A/N: Stick with me, there is method to my madness. I PROMISE. Also I know I never responded to any reviews last chapter, I did appreciate them. I just don't want to accidentally say anything about the coming chapters that might spoil it.

Chap. 14: Descent- March 05

Time stood still, for a moment the world just stopped. Buffy wasn't sure she was even breathing, she couldn't move, couldn't make those final steps to Faith's side. Faith just needed to hop back up and insist she was five by five, then everything would be okay. But if she made those final steps, and her wife was… she couldn't even think about that.

She heard someone shout, but her mind had blurred the words. No sight, no sound, no smell entered her mind, instead there was just nothing. Her knees gave out and she sunk to the ground, eyes filled with tears. The few feet of earth between them felt like miles. Nothing mattered, not anymore.

Kennedy watched the whole scene unfold, unable to get to Faith in time. "Katie, Dani, get Buffy, everyone else, gather up the others," she commanded pointing at the immobilized blonde. "I'll grab Faith. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

Snapping to attention, Katie and Dani did as told and moved to Buffy, she didn't respond to them, but did allow them to pick her up and settle her between them, guiding her out of the cemetery. Tarzar got what he wanted, so Kennedy didn't think he'd be back, but better to be safe than sorry. Not taking the time to assess the situation, she just picked up Faith and threw her over her shoulder, leading the way back to the compound.

Those with the other wounded or dead in their arms took place behind those helping the Chosen Two. The rest of the Slayers walked in a single line behind them, showing respect for the fallen in this battle. They weren't soldiers, but in moments like these, they might as well be.

The compound gates opened to welcome them home, but it didn't give them comfort, not today. Kennedy headed straight for the infirmary, she didn't think anything could be done for Faith, but they had to try. Placing her down on a cot, she turned to Willow and Tara who met them there, hoping that if medicine couldn't save her maybe magic could.

"Keep Buffy out of here," Willow told the young Slayer. "Whatever you do, do not let her in here. She doesn't need to watch if it's hopeless," the witch finished, trying not to let her own emotions get the best of her.

"Don't think it'd matter much anyway. She watched her get stabbed and then went pretty much comatose."

"That's just how she deals, she'll come around. I just hope we have good news for her when she does."

"Willow says to keep her out of that room," Kennedy told the two SITs that were still sitting with Buffy in the chairs next to the room they'd taken Faith into.

"Should we take her back to her place?" Katie asked.

Kennedy thought about it for a minute. Katie and Dani joined them only a few months before, they didn't know the Summers family as well as she did. "No, we don't want Nevaeh to see her Mom like this. Why don't you two take off, I got this," she added as an afterthought.

After asking if she was sure, the other two left, leaving her alone with Buffy. Picking up the small blonde, she took her into another of the rooms in the infirmary and laid her down on a clean bed. Once she was sure the other woman was comfortable, she reached for a cell phone, pulling it out of her pocket, she hit the number one name on her speed dial, calling her girlfriend.

"Hey, Dawn, it's me. Listen, is Anya still there?" waiting for a response, she was glad when Dawn told her that she was. "Good, tell her to stay with Vaeh and get over to the infirmary, your sis needs you. She's not hurt," she quickly assured before her girlfriend could freak out. "I'll explain when you get here, we're in room four."

~BF~

Buffy took a breath, as Faith taunted her, telling her she didn't have it in her to kill her. Why would she be saying these things? She was confused, they didn't hate each other anymore, they loved each other. They were the other one's soul mate.

Looking around, she realized why. They were back on that roof, back to that night. The night she wished she could forget. Erase from her memory. She had no control over her own body, and was forced to replay her part of that night. She hated herself every minute, but she couldn't stop it from playing out.

As she felt the knife sink into Faith's body, she wanted to wail with anguish, but all she could do is stare into her wife's eyes. She was so filled with anger last time, she didn't let her brain process what it saw. But this time, when she looked at Faith it was with nothing but love, and she could finally see what she hadn't been able to see the last time.

This time she saw the sadness in her love's eyes, her relief that Buffy had stopped her. And in that moment, Buffy knew that was when she started to fall for Faith. It wasn't until Nevaeh came into her life that she let herself feel it, but her love had started as she watched Faith fall backwards off the roof.

Flashes of time moved through her mind's eye, landing on their first night in their new home in Cleveland. The two of them heading for Buffy's bedroom, flashes of their first night together. The night Buffy would never forget, it was cemented forever in her memory.

She never knew Faith could be so gentle with another human being, so loving. But the way she'd touched her that night, every moment was filled with love and tenderness. Like Buffy was a precious package she didn't want to break.

She'd never imagined what making love with another woman would be like, but now she wasn't sure she could totally be happy or satisfied with a man. No that's not true, she could never be happy with anyone other than Faith.

Faith, Faith, Faith, her name just kept running through her mind. Where was she? Where was her wife? For that matter, where was she? Time had lost all meaning, as her mind traveled through time from one momentous moment, to the next.

She could swear she heard someone calling her name, but it was distorted. She tried to shake herself out of this time warp she'd found herself in. "Buffy." That time she was sure she heard someone call her name, but she couldn't tell who it was.

"Buffy, come on, we need to talk to you," Willow kept trying. She could see the look in her friend's eyes and knew she was trying to make her way back to them, but something was holding her back.

"Buffy, come back to us," Dawn tried sadly. She hated seeing her sister like this. It reminded her too much of when their mom died, and Buffy just shut everyone out. Everyone but Nevaeh… "Call Anya, tell her to bring Nevaeh," Dawn told Xander.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Willow asked.

"She's the only one that can get her out of this. Remember when Mom died and she shut down?"

"She's right, Vaeh was so little, but it was her crying that finally got her back for us," Tara reminded them.

"Alright," Xander agreed, stepping out of the room to make the call.

A few minutes later, Willow met Anya and Vaeh out in the hallway. Bending down so she was face to face with Nevaeh. "Your Mommy isn't feeling really good right now, so we need you to go in and make her feel better, okay? Don't be scared if she acts different, alright?"

"Okay, Auntie Willow, I make her feel better," the little girl said with resolve. She knew something more was going on, but she was too little to know to ask. Her Mom needed her, and for now that's all she really needed to know. Maybe her Mom would tell her about her Mama once she felt better.

"Mommy, I here to make you feel better," Vaeh said, as she walked into the room to find her mom tucked into bed on the cot, but getting no reaction. Moving towards the bed, she lifted the covers and climbed in next to her mother. "Mommy," she tried again, putting her tiny hands on her mother's cheeks, placing a kiss on her nose, like her Mom had done to her a hundred times. "Mommy, I here."

"Nevaeh?" Buffy whispered, almost in disbelief. It was the first word she'd uttered since the cemetery. Finally her eyes moved back into the present. She didn't bother to take notice of where she was, instead all she cared about was the feel of her little girl burrowing into her chest. "Oh, Nevaeh," she cried, wrapping her arms around her daughter, pulling her close to her heart, placing a tender kiss into her soft brown hair.

"It's okay, Mommy, I here," Vaeh assured her again.

"I'm so glad you're here, baby. Mommy really needed you," she admitted, finally getting her bearings again and getting back to the present. "But how about you go out with Auntie Anya for a minute, find Mommy something to eat."

"Okay, Mommy," Vaeh agreed easily, climbing back out of the bed. Grabbing her aunt's hand, she led her out of the room in search of some soup. Mommy always brought her soup when she wasn't feeling good. So she'd bring her some of that.

Once they were out of the room, Buffy finally got the courage to look into her best friend's eyes. "Just tell me, Willow."

The redhead moved to sit in the vacant spot beside Buffy. Placing a tender hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Buffy. I tried everything I could think of. I couldn't bring her back. I tried, Buffy, I really tried," Willow cried.

Tears filled Buffy's eyes, she didn't bother to wipe them away, instead letting them fall. "Please tell me this isn't happening," she pleaded. "Please, anybody, please," she tried, looking into the face of everyone in the room with her. "Where is she?" she demanded.

"Next door," Xander answered hesitantly. "But Buffy maybe you shouldn't…"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Buffy was up and running out of the room. Before anyone could follow her, she entered the other room, slamming the door shut and slipping a chair underneath it, so no one could enter.

Only once she was sure she'd have privacy did she turn around. A body lay motionlessly, covered by a white sheet from head to toe. Hesitantly she moved closer, gathering everything she had in her, she pulled the sheet down, and stared down at the face of the woman she loved.

"Faith, no, baby, no," she cried. "Please wake up, please. We need you. Nevaeh and I need you. Please, baby," she pleaded, but got no response. "Please just wake up and hold me. Tell me everything is going to be alright. Please."

Buffy cried there for what felt like hours. Everything she'd ever wanted, all her dreams were with the woman before her. She didn't know how to go on without her. She cried until there were no tears left in her to cry. Climbing on the bed, she wrapped her arms around the cold body, still wishing this was all some nightmare. Finally exhausted, she fell into a light sleep, praying when she woke up, it would be to a different world.

~BF~

"How's she doing?" Xander asked Willow several hours later. They'd finally managed to get into the room, finding their friend sound asleep, curled into Faith's lifeless body. Xander had managed to carry her home without waking her. She might be pissed at them later for that, but it wasn't good for her to stay so close to where Faith now laid.

"She's still sleeping," Willow answered, exhaustion evident in her voice. They'd all been up all night, but no one dared fall asleep. Too afraid of what Buffy would do when she woke up.

"Has anyone told Nevaeh?"

"No, Anya managed to get her back to sleep after she convinced her that she'd make sure her Mom got the soup she made her. Besides, I think that's a conversation Buffy needs to have with her."

"You're probably right," Xander sighed. None of them wanted to believe this was real. They knew it was all a possibility, but still, none of them really believed it would happen. They'd dealt with death many times, but this was different. There was a child involved. How were they supposed to handle this?

They both turned, when they heard a faint cry come from upstairs. Getting up from the couch, they both made their way up to Buffy's room, finding her thrashing in her sleep. "Faith, no, Faith, behind you."

"Buffy, wake up," Willow spoke, gently shaking Buffy trying to wake her up. "It's…" she stopped, she was about to tell her it was just a dream, but how could she do that when Buffy was clearly reliving the night before? "Wake up," she simply tried again.

"Willow?" the blonde questioned, finally waking. "Willow," she said again, but this time, crying into her friend's arms. "Please tell me this isn't real."

"I'm so sorry," her friend cried with her. "We'll get through this."

"No, we won't. Faith is gone, there's no getting through that," she told her, trying to pull herself together. "Where's Nevaeh?" she asked, as soon as she realized what still needed to be done.

"She's sleeping."

She looked at her alarm clock, seeing it was after seven in the morning. Late enough to wake her up for the day. "You guys can head downstairs, or leave if you want. I'm okay," she half lied. She'd never be okay without Faith, but she really didn't relish the idea of being hovered over. "I'm going to go talk to my daughter."

"No, Mommy, you wrong! Mama not dead!" Vaeh shouted a little while later, after Buffy had gently broken the news to their baby girl.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," Buffy tried to pull Vaeh into her arms, but the girl just shrugged her off.

"No, she not dead! I know she not!"

Buffy sighed, not knowing what to do. She knew it was going to be hard on Nevaeh, but she wasn't expecting this complete denial. The only thing she could do now was be there for when Nevaeh finally accepted what had happened.

~BF~

Every resident of the Slayer school stood outside at the back of the compound. Before them, three large holes were dug, with caskets hanging over them. Two other Slayers had lost their lives that night.

When there was only one Slayer it was easy to let their death go unexplained and let the proper protocols take place. But now that there were hundreds, they had decided to dedicate a part of the grounds to a small cemetery. This was the first time it's been used.

The first time the earth had been dug up, and it was to bury her wife. No other thought could enter her mind, because that was all she could think about. She was sad for the other two girls they were also burying today, but it didn't compare to staring down into the casket Xander had built for her wife.

With Nevaeh's hand in her own, they watched as the other part of their family was lowered into the ground. The only thought on Buffy's mind as the ropes stopped moving signifying it had hit the ground, was that this wasn't real. This couldn't be real.