Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Again, sorry for the delay. Been really busy with my non-fanfic writing. Thanks for the reviews though. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"The vents," Buffy said, slapping herself on the forehead. "God, why didn't I think of that earlier? I'm so mentally deficient sometimes."

"What're you talking about, B?" Faith asked.

"We can get out of here through the vents," Buffy said excitedly. "I think we just found our means of escape."

Chapter Thirteen: Downtime:

Diego frowned as he looked back and forth between Faith, Jay, a blonde man, and a blonde woman. "Not to rain on everyone's parade, but I don't know half the people in this room," he noted. "And I'm not sure why we all seem to be taking orders from the blonde woman."

"The blonde woman?" Buffy asked indignantly.

"He doesn't know your name, B," Faith said in defense of Diego, "what was he supposed to call you?"

"Why does everyone always have to point out that I'm blonde?" Buffy whined. "It's really not fair."

"Well, you know what they say about blondes and their mental capacities," Jay said thoughtfully. "It's only natural to question your leading ability."

"What?" Buffy demanded, looking over at him.

"I'm not questioning," he quickly amended. "And I don't think you're stupid just because you're blonde."

"Thanks," Buffy rolled her eyes. "So you just think that I'm stupid."

"Really not what I meant," Jay said defensively.

"In response to your question, mate," Spike interrupted, "the pint sized blonde one is Buffy. She's the vampire Slayer."

"A vampire Slayer," Buffy corrected.

"A vampire Slayer," Spike muttered. "And she seems to have a bit of an authority complex, so I'd just fall in line if I were you. She can get a bit testy."

"Spike," Buffy said warningly.

"I'm only telling the man the truth," he grinned.

"And who are you?" Diego questioned, eyeing him suspiciously.

"That's Spike," Buffy sighed heavily. "Spike is a vampire."

"What?" Diego exclaimed, raising his gun.

"That won't do you any good," Faith said. "Bullets don't kill vampires."

"Why is the vampire still alive?" Diego asked incredulously.

"He promised to help me," Buffy explained, "I promised to get him out of here. It was a thing. I thought I was going to die."

"Why did you think that?" Diego prodded. He realized as the group began their narration that he had jumped into the middle of a rather complex dynamic. By the close proximity of Buffy and Faith, he could tell that they possessed an intimate relationship, whether as loyal friends or lovers he did not know.

"I kinda got bit by a zombie," Buffy answered sheepishly.

Diego swiveled his gun over to Buffy upon hearing her revelation. "Calm down, D," Faith said, stepping forward to block her girlfriend. "It's okay."

"How is it okay?" Diego pressed. "She's going to become one of them."

"No, she's not," Jay interrupted. "We found the cure," he said, motioning to the metal case in his hand. "We injected her with the serum and the infection stopped."

"Really?" Diego asked in surprise. "It actually works?"

"I'm a living, breathing example," Buffy smiled.

Diego lowered his weapon and grinned. "Sorry about that," he offered. "Can't be too careful, you know, with all of the zombies running around this place."

"I get it," Buffy assured him. "And Spike's okay too. Just stay out of his way."

"Bloody right," Spike mumbled.

"Oh, like you could actually do anything," Buffy shot back, tapping on her head with a smug grin.

"Buffy helped Faith lead us out of Sunnydale the first time," Jay explained. "I know we're not supposed to be taking orders from her, but we can trust her judgment."

"Even if she is a blonde," Faith joked, nudging Buffy gently in the ribs with her elbow. Buffy smiled over at her and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in her own.

"I've saved the world many times," Buffy offered. "I can give you my credentials if you like," she joked.

Diego smiled. "That's okay. If Jay and Faith think you know what you're doing, I'll follow you too."

"So what's the plan, B?" Faith asked, happy to be deferring to her blonde counterpart again.

"Do you think they'll be able to bust through those doors?" Buffy asked Jay in reference to the zombies pounding on the metal doors sealing off the lab.

"I honestly don't know," Jay replied. "The doors should hold. But with enough pressure on them over time, they might buckle."

"Why?" Spike asked warily.

"I don't know about you guys," Buffy said, "but I haven't gotten much rest, or a chance to eat anything, in a long time."

"We could use a break to gather our strength," Diego agreed.

"Here's the plan," Buffy said authoritatively, fully enjoying being the leader of the group again, instead of being dragged around the darkened halls of the Initiative by Spike. "We'll bed down here for a few hours, rest and eat. Then we'll start working our way back upstairs through the vents," she explained.

"Who says bed down?" Faith wondered, but Buffy ignored her.

"Once we reach the main floor of the compound, we leave, right?" Diego asked. "We have the virus.

"Not exactly," Buffy said. "We have the virus, but I promised two people trapped upstairs that I'd get them out. I'm not going to leave them here."

"Always the hero," Spike mocked.

"I am a Slayer," Buffy retorted.

"Can we not bicker?" Jay asked wearily. "It's going to be a long climb up those vents."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized, though Spike remained silent.

"I'll take the first watch," Diego offered.

"I'll relieve you in an hour," Jay said.

"Spike?" Buffy asked sweetly. "How about you take the last shift?"

"Hell no," Spike shook his head.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Buffy asked seriously.

"You just want to make out with your girl," Spike muttered.

"Is that a yes?" Buffy prompted.

"Fine," Spike groaned. "But you owe me one, Slayer," he insisted.

"I think leading your undead ass out of here will be payment enough," Buffy declared.

"Alright, guys," Diego announced, glancing down at his watch, "we have three hours to rest and recuperate. Let's make the most of it."

"Oh, we plan to," Faith winked, taking Buffy by the hand and dragging her to a far corner of the room.

"Horny Slayers," Spike groaned, settling himself in the opposite corner. Lying down, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall.

Diego sat in front of the door leading to the hallway. The fingers of his right hand rested on his gun and he watched the door with increasing trepidation. The zombies continually banged on the metal. The dull thumping of their hands echoed through the room. Though he wanted to escape the Initiative as soon as possible to return to his family, he knew that his body needed a rest. "You okay?" Jay asked, moving over to join him.

"I'm fine," Diego said dismissively.

"Yeah, sure," Jay replied sarcastically.

Diego sighed and smiled over at his comrade. "It's wasn't easy," he offered.

"What?" Jay asked.

"Watching them," he said, motioning to the zombies outside of the door, "rip apart Mark."

"He was a good man," Jay said softly.

"He was," Diego agreed. "I'm sorry he had to die like that."

"I knew it was dangerous coming back here. I knew how many people died when we were trying to escape the first time. Yet," Jay said, "I didn't want to accept the fact that one of us could die."

"Me neither," Diego nodded. "As hard as it was to watch him die though, it was ten times harder to shoot him."

"I can understand that," Jay replied. "If that had happened to you, or Buffy, or Faith, I don't know if I could have done it. Spike, on the other hand," he chuckled, "I would've had no problem shooting."

"I just didn't want him to become one of them," the dark haired soldier muttered, eying the door warily. "I hope the rest of us get out of here okay. We have the anti-virus. Hopefully, luck is on our side."

"Hopefully," Jay agreed.

Though Faith could have heard the soldiers' conversation with her Slayer hearing, she chose instead to focus all of her attention on the blonde woman who was sitting in front of her and leaning back into her arms. "I missed you," Faith admitted, whispering softly into Buffy's ear as she planted gentle, nibbling kisses on her girlfriend's neck. Buffy leaned her head to the side to allow Faith more access and groaned slightly. The dark haired Slayer's actions touched her at her core and she found herself becoming increasingly aroused. "I thought that you had killed yourself," Faith continued. "I heard that gunshot and I felt like the whole world had collapsed in on itself."

"Faith," Buffy tried to interrupt, but the younger girl shook her head.

"Just let me talk, okay?" She asked. Buffy nodded, turning slightly so that she was facing her lover. "I didn't know what to do with myself. You're my everything, Buffy. Without you, nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing matters," she whispered. "I knew that I had to keep going for Giles and the others, but I couldn't feel anything. I was completely numb. I don't even know why I came back here," she shook her head. "Maybe I wanted vengeance. Maybe I just wanted to die. I don't know," she spoke freely. "But when I saw you again," she said, choking slightly on her tears, "I couldn't believe it. It was like I had gotten second…well, third, chance."

"I love you so much, Faith," Buffy said, cupping her girlfriend's cheeks and gently pressing her lips against the other girl's. Faith sighed into the kiss. Touching Buffy reaffirmed that the blonde Slayer truly was alive and well.

"I love you too, B," Faith replied when Buffy pulled away. "When we get out of here, I'm going to show you how much I love you," she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Buffy laughed. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Faith frowned. "No," she answered honestly. "I think about food sometimes too," she joked. "Although, speaking of food, I am kinda hungry."

"Me too," Buffy said, reaching over and grabbing her pack. "I took some things from the van when I decided to try to find the anti-virus. I knew it would be a long trip." She took the last two of the prepackaged sandwiches from the Bronze from her bag and handed one to Faith. "Enjoy," she smiled.

"You know," Faith said, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite, "I'm glad to know that the world outside really hasn't been taken over by zombies."

"Why's that?" Buffy asked. "Well, other than for the obvious reasons."

"I was really gonna miss all the food," Faith joked. Buffy rolled her eyes and slapped her playfully on the arm.

"That's it?" She furthered.

"That's it," Faith nodded.

"So working for Angel, huh?" Buffy said thoughtfully and she chewed her sandwich.

"You wouldn't mind?" Faith asked. "I know you guys have history."

Buffy snorted. "I think it's safe to say that I've moved far beyond Angel by now," she replied. "Don't get me wrong. I loved him very much when I was with him. But I know that it was never meant to be. I've found the only person I want to be with."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, B," Faith smiled.

"I wonder what kind of boss he is," Buffy wondered. "He never was particularly friendly."

"No," Faith laughed. "Not really a morning person either."

"Can you picture him trying to interact with his clients?" Buffy joked.

"He's definitely going to need some help," Faith responded.

"Oh yeah," Buffy agreed. "I think it's our civic duty to contribute."

"Kinda like voting," Faith offered.

"Or eating apple pie on the Fourth of July," Buffy said.

"It would just be un-American to leave those poor people in his socially inept hands," Faith replied.

"It's a good thing that Giles, Willow, and Tara are down there," Buffy noted. "Angel needs some people who will actually smile at the clientele."

Faith smiled and watched Buffy finish her sandwich. "I know this is going to sound weird," she began. "But I'm kinda happy that zombies took over Sunnydale."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know if we ever would have gotten this close if they hadn't," Faith said. "I don't know how I would have been if I would have woken up from that coma and everything was still the same."

"You would have been exactly how you are now," Buffy said seriously. "I believe in you, Faith. You're a good person. You always have been. You just lost your way a little."

"Thanks, B," Faith smiled. She finished her sandwich and Buffy pulled her to the floor. The older girl snuggled against her, the top of her head resting just underneath of the dark Slayer's chin.

"Let's get some rest," Buffy suggested. "I have a feeling that things are going to get crazy around here in a few hours."

"You go ahead and sleep, B," Faith said as the blonde Slayer's eyes drifted shut. "I'll just watch over you for a bit."