A/N: 'Ghost Story' is by Sting and 'Superman' is by 5 for Fighting
I'm running fast through a graveyard, Buffy's running a few steps ahead of me. I see a crypt in front of us, about thirty yards. I get even with her and turn my head to smile at her teasingly. She returns the smile. Then I speed in front of her and kick in the crypt door. I see her pause a second before entering: she looks over her shoulder to see if we're being followed.
As she closes the door, I grab her arm and push her against the wall a few feet over. I have my hands on her shoulders and she's looking intently into my eyes. I brush a piece of stray hair off her face and lean into her slightly. I don't hear as much as feel her inhale deeply as my face gets closer to hers, sending shivers through my entire body; then the door gets kicked open again.
What the fuck was that? I bolt awake just as the door opens.
"Faith? You awake?" Will asks as she comes into my room.
"Yeah," I manage to get out. I'm breathing really heavily right now. "Time for dinner?"
"We're going over to Lorne's club, he wants us to um," she gulps, "um, sing."
"Fun," I smile. "I'll get changed then. I'll be right down."
"Ok," she says, then leaves my room, closing the door behind her.
"Ready to motor?" I ask as I walk down the stairs to see everyone sitting on the couches in the lobby. Everyone except Buffy, that is. "Where's B?"
"Must still be in her room," Kennedy suggests. "She woke up about the same time you did."
"Oh, ok. Give me a sec," I nod and head back to our rooms. "Hey B, can I come in?"
"Yeah," I hear her answer. I open the door and see her sitting on her bed, putting on her boots.
"Wow B, nice leathers," I comment as I come in and sit next to her.
"Yeah, I stole 'em from Fred's closet," she says then stands up.
"Fred has leather pants? Well, that's a laugh," I chuckle.
Then she grabs her jacket and heads to the door. "Ready to motor?"
"Hey, that's my line," I whine.
"Yeah, I know, but I stole your five by five line," she shrugs. "So I figured why not use that one too."
"Well, let's get movin' then," I smile. "The others are waiting."
"So, how'd you sleep?" Buffy asks as we leave her room.
"I had this dream," I say, looking at the floor. "It was wicked freaky."
"Really?" she eyes me curiously. "What about?"
"Um…" I really don't think she'll like me telling her about having a dream where we almost started making out. "Nothin' important. Just freaky, that's all."
"What was freaky?" Will asks as we get down the stairs.
"Uh, nothing," I shrug. "Ready?"
"Yep," Ken says as she jumps up from the couch.
"Do we really have to do this?" Will whines.
"You know what they say Red," I comment as I go over to her, and me and Ken pick her up by the arms. She just shakes her head. "The more pain in getting there, the more pleasure you get out of it in the end."
"Really? I never heard that before," she squeaks.
"I'm sure you'll be fine baby," Ken reassures her. "You don't have to sing by yourself, we could do something together."
"Even when the musical demon guy came to Sunnydale, I managed to get away with only a minor role that required very little singing. And as a child, my mom used to want me to sing at all these social events and the one time I finally did it, I got up there and nothing came out. It was horrible, ask Xander when he gets back, he'll tell you how much I shouldn't sing." Wow, this girl is good, she can whine and babble! "If a demon can't get me to sing, what makes you think you will? C'mon guys, it's the one thing that I'm horribly afraid of, there's a clinical name for it and everything."
"If you're so afraid of it, flooding is a great way to get over it," Ken assures with a smile.
"Don't try to psych 101 me little missy! I know all the tricks, I took the class."
"Oh, come on," I say and we drag her out the door. "It'll be over before you know it. And you can get drunk before hand, won't remember a thing. I'm sure I can find a way to get you to sing; I do regret my past actions, but if the occasion calls for torture, I'm sure I still remember the basics."
"Faith, stop scaring her," Buffy scolds.
"Just having some fun, B," I smile wickedly and give her a wink. "You remember how to do that, right?"
She smiles back, "God, I hope so."
"Well, let's go have some fun then." I leave Will with Ken and head over to Buffy, draping my arm over her shoulders. "I bet I can help you remember."
"Life's all about the fun for you isn't it?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," I say with a little eyebrow wiggle. I lead her out of the hotel and into the car with the others.
"Hey y'all!" Lorne greets as he comes over to our table. It's been a busy night; we've all had a drink already- I was on my second JD- but this was the first time he'd been able to talk to us all night. "Ready to sing?"
"Maybe after I've had a few more drinks," Will whines.
"You have to do this eventually sweetie," Ken says, rubbing her back gently.
"Whatever, let her have her drinks," I say, standing up. "I'll go sing now."
"You sing, Faith?" B asks, acting all shocked. Is it that hard to believe?
"I try," I say with a little smirk. "I can't be any worse than you, right?"
"Get your ass up there and sing already, then we'll see who the better singer is."
"You're on girlfriend!"
I pass by Lorne with a smile. "You need some background music, Sweet cheeks?" he asks.
"Nah, I got the ivories covered Big Green," I say with a wink. I head to the stage and sit at the piano. I inhale deeply a few times to gain composure then place my fingers on the keys.
Man, it's been years since I've played in front of people, but I've practiced this song a couple of times, so we'll see how this goes.
As I start playing the intro, I swear I hear B and Red gasp in surprise, but I don't let it affect me and keep going.
I watch the Western sky
The sun is sinking
The geese are flying South
It sets me thinking
I did not miss you much
I did not suffer
What did not kill me
Just made me tougher
I feel the winter come
His icy sinews,
Now in the firelight
The case continues
Another night in court
The same old trial
The same old questions asked
The same denial
The shadows close me round
Like jury members
I look for answers in
The fire's embers
Why was I missing then
That whole December?
I give my usual line,
I don't remember
Another winter comes
His icy fingers creep
Into these bones of mine
These memories never sleep
And all these differences
A cloak I borrow
We kept our distances
Why should it follow
I must have loved you?
What is the force that binds the stars?
I wore this mask to hide my scars
What is the power that pulls the tide?
Never could find a place to hide
What moves the Earth around the sun?
What could I do but run and run and run?
Afraid to love, afraid to fail
A mast without a sail
The moon's a fingernail
And slowly sinking
Another day begins
And now I'm thinking
That this indifference
Was my invention
When everything I did
Sought your attention
You were my compass star
You were my measure
You were a pirate's map
Of buried treasure
If this was all correct
The last thing I'd expect
The prosecution rests
It's time that I confess
I must have loved you
I must have loved you
Damn, that song always get to me. I'm afraid to look back at the table. I know Red gets it, she was all knowing-glares girl in the car earlier today.
I don't really notice til just now that the bar has become completely silent. Great, I knew I was crap, shoulda just let him stick on some karaoke or picked a different song or something. After what seems like an eternity, I finally hear Ken start to howler and clap, then the rest of the bar joins in. Oh, thank God!
I stand up to take a dramatic bow before leaving the stage and walk over to Lorne. "Ok green dude, what's the what?"
"The thing you've been searching for your whole life?" he asks and I nod, not really sure how this will go. "You'll find it. Now, I'm not saying it's gonna be all rainbows and shiny bottons gorgeous," what? "far from. But in the end, if you make it through, you'll get the thing your heart truly desires."
"Wow! Really?" I ask, amazed at what my future holds for me.
"Yes, you'll have to make some sacrifices, but remember," he pauses and I just look at him questioningly. "In the end the hero always gets the girl. Well, I think I've already told you too much, and you should go rejoin your friends.
"Oh, by the way, great playing up there."
"Yeah, thanks," I smile at him as I head back to our table.
Wow, he just called me a hero. That's pretty extreme. I'd never thought of myself as a hero; a fuck up, a villain maybe, but never a hero.
And what about this whole 'true desire' thing? What would happen if when the moment of truth comes for the PTB to find out what I truly desire, I'm really hungry and at that moment all I want in the world is a life time's supply of like ranch Doritos or something? Then what?
Ok, maybe I'm over thinking this a bit. All I'm sayin' is that the PTB tend to talk in riddles, and that what you think they're trying to tell ya is rarely what they really mean. But it sounds like a kinda positive thing, right?
I arrive at out table before I really notice it. "Faith, that was amazing!" Buffy beams at me as I sit back in my spot next to her. "I didn't know you played."
"Yeah, I kinda picked it up when I was younger," I shrug.
"My parents wanted me to play something. I had piano and violin lessons. It was ok, but then…" she pauses and a grin spreads across her face. I could be wrong, but I think she's having a flash back. "But then I discovered archery and fencing, and music couldn't really hold my interest anymore. Needless to say, my parents were not pleased."
I just shake my head. "Rich brat," I mutter under my breath.
"Hey! I heard that," she whines with a glare.
"The truth hurts babe," I shrug and grin at her. "And I like to tell it as it is."
"Oh, but you're such a cute brat Kennedy," I hear Red whisper to her and it makes me chuckle a little. "You're my favorite brat. Plus, the pierced tongue? Definitely a turn on."
"I told ya you'd love it," she says to her girl, a shit eatin grin covers her face.
Oh yeah, stuff's definitely gonna be going down in that room tonight. Ken's gotta be wicked horny, today being her first big battle and all. I remember after my first big slay. Damn, that was a hot night. But enough about me.
Lorne comes over to our table again. He looks over us with a smile, "alright girls, who's next?"
I look around and every one seems suddenly very interested in their drinks. Oh c'mon guys, it ain't all that bad.
"C'mon B, we have a bet, remember?"
"There's no way I'm better than you, Faith," she gives in, blushing a little. "That was, I mean, WOW! How can I beat that?"
"Oh come ON B, you never give up on a good challenge," I jab at her, then I lean in and place my hand on her forehead. "What's wrong, are ya sick? You don't got a fever."
"Oh stop teasing Faith," she huffs and slaps my hand away. "Fine, I'll go sing."
"Break a leg," I encourage as she gets up from the table and she just glares as she goes over to Lorne.
After a few words with Lorne, she walks up to the stage and picks up the mike. She suddenly looks really small, like she's sinking back into the wall behind her. She fiddles with the cord a bit before the music starts up.
I can't stand to fly
I'm
not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me
Man, you gotta be kidding me. That girl has an ego like no other.
I'm
more than a bird
I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some
pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me
See what I mean? It's just nuts. Like it's not enough to have a bunch of little teenage girls and a couple of vamps hero worshipping her, she has to be all narcissistic too? Ok, so I can't really talk when it comes to worshipping B, cause I really wish I could, but she'd punch me if I tried.
I
wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to
lie
'Bout a home I'll never see
I guess that's true, she did kinda just lose her home today. It makes me depressed really, realizing just how much she lost today. Her house, her lover, some of her friends, not to mention the fact that she'll never be able to visit her mother's grave ever again. Poor Mrs. S, she'd be so proud of B.
It
may sound absurd
But don't be naive
Even heroes have the right
to bleed
I may be disturbed
But won't you concede
Even
heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me
I wonder what B dreams of. Does she dream of Angel or Spike? Of sleeping curled up in their cold, lifeless arms at night? God, I still don't understand that. I mean, she's supposed to kill them, it's in the job description. It's just wrong. Yeah, yeah, I know, I can't really talk when it comes to sex that's immoral, but even I have some standards. And I draw the line at no pulse.
She goes on for a bit longer, then the music fades away and the bar starts applauding her. She puts the mike back in its stand and walks over to Lorne.
I wonder what fucked up riddles the PTB have for her. Something about Soul Boy, I have no doubt. Part way through their little prophecy discussion, she looks back at me and our eyes lock for a few seconds, she looks at me curiously for a moment then turns her head back to Lorne. Well, that was a little odd.
After a couple minutes she comes back to the table, sitting down next to me again. She turns towards me a little and smiles slightly. "So?" she asks cautiously. Oh, she wants the final verdict, does she?
"You were good, don't get me wrong," I say with a wicked smile. "But I got mad skill, girlfriend! And you just can't beat the piano."
"Where'd you learn anyways?" she asks curiously.
"Oh, Nonnina wanted me to play, she said that everyone should have some kind of musical training," I say with a smile. Ah, good times those. "Said it created good discipline. Plus it was a great way for me to escape; leave reality for a bit, ya know?"
"Nonnina?" Red questions. "Was that your watcher?"
"No, grandma," I correct. "But my watcher gave me lessons as well. She had this beautiful grand in her house; it was wicked cool."
"How long has it been since you got to play last?" What are we playing, twenty questions?
"Not that long ago," I shrug. "I used to play on the keyboards at the Radio Shack in the 'Dale. The guys that worked there never seemed to mind."
They all mouth their 'ohs' and go back to their drinks.
A song and several drinks later, we find ourselves walking back to the Hyperion; I don't think any of are in any state to be driving and Lorne said he'd bring it back later. Ken and Red are a few yards ahead of us, struggling to keep themselves up right. It's quite the sight, really very amusing. They're laughing and talking about something, not sure what. Don't really care.
B started stumbling a while back, so now I have my arm around her to keep her steady. Oh damn, right? Yeah, my feelings exactly. She fought against it at first, but then I let her go and she almost fell over, so she's not really complaining anymore.
I seem to be the only one here who's not completely drunk, so I've taken it upon myself to watch for vamps and other creatures that make me get all stake happy. Thankfully, we haven't had any trouble yet, cause I'm not really sure how it'd go. I may not be as drunk as them, but I'm not sure I'd be able to hold my own against anything too nasty.
We get to the hotel, nasties free, and I start to help B get up the stairs when she stops and turns to face me.
"Faith?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad…" she slurs a bit. She's kinda cute when she's drunk. "I'm glad you came back."
"Yeah, sure," is all I got in reply.
"No, really, I am," she tries to convince me. "You've helped a lot. And today you were amazing. With the slaying. You got the girls outta there."
"It was nothing, really B," I try to brush it off. I've never been really good with the complements and praise. Yeah, humble Faith, I know.
"No, stop, I'm not finished," she shouts a little, waving her arms at me, trying to shut me up. "You surprised me, specially with the piano, and the singing. You've changed, I get that now. And I just… thank you."
Suddenly she throws herself at me, flinging her arms around me, and my face is full of her beautiful golden hair. My senses are going nuts; her skin is so soft and she smells so wonderful and I think she's starting to cry. I guess today's finally gotten to her. So much has happened and she's just been holding it in, trying to be strong for everyone. I try to comfort her, patting her back awkwardly, but comforting people has never really been one of my strong points. If you hadn't really figured that out by now.
"It's ok Buffy, it's been a long day and you're tired," I whisper into her hair. "Let's get you to bed."
"Carry me?" she asks like a little girl, looking up at me and pouting. How can I resist the pout?
"Yeah, sure B," I say. She lifts her arms so they're wrapped around my neck and I pick her up. I start to walk up the stairs and she rests her head on my shoulder. She falls asleep almost immediately, her breathing slowing on my neck. I can definitely get used to this. But it's over all to soon as I get to her room.
I shift her in my arms a little so I can open her door. I stop a minute to see if the movements woke her up, but she's still out. I turn around so I can push open the door with my back and walk to her bed. I slowly put her in her bed and take off her shoes and jacket before pulling her covers over her.
She looks even more beautiful when she's sleeping, so peaceful. I would just stand here and watch her sleep all night if I could, but I don't think she'd like that much. So I lean down and brush some hair off her face. I hesitate a moment before finally kissing her forehead slowly. "Good night Buffy," I whisper, then I stand up again to turn to leave.
Well, she thanked me for being here. It's not forgiveness, but it's something. It's a lot of something, actually. It gives the warm fuzzies. Today was a good day.