Chapter 17: World Stands Still
Ext: Sunnydale High School
Buffy limped towards the bus, Kennedy alongside her and between them, Robyn, an arm slung around each of their shoulders, too injured to walk unaided.
Just as they loaded him on to the bus Buffy paused, startled, hearing a loud bang coming from the High School. A sudden searing pain burned through her leg; Faith!
Kennedy turned to Buffy, a confused expression on her face, "Was that a gun shot?"
Buffy frowned, "I don't know? It could have been an explosion from the building collapsing?" she mused.
"I think Faith is injured though." Concerned for the dark slayer she turned and started heading back towards the crumbling building.
"How do you know?" Kennedy called after the blonde. She left Robyn in Xander and Willow's care, and. blowing a kiss to the witch, "Gotta help Buffy find Faith." She took off after the blonde.
"Be careful," Willow called to the retreating form of her girlfriend, "You don't have much time."
Int: Sunnydale High School
Faith sat on the ground clutching her injured leg, teeth gritted as she fought against passing out from the pain, her exhausted body spent.
Breathe, just, breathe. She fought back tears; pain, frustration, sadness. The rumbling and falling debris around her getting worse. Get up, you have to get up. For her, do it for her.
Faith grabbed the scythe and used it for support as she summoned what little reserve energy she had left and struggled to her feet, unable to hold back a cry of pain.
Hearing a noise she squinted through the tears forming in her eyes and the smokey haze and saw a figure in front of her, the light reflecting behind them, catching on the dust and smoke that was swirling around the building. She shielded her eyes, trying to make out who it was.
"Buffy?" she called out hopefully, she could feel the warm tingle of their slayer connection, but it is distant. A stronger, closer, warning sensation in her gut alerted her to the presence of a vampire. She gripped the scythe harder.
"Guess again, love."
"Spike." Faith's voice was laced with disappointment but also relief that it was not a mob of ubervamps bearing down on her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, the sleeve of her jacket smearing the now damp dirt and grim across her face. Not wanting to show any weakness in front of the vampire she gingerly tested her ability to weight bare and using the scythe for support she limped towards him.
Faith was exhausted, each step forward taking its toll, darkness at the periphery, threatening to overwhelm her. As she got closer to the vamp her leg collapsed under her but she was able to remain upright due to the scythe. She let out a frustrated yell, willing the slayer inside her to give her strength to keep going. The thought of Buffy waiting for her just outside the only thing preventing her from giving in and passing out.
"Need a hand there, Slayer." Spike spat the words out as he blocked her access to the exit, "You're looking a bit tired there, Faithy".
Faith scowled at the vampire, "Fuck off, Spike, we don't have time for your stupid gam…" her sentence cut short as Spike whipped a handgun from his belt, aimed it at her chest and fired a round, the bullet hitting her just below her right collarbone. The sound of the shot echoed loudly in the abandoned corridor. Faith stumbled backward propelled by the force. Dropping the scythe she instinctively clutched her chest where the bullet penetrated, blood seeping between her fingers.
Ext: Sunnydale High School
The second gunshot echoed loud and clear! Buffy stopped suddenly in her tracks and clutched her chest where a sharp, stabbing pain took her breathe away. She doubled over, struggling to catch her breathe.
Kennedy caught up to the blonde and put a hand on her back, concerned, "Buffy, what…."
"Just, go…help, Faith." Buffy managed, a pained expression on her face, "Right…behind you." She stammered.
"You can feel her!" Realization dawned on Kennedy, "Intense!"
Buffy nodded, affirmatively, "More intense since Willow worked her mojo with the scythe" she said through gritted teeth, "It's just transient, thankfully." Buffy looked up at the younger slayer, "She's hurt bad, Ken." Her eyes pleading with the brunette to keep going.
Kennedy nodded in understanding and not wasting any more time charged toward the crumbling school.
Once the pain subsided and Buffy caught her breathe she sprinted after the younger slayer, desperate to reach Faith.
Int: Sunnydale High School
Faith glared angrily at Spike, realization dawning on her that he was there to end her. She fell to her knees, her injured leg unable to support her weight without the scythe. Her breathing shallow and fast, her exhausted body wracked with pain, the bullet punctured a lung; she struggled to draw breath as blood filled the bronchi. Squinting through the dust and haze she could see Spike sauntering towards her, gun held loosely at his side.
"You know, I don't know why I didn't try a gun earlier." He taunts her, waving the gun around, "You Slayers are just flesh and blood after all. That Jonathan was on to something!"
"You're weak!" Faith spat at the vampire, "This is the only way you could ever beat me." She gasped through gritted teeth as she tried to stand, stifling a cry of pain as her leg collapsed under her again. She coughed, blood splattering on the floor, her lips stained red. Faith scowled at the vampire defiantly as she wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand, "What are you waiting for?"
Spike chuckled, "Nothin' personal love…" he paused, "actually it is personal." He took a step forward so he was only standing a few feet in front of the fallen slayer. Aiming the gun at her heart he bent down a little to address her, "I love Buffy."
Smirking he took a step back and watched the angry dark Slayer struggling to regain her footing, the pain in her face overshadowed by the fury coursing through her. She picked up the scythe and used it to help prop herself up, glowering at the vampire. Spike takes another step backward, just out of range. Faith is badly injured but he knows what adrenalin coursing through an angry slayer is capable of. Keeping the gun trained on her chest he continued to taunt her.
"I will be there to comfort her while she grieves for you." He said maliciously, "Oh and don't worry, Slayer, you are going to die a hero. You saved the world!" He smirked as he raised the gun a little and started to pull the trigger.
"Spike! Noooooo!" An angry, desperate, voice cuts through the smoke and haze and the rumble of debris falling around them.
The vampire turned towards the source of the yelling and could see a figure, through the smoke and haze, bearing down on him, "Kennedy!" he says in frustration as he redirects the gun, aiming it towards the young slayer.
Faith sees his finger tense on the trigger. She can see Kennedy is close, but not close enough, she won't make it in time to disarm him and she can't outmaneuver a bullet. Squinting through the haze she sees another form appear behind Kennedy, suddenly very aware of the strengthening Slayer connection.
Buffy!
The blonde slayer is close on Kennedy's heels. Fear grips Faith as she realizes that Buffy is in the firing line as well. It's now or never.
Rage and adrenalin courses through her as she digs deep and drawing on the last of her energy she charges Spike and attempts to disarm him, "I will end you." She snarls, her fist connecting with the vampire's temple. She grabs the arm holding the gun and redirects it so he isn't aiming at Kennedy or Buffy.
Buffy sees the struggle between the two and picks up speed, trying to get to the dark slayer. She can see Faith is desperately trying to gain control of the firearm but the vampire is too strong. The brunette is too injured and too exhausted to overpower him. She catches up to Kennedy but they are still too far away to help.
The blonde stops suddenly in her tracks when she hears the sound of the gun fire, everything slows down. She sees Faith dislodge the gun from Spike's grip and chuck it away. It scatters across the floor out of reach. She watches the dark slayer slam a fist into the vampire's face followed by a powerful push kick; the blow sends him flying backwards where he lands in a crumpled heap at Kennedy's feet, his nose broken, blood pouring down his face.
Buffy stares at him in disbelief, "Why, Spike." She asks sadly. Kennedy grabs the vampire by his jacket and hauls him to his feet, her expression dark. She glances at Buffy who nods and turns her back on the vampire and directs her attention to the dark slayer.
"Buf…" Spike tries to reach out to the Slayer he loves but his call is cut short when, without hesitation, Kennedy plunges a stake into his heart. He looks at the retreating blonde, stunned, before turning into dust, mingling with the smoke and haze.
Buffy reaches the injured slayer, the intense pain she feels in her abdomen, just alongside her stab wound, alerting her that the dark slayer is not in a good way, "Faith." She chokes out, terror in her voice when she takes in the brunette's appearance. There is so much blood. She is so pale!
Faith is struggling to stand; her good hand is clutching a wound in her abdomen, blood oozing between her fingers, her right arm hanging limply at her side, blood dripping from her fingertips. She is looking at the blood leaving her body, frowning. Damn.
Buffy crosses the short distance between them in seconds, just in time to catch the brunette as her legs give in and she collapses.
"He found his mark." Faith winces when she falls into Buffy's arms.
"Oh god, Faith." Buffy cries desperately, struggling to hoist the dark Slayer back to her feet.
The rumbling in the school intensifies and more debris is falling. They don't have much time before the entire building will collapse into the hellmouth.
"You need to go, B." Faith forces out between clenched teeth. She pushes the scythe towards the blonde.
"I won't leave you." Buffy sobs, starting to drag Faith towards the exit, dodging the falling debris.
Kennedy rushes over to the pair, gasping when she takes in how badly injured Faith is. She quickly moves to help Buffy support the brunette. The blonde is using the scythe to clear a path through the debris as the three of them slowly make their way to the exit. The dark Slayer is limping badly, trying to find purchase on the ground with her good leg, wincing as each step jars the bullet wounds. Every step they take is agonizing, waves of excruciating pain wracking her exhausted, broken body.
The shaking is getting worse, the smoke thicker, making it almost impossible to see more than 2 feet ahead.
"B…" It's a soft plea from the brunette. She has no strength left to fight the blonde, to convince her to leave her behind.
"No, Faith." Buffy is desperate, she cuts the dark Slayer off, "I cannot leave you." She grunts as she hoists Faith up a bit more, ignoring her own pain as the stab wound in her side tears from the strain. She hears the dark Slayer cry out in pain, but she ignores that too, they have to get out. The brunette suddenly becomes heavier in her arms.
"Faith!" She screams the brunette's name. Kennedy is at Buffy's side immediately as the blonde gently lays the brunette on the floor. Her pale, almost grey, clammy complexion scares Buffy.
"Is she…" Kennedy puts a hand over her mouth, not wanting to entertain the thought of losing Faith.
Buffy breathes a sigh of relief when she sees a shallow breathe. She can still feel their bond although it is extremely weak.
"She's unconscious." The blonde hands the scythe to Kennedy, "We have to move." She says with urgency.
With renewed strength Buffy manages to hoist Faith over her shoulder, ignoring the searing pain in her side she digs deep and finds the energy to run towards the exit. Kennedy leading the way, clearing a path through the debris for them.
They can see the bus as they exit the school and emerge from the billowing dust and smoke. The engine is revving, they don't have much time. Kennedy turns and gestures to Buffy to let her help with Faith, she can see how exhausted the blonde is. The two Slayers each grab one of Faith's arms and placing them around their necks they drag her towards the bus.
Buffy can see Dawn yelling at them, "Come on." She pleads desperately. Buffy spares a quick glance behind her and sees the devastation as everything is collapsing behind them.
"We have to move faster!" she yells to Kennedy; sweat is pouring off both Slayers as they drag the lifeless brunette towards the bus. It is moving slowly, Giles has kicked it into gear, he has to move further away from the fast approaching crater in the ground. Xander is at the door, his hand outstretched. Kennedy grabs it first and is able to hoist Faith towards him. Xander drags the unconscious Slayer onto the bus; Dawn helps him, flinching when she sees the brunette; so much blood.
Kennedy is next aboard and, hanging on to Xander, she leans out of the bus and holds the scythe out to the blonde Slayer, giving Buffy less distance to try and cover. Giles has to floor it now, the ground collapsing fast behind them.
"Come on, Buffy." Kennedy grits her teeth as she stretches out as far as she can. The blonde is sprinting, she reaches for the scythe the brunette is holding out to her. The sudden loss of her connection with the dark Slayer terrifies her and with her last ounce of strength she leaps forward grabbing the handle of the scythe and hauls herself onto the bus.
Her world stands still when she sees Dawn and Willow performing CPR on Faith. Buffy drops the scythe and stands there numbly, watching, her arms limply by her side. Tears now streaming down her face, mingling with sweat and dirt and Faith's blood. The brunette is lying on the floor of the bus, a pool of blood forming around her. She is so pale.
Buffy collapsed to her knees beside the dark slayer, choking back a sob, "Faith."
A/N: Thanks for all of your patience so far waiting for chapter updates. This chapter has been a tough one that have I agonized over for years (no joke) and how I wanted it to go, especially whether I wanted to kill Spike. Turns out I did! It's no secret that I disliked him in the series and I always felt he got let off the hook too easily after trying to rape Buffy. And as for our heroine, Faith, she had a tough time this chapter that's for certain but I kind of needed it to be that way for the rest of the storyline. I think we're definitely nearing the end of the story so bear with me, I promise I am working on the next chapter. I am super impressed, and humbled, that some of you have followed me since I started writing oh so long ago, waiting patiently for me to finish this story! In the meantime, if you're looking for some other amazing stories then I highly recommend reading CBScifijunky's fanfic. I was her beta for a time and it's because of her I was inspired to write my own stories. She is a much better writer than I am, you will not be disappointed!
