The Missing Half

Chapter 9 – Blonde Hair and Hippos

The earth rumbled and shook in a powerful earthquake. The ground around the slayers cracked and began to open up. As soon as Faith saw the ground beneath them opening up, she pushed Buffy out of the way.

Seconds after doing so, the ground under Faith's feet collapsed and she fell into the black abyss.

"FAITH!" Buffy screamed in heart-wrenching grief.

The rumbling stopped and Buffy crawled over to the hole Faith had fallen into. She prepared herself for the worst and peered over the edge.

………………..

One minute Faith was admitting her feelings for her fellow slayer and the next, the earth broke apart. Faith was only concerned for the well being of the other slayer, so when the ground broke open she pushed Buffy as far as she could away from the danger. Then, Faith fell.

She felt herself dropping, and she wondered how long the fall was. A good 40 feet down, Faith hit the floor of an underground cavern. As soon as she hit the ground, blackness enveloped her.

……………….

Buffy peered over the side of the hole and saw the vague outline of her sister slayer lying crumpled at the floor of the cavern. 'I need to get to her. Please be ok…please.' She silently prayed to the higher beings Faith was still alive. While the fall alone was not far enough to kill her from the impact, she was worried that Faith had landed wrong.

Buffy slid her body over the edge of the hole and carefully began scaling down the side. Her fingers fought to find jagged edges she could grab hold of. Within a few minutes, Buffy landed on the ground next to Faith. She slowly turned her over and scanned her body for life-threatening damage.

Faith had a large cut on her forehead that was steadily dripping blood. The side of her face seemed to be bruised, but not broken. Amazingly enough, her arms and legs were not broken, but when she felt under Faith's ripped shirt for broken ribs, she found a few uneven edges. From what Buffy could tell, she had broken three ribs. However, her breathing seemed to be regular, showing no sign of punctured lungs.

Faith's body was covered in cuts and bruises, and a gash in her side where she had landed on a small sharp rock was bleeding freely. Buffy fought against the tears that threatened to spill. She needed to get Faith out of this hole and to a hospital. It was then that Buffy realized she was in an underground cavern.

"This must lead somewhere…I've got no other choice." Buffy thought aloud to herself.

She scooped the younger girl up in her arms and walked carefully through the winding maze of the cavern. After walking for fifteen minutes, Buffy saw a flicker of light from around a corner. She quickened her pace and made her way to the source. She came to a small room, and saw a torch on a wall. Buffy immediately went into full alert mode as she walked across the room to the spiral staircase Buffy guessed was the way out.

'Wow some vamp has a nice place.' She spotted a television set and some furniture scattered around the room. 'Could definitely use some Martha Stewart, but still, not bad.' Buffy really hoped that the vampire that occupied the place was out hunting. Her thoughts were disturbed when Buffy felt a stirring in her arms. She looked down and saw Faith struggling to wake up.

Buffy raced over to the vamp's couch and carefully laid Faith on it. She started softly stroking Faith's hair and whispering to her. "Faith, c'mon wake up, we need to get outta here and it's gunna be a lot easier with you kinda awake." Faith's eyes slowly fluttered open and she blinked at the light. "That's it. C'mon your safe…ish."

"B?" She softly asked.

………………………

(Faith's POV)

Ugggh. I've had some bad hangovers that create some pretty wicked hangovers. But this was ridiculous. My head is pounding and my body just aches. What the hell happened? I was standing there talking to B and then the Earth just decided to eat me. Shit. I don't want to open my eyes. I don't know where I am, and I don't know if I can stand the light. I feel like I'm in someone's arms, but I'm too weak to lift my head. This person's embrace is so warm, I start to move closer into it, but the person puts me down on a rough soft thing. Kinda like an old couch.

Then the stroking starts…my hair. Somebody's touching my hair. I could definitely get used to waking up like this. Soft touches and a voice whispering into my ears. I wanna go to it. It sounds so much like B. Oh shit. B. The earthquake, the ground swallowing us up. Is she ok? Oh my God, B.

I struggle to open my eyes, they instantly protest against the harsh light, even though it seems to be a dim flickering. I need to know if she's ok.

"B?" I ask. I try to talk but it comes out weaker than I intended. I open my eyes fully and am greeted by a sight that makes my head spin even more. Buffy. Her beautiful green orbs staring brightly into mine. I get so lost in those eyes. She reaches down and strokes my hair, moving it away from my face.

"Yeah Faith, it's me. How's the noggin'?" Her words come out so softly. I'm so mesmerized by her that I didn't even realize the pain until she had mentioned it. I notice the sticky feeling on my forehead and I move my arm to try to rub it away. Aww damn. Stupid. My ribs suddenly blaze with a fire so intense I coulda sworn I just swallowed an exploding dynamite.

"Ungh. Oggh. Oermph." I groan out loud and realize unintelligible grunts aren't gunna get me anywhere. "Ugh, B my ribs. They hurt like…something...something I dunno trampled them. Something big. Hippo." Oh wow even smarter sounding. B must think I am the biggest moron ever. Hippos…where the hell did that come from?

She's looking down at me with this kind of amused but concerned glance. "Hmmm, I woulda gone with rhinoceros. They have horns." She said this last fact like it made some sort of difference.

"Yeah B sure. I mean, I guess I'd go with horny…it's how I feel when my ribs don't feel like they're imploding quite so much...sometimes." That's better.

B looks down at me, now definitely more amused than before. "I think you're ribs are kinda…broken? Three of them. Might be the reason for the horny burny feeling."

"Or maybe the horny feeling is cos this blonde haired beauty is staring down at me" Ha. She set herself up for that one. I don't regret the words that come outta my mouth. It's just who I am. Besides I like seeing B get all hot and bothered.

God she's beautiful.

………………..

(Buffy's POV)

Oh. Did she just say that? Blonde haired beauty? I look down at her and she's giving me this look that says "Ya I said that, do I care? Not really." So typical of Faith. I try to play it off.

"Well this blonde haired beauty is no angel. In fact. She has to be cruel right now. Faith we gotta get out of here. Something's going on. The earth just opened up. Far from puppies and lollipops. I gotta see if Giles knows anything about this. He was supposed to get back form his trip today. Sorry Faith but you are gunna have to get up."

I hate making her walk with those broken ribs and cuts but we really do have to leave. Faith sticks out her lower lip and pouts. Faith pouting. She looks so cute…ugh Buffy! Problem at hand. Deal.

"Alright B, I'm gettin up." She slowly stands up on wobbly legs and I reach my arm out to steady her. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and we slowly make our way out of the crypt.

The two woman hobbling team is making progress. About halfway there Faith speaks up again.

"Jeez B remind me to stop falling. Its gunna really kill me someday."

"Well Faith, it's not the fall that kills you, it's what stops---"

I'm suddenly cut off by a blonde vampire entering my view.

"Slayers." He growled, the two syllables accentuated by the hunger dripping from his fangs.

A/N: Ah hah! Another cliffhanger eh? Don't want to leave the story there…you review, I type new chapter. Simple.