Faith Forever

[A/N: Hey, this is a post "Chosen" piece that I created by combining my old stories "Faith in the Roses" and "Seeds of Faith" because they were so similar and I feel like I will have a better launching idea this way. This is a Fuffy slash and a piece that will be rather long. Only change I've made from the show is that Robin Wood died. NBD. BUT. Slash on.]

Chapter One

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."
J.R.R. Tolkien

After Battle Sunnydale, all the Scoobies had were each other. They headed out for the horizon in their hijacked school bus, all of them tired, all of them sore. There were only 13 survivors on the bus, but it felt like a small army. They'd experienced victory over the Turok-Han and it felt really, really good. Buffy couldn't pretend to not be proud of the potentials, and when they stopped at a bank so that Giles could get a money order from the council in order to pay for a motel, she told them.

"I'm really proud of everyone," the blonde said, standing at the front of the bus. "And I know everyone's really hungry and some of you are injured and all of us are sad, but you guys did really really awesome today." She looked around the bus at all the eyes on her. Willow and Kennedy leaned on each other. Xander leaned against the window. Dawn was nestled in her seat. All of the potentials were holding onto one another, trying to find someone to depend on. Andrew had his knees against his chest in the bus seat, trying to stay alert. The only person not looking at her was Faith. She licked her dry lips and tried to focus on the rest of them. "You all just survived the worst fight of our lives, and that's not something to brush off. We saved the world. Because of YOU GUYS." She gave them all a reassuring smile, even though the gash on her forehead was throbbing and the hole in her abdomen was only beginning to heal. She took her seat back by Dawn, on the opposite side as Faith.

No one on the bus had the energy to cheer, but a calm washed over all of them.

Buffy leaned over to Faith and nudged her. "You okay?"

"Wood didn't make it," Faith said. "But I'm five by five. You okay, B?"

"I've been worse," Buffy replied. "Long day. Kinda just want a hot shower. And.." She lifted her shirt, looked down at the open hole to the left of her navel, that had probably just missed all of her organs. She could feel her slayer healing powers pulling muscle back together. It still hurt like Hell though. "Maybe some stiches."

Faith's eyes widened. "Shit B. You gonna be okay?"

"I'm here," the blonde said. "I'll be fine. When we get to the motel, I'll have Will magic me up."

"Maybe she should start now," the brunette looked at the blood hardening around the wound. If Buffy hadn't been a slayer, she would have bled out a long time ago. "Red," Faith called back to Willow. "You seen this hole in Blondie?"

"Hole?" Willow squeezed out of her bus seat, leaving Kennedy leaning against the window. "Lemme see." She knelt down in front of the slayer. "Buffy! You didn't tell me you were mortally wounded!" She put her hands on the slayer's stomach. "Hold on, I don't have much magic in me right now, cuz I'm still recharging, but I can at least close this hole."

"What if we all hold hands or somethin'?" Faith offered. "Can't you pull energy from all of us?"

"Everyone's already drained," Buffy argued. She winced when Willow's fingers brushed the wound. "I can't ask anyone to do that."

Faith shrugged. "You're not asking. And I don't mind. You risked your life for all of us, B. The least we can do is get you back in one piece."

Kennedy hopped up then, newly energized and ready to help out her girlfriend. "I'm in." She turned to the potentials. "You guys in?"

Violet, Rona, Shannon, Caridad and Chao-ahn all got up to help. It was hard to link hands, but together, with Xander's help and Dawn's they all made a crooked circle and Buffy leaned back against the seat and let Willow heal her. When Giles got back on the bus to tell them all that they could go in to the motel, the wound was closed, and only a puckered scar remained. He wiped his glasses on the his dirty shirt and said, "Is everyone alright?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. Thanks."

Giles got them three rooms. He and Xander and Andrew took one room. The potentials and Dawn took another, and Willow, Kennedy, Buffy and Faith took the third. While everyone else was showering, Giles, Dawn and Xander went to the store to get some of the girls a change of clothes. Kennedy and Willow shared a shower, and Buffy laid in the motel floor and stared up at the stucco ceiling.

"You were really amazing today," Faith said, and sat down beside her. "I mean, I don't do this a lot, but I just really wanted to tell you how amazing you were. You kicked total ass, B."

Buffy tried to smile. She closed her eyes and a few tears formed in her eyes. She thought about Spike setting on fire in front of her. She cried and her body shook a bit.

"Hey," Faith said, "You don't gotta do that. We won. We should be partyin!"

The blonde put her palms to her eyes and wiped away dirt, grime, dried blood, maybe hers, maybe someone else's, maybe not even human blood. "I know," she said, "I'm just really, REALLY tired."

The bathroom door opened up and Willow and Kennedy came out in towels. They looked tired too.

"Is Giles back yet with clothes?" Kennedy asked.

Faith shook her head. "Ah, no. Looks like you two will get some more naked time together." She reached forward and slid her arm under Buffy's shoulder. "Have a blast," she said, and helped Buffy back to her feet, and into the bathroom.

"So many people died," Buffy said, leaning against the sink, as Faith pulled the door shut. "And I guess I should be used to it, but I'm not."

"You'll never get used to it," The brunette shook her head. "I mean I've killed people and I'm still not used to it." Faith looked the blonde up and down. "Why don't you get a shower, and then get into bed? You'll feel better once you sleep some of it off."

Buffy shook her head. "I don't think I got it in me to even shower. I am so exhausted."

"I could help you," Faith said. "I mean, if that's not too weird." She stepped forward, pushed Buffy's jacket down her shoulders. Then undid the blonde's jeans, and while she was pulling them down, Buffy pulled off her shirt. She was beyond caring about boundaries. Faith stripped her the rest of the way and walked her to the shower. There was still dried blood all over her stomach, and the gash on her forehead was still open. Faith tried not to stare, but even torn up, Buffy's body was really nice. She turned on the water, and waited for it to heat up before she took Buffy's hand and led her into the stream of water.

"I'm sorry about Wood," Buffy said, after she'd pulled the curtain closed, and stood with the pounding water pressing against her bare skin. Faith handed her one of the little motel sized shampoos and Buffy worked some of it through her hair. "I really am. He was a great guy."

The brunette slayer sat on the sink and tried to keep her eyes on Buffy's face. "Yeah, he was pretty cool. I was afraid he wouldn't make it through. But I was hoping he would. Not cuz I loved him or anything. Just cause I cared about him."

Buffy rinsed her hair and rubbed her body with a bar of soap. "Yeah. I know," she said. "And I'm sorry about that."

"I'm sorry about your vamp," Faith said. "Ya know, burnin' to bits and all that."

Buffy laughed, sort of ironically. "Yeah. I knew he had to die, but it still hurt watching him do it, you know?" She turned off the water, pulled the curtain back open and stood for a second, completely naked, dripping water into the tub.

Faith hopped off the sink, and then paused, letting her eyes scan the blond's naked form. "I know I stole your body for a bit," Faith said, "But I never really took a minute to look at it." She shook her head. "You're a catch, B," she said. "If you weren't so beat up, and I wasn't filthy I would..."

Buffy felt suddenly really self-conscious. She reached forward and took the towel of the rack and wrapped it around her loosely, and then stepped out of the tub and stood awkwardly on the cool bathroom tiles. She didn't know how to respond, but she was curious. "You would what?"

The dark slayer licked her lips. Her body was aching and she felt like she'd rolled in soot, but she thought- To hell with it. They'd just saved the damn world. What was the point in having reservations? She closed the distance between her and the blond slayer and put her hands on Buffy's shoulders. Her palms were lined with dirt, but they were warm. Then, while they were standing there, looking at each other, both hurting physically, mentally, just ALL over, Faith brought her face to Buffy's and then kissed her. She didn't kiss her hard, or hungry or anything. She just kissed her, pressed her lips against the other slayer's lips, and closed her eyes.

Buffy felt like her heart would shoot out of her chest. But she was too stunned to react. Well, she was too stunned to push Faith away. Besides, it felt good. The longer they kissed, the better it felt. Both girls had just lost friends and lovers. So the blonde just let Faith kiss her, and after a moment, she let herself kiss Faith back. It didn't feel wrong. Just different. Soft. Careful. Things that Faith WASN'T. Not normally, anyway. And even though the other slayer smelt like fire and sweat, maybe blood too, Buffy didn't care. She just kissed her and pretended for a moment that they were back in Sunnydale High, before graduation, before the stuff with the mayor, before Faith's betrayal, and all they wanted was to taste the other one's tongue.

But then there was a knock at the door, and the girls pulled away, perhaps simultaneously.

"Giles brought clothes," Willow said through the cheap wood, "Scrub bottoms and tees. But at least you guys can change."

Faith stepped around Buffy, started stripping out of her outfit, and then climbed into the shower. Buffy glanced at the door, then at Faith, who stood naked, her eyes closed, the water running down her face.

"Thanks Will," she said, absentmindedly. "Out in a minute." She stood watching Faith for a second and wondered if she would pull the shower curtain closed, or just stand there, splashing water into the floor. Her eyes slid down the other girl's body- her neck, her breasts, her hips, her thighs. She watched the dirt slide down her skin and wash away. Buffy was tired, her head was foggy, and she was cold. But the water bouncing off of Faith was steamy.

"Gonna stand there or get back in?" Faith asked.

Buffy sucked in a breath. And then she swallowed her fear because there was honestly nothing left to be afraid of, dropped her towel and got in. For a moment she just stood in the mist, watching the other slayer rinse shampoo out of her hair. But then Faith's chocolatey brown eyes flicked back to Buffy's face. She pulled the curtain closed and put her hand on Buffy's hip, coaxed her to come closer.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Buffy whispered and looked down at Faith's breasts which rose and fell slowly as she breathed.

"You think I do?" was Faith's response. She put one hand on Buffy's jaw and brought their mouths back together. They kissed for again, just as sensually, and careful as they had the first time.

Honestly, it was blowing Buffy's mind. She had been sure that Faith was the type to be rough. But her kisses were anything but rough. They were so careful, so sweet.. The blonde slayer just wanted to press her body to the other girl and feel her heart beat.

Faith was just as shocked, maybe more. Buffy got down with vamps. Destroyed a house fucking one. Stole the other's one's soul because the sex was THAT good. She had dated an army boy and had sex for hours in a fucked up magic house. Or somethin'. She'd heard stories. But here she was just kissing her, biting Faith's lip a little, but not letting her hands leave Faith's shoulder blades.

There were no sexual intentions from either of them. And honestly, they both found it unbelievably wonderful. It felt so easy to just kiss and just.. Hold each other, under the steady stream of water. They kissed for a long time, finally rolling their tongues together, and sighing quietly. Faith pulled Buffy closer, pressed their breasts together, put one her hand on the shorter slayer's hip and the other one on the back of her neck. She didn't want to stop. She could have kissed Buffy indefinately.

But eventually the water ran cold, and the girls shivered. Faith turned off the faucet and got out again to get both of them a new towel. She handed one to Buffy first, and then dryed herself off. Neither one of them spoke, but Faith held open the door for Buffy when she was dry and wrapped up once more. The older slayer went to the bed and got the clothes Willow had laid out for her and Faith. She and Kennedy were already asleep in bed.

Buffy pulled on the pants and the shirt and climbed into the scratchy motel bed. Faith did the same not even a minute later and crawled in beside Buffy. Her arm slid around the blond girl's form and gave both of them just enough reassurance to pass into a much needed sleep.

Faith wasn't there when Buffy woke up. Instead, there was a note, written on motel stationary-

"B,
Goin' solo. Catch you later Blondie.
Faith"