The Missing Half

Chapter 7 – Pendulum

During the next few days, the slayers found themselves sparring and patrolling, talking and laughing, and the having more fun than they had in awhile.

Four days after Faith's arrival, Buffy and Faith fought in the Summers' backyard. Buffy's fist shot out and Faith ducked out of it way and quickly kicked her foot towards Buffy's face. Buffy caught her slayer and used her momentum to throw Faith across the yard. Faith rolled as she landed, back-flipped back to Buffy and swept her legs out from underneath her. As Buffy fell, she kicked her own legs out and caught Faith just behind the knee, driving her to the ground as well. The two slayers sprang back to their feet.

"Looks like a pretty even match Buffy. But I think the odds are about to swing my way." Faith jeered.

"Oh please, you sound like a numskull vamp. I so have the upper hand…"

"Yeah, what?"

"The element of surprise."

As Faith tried to contemplate what Buffy had said, Buffy jumped forward, wrapped her arms around Faith's waist, and drove her to the ground. The blonde slayer pinned Faith's arms with one hand and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"I win."

"Alright, alright B, whatever, I'm hungry. So you go ahead and gloat and I'll just go get a snack. You want anything?" Buffy let Faith get up and shook her head.

"Naw I'm fine, but I'm kinda thirsty could you---" She was cut off by Faith once again knocking her legs out from under her. Faith kicked her foot out and placed it gently on Buffy's throat.

"Looks like we're both winners." With that Faith offered her hand to Buffy and pulled her up. The two girls walked arm in arm into the house to get their refreshments.

As Buffy watched the younger slayer eat, she thought about what the past few days had been like. 'This is so different. So different from how things were prior to Faith's arrival. I have a partner to go slaying with, someone to watch my back. And someone else to hang with. Sparring with Faith is so much better than kicking Xander around in a blow up suit. I can't believe all this is happening, I just hope it can stay this way…'

Buffy trailed away from her thoughts when Faith exclaimed, "Mmmm hmm that was good, I love those little Bagel Bites…they're so cute. I could just eat them up…oh wait I already did!" Faith laughed at her own lame joke, clearly entertaining herself. Buffy just gave Faith her open-mouthed stare of disbelief mixed with amusement.

After the girls finished their refreshments, they decided to have a little movie-fest before patrol. So Buffy called upstairs to Dawn and the three of them gathered on the Summers' couch and watched their favorite flicks. Dawn wanted to watch Eurotrip, Buffy picked Cruel Intentions, and Faith chose to watch Wrong Turn. Buffy couldn't help but notice that their selection of movies represented so much about themselves. Eurotrip was funny, sarcastic, and upbeat, much like Dawn's teenaged self. Faith picked Wrong Turn, an action packed, rough, and intense movie. And Buffy and Cruel Intentions: it seemed that both were dramatic, truthful, and filled with sorrow. 'Yep that's me, sorrow-girl. She loved Sebastian, and then what happens? He dies.' Buffy thought sadly.

Faith noticed Buffy's sudden frown and she patted Buffy's hand reassuringly. Buffy was taken aback by the action. It amazed her that one touch could mean so much.

…………………

A few hours later, Buffy went upstairs to get changed for her patrol. Dawn and Faith sat downstairs and lightly teased each other back and forth.

"So Little D, how's school been? Well, actually, don't tell me anything about the learning part, unless you have something to tell me about Sex Ed."

"What? Me? N-No!" Dawn stuttered, clearly surprised by Faith's question. "I mean yeah, there's boys, but I don't want to, you now. Not yet…I mean, ummm…" By this point Dawn had worked herself into a slight hysteria. Her face turning bright red.

"Hey Bite-size! Chill! Don't worry, you don't have to tell anything personal. But is there anyone? Any boy at school that finds the littlest Summers to be someone he wants?"

Dawn relaxed when she realized she could answer this one, and a lot awkwardly at that. "Well there's this one guy. His name's Paul. He's kinda cute. We have PE together, and we've started talking a lot. He's a pretty neat guy. And he's got this nice smile, and pretty hair and bright eyes and…" Dawn trailed off when she realized she had rambled on a bit much. "Sorry Faith, I think I just started to try to bring back the ancient city of Babble-onia. Heh heh…get it?" Dawn smiled weakly, then stared down at her hands in embarrassment.

"Hey D it's ok, we all get caught up in those kind of things…so me and big sis gotta go on patrol, you gunna be ok here for the night?"

"Yeah, I should be."

"Ok then, I'm gunna go get our weapons and stuff, I'll be back in a sec ok?"

"Alright." Faith left the room and Dan walked to their mantelpiece. She picked up a picture of her mom and looked deeply at it. She wanted so much for her mom to be back. But she knew it wasn't going to happen. All of a sudden, Dawn got the urge to visit her mom's grave, and, being the teenager that she was, she acted on her impulse. Dawn ran quickly out of the house, silently crying.

As her shoes pounded on the pavement, she lost herself in her thoughts. 'Mommy, I need you so much. I want to tell YOU about the boys in my life. I want to stay with YOU at night when Buffy goes on her patrols. I just want you.'

A few minutes later, Dawn found herself at her mother's grave. She sobbed violently into the soil above her mother's body. 'Mommy I miss you so much.' Dawn curled up on her mom' grave, and tried to picture her sitting next to her, stroking her hair, and whispering reassuring words into her ear.

What Dawn didn't realize was that her loud cries drew attention to her. Attention from vampires.

……………….

Faith grabbed her weapons, a pointy stake and a vial of holy water from the kitchen counter, and walked back into the living room. The scene before her surprised her. By the fireplace on the floor was a picture of Buffy's mom, luckily it had not broken from the fall. Faith looked over and saw that the door was slightly ajar. She also observed that Dawn's coat was missing. Something clicked in Faith's mind 'Oh shit. Dawn. Her mom. Her mother's grave. All that talk about boys and stuff, I should've noticed how uncomfortable Dawnie looked! I gotta get there before something happens to her!'

Faith called up to Buffy as she grabbed another stake and shoved it into the pocket of her pants. "B! Dawn took off. She's gone to your mom's grave. I'm going after her!" Faith left and sprinted to the cemetery. All the while hoping she wasn't too late.

……………….

Upstairs, Buffy heard Faith calling up to her. All Buffy heard was "Dawn took off...mom's grave..."As the words registered in her mind, she picked up her coat and ran downstairs. She saw the dropped picture of her mother, and paused for a second, wondering what made Dawn take off like that. Without hesitating another moment, Buffy ran to the cemetery.

……………….

Faith continued her sprint to the cemetery, and when she got there, she saw four vampires stalking Dawn hungrily, who was curled on top of her mother's grave. One of the vampires hauled Dawn to her feet and punched her in the face, his knuckles tearing the skin open above her eyebrow. Small droplets of blood dripped onto her shirt, staining the shirt a deep crimson color. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Faith making dust of the three vampires and standing over her, with worry in her eyes. Her savoir.

'Oh crap, what do I do? Is she ok? She's human, these head wounds can be serious!' Faith angrily thought. She was so mad that she had let Dawn run off like that. She curled her fist into a ball at her side. In her other hand she held the stake.

………………..

Buffy finally made it to the cemetery and saw her worst nightmare. Dawn was lying on the ground, blood smeared on her forehead, small drops of red on her shirt. Faith was kneeling over her, one hand clenched into a fist, the other holding a stake over Dawn.

Images flashed through Buffy's mind. Buffy and Faith fighting vampires in an alley. Faith turning to stake something that wasn't a vamp. Faith staking a human. Blood on his chest, so much blood. Faith standing over him, stake poised in that same position that it was now held over Dawn. Dawn, her poor sister who was unconscious and bleeding.

Buffy was so caught up in the moment, caught up in those awful memories that she immediately assumed the worst of Faith. Before she knew what she was doing, Buffy tackled Faith to the ground and jabbed her in the face. Faith stayed down and Buffy jumped to her feet. She looked down at Faith malice in her eyes. While Buffy knew that Faith had not actually hurt Dawn, she convinced herself that Faith was the reason this whole thing had happened.

"What did you do!" Buffy yelled. To herself, Buffy thought 'How could Faith let this happen? Was she not watching Dawn? Why did she just let her run off like that? She must have said something. It's all her fault. All her fault that Dawnie's out here.'

Buffy continued to stare down at Faith, who had blood dribbling from her lip. Faith who looked so stunned. So hurt. So completely lost and scared. Buffy heard a soft moan from behind her and to Dawn, who was waking up. She protectively moved her sister's head into her lap, all the anger leaving her body.

"Dawnie? Dawn, are you ok? What happened?"

"Faith. We were talking. She left to get something. I wanted mom. I ran out of there. Then the vamps came. She saved me, Buffy. She saved me." Dawn reached her hand to touch the cut on her hand and winced at the contact. "Damn vamps."

"So, she didn't say anything to you? This isn't her fault? Oh god. I am an idiot! Stupid idiot Buffy! I need to find her." Buffy clenched her fists in anger. 'How could I do that? Just automatically blame her like that…I need to get to her. Make things right.' Buffy was furious with herself. "Dawn, we have to get to the house, she could be halfway out of Sunnydale by now. C'mon, let's go home"

In order to speed up the process, Buffy scooped Dawn into her arms and sprinted to her home. She just hoped she could make it there in time.

………………..

As soon as Buffy had turned from Faith to check on Dawn, Faith climbed to her feet and ran off into the black of the night.

What Faith didn't know was that Buffy didn't think that she actually hurt her. Faith didn't know what happened just then. 'What did I do? Dawn…oh god. Buffy thinks I hurt her. She can't trust me. Why would I hurt Dawn? I could never do something like that. I can't be here. Buffy doesn't trust me. Buffy doesn't trust me. Buffy doesn't trust me…'

A/N: What's gunna happen? The more reviews I get, the faster it will be out on the shelves of the Fanfiction library! (Wow this chapter's just full of corny jokes…)