Title: "Flash Point"

Author: Fuer Grissa Ost Drauka

Rating: PG-13 (T)

Pairing: standard canon at this point, but none mentioned

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of it

Spoilers: I don't know if it can really be considered 'spoilers' now, but it starts out during Buffy: season 7 "Empty Places", so anything in the series is fair game.

Status: WIP

Summary: Starts off in "Empty Places". The decision was made. Granted, it wasn't by her, but it was made. All she can do now is move forward.

Feedback: always appreciated

Previously...

"Spike, let go. I have to get to them before it's too late."

"Too late for what, Slayer?"

"Faith and the others. They're walking into a trap. The armory's gonna blow up."

"Buffy, hold on a second, luv. No one's going to any bloody armory."

"The First said that Faith and-"

"He lied, pet. They're all at your house."

"You're sure?"

Spike nodded. "He was probably just trying to distract you."

"Well, it worked." Buffy scrunched her nose up as she considered it. "Well, sort of. I still killed him."

"The First is dead?" Spike stared at her in amazement.

Buffy nodded and held up the scythe. "He got pretty scared when I 'King Arthured' this out of the stone. Turns out it works just as well on the incorporeal as it would anything else."

"So, it's all over?" When Buffy nodded, Spike frowned slightly. "Odd. I'd thought it would've ended with a bit more of a bang."

Buffy smiled tiredly. "No 'bang'. Sorry to disappoint."

Spike looked her over. She was exhausted - with good reason - and it was showing. "C'mon, pet. Let's get you home before you collapse on me."

Buffy shook her head, stubbornly. "Not going back there. I can pick up my stuff later, but other than that, I'm not going back there."

"Where are you going to stay then, luv?" Spike questioned pointedly.

"For tonight… Angel's old mansion. After that… Don't really know yet, but I'll figure it out when I get to that point."

"All right, luv. The mansion it is then."

Buffy lifted her head off Spike's shoulder and looked down at him. The vampire was still asleep. Good. He would either try to stop her or follow her is he woke up before she left. She eased out of the bed and padded over to the nightstand where Angel had always kept a pad of paper with a few pens. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts and began writing.

Buffy set down the pen and read the note over. Satisfied with the result, she folded it and placed it on her pillow. She was sure Spike would find it there when he woke, but by then it would be too late for him. The sun would be up and she would be gone long before he could follow. With one last look at the blonde vampire, Buffy picked up her scythe and walked out of the room.

With a quick glance to make sure no one was around, Buffy crouched and jumped onto the overhang that stuck out below her window. She landed silently and inspected the window. Luckily, it had been left unlocked. She eased the window up and climbed into the room. She went over to the closet and pulled out her trunk and an old backpack. Her gaze flickered up to the door nervously when the trunk hit the floor with a sharp 'thud'. It was partially open. She hurried over to the door and peeked through. Andrew was relaying the same information Spike had given her last night. It was useless now that the First was dead, but they didn't know that. Buffy was about to turn away when she heard him mention the armory.

She froze. Her eyes widened and her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her mouth. They couldn't go to the armory. "Faith," she whispered urgently, hoping that the other Slayer would hear her. To her immense relief, Faith tilted her head slightly to one side as if she were listening for something. "Faith, up here."

Faith's sudden disappearance went unnoticed by the Scoobies as she climbed the stairs to Buffy's room. She eased the door open. "B?" She questioned softly, wondering if she was just hearing things. She was relieved to find Buffy, kneeling next to a trunk transferring some weapons to a long black leather bag.

When Buffy had placed the last weapon in the bag, she stood and moved to the closet and began taking out some clothes. "The armory's a trap," she said as she stuffed the clothes into the bag with the weapons. "I have a feeling that it's somehow rigged to explode once you're all inside."

"How-"

"The First told me," Buffy said, anticipating Faith's question.

Faith snorted. "There's a trustworthy source."

Buffy sent her a half-grin. "He was hoping that I'd rush right off without killing him."

"Back up for a second, B. I get the feeling I'm missing something here. What exactly happened last night? Did Spike find you?"

"I went back to the Vineyard, and yes, he found me. I think he was a bit upset that I didn't leave anything for him to kill."

"You mean you got the preacher?" The corner of Faith's mouth twitched into a relieved grin.

"Not just him," Buffy smirked. "The First is dead too. Killed him with the weapon he didn't want me to find."

Faith grinned as Buffy held up the Scythe. "Wicked." The short hairs on her arms and neck were tingling with the energy radiating from the weapon. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question, and when Buffy nodded, she eagerly accepted the Scythe. "Damn… and Damn, that's something," she whispered almost reverently. The energy she had felt before nearly doubled when she touched the weapon. After a few moments, Faith passed the weapon back to Buffy. "So, it's all over then?" Buffy nodded. "What's next?"

Buffy sighed and avoided Faith's eyes. "I'm leaving."

Faith's shock was clearly written on her face. "B, they all need you here. They may not realize it or admit it, but they do!"

"No, they don't. They made that perfectly clear last night."

"So, you're gonna leave just 'cause they're a bunch of idiots? That doesn't sound like the Buffy I know. I mean, c'mon, B, you just took on Caleb and the First by yourself, but you're running from the little-"

"Faith," Buffy cut off the other girl's rant tiredly. "I'm not running. The apocalypse is over now, and the rest of it has been over for a long time." Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, sometimes I wish that it wasn't true, but it is, and I'm through pretending that it isn't.

"For the past seven years, I gave them everything I had, and I did it willingly. I fought for them. I died for them - twice!" Buffy shook her head. "All those years, I've faked a smile and been a 'good little Slayer'. I'm done. They've proven to me that they don't care, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life trying to please them. It's just not worth it."

"You're quitting Slaying?" Faith was surprised. She knew for a fact that as often as Buffy denied it, the older Slayer loved the thrill of the fight just as much as she did.

"Not exactly. I'll still patrol wherever I end up at, and if you ever need anything just give me a call. I'll be there as fast as is superhumanly possible." Buffy pulled two small cell phones out of her trunk. "Angel gave me a few of these. According to him, they'll get perfect reception from anywhere on the planet. Give one to Spike, just don't let anyone else know you have them."

Faith took the phones. "Don't worry, B. I got no problem keeping a secret from the Scoobs and mini-slayers." She slipped them into her back pockets. "So, there's no way I can talk you out of leaving then?"

Buffy smiled at her. "Don't worry, Faith. You'll make a great leader; you don't need me."

"It's not just that, B. Sure, I don't really want to lead them, but I'll manage… or I'll get Giles to do all the work." Buffy grinned and shook her head at that, amused. "I'm going to miss you, B. I mean, we just got back on good terms. I was sorta hoping it'd be 'the Chosen Two' again, ya know?"

Buffy feigned a shocked expression. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" she mock interrogated with a teasing grin. It was corny. She knew it. She had to say it anyways.

"Funny, B," Faith deadpanned with a roll of her eyes at Buffy's lame joke. After a moment, her expression turned thoughtful as the older Slayer's choice of words registered. "Sister?"

Buffy looked surprised for a moment, just realizing what she had said. She shrugged slightly. "It's true. I've always kinda seen you as a sister, and there's that whole 'Slayer Connection' thing we've got going on." She paused and shot Faith a wry grin. "Plus, it's a lot less disturbing to think of you as a sister than my technical 'Slayer granddaughter'."

Faith chuckled and shook her head at the other girl. "I really am gonna miss ya," Fiath smirked, "Grandma B."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but the grin didn't leave her face. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret saying that?" Faith just smirked. "I'm going to miss you too, Faith," she deadpanned. "Don't worry though. I don't plan on dropping off the face of the planet, entirely. I'll keep in touch and visit from time to time."

Rummaging around the bottom of her trunk, Buffy found what she was searching for. Her mother's jewelry box. From the box, she produced a wad of bills neatly clipped together. "Here. It's what I had set aside for next month's bills and mortgage payment."

"B, I can't take that from you. You shouldn't have to pay bills for a house that you were kicked out of."

"I'm not doing it for them. This'll give you the time you'll need to adjust to everything."

Faith shook her head. "You're going to need that to get a new place."

"I've got some money saved up. Not a lot, but it's enough to get by on until I get in touch with some old acquaintances."

"Buffy-"

"Faith," Buffy cut off the younger woman's protest with a small smile. "If you don't take it, I'll leave it behind anyway. At best, it'll just sit there doing no one any good; or at worst, one of the others will notice it and take it."

The two Slayers stared at each other stubbornly, neither one wanting to back down. Finally, Faith sighed and accepted the money Buffy was still holding out. She knew Buffy would do exactly what she had said and leave it behind anyways.

Buffy grinned triumphantly until Faith leveled a fierce glare at her. Buffy rolled her eyes but schooled her expression to a slightly less obvious grin. "Tell everyone not to waste their time searching for me. I know how to disappear."

"The look on their faces when I tell 'em you beat the First and you ain't coming back is gonna be priceless."

Buffy tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. "Do you think you could get Andrew to tape their reactions and send me a copy?" she asked mock-seriously.

"I'll see what I can do, B," Faith smirked. Buffy shifted awkwardly, looking unsure of herself for a moment, before she pulled a startled Faith into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Faith."

Faith snorted lightly as they let go of each other. "I should be telling you that. After all, you're the one with two deaths under your belt."

Buffy smiled and picked up her bag. She walked over to the open window and climbed through. As she peered over the edge, a mischievous gleam lit up her eyes. Buffy turned back towards Faith. "Tell Spike not to worry; I'll bring it back with a full tank… eventually."

Faith's smirk matched Buffy's perfectly. Buffy jumped off the roof and landed in a crouch. In one fluid movement, she stood and pulled the bike away from the house. She brought it down the street before starting it up.

Faith watched the bike speed away. When she could no longer see Buffy, she turned away from the window and placed the money in Buffy's trunk. Faith closed up the trunk and put it back in the closet before leaving the empty room. It was time to let everyone know just how badly they had screwed up.

This was going to be fun.

To be continued...