continue over the loud noise of the Crypt crumbling to pieces, but I was attacked by Erachnii from behind, and I broke the chain. I punched it and grabbed a weapon nearby, and as I outstretched, ready to fight it, I saw the masses of them that were headed in our direction.
'Buffy!' Willow shouted, her voice painfully scary, her eyes black. 'We have to finish! You can't leave the chain broken; forget them!'
I panted, out of breath a little, but hurried back and grabbed hands with Angel and Faith once again. Willow continued to chant.
'Dispel!!! Tool of sanctimonious evil. Protect, tool of dedication to the good!! Deities, sustain this transition! Witness this-' they came at us from various directions; entrances that none of us had been aware of, holes that had been created by the force of the ground shaking, causing the Crypt to fall apart.
'Shit!' Willow yelled and turned to the demons, holding a hand in front of her, and yelled, 'Get back!!!' A large circular power dispelled from her hand and pushed the demons back, the tiniest little bit.
I grabbed my weapon again and began fighting these things; the same as Faith, and Angel. There was no leaving them alone. They wouldn't let us finish this.
I half-capped one and watched it fall to the ground, only to be smacked in the face by one in another direction, that slammed me into the wall with an incredible amount of power.
I kicked it back, hoping to cap it off the same way I had the other, but it was too strong. Another headed in my direction and I ducked out of the way of a flying punch and swept my leg beneath them, sending them to the floor.
Across the Crypt, the tool was indeed disintegrating. We may not have finished the chant, but the spell and the potion was working. I lifted my leg to kick another demon, but my robe restricted me, and I ripped it from my body.
I couldn't see the others; we were so outnumbered that I think it was unlikely that we would make it through unscathed. And Faith was wrong about them not being a threat to us. For a moment I thought Angel was wrong about saying they were invincible, but then I realised the one I'd capped was growing another head and getting to it's feet. One managed to back me into a corner and grab me by the throat. They were so strong.
'Accept this as a sealing to the ritual performed here today! Be gone evil wanderers, disintegrate. Die!' Willow yelled, and as I looked over at her, I saw she had managed to gain some blood from somewhere, and she was letting it drip from the weapon that was dripping with it. At once a flash encircled the room and the next thing I remember was being surrounded by rubble, and columns, and weapons, and more rubble.
'Faith,' I mumbled as I tried to get up, but I realised the arm I was leaning against was broken as I tried to use it to get up. I shrieked, and fell to the ground. 'Damn it…'
I tried using my other arm to get me to my feet, and as I stood up, I listened. Silence. Nothing. Nothing at all. Then crumbling. Some rubble fell on my head. I frowned, troubled by the pieces of rock hurting my head. But as I looked up I realised this was worse than concussion. 'Shit,' I mumbled to myself, and began scrambling around for any goddamned fucking sign of anyone else. I didn't even notice tears were falling down my face as I pushed rubble back hoping to find someone beneath them, anyone.
'Faith! Will? Angel…someone…can anyone hear me? Where are you?' I yelled frantically, now aware that my voice was shaky and tears were flooding my cheeks. 'Anyone, c'mon!' I scrambled around the mess hoping to find someone.
Angel. Getting up across the room. I hurried to him and embraced him. 'Thank God.'
'Are the others okay?' he said, sounding a little whacked from his unconsciousness.
'I can't find them…I think this place is caving in. We have to get out.,' I said, my voice panicked.
He began searching through the rubble, the same as I had been doing. 'What happened?' he asked as he searched frantically.
'I have no clue. But we have to hurry.'
The ceiling crumbled a little and rubble fell from it, this time a larger chunk, possibly large enough to be called a hole.
'Oh my god,' I said all of a sudden, noticing the void.
'What?' he stopped, looking at me as a hand reached into rubble.
'I can't feel her…' I trailed off, trying not to think of why I couldn't feel her. But my mind forced me to believe that there was only one reason why there could be a void.
'We have to find them, Angel, now, damn it!!' I yelled, and resumed searching through the rubble. 'Faith! Will!' I called, hoping to god they would respond.
Angel searched, though as the ceiling continued to cave in bit by bit, he slowed. 'I don't think…' he chucked a chunk of rock aside. 'I don't think we're gonna find them, Buffy.'
'Shut up; you're wrong, they're here, they've gotta be, because we were with them!' I wouldn't let him let me give up. I wasn't leaving without either of them. But I didn't think I had to continue. I pulled some rubble across and saw a white robe beneath them, and soon came to realise it was Faith. I sighed out in a worried relief, and as Angel came to lift her up, I pushed some more rubble aside, and there was Willow. The ceiling continued to cave in and before I could lift Willow to caved upon us.
