Buffy sat awkwardly on the arm of the chair Faith had been sitting in for the last half an hour as they all listened to Willow tell them what had happened after she'd died. The Powers That Be were behind her soul's return to the world since it hadn't been her time to die just yet. The Powers had plans for her, of course, but Willow wasn't allowed to tell them what most of those plans were.
Buffy hadn't said a word since she and Faith had left the bedroom and she hadn't even looked at Faith once since the soft kiss they shared before they'd gotten dressed. Their bittersweet goodbye, as Faith was now referring to that moment between them, had been drastically cut short by Willow's sudden and unexpected arrival and she knew it was a moment they'd never get back. Not today. Definitely not tomorrow. She wasn't going to say they'd never get a chance to be together again because she wanted to keep her options—and her heart—open. She knew she should've been paying more attention to Willow instead of just thinking about her and Buffy and where they now stood, especially after what Buffy had told her.
"When you get back, Faith...I'm not going to be here."
The words cut through her heart like a knife, and every time she heard them over and over again in her head the knife plunged deeper into her heart, twisting it until she just couldn't take it any longer. She almost wished Buffy hadn't chosen to sit right there with her, but the seating around the apartment was limited with everyone else in there listening to everything Willow had to say. It'd been too much all day, first with Angel, then with Buffy basically breaking up with her while telling her they weren't really breaking up, and then Willow pretty much coming back to life as a very non-corporeal Willow who could babble a hell of a lot longer than she'd ever been able to before.
Giles had been least surprised when he found out Willow was back even if she wasn't entirely herself. He had said—before Willow went into babble mode—that he had halfway expected the Powers That Be to send her back as she was much too powerful a witch and a force for good for the Powers to allow her death so early in life to stand. Xander could hardly believe his eye and he nearly choked on his Coke when Willow explained how the Powers sent her back directly into Buffy and Faith's bedroom. Kennedy couldn't stop laughing at that and Buffy, who Faith half expected to be embarrassed about it, just sat there looking a little spaced and unaffected by the whole thing. That was until Willow said something about handcuffs being a 'new fashion accessory' in their bedroom.
Even in all the seriousness of the moment, it caused everyone but Buffy to laugh. Faith just sat back on the chair with a smug grin firmly planted on her face as she waited for the laughter to die off. It made it seem like everything was almost okay again with Willow back there. It felt like she'd been part of the glue that had held everyone together. Her quip about the handcuffs had been funny, but it also brought a lot of realizations to light in Faith's mind, one of which was that this would never be the same between all of them as soon as she left to hunt down Angelus and kill him.
Buffy hadn't said a word to the others about her leaving and not coming back when Faith left to go to LA. She figured Buffy was waiting until after she was gone to talk to the others. They wouldn't like it and they probably wouldn't understand why she had to do it, either—why she had to run away instead of staying right there. Faith actually didn't want to be around when she told the others, so Buffy not saying anything was even working in her favour. She didn't know how much more she could handle, especially since the deal with Angel/Angelus had made her feel as if her world was about to cave in on itself. It was probably exactly how Buffy felt too when it came to Angel. In this situation it made her a little crazy to realize just how much Angel did mean to both of them, for two very different reasons.
"Can you pick things up?" Andrew asked as he stared long and hard at Willow. "Can you walk through walls? Through people?"
"I can't pick anything up, no. I can walk through walls and why would I want to walk through a person? That's all sorts of icky," Willow laughed as she shook her head.
"I think being a ghost is sort of cool," Andrew mused, smiling as Faith swore she could see a nerdgasm about to erupt inside of him. "You aren't really a ghost though, are you?"
"Technically? No," Willow said with a smile. "But it's the popular term so we'll go with that."
Faith chose that moment to leave the living room. After grabbing a beer from the fridge, she headed outside onto the balcony with Kennedy following close behind her. She shook her head and let out a half laugh, half sigh as she leaned against the railing.
"Ever wonder when things stopped surprisin' ya?" Faith asked Kennedy as she leaned against the railing next to her. "Cos I kinda lost track of when that started happening."
"The day I first came to Sunnydale things stopped surprising me," Kennedy replied with a laugh. "I thought I would've been at least a little shocked to know that Willow is back in very non-corporeal form, but it's just like 'oh, really? She's back?' kind of thing."
"Feels like we're losing ourselves somewhere along the way, don't it?"
"Yeah," Kennedy replied before quickly turning to look at Faith. "Wait, you are coming back from LA, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Gotta go where I'm needed and figure I'm needed here. For now."
"What about Buffy?"
"What about her? She's leaving, Ken."
"Why?"
"Just what she has to do," Faith shrugged, trying not to get over-emotional about the whole situation.
"And you are just going to let her go, just like that?"
"What am I s'posed to do then?"
"You love her, don't you?" Kennedy asked and all Faith could do was nod as she willed the tears away. "You know, that whole thing about letting someone go and them coming back if they love you? I'm thinking that's a crock. Don't let her go, Faith."
[Okay, I changed that dialogue because to me it didn't make sense to me originally. You have Kennedy saying "Don't let her go" but then saying "let her go & if she loves you...". I went with Kennedy not wanting her to let Buffy go and so rewrote the dialogue. Just so you know where I'm coming from and why.]
"Heard somethin' like that before, but it ain't got nothin' to do with what's goin' on between me and Buffy. This has to do with her and wherever she's at right now. Me goin' down to kill Angelus is gonna rip her apart inside as much as it's gonna rip me apart," Faith said, sighing as she lowered her head and looked down at the street below.
"Then don't go after him."
"Ain't got a fuckin' choice, Ken. You got no idea how dangerous Angelus is and for him to be actually overpowering Angel, with his soul still inside of him, it's just...I can't let Angel go through this."
"I know. Seems like the theme of the day is 'do what you gotta do' even if it doesn't feel like it's the right thing."
"What are you talkin' 'bout?"
"Satsu," Kennedy muttered under her breath. "I never thought it would be possible to fall in love this fast. I fell for Willow pretty hard, but not like this. Satsu is different. She's..."
"A Slayer. The connection you two have makes the attraction stronger."
"That what it was like for you and Buffy?"
"We got a different kind of connection and those effects from the barrier spell, which—get this," Faith let out a laugh as she turned to look back inside for a moment, "—turned out to be a whole crock of shit."
"Really?"
"Kinda," she shrugged and let out another short, sharp laugh. "Turns out I've always had a little more empathy than your average person. Just shut it off a long time ago. Guessin' the barrier spell and whatever effects it was producin' kinda set it all off."
"Could be. Still doesn't explain why you aren't going to stop Buffy from leaving."
"Cos I can't, Ken. If she needs to get outta here for a while, who am I to stop her from doin' what she needs to do?"
It hurt to think about losing Buffy completely and she knew that after a few days, weeks even, she'd have to make Buffy realize that she needed to be with her and not off wherever she planned to go. Parts of the old Faith were trying to come back, trying to take over who she was now and push her off that last step back into the darkness, into the void where she always lost herself. She hated trying to do the right thing, because the way she saw the Angelus situation there really wasn't any other way to do this. What hurt the most was thinking that nothing would be the same between her and Buffy ever again and she couldn't bear the thought of losing her and the love they'd found together, finally, after all those years.
Faith looked back inside, watching as Buffy, Giles, Xander, and Willow all talked and laughed as if nothing had happened in the last couple of weeks. Buffy looked over at her through the window and those butterflies she always felt whenever Buffy looked at her took off, making her feel a little weak in the knees just thinking how this could be the last time in god knows how long that Buffy would look at her like that, with such love and longing in her eyes.
"When are you leaving?" Kennedy asked quietly.
"Tomorrow, I'm thinkin'."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Willow showin' up like that right when we were...fuckin'—ruined the mood, yo."
They both shared a laugh, but Faith was only trying to cover the sadness in her voice, her laughter fading almost the instant that it started. She didn't want to think of losing Buffy. It just hurt so damn much to let that thought linger in her mind for too long. She ran a shaky hand through her hair as she watched Buffy walk over towards the balcony door. Kennedy took that as her cue to leave the two of them out there alone.
"Hey, you okay?" Buffy asked softly as she snaked her arms around Faith's waist.
"Five by five, B."
"No, you aren't 'five by five', Faith," Buffy said as she shook her head. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything to you before about me leaving and not being here when you come back."
"And what, just done it without sayin' a fuckin' word? Like that'd be any better. Fuck," Faith groaned as she lifted a hand to quickly wipe away her tears. "Do ya see what ya do to me, B? Nobody ever made me cry before."
"Except Robin."
"Different brand of tears, B."
"I don't want to do this, Faith."
"Then don't."
"I have to if you...Angel being gone is...I can't even just think about it right now without feeling a little...empty inside."
"B, you know he wouldn't want this. You know that this is the only way."
"Is it? Willow is back here now. She can figure something out. She'll fix him."
Faith could feel how torn Buffy was feeling right then and it ripped through her like a sharp knife as soon as she saw the tears fall. She knew Buffy didn't want to pick up and leave, even just for a little while, but she knew that there wasn't anything else she could do. It wasn't as if Faith wanted this either. It was the very last thing she wanted and needed right now, but it was going to happen no matter what. It had to.
"Buffy...you know that I gotta do this."
"I know."
"Wish it could be different. Wish things could just keep goin' the way they been, cos—shit, B, I ain't ever been in love before. Don't wanna lose what we got."
"We won't. I won't be gone for too long, Faith. Just long enough to...clear my head a little bit."
"I know, B."
"For once," Buffy said softly as she stared into Faith's eyes and ran her hands just under the hem of her shirt, smoothing her palms over her skin slowly. "For once I thought maybe this was it, that life was finally going to slow down and I could...stop slaying, and just be, and find out who else I am other than a Slayer. Starting to think that's all I am and I can't..."
"You are a helluva lot more than just a Slayer, B."
"I know."
"What do ya say we kick everybody out and continue where we left off earlier?" Faith whispered as she wiggled her eyebrows, trying so hard not to fall into that depressing little hole that she seemed to find herself in now. "Just wanna make love to ya all night long, B."
"Mm, I like the sound of that," Buffy murmured as she buried her face into the side of Faith's neck.
"But?" Faith asked as Buffy leaned back a little so she could look up at her. "But we can't, right?"
"There's a lot Willow hasn't even told us yet. Soon as the pizza Xander ordered gets here, we're going to sit down and talk, or rather listen while Willow tells us everything."
"This is gonna turn into an all night thing, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Think so."
"Think it's too late to duck out and go find some vamps to kill?"
"Faith..."
"What, B? I got a whole lotta tension to work out right about now and seeing how my preferred method ain't gonna happen, gotta compromise somehow."
Buffy pouted as she ran her hands up Faith's back a little and the brunette tried to relax, but found it impossible with Buffy's soft hands running over her skin. "You are really tense, Faith," she breathed across her neck as she planted a few soft kisses there before moving to her lips slowly.
"You tell everyone you're leavin' yet?"
"No."
"Just gonna pack up and leave, huh?"
"I told you. Besides, can we not...talk about this right now?"
Faith let out a soft sigh as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against Buffy's. She just wanted to kiss her and feel as if she were melting away. She didn't want to think of what would happen tomorrow, or the days that followed. She was done thinking of it. She closed her eyes as Xander came to the door, wishing that he'd just leave them be for a little while longer.
"Pizza is on its way up," he said quietly. "Just thought I'd let you two know."
"Yeah, thanks," Faith replied, not letting Buffy back away just yet. "Give us a minute or two, Xand."
"Sure."
She let out another sigh, pulling Buffy in for a kiss as soon as Xander had shut the door. The kiss was soft at first, but as soon as Buffy ran her tongue across her bottom lip Faith deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against her as one hand reached up to tangle itself in her hair. She stopped when she felt the hot tears hit her cheeks and she pulled away slowly, looking into Buffy's watering eyes for a moment before gently kissing away each tear that fell. It caused a lump to form in the back of her throat and she tried to force it away, tried not to think of anything but right here and now.
"We should get inside," Buffy said softly, her words barely making it out as the tears kept falling. "I'm falling apart," she said with a short laugh. "I don't...I wish we didn't have to do this, Faith. I wish that things were different."
"We'll figure it out, B. Always do one way or another, right?" Faith said, forcing a smile as she wiped away Buffy's tears gently with her thumbs. "Ain't like you're gonna lose me forever, B. Even if you do leave, I get it. I'll wait for ya for however long it takes."
"You'd do that?"
"Ya crazy, B? Of course I would. In case you've forgotten, I'm in love with ya," she said with a smile that was a little less forced. "No more tears, B. Let's just go sit with everyone, gorge ourselves on pizza, and listen to what Willow has to say. Okay?"
They shared one last kiss before going back inside to join the others. Jackie was there now and she was talking quietly to Giles. Faith let out a soft laugh knowing that her mother was slowly beginning to fall for Giles. It wasn't as if she could blame her and as weird as it was to see her own mother flirting with her watcher, it felt right at the same time. Willow was talking to Xander, trying to answer all the questions he was asking her, and they both were trying to ignore Andrew as he tried to ask her more about what it was like being non-corporeal. Faith couldn't eat so she just sat in the chair with Buffy perched on the arm, her fingers trailing soft, light patterns over her back where her shirt had ridden up just a little.
As soon as the pizza was eaten, they cleaned up the empty boxes and settled around the living room to listen to more of what Willow had to say. Faith was zoning out and she pulled Buffy down from the arm and onto her lap, snaking an arm around her as she leaned back against her. She did hear bits and pieces of what Willow was saying, about what the Powers that Be had told her. She was, in her own right, a kind of Champion and she was needed here to help fight the forces of evil. One specific thing she did say was that the Powers that Be had told her there wasn't any big apocalypse about to happen anytime soon. She started talking about Angel and how it was pretty much set in stone, that it was fate that Faith would be the one to take him out. Faith felt Buffy tense at that and she kissed the side of her head, trying to reassure her that it'd be okay even if it felt like it wouldn't be.
The more she talked about Angel, the more Faith had to wonder if everything really did happen for a reason. Faith had been right about him, about not being able to fix this. It wasn't meant to happen, according to Willow, and as soon as those words left her mouth Buffy was up and out of the apartment in a matter of seconds. Dawn went after her and Faith just stayed right where she was, knowing that if anyone could calm Buffy down right then it'd be Dawn.
"Did they say when this has to be done?" Giles asked Willow.
"Soon. Every day that passes, Angelus becomes stronger and takes over Angel and his soul a little more. I kept asking if there was a way to stop this from happening, but unfortunately there is no way. Faith," Willow said as she turned to her. "I know how hard this is for you and for Buffy, but whatever you do, you can't let her go."
"How do you—"
"It's rather amazing what the Powers know," she said and shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't tell you everything that they told me, but I can tell you that you cannot let Buffy go. Not yet. Not ever."
"Why?"
"Because you two are...soul-mates, Faith. Surely you already figured that out," Willow said with a matter of fact tone of voice. "They told me you've known since before you met her that she was your other half. You two being together now, it's created a bond, a force so strong that nothing on the outside can break it apart. You can't let her leave."
"Wish I knew how to stop her, Will. But if she's gotta get gone for awhile, I gotta let her go."
"Don't let her go for too long," she said quietly. "Buffy being alone for too long, and apart from all of us, something will end up happening and...she won't be the same."
"People change," Faith pointed out. "I changed. Buffy has too. You all have."
"Trust me when I tell you that you can't let her go, Faith. I already can sense how much it's pulling you apart inside. It's making her feel the same way too."
Faith felt a bit uncomfortable hearing Willow talk about this in front of the others. She knew there was a lot more than what Willow was willing to tell her and it was already starting to drive her a little crazy trying to read between the lines and figure it out for herself. The soul-mate thing made her feel uneasy, but at the same time hearing it acknowledged by someone else made her feel good, made her feel whole. She'd always felt that Buffy was her other half, even back when everything fell apart between them. Buffy was the light to her dark, the other half of her soul—she had felt it every day since that first kiss, and it had only increased as they became closer. Buffy had become her world and she wasn't the only one who saw that. The others started talking quietly, Xander adding his two cents; telling Faith he had never thought the two of them would find something so deep, so real together and that he'd do anything to help them stay together.
Faith got up from the chair, not saying a word as she left the apartment in search of Buffy. She found her in the stairwell with Dawn talking quietly. As soon as Dawn saw Faith coming down the stairs, she whispered something to Buffy and left the two of them alone. Faith sat down on the steps next to Buffy, letting out a soft sigh as Buffy instantly reached for her hand. Neither of them said a word for the longest time as they sat there on the stairs between the second and third floor. Faith didn't know what to say to her, so she opted for just sitting there with her in hopes that Buffy would be the one to talk first.
"Dawn is coming with me," she said quietly after they'd sat there for a couple minutes. "When I leave, she wants to come with me."
"Where ya gonna go?"
"We're thinking Italy. We've never been, you know?"
"Sounds...great."
"Yeah," Buffy replied, lowering her head a little as Faith let go of her hand. "We're using the money I've been getting from Perry lately. It'll be enough for a couple of weeks."
Faith nodded her head and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. It suddenly felt really warm in the normally cool stairwell. She felt boxed in like a caged animal, waiting for that moment she broke apart and all hell went loose. She clenched her jaw tightly as she stared down at her hands, feeling that darkness running through her body that she was quickly losing control of. This thing with Buffy leaving was feeling more real by the second and if she didn't know any better she'd think that her heart had been pulled right from her chest. She couldn't help but feel a little afraid that she might wuss out when she came face to face with Angel/Angelus. It'd definitely be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do next to letting Buffy get gone for a while.
She wasn't sure how long they sat there in the stairwell, but Buffy was the first to get up. She reached for Faith's hand and pulled her to her feet before leading the way slowly back up to the fifth floor and down the hallway to the apartment door. She gave Faith a soft kiss on the lips before they went inside, where Buffy without hesitation simply told everyone to leave, and didn't bother waiting for everyone to comply before she was pulling Faith towards the bedroom.
"Just let me have one last night," Buffy whispered to Faith as she closed the door behind her and pushed the brunette towards the bed. "Just one last night, just you and me."
"All I want right now, B."
"I just want to forget about everything right now."
"Me too."
"I don't want to think about tomorrow," Buffy whispered as she stood at the foot of the bed and began to slowly undress herself. Faith slipped out of her own clothes as she sat on the edge of the bed in front of her, biting her lip, not daring to say a word. "We're not going to lose this, Faith."
"No. Never."
"It's never been like this with anyone else. It's never felt so intense, so...electrifying with just a simple touch," Buffy said softly, reaching out to gently caress Faith's cheek. "I don't think I've ever loved anyone the way I love you either."
"Not even Angel?"
"Not even Angel."
Faith reached out, hooking her fingers around the edges of Buffy's lace panties as she stared up at her. She pulled them down slowly, smoothing the tips of her fingers over the skin as she did so before letting them drop to the floor as she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss just below her bellybutton. She ran her hands slowly up the back of Buffy's thighs, stopping at her waist as she pulled the blonde slayer down to straddle her legs. She stopped Buffy from kissing her and sat back a little, staring at her in the dim light of the room.
"Feels pretty intense right now," Faith whispered softly. "Never thought I'd hear you say that to me."
"Since we got here we haven't held anything back, Faith. Not going to start now."
"I know."
"Two weeks, I promise."
"No, you don't," Faith said, feeling the lie in Buffy's words, that uncertainty she could see so clearly in her eyes. "But don't doubt for a second that if you're gone for more than two weeks I'm gonna come over there, find you, and haul your ass back home."
"You would do that, wouldn't you?" Buffy laughed softly. "What did Willow say when I was gone?"
"Are we really gonna talk now, B?"
"Why, are you all distracted by my nakedness?" Buffy asked, trying to keep a straight face as Faith raised an eyebrow before leaning forward to pull Buffy a little closer, the brunette's lips swiftly latching onto her right nipple. "I'll take that as a yes."
Faith breathed in softly as she ran the tip of her tongue over Buffy's nipple for a moment before she moved to the other, biting it a little roughly as Buffy's hands went into her hair. The softest moan escaped from Buffy's lips then as she pulled Faith up to kiss her. Faith's body always reacted to every sound that Buffy made whenever she touched her. The feeling in itself was like a drug, it sent a sense of euphoria through her even if it just lasted a few short seconds at a time.
They spent the entire night there in their bedroom, most of it just spent holding one another, sharing a few kisses, a few gentle caresses, and a couple of long hours making love. Faith left her there as the first few rays of sunlight began to creep over the horizon. Buffy sleepily gave her a kiss goodbye, sighing out the words 'I love you' before she fell back asleep. Faith quickly and quietly packed up a bag and left, knowing if she didn't leave right now she never would, especially not after the night they'd just spent together.
She stopped by the house, where Giles was sitting in the kitchen waiting for her. He handed her the plane ticket, saying nothing to her as she took it and left, climbing into the empty cab that was waiting for her. She was exhausted, it was going to be a very long flight to LA, and an even longer couple of days—or however long it took her to find Angelus. She closed her eyes, seeing nothing but Buffy and those very fresh and recent memories. Memories that made her whole body ache for more. She couldn't help but feel like this was a mistake, that going down to LA to kill Angelus was the last thing she should be doing. She almost changed her mind three times on the long ride to the airport, but even after she boarded the plane, she still felt like this was a mistake she would forever regret. It was hard to tell what was genuine intuition and what was her mind just her own fear and reluctance. She was, after all, having to let go not only of Buffy but also the only other person in the world who ever gave a shit about her when things had gotten real bad before.
She had to remind herself it wasn't the first time she'd be facing Angelus, but it wouldn't go down the way it had before. She'd kill him, watch him turn to dust before her and never see him again, shedding more than enough tears for him before she would go back to Cleveland and Buffy would be gone. She let sleep take her over as soon as the plane was in the air and she knew when she woke, the world was going to go change on her yet again.
Faith spent the first couple of hours in LA wandering the streets while she waited for the sun to go down. She'd gotten in touch with Wesley as soon as the plane had landed. He picked her up and after explaining that Angelus was now always more in control than Angel was and that his whereabouts were unknown, he dropped her off and gave her a small crossbow and a couple of stakes. He also gave her a cell phone, making her promise she'd call as soon as it was done. It settled her, made her feel like the Slayer—killer?—she really was.
It was about a half hour before the sun set when she felt him watching her. She was in a highly populated area and a fight wouldn't go unnoticed by innocent passers-by. She had to do this without anyone around and Wesley had warned her Angelus would take her for a ride before she caught up to him in the end. She crossed the road, dodging the cars, and followed him through the alleyways until she came to a dead end. There were a few abandoned buildings and only one had a door that hadn't been nailed shut. She pulled the crossbow out of the bag along with one of the stakes and left the bag there as she marched over to the door and kicked it open.
"You gettin' a sense of déjà vu here too, Angel?" Faith called out as she walked through the big, nearly empty room. "Cos I'm totally feelin' it right now."
"Wondered when you'd figure it out and show up," Angel chuckled as he stepped out from the shadows. She raised the crossbow and he held up his hands. "Hey now, Faithy. Gotta play nice."
"Didn't come here to play nice. Came here to kill ya."
"Pity. I really thought it would be Buffy who came instead of you. Those goddamn seers probably lied to me again. Good thing I ate them for lunch," he smirked as he took a step closer to her. "And you know something else, Faithy? I really thought it'd be a challenge. Then again, just might be. Facing a second rate Slayer here after all."
"Just words. Don't listen to him."
Faith stood her ground, her finger over the trigger as she readied herself to raise the crossbow at him in an instant. Angel stood there, looking her up and down for a moment before he shook his head. She tried not to flinch, to show any kind of emotion. He wanted to get something out of her, anything, and she wasn't about to let him.
"You didn't come here for a fight did you?"
"No."
"You really think I'd make it that easy for you?"
"No. I'll make it easy for me."
"You really haven't changed much, have you?" Angel asked, cocking his head to the side when Faith didn't say a word. "Well, of course we have to factor in that you're all loved up with Buffy now. Gotta tell ya, I really didn't see that one coming."
"Well, I gotta tell ya that sometimes people surprise ya," Faith replied, grinning as Angel rolled his eyes. "Betcha old Angel just hates that. Or..." she took a step closer to him, seeing the amusement flash in his eyes, "you hate that he's okay with it."
"Maybe a little of both," he replied easily. "So, why don't you enlighten me as to why you're the one that's come to take me out."
"Supposed to be me."
"Says who? Oh wait," he laughed as he began pacing in front of her slowly, the dust rising from the floor and wafting around in the little bit of light left. "The great and mighty Powers that Be, am I right?"
"That and—"
"And Buffy can't...wait no, she won't," Angel finished for her, tsking as he shook his head. "How does that make you feel to know that she still loves him?"
"Doesn't make me feel a thing. She ain't in love with him or anything and y'know what? I don't even know why I'm botherin' talking to you 'bout this or anything else. All you're doin' is tryin' to stir up shit. You've gone soft, Angel."
He scoffed as he stopped pacing, the dust on the floor finally settling. Faith widened her stance, still ready to raise the crossbow knowing she could get him on the first go as long as she was quick enough. They stared at one another for a couple of minutes as if they were both waiting for the other to make that first move. Everything felt like it slowed down as she felt a single bead of sweat roll down her back. She gripped the crossbow, watching and waiting for that one split second she knew she'd have the chance and when he blinked, she raised it, squeezing the trigger as she held her breath.
Angel looked at her as the arrow struck home, and in that split second before he turned to dust she knew she was looking at Angel, not Angelus. Her heart felt heavy as she watched him fade to nothing and she dropped the crossbow to the floor, her hands shaking with the realization that she'd done exactly what she'd come there to do without even a single blow being traded between them. She pulled the cell phone out of her back pocket as she walked out of the building and called Wesley.
"It's done," she said flatly, her voice devoid of all emotion as she heard him sigh in relief.
"That was quick work, Faith."
"Yeah."
"Were there any problems? How on earth did you find him so quickly?"
"He found me. Followed him into this abandoned building, traded a few words, then it was done."
"Where are you?"
"Does it matter? Kinda wanna be alone right now."
"You do know where my apartment is, right?"
"Vaguely."
"Come here when you're ready to."
She said nothing more to him as she pressed the end button and slipped the cell phone back into her back pocket. She bent down to pick up one of the stakes from inside the bag she'd dropped to the ground before and tucked it inside her jacket pocket. Squaring her shoulders, she made her way to the street, slinging the bag's strap over her shoulder seemingly without any other care in the world to the unknowing eye. She could feel the tears building, but she didn't dare let them fall. Not yet. It still hadn't completely sunk in that she'd killed him—she'd killed Angel.
She'd really done it and now he was gone. And she knew Buffy was too. She could just feel it.
Everything seemed a blur as she walked the busy streets. Every step she took, she felt this heaviness build inside of her along with an emptiness, a void, that felt like it was swallowing her whole. As soon as she spotted a group of vampires making their way to a seedy looking bar, though, everything changed—she took a few deep breaths and headed across the street, ready to take them out, ready to fight since that was exactly what she was built for. She couldn't help but wonder, though, what the hell would happen next.
