The day started quietly. Buffy woke up just after sunrise, when everything was lit with a slightly eerie morning glow. She got up, and she was pulling on a shirt when she heard movement from the bed. She turned around to see Faith looking at her, arms extended in a morning stretch.
"Ready to face the day?" Faith asked.
"No," Buffy answered.
Faith laughed and swung her legs over the side of the bed, forcing Buffy to confront how very naked Faith was. She looked away, uncomfortably aware of the blood rushing to her cheeks.
Fortunately, Faith said nothing, and Buffy kept getting dressed. By the time she turned back around, Faith was pulling on her pants.
"Think there's time for me to take a shower?" Faith asked.
"You might have to fight to the death to get there," Buffy said. Indeed, she could hear water running already, even though it was earlier than anyone in the house ordinarily got up.
"Guess not, then," Faith said. "I try to limit myself to one death-fight a day."
"How's that going for you?" Buffy asked.
"Haven't died yet."
"Well, you don't have to rub it in."
Faith laughed. "Good to know you never lose your sense of humor."
"What's the point of an apocalypse if you can't make a joke out of it?" Buffy slipped her feet into her favorite boots. "Want to go see who else is up?"
"Sure."
It turned out that the whole house was up, sitting in the kitchen, in the dining room, in the living room, staring at each other over half-empty bowls of cereal. The entire house was completely silent but for Buffy's cursory "good morning" murmur as she entered the kitchen. She poured cereal into two bowls and handed one to Faith, and they leaned against the counter, joining the others in anxiously staring around the room.
"So, when are we leaving?" Xander asked. For a shining moment, Buffy had forgotten that her presence tended to mean people started talking. She cast her mind about for an answer, racing to weigh different answers against each other.
"As soon as everybody's ready," Faith said. "Right, B?"
Buffy nodded in relief. "Yeah. Tell everyone to get their stuff together. There's no point in sitting around."
"I'll wake Anya," Xander said, leaving the room.
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked.
"I suspect she does not feel up to facing the crowd this morning," Giles said. "Perhaps you can go get her?"
Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Am I going to walk in on her and Kennedy naked?"
"You can just knock on the door," Giles said.
Buffy climbed the stairs in the surreal bright haze of the morning, feeling the fear of the day in every step. She had faced apocalypses before, she reminded herself. Bad ones.
But this was the worst.
As she took the last step, she shook off her fears and knocked on the door to Willow's room. Ordinarily, she would have made some joke here, but instead she just said, "We're ready." Somehow, she suspected Willow, at least, hadn't been able to sleep.
She heard a squeal of fear (Willow), a calming "shhh" (Kennedy), and a, "We're coming!" (Kennedy). Buffy trusted in that. If anyone could drag Willow's terrified butt out of bed, it was Kennedy.
When Buffy got back into the kitchen, everyone was carrying their weapons and ready to go.
"We got an ETA on Willow?" Xander asked.
Buffy nodded. "Kennedy's getting her moving."
"We gonna get moving, B?" Faith asked, swinging around the counter to stand by Buffy's side.
Buffy nodded. "As soon as we have Willow and Kennedy." Buffy looked at Xander. "I'm assuming Anya's up?"
"Up and ready to go," Xander confirmed. "She's just running through some plans with Andrew."
"What are they planning?" Willow's voice came from the door. "How to best confuse our opponents with big whiteboards?"
"You seem better," Buffy said.
"I'm not that much better," Willow said.
Kennedy popped up behind Willow. "She's hiding it pretty well, isn't she?"
"You can do it, Will," Buffy promised.
"I think maybe I can," Willow said. "That's the scary part."
Kennedy stepped forward, wrapping her arm around Willow's waist. "We'll be okay."
"We going to roll out, Captain?" Faith asked.
"I thought you were the captain," Buffy said.
"Whatever." Faith looked around. "Kids are getting anxious."
"We've been anxious," piped up Amanda.
"All right, all right," Faith said. "Ready, General?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Let's go."
It had been a long time since Buffy and Faith had fought side by side. They had both been seventeen, experiencing things for the first time, enjoying the rush and the satisfaction of moving completely in synch. Even with the battle raging around them, even with unanswered questions bouncing around Buffy's brain, even with innocent girls dying, a part of Buffy was completely at peace.
When Willow's spell worked, she felt it, not in her own body, but in the bodies of the girls around her, in the way they all fell into formation around her and Faith, and in the way there was suddenly so much more energy in the cavern than there had been even a moment before. Buffy surged to the front, shouting out orders, Faith close on her heels.
And then she froze mid-word. Something was wrong. She looked down. A silver point extended from her stomach. She blinked, and it was gone, and a sharp pain permeated her torso. She collapsed to the ground.
She was vaguely aware of Faith above her, saying her name, asking something just with her face. Buffy managed to hold up the scythe and open her eyes, and she saw a worried look on Faith's face, but not for long until it was replaced with Faith's hair swinging, the scythe flashing in the light as vampire after vampire fell.
Closing her eyes again, Buffy realized that she wasn't going to make it out, but that was okay. Faith would pick up where she left off. No matter how many more Slayers were called, Faith was the one Buffy trusted.
She heard the grunts of Slayers, growls of vampires, and, suddenly, a cry of pain from Spike. Surprised, she wrenched her eyes open once more to see a beam of light coming from his general direction. The beam was interrupted by a body falling, and if Buffy weren't in so much pain, she would have gasped to see Amanda's eyes so empty. She had been so young. All of these girls were too young. Hell, Buffy was too young. Here she was, getting bleary images of feet and falling bodies, and all she wanted to do was go buy some shoes or something.
And then she was in front of herself. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, something caused by blood loss, but when her other self started opening its mouth and mocking her, Buffy knew it was the First, and suddenly a cold, slow anger spread through her. She was not done yet.
"I want you," she began, pushing herself up on both arms, "to get out," she stumbled into a squat, "of my face," and she stood up, unsteady on her feet, taking out a stake. She saw the scythe flying towards her, and she somehow caught it. Strength flowed from it into her. Her torso stopped hurting. She swung the scythe and took out a vampire, then stabbed it backwards and took out another. Slashing and swiping her way through the army of vampires, she saw the brilliant light again. Sunlight was pouring out of Spike, who was somehow stuck against a wall, burning from the amulet on his chest. Buffy took a few steps towards him.
Faith yelled, "Everybody out! Now!" and Buffy froze, looking between Faith and Spike.
She took the few more steps to Spike. His face was screwed up in pain. There was nothing Buffy could do for him.
"Thank you," she said, her voice quiet.
"Anytime," Spike answered.
Buffy waited another moment, then ran after the Potentials. Once they were up the stairs, Faith was yelling, Robin was yelling, Giles was yelling, Anya was dead and therefore Xander was yelling, and Buffy didn't know which way to turn. Still clutching the scythe, she followed the pack of fleeing girls into a Sunnydale High school bus, clambering up the stairs and staggering all the way to the back before collapsing into a seat. A moment later, Faith plopped herself next to her.
"You good?" Faith asked, looking with concern at the red hole in Buffy's white shirt.
"Did we win?"
"Yeah, B," Faith said. "We won."
"Then I'm good." Buffy turned her head to look out the window. Sunnydale was empty, the streets deserted, and Buffy saw it crumbling behind the bus. She turned back to look at Faith, whose eyes were so very close to Buffy's, staring at her with concern. "You good, Captain?"
"A bit worried about my friend," Faith said. "She's got a big hole in her stomach. Know who I mean?"
Buffy laughed, then winced at the pain it caused. "Got bandages?"
Faith poked her head around the edge of the seat. "Hey, Andrew!"
Andrew's voice came from the front of the bus. "Yeah?"
"Got bandages?"
"You have to come get them," Andrew said. "Robin's losing a lot of blood. I think I have to stay here."
"Shit," Faith muttered under her breath. "Be right back, B."
Buffy nodded. The scythe was still giving her strength, but there was definitely something to be said for good old fashioned bandages. And she thought maybe she should pass the scythe around to all the girls; she wasn't the only one who needed strength.
The time it took for Faith to get back felt like an eternity, but Buffy could tell that it was only a minute or so by the distance they had covered. Just as she was watching her own house disappear into the crater that had been Sunnydale, Faith slid back into the seat, and Buffy turned her head back.
"My house is gone," she said.
"It's not the only one," Faith agreed, gingerly lifting up Buffy's shirt. "You got stabbed pretty good, B."
"That's what happens when you go up against the ultimate evil." Buffy lifted the scythe up and out of the way. "How are the troops?"
"Tired," Faith said, pressing a bandage to Buffy's stomach. "Only real bad injury is Robin, and he'll pull through. He'll need a hospital, though. Some of the girls have pretty bad cuts, but they'll heal fast enough that I'm not worried."
"Weird," Buffy said. "All these other girls with Slayer powers."
"Not so alone anymore, huh, B?" Faith teased.
Buffy smiled. Just as she was about to respond, the bus stopped.
"Is something wrong?" Buffy asked.
"No," Faith said. "We're out of Sunnydale. Want to go get a look at the damage?"
Buffy nodded. On the way off the bus, she handed the scythe to a wide-eyed fourteen-year-old, one of the girls who had been far too young and was now far too covered in blood. Once out, she stood with her friends, Faith, Giles, Willow, Xander, as she looked out at the crater that had been hers to defend for so long. Finally, she had failed. It was strangely freeing.
As Buffy's friends clamored around her, chattering about malls and Slayers and Hellmouths in Cleveland, Buffy felt a hand close around hers. She looked around and saw Faith, looking at peace for the first time in Buffy's memory.
"The whole world's just opened up," she said.
Buffy just nodded, still staring out at California's newest canyon.
A moment later, they were all back on the bus. Faith had let go of Buffy's hand as soon as the group had stopped looking out at the wreckage, but Buffy felt herself missing the warmth of Faith's hand in hers.
There was something Angel had said that Buffy hadn't told Faith about. When they had been talking, Angel had smelled Faith on Buffy. Ignoring Buffy's protests that smelling people was generally pretty creepy, he had told her that Faith was good now, someone she could trust. Someone that she could be in love with.
She had stared at him in confusion for a full minute before telling him that she was straight.
But now, she kept thinking about it. She was straight, but somehow she liked Faith. More than all the other girls. But she had wanted to cuddle her friends before. She had never had sex with one of her friends before, but she had definitely looked at friends like that. Everyone did that, right? That didn't make her gay.
And yet, she wanted to hold Faith's hand. So she did, because if she had learned anything in seven years of being the Slayer, it was that nothing was permanent, and she might as well do what she wanted when she could.
Faith grabbed her hand back, and suddenly Buffy was acutely aware of how bad she looked. She had a cut on her forehead, and she was sweaty and dirty. Surely Faith didn't want to be sitting next to her.
And yet, Faith was next to her, and just as sweaty and dirty, so maybe she didn't mind. Buffy leaned into Faith's shoulder. Soon, she would have to stop this, but right now, she needed the comfort, and she suspected Faith did too.
After a while, the bus stopped, and there was some commotion at the front. Buffy sat up, but it was just that they were at the hospital, and a couple of the less injured Slayers were hauling Robin off the bus. Xander stayed back with them to check him in, and a few minutes later they were at a motel.
"Brings back memories," Faith commented, standing up and stretching.
Buffy stood, wincing at the pain in her stomach. "Are we here?"
"If they've got room," Faith said.
They did, apparently, and two Slayers per bed was practically luxury compared to what they had been through. Somewhat predictably, Buffy wound up in a room with Faith and no one else; whatever else happened, they were still the chosen two.
The room only had one bed; it was what they could afford. The two-bed rooms all got four Slayers. Faith and Buffy sprawled as much as they could.
"God. I'm ready to do so much nothing," Faith said.
"No, you're not," Buffy said, letting her head fall to face Faith.
Faith sighed at the ceiling. "No, I'm not."
"It's hard," Buffy said. "I hate being the Slayer."
"No, you don't," Faith said.
"No, I don't," Buffy agreed. "At least I can help people."
"Think we did the right thing for those girls?" Faith asked. "Giving them the power?"
"Yeah," Buffy said. "I think it'll give them a choice."
"They'll still be Slayers."
"But not the only Slayers," Buffy said. "When I was Called, I had to do it. I was the only one. If I didn't, who else would? But now, if one girl doesn't do it, two more probably will."
"You think they'll be able to resist the urge?"
"Even if they can't," Buffy said. "They'll be able to do it like a side thing. Like a hobby."
"Like you wanted."
Buffy looked back up at the ceiling. "Like I wanted."
Now she felt Faith's eyes on her. "I wish I got that."
"Maybe you will," Buffy said, turning her head to look at Faith again. "We'll find all sorts of other things for you to do. Have you ever considered a sport? Or, I don't know. You could get a job. You could get a job doing a sport."
"I'm pretty sure superpowers disqualify you," Faith said.
"You don't have to let them know you have superpowers," Buffy said.
"Don't know if you heard, B. I'm living the straight and narrow these days." Faith paused. "Well, less with the straight, but, you know."
Buffy looked back at the ceiling. "I'm not gay."
"Yeah, I know. You just have sex with girls."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Girl. Just one."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's what Red thought."
"Don't talk about Willow like that."
"I'm just saying. Don't limit yourself. Girls are hot. Guys are- well, tolerable, most of the time. Point is, you can be into both."
Buffy turned back to look at Faith. "You can?"
Faith nodded. "Used to hook up with a guy who liked both at the same time, even."
"I'm not sure I'm going that far," Buffy said. "Just so we're clear."
"Well, then, B, how far are you going?" Faith asked.
A slow grin spread across Buffy's face. "Come over here and find out."
Faith laughed. "You want me, you gotta get me yourself."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Stubborn." She put a hand in Faith's hair and the other around her neck and pulled her close, kissing her and kissing her hard. Faith's hair was nice, she realized, all soft and stuff. And her lips were soft, too, far too soft for such a hard person.
She was overthinking. She liked Faith. She had always been into Faith, really, if she thought about it, from the moment she had blown into Sunnydale, with her bright lipstick and her leather pants and her wild (and really soft) hair.
So she let it happen. She let her hand move under Faith's shirt, and she let Faith take off her shirt, and she let Faith's mouth go lower and lower on her body, and she let herself enjoy the moment.
After the moment had passed, and Buffy was lying in Faith's arms, she realized that this was the first time in a long time that she had felt safe. It was her first time doing anything without the Hellmouth pulling on her, asking her for its time and its attention.
Of course, now she had fifteen to twenty teenage girls asking the same, but it was different now. And she had help.
She pulled Faith's arms closer around her, smiling at the way Faith kissed the back of her neck in response.
"Are we going to be dating now?"
Faith's arms loosened a little. "God. I didn't- I didn't think about that."
Buffy rolled over to face Faith. "I know you don't do that kind of thing. But, I don't know. We're not really a one-night stand."
"That's the thing, B. That's why I hated you, you know?" Faith sighed. "I knew you were special."
Buffy smiled. "I do like being called special."
"See? That smile you do when guys you like say nice things. I spent so much time wishing you were doing it at me, and now you are, I don't know. I feel all trapped and afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Faith squirmed. "Afraid I'll go too far, I guess. Like, maybe I'll like you too much. And, I don't know, I've never been good at expressing my feelings, B. I don't go in for that touchy-feely stuff."
"I like what we've been doing," Buffy said. "You know, conversations, cuddles, there is no bad."
"I don't do conversations and cuddles," Faith said. "It's one of my biggest rules."
"For your sex buddies, sure," Buffy said. "But not for your friends."
"Are you a friend, B?" Faith wiggled her eyebrows. "I thought you were angling for something else."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "A girlfriend is a friend. Plus kissage. And, you know, some extra feelings."
Faith didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she said, "I'm going to suck at it."
"Does that mean you'll try it?"
"All right," Faith said. "Does this mean I can kiss you in front of people?"
"Depends on the people," Buffy answered. She leaned her forehead against Faith's. "I'm glad to have you around."
"I'm glad to have me around, too," Faith said.
"I can't believe I like you," Buffy huffed.
"But you do," Faith said.
But she did.