The Missing Half

Chapter 26 – Bath Water Blues

(Faith's POV)

BANG! Growing up in the bad part of town, I've heard plenty of gunshots. Just not one in the same room as me. Or a few yards from my head. A few yards…even being a slayer, and staring death down before my very eyes everyday, straight in the demony face of a monster, nothing has scared me like this. You think you know how you might react with a gun pointed at your head. You think you know, but until you're actually yards away from cold steel and silver bullets, you don't. I thought I was tougher than bullets. Damn was I wrong.

Where was I? Oh yeah.

BANG!

I must be dead right? It's dark, quiet, and I still have that tingly feeling I get when I'm around B. If I'm dead, why does it feel like I'm squeezing my eyelids shut?

Maybe because I am.

Squeezing my eyes shut that is…as for dead, well, I'm not.

I'm not dead. Ok that qualifies as a reason to jump for joy.

So, I'm not dead…than where the Hell did that bullet go?

And what happened?

(Buffy's POV)

Riley stood there, holding a gun yards away form my lover's face.

His finger tightened on the trigger.

And the strangest thing happened.

A crossbow bolt that seemed to come from nowhere pierced Riley's meaty hand and the gun was whipped to the side.

Riley cried out in pain; and in his anguish, he must have pulled the trigger.

The sound of a gun going off is one I won't soon forget.

And the hole in the wall beside Faith's head will be a constant reminder.

My girl's gunna live to see another day.

(Faith's POV)

I turn my head slightly to the right once I'm able to gain control over my motor functions again.

There, staring me straight in the eyes is a bullet hole. One that seemed to penetrate the first few inches of wall before being stopped by the thickness of the wood.

That coulda been me. That bullet could of gone a few inches into me, maybe stopped by my spinal cord. I could be Faith, the human piece of Swiss cheese.

But I'm not.

I survey the scene in front of me. It's chaos now. Riley's curled into a ball, holding his ruined hand close to his chest, tears in his eyes. He's out of the picture for now. I look over at B, but her gaze is held somewhere else. She's looking towards the far end of the room, clearly captivated by the presence before her.

I slowly turn my head, completely unsure of what I'm going to see. A demon with two hundred spikes protruding from his bumpy body? A transparent ghost floating in mid-air? Or maybe a supermodel dressed in a barely there swimsuit?

Nope it's none of those.

Except this girl could definitely model.

When I turn my head to the side, the sight that greets my eyes is not one of disgusting putridness, but beauty at it's finest. Not as beautiful as B of course, nothing's more gorgeous than my partner, but she is more than pretty, I'll give her that.

But that's all I'll give her.

"Who the Hell are you?" I ask in a surprisingly calm tone.

"I believe the words tha' should have come out of your mouth are 'Thank you for saving my ass you wonderful Goddess,'" the woman replies. A thick Australian accent is evident in her smooth and chipper voice.

B steps closer to the woman and sticks out her hand. "I'm Buffy, that's Faith, and I'm guessing that you're Davie, the new slayer."

The woman, Davie, grips B's hand tightly and shakes it vigorously.

"That's me. The third one o' you guys. The Council sent m' here to make sure you guys could 'andle the new Big Bad Ugly. Apparently you guys got a little somethin' else on your hands. Not as big or bad, but definitely just as ugly," Davie states nonchalantly as she glances at Riley who is straining to regain his composure.

"Hey B, I like this girl already. Fits right in. Just one of us girls" I feel myself beginning to babble. I glance at Riley again who's getting to his feet, struggling just a little. I look back at Davie with a shit-eating grin. "Can you poke him with another crossbow?" I ask her. "Please?"

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Davie meanders to the side of the room where Riley is bracing himself against the wall. In one swift motion, she sweeps her arm up against Riley's throat and pins him to the wall, the tips of his toes frantically searching for purchase on the carpet, but coming up empty.

Davie stares him down with a look fierce enough to make a rabid dog back down in fear. This girl is already my hero.

"So mate, how's the hand?" Davie asks menacingly. "Cuz there's a two for one sale on crossbow holes today, and I wan' t' give you ya money's worth." Davie raises her hand clenching a crossbow bolt tightly and brings it level with his other hand.

Riley squirms nervously in her grasp. But all that does is make the pressure on his throat more intense.

"If you promise t' leave these fine girls alone, I might let you walk out of 'ere with one working hand. Make another move on 'em and I will permanently incapacitate you. And don't think I'll limit myself t' just your hands, there are other extremities I can work with." Davie winks at him and lets him drop to the floor.

Riley crumbles to the floor in a heap and begins to sob. B looks at him concernedly. Even after the stunt he just pulled, my girl still wants to help the poor son of a bitch. Whatever.

"Go ahead B, you calm down the meathead, and I'll get Davie here acquainted with our humble abode." B nods thankfully and I move my hands to beckon Davie to follow me.

Once Davie and I exit the room, I can hear B's soft hushes as she tries to calm the hysterical soldier.

"So, you're the new Slayer huh? I gotta tell ya Davie, I forgot about that little loophole when I...when I…" I take a deep breath and try again. "…When I died. Jeez I'm never gunna get used to that one. Hey guys! Remember that time I died? That'll go over well in a job interview. I can see it now. 'So Faith, tell me; what skills do you possess?' 'Well sir, I'm really good at dying.'" I stop myself when I realize how many words I just said to this newcomer.

"Sorry Davie. I tend to do that when I get nervous. Which I am. I mean the reason you're here, why you were called; it's a little new to me. I guess this is how B feels whenever she watches me slay."

Davie just smiles widely, her bright teeth shining in the kitchen light. "Well, I'm here now. And I want t' beat this baddy down. But I would love to get t' know my partners. What's the deal with you an' Buffy?"

(Buffy's POV)

Riley's blubbering has subsided a little as a rub small circles in his back. Something clearly is wrong with him. A year ago, he would have never even thought about doing something like this no matter how much he loved me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm pissed. He almost killed Faith. But maybe there's still a chance to salvage his soul. To sort things out and then send him packing.

I pull Riley away from my body and study him at arms length, taking in his haggard tired appearance, the weary distraught eyes complete with a semi-new scar snaking it's way up the right side of his face. I didn't notice it earlier.

"Riley?" I ask tentatively. "Do you want to talk?"

Riley looks up at me with pleading eyes. I take that as a "yes".

"Why did you do this? What happened since you left?"

Riley takes a deep breath and lens against the wall.

"It all started when I left that day in the helicopter," he began. "You weren't there. Do you know how that feels Buffy? Someone that you thought you loved, someone that you thought wanted to be with you lets you take off in a helicopter to go face dangers in an unknown area. Were you that unhappy Buffy?"

I don't know what to say. I knew that it hurt him, it hurt me too. I just didn't know how badly.

"I'm sorry Riley, I just…I was going through some hard times, and I just didn't love you that way. Not anymore. You were safe. Like a big security blanket. I was afraid to let you go." Wow that sounded kind of harsh. "Riley, I'm really sorry I—"

"Save it Buffy. I really don't want to hear it. It's plain to see that unless a person is say…undead, or maybe a hooker with big breasts, you can't love them."

I can feel the anger flashing across my features. I want so badly to just reach out and slap the snot out of him. But I hold my temper. I want this to be semi-peaceful.

"Low-blow Riley. And that's the last one you get. I'm trying to help you, so get with the telling or I will kick your sorry ass out of here faster than you can say 'crushed genitals'. Now, please, continue."

"Fine." Riley gives an exasperated sigh and continues to fill me in. "So I went on my mission and met Sam. We fell in love…real love and got married once we completed our tasks. For a while we lived a relatively normal life. We bought a little place in France and did regular people things: sightseeing, bike riding, eating out. It went well for a few months until we were sent on another mission. This one was in an African jungle. We were supposed to hunt and destroy these massive demons. Ugliest creatures I have ever seen."

Riley clears his throat and his voice chokes up as he goes on. "We were in a forest; it was damp, sticky and dirty. Sam and I stood back to back; we were near the demon's nest. We scanned the area, not seeing anything at first. But before either of us could react, the bastard demon fell from the trees and impaled one of their massive blades through Sam's throat. I held her as she died."

Riley's voice cracked but he kept going in fear that if he stopped now, he wouldn't ever be able to finish. "I freaked out. I rose from the ground and tried to take on the demons by myself. I knew the other guys would be there soon, but I was consumed with my goal to make those beasts pay. I killed about four of them until one got a lucky shot in." He stopped and pointed to the scar on his face. "Another one got me in the gut. I barely got out of there."

"My men had to pull me away from my wife's body. I wouldn't let go, and I didn't. As the soldiers dragged my body through the forest in escape, I dragged Sam's. When we got back to the base, it was dark. I went into my tent and took Sam with me. After that, everything is a blur. The trip home, the funeral, the next few weeks after that I can't remember well. Next thing I know, I'm on boarding a plane to Los Angeles and then taking the bus to good ol' Sunnydale."

"I'm sorry Buffy. I didn't mean to hurt you, threaten you. Dammit! I had a gun pointed at someone! I wish I could tell you why, but I lost control of myself. I never wanted to hurt you, or anyone who's ummm…close… to you. I'm so sorry."

Dear God that was a heart wrenching story. That loss…it's something people shouldn't have to go through. What Riley almost did could have been catastrophic, but the circumstances were...well it at least makes it easier to try and forgive him.

"So, Riley, I'm trying this thing, called forgiveness, I hear it's good for the soul and keeps you pores clean. It's ok Big Guy. And I'm sorry for your loss. Just, be ok alright? Try to live again…it's what Sam would want."

Riley's eyes are glued to the floor. He looks…embarrassed? "Thanks Buffy…and again, I AM sorry. I should, I should go…"

"You'll always be special to me, but if you try to hurt her again, I just want you to know, I won't forgive so easily again."

"You really love her don't you Buffy?"

"I do Riley, I really do."

I walk to the bathroom and grab a hand towel and the first aid kit and quickly patch up Riley's wounded hand.

We walk out the door and down the sidewalk a few paces.

"Be safe Riley." I say and give him a brief hug.

"Always," he replies, then walks away down the street.

(Faith's POV)

So I'm sitting in here, talking to this new slayer, and I gotta say, this chick kicks ass. Number one, she's from Australia. I've watched Aussie soap operas…nothin' but beauty in that continent.

Number two…within the first three minutes of meeting her, she shot Buffy's ex in the hand, pinned him against he wall, and almost made him piss his pants.

Number three…she's a slayer. That makes her uber cool automatically. Like that was even a question…psh…slayers know how to get it done.

So…my initial observations leave me with a satisfactory feeling. Our new partner in crime will be an excellent addition to the team. Nothing says 'dust' to a vamp like three slayers.

I hear the faint sounds of B and Cap'n Cardboard talkin' it up downstairs. Might as well make conversation with the newbie here.

"So…Davie…how long have you known? That you were a slayer?"

"I've known for the last five years. I mean I didn't become the slayer 'til you ummm…kicked the bucket, but my watcher found me a long time ago. We trained and he taught me stuff. Like how to itch those hard to reach spots." Davie winks at me as she says this last one…and then it clicks in my head.

"You and your watcher…you were ah…close? As in his gopher in your hole?"

"Yep."

Suddenly the disturbing and made-up image of Giles doin' the dirty with B crosses my mind. Puke. Now.

"Umm, he wasn't…uuuhh really old was he? Cuz B's ex-watcher redefines the words 'ancient' and 'history'."

"Blimey! That's a nasty mental image. Nope, my watcher is twenty-six years old. He's something o' a prodigy at the Council. He's the brainy type. But not at all nerdy. We're kinda a thing. And I do miss him terribly." Davie gets a little red in the face. "Wow sorry 'bout all that! I kinda just got all gushy right there."

"It's alright," I start, and I can't stop myself before I say, "I'm the same about B." The words fly out of my mouth and I turn to the wall in slight embarrassment.

"I thought so. You guys just radiate this energy. Those little glances you guys shoot each other… I knew you all of two minutes before I came t' the conclusion that you were a love kinda thing."

I sigh in relief. "She's truly amazing. I'm sure the Council filled you in on all my dark deeds of the past. And the fact that I've changed for the better. After a little bit of initial arguing, B accepted me…and now we're where we are. I couldn't be happier."

"That's good Faith…I'm guessing nothin's more potent than two slay-gals in love. Except maybe this odor I'm letting off right now. I've got a bag in the car…do you think I could crash 'ere tonight?"

"Sure thing. I bet B will let you sleep in her old room. It'll give her a good reason to sleep in my bed tonight." I wink towards Davie and she chuckles.

"Alright, thanks Faith, I'll get my stuff…do you think I could take a bath too? I'm sorry to just come barging in like this, but I've been on a plane for a while and then driving in a gross bus filled with some …interesting people. I haven't felt the luxury of a good soaping in quite a few days."

"It's no biggie. You saved my life…and you are a sister slayer now."

Davie smiles broadly. "Good. Well, I'll see you in a bit I guess."

Miss Aussie walks out of the room and to her car to get her stuff.

I sit on the bed, trying to comprehend what all just happened.

For starters, I almost got killed. I think I need to lie down.

About fifteen minutes later, I hear the water turn on. Davie's taking her bath.

A few minutes after that I hear the front door creak open. I look out the bedroom window and see B give Riley a gentle hug goodbye. Surprisingly, it doesn't make me jealous or angry. B knows what she's doing, and hopefully that overgrown ape won't come back again. I can't help it if B is just naturally kind.

I see B watch Riley leave, and I am mesmerized by the sight of my blonde goddess standing there, the wind whipping her hair around her face, her arms folded across her chest. A small smile forms on her face and she slowly makes her way back to the house.

A loud thumping noise brings me out of my reverie.

It came from the bathroom, where the faucet is still running.

I sprint to the bathroom door and knock lightly. "Davie? Is everything ok in there?"

There's no answer.

I knock a little harder. "Davie! Are you alright!"

All that greets my ears is the monotonous sounds of a bath being filled.

I knock one more time and when there's still no reply, I try the handle.

Luckily the door's unlocked.

I burst in, not caring how naked Davie might be, but just that she's ok.

One glance in the bathroom tells me she's not.

Davie's lying on her side in the tub, her head completely submerged in the bath water.

I pull her out quickly and check for a pulse. It's there, strong, but fading. I place my ear over her mouth and am not surprised to see that she's not breathing.

I try to recall how my watcher taught me to apply CPR. I tip Davie's head up and blow gently into her mouth twice. Check for breathing, and then give her a quick pump on the chest above her sternum.

Still nothing.

I'm faintly aware of a presence behind me, but I need to focus on getting Davie breathing.

I lower my mouth and try again.

(Buffy's POV)

Riley's gone again. For good this time I hope. I go back to my house, in desperate need to give Faith a serious case of the smoochies.

When I get inside, I hear bath water running. Thinking it's Faith, I go upstairs and make my way to the bathroom.

When I turn the corner and get my first good glimpse of the scene taking place in the bathroom, I was not prepared.

Nope, not at all.

Faith, with her luscious lips pressing against a naked woman's mouth in a way that looks very much like kissing is one of those things you won't just forget.

A/N: Sorry about the time it took to update this one! I've got huge finals coming up and about two hundred projects due. But please review! It makes me happy! Feel free to give ideas for anything, I don't mind hearing what you want! Just tell me what you think, both the good and the bad. Every last review helps! Thanks!